The Purbeck Gazette - Issue 204

January 2017 Issue no. 204

Magazine archive at:

My House. Pg 18-19

Kind Kids At Christmas. Pg 25

Seal Release In Poole Harbour. Pg 52

Banish Those Winter Blues! Pg 30-43

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Editor’s note...

W

elcome to the January edition of your Gazette!

We have finally said goodbye to 2016 - a shocking year by most accounts.

War continues to destroy the lives of people in Syria and Yemen as I write; more refugees are dispossessed than at any other time since WWII. Yet here in Purbeck, we continue to live our lives, barely disrupted by the wider picture.

Our ‘first world’ concerns often centre around issues such as traffic problems, affording the rent or morgage, getting that iPhone screen fixed or keeping the car on the road.

Yes, some people in our community require the assistance of a Foodbank - something to be deeply ashamed of in this ‘modern age’, however, whilst bombs are not dropping on our towns and villages, we must take stock of what we actually have, and of the quality of life we are lucky enough to enjoy - in the main.

My hope for 2017 is that we continue, as a community, to watch over each other, to help those in need, to care for each other.

We have so many fantastic individuals, either working alone or together in groups such as the Purbeck Good Neighbours, that we stand a good chance of continuing to be a supportive, closeknit isle going forward - no matter what the world throws at us.

I wish you all a happy, healthy and contented New Year - and a safe, inclusive and positive 2017!

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The February 2017 edition has a deadline of 9th Jan and will be distributed from 23rd Jan - 27th Jan 2017.

The March 2017 edition has a deadline of 9th Feb. and will be distributed from 27th Feb - 3rd Mar 2017.

Public Notices & Information

Swanage Town Council Meetings - January 2017

Planning & Consultation Council (annual estimates) Council

Mon 9th Mon 23rd Mon 30th

6.30pm 7pm 7pm

Please check the Town Council’s website www.swanage.gov.uk or call the Town Hall on 01929 423636 for the latest information.

Wareham Town Council Meetings - January 2017 Planning & Transport Human Resources (closed meet) Amenities Council Planning & Transport

Mon 9th Tue 10th Wed 11th Tue 24th Mon 30th

7pm 10.30am 7pm 7pm 7pm

Purbeck DC Meetings - Open to public - January 2017 Licensing Committee Council Planning Committee Council (special/extraordinary meet)

Fri 6th Tue 17th Wed 25th Tue 31st

9.15am 7pm 9.15am 7pm

Meetings are subject to change. To double check, see: http://www.dorsetforyou. com/meetings/purbeck and see ‘dates of council and other meetings’

About Purbeck Media Ltd The Purbeck Gazette prints 20,000 copies every month and delivers throughout the region from Swanage to Dorchester, Lulworth to Bere Regis. The Purbeck Gazette is published by Purbeck Media Ltd. All editing, graphic design and layup is completed in-house by Purbeck Media Ltd. The Purbeck Gazette is printed

by Blackmore Ltd of Shaftesbury and delivered by Logiforce GPS-tracked distribution. The Purbeck Gazette website is managed and edited on-site by Purbeck Media Ltd. Purbeck Media Ltd also publishes The Purbeck Guidette, the Purbeck Visitor Guide. All rights reserved.

OUR TEAM: The Gazette team consists of: Nico Johnson, Editor, Joy Lamb, Sales & Accounts Executive, David Hollister, Columnist, John Garner, Columnist, Regula Wright, Columnist. Paul Notley, Graphics, Kim Steeden, Spotlight Diary Editor.

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Durdle Door Sunburst - by Richard Murgatroyd

CONTACT US ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS MATTERS COMMUNITY MATTERS COUNCIL MEETINGS DIARY SPOTLIGHT FEATURES Blast From The Past FEATURE: Banish Those Winter Blues!

Gazette Gardening, with Simon Goldsack John Garner writes - The Etches Collection Kind Kids of Wareham Purbeck Pirates - Win £200!

Seal Release in Poole Harbour Supported Holidays For People With Disabilities Telling It Like It Is - David Hollister writes The Kingdom of Paul Nash Upton House Music Festival FOOD - Godlingston Manor Kitchen Gardens HEALTH & BEAUTY LETTERS MOTORING - David Hollister writes NATURAL MATTERS SPORT TRADE ADVERTS sponsored by Sydenhams

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The The clue is in the heading above - these are our readers’ letters. They are NOT articles, they are letters. By you. Our readers. They are not our letters, they are yours - your letters. Simple!

Please send all letters to ed@purbeckgazette.co.uk with ‘letter to the editor’ in the email subject line. Please do not exceed 350 words. If handwritten, please ensure it is short and legible.

PLEASE DO NOT DUPLICATE LETTERS TO OTHER PUBLICATIONS WE DO NOT PRINT MULTI-PUBLICATION LETTERS.

JAN edition deadline: noon, 9th DEC

Fond Memories Of Jimmy

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This was installed, the door being secured and opened to the public on special occasions.

So Mr Nunn, we in Wareham agree with your sentiments entirely, that it’s important to protect and maintain our heritage and hope that others will follow.

It has aroused a lot of interest amongst the older generation who told tales of how they were able to block the button B dispenser with paper and the like and then get the change when people had moved away complaining about the phone.

However, on enquiring amongst youngsters, they said that they had never used a phone box and that they would only use their mobile phones.

Yours sincerely, Cllr. Eric L Osmond, MBE

How We Got Here

Dear Readers, Some people walk through our lives and leave footprints on our hearts.

I first met Jimmy Hollywood (pictured left above) thirty years ago when I was coaching at the Middle School. He was always so knowledgeable about football and a joy to talk to. One great day which stands out in my memory is when we traded stories about football and his beloved Liverpool Club. One of which I would like to share…

An ex-pro footballer, now in his nineties, approached the local vicar enquiring whether there was a football team in heaven. After a few days the vicar got in touch to say that there was a fantastic team in heaven.

Tom Finney is on the left wing, George Best up front, Stanley Matthews on the right wing, Bobby Moore is captain and coach, and Bill Shankly is the manager.

‘Great’ said the ex-pro. The vicar replied ‘The good news is that you will be playing next Saturday at 3.15pm.’

Jimmy, we are going to miss you.

It was a great pleasure to know you. You played a blinder.

Eddie Rainford, Swanage.

Phonebox Now ‘Blooming’ Dear Editor, In reply to the letter sent in by Rob Nunn in the November issue of the Gazette ‘Save Our Phone Boxes’, approximately three years ago BT offered one of the two phone boxes (a KSix) in North Street Wareham to the town council for £1, which the council readily agreed to accept, but having done so, could not agree to what use it should be given.

After much debate, responsibility was given to Wareham in Bloom who, like Rob Nunn, thought it should become part of Wareham’s heritage, particularly as it stands outside of where the original telephone exchange was situated.

Finding volunteers to paint it was relatively easy, we then researched the internet in order that we may be able to find some original 1930s equipment. Having located a firm that restores such equipment to the original condition, it was a question of sponsorship or funding.

After discussing our plans with our DCC councillor, Beryl Ezzard, we located sufficient funds and duly purchased all the original equipment.

Dear Readers, As the New Year approaches, along with the prospect of a new US President, I thought I’d take a flippant look back at the recent chain of events that have “gotten” us to this point.

I Blame the Bacon Sandwich Because of a bacon sandwich, Ed Milliband lost an election Because he lost the election, Dave Cameron was our selection Because he was our selection, he gave an EU vote Because of the EU vote, the common people spoke When the people spoke they chose the Brexit way Seeing the Brexit way, Donald Trump had his day Now he will reign supreme, so please excuse my language But I think the whole bloody mess was caused ... ... by that bloody bacon sandwich!

Happy new year - hopefully!

Martin Hobdell, Swanage

Thanks For Helping Abi Dear Readers, Sally and I would like to thank all of our friends and family who came to, or contributed to, our charity event at the Swanage Conservative Club on Saturday 26th November.

We had a great evening and we were able to raise a total of £353.10 towards our nominated ‘good causes’. £175 is being sent to the Neuroblastoma Childhood Cancer Charity. This charity is very close to our hearts.

The remainder we are giving to Abi Ellis, who, along with her parents, has lived in our road in Northmoor, Wareham.

Abi, despite many life challenges, reached her 21st birthday this year. She now has been able to get her own flat in Wool and will use the money to put towards a trampoline for her back garden. Abi needs round the clock care from her Mum and Dad and dedicated carers (all who were able to come to our party, along with Abi).

Thank you again! Love Sally and Kevin Brookes xx

Parliament Is Sovereign Dear Sir, Local people will have seen that Sir Oliver Letwin, MP for West Dorset, together with two other Conservative ex-ministers, has recently urged the Government to accept the High Court ruling that Parliament should have

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a voice in triggering Article 50, which would commence the withdrawal of our country from the European Union.

In this, Sir Oliver is quite right. It would be absurd to think that our elected representatives should not be consulted about the single most important policy decision taken by Britain in our modern history. This country is not ruled by government fiat. In our system, Parliament is sovereign and its laws are administered by the courts. The recent abuse of judges by certain tabloid newspapers is a challenge to democracy.

Not only need our application come before Parliament but so should any subsequent proposals. Then, if Parliament agrees them, they should be put to a second referendum.

By that time, I suspect, most people will have come to realise that withdrawal from Europe is rather like a man shooting himself in the head.

Yours faithfully, Alan Chedzoy, Weymouth, by email.

A Divided Confused Country Dear Editor, Mike Fry (‘Illiberal Local Party’) accuses ‘europhiles’ of undermining democracy, yet seems to have little understanding of the word himself.

In a democracy a majority decides the outcome of an election or referendum, not a minority of 37% (the Brexit vote), undoubtedly boosted by a relentless campaign of vitriol by populist newspapers such as The Daily Mail and Daily Express. What the referendum result showed is a divided, confused country in desperate need of healing, not a dose of ‘hard Brexit’ from a government pandering to divisive elements in its own party.

The rule of law, including an independent judiciary, is paramount in a democracy as is a sovereign parliament (were they not reasons why some voted Brexit?), yet both are being undermined by newspapers claiming that ‘the judges are the enemies of the people’ and that parliament should have no say in the Brexit negotiations with our European partners.

It is clear that the greatest threat to our democracy comes from such populist newspapers and UKIP, who blame the EU and immigrants for problems that have largely been caused by British governments and British people. Such a twisted, skewered version of reality needs to be challenged if this country is to avoid descending the slippery slope to neo-Fascism, or the lynch mob rule.

Mike Fry claims that Britain’s economy has been given a ‘ringing vote of confidence’ by the Brexit vote. Really? Forgive me if I have missed this. Is that why the pound has lost so much in value and why we are going to be paying more for all the goods we import?

The uncertainty has not been caused by europhiles, as he suggests, but by a government that does not have a Brexit strategy, let alone any kind of vision, and seems to contradict itself on an almost daily basis.

If the economic outlook is really so rosy, why is it that the government (i.e. the taxpayer) is expected to have to find another £58 billion (about £250 million a week) over the next few years because of Brexit? The fundamental strength of the British economy up to now is largely a result of our membership of the EU and the thousands of jobs this generates.

The politics of division and hatred will not win in the long term, but it does require a concerted educational effort to persuade hearts and minds. In contrast to some other parties, the Liberal Democrats are standing up for decent human values, such as tolerance, fairness, compassion and harmony.

Clearly, a majority in Richmond thought so too.

Yours sincerely, David Leadbetter, Swanage, by email.

The World On Its Head Dear Readers, At time of writing this, the wrangling over Brexit goes on. If you were kidding yourself that you were living in a democracy then surely, surely the direct will of the people, who were refreshingly and unusually consulted, but which is now seemingly being rebuffed by the elite, should convince you that you and your desires do not matter to those in power, who only pretend to be working in your best interests.

Ex-P.M. John Major, (endorser of illegal weapons sales to Saddam Hussein), says that the country should not be held to ransom by the ‘tyranny of the majority.’ That is the world on its head. Anyone with eyes can see it is the people of this country who have suffered the tyranny of the elitist minority through puppet Government decisions made at all levels, controlled by corporate greed.

Ex-P.M. Tony Blair, (who, with the Bush administration, has the blood of a million Iraqis on his hands) says that he will fight the Brexit vote and asks the losing minority to become ‘new insurgents.’

Who do these people think they are? A vote was taken and the people decided, it surely doesn’t come any simpler than that. I have read Article 50, it is brief, and does not specify a parliamentary vote, so why not just get on with it?

The question is why the wrangling now? If there is indeed a flaw, did our government not bother to read the contract properly before signing it?

Did they not get proper legal advice? And if they did, should those advisors not now stand trial for gross negligence? Treason even?

So we must assume that either the government are incompetent nincompoops, or they simply want to thwart the will of the people when the result doesn’t suit them, and it is we, the people of this country, who end up the losers. Again.

The question is, what will it take for YOU to stop handing over your abused trust at the next general election? Democracy originates from Greek. Demos (the people) Kratos (who hold power). When was the last time you experienced that?

A thousand years ago representative democracy was the only way, but now everyone has the technology to participate in deciding every issue, which would result in an incorruptible will of the majority. Many of you know that I stand for a party called the Movement for Active Democracy, which simply advocates direct democracy, and there are many other parties and groups around the planet pushing for exactly that. A crowd sourcing of opinion.

One person, one vote, on everything, end of. Surely this mess suggests the time has come for us to give that solution a try?

Andy Kirkwood, by email.

Amazing Night Raises £1182

Dear Readers, What an amazing night!

Swanage Drama Company would like to thank everyone who attended our variety night, held at the Mowlem Theatre in aid of the BBC Children in Need appeal.

Thanks must also go to the local businesses who kindly donated raffle prizes. The amount raised was a fantastic £1182!

Ro Smith, Swanage Drama Company.

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Thanking Practice Friends

Dear Readers, We at Swanage Medical Practice want to say thank you to The Friends of the Practice for their ongoing hard work and support. They have been working hard fundraising over the summer with a series of bric-a-brac and tombola stalls on the seafront.

Thanks to them and to the generosity of the community who visited their stalls, enough funds have been raised for ten Paediatric Pulse Oximeters, for which our Doctors are very grateful. These monitors are used by our Doctors to get an accurate and reliable measure of oxygen saturation and heart rate in young children.

Our Friends of the Practice are a supportive group of patients who help to advise the Practice on the patient perspective, they organise community health promotion events and they fundraise for much needed equipment.

They are always keen to welcome new members.

If you would like to join the group please ask for an application form at reception or contact Natasha Ritchie at the Practice for more information.

Natasha Ritchie, Practice Manager Left to right: Cherry Barlett PPG Chair, Dr Hombersley, Dr Heard, Anna Warren PPG member.

‘Spot Energy’ Explained Dear Editor, We are now into the ‘heating season’ at home. It is a good time to make a big reduction in the cost of the energy that we use to keep us warm.

Surprisingly, if you have central heating, saving can be achieved with no effort, little expenditure and no change in your lifestyle and habits.

All that you need to do is reset your room thermostat to 12 degrees C (54F) and only raise the temperature of a room when occupied to your

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Current jargon for this is ‘spot energy’.

This will avoid all of the energy that is presently wasted when rooms are not occupied.

Even if your house or flat is already insulated and double glazed, there will still be a substantially less costly bill to pay for all your space heating. It could well be only a quarter of the energy used before the insulation and double glazing were installed.

You will easily be able to see how much money you have saved by comparing last year’s expenditure on all of your consumption on gas and electricity with your current year’s expenditure.

Better Living with Community Economic Development.

John Wootton and John Davis, Swanage, by email.

Ed’s note: Current official advice is to keep room temperatures steady - it can actually cost more to continually try and reheat an area after allowing it to become too cold. The elderly are currently advised to keep the house at 18c, with 21c heat in the room you are sitting in (utilising an additional heater, for example). Whilst this may be costly, allowing your home to become too cold can result in serious health conditions.

Whilst many link cold weather with illnesses such as hypothermia, they often do not realise it can also cause heart attacks and strokes. Age UK advises that you do not allow your home to drop below 18c.

Readers wishing to take John’s advice (letter, above) are asked to seriously bear the official guidelines in mind.

‘Last Resort’ Lenders Dear Editor, With the festive season rapidly approaching at the time of writing, I’m alarmed at the number of advertisements being shown on TV making taking out a loan a happy, carefree occasion, almost tantamount to winning the lottery with their happy, smiley, carefree approach to debt.

Credit loans from almost all of those advertised are considerably more expensive than those taken out with a bank or building society.

If people are struggling to borrow money, they should seek expert financial advice from places like the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) which is totally free and operates in most towns and some villages.

What is not apparent in most of these TV adverts for loans is that when you compare them with other forms of short-term loans, there are, generally speaking, hidden fees you never knew about. The fees that lenders attach to the amount of money you have borrowed is on top of the interest that you already knew about.

As one who has freely represented people with bad debts as a lay representative in county court, I would like to see those “last resort” money lenders banned. They treat the destitute with utter contempt and deserve to be treated as commercial pariahs.

I remain Editor, yours faithfully, Mike Fry, by email.

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Watercress Line Memories

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your memories will usually involve a simple face to face voice recording.

Equally, if you would rather write your story or share pictures or film, you’d also be very welcome.

You can get in touch to arrange an interview by emailing canpac@ watercressline.co.uk or dialling 01962 733810 and asking to speak to Becky Peacock or Dave Deane. And please do not worry if you have no recollection of the steam engine that hauled you!

Says Dave Deane, Canadian Pacific Project Supervisor: ‘The story of the railways is one of massive social change and it is the human stories that bring this to life. With this project we want to tell these stories whilst we work on creating new ones’.

Kind regards, Rachel, Canadian Pacific Project at the Watercress Line.

To A Mouse....

Dear Readers, The Watercress Line seeks your memories of the golden age of the steam railway! A small team at the Watercress Line is embarking on a journey of discovery to collect people’s memories of travel by steam locomotive in or through Hampshire. The aim is to build up a bank of memories from a wide range of people relating to the railways in Hampshire and areas of London between 1940 and 1965.

Everyone is welcome to share their memories as the railway is looking for a broad range of stories to paint a picture of what life was like during the last years of steam travel.

Examples could include memories of evacuation or troop movements on the railways during the Second World War, collecting goods from stations, or even going on holiday to the south coast or emigrating through Southampton docks – all using the steam railway. Other stories to be told are those from trainspotters and of course those who worked on the railways.

Collecting people’s oral histories is part of the Heritage Lottery Fund supported Canadian Pacific project. This project will see the return to steam of the Watercress Line’s flagship steam locomotive, no. 35005 Canadian Pacific and two rare wooden bodied carriages.

Alongside this restoration work comes a wide range of outreach and educational activities that reflect how the rich and precious heritage of railways lies not only in preservation work but also in the very human stories that show how these railways impacted the everyday lives of so many people.

It’s often forgotten that railways were used for all manner of things from moving home to delivering newspapers and were central to people’s lives – very different from the road and rail equivalent today. The Watercress Line’s Canadian Pacific project aims to capture this.

