What to do about the buses

ONCE again through traffic in Lyme Regis came to a standstill on Monday when two buses became wedged in Church Street.

And once again there are cries from local residents that something has to be done about the buses in Lyme Regis.

Successive town councils have wrestled with this problem over the years with no solution being found - for one simple reason, there isn’t one.

It is difficult not to sympathise with the residents of Church Street who regularly run the gauntlet of being squashed by one of the double decker buses that scrape by their buildings every day. 

But what can be done? Lyme does not lend itself to a one-way system, primarily because it would involve Woodmead Road and there’s no way buses could get up or down that road. 

Another much talked about solution would be the installation of traffic lights outside the London Inn; again a non-starter because of the length of distance between the lights on Bridge Street which would cause huge tailbacks, especially in Broad Street.

Surely, the only solution rests with the bus operator, First. They have made polite apologies for the inconvenience caused this week, as they always do, but with no real answers.

They do their best, they say, to stagger the journeys of the X53 (Exeter to Poole) and the 31 (Axminster to Weymouth) services but they have to take into consideration the requirement to meet up with the trains at Axminster station. 

In the summer months both services can be severely delayed by the weight of the summer traffic so they never really know what time their buses will be passing through Lyme.

However, during this age of sat navs and mobile communications, surely it is possible for the drivers to have the ways and means of knowing when they will be passing through Lyme at the same time, avoiding Church Street.

New twinning will be a great success

TWINNING is in the news this week with plans being revealed for the proposed linking up with the Normandy port of Barfleur taking place in Lyme and across the channel in May and September.

The two communities have been building relationships for the past couple of years and are now looking forward to making the twinning arrangement official.

Lyme, of course, already has a high profile twinning arrangement with St George’s in Bermuda which, from a tourism point of view, has been a great success.

But because of the distance between Dorset and the North Atlantic, and the cost of travelling between the two communities, it has been impossible to exploit to the full ethos of twinning whereby there can be an exchange of cultures, etc.

That will certainly not be the case with the links between Lyme and Barfleur with relationships already having been established between the two art communities.

It is also hoped that the local schools and sporting organisations can form their own associations after the official twinning ceremonies have been formalised.

Lyme has a great deal in common with Barfleur, especially our maritime activities. 

We also have strong links with Normandy through the twinning arrangement between Lyme Regis Football Club and the village of Creully which has been going on for 33 years, a unique situation in both English and French grassroots football.

I have no doubt that the twinning between Lyme and Barfleur will be a great success and that friendships will be established that will last for many years.

This has certainly been the experience of the football club with regular exchanges between families.

EVENT OF THE WEEK...

FORMER fisherman and local history expert Ken Gollop, a member of one of Lyme’s oldest families, has built up a cult following for his wonderful “Under Shady Tree” slide shows. 

“Shady Tree”, by the way, was a popular meeting place in Anning Road for youngsters during and after the war, now long gone.

His recollections of old Lyme have always been well supported and attracted around 180 people to the Woodmead Halls on Sunday afternoon.

Ken and I often play a “spot the local” game at events when on many occasions it seems that he and I are the only Lyme-born people present.

That was certainly not the case on Sunday when the hall was full with people that Ken and I have grown up with over the years.

It was three or four years since Ken organised his last “Under Shady Tree” and he was persuaded to do another one by popular demand.  None of us present were disappointed.

Ken concentrated on the area where he grew up - the Colway Mead estate known by all true locals as “China Town”.  I always thought it was called that because the girls whom worked in the laundry at Jordan Flats were rehoused at Colway Mead, one of the first social housing projects in Dorset.

Not so, according to Ken. He told his audience that the “China Town” tag came because when you viewed the estate from the other side of the valley all the triangular roofs looked like a line of Chinamen walking up the hill.

Ken also focussed on his years growing up in Colway Mead and showed a number of old photographs featuring some of his contemporaries, many of whom were in the audience. 

From time to time we reproduce old photos in this newspaper and I thought I had seen most of them over the years but Ken, as always, managed to source a number that had previously not seen the light of day.

