2:39pm Tuesday 16th February 2010
THE VILLAGE hall was packed to the gunnels for the mid-February Village Café in aid of the refurbishment plans for the village pond but also to say an enormous “thank you” to Peter and Ann Martin on their retirement from the Post Office, Portesham and also for all their extra help over 21 years to the village people.
It seems like the end of an era now that the village is temporarily without a Post Office, but plans are going ahead for a part-time service with the view to having a permanent fixture in the long term.
Everyone seemed very sad to see Ann and Peter retire and so many villagers had turned up to wish them well and let them know what a wonderful asset they have been to the village and to wish them every happiness in their future retirement.
William Whiting gave an introduction, a donation collected from all the villagers was made by Colin Roper followed by Rev. Ada Whittock presenting a glass dish from St. Peter’s Church and a lovely bouquet from one of the children.
Ann and Peter were overwhelmed by it all and thanked everyone for their generosity and kind words.
The next Village Café will be held on Saturday, February 27 from 10am to noon when the hosts will be Portesham Short Mat Bowls Club.
The talk was given by Mrs. Pat Robinson, a really charming lady and great speaker, who held the position of housekeeper at Ilsington House for eight years to include giving guided tours around the house with historical facts about the people and their lives whilst living there.
The scandal involved one of the 15 children, a daughter Sophia, of King George III whilst on one of their vacations in Dorset when the King enjoyed “taking the waters” in Weymouth, as he disliked Brighton.
Sophia gave birth to an illegitimate son that was immediately removed at birth and fostered to a Weymouth mother with a baby son born the same night and the boy was adopted at the age of eight to Major General Garth and named Tom Garth to be brought up as a commoner, well educated but his history kept quiet.
The whole talk on Tom Garth’s life revealed the intrigues that royalty kept under wraps in those days when the word of the King was law, a very interesting talk which kept us all spellbound with the addition of some humorous events that took place during Pat’s time at Ilsington House in Puddletown.
The WI will be hosting the Village Café on Saturday, March 27 and the next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9 when the talk will be “Three Cheers for Enid Blyton” the author we all know and love by Mrs. Vivienne Endicott - watch out members for an unusual tea break!!
Jonty brings with him two different musicians, pianist Nadia Sheriff and guitarist Chris Allard and the trio perform their own unique arrangements of classic jazz taken from the Great American Song Book including Cole Porter, Gershwin and Berlin and pays homage to the late Nat King Cole.
Last year Jonty kept us entertained with wonderful music and his lovely smile with us coming away wanting more, so don’t miss this year’s performance!
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