Kingston (near Corfe Castle)

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News from Kingston - 2009

The following ‘News from Kingston’ is provided courtesy of ‘The Dubber’ which is published monthly and which also includes news from sister parishes of Langton Matravers, Worth Matravers and Harman’s Cross.

 

December 2009

First, an apology. I failed to mention the wedding of Carley and Kristian from Honeysuckle Cottage. It fell between two editions. It was very much a village affair with Darren Lock being best man. I am sure that the bride’s late arrival, due to accidents on the road from Dorchester did not spoil the day. Belatedly, we wish them every happiness.

From our point of view, Hallowe’en was a very pleasant occasion. Four parties came to the door and they were all very well behaved and very charming, as were the accompanying adults.

The next jollification is the Christmas Party which will be held in the Scott Arms on Wednesday, 23 December. For details, see the flier.

There will be a concert of carols in church on Thursday, 17 December at 6.30pm. It will be given by the Purbeck Arts Club Choir and children from St George’s School – one of so many good reasons for keeping St George’s in Langton.

On Sunday, 15 November, the Mayday singers came to sing a concert of Remembrance and take part in a sung communion. It was a solemn, but beautiful occasion. We were honoured that Dave Cook chose Kingston for his last concert as conductor of the Mayday singers.

We must welcome a newcomer to the village. She is Girlie Notley. She replaces poor Misty who died at the human equivalent age of 112. We hope Richard will be able to keep up with her.

George Pitman

 

KINGSTON TELEPHONE BOX

British Telecom have put up a notice in the phone box and have written to Corfe Castle Parish Council to say that the telephone is not being used sufficiently to continue the service (32 calls were made in the last 12 months) and they state that full mobile network coverage is available here.

BT is therefore offering the local community the opportunity to adopt the telephone box (without the telephone equipment) for the grand sum of £1 so that the kiosk can be retained in its current location. Corfe Castle PC have replied to BT that they don’t wish to adopt it, or any of the threatened kiosks in the parish.

However, Kingston’s telephone box was listed 20 years ago when BT wanted to replace the old fashioned K6 red box with a modern glass kiosk. Little did we think then, in the pre-mobile phone era, that we would be possibly protecting the structure from its entire removal – in those days on an August evening there was often a queue down the pavement of campers waiting to phone home while they were here visiting the pub!

Purbeck District Council has told Corfe Castle PC that they will advance an ‘in principle’ objection to any proposal to remove telephone equipment in a listed red phone box. But if PDC don’t succeed, perhaps Kingston would like to adopt the phone box? Fans of ‘The Archers’ will know that Ambridge adopted their phone box for use as an information booth. What about using the Kingston kiosk as a stall selling surplus village produce to passers-by, with the proceeds going to the church?

Fiona Wake-Walker

 

November 2009

Nothing world shattering seemed to have happened in my brief absence, for which I am very grateful.

Harvest has been the feature of the past month. The service was well attended. The church was beautifully decorated with flowers and produce by Sue Ireland and her helpers. By Monday evening, the church had been transformed. One long thin table stretched from the West door to the Chancel steps and it was covered in green and white squares; Sue Ireland’s work again, amongst many other things which she did for the supper. It looked like a medieval banqueting hall; I hasten to add that the behaviour of the diners did not try to compete with their forebears – it was all very decorous. The main courses were cooked by the Scott Arms - and very good they were too.

They also supplied plates and cutlery which they washed up. This was a terrific bonus to the organisers! We had a record attendance of 58 of all ages. It was good to see Simon from the pub there with his family. There was a good atmosphere and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We need to thank our auctioneer, Simon Philips, for getting through the sale of the produce so efficiently and raising £64. Thanks are also due to Peter and Cynthia Buckle for all their efforts before, during and after the event. They raised £89 from the raffle. Peter has a knack for getting money out of people!

The same few names keep coming up with regard to organising things in the village. There is no monopoly. Those involved at the moment would gladly welcome help and ideas from others. Do not be afraid, volunteer! Have ideas!

We are pleased to welcome newcomers to the village – Mick and Dodie Gould. They have come from West Sussex to retire in Foreman’s Cottage. Mick still does some consultancy work, but has time to be a volunteer on the Swanage Railway. He used to come to Swanage on holiday as a boy and they have always visited the area as a family. We hope that they will be happy here.

