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Blandford pays tribute to one of its most famous sons: Page 23
For Blandford and surrounding villages Issue No. 66
September 2017
Corn Exchange scheme abandoned A DECISION by Blandford Town Council to abandon the multi-million pound regeneration scheme for the Corn Exchange has been welcomed by those campaigning to save the stage. The council has agreed to drop the major refurbishment for which Lottery funding was being sought and instead focus on ongoing improvements which can be achieved with existing funding (see page 28). Campaigners were not aware of the decision when they met in July to plan their bid for retention of the stage, which has been much used
over the past 120 years for local amateur theatre and professional performances, but was intended to be removed as part of the approved scheme. Sam James, who is spearheading the bid for the stage removal to be excluded from the plans for Blandford's premier Grade I listed building, said: "This is fantastic news! I and the rest of the campaign team look forward to being able to work with the council and help move this project in the right direction. • To Page 6
Joan’s delight at finding her adopted son after 64 years LIKE an episode from the TV show 'Long Lost Family', Joan Wills has been reunited with the son she gave up for adoption 64 years ago. Joan (86), who lived at Ryan Court, Blandford, for more than six years, has bid a fond farewell to the town and moved to live with her newly discovered family in Lancashire. The back story has all the emotional strands of the heart-rending tales that have made the ITV show such must-see viewing for millions. Back in the early 1950s Joan and her boyfriend Frank ran away together because co-habitation and babies born out of wedlock was not as widely accepted as it is today. Frank was seriously ill with tuberculosis and the couple were living in poverty in Sussex. When he died a year later, Joan gave their son, christened Steven, to be adopted by a neighbour. After a life of ups and downs, Joan - who has been married and is now widowed with another son from whom she is estranged - moved to Blandford in search of
what she hoped would be 'a family town'. She found it a happy, friendly place. She had made efforts to be reunited with her adopted son, registering with a company 12 years ago to say that she was 'willing to be found', but she abandoned the idea when she was asked for £1,000 to pay for a search. But two days before Christmas, she was visited by her Ryan Court house manager, who said a man who had been looking for her had made contact. She learned that Steven, renamed Geoffrey by his adoptive parents, had been searching for her for more than 30 years, and a letter arrived by special delivery on Christmas Eve. It read: "Dear Mum, I'm sorry it has taken so long to find you . ." She discovered that her son, now working as the manager of a home for children with special needs and married with two little girls, Charley and Abi, had first started trying to find her in the 1980s. • To Page 2
A bright future: Joan Wills with pictures of her newly discovered family - son Geoffrey, his partner Andrea and their daughters Charley and Abi.
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September 2017
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Where to find Forum Focus IF anyone would like join our team to deliver in their own or any other area that has no delivery, please get in touch (see contacts above). Copies can be picked up from any of our drop points below: Blandford and Blandford St Mary: Morrisons, Greyhound Yard; M&S Langton Road; The Post Office, Library and Parish Centre in The Tabernacle, the Corn Exchange, the Spar shop in Market Place, Gorge Cafe in East Street, Blandford Museum in the Market Place, the Tourist Information Centre in West Street, Chaffers in Salisbury Street, James Newsagents in The Plocks, the Co-op in Salisbury Road, the 3Cs in Damory Street, the Damory Garage and One Stop in Salisbury Road, Cherry's hairdressers in Elizabeth Road, Blandford Leisure Centre in Milldown Road, the Central Shop in Heddington Drive, the Brewery Visitor Centre, Lidl in Higher Shaftesbury Lane, and Tesco and Homebase at Stour Park. In the villages: Charlton Marshall Church Rooms and Charlton pub, Woodpecker pub at Spetisbury, Abbott Garden Centre, Langton Long, True Lovers Knot and St Richard Close bus stop in Tarrant Keyneston, Langton Arms in Tarrant Monkton, Pimperne shop, the White Horse Inn at Stourpaine, Iwerne Minster Post Office, Child Okeford Post Office, Shillingstone Garage, Okeford Fitzpaine village shop, Londis Shop & Royal Oak at Milborne St Andrew, The Crown at Winterborne Stickland, Post Office and Surgery, Milton Abbas, and The Cricketers at Shroton.
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Tech work is causing long delays in planning decisions A MAJOR transformation of IT systems in the Dorset Councils Partnership's planning service has resulted in delays in registering and validating planning applications. Staff have been relocated to the IT project to create one IT system, including improvements to building control and land charges services. At the same time, a review is being sought of the way the majority of planning applications submitted to North Dorset District Council are now being decided under delegated powers by planning officers rather than being considered by the elected members on the planning committee. In the past, applications attracting objections on planning grounds from town and parish
councils have been referred to committee, but the authority has been accused of hardening its policy, allowing such applications to be decided in consultation only with the local member and planning committee chairman. Town Councillor Haydn White raised the issue at a recent town council meeting, and fellow councillor Roger Carter agreed that some quite controversial decisions were being slipped through. District Councillor John Tanner said: "I share your concerns. There are times when I have spoken and been overturned by planning officers." Town and District Councillor Jackie Stayt said members of the district's overview and scrutiny
committee had also expressed concern and asked for the policy to be reviewed. The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) is also concerned at the effect of changes at North Dorset District Council, which is in the process of moving to Dorchester and merging with other councils. Group chairman Stephen Howard said: "There has been no planning meeting for three months and in the last year 95 per cent of all applications were dealt with by officers, rather than at public planning meetings, which is most unsatisfactory." • Key proposals rejected in development plan: Page 10.
Joan’s long lost family • From Page 1 Geoffrey's partner of the last 14 years, Andrea, who is also a care worker, had put the pieces of the jigsaw together, and succeeded in tracing Joan to Blandford. They invited her to go and join them in Lancashire, and she courageously took the decision to leave her friends in Blandford behind and move into accommodation close to them. Last month she was packing for her move to the village where they live and where she has found new accommodation. "It's like a fairy story," she said. "I came to Blandford after living in Christchurch and Bournemouth because I wanted to live in a friendly, family town, but now I have found another family. And I can make friends anywhere." Mrs Wills, who has done voluntary work for 26 years, has worked at the Friends of Blandford Community Hospital charity shop in Barnack Walk. She said she particularly wanted to thank all the friends she had made there, and Emma Sisson, the Friends' fundraising co-ordinator, for their friendship and kindness.
September 2017
Musical welcome as Lidl opens its doors at last THERE has been a succession of new business arrivals in Blandford in recent weeks, in addition to the new wine bar featured on Page 8. The following day the new Lidl supermarket in Shaftesbury Lane opened with a fanfare from young musicians of the Dorset Music Service's new brass group 'Don't Forget Your Mouthpiece'. The ribbon was cut at 8am by the Mayor of Blandford Peter Clark and his wife Linda before a crowd of eager early customers. He said the store was much welcomed in an area of the town which had grown immensely in the last 20 years, but with few facilities provided. "We have now got a store to serve this end of town," he said. He also praised the way the development acknowledged its sensitive environment on the border of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its environmentally sustainable features. Customers, who had waited patiently for the opening since the Lidl store was proposed in place of the previously withdrawn Asda scheme on the site, welcomed the spacious layout with its wider aisles, self-service checkouts, and particularly the 'middle aisle' made famous in the recently
launched TV advert tempting shoppers to the non-food items. Store manager Paula Garrard, who lives in Henstridge and who for the last four years has managed the Lidl store at Bridport, said she too had been looking forward to opening day, and the shorter travel time to and from work. The queues of traffic on the first few days prompted concerns that the traffic lights in Shaftesbury Lane were incorrectly timed, but over the weeks the throughput settled down, although the queues at the traditional checkouts remained lengthy. The second week of August saw the opening of Specsavers in one part of the former Argos store in East Street which has now been converted into four units. In the same week amended plans were approved by North Dorset District Council for externally illuminated signage, rather than the original internal illuminated proposals, for national pizza chain Domino’s in a neighbouring unit. A new e-cig outlet Trip Hammer has opened next to Iceland in Salisbury Street, and plans have been submitted for the change of use of a property letting agency in Tabernacle Walk to a coffee and sandwich bar.
A PROVISIONAL tree preservation order has been made for a tree at Kites Corner in Tin Pot Lane, Blandford, following an inquiry whether or not it was protected. The owner was concerned that the tree was causing damage to drainage pipes and the driveway, but an assessment by North Dorset's tree officer considered it visually important, and that its protection and retention should be sought, giving six months to decide whether it should be confirmed.
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The young Dorset Music Service brass group play their fanfare at the opening of the new Lidl store.
Chime time at Shroton A SPECIAL commissioning service at which the Bishop of Sherborne was due to officiate was held on August 25 for the newly restored bells of St Mary's Church, Shroton. Fund raising has been taking place through the year, with a plant sale and coffee morning in May, and cream teas on Saturdays and Sundays throughout August. The new tenor bell pictured was cast at the only remaining bell foundry in the country, John Taylor & Co of Loughborough.
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September 2017
Stage is set for a memorable carnival THIS year's Blandford Carnival, which takes to the streets on Saturday, September 9, will be missing a very familiar face, that of its former chairman Lil Jones, who died suddenly last year after more than 40 years either on its organising committee or at its helm. Fellow Carnival members have paid tribute to their former leader, saying: "It was with great sadness that we said goodbye to Lil in December 2016 after a short illness. "Lil joined Blandford Carnival committee in the early 1970s while still helping to build floats for Blandford and other local carnivals. Over the years she held every office on the committee and five years ago she stepped down as chairman, with her son Barrie taking over the reins. She worked tirelessly for carnival and it is largely down to her that carnival has kept going all these years. "On Carnival day she was in her element, using all her experience to marshall and direct the parade out of Holland Way. She would then make her way down to the
Pictured left to right: front row: Bridget Spiers, Dave Butler, Roger Carter and Mike Smith (Blandford Model Railway Club representative). Back row: Sandie Disney (Blandford Women's Institute representative), Bob Brannigan and Byron Quayle.
New recruits wanted Lil Jones: much missed. Marsh & Ham car park to meet the collectors and gather all the buckets as the parade finished. She would then walk to the Corn Exchange to host all the judges and helpers, before finishing off her day with a well earned glass of wine or two. "She will be sadly missed by her family and carnival friends. Let's make sure this year’s Carnival is one worthy of Lil's memory."
FOLLOWING the sudden death of their chairman Esme Butler earlier this year, the Blandford 14-18 Commemoration Group, which for the last three years has organised such wonderful exhibitions and events commemorating the First World War, is delighted to have been joined by her husband Dave as a member of the group. But after losing a second key member of their team - Councillor Tony Harrocks died in 2015 - they would also be delighted if others volunteered to join their number as they prepare for commemorations through to the anniversary of the end of the war and beyond. The last Khaki Canteen in the Corn Exchange in July featured work in progress on the construction, in association with members of the Blandford Railway Club, of a scale model layout of the Ypres battlefields which will be the focus of an event in November. The next, on Saturday, September 30, will feature the Diary of a Soldier in 1917, recording the experience of Corporal W H Salt in a British Expeditionary Forces Supply Column in France and presented by Mr Butler, a former member of the Royal Signals. Anyone interested in working with the group should contact the town council, or email refcart@aol.com.
Visual impact report plea for homes plan A REQUEST was made to North Dorset District Council on August 2 for the environmental screening assessment of proposals for a development of up to 80 houses at Lower Bryanston Farm, between New Road, Bryanston and Fair Mile Road, with access off New Road. The application, by Amec Foster Wheeler (AFW) on behalf of Bryanston (RFE) Ltd, suggested that an environmental assessment is not needed since the impact of the development is likely to be of no more than local importance. The development of around 2.93 hectares is one of the sites includ-
ed in the North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 adopted in January last year. AFW's principal planner Stuart Williamson suggests that the approved application for 61 dwellings nearby at Dorchester Hill, on the other side of Fair Mile Road, should be taken into account since it changes the visual context of the proposed development. He notes that NDDC ruled that an assessment was not needed for the Dorchester Hill development after considering many of the issues relevant to the current proposal.
