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June 2024 June 2024

POETRY CORNER FUNERAL TRIBUTES

Very sadly, our resident poet, Paul Openshaw, has now moved away from the Fathers last appointment, which he commenced in 1980,
village, so we will no longer be receiving his wonderful poems. This poetry corner saw him return to the Royal Marines at Poole as the
will, therefore, take a break for a while - unless, of course, there are any other Commanding Officer of the RN Company. We are sure
budding Betjemans or Wordsworths out there who would like to contribute! mother saw this as a safe job prior to his impending
I would personally like to thank Paul for his generous participation in this retirement from the service.
magazine, over many years. He has brought a lot of joy, deep thoughts and Of course she had not bet on the Argentinians deciding to invade the
highly amusing prose to our readers, for which we are very grateful indeed. Falklands in April 1982 with the inevitable deployment of many Poole based

Alison - Editor Royal Marines.
However, the chances of father being deployed ‘Down South’, seemed
extremely slim, until that is, father was informed by the naval appointer that, if
the UK was to lose an aircraft carrier, he was likely to be appointed as the
MILBORNE MOVIES Marine Engineer Officer of HMS BULWARK, the last remaining carrier. I
remember father being quite enthusiastic about the whole matter……
However, I will leave it to you to can imagine mothers reaction! Thankfully, for
The Holdovers all concerned this scenario never came to pass!
Friday 21st June 2024 at 7.30pm
1982 was also significant to Father in one other way. It was in this year that he
Village Hall, The Causeway, Milborne St was gazetted as having being awarded the MBE. He received this award for
Andrew DT11 0JX his work in adapting landing craft that had been designed for action in the
oppressive heat of the Middle East to work in the bitter cold of the Artic (and
Doors and bar open 7.00pm incidentally the Falklands!). It was a proud moment for the family to attend the
Tickets cost £6, which includes a drink or an Palace, and watch Father receive his award from the Queen.
ice-cream In 1984 and after 38 years active service, Father retired from the navy and the
service he loved.

Nobody likes teacher Paul Hunham However, Father wanted to continue his connection with engineering and the
(Giamatti) -- not his students, not his fellow sea. Upon his retirement he moved into the commercial world and this
faculty, not the headmaster, who all find his pomposity and rigidity exasperating. provided an opportunity to achieve both. His business, Seaway Marine, saw
With no family and nowhere to go over Christmas holiday in 1970, Paul remains at him engaging with new commercial partners and re-engaging with his
school to supervise students unable to journey home. After a few days, only one previous naval partners.
student holdover remains -- a trouble-making 18-year-old named Angus, a good
student whose bad behavior always threatens to get him expelled. Joining Paul This period in his life also allowed him to become more involved in several of his
and Angus is head cook Mary (Randolph)-an African American woman who other interests. He was an active member of both the village Parish Council
caters to sons of privilege and whose own son was recently lost in Vietnam. These undertaking roles of Treasurer and Chairman at different times as well as being
three very different shipwrecked people form an unlikely Christmas family sharing an active member of the local Conservative party. He was also joined and
comic misadventures during two very snowy weeks in New England. The real subsequently became President of the Purbeck Rotary Club.
journey is how they help one another understand that they are not beholden to
their past-they can choose their own futures. One of the reasons we are holding this celebration of Fathers life in church
today is due to Fathers deep Christian faith. This faith was reflected in his
Described as a well acted feel good comedy drama. connections to this church and in particular the Parochial Church Council

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