Arts & Entertainments

40 New Stour & Avon, January 14, 2022 Arts & Entertainment Entertainment looking good at Verwood

by Lorraine Gibson

newsdesk@stourandavon.net

ONE-OFF: Paul Foot

No one who loves entertainment wants to lose live performances and the folk at the Verwood Hub are asking you to help support the venue by trying out one of the great attractions they have scheduled for 2022. They are urging people to just give something a try –and say you never know, you may really enjoy what you see and go back again and again. And if the first two months of the year are anything to go by then you could be in for a treat. From the panto – Sleeping Beauty, running until the end of January (29th) with Princess Aurora still dreaming of love’s first kiss while mayhem ensues around her – and cinema screenings, including the modern remake of the hit musical and film, West Side Story and the charminglyanimated Pixar movie, Encanto (both February), to art music show, Kate Bushka and professional stand-up comedy from the one-off that is Paul Foot (both also February), January and February promise something for everyone. For a full rundown on the treats in store, visit dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for Verwood Hub sportleisure.

It is now a legal requirement to wear a face covering when visiting and attending the theatre,

to reduce the risk both to yourself and to others and we respectfully request that customers continue to use the hand sanitisers provided, and to check in using the NHS COVID-19 app.

PLEASE KEEP CHECKING OUR WEBSITE

KEEPING BAD COMPANY

The best of Free & Bad Company

Friday 14th January, 7.30pm Tickets £19.50

(Box Office bookings incur £1 booking fee per transaction) FROM GOLD TO RIO

Celebrating the music of Spandau Ballet & Duran Duran

Saturday 15th January 7.30pm Tickets £21

(Box Office bookings incur £1 booking fee per transaction) THE FRENCH DISPATCH (15)

17th & 18th January 7.30pm Matinee 18th January 2pm Tickets Adult: £8 eve Matinee: £7 U16s: £6

(Box Office bookings incur £1 booking fee per transaction)

ADULT PANTO: LITTLE RED RIDING…!

Suitable for ages 16+

Wednesday 19th Jan 7.30pm Tickets £18.50

(Box Office bookings incur £1 booking fee per transaction) THE ELO EXPERIENCE

Friday 21st January 7.30pm Tickets £26

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee)

COUNTRY SUPERSTARS

Saturday 22nd January 7.30pm Tickets £22.50 HOUSE OF GUCCI (15)

24th, 25th & 27th January, 7.30pm Matinee 26th January, 2.00pm Tickets Adult: £8 eve Mat £7, U16s £6 LAWRENCE: AFTER ARABIA (12a)

Wed 26th January 7pm Tickets Adult: £8 U16s £6 JIM DAVIDSON “UNLOCKED”

Fri 28th January 7.30pm Tickets Adult: £27 (over 18’s only) CHINA CRISIS

Saturday 29th January 7.30pm Tickets £25

Spooky story to get you beaming

by Lorraine Gibson

netwsdesk@stourandavon.net One of Christchurch Priory’s most fascinating artefacts features as an audio story in an app that provides digital walking tours for kids and adults to allow them to have mini-adventures close to home. Ideal for these restricted times, the tour, part of Ordnance Survey’s Secret Stories series, is short and sweet and uses fun and irreverent stories – think Horrible Histories style – to highlight the origins of some of the curious things that can be found in Christchurch. Tales of the sinister ducking chair at the end of Ducking Stool Lane and the cheeky crocks-throwing ghosts at Ye Olde George pub also feature. But it’s the story of the illfitting beam that can be seen jutting out from Priory’s ceiling that has pride of place. In the audio clip a couple of olde-worlde builders reenact how, during the construction of the Norman priory, a beam was cut ready for installation but hoisting it into place revealed that it had been badly-measured and was too short for purpose. Too tired to fix the issue, the builders went home with a view to putting it right the following day. To their astonishment, when they returned the next morning, the beam had miraculously ‘grown’ a whole foot longer than required and was installed without a hitch. Well, the Lord does move in mysterious ways... ordnancesurvey.co.uk.

