Who will be running who in proposed three-council partnership?

IT’S a bit like buses, isn’t it? For years you get used to one council and then three come along.

We’ve all had to cope with Weymouth and Portland being taken over by West Dorset in a so called “partnership” of working practices with a council based in a town of 18,000 people ludicrously holding the whip hand over a council in a town with 60,000 people.

Now it appears that North Dorset could be joining the party to create a three-way approach to providing key services.

This must seriously concern Weymouth and Portland and particularly West Dorset since if Dorchester can somehow boss Weymouth then what chance does the county town stand of preventing Blandford – which only has a population of about 11,000 – becoming top dog in the partnership.

And while we’re talking of tails wagging dogs, all three of them had better watch out if Purbeck joins the show to make a fourth council because I’ve heard that Coombe Keynes – population 79 – is a hot candidate to rule us all.

The one thing this whole process has perfectly illustrated is that the very last people you want in charge of a political situation are politicians.

Just because Dorchester has historic county town status does not entitle West Dorset to lord it over Weymouth and Portland in the manner that it has.

Now I’m absolutely positive that those in partnership power will say this is not the case and that it is an even handed partnership.

Well, if that is the case, then the partnership is giving a brilliant impression that West Dorset is where the powerbase is.

Not only has the partnership decimated Weymouth and Portland’s council structure but, of three hot favourites for relocated staff once North Quay is sold off, one is at the Mulberry Centre in Weymouth but the other two are at Crookhill Depot in Chickerell and South Walks House in Dorchester… and they’re both in West Dorset. Weymouth may own the depot but the land is under West Dorset’s control.

Even the shared services joint advisory committee – three West Dorset and three Weymouth and Portland councillors – is testing the water for “some decision making powers in respect of joint functions for the partnership”, notably “where both councils cannot reach initial agreement on service levels”.

That approach is qualified by a promise that recommendations would go to Weymouth and Portland’s management committee and West Dorset’s executive committee, but it is still quite clear that God is on the side of the Big Guns backing partnership working which has its main roots in Dorchester not Weymouth.

Finally there is the fact that this so called partnership is almost incredibly starting to affect some aspects of the official flow of information coming out of its joint communications department.

Only the other day I was sent a press release whose key point was that Weymouth and Portland was now being taken on board a certain initiative.

Common sense dictated that, if this was the case, then any quote provided should clearly come from a Weymouth and Portland spokesman since that was the new angle for the initiative, but it didn’t. The quote came from a West Dorset spokesman.

There are many other niggles which pose serious questions such as the balance of the partnership.

West Dorset staff ended up with the lion’s share of key positions during the shake-up for the partnership and West Dorset is certainly central to much of the process of council transition in Weymouth and Portland where almost its entire planning department is now based in Dorchester.

Again this will be denied by the partnership, but I have been a local journalist for nearly 40 years, most of them in Weymouth and Portland, and my extensive contacts at councillor level, officer level, worker level and union level are not happy at a growing perception that they are increasingly dancing to West Dorset’s tune.

At the end of the day this is a partnership looking after an awful lot of lives and those people need to have confidence that their interests in their area are coming first and they are not playing poor relative to their neighbours.

To stand up for Weymouth and Portland requires councillors to take a tougher stance in defence of their territory before they don’t have a territory to defend. Some tell me they are already doing this by speaking out in committees to highlight their concerns. More need to do so.

Bargain sales are not always bargains

THREE months of the year have gone already and we have yet to enjoy a week without a sale.

Spring sales in winter, summer sales in Spring, autumn sales in summer and winter sales in autumn carve the year up nicely.

Then there are the “Closing Down!” sales for stores that aren’t, the “Bargain Sale” which isn’t and the “Unrepeatable Offer!” sales which will be.

And, if there are any gaps in the year, then we have the “For One Day Only” sales which must end the day after tomorrow.

Every trick in the retail book is used to attract customers, never more so than now when the economy is trying to get off its knees.

