For Blandford and surrounding villagesIssue No. 9 December 2012

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Charitable at Christmas : Page 16

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by Nicci Brown

WHO'S this collecting Christmas mail from a special post-box installed at the Post Office in the Tabernacle inBlandford? Santa made an unscheduled and early visit inmid-November to launch the new service for children of anyage to post their Christmas wish letters to him. Usually theywill be sent by special reindeer couriers direct to Santa'sHQ, where his workshop will deal with all requests and sendout replies.

A MAJOR refurbishment isplanned for two of Blandford'schildren's play areas which havebeen unchanged for more than10 years.The parks at both Langton Roadand Park Road could next yearsee a full upgrade of both equip-ment and surfacing to bring themin line with the latest priorities ofencouraging youngsters to takemore exercise and combat obesi-ty.Members of the town council'srecreation and amenities commit-tee received a detailed report attheir meeting in November on theoptions and costs of work forwhich they have been puttingmoney aside over the past 10years.The rides were felt to be out ofdate and in need of renewal,although it was stressed that allplay equipment was subject todaily inspection to ensure it methealth and safety requirements.Committee chairman Cllr LynnLindsay said: "Playgroundsshould have equipment that ischallenging, and should involvechildren in learning specialawareness and balance, not sim-ply something they can sit on."The report recommended that,

with just under £55,000 available,only the Langton Road areacould be afforded.But Cllr Steve Hitchings, chair-man of finance and works, sug-gested that unallocated interestfrom the council's investmentscould also be used.Cllr Haydn White said: "Next yearwe are expecting the largest babyboom since 1971 and theseupgrades are long overdue. It isin our strategic plan and was akey feature in a recent youth sur-vey."It was agreed that using bothbudgets and possibly extra fund-ing through grant applications,not only would the existing playareas be upgraded but it wouldalso pay for a wall constructedfor ball games at Langton Road,where an adventure playgroundtheme is planned, a swing fordisabled children costing around£5,000 at Larksmead inresponse to a specific request,and outdoor fitness equipmentfor adults costing £4,000, withfinancial assistance from theNHS and Friends of BlandfordHospital.

Playgroundsupgrade tocope with thebaby boom

December 20122

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Blandford Forum Town CouncilChristmas Civic ServiceThe Town Mayor, Cllr Sara Loch, would liketo invite you and your friends and family toattend this year's Christmas Civic Service andthe official lighting of the Christmas tree. Joinus from 6pm in the Corn Exchange on Friday7th December 2012 for seasonal refreshmentsand a chance to see Father Christmas in hisgrotto. The tree in the Market Place will belit at 6:45pm.

Free Christmas ParkingThe Town Council is subsidising a day ofparking in North Dorset District Council's carparks in the town on Saturday 15th December2012. Therefore there will be free parkingavailable in all NDDC car parks on this date.

Mr Merlin and Okey Dokey The Town Council event held on Thursday1st November was a great success. Cakes weresold and donations were given to raise moneyfor the Mayor's Charities which totalled£81.83. A huge thank you goes out to all whohelped out at the event and to those whoattended.

Free live folk, country & bluegrassmusicJoin us at the Corn Exchange on Thursday24th January 2013 at 11:00 am to 1:00 pm for

a morning of live folk, country and bluegrassmusic performed by local musicians. Free tick-ets can be obtained in advance from the TownClerk's Office. A voluntary collection will beheld at the event in aid of the Mayor's chosencharities for 2012/2013 - The Dorset RuralMusic School and The Church Cupola Project.Refreshments will be available with proceedsgoing to the Mayor's Charities.

Update on the Cemetery worksA local herpetologist worked through thesummer to safely relocate a large number ofslow worms and common frogs from the

Cemetery field. This was a condition on theplanning permission granted to the TownCouncil by NDDC. Once the all-clear wasreceived and the season for nesting birds hadpassed, the site was cleared by a local contrac-tor and will be seeded in Spring 2013 whichmeans the works are currently on schedule.

The Town Council's StrategicPlan 2012-2016The Town Council has now adopted aStrategic Plan for 2012-2016. This documentis available to view on our website or at ouroffices. The Strategic Plan is intended for theresidents of Blandford Forum, partner organi-sations, Town Council elected Members andstaff.

Town Council Venue HireThe Town Council manage a number of ven-ues in the town and these are available for hiresubject to availability. Discounts are availableto charities and regular users and are at thediscretion of the Town Council. Hire chargesare available on the Town Council's website,by contacting us by emailing book-ings@blandfordforum-tc.gov.uk ,calling 01258 454500 or visiting usat the Town Clerk's Office (openinghours Monday to Friday, 9:30am to12:30pm).

ON THE WEBSITE Diary events are updated regularly onour website so it is always worth loggingon to stay bang up to date with what’shappening in the area. You can also find additional pictures oflocal events, as well as story back-ground information, online.

New town homesplan on scheduleTHE closure of Damory Streeton the evening of Thursday22nd November for buildingwork on the site of the old gasdepot was the latest step in thecreation of 11 new affordablehomes in the town.They are being built for RaglanHousing, who will offer nine forshared ownership and two foraffordable rent, addressing partof North Dorset DistrictCouncil's housing strategy, call-ing for 70 new affordable homesby 2015.The Dorset strategy identifiesthat the need for affordablehousing in the region has risenfrom 399 to 432 new homesneeded every year. The devel-opment in Blandford helpstowards fulfilling that require-ment.Raglan is working in partnershipwith the local authority and con-tractors Brookvale Homes withfunding from the Homes andCommunities Agency to deliverthese new homes.Richard Stevenson, Raglan's

business development director,said: "We see this developmentin Blandford as part of our com-mitment to build at least 10 percent of our homes in rural areasand the towns that serve thoserural communities, such asBlandford. "We believe it is important towork with North Dorset DistrictCouncil to help fulfil its housingstrategy with a particularemphasis in this case on help-ing to preserve the economicviability of its small towns andrural communities."The homes are due to be com-pleted in May 2013. CllrGraham Carr-Jones, portfolioholder for housing at NorthDorset District Council, said:"This development is an excitingaddition to the affordable hous-ing provision in the district, giv-ing residents an opportunity toget a foot on the housing ladderthrough shared ownership, andillustrates our commitment to abroad range of housingoptions."

December 2012 3

Teenage chef Shae Hardy (14), winner of the first round of Rotary's YoungChef competition held at The Blandford School, pictured with BlandfordRotary President Nic Nicol and the splendid dinner for two that she pre-pared. Story and more pictures - Page 20.

Strategy neededto aid boomingsports clubsTHE failure of local sports clubsto agree on a joint approach totheir development has promptedBlandford Town Council to set upa working party to focus on theissue.The rugby, football and cricketclubs are all in need of new facili-ties, in the way of playing fields,changing rooms and clubhouses,to cater for their growing mem-berships and activities.At November's recreation andamenities committee, memberslearnt of a bid by BlandfordBowling Club to extend its pavil-ion in Park Road.Faced with potential demandfrom all of them for assistancewith their plans, it was agreedthat a working party should beformed to consider all the projectsin the pipeline and try to draw upa strategy.John Wakefield of BlandfordFootball Club, who had beenexpected to make a presentationfor a joint development with thecricket club on the Park Roadrecreation ground, instead sent aletter saying the cricket club hadchosen not to proceed. He said the football club was nowin discussion with The BlandfordSchool and the rugby club, whoare hoping to move to theLarksmead recreation ground.Tim Coulling of Blandford BowlingClub made a presentation ontheir £210,000 plans to extendtheir Park Road pavilion to thesouth and to add a second storeyso that short mat bowls could beaccommodated.A proposal for funding from thedisposal of the former Milldownprimary school playing field - ifapproved by the Secretary of

State - to fund a synthetic pitch atThe Blandford School will be dis-cussed at the town council meet-ing on 10th December.The council has a budget line of£100,000 as its contribution to thedevelopment of land north of thebypass as a dedicated sportsarea for the town, a long-heldambition which has stalled due tothe site remaining unavailable.There were suggestions that themoney for the scheme, which hasalso attracted developer contribu-tion funding, should be reallocat-ed to include the town's varioussports pavilions in light of the lackof progress on the scheme, toaccess, for sport and recreation,the farmland between the allot-ments on the Pimperne Road andSunrise Business Park.Cllr Haydn White said: "I'd like usto look at all of them and seewhere our resources should go. Ithas been a dream for 30 years tohave a new recreation ground tothe north of the town, but franklywe're not going to get it. We haveLarksmead, on which we havespent a great deal of money, notbeing used, and need to make anassessment of what the townneeds."Cllr Lynn Lindsay said: "We havedone our best to keep facilities upto standard, but spent so muchmoney on 'fixits' because they allwanted to go to the land north ofthe bypass."It was agreed the working partyshould consider all the sportsfacilities in the town and therequirements of the clubs beforedrawing up an action plan, budg-ets and potential sources of fund-ing for reporting back in the newyear.

