Viewpoint April 2018

Established Over 35 Years Mid Apr 2018

Your Independent Local Magazine

VIEWPOINT

Volume 42, Issue 6

VERWOOD RINGWOOD FORDINGBRIDGE WEST MOORS WIMBORNE FERNDOWN ASHLEY HEATH ST IVES, ALDERHOLT

CONGRATULATIONS

MAGS4DORSET!

After seven happy years at King George V Pavilion in Ferndown, mags4dorset has relocated.

“Since starting the local publishing company 15 years ago, we have changed offices four times,” says co-founder, and editor, Janine Pulford. “But this move is a permanent one.”

The new address is Dana House, Spinneys Lane, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9BZ.

Continued on page 5

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MEET the TEAM

BEHIND THE NEW HUB Dan Stone

Cinema

Mark Prior

Business Development Team Leader

Senior Duty Officer of Events I have the exciting job of overseeing the management and delivery of the events and cinema programme at the Hub. Since joining the team I have been overwhelmed with the support from the local community and how keen everyone is to see a growing programme of all kinds of activities and shows. The latest addition of a fully equipped digital cinema will be a fantastic addition to what Verwood has to offer and, with our new release films, we look forward to the continued support when we launch.

As the Business Development Team Leader for Christchurch and East Dorset Council, I was assigned as the project manager for the introduction of the new digital cinema at the Verwood Hub. Now that the contract has been successfully awarded and the equipment installed, myself and my team are extremely excited to introduce a vastly improved cinema experience and fantastic movie schedule showing the latest blockbusters to the local community.

Chris Inman

Freddie Bates

Duty Officer Events

Business Admin Apprentice for Events Having grown up through a musical family, my interest in events predominantly appeared through live music and concerts. Since qualifying as a Live Sound engineer, I help out within the team by assisting with events organisation and then taking control behind the scenes – maintaining all the audio equipment and overall making performers sound great on stage!

The Hub 1/2

My role as Business Admin Apprentice is to handle the records and data collated as well as help out with the events team. Being able to assist Mark with the programming of the new cinema has been a really interesting experience. As an apprentice, I am always looking to gain as much experience as I can, and this new system has been a great opportunity.

I’m really excited for the future of the new cinema at the Hub and look forward to working with my team on this project.

VIEWPOINT Volume 42 • Issue 6 • April 2018

editorial Picture of the month

MAGS4DORSET

Dear Readers

Spring is a time for renewal, so it was extremely sad last month to lose Nick’s mother, Alma, who was almost 106.

A small comfort was being able to say our final farewells at her favourite time of year. A great gardener, even when she was over 100, Alma loved spring. Her outdoor pots overflowed with bright flowers in the warmer seasons. She also liked travelling and arriving in different countries during their springtime so she could see the native wild flowers.

Proud of her Yorkshire roots, she could talk for England, and having been such a large part of our lives, not a day will pass without fond memories filling our minds. Her obituary is on page 7.

Alma passed away in the good company of Steven Hawking and Ken Dodd who died in the same week after incredibly fulfilling lives.

Our garden is finally springing into life. The frogs have laid their spawn and we have toads too. Frosty, my bunny, looks a bit grumpy though – he no longer has his mate Pip to enjoy a little spring fever with.

Our move to Dana House was delayed, but we are receiving all your letters, so don’t worry if you are now sending yours to Spinneys Lane. We should be in situ very shortly and are looking forward to our new beginnings there and enjoying the birth of a new era.

Until next month,

Janine Pulford

Ben Pulford managing director design@mags4dorset.co.uk Nick Pulford company secretary accounts@mags4dorset.co.uk

NEWS DESK 01202 872813 Janine Pulford editor editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk

Carol Waterkeyn contributing editor

Double Trouble © Tom Scrase

DESIGN 01202 233441

Louis Pulford creative director

louispulford@brightboxdesigns.co.uk

Adam Trimby graphic designer designstudio@mags4dorset.co.uk

ADVERTISING 01202 816140 Mark Beechey account manager DD: 01202 941465 mark@mags4dorset.co.uk

Russell Harness account manager DD: 01202 941466 russell@mags4dorset.co.uk Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.

Editor

LOGISTICS

The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions in order to fit in with the editorial policy and style of the magazine

Ian Lory Alexandra O’Neill

How to contact us Enquiries: 01202 870270 Advertising: 01202 816140 Brightbox Designs: 01202 233441

Email: mags@mags4dorset.co.uk Web: www.mags4dorset.co.uk Twitter: @mags4dorset Facebook: mags4dorset.news

Dana House, Spinneys Lane, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9BZ

next copy closing date:

27 APRIL 2018

Viewpoint is independently published and distributed free to homes and businesses in selected areas of Dorset and Hampshire. It is also available by subscription at £35 per year. Views or opinions expressed in Viewpoint are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement deemed to be unsuitable for publication. Information about a service does not imply recommendation. All purchases made through this publication are done so entirely at your own risk. The copyright on all written material, logos and advertising artwork produced by our studio remains with Viewpoint and should not be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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By Gaynor Cooke, Head of Wills and Probate Harold G Walker Solicitors

Refund information for LPAs and EPAs Have you registered a Lasting Power of Attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017? If so, you may be eligible for a refund of part of the registration fee from the Office of Public Guardian.

Gaynor Cooke It has been established that the Office of Public Guardian’s (OPG) operating costs to deal with registering Lasting Powers of Attorney or Enduring Powers of Attorney were lower than anticipated and the government has advised that refunds are being offered to those who may have been charged more than was necessary to apply to register the documents between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017.

This does not relate to the legal costs incurred in preparing or registering the documents but, only the registration fee paid to the OPG to register the documents. The refunds range from £45 to £54 depending on the date that you paid the fee.

If you think you are eligible, you will need to personally apply by contacting the OPG direct by: •

Online: https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund

•

Helpline: 0300 456 0300 (choose option 6)

•

The OPG will be able to guide you through the refund process.

If you need any further advice regarding Lasting Powers of Attorney, Harold G Walker Solicitors experienced Wills & Probate specialists can provide friendly and professional advice to guide you, giving you complete peace of mind.

For more information, please call our Wills & Probate team on 01202 881454, who will be happy to discuss the process with you.

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

Silent Soldiers on parade

Representing the Fallen of World War One, Silent Soldiers are appearing all over the country. Two can be seen in the Garden of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion in Church Road, Ferndown.

The figures represent the troops between 1914 and 1918, when returning home ‘silently,’ and they form part of the 2018 commemorations of the end of the ‘War to End All Wars.’

Silent Soldiers can be placed on buildings, in gardens and fields and on roundabouts. They are available to individuals (£100) and companies (£250 with company logo) from the Royal British Legion with all profits going to the Poppy Appeal.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, which began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918.

By the time the guns fell silent, 10-million soldiers were dead and WWI had changed the world forever.

Girls, d’you wanna play golf?

Girls Golf Rocks is back in Dorset – and it’s taking new golfers on a playing Tour.

The campaign to attract more girl golfers has been hugely successful since it started in Dorset in 2016.

These fun coaching events will be open to all girl golfers across the county.

This year’s free taster sessions will be held at the following golf clubs with each offering follow-on coaching courses with PGA professionals.

Sturminster Marshall, 13 April 5-7pm.

Dudsbury, 21 April 3-5pm.

Broadstone, 14 April 1-3pm.

Ferndown, 24 April 5-7pm.

To book visit www.girlsgolfrocks.org

Photo © Tony Amos

LAW SPOT

Continued from front page

Simon Nethercott, Louis Pulford and Ben Pulford

CONGRATULATIONS MAGS4DORSET! “Our first office was a room at home, which wasn’t ideal.“ From there the company moved to Ringwood Road, then Whittle Road on the Ferndown Industrial Estate. “We had to shout across the room because the office was so huge,” recalls Janine. “A few years later the shouting stopped as we had to downsize due to the recession.

“Eventually we were able to afford to move to King George V Pavilion where we have been very happy and seen steady growth.”

However, with the improvements underway at the KGV Pavilion, Ferndown Town Council

had given mags4dorset notice to vacate by 31 March.

“We had been trying to purchase an office for a while, but there were complex covenant issues that had to be sorted,” said directors Ben and Louis Pulford. “Things suddenly moved forward and our solicitor, Simon Nethercott from HG Walker was pleased to tell us that we could complete. This took place in the nick of time on 6 March.”

Janine adds, “To be able to purchase an office where both Viewpoint and 4Dorset can continue to grow is something I wouldn’t have dreamed of when I first started the company.”

“It has only become possible through a lot of hard work and the forward thinking of my sons, Ben and Louis, who have a vision for the future and have reinvested in the business.

“We would like to say a big thank you to all our readers, loyal customers, clients and staff for your valued support over the last 15 years. This has not only ensured the survival of our much-loved community magazines: Viewpoint and 4Dorset, but also of Pulford Publicity Limited and BrightBox Designs.”

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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charity of the year

Do you have any 50s shop fittings?

Forest Holme Hospice - a new financial year

A

pril marked the start of the new financial year for many organisations including Forest Holme Hospice Charity.

Over the next 12 months the charity needs to raise a total of £820,000 to ensure that it is in a position to provide consistent and unconditional care, not just now, but also in the future.

Over the years, the charity has been committed to funding additional nursing staff for the inpatient ward, counsellors to provide psychological support to patients and their families,

2017 Trolley Dash winner Marie Grainger

a variety of complementary therapies, medical equipment, and practical fixtures and fittings to make the hospice a more homely environment.

A patient’s relative, Katie Marshall said, “The staff at Forest Holme were our sunshine on the darkest days. When they felt the time was right, they cracked a little joke to make us all smile a little.

Sometimes that’s all you need.

They were a shoulder to cry on, or warm arms to hug when everything was falling apart. They really did help us all get through the worst hours of our lives.”

For more information on how you can support the vital work of the charity, please contact 01202 670644 or visit: www.forestholmehospice.org.uk

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

Go Wild in the Aisles

An exciting way to support the charity is to buy a ticket for a chance to win the annual trolley dash in Sainsbury’s Poole (High Street). Tickets are £1 each and the winner will be announced on Friday 27 April 2018.

Starting at 9am, the winner will get five minutes to take a look around the shop to plan their route before being given three minutes to go wild in the aisles with a maximum spend of £300.

All profit from ticket sales will go to the Forest Holme Hospice Charity to help to enhance the lives of adults from across Poole, Wimborne and the Isle of Purbeck who are facing a life-limiting or terminal illness. Buy your tickets directly from Forest Holme Hospice Charity at 5 Seldown Road, Poole, telephone 01202 670 644 or from the charity’s Secret Wardrobe shop upstairs in Poole’s Dolphin Centre. Terms and conditions apply.

As part of a developing educational programme, Wimborne Model Town is setting up a 1950s shop area and would love to hear from anyone who might be able to assist with original shop fittings, vintage packaging or even an old £SD till.

“Although we will not be open all hours, we are establishing a vintage retail area at the Model Town which will reflect how people shopped in the 1950s and would welcome donations of equipment and products that we could use,” comments general manager, Greg Hoar.

The educational charity which maintains the original 1950s’ miniature buildings has now reopened for the new season.

Obituary Alma Pulford

Poole centenarian enjoyed a long and happy life 19 May 1912-16 March 2018

100th birthday party

Nanan (102) with Nick, Ben and Louis

Alma Pulford,(nĂŠe Mills), one of the oldest women in Poole, who was just two months shy of her 106th birthday, passed away peacefully on 16 March.

The widow of the renowned commercial artist, Eric William Pulford, Alma had survived him for nearly 13 years.

Originally from Leeds, the couple were married ion 27 April 1940. A few 105th party years later they moved to the south where Eric pursued a successful career to become one of the greatest British film poster artists.

Alma meanwhile devoted her time to their four children. She was a loving mother to Janice, Gillian, Nicholas and Robert. Family meant everything to Alma and with nine grandchildren and 13 greatgrandchildren, she was never short of visitors.

When Eric retired, the couple moved to Poole where Alma enjoyed doing her bit for the community and she spent many years working in a charity shop in Westbourne. She was also a regular visitor of her late-cousin’s severely disabled daughter, Sue. Alma was a talented artist and enjoyed art classes and circle dancing even when she was over 100. With a zest for living and the ability to talk about anything and everything, Alma affectionately known as Nanan, will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Her funeral took place on 4 April, with the cremation on 5 April.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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female VIEWPOINT Maria crowned Mrs Enchanting World Former Mrs Dorset – Maria Parker-Harris of Bournemouth – has brought home the international pageant crown after winning Mrs Enchanting World.

Maria Parker-Harris represented her home county of Dorset at the Mrs Enchanting World Pageant on Saturday 10 March in south Wales.

Mrs Enchanting World focuses on a contestant’s contribution to their community, their charitable endeavours and their dedication to a cause they wish to champion.

Maria completed 113 appearances over her 6-month reign as Mrs Dorset; that showcased the beautiful and unique attractions in Dorset and supported local causes and events. She also raised hundreds of pounds and was awarded the coveted Miss Congeniality award, voted for by her fellow contestants.

During her reign as Mrs Dorset, Maria had chosen to campaign for better understanding of long-term infertility, a debilitating condition that has caused Maria and her husband great personal sadness. Maria will continue to work as an ambassador for Fertility Network UK and says she is proud to be able to raise awareness of the debilitating effects of longterm infertility on a national platform. Maria believes that long-term infertility could be much better understood by healthcare providers and wider society. It is said to affect 1 in 7 couples, which is around 3.5 million couples each year.

But, as she threw herself into attending local community events and campaigning for infertility, a miracle happened. In October 2017, Maria was delighted to find out that she was pregnant. She is expecting her baby on 26 June 2018.

Maria said, “I am overwhelmed to be bringing home such a prestigious international

crown and was honoured to represent my beautiful county of Dorset. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to speak openly about a cause that has caused me so much pain, in the hope that other couples can enjoy

a more positive journey to parenthood. I have also loved celebrating the unique culture that makes Dorset so special and hope that I have encouraged people to come and enjoy our unbeatable sights.”

You can find out more about infertility at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility or http://fertilitynetworkuk.org/

- advertising feature -

A team on Cloud Nine Owners and staff at Cloud Nine Beauty in Ferndown are over the moon to be celebrating 10 years in business.

