Leigh

from 329 October 2020

Ryme Intrinseca

REPS: Philippa Toulson philippa.toulson@gmail.com Eddie Upton upton.eddie@gmail.com DISTRIBUTOR: Judy Tuke

As we write this we have just had the news that the virus is on the increase and numbers of people who can safely gather together have been reduced. As a community we did well during the lockdown, keeping an eye on our neighbours and looking out for one another. We probably never stopped doing that anyway but it is certainly time to be extra mindful of people in our community who may need some help.

The wonderful Leigh Life Line is still in operation and willing to help and support in any difficulty, not just Covid related. I am sure we will all echo Morag’s sentiment in thanking the Bridge Stores for always being there to help us all.

No matter how tricky the last few months have been and the next few months are going to be, it is always good to have new people in the village and we would like to welcome Lorraine at Isles Cottage and Faith at Carpenters. Last month we said a sad farewell to Tessa Hill and wish her all the best in her new adventure in Milborne Port.

Philippa Toulson & Eddie Upton St Andrew’s Church, Leigh

This month we celebrate one of the important days of the year. Our Harvest Service will be on 11 October. If we were to follow our normal pattern we would be serving lunch after the service but this year's service is now an evening one, at 6.00pm. This is a real time of celebration in the middle of so much worry and distress, so do come and join our family friendly service.

Since we were able to restart services, we have been able to take maximum advantage of our churchyard, firstly by rejoicing in the wonderful display and range of wild flowers, and secondly by holding all of our services out of doors. The churchyard has now been strimmed and mown again and very soon we will have to move our services indoors again. Like all venues, we are obliged to observe appropriate social distancing, so you will be directed to your seat in the church. You can sit with your family but not your friend.

This month we move to a revised pattern of services, with new times. 21

Please see how you feel about it after a couple of months and we will pass your thoughts on to the clergy team. The revised pattern is:

1st Sunday of the month

Holy Communion at 9.00am

2nd Sunday

Evensong at 6.00pm

3rd Sunday

Holy Communion at 9.00am

4th Sunday

Lay-led morning service at 10.30am

It looks unlikely that we will be able to have our monthly Coffee Morning on Tuesday 6 October, but keep abreast of the news and let us hope that the latest set of emergency provisions don’t last for too long.

Alaistair Cumming and Eddie Upton

Churchwardens

Ride+Stride

Angela and Colin Seabrook covered 12 miles and eight churches on foot and Alaistair made it round 25 churches and 55 miles on his bicycle to raise money for Dorset Historic Churches Trust. It is too early to say how much the kind folk of Leigh contributed but early totting up indicates more than £1000, half of

Poised, ready to go …

… and he’s off!

which will come back to our Church Fabric Fund for future maintenance. Thank you so much for your generosity. We were blessed with fine weather all day and it was so pleasant to be out on almost deserted roads, everyone happy though to pass warm greetings.

Alaistair Cumming

Keeping busy during Lockdown

Shortly after we were ‘locked-down’ I answered an appeal to make scrubs for the Yeatman Hospital, and was given fabric for one set, having downloaded, printed and put together (with seemingly miles of Sellotape) the pattern. I then heard about the West Dorset Scrubbers. They had just had a request for lots of Scrubs, bags & caps, so I made contact with the group and started sewing, making up old sheets etc into laundry bags. WDS then started sending me ready cut-out Scrubs sets to be made up. My total for WDS is 12 sets of Scrubs, 25 scrubs caps, 50 laundry bags and 60 headbands (buttoned to hook on facemask elastic.

Just as WDS was winding down having fulfilled most of the requests for PPE, a friend in the village asked if I would make facemasks – that started a whole new venture for me. With many people, including the wonderful Captain Tom, raising money for the frontline workers, I realised that smaller animal charities were being sidelined. I decided that Ferne Animal Sanctuary (with whom I had catcontact some years ago) should be the ones to benefit. I sent the first £50 to them in the first week of May, and little by little my total increased until in the first week of September I have finally reached an amazing £2,000 which I would not have managed but for help from Brenda at Leigh village shop, and Hamish and Kate at Hamish’s Farm shop, who have generously given space for baskets of facemasks.

Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard looks after 400+ animals & birds, some for rehoming and many for life – recently about 40 water voles were released into the areas around their ponds and hopefully will start to recolonised the surrounding watercourses. It’s a great place to visit with walks through 70 acres of woodland, pond areas and animal enclosures, and seeing all the creatures they look after – and there’s a café and shop – a good family day-out.

Thank you to all who have supported Ferne by buying facemasks from me – and now, back to the sewing room!

Caroline Birdsell

Bridge Garage/Stores and Post Office

During the months of lockdown, Bridge Garage has been a lifeline for many of us in the village. Brenda and Steve continued to serve the community in any way they could to keep life as near normal as possible, particularly for those of us who were advised to stay at home or who were nervous about venturing to the supermarkets in Sherborne which is as far as we were allowed to travel.

