The February 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

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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 Bridport Pantomime Players - Jack and the Beanstalk Step into a world of magic, mischief and towering adventure with a spectacular pantomime presented by Bridport Pantomime Players, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’! Bring the whole family to Bridport Electric Palace for an unforgettable night of laughter, thrills, and enchanted escapades! Wednesday 4th February - 7:30pm Thursday 5th February - 7:30pm Friday 6th February - 7:30pm Saturday 7th February - 1:30pm matinee performance Saturday 7th February - 7:30pm Ticket Price: Adults £16.00 / Under 12’s £11.00 / Family £46.50 (2a+2c or 1a+3c) Tickets are available online from Bridport Electric Palace or from the Bridport Tourist Information Centre, Bridport Town Hall, South Street DT6 3LF, Tel: 01308 424901. Bridport Youth & Community Centre - Community Cook-up Join Kate and Eileen for a new season of free Community Cook-ups!! All ages, cultures and backgrounds coming together to share all the things we have in common, prepare food and eat together and make our own Community Cook-up Cook Book. Everyone is welcome to attend the Community Cook-up at Bridport Youth & Community Centre, Gundry Lane, DT6 3RL: • -on the first Thursday of the month - 5th February, 5th March and 2nd April, 3.30pm - 6pm • and on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month - 12th & 26th February, 12th & 26th March and 9th & 23rd April, 10am - 12pm Drop in or stay the whole time and no need to bring anything. For more information, please contact Kate or Eileen on 07903 279713 or via email: rippleworkshop.cic@gmail.com. Future Coast Charmouth - Community Event Residents in Charmouth are encouraged to take part in a community workshop to help develop long term plans for adapting to coastal changes. The event on Thursday 5th February from 5pm - 8pm at St Andrews Community Hall, Charmouth is an important opportunity for local people to share their knowledge and ask questions. The workshop will cover potential triggers and resulting actions to support communities. The session is being led by the Future Coast Dorset Project. This comprises Future Coast Charmouth and Future Coast North Swanage, working with local communities to help plan and adapt to the changing coastline. Eggardon & Colmers View Committee - Quiz Evening The Eggardon and Colmers View Committee are hosting a fun (not too taxing) quiz evening on Saturday 8th February at 7pm at Loders Village Hall. £5 per person in support of The Eggardon and Colmers View magazine. Cash bar, refreshments and raffle. To book call 01308 485441 Nature Buddies - Free Webinar Join Dorset National Landscape on Wednesday 11th February, 10:00am to 11:00am for a free webinar introducing the Nature Buddies Network – a volunteer programme helping people overcome barriers to enjoy nature and heritage through a buddy system. Discover how hosting Nature Buddy volunteers can benefit your organisation with new skills, reach and opportunities. Register here: Event link Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. West Bay Discovery Centre - Events Mindfulness Doodling Workshop - Thursday 12th February, 2pm - 4 pm at the Salt House, West Bay, £15 per person. As part of this year’s Winter Talk programme, we’re excited to introduce a new format - including our first workshop of the season. Join Iain Dryden, author of Tracing the Flow and The Wonder Coast, for a relaxing afternoon of creativity and self- expression. This workshop focuses on mindful doodling, not drawing skills, so no experience is needed. Bring your favourite pens and pencils and enjoy the moment. Tickets are limited, please book in advance here or call 01308 424901. Half-term fun at the West Bay Discovery Centre! Saturday 14th - Sunday 22nd February. We’re reopening our doors from Saturday 14th February and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back. Love is in West Bay! Join us for our Half-Term activities including St Valentine’s crafts, love postcards, colouring, and discovering more about our Pier Terrace exhibition. These are drop-in activities, no booking required. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and everyone is welcome. Free admission (donations welcome). Bridport History Society - Talk The next meeting of the Bridport History Society is on Thursday 12th February when the Society will be welcoming Prof. William Gibson who will talk about ‘The West Country and James II.’ 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). Annual membership is open to all (£12 individual/£18 couple). For more information visit https://www.bridporthistorysociety.org.uk Bridport Museum - Half Term Activities February Half Term activities from Saturday 14th February to Saturday 21st February at Bridport Museum include: • Saturday 14th February - Make your own Valentine’s Card (10am - 1pm) • Wednesday 18th February - Make your own jigsaw puzzle (10am - 1pm) • Saturday 21st February - Make your own jigsaw puzzle (10am - 1pm) Or why not try your hand at making rope? Family friendly drop-in activities, no extra cost and no booking is required. Admission to Bridport Museum is free for all under 21s. Normal admissions charge of £5 for an annual pass applies to adults 21 and over. Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club The next Armed Forces Veterans breakfast club meet-up will be held on Sunday 15th February from 9am - 10.30am at the Greyhound Hotel (Wetherspoons), East Street, Bridport. For Serving Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans, their partners and relatives - all welcome, no subs or joining fees, just breakfast and banter. Bridport Millennium Green - Talk In support of Bridport Millennium Green, former Bridport Mayor Ian Bark will give a talk entitled 'A History of Bridport Town Hall and the Fra Newbery Paintings' on Thursday 19th February, 2.30pm at Bridport Town Hall. £5 (£4 members), please pay cash on the door. Allington Hillbilly Volunteers - Talk Part of the Allington Hillbilly Volunteers Celebrate 2026 programme is our social history project “Life in the shadows of Allington Hill.” We are holding a talk and afternoon tea at St Swithuns Church Hall on Sunday 22nd February at 2pm. We are asking local residents to share their memories, photos and help us solve mysteries. The information will be collated and displayed late March at The Allsop Gallery, Bridport Art Centre. Tickets cost £5 and are available from Bridport Tourist Information or online here. Bridport Clothes Bank - Volunteering Opportunity Would you like a new challenge in 2026 and have some spare time? Bridport Clothes Bank are always happy to welcome new volunteers, if you have a couple of hours a week or every so often, hours to suit - as much or as little as you are able. Our unit in Bridport is open every weekday morning and Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Contact us via email: BridportCB@outlook.com or phone: 07596 077385. Dorset Council Homewise Energy Advice Tool Dorset homeowners and landlords can now get free, tailored advice on making their homes warmer and more affordable to run, thanks to a new online tool launched by Dorset Council. Homewise, developed by Energy Saving Trust, gives residents a clear picture of what energy improvements would work best for their property. Backed by expert data and insights, the tool provides fact-checked, impartial advice so you can be confident about the steps to take to save energy, cut bills, and reduce the carbon footprint of your home. Mayor of Bridport Blog The latest edition of the Mayor's Blog is now available and features the 'Best Dressed Christmassy Shop Window' awards, Bridport Business Awards, the Hall & Woodhouse Community Chest Awards in Blandford, the reopening of The Cornish Bakery in West Bay and the Holocaust event in Dorchester. The Bridge Magazine The February edition of the Bridge Magazine is now available and features the Bridport town centre's 2025 health check, the Bridport Business Awards, the Skilling 'Home for Heroes' development, reports from the parish churches and the Bridport Town Council ward clerks and upcoming events and community groups. The Bride Valley News The February issue of the Bride Valley News is now available and includes updates and events from Burton Bradstock, Litton Cheney, Shipton Gorge, Puncknowle and Swyre. Chideock News The February edition of the Chideock News is now available and includes updates and events from Chideock including Seatown and North Chideock. Eggardon & Colmers View The February edition of the Eggardon & Colmers View is now available and features updates from local parishes and villages including Askerswell, Broadoak, Dottery, Eype, Loders, Powerstock and Symondsbury.