Six held in drugs raidsSIX people were arrested in Blandford following two drugs raidsat addresses in Salisbury Street and Langton Road last month. Two men and two women arrested in Salisbury Street werereleased on bail while tests are carried out on the substances,believed to be heroin and crack cocaine. Two men arrested at aproperty in Langton Road were also released on bail pendinganalysis of a substance believed to be heroin which was found.Inspector Shawn Whitley said: "Police in North Dorset will not tol-erate the sale and use of class A drugs. We will continue to takepositive action where there is intelligence to suggest such activityis taking place."He urged anyone with information about drug use to call DorsetPolice on 101 or the anonymous Crimestoppers number on 0800555111.

December 20124

Residents have their say on proposal to build ahousing estate on Crown Meadows and parkland

HUNDREDS attended the first ina series of district-wide publicconsultations into the revisedNorth Dorset district core strate-gy held at Blandford ParishCentre.A key issue for Blandford ispotential development on theCrown Meadows and BryanstonDeer Park, the preferred optionof North Dorset District Councilas the most sustainable locationfor housing development in thetown, and protesters were out inforce with leaflets urging peopleto oppose the proposal.Senior planning policy officerTrevor Warrick said that whilethat development was the maintopic of conversation, otherissues affecting not onlyBlandford but also the villages inthe south of the district were dis-

cussed. Other questions in theconsultation relate to housingdensity, whether there should bea criteria approach to infillingand development in residentialgardens, the type and amount ofaffordable housing to be provid-ed, and the priorities forimprovements to infrastructuresuch as health and educationservices.Mr Warrick said that 200response forms were given outat the Blandford consultationand 47 were returned completedon the day. He anticipated thatmany more would come inbefore the deadline of 21stDecember.Further consultations were heldlast month in SturminsterNewton, Shaftesbury andGillingham.

The Crown Estate's illustration of how it proposes to divide the use of the site,showing the proposed community meadow which last month was under water forthe third time this year.

THE consultation contained two questionsrelating to the development on the CrownMeadows and Bryanston Deer Park: whetherthe original proposal for 200 houses should berevised to 150, and whether the remainder ofthe Crown Meadows should be handed overto local management.Both the district council and EnvironmentAgency agree that the site is at the lowestpossible risk of flooding, and its proximity toBlandford town centre means it will be lessnecessary for people to drive to reach thetown's facilities and shops and therefore lesstraffic will be generated by this site than anyother. The Crown Estate say that historic SecondWorld War defences on the site will be pro-tected and significant work has already beenundertaken to protect and enhance habitatsfor animals, including the horseshoe bat.They have worked closely with the owners of

the Deer Park Riding Stables to find them anew location at Nutford, which includes bothbetter residential accommodation and theopportunity to enhance their business. They have also made an offer to put owner-ship of the remainder of the Crown Meadows,currently let for cattle grazing and for use bythe stable and for walking and access to theriver, into the hands of a community or locallymanaged organisation. This, they say, wouldsecure its long-term future and managementin the hands of local people and, if so desired,free of built development in perpetuity.Objectors favour out-of-town sites, in particu-lar one which has become available since theoriginal draft core strategy was published.This site is opposite Tesco in Blandford StMary, on the other side of the bypass and onland which had been earmarked for aSpetisbury/Charlton Marshall bypass, forwhich plans have been scrapped.

About 300 people attended the consultation,which campaigners fighting to save the CrownMeadows and Deer Park claimed had beenpoorly advertised.One said: "Most people I handed leaflets towere unaware of the public consultation andwere angry that Crown Meadows was stillbeing focused on when they had made theirviews known previously in a petition signed by6,000 people."The chairman of the Bryanston ParkPreservation Group, John Cook, said: "Theexhibition was confusing and wreathed inplanning speak, but I understand the over-whelming majority of residents/visitors reject-ed the proposal to build any housing on theCrown Meadows."A vast number of people said that they wouldprefer the houses to be built on the site oppo-site the Tesco Roundabout between theA350/A354."

There is still time to make your views known Forms are available in council offices and libraries or can be completed online via the website www.dorsetforyou.com. Follow the linksthrough Environment and Planning, planning, North Dorset and planning policy to the Draft New Plan on Consultation Key Issues,where response forms can be downloaded and emailed back to the council or downloaded, printed out and posted back.For information or assistance, call 01258 484201 or email planningpolicy@northdorset. gov.uk. DEADLINE: 21st DECEMBER

December 2012 5

School site homes plan attackedOUTLINE plans for 43 homes onthe site of the former MilldownPrimary School and its playingfield in Blandford face strongopposition from town councillorsand from Blandford and DistrictCivic Society.They say the scheme, which willbe decided by North DorsetDistrict Council, for land next tothe Milldown nature reserve, willgenerate too much traffic whoseonly means of access will be viathe Victorian single-carriagewaybridge over the former Somerset& Dorset railway line, now theNorth Dorset Trailway.Mayor Councillor Sara Loch said:"I can see real problems with thatamount of development accessedover a single-track bridge which

also serves the car park of thenature reserve and school traffic.Councillor Lynn Lindsay said: "Itis the major route to school forhundreds of children, many ofthem under 12."She added that building a newschool on the site had beenrejected in favour of one on theBlandford School campusbecause it was judged that thebridge access was inadequate."How can they now think theycan build 43 houses which will beusing the same access?"Councillor Hugo Mieville said thedevelopment and traffic to itwould also harm the unique ruralcharacter of the Milldown, anarea which has four years run-ning been awarded Green Flag

status for its high standard ofenvironmental management.Councillor Rosemary Holmessaid the county council, on whosebehalf the application has beensubmitted by the DorsetDevelopment Partnership, woulddo better to build a new surgeryor community building for resi-dents in that area. The county has been told by theSecretary of State that it must

consult again on disposal of theschool playing field, since an ear-lier consultation was carried outover 12 months ago.The application has also beencriticised by the Civic Society,which in addition to concernsabout the access has highlightedan environmental report whichreveals the varied and protectedspecies on the site, need forcommunity facilities, and impacton the Milldown as a whole.

A SURVEY has been commissioned by Blandford TownCouncil of the fading and damaged inscription on the OldBath House with a view to restoring it and making it legibleagain.Jon Milward, of Bournemouth Archaeology, is picturedinspecting the structure with laser technology in a bid toestablish the original wording.A regular safety inspection has also been carried out on theurns and flagpoles on the top of the Corn Exchange, and thearea in front of the building was cordoned off on 19thNovember for the inspection by recommended contractors tothe town council.

Spotlight on Bath House

Loos running at a lossREPAIRING the mechanisms on the public toilets in the Marsh & Hamcar park has cost Blandford Town Council £1,855 since March 2010,resulting in a net loss last year of nearly £4,000.Costs also include nearly £7,000 for cleaning and over £3,000 forrates, electricity, water and maintenance, without taking into accountthe time spent by staff responding to problems and the inconvenienceof the units remaining closed until the locks can be repaired.Town councillors were told that removing the coin-operated mecha-nisms and making the toilets free of charge would mean the loss of£4,500 per annum in income.After considering a report from grounds and property manager JonGoodenough which examined alternatives available and the experienceof other town councils, it was agreed to replace the mechanism with amore up-to-date and vandal-proof system at a cost of £2,450 per unit.CCTV coverage is now in place to overlook the toilet block and will, itis hoped, lead to a reduction in vandalism.

December 20126

Remembrance Day

December 2012 7

Remembrance Day

Blandford pays itsrespects by unitingto rememberCHURCH services and ceremonies were held this year across the dis-trict on Sunday 11th November, marking both Remembrance Sundayand Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the Great War.The ceremony in Blandford Market Place was preceded by a shortparade from the Royal British Legion in Church Lane and followed by alonger parade around the town by the massed uniformed and servicegroups led by the Shaftesbury TownBand.The Kohima Epitaph was recited byLt Col Bob Brannigan, president ofthe Blandford Royal British Legionand town deputy mayor, andwreaths were laid by the LordLieutenant of Dorset, Mrs ValeriePitt Rivers, North Dorset MP BobWalter, the Mayor of Blandford, CllrSara Loch, Blandford St Mary parishcouncil, representatives of BlandfordCamp and the emergency services,and representatives of uniformedgroups from the town.The service in the parish church was conducted by the Rural Dean, theRev Simon Everett, who spoke of the strong relationship between civil-ian organisations and the military, highlighting his own involvement, asa former member of the Merchant Navy, at the start of the Iran/Iraq warin the Gulf, and being on standby for the Falklands war 30 years ago.Readings were by Col Brannigan, by Jackie Vacher of St JohnAmbulance, by representatives of uniformed groups, and by the RevDr Jim Francis, padre from Blandford Camp.Earlier that day a service and ceremonies were held on the Camprecognising the roles of the UK, American and Canadian forces in thetwo World Wars and since.On the previous Friday, MP Bob Walter had joined councillors and staffat the North Dorset District Council offices at Nordon for a short serv-ice of remembrance around the flagpole.The previous Sunday, 4th November, representatives of the RoyalBritish Legion were joined by officers from Blandford Camp and theMayor of Blandford, Sara Loch, at Blandford Cemetery, where a cere-mony at the war memorial was followed by an inspection of the wargraves in the cemetery which are being restored by the War GravesCommission.

