View Online

2012-01-25T15:35:00.002Z

I’m not the only one who cares

WHEN I took a stance against what I thought was a flagrant disregard of democracy in the Lyme Regis council chamber a couple of weeks ago, I must admit I wondered whether anyone else cared a flying fig.

You will recall that I declined to publish a statement issued by the council challenging comments that long-serving councillor Owen Lovell had made about the budget for the financial year. In a nutshell, Councillor Lovell, the most experienced council member, highlighted a number of costs which he thought could be trimmed to reduce the council precept.

No one challenged his argument – not the mayor, town clerk or chairman of the budget-setting committee, Mark Gage. And the budget was subsequently approved without debate with only councillors Lovell, Michaela Ellis and Ann Bradbury opposing.

A few days later I got a statement from the council challenging the view put forward by Councillor Lovell. It was an unprecedented move; in decades of covering Lyme council meetings I had never witnessed such a situation before, nor had any of the other long-serving councillors, past and present.

My only conclusion was the new council did not wish to enter into a debate on Councillor Lovell’s suggestions because they knew they would win the vote.

Usually, the town clerk would answer any counter arguments to the budget procedure. I have my own views why he did not do so but it would be inappropriate to express them here.

After deciding not to publish the statement, I informed the town clerk I would be happy to print it in full but only if it was read out in the democratic arena, i.e. the council chamber.

As I say, I wondered whether any one else cared a jot. So I have been amazed at the number of people, some of whom I’m only on nodding terms, have come up to me to say thanks for standing up for local democracy.

Last week’s View contained a letter from Lyme resident John Hounsell, a keen observer of council matters, supporting my stance and expressing his opinion that the new council was intent on getting its own way with little debate.

This has been dismissed by some as “just a letter from one of Pip Evans’ mates”. Not so. Whilst I respect Mr Hounsell’s views, we are not exactly busom pals; in fact, I have only ever had two or three conversations with him.

I appreciate my stance has made me about as popular as an Italian cruise line captain in the Lyme council chamber, but I think it’s important that when every proposition seems to go through on the nod ten votes to four, it’s important that someone is questioning the decision making process of our elected representatives. And it’s even more important that they defend those decisions.

THERE is never a good time to close a road from a traders’ viewpoint, but I suppose if it has to happen then closing Church Street, the main thoroughfare into the town centre, in January is as good a time as any.

Church Street is about half-way through an eight-week closure order for necessary repairs to be made to the Guildhall and a new roof put on The Hub youth club.

At least five other property owners in Church Street and Bridge Street have taken the opportunity to erect scaffolding and carry out repairs.

No one begrudges The Hub having a new roof, essential for getting the new club up and running, but the length of closure is causing real concern.

Trade is virtually non existent in the town centre and I heard this week, on good authority, that one shop took just £1.74 in a day with two staff on duty.

It’s good to see the Lyme Traders’ Organisation being reformed with local restaurateur Tony Colston at the helm, and well done to Rikey Austin for making this happen.

The LTO have already put pressure on Dorset County Council to improve signage at crucial points in and around the town to emphasise that Lyme is still open for business.

When this sort of thing happens it’s essential that the trading community has a strong voice and I’m sure LTO under new and enthusiastic leadership will achieve a great deal in the future for the trading community.

EVENT OF THE WEEK...

EVENT of the week as far as Lyme Regis is concerned took place 4,000 miles from these shores.

There were scenes of real joy in Barbados when “The Spirit of Corinth” crossed the finishing line in the Altantic Challenge with the Lyme crew securing sixth place and having written themselves into the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest crew ever to row across the Atlantic.

When they finally made it into Barbados harbour - the finishing line was another six gruelling miles from shore - they were greeted by family members and a few other locals who were holidaying in the West Indies.

Tears and much laughter, no doubt, and no one who knows the four rowers - Chris Walters, Elliott Dale, Tony Short and Brian Fletcher - were surprised that they made straight for the nearest bar for a cold beer and steak meal.

How good that steak must have tasted after 48 days on sea rations.

Whilst all this was going on in Barbados, a group of wellwishers had gathered at the Cobb to mark this wonderful achievement, organised by Geoff Baker and Jill Newton.

The celebrations will, of course, continue when the intrepid four return home over the next couple of weeks and witness how proud the whole town is of their adventure on the high seas.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECONDS INTERVIEW: Tom Glover

2012-01-25T15:24:00.003Z

POSTMAN by day and comedian by night, Tom Glover, has just started his second year in stand up comedy.

The former View from Bridport reporter joined the Royal Mail in December in a bid to find a day job that fitted in around his comedy exploits.

Gigging since 2010, Tom has appeared at venues from Manchester to Brighton and closer to home is the resident compere of the Bridport Arts Centre's Comedy Cafe.

Tom, 24, has also recently launched his own business The Comedy Circus, running one-off comedy nights in venues across the west country.

Last week Tom appeared on BBC One's Winter Wipeout, crashing out in the first round.

The next BAC Comedy Cafe is this Friday, January 27th at 8pm.

DID you enjoy your TV debut on Winter Wipeout?

It wasn't too cringeworthy, they could have made me look a lot worse. I was gutted to miss out on the second round by seven seconds though, and also I couldn't believe they didn’t show me pole dancing with Amanda Byram acting as a makeshift pole, I think that would have made a few guys jealous.

HOW did you end up getting into stand up comedy?

I’d always wanted to do it but never had the confidence. The problem is, unlike most art forms, the only way to do it is in front of an audience and there is only so much you can do to prepare. I did a few local am dram shows to get some stage confidence, booked a gig and then started writing material and practising it in front of the mirror at home.

WHAT was that first gig like?

Terrifying. I was on last in the line-up so spent two hours listening to the crowd getting more and more nervous. The actual performance was a bit of a blur but I got some laughs and it was enough for me to want to try it again. It was only a five minute set, which seems like nothing now, but at the time it seemed like forever.

HOW did your job at the View from Bridport help you with your act?

It really helped my writing skills. Writing news stories is similar to writing jokes, you want to get to the point in as few words as possible. Some of my experiences also appear in my act from time to time as well.

WHAT kind of gigs have you been involved in and where have you been performing?

Every gig is different but more often than not I’ll be on in the middle sandwiched between the pros. I’ve gigged to two or three hundred in theatres but also to eight other comedians in a leisure centre function room.

WHAT have been your best and worst moments on the stand up circuit?

I used to be really worried about being heckled but actually it’s much worse when people just aren’t paying attention. That happens from time to time, and it’s horrible, but there is not a lot you can do about it. My best moment was performing to a crowd of 200 in Sturminster Newton. I did a set full of material about the West Country and they loved it. Afterwards people were coming up to me, shaking my hand and telling me how much they enjoyed it. Those gigs are great because you're buzzing for hours afterwards.

WHEN is the next BAC comedy cafe and what is it all about?

I set up the Comedy Cafe to give new acts a place to come and perform. For amateur stand up there is nowhere to perform between Exeter and Bournemouth so there was a gap in the market. Each month we have five new acts and a professional headliner. Entry is only £5 so it’s good value for money and you get to see some great new talent. Our next show is on January 27th and my favourite headliner on the circuit, Wes Packer, will be performing.

WHAT advice would you give to anyone who would like to have a go at stand up?

Just book an open spot and then worry about it afterwards. Once you’re on stage just be confident and make sure you know what you're going to say, have material prepared. At the end of the day it’s only five minutes of your life and whatever happens you probably won’t die, not literally anyway.

WHICH three famous people would you like to have round for dinner?

I would have Morrissey, the lead singer of The Smiths. He is the greatest songwriter of all time and such an intriguing character. The other two people I’d have are Frank Skinner and Russell Brand, they’re my two favourite comedians and were both an inspiration to me to start comedy.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2012-01-19T12:32:00.002Z

By royal appointment

WHEN Harry Dutfield passed through Axminster on a train in the 1930s and wondered whatever happened to Axminster Carpets, little could he have imagined that one day his ambitions to revive the town’s carpet-making tradition would receive royal patronage and approval.

The news this week that Axminster Carpets had been granted a Royal Warrant is good news indeed - not just for the carpet factory but for the town of Axminster.

Harry Dutfield, who started weaving carpets in the attic of his Kidderminster home after leaving school, founded Axminster Carpets Ltd in 1937, following the tradition set by Thomas Whitty in the 18th century. The company was founded with the support and goodwill of some local businessmen and a capital of £15,000.

Carpets woven by Axminster’s early weavers still adorn some of this country’s finest houses and Harry Dutfield went on to put Axminster on the world map with the “Axminster from Axminster” slogan always being considered a marketing gem.

A royal warrant is the ultimate recognition of quality and comes at a time when Axminster Carpets, like so many other businesses, are having to adjust to the ravages of these difficult trading days.

Harry Dutfield died in 1991, having achieved legendary status in his adopted town. He had handed on the baton to his son Simon, who continued to develop the family firm and now Harry’s grandson, Josh, a young man with a very shrewd head on his shoulders, is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business.

Over the years the Axminster factory has made carpets for palaces, castles and country houses, just as Thomas Whitty had done back in the 18th century. After fire ravaged Windsor Castle, new carpets came from Axminster. They can be seen too in Osborne House, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s family home, and the Royal Albert Hall.

In receiving the honour Axminster Carpets joins a very exclusive club, membership of which includes some of the top trading names in this country.

The warrant granted by the Queen should also be seen as a tribute to the hundreds of designers and weavers who down the years have consistently produced carpets of such high quality.

Carpet making in the 21st century is a very different business to that in the Thomas Whitty days. But quality is not a passing fad - it’s the thread that links Whitty’s pioneering methods with today’s digital processes.

Good news in business is a rare occurence at present - so let’s all raise a glass to Harry Dutfield whose foresight nearly 80 years ago has finally got the royal seal of approval.

I AM reliably informed that great progress has been achieved in recent months in the establishing of a heritage centre in the fomer Thomas Whitty carpet factory in Silver Street, which later was used as a drill hall.

An announcement will soon be made which will lead to the culmination of many years work to create, under one roof, a centre that represents the complete history of the town.

There have been many setbacks along the way but to bring such a project to fruition in the current economic climate is a fantastic achievement.

A happy band of panto players

PANTO SEASON WEEK TWO: In recent years Axminster Drama Club has emerged as one of the area’s most ambitious and talented stage groups, always challenging themselves.

And one of the most refreshing things about this society is their success in bringing through young performers.

This is much in evidence with the staging of their annual pantomime, Aladdin, at Axminster Guildhall this week.

I saw part of the production at the dress rehearsal on Tuesday evening and attended the full performance to do a review for next week’s Weekender last night (Thursday).

I don’t what to pre-empt my review, but from taking a few photographs of the first half for this week’s paper it seems that the panto has all the hallmarks of another typically successful Axminster show, with superb staging.

I was particularly pleased to see Eleanor Waterhouse, from Rousdon, taking the leading role. I know Ellie from the Lyme’s Got Talent shows which I have organised over the past two years. She has a beautiful voice and it is good to see her extending herself into an acting role.

In attending the dress rehearsal it was quite noticeable too that the club has brought together a happy and enthusiastic band of performers who really enjoy themselves.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2012-01-18T11:44:00.002Z

The View from the top!

FEW people get a chance to see Weymouth from on high, so The View had no hesitation in snapping up a bird’s eye view of the town.

Merlin Entertainments held an official ground-breaking event for its giant new viewing tower being built near the Pavilion and there was an enthusiastic jumble of press and guests keen for a crane to hoist them aloft in a cage for a taste of the views the tower would eventually offer.

However, chilly conditions and a stiff breeze turned a simple lift into something of a Bear Grylls survival exercise.

Pinched faces, stamping feet and shivering became the norm as a long wait developed to get clearance to go aloft in the tricky conditions, a delay which even included the crane driver’s credentials being checked. Very reassuring!

By the time three frozen Olympic sailing girls went up in the first hoist with tower boss Craig Dunkerley – who is terrified of heights – the rest of us were focussing on something far more important, namely who got to stand in the lee of the crane where there was a bit of shelter if not warmth.

By the time my turn came to go up everyone was hallucinating about hot coffee although I was still aware enough of my surroundings to notice the deep grooves in the cage railings caused by Craig digging his fingernails in for dear life.

Aloft the views were quite spectacular, more so since conditions meant the crane could only hoist us about 130ft, well short of the tower’s eventual height of 174ft, so the views from that will be even better.

Movement to get those views had to carefully orchestrated as everyone was wearing a safety harness and any careless wandering about snarled eight people up in a tangle of ropes.

Back on the ground people stumbled off in search of hot drinks and food, finding it difficult to equate the bitter conditions with the sunshine likely to greet the tower’s first users this summer - maybe.

Newspapers - the new personal accessory

IT is strictly a matter of personal choice which national newspaper a person reads, but some of the choices can be bizarre.

For instance, there is the famous comedy definition of who reads what paper with lines such as: “The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country ...”

But a stroll through Weymouth town centre recently revealed that some people may buy a national newspaper for reasons other than views on how the country is being run.

The person in question was a young woman with friends who was cradling in her arms a large national edition of a broadsheet.

No crime there, even a few plaudits for one so young being found with a heavyweight newspaper instead of gum and an MP3 player.

However, I was forced to temper my opinions as she brightly exchanged chit-chat with her friends and said: “I look really intelligent carrying this!”

I doubt she’d actually bought the paper just to achieve that effect, but it just goes to show that you can never really make snap judgements about people. That reminds me, I must collect my copy of Home Brewers’ Monthly.

Know your birds!

RSPB staff at Weymouth Wetlands are calling on people to take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey when the Big Garden Birdwatch is held at the end of January.

Last year more than 11,000 people took part across the county to help build up a snapshot of what’s happening to some favourite birds particularly in light of recent hard winters.

Organisers are hoping for an even bigger survey this year and Weymouth Wetlands will be running a special free event on Saturday, January 28th from 10am-noon to help those new to birdwatching tell their dunnocks from their house sparrows.

Weymouth Wetlands information officer Luke Phillips said: “You don’t have to be a member of the RSPB to come along. You don’t even need binoculars or bird books because we’ll provide all the gear for you.

“Identifying and counting birds in your garden can be the start of a lifelong passion for wildlife, so people of all age groups and of course children are particularly welcome.

“As well as being a fun family activity, the Big Garden Birdwatch is also a very important conservation tool.

“It’s a great way for us to find out what’s happening to many different species of birds and it couldn’t be easier to get involved. All you have to do is look out at your garden, playground or local park for one hour on either Saturday, January 28th or Sunday, January 29th and note the different species of birds you see, record the highest number of each species you see at any one time and give us your results.

