FROM THE EDITOR

 

As the year ends, it’s time to say thank you to everyone who contributes to the magazine. Thanks also to all the staplers and distributors and particular thanks to Chris Meadows who, as well as his lonely day-long toil printing the magazine, took time out this month to judge the Christmas Cover Competition. Thanks also to Don Pratt for the help and support he has given me over the last few months.

The Dubber on-line is once again up and running so that all of those summer visitors and others who live out of the distribution area can keep up with the news from the Purbeck Hills.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas and a happy New Year.

 

Angela Bell

 

 

 

LETTER FROM THE RECTORY

 

December 2009

 

Dear Friends

 

‘Christmas is all for the children’... I will probably hear that as many times as the number of mince pies I am offered this December but, sorry, it’s not. On the first Christmas Eve, all the children were probably safely tucked up in their beds, with the exception, of the new arrival, of course... ‘Show a bit of Christmas spirit’ we are urged, meaning love peace and joy... whereas the Christmas story is all about grownups with a fair bit of grumpiness thrown in. It was the time to register the tax returns, now there’s a happy grown up thought. Inns full to bursting, turning away people who weren’t ‘from round here’ no doubt full of queues and quarrels and noise; narrow streets jammed with last minute shoppers, politicians in parliaments and palaces worrying about holding on to their seats, travellers with luggage on lengthy detours following the wrong road /star signs and some people outside in the cold out on hill side drawing the short straw and working the night shift because someone has to and no ‘happy ever after’ ending but life on the run for the baby, to avoid a mass slaughter of children under two.

And yet, there was a moment, the story tells us, in it all that business-as-usual-night, when grown up workers saw angels and left their work and ran and knelt in worship and wonder. There was a moment later, when wise grown up seekers knelt at journeys end and offered their life savings, and all, poor and rich together, dreamed of a world saved from destroying itself, a world of love, peace and joy, a world for all children to live in. And hoped the little child would lead them to it.

Often today, it is children who tell us the grown up story, who lead us to the truth. If you are lucky enough to hear them this Christmas, let their wonder open your eyes and your heart to the grown up living Christ who is Emmanuel, God with us.

 

With very best wishes for a Christmas bursting with love and peace and joy,  and hope for a happy 2010.

 

 

Judith Malins

Priest in charge

Kingston, Langton Matravers, & Worth Matravers

 

GENERAL NEWS

 

LANGTON MATRAVERS PRE-SCHOOL

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is helping to rally round the Pre-school, supporting us physically and financially. As some of you may be aware, we are a charity and as always finances can be a little tricky, sometime more than others. We are having one of these ‘tricky’ times and if you see any of our fundraising events, please support us. We will be at the Putlake Christmas Fayre selling cakes, candles, bird fatballs and plenty of other great gifts for Christmas. We will have some more events planned for the new year, so keep a look out for our posters.

If you know anyone who has a toddler aged 2 to 4, please tell them about our wonderful pre-school, as we still have some sessions available. Our caring and experienced team  have lots of wonderful activities planned for the new year, taking advantage of the close links with the local community and the countryside.

If anyone has any ideas on how to support the pre-school, please contact Kelly Fenech on 421204, we are always grateful to receive any advice or new fundraising ideas.

Kelly Fenech

 

ALDHELM MISSION FUND

Does your parish have plans for mission but lack funding? Since 2006, the Aldhelm Mission Fund has supported 34 mission and outreach activities across our Diocese. Grants are normally in the £500-£4,000 range, supporting initiatives such as a one day outreach event or running after-school activities. Funding for church buildings is not included: applications should provide partnership funding. MORE INFORMATION

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BURNGATE

Kids can get creative this December by making their own Christmas carve at the Burngate Stone Carving Centre. The sessions will be running on Sunday, 6 December for children aged 8 -12 years, 10am-noon or 2-4pm and costs just £3.75 per session. A fun few hours in the run-up to Christmas but remember to dress for mess! If you are interested please contact us for some more information or to book a place.

If you are stuck for that special Christmas present, we have vouchers which can be purchased and redeemed against any course at the centre or even if you just want to hire the banker space. We have some great courses planned for the new year, something to suit everyone, from the beginners to the more experienced carvers!

We have some courses scheduled in December, ranging from making your own house number, free-form carving, print making and introduction to stone carving, so please check out the website for information or contact us on 439405.

And, finally, if you fancy a Christmas knees up, we have Gypsy’s Kiss playing at the centre on Thursday 3 December, 7pm ‘til late. Tickets are just £5 and you can bring a bottle of your favourite tipple! Please contact us for more information or to purchase your ticket. Thanks for your support since we opened in April and we look forward to seeing more of you in the new year!

