The Villager
Villager No. 251 March 2016 Looks like 2016 is going to be busy in Motcombe again - plans are underway for the Village Fete, volunteers always required! Moviola shows wonderful movies each month, it really makes a good social evening out with all the refreshments in the break. W.I. and Gardening Club always find interesting topics - it's a wonder they don’t run out of ideas. Great to see the Memorial Hall be so well used and the Methodist Hall is very busy with coffee mornings, lunch club and soup club. We are lucky to have a village with so many activities for all age groups Mil has sent an article about what brought the Chilmey’s to Motcombe it would be great if others follow suit - Motcombe is a very popular village as estate agents often mention. Discover inside how important the Churchyard is for wildlife conservation. Articles can be handed to Gail or Mike or delivered to the following: Winters Grace, Elm Hill, Motcombe or e-mail [email protected] telephone 01747 850865 or Motcombe Community Shop, or Tanders, Elm Hill Motcombe telephone 01747 852545
The Cottages in Church Walk There were once three thatched cottages in Church Walk but some years ago the two closest the main brook were made into one. It may seem odd that the stone and slated one in the centre is not also thatched. This is because in about 1800 the former cottages were burnt down and were rebuilt except for the centre one which was constructed in the late 1840s, it is said, from stone and slates left over after the church was rebuilt. These dwellings and some others, including the old work house, belonged to a charity called The Feoffees Land. (Feoffee is an old word for a trustee.) There were two other Motcombe charities, The Allotment Land and the Wykes Charity. They have been amalgamated and are now called Motcombe United Charities. As the properties and land belonging to them were sold off many years ago income from the investments is very small. More about these charities in a future article. L. CLARK Motcombe Moviola
The Lady in the Van – March 16th at 7.30pm Based on a true story by Alan Bennett. A man forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman living in her car that's parked in his driveway. Stars Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings. Brooklyn – April 20th at 7.30pm Written by Nick Hornby. An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a new romance. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within. Stars Domhnall Gleeson and Soiarse Ronan.
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 2 March 2016 Seniors Lunch We would like to thank Port Regis School for once again allowing us to host this lovely village event, and to Gill Ellis, for cooking a fabulous lunch of Roast Beef. We were lucky to have a number of new volunteers this year to whom we are extremely grateful, and extend our thanks to them all. It was an enormous help to have so many people willing to put the tables away afterwards too. Once again we have been very fortunate to be given two anonymous donations towards the cost of the lunch this year, and would like to thank those responsible very much for their generosity. It is a village tradition which I am sure we would not like to lose. If anyone would like to join the committee they would be most welcome and we look forward to seeing you all in 2017.
Can you Help? Two/three bedroom property to rent with garden, needed urgently in Motcombe or Shaftesbury for local family with 2 children at Motcombe Primary School, hence need to stay in area. References can be supplied Please call 01747 851293
Diamond Anniversary On the 6th March, Huw and Valerie Griffiths are celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary! This message come with lots of love from Kay ,Scott, Alice, Tom and Rosie Jackson and the rest of the family
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 3 March 2016 Motcombe Neighbourhood Plan Public Meetings
The Parish Council invites all residents of Motcombe to attend either of two meetings to be held in the Memorial Hall on Monday, April 18th at 7.30pm or Saturday, April 23rd at 2.00pm What is a Neighbourhood Plan? A Neighbourhood Plan for Motcombe will be a community view on how the strategic policies in the recently approved North Dorset Local Plan should be applied to our village. We can influence planning decisions by deciding on preferred sites for development; identify constraints on development; produce guidelines on buildings design. The final Plan must be realistic and deliverable. At the meetings we want to hear your views on: Local needs - housing; business/employment; social; transport; other infrastructure. Assets we should protect - landscape; heritage,, environment, community facilities. Identify - places that could be changed for the better or provide development opportunities. The meetings will also be an opportunity to volunteer to become involved as part of the bigger team we will need to develop the Plan
For more information please contact either: Peter Mouncey [email protected] 01747 858496 Nicky Phillips [email protected] If you are unable to attend a meeting your ideas are still welcome, please send them to either of the contacts above.