Ken, of course, has his own presentation style, totally natural with no airs and graces. He tickled me pink with his reminiscences about the American GIs and later the RAF boys from the barracks down at Monmouth Beach stealing all the pretty young local girls. Classic.  

Roll on the next “Under Shady Tree”.

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Roadworks based on what evidence?

SPEEDING motorists have been cited as one of the reasons for improvement works being needed out at Preston.

A recent county council exhibition about the Preston Road proposals had plenty of suits, ties and smiles ready to answer residents’ questions.

But it appears that householders were a bit sharper than the experts and one Preston resident related a few examples to me.

Much was made by the experts about drivers speeding, evidence being gathered by roadside machines set up last summer recording some of the culprits, particularly at night.

Apparently the expert, who admitted he didn’t live locally, was ruffled when the resident pointed out that there were a lot of night time ambulances using the route which undoubtedly contributed to the figures.

But things got worse for the expert and he could only lapse into a stunned silence when the resident told him that many of the speeding vehicles recorded belonged to scores of Olympic duty police officers staying at a nearby caravan park!

There was a bit of spluttering and then the expert got back on track and talked about the need to get people out of the car and doing more walking and cycling, but the resident then asked if the expert knew that many elderly people lived in the area.

The expert didn’t but assured the resident that the road improvement scheme was really needed. It seems that the resident – and many others like him – weren’t convinced that experts talking to them were living in the real world... but the scheme is still a reality.

Smile quickly, before we all get frostbite!

LIFE has a way of poking fun at humanity when it least expects it.

Take recent recognition which saw Weymouth Beach voted the seventh most popular sands in the UK according to the world’s largest travel site TripAdvisor.

Nothing wrong with that. In fact it’s a useful accolade for the resort - but having to celebrate it in February is not!

To describe conditions as bitter would be a bit of an understatement as events staff on the brink of hypothermia managed to summon up a smile and a wave as they posed for pictures near a windswept Pavilion with Weymouth and Portland Tourism spokesman Councillor Ian Bruce.

It could easily have doubled as a scene with Sir David Attenborough from his Life in the Freezer epic because believe you me it was pretty bleak out there.

Teeth chattered, Mr Bruce’s cap was blown away on an icy gust and everyone being photographed instantly became very close friends as they huddled together for warmth.

Interestingly the photographers found themselves a tad cold as well and it was noticeable that there was no interminable wait while an arty picture was set up. Instead it was: “Smile!” click, click, click and away before frostbite set in.

The biggest glare of the day from those shivering souls being photographed came with an idle comment that it had been much warmer last summer and perhaps a nice sunny picture from then should be used as well. That didn’t cut much ice with the beach belles who by now were turning blue with cold!

It works better if you put the batteries in!

CAN you hear what I’m saying? I said, can you hear what I’m saying?

Neither could anyone else when an important council meeting struggled to catch arguments and comments being put forward by various residents from the gallery during public half hour.

Acoustics were not at their best and the hand held microphone didn’t seem to be improving matters because there were several calls for those using it to speak up.

What no one knew at the time was that each microphone holder could have shouted at the top of their voice until they were hoarse without anyone being able to better hear what they were saying.

Well, perhaps users hadn’t switched the microphone on, I hear you say, but you’d be wrong.

Sources tell me that the root of the problem was down to the fact... that someone had forgotten to put batteries into the hand held microphone!

Sign of spring to lift the spirits

A WREN has decided that a bush in my garden is a perfect hunting ground for food.

The tiny bird is barely as big as one of the leaves it is foraging among, but its perky movements bring life to an environment stilled by winter.

Just how weightless this bird is was brought home when it climbed a dead stalk of lavender which barely bent at all.

Then the wren spotted some morsel of food, flew down and pounced on it in triumph before flying up into honeysuckle to begin foraging all over again. A real lift to the spirits just to watch it.

