4Dorset May 2020 - Life in Lockdown Special

Volume 17 • Issue 10 • May 2020

Your free Independent Local Magazine

ISSN 2397-7248 (online)

Volume 17 • Issue 10 • May 2020

Hello Readers!

A great deal has happened since I last spoke and like the vast majority of the working population, I am now beavering away at home in lockdown.

Our magazines will be online for the foreseeable future, but we hope to bring the paper issues back at a later date.

We have included a lockdown series in this issue with contributors from all over the world writing about their experiences.

These cover such things as the limited supply of toilet paper to free online yoga classes.

If you feel inspired to write one yourself, then please email it to us because if we get enough, we might consider publishing them in a magazine or a book as a record of these unusual times. All we would ask is that the word length doesn’t go much above 800 and that you send a photograph of yourself with the write up.

Aren’t Thursdays great at 8pm when you can stand on your doorstep or throw open your window to show appreciation for the NHS and other essential workers? It has brought our communities closer together. In our road there are pans being beaten, whooping and cheering and music being played as well as vigorous clapping. I know this is going on everywhere, so why not send us your photographs, we would love to publish them as a record of appreciation for all the wonderful people who are caring and helping others at this unprecedented time. What better way of showing those on the frontline how much we care about them too.

Email to editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk.

MAGS4DORSET Ben Pulford managing director ben@mags4dorset.co.uk Nick Pulford company secretary accounts@mags4dorset.co.uk

NEWS DESK Janine Pulford editor editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk Marilyn Barber news editor newseditor@mags4dorset.co.uk Karen Wyatt-Epapara deputy editor mags@mags4dorset.co.uk

DESIGN Louis Pulford creative director louispulford@brightboxdesigns.co.uk

ADVERTISING Mark Beechey account manager mark@mags4dorset.co.uk Russell Harness account manager russell@mags4dorset.co.uk Simon Thornton account manager simon@mags4dorset.co.uk Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.

Janine Pulford Editor

LOGISTICS

The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions in order to fit in with the editorial policy and style of the magazine

Picture of the month

Mike Talbot Alexandra O’Neill

I hear they’re in lockdown. I hope their food deliveries don’t dry up.

How to contact us

07875 962344 Email: mags@mags4dorset.co.uk Web: www.mags4dorset.co.uk Twitter: @mags4dorset Facebook: mags4dorset.news Dana House, Spinneys Lane, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9BZ Follow 4DORSET MAGAZINE on FACEBOOK:

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Copy deadline

20 MAY 2019

4Dorset is independently published and distributed free to homes and businesses in selected areas of Dorset and Hampshire. It is also available by subscription at £40 per year. Views or opinions expressed in 4Dorset are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement deemed to be unsuitable for publication. Information about a service does not imply recommendation. All purchases made through this publication are done so entirely at your own risk. The copyright on all written material, logos and advertising artwork produced by our studio remains with 4Dorset and should not be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. The company’s privacy policy can be read at www.mags4dorset.co uk

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Take part in business survey

Experienced cleaners required for community hospitals

To understand the impact of COVID-19 on Dorset’s business community, Dorset LEP has launched a Business Impact Survey, which is open to businesses of all sizes, the self-employed, and charities in the county.

In recent weeks, Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership’s business support function, Dorset Gateway – working with Dorset Chamber – has been handling a significant increase in the number of enquiries from businesses, business owners and the self-employed in Dorset in response to COVID-19.

Key challenges which businesses have been encountering include accessing financial support through government grants and loans, and supporting

The county’s community hospitals are calling for experienced cleaners to support existing teams during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cleaners working shift patterns are required at the Dorset HealthCare-run hospitals in Wimborne, Alderney, Blandford, Bridport, Swanage, Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Weymouth.

Richard Northwood, facilities manager at the Trust, said, “Hygiene and cleanliness are central to the battle against COVID-19. This work will not only support our hospitals, but also give local people the chance to get involved and help their NHS protect people and save lives.”

Full training will be provided. The rate of pay is £10.32 per hour, inclusive of holiday pay, and there are also enhancements for weekend and evening working.

Anyone interested should contact dhc.DomesticAdmin@nhs.net for an application pack.

employees through measures such as the new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and changes to statutory sick pay.

Finn Morgan, Dorset Gateway manager, said, “The results we gather will help us advise the government as they develop current, and future, COVID-19 business support measures. We're also keen to hear from businesses that are adapting their products and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Businesses can complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ COVID19DorsetImpact For free one to one support for your business please contact the Dorset Gateway on 01202 714800.

Don’t fly tip during the pandemic Dorset residents are being urged to keep any waste to one side that they would usually take to the household recycling centre – and not to fly tip it.

Trips to a tip are not listed under central government reasons for essential travel, so Dorset Council has had to temporarily close them.

Opening them for any amount of time would contravene public health

advice that the local authority is obligated to comply with.

Early fly-tipping figures from late March and early April have not shown a significant year-on-year increase, but officers are hesitant to read too much into this data as reporting is likely to be impacted by fewer people travelling around the county and spotting fly-tips as they isolate at home.

To help the council fight against fly-tipping, the waste service’s Enforcement Team – who are continuing to operate at this time – have asked for residents to note the following: • Fly-tips can be reported to the council online and by phone. The council will investigate all reported incidents and, where there is enough evidence, attempt to trace and prosecute those responsible • Rubbish you’ve handed to someone else is still your legal responsibility until it is correctly disposed of. If someone – such as an unlicensed ‘man in a van’ found on social media – were to fly-tip that waste, you could end up paying a fine or being taken to court.

• Fly-tipping is a criminal offence, punishable by fines of up to £50,000 – or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrate’s Court. The offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court.

Cllr Tony Alford, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Customer, Community and Regulatory Services,

said, “Now more than ever, we need people to keep us informed when they spot fly-tips. We know the temporary closure of household recycling centres is likely to cause a rise in fly-tipping, so we’re keeping a close eye on the situation, reviewing central government guidance and planning every day so we can re-open the HRCs at the earliest opportunity.

“But there are no excuses for fly-tipping. It’s unsightly and damaging to the environment. We all have a part to play in stopping this anti-social behaviour and by working together I know we can make a positive impact.

“It’s also worth noting that Dorset Police are still out on the roads at this time checking where people are travelling to and may have some questions if they look in a vehicle and find waste that would typically be dropped at an HRC.” Dorset residents can find out more by visiting the Tip Off webpage. Flytipping incidents can be reported online or by calling 01305 221040.

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4DORSET May 2020

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Future of Wimborne car park Wimborne History Festival received a grant in 2019

Aerial view of the BCP area

BCP issues £30m in business grants In the three weeks up until 15 April, nearly 2,200 businesses across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have received grants totalling £30 million from BCP Council to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.

The council received £128 million from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government at the end of March as part of the Small Business Grants Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund schemes.

All the businesses on the council’s records which met the eligibility criteria for these grants were contacted within the first week of the funding announcement and an online e-form has since been set up to enhance the application process.

