Country Child Winter17 Dorset/Somerset

COUNTRY CHILD Dorset/Somerset

Your Local FREE Family Magazine

Winter 17-Issue: 31

FAMILY WISH LIST Once in a family life time bucket list

GET INVOLVED PTA, what does it all mean?

PUPPY LOVE

Adding to the members in your family

PICKY EATERS Helping you feed your brood

HOME EDUCATION Is on the rise!

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WHAT’S ON ■ SHOPPING ■ HOME ■ SCHOOLS ■ FOOD ■ GARDEN ■ COMPETITIONS ■ HEALTH

Give your child the best possible start

Nursery

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Set in an exquisite rural location, our self-contained purpose-built Nursery is surrounded by 62 acres to explore.

Opportunities to experience dance, music, drama, swimming and a multitude of sports.

Parents of children aged 3 and 4 eligible for government funding may use their 30 hours entitlement.

Twice-weekly sessions in our private indoor heated pool helps to grow children’s water confidence. Our qualified swimming coaches ensure it is always great fun too!

Weekly sessions of Forest School set in our nearby beech wood.

A focus on individual attention enabling children to develop and progress at their own pace in a safe and nurturing environment.

Delicious hot and healthy lunches to help energise growing bodies and minds.

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Welcome to Winter

eason’s Greetings from all of us here at Country Child.

Once again, you’ll find a packed magazine to take you right through the festive period and into the new year.

We really, really enjoyed reading the fabulous stories sent in to our Short Story Competition. Gosh, you’re a talented bunch! Local author, Olivia Tuffin kindly agreed to judge the stories for us, and what a tough task she had. Turn to page 30 and have a read of the winning stories. Congratulations to Jennifer, Annalise and Darcy.

We have a new writer; Hanne Bonczoszek has joined the Country Child team. Hanne will be entertaining us over the coming months with a host of amusing, familial anecdotes. Have a read on page 7 – you’ll be sure to chortle over your cheerios!

For anyone lamenting the shorter days and longer nights, fear not… Jo Leigh is here to help. She’s come up with the most incredible ‘family wish list’ for 2018 – from seeing a musical in the west end, to watching manta rays in the Maldives, this is a list that can’t be missed.

With home schooling on the rise, I wanted to meet up with some families who have made the decision to take their children out of mainstream education. If it’s an avenue you’ve been pondering, have a read on page 17 to learn a little more from those in the know.

With Christmas soon upon us, our Country Child Loves on page 15 is full of inspirational gifts for the little people in our lives. We hope you like them as much as we do. And, with the holidays just around the corner, we’ve done our very best to find out all that’s happening in the area over the festive season. For those who love the panto, this year you’re really spoilt for choice; there really are some great shows to choose from. Enjoy!

As many of us with school age children will know, the PTA is such an important part of school life. Catrin Waugh Baker is on hand to tell us a little more about how we can all get involved – something for the 2018 ‘to do’ list perhaps?

Rebecca Fletcher is back to offer some fab advice to those of us with fussy eaters. And what better time of year to put her tips to the test – maybe this year, it won’t just be the parents eating the Brussel sprouts on the 25th December! Or is that just wishful thinking?!

At this time of year, getting outside is a real must. Mike Dilger has set you a great challenge; take a peek on page 41 to see if you’re up for a festive forage.

From all of us here at Country Child, have a Happy Christmas and wonderful 2018!

Meet the team...

PUBLISHER

Jo Leigh jo@countrychild.co.uk

EDITOR

Miranda Avis miranda@countrychild.co.uk

Media Sales Matthew Cull

@countrychildmag @countrychildmagazine @countrychildmag

Neither Country Child Limited (trading as Country Child Magazine) nor any of its predecessors, affiliated companies, directors or employees, shall be liable for the accuracy or reliability of any of the content (including advertisements) published in Country Child Magazine or other information accessed directly or indirectly from Country Child Magazine, nor shall they be liable for the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, purchased or obtained by any consumer, as a result of an advertisement or any other information or offer in connection with the service or products. Country Child Limited shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions contained within any content (including advertisement) published in Country Child Magazine.

Feature Writer Rebecca Fletcher

matthewcullmedia@gmail.com 07977 013348

Guest Writer

Hanne Bonczoszek

Cover and Feature Photography by

Millie Pilkington

CONTRIBUTORS St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull, Dorset, Catrin Waugh Baker, Mike Dilger, Olivia Tuffin, Orchard Park, Dumpton School, Firtha Lindqvist, Becky Travers, Katie Read, Sarah Stark, Tom Grimes, Holly Harvey and Emma Worth. Artwork Jo Avis

DISTRIBUTION Katherine Shean and Peter Kewish Registered Charity No. 1158138

Follow us

COULD YOU VOLUNTEER SOME TIME TO HELP US FUNDRAISE? Do you have some time to help at events, run a stall or can produce quality items for us to sell? Then we would love to hear from you please contact us on beth@mosaicfamilysupport.org or 01258 837071 or visit www.mosaicfamilysupport.org

Help and advice for bereaved children, young people and their families in Dorset

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always looking forward Knighton House Day & Boarding for girls 7-13

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Contents

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Winter 2017

Country Child Loves Some seasonal sensations, including a competiton to win clothing!

20

Family Wish List The ultimate family bucket list to explore for 2018

35

Get Involved With your Parent Teacher Association

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Interior Ideas Huddle up, get warm, cosy and comfortable with the Hygge range

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Home Schooling Is on the rise.

We hear from some families who have done it.

7 Family Frolics & Fiascos - New guest writer Hanne B divulges her family antics.

10 & 11 Picky Eaters - Encouraging children to be courageous with food.

13 Food Glorious Food - Festive time recipes for all the family.

15 Puppy Love - Miranda finally gives in to the yearn for a puppy.

16 & 17 Home Education - Miranda finds out more on schooling children at home.

20 & 21 The Family Wish List - Once in a life time family bucket list.

23 & 27 Inside Out - Places to go and things to do.

24 & 25 Calendar Pull-Out - What’s on this winter season.

26 Toddler Timetable - Your local library times and activities.

29 Show and Tell - Live entertainment for the family in your area.

30 Kidzone - The winners are revealed from our Short Story Winter Writitng Competition!

31 Bookworms -Book reviews from children at St Mary's Catholic Primary School.

33 Top Marks - Meet the Head Interview, News and updates from local schools.

35 Get Involved - All you need to know about your schools Parent Teacher Association.

37 Window Shopping - Seeking out some of the cosiest cottages.

39 Interior Ideas - This season we all deserve a hygge.

41 & 43 Great Outdoors - Miranda gets creative and Mike shows us some cold weather foliage.

45 Open for Business - News and advice from the business community.

What's In Store For the festive season

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Inside Out

Places to go and people to see

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Family Frolics & Fiascos

By Hanne B

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hey say insanity is the act of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Well, I should be googling ‘sanatoriums near me’ rather than writing this column.

You see, every September, when school starts, I find myself with time to drink a cup of tea while it’s still hot. Once I have made the beds they actually stay made for six whole hours without being immediately transformed in to a tepee or a fort. So, every September I convince myself that all this ‘down time’ is the new status quo. I start scribbling ideas for the family newsletter I intend to send, I dig out my Pinterest password and find fabulous ideas for Christmas decorations. I buy at least 50 charity Christmas cards and, of course, I invite the entire family to ours for Christmas.

Then comes - what annually sneak up on me with the stealth of a rough tough little girl pirate - Harvest Festival, Halloween, Cultural Day, Diwali. Requiring in turn; New Wellington Boots, tinned meat, all the stuff you need to create your own volcano and some Indian lanterns. And there’s a helpful note in their reading folder a couple of days prior to deadline – leaving any multitasking mum with ample seconds to whizz to the shops to acquire listed goods.

Then suddenly it’s December. The cards are still wrapped in cellophane and I am working out the ‘per seating’ cost of having Christmas dinner delivered by Marks and Spencer’s.

Then comes another annual, yet unexpected, request. "Muuum! I need a costume for the nativity!!"

Costumes are a sore point in our family.

We moved here from London, the home of short-cut parenting. In my son’s first term at our local school he was asked to dress up in a ‘space theme.’ ‘Easy enough’ I thought. But as we watched all the other kids orbiting around the playground in their home-sewn and hand-glued Saturn and Milky Way costumes, I realised that my son, Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots (£16.99 from the local toy-store)

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BALLET might in fact be a visual representation of previously mentioned ‘short-cut parenting’.

I apologised to my son and he responded; ‘It’s OK Mummy, but I hope you have learned something from this.

I did learn from that, so this year I type ‘very last minute and super easy shepherd’s costume with the stuff you have in your wardrobe’ in to youtube. Youtube suggests I widen my search (Perhaps to include parenting and organisational skills?).

By 10pm I’ve destroyed an old brownie uniform and a dog blanket and I swear my sewing machine isn’t meant to make this noise. My destruction has resulted with something that looks like Barney Rubble’s outfit in the Flintstones. I call my friend Karen. Doctor by trade, seamstress by hobby, mother of 4, owner of a poodle and a bell tent and Keeper of the Secret of How to get more Hours in Your Day. ‘Help’ I say.

‘Budget?’ she asks.

‘More than a dog blanket, less than a new sewing machine’ I answer.

Nativity Day arrives. My son is proudly striding along, his outfit aptly befitting the king of all shepherds. It’d cost me a great deal more than Optimus Prime, but it’s worth it. To my daughter I say; ‘Thank goodness next door had a camel costume you could borrow.’

There’s an uncomfortable pause.

‘Mum?’ she says. It’s said in that way that you know whatever follows will not be good. ‘It’s just that I was actually meant to be Mary. But I’d much rather be a camel.’

2017: the year a shepherd outshined Jesus whose mother was a camel.

At least I have some material for the newsletter I’ll never get around to write…

Oh well. There’s always next year.

Hanne Bonczoszek is a writer of short stories and literary fiction. Hanne lives in Salisbury with her husband, her two children and a Cockapoodle named Enzo. Her first children’s book ‘Esther’s Invisible Grandma’ will be available in time for Christmas.

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Picky Eaters Photography: Millie Pilkington

Picky, fussy or just plain defiant? Rebeca Fletcher looks at the various ways in which to encourage children to be courageous with food.

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here’s nothing more soul destroying than spending ages cooking up a delicious meal from scratch, only for your Nigella-esque offerings to be rejected before even trying a mouthful. Sound familiar? Fussy eating is one of parenting life’s most frustrating episodes and we’ve all had our fair share of trying to cajole a picky eater at mealtimes. Whether it’s tantrums over broccoli or beans, stubbornness about eating meat or fish or refusing mashed potato, even the domestic goddess mummies amongst us will have suffered defeat at the hands of a fussy eater more than once.

Fussy eating often begins in toddlerhood. No sooner have you come to expect your little one to welcome the taste of new foods during weaning, parenting throws a veritable curve ball at you and your placid baby becomes a closed mouthed autocratic toddler who would rather starve than take a mouthful of your homemade fish pie. Frustrating as it is, fussy eating at this stage of your child’s development is usually just a phase. Experts say that it’s the fear of something new and toddlers are likely to eat mostly what they already know as this is a safer option. Giving your child the chance to experience first-hand that new things don’t have to be scary by eating together will help towards overcoming

any pickiness at this tricky stage.

