North Devon Focus Coast & Country Chronicle is a local community page for North Devon news or coast and countryside press releases. We also welcome submissions from North Devon Local Event organisers. The listing is free for anyone wishing to promote, local village/church events, charity or non-profitmaking fund raising organisations. It is also free for North Devon musicians, North Devon Arts and festival organisers who wish to promote gigs, events or exhibitions. Visitors may use the links above to explore the North Devon Focus site for North Devon Tourist Information, places to visit and things to do. Devon Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and Devon Wildlife Trust's (DWT) Working Wetlands Project are hosting a joint event next month to look at effective methods of managing these difficult sites. The event will take place at Deptford Farm, Hartland on the 9 March 2010 from 10am until 3pm. Find out more. As ever, the RSPB kicked off 2010 with their biggest event of the year - Big Garden Birdwatch. The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch was held over weekend 30 and 31 January They are also celebrating Big Garden Birdwatch with a special promotional incentive to join the RSPB - new members joining between 19 January and 31 March can choose a FREE RSPB classic apex nest box (normally £11.99) as their free joining gift. Find out more join the RSPB today. - Click here for latest North Devon Coast and Country press releases

WIDER FOCUS - Click here to view the latest Travel and Holiday Offers including Thomson Late Deals and Ski Holiday Offers.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the The North Devon Coast AONB who will celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its designation. They are aiming to make September 2009 to June 2010 a very special time so check out our event listings below or visit ANOB web site for more details.

Please visit the northdevonfocus.blog.spot. which we hope will be an interesting addition to North Devon Focus Coast & Country Chronicle. Blog Roll: The North Devon Snow Party's Over, Bideford Bay Beachcombing, Peppercombe Chronicles - Rosemoor Scents and Sensibility - Tamar Otter & Wildlife Park "In Search of Tarka"

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NORTH DEVON COAST & COUNTRY EVENTS (We advise that you check with local Tourist Information Centres to ensure events are taking place, to confirm dates & times or see local press for further details) NB. Clovelly Events 2009 Events, dates and content may be subject to change, so please consult www.clovelly.co.uk for latest details. Scroll down for the latest press releases

FEBRUARY

Get Your Skates On!! INDOOR FUN for you and your flock at The BIG Skate Rink Have you been watching ITV's Dancing on Ice? Want to have a go yourself? .... well now you can at The BIG Sheep. Open weekends and daily during February half term (13th-21st), you can enjoy whizzing along on the environmentally friendly ice rink. Adults and children can both join in. (Skate sizes for children start from a little 8.) UNDERCOVER FUN the whole family can still enjoy themselves whatever the weather ! Visit the big sheep web site for prices and more information. With spring just around the corner, the first lambs are due at February Half Term school holidays. If you're lucky you may even see a live birth! Don't forget your camera!!

MARCH

APRIL

Friday 2 April - Friday 9 April The Fantastic Fudge Hunt, Clovelly. Back by popular demand! TWENTY fudge stones are hidden along the main street of the village. Track one down, take it to the fudge shop at the Visitor Centre and find out how much mouthwatering, creamy fudge you have won. Find stone number 20, and you win a whole kilo of luxurious fudge! One stone redeemable per visiting family per day.

MAY

Saturday 29 May - Monday 31 May Clovelly Celebration of Local Ales and Cider, Come along to Clovelly for its special Celebration of Ales and Ciders, where you can enjoy a range of local brews. Whether you're a committed ale and cider drinker or yet to be convinced, you'll find a tipple to suit your palate. So come along and raise a glass and support North Devon's brewers and cider makers.

JUNE

JULY

Sunday 18 July Clovelly Maritime Festival, held in aid of the North Devon Hospice. There's something for everyone at the Clovelly Maritime Festival, held in aid of the North Devon Hospice. It's a day of traditional seaside entertainment, including shanty singers, fire-eating, juggling, Punch and Judy, a wench auction, and lots more. Enjoy delicious seafood or a succulent hog roast on the beach. The Old Gaffers Association will be coming along - they're devoted to the conservation of traditional sailing craft and our maritime heritage. Saturday 24 July Lundy Gig Row, West Country pilot gigs were designed to carry pilots out to ships. The first one alongside won the pilotage job, so speed was critical. The row from Clovelly to Lundy and back is a true test of endurance over 32 miles of sea - it can take up to four hours, depending upon the weather and tides. So come along and support the brave crews! Monday 26 July Woolsery Agricultural Show, Clovelly Court, held in aid of various charities. Summer in North Devon would not be complete without a visit to this country agricultural show.There are many classes for cattle, horses, and sheep, along with pony competitions. You'll find bustling trade and exhibition stands with stalls offering locally made crafts and foods. The children will be kept busy with fairground rides and a bouncy castle. A great summer day out for all the family! Saturday 31 July - Sunday 1 August Lifeboat Weekend, held in aid of the R.N.L.I Keeping Clovelly's lifeboat on alert for emergencies round the clock takes effort and dedication. Held in aid of the RNLI, Clovelly's Lifeboat Weekend is a popular celebration of the lifeboat and her crew. To get the fun going on Saturday there's a sponsored swim to Bucks Mills and back. Sunday is packed with entertainments, including a hilarious race of men dressed as women, a tug-of-war and, of course, the ever popular slave auction in which young local men are 'sold' to the highest bidder to do their chores for a day. And there are stalls galore.

