If you are a local resident of Belstone, South Tawton, South Zeal or Sticklepath, you will receive the excellent local magazine "The Beacon". This month gives details of the following events:

1st April Charity event report
13th April Fashion Show report

5th May Plant Sale
19th May Musical Revue
20th May Toy & Nursery Equipment Sale
20th May London Charity Moonwalk
20th May Cabaret Evening
29th May Church House Ale revelry
31st May Gift/Plant Stall
1st June Dartmoor Ranger talk
3rd June Grand Day Out charity event
3rd June English Choral Music concert
5th - 15th June Art Exhibition
8th June Scout Barbecue
10/11 June Open Garden South tawton
18th June Open Gardens
24th June St Andrew's Summer Event
30th June Roundabout Ball
18 - 20 August South Tawton Flower Festival
19th August Sticklepath Flower show

This is not to mention various Yoga, Badminton, Art, U3A, Drama groups/classes, several just out of the area events, coffee mornings, cream teas, lunches and so on.

Before I picked up the magazine yesterday, I knew of the Church House events (because I am on the committee) and the St Andrew's events (because I was sent details with the May church services details). I have come to realise that it was not realistic of me to expect to produce a local monthly journal, advertising events beforehand or reporting on them afterwards. My life style does not allow me to get to many of these events personally and I have found the stress of trying to produce the Monthly Journal with very little material is stopping me from doing things that I would want to do.

This month marks the 3 year aniversary of the website and is therefore a good time to step back and consider changes. The Monthly Journal as such will be discontinued but I will find some way of still publishing anything (words, photos, event announcements, etc.) that anyone sends in to me and I will feature any new photos that interest me but not, probably, in the current Photo Album format. I would also like some time to follow up the short movie form used in last month's South Zeal page.

Once the changes have been implemented, I hope also to find time to revise some of the 'static' pages and add more/better photos or other locations. If anyone has any suggestions, comments etc. I would be very happy to receive them but, going on past performance, I don't expect to be swamped.

Finally, I would like to very sincerely thank all the regular correspondents who have contributed to the Journal. They know who they are, you can see the list on the comments page If any still wish to continue, I will publish their material with great pleasure.