Providing all the information supplied within the application is accurate, the council aims to make payments within seven working days. In some cases, businesses will receive a request to provide further information to enable payment.

Cllr Vikki Slade, Leader of BCP Council, said, “We’ve received thousands of applications and our Business Rates Team have been working diligently to process these as quickly as possible. We understand this is a difficult time for businesses and want to remind those who have not yet applied to check they are eligible and apply as soon as possible. We also appreciate that this funding does not cover all business sectors and we will continue to lobby the government for further support.”

Businesses who have not yet applied can check their eligibility before applying. The criteria and the forms are available on the council’s website.

For more information, please visit: www.bcpcouncil. gov.uk/News/News-Features/COVID19/EmployersEmployees-and-Businesses/Financial-Support.aspx

Volunteers helping vulnerable residents

To date 2,100 volunteers in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area have volunteered to help local residents during the Covid-19 crisis.

BCP Council, in partnership with Community Action Network (CAN) and Faithworks, set up Together We Can at the end of March to appeal for help. The scheme invites vulnerable residents who have no support to make contact, and they are then matched with a local volunteer, many of whom have been able to help deliver vital food and medicine to vulnerable people in the area.

So far nearly 2,000 vulnerable people have been supported and the scheme has matched over 500 volunteers to vulnerable people who have asked for help.

Emergency food has been issued to over 100 people.

The dedicated helpline is 0300 123 7052 and will be open 8am – 8pm seven days a week People wanting to get involved and help with the Together We Can Volunteer Hub can register their details by visiting: bcpcouncil.gov.uk/TogetherWeCan. Please do not call the helpline number as this is only for vulnerable residents who need vital help.

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Leisure organisations urged to apply for grants Cultural, sporting and community organisations can now apply for money from Dorset Council’s Leisure Development Fund. The grants will be able to support local projects once the COVID-19 outbreak is over.

Cllr Tony Alford, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Customer, Community and Regulatory Services, said, “We hope to see many applications for these grants. There are grants available for up to £5,000. We know that this can significantly impact one-off or capital projects. Community groups and not-for-profit organisations can apply.

“We appreciate that the current COVID-19 outbreak has put many projects on hold. We still have the funds available to support these projects for when the outbreak is over and we can all return to normal life.”

The closing date for applications is 15 May. To apply online see the Dorset Council website or call 01305 252250.

Freemasons’ Hall © Elaine M Findlay

Freemasons offer their building to the NHS Freemasons in Bournemouth have offered their building to the NHS should it require extra capacity during the coronavirus crisis.

The Duke of Kent, Grand Master of the order, suspended all Masonic activity for four months in March and the substantial building is unused.

Freemasons’ Hall is equipped with large rooms, professional kitchens and a big car park. It could also be used for storage.

The building in Knole Road, Boscombe, was built in 1872 for the philanthropist Edmund Christy and for a time was a hotel before the town’s Freemasons bought it in the late 1950s.

During World War II, the building was used briefly as the headquarters of the 11th Infantry Brigade. It was also used to house children who had been evacuated from London and Portsmouth.

Bob Sawant, its manager, said, “As the building is empty it makes sense to offer it.

“Of course we don’t want to be in a position in which the NHS has need for extra capacity, but if it does we are ready to hand it over.

“We have a large room that could be converted into a ward and a big car park that could be utilised – maybe for temporary buildings or storage.

“There is the capability to cook large numbers of meals and there are a number of other rooms that could be used.

“As Freemasons we want to do what we can to help the national effort in fighting this coronavirus.”

The Leigh Road long stay car park, which is opposite the Quarter Jack Surgery in Wimborne, could in the future be changed from a long stay facility to short stay.

The issue was considered at a Wimborne Town Council planning and environment committee recently but the matter was deferred to allow further consultation to be collated.

Dorset and Wiltshire firefighters help with ambulance duties Firefighters from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service are playing a key role in relieving pressure on paramedics during the coronavirus outbreak.

The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has invested in additional ambulances for the region, two of which will be coming to Dorset and two to Wiltshire.

The ambulances will be driven by firefighters who are trained to drive emergency response vehicles and carry out first aid.

“It’s good news we have more ambulances coming to Dorset and Wiltshire and I’m grateful to our firefighters for their support,” said chief fire officer, Ben Ansell. “Many of our firefighters are highly trained emergency response drivers, accustomed to dealing with emergency situations and I know they want to help in any way they can during this crisis.

“Agencies are working closely together during the coronavirus outbreak to help keep residents safe, and the collaboration between our fire and rescue service and the ambulance service will ensure our residents get medical care quickly if they need it.”

Firefighters will be transferring patients to and from hospital alongside a clinician and they will also act as first responders for some life-threatening calls with a paramedic.

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8 May: VE Day Anniversary

By Julian Hewitt, Fordingbridge Museum On 8 May 1945 Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally marking the end of WW2 in Europe. The war had lasted for six years and cost the lives of millions of people and caused huge suffering in the countries involved. In London large crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square, The Mall and outside Buckingham Palace where King George V1, Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony.

There were similar scenes in cities, towns and villages across the country.

The Salisbury Journal records that the streets in Fordingbridge were decorated with flags and bunting and at 3pm a peal of bells was rung by the bell ringers of St Marys Church. In the evening, “the largest crowd ever seen in Fordingbridge filled the streets. After the King’s speech the crowds took part in the dancing which continued until the early hours of Wednesday morning. In the Market Place Mrs Greenland’s dance band supplied the music for one party and in the High Street there was a radiogram and a piano.”

The signing of the peace had been anticipated after Hitler’s suicide on 30 April was reported so communities had time to prepare their celebrations. In his speech to the British people Churchill said, "We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing,” reminding them that Japan remained unsubdued.

In Fordingbridge a huge bonfire was lit on the island in the river and a service in the parish church was well attended.

There was dancing in the Market Place to

music from a radiogram and the dancing was repeated on Saturday night, and on Sunday a parade and united service was reported to have taken place. The parade assembled in Church Square and marched to the Memorial Gardens for the service.

It was led by the Salvation Army band and included representatives from the town such as the British Legion, clergy, police, Home Guard and school children, many of whom carried flags.

One local man had a special reason to be pleased that it was VE day. Frank Brockway of North Gorley was reportedly fined twenty shillings for poaching game with eleven shillings and eight pence costs. The Chairman of the Bench, “remarked that on account of the day he had been treated lightly.”

Celebrations in Fordingbridge were more dignified than those in East Grimstead where it was reported in the local paper that an effigy of the, “late lamented Adolf Hitler” was, “propelled by kicks and shoves by the lads of the village” along the village streets. The effigy was then, “strung up to a beam in the village hall.” After this it was taken to the village green where it was burnt on a bonfire whilst, “the assembled company danced round the fire singing old and present popular ditties”.

