Martinstown

IN spite of the efforts of delivering notices to every household in the village the recent Saturday saw a very poor attendance in the Martinstown Village Hall and grounds.

The occasion that deserved good support was the Charity Fun Day held in aid of the Dorchester Opportunity Group's 'One in a Million' campaign'.

Hopefully they will let us know how successful the event was.

THE sound of church bells stopped me in my tracks as I wondered whether one of those senior moments had me missing an important event. I knew it was not the wedding of local farmer's son, Tom, as he was marrying in St Mary's, Dorchester.

Therefore, I retraced my steps and discovered a coach from Tiverton near the church. It was doing a tour of churches in this part of the world and a group of bellringers from Lydford were ringing in all churches on their tour and Martinstown benefited from their expertise.

This day was further enhanced by meeting an ex-village lass who happened to be on the Green, although I did not need to be reminded of when she attended the village school.

Gillian Samways, as she then was, moved away but that did not stop the flow of 'do you remembers'.

TOM King’s reception was held at the family farm, I had seen the marquee being erected in the neatly mown field.

That did not prepare me for the sight of the wedding guests, when I witnessed fashionably clad people who would not have disgraced an Ascot race meeting.

Here the resemblance ended for it was not the sport of Kings they were about to witness but something infinitely more rural, that of ferret racing!

I gathered it was in aid of a worthwhile charity, which for me makes it Wedding of 2009.

VILLAGE news certainly reaches beyond the parish boundaries since a Weymouth resident asked whether it would be possible for her to join the WI party at Moreton Church to learn more of the two Lawrences, Whistler and Arabia.

THE recent fundraising event in aid of Cancer Research UK, Evening Serenade and Race for Life, raised a total of £1,007.

Alison Crawford wishes to thank all those people who helped make this a successful event.

Meanwhile, Alison herself well deserves praise, without dedication from folk like her these events just wouldn't happen.

OUR Police Community Support Officer, Sarah, will be at the Stevens Farm shop 1.30pm-3pm on August 19.