AUGUST

Saturday 7 August Clovelly Gig Regatta, In the West Country we are proud of our long tradition of racing pilot gigs. The sport's popularity is hardly surprising - gig racing today is exciting, strenuous and often downright dangerous, with the crews reaching speeds of 9 knots in fast-flowing tidal waters. So come along and cheer on the rowers. It will be an exhilarating day's racing.

SEPTEMBER

Sunday 5 September Clovelly Lobster & Crab Feast, in support of The National Lobster Hatchery. This popular event pays tribute to Clovelly's famous lobster and crabs. There's always a fun party atmosphere, so come along and enjoy a day of live folk music and theatre. And will you be able to resist the charms of the lobster hypnotist? There will be local craft and food stalls, a quay kitchen with cookery demonstrations, wine and beer tasting, and no shortage of entertainments for the children. And it's in aid of the National Lobster Hatchery at Padstow. So don't miss it!

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Sunday 21 November Clovelly Herring Festival, In the 18th century, a hundred boats fished for the 'silver darlings' (herring) out of Clovelly. This Herring Festival is held in support of sustainable fishing by traditional methods and to celebrate the herring. Mike Smylie will be there with his popular 'Kipperland' exhibition, smoking delicious kippers and bloaters. Simon and Ann Cooper will be bringing along their curragh, making nets, and demonstrating flax processing and knitting. In addition, Jim MacCool, founder of National Poetry Month, will be performing his show of infectious verse and toe-tapping Celtic rhythms. Enjoy herring specialities, local cider and wine, shanty singing, a walk-about theatre and masses of stalls.

DECEMBER

Sunday 5 December Clovelly Christmas Lights, in aid of the RNLI. (Procession starts at about 4 p.m. from the Visitor Centre. Entry free after 2 p.m. with small parking charge) Christmas is a magical time at Clovelly, so don't miss this fund-raising event and the switching on of the village Christmas lights. A brass band leads the procession down to the harbour. There's mulled wine, a barbecue, rousing carols, and Father Christmas makes a surprise visit. At 5 p.m. the switch is thrown and the entire village and harbour are lit up - it's a fantastic sight. And there are fireworks to finish off what is always a perfect day

Clovelly New for 2011: Lentsherd Children's Carnival, Sunday 20 February

NORTH DEVON COAST AND COUNTRY PRESS RELEASES

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EVENT PLANNED TO HELP LANDOWNERS MANAGE DIFFICULT SITES Ref: DWT 5 Feb 2010
Wet Culm Grassland habitats can be difficult to maintain, especially tussocky, scrubby areas which are often dominated by purple moor-grass. Devon Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and Devon Wildlife Trust's (DWT) Working Wetlands Project are hosting a joint event next month to look at effective methods of managing these difficult sites. The event will take place at Deptford Farm, Hartland on the 9 March 2010 from 10am until 3pm. Host farmer and keen FWAG member, Brian Heard was 2009's runner up in the FWAG's Devon Bronze Otter trophy. On the day Simon Berry, DWT's Grazing Links Officer, will talk about suitable stock for grazing difficult sites and demonstrate mobile stock handling facilities along with the breeds of cattle and, in some cases, ponies that are often deployed on Culm sites. Becky Aston DWT Working Wetlands Project Officer said: "Many dairy farms have found that their Culm Grasslands do not suit Holstein or Friesians.Instead the local breeds are now making a comeback with the crucial advantage of being good converters of poorer quality forage." "When sites are left un-grazed scrub quickly develops and the wildlife value of Culm sites declines. At the same time the land's agricultural value falls, while the cost of restoration steadily becomes more expensive. Soft rush can out-compete flowering plants and reduce structure in the grass sward. This reduces the value of the grassland in both conservation and cattle fodder terms." Along with a look at some of the cattle options there will be demonstrations of machinery suitable for tackling problems on wetter ground such as flail mowers and low ground pressure tractors. Craig Hodgson, Devon FWAG Adviser, will cover topics such as the financial support available through Environmental Stewardship to enable sympathetic management of farm environmental features. This grant scheme is administered by Natural England (NE) and a local NE adviser will also be present to discuss any concerns. FWAG offers farm and nature conservation advice, NVZ training; cross compliance advice; water audits; and all environmental stewardship applications. DWT's Working Wetlands Project can assist with a variety of farming issues within the Culm Measures such as general advice, ELS/HLS applications, grants, stock and machinery. Advisers from both organisations will be present at the event. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. To book on to this event please contact Angela White at FWAG on (01392) 364392 or email devon@fwag.org.uk

