We now have our very own Dolphin in the river, here is a picture taken by Andy Kyle of Danny this week.

Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), a struggling actor with a bad reputation, has managed to alienate every producer on both coasts. Michael's agent George Fields (Sydney Pollack) can't even get his client a commercial and states that Michael is so obnoxious that he will probably never work again. Dorsey thinks otherwise; when he hears of an opening on a popular soap opera, he applies for it - even though the job is for a female role. Posing as "Miss Dorothy Michaels," he gets the part and becomes hugely successful. Yet complications ensue when Michael falls for his co-star Julie (Jessica Lange, in an Oscar-winning performance), and he's forced to either keep it under his false breasts, or come clean and turn himself into a national laughing stock…..

2.  Bridge over troubled water

The Town Jetty is to get two new bridges at a cost of £310,000 to provide better access to the dock side and to make it easier to carry out future repairs without disrupting ferry, pleasure boat passengers and yachtsmen.

The bridges, to run alongside each other, will occupy the same footprint as the existing bridge, installed 25 years ago when the embankment was extended and now heavily rusted. They will be very similar to the one installed over in Kingswear a few years ago for the foot-ferry passengers.

Work will start on the week-long project on November 28. The existing bridge will be removed using a crane barge and the two new bridges dropped in place to sit on a new pontoon linked to the Dart Harbour Navigation Authority’s pontoons that make up the town jetty.

There will also be a new passenger shelter, new lighting, electrical and water services for the mooring berths and new access ramps to the bridges at either end. The bridges, of a much lighter steel construction, are currently being fabricated off site and will be brought in by barge. The access bridge will be closed from Monday 28 November to Friday 2 December.  Access to and from the pontoons for the berth holders will be provided by a water taxi service and the ferry services directly from the Embankment.

South Hams District Councillor Bill Hitchins, Executive Member for Assets, said: “This bridge is one of the most important for Dartmouth – it is the gateway to the town for those arriving by water on foot from Kingswear or by pleasure craft. To have the bridge out of action at any time would be a blow financially to the port. That is why we have gone for two bridges either of which can be taken out of service for repairs without disruption to passengers in the future.”

3.   Palate to Palette

Mark Riley cordially invites you to a feast of an exhibition " Palate to Palette "  22nd November – 9th December

• Add: Michael Caines M.B.E., Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Mitch Tonks/Mat Prowse, Holly and David Jones of Manna from Devon & Joyce Molyneux.

• With a pinch of: Malcolm Cheape, Simon Drew, Marc Farrell, Fran Gynn, John Gillo,  Ben Jones, James Stewart & Jilly Sutton.

• Surprise dish of the day: Falmouth graduate, Nicola Pasterfield’s drawings and paintings of the recent Dartmouth Food Festival.

• Leave to marinade while you set your table: Coombe Gallery, 20 Foss St, Dartmouth, Devon. TQ6 9DR: 01803 835820

• & Voila! Mouthwatering works of art incorporating the recipes of leading chefs and created by the finest artists to conjure up the perfect Christmas treat.  For more click here.

4.   Small News
 

• Robert Heal (an Old Dartmothian) reports: When a lad in Dartmouth (circa 1959/60) I was part of a choir that was run by a Miss Robinson, with Miss Harvey at the piano, which sung at many festivals in the local area including taking part in the Paignton Song Festival. A song of particular note written by Miss Robinson was one about the River Dart which was in ballad form and told the story of the Dart from its source in the moor to its meeting of the sea at the castle. I can remember the first verse and bits of the last verse:
  
  First Verse:
  “Mid the russet of the bracken and the purple of the heather on a moorland bare and open to the sky
  In a land so bleak and lifeless that you’d hardly find a feather dropped by buzzard or by kestrel as they fly
  Far apart two tiny trickles of brown and peaty water start their long and sluggish journey to the sea”
  
  The last verse goes something like this:
  From a hilltop in the springtime looking down upon the Harbour and the Bay, from the Castle and the College all
  Ablaze in morning Glory how I wish that you were here to gaze with me
  
  Click here if you can help Robert?
   

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HMS Protector was in Dartmouth this week. The Ice Breaker has differential GPS and multiple thrusters. To the utter amazement of the people of Dartmouth, she got in between the two big buoys and rotated about her axis under computer control to face the right way. None of the trip to Sandquay to turn around!  Positional accuracy is to within a few inches. A great shame the Navy didn't tell us about this again!!

Roadworks on the A3122 near Halwell have been completed more than a week ahead of schedule. Reconstruction, patching and drainage work has been carried out on the stretch from Collaton Cross to Forces Cross which has been closed overnight since Monday 7 November. Work was due to continue to Friday 25 November but the scheme has already been completed and the closure lifted.
 

Why not come and visit Dartmouth?

• Self catering accommodation click here
   
• Dartmouth B and B  click here
   
• Dartmouth Hotels click here
   
• A Tourist Guide to Dartmouth click here
   
• Shopping in Dartmouth click here

Images copyright  Dave Cawley,  Andy Kyle,  & others.