Affpuddle

  • GWEN Yarker’s talk on Picturing Dorset: The Public Catalogue Foundation Project was a true delight that I would not have missed for anything!

What a joy to be able to see so many slides of local paintings that included our own Debenham portraits from the village hall, a rural scene by Newlyn School painter Lamorna Birch, Alfred Munnings, the much loved Venus Verticordia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti as well as a wealth of work by lesser-known artists.

We even caught sight of our friend and former Briantspuddle resident, Dave Penman, perched on a ladder photographing paintings for the project!

This delightful evening made a profit of £47.40 for the village hall.

  • PARISH councillors authorised the funds to buy a bus shelter for the parish at the March parish council meeting.

As residents will know, the council has worked long and hard to secure a much needed bus shelter for residents, and it is one of the commitments detailed in the parish plan.

Residents’ views were surveyed through a questionnaire and once a suitable location had been identified, negotiations have been conducted with the landowner.

The landowner has kindly gifted the necessary land and this will be acknowledged within the shelter.

Perhaps the hardest task was finding an affordable design, but this has now been achieved and with a grant from Dorset county council, the shelter has now been purchased.

It is expected that the shelter will be built before Easter.

Members were interested to hear from residents at the meeting who told the story of the dead woman’s stone.

Originally sited on Throop Moor it is believed to be a mediaeval suicide stone and has been assessed by the Dorset county archaeologist as likely to date back to the 14th Century.

During the Second World War, a Canadian army captain saw it on the moor and somehow recognised that it should probably be moved to a safe location.

This was to a position in the village and later to a private garden within the village and it is still there now.

It was felt that the stone should now be relocated to a public place and parish council members agreed.

Efforts would now be made to move this important ancient relic back into the public arena.

The Gypsy and traveller liaison officer from Dorset county council gave members an update on efforts to find permanent legal sites for travellers.

Consultants that had been contracted by the county council to identify potential sites have been reporting on their findings and these are now being investigated further.

However, government funding for the development of permanent sites has been one of the casualties of recent cut backs.

Members were keen to stress the problems that come with an illegal camp.

This included intimidation, and sometimes attacks, by dogs, rubbish and hygiene, and the fact that a camp often creates a no-go area to residents.

For many years the parish council, along with residents, have lobbied the county council for more effective minor roads maintenance within the parish.

This is mainly for issues that include cleaning and clearing obstacles from road signs, clearing blocked drains and litter picking.

Members agreed to join forces with Bere Regis parish council to pay for the services of a lengthsman who will periodically visit the parish to carry out these important tasks.