Forum Focus The free monthly news magazine for the Blandford area
December 2019 Issue No.93 Est: 2012
a Merry Christmas to all our readers & advertisers
Boots to close town shop THE ongoing problem with dispensing of prescriptions locally has taken a new turn with the announcement that Boots are looking to close their store and pharmacy at 3 Salisbury Street, the former Graceys Chemists. A Boots UK spokesman said:
Honouring the fallen • Pages 8-11
A four-way contest: • Pages 12-13
FORUM FOCUS
"We continually review our store locations to make sure they are where our customers need us most. It is never a decision we take lightly when looking to close a store. "With this in mind, we can confirm that we are looking to consolidate our store on 3 Salisbury Street, Blandford Forum, into our other store at 10 Salisbury Street. All of our affected colleagues have been informed and will be offered jobs within Boots stores." The spokesman chose not to say how the closure might impact on customers and residents or to respond to the numerous complaints over the last five years of inaccuracies and delays in dispensing medications. There was no comment either on whether the closure of one of their three stores in Blandford would make it possible for another dispensing chemist to be allowed to trade in the town. Neither, at the time of Forum Focus going to press, had others responded to invitations to comment on whether Boots' remaining two stores would be able to cope when they had been unable to cope with three, or whether another might now be able to break their trading monopoly in the town. Boots announced earlier this year that they would be closing up to 200 of their 2,400 branches • To Page 2
Santa's Little Helpers with some of the shoeboxes.
Gift-wrapped kindness BLANDFORD Stour Rotary Club will be helping out again at the Blandford Yuletide Festival on Wednesday December 11, working behind the scenes, assisting in manning the various road closures and running the ever-popular mulled wine stall. They have again reached their target for their Christmas shoebox campaign, thanks to the public's help, sending shoeboxes crammed with Christmas gifts to underprivileged children, who would otherwise have no Christmas gifts. The appeal is run by Rotary worldwide and this year these boxes go to Albania, Montenegro, Moldova and Romania. Jan Conlon, shoebox co-ordinator for the Rotary Club, said "On behalf of the club, I would like to thank all those in the area who contributed to this year's wonderful total. The club has sent over 500 boxes, helped by the local community: individuals, Archbishop Wake First School, Sturminster Marshall First School, Milldown Academy and Clayesmore, together with local churches, businesses and groups and, of course, club members." • Yuletide Festival: Page 18.
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December 2019
FORUM FOCUS CONTACTS Editorial: Nicci Brown T: 01258 459346 E: editor@forumfocus.co.uk Advertising: John Stayt T: 01258 454427 E: advertising@forumfocus.co.uk Distribution: Jackie Stayt T: 01258 456999 E: distribution@forumfocus.co.uk Design: David Eidlestein T: 01258 450989 E: de@deadlines.eclipse.co.uk Forum Focus is an independent, not-forprofit, community publication produced entirely by volunteers. We are always pleased to receive offers of help.
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Where to find Forum Focus COPIES of Forum Focus 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 Blandford Connect Day Centre and 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, Marcia’s Market, Clapcotts Farm, Spetisbury, Abbott Garden Centre, Langton Long, True Lovers Knot and St Richard Close bus stop in Tarrant Keyneston, Langton Arms in Tarrant Monkton, Anvil and Farquharson pubs in Pimperne, 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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Boots to close store • From Page 1 nationwide over the next 18 months, many because they were loss-making and two-thirds within walking distance of each other. Boots UK's managing director Sebastian James was reported in July as saying that the company had approved an outline plan to consolidate around 200 principally local pharmacy stores where they have a large number within close proximity. "We believe this is the right thing to do as it means that we can invest more in staffing those stores while not reducing our 90% coverage within a 10-minute drive of a Boots." Boots has been owned by New
York-based private equity firm WBA since 2012, and last year saw its profits fall by more than 18 per cent. Blandford's two former independent pharmacies, Graceys at 3 Salisbury Street and Taylors at 10 Salisbury Street, became part of the much larger Alliance Unichem, which acquired 45 per cent of Boots in 2006. The two in Salisbury Street and a third Boots branch in East Street were refitted as Boots in 2008/2009. Alliance in 2014 became part of the American pharmaceutical retailer Walgreen to become Walgreen Boots Alliance (WBA). • See letters on pages 14 & 15.
Home deliveries to end SINCE Forum Focus was launched in 2012, we have been served faithfully by a number of volunteers who have delivered copies direct to people in their streets and neighbourhoods. We are extremely grateful to them for helping to establish the magazine's popularity. To give them time to go house-to-house, these volunteers received copies prior to the delivery by the 1st or 2nd of the month to more than 40 drop points in the town and district. However, since the vast majority of our 8,000 copies are now collected from those drop points, we have decided that they should in future be delivered there first, and our volunteers have been invited to stand down. If you are accustomed to receiving a delivery through your letterbox, please do not be surprised if it stops. But be assured that you can collect a copy from any of the drop points in the town and district listed on this page. RESTAURANTS in Dorset, including Blandford, have scored highly in a survey by Claims Direct of data from over 450,000 food businesses across the UK to highlight the average hygiene rating in each postcode area. Restaurants, hotels and takeaways in Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland, Bridport, Lyme Regis, Beaminster, Sherborne, Sturminster Newton and Blandford scored top of the list, with an average rating of 4.85 stars.
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Concerns persist as homes plan details emerge DETAILED plans have now been submitted for the first 152 homes of around 480 which have outline permission to be built in Blandford St Mary on the former brewery site and on land south of the bypass opposite Tesco. Although the 'St Mary's Hill' scheme put forward by Bellway Homes has attracted no objections from town or parish councillors, the brewery redevelopment and the combined total of new dwellings proposed for the area continue to raise concerns. Blandford St Mary parish council at its meeting on November 6 were pleased to see that revisions they had sought following the outline and initial detailed submission for the first 89 home phase of St Mary's Hill had for the most part been taken on board. However, the majority of their concerns related to the second phase of development where they asked for realignment of the Trailway and re-siting of a proposed community hall among the total of 300 houses. Town councillors only noted the application, to which they had objected at the outline stage due to the failure to include a footbridge or underpass for pedestrians to cross the bypass rather than the proposed toucan crossing. But both councils were concerned at the proposals from Drew Smith Homes for 63 homes in the first phase of redevelopment, closest to the brewery, which will eventually result in a total of around 180. Parish council chairman Malcolm Albery highlighted the restricted amount of parking provided, regretted the lack of any retail facility and the lack of any central
community space, and Councillor Richard Whitlock said there were too many houses crammed in. Councillor Ian Mackay said: "It's squeezing a lot of people and vehicles into very small dwellings in a very small space with nowhere to circulate. The parking is totally inadequate and it is socially unacceptable." Town councillors agreed to submit as their response the views of the Blandford Plus Neighbourhood Plan team members, who had attended a consultation event earlier this year, when many of the design aspects were welcomed but there were objections to the provision of fewer than two parking spaces per property, the lack of amenities for young children, and the single access off Bournemouth Road. Councillor Cathy Jacques warned against single space provision which in Diamond Way meant parking was horrendous, since some of the homes were fourbedroomed. Councillor Roger Carter, chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan team and vice-chair of the town council's planning committee, said in the wider brewery redevelopment there would be 180 homes and south of the bypass another 300. Members agreed to seek a meeting between the chairman of the committee Peter Clark, Councillor Carter and the chairman of Blandford St Mary Parish Council, councillor for Winterborne North and county planning portfollo holder David Walsh, to discuss strategic issues which could turn Blandford into a dormitory of Poole, Bournemouth and Salisbury where most of the people would be working.
Gardens on the air BBC Radio Solent arrived in Child Okeford to record their version of Gardeners' Question Time, 'The Kitchen Garden', at a meeting of the Child Okeford Gardeners Club. The experts for the evening, chaired by programme presenter Rebecca Parker, were David Hurrion of Gardeners' World Magazine and Neil Lucas from Knoll Gardens in Wimborne. A large audience received excellent advice upon a range of subjects from fruiting difficulties in lemons and tomatoes, pruning and growing problems of trees and shrubs to various fungal diseases, including the notorious honey fungus. The recording will be transmitted on Radio Solent in December on a Sunday between midday and 1pm. The exact date has yet to be confirmed.
Huge local support in the Corn Exchange for the Friends of Blandford Hospital autumn fair.
Friends make a fair old sum MORE than 100 people queued in anticipation of the doors opening for the autumn fair run by the Friends of Blandford Hospital in the Corn Exchange. A total of 1,128 visitors snapped up the bargains on offer and tried their luck on the tombola and raffle. The event showcases the shops run by the charity in Blandford and Sturminster Newton and is the main fundraising event of the year run by the team of volunteers. Takings this year totalled ÂŁ8,950 thanks to the generosity of members, supporters and volunteers, and many generous donors and local business.
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December 2019
Flood risk and visual harm rule out town ‘gateway’ development PROPOSALS to demolish Riverside House in West Street, home to the Blandford Information Centre and the town's public toilets, and build a three- and four-storey block of
apartments on the site and the vacant plot next to it, have been refused. An appeal against non-determination by North Dorset District Council of the applicant by Lolligo
Chase’s star role THE Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team is thrilled to have learned that the AONB had been formally designated an International Dark-Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), based in Tucson, USA. It becomes the 14th such reserve across the globe, joining an exclusive club of International Union for the Conservation of Nature Protected Areas to gain international recognition for its dark skies. "Some people are lucky enough to recognise the Plough, but for others, seeing stars and their constellations is often impossible
because of light pollution," said Linda Nunn, Director of Cranborne Chase AONB. "Here in Cranborne Chase we can see the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy, if the clouds allow." Adam Dalton, International Dark-Sky Places programme manager at the IDA, said: "Cranborne Chase has the largest central area of darkness of any International DarkSky Reserve in the UK. "It is a huge area of land at almost 1,000 sq kms, and less than two hours from London and Bristol. For those living and visiting this beautiful area, this is something to be celebrated and enjoyed."
BLANDFORD youth worker Ken Reynolds, who was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in the summer, was due at Buckingham Palace on November 19 for his investiture by a member of the Royal Family.