Poor Dave Dennis is suffering from a very bad hip. He went for tests in Poole and was told that they could not do the operation there and that he would have to go to Bournemouth and start all over again. He has no idea when he will be operated on. We wish him well, at this difficult time.

To keep you going through the dark nights, there is the prospect of a Christmas party in the Scott Arms. Watch out for the date in the next Dubber.

George Pitman

 

SAD DAY FOR MAYDAY SINGERS

There will be an afternoon of ‘Music for Remembrance Day’ on 15 November in Kingston Church. In true Dave Cook style the music for the service will be led by excellent string and brass players as well as the MayDay Singers. It will be a sad day, however, for the singers, as it will be Dave’s last time conducting them.

Nearly 20 years ago, MayDay was formed to sing from Langton Church tower at 6am on 1 May - something we continue to do. Two years later Dave agreed to be our Music Director and soon there were weekly practices and regular concerts. For 18 years, the singers have benefited from his talent, patience and unpaid time and had fun learning and performing a wide range of music, whilst raising money for a number of charities. The MayDay singers want to say a big THANK YOU, Dave - we will certainly miss you.

We owe many thanks, too, to Di Cook, who has filled up her (or is it Dave’s?) wardrobe with music and kept careful track of it, concert by concert, over the years.

We hope to find someone to take over the baton so that MayDay can continue to give concerts (anyone out there?). In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you at Kingston.

Sue Haysom

 

October 2009   

The nights are lengthening and Kingston is quieter, so autumn is on its way. In fact, it has seemed like that for some time. The sun may be shining, but there is a sharp breeze and gardens are beginning to be tidied up.

Talking of gardens, Harry Dennis has had another success at the Harmans Cross Show - 17 firsts, eight seconds and three thirds, two Cups and best in show for his leeks. This year, he won the prize for the longest bean, which he lost by a fraction of an inch last year Look out for his pumpkins at the Square and Compass in October. Growing them seems to be easy compared with transporting them to Worth. Well done Harry, though you might find yourself banned next year!

There has been another success in Kingston. Emily Girkins has won a place at St Peters, Oxford. There were only fourteen places on her course, so it was a wonderful effort.

I feel we do not do justice to our young people, but they and their parents are very reticent about their successes and I only pick up news second or third hand. And we do want to recognise the achievements of our young people in whatever they do.

We now have the final figures for the Fete. The gross takings were £4739 and the net profit was £4282. The calendars are going well and there are still some left. By the way, I discovered that the first fete was held in 1936, to raise funds for the church. Sir Ernest Scott was persuaded by the rector, the Rev. F.S.Horan to allow it to be held at Encombe. Sir Ernest agreed, provided it ended by 11pm. There were coloured lights, the village band supplemented by some Corfe players and in the evening the Kingston Jazz Band played for dancing. There was also a bar. It raised £170. What might that be worth to-day?

The main concert season is over and the final one given by Zonda was particularly good. There is a report below. We have another entertainment to come on Monday, 12 October – the Harvest Supper. Keep the date free. Details will be found elsewhere. Sue Ireland would like all offerings of produce, flowers or general decorations to be left in the Church porch before or on Saturday, 10 October.

Sadly John and Ruth Lewis are leaving us after an all too short stay. They are moving nearer to their family.

If there is any breaking news after 12 September, You will have to wait until November, because I shall have filed my copy and gone away by then.

George Pitman

 

CONCERTS

On the last weekend in August, this year’s season of five Kingston concerts in St James Church came to a triumphant close with an exhilarating performance given by the Zonda Ensemble.

The zest, skill and precision of this young wind quintet, all of whom had recently graduated from one or other of the London music colleges, was inspirational and relished by a sizeable and warmly appreciative audience.

The group chose an eclectic programme of pieces, some written specifically for wind quintet like Ibert’s Trois Pièces Brèves and some cleverly adapted for the purpose like Mozart’s Magic Flute Overture and Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm..

The quality of their playing was all the more remarkable given that the group had to reconstitute itself at short notice and re-rehearse when faced with some unexpected but unavoidable late withdrawals.

