As we approach the last month of Spring the village is looking lovely with flowers, shrubs and trees bursting into life all around us.
April was another busy month for the Parish Council as we planned for the upcoming Coronation Picnic and other events.
Big Village Coronation Picnic – Sunday 7th May, from 2-7pm
Last year’s Jubilee events were such fun and so many people commented that it was great to get together – so we have worked hard to create another Big Village Picnic for you.
Its going to be a fun packed afternoon for the village to get together, with entertainment for all ages.
We will have the traditional big star tent and plenty of straw bales to sit on. All you need to do is turn up, bring a picnic, a comfy chair, and maybe your own gazebo.
As with all festivals, we have musicians and entertainers from the village who will perform across the afternoon. There will be singing and dancing from 2pm, kicking off with a welcome from Chris Manning and his band, followed by a special music and movement entertainment session for 0 to 5’s with Moo Music, then more bands, singers and music across the afternoon. Attractions include:
- Central stage with live music featuring the villages own Frayed Strings Ukelele band, Gerry’s Life in the Past Lane and the wonderfully talented Holly-Jay, all brought together and hosted by Chris Manning and his great Swing & Soul band.
- Fully licensed pop-up bar from the Rose & Crown at the Sports Pavilion
- Family area by the Village Hall with a bouncy castle, face-painting, crown-making and train-rides and extra Moo-Music fun.
- Stalls will include cakes, celebration chocolates and snacks
There are lots of coronation recipes being published at the moment, the latest of which is Charles and Camilla’s Coronation Quiche. It contains broad beans, spinach, cheese and tarragon, and can easily be adapted to suit different tastes. They have said that they hope it will be the centrepiece for many communities’ Big Picnic events – so perhaps you could bring a coronation quiche to share with your neighbours.
If you would like to set up a stall that you think would be relevant for the afternoon, please do get in touch.
….and, of course, let’s all put a word in for better weather than last year!
In other news….
Huntick Road planting
Now that the development at Rozalia Meadows is nearly finished we should see less parking along that part of Huntick Road. To help repair the damage that has been done, the developers have re-seeded the grass verge and the Parish Council has started to plant it up with low-level shrubs and native spring flowering plants. This will not only protect the verges and provide a safe separation between the main road and the footpath/cycleway, but will also start to create a mini border for insects and wildlife. The white-topped posts are temporary and will be removed once the planting is established.
War Memorial and wreaths
To provide a more rural backdrop for the memorial area, the Guerrilla Gardeners have planted new climbing shrubs against the rear wall. Over time these will spread up and across the wall to conceal the damage caused by subsidence and provide more greenery.
Clearing away Remembrance Day wreaths
As part of the re-planting and tidying up, the Parish Council has also cleared away the last of the wreaths that remained from the last Remembrance Day. There is no established protocol or recommended timeline for clearing the wreaths, even from the Royal British Legion. Therefore the Parish Council is proposing a policy to clear any remaining wreaths by the end of each year. While the wreaths look resplendent in November, the weather does take its toll on them, and they can become quite a mess by the end of winter. If you feel this is the wrong approach and have other thoughts and ideas please contact the Parish Clerk.
Fly-tipping around the village
Unfortunately, there has recently been an increase in fly-tipping around the village.
If you see a fly-tip, please make a note of where it is, take a picture if you can, and note down any other details. Never touch the waste or confront fly-tippers. You can report it to Dorset Council via their online form and by calling them on 01305 221040. Where there is sufficient evidence they will investigate fly-tipping incidents and attempt to trace and prosecute anyone found to be fly-tipping on public land.
As a guide, when handing over any waste to a contactor, the Dorset Council SCRAP programme advises the following:
- Suspect all waste carriers until they have provided their licence
- Check their licence details on the public register for waste carriers
- Refuse unexpected offers to take your waste away
- Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of
- Paperwork – get an invoice or receipt for the waste they’re taking, including their contact details.
Annual Parish Meeting
This year’s Annual Parish Meeting will be on 10th June 2023, 10am-12pm. The plan is to host an open forum on Library Green and for all residents to use this as an opportunity to raise issues or concerns. If you have any views on the projects we are planning to undertake, how we spend the precept and village funds or think we have overlooked something that is important to you, then please come along and tell us. There is no need to make an appointment and we can discuss any topic. If we don’t know the answer, we will take a note and endeavour to find out.
Next Paediatric First Aid Course
The Paediatric First Aid Training for Parents and Babysitters event is running on 10th June from 9:30-11.30am in the Lytchett Matravers Village Hall. The training will be run by the Ouch Training Team from Wimborne and is designed to help parents and babysitters become more familiar and confident when faced with a first aid emergency that involves a baby or young child. To book your tickets visit the LMPC website or go to Eventbrite.
May Meetings
The May parish council meetings will be at 7pm on Wednesday 10th and 24th in the Village Hall. Agendas are published online by the preceding Saturday, and minutes of all meetings are available online. You can sign up to receive email updates for meeting agendas by registering on the LMPC website. This is particularly useful if you want to hear about planning applications as Dorset Council no longer delivers statutory notifications to neighbours
Alf Bush,
Chair, Lytchett Matravers Parish Council
For further information please visit our website at: https://lytchettmatraverspc.org/ or contact Tim Watton, the Parish Clerk via lytchettmatravers@dorset-aptc.gov.uk