LymeOnline Digital Edition – October 29 2021

The latest news, sport & events in Lyme Regis

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Fears over future of Uplyme garage

POST office services at Uplyme Filling Station will be discontinued in the New Year, with questions also looming over the future viability of the entire garage and village store.

The owner of Uplyme Filling Station, former parish councillor Dave Ostler, has confirmed that the post office service will cease to operate when the postmaster’s current lease comes to an end on January 14 2022, and has implied that the entire facility could also shut down.

REPORT, PAGE 8

Town finances on track

LYME Regis Town Council has got its finances back on track following concerns during the coronavirus pandemic, and is now expected to have at least £1.2million in the bank by the end of the financial year.

REPORT, PAGE 3

Artisan Florist

Wild and Seasonal

Daily deliveries, order online Self-serve flower shed at 18 Woodmead Road, Lyme Regis DT7 3AD SERIOUS flooding across the area last week brought issues surrounding potential pollution of the River Lim to the fore, along with a controversial vote in the House of Commons on sewage dumping. Torrential rain on Wednesday night saw areas around the River Lim in Lyme Regis and Uplyme, River Char in Charmouth and the River Axe in Axminster and Seaton flooded. In Lyme Regis, wooden benches, footbridges and tree trunks were among the debris found on Thursday morning, pictured above

by Vivien Keene. See page 11 for more photos.

Calls to protect our river

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RESIDENTS OUTRAGED AS SEWAGE DISCHARGE ISSUE HITS NATIONAL HEADLINES RESIDENTS of Lyme Regis and surrounding areas have expressed outrage over potential pollution of our rivers and seas due to the dumping of raw sewage.

The issue of water companies dumping raw sewage into England’s rivers and coastal waters made national headlines this week following a controversial vote in the House of Commons.

Conservative ministers, including West

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk

Dorset MP Chris Loder, were high criticised after they voted to remove seven lines from an amendment to the Environment Bill, put forward by the House of Lords, which suggested putting a new legal duty on water firms to "take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows”.

The government said it was “disingenuous

and untrue” to suggest MPs had backed dumping human waste into rivers. They said it would cost up to £660billion to upgrade England’s Victorian sewer system to stop all storm overflows overnight.

But following a huge online backlash and campaigning led by environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage, the government made a u-turn on Tuesday, announcing that CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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LymeOnline 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 Managing Director: Philip Evans MBE philip@lyme-online.co.uk

Countdown to Christmas lights switch-on!

WITH less than six weeks to go until Lyme Regis switches on its renowned Christmas lights, the committee behind the display are ramping up fundraising efforts.

Another spectacular display of Christmas lights is set to be switched on on Saturday, November 27 following an afternoon of festive events for all the family.

The programme will start with a Christmas lantern-making workshop at Lyme Regis Baptist Church at 2.30pm.

Children and adults are invited to join in the fun and make a lantern for free, with all materials provided.

Judging of the lanterns will then be held at the Baptist Church at 4pm, with prizes for best entries in each of the age categories. Lanterns made at home are also welcome to enter.

At 5pm an illuminated carnival including the parade of lanterns, Lyme Regis Majorettes and Father Christmas will make its way down

Broad Street to the town’s Christmas tree at The Shambles.

The big switch-on will be held at 5.30pm, and Father Christmas will afterwards be mingling with the crowds.

Lyme Morris will also be performing on the evening.

The Lyme Regis Christmas Lights Committee is now making a final push to cover costs of this year’s display with their annual grand raffle.

Prizes include £300 cash donated

by The Slipway, £200 cash donated

by Bright Future Financial, £100 cash donated by Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium, a three-course meal for two at the Alexandra Hotel and a £100 meal voucher for The Harbour Inn. Tickets cost just £1 and are available via the website lymechristmaslights.co.uk/raffle, from The Slipway at the Cobb, from Joshua and Annette Denning or Andrew Hodder.

Lyme Regis Christmas lights display 2020 (photo by Richard Austin) Looking ahead to other festive 23 and the Lyme Lunge swim on events, the Rotary Club of Lyme New Year’s Day, while Lyme Regis Regis is planning to go ahead with lifeboat crew will be raising funds its traditional Carols Around the at the Christmas Day swim in CharTree event on Thursday, December mouth.

Chance for local groups to raise funds through bingo

Contributors Richard Austin edit@lyme-online.co.uk Production: Jackie Evans jackie@lyme-online.co.uk

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LOCAL community groups and organisations are invited to join the five other organisations which comprise Lyme Regis Community Bingo Association.

Every Thursday at the Woodmead Halls in Lyme Regis, cash bingo is held with each organisation taking it in turns to host the event.

There is currently space for up to two new organisations to join the Over 70s Lunch Fund, Lyme Regis Christmas Lights, St. Michael's CE VA Primary School, Lyme Regis Football Club and Lyme Regis Pantomime Society.

A minimum of three people from the organ-

isation are required when it’s their turn to host the event, including providing a bingo caller, people to sell the bingo books and help set up and put away the tables and chairs.

It’s great way to generate some extra income as at the end of the year all profits are shared amongst the member organisations, with £896 awarded in 2020 to the seven organisations who formed the association in 2019.

Expressions of interest should be submitted

by December 2 by emailing info@lymeregisbingo.co.uk or by calling Michaela Ellis on 01297 443942 or 07856 630 975.

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Town council’s finances back on track after coronavirus pandemic LYME Regis Town Council has got its finances back on track following the coronavirus pandemic, and is expected to have at least £1.2million in the bank by the end of the financial year.

The town clerk’s latest report on the authority’s budget performance was a far cry from that reported in spring 2020, when members were told that the coronavirus pandemic was “wiping out” the council’s reserves.

Lyme Regis has often been described as a “rich council” in recent years, with reserves at one point standing at £1.4million. But with a heavy dependency on tourism-related income, there were concerns that the pandemic would see this figure knocked down to £67,000.

The council looked into several money-saving options last year, including putting major projects on hold, selling off assets and even considered taking out a loan – a proposal which was

Lyme residents will not go to the polls to select new town councillor COUNCILLOR John Broom has been elected the new deputy mayor of Lyme Regis.

Cllr Broom was elected unanimously at this week’s full council meeting, following the resignation of former deputy mayor Kelsey Ellis.

Miss Ellis’ resignation has left a casual vacancy on the council, which for the first time since 2015 will be filled by co-option as not enough electors have called for a by-election.

Those interested in becoming a councillor will not be asked to apply to the town council directly and will go through an interview-type process before members select a successful candidate (see pages 17 & 22) It is expected that a new councillor will be selected in late November.

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk eventually dismissed.

Following what was thought to be the town’s busiest ever summer, the council has seen a complete turn around in its financial forecast, thanks largely to an increase in car parking income – expected to be 25 per cent more than budgeted for throughout the year.

Members have now been told that they should have enough in the bank at the end of the financial year to boost reserves back to a healthy level, continue with agreed upon projects such as the Guildhall refurbishment and new railings on the seafront, and could even pay back Dorset Council the outstanding total of £157,000 remaining from a loan taken out in the early 2000s for the shelters refurbishment project.

As well as car parking, other contributing factors have included increased income from the council’s amenities, such as the mini golf course in Lister Gardens, and from the Monmouth Beach chalet park.

This council has benefited from recent sales of beach huts at Monmouth Beach, receiving a transfer fee of 10 per cent of the selling price plus VAT, with current prices described by the council’s finance officer as “through the roof”.

The council also received an unbudgeted donation of £16,000 from Warner Bros for the use of Monmouth Beach car park during the recent filming of ‘Wonka’.

Town clerk John Wright said the estimation of £1.2million in the bank by the end of the financial year was “prudent” and could likely increase.

He commented: “This year has so far been very good for us and it’s fair to say our forecast is that the year will continue to be good and the amount

of surplus that we budgeted for will be exceeded quite significantly.

“This is all good news and we are now able to release further projects.”

Following news of the healthy financial forecast, councillors agreed to hold the council tax precept [the total annual amount the town council receives from the full council tax bill] at same level of £132,779 for the 2022/23 year – the equivalent of £64.41 a year for a Band D property.

It was suggested by Cllr Richard Doney that the council could scrap the precept altogether for one year to give something back to residents following a challenging 18 months during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, concerns were raised that if the council did this for one year, it would then face backlash when the precept was reintroduced in 2023/24, similar to that the government experienced when it stopped its £20-a-week boost to Universal Credit payments earlier this month.

The town clerk also warned councillors that the government may introduce a council tax precept cap, and if the precept was scrapped it could be capped at zero for future years.

The council increased the precept by 10% last year – bringing in extra income of just under £13,000 – having held it at the same level for the previous 10 years. Members were told that the precept was relatively low compared to neighbouring areas.

It was agreed to hold the precept at the same level, rather than scrapping it. However, councillors did agree to offer residents benefits when setting other charges for the coming financial year, including a permit for 50% discount in its car parks and when booking beach huts for 2023 onwards.

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Friday, October 29 2021 3

Help needed for annual bonfire night celebrations THE annual bonfire and firework night celebrations will take place in Lyme Regis on Saturday, November 6.

Events will include a magnificent firework display from the Cobb at 6.30pm, followed by the lighting of the bonfire on the beach.

Local businesses in the Cobb area will be staying open to enable everyone to have an enjoyable night.

Organisers have appealed for help in building the bonfire between 9am and 12noon on the day of the event, and for help with the clearing of the beach from 8.30am on Sunday, November 7.

A collection will be made at the end of the firework display and collectors are also urgently needed.

Finally, if you have any wood for the bonfire (no garden waste) please bring it to the beach on Saturday, November 6 between 9am and 12noon, or if you need help with transport ,or to discuss helping with any of the above, contact Alan Vian on 01297 442220 or email alan@alanvian.co.uk

Twinners host coffee morning

THE Lyme Regis/St George’s Twinning Association will host a coffee morning at the Driftwood Café in Lyme Regis Baptist Church tomorrow (Saturday, October 30).

The event will be held from 10am to 12noon with entrance costing £2.50 to include tea or coffee and biscuits.

There will also be a raffle and cake stall and videos of Lyme’s twin town St George’s, in Bermuda, will be shown on the big screen.

The association is currently looking for a new treasurer and anyone interested in the role can find out more at the coffee morning or should contact chairman John Dover on jonner_dover@hotmail.com or call 07769 655 362.

4 Friday, October 29 2021

NEWS IN BRIEF

Public asked to have their say on strategy for Lyme harbour THE draft Dorset Harbours Strategy, which will guide the development of Lyme Regis, West Bay and Weymouth harbours over the next ten years, has been approved for public consultation Dorset Council is now seeking views from the public to build a strategy that is supported by communities and stakeholders.

The Dorset Coast Forum has been working with the Dorset Council Harbours’ Committee

to help develop this new strategy which will unify the three harbours under Dorset Council management, while recognising the unique qualities of each harbour.

Once feedback has been reviewed the final strategy will be considered for approval in March 2022. The survey is now open until midnight on December 5 at www.dorsetcoasthaveyoursay.co.uk/dorset-harbours-strate gy

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A round-up of news from the LymeOnline website visit www.lyme-online.co.uk for full stories

‘Wonka’ star talks of ‘beautiful Lyme Regis’

‘WONKA’ actor Timothée Chalamet has spoken about “beautiful” Lyme Regis in a BBC radio interview.

The 25-year-old actor, who is playing Willy Wonka in Warner Bros’ new musical, partially filmed in Lyme Regis, was interviewed on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 last week. he described the town as beautiful, adding: “We were hosted very nicely by everyone in the town.”

Plans underway for annual Christmas Day swim

Artist displays abstract paintings in museum

PLANS are underway for the return of the traditional fancy dress Christmas Day swim in Charmouth.

After being called off last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event is set to go ahead on December 25 to raise funds for the RNLI. As usual participants are asked to arrive at the beach at 10.30am for an 11am sharp start, which will be signalled by Lyme Regis town crier Alan Vian.

The event will be attended by members of the Lyme Regis lifeboat crew who will keep a watchful eye on those in the water.

R&B star Geno recovering after stopping gig at Marine LEGENDARY R&B star Geno Washington was taken ill while on stage at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis.

The singer, aged 77, was said to be suffering from exhaustion and had to stop the gig with his Ram Jam Band on Saturday, October 16.

The Marine Theatre has now released a statement saying it was an “upsetting experience for everyone” but Geno is making a full recovery. He has promised to return to Lyme Regis when he is back to full health.

A SHOWCASE of work by Lyme Regis artist Annie Ward, entitled ‘Where the Mist Rises’, opened at the town’s museum this week.

