Letters

All are welcome at our centenary parade

The Royal British Legion Dorset will commemorate its Centenary with a County Parade in Bournemouth on Saturday, October 16. The parade, featuring two bands and the members and standards from RBL branches across the county will be joined by the LordLieutenant of Dorset, the chairmen and leaders of Dorset and BCP Councils, local Dorset MPs, representatives of all the armed services, Cadet Corps and Dorset Youth organisations, ex-services associations and the civilian services. The parade will leave the Pier Precinct at 1.30pm and march via the Lower and Central Gardens to the War Memorial, where wreaths will be laid before walking to the Commemoration Service at St. Peter’s Church starting at 2.45pm, during which a new Dorset County Standard will be dedicated. All are welcome to join this once-in-a-hundred-yearevent! Grant Parrott The Royal British Legion Dorset County Committee

Come & perform at our parade

Save the Children is holding a parade on Saturday, December 11. If anyone is interested in performing in Wimborne Square on the morning of the Parade please contact: frankiewhitford@gmail.com

Invitation by ladies’ choir

Verwood’s ladies’ choir The Fayrewood Singers are very happy to be back rehearsing again after 18 months of silence due to Covid. New members are very welcome to join us on a Tuesday afternoon at the Verwood Hub, from 2pm3.30pm. We sing all sorts of music, in two or three parts, sometimes more, and we aim to perform two concerts a year. We can also provide miniconcerts for clubs and associations that require some entertainment at meetings. No auditions are necessary, you just need to want to sing! Any questions, please ring me, Linda, on 01202 280491. Linda Pearson Publicity officer

Cartoon by Lyndon Wall justsocaricatures.co.uk

£1,270 raised by swing fans

Audiences at ‘Jazz at the Allendale’, the series of charity concerts organised by Wimborne Rotary Club, showed their appreciation of the live performances by donating a generous £1,270. Swing Unlimited Big Band held the crowds spellbound with a wide-ranging programme of music and vocals, including traditional classics and, topically, James Bond themes and this was reflected in the contributions to Rotary charities. Organiser, Rotarian Darryl Reach, said, “We were delighted to return to the Allendale with this concert. “We’re planning to return next year and will be releasing details of our next concert as soon as they are finalised.” LUXURY COWHIDE ACCESSORIES AND SHEEPSKIN CLOTHING

info@bethanyrae.co.uk www.bethanyrae.co.uk

Original Photography available as Greetings Cards, Prints & Notebooks Looking for a gift for Christmas? Visit our website carolineanddavidpassphotography.co.uk

REUNITED: Left, Andrew Jones, deputy head until 2001, Paul Nation, former headteacher, Malcolm Chisholm, former headteacher and Ron Jenkinson, headteacher 2013 onwards. Right, from left, John Spatchet, former teacher and chairman of governors, pupil, Bishop Karen Gorham, Ron Jenkinson and Rev Suzanne Pattle, two more pupils behind

Golden celebrations for school

St Michael’s Middle School in Colehill near Wimborne had two special days of celebration to mark its 50th birthday. On the first, Karen Gorham, Bishop of Sherborne and acting Bishop of Salisbury, and Rev Suzanne Pattle from St Michael’s Church, paid a visit. The Bishop addressed the whole school who were on the sports field in the shape of a giant ‘50’. On the second, the three surviving former headmasters were among more than 300 ex-pupils and staff members who attended to reminisce. They were entertained by the wonderfully-successful St Michael’s Orchestra and Jazz Band under the direction of Ed Johnston, the school’s music teacher. Andrew Jones, the deputy head when the school opened in 1971 and who was representing the first headmaster, the late Martin Neeve, said: “St Michael’s is a special place. “It is built on Christian values that keeps pupils at the heart of what it does and still provides the same excellent service as the Current headmaster Ron Jenkinson said: “The celebration was a powerful reminder of how the core values have lasted through the generations. “The current students certainly showed that the future is very bright for St Michael’s Middle School’s next 50 years.” The school is still collecting information from former students and staff and hopes to produce a book detailing how, in all walks of life, ‘people have taken forward the core values of aspiration, belief and creativity’. Send any information to: smmsfocus50@gmail.com.

Night sky events with Bob Mizon MBE of the Wessex

Astronomical Society During my career bringing the stars and planets to schools and Scout/Guide groups, I once came upon an enthusiastic young teacher who had made a splendid wall display which she had entitled “The Pole Star, Brightest of Them All”. I plucked up the courage to tell her that Polaris, which many think must be a bright star as it’s so well known, is only about the 50th brightest star in the night sky and quite a modest point of How do we find it if it’s not prominent? Now is a good time to look low down in the north to find the celestial signpost. The saucepan-shaped group of the Plough, in Ursa Major the Great Bear, will reveal the position of that modest star. Use the Plough’s right-hand stars Merak and Dubhe as pointers and follow them upwards towards that misunderstood directionfinder of ancient times – the Pole Star, whose light has been travelling towards us for 432 years. Clear skies!

