In this issue...
A Family Ticket to see Rapunzel at the Pavilion
Mayor’s Message
Celebrity Interview: John Boyega
Recipe: Yotam Ottolenghi’s Chocolate & Pecan Cookies
Many people are concerned about the cost of care later in life and are worried that they might lose their homes to pay for that care meaning their children could inherit next to nothing.
If you own your property Jointly with your spouse then a Care Home could use the equity in your property to fund your care after your spouse has passed away, this doesn’t have to be the case, please call us and we’ll be able to explain what you can do to reduce the risk of that happening.
In order to protect your property for your loved ones, you need to own your property as Tenants in Common and have Protective Property Trusts in your Wills.
We can do this for you for very little cost, and give you the peace of mind that you’ve done the best you can for your loved ones.
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We do hope that you like the front cover this month! The response to our Facebook photo competition was amazing! There were so many great images that it was really difficult to choose a winner. Gillian Thomas took this month’s cover image at sunrise from Greenhill Gardens. The colours are beautiful and it reminded us of the great sunrises that we have had recently. On page 16 there are some of the runner-up photos to see. We have had a mixture of weather over the last month, with cold bright sunny days, as well as some breezy wet days. What do you think our Spring and summer will bring us this year? Last summer was pretty good, so I am ever hopeful (as always) that we once again we will be able to bask in the sun and enjoy some alfresco dining. For now, we can marvel at the snowdrops (my all-time favourites), the bluebells, tulips and golden / white delightful daffodils. Gorgeous. Do you have a spring clean to do? Do you want to change the décor? We did a spot of redecorating ourselves this week. Do you need a carpet cleaned, a tidy of the garden, a new blind for the kitchen, or new windows? Well, our wonderful advertisers here can help you! Take a look through your local magazine and see who you can call to ask for advice and get them to come to you or visit them at their place of work and then let them do the work for you. That is what they are here for.
If you have a summer fete coming up, a barn dance, a community picnic in the garden, a local sing-song or amateur play to perform, please let us know as we can promote these for you for free. Anything which is local and has the purpose of bringing people together we want to support. Let’s get to know our friends and neighbours and create some social time. It makes all that working so much easier and gives us things to look forward to. Happy March to you all!
Debbie, Stephen & all of us here at Modern Magazines
every care has been taken to ensure the data
As we approach the month of March, I’m getting ready for my Spring engagements. It’s a great time to venture out to our award-winning parks, gardens and beach. Last month I visited several schools in Weymouth to present trees which were planted ahead of the King’s Coronation. What a wonderful idea! These trees will grow with the children, and future generations to come, so I was delighted to be involved in this project which Weymouth Town Council organised.
I will be attending the Weymouth Business Awards which is held at Weymouth College. I attended as Deputy Mayor last year and it will be great to attend again this year but as Mayor. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so I am looking forward to being there again. Weymouth Town Council will be raising the Commonwealth Flag at their offices on March 13th. This will be a great event to recognise the shared values of peace, democracy, and equality.
Looking ahead to April, on the 1st I am starting the month off by travelling on Weymouth Land Train for its first journey of the season! The journey will start along the Esplanade, driving along the Harbourside and the Town Bridge to Hope Square.
Weymouth Town Council will be holding its annual Anzac Day Memorial Service on the Esplanade. That’s on Tuesday 25th April at 11am and people in Weymouth are invited to join us for this moving event.
The Anzac Memorial commemorates the thousands of Australian and New Zealand volunteer service personnel who passed
through camps and hospitals in Dorset during the First World War between battles in the Middle East and those on the Western Front in Europe.
Following on from the success of last year’s first event, I’m looking forward to the return of the Community Expo. It’s on from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 20th May at the Jubilee Clock.
Weymouth Town Council would love to hear from local charities and stall holders who would like to take part again this year. 2022’s event provided a great opportunity to showcase all the voluntary, community and charitable organisations that operate in Weymouth. They told us it was also a good networking opportunity to find out what other groups are doing. If your organisation would be interested in joining the Community Expo 2023, email events@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk for all the details.
