The Conduit Magazine - July 2020

Magazine

The Queens Arms, Corton Denham re-opens on 4 July.

Issue 232 July 2020

Find out more on p4!

INSIDE THIS MONTH

Conduit Community Corner | A Visit to the Zoo | Kick Out OCD It started with toilet rolls | Responding to change

Serving Bruton, Castle Cary, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Langport, Sherborne, Somerton, Wincanton, Yeovil & Surrounding Villages www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk

Established in 1826, Pittards is world-famous for its high quality leather and still makes it locally in Yeovil today.

Visit the factory store to buy direct from a huge range that includes gloves, bags, accessories and leather for crafts.

Pittards, Sherborne Road, Yeovil, BA21 5BA Coffee shop, free car park.

Mon-Fri 9.00am-5.00pm, Sat 10.00am-4.00pm Also at Clarks Village, Street

www.pittards.com

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34 Market Place, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1AR 59 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3AX

FNE1531P

Tel: 01258 472564

Tel: 01935 389665

www.EB Marsh.com *Terms and Conditions apply. Sold as an agent of Euronics Limited. All rights reserved. All offers are subject to availability while stocks last. Delivery & Installation charges may apply Exclusions and Radius Apply. See in store for full details. Images for illustration purposes only. Copyright Euronics 2020. E&OE June 2020.

SUMMER CAMPAIGN L A5 v1.indd 1

10/06/2020 17:46

From the Editor It’s all change again as this month sees more businesses dipping a tentative toe into the water with re-openings that will hopefully see a much needed boost to the economy. As one of the few magazines to have kept printing both hard and online copies throughout Lockdown we are excited to hear many of the coffee shops and pubs which take a few copies of The Conduit will be throwing open their doors once again to welcome customers. If you have any difficulty getting hold of a copy, do let us know so we can plug any gaps – we are also looking to welcome more distributors on board in the Castle Cary area. Get in touch if you are interested.

Lots to read in our July issue including a big focus on small and micro businesses and exploring what lies ahead for this vital part of life. There’s plenty of other interesting reads too including two delicious sounding recipes, more about the art of thatching from the very informative Paul Birbeck of Sherborne Walks and the welcome return of our regular travel column from Miles Morgan Travel.

Contents

ARTS

p20 Choose from a number of online activities

Conduit covers Coronavirus help Community and support in your area Corner

WHAT’S ON p6

Info on businesses offering delivery, online workshops and social activities

TRAVEL p24–25

Positive vibes from travel industry plus A Visit to the Zoo!

GARDENING

MOTORING p27

p10–12 Gardening and Outdoors

Tips for entrepeneurs

ASSISTANT EDITOR Julie Locke

AUGUST DEADLINES News and Articles: FRIDAY, 10 JULY Advertisements: MONDAY, 13 JULY

CCC p5

BUSINESS p16–18

EDITOR & ADVERTISING Jane Adkins

What car doesn’t fly?

WALKING p30

Rachel braves a close encounter

Visit our website for more Events, Services and Classifieds www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk Unit 4, Barton View Business Park, Sheeplands Lane, Sherborne DT9 4FW | 01935 424724 | info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk © The publisher is The Conduit Magazine Limited. The layout, format, design and all other aspects of this magazine are an original idea and therefore copyright of the publisher. No part of the contents may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior permission in writing. Whilst every care is taken in compiling the contents of this magazine, the proprietor assumes no responsibility for mistakes and omissions. The views of our contributors is not necessarily the view of the publisher.

3 www.remousonline.com

RE-OPENS!

The Queen Arms in Corton Denham is an 18th century country inn which nestles in the hills that dramatically form the Dorset/Somerset border. A walk starting on its doorstep was recently voted Number 1 in The Times Newspaper’s Top Ten Country Summer Walks.

After closing its doors on 20 March due to the Coronavirus outbreak the Queens Arms is now reopening on 4 July. Jeanette Reid, owner said ‘Our team and our customers’ safety are extremely important to us and we have been busy installing screens, signage and introducing new cleaning regimes to ensure we are COVID19 free. We have moved all our tables both inside and out to meet government guidelines and ask everyone to help us by adhering to the new procedures we have in place.”

During closure they moved some of their internal seating and now have two large areas with comfy seating for customers to enjoy either for a drink or a meal - these two areas are dog friendly.

There is also the library room available for more traditional dining.

Tables will need to be booked in advance to ensure staggered dining and physical distancing measures.

The Queens Arms is situated three miles from medieval Sherborne; their philosophy has always been to “measure their food in metres not miles” and they pride themselves in offering locally and seasonal - fresh ingredients sourced daily, mainly from the surrounding countryside alongside their home-reared pork and eggs. For the past eight years they have been awarded 2AA rosette for food and other awards include: AA Breakfast Awards, Voted Best Somerset Dining pub, Finalist in Taste of the West Dining Pub and constant Gold Winner as well as National Best Freehouse at The Great British Pub Awards and CAMRA Somerset Cider pub of the Year.

A team of chefs under Head Chef Sam McKean delivers a range of culinary dishes on their dining menu to excite any customer; they also offer dishes for those looking for more traditional or light bite options.

The Queens Arms is renowned for its food and customers travel from far afield to try the dishes. Current dishes on their menu include Creedy carver duck breast with a sundried tomato, courgette, runner bean fricassee, black onion, sesame seeds & Salsa Verde. All the vegetables come from their own pub garden. A typical dessert is Raspberry ripple and white chocolate cheesecake, candied lemon zest, raspberry sorbet & almond truille.

Additionally their takeaway menu, which they launched during lockdown, has proved such a success they will be continuing it once the pub re-opens. The take away menu is available Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings 5.30pm–8pm and Saturday & Sunday 12noon–2pm.

The Queens Arms Inn boasts eight recently refurbished Luxury Double en-suite rooms, each one uniquely designed. They are offering a Summer Sizzler room deal where guests get to stay two nights at the Queens Arms during July & August on Bed & Breakfast basis and receive a three course meal on their first night absolutely free.

There’s no doubt, The Queens Arms offers a chic rural getaway for those in search of something special. Dogs, Kids and Muddy Boots are welcome, and with superb country views, fabulous walks on the doorstep, there is the perfect recipe to allow all guests to settle in and relax@thequeensarms.com.

For more information see www.thequeensarms.com and for more information telephone 01963 220317 or email: relax@ thequeensarms.com The Queens Arms, Corton Denham, Sherborne, Somerset, DT9 4LR

4

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CONDUIT COMMUNITY CORNER

• Listen to music: radio, CD, vinyl, streaming, or play, or sing • Move: stretching and breathing exercises can help relieve tension • Eat regular meals • Find a creative hobby: jigsaws, painting, colouring, crafts • Read or write a poem • Speak to someone via to find a local group. If unable phone, Skype or social to find the necessary help, call media daily, if possible Dorset Community Response on 01305 221000 or Somerset • Fresh air and sunshine daily, if possible. Standing at the Coronavirus Helpline on 0300 door to look at the sky and 790 6275. listen to the birds can help A few suggestions for looking to feel a sense of connection after health and well-being with life. during the coming months: • Limit the amount of time If feeling alone, isolated or listening to news bulletins claustrophobic, call Samaritans or looking at social media, on 0330 094 5717 or Silver as this can cause increased Line helpline for older people anxiety on 0800 470 8090.

Conduit Community Corner A number of community groups are emerging on Facebook/ WhatsApp to provide information, help and support, and to coordinate activities locally. To find a local group, visit www.covidmutualaid.org/ local-groups or the following Facebook pages: Coronavirus Community Help West Dorset; Coronavirus Community Support South Somerset. Also check with the local parish and town council or via social media DORSET Age UK are coordinating requests for help with issues relating to loneliness and isolation, or support in accessing items such as food, cash or medication. For further information, call 01305 269444.

Help And Kindness, part of the Dorset co-ordinated community response to COVID-19, aims to bring together information about help and support available to people living and working in Dorset. For further information, visit www. helpandkindness.co.uk.

BRUTON Coronavirus Local Resources Line provides people with the information they need to get help with the practical difficulties that arise from social isolation. Please note that this is only an information service.

Call 01749 717002, 24-hour answerphone and call-back service.

Bruton Phone Buddies offers telephone support for those who are feeling isolated, lonely or worried. Call 01749 321742, leave a message and someone will call back. Organised by St Mary’s Church and Harry Mills.

CASTLE CARY Cary Cares can collect medicines/shopping if in isolation (whatever age), provide a food box if circumstances have changed and currently unable to buy food, arrange for a phone call if feeling cut off, and more.

Call 01963 351362 any day between 9.30am and 4.00pm.

For further information, visit

the Facebook page or www. castle-cary.co.uk. Organised

by Churches Together in Castle Cary and Ansford, endorsed by the Town Council.

CREWKERNE Be A Good Neighbour For those over 70, living alone or with underlying medical conditions, Crewkerne Community Church can offer regular telephone contact and a shopping service. Call 01460 77489 to register or email church@crewkerne.org.

CURRY RIVEL Curry Rivel Support Group If willing to help or in need of help, contact Steve Allinson on 07808 164068 or at steve@allinsonlaw.com.

Authorized by Curry Rivel Parish Council.

ILMINSTER Covid-19 Support Group can deliver essential shopping and prescriptions. For information about the group, local businesses offering a delivery service, and where to get food/essential supplies in Ilminster, visit www.ilminster. gov.uk. To request help, contact the Town Council on 01460 52149 or email itccovid19@ gmail.com. To volunteer, signup at www.corona-helpers. co.uk.

LANGPORT Langport Cares, run jointly by Rev Jess Pitman and Langport Town Council, offers support and help for residents of Langport and Huish Episcopi through a confidential line. Call 01458 251881 or email jessicapitman@aol.com.

LEIGH Leigh Lifeline is available to help those in Leigh Village who are self-isolating.

Call or text 07942 646052 (monitored 24 hours). For further information, visit www. leighvillage.org.uk/covid-19support or email leighlifeline@ gmail.com.

MARTOCK Parish Council Services Team Support available for those who are selfisolating. Call 07946 121612, 07539 754413, or 07495 611417, leave a message and someone will call back.

MILBORNE PORT No-One Alone Whether in isolation or wanting to help those in isolation, this scheme puts helpers and ‘helpees’ in touch with each other safely. Phone 07721 360523 or email rector@milborneportchurches. org.uk.

SHEPTON MALLET Shepton Mallet Coronavirus Network, managed by Shepton Mallet Town Council, is hosting a coronavirus Freephone number 0800 061 4089 (from 8.00am to 10.00pm every day) and will redirect calls to the appropriate sources of help throughout the coronavirus emergency.

For further information, email contact@helpshepton.info or visit www.helpshepton.info.

Shepton Mallet Coronavirus Volunteers If self-isolating or need help during the coronavirus outbreak with shopping, picking up

medication, posting mail, a friendly phone call, or urgent needs, then call the Coronavirus Volunteer line on 01749 200200 (24 hours a day) or 01749 830132. For the collection of prescriptions, call 07934 263923. For further information, email coronasupport@spiralvision. co.uk.

SHERBORNE Sherborne Viral Kindness is a network of volunteers offering support in Sherborne and the surrounding villages. Contact 07784 115987 or via Facebook @ sherborneviralkindness.

SOMERTON Somerton Community Lifeline Six local safe telephone numbers, manned by the local churches, will take requests for picking up shopping or prescriptions and will pass details to a co-ordinator. Call (area code 01458) 273403, 273568, 223094, 253414, 272029 or 273653.

SOUTH PETHERTON South Petherton Community Support Team offers a number of services to support the South Petherton and surrounding Somerset villages during the current isolation period: these include wellbeing callbacks, pharmacy collections, delivery of food boxes, milk and bread, and groceries. For further information, visit www. pethertonsupport.co.uk or call 01460 510022.

WINCANTON Visit www. wincantontowncouncil. co.uk for information about Coronavirus Support and for a list of Wincanton businesses offering home deliveries.

Helpline 0300 790 6275.

YEOVIL Yeovil Community Church, Community Help Yeovil, other Churches and Spark Somerset are providing support to those self-isolating or vulnerable, without family, friends or neighbours to help.

Essential food shopping/ delivery, collecting prescriptions, assistance with online shopping, dog walking, a listening service/friendly phone call, and delivery of food parcels.

Call 01935 530084 or email coronaresponseyeovil@gmail. com (should respond within 48 hours).

YETMINSTER For those in need, contact the community support network and volunteer group on 07563 883327, yetvirushelp@gmail.com or via Facebook page.

To advertise – 01935 424724 • email: info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk • www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk

5

What’s On WHAT’S ON

Air Day

Delivery

On Saturday 11 July from 11.00am to 5.00pm, join the Royal Navy International Air Day for a free action-packed live stream featuring the best displays from Air Day this century! 2020 was set to be one of the best Air Days yet, so it was with great disappointment that the event was cancelled earlier this year. Fortunately, there is now no need to miss out. As well as the display footage, there will be fascinating commentary from Royal Navy personnel, display pilots and operators. Look out for the display schedule (to be released in due course), then get ready to turn up the volume and enjoy ‘Air Day - Rewind’.

