News & Views

AXMINSTER Arson attack

Police believe arsonists are behind a fire at a tattoo business in Axminster. Fire services were called out to attend a fire at Chris’s Tat Shack tattoo studio on Lyme Road, Axminster, at around 2am on August 9th. Police believe an accelerant was used to start the fire which damaged the door frame and interior but no damage was reported to the flats above the shop. A window was also smashed in the incident. A police spokesperson said that threatening graffiti was also daubed on the shop’s exterior and that spray paint was used to obscure CCTV at the front of the building. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or via email at 101@dc.police.uk quoting CR/065418/20.

LYME REGIS

Anti social behavior hot spot Hopes for a local ‘rescue package’ for the Sidholme Hotel in Sidmouth have been dashed after a fundraising effort failed to reach its target. With current trading conditions beyond challenging, the hotel owners, Christian Guild, have placed the hotel on the open market. The Music Room in the hotel had hosted many concerts and following an appeal from a number of community groups the owners agreed to allow an effort by local people to come up with a rescue package. Using the slogan ‘Save Sidmouth’s Hidden Gem’ the group managed to raise over £250,000 towards their goal of £2M to pay for a phased refurbishment and relaunch of the hotel. All of those who pledged toward the appeal are to have their money returned.

BRIDPORT

Melplash Memories With this year’s popular Melplash Show cancelled, Bridport Museum is working with the Melplash Show team to share Melplash photographs and objects from their collections. And they are asking others to do the same. You can share your favourite memories, anecdotes, memorabilia, photos or videos. Just post on their Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram @bridportmuseum using the hashtag #MelplashMemories. Or email director@bridportmuseum.co.uk and they can post it up for you. The origins of the Melplash Show go back to the day that Melplash church was consecrated in 1846. A ploughing match was held to resolve a dispute between two farmers. During the joint consecration and competition celebrations the assembled farmers and landowners formed the Melplash Agricultural Society and hold a ploughing competition which became an annual show.

BEAMINSTER

Appeal for witnesses Detectives investigating a reported burglary near Beaminster are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. It was reported that at around 10pm on Monday 3 August 2020 a caravan was broken into in Stoke Abbott and a Stihl 261 chainsaw and bill hook, which the owner uses for their work as a tree surgeon, were stolen. Following enquiries, a 24-year-old Poole man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and he has been released under investigation. Detective Constable George Graham, of Western CID, said: “We are continuing to investigate this matter and the property that was reported stolen has not yet been recovered. He urged anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area on that night to please contact Dorset Police avia email 101@dorset. pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting

occurrence number 55200114733.

DORSET

New tourist attraction Dorset has a new tourist attraction these days but it may just be temporary. The cruise liners, anchored off Weymouth Bay and other bays along the coastline have offered a whole new view for fascinated locals and tourists alike. They have now become a tourist attraction in their own right whilst also providing enterprising boat owners the opportunity to charge tourists for trips around the giant ships. BBC news reported that as holidays on board were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic the ships had nowhere to go so have anchored up to await instructions from their owners. According to the report there are about 100 crew currently on each of the P&O vessels off the south coast including crew, cleaners, electricians, chefs and medics.

Fleet Air Arm Museum to reopen in August

The Fleet Air Arm Museum, in Yeovilton, will reopen to the public on 14 August 2020 with a range of new safety measures in place

The Fleet Air Arm Museum, which is part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) is based next to the home of the Fleet Air Arm, and one of the busiest military airbases in the country, the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. The Museum provides a crucial public connection to the 80 year old air base. It is also one of the top three tourist attractions in Somerset and plays an important role in the local tourism economy welcoming over 80,000 visitors a year.

Due to the escalating Coronavirus Crisis, NMRN chose to close all of its sites, including the FAAM in March. Since then they have been clear about the devastating impact the loss of admission has had on their financial position.

The General Manager of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Marc Farrance says “We are so pleased to announce that the museum will be opening to the public again and we are very eager to welcome visitors back through our doors. The COVID-19 crisis has had a devastating effect on our finances, as even though we are a National Museum 81% of our revenue is generated through our visitors. Now that we are able to reopen we are excited to see what the rest of the year will hold.”

When the Fleet Air Arm Museum reopens many of its signature exhibition spaces will be open for the public to explore, one of which boasts the historic Concorde 002 prototype as well as many other historic aircraft. However, some aspects of the museum will look a little different due to social distancing and safety measures. Marc Farrance describes one of these measures “We have been working hard to ensure that our museum will be a safe and welcoming place for visitors to enjoy.

Click to View for a sneak peek into the Museum

In order to do this we will be implementing a timed ticketing system and all bookings must be made online as this will ensure that we can accurately manage our capacity levels.”

As well as managing capacities, the museum will also adhere to social distancing measures. Marc has expanded on some of the logistical issues stating that “COVID-19 safety measures have presented a unique challenge for us when we reopen. We are keen to ensure visitors that they will still have a great day out with us and their safety and enjoyment is our highest priority. In order to ensure their safety and make guests feel comfortable we will be introducing a one-way route, protective screens and cashless payments.”

The museum has chosen to reopen on the 75 anniversary weekend of VJ Day, which marks the surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War. Visitors can come along to the museum and learn about the role of the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. They can also see a variety of aircraft that would have been used during the period. As well as this the NMRN will also be marking this special occasion on their digital channels with a series of online virtual events in which they will be working in conjunction with the National Army Museum and the Royal Air Force Museum. The content for the commemoration will be announced over the coming days.

On the rest of the year, Marc comments “We are looking forward to the rest of the year and can’t wait to open on this special date. We hope that this will bring more people to the museum so that we can share the incredible stories of the Fleet Air Arm.”

For anyone wishing to donate to either Museum in support of their Covid-19 recovery, please visit https:// www.nmrn.org.uk/get-involved/donate