Kelly Fenech

 

BURNGATE QUARRY WALK

Starting at Burngate an intrepid group of 20 walked through Acton Common to H.F.Bonfield’s Blacklands Quarry, where Stanley Bonfield explained the formation of the stone beds and the workings of the stone from the slab to the finished products – lintels, jambs and stone paving for Southampton. In 100mph winds and needle like rain, we ventured into the quarry workings.

In less extreme circumstances this informative walk will be offered as a monthly Saturday morning event costing just £5 per head. Please contact Burngate if you would like some more information.

Kelly Fenech

 

PARKINSON’S DISEASE EXERCISE CLASSES

Purbeck Sports Centre will be starting classes for people with Parkinson’s disease from Thursday, 3 December. These new classes will help with balance, posture and stability and aid the cardio-vascular system. Sports Centre Operations Manager, Michelle Goodman said: “Gentle exercise can be an important additional therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease as their joints tend to become more rigid. Research has also shown that exercise can also have a beneficial effect on a patient’s mood or well-being and the classes can also offer opportunities to meet new people in similar situations.” Classes are Thursdays from 12-1 pm and cost £4 per session (Tel: 500000).

 

WHERE AM I IN PURBECK?

I’ve lived here for 13 years and I’m sad to say this was the first time I took the opportunity to see this view and the other sights nearby. Where am I?

Last month’s photo was taken by Cliff Turner, here’s what he has said about it: “The photograph shows the visible remains of the underground bunker of the Worth Matravers Royal Observer Corps post. During WW2 the role of ROC was to visually track the movement of aircraft. Details such as type, height, distance and bearing were reported to an Area Command Headquarters to help Fighter Command in its operations. After the war ended and the cold war started the task of the ROC changed. During the 1960s the threat of nuclear war increased and the role of the ROC became one to report on nuclear explosions from newly built underground bunkers. Various pieces of equipment were installed to measure the pressure caused by the explosion, the bearing of the flash and the level of radioactive fallout.” - Makes you go a bit cold, doesn’t it?

Chris Meadows

 

CHRISTMAS FOOD FROM PURBECK

It is heartening to see that many of the local shops have started to promote local food. I am talking of Clealls and Norden farm shop in Corfe Castle, Purbeck Deli in Swanage, and the Salt Pig in Wareham. It might have taken two years to get products into local shops but this is a great start. And I’ll bang on again and again that I believe that the buyer will get consistent and better quality from local shops. Whatever they say, the supermarkets are not interested in local food from local producers. But hey, Christmas is almost upon us, and I, for one, love Christmas time.

For a fat foodie farmer like myself, Christmas is a time of culinary heaven. Now don’t get me wrong, I love turkey with chestnut stuffing, chipolata sausages, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, brussels-sprouts and gravy. However, there is such delicious food in Purbeck, that this year I think I might try something else. So, for starters, how about lobster, now lobster has such a delicate taste that it should not be ‘messed about with’; I liked to eat it warm with garlic butter. Or maybe I might have little crab mayonnaise, or scallops fresh from Kimmeridge Bay.

Next, if I were to continue the wild theme, I would have a haunch of venison. This I would cook on the bed of root vegetables and port, with home-made crisps, cabbage cooked with bacon and finished off with a dollop of cream. Or should I try, roast leg of lamb, infused with garlic and rosemary, or rib of beef, you can get your butcher to cut it off the bone, and then tie it back on so that when it comes to carving you just cut the string and lift out the joint. Or for a real treat, perhaps I should try an organic chicken, now what I do is I mixed up some butter and garlic and herbs and pushed that under the skin to infuse the meat with added flavour. Or should I just have pork, I love pork with crackling and apple flavoured gravy. Finally, Purbeck cheese, Christmas pudding, and the Yuletide log to finish me off.

“Where would I find all these things?” The first port of call would be the Christmas market in Commercial Road, on 5 December. Members from the producer co-operative, Purbeck Products, have been going to this market for the past two years. Secondly, I would try their website; www.purbeckproducts.co.uk. From the website, I would learn that there is a Christmas market at Putlake adventure farm Langton Matravers on the 14 December. If you come along to the Swanage Christmas market, you can buy your chocolate from Chococo at the same time.

Christopher Lees

 

QUIET MORNING

The pre Christmas rush catches up on all of us and 25 December is here before we know where we are and we are exhausted. We are having a quiet morning at the home of Pat and Don Pratt on Valley road on 17 December to ponder again on the meaning of Christmas. We shall start at 9.45am with coffee and end at 12.00 with a beaker of soup and a mince pie. There is plenty of room for car parking. Please sign the list in church if you plan to come so that we make the right amount of soup.If there are any problems about finding your way ask Don or Pat or me.

