Dorchester News Free to every home in the parish July/August 2021 1 Dorchester News July/August 2021 In this issue A DoT view The easing of the final Covid Dorchester Abbey Local and national government restrictions on 21 June that we Abbey Services 3 Thank you from Lorraine Lindsay-Gale 19 were hoping has not happened. Talking Point 3 From your Parish Council Chairman 21 Instead, the current restrictions are Dorchester Abbey Museum News 5 Parish Council Notices 21 extended by a period, of four Dorchester Abbey Tea Room 15 From your District Councillor 23 weeks. From your County Councillor 24 I find this totally understandable. The increase in case numbers over Clubs, Societies and Sports the past few weeks can take us into Schools and education uncharted waters regarding Village Hall—Important Developments 4 St Birinus School Playground Appeal 6 hospitalisations and a delay to Hempcroft Allotments 5 St Birinus School News 7 allow more people to become fully Autumn Flower Show 8 vaccinated makes perfect sense. DADS: The Wind in the Willows 9 But once again it hits hard at not Warborough and Shillingford WI 11 Wallingford just village activities but the Tennis Club 15 Wallingford Corn Exchange 28 hospitality venues in Dorchester Wallingford Museum News 29 which will endure another period of Wallingford Historical Society 29 being only partially open. We Village news/articles should try to support them where we can whilst complying with Clifton Hampden Patients Participation government guidance. Various Group 4 outdoor activities are planned in Dorchester’s Big Screen 11 Advertising the village during July, including a Henge 21 13 Advertising in Dorchester News 30 big screen showing of the National Gardens Open 15 Index of advertisers 31 Wimbledon finals; and the DADS The Hurst Water Meadow Trust 17 production of The Wind in the Willows Outdoors. Let’s aim to support those, which we can do safely and in accordance with Art Music and Entertainment Cover picture: The Abbey from the Cloister government guidance and at least Summer reading for younger readers 7 Gardens in summer. get some normality back to our Jill Battson In Performance 12 summer. Henge 21—Art Challenge 13 There is some light ahead. The Henge 21—Calling all poets 13 Autumn Flower Show looks likely Requiem 18 Deadline for to take place, the first since 2019. Crossword No 17: Solution 19 See page 8 for the categories. Some new summer reads 19 September Whilst we must thank the organisers for their imaginative Dorchester News responses to the pandemic restrictions, how welcome it will be Community and Charities to get back to a proper show in the Wallingford Food Bank 3 Village Hall. Let’s celebrate that by Dog Walkers 4 September making it a bumper show with lots Footsteps 27 of entries. Shared Lives 27 Ian Brace Friday 13 Aug Editorial Team Ian Brace, Gail Thomas Tributes Betty Cooper 16 Distribution Co-ordinator Maurice Day email: Printed by [email protected] Artisan Print Solutions Dorchester News July/August 2021 2 Talking Point Rev Teresa Stewart Sykes ‘We’re all going on a summer holiday’ health and well-being, especially within way, the persistent accumulation of sang Cliff Richard, but for many of us a culture of technology that offers 24/7 ‘stuff’ does not bring satisfaction whereas going on a summer holiday is a difficult entertainment, news and social media the service of others can bring us quiet decision to make. July and August are on phones, tablets and computer screens. joy. During the last months of the traditionally holiday months, summer What we accept as vital to modern living pandemic many of us have found this to days for rest and relaxation but like last has become a threat to our spiritual and be true, more and more people have year we are subject to covid restrictions mental health. So, the benefit of slowing volunteered during the pandemic and and planning a holiday means negotiating down, taking some rest, and going on discovered the joys of creative or active bewildering traffic light travel systems holiday is essential. pursuits for our leisure time rather than and anxieties over new variants. As a shopping! For millennia world faiths have recognised nation we are re-discovering the joys of the benefits to spiritual wellbeing of Whatever your holiday plans are, I hope simpler holidays or ‘staycations’ as they meditation, prayer and keeping a day of that you are able to enjoy some rest and are now called; camping shops are sold rest. The theologian Walter Brueggemann relaxation this summer, and find renewal out of tents, B&Bs are fully booked, and defines the