But what happens when the fussy eating phase lasts beyond the toddler years? We all want our children to eat well, have a balanced diet and develop good eating habits. Mealtimes should be an enjoyable time for all the family, not a battleground. So what do you do if your child really won’t eat anything?

Advice from healthcare professionals on the subject of fussy eaters encourages parents and carers to try not to focus on what a child may or may not eat at a particular sitting. Try not to get hung up on individual meals within the day - think about your child’s weekly intake instead. That way, it takes the pressure off and you’re more likely to see the small gains rather than the big losses. If you are worried about a child’s weight gain, then seeking advice from your family GP is the best place to start.

One of the most common tips when trying to encourage children to eat a more varied diet is to enlist their help when it comes to preparing food or choosing meals. Family food gurus, Annabel Karmel and Jamie Oliver, both swear by this tip. Meal preparation may get a bit messier when little hands are involved but cooking is fun and the chance to be involved in their own meals may be the impetus they need to give different foods a try.

Why not create your takeaway favourites at home? Homemade burgers and pizzas are easy to make and something all the family can enjoy.

Make it colourful – healthy eating is all about eating the rainbow. Explore the fruit and vegetable aisle in the supermarket together. Choose something for every colour and create your own rainbow at home.

We underestimate the importance of being good role models when it comes to food. Mealtimes are a great way to instil healthy eating habits. Don’t cook separate meals for the children – make a meal which you can all eat together whenever possible. If your child sees you enjoying foods they haven’t tried before, they might be more likely to give a few mouthfuls a go.

Another suggestion is to try growing your own food. There’s no need for a big garden. It’s amazing what you can harvest from the kitchen windowsill with a handful of fast growing salad seeds or a few potted herbs from the supermarket. Picking and planting are great ways to get your kids involved in what goes into their food.

Cookbook Credits

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From smiley faced sandwiches to dinosaurs with sausages and mash, storytelling with food can help to encourage children to eat vegetables, try new foods or just make mealtimes a bit more fun.

Anyone who’s read Lauren Child’s I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato will know the power of telling a good story - it can turn carrots into orange twiglets from Jupiter.

Blitz that veg to sneak in more of your five-a-day into dishes.

Adding cooked hidden vegetables into pasta sauces, soups or making smoothies or milkshakes with fresh fruit will ensure that your child is getting that added goodness without even noticing it.

Most importantly of all, be patient. Don’t expect to go from zero to sampling 100 new foods all in one day. After all, children’s likes and dislikes change frequently – just look at how often they change their minds about favourite toys or things they like to do. The key is not to get disheartened. Perseverance and encouragement will pay off in the long run and if broccoli still isn’t a winner at age 16, then at least green beans might have made it onto the list!

Mr and Mrs Wilkinson's - How it is at home

by Matt Wilkinson & Sharlee Gibb

he Mr and Mrs Wilkinson's How it is at Home cookbook, is for every family. Chef Matt and wife Sharlee showcases their direct approach to how things really are in their family. This isn’t an aspirational guide to creating the perfect home-cooked meals; this is a book to help build up a repertoire of go-to dishes that are guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s face - with little fuss or cost.

Taking you through the day, from morning to night, the book offers everyday dishes that their little ‘hooligans’ enjoy. Start the day with a selection of fresh juices and Thin or Fat Pancakes, sneak some veg into everyone’s lunchboxes with Pumpkin Scones and Chocolate & Beetroot Muffins and serve up a simple bowl of Chicken & Miso Noodle Salad or sweet and savoury Chicken, Pineapple & Bacon Skewers for a quick weekend lunch.

Hungry mouths can snack on Smashed Cannellini Beans & Veggie Sticks or for a fun Sunday afternoon, bake Plum Jam Drops which only take 10 mins in the oven. Smoked Salmon, Lemon and Avocado Wraps make great portable food for picnics along with a zesty Orange Yoghurt Cake or pack more flavour into your weeknights with Matt’s ‘build your own’ Bibimbap.

With tips on preparation and planning, essential ingredients for the storecupboard, fridge and freezer, last minute dinner suggestions that take between 20-40 minutes and great ways to use leftovers, this cookbook is the family go-to book for easy recipes to satisfy the whole family. £25 amazon.co.uk

Cook Clean with Kate by Kate Sandat

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ook Clean with Kate has been created for busy families with the fussiest of eaters in mind. It is filled with over 100 healthy, gluten-free recipes for busy mums and dads who want the best for their children.

Parenting can be a hectic, full-on job and the thought of slaving over a hot stove for hours is a big ‘no no’ in Kate’s book. Split into different categories, Cook Clean with Kate features no-aggravation ‘mid-week winners’ such as Smokey Tomato Chicken for those that need quick but nutritious weekday meals with recipes that just take a little longer found in the ‘weekend wonders’ section.

As a mum of three, Kate really gets that many children don’t like the taste of ‘healthy’, so in the recipe book, you will find plenty of treats your children will

relish but won’t leave them bouncing off the walls.

Breakfast can be really difficult if you are looking for healthy, nourishing ideas for children. Cook Clean with Kate has a whole chapter devoted to the start of the day with quick and easy breakfast recipes to keep picky children full up for longer so they can concentrate at school - with not a sugary cereal or westernstyle, gluten-filled breakfast choice in sight! Kate’s Chocolate Protein Pancakes are a favourite and a great way to start the children off for a demanding day at school.

Lots of Kate’s recipes can be altered by adapting the vegetables and spices to work with your children’s taste buds and you will find lots of handy tips throughout.

There’s plenty of variation to encourage

picky kids (and grown ups!) of all ages to eat nutritious and delicious food. Far from being just another healthy cookbook, Cook Clean with Kate could well become your new family kitchen bible! £19.99 cookcleanwithkate.com

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Food

GLORIOUS Food

Festive Treats

Iconic Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain unveils her second children’s book after the success of her first book. a finalist for the Children’s Book of the Year category of the British Book Industry Awards

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adiya's Bake Me a Festive Story™ was published in Autumn 2017 containing 30 recipes, alongside stories that are a mix of Nadiya’s take on the traditional, plus original stories by Nadiya herself. Families can enjoy them together throughout the year, but particularly during the Christmas holiday season. Combining playful photography of Nadiya and her three children, with vibrant illustrations from Clair Rossiter, the book will be a celebration of the joy of sharing food and stories.

Here's a sneaky peak at one of the recipe to expect within the book. £14.99 amazon.co.uk

Doughnut Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients - Butter for greasing - 6 jam doughnuts, cut in half horizontally to make two circles - 200ml whole milk - 300ml double cream - 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste - 40g caster sugar 3 large eggs -1 tsp icing sugar

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his is the perfect treat to curl up with on cold winter days. It’s warm and custardy and oh-so comforting for your tummy. A little bowl of this rich pudding will go a long way! Serves 8-10.

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reheat the oven to 170°C fan/gas mark 5. Generously grease a 23cm square dish. Lay out the doughnuts with the jam facing up. Add the milk, cream, vanilla, sugar and eggs to a jug and give it all a good whisk. Pour the mixture over the doughnuts, gently pressing them down so

New Year’s Eve Puff Pastry Tart

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crumptiously comforting sausages wrapped in crisp, puff pastry. Add to this crumbly goat’s cheese, caramelised onion chutney and cooked, sweet baby beetroots to make an mmm-inducing tart perfect for a buffet supper on New Year’s Eve. Ingredients - 1 packet MOR Pork, Beetroot & Bramley Apple Sausages - 250g puff pastry - 2 medium red onions, (300g) thickly sliced - 2 cooked baby beetroots, coarsely grated - 100g goat’s cheese - 2 tbsp caramelised onion chutney - 1 tbsp flour - 1 tbsp rapeseed oil Basil leaves for garnish - Serves: 6.

they are submerged. Put the dish to one side for 30 minutes, so the doughnuts can soak up the mixture. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the centre of the pudding is slightly wobbly. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Dust with the icing sugar before serving.

Nadiya’s Tip: I used 6 large doughnuts, but some supermarkets sell smaller ones. If yours are small, you might like to use 8-10 doughnuts instead of 6.

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reheat the oven to 200°C. Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry into a 25cm x 24cm piece, trimming the edges with a sharp knife. Score a 2.5cm border from the edge of the pastry, then use a fork to prick all over the pastry on the inside of the border. Leave the pastry to rest in the refrigerator on a baking sheet covered in cling film. While the pastry’s resting, cook the sausages as per pack instructions, until they are a lovely light golden brown. Gently fry the sliced onion in the rapeseed oil for 10 minutes until softened (but not browned). Next add the grated beetroot to the softened onion and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Take the pastry from the fridge, spread the chutney up to the border line, and top with the onion, beetroot mix and sausages. Place in the oven and cook for 18 to 20 minutes. When the pastry’s perfectly risen and golden brown, it’s ready to go.

Using oven gloves, carefully turn the tart onto a serving plate.

Crumble over the goat’s cheese and garnish with a few fresh basil leaves. Slice into 6 pieces and there – you’re done! Tarts are easy when you don’t mind cheating a little on the pastry. morfood.co.uk.

Chef’s tips: If you don’t fancy goat’s cheese, feta or mozzarella work just as well. For a bigger bite, swap the goat’s cheese and basil for blue cheese and walnuts.

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CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

Little Aurelia from multi award-winning Aurelia Probiotic Skincare have created a BioOrganic, luxury skincare to nurture and support little one’s wellbeing. Designed for babies and young children, Little Aurelia blends gentle yet effective botanical ingredients with soothing essential oils to help calm and settle childern at bath and bed times. Pictured is the Woodland Friends Gift Suitcase for the ultimate treasured present. £150. aureliaskincare.com/littleaurelia Another offering is the Professor Scrubbington’s range, specifically designed to meet the needs of young people who want to take charge of their own bath time. By empowering children to wash themselves in a fun, simple and effective way with the magic foaming action you can entice even the most accomplished soap dodgers into the shower. Available to buy from selected Boots and Waitrose stores and from Ocado, Amazon, or directly via scrubbingtons.com £3.99.

JOLLY GOOD

Local mother and now furniture designer Fiona Jolly builds beautiful hand made tables and benches for little ones aged 2–10 years. Every piece is hand made from solid wood and are available in two lengths with a smaller sister table - The London. And now gorgeous french stools, a cool range of super fun printed cushions, framed prints and pom poms all in exquisite pastel shades. The entire range is hand made in Wiltshire where Fiona lives with her family, along with two dogs, a cat and four horses. reasonstobejolly.com

WINTER WARMERS

As the seasons change, Star 51 are providing an extra warm layer for kids this winter.

In beautiful rich and dusky shades, luxury is poured into every piece of these garments, from the fabrics to the manufacture. This is what makes Star 51 a special gem for truly British inspired, head turning pieces. Check them out at: star51.co.uk

DRESS TO IMPRESS

Shopetino is a new lifestyle store for children up to the age of eight, offering luxury clothing, accessories and interiors, at affordable prices. From a new wardrobe for your child, to finding the perfect outfit or stylish gift for a newborn, the ideal destination space for parents and gifters alike has to be Shopetino.

To celebrate the new launch Shopetino are offering Country Child Readers the chance to WIN an outfit from one of their gorgeous brands – Carlie Grace.

For a chance to WIN the Charlotte dress

by Carlie Grace (pictured) which is an easy to wear classic with the cutest ruffle (size18-24 mths) simply email your contact details to info@ countrychild. co.uk by the 31st December! shopetino.com

POM POM POM POM...

