Roundabout East Dorset Villages - July 2023

In this issue...

Julia’s House Family Fun Day Huge Success

Celebrity Interview: Michelle Yeoh

Wimborne Gardening Club

Recipe: Rachel Khoo’s Ice Box Cake

England Expects... Women’s World Cup

Green ngers: Alan Titchmarsh Column

JULY 2023

Welcome...

Dear Residents,

It is with great pleasure that we deliver your July issue of Roundabout East Dorset Villages. As always, we have reliable trades people and businesses that would love to hear from you. We are here for you to connect with your local business owners and help the local economy thrive. Helping each other has been an intention of mine from a very early age and I love what we do here at Modern Magazines.

There are editorials and articles for you to read which we hope you enjoy, all in the comfort of your own home. We also have a Facebook page, and this magazine can be viewed online at: www.modernmagazines.co.uk

In addition to that we now have a fully interactive Dorset E-Magazine (only online) and if that is of interest, please email me at:

debbie@modernmagazines.co.uk and I will add your details for a free subscription to that magazine which has online games, competitions, local trades and much more.

With the summer holidays about to begin we wish you the best of summers with time to spend outside with family and friends.

Debbie, Stephen & all the team at Modern Magazines

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England Expects

After winning the 2022 European Championships – the first major-tournament win in the Three Lions’ history, England go into the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with confidence, unity and a weight of expectation.

England’s women are on a high. Their sensational Euros success has driven a new wave of British Bulldog belief, and it would be a mistake not to believe our Three Lions can repeat the incredible successes from 2022 and, in the process, continue to inspire a nation of female footballers.

Plus, with England’s Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman recording an 81% win ratio –her team scoring 138 goals in just 31 matches, with only one single defeat in that time, against Australia in a friendly in April – optimism is at an alltime high.

Wiegman’s players will commence their campaign by facing minnows Haiti in Brisbane on July 22nd, with the games against the other sides in Group D seeing them encounter Denmark on July 28th in Sydney and Asian

champions China in Adelaide on August 1st.

Winning Group D, as they should, may well land England a toughlooking second-round game against Canada, who ended Wiegman’s long winning run on a cold night in January 2022, in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough. Beyond that, Germany looks the likely opposition in the quarter-finals.

While the majority of the personnel from the Euros triumph is set to go Down Under, Ellen White and Jill Scott retired on a high after the Euros win, so new heroes will be sought, particularly as the squad will be missing captain Leah Williamson, who was ruled out with an ACL injury in April.

Thankfully, there is much competition for

Williamson’s centre-back berth, and considerable versatility elsewhere with players able to adapt to new positions, something typical of Wiegman’s Dutch ‘Total Football’ roots.

Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze are mainstays, with Maya Le Tissier’s addition to the England fold a huge bonus due to her ability in playing right across the back line. Lotte WubbenMoy is another utility player, as are Lucy Parker, Jess Carter, Esme Morgan and Niamh Charles.

Keira Walsh and Georgia

Stanway look to have cemented their places in midfield, while Jordan Nobbs and Ella Toone are sure to be on the plane. The rest of that part of England’s squad is harder to call.

Alessia Rousso is looking more and more like the number nine, and with Beth England and Ebony Salmon pushing into contention, the squad looks competitive and should go close to that elusive World crown.

Need help with your tax?

Brothers set to walk 24 hours non-stop along Bournemouth and

Poole’s beaches

Brothers, Luke and Joseph Hawker, are taking on a unique fundraising challenge in aid of Diverse Abilities, on Saturday 1st July.

They will be walking the 7-mile stretch of Bournemouth and Poole beaches for 24 hours non-stop. The route will be up and down the coastline from Sandbanks Beach Office to Hengistbury Head for a full 24 hours. Adapting to whatever weather conditions the first weekend in July will bring, they will be contending with no sleep and meals on the go. The pair’s chosen charity, Diverse Abilities, supports people who have life-long disabilities as well as complex medical needs. Their services are open to them and their families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Therefore, this challenge pays homage to the work of the charity but also aims to highlight the struggles families face living with disability.

The idea came from Luke Hawker, a Trust, and Grants Fundraiser at Diverse Abilities. He comments, “I was inspired to take on a 24-hour challenge that had never been done before. As the 7-mile stretch of Bournemouth and Poole beaches is so iconic to Dorset, which is the core area Diverse Abilities covers, walking it for a straight 24-hours seemed to represent the charity very well, and of course, has

never been done before. The beach is also a highly diverse and accessible place. This is what Diverse Abilities is all about.”

