It’s always a pleasure to find a new edition of Slapton Lines in the letterbox, bringing reports of past events and news of prospects ahead.

The January-February issue of the community magazine arrived on Christmas Eve, so hats off to the editorial team who managed to get that ready for us amid the usual hustle and bustle of their own Christmas preparations.

Thanks also to stalwarts of Slapton Lines for keeping this column going over the last few weeks while I have been out of action.

The new year will have begun by time this is published and no doubt many happy celebrations will have taken place and many resolutions made. Keeping in good shape is definitely on the agenda, with three classes a week at the village hall advertised for the Metafit addicts, and keep fit classes going from strength to strength. Check the parish notice boards and online Events Calendar for details.

The Christmas wreaths made at the last meeting of the Slapton Ladies Activity Group will soon be coming down. The next get-together for the group will be on Tuesday, January 8, for an afternoon of card and board games, tea and cake, at 2pm at the village hall.

On Thursday, January 10, the AGM of the Community Shop - our award-winning community shop- will be held at 2pm at the village hall. Winning the “Community Story of the Year” award from the Plunkett Foundation is a terrific achievement, and the Foundation’s comment about our project sums up and cements our pride: “In such a short space of time what this resilient community has achieved is a fantastic and true reflection of the power of community business.”

So put Thursday in the diary for this AGM. There will be a lot to learn and discuss about future plans, including the probable need for relocation of the shop, and it is important to make our views known.

Much further afield, beyond the wilds of the Southern Ocean and challenges of the Drake Passage is where we can armchair-travel on Saturday, January 12.

Alice Henderson, from the Field Centre, will present a slideshow of her adventures in Antarctica. Join Alice at 7pm at the village hall with tea and coffee, cake, raffle and a competition. Free entry, but plenty of opportunities to donate, with all money raised in support of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Brrrr, cold down there in the Antarctica Peninsula. Here, at the moment, it is calm and mild. Long may that continue.