PARISH MAGAZINE December 2003

Chideock and Symonsbury with Eype & Broadoak

DEADLINE DATE
Items for inclusion in the next magazine to :Mrs. Ruth Wrixton, Sweet Briar, West Road, Bridport, DT6 6AE. Tel: 01308 456403. or e-mail me : ruthwrixton@hotmail.com (sometimes e-mails don't arrive for months so I will always acknowledge I have received them - so that you know I have!) LATEST acceptance date will be Wednesday 10th December

SYMONDSBURY CHURCH COFFEE MORNING
The next one will be Tuesday 16th December at Foxleigh, Shutes Lane, Symondsbury. Raffle. Bring and Buy. Please come along and renew old acquaintances. All welcome 10 am-12 noon.

BINGO/WHIST DRIVE
Bingo's and Whist Drives held at Chideock Village Hall are in aid of the Hall Funds. There is a Whist Drive on the last Wednesday of the month at 7.30 p.m. and a Bingo every Thursday at 8 p.m.
Bingo's held at Broadoak Village Hall are as follows :
December 13th in aid of Village Hall Funds
Eyes Down at 8 p.m. Everyone welcome at these events.

FROM CHARMOUTH RECTORY . . .

We have just come in, the music is playing gently and
quietly and the lights begin to dim, then suddenly bells
begin to peal, the flute to play and the organ crashes
into sound, for the play has begun. The scene opens to darkness, with just one bright star sending a shaft of brilliant light down upon the outhouse of a small country inn, only the joyful crescendo of the music suggests that something unusual is about to take place.
Let's creep nearer, like small children drawn by the light to see what lies within. We know the Christmas story by heart, what we see will depend upon what lies within our own hearts; what hopes, what joys have we retained. Does any of our childhood innocence remain? For children can see wondrous things, when we so called adults have forgotten how to wonder.
But those who came before us, and there will be many who will come after, have seen and will see the child of peace, the child of love, the child of justice lying there, and when our own lives lie in tatters all around us, He will still be lying there full of innocence, not ignorance, full of a joy which understands sorrow, and full of peace and justice even in the face of war and hostility.
You see the Christ child is, was and will be Good News not just for those of us with the nerve to call ourselves Christians, but for all men and women of Good will, and even dare I say for those we would not normally describe that way. Not just because we remember a child, not even a Holy child, but because this tender, holy child is everything we long for. This God will never frighten us, no matter how we choose to live our lives, no matter what mistakes we make, this Child is so full of light, and love and healing and a Wisdom beyond His years which can dry all our tears turning them to laughter.
This child's life provides a pattern for our lives. He befriends the outsider, the marginalized, He cares for the sick, and the bereaved, when our society fails to do so. Perhaps His gift to us this year is the reminder that just one person can radically change al that, and if several of us try to place Him at the centre of our lives, then it's just possible that the whole of our society could change as well, and the organ, the flutes and the bells will ring to celebrate a new age of compassion and joy, and it's not a play at all, it's all for real!

Happy Christmas
From your vicars,
Ann-Marie and Isabel

THE CHIDEOCK SOCIETY - PROGRAMME 2003-4

All Events on Tuesdays Talks in Village Hall 7.30pm

9 Dec Bath Christmas Shopping by train from Maiden Newton
13 Jan Ghost Tales at The Clock House - Clive Fairweather, West Country Storyteller. 7.30 p.m. Wine and Vittles.
10 Feb The Swanage Railway - Illustrated talk by Peter Foster
9 Mar The Chantry, Bridport and other properties - Illustrated talk by
Alison Steele - The Vivat Trust
13 Apl Trip to Brownsea Island. Bus Dep. Chideock 9.15 am Ret 7 pm.
Cost of Bus, Ferry and Reserve approx. £12. Names to Committee.
11 May Thatching Demonstration and 'Hands On' at Roadstead Farm led by Dave Symonds 7.30 pm.
8 June Trip to Swanage with a difference. Bus Dep. Chideock 9 am. By boat from Poole to Swanage for 4 ½ hr stay - shopping or visit Steam Railway. Return to Chideock approx 7pm. Cost £13 (Steam Railway extra). Names to Committee.
13 July AGM and talk on Bridport Arts Centre by Director, Chris Huxley.

We will sing Vivaldi's 'Gloria' and an array of Christmas Carols. Come and join us in the beautiful surroundings of the
Church of Our Lady and St. Ignatius ]
in North Chideock at 7.30 pm on Saturday 6th December.
There will be wine and refreshments and an opportunity to join us in singing some carols if you wish.
Tickets £6. Contact Sally on 01308 459446.