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September 2017
Trial run for new minibus service A NEW Saturday bus service from Blandford to Salisbury is being trialled by community transport company NORDCAT to replace the withdrawn service previously operated by Damory Coaches. The company's Helen Reed said: "The parish councillors of Sixpenny Handley and the Tarrants, and councillors Deborah Croney and Steve Butler, contacted me asking if it was possible. I said yes, and we started it on August 12." The bookable Saturday minibus service will collect from all the villages along the route diverting off the main road. The Blandford to Salisbury Saturday Service 20 was discontinued with effect from July 24 as a result of Dorset County Council's review of subsidised services which left only the Monday to Friday service operational. Go South-Coast's Damory Coaches Service X12 and 187 Blandford to Dorchester Monday to Saturday service continued post July 24 until further notice after the County Council announced that the contract for Blandford to Dorchester was to be retendered. First Wessex were originally chosen to run a weekday service between Blandford and Dorchester which would include links for Milborne St Andrew, Bere Regis, Winterborne
Kingston and Weymouth. But irregularities were discovered in the tendering process, and it was agreed with the operators that the Damory service should continue while the bids were reassessed. The Traveline south west website has been recommended as the best source of up-to-date timetable and journey planning information. Following the cuts in subsidised public services, the County Council is encouraging communities to kickstart their own transport schemes, with the help of its community transport fund and a toolkit giving advice to those wanting to start a scheme. Details can be found on the DorsetforYou website. At a meeting with Transport Action Group leaders, Mathew Piles, Service Director Economy, stressed the importance of TAGs and the higher profile being given to community transport, together with efforts to increase the amount of DCC and private transport available to meet special needs category transport, and improve arrangements for over-16s transport to education and training. He said review of the national concessions scheme is unlikely to take place soon but a scheme to implement a standard fee of ÂŁ2.50 for journeys before 9.30am is likely to be implemented throughout Dorset.
A creditable record WYVERN Savings and Loans Volunteer Colin Stockford (pictured) has decided, at the age of 88, that it's time to take a rest. Mr Stockford volunteered in 2010 after hearing help was needed to set up the credit union, and after seven years in the role, all members have wished him well in his retirement. He volunteered because he thought it would help people and he was right. Since then Wyvern has helped hundreds of local people with safe savings and affordable loans. Colin enjoyed meeting many members, and inevitably one or
two stand out. In the early years one young man needed money to buy a motor bike to get to a job in a cafe. Borrowers then had to save for a while before they could apply for a loan, so the young man saved, was granted a loan, bought his motor bike, got the job and paid the loan back. Colin still sees him sometimes. Today Wyvern works closely with Rural Dorset Wheels to Work to help young people in need of their own transport. If you would like to help with the credit union, call 01305 268444.
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Senior museum curator Michael Le Bas, Major Toby Hood and former Rifles CO Col Tim Lerwill with the 1917 World War One exhibition in Blandford Museum.
Museum’s war tribute AN exhibition now on display in the Blandford Town Museum, focusing on World War One in 1917, was opened at the beginning of August by Col Tim Lerwill, retired commanding officer of The Rifles. He was accompanied by Major Toby Hood, who commanded the troops during the Rifles' Freedom Parade through Blandford last year. The exhibition has again been compiled by senior museum curator Michael Le Bas as part of Blandford's commemoration of World War One, and includes a picture of the grandfather of museum volunteer David O'Donnell sitting on a gun carriage. He was the only survivor when, shortly after the picture was taken, the carriage was blown up by a shell landing alongside, killing all the other men and horses. It also features the Charlton Marshall shell factory (see Page 20), and illustrates the progress of the war, at home and abroad on the Western Front and in Mesopotamia.
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September 2017
U-turn over Corn Exchange scheme wins applause • From Page 1 "We are currently working hard on researching solutions to issues like the acoustics and the sky lighting, and collecting detailed quotes and options for much-needed improvements to the stage lighting and curtains, to name but a few. • PLANNING permission for the major refurbishment - originally submitted in 2012 and approved in 2014 - has now expired and would need renewal. Councillors were told last month that the project officer Nicki Ginn, who had been working on the scheme since it was first drawn up with the bid to the Heritage Lottery for funding, had quit her post after moving away from Blandford some time ago and working on the project remotely. The proposals, which included the installation of a staircase and lift to the Town Hall on the first floor and extending the council offices and community room at the rear, had an initial price tag
of £5m, which subsequently rose to £9m as a result of requirements from the Heritage Lottery to give heritage aspects more prominence with extra staffing and fund five years of management and maintenance. A separate project to repair the façade and roof has been underway since May this year, and is budgeted to cost up to £93,000, around half of which is to be met with S106 developer funding from North Dorset District Council. A successful bid has also been made for £55,000 of S106 funding for enhancement to the Corn Exchange, which is being directed towards the remodelling of the existing kitchen area, together with exterior lighting, electrics in the town hall which currently has no power points available, new round tables for parties and dinners, and stage lighting.
Tens of thousands of pounds, much of it S106 funding, have been spent on the Corn Exchange in the last ten years, for work often described as 'urgent'. It included the replacement of windows in desperate need of repair in 2010 (£12,000), and since the 2012 scheme was submitted, refurbishment of the toilets in 2013 (nearly £18,000), the renewal of UV film inside the glass roof to keep the building cool (£10,000), the installation of wi-fi (just over £1,000), fire and smoke alarms (nearly £11,000), replacement of the disabled ramp access (£1,300), repair of the main fuse board (£1,300), water damage repairs to the Council Chamber and Town Hall (£832), removal and replacement of damaged interior panels (£2,300) and repair and strengthening of the stage ceiling (over £2,000) after it collapsed earlier this year, in addition to the ongoing façade repair (£12,555 to date). Salaries and fees for the project itself have also been considerable, but town clerk Linda ScottGiles said most of the architects' fees, paid for with developer contribution funding, were for work they will still be able to use on whatever is done in the future.
Twists and turns in refurbishment plans THE refurbishment of the Corn Exchange has been on the council's agenda since the mid-1990s when a £3m scheme was put forward to develop a cinema, conference and meeting rooms. Money was set aside for the project, which could also have attracted grant funding, but delays were encountered and some of the money set aside was diverted to the provision of a skate park for the town's young people. In 2002 it was decided not to pursue the creation of a dedicated cinema but to consider instead the best multi-purpose building possible. In 2005 more plans were announced for an enlarged council chamber and new staircase, staging, lighting, toilet facilities and glazing of the Shambles, which encountered objections from English Heritage. The revised scheme, including extension of the council offices and community room at the rear, approved in 2014, followed amendments to reduce the council office extension from four to three storeys. It included remodelling of the Corn Exchange to include a new kitchen and toilets and replacing the current proscenium arch with a movable stage and seating, together with glazing and lift in the Shambles. A BROADMAYNE-based company has applied for permission to install two windows and extend the mezzanine floor in a unit at 29 Glenmore Business Park, Blandford, at the rear of the industrial estate. Fireline Ltd wants to relocate to create a permanent HQ for its office staff and engineers operating around the UK, by creating office space on the first floor and storage and working environment on the ground floor.
September 2017
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September 2017
Proprietor Colin Young at Colin's Community Club with members who helped with the creation of the new Woodlands Bar, Gary Fraser, left, and Chalky White.
The Mayor of Blandford Peter Clark and his wife Linda with proprietor Stuart Laws and licensee Lance Ferguson at the opening of the Paddocks Bar. A NUMBER of options are being considered and costed to improve the state of the pavements in central Blandford, local county councillor Byron Quayle told town councillors. But members of the town & general purposes committee have approved the use of up to ÂŁ11,700 of S106 developer funding set aside for town enhancement to 'concrete blast' the pavements in the town centre to make them less slippery when wet, subject to a satisfactory result from a test area being done.
Paddocks away to a flying start BLANDFORD's new wine and tapas bar, The Paddocks in Salisbury Street, opened with a flourish when the Mayor Peter Clark cut the ribbon, watched by his wife Linda, the Mayoress, proprietor Stuart Laws and licensee Lance Ferguson. There was wine and tapas for guests before the doors opened to the public in the premises formerly occupied by Hays Travel, who have now moved next door. A horse racing theme is reflected in the dĂŠcor and signage. The Mayor said: "What this town really lacks is nice drinking places, and it has been lacking places like this for many, many years. One or other of these two shops has been empty for the last five years, and it is good to see good use now being made of both. The wine bar has been produced in record time, and to a standard you would expect from the 'Laws Foundation'!" The premises have since enjoyed regular custom. Mr Laws said trade in the first week had been 50 per cent up on their own forecast. Meanwhile there have been facelifts completed and underway at other establishments in town. At Colin's Community Club in Damory Street, rather than extending upwards to the first floor which was granted planning permission last year, the ground floor has been expanded into a former rear storage area, which has been redecorated and refitted as the Woodlands Bar. A striking feature of the new bar is the end wall mural of a track reaching through the trees into the far distance.
Mr Young said: "It has been very hard work to raise the roof and the floor to bring it up to the same level as the rest of the club, but now it is finished I think the difference it will make to the club will make it all worthwhile." The club now has four dart boards and two pool tables. It also offers an area to be set aside for a quieter evening and special nights. "I did a lot of the work myself but I could not have done it without the members for whom the club is run, and who wanted to help," said Mr Young. "Some of them gave up days of work to help me. Four members arranged one Saturday morning to have a trailer and the equipment to knock the wall down. When I asked them how much I owed them, the reply was: "You have done enough for us by running the club and giving us somewhere to chill out." He wished the new wine bar all the best, saying "It is good to see new and different types of businesses opening in the town." (See letter on page 16). Redecoration is also underway at the Royal British Legion Club in Church Lane, again with the help of members who are carrying out much of the repainting and electrical work. Blandford Scouts are continuing their self-help project at the Scout headquarters in Eagle House Gardens, where they would welcome offers of assistance at working parties being held regularly. Anyone with painting, decorating or other DIY skills to offer is asked to contact them by email at blandfordscoutgroup@gmail.com.
September 2017
FLOWERS and plants anonymously placed on the Mortain (blue) bridge, the new exercise equipment on Stour Meadows and at various points around town raised smiles from passers-by. They were accompanied by invitations to people, under the banner of 'Guerilla Gardening. Spread Love, Build Community', to take a plant and share it or make someone smile. It made a change from the decorated badgers on the Tesco roundabout, whose equally anonymous decorators excelled themselves earlier in the summer with their strawberry coats for Wimbledon.
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Residents enlightened after lamp muddle RESIDENTS in the Nursery Road cul-de-sac off Damory Street were horrified when Scottish & Southern Electric arrived one morning and started replacing their street lights with the much taller modern lights now used in most of Blandford's streets. Annika Nichols contacted them to ask why the original street lights were being replaced with municipal lighting twice the size and expressing concern about light pollution. She also asked why other streets in Blandford had managed to protect and conserve their original specialised lights. "I was told that SSE couldn't keep the original lighting as they had to be replaced with energy-efficient lights, which had to be very tall, or twice as many street lights would have to be put into the street for the lighting to be effective," she said. "A week later I was told they had discovered Nursery Road is in a Conservation Area and the lights were to be replaced with lights of the same design as those in Blandford Market Place. I was told the street lights would be the same height as the originals and the same number of street lights." The new lights were installed, as promised, at the beginning of August.
New heritage street lights in Nursery Road, Blandford.
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September 2017
Key proposals rejected in development plan THE inspector appointed to review the Neighbourhood Plan for Blandford, Bryanston and Blandford St Mary, has rejected two of the key proposals in the plan, which went out to public consultation last year, drawn up by the Blandford + steering group. Town Council representatives on the group reported that Blandford+ had taken issue with a number of the statements made in her interim report, but that their comments had been ignored in the final conclusions which were later copied to everyone who had commented. The inspector Deborah McCann's key conclusions were to accept most of the policies put forward by the group, but to reject Policy 1, the development north of the bypass, and Policy 10:4, the designation of the Crown Meadows and Bryanston Deer Park as designated green space. The development north of Blandford, beyond the bypass and between the Sunrise Business Park and Salisbury Road, also identified a site for a new primary school.