Luke will be joined by his brother, Joseph, who is a teacher currently living in Doha, Qatar. Joseph is flying over to the UK especially for the challenge. The brothers are expected to be joined by over 20 friends, family and colleagues at certain points throughout the day, including their childhood friends, Emilio Crespi, Connor Oliver and James Crana.

SoBo Beach, located on Southbourne beach are supporting the challenge by supplying Luke and Joe and their core team with food and refreshments for the duration of the walk.

For more information about the challenge, and to sponsor Luke and Joseph visit their JustGiving page: justgiving.com/page/24challenge.

You can find more about the charity at diverseabilities.org.uk

A family run company committed to providing good quality and genuine care for your loved ones.

2 small homes offering warm, comfortable and safe settings with a “home from home” feeling.

Fresh produce and home cooked varied foods prepared by caring chefs offering many choices.

Friendly and committed local staff assisting in your every need 24hrs a day.

Extensive social care and activities offered by our experienced co-ordinator.

Flexible Day Care Service available.

Manager: Becky Wall

Manager: Janet Sheridan

Puzzle Page Quick Crossword

2. Inn (3)

5. Relating to nature (6)

7. Associate (6)

9. Situation (11)

10. Scramble (6)

11. Comfortable position (6)

13. Take off (6)

Down Clues:

1. Frédéric (6)

2. Upper part of a woman’s dress (6)

3. Recover (6)

4. Relating to a state (6)

6. Writing in shorthand (11)

8. Not necessary (11)

16. Republic in Central America (6)

18. Rich country controls others (11)

19. Colour again (6)

20. Empty (6)

21. Humid (3)

10. Large Australian bird (3)

12. Seventh letter in the Greek alphabet (3)

14. Unpleasant sound (6)

15. Die (6)

16. Small nuts, under the ground (6)

17. Animals (6)

Word Ladder

Make

History Quiz

1. What year was the Battle of Hastings?

2. In which year did World War 2 start?

3. When was the Great Pyramid built?

4. What year was the Declaration of American Independence?

5. When was the formation of the League of Nations?

6. In which year was the Twin Towers attack?

7. What year was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?

8. In what year did the Black Death outbreak start?

9. What year was the invention of the phone?

10. When did the Coronavirus pandemic occur?

Everything, Everywhere...but not all at once

Even at the age of 60, the 2023 Academy Award win may be the start of something big for Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh.

Multiverse sci-fi brain-wrecker Everything Everywhere, All At Once, starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh – who scooped the coveted Best Actress gong – is a movie that’s divided opinion. There are those who enjoyed it for what it is and how it was intended… a far-reaching film about love and acceptance, fun, creative, hilarious and unique; while others found it difficult to locate that necessary suspension of disbelief required for such a complex piece of theatre.

Either way, the main star of the mindbender, Michelle Yeoh, gave a virtuoso performance, deservedly won her nominated category (one of seven awards the film scooped at the prestigious event), in the process becoming the first Asian and only the second woman of colour to do so.

“When I was young back home in Malaysia, I never ever dreamt of being where I am today,” says the actress, who is now in her fifth decade of performing.

“There wasn’t a huge movie industry there and when I looked up at the screen to see stars mainly from the Western Hemisphere up there, shining

bright and looking so amazing, it was never

in my mind to think I could emulate them or.

“I appeared in an advert with Jackie Chan for Guy Laroche watches, but even then I thought that was the furthest I would venture, and that my life and my career was destined to remain back at home.”

Quickly though, Yeoh began to realise she had much more in common with the martial arts legend Chan than a simple timepiece, given she performed most of her own stunts in films such as Yes, Madam and Magnificent Warriors, as her career began to blossom.

she soon

The actress worked hard at refining the way she went about acting, and soon global acclaim arrived when she appeared alongside Pierce Brosnan in the Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies.

Big projects arrived in the form of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, then a slew of Hollywood projects, including Memoirs of a Geisha, Reign of Assassins, The Lady and Last Christmas.

“My biggest piece of advice is to listen to everyone and anyone!” she laughs. “It’s sometimes very easy to be precious about who you are and to what extent you want to bend and flip for the industry.

“We all go in with ideas of people loving us for being us, where really we are all products of everyone else’s influence, and we should be proud of that. You can never stop taking in the enrichment of others, no matter where you are in your career.”

Julia’s House Family Fun Day

Huge Success As Charity Marks

20 Years of Life-Changing Care

To mark its twentieth anniversary Julia’s House children’s hospice held a Family Fun Day at its charity superstore in Creekmoor on Saturday 3rd June. The store was also celebrating its tenth anniversary since opening in spring 2013.

