Tag: #Hursey

End of Broadwindsor’s First Responders

Broadwindsor First Responders are no more.  The decision to close the group follows the retirement of their last Responder. Broadwindsor First Responders proudly came into force in the spring of 2003 with nearly 40 volunteers at that time.  All trained by Phil Lathey of Dorset Ambulance.   The idea had been started by the then landlord of The White Lion, John Beighton. The late Pat Clarke volunteered to take on the monumental task, accepted the collection bottle and started some serious fundraising.

First Responders 2012
Broadwindsor First Responders 2012 appealing for volunteers: Pat Armes, Jacqui Sewell, Heather Coley and Terry Clarke

By 2012, volunteer numbers had dwindled and the group were threatened with being forced to disband but an appeal through the Bridport News brought them some much needed publicity. The people of the village certainly appreciated and supported it.  Former Chairman and co-founder Terry Clarke had said “The problem we found was that people were desperate for it to continue but no-one seems to want to volunteer to keep it going.
Certainly I felt that the times we were called we did give the people a lot of help and support and they were very pleased to see us because inevitably we were the first to see them because they were desperately ill or had befallen some accident.”

In a Farewell notice in the Broadwindsor News, Jacqui Sewell, Margaret Jenkins, Terry Clarke & Val Johnson  thanked Rowland Hibbard from Kittwhistle Garage who maintained their vehicles.  They thanked all the previous & present First Responders who gave their time to provide a hands on emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for over 15 years.

The Responders assisted in the installation of defibrillators located at:

  • Comrades Hall, Broadwindsor
  • Kittwhistle Garage

Monies from the trade in value of their last vehicle was donated to Dorset Air Ambulance.

Parish Councillor Jacqui Sewell commented ” It does make me feel sad. It was a privilege to serve the village as a First Responder and I am very grateful to South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for the training.”

Christmas Garland

“Thank you for all your support over the years. Stay safe and keep well”

Christmas Garland

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#SouthWesternAmbulanceServiceNHSFoundationTrust,#FirstResponders,#KittwhistleGarage,#EmergencyService,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Your Christmas Bubble

Dorset will remain in Tier 2 – High Alert.  The rules for Christmas Day 2020 are different.

It is vital that we each take personal responsibility this Christmas to limit the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones, particularly if they are vulnerable.

One in three people with Coronavirus (COVID-19) have no symptoms and will be spreading it without realising it. So the safest way to celebrate Christmas this year is with your household or existing support bubble in your home. The more people you see, the more likely it is that you will catch or spread Coronavirus.

Living in Dorset, you may see a maximum of two other households (your ‘Christmas bubble’) on Christmas Day (25 December). You cannot see anyone from a Tier 4 area. You should think very carefully about the risks and only form a Christmas bubble if you feel you absolutely need to. Wherever possible, discuss alternatives to meeting up in person.

Christmas GarlandThe rules below are law for December 25th and taken from the Government’s website:

You can only form a Christmas bubble if you do not live in a Tier 4 area. If you are permitted to form a Christmas bubble and choose to do so:

  • keep your Christmas bubble as small as possible. Two other households is a maximum, not a target
  • do not join a Christmas bubble with anyone from a Tier 4 area
  • stop all unnecessary social contact outside your immediate household as soon as possible and for at least five days before you meet other households in your bubble
  • only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces
  • only see your bubble on Christmas Day. Do not stay overnight and keep your visits as short as possible
  • stay local where possible. Avoid travelling from a high prevalence to a low prevalence area
  • if you are meeting someone who is not in your Christmas or support bubble, you can only do so outside your home or garden and in accordance with the rules in your tier (either the tier you live in, or the tier you are meeting in – whichever is stricter)

When seeing your Christmas bubble, you should keep taking steps to reduce the spread of the virus. This includes:

  • meeting outdoors where possible
  • ensuring indoor spaces get as much fresh air as possible
  • making space between members of different households wherever you can
  • washing your hands regularly and for 20 seconds
  • following rules on self-isolation if you develop symptoms or test positive for coronavirus.

You should not visit another household if you, or anyone in your household, is self-isolating. You should get a free NHS test if you have symptoms, have been asked to by your local council or your hospital, or are taking part in a government pilot project.