With planning for next year’s series of concerts already underway, this is perhaps the moment to thank Judith, our Priest-in-charge, for her enthusiastic support; George Pitman for his expertise and patience in organising the series; Cynthia and Peter Buckle, Sue Ireland and Rosemary Pitman for their help, without which the season would not be possible; and, perhaps most of all, everyone who came to look and listen, and, hopefully, enjoy.

Robin Stringer

 

September 2009

Normally, we lead a quiet and tranquil life in Kingston, but on Saturday, 8 August that all changed. The wedding bells from the church competed with Shindig from the Scott Arms who had to compete with the music from a wedding reception down Kingston Hill. Well, it seems that there is life in the old village yet. Robin Stringer has written about Shindig. Kingston has odd acoustics and affects different houses differently.

It is good to see that the Scott Arms is doing well. Its success does attract many more people and this causes parking problems. It is difficult to find an answer, especially in a village which was built before the invention of the internal combustion engine. If anyone has any ideas, please write to the editor.

My completely unscientific weather forecast for the Fete proved correct. It did not rain. There was not a lot of sun, but that kept people off the beach and they came to Kingston. At the moment, the total takings stand at £4262. Of course there are further income and expenditure to be taken into account. The final figures with a breakdown will be put up on the notice board at the Church gate.

It is thought that 1000 people came and they seemed to enjoy themselves. There was a very happy atmosphere about the whole event. We must thank Peter Buckle and Sue Ireland for their hard work throughout the year and also our Treasurer, Joan Hustwitt who manages to remain cheerful in very difficult times.

This might be the moment to mention the church and charity. According to the last calculations the monthly cost of keeping the church open for worship was £1100. This figure is made up of insurance, heating, lighting, church and churchyard maintenance and our contribution to the Diocese towards clergy expenses (pay, pensions and housing). Our monthly income was £650. This will have gone down as the expenses will have gone up.

The shortfall of £450 has to be met from fundraising and donations. This would appear to leave nothing for charity, but we do share the proceeds of the Open Garden Day with Cancare and we take part in the Lent Lunches at Langton which have raised money for Under Tree Schools.

This year we have to spend money on security to allow the church to be open every day and on the west end Rose window. We do appreciate the villagers who help and the handful of regular church goers.

We are working hard to make up the difference. The Kingston Calendar has done well thanks to the efforts of Terry and Greta Hardy and Robin Stringer. There are still a few left, so hurry, hurry, hurry! Call in at Badgers, South Street, or phone Greta Hardy on 481197. There will be a concert in the church on Saturday, 29 August at 7.30pm to help with the repairs. It will be given by Zonda, a Wind Quintet of recent graduates from the London Colleges. It should suit all tastes - Haydn to Gershwin.

There will be a peal rung on Sunday, 20 September, 1.30-5pm by a group of ringers from London. A great honour.

George Pitman

 

THANKS...

Grateful thanks to all of the volunteers for setting up the Fete site, for helping on the day and for clearing up after the event. Thank you.                               

Peter

 

...AND MORE THANKS

A big thank you to absolutely everyone who helped in any way at Kingston Fete. There are far too many to thank individually - you were all wonderful - thanks. It’s looking like we had a good day and amazingly it didn’t pour with rain.                 

Sue

 

THE SHINDIG

It was quite an epic. Two and a half months in the planning, last month’s open-air Kingston Shire Shindig at the Scott Arms brought together no fewer than six bands and eight individual artists, all local and all giving their services for charity.

Scores of families came to listen throughout a sunlit afternoon and evening and helped raise some £1,500 for Julia’s House, the children’s hospice in Corfe Mullen. Of the total, £500 came from a bucket collection and £1,000 from the bar takings, which was donated by Simon and Ian, new proprietors at the Scott Arms.

Overwhelmed by the generosity of the response, the event organiser Michael Joyce wants to thank everyone involved, particularly Dave Brock and his assistants, Gary and Andy, who provided the all-important sound system, and local farmer Steve Fry who provided the acoustic straw bales.

At the same time he is concerned that some villagers were upset by the continuation of the Shindig until late at night although he wants to stress that everyone adhered strictly to the licensing restrictions which allow music outside only until 11pm and inside only until midnight.

