The Mayor was invited to visit Miles of Smiles on Wednesday 2nd September.
He had a great time and wanted to express how fortunate we are to have this fantastic facility in our community and said that none of it would be possible without the amazing work and enthusiasm of Freddie.
The Mayor was invited to visit Supershoes on 1st September to mark the launch of Childhood Cancer Awareness month.
Local businesses have been invited to “turn the town gold” by decorating their shop windows with a gold theme to help raise awareness and support the cause.
The Mayor will judge the window dressing competition on Saturday 5th September.
The Mayor, Councillor Dave Parish will hold his Civic Service at St Michaels & All Angels Church, New Street, Great Torrington on Sunday 11th October 2026 at 10:00am.
Councillors, uniformed organisations, representatives of local community groups and all residents are welcome to join the Mayor for this service. Anyone wishing to join the parade please assemble in Sydney House Car Park outside the Castle Hill building no later than 9:30am.
STANDARDS are NOT paraded at this service.
An early reminder that this year Remembrance Sunday falls on the 8th November 2026. Great Torrington Town Council, supported by The Royal British Legion, will once again hold a Service of Remembrance at the War Memorial in the Cemetery, commencing at 10.50am – further details will follow in due course.
Great Torrington Town Council have successfully organised the recycling of poppy wreaths for Remembrance Sunday for the past two years; however, the recycled wreaths are not suitable to be used for another year, and we are hoping that they will now be repurposed as a craft project for display locally.
This means that for the service this year, community groups will need to order their wreaths directly from the Royal British Legion Poppy Shop – www.poppyshop.org.uk – 0300 123 9110.
The suitability of the new wreaths for recycling will be assessed following this year’s event. If the wreaths are durable enough, we would hope to repeat the recycling project for 2027.
We will be in touch with community groups nearer the time. If you have any questions do get in touch on 01805 626135 or [email protected].
Better late than never! 
While we were all busy looking up at the eclipse last week, we didn’t forget about National Allotments Week! This year’s theme was ‘Grow to learn’, which we celebrated with an enjoyable community social evening. We dodged the showers and enjoyed an incredible rainbow 
A huge thank you to local gardener Peter Sims and Clare who is currently managing the orchard, for hosting Q&A sessions. It was wonderful to see so many allotmenteers swapping tips, sharing skills, and getting to know each other.
Here’s to learning, growing, and developing a sense of community at the allotments! 
Want to step into history and represent Great Torrington? 🏛️
Great Torrington Town Council is looking for a passionate local to join our civic traditions team as our new Town Beadle! You will work alongside our Town Crier and Mace Bearers to keep our town’s proud heritage alive.
🌟 What’s involved?
– Support the Mayor: Accompany and drive the Mayor & Mayoress/Consort to exciting events and functions.
– Be the Face of Tradition: Take part in historic civic ceremonies throughout the year.
– Flexible Hours: Duties include a mix of daytime, evening, and weekend work.
🚗 What do you need?
– A reliable car.
– A valid driving licence.
– Willingness to obtain the correct car insurance.
💼 What do you get?
– A traditional official uniform.
– Paid mileage allowance.
– A small annual honorarium.
📞 How to apply:If you love Great Torrington and want to play a key part in our community, we want to hear from you!
💬 Apply today:
– Call us: 01805 626135
– Email us: [email protected]
Great Torrington Town Council introduced the Young Persons Award (Sponsored by Dartington Crystal) in 2025. It is awarded to people up to the age of 25 who have gone above and beyond in some way to contribute to the local community.
Members of Great Torrington Town Council would like to name the award after a local person who during their lifetime made a meaningful difference to the lives of young people in the town.
If you have suggestions of names you would like the council to consider please let us know in time for the Full Council meeting on September 2nd (to be received no later than August 26th), you can contact us on 01805 626135, or [email protected], or pop in to the office – which is upstairs from the library and the Post Office in the Castle Hill building. (Great Torrington Town Council, Castle Hill, South Street, Torrington, EX38 8AA).
Photos show previous winners of the Young Persons Award – Elliott Ashelford in 2025 and Freddie Ware in 2026.
Last week, Great Torrington Town Mayor Cllr Dave Parish joined local residents to mark this amazing half-century milestone. He was absolutely delighted to cut—and sample!—the spectacular anniversary cake created by Sandford’s Bakery 🎂