When toilet paper ran out in the supermarkets, Brenda had it on her shelves. When hand sanitiser and TCP ran out even on line, Brenda had it in stock. When flour and yeast ran out Brenda had an amazing supply from Sue Fudge. Sue, with her background in 23

Alaistair Cumming is a COVID-secure customer

baking, found a supply from Shipton Mill and bagged it up in 1.5kg bags which Brenda sold in the shop. If you bought the flour then you were given some free yeast to go with it.

Perhaps the best thing of all about the shop was (and remains) the large quantity of books which Brenda has organised into a small library for the use of anyone who was desperate for reading material during the long hours of being housebound. All you have to do is donate a book, pop it on the shelf and help yourself to one of your choice from the varied selection available. If you don’t have a book to donate then it is just 50p for a book and then you can return that one and get the next one for nothing. Personally I read many books from there and discovered some new authors as well.

The post office is also a very valuable and useful asset particularly in these days when Banks are closing at an alarming rate. Here are the services she provides: • Cheque Deposits • Post office Card Account

Withdrawals • Order foreign currency 24 Pay Bills and Top Up

National Lottery Ticket sales and prize payments

Steve carries out MOTs as well as all motor repairs, not to mention fixing the wheel on my wheelbarrow when I got a puncture! We are so lucky to have Brenda and Steve and the Pandemic has shown us how very important to the village they are. We must use them or lose them and never take for granted that they will always be there.

Thank you Brenda and Steve.

Morag Orchard

Annual Poppy appeal collection Leigh, Batcombe, Hilfield and Hermitage

At about this time of year, I normally recharge and distribute some 15 Royal British Legion collection boxes, so that an ever-faithful group of local volunteers can call on you at your home to offer you a poppy, in exchange for a donation to the RBL who do so much to support those badly injured in the armed service of their country. Our parishes have always been extraordinarily generous, donating around £1,200 each year via our local collectors.

Sadly however, the RBL hierarchy has decided that doing door-todoor collection is too high risk while the dreaded Covid 19 still stalks the land. So there will be nobody calling personally at your door this year. However, poppies will I hope be available in the Leigh Village Stores – but at the moment, RBL have forbidden us even placing such a box as this. So quite what will transpire come the beginning of November I do not yet know.

In tandem with the above house to house local effort, I normally organise a talk in Leigh’s Village Hall with proceeds (usually about £800) adding to the sum raised in our parishes. However, conscious of the age of most who attend and with any such gatherings now severely limited (at the time of writing), I’ve very regrettably decided to cancel this event for this year. I’m particularly sorry to have had to do this, as I had Admiral Sir George Zambellas, known personally to many of us as a long-term resident of Leigh until he went over to the other side (of the A352!), lined up to give the talk.

I’m sure you will appreciate however that I did not want to expend such high calibre ordinance with the real risk of a rather empty hall. But with a bit of luck, he’ll be available to do us proud for next year.

Hopefully by then we will all have access to an effective inoculation, so that normal service can be resumed. In the meantime, I hope you all stay fit and healthy, free from any ailments – of whatever variety.

Alan Bennett

Leigh Parish Council update

Despite the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, Leigh PC has continued to meet as scheduled (dates are published on the village website and in this magazine), albeit ‘virtually’ courtesy of Zoom. Should this continue to be necessary for PC meetings over the winter, residents and members of the public are welcome to witness all meetings by notifying the parish clerk (leigh@dorset-aptc.gov.uk) 48 hours prior to the event. An e-invitation will then be sent to you so that you can electronically join the meeting. As ever, agenda and minutes are available on the village website (leighvillage.org.uk/ parish-council/documents).

It has been good to see people enjoying the Village Green. The associated gates and fencing are now complete, and a litter bin installed at the gate nearest the Church (and there is another at the start of the Village Hall driveway). As well as normal litter, the bins may also be used for disposing of suitably bagged dog waste; if the co-located bag dispensers are empty, please let the parish clerk know. While on the subject of bins, there is now also another opposite the Village Stores. Please do all you can to keep our village tidy – and encourage others to do the same.

The playpark was reopened in July, as soon as regulations permitted. Long may that last! The next development is to establish a slide on the mound.

The PC remains extremely grateful to Graham Fudge, Gordon Morris, Les Wallis and Bill Jolliffe for progressing work on the restoration of the parish’s finger posts. This is a much bigger job than it might appear at first sight; the work is being undertaken with input 26 from Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in order that the end product is in keeping with traditional style. The two posts in the worst condition (Totnell Corner and Leigh Cross) will be the first to benefit; thereafter, others will be programmed for attention. If you feel you’d also like to assist, please contact the parish clerk.

Alan Bennett

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SEPTEMBER WINNERS. If you would like to take part, please contact: Julian Turnbull on 01935 873846 or Alastair Cumming on 01935 872401. It is only £1 per month