The Fun Day raised £5,000 for Julia’s House, which provides life-changing care for seriously ill children and their families across Dorset and Wiltshire.

Visitors to the event enjoyed sustainable shopping while being entertained by local musicians – including Reminiscence-UK, The Sensational Sweets and Gemma Cordona, whose son Patrick is cared for by Julia’s House. Patrick and his sister Daisy were both present to watch their mum’s highly emotional performance of her song entitled He’s My Son.

The new Julia’s House Choir, consisting of Julia’s House staff and volunteers, made its debut appearance singing a rendition of Happy Birthday to the charity, and the programme of entertainment was compered throughout by Hospital Radio Bedside.

The Creekmoor shop’s Assistant Manager,

Clairelouise Moore, who started the Julia’s House Choir just eight weeks ago said;

“We are really pleased that so many people joined us to mark our twentieth anniversary and to enjoy some pre-loved shopping. The Julia’s House choir has only been together for a short while and we had such fun giving our debut performance. Watch this space for more from the choir this birthday year!”

Refreshments in the glorious sunshine included a Julia’s House wood-fired chicken and chorizo pizza designed especially for the occasion by Robs Filling Station, with some of the proceeds going to the charity. Children were entertained with face painting by Twinkles, a reptile petting zoo and appearances from Minnie and Mickey Mouse and Paddington characters.

A raffle drawn at 4pm on the day gave visitors the chance of winning AFC Bournemouth memorabilia – including two framed shirts signed by the players, coupled with certificates of authenticity.

For more information on how to shop sustainably with Julia’s House visit www.juliashouse.org/shops

Understanding Investments: Investment choices within a Pension

For many people, pension savings may be their most significant asset other than their house. Yet I often find people don’t know what they are invested in, let alone understand the investment choices available to them. Making the right choices can have a significant effect on the size of your future retirement fund.

When joining a pension scheme, you are often placed into the scheme’s default investment funds. These are usually Lifestyled to the scheme’s Normal Retirement Date (NRD), for example age 67 (but could be between 60 and 67). Your money is then invested in growth assets (usually shares) in the early years with the aim of offering a higher return, albeit with more volatility. The logic is that volatility is less important at this stage as there are many years to go before the money is required so if the fund suffers a fall in value there is time for it to recover.

As the NRD draws closer (for example 10 years away), Lifestyling will automatically start to switch a percentage of the money into lower risk assets (perhaps a balanced fund investing in a mix of shares and bonds or a low risk fund investing in bonds or cash). The logic being that as you get closer to retirement your pension becomes less volatile as you have less time to recover from stock market declines.

For many this is a sensible approach and aims to help manage risk without any effort required by the pension plan member. But there are pitfalls:

1. Lifestyling can vary between schemes so understanding how your own pension scheme operates is important.

2. There can be different Lifestyled target outcomes. For example, some will target the purchase of an annuity at the Normal Retirement Date so the asset allocation will be more defensive and result in 75% invested in bonds and 25% in cash at the NRD. Other’s may target drawdown so will be more balanced and perhaps end up with 75% in a medium risk balanced fund and 25% in cash.

3. What if you plan on retiring before the pension scheme’s NRD? The investments will likely be unbalanced and not reflective of your plans which may lead to unnecessary risk. There are alternative choices.

Howard Goodship

Most schemes will offer a range of funds from which you can “self-select”. By doing so you may be able to better bespoke your pension plan to your own retirement plans. However, selecting the right funds, and the subsequent returns earned from those funds, will affect the final value of your retirement pot so this is not recommended unless you are a very experienced investor or you take professional financial advice. There are even pension plans available which can offer temporary annuities and therefore remove investment risk. The annuity can be taken as income or rolled up within the pension and therefore offers a guaranteed future value. The rates on these plans have increased over the past 15 months as interest rates (and therefore annuity rates) have risen. These can be very attractive for clients under 10 years from retirement or for more cautious investors.

In conclusion, if your pension is a significant part of your overall wealth and therefore critical to your future retirement plans, treat it as such and give it the attention it deserves. Pension planning can be complex, so seeking advice from suitably qualified professional advisers is recommended.

My colleague Stewart Sims-Handcock and I are available for a free initial, no obligation chat to discuss your personal requirements, and would be delighted to help.

Howard Goodship is an Independent Financial Adviser with Lonsdale Wealth Management, 5 Fridays Court, Ringwood. Tel: 01425 208490 www.lonsdaleservices.co.uk

“A

pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until age 55 (57 from April 2028 unless the plan has a protected pension age). The value of your investments (and any income from them) can down as well as up which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Your pension income could also be affected by the interest rates at the time you take your benefits. The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances, tax legislation and regulation which are subject to change. You should seek advice to understand your options at retirement.”

