Thomason strike sees Rovers return to top spot

AN 85th minute goal from Josh Thomason was enough to return Merriott Rovers to the top of the Premier division after a battling 1-1 draw at rivals Beaminster on Saturday.

It was the striker’s first goal in the red of Rovers after a returning from an 18-month spell with Normalair RSL in the Yeovil & District League.

Previous leaders South Petherton will no doubt feel it’s only a tempory measure after their scheduled game at Ilminster Town Reserves was postponed when the referee deemed the frozen pitch unplayable.

Pethy head South to take on Merriott in an intriguing top v second clash tomorrow. History certainly points to an away win; Pethy have won the last five encounters between the sides and have clocked up a goal tally of 22-0 in the process!

Lyme Regis continue to make progress. A Julien Simier hat-trick sealed a 5-1 win over Combe Reserves and clocked-up a seventh straight win for the Seasiders.

Lyme are without a fixture tomorrow whilst the Saints could climb off the foot of the table with a win over Perry Street at Slades Cross.

West & Middle Chinnock will be gunning for their first ever Premier Division home win when Misterton visit Oxleaze. Missy have a decent record in recent times bagging seven points from their last three outings.

Saturday’s postponement has left Ilminster Reserves having played just six league games - the fewest in the entire PSL.

The rusty Blues visit title hopefuls Beaminster tomorrow.

ARTHUR GAGE CUP

A COMFORTABLE 4-0 win over Norton Athletci on Saturday has left Division One leaders Winsham United in good spirits ahead of the trip to the coast to take of Arthur Gage Cup holders Lyme Regis Reserves.

The same cannot be said of the West Dorset side who were annihilated 10-1 at Millwey Rise.

Top Scorer Tom Stead scored twice on Saturday for the Winsh who appear to be in the toughest half of the draw at the start of their quest to lift the trophy for the first time in 45 years.

Tomorrow’s other tie sees Norton face the daunting trip to MIllwey Rise on the back of a miserable run of five straight defeats.

JACK VENN CUP

SHEPTON Beauchamp and South Petherton Reserves cruised through to the quarter-finals of the Jack Venn cup with routine wins over Pymore (5-0) and Chard Rangers (3-0) respectively.

DIVISION ONE

WITH Winsham and Millwey in cup action both Crewkerne Town and Netherbury can make ground at the top of Division One - and both should.

Crewkerne entertain an Ilminster Colts side who have lost their last four and are now hovering above the relegation places.

Meanwhile Netherbury welcome doomed Charmouth.

The final game is a midtable clash with Kev Rowson looking to extend his record of scoring in five successive games when Perry Street Reserves take on Forton Rangers.

DIVISION TWO

CREWKERNE Rangers’ promotion hopes effectively came to an end with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Uplyme last weekend.

Tomorrow, Rangers visit a Forton Reserves side buoyed by an impressive point after holding promotion-chasing Hinton to a 2-2 draw.

Chard Rangers recent upturn in form (two wins from three) will be put to the test when league leaders Beaminster Reserves visit Jocelyn Park.

Rangers may however find the Rainbows a little rusty - they haven’t played for two months!

A five game unbeaten run has seen Dowlish & Donyatt sneak into second place. They will certainly look to add to this tomorrow with a trip to Pymore who are headed in the opposite direction.

Finally South Petherton will be aiming for their first league double of the season when Hawkchurch visit Lightgate lane.

DIVISION THREE

THE clash of the promotion chasers at Henhayes saw Crewkerne Reserves emerge victorious with goals from Richard Crabb, Matt Bisgrove and Aaron Hodges in a 3-0 win over Luso-Chard.

The Tigers head over to Devon tomorrow and should have little trouble disposing of struggling Farway Reserves.

Luso have a tough-loooking trip to Combe A who have made an impressive start to 2011.

Last weekend the Saints brushed aside a Drimpton side still reeling from their John Fowler Cup Final expulsion. Warren Gabbidon (2), Shaun Phillips, Jason Newbury and Stuart Guest netted in a 5-0 stroll.

The Greens could be in for a difficult time again tomorrow when they go to Unity Lane to face a Misterton Reserves outfit who are unbeaten at home for a year.

Winsham Reserves gave themselves some hope in their battle to avoid the drop back down into Division four when they hammered Lyme Bantams 6-1 at Venlake.

