Saturday, June 28, 2008

Local Food, World Music

A new festival for Swanage is being planned - "Local Food, World Music" will take place on 5, 6, 7 June 2009. Further information, as it becomes known, will be available on www.swanagelife.com



Posted by steve darrington to swanageview at 4:53 AM

Friday, June 27, 2008

Clavell Tower: Kimmeridge

Interesting story here about moving the Clavell Tower at Kimmeridge:

http://tinyurl.com/56hq5y

or

http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=583&storycode=3116930&c=0

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Durlston clears lottert hurdle

Durlston Project Update: July 2008

Success!
Dorset County Council and a wide range of project partners are celebrating the news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has confirmed £3.1m of funding towards the £5.5m Durlston Project. Being successful with a Heritage Lottery bid of this scale and complexity is a major achievement, and the culmination of four years careful planning and hard work.

After a huge effort by Friends of Durlston, the Jurassic Coast Trust and the Project Team, the £2.4m ‘match – funding’ target is also looking attainable. This funding has come from a wide range of individual donations and fundraising initiatives as well as major business partnerships and significant contributions from charitable trusts and foundations. Despite the many successes, it is essential that we continue our fundraising efforts to ensure all the aspects of the Durlston Project are achieved.

A key element of the Project is the restoration of Durlston Castle; repairing the fabric of the building and replacing inappropriate 20th century additions. Access to and within the building will be greatly enhanced and exciting new displays will highlight the ever-changing face of Durlston. The present Park Centre will become a new Learning Centre for more formal education and family activities. This work will ensure that Durlston provides a world class facility for visitors to the Jurassic Coast and the newly designated Durlston National Nature Reserve.

New, high quality catering and retail facilities will also be developed, with greater opportunities for functions, special events and temporary exhibitions. Durlston’s importance as a major tourism asset will grow, with economic and social benefits for the local area and wider region.

There is still a large amount of preparatory work to finalise, including detailed technical design, contract tendering a wide range of project management requirements, so it is unlikely that work ‘on the ground’ will start before 2009 with completion expected by the end of 2010.

The good news from the Heritage Lottery fund comes on top of the recent opening of the Durlston National Nature Reserve – an accolade which highlights Dorset County Council’s continuing commitment to conserving the site’s rich natural heritage. The Civic Trust has also awarded Green Flag status to Durlston for the 3rd year in succession.

Now that we have been given the ‘green light’ there are even more opportunities to get involved in the Durlston Project. If you would like to help please speak to a Ranger at the Visitor Centre, visit www.durlston.co.uk or telephone 01929 424443.


Hamish Murray (Head Ranger)[posted by Mike Hadley]

Bedroom Tax

http://tinyurl.com/4nubvp

Off to the High Court.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 5:

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Swanage Life

Swanage Life

I am currently preparing a new website for Swanage called Swanage Life covering topics such as:

What’s On in Swanage, Special Offers from Shops, Restaurants, Hotels, Things To Do, Alternative Swanage, A Guide to Night Life, Local Services and Trades, Companies That Deliver Goods, Cleaners For Your Holiday Home, What’s Hot and What’s Not, Festivals, Concerts, Children’s Activities, Where To Stay, Where To Eat, Where To Drink, Where To Hire Disabled Equipment, Street Maps and Important Telephone Numbers, Who Makes The Best Coffee, Opinions and Personal Histories, Why People Live Here and much more!

OK Everybody! Here's a chance for you!

* Tell me what you think should be covered under 'much more'.

So why am I doing this? Well, the last Swanage Blues Festival brought in less money from local businesses than ever before, and I can't keep the festivals going without financial backing. So the idea is that this new website will make me some dosh and keep the festivals afloat. Who knows? if there's enough coming in, I might even be able to do more events!

I am willing to update the website on a daily basis, but I can't go round chasing for information, so it's up to you!

Steve Darrington

Email: s.darrington@btopenworld.com
Tel: 01929 422338
Post: Steve Darrington, c/o T I C, Shore Rd, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1LB



Posted by Steve Darrington to swanageview at 7:31 PM

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Blyton Museum?

Can I ask you to post the following:

It may be common knowledge to locals, but I heard for the first time that the Council is proposing that the Tourist Information Office on Shore Road should be moved elsewhere (Townhall?) and that the premises should be converted into a money-making Museum of Enid Blyton. I realize that Enid has her partisans, but for me and most of my contemporaries, she is a creature of bourgeois nostalgia, a dated and rather pathetic cultural icon destined for the dustbin of sentimental literature. Why should Enid's sterile mementoes displace one of the few efficient tourist services we have in the best possible location for its purpose? The Information office in its present locale serves a multitude of functions. It is warm and welcoming, a center for lost children and possessions, a first-aid and emergency center, a housing bureau and valuable aid to those providing accommodation, a poster of tides and current events, a provider of maps and pamphlets and histories and Jurassic propaganda - I am sure the list could be extended. It is virtually certain that most of these useful functions would go abegging if the office were moved to the town hall in what is now a back street of the town, almost as inaccessible to cars as the beachfront.
The best possible alternative locale for a money-losing museum that I can imagine is the Mowlem, which is already an Enid Blyton Museum without knowing it, and has always been a bastion of contempt for tourism as its palsied trustees sleep the sleep of the self-righteous. Save the tourist office - say I!
Ian Lowson

Monday, June 16, 2008

Windsurf event 21st/22nd JUne

South-west Windusrfing are coming to Swanage for a two-day event,of freestyle and racing, launching from main beach near the Mowlem.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Swanage Blues & Roots Festival on 3, 4 and 5 October 2008

Support for the new festival?

