For Blandford and surrounding villagesIssue No. 4 July 2012

FORUM FOCUS: Your FREE monthly community newspaper for Blandford Forum and villages

The flame is on its way - P4

FORUMFOCUS

by Nicci Brown

Mini boom helpslift some of thebusiness gloomWE may be in the middleof a recession but busi-ness in Blandford appearsto be booming, with oneleading employer thismonth celebrating theopening of multi-millionnew premises, and two'micro-businesses' cele-brating their success in acounty awards scheme.Turn to page 2 for theopening of Hall &Woodhouse's 21st centurybrewhouse in Blandford StMary, and find out on page9 how two small business-es begun locally and bothrun by women were lastmonth represented at theDorset Women inBusiness Awards inBournemouth.Finalist in the NewBusiness of the Year cate-gory was Tracy Franklinwith her pet-minding serv-ice, and winner of the topaward was last year's win-ner of the Most InnovativePR Campaign, Su Cowellwith her CobWebKnitssupplying designerknitwear to the under-fives. Read on page 3 about thescheme to bring superfastbroadband to businessand residents along theroute of the North DorsetTrailway.

Jubilee joy in Blandford (above) and Pimperne(below) was in evidence throughout the district tocelebrate the Queen’s 60 years on the throne.Story and more pictures: Pages 6-7.

FRIENDS and family in Blandford arefundraising to help with the medical treatmentof a former Blandford girl working as an artistin Los Angeles who suffered serious injuries ina hit and run accident.Marie Hardwick is the 24-year-old daughter ofPauline Rooney of The Plocks and a formerBlandford School pupil who worked for theSpar shop in the Market Place.In March she was run over as she left theCounty Museum of Art in the Californian cityby a car which did not stop and is believed tohave been displaying no licence plates.Marie, whose father Ian Hardwick stayed ather bedside for days, had to undergo 11 hoursof immediate surgery for internal bleeding, two

broken knee caps, ripped tendons and asmashed jaw and was expected to be laid upfor several months.The local artist community and friends in LosAngeles have rallied round to help andfundraising is taking place in Blandford,where there was a jumble sale and coffeemorning in the parish centre on 16th Juneand where the Spar shop organised a raffleof a Throne Chair in her support.There will be a further jumble sale at YouthAid in the Anchor Gateway, Salisbury Street,from 9am on Saturday 7th July.Mrs Rooney, who works at the Nisa store inHeddington Drive, said: "I'm really grateful toJess and Sally and staff at the Spar shop,and to Dave and Jenny Rake who organisedthe jumble sale at the parish centre."Marie is now out of hospital, but she is goingto need care for a long time. Thankfully I amable to keep in touch with her by email andSkype."

Support forhit-and-runvictim Marie

MarieHardwick(right)picturedwhen shewas a pupilat TheBlandfordSchool.

July 20122

ROAD CLOSURES IN THECENTRE OF BLANDFORDFORUMCurrently there are two road closuresplanned during the month of July 2012, soplease be mindful of this when travelling onthe following days:Sunday 1st July 2012 - The centre ofBlandford Forum from 2:30pm - 4:45pminvolving East Street, the Market Place andthe feeder roads of Church Lane after thecar park (downwards) and Sheep MarketHill. There will also be a rolling streetclosure at the junction of Dorchester Hill,Bournemouth Road and West Street at thestart (approximately 2:45pm) and the end(approximately 4:30pm) of the event toallow the military to march into and out ofThe Market Place. This closure is tofacilitate a Freedom Parade by the RoyalCorps of Signals in recognition of the 40thanniversary of them being granted the free-dom of the town. Thursday 12th July 2012 - The centre ofBlandford Forum from 9:00am to 1:00pminvolving East Street, the Market Place andthe feeder roads of Church Lane after thecar park (downwards) and Sheep MarketHill. This closure is to allow the safe pas-sage of the Olympic Torch as it passes

through the town. There will also be arolling road closure to allow the torch topass through Blandford Forum andBlandford St Mary. The Olympic Torchroute can be found on notice boards aroundthe town or on the Town Council's website. The Freedom ParadePlease come and join us on Sunday 1st July2012 to celebrate the 40th

Anniversary of thegranting of the Freedomof the Town to the RoyalCorps of Signals at theMarket Place, BlandfordForum at 3.00pm. Come along and showBlandford Forum's appre-

ciation to our soldiers. The Olympic TorchJust a reminder that theOlympic Torch is going tobe passing through thetown for no more thanhalf an hour on the morn-ing of Thursday 12th July2012. It is expected toarrive at approximately11.13am. Further details of the route can befound on the Town Council's website andthe Town's notice boards. After the torchhas passed through Blandford Forum therewill be refreshments, games and music in the Corn Exchange and a rolling music concertin the Parish Church.Town Council Venue HireThe Town Council manage a number ofvenues in and around the town and these areavailable for hire subject to availability.Discounts are available to charities and reg-ular users. Forthcoming meetings are:Monday 2nd July 2012 -Recreation and AmenitiesCommittee MeetingMonday 23rd July 2012 - TownCouncil MeetingMonday 30th July 2012 - Planning Meeting

Blandford Forum Town Council

£5m brewhouse openedA NEW £5 million brewhouseat the Blandford St Marybrewery of Hall & Woodhousewas officially opened with pre-sentations and tours for staffand shareholders, and a simi-lar event for civic dignitariesthree days later.Managing director AnthonyWoodhouse said: "We are afamily company and considerourselves custodians of thebusiness established in 1777,entrusted with responsiblemanagement of resources. Wehave to change with the times."He paid tribute to the inspira-tion of his late brother DavidWoodhouse in drawing upplans for the company's thirdnew brewery in as many centuries,and to Toby Heasman, recentlyannounced as head brewer of theyear at the all-party parliamentaryannual beer awards dinner for hisproject management.Mr Woodhouse outlined companypolicy of closing unprofitable ven-tures to reinvest in its estate. Hesaid they had to respond to theshrinking market for draft sales butblossoming market and potentialfor bottled sales, in which they

were a market leader.He said the current state of theeconomy and housing marketmeant they would not at thisstage be progressing the furtherredevelopment of the brewery sitewhich was first approved by NorthDorset District Council in 2007.But parts of the premises havealready become home to otherusers, including Hobbycraft.The brewhouse, built on time andwithin target and completed in

September 2011, was broughtinto operation in February butwent unannounced because,as chairman Mark Woodhouseput it: "We didn't want to beinundated with comments thatthe beer tasted different."But four months on, guestswere able to see the newbuilding in full production andhave an explanation of themuch-increased capacity andefficiency of the plant.

The brewery, which nowemploys 1,500 across its estate,rising seasonally to 2,000, notincluding a similar number ofstaff employed by their businesspartners in pubs across thesouth, was represented for the

first time at the Chelsea FlowerShow by a garden designed byRHS Gold award winners JohnWarland and Sim Flemons, andwill again be represented by theBadger Beer Garden at the RHSHampton Court Palace FlowerShow opening 3rd July.Staff and regulars at all 57 man-aged pubs set out on the compa-ny's Founders Day, 15th June, to'call time on litter' with a clean-upof their own sites and other litterhotspots in their localities.

Mark Woodhouse (right), Keith Booth,managing director of T MuskEngineering, and Hall & Woodhousecommercial director David French (left)exchange mementoes of the contract tosupply and build the new brewhouse.

