Yetminster

The saddest news in the past month for the WVM has to be the passing of editor, Bella Neate-Clegg. She was a great editor raising the WVM to prize winning status. She will be very much missed and all our best wishes go out to her family. (See also pp 31–37) And of course, we must welcome the new editor, Kathryn Edwards, on board and wish her every success taking up this challenging role.

As we are gradually being released from lockdown, how is everybody feeling? In amongst the mass of words I have read in magazines and online I came across a cartoon which seemed brilliantly to sum up the situation. The picture was a room with three people looking towards a window and a garden outside. The speech bubbles went: “What time is it?”, “What day is it?”, “Are we in March still?”. The three-month time warp has passed so quickly. Never has so little been done, by so many, for so long!

We also saw the end of the clapping for the NHS and key workers. I was wondering if there is an official list of key workers. We obviously think of nurses, doctors, care workers and then quickly paramedics, police, fire, postmen and women. But do we think of all those delivery drivers, without whom lockdown life would be quite unbearable? 42

And what about all those employees of Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP)? With the closing of the tips there was immediately a spate of fly-tipping and the, albeit brief, cancellation of garden rubbish collection had a similar effect. So if they are not there already I would like to put those two groups, at least, on the thank you list.

However, we have been very lucky on two counts: the weather and the environment we live in. (We need that Neighbourhood Plan – also on hold due to lockdown – to make sure our environment is kept safe). For those who have been allowed out to walk, the village and the surrounding countryside, the sights and views seen in the prolonged warm sunshine have been a great morale booster.

Walking early one morning in that blissful sunshine I looked up into a clear blue, cloudless sky and saw a strange, silver looking object very high up. Behind it trailed long streaks of white. It was far too high for a bird. Any idea what it might have been?

As they say, stay alert. Remember, Britain needs its lerts.

John Ferretter

50/50 Club JUNE 2020 ‘Bumper Draw’

1st prize 2 nd Prize 3 rd Prize 4 th Prize £100 £50 £30 £20 No.1 No.37 No.48 No.26 Mrs. L. Clothier Mr. G. Goater Mrs. P. Hart Dr. I. Latham

Want to join? – forms available at http://yetminsterparishes.gov.uk/a-z/yetminster-fair-association The Association raises money for local organisations and is non-profit making and run entirely with voluntary support yetminsterfair@aol.com

YETMINSTER HISTORY SOCIETY

A 17 th Century Lockdown?

Sadly, of course there has again been no summer outing to write up. Actually I have visited SS Great Britain (the planned trip) a couple of times already but was looking forward to picking up all those interesting snippets of information and trivia that the tour guides give you.

Instead then, given that coronavirus and lockdown still dominate the news and our daily lives, I thought I would compare notes with a famous ‘lockdown’ of the Great Plague of 1665/6.

Fleas from infected rats spread the plague. Medical science had not advanced very far back then – no drugs, gels or disinfectants. To the ordinary person the transmission was even more mysterious than Covid-19 is to us today. We may know it is a virus but, for the majority of us, what a virus is, how it multiplies and how and why it kills

is just as mysterious, despite the TV graphics and expert interviews. Exactly as today, the most effective precaution was isolation, whether self or officially imposed. Naval ships patrolled the Thames estuary to prevent vessels from ports suspected of having infection entering any further. They would be quarantined at Canvey Island for 40 days. It makes the current fortnight seem quite tolerable by comparison.

Perhaps one of the most memorable isolations was at the village of Eyam (pronounced ‘eem’) in Derbyshire. The plague began there when cloth, infested with fleas, was delivered from London. As the disease took, the village decided, among other precautions similar to today’s social distancing, to go into quarantine to prevent infection spreading. The plague lasted 14 months and only 86 people from a

population of 350 survived.

Survival seems to have been random. The village gravedigger survived despite handling so many infected bodies. Another notable survivor was

Elizabeth Hancock, although she had nursed a husband and six children all of whom died. Ironically there is now a certain Secretary of State, who is reported to have said he belongs to that family and doesn’t mind it being known! However it was not reported what was the precise relationship to Elizabeth. A genealogical research job for someone?

Yetminster & Ryme Intrinseca Parish Council

Notes from the Chairman.

It is important to keep up with the changing Covid 19 advice provided by Dorset Council and we are continually updating the parish website pages to reflect this so do please visit the site – https://yetminsterparishes.gov.uk

We are grateful for the effort and commitment of our local volunteers offering help and support during the pandemic – a huge thank you to you all. There is a new contact number for the help line if you need assistance with collecting medicines or shopping etc. during the present restrictions. You are now asked to ring 01395 221022 which is the central number for support in Dorset, although you can still leave requests and messages at yetvirushelp@ gmail.com and these will also be passed on. The help line is open 8.00am–8.00pm, seven days a week and they have access to a large number of helpers throughout the County.