Visit our website for Weymouth Town Council meetings:
www.weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk Facebook:
www.facebook.com/WeymouthWTC or Twitter:
@WeymouthWTC
for the latest council news.
Cllr. Ann Weaving Mayor of Weymouth
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Via a galaxy far, far away, film star John Boyega is back within a few miles of where it all began - Peckham’s hottest property has been subtly talking up an Attack the Block sequel, something which reveals a few things about the 30-year-old social justice champion.
For many cinemagoers, John Boyega’s unveiling to mass popular culture was in the opening shot of the very first teaser trailer for 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which attracted a recordbreaking 58 million YouTube views in its first week.
Past that, Boyega has strengthened his allegiance to the Star Wars brand in almost every way possible, as well as finding time to tread the boards, effectively making a
return to where his acting career started, describing his 2017 appearance in Woyzeck as “like riding a bike”.
“You’re on the stage and suddenly the lights are on and there’s an audience either clapping or throwing tomatoes at you,” he begins. “You have to adjust from being on a film set as there’s only one take!”
Boyega now looks to take that reconnection even further with the much talked-about return of Attack the Block, which came before Star Wars, albeit to a much more limited audience. The original 2011 sleeper hit became a cult film and launched both his and director Joe Cornish’s careers.
It’s therefore with some element of sentimentality, perhaps, that the multi-millionaire actor accepts the invitation to do it all again, at a time when his public profile suggests he should be doing something more status-driven.
“There is a romantic element to this, I don’t deny it,” he says. “You always want to reignite how the past feels, and it
gives you some perspective and appreciation of how far you have of come.
“No-one is doing this just for kicks. We are serious and we want to create something that isn’t just part of a sentimental journey. And it will be good. Better than good!”
Boyega’s return to the council estate also belies a growing reputation that he has become a stereotypical mouthpiece for a minority. “The things that matter to me – racism, equality, fairness – have mattered to me all my life,” he explains.
“I have never removed myself from who I am or what I stand for. What I do think is that the media are very good at painting you in one light, and that can be the go-to headline for everything you do.
“I don’t want to be that person,” he admits. “Sure, I want to champion equality, but that is not everything I stand by and stand for, and I think most people who know me, know that.”
There were some great entries to our Facebook photo competition and it was really hard to choose a winner, but we loved the colours in Gillian Thomas’s photo of sunrise from Greenhill Gardens. Some of the other shortlisted entries will appear on future covers, so do keep an eye out if you do not see yours here! Some of the runner-up photos can be seen below.
Winning entry: Sunrise from Greenhill Gardens by Gillian Thomas
Jools Mason
Nicola Morris Pixie Pics
Claire Marie Saunders
Clare Lamb
Jackie Norriss
The Weymouth Carnival C.I.C have high hopes this year with bringing back the most iconic event in Weymouth; the carnival.
Weymouth has played host to the Carnival for the last 100 years bringing in money to the local economy and much needed tourism.
A new committee group which was formed in August 2022 believes they are very confident of bringing back Weymouth Carnival after previous years of disruption and financial issues. The huge event was previously held each August and commonly placed on the second week of that month, with a procession, funfair rides, beach events and a Red Arrows display being a regular highlight in recent years.
The committee’s management team comprises of Kallum Gethins, Director and Chairman, John Simpson, Director and ViceChairman and Linda Skelton, secretary.
Initial fees have been paid for the event’s insurance, a grant application has been submitted to National Lottery for consideration and a fundraising team has been set up. Mr Gethins said during the inaugural meeting that organising the revived event would be a “massive challenge” but noted bringing back Weymouth Carnival “is not just for the benefit of the local economy,
and its vital communities.”
after the meeting, Mr Gethins said their initial plans have won some community and business support and envision a similar event to previous years including a music event. He added: “I grew up with the carnival, and that’s why I hated the fact that the 2018 carnival was the last one unless anyone else would take it on board, so I felt the need to bring my experience in running a business into fruition that will benefit everybody in Weymouth.”
