The Barrington Magazine | Dec 2016 - Feb 2017

MAGAZINE | Issue five

Painting by Elaine Plaistow, Ferndown Art Society

DEC 2016 - FEB 2017

Winning choir on track for Christmas

A fond farewell from Terry Handscombe

Barrington Theatre launches Dorset Poppy Appeal

THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE WINTER EDITION

CONTENTS DEC 2016 - FEB 2017

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sHAPING fErNDoWN’s fuTurE

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DorsET PoPPy lAuNCH

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10.

sCHools CHoIr CoMPETITIoN

MILES HUNT & ERICA KNOCKALLS Review of the Miles and Erica acoustic live experience

FAREWELL TERRY Technical Manager, Terry Handscombe calls time after 18 years at The Barrington WHAT’S ON STAGE All the upcoming gigs and shows

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AN EVENING WITH DES O’CONNOR Review of Des O’Connor’s recent live performance at The Barrington

Barrington: Andy Bryant

As our 30th anniversary year draws to a close we have had another record breaking upturn of revenue and increase of the amount of people using this great building. Since the last magazine came out we have hosted some really great acts on our stage. Some you can read reviews for in this edition. These acts included the legend that is Des O’Connor, the Three Degrees on their 50th year tour, and possibly the best jazz musician (in my opinion) in the country Courtney Pine, to mention but a few.

The Courtney Pine gig was outstanding and one I don’t think I’ll ever forget for several reasons. Just two hours before the gig was due to start Mr Pines pianist wasn’t happy with the tone of our mini-grand and requested that we replace it with a Yamaha C class grand piano. After several calls on a Sunday afternoon we found one and had it delivered to the stage doors in a horsebox. I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried to move a grand piano, let alone, up off the ground four feet to the roller shutter doors at the back of the stage but we ended up looking like a sketch from a Laurel and Hardy film. With a bit of lateral thinking and good old brute force we managed to get the grand up onto the stage, back on its feet, and tuned to concert pitch with about 10 mins to spare before the doors opened. As they say “that’s showbiz.”

Unfortunately, due to the age of the building and increased usage we are having to spend more than ever before on fixing and replacing the bits that fall off and keeping the building looking clean and tidy. To help improve this situation my current main focus has been applying for external funding sources to find money to spend on the building and, believe me, this is an art form and one I am having to learn very quickly. Every application involves a large amount of supportive information and documentation which takes a considerable amount of time. This is why we are now looking to recruit new volunteers with skills to help me with this. If you, or someone you know, has experience of grant applications, donor engagement, or fundraising then I’d love to hear from you. Being a voluntary position we cannot offer payment for your time but we can cover expenses incurred.

I hope you enjoy you enjoy reading this magazine and look forward to seeing you around the Barrington.

Andy Bryant The Barrington Centre Ferndown BH22 9TH 01202 894858

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EDITorIAl

Hello and welcome to the 5th edition of the Barrington Magazine.

I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to help make this magazine possible.

We look forward to welcoming you!

A 01202 894858 www.barringtoncentre.co.uk

m admin@barringtoncentre.co.uk CoNTrIBuTors

DEsIGN/ProDuCTIoN Brightbox Designs & mags4dorset: Ben Pulford Louis Pulford

ADvErTIsEMENTs mags4dorset: Mark Beechey

sales@mags4dorset.co.uk

A m4d: 01202 870270 BBD: 01202 233441

www.mags4dorset.co.uk www.brightboxdesigns.co.uk

m design@mags4dorset.co.uk

contact@brightboxdesigns.co.uk

Peter Ebers, Liz Judd, Steve Lugg

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THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE five FIVE

Barrington Theatre Launches

Dorset Appeal D

Poppy

orset’s Poppy Appeal was launched at the Barrington in Ferndown on 29 October following a parade in Penny’s Walk led by the Bournemouth Youth Marching Band.

A poppy petal explosion fluttered from the roof of the theatre during two minutes silence before Gerry Nunn, chairman of Christchurch Royal Brtish Legion officially opened the appeal and veteran Mike Arnold MBE sold the first poppy to the Mayor of Ferndown, Councillor Mike Parkes.

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www.barringtoncentre.co.uk

Winner of the best dressed poppy competition was Tilly Green aged 6, from Ferndown and the best dressed window winner was the Orange Teapot.

Grant Parrott, chairman of the Royal British Legion in Ferndown said a big thank you to all those involved with organising the launch event, which was a first for the town.

Remembrance Day was held on 13 November with services throughout the country

THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

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THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

Miles Hunt&Erica Nockalls/ Matt Griffiths @ Barrington Theatre, Ferndown

Review by Jon from www.rock-regeneration.co.uk Along with Slade and Madness before them The Wonder Stuff are a band that took the British charts by storm; releasing a host of truly loveable, uplifting singles that with a large slice of tongue in cheek humour were just loved by the British public. Frontman Miles Hunt has been performing original music for over 30 years and shows no sign of slowing down. Tonight; along with his fiddle-playing touring partner Erica Nockalls, they are to make their debut in Ferndown.