LEFT: The Lord Lieutenant of Dorset,Mrs Valerie Pitt Rivers, entersBlandford Parish Church for theRemembrance Day service.

ABOVE:The gathering at BlandfordCemetery at the start ofRemembrance Week.

RIGHT: The war memorial inBlandford cemetery.

See more photos fromthe Remembrance Dayparade on our website:www.forumfocus.co.uk

December 20128

AFTER visiting the Post Office in the Tabernacle to launch thenew children's postbox last month, Santa made a quick callon the ladies of the Cats Protection League who were holdingtheir regular monthly coffee morning in the WoodhouseGardens Pavilion next door.The Blandford and Sturminster branch of the charity will beholding their Christmas coffee morning on Saturday 8thDecember in the same venue between 10am and 12.30pm.Fundraiser Di Hankins is pictured (right) with Cats ProtectionLeague helpers and Santa.

Santa calls in for coffee

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HOPES have been raised of areview of local bus services toincrease the frequency of theBlandford to Dorchester bus serv-ice and extend the route toDorset County Hospital.It is also hoped that the currentservice to Poole will be extendedto include Poole hospital withoutthe need to change buses.A meeting, between the BlandfordTown Council hospital workinggroup, Friends of BlandfordHospital and Dorset CountyCouncil's transport developmentofficer John Cumming, was toldby Lisa Deverell, co-ordinator ofthe Friends' hospital transportscheme, that between May andOctober there had been 350patient movements organised bythe Friends' office, about 70 percent of which were to DCH orPoole.She said most requests could befulfilled by the 60 regular driversand another 20 occasional driverson her books, but some could notbecause they were getting morerequests for journeys, particularlyto 'catch-up' clinics being held onSaturdays. As the numbers con-tinually grew the service could beunable to keep up with demand.Mr Cumming urged the towncouncil to write in support ofplans, yet to be approved, toincrease the frequency of busesbetween Blandford andDorchester and extend the routeto Bridport Road entrance ofDCH. It would mean providing extra bus

Opticians look for new signsSCRIVENS Opticians have applied for changes to the signage atthe former Half Crown Cafe at Durdens Corner in the MarketPlace, confirming rumours of the change of use of the cafe, whichclosed in August.The application to North Dorset District Council encountered onlymild objection from town councillors to two hanging signs whichthey felt would not enhance the listed building or street scene.

Hopes are high fora better hospitalbus service

shelters and relocating bus stopsin East Street to more easilyaccommodate passengers fromthe villages. He said he wouldlook into the possibility of extend-ing the Poole bus route to includePoole Hospital.The Friends have appealed formore volunteers for their suc-cessful transport scheme takinglocal residents, who have beenreferred to the charity by their GPdue to their need for support, tomedical appointments. Anyone interested in joining as avolunteer should contact Lisa inthe Friends' office at the hospitalon 01258 450095.* The charity is now selling arange of Christmas cards at£2.50 a pack of 10 from theircharity shop in Barnack Walk,where there is also a choice ofChristmas party wear, gift itemsand winter wardrobe. And doors open for the Christmasbingo at the hospital on 6thDecember at 6.45pm for eyesdown 7.30pm and some fantasticfestive prizes.

Food for the soulFREE lunches in the ParishCentre in The Tabernacle con-tinue to be a popular feature oflife for Blandford parishioners,and on 24th November home-made soup and bread wereagain offered to all callers as agift and sign of God's lovefrom the Church Community.

December 2012 9

TOWN councillors are question-ing why Dorset County Councilhas apparently changed its mindabout creating a new access to adevelopment on its old wastedepot site off Wimborne Road.They also want to know whynone of the 22 homes being pro-posed on their behalf by theDorset Development Partnershipwill be affordable social housing.The town council in 2005 object-ed to the access then proposedoff Wimborne Road, and NorthDorset District Council turneddown the county's application forredevelopment with 23 houses.But the county won permissionon appeal and costs were award-ed against the district council.The inspector ruled: "An accessfrom Wimborne Road could pro-vide more acceptable visibilitythan that which currently exists inboth directions at the junction ofDamory Court Street with theexisting road link to the depot."Now the town council, after wit-nessing the amount of trafficalready using the existing access,Oak View, where a number ofproperties have already beenbuilt on the site of the formerCrews garage, say the existingaccess is inadequate to servemore houses.But the new application proposesits use, and a resident of OakView spoke at the town council'slast planning committee meeting,highlighting the congestion in thestreet and the proximity of thejunction to the Wimborne Roadtraffic lights.Committee members agreed, byseven votes to five, to object,and also raised objection to thefailure to include affordablehousing, as is required withmost significant development,

U-turn over homessite access raisescouncil concerns

Grace Ritchie and Lauren Barton,two 12-year-olds from WinterborneWhitechurch, raised nearly £250 forChildren in Need by holding a cakeand coffee morning in their villagehall. Story: Page 20.

without revealing the reason.They were told the justification forproviding none, believed to be onthe grounds of the cost of decont-aminating land previously usedas a waste depot, was confiden-tial. But Councillor Esme Butlersaid the need to decontaminatethe site should have been reflect-ed in the value of the land andwas not a reason for the require-ment to be dropped.

Positive responseto Fayre’s aid plea

Approval forcivic buildingscheme?BLANDFORD Town Council'splans to refurbish the CornExchange and build new counciloffices at the rear have been rec-ommended for approval by plan-ning officers despite a number ofobjections.The application was due to beconsidered by North DorsetDistrict Council’s developmentmanagement committee on 27thNovember, to which officersreported: “Taken as a pair of pro-posals, it is considered they pro-vide sufficient public benefits tooutweigh the loss or disturbanceof existing features within theolder building and to make a pos-itive contribution to the local char-acter and distinctiveness of thetown's Conservation Area."Objectors include EnglishHeritage, the Georgian Group,the Victorian Society, the Councilfor British Archaeology, theTheatres Trust, the AncientMonument Society, the Councilfor British Archaeology, and anumber of local businesses andindividuals.

A POSITIVE meeting took placeon 21st November in response toa plea from the Georgian Fayreorganisers for help to secure thefuture of the May Day bank holi-day event.Fayre committee chairmanJanice Driscoll, who together withsecretary Rachael Harding hadannounced they wished to standdown from their roles, said:"There are simply not enough ofus to run something which in 20years has achieved an awful lot,but now faces more bureaucracythan when it started. If we don'tresolve the problems we havethere will be no fayre in 2014."More than a dozen people joinedthe committee at a meeting in theCrown Hotel to discuss how theycould contribute to the biennialcelebration. They included repre-sentatives of the town's twoRotary Clubs, who indicated theirinterest in becoming involved inits organisation.A number of individuals alsoexpressed their support, including

a representative from BlandfordCamp who said they would like tobe more involved.Further discussions will takeplace at the committee's nextmeeting on 5th December.

Celtic band Alaw, featuring Dylan Flower, Jamie Smith and Oli Wilson-Dicksonon guitar, accordion and violin, will be performing in the Portman Hall,Shillingstone, on Sunday 9th December at 7.30pm. For more information onthis Artsreach promotion go to www.fiddle.org.uk/alaw or call 01258 860319.

December 201210

GARDEN of Delights is a special event in Blandford’s calendar. This is the 10th year the Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion, next to thePost Office, will be transformed into an enchanting emporium ofbeautifully crafted objects for shoppers looking for that specialhand-made Christmas gift. There will be ceramics, painted trays, cards, decorations, silkscarves, jewellery, stained glass, wooden bowls and boxes, wire-work, driftwood and glass, vintage Indian textiles, kilim bags andmore.The sale was started by Julie Byngham and Lucy Yarwood in 2002and runs, with free entry, from Thursday 13th to Saturday 15thDecember, 10am to 5pm. Enquiries to 01258 456285.

Gillian McCormack with her stainedglass.

Ceramic artistJo Burnell.

Kaye Mash who makes silk scarves.

Garden of Delights founders Julie Byngham (left) and Lucy Yarwood.

Garden of Delights

December 2012 11

BLANDFORD'S Christmas lights will be officially lit on Friday 7thDecember by the Mayor Sara Loch and Father Christmas, who will asusual be taking up temporary residence in the grotto created by theBlandford Lions in the Corn Exchange to hear the wishes of the town'schildren.The celebrations start at 6pm with seasonal refreshments and carolsinging, and the lights on the tree in the market place will be switchedon at around 6.45pm, to be followed by the Civic Carol Service inBlandford Parish Church starting 7pm.Santa will be back the following day for the Lions Christmas Fair, againin the Corn Exchange.The Town Council's Christmas shop window competition will be judgedover the same weekend in time for winners to be announced for theYuletide Festival with lantern parade, carol singing, festive fare andlate night opening on Wednesday 12th December.See our listings section on the back page for other Christmasevents.

Festive greetings from Blandford Town Council on the Corn Exchange.