Watch live on Facebook and various other platforms. www.royalnavy.mod.uk/ airday. www.facebook.com/ yeoviltonairday.

CASTLE CARY Deliveries in the town Some shops in the town will deliver food and other supplies. Many local pubs and restaurants are able to offer a free home delivery service for cooked meals. To find out which ones, visit www. castlecarychamber.org.uk/ Deliveries-Take-Aways.

Craft SHERBORNE Every Saturday from 10.00am to 1.00pm, The Slipped Stitch will be open.

Queue outside (2m apart) then order at the counter (or preorder then collect). Please use the hand sanitizer available on the counter. Card payment preferred. There may also be virtual workshops in the afternoon. Check the Facebook page @TheSlippedStitch for latest updates or call 01935 508249.

SOMERTON From Monday 15 June from 10.00am to 2.00pm, Mrs McGregor’s Craft Emporium will be open.

An Aladdin’s cave of crafting!

Workshops and retail for all things handmade including knitting, card making, sewing, patchwork, scrapbooking, upcycling and general thrifty crafting! One person at a time. Hand gel available at the entrance. Local delivery and contactless payment also available. To order, call 07599 025748. www.mrsmcgregors. com.

6

SHEPTON MALLET To find details of local businesses offering delivery and collection services for groceries, hot food and specialist food, visit www.helpshepton.info/fooddeliveries.

SHERBORNE The following local businesses are offering local delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius) to people in need during the Coronavirus pandemic: Abbey Pharmacy 01935 812060 Black Shed Flowers 07859 911817 Courtyard Salon 01935 816372 Elementum Gallery 07590 115414 Midwest Office Supplies 01935 814225 The Corner Shop 01935 815615.

Contact: Julie Locke

/theconduitmagazine

E: info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk

@conduitmag

WINCANTON Visit www. wincantontowncouncil. co.uk for a list of Wincanton businesses offering home deliveries.

BOWER HINTON Old Dairy Café A farm shop with a ‘book a slot, come and shop’ service. Visit the Facebook page to book a slot or email theoldairycafe@mail.com. www.theolddairycafe.uk.

Food & Drink ALWESTON Oxford’s Bakery Freshly-made bread and other staples delivered or visit the ‘drive-through’ bakery at Alweston. To place an order and for delivery options, call 01963 23214.

BISHOP’S CAUNDLE Woodbridge Farm Blue Vinny, local Cheddar, West Country Brie, milk, soups, butter, fruit, vegetables and some store cupboard items. There is a milk vending machine, open from 8.00am to 4.00pm 7 days a week, dispensing the farm’s milk, so bring a container.

Call 01963 23133 or email orders@dorsetblue.co.uk to place an order for collection from the farm shop (open from 9.00am until 2.00pm). Or visit the farm for safe social-distance shopping. www.dorsetblue. com.

CASTLE CARY Levant Restaurant Takeaway service available (free local delivery to anyone in self-isolation). Please check the website for the week’s menu and collection days.

Collect from the kitchen door between 5.00pm and 6.00pm.

One in, one out, 2m distance policy. Delicious, fresh, safe restaurant standard cooked food. 5* Food & Hygiene rating.

To place an order, email tanya@ levantcatering.com. For further information, call 01963 350248 or 07779 09302, or visit www. levantcatering.com. Stay safe and support local businesses.

CHARLTON HORETHORNE The King’s Arms Frozen meals to re-heat at home. Fancy a night off? The King’s Arms can help. Orders taken Monday to Thursday from 9.00am to 1.00pm for collection the following day: Tuesday to Friday 10.00am to 1.00pm. Deliveries reserved only for customers who are unable to collect due to self-isolation/quarantine. To order, call 01963 220281 or via Facebook page.

SOUTH PETHERTON To find details of local shops offering local delivery, visit www.pethertonsupport. co.uk/directory or call 01460 510022.

We are always keen to buy antique silver and old Sheffield plate at current prices Please telephone or call into the shop 38 CHEAP STREET, SHERBORNE DORSET DT9 3PX

01935 816828

enquiries@henrywillis.co.uk

www.henrywillis.co.uk

Follow us online: www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk

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WHAT’S ON

CHARLTON MUSGROVE Kimbers’ Farm Shop Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Fresh vegetables, dairy, groceries and butchery counter. Good range of wines from Pickers Wine Shop. Social distancing in place with four people in the shop at any time. Unfortunately, no children in the shop and only one person from each household. Entrance through the restaurant (still serving takeaway beverages). Delivery available within 10-mile radius of the farm shop. Please email to request a list of goods available.

Minimum order £50. To order, call 01963 33177 or email info@kimbersfarmshop.co.uk. www.thekitchenatkimbers. co.uk.

CORTON DENHAM The Queens Arms Visit www. thequeensarms.com/eat to download the takeaway menu. Meals are available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5.30pm to 8.00pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12.00 noon to 2.00pm. Re-opening on Saturday 4 July, see page 4.

EAST COKER Goose Slade Farm Click and collect service available. Collection times from the farm: Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00am to 4.00pm. For range of products available, visit www.thegoosefarm.com. To order, call 01935 863735.

EAST LAMBROOK The Rose and Crown Collect, or free delivery within 2.5 miles.

Wednesday Curry Night 5.00pm to 7.30pm, Fish and Chip Friday 12.00 noon to 3.00pm and 5.00pm to 7.00pm (order by 6.00pm Thursday), Sunday roasts 12.00 noon to 2.00pm. Visit Facebook page @rosenandcrownsomerset or call 01460 240433.

HIGHER HOLTON Dorset Fine Dining A range of frozen dishes for cooking at home, bread, and grocery boxes available for delivery. Mixed veg boxes £25; mixed veg & fruit boxes £30. Check out the Facebook page. To order, text Nick on 07525 667687 or email eat@ dorsetfinedining.co.uk.

LONG SUTTON From Saturday 4 July, The Devonshire Arms Hotel hopes to re-open (subject to government advice). Please follow on Facebook for the latest information.

LOPENHEAD The Trading Post Farm Shop Food delivery service available to customers who are selfisolating. Please visit www. tradingpostfarmshop.co.uk for details.

MARTOCK Chirpy Cottage Home delivery service of hot meals every Tuesday. Call 07762 735071 or leave a message on Facebook page. www. chirpycottage.co.uk.

Ethic Street Pizza Home delivery service, Monday to Friday from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

To order, call or text 07460 776476 or via Facebook page. Please visit www. ethicstreetpizza.co.uk for details.

Gould & Son, Family Butchers Call and collect service. Call 01935 822671 to place an order and get a collection time.

Cash still accepted but card payments preferred.

Kevin McAdam Butchers Home delivery service. Call 01935 826287 or via Facebook page.

MILBORNE PORT Wayne Pullen Family Butchers Quality locally-sourced meat and homemade pies. Call 01963 250222.

The Gainsborough Arms Meals on Wheels. For Sunday roast, please order before 3.00pm the previous Saturday. For all other meals, phone the pub before 11.30am that day. Call 01963 250330.

ODCOMBE Odcombe Village Hall Fresh milk available from a 24-hour vending machine.

Eastfield Farm in Tintinhull is home of Holy Cow Organic milk, and they are working extremely hard to supply organic milk straight from the farm to the local community in south Somerset via 24-hour vending machines. Holy Cow Organic milk is simply pasteurised, cooled and ready to drink so no heavy processing and no food miles. The milk from their vending machine is never more than 48 hours old. Bring along a bottle, top up, and support local farmers!

NORTH PERROTT North Perrott Farm Shop Fresh milk available from a 24-hour vending machine. Eastfield Farm in Tintinhull is home of Holy Cow Organic milk, and

they are working extremely hard to supply organic milk straight from the farm to the local community in south Somerset via 24-hour vending machines.

Holy Cow Organic milk is simply pasteurised, cooled and ready to drink so no heavy processing and no food miles. The milk from their vending machine is never more than 48 hours old.

Bring along a bottle, top up, and support local farmers!

SANDFORD ORCAS The Mitre Inn Evening meals available from Tuesday to Saturday from 6.00pm to 8.00pm and Sunday lunch available from 12.00 noon to 2.00pm. A collection system is in operation (collect from the porch). The menu changes weekly. Picnic boxes and cream teas are also available for collection (pre-order 24 hours prior to collection). For further information, call 01963 220271 or email cheryl@mitreinn.co.uk.

The Story Pig To help customers during these difficult times, an Essentials box is available to order. Each box contains sausages, bacon, mince, eggs, milk, cheese, bread, fruit and veg. See the full range of products at www. thestorypig.co.uk. Free delivery to the village or collection from the farm by prior arrangement.

Call 07802 443905 or email james@thestorypig.co.uk.

SHERBORNE Bean Shot Missing some really good coffee? Bean Shot is still roasting and will deliver by post (whole bean, filter or cafetière). Call 07591 733126 or visit www. beanshot.co.uk.

Kafé Fontana Local delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius) to people in need during the Coronavirus pandemic. Call 01935 812180.

dishes from the Brasserie menu at home, giving a little bit of foodie happiness in these uncertain times. Delivery times are from 12.30 to 2.00pm and from 6.30pm to 8.00pm.

For further information, call 01935 813131. www. dorsetfoodanddrink.org.

Sherborne Fruit & Veg Market Local delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius) to people in need during the Coronavirus pandemic. Call 07515 554549.

The BakeOut Local delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius) to people in need during the Coronavirus pandemic. Call 01935 507373.

The Cross Keys Contactless delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius). Produce and meals delivered Thursday to Sunday with 24-hours’ notice. For further details, call 01935 508130 or email info@ thecrosskeyssherborne. com for an order form. www. thecrosskeyssherborne.com/ menu.

The Pear Tree Delivery service available. See the website for the full range of produce and locally-produced frozen readymeals. Minimum order of £10 within the Sherborne area.

To place an order, call 01935 812828. Shop opening times from 8.30am to 10.30am. www. peartreedeli.co.uk.

The Three Wishes Local delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius) to people in need during the Coronavirus pandemic. Call 01935 817777.

Vineyards of Sherborne Local delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius). Home deliveries on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. To order by phone, call

Oliver’s Coffee House Local delivery in Sherborne (within 5-mile radius) to people in need during the Coronavirus pandemic. Call 01935 815005.

Abbey Bookshop

Parsons Butchers Delivery service only. To place an order for next day delivery, call 01935 812071 between 9.00am and 1.00pm or email parsonsbutchers@outlook. com. Delivery to Sherborne and local villages.

Wide selection of Magazines, Periodicals. Also now stocking luxury Belgian chocolates

Seasons Restaurant at The Eastbury Home delivery for Sherborne residents. Enjoy

Cheap Street Sherborne

Have your daily paper delivered.

Ask in store for details.

01935 812367

To advertise – 01935 424724 • email: info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk • www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk

7

WHAT’S ON

01935 815544 between 10.00am and 12.00 noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

Order anytime via email shop@ vineyardsofsherborne.co.uk.

Delivery only, no collections. www.vineyardsofsherborne. co.uk.

SOMERTON The Courtyard Café would like to support the local community at this vulnerable time and offer a daytime delivery service for all those in need or choosing to stay at home. Visit the café’s Facebook page to view the takeaway menu or call 01458 273101. Cash or card payments available.

Unicorn Hotel Open for takeaway food and drink on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4.00pm to 8.00pm and Sunday roast from 12.00 noon to 4.00pm. For the takeaway menu and to order, call 01458 272888.

STOKE-SUB-HAMDON Prince of Wales on Ham Hill hopes to re-open in early July’ (subject to government advice).

Plenty of space outside for social-distancing. For more information, visit Facebook page or call 01935 822848.

YEOVIL Nick’s Fruit & Veg Delivery service of fresh fruit and vegetables. Call 07553 018989.

Take No Wrap Home delivery service. Yeovil’s first Zero Waste shop offering ecofriendly shopping offering dry foods, such as pasta, rice and grains, plastic-free toiletries, and eco-friendly alternatives to disposable products. Call 01935 474826. Visit Facebook page for details.

WEST CAMEL The Walnut Tree Hotel Helping as part of the community with nutritional takeaway meals and food boxes, including a delivery service to the village. Visit Facebook page @ChillizzyAtThewalnuttree to see the full range of takeaway meals (including meals with a Caribbean twist) and produce available or call 01935 851292. Closed Mondays.

Hoping to open by Saturday 4 July. Check the Facebook page for latest information.

Market SHERBORNE Every third Sunday until September from 10.00am to 4.00pm, The Sherborne Market will take place in line with Government advice. Necessary precautions, on spacing, social distancing and queue management, means the stalls will be spaced out along Cheap Street, Half Moon Street, Digby Road and, hopefully, Paddock Green and Pageant Gardens. This hand-picked and selected artisan market features local producers, suppliers, amazing food, arts and crafts.

Businesses in town will be encouraged to set up stalls outside their premises, so that people can meet with local traders. @thesherbornemarket.

