The May 2024 edition of the Bride Valley News can be read HERE

BRIDE VALLEY NEWS

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

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Litton Cheney Parish Council – Village Assembly/Annual Meeting - 14 th May Along with the rest of the Bride Valley villages, other than Burton Bradstock, there will not be a contested parish council election on 2 nd May. Nominations were received from five residents:- Bill Orchard, John Firrell, Andrew King, Quentin Blacke and new councillor, Rob Matthews. As Litton Cheney has capacity for seven councillors, in due course we will be given permission to co-opt two more people. After more than 17 years on the Parish Council, Bella Spurrier sadly decided it was time to step down. As sheep farmer and vintner, Bella’s brief was to keep the council informed and advised of various happenings on the local agricultural scene and countryside. Thank you, Bella, for your dedication and sage advice over many years. Rest easy – time for others to pick up the spoils of farming and viticulture. As previously mentioned, our former Parish Clerk, Maggie Walsh, has retired, and the position has now been assumed by new Clerk Lucy Beasley who also clerks for Shipton Gorge. We will be formally saying goodbye to Maggie at the Village Assembly on Tuesday 14 th May at 7.15pm. Please make every effort to come along and join in our thanks to Maggie for a job very well done. At the Village Assembly we will also be discussing affordable rural housing. This subject is being discussed throughout the shires of England in an effort to identify appropriate places where affordable houses could be located. A cross section of residents in Litton have been asked to offer up their written opinion, and the results of that “consultation” will be revealed at the Village Assembly. You will have a chance to add your own thoughts to this important issue at the assembly. Please come. Bridge over Tranquil Waters After the amazing success of the Litton Cheney Bench Fund, we do not intend to rest on our laurels or indeed our benches! There is an urgent need for a new bridge over the stream at Chilcombe. Walkers of all types who walk that way (so to speak!) will no doubt be very aware of the state of the current bridge. Dorset Council have offered to match fund us if we can raise £500 towards a sustainable and lasting bridge. The public right of way is virtually impassable at the moment, so your help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact:- Quentin Blacke 07919 905588 if you would like to make a donation or obtain more details. A fund-raising Village Cafe will be held in the near future and we look forward to your support at this event. Full Fibre – Superfast Broadband For the latest news on our transition to full fibre via Openreach click here Litton and Thorner’s Community Hall - LATCH Events at LATCH – for May Weekly: Mondays: 3.30 – 4.30 pm Big Q Church (Term time only) Tuesdays: 4.45 – 5.45 pm Short Mat Bowls (Ron Davidson 01308 482661) 6.00 pm – Pilates (johanna@larkpilates.com 07920 421783) Wednesdays: 4.45 pm - Table Tennis (Ron Davidson 01308 482661) 7.00 pm – Mindful Movement with Jane Hutchins (07882 527697) Thursdays: 9.15 – 11.15 am First Steps Toddlers (fortnightly, term time only) Special: Thursday 2 nd : POLLING STATION in Meeting Room Thursday 2 nd – Film Night “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” starts at 7.30 pm Tuesday 14 th - Village Assembly – starts 7.15 pm Monday 20 th – Gardening Club meeting 7.00 pm Saturday 25 th – 9.30 am Tai Chi (Andrew Howard 07912 107950) Village Cafés: A reminder that 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 – contact me to book a date. Hall Bookings/viewings: Wendy Firrell 01308 48253 Litton Cheney – May’s BVN 2024 D-Day 80 th Anniversary On 6 th June this year we as a Nation will be commemorating the 80 th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in 1944. Much of the coastal area along our Dorset shores were used in the lead-up to the invasion to ready the allied troops and that very much includes the Bride Valley. We will be commemorating this anniversary in various ways, but if you have a story to tell we would like to hear it. Please contact John Firrell, initially by email jfirrell20@gmail.com, so we can piece together the story of the D- Day Landings, and the part the Bride Valley played in making it happen. Many thanks. Easter Sunday’s Great Litton Duck Race A superb event organised by Sam/Ralph Daubeney and Andy & Liz at The White Horse which resulted in proceeds after payment of winnings of £744. £500 has been donated to children’s hospice, Julia’s House, with £244 being held in reserve for village causes. Details of how this amount is accounted for will be made known in the BVN in due course. Well done, and thank you to all who participated and made the day special. Bride Valley Bingo Fundraising Group On March 22nd the Bride Valley Bingo Fundraising Group held an Easter Bingo event at LATCH. Thanks to the wonderful people who turned up to play bingo and support Riding For The Disabled (Dorset), we were delighted to raise £825. I would also like to thank all of the Fundraising Group for all of your loyalty and hard work at every bingo event. The Bingo Group started as an experiment in 2019 and I am proud to have the pleasure (along with the rest of the Fundraising Team) of being able to present these Dorset based charities with a worthwhile donation. We are trialling a Summer Bingo this year on FRIDAY JULY 26TH and hope that lots of Bride Valley residents will support us in our next endeavour. Watch this space!! Jackie Horsley

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