“And if you come along to our free event on Saturday from 10am to 12 noon you can be more certain of which birds you’re seeing.”

Special survey forms, complete with bird ID photos, will be available on the day.

There is another walk being held at Weymouth Wetlands the weekend before, on Saturday, January 21st from 2.30pm to 4.30pm to look for the elusive bittern and other herons.

Loving life on a beautiful day

DONKEYS are lovely creatures, but winter isn’t really their time.

So I can only guess at the pleasure several of Weymouth’s beach donkeys got when the ramp on their lorry dropped and they walked down on to the sands in brilliant Sunday sunshine.

It was difficult to imagine weather more inappropriate to winter because temperatures were high and there was almost no wind at all - so the donkeys took full advantage of it.

Staff kept hold of lead ropes but stepped briskly out of the way as donkey after donkey rolled over on to their backs and, with a wiggle of pure pleasure, proceeded to give their backs a good scrubbing on the sand.

Watching children loved it and more than one of them could be seen imitating the donkeys, rubbing their own backs against railings on the seafront.

The whole scene was one of those snapshot memories we are sometimes lucky enough to get.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECONDS INTERVIEW: Ros Fry

2012-01-18T11:35:00.002Z

IT WAS a chance glance at a website advertisement that led Ros Fry into a whole new career when she was least expecting it.

As Dorset Area Volunteer Manager for Cancer Research UK, Ros is currently responsible for looking after volunteers throughout the county and encouraging people to fundraise in whatever ways they can to help beat cancer.

With a background in Arts Marketing and Communications, Ros has found that her skills are very relevant to the work she now does for Cancer Research UK.

Ros is 52 and lives in Bridport with husband Chris, sons Matthew and Dominic, and Jack Russell terrier Lettie.

HOW did you end up getting the job?

Well, strangely enough I wasn’t really looking for a new job. I had never worked in a charity before. I’d worked all my life in the cultural sector, for museums and arts venues. Like a lot of people my friend got cancer and I’d been affected by that, so I was looking for information. The job just scrolled past me on a website and I thought, ‘Yeah, I could do that’, so I applied.

HOW has an arts background been of benefit to you in this job?

Working in the cultural sector was a lot about working with people, working out what motivates them and how to get the best out of them. That is exactly the same with the work I now do. People in the arts world are very passionate about what they do, so they will go the extra mile. They will work hard, not because they get good incomes, but because they are passionate. The same is true of fundraisers at Cancer Research UK. Also, the colleagues I work with are incredibly passionate and motivated people. It’s quite a change, a different world, but many of the things are the same.

WHAT kind of fundraising events have been going on in Dorset recently?

Well, some fundraisers are in groups that do regular events. There are 30 groups in Dorset that I regularly work with, so they may do the same things at certain times of the year. For instance, the Bridport group have a ‘Famous Curry Lunch’ every February, or they might do coffee mornings, or bingo or beetle drives as regular events. Then there are individual fundraisers who decide to do something as a challenge like cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End. I had a young man recently who got sponsored to shave off his dreadlocks.

HOW can people get involved with raising money for Cancer Research UK?

The best thing to do is look at the website www.cancerresearchuk.org and you can get a pamphlet that contains lots of ideas. Then I ring you up and help make it happen. Do something that you enjoy doing anyway and raise money from it. It’s fine if it’s only a small amount. If lots of people donate small amounts it adds up to making a huge difference. If you do just one meal this year where you ask friends to dress up and come to dinner and pay you money you could raise £100, and if everybody did that then it would be brilliant. Sponsored walks are always very successful, there’s one in Bournemouth and Poole every year that raises a lot. Also, the ‘Race for Life’ events are really popular and you get fit at the same time, there are races in Sherborne and Dorchester coming up this year. Fundraising galas and balls are good too as well as things that don’t cost too much to organise but are fun to do.

WHAT other interests do you have outside of work?

I play the ukulele, I play real tennis, I enjoy swimming and walking my dog Lettie, and I go to a book group which has been running for some time. It’s with a group of friends and we meet once a month. I like to read a lot.

WHAT three good reads would you recommend this year?

For Christmas I asked for three great books. One is called ‘Vertigo’ by Winfried Sebald; it’s a kind of philosophical travelogue. Then there’s ‘The Emperor of all Maladies’ by Siddhartha Mukherjee which is basically a biography of cancer. My other choice is a book by Simon Garfield called ‘What’s My Type?’, which is all about fonts and typefaces. A lot of my work in the past has been about marketing and communications and the big challenge for Cancer Research UK is how do you communicate science and that’s why I asked for that book.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECONDS INTERVIEW: Chris Day

2012-01-11T09:41:00.003Z

BRIDPORT artist Chris Day went to school in Exeter where he was inspired by his art teacher, Peter Thursby.

Then, 36 years later, Chris opened his own gallery, The Pierrepoint Gallery.

Chris’ interim years between school and the gallery were spent in the farming and the IT industries.

But, the arts remained an abiding interest and his business career allowed him to indulge in a small collection of paintings as well as sponsoring theatre and music.

Here Chris explains the connection between a notorious hangman and his business, his future plans for Pierrepoint gallery and his love of art.

WHERE did the name The Pierrepoint Gallery come from?

I was desperately trying to come up with a name that was a little bit different and yet had a link with Bridport. In a chance conversation with Fido May I asked him if he had any ideas. In a flash he said ‘Bridport, Rope, hangman’s noose, Pierrepoint the hangman used Bridport Rope, you hang paintings, call it The Pierrepoint Gallery’ and that was that, brilliant. Thank you, Fido.

SO WHY did you set it up?

A series of circumstances, not all good, lead me to Bridport. Lots of people find themselves living in Bridport and then wonder how it happened. It’s as though Bridport makes the decision for them. I had planned a gallery and framing business elsewhere. The right premises were for sale and here I am.

THIS is the gallery’s tenth year - what’s the key to your success?

Success is relative in the art business. As any artist will tell you. You have to love it first and I do. Perhaps my enthusiasm rubs off on people when they visit the gallery. I am convinced that it takes a long time to create a respected gallery. You just have to be there year in year out and have consistent quality. I absolutely depend on return customers and they in turn depend on me to be there and to be consistent. The gallery is a destination for many visitors to the town.

WHAT'S next for the gallery?

Well I am planning a number of events for this 10th year so keep an eye on Facebook. There will be exhibitions and special features for those gallery artists who have been with me since the beginning starting with John Walker exhibition at Easter as well as a couple of more recent introductions for example Daniel Glover and Philippa Goold. I shall also be publishing a catalogue with the gallery ‘Premier Selection’ of perhaps 25 paintings.

HAS Bridport changed much in the last 10 years?

It is quite extraordinary how much has changed in 10 years. It is an amazing town full of enterprising, kind and happy people. It was like that before I came here and is even more so now.

WHAT is your favourite spot in Dorset?

We are spoilt for choice in West Dorset in particular so I am going to cheat and name two places. In town it is South Street. It is such a pleasure and privilege to look at, live in and be part of. Where else in the world can you have such a choice – good eating, three bookshops, a cinema, Arts Centre, three galleries, several places to feed your spiritual needs – the list goes on. Incredible. Out of town then take me to Eggardon Hill. I can see the world from there, breathe freely, feel the history and get everything into perspective.

WHAT are your plans for the future?

Well the future started last year. The plans are to do more with the premises and phase one was the new tenant in the shop at the front. Rosie Shelton’s Bridport Yarn is a great success. Phase two and three go together. I want to turn another building into a bigger and better gallery and use the existing gallery space and courtyard as a cafe. These are quite profound changes, but I know that they will add a lot this end of South Street.

IF I could invite any three people for dinner who would they be?

Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso and David Hockney.

WHO is your favourite artist of all time?

Picasso. He broke the mould and changed himself and the world fundamentally – and I like his paintings.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2012-01-11T09:30:00.003Z

Well, blow me down!

SO much for what balmy weather we’ve been having!

The huge storm that hit Weymouth a few days ago caused widespread minor damage, but it was the wind gusts which were impressive.

Blasts of 84mph-90mph at Portland Bill and other exposed neighbouring areas were among the strongest recorded in England and it was probably one of those which completely wrecked the entire fence at the bottom of my garden.

So what, you might say, but this was a fence held up by several three-inch by three-inch posts which were quite simply sheered off level with the ground.

Bearing in mind we’ve lived in this house for 20 years and never experienced damage like this before it was pretty impressive and it certainly took me totally by surprise.

I’d gone down the garden just to pick up a few items which had been blown about and I could see the elderly people’s bungalows appeared to have escaped unscathed... except I shouldn’t have been able to see them because they are normally obscured by my fence.

When I got down to see what had happened I was treated to a scene of smashed posts, fence panels torn apart by the ferocity of the wind with some main section actually torn in two and drifts of wood debris from the shattered fence.

I had to pay for someone with power equipment to come in, dig out the old fence post foundations, dig new ones and then concrete in new fence posts which were more than half as big again than the old ones.

The result means that my garden may blow away but not the new fence!

Take your rubbish home - I don’t want it in my garden!

YES, the New Year has started and already I’m being given some unwanted gifts from the last flickerings of the festering season.

Deposited in my front garden has been the remains of fun hats, several beer cans and one of those nice little party trumpets presumably discarded as the person staggered home from some booze-up and tired of blowing it to wake up sleeping householders.

There seems to be no end to the variety of rubbish that exhausted passers by dump when they feel they can no longer be bothered to carry it.

Hot off the litter presses came the latest arrival in my garden this morning which actually required a bit of thought to work out what it was.

The object turned out to be a piece of sealed inflatable packing, used to safeguard something valuable and which quite clearly belonged anywhere but in my flower border.

Perhaps an award should be set aside for the most annoying piece of rubbish to emerge during 2012 which can hopefully be presented by council enforcement staff along with an invitation to the local fines court.

Worrying times for High Street shops

EXPERTS say that Europe faces a grim descent into recession this year and you only need to stroll round Weymouth and Portland to see the economic gurus might be right.

There are now more than a dozen empty shops in Weymouth town centre with several more in key shopping areas on Portland.

The problem is that, if people are being increasingly careful about how they spend their money, then the incentive isn’t there for new businesses to open.

They have to make a profit to survive and if the customers aren’t there or are spending less then the attraction of a High Street slot doesn’t outweigh the risk of starting up.

Quite how this worrying trend can be reversed is one for the business boys, but it won’t do the town any good if it continues.

Olympic recuperation

IT is with deep sadness that I reveal there are less than 200 days before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

For those of you locked in a silent monastery for the last three years, this event will include Weymouth and Portland staging the sailing events.

Much has been made of Olympic legacy but, as we enter the home straight for the event, the only true legacy I can see is the 1,000-bed care home being planned for the Nothe Gardens.

Once the Games are over this will be built to house and care for the many local officials reduced to sobbing uncontrollably at the demise of the only thing which gave their lives meaning.

There will be a special trauma unit for local ambassadors no longer able to say “Huan Ying!” or “welcome” to bemused local Chinese takeaway staff.

More senior staff bereft at losing daily summit meetings to discuss where they can park their Olympic bicycles will be eased back into real life in a special role play therapy area manned by local actors who will give them fixed penalty tickets for riding in a prohibited area along the seafront.

No expense has been spared in the battle to care for Olympic victims and I can only hope people realise the expense is well worthwhile when the council presents us with our post-Olympic council tax bills in 2013. Thank God we can’t be awarded the 2016 Olympics.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2012-01-11T09:19:00.003Z

This is not the democratic way

THIS week I have taken the unusual step of refusing to publish a press release from Lyme Regis Town Council.

The Lyme council gets more comprehensive coverage of its deliberations than any other authority of its size I can think of and because of this they don’t send out too many press statements.

When they do, it is usually to promote a new initiative or event and the local newspapers invariably publish them.

On this occasion, however, I believe the content of the statement to be undemocratic. Following our front page story two weeks ago in which the council’s longest serving member, Owen Lovell, questioned the council’s budget for the 2012-2013, suggesting there was enough fat to be able to reduce the town council precept (the amount of money allocated from the council tax to balance the local budget) by ten per cent.

Councillor Lovell highlighted a number of possible savings, including councillors’ expenses, staff training and the mayor’s allowance.

He made his comments in the democratic arena - a meeting of the council open to public and press.

Councillor Owen’s comments won litle support (something the longer-serving councillors are having to get used to). Former mayor Michaela Ellis gave her backing, referring to what she considered was unneceesary expenditure in the appointment of a new works manager on a salary of £22,500.

In reporting this debate, the View made a couple of silly errors which we corrected in last week’s issue. In our defence, we did try to check the facts with the town clerk who was not available due to illness and we got swallowed up in the New Year deadlines.

I supported Councillor Lovell’s view in this column as I thought it would be good for the town council to be seen to be reducing their costs in these difficult economic times, with the district and county councils having been forced to by government.

The only response to Councillor Lovell’s comments came from the Mayor, Sally Holman, who said she was keen to make sure a sum for staff training was kept in the budget.

Neither the town clerk nor Councillor Mark Gage, who led the budget discussions as chairman of the Strategy and Policy Committee, challenged Councillor Lovell.

After the meeting, the council sent a press release to the View drawing attention to “errors and omissions” in our story.

The statement then went on to challenge the points made by Councillor Lovell. If the rest of the council were unhappy with Councillor Lovell’s statement, his comments should have been challenged in public at the meeting, either by the town clerk or the chairman of Strategy and Policy.

With the exception of a period when I worked in London I have covered the affairs of the former borough and current town councils for nearly 40 years. I cannot remember another occasion when a councillor’s comments in the council chamber were ignored and then challenged in a press statement.

I have spoken to a number of former councillors and to Councillor Lovell about this course of action. All of them agree that this is not the way local democracy works.

The fear here is that the new council know they have the majority and therefore do not believe it is essential such matters need discussion in public. If that is the case, it’s a very dangerous road to go down.

I have informed the town clerk that I will be happy to publish the full statement if it is read out at a council meeting which will allow the matter to be debated.

Councillor Lovell has now left for a long-planned three-month cruise around the world. Tucked into his pocket when he left was a statement which he prepared for publication had I decided to publish the council press release.

It was one of the most caustic responses I have seen so we may not have heard the last of this.

THE residents of Lyme Regis, quite rightly, are being asked whether they want the new-look Marine Parade Shelters renamed and if so to come up with suggestions.