If you or your friends and relatives have memories of VE Day in Fordingbridge or photographs or artefacts from the time please let Fordingbridge Museum know by ringing 01425 654322 or 01425 657850.

Jon Morgan holding a freshly caught Poole plaice

Fresh from Poole: 'Catch of the Day' to your door in lockdown If you would love some fresh fish delivered to your door, Jon Morgan of Dorset Cruises and Rob Milton of Othniel Oysters, are organising this to support the local fishermen.​ In March, all restaurants in the UK and most of Europe shut their doors, leaving local fishermen with no trade and the population in lockdown. ​​Now, when the fishermen return to Poole Quay with their daily catch, the details are uploaded to the website www.bhfish.co.uk as well as to Facebook and Instagram pages.

The 'Catch of the Day' can be seen at the top right of the home page. Customers can order fresh fish and shellfish, which is delivered straight to the door. Under the current social distancing measures, the delivery drivers telephone on arrival and leave the order on the doorstep. Deliveries are made on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 1pm and 5pm and collections can be made 7 days a week from The Crown Hotel, 23 Market Street, Poole, BH15 1NB. ​​Fish is caught in Poole Bay and Poole Harbour by local fishermen using sustainable, low impact fishing methods.

Lobster and crab are caught in Poole Bay and the oysters, cockles and clams from inside the harbour.

War veteran Captain Tom raises millions for the NHS It is uncertain how people will commemorate VE Day as so many events had been cancelled due to lockdown.

Meanwhile, shall we all applaud Captain Tom Moore’s 100th Birthday Walk for the NHS. A WW2 veteran, this incredible gentleman raised (at the time of writing) over £28 million in support of the Association of NHS Charities supporting NHS staff and volunteers caring for Covid-19 patients. Initially he aimed to raise £1,000 by walking 100 lengths of the back garden before his 100th birthday at the end of April.

After raising such an incredible amount, he said he would “keep on walking.” What a wonderful man and if you want to donate search: JustGiving Captain Tom Moore.

Rainbow in Chandlers Ford. Picture by Nicola Merrick

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LIFE

LOCKDOWN

This month we bring you a series of exclusive articles about Life in Lockdown. The articles have come from around the world and the idea is to inform and inspire you as the global coronavirus pandemic peaks and declines and leaves us living in hope of a future without COVID-19. If you have a story you wish to share please email it to editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk.

Lockdown thoughts from India to the South Coast of England

By Craig Gray, UK It's funny how things work out. One minute you're scaling a mountain skirted by emerald green tea plantations two kilometres above sea level in Southern India, the next you're back in your hometown on the South Coast of England, self isolating alone in a tiny flat, in the midst of the biggest pandemic since the Spanish flu.

It was while I was staying on the outskirts of a small town called Munnar, a hill station in the Western Ghats mountain range, that the virus began to take hold in Italy. At first it was almost a joke with the locals. 'Are you from Italy?' they began to ask any Western backpacker, on the bus, in the street, but always with a smile. There was as sense that something was going on, but it was happening far away. The smiles soon faded however, and by mid-March the local government had began to firmly recommend that any tourists leave the area, and indeed the country.

The attitudes of the people had also changed. Travellers were being refused public transport, service in restaurants, even the rickshaw drivers, normally annoyingly persistent in their efforts to win a fare, had stopped asking if you needed a ride. An atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion permeated every interaction with the town's citizens. They were frightened of us,

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and rightly so. The most high profile cases of the virus in Kerala at that time were after an Italian flight landed in Kochi only two weeks before, and recently there were reports of a group of English travellers ignoring quarantine advice and disappearing into the country illegally.

Local police insisted all tourists keep to their accommodation, and advised that we get tested for symptoms at the local clinic. This did little to appease the town's citizens however, and after a group of housewives came to air their grievances at the gates of the hostel, I made the decision to head back home. Indeed, with increasing reports of airlines cancelling flights I began to realise that if I didn't go soon, I may struggle to make it back at all.

I arrived back in the UK on 21 March, following an excruciatingly dull 19-hour stopover in Bahrain airport. Heathrow was noticeably quiet. The M25 eerily deserted. It was like returning mid-way through a Stephen King novel. With only about ÂŁ100 to my name, and job possibilities disappearing left, right, and centre due to the government banning mass gatherings, and closing the pubs on the 20th (my marketable skills are bar management and events), I was lucky to find a good friend with a spare room.

I am fortunate. I left to go travelling last August, and was due to return at the end of April. There were many people I met in India

who had only just begun their 'trip of a lifetime' and were having to cut things very short. A few months ago I was anticipating, and in fact almost dreading, coming home to a country that had been divided for so long and, with the election of Boris Johnson last December and his remit to 'Get Brexit Done', not looking to be particularly united any time soon. Such issues seem to have paled into insignificance, rightly or wrongly, as we now enter our fourth week of lockdown, and the daily death toll shows no sign of slowing.

Whether the government is managing this crisis well or not, is not for me to say. The empty streets, the deserted beaches, the long but orderly queues in front of every shop, tell me that as individuals we are taking this seriously.

We are suffering the biggest disruption to our daily lives in most people's living memory, and although it's very easy to point out a (very small) minority who seem to be unaware of the gravity of the situation, lets not forget that most are doing everything they can to help. Even if that means simply staying at home and watching telly.

When you're at your door clapping the NHS, or Boris, or whoever else you feel is deserving of some recognition for the work they are doing at this crossroads in history, don't forget to clap for yourself a little bit too.

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LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

I never thought I’d miss the office…

Matt Brogan, Australia I’ll never complain about having to go into the office again. As a remote worker, I’m accustomed to grinding out many of my weekdays from the comfort of my apartment in Sydney. The office is only a 40-minute drive away but my visits are usually reserved for must-attend meetings and lunch catchups with colleagues.

My partner Candice spends her 9-5 hours in the city but also works from home occasionally.

So, when we were both told to work from home until further notice, I was confident that we would be fine.

Our first task was to set up a second workstation in our onebedroom apartment.

While the rest of the city’s population were fighting over toilet paper, we headed out to find a desk. This proved to be much tougher than expected. Each store we walked into seemed to be awash with ‘Out of Stock’ signs plastered over any office-related piece of equipment.

After three days of driving around and trawling the internet, we eventually managed to buy a decent desk and chair. We were now set with two workspaces arranged at opposite ends of the apartment.

To provide a sense of atmosphere, we keep the radio playing in the lounge. It almost gives a sense of having colleagues around you. Our other saving grace is headphones. Candice attends a lot of virtual meetings, so to remain focused I simply disappear into my own world of Spotify.

While we have working hours figured out, stage three restrictions limit much of our entertainment options these days. You need a valid reason to be outside, which can be grocery shopping, medical appointments or exercise.

Whilst outside, you can’t be in a group of more than two and a 1.5 metre distance must be kept between people at all times. Many Australians have discovered a novel way around the first of these rules; wear running shoes every time you go outside and if questioned simply insist that you’ve been jogging.