The designation of the Crown Meadows and Bryanston Deer Park would have offered further protection against potential development on the land, which more than 6,000 people opposed by signing a petition when it was suggested some years ago. The plan, which covers the parishes of Blandford, Blandford St Mary and Bryanston, once formally submitted, must be the subject of a local referendum in which all electors are invited to agree or otherwise its acceptance. Town councillor Roger Carter, a member of the Blandford+ team, said: "We all feel very frustrated that our two principal policies have been turned down, but we have to decide whether we want to proceed to a referendum." Fellow town councillor Haydn White proposed that the plan should not be submitted to North Dorset District Council. "We are
possibly going to get houses on the Crown Meadows, and north of the town isn't going to be developed before the other things happen. All the development will be outside the town, so we won't be affected by the reduction in community infrastructure levy." Councillor Carter responded: "We
have to decide a way forward at a meeting of all parties, which must then be agreed by each council." A meeting of the steering group was due to take place in midAugust, following discussions with Dorset County Council on the implications for the provision of a new school site.
Homes strategy hit by building delays NORTH Dorset District Council announced in July that, due to circumstances beyond their control, caused largely by the delay in developers bringing forward already approved sites, the local authority no longer has a five-year housing supply sufficient to meet demand. The result is a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development', allowing more to take place, for all planning applications with immediate effect. Cllr David Walsh, portfolio holder for planning, said: "This is very frustrating for the council. Ten years of hard work has gone into putting a local plan together which sets out how local residents want the area to be developed. It has been examined and approved by the Secretary of State's inspector. "Through this local plan we have allocated land for development and have given planning permissions to developers, but the market is neglecting to bring forward housing. "This could mean we may be required to allow development in locations not identified in our current plan, which are neither desirable nor appropriate. "The current system is penalising local planning authorities for the lack of development in their areas, even though they are not actually able to influence the delivery of such development." The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England have expressed grave concern at the lack of a five-year housing supply, and urged people to write to Government, local MP Simon Hoare and councillors. Group chairman Stephen Howard said: "This is potentially very damaging for our countryside. The Local Plan was carefully prepared following full consultation and took account of economic, social and environmental considerations in determining housing needs and supply.�
Road repair criticised REPAIRS to potholes and ruts in Elizabeth Road, Blandford, came in for some criticism after they were carried out in just one day in July, rather than the forecast five days, leaving a considerable amount of loose tarmac and failing to fully address the issues. But highway officials and local county councillor Byron Quayle explained that the process was a temporary 'velocity patching' - a cheaper alternative to full repair - which had been carried out to remove the worst of the potholing in advance of full resurfacing, which is scheduled to be carried out later in this financial year. A full repair would have meant that the road went back down to the bottom of the priority list for resurfacing, said Councillor Quayle. Warning signs that the work would be carried out over five days had been a 'worst case scenario' in case the work took longer than the one day expected. Town councillor Roger Carter suggested that it would be a good idea to produce a leaflet which could be distributed to local residents explaining the process and the reasons for the differing timescale.
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September 2017
Fresh demands for a strong marketing drive A FAILURE by local authorities to promote North Dorset - and Blandford in particular - to tourists was highlighted by recent publicity both nationally and locally which has excluded the area. A two-page spread in a national Sunday magazine on the 'Deepest Dorset' book failed to mention the Georgian town or the Blackmore Vale, and North Dorset attractions were notably absent from the Dorset Residents' Week promotion in May through the Visit Dorset website featuring over 50 participating attractions across the county. Nic Nicol, chairman of the Blandford Town Team, said: "This shouts far louder than anything supporters could say about why it's so important to promote the town and local area. "There is so much to do to put the Blandford area on the map. Hence the requirement for a marketing strategy, with the emphasis firmly on promotion. We aim to produce a draft over the coming weeks and will consult widely for input and endorsement." Councillor Sherry Jespersen, who holds the portfolio for tourism on North Dorset District Council, said they were prioritising getting North Dorset tourism businesses on to the Visit Dorset website, and resources had been allocated for the purpose. Nick Thornley, head of economy, leisure and tourism for the Dorset Councils Partnership, of which North Dorset is a member, said: "The coverage of North Dorset on Visit Dorset isn't great as there has been no buy-in and no resource from the council for a number of years. The other rural
Dorset councils all pay in to a joint pot to fund Visit Dorset and associated press, PR and marketing activity. "We have now started to address that and are planning to improve the coverage of North Dorset over coming weeks and months." Hugh de Iongh, district council representative to the Blandford Town Team, reported to the Town Team at its last meeting that work was being done to develop an identity and brand for the Blackmore Vale area which would give more reason for local business and events to use the Visit Dorset website. Initial work had started by drawing up a list of the main tourist events in the area. Mr Nicol said: "Most might assume North Dorset's under-representation on the Visit Dorset website was down to the noisy neighbours in the south, but it has more to do with NDDC not contributing towards website content costs. "Let's hope Blandford's district councillors do their bit to support Sherry Jespersen, who is doing her best to correct this." Blandford town councillors have agreed to support a town wi-fi project providing information on tourist trends which they felt was something that should be done by the district council as a community rather than commercial organisation. They have also agreed that a tourist signage scheme on the bypass, costing around ÂŁ15,000, and promotional video for the town at a cost of ÂŁ12,350 should be supported as bids for the Lidl S106 town enhancement money.
Get your apple cake bake on DO your friends and family tell you that your Dorset Apple Cake is the best they have ever eaten? Do you have a family recipe handed on through the generations? Do you just like baking cakes and want a new challenge? As autumn approaches - and it looks like a great apple harvest Screen Bites Food Film Festival is inviting local cooks, WI members and anybody who fancies themselves as the next Paul Hollywood or Mary Berry, to enter the Screen Bites Apple Cake competition. The cakes will be judged at Screen Bites' event at Durweston village hall on Saturday October 21. Bring your cake and your recipe along on the night, from 6.30pm - or contact Caroline Tory on 01258 452452 to arrange to drop your cake with her earlier in the day. There will be a delicious prize for the winner! See screenbites.co.uk.
Shillingstone show stoppers
David Crompton, winner of the prestigious Banksian Medal at Shillingstone show, pictured with his cup and certificate.
SHILLINGSTONE Gardening Club's biannual show was held in the Portman Hall. Despite battling against extremes of rain, sunshine and temperatures, the gardeners produced an excellent display of vegetables, produce, craft and flowers for the judges' scrutiny. The tables of roses, annual flowers, sweet peas and floristry were particularly colourful, and their fragrance filled the hall. Vegetable sculptures caused some amusement. The Gardening Club is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society, who provide the judge for the plant entries. This year for the first time, the RHS provided a Banksian medal which was awarded to the entrant with the most points overall, David Crompton. Shillingstone Gardening Club welcomes all lovers of gardening and gardens, and organises a lively programme of talks, socials and visits (the latest was to Kew gardens). Further details from Pat Marshall, show secretary (01258 861991).
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September 2017
Entrants in the best rescue class are judged by Kirsty Thorner, pictured right with Lion Veronica Jenkins.
Dog day for the Lions THE Crown Meadows were awash with four-legged friends when the Blandford Lions hosted their fun dog show, with classes including a 'have-a-go' Agility Ring run by Waggstastic. There were classes for the best rescue dog and best condition animal, both of which attracted a large number of entries. There followed the prettiest bitch, most handsome dog, best veteran, cutest puppy, best trick, best child and dog, best greyhound/lurcher, the pair of dogs most unalike, the pair of dogs alike, and best in show, together with a consolation class for those not winning a first prize earlier in the day. The unenviable task of awarding the rosettes fell to veterinary nurse Kirsty Thorner, a friend of Lion Veronica Jenkins, who acted as announcer for the day. In ring two was the doggy dash, and in ring three the agility, in which the best time recorded won a prize. Overall takings topped ÂŁ270, with donations from some of the exhibitors and traders, who included a number of local dog walkers, groomers and rescue organisations. Proceeds will contribute to the Lions' distribution to good causes across the area.
Steam fair honour as Ypres church bells go on display THE Great Dorset Steam Fair was again expected to bring thousands of visitors to the Tarrant Hinton showground from August 24-28 to experience the country's agricultural and steam heritage. The beneficiary of this year's steam-powered trailer rides around the heavy haulage area was announced as Julia's House children's hospice. Steam fair managing director Martin Oliver said he and his team were incredibly proud to support it in view of its inspiring work for families. Highlights again included the replica Western Front trench system commemorating the First World War, and this year the display of a new peal of eight bells cast in Loughborough by the world-famous John Taylor and Co Bell Foundry to mark the centenary of the end of the war in November 2018. The bells are due to be installed in St George's Memorial Church in Ypres, built to commemorate the lives of the 500,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen killed in the three battles for the Ypres Salient. They were brought to Dorset on two vintage lorries, which saw service during the Great War, to go on display before proceeding to Belgium and Ypres for the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate in August next year. That will be followed by a service of dedication before they ring out for the first time at a special service to mark the completion of the project on Sunday, October 22, 2018. Funds were insufficient when the church was built for the installa-
One of the bells cast for St George's Memorial Church in Ypres which went on display at the Steam Fair. tion of bells in the tower, and the project to commission bells inscribed as memorial to those who fell was conceived by Alan Regin, Steward of the Rolls of Honour of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. Mr Oliver said: "On behalf of everyone at the GDSF, we are truly honoured that the trustees of the new bells have kindly agreed to allow them to attend this year's show, and proud to announce that we are sponsoring the road transport costs from Loughborough to Tarrant Hinton and then onto Ypres. "To have the new bells attend as the 100th anniversary commemorations of the battle continue in Belgium will be very humbling and poignant. My sincere thanks go to Alan Regin and the fellow trustees of the Bells 4 St George Ypres for making this all possible."
Story deadline stretched IT may not be too late to enter the Rotary Club of Blandford's 2017 short story competition. The deadline is August 31, but entries received a few days after that date will not be rejected. The annual competition, now in its third year and sponsored by Beatons Blandford and Blandford Town Council, invites entries for a maximum 2000-word short story or 250 words of 'flash fiction', with a special section for under-18s for a 1000-word short story. For further details see blandfordrotary.org.uk or email laurie@benn.me.uk.
September 2017
Ex-mayor’s tumble on slippery paving PUBLIC concern about the state of the slippery pavements in the town centre was highlighted when former Blandford Mayor, Jackie Stayt, took a headlong tumble in Salisbury Street on the morning of Thursday August 3. The light drizzle had left the surface slippery, and as a result Mrs Stayt, who served as Mayor until May this year, slipped, suffering severe bruising to her face and a nose-bleed. Fortunately no bones were broken, but a week later she said: "My face is still black and blue. It does show the need for something to be done about the pavements. I won't be making any claim for compensation since I
know the county council has very little money, and would rather what they have was spent on fixing the problems." She said was grateful to the driver who had seen her in distress and stopped to help, giving her a lift back to her home in Damory Street, and asked her to contact the Town Council office so that she could be thanked. Blandford Town Council has responded to the concern about the pavements by agreeing to try a concrete blasting treatment to make them less slippery. County councillor Byron Quayle told town councillors that a number of options were being considered and costed by the county council (see page 8).
Alison’s special day DEACON Alison McMillan, from Blandford Methodist Church, who gave her testimony at a service in Wimborne Methodist Church, was received into Full Connexion of the Methodist Church at Birmingham. On the same day she was ordained in Darlington St Methodist Church, Wolverhampton, to rapturous applause, along with four other Deacons. She was presented with a Diaconal Cross (pictured). Because she is the Methodist Deacon at both Wimborne and
Blandford, a coach took people from both churches to the service.
All sorts of drama AN All Sorts evening with Forum Drama is an occasion when members of the group can share shorter performance pieces things they haven't performed
Making a phone call in Joyce Carter's 'Making History', directed by Deborah Sealey for Forum Drama.
before, or trying out a short form of what may develop into a fulllength show. The All Sorts at the United Reformed Church Hall in Blandford featured a collection of items, including two one-act plays and some entertaining musical items, performed by some talented young and older local actors, with new writing, a director new to the community theatre company, and a comedy about a royal visit, 'Making History', by chairman Joyce Carter. 'Lost and Found' was performed entirely by the Forum Drama juniors (aged between 6 and 13) who have previously been seen acting alongside the adults, but who haven't previously carried a whole story on their own.