The steering group organising the celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June started the ball rolling by suggesting the central pavilion be named after Her Majesty.

In this week’s we print a form on page three asking for Lyme people to come up with some ideas. Hopefully, you will all participate.

An oarsome achievement!

I HAVE to admit that I have been totally obsessed with the progress of our Corinthian rowers currently on the last leg of their magnificent achievement in crossing the Atlantic.

Since the very first day in December when they set out on their epic 2,500 nautical-mile journey from the Canary Islands to the West Indies, I’ve hardly been able to go an hour or two without checking on their progress. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, and several times during the day, I log onto the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge website to check on their progress.

The fact that the Spirit of Corinth led the field in the first couple of days made it all the more exciting. At the time of writing, the oarsome foursome are in seventh place out of a remaining field of 11 (six have dropped out) with just 687 miles left.

To put this in perspective, more people have been in space and climbed Everest than have rowed across the Atlantic and the fact the Corinthians have a combined age of 226, being the oldest team in the race, makes their feat so much more amazing.

A right royal welcome awaits Chris Walters, Elliott Dale, Tony Short and Brian Fletcher on their return later this month and I hope that in this Olympian year we will really roll out the red carpet for them when they arrive back on terra firma in Lyme.

www.viewfromonliine.co.uk

2012-01-06T10:49:00.003Z

Onto a hiding to nothing

THE people of Axminster were given their chance to comment on the future development of the town this week.

A public meeting was held for people to share their views on the new Local Plan for East Devon, which in effect is the planning blueprint for the district to the year 2026.

I know it sounds terribly boring but the contents of the draft plan which will soon be ratified by East Devon District Council will have great impact on the quality of life, especially those living in the main towns.

Consultation meetings are being held throughout the area with comments being required by the end of January.

The prepartion of the new development plan has not been a smooth journey for the district council, the original one being scrapped over administrative probems and the current plan doing the rounds is the product of the new district council elected last May and following months of work by the Local Plan Forum.

The Axminster public meeting on Wednesday was attended by about 60 residents, most of whom were strongly opposed to the level of housing development (about 1,200 new homes) included in the plan. This would see the population of the town nearly doubling in size to around 10,000.

The population of Axminster is around 5,800 so an attendance of 60 is hardly representative of the town.

The meeting was called by Axminster Town Council to be able to shape their own response to the Local Plan at next Monday’s monthly council meeting. They can do no more than give the public the opportunity to have their say but there’s little interest in local government these days.

As is usual at such gatherings, the town council took a bit of a kicking from one of two of the more vociferous council taxpayers. The council is on to a hiding-to-nothing on such matters; they don’t have the power to make the final decision but they get all the brickbats from unhappy townsfolk.

The vexed subjects of the north-south by-pass, deemed essential to solve Axminster’s traffic problems, and “mythical affordable housing” came in for a great deal of comment.

I thought deputy mayor Jeremy Walden did a good job in chairing a difficult meeting, adopting his usual honest and sympathetic manner.

And for me the star of the show was Millwey Rise resident Ian Hall who made an impassioned plea for the council to put the young people of Axminster first with regard to te provision of housing.

WITH the death of former publican and opera singer Craig Sullivan, another great character has departed this life.

Craig will be best remembered in this area as the former landlord of two of the locality’s most popular pubs - the Hunter’s Lodge Inn, near Axminster, and the White Hart at Colyford which he ran with wife Irene.

Regular customers at these pubs will also recall his propensity to burst into operatic arias at the drop of a hat.

Australian-born Craig had a beautifiul tenor voice and came to England, via the opera houses of Italy, to appear at Covent Garden.

Craig, 77, collapsed and died at one of his favourite pubs in Lyme Regis, where he lived, on New Year’s Eve where no doubt his stentorian tones would have been well exercised at midnight.

His funeral will be held at Lyme Regis Parish Church at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 17th.

Let’s welcome the New Year in a positive mood . . .

PRESSURE on editorial space and the smaller Christmas and New Year issues means that this column has to take a back seat over the festive period.

I presume that you all had the Christmas you wanted and celebrated the New Year in appropriate fashion.

There is much doom and gloom over the current financial climate nationally and those in business are viewing the coming 12 months with some trepidation.

So I think some positive thinking is required as we move into 2012. Let’s all believe that it is going to be a good year.

We are fortunate in this part of the world that we enjoy superb community spirit in the towns and villages in which we live.

The Weekender policy, much to the amusement of other local newspapers, concentrates on covering as many community events as possible. It doesn’t make life easy for my reporters, I assure you, but the readers love it.

It does, amaze us, however, just how much effort goes in to the numerous community events that make up the rich pattern of life in East Devon. Long may that continue in 2012.

Happy New Year to you all!

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2012-01-04T10:55:00.002Z

My New Beer resolution

NOW is the beginning of all those lovely New Year resolutions which are made by millions of people but kept by a somewhat smaller number.

Among the ones I’ve heard of so far are fervent pledges to lose weight, drink less, give up smoking and even an honest declaration to try and be kinder to people that person didn’t like.

I don’t know what drives people to make these rash statements because no sooner have they done so than it all comes crashing in on their awareness that it’s going to be a tough row to hoe, maybe too tough for them and they start to bluster or look for excuses.

By then of course it’s too late, especially if they’ve been rash enough to make their pledge within hearing of a friend or family member who will be quick to remind them of the new leaf they’re supposed to be turning over.

No such problem for me. My New Year’s resolution was not to make any stupid New Year resolutions.... well maybe one.

I’ve decided to try and help as many people as possible to explore the world of beer. This, surely, is a noble task although for some strange reason my wife is very dubious about the actual merit of this particular resolution.

She feels I may already do quite a bit in that direction which hardly qualifies me to cite it as something new, but there are always new people to meet and I feel it is only fair that she at least give me a chance by allowing me a sort of test period in which to explore the boundaries of my resolution.

I think about a year should do it.

No fear about our Olympic safety

MILITARY security has been announced on a massive scale for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Thousands of soldiers and a fearsome array of ground and air hardware are to be deployed to ensure everyone is protected from whatever they need protecting from.

Unfortunately times are hard, Weymouth and Portland’s sailing events are furthest away from the seat of power and have, therefore, suffered a teeny bit of scaling back in the grand scheme of things.

However, I can reveal that a crack team of police community support officers will be deployed on pedaloes should Al Qaeda launch any mid-race attack while any attempted atrocity on land will be firmly met by the same officers, this time mounted on beach donkeys.

Modern technology will also be deployed across Weymouth and Portland and, while funding cuts mean CCTV is likely to be inoperative during the Games, police do have several pairs of binoculars.

I’m told they intend to use these from the new viewing tower near the Pavilion to spot any threats providing the rotating gondola is pointing that way at that time.

So fear not. Lack of cash overshadowing Games – or LOCOG for short – won’t stop the people of Weymouth and Portland being protected from terrorism and, in any case, we can always stay at home and watch it on television.

Still nothing to declare?

PEOPLE occasionally get themselves into trouble for the weirdest of reasons.

One Weymouth enthusiast whose interest lay with model steam engines had some pretty chequered memories of a trip to Europe during which he returned with a mechanism beautifully mounted on a wooden board.

He knew exactly what it was, anticipated no trouble when he arrived back in this country and confidently strode through Customs... who promptly pulled him in with some very grim faces.

So what was the problem with what he’d brought back?

Well it emerged that the mechanism in question was actually a still!

Customs officials were not amused by the object and the steam enthusiast took a great deal longer to get through the green channel than he thought he would.

Stand off with a squirrel

MY son has been threatened - by a squirrel.

They seem to be very territorial at this time of year – squirrels not children – and he made the mistake of walking through an area where one was feeding.

The result was an indignant confrontation between man and beast, man doing his best to step round the problem but squirrel having none of it and confronting him at every turn.

The squirrel was quite aggressive, but longer legs eventually told in my son’s favour and he was able to make good his escape. He’ll have to start carrying a pine cone or two to bribe his way clear next time.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECONDS INTERVIEW: Jeff 'Jeffers' Jones

2012-01-04T10:45:00.002Z

JEFF 'Jeffers' Jones is an Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP) paramedic who works at Weymouth ambulance station for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT).

With more than 12 years of frontline experience, Jeff is no stranger to shift work and this year he was on duty responding to emergency calls throughout West Dorset over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Having spent most of his life living and working in Weymouth, Jeff has given up a lot of his spare time helping people through a range of charity fundraising events.

Most recently he and his ambulance colleagues at Weymouth Station made a donation to a local children’s charity as a gesture of seasonal goodwill.

Here Jeff talks about his work, his fundraising achievements and what it takes to become a frontline ambulance worker.

MOST people have some idea of what a paramedic does, but what is an ECP?

An ECP has all the skills of a paramedic, plus extended training in medical conditions. So, we can help the doctors with home visits and therefore help to give patients the most appropriate care instead of making unnecessary admissions to accident and emergency departments. An ECP can also admit patients directly to a hospital ward, unlike ambulance paramedics who can only take people to A&E, which isn’t always appropriate or essential.

HOW does your role differ from a paramedic’s on a day to day basis?

It differs mostly on weekends and nights. At weekends the ECP works for the out of hours doctors service. In West Dorset there is a doctor based at Dorchester or Weymouth and they triage calls so we can go out and deal with those patients. Of course, we still attend life threatening call outs for the ambulance service. So, if a doctor has asked us to visit a patient with a chest infection, for example, and then an emergency comes in, we will go and attend the emergency first.

HOW did you end up being an ECP?

SWASFT started the ECP role about seven-years-ago. I was already a paramedic at that time so I just applied for it. I’ve been in the ambulance service for 12 years and before that I was in an industrial Fire and Ambulance service for 10 years. As well as being an ECP I also now have the added duties of being a Clinical Support Officer, which means I’m one of the station managers at Weymouth.

BESIDES the job, you have also been involved in a fair amount of charity work, is that right?

Yes, in the last five years I’ve helped raise around £14,000 doing a few different events. The first was for a little boy I went to where I was on my own for 20/30 minutes when he went into cardiac arrest and I had to revive him. He suffered some brain damage from further arrests in hospital and so I helped some local people raise some money for him by doing a sponsored kayak up the Fleet. That involved getting permission from the Army to paddle past the firing ranges, which is quite a feat in itself. Not everyone can canoe the whole length of the Fleet. The second major charity event was due to a colleague I used to teach at the local swimming club who died of liver cancer. I raised some money for the Weldmar Hospice through a 24hour swim and we raised £7,500. Just recently, at Weymouth station, we were donated some prize money that we received from SWASFT for being the most improved station in Dorset. We didn’t know what to do with the money, so we’ve given it to a local children’s fund.

WHAT do you most enjoy about the job?

It’s the camaraderie with my colleagues and other service people. The people I work with are without doubt some of the best people I’ve ever met, and the humour that we have is just something different.

WHAT would you do if you won the lottery?

I would make sure my two boys have got houses in Dorset so they can be comfortable. I would also have a holiday with my wife and boys to Australia to see relatives, I’d throw a party for all my colleagues and I’d also give a bit to charity - I don’t think I’d give up work though.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-12-01T16:26:00.003Z

It’s too early to be so festive!

I HAVE a reputation in the office of being a bit curmudgeonly in the run-up to Christmas. This is the result of 40 years of almost impossible deadlines and as far as I am concerned Christmas does not start until the last edition has gone to press.

So it’s usually Christmas Eve before I start thinking about buying some presents and in the past this has presented a few problems.

One Christmas in particular sticks in my memory. I was editor of the Sidmouth Herald at the time and I went into the office in East Street to clear my desk. It was my intention to do my Christmas shopping, have a nice lunch and then go home to wrap up the presents whilst listening to Nat King Cole’s Christmas collection.

But I’m afraid I made one fatal mistake of taking a stroll down Old Fore Street and past the Anchor Inn, where I was a frequent visitor. Just as I was passing the front door Danny Gauntlett and Johnny Owen, from Sidmouth Football Club, invited me in for a “quick” Christmas drink. I thought it would be churlish to decline their kind invitation but stressed it would have to be “just the one” as I had a lot of shopping to do.

Four hours later I emerged from The Anchor, slightly unsteady, blinking into the December

twilight with most of Sidmouth shops about to close for the Christmas holiday.

I have no recollection what I bought or how much I spent. But I clearly remember the sheer panic of realising it was 4 o’clock in the afternoon and I was facing the embarassment of going home to my parents for Christmas Day with no presents. It was a lesson learned!

Any rate, as I was saying, I’m usually a bit grumpy about this time of year - but I have to admit I really got into the spirit of Christmas much earlier than usual on Saturday, one of our busiest times of the year reporting-wise, when I had eight jobs to cover. I gave Francesca the day off as it was her graduation ball at Southampton.

By 10.30 am I had three jobs in the camera having visited the FORCE Christmas coffee morning in Colyton, Colyford Village Hall’s Christmas fair and a similar event at Axminster Hospital organised by the League of Friends.

By the time I arrived at the hospital Mervyn Symes had the Christmas carols at full blast and there was a real jovial atmosphere and lots of happy faces.

I went back over the Dorset border to cover more Christmas events, including the switching on of the festive lights in Lyme (go and see them), finishing up having a drink with Geoff Baker, Paul McCartney’s former PR man who once worked for me as a reporter and is always good company.

I’m now looking forward to the Festive Friday Christmas evening in Axminster on December 9th and have promised myself that although we have to get out another 52 editions (honest) before Christmas Eve, this year I’m going to be full of festive cheer.

IN this job you come across many people who do so much in their community - but they run a mile when I turn up with my camera.

Octogenarian Phil Pitman is one of those. In 40 years or more of covering local events I have never been able to persuade Phil to have her photo taken.

But on Saturday I finally got her, being hugged by the matron at Axminster Hospital where Phil was running the League of Friends cake stall. There was only one place that picture could go - on the front page. Phil will never forgive me.

Why our hospitals are the envy of the civilised world...

THE National Health service, despite being the envy of the civilised world, comes in for a lot of stick. But when you are ill you quickly realise that our NHS is one of the great institutions and treasures of our land.

No one likes going to hospital but we are lucky in East Devon to have four community facilities in Sidmouth, Honiton, Seaton and Axminster in which the standard of care is exemplary.

There have been many changes and threats to these establishments over the years but they continue to play such an important role in improving the quality of life in East Devon.

And much work goes on in the community to support our local hospitals - no more so than in Axminster where the League of Friends have raised an incredible £3 million over the past ten years to improve facilities for patients.

Much of that money emanates from bequests but the level of support that comes from the friends means that they are continually fundraising.