A Design for Life… e Kevin McCloud Column

Designer, writer and television presenter, Kevin McCloud leapt into our consciousness with his vastly successful Grand Designs show on Channel 4. This month, the affable architectural business owner talks about getting back to the basic elements of how a home should make us feel.

I was in conversation with someone the other day and they asked me what sort of feeling I thought they should give to a new home interiors project of theirs.

What I found interesting about the question is the fact it’s an almost impossible one to answer, for the main reason that you can’t force anyone to feel any way about something that they don’t naturally, instinctively, unintentionally feel themselves.

If a person dislikes something with a passion, it’s very likely

there is no positive slant you can put on things that will encourage them to change their mind. This is just who we are.

My answer was instead to think about stimulating positive feelings in the way the house was designed. In essence, to realise the things we want to feel, then style and create in order to fulfil those emotions. So, for example, it’s always important to create a sense of place and belonging in our homes. These homes are not just physical structures, but also repositories of our memories, emotions and personal identities, and should be designed to reflect our values, personalities and lifestyles.

Most people know I am a big fan of authenticity in home

design, so that comes into it; and I also believe in the importance of creating space that is functional and practical, rather than simply beautiful, perhaps with references given to the environment or sustainability.

Mostly though, above all those things, a home should be a place that feels safe, comfortable, and happy. Only then will it feel ’right’, and it may take several failed attempts along the way to finally get to that place where you are content.

And then prepare for the point a decade down the line when your evolving tastes talk you into ripping it all up and starting again!

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tax and help protect their share from care fees

The Property Protection Trust Will package is based around how you hold the ownership of your home. All good estate planning nowadays considers the difference between owning your home as joint tenants or as tenants in common.

If you own your home as Joint Tenants; when one of you dies the ownership of the home passes by the Law of Survivorship and not by your Will. Therefore, the surviving partner will automatically own 100% of the property. This sounds right to most people. BUT should the surviving partner need care in the future, the Local Authority can take everything they own (including their home) to pay for the care fees, leaving just £14,250 to be inherited by children and grandchildren.

There is an alternative.

Nowadays many couples choose to own their home as Tenants in Common where each partner will own 50% of the family home. This provides for many benefits.

Firstly, it allows you to legally leave your share of the property in your Will to whoever you wish. A properly written Will can ensure that your half of your house will eventually pass to your children even if your widow re-marries.

Unmarried cohabiting couples or relatives living together can also use this means of ownership as a way of minimising their Inheritance Tax exposure.

It can also help with long-term care costs. If one of you is still living in your home the Local Authority can’t include its value in the means test if one of you has to go in to long-term care. This also applies if the husband or wife still living at home dies while the other is in care as their share will go into the trust.

Dorset and Wight are your local experts in Property Protection Trust Wills.

Increasing numbers of homeowners are choosing to hold their properties as tenants in common to reduce inheritance

The History of the Women’s World Cup

As we approach the ninth edition of the official Women’s World Cup, we chart the rapid evolution of one of football’s most loved competitions.

The first official Women’s World Cup took place in China, in 1991, with the United States beating Norway 2-1 in the Guangzhou final. It’s apt that the Americans won the first competition, as they have dominated the women’s game since.

However, the Norwegian side would take the plaudits in Sweden in the second edition. Their hugely talented squad of players beat Germany 2-0 at the Råsunda Stadium in Stockholm, with goals from Hege Riise and Marianne Pettersen, as the Lionesses debut ended at the quarterfinal stage.

The ‘Stars and Stripes’ would regain the title on home soil in 1999 against China, as Brandi Chastain netted the winning penalty in the 5-4 shootout victory for the United States.

That World Cup was built on the success of the first Olympic women’s football tournament held during the 1996 Atlanta Games, with the 1999 World Cup played in front of an average of 37,000 spectators per match.

The event in 2003 was also held in the US, who stepped in after planned hosts China had to relinquish duties after an outbreak of SARS. Yet there was to be no back-to-back success for the Yanks, as they crashed out in the semi-final to a Germany side who went on to defeat Sweden for their first title.

China belatedly hosted the tournament four years later, and Germany were able to defend their 2003 title with a 2-0 victory over Brazil in the Hongkou Stadium. England were knocked out by the USA in the quarterfinals.

A new name would be on the trophy in 2011 as Japan took this instalment by storm, beating the hosts and hat-

trick-seeking Germans in the quarters, the Swedes in the last four, before coming from behind to see off the mighty Americans on penalties in the final.

an

Canada 2015 saw an increase to 24 teams from 16, and offered revenge for the USA as they beat Japan 5-2 in the Vancouver final. The tournament was controversial for being played on artificial turf in sweltering conditions.

