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
VILLAGE INFORMATION
VILLAGE INFORMATION
EVENT CALENDARS
NEWS
Village Newsletter October 2025
Bridport Local Area Bulletin 23 trd September 2025
CONTACTS LIST ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
Litton Cheney Parish CouncilCome and see how local democracy works – yes, really, and perhaps it might encourage you to become a councillor. We meet at LATCH, strangely enough, in the Meeting Room, and there is often much to talk about. You will be most welcome. Social media has its uses, but if you really want to know what’s going on, the village website littoncheney.org.uk and the Bride Valley News provides it often in finite detail. Please remember – do not put your bins out too early, or leave them out after the collection has been undertaken – report potholes on the Dorset Council website – report anti-social behaviour on the Dorset Police portal – stand by for news of a litter pick in November. What’s on at Litton and Thorner’s Community Hall (LATCH) in November REGULAR EVENTS Mondays 3.30 – 4.30pm Big Q in meeting room (term time only) 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 Saturday 1 tst 10.00-13.00 pm Village Café and table top sale for Long Bredy PCC. Thursday 6 th f from 7.00pm film night “Maria” Tuesday 11 th 7.00pm Parish Council meeting Friday 14 th Wine tasting with Morrtsh and Banham Sunday 23 trd 4.00pm Community Church Sunday 30 th Artsreach show for children COMING UP IN DECEMBER: Saturday 6 th Morning; Vikkage Café in aid of “Stepping Out” Friday 12 th Evening; Bingo night 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 White Horse At time of writing what a lovely Indian summer October turned out to be! Here are some dates for your diaries for November and December. NOVEMBER 2nd 4pm - Big Joe Bone - High energy roots musician/one man band. New to us but looks to be great fun! 4th 7pm - The famous Snowball Quiz by Liz! Teams to a max of 6 and £2 per person entry fee. 9th 4pm - Kitty Mazinsky - Remembrance Sunday Special. Kitty is a wonderful singer doing all your vintage favourites from the 1940's. Perfect for the day. 16th 4pm - Doctor Jazz - A group of retired GPs performing all your favourite Jazz tunes - Medicine for your ears! 18th 7pm - The Snowball Quiz by Liz. DECEMBER In the lead up to Christmas every Sunday Roast will be Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. 2nd - 7pm - The fortnightly Snowball Quiz. 6th 7pm - Mummers play and fun. We welcome the Symondsbury Mummers again. If you've not seen it, you really do need to; if you have, we’re sure you'll be back to see it again. 13th - Change of plan here sadly (due to unfortunate illness ) but at time of writing we are awaiting confirmation of an exciting charity event, something we, personally, have never done before. Hope to update very soon. 16th 7pm - The Snowball Quiz. Will be the usual random quiz with a smattering of Christmas questions. 19th 8.15 - Grand Christmas Meat Draw! 20th Dec 5pm - White Horse Christmas Carol and sing along with Paul Cheater, mulled wine and cider followed by the Strictly Final! 21st Dec 5pm - Grand Christmas draw - Tickets now on sale at £1 each 25th Dec - Open 12 till 2pm - Drinks Only 26th Dec - Coffee at 11 before a short walk then open at 1pm for snacks, a few drinks by the fire and ,as it’s a Friday this year, the meat draw will continue at the earlier time of 4.30 - promise no turkey! 30th Dec - Snowball Quiz of the Year at 7pm. 31st Dec - Low key party, choose your own playlist and light buffet. Auld Lang Syne at midnight. We look forward to seeing you all over the festive season.Happy Christmas everyone! Andy and Liz xxx Our Once-a-Year Walk-Around Wine Tasting Experience with Mark & Caroline Banham Join us to celebrate our 10th Anniversary at our annual walk-around wine tasting – a relaxed, informal evening where you can discover over 50 exceptional wines, meet the M&B team, and explore new favourites at your own pace. Whether you're planning ahead for Christmas, looking for wines for a special winter event, or simply want to enjoy an evening tasting brilliant wines with friends, this is the perfect opportunity. Our expert team will be on hand at tasting tables across the venue, ready to pour, chat, and share their passion for great wine. Event Details: Date: Friday 14th November 2025 Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Location: LATCH, Schoolhouse Lane, Litton Cheney, Dorset DT2 9AU Ticket Price: £15 per person (deducted from any 12-bottle order on the night)* https://www.morrishandbanham.com/product/wine-tasting-event-november-2025/
The Bridport Local Area Partnership (BLAP) is here for the community. Current members of the partnership include Bridport Town Council, 10 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 Bridport Reablement Centre Project Update Dorset Council will be holding a public drop-in information session in the Committee Room, Mountfield, Bridport on Wednesday 24th September from 5.00pm - 8.00pm to enable people to find out more about the Bridport Reablement Centre on the former Sidney Gale care home site. Bridport Millennium Green - Talk In support of Bridport Millennium Green, local historian Elizabeth Gale will reminisce through 91 years of her life in a talk entitled 'I was there....' The talk will take place on Thursday 25th September at the WI Hall, North Street, Bridport at 2.30pm. Entry fee payable on the door £5 / £4 