Local showstoppers
I SHUDDER to think how many hours I have sat in draughty halls and theatres over the years covering local variety shows, plays, operettas and musicals .
My critiques have not always been appreciated. One member of Lyme Regis Operatic Society, long since passed, was so incensed over one of my reviews that he told me quite forecably when he saw me in Broad Street that I didn’t know the difference between a good song and an elephant’s backside.
Whilst the analogy might have escaped me at the time, he was probably right.
In the main, I have enjoyed most of the dozens of shows I have covered and have always been a great admirer of those who have the guts to get up on stage and entertain.
A few years ago local singer and songwriter Steve Black, who appears regularly in Lyme, got together a group of youngsters and formed ARMS (Axe Rock Musical Society).
He produced a number of shows written by himself and coached and coaxed hitherto inexperienced young singers to perform some magnificent shows.
One of them, “Cherkazoo” was so good it nearly made it to the professional stage. I have seen worse in the West End.
I was reminded of these productions when I attended the opening night of “Summer Holiday”, the first show to be staged by the Charmouth-based MAD (Marvellous Amateur Dramatics) at Axminster Guildhall.
Here was a group of young people, many of whom had never stepped onto a stage before, discovering new skills and levels of confidence, having a great time and producing a thoroughly entertaining show.
Not once did one of them stumble over their words and despite it being a first night the only hiccup was a slight problem with the microphones.
I’m slightly biased, of course, because the leading role was taken by one of my reporters, the multi-talented Tom Glover. He was great but he wasn’t the only success - they all were.
I know how hard Tom and his fellow cast members worked and co-producers Bernie Fallon and Maria Herbert are to be congratulated on achieving such a high standard in their very first show.
I would like to contrast this group of young people with the impression left by recent sensational press coverage (not in this newspaper) of the drugs problem in Lyme Regis.
Coverage that the led the headmaster of the Woodroffe School, Dr Richard Steward, to descibe as “hysterical”.
The local police reject such criticism and say such dramatic reporting is necessary to give the parents of Lyme Regis a wake-up call.
No one wishes to underestimate the drugs problems in this town, which is probably no worse or better than our neighbours. Our police have a very difficult job in educating today’s young people about the dangers they are exposing themselves to.
But I think from time to time we ought to also publicise the fact that the vast majority of kids in and around Lyme are responsible young citizens, far more so than in my day, and not all of them spend their winter nights sneaking down alleys.
Dennis would have been so proud...
SUNDAY lunch for Jackie and I was spent at the Uplyme Village Hall where family and friends celebrated the 80th birthday of Sheila Applebee, ten times mayoress of Lyme Regis.
It was a lovely occasion, organised by Sheila’s daughter Sally, and great to meet up with some of the cricketers from North London who shared their sporting glories with Sheila’s late husband, Dennis.
After moving to the town to run the WTA at St Alban’s, Dennis soon got involved with Uplyme and Lyme Regis Cricket Club which was going through a very barren period at the time. Dennis was responsibile for reviving a whole generation of young sportsmen’s interest in cricket, including my own, and we had two decades of comradeship and unbelievable fun which cemented many lifelong friendships.
Dennis would have loved Sunday’s occasion and would have been very proud of how Sally organised the whole day. A real chip off the old block.
Sheila, of course, was no mean sportswoman herself, excelling at table tennis, Dennis’ other great love, and being ladies’ captain at Lyme Regis Bowling Club on five occasions.
Sheila has given wonderful service to the town over the years and her record of being mayoress on ten occasions, four with Dennis as mayor and six supporting her great friend, Barbara Austin MBE, will never be equalled.
Tributes to 'angel of our youth'
IF there was any doubt about the esteem in which landlord Joe O’Donnell was held by successive generations of young people over the past 40 years, a quick glance at Facebook will confirm the stratespheric level of his popularity.
The tributes are many and touching with a number of ideas being put forward for a permenant memorial.
Journalist Geoff Baker described him, very appropriately, as “the angel of our youth”. Former Lyme resident Dave Hercock, now living in America, spent many a long night at Joe’s Ship Inn in his younger days. He has come up with the idea of an inscribed cornet as a prize for young musicians, recognising Joe’s great contribution to the reformation of the Lyme Town Band.
Music played a big part in Joe’s life, playing in the Rowland Haliday Orchestra as well as his work for the town band.
Playing Auld Lang Syne at midnight on New Year’s Eve outside the Ship then at the Volunteer became a ritual for over 30 years.
Joe’s other great love was football, of course. He was the Seasiders’ number one supporter and the football club committee is considering organising a memorial match at the Davey Fort as close to St Patrick’s Day as possible with invitations to some of the old players who Joe admired so much to pull on their boots again.
There will be no lack of takers - but, sadly, there will be no Joe filling the cup afterwards as he did so often over the years. Step forward, Tom O’Donnell!
Fundraising success
CONGRATULATIONS to Lucy Coombe and Jess Chapple, two local young ladies who organised the winter ball at Uplyme Village Hall on Saturday, raising nearly £5,000 for the FORCE cancer charity and Exeter Hospice, two very worthy causes.
It was, by all accounts, a splendid evening with around 250 present, one of the biggest turnouts at the village hall for a social occasion. I’m told the evening was superbly organised.
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