If anyone reading this has memories of steam rail travel in the south of England, Canadian Pacific team would love to hear from you. Sharing

With apologies to Rabbie Burns and all the Gazette ‘poets’…..

To a mouse A wee sleekit tim’rous cow’ring beastie!

I rescued it this morning from the cat; I shut the cat outside, so at least he Would have a chance to get way, at that, The mouse sat twitching there for just one second Then scuttled bravely ‘cross my kitchen floor Took refuge underneath my fridge, I reckoned.

Meanwhile the cat was scratching at the door.

I hate betraying one so small and trusting I tried to help the mouse, of that there is no doubt But then I thought … he’ll die and smell disgusting So I had to fetch the cat to get him out.

Parker Waterman 6.12.16

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Drop In - Drop Out - Drop Off - Drop The Dead Donkey

by David Hollister

H

aving arranged what they thought was a ‘drop-in’ meeting for Swanage residents to discuss the various traffic proposals which were being drafted for Swanage, the officers from Dorset Highways appeared to be totally taken aback to find about 150 people in the Emmanuel Centre (what a great venue this is!). Thanks to everyone who took the time to turn up, to listen, and to put your points of view forward.

At the end of the day, the officers took away one particular impression – that the good people of Swanage were not going to be steamrollered, and wanted to have their say in such important decisions.

The first part of the meeting dealt with the various proposals that were being made for Shore Road. One way? Two-way? Parking? No parking?

Pedestrian precinct? All sorts of views were put forward. Shore Road is the main northern route in and out of Swanage, and closing it would only move the traffic into the residential roads; De Moulham Road ends with a complicated series of junctions and bends; Northbrook Road ends in a narrow lane, going past a primary school. A total no-brainer. As most of the people living in those roads seemed to agree.

There were, of course, those whose worry was ‘child safety along the sea front’ as if this was a totally new problem and as if child safety in the residential roads didn’t matter. Sorry, but it’s just as incumbent upon parents to keep their kids under control and to teach them road safety as it’s incumbent on me as a driver to watch out for them and to moderate my speed.

I’ve driven along Shore Road for the last fifty years (no, not literally) and for forty-eight of those years there were double yellow lines prohibiting parking as it was dangerous to traffic and to pedestrians alike. Then Dorset County Council realised that they could make money out of their parking meters, so all of a sudden it became safe to park. Except, of course, it didn’t; kids now appear from between parked cars which mask their view of the oncoming traffic and in turn masks the traffic’s view of the pedestrians; two-way traffic becomes a problem especially when they’re both buses or lorries.

It worked for all those years, so why do they now feel they have to fix it?

Take away the hated meters; prohibit parking from October till Easter, and enforce no parking from April to September. QED. Don’t be tempted into ‘speed bumps’; have you ever hit one of those in the back of an ambulance? Or in a fire engine racing to a fire? Speed bumps are selfish people’s way of saying ‘actually, I don’t give a damn about you, or your car, just slow down when you drive past MY house’.

If you want to slow traffic down, use ‘pinch point’ islands where one or other oncoming vehicle has to slow to permit the other to pass. Pave those islands in such a way as to make it easier for pedestrians to cross.

Don’t waste £100,000 on light-controlled crossings; instead spend £5000 on a pot of zebra paint and a few studs.

And leave the road as wide as it is, to facilitate out-of-season disabled parking. There. I’ve just saved the DCC an inordinate sum of money and solved one problem for you.

The subject of discussion then turned to Institute Road and its dangerous

traffic flow. I was vaguely disappointed that half the residents who turned up to ensure that De Moulham Road and Northbrook Road were properly represented, then left the meeting; I suppose that although Institute Road is the very busiest road at the very heart of our town, it wasn’t of sufficient interest to keep them away from their firesides on what was, admittedly, a very cold night.

So why was Institute Road resurfaced and partially repaved if it’s all going to be ripped up and changed around? Answer – before any changes are made to parking regulations they have to go through the “legal process”.

Which can take a year. Let’s hope that nobody’s killed or seriously injured whilst waiting for this ‘legal process’ to take place. If they are, we know at whom to point the finger. As one of the residents so eloquently said “you’re now formally aware of the risks, so why delay? Health & Safety should take precedence over legal niceties.”

The proposal is to create a loading bay on the corner where the Natwest Bank was, to widen the pavements of Institute Road, and have ‘no parking on pain of death’ along it. Hopefully reinforced by tasteful pavement bollards! There was apparently going to be a drop-off point outside HSBC to allow their security vans to visit, but as HSBC (wHo Said Banks Care?) have now announced that as they, too, are closing their branch in February, that will safe us the cost of the drop-off point. Seems that Lloyds will be the only full-time bank in Swanage soon, although we have an excellent Post Office and a part-time Barclays (at present).

Full marks to the lady who suggested that the sloping ‘disabled bay’ in Mermond Place should be moved to the flat part of Station Road between the Pet Shop and Boots, and the parking thus displaced should be re-sited in Mermond Place. How many times have we watched disabled people struggling to load and unload their wheelchairs on that slope? Let’s see if that can get accomplished before the summer without a bunch of legal nonsense.

Other matters discussed included cycleways ……. I would have said ‘don’t waste your money, they won’t get used’ but apparently a chunk of whatever money central government supply for the roads has to be used on cycleways. Quite what the Islington Liberal Elite know about the roads and pavements of Purbeck is beyond me. And an excellent idea to make the dangerous junction at the foot of Coombe Hill safer for those pulling out and for heavy lorries, which have to turn up it to go to Langton Matravers.

At the end of the meeting, someone asked “and when will all these plans come to fruition?” to which the DCC planners suggested that there was no money right now, that it may be by 2020 or even later, which stimulates me to ask why all this money is being wasted upon planning for schemes which will actually never take place? Followed up by thinking that I could have had a more useful evening going for a couple of beers with the Mayor.

And finally ……. To everyone who complains that this column is often about things that happen in Swanage …… then please, keep me aware of the ‘hot potatoes’ from Wareham, Wool, and the rest of Purbeck!

You know where we are!

Happy New Year to both my readers.

The Purbeck Gazette

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WELL Worth It!

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eil Hardy, watched by Swanage & Purbeck Rotary President, John Thraves, emptied the wishing well in Shore Road, Swanage recently. £410 in small change has been collected since July 2016. All money from the well goes to one of the President’s charities, National Coastwatch, Swanage. The Peveril Point lookout is overseen by trained volunteers and is funded entirely by voluntary donations.

Thanks to everyone who dropped their change into the well during 2016 – please continue to do so throughout 2017!

Early Closing...

It was a Thursday Early closing in Swanage A man played a piano By an open window The notes drifted out It was raining So the notes got damp We tried to dry them But some tissues to buy Was difficult It was Thursday Early closing in Swanage Anon of Swanage

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Supported Holidays For People With Disabilities

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he Green Island Holiday Trust welcomes applications from people with disabilities to holiday with them in 2017. The Dorset-based charity organises holidays in accessible accommodation at Holton Lee which is situated in beautiful and tranquil countryside between Poole and Wareham.

The holidays provide not only a break for the guests but also respite for their carers. There are a maximum of five guests per week staying alongside a dedicated and experienced team of volunteers who provide twenty-four hour care and support.

Together the group share a week of friendship and fun, which is centred round a varied programme of activities both on-site and in the local area.

The Trust is organising six holiday weeks in 2017; two in May, two in July and two in September. Holiday requests are welcomed from people with disabilities who live in Dorset and Hampshire.

For further information please contact Wendy Aubrey on 01202 375006 or email organiser@greenislandholidaytrust.com.

Alternatively visit: www.greenislandholidaytrust.com to download a Holiday Request Form.

SELF STORAGE UNITS From 15ft x 6ft up to 15ft x 15ft For furniture, classic cars, documents Insured & Alarmed At East Stoke, Wareham

Call 07836 369969

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he Swanage Railway and The Purbeck Railway Circle wish our members, supporters, friends and passengers “A Happy and Prosperous New Year”.

During January 2017, the Swanage Railway will be operating a steam hauled service between Swanage and Norden via Herston Halt, Harmans Cross and Corfe Castle.

The service will operate Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd January 2017 and then Saturdays only until Saturday 4th February 2017.

An ideal opportunity for a winter ramble across the Isle of Purbeck to blow away the cobwebs and make good that New Year Resolution!

The 2017 January – May Timetable has now been published together with the 2017 programme of events, including our steam and diesel galas, classic transport rally and Rock and Roll Express.

Full details of our timetables, fares and events can be found at www. swanagerailway.co.uk Purbeck Railway Circle The 2017 Programme will commence on the 13th of January 2017 with a presentation entitled “My 20 Years In Railway Preservation” by Matt Green, General Manager of Swanage Railway. The presentation will be preceded by the Annual General Meeting.

The Circle meets in Harmans Cross Village Hall, Haycrafts Lane, Harmans Cross at 7pm for 7.30pm. Tea/coffee/biscuits and railway orientated raffle as usual.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME. For other information please contact the PRC General Secretary, e-mail:- gensec@purbeckrailwaycircle.org.uk

Carpets Select is a local company which employs skilled, local labour, and is a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen.

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Man & Van available to hire

Rubbish Clearance House Clearance Half the price of a skip and we do all the work!

07767 479438 Fully licensed & insured

What Do YOU Think About NHS Dental Services?

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hen do you go to the dentist? Do you put it off until your teeth hurt? Or do you go every year without fail? Or perhaps you’re somewhere in between. Whatever your relationship with the dentist, you expect to be able to make an NHS appointment when you want one. And the good news is that most people can.

Healthwatch Dorset has recently joined forces with Healthwatch around the country to find out more about NHS dental services. The results have been published in a new report by Healthwatch England called “Access to NHS Dental Services”.

59% of respondents to the national GP survey had tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years and 93% of them were successful in doing so.

But there are some people who, for a variety of reasons, find it very difficult to get access to NHS dental care. 1 in 5 (19%) of the people Healthwatch polled in early 2016 said that they had tried to get an NHS dental appointment but couldn’t get one within what they deemed to be a reasonable timeframe.

Joyce Guest, Healthwatch Dorset chairperson, told us: “There are a number of issues local people have raised with us about NHS dentistry in Dorset. It can be hard to find a dentist taking NHS patients, the costs are sometimes unclear and almost half the children in Dorset didn’t see a dentist last year.”

“It’s important that people can get the care and advice they need. When people can’t get an appointment or services aren’t made available to them, they can be left in pain or without check-ups to help avoid tooth problems at a later stage.”

After reviewing 31 reports about people’s experiences of dentistry from

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Care Home Director Disqualification

he director of a care home has been handed a seven year director disqualification for failing to ensure the company kept adequate accounts. Douglas Arthur Haigh, director of DAH Healthcare Ltd, was handed the seven year ban by Bournemouth & Poole County Court on 26 October 2016 following an investigation by the Insolvency Service which revealed inadequacies in the records which left company spending of over £1.9 million unexplained.

In addition Mr Haigh failed to make payments to HM Revenue and Customs for PAYE; the company owed £338,298 for the tax years 2010/11 onwards.

DAH Healthcare Ltd, which traded as The Old Rectory Care Home in Langton Maltravers, Swanage, went into administration on 21 October 2013, owing £3.6 million to creditors which included £956,213 of unsecured creditors. Mr Haigh was the company’s only director from 2007 until it went into administration in 2013.

Commenting on the disqualification, Sue MacLeod, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service said: “Directors have a duty to ensure that their companies maintain and preserve proper accounting records, and Mr Haigh failed in this regard. Mr Haigh also failed to comply with his responsibility to submit returns and payments to HM Revenue and Customs. The Insolvency Service will take action against directors who do not take their obligations seriously and abuse their position of trust.”

across the country, including reports by Healthwatch Dorset, Healthwatch England found that there are three areas requiring particular attention.

Access In some parts of the country, people still have real trouble getting appointments with NHS dentists. There are also real gaps in provision for particular groups, such as those in care homes, people with disabilities, refugees and people who are homeless.

Information Mixed information given to patients about how frequently they should go to the dentist means that some people could be going too often, and others not often enough. Better information for patients could help free up appointments for people who need them more, and save time and money for people who have healthy teeth and gums.

Complaints It’s vital that all parts of health and social care learn from people’s experiences – both good and bad. Healthwatch found that some dental practices are not sharing adequate information about how people can go about making a complaint about their service, meaning that opportunities to improve are being missed.

This new report from Healthwatch England is being shared to help dental professionals better understand people’s experiences, to inform the development of future services, and help make sure that people’s feedback is listened to and acted on. To see the full report go to www. healthwatch.co.uk To find out more about your local Healthwatch and to share your story go to: www.healthwatchdorset.co.uk or call 0300 111 0102

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The Purbeck Gazette

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STRUGGLING TO MAKE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION YOU’LL STICK TO? Become a Purbeck Good Neighbour and join us in supporting those in Purbeck who need our help!

You’ll make new friends, gain a sense of community, and will get a lovely inner glow that comes from simply helping out where needed!

JOIN US!

Another Year Older y the time that this goes to print and then gets to you, 2017 will be imminent. Will this be as memorable as 2016? If your memories are good then I hope so, if not then I trust you can make some better memories in 2017.

2016, to the time of writing this, has brought an impressive 444 incidents that have caused our NCI watch-keeping comrades to call the Coast Guards and/or other emergency services around the country, for assistance.

Our stations are expanding and now stretch from Caister to Fleetwood, via the Channel, including a new station at Charmouth. Over 2000 unpaid volunteers in total.

You will hopefully recognise the ladies pictured above – Jenny, Janet, Clare, Jeanne and Paula. They are posing here in their capacity as our Tea and Cake ladies. Not only do they bake a lot of the cakes that are available on selected weekends in the Display Room under the Lookout, but they also coax your good selves inside to sample the wares (for coax read ‘drag in kicking and screaming whether you want a cuppa and cake or not’!!! Sorry girls, only joking).

We do not charge for the fare, however, if you feel it is so enjoyable that you leave a donation in the box, we will be forever grateful. Throughout 2016 these ladies, with a little help from your good selves, have raised over £4000 - very impressive. A fantastic effort girls – our eternal thanks

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for your efforts, and of course all of the other back room bakers who help keep the shelves stocked For your further delectation, we are pleased to announce that the Display Room will be open for your first taste of the New Year on the afternoon of Sunday 1st January and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. Many thanks again for your continuing support.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and successful 2017 in whatever direction your life takes you – without you there would no Swanage NCI and therefore, in all probability, be many people a lot more distressed, for a lot longer or a lot worse off.

Please stay safe on whichever side of the tide line your life or leisure takes you, your safety matters. Please prepare and think before venturing on or near the sea. As always, you are always welcome to visit us when you are passing.

The Swanage NCI can be contacted at the Lookout on 01929 422596, at nci.org.uk or on VHF 65 or the email address below. We look forward to hearing your comments and questions.

Bob Clark, swanagenci@btinternet.com, NCI Swanage.

The Purbeck Gazette

Meyers Estate Agents Celebrate 5th Birthday With Two New Offices!

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eyers Estate Agents, the award-winning independent property experts, are opening two new offices to add to their base in Poundbury near Dorchester.

The two new franchises are in Wareham covering BH19 and BH20 postcodes and Poole, while a third is planned in Bournemouth this January.

As Meyers celebrate their fifth birthday, Director Mark Meyer says: “We’re very optimistic about expanding the business with these franchises and our aim is to repeat the success we’ve enjoyed at our Poundbury office dealing with property in Dorchester, Bridport, Sherborne, Weymouth and Blandford.

“We also opened a Lettings Department eighteen months ago which is now managing fifty properties. This is driven by our key values of dedication, ethical customer service, imaginative marketing and results.”

In the last twelve months Meyers have sold over 211 properties (source: Rightmove) and in the summer of 2016, they were named ‘Estate Agency of the Year’ (Best in Dorset) in the Property Sharing Experts Gala Awards.

“Our team is experienced, highly motivated and hard-working,” adds Mark. “We want to be calm and considered and it’s always important to be patient, positive and friendly. My vision is to create a new kind of estate agent which is at the heart of the community. This is really important to me, and that’s why we set up the Meyers Community Fund to give back to the community, which has placed so much faith in us.

“So far we’ve donated £30,000 to good local causes like Julia’s House, Weldmar Hospicecare, MenCap, the Air Ambulance and local schools.

This is very rewarding and we want to show that as estate agents we can really help people with property and our community.”

Dorchester-born Mark runs the agency with his wife Claire and previously worked in Mayfair and Notting Hill in London, then Hampshire where he managed eleven offices for Austin and Wyatt. Please feel free to contact Claire and Richard in the Wareham office today on 01929 503105 to see how we can help you find your dream move. See our advert on the back page of this addition for further details.

A Story For the New Year.... SKULLDUGGERY

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by reader, Alan Gulliver

If he scarpers shoot him dead’ said Captain Addison to the four soldiers huddled in a quiet corner of the Crown Hotel in Wimborne Square.

It was late evening on the 8th May 1778 and the group were planning the next day.

Early next morning, they donned their uniforms, took up their rifles and marched the short distance up West Borough, where they stopped at a large house just before School Lane. It was bitterly cold and they stood shivering. This was Isaac Gulliver’s house. Gulliver, the notorious smuggler and local hero, who brought tobacco, brandy and liqueurs in plenty to the working people of Dorset.

‘You two round to the back of the house’ snapped Addison. ‘You two stay with me’. He paused at the front door and removed the arrest warrant from his inside tunic pocket. He had waited years for this moment. Gulliver had always evaded capture. He grasped the warrant, it read ‘Charged with smuggling and murder’. Taking a deep breath he rapped the heavy brass knocker.

Upstairs in the house, startled by the noise, Betty Gulliver woke. Heart racing, she moved swiftly to the window and peered through a gap in the curtains and surveyed the scene below. Her husband lay in their bed, eyes wide open with fear. ‘Isaac it’s them’ she whispered. The pair knew exactly what to do as they had long prepared for this moment.

Isaac pulled a white sheet round him and tiptoed downstairs to the parlour.

A small man, clever, cunning and courageous. A man who commanded a small army of brigands that ruled the the local coastline. As he reached the foot of the stairs, another loud rap on the door shattered the silence ‘Open this door now’ yelled Captain Addison.

In the darkened parlour was a long table with a coffin laying on it. With well-rehearsed ease, Isaac stood on a chair, stepped into the coffin and laid down. Silently, Betty picked up a jar of white powder and dusted his face as he lay motionless. Next, she placed a penny on each of his eyes.

Finally, she pulled the sheet over his face and slid the coffin lid into position.

The stillness was again shattered by a series of loud raps on the front door.

Betty moved towards it and opened it slightly. Addison pushed her aside and yelled ‘Where is he?’ With her head in her hands, Betty burst into tears. ‘In there.’ she sobbed gesturing towards the parlour.