members. Messy Church Messy Church this Thursday 25th September at Bridport United Church from 3.30pm - 5.30pm. Crafts, food, story and fun. Free for children aged up to 11 years, accompanied by parents and carers. WATAG (Western Area Transport Action Group) Meeting The 128th General Meeting of WATAG (Western Area Transport Action Group) will be held on Thursday 25th September at 6.30pm in the Committee Room at Bridport Town Council's offices at Mountfield, Rax Lane, Bridport DT6 3JP. The nearest car park is Wykes Court, Rax Lane DT6 3JL (free after 6.00pm). Allington Arts Weekend The first Allington Arts Weekend will take place from Thursday 25th September to Sunday 28th September at the recently restored St Swithun’s Church in North Allington, and is set to become a "standout celebration" of creativity in the community. The festival will open with a performance by children from Bridport Primary School and promises a diverse programme of music, theatre, talks and visual arts. For the full programme or to book tickets visit: Allington Arts Weekend - Bridport & West Bay Forget Me Not Fiesta A community celebration featuring: Live choir performances throughout the day and at 1.00pm join in with "Big Sing for Dementia" to raise money for an ongoing Forget Me Not singing group. A Cafe provided by Bridport Food Matters. A variety of information and support stalls for people with and without dementia. The Virtual Dementia Experience Bus, offering an immersive perspective on living with dementia. Exercise demos from Tripudio for public participation. A walk-in blood pressure clinic led by the Jurassic Coast PCN team. Conversations around social prescribing, healthy ageing and medication reviews. The event will be held at the Bridport Youth & Community Centre on Saturday 27th September, 10.30am-2.30pm and entry is free. Parish Green Day Green Day aims to show how we can make Bridport more sustainable. A talk at midday by Dana Assinder, from West Dorset Wilding, about the charity’s vision and current work on the Brit Valley Project will be one of the highlights of a full day of presentations, workshops and walks at the Parish Green Day to be held on Saturday 27th September at St Mary’s Church, South Street Bridport. Attendance is free and participants can drop in any time between 9.30am and 4.00pm to discover, through talks and displays, how numerous local groups are working collaboratively to make Bridport an even more sustainable and resilient town. A simple lunch will be provided, In the afternoon, there will be opportunities to participate in a variety of workshops and walks. These include regenerative textiles and sustainable flowers, plus visits to ongoing projects such as the Community Orchard and the Edible Garden Project at St Mary’s School. Bridport Vintage Market The penultimate Bridport Vintage Market of 2025 will take place on Sunday 28th September, 10.00am - 4.00pm at the Art & Vintage Quarter, St Michael's Trading Estate, Bridport DT6 3RR. There will be live music and food and the estate is dog friendly (on leads). Dorset Right to Roam Like the idea of a “right to roam” in England & Wales – like they do in Scotland? Then why not join us on Sunday 28th September at the Bridport WI Hall, North Street, Bridport DT6 3JQ from 11.00am - 12.00pm to find out more and get involved - all welcome. For more information email: right2roamdorset@gmail.com Dorset Greener Homes We all want to reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact, and also save money on our bills. But there is so much confusing information out there, it is difficult to know where to start and it can feel like everyone is trying to sell you something. Dorset Greener Homes asks private householders to open their homes for a day. They have all made steps to make their homes more energy-efficient. Some are new-builds designed to passive house standard, but others have had low cost eco- retrofits, with better insulation or low-carbon heating systems, or with wildlife friendly gardens, or with solar panels and batteries. Visitors can come and talk to the householder about the decisions they made, what worked, how much they spent and how much was saved. The advice is entirely impartial and tells it as it is. Click here for a list of Bridport Greener Homes that are open this Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th September. Bridport History Society - Talk The next meeting of Bridport History Society is on Thursday 9th October when the Society will be welcoming Tim Goodwin who will give a talk about Dorset during the English Civil War. The talk will be held at the United Church Hall, East Street, Bridport. Doors open at 2.15pm for a prompt 2.30pm start. All are welcome, members £1pp, 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: www.bridporthistorysociety.org.uk. And Breath Bridport... Celebrating World Mental Health Day And Breath Bridport is a day of free mental health & wellbeing activities on Saturday 11th October. Collect a programme from Bridport Tourist Information, Bridport Library or The Harmony Centre. For further information about the event visit www.theharmonycentre.org.uk or call The Harmony Centre on 01308 801154. Cynewulf Morris: Taster Sessions Supporting local communities, keeping a unique English tradition alive and having fun doing so! New dancers and musicians welcome. Cynewulf Morris have organised a Morris Taster sessions at Charmouth Village Hall, 30 Wesley Close, Charmouth, DT6 