O

pening their doors in 2008, a year which proved to be the start of one of the biggest recessions, Jacqui and Craig the proprietors have built their business year on year to achieve the great reputation it has today.

Cloud Nine has just been awarded a special commendation for ‘Salon of Excellence’ chosen out of 1,500 Guinot salons across the whole of the UK and Ireland. This fantastic accolade places the salon

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amongst some of the best in the business.

Cloud Nine has also been awarded the status of Guinot Crown Salon 2018 for the 5th year running. This coveted title celebrates the highestachieving Guinot salons, spas and health clubs throughout the UK and Ireland that demonstrate success, dedication and loyalty to the brand.

Guinot is an awardwinning heritage skincare brand, delivering bespoke skincare prescriptions

VIEWPOINT April 2018

and patented treatment methods. Cloud Nine Beauty has stocked Guinot in its salon for 10 years and upholds the high standards

that Guinot expects in order to provide clients with 5* treatments and advanced, professional skincare knowledge.

By visiting a Crown Salon, clients can be confident that they are choosing a Guinot salon of the highest distinction, with flawless principles in the environment, customer care and treatment expertise.

01202 890220

www.cloudnineferndown.co.uk info@cloudnineferndown.co.uk 74 Victoria Rd, Ferndown BH22 9JA

CPRE applauds deposit return Countryside campaigners celebrate The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has wholeheartedly congratulated the Government on its decision to introduce a nationwide deposit return system (DRS) for plastic and glass bottles, as well as aluminium cans. The CPRE says the introduction will help boost recycling rates and combat the plague of litter blighting our countryside. It’s a watershed moment for recycling in the UK, given that similar systems around the world have produced extremely good results.

The long-awaited decision came following a call for evidence in October last year which investigated how the littering of plastic, metal and glass drinks containers could be reduced, as well as the recycling of them increased. The evidence submitted was examined by retail giants such as Coca-Cola and Tesco, alongside other members of the Voluntary and Economic Incentives Working Group, for which CPRE provided the Secretariat.

CPRE representatives have campaigned for the introduction of a DRS for 10 years, and are delighted by the announcement.

There has been increasing pressure from environmental organisations, the media and the public for more action to be taken against the tide of waste that is polluting natural environments – with single-use drinks containers being a huge contributor.

Samantha Harding, litter programme director at the Campaign to Protect Rural

England said, “This is a brilliant and significant decision by Michael Gove. I am thrilled that we will finally see the many benefits a deposit system will bring to England, not least the absence of ugly drinks containers in our beautiful countryside.

“What’s significant is that producers will now pay the full costs of their packaging, reducing the burden on the taxpayer and setting a strong precedent for other schemes where the polluter pays.

This really is a bold and exciting step by the Government.”

Author Bill Bryson, who is the former president of the CPRE added, “I wholeheartedly congratulate Michael Gove for his wisdom in finally accepting the case for a deposit return system in the UK – I never thought I would see this in my lifetime. Future generations will look back on this decision as a piece of supremely enlightened policymaking, and one that raises the prospect of the world’s most beautiful country becoming free from drinks container litter at last. My most profound gratitude goes to the tireless campaigners and heroic litter pickers of CPRE who, for the past decade, have kept the issue alive in the minds of our politicians, press and public.”

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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Column supplied by Wessex Pensions

Lasting Power of Attorney

By Daniel Parkin

I read an interesting article recently, which reiterated the challenges the elderly can sometimes come across when dealing with financial matters, and thought I would share and summarise the information.

Age UK have recently conducted a review and found that approximately 130,000 people over 65 in the UK have suffered some form of financial abuse. It is thought that this segment of the population, about 18%, are usually targeted because they are assumed to have more money and perceived to be more vulnerable than the younger generation.

The Care Act 2014 defines financial abuse as including: Daniel Parkin

For more information about pensions, telephone Daniel Parkin on 07801 432182.

17 Headlands Business Park, Salisbury Road, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 3PB

•

Having money or property stolen.

•

Being defrauded.

•

Being put under pressure in relation to money or other property.

•

Having money or other property misused.

As with other forms of abuse, the majority of victims know the perpetrator, with Age UK suggesting that 70% of financial abuse is conducted by family members. This would involve family members or friends putting pressure onto older people to give away their money, or befriending an older person with the specific goal of taking money away from them.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers expected to rise to 2m by 2051. These are individuals open to financial abuse, and to guard against this, that person needs to appoint a person or persons to look after their affairs should they lose capacity to do so. This person can be a loved one or an independent professional person, and the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is the legal instrument to undertake this.

Ideally, a person will set up an LPA earlier in life as a protective measure against potential financial abuse. Taking this step can ensure that the individual is placing the decisions about their finances in the hands of someone they trust, and remove the possibility of any dispute as to whether the individual had mental capacity at the time of creating the LPA. Anyone seeking further information on the above should seek legal advice from a solicitor.

Easter cross being carried by Chris Tapley at the start of the Parish Eucharist © Gordon Edgar

Bun walk cancelled For the first time in living memory, the Easter Bun Walk from Wimborne Minster to Pamphill, had to be cancelled because of the weather.

Other ecclesiastical activities and services including the Eucharist of the Last Supper, which started the Easter weekend on Maundy Thursday at the Minster, went ahead as usual, apart from the Walk of Witness from St John’s Church. This walk through the streets of Wimborne culminated with a short service inside the Minster, instead of at Willow Walk, because of the incessant rain. In spite of this, almost 250 people braved the conditions of the walk.

-advertising feature-

Have I provided for my beloved dog?

As I sat in my car on the A31 with my puncture, waiting to be rescued so I could take my dog, Charlie, to his urgent appointment at the vets, I contemplated life. I decided quite quickly that I have no mechanical and DIY skills whatsoever, and, as I sat there in my suit, in my car, with the snow falling heavily, it was clear I wasn’t going to even attempt changing my tyre.

Fortunately, I was rescued quite quickly and continued on my journey to the vets not only to ensure Charlie was on the road to recovery but also to pay for the vets’, skiing holiday, such is the cost.

While my dog is not yet fully recovered, hopefully, after I have paid for the vet’s summer holiday, too, Charlie may well be mended.

It then occurred to me that although I had at last made my own Will, I had not provided for Charlie!

My wife of course is covered and I know she is happy – demonstrated by her continued encouragement of me to ride my bicyle in icy conditions, saying, “There is no need to wear a helmet you will be fine!” But what about Charlie?

Suffice to say Charlie is now included in my Will.

It is strange when focusing on what you shouldn’t do, it helps your focus on what you should do.

All of us put off making a Will, yet making one is so very important.

A Will prepared by Forest Edge and Meesons covers all the bases and if you ask, we may even know a good tyre man.

Contact Fiona Clarke or Ruth Lucas from our Private Client team who will be more than happy to assist you.

Edward Holmes Solicitor Forest Edge and Meesons Solicitors

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

ringwood NEWS

Ringwood School achievements

Soroptimist STEM challenge Rotary Technology Tournament Students scooped first and second places at the fifth annual Rotary Technology Tournament on 8 March. Organised by the Rotary clubs of Bournemouth, Christchurch, Highcliffe and Ringwood, the competition involved 146 students from 12 schools. Students had to build a space shuttle that could fly three metres and release a capsule with a parachute to bring it safely back to the ground. Year 9 girls’ team: Emma Cooper, Jessica Devereux, Jessica Gollop, and Jemima Urquhart-Barham won the foundation Key Stage 3 category.

The Year 9 boys’ team: Flynn Atkins, Harry Breckon, Matt Robb and Luke Symonds came in at a close second. The winners of the advanced Key Stage 5 task were the Sixth Form team: Alisha Coombes, Ellie Edwards, Chris Legg and Callum Redfern.

Lions art prize

For the second consecutive year, a group of students has achieved first place at the annual Soroptimist International Bournemouth STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) challenge. Year 9 students Verity Argent, Emma Cooper and Renee Williams, competed against 12 teams from eight local schools and rose to the challenge to come up with a solution to help people in the poorest parts of the world. The girls researched, developed and designed the concept of a flat packable cot for babies in developing countries.

The students also received a certificate of participation from the Soroptimist Challenge and achieved the British Science Bronze CREST award, which recognises achievement in STEM-based subjects.

A year 8 student reached the national final of a prestigious international art competition. Joe Durward’s ‘Turning their backs on war’ made the final of the 2017/18 Lions International Peace Poster competition on the theme of ‘The Future of Peace.’ Whilst Joe’s work was not selected as the overall winner, Mr Stephen Sherring, president of the Lions Club of Ringwood and Fordingbridge praised his work highly and said, “Lions Clubs International annually receive submissions from approximately 500,000 students from around the world. Joe’s submission was stunning and he should be extremely proud of reaching the national final.” In recognition of his achievement, Joe was awarded the Lions District Peace Poster trophy and received a cheque for £75.

Lantern of Remembrance At Ringwood Town Council’s policy and finance meeting in March the Rev’d Terry Roberts made a proposal for a permanent replacement of the Lantern of Remembrance.

He said it would be an opportunity for Ringwood to have something unique to commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1. He felt the project

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

would be supported by the people of Ringwood, as he had received positive comments and was confident that the total cost would be raised by public subscription.

In describing the lantern, he indicated that there would be a plaque on one of the pillars to explain its significance, and refer people to the War Memorial,

where the names of those who had fallen in WW1 and WW2 are listed.

Members agreed to support the proposal. There was some concern about the permissions necessary and gaining planning consent within the relevant timescale, and members requested that preliminary enquiries were made with regard to this.

ringwood NEWS

Buying the Regal for the benefit of the town The Save the Regal Group is aiming to purchase the Regal Cinema in Ringwood, despite a statement from the developers who own the Regal building, the Furlong Shopping Centre and several other properties, about their future plans.

In his statement, Matthew Potter, senior asset manager of U+I, said: U+I purchased the Town Hall (the Regal Cinema) building when a comprehensive re-development of the Furlong Shopping Centre was being considered, but due to viability issues this was not progressed. We now have a potential buyer for the Town Hall and hope to agree terms very soon.

We still plan to invest in the Furlong Shopping Centre and recently met with Ringwood Town Council, to discuss future plans.

We are confident that the proposed sale of the Town Hall and subsequent investment in that building and the shopping centre will be beneficial to the town.

The Regal group says they have since learned that U+I have now sold the Waitrose supermarket (situated in the Furlong Centre) and when they met the council recently they did not have a buyer for the Regal.

Mike Tuck, chairman of Ringwood Regal group said, “There have been many

rumours of potential buyers for the Regal building including an investor from New Zealand, so we have been biding our time to see what transpires.

“Rightly or wrongly, we have come to the conclusion that there isn’t currently a buyer for the Regal, so we have appointed a specialist solicitor to apply to the Charity Commission on our behalf to seek Charity Status for the Regal group.

“Once we have achieved this, we believe it will enable us to begin fundraising in earnest as we can approach the Lottery Commission and others with more credibility. Local businesses will be more inclined to help if they can offset charitable donations against tax.

“This decision has not been taken lightly as it will cost a considerable amount of money; however, we believe this is what our Regal Friends want us to do for the benefit of the town.

“We know it is a long and difficult road ahead to realise our vision of a 600-seat theatre and cinema in the centre of the town, where it belongs, to help revitalise the Market Place shopping centre.

However, we believe there is a benefactor out there with enough vision to share our plan and help us make it happen.”

- advertising feature -

Play and discover golf at Somerley Somerley Park Golf Club are opening their gates for a great Open Weekend on May Bank Holiday. They are inviting both golfers and those thinking about golf to come and try out their 9-hole course set in the beautiful parkland surroundings of Somerley House, near Ringwood.

Saturday 26 May is an open invitation for all golfers to play 9 holes on this challenging course, but you’ll first need to fill in the entry form and arrange a tee time via their website.

Sunday 27 May is an open visitor’s day. If you are new to golf; returning to golf or are new to the area and thinking about playing and joining a club, then go along and try them out. You will be able to walk the course, practise putting and try out a few holes (they even have some clubs you can borrow).

They are a small but very welcoming members-only club, with affordable membership fees, no teeing-off times, a friendly and relaxing clubhouse. Once a member, you can invite family and friends to play and throughout the year they organise many Men’s and Ladies’ competitions which can be both serious and fun.

If you join over the Open Weekend you will receive 15 months membership for the price of 12.

For further details about the exciting Open Weekend, visit the website www.somerleyparkgolfclub.co.uk or contact Colin Knapman (Club Captain) on 01425 655038 Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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health & FITNESS - advertising feature -

Well done Jolanta!

Bluebird Care, Ferndown have recognised one of their care professionals, Jolanta Paulauskiene with an award.

Lorraine Maher from Bluebird Care says, “Jolanta started working for

Bluebird Care, Ferndown at the beginning of February 2018 and came to us with no previous care experience.

“On Saturday, 3 March, Jolanta’s quick thinking and outstanding

support meant that one of our customers survived a serious infection. The doctor had even stated that if Jolanta had not acted quickly and called for a doctor for this customer, the customer would not have made it through the night. Jolanta sat with the client most of the night without even being asked to, because no other

person could reach the customer due to the bad weather.”

Lorraine added, “Jolanta will be receiving Care Professional of the Month for March, for her outstanding care and support and being the one care professional who worked through all the bad weather, snow, ice and the storm to attend to every

one of her customers to ensure they were safe.

“We have received some amazing compliments from customers and family members about Jolanta and how, with no past experience or being asked, goes above and beyond her job role to care and support people who need our help.”

- advertising feature -

Feeling healthy (anyone can do it) What are the main aims of a fitness regime? To lose weight, improve fitness, and build muscles? Swimming ticks all of the boxes, in fact it provides a full-body workout with minimal risk of injury.

Swimming also improves: Your cardiovascular fitness, heart and lungs, weight loss and weight control, flexibility, endurance, muscular tone and strength, cholesterol, lowers risk of diabetes, Asthma symptoms, stiff muscles and sore joints, helps you to be better at other sports, lowers stress and improves brain function.

Regular swimming can turn back the clock, meaning you might live longer and it opens up amazing experiences.

Can’t decide whether to do a cardio or strength training session? Swimming will give you both.

The better your technique is, the more you’re going to get out of swimming. Ferndown Leisure can help you through the Adult Learn to Swim programme.