SECRETS: The strange beam at Christchurch Priory, top and, above, Ye Old George pub near Ducking Stool Lane

The musical method to escape those winter blues

Are you suffering from the January blues? Come and escape to the world of James Bond, a London show like Phantom Of The Opera, or perhaps a faraway sandy shore through the sounds of the Seal Lullaby! Be transported by Viva Voce to these and many more places through their musical concert, Our Kind Of Music. All it takes is an hour at the Broadstone War Memorial Hall, Tudor Road, on Sunday, January 30. The concert starts at 2.15pm with tickets available on the door (cash only) or from ticketsource.co.uk/viva-voce Prices are £6 for adults and £3 for children. Seats will be socially distanced with a maximum number of 70 people allowed in the hall. All you need to do is come along and Viva Voce will do the rest!

u3a subject to be Salzburg

Blandford & District u3a is holding its next meeting on Friday, January 28, at 2pm at Durweston Village Hall. The speaker is Christopher Legrand on ‘Salzburg: architecture and music’. For further information, call 01258 628079.

Celebrations as cinema repeats 1931 showing for 90th birthday

TH T H E EXCHEXCHANGE NGE

STURMINSTER NEWTON

Fri 21st Jan, 7:30pm My Mountain Life by Simon Yates

Tal by accomplished exploratory mountaineer. £16/ £15 conc ––––––––Sat 22nd Jan, 7:30pm Greatest Songs of the Movies

From Pinewood to Hollywood! £17/ £16 conc ––––––––Thurs 27th Jan, 7pm Touching the Void (15)

inematic telling of Simon Yates' perilous journey. £5 ––––––––Sat 29th Jan, 7pm Radio GaGa

The ultimate Queen tribute. £21.50 ––––––––Fri 4th Feb, 7:30pm AA Fever

By Lorraine Gibson

newsdesk@stourandavon.net More than 300 locals were treated to a free Boxing Day showing of the 1930s cinema classic, The Taming Of The Shrew, at the Regent Centre. The event, publicised in the New Stour & Avon Christmas issue, was to mark the Christchurch theatre’s 90th birthday and to thank loyal supporters. Based on Shakespeare’s comedy of the same name and starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, the film was chosen as it was the main feature on the original opening day on December 26, 1931. The Regent had more than just the birthday to celebrate as the curtain closed on 2021. In October, audiences for its screenings of the longawaited new Bond film, No Time To Die totalled more than 8,000 people, making it their highest-grossing film of the year and the bestselling Bond movie ever at the centre. In December, it was named the UK’s No.1 Independent Cinema for ticket sales of the Royal Opera House’s The Nutcracker and Christmas With Andre broadcasts plus the Glad Rag production company’s Christmas Spectacular achieved the bestselling run in its 10-year history. The Regent’s general manager, Oscar SellickPilley, said: “We’re delighted we were able to mark our 90th birthday on Boxing Day, inviting the local community to celebrate with us, as a thank-you for their support over the past 90 years. “The Regent saw recordbreaking attendances for several events this year, which during these uncertain times, is an incredible achievement. “Thank you to everyone who has continued to support us and we look forward to welcoming you to a bumper programme of events in 2022.”

INSPIRED: The audience enjoys a Laurel and Hardy support movie at the Regent before the main feature, The Taming Of The Shrew, bottom right. Above and top right, staff and volunteers in party mood

Community Coach Tours

Day Trips & Short Breaks with pickups in Blandford, Wimborne,

Ferndown, Kinson, Poole,

Bournemouth and Ringwood

This is an example of some of our trips... please visit www.dorsetcoachtours.com SHORT HOLIDAY BREAKS

Jersey Apollo Hotel, St Helier. Dinner B & B .................................................. ........................ Monday 21st – Friday 25th Mar, £525pp (No Singles left) London, Knightsbridge Museums ................................ Saturday 16th Apr £30 Adults, £20 u16 Torquay Entertainment - Two Day Trips (Dartmouth/Plymouth) ......... Saturday 28 May - Saturday 4th June, £499pp (u12s £249) No single Sup Eastbourne, 5 Day Break, Dinner, B&B - Queen’s Hotel, Day Trip to Brighton & Hastings ........................ Monday 20th - Friday 24th June £425pp, u11s £325 (£44 Single sup)