Winter in the Vineyard: Pruning, Craftsmanship & the Season Ahead As we step into a brand-new year, the vineyard has entered its winter dormancy. After a prosperous harvest last year - producing over 36 tonnes of beautifully ripened grapes - the vines are now resting before the new growing season begins in April. While the vineyard may appear calm on the surface, winter is one of the most important and active times of year for our team. January and February are dedicated to careful winter pruning, an essential process that shapes not only the coming vintage but the long- term health and character of our vineyard. Over the next couple of months, more than 50,000 vines will be pruned by hand - a slower, thoughtful and highly skilled task that plays a crucial role in the quality of our wines for years to come. Working with International Master Vine Pruners Simonit & Sirch One of Bride Valley Vineyard’s greatest strengths - and something we are extremely proud of - is our ongoing work with internationally renowned Master Vine Pruners, Marco Simonit and Pierpaolo Sirch. Their pruning method underpins everything we do in the vineyard during winter. Founded over 30 years ago, Simonit & Sirch work with some of the world’s most prestigious vineyards, including Château Latour, Hennessy and Louis Roederer in France, Prats & Symington in Portugal, and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in California. They operate across 15 countries, with training schools in Italy, Bordeaux, Napa Valley and South Africa, and are particularly respected for their expertise in marginal cool-climate vineyards - making their approach ideally suited to Bride Valley. Their philosophy treats pruning as a true craft. Through specialist training and consultancy, they teach vineyard teams how to manage vines in a way that promotes the accumulation of living wood, ensuring better sap flow, improved balance between growth and yield, and greater resilience over time. This method strengthens the vital connection between the vine, the terroir and the final wine. Marco Simonit visits Bride Valley several times throughout the year to assess vine health, advise on immediate actions and provide ongoing hands-on training for our team. Their approach has proved essential in combating Esca, a persistent fungal trunk disease. Thanks to their revolutionary pruning techniques, our team has learned how to save infected vines without causing further damage - significantly improving vine longevity, productivity and overall vineyard sustainability. Looking Ahead: Vineyard Tours Return This Spring Looking forward, we’re delighted to say that our vineyard tours return in April, with our first tour taking place on Saturday 25th April. Spring and early summer are some of the most beautiful times to visit, as the vines awaken and Dorset truly shows itself at its best. Tours offer the chance to walk the vineyard, taste our wines and hear the stories behind each bottle — from winter pruning to harvest. Bookings are now open, and places are limited, so we recommend securing your spot early. We’re also excited to share that by summer 2026 we’ll be welcoming guests into improved facilities, including a brand-new tasting room, which will make visits to the vineyard even more special. Thank you, as always, for being part of the Bride Valley Vineyard community. We look forward to welcoming you back to the vineyard very soon and sharing another exciting year with you. Warmest wishes, The Bride Valley Vineyard Team Explore Vineyard Tours Copyright (C) 2026 Bride Valley Wines. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to a mailing list for Bride Valley Wines; or a company that forms part of the Electric Pub Company group. Our mailing address is: Bride Valley Wines 67B East Street Bridport, Dorset DT6 3LB United Kingdom Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

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