Barnstaple Town Centre :: Approved Venues

Author’s Book Signing Event at Doves Christian Centre, St Peter’s Churchyard 7/7/8

Book-Signing Event

Doves Christian Centre which relocated to its new premises in Church Lane, Barnstaple on 23 June, now has great pleasure in announcing that it has secured a prestigious book-signing.

Mr Dave Hopwood, Creative Arts Director at Lee Abbey, Devon, is also the author of a number of religious titles including the hugely successful “Blokes Bible”. On 4 July 2008 his latest book “Sons of Thunder” was released and has been described as “a poignant and exciting retelling of the gospel where Dave Hopwood imagines what it would be like if Jesus lived in Cornwall in 2008, hanging around with ordinary guys.” It is expected that this latest book will be just as popular as the “Blokes Bible”.

On Saturday 12 July Dave Hopwood has agreed to appear at Doves Christian Centre. He will be arriving at 11.00am and we have pleasure in inviting all to join us for coffee, tea and biscuits where you will have the opportunity to chat with Dave and purchase your own signed copy of his latest masterpiece.

Philip Milton, Owner of Doves, commented: “I would very much like to thank Dave Hopwood for agreeing to participate in this book signing and I am convinced that this event will be a huge success. All the staff are looking forward to welcoming customers, old and new, to Doves on Saturday.

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On Wednesday 17 October a packed audience in North Molton Church was treated to a phenomenal performance from the four winners of the Young Musicians’ Platform sponsored by Philip J Milton & Co Plc over a substantial three year package.

The instruments represented were two clarinets, violin and alto saxophone. The winners were Joseph Shiner, Jordon Black, Julia Hwang and Jonathan Faull.

The standard was very high indeed this year and as sponsor, I was pleased that I was not having to make that final selection!

It was my pleasure to present prizes to the four winners.

This represents the major part of the Company’s sponsorship and we have been very pleased to see the evolution and development of the competition and hope that in subsequent years, there will be greater participation in the competition from pupils of the schools in North Devon. Indeed, Philip said “I have contacts with the seven secondary schools in the North Devon Constituency and shall look forward to offering opportunities to them and their most enthusiastic musicians to become more involved in the Festival, either through school workshops or a special concert in April in Barnstaple.”

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Jim Paice – Shadow Minister for Agriculture Visits North Devon 01/10/07

Hot on the heels of a visit last week by Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Mr Chris Grayling MP, Shadow Minister for Agriculture Mr Jim Paice came to meet a dozen influential farmers from the Molland area at the London Inn.

Joined by Prospective Conservative Member of Parliament for North Devon, Mr Philip Milton, Mr Peter Hall, Assistant Editor of The Western Morning News and Agriculture Correspondent and Mr Bill Norman, Chairman of The Conservative Rural Action Group who coordinated the meeting, Jim and Philip listened for two and a half hours to the concerns of farmers. Jim will be taking back the findings and did share some optimism for some of the major issues facing farming and rural community at present, including possibility of effective badger TB tests for the future.

The subjects covered included the extent of European regulation spread (and the costs in their implementation) and the somewhat more lax approach from many continental countries which take a rather different view to the extent of the law compared with our present government. He did touch upon the desire to consider that regulation needs to recognise that it can trust those who are involved and that there is adequate reliance upon the law to tackle abuse as opposed to the current situation which seems to suggest that everybody will be breaking regulations.

The issue of affordable housing in rural communities was noted and the Conservative policy for potential community housing trusts. Fallen stock and inadequate levels of compensation for TB when compared with average cattle selling prices were raised too.

The accompanying farmers felt there was value in the meeting. In closing, Jim did comment upon the apparent lack of policies affecting agricultural and the rural community from the Liberal Democrat party and putting this to the test, he questioned the assembled group (which had no specific political orientation) to ask what particular policies were known and the room fell quiet. Is this a fair reflection or a lack of communication?