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 4 March 2016 Motcombe Village Fête – Saturday 18th June The Fête Committee have started planning this year’s event and would like you to put 18th June in your diary. The theme for this year is “Hats”. We would like everyone who attends to wear a hat. It could be a straight forward sun hat (we are hoping for a sunny day), or something more elaborate that you would like to enter in one of our Hat competitions. The actual competitions have yet to be finalised but possibilities are Best Decorated Hat (Adults), Best Decorated Hat (Childrens), Tallest Hat, Most Comical Hat and Most Elegantly Hatted Couple. So put your thinking caps on and start planning your hat. Anybody willing to run a Hat stall? You need to collect donated hats and then have them available for hatless people in exchange for a donation. Contact Bob Chimley ([email protected]) if you would like a stall and also if you can help on the day (car park, raffle etc) or erecting tents the day before – we wouldn’t be able to run the fête without our volunteers whose help we are very grateful for. Our chairman John Maynard is currently looking for organisations or individuals to sponsor our competitions and/or donate raffle prizes. Contact him ([email protected]) if you can help. David Scully has recently moved into the village and has generously volunteered to run a book stall/bric-a-brac stall. He will greatly appreciate suitable donations for it, so please take them to him at Motcombe Hall or to John Maynard (who can collect). All proceeds will go to the Hall. Lastly our committee is a little depleted this year so if you feel like helping us plan the event or have any ideas please contact either John or Bob as above.
Wheelchairs for Ghana Jill Jenkinson is currently in Ghana to distribute wheelchairs; she has spent over two weeks in the children’s home for which many of you, in the church and village, generously gave clothing and toys. She has set up a library, organised the storage and use of toys, and even done some gardening. There was a problem with the wheelchairs being on the high seas; the wheelchair distribution was put back a week and thankfully all of the team were able to reschedule their dates. The wheelchairs cleared customs on the day the team arrived so all should now proceed as planned Thank you to all who prayed for the wheelchairs to arrive and clear customs in time. Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 5 March 2016
St. Mary’s Church, Motcombe After a long vacancy we now have a new vicar. We welcomed the Rev. Pam Rink and her husband Dennis to the village in early February. The church was full for the induction service with representatives from various village organisations and institutions, other local clergy and village residents joining the congregation. Pam is one of the clergy in the Shaftsbury team with responsibility for Motcombe, Margaret Marsh and East and West Orchard; she joins us from West Malling where she worked for the Pilsdon Community, in addition to having a ministerial role in a local church. We pray she will have a long, happy and fruitful ministry in Motcombe. Please note a change to our regular service pattern; the service of Holy Communion that used to be on Fridays has moved to Thursdays at 10am Our services for the next few weeks are as follows: Morning prayer is said at 8:30 Monday-Wednesday and Saturday, and Holy Communion on Thursdays at 10am. Service for the Women’s World Day of Prayer Friday 4th March at 7pm. Mothering Sunday 6th March at 9.30am - Parish Communion with thanksgiving and giving of posies to all those who ‘mother’ and nurture us. Messy Church is at 3pm on 13th March in Motcombe School. Services for Holy Week and Easter Morning prayer at 8.30 and Evening prayer at 5pm will be said Monday- Wednesday. Palm Sunday 20th March at 9.30am - Procession and Parish Communion. We will begin at the Village Hall and process from there to the Church. Monday 21st March at 2.30pm Motcombe School Service in Church Maundy Thursday 24th March at 7pm - Parish Communion with Washing of Feet, Stripping of the Altar and Vigil Good Friday 25th March at 2pm - Meditation and Prayer at the Cross Easter Sunday 27th March 9.30am: Celebration Communion for Easter Day
Everyone is welcome at all our services.