Based on her research into satellite photographs and historic maps of the Dorset coastline, these abstract works explore the changeable spaces where the land meets the sea.

Annie has previously exhibited her work in several galleries in London and across the UK. Her exhibition at the museum will be open until December 5.

Parking charge changes expected in New Year CHANGES to parking tariffs throughout Dorset will see some winners and some losers – according to the senior councillor leading the project.

Overall many people, including visitors to the county, are likely to find themselves paying more – although a slimmed down permit system might help some local people as 70 existing permits are scrapped to be replaced by just two.

Portfolio holder Cllr Ray Bryan says no date has yet been set for the changes and no firm decisions made, although it is likely that the

Volunteers needed to improve Dorset paths THE Dorset Local Access Forum are looking for people who want to improve the county’s paths and open spaces for local people and visitors.

The forum (DLAF) considers all the issues relating to the county’s Public Rights of Way and public green spaces.

They find solutions to matters such as the coast path being lost to erosion, the need for safe vehicle-free routes for walking, cycling and horse-riding, the maintenance and improvement work that is sensitive to the paths character and landscape and how to help

Young talent shines in PipeUp organ concert THIS concert brought beautiful music to our lovely sea town of Lyme Regis, performed by seven talented young organ students.

PipeUp is a scheme administered through the Diocese of Salisbury to subsidise organ teaching across a large geographical area, spanning from Lyme Regis in the south of the diocese almost to Swindon in the north.

The time and enthusiasm put into teaching these students by Dr Godfrey shone through each performance.

Full review by Dr Margrethe Stuttaford on the LymeOnline website www.lyme-online.co.uk

new rates will be introduced in the New Year.

He said the council is determined to have the same rules in place across the county, doing away with the previous charging structures from the predecessor six councils.

Several councillors have warned that if the charges are pushed too high people will try and park for free in side streets, adding to congestion for residents.

This is one of the concerns in Lyme Regis, where all-day charges in Dorset Council owned car parks are set to increase to £10, having already been hiked from just £2 to £8 this year.

Fifty eco-friendly homes across Dorset open doors

people to walk and ride and not use vehicles for local trips.

The forum are looking for people to be part of this team. Anyone can apply to join the DLAF – all you need is commitment, enthusiasm, and experience of using, helping provide or of the wider issues that could be benefited by improved countryside access.

You could be a landowner or just someone who enjoys walking and outdoor activities.

To apply to join the DLAF visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/get-involved-dlaf. The deadline to apply is 7 November 2021.

DORSET Climate Action Network has just hosted the first Dorset-wide Open Greener Homes event.

Fifty homes across the area, including in Lyme Regis, were open to the general public to showcase what changes they had made to their homes to make them more energy-efficient and sustainable.

Some had made changes to older buildings, such as adding insulation, solar panels and batteries to generate electricity or heat pumps to heat their homes, while other were newly built to high specifications.

Historic guest house could be returned to residential use ONE of Lyme Regis’ most historic houses could be returned to residential use after serving as a guest house for many years.

A planning application has been submitted to Dorset Council to convert the Old Lyme Guest House in Coombe Street into a family home.

The planning application states that the current owners are intending to sell the property following “prolonged periods of vacancy” during the coronavirus pandemic.

Friday, October 29 2021 5

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ALL OVER THE TOWN

with LymeOnline

editor Francesca Evans

I’ll take my wellies next time I cover Uplyme council!

BRIDPORT fire crew, pictured wading through the flooded River Char, were among emergency services out until the early hours last Wednesday night

in and out of the hall in their hi-vis jackets and with various brooms in hand.

I wasn’t 100 per cent convinced as they tried to assure councillors “everything’s fine”, but I was still shocked when I eventually left to find a torrent of water running through the car park.

Some weren’t too fussed about getting their feet wet and quickly dashed out to their cars, but I had - perhaps rather stupidly - parked in the ‘overflow’ car park (no pun intended!) at the back of the hall, the driveway to which runs right alongside the river and was now well underwater.

After a few minutes of panic and dreading what would have been a very damp walk home, one of the council’s newest members, Pete IF YOU READ ONE THING: Hackett, came SEWAGE has really kicked up a stink in the na- to my rescue. tional press over the past week, and so many He showed me LymeOnline readers have been in touch with to the back door their concerns about pollution in the River Lim. of the hall and You can find the latest figures for sewage over- helped me to spills and how Turn Lyme Green hopes to climb – rather tackle it on page 11. ungracefully –

I’VE covered countless council and public meetings in village halls, community rooms, theatres, churches, and the slightly grander guildhalls over the years.

During lockdown I even covered one outside in a car park, and plenty of virtual meetings via Zoom. But last week was the first time I had to wade out of a meeting!

With fears over the future of Uplyme garage, village shop and post office (see page 8) the hot topic of the moment, I headed out last Wednesday evening to cover a parish council meeting where it was

THE PLACE TO BE:

EVENT YOU CAN’T MISS:

AS winter nights set in, The Pilot Boat in Lyme Regis is returning to its regular programme of events that proved popular before the coronavirus pandemic. Cocktail Wednesdays, Fizzy Fridays, quiz nights and Sunday roasts are on the menu, and it won’t be long before festive fayre will be offered - see page 9.

FOR the first time in two years, live music and bar service will be returning to SWIM on Lyme Regis seafront. DJ Monoke will be bringing revellers a mix of house and disco for this over 18s events kicking off at 9pm on Saturday, October 30. Halloween fancy dress is encouraged!

top of the agenda.

When I arrived at Uplyme Village Hall the river was already raging and puddles were pooling in the car park, but I didn’t think much of it.

After all, the rain seemed to be leaving off.

How wrong was I? Midway through the meeting it started coming down so hard that it was difficult to hear the debate over the sound of the rain hitting the roof.

Volunteer flood wardens John Fowler and James Booth, who were both sat in the public forum, quickly sprung into action, dashing

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over its flood defence gate, plopping my very non-waterproof boots into a deep puddle on the other side.

Needless to say I was not dressed for the occasion.

Never mind! I was just thankful I had parked my little Smart Car on a slight slope and it had avoided the worst of the water. I jumped in and was waved out of a gate onto the main road through the village – the river quickly spilling onto it – by volunteers John and James, who I am told stayed out until the early hours of the morning in torrential rain to help their neighbours.

Community spirit at its best!

Back home I couldn’t help but think of them and all the emergency services, called out to help others. I also stayed up until the early hours of the morning, reporting as much flood information as I could on our websites, but at least I was able to do that from the comfort of my own bed.

I don’t often get out to Uplyme Parish Council meetings as they regularly clash with those of the town council here in Lyme Regis, but I think next time I’ll take my wellies, just in case!

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LYME MATTERS with Philip Evans Essential reading for all those with Lyme at heart

www.lyme-online.co.uk

philip@lyme-online.co.uk

Lyme’s link with Normandy Memorial T

HERE were some emotional scenes on our local television station this week when D-Day veteran Harry Billinge was able to visit the new British Memorial in Normandy.

Harry, now 96 years old, was an 18-year-old Sapper when he landed in Normandy on June 6 1944.

He lost many friends in the Battle of Normandy and has spent his life raising money to honour his former colleagues who made the supreme sacrifice.

Awarded the MBE by Her Majesty The Queen, Harry has campaigned for many years for a memorial in Normandy to honour the 22,442 servicemen men and women under

A tour of Lyme in the 1920s THE people of Lyme Regis, especially those born in the town, love nostalgia.

We know this only too well at LymeOnline as there is always a great response when we print an old photograph and, when we organised a slide show from the collection of prints taken by the late Percy Bird, the Woodmead Halls was packed and we raised £600 for Alzheimer’s.

This year Lyme Regis Museum is celebrating its 100th anniversary and has succeeded in teasing out of retirement Lyme’s King of Nostalgia, Ken Gollop.

It won’t be one of his famous ‘Under Shady Tree’ presentations but to mark the museum’s milestone Ken has agreed to host a slideshow on Lyme in the 1920s.

It will include previously unseen photos of that era including an event at the harbour in 1926 called ‘The Landing of the Phoenicians’.

It will be taking place at the Woodmead Halls on November 7. Don’t miss it.

British control who lost their lives.

The British Normandy Memorial was officially open by the Prince of Wales, and Harry, who is feted in France as much as he is in England, was able to see his dream come true this week.

You might ask what has this got to do with Lyme Regis? Well quite a bit, actually.

There were nine men of Lyme who lost their lives in the Battle of Normandy and one presumes their names will be on the memorial.

There is a unique relationship between Lyme Regis and Normandy through the twinning of Lyme Regis Football Club and their counterparts in the village of Creully, the first village to be liberated on June 6 1944 by the Royal Dragoon Guards.

Creully has an 11th century castle where the BBC based themselves after the D-Day landings and Field Marshal Montgomery used a chateau just outside the village for his headquarters where he met with the King and Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill soon after the invasion.

The twinning arrangement between Lyme Regis FC and US Creully has been going for 40 years and is unique in England and French footballing circles.

When we first travelled to Creully in 1980 for a game of football and a barbecue, memories of the war were still quite raw. Today, I don’t think there is anyone in the village who was alive when they were under occupation.

The club has been privileged to attend many occasions at the Creully war memorial, including the 50th anniversary when Prince Charles was present, but it was many years later we learned that nine men of Lyme had died within ten kilometres of the village.

We discovered this after painstaking research by David Humphrey and Vernon Rat-

Photo by RICHARD AUSTIN tenbury on behalf of the Royal British Legion and after being informed of this we visited several of the war cemeteries and placed remembrance crosses on the graves.

Over the next couple of weeks you will see members and supporters of the Lyme Regis branch of the Royal British Legion selling poppies on street corners in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday (November 14).

Unfortunately, there will not be a full remembrance service in St Michael’s Parish Church due to continuing concerns about

COVID-19, but there will be a parade from the entrance of Langmoor Gardens through the town to the war memorial in Monmouth Street which contains the 100 names of the men of Lyme who lost their lives in two world wars. There will be a short service, including the reading of the names of all those men who never returned home and an opportunity for organisations and individuals to place a wreath or cross at the memorial.

As president of the Lyme branch , I urge you to give your support.

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LYME will not be going to the polls to fill the vacancy on the town council following the resignation of deputy mayor Kelsey Ellis.

Miss Ellis, who was the council’s youngest member and was expected to be mayor next year, stood down because she has moved away from the area.

Her letter of resignation was a devastating condemnation of the council’s unruly behaviour and petty point-scoring with references to bullying and the explosive revelation she had received aggressive emails and faced discrimination when she was elected deputy mayor.

These allegations, which are still reverberating around the Guildhall, came after mayor Brian Larcombe had warned councillors about their behaviour on at least two occasions.

In his annual report on the council’s risk assessment, town clerk John Wright, not for the first time, said the biggest risk to the council was the poor behaviour of council-

lors. He also referred in his report to some councillors being in denial about the manner in which they behaved.

This is serious stuff.

The town is being held to ridicule and in this column I have suggested that the council is no longer fit for purpose.

The only way the electorate can pass judgement on the behaviour of councillors is through the ballot box. But there won’t be another election until 2023.

There could have been an election if ten council taxpayers demanded one to fill Miss Ellis’ position, but that has not happened, a testament surely that the people of Lyme have lost interest in local government - and who can blame them?

The council will now try to fill the vacancy by co-option and anyone interested will be asked to submit a letter. I know of several who have considered standing for office but decided against it because they don’t want to be dragged into the petty-politicking of those who behave so badly.

Those who are considering putting their name forward will be saying to themselves: “Do I want to get involved with this? Do I want to be tarred with the same brush?”

What amazes me is that those councillors who do behave themselves and act with dignity (and there are several) do not publicly distance themselves from those to whom the town clerk was referring.

The public deserves to know who is bringing the council and town into disrepute.

This newspaper often gets blamed for fanning the flames and we have taken a decision this week that we will no longer print letters from councillors who use our columns to express a view on council related matters or are critical of other members.

We will be happy to consider publishing letters from elected members on matters outside the council chamber but reserve the right to edit these (see letters on page 18).

Friday, October 29 2021 7

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COVID-19: The latest on local coronavirus figures DORSET has seen sharp increases in COVID-19 cases, in line with the South West and national picture, according to the latest figures.

In the week up until October 22, confirmed cases in the Dorset Council area increased from 1,323 to 1,956, and the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) area saw an increase from 1,061 to 1,621.

This means the case rate per 100,000 people was 515.0 in the Dorset Council area, up from 348.3, and 408.3 in the BCP area, compared to 267.3 last week.

This compares to the current national average case rate of 486.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals across Dorset had also jumped from 39 to 53.