Countdown to Christmas

FEWER than one in five electorsin North Dorset voted in lastmonth's election for a Police andCrime Commissioner for Dorset.But the total of 18.11 per centwas higher than the average16.77 per cent for the entirecounty, and well above the low-est, in Bournemouth, of only 13.3per cent.Across the district, the high pro-portion of spoilt papers matcheda trend across the rest of thecountry, with people voting formore than one candidate, failingto give a first preference vote andmore than half of the 2,527 spoilt

papers in the first preferencecount carrying marks describedas 'uncertain'.The successful candidate, afterthe second count, wasIndependent Martyn Underhill, a54-year-old former MetropolitanPolice and Sussex detective, whobeat Tory candidate Nick King bymore than 12,000 first preferenceand 5,000 second preferencevotes.He promised to "keep politics outof policing" and said afterwards:"The voters of Dorset have sent aclear message to the governmentthat they do not want or will notsupport any more political interfer-ence in the day-to-day running ofthe police."Mr Underhill moved to Dorsetafter retiring in 2009 from theSussex force. He was second-in-charge of the Sarah Payne mur-der case and acted as an adviserto the investigation into the mur-ders of Jessica Chapman andHolly Wells in Soham.

Voters cold-shoulderpolice chief election

POLICE have warnedmotorists not to drink anddrive over the festive seasonafter two men were arrestedin Blandford within two days.A 31-year-old Blandford manwas arrested in the towncentre and another man wasarrested near Durweston.

December 201212

SINGER-songwriter Emily Baker was among friends whenshe entertained a packed and appreciative audience at theHall and Woodhouse Brewery visitor centre in Blandford.A former pupil at the Blandford School, Emily is rapidly mak-ing a name for herself with her unique blend of a controlledand distinctive voice, skilful guitar playing and a growingrepertoire of poetic and sometimes soulful self-pennedsongs.Emily, who has lived in Brighton for some years, won aNational Arts Foundation Award for songwriting in 2009which paid for her to produce her first album, House ofCards.Last summer she embarked on a 4,000-mile round trip of thesouthern states of America with Twitter pal Kira Small. The result is her new album All At Sea, recordedin just three days, a collection of nine delicate songs focusing on love, ambition and human fragility.Her home town appearance, a stop-off during a multi-venue tour of the country, gave her an opportunityto showcase her latest album and her audience loved every moment of the show.

A sing-up at the brewery for Emily's fans

A chance to learn Chinese artCHINESE painting workshops are being held in thefirst week of December by Deborah Chisman, whooffers regular Art for Everyone classes atDurweston, Marnhull and Shaftesbury.Traditional Chinese painting aims to capture theenergy or 'chi' of an object in a few simple brushstrokes, and is a great way to paint flowers, plantsand animals.Subjects during the workshops will be the chrysan-themum, a Chinese symbol of autumn and longlife, and bamboo, one of the three friends of winterbecause it can survive and remain green in snow.No experience is needed and materials, includingChinese paintbrushes and watercolours, will be

provided. Booking is essential for the full-day work-shops at Durweston village hall on Monday 3rdDecember, at Shaftesbury Arts Centre on Thursday6th December and at Marnhull on TuesdayDecember 11th, costing £20 per person. Contact Deborah on 01258 820349, text 07746996889 or email deb_chisman@hotmail.comDeborah has a new series of Monday morning artclasses at Durweston village hall starting in thethird week of January and run in association withthose on Tuesday morning and afternoon atMarnhull and Thursday morning and afternoon atShaftesbury.

LocalismAct to beexplainedA PRESENTATION on theLocalism Act will be given byJohn Parker, chairman of theDorset Association of Parishand Town Councils, to thenext meeting of the DT11Forum partnership in theParish Centre, Blandford, onTuesday 11th December.Community partnership work-er Sarah Wilkinson said:"With ever-changing timesand the consultation takingplace on the North Dorsetcore strategy, we feel it'sgoing to be an informativemeeting."The partnership is hopingthat at that meeting, whichwill start at 7pm, there couldbe news of the bid to DEFRAfor funding for the TrailwayBroadband project.Results of an EconomicSpine Survey into the eco-nomic benefits of the NorthDorset Trailway were due tobe officially presented at theannual general meeting ofthe North Dorset TrailwayGroup on 28th November.

December 2012 13

Council’s new unitto boost productivity

Brewery profits healthydespite the recessionLOCAL brewers Hall &Woodhouse have reportedturnover nearing £100 million anda slight rise in pre-tax profits intheir latest financial accounts.Against a backdrop of "continueddifficult economic conditions", theBlandford St Mary-based busi-ness, which owns 250 pubsacross the south, brews the

2011 to £5.7 million.The result is reported as "particu-larly pleasing considering thestrong economic headwinds caus-ing lower consumer confidenceand rising material, utility, bankingcosts and beer duty".Recently a team from the brewerytook over the Salisbury NaomiHouse charity store as part of thechildren's hospice's Store-Warscompetition, in which seven com-panies battled in store and onlineto raise the most money asUltimate Store Wars Champion.The Hall & Woodhouse teamraised £665 and came arespectable fourth after holding araffle to win Christmas in a ham-per, organising a 'Find the Badger'competition in the store, and wel-coming Peppa Pig to help out.James Kirkham of Hall andWoodhouse said: "Naomi Houseis our chosen charity for this year,so whether it's at one of our publichouses or in one of the charity'sstores, we will do anything we canto help out."

award-winning Badger, Tanglefootand Fursty Ferret ales and thisyear opened a new brewhouse,has reported a four per cent boostin its group turnover to £94.1m forthe year to 30th January, 2012.It compares with a £90.5 millionturnover in the previous year,while pre-tax profits increased by2.3 per cent from £5.6 million in

essential services and from inter-est on invested funds.It would lead to increased pro-ductivity from staff and machinerybased in one location, andensure the staff had adequatefacilities.The unit was purchased at theend of October for £138,500 withadditional costs estimated at justover £10,000.

NEARLY £150,000 has beencommitted by Blandford TownCouncil to purchase a businessunit off Shaftesbury Lane fromwhich to manage its growing landmanagement services.Members agreed in September tomake an offer for the unit, part ofthe Glenmore Estates develop-ment next to the PersimmonHomes estate at BadburyHeights, and budget £15,000 tomeet legal costs and equip theunit for use by the grounds andmaintenance staff.They were advised a unit wasneeded to meet a strategic planpriority of improving infrastructureand equipment to service theincreasing amount of public openand amenity space under TownCouncil control on the northernside of the town.Buying a unit would give thecouncil an asset which couldincrease in value and was prefer-able to paying out in rent, andfinance was available from thebudget set aside under the ToughChoices programme to support

Credit changeunder scrutinyBLANDFORD people in receiptof benefit are being surveyedby North Dorset DistrictCouncil to establish how theywill be affected by the intro-duction of Universal Credit,starting next April with reduc-tions in housing benefit andthe replacement of council taxbenefit by a less generousscheme operated locally. Thelocal authority has been cho-sen as a pilot for the new sup-port system introduced in theWelfare Reform Act.

Death offormer GPTRIBUTES have been paid to amuch-loved former BlandfordGP, Dr Joan Davies, who died inher sleep at her home on 22ndNovember at the age of 88.Dr Joan, as she was known,came to Blandford Camp in 1951with her husband Dr DavidDavies when he was posted asArmy MO to complete hisNational Service. She began practising from a sur-gery in West Street, where shewas joined by her husband in athriving general practice.In 1960 they moved to the OldBank House from where theyworked seven days a week. Bothwere fully involved in the town,Dr David three times becomingMayor of Blandford with his wifeas Mayoress. He became aFreeman of the town in 1991. She became president of thethen Blandford Business andProfessional Women's Club,chairman of the newly formedBlandford Heart Forum, AgeConcern and Commandant ofthe local British Red Cross. Their daughter, Dr Jane Davies,is now a partner at the EagleHouse surgery, to where the prac-tice moved when they retired, andanother daughter, Jenny Tory, ispractice manager. Dr Joan leavesfour grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.Age Concern leader CarolBunnegar said: "She was ourfounder president from 1999onwards, and a very good friendto Age Concern Blandford."In 2009 Dr Davies was invited toofficially open the new branch ofBoots at the former Gracey'spharmacy in Salisbury Streetafter topping a poll among staffof who should have the honour.Mayor of Blandford Sara Lochsaid: "She was very much part ofthe town. After her husband'sdeath she was invited to all civicoccasions and always attendedlooking immaculate and elegant."Details of the funeral, which thefamily hoped to hold on Monday3rd December, are availablefrom undertakers Colin Close.

December 201214

NORTH Dorset District Council'snew leader, Deborah Croney ofIwerne Minster, led tributes at thelast full council meeting to herpredecessor Cllr Peter Webb,who stepped down in Octoberafter six years.Cllr Webb, who will continue toserve on the back benches asrepresentative of the Stours ward,guided the council through themost troubled period in its history,becoming leader in 2006, justafter its spending was capped bygovernment.He faced the daunting challengeof managing a council in severefinancial crisis and, workingclosely with chief executive LizGoodall and leader of the opposi-tion Cllr David Milsted, helpedcraft what became known as theTough Choices Programme andthe Local Delivery Project, whichencouraged town and parishcouncils to assume responsibilityfor local issues and has nowbecome the national localismagenda.Cllr Croney said: "Peter has

North Dorset District CouncilChairman Cllr Mike Oliver (left) pres-ents Peter Webb (right) with his com-memorative three-legged stool signedby council members.

