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FOR LYME REGIS, UPLYME & CHARMOUTH ● FORTNIGHTLY ● MAY 29 2020 ● www.lyme-online.co.uk
Local crews tackle major forest fire
ANITA GETS GAMIN G FOR CANCER RESEARCH SE E PAGE 14
Marine launches £21k fundraising appeal to reopen THE Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis has launched an online fundraising campaign to ensure it can reopen after lockdown. The theatre closed its doors in March when lockdown was first introduced to help the fight against coronavirus. This means ticket sales have been put on hold with many events cancelled or rescheduled, resulting in a loss of 80 per cent of its income. The Marine has now launched an online appeal with the aim of raising £21,000 to ensure it can reopen successfully when restrictions are lifted. REPORT, PAGE 14
Plans for storage building at beach LOCAL fire crews - including Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Bridport, Axminster and Seaton - have been among those tackling a major forest fire in Wareham over the past week. The incident, which was started by disposable barbecues, has been described as one of the worst forest or heath fires in Dorset in living memory, destroying 220 hectares of forest. Full story on page 2. Photo courtesy of Lyme Regis Fire Station
Keep faith in our town
STAY LEVEL HEADED AND LOOK TO FUTURE, SAYS MAYOR
THE Mayor of Lyme Regis has called for “faith, hope and tolerance” as the town is eased out of lockdown.
Councillor Brian Larcombe MBE has issued a statement to residents and business owners, asking them to “have faith in the
FRANCESCA EVANS
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town” and try to look beyond the present situation. As the government begins to ease its lockdown restrictions, implemented in March to tackle
the spread of COVID-19, the mayor says this presents a width of needs and challenges for the town, as it balances health and wellbeing with the need to secure its future sustainability. Councillor Larcombe said this is made more difficult by Lyme’s
heavy dependence on tourism, adding that the wellbeing of residents is the “uppermost” concern. He has called for “level heads” and respect for others as they deal with different aspects of the virus. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
PLANS have been submitted for an industrial-style building on Monmouth Beach car park in Lyme Regis, to provide storage for the harbourmaster and local fishermen. Harbourmaster James Radcliffe, who is employed by Dorset Council, has submitted the plans for a building measuring 19 metres wide by 5.4 metres tall, sited between the public toilets and traders’ car parking area at Monmouth Beach, just off Ozone Terrace. REPORT, PAGE 3
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Published by Lyme Regis Media Limited Hyper-local website and fortnightly newspaper serving the communities of Lyme Regis, Uplyme & Charmouth. Unit 5 Uplyme Business Park, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3LS www.lyme-online.co.uk edit@lyme-online.co.uk Facebook: facebook.com/LymeOnlineUK Twitter: twitter.com/LymeOnlineUK Instagram: instagram.com/lymeonline Editor: Francesca Evans francesca@lyme-online.co.uk 07810 221 420 Contributors: Philip Evans philip@lyme-online.co.uk Richard Austin edit@lyme-online.co.uk Regular Columnists: Sophia Moseley, Marine Theatre Peter Lacey, Tales of Lyme’s Past Production: Jackie Evans jackie@lyme-online.co.uk
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Local crews among those to tackle Dorset’s most devastating forest fire in living memory OVER the past week, local fire crews have been among those tackling a wildfire at Wareham Forest - described as one of the most devastating forest and heath fires in Dorset in living memory. The fire was sparked on Monday, May 18 and crews continued to tackle the blaze for over a week, as it destroyed 220 hectares of forest - the size of more than 230 football pitches. Dry and windy conditions made it difficult to keep the blaze under control, and it was declared a major incident on two separate occasions as hotpots continued to flare up. The cause of the fire is now believed to have been accidental, after multiple disposable barbecues, campfires and glass bottles were found in the area. Lyme Regis fire crew were called to the scene at least four times and Charmouth’s crew seven times. Other local crews involved in the incident have included Bridport, Axminster and Seaton. As well as those from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, firefighters from Avon, Devon & Somerset, Hampshire, Royal Berkshire, South Wales
and West Sussex, and specialist advisors from Forestry England, Dorset Police colleagues and many volunteers have been working tirelessly together to try to bring this major incident to conclusion. Dorset & Wiltshire chief fire officer, Ben Ansell said: “I am extremely proud of the hard work of firefighters and all staff from across Dorset & Wiltshire that have attended this incident, as well as the control room staff who have worked tirelessly to make sure resources are where they need to be. “All 50 fire stations from across the service have attended the incident at some point this week. We are extremely grateful to the National Fire Chiefs Council and all the other fire and rescue services and other agencies that have supported us in dealing with this incident. “This incident highlights how devastating and resource intensive heath and forest fires are. This has been made even more difficult by the weather conditions we have faced this week and the current social distancing guidelines in place – which are almost impossible to adhere to when dealing with a forest fire.”
Mayor to stay in post until meetings resume THE Mayor of Lyme Regis and all town council committee chairmen will stay in post until meetings can resume. Last week would have hosted the traditional mayor making ceremony in Lyme Regis, which had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. The council would normally have elected the mayor for the coming year ahead of this event, but have been unable to do so as they have not been meeting in full due to social distancing regulations. Instead, Councillor Brian Larcombe MBE will continue to hold the post until the council can resume normal meetings. All committee chairmen and vice-chairmen will also remain in
place for this period. Councillor Larcombe also holds the chairmanship of the Strategy & Finance and Human Resources Committees, while Councillor Graham Turner leads the Planning Committee, Councillor John Broom chairs Town Management and Councillor Kelsey Ellis heads the Tourism, Community & Publicity Committee. This does not mean the current incumbents will automatically remain in place for the rest of the year, unless re-elected. However, as Councillor Larcombe has only served one year as mayor, it is likely that he will be offered a second, as is tradition of the council.
West Dorset MP responds to Cummings row WEST Dorset MP Chris Loder has issued a response to the Prime Minister’s chief advisor, Dominic Cummings, reportedly breaking lockdown rules, which has sparked a huge public row. In March, Mr Cummings drove 260 miles from London to his parents’ farm in Durham with his wife and child, after his wife started showing symptoms of coronavirus, as he was concerned about providing childcare if they both became sick. Then in mid-April Mr Cummings was spotted with his wife and son at Barnard Castle, a 30minute drive away from his parents’ home. He has said he made the trip in order to test his eyesight, which he was concerned had been impaired by coronavirus. His actions, which were recently revealed by the national press, have sparked a huge public row with some calling for Cummings to resign. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stood by his advisor, saying he acted legally and responsibly. Conservative MP Chris Loder said he has received correspondence from many West Dorset constituents regarding Cummings over the last few days and has now released an official statement. Mr Loder said he did not agree with Cummings’ decision to drive to Durham, although he did not break the law in doing so, but his decision to then drive to Barnard Castle was “much more questionable”. He added that the government had a “moral responsibility” to ensure its guidance on the coronavirus lockdown continued to be followed, and he had asked the government to consider this single point when it comes to Cummings’ future Mr Loder also said that, whether the public agreed with Cummings or not, the abuse and threats he and his family had received was “unacceptable”. Mr Loder’s full statement was as follows: “Many constituents have written to me over the last few days; sharing their frustration, support
or sadness and asking for my view on the current situation with Dominic Cummings. I don’t know him personally and we have never met. So, I have no affiliation, but I did want to get to the full facts; which is why I am making a considered response now and chose not to rush into making one before. “We have all been asked to make enormous sacrifices. Our response to this in West Dorset has contributed to the South West having one of the lowest numbers of coronavirus cases in the country and for that I am very grateful. “Should Dominic Cummings have driven with his family to County Durham? In my opinion, no. However, his action has not broken any law (the statement from Dr Jenny Harries, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, on March 24 sets out the reasons why this is the case). Equally, I do not think that he should have driven to Barnard Castle on Easter Sunday, and I believe his decision to do so is much more questionable. “Not everything that was initially reported has transpired to be accurate and, in my opinion, these inaccuracies have played a part in fuelling a very angry public response. Some press stories have since been proven totally false, indeed even Durham Police gave an incorrect statement which was put right just before the press conference on Monday.