Not an area you usually expect to find them, but by the look of the sizeable crowd here tonight they appear to be most welcome.

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ocal singer/songwriter Matt Griffiths is tonight’s support and he arrives on the large Ferndown stage with just a six string acoustic guitar and a warm smile. He is engaging and puts everybody at ease, warming up the crowd with a good choice of covers as well as a couple of originals. These include the title track of his debut album “England Shore”, which was released earlier this year. The tune includes a traditional folk story-telling style that’s not too dissimilar to the Levellers mode

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of delivery. Matt raises a smile with a cover of S-Club 7’s “Reach” and looking around, the vast majority of us were trying our best not to sing along to avoid the shame of knowing the lyrics.

The singer leaves the stage after a solid 45 minute set with plenty of praise from the appreciative audience.

The Miles and Erica acoustic live experience is one I have sampled many times, and each

time I have been thoroughly entertained with a great evening.

Tonight; I’m sure having never played Ferndown before, the duo are not sure what to expect from this little-known suburb of Bournemouth. They receive a very warm welcome from the 150 or so people in the audience.

Before playing each tune Miles delights us with various interesting stories from past and present. He said, this week had been an unplanned boozy week after bumping into Dutch progressive Rock band Focus in a hotel bar in Bristol, where they were up jamming with them until the early hours of the morning.

The audience is treated to a few reworked acoustic

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versions of tracks from the Wonder Stuff’s 30th Anniversary album “30 Goes Around The Sun”, including the single “For the Broken Hearted”. During a short interval from the music, Miles in a “Jackanory style” reads an excerpt from his recently published diaries, which as you would expect was truly fascinating, a nice addition to the evening.

There are of course lots of hits including the uplifting “On The Ropes”, “Mission Drive”, “Golden Green” and of course “The Size of a Cow”. The duo perform these tracks without a second thought, they are so tight and have a beautiful on stage chemistry that is a delight to watch. Miles and Erica along with The Wonder Stuff are back in Dorset on the 16th December for a Christmas Shindig at the 02 Academy

A RAFFLES SPECIAL

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Many of our customers frequently see members of our hardworking team on the go to keep those all important hot drinks and dinners coming during these cold weeks of winter. So, we would like to take the time to introduce both the new and the familiar faces of our team, led by our Head Cook Tanya.

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anya has been a member of the Raffles family for several years and has recently undertaken the Cook’s position to ensure our customer’s don’t go hungry! She is a bubbly member of the team who takes cooking in her stride and never appears fazed by the pressures of the kitchen.

Anya is one of the youngest members of the Raffle’s family despite her five years of commitment to the cafe. Having recently taken on extra responsibilities in the kitchen, it is clear amongst our customers that her speciality is homemade pies!

Lou is a hardworking and dedicated member of the team with more than 12 years of experience within the café. Despite a consistent stream of coffees to be made its always service with a smile.

Margaret is well-known and loved amongst all our regulars. Having worked within our café for the past four years, she is undoubtedly a popular member of the team.

Sam is the newest member of the Raffles family and has been very quick to pick up all aspects of her role, making her an asset to the team! We would like to offer her a warm welcome to the family and wish her every success.

Dee is our longest standing member of the team with 17 years of commitment to the café.

She is often hidden away in the kitchen ensuring clean crockery and cutlery are always on hand to our hungry customers.

Val is yet another dedicated member with 14 years of experience within our café and once again known and loved by our loyal customers.

She also prepares an excellent buffet so please form an orderly queue!

Amber is the youngest member of the team and often referred to amongst the girls as “the baby of the family”. She is currently working hard studying for her A Levels and hopes to attend university, so you will find her in the cafe on Saturdays.

Having introduced the Raffles team, we would like to propose a few changes to our customers in the upcoming weeks and we are looking for some feedback from our loyal customer base.

Whilst we recognise that it is somewhat of a challenge to compete with Coffee Giants such as Costa and Starbucks, we would like to expand our range of coffees within the café in order to provide a festive range. The flavours we are investigating are gingerbread, cinnamon, hazelnut and salted caramel and we would be looking to integrate this into our range of cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolates

www.barringtoncentre.co.uk

COMPETITION CORNER...

In order to attain feedback, we would like to introduce a competition!

We are offering the chance for our customers to create their very own hot, festive drink, which they would like to see on our new festive menu.

The lucky winner of the competition will be contacted and their festive drink will appear on the menu in the following weeks.

Please send your feedback and entries to manager@thebarrington.org with a subject line of ‘Raffles Competition’ and your contact details for us to get in touch.

The competition closes Friday 30 December. Good Luck!

