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August 2020 August 2020

ADMIRAL ACRONYM – SQUIRE OF BERE From hairdressers to sheep shearing, Trading
Standards in Dorset continue to work with a wide
REGIS range of businesses to help keep our local
economy ‘a cut above the rest’.

The name Drax is familiar to To contact Trading Standards please visit https://
most people who live in Bere www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer or by calling
Regis. It is the name of one of the freephone number 0808 223 1133.
the village pubs, The Drax Arms;
it is the name of the village hall,
the Drax Hall, and the Drax
monogram and date survives
on a number of former and
existing Drax Estate dwellings in
the village. Travellers to the
West Country will be familiar
with the brick wall surrounding
Charborough Park to the east
of the village. At 3½ miles long,
it is said to be one of the
longest continuous estate walls
in the kingdom. The arched
gates to the estate are surmounted by various beasts including the famous five-
legged stag. The annual repairs to the brickwork caused by vehicle impacts are
nearly as regular as the changing of the seasons. Happy Diamond
But what of probably the most illustrious holder of that surname? Reginald Aylmer Wedding
Ranfurley Plunkett was born on 28 August 1880 and baptised at Holy Trinity,
Westminster, Marylebone on 8 September 1880. He was born into Anglo-Irish Anniversary
peerage. He was the youngest son of John William Plunkett, the 17 Baron
th
Dunsany of Dunsany Castle, County Meath, Ireland. His mother, Ernle Elizabeth
Louisa Maria Grosvenor, was also well connected with the English and Irish Jackie and Ray Percy are celebrating 60
aristocracy. Both parents came from wealthy and influential landed families in years of marriage on Thursday 6th
Ireland and England. August. They would like to thank their
neighbours in Stanbarrow Close for all
In 1881, the family was living at Dunstall Priory, Kent, the home of Lord Dunsany.
Reginald attended Cheam School, the well-known preparatory school in Surrey. In their help and support following Ray’s
1894, at the age of 14, he left school and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet to recent illness.
train as a midshipman on the training ships, HMS Britannia and Hindoustan,
moored at Dartmouth, Devon. In those days it was the practice for young boys As long standing members of the
joining the Royal or Merchant Navies to be sent at the tender ages of 13 to 14 parish magazine delivery team, we
years to various naval training establishments; potential officers to HMS Britannia, would also like give them both our
and lower deck ratings to various official and privately run establishments such as grateful thanks for all that they do and
HMS Ganges at Mylor, Falmouth, and TS Mercury at Hamble. The training at these wish them Many Congratulations on
6th August 1960
establishments, in redundant former wooden warships, was tough (testament to their special day.
the harsh routine is the memorial at Mylor to 53 young boys who died over 33

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