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August 2019 August 2019

BERE REGIS HISTORY SOCIETY NEWS FROM WESTMINSTER

Our June meeting began with our usual It’s August, which means that Parliament is in recess –
"News Section", when a small exploration and is not sitting. Whilst I will be taking some time off to
dig in the Vicarage garden the previous spend with my family, work as a Member of
day was discussed. After looking in three Parliament continues over the summer in the
places, including the known location of a constituency as usual. If you see me out and about,
"void" in a flower bed, it was found to be please do stop me for a chat.
builders' rubble where the soil between People do sometimes come to Parliament to see me, and I was pleased to be
old bricks has soaked away. A BRHS able to speak to some constituents last month when they took the time to come
presence was able to identify the brick to the climate change event “The Time Is Now” in London. There are so many
rubble as being of 16th & 19th century date. Next, the crop marks identified as a small things we can all do personally to help combat climate change, but the
farm along Doddings Lane were shown as the discovery drawing from last government must also act. I am therefore really pleased that we are bringing in
summer. The pottery from that site has dated the farm originally to being very late laws to end our contribution to global warming by 2050 so we can leave the
4th century.
environment in a better state for the next generation. By doing this we are the
Our first talk on dendrochronology - the first country in the world to bring in this type of legislation.
study of tree rings - was given, and used Schools have now broken up, so I will not be visiting them, but recess gives me
a tree stump in the churchyard for data. the chance to meet more people, and visit more charities and local businesses.
The technique was described and the As I write, the weather is bright and sunny, and I hope this continues through the
growth-graph was shown for that tree. summer, to boost our local tourism industry. Of course we all know that Britain’s
Normally dendrochronology is used to best beaches are in Dorset, but we must not forget everything else that Dorset
date buildings where timber has been has to offer. It is always such a pleasure for me to find out more about Dorset’s
tested, but on this occasion it was hidden gems – whether local micro-brewing at 8-arch brewery, or Wimborne
shown that the tree was cut down in model town, or the boat hire at the quay in Wareham. And we are very lucky
2011 when it was 32 years old.
with our open spaces too – our lovely heathland and parks. Tourism, both directly
A planned trip around the village was and indirectly, helps to maintain over 46,000 jobs in Dorset, and in 2017 there
discussed, where the Society would visit were 29.4 million visits to Dorset, spending around £1.8billion. Tourism really is a
all the pubs and the buildings where vital sector to encourage and support to develop and sustain local jobs.
they once were. It would be a guided tour with each pub's dates and famous Further afield, I recently visited the Netherlands as part of a Parliamentary
publicans would be celebrated.
delegation. We met current and former Dutch Parliamentarians, civil servants
The collection of newspaper cuttings from 1796 onwards regarding Woodbury Hill and business people. We also discussed “Alternative Arrangements” plans for
Fair was revealed as our next collection project. Several examples of the type of after Brexit, and chatted with the British Ambassador about Dutch-British
stories reported were given. These included horse-stealing, that in good years up relations. There was also some “soft diplomacy” in the form of inter-parliamentary
to 22,000 sheep were traded on this site, numerous pick-pocketing incidents, and cricket between the British Parliamentary team and the Dutch Binnenhof. Sadly,
suspicious characters being intercepted on their way to the Fair with counterfeit not only did we fail to win a match, but I also returned home with a broken finger
coins and notes. It will build into an invaluable resource for further research. after some over enthusiastic fielding! Fortunately it is healing well, and doesn’t
prevent me from doing my job.
We meet on the third Wednesday of the month and all are welcome.
If you would like to visit Parliament or have an issue that you need
John Pitfield, Project Secretary help with, please do get in touch; email me on
michael.tomlinson.mp@parliament.uk or contact my office on

01202 624216. You can also follow what I’ve been doing on Twitter
@Michael4mdnp or Facebook www.facebook.com/
michael4MDNP

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