Christmas Garland

Christmas GarlandFor more information on forming your Christmas Bubble under various circumstances – Please click HERE.

Christmas Garland

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Coronavirus,#Covid19,#Tier2,#Tier4,#NHS,#Test,#Christmas2020,#ChristmasBubble,#Law,#GovUK,#StayAtHome,#StaySafe

 

 

Lockdown Christmas

We all acknowledge that Christmas will be different this year. Here is a heartening poem by Sir Richard Stilgoe from Home-Start Wandsworth.

Lockdown Christmas

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#SirRichardStilgoe,#LockdownChristmas,#BeSafe,#BeKind,#StaySafe

 

 

 

Christmas Opening Hours At Broadwindsor Community Stores

Our wonderful village shop will be closed only on Christmas Day.  The staff and volunteers have been busy today preparing orders of fresh meat and veg to be collected tomorrow.  We are exceptionally lucky to have all the volunteers that do their 2 hour shift to keep our shop open – they are always looking for more – why not volunteer* in 2021?

Christmas GarlandPlease see the hours for the rest of the festive period below.

  • Christmas Eve: 7.30am – 4pm
  • Closed on Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day: 10am – 12 noon
  • Sunday 27th: 8am – 12 noon
  • Monday 28th: 7.30am – 6pm
  • Tuesday 29th: 7.30am – 6pm
  • Wednesday 30th:7.30am – 6pm
  • New Year’s Eve: 7.30pm – 4pm
  • New Year’s Day: 10am – 12 noon
  • Saturday 2nd: 7.30am – 6pm

The shop then resumes normal hours.

Christmas Garland

Thank you to all the staff and volunteers!

* Want to know more about volunteering?

You can be reassured that all the necessary measures are in place to keep you Covid-19 safe in the shop environment. There is also a panic alarm fitted to ensure your safety.

You can download an application form to volunteer HERE. Email your completed form to Volunteer Co-ordinator, Teri Small (her email address is on the form) or call into the shop and leave it there and speak to Kevin (Shop Manager) or if you prefer, phone him: 01308 867922.

Haven’t helped in the shop before?  Not confident in operating the till or debit card machines? This is NOT a problem. Full training is given and you will always have a trained co-worker alongside you.

What do you get out of it?  Working as part of the team, you can:

  • Get out your home for 2 hours and talk to people!
  • Participate in an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
  • Make new friends
  • Use your skills and share your experience, interests and knowledge.
  • Learn new skills
  • Increase your connection to the community.
  • Feel productive.

Please don’t assume that because it’s only two hours, that there will be someone else to fill it because often there isn’t! 

Christmas Garland#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#BroadwindsorCommunityStores,#Volunteers,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#VillageShop,#ThankYou,#Dec2020,#WearYourMask,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Dorset Remains in Tier 2

The Government has announced that Dorset remains in Tier 2 after they re-examined the tier system.

Several factors are considered when looking at the tier system. Along with headline infection rates, the Government also looks at the infection rate in older people, the impact on the care sector and pressure on local hospitals – all of which continue to be a concern in the area.

The Director of Public Health for Dorset and BCP Councils commented: “Although people may feel frustrated and disappointed by this decision…Tier one restrictions would not be enough to continue to bring our rates down, and we would risk having to go back into tougher measures.”

Dorset is the 6th lowest in England, according to the latest rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for every local authority area in England. However, over the last week the rate has increased to 45.4 per 100,000 people compared to 39.6 a week ago.  Recent figures also show four more coronavirus patients have died in Dorset hospitals.  We’re simply not ready to move to Tier 1 yet.

Your G.P. will contact you re: being vaccinated.

Please follow the Government guidelines and stay safe!

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#SameRules,#Covid19,#Coronavirus,#Christmas,#Vaccine,#SouthSomerset,#SomersetWest,#Taunton,#Devon,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

 

Broadwindsor Parish Group Council

The focused faces in the photograph belie the festive feel to Monday night’s Group Parish Council meeting.  Helen, the Town Clerk reported:

“ It was lovely to see everyone looking so festive thanks to those members of the public who joined us. Another busy agenda, we welcomed Lloyd Curtis back to the Council and paid thanks to Susanna Laurie who has recently stepped down as Councillor for Seaborough. Susanna has made such a positive contribution to the Council and has worked hard to represent and support her community.

