The Park District Community Newsletter is now "Under New Management" and as such, is experiencing a few teething problems, so in the meantime, until such date as the newsletter drops once more onto our doormats, here is the latest list of dates for our diaries from The Park Community Centre/ Waterside Weymouth Community Forum.

The Waterside Weymouth Community Forum is holding a Public Meeting at The Park Community Centre, Chelmsford Street, Weymouth on Wednesday October 16 from 7pm. This will be your chance to meet and talk with your Councillors, Dorset Fire & Rescue, and the Melcombe Regis Police SNT. A Weymouth & Portland Council Officer will be there to talk about the Emergency Services. The meeting is open to anyone and everyone, obviously get there early to get a good seat, and the Forum look forward to meeting Residents of the area. An invite had been issued to Wessex Water, but they are unable to attend and instead have issued a statement on the strategic flooding scheme which will be passed on at the meeting.

There will be another Give & Take Day on Saturday October 26, from 10am until 12 noon. The Community Centre will accept most things with the exception of food or drink, electrical items or large items of furniture. Please contact the Community Centre if you wish to drop off a large amount of "surplus to requirement" items. I am still in the process of emptying my home of all the well intentioned purchases and gifts that I have accumulated over the years, so I can see another few bags (at least) heading down from my direction!

Community Quiz

The previous Community Quiz night on Saturday 5 October had 57 residents turn up in 11 teams for a hugely entertaining evening, organised by John and Cynthia who was the quiz mistress. The 11 teams provided a very close contest with a tie for the runners up prize yet once again!

The prizes were eventually distributed as follows :- "Val's team" - winners,  "Bowlers" and "Ping-pong players" - tied runner ups and "Gooseberry Tarts"- mystery prize again!.

The next Community Quiz night is on Saturday November 16 , starting at 7pm. As always the entry fee is £3.00 per person, and you can come along in a team or be made into one on the night. The entry fee includes for light refreshments, and it is because of this that the organisers ask for quizzers to declare their intention to attend. On previous very successful quiz nights, volunteers have been caught whizzing along the streets with extra chairs, tables and food. As always , if you think your performance will be enhanced with a sip or two of the falling over liquid, please feel free to bring your own along, but remember you will also require a means of opening the bottle and something to pour it into.

The Annual Christmas Sparkle Evening will be held on Saturday December 7, Tickets will be £5.00 and include a buffet. and can be purchased directly from the Community Centre any weekday between 10 am & 12 Noon. Previous years events have been very successful and were enjoyed by all, so dont miss out, tie a knot in your stocking as an aide memoir, but most of get your tickets purchased ahead of time, as once again, all the volunteers need to know exactly how many to cater for. It wouldn't be fair to divide a portion of cheese cake, bag of crisps, a mince pie and a cracker between a whole table of 8! Tickets will be available shortly.

The Forum Chairman, John Morse has asked me to remind everyone about a couple of housekeeping tips now the darker and colder months are drawing in.

Firstly - Light up and wise up, NO its not about smoking! instead its about when you have to turn on your lights in the evening, lets make sure we pull our curtains, close our blinds etc. If we don't show off our valuables to a thief they might not consider our homes a worthy prospect. So be sensible and aware as they may start viewing your valuables as Christmas gifts for theirselves.

Secondly, - lets continue being good neighbours. If you havent seen your neighbour in a while (especially the elderly ones) please give them a knock and see if they need any help with their shopping or with just life in general. One day, (with a few exceptions) it will come to us all, and I know I would like to continue to live in a community that cares for each other.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Macmillan Coffee Morning Each year it just keeps getting better and better, surpassing the previous years total and this year was no exception. Genny Burchill would like to send out a huge thanks to all helpers, donators and supporters who made our Macmillan Coffee Morning at the Park Community Centre on Friday 20 September such a success . They raised a total of £239.75 on the day which nearly doubled last year's total. Well done everyone for your help in supporting such a worthwhile cause.

News from St Johns Church - Revd Tim Greenslade  Dates have been entered into the dairy for Carol Singing in the Park District on Wednesday December 11 and Thursday December 12, meeting at the Community Centre at 7pm. If you have never done this before, I can highly recommend it. Each year it leaves me with a feeling of comradery and community spirit. As we wander around the Park District and choose a lampost to stand under and sing our hearts out, when residents either open their doors or curtains to look and listen to us certainly makes me feel like I , (and the rest) are passing on Christmas Joy & Seasonal spriit. Again, you dont need to be an expert singer to join in, you can either remember the words or use a carol sheet, (provided by the organisers), there are no rehearsals, just turn up on either or both of the nights and sing your little hearts out. Warm clothing, scarfs, gloves, santa hats, perhaps a torch are all recommended.

Sunday December 22 - "Carols Outside " consists of a short service of carols and a reading or two outside in the car park followed by mince pies, he has also issued an invitation to the Waterside Singers to come along a perform a couple of carols , so if you would like to join in with the singing, its not too late to come along on a Monday afternoon and join in with the Waterside Singers Rehearsal/practice sessions from 14.15 until 15.30. The sessions are run by Anna , and includes a 15 minute warm up before a whole hour of singing. First sessions are free, its very informal, you dont need to read music, or written english in order to take part!

& Finally  Rock Choir comes to Weymouth!

At last September saw the highly successful singing concept "Rock Choir" finally stretch out its vocal muscle and hit Weymouth. In our area, the sessions are run by Stacey Hobday in 2 locations around Weymouth including Radipole Primary School on Wednesday evenings between 20.00 and 21.30. Again, as with most of the choirs in the area, the first session is FREE! Once again there is no need to know how to read music, infact its no use at all as you are not given anything other than words, and nobody needs to audition to join. It's a friendly group of men and women of all abilities and ranges, & there is parking onsite. So far  its been interesting and different, being back at school and singing away has certanly brought back a whole heap of memories. I am almost expecting to find a locker with my name on it and a pair of plimsoles inside.  The other venue is Upwey & Broadwey Memorial Hall , Victoria Avenue , Upwey , Weymouth  on Thursdays between 10.00 and 11.30 am. So if you like to sing a more modern and upbeat style of music, with the chance to perform in a huge massed choir, bigger than our Coastal Voices choir,  then maybe this is the outlet for you! It certainly seems as if The Park District, if not Weymouth, has certainly got the "Sing"  factor, (its going to take a while before we all reach the X level). Maybe one of the next questions at the Community Quiz night should be how many choirs does Weymouth & Portland actually have, and name them all! Certainly might be a tie breaker and a half!