A look back on events in Beer and Branscombe in 2011.

JANUARY

Pupils who created a special wassail song for Branscombe got to hear themselves on Radio Devon before they sang it in a local orchard for the village.

Having got together with Folk South West to compose a New Year song unique to the village, the children at Branscombe Primary School recorded it and it was played on the radio.

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Rainbow Guides started again in Beer thanks to the work of some committed villagers.

Tracy Hansford, a nurse from Beer, resurrected the branch of guides for five to seven-year-old girls after a six month hiatus. She had been inspired to get the group going again due to long waiting lists elsewhere.

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Work began on repairing the roof of Beer Congregational Church.

Scaffolding went up after a long fundraising campaign called ‘Raise the Roof’, as the church required between �30,000 and �50,000 to complete the work.

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A roadshow was stopping off in Beer to allow residents to learn more about the World Heritage Site in their village.

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage team was delivering presentations and hosting workshops about the area’s coastline.

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FEBRUARY

A Beer ladies group raised �400 for the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion.

The Puffin Seekers handed over a cheque for �200 to the Poppy Appeal Devon County having already raised �200 for the Beer branch of the RBL.

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Branscombe authorities were asking the district council to chip in for drilling work ahead of expanding a graveyard.

St Winifred’s church had only three burial plots left, and the Parish Council and the Parochial Church Council had been looking at land to extend the graveyard.

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Beer Bag Project was gearing up for its latest run of charity bags to raise money for village projects.

Having secured sponsorship from local businesses, organisers aimed to raise money for various organisations and charities in the village.

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A year on from the commissioning of solar panels at Branscombe Village Hall they had exceeded predictions for energy generation.

After finally being accepted on to the government feed-in tariff, they said they could expect around �2,000 a year from the sun’s rays.

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MARCH

Beer Panto People put on a dazzling performance of Sleeping Beauty in the Mariners Hall.

The 20-strong cast and behind the scenes crew ensured the strong turnout enjoyed an exciting evening over the three nights.

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Pupils at Branscombe Primary School were working with the National Trust to revive the Millennium Orchard in the village.

Children from Class 2 planted apple trees to replace the trees which had died since the orchard was created to celebrate the millennium.

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Branscombe church was set to finally have a new rector after Hilary Dawson was appointed the new leader of Colyton Mission Community.

It has been over a year since Fr Nick gave his last service at St Winifred’s Church but after a protracted search a replacement has finally been found.

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A Beer teenager got through to a national cooking competition final and had the chance of winning a food trip of a lifetime.

Zoe Sing, 15, was ready to create a stir in the final after wowing the judges at the regionals of this year’s Rotary International Young Chef Competition.

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APRIL

The Parish Council wanted residents to name the new off-road path in Beer between Long Hill and Beer Hill.

The scheme was likely to finally come to fruition this year after a long battle to get it off the ground.

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The Horticultural Society in Beer was holding a silent auction to raise money for flowers for the village after the council cut its funding.

Two numbered and signed prints by famous painter Michael Morgan were donated by Marine House and Steam Gallery to help the ‘Flowers for Beer’ campaign.

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The 2011 Branscombe art exhibition got under way with nearly 100 artists displaying their work in the village hall.

The bi-annual event is an opportunity for both professionals and amateurs to showcase work based on the village and raise money for charity, making more than �1,800 in 2009.

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Thanks to the generosity of a local businessman, a new clubhouse in Branscombe was opened.

The new facility, next to the cricket pitch was funded by David Andrews, whose company sponsors the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

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MAY

It was reported that the residents of Beer turned out in force to celebrate the Royal Wedding at a street party in Fore Street at the end of April.

More than 200 people of all ages took picnics and joined together at the tables outside the Dolphin Hotel.

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Oakdown picked up its 15th consecutive annual award for high environmental standards from TV celebrity David Bellamy.

Only six other caravan and holiday parks in the country have racked up as many David Bellamy Gold Environmental Awards for work protecting and attracting wildlife. Recycling and saving energy.

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The green-fingered residents of Beer planted flowers around the village for some summer colour.

Members of the horticultural society planted hanging baskets, troughs and containers thanks to the generosity of local businesses, sponsors and fundraising.

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Beer’s Sailing Club moved into a new clubhouse after 50 years of waiting.

The �100,000-building was opened by members, and was twice the size of the ageing previous facility, which had been nicknamed as ‘the shed on the cliff’.

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JUNE

Beer’s Youth Hostel opened its doors to the village for a special lunch and to show locals what they can offer.

Around 50 locals went along for the barbecue, which was part of a national scheme launched by the Eden Project in Cornwall to bring communities together.

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Branscombe Village Hall was saved from closure after two residents agreed to step in at the last minute and chair the local amenity.

The hall had been close to closure last month after it was in breach of its constitution but its doors will stay open thanks to Helen Fielden and Bill Lewens.

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Branscombe celebrated all the saints with a successful Flower Festival in St Winifred’s Church raising more than �1,000.

The four day festival started with a concert evening followed by the displays in the church for visitors to go and enjoy.

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To help celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion, Peco was planning to put on a special event.

The event was due to feature a display of the RBL Motorcycle Riders, the Lyme Regis Brass Band and a commemorative garden was being set up.