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June 2020 June 2020
shortly if it was deemed an emergency. In addition, Councillor Wharf, and the
BERE REGIS FLORAL GROUP Parish Council Chair had held a telephone conference call with Michael
Tomlinson MP, to discuss the possibility of effecting a change in the law for the
future to differentiate planning regulations for Park Homes from those covering
Write me something about the floral group for the June touring Caravan Parks. All members of the Parish Council had recently received a
magazine, my dear friend Alison suggested. Glad to, I copy of a letter from Mike Gee, a resident who was formerly a planning officer,
thought, but as my fingers hovered over the computer keys, I who sets out a case as to why he disagrees with the response given by Dorset
ask myself just where do I begin? Council. The Parish Council resolved to forward Mr Gee’s letter to the Head of
Planning at Dorset Council for a response.
Perhaps a brief trip back to the very beginning would be a
good place to start. It is exciting to reflect that the whole
national flower arranging movement started in Dorset! Black Hill SSSI
Mary Pope, a member of the Eldridge Pope Brewery family in
There have been ongoing discussions
Dorchester had spent some of the war years in America and
between the landowner at Black Hill,
became very enthusiastic about the Garden Clubs of America, with their focus The Urban Heath Partnership, Dorset
on flower arranging as part of plant growing. Back home after the war, she Council and Natural England, as they
established the Dorset Floral Decoration Society in the early 50s with the support wish to try and stop the damage which
of the Royal Horticultural Society. There was a show in the Dorchester Corn is being done to the SSSI on Black Hill,
Exchange that was lavishly featured in Picture Post magazine with Society florist particularly by cyclists using tools to dig
and teacher, Constance Spry doing the judging. In 1959, the National the land for their bike tracks.
Association of Flower Arrangement Societies was formed, with Mary Pope as its
founder president. The Parish Council have been asked to
help raise awareness of this. We
Our own group in Bere Regis was also established appreciate that we have responsibility
in 1959 by a lady from Hyde called Maureen for the interests of all residents of the
Anderson. Long standing members of our parish village, and absolutely sympathise with the children and young adults using their
will also remember names like Chrystal Tadman, bikes on this area who are enjoying the countryside and being active, which is
Jay Corner, Cara Barne, Beryl Cobb, Marion certainly a good thing. Stopping them from doing this isn’t our intention at all.
Benjafield, Evelyn and Audrey Lys, Jean Hudson to
mention just a few of the club’s early members. To be clear, as far as we are aware, the landowner is still happy for people to use
The club’s former president until 2017, Joan their bikes in the “circle” area at the top of Cemetery Lane where bikes have
Herridge, was a member almost from the traditionally been used. It’s specifically the area further along to the west, where
beginning, and was one of Dorset’s most talented tools have been used to create new tracks and jumps, that they are trying to
national competitors over many years, still loving stop the damage on and protect the wildlife there.
her competition work at nearly ninety years old.
(“With a bit more age and experience, Joan, you The Parish Council are still actively pursuing the creation of a new area for bikes,
could be quite good!” my husband Rob used to skateboards and such and hope the development of the Neighbourhood Plan
can further the options for this.
say to her. Fortunately she shared his wacky sense
of humour, and they would both laugh
uproariously).
Certificates of Appreciation
The club had a membership of over fifty in those early days, but even now after
sixty-one years, is around forty. In the early years we met at the Drax Hall, but the During the recent pandemic, we have been heartened by the number of people
problem of getting heavy buckets of flowers and equipment upstairs eventually within the parish who have gone above and beyond to help others with a
defeated us, and we now meet at the village hall in Winterborne Kingston. Our multitude of tasks and favours, with no expectation in return. In due course, after
members come from quite a wide area from Dorchester to Wareham, Blandford lockdown has ended, we would like to present these people with a Certificate of
Appreciation to show our thanks for all that they have done for our community

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