France 2019 attracted a global television audience of over 1.1 billion, with the United States winning again, this time 2-0 against Sarina Wiegman’s European champions, Netherlands.

With England having trodden that same familiar path under the talented Dutch coach by securing their first international title win in the form of the 2022 Euros victory against Germany, could they add a World Cup final to their resume in Australia and New Zealand?

The Adventures of Daichi The Modern Magazines Camper

Making the most of where we live…. Young, old, history, contemporary. Daichi loves them all. Wherever we look around us there is history alongside new, contemporary and sometimes controversial. Have you ever taken a look to see where new meets old and bygone days live next to the future, where you live? Are you a philosopher who prefers the distant past and long-lost customs, or are you a person of state-of-theart décor and new ways?

For Daichi, living here in Weymouth, a seaside town dating back to the 12th Century, it is easy to see the many shifts in time. Punch and Judy came back to our beach this year. Apparently, the original shows first appeared in Italy in the 16th Century where the characters were marionettes. Then in 1662 on May 9th the very first performance in England was enacted. It is a more modern feature of the

Van

show today, that the audience is encouraged to shout out and warn the characters in the ‘box’ of the dangers. Certainly, watching the excited children on the beach recently, the eager spectators really enjoyed screaming out, “he’s there!” at the top of their voices. What fun. Some characters like the ghost, the hangman (probably a blessing) and Pretty Polly may have disappeared, but the show remains to entertain its guests, centuries after it began.

A few weeks ago, “El Galeon”, a replica of a 17th century Spanish Galleon glided into our waters here on the Jurassic coast and opened its decks to the general public, for around a week on Weymouth Harbour. These Galleons were used to transport cargo from America, Spain and the Phillipines between the 16th and 18th Centuries. Walking on board now I almost felt the rocking of the ship and the huge waves sweeping over the high ship sides. I could almost feel sea-sick… and we were in very flat waters! Impressive indeed is this

Debbie & Stephen by El Galeon

Traditional Punch & Judy on the beach

ocean sailing vessel. Built between 2009 and 2010 it has now sailed to hundreds of ports worldwide and had thousands and thousands of visitor gaze in awe at its miles of rope, and its magnificent decks. Daichi loves history, and imagining sailing across massive expanses of sea surrounded by scores of people, some running up and down all of those extremely high poles, was quite an experience. In the 1600’s many did not make the journey, with scurvy and other untreatable diseases in abundance due to the lack of hygiene. There were less bottles of hand sanitizer in those days! It would have been very different to any cruises we sail on today.

That brings me to the subject of seaweed which has attracted so much attention and controversy recently. Our Blue Flag Beach with its wonderful fine sand has been encroached in certain parts, by sea kelp driven in by storms and heavy winds. Daichi’s first reaction was indeed one of “Oh No! Our beautiful beach has been destroyed…” However, he has had a change of heart. Our ecosystem on this planet has had much interference from us, the ‘intelligent species’ on this planet, and we may not have always got it right. Nature has a profound way of correcting itself, and in fact creating certain situations in order to survive. So, we

have continued to go to the beach, lie on the gorgeous fine sand of which there is a huge abundance and swim in our amazing ocean. Rubber shoes protect the feet if needed, but there is a lot of space and much enjoyment to be had, despite a little natural interruption. One of Daichi’s bug bears is the press and its sensationalism.

So, what about what’s new? We live in a ‘coffee culture’ where having a coffee and cake (or even a waffle and ice-cream…) have become part of our daily lives. Daichi loves this and will go for a coffee at the drop of a hat, especially with a friend for a good old chat. The Theatre is also still popular, centuries later and we believe we should make more of this. The atmosphere is great, the entertainment can lift the soul and we get to go out with family and friends. Similarly, the cinema. What great block busters there are! “Top Gun” with Tom Cruise was a must for us. Hayden loves ‘Dungeons and Dragons’, so we all went to see “Honour Amongst Thieves” recently with Hugh Grant, Chris Pine and John Francis Daley. Myself, being of the older generation and Hayden being nearly forty years younger, yet we all enjoyed it and had a great evening out!

So, whether it is an old tradition, history to soak in, or a coffee and waffle with a friend, there is so much to do right on our doorsteps. Daichi would love to know what you like best about your area. You can write to him at:

daichi@modernmagaiznes.co.uk

By Debbie Corney

Weymouth’s beautiful beach, winner of both the Blue Flag and Seaside Award

Family & friends having a “waffle”

Green ngers… the Alan Titchmarsh column

He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist, and all-round horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses the holy grail of ensuring flowers and plants flourish to their full potential – soil quality!