Saturday’s Christmas Fair was typical of the hard work that sees volunteers and hospital staff come together to ensure that patients continue to receive the very best in care and comfort.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-12-01T16:19:00.001Z

Moving on through the darkness

SIGHT is perhaps our most valuable sense and this was dramatically brought home to me during a recent visit to my optician.

I’d already had to cope with my glasses being taken away for cleaning ahead of my sight test, so navigating to the examination room was slightly awkward.

Everything was out of focus... then suddenly everything was pitch black!

Apparently a rarely used piece of equipment had been plugged in and it had promptly cut electricity to the entire premises.

If I was a bit taken aback to be plunged suddenly into total darkness then so was my optician who rapidly found himself exploring the world of DIY as he fumbled for a torch and scrabbled around in a cupboard behind me until he was able to locate the master switch and restore the lights.

Just goes to show how much people take their sight for granted until suddenly they have to cope without it and it also shows how much optical technology has advanced.

My first sight test more than 40 years ago consisted of a series of boards about the size of a paperback book each covered in spots. Within those spots was concealed a number. How many of them you could see apparently determined how your eyes were. We’ve come a long way.

Hope yet, for the rest of us

PEOPLE find themselves having to do a lot of home maintenance during their lives, so it can be reassuring to get advice from the experts.

It is their example we try to follow, whether our efforts are good, bad or indifferent, and it might be anything from repairs, to electrics, plumbing, carpentry or simply buying the right tool for the job.

So I have to say that I found it difficult not to laugh during a recent visit to B&Q in Weymouth, surely one of jewels in the DIY crown and the sort of place you’d expect to be on top of its game.

But I spotted a horrible mistake they’d made almost immediately. That doesn’t make me a super expert or some genius at DIY. Anyone could have spotted it.

The embarrassing fact was that part of the store sign had gone missing and staff must have been too busy to replace it, that or the relevant letter hadn’t been delivered yet, so it was quite amusing to see a national DIY chain seemingly unable to practice its own philosophy. There’s hope yet for the rest of us!

No more mutant zombie snowmen

CHRISTMAS is getting closer and closer and panic buying is starting to set in.

Electrical goods, clothes, cosmetics, DVDs and CDs are really starting to move, but the items which are the current red hot buys are candied peel and cherries for Christmas cakes.

I had a hugely successful stab at this last year, getting ten out of ten for my cake and nought out of ten for my artistic snowmen which some members of the family thought looked like mutant zombies.

This year I just haven’t had the time and so we’ve bought a lovely home-made iced Christmas cake from a local bazaar.

It’s perhaps just as well really because you have to be ruthless to go out and get cake ingredients because that sort of shopping is not for the faint hearted and you need a sharp elbow and a long reach if you are not to be trampled underfoot in the rush for sought after fruit.

My family said there was another advantage to buying a cake this year. There was no chance of my mutant zombies putting them off what they were trying to eat.

Sat nav consigned to the bin!

A WEYMOUTH man found himself caught between a rock and a hard place when he went on a shopping trip which took him into the countryside just outside Yeovil.

Road signs in that rural location were rare to non-existent and, keen to get home without being marooned, he turned to modern technology and the satellite navigation facility on his mobile phone.

His trip then began to introduce him to parts of this country he had never seen before culminating in a roundabout.

A sign on it indicated one exit for Dorchester but his sat nav indicated a different exit for the way home.

Indecision was solved by the weight of traffic behind him and he decided to follow his sat nav’s advice - only to end up some time later on the road to Sherborne!

This did not amuse the driver who had to hack his way home as best he could and considerably later than he’d planned.

I understand that the sat nav had been violently switched off some miles from home and the fuming driver has no plans to use it again any time soon!

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-12-01T16:09:00.005Z

Event of the Week

Now for the streaking Santa

EVENT of The Week is elevated to the top of the column this week, for the first time ever.

The reason? Quite simply because the switching on of Lyme’s Christmas lights on Saturday evening, proceeded by the lantern workshop and parade, was such a marvellous event.

It was 11 years ago that Barbara Austin, the First Lady of Lyme, decided something had to be done about Lyme’s pathetic Christmas illumnations.

She formed a committee, started raising money and persuaded the town and district councils to give generous donations.

Since then, Lyme has had, arguably, the best Christmas lights for miles around with the switching-on ceremonies attracting hundreds of visitors to the town.

For hundreds, now read thousands. I can’t remember too many occasions when I have seen more people in Broad Street than there were on Saturday evening.

And it was absolute bedlam at the Baptist Church where 70 children took part in the lantern making competition, twice as many as the previous highest number.

With the Majorettes giving some stunning displays as they marched down Broad Sreet, followed by their new troupe members and cute mascots, the fire engine in attendance and Father Christmas distributing sweets to the kids in the crowd, it all made for a very special atmosphere.

As soon as the parade was over, I posted a tweet on the success of the event and received a number back from people outside of the town commenting on how Lyme was one of the few places left with such a special community atmosphere.

I’ll drink to that. In fact, I did afterwards in a packed Royal Lion with Geoff Baker and his partner Gill Newton, an enjoyable hour during which we discussed some crazy ideas for attracting more people to Lyme over the Christmas period.

I’m not sure Geoff’s idea of a streaking Santa race down Broad Street will meet with wide approval - but it would certainly attract the crowds!

The cost of this year’s lights came to around £6,500 and it becomes increasingly more difficult to raise that sort of money, year in, year out. The town and district councils give generous grants but Barbara and her team still have to fundraise throughout the year.

The last year has been a very difficult one for Barabra, health-wise, but with sterling support from people like Judith Pothecary, Alan and Lynn Vian, and a few others, the money was raised.

I’m notoriously curmudgeonly in the run up to Christmas, the result of 40 years of impossible deadlines.

I don’t start thinking about Christmas until the last edition goes to press (and that’s usually the day before Christmas Eve), but I must admit to be in a surprisingly festive mood on Saturday, having covered eight events during the day, including St Michael’s Christmas bazaar earlier in the day where there was a lovely atmosphere.

Lyme traders, led by town councillor Rikey Austin, are now about to embark on the organisation of late-night shopping events on the four Fridays leading up to Christmas, the final one (December 23rd) being on the same night as the Rotary Club’s Christmas Carols Around The Tree, my favourite Lyme Christmas event.

It is doubtful these will attract anywhere near the numbers we saw on Saturday but I hope their efforts will be worthwhile and will add to the overall seasonal spirit in the town.

MY admiration for the Royal British Legion is well known to regular readers of this column and I’m pleased to report that the Lyme branch is in fine fettle, despite declining Legion numbers nationwide.

It was interesting to hear long-serving President Cecil Quick recall at last week’s annual meeting how Lyme was judged the third best branch in the country back in the 1960s, urging his members to keep working hard to maintain their reputation as one of the most active branches in the country.

It was also good to see that Poppy Appeal organiser Sylvia Marlar received the coveted Jack Loveridge Trophy for her services to the branch over the past year.

The Legion, of course, is working all year to support our Armed Forces, not just at Remembrancetide.

You no longer need to have served in the British Forces to be a Legion member these days.

It costs just £13 to be a member of the Lyme branch, a relatively inexpensive way of supporting the Royal British Legion in all they do.

Update on the battle to save Lyme from the sea

THE creeping cliffs of Lyme Regis still loom large in the work of West Dorset District Council’s engineering department.

I went along to last week’s meeting of the Coastal Forum when district engineer Nick Browning, a good friend of Lyme Regis over the years, gave an update of phase four of the ongoing coastal protection scheme to protect Lyme from the ravages of the sea.

The meeting also saw the return of a familiar face - former district engineer Geoff Davies, who now works for a firm of consultants advising the district council on the plans to stabilise the East Cliff area of Lyme.

The £20 million-plus scheme to build a new seawall and stabilise the eastern cliffs is deemed necessary to prevent that whole area from falling into the sea, including the disappearance of Charmouth Road, over the next 50 years.

Government funding is crucial to the whole scheme and a decision on this is expected next March. If favourable (the alternative does not bear thinking about), work will start in 2013 and should be completed within two years. Nail-biting times.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECONDS: Neville Causley

2011-12-01T15:48:00.004Z

LANDLORD of the Hunters Lodge Inn, Neville Causley, has been running the pub and restaurant between Lyme Regis and Axminster for eight years with wife Sarah, who also runs the Karizma Majorettes. The couple have two young sons, Jake and Harvey.

Neville has been a member of Lyme Regis Lifeboat Crew since he was 18. He also organises the annual charity Santa sleigh, which tours the streets of Lyme Regis every Christmas, bringing much excitement to local children, and which is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Here, Neville talks about why he loves the festive season and how he would like to see Lyme Regis developed in the future.

WHAT do you enjoy about running The Hunters Lodge Inn?

It is truly different to a normal job, it is a way of life. We have had some testing years, but we have achieved a great deal in that time. We have put an enormous amount of effort (and all of our money!) into this venture. I am a very “hands-on” landlord and always have somebody to talk to. It is very hard work, and involves long hours, but is also very rewarding to hear so many good comments about the food, and the welcoming atmosphere here at the pub. I am proud of what we have achieved.

WHAT do you like about living in the Lyme Regis areas?

I have spent my whole life within a seven-mile radius of Lyme Regis. It provides good schools for our children and I love being around the sea - it has a calming effect on me. There is a good community spirit in Lyme Regis, something that my parents encouraged me to acknowledge from a young age. Lyme is lucky to have a lot of willing people who give up their time to help others. Like any small town, it has its faults, but there are a lot worse places that you could be living in.

WHAT would you change or add to the town?

Affordable housing would be top of my list of improvements for Lyme. We were lucky that we had some savings to start us on our housing ladder, but many young people who wish to stay here are forced to either rent or live with their parents. Although I know it’s a controversial subject, and I realise it is dear to a lot of people, I would sell off the Marine Theatre and like to see it redeveloped into a state of the art Jurassic Heritage/Visitor/Educational Centre. As it stands at the moment, it seems to be in need of such huge scale modernisation which I would imagine would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

WHY did you start organising the Santa Sleigh?

I moved to Seaton for two years. Whilst we were there we had a visit from Santa’s sleigh run by the local Lions Club. My wife and I decided that when we moved back to Lyme we would start a similar thing. One of our friends told us of a disused sleigh from a carnival float which we could have on a housing estate in Honiton. We went to get it, and contacted Virgil Turner (Lyme’s Mr Christmas) got some of the lifeboat crew and friends together and took Santa and his sleigh out for five nights. Unfortunately, due to work commitments, I don’t have so much time on my hands now, so Santa has to complete his visit over two evenings!

WHAT do you enjoy about it?

I love the Christmas atmosphere. Wherever we go, around every street, children’s faces light up with smiles and happiness (and grown-ups too!), and to top it off we raise some money to help somebody else. I strongly believe that helping somebody else is one of the best feelings in the world.

WHAT are you looking forward to this Christmas?

A day off! And some quality time with my family.

WHY did you join the lifeboat crew?

I remember as a child hearing the maroons, and watching the lifeboat go out from our loft window, shouting to my parents “the lifeboat is going out!” It is something that I wanted to do from an early age. I remember nervously peering around the old boathouse door being greeted by Paul Wason and Jim Thomas and being welcomed in for my first training session, and I’ve been there ever since.

WHAT would you do if you won the Lottery?

I’m sure we would have a few holidays to places we would like to go. I would buy my wife a car, and Harvey a camper van, as he is always going on about them! I would also start a zoo up for Jake, who is very passionate about animals, and then we would set up a charity of some description, as there is such a huge difference that could be made with the sums of money people win nowadays.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-25T10:20:00.003Z

Stand by for another record

IF you thought this year’s Axe Vale Festival was good, just wait until next June. The 2011 show was a record-breaker with the organising committee reporting this week that a fantastic profit of £43,000 had been achieved - but, as they say in the most refined circles, “you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

The 2012 festival, which will be the 18th annual event, promises to be a real bumper affair and will feature a showcase marquee to celebrate Axminster Tool Centre’s 40th year in business, as well as Axminster Carpets marking their 75th anniversary.

To this add a 100 feet track and train from Pecorama, likely to be a big attraction, and a mobile bowls mat which Cloakham Lawn sports centre plan to bring along to the festival to promote their activities.

The festival usually attracts between 14,000 and 15,000 visitors but that total will surely be exceeded next year.

The friendly festival has come a long was since its very first show in 1994 which was organsed to raise money to help finance the Flamingo Pool in Axminster. Up until last year the pool had received £166,000 with a further donation being made this week.

With the £23,000 allocated to worthy local causes at the annual meeting this week, the festival has now raised a staggering £300,000 since its formation.

Many of those who served on the organising committee have been with the festval since its inception and that is probably one of the reasons why the show has been such a storming success.

They have got it down to a fine art and the Axe Valley Festival is not only one of the most popular one-day shows in Devon - it’s also one of the best organised.

Ron Cross stood down as chairman at Wednesday’s annual meeting, having seen the show reach new heights under his stewardship, but will stay on the committee. The role of chairing the festival committee now falls on the capable shoulders of Claire Morgan who has been a festival helper for many years and has served the Axminster community well in many capacities.

It’s a daunting task but with such an experienced and committed committee behind her, I have no doubt that Claire will be a worthy successor to Ron and the festival will continue to go from strength to strength.

The 2012 festival will undoubtedly be yet another record-breaker.

Celebrating a long and fruitful life

I MADE sure I got to the church early for Marjorie Rowe’s funeral at The Minster in Axminster on Monday. I arrived a good half hour before the thanksgiving service was due to start and virtually every seat was taken by then.

Rector John Streeting said he had never seen the church so full and the large attendance was recognition of the esteem in which Mrs Rowe was held.

I had seen the church as full but only on one occasion - the funeral of Mrs Rowe’s husband Frank in 1994. Frank, of course, was “Mr Axminster” and a large attendance was expected.

It was good to see that Mrs Rowe, who concentrated on bringing up their three children whilst Frank built his auctioneering and cattle market business, made her own impact on the community.

It latter years, of course, she was not only the matriarch of the Rowe family but also revered in the local agricultural circles, not only in Axminster but in the Bridport area where she lived in latter years, allegedly to “keep an eye on son Jim”!

Son-in-law Mike Harvey did a splendid job, delivering a touching but humorous eulogy, and afterwards the congregation were invited back to the Guildhall where Mrs Rowe’s long and fruitful life was celebrated in suitable fashion.

THIS week, as reported on page three, we intoduce a fourth title to our stable of Weekenders in East Devon with the launch of our Ottery St Mary edition.

