Archive for July, 2009

LETS members got on their bikes (and braved the drizzly Summer rain)!

On Sunday 26th July 2009, Katy Murrell invited fellow LETS members on a CYCLE RIDE FROM DORCHESTER TO MORETON.

Only 1 other brave member joined her despite the grey weather, but look out more LETS bike rides in future when we might get brighter weather!

Katy’s Report:

LETS Bike Ride July 2009

“Here is a photo of Sabine and I on the way back from Moreton tea rooms. We stopped by at Lewell Farm, near West Stafford, where you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries, vegetables etc etc. They also sold us a welcome ice cream. The ride took us just over an hour and we ate sandwiches by the ford after a welcome drink in Moreton tea rooms. Then it took us just over an hour coming back. The weather was dull for most of the time. A few droplets of rain kept us nice and cool.

We decided we would like to go for bike rides more often. Anyone who would like to join us please let Katy or Sabine know. Our motto is ‘No one gets left behind!’.”

Call Katy on (01305) 262253 or email katy@dorchester-lets.co.uk.
Or call Sabine Bale on (01305) 260318.

For details of the planned trip see the original blog post on http://dorchesterlets.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/let%E2%80%99s-get-on-our-bikes-on-sunday-26th-july-2009.

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LET’S Support this Event at Dean’s Court THIS WEEKEND – BOOK NOW!

Saturday 25th July 2009, 12.30pm
WORM Private Lunch, Talk and Tour of the House and Gardens
Deans Court Garden, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 1EE.

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW!…

This event needs supporting – although not a LETS event it is run by a LETS member and there are currently insufficient numbers for it to go ahead.  It looks like being a fascinating visit, so please bring family and friends and have a lovely day out – the weather forecast is currently looking good for Saturday.  

Dean’s Court’s garden is a peaceful haven near the centre of the busy market town of Wimborne Minster. The gardens are run on organic principles without chemicals. Part of the Henry Doubleday seed bank of endangered botanical species is held here. Plants are usually on sale. WORM are booked in for a private lunch, talk and tour of the house and gardens. Dogs on leads permitted outside / in the garden.

12.30pm - Arrival – Please arrive on time as lunch to follow.
12.45pm - Lunch & Coffee – see options below. With introductory talk by William Hanham
1.45pm - Guided tour of house and gardens
2.45pm - Finish

£8 per person – Guided tour of house & garden only.
£16 per person – Guided tour of house & garden with 2 course lunch. Tortilla or Quiche with organic vegetables from the garden, salad and a summer pudding & coffee.
£18 per person – As above, lunch with Salmon, organic vegetables from the garden, salad and a summer pudding & coffee.

Contact Events Organiser to BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW: Bisi Adekunle – Tel: 01747 835985 or 07710 900597 or Email saraounia1@tiscali.co.uk

SORRY BUT THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED AS DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH BOOKINGS THIS TIME – LOOK OUT FOR NEWS ON THE EVENT BEING RESCHEDULED IN FUTURE THOUGH!

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LETS SEE: portrait of a community – BOOK NOW AVAILABLE!

LETS See Book

The LETS SEE: portrait of a community exhibition by nationally acclaimed Portrait Photographer Pete Millson finished this July 18th 2009 BUT the great news is that there is a beautiful book now available to buy (softback £14.95) which gathers together ALL the photographs and accompanying text from the show.

The book cover features our very own Members Support / Trading Activator Sabine Bale too!

Pete Millson says “It’s a great book for any fan of classic small-camera portraits, the documenting of communities and for anyone who would like to know a little more about the fantastic trading system that is LETS.”

To preview and buy the book go to http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/773448/?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=140×240.

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LETS Get Moving in Dorchester!

Our LETS Blitz-It Gang Coordinator Justin Oakley, recently announced a very exciting opportunity to amalgamate Dorchester & South Dorset LETS members into the first LETS Moving Blitz-It Gang! Simon, Nikki and James needed all the help that they could get from LETS members to move home in Dorchester…

The BIG day was Saturday 11th July 2009 but this was a move with a difference as there was an overlap so it wasn’t so much of a panic day, as it very often is, but a leisurely and enjoyable experience (1).

LETS Moving Gang members were needed between Monday 6th July and Saturday 11th July for typical moving duties and from Saturday 11th July to Sunday 18th July for house cleaning duties – hoovering, washing paintwork etc.

There were numerous jobs that needed doing from packing, making tea, carrying boxes (big and small) into and out of cars, making tea, driving between the houses, making tea, unpacking, making tea, cleaning, making tea and tidying up and of course, making tea!

There was also a green or purple (Justin thinks!), cuddly dinosaur that also needed moving. (2).

Notes:
(1) Nothing guaranteed here.
(2) There may be a young man, James, attached to this item.

Everyone managed to make this a really good experience for Simon, Nikki and James and of course the cuddly dinosaur!

Justin helped out with lending large plastic storage boxes that are to come back as and when they are emptied over the next month, and with moving things on two days during last week and five hours on Saturday moving and cleaning .
 
Katy helped out one afternoon clearing the attic and moving things down into the house for transporting to the new house.
 