Elizabeth Crabbe

 

SWANAGE CHRISTIAN CENTRE

There is still time to complete your Christmas shopping – in fact you can have 10% discount if you come on Saturday 5 December (Fairtrade goods and drinks excepted). We have a wide range of cards, gifts, books and CDs to suit a variety of tastes. And you can buy your Christmas stamps here as well.

We shall close at lunchtime on Christmas Eve, re-opening on 2 January). Then during January and February we shall open mornings only.

Many thanks to all our loyal customers and supporters through this difficult year. We are now moving forward with the development of the Centre as an integral part of Christian mission in Purbeck.

Alan Dominy

 

THE DUBBER CHRISTMAS COVER COMPETITION

Every year The Dubber runs a competition for the children at St George’s School to design a Christmas front cover. This year the entries were judged by Chris Meadows. The overall winner (seen on the front cover) was Bayden Harvey, Year 4, and the runners up - one from each year group - can be viewed below.

 

 

NEWS FROM LANGTON MATRAVERS

 

FROM THE CHURCHWARDENS

As 2009 draws to a close you may feel that it has been a pretty miserable year, as it dawns on us all that the conflict in Afghanistan has now gone on three years longer than the Second World War, that the price of economic failure is going to be high for most of us, and that society is fragmenting, resulting in the weak, like Baby P, becoming victims of a callous outlook by too many of our fellow citizens.

It was into a society, even worse than this, that Jesus was born, a country bullied and oppressed by a cruel Roman invader. At the heart of all these problems is an obsession by humans for selfish gratification and a denial of the need for any sort of moral compass. This holds true for the Hitlers or Stalins of this world, for the bullies who prey on fellow school students or neighbours, sometimes driving them to take their own lives, or for greedy businessmen who bring about the downfall of the nation’s wealth and the ruin of ordinary families.

This Christmas, let’s remember that Jesus was born, lived, taught and died to change all this.

The Church here and everywhere around the world seeks to find a way through the challenges of life and to show that a path can be found towards a better existence for all. Christians have two supreme commandments – Love God and Love your neighbour. By making a place for God in our lives, however hard it may be to believe, takes us one step away from our concentration on ourselves and one step nearer to the needs of our neighbours.

Now it may be that most of us can go along with this in principle but don’t buy the Christian view of God. We recognise that we all have to perceive ‘god’ for ourselves, no matter what religion we adhere to or indeed, if we are agnostic, we may say that a well honed conscience will do just as well. But whether we spell ‘god’ with a big or little ‘g’, or no ‘g’ at all, the fact remains that the conscious inclusion and maintenance of a selfless ‘something’ in our lives does make life better for someone else.

No doubt most of us feel that we try do this already but, never the less, too much happens that drags us all down and results in misery for individuals or whole communities. So can we say anything, which makes it easier to accept this God we talk about, however tentatively? Well this Christmas let’s recall what Jesus himself said about God. He made this very simple, but to many, surprising statement, ‘God is Love’. What did he mean by this? Though Jesus said many things about God, we’re quite sure that here he meant exactly what he said, that – ‘God IS Love’. When you think about it, where else did we expect we could find God - but in love? We hope, that just by being satisfied, for now, in seeing God in this way, it may be easier to make room for him in our own lives, to be more conscious of the compassion we show other people and to be uplifted ourselves by recognising him more clearly in the acts of compassion shown by others around us.

Have a really Happy Christmas.

The Langton Churchwardens

 

 

LM HISTORY & PRESERVATION SOCIETY

The Society meets in the village hall at 7.30pm on Thursday, 17 December for our annual ‘Barnes Evening’ when the Saville brothers will once more entertain us with some of Barnes’ poems - many in dialect for which a script is available.

Do come and join us for this festive affair, all welcome. Members £2.50, Non-members £3.50.

Rosemary Stevens

 

THE KING’S ARMS

As most of you are probably aware, Charlie has now retired from the King’s Arms after running the pub for 13 years. He will certainly be missed and we wish him well in his new venture. Sam and I, who have both worked for Charlie over the years, have taken over. The menu has been revamped with the emphasis being on home cooking. Wednesday lunchtimes will see a special menu of liver and bacon and stew and dumplings over the winter months. On Saturday and Sunday, we will be open all day and there will be roasts on Sunday. A weekly meat raffle will be held at about 9pm every Friday evening. Tickets for the Christmas Draw are now available and this will be held on 19 December; everyone is invited to a welcome evening on Saturday, 12 December. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

Heather

 

A HALCYON WEEK IN LANGTON

This is an appeal for your money. Stark and simple and no fudging or dressing up in fancy words. Before you jump to a conclusion I must assure you it is not for my personal offshore fund... it’s for St George’s Pre-school.

If the dreaded axe is to fall on St George’s School then it will take a long time to implement and an enormous amount of capital expenditure but in the meantime the Pre-school simply must continue. The Pre-school provides an essential pre-school system for children under five and it is the main feeder into the school.