The next online meeting will take place on 11 January, please do join us!

Wishing all parishioners of the Grouped Parish a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year.“

Susanna responded “Thank you for the kind words it was a pleasure to be part of this Parish Council, to meet you all and work in such a positive environment.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.”

Christmas Garland#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Christmas,#Zoom,#Tier2,#StaySafe

Councillor Simon Christopher’s Report – Dec 2020

Here is our local Councillor Simon Christopher’s interim report submitted to the Parish Council’s meeting this evening.

“I am actually writing exactly seven days before the meeting and as a politician famously said, a week is a long time in politics.

I thought I would set out some thoughts at the last meeting of the year. A difficult year in which we have seen so many people rally around to help vulnerable people.

The council has risen to the task of helping the elderly, the infirm and has acted positively to help with the provision of meals to vulnerable children over holiday times.  There has of course been financial consequences and the council has had to utilise reserves.

Councillors Jill Haynes and Councillor Tony Ferrari as portfolio holders have written to all Town and Parish Council clerks re the Dorset Council area.  The communication is in respect of the Dorset Council Asset review Process, which was presented to Cabinet on 3rd November 2020.
Extracts include ‘There are a number of (property) holdings which we need to consider in order to rationalize the estate and reduce cash’

‘The desire is to

  1. Create economic growth by creating new homes and jobs
  2. Delivering a more integrated customer focused service, through joint provision with partner organisations
  3. Generate efficiencies through capital receipts and running costs’.

Please contact me if you have not seen the aforementioned email or wish to discuss the matter. 

Councillors are currently discussing the budget setting process, primarily:

  • Children’s Directorate
  • Place Directorate- including property’s, highways and Dorset Waste
  • Adults Directorate
  • Corporate Directorate

There is to be a concentrated effort to achieve savings in contract arrangement without a reduction in service.

The Parish Council will be aware of the considerable correspondence involving Highways and the police about continuing damage to the verges etc at Common water Lane.  This is an ongoing matter and many of us are determined  that the above authorities are made aware of the continuing concern of residents.

I will be pleased to receive your thoughts on possible changes to Dorset Council car parking charges. 

You may have noticed that Dorset Council car parks will be free on Saturday’s in December 2020. (In Sherborne I understand this will be on Mondays)

The mailbag of a Dorset Councillor in a rural ward appears to show continued concern about speeding motorists and I pass on these concerns to the relevant highways officers and other agencies.

Thank you to those Parish Councillors who contact me re concerns about footpaths and I have contacted the officer on   your behalf.  I continue to request a pavement be installed from Broadwindsor Village to the cricket ground.

I am in touch with officers to make sure drains in Seaborough are properly cleared,  as a result of residents concerns.

Rachel Baker, senior communications officer Digital and Change Dorset Council has been publicising the Gigabit Voucher Scheme.  An email has come out to John and myself, which has been further circulated and you have comments on this.

On 30th November 2020 the Government has unveiled its Path to Sustainable Farming.

The reason I draw your attention to this is :

  1. The mere fact that even in the heart of your village you are but yards away from a field managed by members of the farming community.
  2. This will impact on the County Farms Estate of some 46 farms and all our local farmers.

The Government states that it plans to deliver a better fairer farming system in England with the objective of changing the way the Government supports farmers.  The roadmap has outlined changes that will come in over a seven year period.

‘The changes will be designed to ensure that by 2028 farmers in England can sustainably produce healthy food profitably without subsidy, whilst taking steps to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare and reduce carbon emissions.

Next year marks the start of the transition where we will begin to move away from the Basic Payment Scheme(BPS) towards new policies that will be co-designed and tested together with farmers, land managers and experts, to ensure that the new systems work for them.

The ‘Path to Sustainable Farming’ document  sets out more detail on the changes we are going to make, and what they will mean to farmers.

The key changes include:

  • Introducing the Environmental Land Management scheme to incentivise sustainable practices, create habitats for nature recovery and establish new woodland to help tackle climate change.
  • Investing in improving animal health and welfare as part of our sustainable farming approach. This will initially focus on controlling or eradicating endemic diseases amongst cattle, pigs and sheep.
  • Direct payments will be reduced fairly, starting from the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme year, with the money released being used to fund new grants and schemes to boost farmer’s productivity and reward environmental improvements.
  • Launching a Farming Investment Fund, which will support innovation and productivity. This will open for applications next year and will be used to offer grants for equipment, technology and infrastructure for the future.
  • Simplifying and improving existing schemes and their application processes further from January 2021 to reduce the burden on farmers, and we will take a modern approach to regulation, cutting unnecessary red tape for farmers and working together with industry to design a more targeted regulatory system.