Kallum also mentioned that it is also important to be as transparent as possible to help gain the public trust in returning the carnival as previous attempts to revive the event were over shadowed by a lack of transparency, so for this the committee will release press statements each month leading up to the carnival to provide the public with updates.
John Simpson also mentioned that “Your carnival needs you and having spoken to lots of people over the last few weeks, I get the same answers from them... It’ll be good to see carnival return. It is up to the residents of Weymouth to help bring back the iconic venture back. If everybody donated £1, it would be fantastic as we need to raise a lot of money. If you feel as if you would like to get involved i.e volunteer or committee then please do get in-touch! “
We are hosting a music event on the 25th February 2023 to help raise funds for the carnival and bring people together listening to club classics!
Looking back 60 years to Dr Beeching’s infamous axing of a quarter of the UK’s rail network.
Many of us know the name Dr. Beeching. He has become the track tyrant of a past generation – a man who heartlessly cut a blade through communities in much the same way the rail lines he decommissioned had done through countryside and rural towns.
History will show that the publication of his first report, titled The Reshaping of British Railways, on March 27th 1963, some 60 years ago – and a follow-up two years later – sounded the death knell for a quarter of the UK’s railways, and disconnected overnight a number of towns, villages and hamlets from their neighbours.
In many ways Beeching became the punchbag for arguably one of UK transport’s most sensationally unpopular moves, yet was the label unfair? After all, the railways were in deficit to the tune of up to £100million a year – a wholly unsustainable mass of loss-making lines which were rapidly finding the marvellous motorways a formidable form of competition, as motorcars and freight trucks took footfall away from the trains. Hence, by the time Beeching – a physician and engineer with ICI – was appointed as British Railways chairman in 1961, the network was already in dire straits.
What’s more, the closure of routes had already been happening long before his weighty
report landed with the Ministry of Transport. Three thousand miles of lines had been axed since 1948, so while these new proposals were the most severe yet, they weren’t the first.
A good number of the 2,363 stations and 5,000 miles of track earmarked in the report for closure were in fact given a reprieve, such was the political, social and economic pressure the government found themselves under; and there were also positive recommendations in the report which, for the first time ever, documented a country-wide view of the railway system, and brought about firmer management of lines, operators, passenger welfare and general demand.
Wind forward to today and investment in our railways has never been greater. Network Rail has also worked hard to reinstate rural and local railways - at present there are over 60 Community Rail Partnerships in operation. Not only are these important to the communities they serve, but profitable too!
greater. railways
While it still has a long way to go, Britain’s railway network is once again the fastest growing in Europe and busier now than at any time in the past hundred years. The question has to be asked if this is because of, or despite, the infamous Beeching.
As more and more of us refuse plastic bags, plastic straws, and disposable coffee cups, it’s important to remember that disposable nappies and wet wipes are single use too. Why throw away when we can reuse time and time again?
Switching to reusable nappies and wipes is much easier than you may think. It doesn’t even have to be an ‘all or nothing’ approach, just one cloth nappy change a day, will make a difference!
A selection of just 5 nappies, to see what suits you and your child best, will get you started. Buying pre-loved nappies saves even more money, and you can always sell on the ones that you no longer need, to get your money back. Remember, it is never too late to convert to cloth, and it may even help to potty train your child earlier, saving you even more money.
Dorset Council’s reusable nappy incentive scheme is now offering parents a nappy starter pack from one of our local reusable nappy retailers, or the chance to save £30, when spending a minimum of £45 on reusable nappies. For more information, visit: www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/reusablenappies
Let’s ditch the single-use nappy habit and make reusables the new norm!
Our home support and handyperson service is here to help older people to remain independent in their own home and can provide a range of services, along with social interaction and companionship.
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We do not offer personal care, but we can help with a range of tasks including shopping (with or on behalf of the client), domestic cleaning, laundry, running errands, moderate gardening and so much more.
