May Is My Favourite Month. Everything in the Garden and the Fields and the Hedgerows Is Looking Beautiful and So Full of Promise

WELCOME! May is my favourite month. Everything in the garden and the fields and the hedgerows is looking beautiful and so full of promise. The bees are buzzing, birds are singing – it’s like a Disney cartoon bursting into life.

I feel very guilty for moaning in the last issue about having to cut my editorial. Read on and you’ll find out why.

Next month, I’m hoping to have a different cover for the Broadwindsor News, just to freshen things up a bit. If you have a high resolution, upright, seasonal photograph for June which will look good in black and white, please email it to the address below. I can’t pay you for it, but I’ll give you a picture by-line. I’m hoping we can have a different image each month. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be losing Leonard Studley’s familiar line drawing from the magazine. I want to incorporate it inside, either on this page or next to the church news section.

And rather annoyingly, if - like me – you’re one for consistency, I’ve changed the typeface throughout this edition, just because I can. The magazine is still a work in progress for me, I think. Margery Hookings Date for final copy: 12 May for June issue. [email protected]

TEAM MINISTRY Team Rector: Rev David Baldwin 862150 (day off Friday) The Rectory, Clay Lane, Beaminster Team Vicar: Rev Jo Neary 867816 (day off Friday) The Vicarage, Orchard Mead, Broadwindsor Team Curate: Rev Daniel Ingles 867215 (day off Thursday) Orchard Cottage, Mosterton BROADWINDSOR CHURCH NEWS Easter is about forgiveness and new life; therefore I must begin with a confession that it was my lack of organisation that caused Margery to have to ditch her editorial at the last minute last month. I am sorry to have caused chaos. And I hope that you did manage to catch the film Arrival at Comrades Hall. A truly marvellous film that made me think deeply about loss, communication and how we treat others.

We aren’t always good at talking about the deep issues of life, often choosing pleasantries or anecdotes instead. Despite death being a reality for all of us, we don’t always want to talk about it. But keeping it a taboo subject can leave us lost when we are forced to deal with our own death or funerals of members of our families. If you would like a safe, non-judgemental space to talk about death and life then perhaps you would like to join us on Monday evenings in May at The White Lion.

We will be running GraveTalk – a Church of England resource designed to get us talking about all aspects of life, death and dying. Buy a drink at the bar, sit at the GraveTalk table and join in the conversation on Mondays 8, 15 and 22 May from 7.30- 9pm at The White Lion, Broadwindsor. Thank you, Kate and Richard, for letting us use the pub in this unusual way! See churchofenglandfunerals.org/gravetalk for information. With every blessing, Jo

BROADWINDSOR GROUP PARISH COUNCIL The Grouped Parish area is extremely fortunate to have three wonderful and thriving village halls, providing space for people to meet for social, recreational, spiritual and cultural activity, as well as offering a venue for the delivery of vital services. The parish council very much understands the important role that these buildings play within our communities and, at its April meeting, awarded £2,050 in grants to support their ongoing maintenance.

Council members have been concerned for some time about the lack of local police presence at parish council meetings and, indeed, within our communities. At a time when incidents of local crime seem to be increasing, the council has written to the Police and Crime Commissioner to convey these concerns and ask that closer links between the community and police be established. By working together, important community matters can be shared and solutions can be found. The council welcomes thoughts from the community on this matter.

The council’s website has now been ‘live’ for a year and has hopefully helped to improve the way in which the council shares information and engages with residents. There is still work to do and small changes to make, but please do visit and if you can, let us know what you think! www.broadwindsorgroup.gov.uk www.facebook.com/broadwindsorgroup

As reported previously, please do come along to the annual parish meeting on Monday 15 May at Drimpton Village Hall. It’s a great opportunity to get together and celebrate the many achievements of the local community. It would be wonderful to see you all there.

A number of councillors also act as trustees for the FMR Trust, which was established in 1962 to support sporting and active recreational projects. At their meeting in April, trustees awarded £1,300 to Broadwindsor Cricket Club to help with the final stages of the cricket pavilion. Trustees said the club was a real asset to the community and congratulated it on its considerable fundraising efforts. Grant applications will next be considered by trustees in July. Please contact the Clerk for further information.