Ltd was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate on two main grounds of flood risk and heritage impact. Planning inspector P. Staddon concludes in his report that, while the commercial retail space proposed at ground-floor level would be classified as 'less vulnerable', the greater part of its floorspace would be for residential apartments, which fall under the 'more vulnerable' classification. "In such mixed use scenarios, planning policy guidance advises that the highest vulnerability category should be used - ie: 'more vulnerable' in this case." He said that, while the commercial space element might be considered unable to be provided elsewhere in Blandford town centre, there was insufficient evidence that the same could be said for the greater part of the development, which was residential. He noted the appellant's suggestion that the Blandford Conservation Area would be enhanced by redevelopment of the 'gateway' site, but his assessment of the scale of the proposed building found it would be excessive and imposing and it would not respect or complement that of existing buildings on West Street. "It would rise notably above nearby building heights, including the immediately adjacent Magnolia Court, and would appear overdominant, bulky and incongruent. "It would be visually disruptive from a range of public viewpoints, including the approach to the
town centre from the south, from the front of the listed Crown Hotel and from the Ham to the east, and the meadows to the west. "These harmful effects are exacerbated by the site's currently open nature, which contributes to the character of the conservation area and the setting of the historic town centre." He said that the large-scale building imposing itself within the surroundings would also harm the settings of listed buildings in the vicinity, including the Crown Hotel, the Masonic Hall and Phylvic Lodge to the north of the site, and the historic bridges to the south. The harm to the conservation area, a heritage asset in its own right, and the listed heritage assets within it, would, he said, be 'less than substantial' but 'not insignificant' in terms of the national planning policy framework, which seeks to conserve and enhance heritage assets. He was, however, satisfied that since the proposal was a 'carfree' development to which no vehicular access was intended, it would not cause any highway safety issues. He concluded: "Whilst recognising that there would be some public benefits arising from the development, including a contribution to local housing supply and some economic and social benefits, these would, taken collectively, be quite limited and would not outweigh the flood risk and heritage objections, which provide clear and compelling reasons to refuse this development."
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December 2019
Tree takes a tumble before the gale arrives A TREE which fell, taking out overhead phone lines in Bryanston on the morning of Thursday October 31, was not the victim of the gale-force winds which brought down scaffolding in Dorset Street, Blandford, 48 hours later. It was reported that the tree,
The fallen tree in Bryanston.
believed to be owned by the Bryanston Estate, fell at about 10.30am when there was little/no wind, and a team of firefighters from the Blandford station were sent to deal with the incident and make the area safe. They confirmed that the tree had taken out some British Telecom cable, and the police and OpenReach also attended. It fell roughly opposite 23 Forum View and seriously damaged a car parked on the drive, but missed the house. No-one was hurt, but there was some damage to gates and fences and a wheelie bin was squashed. Chairman of Bryanston Parish Council Carol Tompsett said: "Several of the chestnuts planted along the Cliff and in the fields around were planted at around the same time by the Portmans and are now nearing the end of their life. "It is my opinion that all the trees lining roads in Bryanston, especially The Cliff, should now be rechecked - this is already done
The collapsed scaffolding in Dorset Street. regularly by the Bryanston Estate - and I will be bringing this up at the next parish council meeting." The scaffolding in Dorset Street, which had been erected as part of the demolition and redevelopment of the site at 37a, collapsed
on to parked cars in the early hours of November 2, and gave Blandford a brief moment of fame when it was featured nationwide in reports of storm damage. Fortunately no-one was injured, but several cars were damaged.
Dorset pubs sold off The Crown at Winterborne Stickland, the Horton Inn, Wimborne, and the Cashmoor Inn, Cashmoor, are among five in Dorset of the 137 Marstons pubs reported to have been sold to Admiral Taverns in a £44.9 million deal, which includes a mixture of sites across England and Wales as part of Admiral's growth strategy to expand its estate of community pubs. • More than 50 members and friends of the Blandford Museum Heritage and Arts Trust attended a lecture by Dr Mark Forrest of the Dorset History Centre on The Black Death in Dorset. His presentation in Blandford Parish Centre was followed by half an hour's discussion.
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Troubled hospital faces closure THE announcement of the closure of the Priory Hospital in Heddington Drive this month, only 16 months after its official opening, has disappointed providers of mental health services and staff made redundant, but follows concerns expressed some time ago by nearby residents about its adequacy. Officially opened in August last year as a specialist 12-bed Tier 4 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) LD service providing rooms for young people with a learning disability and mental health diagnosis, it was put in special measures in May after a Care Quality Commission inspection rated it inadequate. The CQC said children had reported feeling unsafe and inspectors were concerned that staff did not have the experience and skills to manage their complex needs. Concern had already been raised by neighbouring residents who had asked the CQC to inspect after witnessing young patients in distress at first-floor windows, noisy handovers and staff rest
periods and inconsiderate parking of vehicles in Heddington Drive. A Priory hospital spokesman said in October: "The decision to close a hospital is never taken lightly but after consultation with NHS England and others, we decided it is in the best interests of our patients to close the Blandford hospital in mid-December and concentrate our efforts on helping identify alternative provision for them. "The hospital had been making progress, but an acute shortage of skilled and experienced nurses and clinicians - especially those qualified to manage the complex needs of our young people meant we could not be sure those improvements could be sustained in the long term. "We remain committed to helping patients, and their families, in whatever way we can." Stuart Lynch, CAMHS manager for Dorset HealthCare, said: "We were sad to hear about the closure of a local CAMHS unit when beds are so scarce. We are still hoping to build a new psychiatric intensive care unit at our Pebble
Lodge site in Westbourne, which would boost local capacity for young people with the most complex needs and reduce the need for out-of-area placements." Blandford's Dorset councillor Byron Quayle said: "I'm deeply
saddened and disappointed that the Blandford Priory hospital is to close in December. Mental health facilities, especially those which help young people, are vital services and severely lacking in the south-west."
Cathy Jacques is pictured (right) with the Mayor, Cllr Lynn Lindsay (centre) and Mayor's Escort Cath McIver rededicating baby Ryan's memorial bench in Woodhouse Gardens.
Ryan’s Law provides a lasting legacy for Cathy A DOUBLE rainbow appeared over the rededication of a bench to the memory of Councillor Cathy Jacques's two-year-old son Ryan, who died after suffering a severe brain injury in the care of his father Lee Khair at the couple's home in Blandford in 2003. The bench was purchased by Cathy in 2009 in memory of baby Ryan, and a decade later was rededicated to his memory and the precious lasting legacy his mother fought for. Cathy was informed at the time of his death that Ryan's body would not be released until after Khair's trial and conviction for manslaughter 18 months later, leading to her further agony and her six-year campaign for a change in the law. Her campaign was successful with the support and drive of the then North Dorset MP, Robert Walter, and since 2009 'Ryan's Law' has limited the time a body can be held to 40 days. It will only be held for longer with the permission of the chief coroner in extraordinary circumstances. For Cathy, the introduction of 'Ryan's Law' meant that her son had not died in vain and brought her comfort that others would not suffer going through the additional trauma of having to wait to lay a loved one to rest.
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Buffers restored to their former glory BLANDFORD Stour Rotary have thanked contractor Mark Farwell for carrying out a restoration to the buffers which have stood at the Station Court entrance to the North Dorset Trailway since soon after the closure of the Somerset & Dorset railway. Blandford Railway Club founder David Cash said: "I believe that it is some 39 years since the buffer-stop was placed on the track-bed adjacent to Alexandra Street footbridge, prior to the residential properties being built on the Blandford railway station site. "Della Jones and her late husband David were instrumental in securing a lasting reminder of the former railway by installing the buffer-stop and securing the retention of one of the 1862/63 flood arches over the River Stour. "The historical significance of this action is that it was the railway that brought prosperity and better communications to Blandford." The buffers marked the end of the line and over the years had deteriorated and rusted but have now
been restored to their former glory. The restoration and repair was funded by Blandford Stour Rotary as part of their trailway projects, with the support of the Blandford Railway Club and North Dorset Trailway Network, and facilitated by the Dorset Rangers. But it was carried out at considerable discount by Mr Farwell. David Rose of Blandford Stour Rotary said: "We would like to publicly acknowledge his contribution to the project. Without his support and that of his teams, we could not have completed it." Town councillor Roger Carter said Mr Farwell deserved the thanks not only of the group but of the wider community. "The old railway station area is an important 'stop' on Blandford's growing heritage trail, and anything done to enhance this asset is very welcome. The Town Council, the Blandford Commemoration group and the wider community have a great deal to thank Mark for."
Above: The buffers pictured awaiting restoration at Mark Farwell's premises in June. Below: Back in place after restoration at the entrance to the Trailway.
FOUR local businesses were successful in the Dorset Tourism Awards, including The Yellow Bicycle CafĂŠ in Salisbury Street, Blandford, which won gold for CafĂŠ & Tearoom of the Year. Other gold award winners were Jurassic Coast Guides of Milborne St Andrew, who shared first place with the Tank Museum for International Visitor Experience, and Mellulah Therapy & Yoga Retreats in Milton Abbas for Spa and Wellbeing Experience of the Year. At the awards dinner at the Tank Museum in Bovington, guest speaker Simon Cripps, chief executive of the Dorset Wildlife Trust, presented the silver award for the category of Dog Friendly Pub to the Milton Arms in Winterborne Whitechurch.
