It has been a very busy two months for the Scouts, here are just some of the things we have been up to…..
1st Woodcutts on TV?
The troop was invited to Myncen Farm to watch and appear in the filming of the Channel
Four television programme Time Team. The Scouts were taken around the dig and shown
a number of the many archaeological finds including; three plunge pools; a roman
graveyard and the Romans version of central heating! The presenters of the show took
time to explain the significance of the artefacts and talked through the importance of the
site. Tony Robinson explained how the programme is made and gave the Scouts some tips
on how to stand when the cameras are rolling!!! When the show is aired in the New Year
you may just see the red and green scarves of 1st Woodcutts in the background. We will
also be writing an article for Scouting Magazine, the world-wide publication for Scouting,
about the visit – a good opportunity to show that Scouting is active in Sixpenny Handley.
The Scouts would like to thank Mr & Mrs Meaden for arranging the visit with the producers of the programme and we hope that others will soon be able to benefit from this valuable site and learn as much as the Scouts have.
Thorpe Park
On Sunday 19th October at 7.15 am 12 Scouts left Sixpenny Handley for a day out at
Thorpe Park. We got to the park 20 minutes before opening and were third in the queue.
The park was quiet and we didn’t have to wait more than five minutes for any of the rides.
The record goes to Dean, Ben and Chris for the most rides with 13 goes on Colossus and
17 on Nemesis Inferno each.
Thank you to Shane’s mum for driving to the park.
Fireworks Display.
A big thank you to all those who helped and supported the fireworks display. We were
very lucky with the weather and raised a good sum that will help maintain the Cub and
Scout funds. It was good to see a lot of people from Sixpenny Handley and the
surrounding villages and we hope that you enjoyed this community event. Thank-you to
Bronia and all the shops for selling the tickets and Steve Judd for allowing us to use the
field (again).
Remembrance Day Parade
There was a good attendance of both Cubs and Scouts at this years’ Remembrance Parade.
All those on parade looked very smart. We think that this must have been one of the
largest attendances of Cubs and Scouts in recent years.
We are now looking forward to many more exciting events in the coming months, watch this space…..
In recent months I have purchased, or had sent to me as complimentary copies, a number of aviation books and with Christmas fast approaching, what I have found to be rewarding, others might find the same.
'Footprints On The Sands Of Time', by Oliver Clutton Brock, is a remarkably well researched, and written, account of the 10,999 airmen from the United Kingdom, Dominions and Commonwealth, plus a scattering of French, Polish and Czechoslovak airmen that became prisoners of war during the course of their service with Bomber Command. Oliver's title is taken from the last line in a verse by the poet Longfellow, which in full reads, 'Lives of great men all remind us, We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us, Footprints on the sands of time'.
Divided into two parts, the first, eighteen chapters in all, outlines, in some detail, the chronological opening of the numerous camps necessary to house an ever increasing band of airmen, whose tours of operations ended abruptly in the skies over Germany, or the occupied countries. This same section also deals with repatriations of prisoners who were medically boarded and deemed unfit, either physically or mentally, to be held in captivity, the role of the Red Cross, escapes, and the myriad of events that encroached upon the day to day life of a prisoner. Many anecdotes are included from the men who endured years of enforced idleness in conditions, though not so horrific as that bestowed on servicemen captured by the Japanese, were, nonetheless, far from easy. As Oliver sombrely points out, approximately one in every twenty airmen captured never returned home.
The second part of this absorbing book lists, in alphabetical sequence, the names of the 10,999 airmen, along with notes, where considered appropriate. Published by Grubb Street, priced £35, it should be considered an absolutely 'must have' for any serious reader of modern history.
'The Bristol Blenheim, A Complete History', by Graham Warner explains in full detail the development and subsequent operational history of this twin-engine light bomber, which, in its many roles, served not only Bomber Command but was obliged to make up the numbers both in Fighter and Coastal Commands, as well, in its later years, serve as advanced trainer. Originally commissioned in 1934, as a personal aircraft for Lord Rothermere, and, subsequently, presented to the Air Ministry, the Blenheim was, in the late 1930s, one of the fastest monoplanes in service with the Royal Air Force. Sadly, as so many of its crews were to discover, by the outbreak of war its superiority in the air was over and the casualties sustained, particularly by the squadrons of No. 2 Group, Bomber Command, in the early years of the war were near catastrophic.
Copiously illustrated, including nine colour plates, two of which were taken in 1941, when colour photography was a rarity, the book contains a wealth of information in respect of operations and every aspect of usage of this remarkable aeroplane, of which nearly 5,500 were manufactured by the British aviation industry, plus a further 771 built under licence, mainly in Canada.
The dominant force in the restoration of two Blenheims in the 1980s and '90s, Graham Warner is well suited to tell this story and he does it with skill, packing his extensive knowledge into a shade over 620 pages. Published by Crecy Publishing at £34.99, this book is highly recommended.