Inevitably at such an event, there was noise and car parking issues, particularly as people made their way home at close of play and these loom large in a village that treasures the peace and quiet of its location.

There may also have been initial misunderstandings about the timing, duration and purpose of the Shindig, which could have been avoided had the village been more thoroughly forewarned, but fears that such events will become a frequent occurrence at the Scott Arms are far from the mark as far as Michael is concerned.

However, he would like to stage a similar event there next year in aid of Julia’s House and, for anyone who can’t wait until then, he is also staging another outdoor concert at the Royal Oak in Swanage on 19 September; this time for two good causes, Julia’s House and Hope Family Homes, a charity for needy children in Kenya.

Robin Stringer

 

August 2009

KINGSTON NEWS
If you are in any RNLI shop you should look out for a copy of Lifeboat Heroes. It is written by our own Edward Wake-Walker. It has been very well reviewed. However, it does come with a warning: You may need a box of tissues as you read the moving and heart warming accounts of those who have selflessly put their lives on the line to save others. It is beautifully written with lots of photographs.

It is good to see the painters at work on the Scott Arms. It has lost its tired look and you are encouraged to go in. This is good news.

You will soon be tired of hearing about the Fête on Saturday, 15 August, but do come along and bring all your friends and relations. Rain cannot strike twice, or can it? No, definitely not.

George Pitman

ST JAMES CHURCH FÊTE

A final call! Anyone who can help in any way; setting up on Friday, helping at the fete and on the stalls, either ring Peter Buckle on or Sue Ireland or turn up on the day and offer your services to them. We still need produce, books, good quality clothes, cakes, toys and tombola prizes. You can bring them on the day or phone Sue in advance and she will pick anything up.

Peter Buckle

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Relentless rain on the night of the July concert at St James Church had the organisers fearing that no-one would come. In the event, intrepid musicians and music~lovers turned out in force and made the occasion a thoroughly rewarding one.
In concert were two local ensembles, Purbeck Brass and Pieces of Eight, a close harmony group from the Dorset Police Male Voice Choir, appearing together for the first time. Alternating throughout the evening, the two groups proved to be a winning combination.

From Purbeck Brass, the audience got not only an invigorating taste of traditional brass band music with marches, hymns and songs culminating in some rousing singalongs but a bit of the history of the movement as well from group leader Colin Bright.

From Pieces of Eight, currently only six-strong but no less mellifluous for all that, came a rich mix of songs and spirituals interspersed with a few light-hearted poems delivered with gentle humour by the group's front man Spencer Challenger.

Proceeds were shared between Julia's House, the Dorset children's hospice favoured by Pieces of Eight, and Kingston church itself, now in greater need of funds than ever following the recent discovery of serious damage to the stone and iron work of the rose window.

The last concert of the season at St James on Saturday, 29 August, will introduce the Zonda Wind Quintet, an exciting young ensemble comprising recent graduates of the Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music playing music by Haydn, Mozart, Ibert, Patterson and Gershwin. There is a Dorset connection. The group's bassoonist Andrew Huntriss, who has also performed with the Bournemouth Symphony, is the son of cellist Elaine Huntriss, who Kingston concert-goers may have heard performing in the church with the Clayesmore School back in April.
Robin Stringer

KINGSTON CALENDAR

The Kingston Calendar in aid of St James Church will be on sale at Kingston Village Fête on 15 August. The price will be £4.99. Advance orders can be accepted: Call Greta Hardy. If this is a successful venture a calendar for 2011 will be considered, the theme to be Village Life. So, bring your camera to all of the local activities between now and next June, and you may well feature in the 2011 edition.

Greta Hardy

 

July 2009

Oh dear! What have we done wrong in Kingston? Two wet fêtes and a wet Open Gardens Day. Is it significant that there is a stained glass window in the church of Noah holding his ark? Surely our luck must change? If only to cheer up poor Peter Buckle who is very depressed at the thought of the Fête He is not getting a lot of support and for that reason we are repeating his plea for help from last month. Come on everyone, cheer up Peter!