More good news next week; we are splitting our Axe Valley Weekender with separate editions for Axminster & Colyton and Seaton & Beer to provide an even better local news service as well as introducing more dedicated pages for our Honiton and Sid Vale papers.

This week also sees a record 64 pages, another milestone in what has been an hectic 2011. Thanks for your continued support.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-25T10:06:00.002Z

Winning back some favour for Weymouth

JUST a week or so and it will be time for us all to collect a rebate on our annual bill for car parking in Weymouth and Portland.

That is because we're are all being given several hours free parking on eight days in December at all council owned car parks and on-street sites.

The council committee debate that awarded this seasonal windfall made much of handing back something to the community and no one can say this is not a laudable sentiment.

But cynical old me did raise a wry smile at one snippet of the debate which dwelt on the boost to the town from its new relief road.

One councillor beautifully summed it up by saying that the relief road has been hailed as a vast improvement to allow people swifter access to shop or visit the town . . . but it also provides people with a faster way to get out of town!

It seems that those fed up with never-ending roadworks and a new traffic light system which impartially delays everyone are now increasingly voting with their feet and dumping Weymouth in favour of going shopping in Dorchester.

The road to Dorchester — if not Hell — is clearly paved with good intentions and the town may yet rue the road and Olympics work.

Giving people several bites of free parking in the run-up to Christmas will help long-suffering residents and traders have welcomed the move, but it will take more than a few hours free parking to heal the wounds in residents’ memories from what has gone before.

Don’t tarnish the image of the torch

WHEN I first saw details I thought it was some sort of sick joke being foisted on this country’s long suffering public.

It seems that the purity of the Olympic ideal has now been bastardised so much that the torch relay for the Games can be hijacked into the script of Eastenders!

Is nothing sacred? I appreciate that, for millions of discerning viewers, the antics of various cast members perfectly reflects modern life, but there are limits.

If a sacred symbol such as the Olympic torch can now be viewed as something commercial to cash in on - and that has to be the reason for storylining it since ratings will rise sharply for that episode - then where will it end?

Can we all now look forward to Weymouth and Portland’s Olympic sailors appearing on Masterchef to whip up a quick omelette cooked over the Olympic torch?

The possibilities seem endless in a world where everything is there to be exploited and God alone knows I’ve sat in on enough recent meetings where Olympic marketing opportunities were discussed.

But the question is this. How far do we allow marketing to go? I’d suggest using the Olympic torch in a programme like Eastenders cheapens its image.

It tarnishes the majesty for which the torch stands because, whatever else Eastenders may stand for, majesty it does not. BBC take note.

Mind the gap!

IT is the measure of a determined politician that they can soldier on even when faced with a complete lack of support.

Such was the case with Weymouth and Portland management committee chairman Councillor Mike Goodman, a seasoned veteran of life and many a political clash.

He didn’t allow lack of support to affect his commitment to the items being debated by his committee and manfully stuck to his position in the seat of government despite very trying circumstances.

So what point of view was he propounding that saw him get so little support?

Well, it wasn’t so much a view as the fact that his chair was collapsing around him.

Perish the thought that Mr Goodman might have a weight problem – which he doesn’t – but I have to confess to a certain morbid fascination as I watched the joint in his hardwood chair take on softwood proportions.

Wider and wider gaped the gap, Mr Goodman being saved by the closure of the meeting if not the joint of his chair. It was clearly one piece of furniture missed in the recent “minimalist” upgrade of Committee Room Number 1.

Number one son

WELL, my son is now officially a graduate and entitled to have the letters BA (Hons) after his name.

Fatherly (and motherly) pride was much in evidence when we attended the awards ceremony at Worcester Cathedral whose stunning stained glass interior was packed with close to 1,000 people.

Son’s ten seconds of fame was just that... ten seconds, because hundreds of others were also graduating that afternoon and the degrees fairly rattled along.

Still, that ten seconds meant all the world to his parents who had ruthlessly arrived early to get good seats, guarding them carefully for nearly two hours in the run up to the ceremony.

Well done, son, for three years hard work and well done Budmouth for seven years schooling ahead of his degree.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-25T09:52:00.002Z

A true philanthropist

MUCH interest has been aroused by the piece in this column last week about the possible renaming of the central pavilion in the regenerated Marine Parade shelters.

The matter came to the fore when the working group organising the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June wrote to the council asking if the pavilion could be renamed after Her Maj in honour of her 60 years on the throne.

Town councillors were not over-enamured with the idea, pointing out, quite rightly, that as a big chunk of the £1.3 million shelters cost would be paid for by the people of Lyme Regis, they should be the ones who decide whether the pavilion should be renamed.

Quick to put pen to paper was Geoffery Mann to sugest that the pavilion should be renamed 'The Owen Pavilion' after town councillor Owen Lovell, the only councillor who questioned spending so much on the revamp of the shelters.

A more serious suggestion came from Bernard and Molly Spencer who have an interest in all matters Lyme. They suggested that the pavilion should be named after an 18th century philanthropist who did much for our town but has never been recognised.

Molly and Bernard wrote as follows: “This gives the town council a wonderful opportunity to honour a man who did so much for Lyme Regis but is neglected to the extent few people remember him. I write of Thomas Hollis, 1720 - 1774, the man who gave us the Marine Parade and the Assembly Rooms.

“Lyme Regis owes a large debt to Thomas Hollis for he did much to improve the town. He cleared away the old buildings on what is today, Cobb Gate, enabling an area attacked by the sea to be rebuilt. Purchased and cleared the old buildings in the centre of Broad Street and in Pound Street. Cleared and paid for the site of the Assembly Rooms; handing them to the town. Paid for the removal of the old fort that blocked the seafront, putting in railings and steps to the beach; all of which made the Marine Parade possible. And so much more.

“He was also a benefactor of Harvard College in America and sent the struggling university shiploads of books. Harvard thought so highly of Hollis they named their Information system in his honour - “The Harvard On Line Library Information System.”

“Thomas Hollis was a true philanthropist. Lord Chatham wrote of him that ‘he is the happiest of beings by dispensing continually happiness to others’.

“Another friend, Augustus Toplady, composer of the song ‘Rock of Ages’, is recorded as saying that, ‘Thomas Hollis went about doing good and helping the poor for all of his life’.”

Their letter concluded: “Perhaps Thomas Hollis has been passed by in the past because he apparently referred to himself as a Republican?”

So this is a suggestion that could win the support of at least two of our town councillors.

I must admit I had no idea who Thomas Hollis was or how much he did for the town.

We’re all doomed if it snows in January...

STROLLING along the seafront on Sunday afternoon it was difficult to imagine that this time last year the town was gridlocked by snow.

Many were out enjoying the winter sunshine and there were kids galore playing on the sand.

Lyme, unusually, has been hit by heavy snow three times in two years and the inadequacies of our preparedness for dealing with snow was very evident.

To their credit, the town council have got their act together and provided many more grit bins and supplies of salt.

But the county council are refusing to budge when it comes to extending their griting programme in Lyme. Only the main road through town will be gritted in inclement weather, despite the fact there were several accidents in Woodmead Road and other steep hills last year.

And now we hear that Church Street will be closed for eight weeks in January. That means that Woodmead Road will provide the only by-pass to the town centre.

We can only hope and pray we have a mild January.

Local talent to the fore

WEDNESDAY evening of last week was spent in Axminster Guildhall where the local operatic society were staging Irvin Berlin’s 'Annie get Your Gun'.

I’ve covered Axminster Operatic Society shows, on and off, since 1968 and on this occasion I was reviewing 'Annie' for our Axe Valley paper - The Weekender (see it on our website - www.viewfromonline.co.uk)

I gave it a good write-up but at one time I thought I was watching Lyme Regis Operatic Society.

The more accomplished singers in our area travel around taking part in the various shows and there were many familiar faces on stage.

Two of the leading parts were taken by Lyme residents Nicky Sweetland and Brian Rattenbury, who were both brilliant as usual, and I was delighted to see two stars of my Lyme’s Got Talent shows - Ben Hills and Amy Street - also being trusted with principal roles.

They did us proud, I can tell you that.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Tom Summers

2011-11-25T09:39:00.002Z

CHARMOUTH born Tom Summers returned to his Dorset roots last year after escaping from seven years in the London rat race.

As a child, Tom attended Charmouth Primary School and Colyton Grammar School before, inspired by the Heritage coast, going to Reading University to study Physical Geography.

After finishing university Tom found he wasn't qualified for much so moved to the capital where he fell into a career in marketing, working for the likes of Red Bull, Innocent Smoothies and Magners Cider.

After enjoying the excess of his London lifestlye for seven years, Tom returned to the area to help his mother with her own business venture, Felicity’s Farm Shop in Morcombelake. Tom is now Deputy Manager of the shop or, as he puts it, general dogsbody and minion to his mother.

On his return Tom became Chairman of Charmouth First Cubs and Scouts group and has recently ventured into the realm of pig keeping with his Uncle, John Summers.

WHAT made you return to your Dorset roots?

I'd had enough of being in the rat race and, when you're born here, the West Dorset countryside just gets into your heart, it’s such a beautiful place to be. I can't really explain it but it just has a real magnetic draw for me, it’s home.

YOU'VE been back for a year, do you plan to stay longer?

I think so, my mother has done a really good job setting up the farm shop and I’m sure she doesn't really require me anymore but if she'll have me, I'll stay. I have responsibilities now, I’ve got the pigs to look after, so we shall see where the future takes me.

ARE you pleased with how the farm shop has developed in its first year?

I'm really pleased, mum and her staff have worked really hard. Our customers have been really supportive and lovely and our suppliers have really been understanding, patient and lovely as well.

WHAT do you think is the secret to its success?

I think the staff. Hopefully we all radiate a happy positive vibe and make it a nice place for people to come. We like to think we are part of the community, a place where people can roll up for a chat, to hang out and have fun with us.

YOUR first batch of pigs will be ready for Christmas, will you be sad to see them go?

I try to be brave and not think about it. It is tough because they are so happy to see you, probably because you turn up with the food, but that is life and the nature of the business unfortunately. I will be sad to see them go but life goes on and we will get more pigs. My comfort is knowing that they have had a fantastic life, they've got a huge paddock to roam around so they are happy pigs.

WAS it sad to see the first Charmouth Cubs and Scouts struggling?

It was because it was a huge part of my upbringing here, it gave me a huge sense of community involvement and a sense of adventure. From the age of seven I was in the Cubs and we used to go camping, kayaking, orienteering and just having good fun really. Loads of the guys and girls from the village were part of it and it was a great way to mix with people of all ages.

ARE you glad to see them going from strength to strength now?

I'm really glad, but I can't take any of the credit for it, The hard work has been done by the scout and cub leaders. Kevin the scout leader and, Tony and Maggie, the cub leaders have done a wonderful job. They have done wonders planning a really good programme, they've doubled the cub numbers and really put some energy into it, it’s a great service for the youngsters of Charmouth.

WOULD you recommend it to all young people?

Absolutely, it's free to try it out so just pop down for a couple of sessions. In the last few weeks they have entered a go-karting competition, they took part in a swimming gala in Bridport, there is a 24 hour camp coming up next year and all sorts of Christmas parties and fun activities.

WHAT were some of the highlights of your marketing career?

It was outrageous, it was rock and roll and completely daft, but great fun. We went skidooing in Antarctica, partying in Moroccan palaces, rally car driving, I learnt to wakeboard on a lake in Austria. Lots of good fun and hi jinx, but it’s lovely to be back here, it feels a bit more real. I couldn't go walking in London, I couldn't climb golden cap or keep pigs, it’s not better or worse it’s just a different chapter of my life that I want to embrace.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-18T10:10:00.003Z

Heartening to see such support

I MAKE no apology for the comprehensive nature of our coverage, on several news pages this week, of the Remembrance Day events throughout East Devon.

I am also proud that we had a representative present at all the parades and services in the 12 main towns covered by The Weekender and our sister View From papers in Dorset.

I have never served in the Armed Forces but I am a member of the Royal British Legion. And it’s one of my favourites organisations, as important as it’s ever been in this dangerous world.

Wherever we had reporters there was a record turn-out for the Remembrance activities, surely a reflection of a greater appreciation and understanding that our troops are putting their lives on the line every day in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.

I went over to Colyton on Sunday morning to attend the Remembrance service in St Andrew’s Parish Church, followed by the laying of wreaths at the War Memorial in the churchyard.

As you would expect in Colyton, the church was full to capacity with a large crowd also witnessing the wreath laying by representatives of local organisation. It was the same story at Seaton, Beer, Honiton and Sidmouth.

Among the wreath layers at Colyton was 37 year-old Steve Collins, a chief petty officer in the Royal Navy, first son of John and Monica Collins. Steve had just come back from his fifth tour of Afghanistan and wanted to be present at his home-town ceremony.

Ironically, Steve left Colyton to join the Royal Navy 20 years ago, leaving Axminster station at 11 am on November 11th (Armistice Day).

The Poppy Appeal this year is expected to top £40 million for Royal British Legion funds, a record. Despite the fact the it has been 66 years since the cessation of World War Two, the work of the Legion goes on unabated and often unrecognised.

It is a sobering thought that there has been only one year - 1968 - when a member of the British Armed Forces has not been killed in the service of their country.

It was heartening to see so many people supporting the Remembrance Day services and parades, especially the young, a clear indication that all those who made the supreme sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Always striving for stage excellence

I’VE waxed lyrical in this column before about the plethora of talented stage performers in this area. How lucky we are.

A visit to Axminster Guildhall on Wednesday to see Axminster Operatic Society’s production of 'Annie Get Your Gun' has not persuaded me to change my opinion.

The first show I saw performed by Axminster Operatic Society was 'Carousel' in 1968 and down the years they have always been prepared to stretch their talents to the limit by staging the big musical shows, rather than sticking to the more traditional operettas.

I thought last year’s production of 'Showboat' set new standards; it was one of the best amateur shows I had ever seen.

That, of course, put pressure on what to stage this year and I think 'Annie' was a good choice. I’m not sure it was better than 'Showboat' but as I say in my review in our Life section, it was a close-run thing.

I didn’t particularly like the big screen but admire the society’s desire to try out new things. I just did not think a show of this calibre required any gimmicks.

The standard of those playing the leading roles was quite remakable yet again, bordering on the professional, with great support by an enthusaistic and happy chorus line.

CASTING my eye down the list of officers elected at the recent annual meeting of Axminster Cricket Club, I was struck by the fact there was one familiar name missing - Phil Spong.