We also offer a professional and reliable handy person service and can see to those jobs most trades would deem too small such as fitting key safes, draft excluders, grab rails, or even decorating and building furniture.
All of our team have undergone full reference and enhanced CRB checks, and are fully trained and insured.
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I think you know how much we love the sea and outdoor living. Well Daichi was very generous last month and booked us a trip on the MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) cruise line, the Grandiosa! We have never been on a ship so big. Oh my, there are enough rooms for up to 6000 passengers as well as several thousand crew. It is magnificent with shops, a chocolate cafe, where they make their own chocolate, restaurants, spa, two theatres, bars and an ice-cream parlour, which of course we had to try… after all it is competition to our own ice-cream and waffle parlour in Weymouth, Wafflicious! I think I am getting a little over excited there… But really it is a splendid vessel. The crew are incredible. From all over the world and each has their own story.
We flew to Rome and got a taxi to Civitavecchia an hour away, where the port is. Staying overnight is a good idea as it takes away the stress of travelling, we find. Especially as this time we were in the plane for three and a half hours before we took off! Better to be safe than sorry though, I would say.
We had a leisurely morning, including coffee and a pain au chocolat at a local bijoux cafe. Just had to be done - we really were now on holiday. Once we were through customs and all the checks were complete, we very excitedly found our cabin and dropped our hand luggage off. The big cases were taken on board
by a crew member. We were on the thirteenth floor! Balcony and all. At 5pm off we set. You can hardly tell you are moving, but at night, being so high up there was an unusual side to side motion which I actually found quite soothing after I got used to it.
Palermo in Sicily! Our first stop. Having never been here before it was a delight to see. Stephen and I decided to take our own tours. The ship does provide great excursions, but we wanted to be independent. Google not only tells you where you can go but also how long it takes to walk there, so we (well actually Stephen) were able to work out exactly what we could do and how much time we had. We walked all the way around the centre of Palermo. The twelfth century cathedral is splendid. The horses and carts are delightful. The Massimo Theatre is glorious. I could really feel the splendour, opulence and dramatic setting of this magnificent Italian town. We so enjoyed our walk, gazing in awe, and of course the coffee sitting in one of the narrow streets complete with small, elaborate balconies and music you could almost hear from times gone by.
Malta was our next stop. After an evening of dining and on-board entertainment, we slowly and majestically arrived at our next destination. My dad was in Malta as part of his two-year conscription many years ago. There is a concept… compulsory enlistment, in his case, into the Royal Navy at the age of eighteen. He remembers it well. Today the
An ice-cream sundae... Grandiosa style!
area has many museums and artifacts in memory of the second world war. There are even hidden underground passages you can now visit, that were once used by important military leaders and politicians. Lots to do. We chose again to take our own path and in fact we walked over 20000 steps that day! A glorious walk around Valletta with fantastic views across the bays. The new square surrounded by street food vendors and a really attractive fountain were in contrast to the military background and gave you hope for the future.
A day’s sailing was next on the agenda! We chose to have a spa day and watch a movie while we glided our way through the deep waters of the Mediterranean. So relaxing.
Barcelona in Spain was our next destination. My parents had their honeymoon 59 years ago in this amazing city. As I was born early and 3 weeks less than nine months later, I do laugh and say, “I was made in Barcelona!” La Sagrada Familia is quite a feat. I thought there were building new on top of old and was dismayed, however that is not the case at all. It is still not complete and is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Started in 1882. The new architecture is looking quite splendid and complements to older stones well. I always remembered that mum and dad went to a bull fight all those years ago, so a walk to Plaza de Toros Monumental de Barcelona was a must for me. It is quite an eerie place really. You can walk in the footsteps of both the matadors and the bulls, as well as enter the ring itself. Cultures change and it is interesting to see old traditions and look back on history, where we were and where we have come from.