We were up against it on 7 June. It rained and we were in competition with Harmans Cross. They had organised a bus to take people round their 26 gardens over a period of two days. Our aces were a Town Crier who did good work in Swanage the day before and in the village on the day; his red coat cheered up a dull day. The Church Tower was a bonus, but views were not too good on the day. However, it is no good whinging. We did make a profit of £728. And that will be split 50/50 between Cancare and the Church. The breakdown was as follows: Entrances £360, refreshments £281, tower £66, plants £70, expenses £49.
In the end it was not too bad a day and the people who visited the gardens were particularly kind and complimentary.

We await the outcome of the Calendar Project. The PCC is to discuss it on 22 June. The organisers have received a number of photographs, but more are needed. Please pass them to Terry Hardy at Badgers, South Street or Robin Stringer at 5, The Lane.

There will be a concert in St James on Saturday, 11 July at 7.30pm. It will be quite light hearted. A small group from the Dorset Police Male Voice choir will be singing close harmony interspersed with pieces by the Purbeck Brass. It won't matter if it rains or shines, you will come away with a smile on your face.

George Pitman

THANKS...
A big thank you to everyone who opened their gardens, rang bells or provided refreshments for Kingston open day. And thanks to Joyce Lock, the Buckles and Sue Ireland for organising it.

Judith, Priest in charge

 

...AND MORE THANKS
We should like to thank Joyce Lock in particular, who was a great inspiration and all those who sold tickets, put up signs, supplied and served refreshments, organised the Tower, the Town Crier and especially those people who opened their gardens. Sue Ireland & Peter Buckle

ST JAMES CHURCH FÊTE
The Church Fête on Saturday 15 August would still be most grateful for items for the following Stalls. We should also be most grateful for volunteers to help on the day. If you are willing to help us, contact Peter Buckle. We need volunteers to help us set up the fête site and dismantle at the end of the day. Also volunteers to work with us during the afternoon. Stalls: Books (Honor Vass; Bottles (Angela Lardner); Bric-a-brac (Liz Watson); Cakes (collection point 16,West Street or you can take cakes to the Church on the morning of the fête); Plants (Joyce Lock); Tombola-Sue Ireland; Toys (Fiona Wake-Walker); Good Quality Clothes & Raffle. If you would like items collected, contact Sue Ireland . Peter Buckle can arrange for storage of donated items.

Peter Buckle

 

June 2009
I must begin with an apology. Ben Coles and Carly Brown have been living in Number three South Street since February and they have not been welcomed to the village. I think I have been having an excessive hibernation. Sorry. Carly has already been of great help in advertising Kingston events in Corfe, Wareham and Wimborne. When I looked up the Kingston Website, see last month's edition of the Dubber, I was somewhat surprised to see my Dubber articles on it. I need to explore it further.

Apart from two concerts, there does not seem to have been a lot happening in Kingston this month. Many people must be too busy getting their gardens ready for Sunday, 7 June. We hope the Open Gardens Day will be well supported. For those who are not classical music enthusiasts, I would recommend the concert on 11 July. Close harmony and some jazz.

George Pitman

 

YOUNG STARS
Two inspiring concerts in St James by students from Clayesmore and Lytchett Minster schools came as a welcome antidote to the depressing drip-drip of news in the media that music provision in schools is in decline.
Those of more advanced years who had the pleasure of hearing them at the end of April and the beginning of May were bowled over, not just by the obvious talent on display, but by the maturity and self-confidence of these young performers. With infectious enjoyment, they played and sang a wide range of music from Purcell, Bach and Mahler to Charlie Parker, Richard Rodgers and the Beatles, the singers especially responding to the wonderful church acoustic.

So, in the two upcoming summer Saturday concerts on 11 July and 29 August, the first shared between Purbeck Brass and Pieces of Eight, a section of the Dorset Police Male Voice Choir, and the second given by the Zonda Wind Quintet, the adults will have something to live up to.

Robin Stringer

 

ST JAMES CHURCH FÊTE
The plans for the Fête on Saturday 15 August are progressing. We should be most grateful for items for the following Village Stalls. Please contact the stallholder as shown. If you would like items collected, contact Sue Ireland and she will collect if you give her some notice. Peter Buckle can arrange for storage of donated items. There will be a collection point for cakes at 16, West Street, Kingston (Rosemary Pitman) or you can take cakes to the Church on the morning of the fête.