Addison threw the parlour door open and, with the two soldiers, went in. The dark room troubled him. Betty, sobbing loudly, stood behind them ‘He dropped dead yesterday.’ she spluttered. ‘He is there, in his coffin.’

Momentarily, the three men stood back. Addison moved first.

‘Hold onto her!’ he shouted, edging forwards towards the coffin. He pulled the lid back gradually. Later, he would swear to God he smelt death in that

dingy parlour. He peered in cautiously and pulled back the sheet. ‘Don’t you touch him!’ screamed Betty hysterically. ‘Shut her up’ said Addison, continuing with his grisly task. He peered at the corpse-like face, deathly white with hollowed cheeks, jaw open wide and each eye covered by a penny. He had no doubt it was Isaac Gulliver.

He, and half the Dorset Yeomanry, had been after Gulliver for years. His spirits lifted. This was good news, he had achieved what so many had failed to do. He had nailed Gulliver, a man with £1000 reward on his head.

Perhaps, this long awaited success was the reason Captain Addison was not so thorough as he should have been on that morning.

Turning to his men he rapped: ‘Put the lid back on’. Then to a sobbing Betty, he growled: ‘My men will be back tomorrow for the death certificate. I want to see him buried, understand!’ He swept out of the house pushing aside a small group of locals who had gathered to see what was going on.

As he rode to Dorchester, Addison’s elated mood remained. He smiled broadly, this would surely mean commendation and a generous reward. He felt that, at long last, he would be recognised as someone who deserved respect.

Back in Wimborne, Betty sighed with relief as the soldiers left. On closing the front door, Isaac appeared in the hallway looking like a ghost. They grinned and started to laugh as they celebrated what they had done.’ I’ve never kissed a dead man’ said Betty as they hugged each other.

The next day, a soldier returned and collected a death certificate and delivered it to nearby Borough House. It had been written out several months previously by Doctor Emerson. He had been happy to date it late yesterday evening, in return for a case of fine Napoleon brandy.

News of Isaac’s death spread quickly around the town. It was met with sadness by many and with disbelief by some. The funeral was to be held at the Minster.

A week later, several hundred locals attended the service. The midday sun glared on the coffin handles as it was carried from the Minster. It was borne by Gulliver’s outlaws, who had filled it with rocks the previous day.

The breastplates worn by Captain Addison and his soldiers also shone brightly as they marched triumphantly behind the cortege. Addison was eager to see the coffin lowered into its final resting place.

Away from the crowd, on the edge of the Minster Green at the corner of Broadway Gardens, lurked a small man dressed shabbily. He pulled his hat down as he smiled wryly through a white beard. ‘Not many live to see their own funeral procession’ he mused. He watched his coffin disappear slowly down East Street and then hurried away.

A ship full of booty was waiting for him at Kimmeridge.

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The Purbeck Gazette

Rock Of Ages With The Swanage School!

he Swanage School is delighted to announce that they are preparing to put on their first school production. Having secured the licensing rights to perform Rock of Ages, students clamoured to show off their talents and the cast list has been drawn up.

Rehearsals have begun, to bring to the stage at The Mowlem Theatre, this five time Tony Award nominated musical.

You will be transported back to the tail end of the big, bad 1980s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra, Heavy Metal flow freely at one of the Sunset Strip’s last legendary venues, a place where legendary rocker Stacee Jaxx takes the stage and groupies line up for their chance at an autograph.

Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and resident toilet cleaner) Drew, longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for smalltown girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes).

But the rock and roll fairy-tale is about to end when German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into just another capitalist strip mall. Can Drew, Sherri, and the gang save the strip–and themselves–before it’s too late?

Under the watchful guidance and instruction of Mr Harry Peake and Miss Leah Howell, the cast already sound like they have been preparing for much longer than the mere 6 weeks. Mr Harry Peake teaches drama at The Swanage School and has experience of performing in the West End, as backing singer and dancer to famous pop stars such as Kylie Minogue, and performing at sea with a famous cruise line.

Miss Leah Howell teaches music and has performed as part of bands and orchestras both for pleasure and competing at national levels. She is able to play a range of musical instruments as well as having a beautiful singing voice, and has produced many concerts and choral events, taking

Final Piece Of Puzzle For Margaret Green!

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argaret Green Animal Rescue (MGAR) has appointed a Commercial Manager to help underpin the long term plans for the charity.

Jenni Wilkinson has joined as Commercial Manager heading up the Marketing, Fundraising and Retail departments at MGAR, which includes their recently opened Charity Shop in Winton, Bournemouth.

This appointment strengthens the team managing the local charity based in Church Knowle Wareham ready for a number of projects that are coming up to reinforce the position of the charity in its aim to provide their core values of Rescue, Care, Rehome and Support. At Church Knowle, Jenni joins Kate Wickins, Centre Manager, David Brookfield Estates Manager and Chief Executive Geoff Wright.

Speaking about the latest talent acquisition for the charity Geoff said: “The role of Commercial Manager is the last piece of an important jigsaw, we have a wealth of experience now across all the departments which will help the charity realise its ambitions to develop and meet our core values for animals across the region.”

“We receive no government funding and rely on public support to rescue the large number of animals that so desperately need our care every year, getting the right people in the right place is really important to us as an organisation.” http://www.margaretgreenanimalrescue.org.uk/ Photo: King Arthur of Church Knowle (horse) gives his royal seal of approval!

Left to right: David Brookfield, Jenni Wilkinson, Kate Wickins and Geoff Wright.

students from The Swanage School to perform locally in care homes, church and schools.

Not only are students involved in preparing to star in the school production, but lots of talented students have volunteered their time to design and build stage sets and create costumes and make-up for performers, as well as those more technically orientated who will be helping to ensure that all lighting and sound provides the best environment to show off the performers’ talents.

Performances will be on the 3rd March and 4th March 2017. Call the Swanage School for details of how to book.

Purbeck Families Spend Christmas In B&Bs

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shortage of homes in Purbeck means some families in the district spent this Christmas in bed and breakfast accommodation. Currently, there are 691 households on Purbeck District Council’s housing register. With only 109 housing association homes built in Purbeck since 2012, the district is not keeping up with demand.

Not only is this having a huge impact on the lives of local families, it also means the District Council has seen its annual temporary housing costs rise three-fold since 2012. The District Council has spent almost £600,000 on emergency temporary accommodation for 154 households in the past five years, rising from over £78,000 per annum in 2012/13 to £262,000 per annum in 2015/16.

With fewer private landlords offering accommodation to families who rely on benefits, often as a top-up to their earned income, the demand for housing association homes is likely to increase further in the coming years.

Demand is so high that sometimes the Council is unable to provide homes for those in need, so bed and breakfast accommodation is used. Currently, five families are in bed and breakfast accommodation and, between them, there are seven children from the age of nine months to thirteen years.

Placing residents in bed and breakfast accommodation means the Council is unable to reclaim the costs from the government. However, if residents are provided with a permanent rented home, the Council can reclaim the money. The Council has been taking a range of measures to ease the situation for tenants, including covering the cost of their rent deposit so that they can secure their own accommodation.

Councillor Miller, Housing Portfolio Holder for Purbeck District Council said: “Rising housing costs and benefit cuts are forcing more people out of their homes and into temporary accommodation and that is costing us all more. Normally, we would be able to get a reimbursement of the housing benefits costs from government, but this is not possible when we reach the last resort of placing someone in bed and breakfast.”

“Unless we are able to provide more affordable rented accommodation, this situation can only get worse. Moving into temporary bed and breakfast accommodation will become a real possibility for more Purbeck families.”

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My House At Durlston

The Purbeck Gazette

By Janice Thompson

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y house in Durlston was built in 1963 for Sir Theodore Tasker.

He had been a Colonial Civil servant in India and retired to live in Swanage.

He owned a large chunk of land near to what is now Durlston Country Park and there is still an area to the north of the Park which is called Tasker’s Meadow. I have heard that he had a disabled adult son, so he wanted to live in a bungalow, and he carved out a plot of almost an acre on which to build a home that met his needs.

Sir Theodore cannot have been short of money, because, although the house itself was not large, he commissioned a number of special features, such as tiled panels for the front and side doors, which were the height of 1960s chic. But, more interestingly, he commissioned a work which combined his career in India with local Swanage artistry and craftsmanship.

While in India, Sir Theodore had visited the Ajanta Caves, a complex of Buddhist prayer halls and monasteries in the Maharashtra area, dating from the 2nd century BC through to the 6th century AD, which are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The caves contain many carved and painted panels depicting Buddhist legends and divinities, described by Encyclopaedia Britannica as having ‘an exuberance and vitality which is unsurpassed in Indian art”.

Sir Theodore brought pictures of some of these paintings home with him and, when he was deciding how to decorate his new home, Sir Theodore approached famous local sculptress Mary Spencer Watson, who lived and worked in Dunshay Manor in Harman’s Cross, and asked her to create a

fireplace based on one of the cave paintings, which she duly did, carving it from Purbeck Grub Stone.

The house was sold in 1981 to a member of the Fortes family, then a few years later it sold again to the owner of the Purbeck Golf Club, then finally to my husband and I. Over the years it has been greatly altered, with part of its grounds being sold off to build another house and most of those ‘trendy’ 60s features removed, but the Spencer Watson fireplace is still there.

What is really interesting is that Sir Theodore photographed the whole of the building project, by local builders Hayter and Son, from open field to finished house.

These photographs showed many of the men who worked on the building, Sir Theodore and his wife, and the sculptress Mary Spencer Watson, putting the finishing touches to that fireplace. Remarkably, all of these photographs and the photographs he brought back from India, have been handed on by every owner of the house and are now in my possession.

Some of the men in the pictures are clearly identifiable, and I am sure that readers of the Purbeck Gazette may be able to tell us who they are, as well as telling us more about Sir Theodore and his wife.

Since bringing this story into the Gazette office, we have discovered that renowned local historian and author, Ilay Cooper (also of Dunshay Manor), only exists as Sir Theodore and his wife introduced Ilay’s parents to each other at a tennis party when they were all living in India!

It’s a small world.....

The Purbeck Gazette

Pictured: Top left: the building crew with Lady Tasker (in her fur coat). Do you recognise any of the faces?!

Bottom left: the builders working on the house - note the 1960s tile artwork.

This page: Top: Mary Spencer Watson of Dunshay Manor carving the fireplace - a replica of a carving from the Ajanta Caves in India.

Right: the original ceiling panel design from the Ajanta Caves, scanned from an original glass plate of the carving.

Below and bottom right: Two of the building crew posing with the nearlycompleted fireplace.

More of the building crew pictured at the house during the build.

Can you name any of the people pictured? If so, do let us know!

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Out Of The Blue

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urbeck is delighted to inform you that we have three new Police Community Support officers joining the team. Each one will be joining an existing team across Purbeck to help with community engagement, assessing and assisting the vulnerable and reducing anti-social behaviour and crime.

Each new member will be paired with an existing PCSO who will guide them through their areas and assist them in their new role. Look out for them and say hello if you get the chance.

For more information on your local Neighbourhood Policing Team and how to get in contact, please visit the Dorset police website or alternatively contact the 101 non-emergency numbers and ask to speak with your local NPT. It is important to remember that as a community we are very diverse.

Purbeck is home to many people from various cultures with different traditions and beliefs.

At this time of year it is important to welcome people into our community and all work together to not just make Purbeck safer, but feel safer too.

As an NPT we try and get to know and help the most vulnerable within our community, but we need your help to achieve this.

Please let us know if you think that someone in your street is more vulnerable and may benefit from a visit from their local NPT. By regularly visiting vulnerable people we can access their home security, make referrals to the fire service for smoke alarms, make referrals to other agencies for additional support, or just pop in from time to time

to offer reassurance that they are safe and feel safe within their community.

Sgt. Barry Gosling (pictured, left) Contact Dial – 101 Email:WarehamTownWest- NPT@ Dorset.PNN.Police.uk WarehamNorth-NPT@Dorset.PNN.Police.uk Swanage-NPT@Dorset.PNN.Police.uk Website - https://www.dorset.police.uk/

Swanage Fire & Rescue Station Update

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i and welcome to my monthly report from Swanage Fire station as part of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service.

Operationally up until the 5th December we have been kept busy answering nineteen emergency calls; the incidents attended include: • Two alarm calls - thankfully they both turned out to be false alarms.

• One lift rescue - crews released one lady from a lift car that had become stuck between floors.

• One tractor on fire in a cattle shed, this we attended with our colleagues from Wareham fire station. The tractor was severely damaged by fire but the cattle shed only sustained minor smoke damage.

• One caravan that was totally destroyed by fire.

• Three outdoor fires.

• Seven medical Co-Response calls in and around the town area.

• Three stand-by moves to cover other areas within Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue service.

And at 04:22 on the 20th November we were call to the lower High Street in Swanage to reports of many properties being flooded due to Storm Angus. On arrival many of the business had sea water in their premises.

Not being able to stop the storm surge, crews got to work clearing the drains of sand, stones and seaweed. By doing this it allowed the flood waters to subside enabling the business owners and local council to start the clear up.

Whilst we were carrying out this work, our crews came across the major damage that had been caused to the sea wall near the Heritage Centre by the storm surge; this was reported to the local council who quickly made the area safe.

On the training front, this month firefighter Chris Burridge has passed his basic training and is now able to ride the appliances as part of the crew,

so well done Chris!

On a service wide issue, on the 1st December Chief Fire Officer Darren Gunter retired after thirty four years in the fire and rescue service. We wish him a long and happy retirement.

Darren has been replaced by Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell, who I’m sure will carry on the great work that Darren has achieved.

You will remember that in the November edition, I told you about Firefighter Liam Blake (pictured, right) who is in training to run the London Marathon in April 2017 in aid of the Firefighters Charity.

Liam was set a £1600 fundraising target and I’m pleased to say that Liam has achieved this target. As I write this article, he has now past his next target of £2500 which means he will now be running the marathon in full firefighting kit and breathing apparatus!

I must say a BIG THANK YOU to all the people and organisations that have sponsored Liam already. The Station will carry on supporting Liam as much as we can and we will be running fund-raising events at the station and other venues in and around the town, You can still sponsor Liam individually, all you need to do is visit his Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/liam-blake1 or you can use his text code which will donate £5 directly to his Just Giving page by texting FFBA99 £5 to 70070. Alternatively, if you would like to contact the station with any good will messages or ideas on how we can support Liam you can contact me at sm16@dwfire.org.uk Thanks again for all your sponsorship! Keep safe and don’t forget to test your smoke alarms! Phil Burridge, Station Commander.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR LIAM! Liam is running the London Marathon in FULL FIREFIGHTING KIT AND BREATHING APPARATUS! See links above in text to sponsor Liam - please do show your support - every £1 counts!

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Blast From The Past!

This month, A Decade Ago...

The Purbeck Gazette

n January 2007, the team behind the Medway Queen Preservation Society wrote in to thank us for publicising their work. They updated readers that their Lottery claim was successful and they had been awarded £1.8 million for the hull to be rebuilt.

The work had begun in August 2006, with all salvageable parts removed for refurbishment. It was estimated that 60-70% of the original ship would be used when she is fully resorted.

The Ancient Technology Centre at Cranborne was granted planning permission to build a Viking Longhouse, to be used for residential accommodation for visiting schools. The plan (left, by Luke Winter) was based on evidence from Danish royal garrisons. The building was to be constructed in green oak using authentic methods. The Centre was collecting donations towards the build and was appealing for physical assistance from readers in constructing the building. Several folk from Purbeck were involved in the build during 2007.

April 2007 saw the first anniversary of the successful town market after it had relocated to Wareham Quay. John Scott reported that there was a waiting list for stalls at the market. The Commercial Road Traders in Swanage had just celebrated a fourth hugely successful Christmas Market, after Chococo and the Purbeck Gazette resurrected the Christmas Market in the Commercial Road lanes area of the town centre after Swanage had been without a well-organised festive market for several years.

We published a report on the steadily-growing housing crisis, with an average income of £66,252 required to purchase a starter-property in Purbeck. In 2007, our local average wage was £19,509 - desperately short (even with two people working full-time) of the required income to make buying a reality. For research purposes, we applied for a mortage to see what we could raise....... As then-Manager of the Gazette and applying honestly (with no imaginary income!), I was offered a top whack of £78,500.

Not enough to buy a garage or beach hut at 2007 prices. Housing prices in the South West were 9.3 time average income (the worst price-to-income ratio in the UK) in 2007. On average since 2006, each local authority in the South West region had a net gain of only twelve new affordable homes, despite the fact that since 1979, 135,000 affordable homes had been lost and had not been replaced.

Local rental prices were also unaffordable to many working locals, pushing people further and further afield from the towns and villages from whence they originated. In 2007, the South West laid claim to having treble the national average of second home properties - over 10% of homes in the South West were sitting empty for much of the year.

Reader, Philip Eakins, BSc(Hons), requested the ‘right to reply’ to Andy Kirkwood’s article on climate change (Dec’06) and the role of mankind in rising global temperatures. Philip laid-out the science of global warming as he had researched it, and provided a lengthy and interesting article, complete with explanations of the various gasses and processes involved, along with detailed graphs and references. Philip declared that he ‘personally had no vested interests to declare, just scepticism, curiosity and enough intelligence to carry through an investigation.’ Philip warned

that the science research showed we were heading towards another ice age, having researched the swings in global cooling and warming periods over the past 800,000 years. Philip suggested that rather than spending billions attempting to cut the warming created by mankind, the money would be better spent planning for the inevitable.

Cherry and Holly Smith from Corfe Castle (pictured, right) joined a ‘Care in the Wild’ adoption scheme, adopting a baby elephant called Lewa who lived at the Tsavo National Park in Kenya.

Having sponsored Lewa for three years, he had grown big and strong enough to be released into the wild.

Cherry went on to adopt another baby elephant, Burra, after Lewa was released - never expecting to get the chance to possibly meet her adopted animals.....

Thanks to an expedition led by Purbeck School and the Poole-based ‘Camps International’, Cherry and Holly were saving hard and fundraising in 2007 which enabled them to spend a month in Kenya helping the local community.

The trip was arranged to include a visit to Tsavo National Park - where the girls’ adopted elephants lived.

And that was January 2007!

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Farewell, Mark

ohn Mark Luty (Mark) was part of the Gazette team back in 2006, working in our office as the Advertising Sales Manager - pictured below back in 2006 at his desk, busily selling advertising.

After retiring, Mark took to cycling, raising money for Macmillan Cancer support (pictured, left).

We were deeply saddened to hear that Mark passed away on 7th December at the age of 71 at Forest Holme Hospice in Poole.

Our deepest condolences go to Mark’s family, especially to Barbara, Mark’s wife.

Rest in peace Mark.

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Purbeck Pirates!

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any of you may have spotted a group of dastardly piratical types marauding around local towns and villages, most often seen during the fabulous summer ‘Wareham Wednesdays’ events......