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December 2019
The district comes together to honour its war heroes THE Remembrance ceremony on Sunday November 3 at the Commonwealth War Graves in Blandford Cemetery, where the fallen of two World Wars are buried, focused this year on four Canadian airmen killed in February 1943 when their Stirling 1 heavy bomber crashed on Bulbarrow, near Blandford. It had returned damaged from a sortie to Lorient in France, and three of the crew were able to escape. But Flying Officers James Stenhouse Brydon and Norman John Patrick Hartney, Flight Sergeant William Cuthbert Morton and Warrant Officer Class II Willard Kennedy Rosenberry were killed and are buried in neighbouring plots in the cemetery. The service, on the anniversary of the death on November 3, 1942, of Lieutenant Albert Briggs of the Royal Engineers, buried in
plot 63 among the rows of war graves, was conducted by the Rector of Blandford, the Rev Canon Jonathan Triffitt, assisted by Major (Retd) Bronwen Jones, chairman of the Blandford branch of the Royal British Legion. It was attended by representatives of the Armed Services, including Blandford Garrison Commandant Mike Morton and Major Manuel Pellepier-Bedard of the Canadian Army, the Royal British Legion and SSAFA, together with the Blandford (Royal Signals) Army Cadets and many members of the local community. A display in the cemetery chapel organised by the Royal British Legion gave details of the crash. On Friday November 8 at 11am, a schools Remembrance ceremony took place at the Field of Remembrance in the churchyard at Blandford Parish Church. And on Sunday, November 10,
The scene in the Market Place pictured from the church tower by Pat Patrick. Remembrance Day, the fine weather brought one of the largest attendances in years to the open-air service in front of the Corn Exchange memorial plaques, led by Major Bronwen
Jones. More than 40 wreaths were hung on the memorial gates by Dorset's Deputy Lieutenant, Colonel Oliver Chamberlain, representatives of the town, district, • To Page 9
The Rector, the Rev Canon Jonathan Triffitt, conducts the Remembrance service at Blandford Cemetery with Major (Retd) Bronwen Jones, chairman of the Blandford branch of the Royal British Legion, watched by members of the Blandford (Royal Signals) Army Cadets.
The graves of the four Canadian airmen who crashed on Bulbarrow in 1943.
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December 2019
Left: Members of Blandford's two Masonic Lodges.
Standard bearers lead the Blandford Town Council representatives as the Mayor, Councillor Lynn Lindsay, takes the salute with the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Oliver Chamberlain.
Cubs and Scouts on parade.
Standards lowered for The Last Post. • From Page 8 county, military, service and youth groups, whose large contingents, following the lowering and raising of standards for the Last Post and Reveille and reciting of the Kohima Epitaph, then paraded in large numbers led by the Stour Valley Band. Wreaths commemorating Jack Counter, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his courage in World War I, were laid by the Mayor, Councillor Lynn Lindsay, and Jack Counter's great-niece Jackie Counter on the commemorative stone near the Town Pump. His picture was displayed in the Corn Exchange at the reception which followed. A Remembrance service followed in the Parish Church, led by Canon Triffitt with participants including Blandford Garrison Chaplain the Rev John Jamieson, Major Jones, Rob Chalkley and Colonel Mike
Morton. There was an address by Blandford & Langton Long's Assistant Curate the Rev Neil Robertson, who said Remembrance was one moment in the year which reminded how to give, how to serve, how to be human and humane, and that those in military service shared a desire to serve others and do good. Prayers were led by members of Blandford youth organisations, the Collect for Remembrance was read by Emma Carmichael Co-Senior Pastor of Blandford Evangelical Church, and the Act of Commitment led by the Rev Andy Hall of Blandford United Reformed Church. There was a retiring collection for the Poppy Appeal. On Monday, November 11, Armistice Day - the 100th anniversary of the first twominute silence called for by King • To Page 10
Turn to Page 10
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December 2019 CHILDREN from Durweston CE VA Primary School gathered with parents and villagers to celebrate Remembrance Day in a very moving service. The bells were rung and the children were led singing into church by a standard bearer from the Royal British Legion. After more singing, poems and prayers, the two-minute silence was introduced by the playing of The Last Post and ended with Reveille. After the service, the children, again led by the standard of the Royal British Legion, walked to the war memorial to lay a cross they had made.
George V in November 1919 there was again the largest gathering for many years in the Market Place for an Act of Remembrance and two minutes' silence, which was broadcast on television among those held at towns across the south. The ceremonies were organised in partnership between the town council, Blandford Garrison, the Parish Church, the Police, the Blandford & District Royal British Legion and Stour Valley Band.
Blandford Royal British Legion branch members.
The St John Badgers.
The Blandford Guides.
Beavers and Cubs.
Blandford Brownies followed by the Masons.
Soldiers salute the Mayor and Deputy Lord Lieutenant.
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December 2019
Villagers gather at historic memorial REMEMBRANCE in Child Okeford this year had a double significance, being not only the 100th anniversary of the first twominute silence but also of the erection of the village war memorial in memory of the 28 from the village killed in World War I. The Wayside Cross, for which funds were raised in less than 12 months by public subscription, was dedicated on November 6, 1919, by the Bishop of Salisbury The Right Rev Frederick Edward Ridgeway, who also dedicated the west window of the church given in memory of Lieutenant Raymond Bower by his parents. This year at the Remembrance Day gathering the arenas of conflict in which armed forces have served since World War Two were read rather than the names of the three from Child Okeford and Hanford who fell in World
The gathering at the Wayside Cross war memorial in Child Okeford. War Two and the 28 who fell in World War One. Rector and Rural Dean, The Rev Lydia Cook, writing in the parish magazine, said the ceremony had been revised "to both honour the dead but also bring to mind the sacrifice of armed forces in more recent times and the burden of peacekeeping that falls on a smaller number of people than in the past." On Armistice Day, another twominute silence was observed at the war memorial during a cere-
mony attended by local schoolchildren, at which the names of the fallen were read before the exhortation and the silence. Wreaths were laid by the children and others, and in recognition of the part played by animals in war, people were invited to bring horses, dogs and other animals to the ceremony. On Remembrance Day, there were gatherings at each of the village and roadside memorials and at Blandford Camp in the morning.
More pictures of Remembrance events can be found at forumfocus.co.uk
Knitted poppies made by some of the members and a friend of Blandford Bowling Club contributed to this magnificent display at the entrance to the clubhouse in Remembrance of the Fallen. Donations were collected on behalf of the Royal British Legion.
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December 2019
Four to contest North Dorset seat NOMINATIONS closed on November 14 to reveal just four candidates for North Dorset in the General Election on Thursday December 12. The line-up confirmed was of Conservative Simon Hoare, who has represented the constituency since 2015, Labour's Pat Osborne, the Liberal Democrats' David Chadwick, and the Green Party's Ken Huggins. Early indications were that five would be contesting the seat, including Brexit candidate Tim Page, who together with his supporters, has conducted a highprofile campaign with stalls regularly in attendance on market days in Blandford. But the announcement by Brexit leader Nigel Farage that they would not be contesting seats secured by the Conservatives at the last election has led to Mr Page switching his candidature to the Labour-held seat of Bristol East. A pre-election husting was hosted in Blandford Parish Church on
Wednesday November 20 when the Rector, the Rev Canon Jonathan Triffitt, chaired the panel of candidates who faced pre-submitted questions from the audience. The voter registration deadline was on November 26, as was the date to register for postal voting, and the deadline to register for proxy voting is 5pm on December 4. On December 12, polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm, and the result will be known by lunchtime the following day after all votes have been counted. At the 2017 election, the turnout was 73 per cent, resulting in a 46.3 per cent majority (25,777 votes) for Conservative Simon Hoare. Labour's Pat Osborne came second with 18.6 per cent (10,392 votes), and Liberal Democrat Thomas Panton was third with 13.5 per cent (7,556 votes. The Green Party's John Tutton secured 2.9 per cent (1,607 votes).
Conservative
Green
Simon Hoare
Ken Huggins
SINCE election in 2015, Simon has campaigned for the needs of North Dorset, including securing investment in the A350/C13, provision of new housing, funding for rural schools and local community hospitals. Educated in state schools, Simon, who is 50 and lives in Lydlinch with his wife Kate and three daughters - two at school in Marnhull and the eldest just started at Gillingham - puts huge energy into delivering quality education to provide the best start in life for our young people. He has worked closely with broadband and mobile providers to deliver improvements to local coverage which is vital for small businesses. He is a user of, and champion for, the NHS, and a Friend of Blandford Hospital. He has spoken regularly in Parliament on the importance of community hospitals and the need to attract GPs to work in Dorset. He will ensure that North Dorset receives its proper share of new police funding, robust anti-drugs local policing, and the reopening of the custody suite in Blandford.
KEN Huggins joined the Green Party in 2014 because of his growing awareness of the negative influence of corporate and vested interests in UK politics, and the failure of the political system to represent the whole electorate. His campaign is based on urgent and appropriate action on the climate and ecological crisis; resolving Brexit through a referendum on any proposed settlement with the EU; genuinely affordable local housing and the creation of green jobs. Living in Dorset for 11 years and a parish councillor since 2013, he has worked on turning neglected parish land into wildlife habitat, assessing local green spaces for protection under a Neighbourhood Plan and as coorganiser of a Dorset environmental group and transition project. Deeply concerned at the total inadequacy of present government policies to address climate change, he says: "The next parliament term covers half the time the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has given to prevent runaway global warming.
He is also a regular visitor to Blandford Camp, which is such an important part of the life and economy of the town, and works closely with Blandford Town Council. He is fully committed to working alongside local communities to address the Climate Emergency and will continue to press for action in Westminster. If reelected, his next Climate Emergency meeting will take place in Blandford, where his constituency office is based. He has served in Parliament on the Commons Liaison, Regulatory Reform, Welsh Affairs, Speaker's Advisory on Works of Art and Procedure Committees, and since June 2019 has been chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs committee.
The next UK government will need to take the issue far more seriously than our present government has done." Totally opposed to the environmental damage and health risks of fracking, he backs Green Party policies to develop a genuinely sustainable local economy, provide genuinely affordable lowenergy housing, give better funding to public services and transport, and make Dorset the first county powered 100 per cent by renewable energy. He will work to reverse the UK's reliance on imported food, and modern farming practices which result in the degradation of the environment and contribute to climate change. His emphasis will be on supporting smaller scale farmers in adopting the organic forms of farming needed to address the ecological crisis.
