Parking in Weymouth

One of the measures being proposed by Weymouth & Portland Borough Council is to remove all the one hour free parking along Custom House Quay, Commercial Road and adjacent streets. The Weymoputh & Portland Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Executive Committee have discussed this proposal and are resolved to fight it. They believe these free one hour spaces are essential for local shoppers, as well as out-of-town businesspeople coming into town to make short visits to the bank and suppliers.

Below is the Chamber’s letter which formally objects to the change to pay-and-display, which they understand will be heard by the Traffic Committee at the end of March. Your comments will be welcome so feel free to complete the comments form at the bottom of this article.

You may want to write to the Borough Council yourself about the proposals to take away all the free one hour spaces. Write to;
Mrs Joan Bishop,
Committee Services Officer,
Weymouth & Portland Borough Council,
North Quay,
Weymouth.
DT4 8TA.

Email: joanbishop@weymouth.gov.uk

You have until the end of this week [Friday 12 March.]

COPY OF THE LETTER TO WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND BOROUGH COUNCIL

THE BOROUGH OF WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND

[WAITING RESTRICTIONS] [CONSOLIDATION] ORDER 2008 [AS AMENDED]

AMENDMENT ORDER No. 14 ORDER 2010

Weymouth & Portland Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism is grateful for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Amendment Order, particularly in regard to the unwelcome proposal to introduce pay-and-display along Custom House Quay, Commercial Road and adjacent streets in place of the one hour free parking that currently exists there.

The local business community remains greatly opposed to the loss of any of the free one hour spaces along Custom House Quay, Commercial Road and adjacent streets. Many out-of-town businesspeople use these spaces on a daily basis to make quick visits to town centre banks, finance houses, the main Post Office, shops, suppliers, printers and other establishments.

Principally however, these free one hour spaces are used by local people to make short visits to town centre shops and traders. The Chamber believes that charging for such spaces in future would be perceived negatively as a tax on local people shopping in Weymouth. In already difficult economic circumstances, the town centre needs all the help it can get, to attract more rather than less shoppers. We believe a substantial number of shoppers will be put off shopping in the town were charges introduced and that can only spell less turnover for our town centre, which has never been under so much negative economic pressure.

During the debate at our Executive Committee, the excellent suggestion was made that the free one hour spaces on Custom House Quay, Commercial Road and adjacent streets should be restricted to Borough residents. A tear-off paper certificate could be printed as part of the annual Council Tax booklet. Requiring absolutely no administration, a free paper Residents’ Certificate would be a good way of giving Weymouth & Portland residents an advantage in parking free for one hour close to Weymouth town centre.

It is clear that introducing onstreet parking charges in streets not currently free, will in any case be financially counter-productive. The December 2009 report to Management Committee estimates a cost of £240,000 to initiate and £25,000 a year for “service and maintenance,” yet is estimated to raise only £85,000 a year- a massive loss of at least £180,000 in year one- at the most optimistic levels. We believe the income would be much less. The ringfenced onstreet parking account is already in deficit and under new rules, any loss in a financial year on this account has to be made-up from the General Fund or from reserves.

The suggestion was made at the Management Committee in March, that the free one hour could be reduced to 40 or even 20 minutes. That would be too short a time to access many of the town’s northerly commercial premises and would substantially penalise the less able, who do not walk as fast! One hour is a reasonable time in which to achieve that which is intended and indeed some may well not take that long, in which case the space becomes immediately available to another shopper.

For many years now, there has been an underlying suggestion that continually increasing parking charges will somehow aid traffic flow. As the Chamber suggested in 2008, seasonal congestion is often caused by the Georgian layout of our streets and the relatively few through routes. For example, once past the Jubilee Clock, the only way out of The Esplanade is along Custom House Quay, so that is inevitably congested in high season. Most UK resorts suffer endemic congestion in high season and Weymouth, built on a peninsula, is no exception.

Returning to the point, first made in 2008, the Secretary of State for Transport advises all local authorities in the Operational Guidance that “they should never use parking charges just to raise revenue or as a local tax.” While parking charges undoubtedly make a very substantial contribution to the income of the borough, they have probably reached the highest point that can be sustained- particularly out of season- without discouraging further the footfall into the town centre, the lifeblood of Weymouth business. We believe increasing charges from £1.30 to £1.80 an hour to be unreasonable and will certainly deter locals and visitors alike.

