Coordinates: 50°40′48″N 3°52′50″W / 50.6800°N 3.8806°W / 50.6800; -3.8806

Gidleigh
Gidleigh  Gidleigh shown within Devon
Population	428 [1] (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SX671884
- London	196 miles (315 km)
Civil parish	Gidleigh
District	West Devon
Shire county	Devon
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWTON ABBOT
Postcode district	TQ13
Dialling code	01647
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Torridge and West Devon
List of places: UK • England • Devon

Gidleigh is a village and civil parish in the West Devon district of Devon, England. Gidleigh is located within Dartmoor National Park.

Historically the parish consisted of a number of farmsteads and associated cottages scattered around the focal point of Holy Trinity church and the adjacent Gidleigh Castle, which is now in private hands. The population peaked at 180 in the mid 19th century. The 20th century saw the development of some substantial gentleman's residences - notably Gidleigh Park, which subsequently became a country house hotel - and the building of a village hall. The population is currently around the 130 mark. Gidleigh has never had a village shop, and residents rely on nearby Chagford for shops and other services.

Scorhill, one of the largest and best preserved stone circles in Devon, is near the village on Gidleigh Common.

In fiction[link]

Gidleigh is the setting for "The Mad Monk of Gidleigh" by Michael Jecks, which is set in 1323.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gidleigh

• Gidleigh Park Hotel web site

References[link]

This Devon location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

John Nettles
Nettles on a Jersey tourism advertisement in 1987.
Born	John Vivian Drummond Nettles (1943-10-11) 11 October 1943 (age 68)[1] St Austell, Cornwall, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–present
Spouse	Joyce Nettles (1966–79) (divorced) Cathryn Sealey (1995–present)

John (Jim) Vivian Drummond Nettles,^[2] OBE (born 11 October 1943^[3]) is an English actor, historian^[4] and writer who is best known for playing the lead roles in Bergerac and Midsomer Murders.

Early life[link]

John Nettles was born in St Austell, Cornwall in 1943. He was adopted at birth by a carpenter Eric Nettles and his wife Elsie and he attended the local grammar school in St Austell.^[5] When he was seven years old he learned that his birth mother was a Roman Catholic Irish nurse who had been working in England during World War II. She was placed into a mental institution after illegitimately giving birth and died of tuberculosis aged 28.^[6] Nettles has never discovered the identity of his father, but did discover he has a brother and two sisters.^[6]

In 1962, Nettles won a scholarship and studied history and philosophy at the University of Southampton.^[6] At Southampton he first performed and, having found he liked acting, he was given several amateur parts.

Acting career[link]

In 1969–70 he was in repertory at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter and in the latter year had his first screen role in the film One More Time. The following year he played Dr. Ian Mackenzie in the period drama A Family at War, a role he continued until 1972. Following that he had small parts in many TV programmes including The Liver Birds, Dickens of London, Robin of Sherwood and an episode of Enemy at the Door called Officers of the Law, first broadcast in March 1978.^[7] The latter was set in Guernsey during the World War 2 German occupation and Nettles played a police detective ordered to work for the Germans and anguished over the conflict between his duty and collaborating with the enemy.

In 1981, John Nettles won the role that made him a household name, that of Jim Bergerac in the Jersey-set crime drama Bergerac. This ran for 87 episodes until 1991. Following the end of Bergerac Nettles did five seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company,^[5] appearing in A Winter's Tale, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Julius Caesar, Richard III and The Devil is an Ass.^[8] In 1992, he appeared in an episode of Boon and in 1993, Nettles appeared as Jim Bergerac in the spoof police comedy The Detectives.

In 1995, John Nettles was approached by Brian True-May to play Tom Barnaby in a new murder mystery series he was to produce called Midsomer Murders.^[5] This was to be the second major role of his career, again playing a policeman. Midsomer Murders has made him not only a household name in the UK, but also across the world. In 2003, he played Barnaby in the Boxing Day episode of French & Saunders. Nettles narrated the BBC documentaries Submarine and Airport from 1996 to 2005 and appeared in an episode of Heartbeat. In 2007, he appeared in the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Will Smith Presents the Tao of Bergerac alongside comedian Will Smith about an obsessive fan of the series.

