WHAT have Thomas Hardy, the Channel Islands and majorettes got to do with one another?

The answer, is that, rather astonishingly, the Port Bredy All Star Majorettes (so-called after Thomas Hardy’s name for Bridport) are going to be representing the majorettes of Britain at the Jersey Battle of Flowers Parade in August.

This is yet another example of a phenomenon on which I have often commented in this column – namely, the seemingly inexhaustible capacity of West Dorset to produce groups and societies and voluntary bodies of every conceivable kind.

But I have to admit that, even knowing this, I would not have guessed that there would be a majorette troupe locally.

And yet, this is exactly what there is. What is more, the group is obviously highly active, since I understand that it is the only such group to be present at the Jersey festivities.

The existence of majorettes in West Dorset may, of course, be dismissed by some readers as a matter of only passing interest. But I think this understates the amount of good that these groups do and the subtle ways in which they contribute to our society by providing young people with constructive activities.

As the Majorettes themselves point out, their participation in this aesthetically pleasing pursuit requires the participants to be able to act on instructions, to work as a team and to develop individual skills. By providing them with attributes that will surely equip them better for later life, activities of this sort contribute to society in a way that sitting in front of a flat screen all too often fails to do. They literally add a third dimension to what, for far too many of our young people, is increasingly becoming a two-dimensional world.

I cannot end without mentioning that, although the Troupe is basically financing its journey to Jersey by itself, there is still a shortfall and the Troupe has a fundraising page that can be found via a 'Donation' link on the home page of its website; www.portbredyallstars.co.uk