A message from landlord of the Comrades Arms, Andrew Hookings:
“Sadly due to a long standing booking the bar will be closed on Friday and Saturday nights, but will reopen and return to normal service on Sunday 28th November between 12 noon and 3pm and then Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm until further notice.
Details shortly of Christmas and New Year opening times.”
A summary of the latest minutes from the Steering Group’s meeting on 18th November, provided by Margery Hookings:
Work is going on behind the scenes to re-open the White Lion in Broadwindsor as a community pub. The community needs to raise at least £30,000 to make it happen.
The Steering Group comprises:
The following is a summary of the latest meeting, excluding commercially sensitive or personal information.
Save the White Lion, summary of meeting 18/11/21
Community Benefit Society application – because of changed criteria, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) turned down our application. It is not worth us appealing due to time, money and the FCA is unlikely to back down so we now need a new legal structure. This is likely to be a Community Interest Company. Investigations and communication continue. [This means the community pub is not likely to open until early 2022.]
Applicants – we are in contact with two sets of people who have applied to run the pub.
Business plan – This continues to be updated. Cash flow in the first year will depend on the starting date.
Grants and fundraising:
Refurbishment:
There has been a constructive meeting with Palmers. Builders have been working recently on behalf of the brewery at the back of the pub.
Banner – Chris E has made enquiries re a large banner which will be purchased and placed in a prominent position once we go back to the community at a public meeting.
Tree lights in the Square – Palmers have agreed to a Christmas tree above the pub door.
Next meeting – the next meeting will be held once we have an update on the new legal structure to take the project forward.
At Broadwindsor’s Artsreach event on Sunday, 31st October – there will be an exclusive opportunity to win a Dave Brubeck’s 40th Anniversary Tour Polo Shirt (Large size) in a raffle to be drawn at the interval. The black polo shirt is unworn with coloured embroidery which reads “The Dave Brubeck Quartet” in gold and “40th Anniversary Tour” in green.
Tickets at £5 are on sale now at Broadwindsor Community Stores and will be on sale prior to the start of the Matinee Jazz on 31st October.
David Warren Brubeck – (December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an Californian jazz pianist and composer, considered one of the foremost exponents of cool jazz.
Dave Brubeck married jazz lyricist Iola Whitlock in September 1942; the couple were married for 70 years, until his death in 2012.
The 40th Anniversary Tour of the U.K. produced a 1998 live album by Dave Brubeck and his quartet recorded over three consecutive concerts in the United Kingdom, some 40 years after he had first visited the country.
The line up then was:
Often incorrectly attributed to Brubeck, the song “Take Five“, which has become a jazz standard, was composed by Brubeck’s long-time musical partner, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond. Written in 5/4 time, “Take Five” has endured as a jazz classic forever associated with Brubeck.
The local supply ot tickets for Neil Maya’s Quarteret on 31st October are almost out 🙂 Any remaining tickets are held with Artsreach – please visit www.artsreach.co.uk
Good luck in the raffle!
A summary of the latest minutes from the Steering Group’s meeting on 18th October, provided by Margery Hookings:
Work is going on behind the scenes to re-open the White Lion at Broadwindsor as a Community Pub. The community needs to raise at least £30,000 to make it happen.
The Steering Group comprises:
The following is a summary of the latest meeting, excluding commercially sensitive or personal information.
Save the White Lion, summary of meeting 18/10/21
Community Benefit Society application –
Slight delay while the Plunkett Foundation, which is advising us, talks to the Financial Conduct Authority about the legality of the set-up before we can go to the community with a share offer. We should know within three weeks.
Grants and fundraising –
Broadwindsor Group Parish Council has agreed a grant of £5,400 which represents three years’ grant all in one go. A great deal of work has been carried out to identify suitable grant-making bodies. It is difficult to pursue these while we await confirmation of the legal set-up of the organisation running the pub. Comrades Arms had made a profit of £700 in the first two weeks. People within the local community are working on fundraising events in the village.
Manager –
There have been several expressions of interest so far. Discussions and advertising ongoing.
Business plan –
An abridged version has been amended to include skill sets and this will be used in grant applications. A three-year cash flow will be put into the plan. Firm costings for the refurb will need to be included in the plan.
Refurbishment –
A great deal of time and research has been put into structural work and furnishing needed before the pub can reopen. This has to be costed to put into the business plan. Volunteers have offered help with structural work. The Steering Group was unanimous on the proposed physical layout of the pub and furnishings as per the plan drafted in conjunction with the brewery. More details will be unveiled when the community is approached to buy shares.
The next meeting is due to be held on 1 November.
The Place I Love project successfully launched in Broadwindsor on Saturday with an exhibition by local artists at Comrades Hall.
Many paintings sold and a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for the community project, which is being led by village resident Margery Hookings on behalf of Windrose Rural Media Trust.
Rural media charity Windrose is a creative organisation bringing together communities in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, through film, audio and heritage.
The Place I Love project includes researching village field names and folk songs. It will culminate in an interpretive map by artist Megan Edwards to be unveiled in Broadwindsor in February.
Margery said: ‘The project is all about respecting and caring for the place in which we live and those who work within it. At the launch we had some great feedback from people of all ages about what they loved about the village, from its many facilities and landmarks, including the community shop, church and primary school, but the key thing that came through was Broadwindsor’s community spirit and glorious landscape.’
Margery will be handing over the information gathered on post-it notes to Megan to help her shape the map, which will be installed in a central location in the village for all to see.
‘I would like to say a massive thank you to all the very talented artists who took part, to those who helped set up and take down and to the WI ladies in the kitchen dishing up delicious cakes and teas.