Phil has been one of the driving forces in the cricket club and at Cloakham Lawn sports centre for several decades.

An excellent all-round cricketer who went on to play for Devon Over 50s, Phil dedicated much of his adult life to the promotion of cricket in general and Axminster CC in particular.

He has received many accolades over the years from the cricketing authorities, particularly in relation to his groundsman skills and the promotion of youth cricket, and has held many club posts down the years.

I will never forget his sheer commitment and hard work put into the day the Lord’s Taverners sent a team to Axminster a few years back.

Philip is now at an age when he has decided it’s time to step away from the game and club which has played such an important role in his life. But his contribution cannot be underestimated.

Phil will not appreciate me making these comments - that’s the sort of bloke he is - but some things have to be said.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-16T11:58:00.002Z

Renaming the shelters pavilion

IN A bid to create a lasting legacy for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Lyme Regis, the steering group organising the event has suggested to the town council that the central pavilion of the new-look Marine Parade shelters should be renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Pavilion, or perhaps the Jubilee Pavilion.

Mayor Sally Holman, who leads the steering group, put the idea to the town council at last week’s meeting.

There was little support for the idea, however, with the majority of councillors arguing that as much of the cost of the £1.3 million regeneration of shelters was financed from the public purse, it should be down to the people of Lyme Regis to decide what the shelters should be called in the future.

That’s a wholly worthy argument; after all, it’s the people of Lyme who will have contributed to the cost through their council tax.

The councillors decided that the public should be consulted through the town council’s newsletter and also be asked to come up with other ideas for a jubilee legacy.

Some thought that as the clock on the front of the shelters was originally dedicated to those who had lost their lives in two world wars, their memory should be further perpetuated in the naming of the central pavilion.

It is doubtful that the town council would have come up with the idea of renaming the central pavilion had the jubilee steering committee not suggested the idea.

“Central pavilion” is a fairly bland title for such a grand piece of architecture, now restored to its former glory, and as programme co-ordinator for the royal celebrations in Lyme I’m obviously in favour of renaming it the Jubilee Pavilion.

However, I agree that the people of Lyme should have the final say and they may, of course, vote in favour of the renaming the pavilion after the Queen.

I’m pleased, however, the our other suggestion of creating a number of Honoured Citizens who have served the town with distinction during the Queen’s reign was met with slightly more enthusiasm with councillors agreeing in principle to the idea and setting up a working party to explore the suggestion further.

This is not a new idea with other local councils honouring their citizens in this way.

Christmas boost for the traders

I WISH the town council well in their efforts to boost Christmas trade in Lyme Regis by organising four late-night shopping events in the run up to Christmas.

It’s refreshing to see that the councillors, led by the enthusiastic Rikey Austin, are adopting a pro-active approach to making use of the £3,000 that West Dorset District Council has given to promote local business.

Late night shopping in Lyme has been tried on many occasions in the past with varying degrees of success. But never on such a wide scale.

Such nights have never attracted big crowds but the council is planning to spend £2,000 of their £3,000 windfall on a local and regional advertising and public relations campaign.

It will be interesting to see whether this is money well spent.

Jubilee update

PLANS to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, I am pleased to report, are progressing well with the first draft programme being approved by the steering group, led by Mayor Sally Holman, on Monday evening.

A number of other events are being planned which will be added to the programme when final details have been confirmed.

I think we already have a programme which will do the occasion proud, providing yet another opportunity for the community to come together.

For details go to www.lymejubilee2012.com

EVENT OF THE WEEK...

IT wasn’t so long ago that the church was half empty for the annual Remembrance Service and very few organisations supported the parade. But these are very different days.

On Sunday, St Michael’s Parish Church was filled to capacity with standing room only and it was one of the best supported parades I can remember.

My reporters confirmed that there was also brilliant support at the remembrance activities in other towns and villages where we publish newspapers.

In Lyme, the local branch of the Royal British Legion has enjoyed an upsurge in profile and support in recent years, due to excellent leadership from President Cecil Quick and chairman Ken Whetlor, backed by an enthusaistic committee, and with all that is going on in the world at the moment, with our Armed Services putting their lives on the line every day, the significance of the Poppy has taken on a new importance.

I am a big supporter of the Royal British Legion, being a member of the Lyme branch, although I have never served in the Armed Forces. And for the first time I took part in the parade as the Mayor, Sally Holman, allowed me to walk with the civic party as a former First Citizen.

This year there was no Junior Band to lead the parade but sole drummer Warren Jones, a former Woodroffe School pupil, did an excellent job.

The parade was marshalled as always by Cecil Quick, amazingly in his 91st year. Despite failing eyesight, Cecil went round all the organisations before the parade was dismissed to thank them personally and had a kind word for all the youth groups present.

He was accompanied by Corporal Daniel Buckley, partner of Cecil’s granddaughter Maxine, and will shortly be leaving the Army after 13 years as a bomb disposal officer. It must have been an emotional day for him.

The parade was the last time he wore his Royal Engineers uniform.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-16T11:03:00.002Z

Poppy - a simple mark of respect

THERE can be little obvious connection between football and those who gave their lives for their country.

Yet a huge row developed over the England and Wales teams wanting to wear poppies as a mark of respect during friendly games ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Inevitably football’s world governing body FIFA tried to give the whole idea not a red poppy but a red card because it claimed poppies would “jeopardise the neutrality of football” by breaching its decree that shirts should not carry political, religious or commercial messages.

FIFA’s stance attracted a storm of protest including comments from Germany in support of what England and Wales were trying to do not to mention anger right across the country including Weymouth and Portland that it was another unwelcome example of political correctness.

I’m bound to say that FIFA’s insensitive remarks bear close resemblance to the constant interference we have to endure from EU chiefs who also feel that their rules are the only ones that matter.

FIFA eventually bowed to international pressure and agreed a compromise for England and Wales to wear poppies on armbands rather than their shirts.

Perhaps FIFA might also dwell on this — but for those who gave their lives there might not be any FIFA while only an idiot divorced from reality would label a poppy as political, religious or commercial when it is clearly a simple mark of respect.

Let’s hope we don’t get our fingers burnt!

WE now have a rough idea of how the Olympic torch is going to make its triumphal passage through the streets of Weymouth and Portland en route to the 2012 Games in London.

I’m sure that many people would like to catch a glimpse of this sporting icon, so I enclose a few notes here to shed a little light on the torch and to help people arrange their diaries.

Believe it or not, Carl Diem devised the idea of the torch relay for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin which were organised by the Nazis under the guidance of Joseph Goebbels, so let us all hope that Weymouth and Portland’s handling of its share of the 2012 route can match German efficiency.

By far and away the best chance of seeing the torch on July 12th-13th, 2012, will be anywhere in the town centre area where drivers won’t be distracted from enjoying the spectacle by anything so mundane as forward progress.

Other promising viewpoints include the Nothe Gardens – if you can get a ticket – from which the transfer of the torch from Osprey Quay on Portland to Weymouth beach promises all sorts of challenging opportunities for spanners to get into works.

This is because the transfer is by sea and, if this year’s July weather is anything to go by, then there is a strong possibility that conditions may be a little choppy, so perhaps a few prayers here to the sea god Poseidon rather than the Olympic god Zeus.

Finally, no guidance on a moving receptacle carrying naked flames would be complete without some advice from Health and Safety who warn that runners carrying the torch should be careful of hot metal.

However, I think local Olympic organisers will be more worried about getting their fingers burnt in a wider sense since the eyes of the world will be on us and we don’t want to be forever after remembered as the town which dropped the torch down roadworks or lost it at sea! Good luck, we’ll need it.

Spirit of Christmas?

VODKA may not be everyone’s drink of choice and it certainly doesn’t rank top of the list for members of Chapelhay Community Playgarden in Weymouth.

They turned up to the garden ahead of an event for children to make snowmen and angels as decorations for a community Christmas tree only to find that part of the garden had become a major hazard.

Vandals had decided it would be great fun to have a drink in the playgarden and, when they had finished, they smashed an empty bottle of vodka on the metal top platform of a children’s slide.

Hundreds of pieces of glass exploded over the whole area and helpers at the garden arrived for the Christmas event only to find they had some serious housework to do first.

It took a house broom, a dustpan and brush plus a lot of effort to painstakingly track down and sweep up every shard of glass and put it in rubbish bins before children could be allowed back on that part of the play area.

Residents say that the playgarden is frequently being used at night by groups of teenagers as a rendezvous point for drinking and smoking which is hardly what organisers had in mind when the playgarden was formed.

Hopefully the true spirit of Christmas can return to the gardens... and I don’t mean out of a bottle.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Chris Anderson

2011-11-16T10:44:00.002Z

WESTCOUNTRY born producer, songwriter and musician Chris Anderson has recently returned to his roots after taking a break from his glittering career in the music industry.

Having grown up in Lyme Regis, studying 'A'-Level music and completing his piano grades at the Woodroffe School, Chris went on to work with the likes of Cher, Tina Turner and Kylie Minogue.

After graduating from the Gateway School of Music Recording, Chris joined the team that was to become Metro, where in 1996 he worked on Cher’s multi platinum award winning track ‘Believe’.

Chris went on to work with a host of stars and in 2001 became one of the first recipients of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters - ‘Universal’ Chart Newcomers Award.

In Europe Chris co-wrote and produced the debut single for 2002 Spanish ‘Pop Idol’ finalist Chenoa and in 2003 Chris had a song recorded by the winner of French ‘Pop Idol’.

In recent times Chris has been setting up independently, spending his time working between London and West Dorset. His most recent release was a track on the charity Help for Heroes single ‘We Will Remember Them’.

WHO are the biggest artists you’ve worked with?

The three biggest are Cher, Tina Turner and Lionel Richie. I’ve worked with a few other people as well. I played keyboards on an Enrique Iglesias track and I’ve worked with Belinda Carlisle and Kylie Minogue.

WHO were the nicest to work with?

Lionel Richie is really nice and down to earth. Kylie Minogue was really lovely as well. You tend to find the ones who have got the genuine talent are the nicest to work with, because they haven’t got anything to prove. The ones who come through the door from fame school who’ve got too little talent and too much confidence are the ones who are difficult.

WHAT are the secrets to a perfect pop song?

It’s got to have the standard pop song structure. It’s like the old saying goes, ‘Don’t bore us, get to the chorus’. Also it has to be melodic, something you can imagine the postman whistling, something people can latch on to. Lyrically, if someone can really relate to a song, even if you are misreading what the song is written about, that’s what makes a really strong song.

ARE there any songwriters that inspire you?

All the writers involved in Motown, Burt Bacharach, Lennon and McCartney. It’s not cool sometimes to say you like The Beatles but the bottom line is they were phenomenal writers and they did what they did and, no matter what anyone else does, they can never change that.

DO you think the digital age has ruined the music industry?

The industry is in a very bad state now because of all the illegal downloads. Kids don’t see the value to music anymore. I’ve had a bit of a sabbatical recently but I think I got out at a time when the industry was starting to nose dive anyway. I’ve known so many people who used to make a living from writing and producing music and aren’t anymore.

WHAT would be your top tip for getting into the music industry?

Never sign anything without some legal representation. If you’re under the Musicians' Union, it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune to get. That’s first and foremost, because it’s not until five years down the line when you’ve signed a contract and you’ve learnt a bit down the industry that you realise you’ve been stitched up. It happens a lot.

WHAT do you make of TV talent shows?

They are okay, but to a certain extent they are killing music and making it much harder for new songwriters, as if it isn’t hard enough already. Most of the shows are playing covers until you actually get the winner and they release an album, and even then they sometimes record songs from the old American songbook.

WHAT'S the one pop song you wished you’d written?

I play piano for weddings and events and I always ask people this question and they can never pinpoint one song. It’s tough because there are loads but one song that was very innovative at the time was “When Doves Cry” by Prince.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-10T16:04:00.002Z

MP with the courage of his convictions

WE PAY their wages, entrust them with billions of our money to run the country yet they ignore us.

I’m talking about our political leaders whose notorious deafness hit new heights recently when it appeared that some MPs might be getting hearing aids or even trying to listen to their constituents about a referendum on the EU.

Naturally leaders couldn’t tolerate troops such as South Dorset Tory MP Richard Drax displaying signs that they might have a mind of their own, so they openly instructed all MPs of all parties to vote against a motion calling for a public vote on the UK’s place in the EU.

The whole House of Commons debate had been sparked by a petition signed by more than 100,000 people, hardly a promising advert for the future when so many people’s wishes can be so blatantly stifled.

So what are Cameron, Clegg and Milliband frightened of?

Well, if they represent the people then surely the approach they adopt for the country should reflect what most people want and the only way to identify that is through a public vote on the issue.

But the fact of the matter is that the three main party leaders have an approach which reflects their views not necessarily those of the country.

They’re petrified that if they give the public a mouthpiece then millions will vote to come out of the EU which will overrule a handful of power brokers keeping us in that increasingly subservient existence.

The cold hard fact is that if the big three felt they were representing the people then they wouldn’t mind a vote and they certainly wouldn’t have issued such a severe anti-referendum instruction to MPs which had panic written all over it.

Fortunately our own MP Richard Drax displayed a different version of Churchill’s famous gesture to Cameron & Co and defiantly opted to vote in favour of a Bill offering three choices for Britain’s future EU participation including staying, leaving and renegotiating membership.

He correctly said that this was “a matter far more important than party politics” and that trading with the EU was one thing but being ruled by it was quite another.

Just for the record, Parliament currently has 650 MPs and, when the dust from leaders threatening MPs had settled, only 111 including Richard Drax had the courage to vote for asking the public’s view.

The best comment came in a political forum posted by one frustrated writer who asked what could possibly be done to get a referendum when so many ordinary people wanted one but were told by a few politicians that it “wasn’t the right time”.

So perhaps democracy isn’t quite as alive and well as Cameron, Clegg and Milliband would have us believe and that representation of the populace is rather a case where all politicians’ views are equal but some are more equal than others.

THANK God November 5th is over...well nearly. Explosive celebrations at all hours of the night began in my area of town as early as October 19th, a full 17 days ahead of Guy Fawkes’ official date.

Strong language erupted from under my bed clothes for night after night as fireworks went off at any time right up to 3am and, if I was hacked off with having my sleep disturbed, I’m pretty sure that parents with young children woken by the bangs would be even angrier.

No one expects fireworks let off solely on November 5th – that’s asking too much of human nature – but the whole celebration seems to have become blurred and we’ve had fireworks still exploding days after the official event. Enough is enough.