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Alan’s welcome return VOLUNTEERS with the Disability Action Group in Nightingale Court, Blandford, were delighted to welcome back Alan Dunn, a former chairman who some years ago was appointed life president but had moved to Ringwood and lost touch with the group. Mr Dunn and his wife Anne were officers of the group, which provides low mobility scooter and powerchair hire to the disabled, back at the turn of the century when they campaigned unsuccessfully for the reinstatement of real pedestrian crossings in the town centre. He remained chairman for a number of years. They brought with them the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service presented to the charity some years ago and archive material in their possession. They are pictured with (from left): volunteers Avis Pearson, Brian Rawlings, secretary Carolyn Carter, and treasurer Nicci Brown.
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September 2017
Spotlight on town’s rich heritage A PROGRAMME of free entry activities under the banner of the Blandford Heritage Festival has again been planned in association with Dorset Architectural Heritage Week from September 7 to 14 to highlight some of the town's most interesting buildings. It has been drawn up this year by the Blandford & District Civic Society, who will be joining the Town Council and other groups in the Corn Exchange on Sunday September 10 and Monday September 11 to exhibit work on the Corn Exchange itself and the conservation area in general. The exhibition will also feature artefacts from artist and sculptor Alfred Stevens, whose 200th anniversary is celebrated this year and is the subject of a major exhibition in the Blandford Museum,
open 10am to 4pm daily, excluding Sunday. The Civic Society this year joined forces with the Museum to commission, from local artist Flick Baker, an interpretation board explaining the history of Blandford's only surviving medieval building, St Leonard's Chapel, now home to the Dorset Countryside Rangers, which is highlighted in the Festival programme. The Society is also offering two guided heritage walks, one at 1pm on Saturday September 9, and the other at 11am on Sunday September 10, and there will be a Stones Walk examining the geoloThe new interpretation board at St Leonard's Chapel, with (from left): Town gy of the town's buildings on Museum director Sylvia Hixson Andrews, Museum Curator and Civic Society Tuesday September 13 at 6pm. member Michael Le Bas, Civic Society chairman Terence Dear, Dorset Blandford Parish Church, open Countryside Ranger Graham Stanley and Civic Society secretary Nicci Brown. daily, is hosting church tower tours from September 7 to 10, and the cemetery chapel in Salisbury Road will be Bournemouth Road, Blandford St Mary. open to the public on September 8 and 11. Programmes are being distributed to all The United Reformed Church in Salisbury the venues, including the Blandford Street will be celebrating its 150th anniverFashion Museum and a property in sary with open days. Other properties will Parklands featuring a WWII pillbox, which also be open to the public on certain days, are offering free visits by pre-booking only including Outhays House in The Plocks, as part of Heritage Week. To encourage home of the Mayor of Blandford Peter Clark those visiting other attractions in the town, and his wife Linda, and houses in East they will also be available at the Street, Orchard Street, Kings Road and Information Centre in West Street.
Zoë’s fringe benefits A FORMER pupil of The Blandford School, who performed in many of their school productions and went on to be accepted onto an acting course at Italia Conti in London, was in August appearing with fellow students at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a production of Bertolt Brecht's 'The Good Person of Szechwan'. Zoë Hickson (right) showed an interest in the performing arts from the age of six when she joined a local Saturday class and then went on to join a stage school. Her last appearance with The Blandford School was as Fantine in Les Misérables, the first time TBS Productions performed at the Tivoli over several nights to rave reviews, and she also sang with the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals in their farewell concert for Blandford. Zoë enters her last year at Italia Conti in September when she will
perform in three plays during the year and hopes to be signed by an agent.
DELEGATES from all over the county attended a War Memorials workshop hosted by Civic Voice in the Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion, Blandford, to learn about the national organisation's campaign, in association with the Imperial War Museum, to research the condition of memorials during the centenary years of World War I. The workshop, organised with the help of Blandford & District Civic Society, was led by Sandra Taylor from Worcester. In addition to outlining the campaign, she accompanied the group on a practical session studying the war memorial in Blandford Parish Church, which was considered to be in relatively good condition but at risk of deterioration from damp. For information on helping with the campaign, call 01258 459346.
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September 2017
Weather proves an arch enemy THE Met office promised real-life thunderbolts during an outdoor performance of the classic Ealing comedy 'The Titfield Thunderbolt' on the Langton Meadows in Blandford. In the event there were none, but the changeable weather conditions undoubtedly impacted on attendance, resulting in the first show becoming a final dress rehearsal. The second, on the Sunday, attracted a few brave souls who disregarded the forecast when they saw the dark clouds disappearing and the sun coming out over the meadows. PHD Productions staged the show over two successive weekends in support of the Blandford Railway Arches Trust, whose volunteers were the only audience on Saturday, and had to call off the show completely due to heavy rain the following Saturday. The forecast was better for Sunday but there was again only a small audience, which was
A scene from The Titfield Thunderbolt, with Summer Stringfellow as Joan, Charlie Jones as her uncle the vicar, Kerensa McCondach as Lady Edna Chesterford, Beth Hayes as omnibus operator Vernon Crump and Will Dowland as the police sergeant. unfortunate, since the venue, in front of the disused arches which once carried the Somerset & Dorset railway across the river Stour, and at a time when local bus services are under threat, gave the subject contemporary relevance. The play by Philip Goulding, based on the original film screenplay by T E B Clarke, was expertly performed by a cast of six in a total of 14 roles, directed by John Cody of Durweston, who also made a cameo appearance.
The story revolves around the rivalry between the local omnibus company and a team of villagers determined to see their railway line preserved when the powers-that-be announce its closure. On Friday September 1, the Blandford Railway Arches Trust will be hosting 'Jazz at the Stour' with the Dan Baker Trio under the arches, with cover provided. For more information and tickets, call 01258 458911 or 01258 459346.
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Readers’ letters
Wine bar is welcome I WOULD like to wish the new wine bar that has just opened in the town all the best. It is good to see new and different types of businesses opening in the town. I have felt for some time that Blandford Forum is dying, just like Wimborne was a few years ago. With the introduction of different types of business opening up without the stranglehold that Blandford seems to have suffered from, Wimborne has turned into the place to go. Every week people get in their cars or pay to be taken to Wimborne, Salisbury and Poole in a taxi, spending their money elsewhere. I am sure that if the right inducement was offered to the right businesses, Blandford could compete. I have heard that the Town Council will have more control over local decisions in the future. In my opinion this will be a good thing; it will mean local people on
September 2017 Please write to Forum Focus if there is something you'd like to comment on or share with other readers. Email your letter, which should be as brief as possible, to: editor@forumfocus.co.uk. Alternatively, you can call 01258 459346 or deliver your letter to: Forum Focus, c/o Colin's
the Town Council will have more influence instead of North Dorset and the county councillors that overrule the local town councils in the areas they don't reside in. Colin Young Colin's Community Club
Community Club, 49 Damory Street, Blandford DT11 7HD. Please mark your letter 'for publication' and remember to include your address, which will not be used in full. Forum Focus reserves the right to shorten or edit letters in the interests of clarity, brevity and style.
commercial premises available become reasons why visitors come to Blandford Forum. They will not come for another take away. Name & address supplied
Not another The future in fashion takeaway! DOES Blandford Forum really need or want any more takeaway or fast food outlets, least of all in East Street, Market Place or West Street? If there are to be more eateries why not an independent cafe or restaurant, not one of a national or international franchise? Why do we need in our Georgian town more gaudy signs promoting these establishments serving their product in packaging that is often found thrown on the pavements or into gardens? Please, somebody who has responsibility for this madness, start thinking of how to get visitors to the town and see that the
BACK in September 2016 Blandford Fashion Museum fell victim to the theft of lead from the roof of the museum's home at Lime Tree House in The Plocks. As part of one of Blandford's foremost Georgian buildings, built after the Great Fire of 1731, the new roof required a sensitive and appropriate replacement material. Working closely with English Heritage and the local council conservation department, a non-lead material, Sarnafil, was identified and the new roof has now been completed. While repairs were ongoing, the museum's displays were slightly curtailed. However, now with the newly decorated ballroom, the costume displays are back in their original place and available to be seen by visitors once again. Blandford Fashion Museum is an interesting place for our visitors, where our volunteers are an integral part of ensuring that the museum remains welcoming and enjoyable. The museum needs new volunteers. If you would like to contribute towards an established Blandford-based museum and can spare three-and-a-half hours per week or fortnight, and have the opportunity to keep your valuable skills alive, then the museum would welcome you.
No knowledge of historical costumes or textiles is required as the volunteer roles are more about greeting our visitors either at front of house, or in our tea room - although, if you have any other skills and abilities to offer, we would love to hear from you too. We welcome either ladies or gentlemen, and in particular are seeking an assistant treasurer to support our current treasurer. If you are interested in finding out more, pop into the museum or contact us on 01258 453006. Elaine Williamson, Publicity and Marketing Officer, Blandford Fashion Museum
Stalwarts celebrated FOLLOWING the interest in the local history book, Tarrant Hinton, Profile of a North Dorset village, published last year, a short service is being held on Sunday, September 17, at 10.30am to mark/celebrate the Sunday school at Tarrant Hinton. We would like as many former residents of Tarrant Hinton as possible to know about this service, which will be part of the regular Hinton Half Hour held once a month, when tea and coffee are usually served beforehand and there is a chance to chat. Two stalwarts of Tarrant Hinton Church, Beryl Lawes and Joan Fry, have died in the past year. This could be an informal way to mark their contribution to our community - the Spinny/Fry families gave over 120 years to the church as churchwardens, organist, secretary, etc. Richard Foley Tarrant Hinton
Cross-country for charity ENTRIES are invited for The Heroes Challenge, a full and half crosscountry marathon run or walk in aid of several small local charities, including Stella Hayward Riding for the Disabled, the Front Skate Park and Dorset Search & Rescue. It takes place on Saturday, September 23, from West Fleet Farm in Chickerell, Weymouth, along The Fleet, following coastal national trails and bridal paths to Abbotsbury, Hardy's Monument, Upwey Wishing Well, Corton Gap and back to Chickerell. There is a time limit of ten hours for the walk and eight hours for the run. Entry is £15, plus a minimum £20 donation/sponsorship, and 90 per cent of the entry fee and all sponsorship goes direct to charity. Details hangersheroes.co.uk.
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September 2017
Morrisons money makes a difference for support charity A DONATION of £3,600 from the Morrisons Foundation will help Home-Start North Dorset introduce their new early support scheme, offering immediate short-term support for up to six weeks with one of their experienced home visitors. The family support charity uses trained home-visiting volunteers to help struggling young families, with referrals including mental health issues, domestic abuse, disabilities, other health conditions and difficulties arising through low income. In response to the number of referrals received, the scheme is offering to help families facing a short-term crisis or unexpected event, such as moving to the area, relationship breakdown, death or sudden illness, accident or short notice of appointments that a family may have difficulty in accessing. Volunteers visit up to twice a week, providing practical help and emotional support to help a family cope. Blandford Morrisons store manager Alex Turton, who joined Morrisons community champion Lindsay Acott in presenting the cheque to Home-Start scheme
Services to be held at Abbey A NEW series of Friday evening services has been planned at Milton Abbey, where the exhibition on Capability Brown has been attracting wide interest. It closed at the end of August, and the Friday services, starting September 1, will be approximately fortnightly until next Easter. The Laudemus! Choir presented Choral Evensong as part of their 2017 tour. Laudemus! has been singing cathedral-style evensong in Dorset annually since 1991. A retiring collection was shared between the choir's own scholarship fund and the Wimbornebased Michael James Music Trust. On November 19 The Big Sing, from 10am to 3.30pm with performance at 4pm, will be a day of choral participation and celebration with Noel Tredennick of All Souls London.
administrator Ruth Berry, said: "The Morrisons Foundation was set up to make a positive difference to people. We provide match funding for Morrisons colleagues and offer grants to charities undertaking projects that improve people's lives." Home-Start, which in June received a donation of £150 from an NFU Farm Walk hosted by the charity's supporters Mr and Mrs Pitt-Rivers, were also the beneficiaries of a varied programme of music and words at the Tithe Barn, Hinton St Mary. The weather was not quite the 'summer evening' hoped for but the music, songs and poetry lifted the audience's spirits. It was organised by trustee Jenny Morisetti, who welcomed performers and guests, thanking them for their support which enables the work of the charity to continue and flourish. Annemarie Lees opened the concert with three traditional west country songs and Jan Wyld continued the link, including poems by Hardy, in her readings; Linda Readman, accompanied by Wendy Partridge, included songs by Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and, appropriately, Gershwin's Summertime. Sian Williams on flute, accompanied by Wendy Partridge, played works by Granados and Debussy. The evening ended with a set of short poems by Wendy Cope set to music by Wendy and sung by Annemarie Lees. The evening raised over £900.
