Earlier in October, the Friends of St Peter’s in Stoke Fleming held a ‘Persia Past to Iran Present’ fundraising event to raise money for the fabric of the church.

The evening comprised of an illustrated talk by local speaker Peter Barker and a Persian meal prepared and served by Edmond Davari, an award winning Iranian chef from Plymouth.

Around 130 people attended the event, held in the Village Hall which was decorated in a Persian style, with carpets and other artefacts loaned by Village residents.

People were entertained by Iranian music and dancing led by Edmond Davari’s team.

Peter Barker had been fascinated by the country for a long time, specifically the history of the country and the accounts and pictures of spectacular Iranian buildings. After the Nuclear Agreement in 2015, he took the opportunity to join one of the first groups of tourists when it became possible to visit the country again.

The account of his trip and photographs made a great backdrop to the Persian food and culture from Davari’s team who served up a delicious array of mezes.

Edmond said, “Persian food has a history that goes back thousands of years and some of the recipes inspired ancient Greek, Italian, Turkish, American and Arab cultures.

The FOSP would like to thank everyone else who helped to make such a successful evening, not only members and Stoke Fleming residents, but also Isonify Ltd who provided the sound system and Dartmouth Film Society who lent their screen and projector.

All funds raised will be put towards the renovation of the beautiful Victorian stained glass window in St Peter’s Church, on top of the £8,000 already donated by FOSP.

Chair of the FOSP, Rokie Shiffner said, “It is truly brilliant that the Friends are again in a position to provide financial support towards the upkeep of this historic Devon building, thanks to subscriptions and donations from our members, the generosity of the community and the hard work of our team.

If you would like to find out more about FSOP and its activities see the website at https://www.fospstokefleming.com/.