Chetnole

CHETNOLE with REP: Liz Tebbatt 873140 tebbatt.towers@gmail.com Hamlet, Melbury Bubb & Stockwood DISTRIBUTOR: Stan Darley

Melbury Bubb in the mist Photo: Jennie Greenwood

Glad to see the days are getting longer at last – I derive great pleasure from looking at the scheduled sunset time getting later as the weeks go by on my BBC weather app, yes here comes spring at last and much-welcomed it is too. Hopefully by the end of this month life may be looking a tiny bit like it used to, fingers crossed, and we can start to plan things. The Wriggle Valley Cricket Club is getting ready for a new season and you can read all about it in this issue along with the preparations for this year’s flower show with ideas of how you can start now on your entries for the show. Some of you may remember former Chetnole resident Jackie Brushatt (formerly Mullins and Cull) who sadly died recently; her son Julian has kindly provided us with her story.

Thanks to all the litter-pickers who tidied up the village in March and to the Friends of Chetnole Halt for their hard work smartening up our little railway stop.

And last but most definitely not least, many thanks to my lovely friends in the village for their well wishes after lost my mum in February, they really did make me feel much better.

Happy Easter.

Save the date

Liz Tebbatt

Sun 28 March British Summertime begins Sun 28 March Palm Sunday Mon 29 March Step 1 of Boris’ Roadmap Out of Lockdown (see www.gov.uk for details) Fri 2 April Good Friday Sun 4 April Easter Sunday Mon 5 April Easter Monday Mon 12 April Step 2 of Boris’ Roadmap Out of Lockdown Thurs 15 April Chetnole Fuel Group oil delivery Wed 21 April St. Peter’s Church AGM on Zoom 8.00pm – open to all Sun 4 July Cream teas and teddy-bear parachuting in St. Peter’s churchyard 3.00-5.00pm Sat 7 August Chetnole Flower Show

2021 EASTER AT ST PETER'S, CHETNOLE

PALM SUNDAY Crosses will be available in the porch. Please help yourself.

The church will be decorated for Easter.

EASTER SUNDAY SERVICE Sunday Apr 4th 10:00am Village service - all welcome (please wear a mask).

With best wishes from St Peter's church, Chetnole

Several posies and cards were delivered around the village for Mothering Sunday. Palm crosses will be available for collection at church on Palm Sunday, 28 March, for anyone who would like one. A village service will be held in church at 10.00am on Easter Sunday, everyone is welcome (please wear a mask). Continued thanks for food bank donations – the organisers appreciate the many donations from Chetnole.

The Chetnole church Annual Meeting (APCM) will be held on Wednesday 21 April at 8:00pm. This meeting is open to all and will be by Zoom, so please contact PCC secretary Aly at kozowyk@ btinternet.com for the link if you would like to attend.

Aly Kozowyk

Chetnole fuel group

If you would like to order some domestic With best wishes from heating oil, please call John Sanford on St Peter's church, Chetnole 01935 872973 at least five working days before the next delivery date which is 15 April.

Friends of Chetnole Halt

Users of our local Heart of Wessex Line railway will be interested to learn that one of our members, Bob Owen, is to be Chairman of the new South Wessex Community Rail Partnership (CRP). The Friends of Chetnole Halt (FoCH) volunteer group is a member of the national Community Rail Network supported by the operators (in our case Great Western Railway) and the local authorities that the line runs through. Until last year, we were represented by the Heart of Wessex CRP, which covered the whole railway line from Bristol to Weymouth. However, that CRP has now been dissolved and, for our area,

we have a new CRP that will cover only the Southern section from Westbury to Weymouth. This will enable the partnership to focus more on our own communities, while maintaining the familiar Heart of Wessex Line identity. Covid has inevitably delayed the setting up of the new CRP, but it is now expected to be up and running by June. We offer our congratulations to Bob and wish him success in his new role.

Separately, much time has passed since the Friends of Chetnole Halt notified GWR that the felt-covered wooden walkway leading onto the platform at the Halt was starting to break up and was becoming rather dangerous. We were recently surprised and pleased to find that GWR has finally addressed the problem and the work has now been carried out. It is a welcome improvement.

Halt platform approach

Refurbished fingerposts

Two replacement roundels are now on order from Bridport Foundry, for the refurbished fingerposts at Dunch Lane and opposite St. Peter’s Church. Delivery is promised by the end of April. Thanks to a handful of generous Chetnolians, two thirds of the cost was raised very quickly to supplement a grant from Dorset Campaign for Rural England. Thank you too to all those who assisted in an extensive search for old photographs showing the original roundels, not forgetting the good people at Dorset A.O.N.B., Sherborne Museum and Dorset Historical Records.

