by David Birch | Mar 27, 2025 | Recent Articles
On Friday 21st March the Golden Lion opened its doors for the first time under the new management of Annie Preston, her partner Julian and daughter Esme. The pub was packed with customers all evening, enjoying a wide range of drinks, delicious canapes, live music and, above all, a brilliant atmosphere which bodes well for the future of our village pub.
Annie is determined that the Lion will be right at the heart of our community and this is reflected by the imaginative and well-thought out menu which caters for those who just want to drop in for a quick snack and chat and those who want to try out Esme’s entirely home-made menu of pub classics and Sunday roast lunches, which offer a choice of four starters, four mains and four desserts. Readers will also be delighted to know that take-away fish and chips will still be served on Tuesday evenings!
Real ales of course are available, courtesy of the St Austell brewery, but there will be frequent guest beers also on offer. The interior has been entirely refurbished, with plenty of space for dining and comfortable seating for relaxing. There is a wide collection of board games to enjoy and a weekly darts night is being considered. Our cricket, football and tennis clubs will be delighted to know that there will be a warm welcome for them after their matches.
We wish Annie, Esme, Julian and all their staff a very happy and successful tenure at the Golden Lion!
by David Birch | Mar 27, 2025 | Recent Articles
April 2025 marks the Golden Anniversary of the foundation of the 1st Tipton St John Scout Group. Where did that half century go? On April 2025 marks the Golden Anniversary of the foundation of the 1st Tipton St John Scout Group. Where did that half century go? On 29th, a chilly evening as I remember, twelve lads, aged between eight and ten years old, under the leadership of Ann Mattison (now Knight) and Sheila Boyes met at the playing field to be introduced to the magic of Scouting.
In those days the leaders were known by the names of Jungle Book characters, so I was Akela and Sheila, Shere Khan. The boys or pack were divided into sixes with a Sixer and Seconder appointed to organise them. A series of tasks had to be passed, with The Promise and Cub Law learnt by the boys before they were invested as full members of the pack, able to wear the pack scarf (in Tipton’s case a red one) and given membership badges – round purple ones – to be sewn on the left front side of the green jumpers. There were District and County badges for the right sleeve, with the Group name tag for the top. A number of interest badges could later be earned and 29th, a chilly evening as I remember, twelve lads, aged between eight and ten years old, under the leadership of Ann Mattison (now Knight) and Sheila Boyes met at the playing field to be introduced to the magic of Scouting. progress through the pack achieved with arrow badges.
By May the numbers had increased to seventeen and by the Autumn there were twenty-six cubs, and a Scout Troop was proposed. By January 1976 this was established with Frank Johnson as Skipper followed by Brian Pottinger who did a great job keeping the troop going in the early days. The weekly subs were five pence at the start, increasing to ten pence in 1979. Now the term fee of £40 pounds is paid by banker’s order making things much easier for all.
Scouting is a worldwide organisation governed by strict rules. The ones for this country were set out in what is known as POR or Policy, Organisation and Rules. These have, of course, been changed and adapted over the years to keep up with the times. One of the biggest changes in the Scout movement as a whole must be the admission of girls in Tipton’s inaugural year of 1976. In the seventies and eighties there were several competitions for both sections run by the District. Tipton took its share of success, with Cubs winning the sports and swimming several times. The Cub sports were run by Tipton on our playing field and became quite a village event.
Our group continued to grow and flourish. A huge boost was the purchase of the ‘plot’ from Clinton Devon Estates in 1984. The land, just outside the village off the Harpford Road, has been such an asset providing an outdoor space for games, fire-lighting, outdoor cooking, camping and learning many other skills integral to scouting. The building of a scout hut, small at first, then replaced in 1993, improved over the years and now in need of an upgrade again, has been invaluable.
Before acquiring the plot, the cubs had a weekend camp each September in fields loaned by local farmers. The Scouts, who were encouraged to arrange their own patrol camps, were also able to do this locally but as a troop were much more adventurous, visiting Dartmoor, North Wales and the Norfolk Broads.