“The real issue here is that the message to all of us, at that time, was to ‘Stay at Home and Save Lives’ – regardless. While we have made that sacrifice, often at great personal and emotional expense, the point has not nearly been well enough communicated that provision was always there, within the rules, for exceptional circumstances – especially where vulnerable people and young children are concerned. “Following on from the ‘Kindness Matters’ message I was promoting last week during Mental Health Awareness week, I want to also share with you my thoughts on bullying and intimidation. Whatever our individual opinion of Dominic Cummings, is it right that he – or indeed anybody, public figure or not – should be targeted with threats of violence, even death, and be subjected to an orchestrated campaign of harassment towards their young family at their home? “I don’t especially warm to Mr Cummings but I have been asking myself how I would react if I was faced with a similar situation. It is, in my view, completely unacceptable to be on the receiving end of violent threats, which I do believe has played a part in this sorry state of affairs. “My role is to represent the views of my constituents; and I have indeed called the government this morning to convey the strong, although not universal, views I have received. For me, the most important issue now is the moral responsibility of the government to ensure that its guidance continues to be followed, for the protection of public health and the future of our communities – and it is this single point that I have asked government to consider when it comes to Dominic Cummings’ future. “My focus now, as it has been throughout, is to support local people, families and businesses of West Dorset through this crisis. Recovery is on the horizon, but so too is the probability of the worst recession for a very long time; so, finding a balance and working towards a safe recovery transition, must be our absolute priority.”
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Plans submitted for Police searching for man harbourmaster and after Lyme Regis burglary fishermen’s store PLANS have been submitted for an industrial-style building on Monmouth Beach car park in Lyme Regis, to provide storage for the harbourmaster and local fishermen. Harbourmaster James Radcliffe, who is employed by Dorset Council, has submitted the plans for a building measuring 19 metres wide by 5.4 metres tall, sited between the public toilets and traders’ car parking area at Monmouth Beach, just off Ozone Terrace. The building will be split into two separate areas, including a garage and store for the harbourmaster, and storage area and toilet for fishermen. The walls will be boarded with “appropriate fire retardant materials” and the roof will be either slated or covered with corrugated metal, depending on the planning officer’s recommendations. There will be three metal roller doors on the building, as well as pedestrian access to the fishermen’s store at the north side. The application describes the proposal as a “much-needed facility” for use with the harbour and commercial fishing related activities.
It adds: “In addition to the practical benefits given the location of the store adjacent to the Cobb and harbour, the facility would provide secure storage for harbour related activities, particularly for local fishermen given the existing facilities are inadequate to meet existing needs. “Furthermore, the harbourmaster’s store and office are also inadequate to meet current and future needs to store equipment and vehicles. “The harbour is a valuable facility catering for local and visiting yachts on an overnight passage, together with the growing fleet of 20 fishing vessels plus visiting craft from other local harbours. In brief, the harbour has become a major local economic driver an additional accommodation is required to support this viable commercial asset.” Th town council will be consulted on the application and a decision will be made by Dorset Council. You can read the full application online or make a comment either for or against on the Dorset Council website, by searching for planning application number WD/D/20/001009
POLICE are appealing for information from the public to help locate a man wanted in connection with a burglary in Lyme Regis. Anthony Brett Bown, aged 56 and of Christchurch, is wanted in connection with a burglary at a home in Charmouth Road between Saturday, March 7 and Tuesday, March 10 2020. He is described as white, around six feet tall and of medium build with short, grey, wavy hair and a receding hairline. He sometimes wears glasses and is usually unshaven. It was reported that he was believed to be in the Lyme Regis area on Wednesday, May 20. Police Constable Neil Gauden, of Bridport Police, said: “We are continuing to investigate this burglary and have made efforts to locate Anthony Bown in connection with this matter but have so far been unable to find him. “I am appealing to anyone with information or knowledge as to his whereabouts, or who sees a
man matching the description given, to please contact us. “While we do not have any information to suggest Bown presents a risk to the public, anyone who sees him is urged not to approach him but instead dial 999 immediately.” If you see Anthony Bown you should dial 999 immediately. Anyone with other information should call 101, quoting occurrence 55200037397 or Crimestoppers in confidence in 0800 555 111.
Man abused and spat at after car park collision A MAN was verbally abused and spat at after a collision in Holmbush car park, Lyme Regis. Police were called to the incident at 8.05pm on Wednesday, May 20 after a BMW with three male occupants reportedly hit a parked car and attempted to drive away. Another man who witnessed the incident approached the BMW to speak to its occupants. It is reported that they became verbally abusive and spat at him. On a local Facebook page the man claimed he had also been bitten. The vehicle was then seen to drive off in the direction of Axminster. Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and no arrests have been made.
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK 4 Friday, May 29 2020
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VIEWS OF LYME REGIS TO KEEP YOUR SPIRITS HIGH!
A STUNNING sunset over the Cobb taken by Bill Burns
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THIS unusual halo around the sun was captured last week by Vic Sciberras
YOU can’t beat a classic view of the Cobb, taken by Jackie Allen
MICHAEL Applegate shared this shot from The Spittles over looking Lyme Regis
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JEANNE Goodridge captured this pretty sky over the beach
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ASK THE MAYOR: Your questions answered ■ I noticed that the town council opened their toilets and car parks for the Bank Holiday weekend. Do you think this was the right decision in view of fears that the town would be inundated with day-trippers, etc. and how successful were the measures you put into place? Does this mean these facilities will continue to be open all the time now? We all share the same concern for any virus spread and very careful thought was given to the opening of our car parks and toilets, and some of the following had a bearing on it: 1) the government announced very clearly and specifically that "people can drive to parks and beach destinations irrespective of distance providing they don't stay overnight”, and the public will exercise their ability to do so. 2) People will and do come to Lyme from the local radius whether our car parks are open or not, and if closed will park in residential streets and lanes around the town with all the problems it creates. It’s much better to offer designated, structured, parking facilities. 3) Many Lyme people drive to Axminster, Bridport and Seaton and places beyond, to work and to shop in their supermarkets and garden centres. Equally people from these places, including even Uplyme and other parts close to home, drive to Lyme to walk along the seafront and beach. So there is movement in both directions. The government has announced easing of movement and any risk of contracting the virus applies both ways - it isn't simply a matter of being imported by people from away; Lyme people could bring it back with them or carry it to another place. Such is the nature of the virus in the UK's relatively small land mass. 4) We are trying to deal with the reality of the here-and-now, and with the likelihood of further restriction-easing it begs the question what event will signal the time is right to open our car parks and toilets, particularly as their closure doesn't really determine whether people come to Lyme or not. 5) What has slightly more bearing on Lyme's visitors is our concessions, and we've decided that they are remaining closed. 5) Finally, and this was not the major driver in
With all meetings of Lyme Regis Town Council being suspended due to coronavirus, the Mayor, Councillor Brian Larcombe MBE, has agreed to answer questions that we will put to him on your behalf and we will then publish his responses in all issues of LymeOnline during the crisis. Send in your questions for our next issue by emailing edit@lyme-online.co.uk our decision, Lyme council relies heavily on visitor income, and in particular car park income, to cover its running costs, the upkeep of the town, and support to its local groups and organisations, and there has already been significant income lost this year. But I must stress it was not the major influence on the decision. The first concern was to manage the impact of the influx from the neighbouring towns as a consequence of the government's announcements. If our car parks are closed people will park on our streets and lanes in a random way with all the problems it brings. They will still come, even though numbers at present are significantly down. With respect to our toilets, they are a basic need; local residents have needed them while taking their daily exercise during lockdown. There have been distressing situations when the public convenience has been closed, people urinating in public, and there are health issues if you don't go when you need. It would have been wrong not to open them for local people as much as visitors, and as with the car parks, whether open or not people will still come to Lyme. We're all trying to apply the government’s announcements and there are a wide range of issues in their application. We have to live with the situation we are placed in and things aren't going to change soon. The measures we've taken have been successful. Despite the government's restrictioneasing visitor numbers remain lower at present, and perhaps that, to some degree, reflects the caution the public in the main are still taking. ■ I read in the national press that York is
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considering running a one-way system in their narrow streets. We too have narrow streets around the Cobb , has the council given any thoughts to how people might move along the promenade, Cart road and past the huts? The idea of a pedestrian one-way is imaginative and credit to the reader for thinking of a way to live with an aspect of the virus. However, this idea is unworkable on a number of fronts: 1) It would be unenforceable - it's not the same as the means to take action against someone who drives a car the wrong way down a one-way street. ) A one-way system in the Cobb area and along the Cart Road and parade would not accommodate the kind of access needs and options people will choose to make along the length of the beach from Cobb Gate to the Cobb. 3) It will have pinch points at places like Bell Cliff steps that would make the situation even harder to enforce as people look to enter the parade, move up and down Broad Street and across the Square and which in reality is not 'broad' at all in terms of
pavements and access. 4) Which begs the question if it's suggested for the Cart Road, what about all the very narrow streets around the town which also become crowded and where there's very small pavements or none at all e.g. Church Street, Coombe Street, Mill Green, Sherbourne Lane, the Mill area and the Lynch? However, we will continue to look at any ways in which we can avoid the areas of congestion. Lyme's physical infrastructure doesn't provide for the distancing we are all concerned about, and that's the same for places all over the UK. We can't widen roads and we can't alter the location and size of all buildings. All we can all do is take individual responsibility and exercise choice about the personal risks we are prepared to take, whether walking down a narrow street, shopping in a busy supermarket, getting on a bus or entering any confined space, and any aspects of activities undertaken whether felt essential or for leisure, and when we choose to do so. These are the risks we have to assess whether we're prepared to take in going about our daily lives, - and that's as much about the here-and-now as the foreseeable future. ■ Are there any instructions given to town councillors about making comments on social media, especially Facebook? Council members can express themselves and do so as individuals on Facebook or verbally in person, by phone, in letters and emails. However, it's the content that is critical and no one actively involved in the council, whether a councillor or member of staff, should compromise the council's position on a matter it has decided upon or bring the council into disrepute. This is made clear in the codes of conduct and the council's policy covering the use of social media. Individual members have been told to review their use of social media on occasions when necessary. There is a process for dealing with formal complaints and there is advice available on that. However, there is also the very natural expectation that all will pay respect to colleagues and those they work for and represent.
