Abbotsbury and Langton Herring

Abbotsbury

THE Abbotsbury Litter Picking Team are doing sterling work trying to combat litter louts in the village

For over a year now a team of dedicated residents have regularly been picking up rubbish that has been left around our village.

Being a tourist hot spot the volume of visitors we get is enormous but they are not the only culprits.

The idea originated from an Abbotsbury Residents Corps (ARC) meeting when one of the members mentioned that, on a recent trip to America, they had noticed that some of the streets had been ‘adopted’ by various local groups and the idea was adapted for Abbotsbury.

Each member of the team is responsible for looking after a section of the village.

The West Dorset District Council provides bags and gloves and the task is undertaken at any time to suit the individual.

More volunteers are needed. Please contact Dave Stevens on 01305 871629 if you can help out.

MUSIC For a Summer’s Afternoon is the theme of a lovely afternoon concert on Sunday, 27 June in St Nicholas Church John Bryden, piano and Calum Robertson, clarinet will be performing pieces by Brahms, Vaughn Williams, James Macmillan and Bliss.

Tickets are still available at £10, including a refreshing summer drink of sangria or elderflower presse.

Contact Abbotsbury Music for tickets on 01035 871532 or 871475 or email info@abbmusic.org This concert organised by Jean Channon our retired district nurse and viola player with Abbotsbury Music Festival our local music charity is raising funds for St Nicholas church.

The pews have padded seat cushions but you may like to bring an extra cushion, I always do.

IT is always heartening to hear that this column is read!

As a result of the report about the St Catherine’s Candles service in May with its theme of our local missionary Harry Vine Norman, I received a phone call from his great niece Miss Gillian Norman.

Her family history is too long to detail here but she was able to tell me that Harry was 32 when he was martyred in China and that there is a memorial stone on Portland..

Gillian is keen to know if there are any of Harry Vine Norman relatives out there who would like to get in touch with her.

Gillian can be reached on a Weymouth number 01305 816992.

Local author Nigel Melville of Wheelwright’s tearoom in Rodden Row has written a book entitled ‘Flight of the Crane’ all about Harry Vine Norman’s history, which is an interesting read.

THE memorial service for John Wade took place on Saturday, 12 June

His widow Christine said that it would be something out of the ordinary for that much loved extraordinary man.

Indeed it was but also a relaxed and moving service full of warmth and family memories.

Their boys Marcus and Max had put together a slide show of family photos, which was shown throughout the service on a big screen.

Rosie sang ‘Amazing Grace’ – Rosie sings with Tim Laycock our Dorset folk singer and composer.

Friends and family read tributes to the packed congregation.

So we gleaned that John, brilliant mechanical engineer, husband and father was also a bit of a maverick; loved boats, fast cars, dogs and cats, children, pretty women, entertaining and fun, couldn’t cook and loved constructing things and did a bit of bodging and building.

He always endeavoured to be the best at everything, and he was a true gentleman.

He led his work force at the MoD by example, nurtured latent talent and raised an Award for outstanding endeavour.

The congregation left the church to the beautiful voice and guitar of Sandy Denney.