THE deadline for the Augustedition is Friday 13th July,and the deadline for advert-isement bookings isWednesday 11th July, for dis-tribution by Friday 27th July.Contact for editorial and art-work is Nicci Brown, 01258459346 or email s.n.b@btin-ternet.com, and contact foradvertising John Stayt, 01258456999 or john.stayt@btinter-net.comWe welcome volunteers tohelp with production andwith house-to-house deliveryin all areas, and are still look-ing particularly for deliverersfor parts of Blandford StMary and Langton Road.Major drop points are the twoCo-ops, Homebase andColin's Community Club inDamory Street from wherequantities may be availablefor collection to distribute inother areas, but please let usknow if you are collecting foryour street by calling JackieStayt on 01258 456999 oremailingjackiestayt@uwclub.net.See our website which isnow live atwww.forumfocus.co.uk

FORUMFOCUS

July 2012 3

LANDFORD'S new mayor isCouncillor Sara Loch, whosucceeded Councillor EsmeButler at the mayor-makingceremony in the Corn Exchange.It is the second time Miss Lochhas occupied the mayoral chair,and after leading the council in2008 she said she was just as

excited second time around in ayear in which the town wascelebrating the Queen's DiamondJubilee and the passing of theOlympic torch.Thanking Mrs Butler for all herhard work in preparing for theJubilee and leading the councilfor two years over a period when

MORE than 100 people turned outon a rain-sodden evening to hearhow superfast broadband mightbe brought to a group of villagesnear Blandford.The public meeting held atDurweston village hall outlinedplans to run optic fibre along theNorth Dorset Trailway and providethe service, which is unlikely to beprovided by either BT, other com-mercial operators or the SuperfastBroadband county-wide project, tothe predominantly rural area. The Trailway Broadband schemepromoted by the DT11 Forumcommunity partnership broadbandteam has been given first-stagebacking by the government'sDEFRA Rural CommunitiesBroadband Fund, and the team isnow working up a detailed propos-al which includes seeking thebacking of potential local sub-scribers and investors. The meeting included presenta-tions on how the scheme might beachieved with public and privatefinance, and what it would meanfor individuals and businesses tobe able to access broadbandspeeds and band widths to rivalthe best in the country. North Dorset MP Bob Walter gavethe project his unreserved sup-

port, as did many potential busi-ness and residential users. Adetailed survey is now being con-ducted on the DT11 website atwww.dt11forum.org.ukA second innovative use of theTrailway has been identified by agroup which last month applied tothe Sowing Seeds regenerationfund, which has already supportedthe broadband bid, for fundingtowards a woodland managementplan for two key sites betweenSturminster Marshall andSpetisbury and aroundShillingstone and Hammoon.Trailway Wood Fuels want to pro-duce a firewood product by cop-picing the woodlands lying along-side the Trailway.A second survey is being carriedout into the potential economicimpact of the development of thetrailway on retail, tourist and otherbusiness activity in the area.Sowing Seeds has also receivedan application from the NorthDorset Railway Trust/ShillingstoneRailway Project for fundingtowards the Shillingstone stationcommunity cafe where a kitchenbuilding and equipment are need-ed to service an old railway car-riage which is being refurbishedas a seating area.

New Mayor looks forward to an exciting year

Hot on the trailof broadband

it was without a town clerk orassistant town clerk, she said thecouncil would also be focusing ondrawing up a neighbourhood planand the restoration of the CornExchange. Councillor Bob Brannigan waselected her deputy and RichardRiddle will be her chief escort.Her mayoral charities will be theBlandford-based Dorset RuralMusic School, which this yearcelebrates its 65th anniversary,and the Blandford Parish Church

Cupola Project.Tribute was paid during the cere-mony to the town council's youthadviser from The BlandfordSchool, Felix Morris-Duffin, whoafter two years in the role isleaving to go on to university.Felix has been a conscientiousparticipant at town council meet-ings, contributing to manydebates, relaying town councilbusiness to the school parliamentand seeking his peers' views onissues under discussion.

Councillor Sara Loch, Blandford's new Mayor, and herdeputy, Councillor Bob Brannigan.

AN illegal worker has been removed from the UK and fourmore remain in detention following raids in Blandford.Seven illegal workers were found by the UK Border Agency inraids on three restaurants in the town.A 21-year-old man from Bangladesh who had stayed illegallyafter his student visa expired has been removed after he wasfound working at Simla, West Street. Three others, aged 25, 28and 38, remain in immigration detention along with a 33-year-old man arrested in a raid at Bay Leaf restaurant.A 30-year-old Bangladeshi man was arrested in a raid on SpiceIndia. He was later released to the UK Border Agency whilearrangements are made to remove him from the UK.Spice India and Simla restaurants could now face fines of up to£10,000 per illegal worker.

Restaurants raided

July 20124

History in the making

FORUM Focus has already fea-tured Jack Delaney of AngusClose, a pupil from theBlandford School, who will becarrying the torch through hishome town.Another Blandford woman, SallyPurnell, aged 46, of SalisburyStreet, the town's registrationofficer and a former Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal MilitaryPolice, who has served in Iraq,Kosovo and Bosnia, will becarrying the flame past theFovant Badges in Wiltshire.

THE torch will enter the DT11 areajust before 10.30am from FontmellMagna where one of the torchbear-ers will be Victoria Townsend, age49 of Marnhull.Victoria is the founder and chiefexecutive officer of Breathe On UK,a national charity supportingchildren in need of long-termventilation and their families.It will pass through Iwerne Minsterand on to Stourpaine just after11am.First stop after Blandford isWinterborne Whitechurch just afternoon where it will be carried byXavier Vrigneau, 18, of MiltonAbbas, a pupil at Millfield Schooland a modern pentathlon athlete. It will reach Milborne St Andrewaround 12.15pm before heading offto Puddletown and West Dorset.

THE flags fly and the buntingcontinues to flutter in anticipa-tion of the arrival in Blandford ofthe Olympic Torch relay onThursday 12th July.Excitement is mounting for whatcould be another once-in-a-life-time experience when the flamehits town just after 11am, onlyweeks after the DiamondJubilee.Cleanup Blandford has askedgroups to help with a tidy-up intown the night before, andtraders have been asked toensure their forecourts areclear.And the Blandford Torch Group,headed by the Rev Tim Storey,is inviting everyone to enjoy thishistoric occasion.Schools and pre-schools aregearing up for the day and toensure the safety of such largenumbers of children and oldermembers of the community,schools, pre-schools and resi-dential homes have been allo-cated a location along theroute. The town council has issued aNews Update containing furtherinformation for delivery to allresidents, but not all locationsare included, so check the web-site for up to date information atwww.blandford-tc.co.uk/torch.html.People are invited to 'fill in'spaces along the pavementsnext to these groups andorganisations, and are remind-ed to bring a drink and suncream in case of hot weather. East Street and the MarketPlace will be closed to traffic,but other roads will be closedby a 'rolling roadblock' as the

BLANDFORD PREPARES FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH

Torch Relay nears, and thenopened again afterwards. People are advised to be mind-ful of vehicles when waiting toview the torch and again onceit has passed by, and to beaware that car parking will be

very limited on the day.After the torch has left, all areinvited to refreshments, musicand games in the CornExchange and a 'rolling' musicconcert in Blandford ParishChurch.

Blazing a trailto the town

The bearers of the flameAlso carrying the torch, butthrough Poole, will be ScottNorman, 66, of Stourpaine,chairman of the DT11 ForumPartnership, who since retiring toDorset has become involved withthe local community on manylevels. He is chair of StourpaineParish Council, North DorsetCAB and CPEND, the communi-ty partnership for North Dorset,is involved in various initiativesand has raised money for anumber of charities by running infour London Marathons.Also running through Blandfordis Barbara Frampton, 67, ofTarrant Monkton. A member ofGundry Patchers, who raisemoney for local charities throughquilting, she has run 11marathons to raise hundreds ofpound for leukaemia sufferersand helps run a Riding for theDisabled group.

