Yetminster

from July/August 2022 No. 347

Batcombe

YETMINSTER REP: Michaela and Graham Plaice: gplaice@gmail.com 872921

We are still actively seeking a replacement editor for this magazine (see advertisement on p8). This is Kathryn’s last edition as editor; she stepped into the breach, in very difficult circumstances, after our beloved Bella sadly died. She took up the reins with astonishing speed, great professionalism and, most importantly, very good humour. I have been Chairman for almost ten years and have seen how the Committee, especially the editors, have developed the magazine into such a well-loved and slick production that it is today. We all thank Kathryn for her outstanding contribution to both the magazine and the Wriggle Valley Community who we serve. WOW! The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations were fantastic. See p34 for Toby Hartwell’s write-up on show how the village celebrated. I have never seen the village look so amazing; it truly reflected the extraordinary effort and hard work of our community to make the celebrations a success. It just goes to show what can be achieved when the village comes together. As I write, Queen Elizabeth II has just become the world’s secondlongest reigning modern monarch; what an achievement and I hope she reigns long enough to take the lead in due course.

The village cannot relax too much after the recent celebrations, as the renowned Yetminster Fair is on Saturday 16 July. This should be a great event, involving a dog show, classic cars and bikes on display, as well as lots of stalls and a 31

range of food drinks and entertainment. The proceeds of the show are distributed to groups and organisations around the village. Let’s give this event as much love as we did the recent celebrations, this is our village event. David from the White Hart reports: “We were overwhelmed by the support of the pub over the Jubilee holidays and it was such a shame that the weather was not kind on Sunday. This forced the band on the big day of the street party to cancel the stage opposite the pub and do their set in the White Hart; an amazing evening resulted.

“This has brought forward our next planned initiative which is to promote regular monthly live music. We start on Thursday 23 June with the Ray D’Inverno Trio ‘Passionate about Jazz’. 8.00pm–10.00pm for the best in British jazz. If anyone else wants a Thursday live music slot, please let us know.”

Here we go again! If you read the Planning section in the magazine (p61), you will see there is a planning application to build nine new homes on the land north of Ryme Road. This is disappointing as the site was subject to a previous application by Gladman Developments, which was dismissed at appeal, and of course we now have our Neighbourhood Plan. This identifies sites suitable for development (Ryme Road is not one of these), seeks to maintain the important rural gap between Yetminster and Ryme Intrinseca and recognises that the parish only requires a very limited number of new dwellings in the period to 2036. This will be a first test of the Plan since Dorset Council adopted it, and it will be interesting to see what happens Huge thanks to the volunteer teams who have worked tirelessly to provide a comprehensive programme of events to help celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. I hope that the village gets behind these events and supports such a momentous occasion. Michaela and Graham Plaice

Coffee, Cake and Chat

We had a great time celebrating The Queen’s jubilee last month. With thanks to Jane who played some wonderful music on the piano for us. We would also like to thank those who continue to support Coffee, Cake and Chat, with special mention to Alison Moody who provides her time volunteering each month and always turns up with a yummy cake.

We are back on Tuesday 5 July and then Tuesday 2 August 2.30-4.00pm, in the Jubilee Hall. We look forward to seeing you all. We are collecting for the food bank so please continue to bring your dry food and toiletries donations.

Angela and Grace

St. Andrew’s Church

Photo: G. Goater

Happy July! Well, what a wonderful occasion The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend was. The great British summer weather was as unpredictable as ever and tried to dampen things down a bit; but talking to someone from Shaftesbury, where apparently wine glasses filled up rapidly with rain and lettuce was seen floating off plates, it wasn’t just us (perhaps note to self – no more holidays in England in early June …)

St. Andrews had standing room only for the Jubilee Service, full of readings of people’s first-hand recollections of the Coronation in 1953, including Black Rod pinning to a pillar one of The Queen’s attendants who was feeling a bit faint, to keep her upright, and a bishop pulling a small bottle of brandy from his robes and having a nip. Those were the days.