December 2019
Labour
Liberal Democrat
Pat Osborne
David Chadwick
PAT Osborne, who grew up in Gillingham and now lives in Blandford with his wife and their young family, said: "People in North Dorset don't need someone coming down from London, or Paris, or Brussels, or anywhere else, telling us what's good for us. "Whether we've always lived here, or found home here more recently, we're quite capable of figuring out what's best for our communities, and we're quite capable of standing on our own two feet - so long as we're given the same chances as everyone else." Mr Osborne, a transformation manager for a Dorset-based insurance company, has served his community as a town councillor for a number of years and is chair of Blandford Forum Town Council's climate change working group and a founding member of Blandford War on Waste. He said: "We need our fair share of adequately funded public services and regional investment and someone with strong roots in our
DAVID Chadwick says the country is facing a perfect storm of crises in housing, climate change and Brexit, and if nothing is done to fix the problems soon, those living in and around Blandford, North Dorset and the entire British Isles will be left to deal with the catastrophic consequences. "North Dorset is suffering from neglect - public services have been run down and structural solutions rather than short-term cash pledges are needed. "With the average first deposit on a house now ÂŁ32,841, home ownership levels are falling fast and people are unable to start families due to the lack of affordable accommodation, passing one generation's problems to the next. "Brexit will do nothing to solve climate change, but will hit particularly hard in North Dorset, where there are 42 nurses from EU member states working in hospitals and farmers will lose their subsidies and be hit by tariffs of an average of 23 per cent. It will also be much harder to tackle organised crime in the country-
community and a stake in our future as a local voice for North Dorset in Westminster. That's what I offer. A local voice for North Dorset." As a Remain campaigner in the Brexit referendum, he says: A 'public vote' is the only credible way of ending the Brexit chaos and healing our divided country and communities. Until the Lib Dems changed their minds about a People's Vote, it was clear to me that Parliament was heading towards the same conclusion. Instead they've opted for a divisive and undemocratic policy of revoking Article 50." "A hard Brexit would be a disaster for North Dorset so the priority must be to continue to keep that off the table."
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side if we leave Eurojust, Europol and the European Arrest Warrant." He says the Liberal Democrats have policies to fix the pressing concerns the government has been avoiding: tackling the climate emergency, introducing lifelong learning funds for every citizen and empowering local councils to build affordable housing in which the private sector is not interested. "In 1945 North Dorset turned to Liberalism to build a county fit for the future and that's what we are going to do again. The Liberal Democrats are the only party that can keep the United Kingdom together and maintain its influence on the world stage through international co-operation."
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Readers’ letters
December 2019 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
Competition for chemist
not apply to those of us who will be taking medication for the rest of our lives. Sick and tired of this. Chris Norman, Pimperne.
BOOTS has, for some unknown reason, been allowed a monopoly position in the town. With no competition it is overpriced and gives poor service. Until at least one more competitor is allowed into the town, nothing will change. As pointed out by RFC Skinner (October letters) the latest change to one-month prescriptions is a waste of pharmacists' time, doctors' time and most of all our time. Going from four trips a year to 12 trips a year costs me time and money which noone will take into consideration. Are Boots making more money by this change somehow? It has been forced through by the NHS bureaucrats against the wishes of many doctors and against logic, since the reasons given do
Hospital role JUST an idea for prescriptions: could the NHS have a dispensary point in the hospital in Milldown Road? It seems to take a while for scrips to be filled in Boots. I am sure it's not the assistants' fault - there are just not enough of them. Karen Bain, Address supplied
Toys galore BLANDFORD Rotary has just completed its 'Toys for Christmas Appeal'. Thanks in large part to the publicity in Forum Focus we have had a tremendous response with over 600 toys,
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.
books, games and puzzles. These will now be distributed to deserving local charities. I would like to give our heartfelt thanks to all those who came to see us with their donations. The weather was not kind to us but people turned up in spite of the howling gales and heavy rainfall. Thanks to you all. Steve Adamson Blandford Rotary
Top Marks for service THIS being the season of goodwill, I should like to use the platform of your letters pages to publicly acknowledge the consistently excellent service provided by staff at Blandford's Marks & Spencer store. I am a widower still trying to negotiate the various challenges of being a solo and inexperienced shopper, and as a fairly frequent M&S customer, I am invariably impressed by the cheerful and helpful team who work there. So many people nowadays seem to grumble about poor service in shops elsewhere so it is nice, in Blandford, to be able to hand out some praise. I wonder if other readers have shop staff that they would like to highlight? Name & address supplied.
Exercise and a laugh SOME time ago a physiotherapist working at Blandford Hospital suggested I visit the splendid team of volunteers working in the old Blandford dance studio offering exercises for the mature person who might be able to assist me in keeping hold of my twig! Well, I thought, what have I to lose? Marylyn made me feel very welcome and the session started with a chat and a cup of tea. I was most impressed and still attend her wonderful class when I am able. I then noticed lots of other courses being held at the Studio, in
particular a Tai Chi session which sounded fascinating. I sent a message to Geoffrey Bellinger, the instructor, asking if I could attend and so far, I haven't looked back. Geoffrey is a real Dorset character, who teaches the centuries-old exercises in a very relaxed and informal way. The exercises are slow, the movements attempted are very graceful, stretching and flowing in time to the eerie Chinese music - a great way to spend an hour, making me realise there's life in the old girl yet! The other members of the group are a great bunch and accept that I may not be as sprightly as I once was, but nonetheless I'm still full of enthusiasm and enjoy a good laugh. The folk of Blandford are so blessed to have such dedicated professionals offering their services to ensure the wellbeing of the local people. Della Jones , Address supplied
On the mend TO the people of Blandford Forum: thank you for all the prayers, flowers, get well cards and visitors during October when I was very unwell in Dorset County Hospital. I am making good progress at home. My sincere thanks to you all. Stephanie Bishop Address supplied. BLANDFORD Art Society's second members' exhibition in The Blandford Museum opened on November 4 and will remain on display until January 3. Members have all been busy since their open exhibition in August and are offering a wide range of styles and subjects in what is a quite compact exhibition area. It is likely, therefore, that the pictures hung, many exhibited for the first time, will be changed at least once during the period. The Museum is open from 11am to 3pm daily, excluding Wednesdays and December 23 to 26. For further information about the exhibition and the society, ring Judith Ryde on 01202 848832.
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December 2019
Letters extra Fireworks have had their day I AM well aware of our country's reason for celebrating Guy Fawkes Night, but over 400 years have passed since some people with opposing thoughts to the Government of the day were punished. It was then considered right to celebrate with bonfires and fireworks throughout the country but today's society is more affluent and rather than just community celebrations, many families use the occasion to have their own fireworks party on the date convenient for them. So in the weeks before and after November 5, we have rockets soaring through the skies, billowing their many colours and accompanied by screeching noises and explosions. We experience the noises that people sitting in their homes on the Falls Road in Northern Ireland at the times of the Troubles experienced and those that inhabitants of countries suffering civil unrest
experience. These are not the noises of happiness or pleasure but noises that distress many, including the young, elderly, ex-military personnel with health problems and many sectors of society. Our animals are petrified, some die through fright, and horses and farm animals run around their enclosures in fear. Surprisingly the aggressive animal welfare groups are silent on this matter. Fireworks are explosive devices that if used incorrectly can maim or kill living beings. Potential catastrophes are waiting to happen somewhere near you, and the idea of someone making a bulk purchase to cause serious harm may have been thought silly before planes were used to demolish buildings. In today's society many less dangerous items are banned or restricted. There need to be restrictions and/or licensing for when and by whom they can be used. Name & address supplied
Globalisation is taking a toll THE recent letters in Forum Focus reflect the day-to-day customer experience and present a doubtless true, though much but regretted, picture in respect of customer service and bad experience from Boots in Blandford. I suspect that many reasons for dissatisfaction and complaints are based upon the majority of customers remembering what Boots used to be like, with its admired standing in the UK retail trade. Most still have an idea of the chain as if it was still a local, 'cosy', and reliable chemist/pharmacy. Alas, this is not the picture today. I fear that the apparent deterioration in customer satisfaction is yet another example of an old, familiar name now operating within a much larger operation.
One suspects that individual branches have operating 'rules' and policies decided increasingly by the main ownership multinationals whose administrators, commercial management and owners operate far removed from their customers' daily lives and all too often from several thousand miles away. We are experiencing daily and directly the phenomena and effect of globalisation and are at the mercy of huge, remote corporations. One might justifiably tremble and fear the possibility of the now much-talked-of US trade deals outside of existing European trade agreements. What marginal, yet creeping, privatisation has already occurred (outsourcing some services and specialist treatments, etc) will be as noth-
ing compared to what Trump et al will do if their corporations and profit-motivated organisations get their hands on our wonderful, free-at-point of use, NHS. Stuart Booth Blandford Forum
PA system below par MY wife and I attended the Remembrance parade in the Market Place on Sunday November 10 and were pleased to see that so many people had attended to show their respect, including many families. However, we were stood directly opposite the Corn Exchange and, like many other people around us, were disappointed with the poor quality of the public address system. We were unable to hear much of what was said as the wreaths were laid and I would hope that the Town Council are informed of this. We hope they will make a much greater effort next year to improve the PA system, if they wish to attract as many people to this event, so that at least people can hear what is going on. David Hiscock Address supplied
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December 2019
Worthy causes benefit from brewery fund MORE than £26,000 was distributed to 22 local causes across the south-west at the 18th annual Hall & Woodhouse Community Chest awards ceremony held at the Crown Hotel in Blandford. The event is also supported by Blackmore Vale Media and the Dorset Community Foundation. Mark Woodhouse, family director of brewers Hall & Woodhouse, said: "We are tremendously proud of our Community Chest awards scheme and the thousands of people it has helped since it began 18 years ago." He said there had been over 300 applications for a total of nearly £600,000. "It is always a very difficult process as there are so many worthy causes in need of aid. Ultimately, we select the charities that require our support to provide long-term benefits to the wider community." Three of the recipients - the Blandford Fashion Museum,
Luccombe Hub and the Friends of Milborne St Andrew First School were from the DT11 area. The Fashion Museum's £1,615 will replace the worn carpets at Lime Tree House in The Plocks where over 5,000 costumes and artefacts are housed for display, helped by 'The Heritage Ladies', who meet on Wednesdays to look after and preserve the collection under the guidance of its curator, Stella Walker. They sew calico shoulder covers for the clothes, wraps for the Kathryn Reed and Jean Longley of the Blandford very delicate parasols and umbrellas, and help Fashion Museum with their cheque for £1,615. with taking down and clay modelling, stonemasonry, setting up exhibits when the jewellery making or anything else museum is closed from creative that is of interest. December through to midAn alternative form of education February. Volunteers interested in is provided in an outdoor theraserving in the tearoom or at the peutic environment for children front desk at the museum are and young people who are welcome to call in on any unable to access mainstream Monday morning for a coffee and education due to a range of chat. social and communication probLuccombe Hub's £3,000 will lems that can result in challengallow the Milton Abbas-based ing behaviour. charity buy laptops and similar The £965 awarded to Milborne St equipment for the children and Andrew First School will pay for young people using the services. new play equipment, a climber The Hub was launched alongside and slide. EAQ Luccombe, which opened in Applications will be open for the 2017 to offer equine-assisted 2020 Community Chest awards learning, with an art room where in March. For more information learners can indulge in painting, see hall-woodhouse.co.uk.