SOMERSET Somerset Farmers’ Markets Until the monthly markets return, many farmers and food and drink producers are providing food and drink via delivery schemes, ‘click and collect’ from their

premises/farm shops or have online shops. Please support local food producers during these challenging times. To find their details, please visit www. somersetfarmersmarkets. co.uk.

SOMERTON Every Saturday from 9.30am to 12.00 noon outside The Unicorn Hotel skittle alley next to the car park is the Wessex Country Market. This market offers a wide variety of artisan produce.

All baked goods are homemade and ingredients locally sourced. There are jams, marmalades, chutney and pickle unique to this market.

Locally sourced butter, cheese, meat and fresh vegetables in season. To order, email Julie Jewell at mypostoffice. co.uk or call 07767 030251 or 01458 253508.

Social ONLINE Every Wednesday at 1.00pm on the GoodAfternoonChoir YouTube channel, the new online choir tunes up with a one-hour internet rehearsal, taken alternatively by Grenville Jones (choir founder), Ben England and Matt Finch. No auditions required. The accent is on fun and making new friends. The online choir will sing the songs from the choir members’ weekly repertoire as well as new pieces specially arranged for them to sing from their sofas! Prior to lockdown, Yeovil’s Good Afternoon Choir sessions were on Fridays. Learn more on www. goodafternoonchoir.org.

Enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

Every Thursday at 2.30pm, join in with the Goldies Online Sing-along! The sessions are led by Rachel and Cheryl. The Goldies sing the popular hits of the 60s onwards as well as many favourite melodies.

Watch on YouTube or via the Facebook page. www. youtube.com/user/UKgoldies.

Find out more information at www.facebook.com/ goldiesuk and www.goldenoldies.org.uk.

Martock & District U3A groups now meet regularly online, including Ukulele, Recorder, Philosophy, and languages. The Ukulele group took the opportunity of the revised rules to get together (with the appropriate spacing) at Martock Rec; they even had a small socially-distanced audience! The Recorder group is considering meeting al fresco in a large garden. For sharing news and offering support to members, there are virtual coffee mornings, as well as a special Facebook group Martock U3A Keeping in Touch. For further information or if interested in joining, visit the Facebook page, www.u3a.org.uk, email martocku3amembership@ gmail.com, or phone 07510 178094.

ArtsLink is working hard to find alternative ways of bringing artistic opportunities to the public and to create more online learning opportunities.

For further information, email office@sherborneartslink. org.uk or visit www. sherborneartslink.org.uk.

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BOOKS

ArtsLink: Art for Memory and Art for Parents groups have received creative packs in the post which provide materials, ideas and instructions, plus a little bit of contact with the outside world.

ArtsLink: Parkinson’s Dance exercises have been filmed by specialist Parkinson’s Dance tutors. The videos are now available online, so keep moving and dancing!

From Monday 15 June from 9.00am to 4.30pm, Winstone’s will re-open. They have worked hard to create a safe and welcoming environment.

If unable to make it to the shop, then local delivery is available free of charge, or postal delivery for those living further afield. To order, call 01935 816128 or email winstonebooks1@gmail.com.

Walk BARRINGTON From Monday 8 June at Barrington Court, the garden, parkland, car park and toilets will re-open. Tickets released every Friday from Friday 5 June. Book tickets by 3.00pm on the day before the visit. Members can book for free; non-members will need to pay when booking. Booking essential; people who have not booked will be turned away.

The house, shop, tea-room, restaurant, farm buildings and book barn remain closed until further notice. Numbers limited to ensure safety of visitors and staff. Please follow government guidelines and local signs. www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

LYTES CARY From Monday 8 June at Lytes Cary Manor, the garden, parkland, car park and toilets will re-open. Tickets released every Friday from Friday 5 June. Book tickets by 3.00pm on the day before the visit. Members can book for free; non-members will need to pay when booking. Booking essential; people who have not booked will be turned away.

The manor house, chapel, shop, cafe and book barn remain closed until further notice. Numbers limited to ensure safety of visitors and staff. Please follow government guidelines and local signs. www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

ONLINE Until Friday 31 July from 10.00am, take a virtual walk around the open gardens at Over Stratton. The gardens have been photographed, and one has been captured on video. Take time to browse and wander through the gardens. No ticket required!

If it has been an enjoyable virtual visit, a donations would be much appreciated to support The David Hall in these difficult times. Start the tour at www.thedavidhall. com/event/open-gardensover-stratton.

SHERBORNE From Thursday 4 June from 10.00am to 5.00pm (last admission 3.30pm), Sherborne Castle Gardens will be open seven days a week. Social distancing will be key to this re-opening, therefore everyone is requested to play their part and adhere to the guidelines. Enjoy Sherborne Castle Gardens once again in a safe way for the protection of staff and visitors alike. The Castle, Tearoom and Gift Shop will remain closed. Entry by contactless payment only. www.sherbornecastle.com.

Workshop ONLINE ArtsLink Virtual Classrooms are now available weekly with James Budden.

Choose from Drawing, Oils and Portraiture classes. If interested in joining in, please contact ArtsLink at takepart@ sherborneartslink.org.uk or James at www.jamesbudden. co.uk. Please keep up the art practice at home! Take a photo and share it on social media; see the links at the bottom of the page on www. sherborneartslink.org.uk.

ArtsLink Art at Home Visit the Arts at Home page on the website to enjoy a series of activities to share with family or to do individually.

Each activity uses basic art materials, just use whatever is at hand. New activities will be added regularly; most include image and video links.

Share creations on ArtsLink’s social media pages. www. sherborneartslink.org.uk.

BOOK REVIEW

By Wayne, Winstones

8, Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset. DTP 3PX 01935 816 128 winstonebooks1@gmail.com www.winstonebooks.co.uk

Diary of a Young Naturalist

by Dara McAnulty £16.00 hbck ”I was diagnosed with autism aged five... By age seven I knew I was very different... Nature became so much more than an escape, it became a life support system.” At 15, Dara McAnulty from Northern Ireland is already a star of the conservation movement, with Chris Packham and Robert Macfarlane among his many fans. Creator of a blog entitled “Naturalist Dara”, he received an Unsprung Hero Award from BBC’s “Springwatch” in 2017; and was crowned “Animal Hero of the Year” by the Daily Mirror in 2018. In 2019 he became a Young Ambassador for the Jane Goodall Institute and was the youngest ever recipient of the RSPB Medal.

The fanfare for this book is wholly justified: this is an astonishingly assured book for one so young. Charting a year in his life from spring to winter, it beautifully and candidly conveys his intense connection to the natural world, from the perspective of a teenager juggling exams, family and friendship alongside his campaigning.

He smashes stereotypes about autism, alongside gorgeous observations of everything from dandelions and wagtails to goshawks and horseflies.

“Reading this marvellous diary leaves me with the impression that whatever the future holds, with young people like McAnulty coming to the fore it will be in safer hands” Irish Times

From Monday 15th June we will be opening our doors once again.

We have worked hard to create a safe and welcoming environment, and cannot wait to welcome you back.

We will be open from 9am until 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

Can’t make it to us? If you are local, we will deliver free of charge. If you live further afield, we will happily post your order.

To place an order, please email us or call 01935 816128. If the phone is busy when you call, please leave a message or call back later. Our knowledgeable and friendly colleagues will be very happy to give advice and recommendations over the phone.

Thank you for your patience and continued support throughout this time.

Winstonebooks1@gmail.com 9

Gardening GARDENING

HOW, WHAT AND WHEN TO WATER

By Mike Burks, Managing Director of The Gardens Group

As I write, we have had a very dry spell through much of March, April and May. We have had some patchy rain in the last few days but everything is still very dry. To keep everything looking fresh and thriving in a long hot summer, there is no alternative than to pay attention to the amount of moisture that your garden is getting.

Firstly, it’s a good idea to save as much rain water as you can by using water butts, if you have the space. Rainwater is really good for plants as it doesn’t have any of the chemicals that are used by the water companies in processing tap water. It is also likely to be more acidic than most of our local tap water and so will also have a beneficial effect on our gardens.

It’s best then to work out what actually needs watering. Plants that have been established for a number of years are likely to be able to find their own water and therefore shouldn’t need any. Any that have been planted within the last 12 to 18 months will need some help though, as will tubs and hanging baskets.

To get the best effect, it would be a good idea to water out of the heat of the day, so early morning or late evening is ideal. This will reduce the amount of water that is lost through evaporation and so more will get to your plants. Soak plants really well three or four times a week, rather than a little bit every day, but with tubs and baskets increase this to daily watering.

rdening For borders, the use of a good depth of mulch – a layer of fibrous material such as composted bark – will help conserve moisture. Not only that, but it will also help reduce weed growth, will protect your soil from heavy rain and will also improve soil quality over the long term.

Take a decision about your lawn; to keep it green and lush will take a significant amount of water. Maybe just tolerate the 10

fact that it will be brown for a few weeks and then be amazed by its ability to return to its full glory as the rain returns. You can help it along by not mowing quite so tightly.

The use of mini irrigation systems has become very popular in recent times. A main pipe is laid around the perimeter of the garden and from this “spaghetti” tubes reach those areas that need watering, added onto the end of which are sprinklers, or better still drippers, which can be inserted into your pots, hanging baskets, growbags and borders. A timer can be used back at the tap to control how often and for how long the watering is carried out.

These systems can be really efficient at getting water precisely where it’s needed, but they do need to be tested and the nozzles adjusted, as all plants have different levels of thirst. After a while with good observation, this is easy enough to work out.

The use of Rootgrow when planting can also reduce the amount of watering required, because it enables plants to find their own water.

Rootgrow contains mycorrhizal fungi, which are naturally occurring, and are a sort of mould which attaches itself to the roots of plants and grows out into the soil like an extension to the root system.

It occurs naturally in the wild and by adding it when planting it significantly improves the establishment and success of plants.

If you do forget to water a basket or a tub and it dries out, then after you have soaked it really well, give a good feed of something like Maxicrop or Phostrogen. This will help the plants get back on their feet and they will start flowering well once again.

CASTLE GARDENS New Road, Sherborne DT9 5NR Tel: 01935 814633 BRIMSMORE GARDENS Tintinhull Road, Yeovil BA21 3NU Tel: 01935 411000

POUNDBURY GARDENS Peverell Avenue, Poundbury DT1 3RT Tel: 01305 257250 www.thegardensgroup.co.uk

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N R I C

W th te

N

T

GARDENING

TRANSFORMING YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE!

By Liv Sabat We are a company specialising in verandas, glass rooms and awnings based in the beautiful Abbey town of Sherborne, Dorset.

We all dream of the perfect outdoor space - here’s how you can achieve that. These are just a few tips on how to transform it, creating a space that you can use all-year-round. Let’s start with the planning; draft up in your head, or on paper, what you want your space to look like. Think about the placement of products you’re going to buy, and maybe even take some measurements so you can get it exactly right. Consider things like costs and planning permission, depending on what you want to do.

there is always something out there for you. So, think hard about what you want to go for, whether you want to colour match with the furniture in your house, go for that lovely classical-modern contrast, or just try something new, there will always be a whole world of options open to you.

Now let’s talk about decorating your glass room or the space under your awning. Everything we just talked about above still applies, but here are a few extra things that you can do. Flooring is an important part of any garden room and can make or break the space. You need to think carefully about what to choose.

There are a whole host of options: composite, hardwood, vinyl, laminates; all of which really can help transform the space. When it comes to awnings, I always like the idea of a lovely little outdoor dining set. It adds an extra use to your outdoor space and allows you to create a homely atmosphere for your family or guests.

Maybe you want to go all-out and buy a hot tub to put under it?

Why not do that, no one will hold it against you!

See you next time, and make sure you all stay safe, Liv

After you have done your research, it’s time to buy. Don’t forget to compare prices and get quotes so you get the best deal possible on everything you are purchasing. I recommend doing some planting to really rejuvenate your outdoor space and bring new life into it. Also if you’re painting consider using lighter colours to create a warmer and more inviting space that everyone can enjoy.

Furniture is also a primary consideration when it comes to reimagining your outdoor space; whether it’s a full-blown sofa, a few chaise longues or a couple of sun beds, it is important to know how to incorporate them into your new space. Think carefully about the right colour and style: modern or classic –

ANCE INTEN LOW MA

DITED ACCR E PROFESSIONAL

INSTALLATION

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11

GARDENING

UP THE GARDEN PATH

By Julie Haylock, Sandhurst Garden Design A path can be used to connect areas of your garden together and combined with planting and design, divide up your space giving a new dimension. Consider whether you want your path to be functional, the quickest way to get from A to B, or do you want to create movement through your garden and encourage the user to take their time to appreciate a particular view or specific plant along its route?

Once you have decided on how you want your path to be used, research the materials available to create it. A functional path needs to be wide enough for one person to walk comfortably and needs to be hard wearing as this path will get a lot of traffic. All paths need to be level and safe for use all year round and not slippery in the winter months.

If you want to create a more relaxed feeling to your path and encourage the user to stroll to their destination, then consider using a curve. This will have the added bonus of making even a small space feel bigger. Adding focal points along the route such as specimen planting or objects of interest will encourage the user to pause for a time to take in the sights, and by the use of careful planting, will deter them from cutting corners!