Living in an apartment complex means that you unwillingly get to know what many of your

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neighbours are up to. Balconies have become areas for new activities and outlets.

Makeshift exercise zones, painting studios and freshly created chillout areas are seemingly all the rage. People are getting creative with limited space and unlimited time.

Staying inside 23 hours a day will do that to you.

For us, Candice is on her way to becoming a master knitter. She’s already well on her way to making a blanket in time for winter. I’ve made somewhat of an effort to re-learn my schoolchild level of French. It’s a pitifully slow process but there’s no rush. As mentioned, we have plentiful time at our disposal.

Australians are certainly finding ways of adapting to this new situation. Since the early days of panic have now subsided somewhat, it’s clear that there is a sense of national solidarity.

News of COVID-19 remains on a constant loop but there is an overwhelming feeling of positivity. We may have lost access to our

beaches, restaurants and pubs (amongst many other things) but strangers suddenly seem friendlier. Neighbours are more willing to have a quick chat and check in to see how one another are coping with the new world we’ve found ourselves in. Even my cat and dog seem to be getting along – they only fight once or twice a week now.

COVID-19 will undoubtedly change the way we live going forward. I’ve never washed my hands so much in my life and I think this may well become a permanent habit. It has also taught our little household the importance of personal space, listening as opposed to arguing and the importance of a solid routine. While I’ve always enjoyed my situation of having the option of working from home, I’m quite certain that I will be making more weekly visits to my office once this is all over.

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Tribute to Dorset Police Sergeant Tributes have been paid to serving Dorset Police Sergeant Ian Woodward, 56, who sadly died at his home in Bournemouth on 30 March.

He had been unwell since Christmas and had been off sick since 19 March. He went into selfisolation following guidance from the NHS. Sergeant Ian A test for coronavirus came Woodward back negative and the cause of death will now be a matter for the Coroner.

Dorset Police’s Chief Constable James Vaughan said, “We are all devastated to have lost a member of our police family. Our thoughts remain with his family, friends and very many colleagues at this extremely difficult time.

“Ian had been a police officer for almost 28 years. He joined the Metropolitan Police Service in October 1992 and undertook a role as a response officer in Fulham before he joined the Territorial Support Group. He transferred to Dorset Police in September 2001 as a patrol officer. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004 before taking on the role of custody sergeant.

“As a person Ian was a consummate professional and very popular officer. He knew his work inside out and was always there for his colleagues, providing advice and support when needed. He had a fantastic sense of humour and will be sorely missed.”

In a statement, Ian’s family said, “Beyond doubt Ian was dedicated and committed to his job and his responsibilities as a police officer. He was truly loved and will forever be in our hearts and minds. He was taken well before his time. He will be sorely missed and will leave a huge gap in our lives, particularly those of his daughters whom he leaves behind.”

Show people you are thinking of them The Dolphin Centre in Poole has come up with a great idea to help people to keep in touch.

Log onto their website www. dolphinshoppingcentre.co.uk and you can access a Positivity Postcard which you can download and print and colour at home.

This is a good way to keep in touch with relatives who may not have access to

the internet. Plus it’s always nice to have something through the post that isn’t a bill.

And what a great way for children to keep in touch with their grandparents.

However, if you don’t have a printer, you can download a Positivity Postcard from the Dolphin Centre’s social channel and send it to your friends and loved ones straight from your device.

Give COVID the finger!

‘Let's Keep Dorset Beautiful - Bin The Beast!’ has been launched by Litter Free Dorset to address the increase in disposable gloves that are now frequently and worryingly ending up as litter on and in the nation’s streets and public spaces. Not only is there a health and hygiene risk to members of the public if these gloves are contaminated with Covid-19, but there is also an environmental impact. Most disposable gloves once used and discarded can take years to decompose and breakdown adding to plastic pollution.

So give COVID the finger. Stop the drop, don’t litter your gloves – bin the beasts instead.

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health and care / caring about people is an act of maturity .

Wimborne residents helped by support group

Birth Centre relocated

By Marilyn Barber The Mayor of Wimborne, Cllr Shane Bartlett, together with Maria Roe, a fellow member of Dorset Council, is co-ordinating Wimborne Minster Community Resilience Group to support people living in the town who need help during the coronavirus pandemic.

He has assembled a group of DBS checked volunteers to cover the town centre, and the east and west of Wimborne.

In addition, 15 other volunteers have come forward from members of the public, and more are expected.

The volunteers are supporting people who are self-isolating and need help with shopping, collecting prescriptions and befriending.

Shane had been concerned that some people could fall through the net.

“I came across an adult who is profoundly dyslexic, and has to self isolate because of an underlying condition. He wasn’t able to read any of the information that came through the door, and so he ran out of food and was living on soup and biscuits.

Fortunately he rang me and I took some items round to him.”

Shane paid credit to the Olive Branch and the Minster Arms who are providing meals free of charge to be distributed to residents in need in the town. These are people who wouldn’t normally use the food bank.

Shane has a message

Cllr Shane Bartlett

for local people.

“We need everybody to look out for the elderly and vulnerable. The problem today is that we don’t know our neighbours very well.

If people are concerned about a neighbour they should just knock on their door, and standing two metres away just ask them if they are OK.” Shane is also concerned about people’s mental health.

“The longer the lockdown continues, the more people will suffer from depression and anxiety, and so this is where the befrienders can help with phone calls to

lonely people.”

Wimborne Minster Folk Festival is also providing funds to help the community.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to churches in the town which are providing so much support to the group,” said Shane.

Here are the contact numbers for the support group.

Town Centre: Jan Mouzer, volunteer, 07551 811750; Paul Keys, Catholic priest, 01202 883312; Carole Gadsden, Salvation Army, 01202 884194.

East Wimborne: Ian Thorpe, Baptist Minster, 07989 536214; Kevin Metcalfe, St John’s Church, 07528 028193; Maria Roe, councillor, 07956 630607.

West Wimborne: Andrew Rowland, rector Wimborne Minster, 07486 089652; Louise Hinks, councillor, 07759 685134; Angela Hudson, volunteer, 07767 814478.

Shane Bartlett is the contact for all three areas on 07593 197302.

The Wimborne Minster Community Resilience Group is supported by the town council and is registered with Volunteer Centre, Dorset.

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The Bournemouth Birth Centre has been relocated to Poole Maternity Unit for labour for the foreseeable future.

Paula Shobbrook, director of nursing and midwifery, the Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals said, “The safety of birthing women, their babies and our staff is absolutely paramount, but the current coronavirus situation and the impact on our staffing levels means we can no longer consistently provide safe care. We are also mindful of the pressures on the ambulance service, and by consolidating births on to one site, we will no longer need ambulances to carry out emergency/ urgent transfers to Poole.”

The Antenatal Clinic will continue to provide services as normal, and has been relocated to the Orthopaedic Outpatients Department in the main building of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Paula confirmed that home births, subject to safe levels of staffing being available, will continue. “All women who have booked for home births will be contacted individually regarding this,” she said.