For those who wish to read about the Royal Air Force in the post-war years, and particularly if you have a yearning to know more about operations from the earliest days of occupation in Germany, through to the collapse of communism and the demolition of the wall that divided the two Germanys, then Bill Taylor's 'Royal Air Force Germany Since 1945' is the book for you. Lavishly illustrated, this respected author takes the reader through the numerous trials and tribulations that befell the Royal Air Force as it adapted to the many tasks that it has been called upon to play over the past half century. Of particular merit is his telling of the RAF's role during the Cold War and the influence of NATO on air operations in this area of Europe. Photographs of just about every type of aircraft, operated by the RAF from its German bases, are shown, including an extremely rare shot of one of the three Balliol trainers detached from Cranwell in the autumn of 1952, for participation in Exercise Hold Fast. For any reader who perhaps served during the golden years of the early jet age, the book will evoke a host of memories for pictures of Vampires and Venoms, Hunters and Canberras abound. Obtainable direct from Midland Publishing, 4 Watling Drive, Hinckley, LE10 3EY, at £35, this book will, surely, be one of the standard works in respect of the post war air force.
'Finals Three Greens, A Life In Aviation', written with a lightness of touch by Wing Commander G.W. (Johnnie) Johnson, has provided me with some of the best bedtime reading for many a year. Joining the Royal Air Force in the early months of 1941, Johnnie Johnson trained as a pilot in the United States, but it was not until January 1944, that he joined 158 Squadron, at Lissett, to commence his first tour of operations. Flying Halifax Mk. IIIs, Johnson and his crew took part in the closing stages of the Battle of Berlin and then were posted for Pathfinder training and, eventually, 635 Squadron, completing their tour of duty by the end of October 1944.
This aspect of his service flying is covered in a mere thirty-one pages, and the remainder of this quite delightful book, a further 244 pages, is taken up with his post war flying, his intermittent stints at staff colleges, and his long contribution to the aviation industry, in particular with Hawker Siddeley Aviation.
My three previous reviews concern well established publishers, and the books reviewed are, of course, in hard cover with dust jackets. 'Finals Three Greens' comes with a semi-stiff card cover and has four inserts of photographs, all of the black and white variety, but Cirrus Associates of Kington Magna, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5EU are to be congratulated for producing such an excellent book, and at a price of just £12.95. My copy was purchased direct from the author, but I expect any good bookshop, or a letter to the address shown above, should achieve the desired results.
Finally, still available from the reviewer at 10 Sycamore Close (552776) are signed copies of 'In Brave Company' which, incidentally, reports in detail the events that shaped the history of 158 Squadron (see the last review), at £15.95, hardback with dust jacket (£18.60 should you wish a copy to be posted within the United Kingdom), and Volumes 1, 2, 5, and 7 of my series of Bomber Command Losses from the Second World War. Volume 5 (1944) is now, so I am reliably informed, becoming a collectors piece, and I have just two copies left at £19.95 each. Volume 8 in the series will be available in time for Christmas, but, as yet, I do not have a firm price.
In the last Downsman, the Rev Tony Lane questioned whether St Rumbold's Church was really dedicated to a three-day old infant, or to another Rumbold, St Rumbold of Mecklin.
Now the man who designed the East Window in our church, at the turn of the last century, obviously agreed with him. Saints in stained glass can often be identified by the symbols they carry, or wear. The East Window in Pentridge Church is an example.
The Crucifixion is in the centre, with St Mary, St Mary Magdalene, (who has a jar of oil at her feet, in memory of the time she anointed Jesus with precious oil) St John, and a soldier saint with a lion's head on his shield.
In the left panel is a group of saints, including St Thomas of Canterbury (with a large sword rather improbably stuck through his mitre) and St Luke, identified by his symbol, an ox, at his feet. Two other saints are shown, and the artist obviously thought we would know who they were by the symbols they carry. Unfortunately, I don't. The female saint carrying a model church is probably an Abbess, but I can't put a name to her. On the right hand panel of the window is another group of saints. St Catherine has her wheel, and others have assorted staves and things. (Strangely, at their feet there is a corpse.
You can see his head and his left arm. Who is he?) Only one of all these saints has a name, presumably because the artist thought we wouldn't recognise him any other way. He is a grown man with a moustache, and in black letters around his blue halo, it says he is St Rumbold.
This doesn't prove that the church was dedicated to him, of course; only that the designer thought he would have trouble getting a baby into his window, and went for an adult instead.
At the last meeting of the Planning Committee of the Parish Council, it was disclosed that the Government is proposing a fundamental change to the Planning procedures which, if implemented by East Dorset District Council, would seriously emasculate our own Parish Council. The proposal is that objections made by the Parish Council to a planning application would no longer be considered by the Planning Committee of East Dorset District Council, but would be decided by the Planning Officer alone, unless he receives three letters of objection from members of the public as well. The justification is that consideration of an application by East Dorset District Council Planning Committee "simply because a Parish Council objects to the proposal, delays the decision and increases processing costs"!