Is this you?

•

I would like to join in with the family and show them a few tricks of my own!

•

I would love to snorkel and enjoy the water on my next holiday?

•

I would like to be a better swimmer?

•

I wish I could swim but I never had the opportunity.

So, what’s stopping you from achieving your goals?

Now is a great time to start, or get back in the water, following the adult pathway, split into the 4 stages of Beginner (Learn), Improver (Like), Technique (Love) and Advanced (Live), taking you from complete beginner, to taking part in a triathlon or Masters swimming. There is a whole new social world beyond the water and Ferndown Leisure are here to help you find it. They also offer private lessons if you prefer.

For more information about swimming at Ferndown Leisure Centre please contact the swim team on 01202 877468 or visit www.ferndownleisurecentre.co.uk

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

health & FITNESS Charity welcomes long-awaited vaccine report

T

he UK Government has published a long awaited vaccine cost effectiveness report, and in doing so has conceded to pressure from Meningitis Now and others to put the report out to consultation.

The report, commissioned in 2014, includes a series of recommendations.

Dr Tom Nutt, CEO at Meningitis Now, said, “Having previously submitted evidence about key concerns when the draft report was produced three years ago, we will review this final report carefully and challenge any recommendations that we feel create a lessfavourable environment for vaccines.”

New Race For Life kids’ event in Poole Local children are being invited to get muddy for a good cause – at a brand new event from Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

Poole has been chosen to host Race for Life Pretty Muddy Kids for the first time at Baiter Park on Saturday 16 June. Pretty Muddy Kids is a new obstacle course designed just for children – with

added mud, thrills and spills.

From scramble nets and space hoppers to mud chutes and muddy pools, children will face a range of fun obstacles to crawl under, clamber over and charge through.

The Race for Life events also include the traditional 5k, 10k and Pretty Muddy courses, which thousands of women

The report follows an e-petition in 2016 signed by more than 820,000 people, which called for the Men B vaccine to be given to children up to the age of 11. At the time, the Petitions and Health Committees heard evidence from families, charities, including Meningitis Now, and medical experts.

It was clear from these hearings that there were serious concerns about the way that the Government decides whether a vaccine

is cost-effective.

Tom continued, “When the petition was rejected in 2016, the then Health Minister cited this report as being integral to the future of vaccines and in doing so ‘put on hold’ the hopes of those who had signed the petition – people who had been deeply moved by the sad and preventable death of two-year-old Faye Burdett.”

Meningitis Now works towards a future where no one in the UK loses their life

to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need. It does this by funding research into vaccines and prevention, raising awareness so people know what to look for and what action to take if they suspect meningitis, and rebuilding futures by providing dedicated support to people living with the impact of the disease.

will take part in at the same venue on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June.

By taking part in Pretty Muddy Kids, children can have fun with friends and help raise valuable funds.

The money raised will help Cancer Research UK scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease, helping save more lives.

The entry fee for Pretty Muddy Kids is £10. The event is open to boys and girls aged from 5 to 12 years (minimum height 1.2m). All children must

be accompanied by a supervising adult.

For more information, visit www.meningitisnow.org.

To enter your children, go to www.raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.

Get down, get up

Knowing how to get up from the floor can improve confidence and make people feel safer. For most people it is not a case of they can’t get up, rather they just don’t know how.

Why not learn how to, and potentially save hours of lying on the floor, waiting for help to arrive?

Book a space and go along to the Barrington Centre in Ferndown on Friday 25 May, from 11.30-1.30pm to learn how. Please note that if the organisers do not deem it safe, they will not put you on the floor but will demonstrate the technique instead.

The event is being organised by staff from Ferndown Leisure Centre at the Barrington Centre.

Contact Joanne Sinclair by email on joannesinclair@ pfpleisure.org or call 01202 877468 for more information or to book. This is a free event but you may like to make a donation to the Pramacare charity on the day.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 15

fordingbridge NEWS Avonway shows the way

Avonway Community Centre in Fordingbridge celebrated the completion of its main building kitchen refit on 4 March, which will benefit all users.

The centre will now also be able to facilitate two initiatives to alleviate loneliness in the community: the Sunday Lunch Club and the Making a Meal of it Club.

Chris Calder, chairman of Avonway, welcomed the guests, including the mayor Cllr Malcolm Connolly, who is also a life member of the Fordingbridge & District Community Association, which runs Avonway.

Calder thanked Fordingbridge Co-op’s local Community Fund for paying for some of the equipment and for funding to help support the new clubs.

While major structural projects have been funded by grants, the assistance of HCC Councillor Edward Heron was acknowledged.

Award winner

Congratulations to Belinda Vize, one of 25 peer advocates who won Dorset Volunteering Team of the Year 2017.

Belinda, from Fordingbridge, joined Dorset Macmillan Advocacy a year ago. She said, “I love being part of this team of really caring people and it has made me feel I am giving something back to society. There are so many people trying to cope with their cancer diagnoses and all the difficulties this brings.

I am learning that there is much in the way of help and resources that may make life a little easier for them.

I help them to access the support they need.”

93 Club celebrates 25 years The 25th anniversary of the 93 Club was celebrated on 15 March in the presence of the Mayor of Fordingbridge, Cllr Malcolm Connolly.

A founder member, Foster Herd, talked about the ‘brief history of time’ revealing some lesser known facts about the club. Four new members were introduced, and speaker, Pip Martin, gave a talk with anecdotes on the joys and benefits of being a rural curate and vicar.

After lunch, the mayor gave an address before he cut the cake using a ceremonial sword. He wished the club good luck for the future, after which, he was immediately signed up as a member, in anticipation of his forthcoming retirement.

Founded in 1993, this gentlemen’s luncheon club is based in Godshill and meets every third Thursday of the month. For more details contact chairman Derek Ayling at hippotrain@btinternet.com -advertising feature-

Sandy Balls unveils the new Zen Away Resorts has created a new concept in the Zen, exclusive to its woodland retreat of Sandy Balls in the New Forest.

This innovative new type of caravan has been designed in response to the growing desire for many people to escape their busy lives and tune out from the digital noise and the stresses of the 21st century when they are on holiday.

Hidden among the trees, it offers a calming and peaceful escape away in the woodlands.

Talking about the creation of the Zen, Away Resorts chief executive Carl Castledine says, “The Zen is our option for those who want to get back to nature; to switch off from the city’s hustle and bustle; to relax and re-energise; to use their holiday to improve their wellness. It has been shown that wellbeing improves immeasurably as a result of immersing oneself in nature. The more research that’s done on the benefits of the outdoors, the more it becomes obvious that spending time in the wild is one of the best boosters of health and wellness – both physical and mental.”

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

Zen accommodation

The Zen, which can sleep up to seven, also has its own dedicated parking area and very own secluded hot tub, in which guests can soak in the heart of the forest – just to add that touch of luxury to the relaxing holiday experience.

Each Zen at Sandy Balls will come equipped with DVDs and guides on meditation, for guests to try, along with a number of Zen-inspired movies to enjoy.

Alongside the new Zen, Away Resorts has invested £1 million on improving Sandy Balls.

This includes £400,000 spent on Aubrey’s on-site family restaurant, which has been rebranded to Aubrey’s Forest Kitchen with a new menu featuring

gluten-free options and offering a delivery service to all guests at Sandy Balls; £300,000 on refurbishing some of the existing holiday village accommodation; £100,000 on improvements to the indoor pool; £240,000 on landscaping the village square and £10,000 on creating a Woodland Theatre for outdoor performances.

Castledine said, “We pride ourselves on our portfolio of high-quality accommodation across all of our parks, and this investment at Sandy Balls represents our commitment to ensuring that the holiday village continues to deliver the standard of luxury that our guests have come to expect.”

fordingbridge NEWS

From pub to flats and town houses

By Julian Hewitt, Fordingbridge Museum

It may seem surprising to residents of a town, much of which is in a conservation area, that a fine old pub at the heart of Fordingbridge was demolished as recently as 1988.

Dating from about 1660, the original Greyhound pub was destroyed in a fire in1672. It was rebuilt and renamed the White Horse but it reverted to its original name in the 18th century.

The pub stood opposite the Fordingbridge bookshop where Fox and Sons estate agent now stands. The interior of the building had, as would be expected of a building dating from the 17th century, a grand wooden staircase and panelled rooms. It was later refaced with brick, which gave the exterior a Georgian appearance.

It was popular with fishermen and, in the cellar, had a constantly running spring of clear water. This was used to keep bottles cold and also as a pen for keeping fish and bait fresh.

So much water bubbled up that it was enough to supply the whole town and it fed the old lead town pump that was sited in the corner between the bank building and the pub.

Fordingbridge Museum still has the pump in storage and hopes to put it on display sometime in the future.

In the days of horsedrawn transport, the pub had plentiful stabling and during the 18th and early 19th century was the main coaching inn for the town. There were regular coaches to places like Bournemouth and Salisbury.

The coming of the railway in 1866 heralded the end of long-distance, horse-drawn travel, although a horse-drawn omnibus would greet each passenger train and transport people to the Greyhound. This service was still operating as late as 1926.

The pub had grounds that stretched down to the river and between the wars it had flourishing tea gardens. These adjoined tea gardens at the neighbouring temperance pub the Albany, where the Augustus John statue is,

and those at the Riverside Hotel, which is now Caxton Decor. Old photographs show elegant-looking tea gardens where you could also hire a rowing boat or a punt.

In 1830, the pub was invaded by antimachinery rioters, who gave themselves a bit too much Dutch courage at the expense of the landlord.

Eight years later a whole sheep was roasted in the triangle outside what is now the bookshop to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria.

When the pub was demolished it became an unsightly gravel car park that rather blighted the centre of the town. In two archaeological digs that were carried out on the site in 1989 and 1997, the remains of buildings dating back to the 13th century were discovered. In 2001 the new flats and town houses that now occupy the site were built.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 17

BUSINESS | COMMUNITY | UNITY

MEET theTEAM

By Janine Pulford

When I first moved to West Moors, in the days of the hardware store, sweet shop and haberdashery, there was nothing nicer than going shopping in the village and getting to know the shopkeepers and their staff. I am sure there will be many readers who remember Tim the fishmonger/vegetable shop owner and his wife Sue. Times change, they have to, or we would still be cavemen and women, but friendly shopkeepers still exist.

Although the types of shops found along high streets have altered over the years, there are still plenty of locally-run businesses out there.

It is always nice to know the faces and names of the people who can help you with many different services, and equally good to meet the families who work hard to keep local businesses on your doorstep.

On these two pages you can find out more about some of your local businesses, so next time you use one of their services, you will be more familiar with the friendly faces you are dealing with.

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

BUSINESS | COMMUNITY | UNITY

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 19

verwood NEWS Verwood Afternoon Townswomen’s Guild At the guild’s recent Annual General Meeting members were treated to tea and homemade cakes after the business part of the meeting.

The competition was for a ‘treasured possession’ and was won by Mona Davis, and to enhance the proceedings, the Entertainers group performed songs from Oklahoma.

A spring lunch is the next event on the programme, followed by the Dorset Federation’s annual General Knowledge Quiz.

A quick look at the Bible Verwood United Reform Church is holding a special event on Saturday 28 April at 7.30pm.

It will feature The Bible in 55 Minutes with Peter Aston on guitar and vocals and Becky Spears on flute.

The evening is being held to celebrate refurbishment of the Church.

There is no charge but monetary donations for the Trussell Trust Food Bank are invited. Light refreshments will be available.

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

Titan the Robot: carnival crowd pleaser Titan the Robot will be starring as the main attraction at Verwood on 28 May.

The Carnival will take place on the Fuzzy Bit in Crane Drive, Verwood, with the procession setting off at noon to surrounding roads.

Prior to that, the Verwood Carnival Princess and Queen selection will now take place on Friday 20 April, rescheduled because of the snow in March.

The competition is open to children aged 8 and over.

The selection committee is looking for two princesses aged between 8 and 12, and one queen, aged 13+. Please note that photos will be taken for publicity purposes.

All entrants must be available for the Verwood Carnival taking place on Bank Holiday Monday, 28 May. Other entertainment includes stalls to browse, and a fairground.

If you would like to help out at the carnival, have ideas for events, or would like to book a stall, please email verwoodcarnival@gmail.com

verwood NEWS Viewpoint was contacted recently by a disabled resident concerning access to the recreation ground.

“I have been using my mobility scooter in Verwood for nearly 26 years but despite endless requests and ‘tinkering’ by councillors, I am still unable to gain access to a footpath in Verwood’s Memorial Recreation Ground,” said Marilyn Warburton.

On contacting Verwood Town Council, they issued the following response: “The gate, the disabled resident, is referring to, is the gate nearest to the large gates in front of the Memorial Hall.

“The resident contacted us recently regarding being unable to use the gate unaided, due to the fact that it is hard to open.

“This gate in question is a self-closing gate and is designed to ensure that tension is set so that children cannot exit the park and run across the very busy Ringwood Road. Therefore the tension setting was set at a reasonably high level for safety reasons. Since the resident has advised us of the access issue, we have been actively trying to reduce the tension to a level that allows easy access for her, and yet ensures the gate is safe for children.

“To date this has not been possible; however, we are still actively pursuing this option. As a council, we take our responsibilities very seriously and want to ensure that the recreation ground is accessible to all residents and remains a safe open space. If it is not possible to achieve this with the current gate, we will look at other access options.”

Vintage sale rearranged

The Mayor of Verwood’s Vintage and Recycling sale, which was postponed from March due to adverse weather has been rearranged for Saturday 28 April (from 10am) at the Memorial Hall, Verwood.

Proceeds will go to Dorset Mind.

Council Matters

By Cllr Simon Gibson

Welcome to spring, although, as I look out of the window, the weather is anything but spring-like. Two significant snowfalls made for difficult conditions across the area.

H

owever, despite the challenges, I have been heartened by the stories of local people coming together to help those in need.

I know of many local people who gave up their time to collect food and essential supplies for those unable to leave their homes, and also of people spending days driving emergency workers to work so that vital services could remain open.

I must also thank the council officers and highways team who worked so hard to keep the roads as clear and safe as possible and continued to get key support to people who needed it.

