
12 minute read
Leigh
REPS: Philippa Toulson philippa.toulson@gmail.com Eddie Upton upton.eddie@gmail.com DISTRIBUTOR: Judy Tuke
The elusive Leigh Tulip
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Please look at Alan Bennett’s Parish Council update and give some thought to attending the village annual meeting. What the council does affects us all so we should all show a healthy interest in this meeting.
Thanks to two eagle-eyed and quick-witted villagers we can include photographic evidence of two remarkable aspects of Leigh life. Fiona Parks has tracked down and photographed the rare Leigh Tulip and has even researched its Latin name, Tulipa Sylvestris. Until now we have had to rely on the drawing in Barbara Boswell’s book, so well done Fiona.
A couple of years ago a house was demolished in the village and a toilet was left standing while building work went on around it. Thanks to Michelle Read whose photograph suggests that Leigh’s open air toilet has mysteriously reappeared!
Finally, a very warm welcome to the village to Jessica and Boz who have moved into Rosemarie Cottage in South Street, and to Sally and Brian who have taken up residence in one of the new houses on Chetnole Road.
Philippa Toulson and Eddie Upton
Photo: Fiona Parks


After several months of listening to online and radio services, we were able to celebrate Easter in glorious sunshine in the churchyard. It was lovely to be able to come together again and to sing as well as worship. After so long away from the church, it was a real pleasure to welcome 43 people to that service. Let’s hope this signals a return to a regular pattern of services. Whenever possible, we will hold our services in the open air.
We are planning three services in May, each at 10.00am. There will be a Rogation Sunday Communion service on 9 May, another Communion service on 16 May and a lay-led service on 23 May. We have a few chairs available in the church, but it would help greatly if you could bring a picnic chair with you.
Prompted by the death of Prince Philip, there is now a Memorial Book in the church. This gives us all the opportunity to record the death of someone in the village, or of whom we have particular
affection. We will also be able to record events that help us remember past lives. The book is there for any of us to write in. It doesn’t have any legal standing, but we hope it will hold emotional significance for us all. On 31 March we held our first Remembering Past Lives service in the churchyard. We wish to hold this short service of reflection and celebration at 10.00am on the 31st of each month containing 31 days, so the next one Easter cross at St. Andrew's will be at 10.00am on 31 May. Again, please bring your own chair with you. The new Memorial Book will be brought to each of these services. The return of our monthly coffee mornings is getting ever closer. The first of these will be on Tuesday 1 June at 10.30am. Covid-19 restrictions mean this will be in the churchyard – please bring a mug as well as a chair. After June we hope that regulations will allow us back into the church for these First Tuesday coffee mornings. Finally, we ask everyone’s co-operation regarding our care of the environment and of the churchyard. Since 2007, the Church of England has clearly stipulated that artificial flowers should not be used Photo: Michelle Read in churchyards. We feel that we cannot ignore this ruling any longer, and we ask that from 1 July, we only have real flowers in the churchyard.
Alaistair Cumming and Eddie Upton
Churchwardens 19

Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages all of us to be part of the solution to the dreadful environmental damage caused by plastic pollution, so that there can be cleaner streets and oceans as well as beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics?
As the Leigh Climate Group’s first major project we have decided to see how we get on taking part in the campaign initiated by plasticfree.org in Australia. And – much the most important news – we hope that as many of you as possible will join us in the attempt. None of us is perfect, and it will be truly remarkable if anyone manages to go entirely plastic free for the month, but every small step will be an achievement and we will be sharing the experience with each other.
Our plan is to make cotton kitbags that can be used as shopping bags and give one to every family that wants to join the attempt. The bags will include some simple goodies, discount cards, and suggestions for ways of reducing the role of plastic in our 21st-century lives. At the beginning of June, we are going to ask you to sign up for the kitbags. They will be ready for you at the end of the month, then we will all embark on our attempt together, sharing discoveries and information as we go, during July. With luck we will learn some skills and tips that we can continue to employ in our everyday lives and at the least we will have become more aware of how incredibly difficult it is to avoid singleuse plastic.
There will also be a competition and prizes for both under-18s and adults who come up with smart suggestions. We will be posting updates on the Leigh Climate Group’s Facebook page, and hope you will post suggestions and questions too. It will be fascinating to discover how we all get on.
Thank you in advance for supporting this initiative.


plastic free shopping
Leigh parish council update and forthcoming annual village meeting
At the March parish council meeting, it was decided to close the ‘Leigh Lifeline’, as it had not been called during the past three months. It had been established a year ago to support the most vulnerable residents during periods of lockdown. However, the associated page on Facebook will continue. I know that many of our residents have been most grateful for the support that was provided via the ‘Leigh Lifeline’; I am sure that all in the parish will join in the council’s heartfelt thanks to Julia Jepson for initiating the scheme, and to all those – too many to mention – who acted as support coordinators. Their efforts showed our community at its best.
As we (hopefully) now return to a more normal way of life, concern has been expressed regarding the speed of some traffic through the village. After discussion with Dorset Council’s Highways department, the intention is to add to the existing road markings, and refresh those already in situ. The areas under consideration for these upgrades are: the approaches to the narrow parts of the Chetnole Road by the church and between the Fudges and the Back Drove junction; and the road between Leigh Cross and Bridge Garage. An application has also been made, in conjunction with High Stoy parish council, to extend the present 40mph zone through Totnell so that it includes Three Gates.
Until three years ago, Leigh had an active ‘Community Speed Watch’ (CSW) patrol; vehicle speeds were monitored in village locations approved by Dorset Police, and speeding offenders were accordingly written to by them. While the system was operating, speeds through the village were demonstrably reduced but then sadly, due to the team leader’s relocation to pastures new, the patrols fell into abeyance. However, recent developments indicate that we will soon have a new team leader. Assuming this is so, we will also need about eight assistants (so that a patrol of three or four people can be mounted regularly). If you are prepared to consider joining this group, please contact Beverley Harrison (leigh@ dorset-aptc.gov.uk) – no commitment is sought at this stage. Once the Leigh CSW has re-formed, patrols can be mounted as often as the leader and assigned team feel appropriate. These topics and others will be on the agenda for the forthcoming annual village meeting – 7.00pm on Tuesday 18 May. Assuming the roadmap for relaxation of the current Covid regulations progresses as planned, it is intended that the meeting will be in person in the Leigh village hall. This is your chance to raise any issues that might be of general concern to the parish’s residents – so do come along and give your view on current or proposed future initiatives.
Alan Bennett
arcbennett@hotmail.co.uk 21