Richard White (2), Brian Tillotson (2), Shane Partridge and Darren P{artridge scored for the visitors in a perfect warm-up for last night’s John Fowler Cup Final. The Reds take on Chard United tomorrow for the third time in seven games with a win and a draw to their name so far.

DIVISION FOUR

TOM Callow’s third goal of the season couln’t save plucky Thorncombe Reserves from going down 2-1 to Hinton Reserves who moved seven points clear at the top thanks to a double from Jack Stevens.

Meanwhile a youthful Combe B side, average age 18, had a Scott Everett goal to show for their efforts in a 4-1 defeat at Waytown Hounds.

Pick of the games tomorrow sees Hinton entertain second-placed West & Middle Chinnock and, first team call-ups withstanding, their 33-goal strike force of Ashley Cooper and Danny Rudge.

THIS WEEKEND'S FIXTURES

Saturday, January 29th

ARTHUR GAGE CUP, Round One

Lyme Regis Reserves v Winsham United

Millwey Rise v Norton Athletic

DEVON INTERMEDIATE CUP, Eastern Area Semi Final

Farway United v Exmouth Town Res

PREMIER

Beaminster v Ilminster Town Reserves

Combe Reserves v Perry Street

Merriott Rovers v South Petherton

West & Middle Chinnock v Misterton

DIVISION ONE

Crewkerne Town v Ilminster Town Colts

Netherbury v Charmouth

Perry Street Reserves v Forton Rangers

DIVISION TWO

Chard Rangers v Beaminster Reserves

Forton Reserves v Crewkerne Rangers

Pymore v Dowlish & Donyatt

Shepton Beauchamp v Hinton

S.Petherton Res v Hawkchurch United

DIVISION THREE

Combe A v Luso-Chard

Farway Utd Res v Crewkerne Town Res

Lyme Regis Bantams v Millwey Rise Res

Misterton Reserves v Drimpton

Winsham Utd Res v Chard United

DIVISION FOUR

Chard Utd Res v Waytown Hounds

Hawkchurch Res v Shepton Beau Res

Hinton Res v W & M Chinnock Res

Ilminster Town A v Barrington Res

Thorncombe Res v Chard Rangers Res

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Kettle back to haunt Glovers

REFEREE Trevor Kettle is not the most popular man when he officiates at Huish Park, and is often the target of the fans anger at what appear bizarre and inconsistent decisions.

I know that in the area I sit there are groans and sighs when they realise he is in charge. It appears that every game he referees there is controversy of some type.

Well unfortunately for the 200 or so travelling faithful who travelled to Sheffield Wednesday midweek, he followed them, and once again controversy was not far away with the deserved sending off of Luke Ayling, and the more unexplained dismissal of Adam Virgo just minutes after he had come on as a substitute.

With five yellow cards in total and a twice taken penalty given for encroachment which was missed on the retake, and seven minutes of added time, the game had plenty to talk about as Yeovil clung on to a very creditable 2-2 draw.

After a five game unbeaten run without conceding a goal, Rochdale had put a dent in the Glovers recovery plans at Huish Park with a single goal victory in a game Yeovil deserved at minimum a point.

Unlucky at not getting something at home in the reverse fixture which the Owls won 2-0, Yeovil went to Hillsborough looking to get back on track, and with their hosts now having an indifferent run of form were hopeful.

Dean Bowditch’s fortunate opener which defected off a defender over keeper Nick Weaver’s head on 15 minutes was the tonic they needed, but Wednesday equalised on 35 minutes when Max Ehmer could not quite reach a cross and the ball flicked off the top of his head for Gary Madine to head home from close range.

It was not until the second half that events became heated, and Ayling was booked for his part in a melee along with Owl’s Giles Coke.

Skipper Paul Huntingdon put the Glovers haead on 56 minutes, once again heading home a set piece, this time Andy Welsh’s corner.

Yeovil were then reduced to nine men in five minutes as first Ayling received a second yellow card for bringing down Gary Teale, before Virgo brought on to bolster the defence following the dismissal, was sent packing three minutes after he came on.

Madine went down under a challenge from the ex-Brighton defender Virgo, and as well as awarding a penalty, he also showed Virgo a red card.

Heroic defending, particularly from keeper Stephen Henderson who pulled off a string of saves, looked like it had won the day but they were finally breached when Reda Johnson scored from close range four minutes from normal time.