The performers at the Tithe Barn concert (from left): Annemarie Lees, Sian Williams, Wendy Partridge, Jan Wyld and Linda Readman.
Morrisons Blandford store manager Alex Turton and community champion Lindsay Acott present a cheque for £3,600 to scheme administrator Ruth Berry of Home-Start North Dorset.
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Pictured at the launch of Bus2Go Dorset, the charity of the year of M&S Food, Blandford, are the Bus2Go team led by Margot Kirk, centre right, with deputy store manager Tamsin Hollis, community champion Claire Oakley (front left) and Rowena Bumby.
M&S support for bus charity LOCAL community transport charity Bus2Go has been announced as the charity of the year for 2017/2018 by M&S Food, Blandford, who officially launched the scheme with a raffle for a summer picnic hamper. Collection boxes for the charity are now available on all the till points in the store. Bus2Go runs regular door-to-door trips and outings to shopping centres, visitor attractions and favourite lunch and coffee stops, picking up passengers from Blandford, Milborne St Andrew, Dorchester and surrounding villages. M&S staff were also celebrating the 25th birthday of Percy Pig, the store's confectionery brand.
September 2017
Friends deliver a £128k injection for health sevices THE presentation to the Friends of Blandford Hospital of an award for 'Innovations and Best Practice in Community Hospitals' is evidenced in their annual report and summer update. It shows that, during their last financial year, they benefited the hospital and wider health community to the tune of nearly £128,000 worth of charitable activity. "The award by the Community Hospitals Association recognised not only the project and service we offer, but also what a fantastic, dedicated and committed bunch of volunteers we are lucky enough to have recruited," said chairman Steve Cole. Fundraising during the year was more than £10,000 up on 2016, and investment income up by £5,000. Items purchased include a microscope for theatre and audiometer for outpatients, and entertainment, music and drum therapy has also been provided for inpatients. The Friends provide services such as newspapers, staff training and a gardener to look after the Millennium Garden and Portman Unit courtyard, as well as supporting groups such as Life Education Wessex, the Blandford Youth Trust and Positive Approach. Volunteers manage regular weekly shopping trips in the Friends' two minibuses, as well as social outings for people who have no other way of getting out and about and socialising, and transport for the local Blind and Stroke clubs. The voluntary transport scheme
for those needing to get to medical appointments provides over 1,600 journeys a year, and volunteers have helped staff and organise the two hospital charity shops and autumn fair, all with record takings, and a successful golf day. Mr Cole reported at the AGM, where guest speakers were chairman Colin Stevens and leader Sharon Kevern from the Blandford Opportunity Group, that the vision document drawn up three years ago had been reviewed in partnership with local GPS and the Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, and the development of a family room for the relatives of patients on Tarrant Ward was underway. Upgrading of the hydrotherapy pool and day theatre remain plans for the future. For further information, see friendsblandford.org, and to become a volunteer with the Friends and help with any of their activities, call Lisa for hospital and community volunteering on 01258 450095 or Emma for shops and fundraising volunteering on 01258 451456, or email dhc.friends.blandford@nhs.net. A 25 per cent turnout on July 27 in the by-election for the Blandford Central ward seat on North Dorset District Council saw the closest of results, with only three votes separating the winner, Conservative Nocturin Lacey-Clarke, and runner-up, Labour's Haydn White. The Lib Dems' Hugo Mieville was fewer than 80 votes behind in third place.
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September 2017
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Tea, scones and harmony
Kate Adie (far left) with the Milton Abbas children.
Kate’s front line duty ON a wet Saturday, some 3,000 souls braved the elements to attend the Milton Abbas street fair. They were treated to a wide array of stalls selling everything from food and drink to (somewhat fortuitously) umbrellas. There was also plenty of entertainment on offer including Morris Dancers, organ music and a number of groups including the village's own Milton Thatchers. A street fair is never complete without demonstrations of rural crafts, including hurdle making and a blacksmith forging metal, and this year was no exception. Participants and visitors also witnessed former BBC front line war reporter Kate Adie displaying the power of the media when the rain stopped just as she started to speak to officially open the fair. Although visitor numbers were half that normally anticipated, the fair still managed to make a profit and will be distributing in excess of £10,000 to charities and good causes in the village.
Patients’ healthy verdict on surgeries AN annual patient survey has scored all local surgeries above the national average, with Milton Abbas top of the patient satisfaction ratings in the DT11 area, 99 per cent saying it was good or better. Eagle House in Blandford, which scored highly for the helpfulness of their receptionists, was close behind with 98 per cent, and Whitecliff in Blandford 89 per cent. The average for the whole of Dorset was 90 per cent, five per cent above the national average. The annual GP patient survey asks residents about their opinion of practices, measuring their experiences on topics including the ease of making appointments, waiting times, the quality of care given, practice opening times and out-of-hours services.
A total of 11,152 Dorset residents took part. Rob Payne, head of primary care, NHS Dorset CCG, said: "General practice is facing unprecedented demand. Everyone is working long hours. You very rarely meet a GP who works less than a 12-hour day. "In Dorset we have taken bold and ambitious steps to support the long-term sustainability of our practices with recruitment, development and retention of staff a focus of our work. "We are providing workforce planning support, working closely with practices to define their current and future workforce model, looking at the known challenges in workforce supply and the opportunities to change and support the way GPs work."
Good friends make life better, sharing fun times, smiles and laughs. And in those tougher times, having someone to turn to over a cuppa helps us cope. Friendship makes the good times better, the hard times easier and give us memories to cherish for a lifetime. As one of the UK's largest and oldest friendly societies, we want to remind the nation of just how important friendship is, and show how proud we are to be sharing friendship to create a vibrant community bonded by companionship and care. Please help your local branch to celebrate Friendship Month at the Blandford Corn Exchange on 17th September at 2.30pm for an afternoon of uplifting choir music and a cream tea. Please see our advert for details. Your nearest branch meets in Stalbridge on alternate months. For more details please contact Judy on 01963 363119 or judy.penfold@oddfellows.co.uk.
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September 2017
Village men among the September dead LOCAL casualties in September 1917 were thankfully few, and included none named on the Blandford War Memorial and only one on the Charlton Marshall Roll of Honour and one in Stourpaine. But news would have been unlikely to have been received of the deaths on August 31 of two young men, one from Okeford Fitzpaine and the other from Milborne St Andrew. Charles James Ridout was a 20year-old gunner with the Royal Field Artillery A Bty 86th Bde when he was killed in action in Belgium. He was the eldest of six children of police constable James Rose and Florence Ridout, of Okeford Fitzpaine, born in the year of their marriage. He is buried in The Hut cemetery. Edwin Everett died in Mesopotamia while serving with the Dorsetshire Regiment 2nd Battalion, and at 21 was the youngest son of farm labourer George Thomas and Mary Ann Everett, of Milborne St Andrew, whose third son Henry George was also killed in action.
Pte William James Kerley, 34, died while serving with the 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regt on September 8, and is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France. He was the eldest son of cowman William James and Bessie Kerley, and the second of their sons to be killed, Harry Kerley having been killed in action in May 1915, aged 25. Pte William James Kerley is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. His youngest brother Albert, who served as a rifleman with the 66th RY Rifles, had been wounded and discharged in the same year. William James was married with two daughters, born in 1913 and 1916, and his widow Amelia remarried in 1928. Ernest Victor Upward was the 28year-old son of Lucy Upward, of Free Down Farm, and later Ivy Cottage, Stourpaine, whose birth was registered as 'father unknown'. He was serving with the Dorsetshire Regiment 1st/4th Bn when he was killed in action in Mesopotamia on September 28. He is buried in the Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery.
Charlton Marshall shell factory
Spent shell cases went for recycling. IN the smithy behind Charlton Manor, Samuel Walker, the son of the vicar, decided his war effort would be the reconditioning of spent shell cases from the front line using the lathe in the forge there. This was a precision task. Dorset To increase production in Munitionettes. response to a national appeal for more shell cases to be recycled for the armaments depots, he obtained three further lathes and brought in friends, both men and women, to help. The photos tell the story from spent shells to the service of reconditioned Horses carry the refilled Arming shellcases. shells back on the front. shell cases to the front line.
Conflict also took a heavy toll on women NONE of those named on the Blandford War Memorial are women, but there is no doubt the conflict took its toll on mothers and wives left behind who lost one or more of their children, and were frequently left widowed with many mouths to feed. In the villages, names do appear of daughters and wives, including Mildred Constance Davis, the daughter of the Rev Edward Smith, of Hazelbury Bryan. She was born in 1893 in Whitley Bay, Northumberland, where her mother and Londonborn father were living from 1890 until at least 1911, and where her two sisters and brother were also born. She was married in 1916 at Hazelbury Bryan to a shipbuilder's son, Reginald Noel Davis, who came originally from Newcastle-uponTyne. She served as a driver with the French Red Cross, and died of pneumonia, aged 25, in October 1918 in France, and is buried in Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Her husband had been killed in action, also in France, in October 1916, serving as Captain with the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 3rd Battalion. Both are named on the Hazelbury Bryan war memorial. Annie Neish was the daughter of Jane and William Neish, who had worked at Caldy Manor in Cheshire and became head gardener to James Ismay, of Iwerne Minster House. She had already been working as a nurse when she joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment in January 1916,
four months after her brother, Alfred William, had been killed in action in Gallipoli serving with the 5th Wiltshires, possibly during a Turkish counter attack on Chunuk Bair. She died, aged 32, at No 1 War Hospital in Reading in October 1918 at a time when there was a serious flu epidemic, during which VAD nurses worked very hard and for long hours in a compromised state of health, which meant they frequently succumbed to illness. Annie is buried in Reading Cemetery in a registered war grave with a private memorial. She is buried with her mother, who died in 1932, and a headstone bearing a commemoration to her brother and father, who died in 1931. Annie had a younger sister, Minnie, who survived the war and was the sole beneficiary when her mother died, and lived to be 75. But another Minnie - Minnie Monro - is named on the village war memorial, and efforts to trace her relationship to the village have so far proved unsuccessful by our researcher, who wonders whether, as a nurse, she was also connected to the Ismay family. Minnie Monro is recorded as having commenced duties at the Military Hospital in Birmingham in September 1915, and having died from septic poisoning on July 30, 1917, aged 32. The only possible Monro found born in Dorset in 1885 was the daughter of Hector Monro, of Edmondsham House, who married into the Medlycott family before the war.
Anyone who would like to share with our readers pictures and details of events relating to relatives who played a part in World War One is invited to contact Forum Focus by calling 01258 459346, emailing editor@forumfocus.co.uk or writing to 18 Tudor Gardens, Blandford DT11 7PL.
Forum Focus would like to thank the Blandford 14-18 Group for their help in researching this material.
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September 2017
Ideas invited for the best use of town enhancement cash NORTH Dorset District Council is giving local businesses and organisations an opportunity to express interest in receiving a share of the funding allocated for town centre improvements through developer contributions from the Lidl supermarket and other developments. The council, which manages the funding, wants to take an overview of all the potential projects which could improve the town centre to make the best use of the funding available. It is therefore setting up a simple process, involving Blandford Town Council, business representation and the Blandford Town Team, so projects can be considered. The town council has already considered some projects through a working group looking at the use of these funds. The final decision on funding projects remains with the district council. The funding available through Lidl to mitigate the supermarket's impact on the town centre is ÂŁ77,000, specifically towards town centre enhancements, a community resource centre, Market Place improvements, shopfront improvements, retail opportunities and town centre promotion projects. There is also ÂŁ49,000 from previous developer contribution funding available for pedestrian and environmental enhancement measures in the town centre.