There is minimal funding for children once they reach three and the rest of the money is generated by carers/parents paying for sessions and fund raising. This is all used for paying staff wages and sometimes it is touch and go and any unexpected costs put it into the red.

Very nearly everything in our lives has been affected by the recession and the finances of the pre-school are no exception. Some unexpected costs, and people taking fewer sessions have meant that staff hours have had to be reduced and the Magic Dragons baby and toddler group is now run on a voluntary basis.

Fund raising events of all sorts and sizes are launched but it’s not enough. The Pre-school coffers are bare, and worse than that, it’s in debt.

The wish for St George’s School to remain at the heart of our community is abundantly clear. Not only do we want the School to remain but the feeder of the Pre-school will be vital. The organisers are hopeful of a sustainability grant from SURESTART and support is expected from other sources but, until it kicks in, money is needed to tide it over and clear the debt.

I’m sure that at some time in your childhood you’ve sung, ‘Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in the old man’s hat’.  Well now I’m the old man asking for your penny but hoping for more. Donations, cash or cheques made payable to Langton Pre-school can be left with me at Halcyon Cottage and any member of the Pre-school committee. Bob and Anne in the Post Office will accept donations in an envelope and I am very grateful to them for their never ending willingness to support the village.

I wish you all a happy Christmas and with your help we can make this a happy Christmas also for that dedicated band of volunteers who run the Pre-school.

Norman Priddle

 

LANGTON MATRAVERS PARISH COUNCIL

Sarah Painter, Chair of the Board of Governors for St George’s First School, said that the governors had received a letter of intent from the Cothill Trust to provide St George’s with access to the land which was needed for a primary school. DCC and the Diocese were clear on the value added by the additional land, but there were still two other options, one of which was closure, so the campaign continues. The uncertainty over the future was having an adverse effect on the pre-school rolls, which are down for this coming year. She said that the school’s future would be addressed at a meeting of the DCC Community Overview Committee on the 24 November and asked that the Council write in support of the school to John England, DCC Head of Learning & School Improvement, and to the County Councillors who sat on the Committee. The Clerk was instructed to write to John England and the Committee members in support of the school. Cllr Paul Loudoun agreed to attend the meeting on the Council’s behalf.

 

Windmill Lane

Dorset Rights of Way Team is asking for more recent evidence of people having used the path. Would anyone who has walked the path in the last 25 years and who would like to help please contact Ian Mackenzie on 426926.   

 

Allotments

After reconsideration it was agreed that the Council would continue to pay the Allotment Association’s Public Liability insurance. It was agreed that the water charge for the coming year should be £12 for a full plot and £6 for a half plot. The annual rent remains at £50 for a full plot and £25 for a half plot. The Council invites applications from parishioners to go on the waiting list for an allotment. Anyone who is interested should contact the Clerk. All applicants must reside within the parish.

Email: langtonmatravers@dorsetparishes.gov.uk.  Mail: Clerk to the Council, The Parish Office, 1a High St, Langton Matravers, BH19 3EU. Tel: 425100.

 

Planning applications this month

Plan submitted by Mr & Mrs Dyer; Erect straw storage barn and covered feed store at Knaveswell Farm, Knitson, Corfe Castle. (This application has been re-validated.) - The Parish Council has no objection.

Plan submitted by Mr A O’Connell: Change of use of existing pet and garden centre to tea room, existing lecture room to tea room kitchen, existing tea room and kitchen to lecture hall and existing workshop to pet and garden centre. Layout external display area and make amendments to existing coach and car parking layout at Putlake Adventure Farm, High Street, Langton Matravers  - The Parish Council strongly supports this application.

The next meeting of LMPC is Thursday, 10 December at 7pm.

John Bellucci, Clerk to the Parish Council

 

 

NEWS FROM WORTH MATRAVERS

 

WM CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY

Bobby the Clown is back to entertain the children this year, with his funny puppets, balloon sculpture, spinning plates and sweets for everyone. There will also be scrummy tea and Father Christmas will be there too. All children from Worth Matravers and visiting children are welcome as are children from the surrounding area. We can only cope with 35 children so please phone early with names and ages on 439266. Venue is Worth Matravers village hall on Friday, 18 December from 5-7pm. Admission free.

Joy Pearce

 

WORTH AFTERNOON CLUB

Our ‘hands-on’ session in November was great fun and much enjoyed by members. Cathy, ably assisted by Pauline and Beverley, demonstrated how to make stunning floral arrangements. She made it look so easy! We then made our own Christmas table decorations using the beautiful foliage and ornaments provided. Mince pies with our tea completed the festive theme.

That links us nicely on to remind members that on Wednesday,  2 December we have our Christmas lunch in the Village Hall, commencing at 12.15pm with sherry and carols. Happy Christmas to all.