This furry pom pom ring will add a touch of luxury to any outfit, for young or old. Eight different colours and only £6 from Hampshire accessory style gurus: boho-betty.co.uk

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Home Education PhotograPhy: Millie Pilkington

Home Schooling is on the rise. Country Child's Miranda Avis met with some home schooling families to find out more…

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hoosing the right school for your child is far from easy. There are many factors to take into consideration and, as a consequence, parents admit to finding the whole experience intensely stressful. Furthermore, when you’ve eventually settled on the school of choice, there is no guarantee that your offspring will actually be offered a place. As a result, parents up and down the country are electing to remove their children from the education system, in favour of home schooling.

The number of children being home schooled in England has doubled in the past six years alone. According to figures provided by 86 Local Education Authorities across England and Wales, “nearly 30,000 children were educated at home in the 2016/2017 academic year, which represents a 97% increase since 2011, when just 15,135 pupils were classified as home taught."

Parents are citing reasons such as bullying, lifestyle and dissatisfaction with their catchment schools for taking the decision to home school their children. Parents, Jonty and Michaela Crabtree removed their eight-year-old son, Max, from school last year; “Home schooling Max was never ever on our agenda!” Michaela explains “and for the first few years of school he seemed to be coping well, and enjoyed spending time with his peers. But then something changed and he began to lose interest and started to say things like “School is boring. I don’t want to learn anymore.” He’s a bright, inquisitive child and we didn’t want him to become bored and unfulfilled by his education; after all, children spend a huge amount of time at school. We made what felt like a momentous decision at the time to home school him and we literally haven’t looked back. For our family, it has been a thoroughly enriching and enjoyable experience to date.”

For many parents, the opportunity to home school affords them a more flexible life; term times and school holidays are no longer an issue, which means that for people like Sarah Davies and her six-year-old daughter, Elodie, overseas travel is now a possibility; “I’ve been able to show Elodie parts of the world I never thought we’d have an opportunity to visit. Her childhood and personal development is so much richer as a result of her being home schooled. She’s been able to witness other cultures and ways of life, first hand!”

Home schooling families aren’t beholden to follow the National Curriculum, instead the Education Act simply specifies that “parents have to ensure their children receive an education, but the exact method, and content of that education is not made explicit, except that it has to be suitable for a child’s age, aptitude and ability.” In fact, many families in the UK elect not to use any curriculum at all, opting instead to follow and expand upon their child’s own interests and learning style. Not only is the internet awash with lesson formats, assessments, worksheets and curriculum programmes, but there are also home schooling experts on hand to offer advice and support to families on the

home schooling journey.

Peer interaction is, understandably, a huge part of school life and some experts believe that home schooling denies a child this vital facet of their development. Whilst fellow home schooling families can arrange to meet up and go on trips together, is this really enough? Claudia Rowntree, mum of nine-year-old twin girls, believes so; “We are forever meeting up with other families.

The twins have a great social life, far better than mine, and are keen hockey and netball players. They play in the local orchestra and are members of our local drama group. Yes, I have to make sure that we co-ordinate diaries with other home schooling mums, which can take a bit of effort, but I genuinely don’t feel like my girls are missing out socially whatsoever.”

With education funding being cut and over-subscribed schools seemingly forever on the rise, it would appear that home schooling is now a veritable contender when it comes to considering the education of our future generations.

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or those interested in finding out more about home schooling, there are lots of fantastic online resources available. Here are a few websites, which offer some sound advice: The Education Otherwise site provides information and resources for home educating families and those considering home education for the first time, including guidance on home education and the law, SEN and disabilities; downloadable fact sheets covering many aspects of HE; and links to local HE groups across the UK. educationotherwise.org This informative government-run site, talks through the legalities of home schooling, with advice on support groups and educational resources. gov.uk/home-education The fabulous forum that is mumsnet is a great place to turn to when contemplating many child-related topics. Home schooling is discussed in depth on this site, with lots of great, free advice on offer. mumsnet.com

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Puppy Love Photography: Millie Pilkington

Miranda finally gives in to the yearn for a puppy and with three children already, one more dependant can't be that hard... can it?

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y husband and I have been having the “should we get a dog?” chat for a while now. When I say ‘a while’ I actually mean, years. I’ll give you a classic scenario; we’d be spending a day on the beach when a handsome dog would bound past us, full of the joys, and we’d find ourselves looking at each with the ‘should we, shooould we?’ look in our eyes. But, for years that’s as far as we got – for one reason or another, we never made it past first base on the puppy purchase front.

Well, that is until a month ago. You see, a month ago everything changed in the Avis household. Yes, we finally bit the bullet (or, in this case, a juicy bone!) and joined the 11 million pet owning households in the UK, and we bought ourselves a puppy. It all happened incredibly fast and, as it turns out, there was next to no planning involved. In a nutshell, a friend of mine posted a picture on her Instagram account of a bundle of four edible, fluffy cockapoo puppies with the heading “puppies for sale” and my heart ruled my head. A serious and mature (ahem!) family discussion ensued, namely with the kids shrieking, “Can we, Mummy? Can we? Can we? Pleeeeease, Daddy, pleeeeease” and we hopped in the car to go and choose, I mean ‘just look at’ the little cuddly canines.

Now, owning a dog isn’t a completely alien concept to either myself or my husband; as a farmer’s daughter, I’ve been brought up surrounded by an eclectic menagerie of animals from peacocks and pot-bellied pigs to guinea fowl, goats and the most stubborn pony you’ve ever met.

But, as I found myself shaking hands

with the puppy’s breeder, it suddenly felt like we were closing a pretty big deal, you know, ‘sweaty palms big’ - up there with signing the mortgage contract. I mean, a dog is not just for Christmas, folks… this was the real deal and, god willing Bear (he’s brown and looks like a…well, you can guess!) will be part of our family for many moons to come. So, we drove away, (kids beyond ecstatic, husband and I excited and nervous in equal quantity) and immediately started to discuss where he’d sleep, who would do the first dog walk and whether we should go with a squeaky toy or a fluffy toy or, to hell with it, maybe both!

The weeks passed and Bear’s collection day was suddenly upon us. With a shiny water bowl, fleecy blanket, packet of doggie treats and a picture of our house drawn for Bear by our four-year-old, we headed off to pick up the sixth member of our family.

I’d been warned by my dog-owning friends that the first night was likely to be noisy and, oh brother, little Bear didn’t disappoint. Yep, let’s just say he gave his vocal chords a workout during the early hours and, hard as it was, we stood firm and, unlike my sister’s new puppy, Bear didn’t make it into our bed! In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that bad; the kids slept through and we had industrial ear plugs, bought in anticipation of this very event.

Day three and I started to question what on earth was I thinking getting a puppy; it felt like I’d acquired a fourth child, except this one couldn’t wear a nappy and didn’t understand the house rule, “remove your shoes before coming inside, please!” How

was I going to keep sane during the wet, soggy winter days when Bear wouldn’t want to leave the house to relieve himself in the garden, especially when there was the cosy living room carpet for just that?

I called my friend, Chrissie, and with a quivering bottom lip, told her I feared I’d made a huge, impulsive error. “Rubbish, Miranda!” came the reply I needed to hear.

“Give it time; he’s a puppy for goodness sake. Stick with it. It’ll all come good in a matter of weeks and it’s just great for your kids to grow up with a dog.”

And she was right. Thanks to Bear we’ve been on more family walks in the past month than ever before and watching our boys gallivant across the fields with him in tow is a sight we’ll never tire of.

To date, the children are taking a real interest in Bear’s welfare; helping to feed him, fighting over who leads him along the pavement and drying him off when he’s come in from a soggy walk. They appreciate that he needs his own space and are (slowly!) learning the virtue of patience – “Can we play with Bear yet?” has replaced “Can we watch some TV?” I’m conscious that he’s the only pooch in our family so we regularly meet up with friends; both two legged and four, to ensure he grows up happy in the company of other dogs. And, we’re yet to take him to puppy classes, but we’re on the waiting list!

I think it’s surprised us all just how quickly we’ve fallen in love with this brown, furry bundle of fun. And if you’re reading this and contemplating getting a puppy then I’d say “Go for it!”….but don’t forget the ear plugs!

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Credit Canterbury Travel

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the Family Wish list

Our once in a lifetime family bucket list experiences, are what memories are made of. out londontheatredirect.com for the up and coming, current and new shows. or the simplest of memories don your winter warmers and head out on a clear dark night to look up at the cosmos. Aided by a flask of tea (or hot toddy for the parents) you'll be able to spot some of the astronomical wonders bound to have a profound effect on any young minds. chasingstars.org.uk has some organised star gazing evenings in and around Dorset and Wiltshire this season. ake to the skies for the family that lives for adrenaline. Consider flying lessons or an experience with the team at Compton Abbas, near Salisbury comptonabbasairfield.co.uk.

The whole family could also organise a charity parachute jump and to get in some practice visit the sky dive simulators at iflyworld.co.uk Don't forget there is always the terrifying but amazing thrill of a bungee jump or a ride in a hot air balloon, which could see the whole family floating in the clouds. or the eco warriors amongst us there are plenty of tour operators offering volunteers a chance to help you do your bit for the world’s wildlife. From family trips to Costa Rica to help aid turtles being released, to rehabilitating mistreated elephants in Thailand. So, consider travelling responsibly for the ultimate family memory maker with responsibletravel.com e all have the infamous bad dancer in the family, so why not give this family member a helping hand by taking group family dance lessons. With the ever popular Strictly Come Dancing in its 15th series, the trend shows no sign of slowing down. It's also a great way to have some collective family fun, learn a new skill and get fitter all at the same time. he new craze for families and with lots more venues to choose from popping up; outside cinemas are a must. Book a classic film showing, from Grease to Harry Potter at venues such as Lulworth Castle or Marlborough College for 2018. It just has to be done.

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hen you think about ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences then holidays undoubtedly feature highly on the list! So, heading over to Lapland to visit the North Pole should definitely be top of yours! Hitch a ride with some husky dogs, visit Santa in his grotto, enjoy some tobogganing and maybe even meet Rudolf!

For parents there is also the chance to catch a glimpse of the famous Northern Lights if you visit at the right time. southamptonairport.com/lapland s a close second or even at the top of the list is a trip to Disneyland Paris.

There’s nothing quite like the look on the little one’s faces when they realise that they get to meet all their favourite characters and spend time at the most magical place in the world. With daily flights to Paris from Southampton Airport, it’s never been easier or quicker to get to Disney. southamptonairport.com/paris or the emotional feel good factor, sending a message in a bottle to an unknown recipient could enter the family into a realm of new beginnings - many a pen pal has been created this way. Or perhaps bury a time capsule to uncover in years to come when the family starts to expand, then look back on old memories made and born. favourite for all the family would be to book in to see a good west end musical. This winter you can catch the ever popular and highly regarded Lion King, Wicked, Thriller and the new musicals BFG and Matilda. Check

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he ultimate family holiday that dreams are made of has to be the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru resort in the Maldives. A pure paradise setting offering 5 star luxury in a choice of over 100 beautiful thatched beach and water villas.

With a selection of restaurants, a spa and Ayurvedic retreat, as well as plenty of water and land based activities, there is plenty to keep all ages of the family occupied and happy! The Maldivian Manta Ray project is based at the island's Marine Discovery Centre and gives guests the unique chance to go out with experts to observe these incredible sea creatures. The Discovery Centre also organises dolphin and whale shark watching trips.