The Hamcrate allotments are looking rather splendid, with all the work that the allotments holders have been putting in, and we are also grateful to Mike Bird for helping to sort out some of the vacant plots and the pathways. We also have some new users and I understand

Next meeting

Members should, by the time of reading this, have received an email advising of the cancellation of the autumn programme in view of the Coronavirus announcements, and plans for an electronic form of AGM. Keep a watch out for further communications and updates.

John Ferretter

that the whole site has quite a vibrant atmosphere.

We have received further advice from the Government and from Dorset Council and can now move forward with finalising the Pre-submission Neighbourhood Plan document. The community consultation that was put on hold is now likely to take place in September so do look out for further information (sorry I know I have said this before!) as we progress with this. We have also made what will be our last grant application for funding to revise and complete the document once the consultation has been completed so we have our fingers crossed that we are successful with this. AECOM (they provide free technical help as part of the Neighbourhood Plan process) have been asked if they will undertake a Plan Health Check and, again, we will hopefully also be given this as it will help us get things right for the final examination.

As advised, we have held a trial “virtual” meeting and all those attending felt it was a success. We are hoping to have our first public meeting in mid-July, and you will be able to join this by contacting the Clerk. More details will follow on the Noticeboards and on the website.

Continue to stay safe.

David Torrance, Chairman YRIPC

YETMINSTER GUIDES AND RANGERS

Yetminster Guides and Rangers Still Zooming

It really is amazing what you can achieve over a video call. Yetminster Guides and Rangers have been running online every week since the start of lockdown and we are starting to get a bit adventurous with our sessions.

Cookery sessions have worked well, with the girls all copying the leader’s demonstrations to make delicious cakes and cookies.

Crafts have also worked well with toilet roll art and sewing face masks going down a storm. An impromptu Scavenge Hunt had everyone laughing and running all over their houses and gardens.

At this time of year we would normally be out and about taking advantage of the light evenings to go outside, play games and make dens in the woods, and although we have managed to run quite a few activities from our badgework programme, we are all itching to put up our tents and go camping. It looks like we might have to organise a virtual camp… …I guess there will be less paperwork!!

We have no idea when we will be allowed to meet again as a unit in person, but we have had some lovely feedback from both parents and girls regarding the online sessions. I would like to thank our Volunteer Leaders and Young Leaders in the Yetminster team – Darryl, Natalie, Christine, Jo, Caroline, Fiona, Sophie, Sally and Tilly – for all their hard work throughout the year.

We have four sections meeting in Yetminster every Thursday during term time. Leigh Rainbows and Brownies meet 5.45–7.00pm and Yetminster Guides and Rangers from 7.00–8.30pm. We currently have spaces in all sections and would be delighted to welcome new members – please go to www.girlguiding. org.uk and click on Information for Parents, Register your Daughter.

Angela Orton Guide and Ranger Leader

Yetminster Scout Group

It has been a very strange couple of months not being able to hold any form of face-to-face scouting meetings, and I am sure all the leaders are feeling the same.

I transported the donated stamps to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, and they were incredibly grateful. I have however an apology to make. When mentioning the Yetminster gentleman who donated thousands of stamps, I gave an incorrect surname. His correct surname is Mr Bugler, thank you again.

The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts have missed several weekly sessions and various activities and camps that were planned throughout the last few weeks, and will miss more in the coming weeks. We'll make up for this once we get back.

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts have been busy hiking during their permitted exercise with parents, camping in their gardens and one scout, under the supervision of his father, created an amazing metalwork model. Many thanks to the parents that have supported them and taken the time to submit photos and other evidence to me so that their badges could be updated.

There are vacancies for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts and we would invite any parents or carers to contact us if your son or daughter would like to join us.

It would be great to hear from you – and once registered, your Beaver, Cub or Scout will be able to start working on exciting and challenging badgework and learning the history of the movement and our Group from home.

Our Scout Group has its own Online Scouting Management system that has a fantastic parent portal link keeping you in touch with what is going on and how your child is progressing. We continue to work with the local community and look forward to forming new links once things return to normal.

We have a current fundraising project that I submitted to Calor Community Fund and this is for new equipment inside the hut to make it safer and more comfortable for the young people. The project also