Add some seating along the way ideally positioned next to a fragrant plant or shrub, and if possible incorporate a table to create another entertaining area where you can watch the sun set with a glass of something cold and reflect on the day’s events!

Perhaps your garden is big enough to create two routes to the same destination? The second route might not be as obvious as to where the path will lead and give a sense of mystery and of exploring the unknown. This would be perfect for young children particularly if the route takes them around trees and shrubs with a few surprises along the way.

The materials you use for your path will have a visual impact on the whole design and will need to link to the house, the planting style and colours to ensure they complement one another. There are lots to choose from; paving, concrete, brick, setts, gravel, shale and self binding gravel the choice is yours!

Decide how you plan to edge your path to stop any loose material spilling into flowerbeds or onto the lawn. There are several products to choose from but a few you could consider using are a brick edging either used as a stretcher course or in a decorative way, perhaps a herringbone pattern.

Timber is cheaper than the metal edging product which is now available on the market. Both can be used to create straight lines or curves. Metal edging is more durable than wood and if used to edge your lawn makes mowing a synch!

Until next time Julie

Sandhurst Garden Design Julie Haylock Garden Designer 20 Sandhurst Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2LG

Garden Landscape & Construction Services

www.sherbornegardenangels.co.uk 01935 310302

Tel: 07899 710168 Email: haylock2lg@btinternet.com www.sandhurstgardendesign.co.uk Contact Julie for garden and border design, planting plans, plant selection advice and garden styling

BBC Gardeners’ World Live Gold Medal Award Taunton Flower Show Gold Medal Award and The Western Daily Press Cup for Best Show Garden

ONLINE SINGING BECOMES THE NORM

By Grenville Jones

Bath-based Grenville Jones is widely recognised across the UK. He has appeared on radio and television and currently leads 15 West Country choirs.

He is founder of the awardwinning Goldies Charity which, prior to Lockdown, ran 220 daytime fun singalong sessions across England and Wales.

Goldies have introduced twice weekly online sessions www. goldieslive.com With the arrival of the Coronavirus and Lockdown, thousands of UK choirs were forced to stop. For many, ‘live’ singing is an integral part of their social life. Through ‘belonging’, new friends are made, new experiences 12

enjoyed. The social advantages of singing are widely documented through academic studies.

The abrupt halt shocked with the realisation that singing together ‘LIVE’ might be something that may not return for many, many months ahead.

Choir leaders asked; “What alternatives are open to us to continue our music making?” The answer was to turn to the internet with many online choirs emerging using platforms Zoom and YouTube.

Across surrounding areas the Welcome and Bath Chorus Choirs, led by Grenville

Jones, introduced Wednesday evening Zoom rehearsals (attended by over 80) and his Bath Male Choir now Zoom rehearse weekly.

Grenville and his Good Afternoon Choir conductors Matt Finch and Ben England lead Wednesday midday YouTube rehearsals. Singers from across the UK are signing up, including a couple in Australia! www. goodafternoonchoir.org How are singers reacting to the changes? Grenville said; “There has been considerable coverage of choirs online. It has filled the singing space but it’s a stop-gap solution.

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The time delay from a Zoom rehearsal causes problems.

People are ‘singing to themselves’ at home and this can be an unnerving experience. YouTube rehearsals are different and offer the chance to sofa sing and see the choir leader on screen.

“We will continue down this path until the day when we restart LIVE rehearsals. Then the online experience will be history. People want to meet face to face, they want to be with their friends, they want to laugh together and, when that day comes, thousands upon thousands of people across the UK will rejoice in song!”

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PET HEALTH

RESPONDING TO CHANGE

By Matt Saunders BVetMed MRCVS, Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons We are all coming to terms with the “new normal”, a term that has entered our vocabulary over the last few months along with several other unwelcome phrases relating to this very abnormal period in our lives. At the very start of the whole coronavirus episode, the veterinary profession determined to make itself part of the solution, not part of the problem.

These words of wisdom, coming from the president of the British Veterinary Association, came with detailed restrictions on the type of work vets in general practice were advised to do and the manner in which it was done.

in the countryside are stress-free. With no rainfall in April or May, river flow is sluggish and water-weeds have flourished. Low river levels mean more muddy banks exposed, still relatively easy for the older, bigger dog to get in but getting out is much trickier. Dense river weed can act like a net, catching legs and making escape extremely difficult.

Overnight after lockdown, the usual flow of animals and their owners into the clinics slowed to a trickle, only the most urgent and emergency cases being admitted for treatment. Telephone and video consultations took up almost all of our time, helping to keep people at home but with access to veterinary advice, allowing us to resolve these cases and prescribe medications without a face-face consultation. This has been very popular with our pet owners and is something we will continue to use especially for triage and post operative checks in the future. We are using Petsapp for this service and if you feel this is of interest to you, please contact one of our surgeries for more details.

The easing of restrictions on travel and the opening of shops and services had an immediate effect on our work.

In the space of a week at the end of May, our challenge was to cope with demand as the backlog of vaccines and less urgent cases started filling the diary. The strategy during lockdown of minimising staff became rapidly impossible to maintain and so a way had to be found for more vets and nurses to work safely together in a relatively small building. I know this challenge is faced by all businesses, large and small, together with maintaining the safety of clients and customers. With due diligence on our part and patience by you, our clients, we will minimise the risk of coronavirus spread, provide quality care for your pets and still be part of the solution to Covid 19.

Now to other things...July is here and with no foreign travel likely for holidays abroad, we’ll all be on staycation. For us, living in what for many would be a holiday destination, stepping out of our doors into countryside to walk the dogs has heightened the realisation of how lucky we are. Many of you may feel disinclined to visit the local beaches (I know I am) but there are plenty of beautiful riverside walks nearby. So I’m going to issue my usual words of warning, not to ruin your enjoyment but to ensure days

If we have had rainfall to make up for spring’s drought, keep your dog out of fast flowing water. Easier said than done if you have a real water-lover so plan ahead and use restraint before the tempting swim is in view.

I have touched on Tick Born Encephalitis (TBE) before but just in case it has escaped some of you, we now have this viral disease in Dorset ticks.

An unwelcome import from Northern Europe, TBE is rife on the continent and Scandinavia and can affect both humans and dogs. Transmitted through a tick bite, it causes inflammation of the brain and can be serious. There are good preventative treatments for your dogs but not for you, although there is a vaccine available for humans (not free on the NHS). So check your feet and legs after a walk in the countryside and remove ticks from yourself and your dog as soon as possible. Call us if you need more advice on parasite prevention and particularly how best to deal with ticks.

142 Preston Road, Yeovil Somerset BA20 2EE Lower Acreman Street Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3EX www.newtonclarkevet.com

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13

FINANCE

COMPUTING

SAVING FOR YOUR FUTURE: Easier said than done!

By Mark Salter, Financial Planner Human beings can be very short sighted and find it difficult to see their future selves.

Imagine your own life and what it might look like in 10 years’ time. What would you like it to look like?

As a Lifestyle Financial Planner, I believe we should try and look beyond the next few months and think about our plans for the future.

Rewarding our future selves

Every good plan must start with the end in mind. It’s vital to think and try to visualise various milestones and objectives you or your family want to achieve. Once these goals have been determined and plans put in place it is important to remain disciplined.

Here’s a few top tips to help keep you on track with your longer-term financial plans: Personalise/Name your savings and investment accounts. You are much more likely to save if you can visualise the goal and see the immediate value of saving for something specific. Some new online banks make this even easier by allowing you to add the time frame and end goal.

Set up automatic savings. Pay yourself first, make it regular and make it automatic. Savings should be done

upfront rather than ‘waiting to see how much is left at the end of the month’.

Increase savings and pension contributions alongside salary increases. This won’t feel painful if it’s done each year or in line with salary increases. Don’t let the extra earnings fritter away.

Separate accounts for different goals.

With different goals, how much you allocate to each account and how much risk you take with each objective should be based on your time horizon. Saving for a new car and investing for retirement would require different types of accounts and strategies.

Review savings and expenditure regularly. Take a look at your financial position periodically and make changes where necessary. Small changes will add up in the long term and make achieving your savings goals more likely.

‘Fun money’ account. Make sure you still enjoy the here and now and ring fence money for discretionary expenses such as eating out, hobbies and holidays etc. You are much more likely to enjoy the process of saving and/or investing, if you take a balanced approach.

Save to spend. When making a surplus or discretionary purchase, try and only do so if you can afford to save or invest the equivalent value into a separate saving or investment vehicle.

Whilst saving and investing for an uncertain future is important and necessary, it is important to enjoy the present moment too. Money matters but life matters more.

Find out more about lifestyle financial planning from: Fort Financial Planning on 01935 813322.

PC & LAPTOP SCREENS – Size Matters!

By Jimmy Flynn, Milborne Port Computers In the beginning there was the teleprinter; the results of your computing were simply displayed in printed form on a roll of paper. Then there was the CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor that displayed the text electronically in a pretty monochrome green. This was followed by better and better CRT monitors able to display pretty graphics and play video.

Then the laptop came along and with it the LCD (liquid crystal display) first in black and white, and then colour. Today LCD has ben replaced by LED and OLED (organic light emitting diode) flat screens and I have only seen one old CRT monitor in the last two years… really old-tech now.

PC wise, prices have tumbled since the eye-watering early days of flat screens - choose from 19” up to 38” ultra-wide.

14

In reality, for us simple users, the top end would be a 27” from about £145 where you have the option to either increase the size of what you see by using a lower resolution (if like me your eyesight is failing), or be able to see more on the screen by using a higher resolution. A 19” is really as small as you would want to go otherwise it defeats the purpose of having a PC … you’d be better off with a laptop.

Going down the scale we come to the commonest size at 15.6” where there is a huge choice of laptops both portable and still big enough to be a real replacement for a PC. Below that we come to 14”, 13” and 12” that actually become more expensive as the bones of the laptop have to be squeezed into a smaller and smaller space – however these laptops are pretty cute in size and really portable especially as the latest ultra-thin ones are fan-less and have solid state disk

technology. Below them are the tablets and e-readers between 7” and 11”, and finally the mobile phones at 6” and under.

So, what’s best for you? I always tell people to have a good look around as you may have been using a little old screen for years and simply don’t realise how affordable a bigger screen can be. Whilst I’ve never been a fan of PC World, they’re great at lining up everything they’ve got for you to compare side-by-side so make good use of them … then do your shopping to find the best prices.

As always, if you need help with this or any other technology you know where to come.

If you have a laptop then it’s all about the trade-off between size and portability. The largest common laptop on the market is a 17.3” and these are pretty big and clumpy, hardly portable at all. However, if you’re tight for space then a 17.3” on your desk as a permanent feature instead of a PC, screen keyboard and mouse does start to make a bit more sense.

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LEGAL

MAKING A WILL IN A PANDEMIC

By Naomi Dyer, Battens Solicitors

The restrictions and social distancing measures that have been in place are impacting on all areas of life. Many of our clients have asked if they can still make a Will, or update an existing Will.

At Battens, we are here to help. We have implemented the necessary measures to keep us and our clients safe to provide and maintain our full service. We are able to offer telephone and videoconference (Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, etc) meetings to take instructions regarding any legal matter. Here are some frequently asked questions answered by our private client team:

q Can people still make or update their will during the Coronavirus pandemic? How can a solicitor help?

Yes they can. There is no reason why people cannot amend or update their Wills and most solicitors are still open for business and can assist them to ensure they have a legally valid Will.

w How can a client instruct their solicitor in relation to their will during the Coronavirus outbreak?

If instructions cannot be given in person they can be given by letter, telephone, email or by video conference calls.

Battens donate £1500 to thank staff at Yeatman Hospital

It’s not every day a cheque for £1500:00 drops through your letter box to say thank you to the staff at The Yeatman Hospital in recognition of their fight against Coronavirus, but that’s what happened recently.

Leading Sherborne Solicitors Battens, through its Charitable Trust, posted a cheque for £1500 to the Friends of the Yeatman Hospital with the simple request the funds were to be shared amongst all the staff at the Yeatman.

Naomi Dyer Head of Private Client and Trustee of The Battens Charitable Trust said, “We are delighted to be able donate to the Yeatman Hospital in Sherborne. Our donation will help support the key workers in the NHS doing their utmost at this unprecedented time. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all staff at the Yeatman and all key workers. Our thanks also go out to everyone who has supported our Charitable Trust. It has become greatly respected for its community focus over the years, but without the generosity of the people who donate to it, we would not be able to help.”

John Thompson, treasurer of the Friends said; “The generosity of Battens, specifically as it recognises every member of the Yeatman staff, is quite unique. To fulfil the terms of the gift, we have agreed with the matron an equitable solution whereby every staff member will be recognised.”

e What solutions are being found to make sure a will is

properly witnessed during the Coronavirus outbreak?

Why is this important?