Henri Monier-Williams, founder and owner of Luccombe Hub, and her colleague Helen Heathfield-White receive a cheque for £3,000 from Grant Robson of sponsors the Dorset Community Foundation.
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December 2019
Charlotte’s dancers are stepping up A BLANDFORD-based dance academy founded by a 17-yearold three years ago now has a successful group of competition teams in addition to weekly classes.
Charlotte Fernandes.
Dance Days Academy - DDA was started by Charlotte Fernandes who provided dance workshops during the school holidays which became regular weekly classes where students learn hip hop and lyrical. Charlotte also choreographs and trains her competition teams, DDA Elite, DDA Youth Group and DDA Minis in her team classes. The Elite team's success over months of previous competitions qualified them to compete in the recent Great British Street Dancing Championship, where they came second. The Elite dancers also qualified to compete in the solo and duo categories, coming home with many finalists and winners, now street dance champions, among the hundreds of dancers entered. Their next competition is in early December, and Charlotte herself, who came home with two world titles from the World Championships in August, will be appearing in the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Tivoli.
The Dance Days Academy Elite team.
Village stages gift appeal THE Church Room in Charlton Marshall will be opening its doors on Saturday December 7 from 10am to 2pm for the donations of new and unwrapped children's Christmas gifts for the 'Wave105 Mission Christmas - Cash for Kids' appeal. The appeal helps to make a difference to those children in danger of waking up to no presents on Christmas Day. A raffle, lucky dip and refreshments will be available, and youngsters will also be invited to make their own reindeer food ready for the big day.
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December 2019
Time to celebrate the season E
NJOY the Blandford Yuletide Festival on Wednesday December 11 even more this year with live singing and music on stage in the Market Place. Carol singing will be led by the acclaimed 'Decibelles' Winterborne Kingston choir, and the programme will include Stagecoach Performing Arts, the Blandford and Shaftesbury Performing Arts children's choirs, the hit choir Blandford ROKiT of Teddy Rocks fame performing a medley of Christmas songs, Sam Ryall and his Blandford Ukulele Group and local singer and guitarist Nick Tatham. Town centre streets will be closed at 4pm in preparation for the festival, which starts with stalls and shops open at 5pm. Schools and youth groups and their parents taking part in the lantern parade will be gathering in the short-stay car park at Langton Road, where the longstay area will offer free parking from 11.30am. The parade, starting at 6pm and led by Father Christmas and the Blandford Stour Valley Band, will
go along East Street, up Church Lane into The Plocks, down Salisbury Street, into the Market Place and come to a halt in front of the church for the community carol singing accompanied by the Blandford Stour Valley Brass Band. The entertainment includes Santa and a variety of charity fundraising and craft stalls in the Corn Exchange, a festival of lights and refreshments in the church, a craft fair, local producers and Christmas stalls at the Crown Hotel, and market stalls in the streets. A firework display at 8.30pm heralds the festival end at 9pm, and the roads reopen at 10pm. It is hoped that a small surplus from last year, sponsorship from brewers Hall and Woodhouse and others, and proceeds from those taking part will cover the costs of the festival, and allow any surplus to fund future events organised by representatives of many of the town's community groups. There is no charge for entrance but collectors will invite contributions.
Members of the Blandford Methodist Church Lunch Club with the 22 shoeboxes they and other Church members helped to fill and decorate for the Rotary Shoebox Appeal.
Festival street plans ROAD closures in East Street, Market Place, West Street (from the Crown Hotel and River Mews), Salisbury Street, Church Lane, The Plocks and Sheep Market Hill begin at 4pm. There will also be two-way traffic on White Cliff Mill Street, allowing access to the surgeries, churches, car parks and adjacent streets, but no access between White Cliff Mill Street and Bryanston Street. The taxi ranks will be relocated to the Marsh and Ham car park and the junction of Wimborne Road with Langton Road, and bus diversions for the X3, X8, X10, X12 and X20 have been posted on the website at blandford-yuletide-festival.org.uk. A litter monitoring activity will be conducted during the event by a representative of 'Litter Free Dorset' in conjunction with the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP), Cleanup Blandford Campaign (CUBC) and Blandford War on Waste (WOW). The DWP has been asked to ensure the bins are clear beforehand, and clear plastic bags will be used by CUBC to collect the litter which will then be sorted, measured, reviewed and audited before removal.
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December 2019
The Beatles sound is coming to town A FEW years ago, while sorting through his sheet music, legendary sax player Howie Casey came across some of the songs he used to play with the Beatles and Wings in the 60s and 70s. Howie, who has performed all over the world in rock, jazz and R & B bands, says: "Working with Paul and Wings was one of the best periods of my life as a sax player, starting in the early 70s with 'Band On The Run' and being asked to tour on the first and second world tours and recording 'Wings At The Speed of Sound', 'Wings Over America'
School screenings for culture lovers RESIDENTS of Blandford and the surrounding area now have the opportunity to see spectacular performances from the Royal Opera House at the Coade Hall at Bryanston School. Public screenings of acclaimed stage productions from the Covent Garden theatre in London will start on Tuesday December 17 with a recorded broadcast of a special performance of the Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker, originally filmed in 2016, and a real festive favourite. Bryanston has also been granted special permission to repeat the screening the following day for the exclusive benefit of pupils from primary schools in the Blandford Schools' Network, of which Bryanston is a member. Further live and recorded screenings in 2020 include ballets Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and The Dante Project, and operas such as Puccini's La Bohème, Beethoven's Fidelio, Strauss's adaptation of Elektra and the Olivier award-winning production of Cavalleria rusti-
cana and Pagliacci. "We're absolutely delighted to be able to offer communities across North Dorset the opportunity to see live performances from the Royal Opera House without actually having to travel too far from home," says Mark Mortimer, headmaster of Bryanston School. "We are also keen to ensure that young people across the area not only have the chance to find inspiration in first-class West End productions, but also to fulfil their own aspirations in the performing arts. "This is why we're working closely with the Blandford Schools' Network - to widen access to such cultural events and give local children in the area more opportunities to experience and enjoy creativity." Bryanston offers bursaries in the performing arts and net proceeds from ticket sales, priced at £16.50 for adults, £13.50 for concessions and £10.50 for under 18s, will go towards supporting and facilitating this.
Beatles with Wings, who will be playing in the Corn Exchange on Friday December 13. and many more projects." In 1960 he formed the Liverpool band Howie Casey & the Seniors, who went to Germany and started the rock & roll connection between Hamburg and Liverpool, paving the way for many bands including the Beatles. They played regularly with the Beatles, had Stuart Sutcliffe as a member and were Liverpool's first R & R band to record with a major record label (Fontana). Leafing through the papers, the idea sprang to mind of forming a new band celebrating the fabulous music of Paul McCartney, the Beatles and Wings. So the band began to form, with help from other experienced and professional musician friends, and over the last couple of years, Beatles with Wings, with a 12-strong line-up including Howie himself on tenor sax, has performed at sell-out shows around the UK. They will be in Blandford Corn Exchange on Friday December 13 at 7.30pm.
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Rotary’s competition is a short story of success THE stories flowed thick and fast in Blandford Parish Centre on November 1 when Blandford Rotary staged their fifth annual short story competition awards evening. MC John Bentley said the judging panel had found a breathtaking ingenuity in choice of subject matter in a record number of entries from across the south and even Australia, and lead judge Nick Allen said those shortlisted had been up against very stiff competition in the quality of story-telling. Other judges with the task of allocating a total of over £600 in prize money, together with cups and vouchers from sponsors Beatons, Blandford Fashion Museum and Morrisons, were Pam Fudge and Sandra Crook (prose) and Sarah Acton for the new poetry section, sponsored by Lesley Shand Funeral Service. Town Mayor Lynn Lindsay, who presented the open winner's award, sponsored by Blandford Town Council, said the competition had gone from strength to strength in attracting new and established writers since it was first staged five years ago. Rotarian Adrian Ford was thanked for his hard work as organiser, and Colin Fletcher and Phil Lester-Shaw were thanked for introductory and interval music. A total of 22 shortlisted entries were read, either by their authors or by Rotary readers, in the five categories. An appreciative audience heard first the under-18 entries which all came from Clayesmore School.
December 2019
Richard Taylor, winner of the Trafalgar Way section.
Shortlisted authors and category winners pictured with MC John Bentley, Rotary President Jim Atkins and Town Mayor Lynn Lindsay. Two from runner-up George Townsend and Isobel Baines, were 'alternative' Cinderella tales produced as part of a school project, but the winner was announced as 12-year-old Sadie Ponde with an astonishingly mature and disturbing tale 'Empty Words', developed after an original written under test conditions at school. Next came entries based on The Trafalgar Way - the historic ride via Blandford with news of Nelson's death and victory - in which Richard Taylor was judged the winner for his story of a powder-boy who deputised for the slain Nelson to boost the morale of the troops. Runner-up was Sheena Dereness. There were eight shortlisted poems, some remarkable in their concise but emotive clarity, includ-
Open category winner Keith Sparrow receives his trophy from Town Mayor Lynn Lindsay.
ing those of runner-up Frances Colville and third-placed Pene Davis, but the winner was David Bamber of Dorchester with a lyrical, evocative and descriptive piece 'The Lane to Waddock'. Mr Bentley gave an assurance that there had been a lot of entries in the flash fiction category before Cathryn Imogen Thomas of Blandford presented all three of the shortlisted entries, each offering an entertaining twist to her stories of less than 250 words, with 'Lonely Hearts' - speed dating to re-home a dog - judged the winner. They were followed by the five shortlisted in the open category, won with a mouth-watering tale confidently presented by Keith Sparrow from Cornwall of 'The Best Pasty' (which turned out to have come from Cornwall via the Trafalgar Way to Blandford Forum!). The runner-up was Francine Collison and third Frances Colville.