A spokesperson for Public Health Dorset said: “We have seen significant increases in COVID19 cases across the county this week.

“Both the Dorset Council and BCP Council areas have seen sharp rises along with the wider South West region.

“Hospitalisations have also increased by a third over the past week. Case rates are highest amongst school-aged children, but we are seeing cases rise in all age groups.”

As a result of the increases, Public Health Dorset is asking residents to take the following advice: ● KNOW their level of risk has changed as a result of rising cases, and there will be an increased chance of mixing with someone who is

infectious.

ACT by taking measures to prevent airborne spread, this includes choosing to meet outdoors wherever possible and when indoors keep doors and windows open and maintain space between yourself and others. ● PROTECT by testing regularly to check you’re not unknowingly infectious and getting vaccinated if you haven’t already done so.

Directors of Public Health in the South West have also taken the step of writing to schools to provide guidance around some additional measures to prevent the spread of the virus in schools, including ensuring good ventilation, reducing mixing and large gatherings, and wearing face coverings when moving around in indoor spaces.

Coronavirus cases in the Lyme Regis area have also increased sharply according to the latest figures.

In the seven-day period up until October 21, there were 72 recorded cases of COVID-19 in the Lyme Regis, Charmouth & Marshwood Vale area, an increase of 25 on the previous week.

This means the case rate per 100,000 people was 992.6 – well above the Dorset Council area figure of 515.0 and more than double the national average of 486.

Cases have started to drop, however, in neighbouring Uplyme, Kilmington & Colyton, which became one of the worst affected local areas in recent weeks. As of October 21, there were 69 ●

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

Framing business seeking new owner A LYME Regis business which has provided a service to the town for many years is looking for a new home. ’On The Edge’ Framing has existed in Lyme Regis for over 25 years, providing a picture framing service for the town.

In that time it’s had at least four owners and occupied several different premises – including the shop at the top of Hill Road and the Town Mill – and most recently the garden studio in Harcombe belonging to Jennie and Adrian Pearson.

Now Jennie and Adrian have to move on and are on the look out for someone new who would find the craft of picture framing a rewarding pursuit.

Said Jennie: “There’s always a variety of projects coming through the door – not just pictures, prints and photos but items like embroidery, medals, T-shirts and family memorabilia that folk treasure and want displayed. It’s so nice helping people enhance their special pieces.”

Jennie and Adrian are offering not just materials, equipment and tools of the trade but training and mentoring to anyone new to the business.

Jennie added: “We do so hope someone will want to take this on; we’ll do all we can to help them on their way.

“We’d love to hear from anyone who’s interested.”

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confirmed cases, a decrease of 12 on the previous week. This put the case rate per 100,000 people at 821.2.

But cases have risen in every other surrounding area.

Figures for surrounding areas as of October 21 were as follows: Seaton – 36 (increase of 9); Axminster – 80 (increase of 51); Burton Brad-

stock & Chideock – 52 (decrease of 7); Bridport South & West Bay – 34 (increase of 2); Bridport North – 35 (increase of 6); Beaminster, Maiden Newton & Halstock – 87 (increase of 26).

You can find out more details on COVID case numbers in your local area at https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

8 Friday, October 29 2021

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Fears over future of Uplyme Garage with post office service already set to close in New Year POST office services at Uplyme Filling Station will be discontinued in the New Year, with questions also looming over the future viability of the entire garage and village store.

The owner of Uplyme Filling Station, former parish councillor Dave Ostler, has confirmed that the post office service will cease to operate when the postmaster’s current lease comes to an end on January 14 2022, and has implied that the entire facility could also shut down.

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk

Mr Ostler said that proposed changes to Uplyme Road, to provide access for a new primary school on land behind the village hall, had been an ongoing concern for several years and could pose a health and safety hazard for his business.

In a statement to the parish council, he said: “The post office will be discontinued at the petrol station as from January 14 2022.

“As I have been saying for a very long time,

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

MS Dorset expands to offer support to patients across the entire county MULTIPLE Sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord.

In MS, the coating that protects your nerves is damaged. Myelin is the fatty protective coating that surrounds nerve fibres - a bit like the insulation on an electrical wire.

As well as protecting the fragile nerve fibres, myelin also allows messages to travel quickly along the nerves without being lost or interrupted.

For example, in the nerve cells that extend from the spinal cord to the muscles in your leg, the myelin coating allows messages to travel at up to 268 miles per hour.

In nerve cells without myelin, the speed the message travels can drop as low as one mile per hour.

In MS, immune cells enter the brain and spinal cord and attack both the myelin and the cells that make it.

When myelin becomes damaged, messages find it harder to get through – or can’t get through at all. That’s what causes the symptoms of MS. Research is being undertaken to find out how to repair myelin. Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments and specialists can help to manage the condition and its symptoms.

Many people notice their first symptoms years before they get their diagnosis.

In Dorset today there are more than 1,300 people who have the condition, almost three times as many women as men. One in five

A group of young people volunteering to fundraise for MS research

new people diagnosed are aged under 30.

MS Dorset is a group of volunteers who offer a wide range of information advice and, where appropriate, grants to individuals who have MS. Traditionally, the group has operated in the south of the county but it is now expanding to cover the whole of Dorset.

A spokesperson said: “We aim to start groups in the main towns and need volunteers to operate those groups.

“We have been fortunate to receive a grant from the county council to get people with disabilities and their carers out and about following lockdown.

“So if you have a disability and would like help to join an activity either individually, such as an evening class, or one of our shopping trips or other organised activity give our helpline a call on 07554 882 414.”

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F O O R P

MS Dorset is a group of volu teers who formerly covered d the S South Weest of Dorset and who now ow cover c tthe whole whole of the th county. The group offfers ferrrs a w wide ide range ra of information advice and, where appropriate, grants to individuals who have MS.

Local helpline: 07554 882414

due to the road changes in the vicinity of the petrol station, it now puts the village shop/petrol station in jeopardy, the fundamental reason being health and safety.

“Therefore, as from January 14 2022 it does look as if the whole facility will close.

“I agree that it is a great shame that the village will lose amenity, however a business such as this needs support from all areas/departments for it to be sustainably continued.

“The safety concerns are now out of my hands, having, as you know, done my very best over the last four/five years to resolve the issues.”

Having expressed general support for a new school building for Mrs Ethelston’s Primary, Uplyme Parish Council objected to the plans due to the access and parking arrangements off Uplyme Road.

There were concerns that traffic could build up on the main road outside Uplyme Filling Station, causing a health and safety hazard and affecting the viability of the business.

Despite the concerns, planning permission was granted for the new school in October 2020.

At the time, development manager Chris Rose said: “It is suggested that this could result in the closure of the petrol station and associated post office and store leaving the village devoid of such facilities and it is argued that separate access/egress points serving the school would improve the flow of traffic and provide a more appropriate means of access.

“But Devon County Council, as the highways authority, has considered the application in detail and raised no objections to it, considering the single access/egress point to be the most appropriate option to serve the site and that sufficient information has been submitted to consider the traffic impacts.

“It is also considered that the proposal would be likely to reduce some of the off-site highway issues relating to the current school site which lacks parking provision.”

The issue proved so divisive that district councillor Ian Thomas has said he will no longer attend Uplyme Parish Council meetings, having taken offence at a comment made by parish councillor Colin Pratt, who argued

that the plans would result in the death or injury of a child.

Speaking at this week’s parish council meeting, Cllr Pratt said that district and county councillors and officers were on an “ego trip” in pushing ahead with the school plans.

He added: “If we lose the post office, shop and garage, this place will die as a community.”

Parish council chairman Chris James said “it was the last thing he wanted to happen”, but Mr Ostler was “convinced the new school will ruin his trade”.

Cllr James said he understood that Mr Ostler was concerned the business would become unviable and he would not be able to recuperate investment needed to keep it open and bring it up to modern standards.

Cllr Bill Trundley said the issue sounded more like a commercial decision rather than one of health and safety, and the council should not get involved until it had further details.

Describing the post office as an essential community asset, Cllr James said the council needed to decide how it wanted to move forward – whether it should simply accept the closure or whether it wanted to find a way to continue providing the service within the village.

“I think it would be of great harm to us in the village not to have a post office, let alone a shop and garage,” he commented.

Cllr Pratt said a secure premises would be needed to maintain the service, but the village was limited in its options.

He said the only alternative place the post office service could be run from was a room in the village hall.

It was agreed to look into the issue further and to seek any suggestions or expressions of interest from members of the public may be interested in running a post office service.

Plans to improve pedestrian safety in Uplyme UPLYME parish councillors are hoping to move forward with plans to improve pedestrian safety on the main road through the village.

Parish councillors and officers from Devon County Council were due to hold a site meeting today (Friday) on the B3165 Lyme Road, near the junction with Crogg Lane, to discuss possibilities to improve pedestrian safety.

The council is hoping to expand the current pavement to provide a safe scheme for pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren walking to and from The Woodroffe School.

Speaking at last week’s parish council meeting, chairman Chris James said it was a “miracle” that there had been no injuries at the pinch-point.

Discussions will also include the possibility of removing the island in the middle of the B3165 at the bottom of Whalley Lane, which some large and emergency vehicles find difficult to navigate around, and a 20mph speed limit through the village centre.

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at

Cocktail Wednesdays 2 cocktails for £12 6-9pm

Thursday 8pm

Limited tables must be booked in advance

Fizzy Fridays

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4-8pm

Sunday Roast

from £20 a bottle

Starts 7th November

12-3pm – Tables must be booked in advance

Christmas is coming ...

Bookings are now being taken Also booking for New Year’s Eve

Pop in or contact us on 01297 443157 or email info@thepilotboat.co.uk 1 Bridge Street Lyme Regis DT7 3QA

10 Friday, October 29 2021

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Family members of the late Adam Bounds (pictured inset) hand over a cheque for just over £1,700 to Lyme Regis lifeboat crew

More than £1,700 donated to Lyme Regis lifeboat crew in memory of Adam Bounds THE family of the late Adam Bounds have handed over more than £1,700 raised in his memory to Lyme Regis lifeboat crew.

Adam died suddenly in May 2021, aged 41, after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

Having grown up in Axminster and attended The Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis, he was a well-known and popular character in both communities and had played for both Axminster Town and Uplyme football clubs.

Adam was particularly known for his upbeat Lyme in the 20th Century – Part III THE early 1900s saw not only the coming of the railway but also the telephone, electricity and the first private cars.

In December 1908, the Lyme Regis and Charmouth telephone exchange opened.

The hand-cranked battery powered phones only attracted a handful of subscribers, the Alexandra Hotel being one with a call number of 10.

Electricity (The Lyme Regis Electric Light and Power Company) came in June 1909 when the town became the first in Dorset to adopt the new technology with what has been described as “a home-made electricity supply”.

The Malthouse adjacent to the Town Mill became the power station with an enginepowered generator, while Higher Mill had a water-driven turbine as a secondary source.

As with the telephone, take up was low and mainly to commercial premises and affluent residents, although there were 90 street lights with some on Marine Parade.

Gas (The Lyme Regis Gas and Range Company) still remained the principal source of lighting. A chain controlled the gas supply to the fragile gas-mantel lights.

Gas and the locally generated electricity gave little in the way of adequate lighting, compared with today homes were dimly lit and many did not even have a gas supply.

persona and zest for life.

Despite moving to Bristol in later life, Adam regularly returned home, particularly during the summer months when he enjoyed attending and taking part in events in Lyme Regis.

His favourite event was Lifeboat Week and he had many friends within the lifeboat crew.

A collection for the RNLI was made at Adam’s funeral in June.

A charity football match between the lifeboat crew and other local emergency services was

then played in Adam’s memory as part of Lifeboat Week in July, and tributes were also made to him at the Yard of Ale competition, which was one of his favourite events.

His family – including his father Les Bounds, brother Jamie Bounds and son Owen Bounds – handed over a cheque for just over £1,700 at the lifeboat station on Sunday afternoon.

The presentation was attended by many of the lifeboat crew members and volunteers who had known Adam.

Tales From Lyme’s Past

A glimpse of our history with Peter Lacey The most squalid dwellings were in Mill Green which had a reputation for being both the poorest and the roughest part of the town.

The Kelly’s Directory for 1910 lists commercial undertakings and the addresses of those designated private residents. There were only 64 names on the somewhat exclusive list which included a high percentage of women who were either widows or spinsters. Just two private residents are listed as living in Mill Green, one was a curate serving St Michael’s Church.

The commercial list gives an overview of the many shops and services available to the more wealthy residents and tourists. The town’s working-class would have taken advantage of a produce market held twice weekly.

Apartment Houses appear in the list offering accommodation; it marks the beginning of what became known as bed and breakfast.