It is still necessary to comply with the signing requirements of Wills in the section 9 of the Wills Act 1837, ie in front of two independent witnesses; otherwise the Will will not be legally valid. We are doing Will signings complying with social distancing restrictions, such as in people’s gardens or witnessing signatures through windows.

r Some people may be tempted to write their own will during lockdown, what are the risks of doing so?

Homemade Wills keep solicitors in business, usually because they contain errors, or cause unforeseen problems after someone dies. It can often be a false economy to prepare a Will yourself, as there will be additional legal costs for your executors when dealing with the administration of your estate. If you want a legally valid Will, it is worth instructing a solicitor to prepare it for you.

t What tips would you give to someone who wants to make or update their will during the Coronavirus pandemic?

Why should they use a solicitor?

A solicitor will act in your best interests to ensure that you have the right Will for you. They can also give you advice on inheritance tax, care fees, potential claims against your estate and other related matters. If you are thinking about updating or making a Will, ring your solicitor as they will be able to advise you.

For more information, please contact Naomi Dyer on 01935 811307 or naomi.dyer@battens.co.uk

HERE TO HELP During these difficult times Pardoes is here to help with all of your legal requirements.

We are committed to providing our services whilst fully protecting our clients and our team from the risks of Coronavirus and adapting to your needs.

Our Yeovil and Bridgwater offices are now open to the public with strict safety measures in place to ensure all government guidelines are being met. We are still available via telephone and video conference consultations if you prefer. Home visits can also be arranged, whilst maintaining all of the necessary social distancing protocols.

We offer free initial consultations so, if we can help, call any of our offices to speak to our team.

Bridgwater 01278 457891

pardoes.co.uk

Taunton 01823 446200

Yeovil 01935 382680

@PardoesLLP

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15

Business BUSINESS

SARAH HELPS FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS FIND THE ROUTE TO SUCCESS Sarah Ali Choudhury was recently featured on BBC News about her new business ‘Success Series’ – a series of information through social media platforms to help people in business grow and develop their skills to stand out from the crowd.

Sarah says, “I aim to share my knowledge and advice for free through these channels and help people. I have experienced a really amazing success rate and turnaround in my business and lots of people ask me for advice in my sector. I decided to set up ‘Success Series’ as a YouTube channel and Success with Sarah, a Facebook group dedicated to giving free advice and tips through my social media channels.

This way people can access information on topics like starting up in business, PR, marketing, applying for awards and getting sponsorship - information to help business owners through this difficult time. In turn this strategy helps grow my own social media while allowing me to share what I have learned in this new and developing market.

“I am a past winner for Best business Start Up, Entrepreneur of the Year, Influential woman and various other awards and have been involved as an executive director for Chambers of Commerce, assisting platforms like Small Business Britain, Peak B and F:Entrepreneur. These have all helped me and my business to grow extensively and I want to do the same to help others, sharing what I have learnt as a small business owner, as a mum, and as someone who ticks the boxes for BAME. I know how useful it is to others and l feel totally aligned with exactly what I am doing.

“Having started my business initially in food and catering, due to Covid19 and lockdown I decided to change my way of working and focus more on helping other people reach their business goals.

16

As I have experienced a really amazing success rate and turnaround in my business, I find lots of people ask me for advice in my sector. I decided to set up ‘Success Series’ to give advice and tips through my social media channels.”

Sarah has also been written about in a new book: FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS – THE SECRETS OF THEIR SUCCESS which interviews 52 female entrepreneurs who have overcome the obstacles to launch and run successful companies. It inspires and encourages women to take their first steps in entrepreneurship and highlights the massive chasm in funding for entrepreneurial women vs. men.

Written to inspire and encourage female entrepreneurship, the book is based on interviews with 52 female entrepreneurs of all ages and at all stages of business.

Female entrepreneurs in the U.K. are starting-up and running successful businesses in increasing numbers.

Yet, female entrepreneurship is still a long way behind the level of its male counterparts, with women at almost every stage less likely to become entrepreneurs.

Today, women make up only one third of all U.K. entrepreneurs, less than 20

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per cent of leaders of small to mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), and less than 10 per cent of leaders of entrepreneurial start-ups in the science, engineering and technology sectors.

The primary cause of this is the lack of funding for female entrepreneurs.

Shockingly, just one per cent of venture capital goes to businesses founded by all-female teams, 9 per cent to businesses with at least one female founder, and 91 per cent to businesses founded by allmale teams.

Consequently women are forced to self-fund their businesses with money from friends and family, incur credit card debt, or crowd fund.

Concerningly, female entrepreneurship in the U.K. also lags behind other countries, with only 6 per cent of U.K. women running their own businesses, compared to 15 per cent of women in Canada, almost 11 per cent of women in the U.S., and over 9 per cent of women in Australia and the Netherlands.

‘Female Entrepreneurs – The Secrets of their Success’ is published by Routledge (£29.99) in hardback and as an ebook.

Find it at bookstores and on Amazon.

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BUSINESS

BUSINESS IS CHANGING – it started with toilet rolls

By Jim Rayner Jim Rayner lives in Somerset and has over 35 years’ experience working with small businesses. With a background in mathematics and accountancy he specialises in using his skill with numbers to help ambitious business owners identify and implement strategies to maximise profits. www.james-rayner.co.uk We’ve been hit by pandemics before: I remember as a schoolboy catching Hong Kong ‘flu during the 1969/70 outbreak which may have killed 80,000 in the UK. But this latest pandemic is not just a public health emergency; it may be the first since Black Death swept Europe in the 14th century to leave us with lasting economic and business damage.

Those of us who own and run small businesses know our problems won’t be over when the lockdown ends. There will not be an immediate bounce-back, and even if there was, history tells us that business failures are common at the start of a recovery.

In this series of features I’m going to explore how we can help our businesses survive and prosper in the aftermath of CV-19.

But let’s start at the beginning.

The first signs of disruption to ordinary day to day business life occurred not in tightly controlled communist China but in its capitalist satellite, Hong Kong. In early February there were reports of panic buying of toilet rolls. By 17 February thugs armed with knives had reportedly stolen 600 toilet rolls, worth around £167, from a delivery van outside a supermarket.

The panic spread around Australia even quicker than the virus. By 4 March with 41 confirmed CV-19 cases and just one death, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer (Dr Brendon Murphy) was telling Parliament “We are trying to reassure people that removing all of the lavatory paper from the shelves of supermarkets probably isn’t a proportionate or sensible thing to do at this time.”

As the virus inevitably reached Britain so did the panic buying. By early March friends and family reported being unable to find toilet roll in the shops, while on social media there were stories of online deliveries going missing, presumed stolen.

Northumbrian Water helpfully warned of the dire consequences to plumbing that could befall anyone of us who foolishly ran out of bog roll and resorted to flushing wet wipes, kitchen roll or newspaper.

So, why this epidemic of panic buying?

And why toilet rolls? Was it wholly irrational: an example of the madness of crowds? And what are the lessons for business?

By the way, this is not a new phenomenon.

In the Spectator magazine (9 May) a letter writer, Peter Haylings, recalls visiting a house in Hampshire in the mid-1990’s where they were still using shiny Izal toilet paper. The owner’s mother had apparently stocked up in 1914 with enough toilet roll to see the family not just through the Great War, but also the next 80 years!

Generally there’s not much money to be made from selling toilet rolls. They’re inexpensive and the margins are low. But they’re also bulky (and getting bulkier as our delicate behinds demand softer cushioned paper) taking up lots of space on supermarket shelves and in delivery vans.

However in the UK retail floor space is expensive. Faced with high rent and rates, along with the associated costs of light, heat and cleaning, supermarkets keep a close eye on the profit earned per square metre of floor space. Filling a shelf with low margin toilet rolls that take up valuable space will be less profitable than using it for high margin but compact items, such as coffee, gin or olives. Or to put it another way, a shelf of toilet rolls needs to be fully sold and re-stocked a lot more frequently than a shelf of gin bottles.

Obviously there’s a balance to be struck.

Shops can’t simply decide not to stock low profit essentials on the grounds they take up too much valuable shelf space. The whole point of a supermarket, or even a corner shop, is to supply everything the customer needs so they’re not lured away by better stocked competitors.

Modern stock control systems, using bar coding and the internet-of-things, allow supermarkets to readily keep track of the stock at each store and match it to anticipated demand. They’ve also been able to convert more backroom storage into profitable selling space by using distribution centres with much lower storage costs. Manufacturers and retailers can predict fairly well how much stock they need and how much they should have in reserve to cover any normal peaks and troughs in demand.

In normal times the system works fine.

Shops maintain enough stock to meet the demand from their customers while at the same time not devoting too much space to this low margin product. They can even start to get clever and tweak the demand artificially with offers (reduced prices, BOGOFs, extra Nectar points) knowing that people who stock up early one week probably won’t buy again the following week.

But it’s a system that doesn’t cope well with a sudden unpredicted rise in demand.

It doesn’t take many customers to clear a shelf of toilet rolls - a problem that’s made worse by most of them being sold in large multi-packs of 9, 16 or more. A run on toilet rolls is quickly obvious because it leaves a big gap on a long shelf. Inevitably somebody uploads a photograph on Twitter; soon followed by a video, probably including a heart-rending human interest angle. Before long the video is picked up by rolling TV news to add real life drama to their hours of inconclusive uninformed speculation. Pretty soon a newspaper finds a picture of somebody in Costco with their trolley piled high with dozens of toilet rolls without mentioning it was taken two years ago in Belgium and the culprit manages a care home with 40 residents. And very quickly you have a full blown panic.

So the question is, are the public (egged on by hysterical media) to blame for panicking, for over-reacting and behaving irrationally?

With few exceptions, my view is that most of toilet roll buying was not driven by panic or profiteering, but by a perfectly rational response to very unusual circumstances.

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17

BUSINESS

FOOD & DRINK

Consider these facts: • You’re told you may need to isolate for two to four weeks if a member of your household shows symptoms of COVID19 • You have no idea how likely that is because nobody knows how prevalent it is in your area or how easily it spreads

Food & Drink TWO RECIPES TO TRY

by Sarah Ali Choudhury

• You have no idea how a rumoured lockdown, like the ones already enforced in other countries, might affect your ability to get supplies • You don’t particularly want to run out of toilet roll. Yes, there are alternatives but they’re undignified. And yes, your great grandparents used newspaper but you only buy one a week • You see toilet roll shelves in your usual supermarket are not completely bare but have a few packets, much less than usual.

What is the rational thing to do? Unless you’re certain you have enough roll to see you through a possible four week quarantine, plus a few more to be on the safe side, surely you will buy. And if you’d normally buy a pack of four but they only have packs of 16, that’s what you will buy.

It’s not panicking: it’s a rational response to unprecedented circumstances and incomplete data about what might happen next.

If the average household usually stashes away enough toilet rolls for the next three weeks and suddenly decides it might be more prudent to increase that to six weeks, it’s going to cause a temporary shortage.

I’ve made these numbers up, by the way.

Though I’m very fond of statistics I’m not so anally retentive as to record the rate at which I use loo paper.

The temporary shortages of toilet rolls were a minor inconvenience for a few short weeks. As we tentatively emerge from lockdown and businesses start the process of recovery and rebuilding there will be far bigger challenges. The way the world works will have changed, our customers will behave in ways that might have seemed irrational a few short months ago, and most of us will be facing this uncertain future with depleted resources. But just as it’s useful to recognise how this all started, in the months ahead it will be vital to plan for the rebuilding of your business and hopefully avoid that nightmare scenario where everything could go the way of those infamous toilet rolls – down the pan!

Join me on that planning journey – more next month.

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Sweet and Sticky Chicken Wings Chana Bhaji (chick peas)

These are super-easy to make and so addictive! I cooked these with my 8-yearold son Mo and the kids couldn’t get enough of them!

This delicious vegan recipe is so healthy, full of nutrients and goodness with a delicious wholesome flavour.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil) 2 echallion shallots 2 garlic gloves, crushed ½ tbsp coriander powder ½ tbsp cumin powder ¼ tsp turmeric powder 1 tin of chickpeas 1 green chilli, cut with a single slit ½ tsp salt (or to taste) A small handful of fresh coriander, washed and chopped

Method: q Heat the oil in a pan. w Add the garlic and shallots. e Stir continuously until the shallots

r t y u

i

are soft. It is really important to take the time at this stage and make sure the shallots are cooked, so that the spices will then be able to infuse their flavour. Add approx ½ tsp salt (to taste).

Add the turmeric, coriander and cumin, and stir in. Add a splash of water and cover for a few moments.

Add the green chilli. Making a single slit allows the flavours to infuse without making the dish too hot.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas then add to the pan. Stir.

Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring continuously. When you feel the chickpeas start to stick at the bottom of the pan, add approximately ¼ cup of water.

The dish is cooked when the chickpeas have absorbed most of the water. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Enjoy!

Heat oven to 200°C. Prepare a kilo of chicken wings and add seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic granules, onion granules, plus any other chicken seasoning will be perfect).

You also need: 4 cloves crushed garlic 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 4 tbsp dark soy sauce 4 tbsp ketchup 3 tbsp soft dark sugar (I used Muscovado sugar)

Method: q Add all ingredients in a big bowl and mix well.

w Put into an oven dish in a single layer.