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60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Shuna George

ARTIST Shuna George is originally from North London and moved to Lyme Regis from Leicestershire 18 months ago with her family. She is an active member and curate of Uplyme Church and is currently looking forward to her upcoming exhibition “In Full View” at the Town Mill, as well as organising art activities for the local community. Shuna lives with her husband Philip and their two children, aged 11 and 12.

HOW did you become involved with Uplyme Church?

I joined the staff team a year ago, having studied for my theology degree at Nottingham University. I had visited the church whilst on holiday here and found it a very vibrant, caring faith community.

WHAT does your new role as curate entail?

My curacy is a continuation of my training for ministry in the Church of England, so I get involved with and learn about all aspects of Christian leadership – pastoral care, facilitating learning, praying and worship, helping everyone to grow nearer to God.

HOW did you become interested in art?

I have always made things – the original Blue Peter sticky back plastic girl!  Painting has become more central in my life in the last 10 years

WHAT kind of artwork do you create?

I have seemed to settle upon large acrylic paintings as my chosen way of working.  I love the freedom of scale and colour, and the forgiving nature of acrylic paint, which allows for much re-creation.

WHAT inspires your work?

Much of my work is inspired by my journey through life with God. Sometimes the starting point is the simplicity of an object, a view, or a word. Other times the beginning is less clear, the work is more expressive and abstract. For me, painting is a way of praying – a creative conversation with my creator. Painting can be very therapeutic, it helped me get through breast cancer in 2010.

TELL us a bit about your exhibition "In Full View"…

It is a joint exhibition of my own paintings and of textiles by Marjorie Lee.  It runs at the Town Mill Malthhouse in Lyme Regis from April 4th to 14th. The title has three layers of meaning. Firstly, we believe that all people share a God-given creativity. When we explore and express this, we are somehow connecting to the divine, as well as each other; we are truly living life to the full. 

Secondly, we recognise a fullness – an abundance – in the world around us. This is reflected in what we choose as our subjects – be it vast seas and skies, masses of fish or flowers, or the great potential of an enigmatic expression captured in a fleeting glance.  

Thirdly, we hope that our work itself is characterised by a certain exuberance – or abundance. The bright colours, the overlaying of thousands of stitches, the scale of the paintings which appear to overspill the edges of the canvas.  

TELL us a bit about the "Abundant Art" activities... 

Abundant Art was set up by the Reverend Jane Skinner, Lucy Tyte and myself, with the aim of providing an accessible, affordable community space where anyone can come and explore creativity and its link to spirituality.

We are currently running drop-in sessions from 10amto 12noon on Wednesday mornings at the Powerboat Club, Monmouth Beach.  All are welcome to come and bring a project to work on or have a go at something new. We hope to continue after Easter and to offer an additional Tuesday evening  session from 7pm to 9pm.  For more information people can email me on shuna.art@gmail.com

WHAT do you like about living in the area?

So many things! The coastal views, obviously, the walk along the River LIm, the arts opportunities, the schools, the theatre, the cinema, the chips, the fish, Lal Qilla, the lack of snow, but most of all, the people!

WHAT would you change about or add to the area if you could?

More affordable housing and better employment opportunities.  

WHAT are your personal interests?

Running up and down the seafront with some friends in an effort to keep fit and singing with Lyme Voices choir.

WHICH three people would you invite to your dream dinner party, and why?

I think Richard Dawkins, Mary Anning and Jesus would be a good mix – engaging conversation and great wine, no doubt.

WHERE is your ideal holiday destination, and why?

Anywhere warm with panoramic views and an easel. Could be Lyme on a good day I suppose!

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Can summer stop the rot?

WHAT price the empty properties which seem to be turning Weymouth’s welcome smile into a gap-toothed grin?

It’s almost impossible now to stroll the streets for any length of time without walking past someone’s faded commercial dream.

It is a bit like a jungle. All the mighty trees are shops but, when one crashes to earth, the gap it creates is swiftly papered over.

In the jungle this happens with all sorts of undergrowth madly scrambling for light but on the High Street the demise is covered by whitewash, flyposting for events or by signs advertising that the premises are available to buy or rent.