Sabbath as ‘the refusal to let in simple pleasures and the service of caravans cannot be bought for love nor one’s life be defined by production and others. money! consumption and the endless pursuit of Rest and relaxation are vital for our private wellbeing’; or to put it another Abbey Services Wallingford Food Bank We are hoping that our regular pattern of 8.00am and 10.30am In spite of the lifting of some Covid restrictions the food bank services will resume in July and August depending on current is still busy. guidelines and local infection rates. Please see the calendar for anticipated services. We are having family fun services Many thanks to everyone who has left a donation either in the (outdoors where possible) on the third Sunday of the month collection boxes in Waitrose or by leaving goods in the yellow over the summer at 3.30pm to coincide with Tearoom opening. box in my garage. Thank you too for the welcome donations of money. Everyone is welcome – look out for posters and flyers nearer the time. We expect that we will need to continue to invite Many people in Wallingford and the surrounding area are still people to register in advance for services – as this makes track in need of contributions from the food bank and the demand and trace requirements simpler and safer but we do not expect can increase during the school holidays when school meals a capacity problem. If you would like to register for the weekly are not available. information about services or have any queries about services Please continue your generous support during the holiday please contact the Parish Office. period. For services in Dorchester Abbey see the Dorchester Diary on Judy Parker page 32. FOR A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN Choose from our wide range of quality garden services: design and construction, plants and maintenance. We tailor-make our service for you. For a free, no-obligation visit and written estimate from RHS qualified staff, call01865 891634, or email [email protected] Full details at www.brannfordsgardens.co.uk 3 Dorchester News July/August 2021 Clifton Hampden Patients Dog Walkers Participation Group I know l am not alone in saying that I am so lucky to have Dear PPG friends such wonderful places to take my dog for walks. Everything Major changes are afoot in the NHS and Patient Groups and is made easy for us with ' doggy bags' and bins in various a meeting to discuss the way forward is to be held to discuss places, thank you. this on Wednesday evening 7 July 2021 at 7.30pm. New My concern is that whilst taking my lovely dog out for walks committee members are especially needed. he has now been attacked by other dogs twice! As you can It will be held in the village hall at Clifton Hampden imagine it's so distressing not only for my dog but for myself (depending on Covid restrictions) and we would really like to when I stand watching and not being able to help him. see as many interested people from surrounding villages as Fortunately my dog only had a few scratches but was very possible as well as those from Burcot and Clifton Hampden. subdued for the rest of the day. Please let Gerry Moscrop know if you are planning to attend. I did get apologised to both times but it doesn't stop the fact ([email protected]) that the damage could have been so much more serious! Please, dog walkers who own dogs which they are not sure I look forward to seeing you then. will go out of their way to attack other dogs, put the dog on a Mary Braybrooke short leash until others have passed. We all know if we have Emeritus Chairperson a dog/cat or any other pet, they are part of our families and its so distressing when anything happens to them. Thank you Marilyn Buckley A very caring dog owner Dorchester News July/August 2021 4 Hempcroft Allotments Dorchester Abbey July Museum News After months of unseasonal cold weather and then heavy rain We’re Open! we now have ideal growing conditions. Unfortunately the weeds seem to have realised this before the planted crops. Remember the Museum is now open every Wed, Thurs, Sat and Sun, 2.00-5.00pm until the end of September, as well as If you walk through the allotments you will see that most of the August Bank Holiday Monday. plots are well tended with rows of crops thriving in beds free of weeds and surrounded by mown footpaths. You will also see a So please do pop in to say hello and have a look at the few plots where the tall grasses, poppies and other weeds exhibits and the wide selection of greeting cards and small hold sway and the surrounding footpaths are knee high in gifts in our shop.