Collition Club

COLLITON CLUB WINS WESSEX REGIONAL CLUB OF THE YEAR

TITLE THREE TIMES IN FOUR YEARS

The Colliton Club, situated opposite County Hall in Dorchester, has won the Wessex regional Club of the Year competition run by the Campaign for Real Ale [CAMRA] for the third time in four years. The Wessex region comprises Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands and parts of Wiltshire & Somerset.

With 15 other clubs from other regions of the UK, the Colliton Club now goes forward to CAMRA’s national Club of the Year competition. Being voted the West Dorset Club of the Year by members of the CAMRA West Dorset branch earlier in the year, brought automatic nomination to the Wessex regional award.

The Colliton Club was visited independently by three judges and some of their comments are published in the citation- “No background irritants or musak. A good selection of six cask ales covering four breweries. The Club is clean and tidy.” Another judge praised the warm welcome, a pleasant atmosphere and praised the free Wifi.” The third judge comments: “this is a restful club with a nice atmosphere and six cracking real ales on handpumps. Good service and excellent product knowledge from the hard working Steward and his staff. Clearly a well appreciated social centre, a board at the door lists all the various rooms indicating which clubs and groups are meeting there.”

CAMRA Regional Director John Buckley will present the 2010 Wessex Club of the Year certificate to Steward Neil Gatehouse on Wednesday 22 September at 8pm, prior to the West Dorset CAMRA branch annual general meeting.

Colliton Club Steward Neil Gatehouse is delighted at again being among the 16 top clubs in the entire UK. He says “it’s nice to see that in the present economic climate, people still appreciate real ale and still come into the club to enable us to keep selling six varied real ales.”

West Dorset CAMRA spokesman Michel Hooper-Immins knows the Colliton Club well. “I always enjoy this vibrant club and the standard of their real ales is always excellent. When it’s busy, there are so many activities taking place in the various rooms- it might be skittles, darts or snooker or a gathering of one of the many clubs who choose to meet here- they all enjoy the Colliton Club. West Dorset CAMRA congratulates Neil Gatehouse on yet another splendid win, much deserved.”

Dorchester Town FC

DORCHESTER Town players swapped football for medicine ball as they underwent a gruelling session at Weymouth Amateur Boxing Club.

Like their Weymouth FC counterparts, the Magpies were put through their paces by trainers Afsheen Panjalizadeh and Nick Bell.

And boss Ashley Vickers was delighted with how the session went. He said: “It was tough but they put on a great session for us and have been really supportive.

“It takes the boys out of their comfort zone and it was hard work, but that’s what pre-season is all about – we want to be as strong as possible.”

The county town outfit are now eyeing an appearance at ringside for Weymouth ABC’s November tournament at Redlands.

Vickers added: “The guys at the boxing club have a big night at Redlands coming up and we hope to return the favour by going to support them.”

To book tickets for the November 20 extravaganza – an England versus Wales IBA contest – contact 07875492660 or 07899925316 or email info@weymouthabc.co.uk

Article courtesy of Dorset Echo

WD CAMRA Cheque

Two Dorchester good causes- Damers Road First School and the Dorset ME Support Group- have each benefited from West Dorset CAMRA’s share of the profits of the very successful Beer Festival held at the Corn Exchange in February.

Rich Gabe, Bar Manager for the West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale [CAMRA,] made the presentations at the Blue Raddle pub in Dorchester. “I think it’s heartening that West Dorset CAMRA have not only raised awareness of good real ale with this super festival, but in the process have raised money for two heartwarming local good causes.”

Debbie Watson received a cheque for £750 for Damers Road First School. They educate children from age 4 to 9. “This money will help us finance the music and dance project we have been planning,” says Debbie Watson.

Dick Patterson, President of the Dorset ME Support Group, received a cheque for £750. “It will go towards paying for a child support worker in the ME clinic at Dorset County Hospital,” says Dick, “for which we have long campaigned.”

Dorchester Round Table will distribute their share of the profits at a later date. Tabler Chris Harris attended the CAMRA presentation at the Blue Raddle and Katie Slade- whose Ladies’ Circle- called Ellipse- organise the varied food at Beerex every year.

The Dorchester Beer Festival is jointly organised by the Round Table and West Dorset CAMRA. Next year’s Dorchester Beerex will be held on Friday and Saturday 4 and 5 February, as usual at the Corn Exchange.

Moreton Tearooms

Moreton Tearooms is a very good place to visit, you can tell that when you drive the half a mile road aproach to the Old School House in Moreton underneath a canopy of trees that eventually opens out onto a very quaint and extrmely Dorset styled 3-way crossroads. The pretty and very inviting building on the left is the Old School House and it’s a joy to enter.

Once inside you can see old pictures of past school classes and read about Lawrene of Arabia in a room that they have dedicated to him.

The menu is also full of information but the food is worth the trip from Dorchester too, make sure that you keep an eye on the Specials Board, you don’t want to miss out on anything!

The tastefully decorated interior gives off  a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere and on fine days there is the old school yard, now a well laid out garden to sit in too.

Tables are waited on and the food is of a very high standard, if you want to learn more about them you can visit their website here.

Wolfman visits Dorchester

DANCING Diggers and a man who lives with wolves are among the sensational attractions at this year’s Dorset County Show on September 4-5.

Now in its 169th year, the Show in Dorchester has lined up a series of memorable experiences to go alongside the traditional spectacles of rural life and a tempting range of displays and trade stands.

Last year’s show saw a record 55,000 visitors, 6,000 animals and 400 stands.

This year’s crowd-pleasers include the Diggerland JCB Stunt Team, known as the Dancing Diggers. Giant JCBs do daring stunts, dance in formation and make people laugh.

Show secretary Sam Mackenzie-Green said: ‘Lots of people have said we must have them. The way they all move together, you can’t take your eyes off them.

‘It’s like having a set of performing dinosaurs.

‘Children particularly enjoy seeing them.’

More showmanship will come from Wolfman Shaun Ellis, an ex-Commando who lives with a pack of wolves in North Devon. Mr Ellis has starred in several British and American TV programmes, and he recently appeared in a series with one of Dorset’s most famous residents, Martin Clunes, to explain to him how dogs live in packs.

Sam said: ‘The Wolfman has raised three wolf cubs. He was their pack leader. He taught them how to eat meat. He taught them how to howl. He taught them how to behave in the wild.

‘He’s got something about him, he’s a character.’

Also stalking round by popular demand will be Titan the Robot, the giant 55-stone android who thrilled showgoers last year and has since grooved on stage in Europe and America with US singing star Rihanna.

Sam said: ‘I heard from a couple of teachers last year that all the children were talking about when they went back to school was Titan the Robot. He was enormously popular.

‘I remember standing next to our home crafts chairman when Titan appeared and she was gobsmacked. She’d never seen anything like it.’

Other attractions this year include the Exeter X Factors Flyball relay-racing dogs, exciting mounted games at breakneck speed on ponies, and a new small farmers’ market, with local food producers who have not traded at the Dorset County Show before.