In a nutshell, the bulk of future payments will be through the new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), but it will not be fully available to farmers for four years.  Meanwhile, cuts to the old scheme will begin in January 2021.  By the time  the ELM Scheme is fully available, farming businesses face losing 50% of the financial support they previously received.  The reliance on BPS for farming businesses of all sizes is it seems, such that farmers may struggle.

The Dorset Local Plan

Many of you will have noticed that there will be consultations in respect of The Dorset Local Plan.  The timetable will approximate to:

1st December 2020 –  Details published on the Dorset Council website for discussion at Dorset Council Cabinet

8th December 2020 – Discussion at Dorset Council Cabinet

Mid January 2021 – Consultation period opens for a period expected to be for 8 weeks.

In the event the Cabinet agenda was published yesterday evening and I will be pleased to discuss initial thoughts with you at the meeting this evening.

To quote the documentation:

‘ Having an up to date local place is critical in order to shape the future of the Dorset Council area, providing for development to meet the areas needs and manage decisions of planning applications.  Public consultation is a vital part of the process and this consultation will enable a wide range of views to be taken into account in moving the plans forward.  The plan includes potential development sites in order to meet the needs for housing, employment and other uses over the period to 2038’

It is proposed that the public consultation takes place for eight weeks starting in mid January 2021. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that face to face consultations are unlikely to be possible but in addition to the document and supporting evidence being available online a range of consultation methods are proposed including  online events, social media and copies available to loan in libraries.

After consultation a final draft plan will be published with an opportunity for further feedback and comments before being submitted for examination. At that stage responses will be considered and assessed by the independent inspector who examines the plan.

The intention is to adopt the plan by April 2023 .

Dorset Council has published the Dorset Highways Winter Service Policy and Operational Plan 2020/21.  This document has been made available to all Parish Council clerks.

I wish you all a safe very enjoyable Christmas and New Year.

Best regards

Councillor Simon Christopher
Dorset Councillor for The Marshwood Vale Ward
https://www.simonchristopher.info/

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#DorsetHighways,#DorsetLocalPlan,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Coronavirus,#Christmas,#Zoom,#ComradesHall,#VillageHall,#Tier2,#StaySafe

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council – Online Meeting Monday 14th December 2020

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council are meeting online using the Zoom platform at 7.30pm on Monday 14th December 2020.  You are also invited to join from 7.00 pm with your festive drink and nibbles!
All are welcome to attend.

The full agenda is available to download HERE.

The meeting can be accessed HERE.
The Meeting ID: 925 993 0185
Zoom is Free! – Sign Up and get it HERE.

In the matters arising, there is a Parish Council Vacancy, for the Seaborough Ward.

Residents are invited to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on issues on this Agenda.
a. Report from Councillor Christopher, Dorset Council
b. Report from Dorset Police
c. Co-option to Broadwindsor Group Parish Council, Burstock Ward

An update from Councillors re: Covid-19 and a Union Connectivity Review: Call for Evidence

Once the Finance Report (Balance £39,807.66 as of 30 November 2020) is received and payments approved, there are two Planning Applications to be considered this month:

WD/D/20/002442 – The Old School House, High Street, Broadwindsor, DT8 3QP
WD/D/20/002187 – Ellaway Cottage, Wood Farm, Wood Lane, Kittwhistle, DT8 3LG

With updates from Broadwindsor Cricket Club, the Working Group for Climate Change Emergency and the Allotments, there will also be a website review.

Dog Fouling is included in the items to be addressed in the Highways section:
a. Report from the Footpaths Officer
b. Verge Management in the Grouped Parish Area
c. Maintenance of Signs in the Grouped Parish Area
d. Update on Oak Tree, Crewkerne Road, Drimpton
e. Dog Fouling
f. Common Water Lane Verges Update

The Broadwindsor Group Parish Community Land Trust will deliver a report on Affordable Housing.