BRIDPORT ROYAL CHARTER - Events for December
9th-17th Christmas Tree Festival
10th Bridport Christmas Market & Late Night Opening
17th Bridport Heritage Forum Talk, Town Hall. WWI & II in Bridport

When I was Adult Education Officer for the Derby Diocese, I did some work for BBC Radio Derby. In 1983, I produced a programme with the title,
'Training for the Ministry' which involved interviewing ordinands in training. I first met some who were taking the part-time East Midlands Ministry Training Course (EMMTC) based at Nottingham University. It was a course designed for people preparing for ordination into what is known as the Non-Stipendiary Ministry (NSM) whilst continuing in their daily work. Still in Nottingham, I visited St. John's Theological College which has an evangelical tradition. Then I travelled north to West Yorkshire to the College of the Resurrection at Mirfield. This long established Anglo Catholic college, where the present Archbishop of Canterbury once studied and lectured, is founded upon a monastic community with some of its members lecturing in the College.

In addition to the ordinands, I interviewed the Principals and asked, 'What will the Church be like in the future?' Patrick Vaughan, the principal of EMMTC, responded from a NSM perspective, and talked about the development of a 'bridge' ministry between the local church and people's places of work. Colin Buchanan at St. John's saw the importance of developing a different kind of church involving a wide variety of lay ministries. I had heard all that before, and continue to hear it, leaving me with a sense of weariness. It is Benedict Green's reply that has remained with me as being more realistic. He predicted that there would be a withdrawal into spiritual centres of worship, ministry and mission in a spiritually deprived world.

I have always been committed to the Church in the community, and to the understanding that my humanity is basic. And so, I am uneasy with the idea of anything that may separate the Church from the world. Nevertheless, I think that the essence of Benedict Green's view is one that I share. That is, the reality of impending and actual spiritual darkness of the present age. And yet, in a strange way, this view makes the awareness of light in the darkness far more in touch with reality and not fantasy. Whatever I do, Eype included, is to try to be realistic in attempting to be sensitive to the light. Facing the darkness is the only way to see the light. This lies at the heart of the Christmas message. I urge you to read again the opening of John's Gospel. It expresses the true meaning of Christmas! I pray that there will be light that shines in the darkness for each of you this Christmas time.

Ray Shorthouse

At this time of year in school there is already a sense of anticipation in the air as the children begin to realise that Christmas is just around the corner. As part of this year's celebrations, the children will be performing a concert and Nativity at Eype Church Centre for the Arts on Thursday 11th December. There will be two performances, one at 2.00pm and one at 6.00pm. It promises to be quite an event! This event will be the last big production organised by Simon Douglas and Yvette Chalkley, both of whom will be leaving us at the end of this term. Mr Douglas is going to take up a post at Puddletown Middle School, while Miss Chalkley is off to Australia. They will both be missed greatly by us at school, but we wish them all the very best in their new ventures.
To add to the excitement of this Christmas season, the Friends of Symondsbury School are paying for all the children to visit the pantomime. The whole school will be going to the Poole Lighthouse Theatre for a performance of Peter Pan, which I am sure will be a memorable experience for us all. Later in the same week there will be a Christmas party in school, again organised by the Friends, with a special guest appearance by Father Christmas. We will be finishing off this festive half-term with some carols in church.
Earlier this month, the children in Key Stage 2 took part in the first round of the Cluster Football Tournament, playing against children from Loders and Powerstock. Although our teams didn't win, one of our teams managed to draw against the team that did go on to win, so a little pride was salvaged!
Some of our oldest children spent two very enjoyable afternoons at Mountjoy Special School in Bridport, practising their Design and Technology skills alongside pupils from Mountjoy as they were introduced to various crafts activities. This is a very valuable collaboration between the two schools from which everybody benefits.
In January, we look forward to welcoming two new members of our teaching staff. Miss Kate Edwards will be taking over from Miss Chalkley teaching Class 3, and Mrs Adrienne Griggs will be taking over from Mr Douglas teaching Class 4. We hope that they will have a very happy time working with us.
In the meantime, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody a very joyful Christmas and a happy New Year!

Freda Ellis, Nov.03.

FROM THE REGISTERS . . .
8 Nov Eype Burial of Ashes Hazel Elizabeth Hobson
13 Nov Symondsbury Funeral Dora Thornhill
19 Nov Broadoak Funeral Ida Huxter

THANKYOU
Lorna and Pat wish to say a great big thank you for all the cards, flowers, phone calls and support we have both received over the last few months. Thank you, thank you and thank you.
From Pat Smith, 6 Arundell, Chideock.