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THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

A FOND FAREWELL FROM TerrY

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It hardly seems possible that I actually began working at the Barrington in the last century, 1998 in fact

remember coming in for my first interview with Margaret Wilson, a previous Administrator of the Centre.

The first person I met in reception was Bud (Rosemary), the then Secretary who later became Office Manager, and ten years after that my wife! Bud retired earlier this year after more than twenty years of unswerving and devoted service to the Barrington. I shall be retiring myself at Christmas, hence this article.

My job did not actually exist before I came.

I was employed initially as Theatre Technician / Duty Manager, therefore working mostly in the evenings. My brief for the job of Technician was to maintain and improve the stage facilities, maintain the building, look after the needs of hirers and run sound and light for various productions.

The stage lighting at that juncture could only be described as rudimentary, with little in the way of maintenance having being carried out. Over the years I have managed to drag the system, kicking and screaming, into the twenty-first century. There is still some way to go, when funds allow, but at least it all works when you turn it on!

My previous theatre experience had actually been more concentrated on sound so this came naturally to me. Clearly though, the quality of sound depends not only on the skill of the operator but the quality of the

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equipment itself. As the theatre had only a basic system, I have availed the Barrington the use of my own professional equipment over the years, which has allowed us to maintain hopefully high standards of sound with minimum outlay.

Most people, I’m sure, think that the show they are enjoying took all day to prepare for.

If only we had such luxury! In fact many of our shows have to be set-up in little more than an hour or so, since that is all the time we sometimes have between events; ours is a very busy centre!

I have lost count of the number of shows I have worked on at the Barrington but it certainly runs into the high hundreds.

I remember once making an announcement apologising that a Kenny Ball concert would start a few minutes late due to a ‘Technical Problem’. In fact, the bass player couldn’t find the theatre and we were, at that moment, in the process of guiding him in over the phone! Kenny did thank me for the lighting though and gave me a huge hug after the concert, he was a true gentleman.

On another occasion, during a variety show, a company of opera singers were performing in front of the main curtain while the stage was being filled behind it with smoke for the next act. It was with some dismay that, up in the control box, I could see the smoke leaking from beneath the curtain

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and gradually enveloping the singers on the front of the stage, needless to say they were not amused!

It would be quite impossible to pick a favourite show, but a recent ‘Who’ tribute certainly came close. I love their music and must have felt particularly inspired lighting wise because someone paid me the ultimate compliment by asking me, “Were you working to a script?” Actually, I wasn’t. Sometimes things do go right then!

As I said, I shall be leaving at Christmas.

Will I miss the old place? The fifteen hour days, packing up gear in the wee small hours, trying to fix a problem just before curtain up, probably not. What I will miss though are all the wonderful people I have met over the years, the sense of satisfaction of a job well done and the pleasure I see on the faces of the audience as they leave.

As for the future, I have my hobbies. I play the guitar, I write novels and short stories, as yet unpublished but who knows? My wife and I will probably move away, she hails from the north, and Bournemouth, where we live, is not the place it once was.

As the old song says, “Thanks for the Memory!”

Terry Handscomb Technical Manager

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THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

News from Ferndown Art Society The Ferndown Art Society has had a lively and expressive time recently.

Over the summer we were asked to submit designs for a re-usable shopping bag exclusive to the Tesco store in Ferndown. Lynda Quist did the winning design and you can see the bags carrying shopping all over the town. We also did a mixed media challenge which was displayed at our meeting in September.

Absolutely Fabulous Day Trip to Denman College On 24 October, 30+ ladies from Absolutely WI, Ferndown visited Denman College in Oxfordshire, founded by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes in 1948. The group were shown around the beautiful house and gardens and discovered the history of Denman. The accommodation was impressive and comfortable.

The range of courses is vast and for those who enjoy crafting, cookery, history or literature, you are spoilt for choice.

Denman courses are available to non-members of the WI as well as members so it’s really worth having a look at their website, denman.org.uk, to see what they offer.

The group had an excellent day and returned home after having a delicious lunch and cream tea.

Absolutely WI had a draw at their November meeting for two lucky ladies to be given a bursary for a course of their choice at Denman College in line with educating women, one of the aims of the WI. www.absolutelywi.co.uk

We had a very successful recent exhibition at the Hayloft Gallery, in Christchurch where we had lots of visitors, sold several paintings, various greeting cards, and items of jewellery. All of these were designed and made by members of the Society.

At the Barrington Centre on our notice board on the corridor wall and in the Community Art Gallery in Raffles Café you can see examples of our work and many of which are for sale. In our displays we try and reflect the seasons and things current.

“Cottage” by Paula Winton, previous summer challenge winner

Thursday Evening Demonstrations 7.30 to 9.30 pm in the Barrington Centre’s Conference Room: • Thursday 19 January 2017: Tony Roberts, Coastal view, in Pastel • Thursday 16 February 2017: Penny Crichton-Seager, painting snow in Watercolour • Thursday 16 March 2017: Pam Philip, colourful India in oil.