Rachel Seaton

 

WORTH MATRAVERS PARISH COUNCIL - representing the villages of Worth Matravers and Harmans Cross

Attending the November meeting were A.J Munro of Symonds and Sampson, Lesley Malpas, Founder and Managing Director of the Classical Festival Company and John Strange, to give details of a three day Classical Music Festival, to be held at Weston Farm on the 26-28 August 2010. It was suggested that a Public Meeting be held in the new year, to inform all residents of the event.

The Parish Council has continued to support the fight to keep St George’s School in Langton Matravers.

The undergrounding of electricity cables in WM is due to be completed as soon as the legal agreements with the NT are finalised.

Two Councillors and myself have had a site meeting at Renscombe Car Park, with Martin Lowry, Estate Manager for the new owner of Encombe. It is their intention to retain the car park, but they have no wish to be involved in the day to day running of it. This was undertaken for many years by DCC, although no formal lease was ever signed. After discussion it was decided that the PC does not have the manpower to run the car park, but interest has been expressed by an individual to run it. Because of increasing amounts of human excrement reported, on and around the car park, the possibility of installing toilets is to be explored with PDC.

We have now come to an agreement with the landowners of HX car park, for a 40% increase in rent for the next three years.

The Clerk and myself attended a one day ‘Partnerships, Plans and Power of Wellbeing’ seminar, at Kingston Maurward on the 19 November, which proved to be very informative.

 

Planning applications this month

The Parish Council had no objections to the following:-

• 6 London Row, WM. Listed Building Consent to replace window.
• Woodyhyde Farm, HX. Alterations to the circulation, external landscaping, and parking provision to Woodyhyde Farm outbuildings.
• TPO Speedwell, WM. Pollard 2 sycamores.
• TPO Happy Cottage, WM. Remove dead elder.

 

Would “Worth Resident”, whose letter appeared in the November Dubber, kindly contact me to discuss the matter.

The next meeting is on Tuesday 1 December at 7.30pm in HX Village Hall.

    Joyce Meates, Chairman

 

NEWS FROM KINGSTON

 

KINGSTON NEWS

First, an apology. I failed to mention the wedding of Carley and Kristian from Honeysuckle Cottage. It fell between two editions. It was very much a village affair with Darren Lock being best man. I am sure that the bride’s late arrival, due to accidents on the road from Dorchester did not spoil the day. Belatedly, we wish them every happiness.

From our point of view, Hallowe’en was a very pleasant occasion. Four parties came to the door and they were all very well behaved and very charming, as were the accompanying adults.

The next jollification is the Christmas Party which will be held in the Scott Arms on Wednesday, 23 December. For details, see the flier.

There will be a concert of carols in church on Thursday, 17 December at 6.30pm. It will be given by the Purbeck Arts Club Choir and children from St George’s School – one of so many good reasons for keeping St George’s in Langton.

On Sunday, 15 November, the Mayday singers came to sing a concert of Remembrance and take part in a sung communion. It was a solemn, but beautiful occasion. We were honoured that Dave Cook chose Kingston for his last concert as conductor of the Mayday singers.

We must welcome a newcomer to the village. She is Girlie Notley. She replaces poor Misty who died at the human equivalent age of 112. We hope Richard will be able to keep up with her.

George Pitman

 

KINGSTON TELEPHONE BOX

British Telecom have put up a notice in the phone box and have written to Corfe Castle Parish Council to say that the telephone is not being used sufficiently to continue the service (32 calls were made in the last 12 months) and they state that full mobile network coverage is available here.

BT is therefore offering the local community the opportunity to adopt the telephone box (without the telephone equipment) for the grand sum of £1 so that the kiosk can be retained in its current location. Corfe Castle PC have replied to BT that they don’t wish to adopt it, or any of the threatened kiosks in the parish.

However, Kingston’s telephone box was listed 20 years ago when BT wanted to replace the old fashioned K6 red box with a modern glass kiosk. Little did we think then, in the pre-mobile phone era, that we would be possibly protecting the structure from its entire removal – in those days on an August evening there was often a queue down the pavement of campers waiting to phone home while they were here visiting the pub!

Purbeck District Council has told Corfe Castle PC that they will advance an ‘in principle’ objection to any proposal to remove telephone equipment in a listed red phone box. But if PDC don’t succeed, perhaps Kingston would like to adopt the phone box? Fans of ‘The Archers’ will know that Ambridge adopted their phone box for use as an information booth. What about using the Kingston kiosk as a stall selling surplus village produce to passers-by, with the proceeds going to the church?