The council’s annual general meeting will take place at 7.30 pm on 8 May at Comrades Hall. Please do join us, members of the public and press are very welcome to attend. The agenda will be posted on village noticeboards and online. As always, please do get in touch if I can be of any help. Helen Cudmore, Clerk to the Council 01308 488440 [email protected]

BROADWINDSOR COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH CAMPAIGN Community Speed Watch is a partnership initiative that operates in Broadwindsor and is aimed at raising awareness and encouraging speed reduction in our village.

Our volunteers have been out six times since Christmas, monitoring the speeds of more than 1,100 vehicles passing through, living in and driving to the village. They include tractors, cars, vans of all shapes and sizes, lorries, horse transporters and motorbikes. An average session sees well over 200 vehicles assessed and, of those, around 20% are driving over the 20 mph limit.

Our last session saw 64 cars still driving dangerously and one driver caught driving at 51mph through our village!

The volunteers will operate as often as they can over different days and times so that they can enforce the message that our village roads are for everyone – dog walkers, horse riders, children on their way to school and the elderly and frail – and not just for speeding vehicles.

Those caught offending are sent a warning letter from Dorset Police. Those offending a second time are given a ‘last chance’ letter, and then, if a third offence is committed, they will be automatically given points and a fine.

There are lots of instances whereby the volunteers will capture a speeding motorist going one way through the village, and then the same motorist is captured speeding again going in the opposite direction! It would seem some people are oblivious to their actions and ignorant of the law when they are behind a steering wheel.

With few pavements in the village, it is vitally important that all road users feel safe, and, indeed, 20mph limits are proven safer and healthier. When traffic speeds reduce across a community there are fewer crashes or injuries, plus it is quieter, there are energy savings and the air quality improves.

We need more volunteers to help us with the campaign, which involves monitoring vehicle speeds on our roads. The campaign will operate in both Broadwindsor and Drimpton and by joining the Speed Watch team you will help get the message across to drivers that slower speeds are better for everyone If you can help, please contact me on 867144.

Many thanks to our great volunteers for making our village a safer place! Susanna Newall

BROADWINDSOR WI Hints, Tips and Starting Family History with Jane Ferentzi- Sheppard Would you be surprised to learn that your great-grandmother was six months’ pregnant when she got married, or that your great-great grandfather was illegitimate? With programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are and Heir Hunters frequently on our TV screens, researching one’s own family history has never been such a popular-or accessible- hobby.

Local genealogist Jane Ferentzi-Sheppard gave the WI members many ideas on how to get started with research, with the best way being by recording your own story. She stressed that family history is not just about collecting names on a family tree, but also ‘putting flesh on the bones’ by finding out about the ancestors as real people, and the social history of the time which would have influenced their lives. For example, our straight- laced ancestors would have wanted to make sure they were physically able to bear children before committing to marriage.

Jane runs a series of courses for family historians, from beginners to more advanced researchers, and with a wealth of resources easily available (such as magazines, historical societies and of course, the internet) there has never been a better time to begin recording your own personal history.

Broadwindsor WI is always open to new members, and we are pleased to welcome Libby Searle and Valerie Madder-Smith to our group. At our May meeting we will be trying our hand at kurling - the new sport similar to curling but without the ice. Why not come along? We have a notice board opposite the White Lion, and a website at broadwindsorwi.weebly.com if you’d like to know more. Donna Heys

BROADWINDSOR AND DISTRICT OVER 60S’ CLUB Annette reminded us that the diary of our coach trips for the year was on sale from Rita, our treasurer, asked people who were interested to inform friends and family that we would be pleased to see them along. Also, for the longer trips, comfort stops had been arranged! The prices remain the same and the first trip of the year is Wednesday 10 May to Bath, leaving Comrades Hall at 9am.

She informed us that Fran Walters was in hospital, having fallen and broken her hip and wished her as speedy a recovery as possible, from all of us. As to the Flower of the Mont" competition (have you all forgotten?) a lonely little sprig of deliciously scented Daphne Odora (possibly), presented by Carole Loudon, was the one and only winner. More support, please!