There were two banks both in Broad Street.

Lloyds only being open two days a week, but open all week was The Wilts and Dorset Bank.

The more unusual listings include The Rational Sick and Burial Society, a cycle agent (bicycles were a new and novel form of

transport), a cow-keeper and a female pork butcher. The Wiscombe’s (a name familiar today) had three entries – coach builder, boot maker and tobacconist.

Also listed was Frederick Shephard, a photographer in Church Street who had a thriving trade in picture postcards that had been available since 1894.

In January 1902 the Post Office allowed divided-back postcards, so for the first time it was possible to write a message alongside the address. This led to picture postcards becoming somewhat of a national craze. It was a time when very few people could afford or operate a cumbersome plate-camera.

While there was a rail link from Axminster there was none from the GWR station at Bridport. However, Robert Warren operated a three-horse Omnibus service (until 1922) which left the Three Cups Hotel in the morning and returned late afternoon. The route took the coach along the Old Charmouth Road (The Spittles and Timber Hill is all that remains) which entailed having to negotiate the wind swept and accident prone Devils Bellows.

In 1911 a coach returning from Bridport dur-

Laying electric cables in Bridge Street, Lyme Regis, May 1909 ing the winter was caught in a blizzard and the journey took five hours. Passengers on the exposed outside seats must have been in a sorry state when they reached Lyme.

To be continued...

Peter Lacey Local author and historian

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Turn Lyme Green to monitor River Lim water quality after concerns raised about pollution CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE the Environment Bill "will be further strengthened with an amendment that will see a duty enshrined in law to ensure water companies secure a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows".

LymeOnline asked Mr Loder to comment on his initial vote to remove the regarding lines sewage discharges from the amendment, but no response had been received at the time of going to press.

Speaking after the government u-turn, Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Over the past week, Ocean THE Surfers Against Sewage map showing pollution risks two days after last week’s torrential downpours. Water quality in Lyme regis is not monitored ‘out of season’ but Activists across the data from The Rivers Trust said there was a total of 146 hours of sewerage network country have raised discharges and overflows into the River Lim in 2020 their voices to declare Concerns over pollution in the River Lim that the continued destruction of our rivers were recently raised by county councillor and coastline is not an option.

“A huge thank you to everyone who has spo- Daryl Turner, who requested that the Enviken out and forced the government to realise ronment Agency and South West Water inthat we won’t accept the status quo of polluted vestigate the regular outflow of pollution into water and profiteering water companies any the Lim, near the Woodmead Road bridge. longer. People power can force positive On the request of Dorset Council, temporary change. signs were erected in the river warning the “We look forward to scrutinising the govern- public of the pollution risks. ment’s new proposals to make sure they will Due to ongoing investigations, more permalegally oblige water companies to invest to nent signage was then erected in September end sewage pollution – anything less will be and Dorset Council requested that the Enviunacceptable to the millions across the coun- ronment Agency and South West Water keep try demanding the protection of our precious them updated.

‘Not a good advert for the town’ blue spaces.

“We welcome the Environment Bill’s Members of local campaign group Turn amendments on data, reports and presenting Lyme Green are also continuing to pressure plans for improvement, but the crucial piece the Environment Agency and South West of the puzzle is the legal driver for water com- Water for answers, and are now planning to panies to act. The devil is in the detail and we set up a water quality monitoring project with demand an Environment Bill which seeks to the support of the South West River Trust. end sewage pollution.

The group plans to monitor the local water “After decades of raking in billions in profit, quality regularly, setting up several monitorthe water industry must now plough invest- ing points along the river, and the Rivers ment into protecting and restoring our amaz- Trust would collect the data. ing rivers and coastline. This landmark Bill Turn Lyme Green requested the town counmust ensure that happens.” cil support this project by helping to fund six The issue of sewage discharges was further testing kits, costing £25 each. brought to the fore following last week’s Speaking at this week’s full council meeting, stormy weather and flooding.

Turn Lyme Green chairman Laura Noelle said Surfers Against Sewage published an image this was a “relatively small sum” but was a of its interactive map, showing water quality great opportunity for the town council to issues around the coast, two days after the show its support in tackling river water qualtorrential downpour with pollution risks ity, as the pollution issues were “not a great flagged up all along the south coast. advert for the town”.

In Lyme Regis, water quality is not moniAs recommended by its new Environment tored ‘out of season’, despite many taking part Committee, the town council has now agreed in water sports throughout the year. to write to South West Water expressing its However, according The Rivers Trust’s in- concerns about the water quality in the River teractive map which shows where the sewer- Lim, and match fund the cost of the testing age network discharges and overflows into kits up to a total of £75. rivers, the Horn Bridge sewer storm overflow In Cllr Turner’s report to this week’s meetin Lyme Regis spilled 25 times for a total of ing, he said there had been no notable sewage 103 hours during 2020; the overflow at Jeri- discharge in the Lim for the last 10 days, but cho spilled nine times for a total of six hours; South West Water had not yet confirmed it and the overflow at Gun Cliff spilled six times had found or resolved the outflow issue. for a total of 37 hours.

In its Storm Overflows Event and Duration

HEAVY rain last Wednesday caused flooding problems in and around the Lyme Regis area. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for rain and, as the situation has worsened, the Environment Agency contacted residents close to the River Lim to warn them that they were at immediate risk of flooding. The Jericho and Jordan areas were the worst hit after the river burst its banks, taking with it wooden footbridges and benches. Areas of Uplyme, including the main road through the village centre, were also affected and the River Char in Charmouth burst its banks with some houses being flooded. Neighbouring East Devon towns of Axminster and Seaton were also hard hit with some residents having to evacuate their homes. Emergency services were out until the early hours of the morning dealing with incidents. There were also reports of a landslide between Colyton and Whitford and a landslide at Black Ven, between Lyme Regis and Charmouth, saw the beach cordoned off later in the week. Pictured above, tree trunks stuck on the River Lim (photo by Vivien Keene) and, below, the Axe Valley following last Wednesday night’s floods (photo by Joel Seward @DudeplusDrone)

Monitoring 2020 document, South West Water said: “Storm overflows are legal discharges from the wastewater collection network that occur in very wet weather to prevent flooding of homes and businesses.

“Over the last 20 years, investment by water companies has dealt with most of those storm discharges where the Environment Agency had identified environmental problems.

“But we recognise there is more to do, which is why the sector is planning to invest £51 billion over the next four years to further address storm discharges.

“In 2013, Defra set a requirement on water companies to be able to monitor the performance of the ‘vast majority’ of storm overflows by 2020. To achieve this, we fitted large numbers of event and duration monitors to our storm discharges.

“We use this data to make sure our network is still operating correctly and capable of meeting the new, more extreme weather we see from climate change.

“Over the years we have worked with the Environment Agency to identify any discharges that weren’t providing enough protection for rivers and coastal waters.

“This has led to considerable investments in

additional wastewater treatment and stormwater storage capacity, and has played a part in delivering vastly improved environmental water quality in the South West.

“We, like all water companies, are committed to protecting rivers from pollution. This has included extensive upgrades to Wastewater Treatment Works and removing the raw sewage discharges that used to go into the sea around the South West coast.

“At privatisation we inherited a system where wastewater from around 40 per cent of the population discharged into the sea untreated.

“For storm overflows we have improved over 298 stormwater overflows to bathing waters and 382 to shellfish waters since 1989, by adding more than 222,100 cubic metres of additional stormwater storage built at a cost of over £100million.

“This work was targeted at those storm overflows which were having an adverse effect on bathing or Shellfish Waters, or the environmental quality of rivers. We have also invested significantly to install event and duration monitors (EDMs) on our intermittent discharges.”

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ARTS | MUSIC | THEATRE | WHAT’S ON | COMPETITIONS

Marine Theatre’s Jazz in the Bar series continues with vocalist Véronique Joly WHEN singer Astrud Gilberto released her classic album of Latin American bossa novas, ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, her crystal clear vocal style and the softly lilting rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s songs, including ‘One Note Samba’ and ‘Corcovado’, as well as the title track, enchanted a generation.

Renowned vocalist Véronique Joly will be singing her music, accompanied by Rob Palmer on guitar, at the Marine Theatre’s next Jazz in the Bar event.

Astrud Gilberto was born in Brazil and in her late teens became part of the steadily growing bossa nova scene which was led by singer/guitarist Joao Gilberto, soon to become her husband.

When they moved to New York together, Joao made a record with American saxophonist Stan Getz. After casually joining in a rehearsal, Astrud was asked to sing on the song ‘The Girl from Ipanema’.

Later she said: “I’ll never forget that while we were listening back to the just recorded song in the studio’s control room, Stan said to me, with a very dramatic expression, ‘this song is going to make you famous’.”

Astrud did indeed go on to have a very successful recording career in the 1960s, 70s and beyond.

She received the Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1992, and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2002.

Her original recording of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ was edited as a duet using a

recording of the same song by Frank Sinatra for the soundtrack of the film ‘Down with Love’, and her recording ‘Who Can I Turn To?’ was sampled by The Black Eyed Peas in the song ‘Like That’.

Parisian born singer Véronique Joly started performing live at the age of 17, working in the Paris music scene before moving to London in 1992.

She has been involved in many diverse projects, including co-writing and recording a song for the BBC programme ‘Rick Stein: French Odyssey’, and providing vocals for the movie ‘Night Dragon’.

She sings in English, French and Portuguese.

Brighten up your November with the sultry sunshine sounds of Brazil at this latest Jazz in the Bar event, to be held at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis on Sunday, November 7 starting at 8pm.

Tickets cost £10 advance or £12 on the door, available at www.marinetheatre.com

Indian Tales brought vividly to life with music and words

JOIN storyteller Emily Hennessey and sitar player extraordinaire, Sheema Mukherjee, as they return to Dorset for three performances of their mesmerising show with Artsreach this autumn.

Storyteller Emily and acclaimed sitar player Sheema have been fusing live storytelling and music for many years, specialising in Indian mythology with music that draws on both Indian classical and contemporary traditions.

With a style that is highly accessible and deeply engaging, they have toured a wide range of venues including the British Museum, York Theatre Royal and The Ancient Technology Centre.

Work and extensive travel in India have kindled Emily’s great love of Hindu mythology, having lived and worked with a yak-herding family on the Tibetan plateau, studied Kathakali dance-drama in Kerala and spent several months at the Kattaikkuttu School in Tamil Nadu.

Sitar player Sheema performed in the 2016 staging of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Globe Theatre, and has collaborated with internationally renowned artists such as Courtney Pine and Sir

John Tavenor.

This outstanding musician has also supported Jimmy Page and Robert Plant on tour, performed at the Olympics Festival for Sydney 2000 and makes regular appearances at WOMAD Festival with her own ensembles Together, Emily and Sheema conjure fast-flowing worlds of cosmic creatures, celestial curses, wise women and gods behaving badly in this brand-new show, featuring Indian stories of liberation, love, life, truth and illusion.

Enjoy an evening of storytelling and Indian music as the duo perform ‘Ganga – Tales of the River’ in Wootton Fitzpaine Village Hall, near Lyme Regis, from 7.45pm on Friday, November 19.

Other performances in Dorset will be held in Powerstock on Saturday, November 20 and Shillingstone on Sunday, November 21.

For further information and tickets visit www.artsreach.co.uk or call 01297 560948 for the Wootton Fitzpaine show, 01308 485730 for Powerstock or 01258 860319 for Shillingstone.

Award-winning singer to pay tribute to Joni Mitchell JONI Mitchell fans are in for a special treat from the Sara Colman Band at Jazz Jurassica’s forthcoming event on Thursday, November 18 at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis.

Jazz singer and pianist Sara Colma celebrates the music of this legendary artist to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Mitchell’s iconic album, ‘Blue’, first released in 1971.

Sara (pictured) is an award-winning lyricist, composer and vocalist and a life-long fan of Joni’s music.

Along with her ten-piece band, she will launch her new album ‘Ink on a Pin’ as a tribute to Mitchell’s music. The band includes a string quartet, a horn section and Colman on piano and vocals.

The event will feature new arrangements, lush strings, soaring horns and Colman’s own evocative voice.

Julie Sheppard, director of Jazz Jurassica, said: “This is a scoop. We’ll be some of the first to hear tracks from Sara’s new album.

“Joni Mitchell songs have a timeless appeal to be sure. But Sara’s fresh interpretations bring a re-

newed appreciation of her work. It’s a big production with ten musicians on stage – it’ll be a sumptuous orchestral treat.

“So, if you’re a Joni Mitchell fan, don’t miss this very special evening”.