Fiona Wake-Walker

 

 

NEWS FROM HARMANS CROSS

 

HX VILLAGE HALL AGM

Hugh Salter, Richard Bullock, Chairman, & David Hollister at the AGM

 

On a cold, wet November evening more than 50 villagers and guests turned out to attend the last AGM in this venue. (It is worth noting that the old hall will close, with a final service, on 14 February 2010. The New Hall should be in use from early May, with the official opening scheduled for 17 July).

Richard Bullock, chairman of the Hall Management Committee, introduced the proceedings with a review of a very active and successful year, and Roger Tucker, David Hollister and Nigel Edmonds reported on New Hall progress, Financial and Residents’ Club matters. The present Committee was re-elected, and two new members – Lerida Arnold and Keith Fisher - were welcomed.

There was a break for some refreshments – for which Richard thanked Judy Robson and Olive Stephenson - and drinks at the bar, manned by Nigel and Jo, and then the moment we had all waited for... enter the Dorset Smugglers!

Well-known author and journalist Roger Guttridge delighted the audience with tales handed down from his family, several of whom had been smugglers, singling out one rogue ancestor by the name of Roger Ridout. We learned that in the great Smuggling Age, from the early 18th to the mid 19th century many of the local villages and coastal inlets were part of this well organised ‘profession’! Including The Square & Compass!

With an exceptionally detailed account of ferocious encounters with Customs Officers, who were at times hesitant and often complicit, Roger Guttridge’s knowledge and phenomenal memory kept the audience spellbound for well over an hour.

Roger Free

 

NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT PLANS

We now need your approval of the final proposals for spending our £50,000 grant on new playground equipment in the field alongside Harmans Cross Village Hall. On Saturday 5 December from 9.30am to midday we will be displaying a colour representation of what we and our favoured supplier, Lappset, have agreed meets the needs of the community obtained at various communication events over the last 12 months.

We have involved residents of all ages at every stage of this process and would like as many children, parents and others to come along and let us know if we have interpreted your views correctly. The plans will then be submitted to the Village Hall Management Committee on 8 December

The equipment includes an ‘aerial runway with ramp’ (zip wire), a ‘motoric workout’ (a large, complex climbing frame with slide), a nest bird’s swing, two toddlers swings, and two items of outdoor gym equipment that can be used by older children and adults.

Dorset Community Action (DCA) need to order the equipment on our behalf before Christmas to avoid likely price increases from 1 January. It will be owned by the Parish Council and maintained and insured, as at present, by the Management Committee.

Nigel Edmonds

 

THE VILLAGE CLUB

Our last meeting on the 22 October was very well attended and, after an interesting talk on the development of the Purbeck Ice-cream Factory, there were free samples of different flavours for everyone. A delicious natural product and locally produced. The skittles evening in November was a fun evening as usual. The ‘killer’ was won by Hugh Salter. Nigel Edmonds and Audrey Engel won chocolates. Ron Wright won the Booby prize, a teaspoon on a rope, which was certainly different and will be displayed in the new hall in due course. 10 December is the Christmas party. This is the last Christmas in the old hall. The Rev. Timbrell will entertain us from 2pm with his funny repertoire, followed by mulled wine, mince pies, crackers, a prize quiz, a raffle, tea and biscuits. Members Welcome. 21 Jan, 2010 is the AGM and is the last meeting in the old hall. Look at the notice boards and newsletter for further information. We would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Jane Rogers

 

MODEL RAILWAY GROUP

About 20 people came to our meeting in November. My 46432 Duchess of Montrose ran on the 3-rail layout with two Stanier crimson and cream coaches. This was one of five LMS Princess Coronation Class locomotives built without streamlining in 1938. It was based at Polmadie (Glasgow). It worked over Beattock summit and the Cumbrian fells. On display was a Meccano biplane made in August 1935. On the box lid was a picture of a red Douglas DC3 which must have been new at the time.

Terry Jenkins ran a Hornby Dublo City of London and a Wrenn LMS 8F and Richard ran a Wrenn City of Stoke on Trent on the Evercreech layout. Other locomotives included the Rocket and a Class 108 diesel like the one that operated the service on the Swanage Railway.

Colin and Rita Caddy had a Hornby 0 Gauge display. This included an immaculate gloss lined green No 51 locomotive with three crimson and cream coaches. Colin thought the running number 50153 was derived from the 501 passenger set and 53 came from 1953 which was the date the locomotive was designed. Our next meeting will be on 4 December.

Robin Brasher

 

THANKS FROM THE CHAIRMAN

As this demanding year draws to a close I - and the Village Hall team – would like to express our sincere appreciation to all our residents and supporters who have contributed so much to our aims of building a New Village Hall.

The sense of community spirit in Harmans Cross goes well beyond the contribution of money to our cause, albeit that this is important. It is the willingness and dedication of sometimes, small groups of individuals who can make it happen.