There are no midwives present at Bournemouth Birth Centre. Women who have appointments planned are being contacted to make alternative arrangements.

The team of community midwives, however, are working as normal across the Bournemouth and Christchurch area and will be contactable via their mobile numbers or at the Community Midwives Office on 01202 704434 (8am until 5pm).

Anyone who thinks they may be in labour should contact the Labourline on 0300 369 0388.

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Eight-year-old Mohammed Ali from Bournemouth gives his view of lockdown 25 April 2020

Q. Hi Mohammed, what do you understand about the term ‘lockdown’?

A. It means staying inside. You can go outside to exercise but you should probably stay at home because there are bugs. Lots of bugs.

Q. Do you know what coronavirus is?

A. It is an illness and everyone is dying because they aren’t listening. They don’t listen to the news or follow the rules.

Q. You are home every day – what is different now you are in lockdown?

A. My dad always cleans up. When anyone goes out, they wash their hands before and after. My parents wear gloves to go shopping.

Q. Do you miss your friends and teachers?

A. Yes I do miss my friends. No. I don’t miss my teachers. I do really like my teachers but I am not missing school.

Q. Ramadan is going to be quite different for you this year because of lockdown isn’t it?

A. Yes - because this is my first year at trying fasting. I won’t get to see my friends and family.

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I don’t have to go to school so that means no waking up really early. My mum says “This year we will be socially distancing while spiritually connecting.”

Q. I am sure this isn’t your first time at attempting half day fasting…

A. Last time I tried, I just had a sandwich and a chocolate biscuit when no one was looking (laughs).

Q. How long are you supposed to stop eating for?

A. Well I am going to be fasting for half a day.

And yes, you do stop eating but only until the sun goes down... then everyone stuffs themselves! I think they eat more when they fast. (laughs). My parents buy lots of food because we are fasting.

Q. What are the best parts of lockdown for you?

A. Well, my cat had three kittens this week. I have picked them up (one at a time) but Fudge (the mum) gave me dirty looks so I put them back. I think she thought I was going to take her kittens. I have my own phone so I Googled all about cats and it says they don’t like other peoples’ smell on their kittens. The kittens are really cute. I love my cat and the baby cats.

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Q. That is so exciting. What else have you been doing during lockdown?

A. I have been cooking with my mum. It is kind of... really fun. My mum tells me to join in. I cut, peel, put stuff in the pan and I get to stir. I actually cook stuff. Don’t tell my mum but I am a better cook than her. Yes, actually I am way more better than her. My cooking has been really good since I have been at home. Mum makes me do these Facebook live videos. We just film them. It is really safe. Some people comment and share the videos. I like those people.

Q. What about your dad, can he cook?

A. Yes, but he doesn’t. My sisters can bake really well. So we have Mum’s food followed by my sisters’ desserts. They make things like waffles, pancakes and cookies. They learn about cooking from my mum too.

Q. Who do you miss most?

A. I love and miss my nan and granddad. And my uncles. I miss my friends from school: Sam, Abdul, William, George, the two Freddies in my class, Florence, Luke, Layla, Annabell. I speak to my friends and video call Abdul on wattsapp. He is locked down in Turkey at the moment. Last year we spent Eid together. Eid is the celebration after fasting. Not sure what will happen this year.

Q. What activities do you and your family do in lockdown?

A. My dad got the punching bag out of the garage and he teaches us all boxing. I have also been doing sports in our garden. Lots of football. I have my phone and I play games on there. Minecraft, Roblux, Rocket Royale, I do TT Rockstars which is a game but it’s a school learning activity.

My big sister turned 18 during the lockdown. She wasn’t impressed that she couldn’t go out and celebrate.

My older brother, Ibrahim plays on his computer a lot. We fight a lot too but we are best friends. Since the lockdown Mum has banned us from fighting. So now we do lots of activities together and we try not to fight.

I take care of my kittens, play in the garden. I have been gardening. I watered the garden once and I had a go at cutting the grass last week. We have grown seeds in the garden.

We planted the seeds for butternut squash.

I practise Taekwondo and Dorset Taekwondo Association have been doing online classes.

It isn’t the same as when we are in the dojo together. I really enjoy our normal lessons.

Q. Do you feel that you are learning while you are home?

A. I do lots of reading. I have learnt all my times tables. I have been doing art. I got some paint and painted some of the garden wall purple, pink and blue. I spilt the blue paint on the floor. (laughs). My mum got really mad at me.

I have been cooking and learning about food, hygiene, how to not waste food. There is this thing called sustainable – it means not wasting and making use of what we have. I have been doing more geography, maths and lots of puzzles.

Q. Are you looking forward to going back to school?

A. No. I do not like school. But I do miss my friends of course, and I do want to meet them. At the moment we have an online assembly so we get to interact with teachers and friends. I don’t do much schoolwork at home.

Q. What do you want to do when you get older?

A. I want to be a Bollywood actor and I want to be really good at Taekwondo.

Thank you Mohammed, you have given a really good overview of life in lockdown.

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LOCKDOWN

Sarah Barnes, Ricky and Felix in Lockdown somewhere in Bournemouth So… here we are.

My husband, myself and our 7-month-old son, in lockdown.

The way our little family unit works goes a little like this: my husband works 9-5 Monday to Friday. During these hours I take my son to all manner of baby groups for his development but mostly my own sanity. I buzz through these groups, housework and cooking meals powered by coffee shop mochas. At the weekends we spend time with friends in nature, we bicker about who is most deserving of a lie in or night out. Sundays is swimming at 9am which is always followed by scrambled eggs and later a good Sunday roast around the table always with family and friends. The weekends disappear in a blur before its back to the weekly tasks.

All of a sudden, the world is hit by a global crisis, a crisis that is likely to change the world forever.

All the emotions instantly stirred in me. Fear washed over me as one morning my son woke coughing with a temperature of 38.9. This led to a bizarre trip to our GP who snuck us through the surgery’s back door to a sealed room where she examined him in full PPE. We were advised to go home and isolate immediately, of course there were no tests or any diagnosis. Anxiety hit as fast as the fear, engulfing me with worry about my marriage and how or if we could tolerate so much time together with a baby. And there was the ever grinding emotion of guilt, the guilt I have for being a nurse on maternity leave when we are needed the most.

The days rolled by and my husband was eventually furloughed adding a new dimension to lockdown, the first few weeks he was in his office 9 – 5 so it gave us space to get on with our days. As we began to spend the days in each other’s space we began to bicker over practically nothing at all but this time for me the bickering was different. Instead of biting back without fully engaging my brain I found myself actively listening and trying to understand how we had got to the bickering to enable it to not start. I’ve become more aware of myself.

A reoccurring question soon became apparent ‘Isn’t lockdown hard with a baby?’

The answer… a simple ‘No’. It’s a true blessing for us as new parents to suddenly have all the time to spend watching him learn and grow.

