NEWTON St Cyres Parish Hall will hold a Centenary Celebration, a Heritage Open Day event, from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, September 19.

The Celebration explores ‘Everyday Life’ from the time the Parish Hall was created 100 years ago to the current day, and the local businesses which sustained the village.

The Parish Hall was a cider barn: it was gifted to the village by Capt Noel Quicke on April 8, 1926.

After major upgrades in 1958 and again in 1970, changes will be proposed to re-order the Hall over the next couple of years to leave it in good heart for the next generations. Learn more about this and the results of the recent Parish Survey at this event. (11.30am to 11.45am - Survey Discussion with Mark Phillips)

The Women's Institute Cheese-Making Group at Newton St Cyres Parish Hall in 1930.
The Women's Institute Cheese-Making Group at Newton St Cyres Parish Hall in 1930. (Newton St Cyres Parish Hall)

There will also be the ‘premiere’ of ‘Newton St Cyres – The Movie’. (On a continuous loop from 11.15am to 3.30pm.)

Cider was a major business with acres of apple orchards across the village. The village is where the ‘Ellis Bitter’ cider apple is believed to have been bred in the C19th (possibly at Hayne Farm).

This apple quickly gained popularity in the West Country and Herefordshire regions for extending the cider-making season due to its harvest in late summer or early autumn. Learn more about cider-making with Sandford Cider at the event. (12 noon to 4pm)

Farming has defined Newton St Cyres over the centuries. In the C20th it was the innovative and environmentally-friendly methods adopted by Sir John Quicke which were ahead of their time.

Among his very many remarkable achievements he created one of the first large dairy herds of 300 cows and developed understanding of superior genetics for breeding. And the legacy of this can be found in the wonderful Quicke’s Cheese production which is at the heart of the village today.

Cheese-making: it was Sir John and Lady Pru Quicke who in the 1970s changed the cheese-making business to create Quicke’s Traditional Cheese which continues more than 50 years later to win accolades and awards such as British Cheese Awards, World Cheese Awards, International Cheese Awards and Great Taste Awards as well as the Taste of the West and Artisan Cheese Awards. Come and learn, and you can also ‘try & buy! (12 noon to 4pm)

Threshing at Newton St Cyres in 1942, Captain Noel Quicke, Arthur Parker, Bill Hewitt and Doris Woolway, Joe German, Arthur Heal (with ladder) Sid Roberts, George German (foreground) and Chris Baker
Threshing at Newton St Cyres in 1942, Captain Noel Quicke, Arthur Parker, Bill Hewitt and Doris Woolway, Joe German, Arthur Heal (with ladder) Sid Roberts, George German (foreground) and Chris Baker (Newton St Cyres Parish Hall)

All are invited to a Devon Cream Tea from 2pm to 3.45pm prepared by Jocelyne and her Adonai Team.

Martin Taylor has created a movie using black and white photographs of the village from the ‘Green Book’ compiled by village residents in 1999.

The film brings to life the images in the book using new technology whilst respecting the original publication (compiled by Tim Sedgwick, Reg Mears, Jean Wilkins and Tim Williams and sponsored by JG Quicke & Partners).

Copies of the Green Book will be on sale at this event (price £5).

Sandford Sings, the community choir directed by Claire Anstee, will entertain at 1pm and 2.30pm.

This is a Heritage Open Day event on the theme of ‘Everyday Living’. Admission Free with option of donations.