DAY TRIPS

Day Trip to Portsmouth ........................................ Sat 5th Feb, £25 (u16 £15) Day Trip to Dorchester Market followed by Afternoon in Weymouth ........................................................................................................ Wed 6th Apr, £20 Mystery Tour & Cream Tea ......................... Sun 10th Apr, £30 (u16s £25) Exmouth and Boat Trip and Cream Tea ............................ Mon 2nd May £42.40 Adults, £25.00 u16 Chatham Historic Dockyard ......................... Sat 14th May, £55 (u16 £39)* Exbury Gardens in full Spring Colour & Steam Train ....... Sat 15 May £39 (u16s £25)* Beaulieu Motor Museum & Gardens ................................... Sat 21st May £45pp (u16s £35, u5s £10)

Contact Jon White: 07760 225520 or 01202 032151

Arts & Entertainment Shute story sure to be something special

Christchurch History Society has lined up a feast of top talks for the New Year. On February 1 the group will hear a talk about Stanpit Nature Reserve, given by Mike Andrews, followed by a talk on March 1 by Stephen Robson on the author Neville Shute. As well as his writing, Shute was a stretcher bearer, engineer – the frame engineer of the R100 airship – a pilot, author, co-founder of Airspeed aircraft company, sailor and racing driver. As part of research for his books he visited Exbury in the New Forest and Bournemouth and Stephen’s talk will take the society through his extraordinary life. Both talks run from 7.30pm10.30pm at Christchurch Junior School hall in Clarendon Road. For details on how to join the society contact enquiries @historychristchurch.org.uk. Go for a Van Gogh look

With a major exhibition of Van Gogh’s self-portraits taking place in London this spring, what better time to have a go at recreating one of his most iconic works? The Paintbox is holding a two-hour session on Tuesday, January 25, at Colehill Memorial Hall for adult painters to have a go at recreating Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. No experience is required and refreshments and materials will be provided. The session, which runs from 7pm-9pm costs £22. More details from thepaintboxarts@gmail.com.

Rather dodgy talk for townswomen

At the first Verwood Afternoon Townswomen’s Guild meeting of the New Year, Kay Townsend gave a talk on an unusual subject, History Of The Dodgem Car, writes Linda Pearson. The first car, originally built in America in 1890, was a crude affair, but in 1902 moving paddles underneath a wooden floor propelled the still basic cars around. Various improvements were made over the years and the first dodgems appeared in this country in Blackpool in 1921. Tickets were on sale for the Guild’s January coffee morning and updates were given on Guild activities such as ambling, Scrabble, skittles,crafts and much more. For Guild information call Judi on 07787 386153.

FAREWELL: Richard Hall with staff and students of the Dorset Rural Music School. Second from left is his successor Ellen Marsden

Touching tributes to music man

by Nicci Brown Warm tributes were paid in December to the man who led Blandford’s unique Dorset Rural Music School for the last 17 years, Richard Hall, prior to his retirement. An informal concert in Blandford Parish Church saw staff and pupils present a varied programme which they rehearsed with him, but also some unscheduled and surprise items. They included a moving rendition of So Long, Farewell from the Sound of Music by the DRMS choir, and school chairman Julie Newall singing Can’t Help Loving That Man from Porgy and Bess and When You’re Good To Mama from Cabaret. Julie said: “Richard taught me to sing, and got me through Grade 8 classical –I am now learning musical theatre.” Dave Harding, who played Schubert’s Impromptu In A Flat, said he had joined DRMS as a student when he returned to the piano after passing Grade 7 in 1986. “Richard was the man to get me to Grade 8”, he said, after receiving from Mr Hall the certificate which had arrived that day. DRMS celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, after being founded as part of a nationwide initiative to bring cultural revival after the dark years of the war, particularly in rural counties. Its aim was to make lessons in all branches of music available at reasonable cost to people unable to travel to teaching centres. It was the eighth to be established nationwide in September 1947, and the coming of age of the movement in 1950 was celebrated in the Royal Albert Hall, when a Dorset plumber represented RMS students on the radio programme In Town Tonight after the choir’s performance of Sheep Shearing to the nation. But the Blandford school, which originally operated from a single room in Whitecliff Mill Street under the leadership of Nancy Williams, is now the only full-time school of its kind still in existence. Richard’s place as director has been taken this month by Ellen Marsden who, after a varied career as a professional musician and oboeist in this country and abroad spanning over 30 years, has most recently been director of music at Sherborne Preparatory School and a freelance creative project manager and producer and music teacher.