Now both of us can put in our all and focus fully on his development. We can now both read books, explore the garden and embrace messy play, I no longer have to just show my husband pictures and he no longer has to wish he was there. Our son is happy and I’m watching their bond grow before my very eyes, a bond that may have not blossomed so wholly if it wasn’t for this virus.

As a new mum all you wish for is a hot cup of tea and maybe some quiet to read from time to time. Well now, this new mama is on her third book of this lockdown! Amongst many other on going achievements like making a patchwork quilt, starting my veg patch, baking, oh and my cups of tea are always hot.

We spend our days listening, singing and dancing to Radio 6, we eat all of our meals together and they’re all cooked from scratch.

We play in the garden and BBQ, we chat to our neighbours spending time getting to know one another, we have less screen time and read more. We have ‘zoom’ pub quizzes with friends and work colleagues, we even have an online baby sensory group.

The world outside is eerie, the death toll creeps higher daily and whilst we constantly hope for the safety of our nearest and dearest our little home and family are thriving. Gone are the negative emotions of fear and anxiety (the guilt always remains) and in place is joy and gratitude. We’ve slowed down and we appreciate the little things more, all we can do is enjoy this time, as damaging as this situation can feel, ourselves and the earth will never have this time to heal again.

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LIFE

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LOCKDOWN

Covid19 Lockdown,

France 2020 Kathryn Posselt, 14 April 2020 It’s almost four weeks since President Macron announced lockdown in France on 18 March 2020. A further four weeks extension was announced last night, taking us to 11 May 2020.

So, what is the connection between myself, my husband, living in rural France and Dorset?

My husband is originally from Ferndown, I’m Australian and we bought a large water mill property ‘Le Moulin de la Fosse’ in rural south west France in 2015. We have two holiday rental cottages on the property and enjoy meeting tourists that come to stay during the spring and summer seasons. However, this year it is going to be very different.

The French fishing season opened on Saturday 14 March and I welcomed our first guests of the season that weekend, a delightful young couple very keen on their fishing. We are located on the Boutonne River, so a perfect weekend getaway for them. Little was I to know that upon waving them ‘au revoir’ on Monday 16 March, that France would be in strict lockdown two days later.

In the meantime, on that same day, my husband Mark had disembarked from the ferry in St Malo, France, and was driving back home to our mill. Mark had been visiting his father in Ferndown, and luckily had secured a return voyage home to France two days before passenger ferry services were suspended.

Lockdown rules in France are very strict, and it happened very quickly. No gradual implementation as such, just total closure of all non-essential shops, public buildings, spaces and venues, sports centres, schools etc, etc.

An attestation form must be completed and carried with you at all times when you leave your home, along with your identification, stating the purpose of your movements. Basically

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it’s a ‘tick the box form’ for food and essential shopping, necessary doctors/consultants appointments, professional work that cannot be carried out at home, and for exercise. With regard to exercise, you can only go walking or running within a 1km radius of your home, and cycling for exercise is not permitted. You can however cycle to a local shop for essentials.

Therefore, stay home, really does mean that.

So far, I have only ventured to the nearest supermarket once since lockdown. I wore a protective mask and gloves and planned my shopping trip for just after midday, when I knew the supermarket would be less frequented, as it’s very important to the French to sit down and enjoy a long slow lunch. I was right, there were no more than a dozen people in the supermarket, although this means less staff working the check-outs, so that process took a

little longer. I’m pleased to say that besides less flour and pasta on the shelves, everything else was readily available, even toilet paper. I was pleased that I didn’t see any signs of customers behaving badly. There is a small store in the nearby village, which I prefer to visit and pick up supplies as I need them. I feel safer doing so and it’s nice to help out the small business owner.

Fortunately for us our property is large, so there is no time to be bored. There are plenty of jobs about the place to do, and of course spring is the time to get the garden in order.

The vegetable patch has been rotavated and planted out, there is lots of lawn mowing to do, seedlings to grow and the repotting of many geranium cuttings grown in the greenhouse over winter.

Mark is busy in his workshop rebuilding a Vespa scooter engine, and our pet Schnauzer, Otis, is loving the 24/7 attention and company.

The birdsong, the sound of the running water in the millstream, the absolute quiet of rural French countryside in this lockdown period is really quite beautiful. In summation, we are very lucky to be somewhere like this during these uncertain times. Sure, we will lose business this holiday season, but many people will lose much, much more, and our thoughts are with them.

For now, stay safe, stay home! When all this is over, if you are thinking of a relaxing holiday, look us up at www.moulindelafossegites.com

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Journey through isolation with my family Emma Foxwell UK So, after a few weeks of doing this juggling act and trying to keep everyone from losing their sanity, here we are approaching week four. At the start of all this I thought it would be quite simple – the kids would be doing mountains of schoolwork and we would get lots of gaming and have plenty of structured activities planned – all would be good. What could go wrong?

Well for a start, nothing about this situation is normal and both the kids (aged 8 and 6) plus myself and my husband Kevin have all had to be way more flexible than any of us could have first predicted. With that, all my carefully crafted plans ended up being used as paper aeroplanes on the first day. And that was how our isolation experience began – from something very planned and co-ordinated to something where we strive for fun and laughter each day – adjusting to go with the flow of doing things, which allows us to adjust to what everyone needs.

We have tried and failed at making rabbits out of origami but there was still lots of laughing involved even though they didn’t remotely look like rabbits.

The children love animals and spring is great for this, so I have managed to mix their schoolwork with their love of animals. Weaving their interests into their work has meant there is going to be some awesome work going back to school. For instance Pokémon going to Hogwarts, and dragons chasing unicorns.

Adapting the schoolwork to accommodate the kids’ interests has been vital. There was no way I was going to add any stress to myself or the kids. I was determined we needed to have fun when everything around us was so uncertain.

So why do I do all these focus activities?

Well we have no garden and as someone who needs to be shielded, the people in my area have odd ideas about social distancing. So here we are, we could either go insane and have a miserable time and hate every minute or we could have as much fun, silliness and laughter as physically is possible.

We work on things in very short bursts of time. When the children’s motivation is low, or they are getting distracted quicker, that is a sign to me to change the activity. That is not to say we just change when they are stuck, but if you feel like you’re walking through treacle carrying an elephant, then perhaps it’s a good time to change instead of ending up with things in a big old mess with fighting and crying and stress overload. That just isn’t fun and really happened on our first day. It was a mess.

This is what made me realise our days could not be like this and that things had to be done differently, especially as nobody knows how long this could be going on for. I knew I needed to have something that would work with how we are in that moment and could be readjusted daily. So that if we are feeling that things are not working out, or things could be improved, then there can be an open discussion that we all have. Although however much the kids ask, they do have to do some sort of writing at some point, I just have to make it fun for them.

So however long this goes on for, and however many hard days we do have, and we will, we are all working together making crazy animals, having the kids thinking I am daft and silly and laughing at me or with me and that is fine with me.