Paddy Coker, 20, of Durweston,whose brother Danny died of arare cell cancer last year, willcarry the torch through LymeRegis later on 12th July to high-light the work of the TeenageCancer Trust which supportedhim and his family. He was nomi-nated by his sister, who said:"Paddy has been an absoluterock for all Danny's friends andour family. He is an absoluteinspiration."Julia Mardo, 27, a neuro-phys-iotherapist from the Blandfordarea, will be carrying the flamethrough Bournemouth on Friday13th July. She has workedacross Dorset, from Weymouthto Bournemouth and made amassive difference to familiesacross the county. She specialis-es in helping the victims ofstrokes recuperate and return totheir homes and everyday lives.

MILTON Abbey Choral Society, directed by David McKee, pre-sented The Last Night of the Proms, a Diamond Jubileecelebration concert, at Milton Abbey on Sunday June 24th.Guests were invited to bring their own picnic for the interval,when wine and soft drinks were available to purchase.

Proms night in Milton Abbey

July 2012 5

Galleries hub of town’s artists’ quarter

Academy honour for photographer

A REAL 'artists' quarter' has developed inSalisbury Street, Blandford, where theIncident Room is now in its second year,and Annabelle Valentine's new ValentineGallery was opened the week before thestart of Dorset Art Weeks.Across the road, the Hambledon Gallerycelebrated its half-century in business witha special exhibition, to coincide with theDAW opening of studios, by artists whohave supported the gallery over the years.When Wendy Suffield took over theformer art gallery at 40-44 SalisburyStreet, founded by Annabel York in 1962,she transformed it into an 'original lifestyleshop' and introduced brands includingLiberty, Collier Campbell, Laura Ashleyand Le Creuset.

It was one of the first places outsideLondon to stock brands such as MargaretHowell, Ally Cappelino and Nicole Farhi,and continues to sell mainstream andboutique names, as well as local brands.Mrs Suffield said: "We try to adapt topeople's changing lifestyles but also toanticipate trends. Constantly finding newproducts and brands for our loyalcustomers is the most exciting part of run-ning the shop."She and husband Mike have now beenjoined by daughter Charlotte Bentley, whocombines managing the shop with carefor a flock of 150 sheep, daughter Sandywho looks after graphic design, andeldest daughter Victoria who runs asecond shop in Winchester.

Wendy Suffield with Jamie Hobson, guestspeaker at the Hambledon Gallery's private viewof its 50th anniversary exhibition. Jamie is prin-cipal of London College of Communication atthe University of the Arts London and remem-bers the gallery from visiting from the age of 11.

A LOCAL photographer is cele-brating the acceptance of one ofhis works into the SummerExhibition of the Royal Academyof Arts, the world's largest opensubmission contemporary artshow, open until 12th August atBurlington House in Piccadilly,London.Nigel Lord's 'City Break' is ashot of a demolition site inBirmingham which he spottedwhile accompanying his wifewhen she attended a nursingconference in Birmingham.It shows a crane menacinglyapproaching a part-demolishedmulti-storey building, whosefloors, associated wiring andpipeworks are exposed to theelements, looking like the

entrails of an animal torn topieces by a predator."I realised the crane looked likesome sort of prehistoricmonster, but I was lucky tocatch the right angle," said MrLord, joint owner of TheIncident Room in SalisburyStreet, Blandford."It was one of two pictures Ientered for the RA exhibitionand was not only accepted, butalso won a British InstitutionAward and a cheque for £500."Describing himself as a post-modernist, he said his photo-graphs focused primarily onindustrial subjects and on"things that people walk pastevery day but don't really see".His other entry to the RA exhibi-tion was of a wall built fromblocks created from crushedmetal from a scrapyard.Street photography, catchingpeople unaware they are beingphotographed in juxtapositionswhich demonstrate somethingof the nature of modern life, isfeatured in his recentlypublished limited edition book'The Time of Their Lives'. "I want to be judged on thequality of ideas behind my work,rather than the quality of thephotography," he said.He has won a number ofawards locally and last yearsent pictures to a gallery in NewYork which immediately invitedhim over and offered to repre-sent him and organise anexhibition which was due toopen last October.But just days before, Mr Lordsuffered a brain haemorrhagewhich resulted in his being

hospitalised and out of actionfor around two months. Theexhibition is now being resched-uled.Mr Lord, 58, a former magazineeditor and freelance writer, livesin Briantspuddle with his wifeStephanie and has two adult

daughters. His Blandford gallery,initially set up by himself and hisbusiness partner Sarah Bunnellto promote their own work andsell that of other artists on com-mission, now offers hire spacewhere other artists can displayand market their work.

Nigel Lord

July 20126

THE BLANDFORD AREA CELEBRATES

Above: Residents of Orchard Street and Dorset Street, Blandford, celebrate the Jubilee at their annual Big Lunch. Above (right):Xandra Cotton with eight-year-old Molly Cotton and Paula Radburn in their decorated hats with the ‘Queen’ at Child Okeford.

County councillor Hilary Cox plants the final tree in anavenue of hawthorns in The Cliff, Bryanston, watched byparish councillors Carol Tompsett, Jane Gregory, organ-iser of the village's Jubilee picnic, and chairman DocAddison, with Byron Harris and Sandie Watkins, treeofficers from NDDC.

BLANDFORD’S new Mayor, Sara Loch, haspenned her personal tribute to the organisersof the Jubilee events in Blandford.She writes: "I would like to thank everyonewho made the Jubilee weekend so special inBlandford. Nothing that enjoyable happenswithout a lot of very hard work. So many peo-ple were involved in the arrangements and Iapologise to any I miss out."The Jubilee Group headed by Esme Butlerwas responsible for organising a packedseries of events and producing the pro-gramme for the year. “Harold Galpin and a team of stalwarts put up

the Union flags and bunting through the cen-tre of town which made it look so festive. Andthe Cleanup Blandford team ensured that theMarsh and Ham was litter-free both beforeand after the Riverside Party, attended by atleast 1,500 people, at which the performersbraved what could have been a very wet dayto put on a really good show. The BeaconLighting at Larksmead attended by over 500was also organised by the Jubilee Group. “Thanks also to the two Rotary groups andScouts who put on the Jubilee Festival toraise £3,000, the Parish Church for theJubilee civic service with contributions from all

the schools and the Blandford Choral Society. "And thanks to the town's tradespeople andshopkeepers, the vast majority of whom madethe effort to dress their windows, and to all thepeople of Blandford who made the holidaycelebrations so much fun. "My personal highlight was Sunday'sBlandford Flotilla - even if my boat came last!"Blandford's Diamond Jubilee Queen ValCowley of the Deer Park Riding Stables alsoexpressed her thanks to the judges forbestowing the honour upon her. "I have had awonderful time. I felt very proud to be part ofall the festivities," she said.

Below: Blandford’sDiamond Jubilee QueenVal Cowley. Right: all thefun of the Jubilee.

July 2012 7

FOLLOWING the decision byDorset County Hospital to reducethe number of services they pro-vide at Blandford CommunityHospital, the Friends of the hospi-tal and its action group havebeen pursuing alternative planswith health chiefs.Spokesman Doc Addison said: "Inthe event the proposed cuts havebeen reduced to just a few mar-ginal service changes.“Discussions have taken placewith providers in other hospitalswho may well be able to supportnew services providing the hospi-tal with additional opportunitiesfor the provision of care."The design team has beentasked to consider a day treat-ment centre in what was PortmanWard. This would provide special-ist treatment adjacent to the the-atre. The day room would alsocome back into use."The family accommodationestablished to support PortmanWard would move in order tomake best use of availablespace. "The protection of existing servic-

es and the provision of new serv-ices have been achieved onlythrough mobilisation of vociferouslocal support via public meetings,and hard work by hospital man-agement and GPs and the actiongroup which demonstrates themodern need to fight for the pro-tection of public services."A working group established byBlandford Forum Town Councilhas written to John Morton, direc-tor of joint commissioning andpartnerships, NHS Dorset, askingfor more detailed information onthe number of patients affectedby withdrawal of services. It is also looking into the costs ofproviding a bespoke transportservice to Dorchester, as well asseeking to persuade existing buscompanies to run their routesthrough to the hospital inWeymouth Avenue, Dorchester.But Mr Addison said the Friends'own car transport service nowhad a total of 82 volunteers pre-pared to provide transport to andfrom hospital appointments inDorchester and elsewhere in thesouth.