Visitors are very welcome to these demonstrations, there is a small charge (£3) Some of our members attend our workshop sessions on Wednesday mornings at the Barrington Centre, these are self-directed, with members working on their own art work.

If you wish to get involved, or for further information about the Society please contact the Membership Secretary, Sue Gomm, 01202 573050

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THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

Reshaping Your Councils

– Proposals for Unitaries in Dorset I should start by saying that the views expressed are personal and I will weigh up all evidence available at the time of voting, when I will support the decision I think best for the residents I represent.

Have you ever been to a party at the Barrington? No! Well you’ve been missing out...

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any of you will have noted, and perhaps responded to the recent consultation which imagined several scenarios including retaining East Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council, and several options on two new Unitaries to cover the County. It was a pity that a single Unitary option was not included, if we were to consider all options?

I have multiple issues to consider, not least that I was not satisfied with the consultation. Of the c. £80m required to be saved, more than half of that falls before a Unitary inception date in 2019, so is not relevant to decision-making, yet was included. So when you look at the more sensible figure of £30m post 2019, the only real problem is adult social care. It is simply the case that social care needs properly funding by Central Government, and maybe we should be concentrating on getting that message across, rather than rearranging deckchairs in the shadow of the financial iceberg?

In East Dorset itself, there is no real financial issue post 2019, and that leaves a difficult issue being, should councillors vote for residents who already pay high council tax, to take on the financial issues of other councils?

Where Unitaries have been established, parish and town precepts have risen greatly with increased responsibilities. In Cornwall, they have doubled since 2009. This shows nowhere in the case set out to date?

Moreover, it is difficult for me to ask residents who already pay high levels of council tax to take the pain of council tax harmonisation.

As our tax levels are amongst the highest in the County, residents could see a more remote Unitary with a lesser service offering, yet be paying more than the majority of other Dorset residents for up to twenty years, whilst tax levels equalise. That is a difficult ‘sell’ for me, especially when the overwhelming majority of input I’ve had from residents has been a preference to remain as we are. What do you think?

So all nine councils will vote shortly, considering the evidence, even where flawed, and taking on board the views of their residents.

What might it mean? In Ferndown and Parley any Unitary would likely mean the taking on of more services and facilities, particularly by the town council, causing your council tax to rise.

Any non-statutory services and facilities that local councils don’t take on, where services are cut, similar to what has already happened to youth provision, just won’t be offered in the future, so it is very difficult to see advantages.

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Party at the Barrington Not only does the Theatre host great professional performances on its stage throughout the year but we also can cater for any type of party or function with or without catering. Our main party/function packages are:

At a county level, there is no doubt that there would be less councillors (popular!), less officers, and smaller local government.

Is that likely to be beneficial to residents? In a world where missed bin collections have been a nightmare in Ferndown, and where we struggle to keep drains clean and streets swept, can we be confident in more partnership and merger? An alternative view (held by some residents) is that the East Dorset ‘Planning regime’ has been so damaging to Ferndown and Parley, that any change might be beneficial? Then we have to look at the relative benefits of being part of a super-Bournemouth conurbation, or part of a very rural coalition, outside of the conurbation.

Difficult times in local government, with a central Government that is close to crushing any semblance of Localism, unless it changes course quickly? How could more centralism through Unitaries help Localism? Where will we be by Spring? Who knows? Who thinks the estimates for reorganisation will turn out to be in the low side, and subject to overspend? History in the public sector suggests this is likely.

What is unacceptable is to disguise poor service provision, by applauding the making of savings. Firstly councils must provide the services properly, that residents already pay for.

My suggestion is that you all take notice of the Council’s meetings where they will vote on this, attend the meetings where you can, and especially make sure your District ward, and County divisional councillors know how you feel about the future. The only sure thing is that probably the most important decision in a lifetime will be made shortly, and residents must make sure they are heard.

I will do my very best to represent the majority of your views in Ferndown and Parley, and be a strong voice for you.

Steve Lugg County Councillor for Ferndown & Parley District Councillor for Ferndown Central

www.barringtoncentre.co.uk

Disco’s or parties with live music.

(250 people cap.)

Wedding Breakfasts and evening parties.

(100 people cap.)

Wakes (200 cap.)

Children’s Parties with the hire of our soft play equipment. (30 kids) Corporate events and public presentations. (262 seated) Fairs and trade shows. (25 pitches) Silver service dinners. (100 cap. people) Christmas parties. (100 cap. people) Gig. (400 people standing) Skittles evening. (70 people cap.)

Quiz Nights. (180 cap.)

We can provide catering to suite any style of party or event. We can offer everything from canapés and nibbles/ snacks, a full range of cold and hot fork buffets, and the option to have either a two, three, or four course sit down served meal with accompanying selected wines and a decorated room. If you book a party with our own catering provided we will not charge you room hire making the event more affordable. If you’re looking for something a little special we can decorate the room to match any theme. We know that organising your own event can be tiring and quite stressful at times, so why not let the Barrington take this away?