6QT on Saturday 18th October 2.00pm - 3.30pm. Refreshments will be available. For more information, please call 01308 281200 or email: cynewulf@btinternet.com Pilsdon Community - Summer Newsletter An update of summer news from the Pilsdon Community including farm to fork in 10 metres, a visit from Edward Morello MP, down on the farm and a place to bloom. The newsletter also includes details of a date for your diary - Pilsdon's 67th Anniversary on Sunday 19th October, arrivals for coffee at 11.00am. Bridport to West Bay Weekend Shuttle Bus The autumn timetable for the WB1 Bridport to West Bay Saturday and Sunday shuttle bus is now in operation and will run until 2nd November. View the autumn bus timetable here. First Aid in the Villages Volunteers from Bridport St John ambulance have recently been presenting demonstrations about Emergency First Aid to 4 nearby villages, they are now keen to offer this training to other villages in west Dorset. The aim of these presentations is to give interested village residents the essential knowledge and confidence to offer essential first aid to a casualty until the arrival of an ambulance. This essential care is based on the Five Ways To Save A Life programme – Heart Attack, CPR, Chocking, Bleeding and Unresponsiveness. The duration of these presentations is between 2 and 2Ý hours and allows attendees to listen, clarify and practice including CPR and the Recovery Position. Our primary aim is to ensure that everyone receives the help they need in a health crisis by providing first aid education, training and support to communities. These presentations aim to make emergency first aid accessible and understandable to as many people as possible in their community. We do not make a charge for these presentations, but should any attendee wish to donate, that will be very welcome. If you are interested please contact Kevin Chappuis – kevin.chappuis@sja.org.uk for further discussions. The Harmony Centre - Access Wellbeing The Access Wellbeing drop-in space in Bridport offers mental health and wellbeing support to anyone aged 18 and over, with no appointment needed. Staffed by our friendly team, the new hub provides a welcoming space to find support on the issues that matter to each individual. That might be mental health and emotional wellbeing, or practical help on topics such as finances, work, housing or support for carers. The Access Wellbeing sessions in Bridport takes place on Wednesday’s, 10.00am - 3.00pm at The Harmony Centre, Units 1 & 2, The Tower Building, St Michael's Estate, Bridport. DT6 3FN (Main Entrance from Foundry Lane). Dorset Police - Mobile Police Stations Dorset Police has launched two new mobile police stations. The vehicles are operated by police community support officers with members of the public able to report crime, anti-social behaviour, intelligence or suspicious incidents, receive crime prevention advice or raise any policing related concerns to their neighbourhood team. The western vehicle, based at Dorchester will visit Bridport Morrisons on the second Tuesday of the month and will be there between 11.00am and 1.00pm (times subject to change). To find out the latest updates follow: www.dorset.police.uk/MPS Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner - Annual Survey The Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner's annual survey is now live, and it's your chance to share your views on policing and community safety here in Dorset. Whether it’s how safe you feel in your neighbourhood, how connected you feel to Dorset Police, or how well you think police resources are being used - your feedback plays a crucial role in shaping the work of Dorset Police. To take part in the survey, please follow this link: OPCC Annual Survey 2025 Dorset Fundfinder Dorset Fundfinder is a tool which enables Dorset's community organisations to search and browse funding, grants and information. Before you can begin searching for funding you need to register your organisation (this is completely free). Once the registration is complete you can either use the search or browse tools to search for relevant funding. This tool enables you to seek out grants, awards and other funding which may be relevant to your organisation by inputting some key specific information into the search engine. Dorset Council Local Plan and Local Transport Plan Consultations The government requires every council to prepare a Local Plan and a Local Transport Plan. These plans outline how Dorset will develop and how we will maintain and improve transport in the area for decades to come. This consultation includes potential new housing and employment development sites in the local area. To find out more about both consultations, click here.
Want to contribute to the well-being of Litton? Why not join the Premier Crew, a group of well-intentioned citizens of our village who clean and tidy up areas when they need a little bit of care and attention. Your ability to help will undoubtedly depend on your availability and you are not expected to turn up everytime there is a call to arms. Gender equality is alive and well, as is the bonhomie or bonfemme on offer whenever we meet. With enough volunteers we could even become the Grand Crew! If you would like to join us, please contact John Firrell on 01308 482313.
Premier Crew – Come & Join Us
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
Local History Group
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