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 6 March 2016 Motcombe Methodist Church Our hall is available for bookings at reasonable rates so if you are looking for a small venue in Motcombe for a meeting/activity why not consider using it? Our church is open for quiet prayer every Tuesday morning. Please drop in. Our weekly Coffee Morning is held in the hall every Friday 10.15am-11.45am. Proceeds for March: The Villager and April proceeds: Mistletoe Therapy (in memory of Rowena) Lunch Club meets for “Lunch and pudding” on Tuesday 8th March and Tuesday 12th April and for “Soup and pudding” on Tuesday 22nd March and Tuesday 26th April. Ladies Fellowship continues to meet on 16th March and 20th April. Come and join us on Good Friday 10-12noon for our Easter Journey ‘From Cross to Empty Tomb…’ followed by a hot cross bun. Services for March and April Sunday 6th March 10.30am Mothering Sunday Local Fellowship Service Sunday 13th March 10.30am Holy Communion led by Rev. Paul Arnold. Sunday 20th March Palm Sunday 10.30 - Morning Worship led by Rev. Andy Curtis Sunday 27th March Easter Sunday 10.30 - Morning Worship led by Mr Brian Collis Sunday 3rd April 10.30am Local Fellowship Service Sunday 10th April 10.30am March Holy Communion led by Rev. Colin Marsh Sunday 17th April 10.30am Morning Worship led by Mr Geoff Chapman Sunday 24th April 10.30am Morning Worship led by Rev .John Passmore Sunday 24th April 6pm Circuit Service at Bell Street United Church, Shaftesbury
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 7 March 2016 Motcombe Community Road Safety
Over 100 individuals attended an open meeting on Road Safety in Motcombe, on Monday 11th January. Attendees included Councillor Peter Williams OBE, Councillor Andrew Cattaway and key members of the local emergency services. Facilitated by local mums Fran Bridgewater and Helen Davey, this was the first meeting of its kind centered around encouraging a community commitment to greater road safety village-wide, while recognising the importance of courtesy, tolerance and respect for all viewpoints. The key findings of this initial meeting can best be summarised as follows:
All villagers are encouraged to report all road traffic incidents which occur in the village (including all major and minor accidents, witnessing excess speeding or reckless driving and incidents such as pedestrians being brushed by a wing mirror while walking along the pavement on The Street). This is paramount in building the statistical case for improved road safety measures for the village, over the medium term. Local police non-emergency number: Dial 101 Local police email address: [email protected] Basic details required: Date of incident ,Time of incident, Vehicle description + registration, if possible Brief description of the incident. It is generally acknowledged that we all need to commit to adequately maintain the hedges, trees and shrubs bordering our properties so as not to encumber pathways, obscure road signs or impede visibility for road users. Community Speed Watch is being welcomed by the majority, as a first step towards deterring speeding motorists (especially passing traffic using the roads in the village as a ‘rat run’) and in providing meaningful statistics for appealing to County to lower speed limits over the medium term. Sufficient volunteers have already come forward for PCSO Mullens to run the first course and more volunteers are welcomed, with application forms available in the Village Shop. Parents at Motcombe CEVA Primary School are being actively encouraged to make more use of the walking bus, to park considerately and mindfully and where possible to embark upon a voluntary one-way system up The Hollow (such as the voluntary scheme which is currently in operation on the C13) to improve the flow of traffic out of the village in the mornings. There is also general agreement that a passing space (measuring approximately two car lengths) must be left clear outside the church gates at all times, to allow unimpeded access for emergency services vehicles and to enable a natural passing place along Church Road during busy times of the day. Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 8 March 2016 The salient points of the meeting were raised at the Motcombe Parish Council Meeting on Tuesday 9th February and will continue to be the subject of further more detailed discussion at the next Parish Council meeting, with the widely requested follow-up Open Meeting scheduled for Monday 25th April at 7:30pm in The Coppleridge Barn, with grateful thanks to Chris Goodinge and his team for kindly hosting the meeting once again. All are encouraged to attend. In conclusion, as a community, we acknowledge that there is no ‘magic bullet’ solution to the traffic management issues in Motcombe. However, a concerted effort on all of our parts to work together as a community, to be more considerate and tolerant of others and to endorse a series of improvement measures should be sufficient to lessen the pressure of the immediate frustrations and contribute towards ensuring that all roads in the village are safer for all road users. by Fran Bridgewater and Helen Davey email: [email protected]
Raising money for Breast Cancer Care Many of us will have relatives or friends who have been affected by this illness and a courageous group of women who have fought hard and survived breast cancer are cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia to raise money for Breast Cancer Care. In order to help this extremely worthy cause we are organising a fund raising event. On Saturday 16th April come along to Motcombe Memorial Hall and indulge in a Pudding Club Evening. For only £10 per ticket start the evening with a small savoury course and then sample up to 20 puddings. There will be wine, beer, soft drinks, music and good company and of course lots of puddings. Please support this worthy cause by buying a ticket from the village shop or contact Anne Lewis - 07807041194 Thank you from Motcombe Craft Group