The event will be held at 7.30pm on Thursday, November 18. Tickets are now available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/jazz-jurassica

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ARTS | MUSIC | THEATRE | WHAT’S ON | COMPETITIONS

What’s on

Saturday, October 30

Art society gets new season underway LYME Regis Art Society has started its new season with three fantastic demonstrations.

Beginning with renowned equestrian artist Rebecca de Mendonca, followed by previous film set artist Lynda Kettle (pictured) and most recently the exuberant expressionist James Tatum, members have been gladly welcoming everyone back to live demonstrations at Woodmead Halls.

Each demonstration is now recorded so that

members have access to a video of each one should they be unable to attend, or indeed if they just wish to watch it all again.

The society is a vibrant group of friendly artists and art lovers, and would welcome more new members to join.

To find out what thy do, how to join, and subscribe to an email newsletter to get regular updates on what’s going on, visit the website lymeregisartssociety.org.uk

Curry and Fireworks

Twinning Coffee Morning, Lyme Regis Baptist Church, 10am A coffee morning at the Driftwood Café at Lyme Regis Baptist Church, hosted by the Lyme Regis/St George’s Twinning Association. Come and learn about Lyme’s links with Bermuda!

Rob Newman - Philosophy Show Work in Progress Marine Theatre, 7pm Catch Rob Newman as he tries out new material for the next series of his BBC Radio 4 stand-up philosophy show ‘Total Eclipse of Descartes’.

Tickets £15 from marinetheatre.com Halloween Party Nag’s Head, 7pm Spooky playlist and live music from 9pm to 11pm, prizes for the best fancy dress and new shots to try at the bar.

SWIM Halloween Bash!

SWIM, 9pm Live DJ set with Monoke, bringing you a mix of house and disco. Fancy dress encouraged, bar open late.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back at 1am on Sunday, October 31!

Monday, November 1

Football Club Bingo Lyme Regis Football Club, 7.30pm Bingo in aid of Lyme Regis Football Club, held of the first Monday of every month. Cash prizes, eyes down at 7.30pm.

Tuesday, November 2

LRTC Planning Committee Guildhall, 7pm Members of the public are welcome to attend town council meetings and speak for up to three minutes in the public forum. For agendas visit the website lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk

Wednesday, November 3

Theatre: ‘Died in the Wool’ Marine Theatre, 6.30pm With a large talented local cast of all ages, this is a lighthearted murder mystery – a tease on Miss Marple. Join in the fun and watch The Marine Players live on stage here in their home. Tickets £12 from marinetheatre.com.

Performed nightly until Saturday, November 6.

LRTC Human Resources Committee, Guildhall, 7pm Members of the public are welcome to attend town council meetings and speak for up to three minutes in the public forum. For agendas visit the website lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk

Thursday, November 4

Talk: ‘Have a Wonderful Winter Garden’, James Hargreaves Community Hall in Morcombelake, 2.30pm A talk by Mike Stephens organised by Morcombelake Garden Club. Entry is free for members

Send your diary dates to francesca@lyme-online.co.uk Visit: www.lyme-online.co.uk/events

and £4 on the door for nonmembers.

Talk: ‘Studying the Threads of Life’ Woodmead Halls, 2.30pm Author and Lyme Regis Museum patron Tracy Chevalier will discuss her recent novel ‘A Single Thread’ in this talk organised by the Friends of Lyme Regis Museum to mark the attraction’s 100th anniversary.

Entry costs £3 for members and £5 for visitors.

Theatre: ‘Died in the Wool’ Marine Theatre, 6.30pm With a large talented local cast of all ages, this is a lighthearted murder mystery – a tease on Miss Marple. Join in the fun and watch The Marine Players live on stage here in their home. Tickets £12 from marinetheatre.com.

Performed nightly until Saturday, November 6.

Lyme Regis Community Bingo Woodmead Halls, 8pm Bingo night every Thursday, raising funds for local organisations which are members of Lyme Regis Community Bingo Association.

Doors open 7.30pm, eyes down 8pm.

Friday, November 5

Theatre: ‘Died in the Wool’ Marine Theatre, 6.30pm With a large talented local cast of all ages, this is a lighthearted murder mystery – a tease on Miss Marple. Join in the fun and watch The Marine Players live on stage here in their home. Tickets £12 from marinetheatre.com.

Performed nightly until Saturday, November 6.

Saturday, November 6

Cancer Research Curry & Firework Night, Lister Room, 6pm Watch the town’s firework display from this seafront viewing point as the Lyme Regis branch of Cancer Research UK serve homemade curries. Tickets for £10 must be booked in advance - call Philip Evans on 07796 951 991.

Bonfire & Firework Night Lyme Regis Beach, 6.30pm A spectacular fireworks display at 6.30pm followed by the lighting of the town’s bonfire on the beach.

Theatre: ‘Died in the Wool’ Marine Theatre, 6.30pm With a large talented local cast of all ages, this is a lighthearted murder mystery – a tease on Miss Marple. Join in the fun and watch The Marine Players live on stage here in their home. Tickets £12 from marinetheatre.com.

Sunday, November 7

Talk: ‘Lyme in the 1920s’ Woodmead Halls, 2.30pm Lyme Regis resident Ken Gollop will present this talk with photos to mark the 100th anniversary of Lyme Regis Museum. Entry costs £3.

Jazz in the Bar Marine Theatre, 7pm

Renowned vocalist Véronique Joly will be singing the work of Astrud Gilberto, accompanied

by Rob Palmer on guitar. Tickets £10 from www.marinetheatre.com

Tuesday, November 9

A Beginner’s Guide to Acting for Camera, Marine Theatre, 6.30pm This special class is taught by screen acting tutor Billy Geraghty and will be a hands-on and interactive experience.

During this one-off session you will be encouraged to get in front of the camera, try out some of the secret techniques, work on some short scenes and learn the basics of how to participate as a member of the ‘crew’ behind the lens. Entry costs £5.

Wednesday, November 10

LRTC Town Management Committee, Guildhall, 7pm Members of the public are welcome to attend town council meetings and speak for up to three minutes in the public forum. For agendas visit the website lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk

Thursday, November 11

Armistice Day Service Lyme Regis War Memorial, 11am A short service, two-minute silence and wreath laying to commemorate Armistice Day. Theatre: ‘Josephine’ Marine Theatre, 5.30pm The extraordinary story of Josephine Baker: performer, spy and civil rights activist.

With a sultry, Harlem Renaissance-inspired score, springheeled Charleston dancing and a hatful of historical figures, Josephine blurs the real with the imagined as we follow one woman’s incredible journey from the slums of St Louis via the bright lights of Paris and into the hearts of the world.

Tickets £10 from marinetheatre.com Lyme Regis Community Bingo Woodmead Halls, 8pm Bingo night every Thursday, raising funds for local organisations which are members of Lyme Regis Community Bingo Association.

Doors open 7.30pm, eyes down 8pm.

Friday, November 12

Jonah Hitchens Band Marine Theatre, 6.30pm Jonah Hitchens blends soul, funk, psychedelia and jazz into a single exhilarating mash up.

He will front his eight-piece band with soulful vocals, swirling guitar riffs and bucketloads of charisma. Join him to celebrate his 25th birthday and the completion of his new album ‘Sunset Circus’. Tickets £12 from marinetheatre.com

16 Friday, October 29 2021

www.lyme-online.co.uk

How a small West Dorset community pulled together during the coronavirus pandemic O NE week before the first lockdown my daughter and her partner were agonising over a decision to live separately until the end of the crisis.

He was a doctor supervising a COVID-19 ward at a time when little was known about the virus.

My daughter phoned and asked whether she could come to live with us in Charmouth. Of course and welcome!

She arrived with baby, a large hairy dog and a range of masks, disposable gloves and cleansing wipes.

She was aware that over time her partner came to realise the seriousness of the situation when he said: “I feel like I’m living in a war zone, but not knowing where the enemy is.”

Shortly after we had sorted out the new living arrangements, a young woman appeared at our gate.

“I’m Rachel. Let me know if you want any shopping done.”

She was a complete stranger and yet she was offering us help. Astonishing!

She handed us a leaflet explaining that she was part of a group of volunteers helping people that were isolating.

Prior to lockdown, handyman and firefighter Tim Holmes had picked up shopping and prescriptions for a few elderly neighbours. When the virus took off he became swamped by many more calls for help and appealed for support on the Charmouth Notice Board Facebook page.

Within 20 minutes he had 20 offers of help and the numbers kept rising to 80.

“One of the first volunteers was Judy Fellingham from the local estate agents,” he said.

“She and I met and chatted about what could be achieved and made plans for a leaflet delivery to all the households in the village.”

Jo Seaman, former British Council leader and author, also saw the Facebook page and thought that the rapidly-increasing supply of helpers might need a bit of co-ordination.

“During my career I managed teams of people living through some challenging circumstances around the world including a break-down in law and order in Georgia,” she said.

“I always like to find ways to bring a sense of calm control if I can to what could be, or was, a dangerous situation.”

Jo called Tim and offered to help pull together a spreadsheet. Within hours they had put together a Facebook Messenger group of the volunteers. They were joined by former school teacher Melanie Harvey.

Within a week Tim, Jo, Judy and Melanie were talking every few hours at first by phone and then via Zoom.

Tim came through with a brilliant idea to complete an information leaflet.

He said: “I thought of the classic Thumbs Up image. By turning the poster upside down, anybody, not just volunteers, could see a person might need assistance.”

Jo weighed in compiling the Safeguarding Policy for volunteers based on ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for volunteers from the government and the NHS. She devised ways to help shops in Charmouth and liaised with the parish council. She also wrote a series of leaflets to send round the village.

Lastly, she raised £1,700 from the Dorset Coronavirus Community Fund to finance the

SPECIAL FEATURE

Reflecting on how Charmouth coped with COVID-19

By Chris Lakeman Fraser

group.

As well as organising the volunteers and acting as a street-co-ordinator for her area, Melanie got to work setting up a data protection policy and designing e-forms for volunteers to complete every fortnight. Then she compiled a table of all the volunteer organisations in Charmouth.

Once the project took off, volunteers delivered leaflets to 930 households containing details of street co-ordinators and information from the government, the NHS, Dorset Council, the police and local restaurants and shops that did home deliveries.

About 160 of these households took up the offer and volunteers delivered shopping and prescriptions to them, gave telephone support and even walked dogs.

“I was amazed how it came together and continued to grow throughout those first months,” said Tim. “I became more of a trouble-shooter, including placing a large, dry-wipe board outside Morgans the newsagent so that passers-by could see the information we were using on the internet.”

Other institutions within the village were modifying their operations at speed and liaising with the volunteer group.

Charmouth Medical Practice April Boyle, practice manager, said: “There was never any pause in service but staff initially moved to working alone in the office until the reception area was fitted with screens and a full cleaning programme was introduced between each contact with patients.

“We consulted with them by the telephone wherever possible. If they needed to be seen face to face, this was agreed between them and the clinician.

“If, however, there were any symptoms of COVID-19 they would need to be seen at either a hot site or red site located in Lyme and Bridport.”

Charmouth Pharmacy Pharmacist Guang Yang said: “Back in March last year our prescription volume increased by about 20 per cent due to people stocking up on prescription items and other household essentials.

“We had to increase our staffing level to match the demand and without the extra work put in by them and myself, we would have had long queues stretching down the street similar to pharmacies in Bridport.

“I can’t praise the volunteer group highly enough. Most vulnerable people had made contact with designated volunteers directly but there were others who were isolated and required our assistance in finding the correct volunteer.’

Charmouth Stores At the start of lockdown co-owners Alex and Maria Tritton reported that many of their staff had left because they were living with elderly relatives who were vulnerable. Requests for weekly deliveries had jumped from eight to 156, leaving Maria close to breakdown.

“So many people came to help including the local school teacher before he started school,” sh said, “and loads of local builders came in to do deliveries for us.

“Charmouth as a whole was really good. But we also had the stress of people that weren’t supposed to be here who had heard that we had stuff.

“A man came in one day wanting to buy six chickens despite the fact we had signs on the fridges and freezers saying you can have one.

He was very rude.

“Other people didn’t have masks and didn’t want to sanitise their hands.”

Alex continued: “We saw the worst part of some people and the best part in others. In the first year we struggled, not having any tourists and a shortage of drivers and staff.

“We got through because our 16-year-olds, who weren’t at school and helped us out.”

Maria agreed, adding: “All of our staff have been absolutely amazing.”

Experiences of the volunteers Julie Leah, a gardener, volunteered to do some deliveries for Charmouth Stores for a few months.

She said: “The appreciation of the elderly recipients made up for that completely because despite their cheerfulness and wanting to fend for themselves, they were much in need of the service.

