The Masquerade Summer Lunch

Took place on Sunday 8th August was a huge success with the Village Hall decorated with hundreds of masks and each of the 72 people attending receiving a mask of their own to wear. Grateful thanks to Janet and Kay for all their help in making these masks. The occasion raised a massive £500 which was sent to Shelterbox - this amount will buy a complete box to be sent to a disaster area - Thank you all once again.

Clapton, Wayford and District Horticultural Society 65th Annual Flower Show, 14th August 2010

It was more a dowsing than a dawning on Flower Show day as grey clouds hugged the hills around our villages and homes, bringing a soaking to the last minute harvesting of flowers, fruit, vegetables and to the gardener.

Naturally, gardeners are used to the rain, and everything else that Nature can throw at them. But a Flower Show hereabouts is rather more than flowers. There is much else of village life also on show from painting to plum jam and cakes to carving. The day before the Show, some of the last minute baking and boiling was disrupted by a power cut. How the Show Secretary remains sane is anyone's guess. How many would guess that she was up at midnight two days before the Show doing the administration of all the entries, and, being a kind-hearted lady, she had more to catch up on from people who see a deadline as more a flexible friend.

Early birds arriving to help put up the tables will have been disappointed. Bob (not Bob the Builder, but Bob the Chairman) had been to the village hall and put out the tables about half six. They could instead have watched Neil putting rope across the football field to stop hyped-up horticulturists from doing wheelies in the goalmouth. Better still they could have helped him, as it was pouring with rain and his coat had stayed at home in the warm and dry.

Through the rain and puddles a succession of close on a hundred exhibitors brought their prize vegetables and handicrafts - about 580 exhibits in all. Not bad for the collection of villages where most of our members come from: Clapton, Wayford, Drimpton, Greenham, Netherhay. And some came not just from our big neighbour, Crewkerne, but even from London. Philippa had driven straight down from London with her daughter's potatoes grown in a pot.

As last minutes touches, tweaks and adjustments were made, the bell tolled. For whom? To evict exhibitors from the hall at 10:45 and allow the judges to, well, judge. Pleasant though challenging for the Art judge, but Homecraft! Could you imagine tasting dozens of scones, cakes, jam, loaves? There was a background hush of murmurs as judges and stewards moved about. Prizes were awarded. Stickers were fixed, and the display was soon ready for public opening at 2:15.

The morning's wind and rain, thankfully had given way to sunshine as the doors opened and the hall filled. Teas and cakes kept the kitchen busy, with Sylvia again qualifying for Olympic dish-washing gold. But it was not all tea and buns. Oh, no! As the weighing of Potatoes grown in a container got under way in mid afternoon, the tensions of months of care and cultivation started to tell as eagle-eyed competitors watched one another's containers for signs of being too broad or too deep. Late on as a mere half ounce separated the leading contenders, a tape measure was brought in, a response to a final, desperate challenge.

To round off the day, cups were awarded, thanks shared and prizes gathered, and nearly everything cleared away before the rain rolled back in.

Now, what's next? Oh yes, planning for next year!

Brian

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Who Were We? 

Connecting the lives of a 19^th century Dorset community

by Andrew Pastor

Our new book, Who Were We?, has been researched and written by members of the 21^st century community of Drimpton. It sets out to give our 19^th century neighbours a chance to speak to us today, to step out of the shadows and tell us something about themselves one more time. Over 500 families are recorded in our book which blends fact and imagination recreating a community where everyone mattered.

Who Were We? is now available, for more information please go to the dedicated website www.whowerewe.org

The April, May and June editions of 'Dorset Magazine' (June out now) has the first of a series of articles on the background to the book
visit the Dorset Magazine website:
http://dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk/

Response from Harlen Whetham of Ontario

Hello
     My name is Harlen Whetham and I am a 6th generation Canadian. I came across your website and was very exited to find your small histories #3. Some of the first names were common with the family here in Canada, quite exciting for me. I then found some research done by Maxine Kaull, this connected me directly to the family in your histories #3.
     Thomas Bradford Whetham, son of William came to Canada from Bridport in 1809. He was married to Mary Crossin, they had three children. Thomas was a Sergeant Major with the Royal Artillery Drivers and fought here in the war of 1812 against the Americans at Queenston Heights, near Niagara Falls. For his service of approximately 22 years he was granted 100 acres of land. When this was cleared and cultivated he was able to petition the crown for more land. Being an officer he was granted a total of 300 acres
     My Canadian grandfathers and father have all been successful farmers, I am the first to break the tradition, I became a millwright. The farm I grew up on was bought by my great-grandfather.

(See picture left) My wife and  have just celebrated our 40th anniversary. We have two son's, one is in Calgary Alberta and is a Director of Operations with a theater company. The youngest is a General Manager of a sports store in Milton Ontario (near Toronto). I am also a Master Mason and a Shriner.

   I am looking forward to reading more small histories about the area my ancestors came from.
  P.S.any contact with your magazine or interested Whetham's is most welcome. Keep up the good work, you'd be surprised who's reading you!

  Y.I.T.F.
      Harlen Whetham, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada via the U.K.

Use the e-mail details at the top of this page if you wish to comment

This web site has been created to gather information, history, photographs, personal anecdotes and anything to do with the village of Drimpton or the neighbouring hamlets of Greenham and Netherhay.



Drimpton Cross 1907
But in 1493 the local tenant had to repair the road.

SMALL HISTORIES

These brief accounts tell of episodes, events and people selected from hundreds of years of village history from the ever-growing archive.

Small History No. 4
The Slow Train from Drimpton
An 1863 plan to build a railway from Lyme Regis to Crewkerne via Drimpton...

Small History No.3 - The Whetham Family
A tale of Cavaliers and Roundheads but on whose side?

Small History No.2 The Middle Ages.
Fascinating tales from 15th Century Court Rolls.
Who ran an illegal brewery? Who let their pigs roam freely? Who broke into a house with swords and daggers? Why were the tenants required to construct a gallows?

Click  HISTORY  to find out more.