For the younger children, there is a Kids for All Seasons activity programme and for teenage guests the Majaa Maizan is a young adults centre with pool, table tennis, table football, access to the Internet and a large plasma screen TV to watch movies. Prices from £11,000 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children under the age of 12. tropicbreeze.co.uk

Sample price includes flights, transfers and 7 nights’ half board based on a family sharing a Beach Bungalow with Pool.

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here are so many possibilities when it comes to family safaris in Africa.

Deciding upon the perfect African adventure for your family is dependent on a number of factors – considering a tailor made safari is certainly one option to look at.

Little Garonga and Machangulo Beach lodge together make a fantastic 10 night combination of a private reserve in South Africa and a stunning beach in Southern Mozambique offering a great combination of luxury, exclusivity, and value. 4 nights in the Hambleden Suite, a two-bedroom unit with its own pool and your own private guide for game viewing. Then 6 nights at Machangulo, in a fantastic two-bedroom villa with your own pool. This rustic but gorgeous property in an incredible location brings a luxury Robinson Crusoe feel to the itinerary. Ideal for the summer holidays. thesafarispecialists.co.uk

Sample price: £13,750 for a family of 4 in July 2018, price is excluding international flights

Whatever you choose, make it memorable.

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Inside Out

Build Big at BRICKLIVE

Things to do Places to go

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ot off the heels of channel 4's succesful LegoMasters series, the ultimate interactive LEGO® adventure; BRICKLIVE is returning to London's prestigious, Saatchi Gallery with its first ever festive special, BRICKLIVE Christmas.

From LEGO® Christmas decorations to a dedicated Star Wars Zone, visitors can expect an interactive brick filled experience, for both children and their parents to explore.

The Christmas zone will invite visitors to help build a giant three-metre LEGO® mosaic, along side the Creative zone which will inspire kids to make their mark on the 24-metre graffiti wall. Kids (and adults too) will also have the opportunity to build their own wheeled creations, for adrenaline fuelled, ramp races.

Ahead of the release for Star Wars: The Last Jedi this December, visitors can take a trip through time with a historical display of previous official LEGO® Star Wars sets, a never before seen a six-foot long super star destroyer fleet and other amazing fan creations at the Galactic Adventure zone.

Promising another LEGO® favourite, the Minecraft zone allows visitors to create their own models and of course, play the game itself on Minecraft consoles.

Only £17 for a family ticket!

Now on until 8 Jan 2018 bricklivechristmas.com

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armer Tree Christmas Fair takes place in the first weekend of December with the friday evening showcasing Abbey Primary School's Choir entertaining visitors with charming renditions of modern and classic festive songs and carols. As well as the many traders and the in-house caterers providing festive delights, keep the children entertained with Mr Merlin and Okey Dokey the Dragon performances. Tickets to be booked in advance at £3 per child. Meet the Alpaca Adventures and birds of prey from Hawks in the Forest too! Each year the event supports local charities and for 2017, SERVE Wessex, the volunteer blood bikers for Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire have been chosen. larmertree.co.uk

Festive Family Fun

rom Santa Specials to storytelling and stable animals – there’s a complete cornucopia of Christmas events to enjoy at Moors Valley Country Park and Forest this winter.

Alongside traditional favourites like Christmas crafts, carol singing and a pantomime, new attractions include stable animals to meet and the opportunity to make memories with a special family photograph featuring a white falcon or owl, adding to a programme of events especially created to provide family fun at Moors Valley Country Park this winter.

The fun begins on the first weekend of December as The Old Fairy Godmother weaves storytelling magic as she decorates her tree for a rather special visitor.

It’s all aboard the Santa Special from Saturday 9 December.

The Moors Valley Railway trips to visit Santa in his station grotto are hugely popular featuring presents for children and adults with elves providing seasonal refreshments.

There’s no need to book to enjoy the stable animals in the forest shelter this Christmas. Longdown Dairy Farm is bringing some of its animals to Moors Valley on Sundays 10 and 17 Dec. Moors Valley Rangers are still adding to the list of events this year so there is more to come. To book, or for full details of any event go to moors-valley.co.uk

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Cool Coasting

very year Bournemouth International Centre hosts the biggest indoor seasonal ice rink The Cool Coast Ice Rink in the Purbeck Hall is the only one of its kind on the South Coast.

The perfect fun all-weather activity for over the winter months and suits all ages of the family! For little ones there are the pre-bookable skate mates and a seperate kids area, so no one is left out.

They also offer Fire on Ice DJ nights which are extended sessions with one of the Fire Radio DJs. Special dates are: 18 Dec, 18 Jan and a valentine’s special on 14 Feb! Open from 15 Dec to 17 Feb! To book visit: bhlivetickets.co.uk

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JANUARY

DECEMBER

PULL OUT EVENT GUIDE MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 Late night Christmas Shopping Kilver Court

2 Hawks in the Forest, Moors Valley Larmer Tree Christmas Fair Festive Food Fair & Family Saturday, Hauser and Wirth Dunster By Candlelight

3 Hawks in the Forest, Moors Valley Larmer Tree Christmas Fair Christmas Market, Digby Hall, Sherborne

4 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Gold Hill Fair, Shaftesbury

5 Christmas At Haynes International Motor Museum

6 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker Ballet Christchurch

7 Christmas at Kingston Lacy Frome Country Markets

8 Father Christmas visits Kilver Court

9 Hawks in the Forest, Moors Valley Father Christmas visits Kilver Court Taunton Candlelit Christmas Market The Great Pudding Stir, Wimborne Minster, Tiz the Season, Tisbury

10 Hawks in the Forest, Moors Valley Frome Santa Dash Meet the Reindeer Weekend, Upton Country Park

11 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

12 Christmas At Haynes International Motor Museum

13 Christmas Family Night Ride, Moors Valley Forde Abbey's White Christmas

14 Stargazing, Dulston Country Park, Cinderella at Poole Lighthouse Shepton Mallet Prison Ghost Tour

15 Forde Abbey's White Christmas Aladdin at the Tivoli Theatre til 1 Jan

16 Hawks in the Forest, Moors Valley Father Christmas visits Kilver Court Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Christmas at Paultons Breakfast with Santa, Cholderton Charlie's Farm Reindeer Making, Stour Valley Visitor Centre

17 Hawks in the Forest, Moors Valley Christmas at Paultons Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

18 Frozen Singalong Performance Dorchester Arts

19 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London

20 Christmas at Kingston Lacy Forde Abbey's White Christmas Victorian Christmas at Beaulieu

21 Christmas At Haynes International Motor Museum

22 Cinderella at Poole Lighthouse Christmas at Paultons Victorian Christmas at Beaulieu

23 Santa’s Grotto At The Museum Of Somerset Wells Cathedral Carol Services Christmas Mini Market, Christchurch Longleat Festival of Light

24 Wells Cathedral Carol Services Christmas Trail, Salisbury Cathedral

25 MERRY CHRISTMAS! Christmas Day Harbour Swim Sporting Weymouth Macmillan White Christmas Dip Boscombe

26Christmas at Kingston Lacy Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth

27 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Christmas Trail, Salisbury Cathedral

28 Cinderella at Poole Lighthouse Christmas Trail, Salisbury Cathedral

29 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Aladdin Pantomine, Tivoli Theatre

30 Jack and the Beanstalk, Salisbury Playhouse Longleat Festival of Light Christmas Trail, Salisbury Cathedral Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

31 Sherry & Mince Pie Special, Avon Valley Railway Hairspray Musicals, The Regent Ctr, Christchurch HAPPY NEW YEAR

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Sherry & Mince Pie Special At Avon Valley Railway Lyme Lunge, Lyme Regis

2 Cinderella at Poole Lighthouse Christmas Trail, Salisbury Cathedral

3 Jack and the Beanstalk, Salisbury Playhouse Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

4 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Jack and the Beanstalk, Salisbury Playhouse

5 Cinderella at Poole Lighthouse Jack and the Beanstalk, Salisbury Playhouse, Snow Mouse, Salisbury Arts Centre

6 Jack and the Beanstalk, Salisbury Playhouse Snow Mouse, Salisbury Arts Centre Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

7 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Weldmar Christmas Tree Collection: Dorchester Snow Mouse, Salisbury Arts Centre

8 Bricklive, Saatchi Gallery, London Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs De La Salle Theatre, Bournemouth

9 Antenatal Course, Frome Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs De La Salle Theatre, Bournemouth

10 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs De La Salle Theatre, Bournemouth

11 Treehouse Theatre Presents Snow White, Bournemouth Gateway Club Ltd

12 Murder Mystery Dinner, Orchardleigh Estate, Frome

13 Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs De La Salle Theatre, Bournemouth Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

14 Salisbury Epiphany Procession Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

15 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

16 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

17 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

18 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Stargazing, Cranbourne Chase Frome Country Markets

19 Ed Byrne Spoiler Alert, Cheese & Grain, Frome Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

20 Fun French/Spanish kids Club, Dorset Youth Association Discover Equine Facilitated Learning with Horses as Teachers, Treetops Farm, Bruton, Spring, Lighthouse Poole

21 Canine First Aid KD Grooming Studio Wincanton Little Pickles Market, Bournemouth

23 Cool 22 Reiki Share Coast Ice Rink, The Old School House, Shaftesbury Bournemouth

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25 Rock n Roll Beauty and The Beast, Octagon, Yeovil Frome Country Markets

26 Ladies Pamper Evening.

(Fundraising For Langefest 2018) Frome Rugby Football Club

27 Moonlight Winter Dog Series, Dorchester Rock n Roll Beauty and The Beast, Octagon, Yeovil

28 Canford Wedding Exhibition, Canford School Pimperne Potato Day, Blandford Forum

29 Winter Paddling 30 Hazlegrove Open Morning New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

31 Knighton House Open Working Mornings

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CALENDAR WINTER '17/18 TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 Wicked (UK Tour), Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

2 Red Riding Hood & the Wolf, Salisbury Playhouse

3 Hazlegrove Open Morning Annual Fun swim, Dorchester Sports Centre

4 Be Well & Beautiful Fair, Frome Memorial Theatre

5 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

6 Wicked (UK Tour), Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

7 Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester

8 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Frome Country Markets

9 Icons of the 80s - Go West, Nik Kershaw & Cutting Crew Bournemouth

10 Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester Snowdrop Study, Sale and Social Day, Shaftesbury. ABBA Forever Frome

11 Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester

12 HALF TERM Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

13 Cirque Enchantment Weymouth Pavillion Theatre The Gingerbread Man, Salisbury Playhouse Pottery Parlour Clay Days

14 Winter Challenge 2018, Dorchester Valentines Drive-In Movies, Wimborne The Gingerbread Man, Salisbury Playhouse Rebecca Ferguson, City Hall Salisbury

15 Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales, Bristol Old Vic Journey to the Impossible, Salisbury Playhouse Pottery Parlour Clay Days Stargazing, Cranbourne Chase

16 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester

17 Cool Coast Ice Rink, Bournemouth WHY Rock, Frome Town Football Club Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu Secret Postcard Art Sale, Messums Wiltshire

18 Combined Services Point to Point 10k Sika Run 2018, Wareham Dorset Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

19 Wicked (UK Tour), Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

20 Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester

21 Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester

22 The Script, Bournemouth International Centre Frome Country Markets

23 Wicked (UK Tour), Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

24 Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester Winter Paddling New Forest Activities, Beaulieu

