Letters
So much of interest in new magazine Although I have read and used the BVM since moving to Dorset in 2000, I frankly often found little of interest in it and spent only a few minutes scanning through it every week. My complaint now is that there is so much of interest in the new fortnightly version that reading it is taking up too much of my time! Seriously though, I am so impressed with the quality and variety of the content. Congratulations on producing such an excellent publication in difficult circumstances. Michael Sumpster n Just to say how good it is to have the BV back again. It is an excellent publication and it’s great to have it in the old format. Good luck to you all. Juliet Cooper Donhead St Andrew n Dear Editor I thoroughly enjoyed north Dorset MP, Simon Hoare’s article about his ‘firm’ message regarding the vote on free school meals for disadvantaged children. (Accidentally placed under west Dorset MP Chris Loder’s byline – apologies – Ed) Essentially, he was so firmly against the policy of his own party, that he …erm…. abstained on the vote? Feel free to explain further, Simon. I’m a little confused over your Orwellian ‘doublethink’. I wonder how strongly he’d have to feel to actually vote against the proposal. Ah, I see the problem. A cynic would, doubtless, wrongly, say he was perhaps more concerned with his own advancement within his party than with disadvantaged kids. Aside from this hilarity, great mag – and your headline for 68
There once was a vicar from Gillingham... I hope you might publicise my current project for Salisbury District Hospital’s Stars Appeal. Inspired by my neighbour Anne Kings’ efforts with her book Button Cottage Lockdown, I’ve produced an illustrated book of limericks. Each book costs about £1 to print and another £1 to post. Any donation above those figures will go to the Stars Appeal for Salisbury District Hospital. To arrange collection or posting I can be contacted by phone on 01747 833734 or by email at c.b.marsh10@gmail.com. Revd Colin Marsh Gillingham Hoare’s article was genius. Keep up the good work. Andy Palmer Mappowder n First, Congratulations on our fantastic magazine back. My partner is related to Julie Bennett, (Stardom for blind gran in TV ad, P1). She is such a inspirational lady – nothing gets in her way. When we get down or miserable in these lockdown days just give a thought to Julie and how she has turned her life around. We all love her. Jenny Lucas n Having just returned from several weeks In France I have just picked up my first “hard copy“ of the magazine. I expected it would be a few pages of content. However, with over 90 pages it shows
the hunger from your advertisers and readers for local news and advertising content. I should say that being in the middle of two weeks lockdown it will be read avidly! I wish you well. Roy Roberts Okeford Fitzpaine n With the lockdown we were deprived of our voice but now, thanks to BV, we have our forum back. We were sold (but had no choice in the matter) the merger of Dorset Councils on the basis of economies of scale and costs reductions. Since then, council tax bills have increased. Although limited to 3.95% for 20/21,a rise of 7.4% was imposed for 19/20. From what I could gather at
the time, we were levelling up to Bournemouth and coastal towns, who of course benefit from far greater facilities than ourselves. In East Stour, we have little street lighting or footpaths and no traffic calming measures or traffic lights with the A30, in a village that, at times, resembles a race track. Neither do we have adequate public transport, unlike Bournemouth. The increased parking charges reported by BV last week are another example of ‘levelling’ up. Maximising income should not be an immediate objective in these times when local businesses are struggling to survive and have maintained, in many instances, a magnificent service during this current period. Councillor Ray Bryan needs to get out more, but not, I would suggest, to a Bournemouth beach, where so many of the latest infections may have arisen, judging by the number of covid patients in hospital in a region that is still relatively safe and responsible. Jeremy Bloomfield, East Stour n Determined not to be defeated by the wretched covid my village set about looking outside the box to find a way to commemorate our thanks, in a positive way to the millions of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so that I may have the opportunity of freely writing to this remarkable magazine and expressing my thoughts. The very idea that Remembrance Sunday might be cancelled filled me with horror and the very thought hurt as much as suggesting we postpone Christmas – a ludicrous idea. We had a very moving service at the village cross, with just a