Changes at Child Okeford DEVELOPMENT at Little Hanford in Child Okeford is the subject of two separate applications submitted to North Dorset District Council. Mr and Mrs J Sunnucks have applied to convert a barn at Chisel Farm House into two dwellings and build two detached car ports, together with creation of six parking spaces, and replace a smaller agricultural storage building. An application submitted on the same day by Mr and Mrs I Spencer is for a single-storey extension to a stable block at Chisel Dairy and alterations to convert it into a dwelling, with a summerhouse in a converted store and extension to a shed to form a double garage.
If your organisation or business is interested in applying, the first stage will be a simple expression of interest, to be submitted by midday on Monday September 25. More information on the funding and the expression of interest form is available at dorsetforyou. gov.uk/north-dorset-economicgrowth-fund or from Hugh de Iongh, Community Development Officer, North Dorset District Council, Nordon, Salisbury Road, Blandford DT11 7LL (email HdeIongh@dorset.gov.uk).
THE family of Nan Dennett, of Chettell Way, Blandford St Mary, staged an afternoon tea party with a thoroughly 'royal' theme for her 104th birthday, which she celebrated on July 27. Durweston village hall was decked in Union Jacks and decorated in red, white and blue, and there was entertainment, including a singalong and a special dance from the Lion King from her four grandchildren.
Concerns over bridge closure FOLLOWING on the resurfacing of the road from West Street to Milldown Road which is due to take place this autumn, the Blandford roadbridge over the Stour in West Street will be closed for most of November for repairs, including strengthening and maintenance work for which planning permission was granted earlier this year. There will also be single-file traffic from October 30 to January 6 for work on the West Street culverted watercourse opposite the entrance to River Mews. Both schemes, part of the county's major bridge repair programme, will precede full resurfacing of the road in 2018. Anyone with concerns about the impact of the closure has been invited to call 01305 225426 or email r.parfitt@dorsetcc.gov.uk to discuss. Yuletide Festival chairman Steve Hitchings expressed concern at a Blandford Town Council meeting that the single-file traffic on the roadbridge would affect arrangements for the Yuletide Festival, and the traffic and pedestrian closure would impact on children walking to school who would face a massive diversion. NEW art classes started on August 23 and are offered at the Blandford Day Centre in Heddington Drive to all members of the community. The frequency of what are hoped to be regular Wednesday afternoon sessions between 2pm and 4pm offered in partnership with an art teacher will be decided by the participants. For details and booking call 01258 480762.
FARMING September 2017 been right on the combine's tail in a desperate bid to get the straw wrapped up before nightfall, and likely more rain. After a great and nearly record early start to harvest on July 7, the winter barley and most of the rape went swimmingly, with The team at work on Shillingstone Hill. respectable yields. All that seems a long time ago now - we have since struggled through 78 Left: Round bales in a hectares of brackled and chalfield overlooking France lenging spring barley, usually Farm, Stourpaine, are by George Hosford destined for the brewers of used for the cattle in Belgium, Holland or France, with winter. Does anyone More from George on 50 ha remaining if it ever dries remember 2012 when viewfromthehill.org.uk up. this field was red with wild poppies from side After that there are still 180 ha of to side? I would rather wheat and 80 of poppy to gather VICTIM of the stop-start harnot - it cost us a great in. The dry and hot early sumvest in between incessant deal in failed crop! mer has led to weak straw in the rain storms, a loader tractor's barley and the crop has given up transmission died mid load, trythe fight against gravity, meaning ing to get all the bales picked up that to cut it we need crispy dry before the next downpour. by our contractor Adam One wet day the opportunity was conditions. Our contractor's team was at Coleman, who supplies straw taken to worm and vaccinate the If clammy, the straw simply work on Shillingstone Hill, with into a large dairy farm over near lambs, and treat all the sheep to hangs up on the header and majestic Hambledon Hill and an Chard; the round bales we use prevent flystrike (the treatment won't flow. Some nights we have angry sky giving an interesting for our own cattle in winter, and looks blue for a day or two). A had to pack up before 8.30, backdrop. the 150 truly vintage small run through the footbath is whereas in standing wheat one The driver noticed some bales, designed for manual always worthwhile, too, if we can often continue into the night. unhealthy noises from under his stacking over 60 years ago, we have the sheep in the yard, to Let us hope that by the time this seat and managed to unhitch the bale to use on odd occasions, ward off footrot and scald, which publication hits your doormat we such as in pheasant pens, and grab and back away before the can affect the lambs on wet will have discovered a sunnier for the skittles competition at tractor jumped out of gear and grass. corner of August in which to Durweston's village fete. started flashing several lights on • Read more online about a complete what has turned into a the dashboard. While we have been cursing the threat from TB, the fate of an very difficult harvest. weather for harvest reasons, at inquisitive Mr or Mrs No other tractors were available A wise old sage, a friend of the least the grass has caught up Tiggywinkle, and the car which so he borrowed our Claas farm for the last 50 years, takes with the demands of the aniflew into a rape field. Scorpion handler to finish the great pleasure in reminding me mals, and evening's work. On several this week that the weather will everywhere occasions the baling team have always have the last word. We looks much forget this at our greener than it peril! did in late On one of the betJune. The ter days we had calves and action of every kind lambs are on the Knoll. The growing well, combine and grain punishing their cart were busy all mothers with day, soon joined by regular three different demands for kinds of baler durmilk, and eating the day. The ing more and A trailer full of the smaller rectangular bales used for large rectangular more grass as fetes and pheasant pens in a field with Hod Hill in the ones are favoured they grow. Colourful sheep in the pen after treatment against flystrike. background.
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The View from the Hill
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September 2017
Town pays a proud tribute to one of its most famous sons A PRESTIGIOUS exhibition of the work of one of Blandford's most famous sons is bring staged at the Blandford Museum until the end of October. Alfred Stevens, born in Salisbury Street, the son of a painter who produced heraldic designs, went on to become a celebrated sculptor and portrait painter, whose work forms the basis of a collection at the Tate Gallery, along with that of Constable and Turner. Chairman of Blandford Art Society, Mike Lofthouse, said that in addition to being a fine portrait painter, usually of friends and acquaintances, and his sculptures, including the Wellington Monument in St Paul's Cathedral and Lions at the British Museum, Stevens designed and decorated fireplaces, cornices and ceilings for major houses locally, many of which have since been demolished, and worked for Minton, and cutlers in Sheffield. Mayor of Blandford, Peter Clark, said it was a great shame that many of the items on display were usually locked away in a cupboard. "It's marvellous to get them on display and enjoyed by so many people, and I have to admire the hard work that goes into producing these displays." Museum director Sylvia Hixson
Andrews paid tribute to the collaboration and partnership between the museum and Blandford Art Society which had made the exhibition possible. She said: "We could not have done this on our own, and if the Art Society had not come along and suggested it would be nice to do something in Stevens's bicentenary year, it would never have dawned on me." The Tate Gallery had said that, because of the importance of Stevens's work to their collection, they could not loan any items for the exhibition, but sent illustrations. Contact was made with Jolyon Drury, the grandson of sculptor Alfred Drury, who had acquired sketches from Stevens's studio assistant. Mr Drury, who lives in Kent, said: "If they can't go on display in the town where he was born, where can they?" and agreed to allow free loan of the sketches. Mrs Hixson Andrews and Mr Lofthouse went to look through the collection and select what has gone on display. Explanatory notes to the preliminary sketches for many of Stevens's final works were compiled by Teresa Sladen, an authority on the artist, and currently writing a book on his time in Italy. She will be giving a talk at the Corn Exchange on September 23.
News from the surgeries It's time for those flu jabs With autumn approaching, it's time to prepare for the usual bouts of colds and flu that winter always seems to bring. Both Blandford surgeries will be inviting patients for the annual flu jabs during the following Saturdays: • Eagle House Surgery: 30th September & 21st October • Whitecliff Surgery Blandford: 7th & 14th October • Whitecliff Surgery Child Okeford: 30th September Anyone over 65, patients with particular health conditions such as asthma, and carers will be invited by text, letter or prescription reminder to make an appointment for one of the special Saturday sessions above. The parents of all children born between 1.9.2013 and 31.8.2015 should also book flu nasal sprays at their surgery. School age children will have them at school. Alternatively, if you're visiting your doctor or nurse on another matter, you can always ask for your flu jab at the same time. Doctors will have supplies of the flu vaccine available in the surgery in the coming weeks. If you have been invited but don't want your flu vaccine, please inform the surgery. You will still be invited again next year. It is also a good idea to stock up now on cold relief products in readiness. If you need any help with what to buy, your local pharmacy will be able to advise.
Mayor of Blandford Peter Clark, right, and his wife Linda at the opening of the Alfred Stevens exhibition in the Blandford Town Museum, with museum director Sylvia Hixson Andrews, left, and Blandford Art Society chairman Mike Lofthouse. Centre is the bust of Alfred Stevens which is usually on display in Blandford's Town Hall. Mrs Hixson Andrews thanked Blandford Town Council for the loan of the lions, models of those at the British Museum, and the bust of Stevens which is usually displayed in the Town Hall. She also thanked museum workers
Peter Andrews, Heather Hinsley, Michael Le Bas, Elaine Lofthouse, Andrew McIver and Ron Pluck for their help in mounting the exhibition, and Rachel Baynes for her work on education projects related to the exhibition.
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Ride+Stride to help sustain churches DORSET Historic Churches Trust (DHCT) provides funds to help parishes keep their churches weatherproof, warm and available for worship and wider public use. It has helped with grants for the addition of kitchens and toilets to increase the usability of buildings traditionally used only on Sundays, and in the last two years has given grants to the value of £13,500 towards the magnificent restoration of the cupola at Blandford Forum Parish Church. Most of the Trust's income comes from the annual sponsored Ride + Stride event, which last year raised almost £81,000 in sponsorship of hundreds of participants of all ages and abilities. This year's event takes place on Saturday, September 9. Money pledged is shared between the Trust and the churches nominated by the riders and striders, and Blandford Church, which is involved every year, is hoping this year to get local Blandford schools involved. There will be a barbecue outside the church at lunchtime. Half the sponsorship sum pledged will be used by DHCT to sustain the area's wonderful
September 2017
churches and the other half will be given back to the parish or other charity they nominate. The following Saturday, September 16, Blandford Church will be hosting a concert, starting at 7.30pm, by the Serenata vocal quartet in support of DHTC. Entry is by donation and refreshments will be provided. For further details contact Anne Shire, Parish Organiser, 01258 451953.
Future secure for Artsreach THE team at Artsreach have announced that the Dorset-based touring arts charity has retained its Arts Council national portfolio funding for 2018-2022 at a level of £55,319 per year. Confirmation of this funding will ensure that the scheme is able to continue to bring professional live performances and creative arts projects to rural venues and communities right across Dorset, at affordable and accessible prices. Artsreach's former director Ian Scott was among the winners of the first-ever Rural Touring Awards.
FAMILY fun between the rain showers at the Summer Fete on the Green in Winterborne Stickland included some deliberate drenching with water-filled balloons which proved very popular. Six-year-old Zach (above) is endeavouring to give his eight-yearold brother Joe a soaking, while later the Rector, the Rev Alan Ryan, took his turn in the chair with his wife Harriet as the thrower. There were plenty of traditional stalls, games and vintage teas, including plants, cakes and produce, bowling for the pork, bric-abrac, hoopla, books, a lucky dip, tombola and coconut shy. The fete was a great success with more than £1,600 raised for St Mary's Church, Winterborne Stickland, which is celebrating a very special year. It is 800 years since the first rector was appointed the list of rectors is on the wall in the church. Although the set-up in the morning was between some very heavy downpours, the occasional showers during the fete didn't seem to deter people, who consumed more homemade cake and tea than last year.
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September 2017
Care firm hit the target with school football kit A LOCAL school has a brand new football kit thanks to a family-owned care home company. Pupils from Blandford St Mary's Primary School were presented with the kit when they visited Colten Care's Whitecliffe House. Shelley Kinnaird, the home's administrator, had asked former North Dorset district and Dorset county councillor Della Jones to suggest a kit sponsor. Shelley's son, Calvin, plays in the school football team and Della's husband, David, 87, is a resident at Whitecliffe House. "Della said why not ask Colten Care and, very generously, they
agreed. Everyone is delighted," said Shelley, who has worked at the home since 2012. Presenting the kits, Della, 85, congratulated the young players on their new kits. In response, Calvin Kinnaird, aged 10, said: "We hope to do you proud and win." The new kit includes green shirts emblazoned with the Colten Care logo, as well as shorts and socks. Headteacher Daniel LasburyCarter said: "We're very grateful to Colten Care for their generous support. The school is very keen on building close links with the community and this is a great example of that."
