Dittisham Village Voice march 26 21010

I am afraid I do not watch reality TV or programmes like Strictly Come Dancing but I do know that they give huge enjoyment to those who do.  Britannia Royal Naval College has now thrice put on a sort of replica of this show to raise money for charity.   

Brigitte Tardy, our postmistress and Red Lion chef, was one of the judges on March 16 at the College in the quarter deck having previously advised couples on their dance routine and choreography.   She is a FIDTA Fellow of International Dancing Teachers’ ‘Association (don‘t you hate it when writers expect you to know an acronym?)   Jives, cha cha cha, tango, quick step and waltzes were the flavour of the night.  The volunteer competitors, staff from the College, had their partners names drawn out of a hat.  Everyone had to do a Viennese Waltz as a starter.  The music was provided by the Dartmouth Volunteer Band.  There was an enthusiastic audience  who also got to vote. Brigitte said ‘I think the dancers were  very brave particularly the college chaplain who had to do the Viennese waltz on his own as his partner could not get there in time.  They all did well and  wore stunning  costumes.  One couple did a costume role reversal..  And the winners were………..the Chaplain and his tardy PT instructor. On church matters  Roger Hickman is now chairman of the PCC.  There was a PCC meeting on Tuesday, March 26.  In the absence of a vicar services are now well covered by The Revd Prebendary Philip Luff.  In his absence the  Readers, David Robinson and Peter Gray, who have attended the necessary training session and are granted approved to conduct Communion by extension, will be on call.    Work on the vestry will continue with improved  lighting  and heating and  there will be a new safe for archives.  It is hoped that the Churchlands Trust will help finance this. The next stage in finding a vicar is to produce a Parish Profile and a sub committee has been set up to do this.  We are still looking for a second church warden.  We are not yet looking for volunteers to run the pub and the village shop something the government is now pushing by offering to match funds raised by locals to support efforts to run community enterprises. I hear a cry, indeed a SHOUT  ‘rather late in the day, mate.’ Over the last couple of years rural pubs and Post Offices have been closing in their thousands all over Britain.  In our village the enterprising ladies, Penny and Brigitte, jumped the gun on this one.  The premises of the Red Lion Inn have been used for some time now as the village  shop,a gift shop, a partnership post office, an internet café, a restaurant, a bed  and breakfast, a newsagent and dry cleaners, a centre for hearing about what’s on, a notice board  and what have I forgotten?.  Oh, it is still a pub and has a badminton club on Monday evenings..  Next week I am going to take on the subject of health and safety and how it is destroying our village  way of life.  If you have any input do contact me.

Holy Week and  Easter Services are as follows:

Palm Sunday March 28  Eucharist is at 9.15 am

On Good Friday April 2 at 6.00 pm  there will be readings and music in the church. Paul Vincent would love to receive ideas of prose or poetry that is meaningful to you be it secular or religious.  Please call him on 722 227.

Easter Sunday Sung Eucharist will be  at 9.15 am  with an Easter Egg Hunt for the children. On  Easter Sunday afternoon there will be the  first bbq and music on the beach at the FBI.

May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter and let’s all make a wish  that  the temperature stays up  so that the daffodils are in true splendour for Easter Week