News

November 2009

The annual Topsham Society outing to Owlpen Manor in the Cotswolds on Tuesday September 29th was a sell-out, with quite a few people on the waiting list for places. The day was much enjoyed; many thanks to Jane Coleman for organising the event and especially for rescuing it by finding an alternative date when the trip had to be postponed from the original date in June.

On 13th October Matthews Hall was packed for the Oboussier Lecture, organised jointly by The Topsham Society and the Topsham Museum Society. Professor Valerie Maxfield gave a most interesting and entertaining presentation on the archaeological evidence of the Romans in Exeter.
The first in The Topsham Society’s own series of talks will be on Tuesday 3rd November, when Tony Smale of the Bletchley Park Trust will talk on “The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park 1939-1945”. The rest of the programme is as follows:

January 14 2010: John Allan will talk on “The Anglo-Saxon Charter of Topsham" John Allan, on the staff at Exeter Archaeology, is Honorary Curator of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, and Archaeologist for both Exeter Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey. February 26: Carol McFadzean will talk on "Mrs Charlotte Treadwin - Exeter Lace Maker" Carol McFadzean OIDFA , is President of the International Bobbin and Needlelace Organisation, and author of a book to be launched in November about Mrs Treadwin; a leading figure in the history of Devon lace, whose workshop was located at 5 Cathedral Close, Exeter.

March 26: Amyas Crump will talk on “By rail to Exeter”
Amyas Crump is a local railway enthusiast who will entertain us with the story of the arrival of the steam train to Devon.

All the talks will be in the Matthews Hall, starting at 7.30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and wine, tea and coffee will be available between 7 and 7.30 p.m. as well as in the interval. Talks are free to members of The Topsham Society and will cost £2 for non-members.

We have now been notified by Exeter City Council that there will be a period of consultation on the Exeter Local Development Framework: Core Strategy, which is the new development plan for the city. There has been a long delay since the previous consultation in 2006 because of the need to wait for clarification of the development targets for the city that are being set by the emerging South West Regional Spatial Strategy. This is an important issue for the future of Exeter. The consultation papers are available for inspection at the Topsham Branch library in Nelson Close in Topsham. They are also available on the internet at www.exeter.gov.uk/corestrategy. The deadline for comments is 19th November 2009.

GEOFF WILKINSON (879107)

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