Tributes paid to leaderwho rose to a challenge

made a substantial contributionto the lives of people in NorthDorset and to this council. Hehas also provided me with guid-ance, advice and support forwhich I am very grateful. It hasbeen a pleasure to serve in hisCabinet and his wise counselhas been valued and will contin-

ue to be appreciated by us all."She made clear the significanceof the three-legged stool withwhich he was presented as aparting gift, acknowledging hisskill in pulling together a tripartitepower base in the district compris-ing the district council, parish andtown councils and the communitypartnerships in North Dorset,which worked tirelessly to ensurestability through troubled times.Opposition leader Cllr DavidMilsted said: "Peter's leadershiphas been exemplary for its bold-ness, bravery and consistencyand for its unswerving commit-ment to the welfare of NorthDorset residents."

A LOCAL micro-brewery which started trading only six monthsago is the first in the UK to import a Trappist yeast strain. Thestrain comes from Rochefort Abbey in Belgium, and is used in theWinter Warmer St Wite's Ale by brewer Brent Smith at the SunnyRepublic brewery at Winterborne Kingston, which exports toAustralia, Finland, Denmark and Sweden as well as delivering tomore local pubs.

Micro-brewery toasts a UK first

Coronersteps downWEST Dorset Coroner MichaelJohnston has stepped downafter nearly 35 years in the post.Solicitor Mr Johnston, 69,moved from a partnership inManchester in 1974 to joinBailey & Co in The Plocks,Blandford, whose members hadserved as Coroner for WestDorset for 150 years. He wasappointed Coroner five yearslater. He subsequently movedwith the firm to join the newBlanchards Bailey at Stour Park.His retirement will allow MrJohnston, a former nationalpresident of the Welsh Pony &Cob Society, to spend moretime on his farm nearShaftesbury.East Dorset Coroner SherriffPayne now takes responsibilityfor both areas of the county.

December 2012 15

Beer and to reminisce on theweek's highs and lows. Only 23completed the climb.Mr Newton said: "The challengecan only be described as fantas-tic, physically and mentally tough,but a great adventure which hasraised over £10,000 for CLICSargent and children who arediagnosed with cancer."He said he still hoped to exceedthe £11,000 mark, funds whichcould not have been raised with-out the donations and sponsor-ships from kind friends, familyand local businesses, particularlyJan and Gaz of the GreyhoundInn, Blandford, who sponsored

FOCUS on charities

A CHARITY challenge to trek andclimb Kilimanjaro in East Africahas been completed by Teddy20founder Owen Newton in supportof CLIC Sargent and childrenwith cancer.Mr Newton, of Westbury Way,Blandford, whose son Ted diedtwo years ago at the age of 10from bone cancer, was one of a28-strong expedition team whoflew out from Heathrow inOctober after a year's trainingand fundraising to conquer the5,895m mountain, one of thelargest volcanoes in the world.They started in farmland and for-est and passed through severaldifferent climate zones. Beforethe Kilimanjaro ascent theyclimbed to Mawenzi Tarn, reach-ing a height of 4,700m, and thenembarked on the toughest 48hours of the challenge.They trekked to the Kibo Huts atthe base, then made a night-timeascent in temperatures below-16C, reaching the summit in timeto see the sunrise. They then hadto descend the scree slopes toKibo Huts, an effort in itself,before another four-hour trek totheir first and last camp site.The following day they set off forthe finishing point of the chal-lenge, arriving at 2pm to cele-brate with bottles of Kilimanjaro

the Teddy20 KilimanjaroChallenge Expedition. Owen'shomecoming party was at thisyear's Teddy20 Ball held at theBlandford Corn Exchange on

10th November. Donations maystill be made online by going toVirginmoneygiving.com and fol-lowing the links to teddy20chal-lengeowen.

Owen Newton took fund-raising to new heights when he reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, one of the largest volcanoesin the world. He hopes to raise £11,000.

Owen treksto thesummit ofKilimanjarofor Teddy20

Plea for help with scheme that givesplay opportunities to disabled childrenA CHARITY which helps disabledpeople across the county is callingfor help with events.Diverse Abilities Plus, which sup-ports children, adults and their fami-lies through its play opportunitiesscheme, has been helped with fund-ing from the Big Lottery Fund and isexpanding into Dorset.But it needs more help to grow, andis seeking a play worker for theBlandford area to work during school holidays and on one evening amonth.Volunteer play worker opportunities are also available and are a greatopportunity for people to gain experience of care work or those on theDuke of Edinburgh's award scheme.People who enjoy working with children with challenging needs andare available during school holidays and occasional evenings duringterm-time can contact the charity. The address is: Human Resources, Diverse Abilities Plus, Unit C,Acorn Business Park, Ling Road, Poole, BH12 4NZ. Call 01202718266 or email admin@diverseabilitiesplus.org.uk.

December 201216

FOCUS on charities

Pictured, from left: Dot Powell (Dorset Rural Music School), Natasha Tilsley (Youth Aid), Steve Hitchens (Yuletide Festival),Sara Loch (Mayor of Blandford), John Turnbull (President, Blandford Stour Rotary), Michael Le Bas (Blandford Museum),Jamie Keast (Home-Start), Esme Butler (Jubilee Committee), Jeff Russell (Pramacare), Penny and Randy Meaden (DorsetAir Ambulance).

A RECORD £13,425 payout during the year wascelebrated at a presentation dinner at The CrownHotel by Blandford Stour Rotary Club when some ofthe local recipients described their work.Those present included the Mayor of Blandford,Sara Loch, and representatives from the JubileeCommittee, the Yuletide Festival, Pramacare,Home-Start, Blandford Museum, Dorset AirAmbulance, Youth Aid and the Dorset Rural MusicSchool.The club has been in existence for only 14 years,during which it has supported many international,

national and local causes. The majority of fundshave gone to a wide range of local charitable caus-es.John Turnbull, president of Blandford Stour RotaryClub, said "In a world where there is an increasingneed for continuing help to so many and variedcharitable organisations, I would like to thank thelocal community for, yet again, continuing to supportour fund-raising efforts over the last year. "At the same time I should also thank all those clubmembers through whose efforts we have managedto achieve this record amount."

Blandford Stour Rotary helps Christmas come early

A LOCAL charity is seeking vol-unteers in the Blandford areawho love books, enjoy workingwith children and can spare 3 to 4hours a week.Dorset Reading Partners is a lit-eracy support charity whichrecruits and trains volunteers towork in primary schools offeringregular one-to-one support tochildren who need a little extrahelp and encouragement.Together they talk, share booksand play games to increase chil-dren's confidence and motivation,

as well as their communicationand literacy skills. All reading partners receive com-prehensive training, support andresources. No formal qualifica-tions are required, but excellentliteracy skills, a confident manner,patience, flexibility and an empa-thy with children are essential.To find out more and join the nexttraining course in January, con-tact Juliet Ruddick on 01305458515 or juliet.drp@tiscali.co.uk.More details are online at www.dorsetreadingpartners.org.uk.

Spare time for reading to children

Job Clubalreadyhelping to changelivesMORE volunteers are needed atBlandford Job Club which, sinceit launched in October, hasproved to be an invaluableresource for the town and sur-rounding parishes.It has been very successful inhelping people get back into workthrough restructuring and updat-ing CVs and offering interviewadvice and facilities for interviewpractice.The club opens every Friday inthe Treads building at 28a MarketPlace, Blandford between 10amand 1pm for people to drop in fora chat or to make an appointmentfor more specific requirements.There is practical help availableand online media gives details ofevery job vacancy within thearea. This information is also onthe website - www.blandfordjob-club.co.uk - thanks to links withJob Centre Plus, Treads,Connexions, local newspapersand also local businesses whichadvertise directly with the organi-sation.Volunteers with a variety of workbackgrounds and experience areinvited to become advisors, forwhich training is offered.Anyone who would like to spon-sor the club or who can spare afew hours on a Friday morningonce or twice a month shouldcontact Councillor David Walshon 01747 825161 or emailblandfordjobclub@gmail.com.

Wendy Edwards (right) with Tescocustomer Emma Latham of Blandford.

MORE than £1,000 has beenraised for Cancer Research UKthanks to the herculean efforts ofWendy Edwards, vice-chairmanof the Blandford branch of thenational charity.She spent three days at thetown's Tesco store selling T-shirtsand other items.Wendy said: 'It has been hardwork without stalwart Della Jonesmanning the stall for part of thetime, but I am delighted with theresult. "Della, who has been sufferingfrom pneumonia, sends her bestwishes to all who support thecharity."

Wendy goes solo in a grand effortfor Cancer Research UK

December 2012 17

The ladies of Blandford Inner Wheel in their colourful sarees, with members of other Inner Wheel clubs who joined them for the annual overseas lunch.