The public are then invited to participate, to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on any outstanding issues on this Agenda or raise issues for future consideration.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#PlanningApplication,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Coronavirus,#ClimateChange,#Zoom,#AffordableHousing,#ComradesHall,#VillageHall,#Highways,#FMRTrust,#Tier2,#StaySafe

Free Range Eggs From Hursey Chickens

One of the local places you can enjoy fresh, free range eggs is from the Curtis’ at Moorlands in Hursey.  There is a table outside their property which is the last bungalow on the right.

Alison Curtis also takes her boxes of eggs to the Comrades’ Hall when the Post Office Outreach service is there on Tuesdays and Fridays.

  • Boxes of 6 eggs £1.25 each
  • Trays available on request

 Please direct any further enquiries to: 01308 868711

 

#Broadwindsor,#Hursey,#WestDorset,#FreeRangeChickens,#Eggs,#FreshProduce,#Moorlands,#ComradesHall,#CluckCluck,#SocialDistancing,#WearYourMask,#StaySafe

 

Michael Frampton Laid to Rest

Followed by his family and accompanied in a Land Rover Defender by his loving wife Jean, Michael Frampton arrived in Broadwindsor Square one last time to be laid to rest following the service at St. John the Baptist Church at noon today.

The sun shone brightly as Michael Holliday sang out ‘The Story of my Life‘ as they entered the church.  Andrew gave an extensive and enlightening eulogy* managing to make the crowd outside chuckle as he recounted many events and relationships from his father’s life.  Played out to ‘My Way‘ by Frank Sinatra.

Our thoughts, love and prayers go to the family.  Farewell Michael. Rest in Peace.

Michael Frampton

Michael Frampton

13th September 1938 – 13th November 2020
ScrollThe beautiful Eulogy, kindly provided by Andrew Frampton:

Dad was born on September 13th 1938. A war time baby and the only child of Jack and Mary Frampton. Les Bagwell says he was a big bull calf and that was why Gran only had one. He went to Broadwindsor school in his early years before progressing onto St Martin’s in Crewkerne where he cycled in and back every day returning in time to help do the milking. It was here he met his life long friend Ken Edwards and they would share a friendship for some 71 years.
Ken and Dad became best of pals and despite Ken almost strangling him in a kids play flight Ken would later save his life but I’ll come onto that in a bit. They had strict teachers at St Martin’s and Dad narrowly escaped the cane as a little boy when he picked a pear off the school pear tree and hid it in his satchel. As he was lining up to leave school at the gates his satchel buckle undid and the pear rolled out but he dived down and hid it before the teacher saw. On Friday afternoons they would always buy a choc ice from Mrs Tuck’s shop at the top of Hermitage Street before beginning their customary bike race through Clapton to the bridge.
Their main passion however was birds nesting. They would travel for miles in search of crows and magpie nests and this continued well into their late teens. Brian Hedditch even reckoned they would even put off a nights courting to go looking for nests. They were both brilliant climbers and would take a rope to return to a nest the following day if the branches were too spaced out. One day however on their way back from looking for nests at Pilsdon, they crept into the garden of Lower Newnham Farm where a bamboo bush was growing. They helped themselves to a couple of canes and headed back to Burstock Grange. Here, in the field in front of the farm house, the new electricity lines had been installed and Dad decided it would be fun to throw the canes up onto the live parallel double wires to see what happened. Well what happened was the wrath of Grandfather as after several tries father managed to land a cane on top of the wires arching the current causing a massive cracking sound which spooked Grandfathers horse causing it to bolt off through the hedge..So that’s where I get it from.
When Ken was 16 he got a motorbike and he and Dad went down to Lyme Regis one summers evening. They decided to go into the sea up to their necks which given that neither of them could swim was an interesting decision. Dad waded into a trench and
disappeared underwater and Ken managed somehow to grab him and pull him back to shore. They were both fit as fiddles and ran the Shaves Cross marathon several times even both finishing in the top 5.
For dads 21st Grandfather bought him an Austin A30 car. This meant he could go to the Crewkerne young farmers dances and its there in his words “he met a bit of stuff from Wayford” a little village about 4 miles away. They married a year later in 1960 and then Gillian soon arrived followed by and Tim a couple of years later.
Now this will come as a huge surprise to all of you but just after Tim was born, Dad appeared on a Westward TV game show called Treasure Hunt with Keith Fordyce filmed in Plymouth in 1965. He got knocked out in the first round however but mum was in the audience watching. Fancy wanting to go on a TV game show!.
Now Dad loved his sport especially football. He played for Merriott, Broadwindsor , Beaminster and Drimpton throughout the late 50’s, 60’s and into the early 70’s. In 1963 while playing for Broadwindsor, he and Eddie Case both scored 6 goals each in a game as they won 12- 0. He even went in goal for Drimpton in the
1970 Dorset Junior Cup final when the regular keeper was injured and they famously won it 4-1.
His greatest achievement came as a 21 year old for Merriott where he scored two hat tricks while playing in Belgium on a tour. The first against Lokeren and in the second game he received a standing ovation as he left the field as they beat Ostende. The President of the Belgian club said afterwards “I wish your centre forward would stay here and play for us. I would soon find him a job and house”. Father chuckled at this and replied “I’d like to but who would milk my cows?!” Bristol Rovers had him for a trial in the mid 60’s but he told them that farming was his life and so it was. Of course he never told anyone of this or his family about his amazing football record but that was him. Modest, humble and always understated.
One of his most interesting football stories was however in May 1979. Tony Francis and Ben Jones, two very good friends, were doing some building work at the Farm and Mum had a phone call from Tony’s wife saying that Tony had won two tickets to the FA Cup final at Wembley the following day. Tony managed to get them a lift up with a one armed man from Coombe St Nicholas he knew but couldn’t organise a lift back again, so they would have
to take their chances getting home. When they got there they quite by chance bumped into some people from Perry Street who could give them a lift home if they paid for their petrol. Well Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-2 but they had terrible seats so couldn’t see the goals but managed to get home before 10pm to watch it on match of the day that night.
He played Cricket for Broadwindsor playing at all three of their grounds, spanning 40 years and he told me of a game they played against Beaminster 2nds when he was a teenager in the 50’s. Broadwindsor batted first and were all out for 47. Then Beaminster batted second and were all out for 12 with him and Reg Wakely both taking five wickets each. He laboured the point it was Beaminster 2nds as didn’t want to embellish his achievement. That was Dad.
He was so happy to donate some money towards the cricket club being able to buy the ground last month and it was his donation which took them over the line to reach their target.
He also loved his golf and despite being a left hander he would put his left hand below his right rather than than buy a set of left handed golf clubs. He played regularly with Rod Bracher, Pete
Strawbridge and Bruce Dennis all of who’s company he enjoyed on the course and in the club house.