Under-18 category winner Sadie Ponde.
Flash Fiction winner Cathryn Imogen Thomas.
David Bamber receives his trophy as poetry section winner from Kathryn Clark of sponsors Lesley Shand Funeral Service.
December 2019
Planners turn down scheme to build 68 village homes PROPOSALS for 68 homes on the site of the Dorset Self Storage Company and disused chicken sheds at Gold Hill business park in Child Okeford have been rejected by Dorset Council. The outline application by Paddock Green Ltd to determine access followed refusal of an outline application for 50 homes in 2016, before the district's new housing supply was found to be under five years. It was opposed by residents, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and Child Okeford
Parish Council on the grounds of satellite development outside the village settlement boundary, which had previously been rejected. It was refused under delegated officer powers in line with the recommendation of planning officer Robert Lennis, who said: "A social benefit of the proposed development would be an increase in the choice and supply of homes within this part of Dorset and it would assist in meeting housing need for the district. There would also be
ANOTHER new business has opened on Glenmore Business Park, where a grand opening and informal networking event was held at Oldfield Print & Embroidery. Business partners Simon Oldfield, who has been in business for many years but only recently moved to Dorset, and Nicky Spencer (pictured left and right) are hoping to benefit all businesses in the area with their branded workwear, printing, signs and other items to be found in an extensive catalogue of products. They are also offering discounts and support to local charities, some of whom have already had items from them.
some economic benefit during construction, and later with residents supporting local businesses, services and facilities. "However, in terms of environmental impact, development sites within the countryside should be meeting local need or demonstrate an overriding need for this type of development. This need has not been established. "This development would not integrate with the character of the landscape or the village of Child Okeford and would also have a harmful impact on the setting of the Child Okeford Conservation Area. These are adverse impacts that would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits." He said the argument that the removal of the chicken sheds would improve the appearance if replaced by housing was accepted, and the loss of employment also weighed against the proposal.
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Road death of woman, 77 A WOMAN who died in a singlevehicle collision when her car left the road and crashed into a tree at Badbury Rings on September 28 has been named as Jane Susan Whitham, 77, of Market Place, Blandford. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on the B3082 at the junction with New Road just after 6pm, and an inquest opening was told that Mrs Whitham's Mazda left the road to its nearside. Police and paramedics attended. Assistant Dorset Coroner Brendan Allen was told Mrs Whitham died of multiple injuries and was identified by DNA analysis. The inquest was adjourned until May 14. A death notice described her as a much-loved mother, nan, great nan, sister and dear friend to many and who would be greatly missed by all. A funeral service was held on November 1 at the Harbour View Crematorium, Lytchett Minster.
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December 2019
The View from the Hill by George Hosford More from George on viewfromthehill.org.uk
T
HE incessant rain has continued to soak the soil making it very difficult to progress with our autumn crop sowing. It is many years since we sowed wheat in November and I only hope that it will manage to germinate as the days get shorter and colder, and that we get some kind of crop next year. Many farmers have sown very little at all this autumn and next year's harvest is already sure to be reduced in size. To escape from the wet Dorset autumn, we took a trip with a group of local farmers to an equally wet Sussex to visit the Knepp Castle Estate on a day when fortunately the sun shone. The owners of this 3,500-acre estate were farming conventionally in the 1990s, but finding it very hard to make a living from dairying and cropping on heavy clay soils which are difficult to farm successfully. So they took the brave (some would say mad) decision to change direction radically. They stopped milking and sold their cows, they stopped growing crops and left the land to do as it pleased. They brought in animals that most closely resemble ancient species, most of which are now extinct in the
Tamworth pigs (above) and Old Longhorn cattle (above right). Pictures from the Knepp website (Knepp.co.uk) wildlife gallery. UK, with the aim of letting the animals and the land find an equilibrium that would have maximum benefit for the environment, providing habitat for many species that have been squeezed out over recent decades by intensive farming. The animals they chose include Old English Longhorn cattle and Tamworth pigs, most closely resembling the dangerous wild boar. The estate is also home to herds of red, roe and fallow deer and Exmoor ponies, whose different grazing and browsing styles are at different heights of vegetation. One of the interesting features is finding seedling oaks growing up among a protective collar of thorn or bramble, which stops the animals from eating them whilst they grow to a size that will withstand some browsing. The estate is also taking part in a stork re-introduction project. Fifty young storks are wingclipped and kept in a six-acre enclosure. After two or three years they can be considered 'hefted' to the area (like sheep on hill farms), and lose the desire to migrate south annually. Huge numbers of migratory storks are lost in the annual migration from Europe to Africa, and the last native storks of the UK were killed in the 17th century by order of Charles II, who
decided that they should be done away with as they were seen as emblems of revolutionaries. The project aims to reestablish a UK-based population and increase areas of wild land to provide enough habitat. Estate owner Charlie Burrell made no secret of the financial consequences of their decision. In most years under the old regime, they lost money, and by the time they made their change were in debt to the tune of ÂŁ1.2 million, a huge amount of money 20 years ago. By selling all their grain, machinery, livestock and milk quota, they cleared their debts, ending up at ground zero. They obtained public funds to help them remove all internal fencing and ring-fence the estate, high enough to be deer proof, to keep the animals in. Buildings that were previously cattle sheds and grain stores now bring in substantial rents and grants from government bodies for land management and conservation work make up a quarter of turnover. Another quarter comes from tourism, seven per cent from meat sales, leaving around 45 per cent from property rentals. Their funding flow now, after 18 years of rewilding, is far better than when they were farming conventionally.
Charlie's wife Isabella Tree's book 'Wilding' explains the thinking and process of rewilding of the estate since 2000 and is fascinating, thought provoking and a very useful contribution to the ongoing debate on food and land use. The project has allowed nature to bloom. Surveys show that many rare species have flourished with bird, bat, small mammal and insect life, some previously thought close to extinction. It shows that farmland needs careful stewardship and that land which cannot produce food economically can be returned to nature to balance food production with a healthy environment. There needs to be room for nature between the crops and animals. Is it entirely sensible to be growing grain crops to feed to animals in intensely farmed systems, when up to 90% of the grain's value is lost when fed to animals rather than directly consumed by humans? Simply going vegan or turning the whole of the UK into a Knepp-style wilderness is clearly not the answer. But what is clear is that it is a complicated story. More research is needed, and more commitment by government and non-governmental organisations required, to properly address finding the right balance.
December 2019
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News from the Surgeries Reducing the stress of Christmas! Christmas is a time when we celebrate with family and friends - so what can possibly be stressful? Stress can occur when an individual is faced with something they think they will have difficulty dealing with. Headaches, stomach disorders, muscle tension, anxiety or irritability are the common signs. What are some of the common causes of stress at Christmas? 1, Overstretched credit cards and bank accounts. 2, Eating what you know is not good for you, due to a health condition, and then regretting it at leisure. 3, Tired bodies and minds. 4, Family rows. 5, Planes, trains and motorways - travelling can be a nightmare! So what can do to try and prevent stress at Christmas? 1, Look after ourselves! 2, Exercise. Including some exercise each day can really pay enormous dividends. 3, Do try to stick to any strict diet guidelines. 4, Avoid burning the candle at both ends. Sleep is vital. 5, A small handmade gift can mean an awful lot more than big expensive presents. 6, If travelling, plan well in advance. 7, Worried about what to do at Christmas? There may be someone in a similar situation with whom you could join forces.
The Blandford Group Practice opening hours over the festive period • Normal hours Tuesday 24th, Friday 27th, Tuesday 31st December and Thursday 2nd January • Closed: Wednesday 25th December, Thursday 26th December and Wednesday 1st January When the surgery is closed • Call 999 in an emergency - chest pains and/or shortness of breath • Contact NHS 111 if you or a member of your family become ill and you are concerned - not for routine enquiries. Check your repeat medications Put in a request in good time if one is needed over the holiday period, especially if you're going away. And finally Make sure you have a good stock of over the counter medicines for those coughs, colds, tummy upsets and headaches. Wishing you all a very Happy & Healthy Christmas and New Year!
Ghostly warnings TWENTY-ONE 'ghost' hedgehogs appeared by the roadsides in and around Pimperne in late November to raise awareness of the vulnerability of the local hedgehog population. Each white-painted wooden sign marked the location of where a hedgehog had been run over during 2019. The idea came from the members of the Hedgehog Friendly group, who, along with many other villagers, have been distressed by the unnecessary loss of so many hedgehogs. Local co-ordinator Jo Gilmore said: "All the signs have been made by a fantastic resident. Other towns and villages in the Dorset-wide scheme have since expressed interest in repeating a similar idea next year." She added: "It's not all doom and gloom - there is lots to celebrate, with caring villagers feeding, watering and looking out for our hedgehogs, and crucially ensuring there are more 'hedgehog highways' between gardens to allow them to forage more safely."
ANGUS Wood in St Leonard's Avenue, Blandford, now has a new noticeboard for the display of information about its management by the Blandford Environmental Trust. Trust committee member Nic Nicol, treasurer Geoff Poskett, chairman Jenny Thompson and vice-chairman Steve Adamson are pictured at the noticeboard, which was built at material cost price by the Men's Shed and funded by Blandford Rotary.
