Celebrate Imbolc On 1st February

Imbolc (or Imbolg) is also called St. Brigid’s Day and is celebrated on 1st February each year and is a Gaelic (Irish) traditional festival marking the beginning of Spring. It is approximately halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Time to celebrate the lengthening days and the early signs of spring.

Imbolc is one of the four traditional Gaelic seasonal festivals. The others being Beltane (1st May), Lughnasa (1st August) and Samhain (31 Oct). As well as signifying the beginning of Spring, Imbolc is also associated with the onset of the lambing season and the blossoming of blackthorn.

St. Brigid was a Christianization of the goddess of fertility, Brigid. St. Brigid was also invoked to protect homes and livestock. The holiday was a festival of the hearth and home. It is time to ‘spring clean’. To receive the blessings of St. Brigid, people would make a bed for her and leave her food and drink. Items of clothing would be left outside for her to bless. The lighting of candles and fires represents the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months. For Christians, particularly in Ireland, it is a time to feast! Although many of its customs died out in the 20th century, it is still observed and in some places it has been revived as a cultural event.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Imbolc,#Imbolg,#Spring.#2021,#NationalLockdown,#ProtectHome,#Feast,#EatDrinkBeMerry,#Celebrate,#StayAtHome,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Post Office Open Today

Throughout this National Lockdown the Post Office Outreach service has been going on. Peter and John from Crewkerne post office come to the Comrades Hall each Tuesday and Friday morning providing villagers with this great service.

Open at 10am until 12.30pm, you are requested to record your name and postcode upon entering for tracking purposes. There is a one way system in operation for entering and leaving. Stay safe.

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Sunshine In The Snow

Many enjoyed their exercise today by walking outside in the sunshine following the flurry of snow we had in the early hours of this morning. Sledges were pulled out, snowballs thrown and some snowmen condemned to a short existence were built. Rain has already arrived and more rain is forecast for the forthcoming week so enjoy the slideshow of pictures captured today by some villagers. Stay safe.

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#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Sunshine,#Snow,#DoYouWantToBuildASnowman,#StayWarm,#StaySafe

Admiral Hood Adds Lunchtime Takeaways

As some people don’t like travelling after dark, Kath at the Admiral Hood in neighbouring Mosterton has added a Friday lunchtime takeaway slot.
You can collect between midday until 1.30pm. Last call for orders is at 11am on the Friday.

This is in addition to their usual takeaway times: 5.30pm – 7.30pm, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and Sunday lunch 12 – 2pm.

Their takeaway menu can be found on the Takeaway Food page HERE.

Kath also offers a Pudding menu with their Sunday lunches –

Please phone: 01308 868338 to pre order your food.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Mosterton,#AdmiralHood,#Takeaway,#Pudding#StayAtHome,#SaveLives,#StaySafe

Update On Vaccines From Barton House Practice

Dr. Farrell provides an update on the Covid-19 vaccinating programme:

Please share the message to those who may not use social media. Thank you.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#BartonHouseMedicalPractice,#Vaccinations,##SaveTheNHS,#SaveLives,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Pedigree & Chappie Dog Food Recalled

First announced on 15th January, dog owners are being warned of a product recall on certain types of dog food due to concerns about Vitamin D poisoning.

Although there is nothing prominent on the Mars Petcare UK website, you can find more details on the UK Pedigree website. They are doing a precautionary recall of a limited number of Pedigree® Complete Dry Chicken and Vegetables, Pedigree® Mixer & Chappie® products containing levels of Vitamin D which could prove harmful to your pet if consumed over several weeks.

Owners who have purchased the products are being advised to immediately stop feeding it to their dogs and contact the consumer care team.