Gordon Ratcliffe

ST PETER'S CHURCH CHETNOLE

CREAM TEAS in the CHURCHYARD

(in village hall if wet) with TEDDY BEAR PARACHUTING

Sunday July 4th from 3.00 to 5.00 p.m.

Once again Teddy Bears will be jumping off St. Peter’s church tower. Bring your parachute and teddy bear (or any other soft toy) and have a go! Any size or design will do, provided it fits into the basket for hoisting up the tower. Make sure your Teddy’s name and your family name are clearly marked. Children and adults of all ages welcome. All entrants get a certificate and the slowest descent (that lands in the churchyard!) will win a prize. £1 per jump for church funds.

Dr Kate Hawnt

Not only has fabulous Mill Lane resident Kate Hawnt been kept busy by juggling her roles of professional singer, music teacher, music historian and choir leader (to name but a few) with family life in Chetnole but she has also now passed her PhD, so we have great pleasure in being able to address her as Dr Hawnt, no less. Here are a few words from Kate about how she did it and what her subject is:

“My thesis is called, ‘Strange Luggage: Raymond Russell, the Harpsichord and Early Music Culture in the Mid-Twentieth Century.’ I undertook the PhD at the University of Southampton funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council Collaborative Doctoral Award, with the National Trust. I’m most proud of the fact that I managed to hand it in whilst homeschooling both children in the midst of a global pandemic. In fact, having started in 2014 with only one child, I’ve since had my second child, moved house three times, and only had both children in full-time education for six months throughout the whole period of research and writing, whilst juggling multiple jobs. Nice to have proved to myself that something I never thought possible for the likes of me was achieved, despite complicating circumstances. And, I learnt during my viva, that my work has transformed how the National Trust at Mottisfont Abbey represent the Russell family there, which is nice.”

Congratulations Kate on your fantastic achievement – we’re very proud of you – and thank you also for keeping the Wriggle Valley Voices in song during the pandemic; we can’t wait to all get together again.

Liz Tebbatt

Chetnole Flower Show & Fete – start flexing those green fingers!

We’re delighted to tell you that the Schedule for the 74th Chetnole Flower Show & Fete can now be found on our Instagram and Facebook pages, or on the Parish Council website. Hardcopies will be posted around the village and are also in the Village Hall.

Now that the frosts are behind us, April is a busy month for fruit and vegetable growers, so we thought we’d give you a heads up on what will be in the Schedule. There are some new classes for you to tackle such as a rainbow vegetable plate, a salad plate and we are looking for some imaginative ways to display three kinds of vegetables. I’m sure we won’t be disappointed!

In spite of last year’s exploding elderflower champagne, the judges are looking forward to sampling some interesting homemade tipples again,

and gents, we know how competitive you can be, so get practising for a carrot cake bake-off!

In the children’s sections, as well as cress creatures, we have an ocean theme with a fishy mobile and a boat which must be able to survive the choppy waters of Chetnole! For the under 16s we’re curious to see what you think are Chetnole Landmarks in the photography section.

No age limit for the rather bizarre muffin recipe, which has been tested and we can attest to its deliciousness. Let your imaginations run riot with scarecrows of any theme as well as the ‘In Disguise’ photography class.

There’s something for everyone and we’d love to see how you are getting on as you sow, plant, make and bake wonderful entries for the show. You can share your progress by adding #chetnoleflowershow to your posts on Facebook and Instagram, where we’ll also be putting some top tips and inspiration.

Good luck with all your efforts!

The Chetnole Flower Show & Fete Committee

Join us on Saturday 7 August 2021 for our 74th Flower & Produce Show, along with stalls, entertainment & refreshments. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @ChetnoleFlowerShow

Annual Parish Litterpick

Over the first weekend in March, 18 hardy Chetnole Oldies, suitably hivis adorned and insured, sallied forth wielding picker-uppers and black bags to give the verges and ditches a clean-up. About 16 heavy, half-filled bags of litter were collected in all, mostly takeaway food and drink containers, plastic bottles etc. The quantity of discarded Polish vodka and beer bottles was insignificant compared with the 2020 haul. This year’s (virtual) prize goes to the Woods, for the collection of a car bumper, along with the usual detritus, from the lower end of Stockwood Road. The overall impression was that roadside litter was less evident than in spring 2020 – not surprising, since traffic levels were down during Covid-19 lockdown periods. Sadly, the opposite applies on the grass verges of the A37 – what is wrong with vehicle drivers and passengers who think 15

it is acceptable to ‘chuck it and forget it’? As to (the minority) of dog walkers who pick up and then hang filled poop bags in the hedgerows........aaargh.!! One final thought – the 2021 Chetnole Litterpick Volunteers are not getting any younger – and aspire to hand over next year to a group of younger retirees. To paraphrase Delia Smith – “Where are you?