So I will remind you that there are bargains and bargains. Just make sure your choice really is value for money.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Jake Patrick

WATERSPORTS enthusiast Jake Patrick, from Lyme Regis, will be taking to the stage rather than the sea this May when he stars in the Operatic Society’s production of “Mame”. Originally from Brixworth, a village near Northampton, Jake, 21, attended Moulton College as part of the Rugby Academy before moving to Lyme Regis in 2012. He now lives right by the beach and works at Boylos watersports shop on Marine Parade.

HOW did you get involved with Lyme Regis Operatic Society’s production of “Mame”?

I was in a play in January that Jenny Wiles directed for the Between Courses theatre group, “The Lost World” at the Marine Theatre. Nicky Sweetland from the Operatic Society asked whether I might be interested and I figured I would give it a try.

TELL us about your role in the production…

I play Patrick, Mame's nephew. Mame travels with her love in the middle of the play and when she returns, Patrick is all grown up - that's where I come in. I'm torn between an upper class sophisticated life with my fiancée and a life of enjoyment with my Auntie Mame. There's a fair bit of drama and suddenly I have to choose!

WHAT do you enjoy about performing on the local stage?

It puts me out of my comfort zone. I've not been on stage since I was at school and then I did the two Between Courses performances and now “Mame”. I love a challenge, although normally it's in sport. It's great to try new things, you never know how much fun you can have until you try.

WHAT do you enjoy about working at Boylos? 

Working at Boylos is a dream for me. For as long as I can remember, growing up I always wanted to work in a surf shop and live by the sea. Now I do! There is a great watersports scene here and I am really trying to promote it. My view from the "office" each day is to die for and the people I meet are great. There's not really much to dislike!

HOW did you get into watersports?

My grandfather takes the credit for my life in the water. Way back in the 1960s and 70s he was shaping surfboards in his back garden in Northampton. He obviously got my dad into it and, between the two of them, they have introduced me and my siblings to surfing, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, swimming, waterpolo and more. Nowadays, I teach paddle boarding and windsurfing and do both of them myself, plus surfing and body boarding when the waves and wind are right.

WHAT are your other personal interests? 

I pretty much live on the water but I love skateboarding on my longboard to and from work and cruising with the local skate kids. I also mountain bike in the summertime, it's a great way to get outside and away from the crowds.

WHAT do you like about Lyme Regis?

I really like the community feeling that Lyme Regis has, it's the biggest selling point for me. Of course, the coastline is fantastic too! 

WHAT do you think the town is missing?

The skatepark is what’s missing in Lyme, it will be great when it's built. People don't realise what a massive influence a skatepark can have on a community - somewhere to go and chill and enjoy yourself without annoying people on the pavement is going to be great! 

WHAT would you do if you won the Lottery?

I would sort my parents and grandparents out with an awesome home and pay their bills. They've given me everything I have today so I would really want to give them twice as much back. I'd also throw money at the skatepark and make it awesome and I would pay to build an artificial reef in the bay that would work on the prominent south-westerlies we get here in Lyme. Head high barrels in front of the shop, that would be so cool!

WHERE’S your dream holiday destination, and why?

My dream holiday would be south west France through September. The surf is huge there that time of year and the water and air is warm. I'd love a gang of us to have campers in the car parks and take a few weeks exploring beaches.

• Lyme Regis Operatic Society’s production of “Mame” will be held at the Marine Theatre from Tuesday, May 13th to Saturday 17th, with performances at 7.15pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets costing £12 or £5 for under 16s are available at Fortnam, Smith & Banwell in Lyme Regis – call 01297 445666.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

Mayor making - or baiting!

FROM what I am led to believe we could be in for another lively session at tonight’s council meeting. Get there early!

Main item on the agenda - the appointment of mayor for  the coming year.

Until a few days ago those who  take an interest in council affairs (a dying breed) thought we would definitely be having a different, if not new, First Citizen.

Last year Councillor Chris Clipson was defeated on the casting vote of Sally Holman, who won a rare third year in succession. Would Councillor Clipson try his luck again?