The weekend at St. Andrews was so memorable, which was down to the many people who organised, decorated, cooked, and generally pulled everything together, to Simon and the choir for the Coronation music, to the readers for the recollections, to the flower arrangers who decked the church with the most brilliant displays, to Robert for the beacon, to the Parish Council for the lights and to the carillon for getting through the National Anthem without a hitch.

The carillon is 125 years old, and we are working patiently to raise the money needed to have both it and the clock overhauled. We miss the chimes of course, but hope the overhaul will take the mechanisms on for another couple of generations to their 200th and 400th anniversaries, so it’s worth the wait. Thank you to the very kind lady who wished to remain anonymous but donated to help with the restoration. It was so appreciated.

Clare has now ‘retired’ as Churchwarden and has handed the baton on to me. I have been presented with a box full of interesting and ancient looking keys which I must try hard not to lose; they all look hand-made and are probably impossible to replace. Clare has done the job splendidly over the past years and I’m so grateful to her for 33

staying on to help me through the first year until I get to know the ropes.

A few people notes: as I write, Terry our Sidesman is waiting to go into hospital for a long awaited operation and we wish him all the best for a good outcome, and a welcome return to duties after convalescing. Good luck Terry.

Jenny Nelson has joined the Team and is being ordained at Salisbury on 2 July. Jenny will bring a wealth of experience from her work at Sherborne Girls and we look forward to working with her and sharing her ministry.

The church resumes a more normal round in July and August and all the services are advertised on the church pages. Everyone is welcome at St. Andrews, and don’t forget our informal second Sunday service at the school; 9.30am for chat, coffee and croissants, and service at 10.00am. We have people of all ages coming along, it’s great fun.

Finally, to everyone planning a holiday, have a really good time and come home safe. And to all the people planning a summer wedding at St. Andrews, best wishes for a long and happy marriage.

Churchwarden Geoff

Churchwarden.yet@gmail.com

Jubilee celebrations

Yetminster embraced The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with lots of different events, all well-attended, over the bank holiday week.

Thursday 2 June saw the doors of St. Andrew’s Church open for a special flower festival, organised by Celia Brayfield, which featured some very creative arrangements from clubs and societies in the village. At 2.30pm on a lovely sunny afternoon, a group of over 50 keen walkers set off from the White Hart pub for the inaugural Jubilee walk. Lots of stiles were clambered over but the reward, halfway round, was a sumptuous tea with all sorts of cakes. Thanks go to Sara Greenwood and family for all their hard work in setting this up.

As dusk settled, a host of people gathered in the churchyard to toast The Queen and to attend the lighting of the beacon. The National Anthem was sung followed by a countdown to Rob Barfoot lighting the beacon at exactly 9.45 pm. The church tower was lit in red, white and blue to mark the occasion and for each of the subsequent nights of the Jubilee.

Friday heralded a hunt for gold with 26 teams joining the fun of the Yetminster Jubilee Treasure Hunt organised by Jane Smith. Starting at The Old School Gallery, the hunt took people on a short loop around the village, answering a total of 27 questions in the hunt for gold bullion (a box of Celebrations!). The winners were the Reverend George Moody and his wife Alison – getting all the questions correct in the fastest time. Turns out having a guiding light does help some things! Congratulations to all who took part.

Saturday was Family Fun Day at the Sports ground organised by Andy and Julie Perlejewski. There was something for everyone, with the Welly Wanging being keenly contested. The event concluded with music from Band in a Box at The Sports Club.

The weather on Sunday started bright. At 10.00am, a rousing celebration in St. Andrew’s saw a great selection of music beautifully performed by all involved. With the church packed, it was great credit to Simon Eadon who organised the events and all the choristers and musicians who made it possible.

Meanwhile, the High Street was closed to traffic as tables, chairs and food and drink of all sorts started to appear and by 1.00pm there was a colourful carnival atmosphere along the centre of Yetminster. Events were formally started by Gerry, resplendent in Union Jack waistcoat, who proposed the Loyal Toast and three cheers for Her Majesty. Music during the afternoon was provided by Ken Horswell of Abbey 104 and children were soon blowing bubbles and chalking the road as adults got on with the serious business of getting stuck into the Big Lunch.