We can be trusted to deliver the best night in Ferndown for you and your guests. Please contact Andy Bryant, the General Manager, to discuss all options but please book early to avoid disappointment. manager@thebarrington.org

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Whatʼs On Stage

AT THE BARRINGTON December 2016

February 2017

2 DECEMBER - 7.30pM Countdown To Christmas with Poole and Parkstone Productions

10 FEBRUARY Bourne2Sing

3 DECEMBER - 2pM, 5pM & 8pM Countdown To Christmas with Poole and Parkstone Productions 4 DECEMBER - 1pM & 4pM Sleeping Beauty Panto 8 DECEMBER Southern Union Chorus, Julia’s House Fundraiser 9 DECEMBER The Producers 10 DECEMBER Burlesque evening EDDC Chairman 17 DECEMBER The Original Jukebox Heroes

11 FEBRUARY Dancing With Jan 17 FEBRUARY The New Jersey Boys 18 FEBRUARY The Style Councillors 23 FEBRUARY Simon and Garfunkel Book Ends 24 FEBRUARY Toyah 25 FEBRUARY Johnny Wamans Mods & Rockers Show

3 MARCH Bon Jovi Experience 4 MARCH Neil Diamond Tribute 10 MARCH Motown Night with David Taylor

23 DECEMBER Christmas Together Lunch

12 MARCH Wessex Young Musicians 17 MARCH Amie Knight New Album Launch

January 2017

27 JANUARY The New Beats 28 JANUARY Jan Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre

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24 MARCH From the Jam 25 MARCH The Bootleg Floyd 31 MARCH Jethro

April 2017 1 ApRIL Desperado’s the Heart Of The Eagles 7 ApRIL Queen 2 8 ApRIL Live Ferndown Final (The Voice)

March 2017

17 DECEMBER Andrew Cannon Band (afternoon)

2017

18 MARCH Bootleg Beegee’s

14 ApRIL The Total Who Show 15 ApRIL Amateur Boxing 16 ApRIL Prohibition Jazz with Tony Waller 22 ApRIL Bournemouth Gilbert & Sullivan 30 ApRIL Martin Turner ex Wishbone Ash

All shows start at 7:30pm unless stated. Doors open half an hour before. For full listings for all our events and to purchase online tickets please visit our website. www.barringtoncentre.co.uk.

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Regular events at the barrington centre Monday

Contact

Tel. No.

01425 472146 01202 877468 01202 871495 01202 578048 01202 894858 07923 873400

Ballroom Dance - 2:30pm Adagio - Children’s Dance Classes - 2:00pm Ferndown Art Society - 7:30pm (M) Labour Party (Ferndown) - 7:30pm (M) Ferndown Historical Society - 7:30pm (M) Ferndown Camera Club - 7:30pm (F)

thursday

Contact

Tel. No.

Tuesday

Contact

Tel. No.

friday

Contact

Tel. No.

Soft play 4 Tots - 10:00am-12pm Bits & Bytes Computer Club - 2:30pm (F) Meditation - 4pm, 5:30pm, 7pm Ferndown Speakers - 7:30pm (F) Social Dance - 8:00pm (M)

Barrington Office Neil Barton Martin Handy Shirley Thompson Marna Williams

01202 894858 01202 861077 07864 029868 01425 480631 01202 871495

Hula & Toner, SalsaCise, Tai chi Soft play 4 Tots - 10:00am-12pm Yoga - 9:30am & 10:45pm Coffee Club - 10:00am Sequence Dance - 2:00pm

Leisure Centre Barrington Office Natalie Smit-Ash John Little Barrington Office

01202 877468 01202 894858 01202 944429 01202 980839 01202 894858

Yoga - 10:00 am - 11:30pm Body Combat, Zumba, PiYo Sequence Dance - 2:30pm Ferndown Drama Group - 7:45pm Free Cinema - 2:15pm Wessex Jitsu Club

Jane Handscombe Leisure Centre Marna Williams Chris Allen Box Office Fiona Richardson

Marna Williams Rebecca Godber Mrs S Gomm Gail Cropper Ken Cook Bill Stevens

01202 871495 01202 831394 01202 573050 01202 893779 01202 890084 01202 820719

wednesday

Contact

Tel. No.

Saturday

Contact

Tel. No.

