A Wonderful November in Upton

November was a lively month in Upton, full of Halloween fun! The town came alive with excited children in amazing costumes, all so polite and well-mannered. A big thank you to the grown-ups who joined in the fun too — especially the glamorous witches who made Upton such a cheerful place to live.

It was also lovely to see poppies around the town, a moving reminder of those who gave their lives so we can enjoy our freedom today.

The Carpentry Department is a wonderful place for students to learn their chosen trade and they offered to kindly build a bench for us. On completion of the bench it was then sent to the Art Department for the art students to create a sight and sensory design for the bench and I am sure you will agree that the design chosen is a beautiful bench for the children of Upton to enjoy.

A big thank you to Mr Stuart Bennett, students, Louka, Ali Moyce, Alex Cheney Carpentry Dept and Mr Gary Mant, Learning Manager, Art and Design, to Ashe Seager for her winning design and to all the students involved in both departments in the building and preparation - laser cut/paint the outcomes and attaching them to the bench for this wonderful community gift to Upton.

Thanks also to Paul and Rob from the Town Council Operations Team for installing the bench, and to Brewers Paint Depot and Travis Perkins for donating paint.

Getting Ready for Christmas

The festive season brings even more to look forward to:

  • Santa Train (Poole Bay Rotary Club) — Upton East, 10 December, from 6 pm starting at Douglas Close.

  • Children’s Craft Evening — 18 December, 5.15pm at the Community Centre, part of the Council’s Christmas celebrations.

  • Keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for full details.

Younger ones can also join the fun by finding hidden Santas around Upton during December walks!

Following last year’s success, the Postbox Topper Calendar is back — redesigned with more space for notes, thanks to the patient help of Martyn Brown. It’s available from the Council Office, Church Office, and Upton Central Café.

All proceeds will go towards community activities in Upton, with Santa Train funds shared with Ladybirds Preschool.

Finally, the Beacon Community Art Strand thanks everyone for your wonderful support.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and look forward to more creativity and community spirit in 202