Shopping & Services in Ferndown

Potted History
Ferndown is a town that has it all – a community with character and all the facilities for both work and play. But its beginnings were very humble.

One hundred years ago Ferndown was a modest village on the heath. Today it’s a thriving town with bustling shopping area, a plethora of businesses, leisure centre, theatre and a population of more than 16,000.

The first evidence of Ferndown’s existence was in 1321 when it was called Fyrne, derived from old English and meaning wooded hill. Ferndown does indeed sit on a small hill, today known as Penny’s Hill, named after Emma Penny who ran a laundry in Ferndown in the early 1900’s.

It was during the nineteenth century Ferndown grew from a few scattered cottages to a village. This was partly due to the extension of the Salisbury/Dorchester railway line in 1867 with a station at West Moors, making Southampton and Dorchester more accessible.

But it was the Ensbury Bridge across the River Stour built in 1910 that had the greatest impact on access to Bournemouth for work and trade. The original bridge, instigated by local landowners Lady Wimborne and Lt. Col. Prideaux-Brune, unfortunately collapsed and was replaced by the iron structure we see today and renamed New Road Bridge.

From modest beginnings Ferndown is now the largest settlement in East Dorset. It’s a fabulous mixture of old and new – the old soccer pavilion turned into a superb leisure centre and Penny’s Hill now boasting a modern shopping centre with everything needed by residents and visitors close by.

And yet, the modernised Ferndown, with its tree-lined residential streets and part pedestrianised town centre still retains the village feel of 100 years ago. Just take a look at the advertisers in this feature to see what Ferndown has to offer today.

Edward Jones Offers Traditional Values to Investors
Traditional values define Edward Jones Limited, the investment services firm that embraces the latest technology yet still visits clients at home. The firm has never changed its chief priority - service to individual investors when and where it is convenient for them.
To accomplish this, Edward Jones has built a network of single broker offices, conveniently located for individual investors.
Edward Jones is the largest financial services firm in the US in terms of branches, with more than 12,000 offices in the US, Canada and the UK. The firm’s UK affiliate is rapidly expanding with more than 250 offices open for business throughout the country. The firm has built its success by helping investors meet their financial goals and by providing a unique level of personalised service. Edward Jones serves individual investors and small businesses exclusively, offering the full range of investments from shares to life insurance products.
The Edward Jones Web site can be accessed at www.edwardjones.com.

The taste of the Orient
Top Wok Original in Ferndown offer quality Chinese cuisine to takeaway or for delivery. All Top Wok Original authentic Chinese dishes are freshly prepared and cooked each day using only the finest ingredients.
Don’t forget to collect your Top Wok Original vouchers whenever you spend £10 or more. Exchange them for a Top Wok Original Dollar, redeemable against any Top Wok Original meal. Ten vouchers = One Top Dollar = £10 off, subject to terms and conditions. You can use them either for delivery order or collection order. No fuss, just a free meal for you!
Top Wok Original is open daily from 5pm – 11pm. Order online at www.topwok.net or ring 01202 892466. Top Wok Original are on the main Ringwood Road opposite Motabitz. Free Delivery on orders over £12 within a two-mile radius.

Amazing kitchen transformations that will save you time, money and upheaval
Imagine having breakfast in your old kitchen one day and in a new kitchen the next. No need to empty your cupboards, no mess, no hassle, and you save money too. Award winning Dream Doors, the UK’s premier kitchen facelift specialists, have all the solutions to your kitchen problems.
Your local Dream Doors branch, owned by Dave and Sam Clemitson, is a family run business offering a huge range of bespoke doors, manufactured in the UK to the highest standards, and available with matching cornice, lighting pelmet and plinth. Dream Doors also offer worktops, appliances and sinks, to achieve that total kitchen transformation.
Dream Doors aim to give you the benefit of their experience and help you chose your dream kitchen using friendly, helpful advice. You can have full confidence in Dream Doors as they are registered with Checkatrade, an independent company where you can read comments from previous customers.
Call Sam or Dave at Dream Doors today on 01202 570005, or visit the showroom in West Parley, to arrange a free, no obligation survey and quote.

