AN EVENING OF DANCING

On August 7th this year we hosted a Ceilidh. A buffet supper of home-reared meat, home-grown fruit and vegetables, our own bread, butter, cream was enjoyed by over a hundred people of all ages. The band - Celtic Air (and friends) - gave their services free as a gift to the community's building project appeal and remarkably, that evening, we received donations towards our building fund totalling £1429. It was a terrific event.

THANK YOU CELTIC AIR AND CO!

FOOTNOTE: This event was to be the last one to be held in this space...but the fun and success caused a re-think. With a modification of the building plan by replacing a planned wall with a screeen, we will able to retain the potential of the same space for social events in the future.

SAUSAGE BONANZA! BRAMBLE'S 1600 BANGERS

ADVICE AND LEADERSHIP FROM LOCAL FOOD GURU

NICHOLA MOTLEY

Early November brought Bramble's return from the abattoir. This sow had reared 31 piglets for the community over her two and half years with us. Her reward? The sausage machine!

We have learnt to expect action when Nichola Motley pays a visit to Pilsdon. Nichola used to be market manager of the Bridport and Dorchester Farmers' Market and for 8 years wrote a regular column the Marshwood Vale Magazine about food and food producers. She was also involved in the edible playground project that encourages children to grow food in school gardens. With that vast experience, her energy and great good humour she soon licked us into shape! Over a two day period Nichola organsised and worked with 13 members of our household to make pork and leek sausages, spicy apple sausages, sausages with rosemary, with chives, with sage, pork and mustard sausages,chilli sausages, sausages with garlic, sausages with just a touch of pepper, Lorne sausage (a Scottish recipe) and enough pork burgers to get us through our Bonfire night celebration. Yes, we were all pretty exhausted by the end of the second day but had taken our tasks very seriously, learnt so much, and laughed alot along the way.

Thanks, Nichola! Yet another triumph!