Mr Kettle, must have thought he was at Old Trafford as he added seven minutes of added time, but the Glovers held out for a well deserved point.

Lloyd wins first bursary award

LLOYD Matthews is the first recipient of a bursary dedicated in memory of a former Yeovil Town vice-chairman.

The award presented to the most promising scholar from the club’s youth set-up was created following money that was left to the Centre of Excellence by Gurnard Smith, a life-long supporter who sadly died a year ago this week, after initially being taken ill during Yeovil Town’s Boxing Day match against Wycombe Wanderers in 2009.

The award named the ‘Gurnard Smith Bursary Award’ was presented to Lloyd by his widow Mary before last Saturday’s home match against Rochdale.

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Don’t be fooled by the no cards routine

VALENTINE’S Day is nearly on us and shoppers have already been battered for some time with goods displaying sickly red hearts.

Such displays are an emotional minefield for men because woe betide them if their wife or girlfriend doesn’t get one card she can sigh over.

No card and that sigh is exchanged for the sort of frosty breakfast table atmosphere last experienced by Captain Oates as he bravely told his doomed polar companions: “I am just going outside and may be some time.”

This portrayal of a brave man deliberately sacrificing his own life to give Captain Scott and the rest of his friends a better chance of surviving is, of course, ludicrously wide of the truth.

What really happened was that Oates realised he hadn’t sent his loved one a Valentine card and his life wouldn’t be worth living when he got home, so why not end it now.

For an occasion allegedly garnished with tender feelings there are some notoriously dangerous female remarks for us men to watch out for and here are a few of them.

“Don’t get me a card. They’re way too expensive.” Never fall for this or you will be accused of being a despicable skinflint who values her less than a cheap piece of paper.

“Let’s not bother with cards this year.” A favourite ploy here. If you take her at her word and don’t get her a card then a year at the dentist will seem like child’s play compared to the year you will be facing.

Yes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…even if she told you to scorn her.

Naturally everything changes if she gets more than one Valentine card because then the man is not allowed to ask where these other love tokens have come from because he will fobbed off with a remark that it is “just a bit of fun”.

So, gentlemen, be on your guard and follow my advice. If she says she doesn’t expect a card then respect that wish… but keep a signed Valentine “To my bunny wunny” handy just in case.

Times must be hard in the banking world!

JANUARY is probably the worst period for business with shops battling to attract interest from bankrupt shoppers in the wake of Christmas.

There are sales for this, sales for that and a lot of sales for the other, but even the most jaded of shoppers must have shown a spark of interest at the almost incredible sight of sales being held by banks and estate agents.

It defies belief because just what are they going to offer?

Perhaps £20 notes knocked down for £10 or maybe a three-bedroom house specially reduced to a two-bedroom house! Doesn’t sound right does it?

It’s not that banks and estate agents don’t have something to sell, just that it’s a bit difficult to whip up much enthusiasm about cheaper borrowing rates or a free colour scheme of your choice if you buy that flat you’ve always wanted.

The truth is that people associate sales with shops and not with pounds and property, so it may well be a sign of just how hard times are if two such mega money earners are desperate enough to pursue something as basic as a sale.

What thunderstorm?

MORE than 50 people recently had a shock when a thunderstorm battered Weymouth… because they didn’t know it had happened!

Roads were flooded, dozens of tree branches came down and torrential rain dragged debris on to roads mounding it in drifts up to six inches high in places.

All this virtually didn’t exist for the 50 people in question because they were many feet underground attending a meeting at the Nothe Fort.

It was only as they prepared to leave that the full enormity of what had happened was made clear when staff warned them to take extreme care on steps made slick with rainwater and to watch out for surface water.

The general response was: “Thunderstorm, what thunderstorm?” because only one brief noise from the storm had been loud enough to penetrate the depths of the Fort.

The aftermath of the storm affected many people whose phones and computers were either left in a dodgy condition or knocked out altogether.

One householder only realised their phone was out of action when the person unable to reach them then walked round and knocked on their door while other people were informed that phone companies were trying to solve the problem but they were inundated by the workload.

The best line came from a man who wryly offered the tongue in cheek opinion that the entire difficulty was nothing to do with the thunderstorm at all and had actually been caused by the new traffic light system in Weymouth!