It’s better if you don’t overlap the chicken. You can put them in two dishes if easier.

e Leave for 40 mins in the oven.

Enjoy!

FOOD & DRINK

Re-opening on

4 July!

Dine safely at THE CLOCKSPIRE A Message from Luke, Massi and the team Firstly, it is great to be able to take reservations for July ready for the opening of the restaurant on the 4 July. We have been working hard with Public Health England to ensure we provide a safe-dine environment for both our staff and guests and we will continually update our policies and procedures as a result of this.

The success of The Clockspire has always been a combination of not one, but different elements that create an exciting, great and safe dining experience with family, friends or colleagues. No business can achieve close to perfect results without a team that cares about the subject and the great specialist support that we have from WSH Restaurants Health and Safety specialists, some of the most meticulous and accredited people in the country.

We are working to make sure we can still provide the same warm service our guests have come to expect, the same beautiful dining room and some wonderful new menus to explore, whilst maintaining the highest levels of cleanliness and hygiene.

We are very lucky at The Clockspire to have a sizeable dining room and mezzanine bar so there will be ample distance between tables and diners. Small adjustments to the restaurant layout, service and staff rotas have been taken to reduce the number of guests and staff needed at any one time.

Legally required documentation is of course in place for risk assessments and full operating policies across both the Restaurant and the Cookery School and we will follow PHE guidelines for the use of personal protective equipment by our staff.

We now have in place enhanced procedures and training for our staff regarding hygiene and hand wash/ sanitising stations will be provided at all entrances for guests and work areas for staff and this will be complemented by the proactive and regular cleaning regimes plan in place, also during service.

All our menus in the Restaurant and Bar will be viewable by a QR code positioned on each table or alternatively a disposable menu will be available; there will be no menu covers until further notice.

We are taking the move to extend our opening hours so that our guests can book tables and still have the time and space to enjoy the experience with the same level of service we always offer. Therefore our lunch time menu will run from 12–4pm and our evening menu will be available from 6–9:45pm.

We have a no handshake policy between employees, suppliers and guests in place at The Clockspire.

If you missed it, see April’s issue for The Conduit’s food review: https://issuu.com/glenncoombsshelleys/ docs/82289_conduit__april_

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19

With the current state of affairs, many shows and attractions are now being offered free. Go online to find out about free access to Theatre, Opera, Musicals and Museums, as well as other online entertainment.

MOVIES

Moviola is offering ways of continuing to share films together with #MoviolaTogether.

To find out more, visit www. moviola.org.

VISUAL ART

From Wednesday 15 July to Tuesday 28 July from 10.00am to 4.00pm at Shaftesbury Art Centre Gallery, there is an exhibition of large colourful oil on canvas paintings by accomplished professional artist Gabrielle Bill. Her show ‘At One with Nature’ is all about the human form hidden within a natural environment.

These are mostly statement pieces, although she is showing some smaller landscapes as well. Gabrielle’s inspiration comes from living abroad and her travels to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Australia. Box office 01747 854321. www. shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

MUSIC

On Saturday 11 July at 7.00pm, listen to The Ninebarrow Hit Parade Live Stream. Award-winning folk duo Ninebarrow has toured three times with Artsreach, and are now hosting live online concerts. This concert’s going to be a bit different! Jon and Jay will be counting down the top 15 Ninebarrow tracks, as voted for by the duo’s mailing list! Go to www.artsreach.co.uk/ news/digital-diary and click on the link to watch online.

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Ninebarrow

Every day whilst in lockdown, Dan Baker has been recording a ‘song-a-day’ from his home studio. When not confined to home, he is the violinist from gypsy-swing/French chanson band Petites Annonces. His song-a-day project covers a comprehensive range of genres and is always delightful with that gypsy-swing toe tapping feel! All songs are available to view via the link at www.artsreach.co.uk/news/ digital-diary or on his YouTube channel.

Concerts in the West have created a section with pages of links to music performed by wonderful musicians, some of whom have previously performed for Concerts in the West, and others who are due to perform for the group at some point. Visit www. concertsinthewest.org to see what is available.

PERFORMANCE

ArtsReach’s Digital Diary and the ArtsReach YouTube playlist will be regularly updated on the website. The page is changing so keep checking back and keep sharing it. Past performances can also be viewed at www.artsreach.co.uk/ whats-on.

Take Art is a unique organisation that works with people in the villages, towns and rural communities of

Somerset. Every year it provides opportunities for all ages and abilities to experience, participate and work within the arts. From its hub in South Petherton it runs one of the UK’s most celebrated rural touring schemes, along with county-wide projects that focus on supporting artists, children, young people and communities.

Check www.takeart.org for the latest online shows.

By Julie Locke

ARTS

from Monday 6 July is ‘The Magnificent Three’, a comedy western! When times are bad, salvation can show up in darned unexpected shapes.

No-one in Hope Springs will ever forget The Magnificent Three. Each Miracle Monday show will available to view for 30 days from its release date via the link at www.artsreach. co.uk/news/digital-diary or via Miracle Theatre’s YouTube channel.

Until Friday 31 July, BARN & Wassail Theatre present Somerset’s One Minute Theatre Festival. The Festival was originated by Ged Stephenson and is a collaboration with Wassail Theatre during Covid-19 lockdown The Magnificent Three for the theatremaking community Every Friday at 2.00pm on in Somerset to support each ArtsReach’s Digital Diary, other in these challenging Pentabus Theatre is sharing times. Responding quickly and recordings of past productions on its website to enjoy for free!

Free to watch from the comfort of home. Choose from the following live recordings: The Tale of Little Bevan, Crossings, Here I Belong, Wolves are coming for you, As the Crow Flies, This Land, Milked, and Each Slow Dusk. Click on the link at www.artsreach.co.uk/ creatively, people from across news/digital-diary or visit www. the theatre-making spectrum have used their imaginations to pentabus.co.uk/whats-on. produce snapshots of what the world means to them right now, using phones, tablets and laptops, often alone and always safely at home. BARN is a collective theatre initiative, facilitated

by Take Art, to support Somerset’s theatre-making Pentabus Theatre sector. www.takeart. org/event/somersets-oneThe Devil’s Violin presents a minute-theatre-festival. series of short stories ‘A Month Every first Monday at 7.00pm, of Sundays’. Storyteller Daniel Morden, fiddler Oliver WilsonMiracle Theatre is releasing past Miracle productions online Dickson and cellist Sarah Moody have previously toured to enjoy for free! Available

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ARTS

Dorset as The Devil’s Violin.

Listen to ‘A Month of Sundays’ via YouTube or via the link at www.artsreach.co.uk/news/ digital-diary. Plus, a new series of short traditional stories that resonate with these times will be available for download and will also feature in the group’s new podcast, both payable by donation. www.thedevilsviolin. co.uk.

‘Tommy’s Sisters’ tells the moving story of life on the home front in a small Dorset town in 1916 through the eyes of four women and a girl.

What was it like to be one of thousands of munitions workers at Dorset’s huge cordite factory, a nurse looking after grievously injured soldiers at Colehill’s Red Cross Hospital, or a young girl wondering if she will ever see her friend again?

Tommy’s Sisters is a drama based on their own words from diaries and archives. The 28-minute film was written and directed by Gill Horitz and Tony Horitz (State of Play Arts) in partnership with filmmaker Alastair Nisbet (ScreenPLAY).

Go to www.artsreach.co.uk/ news/digital-diary and click on the link to watch online.

Tommy’s Sisters

CHILDREN

#ArtJumpStart is a collection of easy art projects to try at home using materials from the recycling bin. Now children and families can get creative together at home. Every day, artist and maker, Darrell Wakelam is releasing free art home-schooling ideas on twitter, from loo roll Hogwarts and spaceships to pasta fish fossils and egg box monkeys!

Join Darrell every day on twitter and get creative. Visit www.artsreach.co.uk/news/ digital-diary and follow the link to download the full collection of art projects.

MUSIC

KEEPING THE SCENE ALIVE #ArtJumpStart

‘Discover at Home’, a special version of Arts Award Discover, is aimed at children aged 11 and under. It enables children to be rewarded for the creative activities they enjoy. It supports children to connect with local museums, theatres and arts activities they enjoy, as well as explore new ones, online or at home, until it’s possible to visit them again. With easy to follow guidance and lots of suggestions for arts, craft and creative activities, ‘Discover at Home’ is for parents and carers who may not be arts specialists themselves but are looking for something different to keep children engaged and entertained. They can even gain a certificate! For further information, visit www.learn. artsaward.org.uk/discover-athome.

Paddleboat ‘Create with Us’ Paddleboat Theatre is a firm family friendly favourite with Artsreach. They have been working hard to help engage with school children by producing a variety of ‘lockdown activities’ to keep them engaged. All of these are available on their website. They have just secured funding to start work on their new show ‘Dream Maker’ and they need help! So get involved and help develop Paddleboat’s next show. Go to www.artsreach. co.uk/news/digital-diary, click on the link and get started!

By Ross Owen Williams, Presenter on Radio Ninesprings, 104.5fm At the turn of this year, Yeovil had one of the most diverse and exciting local music scenes in the whole country and now many of our talented performers are going the extra mile to engage audiences, raise spirits, and make sure Somerset’s music scene comes out unscathed on the other side.

Flic Keirle debuted her Lockdown Sessions on YouTube, a series of duets in conjunction with local artists she’d long wanted to collaborate with. Each side of the equation recorded their parts safely from home before Flic and her partner and fellow Black River Sinner Bill Osborn pieced the final product together. The tracks, with accompanying videos, can all be found on YouTube by searching ‘Flic Keirle Lockdown Sessions’ and feature cover versions of popular songs with Flic being joined by musicians including Bella Beney, Megan & Heidi Smith, Jamie Witt, and Jorden Lindsay.

Speaking of Jamie and Jorden, they’ve both been doing their bit to keep the local music scene engaged – Guitarist of the Year finalist 2019 Jamie has been delivering three free online guitar lessons each week, as well as a guitar giveaway for charity, which raised more than £1,000 for the School in a Bag initiative. Meanwhile, Jorden has been going live from his ‘Jorden Lindsay – Weddings & Events’ Facebook page every other Friday, live streaming gigs from home, including shout-outs, dedications and requests from his ever increasing following. The popularity of Jorden’s sessions has enabled him to introduce other acts to his followers, including Alfie Galpin and Sweet Chilli Mayo - a great way of helping grow the area’s music scene in spite of the lack of in-person gigs.

Those much-missed in-person gigs may seem far off for most of us, but the lucky neighbours of Jack Humphries have been able to hear music live without a screen involved. Jack’s been taking to their community courtyard with guitar and microphone, certainly something that has raised the morale of everyone involved, Jack included. He’s currently looking in to the possibilities of arranging a ‘Drive-in Gig’ later in the year, so make sure to follow him on social media for any developments on that front. Meanwhile, he’s converted his loft into a studio and is busy working on his next album, giving us all something else to look forward to.

These are just four of many musicians in the area who are going out of their way to help keep our local scene in the spotlight, and we’re delighted to be able to do our bit by featuring an update on a local act and one of their original tracks every day on my lunchtime show just after 12.45pm, so be sure to join me for lunch each day on Radio Ninesprings - you never know, you may just find your next favourite song from someone who lives nearby!

Ross Owen Williams hosts Radio Ninesprings’ Lunchtime show on weekdays from 12 – 2pm, as well as a joint show with Vicky Welton over Saturday lunch, and TGI:ROW on Sunday from 4 – 6pm. Find us locally on 104.5FM, listen live online at radioninesprings.co.uk, or on Amazon Smart Speaker by initially instructing ‘Alexa, enable Radio Ninesprings skill’, thereafter simply say ‘Alexa, play Radio Ninesprings’ whenever you want to join us.

Paddleboat ‘Create with Us’

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21

HISTORY

...MORE ABOUT THATCH?

By Paul Birbeck, Sherborne Walks & Blue Badge Tour Guide.

Assisted by Marcus Smith, Master Thatcher, Sherborne Thatching.

Having introduced ‘Cottage Orne’ last month, I thought it appropriate this month to celebrate the achievements of local thatchers.

Butt-up ridges are made simply by butting the ends of the material together at the apex. Like the Wrap over it is fixed down using hazel rods or ‘ledgers’ and cross sticks before it is cut or shaved.

Watching a local thatcher at work is interesting and relaxing as they work their way up in ‘sets’ which extend from the eaves to the ridge and then move across the roof in ‘courses’. The skill of thatching dates back over six thousand years, yet even today thatch remains a popular building material.

Flush ridging is also common and means that the sides of the ridge are flush with the surface of the thatch.

Thatchers use two main materials, water reed and combed wheat reed. Water reed is mostly imported from the continent and is attached directly to the rafters with hooked nails and steel rod.

