SOUTH Dorset’s MP helped to kick off Osmington’s Christmas celebrations on Saturday, December 1 in the Sunray grounds.  It was a fantastic day, there was a brilliant turnout and, despite the cold, everyone was in good spirits.  The market was bustling, the mulled wine was flowing and the singing was brilliant.   At lighting-up time, the crowd then gathered; Richard Drax MP gave a speech and the 25-foot tree was then lit by him and Mike Reed, the Chairman of Osmington Parish Council.  The tree looks amazing and really stands out for everyone to enjoy as they drive through the village.
The two-day event was a ‘first’ for Osmington, and congratulations and thanks are due to all those who generously gave their time and effort to make it such a success.   Special thanks have to go to The Friends of the Parish for organising such a great event, and to the Sunray management for hosting it.   There was singing by Carols from Dorset, wonderful Christmas music from the Durnovaria Silver Band and the Millstreet Jazz Band, and the children of Andrew's School Choir were a delight.
The erection of the tree was only made possible by some dedicated effort by the local team of Vic White and Steve Mansbridge, with some extremely generous support by local firms.  Mr B Crew of Station Garage, Wareham, loaned the team a trailer and a vehicle to pull it, and Vic and Steve drove to Uplyme to collect the tree on one of the wettest and nastiest Saturdays of the year.  Holly Hill Christmas Trees supplied a wonderful tree and helped to load it for the long drive home.  The use of a crane for the afternoon was very generously donated by MB Pumps of Poole and, while the rain lashed and the wind blew, the tree was lifted over the Sunray's restaurant and deposited neatly into the pre-dug hole, where it settled snugly into place.  
That was Osmington's Christmas Carol 2012 - the Friends of the Parish intend that 2013 will be bigger and even better!
AT their meeting on November 20, the chairman of Osmington Recorded Music Society, Brian Bishop, celebrated the sea and “those who go down to the sea in ships” in his programme, “Sea Fever”, including excerpts from Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, Debussy’s La Mer and Lord Berners’ The Triumph of Neptune, a ballet first performed in London in 1926.   December meetings featured the music of George Gershwin, in Jim Davis’ recital “By George” and at the time of writing, David McCririck is due to present “Osmington, the musical village” on December 17.
To open the 2013 part of the season, Anne Cleveland is due to take members on a musical tour of “Rivers and Oceans” with her programme on Monday, January 7, and the title of Laurence Knight’s programme on January 21 is “Impulse Buying”.
Meetings are held at Osmington Village Hall from 2.15pm on alternate Mondays.   For further details call 01305 262121, or email: heather.foster1@btinternet.com . New members are always welcome.
EARLIER this year Osmington Parish Council applied for one of the trees that Trees for Dorset were donating in commemoration of this year’s jubilee celebrations.   Osmington was one of the ten successful applicants and the tree was successfully planted on Saturday 1 December at the village playing field.   Trees for Dorset also provided a commemorative plaque to mark the event.
The tree is a gledista honey locust and should be around for at least the next 100 years.