Advice from D&WFRS

All’s fair at Fair Ground

By Sarah Wise “We’ve lived in Wimborne for years but never knew you were here!” is something we often hear as passers-by pop in and become customers and friends of the shop! Local residents and visitors to Wimborne can find us in the tranquil Cornmarket, where we have a treasure trove of gorgeous gifts, beautiful crafts and delicious food items from around the world.

The Fair Ground shop has in fact been in the Cornmarket, near to the White Hart Pub, for many years but, as we are off the main high street, we sometimes feel a little ‘out of the way’. The shop proudly sells Fair Trade products, such as food, tea and coffee, cards, jewellery, and household items, ensuring that producers and farmers receive a guaranteed minimum price for their goods. Fair Ground is also becoming a ‘hub’ where local people can share information to support us all to become more sustainable and ethical in our daily lives. So, if you want to know more about Repair Cafe dates, local recycling or the Green Festival, have a browse of the community noticeboard.

In partnership with Wimborne War on Waste, the shop lends litter picking equipment, handmade upcycled fabric bunting, cups and crockery for free, to encourage everyone to reuse rather than throw things away!

For more information email fairground21@googlemail. com; we are open 10am - 4pm Monday to Saturday. We look forward to seeing you!

With living costs rising all the time, everyone is looking for ways to save some money, so Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is highlighting some areas where a saving could be a false economy – and a fire risk.

Electric heaters and electric blankets – pulling something out of the loft that hasn’t been used for years can be risky. Watch for signs of dangerous or loose wiring, such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that often blow, or circuit breakers that trip for no obvious reasons.

If you’re drying clothes indoors rather than use a tumble dryer, keep them well away from the heat source so they can’t catch fire.

Not getting chimneys swept when you have a woodburner or open fire increases the risk of chimney fires.

Boiler maintenance is essential – otherwise, the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning are far higher.

Only use the correct charger for mobile devices. Although it can be cheaper to buy imported and unofficial chargers, fake ones are often made with poor quality components that fail to meet UK safety regulations. This means they can cause injury, electric shocks and even fires.

Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using wheat bags – don’t heat them for too long, or at too high a temperature.

The Fire and Rescue Service offers free Safe & Well advice, which can include a home visit and the provision of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. To request this for yourself, a family member or a vulnerable person, please call 0800 038 2323 or visit www.dwfire.org.uk/ safe-and-well-visits

There is also a wealth of information about staying safe at home and on the roads at www.dwfire. org.uk

False economy can be a fire risk

With thanks to Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

The story behind the Wimborne Millennium Tapestry

With thanks to Jill Whitfield & Jenny Rideout

The article ‘Tales of the Tapestry’ in our summer issue sparked a lot of local interest. Here, Jill Whitfield recalls how it all started…

The story starts when a member of our Townswomen’s Guild entered a competition in 1998 to come up with an idea to celebrate the Millennium. Joyce Eidmans came up with the idea of a Tapestry which depicted Wimborne’s clubs and trades. Joyce’s idea won the competition but sadly she died before she could get the Tapestry started. Jenny Rideout and I, from the Townswomen’s Guild, volunteered to coordinate it. In February 1999 the Millennium Tapestry was born.

The Town Council announced the Tapestry idea and asked for clubs and businesses to volunteer to create an emblem of their club or trade. We were inundated! A local person donated the canvas. We cut up the canvas into 6” squares and explained the type of wool and stitch that had to be used.

The finished squares came in from all directions and a local picture framer offered to help. We ended up with 105 x 6” squares – the fun started deciding which square should go where and even more fun when we had to stitch them together.

The finished Tapestry now had an oak frame which was 8’ x 4’ and very heavy. It was finally erected on the wall of the café in the Allendale Centre, ready for the unveiling.

It was a very special occasion in May 2000, when all the tapestry participants, dressed in their finery, were invited to witness the Duchess of Gloucester unveil our special Wimborne Millennium Tapestry. The Duchess was extremely interested in the Tapestry as she is a keen needle woman herself. Sadly, Joyce Eidmans never saw her idea created but through her idea a Tapestry was created by the community, for the community.

This is not the end of the story…

The Millennium Tapestry was taken down when the café was refurbished. It was very heavy – it had taken six men to put it up originally! – and unfortunately the Tapestry was dropped and was badly damaged. It was then on display at the back of the Minster Hall where, unfortunately, tables were stacked against it. This was not ideal so it was taken down and stored under the stage in the Minster Hall.

It was around 2013/2015 that Jenny and I raised concerns as to the whereabouts of the Tapestry. The Allendale was having some refurbishment done so this was a good time to get things resolved. Jenny and I went to the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Allendale Centre in March 2015. We brought up the subject of the Tapestry and its possible new location in the new look Centre. At the meeting, we were told that the Tapestry had been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and had to be kept in the Allendale. We were eventually told that we could get our Tapestry reframed and sited on the wall of the entrance hall, where it would be seen in all its glory.

Jenny and I then got to work to raise the funds to get the Tapestry reframed with a special safety glass. The BID gave us a donation, along with many local businesses and individuals who were involved in the making of the squares. We had fantastic help from Terry Ockenden and Vicky Spooner of Wimborne Interiors, who took the broken Tapestry to their workshop and restored and reframed it in its lovely new, majestic frame that looks so stunning.

It was in July 2016 that our Millennium Tapestry came home. It was mounted on the wall in the entrance hall of the Allendale Centre, where it stands today. We had an unveiling ceremony, inviting all our helpers and sponsors.

Again, we have to say that without the community’s help this lovely Tapestry would not be on view for the community. Hopefully it is now in a permanent position and will serve as a reminder of the clubs and businesses that were around in the year of the millennium.