Then it emereged that Sally was considering a fourth year, which had only happened on one occasion  before - back in the 1970s with Henry Broom serving for a similar period.

A former mayor once told me that the first year was enjoyable, the second year tolerable and a third “bloody awful”.

Sally has certainly had a difficult year and has presided over the most controversial periods in the history of Lyme Regis Town Council. I think many of us assumed she would be relieved to relinquish the reins. But she clearly feels there is unfinished business.

Things were very different when I became mayor in the 1980s. The process of selecting a successor was a more friendly affair. The outgoing mayor would seek confirmation of those whom wanted to stand and then sound out the other members. 

The mayor would then ask those with the lowest support to withdraw so that the appointment of the successor was invariably a happy and unanimous one. Then we all went for a drink!

It hasn’t been like that for some time.

Sally will be challenged tonight by Michaela Ellis, who served as mayor for two years in 2009-2010.

Both have served the town well over the years but, whoever gets the job, they will surely be in for a rough ride as the current split council attempts to repair its poor public image before the elections in May 2015.

Broad Street’s looking swell

SOME glorious  days have given us a taste of what we might expect in the coming summer months, I hope, and Lyme was teeming with visitors as soon as the sun poked its head out. Kids were actually playing in the sea on Sunday afternoon.

Broad Street is looking a lot smarter with the arrival of Seasalt, the Cornish-based clothing company, and other new arrivals, Lyme Gifts (which has moved from the Coombe Street Emporium) and the highly innovative Pug & Puffin.

The latter’s owner, Martin Wiscombe, and I grew up just a few doors away from each other in Anning Road, and he has recently returned to his hometown after a glittering career in the art world.

I popped into Pug & Puffin with Francesca for a glass of fizz for the opening on Friday evening  and was delighted to meet up with Martin’s father, Dave, again, one of the area’s most prolific bee keepers. Dave and I played football together yonks ago and he still keeps fit and well. I’m sure his son’s new shop, with a distinct doggy flavour, will prove to be a huge hit with souvenir-hunting visitors.

I think all three new businesses enhance the shopping experience in Broad Street and I’m pleased to report that in the next few weeks we will be launching another series on Lyme’s main street in the 1950s and 60s. Any photos from that era will be appreciated.

EVENT OF THE WEEK…

I ATTENDED my first Civic Night in the late 1960s when it was first introduced by Alderman Douglas Fortnam and his wife Lydia. It was a very grand affair and in those days called The Mayor’s Ball. I remember wearing a Simon Dee roll-neck silk evening shirt and was a little concerned I would not be allowed in as they were very strict on the dress code in those days.

Surprisingly, I can’t really remember my own Civic Night but as a former mayor I’ve always purchased tickets for this annual gathering of the town’s civic and community leaders and have always enjoyed the occasion. Civic Nights are now much more relaxed and informal and dress codes have been all-but abandoned. There are conflicting opinions on whether that is a good thing or not. I stuck to tradition and wore a dinner jacket.

In past years all councillors made a special effort to attend Civic Night in support of the position of mayor rather than the personality wearing the chains. This, too, is very much a thing of the past. 

With the council now irreparably split (they only have to tolerate each other for another year), only four councillors bought tickets for Saturday’s event - Stan and Anita Williams, Michaela Ellis and Ann Bradbury.

The event clashed with the 50th wedding anniversary party of Councillor Lorna Jenkin and her husband Keith, attended by the gang of five (Councillors Gage, Campbell, Clipson, O’Grady and Austin) but not before they popped into the Woodmead Halls, much to the surprise of many,  to shake the mayor’s hand and have a quick drink before departing for what they considered to be the better gig in town.

But Lyme’s organisations turned out in force, as they always do, making it another enjoyable evening for those who want to see such traditions preserved.

But for how long is anyone’s guess.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

Times are hard (and doesn’t the mayor know it)

THE whole future of Weymouth and Portland’s mayoral services goes into the melting pot again this autumn when councillors meet to start debating budget measures and cuts for 2015-2016.