From the Field Day to Open Gardens Event and Art Exhibition to Sponsored Fun Runs, Residents and Village Club activities and, more recently our AGM (with Dorset Smugglers), your attendance at these events has helped us build upon the success we have enjoyed with fund raising from previous years. Long may that support continue.

As you know the New Hall build is now well under way, the Foundation Stone has been laid and we are looking forward to the Topping Out stage very soon. Early in the New Year we will, once again, keep you informed regarding progress.

Our very warmest wishes to you and your families for a healthy, happy Christmas and New Year.

Richard Bullock

 

HARMANS CROSS RESIDENTS’ CLUB

Thanks to the support of the community, the Club now has 78 members and has contributed £1,500 to the Village Hall Fund since August 2008.

The next few Club Nights at the village hall from 7.30pm to 10.30pm are: 11 & 18 December and 8, 15, 22 and 29 January. A special Christmas party night is planned for 18 December when members and new residents will be invited for a free glass of mulled wine with nibbles. A Pub Quiz will be held on 22 January from 8.30pm.

Nigel Edmonds, Chairman

 

FOOTPATH MAP SHOWS THE WAY

For the many country lovers who stroll down Haycrafts Lane, the recently installed Harmans Cross Footpath Guide, will assist in opening up new and more interesting rambles. It is right by the Harmans Cross car park and is easily viewed by passers by.

Commissioned by Worth Matravers Parish Council and financially supported by a grant from the AONB, it was painted by local artist Judy Robson.

Commenting on the final result, Worth PC Chairman Joyce Meates believes: “The map is a reflection of the residents’ wishes in the Parish Plan, for more informative and attractive local signage. Judy and the team have certainly delivered on that.”

Alan Stephenson

 

 

NEWS FROM NOWHERE

 

There was general concern that the postal strike would stop all deliveries. In particular I was very worried that my supply of free elastic bands would dry up, but in the event one hardly noticed the difference and in Worth the post seemed to arrive even earlier on strike days. Now both sides are back in their corners being sponged down in readiness for round 2, but I sense there is less desire for a fight. Maybe the main protagonists realise that there is a danger that the Public will decide that they can get by without Royal Mail – apart from the elastic bands of course.

Farmers are always being told to diversify, hence the plan to convert 60 acres of pasture at Worth into a camp site complete with a stage and a variety of market stalls for a four day music festival in August. I went along to the Parish Council to learn more, as the proposed venue is just the other side of my garden wall and the prospect of 5000 instant neighbours needs careful consideration.

The Parish Council seemed very enthusiastic about the idea especially when they learnt the music would be classical and not pop. It is interesting how each form of music defines its audience. Once the word ‘classical’ appears in front of the word ‘music’ the mental image changes from a load of teenagers rampant with sex and drugs (shades of the last rave at Winspit) to middle aged men and women in evening dress strolling about sipping glasses of sherry. It will be interesting to see how the black ties explain to the ball gowns that they are not staying in a top class hotel but sleeping for four days on the ground in a tent and also interesting to learn whether the type of music which is apparently so crucial to the acceptability of the event can be enforced. We must hope they do not turnout to be elastic bands of another kind for I doubt that Council Officials can switch off the loudspeakers if the music in their opinion strays closer to Dylan than Debussy?

So we are into new territory as the cow said when it wandered into the string quartet. Whatever happens, it probably won’t be the end of the world. The Mayans predicted nearly two thousand years ago that the world would end in 2012 and someone has now made a film about it. The coming of the apocalypse is a recurrent theme throughout the centuries. I suppose every generation has to give expression to the feeling that life won’t go on for ever. The curious thing is that most predictions are so exact and specify the date and even the hour when the dread event will happen. I remember being much amused by an American sect that announced that the world would end the following Tuesday and were so certain they were right that they cancelled the milk.

I don’t see eye to eye with Macbeth on everything but we both agree that trees should not be allowed to change their position. There have been two recent cases one at the Malthouse and another in Swanage where mature trees with Protection orders on them were cut down in mysterious circumstances. The developer on the site denied any responsibility and the planning department quite rightly, nevertheless, insisted that replacements should be planted. Fair enough you might think for otherwise tree preservation orders are not worth the paper they are written on. Especially, when the paper they were written on depends on even more trees being cut down. However in both cases the Planners agreed that the new trees could be planted in a different position. It may well appear quite sensible to do so but nevertheless in my opinion it creates a fatal precedent.

Such compromises are bound to result in other inconveniently placed tress suffering the same fate. I feel that if any protected tree is cut down or mysteriously falls ill and dies without prior permission, it should be axiomatic that it is replaced and the replacement goes in exactly the same place. Otherwise tree protection is no protection at all. Macbeth was most upset when he saw the wood advancing up the hill. It is only sensible to make sure the same feelings are felt by every developer however innocent, so their celebrations about the removal of an inconvenient tree are cut short by the sight of it returning inexorably to its former position.

