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Ashburton scandal...
Let nobody claim that Ashburton is not a maelstrom of anarchy.
PEACE BROKERED IN QUEEN SACKING
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BY MANFRED ROXON
11:00 - 21 May 2005
People power has rescued Ashburton's carnival from the brink of disaster - but organisers now have less than a month to sort out the mess.
A dispute over the sacking of two schoolgirls picked as the carnival queen and deputy threatened an end to centuries of tradition. Now a heated public meeting has overturned those sackings by a spectacular six to one majority.
In March, a panel of outside judges chose ******** *******, 12, as carnival queen and Vicky Hamm, 16, as her deputy. Four days later two members of the carnival committee wrote that "with extreme regret" both had been sacked.
The letters were sent straight to the girls themselves, not to their parents, and said: "Your behaviour has not been appropriate to a member of the Ashburton Royalty team." They were accused of bickering and of providing incomplete paperwork, claims their parents firmly deny.
Sharyn Hellier, Beth's mother, says the sacking letters came as a crushing blow.
"They were being congratulated in the streets in Ashburton because of the news they'd been picked but, when they got home that same day, there was this letter saying they'd been sacked. "
Karen Hamm, whose daughter Vicky received the same letter said: "My younger daughter Danielle was the royal attendant last year and my husband drove the royal float, which he's done many times before. We're Ashburton born and bred. I really don't know what's going on."
They appealed to the chairman of the carnival committee, Ian Ritson, who cancelled the sacking letters and invited them to a meeting in April, but that broke up without agreement. Mr Ritson told the Herald Express he then resigned in protest.
John Cross, whose wife Anne had co-signed the sacking letters, took over as chairman. He wrote to the girls' parents confirming that Beth and Vicky would not be reinstated as carnival queen and deputy.
Mrs Hellier said: "The girls were picked by judges from Teignmouth, Dawlish and Harbertonford. What's the point of having outside judges when two members of the Ashburton committee can just overturn what the judges decided?"
On Thursday night more than 70 people packed into Ashburton's St John Ambulance hall to for a crisis meeting chaired by the town's Portreeve, Michael Billington.
Many felt the committee had treated the girls in a high-handed and heartless manner. Members of the carnival committee were present but declined to answer any questions.
To general approval Judy Turner spoke from the floor saying: "If my daughter was kicked off and told she wasn't good enough to represent the town I'd want to know why." Several other speakers asked the committee to explain their actions, but got no reply.
The turning point came when the Portreeve, who is also the carnival's president, told the meeting there would be no carnival queen or deputy and no royal float this year, news received in a stunned silence.
He said nothing had been done to select a new queen and deputy and no work had been carried out on the royal float.
Pam Daley told the meeting: "You can't possibly not have a carnival queen. It's been part of the town's history for 200 years." Her remarks were loudly applauded.
Carnival veteran Phil Poole told the meeting: "I can't remember an instance like this." He echoed Sharon Hellier's demand for an immediate vote to reinstate the two girls and to ensure the royal float went ahead.
After further discussion the vote was won by 48 votes to eight, a 6 to 1 majority.
At the end of the meeting 15 volunteers came forward offering to help to get the Royal Float repaired and decorated in time for the carnival which begins on 19 June.
I don't know, i thin you'll find that most of the smaller communities around here are exactly the same, in fact once you get to know the places in the south west you'll find thhat with the exception of the three main cities that all the towns are like this.
Yes, I think you are right. We have decided on Exeter anyway and lots of people say that others gravitate toward Exeter for that reason. But why is Devon so much sleepier than Somerset?
Look at some of the architecture. I daresay the best days of these places was 200 years ago ! Must have been smart then.
Dawlish = Teignmouth = Exmouth = Newton Abbot
Torquay and Paignton - both tatty now.
Salcombe, Dartmouth and Topsham are chic, but look at the prices there - yikes.....especially Salcombe.
just to upset your thoughts about somerset, i suggest you visit a place called midsommer-norton, its like dawlish on slepping tablets!!! and the people there are all clones. I also draw your attention to shepton mallet (an inland version of Dawlish) and Glastonbury (when the hippies, ravers and religious pilogrims are gone) its like visiting ashburton, but with the sense of humor removed.