Measures to improve road safety in Leigh for cyclists and pedestrians
Further to Alan’s piece above, Leigh Parish Council are having discussions with the Dorset Highways Team to improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the village. The section of Chetnole Road by the church/Leighcote and the section immediately after Back Drove towards the New Coach House are blind corners, narrow and without a footpath. There is also concern regarding the stretch of road between Greenham House and Orchard Hollow/Bridge farm with a risk of collision at the driveway of the Old Stores.
Dorset Highways suggest they refresh the SLOW signs on the Chetnole Road spots, highlight them with a yellow bar on either side of the SLOW and put in white side bars along the roadside to emphasise the narrowness of the section. They will consider the issue of the road adjacent to the Old Stores.
Before any of the above markings are improved, Dorset Highways wish Leigh residents to be made aware, to identify any strong opposition to the intended markings. Please email cate.m.dixon@ gmail.com to record your support or objection to these measures. Thanks.
Cate Dixon
cate.m.dixon@gmail.com
Leigh Candle Auction 2021
Well, the hall is booked, the Trustees are primed and so, if all goes according to plan, this year’s Candle Auction will be held in Leigh Village Hall on Wednesday, 23 June (7.30 for 8.00pm).
We hope – indeed, intend – to run the grub and bar bonuses in the pre-Covidnormal way. That said, who needs food and drink to supplement the excitement and tension that always accompanies the bidding for Alton and Beere/Bere/ Beer Mill meads, as the candles flame and flicker, sometimes for twenty minutes, sometimes for 20 seconds? It’s like the last day of a closely fought test match!
Hope to (be able to) see you there.
Gordon Morris
Chairman, Leigh Parish Lands Trust

Viscount Hugh le Hardy
1921–2021

Viscount Hugh le Hardy died on 2 April aged 100, ten days short of his 101st birthday. Hugh came frequently to Kingsleigh, Leigh, from Belgium. He loved Dorset and had many friends here. He enjoyed all the field sports.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR APRIL WINNERS.
Winners for the April draw:
1st Ball No 157 Mr and Mrs S.Porter £40 2nd Ball No 33 Kevin Roberts £20 3rd Ball No 20 Trish Harvey £10 4th Ball No 37 Heather Baldock £5
If you would like to take part, please contact: Julian Turnbull on 01935 873846 or Alastair Cumming on 01935 872401 It is only £1 per month
A series on the singularities of our county. 1. The Naga Chilli. No problem for birds.
The Dorset Naga chilli, (its antecedence is in Bangladesh and North East India not Piddlehinton) is a substrain of the Bhut Jolokia, and was once talked of as the hottest chilli in the world. In fact it has ceded the No 1 position to the Carolina Reaper. The ferocity of chillis is measured on a scale called the Scoville Heat Unit. The Reaper delivers an explosive average SHU of 1.3 million,


TheNaga:idealforBudgies? and can go up to a nuclear 2.2 million. The Naga is a more delicate 923,000. on average. Delicate? That’s still about 400 times hotter than Tabasco Sauce. The fire comes not, as is often thought, from its seeds, but from the white spongy layer inside, the placenta, which contains the heat generating capsaicin which binds on to the TRPV1 receptors in your mouth. Wild chilli plants evolved with capsaicin to deter mammals from consuming them. Birds, lacking TRPV1 receptors, are able to eat them without trouble, thus helping the plant disperse its seeds far and wide. Described by one chef as having a sweet, slightly tart flavour with woody, smoky flavours the Naga is thought to be ideal for BBQs, though it’s not made clear if you should use it in the recipe or to light the barbeque.
David Stanton IAC ICPT ISOCS ISSUP
Senior Psychotherapist/Counsellor. Mental Health Consultant. Trainer. Counselling for individuals, couples, children, adolescents, families and groups. Face to face and online. 40+ years’ experience. Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Self Esteem, Relationship problems, Family Dynamics, Bereavement, Eating Disorders, Substance/Alcohol Abuse, Addictions. Isolation, Loneliness, PTSD, Bi-Polar, OCD, Fear, Sexual/Physical Abuse, Self-Harming, Death Anxiety, Sex Issues. Lack of Meaning & Purpose, Anger, Phobias, Gender, Sexuality, Social Justice. Conflict Resolution. Crisis Management. Available for Mental Health and Emotional Wellness Workshops, Retreats, Seminars, Training and Talks. CONFIDENTIALITY ASSURED.
www.tatvacenter.com www.edas-addictionservices.com or telephone – David 07584 711488




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