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TOLPUDDLE AND SOUTHOVER NEWS 2026

2026

May 2026
Church of St John the Evangelist, Tolpuddle

The church of St John the Evangelist is a beautiful historic building with a long-standing connection to the village. However, we know and understand that for some people, the work of the church is not something they want to be involved in. But the church belongs to the whole community, an integral part of the village as it has been for hundreds of years. Going forward, might it be used in the same way the village hall and the old chapel currently are? It is already open every day for people who want a quiet space to sit in, reflect, pray, read or just have some time out - a valuable resource for our mental health.

Over the next few months we will try to share what is happening in our church affairs so that, hopefully everyone in the village can feel a connection.

The Reverend Canon Sarah Hillman will be known to most of you. She works hard around the four villages that form our benefice, running our church services, conducting weddings, baptisms and funerals, supporting the two schools as well as acting as Rural Dean. Her role in Tolpuddle is not just about church life, she is also available to the whole community for pastoral care.

My name is Jayne Brayshaw and I am the churchwarden responsible for taking care of the church currently. I live in Athelhampton, so I may not be familiar to all of you. There is also a small team of people working with me on the PCC - Parochial Church Council - who do all live in the village, so may be more recognisable to you, Heather Saunders, Julie Batchelor, Ian Bishop and Morten Vilhelmsen.

Please get in touch if you want to ask anything of us - 07739100181 or jayne.brayshaw9@yahoo.com

Services at St John's in May and June 2026

May 3rd - Parish Communion 9:30am (traditional communion service)

May 10th - Evening Reflection 5:30pm (a quiet service of readings, poetry and music)

May 17th - Parish Communion 9:30am

May 24th - Go Fourth 10:00am (a lively, family orientated service)

May 31st - Benefice Service at Warren Hill Farm, Puddletown 11:00am, followed by Bring-&-Share lunch

June 7th - Parish Communion 9:30am

June 14th - Evening Reflection 5:30pm

June 21st - Parish Communion 9:30am

June 28th - Go Fourth 10:00am

See also our Church pages on this website: St John the Evangelist

May 2026

Tolpuddle Village Hall

Tolpuddle Village Hall's Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 26 May at 6.30pm at the Village Hall. The annual report and accounts will be presented and there will be an opportunity to put questions to the Trustees.

During April, the heating and lighting in the Hall were upgraded with a generous contribution to costs from the Parish Council. New wall heaters, controlled by thermostats and a people detection system, will rapidly heat the Hall when necessary and when it is occupied. This will mean much better temperatures in winter months. New LED lighting will be brighter and more configurable to suit events taking place. Overall, the changes should also help keep a check on electricity usage which is a big expense for the Hall. There have been a few teething issues with the heaters which are in the course of being fixed.

The first draw for the Hall’s 100 Club (monthly lottery) took place as usual in the Martyrs Inn on the last Friday of April. There are still unsold tickets (available from Jonathan Van Baars or Andy Turner) with prizes each month of £20 (£50 in November), £10 and £5 and the surplus goes to help with the running costs of the Hall, so it’s a worthwhile cause.

May 2026
News from the Parish Council from Parish Councillor Robert Patterson

We thought we would provide you with regular updates on the work of the Parish Council and how you can help us. This month a look at roads and highways.

Reporting Highways Incidents We are looking at potential road improvements particularly on the Dorchester Road between Tolpuddle and Puddletown. This comes under Dorset Council. One issue we have is that there is an absence of reported incidents and data on roads in the Parish. We particularly believe there is an under reporting of ‘near miss’ road accidents and we would urge residents to use the Dorset Council website (www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk) to report highway incidents under the Roads Highways and Maintenance section of their website and particularly the ‘Road Safety’ option.

Speed Restrictions We are currently investigating the option of extending the 40 mph speed limit back from Burleston to Tolpuddle. This is in response to road safety – particularly for walkers and joggers who use the Dorchester Road. Before we approach Dorset Council we need to survey speeds on this road and would like to undertake a preliminary straw poll of residents as to what you think of this idea. As such could you let us know what you think of this proposal. Contact us at: clerk@puddletownareaparish council.gov.uk

Bus Shelter You may be aware we had plans to erect a new shelter to the east of the village. Unfortunately, the estimates for the design came in at £35,000. As such we have put this on hold and are looking for other options.

2026
The Martyrs Inn
Thrilled to announce the Martyrs Inn are now in The Good Beer Guide 2026

March 2026

Looking for Community Speed Watch Volunteers
Puddletown and Area Parish Council

February 2026

Tolpuddle Village Hall
The Village Hall Committee recently welcomed a new Trustee, Anna, to the team and we are looking forward to working with Anna who brings a wealth of event experience and new ideas to fund raise for the hall as well as events for village residents to enjoy.

As a result, we have started planning events for the next few months.

The first will be the return of the Quiz & Chips evening which has always been a Tolpuddle favourite. The first one will be held on Saturday, 18 April with doors open at 6:30 pm and the quiz starting at 7:00 pm. Pre-ordered Fish & Chips (or similar) will be provided at about 8:00 pm. Watch out for posters, Facebook posts and of course this Website about how to book………….

We are also planning a Farmers’ Market in the Hall in the early summer hopefully, again watch this Website for details and also the newsletter once dates are known.

We are pleased the Parish Council has generously provided a grant towards an upgrade to the hall heating as well as improved lighting.

The parish council is kindly contributing towards the cost of improved heating and lighting. Work on this is planned to be undertaken during the school Easter holidays 2026 when regular users tend to take a break. With thanks to the Parish Council for its contribution.

We also hope to carry out some redecoration at lower levels during the coming months when it can be arranged. We will be needing to get a working party together to do this and are therefore looking for volunteers……. if interested contact: Jonathan Van Baars 07887 657256.

Puddletown Area Parish Council
Robert Patterson has now been co-opted onto the Council to represent Burleston and Tolpuddle. Robert Patterson has lived in the village for over 2 years and is a retired local government and charity finance professional and is Treasurer / Trustee of the Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust.

St John's Church
Easter Services
29 March Passion Sunday - 10am
22 March Go Fourth Service, 10am St John's
Palm Sunday - 11am United Benefice Communion at Dewlish Church followed by a bring-and-share lunch.
3 April Good Friday - 10am - a solemn service, the church is stripped of decoration to mark the sadness of the day.
5 April Easter Sunday - 9.30am - a Holy Communion service of joyous celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

January 2026

Christmas Market and Light Up 2025
Thank you to all that supported the Christmas Light Up and Market last year, it was lovely to see more houses taking part. So many people have said how they enjoyed walking through the village seeing the lights during December. The Christmas Market raised £700 and after expenses we had £460 to buy gifts for children in need in our DT post code. These included toiletries, stationery, underwear, chocolate and cinema tickets. Thank you to you all that supported the afternoon market and to the people that helped leading up to and on the day.

Tolpuddle Old Chapel
Tolpuddle Old Chapel launches its Sunday sessions in February followed by four more over the coming months. The idea behind the sessions is to offer alternative music and drama in a small and atmospheric location for which the Old Chapel is ideal. Go to the Events Listings Page to keep up to date with what's coming and how to book......

Puddletown Area Parish Council
Sue Oakley has now been co-opted onto the Council to represent Burleston and Tolpuddle.
The Parish Action Plan remains scheduled for release in May 2026 setting future priorities. Draft currently under review.

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