We ask councillors to make no change to the existing onstreet situation and to continue the existing one hour free spaces as a benefit to Weymouth & Portland residents. In the current difficult economic situation, the business community needs the positive support of all councillors to put as few barriers as possible in the way of local residents and visitors patronising town centre businesses.

In Indonesia, they harvest the palm oil by chopping down forrests and creating plantations that have a useful life of only about 20 years. The use of land in this way also effects the local ecology and food supplies causing poverty and starvation in it’s wake.

If you think such a scheme should be stopped then join NOPE by clicking here

A Newer Testament

Courtesy of God!

Lyme Regis has seen it’s fair share of illustrious visitors. Way back,
there were Plesiosaurs; much later, King Cynewulf, then Edward I, then even
The Duke of Monmouth passed through. Shortly after of course Mary Arming
made a name for herself here; as did Fielding, and Turner, and Whistler.
But now prepare yourself for the Jurassic coast can start preparing itself
for the visit of a 66-year old retired Inland Revenue executive from
Basingstoke!
His name is Gerald Ferguson, and for the next year he’ll be
circumambulating the coast Britain, gathering inspiration and pearls of
wisdom for inclusion in the next great testament of the age – A Newer
Testament.
This ‘quest’, recounted in a series of 13 novellas by Jean & Stanley
Lewis, kicks off in the high Andes where an elderly woman tending her sheep
is presented with Gerald’s name in a vision. And she’s not alone, as
elsewhere others have also receive the same message and poor Gerald,
Hampshire gardener, armchair advocate of Reading Football Club, and lifelong
underachiever, finds himself dragged away from his greenhouse to the
world of cliff walks, toasted teacakes and All Day English Breakfasts.
A Year on the Coastal Path.
That sets the scene of the next year as he ups sticks, takes up his
knapsack, leaves the security of his Basingstoke semi, and sets off along
the coastal paths of Britain.
The whole quest unfolds over the year, starting in March with Gerald
catching the train to Portsmouth from where he walks the Sussex and Kent
coast in the company of Matthew Luckless, a cocksure 17-year-old, and jots
down down pearls of disputable wisdom concerning life, birdwatching, stamp
collecting and the abstract idea of nation; all for inclusion in his Newer
Testament.
April finds him leaving Broadstairs accompanied by a former teacher of
German. She leads him to Gravesend and Tilbury, from where they walk the
coasts of Essex and Suffolk to a romantic diversion in Burnham-on-the-
Crouch, and a harrowing Ovaltine in Aldeburgh.
On April 27, he shares a toasted teacake at the Jolly Sprat tearooms
Great Yarmouth with his boy John before the two of them take a two-week
hike to North Yorkshire. They discuss respect in Boston, Trafalgar at
Gibraltar Point, seaside postcards at Skegness, and the existence or
otherwise of God, everywhere.
On May 11 he leaves Whitby and soon attracts the interest of Russell, a
railways man, mature student, and self-proclaimed expert on all things
Natural History.
Mid June he leaves Berwick-upon-Tweed and crosses the border, sampling
his first All Day Scottish Breakfast. He joins a band of pilgrims off to
see the world’s greatest singer songwriter.
July, and Stonehaven becomes his next starting point as he enjoys some
slightly more glamourous company all the way to Thurso, by which time he’s
revelling in the long summer days and the glories of Britain’s north coast.
From Scrabster, he shares the coast with a marketing man, and the dull
nature of his company to and beyond Cape Wrath leaves him time to dream, to
feel himself a part of the landscape, and to reminisce on his life.
Cape Wrath behind him, he continues south in the slipstream of a school
field trip until an mysterious death leaves him alone with their
presumptuous teacher.
September, he’s alone once more and heads west from Fort William. He soon
loses control of his life and quest again as he’s pressed into joining a
theatre troop and is dragged off aboard ship for a tour of the islands.
Late September and he’s back in England racing along the Cumbrian and
Lancashire coast to Liverpool, an assassin close on his heels. Then on the
last day of October, he begins a long cold trek through November and
December to Cardiff.
Christmas in Cardiff, January in love on the South West peninsular, and
finally, on 1 February, he heads off along the home stretch, starting at
Looe and visiting all the south coast resorts to Seaton, Lyme Regis,
Weymouth and finally Lulworth, reflecting on his year on the road.
One man show
The series also demonstrates how it’s becoming easier to self-publish, with
nearly everything, from the ideas, the writing, the design and layout of
the interior, the design and artwork of the cover, the website, the
publicity and the management of the production, right through to creating
the series of animations on YouTube, are all the work of Jean and Stanley
Lewis, who started typing in 2002 and now, courtesy of ‘print on demand’
publishing technology, will this March bring poor Gerald Ferguson and his
ill-appointed quest to the masses.
The website (www.anewertestament.co.uk) gives a breakdown of the journey;
plot details, publishing dates, and even a map with links to the places of
interest Gerald Ferguson visits along the way.
A Newer Testament – Part One. Beakerland will be available 1 March 2010
from Amazon or by ordering through your local bookstore.