Clarity Hearing - 9:30am Ferndown Art Society - 9:30am Penny's Patchers - 9:30am Alzheimers Society - 1:30pm (F) Strollers - 2:00pm (M) National Trust E D Assoc - 7:30pm (M) Absolutely W.I - 7:30pm (M) Ferndown Drama Group - 7:45pm French Circle - 7:30pm (M) Ferndown Wine Society - 7:30pm (M) Nuline Line Dance - 1:30pm Chess Club

Heather Cowell Mrs S Gomm Glenda Harford Jo Malyon Alan Welfare Janet Matthews Linda Barber Chris Allen Marion Lock Paul Fearnley Tina Summerfield Douglas Lock

01202 478881 01202 573050 01202 694847 01202 716393 01202 870644 01202 855001 01202 861750 01202 578048 01202 896984 01202 707128 01258 452643 01202 896984

New Horizons Club - 10:00am U3A (University of the Third Age) (During Term Times)

Rita Stubbs John Mullett

01202 280871 01202 874581

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F = Fortnightly | M = Monthly

For additional information of regular event please contact the box office.

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Rooms with a venue Here is a handy reminder of the facilities The Barrington has to offer. The Centre has been providing community services for 30 years this year. There is also a reasonably priced café serving home-style food from 8.30am each day and special events can be catered for in style with our retained suppliers.

THE HALL has a daytime and a night-time persona - the day sees sequence and line dancing, ballroom, conferences, soft play and craft fairs to name but a few. There is a maple sprung floor so you can be as heavyfooted as you like.

For music and drama, the room is fully functioning with sound and lighting (complete with resident technicians) and an advanced performance stage.

The hall will seat 275 and accommodate 406 standing, so plenty of room for a crowd!

THE BAR has an association with Greene King and full pub facilities. It is open for shows and you can pre-order drinks for the show interval to save queuing. For an event, such as a coffee morning or a funeral breakfast, it will seat 30 to 40.

THE CONFERENCE ROOM is ideal for clubs and has full projection facilities on to the back wall. Seating up to 64 people theatre-style it can also be set up with groups of tables for up to 44 - ideal for discussion groups or pub-style quizzes.

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THE HAYES ROOM is particularly useful as it can be divided into two. It is often used as a dressing room for live acts as it has facilities and mirrors to accommodate the intricacies of ‘getting ready’. As a theatre-style set-up, it can seat 30 to 40. As a break-out room for the theatre or a special function, it can double as a bar and buffet with a horseshoe-style flow to keep things moving in and out.

THE STUDIO is the second room with a maple sprung floor for dancing and can accommodate up to 50 people.

Even if you aren’t attending an event, RAFFLES CAFE can offer you some decent coffee and good value food.

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An evening with Des O’Connor

at The Barrington

Review by Janine Pulford

“It’s more like a party than a show,” said Des O’Connor as the audience guffawed loud and long at his jokes, proving that even at 84, the TV chat show host and comedy legend can still bring the house down.

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ith clips of the stars with whom he’d shared the stage over his illustrious career, Des O’Connor took everyone down memory lane at The Barrington.

Ray Monk on piano read out questions from the audience to which Des had quick-fire responses, but the funniest by far was when Rita Morris called out “Is it true that Bradley Walsh is your love child?” To which Des laughed so much he nearly fell off his chair, but of course the good humoured answer was “no”.

He also had an instant response to the woman who’d seen him on tour in Norfolk with Lonnie Donegan, “What do you want?” he asked, “Your money back?” And there was another lady who had worked with him in

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1951 and she felt sure he’d remember her eating jelly off her knitting needles.

‘

Is it true that Bradley Walsh is your love child?

,

He admitted that despite being the butt of Eric Morecambe’s jokes

for many years, “Eric and Ernie were lovely guys.”

Des threw a tongue twister into the mix along with a few acronyms and mentioned he had a 12-year-old son, which drew a gasp or two.

He made reference to his fiveyear stint in Eastbourne where he said there must have been a genetic experiment to grow the oldest people in the world.

He’d toured with Buddy Holly, “I was there at the birth” he said. Then he sang ‘Raining in My Heart’ in his silky smooth voice which melted into the audience.

In the second half, more great numbers flowed and Des encouraged everyone to join in as he sang effortlessly accompanied by the band.

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“I’ve never been to the Barrington in Ferndown before. It’s lovely isn’t it?

We should come back for a Christmas Show,” he said before signing off with “You’ve been a lovely crowd - give a special hand for the boys.”

A true master of entertainment, Des is funny and wise and he engaged beautifully with the Barrington audience. He seemed as genuinely happy about them as they were with him, hence the calls for “more”, but having an ear infection probably held him back from an encore.

Fortunately it didn’t prevent him from meeting his fans after the show.

An unmitigated success, let’s hope the Barrington Theatre plays host to him again soon

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THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

Wimborne St Giles – brought their song to life

WINNING CHOIR ON TRACK FOR CHRISTMAS

Wimborne St Giles First School is celebrating after its choir was chosen to record a backing track for a new single called ‘Is it true what they say about Christmas?’

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ritten by Mike Barron and sung by his granddaughter Jenny, the track needed more depth to it and when the chairman of East Dorset District Council, Cllr David Shortell, heard a choir was required,

St Mary’s – Ruby, Elizabeth and Chloe

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he organised a fund-raising event to find one.

