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April 2019 April 2019

She covers her major assignments in some detail, from the shocking, inexplicable Toll Increases for the
civil wars in the former Yugoslavia to the bizarre surrealism of Gaddafi’s Libya.
Along the way she provides invaluable tips for the aspiring war correspondent, Studland Ferry
such as always to carry a toothbrush and bottle of Scotch for emergency tooth One of the final acts of Purbeck
cleaning, and never to wear nail polish in a Warrior armed personnel carrier! She is District Council was to ensure that
also scathing about her disagreements with the BBC hierarchy over kowtowing to the price increases proposed for
the Saudi, Chinese and other obnoxious regimes, political pressures in general and the Studland ferry were reduced
the descent into ‘cuddly’ consumer-based news reporting. Always a rebel, when to a more affordable level.
told she had to sign the Official Secrets Act she said if forced to do so she would
burn it in public.
Surgery
The assignment which appears to have affected her most deeply was the
Tiananmen massacre of 1989 in Beijing – a misnomer, as she points out, since the Surgeries are held on the first
great majority of victims were shot dead in cold blood by the army in their own Saturday of every month. These
homes, away from Tiananmen Square. Like some furious Viking warrior she (literally) are held at the communal Lounge in Turberville Court in Bere Regis from 09.30
fought three policemen to prevent her film report being confiscated. That tear- a.m. to 10.00 a.m. If you cannot make one of these please email me and I will
fuelled rage has never left her since. Quoting at length from a bland Chinese arrange to come around to see you. If you have any questions or queries related
propaganda publication on the ‘Turmoil’ in Beijing, she restricts her comment to a to the business of Dorset County Council please come along. If anyone wants to
single word: ‘Liars!’ To which she adds, ‘That’s why it’s worth being a reporter.’ contact me and cannot get to the surgery my email address is
An entertaining, gripping and at times moving account. Highly recommended. peterwharf@hotmail.com.
Peter Wharf, County Councillor

DORSET COUNCIL GOES LIVE

On 1 April, Dorset Council will replace the existing district and borough councils
(East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, Weymouth & Portland) and
Dorset County Council, all of which will cease to exist.
This reorganisation will bring together almost 5000 employees plus colleagues in
education, making over 8000 in total, who will serve the 375,000 residents in the
Dorset Council area.
A huge amount of work has happened behind the scenes to bring about this
reorganisation of local government. This includes:

 a boundary review for Dorset with new ward boundaries in place for
elections on 2 May - moving from 206 councillors to 82 for the Dorset
Council area
 transferring Christchurch-based services to the new Bournemouth,
Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, including social care, libraries,
community safety, leisure, housing and registration services

 moving to a single financial system for the new council, including payments
- so it’s easier for customers to pay council tax, business rates, parking fines,

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