wsletter Ne The weathervane being returned to St Mary’s, Cerne Abbas. © Peter Downton The Buckland Newton, Cerne Abbas, Godmanstone and Minterne Magna Minterne and Godmanstone Abbas, Cerne Newton, Buckland October 2020 £1 Benefice CA Soc for Horticulture 9 CA CE VC First School 17 Short Mat Bowls 19 From the Vicarage 3 CA Coffee, cake, chat 7 CA Surgery 16 Godmanstone 21 Buckland Newton 25 Other village news 9 CV Cricket Club 18 Snippets 27 Cerne Abbas St Mary’s Church 7 CV Parish Council 16 Advertiser directory 32 CA Coronavirus Support 5 Cerne Valley CV Young People Trust 21 Small ads 34 CA Historical Society 7 Artsreach 19 NOW Cerne 19 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 1 17/09/2020 11:20:58 2 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 2 17/09/2020 11:20:58 From The Vicarage Dear Friends It is strange what you can discover unexpectedly! After an evening swim down at Bowleaze, we went into Weymouth harbour to see what was about. We fancied fish and chips, but seeing prices of £11.50 we thought again. There were many people about, sitting at distanced tables outside, and the atmosphere was continental and carefree. Unexpectedly we came upon the Hatch on the Harbourside, a sea-food street- food stall just in front of the Weyfish Fish Market. They were offering four local scallops as big as a monkey’s fist with salsa verde £8 and half lobster £12, and fresh oysters, all cooked or prepared before your eyes. You could not eat better or fresher anywhere in the world. It was sublime. What the fish company are doing is ‘adding value’. It is a challenge which faces all ‘primary producers’ such as farmers, fishermen and foresters. How do you avoid selling your produce on, for very little, to processors who then add substantial mark-ups and pocket the majority of the profit? The answer is to ‘add value’ by some form of presentation, preparation or development which raises the mark-up before you release the product. The same principle can be applied to our community lives. We live in a society where we often find belonging and status up for sale. Buy this car, or this house, these branded trainers, or this remarkable scent, and you will find love and importance. But community is ours, love is ours, importance is ours. We should not be content to give out attention, our regard, our loyalty away so cheaply. We should, as individuals, families and communities, seek to retain the ‘added value’ as near to home as we can. That is how we enrich our local lives, rather than giving all the value and power to Facebook, TikTok, Hollywood or whichever shrine at which you choose to worship. That is one of the reasons we call Christianity an ‘Incarnate’ religion. It teaches that real value is within you, that the Kingdom of Heaven is all around you, that the Spirit of God walks your hills and flows in your springs. So ‘add value’ to your existence and being where you are, with your neighbours, family and friends. It too can be unexpected, and it too can be sublime. Services in the Benefice Any services able to take place will be notified by email nearer to the time. If you would like to be notified, please [email protected] 3 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 3 17/09/2020 11:20:58 The New Inn 14 Long Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorset DT2 7JF 01300 341274 / 07889 646 856 www.thenewinncerneabbas.co.uk Inn of the Year 2015 Dorset Dining Pub of the year 2012, 2014 & 2015 Landlord of the year 2012 Michelin Guide 2015 TASTE OF THE WEST GOLD MEDAL 2013 & 2014 Inspected and Selected by Sawday’s - a Special Place 4 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 4 17/09/2020 11:21:00 Cerne Abbas NEWS Cerne Abbas Coronavirus Support A NOTE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF CERNE ABBAS CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT A meeting in the village church was held on Thursday 19th March to address the requirement to co-ordinate the many volunteer groups which had sprung up as the nation went into lockdown. Its aim was two-fold: first, to reduce risk of the virus within the village and surrounding hamlets; second, to ensure the survival of the village store, three pubs, tea room and gift shop. We planned to run this for six months. Friends of St Mary’s A detailed analysis of the service provided is available in a report submitted to (CONTACT Richard Warren 341518, [email protected]) Dorset Council and is available on www.cernevalley.co.uk. However, in broad terms 1,600 hours of volunteer time supported a freephone and email service; 180 calls for assistance were received involving our volunteer force of 75 who either collected prescriptions, did local shopping or just lent a hand. None of these figures included the many individual acts of neighbourliness and kindness which these volunteers and others carried out directly. We also obtained £1,200 from the Dorset