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CHARITY COMMISION CHAIR VISITS CRICKLEPIT MILL (Ref: DWT 27th January 2010)
Last Friday, Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission, was given a special tour of Exeter's Cricklepit Mill, headquarters of Devon Wildlife Trust, to witness the work of the county charity. Director of the charity Paul Gompertz led the tour of the historic mill which was followed by lunch with some of DWT's trustees. In the afternoon Dame Suzi was also taken on a site visit to Lutworthy and Affeton Moors to view progress of the ground breaking habitat restoration work taking place there as part of 'Working Wetlands', a project which is working in partnership with farmers in the Culm Measures of Devon. Dame Suzi, who lives in Exeter, has been Chair for the last four years and was delighted to witness the essential conservation work carried out by DWT. "Charities are uniquely important to our society and the Commission has a vital role to play in supporting them, both individually and collectively. Devon Wildlife Trust appears to be working on a very large scale across Devon and it was fascinating to see such dramatic work first hand," she said. Paul Gompertz said: "It was a pleasure to have the company of Dame Suzi for the day. She seemed particularly impressed with the scale of our work here in Exeter and in north Devon where we have been clearing large swathes of conifer plantations so they can revert back to wildlife rich Culm Grassland. We hope she will return towards the end of the project to see how much has been achieved." (Photo: Sir Hugh Stucely and Dame Suzi Leather at Affeton Moor)

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DEVON DORMICE GO NUTS OVER FUNDING BOOST (Ref: DWT 26 Jan 2010)
Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) has just received funding to help with conservation work to improve the lot of dormice at a number of its nature reserves. The £4986 grant from the Pennon Environment Fund will help the charity's reserve officers to implement and enhance coppicing regimes at its Andrew's Wood, Lady's Wood, Scanniclift Copse, Sourton Quarry and Dunsford nature reserves in the coming months. Dormice thrive in woodland with hazel coppice, as one of their staple foods is the hazelnut. An autumn diet of these helps keep them sufficiently plump to survive their annual winter hibernation. Although dormice are also found in hedgerows and other habitats, these Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserves are known to be some of their most important and protected strongholds. DWT's Reserve Officer Jackie Gage said: 'The money will help pay for our time on the reserve coppicing the hazel trees so that they are kept in the best possible condition for the populations of dormice. By allowing more light into the woodlands, these activities will allow denser and more species-rich understoreys to develop. This in turn will increase the amount of food and cover available to dormice throughout the seasons when they are active." Over the coming months the dormice on the sites will be monitored using nest boxes and nest tubes which will be put up at the sites with the help of volunteers. This part of the project has also been paid for using some of the grant money. Jackie added: "It's important that we continue to monitor populations in Devon, particularly as we are the Biodiversity Action Plan lead partner for the species. We cannot continue this important work without the volunteer and financial support which this funding gives us." Pennon Group is the parent group of Viridor Waste Management and South West Water and through its Environment Fund supports environmental and social improvement projects across the region and nation. For more information about DWT's reserves and how you can help visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org

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HISTORIC HEDGES RESTORED AT NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE (Ref: DWT 6 January 10)
Devon Wildlife Trust last month planted a series of new hedges at its Dunsdon National Nature Reserve to help restore the traditional network of small fields that would have once been a feature of the local landscape. The site, near Holsworthy, was planted up with locally produced native species by the charity's reserves team and long term estates volunteers. The hedge species including a mixture of hawthorn, ash, oak, hazel and rowan will sit on traditional Devon hedge banks which were created last year. Gary Pilkington, DWT's senior reserves officer, said: 'These new hedges will provide essential wildlife corridors at these Culm grassland sites. The hedges are replacing ones that were removed through agricultural improvement in the years before DWT took charge of the land. We used Tithe maps from the early 1900s to work out exactly where the original hedges were located.' The project has been supported thanks to funding from The Tree Council's Real Hedge Fund (working in conjunction with the National Hedgelaying Society and Stella Artois). For more information about the site visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org

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THE NORTHERN DEVON COAST & COUNTRYSIDE SERVICE
1. The Northern Devon Coast and Country Service (NDCCS) is jointly funded by Devon County Council, Torridge District Council, North Devon District Council and the Countryside Agency. www.devon.gov.uk/ndccs
2. The North Devon coast was designated an AONB in 1959 and is comprised of two defined Heritage Coasts and covers approximately 171 sq km. The Hartland and North Devon Heritage Coasts together with the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at Braunton Burrows make up one of the finest 'Protected Landscapes' in England. www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk
As the Highway Authority for Devon, the County Council is responsible for 3,200 miles (4,960km) of public rights of way. www.devon.gov.uk
3. The Countryside Agency - The work of the landscape, access and recreation division of the Countryside Agency is concerned with protecting our landscapes for now and future generations whilst also encouraging respect and enjoyment of our beautiful countryside. www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/index.asp Click here to view more North Devon press releases

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RockETS stands for Rock Environmental Treatment Scheme, and distributes funding from the Government's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund to projects that reduce the effects of aggregate extraction in Devon (including Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, and Plymouth and Torbay Unitary Authorities).

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