It is like a barometer for the health of a town. The more such signs you see then the louder warning bells should be ringing.

At the moment they should be deafening in Weymouth with shops going down, pubs closing and even the main post office moving to a new and smaller frontage from the traditional flagship corner site it had occupied for decades.

Some people are trying to launch a Business Improvement District, others are doing anything they can to stand out from the crowd and attract a few extra pounds, but many others are hanging on by their fingertips.

So this summer will be make or break. Get decent weather and a good season boosted by our Olympic coverage and economic wounds will heal a bit, but get yet more rain and a roadworks memory backlash and we’ll be seeing a few more signs go up.

Save the mayor’s sanity!

CAN anyone help Weymouth and Portland Mayor Margaret Leicester with the loan of a carrier pigeon?

I wouldn’t ask but she’s at the end of her tether over her dead council computer which recently switched from being her window on the world to being an electronic millstone round her neck.

She has been unable to see her emails, she can’t send any, she can’t investigate information she needs and she can’t even get on to Google.

The problem is of course that the many thousands of pounds spent on IT by the council doesn’t guarantee that anything works or, when it breaks down, that it will be swiftly repaired in an authority where staff are stretched to breaking point.

Trying to use an expensive expert to repair an expensive computer clearly isn’t an affordable answer, so we all need to rally round to support this bird appeal.

We need to act now before people passing the council offices are treated to a scream, the sound of breaking glass and the sight of a computer describing a graceful arc before splashing into the harbour.

I’m sure it can’t cost more than a few pounds to grab one of the pigeons coating all our buildings in bird poo and teach it to fly between the council offices and perhaps County Hall or Portland Town Council’s offices. And the wages would be, well, chickenfeed.

That way the borough’s leading civic figure would be able to keep her finger on the pulse of important decisions affecting Weymouth and Portland without tearing her hair out as “Program not recognised” scrolls merrily across her computer screen. Please give generously.

No women, children or animals first!

BUILDING an ark isn’t actually as hard as it’s cracked up to be.

I started mine after weathermen told me that January had just been Weymouth’s eighth month in a row with above average rainfall.

We’re all trying to keep our heads above water at the moment but I thought that was an expression coined by politicians about the economy. Apparently not... and taking one step outside my back door showed why.

All I did was go on to the lawn which promptly turned to muddy porridge under my feet.

Everywhere is so saturated that even the roads are leaking as runoff or springs force their way through the surface to trickle merrily away and provide yet another challenge for motorists by freezing to ice in occasional cold snaps.

Never mind. My ark is nearly finished and I certainly won’t be standing nobly to one side to allow the animals in two by two either. They can take their chances. I need the space for vital supplies such as a case of gin and a well-thumbed copy of Practical Boat Owner.

Still, spring officially starts tomorrow on March 1st - and then we’ve got April to look forward to. Last year was the wettest since 1880, so surely it will be a bit drier this year?

Yeah, I think you’re right. Pack an extra life raft and finish the ark. Sound advice.

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Those unforgettable days of summer

MY father was a keen gardener, or at least an energetic one.

I’m not sure how much he actually enjoyed it but it was a question of necessity.

When I was a kid he would spend every Sunday, especially when the weather was fine, as did most of the men in the Anning Road in the 1950s, toiling in our 60-feet long stretch of garden at the back of the house with every nook and cranny cultivated. 

We lived off the back of his labours, as all families did in our road as food rationing came to an end. There was never any need to buy vegetables, fruit was in abundance and we even kept our own chickens, although I distinctly remember my father struggling with the slaughtering of our Sunday lunch. 

We never went hungry, a day never past without a nutritious hot meal on the table. And there were tons of treats -  fresh strawberries during the season, homemade cakes and biscuits and my mum’s speciality - nubbies (rock cakes).

I remember those Sundays like it was yesterday.  There was always a lot of laughs, the men sharing family gossip while swigging from bottles of cider in those heatwave summers. We kids would run from house to house, “Two Way Family Favourites” would blare out from the radio. There would be great excitement if someone from Lyme, a soldier serving in Cyprus or some other hot-spot, got a mention.