Community Fund to support the village school, the care home and individual grants to those suffering a lonely lockdown. With the exception of the care home, located on the fringe of Cerne Abbas, we have had no known cases of Covid-19 in the village and surrounding hamlets that CACS supported, and our shops and pubs have survived and all provided excellent carry-out meals to order. We will retain ownership of the freephone number until March 2021 and our volunteer force has agreed to remain available in the event of a local infection returning. We are extremely grateful to all those who have helped in this endeavour, in particular our volunteers over the past six months.Sir Jeremy Mackenzie, Chairman CAC Support. The newcomers’ welcome party took place in Cerne Abbas on 4th September in the Vicarage garden thanks to Jonathan and Jane Still, within social distancing guidelines. Jane Tearle 5 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 5 17/09/2020 11:21:00 Selling a car? Can’t face the... hassle? Halcyon Motors (Milborne St Andrew) buy cars, bikes, vans & campers for cash. We will happily come to you. See www.halcyonmotors.co.uk for photos of all our vehicles. Call Don MacLeod on: 01258 839209 or 07782 189555 Free Delivery within Dorset Free Glass Loan Tutored Tastings & Events Customer Tastings & Exclusive Events WSET Trained Staff Sale or Return Gift Packaging Wine by the Glass Delicious Coffee Restaurant & Trade Accounts Available and now offering... Wine on Tap - Regularly changing selection of wine for refillable bottles Opening Times: Monday - Saturday 9:30am - 6:30pm Strathmore House, Queen Mother Square, Poundbury, Dorset, DT1 3DX Tel: 01305 266734 e-mail: [email protected] www.dorsetwine.co.uk 6 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 6 17/09/2020 11:21:01 St Mary’s Church Jane Tearle The Christening of Jacob Frampton Peter Downton Peter from God- manstone. Erection of the restored weathervane (and above). Coffee, cake and chat (CONTACT Moira Pinder 341255) Regrettably no further coffee mornings planned for the foreseeable future. Cerne Abbas Historical Society (CONTACT Gordon Bishop 341478, [email protected]) The next issue of the CAHS magazine, the Winter issue, will be published in December. We do not have the resources to continue publishing the magazine monthly so we decided from September onwards to publish it quarterly at the beginning of each season. We have also decided that, since the magazine has proved to be very popular, we will continue to publish it even after the pandemic has ended and we are able to recommence our usual meetings, talks and other activities. Despite the difficulties caused by Covid-19 in accessing archives, we have continued to carry out research about the Abbey. We have recently obtained a copy of a 50-year lease of the Abbey granted by Henry VIII in February 1540 (less than a year after its dissolution) to Philip Vanwylder, a Flemish lute player at the royal court. A copy of the lease, written in medieval Latin, is on our website,www. cerneabbashistory.org, together with a translation that we have obtained. It tells 7 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 7 17/09/2020 11:21:01 LYONS GATE LYONS GATE GARDENINGL SERVICES GARDENING(DORSET SERVICES) GARDENING(DORSET SERVICES) Colin Arnold (D ORSET) 07870 213417 Colin Arnold 07870 213417 * GardeningColin Arnold* Weeding *Landscaping07870 213417* Mowing * Gardening * Weeding *Landscaping * Mowing *Tree* Gardening Work *Fencing* Weeding *Hedgecutting*Landscaping *Rotavating* Mowing *Strimming*Tree Work *Pond*Fencing work *Leaf*Hedgecutting sucker available *Rotavating*Scythe work *Tree*Strimming Work *Fencing*Pond work *Leaf*Hedgecutting sucker available *Scythe*Rotavating work *Strimming *Pond work *Leaf sucker available *Scythe work Winter Firewood/Logs delivered Winter Firewood/Logs delivered Winter Firewood/Logs delivered 8 BeneficeNewsOct20.indd 8 17/09/2020 11:21:01 us little about the buildings and layout of the Abbey, but is nevertheless a very interesting document. There will be more about Philip Vanwylder, his successors and the lease in the Winter issue of the magazine. We have already arranged a full programme of meetings and talks for 2021, including many of those that had to be cancelled this year. We only hope that they will all be able to take place. Cerne Abbas Society for Horticulture (CONTACT Gill Ringrose 341583) All photographs: Jane Tearle All photographs: The allotment competition. Clockwise from top left: First place – Helen Smith; Second place – Cheryl Spray; Third place – Diana Kimber. Other village news GIANT PUPPETS FESTIVAL OF LIGHT The giant tissue and wicker puppets made in early March for the Giant’s centenary in July will emerge from their quarantine during the early evening of Saturday 31st October. More information will be forthcoming when we know what government guidelines will allow.