They are the Purbeck Pirates, a small group of Purbeckians who formed a local group after the first Purbeck Pirate Festival in July 2016.

The only rules of the group are to be friendly, non-judgemental, to be supportive of each other and to have fun - pirate style! Meetings have taken place at local pubs and charity events and it’s really, really easy to join the crew - simply turn up dressed as your pirate-self and introduce yourself to the other pirates!

Currently the crew keep in touch via their Facebook page ‘Purbeck Pirates’, and meet-up once a month or so in full regalia. As well as attending charity events, they also get together for days out - most recently, taking on a potholing challenge at Cheddar Gorge together, facing their fears as a team in the darkness, before heading to a pub for a well-earned Sunday roast!

Should you wish to become a ‘Purbeck Pirate’, simply get your gear together (charity shops offer much in the way of leather belts, old shirts and so on!), keep an eye on their Facebook page and literally turn up to the next event - you are guarenteed to be welcomed! Many of the group did not know each other prior to meeting on Wareham Quay in their pirate gear for the first ‘gathering’, giving each other a hearty ‘Arrrghhhh!’ by way of introduction and thus some brilliant friendships were born!

If you run a charity event and would like some pirate-help to fill those all-important donation buckets, or to bring a bit of mischief to your event, do get in touch via Facebook ‘Purbeck Pirates’. Arrghhh!!

WIN £200!!!

Quartermaster Constable has put up a £200 reward for the best ‘Jolly Roger’ flag, designed by a Purbeckian, to be used by the Purbeck Pirates, and as the ‘official’ pirate flag for future Purbeck Pirate Festivals.

Flag designs should be in black & white, with possibly some red and/or blue.

Minimum A4 size paper/card.

No age limit!

Designs to be dropped/posted on paper/ card to: the Purbeck Gazette office at 17b Commercial Road, Swanage, before February 5th 2017, along with your name, address and contact number.

Pop through letterbox if closed.

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SAIL WITH THE SHTANDART! LEAVING LIVERPOOL 25/6/17 ARRIVING SWANAGE 30/7/17

(arrival in Swanage for the Purbeck Pirate Festival on 1st & 2nd July 2017) Purbeck Pirates, in conjunction with Captain Martus of the Frigate Shtandart, are delighted to be able to offer the good folk of Purbeck the opportunity of a lifetime - the chance to crew the Shtandart and sail her from Liverpool to Swanage on an epic 450 mile journey!

ONLY 12 berths are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Those booking a space will be trained on day one, and then will crew the boat, working shifts allocated by the Captain. There are NO cabins available - crew hammocks only.

Please note: the Shtandart is a DRY SHIP, so no alcohol is permitted aboard.

The minimum donation to book a berth is £495 per person. This has to be paid up-front to secure your place. Minimum age of 11, as long as a parent or guardian is accompanying.

Please call Nico on 01929 424239 ext 2, or email ed@purbeckgazette.co.uk to book.

Shared minibus/taxi service will be available from Swanage -Liverpool on 24/25th June for aprox. £65pp.

Wareham Pupils Sell Their Toys For Charity

Kind-hearted Wareham pupils sell their toys to help provide Christmas gifts for others areham students organised a toy sale fundraiser to help purchase gifts for people in developing countries at Christmas time.

Early in December, Year 5 pupils at St Mary’s Primary in Wareham organised a whole school toy sale to fundraise for ‘Tippy Taps’, a device that provides a hands-free way to wash hands after using the toilet, in areas without running water.

After learning about the devices, which can be purchased from aid agency CAFOD’s World Gifts Scheme, the pupils presented an assembly to the rest of the school. Inspired by how they have transformed communities, the pupils decided that they wanted to purchase one for Christmas.

Year 5 Class Teacher, Mrs Herrera, said: “At the school’s Harvest Service, my Year 5 class told the congregation about ‘Tippy Taps’. This simple, foot-operated structure allows a whole family to wash their hands in clean, running water. The ‘Tippy Tap’ is hands-free, so bacteria are not spread by people touching a tap. It also uses very little of the family’s precious water.”

“The children then wanted to see if they could raise some money to buy at least one ‘Tippy Tap’, costing £10. They organised and ran a toy sale for the children in the school and raised a magnificent £57, an amazing amount seeing as most toys were sold for between 5p and 50p. This has meant that five ‘Tippy Taps’ can be bought by the children and they are

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delighted with their efforts.”

CAFOD is celebrating twelve years of World Gifts, which were established to help make a difference to people living in poverty. The scheme has raised over £12 million, enabling thousands of presents to be brought by CAFOD supporters including 103,000 school starter kits, 46,000 goats, 38,000 chickens and 3,000 queen bees.

Last year alone, communities in England and Wales taught over 4,000 children to read through fundraising for World gifts.

This Christmas, communities across the country chose from a range of gifts from The Goat that Gives, which will provide a family with up to 12 pints of milk a week, to Community Water Supply, which provides the materials and training to provide water and hope for an entire community.

The Begin a Business gift provides the means to create a business; from beekeeping, vegetable selling, carpentry and farming, and it enables individuals and families to lift themselves out of poverty.

CAFOD representative in Dorset, Simon Giarchi, said: “We are so grateful to St Mary’s pupils for fundraising to provide meaningful gifts that will make a huge difference to lives of so many communities around the world and help transform lives this Christmas.”

To find out more about CAFOD’s World Gifts, please visit: cafod. org.uk/worldgifts

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Public Consultation On Dorset Healthcare

Making Informed Decisions r Jon Orrell, a practising Weymouth GP, says it is vital that the Purbeck community takes part in the current public consultation of the Dorset Clinical Services Review on our future healthcare and urges people in Swanage to attend the drop-in event on Tuesday 17th January at the Emmanuel Church Centre.

But he has deep concerns which residents need to be aware of, which he will share with us at the Swanage Forum’s open meeting on Wednesday 11th January (see our advert alongside for details).

Jon Orrell says: “I worked in the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and then the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (DCCG) for many years so I understand the jargon very well – and the sometimes confusing, hidden meanings in the language used.

“The Swanage community has a very strong reputation for successfully defending itself from cuts in the past and for protecting its NHS and social care services. Under the current proposals, it looks set to retain Swanage Community Hospital and fifteen beds and many local services.”

“But, in order to make informed choices, it is important to be aware that this current consultation is not about improvement and investment. It is about government underfunding and cuts. Swanage and the villages will not be immune and some local GP practices could be affected.”

“Lastly, Poole Hospital A+E is under threat meaning longer trips to the

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MEETING OPEN TO ALL: FUTURE OF DORSET HEALTHCARE; MAKE INFORMED CHOICES Dr. Jon Orrell, a practising Dorset GP speaks out

WEDNESDAY 11 JANUARY AT 7pm Emmanuel Baptist Church Centre, 160 Victoria Ave, Swanage.

Parking, refreshing served from 6.30pm.

EVERYONE WELCOME

far side of Bournemouth; not easy on a summer’s day from Swanage. So remember, the cost of victory is eternal vigilance. Many of my concerns are about what is NOT included in the public consultation document.”

Residents Have Say On Council Consultation

16,000+ Dorset residents have their say in Reshaping Your Councils consultation housands of residents from across Dorset have taken part in a wideranging consultation on proposals for the future of local government in the county. A household survey was undertaken, based on a representative sample of the Dorset population. Questionnaires were sent to 20,000 addresses selected at random from all addresses in each of Dorset’s local authority areas. 4,258 residents responded. The response numbers by each council area are as follows: Council Area Number 781 Poole 670 Bournemouth 554 East Dorset West Dorset 508 459 Christchurch Purbeck 453 439 North Dorset 391 Weymouth and Portland Unknown 3 Total: 4,258 The household survey responses will be statistically weighted to take account of the size of the population in each local authority area and different response rates for different types of households. This ensures that the household survey results are statistically reliable and representative of the whole population in each area. The open consultation questionnaire gave all Dorset residents and other stakeholders the chance to have their say; and a total of 12,536 responses were received.

Council Area Number 2,625 Poole 2,048 Bournemouth 1,433 East Dorset 1,414 West Dorset Christchurch 1,409 694 Weymouth and Portland Purbeck 656 632 North Dorset Outside of Dorset 61 1,564 Unknown/not stated Total 12,536 Sixteen facilitated workshops were also undertaken throughout the consultation period, with residents, town and parish councils, businesses and the voluntary sector.

In addition, further separate responses and written representations were received from hundreds of stakeholders including businesses, voluntary sector groups, public sector partners, MPs, service user groups, town and parish councils, residents’ groups and other organisations.

The ORS report will include overall results for the whole of Dorset,

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compare findings from the household survey and open consultation questionnaire, feature breakdowns of results from each council area and present the feedback received from stakeholders via all the different consultation activities.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ case for change will assess each option for its ability to meet the government’s ‘statutory tests’ of: improving value for money and efficiency, delivering significant cost savings, and show that the cost of change can be recovered over a fixed period, improving services for local residents, providing stronger and more accountable leadership and being sustainable in the medium–long term.

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Marriage Allowance Unused personal allowance

New Resolutions After the build-up and excitement of Christmas, when normal day to day things tend to fall by the wayside, I would suggest taking some time to look at your finances in the New Year.

January is often a quiet time and offers a good opportunity to get up-to-date with paperwork and to review things. I would, therefore, urge you to look at your financial situation. This may involve a review with your investment manager, financial advisor, solicitor and/or accountant.

I would suggest that you consider doing the following: Look at your day-to-day expenditure and consider any savings that can be sensibly made on utility bills etc., Check any insurance policies you have and make sure that all the information on the policy documents is accurate, the policies are valid and you have made a diary note to look at them again well ahead of their renewal.

Get all your filing up-to-date, make sure your paperwork is all in order and try to spend a little time regularly sorting it out.

Make sure your Will is up-to-date and if you have not made one at all, make it a priority to see a professional to draw up a Will for you.

Calculate your full financial position and think about whether your finances and investments are doing what you need them to do to fulfil your short term and long term plans e.g., income or capital growth or a balanced return.

Think about whether you need any professional help with your finances on an ongoing basis. You may find that although you end up paying for help, the monies spent are more than recouped by more productive and efficient management of your finances.

It pays to set aside a little bit of time to quietly sort and review things.

It is also a good idea in the dark January days to plan something exciting (however small or large) to look forward to – it will be all the more enjoyable if it is using monies that you have saved by sorting out your finances.

With every good wish for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017.

Kate Spurling lives in Swanage and is an investment manager with Charles Stanley, Dorchester office – (01305) 217404 – kate. spurling@charles-stanley.co.uk Charles Stanley & Co Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. FCA register ID 1903304. This information does not constitute advice or a personal recommendation or take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs of individuals.

The value of investments may fall as well as rise and you may not receive back the amount you originally invested.

FEBRUARY EDITION DEADLINE NOON, 9th JANUARY

Since April 2015, it has been possible for a spouse or civil partner who is not liable to income tax or not liable above the basic rate for a tax year, to transfer part of their personal allowance to their spouse or civil partner, provided that the recipient of the transfer is not liable to income tax above the basic rate.

The transferor's personal allowance will be reduced by the same amount. For 2015/16 the amount that could be transferred was £1,060, rising to £1,100 for 2016/17.

The spouse or civil partner receiving the transferred allowance will be entitled to a reduced income tax liability of up to £220 for 2016/17 (£212 for 2015/16).

Note, however, that married couples or civil partnerships entitled to claim the seperate married couple's allowance are not entitled to make a transfer.

Wishing our customers, old and new, a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Book advertising at www.purbeckgazette.com

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Trading Standards Know your consumer rights!

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Divorce The Proposed New Way Forward

Is your mattress safe?

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rading Standards have been cracking down on rogue traders selling illegal mattresses after an increase in complaints from consumers about cheap mattresses sold online or from the back of a van.

The law requires that mattresses meet a level of fire resistance as laid down in the British Standard, however, it does not require that mattresses have a label to this effect.

These sellers may entice customers into thinking they are getting a bargain, for example by saying that they are clearance stock or going cheap after a hotel bought too much stock. The mattresses typically fail all fire safety tests as well as being filthy and unhygienic.

The items are often old, discarded mattresses that have been recovered and repackaged to look new. Some of the more brazen traders are even using the logos of well-known manufacturers and retailers on their vans to further fool consumers into believing they are ‘bagging a bargain’. Paper work may be given to the purchaser but often contains limited or false information.

Dorset Trading Standards Service has on two separate occasions prosecuted traders for selling mattresses which when tested failed the fire safety tests. Devon and Somerset Trading Standards have issued warnings to residents as complaints about mattresses increased ten- fold in the period 2014 to 2016.

Dorset Trading Standards Service advise that you do not purchase goods or services from people who approach you in the street or from callers who cold call on your doorstep If you want to report concerns over mattresses or you would like advice about your consumer rights then please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 040506.

Battens’ team of family lawyers are members of Resolution which is an organisation composed of family lawyers and other professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Members of Resolution regularly lobby Parliament on relevant issues and run awareness campaigns to help people make the right choices.

Resolution’s current campaign is for No Fault Divorce.

At present, in order to divorce, unless a couple has been living apart for two years and both agree to a divorce, one of them needs to apportion some form of blame on the other, for instance adultery or unreasonable behaviour. This can lead to conflict which can have a negative impact on reaching agreement in other areas of the separation.

Removing blame from divorce will not make it more likely that people will divorce but make it easier for each of the parties to manage their separation with as little stress and conflict as possible. They will be able to deal with the process in a more civilised manner rather than one person seeking to blame the other. In our experience it is very rare that one person is to blame for the breakdown of a marriage, it does take two, and each of the parties will have their own take on what has gone wrong in the marriage. No Fault Divorce focuses the parties on what is important, such as the practicalities of care of the children and finances, rather than expending emotional energy on who is to blame for the situation that the couple find themselves facing.

Resolution are proposing a new procedure for divorce where one or both parties can give notice that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.

If, after a period of say 6 months, either or both of them still think that divorce is the way forward, then final orders can be made.

This is not a new concept and the Family Law Act 1996 does provide for No Fault Divorce, it has just never been enacted. No Fault Divorce takes place in Australia, Spain and the USA where it works. Senior Judges have stressed the need for reform and it is hoped amongst those of us dealing with separating couples on a day to day basis that it will not be long in coming to England and Wales.

If no blame is attached to divorce the parties will be on an equal footing and so the chances of success in resolving the other aspects of the divorce, such as money and children issues, are likely to be higher. With more out of court settlements the burden on the courts will be reduced.

An agreement as to the way forward for a divorcing couple is the best solution for both of them and has a positive impact on the way any children deal with the breakup of their parents.

We will wait and see how successful Resolution’s campaign is but if you wish to discuss your matrimonial issues with one of our specialist team please call us on 01935 846000.

01305 774666

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January is upon us - the bleakest month on the calendar. Instead of staying indoors and huddling by the fire, we ask you instead to get out and about this month in an attempt to Banish those Winter Blues’!

Pop out with friends and family for a nice meal - several eateries have great offers and new menus during January!

Want to get fit? Check out the offers from Purbeck Sports Centre or the Swanage Bay View Gym and give it a shot! Time for a new look? How about trying out a new hairstyle or colour?

Spare a thought for your energy provision this year and consider some greener options, or decide to get a woodburner fitted.

For those with time to fill, there’s some crafty ideas from Burngate and The Sewing Box to keep you busy!

Have a great January!!

SUGGESTED NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2017 1. If you always fail to keep your resolutions, STOP making them! You’ll set yourself up to feel bad.

2. If you always wanted to learn a musical instrument as a child, then DO SO NOW. Don’t make your kids follow your old dreams - take them up yourself - there’s really nothing stopping you!

3. Life’s for living. If spend too much time at home in front of the TV, challenge yourself to get out and about at least one evening a week in 2017.

4. Decide to be kind to others. Full stop. Just be kind.

5. Stop saying no to everything. Try saying YES instead.

6. Make a new friend every month - make the effort to smile and speak to new people as you bump into them - you never know where it might lead!

7. Dance.

8. Learn something new. Join a group, find classes online or join the library to borrow books on a subject that interests you. You’re NEVER too old to learn!

9. Stargaze.

10. Volunteer for a local group or charity at least once.

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A Very Happy New Year From Burngate!

Up-Cycle Your Fashion This Year !

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THE SEWING BOX Garment Alterations and Repairs Daisy May’s Arcade 2 Kings Road East Swanage

Tel: Sarah 01929 421057

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good way to ‘Banish those Winter Blues’ is to learn something new! Why not try your hand at stone carving?

Situated in the heart of Purbeck quarry land, the centre has stunning views across to Swanage Bay and far beyond.

With two fully equipped workshops, a gallery of stone carvings/sculpture and a craft tearoom, Burngate is the perfect place to learn this ancient skill. All ages are catered for, from six upwards, families and groups are very welcome.

Knowledgeable tutors and stone is stone provided; weekends can also be booked.

Tel: 01929 439405; check the website www.burngatestonecentre.co.uk for all courses; follow us on Facebook.

Introduction to stone carving: Free form carving: Letter cutting: Family have-a-go and more!

Follow The Swanage and Purbeck Sculpture Trail: www.purbecksculpture.com and discover stone sculpture in the landscape.

Come and have a go - it’s fun, friendly and informative!

We look forward to hopefully seeing you in 2017.

appy and healthy New Year from The Sewing Box! January is traditionally the month for hitting the sales and starting New Year resolutions.

Either way, if you have garments that need altering, give me a ring, arrange a fitting and have your clothes “made to measure”. For a reliable, friendly and efficient service, call Sarah on 01929 421057.

Shortening trousers to fit you perfectly costs from just £12.

Being an active green consumer, I have recently started to up-cycle garments and create accessories from various sewing items and finds!

Watch out for my creations in my window and on my new Facebook page: The Sewing Box (Swanage).

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Sunrise at Old Harry, by Gareth James

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A Local Company You Can Rely On...

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incknell Heating Services is part of Tincknell Fuels Ltd, a long-established, familyrun business, proud of our trusted reputation offering a professional service, enabling you to sit back and relax with the knowledge that you are in safe hands.

Bob Endean is your local fully qualified Oftec registered technician with many years’ experience. Bob has worked for Tincknells for nearly seven years, specialising in oil-fired heating. He is a family man who has just become a

father for the second time.

Bob says: “Your boiler is invaluable, providing hot water and heating throughout the year. When regularly serviced and maintained, it can give you years of trouble-free service.”

Bob recommends that to avoid getting caught out this year with a costly boiler breakdown, call a member of our Heating Services team to discuss your requirements and arrange for an oil boiler service on 01749 683911.

Boilers that are over ten years old may be less fuel efficient than contemporary models; as the cost of heating your home will rise, are you getting value for money from your current boiler?

We are a Worcester Bosch Accredited Installer and as a result of which, we are able to offer our customers an exclusive extended manufacturer’s guarantee at no additional cost.

We also offer tailored boiler maintenance plans for a trouble-free heating system from as little as 75p per day!