We should also be most grateful for volunteers to help on the day. If you are willing to help us, contact Peter Buckle. We need volunteers to help us set up the fête site and dismantle at the end of the day. Also volunteers to work with us during the afternoon. Stalls: BOOKS- Honor Vass; BOTTLE STALL-Angela Lardner; BRIC-A-BRAC-Liz Watson, ; CAKES (tbc) collection point is 16,West Street, ; ; PLANTS -Joyce Lock, ; TOMBOLA -Sue Ireland, ; TOYS - Fiona Wake-Walker, ; GOOD QUALITY CLOTHES, PRODUCE & RAFFLE all tbc. Peter Buckle

 

May 2009

KINGSTON WEBSITE
If your family has lived in Kingston for several generations, then I would love to hear from you with any stories or photos you can share. I host the 'Kingston' website which is dedicated to making information about the parish of Kingston, its churches, buildings and, of course, its residents from days gone by available for genealogical esearch. Please take a look at the website now at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/carthorse/kingston/home.htm to see what information you can add. Please email me at kingstonopc@ntlworld.com Thank you.

Martin White

KINGSTON NEWS
I am happy to say that the Teddy Bear Event was seen for what it was -an April Fool Joke and no one turned up. The news of a Kingston Calendar did cause a slight flutter amongst the ladies. They were worried how to bake a cake large enough to hide behind. No, it was not going to be that sort of Calendar. It is on hold at the moment as the cost of production is rather high.

It is sad to mention that recently, in the churchyard, daffodils have been picked and dogs have left messes. It is quite obvious that neither should happen.

On a more wholesome note, the Purbeck Chamber Choir Concert was much enjoyed. We hope that the same will have been true of the concerts given by Clayesmore School on Friday, 24 April and the Musicians from Lytchett Minster School on Saturday, 9 May. It's not often you have the opportunity to hear teenagers playing a clarinet and trombone concertos.

Margaret Harris has really excelled herself. Would anyone who was at her ninetieth birthday party have believed that she was ninety? She had organised it all herself. It was a superb event. The food was outstanding and well served, generous drinks, great music from the Belvedere Singers and then the cake.

There were so many people there too. To top it all, yet another great grandchild arrived for Margaret on 21April. Oh and she had a family party near Oxford. What stamina! Thank you Margaret. By an amazing coincidence, John and Ruth Lewis had another grandchild on 21 April as well.

The Scott Arms has new landlords - Ian, Simon and Cynthia. They are leaseholders and not managers which is good news. We welcome them to the village and wish them all success.

The Village Open Gardens Day will be on Sunday, 7 June 1-6pm. Details are elsewhere in the Dubber. Any cakes, quiches or scones would be gratefully received in the church on the day. Anyone who could help with lunches or teas should let either Sue Ireland or Peter Buckle know.

George Pitman

MY 90TH BIRTHDAY
Thank you for all the beautiful cards, good wishes, flowers etc., that I had for my 90th birthday. I am so privileged to live amongst such thoughtful and generous folk, and I am quite overwhelmed by your loving kindness and appreciation. Thank you for a birthday filled with love and laughter, happiness and fun. I can certainly recommend being 90!

Margaret Harris

 

April 2009

We thought that we had finished with snow in the last issue, but no, there was an unexpected fall later in the month of nine inches. We were lucky that there was no wind otherwise there would have been some nasty drifts. There was an unusual sight of a tractor with a snowplough on the back, coming down West Street. It cleared the road, but piled the snow up against the cars, so that it was difficult to get out without a spade. There was another snowperson built and even the builders were not sure of its gender. As these objects are manmade I suppose they have no gender. At the west end of the church an igloo appeared -for the snowperson?

You have to be careful when lighting your fire at this time of the year. Two residents in South Street came home from holiday and immediately lit a fire to warm the house up and found that their chimney was on fire and the Fire Brigade had to be called. While they were away the birds, probably jackdaws, had built a nest in the chimney and it had caught light. Talking of bird, the ravens have started visiting us again, but do not show any signs of staying. They fly about and perch on the church tower and keep the other birds away. I think they just come up here from the Castle to do their courting.