W&PNSA Shortlisted

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) has been shortlisted for a prestigious 2010 Sport Industry Award. The Awards are Europe’s largest and most prestigious commercial sports awards that recognize the best the sport business has to offer in marketing, PR, sponsorship, new media, publishing, advertising and design.  After a rigorous selection process and competition from a high volume of entries, the Academy is now in the running to win the ‘Sport Venue of the Year’ Award and faces competition from the likes of Twickenham and Wembley Stadiums as well as the O2 and the Brit Oval. The WPNSA previously won the esteemed ‘Environmental Concern in Sport’ Award back in 2008 and was the first 2012 venue to be formally completed, demonstrating the importance this forward thinking venue has had on not only the South West but the whole of the UK.

The 16 strong judging panel selected the WPNSA for the shortlist through offering a flexible and meticulous approach to event services, the commitment it has as a venue to serving the needs of its visitors, a distinct improvement in all aspects of the venue from the previous 12 months of activity, demonstrable financial growth and proof of creative innovation in the approach to hosting and marketing sporting events.  Judges include; BBC Broadcast Journalist John Inverdale - Former Chief Press Secretary to the Prime Minster Alastair Campbell - Paralympic Athlete Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Chief Executive Officer of LOCOG Paul Deighton.  The final results will not be announced until May 13th at a star studded ceremony.

The Academy was selected through submission of case studies detailing how the venue hosts a successful calendar of international mass participant water sports events as well as instigating activities accessible to the local Weymouth and Portland communities.  Being nominated for this award highlights the calibre of the venue and the facilities it has to offer for yacht racing to dinghy sailing, triathlons to corporate functions and weddings.

John Tweed, Chief Executive of the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy commented;

‘Everyone at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is delighted to have been shortlisted for this prestigious Sport Industry, Sport Venue of the Year 2010 Award. We work tirelessly to improve the quality of services and events and it is incredibly rewarding to be recognised for this commitment’.

Football on Portland

Players from the Portland-based Galaxy club are playing a fundraising match – the Cornish Charity Shield – in May.

But the team need a good cause to benefit from the match against Weymouth FC supporters’ club.

The game will be played at AFC’s Bournemouth’s Dean Court.

Galaxy club secretary Andy Barber said: “We are looking for local charities and good causes to come forward. We want them to let us know if they would like to be part of Galaxy Windows’s fundraising event at Dean Court on May 27.

“Last year we raised more than £500 when we played at the Jewson Stadium in Dorchester in front of a crowd of nearly 200. We are hoping this year will be equally as successful and we want another local charity to benefit from it.”

The shield is named after Nathan Cornish, who suggested the charity match. Last year the club raised £500 for Julia’s House.

Players hope to play the charity match every year at different grounds around the county. Mr Barber and chairman Brendan Clancy will decide which charity to pick after they have received all of the suggestions.

There will be match day programmes for sale at £2 each. Admission prices will be £1 for children and £5 for adults. All money raised will go to the charity.

Mr Barber said that the match will have Dorset FA referees and that Portland Utd under-14s will be the ball boys and provide half time entertainment.

The deadline for applications is February 28 and applicants must include details of how the money will be spent.

Email Mr Barber at gwfc@hotmail.co.uk

Article courtesy of Dorset Echo

Although number 13 is unlucky for some, it seems that today, for Lucy Heath, number 13 proved to be the exception to the rule, with a sly goal half way into the first half. With end-to-end play throughout the first half, Weymouth, one player short, went out fighting into the second half. 

Salisbury were strong in attack, but due to some solid saves from Weymouth keeper, Caitlin Palmer, and exceptional defensive work from Laura Taylor, which earned her Man of the Match, Salisbury were unable to score. 

Weymouth’s second goal came from a neat conversion of a short corner, with a clean strike from Sophie Foot. This was soon repeated with another stunning performance, to end the match with a 3-0 score to Weymouth.�
Man of Match: Laura Taylor

Toby Osmond and his Trainers

WESTERN Counties and Southern Division champion Toby Osmond begins his assault on the national title tomorrow.