Please give us a call on 01749 683911.

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New Year - New You! Look Younger In 2017

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eeling a bit aged? Noticed any new wrinkles settling in for the long haul recently? Well, why not consider wiping some of those years away this January, with the help of Dr. Claudia Morley?

Facial aesthetics is the use of non-surgical techniques to rejuvenate the face and reduce wrinkles. The most popular treatments are anti-wrinkle injections (Botox) and dermal fillers. Both treatments are offered by Dr. Morley at her Purbeck clinic.

Botox is administered using a tiny micro needle. It works by temporarily relaxing the muscles, helping reduce the movement in these areas. The skin therefore stops being creased and is allowed to recover, causing the lines to soften and often fade away. It is particularly good for frown and forehead lines.

Dermal fillers are tiny injections of a naturally occurring product in our skin, Hyaluronic Acid which, as we get older, starts to diminish causing our skin to become dryer and thinner. Dermal fillers are used in many areas of the face, particularly around the mouth, nose and chin area to reduce lines and shadows. They can also be used to contour the face, replace lost volume and lift jowls, as well as for lips and troughs under the eyes.

Both procedures are simple and safe and there is little pain and no anaesthetic is required. The effects of Botox last up to six months and fillers up to twelve months. There is no negative effect if you decide not to have any further treatments.

In addition, Teosyal PureSense Redensity Thearapy is also available. This

is a treatment which utilises Hyaluronic acid, an essential skin component.

The treatment involves injecting small amounts of the Redensity formula into the skin of the face. After an average of three treatments, skin is smoothed and plumped, with wrinkles lessened, taking away a few years of wear and tear!

Dr Claudia Morley has been a doctor for over sixteen years, and has been practising facial aesthetics for over seven years. Her main philosophy is to keep the face looking natural. She continues her work as a general practitioner alongside her facial aesthetics work in her main clinic near Blandford, as well as coming to ‘The Bay’ in Swanage once or twice a month.

For further information or an informal chat please contact Claudia by email on claudia@morleyaesthetics.co.uk, by telephone on 01258690789 or visit her website www.morleyaesthetics.co.uk

There’s More To Eyewear Than Just Seeing!

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t this time of year many of us are inspired by the New Year to make changes to how we feel and look. For many it’s short-lived visits to the gym, or other exercise regimes to fight off the Christmas excesses.

Exercise is important but there are also other, less energetic ways, to make a big impact. It’s well documented that how you look has a big effect on how you feel.

Take glasses for instance, although for many they are simply a necessary requirement, for others they’re an integral part of projecting their character and how they want to be perceived.

Take Emily for example (pictured above right), she has been a spectacles and contact lens wearer since childhood. At work she wears a slightly more severe frame as this makes her look more serious and be taken more

seriously in the office. Come the evening however, especially if she is going out, she wants something more flamboyant to show her fun side. A great runner, she wears daily disposable contact lenses for sport.

For sailing, Emily has a Maui Jim polarised sunglass and for that sophisticated evening out wearing her LBD, she matches it with a sophisticated spectacle equivalent.

Emily says “There is more to eyewear than just seeing! I like to be seen for who I am, but who I am varies depending on what I’m doing, serious at work, having fun in the evening.”

At I J Brown, Dena and the team specialise in bringing out the real you.

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Get FIT for 2017!

Feeling under the weather?

A little over-weight?

Joints creaking when you move?

THEN GET OUT OF THAT ARMCHAIR, STOP WATCHING TV SO MUCH, AND START SOMETHING NEW! From gym and keep fit classes through to Nordic walking, Purbeck has a wealth of activities available to help you get fitter and healthier for 2017.

GO FOR IT!

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Lily Loses Her Locks At Philip Mills Hair Salon!

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n 13th December, Lily of Philip Mills Hair Salon in Wareham had fifteen inches of her hair cut off and donated it to the Little Princess Foundation.

Before the cutting took place Lily said “I have long hair - really long hair!

After losing my aunt to breast cancer earlier this year I wanted to do something special.”

“I have chosen to donate my hair and fundraise. I chose Cancer Research UK as I hope that in the future, families will not have to lose loved ones to cancer. The hair I donate is going to the Little Princess Foundation.

They make wigs for children who have lost their hair.”

“Having fifteen inches of my hair cut off takes guts, so please support me by donating money to Cancer Research UK. This is such a worthwhile cause, and it means a lot to me. Please, if you can, donate.”

Lily has already raised over £600 and you can support her by visiting:mydonate.bt.com/ fundraisers/lilyslocks or by dropping into Philip Mills Hair Salon in North Street, Wareham.

WELL DONE LILY!

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NEW YEAR, NEW IMAGE? FANCY A CHANGE OF COLOUR? Get a FREE CUT & BLOW DRY* for a change of style too! *This offer applies to any full head permanent hair colour or full or half head of highlights

OR 10% OFF ALL HAIR & BEAUTY PRODUCTS & SERVICES *Offers valid for January 2017 when you mention this advert

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Same Time, Same Place, New Car!

by David Hollister

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e’ve been driving up to Derby just before Christmas every year since goodness knows when. Why Derby? Food and drink available at astonishingly reasonable prices, a regular visit to Giorgio Reggiani, the little Italian boutique where I buy most of my clothes, a few nights away courtesy of Lenny Henry, and above all, time with our dear friends Paul and Gina, who always make us so welcome.

Looking back through my archives, the first car I test-drove to Derby for the Purbeck Gazette, by courtesy of Westover, was a Skoda Diesel in 2004.

And there’s been a different car every year since then! I’ve enjoyed most of them, and this year was no exception. The Toyota Yaris Excel Hybrid kindly provided by Westover Toyota provided better fuel consumption than any previous car, although the Auris Hybrid from 2013 came a close second. In 2013 I wrote “Hybrid is the way we’re all going” and if you read last month’s Gazette (the Lexus) my opinion hasn’t changed. The RAV4 hybrid was superb (my car of the year 2016!); the Yaris hybrid wasn’t far behind. Just not quite as roomy and comfy!

The Excel Hybrid is the top of the extensive Yaris range, featuring daytime LED front and rear running lights, a distinctive new front-end design, rear privacy glass, a reversing camera, dusk-sensing headlights, automatic wipers, push-button start, power and remote door-locking, and the excellent Toyota Touch-and-go information and audio system incorporating Bluetooth music playback. It also has a range of ‘online’ features which can be activated when you register your device after you’re bought the car; I wasn’t able to try these out but the brochure suggests it’s pretty impressive! But the sat-nav got me there and back easily, and navigated around some pretty horrible delays.

Active safety includes hill-start assist, vehicle stability control, and a tyre pressure warning system unusual on such an inexpensive car. The Yaris range starts at £11,750 on-the-road for the basic ‘Active’ 3-door hatch; this one was a fraction over £18,000, with an optional ‘safety sense’ package at £400 including lane departure alert, a pre-collision system and automatically dipping headlamps. I particularly liked the single front wiper blade incorporating the washer jets, so much more sensible than squirting water from the bonnet!

Technical details – engine 73 bhp 1.5 litre petrol, plus 59 bhp electric motor, combined through the CVT gearbox to allow smooth progress in traffic and around towns. The gearbox offered a useful ‘engine braking’ mode for driving in fast-moving traffic, and of course cruise control to make the motorways easy. Maximum speed published was 103 mph, 0-60 in 11.8, but you don’t buy an automatic hybrid to win the traffic lights grand prix, you buy it for sheer practicality and economy. With CO2 output a meagre 82 gm/km, road tax is a thing of the past and the Benefit-In-Kind value for the Company Car driver is only 15%. Well worth consideration for your small business, although most of my friends who have company cars have

great big German Saloons and great big tax bills to match. More fool them!

We drove up using the hated motorways and A34, and back ‘the pretty way’ through small towns and villages, taking the opportunity to put the Yaris through most of its paces. I didn’t find it hard to remain within the speed limits; the Yaris was excellent inasmuch as it never tempted me to go quicker, unlike its larger stablemates. All the way home I left it in ‘ECO’ mode (unheard of for me) and actually didn’t notice the difference in performance. Must be getting old…….. Occasionally I realised that I was driving so slowly that I was probably a traffic hazard and I needed to concentrate on putting the boot in, else we’d never have got there. The car is just relaxed and refreshingly easy, and this feeling of quiet well-being quickly spreads to the driver!

There was plenty of luggage space (there needed to be!), 768 litres with the rear seats folded down, it swallowed all our shopping and left room for more. This car would be perfect for a family of 4 – or even 5 – and has all the usual Toyota safety features to keep you from harm. Under the boot floor they have fitted a ‘space saver wheel; thank goodness that Toyota have seen sense and dispensed with the awful ‘squirty kit’ system!

The manually-adjusted driver’s seat offers a good high seating position, although I wished that the passenger’s seat was similarly height-adjustable and also that the seats – although very supportive – weren’t quite as firm.

The rear parking sensors, combined with an excellent rear-facing camera, were a boon for my stiff neck!

The brochure suggested that we’d achieve 78.5 mpg; we managed 56.1 mpg, a disappointing 72%; not the best but most definitely not the worst.

Perhaps I should have re-set it when we set out for home, because I really thought I was being careful; perhaps it was the motorways on the way up that did the damage! I wish I could find somebody – anybody – who can regularly achieve the published mpg for their car. Because the best I’ve ever done is 82%!

Have a word with Steve Johnson at Westover Toyota, 01202 532020, who will happily send you the brochures or – even better – arrange a test-drive for you. This car really is worth a try, and I think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised.

For months I’ve wondered about the ‘temporary road surface’ signs on the bridge at Wareham, until I realised that they were actually referring to all the roads between there and Swanage seafront! But good to see that Dorset County Council is going to spend £1.3 million on 23,000 pothole repairs; well, that’s Purbeck sorted, but what about the rest of the county?

The Dorset Highways department told me earlier this year that there was ‘no money’ and none of the faulty roads that I so painstakingly pointed out to them would get repaired. And then suddenly, as if by magic, they’ve found a few quid down the back of the CEO’s sofa, and resurfaced quite a lot (but not all) of the awful road surfaces in Swanage.

Well, full marks and sincere thanks to them for their nocturnal efforts.

Credit where credit’s due, and what a great bunch of guys they had working on it.

Finally. Thank you to Nico for allowing me to write this column and to Joy for nagging me when copy date comes round; thank you most sincerely to our ongoing column sponsors – Mike Boyd and the Westover Group – and thanks to all the dealers who have kindly provided cars to review.

There’s not one I haven’t enjoyed.

But most of all, thank YOU for continuing to read my stuff; a very Happy New Year to both my readers……..

The Purbeck Gazette

16(16)FORD Focus 1.0 Ecoboost Titanium 5dr Auto Our Demonstrator Good Fuel Economy Sat Nav Door Guards......................................... £17995 16(16)FORD Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost Zetec 5dr Our Own Vehicle Zero Road Tax Fantastic Economy Ford Warranty until Jul 18............................ £12995 15(65)FORD Fiesta 1.6 ST2 16000 Miles. Sold New & Maintained by Us One Owner Excellent Condition Spirit Blue..........................................£13495 14(64)FORD Fiesta 1.0 Zetec 5dr Only 13800 Miles Sold & Maintained New

by Us Full Service History Rear Park Assist.........................................£8595 14(63)FORD B-Max 1.0 Zetes MPV Sold New by Us One Owner Full Service History Fantastic Economy Rear Park Assist.......................................£9495 13(13)FORD Fiesta 1.0 Zetec 5dr One Local Owner Excellent Condition 13000 Guaranteed Miles Air Conditioning Alloy Wheels......................£8795 10(10)BMW 320iSE 4dr Automatic Saloon One Local Owner from New SatNav Full Leather Trim Full History Long MOT.................................£9995 09(09)FORD Kuga 2.0TDCi Zetec AWD 47000 Miles Cruise Control Airbags Alloy Wheels.............................................................................................£8995 09(59)FORD Focus 1.6TDCi Titanium 5dr One Local Owner 45000 Guaranteed Miles Rear Park Assist Excellent Economy......................£5995 08(09)FORD Kuga 2.0TDCi Titanium AWD Locally Owned 81000 Miles Full Service History Part Leather Trim Park Assist.....................................£7995 09(58)FORD Fusion+ 1.6 Automatic Only 49000 Miles Locally Owned Excellent Condition Very Roomy Air Conditioning.................................£3495

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The Purbeck Gazette

46

Food

From The Kitchen Garden...

Apples..........

A

s we’re in the middle of winter, not much is happening on the growing side of things in the kitchen garden. Some annual crops are in the ground and are hardy enough to overwinter like the brassicas and allium family. Other crops have been harvested in the autumn and if kept cool and dry, keep for some time into the New Year.

This is where the wonderful Apple comes in……..

Apples have almost endless uses in the kitchen, as different varieties are grown for cooking, eating and cider making. Cooking apples are delicious in sweet and savoury dishes and give us the sharp fruitiness that’s so welcome this time of year. When different varieties of apples ripen towards the backend of the year, they’re mostly ready all at once and this glut can be quite overwhelming. However, so much can be done to extend their eating, including the very little, knobbly or damaged ones.

A handful of dried apple wedges are a perfect snack to boost your energy when on a hike or to add to your flapjack recipe. Apple sauce made with prepared apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice will keep for months in sterilised jars and is just the best with roast pork or as a quick and easy tart filling.

Now, pigs in blankets are yummy but how about an apple in a dressing

By Regula Wright, Godlingston Manor Kitchen Garden gown?! Oh yes, these are de-cored apples filled with a raisin/ground hazelnut/marzipan/ mix, clad in puff pastry and baked.

A favourite of mine, however, is a dish called ‘Heaven and Earth’. In this easy and tasty supper dish, the potatoes resemble the’ earth’, whereas the apples suspended from the tree represent ‘heaven’. Not sure what the salty bacon and black pudding represent apart from true gluttony…..

This recipe is for four people: 2.2lb/1kg floury potatoes 2.2b/1kg desert apples 7oz/200gr chopped, smoked streaky bacon 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced 4 large slices black pudding Peel the spuds and boil in salty water until tender. Drain and mash roughly.

Peel, core and chop the apples. Cook in the minimum of water until tender and then stir the apple gently into the potato mash.

Fry the bacon until the fat runs then add the onions. Cook gently until soft.

Fry black pudding on each side until browned and crispy.

Serve each person with a mound of potato/apple mash, topped with bacon and onion mix and crispy black pudding.

The Purbeck Gazette

Grilled Venison Chops Recipie thanks to ‘Gametoeat.co.uk’

D

ifficulty: Medium. Serves 2. Preparation: 20 mins. Cooking: 20 mins.

Ingredients: 4 venison chops or rack, ½ tsp flaked sea salt, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 2 tbsp olive oil.

For the creamed spinach: 1 bag of baby spinach, 1 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp later, 2 heaped tbsp full fat crème fraîche, A good scratch of nutmeg, 1 small clove of excellent garlic (must not be sprouted), Salt and pepper.

For the straw potatoes: 400 g peeled large potatoes, Sunflower oil for frying, Salt.

Method: Wash the spinach thoroughly and drain it in a colander. Get a pan large enough to take all the spinach and get it on a high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and when it is hot, not smoking, chuck in all the spinach. Spit, crackle, sizzle it will go. Stir away, turning the leaves until all are totally collapsed. Remove from the heat. Press the spinach against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon and tip away all the excess water. Stir the spinach and repeat the process, getting rid of as much water as you can.

Put the spinach in a blender. On top of the spinach flop in one heaped tablespoon of crème fraîche, nutmeg, the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Blitz everything up together until the purée is totally smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Heat up the creamed spinach just before you need it, as if kept on a long slow heat, ticking over, it will lose its fabulous colour.

Peel and very thinly slice the potatoes. Stack the slices and slice them lengthways into matchstick thickness.

Preheat the grill to high, and heat 2 inches of oil in a medium pan to 180ºc.

Season the venison chops with salt and the fennel seeds and rub them all over with the oil. Place them close under the grill, turning them once until cooked to your preference. I would say ideally they should be pinky rare within, so about 4 minutes on each side. Or seal the rack in a pan and then cook in a hot oven for about 12 mins.

Drop the potato slithers in the oil and fry until golden. Stir them occasionally to help them colour evenly. Remove to kitchen roll to drain and salt generously.Serve the venison chops with the warmed spinach and tangled chips.

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The Purbeck Gazette

48

Purbeck Products

Happy New Year From All Of Us!

PURBECK PRODUCE FARMERS’ MARKET Thank you to all of our customers, both old and new.

We wish you all a prosperous New Year!

Please continue to support your local producers - we look forward to seeing you in 2017!

LOCAL PRODUCE FROM LOCAL PRODUCERS www.purbeckproducts.co.uk

P

urbeck Products would like to wish all our customers old and new a very happy New Year.

Also a big thank you to Nick and Karen for their constant support even though they are not producers now.

The group has had another good year, holding our markets on the second Saturday of each month. We also set up a pop-up shop at the Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, which was very successful. We attended the Christmas Market in Swanage for our 10th year.

This is where we started in 2006 after Adrian and Brenda Hall opened their farm at Rempstone to the public in the autumn, restarting the cooperative that they and other local farmers had started in 2000, just before foot and mouth shut everyone down.

We were then asked to attend the Christmas Market and from there we went to Putlake Farm each month and we then moved to Commercial Road Swanage, where we hold our monthly markets.

The group has seen people come and go and seen their businesses grow after attending the markets., The ethos is still the same as when we begun - the products should be born, reared, grown or produced in Purbeck, with ingredients being sourced as much as possible from the area. We are always on the look-out for new producers (food and craft people).

We have a loyal group of shoppers and thank them for their support and welcome new people to come and try our produce. You will see we are the same price as the supermarkets or even cheaper and you are supporting local people.

Just to remind you all we don’t have a market this month so hope to see you all on 11th February 9am till 1pm at Commercial Road near Choccoco.

Don’t forget you can try Besties Lamb at The Pig On The Beach at Studland!

Kath (Besties Lamb)

Samways Pigs

Besties Lambs - above and top of page.

The Purbeck Gazette

49

The Etches Collection and other fossilised ideas...

by John Garner

A

s I’m sure you are no doubt aware, a rather brilliant fellow called Steve Etches has been collecting and cataloguing his fossilised finds from in and around Kimmeridge for the last thirty years or so. Over 2000 items have been amassed in that time and the collection has now found its home in the village in a purpose-built centre.

It’s an amazing centre from which to explore the surrounding area.

Kimmeridge has long been a favourite venue for local residents and will no doubt attract more and more people from farther afield as a result of the collection. The collection itself has also been voted one of the top twelve new museums to visit by those in the know. Those in the know being the Smithsonian Magazine. Pretty impressive.

The museum deals with the marine life that was abundant in the waters around Kimmeridge during the Jurassic period. That is between 95 and 185 million years ago. Quite a chunk of time and pretty hard to comprehend.

The world around here was very different then as I’m sure you are aware.