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LYME MATTERS with Philip Evans Essential reading for all those with Lyme at heart
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My lockdown daily diary Are the floodgates opening with lockdown being eased My Isolation Diary – Day 54 (Monday, May 11)
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson’s address to the nation last evening was met with the usual mixture of admiration and incredulity. Bo Jo fans thought it was inspirational; the great welter of those who opinion verges of hatred found it confusing. “Exactly what does staying alert?” mean chorused almost to a man. And within minutes the twittersphere and Facebook aficionados let rip with their usual vitriol. Boris’ speech, as usual, was faultless in delivery but perhaps not so in content. His critics pounced on the fact that it would leave many confused about what we can and can’t do, and locally fears were expressed that it would lead to an immediate influx of visitors to Lyme. The fact is that whatever course the governments takes, there will be critics. I’m a little bit confused myself over the claims on social media that Lyme was crawling with visitors yesterday, one posting calling for police to be called in because the town “was full of daytrippers”. A huge exaggeration. Exactly what time did these trippers arrive? I took my daily walk around mid-morning especially so I could see how busy it was. My colleague Richard Austin did the same mid-afternoon and so did my daughter. None of us saw that many people in the town. I wouldn’t know whether the few that were about were locals or visitors and nor does anyone else. On Facebook recently there has been a lot of “we know who you are” threats. Rubbish. No one knows everyone who lives in Lyme. I have believed for sometime that Facebook is more a force for evil than for good and last evening there was certainly some credence in that statement with second-home owners, some of whom were not in Lyme and have no intention of coming here whilst this contagion continues, giv-
I’M into my eighth week of self-isolation and after an early morning walk, my permitted exercise of the day, I’m writing an Isolation Diary which you can find in the blogs section of our website. Here’s a few of the latest entries... ing examples of how badly they are being treated. One of them, a regular visitor to Lyme for many years, referred to the “hatred and venom” being thrown at them and claimed a Molotov cocktail had been thrown through their windows. Really? Let’s me under no misapprehension. From an economic point of view, Lyme is facing a he challenge as a result of this pandemic. One frequent contributor to Lyme’s Facebook platforms is Adam Austin, the youngest son of the late Barbara Austin MBE, six times mayor of Lyme. Adam has worked in the hospitality industry all his life and was once the manager of the internationally famous American Bar in London’s Savoy Hotel. Adam’s post are usually highly entertaining and very amusing. But yesterday he got serious, dismissing some of the more brutal comments as “an irreverence” and warning that a global concession was “coming down the road”. This is what he said and I quote verbatim: “The conversation will soon move on to ‘where are the holiday makers?’ Many businesses that we know WILL go bust. There’s going to be some real hardships, the like of which many of the younger people on here (Facebook) have never experienced. “This is a time for left, right, leaver, remainer, second-home owner, visitor and just about anybody else to come together. The spirit of Thursday nights at 8pm brings out the best in us, we’re going to need that in abundance in the coming months. Can we move the conversation along to a more positive one of support for each other?” I could not have said it better Adam.
Let’s stop slagging each other off of Facebook
My Isolation Diary – Day 55 (Tuesday, May 12)
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson took a pasting yesterday from all quarters as he tried to guide us into the “new normal”. Great swathes of the British public were left in confusion after the new mantra of “Stay Alert” rather than “Stay at Home”. Boris announced some tentative steps of easing lockdown measures in a 60-page document issued after his address to the national of Sunday evening. The only trouble was that it was printed before the contents were discussed in detail by his Cabinet. So it would seem that the new, softer Boris has not completely ditched his gung-ho reputation. I got into a bit of a Facebook spat yesterday when I was chastised for being too supportive of the government. When I asked who could do any better than the current crop of Ministers, the response was immediate: a government of national unity to include new Labour leader Sir Karl Starmer, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the Green Party’s Caroline Lucas. I actually floated the idea of a government of national unity very early in this daily diary but it was never on the cards. I do think, however, it would be good to give Sir Keir a specific responsibility in the fight against the contagion. It would give him a greater understanding of how big a challenge the government has. The Labour leader has adopted a supportive attitude towards the government’s effort to get the epidemic under control and in the House yesterday, responding to Boris’s statement at Prime Minister’s Question Time, he highlighted a number of anomalies and contradictions in the 60page document. It wasn’t exactly a mauling, more a gentle chastising, aimed at satisfying the more determined members of his Shadow Cabinet but showing he is being supportive.
Predicted flood was more like a trickle My Isolation Diary – Day 59 (Saturday, May 16) I LEFT my daily exercise routine to much later
this afternoon so that I can comment on whether the great fears of an invasion by daytrippers as second homers, following the slight relaxation of coronavirus lockdown, were justified. At 3pm, a peak time for the visiting masses, I counted around 150 people enjoying the beach and sea and I suppose there were a few dozen people taking in the fresh air along the seafront. Everyone seemed to me to be observing social distancing in a responsible manner. There was definitely more traffic passing through the town and a few take-away establishments were open and serving the occasional customer, but certainly not enough to sustain a profitable business. Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s proclamation last Sunday that people would be able to travel to beauty spots, including beaches, there was a mass outcry on social media, predicting the floodgates would open and Lyme would be choc-a-bloc with visitors, some of whom may have travelled from areas where the virus is far more prevalent than in the
South West The immoderate language used by some on Facebook was beyond the pale. And one of our more vocal local councillors even went to far to say “we are all doomed”, somewhat tongue in cheek one presumes. On today’s evidence this was no “opening of the flood gates”, more like a trickle under Buddles bridge.
some businesses which rely on the tourist trade go out of business. It will certainly be the quietness summer in Lyme for many years and the loss of revenue will be a big blow to the RNLI as well as the many local organisations which the Regatta and Carnival support every year.
My Isolation Diary – Day 61 (Tuesday, May 19)
My Isolation Diary – Day 67 (Monday, May 25)
THE news that many in Lyme Regis had been waiting for but didn’t want to hear came late last night. The town’s two big summer events – Lifeboat Week and the Regatta and Carnival – have been shelved because of coronavirus. With social distancing likely to be extended into the peak months of the season, the organisers of these two iconic events really had no choice but to pull the plug. The early season fossil and jazz festivals have already fallen foul to the lockdown restrictions and whilst most people expected the two prime season events to follow suit, it is still a big blow to Lyme. Both attract huge numbers of visitors and their loss will have a big effect on the economy of Lyme in a year which is already expected to see
IN my last diary entry I referred to the Dominic Cummings spat as “a sideshow” compared to the more pressing job in hand of steering the country our of lockdown. I thought it would be dealt with quickly and the government would move on with more pressing matters, i.e. getting the kids back to school and the country back to work. I could not have been more wrong, even naive perhaps. Cummings-gate has developed into massive political row which is just not going to go away. Cummings is a hugely divisive character, loathed by many in Whitehall and Westminster. The press are not going to allow this to become yesterday’s news, not without further revelations.
It has often been said that Boris’s life ambition was to become Prime Minister. He lost the chance over the notorious “back-stabbing” incident with her colleague Michael Gove but got a second chance after replacing Theresa May. There is no comparison with the circumstances of his rise to the top job in politics and the manner in which his great hero Sir Winston Churchill came to power in 1940. Churchill knew what he was taken on. Bo Jo had no idea the pandemic was on the horizon and thought that delivering Brexit would be his biggest challenge. How’s that going, by the way? But watching him on Sunday evening when he addressed the nation I wondered who would want to be Boris Johnson in this situation? In fact, who would want to be leading this country through a crisis of this magnitude? As one leading commentator said yesterday “no Prime Minister since Churchill has been confronted with so many appalling challenges, conflicting advice and momentous decisions”. The question I ask myself is whether Sir Keir Starmer, a relatively inexperienced politician, would be able to do any better or any other of the leading Tory Cabinet members? Johnson is under huge pressure to not only contain and beat the virus but to get the populace back to work with a huge recession galloping towards us. Personally, I think to switch from the “Stay At Home” slogan to “Stay Alert” is a red herring, another opportunity for the national Press to brow-beat the government now that the testing and PPE debacles have calmed down. The big issue for Lyme is the fear that allowing people to travel to enjoy the great outdoors will result in an explosion of day trippers. In Lyme this week this fear has reached boiling point with allegations that the town was already crawling with visitors. I don’t think there was any real evidence of this being the case but we should not drop our guard. What we should drop, however, is unnecessary abuse of second home owners and holidaymakers in general on which the town’s economic survival depends.