At 3.00pm, Tim Phillips and bell ringers from Sherborne Abbey rang a quarter peal at the church. With prizes for best fancy dress, best dressed table and the first appearance of the renovated skittle alley courtesy of Mike Bird and Julian Bennett, everyone was fully in the swing. Inevitably a bit of light drizzle turned to heavy rain during the afternoon. The Fat Marrow Band who were scheduled to play outside moved into The White Hart and the party continued with great music and the pub overflowed with people spilling out onto the street.

It seems that a very enjoyable weekend was had by all and there are too many people to thank properly for all their hard work who made this a great village celebration. The events were also made possible by generous donations from the Yetminster Community project and the Parish Council.

Toby Hartwell

Yetminster & Ryme Walking Group

What a fun Platinum Jubilee weekend Yetminster had,

many thanks to the Yetminster Jubilee Committee for organising all the activities.

The YRWG had a long walk around the Parishes, starting at the pub with about 40 people, there was an option of doing half the walk, and we finished with eight longer distance walkers. Refreshments were available and much appreciated while looking at the view from the quarry. Thank you all for coming on the walk.

We have our next walks on a poster which will be on notice boards, Facebook and Parish website. These walks include short evening walks close to the village.

The Council Rangers have put in two of the five gates already funded (rather than climbing over stiles); if anyone wants to join in the fundraising, please contact us on yetpaths@gmail.com Looking forward to seeing you all.

Future walks:

7 July 6.00pm: Start White Hart pub 23 July 2.30pm: Start Layby beyond Ryme 13 Aug 2.30pm: Start Holbrook

DT9 6HQ Melbury Road, towards

Chetnole, driveway RHS 24 Aug 6.00pm: Start White Hart pub 17 Sep 2.30pm: Start Sport Club 28 Sep 6.00pm: Start White Hart pub 29 Oct 11.00am: Start location tbc 19 Nov 11.00am: Start location tbc 28 Dec 10.30am: Festive walk, refreshments, mince pies; Evershot,

Melbury Estate entrance Attendance will be at your own risk. Please wear sensible footwear. Details/updates on the PC website, noticeboard and Wriggle Valley Magazine

Yetminster Fair

Yetminster Fair returns on Saturday 16 July and, after last year’s success, will again take place on the Sports Ground at Yetminster. With nearly 50 stalls of all sorts booked in and entertainment including a dog show, skittles and classic car display there will be lots to enjoy on the day including a bouncy castle and children’s games.

There will also be a return of the Tug of War competition for Yetminster and surrounding villages. If you would like to enter a team, just email yetminsterfair@ gmail.com for more details.

The fun starts at 12.00 and after the Fair there will be live music at the Sports Club.

The Fair Committee still need volunteers to help run stalls and help marshal. If you can spare an hour that would be great; again, just send an email to yetminsterfair@gmail.com

Yetminster Fair Association 50/50 Club draw

JUNE 2022 WINNERS

1st prize of £100 No. 42 Mrs C Goater 2nd prize of £50 No. 51 Mr M Fuller 3rd prize of £30 No. 57 Mr G Nutt 4th prize of £20 No. 39 Mr S Cridland

Yetminster and Ryme Intrinseca Parish Council

Chairman’s Notes – May Meeting

The annual village meeting highlighted the opportunities that exist within our local community, with short presentations or written reports delivered by the Parochial Church Council, the Walking Group, Short Mat Bowls Club, Community Sports Club, Mothers’ Union, the Hundred of Yetminster History Society and the Garden, Arts & Craft Society. The Chairman remarked on the wide range of activities that are available for all ages and thanked all those people who give their time to lead the many clubs and societies.