Hospital cuts:the way forward

THE QUEEN’S DIAMOND JUBILEE

More than 1,000people witnessed the light-ing of North Dorset'sJubilee Beacon on OkefordHill where Councillor AngusCampbell, leader of DorsetCounty Council and mem-ber for Hambledon, lit theflame. The DorsetCountryside Rangers pre-pared the site on fieldsmade available by the Alnerfamily.Cllr Mike Oliver, Chairmanof North Dorset DistrictCouncil, was unable toattend as he was travellingto London as a representa-tive of the RegimentalAssociation of The RoyalScots Dragoon Guards atthe National Service ofThanksgiving at St Paul'sCathedral next day.Of the St Paul's service hesaid: “This has to stand outabove all other church serv-ices I have attended; truly acelebration of the 60 yearson the throne of our much-loved Queen and herundoubted service of duty

to our nation."

Durweston: A

free concert in the vil-

lage hall with the

Durweston Singers and

Friends, including

pianists Sue Craxton

and Elaine Korman,

kicked off the village

celebrations, with an

opportunity for audience

participation and flag

waving and a chance to

hear some beautiful

British music and inter-

esting readings, and a

retiring collection for

local children's hospice

Julia's House.

On the Monday there

was a chance to watch

the Jubilee concert on

the big screen at the vil-

lage hall, and on

Tuesday a procession

from Water Lane led to

a jubilee party in the vil-

lage hall.

Pimperne: A com-

memorative tree was

planted by parish coun-

cil chairman Michael

Oliver before the entire

village sat down to a

Jubilee tea in the car

park of the village hall,

with entertainment pro-

vided by the children of

Pimperne Primary

School.

Winterborne

Zelston: Following a

weekend of successful

celebrations to mark the

Jubilee and before the

grand finale of Zelston's

lighting of the beacon, a

barbecue party was

held for every resident

on the village green,

culminating in the cut-

ting of the royal cake,

made by Rita Burden

and iced by Sarah

Edwards. As a mark of

respect the iced marzi-

pan Queen was

removed with her throne

and auctioned, raising a

majestic £35 donation

for Cancer Research

UK, Sarah's favourite

charity.

Child Okeford:

All villagers were invited

to The Cross for a village

photograph in celebration

of the Jubilee.

The photo-shoot was fol-

lowed by a procession to

the recreation ground for

games and other activi-

ties, and the Deputy Lord

Lieutenant James

Gibson-Fleming from

neighbouring Shroton

unveiled the plaque

recording the naming of

the field, celebrating its

own diamond jubilee

year, as a Queen's

Diamond Jubilee Playing

Field, the first to be so

named in the country.

Pupils of The JanetKnight School ofDancing end their per-formance at theBlandford RiversideParty.

July 20128

WITH the abolition of the default retirementage of 65, more and more employees appearto be facing performance appraisals by theiremployers. Depending upon the nature of the employer'sbusiness, the removal of the default retire-ment age could have an impact on that busi-ness.The current situation is that the courts haveconfirmed it may be possible for employers tojustify a compulsory retirement age policyproviding such a policy provides opportunitiesfor other employees to be promoted,enhances workforce planning and where thishelps a congenial and supportive culture with-in the business.At the present time the general consensus isthat it may be difficult for an employer to justifya retirement age of 65 but this is a matterwhich is still under consideration by the courts.This is a complex and ever-changing area ofthe law and it is recommended that you seeklegal advice if you are an employer that hasnot recently reviewed your policy on retire-ment age, or if you are an employee that hasbeen forced to retire. Contact Alan Horne on01258 488215 or alan.horne@blanchardsbai-ley.co.uk for an initial discussion.

Retirementissue is notclear-cut

DURWESTON Primary School's May Fair raised a record £1,700 when every class ran itsown stall and the barbecue was a real hit, as was the traditional maypole dance when a towncrier introduced the May Queen, her attendants and crown bearer.Attractions included fair trade, handmade sweets and sunflower stalls, a ‘name the chicken’competition and a parent and pupil fun run.

BLANDFORD may not yet have a dedicated arts centre or venue for stage productions andfilms, but nearby villages do in their village halls, where hiring organisations provide a qualityselection of touring productions, films and entertainment.One is the performance by the highly acclaimed six-piece ensemble She Koyokh, who presentsongs, folk tunes and wedding dances from practically every Eastern European country youcan think of, raising the roof wherever they play. They were brought to Durweston Village Hallon Thursday 28th June by Artsreach.

A 'PRECIOUS Metals and Jewels' theme linked the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with theOlympics in a Flower and Art Festival held in Blandford United Reformed Church and hall overthe weekend of 22nd to 24th June.The festival display, created by members of more than a dozen groups meeting at the hall,including its two art groups, also offered lunches on Saturday and cream teas on Sunday.

THE annual electoral canvass forms started arriving at properties across North Dorset during theweek commencing 11th June. The canvass is the opportunity for everyone to ensure they will beable to vote in elections and referenda.Information is being sought earlier than usual this year because of the Police and CrimeCommissioner Election scheduled for 15th November. Details can be confirmed by internet or thefreephone line as directed on the form, but amendments must be returned in the prepaid envelopesupplied, as soon as possible after receipt of the form.

NEWS in BRIEF

Early delivery of electoral canvass forms

Raising the roof at Durweston

Flowers and art combine at church festival

Primary school fair nets record profit

July 2012 9

MUDDY PUDDLES DORSETis a service for owners of petswho need help in caring forthem when they are out at work,away on holiday or otherwiseengaged - or even gettingmarried!

It was started nine months agoby Tracy Franklin when she wasmade redundant from her eventmarketing post and hasflourished to become a finalist ina Dorset businesswoman awardscheme.

Its aim is to help the owners ofdogs, cats, horses and other petsachieve a work/life balance byoffering a dog walking, catsitting and house and small-holding minding service,including pet chaperoning atweddings.

The business has seen a recentsurge in bookings, particularlyfor the lunchtime walks request-ed by dog owners.

"Many are reluctant to pay thepremium that comes with it,"said Tracy. "So we are offering acompromise, an 11.30am hour-long walk ensuring that dogs

are out walking at midday at noextra cost, but in time to meetour lunchtime clients' needs."

Tracy adds: "I love runningMuddy Puddles Dorset. It's ahuge responsibility having solecharge of other people's petsand exhausting and relentlessbut so rewarding and I love allthe animals in my care."

The business has raised over£200 for the Margaret GreenAnimal Rescue and Rushton

Dog Rescue, and worked withexpert canine communicatorPam Shaw to bring a talk, 'Doyou speak dog', to Blandford.

For more information visitwww.muddypuddlesdorset.com,email muddypuddlesdorset@hot-mail.co.uk or phone Tracy on07886 322655.

* Finalist - Langtry ManorBusiness Woman Awards 2012,New Business of the YearAward.

Tracy’s pet venture pays off

Tracy Franklin with some of her charges at Muddy Puddles Dorset.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

FOCUS on women in business

Hats off to a winning idea

being supported during the event,if she or a colleague wouldaccept the award on her behalf,and Natasha had insisted sheprepare something to be said.