PEWS
By the way, Eype Church does unexpectedly have a couple of pews available for purchase - nice Christmas present for someone? Tel: 01308 456403.

DON'T FORGET …
CHIDEOCK PANTOMIME 4th, 5th, 6th December (Matinee 6th) Village Hall
SYMONDSBURY MUMMERS New Years Day, 8.30 pm Ilchester Arms.

BROADOAK FILM NIGHTS

Programme starts 7.30 pm, doors open at 7 pm. £4 per ticket
available in advance from Sandra Dorey, tel: 01308 868316
or by email dorey@paddoxfarm.freeserve.co.uk
Dec. 10 I Capture the Castle
Jan 14 Cider House Rules
Feb 11 Magdalene Sisters

CHIDEOCK W.I.
The November meeting started very informally with 19 members enjoying a ploughmans lunch, arranged by the committee.
After the singing of Jerusalem, the President Audrey Skinner presented posies to six members with November birthdays and welcomed a new member Ann Disley. Audrey thanked Sue Pettifer for volunteering to be treasurer, she will be assisted by Chris Freame. We all wish our retiring treasurer Sheila McMorrow a speedy recovery from her illness. Heather Knight gave a detailed and interesting report on the Weymouth Council Meeting.
Our speaker Mrs. Audrey Vivian's subject was 'Microwave Cooking'. Mrs. Vivian has cooked this way for a long time and passed to us tips and hints learnt by trial and error over many years, she gave us all a printed sheet with her favourite recipes to try at home. Mrs. Clemency Allan thanked her for a very interesting talk.
Members were reminded that our next meeting on 2nd December will be our Christmas party and to bring a gift for the bran tub, value £1.50. D.M.

EYPE XMAS PARTY NIGHT At THE NEW INN.
Carols, Xmas Team Quiz and food from the bar.
TUES : 23 : DEC
From 7 p.m.

SYMONDSBURY PARISH COUNCIL REPORT

We had full attendance at our meeting on 11th November, and four members of the public as well as our District Councillor, Gillian Summers. There was discussion of Eype Down and the proposed developments. Subsequently we have learnt that there is to be a public local enquiry and we will get out more information on this as it arises. The new seat has been installed at Sprake's Corner partly funded by the parish and by a local benefactor. Parking problems at the school were discussed again, though a suggestion for a car park to be investigated was not encouraged by the council. More efforts to be made to remind parishioners and parents not to park on the cobbles, which are of considerable historical interest. Litter bins for Miles Cross are still being pursued … that conjures up a rather interesting picture! Sorry I'm not a cartoonist!!
Our MP, Oliver Letwin, is actively pursuing ways to improve the dangerous A35 problems at the Eype turning and Quarr Cross. We also agreed to give a small donation to the Axe Vale Ring and Ride, though it is not a scheme much used by parishioners.
There was considerable discussion of the Waste Transfer Site proposed for the Bridport area, and Cllr. Summers gave a resume of the situation and proposals. There are several sites being suggested for the area, and press reports relating to Crepe Farm are inaccurate to say the least!
Planning: Lower Eype Farm, and Pine View were discussed.
Vital Villages Parish Plan: this was progressing slowly, and a newsletter will be coming out shortly for all the parish. We are hoping to get a specific housing survey going shortly, which it is very important for all those who may be wanting housing in the next few years to complete. Without an accurate record of need, the chances of getting any affordable housing schemes going in the parish are nil. Please look out for this.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 13th January 2004 at the earlier time of 7.00 p.m. which we feel may be more convenient.

Amanda Streatfeild

ST. GILES CHURCH, CHIDEOCK
A full year has passed since the Financial Awareness campaign was launched in Chideock. A year ago, the PCC feared for the future of our lovely Church; as a result of tremendous financial support from the community, however, 2003 has all but passed and we have to meet all the church running costs in full.
At the time of the appeal, many supporters pledged themselves to ongoing financial support, whereas others preferred to support, but without an ongoing commitment.
As the PCC now looks forward to 2004, it is vital that community financial support continues. This being so, if any of those who preferred to commit to an annual contribution wish to commit again for 2004, then that commitment is a lifeline, enabling the Church to continue to provide help and support to the Chideock community as it has done for generations.
Contributions can be forwarded to our treasurer Mr. Duncan Salter, Church View Cottage, 14 Arundell, or handed to Mrs. Audrey Skinner or Mr. Bob Warman our churchwardens.

COFFEE & MINCE PIES
TUES 16 DEC
Take a break from your Christmas preparations and come and enjoy a cup of coffee and mince pie in Chideock Village Hall with the Friends of St. Giles 10.30 am - 12 noon on Tuesday 16th December. There will be the usual raffle and bring and buy stall.

