Page 37 - BR June 2023 (1)

June 2023 June 2023

The club opens from May to September
BERE REGIS WI
each year and has recently formed itself
into a charitable company limited by
guarantee. Amazingly the club has a What a wonderful start to Spring we have had so
membership of 1800 with a waiting list of far with the weather getting warmer, the trees
200 and has become so popular it is everywhere at their most glorious best and out
looking at the possibility of introducing a new King being crowned on the 6th May. What
weekday membership. could be better?
Sadly, the club committee is now looking As most WI Members these days are worried about the future of our country the
closely at its affiliation to the ASA. With a Dorset Federation of WI are holding a Meeting in Dorchester on Saturday, 16th
September to discuss creating a Sustainable future and how do we turn good
mostly non-competitive based intentions into action. This is worth thinking about and hearing their answers!
membership, a large sum is being
used to pay affiliation fees each year Our Annual General Meeting was held on the 24th April when the President
to retain links with the ASA but with thanked the Committee for their year's work and the Treasurer presented the
very little apparent return on this accounts which were duly passed. The existing Committee, apart from one, was
investment. The club has asked for duly elected and the Meeting ended with an excellent presentation of photos by
the ASA to consider an associate Hillie Montgomery of her holiday in South America.
membership, but this has been Our next Meeting on Wednesday,17th May is by Alec Lilley, a Marine Pilot, so
refused. The committee would still please do come and join us at the Bere Regis Sports Hall at 7. 30pm.
need to put any change before its
members at an AGM, but whatever
happens, I hope a solution can be
found. DORSET TRADING STANDARDS

In addition, there is a separate and flourishing angling section and the lake is well
stocked with carp, bream, perch, pike and roach. The club has built 200 metres of Dorset County Council Trading Standards Service check and
boardwalk to provide access to angling at the base of the cliff for anglers in the approve businesses so you don’t have to.
top third of the lake where fishing takes place all year round. For more information visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk or
The club has a team of 10 paid superintendants, all trained lifeguards who call 08454 040506.
supervise the safety side of its operations and this team is supplement by many To report or seek advice about problems you have
volunteers. Membership costs £65 per year so with a turnover of over £100,000 the experienced when dealing with a trader call 08454 040506.
club has just taken on a paid administrator to oversee its financial operations.
Up to and immediately after the war years it had very active competitive Trading Standards news: Protected Food Names
swimming, water polo and diving sections and many national and even
international events were held there. However, due to a decline in its competitive What do Champagne, Parma Ham and Scotch Whisky all have in common? They
activities, the Bristol Henleaze Swimming Club was formed and the competitive are protected food names. Dorset and the South West are also home to some
members all but disappeared to the indoor pools in Bristol where they could swim fantastic traditional foods that carry the same legal protection as some of these
and train all year round. well-known foods, such as watercress!
The club is now very keen to share its facilities with the wider community and hosts Dorset and the surrounding counties are home to the watercress industry, with
the Gloucester County ASA open water championships each year. Also, the several of the largest growers based here. Between them they supply the majority
Bristol and District Triathlon Club use the lake before 11am each Sunday through of all watercress sold in UK supermarkets. Watercress using ‘Nasturtium Officinale
the season. seeds’ has been grown in flowing water to a traditional production method used
for over 200 years. Recently this industry came under threat from cheaper imports

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