Our three ladies, Winnie Hobbins, Audrey Duffy and Mary Gibbs have all returned from hospital and are recuperating. Sadly Audrey's eyesight is not so good, but she is well looked after by her sister in Swanage and her sons. We wish them all good recoveries.

There was mention in a respectable broadsheet that there was to be a Great Dorset Dinner on Saturday, 7 March. This was to raise money for Julia's House and Naomi House, children's hospices. These dinners were to take place in houses all over Dorset. Unfortunately, the article did not mention our own dear Purbeck Ice Cream among those who gave their local products free. The article interested me for two reasons. There was to be a dinner at Encombe House and the male dress code was rather unusual. Black tie was essential but, at some dinners, jeans or nudity were fine or even to dress as the Cerne Abbas Giant as long as you had a black tie - the mind boggles. Well, good luck to them all and we hope they raised a lot of money for a very good cause.

PARACHUTING TEDDY BEARS
We do hope that as many people as possible will be able to be at the Teddy Bear Parachuting Competition. They will be jumping from the church tower at 4.30pm on the first Wednesday in April.

Sue Ireland would grateful for any flowers for the Church for Easter Sunday. Could you leave them in the porch 10-10.30am on Easter Saturday. If you would like to buy a lily in remembrance of a loved one to be included in the flower arrangements for Church at Easter, please ring Marian Holloway by 31 March. She has to order well in advance to be sure of purchasing the required number.

MONEY RAISING
The PCC has decided, in an effort to keep the church open all the time, to install gates in the church to protect the organ. By doing this we shall fulfil the requirements of the insurance company and at long last people will be able to visit the church without having to go to a key holder. Certain articles in the church will also have to be made secure. Of course this will cost money but it was felt very important that it should be done. The money raising efforts of the church will go towards this project this year. It has been mentioned that we might consider a Kingston Calendar. It is only an idea at the moment, but it would be helpful if, at this juncture, anyone who might have some photographs of Kingston could give their names to Judith, Terry Hardy, Peter Buckle or George Pitman. No promises, but we are just exploring the possibilities.

George Pitman

WALK TO SWYRE HEAD
On Saturday 28 February the Swanage Walking Group walked to Swyre Head from Corfe. At 203 metres high, Swyre Head is the highest point in the Isle of Purbeck. We could not see Cherbourg but we had some excellent views. We could see the Isle of Wight up to Blackgang Chine, Poole Harbour, Weymouth and Portland Bill.

On the way back we saw a kestrel hovering over the path by Encombe House. There was a memorial seat for the crew of two aircraft who had died in World War 2. One was a Swordfish that had crashed in 1938; the other was a Liberator that had crashed in 1945. Comparing the two aircraft shows how quickly aviation had developed during the war. The Swordfish was a single engine biplane with an open cockpit whereas the Liberator was a four engine American bomber. Robin Brasher

 

March 2009

At the time of writing, February will be remembered for its cold and snow. We have not had great falls and the Hill has been kept open and gritted, but once into West and South Street it got very slippy. Should we perhaps ask for a bin for salt and grit so we could do our own gritting? At times it was very difficult to pull in and out of the side of the road because of ice.

A concert had been arranged for the afternoon of 7 February, but it was postponed until 18 April. The performers were coming from quite a long way away and were uncertain whether they could get here. However, a number of concert goers turned up and sadly had to turn round and go home.

However, there was a bright side to the snow. A very fine snowman appeared in the churchyard, complete with face and red nose, or rather a carroty nose. Am I allowed to assume it was a man, could it not have been a woman? I am sure it was a man. The nose was very unladylike and who would go out and make a snowperson? Unfortunately when the thaw came, HE disappeared very quickly.

The weather was entirely suitable for the snowdrops under the chestnut trees. They are clumping up nicely so now we won’t have to go to the old churchyard to get our fill of snowdrops.

We have no news of a new landlord at the Scott Arms. The official comment is No Comment. According to the Daily Echo, there was a very brief visit to Encombe by Sir Richard Branson to view the property. Maybe, we should not hold our breath.