Gordon Ratcliffe

Chetnole and Stockwood Parish Council

March Meeting Notes

We have a 10-minute session at the beginning and end of our Parish Council meetings during which members of the public can raise matters of interest/ concern for discussion by the Council. On this occasion four members of the public tuned in to our Zoom meeting. All are welcome and joining information can be obtained prior to each meeting from Sue Woodford. Hopefully, we will be meeting in the Village Hall again before too long.

There were three planning applications for discussion, all of which were supported, with some reservations, by most of the PC.

The village litter picking party has recently been in action and suggested a recycling litter bin in the layby between Mad Mowers and the A37. After some debate it was reluctantly agreed that a bin in this remote spot might be stolen, vandalised, or attract fly tipping. The suggestion was not, therefore, supported by the PC.

On the matter of flood management. I had a Zoom meeting with Angelique McBride of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) to review progress on proposals for flood management in the upper reaches of the Wriggle and its tributaries. Angelique has identified several areas where effective obstacles to the flow could be installed. During the next few weeks, we will be approaching the owners of the land concerned to seek their support and approval of the scheme proposed. When an overall plan has been agreed, I will make it available in this magazine and on the Parish Council website.

We are plagued by rabbits on the playing field and our use of ferrets to try and reduce the population was not successful. Suggestions would be welcome.

The Parish Council website has recently been updated and I understand that pages are available; if any group, club or society is interested, please contact Sue Woodford.

If there is anything that you would like the Parish Council to discuss/consider at future meetings please call either Sue Woodford, or me. Contact details are on the website. The next meeting is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 12 May.

Owen C Pope

Jacqueline Theresa Brushett (Mullins/ Cull), aged 73, passed away peacefully on 3 March 2021 due to a massive stroke on top of her battle with Alzheimer’s. She leaves behind a son (Julian Mullins), a husband (William Brushett) and a mum (Yvonne Cull), a daughter-in-law for whom she was also mum, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Jackie was born in Dorchester in October 1947. Daughter of Yvonne and Toby Cull, Jackie lived in Chetnole and attended the village school, where she was the only girl in the class. Jackie then went to St Gildas, Yeovil, and then onto St. Aldhelms School in Sherborne. While not always the bestbehaved pupil, she was well-liked by classmates and teachers.

Jackie had several jobs after leaving school, but she was never a career girl. She married Bryan Mullins from Frome St. Quinton at Chetnole Church in June 1966. They lived in Maiden Newton before moving back to Chetnole in 1973. They had a son Julian in 1971.

Jackie married again in July 1998 to William Brushett, having moved to Chantmarle in 1997.

Everything changed in February 2015 when Bill suffered a stroke meaning that Jackie then became a carer, looking after the house and Bill.

Early in 2019, she felt her memory was going, and it was confirmed later in the year that she had Alzheimer’s. It progressed quickly, and she started to need help with herself and Bill. Luckily a live-in carer moved in just before the first Covid lockdown in March 2020. The time when she needed more hugs was now a time when she could not even have visitors.

She deteriorated quickly and had to go to Alderney hospital, Poole, who were great with her. She was just about to move to Grove Lodge care home, Frampton, in January when she contracted Covid – she beat it, much to everyone’s relief! Once she’d had a negative test, she moved in on Thursday 18 February. She was dancing and laughing on the Friday and had a lovely day before succumbing to a stroke on Saturday. She had a short stay in Dorchester hospital before being moved back to the home on the following Friday. During the last few days, the family could visit her before she passed away peacefully on 3 March.

Jackie was the life and soul of any party, always full of conversation. Dancing, art, horses and dogs were her passions. Always full of life and energy. She always had cold hands but a warm heart. She hated cold drinks and even wanted ice cream warmed up. Jackie will be greatly missed.

Please, if you have any stories or messages you wish to share with the family, please email them to jackie@ shogun.co.uk.