The Etches collection is Dorset’s most recent addition to the heritage of fossil collecting. For many years Lyme Regis was fossil hunting central as it was thought the clay was too dense to surrender fossilised remains at Kimmeridge. One of the greatest discoveries at Lyme was made by a twelve-year-old girl over two hundred years ago. In 1811, Mary Anning and her older brother discovered a two metre long Ichthyosaur skull. It took her a year to excavate the ichthyosaur and this find still remains one of the most significant geological discoveries to date. Her museum can be found at the place in which she was born in Lyme Regis. Your ichthyosaurus, a sort of half fish, half dolphin beastie, could reach sizes of sixteen metres.

Her perseverance was remarkable.

What these and a good many other successful folk appear to have in common seems to be a passion for their subject and a perseverance and resilience that would shame most of us. Well, it shames me at least. This is as good a message as any for this month’s column.

Very few things that reward us seem to come by chance. Fewer still come without the resilience to accept failure or defeat. I read recently that James Dyson of the suction vacuum cleaner fame, failed with 5,127 prototypes

of the aforementioned household appliance. I was talking to a colleague about this earlier in the week and we decided we might have made two or three before thinking it would never work and giving up. The story goes that Mr Dyson just kept knocking these out and on prototype 5,128, struck gold. Now that’s perseverance. It’s also why Mr Dyson is world famous and a billionaire, whilst I juggle the funds around each month trying to keep my financial noggin above water and remain distinctly un-famous.

The not being famous thing I can live with.

Do an internet search of famous failures and you’ll find plenty. What all of them have in common is that they stuck at it and found a way to get what they wanted.

My favourite story concerns local jockey Anthony Knott. He’d been racing for twenty eight years and had largely gone unnoticed by both bookies and punters alike. Then one afternoon in Somerset, at the 2-30 at Wincanton he finally won by a length and a half. Having done so he retired to his dairy farm in Sturminster Newton, thereby leaving on a high. Even his family had given upon him. He will never now be known as an also ran. At any point in his racing career he could have given up and retired into obscurity.

Anyway, whilst I’m not a big fan of the New Year’s resolution, I am going to set myself the target of trying to see things through. I am notoriously faddy. I become hugely enthused with certain things and throw myself wholeheartedly into them, before interest tails off and a new ‘best thing ever’ takes over. I’m going to try to focus my energies on a smaller number of things and try to do them better. I’m not for a minute saying you should do the same. Losing weight. Getting fitter. Learning an instrument.

Learning a language. All these are equally valid. But it’s not a bad way to start the new year.

Although I have never met Steve Etches and probably, as a result, shouldn’t be trying to second guess his character, it would be difficult to imagine he isn’t a pretty determined, passionate and resilient character. If I’m wrong, I apologise unreservedly whilst looking forward to visiting the museum on numerous occasions in the near future. You should too.

Good luck for 2017 and happy New Year to one and all.

The Purbeck Gazette

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Happy New Year……to everyone who has visited, supported or volunteered at Durlston in 2016 – Durlston is the place it is, thanks to all of you!

2016 has been a very eventful year! A (very) few of the highlights for us have included: • Running through the meadows in the dark and howling at a blood red moon, as part of the spectacular outdoor production of Angela Carter’s ‘Company of Wolves’ • Our Wednesday Volunteer Work Party were joined by volunteers from places as far-flung as the USA, Bordeaux, Germany, Orkney and Wareham!

• A very personal exhibition by local painter Heather Gibbons, exploring her family history, local landscape and the history of Swanage.

• Project Officer Charlie Dooley joined the team, she will be working over the next 7-8 months to secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to enhance George Burt’s Victorian landscape for the benefit of the town…

• New café owner Emily Dunkerly took over at Seventhwave café in November– her new menu is already selling well…

• We welcomed back apprentices Ben and Shannon as Higher Level apprentices to work on conservation and public engagement and new apprentice Dan Hickey to help Ben out on the Park…

• A superb retrospective exhibition of work of Dorset Printmaker Rena Gardiner.

• •

Trying glass engraving with the Guild of Glass Engravers.

An evening of 1920s glamour as the Castle was transformed into the setting of the Great Gatsby and packed with beautifully dressed Swanage socialites, thanks to Angelo and Callum.

• Three new invertebrate species were discovered out on the Park by volunteer Mike Woods-Espine.

• Appointing our new Ranger Doug Hart who will start this month!

Adopt an Animal!

As part of our fundraising for the ‘Durlston Pleasure Grounds’ project, we are launching an ‘Adopt an Animal’ scheme, with some of the most iconic Durlston species available for adoption for just £25. Choose from Puffin, Bottlenose Dolphin, Grey Seal, Lulworth Skipper, Adder, Greater Bloodynosed Beetle, Peregrine Falcon or Badger.

You will receive an adoption certificate with information about your chosen species, along with a fantastic adult’s or child’s Durlston goody bag worth £15!

These will be available from the Castle, or by post and will make a superb present for anyone interested in Durlston and its wildlife!

All money raised will help with our plans to enhance the Victorian landscape at Durlston.

For more information, visit www.durlston.co.uk

Margaret Green Animal Rescue Centre

Please give us a forever home!

B

ella is a bundle of fun, who is smart and cuddly and really needs to find her very own Forever Home – we’ll let Bella tell you a little about herself Hello, my name is Bella and I am a one year old German Shepherd x Greyhound.

I am a very sweet, affectionate girl who loves nothing more than having cuddles and playtime, I think I’m a lap dog really. I would prefer to be in a home where I would not be left for long periods of time and I am also housetrained.

I’d prefer to be the only pet in an adult only home. I am looking for a confident family who will continue my socialisation on a regular basis as I do sometimes get very excitable.

I really enjoy my training sessions. The staff can’t believe what a quick learner I am.

I would really like to continue with this in my new home as it will not only be fun for me, but also will help me and my new family to bond with one another.

Would you like to rehome me?

Please use the contact details below to find out more Tel: 01929 471340 Email: lincolnfarm@mgar.org.uk

Name Bella Age 1 Gender Female Breed GSD X Greyhound Location Dorset MGAR Reference 41335

The Purbeck Gazette

51

Gazette Gardening with Simon Goldsack

Witch Hazel would you choose?

I

n the depths of winter when all around appears lifeless there is one group of plants that burst forth into full flower to brighten the garden and lift the spirits.

Hamamelis commonly known as Witch Hazels are medium to large shrubs with dark green hazel like leaves that turn brilliant colours in autumn.

In January and February the very fine, filament like flowers (which are often fragrant) emerge from buds held tightly to the naked stems. The flowers can range from pale butter yellow through lemon to orange. The overall affect is to produce a haze of colour which lights up any planting scheme.

Where to grow A sunny position is best but they will tolerate partial shade. They prefer a neutral to acid soil that is well drained although they will tolerate heavier soils if improved with plenty of compost.

Available moisture is important at the end of summer to ensure good flower bud formation so mulch the soil surface with a generous layer of organic mulch.

Planting partners A carpet of white snowdrops will set any of the colours off beautifully. The yellow forms really show off when planted in front of a dark evergreen which makes them really stand out.

For the paler yellow forms Like Hamamelis ‘Pallida’ try under-planting

with some pale blue to white crocus.

The orange forms show up best against a paler background so the light green of Griselinia littoralis or any of the white variegated Pittosporums are perfect.

Medicinal Uses Witch Hazels are indigenous to north America where the native Indians would boil up the stems and leaves with water to make an astringent to be used for the treatment of spots, bruises, bags under the eyes and even piles! The medicine is still available from pharmacists today.

Holme will have many forms of Witch Hazel in stock through January along with many other eye catching and beautifully scented winter flowering plants Happy New Year, Simon.

Pictures: From top right to bottom left: Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ showing off with Autumn colour Hamamelis ‘Arnold’s Promise’ Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rehder’ Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Dianne’ Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ Winter sunlight shows up the translucent petals.

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The Purbeck Gazette

Two Rehabilitated Common Seals Released Back Into Wild At Poole Harbour

D

orset Wildlife Trust (DWT) and the RSPCA have released two common seals back into sea in Poole Harbour, after having been cared for by the team at the RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Taunton since their arrival on August 18th 2016. DWT hopes to monitor them through the Dorset Seal project, and by using its ‘seal cam’.

Both the seals have been tagged before their release, so their survival can be monitored in the wild. Since the release DWT has received reports of sightings of one of the seals.

One seal was found in Jersey at Archirondel Beach. It weighed around 11kg on admission and 40kg on release. It was rescued and taken to a vet there before being transferred. The seal had been orphaned and had received some bumps and bashes, but quickly made good progress.

The other seal was found at Chapman’s Pool, near Swanage and weighed just 8.7kg, but was released weighing 36kg. It had a badly infected mouth and some other minor injuries. The seal was very sickly, and so thin its bones were visible.

Bel Derring, Centre Manager at the RSPCA’s West Hatch Wildlife centre said, “At first they were eating fish soup with help from the staff at the Centre before feeding themselves fish in our specialist rehabilitation pools. Both seals passed their final vet checks with flying colours, were tagged and we released them on the Dorset coast rather than flying one back to Jersey.”

“Seals are not natural air travellers so it is healthier and less stressful for them to be released at the nearest suitable coastline habitat. We know

from previous experience that they are able to return to familiar waters on their own and felt it would be good for these two inexperienced juveniles to be released together. A big thank you to DWT for finding such a fantastic release site.”

DWT worked with the RSPCA to find a release site, and will monitor the seals’ progress.

DWT’s Marine Awareness Officer, Julie Hatcher said, “We now have the tag details so we can record the seals from sightings as part of our Dorset Seal Project. We’ve also set up a ‘seal cam’ so we’re hoping to spot them on there. It was such a special moment when the two seal pups went into the water together, to explore their new home. I would love it if they stay around so we can monitor their progress, although they might decide to move further along the coast. We are so lucky to have these beautiful, intelligent creatures sharing our seas.”

DWT is appealing to members of the public to report any Dorset seal sightings, with photographs if possible. DWT stresses the importance of not disturbing seals by trying to get too close. Please send details of sightings to kimmeridge@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk or via DWT facebook/ dorsetwildlife or Twitter @dorsetwildlife.

Pictured:Seal release in Poole Harbour © Julie Hatcher Common seal being released © Julie Hatcher

The Purbeck Gazette

53

Aladdin - The Pantomime!

F

atima Twankey is a poor widow and not exactly “Top Totty” but that doesn’t stop her reaching for the stars. She sets her sights on the Sultan of Agradoo and her son, Aladdin, is in love with his daughter Princess Maria. Long lost “Uncle” Abanazar turns up and gives them hope of great riches but he is an out-and-out villain of the worst kind.

He will stop at nothing until he has his hands on a magic lamp and a Genie who can grant him three wishes. He wants control of the whole kingdom and to have Princess Maria attending to his every whim. Can Aladdin stop him in time?

Is Ghenghis, his hapless assistant, more hindrance than help?

Will Fatima get her man? Are the jokes side-splittingly funny or are they so old they are growing whiskers?

Come and find out and enjoy the fun and laughter of Swanage Drama Company’s family pantomime, Aladdin.

Performances are: Friday 6th January 7.30pm, Saturday 7th January 2pm and 7.30pm Friday 13th January 7.30, Saturday 14th January 2pm and 7.30pm.

Stars Out For Upton House Music Festival!

U

pton House Music Festival in Poole, is back on Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 June 2017 with a host of star names.

Details of the first two sensational nights have now been revealed – with the identity of Saturday’s headliner being kept strictly under wraps for the time being.

The three-night festival is held at the idyllic Upton House and Country Park in Poole, Dorset with a Classical Spectacular followed by an 80s Extravaganza and a final night starring a top international artist.

Thursday, 8 June is Classical Spectacular night with world renowned bassbaritone, Bryn Terfel, Australian soprano, Lauren Fagan, the celebrated BSO Concert Orchestra conducted by the acclaimed Gareth Jones and exciting all female electric string quarter Escala.

Friday, 9 June is 80s Extravaganza party night starring incomparable R’n’B superstar Billy Ocean, hugely successful singer Kim Wilde and punk princess, Toyah.

A spokesman said: “We have a wonderful selection of quality entertainment to suit all tastes with three nights of open air concerts to be staged on the beautiful lawns of Upton House.

“There will be a special blend of fabulous music, an electric atmosphere, and fine dining food. Guests can either picnic on the lawns, purchase a Gold Circle reserved seat or enjoy Pre-Concert dining / VIP hospitality.”

Tickets for the event are available now, with various hospitality packages available. See the website www.uptonhousemusicfestival.co.uk for details or call 01202 255161.

Pre-Concert Dining tickets, including a three-course meal and a Gold Circle Seat, are £95 inc vat while VIP Hospitality tickets at £165 plus vat., include a gourmet served dinner, champagne, a private lawn in the arena, complimentary programmes, VIP parking and VIP Gold Circle Seating.

Saturday tickets will go on sale when the headliner is announced.

Award-winning Upton Country Park, home of the Grade II Listed Georgian mansion Upton House, has more than one hundred and thirty acres of parkland, shoreline and formal estate gardens – and is just three miles from Poole bus and railway stations. Buses run along Poole Road which is the road next to the venue.

Last year’s Upton House Music Festival featuring Jools Holland, Katherine Jenkins and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra proved to be a runaway success which the promoters are hoping to emulate next year.

See the website www.uptonhousemusicfestival.co.uk for details or call 01202 255161 for hospitality bookings Picture Captions: Top: Caribbean King Billy Ocean.

Below: Toyah

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The Purbeck Gazette

DON’T MISS! The Kingdom Of Paul Nash

A

fter a devastating flood, an artist finds refuge on an island of dissenters and visionaries. The Kingdom of Paul Nash is a “graphic novel ballad”, a fable, a celebration of love, chance, and surrealism.

Live score and foley sound effects by the Cabinet of Living Cinema.

Illustrations by James Edwards and animation by Tom Brown. Inspired by the paintings of Paul Nash.

70 years after Nash’s death in Boscombe, in 1946, The Kingdom of Paul Nash brings together graphic novel artists with musicians from the Cabinet of Living Cinema and Dorset folk musicians to trace his journey to a new artistic vision, inspired by the intense relationship he had with fellow surrealist, Eileen Agar, whilst living in Purbeck.

The Kingdom of Paul Nash will be followed by a programme of short films exploring surrealism, illustration and natural history. The show will be touring England, Wales and Scotland throughout 2017.

On Sunday January 29th, the performance will come to Studland in Purbeck, with tickets available from Studland Stores or from Artsreach (see advert for details).

Reviews of the Cabinet of Living Cinema......

“The Kingdom of Paul Nash is the second ‘graphic novel ballad’ from The Cabinet of Living Cinema, this time inspired by the life of the British artist Paul Nash. Mesmerising, dream-like, and wonderfully illustrated and animated, it touches upon Nash’s experiences on the Western Front during the First World War as well as his affair with the artist Eileen Agar in Dorset during the Thirties. Rich in symbolism and metaphor, it also benefits from a lilting, intense score with wistful folk songs, dramatising elemental aspects of Dorset’s landscape and, of course, the love affair itself.

Beautiful”. Alastair Sooke, Art critic, The Daily Telegraph.

“A fantastic experience…The live foley performances were fascinating and their knowledge of the history of the moving image adds to the experience”. Lotte Allan. Victoria & Albert Museum.

The Purbeck Gazette

LIVE At The Legion!

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appy New Year to You All! This month we are celebrating the ninth anniversary of the arrival of popular club Steward ‘Elmo’!

Live at the Legion presents Sunday afternoon and Saturday evening live music parties organised by Elmo and local music promoter and festival organiser Steve Darrington.

The first year’s programme had a wide variety of bands that thrilled members and visitors alike. Our policy is shaped by the Comments sheets circulated asking audiences to let us know what they’ve enjoyed and how much, and recently we have received unsolicited reviews from bands too.

Big Hat, No Horse (really, it’s the name of a Country band!) said: “We were hugely impressed with the club and the facilities. The stage and equipment are a dream to work with compared to almost anywhere else!

Further to this, Elmo and the team couldn’t have been more welcoming and hospitable. We were looked after from the moment we arrived to set up to the moment we left.”

Mama Feelgood wrote: “What an amazing place. Lovely friendly welcome, fabulous food and a venue that looks after their musicians!!!”

Building on the success of 2016, this year we aim to bring more top acts to the club, and are looking forward to equipping our smaller function room as a performance venue for acoustic acts too.

Admission to the live music sessions is free to members, £1 non-members.

Temporary membership for up to two weeks is £3 single, £5 a couple, with annual membership available for £23. The Legion is at 150 High Street, Swanage BH19 2PA. Restaurant bookings and further information on 01929 422722.

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival 2017!

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he 2016 Purbeck Valley Folk Festival was a rip-roaring success – championing local music, traditional song writing and originality, the 2016 August Bank Holiday weekend was also blessed with beautiful weather. The festival will be returning again for 2017 on the August Bank Holiday Weekend for more folky fun.

Organisers Catherine and Paul Burke have said that they’ve been inundated with positive feedback from festival-goers who have complimented the music, the friendly atmosphere and huge number of child-friendly activities at the festival at Purbeck Valley Farm near Harman’s Cross. They especially want to say thanks for the massive amount of support they have received locally.

The success of the festival speaks for itself with Tier 1 tickets selling out in record time, and Tier 2 tickets now selling fast - and these are both before the line-up is even released.

Paul and Catherine are working hard booking acts to top the previous line-ups that included The Proclaimers, Richard Thompson, Eliza Carthy, Villagers, Justin Currie, Chris Difford and Stornoway. The 2017 headliners will start to be released any time now.

PVFF is a festival that’s loved by everyone because there’s loads for kids to do, loads for parents and loads for the old folkies! 2017 will see another four evenings and three full days of outstanding, original young folk, roots and world music across five stages, music workshops, sessions, Purbeck Rising (bringing new local talent to the four stages), Purbeck Poetry Slam, children’s area (crafts, storytelling, puppet shows, theatre/games, circus skills, clowns), youth music workshops, craft area (including crochet, clay, origami, candle, jewellery and tutu making), healing area, and a few other new bits and pieces here and there.

The food stalls within the festival get better each year too. In 2016 there were ten food stalls bringing culinary delights from around the world including Thai curries, stone-baked pizza, Bunnychow’s award-winning chilli served in half a loaf of hollowed out bread, crepes, Yolanda’s Caribbean jerk cuisine, paella from Casa Carlos, waffles and smoothies, and loads more.

The only complaint is that the festival’s not long enough to sample them all!

Tickets are already selling quickly for 2017 - the sooner you buy, the better the price! Locals living in Swanage and Wareham receive a 20% discount by using the promo codes: BH19 or BH20.