"I was glad I did because I want-ed the FSB, who sponsored theevent, to know what it meant forme to win. I strive to provide thesame service to the higheststandards that customers expectregardless of the size of the com-pany and it was wonderful tohave this recognised by industryexperts."But she still gives much of thecredit to the hats she makes."They really are central to thesuccess of the business - veryeye-catching, and a cute photo ofa newborn in one of my creationsis the best advert I can hope tohave. Who can resist when theylook as cute as this on a tinybaby?"The CobWebs Company, whichalso includes CobWebKids, wasconceived in 2008 and is a smallfamily business making qualitydesigner handcrafted hats and topsfor children, as well as tea cosies.

BLANDFORD-basedCobWebKnits has been judgedBest Small Business at theWomen in Business Awards, heldat the Langtry Manor Hotel. Creative director Su Cowell,unable to attend the awards, wasthrilled to learn via Twitter of hersuccess in the category when theenvelope was finally opened andthe results revealed in trueHollywood style.She said: "The awards weretweeting through the night withphotos and the results, so it wasthe only way I could find outabout whether we'd won. Eventhen I couldn't be sure and had toget in touch with my friend andfellow finalist Tracy Franklin, alsofrom Blandford, to confirm it!"Su, who was also a finalist forBest Home-Based Business andlast year's winner in the Best PRInitiative category, had just incase asked Natasha Jones,founder of LEAF, the charity

Su Cowell, creative directorof CobWebKnits, judgedBest Small Business in theDorset Women in BusinessAwards.

FIVE local Zumba instructors -Caroline Barr, Clare Davis, TracyDyche, Kim Grimston and DawnWatton - are joining forces topresent a Zumba Fitness Partyat the Corn Exchange,Blandford, on Friday 6th Julyfrom 7.30pm to 9pm.Zumba is the dance fitnesscraze that sets easy-to-followchoreography to a blend of Latinand world rhythms. The party night is to raise fundsfor the Teddy20 appeal that sup-ports children with cancer.Tickets are £10 and are availablefrom any of the instructors or byemail at CBarr1204@aol.com.No prior Zumba experience isnecessary but suitable footwear(lightweight trainers) will beneeded.

July 201210

FOCUS on schoolsHeadteacherSally Wilsonand youngambassadorsfrom TheBlandfordSchool with theflag erected tocommemoratethe Queen'sDiamondJubilee andLondonOlympics 2012.

A FLAG discovered by head-teacher Sally Wilson on herfirst day at the BlandfordSchool was finally hoisted,after a nine-year wait, on theflagpole erected to commem-orate the Queen's DiamondJubilee and the LondonOlympics 2012. Mrs Wilson had wanted towait for the £12 millionschool building project to becomplete before positioningthe flagpole near the newschool entrance. Governors, staff and mem-bers of the school parliamentwatched as young ambassa-dors, Emily Sym and GregHart, hoisted the flag. Mrs Wilson said: "I have longfelt that it is important for thewider school community tohave a special place inschool where anyone andeveryone can gather to cele-brate and commemorate."She said the flag will be low-ered at appropriate times inmemory of others.

Flag findsits placeof honour

CHILDREN at Archbishop Wake primary schoolmarked the Queen's Jubilee in style, working togetherto make Union Flag kites and then having fun flyingthem on the field. They also dressed up with the theme of royalty andhad a street party on the playground, complete withcrowns and tiaras.It was lovely to see so many members of the community at the SummerFair on Saturday 26th May, when the school could not have been luckierwith the weather.The day was a huge success with a fun dog show, fire engine visit, go-karts, bouncy castle, Kanga gym demonstration and their very ownSamba band. Headteacher Jo Hicks thanked all those who participatedor supported them on the day.The school is looking forward to its arts and sports weeks, end-of-yearperformance by Years 5 and 6 and many other events.

Kites salute Jubilee

Students join art festivalDEDICATED teachers from the art department at The BlandfordSchool, the only school that took part in Dorset Art Weeks, gave uptheir half-term for an exhibition held in the school's impressive Hub.It featured not only work from students and staff at the school andsome of the local primary schools but also quilts by Roy Dickinson andflower arrangements by Alison Finch. Mr Dickinson, who has won many awards for his quilts including firstprize in the Hoffman Challenge with use of very alternative fabrics,loaned some of his exquisitely constructed and designed quilts to theschool. The exhibition was put together to show the progression madethrough the different ages and varied art experiences that the studentsuse as their creative starting point.

MORE than 55 students auditioned to take part in this year's live finalof Blandford's Got Musical Talent at The Blandford School.Altogether 22 made it through to present an evening of outstandingperformances on all types of instruments and in all styles of music.The judges had a tough job to decide the winners but eventually head-teacher Sally Wilson announced the results, which saw Emily Lindleytake the beginners' prize, Jess Nipper the intermediate, and JosephEmpson the advanced.

Headteacher Sally Wilson with advanced winner JosephEmpson in Blandford's Got Musical Talent at TheBlandford School.

Talent shines through

July 2012 11

FOCUS on events

Jill Budd (right) shows visitors the apple tree in her DorsetStreet garden.

Gardens reveal their secrets

Silence proves golden

Variety at Larmer Tree

LIGHT rain which turned to heavy drizzle did not deter nearly 70 peo-ple from following the Blandford Hidden Gardens trail organised by theBlandford Stour Rotary Club.Around 20 gardens were open to the public for all or part of the day,the fifth annual garden opening held in support of nearly a dozen localcharities selected by the organisers and garden openers.Some residents opened their gardens for the first time but others wereold favourites, including the riverside garden of Stour House, theGeorgian-designed Eastway House and the 18th century walled gar-den of The Old Rectory.New delights included the tiny gravelled secluded garden of businesscouple Jill and Reg Budd in Dorset Street, featuring oak sculptures andeasy-care plants, and the mixed borders, fruit and vegetable plotsrecently created on soil of the old railway embankment for RachelBaynes, of Damory Court Street.

A SILENT auction was one of theattractions at Spetisbury villagefete and dog show on 23rd Junewhen there was also a competi-tion for the most regal dog.On Sunday 1st July there will bea mixed fun rounders' tourna-ment (a change of date from thatpreviously advertised) starting at11.15am on the CharltonMarshall QEII Jubilee PlayingField for players aged 10 andover. People can make up a

team of between six and 12, orsign up to be part of one, for £10per team or £1 per person, in aidof the Playing Field Project. Fordetails call 01258 452457.On Thursday 5th July, themonthly pub quiz starting at 8pmat the Woodpecker will be raisingfunds for the Dorset andSomerset Air Ambulance, withhalf the £2 entry cost going tothe cause and half to thewinners.

A FULL music and comedy line-up plus a family programme of activi-ties has been announced for the 2012 Larmer Tree Festival whichopens on Wednesday 11th July at Tollard Royal.Continuing its tradition of supporting local up-and-coming artists, thefestival also has some of the South Coast's hottest performers and aprogramme of shows, workshops and activities for all ages.Founder and co-director of Larmer Tree Festival James Shepard said:"We always work hard to achieve a great balance between well-known,popular artists and up-and-coming talent on the brink of stardom - thisyear is no exception. We've got a superb line-up."There's a YouthZone for 11-17 year olds, a kids' programme, and acarnival procession on Sunday afternoon.For more information on what's going on, line-up news and to booktickets visit www.larmertreefestival.co.uk and for the box office call 0238071 1820.

