The following has been posted today on the surgery website. Important Practice Information We recognise that it has been a frustrating few days for some patients and we would like to sincerely apologise to those who have been affected. We thank everyone for their understanding of what is an…
MESSAGE FROM SURGERY The Blandford Group Practice has had to make the difficult decision to temporarily postpone non-urgent routine appointments due to a lapse in public liability insurance. Our team are working extremely hard to put measures in place to allow services to return to normal at the earliest…
The bells rang out on Sunday to say farewell to our erstwhile vicar , Lydia Cook. Bob Crighton has let me know the following. Ancient Society of College Youths On Sunday, 19 September 2021 in 2h 46 Child Okeford, Dorset St Nicholas Tenor: 10–2–27 in G 5040 Surprise Minor (7m)…
We can reliably attribute a pub being present on the site in 1754 and owned by Robert Young Belbin. Unfortunately the name of the pub is not recorded but in 1790 Robert put the “Bear Inn” up for sale and, later, in 1813 the “White Bear”, as it was by…
The Baker Arms 1821 -2021 Contents In Days of Yore …… The Baker’s of Ranston The Building Exterior Pub Signs Floor Plans Publicans The Woolfrey family and the Baker Arms Any Other Business Photographs through the years Download a copy of this Booklet In Days of Yore….. In 1641…
CHILD OKEFORD ARCHIVE Baker Arms Bicentenary There has been a pub in The Cross since at least 1754. In the early days it was called Bear Inn, then White Bear and, until at least 1818, Lamb Inn. The first reference we have found to “Baker Arms” is in the Alehouse…
CHILD OKEFORD ARCHIVE History of the Recreation Ground/Playing Field In January’s “Hill” I mentioned my plan to produce a comprehensive booklet about the history of our recreation ground/playing field. Research is going well and my thanks to those who have very kindly responded so far to my plea for help.…
Okeford Otters Cycle Speedway Team The Western Gazette announced in May 1952: “Child Okeford Cycle Speedway. The new cycle speedway track on the playing field was officially opened on the occasion of the first home match of the season, a Shaftesbury and District league match the visitors being Woodcutts “Woodpeckers”.…
Amazing to think we are another month into the year. Read or download your copy of The Hill here. TheHillFebruary2021[3107]_Optimized
A terrible milestone was passed this week when the death toll of our fellow countrymen from Covid-19 passed one hundred thousand. In commemoration a bell in St Nicholas church will be rung one hundred times, half muffled, on Sunday 31st January at noon.
Forwarded by Blandford Group Practice As of 7 January 2021, Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, had received 57 reports in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine. Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud, said: “The vaccine is a crucial tool in fighting the coronavirus and keeping…
Hayward Bridges Introduction There have been at least five ‘Heyford’ or, later, ‘Hayward bridges since the Norman Conquest 1. The story told here has been compiled from those historical sources that have survived but unfortunately the problems of COVID have meant that some which still reside in the vaults of…
CHILD OKEFORD ARCHIVE Child Okeford Parish Council Minutes: Roads and Traffic: Part 1 In January’s Hill we looked back to 1895 and the very first parish council meeting. These meetings were held 3 times a year plus an annual general meeting. While the actual months varied this was the format…
Depending on how your browere is configured The Hill with either open in the browser or be downloaded. The Hill January 2021
The following has been posted on the Surgery’s Facebook page. For those who do not have or want an account with Facebook it has been reproduced here. “Dear Patients, We are all excited to hear about the progress of the rolling out of the Covid vaccine and look forward…
Dear Patient, We are all excited to hear that there is real progress on a Covid vaccine and that this should improve the quality of life for all of us. We know that you, like us, are struggling with the confines imposed upon us all due to the Covid-19 pandemic.…
Speeding continues to be a problem through the village, but because of Covid the Speedwatch team has been unable to do as many sessions as it would normally do. Vehicles recorded No. of sessions Vehicles reported January …