Annette then introduced Margery Hookings as our guest speaker.

Margery gave us an interesting talk on the history of the Bridport News, from its beginning in 1855, when it cost 1 old penny and was printed in Bridport but is now printed in Weymouth. Until 1940, the front page was composed of advertisements. Margery herself joined the team in the early 80s. She is now a freelance journalist and writes articles and columns for The Marshwood Vale and The Peoples Friend magazines.

We were taken through some of the stories in the paper that Margery remembered, with sad/happy and funny endings and places abroad where the paper is in demand, even Barbados! Also I was taken back to my childhood when she mentioned the paper was called, in various households, The Wip Wop. I remembered asking my Dad, when the local paper used to be delivered, (we were then living in Somerset but Dad was Chideock born and bred), why he called it that and his reply was, ‘the noise it made clattering through the letter box’ but it must be a Dorset ‘thing’ because no-one else we knew used that term. Alice Moule

Editor’s note: there are two suggestions for the nickname. One is that ‘they whip it out of the Echo and wop it in the Bridport News’ and the other, more likely, reason was ‘wip-wop’ was the sound made by the old flatbed printing press.

BROADWINDSOR FEBRUARY RAINFALL March 2017: 99.5mm 3.897 inches March 2016: 113mm 4.448 inches March 2015: 46.5mm 1.830 inch Peter Caldwell

BROADWINDSOR PCC 100 CLUB DRAW 1 Val Johnson £15; 2 Mr S Johnson £10; 3 Mrs D Colthart £7; 4 Mrs P Warner £5. Next draw on 13 May.

DRIMPTON NEWS

Lent Lunches Lent Lunches with delicious home-made soups with cheese were enjoyed at the village hall hosted, by St Mary’s Church in March and by Netherhay Methodist Church in April.

St Mary’s Church A re-convened APCM was held on 30 March at which three nominations for PCC membership were accepted. The election of officers will take place at the next PCC meeting in May. There were no nominations for churchwardens and the posts remain vacant.

Palm Sunday The Liturgy of the Palms and the Liturgy of the Passion were read, palms were blessed and presented to all then Neville Adams talked of the cheering crowds welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem. Jesus had the popularity of a conqueror. He held within his grasp the opportunity to kindle the smouldering fires of hatred of the Roman occupation into a white hot flame. No man had ever had such an opportunity to use his own popularity for his own ends. But as we know he used it not for Himself but for God - one dramatic appeal for the Kingdom of God. To the spiritually perceptive, he was showing that he was the Messiah, but a Messiah without arms, or an army. Instead he was riding in lowly pomp, surrounded by the crowds praising through him to the God who offered freedom, not from the Romans but from the sterile and sinful lives many were leading and who do so today.

As it was a bright and sunny morning, the hymn Hosanna in the Highest was sung while walking around the outside of the church, ably led by Jonathan Jevons on trumpet and everyone else accompanying with a percussion instrument. Norman Marsden

St Mary’s Church, Drimpton 100 Club Draw, March 1st Prize 73 Mr & Mrs A Phillips £15 2nd Prize 78 Mrs I Francis £10 3rd Prize 25 Mrs V Watts £5 4th Prize 79 Mr & Mrs Roberts £2.50

April 1st Prize 12 Mrs V Watts £15 2nd Prize 73 Mr & Mrs A Phillips £10 3rd Prize 6 Mrs J Beck £5 4th Prize 55 Mrs J Pearce £2.50

Following a very successful Valentines Lunch in February and two Lent Lunches, Village Lunch returns on Wednesday 17 May at 12.30pm Viv, Rosemary and team are very much looking forward to welcoming you for a Three Course Lunch for just £5!

Advance Notice: The next village lunch after this will be the Grand Summer Lunch on Sunday 11 June. The theme will be The Oscars. We look forward to seeing a cast of celebrities and stars! If anyone can provide us with a strip of Red Carpet we will be most grateful.