Such acts of community make Verwood such a brilliant place to live. We see people go to great lengths throughout the year to help others, often without recognition or reward. As a result I have asked Verwood Town Council to consider creating a community awards scheme where local people can nominate fellow residents who have supported them.

As we come out of the winter months, many people will be facing large heating bills. The district council is seeking to support all residents with their energy bills by creating a fuel-switching scheme. A pilot has just finished which saw hundreds of people save an average of £223 each.

This scheme is now being recommended for a permanent rollout across the district.

This is open to all residents and I would encourage everyone to participate. I fully

support this scheme as a way to help deal with the cost of keeping homes warm in winter.

Looking ahead, the Hub is set to open its new cinema screen that will show films that are much more recent and in better quality that before. This is thanks to investment in the latest cinematic equipment and licence from East Dorset District Council. Verwood district councillors have been supporting this project, but special thanks must go to Cllr Toni Coombs who has been leading on this. I am hopeful that this will be well-used by the community and that this helps the Hub increase its revenue and continue on its journey towards becoming financially self-sufficient. The Hub is an excellent facility.

I hope that everyone had a happy and peaceful Easter – and I hope the weather gets better, too!

Cllr Simon Gibson

“Equal rights – phooey”

The Viewpoint team learned that Simon Gibson got engaged after proposing in the snow in early March. We would like to offer our hearty congratulations to Simon and his fiancée. Editor.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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in the HOME TO ADVERTISE IN VIEWPOINT Call 01202 816140

Springing into cleaning

By Carol Waterkeyn

Spring has sprung outside, so it’s probably a good time for a bit of spring-cleaning inside, too.

It’s time, too, to put those woolly throws, thick curtains and thick duvets through the washing machine or take them to the cleaners and get out the lighter ones.

If everything’s looking a bit dark and dingy, a paint refresh in a lighter shade and some lighter blinds or curtains should help.

A good clean of paintwork, tiles and floors with detergent or sugar soap will brighten them up.

Clean windows inside and outside with a proprietary window spray, or a drop of vinegar or lemon juice in the water. I’ve often heard that newspaper is good for polishing windows but I’ve never found that very good, so I prefer to use a soft cloth or paper kitchen towel.

And, with the lighter days and hopefully sunshine, it’s amazing how

much dust and cobwebs show up. Attack surfaces and ceilings with microfibre or damp cloths, and feather dusters. Scrub mould in bathrooms with bleach, and consider replacing any horrid grout with an anti-mould version.

It’s also a good time to shampoo carpets and rugs to get rid of winter mud and stains. You can hire shampoo machines from some dry-cleaners or supermarkets.

If your rooms are feeling cluttered, don’t despair. It

is the start of the car-boot season this month. Why not have a clear out and sell your items. Put on your favourite music while you clear out and clean, to make it less of a chore.

You’ll even burn up a few calories in the process.

But, if you don’t have the time or inclination, there are companies that will come to your home and do a blitz for you, or carpet cleaning companies that will refresh your floorcoverings and upholstery.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 23

in the HOME

Hall Nottingham pattern with Conrad border

- advertising feature -

A certain style in tiles The Original Style Bournemouth showroom is home to more than 130 displays, which showcase the breadth of ranges available.

From traditional to contemporary tiles, many of these products are manufactured in the company’s Devon-based factory.

Products include large format porcelain and glass tiles, handmade ceramic wall tiles, authentic Victorian-style floor tiles, mosaics, natural stone, wood effect tiles and much more.

The displays are designed to showcase these tiles in gorgeous combinations of shapes, sizes and formats to inspire and show the versatility of the products.

Alongside the main showroom area, a marketplace has been created to uncover bargains and special offers; Original Style’s aim is to provide value and a

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

quality product to suit all budgets, for trade customers and homeowners alike.

Experienced and knowledgeable staff members are on hand to provide comprehensive design, maintenance and installation advice as well as samples. Adhesive, grouts and tooling are also available at competitive prices.

For more information, visit www.ostileshop.uk, call 01202 039765 or email bournemouth@originalstyle.com

Bathroom, Mucha Nocturnal Slumber 3-tile sets, floral border tiles and vintage white tiles

Original Style Eltham pattern with modified Kingsley border

in the HOME

at home with upcycling

By Carol Waterkeyn

Upcyling is the term for taking something and improving it to give it a new life. It’s recycling – but with added extras.

Is there a piece of furniture lurking in your home that has a nice shape but is in a horrid colour? Could you upcycle it by painting it, maybe? Alternatively, it could be turned into something completely new.

You just need an open mind.

I wouldn’t advocate upcycling beds or mattresses (well possibly a metal bed frame) as they could have bedbugs or dust mites lurking (yuck) and old settees and lounge chairs might not be fire retardant. But, anything else should be okay.

It’s worth looking in charity shops that stock furniture, too. Picture

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

frames, mirrors, lamps and lampshades, garden furniture, wooden boxes, cardboard boxes and more can be given the treatment.

I recently saw an excellent shoe storage unit on Facebook made of wooden crates put on their sides, screwed together and put in a hall.

There have been quite a few programmes on TV recently, dedicated to upcycling furniture and other household items.

Sometimes the ideas are a bit wacky, but it depends on how creative you want to be.

Furniture can be repainted, wallpapered, or decorated with stencils or

decoupage. Legs can be removed, or added, table surfaces can be tiled or given the mosaic treatment, metal cabinets or shelving can be sprayed and more.

There are a lot of ideas for upcycling your items on websites such as Pinterest and Youtube. Often you need just a few tools, paint, sandpaper and some elbow grease and can get stuck in.

But if this sounds like too much hard work, you can either get it done on your behalf – as some businesses specialise in upcycling – or purchase already created items in places like Christchurch Emporium, Molly’s Den, Toad Hall and others.

There are also courses you can attend. Dejavu Upcycling run theirs nearby at Holton Lee.

in the HOME

Dorset County Council’s new First Council housing solutions one-step closer eco-homes for Bournemouth

An innovative new project could help solve housing issues for around 250 adults with social care needs in Dorset.

Work has started on three brand new eco-friendly council homes in West Howe. Construction is underway to develop three two-bedroom houses that will contribute to Bournemouth Council’s existing housing stock, providing homes for those waiting on the council housing list.

The development, situated at the rear of flats at 35 and 37 Cunningham Crescent, are the first homes to be built by the council that are designed to ‘Passivhaus’ standard.

This means that the properties will reduce energy demand by up to 90% compared to a building complying to current UK building regulations.

The homes are energy efficient thanks to a thermally efficient shell, reducing heat loss through air leakage, high-performing triple-glazed windows and doors and a heat recovery ventilation system.

The main expected benefits of building to Passivhaus design include; a reduction in construction timescales by simplifying the construction process, improved build quality, durability, reduced maintenance costs and increased building life. Residents should see lower fuel bills, a reduced need to use heating, less draughts and condensation and cleaner homes, due to the ventilation system removing dust and pollen.

The homes are due for completion by the end of the year.

In March, Dorset County Council’s Cabinet agreed to explore options that could see investment of £1.5m in a modular housing scheme. Modular housing is flexible, moveable and can be designed to suit a range of needs.

Having the right housing in place is crucial to someone’s wellbeing.

Proposals by the county council would see a range of modern and flexible options across the county that can help with immediate and medium-term housing demand.

Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset County Council cabinet member for health and care said, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to help people get the right accommodation for their needs.

“Modular housing will help people to live more independently in their communities and can prevent long-term hospital stays.

“The flexibility of the housing means we can make best use of public assets without jeopardising future plans. It gives us a fairly immediate solution to the housing crisis in the county for people with social care needs.”

The council says modular housing has significant benefits over building new homes or buying existing properties. It can be sourced and on site within as little as six months and is inexpensive in comparison to more traditional forms of accommodation. It can also be relocated with ease, so the accommodation can be moved to where it is needed.

Artist’s impression only

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 27

in the HOME - advertising feature -

What a difference a day makes Transform your conservatory in less than a day with insulated roof panels Do you have a conservatory that is unusable during the winter months because it’s too cold or too noisy during bad weather and then as soon as the sun comes out, it morphs into a sauna?

Conservatories are usually constructed to add extra living space to a home. A lot of people find, however, that from mid-November through until about midMarch, their conservatory is just too cold to pleasantly sit in without spending a small fortune on heating it and then from mid-June through until about the end of September, that same space is unbearably hot during the day. So what’s the answer?

In 2010 the planning laws were relaxed and in the majority of cases, you can now fit a solid roof to your conservatory without planning permission. This means better insulation, keeping the room warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, and a room that you can use all year round.

Green Space Ltd is a family run company. They specialise in transforming conservatories. Their roof panels are lightweight and they say, offer eight times better insulation than a polycarbonate roof.

With U-values of 0.29, the panels will

keep your conservatory at a comfortable temperature all year round. What’s more, the panels are manufactured to measure off site, so installation generally takes less than a day, and they always aim to ensure that your roof conversion is as non-disruptive as possible. From the sole supplier of this system in the South, it is compatible with most conservatories, old and new and comes with a ten-year guarantee.

Your conservatory that was too cold to eat your breakfast in the morning, could be lovely and cosy by dinner time.

Find out how to transform your conservatory in less than a day!

Visit www.greenspaceconservatories.co.uk.

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

in the HOME

Garden delights

By Carol Waterkeyn

As well as improving our homes, now is the ideal time to improve our gardens.

I’m sure you’ll all remember the unexpected cold, snowy snaps in March, which put many people off getting out in the garden.

So, there’s a bit of catching up to do now, hanging over from the winter jobs, such as clearing the last autumn leaves, pruning some shrubs, and improving lawns.

Then there’s the planting of both vegetable and flower seeds and herbaceous plants. And, just like in fashion, you may have noticed there are trends for gardens. Alliums have been popular the last few years with their pink,

blue, mauve and white spherical heads – in fact, the bigger the better.

Who would have predicted that dahlias, the darlings of the 1960s and 70s gardens, would make a comeback? Well they certainly did last year, in bright shades to add a cheerful splash of colour to the borders.

Now is also the time for finding and planting bedding plants, as long as there’s no frost, to add some instant colour in pots, hanging baskets and filling spaces in borders.

Chelsea Flower Show is on next month. I love

watching it on TV and getting ideas to use in our own garden. Not from the whole, expensive show gardens you understand, but it could be a plant here, an ornament there, or a colour scheme that works well.

Many of us will be heading off to the garden centres this month. Then there are the specialist growers, and don’t forget Cherry Tree Nursery, which is a charity at Northbourne and open every day.

Let’s hope the weather is kind this month, making our gardens flourish.

Happy gardening!

Allotment project enters third year Wimborne Dementia Friendly Community held an event on 3 April to celebrate the launch of the third growing season of their ‘Step Outside’ project at the Kingston Lacy ‘Growing Spaces’ allotment site at the Kitchen Garden.

It provides opportunities for all those living with dementia in and around the Wimborne area, and is tailored to give an opportunity to spend time doing familiar tasks, exercising their skills in a way that is valuable to themselves and the community.

The group’s allotment project facilitator is Sarah Rampton from the Alzheimer’s Society.

Meeting twice monthly, the group members and volunteers continue the work during the winter, planning the next season’s planting.

For more details about the allotment project and other activities of Wimborne Dementia Friendly Community, contact chairman Sue Cook on 01202 889199 or sueacook@hotmail.co.uk

A Bloomin’ good quiz!

The 25th annual Wimborne in Bloom Wine & Wisdom Quiz took place in the Allendale Centre on 23 March, rescheduled from three weeks earlier due to snow.

Wimborne Civic Society narrowly beat The Minster Churchmice – amazingly the same first and second as last year – to win a bottle of wine each and retain the Eco-Composting Shield, whilst Does Grey Matter achieved third place.

The raffle raised over £500 to contribute to the total raised of around £1,500 – boosted by the Barclays Bank matched fundraising within their work in the community

programme.

Wimborne in Bloom would like to thank all who supported the event. The funds raised will go towards the cost of floral displays in

the town. Wimborne will be representing the South and South East region in the town category in the RHS National Britain in Bloom competition this year.

The winning team, Wimborne Civic Society, with Chairman Richard Nunn presenting the shield to Ian Willis, Kathy Allen, Elizabeth Bloxham, Pam Shrubb, John Worth and Michael Hodge Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 29

New chapter for Poole lifeboats

Sophie’s chair

By Janine Pulford

It never ceases to amaze me how people will rally together and climb the proverbial mountain to help each other out. Well here’s a heartwarming story about an aunty who is going to climb an actual mountain to help her niece.

Since writing about Wessex Warrior, Matthew Adams, in mid December’s Viewpoint Magazine another young ‘warrior’ has got in touch.

Sophie Pritchett, who is just 15, lives in West Moors.

A pupil at Victoria School, she contacted mags4dorset to say she is fundraising to purchase a new DB Powerchair Bullet, (a specially designed wheelchair for powerchair football), and her Aunty Claire is going to climb Mount Toubkal in Morocco to raise funds to help Sophie reach her target.

A founder member of the Wessex Warriors PFC, Sophie needs a new more competitive chair designed to take the knocks and save her own wheelchair from damage.

Sophie said, “When the Wessex Warriors was originally set up at Victoria School, we used to play in chairs loaned by the Football Association, adapted with half tyres. In the three years since the club was founded, the sport has not only become more popular, but specifically designed chairs are making the game even quicker and that’s what I love about it – its fast pace.”

More members are purchasing their own Strikeforce

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

and DB powerchairs to maintain that competitive edge. The price of a British-made DB Powerchair Bullet, starting at £5,750, though more reasonable than the American Strikeforce as it doesn’t have to be imported, is still a daunting figure.

This is where Sophie’s aunt, Claire Cooper, comes in. She and her partner Jim decided they would climb the highest peak (4,167m) in the Atlas Mountains to help Sophie fund the purchase of her chair.

Claire said, “We haven’t climbed a mountain before, so we are training really hard.

We leave on 17 May and it will be a five-day trip with three days trekking to the peak and back.”

To reach the peak at sunrise, they will be setting off at 5am, wearing head torches and Claire will celebrate her 47th birthday during the climb on 18 May. Sophie is clearly delighted with the support, as is her father, Ian, and her mother, Sharon, (Claire’s sister).