There are so many things that we as a family cannot control or have any influence on, but how we choose to deal with this situation has had a big impact on how we are all coping.

Going with the flow and aiming to make things fun has really taken a lot of the stress out of this situation and has meant we can reconnect as a family.

Take care and stay safe.

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Chris Adams

Stepping up with facemasks to help in a crisis

By Janine Pulford

L

ocal residents unable to purchase facemasks due to the worldwide shortage created by the coronavirus pandemic have been thrown a lifeline in Ferndown.

Former teacher, Chris Adams, who loves sewing, joined the Ferndown Community Coronavirus Support Group on Facebook after realising she had to do something to help those who needed some sort of barrier around their faces.

After researching how to make a facemask, she appealed to the public for material and was overwhelmed by donations from local residents. It wasn’t long

Bexi helps out

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before she was cutting out and sewing masks together.

Once completed, they were offered free to anyone who wanted one and the requests came pouring in. Sixty facemasks later, Chris realised she couldn’t keep up with the demand.

“I appealed for helpers and now 14 of us work on masks and hairbands including 16-year-old Bexi (who is in her GCSE year so now twiddling her thumbs) and her mother who work in a relay.

“It’s all about keeping fingers busy during lockdown,” said Chris.

“One of our sewers is making a different sort of mask support.

By sewing buttons on both ends of a length of elastic you can the hook the mask elastic over the buttons. She prefers to do this by hand because it gives her a sense of purpose. These are particularly useful for male nurses. We are extremely grateful for the support given by all of these wonderful ladies.

“The hairbands are for anyone who has to wear a mask for a long time,” she explained. “It takes the weight of the elastic off their ears and prevents them becoming sore.”

Chris and her team have now distributed over 300 facemasks and 160 hairbands to grateful customers including domiciliary

These masks and headbands were made

by Sarah Mooney and her daughter Maisy aged 15

workers, a children’s ICU unit, NHS trauma teams, care homes and local shops.

Although Chris does not claim to be making medical-grade masks, she is helping many adults who want to wear masks, especially if they feel vulnerable without one – and she makes them for babies and children too. The construction of the mask is carried out following her research.

“We use material made from cotton on the outside,” she explained. “We then iron on Vilene to stiffen the mask and add another layer of protection, inside we sew a second layer made from flannelette, the masks are finished with elastic to keep them tightly in place.”

Before leaving the premises, all the masks are sterilised in a steamer for 20 minutes and can be washed and re-sterilised after use.

The team’s reputation has grown rapidly and as well as local people donating materials, cash donations from local businesses

have also been made.

Chris said, “We can’t thank people enough. The response to our appeals has been overwhelming.

“The masks are still free, but due to the quantity being made now, we do ask for a donation if possible. If not, then that’s good.

It doesn’t matter. We just want to keep people safe and for those who need a mask to have one.”

If you would like a mask, or want to donate materials, (lightweight cotton items such as duvet covers, sheets, fabric fat quarters and flannelette are required at the moment), then please contact Chris Adams through the Ferndown Community Coronavirus Support Group.

This is hard to find as you will be redirected to the Coronavirus Information Centre so do feel free to contact the writer of this article on 07910 680986 and she will ask Chris to get in touch. Please be ready with an email address if possible.

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education / the future relies on what we learn today.

College invites Dorset residents to learn new skills during lockdown Bournemouth & Poole College is offering Dorset residents, aged 19 and above, the opportunity to learn a new skill and gain qualification during the government-enforced lockdown by completing one of their free online courses.

More than 20 courses are available in a range of subjects including mental health, dementia care and digital skills.

Emma Scott decided to study an online course in Understanding Autism and another in Challenging Behaviour as she has a son who has autism, developmental delay and sensory processing disorder.

She said: “I have learnt how to support someone with autism, support positive behaviour, different methods of communication, person-centred support, legislation and guidance, sensory processing and the senses, positive reinforcement, managing behaviour, support services, triggers and patterns of behaviour and much more.

“My assessor has been very supportive and is always on hand for any support I need.”

Please visit thecollege.co.uk/online-courses to find out more information and to register your interest for an online course.

Schools make protective kit for health workers Local schools have been responding to the coronavirus crisis by making facemasks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to help the NHS and other workers avoid infection.

Many schools have also donated their own supplies of goggles and face shields, usually used in science and technology lessons, to local hospitals.

A total of 210 masks were made in one day at Lytchett Minister School, according to headteacher Andrew Mead.

Other schools responding include St Edward’s School in Poole, Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester and Blandford School.

Bryanston School and local company, From Dorset With Love, were among those to respond to an appeal made by Blandford School for materials, giving polypropylene sheets and acetate sheets for face shields.

Headteacher, Mrs Wilson, said the appeal made by Dave Luxton, head of design technology highlighted how generous the people of Blandford are, and how much need there is for personal protective equipment. “We have had requests from Blandford Hospital, East Dorset District Nurses, Bovington Health Clinic, nurse prescribers working in Weymouth and Gillingham as well as other local businesses and care homes,” she said. “So far we have had more than 120 requests for face shields, so we will continue to manufacture them for as long as we can."

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Will Neville-Jones inspired St Edward’s in Poole to make protective visors. For more on this story visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk/student-inspires-useof-school-3d-printers-to-make-visors-forfrontline-nhs-staff/#.XqE3i9NKi3I

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Texas – flour is sparse at the stores

By Helen Jones (submitted 11 April) Hi, my name is Helen and we live in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.

We have been encouraged to stay at home now for the last four weeks. Most people here are taking heed of the suggestions relating to the coronavirus. We are allowed to go to the grocery store, no specific rules on when we can go but they have a couple of hours in the morning for seniors to get their shopping done.

When you get to the checkout, you have to stand on the squares taped to the floor, allowing distance between you and the person in front.

We have Perspex shields protecting the cashier from you and vice versa and the person who packs your groceries is also protected.

A lot more people are wearing masks as they shop, I haven’t up until now, but from now on I’ll be wearing gloves and a mask. In my opinion, the stores are going out of their way to keep you safe, it’s the idiots that think they are immune who are the ones who are a pain in the neck. Fortunately, I haven’t come across anyone like that.

The shelves are very sparse. Most nonperishables are gone and up until recently the bread aisle was empty. There is plenty of fresh

fruit and veggies, eggs and milk. I guess most people stock up on canned food… ugh! People seem to be baking more, I usually keep a wellstocked pantry because I love baking.

All the shopping carts are sanitized and lined up ready for customer use. There are staff at the door allowing people in at intervals which is good but then, once you’re in, people don’t keep a distance from you. There are also hand sanitizers at the entrance and you are encouraged to use them.

We can walk our dogs at any time.

Fortunately, we have parks and walking trails close by and whenever I go, it’s pretty quiet.

All the restaurants are closed for dining in but you can either get food delivered or go and pick it up. Not sure about clothing stores and malls. I haven’t been to find out. Also, I don’t know the situation downtown.