He was a member of the ROGUES, the Royal Oak Drimpton’s golfing society and enjoyed playing with other members and the dinner afterwards and because he never had a proper handicap always burgled a few prizes at the end of days presentation. Once when moving an electric fence for the cows he saw a crow flying over his head with something white in its mouth. He shouted up at it and it dropped a golf ball!.He was certain it was his which he never found the day before on a ‘nearest the pin’ competition on a blind par 3 green!
For decades he would go for a Sunday lunchtime couple of halves at the Royal Oak playing pool and escaping the farm. He would invite people to come and play snooker on the full size snooker table in the farm house but it was squeezed into an upstairs galley shaped room and any shots off the side cushions had to be played with a short cue which he nicknamed Bob after Bob Eveleigh. He also insisted on playing Daniel O’ Donnell cd’s while you were playing. We also used to play three games of chess at breakfast lunch and dinner every day but it was drafts he was a master at and none of us ever beat him.
His favourite sport was without doubt skittles. Dad regularly played in three teams from three different leagues up until it was all halted due to Corona Virus. The Outsiders in the Bridport League, Mike Fooks’s Cattistock Hunt team and his own team in the Crewkerne Farmers league of which he played in for over 60 years. He also played a bit in Doug Studley’s team in the Seavington Hunt league when he was young at the White
Lion ,and who ever was picking him up would have to wait for George and Mildred to finish on TV before he would come out of the house.
He formed a long and lasting friendship with so many of his team mates and opposition and would always make a point of speaking to every member of the opposition without fail. He and Les Bagwell would quite often help coach the opposition by advising them where not to throw the ball with well timed nuggets of advise just before they threw. We would get a match report from the previous nights skittles action in the milking parlour the following morning on who was playing, what they hit and who had won. The games against Tim’s team always produced a good report with added relish if he’d won. I do remember one report he gave one morning when he’d played for Mike Fook’s team. His
eyes were getting wider and the smile broader as he came to describe the final moments “We were down all night and I was the last man on and with three balls left I needed 10 to win…..We lost by 10!. The cheeky smile burst across his face. He would freely volunteer self deprecating stories about himself when things hadn’t gone to plan.
He won the Crewkerne League several times as well as the captain’s cup a few times and in his final ever game at Wynards Gap this spring he finished with a 13 spare.
The skittles however became a side event for the main fun of spoofing which they did after most games. They were almost professional, with mind games and tactics employed that would of made Alex Ferguson and Jose Morhino look like kittens compared with the physiological genius of Richard, Ben, George, Mike, John and Les. The prize was not to be left in and thereby buy the chocolate. Dad’s fridge looked like a confectionery store by Friday mornings and he would always put the malteasers in his car before coming to the farm. The grandchildren and the great grandchildren as a result would flock to it every time they saw him coming down the drive like the kids in Chitty Chitty bang bang around the child catchers horse and trap.
He was also very fortunate with the times he went to watch live sport. His very good friend and cousin David Wakely took him to Twickenham to watch England Vrs the New Zealand All Blacks for his first ever live rugby game in 1997. They finished 26 all. Another friend and cousin Paul Frampton took him to see Manchester United against Blackburn Rovers for his first ever Premiership game and United won 7-1. He actually supported Wolves but liked watching Arsenal’s style of play.
On the farm he loved to do things properly. He loved the haymaking season and would often wander around the drying hayfield with a two prong pick, flicking out any green hay or pulling back any that blown into the hedgerow. He would spend hours with a knap sack sprayer, treating docks, thistles and nettles even on the hottest of days. This however didn’t always go to plan. One day he spent two hours after lunch spraying docks and noticed there was a bit of a shine to the leaves. When he went back to the farm to fill up he bumped in to Tim who was looking for his chainsaw oil which he had de cantered into an old spray bottle. Father had spent two hours oiling dock leaves!
Another time he was mixing up spray to kill some stinging nettles and he called me over.”What you doing Dad?” I said.
“Oh just mixing some spray up for some nettles.
I give them the minimum dose cause I like to make the bastards
struggle”.
He became an expert at catching moles and magpies and would often keep his own magpie all season with it getting through several tins of dog food a week but the song birds it saved was more than worth it. He became a magpie dealer letting fellow farming friends have fresh birds he’d caught for their traps. He loved animals, his cows, his sheep and all the wildlife he’d helped build up their habitats through making ponds and hedge laying over the years. He was a strong but gentle man and always waking up in the middle of the night to check a cow that was calving or a sheep that was lambing. I have a memory of him trudging into the snow in the field by the farm house before we had a lambing shed with two sheep hurdles under his arm and a bale of hay in the other. He was going to make a shelter for a young ewe and two lambs and the wind and snow was horizontal and blowing into his face. He was brought up working so very hard with horses and manual labour, digging ditches and drains by hand, milking by hand, haymaking and loading bales with pitch forks. Its fair to say he had trouble keeping the sheep in the fields they were meant to be in as our wonderful understanding farming neighbours will