July 201212

FOCUS on services

Publicrecognitionfor St JohnvolunteersTHE annual enrolment ceremonyfor the Dorset St John Ambulancecadets and badgers took placefor the first time in 12 years inBlandford Parish Church.The lively and thought-provokingservice, which underlined in videostories and contemporary songsthe history and principles of faithand service of the Order of StJohn, was conducted by the RevTim Storey, Rector of the parishchurch of St Peter and St Paul.The enrolment and promiseceremony was led by St JohnEnrolling Officer andCommander, Stephen Frost.Mr Storey also blessed anddedicated the new Dorset Badgerflag.Nearly 20 cadets and more than20 Badgers from across thecounty were enrolled, and

Gareth Coy, a member of theBlandford division since he wassix years old, was presentedwith a braided lanyard in recog-nition of his long service, as abadger, cadet and now as ahelper.Six young cadets (under-18s)from the Blandford division alsorecently took part in the DorsetSt John Ambulance first aidcompetition held at Poole, wherethey had to work in pairs. EmmaJones of Stourton Caundle andKatie McClinton of Blandford

were judged best partnered sce-nario. They dealt with everyday first aidincluding a woman who becameunconscious due to a head injuryand another suffering from angi-na, assessing the casualties,applying first aid and calling anambulance, and were marked ontheir calmness, knowledge andreassurance of the casualty.The second part of the competi-tion saw the cadets workingseparately and dealing with oneof two casualties. A woman

having a heart attack involveduse of CPR and then a defibrilla-tor, used on the resuscitationdummy not the actress, formarking again on reassurance ofcasualty and on DRABC -dangers, response, airways,breathing and circulation.The second incident involved awoman cutting herself using agardening tool, involving assess-ment, calling the ambulance,treating the wound with bandagesand sling and filling out a patientreport form.

Cup winners Emma Jonesand Katie McClinton at theSt John Ambulance CadetsFirst Aid competition.Right: the colour party withsenior officers in BlandfordParish Church.

Gill reaches out for volunteersGILL Muhl (left) is the new NorthDorset Outreach worker for theDorset Volunteer Centre,succeeding Dianne Cooper whohas retired after six years.Her main role is to promote volun-teering across the region bymatching up individuals who arewilling to give some time to volun-teering with the many and variedroles that are available with thevast number of charities andorganisations who rely so much onvolunteers to support their work.

She said: "I have had a veryenjoyable start to my new jobgoing out and about with Diannetouring wonderful North Dorset,meeting lots of people and get-ting to know the various organi-sations and projects that we aimto support. "Volunteering should be interest-ing, fun and enjoyable. Therecan be many reasons for wantingto volunteer - a way of meetingnew friends, a good opportunityto develop valuable work skills, away of getting to know the localarea, a reason to get out of thehouse and give something backto the community, to provide asense of achievement and manymore. "I am proof positive that volun-teering can be a way back intoemployment. I was a volunteerin the DVC office in Dorchesterfor eight months before this rolebecame available and my appli-cation was successful."To find out more about volunteer-ing opportunities in and aroundNorth Dorset, go and meet Gill atany of her drop-in sessions,contact her by phone on07918639011 or email to

g.muhl@volunteeringdorset.org.ukDrop-in sessions in Blandford areat the DT11 Forum Office, 5Nightingale Court, on Thursdaysbetween 2 and 4pm. CRB checkscan be done by drop-in or specialappointment, and further informa-tion can be found onwww.volunteeringdorset.org.ukor on www.do-it.org.uk.

TICKETS are now onsale at BlandfordInformation Centre inWest Street for theGillingham andShaftesbury Show onWednesday 15thAugust, for the GreatDorset Steam Fair fromWednesday 29th Augustto Sunday 2ndSeptember, and for theDorset County Show inDorchester on Saturdayand Sunday, 1st and 2ndof September.

Tickety-boo

July 2012 13

FOCUS on services

Trolley team’s fond farewell to Ann VOLUNTEERS with the WRVStrolley service at BlandfordCommunity Hospital gathered inthe Blandford Parish Centre towish a happy retirement to theirmanager for the past 28 years,Ann Trathen, of Milborne StAndrew, now aged 80, firstoffered her services when sheretired from her role as deputyhead teacher at Charminster vil-lage school near Dorchester.Now she is retiring again andrelocating to Culliford Road inDorchester, she has no intentionof giving up her volunteeringwork and will become a stewardfor the National Trust at nearbyMax Gate, former home ofThomas Hardy.About a dozen fellow WRVS vol-unteers gathered to make a pres-entation to her and enjoy acream tea served up by MariaJacobson, WRVS co-ordinator forDorset.The popular trolley service, inwhich volunteers take newspa-pers and other items to bed-

ridden patients in the hospital,will continue without her, but isalways on the lookout for newrecruits. So is the Home Library Service,Books on Wheels, run by DorsetCounty Council, for those whocannot easily access a librarybecause of disability, illness orhome ties.It is also run by the WRVS,recently given an Investors inVolunteers award, to ensure thathousebound people of all agescan enjoy full access to the ben-efits of the public library service. Books are chosen with the tastesof the individual reader in mind,and can include books in largeprint and talking books on CD, aswell as titles available on audiocassette. If you, or anyone you know,would like to receive this service,enquire at your local library(Blandford: 01258 452075), calllibrary HQ on 01305 225000 oremaildorsetlibraries@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Trolley service manager Ann Trathen with fellow WRVSvolunteers at her retirement party.

Helpers Emma Godfrey (centre) and Marcia Miles (right) ofthe older persons mental health team, at the cream teadance for carers and clients, with (from the left): JohnPalin, Ross Godfrey and David Miles; and (standing)administrator Barbara Coe, left, and Doreen Prill of'Singing for the Brain'.

CARERS and clients of the elderly community mental health team,based at Blandford Community Hospital, gathered in the Sealy Suite ofthe Crown Hotel for a cream tea dance.The event was organised by the team, with funding from theDurweston Bluebell Ride held earlier this year, which has previouslyfunded the Singing for the Brain classes organised by the Alzheimer'sSociety.Music was provided by the Swing Unlimited Big Band, and on sale insupport of the Alzheimer's Society were copies of The RosemaryProject, a booklet compiled by community nurses in Shaftesbury con-taining case studies involving elderly mental health care.

Tea and sweet music

It’s all systems goat the town libraryBLANDFORD Library last monthlaunched the county-wide 2012Summer Reading Challenge at aspecial event with games andactivities, which also celebratedthe Blandford LibraryChatterbooks' first year.Chatterbooks sessions are part ofa national initiative that inviteschildren to join reading groups inschools and libraries where theyhave the opportunity to take partin lots of reading, creative writingand art and craft activities foranyone between the ages ofseven and 11.The library also hosts a rhymetime session every week -Tuesday afternoons 2pm to2.30pm - described as 'Bounceand rhyme sessions, fun for

babies, toddlers and their parentsor carers. Loads of noisy fun andinstruments to shake and rattle’.They also have toddler timesevery week on Friday mornings,10am to 10.30am, an interactivesession combining storytellingand rhymes to introduce toddlersto the fun and enjoyment of sto-ries and songs.A free creative writing club, theBlandford Library CreativeWriters, is run once a month inthe library on a Tuesday eveningon a set title every month, andbelongs to the Dorset Writers’Network. Anyone wanting to find out moreshould emailE.R.Bevin@dorsetcc.gov.uk orcall the library on 01258 452075.

July 201214

FOCUS on clubs

BLANDFORD Forum Camera Club staged its annual exhibition in theCorn Exchange when winning entries in club and open competitionswere on show, together with a vast display of exhibits.The prizegiving took place on the Sunday afternoon, when top awardswere presented by judge Andrew Wilson (pictured left), in the presenceof Blandford's deputy mayor Bob Brannigan and club chairman NormanCarey, (pictured centre), to (from left) Colin Cross, Leo Rich, MalcolmBowditch, Geoff Burns, Norman Wiles and Graham Hutton.Mr Wilson said it was the third exhibition he had judged this season andcomplimented the Blandford club on what he described as "the mostbeautifully laid out and easy-to-look-at I have seen." He said the veryhigh standard of their display clearly attracted non-members to exhibit.Mr Brannigan, as a former regimental photographer in the services, saidhe was delighted to see the work of those whose photography was artand produced a sense of 'wow' and 'awe' rather than simply recordingevents.