Just banking in the rain

ANY major branch of any major bank worth the name claims to offer its customers the last word in financial advice and cash accessibility... but it’s a different story with smaller branches.

I was out and about in my traditional holiday weather – torrential rain – when I ran short of cash and dived into a little branch of HSBC just as the heavens opened.

I had with me not just identification but the correct bank card yet this still wasn’t enough. I was politely but firmly informed that if I wanted to withdraw money from my account then I would need a bank book to enable me to do so in the dry.

As I didn’t have a bank book with me, the teller coolly told me that I could still use my card to withdraw money from my account... from a hole in the wall machine outside in teeming rain where increasing numbers of people could be seen trying to buy boats.

So I had no choice but to go out in to stygian conditions, fumbling with my card and the machine keyboard with one hand while using the other to hold my umbrella so as much water as possible could be made to trickle down my neck.

It was at this point that I realised HSBC might stand for horribly soaked bank customer and that the branch clearly had room for improvement.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-10T15:53:00.003Z

Let’s make it Lyme’s Olympic Day

IT was a pretty dismal weekend with a pall of sadness hanging over the West Country following the horrifc multi-vehicle accident on the M5 near Taunton, which killed seven people in the most frightening circumstances.

My mood was not brightened by the ever-depressing news from the Cannes summit that the euro is in near meltdown and we are bracing ourselves to provide more millions to bail it out.

So it was great on Monday morning to get some good news with the announcement that the Olympic torch will be passing through Lyme Regis on Thursday, July 12th.

A truly unique event which will probably never happen again and an unexpected but unbelievable opportunity for Lyme to celebrate London 2012 and provide an early boost to next year’s summer season.

Within seconds of hearing the news I was on the blower to Mayor Sally Holman who let out a squeal of excitement and immediately went into First Citizen mode, providing me with a quote for our story and then immediately deciding that the occasion must be celebrated in true Lyme Regis fashion.

Other towns in Dorset are already planning their celebrations and the mayor will probably put together some form of working party to do the same. We don’t know who will be carrying the golden torch through Lyme, although young lifeboat crew member Ritchie Durrant, an excellent all-round sportsman, has been nominated. A decision will not be made until December 11th.

The occasion will give Lyme’s sporting organisations the chance to promote themselves and I hope it will be possible to provide an escort for the torchbearer through Lyme made up of representatives of the town’s leading sporting groups. It would be good if July 12th could be designated as “Lyme’s Olympic Day.”

Next year is shaping up to one of the most exiting in Lyme’s recent history. Not ony do we have the fossil and earth festivals, there will be a rejuvenated jazz, blues and beer festival, celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the arrival of the first cruise liner in the bay, packed, we are told, with rich Americans, Lifeboat and Regatta & Carnival weeks and the increasingly popular ArtsFest.

It’s going to be some summer!

SATURDAY was one of those days I promised that I would never put myself through again when I suffered a bout of illness a couple of years ago.

At lunchtime I was invited to speak on the press at the West Dorset Conservative Association conference at Frampton, near Dorchster, and enjoyed engaging in a lively debate on local politics with association members and West Dorset councillors.

I sped back to Lyme after lunch to make preparations for the Cancer Research UK curry night, which we were holding at the Lister Room in the Marine Parade shelters that evening while the bonfire and fireworks display was happening.

Jackie had spent all day cooking curry and we had to take all the food and equipment down to the shelters before the 6pm start.

We made a profit of £300, which takes us nearly to £7,000 for the year so far, so a big thank you to those who supported the event.

I did not see the fireworks because I had another speaking engagement that evening but everyone says what a good display it was, witnessed by a huge crowd.

I had to leave Jackie and Francesca to host the curry night, with the help of Nigel Fortnam and Cliff Powley, because I had agreed to compere the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, which I have done many times before.

Despite clashing with the fireworks, the concert was supported by over 100 Legion members and friends and turned out to be another great nostalgic evening to celebrate the Legion’s 90th birthday.

So well done to Alan Vian and his Regatta and Carnival helpers for putting on another grand fireworks display and also to members of the Lyme branch for their dedication and commitment to the continuing important work of the Royal British Legion, which is as important today as it was when the organisation was formed in 1921.

10,000 people can’t be wrong, can they?

I have written a couple of times in this column about my support for the regenerated Marine Parade Shelters, although I accept I am out of kilter with some of my fellow Lyme Regians on this.

I believe, however, they have made a huge difference to the seafront, adding a touch of class to what used to be a very unloved building.

The shelters will now be closed for a few weeks whilst the town council and users group assess the various comments and suggestions that have been made for its future use by those who have visited the central pavilion - over 10,000 people between the end of August and the end of October.

I think that figure speaks for itself.

Year Book out soon

LAST year, you may recall, we published a Year Book for 2010, chronicling all the events in and around Lyme over that year. Several have asked whether there will be a 2011 edition. Yes, there will.

Jackie has already started on putting the book together and it should be on sale before Christmas.

We are hoping to produce a similar book every year which could eventually turn into the definitive modern history of Lyme.

Francesca has also produced a little A5 book, based on her Summertime In Lyme column featuring photos from Lyme’s multitude of summer events.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Carol Hunt

2011-11-10T15:41:00.004Z

PORTLAND author Carol Hunt is currently working on her fourth book in her series of stories set on the island. Carol lives in Easton on Portland with her three teenage children. She studied English Literature and History at the University of Chichester and has worked in publishing and as an adviser to young people. She has written three books in her Portland Chronicles series - The Portland Sea Dragon, Enchantment of the Black Dog and Portland Pirates - published by Roving Press, and is currently writing her fourth - The Portland Giant. When not writing, Carol enjoys spending time with her children, driving them to majorettes, ballet and various rock concerts.

WHAT do you like most about West Dorset?

I enjoy living close to the sea and I like the people of West Dorset. The Isle of Portland continues to fascinate me with its windswept cliffs, pirate graves at Church Ope and lighthouse. I am always finding out new things about Portland.

WHAT inspired you to start writing?

My children. I didn’t have to look far for inspiration to start writing about annoying and unreasonable characters. I am also fascinated by local folklore; the Veasta or Chesil Beach Sea Monster, the Mermaid found at Church Ope and the weird legend of the phantom Black Dog at Cave Hole, Portland Bill.

WHAT top three tips would you give to an amateur writer?

Write about who and what you know, ask for feedback from your readers, don’t be afraid to take risks. My stories combine research into 17th century history with contemporary children, surf dudes who are obsessed with the weather, and Gregor, a badly behaved collie. When I ask children who they like best, they almost always say Gregor or Ryder, the super-cool surfer.

WHO is your favourite author and why?

I admire the author Terry Pratchett who writes about the Discworld and the city of Ankh-Morpork. His characters include Rincewind, a hopeless wizard and Death, the hooded Grim Reaper who tries so hard to understand people. Tiffany from A Hat Full of Sky is one of my favourite characters as she is brave and resourceful.

WHAT is your all time favourite book and why?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis, the first Narnia book. I identify with the children as they explore Narnia. Lucy is very sensible and Edmund betrays his family for Turkish Delight. I am fascinated by the White Witch and think she is a bit misunderstood. It’s okay to want to live in a permanent winter, with ice, snow and beavers, and turn people you don’t like into stone.

WHAT would be your dream job?

I’d like a sleigh, a fur coat, a lot of Turkish Delight and sole charge of Narnia.

WHO would be your three dream guests at a dinner party and why?

Sam Vimes, Commander of the City Watch in Terry Pratchett’s The Fifth Elephant, who is extremely surly and attractive. Lula, a former ’ho from Janet Evanovich’s Seven Up, who tests the limits of lycra in stretchy animal print dresses. And Nigella Lawson, who would make a mess in the kitchen. I would expect a big row at some point.

WHAT was the last book you read?

I read Keith Richards autobiography Life. It’s fantastic, like having Keith pop round for a rock ’n’ roll party without having to go to the supermarket for a crate of whiskey. Or apologise to the neighbours the next morning.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-04T10:49:00.003Z

Genette back in the headlines

RENEWED interest this week in the death of Genette Tate, the 13-year-old Aylesbeare paper girl who went missing 33 years ago.

Her bicycle and scattered copies of the Express & Echo were found in a lane in Aylesbeare a few minutes after she had been talking with friends.

About 7,000 volunteers joined police to search Aylesbeare Common while ponds and wells within a 150 mile radius were dredged. But her body was never found.

I was editing the Sidmouth Herald at the time and was one of the 7,000 volunteers who joined in the search.

On that afternoon of August 19th 1978 I was playing cricket at Uplyme. The Herald owner, former Fleet Street hack Jimmy Hall, phoned the Talbot Arms to track me down. I left the game and went straight to Aylesbeare where I was met by one of the Herald reporters, David Johnson, who went on to make a career for himself in local radio. At the time, it was one of the biggest stories we had covered and the Genette Tate affair dominated our columns for many months.

The mystery of Genette’s death has returned to the media spotlight this week following the conviction of child killer Robert Black, for murdering nine-year-old Jennifer Cardy in County Antrim 30 years ago.

Devon and Cornwall Police have questioned Black several times over Genette’s disappearance, but he has denied any involveent.

The police are now reviewing the evidence presented at Black’s trial to see if it will help in solving Genette’s disappearamce.

Over the years Genette’s father has appealed to Black to confess that he did murder his daughter. Now in a wheelchair and suffering from terminal cancer, John Tate is seeking a meeting with Black.

Mr Tate now lives in Manchester but for years returned to Aylesbeare on the anniversary of her disappearance to lay flowers on a memorial stone to Genette in the village church. It’s a tragic case.

I remember spending a great deal of time in Aylesbeare that August and can well recall the significant effect it had on villagers.

John Tate himself was under suspicion at one time and I remember attending a press comference that was held in the Aylesbeare cottage where the Tate family lived. I wrote a colour piece for the Herald, large swathes of which were later published by John Tate in a book he wrote on his daughter’s disappearance.

John Tate says he does not have long to live and wants to see Genette’s memory laid to rest before his death.

We can only hope his wishes are granted.

Why the Legion needs your support

OLD soliders will be polishing their medals over the next few days. Young men back in civvy street having served Queen and country will be snapping to attention once more. Royal British Legion members will be standing on windy street corners selling their poppies.

This will be happening in virtually every city, town and village up and down the UK as Remembrance Day approaches.

Legion branches throughout East Devon will be much to the fore between now and November 13th (Remembrance Day) helping their organisation to celebrate its 90th anniversary and attempting to beat last year’s £36 million raised.

Although it is now 66 years since the cessation of hostilities in World War Two, the work of the Royal British Legion has never been more important.

Our brave Armed Forces are putting their lives on the line every day in far off places with strange sounding names and it’s a sobering thought that there has only been one year - 1968 - when a British serviceman has not been killled on active duty since the end of WW2.

Every week the Legion spends £1.4 million helping those whose lives have been affected by conflict.

That’s why they need your support...

I PROMISE this is the last time I will mention our first birthday party but if there are any of you out there in Weekender land who would like to see what went on, you can view a short video which is currently showing on our website. It was filmed and edited by reporter/sub-editor Lisa Bright, who has experience of working in TV. All you have to do is click onto www.the-weekender.co.uk and follow the link on the home page.

www.the-weekender.co.uk

2011-11-04T10:40:00.002Z

A little bit of faddle does you good!

I SUPPOSE I’ve read hundreds of millions of words in my lifetime, but I came across a new one at a local farm.

Faddle has a sort of rural ring to it and the only reason I didn’t make the mistake of assuming it was some derivative of “fiddle faddle” - meaning something trivial - was because I was reading it on a menu and so assumed quite rightly that it must be something to do with food.

Americans know it as a form of popcorn or even another name for a hotdog, but this was Dorset and I’d never come across the word being used before.

Neither had my father who, at the age of 92 and with more than 60 years in journalism behind him, was equally intrigued by this word - so we asked what it meant.

The reply we got took the form of a finger pointed at a tray containing some type of meat dish. That, we were told, was faddle, a mix of minced pork seasoned with herbs pressed into a rough roll shape with a slice of streaky bacon wrapped round it.

In all honesty I can’t say it is likely to crop up very often in my conversation - but it is going to crop up in my kitchen, perhaps as a pre-Christmas treat.

It’ll all turn out all right in the end

POWER bills stir up powerful emotions or they did for at least one Weymouth resident.

He was valiantly trying to get his head round solar this, solar that and solar the other and the figures just didn’t jell because he liked the idea but couldn’t really afford to buy panels outright.

So the offer of free installation and the strong likelihood of free electricity for life based on a company footing the bill but getting his roof as a site seemed pretty good and he signed up. Then came the installation.

A date was set and he waited with interest... only to get a call saying could they switch to the end of the following week? No problem, he said.

In the meantime he was contacted about scaffolding being installed and duly informed them about their office moving the date. That’s all right then.

The only problem was communications were, to say the least, a little bit inconsistent. The result was that the scaffolders still turned up early and were promptly told by the man that he didn’t want scaffolding all over his house for a week not least because he was frightened of heights and didn’t fancy having to deal with any burglar when he was at a disadvantage. That’s all right then.

Sadly there was also confusion with the installers who also turned up but that was ironed out and a dual mutually agreeable date to cater for both scaffolders and installers was agreed. Just one problem.

The scaffolders were coming from Southampton and the fitters from Brighton!

So if all this extra expense was just casually being written off, the man wondered how hard he could have pushed the margins before the company said it was not profitable for them... clearly at least £1,000 based on wasted petrol and man hours!

A roof raising comment

LOCAL knowledge can be a very soothing thing but a house buyer found themselves a bit on edge when their new home attracted comment from a neighbour.

They hadn’t long been there when an elderly man living opposite their new home hailed them and said they’d made a good buy.

Gratified they smiled their thanks, but they weren’t smiling quite so much at his next remark.

He said: “Beautiful homes those and very well built. A German bomb landed nearby during the war and it blew the roof right up in the air but it landed right back on again!”

Can’t beat that, but I did produce memories of an even earlier time when I unearthed a Royal Flying Corps cap badge while digging our garden for the first when we bought our current home.

Working in two places at once

SOME councillors are busier and more hard-working than others, but surely no member on the Weymouth and Portland authority can come close to Councillor Robbie Dunster - at least according to the council.

A recent planning committee meeting had barely started when Robbie dived in to correct a mistake in the minutes of an earlier meeting.

Some might say it was only a minor discrepancy and perhaps didn’t need pointing out but the issue at stake meant everything to Robbie.