I get asked a lot what the best way to bolster soil quality is, and the truth is there are a variety of methods. Naturally, keeping soil well-watered is important, but not overwatered. Instead, water deeply and less frequently than you would expect. To water deeply you need to keep the soil light and uncompacted too. I’ve even gone to the extent of walking on wood planks if I need to cross over soil, as this spreads the weight and avoids interrupting good soil structure with big clumsy boots.

To actually enrich the soil, I try to regularly add organic matter. Compost, obviously, is key, with well-rotted manure. This helps with boosting drainage, adding fertility, and encouraging beneficial microorganisms.

In a similar way, if you’re looking to capitalise on what’s already in the soil, consider the benefit of crop rotation, and the fact that plants or flowers can feed o the nutrients left behind from whatever was present before.

Changing the location of specific plant families each year also helps to prevent the build-up of pests and diseases, and maintains soil fertility. Finally, it’s always worth applying a layer of mulch – such as wood chips or straw – around plants. It helps to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, regulates soil temperature, and adds organic matter to the soil. It also looks good!

To determine how good your soil is, or isn’t, why not invest in a soil-testing kit? This will help you determine the soil’s pH and nutrient levels, and with that information you can construct an accurate plan for amendments to improvements to your soil quality.

Ultimately, don’t expect change overnight, as good things come to those who wait; but do take comfort in the fact you are doing all you can to move forward the health of your garden.

STAR GAZING

WRITTEN BY KATE EARL kateearlastro@gmail.com

Welcome to the July Stargazing Page. Highlights this month include seeing Venus at its brightest before it moves to our morning skies, and the hunt for noctilucent clouds.

International Space Station

The ISS is visible daily until the 28th, with overhead passes starting in the early morning, gradually switching to the late evening by month end. To establish exact timings please refer to www.heavens-above.com or a similar webpage for up-to-date information, remembering to set the location to your observing area.

Events

The Earth is furthest from the Sun on the 6th, a distance of 152,000,000 km away. This is called aphelion (Greek for ‘from the Sun’).

Mercury

The innermost planet can be seen low in the southwest just after sunset from the 15th, but it will be really tough to spot in the evening twilight.

Venus

Venus is dazzling away low in the west, and although at its brightest, it will rapidly drop out of our evening skies, only to return as the ‘morning star’ in late August. If you have a small telescope it is worth taking a look at Venus this month, as it will appear as a beautiful, tiny crescent. Another challenge is to try and spot your shadow by Venusian light. You need a really dark sky with no moon or light pollution. Use a sheet or white card to help see the shadow cast, as the planet is too faint a source of light to be able to easily detect your shadow on the ground. It’ll be tough, but worth it if you manage it!

Mars

Mars continues to get dimmer each night. During July it moves towards and then passes Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo the Lion (see figure). It is now quite far away from the Earth, a consequence of which is that it has become very faint, and its red colour is hard to distinguish.

Jupiter & Saturn

Jupiter is visible from around 1am low in the east, but is dazzlingly bright and for early risers it cannot be mistaken for anything else. Saturn appears earlier, around 11pm.

Moon

July’s full moon occurs on the 3rd.

Try to spot...

The early summer months are the best time to try and spot a rare and beautiful cloudtype: noctilucent clouds. If conditions are favourable, these blue-white illuminated clouds are visible an hour or so after sunset in our northern skies (if you’re up early, they can sometimes be seen an hour or so before sunrise, too). Although the exact cause of their formation is unknown, we know they are composed of tiny water-ice crystals and form about 80km up in the atmosphere.

Noctilucent clouds

Five Years of the RSS Sir David Attenborough

The five-year anniversary of the launch of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, and a naming process that went viral for all the wrong reasons.

‘Give it to the people’, they said… ‘let the people decide’. And so it was then, in the spring of 2016 that the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) put their faith in the British public to name one of our most significant marine launches of recent times.

The budget behind the impressive polar research vessel was a colossal £200million, with the intention of creating a floating symbol of British science; one that would be equipped with a devastating array of scientific instruments – including sonar and underwater cameras –laboratories for conducting experiments and analysing samples, and state-of-the-art gadgetry that would make our exploration of some of the harshest and most remote environments on the planet easier and more insightful than ever.

Its distinctive design, featuring a bold red and white hull, was a dominant and recognisable symbol of British scientific research – all it needed was a name.