Praise for photo finish

The civicwatchdogs

Guild workgoes onBLANDFORD Forum'sTownswomen's Guild's 30-strong,25-year-old group meets on thefourth Wednesday of each monthin the United Reformed Church at2.15pm.The TG's proud history stretchesback 147 years to when womencampaigned for the vote. Thiswas achieved in 1928 and theorganisation's commitment toequality goes on.The issues they address at anational level affect men andwomen. Recent campaigns havebeen against the withdrawal ofcheques and 'Hear my Voice', thetreatment of the elderly in hospital.Speakers feature regularly,together with skittles, fun bowls,arts and crafts, lunch clubs,quizzes and outings.In June the speaker was JennyClarke on 'Training dogs to helpdisabled people' and in July JanPalmer will give a talk on flowerarranging, which will be followedby a cream tea. New members arealways welcome to come along.

BLANDFORD and District CivicSociety held its annual generalmeeting in the United ReformedChurch Hall when chairman PeterWarrington was re-elected togetherwith a 12-strong committee.Reports were given on societyactivities, including its response toplanning applications in the areaand its continuing programme ofaffixing plaques and street signs tobuildings of note, walkways andyards in the town.Guest speaker was Tony Ward ofthe Shillingstone Station Project,who described progress in therestoration of the station on theformer Somerset & Dorset Railwaysince a community celebration atthe station in the 1980s sparked offthe concept of bringing it back to itsformer glory.In June, a group of members visitedSilk Hay, the restored home ofauthor Hilary Townsend in Stalbridge,and the Society's next event will beone of its series of guided heritagewalks on Wednesday 18th July. Fordetails call 01258 453550.

A MASSIVE fundraising drive inmemory of young Blandfordsportsman rose to new heightsat the Corn Exchange inBlandford over the weekend of23rd and 24th June.At the end of May, BlandfordCricket Club held its Teddy20fun day on the Park Road crick-et ground, when cricket wasplayed and a variety of activitiesraised money for CLIC Sargent.Teddy20 started in support of10-year-old Ted Newton whenhe was suffering from a rarebone cancer, and has continuedsince his death in June 2010,this year with a sponsored walkand additional events at theGreyhound in Blandford.Teddy Rocks was a music festi-val whose purpose was also toraise money to help childrenwith cancer, and featured 30live hard rock bands and 10acoustic artists ranging from

heavy metal to Ska music with22 hours of live music over twodays. Tom Newton, of Westbury Way,Blandford, said: "I lost my broth-er to a rare bone cancer calledEwings sarcoma. Since then myfamily have been raising moneyfor children's cancer, using ourown personal experience asmuch as we can to help otherfamilies going through treat-ments."The money we raise will begoing to the places that peopleforget need help - things suchas new toys for the toy cup-boards on the wards, new linenfor the CLIC House inSouthampton, new TVs for theparent rooms in smaller hospi-tals and special trips for childrenundergoing treatment. "A percentage will also be givento research."

Teddy20 charity rocksfor a good cause

July 2012 15

FOCUS on clubs

Lions who take a pride in helping othersBLANDFORD Lions, who celebrate their 40thanniversary this year, will be holding adiabetes testing day in conjunction with one ofthe town's surgeries at the Crown Hotel onSaturday 7th July.They will be in the Oak Room between 10amand 1pm with a doctor on site and will also beraising awareness of eye disease. Anyonewishing to be tested will require a consentform to be completed. There will also be freetea and coffee. It is one of a number of services provided bythe group, which currently has only 13members and a number of young Leos at TheBlandford School, but has helped numerous

groups and individuals over the past year.Last month they took a group of disabledchildren to Paultons Park, and donationshave included £90 for an oven from DorsetReclaim enabling a young local man to gointo independent accommodation, £190 forhotel accommodation for a local couplewhose daughter has a rare genetic conditionto attend a seminar in Northampton, and£150 for a vacuum cleaner and chest ofdrawers for a man in Milborne St Andrew suf-fering from epilepsy who became estrangedfrom his family.The Lions have also given a total of nearly£1,000 from fundraising events to Life

Education Wessex for health and drug pre-vention education in primary schools, toJulia's House children's hospice, to Childrenin Need, to Blandford-based youth adviceorganisation Treads, to The Cleft Lip andPalate Association (CAPA), and to a voluntarycommunity transport scheme helping peopleget to medical appointments in Milton Abbasand neighbouring villages.They also provide free issues of 'Message ina Bottle' to vulnerable people in their homes.To make a regular standing order donation totheir work, visit www. lions.org.uk, or join themby calling 0845 833 2742 or emailinggoodenough611@btinternet.com

Town twinnerswelcome theirEuro visitorsVISITORS from Blandford's twintowns in France and Germanycame to town to celebrate a totalof more than 75 years' twinning.People from Mortain in Normandystayed with members of theBlandford Mortain TwinningSociety, and over the same Mayweekend those from Preetz inGermany were the guests ofmembers of the PreetzFriendship Society.The Preetz party were celebrat-ing the 50th anniversary of thefirst exchanges between pupilsfrom the two towns' respectivesenior schools, and the 30th ofthe formal twinning.They enjoyed trips to Bath,Swanage and Durlston, as wellas a visit to the Old House in The

Close, home of then-deputymayor of Blandford Sara Loch,ending their stay with a 50thanniversary dinner at AshleyWood Golf Club on the eveningbefore departing. The visitors from Mortain, whocelebrated the 25th anniversaryof their twinning with Blandfordlast year, brought with them eightyoungsters. They also took a tripto Bath and enjoyed a lunchtimegathering at the BlandfordMuseum and Victorian Garden.Before returning to France, withold friendships renewed and newones forged, they enjoyed abuffet evening at The BlandfordSchool 'Hub' with entertainmentfrom Nick Crump and the StourValley Band, which is hoping to

visit Mortain and give two con-certs there next year. At a civic reception in the CornExchange for both groups, giftswere exchanged and speechesmade and translated into all threelanguages highlighting the cultur-al and educational benefits of

town twinning.Blandford Mayor Esme Butlerpresented Royal Diamond Jubileecommemorative plates to repre-sentatives of both parties, and agold-trimmed decanter and glass-es to Preetz town presidentRenate Mueller-Loennies.

Town twinning and civic leaders from Blandford, Preetz andMortain at the civic reception in Blandford Corn Exchange.Pictured (from left): Michel Desfoux, Mayor of Mortain; SteveHitchings, Blandford/Mortain Twinning chairman; Renate Mueller-Loennies, town president of Preetz; Janiq Guillo, former chairmanMortain/Blandford jumelage; Esme Butler, Mayor of Blandford;Francoise le Tondu, chairman Mortain/Blandford jumelage; IngridKurster, Preetz/Blandford twinning chairman; and PeterWarrington, Blandford/Preetz Friendship Society chairman.