George Pitman

PALE & INTERESTING STRANGER
An unusual visitor arrived in South Street, Kingston recently... some residents were looking out of their window when they spotted a ‘stranger’ on the lawn. This stranger was small and white with a black tip to its tail, and was very lively. On consulting reference books, it was confirmed as an ermine. In Scotland and the North of England the stoat, on moulting out its summer coat in the Autumn, grows a pure white coat with just a black tip to its tail. The conjecture is that this would help the animal stalk its prey in frosty and snowy conditions. This white winter coat is where the stoat gets its name of ermine.

It is very unusual for a south country stoat to change colour in this way as the weather is not usually cold enough to stimulate the change. Maybe, the extra cold snap we had in November 2008 is the reason that this stoat, after moulting out its summer coat, changed to ‘ermine’. Maybe Mother Nature had a way of warning of this long cold winter that we have been having this season.

Greta Hardy

 

February 2009

We still seem to be catching up from Christmas. There was a record congregation in St James for the Christingle Service on Christmas Eve. There were 198 children and parents. Everyone was taken by surprise. No one had expected so many but by careful juggling everyone got at least a share of an orange. Well done Peter, Fiona and Greta and all those who helped to prepare the oranges and worked behind the scenes. The bell ringers extended Christmas into the next week by successfully ringing a full peal. This compensated for the fact that they were unable to ring on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. There are just too many churches and not enough ringers.
Just before Christmas I discovered something very special going on at Lower Scoles Farm. They had produced a limited edition of Crimbo Pudding Ice Cream. It was amazing and should, in my opinion, replace the real thing. But then I am hardly an arbiter of fashion. You might be lucky and pick up a tub at the Langton Post Office or Clealls. Hurry, hurry, while stocks last. There are new flavours coming out in February, but they are under wraps at the moment, but do go and look for them. During the year Purbeck Ice Cream have won two gold medals at The Great Taste Awards for their Banana and Crimbo ice creams; this was a National Competition, the food equivalent of the Oscars. At the Taste of the West they won a silver medal for their Stem Ginger. Well done!

This may be stale news, but it was sad to hear that Lord Lichfield had withdrawn his bid for Encombe House. He would have been an ideal owner. We gather that the property has been taken off the market for the time being.

Audrey Duffy is still staying with her sister in Swanage, but is gradually improving and has been up a number of times to check on her house. We hope she continues to improve. She certainly sounded quite perky on the phone.

Last month we promised we would write more about

 

January 2009

It is sad that we start the New Year with the news of the passing of John Lock. He had been ill for a long time, but he carried on as though nothing was the matter. He was a very brave man who showed great courage. John was born in the house on the side of the hill on the way to Chapman's Pool and apart from a few years away, he lived in the village all his life. He had many jobs but his heart was in Kingston with Joyce and his family. I hope we shall be able to write more about his life later on. People came from far and wide to pay their respects to John. The church was full - a very moving occasion. After the service in church, the family went to the crematorium and returned to join friends in the Scott Arms for very generous refreshments. We are all thinking of Joyce and her family.

It often happens that as one soul leaves this world another comes in and we are cheered by the arrival of Jamie Hale at Farriers. He and mother were home in five hours and he weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces. Welcome Jamie!

On Thursday, 18th December there was a Carol Concert in St. James. It was given by the St George's School Choir, the Purbeck School String Quartet and the Isle of Purbeck Arts Club Choir. The music and the church complemented each other well. The church was warm and beautifully decorated. The young people performed extremely well and the adults were not bad either! It was great to be able to give the children the chance to perform in public outside their school environment. It was a lovely occasion.

St James has been busy. The next evening it hosted a village party. There was a good cross section of the village there and quite a lot of children. We could always do with more, but things are looking up. Unfortunately, the management committee was reduced from five to three as a result of a very virulent bug. I hope it did not show too much. The guests saved your correspondent from burning a hole in the mulled wine saucepan, but he is now paying the penalty and is scouring the pan. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves.

The Pembrokes are moving back to London, due to James's work commitments on the Oldie, but they will still be down most weekends and much of the holidays.

I am not best pleased with the editor, as I see that he now puts the name of the author under each article. My cover is blown! But maybe no one reads my piece in any case.

George Pitman