Inner Wheel ladies add spice to a grey and misty day AN aroma of spices and colours of the Orientfilled Ashley Wood Golf Club for the BlandfordInner Wheel's overseas lunch, where a grey,misty, autumn day was brightened by thecolourful sarees worn by several members.They were joined by members of Inner Wheelclubs from the area for a great curry andpopadoms at their annual autumn event to

help overseas causes, which this year benefit-ed the Philippine Community Fund. The charity's aims are to rescue childrenworking on the rubbish dumps in Manila andto feed and educate them, education beingthe only way the children can escape thedreadful poverty. Children can be sponsoredand those who sponsor them receive photo-

graphs, letters and school reports from theirchildren.The Blandford Inner Wheel, a member of theRotary family which meets monthly at theCrown Hotel, Blandford, often have a secondsocial meeting during the month. To join themor just to find out more about what they do,contact Judy Adams on 01258 452614.

FOCUS on charities

WILD plant charity Plantlife(www.plantlife.org.uk) is hoping toreach out to many wild plantenthusiasts and nature lovers byinviting them to become wild plant'pioneers'.Working with schools, familiesand communities who are able toaccess free downloadableresources, the team hope toengage people with the nature ontheir doorstep.

Plant project is close to homeChance to express viewson proposal for a car clubRESIDENTS of Blandford are being asked whether they would likea Car Club in their town to reduce the costs of motoring. Dorset FlexiCars are one of a number of Car Clubs which areexpanding rapidly in other parts of the UK, particularly in urbanareas, to provide a flexible alternative to car ownership. It currentlyhas two vehicles which members can book online in Dorchester,paying for use by the mile and by the hour. Cleaning, maintenance, MOT and insurance is all covered by theClub, and the cost of fuel is included in the mileage rate. Company secretary Pete West said, "My wife and I live inDorchester and used to own two cars, just in case both of us need-ed to use a vehicle at the same time. "Since joining Dorset Flexicars we have sold one car, savingapproximately £1,000 per year in devaluation, tax, MOT and insur-ance, and saving the hassle of ownership."Now we can book a car online if we both need to use a car at thesame time. The Car Club is ideal for anyone who just needs to usea car now and again." Dorset FlexiCars is seeking funding to buy a vehicle for Blandford,but first they need to collect people's views.A short online questionnaire has been set up to gauge support, andanyone who thinks it is a good idea or who wishes to comment canaccess it at www.surveymonkey.com/s/VNTZSW5 or visitwww.dorsetflexicars.org.uk.

In recent years subscribers havebeen asked to record the plantlife in their local area and recountwhat they used to see/pick andforage for. Pioneers can subscribe to a freequarterly e-learning bulletinwhose latest issue is out now.Learn more about native wildplants via the Wild About Plantsproject website, www.wildabout-plants.org.uk.

December 201218

FOCUS on service

At Bus2Go miles mean smiles, and we have coveredmany of them as we have travelled around the countyand beyond.Our day out at Abbotsbury was fantastic in the Septembersunshine, so too was our outing to Weymouth and ourbird's eye view from the Weymouth Eye. We managed toget an extra discount as we said we were all from thesame family!The weather was sunny and warm when we visited Bath.We enjoyed the city so much that we are going again thismonth to their Christmas market.Our spooky half-term Halloween treat to SeatonTramways was great fun, and we had two buses decorat-ed with lanterns, cobwebs and bats. The people dressedup too, and were featured on a live broadcast on BBCRadio Devon. In November, two buses went to West Quay atSouthampton for Christmas shopping and Bus2Go is

pleased to announce 20% off at Three generations of passengers go Christmas shopping to Southampton.

Smiles by the mile for the Bus2Go transport team The Bus2Go community transport team fromMilborne St Andrew review their first six monthsof operation.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Galton Garden Centre,Owermoigne, when we go for our Christmaslunch on 8th December.You can catch up with Bus2Go on Facebook. The'team' at Bus2Go wish you a very HappyChristmas and good times as you journey into theNew Year, and look forward to welcoming you onboard very soon at a Bus2Go stop near you. AGE Concern Blandford has recruited and trained some additional vol-

unteers and is now able to give confidential advice and information toeven more customers. They are there to help anyone over 50 who would like free informationand advice on benefits, social care or other topics.Volunteers can also refer people to other local voluntary services suchas the Shopping Bus run by Blandford Hospital League of Friends, theDisability Action Group (North Dorset), Blandford Befrienders and theHousebound Readers’ Library Service. They can liaise with other local and national voluntary organisationsand authorities in order to provide the best possible service to users.At intervals, free legal advice sessions on wills and powers of attorneyare run by a solicitor, and on tax problems run by accountants. Thesespecialist services are by appointment only. For help, call in to the Age Concern Office in Nightingale CourtBlandford (10-1, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri), phone (01258 458250), email(ageconcernblandford@talk21.com) or visit the website www.acbland-fordforum.org.uk. For those who would have difficulty getting in to the office a home visitcan be arranged.

More help and advice nowon offer for the over-50s

December 2012 19

Festive recipes from Blandford Museum'sVictorian Garden Club

Mincemeat Cake1 x 411g jar good quality mincemeat8oz/225g wholemeal flour3 level teaspoons baking powder5oz/150g dark brown sugar50z/150g soft butter6oz/175g mixed dried fruitGrated zest of one orange or lemon3 eggs

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly together.Spoon into greased and lined 8-in round or square tinBake 1hr 20 mins. Gas 3, 170ºC.Leave to cool in tin for 30 mins before removing to wire rack.Keeps well, but also good enough for a Christmas cake in 2-3 weeks.Icing optional.

Spiced Apple Juice2 x 1-litre cartons of apple juice 2 cinnamon sticks12 cloves2 star aniseZest of one orange - cut with a pota-to peeler2 knobs of stem ginger in syrup - sliced3 tablespoons of the ginger syrupLarge pinch of ground allspice

Put all ingredients in a large pan and place overheat.Bring to a gentle boil then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20mins for the spices to infuse.Strain juice and pour into heatproof glasses.

The spiced apple juice and mincemeat cake will be served in the museum at the town’sYuletide Festival on the evening of 12th December.

Festive Veggie Casserole4oz/110g chestnuts - vac-packedwill not need pre-soaking8oz/250g pickling onions or shal-lots8oz/250g small new potatoes8oz/250g sprouts4oz/110g button mushrooms6 cloves garlic1 tablespoon oil1 pint/500ml vegetable stock with 1 tab soy sauce and1 tsp mustard.

Prepare all vegeta-bles and brown theonions and potatoesin a little oil. Placechestnuts, onionsand potatoes in alarge casserole andpour over enoughstock to cover.Bring to boil and simmer for 30 mins, adding sproutsand mushrooms 10 mins before the end.Serve with crusty bread for a quick lunch.

This combination of veggies is also very good roasted .. . yes, sprouts roast well! Just place everything in aroasting dish, drizzle over a little olive oil, tuck in a fewbay leaves or sprigs of rosemary and add plenty ofblack pepper and sea salt. Roast in a hot oven for 25-30 mins, stirring about half-way.Serve as a side dish or as a veggie main course dish.Optional seasonal additions: cranberries, sliced Cox'sapples, bacon rolls.

A COMMEMORATIVE bench has beenpresented to Blandford Youth Club by thefamily of Ben Andrews, who died in Mayafter a head-on collision on the Pimperneroad just outside Blandford.Ben, a former Blandford School studentwho had hoped to join the police, workedpart-time at Tesco in Blandford St Mary.He was a volunteer youth worker at thetown's Youth Centre, where a plaquerecords the family's belief that the centrewas the most obvious place for thebench. The plaque describes the benchas "an enduring and constant reminder ofour lovely Ben".Friends and family have also set up theBen Andrews Foundation to raise moneyand help good causes, and on 13thNovember they arranged a charity quiz

night at Nelson's Ale House. More than20 supporters were due to take part in acharity sky dive on 1st December, jump-ing out of a plane at 13,000ft.A 20-year-old soldier has admitted caus-ing Ben's death on 7th May by carelessdriving while over the alcohol drink-drivelimit. He faces trial in January on charges ofinflicting grievous bodily harm on LauraHaskell and assault, occasioning actualbodily harm, on Aaron Wicks on the samedate.The pleas of Benjamin James Southall,who serves with 26th Regiment RoyalArtillery, were taken at Dorchester CrownCourt on 12th November, when he wasreleased on conditional bail to return tothe court for his trial on 21st January.

Bench is given in Ben’s memoryThe party goes on . . .SUPPORT from schools, organisations and individ-uals is being sought when a repeat of this year'ssuccessful Diamond Jubilee party on the Marsh &Ham is organised by the Blandford CelebrationGroup next May Bank Holiday (6th May).The plan is for the event to be held every otheryear, alternating with the Georgian Fayre.All-comers are again invited to demonstrate theirtalent in dance, sport, music or anything else.Register an interest by emailingcelebrations@blandfordforum-tc.gov.uk before 27thJanuary or call 01258 480756 for further details.The retiring Jubilee celebration group has commis-sioned a metal tree sculpture from a local artistusing funds raised during this year's series ofanniversary events and with the support of a localbusinessman. It will be installed in the WoodhouseGardens to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee.

December 201220

FOCUS on youth

All 10 contestants in the Young Chef competition at The Blandford School, with Rotary President Nic Nicol. Four judges gave their verdicts in choosing the winners.