You see, the minutes recorded that he attended the meeting but also that he gave his apologies and wasn’t there!

It goes a long way towards explaining how councillors convince us that they work so hard they sometimes feel they’re in two places at the same time.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-11-04T10:30:00.002Z

Big shoes to fill at museum

THE announcement over the weekend that Mary Godwin was resigning from the post of curator at Lyme Regis Museum will have been received with shocked inevitability.

Mary tendered her resignation at a meeting of the trustees on Friday afternoon, informing them that she is taking up a new role with the Arts Council.

She has been in post at the Lyme Regis Museum since 2008, and during those three years she has added much professionalism to the running of this unique building, increasing both its profile and numbers of visitors to nearly 30,000 a year.

Mary will leave Lyme for a job she probably could not refuse with the praise of the trustees and all those who work at the museum ringing in her ears.

And no one will be surprised that she is moving on to an important role within the Arts Council, working with museums across the South West, including Lyme.

She admits that it was a “difficult decision”, such is her affection for Lyme’s museum which now plays such an important role in the community life of our town.

Mary, of course, has been crucially involved in the £4 million project to extend the museum and her enthusiasm and sheer professionalism was, I believe, the key to persuading the town council to back the plan by granting an 80-year lease for the extension on Guildhall land.

Some members of the former council had reservations about the development of one of Lyme’s most historic sites but a presentation by Mary in September persuaded the new council that the extension to the museum would be good for Lyme and they gave their unanimous backing.

There’s a long way to go before the project gets underway, not least the raising of £4 million, but the trustees have decided they will be pushing forward with the plans for which Mary has shown such faith and commitment.

Although Mary’s will be difficult shoes to fill, a new curator will be appointed as soon as possible and I doubt whether there will be any shortage of candidates, such is the reputation of Lyme Regis Musuem after Mary’s three-year stint in her tiny office which commands glorious views over Lyme Bay.

The town will wish her well in her new post at the Arts Council.

Failed attempt to swim to West Bay - 50 years ago

THIS column is never adverse to a bit of nostalgia and a press cutting which came across my desk recently, caught my eye.

It is clearly from the Bridport & Lyme Regis News and dated 1961 which means it will almost certainly have been written by doyen reporter and ex-councillor David Cozens MBE.

It records an unsuccessful attempt by two young Lyme men to swim from Lyme Regis to West Bay.

The two “young men” concerned were Rodney Jones, who now lives in Germany and Peter Flux, who sadly died a couple of weeks ago and was buried on Monday.

Rodney, a hard-tackling footballer and fast bowler, and keep-fit fanatic Peter made good progress after diving into the sea at The Cobb and making towards West Bay.

But they were forced to surrender to the cold and choppy seas before getting to their destination. Peter was suffering badly with cramp and was first to abandon the swim after about an hour in the water. Rodney went on for another 20 minutes, getting as far as Golden Cap before he had to give in.

Rodney and Peter were accompanied by their friend, Derek Hallet, in his grandfather’s rowing boat. He told the Bridport News: “When they came out of the water, Peter and Rodney were just too cold to do anything for themselves.

“The grease they covered themselves in didn’t do the trick. It just washed off in the sea.”

The story concluded by saying the plucky pair intended to attempt the swim again in more favourable conditions but Mr Hallett, the town’s former dog warden, says he can’t remember whether they did or not.

Well, it was 50 years ago.

Duty calls - at 91!

OLD soliders will be polishing their medals over the next few days. Young men back in civvy street having served Queen and country will be standing to attention once more. Royal British Legion members will be standing on windy street corners selling their poppies.

This will be happening in virtually every city, town and village up and down the UK as Remembrance Day approaches.

In Lyme Regis last week, a proud, grey-haired war veteran, wrapped up well against the cold, stood for several hours with his poppy tray in hand.

He collected the most that day - £74. That man was Cecil Quick, 91 years old, and a Royal British Legion stalwart in our town for over 65 years. The branch president.

On Sunday, November 13th Cecil will lead the Lyme remembrance parade. Duty calls.

Christmas special

OF ALL the numerous events in which I have been involved over the years, staging and presenting the Lyme’s Got Talent concerts these past two years have been among the most enjoyable and satisfying.

In August all the contestants were 18 years and under and there is something very special about working with youngsters. Their talent always amazes me.

Last year we intended staging a Lyme’s Got Talent Christmas Special but it was snowed off at the last minute.

But we are determined to do it again this year so put Friday, December 16th in your diary and look out for posters around the town and advertisments in the View.

You won’t be disappointed.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: John Hunt

2011-11-04T10:19:00.003Z

AS Remembrance Day approaches, we speak to John Hunt, fondly known locally as “Army John”, from Lyme Regis, who served 24 years under several cap badges and travelled the world during his Army career. Originally from the Isle of Wight, John first visited Lyme Regis after reading about the town in a novel in 1988. He now lives here permanently and is a member of several local organisations, including the Royal British Legion Lyme Regis Branch, for which he will take over the role of treasurer later this year.

WHEN did you join the Army?

I first joined the Army in 1984 when I left school, aged 18. I have given 24 years coloured service, as I left before briefly, and have served in several different regiments, including the Royal Chrous Signals, the Devon and Dorset Regiment which then became The Rifles.

WHY did you decide to join?

I wanted to do something exciting with my life. I wanted to leave home, see the world and do something challenging.

WHERE were you based?

I travelled all over the world. Some of the places I was based were Hong Kong, Germany, Northern Ireland, Belize and Iraq.

WHERE was the best place you visited during your Army career?

Hong Kong was my favourite place. I was young and it was a great lifestyle with lots of different people.

WHY did you move to Lyme Regis?

I read about it in a novel, but not 'The French Lieutenant’s Woman'! I hadn’t heard of that. Geoffrey Household wrote 'Rogue Male' and it in the hero goes to Lyme Regis. The author described it so nicely so I came here in 1988. I came for one night really and have stayed here since!

WHAT do you like about living in the town?

Its insularity. Everyone knows everybody else and no one can have a secret here. If you have a problem you can share it, and people usually do. The small things which are irrelevant elsewhere are important to everyone here, and they probably should be. I don’t mind people talking or gossiping about me. It’s better to be talked about than forgotten.

WHAT would you change if you could?

Nothing really. Maybe the attitudes of some people. For example, I think the Three Cups Hotel has stayed closed for over 20 years because of the attitudes of some people who don’t want it to be anything else, and certainly not because of Palmers.

WHY did you join the Royal British Legion?

The army gave me a great life. I’ve seen a lot of my mates injured or killed and I respect the old who responded to the call of duty and sacrificed themselves in hideous wars. They did this on our behalf and I think I should be doing something on their behalf. As old soldiers fade away, so their needs become more important, and the need for the Legion to keep going and funds to be raised never slackens.

WHAT are your other personal interests?

I’m groundsman at Uplyme and Lyme Regis Cricket Club, a member of St Michael’s Parish Church choir and of Lyme Regis Operatic Society. I also enjoy walking, watching football and going to the pub!

WHERE is your ideal holiday destination?

My ideal holiday destination would be a cruise down the South Atlantic to visit all our remaining tiny possessions there.

WHAT would you do if you won the Lottery?

I suppose we could finish paying for the new church organ and repair the clock tower. But I have to point out that I haven’t, so please donate generously!

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-10-27T16:08:00.003+01:00

Arts Cafe a great asset to town

A RECENT visit to the Arts Arts Cafe made me think what a wise investment the Old Courthouse was for the people of Axminster.

The former police station and court was acquired by the old Axminster Parish Council for £4,000 in 1973, purchased from the former Axminster Rural Council who paid £2,750 for the building in 1964.

It’s not been an easy building to maintain over the years and there have been times, I am sure, when Axminster Town Council have considered whether to dispose of the building. I’m glad they didn’t.

Today The Old Courthouse provides a home for Axminster Museum, the Senior Citizen’s Centre, the Tourist Information Centre and the excellent Axminster Arts Cafe. It also provides a wonderful quiet area where people can sit an relax, one of the few green areas in Axminster, and get away from the traffic.

I recently visited the Arts Cafe to have a look at the model for the Webster’s Garage art project which was positioned in one of the old police cells for the people of Axminster to see and leave their comments.

The Arts Cafe is a superbly run asset for the town. I well remember when it was officially opened. I think it was on a Monday and after the opening ceremony I spent a very convivial hour or three in the company of Steve Black and Deep Purple rock star Ian Gillan and embarrassed myself when, after a few too many glasses of red wine, I told Ian that “nothing goes on in this town without me knowing about it”.

He dismissed my bumptious behaviour with a generous but curt, “Whatever you say, Pip!”

I WAS delighted that Stuart Hughes, one of East Devon’s most colourful characters, took the time and trouble to attend The Weekender’s first birthday party.

It was good of him to spare the time, especially as he’s chairman of Sidmouth Town Council, a Devon county councillor and portfolio holder for Highways and Transportation (a big job) for Devon.

My first meeting with Stuart was when he was a leading light in the Monster Raving Loony party. When I was editor of the Sidmouth Herald Stuart was always the source of a good story. He was refused planning permission to put up a flagpole in his garden in Temple Street so he painted the front of his house like a Union Jack.

In those days we would never have believed that Stuart would end up a leader of the local council. Sidmouth council was known in those days for its stiff upper lip and conservative (with a small c) approach.

I was pleased to see that Stuart’s lost none of his sense of humour over the years and he continues to serve the people of Sidmouth with great enthusiasm.

We had a good chat about his involvement in the local radio scene and I look forward to meeting him soon as we continue to build our Sid Vale edition.

AS PART of our first birthday celebrations, reported in last week’s issue, we gave away some free advertisements in a raffle.

A free full page advertisement went to Les Haynes who immediately donated it to the great love of his life - the Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre.

Local councillor Douglas Hull won a half-page, part of which he has already donated for Guide Dogs for The Blind, a charity close to his heart, and local dental technician Ian Spiller, husband of town councillor and former mayor Sue Spiller, won himself a quarter page.

Recognition at last for Blacky

CONGRATULATIONS to Axminster singer- songwriter Steve Black on his success at the British Country music awards.

As reported in this week’s Weekender on page 4, Steve picked up the award for the song of the year, a huge achievement and richly deserved.

Steve, of course, does not need any introduction from this column. He has been one of the most popular entertainers in and around Axminster for over 30 years and with partner Alan West is still in much demand far beyond the West Country.

Steve and Alan are highly respected in the British country music scene and many among its supporters will be delighted that Steve’s talent as a songwriter has at least been recognised at a national level.

As well as being an accomplished guitarist and singer, Steve’s real talent lies in producing rock musicals. Who can forget those memorable shows put on by the Axe Valley Rock Music Society (ARMS) a few years back and Steve is currently hard at work putting the finishing touches to his latest show 'Biggles Flies Undone' to be staged at Axminster Guildhall, November 3rd-5th in aid of Hospiscare.

Don't miss it!

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

2011-10-27T16:01:00.003+01:00

This is the kind of service we want

RAIL staff come in for a lot of stick but I have nothing but praise for staff at Weymouth railway station after one recent incident.

I’d driven down there late at night to collect my wife and daughter who were returning from a trip to a far flung university open day.

The site was dark and pretty deserted as I reversed into one car space only to hear a loud bang.

So I got out, walked round to the back of the car and found someone had discarded an empty beer bottle which had gone off like a bomb when I reversed over it.

There was a great chunk of glass embedded in one tyre and I cut my hand removing it and trying to shift other pieces of glass away.

Frustrated, I went and found a member of staff and warned him of the problem.

Not only did he immediately get a dustpan and brush and sweep up as much of the glass as he could get but he also offered me a plaster for my cut hand, logged the incident and said if there was a problem with my car tyre and I needed details of the incident then he had recorded it on the station’s register.

He also told me that discarded bottles and other even more dangerous objects were a problem at the station caused by drunks and drug addicts who left such rubbish about.

Another check and a polite question whether I needed anything else and he went on his way. Now that’s the sort of public service level many people all over this country never see, so we should thank our lucky stars in Weymouth that our rail staff are a cut above usual levels of helpfulness.

An act of such callous stupidity

OVER the 20 years I have lived in our road I thought I’d seen just about everything that could be dumped by idiots, drunks or people who just don’t care.

Regular sprinklings of sweet and crisp wrappers are rife, we also get plastic and glass bottles tossed into gardens and only this week I had to retrieve an isotonic drink can which had presumably been discarded by some athlete too exhausted to take it home with them.

I’ve seen road works barriers, double glazing signs, flowers and even bricks dumped in the road by people who you never seem able to catch in the act, possibly because a lot of this sort of thing is committed by people stumbling home in the wee small hours.

But I hit new heights the other day when chatting with a neighbour of mine who showed off an object she’d had to clear away.

When she pointed to the side of her garden I initially thought she was indicating some plant or shrub in a pot, but she was actually pointing to what was partially concealed by the greenery.

It was a wheelchair and we both shook our heads at the mentality of those who could first take a wheelchair, perhaps from a point where it was really needed, and then simply dump it when the novelty had worn off.

She said she’d informed the police who should be able to track down the owners via various information on the wheelchair itself, but that’s not the point.

Surely those who took the wheelchair must have some grain of humanity if not sense left in their brains because there are pranks and then there is callous stupidity and this act falls firmly in the latter category.

Where’s that bridge we used to have?

INTERESTING that a new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists is being put across Newstead Road in Weymouth.

It will bring to an end people using the Rodwell Trail having to come down the old embankment, across a dangerous road and up the embankment on the other side to continue on their way.

Just goes to show how certain actions can have their consequences since there used to be a perfectly good railway bridge on the same site, but the line closed and the stone arch bridge was demolished for a variety of reasons in 1987.

Now the county council has backed what it terms “a simpler design” for the new bridge which will cost nearly £1 million.

At that rate the money could have paid for maintaining the old bridge at a rate of £801.28 per week for the entire 24 years and we’d have had a much sturdier construction as well.

IT was love at first sight and there was nothing the man could do about it. His giant St Bernard dog probably outweighed him and there was no way he could stop its surge across a busy pedestrian thoroughfare to check out a female dog about ten feet away.

Tail waving like a banner, the St Bernard simply stepped over swiftly leaving his owner flailing behind on the end of his lead and looking slightly embarrassed by the whole scene.

And the female dog? Well she wasn’t too sure about suddenly being dwarfed by an admirer and grinning passers by were treated to a cautious touching of doggie noses before the female dog trotted off down the street with her owner.

Fortunately for shoppers the St Bernard decided not to follow.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk