Abbotsbury

A SURPRISE presentation was made to village residents Jacqui, Roy, Matthew and Lisa Robinson on Wednesday, January 13

The Robinson family had bravely rescued their neighbour Tracee Barlow and her five children in a recent house fire.

The Friends of St Nicholas that comprises over 40 members of the village decided that the heroic efforts of the family could not go unrecognised. To this end they gathered at the Ilchester Arms to present Jacqui, Roy, Matthew and Lisa with vouchers and a splendid hamper.

Roy Robinson thanked the Friends for the kind gifts and said that there was another person who had been overlooked in all the coverage of the fire and who should be thanked and that was Kate Marsh another neighbour.

Kate looked after Tracy who had injured herself jumping for help and Jack, one of the children who had been carried to safety but who was suffering from severe smoke inhalation. So thank you Kate for your kindness too, we had no idea.

THE icy weather didn’t deter relatives and friends from attending the thanksgiving service for Peter ‘Oggie’ Hoare who died a few weeks ago.

St Nicholas church was filled to capacity on Friday, January 8 for this service.

Probably one of the coldest days of this wintry spell saw a gathering of people who had travelled the length and breadth of the country through dreadful conditions for Oggie’s memorial.

Peter, larger than life, would have been hugely amused to hear that Strangways Hall where the refreshments were laid on was without water and facilities because the pipes had frozen up. Thankfully the Ilchester Arms across the road stepped in and water was ferried over to the hall for the kitchen.

Rev Ada Whittock conducted the service and the organist was Tim Colquoun.

Several tributes were paid to Peter, a relatively recent resident, and as is often the case we locals were treated to a record of his life before Abbotsbury, unknown to us.

A military man of 18 years having joined the 1420th Kings Hussars in 1966, we learned that Oggie sailed, skid, bob sleighed and played polo for the army and even took part in the Admiral’s Cup.

He travelled to Cyprus, Hong Kong, and Rhodesia during his service and attained the rank of Major.

His life afterwards took him to Tasmania where shellfish and oysters took over his life, and he became a director of the Oyster Research Council amongst other positions.

Peter moved to Abbotsbury in 2001 and became manager of Abbotsbury oysters at Ferrybridge intent on bringing his successful Australian techniques to Dorset.

A forthright and colourful man with a heart of gold Peter always carried his oyster knife and bus pass.

Never afraid of criticising the service of oysters when he thought necessary he sometimes found himself on the wrong side of restaurateurs and had even been barred from Harrods.

How the church rang with all the male voices of his many military friends at this service.

Highly respected by all Peter Oggie Hoare will be sadly missed by family and friends alike.

TICKETS are now on sale for sing along with Mamma Mia the movie on Saturday, February 6.

The film will be showing in Strangways Hall at 7.30pm.

There will also be a licensed bar.

Tickets cost £5 and are available from 01305 871944 and 871532 and are limited to the first 50 applicants.

SADLY I report on the death of two village residents this week.

Peter Sones and Cecil Lexter had both been gravely ill for some time.

Our thoughts go out to both of their families.

Langton Herring

THE next meeting of the Chesil Bank Garden Club which serves all our villages is on Tuesday January 26.

This will be held in Langton village hall when Mr Chapple will talk on Alpines.