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January 2021 January 2021

he loved to talk about his family and my favourite story is as follows. It concerns Christmas Hampers
himself and his wife. On a Friday evening they would both travel six miles to a
neighbouring village, she to the village hall for bingo and he to the pub opposite The council acknowledged with gratitude the very generous donations made by
for “a wee dram”. One very cold and very wet evening, Jock came out of the Peter Andrews of Andrews Plant Hire and Haulage and by Distgen, which will
enable Christmas gifts to be distributed to many of our elderly and isolated
pub at closing time, the doors were locked behind him and everyone
disappeared home. He got into his old car to find his rather wet wife sitting in the residents. Very grateful thanks are due to Councillors Brenda House and Philip
passenger seat. He turned the key but nothing happened the pub was locked Morgan for their hard work on this initiative.
and they needed a push. Since there was no one else about and his wife Betty Bryan Benjafield
was not able to drive, she had to get out and push. In the pouring rain they
managed to start the car and off home they went.
0n the lane just before their home there was a gate across, because there were
cattle grazing in the field down which they travelled. Jock stopped and RYE HILL SPEED WATCH - VOLUNTEERS
expecting Betty to get out and open the gate but she didn’t. Jock looked across
to see why she hadn’t and saw she wasn’t there! He had driven home, leaving NEEDED
her in the pouring rain in the pub car park. By the time he had reversed up and
got back to the pub in the pouring rain, she had been standing there for more As reported in the Parish Council’s article, we had a useful meeting last month. I
than forty minutes. She was furious. However he told the story to me many years would like to thank all those for supporting the petition to call for the speed to be
after her death with great humour. reduced on the C6 through the village and, to date, 192 people have signed.
He was a likeable old rogue, a man of simple needs. A man appreciative of what Peter Wharf has kindly agreed to take this
he had, as were others who took advantage of his good nature but all in all, along with the 14 letters of concern to
when it was time to go, he was ready and looked forward to a well earned rest. the Highways Department at Dorset
To have known him as a younger man was a privilege I had missed; despite the Council.
fact that he described me to another neighbour as the ‘Old Man’ over the road.
(He was only thirty years my senior.) He was a proud man, proud of what he had As part of a staged approach our group
is setting up a Speed Watch and our
achieved. A man of the countryside, with very good tastes, for example lamb, thanks to Angie and Ian Wright who are
trout, venison and pheasant ---- I rest my case.
taking the lead.
It is wonderful when I look back at the characters I have known in my lifetime, in
We will need a small team so if you feel
the countryside both here and in Southern Ireland.
strongly about the speeding on this road
Let us get back to the present here in Turnerspuddle, where currently it is very wet and are willing to help us by helping to monitor the speeds of traffic, please do get
and green and where flowers are blooming and the grass very green and still in touch with them to volunteer your help. Telephone 01929 471734 or email
growing. My editor has just been through the article and I am about to send it off. therwrights.1@btinternet.com
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to You All and may God Bless you. Alison Bennett
Ted Cox

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