We will soon be able to pop down the pub - or will we? My Isolation Diary – Day 57 (Thursday, May 14)
TODAY I am not going to mention secondhomers. Instead, let’s go down the pub. Well, that may come about sooner than we thought following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement at the weekend that some hospitality outlets may be able to re-open after July 1st providing social distancing is strictly observed. That announcement came as a bit of surprise to the publicans of Lyme Regis who had already accepted that they would be the last to come out of lockdown because of the difficulty of keeping staff and customers safe. One publican I spoke to did not think they would be able to open before the end of August at the earliest which, if correct, could have thrown a huge question mark over their ability to stay in business. With permission now being given to opening their doors again, those who run Lyme’s licensed premises, along with café and restaurant owners, are considering how they may be operate under the strict social distancing rules. One thing they are all adamant about is that they want a bit more clarity from the government over what the can, and can’t do.
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‘We will adjust to the new norm’ CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Lyme Regis has slowly started to ease out of lockdown, with some car parks and public toilets opening over the weekend. This sparked concerns among some residents that the town would see an influx of visitors, but while beaches were busier than they have been in recent weeks, the crowds were nowhere near the size of those seen on a usual sunny Bank Holiday. Non-essential shops are now expected to reopen from June 15 and some pubs and restaurants will be able to open from July 1, unless government guidelines are changed to address the infection rate. Some business owners have called for more clarity from the government on how they can reopen safely, and Lyme Bay Holidays - the town’s biggest holiday letting company - has called for businesses to work on a joined up approach as the town moves forward. In his statement, the mayor (pictured) said: “As a town and council, we are all trying to live within a situation that presents a width of needs, from individual health to collective well- being, and to present and future local sustainability.
THE Mayor of Lyme Regis, Councillor Brian Larcombe MBE, pictured with mayoress Wendy Larcombe, town clerk John Wright, former deputy mayor Jeff Scowen and deputy mayor’s consort Belinda Bawden at last year’s mayor making ceremony. The traditional event would have been held last week but was cancelled due to the pandemic (see page 2)
“The virus and the government’s announcements concerning it have to be respected, and much as it is difficult to determine how we
Coastguards issue warning against tombstoning COASTGUARDS have issued a warning on the dangers of tombstoning. Tombstoning refers to jumping in a straight or upright position into the sea or water from a height. Last July, Lyme Regis lifeboat crew rescued two teenage boys who were swept out to sea having been jumping off the wall at Axmouth harbour. The incident was recently featured on the
BBC series 'Saving Lives at Sea'. On Sunday, May 24, a group of 12-15 youths were seen tombstoning at the entrance of Axmouth harbour and Beer coastguard have now shared a video warning of the dangers. A spokesperson for Beer coastguard commented: "The emergency services are very busy at this time, any accidents would be putting a strain on these resources."
manage the consequence of one and the application of the other, we also have to think carefully of what we do in the here-and-now, while also paying regard to the mid-term consequences as well (it feels a bit like a quadratic equation of school days!). “There are challenges in this, all the more so because of the heavy dependence Lyme has on visitors for business and employment, and the kind of support the income generated provides for the town’s upkeep and local resident organisations. “Uppermost, however, is the health and well-being of residents, and while there is so much unknown of the virus and the speed of any remedy, the one thing we do know is the here-and-now within which we consider the effect of what we are ‘required’ to do and what we can ‘choose’ to do, and the possible impact of both further down the road. ‘You can’t please everyone’ “The government has announced a phasing approach in the easing of measures and we will look to apply these with close regard for the width of different interests and concerns. ‘You can’t please everyone,’ as they say, and while we can exercise local discretion within our remit we cannot act entirely in isolation, and there are many things beyond the town council’s gift. “However, we will continue to do what we can, as best we can, in response to the situation presented, in the interests of the town, it’s people and its sustainability. “It’s a time for level heads, and for businesses who are presently struggling - and I don’t under estimate how much it is asking of them - to have faith in the town, to get through this period and try to look beyond the present. Next year could likely see a boom in
UK stay holidays, and all being well it will be. “All of this depends on developments beyond our control, but what we will do is continue to influence and help support residents and businesses in Lyme to get through this period and into next spring. Hopefully by then, if not before, the situation will have become better for everyone, in as wide a sphere as possible. “I simply ask that people continue to respect others and the different aspects of this virus they may be having to deal with. There’s a need for perspective, whether in the same house, the same street, the same town, or the same broader UK. We’re a relatively small island. “The effects of COVID-19 will be with us all in a range of different ways for a long time. Some things will not go back entirely as before; it will present some elements of a new norm we will adjust to. I don’t like the expression ‘glass half full or half empty’ but I do remain optimistic that if all energies are given to recognising all angles of the problem, we’re more likely to find a means to either live with it or very hopefully eradicate it. “Although some government announcements appear a bit ambiguous and at times may even seem contradictory, we have to interpret what it all means both personally and collectively - we have an individual and collective responsibility to do so. “Hopefully, in the not too distant future we’ll be able to look back and see that we acted sensibly and responsibly, at this time, as individuals and a town. And while some things will have changed, we may also have rediscovered one or two things that we had come to take for granted.”
LymeOnline partners with news network to provide Axminster and Seaton coverage LYME Regis Media Limited, publishers of the LymeOnline website and newspaper, has joined forces with a network of hyperlocal websites to bring news coverage to the Axminster and Seaton areas. Nub News is aiming to launch 700 websites in the UK within two years and has now partnered with Lyme Regis Media Limited, managed by veteran West Country journalist Philip Evans MBE, to extend its coverage in Devon. Mr Evans and his daughter Francesca, who edits the LymeOnline website and newspaper, will be providing editorial content for two new sites – Axminster Nub News and Seaton Nub News. Nub News, which launched last January, already has three sites in East Devon covering Honiton, Sidmouth and Exmouth. Mr Evans said: “Our LymeOnline paper and website, launched two years ago, is hugely popular and we have been under pressure to launch similar sites in Axminster and Seaton, two towns crying out for more comprehensive coverage of local events. “That would be foolhardy in the current climate but the Nub News model can fill that gap with a low-cost concept. We already have good contacts in both towns and we look forward to being part of the Nub News set-up which will now include 35 towns in the UK. “Small towns have all but been abandoned by the bigger regional publishers and many titles have closed in recent times.
Nub News is definitely the way forward for hyperlocal news and I believe will become a force in local publishing. Nub News founder and CEO, Karl Hancock, said he was delighted to have secured the services of such an experienced journalist father and daughter partnership. “They are both passionate about how local news is presented and I am proud and honoured that they have joined our team. I’m looking forward to learning a lot from them,” he said. Hancock’s ambition is to have up to 700 news websites focusing on towns with populations between 5,000 and 100,000. He is currently on a recruitment drive and intends to employ 200 journalists. You can now view the new Nub News websites for Axminster and Seaton at axminster.nub.news or seaton.nub.news and you can follow them on both Facebook and Twitter. Anyone with a news story for the Axminster and Seaton areas, including Colyton, Colyford, Beer, Musbury, Kilmington and other surrounding villages, can contact Philip on 07796 951 991 or email philip@lyme-online.co.uk, or Francesca on 07810 221 420 or email francesca@lymeonline.co.uk
A national network of hyperlocal news websites, now covering the Axminster & Seaton areas With editorial content provided by the team from LymeOnline
Visit our new websites at
axminster.nub.news and seaton.nub.news And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest local news
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Dorset high streets given Museum to reopen in September government boost of £335k DORSET high streets are set to benefit from a boost of £335,426 from the government. The money will come from the £50million Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and will be allocated to high streets across the county by Dorset Council. To prepare for the reopening of non-essential retail when the scientific advice allows, the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund will help councils in England introduce a range of safety measures in a move to kick-start local economies, get people back to work and customers back to the shops. It will also support a range of practical safety measures including new signs, street markings and temporary barriers. This will help get businesses get ready for when they can begin trading safely, not only in high streets and town and city centres, but also in other public spaces like beachfronts and promenades. Councils will also be able to use this money to develop local marketing campaigns to explain the changes to the public and reassure them that their high streets and other commercial areas are safe. It is the government’s ambition to reopen nonessential retail in a phased way from June 1, subject to the scientific advice. The government will set out further detail on how and when these can reopen safely shortly. The government recognises high streets are critical to the economic recovery of towns and cities and this new fund builds on longer-term funds already in place to support their revival and boost their economic fortunes including the Future High Streets and Towns Funds. High Streets Minister Simon Clarke MP said: “As we begin to slowly return to normality, the re-opening our high streets will be key to kickstarting our economic recovery. “Levelling up the regions and supporting our high streets has always been central to the mission of this government.