25 The Savills Countryside Alliance Point to Point Day Wellness Retreat.

Bruton Community Hall

26 Dippy on Tour Dorset, County Museum Dorchester

27 X Factor Live Tour, BIC

28 Wicked (UK Tour), Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

FEBRUARY

MONDAY

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Toddler Timetable Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9-10.30 Scarecrows Pre School 9-11.30 Messy Church Toddler Group, 9-11 Leweston Pre-Prep, 9.30-11.30 Toddler Workshop, Shaftesbury Toddler Group Cheselbourne Child Okeford Com Centre Parent & Toddler Group Vlillage school Arts Centre and Toddler Tunes 9.30-11.30 Little Rascals Durweston toddlerworkshop.co.uk 9.30-11 Tummies, Tiddlers and Village Hall 9.30-11.30 Marnhull Baby Toddlers, St George’s Primary & Toddlers, Marnhull Village 9.30-11 Stay & Play, 9-11.30 Stower Vale Baby & Toddlers, School, Bourton Hall Tisbury Children’s Stower Provost School Hall Centre 9.30-11 Sandroyd Pre Prep 9.30-11 Stay and Play at 9.30-11.30 Pimperne B&T Group, Parent and Toddler Group Ludwell Primary School 9.45-11.30 Tiddlers & Village Hall Toddlers, Lecture Hall, 9.30-11.30 Jigsaw Toddler 10-11.15 Knighton House Mere 9.30-11.30 Play and Learn, Mere Group, Sturminster Newton School, Baby & Toddler Children’s Centre Methodist Church Group 9.30-11.30 Baby &

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Toddlers, Child Okeford Community Centre 10-11 Baby Gym, Motcombe Park Sport Centre

9.30-11.30 Piddle Valley Tiddlers, First School, TT

9.30-11.30 Little Cherubs Group, St Mary’s School Room, Gillingham

9.30-12 Bumps and Babes, Tisbury 9.30-11.30 Toddler Workshop Children’s Centre Shaftesbury Arts Centre 10-11 Baby Gym, Motcombe Park toddlerworkshop.co.uk 10-11.30 Monkey Sport Centre 9.45-10.30 Squirrels Sing & Doodle, Wylye Village 10.30-12 Bushy Tails Playtime, Dance, Hazlegrove Prep TT Hall, Wylye Clayesmore Emma and her Magic Bag 10-11 Emma & The Magic Bag 10.15-10.45 Rhyme Times, Gillingham Library Music, Shaftesbury Arts Centre 10-11 Messy Play, Youth Centre, Sturminster Newton 10-11.30 Toddler Time, 10-11 Music & Messy play Zeals 10-11.30am, Little Wrigglers Village Church Climb Aboard, West Congregational Church Stalbridge Stour 10-12 Toddler Group, 11.30-12.15 Pre-School Batcombe Jubilee Village Hall 10-12 Evercreatures, Evercreech Village Hall Ballet, TLW Dance 10.30-11.00 Baby & Toddler Shaftesbury 10-12 Caterpillars Parent & Toddler Rhyme & Story Time, Group, Fovant Rainbow Centre Wincanton Library 2-3.30 Stay n Play,

Community Kids Pre School, Bruton

10.30-11.15 Library Gets Lively, 10.30-12 Sunny Hill Prep Toddler Group, Bruton Sherborne Library

2.15-2.45 Rhyme Time, Warminster Library

2-2.30 Rhyme Time, Blandford 2-3.30 Squirrels P&T Group Hazlegrove TT Library

9.15-11.15 Bumps, Babes & Bigs Parent & Toddler Group, Okeford Fitzpaine Sch Hall 9.30-11 Sandroyd Pre Prep Swim & Play Baby, Toddler & Parent Session 9.30-11.30 Jigsaw Toddler Group, Sturminster Newton Methodist Church

10-11 Time Together Castle 9.30 Pre School Music, Just Dance, Wincanton.

Cary Primary School 10am Munchkins at Buckhorn Weston Village Hall

10-11.30 Friday Fun Cllub, Whitesheet Academy, Zeals 10-12 North Barrow P& T Grp, Village Hall

10-12 Motcombe Toddlers, Motcombe Memorial Hall 10-12 Toddler Stay and play, 10.15-10.45 Library Gets Lively, Gillingham Library

Shaftesbury Child Centre

9.30-10.15 Emma & The Magic Bag, St Andrew’s Primary School, 2-2.45 Tiny Tots Gymnastics, Fontmell

Tisbury Leisure Centre 2.30-3 Rhyme-time, Shaftesbury Library

11-12 Mini Movers at Tisbury Sports Centre 1-2.30pm Little Humphries Baby and Toddler Group, Holwell Nursery, Sherborne TT 2-3pm Bumps and Babies Mere Children’s Centre 2.30-3pm Story & Rhyme Time at Milborne Port Library

Library

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Blandford Dorchester Gillingham

10am-6.30pm 10am-5.30pm 10am-1pm

9.30am-5pm 9.30am-7pm 9.30am-6.30pm

Closed 9.30am-1pm Closed

9.30am-6.30pm 9.30am-5.30pm 9.30am-5pm

9.30am-4pm 9am-4pm 9.30am-4pm

Mere Milborne Port

10am-7pm Closed

9.30am-1pm Closed

9.30am-5pm Closed

Shaftesbury

10am-5pm

9.30am-5pm 9.30am-1pm 2-5.30pm 9.30am-5pm

Closed

9.30am-6.30pm

Stalbridge

2-5pm

12am-12.30pm

3.30pm-6.30pm

Sherborne

10am-7pm

10am-12.30pm 2-5pm 9.30am-1.30pm

9.30am-1pm 9.30am-7pm 9.30am6.30pm 9.30am-5pm 9.30am-1pm 2-5.30pm 9.30am12.30pm 2-5pm

Closed

9.30am-7pm

Sturminster Newton Tisbury

9.30am-12.30pm

2-5pm

Closed

2-5pm 5.30-7.30pm 9.30-1.30pm 2.30-5pm

Closed

10am-1pm

9.30-1.30pm 2.30-5pm

9.30am-1.30pm 2.30-5pm

10am-6.30pm 10am-7pm

9.30am-1pm 9.30am-5pm

Closed 9am-12.30pm

Wincanton Wimborne Warminster

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9-11 Little Preppers Parent and Toddler Group, Sherborne PrePrep

9.30am5.30pm 9.30am-12.30pm 2-5pm 2-6.30pm Closed 2-5pm 5.30-7.30pm Closed 9.30am 1.30pm 2.30-5pm 9.30am-6.30pm 9.30am-5pm 9.30am-7pm 9.30am-5pm

9.30am-1pm 9.30am12.30pm 9.30am-1pm 9.30am12.30pm 9.30am-4pm 9am-12.30pm Closed 9.30am-12pm 9.30am-4pm 9.30am-4pm

Inside Out Meet and Greet...

F

ather Christmas will once again be flying into the gardens at Kilver Court this December to meet and greet children and listen to their many Christmas wishes.

Follow the winding pathway around the gardens to find Father Christmas in his magical grotto, piled high with lots of lovely presents for the children.

This year, Father Christmas will be making a few stops, on three different days. 8, 9 & 16 Dec. Visit the website to book a slot. kilvercourt.com

The countdown begins... ... in Sturminster Newton with a daily dose of festive fun at 6pm. Various businesses within the town will unveil an advent offering each day leading us to Christmas Day. Go along to support the 24 businesses that have all worked so hard to put on a display for customers and residents. For the full list of where the reveal will be each day, visit the town's dedicated facebook page facebook.com/Christmas-in-Sturminster-Newton-2017-130091790922934/

Things to do Places to go

C

heck out Orchard Park which has all you need to make your Christmas one to remember. There is a great selection of home and tree decorations to choose from whether you’re a traditionalist or prefer something more contemporary. Don’t forget you can also order your delicious Christmas meat from Lagan Farm Shop, fresh from local farms to your festive table. Christmas lunch menu will also be available every Thursday throughout December in the Orchard Café.

Father Christmas is there three weekends before Christmas. Visitors will be able to wander through the Christmas trees, twinkly lights and magical decorations to Father Christmas’ grotto for a truly festive experience.

The Grotto costs £5 per child and each child will get a present from Father Christmas before they leave.

For more information see orchardpark.biz.

Trust your instincts

I

f you’re looking for somewhere special to escape the crowds this Christmas and celebrate festive traditions, look no further than the National Trust. The multiple historic houses in and around the area are filled with hand-crafted decorations, twinkling lights and fresh winter greenery. Gardens and countryside are transformed into beautiful winter landscapes.

At Mompesson House in Salisbury, ‘The Christmas House’ will show you how Mompesson’s previous inhabitants celebrated the festive season, right up to the 1970s in the library. Beautiful floral and winter foliage decorations dress parts of the house, and you’ll find delicious mince pies and mulled wine in the drawing room. There's a fun festive trail for kids too. Until 17 Dec. For outdoor entertainment the trusts first New Forest School Christmas Special will see little ones getting stuck into all sorts of nature-themed Christmas gift-making, from wooden reindeer to bird feeders and other natural gifts. However if you’re looking for some pre-Christmas outdoor family fun but without the festive element, their weekly Forest School sessions give kids a great introduction to loads of nature-inspired activities including den-building, woodwork and outdoor cooking, topped off with a dash of storytelling. 21 Dec and booking essential on 01794 344020. Suitable upto 5 years.

All the information on prices and times can be found here: nationaltrust.org.uk

STARGAZING DATES 2018

O

rganised by Chasing Stars these events start at 7pm and cost £5 each with no charge for children. 18 January, Bishopstone Village Hall (SP5 4AA)  15 February, Ansty Pick Your Own (SP3 5PX)  15 March, Sutton Veny Village Hall (BA12 7AP) Bookings essential 01725 517417 or info@cranbornechase.org.uk. For more information on stargazing log on to chasingstars.org.uk

27

Unlock your child’s potential with our expertly led singing, dancing and acting classes for 4 - 18 year olds.

Find out more today: stagecoach.co.uk/shaftesbury shaftesbury@stagecoach.co.uk 01305 777308 or call Di on 07947104368

Creative Courage For Life Stagecoach Performing Arts is the trading name of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited. Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals. Stagecoach and Creative Courage For Life are registered trademarks of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited.