Shae Hardy, the winner (left) with Rotary president Nic Nicol and NiamhRobertson, who was third, and runner-up Maia Sellen (right).

THE first round of Rotary's Young Chef competition held at TheBlandford School saw 14-year-old Shae Hardy triumph for the secondsuccessive year. Her win over the other nine contestants followed her similar perform-ance in 2011, after which she went on to win the Group Final and thenthe Rotary District Final. Andrew Mead, deputy head of The Blandford School, said: "We're veryproud of Shae, who has demonstrated consistently that she has agreat talent and she works hard to ensure the highest quality in themeals she prepares and presents for adjudication."The four judges of the competition commented on the very high stan-dard of all 10 contestants but felt that Shae's cooking and presentationmade her the outstanding winner. The competitors are required to cook a three-course dinner for twopeople using a menu of their own choice in less than two hours, usingingredients they have purchased themselves within a maximum budgetof £15. They then have to present the cooked meal as attractively aspossible. Maia Sellen came second and Niamh Robertson was third. It is hopedthat all three girls will go on to the next stage of the competition to beheld early next year.

Teenage chef Shae servesup another triumph

Grace Ritchie and her mum, Deena, and Lauren Barton and her mum, Elizabeth,at the cake sale and coffee morning that the two 12-year-old friends held in aidof Children in Need at Winterborne Whitechurch village hall. The girls fund-raisefor the same cause each year. They decorated the hall in spots and pictures ofPudsey and, with the aid of donations, they raised £248.71.

Hard work pays off for Pudsey

December 2012 21

A MASKED ball at the Crown Hotel raised hundreds of pound for theyoung people's project Youth Aid.Guests of honour were the Mayor of Blandford Sara Loch and JackDelaney, the local disabled teenager who carried the Olympic torchthrough Blandford. About 80 people donned masks and their glad rags in support of theproject, which operates out of premises in the Anchor Gateway offSalisbury Street in Blandford.Project manager Sue Diffey said: "The purpose of the ball was not onlyto raise money for our core costs such as rent but also to raise aware-ness of this project, and the vital work we do for young people. "It was also an opportunity for a social evening to relax and reflect onthe progress we have made since we launched in March, and to pro-vide an opportunity to network with our supporters in an informal set-ting. "The evening was intended to be a 'showcase' of young people andtheir talents. The Studio B dancers were outstanding, as were‘Anetemy’, Natalie and Emily from TheBlandford School, who gave us somefantastic entertainment."The disco was supplied by DavidHowes of Poole, and the DJ wasShayne Varley who played all the rightmusic and really got the party going. "All the entertainment was suppliedfree of charge to help support ourcause, and we'd like to thank the manylocal businesses who gave raffle prizes,and all who donated to our auction, aswell as Sara Loch and Jack Delaney formaking the evening complete. "Before expenses we raised approxi-mately £1,800, and the evening was aresounding success with many vitalcontacts made and lots of positive feed-back."She said that since Youth Aid opened,they had had over 1,500 visits by youngpeople, and 185 individual clients. "This proves that there is a need for usin Blandford, and we really appreciateeveryone's help and support to raisethe vital funding to ensure we canremain open and carry on the work withour young people."

Face to face at the Youth Aid masked ball and, below, guests of honour,Blandford Mayor Sara Loch and Olympic torch-bearer Jack Delaney, with projectfounders Sue Diffey and Dave Sullivan. More pictures on our website: www.forumfocus.co.uk

FOCUS on youthYouth Aid successis celebratedat masked ball

December 201222

FOCUS on schools

Pimperne Pre-School fundraisers at their autumn fair in Blandford CornExchange (from left): Alison Brennan, Louise Barber, Vicki Hayward andRachael Gregory.

Ofsted deliversan upgrade forBlandford school

School field can bekept for village use

Max’s piano prize

Head teacher Sally Wilson discussing the Ofsted report with James Willis-Fisher,the Prime Minister of the Student Parliament.

OFSTED inspectors have upgrad-ed The Blandford School to 'good'only 19 months after an inspectionand report which last year found itonly 'satisfactory'.A recent 'no-notice' inspectionfound it to be a good school withoutstanding features, and headteacher Sally Wilson, who chal-lenged the earlier verdict, isdelighted with the assessment.Lead inspector Edward Wheatleysaid: "The school is demonstratinga strong capacity to continueimproving."Mrs Wilson said: "Ofsted inspec-tions have become more rigorousin recent years so to receive sucha positive report and buck thetrend of schools being downgradedis fabulous."This inspection was one of a newwave of 'no-notice' inspectionswhich Mrs Wilson feels is a bettersystem. She said: "The inspectors saw theschool as it is day in, day out.Teaching and support staff haveworked so incredibly hard for thisoutcome and are overjoyed by thejudgement."As the school now focuses onimproving further and being graded'outstanding' at their next inspec-tion, the head teacher is particular-ly pleased with the endorsementfrom a sixth-form student who saidsimply: "They help and support usto achieve our big dreams."In their report, Ofsted inspectorsspeak positively about achieve-ment, the quality of teaching, thebehaviour and safety of students,

the management of performanceand resources by governors, andeffective leadership and manage-ment of the head teacher. During the two-day inspection, theteam visited 61 lessons and foundsome students making outstandingprogress, noting that 'past under-achievement has been largelyeliminated'.They were impressed by students'attitude to learning and commend-ed curriculum breadth for ensuringthat all aspirations and career pos-sibilities were met. Behaviour andattitudes were judged to be 'goodand sometimes outstanding', andstudents found to be enthusiasticabout school. Attendance has improved signifi-cantly over the last two years andis now judged to be 'above aver-age', the highest Ofsted category,and described by inspectors as a'notable success story'.The school's sixth-form perform-ance in 2012 was in the top 25%of schools in the country and per-formance in mathematics, singledout in the last inspection, is alsonow showing significant improve-ment and one of the highest per-forming subjects in the school. Mrs Wilson, who has been at theschool since 2003, thanked par-ents who completed the Ofsted on-line questionnaire overnight andthose who met the lead inspectorin person, important evidence forthe team who judged parents andcarers to be very pleased with theschool and the accessibility of staffto help them if they have concerns.

DORSET County Council'sCabinet has agreed that theschool playing field next toPimperne Primary School canremain a public open space follow-ing occupation of the new school,for which planning permission hasnow been secured next to the vil-lage hall in Newfield Road.The school, whose site is ownedby the Salisbury Diocese, and itsplaying field owned by the countycouncil, will be declared surplus tochildren's services requirementsonce the replacement is construct-ed and operational, and a 35-yearlease is to be offered to PimperneParish Council.Pimperne resident David Toze pre-sented a deputation by the parishcouncil, outlining the use of the 0.7

hectare field by the communityover the past 50 years for sportand recreation.He said there was nowhere elseavailable for the community as allthe surrounding fields were culti-vated farmland. A local girl hadalso written in favour of preservingthe field for community use.DCC officers described the areaas a 'green lung' in the main partof the village, saying that applica-tion had been made to register itas a village green to protect it fromdevelopment.It was suggested that if termscould be agreed for the lease ofthe playing field area to the ParishCouncil for community use, the vil-lage green application would bewithdrawn.

A YOUNG Blandford musician has won the Andy Lee 2CRFMMemorial Prize in the eighth biennial South of England PianoCompetition for his performance of Schubert's Impromptu in B-Flat,only three-and-a-half years after taking up the piano.Max Blass-Laker, aged 13, a former pupil of Milldown Primary andDorchester Middle schools and now a pupil at the Thomas Hardye inDorchester, is a pupil of music teacher Duncan Honeybourne at theDorset Rural Music School.He was competing at the event, promoted by Poole Arts Associationin conjunction with Bournemouth Chamber Music Society, in StPeter's Church, Parkstone, against six other contestants, most ofwhom were aged 16 to 18.In 2010 at the age of 11, Max, the son of Jacqueline Blass, aston-ished the judges in the Young Musicians competition, staged by theRotary Club of Blandford, after learning to play the instrument only ayear before and having already reached grade seven in practical. Hetook the overall award in his age section after winning the piano cate-gory.

December 2012 23

FOCUS on events

Merlin weaves his magicTHERE was a full house in the Corn Exchange for two free perform-ances during half-term by Mr Merlin and his pal Okey Dokey theDragon, a presentation sponsored by Blandford Town Council.The event was a great success. Cakes were sold and donations givento raise money for the Mayor's Charities, which totalled £81.83.The council received a number of letters of thanks for the programmeof entertainment, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the young audi-ence, their parents and grandparents alike.The council has thanked all who helped out at the event, and thosewho attended.

MORE than a dozen teams took part in a quiznight in the Parish Centre, organised byBlandford Museum.It was won by a group of knowledgeable mem-bers of Oxfam, pictured here with helper NessaHickish (left), organiser Sylvia Hixson Andrews

(second from right), and museum vice-chairSara Loch (right).All the contestants enjoyed a buffet supper aftertackling a sometimes challenging series of ques-tions, and there were spot prizes during theevening, together with a raffle.