The star in pole position

Care home gardens are blooming lovely

By Faith Eckersall

newsdesk@stourandavon.net

Fans of The National Garden Scheme don’t usually associate the venues with places such as care homes but thanks to a garden in East Dorset, they may be revising their views. The Colten Care Brook View home’s garden at West Moors saw hundreds of visitors when it opened as part of the 2021 ‘Yellow Book’ open gardens scheme. The group’s head gardener, Charles Hubberstey, said: “We’ve had such positive comments from visitors about our beautiful outdoor spaces. One told me that she never thought a care home would have such a garden and another said it had made her think differently about care homes because of this.” The open days gave residents’ families and friends, other community contacts and members of the general public the chance to come in and have a look round the gardens and grounds. Both homes have active gardening clubs, with residents putting forward ideas for garden design and plants, and helping with hands-on gardening activities. Brook View resident Rosa Leicester said: “Opening the gardens is a lovely idea because the more people who think and talk about our garden the better. “It is lovely for people to see how we live here. “This is my home and I am very proud of both my home and my garden. Things grow overnight and every day the garden looks different and the gardener is just amazing.” The care group received similar accolades for its other open garden, at Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst. Between them, the four open days have raised more than £1,300 for NGS charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and community gardening projects supported through the scheme.

COLOURFUL: The gardens at Colton Care’s homes in West Moors and Brockenhurst

By Faith Eckersall

newsdesk@stourandavon.net

From green investments to clothes swaps to a community theatre event, there is something to help everyone become more environmentally friendly at Wimborne Green Festival this month. The festival takes place from Saturday, October 16, to October 23, with plenty of events taking place in and around the town, including apple pressing, children’s crafts as well as a Repair Cafe. Here’s the Festival’s official programme of events and you can find more details about each one at: wimbornehistoryfestival.org. uk/wimborne-green-festival/ or on their dedicated Facebook page: WimborneGreenFestival. Events which need booking are indicated and the organisers ask people to wear a mask at indoor venues as well as bring their own cup to reduce waste. Booking is essential.

Tickets available: *East Dorset Information Centre ~ Fair Ground shop (cash only) (The Fair Ground shop will be open each day) Saturday, October 16 Wimborne Community Theatre Rivers events* Wimborne Green Festival Opening –Minster Green: 10.30am Eco Fair – Allendale Centre: 10am-4pm Eco on the Green – Minster Green: 10am3pm Apple Pressing – Minster Green: 10am3pm Repair Café – Methodist Church Hall: 12noon-2pm Green Day – Dacombes shop: 9am-5.30pm

Sunday, October 17 Handmade Wimborne – Allendale Centre: 10am-4pm

Monday, October 18 Ethical Investments, Nathan Start – King’s Head: 7.30pm*~ Tuesday, October 19 Nature on Prescription – Museum of East Dorset: 7.30pm*

Wednesday, October 20 Planet Wimborne, Time for Change –Minster Church House: 7.30pm*~

Thursday, October 21 Living with Trees, Robin Walter –Allendale House: 7.30pm*~

Saturday, October 23 Walford Mill craft installation – Walford Mill: 10am-1pm Canford School Arboretum tour – Canford School: 1.30pm*~ Children’s Crafts, Megan Dunford – MED: 11am*~ Super Swishing – British Legion: 1pm~ Green Day – Dacombes shop: 9am-5.30pm

Foodbank’s plea in run-up to Christmas

Christmas is 11 weeks away but Wimborne Foodbank is already looking to stock up in the weeks running up to December 25. The foodbank says its stock levels have been ‘seriously affected’ over the last eight weeks and with furlough payments and the Universal Credit uplift due to finish soon, it fears being ‘really busy’ in the run-up to the festive season. A spokesman said: “If anyone can afford to buy a couple of extra items off this list with their shopping we would be very grateful. “We have donation boxes at Waitrose, and the Co-ops in Crown Mead, Walford Mill BP, and Colehill. There are also boxes outside Oakley Village Butchers, Merley, and Furzehill Village Stores and we’re available for donations 10-12 on a Wednesday and 12-4pm on a Friday at Leigh Park community centre.” The foodbank is currently looking for custard, soup, tinned fruit and longlife milk, loo rolls, biscuits and size 6 nappies.

Online HealthCare meeting open to all

New ways of delivering local healthcare services developed during the Covid pandemic will be spotlighted at an online meeting this month. Dorset HealthCare, which provides community-based physical and mental health NHS services across the county, is holding its annual members’ meeting on Wednesday, October 20. The webinar-style event will reflect on how the Trust has helped to turn the tide against the Covid virus locally by delivering the county’s mass vaccination service. And it will also look ahead to future developments, outlining how the Trust is making the most of technology. Trust chairman Andy Willis, who will host the meeting, said: “The meeting will take stock of how we’ve adapted our services to continue providing the support that so many people depend upon. “And we’ll also look ahead at our vision for future services. “The meeting will again take place online, via Microsoft Teams. While we are disappointed not to be meeting local people face to face, we know that this is the right thing to do when there are still health risks from larger gatherings.” The event will also include a presentation from chief executive Eugine Yafele and a report on the past year by the Trust’s council of governors. Anyone can log in, and there will be an opportunity to submit questions too. It will be held on Microsoft Teams from 3.30-5pm, though you don’t need an account to take part. To attend, just register your interest at dorsethealthcare. nhs.uk/AMM and a meeting link and details of what you need to do will be emailed to you.

Fancy being a lollipop?

Hillside Community First School at Verwood is looking for a new lollipop lady or man to help children and parents cross the roads safety. The School Crossing Patrol recruit will receive full training and support with working hours from 8.15am8.50am and from 2.45pm-3.25pm adding up to 8.75 hours a week during term times. For more details visit: dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/jobsand-careers/jobs-and-careers