There are fears that Weymouth would be devalued as an historic town and have its prestige tarnished were it to downgrade or even scrap the post of mayoral chauffeur, limit mayoral regalia and functions and use the cash for something else.

Fortunately those in office have been training just in case cuts are made and I went down to chat to them about possible new approaches to the mayoralty.

It was raining when I found the Mayor and his chauffeur taking off their bicycle clips having chained up the new mayoral tandem to a handy lamppost.

He was hosting a civic event at the Pavilion where mayors from all over Dorset were already pulling up in their chauffeur driven limousines ahead of being officially welcomed by our Mayor.

I asked him, didn’t he feel a bit shabby and out of step with other mayors, having to attend his own civic event on a bicycle?

He replied: “It is a bit embarrassing, but you soon get over that. These waterproofs are really good and my chauffeur pedalled me here quite quickly.”

Once inside the Mayor apologised for being late and took his guests for coffee at a vending machine where they only had to pay £1.90 for a cappuccino. All proceeds will go towards new saddles and a pannier for the tandem.

Then it was on to view artwork by local students who had skillfully recreated plaster versions of several pieces of civic silver. The originals were sold off recently to buy the tandem and a stainless steel handlebar clamp to grip a small mayoral flag.

All joking aside, most will hope that any changes to mayoral life don’t drag this important civic office into farce, but times are hard and who knows what might be suggested next.

Whatever the future holds, any decision which devalues this historic position will reflect badly on the whole town.

If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys

WHAT a pickle Weymouth is in over its crumbling harbour walls.

Years of neglect suddenly came home to roost when the ferry berth wall cracked and required millions to repair.

Now it appears that other sections of harbour wall also need urgent attention, placing the council in something of a dilemma.

Do they go for an expensive quick fix, an expensive middle course which will last a few years or an expensive long term approach which will last perhaps half a century.

Yes, the council must cut its cloth to what it can afford, but there are such things as false economies and I’ve always been a supporter of the view that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

It may really hurt the authority to go for the 50-year repair option, but surely doing it properly allows the council to move on wheras any low cost choice will bring back the spectre of spending almost before the work has finished.

If a sensible approach is now being taken with significant amounts of harbour revenue kept to foot harbour upkeep bills then I feel the council must take its medicine, pay for the best repairs and claw the money back over a long period of time.

AS if motorists don’t have enough hazards and delays to cope with they recently faced another… a goose walking down the road!

The goose, as geese normally are, was in no particular hurry and waddled happily along taking time to see what the world was doing in front of it.

Behind it death was approaching at a rate of knots when one car driver pulled round a parked vehicle only to have to slam his brakes on a bit sharpish when presented with a feathered obstacle.

The goose survived much to the delight of children in several other cars which pointed the brash bird out as their vehicles slowly overtook the bird blockage. Makes a change from dodging seagulls.

You asked for it now use it!

A NEW facility could be opened in Weymouth and Portland to test the eyesight and intelligence of cyclists.

You would have had to have spent the last four years living in Outer Mongolia to have missed the never ending series of roadworks devoted to creating a new network of safe cycle routes across the borough.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds if not millions have been poured in to creating the network which is now so extensive it is possible to enjoy a ride from Portland to Dorchester without risking tyre marks down your spine.

So explain to me why many cyclists are spurning comfort and safety in favour of continuing to risk their lives by riding along busy and dangerous roads just a couple of bike lengths away from a perfectly good cycle path.

I’ve been held up in traffic queues behind cyclists riding in the road at half a dozen spots where there was a practically pristine cycle path right next to them.

This cycle path, I might add, had also been created specifically for their benefit against a backdrop of moans about how authorities always favour the motorist over the cyclist.

So, if you are a cyclist, practice what you’ve been preaching and use the facility you have been demanding. That’s what it is there for.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Gavin Dixon

GAVIN Dixon is an experienced finance broker who recently moved back to Bridport, where he went to school, to take up the position of managing director in his own business, Gavin Dixon Finance Solutions. He lives in Bridport with his long-term partner.