Sharon, who is head of swimming at Victoria School, calls Sophie her miracle baby because when she was born, she weighed just 1lb 12oz. In her hurry to get into the world, Sophie arrived four months early with a few complications. She says living with cerebral palsy is an ordinary way of life for her.

Powerchair football clearly satisfies that adrenaline rush she was born to love, and a new DB wheelchair will give Sophie the extra agility and speed she desires. Yet it’s not all about the sport, “It’s the social side as well,” says Sophie.

If you would like to help her get her dream wheelchair, you can donate at www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/sophiepr itchettpowerchairfootball?u tm_term=A4a87WzEW

Sophie borrows a DB Bullet

A new chapter in Poole Lifeboat Station’s history was celebrated with the arrival of the new floating boathouse on 7 March.

Built by Weymouth-based Sawtell Construction Ltd, it was lifted into the channel between the bridges from the old power station site where it had been under construction.

Guided by Jenkins Marine, it was floated down between the quays, through the bridge and is now in position on the piles by the old bridge. The lifeboats should be moved into their new home shortly.

Designed by ECA Architecture and Planning, the boathouse is situated in the conservation area next to the old lifting bridge, where it will be part of a busy quay scene for many years to come. The angled roof is designed to provide views into the building, so those walking over the bridge can catch a glimpse of the interior. Built as two bays, the RNLI crews are looking forward to being able to launch and recover safely and efficiently.

The boats will be kept just out of the water on a cradle, ready to launch 24/7.

The boathouse will offer protection from the elements, giving the lifeboats a bit of TLC, protecting the equipment and hopefully cutting down on maintenance like ‘bottom scrubs’ and it will help to extend the boats’ lifesaving capability.

When bringing casualties back to the station, the crew will be able to do so discreetly. The transfers will be sheltered and more comfortable for the casualties.

It will also be a safer work environment for the mechanics carrying out the essential routine maintenance checks.

There will also be more room to securely store equipment and spares.

Poole lifeboat volunteer helmsman Jonathan Clark said, “Both operational lifeboats have been on a floating pontoon alongside the quay for the past 18 months and at times this has been a challenge.

“To see them in their new abode will be a new chapter in the station’s history, and the new lifeboathouse will vastly improve the efficiency of our search and rescue service here at Poole Lifeboat Station.

“In time, there will be an opportunity to welcome visitors to the station and to view the boathouse to give an insight, and share the lifesaving work that we do.”

Poole Lifeboat Station’s volunteer lifeboat operations manager Paul Glatzel added, “In addition to the arrival of the new boathouse, those visiting the area of the station will also shortly see new materials highlighting the work of our volunteers, giving more information about the boats we use and highlighting some key safety messages relevant to the local area – come and visit."

Different approach needed to tackle flooding Over the next century a different approach is needed to protect the country from flooding, the Environment Agency’s chief executive said in a keynote speech at the annual Flood and Coast Conference on 20 March.

Sir James Bevan revealed that every £1 invested in new flood schemes saves the economy £10 in damages avoided and said that despite huge advances in flood protection, what worked so well in the past will not be enough in the future. Rising sea levels and higher populations in builtup areas will mean new approaches are needed to combat increasing flood risk.

He said that since 2015, new flood schemes completed by the Environment Agency have benefitted more than 100,000 homes, but to continue building on this success new 21st century approaches are needed.

These include a call for greater business investment, quicker emergency response and increased use of natural flood schemes, in addition to ‘hard’ defences, in order to reduce the impact of flooding on communities around the country. He questioned how these challenges should be dealt with and suggested that more concrete – simply building our flood defences higher and higher – is not the answer.

As he laid out his thoughts on the future of flood protection, Sir James Bevan said that tough questions had to be asked about what to protect. He questioned whether there might be a case for considering future funding priorities.

He said that everyone has a part to play to reduce flood risk and that homeowners in flood-risk areas should know the risks and what action they can take – and he praised communities and flood groups who have already taken great steps in this area.

Sir James Bevan said, “Almost every day in this country, when rivers and tides rise, rain falls and storms blow, thousands of people sleep safe and unaware that they are being protected by flood defences.

“But what works so well now – and has done in the past – may not be enough in the future. Over the next fifty years if we are going to give the country the best possible protection against flooding, we are going to need a different approach.”

The Environment Agency manages flood risk on over 36,000km of river, 9,000km raised flood defences and over 22,000 flood structures – from the Thames Barrier to local pumping stations.

Since 2016, it has upgraded its response capability with more than 6,500 staff trained and ready to help protect communities when floods threaten, 40km of temporary barriers, 250 mobile pumps, and 500,000 sandbags. Partnerships to help respond during incidents have also been strengthened – including with the army.

Government is investing £2.6 billion in flood and coastal erosion risk management projects between 2015 and 2021.

Dorset Destroyers smash marathon attempt

It may have been unofficial, but there were tears of joy and cheers from the crowd as a Wheelchair Rugby Club based in Poole completed a 26-hour marathon match on 17 March, with the aim of highlighting the sport and getting into the Guinness Book of Records.

Unfortunately, the epic 26-hour feat of Wheelchair Rugby 5s could not be recorded as an ‘official’ record, but that didn’t make it any the less for those taking part in the head-to-head battle between the reds and the yellows, which resulted in a phenomenal score of 853 (reds), 831 (yellows).

Both teams were made up of Dorset Destroyers, Royal Signals and the sponsors from 4com.

The event took its toll as 113 inner tubes exploded and 15 tyres ripped. There were nine

knock outs of wheelchairs and with 1,684 tries scored, it wasn’t surprising that 40 men and women were pretty exhausted towards the end.

Held at Rossmore Leisure Centre, the teams consisting of five players each with a maximum squad of 12, started at 1.10pm on Saturday. Three got injured and two left at 9am on Sunday.

Wheelchair Rugby 5s is played over two periods of 12 minutes. In the last 30 seconds of the marathon the theme tune

to Countdown came on and everyone went all out to score that final try.

One of the organisers of the marathon and co-founder of the Dorset Destroyers, Sue Coombs, said, “There were tears of joy, happiness and much shouting and screaming from the crowd and players as the two referees blew their whistles to draw the 26 hours to an end.

“We’d done it, we’d played Wheelchair Rugby 5s, non-stop, for 26 hours. And we’d played at a fast pace for the whole day/ night/day.”

Did it matter that the record wasn’t officially recorded? “Not at all,” said Sue, “that doesn’t really matter when you realise that we have put Wheelchair Rugby firmly on the map in Dorset, given the sport a big hit of publicity, had thousands of hits on our website, new players interested in playing and so many people watching the game live across the world.”

A fishy reminder Anglers should note that the ‘close season’ for coarse fishing in rivers came into effect on 15 March and runs until 15 June. It prevents fishing for coarse fish, like barbel and chub, for three months, to give the fish a chance to breed. It applies to all rivers, streams and drains in England but does not apply to most still waters and canals.

Enforcement officers and bailiffs will be out making sure people observe the close season.

They will also be checking lakes and ponds to make sure people who are fishing have a valid rod licence. Anyone fishing without a fishing licence can expect to be prosecuted.

Last year the Environment Agency Enforcement Officers ran 670 close season patrols, reporting 122 anglers for fishing illegally.

During close season, coarse fishing is allowed on most still waters and canals, depending on fishery owner agreement, though a valid fishing licence is required. A full annual licence costs £30, (short term and concessionary licences are also available), visit www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence.

You can check which still waters and canals have a close season in operation by checking the byelaws for your area at https://www.gov.uk/ government/collections/local-fishing-byelaws.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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Shock closure of Woofability

New Rector of Wimborne Minster

The Reverend Andrew Rowland will be the next Rector of Wimborne Minster and the Northern Villages.

He is currently the Vicar of West Moors and Rural Dean of Wimborne in the Diocese of Salisbury.

Andrew said, “I am delighted and humbled to have been offered the post of rector of Wimborne Minster and the Northern Villages Benefice. Zahra and I are very much looking forward to moving to Wimborne in the summer.”

Andrew’s early career took him to the Lebanon from where he travelled Arabia. Returning home in 1983, after several years in Nigeria, he progressed to managing director of a privately owned group of companies.

After taking a degree in theology, Andrew was ordained in Salisbury Cathedral as deacon in 2001 and priest in 2002. He served his curacy at Verwood before being appointed Vicar of West Moors in 2005. He was appointed Rural Dean of Wimborne in 2016.

Married to Zahra, they have three children, John, Christopher and Hannah, and four grandsons.

Andrew and Zahra enjoy a wide range of hobbies, including gardening, cuisine and ‘planes and trains’.

Andrew has walked to Canterbury in pilgrimage, and 500 miles of the South West Coast Path. He has been a chaplain to Dorset Police and to the Great Dorset Steam Fair since 2006, and is chairman of the ‘Coach in the Community’ youth support charity – the coach is seen in Wimborne Square on Friday nights. Andrew has been very involved in education as a school governor since 1989.

A date for his institution will be announced.

The Revd Andrew Rowland

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

Why dark night skies are essential The Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is currently applying to become a prestigious International Dark Sky Reserve. If this is successful, it would be the 13th such area in the world.

“It is the enormity of the sky that is so amazing in the Cranborne Chase AONB,” said Cllr Bridget Wayman, CCAONB board member when opening a special seminar, hosted by the Cranborne Chase AONB in Dinton Village Hall on 20 March, which focussed on the various benefits of dark night skies.

These include improvements to human health, better conditions for wildlife as well as turning the area into a magnet for tourists, thus creating benefits for local businesses.

Speakers at the seminar included Duncan Wise from the Northumberland National Park Authority and the lead officer on the joint collaboration with Kielder Water & Forest Park which secured International Dark Sky Park (Gold Tier) status.

Gaining Dark Sky Park status in 2013 was, said Duncan, “a game changer for rural tourism in Northumberland.” Visitors making a beeline to attractions in the region are up 63% and the park has seen a huge spike in tourism in the previously quieter winter months.

According to Duncan, wasted light in the UK costs an estimated £1bn. “The good news is that light pollution is reversible,” he noted. Improving lighting isn’t a case of turning everything off, but “ensuring that all outdoor lights are not too bright – avoid the piercing blue-white LED lights and go for warmer white LEDs – and that they are fully shielded – so they shine downwards and avoid upward glare.”

Malcolm Mackness, a lighting expert, told the audience to confine lighting to the areas where it is needed, switch off when appropriate, control the light by a timer or detector and provide enough for the task but don’t over-light. He said that lighting pointing across yards and sports fields can be among the worst polluters.

Linda Nunn, director of the AONB, said the Cranborne Chase AONB is one of the darkest places in England and while the road to Reserve status is going well, “the compliance of domestic and business external lighting is currently low and something we are trying to address.”

After a recommendation to close the local assistance dog charity, Woofability, was put to the trustees on 23 January 2018, they agreed that action had to be taken.

Peter Rufus, one of the five trustees, said, “It’s so sad that after the dogs have been helping vulnerable people for many years, that the decision had to be made. It was primarily for financial reasons. Naturally the welfare of the dogs has been a primary concern of the trustees and arrangements have been made to ensure that those not suitable for continuing training have found great forever homes.”

Co-founder of Woofability, Andy Clarke, told Viewpoint that he had wanted to continue his wife, Jenny’s legacy. He said, “I believe there was sufficient funding available; the disagreement was over the training methods for the dogs. However, the trustees were not willing to continue to support Woofability. It is a very regrettable situation.”

Magsie It is understood that Magsie, sponsored by mags4dorset, will continue working in her partnership

Gardening for friendship Ferndown Dementia is running a befriending gardening club from the allotment site in Ferndown/Longham from 25 April. It will run on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 10am to 12noon. It is open to the whole community. AE Jolliffe, Pramalife and Fernhill Care Home are all supporting this club. www.fdft.org.uk.

Chamber support

Local business-owner and vice president of Ferndown Chamber, Stuart Fleetham, was welcomed when he joined the Ferndown In Bloom (FIB) committee. He hopes to engage other business owners in the vision of FIB, which is to lobby everyone to improve the look and feel of Ferndown.

The committee is still small, but the competitions are going to be extended this year to include a separate category for previous winners. The patio garden/ balcony category is to be reinstated and a new scheme to nominate a neighbour with a prize draw for nominees is also proposed.

If you would like to join FIB, visit the Facebook page: FIBcommittee.

Haskins continues to support and sponsor Ferndown In Bloom.

LETTERS to the

EDITOR

Correspondence should be sent to the editor at the address below, or email editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk

Come and join us!

The next Fordingbridge Twinning Association event will be the AGM on 26 April, at 7.30pm, and everyone is welcome. Do come and join us. At the AGM, the Fordingbridge Twinning Association will be celebrating its annual Youth Competition, which this year, will be based on the theme ‘100 years’.

As we all know, this year, 2018, celebrates the centenary of the end of World War 1, and there are other important events in history to celebrate too, including (some) women winning the right to vote and the installation of London’s first traffic lights!

The results of the Youth competition will be announced and Malcolm Connolly, Fordingbridge mayor, will be presenting the prizes. Additionally there will be refreshments, and the company of some very interesting people. Do come along.

The annual ‘Sandy Boules’ competition will take place (at the Sandy Balls Estate) on Thursday evening 21 June (the longest day this year). Then, of course, there will be the Twinning’s annual visit to Vimoutiers in October, immediately followed by the popular musical soirée, which this year will feature the same band as last year, Blue Tides. On Saturday evening 27 October, in Fordingbridge Town Hall, there will be genuine French cuisine, which will have been purchased in Vimoutiers only one week before. So... lots of reasons to join the Fordingbridge Twinning Association then. For further details, do contact me.

Derek Ayling, Publicity Officer 01425 650770 hippotrain@btinternet.com

Due to a recent move Please send all your letters to The editor, MAGS4DORSET, Dana House, Spinneys Lane, Ferndown, BH22 9BZ or email editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk

Will loss of Yellow Bus B2 give us More?

With the advertised curtailment with effect from 6 April of the Yellow Bus B2 Service (Bournemouth - Ferndown - Heatherlands Estate West Moors) due to ‘a lack of financial viability’, one can only hope that the MoreBus 38 Service will survive future service reviews.

Historically, the Yellow Bus B2 - introduced in only September 2017 - (deliberately?) ran the Ferndown - Heatherlands Estate part of its route only a few minutes ahead of the MoreBus 38! Naturally, this drastically reduced the number of potential passengers available to the 38 to virtually zero.