July 201216

JULYPimperne mother and toddler groupmeets every Wednesday, term time9.15 to 11.15, Pimperne village hall,contact 01258 452185Sunday 1st July: Royal Corps ofSignals Freedom Parade, Blandfordtown centre, 3pmSunday 1st July: Mixed fun roundersmatch, 11.15am to approx. 2.30pm,Charlton Marshall QEII JubileePlaying Field, £10 per team or £1 perperson, proceeds to the playing fieldproject. Contact: Jean on 01258452457 or email jeanvesey@hot-mail.co.ukSunday 1st July: Stourpaine villagefete on the playing fields, BBQ andBar, Classic Vehicle Rally, free activi-ties for children, tug of war andmore.12pm to 4pmWednesday 4th July: Friends ofBlandford Hospital AGM, at the hospi-tal, 6.30pmWednesday 4th July: Blandford ArtSociety present a demonstration ofinnovative Atelier Interactive Acrylics,Blandford Parish Centre 7pm. Price £3Thursday 5th July: monthly pub quizfor Dorset & Somerset AirAmbulance, Woodpecker, Spetisbury,8pmFriday 6th July: Charity golf tourna-ment, Ashley Wood Golf ClubFriday 6th July: Film Night, Hugo,Durweston village hall, 7.30pm

Friday 6th July:Zumba Fitness Party,Corn Exchange,Blandford 7 to 9.30pmIn aid of Teddy20 (sup-porting children withcancer) Tel 01258452936 orCBarr1204@aol.comSaturday 7th July:Jumble sale for Marie Hardwick,Youth Aid, Anchor Gateway, SalisburyStreet, from 9amSaturday 7th July: Blandford Lionshost diabetes testing in conjunctionwith Whitecliff Surgery in the OakRoom, Crown Hotel, 10am to 1pm,Free Tea and CoffeeSaturday 7th July: HamworthySocial Club, Wimborne. A Concertgiven by the Wimborne Orchestra -proceeds to Dorset Rural MusicSchool. 7.30pm.Sunday 8th July: Steppin' OutAcademy of Performance Open Day11am - 4pm at Spetisbury School.11am Baby Ballet (3-5yrs), 11.45Primary Ballet (5-8 yrs),12.30Beginner's Tap (all ages), 13.15 Irish(all ages), 14.00 Modern (5-8 years,14.45 Street (all ages), 15.30ZUMBA! Details 07904 868514 orwww.steppinoutacademy.co.ukMonday 9th July: Consultation intopotential Blandford Food Bank, Unit2, Clump Farm Industrial Estate,Blandford, 7.30 to 9pm. Contact

Faithworks Wessex01202 304004 oremail office@faith-workswessex.org.ukfor detailsTuesday 10th July:Blandford MacularDegeneration Groupmeeting, UnitedReformed Church, 2pm

Tuesday 10th July: Consultation intoday care services, Corn Exchange,Blandford, 7 to 8.15pmWednesday 11th July: Lecture onlace, Blandford Fashion MuseumWednesday 11th July: U3A Olym-picnic Summer Party, DurwestonVillage Hall 12noon to 4.30pm Wednesday 11th to 15th July:Larmer Tree Festival, Tollard Royal,www.larmertreefestival.co.uk. Wednesday 11th July: Clean upBlandford evening session in prepara-tion for torch arrival, meet at Inform-ation Centre at Marsh & Ham, 7pmThursday 12th July: Olympic Torchtravels through DT11 area, FontmellMagna, Stourpaine, Blandford,Winterborne Whitechurch, Milborne StAndrew, 11am to 1pmSaturday 14th July: Pimperne vil-lage hall, quiz night, Teams of 6Saturday 14th July: Bowjanglespresent Bowlympics, The PortmanHall Shillingstone 7.30pmSaturday 14th July: 7.30pm

Summer Concert with the Wimborneand Ferndown Singers and local per-formers, Interval refreshments HolyTrinity Church, Stourpaine - donationsSunday 15th July: AmbassadorsSwing Band, Crown Hotel, 3pmWednesday 18th July: Civic Societyguided Perimeter walk Thursday 19th July: BlandfordArchaeology Group meet, MilldownSchoolSaturday 21st July: Cats ProtectionLeague sale, Woodhouse GardensPavilionSaturday 21st July and Sunday22nd July: Durweston Players pres-ent Coronation Fever, a play in twoacts by Vince JonesSunday 22nd July: Fun RoyalWalkabout, from King's Arms,Blandford, 3pmWednesday 25th July: BlandfordTownswomen's Guild meeting, UnitedReformed Church Hall, 2.15pmThursday 26th to Sunday 29thJuly: Dorset Opera Festival, CoadeHall, Bryanston. Il Trovatore, SuorAngelica and La Carosse du Saint-Sacrement, box office 01202 499199Friday 27th July: Opening ceremonyof London Olympic Games live on theBig Screen, Durweston village hallSunday 29th July: Olympic Gamessailing events open Weymouth &Portland

Entries in this diary arefree of charge. If youhave an event youwould like included,

please send details toNicci Brown, 01258

459346 or emails.n.b@btinternet.com

LOCAL business, James Of Blandford, in conjunction with proprietorPauline Murray and her grand-daughter, Elaine Murray, are seekingsponsorship to assist in taking gifts to orphanages in Arushia, Tanzania.Elaine, who is currently undertaking a degree in midwifery atBournemouth University, will be going with 'Work the World' in August.Students who participate in the scheme do so at their own expense soJames Of Blandford will be holding a raffle to raise funds with prizes,including a £50 voucher to use towards paper purchase and delivery.Tickets will be available from the shop at 12 The Plocks, Blandford.

A PUBLIC consultation will betaking place in the CornExchange on Tuesday 10th Julyinto Dorset County Council'splans for changes to servicesoffered at Blandford Day Centre.The consultation, starting at7pm, follows the decision by theCouncil Cabinet in December totake forward a PartnershipOption to develop and mod-ernise day and vocational servic-es. Those services have been work-ing with their local communitiesto find ways of making the nec-essary £600,000 savings county-wide and maximise opportunities

to increase income and developstrong and sustainable networks.The council also needs to meetshortfalls in vocational servicescaused by changes in nationalprovision for work programmes. Learning disability day servicesand vocational services are tobecome an integrated team,resulting in changes to the man-agement structure, but no cuts infrontline staff or services.The main proposal at Blandfordis to remove a Saturday servicefor up to five elderly people andfind an alternative service withinthe community or in their ownhome for the people affected.

A DOOR-to door campaign isbeing carried out by membersand supporters of the Deer ParkPreservation Group to collectsignatures on their petitionagainst potential development onthe land.The petition was launched at theGeorgian Fayre at the beginningof May and by the end of themonth the number of signaturesexceeded 2,750.It was hoped to complete thedoor-to-door canvas by the endof June, with a target of 5,000signatures which will be present-ed to North Dorset DistrictCouncil.John Cook, DPPG chairman, said:"It is marvellous to have the sup-port of all three major politicalparties and the active support ofBlandford NDDC councillors. Ifthere is anything in the localismbill, then Blandford clearly shoulddefeat the Crown Estate plan."The revised draft core strategyfor North Dorset, in which theDeer Park and Crown Meadowswere included as having potentialfor development of up to 200houses post 2016, is due to goout to public consultation laterthis year.

Raffle to aid charity role

Day centre servicesunder the spotlight

A QUILT designed and made bylocal seamstresses has been ondisplay all month in the windowof Set Fair 4 Trade in SalisburyStreet to raise funds for theparish church Cupola Project.Individual butterflies were puttogether by some local women,who attended the formerStitches group that met in theparish centre two years ago, to adesign inspired by JackiePoynter. They pooled their oddments offabrics, yarns, beads andsequins, and spent on averagetwo hours on each unique but-terfly.Stitches leader Jennie Rakeassembled the quilt, addingdividing sections, wadding anda backing, and then hand-quiltedeach square. The quilt, measuring about180cms by 150 cms, has beenon offer to the highest bidder bysealed bid to the shop.After display in the shop windowit will go into the parish centrefor a craft fair on 30th June andthe sealed bids will be openedon Monday 3rd July to reveal thewinner.

Deer Parkcampaign

Quilt cashfor cupola

Forum Focus - forthcoming meetings & events