The Bridport Local Area Partnership (BLAP) is here for the community. Current members of the partnership include Bridport Town Council, 9 Parish Councils and more than 80 community organisations and individuals working to improve the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of Bridport and surrounding areas. For information or if you have a piece you would like included in the BLAP Bulletin, please contact Jo Hughes by email at jo.hughes@bridport-tc.gov.uk Grace and Growl - 10th Anniversary Performance: Collect 3 Grace & Growl are a Bridport-based mature dance performance company. To celebrate our 10th year of dance performance for over 55's, join us for an evening of live dance, films and magic at Bridport Arts Centre this Friday 15th May at 7pm. Also collaborating with No Limits and Bridport Youth Dance, Collect 3 will showcase older dancers and evidences how movement is so important for our health and wellbeing. Tickets are available here. Bridport Community Charter Fair The Bridport Community Charter Fair will take place this Saturday 16th May from 9.30am - 3pm at Millennium Green, Mountfield and Bucky Doo Square. A full programme of events is available here and will include music, food & bar, community stalls, children's area, maypole dancing and presentation of awards. From Street to Sea - Bridport's Mass Litter Pick Please join the Street to Sea litter picking teams across town this Sunday 17th May at 10am. For an hour of your time you can show how much you care for our wonderful town. This is the 11th town-wide litter pick by members of the community and it helps stop litter making its way to the streams, rivers and the sea. Just turn up at one of the locations detailed below, kit is provided: • Bradpole Seal's Cove • Bothenhampton Pasture Way • Allington One Stop Shop • The Ropemakers Car Park • Morrisons Car Park • The Black Hut on East Pier at West Bay Salway Ash School May Fete The Salway Ash School PTA May Fete is taking place this Sunday 17th May from 1pm - 4pm at Salway Ash School and will include: 1. 1.15pm – Burton Bradstock Male Voice Choir 2. 2.00pm – Country Dancing with Teresa Grinter 3. 3.00pm – Martial Arts Demonstration 4. 3.30pm – Draw the Raffle! Strawberry Jam Entertainments with free balloons! Entry - adults £1, children free! Bridport Library - Dementia Action Week Dementia Action Week runs from 18th - 24th May. Pop along to Bridport Library on Monday 18th May between 10am and 12pm and chat to a Dementia and Carer Support Lead. There is no need to book, just drop in. For more information call 01308 422778. Spinning Wool and Flax Workshops Would you like to learn a new skill? The spinning wool and flax workshops provide an opportunity for free lessons on how to spin locally grown flax to make Bridport linen. Beginners will start with wool and progress to flax. Spinning wheels provided. Spinners are welcome to bring their own wheel and move straight on to flax. To book, please email: bridportregenerativefashion@gmail.com The workshops take place at Bridport Youth & Community Centre from 7pm - 8.30pm on the following Mondays: 18th May, 1st, 15th and 29th June, 13th and 27th July. Bridport Youth & Community Centre - The 'Not So Youth Club' A brand-new social club aimed at the over 50's will be starting at Bridport Youth & Community Centre from Wednesday 20th May, 11am - 2pm. Happening on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, the 'Not So Youth Club' has something for everyone including sports, crafts, book club, puzzles, cooking and more. Sessions cost £3 and a shared lunch is available for £5. Connect, create, laugh, move, learn and most importantly shape something special together. We look forward to seeing you there. Jurassic Pride - Monthly Queer Socials A social for LGBTQIA+ folk on the third Wednesday of every month at the Goose & Badger Cafe & Bar, 35 South Street, Bridport from 7pm - 9pm. Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Future dates: 20th May, 17th June, 16th July, 19th August, 16th September. West Bay Days Pirates Weekend The West Bay Days Pirates Weekend will take place on Saturday, 23rd May, from midday to 10:00pm with a Barbeque, Bar and Live Music on the Mound and on Sunday 24th May from midday to 11:00pm with Pirate Games on the Green, Café in the Salt House, Barbeque, Bar and Live Music on the Mound. There will also be fireworks at 10:00pm. View the full eventt details here. Bridport Stage Company - Juliet & Her Romeo ‘Juliet and her Romeo’ an all new edit of the classic with the focus on the young 14 year old girl caught up in a spiral of events and a family feud. In a first for this staging we are going with ‘gender blind’ which actually Shakespeare himself had in all his performances. Songs and music have been added with a cast of all ages from 9 to 69. As always Bridport Stage Company are raising funds for Samaritans - they have raised over £8,000 in the past few years. Performances will take place on Thursday 28th May & Friday 29th May, 7pm, at Bridport Town Hall, East Street, Bridport DT6 3LF. Ticket Price: £10.00 available from Bridport Tourist Information Centre or online here. Loders & Uploders Scarecrow Festival The Loders and Uploders Scarecrow Festival is back until Sunday 31st May. Walk the villages to spot your favourite villainous scarecrow. If you wish to vote for your favourite, complete the voting slip available from the Crown Inn, Uploders and both village telephone boxes and post in one of the available voting boxes before Sunday 24th May. Prize giving will take place from 5pm on Sunday 24th May at the Crown Inn. Symondsbury Parish Council - Community Champion Awards Nominations are open for the Symondsbury Parish Council Community Champion Awards 2026. If you know someone who has