In closing, an element of optimism was shared for the future for farm produce and meat prices which, for too long, have not reflected the cost of production and the necessary capital replacement costs.

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Jim Paice MP Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Rural Affairs Visits North Devon 27th September 2007.

In liaison with CRAG, the Conservative Rural Action Group, Prospective Conservative Member of Parliament for North Devon Mr Philip Milton has arranged for the Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Mr Jim Paice MP, to visit North Devon where he will be keen to listen to problems faced by farmers.

He is attending the London Inn at Molland on Thursday September 27 at 2.00 pm. Philip Milton will be present to listen to farming constituents’ concerns too. Space is limited and if other farmers would like to attend they must contact the Chairman of CRAG, Mr Bill Norman on 01398 341274. Members of the media are welcome to attend.

Jim is keen to meet farmers to hear their concerns and to understand how they are coping in North Devon with the movement restrictions imposed through the latest outbreak of foot and mouth. He wants to hear about the problems with bureaucracy generally and also is concerned about the de-stocking on common land which is having an adverse impact on the fauna and a fragile ecology on the moor particularly. He is especially keen to hear the views of sheep farmers.

Jim Paice has a particular interest in North Devon and last visited on 6 March 2007 where a well-supported public meeting took place in “Old Custom House” on The Strand in Barnstaple, endorsing the Journal’s “use it or lose it” campaign.

Who, as a farm land owner is accustomed to DEFRA’s forms, Philip hopes to be able to encourage more and more Shadow Ministers to visit North Devon to hear our views and this follows hot on the heels of the visit of Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Mr Chris Grayling MP’s visit only last week.

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Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions visits North Devon

Philip Milton, Prospective Member of Parliament for the Conservatives for North Devon is pleased to announce a visit to our Constituency by Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Mr Chris Grayling MP. He is visiting the West Country on Wednesday 19 September 2007.

Mr Grayling is the first Shadow Secretary to visit North Devon since the phenomenal results at the local elections in May and he is very keen to congratulate all of the candidates who together achieved the first Conservative control of North Devon District Council since 1972.

Chris’ brief includes the pension and benefit system, disability issues and the child Support Agency. His previous roles have included Shadow Leader of the House under Michael Howard and David Cameron appointed him as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport.

He is keen to hear from North Devon Conservative activists and the people at large and an itinerary has been arranged to enable this to occur.

Representatives of the media are welcome to attend.

PUBLICITY

Please also publicise this valuable opportunity for the residents of North Devon to meet with Chris either in Braunton or at Trimstone Manor Hotel for the formal meeting at 6.00 pm. Anyone is welcome to buy a ticket for the Reception which follows at 8.00 pm.

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Question Time for North Devon Conservative Candidate 10/09/07

On Friday night, Philip Milton, the Prospective Member of Parliament for the Conservatives for North Devon, was invited to join a panel of distinguished politicians at the Hartnoll Hotel, Bolham, Nr Tiverton.

Joining him for a full hall and answering challenging questions for over two and a half hours, Philip Milton was joined by Neil Parish, MEP and Conservative Candidate for Tiverton and Honiton, Richard Haddock from Kingswear, Regional Chairman of the NFU and Charles Mann, Chairman of Vote OK who interrupted a holiday from Padstow to attend.

The event was hosted by “CRAG”, the Conservative Rural Action Group and open to anyone. Indeed, the audience comprised many involved with and interested in agriculture and the rural economy and certainly, views other than Conservative ones were shared by the audience, too!

Chaired by North Devonian, Mr Bill Norman (Chairman of CRAG) the meeting was hailed a success and Mr Michael Ford (also of CRAG), promised that synopsis of the meeting and the conversations would be with the Shadow Secretary of State for Agricultural and Rural Affairs as soon as it was typed.

P J Milton From left to right: Philip Milton, Neil Parish, Richard Haddock, Bill Norman, Michael Ford and Charles Mann.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR PHOTOCALL PLEASE CONTACT:

Philip J Milton - Tel: 01271 344300

Email: info@miltonpj.net

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