“Many businesses have already introduced creative ways of trading such as contactless collection or taking orders by instant messaging and shows that they are ready for the challenges ahead. “That’s why we are providing an extra £50million for councils to support a range of safety measures that will help get these businesses back on track and ensure that people can enjoy their time visiting their local high street safely again.” The £50million funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) that the government is making available to councils to support businesses to re-open safely following guidance published on May 13 to help adapt urban centres and green spaces for social distancing during the pandemic. The money will be allocated to councils on a per capita basis and will be ready to spend from June 1. The fund is in addition to the £3.2billion package of support announced for councils to help them deal with the immediate pressures they have said they are facing. A spokesperson for Dorset Council commented: “We very much welcome the £335,426 allocated to Dorset Council which will allow us to support businesses to start trading safely in public places, with a particular focus on our high streets. “As part of our recovery plans, we are already in discussions with our partners and town and parish councils, as well as local businesses. Some of the possible measures we are considering includes new signs, street markings and temporary barriers as well as localised marketing campaigns to explain the changes and reassure people that their high streets and other commercial areas are open for business.”
newsfromwestminster
A monthly column by West Dorset MP Chris Loder
IT’S been a very productive couple of weeks in Westminster, albeit some issues this week have been rather a distraction. I’d like to thank all of you from the Lyme Regis area who took the trouble to correspond with me about the situation with Dominic Cummings - my response to this has already been very well covered by LymeOnline [see page 2] but if would like to read my latest thoughts on the matter please do visit www.chrisloder.co.uk Above all, this week’s news headlines focused my mind even more on the enormous sacrifices made by all of us in recent months – sacrifices which means West Dorset has one of the lowest numbers of Coronavirus infections in the country, and for that I am grateful. Government is now asking us to do more, with the launch of Test and Trace, as we slowly move forward in our recovery from the pandemic. My focus and duty as your MP has always been clear and this recovery transition period is my absolute priority. In that respect, this week there has been positive news for our high streets and town centres as non-essential shops plan to reopen. It is a tentative time for business owners as they adapt their premises to accommodate social
distancing; equally tentative for communities as we get used to a ‘new normal’ way of shopping. As we begin to kick-start our economic recovery, government is helping this transition, with a new £50m Reopening High Streets Safely Fund [see above]. This will enable local councils to support their high streets, beachfronts and promenades get safely back to business. Dorset will benefit by some £335k and I will do all I can to help local councils as the phased re-opening begins. We are likely heading into one of the worst recessions for decades and we will not be immune from the effects of that – indeed I know how difficult it already is for local fishing and hospitality businesses, especially as the hospitality sector will be one of the last to recover. It is a political tightrope to tread, achieving the fine balance of controlling the virus and safeguarding public health, while reopening our economy. We have had 358 confirmed coronavirus cases in a population of 380,000 or so in rural Dorset and, as difficult as it is, we will need to put that into perspective when making decisions as we return to normality. Please support your local businesses at this time – they need us more than ever.
Visit www.chrisloder.co.uk for links to my social media channels and news, or email hello@chrisloder.co.uk if you are interested in a face-to-face meeting at one of my surgeries
LYME Regis Museum plans to reopen in September, subject to clarity from the government. Museum director David Tucker said: “We’re very much looking forward to being able to welcome visitors back to the museum. A new online booking system is in development so we can give safe access to the museum to smaller groups. “We recognise that our first duty is to protect public health and the NHS, and after taking scientific advice we understand that it’s very difficult to Socially Distance in the museum. We’re especially concerned for the wellbeing of local people, including our excellent staff and volunteers, some of who fall into groups defined as vulnerable” The museum intends to introduce sociallydistanced fossil walks for small groups as soon as it can. “We’re also doing all we can to improve our digital and social media presence,” said Mr Tucker.
“We have fun ‘make and do’ events on our website and we have a virtual fossil tour in production so our geologist Paddy Howe can introduce people to the wonders of Lyme’s beaches no matter where they are in the world. “We’ll also be expanding our online school presence, so we can support schools who can’t at the moment visit us. “But we are realistic, we know this is going to be a demanding time, but as an key Lyme institution we want to do all we can to support the local economy and protect local jobs through the difficult months in front of us and turn as many negatives into positives as we can.”
Dorset’s country parks now open THE four country parks managed by Dorset Council are re-opening to the public on Tuesday, May 26. Avon Heath, Durlston, Moors Valley and Thorncombe Woods will be open from 9am on Tuesday. The country parks closed in March due to COVID-19 restrictions. Following the easing of lockdown by central government, the council has made some adjustments to the running of the parks so people can enjoy the open air and countryside whilst protecting their health during the current pandemic. Councillor Peter Wharf, deputy leader of Dorset Council, said: “We understand that people are keen to get outdoors, so our country park teams and our partners Forestry England at Moors Valley, have worked hard to put in measures to help visitors enjoy the parks whilst protecting their health during the current pandemic.” The range of measures for visitors’ safety include two metre distancing signs and provision of hand sanitiser. Rangers will be on hand to help people enjoy their visit and manage any queues. Councillor Wharf continued: “As you can appreciate, we’ve had to make a number of changes to the way our country parks are operated so they can be reopened. “This is a new experience for us all, and the teams on site will do their best to make sure everyone has an enjoyable time. The range of
measures means there may be queues for facilities, including parking and toilets. Please be patient and understanding and respect others. “By following the government rules on social distancing, and staying alert, we hope everyone will be able to enjoy our country parks.” For the continued safety of visitors and employees, play areas, cafes, visitor centres and cycle hire will not re-open on Tuesday. However, this will be monitored and, if possible, takeway facilities will be made available later in the week. Updates will be posted on social media and on the council’s website. Picnic benches are available at the parks and have been placed at a safe distance from each other so families can make the most of the outdoors. Usual car parking charges will apply at all the parks, with contactless payment wherever possible. The car park machines will be disinfected hourly and hand sanitiser will be available at all machines. Please park legally and responsibly in the car parks, keep highways and gateways clear for others to pass safely. If the car park looks full, please be prepared to make the decision to turn around and come another time. Residents who are vulnerable, or who are showing symptoms which may indicate coronavirus, should continue to follow government stay at home guidance.
Rescue operation to help stranded woman and dogs COASTGUARDS and the lifeboat crew were launched on Tuesday afternoon to assist a woman stranded between Lyme Regis and Charton Bay, west of the town. Coastguards were alerted a 12.34pm to the stranded woman. She also had two dogs with her, one of which was blind and struggling with the terrain. As the coastguards were preparing to access the beach via the Undercliff to the west and Monmouth Beach to the east, the lifeboat located the woman safe and well. With the calm sea conditions, it was decided to return her and the dogs by sea back to Lyme Regis. The coastguard team then headed to the lifeboat station to make sure she
was okay and ensure her safe return home. Lifeboat helm Tom Crabbe said: “The weather and see conditions made for a quick and safe recovery. It is important for people to check tide times before heading out. If you see someone in trouble in or near the sea, call 999 and ask for the coastguard.” If you are going out for a walk somewhere different, please charge your phone, check the tide times and the weather conditions and tell someone where you are going. You might also consider downloading the what3words smartphone app. In the event of an emergency you will be able to tell the emergency services exactly where you are.
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RICHARD AUSTIN’S PHOTO FILE
LYME Regis may be enjoying the hottest weather of the year, but the town can be equally spectacular in stormy conditions. And when those big waves come rolling in, the Cobb makes the perfect backdrop for some dramatic photography. Lyme’s historic harbour attracts photographers from all over when a storm hits, but some take huge risks just to get a shot. Writing about the photo above in 2018, Lyme’s top photographer Richard Austin said: “Of all the weird and wonderful sights I have seen in the past 30 years as a media photographer this image takes the biscuit for outright stupidity. “Without any thought for his family or the people who would
have to risk their lives to try and save his, this opportunist climbed up ‘Grannies Teeth’ and slowly edged his way along the wall, not even looking behind or in front but stood looking through his camera at goodness knows what? “It was late in the afternoon and on seeing this man climbing the wall I reached for my telephone but I had zero signal; had he been taken off the wall in to the sea or on to the concrete he would have died right in front of my eyes. I was a mile away with a very long telephoto lens and a growing sense of helplessness had anything happened to this guy. |Thankfully, lady-luck was with him that day and he lived to snap another day.”
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WE WILL BEAT CANCER SOONER
12 Friday, May 29 2020
Opening car parks gives green light to inconsiderate few ■ I UNDERSTAND that we need to keep the economy going and to help local business to keep going, but I feel by opening car parks it gives the inconsiderate few a green light to do what they please. Only yesterday morning there were three campervans in Holmbush car park before 7am that looked like they had been there all night! The police really need to clamp down on this and fine them rather than just move them on, as I feel this would be the only real way to deter them. It just puts everyone in the town at a greater risk from this awful virus as you have pointed out the local population is at a higher risk. I myself am caring for my wife who has cancer and really don’t appreciate the influx of people from out of this area, and just ask for people to think about their actions before they go out for a day at the beach. Would they feel the same if loads of people turned up where they live? Phil Ward (by email)
Please note, the views expressed in letters are those of the author and not necessarily of this newspaper. Please send your letters to francesca@lyme-online.co.uk
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LymeOnline Letters Send your letters to francesca@lyme-online.co.uk
GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNIT Y PAPER
‘Thank you, coronavirus’ ■ WHY 'thank you'?. It's quite simple. I am a resident of Lyme Regis and during the last few weeks I have seen a Lyme Regis I thought would only be possible on the big screen of a feature length film. It's been simply beautiful - a place where I would love to live my life. The town has been empty of cars and buses fighting for their space to move and park. A walk down the high street and you find yourself stopping and admiring the quaint architecture even though it’s always been there. Carry on down and walk along the front and the effect is even more amazing - hardly a soul. As you walk you might pass a couple coming in the opposite direction. They actually look and smile at you. They know you live in Lyme, as you know they do. You not only share but you find yourself wanting to share a warm acknowledgement of each other’s existence - this is our town - we are a part of it. Out on the shore the waves are lapping against the sand and shingle - stop and you can hear it. No herds of 'penguin people' clamouring and fighting for a space, not to breed, but just to claim as theirs for that day. Even the seagulls have gained their respect again and stopped being scavenging vultures crazily fighting for every morsel of fish and chips that the packed in 'penguins' do not want. Where are the seagulls? They are where seagulls should be - down amongst the rockpools look for looking for real 'seagull' food. I know there are those who will say that Lyme Regis needs the income from the 'visitors' but
I think it is only the business people who are the winners, not the residents, the people who live here. Less could be more. Instead of a Hi De Hi, cheap parking, pack them in and pile them high tourism approach, the town could return to a place where fewer people would come but spend more per head. This virus has shown that having a totally tourist-dependent economy is unsound. The poor quiet resident who, uncomplainingly pays their huge council tax and water bills, has to sit on the side and can only wish and hope for recognition. The people who live here and spend money every day of the year are never considered. The town only considers the wishes of bucket and spade day trippers. But like all things these strange times will pass and be forgotten. In this last week you can already see the a change. I can almost hear the packed out cars queuing up out of sight over the hill waiting to get the 'all clear' and our Lyme Regis will be gone again. I do not think that in my lifetime there will be a visit by a cousin of COVID-19. So that is why I say ‘thank you coronavirus’. You have brought a lot of misery but like a Biblical warning you have shown us how important we are to each other - we must value each other. This time we will be given a second chance - but will we take it? Raymond, a resident (full name and address supplied)
Were the actions of Dominic Cummings ‘safe or fair’? AN open letter to West Dorset MP Chris Loder: ■ I am writing to you as a British citizen currently studying in the United States, with my family home in Lyme Regis, Dorset. I am absolutely disgusted by the government's inaction regarding Dominic Cummings' flagrant disregard for the COVID-19 guidance regarding social distancing. The government's own guidance is crystal clear: do not leave your home if you, or someone you live with, has symptoms of coronavirus. I struggle to see exactly where these rules make allowances for a 250 mile trip across the country to see relatives in Durham. I note that on May 16 you retweeted Dorset Council UK's plea for people considering visiting the region to: "Think twice. Is it safe? Is it fair?” Do you agree that it was neither safe nor fair for Cummings to make multiple trips outside of London during the pandemic? Do you agree that Cummings' behavior undermines the great personal sacrifice millions in the UK have made over the previous weeks and months? If so, I urge you to join multiple backbench colleagues and call for the swift resignation of Cummings. I look forward to receiving your response. Glenn Houlihan (by email) EDITOR’S NOTE: Chris Loder has since released a response to Dominic Cummings’ actions, which can be read in full on page 2.
NEWS FROM CITIZENS ADVICE
CITIZENS Advice has responded to the publication of new Office of National Statistics labour market figures on May 19, which showed unemployment claims have soared to 2.1 million. Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Each job loss can mean a household struggling to make rent, cover their bills or pay for the food shop. “The Job Retention Scheme has so far prevented more redundancies, but the pandemic has still been devastating for household incomes. And it could take a long time for the economy to recover. “With millions struggling to keep their heads above water, the government must ensure people can access support through the benefits system and don’t face eviction or harsh debt collection as a result of this pandemic.” Matt, 29, from Devon, lost his job in food export in February. Matt was on a zero-hours contract but had worked for the company for five years, often doing long shifts. He sought help from his local Citizens Advice who have supported him in seeking redundancy pay from his employer. “I’m stuck.There are no jobs and when my freezer runs out I have no food,” he told them. Matt has since applied for Universal Credit. His payments don’t cover his living costs, and he has relied on his mother to lend him money for food and necessities. He said: “My boss rang me and said there’s no job for you at the moment, there's no hours, and even if this blows over, they doubted there’d be a full time job for me. That was quite a shock to the system. I know businesses everywhere are struggling, but this was a company that I’d worked for a long time, so I felt really let down. “I’m stuck. There are no jobs and when my freezer runs out I have no food. A lady from the local food bank is dropping around parcels and I’m really grateful for that. The constant worries
about money and work have left me feeling really low, and living alone and not being able to work makes things even more isolating.” Contact Citizens Advice if you need help because of the pandemic. Phone us and leave a message on 01308456594 or call Dorset AdviceLine on 0344-111444 or send an email to advice@bridport-cab.org.uk. We will call you back. Sad loss for Citizens Advice It was with great sadness that Bridport & District Citizens Advice learned that our colleague and friend, Mark Van de Weyer, had died on May 3. Mark became a trustee for Bridport & District Citizens Advice in 2018. He had a long career in journalism, including 23 years at the Financial Times. Following his move to Marshwood in 2004 he became very active in the local community and served as a school governor and editor of the Golden Cap Magazine. Mark was a real asset to Bridport & District Citizens Advice and generously shared his knowledge, experience and networking skills. We benefited greatly from Mark’s journalistic skills and he wrote our regular column for this newspaper and other local publications. For the Dorset-wide network of Citizens Advice services, Mark took the lead on publicity and helped to present our work and campaigns to a wider audience. As those of us who knew Mark will agree, as well as highly professional, he was a lovely person, a pleasure to work with and always supportive. Mark had the future of our Citizens Advice service both in Bridport and across the county at the heart of everything he did. He will be sadly missed by us all.
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Fun in the Sun!
Over a decade reporting on Lyme’s summer events
L
AST week we received the news that Lyme’s two biggest events of the year – Lifeboat Week and Regatta & Carnival Week – had been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With Lyme’s calendar of events already decimated, the announcement was expected but that didn’t make it any less disappointing. I think I had been holding on to some small glimmer of hope that it would all be okay – summer would still go ahead. Of course, the organisers have to put public safety first and the decision to cancel was the right one, although that doesn’t make it any easier for those who dedicate so much time and effort to these events – they are the heart and soul of Lyme. After hearing the news, Dad wrote about the impact Regatta & Carnival had on his life in his daily Isolation Diary on the LymeOnline website, and that got me thinking about the way Lyme’s two major summer events had shaped mine too. In some way, I think they’ve probably shaped everyone who grew up in this town or regularly visited for their holidays – creating lasting memories, forming friendships, summer romances, and not forgetting the hundreds of thousands of pounds they have raised for good causes over the years, which many local people would have benefited from. One of my earliest memories of carnival is my older sister Zoe being crowned Mini Miss Lyme Regis 1994. I was five years old and remember being terribly jealous as she was fitted for her puffy peach dress, complete with tiara and sash. She had the grand honour of opening Gun Cliff Walk and the new sewerage works, which we were all then given a tour of. In hindsight she was probably a bit overdressed for that. Growing up in Lyme Regis I wanted to spend every spare minute I had on the beach, and as kids during Lifeboat Week and Regatta & Carnival that meant joining in all the usual fun and games – sand sports, pavement art, sand castle competitions and dressing up in silly costumes
As the town’s two biggest events of the year are cancelled, editor Francesca Evans shares childhood memories and looks back at 14 years covering summers in Lyme
for the annual carnival procession. One year I marched down Broad Street dressed as a strawberry in support of Lyme Regis Football Club’s ill-fated Strawberry Fields project. Looking back at the photo I’m not sure how Dad ever convinced me that was a good idea! As we grew older my friends and I lost interest in running races, drawing competitions and silly costumes, and became far more intrigued by the evening events that were said to be for the “grown ups”. And there was one in particular we were desperate to attend – the open air disco. At the time it was considered to be the biggest night of the year in Lyme Regis, the grand finale of Lifeboat Week that always sparked wild stories and rumours. But of course we were always that little bit too young to go. My parents would take me down to the Cobb to watch the conger coddling (another favourite now also long gone) but I was then whisked back home just as the party got started while Zoe was allowed to stay out. Finally, when I was 16, I was allowed to go with friends and remember thinking we were such grown ups drinking a Smirnoff Ice among the all the noise and revelry that we’d always longed to join while listening from our distant gardens. But that was it, the next year it was pulled from the Lifeboat Week programme having become so difficult to manage. So that was my one and only open air disco experience… and I was probably in bed by 10pm! The following year, when I was 17, I started taking photos of the events in my summer holidays to help out Dad, who had just launched the View From Lyme Regis newspaper. I’ve covered Lifeboat Week and Regatta & Carnival every year since – always coming home from university to spend summer in Lyme – and then joining the family business full-time. Fourteen years later, one of my favourite summer events to cover is still the annual bathtub race. After taking photos at the start line it’s a quick dash along the Cart Road to catch the winners – quite often the local firemen – on the final push through the harbour. How do they get there so quickly? The one year I took part you could have gently strolled up and down the seafront six times before we reached the harbour mouth. In 2009 I entered a team with friends from the View From office and for some reason we all wore T-shirts with my face on to promote my new ‘Summertime in Lyme’ MY earliest memory of carnival is my older sister Zoe being crowned Mini Miss column. I can’t reLyme Regis 1994. Here we are pictured in Langmoor Gardens member where we got
THE View From Lyme Regis bathtub race team of 2009, including myself and my sister Zoe (second and third from left). Below, dressed as a strawberry for the carnival procession - whose idea was that? the bath or barrels from, but I do remember my sister and I sneaking around Lyme after dark stealing traffic cones to stick to the front of our raft, which was all looking rather flimsy until my teammate’s brother turned up at the last minute with his power tools and fastened the whole thing together properly. It never would have stayed afloat otherwise. That year, Lifeboat Week had not been blessed with the best weather and the race was postponed early in the week due to rough conditions at sea, but I’m pretty sure it was just as bad when it finally went ahead. I bought a child’s size rubber ring from Rainbow for extra safety (it actually turned out to be quite a hindrance when getting onto the boat!) and we set sail with Mum looking on anxiously. It took us so long to make the short crossing from Cobb Gate to the harbour that the tide had come in and Dad, who was cheering us on at the finish line, had to be carried off the North Wall for fear of ruining his suit. I was close to getting a soaking myself a few years ago while covering the tug o’ war across the harbour mouth. I always stand on the end of the Cobb so I can take photos of the lifeboat crew’s team across the water. But their opposition were so enthusiastic, when they successfully pulled the crew off the North Wall they all went tumbling back, knocking the crowd down as they went. I was pushed over, right on the edge of the Cobb wall, and thought for sure I was going in. I accepted my fate, closed my eyes, held my camera up as high as I could and waited for a splash. But a second or two later I realised I was still on dry land and squashing one or two others underneath me (sorry about that). The next year the crowd control was given much more consideration at the tug o’ war and barriers have been set up to keep spectators safe ever since. Well, at least if I went in the lifeboat crew were just a short swim away… I think the camera would have been ruined though. Regatta & Carnival’s pram derby was another favourite which also required a mad dash along the seafront. After setting off from the Ship Inn and careering down Coombe Street, I’d chase after the entrants to try and catch a snap of the winners coming through the finish line at the Royal Standard. Of course, I didn’t have to stop for the half pint at every pub which gave me a little time to catch up, although one year I did have to fight off a pirate wielding an inflatable mallet (only in Lyme Regis!) who thought I was a competitor in hot pursuit. Dad says when he was growing up you weren’t considered a true Lyme boy until you had competed in the pram derby. I think that was back when they thought such raucous events were “not for girls”. Of course, many Lyme girls have given it a good go since then, but I think I missed my chance as this is another event that sadly fell foul of health and safety rules and was cancelled a few years back. When Dad organised Regatta & Carnival during the 1970s, it attracted the likes of Tommy Trinder, Billy Dainty, Matt Munroe and Hope & Keen (he tells me they were all big stars), and in recent years Lifeboat Week has been given the
celebrity touch too. Last summer I turned up for the first day of Lifeboat Week and within minutes the crew whisked me up the road in a car with celebrity guest John Challis, aka Boycie. We took him to the Nag’s Had – the namesake of his favourite haunt in ‘Only Fools and Horses’ – for a quick photo opp and large cognac with landlords James and Rebecca before the official opening ceremony. A surreal start to another memorable week. And then of course there’s Red Arrows Day. A day when Lyme is a buzz with excitement, bursting at the seams with visitors, when fish and chip queues are a mile long and cars are literally abandoned in the streets – it seems like a different world now. The Arrows are always a challenge to capture on camera. I’ve given it a good go and managed the odd decent shot over the years, but in most the planes look more the size of sparrows – not Red Arrows! Instead I usually concentrate on crowd shots and leave the rest to the big guns – aka Richard Austin stood at the top of Langmoor Gardens with a lens longer than my arm. There’s nothing quite like that sudden roar as the Arrows burst overhead and out into the bay for a spectacular display. Fingers crossed we will see them here again one day. I’m not sure you can really call all that a job. Having fun in the sunshine every summer with a camera around my neck – doesn’t sound like hard work, does it? Dad says I must be one of the luckiest reporters in the country and I don’t think he’s wrong. With almost all major events now cancelled or postponed, the challenges of this year have made me realise just how much I love my job and I’m already missing our local events and festivals terribly. Roll on summer 2021 – it’s sure to be a good’un! Later in the summer we’ll be sharing archive photos from Lifeboat Week and Regatta & Carnival Week. If you have a photo to share, email it to edit@lyme-online.co.uk or get in touch and we can arrange to scan and return it.
14 Friday, May 29 2020
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Uplyme resident to host 24-hour Marine Theatre launches online games marathon for charity £21,000 fundraising appeal
UPLYME resident Anita Routley is hoping to raise £500 for Cancer Research UK with a 24-hour virtual games marathon. Anita, who is treasurer of the Lyme Regis branch of Cancer Research UK, had planned to host a public 24-hour games marathon in August. But, due to the coronavirus epidemic, she has decided to take the unique event online. Anita will now be using video conferencing app Zoom to host the virtual event over May 30 and 31, and she will be playing board games and cards non-stop against competitors for the entire 24 ANITA Routley prepares for her 24-hour games marathon at home in Uplyme hours. Photo by Rob Coombe She said: “Taking this online will make it a more difficult event challenge of visiting every station on the Lonfor me personally, as I will have to rely on in- don Underground network within one weeksomniacs and friends in Canada and the USA end for Water Survival Box. Anita is hoping to raise £500 for Cancer Reto keep me awake through the night.” But this will not be Anita’s first tiring chal- search UK and has already managed to raise lenge for charity. She has previously taken half of this through online sponsorship. You can make a donation via Facebook at part in an overnight walk around London for Cancer Research UK, and completed the www.facebook.com/donate/567354880796739/
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THE Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis has launched an online fundraising campaign to ensure it can reopen after lockdown. The theatre closed its doors in March when lockdown was first introduced to help the fight against coronavirus. This means ticket sales have been put on hold with many events cancelled or rescheduled, resulting in a loss of 80 per cent of its income. The Marine has now launched an online appeal with the aim of raising £21,000 to ensure it can reopen successfully when restrictions are lifted. A spokesperson for the theatre said: “Aside from health, COVID-19 is affecting people in so many ways, including community and arts organisations. We are proud to be more selffunding than most theatres, covering most of the running costs through ticket sales. But that means when we close our doors to the public, we lose 80 per cent of our income, while most running costs still have to be paid. This is after years of cuts to subsidies – we’re doing all we can. “We need help to cover running costs now. Reopening a venue is not as easy as you might think. When we are given the go ahead to open, we will still need weeks to organise events, without the income we need to pay bills. “We’ve been at the centre of Lyme Regis’s social and cultural life for over 125 years, and
we intend to be here for the next 125 years. Lyme Regis has a rich cultural and social life and deserves its own theatre. “We will be here when the pandemic passes, and we return to sharing music, theatre, comedy and all the wonderful socialising that comes with those things. “We worked hard to bring names such as Sir Ian McKellen and Bill Bailey to Lyme Regis. At the same time, we have free and accessible events, such as our Sunday Sessions, beer festival and children’s discos. We are launching a youth course to train people in sound and lighting engineering.” In the past, the Marine Theatre has turned to Lyme Regis Town Council for financial support and it was one of seven local organisations to successfully apply for funding in the council’s latest round of grants, receiving £22,000 a year up until 2025. This was still a major blow to its funding, having received £30,000 in previous years. The Mayor of Lyme Regis, Councillor Brian Larcombe MBE, has already made it clear that the council will not be in a position to be so generous with local organisations in the future, due to large-scale capital projects and a reduction in income due to the coronavirus pandemic. You can make a donation to the Marine Theatre at https://localgiving.org/appeal/reopenthemarine/
This month at the Marine Catch up with Lyme’s Little Theatre by the Sea
YOU really can have too much of a good thing. Sitting in my cubicle sized theatre office occasionally gazing out of my window at the glittering sea and blue sky, I would long for my lunchbreak so I could take in a few rays or go for a cooling dip. But that was then and now is now and dare I say, I’m close to having too much sun, sea and prosecco. And judging by the colour of people I pass, at a safe distance, everyone else has been doing much the same. Although I can’t speak about their alcohol consumption, notwithstanding the country’s increase in booze buying that has leapt by 67 per cent since lockdown. But I won’t judge. The other thing that is helping to fill our time is finding ways to keep fit. There are apparently plenty of online classes to enjoy. I obediently follow a daily exercise routine, I’m beginning to feel a bit like Sarah Connor, remember that scene of her in the prison cell getting super fit to take on the Terminator when she eventually gets out of prison. Anyhow, I digress. Do you remember it was the Marine’s 125th anniversary last year? It seems a lifetime ago since we were celebrating this great milestone, but even though the Marine has been around for 125 years, it is still in its infancy when it comes to being the southwest’s hub of entertainment. We are looking forward to the day we can fling open the doors once more but in the meantime we are keeping our website up to date and have set up a donation page to help us through this tricky time. If you go to marinetheatre.com and scroll down you will see the link to our Coronavirus page. We have also moved some events online, for instance you can enjoy the screening of ‘Are
You Going to the Marine’ on Wednesday, June 3 at 7pm. I met my dear friend and brilliant actress Viv Keene for a socially distanced tumbler of prosecco on the beach (it was a Sunday afternoon if you’re wondering, so perfectly acceptable) and if there is anyone with her ear to the theatre ground, it’s Viv. She told me the sad news about the Southport and Nuffield Southampton theatres and Prince Charles has issued a stark warning that we need to find a way to keep the Arts alive during these difficult times. But if there is one thing the Marine is good at and that’s riding the storm and given our location, we’re best placed to do just that! Other Marine friends I met include the lovely Karen, she of the Lyme Splash and planned water polo match. She was out with her lurcher when our paths crossed, albeit 2 metres apart, outside the Uplyme Stores and she keenly asked after the theatre. I received some flowers, quite unexpectedly. Delivered by Lyme’s House of Flowers, I squealed in delight having bemoaned the lack of romance in my life. Sadly they were not from any secret admirer but just as nice, a lovely thank you from a friend I helped out. So still a wonderful surprise but I continue to live in hope. I also live in hope of my hairdresser opening soon, what with my bronzed body, sun & sea bleached unruly tangled hair and bubbly on the beach, I’m in danger of going native.
Sophia Moseley
Theatre manager
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NOW IN THE DEVON & EXETER PREMIER LEAGUE
Davey Fort
May 29 2020
Clubhouse closed until further notice
My cricketing memories – Part One
Down in the dumps until cockney Den came to town
By PHILIP EVANS
Y
OU won’t find a more quintessential cricket ground than Uplyme’s. The village church stands high above the ground, a stream trickles silently around the field and the pub is within staggering distance.
On a hot summer afternoon, it’s just about as perfect as its gets. No wonder all those touring teams from up country wanted Uplyme on their list of must-visit village cricket clubs. It wasn’t just the cricket which was always played in a friendly and competitive manner. There were few livelier clubhouses after the game when jugs of beer would be quaffed, awarded for exceptional feats or embarrassing dropped catches, of which there were many. And then to round the night off, John Stamp would nip up to Charlie Raymond’s farm for a quart or two of his roughest cider which usually sent the visitors to bed totally incapable of speaking or walking. They were foolish enough to challenge Stomper to a drinking competition. Shirts were discarded and chests puffed out as the hapless city boys tried to out-drink Uplyme’s most thirsty performer. On one occasion we found one of them in Cats
DENNIS Applebee (left) pictured with Somerset’s Brian Close at his Uplyme testimonial game
Park in Lyme emptying the contents of his stomach over the municipal flowers without a clue where he was. Apparently he spent the night on one of the park benches. These and many more happy memories come flooding back as I looked back over the 20 enjoyable years I spent as a player and committee man at the home of Uplyme and Lyme Regis Cricket Club. They were some of the happiest days of my life. Although I showed a bit of promise as a schoolboy, I was an average second XI wicketkeper and occasional opening bat. At school I won a place in the 1st XI as a fourth former and can distinctly remember facing Rodney Jones who was opening bowler for the Old Boys, a real quickie who reveled in putting the fear of God into us whippersnappers.
Coached by Uplyme’s best players A few years later I was batting for the Old Boys when the technical drawing and metalwork teacher, G.A Taylor (Gat to all of us) was umpiring. When I asked for for a two (middle and on) crease position, he replied “slightly towards the vertical plain boy”. As only Gat would. I was selected for Dorset Grammar Schools Under 15s with Mike Denham who was a far better batsman than me. As youngsters we were coached down on the King George V playing field by Mike’s father, Ted Denham, headmaster at Uplyme Primary and Bob Mason, a brilliant allround sportsman. Ted and Bob were the stalwarts of Uplyme Cricket Club (note no Lyme Regis in those days) and kept the club going for years through good and bad times. Bob’s son Andy followed in his Dad’s shoes, an excellent opening bat and lifelong Uplyme supporter who is now club president. I didn’t really return to cricket until Dennis Applebee arrived in town from North London to run the WTA hostel at St Alban’s. Dennis played for Edmonton in a good standard of cricket in London and was also a brilliant table tennis player. Uplyme were at a pretty low ebb when Dennis started to breath some life into the club. He got us all playing again, leading from the front with his leg-breaks or was it off-breaks (none of us were really sure), bowling from the Talbot Arms end and always aiming for what became known as “Applebee’s Ridge”, a slight hump which sent the crimson rambler (as BJ Rattenbury always
UPLYME Cricket Club pictured in the 1960s at a testimonial for Somerset County Cricket Club. The Somerset players include Bill Alley and Peter White. Uplyme players include Paul Apanasewicz, Jim Stone, Jim Draper, Bon Mason and Ray Lewis. The mascot is a young Terry Guppy. Photo loaned by Bon Mason’s daughter, Sandra Raglan described it) in all directions when Dennis managed to find it. I have dined out on Dennis Applebee stories in cricket club after-dinner speeches more times than I care to remember. He was one of those chaps you wouldn’t want to share a lift with because you just knew it would break-down between floors, but when it came to organising sporting events, he had no equal. We fed off his enthusiasm and love of the game and he provided us with so many memories of happy occasion both on and off the pitch. When Dennis arrived in Lyme the club was desperate for money. So he set about putting that right, utilising his organisational skills to maximum benefit. It was Den who introduced the notorious “Gentlemen’s Evening” to sleepy Lyme Regis, complete with a guest speaker, often from the world of cricket, and, of course, a stripper to round the night off. These were held at various locations around town, including the Buena Vista Hotel, the Royal Lion and the Marine Theatre. For some reason that escapes me, they were always sold out, although not all those who attended had ever touched a cricket ball! Some of Dennis’ antics have gone down in the
foklore of Uplyme Cricket Club. Two immediately come to mine. His wife Sheila used to pack his kit bag and on one occasion she packed his dress shirt in the days when it was all the rage to have a ruff down the front and lacey cuffs. When Dennis went out to toss there were some suspicious looks from the opposing captain as they shook hands! Later in the game Dennis went for a diving catch off his own bowling. He was a bit stocky to say the least in those days and he hit the ground like a Sunderland flying boat landing and got up with grass stains all down the front of his trendy dinner shirt. A week or so later he was attending a civic function and was wearing the said shirt but still with the green staines, which clearly had not come out in the wash!
■ More memories of the golden years of Dennis Applebee in part two of this series and how Uplyme and Lyme Regis Cricket Club (note Lyme Regis had now been added) attracted some of England’s finest cricketers to the King George V playing field and the club’s celebration of its 100th anniversary at Lord’s, the HQ of cricket.
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