Clearly, after 6 April, the 38 should be able to improve its financial viability from the extra passengers that will become available from the Heatherlands Estate. Additionally, the new estate next to St Leonards Hospital should be opening fairly soon and one can only hope that this will generate some more passengers for the 38. Whether these two factors alone will be enough to allow the 38 timetable to be improved (as Mrs June Jones of Ashley Heath, in her letter in the December 2017 issue of Viewpoint, had hoped) is open to question.

However, one thing is certain. The residents of St Leonards, St Ives and Ashley Heath would do well to make better use of the 38 than at present. In the current financial climate of the everincreasing Government cutbacks, which have already caused DCC to dramatically reduce the subsidy for the 38 (£75,000 was removed from the 38 subsidy in September 2017), things have the potential for getting worse. Thus, it is pretty obvious that the 38 is at risk - a ‘use it or lose it service’ if you will. It goes without saying that loss of the 38 would isolate the many elderly pensioners in our conurbation that are heavily dependant on the current service.

Finally, the 38 is a lot cheaper than the taxi costs (> £10 e/w) to either Ringwood or Ferndown and there are no parking charges!

Brian Curd St Ives

in MEMORY In memory of Christopher Gibbs

Obituary

Simon Trevor Clayton-Paine Simon Clayton-Paine from West Moors passed away on 3 March 2018, aged 74.

He had a distinguished army career in the Grenadier Guards where he rose through the ranks to major. He was very proud to have served his country and in doing so won several bravery awards, also cups and trophies for shooting.

On leaving the army, he married and moved to Bedford to manage a new housing development before taking a two-year contract to work in Oman. Again he won an award for bravery for rescuing a pilot from a crashed helicopter.

He and his wife Eunice moved to the Bournemouth area where they both have family ties. He was the first general manager of the Ferndown Community Centre (now renamed the Barrington Centre), which was created for the community in Penny’s Walk precinct. He, along with the first committee, set up a crèche, several meeting rooms and the hall/theatre. He promoted the venue, which is still at the heart of Ferndown today.

After four years he left to take the position of centre manager of the newly created Sovereign Centre shopping mall in Boscombe. Eventually there were 45 units including two cafés, and again a crèche. He was employed there for over 20 years, and met many celebrities who visited the centre during their time performing at the Pavilion Theatre and the BIC. He always said that he enjoyed going to work each day.

His health deteriorated in his retirement years, but he always remained cheerful.

His funeral was followed on 11 April by a memorial service.

Donations to Help for Heroes can be sent mentioning Simon’s name to Hinton Park, Woodland Burial Ground, Wyndham Road, Walkford, Christchurch BH23 7ET.

Christopher Gibbs otherwise known as Chris or Tinks, tragically passed away on 3 October 2017, aged 30. He was cycling home when a van driver knocked him off his bicycle on the A338 Spur Road and failed to stop at the scene of the collision.

“Chris was loved by so many, the impact he made on people was massive.

He was kind, caring, loving, loyal, determined and very hardworking. He had the biggest heart,” says one of his friends, Katie-Louise Guy. In honour of Chris, who raised money for cancer research after finding a new love for fitness, running and boxing before his life was so tragically cut short, Katie-Louise and a group of friends are going to take part in a charity 5k run.

“We will be raising money for BRAKE; this is a charity for road safety. This charity in particular helped Chris’s family and we would love nothing more than to give back as a thanks to them and raise money to help others who are unfortunate to experience such a tragedy,” she added.

BRAKE is a national charity working to prevent road death and injury and support those bereaved and injured in road crashes. Visit www.brake.org.uk to find out more about their life-saving work.

To donate to the runners visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ christophergibbsmemorialrun

Next of kin appeals

P

lease get in touch with the coroner for Dorset if you are related to, or know family members of these recently deceased people.

Martin MacKenzie, 73, who died at his home address in Christchurch on Tuesday 20 March.

Michael Sheppard, 70, who died in Weymouth on Friday 23 March, but it is believed he may have been living in the Salisbury area some months ago.

Robert Thomas Carne, 71, who died at his home address in Poole on 22 February.

None of the deaths are being treated as suspicious and no police investigations are needed.

Coroner’s officer Tracey Jeans said, “If any member of the public has any knowledge of family members, please contact us as soon as possible on 01202 454767.”

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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foodie NEWS REVIEW - La Lambretta

FromItalyto

by Carol Waterkeyn

Ford ingbridge

La Lambretta in Fordingbridge is a really impressive, and authentic Italian restaurant, with an interior of rustic brickwork, wooden floors and immaculate white linen. It is owned and run by Marco Stefanini.

Marco hails from Piedmont in north-west Italy and comes from a restaurantowning family. So from an early age, he was helping in the restaurant kitchen.

However, with a love of, and talent for skiing, Marco became a ski instructor in his local mountainscape before marrying his English wife and relocating to

Buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and rocket

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

England with their children a few years later.

Once established in the area, Marco was soon employed as manager of the Radnor Arms, before searching for his own perfect premises for a restaurant. In October the dream became a reality.

“Our menu is traditional Italian, not English-Italian,

so reflects how Italians like to eat,” said Marco enthusiastically as he welcomed us in.

Marco has two other chefs working with him; one is a traditional Italian chef and the other is a specialist pizza chef. His pizzas are made in a traditional pizza oven in the kitchen, and you can see both chefs busily working in there.

But, this is not just a dedicated pizza restaurant. (Although, if you wish, you can have a freshly made pizza to take away and, while you are waiting, have a drink in the bar area.)

We were offered a drink there on our arrival, and Paul, my husband, chose a small carafe of white Sicilian wine and I decided on a small glass of organic Sicilian red. There are predominantly Italian wines on the drinks menu, with a few others. But we decided, ‘when in Rome …’ It certainly felt like we had taken a trip to Rome with a warm, continental atmosphere, Italian staff and a relaxed ambience.

The weather outside was a cold English evening in March, but we soon forgot that.

Some of the very Italian, difficult-to-source ingredients that the restaurant uses are shipped over from Italy, but the pasta is made daily on the premises by Marco; meat comes from the butchers’ shop over the road; and the very fresh seafood comes from Poole. Fruit and vegetables are bought locally, too. All sauces are homemade and gluten free, and you can request gluten free pasta.

The menu indicates which dishes are suitable for those on gluten-free or vegetarian diets. There’s also, helpfully, a children’s menu with smaller versions of the main dishes (and not a chicken nugget in sight!)

Our own menu was the winter one, but it is about to change to a lighter, spring version, which will include more fish dishes and salads.

While we waited for our chosen dishes, we were given canapi farinata – which are little chickpea flour canapés.

For our starters, Paul had selected the fresh buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and rocket, while I requested the Bresaola – air-dried salt beef, rocket and Grana Pedano cheese shavings. We swapped the delicious dishes half way through. They were accompanied by a basket of Italian breadsticks and some special wafer-thin Sardinian Carasau (musicpaper) bread which is very crispy, and like a cross between a poppadum and a flatbread.

Paul chose pasta for his main course and was delighted to see the fresh tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms brought to

the table. I had selected the baked aubergine, mozzarella and tomato dish called Involtini di Melanzana, infused with garlic and served with salad.

We’d just enough room for two desserts; the decadent homemade Tiramisu (one of Mr W’s favourites) while I opted for the lemon sorbet, but this was no ordinary sorbet.

Served with Limoncello and Prosecco, it was fabulous. I rounded off with an authentic Italian coffee, while Paul finished his wine.

It was a veritable feast of a meal and we loved our visit. All the members of staff were lovely, while Marco was an excellent host.

If you would like to visit, La Lambretta is open Tuesday to Saturday lunchtimes 12-2pm and Monday to Saturday evenings 6-9.30pm. It is closed on Sundays, which is a family day for Marco and the other staff.

Photos: Paul Waterkeyn

Bresaola with Grana Pedano

Involtini di Melanzana

foodie NEWS

College partners with Hall & Woodhouse to launch chef apprenticeship

B

ournemouth & Poole College has teamed up with local brewery Hall & Woodhouse to launch the new chef apprenticeship programme in some of their pubs across the south.

The college is currently accepting applications for this apprenticeship, due to start in September. It will provide those with an interest in hospitality to become chefs at some of the brewery’s flagship pubs. The apprentices will undertake training at

Bournemouth & Poole College.

Matt Butcher of the college, said, “Hall & Woodhouse is an iconic Dorset brand which has hundreds of years of local heritage, and we are delighted to be working with the team to offer students this opportunity.

“Being able to offer chef apprenticeships is a real strength for the college, as the hospitality industry currently has a skills shortage, which means there is a real

demand for more young people to be trained to a chef level. We are really excited to help meet this demand by training the next generation of Hall & Woodhouse chefs at our state-of-the-art facilities in Bournemouth and Poole.”

If you are interested in applying for the Hall & Woodhouse apprenticeship programme, email the college at handw@bpc. ac.uk or call 01202 205500.

Visit www.thecollege.co.uk/ hall-woodhouse for further information on the course.

(L-R) Jamie Purser, regional development chef, H&W, Diane Grannell, principal, Bournemouth & Poole College, Antony Woodhouse, MD, H&W, Simon Leonard, regional development chef, H&W

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 35

pets & WILDLIFE

Dorset PCC joins Rural Crime Team on patrol Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) Martyn Underhill joined Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team on patrol on 16 March.

Along with the team, Martyn Underhill made visits to rural locations across the county.

He said, “Before the Rural Crime Team was in place, fear of crime was high among rural residents. Having met with a number of farmers, rural business owners and residents during my patrol visit, it’s clear to see that fantastic progress has already been made. Our rural communities are now more engaged with Dorset Police and confidence in reporting is up.”

Made up of a dedicated rural crime co-ordinator, rural engagement officer and a rural crime analyst, the team was launched on 15 August 2016 as a result of a pledge made by the PCC during his re-election campaign.

Since then, the team has trained fellow officers, call handlers and radio operators to ensure that Dorset Police is dealing with reports of rural crime consistently and efficiently. Using their particular

Tethered horses and ponies

expertise, the team has provided guidance during investigations, conducted a number Martyn Underhil (left) with Claire + Tom of targeted operations to seize property stolen alarm when invisible beams are from rural communities and crossed, immediately alerting worked closely with surrounding you to their presence. This forces and enforcement technology disrupts offenders partners. and helps us bring them to PC Claire Dinsdale, rural justice.” crime co-ordinator, said, “It’s PCSO Tom Balchin, rural great to have the support of the engagement officer, said, PCC in raising awareness of the “As well as working to make types of crime affecting rural important crime prevention Dorset. Farmyards, farmhouses, advice easily accessible, with the barns and outbuildings hold a support of our communities we lot of valuable equipment and have been building a stronger machinery, which appeals to intelligence picture to pave the thieves. Isolated buildings pose way for more effective policing. the greatest risk as they are We have recently charged three easy to access without being people with poaching offences, disturbed. thanks to a great response from “We know that this has a farmers reporting suspicious severe impact on victims and callers, vehicles and related their livelihoods. Our focus is registration numbers near their on crime prevention and we farms.” He said prompt reporting need the public’s help with is vital in the fight against rural this. The key thing we would crime, “We encourage you to ask rural communities to do report any crimes or suspicious is invest in early intervention incidents with as much detail alarms. Installing this wireless as possible online at: technology ensures any intruder dorset.police.uk and sign up to on your property will trigger an rural alerts at: dorsetalert.co.uk.”

National treasures “delighted” circus ban in sight News that wild animal circuses are to be banned in England within two years has been welcomed by legendary English actors Brian Blessed and Joanna Lumley, long-standing supporters of Animal Defenders International (ADI) and its campaign to stop circus suffering.

Brian Blessed said, “Having worked with ADI on this issue for many years, I am absolutely delighted that a wild animal circus ban is in sight. It cannot come soon enough for the animals, who must endure an utterly unnatural and miserable life in the circus.”

Joanna Lumley said, “Forced to perform, caged and confined, it is haunting and horrifying to see animals being used in circuses and I’m thrilled that action will finally be taken. We must end these pitiful acts across the UK; so please join me in backing ADI’s campaign to stop circus suffering today.”

The announcement by the UK Government was made in a ‘Post Implementation Review’ of the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012, introduced as an interim measure ahead of a ban. Opposed by ADI and other animal protection groups, due to the nature of the travelling circus, a system of licensing and inspection cannot improve the environment enough to ensure animal welfare; additionally, investigations show trained inspectors are unlikely to detect husbandry problems or physical abuse.

The Defra review states: The current Regulations expire on 19 January 2020. The Government does not intend to renew the Regulations as it intends to ensure that a legislative ban is introduced by then. The Regulations will then be allowed to expire.

One subject, which has again been raised by members of the public, is the amount of tethered horses and ponies around the area. Tethered horses in this context are those left tethered for long periods on scraps of land.

Although we in Animal Health Trading Standards enforce the horse passport legislation as necessary, we do not have the resources to attend all horse welfare concerns. We try to involve the RSPCA with them if possible and likewise they often pass us many of their livestock complaints.

World Horse Welfare is another organisation specifically aimed at horses.

Where the tethering of horses for relatively long periods is concerned it is not specifically illegal in itself; however the basic needs of the horse should still be met. This means regular access to clean water, food, adequate grass or extra fodder within their tether chain/rope reach.

Tethered horses or ponies should be checked at least daily and have well-fitting headcollar/tether equipment. Chain should be of suitable length to allow the horse plenty of room to graze and reach water and on a swivel clasp to prevent tangling.

Some tethered horses will constantly upturn their water container, one way to stop this is to put a container into a tyre to hold it. If no container is supplied then the horse must be given water on a regular basis throughout the day.

In cold weather, unless the breed is a hardy cob type with thick coat, then without a proper shelter, in inclement weather it is appropriate to put a rug on. During summer, provision should be made to protect them from extreme hot sun. Horses under two years of age or mares nursing foals should not be left tethered.

To abide by all the welfare codes for horses and ponies it shows that done properly it is a very high maintenance way to keep a horse.

Christine Scott

Animal Health & Welfare Inspector If you wish to have any more information on this subject please contact 01305 224475, or visit Dorsetforyou.com and follow the links to Trading Standards, Animal Health pages.