The next time we got off the ship was at Genoa! Another unknown town to us and one we really
enjoyed walking around. We did not go in the huge aquarium there, but I hear it is highly recommended. Did you know (a bit controversial) that ‘our’ St George’s flag was apparently ‘stolen’ from here? We saw the flag a few times, flying high, and according to Google… “The symbol was adopted by England toward the end of the religious wars, in the 13th century with our ships flying the flag of Genoa as a deterrent to enemies.” Oops… Again, how interesting our history is.
Well, it was time to take our last cruise back to Rome. On disembarking we had a day to explore. Sitting, overlooking the Colosseum having an Italian lunch was awe inspiring. It ended our eight-day, seven night break on a high.
Sailing is not for everyone and certainly I would generally prefer a smaller ship, but we thoroughly enjoyed our self-generated European excursions, coffees in places we had never been before, nights singing to Abba, Italian Opera and the Addams Family in the all-inclusive entertainment each evening. Waited on hand and foot in the restaurants and having as much food as you want in the buffet. We love cruising. Let’s see if Daichi can top that this coming month!
By Debbie Corney A bull’s eye view inside the Monumental
For this year’s ‘Arts in Care Homes’ week, the residents of Friary House have created amazing paintings on the theme of ‘Nature Inside’
A selection of nature-based items (shells, stones, feathers, rosemary, autumn leaves, bay leaves, pine cone, driftwood and twigs) were displayed on the table for residents to choose from. Residents then assembled their art using the items as their ‘paint’, with either singular or multiple objects grouped together. We all had a really wonderful time, and very much enjoyed getting in touch with our artistic selves, and we hope you enjoy our art too!
Come and join us and make your home in one of our care homes in Weymouth, call the owner of Friary Care, Peter Fry, on 01305 78 78 11 or visit www.friarycare.co.uk
The artwork that’s been created has beenvivid and full of movement. Artist Sarah Jane Ross, who led the session, said:“Residents responded really well to the still life objects – there is visibly a lively feel totheir work as a result ofpainting directly from nature.”
Come and join our staff team, our pay rates are in line with the Real Living wage, we offer a comprehensive pension scheme and operate as an inclusive team, come and talk to our staff to learn more.
To be in with a chance to win a family �cket to see Rapunzel at Weymouth Pavilion on Sunday 16th April at 6pm, complete the word search and send to the address below. Deadline for entries is 31st March 2023.
March Prize Wordsearch
Name: ______________________
Wonderful Weymouth, Address: ______________________
Westham
Designer, writer and television presenter, Kevin McCloud leapt into our consciousness with his vastly successful Grand Designs show on Channel 4. This month, the affable architectural business owner talks about his favourite room in the house.
I often get asked what I believe is the most important room in any building and my answer is always the same – it’s the toilet!
Now then, I know that’s not the most glamorous of answers, but think about it - you can make a house or a building with any number of rooms; you could create a home with no lightbulbs and perhaps not even a single window; yet without basic sanitation you could never remain there.
Without running water, you have almost no chance of survival without risking poor health, disease and, ultimately, death.
I’m seen the evidence of this, too. I’ve visited places in the world where running water and basic sanitation doesn’t exist; where the absence of those two things creates utter chaos and would eventually bring about the end of civilisation as we know it.
The point of all this is that in this world of ambition and desire, and in our pursuit of homely perfection, we can very quickly and very easily lose sight of the true basic necessities that enable us to evolve and survive as human beings.
It’s for that reason that someone moving into a shoebox studio flat in a grubby backstreet in a dead-end town can actually feel like they have achieved something monumentally big…
and they would be absolutely correct in that notion.
When you have somewhere that offers sanitisation, somewhere to eat, somewhere to sleep – you essentially have created the building blocks preservation of life. That’s tremendously exciting, very special and, rightly, the most rewarding feeling you can have.
In the coming year, we will all dream and plan and design… and do all those other things as far as the perceived improvement of our homes is concerned, and of course that’s the way we are as people – we are almost always forwardthinking and aspirational.