‘Bob-a-Job’ week was an early feature of fund raising. Boys went knocking door-to-door and were given small or not so small tasks such as sweeping leaves, car washing, window cleaning or washing up in exchange for cash: there was great rivalry to see who could earn the most! In more safety-conscious days, the group supervised activities such as a shoe-shine outside the shop or car wash in the Hall car park. Later, fundraising became more a job for adult supporters and a series of themed dinners took place in the Community Hall.
From 2011 ‘Cuberets’ or concerts by the cubs and scouts followed by a meal and organised by Brian Foulkes were held. For many years, starting in 1989, a biennial duck race, held on the May Day Bank Holiday was run by the Scouts then under the leadership of Graham Leah.
Graham was a stalwart Scouter from 1989 to 2015, first as Assistant Scout leader then Skip – and also held the post of Scout District Commissioner for many years. He was enticed into the movement by his wife, Carol, who took over from me as Akela. He only initially came to help the cubs with their map-reader badge but fell under the spell. The group has had so many dedicated leaders and helpers throughout the years and generations of youngsters have reason to thank them for the experiences they have enjoyed that may not have been available elsewhere.
A new branch of Scouts for six- to eight-year-olds was introduced in 1986 but didn’t take off in Tipton until 2015 when the Tipton Beaver colony was launched under the leadership of Brian Foulkes.
The group has had its ups and downs over the years but always managing to stay alive. How delighted I was in 2015 to be asked to join the Group Executive again and find the Group flourishing with big plans ahead for improvements to the Plot and Hut. There are now 26 Scouts, 30 Cubs, 12 Beavers, 5 on the waiting list and 11 Leaders headed by Alison Clatworthy, the present Group Scout Volunteer. Alison asks me to add a plea here for help with the Beaver section. Now children of the children in the early pack are joining and I am still occasionally accosted in the street by middle aged men saying, “Hello Akela, do you remember me – I was a Tipton Cub.” They don’t forget.
Like all big organisations the Head Office is always coming up with new ideas, programmes and training systems but the aim is the same. Scouting is an amazing organisation for helping young people to find their strengths, develop their interests and shoulder their responsibilities to others and their community while having fun. May Tipton’s contribution to this continue for at least another 50 years.
Ann Knight
by David Birch | Mar 27, 2025 | Recent Articles
Some of you may have observed something new in the north-west corner of the playing field just south of the beacon. We have had many suggestions as to what is happening there from nuclear reactor to alien landing site, shotput/discus area, crop circle, the list goes on … But I am proud to say that Tipton St John now has its own labyrinth!
It has been created by the EagerBeaversTSJ with the assistance of Paul Burton, who has made numerous labyrinth mo stly in the sand at Exmouth and Ladram Bay. It is 28 metres in diameter and follows a classical path, with seven circuits.
When people mention a labyrinth they often think of mazes, but a labyrinth is NOT a maze. A maze has many paths, there are blind alleys and wrong turns. You can get lost, disorientated and face dead ends. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth is a single path that leads to the centre and back out again. They have been in existence for almost 4000 years and one of the most famous is the medieval labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral. Today they are recognised as effective tools for meditation, can be used to gain clarity or healing and are widely found in churches, prisons and hospices.
The beauty of walking a labyrinth is that it is open to anyone at any age, of any ability and on any spiritual path. People all over the world are discovering that the ancient practice of walking labyrinths not only helps to solve problems, but also soothes the nerves, calms the mind and heals the body. Labyrinths offer the opportunity to walk in meditation and enable us to find calm in today’s hectic world.
Please feel free to come and walk the labyrinth, enjoy the process of being outside, of walking in stillness and peace
Lisette Johnston
by David Birch | Jan 29, 2025 | Recent Articles
Farewell from John…
Our pre-Christmas Quiz was attended by a record 14 teams which meant we needed to make use of the stage to fit everyone in. Our thanks go to quiz-masters Paul Kinson and also to Brian Rice for running the one in January. Our last two quizzes of the current season will be on Sundays 2nd March and 6th April starting at 7pm.
