A WOMAN who has spent decades organising events for the community finally had a surprise sprung on her on Saturday when she was given a party to remember at Sticklepath Village Hall.
Pauline Fletcher thought she was going out for a simple lunch with the family to celebrate her 80th birthday but instead she was escorted to the hall where she was greeted by over 80 well-wishers.
Since coming to the district with her husband to participate in a car and garage business in 1959 the organisational abilities of Mrs Fletcher have become not only well known but regularly relied upon in the Chagford, Sticklepath, Belstone or Okehampton areas.
So to celebrate Pauline's eighth decade, daughters Carole and Sue, Dave Montgomery, Barry Thompson, and granddaughter Kate Fletcher did some organising of their own.
They arranged to meet the family matriarch nearby to Sticklepath Village Hall prior to conveying her to a celebratory lunch.
During the past four decades Mrs Fletcher has been the first lady to become chairman of Chagford Parish Council, very much involved with youth club work and an organiser of flower festivals in churches.
She is also an indispensable fundraiser arranging cream teas, ploughmans lunches, and safari suppers as well as being the backbone of Sticklepath's annual Flower Show.
It was an almost speechless Mrs Fletcher that found herself surrounded by friends and colleagues from Sticklepath, South Zeal, the Okehampton Flower Arrangement Group, Okehampton Art Group, Sticklepath Flower Show and Dog Show, Castle Drogo volunteers group — and many others from around the region.
One special guest was Amy Cole, organiser of a party at Belstone that celebrated Mrs Fletcher's 40th wedding anniversary.
Mrs Fletcher said she did not have a clue what was being planned and it was a 'really nice surprise.'
'It is nice that people think you are doing something worthwhile but I am involved in all these things because I enjoy it and enjoy helping others,' she said.
Patrick Shea, who is a member of Okehampton Art Group, said the area would be much poorer without Mrs Fletcher.
'She is a leading light in the art group but her talents extend much further than that — without her there would certainly be no Sticklepath Flower Show,' he said.
'She is a great person and so many people think this because the hall was packed on Saturday.'
Mrs Fletcher's next fund-raising event is a 'Safari Supper' which will take place in March.