Tony Viney

 

THE ROUND

 

NEWS OF HAYLEIGH HIBBS

Hayleigh succeeded in getting into the Japanese Karate Association England Squad for the fourth year training regularly in London and other Southern venues for the European Championships in which twenty countries took part in Belgrade, Serbia during May. Having been selected to attend, she achieved tenth position in ‘kata’ (series of moves), but unfortunately was disqualified in ‘kumite’ (fighting). This trip to Serbia was partly funded by a generous donation from The Purbeck School, Wareham, which Hayleigh attends.

Obviously funding for such an event has to be thought about so a barn dance/party was held at Compact Farm in June, organised by Hayleigh’s granddad, John Hibbs which raised just over £300. Hayleigh gave a demonstration of a series of katas, the first time she had performed this in front of her family and friends and which was also attended by Jeni, an official of the JKA in London.

Hayleigh and her family would like to take this opportunity to thank all who organised the event and also those who attended to make it such a success.

The National Championships were at Walton on Thames in July. Hayleigh came fourth in kata and achieved ‘gold’ in kumite giving her the title for the second time of National Champion of England, for her particular age group. However, she didn’t return home unscathed having sustained a cut lip during one of her bouts. (At the moment of writing she is attending hospital having hurt her thumb in training.)

Since July it has been relatively quiet with regard to events, the most disappointing news being that the World Championships which were to be held in Japan were cancelled due to many countries pulling out because of the economic climate. Hayleigh is still training very hard and is now looking toward qualifying for the England Squad again early in the New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

HAVE YOUR SAY

 

I apologise for publishing an anonymous letter last month; it was an oversight. All letters to The Dubber should be signed, although you can request that your name be withheld.

Ed

 

DEAR DUBBER

I was somewhat dismayed by the ‘anonymous’ letter in last month’s Dubber about advertising boards placed on and around Worth Green.

I am not a lover of signs... far from it... as you will see below, but I do think that as our village continues on what seems like the inevitable slippery slope towards ‘lifeless’ status, to complain about a few innocuous signs put up from time to time to advertise local traders and artists or village events, all of which contribute to some semblance of ‘life’ in Worth, may be a little intolerant, and fails to consider the wider needs of a village community.

If that anonymous writer is keen to expend some energy in removing unsightly signs then I will join her or him in a campaign to remove an apparently permanent ‘No Through Road’ sign erected only a few days ago presumably by the Highways Department from County Hall. When a first time visitor driving through the village comes across this new eyesore, what are they to do? It is too late to stop and turn, if they do they are likely to damage their car or worse on the drop into Pikes Lane, and their confusion could cause dangerous hesitation right on an awkward blind bend. If it was considered so important by Council Officers with nothing better to do, why on earth could it not have been sighted further down the road towards Renscombe, or better still, not erected at all.

When the Village Hall Committee looked into the possibility of moving that wall back a few feet to create a parking space for the School House, we were informed by the Council that ‘it would result in detrimental impact in this part of the street scene’, well this awful road sign certainly does that, and I intend to raise my objection, initially with the Parish Council, and I would like to invite the earlier anonymous writer, and any others of like mind, to join with me in getting this latest act of vandalism removed.

JACK ROSS, CHAIRMAN, WMVH COMMITTEE

 

Letters should be emailed to ed@thedubber.co.uk

 

THE DUBBER RECIPE

 

GRANDMA ROSIE’S FABULOUS GINGER CAKE

 

250g self-raising flour

3 level tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

200g golden syrup

2 tbsp treacle

1 tbsp ginger syrup from the ginger jar

125g butter

3 lumps of stem ginger (about 55g) - whizzed up

125g dark muscovado sugar

2 large eggs

240ml milk

Oven: 180˚C, Gas 4

 

Sieve the flour with the ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and the salt. Put the golden and ginger syrup and treacle, and the butter into a small saucepan, and warm over a low heat. Whiz the ginger then add it to the pan with the sugar. Let the mixture bubble gently for a minute, giving it the occasional stir to stop the fruit sticking to the bottom. Break the eggs into a bowl, pour in the milk and beat gently to break up the egg and mix it into the milk. Remove the butter and sugar mixture from the heat and pour into the flour with an electric hand whisk or a metal spoon (I find a hand whisk essential). Mix in the milk and eggs. The mixture should be sloppy, with no trace of flour.

Scoop the mixture into the non-stick or lined cake tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean. Unless you are serving it warm, leave the cake in its tin to cool, then tip out on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. Wrap it up again in foil and leave to mature in a tin for a day or two before eating (haven’t actually managed this one yet - is normally eaten too quickly!)

 

If you have a recipe that you’d like to share, please send it to ed@thedubber.co.uk.

 

 

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