I still live in that house today. Apart from a few greenhouse tomatoes, we don’t grow any fruit and veg. Both gardens, front and back have long been grassed over. 

I’m no gardener, although my wife Jackie is and spends hours making that same strip of land my dad sweated over every Sunday look nice for the visitors who stay in our garden flat in the summertime.

Occasionally, I help out by cutting the lawns, keeping the garden furniture smart and religiously getting the barbecue out of the shed and making sure there’s enough gas in the bottle for the family barbecues that are invariably washed out.

Today it’s bitter cold outside but there are signs that spring is on its way. The evenings are drawing out and there are some small signs in the garden that warmer days are just around the corner. 

Soon the daffodils, my favourite flower, will be out in abundance. When we were kids we used to cycle over to Wootton, pick baskets of wild daffodils and sell bunches of them around the estate for threepence.

Sometimes I sit in my garden and dream of those carefree days 55 years ago. I can see my dad sweating away in his vest, digging potatoes, picking carrots and chasing chickens. 

There’s still the occasional whiff of roast beef but not from our house. We never eat at lunchtimes, always in the evening. 

Back in 1955 we never had lunch; it was dinner and tea. We had little but we wanted for nothing either.

Happy days -  gone but not forgotten.

Year book for 2012 will be out soon

A RECORD of life in Lyme in 2012 - an unforgettable year - will be soon be hitting the bookshops.

For the past two years we have produced a Year Book chronicling the events that have been reported in the View from Lyme Regis in what was generally considered to be one of the busiest periods in recent history.

As Francesca does most of the reporting in Lyme these days, she is busily putting the pages together and the publication will soon go on sale.

It will record all the events that made 2012 such a special year for Lyme with the Jubilee and Olympics and feature all those who made the news and were  featured in our columns.

With the Year Books for 2010 and 2011, it will form part of the modern day history of Lyme.

EVENT OF THE WEEK...

SOME readers have enquired why I don’t include “Event Of The Week” in every column, as used to be the case.

There’s a simple answer to that: frequently there are weeks now that I don’t attend an event in Lyme.

Since the View from series became a part of the Tindle Newspaper Group in April of last year, I have a greater management load with responsibility for producing 15 weekly newspapers across the region.

I also write quite a bit of editorial for our East Devon papers and recently the group launched a new weekly in the city of Gloucester which is edited and produced at our Lyme office. 

So a greater burden has fallen on Francesca to attend most Lyme events and edit the Lyme edition.

But I did manage to get along to Lyme Regis Pantomime Society’s production of “Dick Whittington And His Cat” last week and thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Now I’m the first to admit that panto is not everyone’s cup of tea. And as very few of our reporters relish covering such productions, particularly out in the villages where the humour is, now how shall I put this without causing offence, a little agricultural, I seem to end up doing more than my fair share. 

So by the time I got to the Marine Theatre last Thursday I was a bit pantoed out. But I always like seeing my hometown panto and the best thing about it is watching youngsters treading the boards for the first time.

At Lyme you always know you will see a professional portrayal from Tina Paveley in the principal boy role - and there’s usually one or two who also catch the eye.

This year Gemma Hatton (nee Rattenbury) was the undoubted star of the show in her dame role, showing impeccable timing and great comic delivery.

Take a bow also 17-year-old Melissa Denslow, who was making her debut in the principal girl role playing opposite Tina Paveley from whom she will have learnt much.

And well done to Kathy Smith for putting it all together in her joint role of producer/director, possibly the youngest in the area, almost always with a smile on her face!

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Caroline Paul

BORN in Dorchester in 1963, Caroline Paul was just 18 months old when her family moved to a rundown 300-year-old property, near Cerne Abbas. Nearly 50 years later, Caroline still lives there with her parents and teenage son, running it as Giants Head Caravan & Camping Park – a “rural touring park for healthy walking types.” Leaving behind a career as an independent financial advisor, Caroline began running Treasure Trails Dorset five years ago.

