Support your Village Hall (From Dorset Echo)

Support your Village Hall

8:25pm Monday 14th February 2011 in Community

AFTER its recent (expensive) redecoration, the village hall looks great. Sadly, though, the Valentine’s dance had to be cancelled because too few people bought tickets to make it financially viable. This was the third recent event to fail in this way.

Support of community activities is what generates the income to maintain and operate facilities like the village hall. Without that support, they would soon fall into decline and disrepair, so the old cry arises: “Use it or lose it”

Meanwhile, Naomi Vincent has had to give up the task of Booking Secretary. A replacement will be in place soon, but for the time being the contact for bookings is the Hall Chairman, Sandy Jordan – the mobile phone number remains the same (07521 966252) but there is a new e-mail contact address bookingsecretary@gmail.com.

• CALLING all naturalists, and anyone who is interested in any aspect of wildlife. Why not get involved in an audit of the wildlife of this parish – one of the activities identified in the Osmington Community Plan? It would be a very interesting project, as well as useful in these changing times In 2008, a group of people at Sutton Poyntz asked themselves what wildlife was there, how they should document it, and how they could protect and enhance the habitats for the wild plants and animals. From this was born the Sutton Poyntz Biodiversity Group (to see more, visit www.suttonpoyntz.org.uk). John Newbould (01305 837384) and Dave Emery, the leaders of the group, are keen to help to get a parallel group going in Osmington. Accordingly, they will be in the village hall on Saturday, March 5, from 1.30 to 4pm, to meet all those interested, with an exhibition and presentation at 3pm, showing the work that has been done at Sutton Poyntz. Admission is free, so come and find out more. You don't have to be an expert, just prepared to make observations, keep a record of what you see and feed the information through to a central point. Young or old - age is no barrier!

• ST. OSMUND’S church needs help! With the assistance of other volunteers, Nigel Hunt has done a magnificent job of maintaining the churchyard for several years, and we all owe him a sincere debt of thanks. However, the time has come for him to retire from the task. A willing volunteer is therefore urgently needed to take over the management of the churchyard, if it is not to slide into neglect, and undo all Nigel’s good work. If you could devote a few hours of time to looking after this attractive part of the village environment, contact Nigel on 832886, or any member of the ministry team.

• THE Recorded Music Society has now returned from its temporary residence at the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church. The second programme from there was on January 17, when Laurence Knight presented “Requiems and Remembrances”. Excerpts from many of the great Requiems were included, beginning with Verdi, but there were others less well-known, including Suppe and Samuel Barber. There were also a couple of items included in remembrance of musicians with whom Laurence had worked. These included a most moving account of Sibelius’s “Swan of Tuonela”. In striking contrast, a moment of levity was Tom Lehrer extolling all to give free reign to their prejudices with “National Brotherhood Day”.

Back in Osmington on January 31, the society’s treasurer, Michael Hart, presented “Colonials and Others”. This was a very varied programme with Copland leading for that ex-colony the USA, together with some great choral singing from Africa, and Percy Grainger representing Australia. Programmes in February include “Pick ’n Mix” with Arthur and Margaret Werrett, and a visit from Ken Stone of Wimborne Recorded Music Society presenting “Fortissimo, Pianissimo, Fortissimo”.

On March 7, Geraldine Morgan, a new presenter, will be introducing “A St David’s Celebration”, and on March 21 Jim Davis of Dorchester Hospital Radio presents “The Beethoven Symphonies as Written”.

Meetings start at 2.15pm on alternate Mondays and last for about two hours - refreshments are included. For more information call Brian Bishop on 833225, or e-mail blbishop@waitrose.com.

• THERE is a plan to hold another plant sale day in May in aid of church funds. So, when you are sowing seeds, pricking out, or splitting clumps, please raise a few extra plants for St. Osmund. More details will be published in due course.