Rather them than me

A LOOK of pure relief came over the elderly woman’s face as she smiled and shook her head. She then said: “Thank God I don’t have to pay their food bill!”

The “they” in question were three enormous St Bernard dogs being taken for a stroll near Town Bridge… and boy were they big! Looked like six cans of dog food a day at least to me…. each!

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Night full of Lyme pride

SATURDAY night at the Woodmead Halls was a bit special.

It definitely warrants the “Event of the week” slot (see below) but it must have been quite an ordeal for Sandy Quan-Yat-Koon, the Seychellian whose family have settled in Lyme Regis.

Sandy suffered a horrific ordeal when he was crushed by the Royal Mail van that ran into the Mariners Hotel in Silver Street in October.

It was an incident that shocked the whole town and there was a great outpouring of sympathy for Lise, Sandy’s wife, their son, Alex and other family members.

Having had one leg amputated, Sandy fought for his life as surgeons battled to save his other leg. He endured hours of painful operations and with his family keeping a bedside vigil, his bravery was admired by all who were witness to his distress.

In the end, Sandy lost his other leg as well - and now he faces a new challenge to walk again.

I did not comment in this column on the incident while Sandy was undergoing surgery and rehabilitation. It just didn’t seem the right thing to do, although his family kept me informed of his progress.

So it was great to see Sandy and his family enjoying the disco organised by the “Pride of Lyme” mums at the Woodmead Halls on saturday evening.

I later spoke to Sandy about the progress of his rehabilitation and how he felt about Saturday’s event.

He said he was a little apprehensive about going but he and all the family thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

And he also revealed that he had actually taken a few steps in the long haul back to mobility, having been fitted for prosethetic limbs. His left leg has still not fully healed so his walking progress has been interrupted for a while but he hopes to continue the process in the not too distant future.

Alex is training to be an accountant and was due to take his final examinations in December. Obviously, that was not possible but he’s hard at work again and is hoping to qualify this year or next.

The family had to move out of their Silver Street flat and have been living in temporary accommodation at Wootton Fitzpaine. This week they viewed a new house in Axminster.

Sandy refers to Lyme being a town full of “goodhearted, understanding and generous people” and how proud they have been to have been accepted into our community.

We are the ones who should be proud - of Sandy, his bravery and the determination he has shown in such harrowing circumstances.

A near miss at the shelters site

THE drama on the Marine Parade on Monday which dominates this week’s View from Lyme Regis could have been so much worse.

Since the town council have made the beach huts available all the year round, I have been surprised how many people use them during the winter months. Most days there’s someone in one of the huts, warmly clothed and clasping a cup of steaming tea as they look out to sea. And why not?

The fork lift telehandler which toppled over the Marine Parade onto the Cart Road smashed three private huts. It was quite a fine day so it was a miracle that no one was in them at the time, or that there was no one strolling along the lower prom in close proximity when it happened. As I say, it could have been very much worse.

An eye witness described the incident as “quite shocking” but praised the workmen who sprang into action to ensure no one was injured.

A near miss, no doubt about that.

Result next week

JUST over 400 people have recorded their vote for Lyme’s Citizen of the Year 2010 following the nomination I made in my Lyme Year Book 2010.

I am pleased to say that votes were cast for each of the 12 nominations, even Mary Anning whom I included because I thought it was time she got some recognition, despite the fact she has been dead for 163 years!

In the end it was a close-run thing with just a few votes separating the top two.

It’s my intention to reveal the winner in next week’s issue.

EVENT OF THE WEEK...

HATS off all round for the group of young mothers who set themselves up as ‘Pride of Lyme” and organised the disco at the Woodmead Halls on Saturday evening, raising a fantastic £2,800 for Lyme crash victim Alex Quan-Yat-Koon and his family.

“Pride” was a much used word at the Woodmead Halls on Saturday. Several people referred to how “proud” they were to be a part of the evening.

I know better than most how difficult it is to fundraise in these difficult times and the mums who put on this event are to be congratulated for a brilliant night which brought in so much money.

I understand there’s a bit more to come in and the likely total is expected to top £3,000. Brilliant - and another example of how generous the people of Lyme are when it comes to supporting worthy causes.

Of course, there could not have been a better cause. Every penny raised will go to Lyme crash victim Alex Quan-Yat-Koon and his family. Alex’s circumstances after being in the wrong place at the wrong time when a Royal Mail van ran into the Mariners Hotel has touched the whole town.

