Jan/Feb - Piddle Valley Community Website

News, comings & goings in the valley ------------------
Alton Pancras
AP Greetings from the Best-Kept Hamlet in Dorset, which we were officially
awarded in the Autumn. The independent judges particularly liked the fact that we
were litter-free, their not knowing that a couple of village worthies got wind of their
intended visit and black-sacked it. We were surprised that they didn't comment on
the over-grown pond and parts of the river frontages, but perhaps they didn't spot
there was a river there at all! Apparently they particularly admired the area around
the church, its grounds kept neat all-year by John Squibb, and around Austral Farm
and the Manor. The irony is that a hamlet is generally described as a small village,
usually without a church!
AP This new regular column aims to focus on comings and goings in Ap, news
of previous residents, any individual or collective successes, and like any news media,
plenty of villagers' names. We were asked recently if our village (hamlet?) had any
locals, which set us thinking. Define a local. Someone born in AP? Or lived here a
long time? And how long is a long time? Your views are sought. And by the way, the
questioner didn't mean that at all. He meant "any pubs?"
AP At a gathering at Parkstone, Poole recently, among an audience of 65 'local'
people, not one had been born in Dorset. Yet here in Ap, there are at least three who
were Parkstone-born Eric and Jean Groome and me! Anyone else? We await your
contributions for the March/April edition, deadline 5 pm 15th February. And if you
would prefer to write this column, come to the village meeting on 18th April (venue
to be announced through your doors later) and offer your services. Until then .........
AP In February, JJ Olley, Jennii Bland and Joseph Krolski are among those on
their way to Moscow and St Petersburg, while Jon Coombes and George Brazier are
in the party destined for Florida. all courtesy of school trips. Comparing cultures and
temperatures spring to mind!
Colin Dean, 8 Holcombe Mead [colinsuedean@btinternet.comj
Piddlehinton
Royal British Legion
My humble apologies to the people in Piddlehinton who weren't visited by the Royal
British Legion Poppy Appeal collectors. The omission was a combination of late
arrival of collection boxes and two of my stalwart collectors being absent. I sincerely
hope I will be better organised for 2011 !
David Saxby Piddlehinton Village Representative Royal British Legion
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