The details of the products being recalled are:

CHAPPIE Complete Chicken & Wholegrain Dry Dog Food

Pack size: 3kg
Batch code: 045F9MIN05
Best before: 11 May 2022

PEDIGREE Mixer Adult Dry Dog Original

Pack size: 3kg
Batch code: 046E9MIN05 046F9MIN05 048A9MIN05
Best before: 12 February 2022 20 February 2022 22 February 2022

PEDIGREE Mixer Adult Dry Dog Food Original

Pack size: 10kg
Batch code: 046E9MIN08 047C9MIN08
Best before: 12 February 2022 17 February 2022

PEDIGREE Mixer Adult Dry Dog Food Original

Pack size: 10kg
Batch code: 046E9MIN08 047C9MIN08
Best before: 12 February 2022 17 February 2022

PEDIGREE Adult Complete Dry Dog Food with Chicken & Vegetables

Pack size: 12kg
Batch code: 046C9MIN08 046D9MIN08 046E9MIN08
Best before: 10 February 2022 11 February 2022 12 February 2022

PEDIGREE Adult Complete Dry Dog Food with Chicken & Vegetables

Pack size: 2.6kg
Batch code: 045F9MIN05 047A9MIN05
Best before: 06 February 2022 15 February 2022

What is the risk involved?

Alice Moore, a Dorset veterinary surgeon at Castle Veterinary Clinic, Dorchester and Weymouth. said: “Dogs are very sensitive to some compounds of vitamin D and accidental ingestion of vitamin D tablets can cause significant toxicity.
Signs include drinking a lot, vomiting, diarrhoea, depression and lethargy. In severe cases, heart problems, kidney failure and vomiting blood can occur, and dogs have lost their lives after accidental ingestion of vitamin D tablets.”

Pedigree has advised owners to seek advice from a vet if you have fed this product to your pet and they are showing signs of illness. Symptoms to look out for include excessive drinking and urination.

A spokesman for Pedigree said: “These products do not meet our high quality and safety standards, so we are taking this proactive step to retrieve the listed products. We ask consumers who have purchased these specific, affected products to immediately cease feeding it to their pet and contact our consumer care team for more information.”

You can contact Mars Petcare Customer Service by telephone: 0800 013 3131 and online to UK. Pedigree HERE.

Local Vets:

Girling & Bowditch, Tunnel Road, Beaminster: 01308 862312
Bredy Veterinary Centre, Bridport: 01308 4567771
Haydon Vets, Gore Cross, Bridport:013088 456808
Kingfisher Veterinary Practice, Tower Hill Road, Crewkerne: 01460 72443

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Vets,#Pets,#DogFood,#ProductRecall,##BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Full Moon on Thursday, 28th January

The Full Wolf Moon rises on Thursday, January 28, 2021. It’s thought that January’s full Moon came to be known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more often heard howling at this time. It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that wolves howl for other reasons.

The Gaelic word for January, Faoilleach, comes from the term for wolves, faol-chù, even though wolves haven’t existed in Scotland for centuries. The Saxon word for January is Wulf-monath, or Wolf Month. Meanwhile, the festival of the Japanese wolf god, Ooguchi Magami, is also held in January. The Seneca tribe links the wolf so strongly to the moon, they believe that a wolf gave birth to the moon by singing it into the sky! So just why are wolves so strongly associated with January’s full moon?

The most obvious answer is because wolves are much louder and more noticeable in January, which is when breeding season begins. Wolves begin to howl more frequently and aggressively to establish their territory, threatening neighbours and enemies alike to stay far away from their breeding grounds. A small pack of wolves may even try to make themselves seem like a larger pack by howling together. While a lone wolf can sustain a howl for the duration of a single breath, an entire pack may howl in unison for longer than two minutes during breeding season. Howling and other wolf vocalizations are generally used to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and coordinate hunting.

Wolves are so well-known for their tight-knit communities that the Sioux tribe called January’s full moon the Moon Where Wolves Run Together. The wolf is often seen as a symbol of loyalty and protection in many cultures. The Wolf Moon is the perfect time for you to reach out to loved ones and reaffirm your connections, in preparation for deepening your bonds and taking on new challenges together over the upcoming year. We’ve most certainly got those ahead.

Stay safe with your pack!