No doubt the Parish Council will be making suitable comments about this proposal to the District Council, but it is an issue which threatens to seriously undermine local democracy. Scrutiny of parish planning matters is one of the most important contributions which the Parish Council makes to village life. If the Parish Council is no longer to be allowed to be the guardian of parish planning interests, but to be reduced to jut a debating society, what is the point of electing a Parish Council at all? The Parish Council is elected by the village to seek our views and to represent us democratically. Why should Wimborne insist that, in order for decisions to be made by the District Planning Committee, villagers must effectively by-pass the Parish Council, and put their objections in writing? It would make the consultative role of our Parish Council irrelevant, and would inevitably lead to unacceptable planning applications being passed by Wimborne "on the nod", just because the requisite three letters had not been received.
Not everyone has the time to put pen to paper, which is why we have a Parish Council to listen to our views, whether it is in the pub, on the doorstep, on the telephone or at public meetings. But if this proposal is allowed to go through, it will mean that we will in future have to go to the trouble of writing a formal letter of objection, because the Parish Council will no longer have the authority to represent our views to a democratically elected planning committee. Remember, the Planning Officer is not elected. He is not publicly accountable at all, but is just an employee on an index linked pension paid for by us.
No wonder the turn out at elections is so low; democracy has been privatised in the interests of what Wimborne calls "Best Value Performance Indicators”!
18th Nov. It is 9.00am., outside the sky is mainly covered with ominous, black clouds and away to the south there is a slight parting of the ways, where some rays of sunlight are actually penetrating the dense foreboding mass. The air pressure is rising but the weather forecast predicts more rain. Despite the high pressure, more rain bearing clouds are moving in off the Atlantic where the pressure is still higher. Nature in her permanent quest for stability, is moving air from high to low pressure systems. In doing so she moves hot air from the Gulf Stream, over the sea where it collects water from the Atlantic, which is released over the U.K. as rain when the lower temperatures cool the air, reducing its water holding potential. This of course means moisture, which nature intends should help to restore the considerable deficit of soil water throughout the country.
At least it is warm rain, the outside temperature here at this moment is... ... ... ... ... .., (sorry for the delay I just nipped outside to read my thermometer), 12 degrees centigrade. (53 degrees Fahrenheit in old money) Now you can see why I started with the date, for the time of year this is beyond belief, a temperature just above freezing would be much more normal. Nevertheless it means I can potter; my grandfather used to do that when I was a boy, so now I am a grandfather I reserve the right to 'potter', I just hope that I do it as well as he did, around the garden. Please excuse me I am not sure whether it is right or rite, at least I'm sure it is not write, if you see what I mean. To continue, with reference to temperatures again, perhaps some of you watched Horizon on the 'box', sorry about the colloquium, but I am not sure how to spell television. This was a program concerning "The North Atlantic Conveyor"; the tidal and deep water systems that maintain our temperatures so much higher than other places in the world at the same latitude, for example The Hudson Bay and British Columbia.
It appears, that because of man induced, global warming, the extremely cold water from the thawing Arctic ice fields will cause the conveyor system to stop working. It is suggested that it is extremely likely that we will then be as cold as Alaska. It would appear that Mother Nature has been pipped at the post by man. It is hard to believe this, when outside dahlias are still blooming, rose buds appear in abundance, the fuchsia bushes have a plentiful supply of purple and red blossoms still on show. What does it all mean?
The answer could be here at Woodcutts. Very often, when I describe to those few people who don't know this celebrated, cosmopolitan, world renowned backwater, I tell them that once past the cottages they must turn and retrace their steps or they will falloff the edge of the world. It was always intended as a joke in the past but not any longer. No indeed, but you will of course be wondering why the change.
Well, I will explain what has happened. Sometime during the last couple of months a signpost has appeared at the western end of our lane; that is at the end where the world stops. "So what?", I hear you say. Now the great mystery, this signpost of untreated oak, actually appeared overnight, and everybody knows that the oak is extremely hardy because of its very slow growth rate. How on earth did a signpost, in excess of six feet tall manage to appear overnight? Very weird, you will agree, but that is the half of it. This sign post has three finger boards, the one pointing back up the lane to the east has the name Woodcutts carved on it, the one pointing south down Long Lane is carved with the name of a place called Minchington, while the direction to the north end of Long Lane is B3081.
Even more mysterious is the inscription on the upright pointing skywards, this says, Champs Farm, the original name of the farm that once stood here. Under this name the number 967167 appears, what is this, is it suggesting that the farm is now in orbit, is it now a celestial body, some 967167 miles up? Discounting this later unfathomable mystery, the sign post could be of great use to anybody wanting to go to Woodcutts, Minchington or the B3081, but perhaps not everyone wants to start their journey from Champs Farm. Putting this to one side, the biggest mystery is the absence of a finger post pointing west. This is the direction which I have jokingly suggested was the end of the world in the past. The question is the future. Is there to be one for everything to the West of Woodcutts? At this point I will leave you to ponder over it in your own good time.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this, if you have any views on this matter please write to the editor A.S.A.P., some of us are not only puzzled but also puggled. This is another word used by my Grandfather and I reserve the right to use it, as he was Dorchester born and bred, therefore it must be correct.
Thank you reading to the finish, I nearly said the end. Whatever, may God bless you all.