A CHARITY concert for theDorset Cancer Centre, based atPoole Hospital, will be given inthe Crown Hotel, Blandford, onSunday 9th December by theAmbassadors Big Band and theForum Saxophone Quartet.The centre is the major specialistcancer treatment centre for adultsin the county, providing a widerange of treatments, includingradiotherapy and chemotherapyfor common and rare cancers,with two in-patient wards, a daycare unit and a number of otherservices.Tickets for the concert, whichstarts at 3pm, are £5 and avail-able by calling 01258 456626.

Concert toraise funds

TICKETS were sold out weeks inadvance of a recent charity nightat the Crown Hotel for NaomiHouse children's hospice, featur-ing the UK Number 1 Meatloaftribute act, Terry Nash.And organiser Karen Shields hasalready booked another, to takethe form of a Meatloaf /BluesBrothers Night, which will be tak-ing place, again at The Crown,on 26th January 2013.Terry was on Series 7 of Stars InTheir Eyes in 1996 and has beenperforming as the UK Number 1Meatloaf Tribute ever since. Karen, who works at theBlandford branch of BarclaysBank and who has now organ-ised six charity nights raisingthousands of pounds for a num-ber of charities, said: "I met Terryback in May this year at the LordNelson pub in Poole on a girls'night out and we became goodfriends. "I had to turn down about 50 peo-ple for the November event,which was on target to haveraised more than £1,500."For tickets to the January con-cert, call 07887 728318.

Encore forMeatloaftribute act

PROPOSALS are being devel-oped for a new waste depot andtransfer facility in the Blandfordarea which would replace theexisting household recyclingcentre in Shaftesbury Lane.Approval was given to securethe site by North Dorset cabinetin November 2011 and April2012, and a report to Cabinet inOctober said there had beencomplications but work toacquire the unnamed site con-tinued to progress.

December 201224

DECEMBERSaturday 1st December: Town Crier's Coffee Morning, CornExchange, Blandford, from 9amBryanston Christmas Bazaar, 10am to1pmBlandford Fashion Museum Open DayDurweston Choral Society Soiree,Durweston village hall, 7.30pm'Simon & Garfunkel' evening withDebbie and Martin Ansell, AnnBiddlecombe hall Tarrant KeynestonCharlton Marshall Annual Tea Party,Village Hall 2-4.30pm. £2.50 per per-son to include tea/coffee,cake and allentertainment. Bookings 01258452457Tarrant Hinton Christmas Fayre,Tarrant Gunville village hall, 2 to4.30pmMonday 3rd December: Blandford & District Floral GroupChristmas demonstration 'A Carol forChristmas'. Visitors £4, annual mem-bership £15. Flower raffle, tea andmince pies, United Reformed ChurchHall, 2.15pm details from Jean on01258452889Child Okeford Centre for Care andLearning: Peter Robson (folklorist) on"Dorset Christmases in Bygone Days".Details 01258 860767Wednesday 5th December:Blandford Art Society AGM followed byfestive refreshments, Blandford ParishCentre, 6.50 to 9.15pmBlandford Forum Film Society pres-ents 'Mao's Last Dancer' (Australia,Cert. PG), Blandford School, 7.30pmMilborne St Andrew village hall:Dorchester male voice choir concert ofseasonal music, 7.30pm, tickets £8including mulled wine and mince piesfrom 01258 837446.Thursday 6th December: Blandford Indoor Market, CornExchangeFriends of Blandford HospitalChristmas bingo, hospital dining roomTarrant Hinton and Gunville Christmaslunch, Tarrant Gunville village hall, 12for 12.30pmFriday 7th December: Coffee morning for St NicholasChurch, Durweston village hall,9.30am to noonCivic Tree Lighting and Carol Service,Corn Exchange and Parish Church,Blandford, from 6pmSalsa Christmas Party charity event inaid of Cancer Research UK. 7.45pm@ Bryanston Club, Blandford Forum.

Tickets £5.00, details 01258 450149Saturday 8th December: Blandford Lions Christmas Fair, CornExchange, Blandford, from 9amBlandford and Sturminster NewtonCats Protection League, Christmascoffee morning and sale, WoodhouseGardens Pavilion, 10am to 12.30pmDurweston School Christmas Fair, 12to 3pm, village hallBryanston Choral Society Christmasconcert with Handel's Dettingen TeDeum, carols for choir and audience,seasonal readings, St. Martin'sChurch,BryanstonSchool at7.30pm,admission £8including aglass of wineand mincepies, Ticketsavailable onthe door orfrom theMusic Schooloffice tel.01258 484649Tarrant Monkton & LauncestonChristmas Party, village hall, tickets830656Tarrant Gunville village hall, Artsreachpresent Time Travelling Magicians byMorgan & West, 7.30pm, tickets830361Shillingstone Portman Hall, Artsreachpresent the folk trio Alaw, 7.30pm,bookings 01258 860319Pimperne Supper Club presents AWinter Warmer, 7.30m Baked potatosupper followed by 'Every Picture TellsA Story', a slide show and storiesbehind well-known paintings. Bookingsand tickets: Claire 01258 456474 orJane 455412Sunday 9th December:The Ambassadors Big Band and theForum Saxophone Quartet in concertat the Crown Hotel, Blandford, 3-6pm.Proceeds to the Dorset CancerCentre. For tickets call 01258 456626Tuesday 11th December: The Blandford School Carol Service Wednesday 12th December:Blandford Yuletide Festival. Town cen-tre road closure 4pm to 10pm, paradeof lanterns, late-night opening, com-munity carol singing, firework finale,

Blandford town centre from 6pmBlandford Forum Film Society pres-ents 'Midnight in Paris' (Spain, Cert12A), Blandford School, 7.30pmThursday 13th December:Blandford Rural North SNT StreetCorner Meeting, White Horse,Stourpaine, 3pmFolk session with the Fippenny Piece,Bakers Arms, Child OkefordThursday 13th to Saturday 15thDecember: Christmas Garden of Delights,

WoodhouseGardens Pavilion,10am to 5pm,free entry,enquiries 01258456285Friday 14thDecember:BlandfordFarmers Market,9am-1pm in TheMarket Place,Blandford

Sturminster Marshall village hall:Artsreach present Coope, Simpson,Freya & Fraser in festive and seasonalsong with 'Drive the Cold WinterAway', 7.30pm, bookings 01258858311

Friday 14th to Saturday 15thDecember: Madcap Productions present SnowWhite and the Mighty Midgets, OldBrewery Hall, Ansty 7.30pm (Sat mat2.30pm), tickets 01258 880461 or fromBrewery Farm Shop Saturday 15th December: Blandford Art Society Christmas Party,United Reformed Church, 7 to10.30pmDurweston Film Night, Tortoise inLove, Durweston village hall 7.30pmWinterborne Stickland village hall:Artsreach present Kepow Theatre in'The Seven Ages of Man', 7.30pm,bookings 01258 880920Wednesday 19th December: Blandford Carers Group meeting,PLUSS Mobility, Holland WayIndustrial Estate, Blandford 2 to 4pm.Details 01258 459215Blandford Choral Society present 'Amusical celebration of Christmas', withseasonal music, readings and tradi-tional refreshments. Blandford ParishChurch, 7.30pm TicketsSetFair4Trade,Salisbury Street,BlandfordThursday 20th December: Indoor Market, Corn Exchange,BlandfordNorth Dorset MP Bob Walter's surgery,4 to 6pm, Blandford, for an appoint-ment call Diana Mogg on 01258452585 or emailmoggd@parliament.uk

Entries in this diary are free of charge. If you have an event youwould like included, please send details to Nicci Brown, 01258

459346 or email s.n.b@btinternet.com. This page is available andregularly updated on our website at www.forumfocus.co.uk

Forum Focus - forthcoming meetings & events

Christmas Services(check noticeboards for more details)BlandfordSunday 23rd December: 10.30am - Carols in the Morning, TheMarket PlaceSunday 23rd December: 6.00pm - Carols on The Green at thePersimmon Homes DevelopmentMonday 24th December: 5.00pm - Crib Service, Blandford ParishChurchMonday 24th December: 11.00pm - Midnight Communion, BlandfordParish ChurchTuesday 25th December: 10.30am - All Age Communion, BlandfordParish ChurchAll Saints Parish Church, Langton LongSunday 16th December: 3.00pm - Tradition Service of Lessons andCarolsTuesday 25th December: 10.30am - All Age CommunionSt Mary's Church, Lower Blandford St MarySunday 16th December: Candlelit Carol Service,4.00pm Tuesday 25th December: 9am - Christmas Day Holy CommunionMilborne St AndrewWednesday 20th December: Christmas Tree Festival with Dorset his-tory theme opens with a Carol Service, 7.30pmPimperneSunday 23rd December: An evening of carols by the old village tree,Pimperne, 5pm. Music by the Stour Valley Band. Mulled wine andmince pies. Collection in aid of St Peter's Holy Trinity Church, Stourpaine Sunday 16th December: Carol service, 6pmWednesday 19th December: Village carol singing, meet at the WhiteHorse 6pmMonday 24th December: Crib service 4pm, Midnight Mass 11.30pmTuesday 25th December: Holy Communion, 11am

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