CLAPTON, WAYFORD, DRIMPTON & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Our March meeting included a talk by the head gardener at The Bishop’s Palace in Wells. We were shown the history of the garden going back many centuries and the current plans and improvements. It was lovely to see so many visitors from surrounding clubs.

May is always a busy month in the garden, but is also a busy month for our society. This month we have another talk from a head gardener at a local heritage garden. On Wednesday, 17 May, Jessica Evans, Head Gardener at Tintinhull, in Somerset, will be giving a talk entitled Tintinhull. Jessica was in 2015 given the prestigious award of Young Horticulturalist of the Year.

At this meeting, you will be able to meet and hear from a horticultural expert and future star. It will also enable you to see the wonderful gardens at this local National Trust property in a new light when you next visit. The meeting also is an opportunity for members to swap and share plants. Please bring any unwanted vegetable or flower plants, so everyone can expand their collection and try new varieties. Roger Smith

BURSTOCK NEWS The Baptism of Gracie June Curtis took place at St Andrew’s, Burstock, on 12 March. A large number of family and friends gathered for this special occasion.

We held the church walk and lunch at Broadwindsor on 1 April. The weather stayed good until all the walkers had returned. Forty walkers enjoyed the walk up to Horn Park and around Lewesdon Hill. Over eighty people enjoyed a hot, two-course lunch prepared by our hard working ladies. Thanks to all who supported this event and to all who prepared and served the lunch.

Burstock ladies hosted the last Lent lunch at Broadwindsor on 6 April. More than thirty people enjoyed a variety of soups, with many having seconds.

At our service on 2 April two ladies visiting England joined us - one from the USA the other from Switzerland. They came to Burstock to visit the grave of Lillian Staveley, author of The Golden Fountain, who is buried in the top corner of Burstock Churchyard. The grave was grown over, the ladies cleared it off and planted a rose. I promised we would keep it better in the future. They joined us at Lent lunch before leaving for Devon. We are sorry that Ann and Tony Jones are leaving Burstock. They have been greatly involved in Burstock life and hosted our Big Strawberry Tea for several years. We wish them well in their new home Shipton Gorge.

Our flower and cleaning lady for May is Mrs V Lawrence. John Hansford

BLACKDOWN NEWS Thank you to everyone who chose a hymn for the Songs of Praise, including 91-year-old Evered Way who sadly passed away a few days after our service on the 25 March. Evered’s funeral was held at North Poorton on 6 April. Our sympathies to Sarah, Philip and families on their loss. We celebrate Rogation on the top of Blackdown Hill on Sunday 21 May at 11am. Lifts will be provided from 10.30am for those less able from the church car park. After the service, please stay for a picnic lunch, weather permitting

What a lovely day for walk and lunch at Broadwindsor in April. It was hard to believe that muddy conditions meant the original route had to be altered at the last minute. Thank you to those who got the new route signposted and directions written down. The two-course hot lunch was appreciated by all. Thank you to everyone who helped or supported the three churches for this fundraiser.

It was a spring clean for both the inside of the church and hall in March. Thank you to everyone who helped.

There will be no whist at the hall on 4 May because of the county council elections. Evidently this will be the last election to be held at the hall. Voters will now have to travel further afield or do a postal vote, so whist will just be held on 18 May.

Blackdown WI will be having a silent auction at their 11 May meeting. Both these events start at 7.30pm. Helen Doble

SEABOROUGH NEWS Beating the Bounds: Sunday 21 May at 3 pm, starting at Seaborough Church.

On Rogation Sunday this year, on 21 May, which is the Sunday before Ascension Day, anyone in the village may wish to join in ‘Beating the Bounds’, a traditional perambulation to mark and remember the boundaries of the parish. At the same time, this was traditionally a time to bless the fields and their crops for the forthcoming year. We will meet at the church at 3pm and then slowly make our way around Seaborough until we arrive at Seaborough Court, where we have kindly been invited for tea by Susanna and Adam Laurie. Put the date in your diary and we will see you to celebrate the glorious sunshine of late spring (but bring your wellies anyway…) Steven Loveridge

Lent Lunches - Broadwindsor, Burstock and Blackdown We raised the sum of £809.50p, less the cost of hiring the hall (£72) so £737.50p. A BIG thank you to all who made fabulous soups, donated food, helped in the kitchen and came to enjoy the food and great company. Philip H, Philip C and John H

Kill Your Speed To the female driver using a mobile phone: your children in the back of your car would be a lot safer if you took the corner with both hands on the steering wheel and with your phone safely in your handbag.