Wheat reed is grown throughout the southern counties and is attached to a dense base layer with Hazel Spars which are twisted to form a staple. On a medium sized house 5000 will be required. The basecoat is made of multiple layers of old thatch and can be hundreds of years old with the first original thatch coat being tied on with ivy, honeysuckle and stripped bramble. In later years tarred twine is used. The over all thickness can exceed 4ft, the new thatch is laid at 14 in.

The reed ends are then ‘dressed’ (beaten upwards) with a tool called a ‘Leggett’. It consists of a flat piece of wood with ridges cut along its face to assist the driving of the reed ends firmly into place.

When stripping old roofs Marcus has found many interesting artefacts, from mummified cats, coins over windows and doorways (which remain), old thatching tools and many early C20th newspapers!

There are two main types of ridging, a wrap over and butt-up. A wrap over ridge is formed by folding ‘yelms’ of layered straw across the ridge from one side to the other and bending it over to form a wrap over the apex.

22

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Block ridges give a richer look to the roof and give the thatcher an opportunity to display a variety of artistic shapes, fashioned along the bottom of the ridge which can often be seen. These patterns can be used to identify a thatcher’s individual work or a locality.

Many early cottages were built with brick chimneys projecting from the gables to keep them clear of the thatch. Careful bonding between the brick and thatch ensures the junction is watertight.

Thatching has remained a predominantly family business across the West Country and the skills and local styles have often been handed down through generations. Because of the legacy of a large number of thatched homes, barns and other buildings across the region business continues to thrive and order books are often full months in advance.

Practical experience and tuition from a master thatcher remains the only way to learn to thatch. Thatching is a difficult craft to master as no two roofs are the same and it is important to understand the material. Thatchers usually take on apprentices, an apprenticeship usually lasting about five years. Most thatchers are members of the Master Thatcher’s Association and are justifiably proud of their qualifications.

So, as we’re able to start travelling around again, have a look to see if you can identify the different styles.

Visit: www.sherbornewalks.co.uk E: paul@sherbornewalks.co.uk

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LIFESTYLE

INSPIRATIONS FOR THE CURIOUS SHOPPER

By Dawn Woodward, The Emporium, Yeovil

As I write this on the eve of our shop reopening (Monday, 15 June), I am filled with both excitement and caution.

I’m so hopeful that we will be able to recreate the way in which our independent retail sector operates, allowing it to survive in a safe environment. Never before have we needed the support of each other and our valued customers more. I’m very optimistic that we’ll be given an appreciative response when we open our doors!

In the midst of risk assessments, installing screens, displaying signage, looking for supplies of hand sanitizer, I think we are ready! Please come and see us if you feel able, The Emporium is a very large shop and with the one way system throughout, there’s plenty of space for distancing; we aim to keep you and our staff safe.

Throughout lockdown, our amazing traders have been so busy and have restocked their shops over the last few days ready for our reopening.

I’m so proud of our team, they are so talented and dedicated to both their own businesses and The Emporium.

Please join me in wishing all of them the very best of luck for the start of this new chapter.

Here are a few peeks into our traders’ shops:If you’d like to join us as a trader, now could be a great time, talk to us about the retail units we have available and how we can help you launch or grow your own business. We’d love to meet you and hear about your business plans. Contact us to discuss available options on 01935 411378 and let’s get you trading in the heart of the town centre in Yeovil.

Find us at The Emporium 39 Princes Street, Yeovil, BA20 1EG www.theemporiumyeovil.co.uk Tel 01935 579482

To advertise – 01935 424724 • email: info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk • www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk

23

TRAVEL

ADVENTURES AT THE ZOO

by Tim Saunders, Travel Correspondent With zoos opening up their outdoor environments, we hope this whets your appetite and provides some inspiration. Check the websites for full information on what is and isn’t open.

A group of meerkats is called a mob, gang or clan.

We learned this last year during a trip to Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey where the zoo includes such animals as meerkats, lions, otters and giraffes.

It’s feeding time for the penguins.

They are such jolly creatures and a joy to watch all flapping about as each one is given a fish to chomp. They line up to get their fill and then take to the water. They’re a delight and we’re all mesmerised. When the seagulls swoop to try to catch the fish the penguins chase them off. The sea lions seem much larger than we imagined. And to think they eat small sharks, too.

It is the pig at the YooHoo children’s zoo that helps Henry (3) to forget his awkward ways and regain composure.

Even the smallest of actions for this strong minded little boy like going out of a door, brushing teeth or simply wearing shoes to go to the toilet, are often major ordeals. But you have to go along with it, gently coaxing along the way and “Oink,” says the helpful pig as he waddles out of his house. “Can I get down?” asks Henry, who is sitting on my shoulders (his usual position during outings). Henry follows the pig’s every move as he makes his way about. Nearby donkeys, goats and sheep are all busily munching on their hay.

Then the Tree Top Adventure keeps Henry and his sisters Harriett and Heidi occupied for quite some time as they race around letting off steam and going down the slide.

After our packed lunch which includes some light entertainment from Henry and Heidi playing ‘it’, we make our way to Sealife.

This is a world of fascination for us all.

There is so much underwater life 24

and Sealife does an absolutely fantastic job of introducing us to stingrays, sharks, fish of all different shapes and colours including seahorses which are incredible and so peaceful to watch as they move through the water. Mesmerising. Small children love the layout because everything is at their height; they can gaze into the glass and get up close to these superb creatures. They even swim overhead.

There is so much to learn and appreciate here including about how these creatures are being increasingly threatened and endangered by climate change and pollution. Food for thought and with that in mind we head to Prezzo Epsom, only a few miles away, where we discuss the day’s events over a thoroughly enjoyable meal.

The memories created today rekindle older ones of when the girls had a sleepover with grandma and granddad who then took them to Sealife in Bournemouth. Grandad recently passed away so while their grief is still raw, good memories help to ease the pain a little. Garlic bread starters and spaghetti carbonara accompanied by glasses of Peroni for Caroline and I. Salad starters for the children followed by margherita pizzas and ice cream and we are all sated. The friendly service and sophisticated surroundings always makes a meal at Prezzo a memorable occasion.

For more information visit: www.chessington.com www.visitsealife.com www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk Watch the videos at www.travelwriter.biz

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TRAVEL CARE

POSITIVE VIBES FROM MILES MORGAN TRAVEL!

by Heather Muir, Manager – Miles Morgan Travel, Yeovil We are delighted to be back open in Yeovil for our customers.

Firstly, and most importantly, I hope this finds you safe and well!

As I write this it’s really hard to quantify what impact the last few months has had on not only the travel industry but all of our lives, but one thing that we do know for sure is that we are delighted to be back open again for our customers…we have missed you and being on Yeovil’s high street.

Things are changing on a daily/weekly basis with travel restrictions being gradually lifted and the world is beginning to open to explore once again.

Although we have been working from home, and contactable by phone, to fully support our customers throughout the pandemic, seeing familiar faces is so much better.

We surveyed our customers prior to opening and gained valuable feedback on what you expected from us and have taken your lead. Most asked for us to provide pre-booked appointments instore with all the necessary PPE in place and I am delighted to say that all of the shop has now been modified and we are now in a position to offer you a pre-arranged appointment with one of our Travel Specialists – just give us a call to book your preferred day and time.

We understand that some of you will still be nervous, or still perhaps shielding, therefore unable to visit; however we are still available by telephone or are happy to arrange a Zoom video call from the comfort of your home, where we can offer you the same high standard of service and advice – again please do contact us.

So, what are people booking right now? We have seen an increase over the last few weeks with new bookings and there are some great early booking offers to tempt you such as £49 per person deposits and also some great savings with holidays frozen at 2020 prices for 2021 departures.

Our most popular products have been escorted touring along with river and ocean cruising. As an affiliated agent for P&O and Cunard we have seen an increase in new customers wishing to use their future cruise credit with us. Remember, even though you may not have booked your original cruise with us we are able to accept future cruise credits which have been issued to people affected by cancelled cruises. We have also seen an increase in UK holidays, and many people aren’t aware that we offer a whole host of holidays in the UK from escorted tours with a free home pick up to hotel stays nationwide.

We are expecting demand for 2021 holidays abroad to be high as the restrictions continue to ease and customers are once again looking to travel and explore further afield. This increased demand will see prices rise so early booking for 2021 is strongly recommended.

Whilst writing I would like to say a huge thank you to all of our customers who have sent us lovely messages during the last few months as these really kept us going as we adapted Call to to working book your from home.

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE OPEN AGAIN

So, once you start thinking about your next holiday, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Just call us on 01935 428488 and we look forward to seeing you soon.

appointment

01935 577294

www.milesmorgantravel.co.uk

2 Borough Arcade, High Street Yeovil BA20 1RX yeovil@milesmorgantravel.co.uk

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25

CARE

SAMARITANS OF YEOVIL, SHERBORNE & DISTRICT

Local Charities & Organisations to benefit from Bluebird Care SSC Grants

Yeovil Samaritans has launched ‘Samarathon’, a virtual marathon, designed to get people exercising during the month of July and is inviting supporters to run, jog or walk a full-length marathon in their own time and at their own pace to fundraise for the Branch.

After taking a break due to the Covid-19 pandemic Bluebird Care is again giving away South Somerset Community (SSC) grants of £250.

CALLING FOR LOCAL PEOPLE TO TAKE ON ‘SAMARATHON’ IN JULY

And the great news is that anyone can achieve it!

Every participant is invited to do the distance at entirely their own pace, whether it’s a jog, a walk or even a hop, skip or a jump.

All you need to do is complete the length of a Marathon, 26 miles/42 kilometres over the 31 days of July – so you could either do around 0.8 miles or 1.35 kms per day, which equates to walking from the Yeovil branch of Samaritans to the Quedam Shopping Centre, or you can carve up the distance into bite sized chunks to suit your routine.

It has been widely proven that being active works wonders for mental wellbeing whatever your age or ability.

According to the mental health charity, Mind, exercise can promote: • Improved sleep – by making you feel more tired at the end of the day • Happier moods – physical activity releases feel-good hormones that make you feel better in yourself and give you more energy • The ability to manage stress, anxiety or intrusive and racing thoughts – doing something physical releases cortisol which helps us manage stress. Being physically active also gives your brain something to focus on and can be a positive coping strategy for difficult times

Due to the recent pandemic, it’s expanding criteria to any organisation that works to address loneliness in the South Somerset area. Commenting, Ross Perkins, Director of Bluebird Care South Somerset said, ‘We have been moved by the efforts of community groups and key-workers. As well as supporting our staff and customers, I myself became part of a Community Pod to make deliveries and phone calls to vulnerable people isolating or shielding.

‘The feedback from those people has been touching, with many of them saying a friendly voice and ear has really helped them to cope with the lock-down’.

The group that can best demonstrate a need for additional support will be allocated the funds. Application forms are available by sending an e-mail to southsomerset@ bluebirdcare.co.uk with the subject ‘Community Grant’.

Bluebird Care opened its office in South Somerset in 2014, and ever since has been working hard to support other organisations in the community.

Bluebird Care offers a realistic alternative to residential care by allowing people to stay in their own homes with care and support.

For further information about Bluebird Care’s homecare and support services across the South Somerset area, please contact the team on 01935 584184 or for more information visit www.bluebirdcare.co.uk/south-somerset

Simon Hicks, Branch Director said: “The point of Samarathon is that it’s truly inclusive - a challenge that literally everyone can achieve. It’s something you can choose to do either on your own, with the dog, or if you want to make it a more social affair, you can do it as a team with other members of your household.

Alternatively, you can join with friends, family and work mates virtually, and support each other’s progress wherever you are.

Many of our Branch volunteers have already signed up. Faye (pictured) has bravely taken up the NHS couch to 5k challenge and hopes to run the entire distance, in stages.’

Supporters can sign up for free at www.samaritans.org/ samarathon to take part in the challenge and help to raise valuable funds to ensure Samaritans can continue to deliver a critical service to those who are in need.

Volunteer with us We will train, mentor and support you all the way.

To find out more and apply, visit

samaritans.org/volunteer Email yeovil@samaritans.org

Yeovil Sherborne & District

Samaritans of Yeovil, Sherborne & District is a registered charity.

26

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Motoring IT DOESN’T FLY!

By Tim Saunders, Motoring Correspondent First impressions of the Skoda Scala are that it reminds me of the first generation Kia Rio, in production some 20 years ago.

It’s the dimensions of the vehicles and the overall look that are similar. The Scala’s major selling point is the fact that its boot is larger than that found in a Golf. It is a hatchback, not an estate.

This model is fitted with a £410 electrically operated boot, which can be opened by lifting a switch on the inside of the driver’s door but it cannot be closed from inside. It can only be closed by pushing the button on the underside of the boot lid.

It’s flash and something well suited to a chauffeur or business executive but a young family? As an addled dad, speed is of the essence. After all I have three demanding and impatient children – yes no doubt my fault, it’s in the genes you know.

But I do find many so called luxuries a bit of a pain.