MC on the night was Cllr Steve Lugg. A panel of four judges, along with a full capacity audience at the Barrington Theatre in Ferndown, watched choirs perform from six local schools on 18 October.

The judges, Mike Barron, Jenny Oag, Phil Webster from Forest FM and Janine Pulford the editor of 4Dorset, had a difficult decision, but agreed that Wimborne St Giles’ choir singing ‘Life Is A Wonderful Thing’ was the winner.

Headteacher Philippa Hill said,

Hampreston in fine voice

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“The event was such a good idea.

It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to be on stage. There was great camaraderie between the schools and we would have gone away on a high regardless of the result, but the children are really excited to have won.”

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here are 53 pupils at Wimborne St Giles First School and 31 were singing in the choir, which was conducted by Philippa.

The mayor and mayoress of Bournemouth supported the event and said they were looking forward to hearing the CD. David Shortell said he was extremely pleased with the event, which “ran very smoothly.”

All six schools received certificates and the money raised will go to the chairman’s chosen charities: John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation in support of Ferndown Upper School Centre of Excellence and Industrial Liaison and the Multiple Sclerosis Society for Bournemouth and District. Sales of the CD will also be raising money for the chairman’s charities.

St Mary’s raring to go

David Shortell announces the winner

 Ferndown First School excited about singing

St John’s – Nell and Jess St Ives patiently wait for their turn 

 Last minute practise for St John’s

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shaping Ferndown’S FUTURE

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A better range of shops and restaurants, more on-street parking, new trees and environmental improvements to help businesses in Victoria Road, a new space for the market and special events and an opportunity to enhance the Barrington Centre. All of these proposals have been included in the draft Town Centre Strategy for Ferndown, following feedback from residents and businesses.

he Town Centre Strategy has been commissioned by East Dorset District Council and Ferndown Town Council.

Following a competitive tender process which attracted a high level of interest, the Councils commissioned NEW Masterplanning, a Poole based company with expertise in working with local communities to deliver town centre improvements across the country. NEW Masterplanning are excited about the opportunities in Ferndown and have developed a series of proposals to show how the town can work together to achieve its full potential.

The draft proposals show how new shops and restaurants can be provided in Penny’s Walk, meeting demand from national retailers and delivering one of the key aims of the Ferndown Town Plan.

It provides the opportunity for a new civic space for Ferndown, hosting town events, outdoor theatre or cinema, popup shops and festivals. It could provide a permanent home for the market which has demand for up to 30 stalls.

At the September exhibition 90% of people said that this proposal was a high priority and it can also help deliver improved Council services. New office space could be provided for the County Council.

The Day Centre is currently at capacity and these proposals could help it improve the important service it provides. The public toilets could be

provided the Barrington Centre and there is potential to expand its café and bar area.

There are projects to help existing businesses on Victoria Road. Onstreet parking will help reduce pressure on existing car parks, and allow quick trips to local shops. There are proposals to replace the planters with larger and healthier trees and to create a better environment for tables and chairs outside cafes.

The strategy is also supporting the work being undertaken to reroute HGVs and reduce the impact of traffic in Ferndown. It includes proposals to make it safer and easier to cross Ringwood Road and Victoria Road and safer to walk and cycle along Church Road.

The proposals have been developed following extensive discussions with local businesses, community groups, service providers and residents.

They have been available on the Town Council and District Council websites and there are opportunities to provide feedback on-line, by writing to the Town Council or direct to the design team at public events.

So far there has been strong support for the strategy objectives and we hope this will continue as the projects are developed in more detail.

At the September exhibition 90% of people said that this proposal was a high priority and it can also help deliver improved Council services.

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The draft strategy will be available on the Town Council and District Council websites along with details of future public events and opportunities to comment. We hope you will get involved, make sure your views are heard and help make Ferndown even better.

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Coach Trips At the Barrington

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ith 2017 very quickly approaching we are looking at releasing a whole new range of around 40 fantastic day tours and short breaks with our very own Barrington Coach Tours. Until recently the Barrington was working closely with Select Coaches and you would have seen the Select Coaches Logo around the centre. This is no longer the case, Select Coaches owner Mrs David Hale has decided, for personal reasons, to take a step away from the Barrington and from our

coaches in general. We would like to thank him for his hard work and helping us to provide some really good trips. I would like to reassure everyone who has already booked tickets for other trips that we will still be providing this service and in fact making it better with more destinations and some really special plans for next year. Onboard you will now be looked after by John Dickson and Harry Cobb, both of whom are really looking forward to welcoming you. We are always open to suggestions too, if you can think of any interesting trips please feel free to just let us know.

