We were given permission by the vicar of St Marychurch in 2002 to plant additional bulbs in the churchyard.

Whilst digging in preparation to plant the bulbs in front of the church we came across a poignant reminder of a tragic wartime incident.

We found bricks and rubble reminders of that fateful day in 1943 when twenty-one children and three Sunday school teachers lost their lives on Sunday May 30th, when the main part of the church was destroyed by a German bomb.

Petitor Corner ( St Marychurch )

The telephone box at Petit Tor Corner alongside a busy road junction in St Marychurch almost obscured by overgrown shrubs had become a problem due to vandals and unsightly litter despoiling.

Our thanks to the proprietor of the nearby Crown & Sceptre (great pub) who along with action group members spent a morning pruning and litter picking the shrubbery.' Plandscape' contractors supplied and removed two trailer loads of green waste materials for shredding.

There is now a clear view of the telephone box along with safer connecting pathway. Maintenance by the action group may help to reduce and deter the unsociable behaviour committed by a minority.

Priory R.C.School ( St Marychurch )

Members re-vamped the Priory RC School garden St Marychurch in 2004.  It was a pleasure to work in this small and secluded garden appropriately years ago named 'Paradise'. Fruit trees and shrubs pruned, grass cut, new flower borders, ivy covering part of the walls ideal nesting habitat for the birds trimmed carefully thirty plus paving slabs laid to accommodate the table/benches.

The garden and pond are full of wildlife frogs, toads, newts and birds, an educational mini nature reserve. Children and staff have since introduced additional plants, flower troughs, and hanging baskets around the school. They are delighted with the new look garden, used for lunch breaks and lessons whenever possible.

St Anne's Hall  (Babbacombe )

In 2002 action group members and residents cleared the overgrown shrubs and weeds at St Anne’s Hall in Babbacombe and removed four tons of glass-contaminated topsoil. The action group donated and planted palm trees and a Tree of Heaven.

Since then St Anne’s Hall has undergone a major refurbishment funded by the Heritage Lottery.

Westhill Junction  ( Hele Cross )

Torbay Council gave us permission to plant a small patch of land outside Cuthbert Mayne School, Westhill Road Teignmouth Road junction, with a large amount of daffodils.

The daffodils over the years will be a cheerful and colourful springtime display to all that pass this busy road junction.

We have also under planted the side verges of St Marychurch bypass and Cary Avenue Babbacombe with thousands of bulbs.

Furrough Cross ( Babbacombe ) 

The Minister Robert of Furrough Cross United Reformed Church St Marychurch, his wife Gwen and congregation volunteers over the past few years have worked continuously on the gardens around the church. Their dedication in maintaining such a high standard of the floral displays admired and appreciated by all who pass by and the congregation who attend this most hospitable church.

Babbacombe Cliff Railway

St Marychurch & District Action Group members have assisted Friends of Babbacombe Cliff Railway ( FBCR ) in clearing pathways and steps in the vicinity of the cliff railway.

Some of the action group are members of the Friends of Babbacombe Cliff Railway ( FBCR ) since its formation in 2005.

Note: To commemorate the first trip on the cliff railway on the 1st April 1926 Alderman John Taylor Mayor of Torquay was presented with a silver framed ticket number A000. A search for this missing ticket has been unsuccessful. Do you know where it is? Contact: jml@friendsofbabbacombecliffrailway.org.uk  or  jmlcliffrailwaytimes@hotmail.co.uk

Rifle Range Lane ( Babbacombe )

Rifle Range Lane a small corner near Babbacombe Business Park maintained by the action group.

Rifle Range Lane name derived from miniature outdoor rifle range on Walls Hill which no longer exists.

Range opened in 1907 by Princess de Polignac nee Winaretta Singer daughter of Issac Meritt Singer sewing machine manufacturer.

Peak Tor ( Torquay )

The wartime mine watchers post ( 363 battery ) at Peak Tor Cove Torquay location chosen due the site being hidden within a narrow cliff, which restricted enemy arial vision.

Its view of Torquay harbour was perfect for the detonation of mines laid on the seabed of Torquay as part of the WWII defence plan.

In 2001, St Marychurch & District Action Group raised funds to finance the Peak Tor Bat Conservation Project to protect the horseshoe that inhabit the building.

Action group volunteers working in conjunction with Devon Bat Group and Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust undertook protective measures.

The anti vandal concrete and breezeblock structure blocking up the doorway was removed. The interior cleaned and additional roosting spaces fitted.

Upton Metalwork's Torquay fabricated a heavy custom-made steel door. A team of welders assisted by action group members then fit the new door. The door enables strictly controlled access for future observation and general maintenance work.

HORSESHOE BAT ( Rhinolophus Ferrumequinum ) Endangered bat species name derives from the nose-leaf (the folds of skin on part of the face) shaped like a horseshoe. The large ears and small eyes the large nose leaf reduces their vision so eyesight does not seem to be critical feature of their life. Weight approximately half an oz wingspan of fifteen inches thick fur covers both wings back fur ash-grey colour underside fur yellowish pink shade. The young born are during June and July with a strong climbing instinct they mature at about three years with a lifespan up to seventeen years.

A low flying insectivorous late evening feeder upon returning to its roost the wings wrapped around their bodies unlike other bats where the wings folded against their bodies. They roost in caves, lofts, tunnels and trees and live mostly in tropical areas. Five of the species are in Europe and we are fortunate to have two varieties in Great Britain.

Timber beams and roof areas of barn conversions treated with preservatives are highly toxic to these bats and others bats numbers have slowly diminished.