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 9 March 2016 Why Motcombe! I’ve noticed that there are a lot of “incomers”, like ourselves, living in Motcombe and it roused my curiosity as to what has brought each of us to this particular village in north Dorset? I thought it might be interesting if other people shared their motivation for moving to Motcombe, so I’d like to start the ball rolling with our tale and hope others will follow suit. In November 2007 Bob and I moved to Stainers Mead from West Lavington, near Midhurst in West Sussex. For us it was an economic migration; we’d escaped from the stresses and strains of running a small computer software development company, which delivered some highs such as going round the World and flying from the USA on Concorde, but regrettably it hadn’t made us rich as we’d hoped. Our particular corner of West Sussex was a very expensive housing area, which made everything else in the local area expensive as well because everybody was paying much higher than the national average for their housing. So we set about looking for somewhere suitable to move to. At this point I must admit I’d been a Waitrose shopper for over 30 years and wasn’t planning to give that up anytime soon, so we started our search in the villages north of Dorchester where I’d discovered a Waitrose. There are some very nice villages that we would probably have been happy to move to but the right house just didn’t come up, and the sale of our Sussex home was progressing apace. While we’d visited parts of south Dorset in the past, we didn’t really know north Dorset at all but the discovery of a Waitrose in Gillingham had us widening our search area. I suppose in the space of 2 or 3 months we must have looked at over 30 houses in Dorset, Somerset or Wiltshire, without finding the right one for us and our cat! Then, by a stroke of luck, the house in Stainers Mead came on to the market and in less than a week we had agreed to buy it. The estate agents hadn’t even had time to get the formal details printed, but I’d seen it on the Rightmove web site, arranged to view it quickly, and we made our offer the same day. Phew! Without knowing a soul in the area we set about integrating ourselves into village life at every opportunity at the Coppleridge Inn, the Memorial Hall and the Village Shop (both before and after it became a community shop). We count ourselves very lucky that such a randomly selected move has proved to be so good for us. What a wonderful village we live in, with a great community spirit. We’ve also noticed that those born and bred in the area have made us feel equally welcome, and we’re grateful for that, as we’re not entirely sure that would be the case if we’d moved a lot further west. So, that’s a potted history of “why Motcombe” for us so if you’re also an “incomer” what’s your story? Mil Chimley
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 10 March 2016 Motcombe Community Shop It was lovely to see so many of our wonderful shop volunteers who help out at the shop in so many different ways at our annual Volunteers Party at the Coppleridge recently. Huge thanks to the Coppleridge Inn for holding the party which was attended by over 60 Motcombites. It was a great way to spend a cold drizzly Sunday afternoon. Move over Motcombe Moviola! Since the book exchange at the shop was working so well we have now added DVDs to the collection. So if you are having a clear out please think of the shop. DVDs can be exchanged for 50p or bought for £1. Books and DVDs are regularly ‘refreshed’ so you should always find something new to choose from. Any proceeds raised from the book/DVD exchange go towards shop improvements. New product alert We are trialling out a couple of new products in the chiller cabinet: Shaken Udder milkshakes, and also some YeoValley breakfast pots (granola with blueberry yoghurt). On the shop counter keep an eye out for some new naughty but nice Devonvale slices and Nak'd bars. In addition to our fabulous line of quaffable wines ranging in price from £4.99 to £10.80 we also sell a good range of bottled beers and ciders including Copse House Cider, Taste of Dorset winner 2015 and grown and produced just down the road at Sandley.
There is always something new to buy on our shelves.
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 11 March 2016 Motcombe Gardening Club
I do hope January was kind to you. Any New Year’s resolutions still working for anyone??
The weather - well it just is and we must make the best of it. A few really cold days made us feel winter was here then some warmth returned and so did the rain and the wind. Well what do we expect when we live in England - it is one of those things that become part of our nature. I know that as much as I like going abroad coming home is - well - coming home!
I’ve just popped out in the sun and picked a few daffs to cheer the house up and marvel at the 75 degrees in our little conservatory and now the rain is lashing against the window - hey ho!
The February meeting was a great success with a fascinating talk by Bridgit Sawbridge about 'Bees’ covering, how important they are, types, habitat, pollination, how to encourage them, which flowers they like. A really interesting and helpful introduction in making them welcome in our gardens and helping them to survive. It was also a very well attended meeting and included some new members - welcome. Wonderful - an excellent start to the year.
We did ask the members to think about our Christmas party entertainment, so if you missed the meeting we will still have the lists at the March meeting for you to tell us what you would like. This will be on 1st March and Paul Atterbury will be giving a talk “The Perfect Partnership, Jekyll & Lutyens” and we are all looking forward to this with great anticipation.
Then, before we know it, it will April 5th and our Spring Show. Obviously with the weather as it has been, a lot of us will have daffs and other spring flowers out already and we really will not know until nearer the time what will be in flower SO - the first thing is Don’t Panic! The next is just relax, I am sure some things will be there for us but we will look at what is there and then decide if some classes will need to be altered or if some extra classes need to be added - our Spring Show will be as good as ever!!!! We will keep you up to date with any changes towards the end of March.
The Committee was sad to hear the our Secretary Pauline Griffiths and her husband had made a decision to sell their house and move to Sussex rather unexpectedly. We wish them well and feel very lucky that Phillip Roberts has Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 12 March 2016 very kindly stepped into the breech and is willing to serve as Secretary to the club for the next year. We thank him most sincerely.