To the male driver in your ‘souped up’ coupe attempting a ‘wheelie’: we were not impressed and you will ruin your tyres.

To the learner driver on your scooter: you will not pass your test if you persist in doing 35 mph in a 20 mph zone. Camille for the Speedwatch team.

Over 60s’ Club activities ALL WELCOME Outing to Bath 10 May - phone Rita on 868729 Monthly meeting Thursday 25 May at 2.15pm - phone Annette on 868639 Craft Group at Fullers Hall, Thurs May 18 at 2pm - phone Annette on 868639

Broadwindsor & District Horticultural Society HANGING BASKETS A talk and demonstration by Mark Bugler of Groves Nurseries COMRADES HALL, BROADWINDSOR Friday 5 May at 7.30pm Tickets on Door: £2 members, £3 others

SPRING SALE & COFFEE MORNING Saturday 20 May Comrades Hall, Broadwindsor 10.30am – 12noon Admission £1 (includes tea/coffee & biscuits) Children under 12 free Plants, Cakes, Raffle etc. In aid of Broadwindsor Fun Weekend 2017 Donations of plants and cakes welcome If you’d like to run a craft stall, please ring Terry on 867939

THE BISHOP’S KITCHEN Two recipes for Dorset mussels

THAI MUSSELS (SERVES 4) 2-3k mussels scrubbed & de-bearded, 1 bunch fresh coriander, 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce, 150 ml double cream For the Thai flavourings: 5cm piece of fresh ginger, 6 spring onions chopped, 4 green chillies seeded & chopped, 2 stalks lemon grass chopped, 6 lime leaves, 1 garlic clove chopped, juice of 1 lime, 400 ml thin coconut milk.

Put the mussels in large pan & add 300ml water. Bring to boil, then put lid on & steam for 3-5 mins, shaking the pan from time to time. When all the shells have opened, drain mussels in a colander set over a pan to collect the juices, & reserve. Allow the mussels to cool slightly, then remove & discard the empty half of each shell. Put the mussels on their half shell into a bowl & set aside. Pull the leaves of the coriander from the stalks & set the leaves aside. Chop the stalks. Add the coriander stalks & the Thai flavourings to the reserved mussel juices. Set the pan over a low heat & simmer gently for 30 mins. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into the large pan in which you cooked the mussels. Stir in the fish sauce, cream & chopped coriander leaves. Add the mussels in half-shells & bring to simmer. Heat through gently for 5 mins & serve.

GRILLED MUSSELS (SERVES 4) 48 large mussels, 2 cloves garlic, 2 shallots halved, handful of parsley, zest of ½ lemon, 100g unsalted butter softened, 75g fresh white breadcrumbs, salt & freshly ground pepper.

Put the mussels into a large pan with 50 ml water, cover & place over a high heat for 3-4mins. Shake the pan now & then, until the mussels have just opened. Drain them in a colander, then break off & discard the empty half shells, leaving the mussels in the other shell. Preheat the grill to high. Very finely chop the shallot, garlic, parsley & lemon zest. Mix with the softened butter, with seasoning to taste, in a bowl. Dot each mussel with the butter mixture, then sprinkle with some breadcrumbs. Lay them on a baking tray & grill for 2-3 mins until crisp & golden brown. Serve immediately.

BEAMINSTER MUSEUM The two new exhibitions are attracting much interest with our visitors. One of the main themes of Wood You Know? is continuity: how we still have that vital combination today – of living woodland, harvested wood, and people who work with wood – which has been with us since the Stone Age. The exhibition explores which of our local woods are ancient and which more modern. It relates how our ancestors gradually learned that different types of wood were useful for particular purposes.