Maidencombe

The ancient settlement of Maidencombe is a picturesque long shore hamlet on the northern boundary of Torbay characterized by thatched buildings and open countryside with spectacular Red Devon cliffs reaching down to the sea. The settlement has a long history mentioned in the Doomsday Book and is one of the last few undeveloped Coombes in Torbay. Records show that the area, which boasts a beach cafe as well as a car park and toilets, has been popular with locals and tourist since at least the thirties.

Residents have enjoyed the use of these facilities for decades and feel privileged to live in such a beautiful rural location, which lies in an area designated as a Heritage Coastline and through which the South West Coast Path passes.

Lack of investment and neglect by the previous leaseholder tenant ( legal action resulted in the forfeiture of lease ). Along with vandalism and a major landslide in 2001, the facilities at Maidencombe beach required urgent attention. Maidencombe Residents Association extensively canvassed residents as to future arrangements for the area.

There was overwhelming support for the transfer of the land to the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust managers of some coastal farmland in Maidencombe. The residents Association held discussions with councilors and the Trust. The idea was adopted and the transfer took place in April 2003. Maidencombe Orchard and Beach Project in conjunction with Maidencombe Residents Association, Torbay & Coast Countryside Trust, businesses and the local community

In 2003, Maidencombe residents, Torbay & Coast Countryside Trust helped by St Marychurch Action Group open up the vista view cleaned up the car park and watercourse. Large amounts of rubbish were removed and improvements appreciated by locals and visitors continue.

Torre Station ( Torre )

In 2002 the action group members led by the then Action Group chairperson Councilor Andy Blake helped Torre Signal Box Preservation Society to erect a new platform 'Running in Board' fit and then paint a new 'Torre' platform sign to station wall. A small garden within the station was cleared and planted with six palm trees donated by the action group.

King George V Playing Field ( Watcombe )

December 2001 member’s pupils and teachers from Watcombe and Coombe Pafford schools planted a flowering wild cherry and two Norway maple trees at the King George V playing field in Watcombe.

The two schools had previously made a donation for trees for the Millennium Green.

The action group decided it would be more appropriate to use the donation to purchase and plant the trees within proximity of the schools. This would enable present and future pupils to see the trees grow and mature.

Great Hill ( Watcombe )

Local residents and business groups have lobbied for some time and remains a controversial focal point for improvements to Great Hill Watcombe.

The ancient pagan site dates back for three thousand years Saxon name magen-dun/maiden and has one of finest panoramic views across Torbay from the vista.

Once part of the Admiralty's many estates ownership acquired by the Brunel estate in the late 1840's. The woodlands surrounding Great Hill contain a great deal of wildlife protection of these habitats as with all such areas is important.

St Marychurch Action Group members and volunteer helpers in 2001 planted out many thousands of bulbs donated by Suttons Seed Ltd in designated areas of Great Hill. As the years go by the number will increase naturally and may become a feature of Torbay although some bulbs were damaged in 2002 due to pipeline trenches and excavation work undertaken at the time by the water company’s contractor.

The Great Hill Community Project due to protracted negotiations was put on hold. Hopefully a solution will be forthcoming and improvements and public access to this important area of Torquay will one day continue.

Ellacombe

An un-adopted access lane between two roads in Ellacombe overgrown. Weeds broken glass and general rubbish had become a major problem for residents. In 2001 it was transformed by residents and action group members.

A skip of rubbish removed and new kerbstones installed. For safety reasons bollards were erected to dissuade motorcyclist from using the lane as a shortcut.

Kerb-stones, bollards and cement donated by Wiltshire’s of Babbacombe. Aggregate Industries of Exeter provided the asphalt for the new tarmac surface.

Warberry Copse ( Ellacombe )

After the 1990 hurricane, which resulted in destruction of a large numbers of the trees at Warberry Copse in Ellacombe Torbay Council, contractors, residents, schoolchildren and voluntary groups planted new trees.

Torbay Council as part of the rejuvenation project constructed a pond for wildlife.

Members of the action group and local residents for the Community Action Day in April 2001 cleaned out the pond. Wrecked motorbike, builder’s rubble, garden waste, tin cans, and pieces of iron just some of the vast amount of rubbish dumped by fly tippers removed.

Torbay Council carried out drain clearing works along with road and pavement improvements provided a skip for the ‘Just Bin It’ initiative month part of the Tidy Britain Group. The community over the years has maintained, and kept this local woodland from becoming another development casualty.

The Lesser Spotted Volunteer

An Amusing article sent in by ‘ jackie ’ ‘ wafflewriter '

This is becoming an increasingly rare species. They are extremely difficult to track down, being shy with a tendency to scuttle away swiftly from sudden encounters, hence their name. Volunteers differ greatly in appearance and have their own individual markings, which makes them difficult at first glance but they display the same pattern as foreplay when encountering a Working Group for the first time, i.e. dilation of pupils, twitching around the muzzle and a swift turn of the body to expose the rump as it rapidly disappears. Not much is known about their breeding habits and family groups are rarely sighted. It therefore requires much skill to capture a Volunteer long enough to observe their valuable contribution to society.

Hints on how to look after your volunteer when lucky enough to have caught one:

• Give regular feeds of tea and buns during working hours.
• Always take your volunteer with you when going to the pub.
• Include them on group outings as they may be lonely out of their natural habitat.
• Treat volunteers kindly at all times to prevent them from joining rival groups.
• Remember that all Volunteers are protected by Conservation & Protection Orders.

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