testify. If he wasn’t blocking off gaps with sheep hurdles he would be towing branches of Holly or Blackthorn from the hedges he’d laid and put aside ,behind his car to plug a gap where they had escaped. It looked like he was covering his tracks as the bushes dragged behind the car so no one could track him!.
Dad wasn’t the best at looking after machinery. The last new car he bought in 2005 was a Honda CRV. It was 2009 and 40,000 miles later that it saw its first service. It wasn’t long before it was carrying a sheep in the boot, a sheep dog in the back seat and wouldn’t of looked out of place in a stock car event. The sheep dog chewed all the seatbelts off,the back door was kept shut with baler twine and cattle had knocked the wing mirrors off. He couldn’t understand why his skittler friends always offered to drive and turned him down for lifts.
Mum and Dad have had some fantastic holidays around the world visiting Australia, the USA, The Pyramids & Nile Cruise, Canada, Malta and even a safari in Tanzania watching the migration of the wildebeest across the Serengeti with Connie and Norman Case. Before they left for Tanzania, Dad went into Dixon’s and bought a very expensive video camera which took large VHS cassettes to record this trip of a life time. As he was filming thousands of wildebeest charging across the plains he muttered to Norman “Ere
Norm,……that’d make ee cuss if they got in your corn”. However, what was a memory captured on film for life, turned out to be a memory captured on film for two weeks, as Mum somehow managed to tape EastEnders over the top of it!. When they got back to Heathrow from this holiday they put the parking ticket in the ticket machine to pay and to his shock had a bill for £750. He had parked in a short stay car park and told the attendant he just as well keep the bloody car. Dad and Norman scraped what cash they had together and they were allowed to leave. Dad pleaded ignorance in a letter to the management company a few days later and got all the fees dropped.
They had some wonderful other adventures with Robert and Adele Hounsell, Betty and John Jefferies and Bob and Jean Norton on equally memorable trips to Jersey and a Malaysian
cruise. They also enjoyed some wonderful trips with the Chideock discussion group making many new friends and creating some happy memories with farmers from across the Southwest on trips all around the UK.
Each New Years Eve they would meet up with Barb and Brian Hedditch and Pearl Curtis taking it in turns to host. In 1998
Broadwindsor and Burstock were both badly flooded and mum had made the puddings for the New Years Eve party to be held in Drimpton at the Hedditch’s. Dad unhitched the dung spreader from the tractor then sat mum on his knee and she balanced the puddings on her lap as the drove through the floods. When Harrold Curtis had a heart bypass operation in the 80’s Dad and Mum secretly went up to see him in hospital in London and nearly gave him another heart attack. If anyone was ill he would always make a point of going to see them and unbeknown to Mum would quite often call in for coffee with all sorts of friends in the village or people who happened to live near somewhere he was going.
He was renowned in the village for his impromptu piano playing at the Comrades Hall at various village events. Several times, un prompted he would pull up the piano stool and rattle off some old favourites in a Les Dawsonesque style with all the right notes…just not necessarily in the right order. The song he came into today The Story of my life by Michael Holliday was his and mum’s song and he learned to play it by ear for her.
Dad had a wonderful sense of humour, dry and remarkably quick. He loved watching Only Fools and Horses, Allo Allo, Faulty Towers and George and Mildred. He’d seen Jethro live over 10 times and would always reproduce funny lines from these shows.
Once he played a prank on Betty Wakely his auntie when she said she never had any mushrooms growing on her lawn. He went out early one morning to a field we had hundreds growing in and cut fifty or sixty and pushed the stalks in Betty’s front lawn before she woke up!.
Once when I had a friend come to stay, during Sunday lunch the bull was braying over the farmyard gate. My friend asked him why he was braying and Dad said “Ee can smell some heifer bulling across the fields”. My friend asked how far the scent travelled and father looked up in front of mother and said,”About ere to Wayford”.
He was such a kind, generous, honest, unassuming, gentle man and overcame many great challenges which came his way. He was no stranger to the surgeons table having two new knees, two new hips, gall bladder removed, appendicitis and prostrate cancer. Four days after having a hip replacement he was riding the quad bike side saddle and I had to lift a ewe onto a straw bale and hold her while he helped her lamb.
He was the fussiest eater known to man as many skittle pub landlords and friends who had them to dinner would testify. Cheese,Pasta,the white of an egg were all off the menu and he always liked to butter the bread on the loaf and carve it off afterwards. His glint in his eye and friendly smile was on show every day and his love for his animals and family was never wavering.
On the last day I saw him in Dorchester Hospital, it was two days before his 60th diamond wedding anniversary. I told him to be strong and get through to the day. It was an effort for him to talk but he beckoned me in closer and whispered “get a calf”. He of course meant ‘get a card’ but that was him thinking of mum right to the end. He never forgot her birthday or anniversary and was a secret romantic arranging flowers spontaneously on several occasions. He adored her and although he always had command of the TV remote making her sit through Darts, Golf, Cricket and countless Football games he loved her so much and although he would rarely say so by God he showed it.
He gained respect from all he met without ever seeking it, unassuming, unique, cheeky and kind.
Fair well to our amazing Dad, Grandad, Grampsy, husband and friend.

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