Ice-lollies for all in the Silver Birch class at Dunbury Academy from Local Food Links thanks to competition winner Lucas Buckingham.
Lolly treat for Lucas NINE-year-old Lucas Buckingham won a summer treat for his entire class at the Dunbury Academy primary school when he entered a Local Food Links competition, asking pupils what they liked about school dinners. The competition also involved the children finding answers to a quiz in the 10-year anniversary recipe book of the company, which supplies a large number of Dorset primary schools through its four local hubs. The book had previously been given to all the children and made available via the Local Food Links website. "The question asking what their favourite school meal was and why received some lovely answers," said chief executive Caroline Morgan. Lucas's preference for the pork and apple burger won his Silver Birch class free ice-lollies for all, courtesy of one of the Local Food Links suppliers, Hunts. A NEW display which opened at the Royal Signals Museum at Blandford Camp on August 1 illustrates the fascinating stories of Signal Officer's Lieutenant A A Milne, Royal Warwickshire Regiment author of Winnie the Pooh - and 2nd Lieutenant J R R Tolkien, 11th Lancashire Fusiliers - author of the Lord of the Rings. It tells how Winnie got his name from a bear cub brought to London Zoo by Canadian Military vet Lieut Harry Colebourne, and asks whether Tolkien's experience in the trenches evoked the dark menace of his classic trilogy.
On the ball: Della Jones (left) with Colten Care staff Shelley Kinnaird, Sandra Boulton and Tracey Wyke; Headteacher Daniel Lasbury-Carter, and pupils from Blandford St Mary's CE Primary School.
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Harrison’s recipe for success BLANDFORD St Mary Primary School was presented with a special prize and cookery equipment when one of its pupils won a competition with a difference. The Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) asked children aged 7-11 from seven Dorset schools to create a recipe at home out of typical summer food - barbecues, picnics, salads - using at least one leftover as an ingredient. It was part of the DWP's 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign, aimed at raising awareness among children, parents and carers about the environmental and financial cost of wasting food, and encouraging everyone to create inventive and delicious meals out of leftovers. Every entrant won a certificate and each school was asked to judge one winner to receive a prize. Professional photographs were taken of the winning seven recipes to be made into recipe cards and inserted into a colour-
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Harrison Strange of Blandford St Mary Primary with Sammy Strawberry and DWP joint committee member Councillor David Walsh. ful cookbook folder to hand out at school summer events. The DWP's Sammy Strawberry then chose an overall winner, Harrison Strange from Blandford St Mary Primary School, who was presented with a goody bag and £200 of cooking equipment for use at the school. Dorset County Councillor David Walsh, of the DWP's joint committee, said: "This competition has been a tremendous success and it's great to see how the school children have used their culinary creativity to come up
with some truly delicious dishes. "We all like to indulge ourselves during the summer period, but the average family could save around £700 a year simply by throwing away less food. The competition was a fun approach to showing both children and their families one of the ways this could be achieved and we hope to open it up to more Dorset schools in the future." Readers can download and print the recipe cards at the DWP's Love Food Hate Waste page on Dorset For You. BLANDFORD Georgian Fayre is in danger of not taking place next year if more people do not come forward to help. The AGM will be held on Wednesday September 13 at 7.30pm in the Royal British Legion. For details of how you can help, call chairman Colin Stevens on 01258 453955.
September 2017
Pre-school shuts after 30 years
LARKSMEAD Pre-School closed its doors on July 21 after more than 30 years' providing a preschool service. Organisers thanked everyone who supported them over the years - the families that have used the setting, companies giving raffle prizes and donating money, and everyone who joined them in their fund raising events, including North Dorset District Council, who provided them with a temporary location from 2014. Since then, the pre-school has been located within the district council site on Salisbury Road, and the council helped the preschool when it was in need of new premises and while they looked for a permanent site. Tracey Caffery, Larksmead chairperson, said: "It is with great sadness that we have decided to close. Unfortunately we have had to make this tough decision due to the high cost of the project and timings. A huge thank you to North Dorset District Council for stepping in three years ago and providing us with the use of The Lodge." Cllr Michael Roake, District Council environment portfolio holder said: "It is with tremendous sadness that the pre-school decided to close at the end of the summer term."
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Records tumble as sports day hots up THE Blandford School Sports Day was the climax of an exceptionally close house competition that for the first time had included house competitions from every subject area in the school. Going into sports day it was Montfort House, led by Miss Claxton, that were in the lead which they had held since the first month of competitions. The field events took place on day one and saw eight school records broken: by Fred Johnson - Year 7 discus; Maisy Allen Year 9 shot and discus; Issy Bye - Year 10 high jump; Lily Risborough - Year 7 triple jump; Leah Crabbe - Year 8 triple jump; Aislinn Lewis-Smith - Year 9 triple jump; and Lilijan Erim - Year 10 triple jump.
Some of the records had remained for over 10 years, highlighting the strong performances from this year's students. By the end of the day, Montfort remained in an overall lead. The track events took place the next day and all races were closely fought. A record number of 384 students and staff took part in the annual Della Jones Mile, which was started by Della herself, who founded the event 30 years ago to increase the amount of competition in school sport at that time. The overall winner was year 10 student Sam Hughes in a time of 5.25 minutes, with year 8 student Eve Masters crossing the line as the first female in a time of 6.57 minutes, cutting 25 seconds off
Left to right: Sally Wilson (TBS headteacher), Tristan, Miss Claxton and Rosie (Monfort captains) and Mr Johnson, PE teacher and house competition co-ordinator. her time from last year. Alex Woodall was the first sixth-former across the line, with Mr Spry winning the male staff race and Mrs Smith the female staff race. One school track record fell when Maisy Lang managed to break the Year 9 girls' 300m record for the second year running.
The results were announced for the last time by Mr Knightbridge, who has commentated on the event for a number of years. He revealed that Lancaster House had won sports day, for the second year in a row, but Montfort had won the overall house competition.
Dramatic distinction for Woods cast THE entire cast and crew of The Blandford School's production of Stephen Sondheim's musical 'Into the Woods' have been awarded distinction in the Trinity College London Grade 6 Award in Musical Theatre as a result of the performances at the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne in July. They had been working on the production since last year, when auditions were held for members of the cast, and rehearsals began and continued up to three times a week. Among an abundance of talent showcased on the stage throughout the three performances, special mentions must go to the Year 13 leavers, Luke Panchaud as 'Jack', Rachel Jennings as THE British Hen Welfare Trust is looking to increase its team of volunteers to assist with hen rehoming days in the Blandford area. Based in Devon, the welfare charity saves approximately 50,000 commercial hens from slaughter each year and finds them caring pet homes. Two new re-homing sites have recently been set up after a great response to an appeal in Dorset, and the charity is now in need of volunteers to help more hens start their free range retirement at the new locations over one weekend every 4-6 weeks. For information see bhwt.org.uk or email hens@bhwt.org.uk.
'Cinderella', Jasmine Hancock as 'The Witch', Bethan Amey as 'Jack's Mother', Matthew Harmon as 'The Wolf', Adam Dando as 'Rapunzel's Prince', Tom Ansell as the 'Mysterious Man' and 'Granny', Alex Oldfield as 'Cinderella's Stepmother' and Luke Morgan as 'Cinderella's Father'. The year 13 drama students have been crucial members of the productions since their arrival at The Blandford School in Year 7, and they will be greatly missed.
Other superb principal performances came from Jacob Rosoman and Frankie Yeatman as 'The Baker' and 'The Baker's Wife', Emily Beaven playing 'Little Red Riding Hood' and Bill Moulton playing 'Cinderella's Prince'. The technical craft and design of the set, lighting and sound created an onstage world which immersed the audience into the world of the characters, and the performance was enhanced by the use of professional costumes and microphones.
Rachel Jennings as Cinderella
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Above: The Music Evening at Durweston School. Above right: Maps at the ready at Durweston School with the Wessex Orienteering Club. Below: Mystery at the Manor at Durweston Primary.
Whirlwind end to Durweston’s year DURWESTON school's end-ofyear music evening featured children from across the school singing and playing with xylophones, drums, guitars, violins, saxophones and flutes in a varied and accomplished programme. Parents took part in some parent and child duets, and at the end, everyone in the audience was given an instrument to create a 'Come and Play Orchestra' for a rousing finale. It was a fantastic way to say goodbye to Mrs Coates, the school's music coordinator, who is retiring this year. The school has also welcomed two new arrivals, guinea pigs Sonny and Lightning, who were a little shy at first but are becoming much braver. Children have to write a letter of application if they want to be part of the teams that take care of these newest members of the school community, explaining why they would be good at the job. The last two weeks of term were full of activity. First there was the whole school performance, Mystery at Magpie Manor, which gave the children the chance to think and learn about the 1930s, including how to Charleston. Agatha Christie was on hand to nail the thief, the treasure was
found and the Manor saved. The same week saw the whole school running about the grounds waving maps during Orienteering week when the children were helped to hone their map-reading skills by two members of Wessex Orienteering Club. Children in the oldest three classes went to Bryanston School to try running on a different map. The school was visited by Nickie Fidgin from Wessex Labyrinths, who laid an enormous cloth labyrinth in the hall for the children to walk through, reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the next, a valuable and thought-provoking experience. Next came a visit from the Paddleboat Theatre Company with their new production 'Rustle', which was touring locally for a month. With the help of the children, the actors set up camp on the field, built a fire, searched for monsters, sang songs and eventually met up with their friends. The last Thursday of term saw the inaugural school swimming gala held at QE in Wimborne, and next day was leavers' assembly, when the school said farewell to their Year 6. Sadly the rain put paid to the family picnic.
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Weekend of events netted £1,160 for charity A MIXED open competition at Ashley Wood Golf Club saw Doug Proctor and Susan Burke of Knighton Heath the winners. They finished a point ahead of Kevin and Terina Parker (Taunton & Pickeridge) with 39 points. Third were John and Norma Davison (Bentley), and the best Ashley Wood pair were Kris Meehan and Elaine Sutton. The Colin Brown Trophy was held on a very hot day and the winners were Gordon Ramsey and Jill Silver, second Stella Briggs and Arthur Rawson and third Kathryn Harding and Dave Amey. Winners of the Captain's Prize with 40pts on countback was Naresh Khapung in the Captain's Day individual stableford. The winners of the Captain's Bowmaker were Chris Trowbridge, Maxine Palmer, Clive Jones,
Club Captain, Roger Palmer and Louis Fisher with 123 pts. Over the two days of Captain's Weekend, those involved managed to raise over £1,160 for the Captain's charity, Prostate Cancer UK. Club Captain Clive thanked everyone for their support for the charity, for which the running total is already around the £3,000 mark with just under six months to go. Congratulations have also been expressed to the Ladies' scratch team who won their Humphreys Bowl quarter-final away at Remedy Oak Golf Club. The team, consisting of Sue Edwards, Judith White and Pat Wyatt, won 2-1 and went on to play Yeovil Golf Club in the semi-final at the neutral venue of the Dorset Golf & Country Club.
Winners of the Ashley Wood Captain's Bowmaker Chris Trowbridge, Maxine Palmer, Roger Palmer and Louis Fisher, pictured with Club Captain Clive Jones (centre).
Accolade for centre
The Performing Arts Theatre Academy students take a bow.
Football tribute to Danny
FOOTBALLERS gathered at The Blandford School on August 5 in memory of Danny Coker, who died of cancer at the age of 18, and in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust. The annual 6-a-side tournament took place on the school playing fields, and there was entertainment including a performance by young members of the Performing Arts Theatre Academy, with barbecue, bar, inflatables, competitions and a raffle on the school forecourt.
LEISURE operator Everyone Active, which runs Blandford Leisure Centre on behalf of North Dorset District Council, is celebrating being named Operator of the Year in the ukactive and Matrix Flame Awards, the health and fitness sector's largest celebration of innovation and excellence. The accolade recognised Everyone Active's high levels of performance across all aspects of operation. It is the fifth time the leisure operator has achieved the title, having won the award last year and on the three consecutive occasions in 2010, 2011 and 2012. PHOTOS and artefacts will be on display in Shillingstone Church Centre and Holy Rood Church as part of the Shillingstone History & Flower Festival from September 15-17. The festival will be open from 10am to 4pm on Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 4pm on Sunday, with free admission.