In February 2009, it was announced that John Nettles would be leaving Midsomer Murders after two further series are made.^[9] His final appearance on-screen was on 2 February 2011, by which time he had appeared in 81 episodes.^[10]

Other television work[link]

In early 2010, Nettles wrote, presented and produced a three-part documentary, Channel Islands At War, to mark the 70th anniversary of the German invasion and subsequent occupation of the Channel Islands.^[11] He received threatening letters from some residents of Jersey, accusing him of implying that islanders were collaborators.^[12] He defended the documentary saying "There is no possible way you could have avoided collaboration with the occupying power who had power over the civilian population. If you had not toed the line you would have been shot."^[12] This view was supported by local historians and members of the Channel Islands Occupation Society.^[12]

Books[link]

During the filming of Bergerac, filmed on the island of Jersey, he wrote Bergerac's Jersey (BBC Books, 1988; ISBN 0-563-20703-5), a travel guide to filming locations in the series. He followed up with John Nettles' Jersey: A Personal View of the People and Places (BBC Books, 1992; ISBN 0-563-36318-5) about the island's landscape, personalities and history.

In 1991 he wrote the semi-autobiographical Nudity in a Public Place: Confessions of a Mini Celebrity (Robson Books; ISBN 0-7451-1961-1) about becoming a "reluctant heartthrob" to female viewers of Bergerac.

Personal life[link]

He married his first wife, Joyce, in 1966. They had a daughter Emma (born 1970) and divorced in 1979.^[6] He married his second wife, Cathryn Sealey, in July 1995 in Evesham, Worcestershire.^[13] He had met Sealey while doing a pantomime.^[6] They currently live in Pyworthy, Devon .^[14]

Honours[link]

Nettles was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Birthday Honours 2010.^[15]

References[link]

External links[link]

• John Nettles at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2011)

Michael Andrew Caines, MBE (born 1969) is an English chef, born in Exeter, Devon.

He is currently head chef of Gidleigh Park in Devon, the Royal Clarence in Exeter, and developing the Abode hotels concept with Andrew Brownsword.

Biography[link]

Born in Exeter in 1969, he was adopted into a family where his mother nurtured his love of cooking. He attended Exeter Catering College, earning him the accolade ‘Student of the Year’ in 1987. His first job as a chef was at the Michelin starred Grosvenor House Hotel in Exeter. He subsequently spent an influential three years under mentor Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire, before moving to France to learn under Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu and Joël Robuchon in Paris.

He became the Head Chef at Gidleigh Park in 1994, but he lost his right arm in a car accident soon afterwards. In 1999, Gidleigh Park was awarded a second Michelin Star, and in 2001 Caines won Chef of the Year at The Catey Awards.

Michael Caines Restaurants Ltd was founded in 1999, and the Michael Caines Restaurant opened at the Bristol Marriott Royal in July 2003. However, meeting with Andrew Brownsword in early 2000 resulted in a partnership and the purchase of the Royal Clarence, Exeter in October 2000. Together, they have developed the Abode hotel concept.

Currently there are 6 hotels in the Abode group: Exeter, Canterbury, Glasgow, Manchester, Chester, and Salisbury. Caines is also executive chef for Bath Priory Limited, which own both Bath Priory Hotel and Gidleigh Park Hotel. Within Abode Hotels, exists Michael Caines Restaurants, as well as Michael Caines Taverns, Bars & Grills. Caines role within the Abode fanchise (aside co-founder) is Director of Food & Beverage. ^[1]

In 2006, Caines and John Burton Race represented the Southwest of England in the BBC television series Great British Menu^[2] Caines beat the Dartmouth based chef to go on to the final round.

Caines was created a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 17 June 2006.

Personal life[link]

Caines lives near Exeter in mid-Devon, with his partner Ruth and their son Joseph and daughter Hope.

As an adopted child himself, he supports a number of local agencies, as well as amputee initiatives and charities. Michael is Patron of Families for Children, Adoption Agency, www.familiesforchildren.org.uk, a voluntary adoption agency covering Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Personal & Business website
• Gidleigh Park Website
• Michael Caines interviewed by Hot Dinners