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Ian’s misty shot seals tree prize THE winner of Blandford Town Council's first tree photography competition, Ian Fox, has been presented with the cup sponsored by Councillor Noc Lacey-Clarke. The competition was initiated by the council's tree officer Councillor Doro Russell to celebrate trees in and around the town. Mr Fox unveiled a new cherry tree, chosen for its benefit to wildlife, planted in the Woodhouse Garden in recognition of winning the competition and was presented with the Lacey-Clarke Cup, which will be passed on to future winners. He said his photo was taken near the bench overlooking the weir on the river Stour. "I am often along the riverside with my camera, usually with a telephoto lens. That morning I took a smaller lens to take shots of the early morning mist with hopefully some orange light through it. I think the result made the hassle of carrying more kit worthwhile."
The winner of the Town Council's first tree photography competition Ian Fox with his trophy.
December 2019
NEWS in BRIEF AGE Concern Blandford is seeking volunteers to help in the office giving advice and information to older people. Only a few hours are sought between 10am to 1pm on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday morning for a very interesting and satisfying position. Anyone interested should contact the office by phone on 01258 458250, by email on ageconcernblandford@talk21.co m or just call into the office at 4 Nightingale Court. ••••• DORSET Blind Association has social clubs around the county for people with partial sight or low vision. The Blandford club meets monthly for entertainment, outings and a chance to chat. Transport is provided. Anyone who would like to attend should call Leah on 07789 997620.
Violinist wows the Artsreach audience The winning picture 'Misty Weir Pool'.
THE first of two Artsreach offerings in Blandford this autumn was the visit of award-winning Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis and his trio for a breathtaking instrumental show in the Parish Church which really lived up to its promise. More than 150 people enjoyed a programme which ranged from J.S. Bach to Stephane Grappelli. Earlier in the day the trio led a masterclass at the Dorset Rural Music School in which musicians from across the county played instruments and worked on their technique and rhythmic pulse. Julie Newall, chair of trustees at DRMS said: "It was lovely to have so many good musicians coming together for the joy of making music and the atmosphere was great."
On Saturday December 14 Theatre Orchard and Living Spit present Swan Lake. The show, suitable for anyone over six years, starts at 7.30pm. (See picture on Page 28). Other local productions coming to DT11 in December with Artsreach are John Kirkpatrick with Carolling and Crumpets - hilarious original songs and carols familiar and unfamiliar - at Ibberton Village Hall starting at 7.30pm on Tuesday, December 3 (tickets 01258 817269). On Saturday December 14, Dave Mynne of Rabbit Theatre will be presenting another version of A Christmas Carol using Dickens's original words combined with comedy in a mesmerising oneman performance starting 7.30pm at Shillingstone Portman Hall (tickets 01258 860319).
The Tim Kliphuis Trio in Blandford Parish Church on November 7.
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December 2019
Bursary awards unveiled KNIGHTON House School is launching two new 100% bursary awards to local children in Reception and Year 1. The Orchard Awards - named after the school's pre-prep - will give local boys and girls the full benefit of an Orchard education in Years 1 and 2. Awards will be offered to boys and girls showing enthusiasm and potential in their learning and are fully funded covering the entirety of their fees in Reception and/or Year 1. They will be made after an assessment through play and structured activities as well as areas such as engagement and communication/language skills. With schools under ever-increasing pressure to fit a growing number of elements into already full schedules and to put children second to curriculum demands, the reverse is true in The Orchard; the children guide their learning, engage with reality and the outdoors, drive their own achievement and thrive as a consequence. Robin Gainher, headmaster at Knighton House, said: "Knighton House is about the very best education we can provide in a nurturing supportive environment. These fully funded awards are true to Knighton's charitable mission and are a fantastic way to broaden our contribution to the local community."
A special gathering
Knighton House pupils at work and at play.
WI quiz for charity AS their annual charity fund raiser for this year, Blandford Evening WI held a quiz night and supper raffle in the Corn Exchange in aid of the Blandford Opportunity Group. Opportunity Group chairman, Councillor Steve Hitchings, acted as quizmaster, presenting the audience with wide ranging and sometimes downright difficult questions. Deputy Mayor, Councillor Lee Hitchings, was the technical genius, keeping the microphone, screen and sound all functioning correctly. He presented the prizes to the winning team of Sandie Disney, Jenny Wise, Sandie's daughter Sharon, Terry Disney, Melanie Wyles, Simone Walls-Macdonald and Barbara Curtis. The runners-up were Liz Rawlings, Ian Griffiths, Graham Wagstaff, Alison Wagstaff, Gerry Chapman, and Dave Butler. The ladies of the WI provided an ample ploughman's supper, and fun and friendly rivalry were present in equal measures. Blandford Evening WI would like to thank all who contributed to the evening, especially Jackie Vacher for her initial help and guidance on how to organize a quiz. The ladies aim to hold a charity fundraiser around this time every year. For more information on the group see blandfordeveningwi.com, find them on Facebook and Twitter or just go to a meeting in the Parish Centre, the Plocks, Blandford, on the second Friday of every month at 7pm.
AROUND 100 people representing more than 60 local organisations, clubs and societies gathered in the Sealy Suite at the Crown Hotel for the 'Big Blandford Conversation' on 'Making Blandford Special'. They were invited by Alistair Doxat-Purser, of Faithworks Wessex, to share and celebrate some of the work going on locally and to identify the challenges faced with the aim of finding low-cost and no-cost solutions by working together, and what each could offer. The event stimulated lively discussion, plenty of creative thinking and an opportunity to hear what senior leaders will do to help turn some of the ideas into action. Some of the key issues raised were how groups could communicate with each other, accessibility (in terms of transport) and how to engage younger people, prompting the suggestion that a similar event might be held to hear about their ideas.
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Head’s delight as tables reveal top result in exams DEPARTMENT for Education performance tables have confirmed that students at The Blandford School performed as well as some of the best in the country in their Key Stage Four results. Head teacher Sally Wilson said: "The national picture for school performance has been slowly emerging and has allowed us to reflect on our summer results in comparison to schools across the country and within Dorset. "Our initial delight has been confirmed in the performance tables, which show that students of The Blandford School performed in line with top-end schools in the country. "At GCSE, our school progress score (Progress 8), which measures the rate of progress made from students' SAT scores to GCSE, was significantly above the national average at +0.27. This outcome places The Blandford School fourth among Dorset secondaries for the second consecutive year." The class of 2019 achieved in total an astonishing 65 Grade 9s, the highest grade awarded to only the top 4.5 per cent of students in the country, and 76 Grade 8s, 134 Grade 7s and 184 Grade 6s. Mrs Wilson said: "Within these figures, we can see huge successes by different groups of students. Boys bucked the national trend by closing the progress gap further between boys and girls, and students with high prior academic attainment at Key Stage 2 achieved a rate of progress that was significantly above that made
by similar students across the country. "We expect this will place them comfortably in the top 20 per cent of students in the country when the validated results are published in the winter. "Students in receipt of Pupil Premium progressed in line with other students nationally which is fabulous and has been a key focus for the school." The overall pass rate this year Post 16 was 99.3%, with 32% of students achieving the coveted top grades of A*- A, and 51% achieving A* - B. Blandford's top A-level performer in 2019 with an outstanding set of grades was Darcy Emmet, who is now attending Newnham College, Cambridge, reading natural sciences after achieving A* in chemistry, mathematics and further mathematics. Staff are thrilled for Darcy, whose work ethic over the course of her time at TBS was phenomenal. Other high-fliers included Lauren Stephenson, who achieved A* and two As in mathematics, biology and chemistry. Lauren is now studying at the Royal Veterinary College in London. Ben Smurthwaite achieved A*, A and B and will read philosophy and theology at Durham University, commencing in September 2020. Top performers on vocational courses included Cameron Guest, Harriet Phipps and Chloe Parsons, who achieved double Distinction* in business studies, and Megan North was awarded Distinction* in health and social care.
December 2019
Students in The Blandford School science laboratory. Picture: Ash Mills.
Music funding concerns MORE than 60 music teachers from the maintained and independent sector, leaders of music hubs across the south-west and national music organisations attended a conference of music education, held at Bryanston School. Prompted by growing concern about the serious underfunding in music education highlighted in the national media and by the Royal College of Music and Royal Academy of Music, the conference promoted the value of partnerships and showcased initiatives to help arrest the decline. The event, the first of its kind in the region, was held in partnership with the Dorset Music Hub and the Music Teachers' Association and culminated with a lively debate and open discussion involving delegates and many of the invited speakers. Simon Toyne, President of the Music Teachers' Association, said: "At a time when there is a very real and well-publicised threat to music education, with significant falls in the number of pupils taking GCSE and Alevel music, this event has provided a real boost for everyone as well as a wake-up call for parents and the teaching profession as a whole." Bryanston's Director of Music, Stephen Williams, said: "Only through unprecedented collaboration and a genuine commitment to share best practice will it be possible to continue to help aspiring young musicians in Dorset and the surrounding areas to fulfil their true potential."