Sarah and Susie’s Slimming Successes
Slimming World is the largest and most advanced slimming organisation in the UK. Founded forty years ago, there are now 6,000 groups nationwide run by 2,500 Slimming World trained consultants.
300,000 members attend Slimming World every week; they lose on average 17,857 stone every week, that’s one stone ten pounds lost every minute of every day with Slimming World.
Here in Ferndown are two fantastic groups running: Tuesdays, 7pm at Ferndown United Reform Church, Wimborne Road East with Sarah; Thursdays, 5.15pm & 7pm at Parley First School, Glenmoor Road with Susie.
Susie and Sarah say, “Our Members eat less fatty foods, less sugary foods, less takeaways and less convenience foods. They eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, more fibre-rich foods and more calcium-rich foods. We see both male and female members of all ages. A large majority of members influence family and friends to improve their lifestyle, as well as making great friends within the group and sharing new ideas and recipes every week.
“We are so proud of our groups. Come along and experience the friendliest, most fun way of losing weight”

R T Knight Opticians
R T Knight Opticians in Ferndown would like to invite you to their Fashion Open Day on Friday 25 September. They will be offering 20% off complete pairs of exclusive fashion glasses from Joop, Morgan, Davidoff, Pierre Cardin and Jaguar. R T Knight Opticians’ experienced staff will be pleased to help you choose the right frame and select the best lenses to ensure you see well, and look good. You are very welcome to visit their Ferndown practice on 25 September to enjoy a free glass of wine and their extensive range of fashion eyewear.
R T Knight Opticians, 61 Victoria Road, Ferndown Tel: 891727

Open Day at the Practice
The Practice at Ferndown will be holding an open day on Tuesday, 22 September. It will be open from 2pm until 6pm for drinks, nibbles and a chat with our team so please feel free to pop in and see what we do!
Many people drive past The Practice on Victoria Road and wonder what exactly we do and who we are. The open day will give people the chance to meet the osteopaths, massage therapist and hypnotherapist to ask them about problems and treatment in a friendly and informal environment. If you are free or just passing please do pop in.

Scissors Salon in Ferndown
Carolyn and her team at the Scissors Salon in Ferndown would love to welcome you, show you the salon’s brand new image and offer you a totally free hair consultation. They are also excited to announce the introduction of their new Nail Technician, Luise. Join them from Tuesday, 28 September and for the whole of that week, when guest specialists from Wella Professionals, GHD, Sebastian and other fantastic professional hair-care brands will be available to give you free consultations and hair care advice.

Parley Cross Pharmacy
Parley Cross Pharmacy, West Parley and the Grove Pharmacy, Christchurch are run by husband and wife, Mitesh and Bhavini Patel, and are ably supported by qualified and friendly staff. Not only does this excellent team offer a while you wait prescription dispensing service, they also offer healthcare advice and stock a wide range of products ranging from health care items to cosmetics and household goods. The pharmacies also run clinics including a smoking cessation clinic with prescription NRTs, and a minor ailment medicines service which prescribes medicines on a usual NHS prescription.
Being an independent, family run pharmacy it is important to have as much local support as possible. “ We really appreciate the support of our regular local patients,” says Mitesh. “If you haven’t already signed up to our collection service, come in and do it now.”

mags4dorset and Ferndown Matters
Ferndown Town Council have been keeping residents within the borough informed of council matters in a quarterly, A5 booklet called Ferndown Matters.
This essential publication is soon to be published on behalf of the council by mags4dorset. Ben Pulford, design director of mags4dorset and Town & Village says, “We are very pleased to be working in partnership with the town council to produce this magazine, especially as our flagship publication has its roots in Ferndown. We are working on familiar ground and communicating with familiar faces.
“We are slowly building our portfolio of publications and it is brilliant that Ferndown Town Council has appointed us.”
‘Ferndown Matters,’ is provided free of charge to every household in the borough of Ferndown. The first issue to be published by mags4dorset is due out at the end of September.
There is limited advertising space within this exclusive publication providing the perfect way to take local businesses into every home in the borough of Ferndown. If you wish to enquire about space in future issues, contact Angela Reed on 07760 283146 or call the office on 01202 870270.