However, sometimes, it really is rewarding to take a step back – to look not at what you don’t have, but what you do have. It’s to say, ‘I am here, and I am covered’.
To have the basic necessities in life is actually 99% of survival and success… everything else on top is just decoration.
MONDAY
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5.45pm
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He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist, and allround horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses garden design and spontaneity.
They say that a builder’s home is always unfinished, and much the same is true of any gardener in regards to his or her outside space.
We have been in our current home for almost 20 years, and I am still evolving, adding, altering – every day. And that’s what makes each passing year so special – the fact you never go back to a blank canvas, but each spring there are new opportunities, ideas and spaces that emerge here and there, that can be formed into whatever takes your fancy at that particular time.
While variety and versatility are definitely important in a garden, I do find it’s necessary to follow some familiar boundaries. One
of those, for me, is to ensure the inspiration for the style of my garden comes from the feel of my house, and I think this is true for any
outside space. The two must complement each other or you may find you end up with an awkward juxtaposition between the building and nature.
So my property is a classic, square Georgian farmhousethus I felt I had to do something that complemented that in the garden. I like straight lines anyway, which cross each other, and have softened this by planting throughout, creating a sort of billowing chaos in beds and borders. You essentially have one giving structure to the other.
Remember, gardening is very different to
architecture, because what you are dealing with isn’t just shape and form, it’s time as well –it’s a rapid adjustment and change between how something looks on day one and how it will look on day 100.
And while I know you’ll hear gardeners talking all the time about planning out an area, the types of plants you’ll have, and the tone and feel of a space; very often the reality is you are inspired by something off the cuff, and it is that instinctive appeal that’s exciting.
Whatever you’re going to do in your garden space, I would suggest it is gradual and over time. It really pays to observe and watch how nature embraces things – see what grows and what outgrows, and only when you are absolutely sure you want to adjust a certain area, only then proceed.
It’s about a steady progression rather than the wholesale demolition… such is life!
Want to control your electric blinds using just your voice? All you need is an Alexa enabled device. Using this, we set up your electric blinds to open or close in response to simple voice commands. ese could be ‘open the blinds in the kitchen,’ or ‘close the blinds in the bedroom.’ You can also ask Alexa to open your electric blinds at sunrise to help you wake up naturally, or close the blinds when it gets dark to protect your home, even if you’re not there. Alexa controlled blinds are the ultimate convenience in home automation, allowing you to enjoy a more relaxed ambience, whatever level of window coverage you require.
Famed for the gigantic, raspberrydusted meringues that adorn his shop windows, Yotam Ottolenghi is a patisserie expert, and these deliriously fudgy cookies are no exception.
(makes 24 cookies)
• 110g unsalted butter at room temperature, cubed
• 110g caster sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 125g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 20g cocoa powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 100g 70% cocoa chocolate chips (or 100g dark cooking chocolate in 0.5cm pieces)
• 50g mashed banana (½ small banana)
• 170g pecan halves, finely chopped
• 100g icing sugar
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place, beat the butter and sugar on a mediumhigh speed until light and fluffy, then add the egg and beat to combine.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl, then add to
the butter mix, beating on low speed for 15 seconds. Now beat in the chocolate and banana until combined, then transfer to the fridge for two hours to firm up.
2. Once firm, form the dough into 24 3cm balls, about 20g each. Put the pecans in a bowl, then drop in each ball, rolling it around to coat, which will press the nuts in as well, so they stick.
Put the cookies on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 and line two oven trays with baking paper. Put the icing sugar in a bowl and roll the cookies one by one in the sugar, pressing it in as you go, so it sticks. Arrange the cookies on the trays 2-3cm
apart, then flatten them to about 1cm thick.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove: the cookies will be soft to the touch. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then move to a rack. Serve warm or cool.
Maintain that fudgy factor by ensuring you don’t overbake these cookies.
You can also freeze them for up to three months once you have rolled them in to balls. Simply add one extra minute on to the baking time when you are ready to use them.
