The January 2026 edition of the Bride Valley News can be read HERE

The deadline for copy for any month’s issue is mid-day of the second Thursday of the preceding month. All material for publication must be sent to the Village Correspondent. For Litton Cheney this is: John Firrell, Tel: 01308 482313 email: jfirrell20@gmail.com

Litton Cheney Parish Council – Next Meeting 7.00pm Tuesday 13th January 2026 – LATCH At this meeting we will decide the amount of the Parish Precept for 2026/27. Inevitably decisions being made at national and local government level will affect funding for town and parish councils, i.e., us. The message being received indicates rural communities will suffer at the expense of metropolitan and urban regions. If we want something, that in the past has been provided by the state or unitary authority, it will need to come out of parish funds. The Parish Council wishes everyone in Litton Cheney and the Bride Valley a very Happy New Year. May 2026 be all that you wish it to be. Parish Plan – Looking to the Future In 2005, Litton Cheney produced a Parish Plan which set out the hopes and wishes of village residents as to how Litton Cheney might develop and grow over the coming years, much of which came to fruition. Now 20 years later we are updating the Parish Plan and during 2026 we will be seeking your thoughts and involvement via a steering group operating outside of the Litton Cheney Parish Council. Eventually it is envisaged a new Parish Plan will emerge looking to the future and what then needs to be put in place to achieve its objectives. The Parish Plan Steering Group will need to recruit village residents who have a genuine wish in converting the collective constructive thoughts of their fellow residents into eventual reality. Are you one of those people? A copy of the 2005 Parish Plan will be placed on the village website littoncheney.org.uk – give it a read please; you will find it quite illuminating. If it inspires you to put your name forward with reference to your involvement with the new Parish Plan, then we would be delighted to hear from you. More to come on this in February’s BVN and village website. What’s on at Litton and Thorner’s Community Hall (LATCH) in January REGULAR EVENTS Tuesdays 4.45 – 5.45 Short Mat Bowls (Ron Davidson 482661) Wednesdays 4.45 – 5.45 7.00 Table Tennis (Paul Kingston 482162) Yoga with Jane (Jane Hutchins 07882 527697) from 7th Thursdays 9.15 – 11.15 First Steps Toddlers (fortnightly, term time only) OTHER EVENTS Thursday 15th 6.45 BV W.I. Greek Dancing Saturday 17th 10.45 – 12.45 Dance Connection class (07795 431004) Sunday 18th 10.00 – 13.00 Yoga with Nadiya Wynn Sunday 25th 4.00 Community Church Coming up…… Thursday 5th Feb Film Night -The Salt Path Village Cafés: The hall is available for hire free of charge on Saturday mornings for a Café to raise funds for any group. It’s a good social event for the community and always popular. Hall Bookings/viewings: Wendy Firrell 01308 482532 wtlitton@gmail.com Bride Valley Films at Litton Cheney Village Hall After due consideration we have decided that this film based on Raynor Wynn’s bestseller would be a topical one to show, particularly because of its setting... THURSDAY 5th FEBRUARY (2026) THE SALT PATH ‘thought-provoking and emotional’ The Salt Path tells the emotional and life- affirming story of a couple whose connection with the natural world helps them overcome challenges and ultimately reconnect with one another. Capturing the beautiful scenery of parts of the South West Coast Path. Starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. 2hrs. Cert.12 Doors Open: 7.00 p.m. Films start 7.30pm, TICKETS: £6.00 (to include a glass of wine) Tickets in advance from: Sally Dyke 482752, Elizabeth Kingston 482162, Bella Spurrier 482367 or on the door. (All nos. 01308)