As you know the AGM follows the Spring Show and we would be delighted if there is someone who would like to become a little more involved in the club by joining the committee - please think about this as fresh ideas are always welcome.
With more rain expected I think it will be a while before we can really get going in the garden, in the meantime we will enjoy our flowers and think about some more raised beds as well as planning to buy some more bee and other pollinator friendly plants. I look forward to seeing you on March 1st.
Bev West 858981
Parish Council Noticeboard.
The Notice board situated outside the Community Shop has been refurbished, painted and mended and is back in use.
The Parish Council would like to pass on to Andy and Bridget Mileham a BIG thank you for their hard work and expertise.
Allistair Leask
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 13 March 2016 Living Churchyard
We are delighted to tell you that St Mary’s, Motcombe is now a member of the Living Churchyards Project in Dorset. The scheme has been running for some 20 years, and is currently organised by two charities, The Wildlife Trusts (locally, Dorset Wildlife Trust) and ‘Caring for God’s Acre’, fostering sensitive management of churchyards – Havens for Wildlife, for Heritage, for People. We hope to involve Motcombe residents, young and old, in many and varied volunteering opportunities, from bug hunts to bramble control, lichen/plant identification to photographic displays, bat recognition to wildflower meadow creation.
Dorset Wildlife Trust assessors visited last summer, and sent in a very positive report, with plant survey list and suggestions for inclusion in our management plan for the area, some of which will be acted on this season with the help of a team of enthusiastic volunteers from the Motcombe community! Everyone is welcome, and we should add, just in case some people are thinking ‘Oh No! That’s just Nettles and Neglect’….we promise you this is not the case – the aim will be a haven for wild flowers, insects, birds and other wildlife, whilst retaining the primary function for reverent interment of the deceased and as a pleasant, reflective place for the bereaved, villagers and visitors.
We will keep a logbook in the church, where people can record their sightings, for example a green woodpecker, the first flowering meadow cranesbill or peacock butterfly.
About 97% of Britain’s wildflower- rich grassland has vanished since the Second World War, and many of our birds and insects, including bees and butterflies are now endangered or have disappeared completely; but with your help we can create a beautiful, thriving churchyard offering a tranquil haven for people and wildlife.
We’re buzzing with ideas and would love to share them with you and hear yours. Please do get in touch!
Peter Moull Tel: 854538 e-mail: [email protected] Angela Peebles Tel: 853414 e-mail: [email protected]
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 14 March 2016 Motcombe Memorial Hall The Merry Muddlers (country dancing) meet fortnightly on Monday from 8pm to 9:30 Djembe Drumming Group 2 & 4th Monday each month from 2-4pm Zest Exercise Classes Monday11am & Friday 11:15am Motcombe Youth Club meet every Friday from 6.30 to 8.30pm Motcombe Parent & Toddler Group meet, during term time, every Thursday:10- 11:30am – New members always welcome Motcombe Running Club meet every Monday 7pm Motcombe Ramblers last Tuesday of every month at 9:30am Cubs meet every Tuesday during term time only Beavers meet every Thursday during term time only Ballroom & Latin American Dancing for fun Thursday evenings at 7:30pm Motcombe Bridge Club meets every Friday 7pm. Bodyrhythm exercise classes Fridays from10:30 to 11am Parish Council meets 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm
9th Mar WI - Life Skills 7:30pm
16th Mar Moviola -Lady in the Van 7:30pm
5th Apr Gardening Club - Spring Show
9th Apr Quiz Night 7:30pm 16th Apr Pudding Club for Breast Cancer Care
18th Apr Neighbourhood Plan Meeting 7:30pm
20th Apr Moviola - Brooklyn 7:30pm
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 15 March 2016 23rd Apr Neighbourhood Plan Meeting 2pm
18th June Village Fete
Other Venues
Mar 8th Lunch Club Methodist Hall 12 noon Mar 13th Messy Church @ Motcombe School 3pm
Mar 22nd Soup Club Methodist Hall 12 noon
Apr 12th Lunch Club Methodist Hall 12 noon
Apr 26th Soup Club Methodist Hall 12 noon
Weekly Bell ringing St Mary’s Church 7:30pm
Mar 14th & 28th Recycling Black Bin (Green Lid) + Green Box + Food Bin Apr 11th & 25th
Mar 7th & 21st Rubbish Old Blue Bin or new Grey Bin + Food Bin Apr 4th & 18th
The Shop The Grange Elm Close Mobile Library 10:10 - 10:15 10:20 - 10:40 10:45 - 11:05
Mar 10th & 24th Apr 7th & 21st (TBC)
Motcombe Village Magazine 251 Page 16 March 2016