At the annual general meeting of the Parish Council, the standing orders, rules, regulations and procedures were adopted, the financial statement was approved, Councillor Hughes was reelected as Vice-Chair and I was reelected as Chairman. Councillor Brayfield has resigned to take up the role of Secretary to the PCC and was thanked for her contribution to the village. There are now four vacancies which need to be filled if the Parish Council is to function effectively. Parish councillors need to have an interest in the local community and are required to attend 10 meetings a year as well as sit on at least one of the various sub committees. We will be spending our Community Infrastructure Levy over the next few years so now is a great time to join us if you wish to help influence developments within our community. Please contact the Parish Clerk at yetmnster@dorset-aptc.gov.uk if you would like to be co-opted on to the parish council or for further information.

At a previous meeting, there was uncertainty as to whether a contribution to the clock repairs was a legitimate expense. Having obtained advice from the Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils, the Council has now agreed that a contribution will be made to the St. Andrew’s Church clock appeal 37

once a formal, costed request for financial assistance has been received.

A planning application has been submitted for the construction of nine houses on land north of Ryme Road. A previous plan to develop this site received objections from the Council and a large number of residents, and subsequently went to appeal where it was dismissed by the Planning Inspector. This site was not included in our recently approved Neighbourhood Plan, and we are concerned at the erosion of the gap between Yetminster and Ryme Intrinseca, the loss of privacy for existing adjoining properties and the proposed access road which opens the site to further development. Given the history of this site, we have requested that the application is handled by the full Planning Committee and not delegated to an individual officer.

We are pleased to announce that, subject to the receipt of suitable references, we have appointed a new Parish Clerk who will commence her duties on 1 July. We would like to thank David Torrance for being our acting Clerk for the last few months and for agreeing to support the new appointment through a period of induction.

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who was involved in organising any of the Jubilee events staged in Yetminster or Ryme Intrinseca and to everyone who attended. It was great to see the way the community came together to create such a memorable long weekend of activity. We hope the Yetminster Fair is supported in the same way and look forward to seeing you all on 16 July.

Andy Perlejewski

Chairman of Yetminster and Ryme Intrinseca Parish Council

Come and join The Great Big Blooming Tea Party

in aid of Marie Curie On 24 July from 2.00-5.00pm Yetminster Jubilee Hall There will also be a raffle with lovely prizes

Please contact Sue Gilmour on 07760 666761 for further details.

A pile of old stones?

Just a pile of old stones may be the first impression on visiting the ruins of Shaftesbury Abbey. But not so if your guides are Claire Reilly, Shaftesbury Museum curator, and Julian Richards, archaeologist and TV presenter (Meet the Ancestors, among others). Claire’s historical knowledge and Julian’s massive enthusiasm and personal involvement with the archaeological work at the Abbey made for a fascinating tour.

The original abbey founded by Alfred the Great in 888 was thought to have been a wooden structure but the amount of Saxon stonework found in the rubble during excavations suggest it could have been built of stone from the beginning.

It was the first religious house built solely for women and Alfred set up his young daughter, Aethelgifu, as its first abbess. Daughters of the nobility joined, bringing with them rich endowments. This, together with it becoming the shrine of St. Edward the Martyr which attracted large numbers of pilgrims, led to it coming the second richest abbey in the country.

But after the centuries came Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. Possibly because of its influence, it was one of the last places to surrender, the last abbess signing it over in 1539. The place was stripped of all its valuables, the wreckers moved in, and the building was thoroughly demolished.

And there it remained until excavations started in the C.mid-19th. Sadly, those early excavators made few records and findings left behind were exposed to the weather to deteriorate. These omissions were repeated by early C.20th excavators, further compounded by enthusiastic gardeners moving stonework around. Julian assured us that the 2017 digs he was involved in were more scientific, but also posed some interesting puzzles, such as: why were there no signs of a floor in the aisle? Why was the floor level below the lines of the base of the wall? And why was it that there were foundations of a buttress in what had hitherto been assumed to be a doorway?

Among new findings were jet rosary beads: how did that nun come to lose them? There were also piles of coloured, broken glass – evidence of the intervening lead supports being stripped out and the glass discarded, considered of no value at the time.

The museum too has been refurbished, showing the chronology of the finds and how they inter-relate. Another location well worth a revisit.