YOU came from a traditional farming family - how did you make the switch to finance?

My dad was a dairy farmer and has owned a couple of his own farms. He also was the estate manager at Ashley Chase Estate in the Bride Valley, which was why we moved to Bridport. I was unsure what I wanted to do in life but was sure I did not want to milk cows 24/7 so I thought that going to university would give me more options in life. I was applying for jobs in my final year when I saw a job advertised working for BNP Paribas Lease Group in their farm division. It seemed to make perfect sense to me as I knew farming and I knew finance, so putting the two together was a logical step. I have been working in business-to-business finance ever since.

CAN you give us a brief summary of what service your business provides?

Gavin Dixon Finance Solutions Ltd. is an independent finance broker business which assists local business in finding finance from funders who are not on the high street for the purchase of assets. In simple terms, if a farmer was looking to buy a new or used tractor we can help that farmer get finance for that tractor to make it more affordable, and it also helps companies protect their cash flow. I can help all companies find finance, whether they are farmers, builders, haulers and so on, as long as there is an asset, we can find the finance.

YOU moved back to Bridport after working for companies in London - what was the reason behind the move?

The reason for the move was that I changed my role at Hitachi Capital Business Finance and became a national broker manager. Part of the deal of taking the job was that I had to relocate but the company did not mind where I moved to. As I have always classed Bridport as my hometown and have a lot of friends down here, I chose to move back. After three years of driving the length and breadth of the UK and spending four nights away a week, I decided to set up my own business. 

IN what ways is your job different in Dorset compared to the capital?

The basics of the job are the same - I am helping customers find the most competitive finance to suit their business. However, my previous role was to assist the brokers to ensure they gave me the business rather than giving the business to any of our competitors. Now I am dealing with local dealerships and the customers who are buying the equipment and my old customers, the brokers, are now my competition. 

IS business in Bridport strong? Was it a motivating factor to try and help business in your hometown?

There is a lot of business in Bridport and some local businesses have been very supportive. However, like in any job I have struggled with some of the larger companies in the area which seem unwilling to give me the time of day. When starting my business my main aim was to give something back to the community that had welcomed me when I was 11 and now class me as a local lad who has a funny accent! Helping other local business is definitely my main goal and in time as the business grows then recruiting local people into my business will also be very important.

WHAT do you like about working in the industry?

Working in finance is a very interesting role as you get to meet lots of different people and lots of different businesses - some businesses you have never heard about so you get to learn lots of new things. It is also very rewarding to know you have helped a business buy a new machine which will then in turn assist them in growing their own business. Indirectly my business can help lots of people and businesses grow and meet their full potential.

HOW challenging was it to set up your own business? Do you prefer working for yourself?

Starting my own business was challenging as I have never done it before but the process is fairly simple, as long as you get the right advice from a good accountant and also from friends or acquaintances who have set up their own businesses. The scariest element of setting up your own business is not knowing when your next pay cheque is coming in - after being employed for 13 years and being paid on the same day of every month to suddenly not knowing if you are going to be able to make a mortgage payment is very unnerving. 

If you stay focussed, work hard and never give up you will always be able to make things work and 11 months later I am still here and loving every minute of running my own business. I can honestly say I do not think I could ever work for anyone ever again - being your own boss and reaping the benefits of your own hard work is so rewarding. My only regret in life is that I did not do this sooner.

DO you have any ambitions for the future?

My long term goal is to be able to buy a farm or small holding and set up a charity so that disadvantaged and/or disabled children can come and enjoy a farm experience, my partner looks after disadvantaged children and my sister fosters children, and with my Dad’s farming experience I believe we can run a successful charity and help lots of children.

ARE you settled in the area now, or do you think you will move again in the future? 

I cannot see myself leaving the area but you can never say never as you do not know what life can throw at you. I came back to Bridport beacuse I love being in the beautiful countryside and so close to an amazing coast. In my 34 years I have lived in a lot of places - cities, towns and villages - and not one of them comes close to Bridport for me.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

Rinky Tinks we loved you!