The Auxiliary Unit in the Second World War In November’s article about the Home Guard we mentioned the “Auxiliary Unit”. The Auxiliary Units were a secret resistance network of highly trained volunteers prepared to be Britain’s last ditch line of defence during World War Two. They operated in a network…
A Happy Christmas to everyone for all at The Hill. TheHill-December2020r_Optimized
Due to the current situation, we have decided not to ask our distributors to deliver paper copies of The Hill in December. As before, copies will be available in The Cross Stores and on the village website. We will also be sending The Hill online to those for whom we…
The Home Guard 80 years ago, on 14th May 1940, the Secretary of State for War, the Rt. Hon. Anthony Eden MP*, made an appeal for: “men in Great Britain who are British subjects between the ages of 17 and 65 to come forward and offer their service”. Thus the…
Salisbury Diocesan Guild On Saturday, 15 August 2020 at Child Okeford, Dorset St Nicholas the following was rung. Tenor: 10–2–27 in G 72 Stedman Singles 1 Gaynor Cox 2 J Lynne Crighton 3 Robert D Crighton (C) Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day
On Sunday 3rd July 1932 some of the inhabitants of Child Okeford were disturbed and amazed by the drone of what they took to be an aircraft – they were even more amazed when they turned their heads skywards. On the 2nd July, what the newspapers rather charmingly referred to…
Catch up with the latest news from arround the Village TheHill-August2020
One of the joys in living in an undeveloped village is the lack of light pollution. Jo Gardner reports seeing Comet Neowise she says “It is appearing now in the NE night sky just to the right of the Big Dipper (saucepan!) and slightly below. We saw it last night…
TheHill-July2020PDF_Optimized The latest bumper edition of the Hill.
CAN YOU HELP, PLEASE Occupants 1 Markstone Cottages For the past 18 months I have assisted with research into the crash landing of a German plane in Iwerne Minster in September 1940. The tail fin of that plane was discovered in a house in the village (1 Markstone Cottages) in…
Notice has been given of an application for more housing at Gold Hill. Follow the link to make comments. Develop land by the erection up to 65 No. dwellings (custom and self-build homes (plots)) including a 40% provision of affordable housing; form vehicular access, public open space with play space…
Britain in the time of Cholera. Photographed by the author at the Dorset History Centre. I have been researching the life of a Dorset land surveyor called John Martin. He is important in the story of Child Okeford as at various times he mapped the parish and was responsible…
Another bumper issue which can be viewed or downloaded here [depending on how your browser is configured.] TheHillJune2020
Develop land by the erection of up to 26 No. dwellings, form vehicular and pedestrian access. (Outline application to determine access). Land Off Haywards Lane (West Of Allen Close) Child Okeford Dorset Reference no 2/2019/0318/OUT The Public Consultation is still open and comments can be made. The Public are still…
‘We unite to assist each other.’ Notes on the history of the Friendly societies in Child Okeford This Child Okeford Union Benefit Society banner will be familiar to many villagers, and it’s motto will seem particularly apposite in these difficult times. We will come to it’s history presently, but what…
The earliest record we have found so far is a cricket match between Child Okeford and Marnhull in August 1856 which was played at Steepleton Park, as were later matches against Sturminster’s “Vale of Blackmore” team, Shillingstone and Shaftesbury. On one occasion a match against Okeford Fitzpaine was played on…
CHILD OKEFORD ARCHIVE Recreation Ground/Playing Field Sadly we shall not soon be enjoying another wonderful Hey Day on the Playing Field but, instead, it is as good a time as any to wonder where, in the past, did the village hold their fetes and play their games? We know the…
URGENT PLEASE SHARE with friends & neighbours BEEHIVE APPEAL FOR THE 68 now 57 homes VILLAGE COMMENTS UNTIL FRIDAY 15TH MAY Our Parish Council Planning group has found out that further documentation had been submitted by the Applicant and the Council for the Beehive Appeal which required further scrutiny. They…