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Above: Team Blanchards Bailey, who took part. Right: The start of the Tarrant Valley 10 in Tarrant Monkton.
Valley run proves a record breaker THE 30th annual Tarrant Valley 10 saw a record 260 runners start the multi-terrain 10 kilometre race on a cloudy, warm Sunday and the winner was Paul Hill of Littledown Harriers in a time of 37 minutes, 40 seconds. It was a good time, given the uneven terrain and oppressive conditions. The first woman was Sharon Johnston, from Wilmslow Running Club, whose outstanding time of 40 minutes, 8 seconds, set a new course record. The entry was boosted again by Dorset's running community, the Littledown Harriers, Wimborne AC, Poole AC, North Dorset
Triathlon, Run Blandford and the Dorset Doddlers, comprising the majority of the field. Also competing were Team Blanchards Bailey from the Dorset legal firm, who joined Sunrise MoT and Service Centre, Launceston Farm and Tarhinton Farms as main sponsors. There was another record entry of 46 children for the one-mile children's race, won once again by Leo Riggs (aged 10), who repeated his success of last year. The first girl was Isla McPhail (aged 9), an impressive fifth overall. The aim of the TV10 is to raise money for good causes - one national, one from Dorset
and one local to the venue in Tarrant Monkton. This year's proceeds will be divided equally between Epilepsy Action, Dorset Action on Abuse and the Tarrant Monkton and Launceston village hall. Race director, Andy Eastaugh, thanked all runners for participating in good, though competitive, spirit, and his army of volunteers from Tarrants Monkton and Launceston and beyond, whose assistance helped make this year's event a resounding success. Next year's TV10 is provisionally scheduled for Sunday July 15.
Woodruff staying on AFC Blandford are very pleased to announce that James Woodruff is committing himself to another year as manager of the first team. They say they feel he is the perfect choice for them after hearing his goals, not only for the team but for the club. During the signing of the paperwork, he gave a brief statement, saying: "After getting so close last year, with the right mind set and group of players, this year is our year. All the best for the season ahead." The club's AGM was a great success with new people joining. The new committee for 2017/18, headed by president Jay Gulbins, is: chairman Sam Langdown, vice-chair Mella Murphy, secretary Germaine Mitchell, treasurer Dan Goddard and members James Woodruff, Shane Haim, Tom Oliver and Stephen Crane.
Tesco Community Champion Phoebe Newton (far right) with the Blandford Bowling Club Juniors and their new equipment.
Bowlers bag some goodies from Tesco THE Junior bowlers of Blandford Bowling Club met at the Milldown Road green to show their appreciation for a ÂŁ2,000 grant from the Tesco Bags of Help fund. Phoebe Newton, the Tesco community champion, was thanked by coach Joy Steele and 26 under-16 bowlers, who also presented her with hand-written thank you letters from the members. The grant has been used to purchase eight sets of junior bowls and bowling club 'hoodies'. This has enabled the coaches to take the bowling standards
to a higher level. Already there are 11 juniors playing in the seniors' mixed triples league and five boys are playing in the senior men's league. After the presentation, the bowlers went on to contest the monthly target bowls competition, which was won by Catherine Solway, with runner-up Nathan Wood. Sid Steele presented the trophies. Anyone under 16 interested in playing should turn up at 10am at the green on any Saturday morning or visit the website blandfordbowlingclub.com.
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September 2017
Forum Focus - forthcoming meetings & events SEPTEMBER To September 3: End of the Road Festival, Larmer Tree To October 31: 200th anniversary Alfred Stevens exhibition, Blandford Museum, see page 14 Friday September 1: Community Lunch at Okeford Fitzpaine Village Hall, 12.30pm, tickets 01258 861830 Jazz at the Stour, Langton Meadows, Blandford, 6 to 9pm, see page 18 Blandford Forum Railway Club Open evening, 7.30 to 9.30pm, Scout HQ, Eagle House Gardens, Blandford Wessex Acoustic Folk, Chris Dore with Julian Littman, Royal British Legion, Blandford, 8.15pm Saturday September 2: Coffee Morning, Shillingstone Church Centre,10.30 to noon, details 01258 860370 Shroton summer show, village hall, 2.30pm Blandford & District Civic Society AGM and talk by Peter Dickinson on Signage, Woodhouse Pavilion, 3pm, details 01258 459346 Music and Fizz for a summer evening, Holy Rood Church, Shillingstone, 7pm, details 01258 861397 Saturday September 2 and Sunday September 3: Dorset County Show, Dorchester Sunday September 3: Official opening of Blandford United FC's new clubhouse, Park Road Recreation Ground, 3pm Pimperne village fete and dog show, village hall, dancing, stalls and car boot, 2pm Round Robin Ramblers meet 2pm at Durweston village hall for 4.5mile walk, details 01258 880044 Car treasure hunt starts from Old Brewery Hall, Ansty, 2.30pm Novelty dog show and ability competition, Park Farm, Milton Abbas, 3pm, in aid of St James' Church, Milton Abbas Baffling Blandford magical walk, starts Crown Hotel, 4pm, details artoftheimpossible.com/magic Monday September 4: Blandford Floral Group demonstration by Carolyn Vanstone, Women of Influence, United Reformed church hall, 2pm Wednesday September 6: Step Ahead group for carers of people with memory problems, Blandford Community Centre, Heddington Drive, 1.30pm to 3pm Blandford Carnival Bingo, Corn Exchange, from 7pm Weekly Belly Dance classes starting, Town Hall, Blandford, 7pm, details 07568343560 or email bobbihagan@hotmail.co.uk Blandford Film Society present Julieta, a Spanish film by
Entries in this diary are free of charge. If you have an event you would like included, send details to Nicci Brown, 01258 459346 or email events@forumfocus.co.uk. This page is available and regularly updated on our website at www.forumfocus.co.uk. Readers are advised to check with event organisers before attending. Almodovar, The Blandford School, 7.30pm, guest tickets 01258 268139 Thursday September 7 to Wednesday September 14: Dorset Architectural Heritage Week and Blandford Heritage Festival, see page 14, edht.org.uk/dahw or call 01258 459346 Friday September 8: Blandford Farmers Market, Market Place, Craft Market in the Corn Exchange Blandford Evening WI, Tony Davies talks on Ladies in the Sky, Parish Centre, Blandford, 7pm Saturday September 9: Dorset Historic Churches Ride & Stride, see page 24 Blandford Carnival, see page 4 Charity Table Top Sale & Coffee Morning, Tarrant Keyneston Village Hall 10.30am to noon, details 01258 480778 Jumble Sale, at and in aid of Child Okeford village hall, 12 noon to 1.30pm, details 01258 860990 Saturday September 9 and Sunday September 10: Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival, 10am to 5pm Sunday September 10: Final Baffling Blandford magical walk of the season, starts Crown Hotel, 4pm, artoftheimpossible.com/magic Sunday September 10 and Monday September 11: Blandford Heritage Exhibition, Corn Exchange, 10am to 4pm, details 01258 459346 Monday September 11: Janet Knight School of Dancing begins new term, details 01258 453001. Visually impaired readers group, Blandford Library, 2pm to 4pm, details 01747 811191 Tuesday September 12: Blandford Forum & District Stamp Club meet Woodhouse Gardens pavilion, 7.30pm, details 01258 471422 Wednesday September 13: Blandford 14-18 Commemoration group's Khaki Canteen, Corn Exchange, 9am-2pm NHS Retirement Fellowship Blandford Branch, talk by Mike Spencer on Mountains and Maharajas, Committee Room, Blandford Hospital, 10.15am-noon, details 01929 472441 Film Night, Charlton Marshall Village Hall - 'Hidden Figures', 7.15 pm for 7.30pm, details 01258 488431 Dorset Moviola present ‘Our Kind
of Traitor’, Fontmell Magna village hall, 7 for 7.30pm Thursday September 14: Friends of Blandford Community Hospital Autumn Prize Bingo, Hospital Dining Room, doors open 6.45pm, eyes down 7.30pm Blandford Environmental Trust Annual General Meeting, Blandford Town Museum, 6.00pm Friday September 15: Wessex Acoustic Folk, Steve Tilston, Royal British Legion, Blandford, 8.15pm Friday to Sunday September 15 to 17: Shillingstone History & Flower Festival Friday & Saturday 10am to 4pm, Sunday 12 noon to 5pm Saturday September 16: Community Expo, Corn Exchange, Blandford 10am to 2pm Cats Protection coffee morning and stalls, Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion, Blandford, 10am to 12.30pm Coffee Morning, St. Nicholas Church Child Okeford, 10.30 to noon Blandford Opportunity Group Race Night, Corn Exchange, Blandford, 7pm, tickets 01258 456187 Blandford Secondary Modern and Blandford School class of 64-70 reunion, Farquharson Arms, Pimperne, 7pm, details 07879 003567 Serenata vocal quartet concert for Dorset Historic Churches Trust, 7.30pm, Blandford Forum Parish Church. Details 01258 451953 The Mill Singers in concert, St Nicholas Church, Winterborne Kingston, 7.30pm, details 01929 471193 Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September: Harvest Home Flower Festival, St Mary's Church, Iwerne Minster Sunday September 17: Informal Family Praise service at St. Andrew's, Okeford Fitzpaine, 10am Tea, Scones & Harmony, choir concert and cream tea for Alzheimer's Research, Corn Exchange, Blandford. Bookings 01963 363119 Tuesday 19 September: Child Okeford Flower Arranging Club visit to Compton Acres Gardens, details 01258 863775 Wednesday September 20: Round Robin Ramblers meet 11am, Stour Park car park, Blandford, for 7-mile walk round Blandford St Mary and Bryanston, details 01258 880044 Talk on Dorset Wildlife Trust,
Blandford Carers, Durweston village hall, 2pm Blandford Film Society present I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach, The Blandford School, 7.30pm, guest tickets 01258 268139 Talk by Nigel Rowland on plants for shade, The Valley Garden Club, Pamela Hambro Hall, Winterborne Stickland, 7.30pm Music and dinner at Giles House with BSO soloists, details 01202 644704 or bsolive.com Thursday September 21: Blandford Art Society, 2pm at Pimperne Village Hall, demonstration and workshop by Podi Lawrence, details see website Kings Fat Thursday Jazz Night, Kings Arms, Blandford 8pm (see page 15) Friday September 22: Craft Market in the Corn Exchange, Blandford An Evening with Paul Kerensa: Live & Unrude, Corn Exchange, Blandford, 7.30m, in aid of the Cupola Project, tickets blandfordcommunitypromotions.co.uk Saturday September 23: Jumble Sale at and in aid of Okeford Fitzpaine village hall, 2pm ‘Alfred Stevens: from Blandford to Italy and back’, Corn Exchange, Blandford, 7 for 7.30pm The Heroes Challenge: A full and half cross-country marathon, details hangersheroes.co.uk Blues and Booze Festival, Stour Inn, Blandford St Mary Sunday September 24: Harvest Festivals, St. Andrew's Okeford Fitzpaine, 10am and Manston Church with auction of produce 6.30pm Wednesday September 27: Blandford Forum TWG talk by Louise Davies of The Half Moon Bead Shop, Blandford Community Centre, Heddington Drive, 2pm Thursday September 28: Start of 10-week series of talks on Aspects of Human Evolution, Blandford Museum 7 to 9pm. Details 01258 458911 or see blandfordtownmuseum.org Friday September 29: Blandford & District U3A. Gwen Yarker on the Slade painters, 2pm at Durweston Village Hall. Details 01258 455081 Saturday September 30: Khaki Canteen, Corn Exchange, Blandford, 10am to 4pm Coffee Morning for Macmillan Cancer Support, The Old Brewery Hall, Ansty DT2 7BN, 10am-1pm Jumble sale for Mercy in Action, Child Okeford Village Hall 12noon to1.30pm, details 01258 861055 ‘Allo Allo’ themed quiz night and meal, Child Okeford Community Centre, tickets 01258 860881