THE demise of any  business is hugely stressful and often has a lasting effect, very often on employees fearing for their jobs and certainly on the bosses who may well have invested all they possess in the venture.

No one in their right mind goes into business thinking they are going to fail. But failure can be fatal to their future lives.

I talk from experience here. With the local newspaper industry ravaged by the recession, my wife and I went through countless sleepless nights to keep the View from in business. 

As the town’s biggest private enterprise employer, with more than 30 young people working for us, our main priority was to keep them in jobs.

The strain had a big impact on our health and certainly on our bank balance.

I clearly remember siting at my desk one New Year’s Eve wondering what to do next. But we struggled through and we eventually managed to offload the business (and much of the worry) to a private investor and then to the biggest publisher of independent jobs in the UK. 

It’s no longer our business and sometimes that hurts but we are as committed as ever. 

Like many in Lyme, I was saddened to hear that the Rinky Tinks ice-cream parlour on the seafront had been closed down by their landlord, Lyme Regis Town Council.

It would be unwise and unhelpful to comment on circumstances of this unfortunate situation.

But there can be no denying that Rinky Tinks made a big impact on the seafront and owners Lucinda and Peter Cliff threw themselves into the spirit of Lyme, supporting the carnival and other local events. They will certainly be missed. 

With seaside concessions, no matter how well you run your business or how entrepreneurial you are, the final factor in success or failure can often be the weather.

We are told there will be no lack of those who wish to take on Rinky Tinks, which is good, but we should spare a kindly thought for the Cliffs and those who worked for them.

In a very short time they created quite an iconic seaside attraction. I wish them well for the future. 

Why so secret?

WHEN the current town council was swept into office with several new faces, we were promised greater accountability and transparency and a desire to involve the people of Lyme more in the decision making process. 

There was even talk of staging council meetings at various locations around the town to encourage more people to attend. What happened to that idea?

In reality, the reverse has been the situation. Lyme Regis Town Council has, I believe, has become one of the most secretive I have covered with more items being debated behind closed doors than any other local authority in the area.  We cover four other local councils and none of them go into secret session with such alarming regularity.

The Lyme council even went into committee recently to discuss the United Beach Missions’ use of the main beach, a hot topic locally.

When barring the press and public from such deliberations, they invariably hide behind the cloak of “protecting financial information”.

I have written before in this column about the amount of discussion that goes on between some councillors via email, and a number of councillors are very wary of the weekly committee chairmen’s meeting with no public minutes kept.

Some have even told me that the first they hear of certain matters is when they read them in this newspaper.

If you share these worries, ask the question at the annual town meeting which takes place on April 11th.

EVENT OF THE WEEK…

THE generosity of the people of Lyme Regis never ceases to amaze me. 

On Saturday evening the hard working Woodmead Halls committee, led by Stan Williams, organised a fundraising event in memory of one of its most industrious members, respected local musician Jim Sweetland.

Jim, a tireless worker for the halls over many years and former founder and chairman of Lyme Regis Town Band, was keen to get a defibrillator installed at the halls. Music was one of Jim’s great passions and he was a popular member of the Three Counties Swing Band, having played for many years with the Rowland Halliday Dance Orchestra.

The Three Counties band agreed to give their services free for Saturday’s concert, the halls committee laid on a ploughman’s supper and Jim’s family organised a draw. 

As a personal friend of Jim’s for many years going back to the Rowland Halliday days, I was asked to compere the evening and we set ourselves the target of raising £1,000.

Thanks to generous support from the League of Friends of Lyme Regis Health Service and the Rotary Club of Lyme Regis, and other donations on the night, when we counted up we were delighted that a total of £3,150 had been raised. 

We now need a few hundred more to install the equipment but Jimmy would have been delighted that we raised enough to cover the purchase of the defibrillator at the first event.

It was a very enjoyable evening, well supported by local people who knew Jim so well.

Thank you for your wonderful support.  If the defibrillator saves just one life in the years to come the effort will have been well worthwhile. 