The NERC subsequently held a ‘Name Our Ship’ campaign, stating that the public could

vote via an online poll. Trouble quickly began to circle though when BBC Radio Jersey presenter James Hand jokingly suggested the name RSS Boaty McBoatface.

The title rapidly went viral across social media, as people with no affiliation or previous vested interest in our exploration of the polar seas registered to push forward the comical name.

When the poll closed, it was a deemed a clear winner, achieving over 124,000 votes (almost exactly a third of all those submitted); however it was announced that the ship was instead to be called RSS Sir David Attenborough, in honour of the famous naturalist and broadcaster, despite the

fact the name earned only 2.95% of the total vote, achieving only 0.1% more than It’s Bloody Cold Here.

The decision saw the NERC come in for some criticism, and even led to a House of Commons Select Committee being put together to review the naming process. The organisation were keen to remind people that at no point had they promised to run with the contest winner. Furthermore, while the 15,000-tonne vessel sailed off with a rather more sensible name, Boaty McBoatface wasn’t entirely run aground, as the title was given to small, unmanned submersible that accompanied the RRS Sir David Attenborough on its research missions.

The Boaty McBoatface phenomenon has since become a popular meme and cultural touchstone, and is often cited as an example of the unpredictable and chaotic nature of online communities.

General Knowledge

Across Clues:

5. Changing to a new situation (11)

9. Indiscernable (9)

10. Speed (5)

11. Creativity (3)

12. Prize or certificate (5)

13. Small brown animal (5)

15. A nuclide that exhibits isomerism (6)

17. The upper surface (6)

19. Idea (5)

20. Stove producing strong heat (5)

21. A poem (3)

23. Finding pleasure (5)

24. Unaware (9)

26. Disruption (11)

Down Clues:

1. Strong fabric, used for upholstery (5)

2. Simple needlework (9)

3. Pigsty (3)

4. Grey material that does not burn (8)

6. Large flat teeth (6)

7. Final version of a legal document (11)

8. Obsolete form of brilliant (11)

14. Teams fighting against each other (9)

16. Tree with pink, yellow or purple flowers (8)

18. Middle Eastern language (6)

22. Trained to fly (5)

25. Bombard (3)

8. Splendidous, 14. Duellists, 16. Magnolia, 18. Arabic, 22. Pilot, 25. Ply.

Down: 1. Scrim, 2. Plainwork, 3. Sty, 4. Asbestos, 6. Molars, 7. Engrossment,

24. Oblivious, 26. Dislocation.

13. Otter, 15. Isomer, 17. Upside, 19. Image, 20. Grill, 21. Ode, 23. Enjoy,

Across: 5. Acclimatise, 9. Invisible, 10. Tempo, 11. Art, 12. Award,

Answers:

SILENT WATERS

By L.V. Matthews

14th September 2023 | Welbeck | £8.99 | Paperback Original

For fans of Gillian McAllister and Lisa Jewell, a powerful haunting novel exploring family bonds, dark secrets and murder featuring a female police diver – a woman in a man’s world. At 5am one summer morning, police diver Jen Harper wakes to find herself submerged in the silt of a river with no memory of how she got there. Forty-eight hours later, she’s called to dive in the same river to search for a missing woman, Claudia Franklin. But for Jen, this is no ordinary job. She and Claudia were childhood friends and their families were entangled for decades. But Jen hasn’t seen Claudia for twelve years. Or has she?

Praise for Silent Waters

“A thrillingly murky tale of tainted love and betrayal, an edge-of-the-jetty read. I dare you to jump in!”

Janice Hallett, author of The Twyford Code

“Terrific, memorable suspense writing that draws you in. Silent Waters is a real up-all-night thriller.” BP Walter, author of The Dinner Guest

“Silent Waters is a brilliant, beautifully written thriller with an unusual premise and shocking twists. I loved it! Her best yet!”

Claire Douglas, author of The Couple at Number 9

“Brilliantly plotted, utterly compelling and where nothing is as it seems. Add to that some whip-smart dialogue and you have everything you could possibly want in a thriller.”

John Marrs, author of The Marriage Act

About the Author

L.V. Matthews was born in rural Essex but now lives in Winchester. She is the author of The Prank and The Twins, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick (Spring 2022.) Before pursuing a career in writing she worked in domestic and international sales for major UK publishing houses. As research for the book, she undertook extensive research into the little-known world of police divers.

Making Exercise Bearable

Keen to find an enjoyable route to fitness? All it takes is a little creativity, a change in perspective, and patience.

Realism

One reason people find exercise unbearable is because they set themselves goals that are unattainable.