Catherine Burke Purbeck Valley Folk Festival - www.purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk Poole’s Folk on the Quay - www.folkonthequay.co.uk Bournemouth Folk Club - www.bournemouthfolkclub.com Catherine Burke - www.cathburke.co.uk

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The Purbeck Gazette

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Swanage Therapy Swanage Therapy Centre Centre On Court Road We offer a wide range of treatments:

W

e are your local complementary health centre offering an excellent resource for alternative therapy in Purbeck Great value treatments – most of which are priced well below the cost of what you may be charged elsewhere.

Clinical experience –many of our therapists have been in practice for several decades, offering you the benefit of skills which have been welldeveloped over a significant number of years.

Continuity of care – you will receive treatment from the same therapist for on-going treatment. They can get to know you, your particular needs and history in a way we used to be familiar with in health care.

Alternative therapies can be of real value in so many situations. You may be struggling to fully recuperate after illness or an operation. Complementary approaches are frequently useful where you are trying to recover your strength and spirits following traumas which may have left you both physically disturbed and emotionally exhausted.

Multi-disciplinary - several different therapists are available under the same roof. Individually or in combination they can help address your needs and support your return to health.

Memberships of professional organisations – Our therapists are members of their relevant professional bodies and maintain high standards of practice and care.

Take care of your health with our help – at a time when government is withdrawing funding, destabilising the NHS and limiting levels of care which many of us have come to expect, it is essential we look after our health to prevent illness and unneeded decline.

If you require more information on any of the treatments we offer or would like to book an appointment, please call us on 01929 426506.

We are open Monday to Saturday.

Visit our website @ www.swanagetherapycentre.co.uk and follow us on Facebook to keep updated on all our latest offers and information.

CHIROPODY Rachel Ciantar

Home Visits & Clinic Appointments Comprehensive foot care - Diabetic Patient’s Care Biomechanics & Orthotics Registered with Society of Podiatrist & Chiropodists, HPC Registered

Contact 07979 840542 NEW PATIENTS £5 OFF FIRST TREATMENT

Book advertising at: www.purbeckgazette.com or call 01929 424293

Acupuncture Chiropractic Counselling Craniosacral Deep Tissue Massage Foot Health Care Hopi Ear Candles Indian Head Massage Mindfulness

Physiotherapy Pilates Pregnancy Massage Reflexology Reiki Sports Therapy Sports Massage Yoga Zero Balancing

T: 01929 426506 www.swanagetherapycentre.co.uk

The Purbeck Gazette

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Matron’s Round - Our Local Hospitals’ Monthly Column New Year’s resolutions…be smart, don’t break them! hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.

We are coming to the start of the New Year which is the time when resolutions are often made and broken.

Some of the most popular resolutions are to: • Eat well • Stop drinking (or drink less) • Exercise more Our Physiotherapy Department reminded me how exercise is a great way to avoid a visit to hospital. As much as we love to see you all, we are much happier when you are fit and well. Not only are you likely to keep away from us, but you are less likely to suffer from many illnesses and diseases.

Remember when choosing your exercise goals to make them SMART. Specific - This could mean playing a sport, dancing, going to the gym, swimming, walking to the shops or along the promenade, or even pushing the lawnmower.

Measureable - It is recommended that adults aim for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week, or 150 minutes per week.

Achievable - It doesn’t have to be all at once, it could be divided up into

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10 minute blocks of activity.

Realistic - It helps to focus on a goal. Athletes keep their eyes on the end result to help them stay motivated and focused and we do the same within physiotherapy.

The key is to set realistic, achievable goals so that you don’t get overwhelmed and to increase these goals very gradually within your own capability.

Many people set their goals far too high which leads to failure and disappointment. It is much better to achieve a little than nothing at all.

Timed - Patience and perseverance pay off so start slowly even if it’s just a walk around the block. Once that feels comfortable add a little more, this will help you succeed and maintain your motivation.

Take good care of yourselves, but remember we are here to help if you need us.

Until next time Happy New Year, Matron Donna

Swanage Hospital Minor Injuries Unit Open 7 days a week from 8am - 8pm If you have an injury, we’re here to treat it!

Call us on 01929 421329. We’re here for YOU, so use our services!

Advertise your Health or Beauty Service HERE! See www.purbeckgazette.co.uk for rates

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Sport

The Purbeck Gazette

Laura, The ‘Oarsome’ Junior Rower!

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t the recent AGM of Swanage Sea Rowing Club, Laura Wild (15) won the title of Junior Rower of the Year. The award recognised her dedication to training, high level of improvement, and friendly, supportive attitude to other rowers. Here, Laura, of Swanage, explains why rowing has become so important to her: “The first ever time I climbed into a rowing boat I was 10-years-old, and it was a very daunting experience! I remember being petrified of those huge heavy oars, and how the whole boat swayed constantly in a wild, unstable manner.

“I began to attend junior rowing on a Monday night, where I was met with friendly enthusiasm from all the instructors. As my knowledge of boats and the sea grew, nothing seemed quite so scary again. I quickly progressed, and three years later, I joined the women’s training crews. From then on, rowing was a big part of my life; training, regattas, and more training!

“I came to love the adrenaline that each race brought – clacking oars,

Indoor Bowls Update

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ndoor bowls players at the Isle of Purbeck club have just a few weeks left to play on their indoor facility at Bay View Holiday Complex before the lease runs out towards the end of February and so competitions are in full swing to get the rounds completed in time. It is heartening to see four Swanage bowlers appearing regularly in the Dorset Indoor Bowling Association team, namely Barry Tatman, Dave Thomas, Robin Hilton and Terry Buck.

In their pre-Christmas matches, the first two were played at Poole Dolphin with disastrous results for Dorset losing 70-164 against Surrey and 93160 against Sussex. Dorset also lost narrowly to Hampshire 119-122 at Moonfleet. In strange contrast Dorset have won both their away games, against Berkshire at Newbury 125-111 and against Somerset 117-99 at Taunton helped along by a fine 24-10 win by skip Terry Buck’s rink.

The Swanage outdoor club held its AGM in November. The meeting began with a minute’s silence in memory of those who had passed on in the past year. This included Ray Seacombe, who together with his wife Dov have been members for over twenty years. Ray was a regular very useful Swanage team player for many years until he had to give up bowls due to ill health. After the election of officers for the coming year the various club officers gave their ‘end of term’ reports.

Men’s Captain Brian Beeston declared it was a successful and enjoyable season with the highlights being second place finish in the Percy Baker League, Fourth in the Dorset League (the highest for many years) and the

screaming instructors and the triumph when we overtook other boats.

“Rowing maintains my fitness more than any other sport I’ve tried, but it’s not just the physical side I enjoy. I’ve met so many lovely people during my time at the club, rowed all along the south-west coast, and been to many upbeat after-race parties! One that sticks in my mind is the Rame Regatta, set in a beautiful, traditional Cornish town. After the racing, the place comes alive with music and dancing.

“Overall, I feel like I’ve picked up many skills from rowing, but mainly it has taught me how to really push myself. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, whatever age or ability.”

Junior rowing is open to 10-16 year olds. As well as weekly sessions, we offer an intensive technique course for juniors in the spring. Find out more details on the website www.ssrc.org.uk or follow us on Facebook.

Cathy Lewis ‘Great Escape’ of avoiding relegation in the B&D League by one point thanks to great victories in the last two matches of the season over Boscombe Cliff and Broadstone. Jean Thomas (Ladies Captain) described 2016 as being happy and successful and singled out high spots as runners-up in the Edna Paisley League, missing out by just three points, and in county competitions Sue King reached the final of the 2-wood singles, Gill Bryceson and Jean Thomas reached the semi-finals of the pairs and Judy Smooker made it to the singles quarter-finals.

Clive Bryceson provided members with an update on the proposal to turn the green into an all-year artificial surface following the recent meeting between Swanage Town Council and club officials, when the Council confirmed it is still on track to carry out the work next winter ready for the 2018 season, and outlined funding arrangements.

The following day the club held its annual lunch with a change of venue.

After many years of holding it at the Pines Hotel, it was decided to try using the pavilion with Bliss outside caterers providing the food. This proved a great success. Speeches were kept to a minimum and there were none of the traditional lengthy competition trophy presentations as these had all been done over the Finals weekend. More events followed in December with a Caribbean Night and a New Year’s Social.

A Happy New Year to one and all, bowlers or not. If you are not a bowler, 2017 is the year to give it a try as it will probably be the last opportunity to bowl on grass in Swanage before the conversion to an artificial surface, so make it a New Year resolution and watch out for dates for ‘have-a-go’ sessions in May. Bowls enquiries to Clive on 422337 or Jean on 426795.

The Purbeck Gazette

Swanage & Wareham Rugby Football Club

Swanage Croquet Club Success!

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S

wanage & Wareham continued their winning ways in November, with a victory away at Devizes on the fifth. Swans were soon on the scoreboard as from a scrum, prop forward Nick Audley powered over the line. Fly half Jake Warren was next on the score list with a try, but the home side came back with two penalties to make the half time score 6pts – 12pts to Swans.

Devizes came back at the Swans early in the second half scoring a converted try to put them 13pts – 12pts ahead, but tries by winger Callum Young and flanker Matt Roberts enabled Swans to secure a bonus point as they won by 13pts – 24 pts.

The following week Swans played in the Dorset/Wilts Cup Final at North Dorset’s ground in Gillingham against Trowbridge. In a tense battle, Swans were first to score, as Trowbridge kicked clear to Swans winger Callum Young who worked his way through the defence to score in the corner.

David Elford added a penalty midway through the half to put Swans 8pts – 0pts ahead. Trowbridge scored a try five minutes later, but Matt Roberts was on hand to keep Swans ahead by 15pts – 5pts, as David Elford added the conversion.

Just before the break Trowbridge added another penalty goal making it 15pts – 8pts at half time. Early in the second half Trowbridge added a second try to reduce Swans lead to 15pts – 13pts. Swans put Trowbridge under severe pressure and centre Phil Graves added another try to take Swans to 20pts.

With five minutes to go scrum half Chris Tomes put the tie beyond doubt with another try to take the score to 25pts – 13pts. Finally in the dying seconds Trowbridge reduced the arrears with a converted try, but Swans won the Cup with a final score of 25pts – 20pts.

On the 19th November Swans entertained Dorset Dockers who hail from Verwood, and it was a comfortable win for the home side. Swans were soon ahead with a try by hooker Robert Elford, scrum half Chris Tomes and no. 8 Kirk Jones scoring tries with Phil Graves converting them all.

Dockers had a penalty goal leaving the half Dockers and a few minutes later flank forward Joe Desmond added another try taking the score to 33pts – 15pts. Dockers scored with five minutes to go but Swans had the final say as winger Callum Young scored out wide to make the final score 38pts – 22pts.

In their last game in November, Swans travelled to Wimborne in the league, and suffered their first loss of the season. Wimborne were first to score with a charge down which left Swans stranded and they followed it up with another converted try to give the home side a 12pts advantage.

Swans hit back with a try by winger Callum Young which full back Steve Woolley converted, and then levelled the scores with a try by hooker Robert Elford giving a half time score on 12pts each. Sadly for Swans it was mostly Wimborne on top in the second half, running in three more tries to give Wimborne, who were the better side on the day, victory by 29pts – 12pts.

Main Fixtures for January.

7th Swans 2nd XV v North Dorset 2nd XV 2nd Team Cup Home 2.00 p.m.

Swans 3rd XV v North Dorset 3rd XV 3rd Team Cup Away 2.00 p.m.

14th Swans 1st XV v.Frome league SCS Away 2.15 p.m.

Swans 2nd XV v.Oakmeadians league D/W 1 Home 2.15 p.m.

Swans 3rd XV v.Weymouth & P league D/W3 Home 2.15 p.m.

21st Swans 1st XV v.Trowbridge league SCS Home 2.15 p.m.

28th Swans 1st XV v.Walcot league SCS Away 2.15 p.m.

Swans 2nd XV v. Bournemouth 3rd XV D/W1 Home 2.15 p.m.

Swans 3rd XV v.New Milton 3rd XV D/W3 Home 2.15 p.m.

Ron Butler (Publicity Secretary)

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wanage Croquet Club have become the South West Federation Handicap League Champions beating Weston-Super-Mare 12 games to 8.

The South West Federation of Croquet Clubs was set up in November 1984 and has a membership of more than thirty clubs, stretching over eight counties in the South West of England and Wales.

Pauline Windle (Chairman Swanage Croquet Club)

FEBRUARY EDITION DEADLINE NOON, 9th JANUARY

ADVERTISING SALES LINE: 01929 424239 ext 1.

BOOK ONLINE: WWW.PURBECKGAZETTE.COM

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Swanage Football Club

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The Purbeck Gazette

WE SECURE A 100 YEAR LEASE!!!

e are delighted to announce that we have secured a lease with Swanage Town Council for 100 years for the site at Day’s Park. This has been an ongoing issue for a number of years and for us to secure the lease is a really momentous occasion for everyone at the Club.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Martin Ayres, Town Clerk, and all the Swanage Councillors for their confidence in us and their help in assisting us to obtain this lease. Another person who has been instrumental in the process and who we owe a lot to in his advisory role to the committee at the Club is Bob Foster from Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust.

This is not only good news for everyone at the Club but this is great news for the people of Swanage. This means we can now put into action our plan for the future of Day’s Park.

If you remember a few months ago, I mentioned briefly in this article about a Multi-Function Centre (MFC) on the site of the Clubhouse and sports hall. Obtaining this lease means that we can now go out to the many different funding organisations and apply for funds to build the MFC. Back in 2006 Swanage Town Council had a feasibility study done on whether the town would need or benefit from a MFC. The study, not surprisingly, came out with the view this would not only benefit the town but that the town actually really needs something that will provide benefit to so many people, both young and old.

The study looked at a number of sites across Swanage and whittled it down to two sites that could accommodate the MFC. Day’s Park and the old Swanage Middle School site. Now as St. Marks and The Swanage School have taken up the old Middle school site, this leaves Day’s Park as the only feasible place in the town which can accommodate a MFC. The study concludes that a Swanage Multi-functional Centre would aim to deliver a mix of community and sporting facilities and services in response to local demand.

Existing facilities are limited within Swanage and it is recognised that the local population, as well as visitors, would benefit from improved facilities for sport and for general community services which are not adequately provided for. The project proposes to integrate the enterprise, training, IT access, sport, recreation and activity holiday needs of Swanage, delivered by a range of community, charitable, and social enterprises.

All the youth football at the moment is played at King George’s playing fields, Victoria Avenue, and we are in the very near future going to base it all at Day’s Park.

Swanage Town Council were going to fund a new changing facility at King George’s but now, after discussing with ourselves, they have decided to fund the work on the west side of the ground, which will be the base of youth football in Swanage.

We will, in the very near future, be redeveloping the stand and changing rooms on the west side of the ground. For any of you that have been to Day’s Park in the recent past, you will agree this is long overdue.

So not only will this benefit the senior football, but all the youth teams will also have full use of the facility.

This will also be beneficial in accommodating both senior teams while the demolition and construction of the Clubhouse and sports hall continues, and while we wait for the MFC to be built. The teams will be able to use the new changing facilities on the west side of the site.

Now we have the lease, we can progress on the football side. A lease is one of the requirements the Football Association require us to have

to progress from step 7, which is where we currently are, to step 6.

Portland United two seasons ago were playing in the league we currently play in. The Dorset Premier League. They now play two divisions higher in the Wessex Premier and they have been very generous in advising us how they have gone about this. So when we drew them in the quarter final of the Dorset Senior Cup, this was a good time to catch up and see how they have progressed.

On a freezing cold evening in Portland, and with over thirty supporters travelling to support the Swans, we didn’t envisage what was to happen.

In a pulsating match we eventually ran out deserved 4:3 winners, quite ironic really as we have used Portland as a model on how to go about progressing up the pyramid. Portland were very gracious in defeat and wished us the best of luck in the next round.

The last four clubs are: Weymouth, Wimborne, Gillingham and ourselves. The draw will be on January 11th, watch our website and Twitter for the latest information on the day of the draw.

It would be great to see a big crowd at Day’s Park if we have a home draw. Come and support your local team......

Come on you Swans! John Peacock Pictured above: Swans’ Chairman, Mark Watson, signing the lease

The Purbeck Gazette - Proudly Supporting The Swans

The Purbeck Gazette

Spotlight Event Diary

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Diary Entries are FREE if your event is FREE. If you charge, then it’s £5 plus VAT per entry, per month. DEADLINE for FEB is noon, 9th Jan KEY: * = Start time not known or n/a; Ffi = for further information; Sw = Swanage; Wm = Wareham; VH = Village Hall, Telephone code 01929 unless otherwise stated.

JANUARY

Ballard Down to the Isle of Wight, by Anne Whitehouse Sun 1st * Happy New Year - roll on 2017!

Mon 2nd 10:00 Swanage Walking Group meet at Swanage Station for a walk through New Swanage and along the chalk ridge to Corfe Castle. Return to Swanage by bus or train or stop for drink in Corfe Castle. Ffi 01929 422795.

Wed 4th 10:00 Swanage Walking Group meet at Kimmeridge quarry CP for circular walk via Hyde Wood, Whiteway Farm, Creech viewpoint and Steeple Leaze Farm. Ffi 01929 426926.

14:00 NHS Consultation at Wareham Rugby Club. Ffi: www.dorsetvision.nhs.uk Thu 5th * ‘Speed to the West’ An Exhibition of 20th Century Railway Posters at The Dorset County Museum.

Fri 6th * ‘Speed to the West’ An Exhibition of 20th Century Railway Posters at The Dorset County Museum.

19:30 Aladdin at The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage. Tickets: Adult £9, Cons £8, Child £5. Book from the Mowlem Theatre.

Sat 7th * ‘Speed to the West’ An Exhibition of 20th Century Railway Posters at The Dorset County Museum.

10:00 Swanage Walking Group meet at NT Bankes Arms CP for walk via the beach, and through the nature reserve to Jerry’s Point and return via heathland tracks to Knowle Hill and Studland. Ffi 01929 422554.

14:00 Aladdin at The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage. Tickets: Adult £9, Cons £8, Child £5. Book from the Mowlem Theatre.

19:30 Aladdin At The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage. Tickets: Adults £9, Cons £8, Child £5. Book from the Mowlem Theatre.

Sun 8th 15:00 The Mayday Singers at St George’s Church, Langton Matravers. “Sing Noel”.

Tea and Cake! Retiring collection in aid of The Swanage Area Dementia Friendly Communities.

Mon 9th 14:30 January Travels in Ireland Illustrated talk at Langton Matravers Village Hall.

Tue 10th 14:00 Purbeck Parkinson’s Group at the All Saints Church Hall, Swanage. Ffi: T.

Lander 01929 425970 or D Peters 01929 551962 Wed 11th * Swanage Purbeck Probus at the Purbeck House Hotel, Swanage. Our 2017 programme commences with a talk from Paul Grover, Swanage Insurance “Call the Broker”. Part of the talk will be given over for an insurance surgery. Visitors welcome. Contact Andrew Yeandle 421945 Brian Darfnton 424211 or Roger Livingstone 425002 10:45 Swanage Walking Group Meet at Corfe NT car park for a circular walk via Wytch Heath and Rollington Hill. Ffi 01202 570670.