performed a task that has improved the local environment or the wellbeing of Symondsbury parishioners, someone who has given up their time to support local organisations in a voluntary capacity or someone who puts themselves out and gives their time unselfishly to enhance and benefit the local community and its surroundings, then please nominate them for the awards. Individuals must be nominated by another person, people or organisation and the nominee’s activities must benefit the community living or working in the parish. Nominations need to be submitted by Sunday 31st May 2026 with a Prize Giving event taking place before the end of the summer school term. The nomination form can be found in the ‘News’ section of the Symondsbury Parish Council website. Sustainable Bridport Repair Cafe The first Sustainable Bridport Repair Cafe will take place on Sunday 31st May, 2pm - 4pm at the Bridport Youth & Community Centre. Stop by for a drink and piece of cake and bring along an item for repair. If you are interested in volunteering, we are still recruiting for a range of roles including those with specialist repair skills, cake makers, tea and coffee makers and general help on the day. To get involved, please email us :repaircafe@sustainablebridport.org BLAP Members' Meeting The next BLAP Members' Meeting which is open to all BLAP Members will be held on Thursday 4th June at 2.15pm, Mountfield, Bridport. There will also be the option to join via Zoom. The meeting agenda will be circulated nearer the time. Bridport History Society - Talk The next meeting of the Bridport History Society is on Thursday 11th June when the Society will be welcoming Dr Paul Lashmar who will give a talk on “Drax of Drax Hall: Researching the Landed Gentry in Britain and The Caribbean.” 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). Membership is open to all (£12 individual/£18 couple). For more information visit: https://www.bridporthistorysociety.org.uk Wyld Morris Danceouts Wyld Morris are a Bridport based, mixed Morris side of dancers and musicians dancing in the Cotswold tradition. The side was born in the autumn of 2010 out of a love of the Morris and the lack of a local side that would accept a woman dancer! The side made its debut performance in 2011. They will be performing across various Dorset events this summer - the full event programme can be viewed here. Dorset Council Capital Leverage Fund Funding is available for community groups across the Dorset Council area to improve their local facilities and spaces. Grants can help with a range of initiatives, including: • enhancing or renovating village halls and other community buildings • creating facilities such as car parks, play areas, and multi-use games areas • upgrading theatres, sports clubs, pitches and outdoor spaces. Not for profit organisations are invited to apply for grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 through Round 7 of the Capital Leverage Fund. It is open for applications from 5th May 2026 until 10th January 2027.

The Puncknowle, Swyre and West Bexington History Group hold monthly meetings to discuss the local history of our area, and during the spring and summer months also organise history walks. Recently there was a presentation by our own historian-in-residence Paul Kingston on Litton. If you would like to know more about the group, and learn more about your local surroundings please contact Paul Bullen 07527141560 paul.bullen@icloud.com

Litton Cheney Parish Council The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Tuesday 12th May. Beginning at 7.00pm with the Parish Assembly, it is a time for local residents to catch up with their parish council, listen to the annual review, and seek answers to pressing local issues. The Assembly will be followed by the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council. Please make the effort to attend – better still, get involved and become a parish councillor! Parish Plan Slowly but surely the required elements need to be in place, before the Parish Plan steering group begins its work, are coming together. More steering group members are required, but we hope to be in a position for the group to hold its inaugural meeting in April/May. If you would like to be part of deciding Litton’s future direction, then we would like to hear from you. Contact our Parish Clerk or Parish Councillors – contact details on the village website littoncheney.org.uk There will shortly be a leaflet drop – please respond positively. What’s In a Name…. The name Litton means 'farmstead or settlement on the stream called Hlyde', 'the noisy one' (meaning loud stream, torrent) from Old English, the Cheney part of the village name came in the 14th century when the Cheney family became part owners of the manor. So, it should not be a surprise that when there is a sustained spell of rainfall that this will then emerge through the many springs that are dotted around the village. Water under pressure will find the path of least resistance and sometimes that means it may be on the carriageway, most notably on Main Street over Christmas and New Year and more recently between the entrance to Baglake and Hine’s Mead Lane. The blockage that caused the water to spill out on to the road on Main Street was an accumulation of debris in the underground water course, this debris is now just further down “stream” and needs removing. As for the water coming down from the spring at Baglake, that is an excess of surface water overloading the culvert, and unfortunately this is causing damage to the road surface. Dorset Council have looked at the issue a few times and the conclusion is that, until the water levels drop, they are unable to carry out repairs to the road surface. In the meantime, the council has