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Looking back at the special time that is Christmas in Sturminster Newton

blackmorevaleDecember 26, 20200 Comment0

Christmas is always a special time of the year, no matter where you happen to be. However, some towns do just happen to be a little more magical than others. We cast our eyes over Sturminster Newton both past and present thanks to Heritage Trust secretary Zilla Brown, who is sharing a little piece of history and a stunning collection of wintry scenes with us.

For the first time this century, a hindquarter of beef was roasted on a spit on the frozen River Stour at Sturminster Newton on Sunday afternoon. The roasting, which was watched by hundreds of people, including many passing motorists, took place at a spot near the town bridge, where the 10-foot-deep river is covered by nine inches of ice.

The last time an ox was roasted on the river was between Colber Bridge and the railway bridge in 1895. One of the organisers, Mr A C Meaker said: “A few of us were talking about it one evening last week.

“We quickly formed a Sturminster Winter Carnival Committee and decided to make this year’s cold spell something that would be remembered for years to come.”

Friday 25th January, 1963 Sturminster Newton

A charcoal burning double brazier was set up on baulks of timber standing on bricks over the ice, with a sheet of galvanized iron to catch the ashes. For three hours, watched by a large crowd, the honorary chefs Dennis Barnett, Edwin Short and Reg Weeks, and their assistants slowly turned the 53lb of beef on its spit.

At four o’clock ‘Chef’ Dennis Barnett pronounced the meat ‘done to a turn’ and eager onlookers pressed forward as the beef was sliced and passed to other helpers, waiting with mounds of bread to make sandwiches.

Television cameras joined the scores of amateur photographers who were recording the scene for posterity. In the space of a couple of hours all the beef was sold and so great was the demand for sandwiches that more bread had to be fetched from a local bakery.

While the roasting was proceeding, there was skating and ice hockey and later when darkness fell, there was dancing on the river under floodlights to amplified music. Derek Tite and members of his family entertained the onlookers with their antics on the ice on a five-wheeled bicycle.

Others set off for a walk up and down the river – a truly unique experience. Mr. E. B. Marsh provided the loudspeaker equipment and the lights. Julie Drew and members of the Sturminster Newton Young Wives’ Club prepared sandwiches from the beef and served cups of tea. All the profits after meeting expenses, were given to the Sturminster Newton old folk’s fuel fund. The sale of beef sandwiches and collections realized £29 and it is expected there will be a profit of about £15.

THE WHITE STUFF: Snowy scenes in Sturminster Newton in the winter of 1978

However, after the excitement of the roasting had died down, ‘Chef’ Barnett missed the bone, which he had earlier removed from the beef. In a plaintive footnote he said: “I would be grateful if whoever took it would return it to me, because we would like to mount it, with a suitable engraved plate, as a memento of the event.”