“A relatively small effort and time on my part made me feel far more included in the community.”

Fellow volunteer Lorna Cowan commented: “I worked full-time from home so could be fairly flexible in keeping all my neighbours informed about the days of the week when I was going to the supermarket.

“I tried not to think too much about the additional risks and was extremely careful to fol-

low all the guidance from government, health officials and Jo. “I always put shopping on the doorstep, rang the bell and then walked away. I kept sanitiser on me at all times, and washed my hands frequently — almost every time I passed a tap!

“I now know my neighbours better than I did before the lockdown.”

Melanie added: “At the beginning I can remember the shock of the announcement that we were all to stay at home and how quiet the roads were.

“I was walking my patch at least once a day since I thought it was important to be visible and might notice any changes in the houses.

However, spending time at home with my family was quite special in hind sight.”

Jo continued: “The pandemic was such a momentous threat that affected all of us. It was wonderful to be part of something where we felt we were able to help other people, even if we didn't meet them.”

Tim concluded: “Once we all knew how this COVID pandemic was evolving, we evolved with it, yet it’s not finished – there are still volunteers working for their streets.”| This has been a brilliant example of a community coming together rapidly with enthusiasm and innovative ideas to confront a major crisis.

It could become a template for dealing with other local emergencies including climate change.

In fact, based on lessons learnt during the pandemic, plans are afoot to meet with the Charmouth Parish Council to create a general emergency plan for the future.

Parade but no church service for Remembrance Sunday THERE will be no Remembrance Day church service in Lyme Regis due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis.

The Parochial Church Council at St Michael’s, concerned about the numbers that attend the Remembrance event, has decided that it would be unwise to hold the service in church.

But there will be a parade of uniformed organisations, led by the Lyme Regis branch of the Royal British Legion.

The parade will assemble at the entrance to Langmoor Gardens for a 10.30am start on Sunday, November 14 and process through the town to Monmouth Street where a short service will be held around the war memorial.

The service will include the reading of the names of the men of Lyme who gave their lives in the first and second world wars.

There will also be an opportunity for organisations to lay a wreath at the memorial.

The parade will then disperse and not make its usual way to the Square.

Ian Marshall, chairman of the Lyme Regis branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “We are disappointed we are unable to hold the usual full service in the church but we hope we will be able to do so next year.”

Cancer coffee morning raises £400 A COFFEE morning and cake stall at the Baptist Church Hall raised £400 for Cancer Research UK. Organised by the Lyme Regis branch of cancer research UK, the event attracted a steady stream of visitors to the Broad Street venue.

There was a brisk trade at the cake stall and a raffle raise more then £120.

Committee chairman Philip Evans MBE said: “This was a record sum raised for this event and we would like to thank all those who gave their support, especially those who donated cakes.”

Last month the committee’s biggest fundraiser of the year, The BIG Breakfast, raised £1,000.

On Saturday, November 6 the committee will be organising a fireworks and curry night at the Lister Room on the Marine Parade, starting at 6pm.

Tickets at £10 including a choice of curries and a glass of wine are still available by calling 07796 951 991.

The committee is also organising a Christmas bingo at the Woodmead Halls on Friday, December 3 (eyes down at 8pm).

www.lyme-online.co.uk

Friday, October 29 2021 17

PROMOTED CONTENT

LYME REGIS TOWN COUNCIL officer Alan Council looking for new Enforcement marks 30 years of service member to fill vacancy

COUNCILLORS will be asked to choose a new member to join the council following confirmation a by-election will not be held.

We have a town councillor vacancy following the resignation of the deputy mayor, Kelsey Ellis, in September.

The vacancy was advertised in early October but an election can only be held if 10 Lyme Regis electors request one within 14 days.

Dorset Council has confirmed it didn’t receive the requisite number of requests, which means the town council must co-opt a new member.

This means we are asking eligible candidates to apply to become a councillor.

Applications should be made by email or in writing to the town clerk at townclerk@lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk or to the council office by midday on Monday, November 15.

Applications should include a 250-word explanation of why you would like to be a town councillor and must be proposed and seconded by registered Lyme Regis electors.

We will hold an extraordinary full council meeting on November 23 2021 when the applicants will be invited to introduce themselves to the council, give information on their background and experience and explain why they wish to become a member.

If there are two or more candidates, the sitting members will take a vote on who should be co-opted.

The council encourages people of all ages, backgrounds, experiences and abilities to apply and we are particularly keen to attract younger people.

The town council is only as connected and effective as the people elected to run it so we need councillors who are capable, enthusiastic and engaged.

To be a good councillor, you need to be forward-thinking, a good team player, be able to listen constructively, have a sound knowledge of local affairs, be able to communicate clearly, and be willing to attend meetings and represent the council at external events.

However, the most important attribute is to care about the community and be willing to take an active role.

Applicants must first check they are eligible to be a town councillor. The qualifications and disqualifications to stand as a candidate are available on the Electoral Commission website www.electoralcommission.org.uk For more information about the role of a councillor and the eligibility criteria, please contact us for an informal chat.

OUR enforcement officer has been honoured for over 30 years of service to the town council.

Alan Jefferies was presented with a tankard and a pair of cufflinks in recognition of three decades of service.

Alan reached the 30-year anniversary in 2020, but due to Covid-19, the presentation couldn’t be made until this year.

He joined the council as a seasonal enforcement officer in 1990 and was later appointed as a gardener, working on enforcement in the summer and gardening in the winter.

Alan was appointed as a full-time enforcement officer in 2017.

He said: “I’ve enjoyed both roles but as I was getting older, I didn’t know if I would still be able to push a mower up the bank.”

Alan said a good working environment has kept him with the council for so long.

“It’s a lovely town and I want to be able to do my best for it,” he said. “It’s lovely surroundings, I have a nice group of people to work with and the council has always been a good employer.

“I get on with most people and it’s just a lovely working environment.”

Live ammunition rounds found in river

■ THE council staff’s annual mini golf tournament saw a new champion and a new wooden spoon holder. Each year the staff challenge each other to a round of mini golf in Lister Gardens. Our cleansing assistant Darren Cheney took the top spot this year, with administrative assistant Kerry Weekley going home with the wooden spoon.

Council takes part in Carbon Literacy training

THE council this week took part in a national pilot scheme to prepare councillors for their responsibilities in addressing climate change.

The Carbon Literacy Project offers every citizen a day’s worth of carbon literacy training, providing people with the knowledge to understand the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities, as well as the ability and motivation to reduce emissions and tackle climate change.

The project has provided a free-to-use toolkit for town and parish councils and this week our council tested the course materials before they are publicly launched.

The training was delivered by our Environ-

ment Committee chairman Cllr Belinda Bawden.

Following a day of action-based learning, our councillors have developed an awareness of which actions will have the greatest impact in achieving net zero emissions.

They have also been provided with the knowledge and skills to cascade and embed environmentally sustainable and socially responsible values.

Taking part in the pilot scheme demonstrates the council’s commitment to the declared climate emergency and to achieving our environmental ambitions.

TWO live ammunition rounds, possible from the First World War, have been found in the River Lym by one of our team.

Lengthsman Mark Bujniewicz was replacing slats on the bridge between Broad Street car park and the Town Mill when he noticed them among a pile of metal in the waterway.

He said: “I was fixing the bridge over the river and looked down and saw in the gully, about 2ft wide, a pile of metal. I picked it up and saw there were two bullets.”

From our basic research, we believe the rounds are .303 Mk V or Mk VI rounds, possibly from the First World War era or earlier because they have a round nose.

The bullets were taken to the Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth for safe disposal.

Perhaps there is someone out there who can confirm whether we have identified the bullets correctly? We’d be pleased to hear from anyone who can provide more information.

Virtual parking permits now available online RESIDENTS’ concessionary parking permits have gone virtual this year and can be applied for through our website.

We issue permits to Lyme Regis residents to park for free at Monmouth Beach, Cabanya and Woodmead car parks at various times in the year.

In the past we have issued physical permits but in our efforts to go paperless, from now on they

will be virtual.

Residents can apply for a permit on our website at www.lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk/permits and must be able to upload a copy of the vehicle’s V5 registration document and proof of a Lyme Regis address, such as a council tax bill.

Permits can only be issued to full-time residents so the vehicle must be registered to a Lyme Regis address.

The content on this page is promoted and provided by Lyme Regis Town Council

18 Friday, October 29 2021

www.lyme-online.co.uk

Well-known Uplyme resident Fairfield House residents turns 102 Jack Thomas, dies aged 93 JACK Thomas, who had lived in Uplyme for 30 years, has died at the age of 93.

When Jack and wife Imogen retired in 1988, they moved from Hertfordshire with Molly, Imogen’s mother, to Uplyme.

Jack threw himself into life in Uplyme, becoming a churchwarden and a parish councillor. He joined Axe Cliff Golf Club in nearby Axmouth and was veteran captain in its centenary year, producing a booklet of its history.

After some years here, he and Gerald Gosling wrote ‘The Book of Uplyme’, and with Imogen represented The Pilot Boat in the Palmer’s pub quiz league.

He wrote a guide for Uplyme Church with Imogen, and they documented both the wildflowers and tombstone inscriptions in the graveyard.

He and Imogen also devised an Uplyme loop to the East Devon Way for Devon County Council, with a pamphlet illustrated by Molly.

He acted in several plays at the Marine Theatre and for some years wrote a column for Pulman’s Weekly News.

Jack lectured on poetry and history of art for NADFAS groups, among others, in Devon, Dorset and Somerset. He also wrote several books, including a novel based on the Arnolfini Portrait which was stocked by the National Gallery.

Jack was born in Camden Town and brought up in Ealing. At eight years old he was sent to a prep school, the Old Malthouse, at Langton Matravers on the Isle of Purbeck, owned by an aunt and uncle.

JOAN Cool, a resident of Fairfield House Care Home in Lyme Regis, has just celebrated her 102nd birthday.

Leaving school in 1936, Joan enjoyed a career in nursing before marrying and raising her two children, starting at just 17 years old at a fever hospital as she was too young to go into general nursing.

She completed her training at 23 and, during the Second World War, joined the Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service at RAF Halton, reaching the rank of Flying Officer.

Joan was later posted to the RAF Hospital at Wroughton, Swindon, which was a casualty clearing station for D-Day, and she was among the sisters to march past the King in the very first Battle of Britain Parade.

Joan moved to Lyme Regis with her husband John in 1996 and, while serving as branch secretary of the WI, she decided to learn to use a computer and has since become known as a bit of a tech-whiz for her age, regularly joining in local debates and staying in touch with friends and family via Facebook.

He learned to swim in the salt water pool which his uncle had dynamited out of the Dancing Ledge. He was very happy there and fell in love with the Dorset landscape.

Jack went on to Marlborough and, after two years of National Service with the Army Education Corps in Hamburg, to Peterhouse Cambridge. He enjoyed the world of education and decided to become a schoolmaster.

As part of his Diploma of Education he spent some months at the Lycée Hoche in Versailles and enjoyed seeing the famous musical artists of the day, including Edith Piaf and Charles Trenet.

He joined the staff at Haileybury College in 1954, where he taught until he retired apart from an exchange year in America.

In 1956 he married Imogen and they had four children, Mark, Tig, Charlie and Lucy, and seven grandchildren.

His funeral is at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Uplyme, at 1.30pm on November 8.

Citizens Advice Beaminster DT7 3BS

DT8 3AY

DT6 5NY

At other times contact us by ringing Dorset Adviceline freephone: 0800 144 88 48 Or email us through our website at www.bridportca.org.uk

JOAN Cool celebrates her 102nd birthday at Fairfield House Care Home. You can hear Joan Cool share her life story via the LymeOnline Podcast at lymeonline.co.uk/category/multimedia-news/podcasts

An act of community spirit from film crew ■ THERE, behind me, guided by two Warner Brothers crew, trundled a large black cherry picker, all ready, once in place, for the filming of ‘Wonka’.

So I came alongside and said to the crewman, why didn’t he help the Lyme community by using his machine to remove a horrid, torn black polythene bag from the top of the lamppost on the Cobb? It had been there all summer and looked so messy that, like many others, I found it upset me and entirely spoilt the beauty of the harbour.

Two weeks before, I had asked a local council worker with his cherry picker mending a light on the prom, at the Church Cliff end of town, if he could take his vehicle and remove said polythene bag. His reply was that his remit was to service the lights to the east of Lyme and my request

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was west, so the reply was “no” but he would tell his boss.

So thank you the kind gentleman who bothered to alleviate the problem by removing the bag straight away as he drove towards the film set.

However, it did become clear that it had not blown there in the storms but was probably put there by the council, tied in place to stop bits of broken light falling on people’s heads!