You see it’s quicker for me to open and close a boot myself without relying on a third party – it’s a bit like running a business, if you don’t do the job yourself it is not going to be done to your standard. I always find that it’s necessary to double check whether the boot will shut - sometimes it won’t if there is too much inside or the contents are too near the lip for its liking. Then of course there are the children to worry about. If a finger or hand was on the lip of the boot as the lid was coming down, it doesn’t bear thinking about. What happens when it fails? How do you then get into it? A good thump of a traditional boot lid will usually always close it. In my opinion, manual is best. Keep it simple for the best results, Brewers Garage.qxp_Layout 1 16/03/2020 14:23 Page 1 just like with writing an article.

BRISTOL ROAD GARAGE Western Ways Yard, Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4HR

• DIAGNOSTICS • MOT • SERVICING

• REPAIRS • AIR CON SERVICING • TYRES

Call us on 01935

812720

MOTORING CARE

Tim Saunders is an advanced motorist and journalist. He has always been passionate about motoring and regularly reviews cars from the leading manufacturers. His first report on a BMW 520i was published in the Dorset Echo when he was 17 (just after passing his driving test) in 1995. He went on to become business and motoring editor at the Bournemouth Echo.

It is very helpful that the front passenger airbag can be switched off, so that one of our children can safely sit in the front. I find that in so many cars this airbag cannot be turned off.

When starting the car it takes time for the centre console to come to life, which is annoying. Driving an old car as I usually do I am accustomed to just getting in and turning the radio on. You can’t do that in the Scala. You have to wait for the system to initialise and it requires you to tap the touchscreen before you can get the music on. It’s a pain.

When I inadvertently press the voice activation the car asks “What would you like to do?” The children love this. And as we are stuck in yet another long long traffic jam I say, to lots of laughter, “fly”. This seems to confuse the poor system.

We rely heavily on the sat nav during a trip to north London to attend my wife’s late uncle’s funeral.

FACTS AT A GLANCE Skoda Scala SE L

Price: £21,205 inc VAT Top speed: 117 mph 0-60mph: 10.9 secs

CO2 g/km: 114g/km Power: 113 bhp

Economy: around 45 mpg Watch the video at www.testdrives.biz 27

HEALTH & WELLBEING

HISTORY

KICK OCD OUT & INVITE CRC

IN!

By Niki Cassar

As an experienced health professional, I am not a soothsayer, nor do I have a crystal ball! Nevertheless, from the start of the pandemic, I’ve been predicting a huge rise in OCD, both in adults and young children, resulting from repeated Government warnings about constant hand washing and sanitising. I believe I’m not alone in my prediction, and just recently, I’ve had a flood of enquiries from people describing severe OCD symptoms, both in themselves, and, more worryingly, in their children.

For those unfamiliar with the term OCD, it is an acronym for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Put simply, this is a posh name for a wide variety of repetitive, obsessive thoughts or behaviours that multiply in frequency over time, and that ultimately ruin the quality of people’s lives, and have a negative effect on those around them.

Taking up at least an hour a day, they will interfere with work, social and family life, and there is never a feeling of contentment or sense of ‘job completed, now I can relax’. And what about CRC? Calm, Relaxed and Confident, which is what we all want to be!

Adults who develop OCD will have experienced some degree of anxiety for as long as they can remember. Children develop OCD by copying their parents’ behaviour, and also through repetition.

Did you know that 80% of our belief system is firmly in place by the age of 5, and the remaining 20% by around 18 years of age? Tell a child often enough that they’re untidy, and they’ll become more so. Keep telling them they’re stupid, naughty, rude or greedy, and they’ll become more so. Tell them to wash their hands over and over, in an anxious and overly-cautionary way, and the idea will be firmly installed in their subconscious mind, alongside fearful thoughts around germs, illness, even death. Those same kids may gradually develop obsessive hand washing and other patterns long after coronavirus has gone away!

Obsessive behaviour that starts with hand-washing will often lead to further repetitive actions, or ‘rituals’ because they are performed in set and specific ways, always powered by compulsive thoughts. and although a person may not want to think or do these things, they feel powerless to stop.

I have worked to help people overcome this condition for many years. The first small but important step is to admit that you have a problem and then ask for help. If you’re ready to set yourself free and swap OCD for CRC, please call me in complete confidence on 01963 371695 or 07973 346747. Online sessions are my speciality!

28

THE LAMB INN

– An Inn on the move

By Barry Brock If you leave Cheap Street behind and walk up Sherborne’s Hound Street, you come to the site of the old Lamb Inn – on the right, just before the original Foster’s School buildings. In the early nineteenth century, William Ings was landlord, and he was also the lessee of the adjoining two-acre ‘Fair Field’ – home to livestock fairs, and sometimes to Sherborne’s traditional fairs or the circus. Can you imagine the excitement when Richard Sands’ American Circus came to town? This 1844 newspaper report pictures the scene: The Cavalcade arrived in Sherborne at eleven o’clock, and made a Grand Procession through the principal streets to the Fair Field, accompanied by Mr Sands’ celebrated brass band, in a carriage drawn by Ten Splendid Cream-Coloured Horses.

Prior to that, the earliest reference to the Lamb in Sherborne is 1834, although there was a Lamb in Shaftesbury as early as 1557. The name is derived from ecclesiastical heraldry and refers to the Agnus Dei, the Paschal lamb, the emblem of St John the Baptist and of the Knights Templars.

After the death of William Ings, Samuel and Anna Worthy ran the Lamb Inn for many years. But plans were afoot to create a new ‘middle’ school, and in April 1874 the north part of the Fair Field was purchased for the school. Building soon commenced and Foster’s School opened a year later.

The Lamb Inn was very close to the new school, which was not deemed desirable, and with the help of the landowner, local squire, George Digby Wingfield-Digby, it was agreed to transfer the inn to new premises in Westbury.

The publicans already in Westbury were unhappy about this, saying there were too many inns, and they delayed the transfer for a year, using a licencing technicality. Then at the end of June 1876, Samuel died, leaving Anna to run the Lamb and to manage the move from Hound Street.

Where did the Lamb move to? The location cannot be found marked on any Westbury street-plan, and could only be located after a search of the Rent Books kept in the Sherborne Castle Archives.

Much later, in the 1920s, the Lamb building was occupied

by William David Prout, a coal merchant, who described to his grandson how his home had been an alehouse in late Victorian times. The property is located on the corner of Trendle Street and Westbury, directly opposite the Almshouse. There is a low step in the kitchen, where the tavern keeper stood, handing out jugs of ale to passing workmen through the low window (now blocked) fronting Trendle Street.

But it was true that there were too many inns in Westbury – the business could not be sustained, and by the time of the 1881 census, Anna Worthy had become the manager of the Digby Tap, and the Lamb Inn had disappeared.

Check our social media and website for details of our re-opening. www.oxleysc.com

29

WALKING

RACHEL’S RAMBLES

By Rachel Mead

Laughter is of course the spice of life, and being able to laugh at oneself is a notion which I try to instill in my children. Experts go so far as to say ‘it is considered a mark of good character and can be the foundation for a robust sense of humour’.

And so it is with this particular ramble that these words would be ringing in my ears as Oakley and I set off for a wander around Sandford Orcas.

The weather is a bit patchy, I’ve reluctantly put on longer trousers for the first time in several weeks (how lucky we have been weather-wise) and the drizzle is tricky, jacket on, jacket off and repeat. But we are out and about, on a new trail and as per usual, we seem to be the only ones around. Bliss. The fields are ploughed and replanted with crops, bales are waiting to be collected and the cattle are enjoying their grassy playgrounds. A young group of heifers peer over a gateway and exchange sniffs and licks with Oakley. Life in the sticks is good. swinging udders, this black and white bovine is travelling at speed and now clearly up for a game of chase! Looking frantically ahead, I can see that we are too far from the exit gateway so our only option is take refuge and duck under the barbed wire fence.

Our route is multi-terrain, we’ve fought through a few tangly overgrown footpaths, we’ve picked up speed along the lanes and now the path leads us along the side of Sherborne golf club.

Fore!

As the gradient drops down, the ferns are plentiful and the lush green is almost tropical.

The ensuing rain is transporting us to a fictitious jungle. Our senses are sparked with anticipation as the ferns then make way for pine trees and we explore up the steep dirt tracks with the soundtrack of the calling pheasant.

We’re heading for Higher Sandford now and the landscape opens out with views across to Holway and Corton Denham beyond. We pass some bemused alpacas who nonchalantly ignore Oakley’s inquisitiveness and then it’s the open fields for the remainder of our walk. Or so I think…the yellow arrow leads us straight into a field of friesians. Now, this shouldn’t pose too much of a problem, these girls look fairly dozy from their day of chewing the cud and with Oakley firmly on the lead we hug the hedge and steadily make our way around the perimeter of the field. Oakley is content with her nose on the ground, hoping to hoover up any chance cowpats in her path.

I’m all eyes and ears whilst also thinking of my flask of tea at the finish line.

The minutes roll by, the renegade cow has now gathered her gang and we’re well and truly surrounded. I’m beginning to regret leaving my packed lunch in the car and Oakley has resulted to taking a mid-walk nap. We could be in for the long-haul. Whilst debating whether to open my emergency Snickers bar, my attention is diverted by the sound of an engine. A miracle is happening before my very eyes – the farmer is rounding up his cattle, and my pursuant and her crew are turning tail. Hooray! We’re going to get out of here! My heart does a little glory dance, I drop to my hands and knees and begin my commando crawl back under the fence for freedom. Snag, rip, stuck. In my haste to escape, I’ve impaled myself on the fence. I can’t go forwards and I can’t go backwards – What a spectacle!

As the farmer circles the field on his way home, he takes pity on the giggling human snare and sets her free. Free to roam, ramble and laugh once again.

On we go, everything’s fine.

Slow and steady. Quiet as mice, we shuffle on. One foot in front of the other. No sudden movements. Shhh. My ears suddenly prick at the sound of heavier hooves and I turn to see what I believe to be the rebel of the herd. She’s frisky, and very intrigued by Oakley. With 30

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To find some more inspiring walks in the countryside: www.visitsouthsomerset.com /menu/inspire-me/ brochures.aspx?parentNodeName=Brochures# If you would like to recommend a ramble for Rachel then please email rachel@zestbureau.co.uk You can also see more photos from each walk on instagram: rachelsrambles /TheConduitMag

@conduitmag

WIN £10 in our WORDSEARCH

competition SAYING HELLO!

Once again we will be coming out of our homes, going about our daily business and greeting one another as we do so, howbeit from behind a mask in many cases. So this month’s Conduit Wordsearch is about words that are different ways of saying hello, some familiar and some not so familiar!

Just find the hidden words in the grid below, ring each word until you have found all of them and when you have completed the puzzle send it to: The Conduit Magazine, Unit 4, Barton View Business Park, Sheeplands Lane, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4FW. The lucky winner receives a £10 cheque. The closing date is: Monday 20 July. Good luck.

ALOHA BONJOUR BUENAS TARDES BUONTo GIORNO advertise – CIAO GOOD AFTERNOON GOOD DAY GOOD EVENING

GOOD TO SEE YOU GREETINGS GRUSS GOTT GUTEN TAG 01935 424724 • email: HELLO HIYA HOLA HOLLOA

Name:__________________________________________________________ HOWDY SALAAM Tel :_________________________Email:______________________________ SALVE Address:_________________________________________________________ SHALOM info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk • www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk S’MAE ________________________________________________________________ WELCOME ________________________________________________________________

If you would like to know who has won our Wordsearch Puzzles see our website.

During lockdown we have seen a surge in people wanting to write their memoirs and have them printed, a family history, a keepsake, a snapshot in time.

Have you considered recording your story for your future generations?

We can help, with 40 years in book design, production and self publishing we can help you through the whole process.

All completed in our new print facility in Sherborne.

Dry Stone Walling and Paving

WANTED Dave buys all types of tools.

Tel: 01935 428975

All types of stone walling undertaken www.yenstonewalling.co.uk

01963 371123 Patrick Houchen - DSWA member

Professional & reliable service

GUNS WANTED FOR CASH

SOS to all air rifles and pistols any maker or model.

We collect in any area. Top prices paid in cash

07970 742471

Domestic and contract flooring specialists 34 Princes Street, Yeovil BA20 1EQ

Tel: 01935 478100

walterwallyeovil@hotmail.co.uk

IAN CROSSLAND

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Tel: 01935 411813 Mob: 07811 070 498

• Interior and exterior decorating

• Carpentry and small cabinet work • Restoration of timber windows

• Making/restoring leaded windows • Hanging doors

• Fitting fences and gates • Exterior lime mortaring

With over 20 years’ experience for a friendly reliable service please give me a call

01935 808052

To advertise – 01935 424724 • email: info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk • www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk

31

Providing Dental Care for the Yeovil area since 1864

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME Princes Street Dental Practice are an independent private practice where you will see the same dentist at each visit. We keep up to date with, and like to invest in, new technology. We have invested in a CEREC technology which allows us to fit crowns and bridges in just one visit no impressions!

We are proud to be members of the Denplan Excel scheme.

Please feel free to ring and ask any questions, or come in and meet our lovely staff.

45 Princes St, Yeovil BA20 1EG

01935 475962 www.princesstreetdental.co.uk