CAROL SINGING IN CHIDEOCK
Once again a merry team will be singing carols around the village as follows :
Tues 16th Dec : From East to West along the A35 starting at Broad Mead.
Wed 17th Dec : This evening will take in Arundell, North Road, St. Giles Close, Collins Court, Ridwood, Pettycrate and Mill Lane.
Proceeds from the evenings will be shared between Joseph Weld Hospice and St. Giles Church.

JOSEPH WELD & TRIMAR HOSPICE - SPECIAL EVENT
The Chideock Committee is holding a special event on Tuesday 17th February instead of the popular Race Night which is has now run for three years.
We have been very fortunate in being able to have the services of a Celebrity Guest Star who has appeared in Royal Variety Performances, TV and pantomime, the internationally known Ventriloquist, PAUL ZERDIN, who will appear at a Gala Dinner and Cabaret. The Master of Ceremonies will be John Moorhead who will also be demonstrating card tricks.
The evening will take the form of a 3-course Dinner with a limited Auction of Pledges and Raffle, followed by Paul Zerdin.
The Village Hall has capacity for only 100 people and we are expecting heavy demand for tickets. These are available now from George Borrett on 489652, price £20. Book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

When Isabel and myself left Sherborne Abbey, and moved to the Golden Cap Team, Sherborne gave us the most generous gift that we had ever received. So we decided that the gift should be used for something very special, a pilgrimage to India.
Ann-Marie's grandfather was one of four civil engineers responsible for the Great Indian Peninsular Railways, so her mother had been born while they lived in India. She came home to boarding school in England, but returned to India as a young woman, where she met a certain Captain Tony Stuart, from the British Army who had been seconded to the Rajputan Rifles during WWII. Ann-Marie grew up hearing the family talk about their years there and when they didn't want a little girl to follow the conversation they would lapse into Hindi or Urdu.
Now Isabel is much more adventurous than I am, so it was her idea that we should use the gift to experience something of the land which had formed my family's collective experience.
We arrived in Delhi and almost immediately plunged into a tour of the Old city culminating in an evening of traditional Indian dance and music, from many different areas of India, all with their particular costumes and traditional movements. Exotic and colourful it wiped away the memory of the eleven-hour flight. It was the end of monsoon, and the hotels featured exotic water displays, walls of marble, running with water, which splashed, into pools. It was wonderful to be warm, like stepping into warm soup, as a friend had warned us, and while electricity was a little bit eccentric, so that the lights would suddenly plunge you into darkness, the showers and the air conditioning were more than efficient.
We toured old Delhi, but soon realised that India superficially appears to be locked into the middle ages. Ann-Marie had taken a novel set in Cambridge, which discussed the theological and physical disagreements between the various religious orders who sent their students to the university, and the descriptions of the town, could be that of modern India. So you would pick your way up narrow, disgusting, refuse strewn alleyways only to step into a palatial, marble walled restaurant decorated with stunning modern artwork and traditional carvings. And the meals, on goodness, an Indian meal in England will never appeal again. In India the flavours in a curry are so subtle, so varied, so aromatic, even in one mouthful that it has completely spoilt us for choice. Our guide Rashid Latiff, met us at the airport and cared for us so well that in the end we really had nothing to do except to turn up on time. His wife was English and he had a degree in Indian history and Culture and really knew his stuff.
We had chosen a tour, which went to some of the places I remember my grandmother speaking about. She had been an outstanding beauty with Grecian features and raven hair; she was also a great flirt and got on exceedingly well with the Rajah of Jaipour. So we did the triangle from Delhi to Samode and on to Jaipour, where we stayed in what had been one of the Rajah's summer palaces, now refurbished in the style of the Rajahs, set on top of a hill and lit by candlelight on our arrival just after dark, where drinks awaited us and amazing bedrooms. Then on to the palace of the Winds, with its famous stone tracery, Amber Palace, the Palace in the lake, and finally to Agra and the Taj Mahal. On the way we toured several of the Rajah's palaces, built to a formula rather like our cathedrals, with a basic plan, which was reproduced each time, but with an endless variety of geometric carvings, since this was Rajasthan, once part of the Mughal Empire. Northern India is flat but this land is mountainous and its people famed for their skills in warfare. The Rajput's are held in great respect and are still considered to be the second highest caste in India. Their clothes are colourful, a bright red turban, red fitted jackets, and gleaming white dhoti either tied around the waist or tucked between the legs. They are tall, spare and handsome with handlebar moustaches, while the women wear colourful elegant saris and heavy jewellery even when tending the fields, working alongside the peacocks.