Last October I organised a new event, the first Swanage Blues & Roots Festival. It was an undoubted success, attracting even more people to the town than the usual March blues festivals.

I will be attempting the second Swanage Blues & Roots Festival on 3, 4 and 5 October 2008. If you wish to take part or can assist in any way, please let me know.

Individuals can spread the word, give out business card-size flyers or put up a poster.
Businesses can advertise, put up a poster, display business card-size flyers, make a donation or have a window display over the weekend.

If you own or run a suitable venue, you might want to have some live music. Even if you do not have an entertainments licence, temporary ones can be obtained for only £21 total for up to 4 days - I have details.

If you are interested, or know somebody who could be, please contact me.

This festival will be the 10th one I've organised. These events are held out of season so as to bring a considerable amount of money to the town when Swanage most needs it.

They take up nearly all my time and I fund them out of my own money, which is not a lot because I am in a wheelchair and unable to tour as a professional musician any more.

I can only make this new October event work with your encouragement and support. Please help me to ensure that the festivals continue. Thank you.

Steve Darrington
Tel: 01929 422338
Website: www.bluesroots.org
Email: s.darrington@btopenworld.com

Friday, June 13, 2008

Bedroom Tax

You may be interested in this article in today's Telegraph.

Purbeck are the only Authority to charge £1000 per bedroom in planning applications!

I had assumed that all authorities made the same charges!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2119620/Homeowners-face-and1631%2C000-tax-on-extensions.html

Posted by wickedwitch to swanageview at 2:02 PM

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Recycling Centre: DCC Questionnaire

With Dorset County Council still planning to close down and not replace the Household Recycling Centre at Swanage, requiring people to drive to Wareham, this may be a good moment to compete the Council's questionnaire about Household recycling. Closing date is 4 July 2008, so please spread the word - quickly! See questionnaire at:

http://tinyurl.com/3z74h3

This is DCC's introduction:

Household recycling centre survey
Dorset County Council is interested in receiving your views on various activities at the household recycling centres and is conducting a public consultation exercise

In 2006 DCC conducted a household recycling centre (HRC) customer satisfaction survey and produced an action plan of the main areas for improvement at the HRC's. As part of that action plan DCC needs to conduct further consultation on our current opening hours, our sales re-use area and vehicle and waste restrictions.

We want to get a better idea of what our customers actually want in terms of opening hours of the facilities, the provision of the sales re-use areas and the restrictions policy (van ban, trailer size and rubble restrictions). We want to put our customers at the heart of what we do, by contributing to this review you can help shape the services.

Please note that when considering the issues on the survey that if we expand our services (for example extend our opening hours or allow any vans to access the HRC's) the cost for the service may increase which may result in an increase in your council tax bill.

Please click on the link (above) to go to the survey.

The closing date for completion of the survey is 4 July 2008.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Restaurants

Mark Hix, ex chef director of Caprice Holdings, the owner of London restaurants the Ivy, Le Caprice and Scott’s is opening a restaurant in Lyme Regis.

Gary Rhodes, he of the hair, is opening 2 in newly refurbed hotels in Christchurch.

I'm going to the Tratt next Fri!

Will I be missing anything!



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 6:40 PM

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Town Partnership (public meeting) 11 June

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Agenda
Town Hall, Swanage
on Wednesday, 11th June 2008
at 10.00 a.m.

1. Apologies
2. Appointment of Chairman
3. Appointment of Vice Chairman
4. Appointment of Honorary Secretary
5. Appointment of Honorary Treasurer
6. Report from the Chairman
(Including Community Plan Update)
7. Report from the Honorary Treasurer
8. Statement of Audited Accounts
9. Minutes of the Meeting held 26th February 2008
10. Matters Arising from the Minutes
11. General Project Updates and Priorities
12. Any Other Matters
13. Date of Next Meeting

NOTE: THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING

You can download the original report from:
http://www.mcti.org.uk/uploads/Swanage%20CSP.doc

The Mowlem

Hi I am from out of town and am thinking of tendering for The Mowlem. I have a catering business in Birmingham, but would love to move with my family to Swanage. I hope you don't mind me butting into your blog but I would like to ask why is the present tenant leaving? The details from the agent are very sketchy with no real lease details or ins and outs. (like who locks up, who cleans the loos, are there any maintenance issues etc). Also how would locals like the establishment to improve. Any help greatly appreciated.
all best
Shaqeeb

Monday, June 02, 2008

New Subject


If you want to raise a new topic, post your comment in this section — just click first on Comments (below any posts under this subject), then on Post a comment (bottom left of the next window), and a new heading will soon be set up, allowing others to see and add their own comments. It seems it's sometimes easier to click on 'Post anonymously' than to open an account in your name - you can always add your name to your message. We try to keep posts civilized.

Town Council

Audit report on Swanage Council.

The town council had a special meeting last Friday to discuss what to do in response to an auditors report and whether to mount a legal challenge. Needless to say the meeting was held behind closed doors to prevent the electors finding out what their representatives have been up to. Does anyone have any information on what this is about? As we will have to foot the bill if they go to law we are entitled to know what its about.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 10:41 PM