WHAT are treasure trails?

There are more than 55 walking, driving, cycling and bus treasure trails across Dorset. Each trail has clues that you need to find and solve to lead you around a route. They are designed to show you the best historic and picturesque sights of a location, whilst entertaining the whole family at once. The trails involve either solving a murder mystery, following a treasure hunt or carrying out a 'James Bond' style spy mission. Each answer eliminates a suspect or a location until you are left with just one - the whodunnit, the location of the hidden treasure or the code to deactivate the device. They are award-winning activities that get the whole family out and about exploring.

HOW did you get involved with them?

I first met Steve Ridd, who started Treasure Trails in Cornwall, at an air show in 2004. Steve stood out because of his lively, fun attitude. I bought a couple of trails and both were fantastic. Steve emailed me a few months later to say he was looking for someone to write trails in Dorset and would I be interested.  As my parents were getting a bit older I thought it would be a great thing for me to do, to reduce my hours as a financial adviser and work from home writing the trails while helping them with the holiday park.

HAVE you always enjoyed walks and the countryside?

I have always been a country girl and have always loved the countryside. My favourite trails are those that explore some of the lesser-known villages. I love to find out all I can about the history, local stories and any gossip from the locals.

HOW do people respond to the walks?

I do get some great feedback from Trailers. Here are a few: “Absolutely fantastic! This is the third one I have done with the kids, fabulous!” (Swanage 4 Kids Trail). “Did it with friends on a brief holiday in Weymouth and they loved it - saw things we would normally miss!” (Weymouth Town). “A lovely way of exploring different places and noticing things overlooked before.” (Bridport Town)

HAS anyone got horribly lost following your clues?

Not that I am aware of – or maybe they are still lost! After I have written the trails I always, without exception have someone else to check them. I give them the trail and I follow behind with a clipboard taking notes just in case I have written “go left” and it should be “go right”.

HOW do you find new routes or themes?

I have so many trails that I want to write. Whenever I am out I very often divert off the main road down narrow roads looking for new places to explore, you wouldn’t believe what can be hidden away. Dorset is just wonderful for all those hidden secrets. Who has lived here, who was born here and who is buried here, but I am not going to tell you any secrets, you will have to check out my trails! I also get asked by people to write new trails. Sometimes it is possible but in some cases although they live in a lovely part of Dorset there is just not quite enough to write a full trail, so I make a note and keep these for future driving trails.

WHAT is your favourite journey in the world?

My father had always wanted to go across the Rockies in Canada before he got too old (he’s 81 now) so about five years ago I arranged for him, his older(!) brother, my son and myself to go. We went over Christmas and it was fantastic. My mother decided to stay home as she could see how much work it would be looking after two pensioners who have spent nearly 80 years squabbling (like brothers do) and a teenager. I still think this was my favourite journey.

WHO living or dead would you most like to go on a walk with?

I suppose I could be really corny and say Pierce Brosnan because he could rescue me with one of his James Bond manoeuvres but that would be fibbing. It’s Pierce Brosnan because he is just gorgeous to all us middle-aged women.

WHAT would be your ideal destination after a long walk?

Back home to one of my mum’s roastie dinners – yum.

DO you Sat Nav?

Only when I have to, I am a country girl and a lot of this techy stuff goes way over my head, I have only just learnt how to turn on my son’s iPhone and that is as far as I have got with it.

WHAT is your earliest memory?

I can remember sitting in a pram or pushchair passing lots of metal railings. Apparently before I moved from Dorchester my mother used to walk with me by the Dorchester Hospital where there were lots of metal railings.

WHEN is the last time you had to say sorry?

Sorry, me? You’ve got to have done something wrong to say sorry! Only joking, probably to my son, I seem to say sorry to him every day but I really don’t know why, maybe to try and keep the peace when he is having one of his teenage tantrums.

Trails can be download from www.treasuretrails.co.uk or available in booklet format from Tourist Information Centres and various retail outlets or direct from Treasure Trails Dorset.