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

Are you paying the average council tax bill?

NEXT Tuesday is All Fools’ Day, April 1st, and a singularly appropriate time for 2014 council tax bills to become active.

Some might say we have been fortunate to have had such bills frozen for three years but my complaint – if survey figures are accurate – is the manner in which they have resumed for Dorset.

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy claims the average council tax rise to be 0.6 percent and that the highest increase of 0.8 percent is in South East England where Band D properties face a bill increase of £11.25.

Well lucky them, laughing all the way to the bank, because down here reality is a lot harsher.

Dorset County Council is among more than 30 councils nationwide hitting its residents with the maximum rise of 1.9 percent, something CIPFA seems to have missed.

Their cosy claim of an average Band D property paying £1,464 for 2014-2015 is ludicrously wide of the mark since Band D properties in Dorset are facing a bill for £1,723.

My home is in Band C and even I will be paying £1,531, nearly £70 more than the claimed Band D average, while the extra £30 I will have to find for 2014-2015 is nearly three times the increase the CIPFA claims is being paid by homeowners in the band above me!

My bill does include the usual elements for Fire, Police and Weymouth and Portland council while CIPFA figures aren’t so clear cut.

Whatever the true national picture, it still means that council tax payers in Weymouth and Portland can consider their bill to be anything but “average” whatever the band.

Will new brand work for Weymouth?

WEYMOUTH now has itself an official new brand which the Business Improvement District hopes will encourage many more visitors to the resort to boost its town centre economy.

The new brand “WE” does not, as one wag suggested stand for “Worthless Expense” but has been carefully created after much research and talks to project Weymouth into the public eye over as wide an area as possible to show as many people as possible just what the town and its area have to offer.

Its launch in Weymouth Library attracted both those who were quite taken with the new brand and a few non-believers, but it was away from the staged event that the gloves really came off.

A quiet coffee got nervously slopped into my saucer when I found myself in the same area as a tirade from one businessman bemoaning both the fact he had to pay the BID levy and what they were spending his money on.

To describe his reaction to the new “WE” brand as “underwhelmed” didn’t do his mouthful justice and his words carried more weight as he was joined in his anger by other business people furious that a levy they didn’t want to pay was, in their view, being frittered away on a brand they didn’t like and didn’t have faith in.

The BID genuinely believes the new brand will attract more people in to sample what Weymouth has to offer, but if it can’t convince a number of its own members about that then its hierarchy had better hope it has more success with visitors because the doubters will be watching.

The smell of summer

DID anyone notice that the smells of summer have made an early appearance in Weymouth town centre?

Recent sunny weather sparked an explosion of visitors, but the walk on to the seafront was like a slap in the face for the aroma of cooking oil and hot vinegar.

If anyone needed reminding that the holiday season is not that far away then it was provided by the sight of scores of people strolling along eating ice-creams.

I mean, ice-creams in March?! Only 32 weeks now until Bonfire Night!

Follow the glow home

GLOWWORMS apparently made a recent dramatic appearance in Weymouth.

These rarely seen creatures were out in force around the midnight hour when most of the town was in bed counting sheep.

But keen natural history lovers such as myself were alerted to the presence of this insect by its unusual call – “My God! I can’t see!” – heard reverberating eerily along many pavements.

Sadly closer inspection revealed it wasn’t glowworms but people desperately trying to find their way back home, any home please!

The late arrival of a train saw passengers join others returning home from pubs and restaurants who were caught out by dense fog.

That was bad enough for pedestrians trying to navigate a passage back to hearth and loved ones… but then the council’s cost cutting measures came into force and all the street lights were switched out! The result was chaos.

Poor visibility instantly became zero visibility and pedestrians did the only thing left for them to do in the circumstances. They switched on their mobile phone torches.

Watchers were treated to the soft glowing path of Samsung, O2, Orange and T Mobile weaving an unsteady path broken only by curses when the holder hit a lamppost or wheely bin. Bed was never so welcome.

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