A JOB exchange to Texas was a life changing experience for Sally Vaughan that prompted her move to West Dorset 18-months-ago.
After a 12 year teaching career in South London she decided it was time for a change and moved to Bridport in 2008 to be re-united with the open countryside.
After years of evenings spent planning lessons Sally found a job which she didn’t have to take home with her.
She now works as an Emergency Care Assistant for South Western Ambulance Service, and is based locally on Bridport station.
Despite working irregular shifts, Sally now has more spare time which has allowed her to take an active role in the Bridport Gig Rowing Club where she is responsible for PR and Communications.
Sally still has a love for the Wild West and enjoys playing Country and Western music both on her guitar and her ukulele. She has also recently begun giving lessons on both instruments.
BRIDPORT or Texas?
I honestly couldn’t choose between the two. I like to think of the area around here as being “Wild West Dorset”. And Bridport to me is like “Texas-on-Sea”. Believe it or not, there are lots of similarities. West Dorset is actually a lot like parts of Texas, but on a smaller scale. I fell in love with the openness of both the landscape and the people. I’ve definitely found that here in Dorset too.
WHY do you think Bridport and West Bay will benefit from a gig club?
It’s a community sport that’s so clearly perfect for a place like this. Gig clubs are springing up all along the southwest coast and to be out rowing alongside this gorgeous coastline can only be good for mind, body and soul. For people who are not as fit as they’d like to be its an opportunity to do something that’s going to get them fit, keep them fit, get them outdoors and provide a social side as well. It’s not all about competing either. The club is dedicated to creating strong links within the community. Recreational rowing will be equally important and we encourage people from all backgrounds to get involved. It’s a very inclusive sport.
WHAT is your role in BGRC?
Well, I’m the ‘Information Lead’ which means it’s basically my job to make sure everyone knows what’s happening and when. I liaise with the local press and act as a link between the membership and the committee. The club is really gaining momentum now and we currently have over 60 members even though we don’t even have a boat yet. It’s meant that members have had to take a real leap of faith this past year and trust that things will come together. And they are.
IS IT something anyone can do?
It is, although we do have a lower age restriction of 16, and that’s because of physical limitations based on the size of the boat. You can be as old as you like though. There are men’s and women’s crews, veterans crews and even super-vets. There was a team that rowed in the Isles of Scilly Championship last year with a combined age of 400 - their oldest rower was 84.
WHAT is the goal for the club?
This year, it is to get a boat on the water and next year we aim to be at the World Championships in the Isles of Scilly. The club will also be Bridport and West Bay’s legacy for the Olympics, and ultimately our vision is that the gig boats will become as much of a feature of West Bay as the cliffs themselves - it promises to be a huge attraction for tourists and that can only be a good thing for local businesses too.
HOW close are you to getting a boat in the water?
We are halfway to our grand total of £50,000. This week we ordered our first boat and it will be launched this spring. It won’t be a wooden boat because that will take time to build, it will be difficult for novices like us to row, and we don’t have a boat shed yet. We have opted to get a plastic fibre gig, which means it can stay outside, and in the meantime we can continue raising money to get a wooden racing gig and build a boat shed. By then, our crews will be ready to start competing in regattas.
WHAT events do you have coming up?
We are going to begin holding regular social nights for members, and then in the summer we are going to have a huge pledge auction to bring in the lions’ share of the cash. We already have two great auction prizes for that. One is a painting by Trish Wylie who is a very successful local artist, her work is highly collectible. Another of our members has pledged to auction the use of his yacht on the Mediterranean. Right now we are looking for more pledges to add to these.
HOW long have you been playing guitar?
About 15 years. It’s is a spin off from teaching. It’s the one thing I miss about teaching actually, having a reason to pick up a guitar every day. As an infant teacher it was a tool of the trade for me.
WHO would be your three dream guests at a dinner party?
Definitely Dolly Parton. I love her music, but also how she manages to combine over-the-top glamour with down-to-earth, homespun wisdom. Then I’d invite the writer Bill Bryson, an American Anglo-phile whose powers of observation are astonishing. He’s so clever, I don’t know how his brain fits in his head. Last but not least, I’d invite Jenny Eclair for an injection of British wry-humour.
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