19:00 Swanage Area Senior Forum at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Swanage. Open meeting: Future of Dorset Healthcare; Making Informed Choices.

19:30 Studland WI Meeting in Studland Village Hall. 1/2 Steps Behind – The Born Free Foundation Dawn Lawrence Competition – Any animal in any medium.

Fri 13th 19:00 Purbeck Railway Circle meets in Harman’s Cross Village Hall. “My 20 years in Railway Preservation”. by Matt Green. Preceeded by AGM. Everyone Welcome.

19:30 Aladdin at The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage. Tickets: Adult £9, Cons £8, Child £5.

20:00 Eva Abraham Live acts at the Square and Compass, Worth Matravers.

Sat 14th 09:45 Swanage Walking Group meet at Corfe NT car park for a walk via Norden Farm, East Creech to Stonehill Down. Return along chalk ridge. Ffi 01929 422554.

14:00 Aladdin at The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage. Tickets: Adults £9, Cons £8, Child £5.

19:30 Aladdin at The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage. Tickets: Adult £9, Cons £8, Child £5.

20:00 Lost Coyotes Live acts at the Square and Compass, Worth Matravers.

Sun 15th 15:30 Alice and the Hounds At The Legion, Swanage.

Tue 17th 14:00 NHS Consultation at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Swanage. Ffi: www. dorsetvision.nhs.uk 14:30 Purbeck Assoc. of the National Trust at All Saints Church, Ulwell Rd, Sw. Illustrated talk ‘The Royal Naval Cordite Factory’ – Historian John England and filmmaker John Hale show excerpts from their DVD, and talk about the RNCF at Holton Heath; Till 4.00pm. £3.00 incl refreshments Ffi: 01929 427300.

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Wed 18th 10:00 Swanage Walking Group Meet at Sika Trail CP in Wareham Forest for walk via Great Ovens Hill, Gore Heath, Morden Bog and back to car park. Ffi 01929 422554.

Sat 21st 10:00 Swanage Walking Group meet at Stroud Bridge on Wareham-Bere road for a walk across Lower Hyde Heath to Bere Heath then cross Sugar Hill road to Oak Hill and Woolsbarrow. Ffi 01929 422554.

Tue 24th 18:00 Sixth Form Subject Evening. At Poole Grammar School.

19:30 Quiz! At The Catholic Hall, Swanage. £4 each to raise funds for the Pier.

20:00 Square Singles Night At The Square & Compass, Worth Matravers.

Wed 25th 10:00 Swanage Walking Group meet at NT car park by Bankes Arms in Studland for circular walk via Glebeland Estate, Ballard Down and back via Handfast Point.

Ffi 01929 480224.

Thu 26th 10:30 Probus 2 of Purbeck At the Purbeck House Hotel Swanage. “Presentation by Amy Kidd of Julia’s House”. Non members welcome but please contact Laurence on 425982 a few days before the event.

19:30 Biodiversity Recording, The Cyril Diver Legacy Illustrated talk at the Methodist Church, Swanage.

Sat 28th 09:30 Swanage Walking Group meet at Acton car park for linear walk to Dancing Ledge, Durlston Castle and on to Swanage. (will need to take No.40 bus to Acton before walk or return by bus afterwards). Ffi 01929 422554.

20:00 Rayna Gellert Live acts at the Square and Compass, Worth Matravers.

20:30 Hugh Budden & The Blue Chords At The Legion, Swanage.

Sun 29th 14:00 Rayna Gellert Live acts at the Square and Compass, Worth Matravers.

15:30 The Sparks At The Legion, Swanage.

19:30 The Kingdom of Paul Nash At Studland Village Hall. Tickets from Studland Stores, tickets £10, £6 under 18’s.

Mon 30th 09:30 Sixth Form Taster Day At Poole Grammar School.

FEBUARY Wed 1st Dignity in Care Day At Gainsborough Care Home. * Mon 13th 14:30 Members’ Slides At Langton Matravers Village Hall.

Tue 14th 14:00 Purbeck Parkinson’s Group At the All Saints Church Hall, Swanage. Ffi: T. Lander 01929 425970 or D Peters 01929 551962 Wed 15th 19:30 Beetle Drive At the Mowlem Community Room, Swanage. £4 each.

Thu 23rd 19:30 A Butterfly Odyssey Illustrated talk at the Methodist Church, Swanage.

MARCH Mon 13th 14:30 Brownsea Island Illustrated talk at Langton Matravers Village Hall.

Tue 14th 14:00 Purbeck Parkinson’s Group At the All Saints Church Hall, Swanage. Ffi: T. Lander 01929 425970 or D Peters 01929 551962 Thu 30th 19:30 Native British Reptiles Illustrated talk at the Methodist Church, Swanage.

WEEKLY EVENTS

EVERY MONDAY 09.00 U3A Table Tennis Group meet at Harmans Cross VH. 09.30 Under 2.5 years old group. Till 11am. at Parish Hall, Wm. 09.45 Toddler Club URC, Sw. Till 11.15 10.00 Table Tennis Club Sw FC All ages/abilities £2.50 Till noon. 480093 10.30 Flowers with Liz at the Purbeck Workshop in Wool. The Workshop provides craft activities free of charge to those touched by cancer - friends and family are welcome too. Unit 6, Woolbridge Business Centre, East Burton Rd, Wool.

BH20 6HG. www.purbeckworkshop.org 07757 776907. Email: richris95@ gmail.com 13.00 Play and Learn at Wareham’s Children’s Centre, Streche Rd, Wm. Till 2.45pm 13.00 Under 1s and Tums at Chapel Lane, Swanage. Till 3pm 14.00 Pins and Needles at Harmans Cross VH. 14.00 Swanage Disabled Club meet until 4pm. Meeting place alternates between Catholic Hall & Queensmead Hall, Sw. Transport available. Call Mrs Daphne Saville on 01929 425241 ffi.

16.45 Soccer Skills Sw FC First Sch chldn £1 Till 5.45. 425175 18.00 Sw Tennis Club Snr Club Session. 426312 19.00 Wareham Choral Society meet URC Meeting House, Chch St, Wm. Till 9.

New singers always welcome. 554229/553460 19.00 Swanage Youth Club. School year 10 and upwards. Till 9.30pm

The Purbeck Gazette

19.00 Whist. Come & join us at the Reading Room, Church Hill, Swanage. Ffi, call 07984 968733 19.00 Purbeck Chess Club. Mortons House Hotel, Corfe Castle. Ffi, call Brian Beard 425988 19.30 Purbeck Quire rehearse at Wm Methodist Church. New/visiting singers (no audition necessary). String & wind players also welcome. Ffi: 423505 or 480737.

19.30 Wareham Art Club Workshop at Wareham Parish Hall. Ffi: 553718.

19.30 Wm Folk Dance Club Stoboro’ VH. All welcome. 552763/551029 19.30 Swanage Badminton Club at the Swanage School, till 9.30pm. Ffi: 07966 136641.

19.30 Swanage Air Cadets meet at Air Training Corps HQ, Court Road, Sw. Cadets age 12+. Ffi: email: oc.2185@aircadets.mod.

20.00 DARTS at the RBL Club, Sw. 20.00 Herston Hall Management C’ttee Bingo EVERY TUESDAY 09.00 First Steps Toddler’s Group. Swanage Methodist Church till 10.15am. Ffi: Sylvia Garrett 425420, office hours, or sylviag@swanagemethodist.org.uk 09.30 Isle of Purbeck Arts Club. Painting and sketching. At the Catholic Church Hall, Rempstone Rd, Sw. Till 1pm. Outdoors in summer. Ffi: Gina on 421689.

09.30 Well Baby Clinic at Chapel Lane, Swanage. Till 11.30am.

09.30 Kiddies Corner Mother & Toddler Group (term time only) No fee - donations welcome. Purbeck Gateway Church. 551415 09.30 Wareham Art Club Workshop at Wareham Parish Hall. Ffi: 553718.

10.00 Wareham Croquet Club meet at the Recreation Ground until 5pm. New members and visitors welcome. Call Tony on 01929 550190 or Lesley on 01929 553927 or email warehamgolfcroquetclub@hotmail.com 10.00 Sw Tennis Club Club Session. Till 11. 426312 10.00 Sandford Toddlers at Sandford Community Hall, till 11.30am.

10.00 Short Tennis at Sw FC All ages & abilities £1.50 Till noon. 425175 10.30 Swanage Walking for Health Group starter walks (15-30mins). Start from the Mowlem Shelter on Swanage Seafront. Get back into the swing of things gently! Ffi: 481000 10.30 First Steps Toddler’s Group. Swanage Methodist Church till 11.45am. Ffi: Sylvia Garrett 425420, office hours, or sylviag@swanagemethodist.org.uk 12.00 Nature Tots (0-4yrs) at Bovington Memorial Hall Garden. Until 2pm 14.00 Swanage Walking for Health Group. Walks of 60-90mins, various locations.

Walks are very social, for a range of abilities. Walks start from car parks at Studland, Corfe, Arne, Durlston, Langton, Acton, Worth and Kingston. Ffi: 481000.

14.00 Harman’s Cross Village Hall Art Group Till 5 14.00 Wareham Short Mat Bowls. Furzebrook VH. Roll-up session, all standards welcome. Ffi 401799 17.00 Sw Tennis Club Junior Session till 6pm. 426312 18.00 Sw Youth Centre Girls’ Night (Yr 8+) Till 10 18.15 Sw Cricket Club Practice till 8.30pm 18.30 Sw Bridge Club Mowlem Community Room. 421840 19.00 Wareham Air Cadets meet at Air Training Corps HQ, St Martin’s Lane, Wm. Cadets age 12+. Ffi: email: oc.2185@aircadets.mod.

19.30 Swanage Group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets at Swanage Day Centre, High Street, Swanage. If you want help to stop drinking, you are welcome. Or call 01202 296000 for more details.

19.30 Sw & Langton Folk Dance Club Langton VH. Ffi: 421913 19.30 Belvedere Singers rehearsal at their NEW venue, St Mark’s CE VA Primary School, High St, Sw. Parking on-site. All singers welcome! 423729 20.00 Sw Regatta & Carnival Assoc Bingo Herston Leisure, Herston Yards Farm, Sw. 20.00 Carey Hall, Wm Bingo EVERY WEDNESDAY 09.00 St Mark’s Toddlers Group, St Mark’s Church, Swanage. Herston, Sw Till 11am 09.45 Corfe Wool Workshop Corfe VH, East St. Members £1.50; non-members £2.50. Till12.00. 427067 10.00 Short tennis for adults at Swanage Football Club. All welcome. Equipment supplied. Till noon.

10.00 Breast Feeding Group at Wareham’s Children Centre, Streche Rd, Wm. Offering peer support and breastfeeding counsellor advice. Till 12 noon. Ffi: 552864 10.30 Play and Learn at Kids of Wool (BH20 6DY) until 12 noon.

11.00 Volunteer Centre Drop-In at Swanage Library till 1pm. Find our about volunteering to support community groups & charities 13.00 Studland Toddler Group at Studland Village Hall until 2.30pm.

14.00 Herston Senior Citizens meet Herston Hall, Jubilee Rd, Sw. All welcome 14.00 Health Qigong: Fitness and relaxation. Till 3pm. With Penny at the Mowlem Community Room, Sw. Ffi 07969925502 15.00 Extend Exercise Class, now at Morton Village Hall. To improve strength, balance and flexibility. All welcome. Donations welcome. Ffi: 471490.

16.15 Swanage Football Club U-7s Training til 5.15pm. £1. Ffi: 426346 17.15 Swanage Football Club U-9s Training til 6.15pm. £1. Ffi: 426346 18.00 Swanage Youth Club. School years 7&8. Till 8.30pm 18.45 Sw Hockey Club Training Wm Sports Centre. Till 8. 424442 19.00 Wm Bridge Club at the Library, South St. 552257 19.00 Wareham Short Mat Bowls Club Roll-up evening Furzebrook VH. 401799 19.15 Purbeck Runners meet at the Crows Nest, Sw. 4/5 mile run.

19.30 Swanage Musical Theatre meet Swanage Bay View Complex Rehearsal Room. All welcome. Ffi: 426161

The Purbeck Gazette

20.00 Sw Youth Centre Club Night (Yr 9+) Till 10 20.15 Dorset Buttons Morris Practice. URC Hall, Wm. 423234/421130 20.30 Wm Swimming Club Adults. All standards + stroke improvement. Till 10 22.00 Sw Youth Centre Club Night (16+) Till 11.59 EVERY THURSDAY 08.30 Wm Home Producers Veg, cakes, plants, flowers, handicrafts. URC. New producers/helpers welcome. Till 11. 553798 09.00 Swanage Painting Club. Catholic Church Hall, Rempstone Rd, Sw. Friendly group. New members including beginners welcome. Till 1pm. Ffi: Jane on 01929 427078 09.30 Play and Learn at Chapel Lane, Swanage, till 11am.

09.30 Well Baby Clinic at Streche Road, Wareham, until 12 noon.

09.30 Sensory Play for under ones, at Bovington Centre until 10.30am 10.00 Wm Parent & Toddler Group During term Parish Hall, Quay Till 11.45.

556806 10.00 Wool Country Market D’Urbeville Hall. Cakes, preserves, plants, crafts, vegetables. Coffee & biscuits available.

10.00 Tea, Coffee, Biscuits at Queensmead Hall, Sw. Til 11am. Adm 50p 10.00 Volunteer Centre Drop-In at Wareham Library till 12pm. Find our about volunteering to support community groups & charities.

10.00 Wareham Croquet Club meet at the Recreation Ground until 5pm. New members and visitors welcome. Call Tony on 01929 550190 or Lesley on 01929 553927 or email warehamgolfcroquetclub@hotmail.com 10.30 Mid-Week Market Morning Service URC, Church St, Wm. Prayer requests to Revd. Simon Franklin 556976 10.30 Woodworking with Bernard and Terry at the Purbeck Workshop in Wool. The Workshop provides craft activities free of charge to those touched by cancer - friends and family are welcome too. Unit 6, Woolbridge Business Centre, East Burton Rd, Wool. BH20 6HG. www.purbeckworkshop.org 07757 776907.

Email: richris95@gmail.com 11.00 Sensory Play for 1-4yrs old at Bovington Centre, until 12 noon.

13.30 Under 1 year olds at Wareham’s Children’s Centre, Streche Rd, Wm. Antinatal mums welcome. Till 3pm. Ffi: 552864.

13.30 Toddler Group. All Saints’ Church, Sw. 423937. Till 3pm (Term times) 14.00 Life drawing classes at Harmans Cross Village Hall from 2pm till 4pm. For further information, ring 427621.

14.15 Sw Over-60s Meet in the Rectory Classroom, Swanage, Sw. All Welcome.

17.45 Swanage Youth Club. Learning Difficulties and disability (age 11-25) night.

Till 7.30pm 18.00 Five High Singers, United Reformed Church Hall, Swanage. 11 - 18 years.

Till 7pm 18.15 Sw Cricket Club Practice till 9pm 18.30 Swanage Sea Rowing Club Circuit Training at Swanage Middle School.

Ffi: 07776 201455 19.00 Health Qigong: Fitness and relaxation. Till 8pm. With Penny at Furzebrook VH, Wm. Ffi 07969925502 19.00 Purbeck Gateway Club meets at Wareham Youth Centre until 9pm.

Purbeck Gateway is a club for adults with learning difficulties. We meet

63

during term time and have fun! All welcome. Ffi: Lew on 552173. Email: Lewisbell1@aol.com 19.15 Wm Town Band Brass & Woodwind players welcome. 551478/01202 242147 19.30 Short Mat Bowls in the Durbeville Hall, Wool. All standards welcome, till 9.30pm. Ffi: 552682 19.30 Purbeck Arts Choir meet for rehersals, with conductor Jay Buckle, at St Mary’s School, Northbrook Road, Swanage. Sept-May. All welcome. For more information please phone Liz Roberts 01929 481419 19.30 Swanage Youth Club Youth Action (year 7 - sixth form). Till 9.30pm 20.00 Herston Hall OAP Committee Bingo Sw EVERY FRIDAY 09.30 Health Qigong: Fitness and relaxation. Till 10.30am. With Penny at Furzebrook VH, Wm. Ffi 07969925502 09.30 Little Fishes Baby and Toddler Group. Catholic Church Hall, Rempstone Road, Swanage. Term time only. Until 11.30am. Ffi: Alex on 07904 412067.

10.00 Swanage Library Rhyme Time, until 11.30am.

10.00 Table Tennis Club Sw FC All ages/abilities £2.50 Till noon. 480093 11.00 Toddler Time For Under 5s And Carers. Wareham Library. Stories, songs and crafts. Every Friday, including school holidays. Ffi: 01929 556146 14.00 Pottery Classes held in Corfe Castle. 2 - 5pm. Call Rachel 01929 480455 to book. £10pw 14.30 Short Mat Bowls at Durbeville Hall, Wool. Till 4.30pm. All standards welcome. Ffi: 552682.

18.00 Purbeck War-Game & Model Club. Royal British Legion, Sw. 426096.

18.00 Sw Youth Centre Club 12-13 (Yr 7-9) Till 8 18.00 Sw Tennis Club Senior Club Session. 426312 18.30 Sw Bridge Club Mowlem Community Room. 421840 19.00 Sw Youth Centre Seniors Club Night (Yr 9+) Till 9.30pm.

19.30 Short tennis for adults at Swanage Football Club. All welcome. Equipment supplied. Till 9.30pm. £3.

20.00 Sw Youth Centre Live Bands (as advertised) Till 10pm.

22.00 Sw Youth Centre Late Session (Yr 9+) till 11.59pm (members free) EVERY SATURDAY 08.00 Purbeck Runners meet at the Mowlem, Sw. 4/5 mile run.

09.00 Sw CC U11 - U15 Practice till 10.30 09.30 Sw CC U9 & U10 Practice & Kwik Cricket till 10.30 10.00 Tea, coffee and home-made cakes in the Parish Hall on Wareham Quay during the Community Market. Til 2pm. Bric-a-Brac stall weekly. Christian bookstall most weeks. All welcome for a warm-up and a friendly chat.

20.00 Herston OAP Committee Bingo at Herston Hall, Sw EVERY SUNDAY 09.00 Purbeck Runners meet at the Mowlem, Sw. 8+ mile run.

10.00 Arts and Crafts Market at the Mowlem in Swanage. A wide range of local art for sale, including pottery, glass, cards, fabric and much more! To book your table, or for more information, call Tony on 01929 421321.

10.30 Stoborough Emmanuel Baptist Church meet at Stoborough First School, Stoborough. All very welcome.

The Purbeck Gazette

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The Purbeck Gazette

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The Purbeck Gazette

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The Purbeck Gazette

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