17 March 2025 - Working as Mickey Mouse and Sutton Poyntz Society AGM 

7 March 2025 - Gardening Club talk

It's that time of year when you decide it can wait no longer and you really have to do something with the garden.  So the village Gardening Club has called upon an expert from Poundbury Gardens to come and give us a talk - and hopefully some much-needed motivation to get out there and sort it out!  The presentation, entitled "Planning a Border" will be held at the Mission Hall on Tuesday 25th March, starting at 2.30pm.  There will be a nominal entry charge of £3 which will include - you guessed it - tea and cake!  All welcome!

Incidentally, the 24th and 25th March are the days when Dorset Council are re-surfacing Sutton Road (from the Cartshed to the pub) and Mission Hall Lane, from the Hall to the pub.  It is anticipated that the only access to the hall will be for pedestrians, from the Plaisters Lane end.

pp Jane and Penny

5 March 2025 - Funeral Arrangements for Dot Emblen

As many of you will have heard, Dot Emblen passed away a few days ago.
Dot and Simon lived in the village for many, many years in Wyndings, which I believe was Dot's parents' house and where Dot was born.
Her daughter Tessa has asked us to share the following details. The funeral and celebration of Dot's life will be held at Weymouth Crematorium at 10 am on Monday 17th March followed by refreshments at the Mission Hall. All are welcome. Because flowers and plants were so important to Dot floral tributes are welcome.

J & S

03 March 2025 - News round-up

The re-opening of the revamped Mission Hall was reviewed in the Dorset Echo today https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/24974039.sutton-poyntz-mission-hall-reopens-55k-revamp/ and if you missed the big reveal at Saturday's Open Day then come to the March Coffee Morning this Friday. 

Tickets went on sale today for “A Night at the Opera” and I hear Sue and Hil have been busy receiving bookings - don’t leave it too late!

Don't forget that the consultation regarding the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan is due to run until this Friday 7 March 2025. Use this opportunity to comment on the plan.  The plan and supporting documents can be viewed online via the following link: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/weymouth-neighbourhood-plan

J & S

2 March 2025 - A Night at the Opera

Saturday April 5th - keep the date! (And time: 7.30pm.)  We're running a dinner with entertainment - and it's going to be a bit posh!  And it'll be in the posh refurbished Mission Hall, sitting in posh new chairs! 

 The theme is "A Night at The Opera".  If you're middle-aged you're probably thinking of this:

If you're closer to the average village demographic, you might be thinking this:

In fact our speaker/singer is Grace Lovelass and she'll be talking about her time singing opera, running her own Edinburgh Fringe events, and completing two Ironman challenges!  There might even be audience participation but don't let that put you off!

So do I really mean it's going to be a bit posh?  Not too much, but we encourage you to dress up for the event.  There'll be a delicious 3-course supper included, but bring-your-own-bottle(s) as usual.

Buy your tickets at only £20pp before March 28th from:
Hilary - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – 07707 830846
Sue – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – 07813 267788

J & S

13 February 2025 - Spuds, Bake-offs, Cake-offs, and Cream Tea

Wow - what a mix!

Following a declining participation in the Village Vegetable Show, we've decided to focus on 2-3 popular items.  And to combine a few events together into one fun-packed day.

So the first thing to know is that there will be a Spud-in-a-Tub competition in 2025.  You probably need to get planting that 1 seed potato in that bucket-sized tub now!

The second thing is just to note in your diaries that the spud judging (weigh-in) will take place on July 26th - and that's going to be a busy day.  We'll be hosting a Cream Tea in the Mission Hall (garden?), and we'll also be running a competition for the best bakery item (usually that means a bread loaf) and the best cake.   If you're doing one of Master Baker Balfe's training courses you might be in a good place...

J & S

10 February 2025 - Mission Hall reopening

Dear friends,

Work to renovate and improve the Mission Hall has now been going on over the last 5 weeks, and we are expecting the work to complete by Friday 21st, with the Hall reopening on Saturday 1st March. We have been really impressed with the work done, particularly the builder Mike Fuller and the decorator David Kerr - we're really grateful to them especially. As a reminder, the "new" Hall will have brighter, dimmable, lighting, new overhead heaters, double glazed windows, new chairs and additional tables, a new audio system, a "Mission Hall" sign at the front of the Hall, and a better, safer layout in the Store Room, as well as less visible improvements such as renovated floor joists, minor roof repairs, better ventilation for the loft and under the floor, loft insulation, woodworm treatment, improvements to the WC at the far end of the Hall, and a proper Fire Door at the far corner of the Hall. Finally, the whole Hall has been redecorated inside and out, with a colour scheme that we think will be much brighter and more attractive.

The Hall will be open for business again on March 1st, and so the next village coffee morning will be there, on Friday 7th March. The Hall will also be holding an Open Day on Saturday 1st March, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to give you all a chance to see what has been done. Mission Hall Trust members will be available to show you round the changes. Teas, coffees and biscuits will be available - no charge.

All this has been made possible by fund-raising done for and by the Mission Hall in the past, and by grants and donations, firstly general donations towards the building work from the National Lottery Community Fund, the Dr & Mrs Alfred Darlington Trust, and the Valentine Charitable Trust, plus donations from the late Rev. William Kelly (whose legacy went towards the new heating), the Britford Bridge Trust (with a donation for the new furniture), the Sutton Poyntz Society (whose donation made the new lighting affordable and who are providing new tablecloths), and friends of the late Barbara Harrison (whose donations have paid for the new sign). We are hugely grateful to all those people and organisations for their generosity, and hope we have used their contributions well.

As a result of all this, we have left the Mission Hall Trust's coffers very nearly bare, so we will need to do some fund-raising, initially so that we can restore a sensible "rainy day" financial reserve, and then for other works that we would have liked to do but have had to put off. We are planning a Village Picnic in the summer, so watch this space for further news.

We had a brilliant team just after Christmas to clear the Hall, and it's now, of course, time to plan to get all the equipment back into the Hall. If you are available and able to help, on Saturday 22nd February, please get in touch with Bill Egerton (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 07734 040883). Much of the equipment has been in storage in Joy Hyde's garage, and we're most grateful to her for the space. I aim to get started at 10 a.m. on the Saturday, and hope we can get everything back to the Hall by early that afternoon. We will provide a soup & roll lunch.

So we look forward to seeing some of you on Saturday 22nd (for moving back in), and then lots of you on Saturday 1st (Hall Open Day) and Friday 7th (Coffee morning).

Best wishes,
Bill Egerton - on behalf of the Mission Hall Trust

10 February 2025 - Bread baking day

Our local Master Baker (Chris Balfe) is offering a bread baking day at his house (Little Acorns on Puddledock Lane) on February 28th, 10 ‘til 4.
He has space for a couple more people if anyone would like to join in.
Don't worry if you are interested but can't make that date - Chris says he would be happy to do another one!
The cost for the day will be a very reasonable £0.00 - yes, you read that right - and you may even get to keep the bread you make!

Please reply to Chris directly via 07969 781145 (phone, text, WhatsApp etc)
Form an orderly queue please...

J & S