Summer stargazing

Enjoy real live music and dancing?

By Ian Thorp In a conversation a while ago I was very surprised to find that the person I was talking to thought ‘live music’ meant playing CDs for other people to dance to – a bit like a disco.

“Well,” I said, “you’d better come to one of our Tea Dances at the Allendale in Wimborne to find out what it really means. If you enjoy live music and you also have a passion for dancing, you will find it all there.”

That conversation took place fifteen years ago, shortly after Michael Wolfe asked me to join the band he was putting together. Having accepted his invitation, he then asked if I had any ideas for a name. I grew up in an era when tea dances were still common and folks were in the habit of ‘dunking’ their biscuit in a cup of tea, so my imagination came up with The Soggy Biscuit Dance Band. The name proved to be ‘catchy’, had people laughing and has stuck. The monthly events we now run are called Strictly Come Tea Dancing.

A few musicians have come and gone over the years, either through illness or a desire to swell the ranks of the ‘angelic hosts’. We remember them all with fondness as they are special to us. Also, those who have helped spread the word (publicity) or sat at the door for us (financial), especially since offering the dances in Blandford, which are proving popular.

Regular band members are Ron Davage (percussion); Ray Shea (keyboards); Ian Thorp (bass); Andy Chislett (trumpet and flugal horn); Sarah Bolter (saxophones and clarinet), and Ian Ellis (saxophones and clarinet).

If you haven’t yet given yourself permission, do come along to the Allendale, Wimborne (first Wednesday of the month), or the Corn Exchange, Blandford (third Monday of the month); you will be very welcome!

Stargazing on short summer nights

By Bob Mizon, Wessex Astronomical Society

As summer sets in and the nights grow ever shorter, until at the end of June there’s almost no darkness at all, one might think there’s nothing much to see in the night sky. However, the Moon always repays a little observation if you’ve binoculars handy, especially if steadied on a tripod. At dawn there is currently (from late May well into June) a parade of planets: Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in the dawn sky.

From a dark place you might see our home galaxy, the Milky Way, arching as a silvery stream above very late at night, and easily pick out some of its brightest stars like Vega, Deneb and Altair. Identify them with the free download Stellarium or one of the many free astronomical star charts available online.

To find out more about stargazing opportunities why not come and join us at the Wessex Astronomical Society meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at the Allendale? www.wessex-astro.org.uk

Poole and Purbeck’s Own Crematorium

With the closure of Poole Crematorium, Harbour View has become the only crematorium in Poole and Purbeck. Although the Poole Crematorium building is set to reopen in the Autumn of 2022, it will be as a ceremony hall only as there are no plans to replace the cremator. The deceased will instead be transferred by road to Bournemouth Crematorium for an unattended cremation after the service, as has been the case since April 2020.

At Harbour View Crematorium and Woodland Burial Ground, cremations are carried out in a stunning, purposebuilt crematorium, set in a peaceful rural location adjacent to ancient woodland. The choice of three airconditioned ceremony halls means that small or large congregations can be accommodated comfortably. There is plenty of free parking just a short, level walk from the ceremony halls. A separation of at least 90 minutes is guaranteed between services. This is done to avoid the sometimes rushed atmosphere at other crematoria. State-of-the-art audio-visual equipment is available in each ceremony hall, and catering and refreshments are available at the Purbeck Tea Room, part of the main Ceremony Hall, which has spectacular views of Poole Harbour and the Purbeck Hills. Harbour View also offers a beautiful woodland burial ground for the scattering or burial of cremated remains. Mourners may also use the grounds for peaceful contemplation and reflection.

Funerals at Harbour View can be arranged directly, without the need for a Funeral Director, and because everything needed for a funeral service is available on-site there is no need for funeral vehicles, or to move mourners between locations. Funerals at Harbour View can also be arranged exclusively through branches of Tapper Funeral Services. All-inclusive funeral packages are available from £2,795. For more information, visit www.harbourview.co.uk