One of the most striking things in India is the way in which obscene wealth and poverty intermingle. In their towns, as in ours, there are more affluent areas and poor areas, although in India they are shacks on the bare earth with sacred cows, wild dogs, and people muddled in together. But in the villages, an affluent home would sit amidst the greatest poverty. What stays in the mind is the sheer intelligence, the eagerness to make good, their inventiveness and their capacity to take a discarded, torn bicycle wheel and turn it into innumerable useful objects. And every village seemed to have its television, sometimes swinging from a tree, with exposed electrical wires looped around trees and posts, so that monkeys leapt from wire to wire. Some of our journeys were very long, and at times we found the air conditioning too efficient, and it was good to stop at one of the half-way eating places, which were not necessarily half way at all, but that's what they are called, and these were of a very high standard; as was the service everywhere we went. One of the things which takes you by surprise is the sheer old fashioned courtesy of the Indian people, extended not just to tourists but to one another and in particular to women, something so noticeable that one realises that our society has lost that tradition.
The other noticeable problem was of course the population explosion, the towns were chaotic, with cars, good ones made in India and battered ones as well, together with bicycles, rickshaws, pedestrians, motorbikes, little carts full of minute school children in pristine uniforms, and sacred cows jostling in every direction at once. There is no driving test, and no MOT, but Delhi has eradicated its severe pollution problem in two years flat, by excluding all petrol or diesel from the town, all transport has to use gas, and industry has been moved out to satellite towns and villages. On our return to England we heard that Delhi has now decided to exclude all sacred cows. Since they have lived on the streets of Delhi for generations, it will be interesting to see how long that takes.
In case you're wondering yes, the Taj Mahal floats over Agra, like a dream. It's a tribute to love, a love extending beyond the grave, and it doesn't let you down. As you walk around you realise that sections of the white marble has been inlaid with intricate, delicate coloured marble, and semi-precious stones; once again in geometric or flower patterns, you notice daffodils and tulips among the more exotic Indian flowers, an indication of the excellent communication between different cultures in the 17th Century and before.
We rode up hill to the Red Fort on an elephant, and later in a few days by the sea unwinding in Sri Lanka, visited an elephant orphanage with a miniscule, tufted baby elephant feeding from a bottle. Yes, they have funny tufts of hair on their little bodies, which fit neatly under their mother's tummy. Our last few days were spent next to the Indian Ocean. In fact we arrived at night, to hear a strange crashing and whooshing sound, when I peered through the plate glass windows along one wall. I realised that it wasn't hurricane Isabel but the Indian Ocean crashing against the rocks below our balcony. We woke to find that our room over looked a small garden with three strategically placed elegantly slim palm trees which framed the most exquisite bay, and since it faced due West the sunsets were so spectacular that it was hard to believe your eyes.The gift brought us great joy, and for Ann-Marie a sense of continuity with the past, I could hear my long dead
grandmother's voice clearly describing the places we visited, and talking about the people she had known. We haven ever had a holiday like that before and we never will again, it's something we will never forget and oh, it was so nice to be warm!

EYPE CHURCH CENTRE FOR THE ARTS

5/6th Dec WEST DORSET CHRISTMAS FAYRE Discover the ingredients for a traditional country Christmas, where you can get into the spirit of giving locally-produced quality gifts from a wide range of individual and great value foods, crafts and art. Relax and take time to savour the sights and smells of seasonal fayre.
11th Dec SYMONDSBURY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PLAY Symondsbury C of E Primary School Christmas Production for parents and friends.
13th Dec SEASONAL STORY TELLING FOR CHILDREN With children in mind, this is an afternoon of traditional story telling by Giles Abbott, a professional story-teller since 1999 and a regular performer in festivals, schools and theatres all round Britain. Come and enjoy the way Giles opens up the imagination of children and takes them to new worlds. Tickets £4 adults, £2 children from Bridport Record Centre, 425707.
20th Dec CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Those who enjoyed Laura Bursey's concert in the summer will be delighted to see that she is back and is joined by Cerys Jones, mezzo soprano and the Xerxes String Ensemble to bring us highlights from Handel's Messiah along with Corelli's Christmas Concerto, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater and more. Mulled wine will be served. A truly sumptious evening! Tickets £10 from Bridport Record Centre, 425707.
20-21st Dec OPEN HOUSE AT THE CENTRE Come and enjoy a Christmas exhibition, coffee, tea and mince pies, and discuss plans for next year. In addition OPEN HOUSE will be held every Saturday morning in December.
10th Jan THE THREE REEDS
24th Jan SCORPION BAND - 'SINGING ISLAND'