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#FullMoon,#Farmers,#WolfMoon,#LookUp,#SocialDistancng,#SnowdropsAreUp,#StayAtHome,#StaySafe

What To Do When Someone Dies

For those who have not explored the Broadwindsor.org website, there is far more information than you see in the posts on the social media sites. There are so many of us experiencing the death of our family members, friends and neighbours, of all ages at this time – one example is the page on What To Do When Someone Dies. Click HERE to read more…

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Death,#Legal.#RedTape,#Condolences,#TellUsOnce,#StayAtHome,#SaveLives,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Energy Efficient Funding For Home Owners – Deadline Extended

Back in October 2020, Broadwindsor.org published a post about The Green Homes Grant. It is a Government-funded voucher scheme designed to help with the installation of energy efficiency measures on homes in England to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions. This could be used for insulation, double glazing and a host of other things that will improve the energy efficiency of your home and your home’s value.

The scheme launched at the beginning of October 2020 and you only had until 31 March 2021 to get the installation completed, which was not be easy for everyone. finding a local installer was another problem. The deadline has now been extended for a further 12 months until 31st March 2022. While you no longer need to rush to get involved, do factor in the time it takes to get quotes, apply to the scheme and get the work completed.

The voucher of up to £5,000 will cover at least two thirds of the cost of some energy-saving home improvements. Some homeowners on qualifying benefits can get a voucher for up to £10,000 towards the cost of these home improvements.
You cannot get the Green Homes Grant for newly built homes which have not been previously occupied.

To qualify for any financial support, you’ll need to install what the Government calls “primary” improvements. These are:

Insulation, including solid wall, cavity wall, underfloor, loft or roof insulation. Insulation for a park home is also included.
Low-carbon heating, including air-source, ground-source and hybrid heat pumps, solar thermal systems and biomass boilers, which provide renewable ways of heating your home.

Check if you are eligible HERE.

Financial journalist & TV Presenter Martin Lewis produced a short video in October to try and explain things easier…

If you are eligible, apply for your Green Grant HERE.

When launched, as well as the tight six month deadline, finding an installer was also a problem:

More installers have been added, with the Government stating more firms are being added every day.
You should only see firms operating within a 30-mile radius of your home now

Air Source Heat Pumps are one of the low carbon heating solutions included in the scheme and Dorset Energy Solutions are proud to be an MCS certified Contractor who is also TrustMark approved. If you qualify for installing an air source heat pump, please get in touch with them to arrange a site visit where we can assess the property and provide you with a free quote. Visit their site HERE.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#GreenHomesGrantScheme,#Homeowners,#SimpleEnergyAdvice,#GovernmentGuidelines,#DorsetEnergySolutions,#Insulation,#AirSourceHeating,#DoubleGlazing,#Heating,#StayWarm,#Covid19,#StayAtHome,#SaveLives,#SupportTheNHS,#SocialDistancing,#StaySafe

Graph Compares Pressure On Hospitals

This is published in a desperate plea to silence the non-believers, those who think Covid-19 is a ridiculous conspiracy theory and to those who think the rules don’t apply to them. There have been 1,290 deaths from Covid-19 in the UK over the last 7 days. The average number of people dying in the UK over the last week is 1,218 and is still rising.

The graph below shows the total number of adult critical care beds occupied in London only over a typical winter. Beginning with the winter of 2013-2014, it is then compared with the total number of adult critical care beds occupied at this current time.

These figures are not just numbers or statistics – these are human lives: our family members, our friends, our neighbours.
Heartfelt condolences to all those who have suffered loss.

Please stay at home and stay safe. If you must go out, wear your mask, practice social distancing and follow the Government guidelines. If you need support, it is out there. If you can’t find it – please contact this website and assistance of direction will be given.

In August 2020, Broadwindsor.org also published a comparison graph showing the global deaths due to various causes and Covid-19. You can view that graph HERE.

This is Covid-19 and not the flu! Please Stay Home Protect the NHS and Save Lives.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Covid19,#StayAtHome,#SaveLives,#SupportTheNHS,#SocialDistancing,#WearYourMask,#Vaccine,#NationalLockdown,#2021,#BeSafe,#StaySafe