The Weymouth Amateur Boxing Club youngster, 14, travels to Southampton for his schoolboy pre-quarter-final bout, in which he goes toe-to-toe with Stacey’s Mohammed Khan in the Class Three 54-57kg category.

Osmond enters the contest in fine form following two impressive victories in his previous two encounters.

First, the seasider overcame Michael McCann of Poole by a unanimous decision to clinch the Southern Division crown.

Following that, the teenager put on a stunning display against Broad-plain’s Jake Smith, in which he bagged the Western Counties title courtesy of a third-round stoppage.

Club president David Nelmes expressed his pride in Osmond’s achievements to date.

He said: “He’s done ever so while his last bout was arguably the best he’s ever boxed.”

Article courtesy of Dorset Echo

Liam Simpson

DORSET boxers finally got their teeth into the start of the schoolboy championships and with great success.

After the event had been put back by the adverse weather, the Dorset contingent travelled to Bodmin for the first round of the Western Counties Southern Division finals and Portland’s Liam ‘Lights Out’ Simpson boxed Jack Knapton from Tiverton in the class two 50-52kg final.

Knapton, aiming to upset Simpson’s plans of defending his title, set about with purpose and right from the first bell the Tiverton youngster pushed forward.

He scored a few useful shots in the early stages but played into Simpson’s game plan.

The islander waited for Knapton to commit himself and then returned fire with punishing counterblows.

In the second round Simpson asserted his dominance with some hard shots. A quick right to left combo had Knapton backing off before Simp-son’s signature shot, the left uppercut, came into play and sent his opponent to the canvas.

Knapton managed to rise and the bell sounded to signal the end of the round.

Knapton tried to catch Simpson off guard as the third got underway but the Portland member remained on top and comfortably held out for the win and a clash with Faz McVey from Salisbury in the Western Counties final.

Next up was Weymouth’s Toby Osmond, who started his campaign against a top opponent in Michael McCann from Poole.

Being the smaller of the two competitors, Osmond had his work cut out. And in the early stages of the bout, McCann used his height to good effect, keeping Osmond at bay with his hit and run tactics.

But as the contest wore on it was clear that McCann would not be able to keep up with the pace that the Weymouth boxer was setting.

Osmond forced his opponent on to the back foot and his superior fitness told as his hand was raised come the end of the bout.

Westcountry Online Limited

Local business, Westcountry Online Limited have aquired the url Dorchester.co.uk and are launching it for the benefit of the region in general, it is going to be of use to all local businesses as it will contain information and listings that are relevant for both local inhabitants and tourists alike.

Westcountry Online Limited already own many destination url’s along the Jurassic Coast and have created the top online advertising websites for each one consistently out-performing competitor url’s including Enjoy England’s Tourist Information Council (TIC) sites.

Marching Soldiers

RE-ENACTMENT troops will turn the clock back to the great siege and battle of Weymouth.

Soldiers in period costume will fire muskets and recreate parts of the bloody Civil War clash on February 6 and 7.

They will be among the attractions in a series of activities in memory of the events of 1645.

The weekend will be based around the Old Town Hall on North Quay, the harbourside and the Nothe.

It comes after a similar successful event was held last year to commemorate the battle and siege.

Martin Hedley, who is one of the guardians of the Old Town Hall, said: “There will be living history in the town hall on Saturday.

“There will be musket fire on the hour between noon and 3pm as well as various re-enactments and interpretations about life at that time.

“There will also be pike drills for children and a battlefield talk, where the battle happened and where the greatest loss of life took place.”

On the Sunday there will be a rally at Sandsfoot Castle and a volley of musket fire before a march down Old Castle Road, Belle Vue Road, Bincleaves, across to the Nothe and through Franchise Street to Chapelhay and the Old Town Hall.

There will be more musket fire and a march to the Old Rooms, which stands on the spot where hundreds of Irish mercenaries lost their lives. A wreath will be laid there.

About 20 soldiers from the Portland Garrison will take part in the re-enactments although there will be more if the English Civil War Society attend.

The guardians of the old town hall and Pike and Shot Tour Events are among the main organisers of the weekend.

The Dolmen, whose Crabchurch Conspiracy album was inspired by the Battle of Weymouth, are also expected to perform over the weekend.

* HISTORIAN Mark Vine has written about the events surrounding the battle of Weymouth.

He also wrote the lyrics for the Dolmen’s Crabchurch Conspiracy album.

Article & Picture courtesy of The Dorset Echo