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Thursday, October 23, 2008, 23:00
"It's a proper English village," said Paul Williams, who works at the local brewery. "You couldn't wish for a better one."
Paul's wife Fiona manages Cabbages and Kings, a shop that reopened a month ago after being stripped and redecorated. The shop, which sold fruit, vegetables and pet supplies, closed in July when the previous owner retired, and is now owned by Fiona's father, Allan Hancock.
The community warmly welcomed it back. Local bread, cheese and butter are on sale, along with sweets, biscuits and cakes.
"It's a different shopping experience at Cabbages and Kings," said Fiona.
"A lot of old folk use the shop to buy single items like one banana."
The village's Spar store is run by Dave Haggett, best known for his butcher's shop next door, which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Dave has won numerous awards for his pies and sausages over the years, and has recently become a food judge, to put something back into the trade.
He sponsors a number of community groups and events including the street market, church, after-school club, Cubs and Brownies.
The Spar has increased its turnover since Londis closed down earlier in the year. When that happened, Dave bought the building.
"We hope to get eight cottages on the site within the next year or two," said Dave. "We've seen several more houses going up in Silverton, including some at the back of the shop."
Sarah Wigginton said the village was growing all the time. "It's just natural progression," she said. "I don't think the heart of the village will ever change."
Sarah, a child-minder, co-runs the village's after-school club, and has been a member of the street market committee for 15 years.
The annual street market is widely regarded as a highlight in the Silverton calendar, with the event attracting up to 5,000 people and raising thousands of pounds for its charities and groups.
It features stalls, exhibitions, music and other entertainment, and the theme this year was Heroes and Villains. Silverton Drama Group produced a half-hour pantomime on the theme.
Sarah was not on the street market committee this year but was heavily involved with the barbecue and as part of a singing group, and she expects to return to committee duties next year.
"It was great fun. A lot of people dressed up, particularly the children," said Sarah, who dressed as a witch. "The day ends with Silverton's three pubs doing a tug of war which is always a really good finale."
Although the tug of war is very competitive, the pubs get along very well on an everyday basis.
"We tend to have our own clientele so we all help each other out ," said 36-year-old Shane Radmore, who owns the Silverton Inn.
"I consider mine to be a locals' local pub. It's quite lively — we have football, darts and pool teams here, and we do karaoke and have a bit of live music every now and again."
Shane has expanded the food section of the Silverton Inn since the smoking ban and serves home-made food from burgers to pasta, which is made using local produce where possible.
Since the Echo's previous visit to Silverton, in August last year, the village has gone pie mad.
"Silverton is the capital of pies," said Shane. "Dave Haggett is well known for his pies, and I do my own.
"I have four or five on the menu every week. I do specials every week and I had a pretty big response when I put on a steak and ale pie made using a recipe from my mum. It grew from there."
The pub, which Shane feels gets busier every year, has four bedrooms where workers and holidaymakers stay all year round.
"I have people staying in the rooms all the time, and they come from all over the place," said Shane.
"Silverton is a good place to base yourself. It's close to everything — the coast, Exeter for shopping and the university, the M5, the National Trust's Killerton House, Exmouth and Teignmouth."
Graham Parnell, treasurer of Silverton History Society, said many of the village's residents commuted to Exeter.
"I wouldn't say it's a bad thing," said Graham, who used to work in Exeter but is now retired.
"It's true of every village within 30 miles of Exeter."
Graham has lived in Silverton for 36 years and was the principal author of a book documenting the village's history. "At the moment, it's a stable time in the village's history," he said.
"Things haven't really changed since we last spoke, and we don't want them to. It's great as it is, and that's why so many people come down to Devon."
The headteacher of Silverton Church of England Primary School, Heath Nickels, racked his brains to come up with any developments which had recently happened at the school.
"The main thing we've done is put 24 cells in the roof to convert solar energy into electricity," he said.
"That was 11 months ago. We've generated 3,500 kilowatt hours and we've saved two tons of carbon dioxide being put into the atmosphere. It will hopefully save us 10 to 15 per cent of our electricity budget."
The village has also been officially twinned with the French village of St Thegonnec since the Echo last focused on Silverton.
A group of 26 members of Silverton Twinning Group visited France for the signing of the charter.
Silverton was originally twinned with a village 70 miles further south than St Thegonnec, but that only lasted 13 years.
Gill Bamforth, 65, started the original twinning association with her husband Ron. She said: "We were entertained very well and welcomed by the mayor. They're coming here next year to sign the other half of the charter."
Gill joined the parish council in April 2007.
"Villagers come to us and if we can help sort things out we do," she said. "At the moment they're querying the bus route so we're trying to sort that out. People not putting dog mess in the right bins is another issue.
"We've just started something called We Live Here. We're putting together folders of all the information about our shops, churches, pubs and groups to let people know what's here.
"A lot goes on in Silverton. I have lived here for 28 years and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else."
A cat sits on a shop windowsill EE090208_MM01_07