‘My friend Donna Heys (main picture) put in a massive amount of work, exhibiting, co-ordinating her art group and running the refreshments side. It wouldn’t have happened without her drive and imagination’
Artwork by children from Broadwindsor Primary School
was also on display.
Margery said: ‘The school has been very enthusiastic in getting on board with this project, which is lovely to see.
‘It turned out to be much more than an art exhibition, with new contacts made and new ideas that look set to add additional strands to The Place I Love project.’
The project is being funded by Dorset Council’s Community and Culture Project Fund, Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s (AONB)Sustainable Development Fund, the National Community Lottery through the AONB’S Stepping Into Nature Project and Broadwindsor Group Parish Council.
Photo credits: Margery Hookings.
#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#2021,#WindroseRuralMediaTrust,#BWGPC,#DorsetCouncil,#DAONB,#SteppingIntoNature,#ThePlaceILove,#Artists,#DorsetHistoryCentre,#ArtProject,#AmandaBoyd,#JamesHarrison,MandySelhurst,#ElizabethJuks,#MeganEdwards,#PeterCoates,#MaggiOuin,#CarolyneKardia,#Event,#CountrysideCode,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafeRead more HERE.
Midnight Chimes
Hunters on near silent wings
pass like wisps of mist
undersides flashing briefly
in the light from the street
A gossamer spider thread
drifting on the breeze
briefly illuminated
A chromatic parabola
drawn by an eight legged artisan
A black cat on silent paws
does a double-take
At the sight of a poet
standing in slippers
listening to midnight chimes
The Great Bear
sits astride the White Lion
Rides this velvet sky
towards the promise of dawn
– Peter Roe, October 2021
Bradley White, reporter for the Bridport & Lyme Regis News spoke with Steering Group Chair, David Leader and published the following:
VILLAGERS are hoping to raise their glasses this Christmas as they strive to launch their community pub.
The White Lion in Broadwindsor is set to reopen with the village’s residents at the helm.
The Palmers pub closed in the summer and since then there have been negotiations with regard to the community taking it over.
A steering group was put together consisting of a number of villagers with expertise in running pubs and community venues, along with a solicitor and some parish councillors.
The group has been in talks with Palmers in recent months after a survey revealed 95 per cent of respondents were in favour of the White Lion being run as a community pub.
There is currently a ‘principle agreement’ in place between the steering group and Palmers, with a contract expected in the near future.
Parish councillor David Leader is leading the project.
He said: “It’s exciting and it is going very well. A lot of people are investing a lot of time and effort in trying to make this happen and there’s a lot to be encouraged by.
“Things have moved on positively in terms of discussions – we’re not there yet but we have draft legal agreements which are being worked on.
“Whilst there is not currently a contract there are principle agreements in place with Palmers but there are several things which need to be ironed out.
“In an ideal world we would like to be open for Christmas. There are a number of factors which could delay that date but that is what we are aiming for.”
The next part of the plan will be to raise the funds needed to cover liabilities, refurbishment and the initial purchase of stock. The steering group estimates around £30,000 will need to be raised.
One of the ways the group hopes to achieve this is through a community share issue, in which members of the community can buy into the project in exchange for voting rights.
In order to go through with this, the pub needs to be incorporated as a not-for-profit business, which the group are hoping to go through this month. At this point the group will be out and about in the village to drum up support.
In the meantime, members of the steering group have started up ‘the Comrades’ Arms’, a makeshift pub run out of the Broadwindsor Village Hall.
Mr Leader said: “The Comrades’ Arms has been opened as a temporary measure so that there is an open pub in the village. It is also a way which we can raise funds and a smaller project for the steering group to prepare them for the running of the pub.
Mr Leader added that there are a number of fundraising activities being planned for the coming weeks.
From 10am – 4pm on Saturday, 16th October at the Comrades Hall you have the opportunity to both view and buy art by local artists. The WI will be providing refreshments throughout the day.
Read more HERE.
On behalf of the Steering Group, Margery Hookings released the information below. This information will also be displayed at The Comrades Arms, on the Parish Council’s website and on various noticeboards. Many questions that Broadwindsor.org has received and asked on your behalf are answered here 🙂
Over to Margery…
Work is going on behind the scenes to re-open the White Lion at Broadwindsor as a community pub.
A Steering Group is meeting regularly to move the project forward. It comprises:
Between them, group members have a wide range of skills and experience. We believe that securing the right deal with Palmers represents the best – and only – chance for the White Lion to re-open at the heart of our community. We want it to happen, and we know the community does too. We need to raise at least £30,000 to make it a reality.
Agreement with Palmers has been reached but not yet signed. We can’t tell you all that’s been happening because some of the detail is commercially sensitive. However, it’s our intention to publicise a summary of our meetings to keep you updated as best we can.
Community Benefit Society application – due to be incorporated within next 3 weeks. Share issue put to community (like the village did for the shop).
Business plan – final version almost ready. All payments need to be made by end of year 3.
Funding – seeking grant from Broadwindsor Group Parish Council. Applications to grant funding bodies identified as most likely to support project. Comrades Arms trading well, taking £1,200 in first four days.
Two villagers planning two events in aid of Save the White Lion, in addition to regular discos where bar takings will go to pub fund. More details soon.
Yard of ale fundraising ‘thermometer’ to be placed in the Square.
Bank account – can be started only when we are a Community Benefit Society.
Job advert for manager/chef – not much response yet. Exploring other outlets.
Logo – new logo in consultation with Palmers. Original pub sign (pre-dating existing one) by George Biles will be displayed internally.
Refurbishment – ongoing discussions on updating interior and adapting layout for ambience, efficiency and increased number of covers. Kitchen left sparkly clean by Spike and Vikki. Now to cost kitchen equipment etc for business plan.
Timeline – end of October/early November – approach community on share issue.
Christmas/New Year – hope to be open.