Car servicing & MOT’s from a name you already trust • FREE COLLECTION AND DELIVERY (Shaftesbury area only subject to T&Cs) • Online MOT booking system • Air conditioning and engine diagnostics specialist

SQUARE MOTORS

Tel: 01747 852295

www.fivesquaremotors.boschauto.co.uk For MOTs - www.motshaftesbury.co.uk

Tops Gillingham Happy, nurturing care, for the hours you need

• • • •

3 months – 5 years old Extra-curricular activities available Flexible hours – book to the nearest 15 mins Afterschool and holiday club for 5-8 year olds

Middlefield House, Marlott Road, Gillingham SP8 4FA

Tel: 01747 835533 www.topsdaynurseries.co.uk

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TOLLARD RD D ROYAL AL, SALISBURY RY Y, SP5 5PY PY Y

Fridayy 1st 1sst s t Dec December c mb cem m r 6.00pm 6 m - 9 9.00pm pm m

SSaturday a turda ay 2 ay 2nd nd & Sunday n Sun 3rd d 10.00am m - 4 4.00pm . 00pp m __________ __

Magical child children’s dren n s sh shows ho by

Mr Merlin & Okey Dokey the Dragon on book tickets in advance

__________

Festive shopping, shopping fo ffood od d &m musical usical entertainment entertainment for ffo or a allllll tto o enjoy enjoy __________ __ _____________ Supporting g SERV V Wessex Wessse ex e x vvolunteer o l u n t e e r blood b l o od bikers for fo orr o Hampshire, H a m p s h i r e , Dorset Dor & Wiltshire re

__________ __

Adults ts - £4.oo, 4.oo, Seniors Seniorrrss - £ £3.oo, 3.oo, Underr 12 12’ 2’ss - Fr Free ree Ent Entrance tr ce includes complimentary welcome drink nk

Show and Tell Book Now

What the Dicken's

S

pend an evening in the company of a mean, tight-fisted, squeezing, grasping, clutching old miser. Bah! Watch horrified as Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by four creepy ghosts (wooo-oooh) each one more terrifying than the last. Bah! 14 & 15 Dec lighthousepoole.co.uk

A guide to local live entertainment

Juggling Act

F

February's Favourites

S

alisbury Playhouse is an arts and educational charity and one of Britain’s leading producing theatres, with a national reputation for home-grown work of the highest quality that attracts audiences from across Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset and beyond.

In the Salberg theatre for early 2018 there will be host of plays and shows to keep all the family entertained.

Red Riding Hood & the Wolf A Little Angel Theatre production is on 2 and 3 Feb. The Gingerbread Man, Theatre Fest West and A Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company production is showing on 13 and 14 Feb. Journey to the Impossible, Theatre Fest West and A Little Soldier production is solely on the 15 Feb. For more information check out the website salisburyplayhouse.com.

F

rom the writer and director of hit pantomime shows Aladdin and Cinderella, comes Jack and the Beanstalk, another fun-filled pantomime for all the family. Join Jack on a magical adventure up the beanstalk this Christmas.

Bookings still being taken including a Relaxed Performance on Thursday 4 Jan 18. 2 Dec to 7 Jan salisburyplayhouse.com

Find your Prince at Moors Valley

A

different sort of animal stars in the Moors Valley pantomime this Christmas.

‘The Frog Prince’ hops in to the Park on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 December courtesy of Forest Forge and Bumblefly Theatre.

Expect madcap humour with a sprinkling of magic to get you singing all the way home. The fun starts at 6.30pm and booking is essential via the website moors-valley.co.uk

rom the iconic Gandini Juggling, Spring is a kaleidoscopic, colourful and virtuosic production and a philosophical reflection of the nature of colour and how we perceive it, combining dazzling circus skills with gorgeous choreography and a vibrant new score.

Gandini Juggling starts at 7.45pm on 20 Jan lighthousepoole.co.uk

29

T

KIDZONE

DORSET WINNER!

Winter by Jennifer Allen (11)

Trees standing like soldiers to attention surround me, reaching out with gnarled fingers to stroke me. Grab me. Scratch me. Whispers stalk me. The grey wind snatches at my hair, smothers my sobs.

Frosty leaves crunch under my feet and snow crystals land on my skin.

“Come on,” I say to myself. “Keep walki ng. It’ll warm you up. Of cour se there are no spirits in these woods…”

The chill wind sends shivers up my spine . Not from cold, but from the still presence in the air. It’s the same effec t as always. I notice things and things notice me: a pocket of cold air, whispers no one else can hear…

I wrap my thin jacket around me. “You could have chosen something warmer, ” I mutter to myself. “If you must go wand ering in the woods on your own in the middle of winter. What were you think ing?”

The raw air forms a chilling twister arou nd me. They’re back again then: the winter spirits, desperate to be heard . I close my eyes and sift through the clamouring voices to find the closest one. Instantly, the cacophony dies down ; there is just one whisper. One pair of freezing white eyes staring with solem nity out of the darkness…

I turn abruptly and catch a glimpse of a white hand disappearing into the tangl e of naked trees. I stumble back, struck by terror yet fascination. The spirits neve r make themselves visible. Eyes. Really close to me again. Within touching distance.

A presence. I don’t want to turn arou nd but I know that I will; that I have to.

Two icy eyes, translucent white skin stretc hed over a thin skull. I scream, but the sound never leaves my frozen lips. My breath chokes in my throat. I don’t wait for explanations. I run, eyes wide and hear t thumping in my chest like a bass drum .

I glance behind me. Nothing. Just the whispering trees.

I fall shivering from my bed onto my bedroom floor, and grope for the light switch. “Just another dream,” I tell myse lf. “I always dream in winter.”

I catch a glimpse of something in my peripheral vision, just a glimmer of white at the window. I feel something cold settle on my eyelashes. I turn to the mirro r– ice creeps over its surface. Icy eyes stare into mine.

The winter spirits have come to take me home.

Judge Olivia Tuffin Comments:

...I was hooked from the very first (beautifully written) line! It was very atmospheric with fantastic description, especially of the forest. I actually felt quite chilled whilst reading which is a mark of a super Author! I loved the mysterious and spooky ending – I want to know more about the winter spirits! Really excellent – well done!

SOMERSET WINNER!

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hank you to all who took part in our Short Story Winter writing competition... Here are the winning stories along with the runner ups who have all won Smiggle goodies, a framed story and their story published in our Winter Ediiton. The judges were so impressed with the overall winners story that they have also received a signed book of author Olivia Tuffin's new book - A Pony Called Secret.

We're sure you will agree we have some amazing budding authors!

Well done to you all!

Dorset Runner Up: The Snowgirl and The Snowcat by Annalise Pateman (9)

It was an amazing Christmas Eve. Everyone was snuggling up watching a Christmas movie in the living room. There was mum,dad, me and my twin sister Emily. " Time for bed you to," called mum in a very cheerful voice. " I can't wait for Christmas tomorrow!" Emily said in a happy voice.

So they went up the stairs to bed " night night you to," said mum kissing us on the cheek. So we went to bed very happily very happily, both of us at the same time whispered I really hope it snows.The next morning I shouted " it's snowing it's snowing," we raced out of bed , quickly opened our Christmas presents said thank you and put on our hats,scarves to play in the snow . We had a really fun time snowball fighting.

Next, Emily said " lets build a snowgirl!" but I said " know way I'm building a snowcat." So they both built there spectacular builds. " Wow I love them both." said Emily Then I said " I love my snowcat because I love cats there so cute." We rushed back inside and played with our toys. Later on, dad said " bedtime." We went upstairs and fell asleep.

2 hours later at 10 Pm I heard a someone coming up the stairs but I lay back down. Emily said " I here someone coming up the stairs lets have a look," so we did and guess who it was it was the snowgirl and the snowcat.

Emily and I followed them down the stairs into the living room and said " hello I thought snowgirls and snowcats weren't real!?!" "yes we are " they replied. We got along very well and played with some toys. hours went passed it was 5.30 Am " you need to go mum wakes up at six!" said Emily.

We said our goodbyes and went back to bed. In the morning, I woke up and said " don't tell mum about the snowgirl and the snowcat coming alive!" Emily laughed " What are you on about!" she replied. That was when I realized it was all a dream. But it was Christmas!!!

Unfortunately it was not snowing but Christmas is for spending time with family. I got a 8 week old kitten and Emily got a puppy. They get a long very well. My kitten is called Tinsel and Emily's puppy is called Holly. We had a lovely Christmas lunch with family.

Judge Olivia Tuffin Comments:

...A lovely dream sequence which made me smile, and although it wasn’t real I was so pleased the characters ended up still getting a kitten (and a puppy)! The snow girl and snow cat sounded great fun to play with!

In The Snow by Darcy Bishop (9)

Sapphire lay on the bed with Diamond next to her (her pet polar bear) and pecked Diamond on the forehead above her amulet. “I’m fed up of being a princess and getting servants to do stuff for me!” she paused thinking for a second “I want to explore, go to different countries have adventures” Diamond growled nudging her head into Sapphire’s waist.

Sapphire packed her rucksack with food and supplies she snuck out of the beautiful ice palace with Diamond. She had one last look at the palace and left strolling towards the dark forest. As she walked delicate snow flakes started to fall she started to think about her mother what would she think of her when she saw that she was gone. Sapphire thought of turning back but then as she entered the forest with Diamond she heard a growl not a mean sort of growl more of a hurt sad friendly growl “What was that” said Sapphire ready to protect herself, Diamond went first acting as if she were a tiger ready to pounce! But then she stopped herself it was a baby bear cub with an injured paw. Diamond and Sapphire went straight away to help the cub who was lying on its back ready to play but she couldn’t? Sapphire did not know what to say, Diamond gave out a wimp feeling sorry for the cub. “What should we do how can we help” then Sapphire remembered that she already had an emergency kit in her backpack “That was lucky” said Sapphire. She bandaged up the wound and carried the polar bear to a nearby ice cave, she wondered what to call him, he looked fierce as a lion she thought, how about Norbet but then he growled. Sapphire decided to call him stormy he liked that name, then she decided that she would set up camp there as it started to snow. They settled down and started to sleep. In the morning it was a pure winters day, a thick blanket of snow lay on the ground there was a beautiful sunrise just as they were waking up “I have a feeling today it is gonna be a good day” said Sapphire.

Diamond and Stormy nodded their head in agreement.

They packed up and set off on their journey to find home “Almost there” and then Judge Olivia Tuffin Comments: suddenly they spotted an ice cave. ...Hurrah – a non-princess princess! Great character Darcy, I liked that Sapphire was independent and They decided to live there forever. adventurous and even had an emergency kit in her backpack for helping the baby bear cub. A great adventure.

All three settled down and went to sleep.

BOOKWORMS

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t Mary’s Catholic Primary School is a small, rural primary in the heart of the lovely village of Marnhull. The school is set on around 2 acres of land overlooking the North Dorset countryside and provides a beautiful environment for children to learn and play. St Mary’s provides a really good education within a caring community and aims to nurture and inspire all of the children in their care to do their very best. Class sizes are small and the school also has an on-site preschool led by an experienced, fully qualified teacher. The school was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted and ‘outstanding’ by Plymouth Diocese in 2017. Visit the school’s website at www. stmarymarnhull.dorset.sch.uk to discover more about what the school can offer.

S

t Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Old Mill Lane, Marnhull, Sturminster Newton, Dorset DT10 1JX.  01258 820417. office@stmarymarnhull.doset.sch.uk stmarymarnhull.dorset.sch.uk

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School

by Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid is about a boy named Greg and his best friend Rowley who wonders if life was better in the old days.

They get off their computer games and go outside for a change except all their plans lead to troublesome fails. Greg stops attempting his new plans and decides to go on the week long school trip. Should he have gone on the trip? Read the book to find out!

Henry Chapman (Year 6) Owl Goal by Tom Palmer Meet Danny. He solves crimes for his club. But when he realises

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull, Dorset

that everyone is supporting Forza, Danny is quick on the case with the journalist Anton Holt. The dodgy Forza owner, Saliador Fo, has been reported to have committed a crime but there is no proof! When Danny goes to Italy things get more and more mysterious. Can Danny and his mate Anton solve the crime before everyone is supporting Forza?

Alex Chambers (Year 5) Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling The Harry Potter books are a great read for any age.