Claire came up from Weymouth and joined Justin on Saturday for the five hours on Saturday moving things and cleaning.
 
It was good that there was an overlap between houses as the moving from house was rented. Moving all in one day would have required a larger number of people and more organisation.
 
Parking space was limited so a quicker and or larger move would need a different approach for vehicles.
 
Simon and Nikki were very appreciative of the help and even though they could have done it without LETS help, one car load takes quite a while to do even over such a short distance so we are sure we got it done much quicker for them!

MORE BLITZ-IT GANG MEMBERS WANTED!
Justin would like to invite you to join one, or more, of the LETS Blitz-It Gangs to help members tackle those jobs, big and small, that they either cannot do themselves, put off until another day or just do not have the time for; we all have them.

We have had loads of requests for Blitz-It Gangs already so now need more helpers as demand outweighs supply!

Please phone Justin on 01305 264543 or 07968 213833 or email JustinGMOakley@Hotmail.Com to offer your services as a Blitz-It Gang member, or click here for more Blitz-It Gang ideas.

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LETS Fundraise in West Dorset this August

Saturday 22nd August 2009
Fundraising Event in Bridport, 5pm – 11pm

GREAT MUSIC, GREAT FOOD AND GREAT FUN & LOTS TO DO FOR THE CHILDREN

Come and enjoy Fun, Food and an Entertainment Feast of local talent all evening with music from live bands plus children’s games, a barbeque and a raffle. 

It will be held from 5pm to 11pm in the field opposite The King’s Head, Bradpole at the top end of St Andrews Road, Bridport. 

Entry – Adults £4.00, Children £1.00, Family ticket £10.00.  Tickets available from The King’s Head, the Music Shop in South Street and Fruits of the Earth in Victoria Grove.

All this is to raise funds for ‘Bridport Burma Appeal’ and ‘The Street Children of Calcutta’. 

For more information, please contact SW Dorset LETS’ Lyn Jones 01308-425684 or email lynlidiard@btinternet.com or Fel Moore 01308-459001 or fel_moore@hotmail.com.

SW Dorset LETS are looking for some help at the event, so if anyone in Dorchester LETS would like to volunteer for a good evening and earn a few NETS (or MARTS), please contact Lyn Jones lynlidiard@btinternet.com.

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Friday 7th August 2009
Fundraising Event in Pilsdon Community, West Dorset
Ceildih and Supper at the Pilsdon Community

LETS members interested in supporting the community in other ways such as fundraising may also be interested in this event too…

Dorset folk are invited to a fundraising supper and ceilidh at the Pilsdon Community in the West Dorset on Friday 7th August.  The event will provide an opportunity for locals to find out more about the community, to enjoy a delicious home grown supper and evening of entertainment. The band is a combination of Devon based Baladines and Bridport based Celtic Air -  friends of the community.  The donations given will go towards the 50th anniversary fundraising appeal.

Pilsdon is a place of refuge for people in crisis whether through alcoholism, addiction, divorce bereavement or depression. Thousands of people from all walks of life from the homeless to wealthy celebrities have come to Pilsdon. In its unique atmosphere and through its generous hospitality guests are able to rebuild their lives.

The community is based in a beautiful manor house tucked away deep in the heart of the Marshwood Vale. Much of the food eaten there is grown at the community which has extensive vegetable gardens and keeps pigs, chickens, sheep and cows.

In his recent book Utopian Dreams (Radio 4’s Book of the Week and serialised the The Guardian) Tobias Jones writes of his stay with his family at Pildson:

We were amazingly happy here because it was never pious or imperious, it was just a bunch of people surviving together’.

The appeal, which was launched last year, aims to raise a further £183,000 to allow the community fully sustainable for the next 50 years through;

  • Incorporating environmental improvements to greatly reduce the carbon footprint
  • Purchasing more land for food and fuel production
  • Refurbishment of the East Wing to provide more bedrooms for guests
  • Vastly improving and extending the accommodation the Pilsdon provides for the homeless
  • Developing Community Enterprise and Training to allow people to return to work

Those wishing to come to the supper and the ceilidh need to book by calling Pilsdon on 01308 868308 or visit www.pilsdon.org.uk. Please note Pilsdon is a dry house so no alcohol is consumed consumed there.

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LETS Summer Solstice

Solstice BBQ

Katy's LETS BBQ

On Saturday 20th June 2009 LETS members, friends and family were once again invited to “chill out by the river!” at a Solstice Bonfire Party with a Vegetarian BBQ at Katy Murrell’s in Fordington, Dorchester.

As part of the evening’s celebrations there was also a Summer Solstice Ceremony facilitated by LETS member Vicky Turner. This was a short, simple and inclusive ceremony to honour the summer. “What can you use the long summer days for to reap the rewards of at harvest time? This ceremony can be used to motivate you towards your goals for the year or just as a chance to observe the turning of the seasons amongst friends.” Vicky offers several services on LETS including Pagan Ceremonies such as this, and Workshops including Meditation. Call Vicky on 01305 759483 or email flamekeeper@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

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