Instead, break down your goals into smaller milestones - this will help you stay motivated and focused on your progress.

Enjoyment

To make exercise more bearable, choose activities that you genuinely enjoy. This could be a sport, a dance class, or even that aforementioned brisk walk. Not all fitness has to be boring, or difficult.

Sharing

Perhaps you can match up with someone of equal ability and goals, and use each other as a motivational force to carry on.

Even if you haven’t got someone who wants to be on your fitness journey, confide in

them and ensure they don’t let you off the hook when the temptation of a quick pint or glass of wine arises.

Motivation and tracking

Music can play a significant role in making exercise more enjoyable. Create a playlist of your favourite upbeat songs that energise and inspire you.

At the same time monitor your progress, as this will serve as a powerful motivator.

Positivity

Finally, remember to reward yourself for meeting your exercise goals. This could be something as simple as treating yourself to a healthy snack, enjoying a relaxing bath, or taking some time to unwind with your favourite show.

Either way, making it more enjoyable in the long-run, means it’s more bearable in the short-run!

Spot the Difference!

There are 10 differences between the two images below. How many can you spot?

Rachel Khoo’s Ice Box Cake

When summer comes around, it feels somewhat incongruous to be putting the oven on; yet baking isn’t all about putting up the heat and expecting something to prove or rise. And who in this weather wants to build up a sweat in the kitchen?! Instead, why not whip up this delicious ice box cake with just a stove top and a freezer. This decadent dessert with a crunchy hazelnut praline rippled through it makes a crowd-pleasing finale.

Ingredients

(10 to 12 servings)

• 35g dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

• 50g unsalted butter

• 100g digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs

• 3 medium eggs

• 2 medium egg yolks

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 180g sugar

• 500ml double cream

• Hazelnut praline

• 50g blanched hazelnuts

• 75g sugar

• 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Prepare a 20cm cake tin by lining with baking paper.

2. To make the praline, line a baking tray with baking paper. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry saucepan until they are golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Put the sugar and water in the pan and heat gently

until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high (avoid the temptation to stir it). When the caramel begins to turn a dark golden brown, remove from the heat and quickly stir in the hazelnuts. Pour immediately on to the lined baking tray and spread out evenly. Leave to cool. Once the caramel is cool and hard, blitz to a fine powder in a food processor.

4. Make the biscuit base by melting the butter and chocolate together in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of just-simmering water. Add the crushed biscuits and stir to combine. Press into the prepared cake tin to form a crust and place in the freezer.

5. Place the eggs, extra yolks, vanilla and sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. You want the bowl to just be resting over the

saucepan – don’t let the bowl touch the water. Whisk the mixture continuously for six to eight minutes or until it becomes thick and pale. If you have a handheld electric whisk, opt for that. When the whisk leaves a ribbony trail in the mixture when you lift it up, it is ready. Remove from the heat and allow mixture to cool slightly.

6. Whip the cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold through the cooled egg mixture until well combined.

7. Stir two-thirds of the praline into the ice-cream mixture and pour into the cake tin over the crumb base. Scatter the top with the remaining praline and leave to chill until frozen (at least four hours). Slice and serve.

Wimborne Gardening Club: Have you heard what’s growing?

Wimborne Horticultural Society are relaunching into the Wimborne Gardening Club and we welcome all from the novice to the experienced.

The first event to get the Club off to a flying start will be an Autumn Show at the Allendale Community Centre on Saturday 9th September so if you a home-grower why not enter one of the categories…The different classes will be under the headings of Vegetables, Fruit, Flowers, Floral Art and Cookery. Entry forms will be available from various venues around the Town.

More details are available at wimbornegardeningclub.co.uk or contact Tony Beard on 01202 880116

We will be meeting at the Allendale Community Centre on the 1st Monday of each month at 7.30pm commencing on Monday 2nd October with our guest speaker David Ewer from Dorset Coppicing telling us all about the benefits of Hazel. We are a friendly bunch so we do hope you can join us. So please support the Show and then our monthly meetings with exciting speakers on a variety of interesting subjects.

Puzzle Page Answers

Quick Crossword Solution #029

Answers:

Across: 2. Bar, 5. Physio, 7. Equate, 9. Predicament, 10. Encode, 11. Nestle, 13. Unwrap, 16. Panama, 18. Imperialism, 19. Redyes, 20. Unload, 21. Hot. Down: 1. Chopin, 2. Bodice, 3. Regain, 4. Statal, 6. Stenography, 8. Unessential, 10. Emu, 12. Eta, 14. Noises, 15. Perish, 16. Peanut, 17. Mammal.

History Quiz Answers