Saturday’s event was a real “locals” affair and when I walked in to take a few pictures for the View it seemed like I knew everyone in the hall. That does not happen very often in Lyme these days.

Everyone was delighted, of course, to see Alex, better known as Sandy, and his family at the disco. It really made the evening and Alex really appreciated the support which was so evident on the night.

The “Pride of Lyme” girls are hoping to organise a similar event every year which is great news.

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60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Felicity Perkin

Felicity Perkin, is looking forward to a busy year ahead after a successful first three months at Felicity’s Farm Shop in Morecombelake.

Having previously run stalls at various garden shows and the Dorset Garden Party shop in Charmouth, Felicity opened the doors to Felicity’s Farm Shop last November.

The shop breathed new life into the former Frodshams garage building, which had stood empty for a number of years.

Felicity decided it was “now or never” after the death of two close family members and so, with the help of sister Penny and son Tom, she opened the farm shop.

Felicity had previously spent 20 years working as a Nurse Practioner for Dr Becker’s Medical Centre in Charmouth.

The farm shop stocks local produce as well as offering garden accessories, a range of plants and herbs, animal feed and fuel for home fires.

The shop also offers a take away service, named “The Filling Station”, providing hot food and daily specials made with local produce.

WHAT has the reaction been like since you opened?

It’s been very positive. Everybody has been absolutely great, really encouraging. Loads of people have been up to see us and they have been really nice. We’ve had lots of suggestions about what we could do or what we might think of stocking, which we have tried to accommodate as much as we can. We need to know what people want and we are quite happy to get it.

WHAT are your plans at the shop this year?

We are hoping that it’s going to get bigger and better. We have got some frozen food arriving this week and we are hoping that the take away will really start to produce lots more. We are also hoping that everyone will be able to sit outside once the weather improves. There are eight pallets of compost arriving this week and pots and seeds and all sorts of things so lots more gardening stuff, which I know a lot more about. We are hoping to embark on all sorts of things.

HAS running your own farm shop always been the dream?

I’ve been a nurse for nearly 30 years and then for the last few years things have been a bit tricky. My elderly mum, who lived with me, died and then that same year my older sister died, she was only 56, and that was horrible. My son Harry was diagnosed with type one diabetes so he has to take insulin every single day. So having to deal with all that at home and then having to go to the surgery was a bit difficult. Penny and I were always going to have a tearoom one day with roses round the door so we thought we’d better hurry up and do it before it was too late.

IS running this building a lot different to the Dorset Garden Party?

This is absolutely huge, it’s really very scary. It’s a huge building to fill, I’m responsible for an awful lot of staff and I know the horticulture bit but the food is completely new. I know vaguely about farming and I know an awful lot about growing things but its very different. It’s a challenge but I’m enjoying it.

HAS the harsh winter affected you?

It’s difficult, we opened on November 10th, which was a beautiful day and I think we had the most horrendous gales after that and we suddenly realised that some of our plans for maybe a bit of a pergola or something were just not going to work. It was so cold and everybody was absolutely brilliant, the staff and the customers, because it really was horrid and I can’t afford to heat the place properly. They all put on tonnes of clothes and just got on with it, it was brilliant. I think we became a municipal car park for all of Ryall and all the people who’d come on holiday and were staying in the National Trust cottages parked here so that was nice. I think it probably helped us in terms of sales of logs and coal and potatoes and stewing steak that sort of thing. Christmas was lovely and lots of people ordered a turkey from us. We’d only been open for a few weeks and they entrusted us with their Christmas lunch and it was really kind, we are very grateful for that.

DO you think people are pleased to see this building back in use?

I think so, from the feedback I get. It’s a very unprepossessing building from the outside and they come in and think ‘wow’ and they say I remember coming here for an MOT. Everybody remembers it and I think everybody is very pleased to see it back in use.

WHAT was the last book you read, film you watched and CD you listened to?

I used to read all the time and in the last few years I don’t think I’ve had time to read a book. My favourite books are Angela Thirkell’s books, they follow on from Trollope’s books about Barchester but she brought them up to modern times. I can’t remember the last time I went to the pictures and I usually fall asleep when I start watching a film. My favourite film always used to be Where Eagles Dare but I don’t know if it still is to be honest. I’ve got an old Fleetwood Mac CD on in the car at the moment.

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