Now it’s time to mend that light perhaps?

Monica Simpson (by email)

EDITOR’S NOTE: LymeOnline has taken the editorial decision to no longer accept letters from elected councillors on matters relating to council business. We find publishing letters of this kind does not benefit the working relationship of councillors, and does not promote or encourage local democracy – one of the main aims of LymeOnline’s Editorial Policy. We feel it is more democratic for these issues to be addressed in the council chamber, publicly and giving opportunity to any other named councillors/officers to respond. We will still accept letters from councillors on non-council related matters.

The views expressed in letters published are those of the author and not necessarily of LymeOnline. Publication of all letters is at the editor’s discretion. Letters sent to us for publication may be subject to minor amendments to correct spelling and grammatical errors, or to ensure they are not libellous or defamatory.

NEWS FROM CITIZENS ADVICE CITIZENS Advice warns that people will face 'desperate choices' this winter without targeted support.

Citizens Advice is particularly concerned about people on the lowest incomes who could be hit by a triple whammy of financial hardship; rising energy costs, a cut of £20-a-week to their Universal Credit, and a higher cost of living due to inflation.

People moved to a new energy company because their supplier has gone bust are likely to be landed with £30-a-month price hike.

The charity analysed deals offered by the five largest failed suppliers to date, against the price increase customers typically experience when moved onto a default tariff at another supplier.

With a squeeze on family finances underway, it is calling for urgent targeted support to avert a ‘cost of living crisis’ this winter.

Additionally, Citizens Advice has raised concerns that the 1.1 million low income households would lose out if the Warm Home Discount is not carried over when they’re moved to a new supplier.

Frontline advisers at the charity say they fear many will be left facing 'desperate choices' due to fuel poverty this winter, including turning off their fridges and freezers, relying on hot water bottles for warmth and requesting support to buy extra duvets and blankets.

Shaun is a single dad from Northumberland and has a son in primary school. He previously worked in the fishing industry but has had to take time off due to health issues. He’s worried about how he’ll pay his bills this winter.

“I’m terrified thinking about how I'm going to cope this winter,” he said.

“As my Universal Credit is cut and bills go up, I just won't have the extra to pay for any increase on my gas and electric.

“It’s starting to get colder and I'll need the heating on for my son. I'll just have to wrap up when he’s at school, so I can put it on when he

gets home. Even then I’ll only be able to have it on for a couple of hours, not the whole evening.”

Citizens Advice polling found that more than a third (35 per cent) of people are worried they’ll struggle to pay their energy bills this winter. This rises to almost half (45 per cent) of people earning less than £21,000 per year, and households with children (44 per cent).

As the cost of living crisis begins to bite, Citizens Advice is calling on the government to reverse its cut to Universal Credit and introduce emergency winter grants for those on the lowest incomes. These could be delivered through local authorities in the same way Covid winter grants were last year.

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Overnight price hikes will be a shock for more than a million households whose energy companies have gone bust.

"We’re particularly worried about those who’ll face desperate choices this winter because of the cumulative impact of soaring bills, the cut to Universal Credit and inflation.

“The government and Ofgem must guarantee that the Warm Home Discount will be continued for people moving to new energy suppliers.

“People on the lowest incomes should be able to access emergency winter grants so they can stay warm in the cold months ahead.”

Citizens Advice in Lyme Regis is now running advice sessions on Wednesdays 10am to 3pm at Lyme Regis Town Council offices, Church Street, DT7 3BS. Please ask at town council reception or drop-in between 10am and 12noon.

Alternatively telephone Freephone 0800-1448848 or send an email using the contact form on the website www.bridportca.org.uk

axminsternews

Friday, October 29 2021 19

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Axminster’s youngest councillor stands down AXMINSTER’S youngest ever town councillor, Ollie Tucker, has resigned as he says he cannot commit enough time to the role.

Mr Tucker was co-opted to the council to represent the Weycroft ward in February 2021 at the age of just 18, becoming the youngest member in the council's history.

He also ran for election to Devon County Council as a Labour candidate in May, winning 498 votes.

Mr Tucker (pictured) resigned from the town council on Sunday and made the following announcement via Twitter: "I've always believed councillors should give up a serious time commitment to their residents, and unfortunately I am no longer able to commit that."

His resignation leaves a casual vacancy on the council which will likely be filled by co-option.

Axminster's Conservative county councillor Ian Hall, who beat Mr Tucker in the May elections, was among those to recognise his contributions to the town council, commenting: "Thank you for your efforts for the Axminster community as a councillors, which certainly have been recognised and I am all the better for knowing you. All the best for the future.

The title of Axminster's youngest councillor now falls to Cllr Hall's son, Charles Hall, who currently represents the Weycroft ward on the town council at the age of 22.

Other Axminster town councillors are: Jill Farrow (mayor), Andrea Sedgewick (deputy mayor), Carol Doherty, Steve Holt, Sara Leat, Martin Mynard, Martin Spurway, Jeremy Walden.

Webster’s Garage car park to reopen until redevelopment THE Webster's Garage car park in Axminster will be reopened and managed by East Devon District Council.

The town centre car park had been run by private operator National Car Parks, but the owners recently decided to end the arrangement, leading to the car park’s closure.

Owners Hallmark Estates (Devon) has asked the district council to take over the car park while it waits for planning permission to redevelop the site.

East Devon District Council will enter into a temporary, one-year extendable contract to manage the car park in the hope that reopening it will help boost the town’s economy.

The council predicts it will run the facility for the next 18 months, the length of time left of temporary planning permission for the

land to be used as a car park.

Councillor Tom Wright (Conservative, Budleigh and Raleigh) welcomed the plan as he said “Axminster didn’t seem very much alive” when he recently visited.

He hopes it will encourage people to come back to the town, adding: “Axminster needs all the help it can get.”

The revenue from parking will be returned to the owner but the council will recover running costs.

An EDDC report said it was important for the town that the car park reopens as soon as possible in order to “visually convey the message that Axminster is open for business and, of course, to offer increased parking availability in the run up to Christmas".

■ AXMINSTER Town Council will soon be taking over responsibility for Jubilee Field from east Devon District Council and hopes to transform the public space in time for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next spring.

To start, the council is calling on members of the community to join them in planting more than 300 daffodil bulbs to brighten up the space between Dukes Way and the Foxhill area.

The community planting will be held on Sunday, November 7 from 11am and everyone is welcome - particularly local children.

The project is being led by town councillor Steve Holt who said he hopes to "create a recreation area that fulfils the needs of the whole community".

Over the coming months, he will be working with local experts and enthusiasts to create a complete plan for the planting of trees and shrubs and it is hoped the space will become a focal point for the jubilee celebrations in 2022.

■ POPULAR Axminster restaurant Ric's Kitchen is giving something back to the local community by offering free breakfasts for anyone in need.

The free self-serve breakfasts will cereals, fruit, toast, preserves, milk, juices and coffee and tea.

They are aimed in particular towards those needing to feed their children, but anyone is welcome with no questions asked.

Ric Edgell of Ric's Kitchen said: "With the government cutting universal credit, we are very aware of how hard some families may have it soon, with the fear of struggling for some essentials.

"This is our way of giving back to the community that has welcomed us."

The free breakfasts are being available from 7.30am to 9am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Ric's Kitchen in Victoria Place, Axminster.

High Sheriff of Devon visits fire station A national network of h hyperlocal news websites, now covering the Axminster & Seatton areas With editorial content provided by the team from Ly Lym meOnline THE High Sheriff of Devon, Lady Lucy Studholme, was welcomed to Axminster by local firefighters on Tuesday night.

The High Sheriff, who was appointed in May, visited the fire station for a training exercise, during which the crew demonstrated their skills and understanding in a road traffic collision scenario.

The crew were faced with two persons trapped in a vehicle; the driver trapped by their

legs and the passenger suffering spinal injuries.

They got to work releasing the driver using a technique called a dashboard lift to free the casualty. They then removed the roof to allow a safe extrication of the passenger using a spinal board.

The crew commented: "It was a pleasure to have Lady Studholme at Axminster Fire Station."

If you have a story for Axminster, call 07810 221 420 or email francesca.evans@nub.news

Visit our new websites at

axminsterr..nub.news and seaton.nub.news And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook & T Tw witter to keep up to date with all the latest local news

20 Friday, October 29 2021

FLASHBACKS with Richard Austin

www.lyme-online.co.uk

Tales from behind the lens of our award-winning photographer

■ THE first thing famous magician Paul Daniels said to his Marine Theatre audience was “You'll like this... not a lot, but you'll like it”.

This was Paul’s catchphrase and was copied and used by countless people in showbusiness all over the world.

Paul was a very clever magician and part of his act was his wife Debbie McGee, who went on to show the country

what a great dancer she is with her success on the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

When I caught up with Paul he was taking in some rays outside the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis and agreed to have his picture taken for the local newspaper.

He was such a friendly, laid-back sort of chap and couldn’t stop saying how much he liked Lyme.

Paul was awarded the Magician of the Year Award by the Academy of Magical Arts in 1982, the first magician from outside the United States to receive the prize.

His own television series ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994 and he made countless other TV appearances.

Paul died in 2016 aged 77, less than a month after being diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour.

Lyme Regis Museum director steps down after almost 10 years AFTER almost ten years at the helm of Lyme Regis Museum director David Tucker has announced that he will be stepping down at the end of the year.

Mr Tucker helped to secure funding for and led the museum through a £1.5million extension project, with the modern Mary Anning Wing opening in 2017. He has steered the attraction through the coronavirus pandemic and seen it celebrate its 100th anniversary this year.

Announcing his resignation, Mr Tucker said: “It’s been a great honour to lead the museum since 2012.

“I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time to nudge the construction of our the Mary Anning Wing forward, I was able to build on the solid foundations left by my predecessors and fortunately had a fantastic team of volunteers and colleagues to do the heavy lifting for me.

“I’ve been doubly lucky to have some fantastic men-

tors, most notably trustees Stephen Locke, Alan Kennard, John Dover and Sam Hunt. I would have been utterly sunk without Bridget Houseago, our excellent operations manager, volunteers Richard and Barbara Bull, our great front of house team and of course our talented local geologists.

“Now we have the extended museum it is a constant joy to see people learn more of Lyme’s stories. It’s a delight to talk to children in the museum, especially the little girls and encourage them to be interested in science – just like Mary Anning.

“When all’s said and done, I’ve been paid to work at the seaside and meet famous people. What other career would give me the chance to work with Sir David Attenborough, Kate Winslet and the incomparable Channel 5 icon Milkshake Monkey?

“During lockdown I’ve been able to hold meetings in deckchairs at the Kiosk and have sorted out the prob-

lems of the country over a cuppa with our lovely patron Tracy Chevalier.

“Of course, there’s been a few challenging times and a lot of things I’d do differently. There’s certainly been too many occasions where I’d have been better off keeping my mouth shut, especially in a place like Lyme, that seems to love a good argument!

“Museums might collect things, but they are about people. I would never have got to university, met my wife or had the exciting museum career I’ve had without the inspiration of visits to museums as a child. I know museums can change lives, because they changed mine.

“But what of the future? I’m going to have to get a full time job, but who knows what? I reluctantly accept that I’m out of the running to replace Daniel Craig as the next james Bond and I might well end up as a driver or waiter. Let’s just see what happens!”

Friday, October 29 2021 21

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22 Friday, October 29 2021

ITEMS TO SELL?

You can advertise items for sale up to £200 free by filling in the form below or emailing francesca@lyme-online.co.uk

Please note this service is only for private sellers, not for commercial items, tradespeople or vehicles. Please include a brief description of your item, the cost and a telephone number where a buyer may contact you.

If you wish to advertise an item over £200 your advertisement will cost 10p per word, please email or phone us to arrange payment. Please also include your name and address, although this will not be published.

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Send this form to: Items For Sale, LymeOnline, Unit 5, Uplyme Business Centre, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3LS

LYME REGIS TOWN COUNCIL

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GLASS DEMIJOHNS, for wine-making, 3 for £10, plus some free homegrown grapes! Call 01297 443930.

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LOOKING FOR STAFF?

Co-option to Lyme Regis Town Council Would you be interested in serving the community as a town councillor?

Lyme Regis Town Council has a vacancy for one councillor, to be filled by co-option.

If you are interested, please contact the town clerk by email or in writing by midday on Monday 15 November 2021.

Applications should include your contact details and a 250-word explanation of why you would like to be co-opted onto the council.

Your nomination must be proposed and seconded by a registered elector of Lyme Regis.

Councillors will decide the appointment by majority vote at an extraordinary meeting of the Full Council, on 23 November 2021.

For further information contact John Wright, town clerk, townclerk@lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk or Adrianne Mullins, support services manager, admin@lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk

LymeOnline can offer affordable and wide-reaching advertising opportunities to promote your vacancies Job advert spaces of varying sizes, starting from as little as £15, are available in our fortnightly printed newspaper with a distribution of 4,000 around Lyme Regis, Uplyme, Charmouth and Axminster.

Plus you’ll get a free job advert on the LymeOnline website, visited by more than 900 users a day!

Call Francesca on 07810 221 420 or email francesca@lyme-online.co.uk

Friday, October 29 2021 23

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LymeOnline Sport

email your sports reports to edit@lyme-online.co.uk

football

Reserves defeated after good start LYME Regis Reserves travelled to Heavitree United on Saturday full of confidence after their 7-0 win over Pinhoe.

The Seasiders started really brightly with Josh Daines, the previous week’s five-goal hero, getting in behind the home team defence on a number of occasions. Daines had a great header that hit the crossbar and Lyme looked good value for the lead when Daines again rose highest in the box, forcing a good save by the keeper, but following up on the rebound to score.

Heavitree came out of the blocks from the restart, creating some chances of their own, and from a corner equalised with a firmly placed header into the top corner.

Soon after, Heavitree took the lead after a superb corner was powered in with a back-post header.

At 2-1 down Lyme gained control again and tried hard to get their passing game going, but it was difficult to move the ball at speed due to the unusually long grass on the pitch.

Heavitree increased their lead when a wayward shot from outside the box

cannoned of Alex Rowe’s foot as he closed down the man and cruelty looped over keeper Rob Harp’s head.

A 3-1 half time lead flattered Heavitree in what was an even game. Lyme worked hard to get back into the game after the break with Ben Bowditch unlucky when he flicked the ball around the keeper but it was scrambled off the line by a home defender.

With Lyme pushing hard to reduce the arrears, more and more opportunities were opened up on the counter and Rob Harp made some outstand-

ing saves to keep the score down.

But after making a good save, the Heavitree striker found himself free in the box and managed to lift the ball over Harp, who got hands to it, but it looped up and back down into the net.

Manager Matt Preece commented after the game: “It was a disappointing result and the 4-1 score flattered Heavitree, but we are prepared for these sort of games with a young team who I am sure will learn from this experience.”

Squad: Rob Harp, Robbie Fowler, Toby Fowler, Wallace Blackmore, Darius Pickering, Alex Rowe, Cam Fowler, Jon Davies, Ben Bowditch, Louis Rinaldi, Josh Daines. Subs: Fred Thomson, Shaun Vallely.

The defeat saw Lyme drop to fourth place in the Devon and Exeter Division Three.

Tomorrow (Saturday) they are at home to Honiton 2nds (kickoff 2.15pm), who have won only one of their eight games.

Not quite 6 from 6 - but Charmouth still unbeaten Winsham 2, Charmouth 2 CHARMOUTH started with an early chance from Sam Dibling but Winsham built the pressure with a series of good attacks, an early chance and a shot from the corner being cleared off the line, it was clear that the home team were up for the challenge.

Charmouth began to build from the seventh minute with a succession of corners and shots, but it was Winsham who made the breakthrough, taking a 1-0 lead.

Winsham received a yellow card

for persistent fouling, and that set the theme of the game; if Charmouth were going through, they were going to get taken down.

Charmouth fired back with a couple of shots from Adzy Whitehouse and Ashley Williams.

The game was very end-to-end with chances falling to both teams.

With more fouls there was plenty of opportunities from free kicks and a resulting corner saw Sam Dibling strike a great effort which was soaring for the top corner but the Winsham keeper made the best fingertip save of the after-

noon.

The game continued with end-toend football but Charmouth were building once again and a shot from Brin Seward was cleared of the line to keep it 1-0 to Winsham, Another foul saw Ty Allen’s freekick well saved and from the corner Steven Wooloff headed over the bar. Winsham fired back with a couple of corners but an assist from Whitehouse saw Dave Bridges head home to make it 1-1 at the interval.

Half time saw Matt Dare, Bogdan Tudor and Dave Bridges make way

Swallows swoop into second place

UPLYME 1sts faced another big test as they travelled to the home of Kenn Valley, unbeaten so far in the Division Six of the Devon and Exeter League.

It was a very physical game from the start and Kenn Valley’s older team certainly made their tackles count.

Uplyme matched them for 40 minutess until a swift attack led to the ball breaking in the box and was dispatched beyond the dive of stand-in keeper James Beddows.

The half-time talk was positive, however, and soon after the break Jonny Day swept in a neat volley to level the scores.

Uplyme took control all over the pitch and Fin Mclean crossed a great

ball for Day head in his second goal at the far post.

The Swallows took the lead 10 minutes later, Mclean grabbing the third – his fifth of a great season – after some excellent team passing as Uplyme took control.

Kenn Valley took the physicality up a notch and the yellow cards were flying and at least two seemed very lenient and could easily have been red.

A typical challenge on Jonny Day left him with a broken nose and a spell in Accident & Emergency.

Valley grabbed a goal back but Uplyme were resolute until the end.

Joint Managers Pete Blandamer and Steve Gillan commented: “A bril-

liant team performance that relied on every player stepping up against his opponent.

“Our goals were brilliant and we simply refused to be bullied into submission against a team stacked with experience and quality.

Jonny Day reflected this bravery and quality on the ball and was a worthy man-of-the match. Scholesy – our stand-in keeper – was brilliant too.

“We just hope we can acquire a goalkeeper in the near future, as this team can go from strength to strength if we secure a quality option.”

This victory saw Uplyme move into second place in Division Six

cribbage AFTER six games, the Gerrard Arms Colyton lead the Lyme Regis Crib League with a point advantage over New Inn, Kilmington.

Lamb Swans lead the Beer Leg with Colyton Club in second place.

Results (Week 6): The Hind Musbury 2, Colyton Club 3 (Beer Leg 1-2); Lamb Swans 2, Volunteer Lyme 3 (B/L 2-3); Castle Inn Axminster v Dolphin Beer -postponed; Gerrard Arms Colyton 3, New Inn.

Kilmington 2 (B/L 3-2); Volly Rejects 2, Axminster Con Club 3 (B/L 1-2).

Fixtures (November 8) - Knock- out Cup second round: Volly Rejects v Dolphin Beer, Colyton Club v Lamb Swans, New Inn Kilmington v Axminster Con Club; Volunteer Lyme v The Hind Musbury.

For league tables go to www.lyme-online.co.uk

for Russ Oldbury, Matt Tipping and Jack Farrant. The second half started much like the first with Winsham pressuring but Charmouth had Dibling’s shot saved and Ashley Williams’ chance just missed the mark.

Winsham fired back with a couple of corners and a good chance in the 63rd minute saw Brin Seward make way for Dave Bridges to rejoin the field.

Charmouth kept the pressure on with Williams having a good couple of chances and Whitehouse having another shot

saved, then a couple of corners saw Steve Wooloff strike for Charmouth to take a 2-1 in the 78th minute.

Winsham levelled the scores with a goal mouth scramble.

It was a difficult game for good football with the persistent fouling but Charmouth remain undefeated.

Man-of-the-match went to Sam Dibling and a great effort from the bench from Matt Tipping. Next Saturday Charmouth are away to Chard United Reserves.

Late goals sinks the Seasiders FROM PAGE 24 The equaliser came from a free header the 59th minute after centre-back Gary Knight, who marshalled the Lyme back-four brilliantly in the first half, was substituted after sustaining a slight pull earlier on.

Higgs was called into action again, turning another goalbound shot around the post, but in the 88th minute the Lyme defence was at sixes and sevens and conceded a free header from a corner to see what the spectators thought was the winner for Thorverton.

But the game wasn’t over and in the last two minutes they added two more goals to make it 4-1 as the Lyme defence stood flat footed.

It was certainly a game of two halves for the Seasiders. They competed well against one of the best sides in the league in the first half but were hopelessly outplayed as the game wore on.

Manager Julien Simier was philosophical after the game, admitting that his Lyme side were not fit enough to maintain the level achieved in the first half.

It would be difficult to pick man-of-the-match. There were several candidates in the first half. Full-back Rikki Sargent was impressive as was Callum Larcombe at full-back and Callum Garrett in midfield. But for my money, it had to go to Higgs who pulled off a string of brilliant saves underlining his reputation as one of the Lyme club’s top alltime goalkeepers.

Squad: Chris Higgs, Rikki Sargent, Gary Knight, Jake Sargent, Callum Larcombe, Robbie Fellingham, Ben Turner, Callum Garrett, Mark Bailey, Brad Rowe, Harvey Brimicombe. Subs: Joe Bond, Tom Kilcoyne.

This defeat sees Lyme drop to sixth place in the Premier table.

This coming Saturday they are away to Exeter University 2nds.

Follow local sport 24/7 on our website - www.lyme-online.co.uk

LymeOnline Sport

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October 29 2021

Friday, October 29 2021 24

AT THE DAVEY FORT THIS SATURDAY

Lyme Reserves v Honiton Town 2nds Kick-off 2.15pm football

Away draw for Seasiders in county cup

LYME Regis Rovers, who play in Division One of the Perry Street League, line up before their 5-0 defeat against South Petherton Reserves on Saturday. Managed by Stef Taylor, the Rovers have a number of new players and are finding life tough in Division One, but their spirit remains high. Back row (from the left): Will Meech, Will Bowditch, Jim Larcombe, Jake Bearpark, Ryan Norman, Dan Rendall. Front row (from the left): Zak Harrison, Rob Larcombe, Callum Taylor, Harry Andrews, Josh Rawlins, Stef Taylor.

Photo by Howard Larcombe

Seasiders concede 3 goals in two minutes FOR near on 60 minutes, Lyme Regis 1st team matched Devon and Exeter Premier high-flyers Thorverton manfor-man, leading 1-0 after an even goalless first half in which both goalkeepers kept their sides in contention

It took the mid-Devon side until the 59th minute to level the scores but in a storming last two minutes of the game they scored three goals against a faltering Lyme defence to win the game by a flattering 4-1.

But Lyme could have no com-

PHILIP EVANS

philip@lyme-online.co.uk plaints. It was a woeful second half performance after such an encouraging first 45 minutes and the players trudged off the pitch angry that they had allowed Thorverton to win with such ease. That’s a good sign, because they care.

In one of the best first halves seen at the Davey Fort this season, there was very little between the two sides. In the first minute Thorverton went close with a far-post header over the bar and at the other end

Lyme’s Mark Bailey shot wide from a good position.

In the eighth minute the Lyme keeper Chris Higgs prevented the visitors from taking the lead with a brilliant left-hand diving save from a close range header.

Ben Turner went close after some good work on the right from Brad Rowe and a period of dominance by Lyme saw Rikki Sargent open the scoring in the 30th minute with a carbon copy goal to the one he scored against Elmore 2nds – a long range shot which flew over the keeper’s head.

Lyme almost extended their lead when a fierce Rowe drive was turned round the post following clever work from Bailey.

Higgs pulled off another brilliant save in the 35th to protect Lyme’s lead and then the Thorverton keeper saved a fierce drive from Rowe and curling free-kick from Rob Fellingham.

Lyme started strongly enough after the break with Rowe heading over the bar from a corner before the visitors started to dominate as the Seasiders ran out of steam.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

LYME Regis first team have been drawn away to Corfe Castle in the first round of the Dorset Senior Trophy.

Corfe play in the Dorset Premier Division but are experiencing a difficult season so far, having won only one of their first ten games, and sit at the foot of the table.

The tie will be played at Corfe on Saturday, November 6 with a 1.30pm kick-off.

Lyme have an excellent record in county cup competitions, winning the Dorset Intermediate Cup and Dorset Junior Cup on many occasions.

But playing in the Devon and Exeter League in the Premier division, the Seasiders are now considered to be playing senior football and now have to compete in the Dorset Senior Trophy.

Lyme Regis Reserves, who play in Division Three of the Devon and Exeter League, now compete in the Dorset Intermediate Cup. They have been drawn at home to Allendale 1sts, who play in Dorset Division One, on Saturday, November 13.

Lyme Rovers were drawn at home to Wyndham Athletic, but they have withdrawn their reserves side from the league so Rovers get a walkover into the second round.

gig racing LYME Regis Gig Club members have recently been able to try their hand at sailing, after a sail was fitted to their lugger ‘Daring’.

The club has been raising funds, with a major contribution from Lyme Regis Town Council, for a sail to be fitted to ‘Daring’ for the past three years.

For full story go to www.lyme-online.co.uk

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