CHERITON Fitzpaine Garden Club welcomed Simon Roper, M. Phil, Exeter, back to our October meeting.

Simon is a member of AMBIOS (nature conservation, training and re-wilding, a national and international organisation).

He had come to bring us up to date with a project at Sharpham, near Totnes.

The aim is to improve biodiversity on arable land. With the help of grants, trainees from as far away as Canada come to learn and help fulfil the aim.

The farm also works with United Response, which enables people with learning difficulties to be proficient in animal care.

Using AI images, Simon was able to show us how the land is being managed, and how it could look in five years, 10 years and beyond.

Already trees are being planted, and they have two Galloway cattle and some curly-haired pigs, both species seeming to get on with one another.

Several of our members are farmers, or have smallholdings, so questions at the end were many and varied. Simon was thanked by Prof. Joe Anderson.

Our next meeting will be in November, when we have a wreath-making workshop (fully booked), and December will see us all gathering for a Christmas meal in the Parish Hall.

Separately, Cheriton Fitzpaine Parish Hall was recently packed with people of all ages for an afternoon performance of rhythm and blues played by a five-piece band "La Vie en Rose".  

During the interval, afternoon tea was served at the tables, complete with luscious cake.  

The event was the brainchild of Becky Smith, and raised over £300 for the parish hall.

Mary Nunn