Return to top of Page

Return to top of Page

Return to top of Page

Merry Christmas! The Chair and Management Team of the Bridport Local Area Partnership would like to wish all of our members a very happy Christmas and New Year. Thank you for your support during 2025 and we look forward to continuing this through 2026. Please note that the next bulletin will be circulated in three week's time on 6th January. Bridport Young Performers - Beauty and the Beast Bridport Young Performers present Beauty & the Beast The Musical at the Electric Palace from Monday 15th December to Thursday 18th December at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from the Bridport Tourist Information Centre, South Street, Bridport DT6 3LF or from the Electric Palace - Adults £15, Under 16's £10. Bridport Young Performers is a youth theatre group run by young people, for young people aged 9 - 25. The company aims to develop their members' performance and personal skills through workshops, trips, performance opportunities and their annual Christmas show, performed at the Bridport Electric Palace. Christmas 2025 at Bridport United Church Christmas events and activities at Bridport United Church: Thursday 18th December - Messy Church Noisy Nativity 3.30pm Sunday 21st December - Carol Service 4pm Wednesday 24th December - Christmas Eve Carol Service with Holy Communion 4pm Thursday 25th December - Christmas Morning Service 10.30am Bridport Museum Festive Fun 3rd - 24th December - Toys from the Past Stocking Trail (every day) - There will be fun for all the family with our Toys from the Past trail. Hunt around the museum to find the presents hidden in the galleries and learn about the gifts children would have received in the past. Complete a trail and enter our raffle for a chance to win a stocking full of gifts. There will be a small prize for every child. Saturday 20th December 10am - 4pm - Christmas Crafts - An opportunity to take part in a hands on Christmas craft activity making festive decorations. Christmas Eve Opening 10am - 4pm - Our museum shop is stocked full of unique handcrafted Christmas gifts and stocking fillers for all the family and will be open on Christmas Eve this year so do drop in. These are family friendly drop-in activities, no extra cost and no booking is required. Admission to Bridport Museum is free for all under 21s. Normal admission charge of £5 for an annual pass applies to adults 21 and over. Visit our shop for free. Bridport Food Bank Christmas & New Year Opening Bridport Food Bank, St Mary's Church, South Street, Bridport will be open on Monday 22nd and Monday 29th December, 4pm - 6pm. There will be no food bank on Wednesday 24th or Wednesday 31st December. Normal opening hours will commence on Monday 5th January 5pm - 7pm and Wednesday 7th January 11am - 1pm. Bridport Library Family Festive Fun Join us for an afternoon of Christmassy crafts and festive bingo on Wednesday 24th December from 2pm - 4pm at Bridport Library, South Street, Bridport, Tel: 01308 422778. West Bay Discovery Centre Christmas Opening Times We’ll be open this Christmas season on selected days, thanks to our fantastic volunteers. Come and enjoy our free children’s activities during Christmas and New Year at the Discovery Centre. We have several runaway Christmas puddings hidden around the Centre - can you help us find them? The Centre will be open on 26th, 28th, 31st December 2025 and 1st January 2026, 11am - 4pm. Free, children and family drop-in event, no booking required and donations are very welcome. Christmas Bin Collection Dates The rubbish and recycling collections over the festive period may change from your usual day from Thursday 25th December until Monday 12th January. To view the changes please visit the following link: Christmas and New Year rubbish and recycling - Dorset Council. Bridport Round Table West Bay Wallow The West Bay Wallow, also known as the Boxing Day Swim is an annual charity event that draws huge crowds and takes place at West Bay Harbour at 12pm (registration from 10.30am). If you aren’t quite brave enough to face the swim on Boxing Day, come along to watch and support everyone taking part and help raise money for local charities. There are prizes for the best fancy dress and it’s always entertaining to cheer people on. Harmony Mental Health Drop-in December The Harmony Drop-in and Community Front Room calendar for December is available to view online. You can just drop in anytime between the times shown and if you just need a quiet place, you're very welcome - our staff are here to support you. Bridport History Society - Talk The next meeting of the Bridport History Society is on Thursday 8th January when the Society will be welcoming Charlotte Nickels who will give a talk titled ‘History of Paper.’ The talk will be held at the United Church Hall on East Street, Bridport. Doors open at 2.15pm for a prompt 2.30pm start. All are welcome. Members £1pp and visitors £5pp. Bridport History Society meets on the second Thursday of each month (except July and August). Bridport Millennium Green An alternative 12th Night and celebration to welcome 2026. An evening of music and words with Rough Assembly & Friends on Friday 9th January at 7.30pm in Bridport Town Hall. Entry £12 (£10 members), cash payable on the door and includes a glass of wine and mince pie. All proceeds in support of Bridport Millennium Green. Bridport Winter Warm Venues & Food & Clothes Support Refreshments are free of charge or for a small donation at these Bridport Winter Warm Venues. They are open to everyone in the community and a great chance to make new friends and chat. No need to book, just turn up. Food and clothes support is also available from local organisations including Bridport Community Fridge, Bridport Food Bank, Bridport Clothes Bank and the Beacon Church Community Kitchen (see page 2 of the poster for details). Volunteer Centre Dorset - Training & Development 2026 Our new 2026 Learning, Training & Development programme is ready for bookings. Whether it is learning something new, doing a refresher, or joining a workshop on business planning or funding applications – please take advantage of this FREE training, learning and development for any of your team. This offer is open to staff or volunteers in the voluntary and community sector. MY TIME Young Carers - FREE Young Carers Awareness Training MYTIME Young Carers are really excited about launching Spotlight Sessions, our new free awareness training designed to help Dorset’s communities understand, recognise and support young carers.Spotlight Sessions are for any local group, club, setting or volunteer-led organisation that would benefit from knowing more about young carers. We want to reach the whole of Dorset, with a particular focus on communities where young carer awareness may be low or where families may not realise support is available.How the sessions can be delivered:• Online sessions (ideal for reaching wider areas and reducing travel costs).• In-person sessions at our new HQ in Broadstone.• In-person sessions hosted by a community group or suitable venue.• Open online sessions that individuals can sign up to (minimum of 8 participants)These Spotlight Sessions are built to be flexible, accessible and community-led.For more information, please contact: josh@mytimeyoungcarers.org Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan (BANP) Review The Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan 2020 - 2036 has been a valuable resource for the local community and has been drawn on extensively in planning related matters. It is good practice to review the plan every five years and as part of the review process, comments from the public are sought. Paper copies of review documents are available in Bridport Library, Bridport Tourist Information Centre and Bridport Town Council offices. You can also visit our website for full details: Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan - Bridport Town Council. The consultation closes on Tuesday 30th December 2025. West Bay Car Boot Sale - Grants Scheme The West Bay Car Boot Sale Grants Scheme is open until 9am on Monday 5th January 2026. Bridport Town Council manages and distributes the funds generated from pitch fees in the form of grants to community and voluntary organisations whose work benefits people living in the Bridport Local Area Partnership area. Further information including the guidance notes and application form can be found here. Dorset Council Capital Leverage Fund (Round 6) The current round of Dorset Council’s Capital Leverage Fund (Round 6) is currently open. Applications close at midnight on Thursday 15th January 2026. The aim of the Capital Leverage Fund is to support community and cultural organisations to deliver capital projects which provide new and improved facilities for our communities and residents. More information is available here. Dorset Council Draft Alcohol Licensing Policy Dorset Council is inviting feedback on its Draft Licensing Policy for 2026–2031, which sets out the principles the council will apply when exercising its functions under the Licensing Act 2003. Licensing Authorities are required by law to publish such a policy at least every five years, and the council is now seeking views during an 8-week consultation period. The Licensing Policy aims to make sure that the council promotes the four key licensing objectives outlined in the Act: the prevention of crime and disorder public safety the prevention of public nuisance the protection of children from harm Licensable activities covered by the policy include the retail sale of alcohol, the supply of alcohol in clubs, the provision of late- night refreshment, and regulated entertainment.The consultation survey is available online at: https://consultation.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/c-e/licensing-policy/ and closes on 11th January 2026. The Pilsdon Community Christmas Newsletter The Christmas edition of the Pilsdon Community newsletter is now available and includes Christmas at Pilsdon, Pilsdon's 67th Anniversary, Renovations, Comings and Goings and a word from the new Chair of Trustees. Mayor of Bridport Blog The latest edition of the Mayor's Blog is now available and features Bridport's Remembrance Parade, Harmony's 10th anniversary celebrations and AGM, All Aboard the Bridport Line book launch, Weldmar Christmas Tree and Carols at Groves and the Pymore Inn Christmas Tree lighting.