Puddletown

  • IMPROMTU, the ladies' choir from Surrey, and Dulcima, a newly-formed ensemble of local ladies - Margaret MacLeod, Nicki Brunt, Julie Lewis, Marion Bishop, Jean Maddison, Hilary Hills and Linda Brown - were in concert at St Mary's church to raise funds for the church.

The event attracted an audience of 100 people, and was arranged by Margaret MacLeod.

Formerly a member of Impromptu, she has become a founder-member of Dulcima.

I was privileged to be a guest at this wonderful concert in which both choirs gave stunning performances.

Impromptu was a finalist in the BBC Radio 3 choir of the year competition for 2008, and was also a finalist in the Good Housekeeping choir of the year 2009.

Many beautiful songs from across five centuries of music were performed.

My own very special favourites were Fields of Gold by Dulcima, and You Raise Me Up by Impromptu, but I think every member of the audience might have named a different favourite.

During the interval, wine and delicious refreshments prepared by the ladies of the church events committee were served on tables outside the church room on this pleasant and sunny evening.

The sum of £330 was raised for church funds.

Bere Regis

  • A PATROL of six scouts from Bere Regis won the Dorset county camping banner.

The banner is proudly displayed in the Scout Hut!

Congratulations to them and thanks to everyone who assisted in any way, says scout leader Chris Gall.

To get there they had tied-first in the district banner earlier this year, he added.

The scouts had to erect their sleeping tents, a store-tent and a dining shelter, prepare a patrol cooking area and safe wood-cutting area, and cook for themselves.

Congratulations to the patrol of: Abbie Fellows Koura Stuart Rowan Findler Seb Cowan Cameron Findler Thomas Unitt-Jones.

A big thank-you to all the leaders and helpers who helped get everything ready and prepare the scouts.

Chris ended by saying that everyone in the scout section was involved and contributed towards this achievement!

  • PETER Wharf reports for the parish council on its July meeting.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, August 12 at the Drax Hall at 7pm.

The public is most welcome, and there is a public participation period at the beginning of each meeting.

There will be an open forum for all parishioners to attend on September 18 and we hope that all the organisations and businesses in the village will be invited to talk about what they do.

It will run from 10am until noon, and be followed by a light lunch.

At our recent regular meeting with the police we asked them to concentrate their efforts on three areas over the next few months

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1. Actively monitor excessive speed by the school during school hours

2. A greater police presence over the summer holidays, to respond to any anti social behaviour

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4. A programme to reinvigorate the old neighbourhood watch scheme (now called homewatch)

There will be another village tidy on Sunday, October 24.

Our last one was particularly successful.

Please make an effort to join in this year.

It is not hard work, will be great fun and the more who help will contribute to a cleaner and more attractive village.

Following last month's meeting where we heard about speeding traffic past Chamberlaynes, we are writing a letter to Dorset county council to ask them to consider a variety of potential traffic calming measures along this stretch of road.

We are going to hold a village walkabout at the start of the next parish council meeting following the period for public participation.

We hope to be on the move by 7.15pm, and our itinerary is roughly as follows. Stanborough Close, Bitchams Mead area, Elder Road then along the Boardwalk, crossing over the bridge through Souls Moor to Egdon Close

Next we go to Rye Hill by Rye Hill Close and White Lovington returning to Drax Hall for the remainder of the meeting

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This visit concentrates on the southern end of the village following last year`s focus on areas north of West Street.

Please come out and talk to us if you see us on the walk and you have any issues you would like to make us aware of.

One hundred and nine people attended the open session in the Drax Hall on Monday, June 28.

So far there appears to be a clear majority for the parish council’s proposals and we will report in more detail when the final figures are in for all of Purbeck.

  • POP IN Place thanks everyone who supported its show Music, Flags and Glad Rags.

Some wonderful comments have been received about the show, and every member of the cast enjoyed performing enormously.

A profit of £700 was raised.