Trafficked reptiles returned to the wild

A new initiative to return trafficked reptiles to the wild has been launched with the successful release of 79 turtles and 10 tortoises in the Peruvian Amazon.

A collaboration between Animal Defenders International (ADI), government authorities ATFFS Lima, the Regional Government of Madre de Dios, and organisations IRUPA, UPA, and Animal Voice, the release is intended to be the first of many, ensuring the future survival of the species.

Sponsorship for the relocation of the animals to Taricaya Ecological Reserve was provided by publishers Bizarro Ediciones and UPA.

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Animal Defenders International

Eggs full of Vitality Do you AFC Bournemouth invited children from Dorset love Children’s Foundation (DCF), one of the club’s chosen charities for the 2017/18 season, to the books?

Vitality Stadium for an egg-citing time last month.

Volunteers, parents and children of DCF enjoyed a tour of the training ground; also the players’ lounge, boot room and pitches.

Steve Cuss, head of community at AFC Bournemouth said, “The children were intrigued by all the players’ facilities and especially the pitch.

“The visit concluded in the presentation room, where the players gather for meetings. Only this time the children found the club mascot Cherry Bear waiting to hand out a selection of AFC Bournemouth Easter eggs in Cherries’ mugs.”

AFC Bournemouth invited children from Dorset Children’s Foundation (DCF) to the Vitality Stadium for an Easter egg hunt

Volunteers are needed to join the Home Library Service teams in West Moors and Ferndown and also to take on the coordination of the service locally.

The Home Library Service is provided by Dorset Library Service and delivered by Royal Voluntary Service volunteers. It is available free of charge to anybody who cannot easily get to their local library, either short term or long term. As well as providing a regular supply of books and/ or talking books chosen individually, the readers appreciate the visit by a trusted volunteer.

Also required is someone to promote and develop this service locally.

For more details call 01305 236 666 or email maria.jacobson@ royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

General manager of Rick Stein Sandbanks, Richard Welnitschuk with Simon Shave, and Vikki Slade of Diverse Abilities

Rick Stein Sandbanks Supports Adults with Disabilities Rick Stein’s restaurant in Sandbanks recently raised more than £2,200 for Dorset’s disability charity, Diverse Abilities, through the sale of lunches.

Guests to the seafood restaurant could choose to eat from the special charity three-course lunch menu by donating £2.50 per person, and supporting the local cause while enjoying fabulous food.

The funds raised will be used towards the creation of a kitchen space at the charity’s adult centre, Barnabas. The new kitchen will develop the skills of the people supported in food preparation that they can use in their homes and provide foundation level training for adults on the AQA LifeSkills Awards Programme.

Pete Murt, head chef at Rick Stein Sandbanks, said, “We’re really pleased to have supported such a fantastic charity like Diverse Abilities. Thank you to everyone for attending our charity lunches and supporting such a welldeserving charity.”

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 37

around & ABOUT

what’s on

near you Details were correct at the time of going to print but readers are advised to check before attending events

15 April 11am-4pm

Wedding Fair at Drusilla’s Inn, Wigbeth, Horton, Nr Wimborne BH21 7JH with a range of local wedding suppliers. Free entry.

Details: info@drusillasinn. co.uk, 01258 840297.

16 April 2pm

St Alban’s Garden Club – an illustrated talk about Brownsea Island by Nick Tutton from Dorset Wildlife Trust, at St Alban’s Church Lounge, Charminster Road, Bournemouth.

17 April 7.30pm

Bournemouth Electronic Organ Society presents a concert of popular music by Chiho Sunamoto at Queen Elizabeth’s School, Wimborne. Visitors welcome. £5 payable at door.

Info: 01202 895254.

19 April 2pm

U3A Ringwood talk by Christine Shaw: ‘The Road to Mandalay, Burma’ at Greyfriars Community Centre, Ringwood. More info: www. ringwoodu3a.org.uk. Visitors welcome.

19 April 7.30-10pm

Verwood Traditional Jazz Club welcomes the return of Baby Jools Jazzaholics, a six-piece band in the traditional style.

Venue: St Leonards Hotel, Ringwood Road, St Leonards.

Details: 01202 873725 or 07798 721405.

21 April 2pm

Auction of paintings and drawings donated by and promoting local artists at Ringwood Meeting House (Preview 19 April 6-8pm) raising funds for the British Liver Trust. Enquiries/preregistration, email: john. ringwood2@gmail.com

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

21 April 10am onwards

Coastliners Sea Shanty & Sea Folk Festival, Poole Quay, suitable for the whole family, with music, craft and singing workshops, exhibition, market stalls in Scaplen’s Court and more. Some events free.

Details: www.facebook.com/ coastlinersfest

21 April 7.30pm

The Grange Choral Society and soloists directed by Marcio da Silva performing Rossini and Brahms at Christchurch Priory.

Tickets £18 nave reserved, £13 side aisle with television screens, students £5. Book at www.christchurchpriory.org, call 01202 485804, or buy on the door.

21 April 7.30pm

Bourne2Sing male voice choir performing at St Mary’s Church, Station Road, West Moors, with popular songs for easy listening. Tickets £8 from 01202 890098 or on door. Refreshments available.

Proceeds to Prama Care and St Mary’s Church funds.

21 April 7.30pm

Ferndown Live Final at the Barrington Centre, Ferndown.

Tickets £5 from www. barrington.online or call the box office on 01202 894858.

22 April 10am-4pm

Beaulieu Boatjumble at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. Tickets £9.80, £5 for 13-16 year olds, under 12s go free – includes access to the museum and other attractions.

See www.beaulieu.co.uk/ events/boatjumble for details and to book.

22 April 11am-4pm

Paws in the Park. Moors Valley Country Park is teaming up with Dorset Dogs, Dorset Dog School, Linwood Vets, The Dogs Trust and other organisations. With fun games including temptation alley, the dog activity area, Dorset Dogs walkies and pit stops, stalls and crafts. No need to book, look for the picnic area by the lake. Free apart from parking charges, but small cost for crafts.

24 April 7.30pm

A talk on ‘Herbs! More than Just Stuffing Balls’ by Neil Lovesey, proprietor of Picket Lane Nursery, at West Parley Garden Club, Parley Memorial Hall, Christchurch Road, West Parley.

25 April 7.30pm

‘Verwood In Tune’ concert with Pete Shaw on Korg keyboard at The Hub, Verwood. Tickets £8 from the Hub on 01202 828740.

26 April 7.45pm

Bat Walk with Jan Freeborn at Knoll Gardens. Normal admission charge, which will be donated to charity. Call the nursery to book on 01202 873931.

27 April 4-6pm

Simon Hoare MP advice surgery in Alderholt. For an appointment, email: simon. hoare.mp@parliament.uk, phone 01258 452585 or write to Simon at: The Stables, Whitecliff Gardens, Blandford Forum, DT11 7BU.

28 April

Dorset Theatre-Goers’ Club visit to see The Kite Runner at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton. More details from Lynda Maidment on 01305 269892 or visit www. dorsettheatregoersclub.org.uk

28 April – 2 June 10am-4pm

Hands-on exhibition at the Red House Museum, Christchurch that can be enjoyed by everyone, particularly visually impaired. 4U2Touch II exhibits will include paintings, textiles, wood and sculpture in the museum and garden.

Admission free. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

29 April 11am-4pm

Try paddlesports with Poole Harbour Canoe Club at Riverside, Wimborne with kayaks, canoes, and more.

Take towel and change of clothes. Refreshments available. Donation welcomed.

More info from phccriverside@ gmail.com

2 May 12 noon

Ferndown Probus Club lunch and talk ‘Streets of Venice’ at Dudsbury Golf Club. New members welcome. Contact the secretary on 01202 875757.

4 May 10pm-3am

The Carnival of Light at 02 Academy Bournemouth, a club concept including spectrum of lights, effects and live performances with a soundtrack of house, garage and techno. Over 18s only.

Tickets £25.50 from the Ticketmaster website.

5 May 10am

West Moors Horticultural Society Plant Sale at West Moors Memorial Hall.

5-7 May

Railway weekend at Wimborne Model Town, with ride-on railway, local railway history and model railway layouts.

9 May 7.30pm

Muscliff Garden Club – a talk on Echinacea and Rudbeckia by Martin Young at Muscliff Community Centre, Shillingstone Drive, Bournemouth.

12 May 11-11.30am

Celebrate Hedgehog Week at Ferndown Library with a special story time and themed crafts, Lego club, and hedgehog treasure hunt. Free event for children 4 and up. More details from: 01202 874542.

12 May 2-4.30pm

Woodlands Church, near Verwood’s annual Fete and Fun Dog Show, The theme is the Royal Wedding. Entrance 50p for adults, children free.

Stalls include plants, cakes and preserves, games, raffle and tombola, bottles, toys and toy tombola and bric-a-brac.

14 May 2-4.30pm

AGM of the Association of Dorset (Home) Watches at Allendale House in Wimborne.

14 May 7.30pm

Wimborne Horticultural Society meeting and talk ‘Wonderful Water Gardens’ by Mike Webber in the Main Hall, Allendale Centre, Wimborne. Members £1, visitors £3.

17 May 7.30-10pm

Verwood Traditional Jazz Club welcomes Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends on a return visit. With lively swinging jazz and sounds of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Count Basie plus contemporary blues material.

Venue: St Leonards Hotel, Ringwood Road, St Leonards.

Details: 01202 873725 or 07798 721405.

The Illegal Eagles

Lighthouse Poole 28 March

When treading in the footsteps of legends, you have to achieve perfection and the Illegal Eagles did it with ease at Lighthouse.

Their acapella introduction set the bar for harmonies before the band broke into Take It Easy.

Other classics rolled out, first with the five frontmen sitting down. How Long, Tequila Sunrise, Peaceful Easy Feeling and more, mellowed out the audience and the evening simply got better as the tracks tumbled: Witchy Woman, Already Gone, and One Of These Nights among them.

Perfectly pitched vocals; powerful lead and slide guitar; steady rhythm, bass and keyboards were all elevated

by Tony Kiley on drums, who was literally raised up on a separate stage.

Instrument changes were numerous. These genius musicians were also humorous when giving a little background about each other and The Eagles’ tracks.

When Christian Phillips hit the high notes with a voice as silky smooth as honey, he lifted the band to another level. After the

interval he played a superb guitar solo, which he dedicated to the late great Glenn Frey, founding member of The Eagles.

The ‘nipper’ in the band, Mike Baker, got the audience singing Lying Eyes. More audience participation, singing, dancing, waving lights and taking photos were all encouraged. You could say this band really took it to the limit and added a stonking Hotel California with double-necked guitar, and Heartache Tonight for the encore.

See them next at Bournemouth Pavilion on 27 April, if there are any tickets left.

Lighthouse was packed.

around & ABOUT Punk-a-licious Psycho Tour hits the Barrington Review and photograph by Tom Scrase 23 March The female, all-action rock band The Sex P****d Dolls exploded onto the Barrington stage with their psycho tour.

Nancy Doll, May Hem, Jilly Idol, Anna Key and Kitty Vacant had brilliant stage presence and pumped out a high octane performance of classic rock and punk, mixed with their own original material. I was blown away. It was a fantastic festival of pure energy and got everyone dancing and singing.

They were one of the most entertaining live bands I’ve seen on stage at the Barrington Theatre.

In great demand, the girls have played the main stage at the Isle of Wight Festival. They also accepted an invitation to perform at the Formula One British Grand Prix, and have appeared with such names as Razorlight, The Pretenders, Kaiser Chiefs and Rod Stewart.

What a top class band. I wouldn’t hesitate to travel to see them again. On the night there were people who had journeyed from Plymouth to see the gig, and one fan told me it was the seventh SPD gig he had been to.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 39

around & ABOUT Grumpy Old Women come to the rescue Grumpy Old Women Live (GOW Live) has just embarked on a 60-date nationwide tour with GOW Live: To The Rescue and will be at the Regent Centre, Christchurch on 23 May at 7.30pm.

Perrier-award winning comedian, writer and star of GOW Live Jenny Eclair welcomes the return of original cast member Olivier Award-nominated actor, singer and comedian Dillie Keane (Fascinating Aida) and new recruit, actor and comedian Lizzie Roper (Hollyoaks, Boy Meets Girl) for a brand-new 90 minutes of ‘full-fat’, ‘batteries included’ comedy.

Written by Jenny Eclair and Judith Holder (best-selling author of the first Grumpy Old Women book and producer of the hit BBC TV series), GOW Live was born in 2005. Since its inception

through to GOW Live: To The Rescue, the hugely successful live adaption will have played to UK venues with a combined capacity of nearly 500,000 including two West End runs at the Lyric Theatre and The Novello Theatre.

Internationally, the mistresses of Grump have enjoyed (sort of) tours in Australia and shows have been licensed to New Zealand, Finland and Iceland.

The original stage show GOW Live (which released a DVD) ran from 2005-8, whilst GOW Live 2: Chin Up Britain ran from 2008-14 and GOW Live: Fifty Shades

of Beige from 2014-16. Fed up with flogging their guts out and always having to be in charge, Grumpy Old Women put their knobbly

old feet up in glorious retirement, free at last to practise their extreme colouring-in, ukulele orchestra and novelty fudge-making. But with the world in a bigger mess than ever before, is there anything that can tempt them off their backsides to unleash their superpowers

and once more come to the rescue?

The show is directed

by Owen Lewis (GOW Live: Chin Up Britain, GOW Live: Fifty Shade of Beige, Eric and Little Ern)

Tickets are £25.50, and for groups of 6, £22.50 each seat.

There’s a Snake in the Grass

Following their performance of Curtain Up! the Fordingbridge Players are back with a new production that will take the audience into a world of secrets, intrigue, deceit and murder. Snake in the Grass will be performed at the Burgate School Drama Studio, Fordingbridge, from 31 May to 2 June, with performances at 7.30pm.

Snake in the Grass, written by the award-

winning playwright Alan Ayckbourn and directed

by Richard Holland, is a play about the reunion of two sisters, Miriam and Annabel, after the death of their abusive father.

Blackmail, deception and murder ensue after their father’s former nurse arrives to tell the sisters that his death may not have been quite as accidental as it seemed.

