Food Festival photos & reports

See the Topsham Food Festival gallery at the South West Media Group, which coordinates photos for the local press. Kim Millon also has a photo gallery online.

Marc Millon's Notes from a Devon Kitchen has reports online of the Festival and Nello's Longest Table.

"Woolserybloke" has posted a YouTube video of the band playing Queen numbers outside the Globe.

Topsham Pool

We have a new page for Topsham Pool - see the Facilities page or www.topsham.org/pool.html, for description, terms and conditions, and opening times.

Matthews Hall modernisation fund

A brief reminder: proceeds from Nello's Longest Table will go to Force Cancer Charity and to Matthews Hall Modernisation Appeal. As announced at the event, donations large and small are valuable and vital for the project; it needs to raise £185,000, excluding the expenditure on providing disabled access and toilets which we plan to raise by applying to specialised charities.

Download Gift aid form (printable PDF format).

Matthews Hall has been the social centre of Topsham for nearly 80 years, but retains many defunct architectural features, such as a ticket kiosk, remaining from its original custom design as the Tivoli cinema (see the Devon Cinema Gazetteer). It now needs upgrading for present and future generations. Plans include:

Large new open plan foyer with local information display.
A new cafe/bar in the foyer.
Better access and a new toilet for the disabled.
Internet access in the cafe/bar.
Improved insulation, lighting and acoustics in the main hall.
Improvements and a new look to the Council Chamber.
A lift to the Council Chamber.
Chair storage under the stage.

Nello's Longest Table

The Nello's Longest Table community feast was a resounding success: 264 tables stretching for a third of a mile, and around 1500 people present. After initially shaky weather, Sunday ended in a mild bright evening. People had managed to find a remarkable number of gazebos at short notice when it began raining toward the start time; these turned out to be unnecessary for shelter, but definitely added to the general party atmosphere. Co-organiser Marc Millon said: "This quote from our friend Natacha sums up Nello's Longest Table perfectly."

It was a perfect evening, like a cross between a Sicilian wedding and summer fete gone bonkers; England flinging its knickers in the air!

Here's a video slideshow I put together of the whole length of the table. More photos shortly.