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December 2019
Christmas carol & church services Saturday December 1: Salvation Army Carols, Blandford Methodist Church 3pm Sunday to Wednesday December 2 to 11: Christmas Tree Festival, Blandford Parish Church 9am Friday December 6: Civic Carol Service, Blandford Parish Church 7pm Sunday December 8: Carols on the Green, Badbury Heights, Blandford 6pm Carol Service, St Nicholas Church, Durweston 6pm Sunday December 15: Traditional Carol Service, Langton Long 3pm BORN (A evening of Christmas Carols, dance, drama, children's choir and more) at The Blandford School, 5pm details becbygrace.com/born Carol Service, Holy Trinity Church, Stourpaine 6pm Carol Service, Milton Abbey 6pm Saturday December 21: Christmas Carol Concert, St Nicholas Church, Durweston 7pm, followed by Christmas nibbles at The White Horse, Stourpaine. Sunday December 22: Family Christmas Communion, Blandford Evangelical Church 10am Crib & Carol Service, St Mary's, Iwerne Minster 10am Carol Service Blandford Methodist Church 10.45am Carols Around the Tree, St Peter's Church, Pimperne, 4.30pm Carols by Candlelight, Blandford Parish Church 6pm Tuesday December 24: Family Christingle Service, Blandford Evangelical
Church 4pm Crib Service, St Nicholas Church, Durweston 4pm Crib Service, St Peter's Church, Pimperne 4pm Christingle with a Blessing of the Crib, Blandford Parish Church 4.30pm Children's Christmas Mass, Blandford Catholic Church 6pm Communion Service, Blandford United Reformed Church (joint with Methodist Church) 7.30pm Midnight Mass, St Peter's Church, Pimperne 10pm Carols and Christmas Midnight Mass, Blandford Catholic Church 11.30pm Midnight Communion, Blandford Parish Church 11.30pm Midnight Mass, Holy Trinity Church, Stourpaine 11.30pm Midnight Mass, St Mary's, Iwerne Minster 11.30pm Wednesday December 25: Christmas Day Service, St Peter's, Pimperne 9.15am Family Communion, Blandford Parish Church 9.30am Christmas Mass, Blandford Catholic Church 10am Family Christmas Day Celebration, Blandford Evangelical Church 10am Christmas Day Service, Blandford Methodist Church (joint with United Reformed Church) 10am Family Communion, Langton Long 10am Christmas Day Service, Holy Trinity Church, Stourpaine, 11am Christmas Morning Communion, St Mary's, Iwerne Minster 11am Sunday December 29: Blandford Churches United Service, Blandford United Reformed Church 10.30am
Church venue for tree festival THE Christmas Tree Festival in Blandford Parish Church from December 2 to 11 will once again be a celebration of community in Blandford. Thirty trees will be decorated by different schools and community groups on the theme of 'The light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it'. Visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite tree, with trophies being awarded for the winning school, community group and the Mayor's choice. The festival will be open 9am to 4pm daily, and dur-
ing the evening of the Yuletide Festival on December 11, with voting closing at 6.30pm that day. But the trees will remain on display until January 4. • Blandford Evangelical Church is this year replacing its annual Christmas carol service with a community Christmas celebration, BORN, at The Blandford School at 5pm on Sunday December 15. It will include students from the Dunbury Academy, Durweston Primary, and members of the church congregation in a Chamber Choir and dramatic scenes.
A ‘green’ Christmas HALL & Woodhouse brewers have invested in plastic-free Christmas crackers this year to cut down on the environmental impact single-use plastic has on the planet. The crackers and their contents are made from FSC-accredited sustainable sources and are fully recyclable as part of a larger and ongoing strategy that the leading independent Dorset brewer has implemented in all of its managed houses across the south with the aim of working towards being a carbon neutral business. It includes to date preventing more than two million plastic straws and stirrers going to landfill since the introduction of paper straws in 2017. Last year Hall & Woodhouse launched a range of reusable, collapsible Stojo coffee cups that are available for guests to purchase in its managed houses. Mark James, director at Hall & Woodhouse, said: "Over the past couple of years, we have made a number of changes to our business to become greener and help to reduce our carbon footprint. This ranges from solar panels at our brewery to LED lights in our pubs. Our plastic-free Christmas crackers are another small step in our green journey." Blandford Stour Rotary Club is again organising its charitable Santa Fun Run (walk or crawl) on Sunday December 8. Open to everyone, the event has been going from strength to strength and provides a great fun day out for all the family. For an entry form and all details visit blandfordsantarun@ btck.co.uk.
28 Sunday December 1: Stickleberries Day Nursery Christmas Fair, 10.30am to 2.30pm, Dunbury Lane, Winterborne Stickland The Art Room, 11am-1pm at The Kings Arms, Blandford, details blandfordartsociety.weebly.com Monday December 2: Christmas Craft Fayre, Spetisbury Church, 10am to 12.30pm Blandford Floral Group meets Anne Biddlecombe Hall, Tarrant Keyneston, 2pm with Emily Broomhead - The Night Before Christmas Panda Pre-School Christmas Bingo, The Royal British Legion, Blandford, eyes down 7.30pm Tuesday December 3: North Dorset Trailway Network AGM, Shillingstone Parish Centre, 7.30pm John Kirkpatrick - Carolling and Crumpets, Ibberton Village Hall, 7.30pm, tickets 01258 817269 Wednesday December 4: Blandford Bereavement Group meets Blandford Parish Centre, 11am to 12.30pm, details 01258 453425 Blandford St Mary Parish Council meeting, Brewery Hall, Hall & Woodhouse, 7pm Blandford Film Society presents 'Tehran Taboo (Germany 2017 drama, animation) The Blandford School, 7 for 7.45pm, guest tickets 01258 268139 Thursday December 5 (and every Thursday): Square Dancing, Spetisbury Village Hall, 4 to 6pm Friday December 6: Christmas tree lighting, Market Place, Blandford from 5.30pm, Civic Carol Service 7.30pm Shillingstone English Barn Dance Evening, Portman Hall, Blandford Rd DT11 0SF. 7.30 for 7.45 details 01258 861184 Chettle Music presents Steve Black, Alan West, and Adam Sweet, Chettle village hall, 7 for 7.30 pm Saturday December 7: Small Business Saturday, free parking, Blandford town centre Lions Craft Fair, Corn Exchange, 9am to 4pm Mission Christmas - Cash for Kids, Church Room, Charlton Marshall, 10am to 2pm St Mary's Christmas Bazaar, Abingdon Hall, Iwerne Minster, 10.30am to 12 noon Durweston Primary School Christmas Fayre and Christmas tree sale, Durweston village hall, 12 noon to 3pm Blandford Repair Café, Royal British Legion, Church Lane, 12.30 to 3pm, see Blandford Repair Café on Facebook
What’s on this month 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.
Theatre Orchard and Living Spit bring their alternative Swan Lake to the United Reformed Church Hall on December 14 as part of the Artsreach programme. Billed as the smallest - and cheapest - ballet ever performed, it features two actors joined on stage by two professional ballet dancers. Tickets are available by calling 01258 480698. For further details see artsreach.com. Rockwaves Band from Bournemouth, 60s-2019’s hits, Bryanston Club, 7:30pm Bryanston Choral Society Christmas Concert, St Martin's Church, Bryanston School, 7.30pm, admission £10 Sunday December 8: Rotary Santa Run from Station Court, Blandford, 9.30 for 10am start Furlong Trophy Final, Paddocks Bar, Salisbury Street, 1pm Bingo Night, Bryanston Club, 7.30pm Tuesday December 10: Child Okeford Flower Arranging Club, 'Pallisades', a practical workshop, Child Okeford Village Hall, 2.15pm, details: 01258 863775 Wednesday December 11: Blandford Yuletide Festival Film Night, Green Book (12), Charlton Marshall village hall, doors open 7.15pm, details 01258 488431 Dorset Moviola's Christmas Film night, Fontmell Magna village hall, 7 for 7.30pm Sturminster Newton Floral Group meets The Exchange, Sturminster Newton, 7.30pm for Annual General Meeting and Members evening Thursday December 12:
General Election: polling stations open 7am to 10pm Forum Cancer Support Group, Woodhouse Garden Pavilion 2 to 4pm, details 07561 114644 Friday December 13: Shambles craft fair in front of the Blandford Corn Exchange 9am to 2pm Blandford Evening Women's Institute Christmas Party, The Parish Centre, The Tabernacle, 7pm Christmas Bingo, Pimperne Village Hall, 7 for eyes down 7.30pm Howie Casey's 'Beatles with Wings', Corn Exchange, Blandford, 7 for 8pm Wessex Acoustic Folk, Blandford Royal British Legion Club, Church Lane, 8pm, Sound Tradition, details 01202 732239 Friday December 13 and Saturday December 14: Madcap Productions present the pantomime 'Pinocchio', Ansty Village Hall, 7.30pm (Sat. mat 4pm) Saturday December 14: Free parking, Blandford town centre Theatre Orchard and Living Spit Swan Lake microballet, Blandford United Reformed Church Hall, 7.30pm, tickets 01258 480698
For church Christmas and carol services, turn to Page 27
December 2019 Christmas Concert with the Stour Valley Band, Corn Exchange, Blandford Shroton Christmas Dinner, Shroton Village Hall Christmas concert with the Decibelles choir for Mosaic charity for bereaved children, St Nicholas's church, Winterborne Kingston, 2.30pm. Saturday and Sunday December 14 and 15: Santa Weekend, Shillingstone Station Sunday December 15: Ibberton Christmas Market, Manor House Farm, Ibberton DT11 0EN10.30am to 2pm, £2 admission Dave Mynne (Rabbit Theatre) - A Christmas Carol, Portman Hall, Shillingstone, 7:30pm, suitable 8+, tickets 01258 860319 Monday December 16: Strictly Come Tea-Dancing, Corn Exchange, Blandford, 2.30pm to 4.30pm Film Night, Rocket Man, Okeford Fitzpaine Village Hall, 7 for 7.30pm Tuesday December 17: Cranborne Chase AONB Stargazing evening with Chasing Stars, Ashmore Village Hall, Shaftesbury SP5 5AL, 7pm. ROH screening of 'The Nutcracker', Coade Hall, Bryanston, 7.15pm Wednesday December 18: Blandford Forum Film Society, 'Fighting with my Family’ (UK 2019 - comedy), The Blandford School, 7 for 7.45pm, guest tickets 01258 268139 Christmas Bingo, Pimperne Village Hall, 6.30 for 7.30pm Friday December 20: Mayor's Christmas Coffee Morning, 10am Saturday December 21: Cats Protection Coffee Morning & Stalls, Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion, Blandford, 10am to 12.30pm Pantomime, Dick Whittington, Okeford Fitzpaine Village Hall, doors open 5pm for 5.30pm start, raffle, for Okeford Fitzpaine Primary School FPA Adonis Unzipped with comedy Drag Queen, Bryanston Club, 7:30pm. Sunday December 22: Family Christmas Show, The Corn Exchange, Blandford, 4 to 6pm, tickets from the Town Council Office Monday December 23: Superfast Dorset Digital Champion session, Blandford Library, 4 to 6pm, details 01258 452075 Thursday December 26: Portman Hunt Boxing Day Meet, Crown Meadows, 10.45am Saturday December 28: Quiz Night, Farquharson Arms, Pimperne, 8pm, for Myeloma UK