Telscombe

YOGA: With Natalie Heath every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm in the Civic Centre. This class is back after the summer break on Tuesday September 4. Contact Natalie Heath email: [email protected] phone: 07738538094.

SENIOR TEA CLUB: The Deans Senior Tea Club meet every Tuesday from 10.30am to 12.30pm in the Civic Centre. Come along for tea, coffee, cakes and a chat. It’s free, but donations are always welcome.

LIVING LIGHT PILATES: Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning in the Civic Centre. £6.50 per class or class pass for £44 (eight classes plus one free session). Contact Nicola Murray-Smith email: [email protected] phone: 07776 457752.

FITNESS PILATES: Every Monday morning and Thursday evening in the Civic Centre. Get fit, tone up, prevent back pain, improve flexibility and posture. Equipment provided, just bring some water. Only £6 per class or £40 for eight weeks. Contact Jennie Palmer email: [email protected] phone: 07825 702775.

YOGA: Every Monday from 7.15pm to 8.15pm in the Civic Centre. Contact Jane email: [email protected] phone: 07703 167895.

DANCE CLASS: Little Stars Pre-School Dance Class for pre-school children aged 2 to 4 years, every Tuesday 9am to 9.30am at the Civic Centre. £3.50 per session. Contact Anneli Smith 07930 490058.

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION: Monthly meetings on the first Thursday of each month from 7.15pm to 9.15pm in the Civic Centre. Chair Pat Bowman 01273 583213; Vice-Chair Linda Paddock 01273 587853; Secretary Chris Bowman 01273 583213.

COUNCILLORS SURGERY: On the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 11am in the Civic Centre. No appointment necessary. Come along and see your local councillors.

COUNCIL MEETING: The Audit Sub-Committee meet on Monday at 7.30pm in the Civic Centre and the Annual Town Meeting is on Wednesday at 7.30pm. Meeting for town electors. If there is insufficient business, meetings may be cancelled. Please therefore telephone the Civic Centre on 01273 589777 to ensure that a meeting is being held (an Agenda will be placed on the website). Meetings are open to members of the public who are able to ask questions for a 15 minute period at the start of each meeting, relevant to that committee.

FOOTNOTES: The winter sun having been firmly out for a few hours, I donned sweater, gloves and boots and ventured into the garden. Somewhat like a nervous bather dipping their toes into the sea. But the sun was warm on my face so I carried my cup of coffee and perched on the picnic table, surveying the scene around me. The daffodils are now flourishing and massive clumps of them on the lawns and flower beds, give a delightful splash of yellow against the green. Two magpies descended in front of me and began pecking at the grass. I glanced swiftly around for Chaplin, who has a degree of intolerance for birds alighting in the garden, but he was sound asleep in the kitchen. I followed the old country habit of wishing them a ‘good morning’, as they scratched at the ground. Soon they were off in search of pastures new and my eye was caught by a movement near the compost heap. Emerging from it with all the confidence of an Edwardian gentleman taking a morning constitutional through the park, a small mouse sauntered past me, looking neither to right or left, eventually disappearing into a clump of long grass, where doubtless his home awaited him. Various small birds then visited, and flew off. A very large seagull landed with all the heaviness of a jumbo jet, stood still regarding me with a beady eye, then poked into the grass searching for food. I have had a somewhat on and off relationship with seagulls. I still find their raucous call evocative of my boyhood and holidays spent by the sea. But after moving in here I dug out a large pond and duly stocked it with goldfish, also hoping to attract frogs and my favourites, glorious and beautiful dragonflies. However, I soon discovered that the gulls preferred the larder I had provided, to the sea a few hundred yards away. Netting had to be spread over the pond and it never looked the same again. After a few minutes, the seagull moved, his huge wings flapped and he took off, swaying from side to side as he gained height. In the same way I am fascinated how huge jets manage to claw themselves into the sky, I was equally impressed how this massive bird was able to do the same. For another hour or so I watched as various visitors came and went. During the summer months my head is usually buried in a book and I do not really see what is going on around me. But today I was able to just sit and watch. Eventually I returned indoors and left the garden to its inhabitants and its visitors, aware, not for the first time, that another world lies a few feet away, just as busy, and no doubt with the same trials and tribulations as my own. Have a great week and go safely.