placed “Road Closed” signs to avoid damage to vehicles from the raised manhole. So, please be aware, that if you chose to drive through the road closure and do damage your vehicle, then you do so at your own risk. Typically, the rainfall on the hillside takes around 3 months to drain away so repairs are going to be a while coming. Freddie & Diana Spicer On Sunday 1st March, the many local friends of Freddie & Diana Spicer came together at a bring and share lunch at LATCH. After thirty-five years of being an integral part of life in Litton Cheney, the Spicers are shortly due to depart to be near family in Wiltshire. It was a joyous occasion, albeit tinged with sadness, in celebration of their incredible contributions over the years that has benefitted the Parish Council, St Mary’s church, LATCH, BV Car Service, Litton Cheney Trust, Premier Crew, Bridport CAB, BVN distribution et al. Farewell gifts included Bride Valley Wines, two albums of memories, artwork from local artists, and a mystery gift yet to be determined. Thank you, Freddie & Diana, – you will be greatly missed! For those who missed the occasion, the three speeches that were given can be found on the village website – littoncheney.org.uk What’s on at Litton and Thorner’s Community Hall (LATCH) in April REGULAR EVENTS Tuesdays 4.45 – 5.45pm Short Mat Bowls (Ron Davidson 482661) Wednesdays 4.45 – 5.45pm Table Tennis (Paul Kingston 482162) 7.00pm Yoga with Jane (Jane Hutchins 07882 527697) Thursdays 9.15 – 11.15am First Steps Toddlers (fortnightly, term time only) OTHER EVENTS Thursday 9th 6.45 - 9.00pm BV W.I. Craft evening in Meeting Room Sunday 26th 10.00am Yoga with Nadiya Sunday 26th 4.00pm Community Church Thursday 30th Film Night “The Choral” Doors open 7.00, Film starts 7.30pm 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 The Great Litton Cheney Annual Duck Race – Sunday 5 th April 12 Noon in aid of Julia’s House Hi Everyone, Just to let you all know that the Annual Easter Sunday Charity Duck Race will take place on Sunday April 5th. We will be selling ducks from 10.30am at the start line opposite Fry’s Yard, ready for the off at 12.00noon. If you would like to be super organised, Andy and Liz at the White Horse will be selling ducks during the week before the big day, Saturday 28th March - Thursday 2nd April. There will be a BBQ at the pub with live music for post-race refreshments, weather dependent, 11.30am-2.00pm. Really hope to see you all there! Ralph, Sam, Liz and Andy Bride Valley Films at Litton Cheney Village Hall. Due to a delay in the release date for the DVD, the date for The Choral screening has been delayed. It will now be shown on... THURSDAY 30th APRIL: THE CHORAL ‘poignant and funny with excellent music’ As WW1 rages on, the Choral Society in a small English town has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral’s committee is determined to press ahead with new recruits. They engage a driven new chorus master, Dr. Henry Guthrie – recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the community discovers that the best response to the war is to make music together. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Roger Allam. Written by Alan Bennett. 1hr. 40” Cert.TBA. Doors Open: 7.00pm. Film 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) The White Horse With the appearance of lovely crocuses and daffodils in the tubs and the odd sunny day here and there, the White Horse is gearing up for Spring and welcoming customers to the garden! Our regular Sunday afternoon music is well underway and will continue every week at 4.00pm, so what better way to chill out for a couple of hours after a busy weekend? We have some great music coming up! Easter is quite early this year and the Duck Race is going ahead as usual on Sunday, 5th April at 12.00noon. ‘Ducks’ will be on sale in the pub from Saturday, 28th March until Thursday, 2nd April then from Fry’s Yard on the day. There will be a BBQ (indoor or out weather depending) and, on that day only, a band at 1.00pm! Open Easter Monday 12.00noon-7.00pm with a simple menu from 12-30pm and live music at 4.00pm. Don’t forget St George’s Day on 23rd April with evening Full English Breakfasts and English Rock with the very talented Mark Davis (booking would be appreciated). Normal service continues as we go along with fortnightly Snowball Quizzes alternate Tuesdays until the end of June and Friday Night Fish ‘n Chips, Happy Hour and Meat Draw. We hope to see you at some or all of the above. Our continued thanks for your valued custom. Andy and Liz Artsreach Shows For the time being at least, Artsreach are restricting their productions in the village to children’s events, the next one being in September. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Patricia Charlton, ably assisted by Sue Overton, husband David and a valiant band of helpers who have over the years brought some wonderful acts to the hall, finishing with a flourish with Canadian pianist Sarah Hagen in March. At that event Patricia was presented with not one, but two floral gifts in recognition of her enormous efforts to bring culture to Litton and the Bride Valley. Be Aware! Changes to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act are being put in place from Wednesday 18th March 2026. These changes will include: • An introduction of unlimited fines for owners whose dogs attack or "worry" (chase, panic, or injure) sheep and other livestock. • Police will gain stronger powers to seize dogs, take DNA samples, and enter premises. • The law now includes alpacas, llamas, along with incidents that take place on roads and paths. We hope this new update will prevent attacks on livestock in the future, Remember when walking around livestock, always keep your dog on a lead.