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Jim Larcombe

IN March 2011, young architectural consultant Jim Larcombe decided to go it alone and set up his own business. Despite doing so in the middle of a recession, his Lyme Regis-based company, named Jim Larcombe Architectural Consultant, has gone from strength to strength and he has just opened a new office having previously worked from home. Jim, 22, was born and bred in Lyme Regis, attending the Woodroffe School before gaining an ONC and HNC in Building Studies at Exeter College.

WHY did you decide to set up your own business?

The idea of setting up my own business has always appealed to me and, with plenty of local contacts through Lyme Regis Football Club and friends of the family, I gradually started picking up private work. People thought I was mad setting up a business in the middle of a recession but I always had plenty of support and it has certainly paid off. To date, I have taken on over 120 projects in slightly under two years. I currently have freelance help from an RIBA registered architect, a couple of architectural technicians and some office help - business is booming! 

WHAT services do you offer?

The architectural services that we offer include measured surveys, which are used primarily to help with the design stage, carrying out surveys for Land Registry plans, a full design package which can include a 3D model of the proposal along with freehand concept sketches and 2D drawings as necessary for planning applications. We will take on any size planning application anywhere in the country. We also provide a full set of Building Regulation drawings and offer a site supervision service.

WHAT job are you most proud of to date?

I have recently gained planning permission for an ultra contemporary project in Lyme Regis, in a cul-de-saq of traditional 1970s bungalows. The client knew it was not going to be a straightforward application and gave me a year to obtain planning permission but the application was turned around in just two and a half months. This has given me the encouragement to take on more ambitious projects. 

WHAT would your ideal architectural job be?

I would love to get my hands on a new housing estate and design some contemporary new builds rather than your traditional pitched roof, uninspiring new builds that are so common these days. We are so fortunate to be in an area with fantastic countryside and coastal views that  need to be maximised. 

HOW do you hope to expand your business in the future?

Within the next five years I am hoping to open another office, not far from Lyme Regis, and try to maximise the current workflow. This will not only establish the business outside of Lyme Regis but also provide more jobs for local people, which is something I am all for. 

TELL us about the Upkyme school project you’re involved in...

I have been quite fortunate to help Mrs Ethelston’s Primary School in Uplyme try to obtain planning permission for a new school. I approached a team of volunteers in May 2011 with a view to help in whatever capacity. It was early days of being self-employed and I wanted to try and integrate myself into projects going on in the local area. I was later appointed along with three other consultants to assist the school on an outline planning application, which was successful. The school had been trying to obtain permission on this site for around 25 years and to be part of a team that helped to achieve this gave me great satisfaction.

WHAT do you like about living in Lyme Regis?

I have a great passion for the town and it gives me great pleasure to have an office in Lyme and I’m fortunate to still be able to live here. I love the fact that you are no more than a 10-minute walk to the seafront, although the walk back up the hill isn't so enjoyable! 

WHAT would you add to the area if you could?

The town is crying out for low-cost housing. It is extremely hard to be able to work in the town and afford to buy a house here. I am willing to help any potential developers who would be interested in trying to provide this option to first-time buyers.  Also, having moved into my new office three weeks ago in Church Street and seeing near miss after near miss right outside my window, it would be nice to see a one-way system put in place, or traffic lights to be installed further up the road towards the London Inn. 

WHAT are your personal interests?

I’m a member of Lyme Regis Football Club and it is something that I am only too happy to help out with in whatever way possible. I have been involved with the club since I was four years old. If you haven't been up there, I strongly recommend giving it a try. I was fortunate to be able to help out when it came to building new changing facilities and I designed the extension. Granted, the building isn't the most aesthetically pleasing in the world now but it provides the additional space required. It’s something the whole club should be very proud of. 

WHAT would you do if you won the Lottery?

Obviously I would build my own house, it’s a dream that I hope comes true one day. I would also invest in new premises for the business and attempt to create as many new jobs within the town as possible. I would make sure that the football club was financially sound and would donate money to both Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation. 

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