As I mentioned in the last edition, Jane Gibson has now taken over from my wife, Pauline, as our Booking Clerk and she can be contacted at tsjcommunityhall@gmail.com
This is my last Tipton Times contribution as Chairman so I would like to take this opportunity to say that it has been a privilege to be closely involved with the management of the Hall for the past 21 years working with many different trustee colleagues on hundreds of maintenance jobs as well as several large building projects (in particular the addition of the Small Hall in 2008) – which have enhanced the premises by greatly improving the facilities for all our users.
It’s a much-loved village asset which has been here for over 110 years, and we all hope it will continue to thrive for many more years to come. I wish Brian Rice all the best as he takes over as Chairman with effect from 1st February
John Belton (01404 813431) or email: thebeltons@talk21.com
…..and hello from Brian
Firstly, I must take this opportunity to thank John and Pauline, on behalf of the committee and everyone in the village, for all the hard work for over 20 years. I can’t imagine where we would be today without all their efforts.
As we move forward I am delighted to advise that we have got an excellent team in place and we will all work very hard to maintain, or even improve, everything both for the Community Hall and the village. As the saying goes “Teamwork makes the Dream Work” and we will do our best to ensure this is the case.
Brian Rice (01404 811396 or 07810 302480) or email: rice196@btinternet.com
by David Birch | Jan 29, 2025 | Recent Articles
Have you ever wondered about the history of the particular space you now live in? Who occupied it and what sort of building (if any) was there nearly 200 years ago? Some years ago, we featured the tithe map of our area from 1845 and we thought it was worth revisiting it for the benefit of new readers.
The tithe map for our area and list of apportionments (basically a record of landowners and tenants for each plot) is available via the Devon Historic Environment page on the county council website. To access the map and list, follow this link: https://www.devon.gov.uk/historicenvironment/tithe-map/ .
- In the search box, scroll down and select ‘Ottery St Mary 1’ and click submit.
- Look for the ‘Tithe Apportionment Transcription’ towards the bottom of the page; click on and download the PDF which lists all the recorded plots and properties in the area. Scroll down to page 33, where the list of Tipton, Metcombe and Fluxton plots begins.
- Further down the page you’ll see a small brown square – this is the original tithe map. Move it into the centre of the page with your cursor and then enlarge it with the + button at the top left.
- Tipton is towards the lower central part of the map – you should recognise it by the shape of the river and road system. Note how the appearance of the village has changed. Of course, there are far more dwellings now on what used to be open fields and orchards. Intriguingly, some buildings marked are no longer there.
- You will see that every plot is numbered; these numbers correspond to the numbers on the PDF.
Unfortunately, the separate map showing Venn Ottery is very small and almost indecipherable, but you can find it and the apportionment list by searching for ‘Venn Ottery’ instead of ‘Ottery St Mary 1’. Of course, it is possible to search for other places in Devon by entering their names in the search box.
David Birch
by David Birch | Jan 29, 2025 | Recent Articles
Farewell to Franky and Michelle
Come and celebrate 22 years at the Golden Lion with us for drinks only on our last trading night, Saturday 22nd February from 6pm.
We moved into the Golden Lion in April 2003 with our 5-year-old twins. That weekend, we opened on the Thursday night for drinks and started with our basic French style menu of 5 choices of starters, mains and puddings. We had all the family and a few friends as staff and were overwhelmed by the welcome from this fantastic village we had become part of.
We quickly expanded the menu and started quiz nights, theme nights through the winter months, Christmas village dinner, Christmas day drinks, Jazz in the summer,takeaway fish and chips on a Tuesday when the van stopped coming, Keith the pub singer who would sometimes dress up as Elvis on a Friday night together with our infamous New Year’s Eve dress up parties. We loved taking part in the village Olympics and the Tug of War at the fete every year and put on some fireworks at a couple of bonfire nights.We have truly loved being part of this warm and friendly village and whilst we are so looking forward to retiring it is tinged with the sadness of leaving this magical village of ours. Luckily, we will only be moving a couple of miles down the road and hopefully we will still see you when we are walking Reggie or maybe popping in for a drink!We wish Annie, Esme and Julian the very best wishes in becoming custodians of the Golden Lion and hope they have as much enjoyment from running it as we did.
Franky and Michelle
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