Dates Information

Dates Information

3 January 2017 London January Sales 5 January 2017 Brighton Holiday on Ice 10 January 2017 TBC 17 January 2017 London Museums & Galleries 21 January 2017 Houses of Parliament 24 January 2017 Warner Bros Studio Tour 31 January 2017 RAF Museum , London 7 February 2017 Watercress Line 12 February 2017 Waldorf Hotel 15 February 2017 Knitting & Stitching Show, Olympia 21 February 2017 Buckingham Palace 28 February 2017 Basingstoke Festival Place Shopping

and Milestone Living History Museum 7 March 2017 TBC 14 March 2017 Cheltenham Horseracing Festival 21 March 2017 TBC 28 March 2017 Ideal Homes Exhibition Olympia 4 April 2017 Oxford & Blenheim 11 April 2017 TBC 18 April 2017 Imperial War Museum , London 25 April 2017 Dorchester, Weymouth & Portland 2 May 2017 Swanage Rail & Corfe Castle 9 May 2017 Bletchley Park 16 May 2017 Bath 25 May 2017 Chelsea Flower Show 30 May 2017 Minehead / Bishops Lynard Rail 6 June 2017 Exbury Gardens 8 June 2017 Wareham River Cruise 15 June 2017 Dartmouth to Totnes Ferry 20 June 2017 Royal Ascot Ladies Day 22 June 2017 Kew Gardens , London

27 June 2017 Isle of Wight Circular Tour 3/5 July 2017 Guernsey Ferry Tour 11 July 2017 Kennet & Avon 17/19 July 2017 Amsterdam 27 July 2017 London Eye & Madame Tussauds 2 August 2017 Windsor Castle & River Cruise 8 August 2017 Hampton Court Palace & Flower Show 15 August 2017 Wells & Cheddar Gorge 22 August 2017 Bristol 25/27 August 2017 Edinburgh Tattoo, Settle Rail & York 31 August 2017 London Greenwich, 5 September 2017 Bletchley Park 11/13 September 2017 St Malo Ferry Trip 19 September 2017 Cardiff 26 September 2017 Concorde & Brooklands 3 October 2017 Powderham Castle , Ex River Cruise & Train 10 October 2017 New Forest Autumn Leaves Tour & Lunch 16/19 October 2017 Eden Project , St Austell & Charlestown 24 October 2017 Seaton Rail, Beer & Lyme Regis 31 October 2017 TBC 7 November 2017 Longleat 14 November 2017 Clark's Village, Street 21 November 2017 Shepton Mallet Carnival 28 November 2017 Bath Christmas Market 5 December 2017 Winchester Christmas Market 12 December 2017 London Christmas Lights 19 December 2017 Turkey & Tinsel Christmas Carvery

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Just For Fun…….

THE BARRINGTON MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE

Jus󰇹 󰈆󰈢r 󰈇󰇼󰈡...

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DOWN 1. Official instruction not to forget the servants (8) 2. Said to be a remedy for a burn (5,3) 3. Kind of alias (9) 5. A disagreeable company (5) 6. Debtors may have to this money for their debts unless of course their creditors do it to the debts (5) 7. Boat that should be able to suit anyone (6) 8. Gear (6) 11. Business with the end in sight (6) 14. The right sort of woman to start a dame school (3) 18. “The War” (anag.) (5) 19. When hammering take care not to hit this (5,4) 20. Making sound as a bell (8) 21. Half a fortnight of old (8) 23. Bird, dish or coin (3) 25. This sign of the Zodiac has no connection with the Fishes (6) 26. A preservative of teeth (6) 29. Famous sculptor (5) 30. This part of the locomotive engine would sound familiar to the golfer (5)

Answers Across: 1 Troupe, 4 Short cut, 9 Privet, 10 Aromatic, 12 Trend, 13 Great deal, 15 Owe, 16 Feign, 17 Newark, 22 Impale, 24 Guise, 27 Ash, 28 Centre bit, 31 Token, 32 Lame dogs, 33 Racing, 34 Silencer, 35 Alight.

Down: 1 Tipstaff, 2 Olive oil, 3 Pseudonym, 5 Horde, 6 Remit, 7 Cutter, 8 Tackle, 11 Agenda, 14 Ada, 18 Wreath, 19 Right nail, 20 Tinkling, 21 Sennight, 23 Pie, 25 Scales, 26 Enamel, 29 Rodin, 30 Bogie.

ACROSS 1. A stage company (6) 4. The direct route preferred by the Roundheads (5,3) 9. One of the ever-greens (5) 10. Scented (8) 12. Course with an apt finish (5) 13. Much that could be got from a timber merchant (5,4) 15. We have nothing and are in debt (3) 16. Pretend (5) 17. Is this town ready for a flood? (6) 22. The little fellow has some beer, it makes me lose colour, I say (6) 24. Fashion of a famous French family (5) 27. Tree (3) 28. One might of course use this tool to core an apple (6,3) 31. Once used for unofficial currency (5) 32. Those well brought up help these over stiles (4,4) 33. A sport in a hurry (5) 34. Is the workshop that turns out this part of a motor a hush-hush affair? (8) 35. An illumination functioning(6)

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