They have a lot of adventure with great witches and wizards and very powerful magic. Harry begins as a normal boy who doesn’t know how his parents died. When he asks his muggle (non-magical folk) Aunt and Uncle, they always tell him his parents died in a car crash. Then the letters start to arrive.

The only thing wrong with these books is that I can’t put them down! There may not be any illustrations but if you like magic, then these are the books for you.

Belle Broughton (Year 5) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney This kid called Greg Heffley is trying to find resolutions to make him and his family better.

Greg says he is one of the best people he knows but his Dad wants Greg to toughen up so Greg’s Dad is sending him to military school. Now Greg has to turn more manly, shape-up and stop being a wimp! Would you like to find out more? Then I recommend you read this book.

Ricardo Martinez-Silva (Year 5)

Tilly and the Time Machine

by Adrian Edmondson Tilly and the Time Machine is a fantastic book because Tilly’s Dad is a scientist and he built a time machine. Tilly sings a funny song in the book and goes from battles to watching a football match and then visiting Buckingham Palace. I recommend that you read this book because it has laughter in it and there is some funny stuff that I think you will like. I would give this book 10 out of 10.

Georgina Horn (Year 5) Lily Alone by Jacqueline Wilson Lily Alone is about a girl whose mum goes away and leaves her children in their flat alone for a week. Lily alone is an emotional, breath-taking book which will make your heart beat. Lily and her brothers and sisters set out on an adventure and fight for themselves until disaster strikes and being alone just got a whole lot harder. Will their mum ever come back?

Isabella Stubbs (Year 6) The Witches by Roald Dahl ‘The Witches’ is about a boy and his grandma who visit a hotel.

Whilst they are enjoying their holiday the witches are plotting to wipe out all of the children in England. The boy and his grandma try to stop the witches but their plan backfires and he gets turned into a mouse!

Will the boy ever return to his normal self?

Rosie Lindgren (Year 6) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney Greg is always in trouble. But a huge snowstorm means he is trapped in his house with his

Charlie O’ Neill (Year 5)

family for the holidays. How could things get any worse? This is a great book for boys and girls and it has cool pictures.

Pegasus and the Flight for Olympus by Kate O Hearn Emily is a teenager who lives in Olympus with her friends Joel, Cupid, Palen and Pegasus. One day she goes on an adventure to find her father in New York. But what she doesn’t know is that on her adventure, her powers will get out of control, friends will get hurt and she will have to make a decision that could affect her future forever!

Which will she choose- to save Olympus? Or her Family?

Kitty- Lovell-Dyer (Year 6)

Be A Bookworm This page provides an opportunity for local schools to promote themselves through their pupils' book reviews. If you would like us to feature your school, please email info@countrychild. co.uk for further details.

31

It’s my year!

Summer camps

Bruton, Somerset BA10 0BA 01749 812 307 www.millonthebrue.co.uk

top ten toys for christmas from board games to go karts, Sherborne’s independent toy shop The Toy Barn, shares which gifts are likely to be at the top of every kid’s wishlist this Christmas.

Clockwise, from top left: Train Puzzle by Bertoy £22, Magic Silver Edition £19, Playmobil Take Along Soccer Field £49.99, Fairy Wings & Wand £15, Fairy Door £16.99, Speak Out Kids vs Parents £22, Wall Racer Car £21.99, Daisy Cottage £49, Razor Cart £399, Sluban Farm Construction £29.49

Blackmarsh farm sherborne Dt9 4JX 32

The

Toy Barn

Sherborne

01935 815040 toy-barn.co.uk

TOP

Marks

News In Brief

 Year 13s at Clayesmore School have achieved the school’s best ever A-Level and BTEC results.  Sandroyd shortlisted for the Boarding School of the Year Award at the TES Independent School Awards, 2018 

Village, primary, pre prep, private or state we want to know your school news, email: info@countrychild.co.uk

Outside Offerings Park Life

U

pton Noble CE VC Primary School & Tree House Pre-school lies near Bruton, Somerset and prides itself on above national average test results and exemplary outside facilities with a heated swimming pool, sports field, two playgrounds, nature area, forest school activities with off site visits to enhance the creative curriculum on offer too.

The Tree House Pre-school compliments the school sharing an outdoor learning environment with the reception class, allowing a seamless transition to starting school. Aided with the help of the two resident guinea pigs and long standing staff members all whose children have attended as pupils. Parents are encouraged to join in with special events, stories, songs, instruments with a recent poet visit being followed by a tea party for parents and children. Take a visit to the school or The Treehouse: 01749 850375

P

ark School announce the purchase of the former Chilton Cantelo School with Jane Huntington, Head of The Park School, confirming “This is an extremely exciting and positive development for the future of The Park School.” The former Chilton Cantelo site will now house Park School's Junior and Middle School with Sixth Form pupils remaining at the current Yeovil site. Boarders will now reside at the modern, purpose built boarding house located at Chilton Cantelo with school buses providing safe transfer between sites. Junior and Senior pupils will benefit from the new sports facilities and pitches with the parkland setting and agespecific play areas at Chilton Cantelo giving Junior and Middle School pupils more space and fresh air in which to play; developing outdoor education and a Forest School, both hugely valuable educationally for this age group. parkschool.com

Exciting times ahead...

K

nighton House School welcome new Headmaster, Robin Gainher and his wife Ali. Robin Gainher says “As the new Head at Knighton I’ve been given a wonderful opportunity to take the school forward into the next phase of its history. Building on the recent ISI report of ‘Excellent’ in all areas I believe Knighton can become a leader for educating girls. I can’t wait to work alongside the fantastic team of teachers here to start building an innovative exciting academic curriculum fit for the 21st Century and a co-curricular programme to excite and inspire the girls. Exciting times lie ahead for Knighton”.

MEET THE HEAD

Andrew Browning Dumpton School, Wimbourne, Dorset

H

ow long have you been at the school?

I have been Head at Dumpton for the past twelve years. Previously, I had been Head of Chemistry, Housemaster and Registrar at Canford School, just a few miles away.

What is the ethos of your school? At Dumpton, we are a family school, and take pride in the warm, nurturing environment. Our school motto ‘you can if you think you can’ and our main school rule ‘treat others as you would expect to be treated’ are reflected in all we do. So in short, I would ask all pupils and staff to work hard, aim high and, most importantly, be kind to each other.

How do you help ensure that every child reaches their potential?

School has to be fun, as a genuine, life-long love of learning will be increasingly important in our ever changing world. In a Prep School, everyone tries everything – it is crucial that we all find things that we are good at, as this gives us the confidence to have a go at each new challenge we face. The wide ranging academic and co-curricular opportunities at Dumpton ensure that we can aim for both breadth and excellence, whether on the stage, in the classroom, or on the sportsfield. This relies on the appointment and retention of excellent staff, so it is important that Dumpton is a place that people love to

come to work, and children love to come to school.

What do you find most rewarding about teaching? Most of all, I love seeing people surprise themselves with what they can achieve.

Smiling faces around the campus always give me a lift, and are a great measure of the success of a school. Happy staff lead to happy children (which in turn lead to happy parents)!

I enjoy teaching science all day Wednesday, so still experience the buzz of the classroom – very important as it reminds me of why I entered the profession – and I still coach rugby, football and cricket when required, which I always enjoy.

What are you own hobbies and interests? In no particular order I keep bees, read avidly, grow plants on the school allotments, help run an education charity and play football on a Friday evening with the other Dads at school. My most recent project has been managing the Dorset U15 cricket side – which keeps me busy through the summer.

What does the future hold for you and your school? Dumpton has just gone through an extensive cycle of refurbishment, with recent additions including a brand new sportsfield, adventure playground, Design and Food Technology Department and Music School, including a new Recital Room. The next big project is the building of the new Sports Hall starting in March 2018 – a brand new £2+ million facility. Exciting times for all!

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Does your child struggle with literacy?

Or perhaps they just need a boost?

Individual, tailor-made lessons with an experienced, qualified specialist teacher can help.

Catherine Bernard BA(Hons), PGCE, OCR Cert SpLD, CCET, ADG

British Dyslexia Association Approved Teacher Tel: 07769 215686

www.cbspecialistteaching.co.uk

Markets now in the following towns and cities: SaliSbury, ameSbury, TidworTh, warminSTer, andover, wincheSTer To book a table for any JUST of the DANCE STUDIO markets contact Emily&on ACTIVITY CENTRE emilyg@littlepicklesmarkets.co.uk

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 Dance Classes  After School Club  Birthday Parties  Events & Workshops Emma O’Brien AISTD, FDI (07901 553602)

Church Street, Wincanton, Somerset Unit 1, Quarryfields Ind Est, Mere T: 01747 861810 M: 07742 358738

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Whenever anyone visits Warminster School there’s one thing everyone agrees on, and that’s our sense of community.

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Get Involved

Our schools need our help more than ever with the iminent budgets cuts, here local teacher Catrin Waugh Baker shows us how as parents we can all do our bit...

W

hat is a PTA? A Parent-Teacher Association is a parent-led board which can support a school in a variety of ways. For example, raising funds through social events, organising volunteers and providing a platform for parents’ voices in school decisions.

School boards can go by different names, such as ‘Friends of X School’ or ‘PTFA’ (Friends) with these alternatives aiming to show that grandparents, past parents and any volunteers are welcome.

PTA UK, the UK’s largest PTA membership association, provides extensive advice for parents not only looking to establish a PTA but also in the general week-to-week running. On their website, you can also find some inspiring success stories. A recurrent theme in all the success stories shared is that schools and parents report a hugely positive change in home-school relationships, as well as other benefits like attendance levels rising and parents feeling more confident to support children at home.

However, there still seems to be some confusion among the online parenting community as to what PTAs are for, other than raising funds and venting frustrations. Scanning through Netmums forums, some complain they are intensely ‘cliquey’ environments, often with a huge amount of pressure to volunteer.

Interestingly, research from PTA UK and teachers’ unions report that many parents feel unsure they have skills to bring to PTAs, whilst teachers say they experience reluctance from parents to come into school. With so many parents both working, and a huge amount pressure in education, it’s hardly surprising that both parents and teachers reported the main barrier to running PTAs as a lack of time.

Yet, the need for PTAs is more apparent than ever. Like other sectors, cuts to education funding have recently hit the media.

In October, the National Union for Head Teachers announced a ramping up of their ‘school funding still in crisis’ campaign and the Institute for Fiscal Studies predicted spending per pupil could drop 8% by 2020. More parents than ever are also being asked to donate money to schools. How can PTAs overcome challenges and help? Here's how to get started...

Top Tips to Revive or Set-up a PTA Board • • • • • •

Divide a PTA into sub-groups (e.g. fundraising, volunteering and parents’ voices).

Be flexible with meetings, and consider full-time workers.

Save time by using the internet/technology for updates.

Gather information and advice from PTA associations.

Gather a large group of volunteers to prevent pressure on individuals.

Choose an area where your skills lie. If it doesn’t exist at the school, find others to help you set it up:

FUNDRAISING is a great opportunity to get school clubs or even local businesses involved – from fashion shows to concerts, Easter hunts or the famous summer fair.

Approximately 70% of school PTAs are registered charities, and on average are reported to raise £8000 per year for their school.

VOLUNTEERING can help support groups (i.e. reading) and clubs to keep going, and are great opportunities to learn new skills and have an insight into the everyday running of your child’s school.