The twists come thick and fast as we realise that

nobody is quite who they appear to be. It is a thriller and also a play about families.

This amateur production of Snake in the Grass is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Ltd. Tickets are £8 and available from the box office at: www. fordingbridgeplayers. org.uk or Jessica’s, Fordingbridge, telephone 01425 652395.

COMPETITION WINNERS The winner of the March £100 Easter Bunny competition was Margaret Chalke of Salisbury who chose to spend her voucher at Caxton Decor.

Answer: He’d run straight into the farmer’s legs.

The winners of Stewarts coffee competition were Mary Talbot, Mathew Price, Debbie Newman and Mrs Christine White.

Answer: Shutelake coffee.

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

around & ABOUT COM P

ETITIO

N

Bring on the Guys and Dolls!

Poole & Parkstone Productions are a wellknown, award-winning local amateur musical theatre company. In May, they are staging Guys and Dolls at Lighthouse, Poole.

It’s a musical fable of Broadway based on a story and characters by Damon Runyan.

From New York’s Times Square to the dance clubs of Havana, in the world of gangsters, gambler Sky Masterson makes a bet that he can make the next girl he sees fall in love with him. The problem is, she’s from the Save-a-Soul mission.

The show features fabulous choreography and songs, with Luck Be A Lady, and Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat among the delights of the show.

Running from 2–5 May, with performances at 7.30pm, plus a matinee on 5 May at 2.30pm, tickets are from £15 for adults, £7.50 for children and there are some concessions available at certain performances.

Call the P&P box office on 07783 068373 or email tickets@pandp.org.uk.

Mags4dorset and P&P Productions are running a competition to win a pair of tickets for the performance of your choice.

For your chance to win, answer the following question:

Join the party at the Garden Tea Room!

the Heritage Lottery Fund.

So, it is the perfect time to get involved.

Join in and be a part of something wonderful, volunteer at the Priest’s

House Museum and Garden.

Visit www.priest-house. co.uk/getting-involved/ volunteering or telephone 01202 882533.

The Garden Tea Room at the Priest’s House Museum and Garden in Wimborne needs the help of a few more local people, to join forces with the friendly team who currently volunteer there.

It’s not so much about the pouring out of tea, or even the dishing up of tasty treats, but more about giving a warm welcome to all – served up with a dash of genuine hospitality.

The tea room is surrounded by a delightful, apple-tree filled, ‘secret’ garden – an oasis of green calm, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the lively market town of Wimborne.

The museum currently represents all aspects of life in East Dorset through the ages – for local people, about local people. The museum is also planning an exciting new project to revitalise, refurbish and improve access to its exhibitions and displays, subject to an application to

Who played Sky Masterson in the 1955 film of Guys and Dolls?

Enter at: www.mags4dorset.co.uk or send your answer on a postcard to: GUYS AND DOLLS COMPETITION, mags4dorset, Dana House, Spinneys Lane, Ferndown, BH22 9BZ. Closing date is 26 April 2018.

The first correct entry drawn will be the winner. Employees of Pulford Publicity Ltd or P&P Productions are not permitted to enter. There is no cash alternative. The editor’s decision is final.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 41

specialist SERVICES AERIAL & SATELLITE INSTALLERS

AERIAL & SATELLITE INSTALLERS

BLINDS & CURTAINS

BUILDING SERVICES

DISABILITY PRODUCTS

DECORATING

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

AIRPORT TRANSFERS

CARPENTRY

CARAVAN ACCESSORIES

DECORATING

DRAIN SERVICES

specialist SERVICES FENCING

FENCING

FENCING

GARDEN SERVICES

TREE SURGERY

GRAPHIC DESIGN

GARDENING SERVICES

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LOCKSMITH

MAINTENANCE

LOGS

PLASTERING

TREE SURGERY

TREE SURGERY

WINDOW REPAIRS

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 43

ASK THE

EXPERT

By Nolan Irving, Irving and Sons Estate Agency

Q. Why do property transactions still take so long to complete?

A.

It seems crazy in this technology driven age that property transactions still take so long to go through, on average 10-12 weeks. Believe it or not, some can take even longer, and the longer things take, the greater is the danger of something going wrong, or someone just changing their mind. Speaking as an estate agent, there is nothing more frustrating than watching a sale that you have worked so hard to put together just drag on and on – or even worse, collapse.

The average time for a sale to go from offer accepted to exchange/completion is about the same as it was over 20 years ago, when I started in this business. You would have expected things to be so much quicker now as we are living in such a digital world but that’s just not the case. Unfortunately, we still have a housing system that is reliant in so many cases on a chain of people and properties all moving forward together at the same time.

One of the issues we regularly encounter is that somewhere within the

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

chain there will be someone who has been tempted by a cost-cutting service provider promising a comparable service, but in reality delivering very little once they have cashed their upfront payment. These types of agents take their payment at the beginning of the process and have no incentive to help their clients, communicate or cooperate with everyone else involved, as a traditional agent would do to ensure a smooth transaction. This causes a breakdown in communication and results in delays and frustration.

We also see people opting for “call centre” type conveyancing firms that actually have some of the slickest and technologically advanced systems available, but nobody takes any level of personal responsibility as the consistent point of contact. Unnecessary delays are extremely frustrating for us traditional agents who embrace technology and utilise our vast range of skills and experience to liaise, communicate, assist and support right up to exchange/completion.

Buying/selling a house is one the most significant, not to mention stressful, things a person can do and it needs to be handled by professionals who have the experience, services and resources to support their clients.

We have spent the past 30 years continually embracing new tech and initiatives to assist and enhance our comprehensive and personal service to the client. We have built excellent relationships with high street solicitors, who have a dedicated conveyancer looking after our clients.

At Irving and Sons we remain personally and fully involved throughout the whole process incentivised by working on a no sale – no fee basis, with no upfront costs.

Unfortunately we can’t control who everyone else involved in a chain uses for their solicitors or agents, and without an industry lead overhaul of the UK house–buying and selling process, I can’t see transaction times being reduced significantly any time soon. New technology is great, but it needs to be embraced in the right way to enhance the service that is provided by the professionals to genuinely support the people involved in the process.

We remain, and always will be, fully committed to providing and helping our clients’ move, no matter how long it takes. Agents like ourselves may not be able to speed the process up on our own but, we will do everything we can to ensure that we support our clients through the whole process and to ensure that things are dealt with as smoothly and quickly as possible.

FREEADS Proceed with caution when buying privately.

MAGS4DORSET cannot accept any liablity for transactions carried out as a result of responding to these freeads.

Printer inks, Epson Cheetah 2 black, 2 cyan, 2 magenta, 2 yellow. £35. Verwood. 01202 827212 BSA folding bicycle, 1970s-80s, 3-speed, rack, stand. Works okay, needs a little tlc. £45 ono. Wimborne.

01202 891492 Brand new Pyramid caravan awning 925-950 £200. Corfe Mullen. 07907 333972 Rollator Drive Migo. £25.

Verwood. 01202 822690 20 books, all easy-read novels by various writers £8.

Ladies’ slippers size 3, good condition, nearly new £3. West Moors. 01202 890097 Dimplex Living Fire 1/2Kw, in very good order £20. Ashley Heath. 01425 471868 Belling induction hob, only 4 months old, genuine reason for sale. £90 ono. West Moors.

01202 890418 Ladies’ golf clubs, woods and irons, stand, bag and raincover, great for beginner, £75.

West Moors. 01202 895682

Five-bar wooden gate with hinge brackets, catches and eyebolts, vgc 11ft 3in x 4ft high. £50. St Leonards. 01202 896688 Fish tank with pump and light 330cm x 130cm x 110cm high.

Purchaser must collect. Only £10. Ferndown. 07818 411248 Screen for slide/film presentation 48” x 48” on tripod stand, £5. New Milton.

01425 623588 Theraposture automatic adjustable bed with massage unit. Any inspection welcomed. £50. Ashley Heath. 01425 472930 Single adjustable bed, with combination mattress, drawer and 3ft headboard. £300.

Bournemouth. 01202 294085 Heavy duty ladders, linked aluminium, 2 x 12ft approx. £30. Ashley Heath. 01425 489560 Denby Arabesque dinner set, 6 coffee cups and saucers, 2pt teapot. Will sell separate items.

Offers. Christchurch. 01202 478277

Office chair, height adjustable and desk vgc. £5 each.

Ferndown. 01202 855457 Roberts clock/radio, dual alarm, CD, snooze button and instruction book. Good condition £32.50. Wimborne.

01202 886611 Blankets, merino wool and others, double, in cream, pink and blue. £7 each, as new. Kilner jars, 30 original and dual purpose, sized 3lb, 2lb, 1lb, some rubber seals available, £50. Broadstone.

01202 699574 Chicago golf bag and clubs, hardly used. £50. Bamboo rollup blind in original packaging 160x90cm, trim to size £5, rotary garden clothes dryer £5. Ferndown 01202 873411 Card table, folding, top opens to 76cm square, closed 35cm width, height 71cm, dark wood finish. £25. Ferndown 01202 875446 Fridge-Freezer 60/40 Essentials CE55CW13. As new, only used for two months. £75.

Ringwood. 07710 988573

David Shepherd limited edition print, ‘Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda’, framed and signed by the artist. Size 39 x 30”, only £49. Ashley Heath. 01425 476271 Small round teak table with two chairs, excellent condition £25. Poulner/Ringwood. 07378 603191 Wheelchair, good condition. ideal transit chair with seat cushion and tyre pump. £40.

Strolley trolley – mobility tea trolley, easy way to move things around home, as new. £20. Ringwood. 01425 470438 60 DVDs, including Van Helsing, Deep Rising, Dragon Slayer, Armageddon, Iron Clad, Matrix and more. £30 the lot.

Ringwood. 01425 471682.

Caravan porta-potty as new £25. Two-bike rack to fit towbar £20. Ferndown. 01202 890049 Brand new kingsize duvet 4.5 tog. £30. Verwood. 01202 826153 Porcelain dolls, collection of 40+ of varying sizes. Exc condition. £75. Ferndown.

01202 895590

Mahogany cheval mirror £10 ono, two general purpose polypropylene tables with folding legs, 6’6” x 2’6” £5 each ono. Verwood. 01202 822905 Italian leather settee, recliners, brown, made to order. £300. Verwood. 079741 497129

ADVERTISE IN FREEADS PLEASE NOTE WE ARE MOVING! If you wish to advertise in this section, send full details of item for sale including your name, address and phone number to our new address:

MAGS4DORSET, Dana House, Spinneys Lane, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9BZ. Alternatively visit mags4dorset.co.uk/ freeads to submit your advert Free insertions limited to two items per person.

TRADE ADVERTS NOT ACCEPTED AS FREEADS

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 45

motoring NEWS Facebook trader fined for sale of misdescribed vehicle A car trader has been prosecuted after selling a misdescribed vehicle to a consumer from Swanage, which she saw advertised on Facebook.

Following an investigation by Dorset County Council Trading Standards, George Samuel Pennington aged 23, of Poole was sentenced in February at Poole Magistrates’ Court. He pleaded guilty to three charges of misdescribing a vehicle and one of claiming not to be acting as a trader, contrary to consumer protection regulations.

Despite having the rear wheels disconnected from the engine, and being said by an expert to be “not of merchantable quality”, the Landrover Freelander was described as a “beautiful Freelander”, “overall condition is mint”

and “4-wheel drive system works as it should” in adverts on both Facebook and Gumtree.

Pennington was fined £25 on each offence and ordered to pay compensation of £500 and prosecution costs totalling £250.

The court heard that Pennington bought the car and submitted it for an MOT test. The car failed and the examiner advised that it was not a 4-wheel drive as the prop shaft had been removed. The car was sold three days later, but soon broke down and when the new owner took it to a garage she was told it was not 4-wheel drive and not economical to repair.

She asked Pennington for a refund, but he refused.

The trading standards service had the car examined by an expert after

the new owner complained.

When Pennington was approached he said he was not a trader and the consumer protection regulations did not apply.

Subsequent investigation found he had advertised 14 vehicles on Facebook over the course of a year and 12 on Gumtree in a similar period.

Cllr Deborah Croney, Dorset County Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for trading standards said, “All sellers should make sure that they accurately describe the cars that they advertise, particularly traders. This case shows that the law applies regardless of whether a car is sold on social media, or another online platform. It also demonstrates that if a sale goes wrong, consumers may find it difficult to track down sellers on social media, which is something we see frequently.”

Consumers thinking of buying a second hand car can look for a trader who is a member of the trading standards ‘Buy With Confidence’ trader approval scheme or telephone the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.

Matt LeBlanc at the wheel

World’s fastest tractor roars in

The fastest tractor in the world, created by Matt LeBlanc and the Top Gear team and driven to a record breaking 87.2mph by the Stig, has roared into the World of Top Gear at Beaulieu.

The awesome 500bhp Track-Tor made its debut on Top Gear last month, proving that tractors really don’t have to be slow. In the programme, Top Gear set a new Guinness World Record to become the fastest tractor in the world, beating the previous record of 80.87mph set in Finland in 2015.

Now Beaulieu visitors can see up-close just what happens when the motoring show aims to revolutionise the world of agricultural machinery. Matt LeBlanc is a huge tractor fan and owns four of his own tractors. Turning his attention to the problem of these slow-moving vehicles holding up traffic, he decided that speed and power were essential and his custom engineering solution is impressive.

The Track-Tor can be driven fast, both in the fields and on the road. Huge 54-inch Super Swamper Bogger tyres from America are fitted to the rear wheels, while adjustable air suspension means that the whole machine can be raised to increase ground clearance.

New road safety website for Dorset

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ublic services that work together across Dorset to improve safety on the roads have launched a new website.

Dorset Road Safe brings together the police, fire service, health and local authorities to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads through education, enforcement and engineering. The new website can be found at www.dorsetroadsafe.org.uk Members of the public can also share information on the website

on dangerous drivers; highlight areas where they are concerned about excess speed; see road safety operations Dorset Police is running, as well as where fixed cameras and mobile speed enforcement vans are for the coming weeks and more.

Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements

The site hosts the latest road safety news updates from the partnership, upcoming events that members of the public can get involved in, as well as updates from local authorities on new roadworks, traffic calming measures and other initiatives.

April 2018

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VIEWPOINT April 2018

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