It tells the stories of woodworking families from the Beaminster area and shows how many of the woodworking traditions are still flourishing nearby today. The 40 Years of Twinning exhibition enables us to learn how twinning began almost as an act of reconciliation after the Second World War, but subsequently spread to associations between towns that had been on the same side. How did Beaminster and St James find each other? What have they been doing for 40 years? Will the friendship between them be allowed to survive Brexit?

Dorset Residents' Week takes place from the 8-14 May, which gives discounted entry to the museum. Details can be found in either the latest copy of Your Dorset newsletter or from any tourist information centre.

Come along and enjoy this and much, much more both for younger and older visitors. Douglas Beazer

Following Easter and our celebration of resurrection and new life we are offering a chance to talk about death. Last year we conducted over 100 funerals in the Beaminster Team and it is an important part of our ministry to the community. Yet death can be a taboo subject and often we find families have not found the opportunity to talk about funerals or end-of- life care before it is too late.

There are several national initiatives to help us start to have conversations about death and dying. The Church of England have produced a resource called GraveTalk which is a café space to talk about all aspects of death, dying and funerals. The resource enables conversations rather than provides answers and it is open to people of all faiths or none.

We are running three sessions of GraveTalk in The White Lion Inn, Broadwindsor at 7.30pm on Monday 8, 15 and 22 May. Buy a drink and gather to talk openly and without judgement about life, death, dying and funerals. You can attend any number of sessions, as the content will be different each time. Contact Jo Neary for more details.

BROADWINDSOR FUN WEEKEND Saturday 10 June 2017 Big Breakfast 9am-11.30am. Afternoon Tea on Bernards’ Place, 2.30pm–4.30pm. Barn Dance with Crooked Furrow, Comrades Hall. Doors at 7.30 - band on at 8 - until 10/10.30, White Lion Wood Burning Pizza Oven at the hall. Sunday 11 June Pram Race 2pm, Pizza Oven at the White Lion from 4pm, Shadrack Street Blues Band 5-7pm

Coffee and Cake Morning At Fullers Community Room Saturday 13 May 10.30am – 12 noon Raffle and Live Music MAY EVENTS CH Comrades Hall, BVH Blackdown Village Hall, DVH Drimpton Village Hall. Church coffee get-togethers: White Lion every Saturday 10.30am. Prayer walk from The Square, Broadwindsor, second Saturday of every month, 10am. Post Office, Comrades Hall, Tuesday and Fridays, 10am-12.30pm. Every Wednesday: Active Age Aerobics 10am, Yogalates 11am, Comrades Hall. Broadwindsor Guitar Club, Comrades Hall, every second Tuesday, 2pm–5pm Weds 3 Kenny Hodges Cup Final, Drimpton Rec, pm Thurs 4 Polling stations at village halls 7am-10pm Fri 5 CH, Broadwindsor Horticultural Society Talk + Demo, 7.30pm Sat 6 DVH Murder Mystery Evening, 7pm Mon 8 BW White Lion, ‘Grave Talk’, 7.30pm-9pm Mon 8 CH Parish council AGM 7.30pm Weds 10 BW Over 60s. Trip to Bath. Leave CH 9am Weds 10 DVH ‘Sully’, film club, 7pm Thurs 11 BVH WI Silent Auction 7.30pm Thurs 11 CH Frantic Skittles, 7.30pm Sat 13 Fullers, Coffee and Cake Morning 10.30-12 Sun 14 Coast-to-coast cycle ride passes through Drimpton and Broadwindsor Sun 14 Royal Oak, Drimpton, Quiz Night 8pm Mon 15 BW White Lion, ‘Grave Talk’ 7.30pm-9pm Mon 15 DVH Parish Council Meeting Weds 17 DVH Village Lunch 12.30pm Thurs 18 BVH Whist Drive 7.30pm Thurs 18 CH WI Meeting Sat 20 CH Coffee morning and plant sale 10.30-12 Mon 22 BW White Lion, ‘Grave Talk’ 7.30pm-9pm Thurs 25 CH Over 60s Meeting 2.15pm Thurs 25 CH Frantic Skittles, 7.30pm Fri 26 DVH Youth Club film night, 7.30pm Sat 27 DVH Coffee morning, 10.30am