PARENTS’ VOICES are being encouraged by both PTA associations and schools alike when it comes to funding, as well as other issues like school policies on homework and bullying.

Set one up, revive an existing one or help a thriving one…. get involved in any way you can!

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The Great Outdoors Head out this winter with Mike Dilger's nature search for the country's best cold weather foliage.

L

et’s be honest… it can be difficult prising yourself out of a warm house in the depths of winter.

But burning off some of those excess calories consumed during this season of gluttony, will make your doctor very happy. Additionally, a walk on the wild side at this time of year will show you that winter wildlife is nowhere near as bleak as you might initially think. Despite m most ost vegetation being either dormant or hunkering below ground at this time of year, there is a small cast of plants that choose the coldest and darkest days to take centre stage. So, with all this in mind, I’d like to suggest you take your ‘wild child’ out on a mission - to track down Britain’s top winter plants!

Ivy Climbing up and clinging on has become a very successful way of life for Ivy. It is often considered a thuggish plant, as many mistakenly believe it suffocates the living daylights out of any tree within its tentacular grasp. However, by inadvertently giving the Ivy a ‘leg up’ into the canopy, the host tree is, in fact, being used as little more than a living scaffold. Ivy also happens to be a superb plant for wildlife. The gnarled, knotted and intertwined branches frequently provide accommodation for everything from birds to bugs, while Ivy’s delayed flowering will also dispense a last hit of pollen and nectar for any late-flying bees and butterflies still on the wing.

Holly

With its spiky dark green and glossy leaves, Holly must surely be a serious contender for the winner of the ‘Britain’s most familiar tree’ competition. The leaves’ peculiar prickles have of course evolved to give the tree some defence from hungry herbivores. However, where the branches are out of browsing reach, the leaves will frequently change to that of a prickle-less form. Few admirers of this handsome tree will also realise that each individual Holly has its own gender, but sorting out which trees are ‘girls’ and which are ‘boys’ is much easier than you might think. In essence, if the tree has berries, then the tree is a ‘she’!

Mistletoe The kissing custom has to make Mistletoe the sauciest of all our festive plants.

Happiest growing in those trees with soft bark, like Apple and Lime, this lofty plant is little more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Hitchhiking on the beaks of birds, such as the appropriately-named Mistle Thrush, it is only when the sticky berry finds a suitable host that the plant can begin to enact its devious plan. Root-like structures initially emerge, which then burrow into the hapless host, as the Mistletoe starts a life of siphoning off a supply of ill-gotten nutrients. In a bygone era, the yellowy-green globes were harvested as a ‘miracle cure’ for a whole variety of illnesses, but nowadays Mistletoe’s only commercial use is by those hoping to steal a Christmas kiss!

Snowdrop

It would be disappointing to have completed a West Country walk in January or February without at some point stumbling across the fine site of the year’s first botanical spectacle. Most will know the jaunty white blooms adorning our woods, stream-sides and churchyards at this time of year as ‘Snowdrops’. However, a rich cultural history with this plant has also given it a wonderful variety of monikers, such as Snow piercer, February fairmaids and Vegetable snow. We look upon Snowdrops as native flowers, but most wild colonies are thought to have begun as escapees from gardens or church grounds. Irrespective of their origin, they are both a warming sight on a colder winter’s day and an annual reminder that spring is just round the corner.

Scots Pine Forget the Norway Spruces or the Nordmann’s Firs, whose decorated boughs adorn our homes at Christmas, for us Brits there can only ever be one true Christmas Tree - the Scots Pine. Our only native pine tree, the Scots Pine has been introduced into parks and gardens the length and breadth of Britain, but it is only in the Scottish Highlands that this statuesque tree is found in a truly wild state. With around 100 different Pine species now planted here, identifying ‘the Scots’ is not easy. But if the trunk has crocodile-like fissures riven through its orange-red bark and the needles emerge from tiny wooden shoots in pairs, then it is highly likely you are staring right at a Scotsman!

Mike Dilger is a Naturalist and TV Presenter. Despite being known as ‘The Birdman’ from BBC’s The One Show, a lesser known fact is that his first degree is in Botany. In other words, he’s passionate about plants.

41

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The Great Outdoors

Continued....

Miranda gets festive with a fab resource - the pine cone!

W

hen we go for walks, the children are often looking for ‘stuff’ to collect and bring home.

Anything from gnarly bits of wood to feathers and wisps of wool will proudly sit (for weeks!) on the kitchen window sill, gathering dust.

On a recent walk, however, we struck gold. There on the woodland floor, like a spiky carpet, were literally thousands of pine cones. Well, of course we had to have our fair share and the boys made light work of filling our rucksack. But, what were we going to do with them?

On the drive home, we started to go through options; some realistic, like a bird feeder…others not so much – like a dog kennel! With Christmas around the corner, we all agreed that a homemade wreath would make a really nice addition to our front door…and so that is what we’ve made.

Now, I didn’t happen to have a glue gun, wire wreath or bendy wire in the back of my cupboards, but a quick search on Amazon showed me that I could buy all items for just over ten pounds.

The glue gun heats up very quickly and with keen little fingers potentially wanting to help, you really need to keep alert – molten glue on the skin hurts, as I found out…several times!

As you can see from the photos, I opted to wrap some bendy wire around my wreath frame, just to give it an extra platform for my pine cones to sit on, which I found definitely helped as more cones were attached.

The children sorted the pine cones ‘small’, medium’ and ‘large’ piles and I used the smallest size on the inner circle, working up to medium sized cones for the outer ring and the largest cones I dotted around the outside, to help give a more rustic and natural look.

I was surprised at just how easy (and, dare I say it, therapeutic!) the assembling of the wreath was.

A blob of glue on the bottom of each cone was often sufficient to keep it in place on the wire frame but, occasionally, I would add a bit of glue to the side of the cone and so stick it to its neighbour for extra support.

Of course, the next step, is finding ribbons, berries, glitter and ‘jewels’ to adorn our wreath… although, I’m not sure how many of those we’ll find out walking in the woods – I may need to pop into town for those!

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Government Backed MONEY MATTERS Tax Schemes

ecently the press has focussed much attention to the use of aggressive tax avoidance schemes. This negative publicity has caused many people to view all taxefficient schemes with suspicion, but there are Government-backed schemes to encourage investment in start-up and small businesses, enabling them to grow and provide a muchneeded boost to the economy.

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) are one such example. These operate by investing in a number of qualifying firms, which will be unquoted smaller businesses, with a minimum investment term of five years. Up to £200,000 can be invested each tax year and this will attract up to 30% income tax relief in the year of investment. There is no minimum investment limit and the relief can be either claimed via a tax return or included in a PAYE tax code in order to make it easy for small investors to obtain their tax relief. Any dividend income generated is likely to be tax-exempt and the ultimate disposal of the VCT shares is exempt from capital gains tax.

Another option is the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), which involves subscribing for new shares in qualify companies, up to a maximum of £1m of investment each tax year, with a minimum term of three years.

This investment attracts income tax relief of up to 30% either in the year of investment or the previous year. Qualifying shares are also exempt from capital gains tax if held for at least 3 years and are likely to be eligible for relief from inheritance tax after a two-year ownership period. Where an individual has capital gains arising within a period of three years prior to the EIS investment and up to 1 year afterwards, the tax on these gains can be postponed until the EIS shares are sold, giving a further cashflow benefit.

Although not suitable for every investor, these schemes can offer an attractive way to support small businesses whilst securing generous tax relief with the full knowledge and approval of HMRC. Making Tax Digital – Update

urther to our article in the Autumn edition, the Fintroduction Government have announced a delay to the of Making Tax Digital. Under their new guidance, the project will apply only to VAT returns from April 2019, with the roll out to all other taxes delayed until at least April 2020.

This is only general advice and should not be relied upon; for specific advice tailored to your personal circumstances please contact: Lee Keeling at Andrews and Palmer, The Square, Gillingham, SP8 4AR Tel: 01747 823147 andpal.co.uk Lee@andpal.co.uk

C H A R T E R E D A C C O U N TA N T S

Bassetts Estate Agents has opened up a new branch in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Vinny at Six opens in Dorchester with a distinctive new wine and dining experience.

Congratulations to the team, Roly and Helen Harris and Manager Zach! Blanchards Bailey’s property specialist, Caroline Doman returns to the Blandford branch.

Moor Tourism Excellence for Dorset

M

oors Valley Country Park and two of its partner businesses based at Ashley Heath near Ringwood, feature in no fewer than four categories in the recently announced shortlist for the 2017 Dorset Tourism Awards.

The Country Park itself is a finalist in the new Artistic, Cultural & Learning Experience category and also in the Large Attraction category. Outdoor adventure specialists, Go Ape is a finalist in the Active & Sporting Experience category, while the Park’s catering operator, Seasons Coffee Barn, has been Highly Commended in the Café/Tearoom category.

A former winner in the Large Attraction, Sustainable Tourism and Access and Inclusivity categories, Moors Valley was also named Winner of Winners in 2015.

Clare Gronow, Team Leader at Moors Valley, said, “One of our core objectives is to provide opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience, understand and learn about Moors Valley’s wildlife and wider environmental issues so I’m naturally delighted that we have been shortlisted for an award in this new category.”

Results will be announced at a special presentation ceremony on 16 November at The Lighthouse in Poole. Good Luck!

Eat... Drink... Play...

N

aomi Harvey and Business partner Ally Baker have opened a new and exciting play cafe in the centre of Sherborne, Dorset. The new facility aimed to provide a haven for parents is called Doodles on Abbey Road, just off of Cheap Street next to Natwest bank.

Doodles offers to host families in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere whilst still providing great quality food and coffee. Along side some sumptious locally sourced food (bread from Oxfords, meat from Parsons butchers and coffee from Reeds Coffee) and drink there will be a lovely play area including a castle play house, role play kitchen and dressing up costumes and for the older ones there will also be drawing and a selection of board games too.

As local mums, both Naomi and Ally recognised the benefit a setting like Doodles could offer in the local area, so head on down to the cafe and show your support. doodlesplaycafe.co.uk

New extended service for families

S

t. Margaret’s Hospice has announced that it will be opening a new funeral home in Taunton as a natural extension of its end of life care.

Profits generated from the Funeral Service, located in Taunton, will be reinvested to enable St. Margaret’s to widen the reach of its exceptional care and support provided to patients and their families facing a life-limiting illness. Ann Lee, Chief Executive of St. Margaret’s Hospice said, “We are all about providing the best possible support, at end of life, and we feel that our new service will provide more choice to patients, their families and the public”.

Joy Milliken, Clinical Director at St. Margaret’s Hospice, added. “St. Margaret’s is a much loved local charity with a strong reputation within the community we serve.

We are known for our exceptional care at what is a very difficult time for our patients and their families. The profits from the new funeral service will mean we can continue to extend our support into the community, both within our inpatient units and the care that we provide in the home.”

St. Margaret’s Hospice has worked with and taken advice from experts in the industry in the setting up of the funeral service and has appointed an experienced Funeral Director to run the Taunton Funeral Home. The service will offer high quality and affordable funerals to Press Release – 13/01/2017 families across Somerset.

For immediate release Put a spring in your step at St. Margaret’s Great Somerset Walk St. Margaret’s Great Somerset Walk at Wimbleball Lake is back!

Last year the walk raised nearly £9,000 in sponsorship and this year St. Margaret’s is hoping it will th

45

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