Arts & Entertainment End of year concert a resounding success

St Peters Church, Parkstone, was the venue fíor the Broadstone Music Series Christmas concert last month, writes Rex Bale. Preconcert music was by Joshua Paige and Poppy Mercer (violins) and was delightful. The concert opened with the first movement of Vivaldi’s Concerto For Four Violins. This was accompanied by the Poole Society’s Camerata chamber orchestra which backed several of the items during the evening. After Hardy’s The Oxen recited from the pulpit by Charlie Whelan we enjoyed a piece and composer new to me, Intermezzo For Violin, Cello And Piano by Shena Fraser, a 20th-century Scottish composer. From the lyrical, melodic opening on cello it promised to be a memorable piece which it proved to be with the three soloists giving a well-balanced delivery. After Hasse’s Wind Trio we had two miniature piano trios by Frank Bridge. The hornpipe which followed was a jaunty, fast moving affair in which the soloists coped very well. It was now 13-year-old Hugo Svedberg’s turn for some dazzling virtuoso cello playing with his father, Jesper, on the piano. Paganini’s take on a theme of Rossini is a challenging piece which Hugo, who has been signed up for the National Youth Orchestra, met faultlessly. A second highlight for me was the first and second movements of Telemann’s double flute concerto with poised performance by Luke Haywood and Aaron Sullivant. Soprano Ella Wellmann ended the first half with Adolphe Adam’s O Holy Night, accompanied by Simon Gilliver on piano. Jurassic Brass conducted by John Randall entertained us during the break. To start the second half Hugo and Eliana Covell interacted well with Camerata in Vivaldi’s Concerto For Two Cellos (first movement). Charlie’s song Ships Of Arcady by Michael Head, words by Francis Ledwidge, lacked the amplification needed to bring out his fine tenor voice and make the beautiful words more audible. Beethoven’s String Quartet Op 18 (first movement) was performed very well by the four soloists who had to deal with abrupt changes in tempo throughout. A short piece by Corelli and a short poem by Jean Kenward was followed by what I thought was the highlight of the second half, a wind treatment by the Mistral ensemble of Holst’s In the Bleak Midwinter, in an arrangement by conductor Simon Gilliver. This rendition by two flutes, two clarinets and an oboe was melodic, but had bleak (in a nice way) episodes perhaps representing cries of animals and birds. Daniel Bushell was the accomplished oboist in Ennio Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe well supported by the orchestra’s strings which had some long notes to sustain. After the duo of Daisy Randall and Tom Covell recited The Night Before Christmas, with cello accompaniment, the cellos stayed for a Christmas finale of Silent Night and White Christmas. St Peters Church and all the teachers and tutors are heartily thanked for their hard work in preparing for the concert. Alison Kay and her team of helpers on the night are also congratulated for making the evening a resounding success. We now look forward to a chamber music club for young musicians this term over four or five weeks, with tutoring and masterclasses from distinguished professional musicians. Details will be at broadstone musicseries.info.

A little New Year class with the brass

To mark their 25th New Year Viennese Concert, Bournemouth Concert Brass, right, will take to the stage at the Regent Centre and wrap their warm, burnished brass sounds around famous Viennese waltzes, polkas and marches. Resident conductor, Bill Willis, who’s been with the band since 1993 and has also written some of the arrangements, will wield the baton over Strauss favourites like the Blue Danube and the Radetzky March. Other famous composers working in Vienna at the time, such as Franz Lehar and Mozart, will be brought to life, too. Bournemouth Concert Brass is one of the country’s top bands – a tribute to its long and distinguished history. Formerly The Bournemouth Silver Band, it was born at the start of the 20th century, so this afternoon for lovers of British Brass Band music this Sunday, January 16, at 3pm is a must. Call 01202 588946 or visit: regentcentre.co.uk.