The October 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 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 to be included in the bulletin please contact Claire Peters-Way by email at: Claire.Peters-Way@bridport-tc.gov.uk BLAP Annual Members' Assembly At last week's BLAP Members' Assembly Brian Wilson was re-elected as Chair and Paul Everall was re-elected as Vice Chair of the partnership for the year 2026/27. BLAP Help and Support leaflet BLAP's help and support leaflet features local contact details for those in need of support and advice including homeless support, food provision, and mental health support. If you organisation would like a supply of hard copies of the leaflet please contact us. Dorset Council Local Plan Scoping consultation Dorset Council is preparing a new local plan. The first stage seeks views about the plan's scope, its proposed vision & priorities, how Dorset should grow and how people should be involved in the plan-making process. The consultation ends on the 26th October 2026. Please note that the consultation is not seeking views about specific policies or development sites. For further information and to submit a comment please click here. Miles Cross – Road works A reminder that the next phase of works will continue to take place over the following dates: • Tuesday 29th September to Friday 2nd October: The B3162/West Road junction at Miles Cross will be fully closed. The A35 will remain open, but there will be no access onto or off West Road at this location. Drivers will be diverted through Bridport town centre to access West Road. 24/7 works at the West Road Junction. During this period, the A35 will run as normal. • Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd October: Overnight closures of the A35 to enable traffic management arrangements to be removed – closure from 8pm to 6am both nights. Bridport Clothes Bank Bridport Clothes Bank will be holding a free giveaway of clothing, bedding, shoes and more. This will take place on Saturday 3rd October from 12noon - 12.45pm at Bridport Youth & Community Centre, Gundry Lane, Bridport DT6 3RL. For more information visit their Facebook page, email: BridportCB@outlook.com or call 07596 077385. West Bay Guided Walks The next guided walks will be held on Thursday 1st and 8th October. The theme is 'West Bay Hidden History'. Find out about the town's oldest building and what was once stored in the Customs House. The walk will be 1mile and last around 90 minutes. Please meet at outside the West Bay Discovery Centre at 11am. £5 per person payable on the day. Age UK - Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Age UK North, South and West Dorset are holding free cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) sessions on Mondays at Bridport Youth and Community Centre, Gundry Lane from 10.30am - 12noon. This is for anyone who has had a diagnosis of Dementia. The sessions are held over a 14 week period and individuals can be referred by their GP/other health professional, self-refer or via and Help & Care (dementia coordinator). For more information please click here or call 01305 269444. Bridport History Society – Talk The next meeting of the Bridport History Society will be held on Thursday 8th October when the Society will be welcoming local historian Richard Sims who will give a talk titled ‘Brewing in Bridport over the years’. The talk will look at the history of brewing in Bridport. While the main focus will be on the Old Brewery, it will also cover the brew house pubs and the New Brewery as well as a couple of others. Details of the breweries and the beers they produced will show the changes in tastes over the years. The aggregation of the pubs into tied houses and the relation with other breweries will also be looked at. 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 please click here. Bridport Millennium Green Trust The Millennium Green Trust holds a garden working party at Mountfield, Bridport from 10am - 12pm on the first Tuesday of each month (weather permitting). Everyone is welcome to help keep the historic gardens looking their best, work includes weeding and light pruning. Please bring your own tools. For more information please click here. Bridport Broadsides - event An evening of musical entertainment by Bridport Broadsides will be held on Friday 9th October at 7.30pm at Bridport Town Hall. Entry is £10pp of £8 for 'friends' please pay cash at the door. The cost includes a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink. The event is in support of Bridport Millennium Green. Allington Autumn Harvest Allington Hillbilly Volunteers and Bridport Community Orchard, with the support of Bridport Town Council, will be holding an Allington Autumn Harvest on Saturday 10th October from 10am to 2pm, Cooper’s Field Hospital Lane, Bridport. To help raise valuable funds to support both groups running costs, they are asking people to donate apples and pears which will be juiced at the event. Bridport and District Allotment Society will also have a stall, with great ideas on what to do with your Autumn Harvest, children’s activities and a Dorset apple cake competition. Entry forms are available from Bridport Tourist Information. For any enquiries and offers of fruit, please email allingtonhill@gmail.com Bridport Arts & Crafts Market The next Bridport Arts & Crafts Market will be taking place on Saturday 10th October from 10am - 2pm at the WI Hall, North Street, Bridport DT6 3JQ. Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club The next Armed Forces Veterans breakfast club meet-up will be held on Sunday 11th October from 9am - 10.30am at The Greyhound Hotel, East Street, Bridport. For Serving Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans, their partners and relatives - all welcome, no subs or joining fees, just breakfast and banter. Jurassic Carers Hub The new Jurassic Carers Hub has been set up by Jurassic Coast (NHS) Primary Care Network's Social Prescribing Team. The hub is an opportunity for carers to speak to members of the team, discover local support & connect with the different services. It's also an opportunity for carers to talk about their needs and receive ongoing support. The hub is open from 10.30am - 12.30pm on the fourth Thursday of the month at the Langdon Ward, Bridport Community Hospital, DT6 5DR. For information call 01308 428943 or email jcsocialprescribing@dorsetgp.nhs.uk Bridport Library - weekly events Bridport Library based in South Street holds a number of weekly sessions. These are open to everyone. Bridport and District Citizens Advice - income maximisation and advice on benefits, grants and discretionary help - every Tuesday from 10am - 12noon. • Digital Champions sessions - helping people to improve their digital skills - every Monday (10.15am - 11.45am), Wednesday (10am - 1pm & 4pm - 5pm), and Friday (10.15am - 11am). • Cuppa and company - drop in for a warm welcome and a free cup of tea/coffee every Friday from 10am - 12noon. Bridport Literary Festival This year's Bridport Literary Festival will be held from the 6th - 14th November 2026. There are 71 events taking place plus 9 children's events. The full brochure can be downloaded here. Tickets are available online or from the Bridport Tourist Information Centre 01308 424901. The Bride Valley News The October edition of the Bride Valley News is now available. This includes updates and events from Burton Bradstock, Litton Cheney, Shipton Gorge, Puncknowle and Swyre. The Bridge Magazine The October edition of the Bridge Magazine is out now and features updates from Bridport and the surrounding parish churches, upcoming events, plus reports from the five Bridport Town Council Wards and much more. The Living Tree The October edition of The Living Tree news features outreach events, trustee vacancies, upcoming amblers walks, support and resources. Volunteer Centre Dorset The latest newsletter can be viewed here. This features updates on local services (flu vaccination, Live Well Dorset, urgent dental care appointments etc), housing assistance, at home help, events, support services and lot.

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Litton Cheney Parish Council – Next Meeting: Tuesday 10 th November 2026 7pm Interested in local democracy? Come along to our meeting and immerse yourself in the cut and thrust of local politics. Want even more? Be co-opted as a parish councillor and really get involved. Your village needs you! Weight Limit signs – Once upon a time, fed up with the number of heavy vehicles transiting Whiteway, a road deemed totally unsuitable for such vehicles, it was decided to campaign for a weight limit restriction. Heading up this cause was Andrew Price – we all looked forward to a speedy conclusion. Despite gargantuan efforts by Andrew, Dorset Highways, MP’s and eventually National Highways, it has taken until now for the weight limit to be put in place and signs erected. That it has happened at all is due in the main to the utter perserverence of Andrew who kept up the pressure on the authorities who held the purse strings and made the final decision. Our considerable thanks to Andrew for staying the course, even after stepping down from the parish council in 2025. In addition to the signs, Sat Nav companies will now be required to amend their platforms indicating that Whiteway is a no- go area for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. Vehicle drivers who ignore the signs leave themselves and their company liable to prosecution.