All schools are closed so I guess the kids won’t be going back to school until August… if then!

I was doing an exercise class before the advice kicked in, but now that’s closed. I can get in on demand on the TV so at least I am keeping fit.

We have our eldest son, his fiancée and granddaughter with us at the moment, they

arrived before things got serious. Both of them were in the cruise line industry and that’s gone to pot. Fortunately, Andrew is a bit of an entrepreneur so has some ideas in the pipeline.

I think once this is all over, people are going to rethink their way of life and employers are going to realise that a lot of work can be done at home.

Since I started writing this a couple of days ago, I have heard that, here in our neighbourhood, they are talking about closing the parks and trails. That would be a real shame but if it has to be done… Also, I’ve just about run out of flour and that’s sparse at the stores.

Since Helen submitted this article, Donald Trump gave a White House briefing announcing that Texas and Vermont will allow certain businesses to open on Monday [20 April] while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions. Developments continue to unfold. The death toll in the US passed 40,000 on 19 April. Editor

Though not exclusive to this magazine, Val French from Bournemouth has kindly shared her Covid 19 Blog 4 with us as part of our Life in Lockdown series

Talking of… stuff Valerie French Requests via our street’s WhatsApp group have escalated. Started with a pint of semi-skimmed, then indoor television aerial to: can someone please pick up my reading glasses from Sainsbury’s?

With COPD, Dad had no choice but to self-isolate. So far he’s taken his bed to pieces, cleaned underneath and reassembled it, created a running circuit in his lounge and de-cluttered his wardrobe. Is every self-isolater doing this?

Like Juliet, he talks to us from the window of his first floor flat: “The brightness of his cheek would shame those stars…” Gosh, he does seem to have more colour in his cheeks than usual. I must ask daughter if she has a spare thermometer.

We drop off sweet potatoes, broccoli and a chicken dinner. Headlining today’s shopping list: white emulsion.

“I thought I’d paint the spare bedroom.” Of

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course you did. Why not re-model the kitchen while you’re at it?

My phone pings. It’s been doing that a lot lately. I watch a video of Spanish cops, sirens blaring, speeding down a street somewhere that is neither Valencia or Andalucia… a cop leaps from the patrol car brandishing…. a guitar!

My Spanish-speaking son assures me the song they’re singing to delighted residents features words relating to body parts.

A Spanish version of hands, shoulders, knees and toes?

Another ping: my mate Sara who lives off the west coast of Canada. We talk for over an hour. Usually neither of us has the time. She’s in lockdown too and, no, they don’t have toilet roll either. However, she assures me there are fifteen alternatives to bog roll. Really? Kitchen roll, tissues, damp cloth… Jimmy next door suggested petals from the magnolia across the street… but that’s only four.

Several calls later I find myself with daughter and prospective son-in-law standing in the garden under the stars clapping. Our effort sounds rather pathetic until we stop and listen: 360 degrees of cheers and rhythmic clapping – then fireworks, creating a climactic full stop to our appreciation of health and other key workers around the world.

PS: I’d be most grateful if anyone out there can add to my list of alternatives to bog roll.

For more of Val’s blogs visit https:// mycovid19diary.wordpress.com/my-covid19diary/

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pets and wildlife

- advertisement feature -

Finding a vet you trust Finding a vet you trust is important for you and your pet.

Lynwood Vets are a local group of veterinary professionals who have been at the heart of the community of Wimborne, Verwood, Bournemouth and the Purbecks for decades. They have over 8,000 pet owners who trust them with their best friend.

As a long established practice they take pride in being your local vets who are friendly and welcoming. They like to get to know you and your pet and treat them as if they were part of our own family.

Being a larger group, Lynwood have facilities and expertise across a wide range of services and areas. This way you are less likely to be sent away for further referral at expensive specialists.

“For instance, we have a fully manned emergency clinic at our Wimborne branch where we can keep hospitalised patients and take in emergencies at any time of the day or night (in partnership with VetsNow emergency service),” confirms the Lynwood team.

“We support a wide range of activities within the communities we serve and support education and training of local people. Through our partnership with the successful Lynwood School of Veterinary Nursing near Dorchester we train many veterinary nurses and animal care assistants.

“We are lucky to have one of the most highly experienced and skilled team of vets in the county, including five Advanced Practitioners in fields varying from Ophthalmology, through Dermatology to Internal Medicine.

“We also have access to advanced equipment that can reduce the stresses of procedures for your pet. For instance, we have invested in a keyhole spay facility which results in less pain and smoother recovery from the operation. We have advanced ultrasound and endoscopy facilities which allow us to make quicker diagnoses whilst potentially avoiding big operations.”

The team at Lynwood also believe you should get to know your own vet, and they should get to know you and your pet, because every dog, cat rabbit or gerbil is different and has their own personality!

If you would like to know more about Lynwood, visit www.lynwoodvets.co.uk for more details.

Barn Owls © Paul Williams

Return of the barn owls

By Sally Welbourn DWT communications officer

The silent flight of a barn owl is a majestic and wonderful sight for any nature lover.

With the features of their heart shaped faces and deep black eyes, they are an unmistakable icon of the countryside in the UK. However, it may surprise you to hear that the odds are stacked against these wonderful creatures, with a long list of challenges and problems they face daily.

Firstly, there are two things we all need: food and shelter. Declining or unsuitable habitat means that both of these vital elements to their survival immediately puts them at threat. Suitable roosting sites, and then good quality unimproved grassland for their prey to live, (such as voles and mice), can be hard to come by if the quality of the habitat close to them isn’t good enough. During the breeding season, they need to have a plentiful food source within one kilometre of their roost – their chicks can eat their own body weight in food in one night.

The next challenge is overcoming the physical limitations of barn owls’ wings, which aren’t waterproof, so they can be adversely affected by the weather. They are also unable to store a lot of body fat,

and therefore are particularly prone to starvation during prolonged periods of severe weather or when there is shortage of prey.

However, there are sites where barn owls can thrive. One of those is Dorset Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve, Lorton Meadows, in Weymouth, where many chicks have been seen to fledge each year as a result of the excellent habitat surrounding the barn owl box.

Careful habitat management carried out all year round by DWT conservation staff and volunteers means that this site can provide the food and shelter barn owls need to survive.

This year DWT is streaming the latest pair of barn owls, which are roosting and preparing for breeding, live on the webcam sponsored by PFM Associates.

You can watch the barn owls, and hopefully, enjoy many hours of witnessing the true beauty of nature as they raise their chicks at the Lorton Meadows nature reserve.

Watch now at: www.dorsetwildlifetrust. org.uk/wildlifewebcam

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law spot

STAY AT HOME

By Nicola Lowe, Partner Harold G Walker Solicitors

Why should I make a will?

Research carried out in December 2018 showed that 54% of UK adults don’t have a will. It may surprise you that this has included some well-known names; Rik Mayall died in 2014, Amy Winehouse died in 2011 and Kurt Cobain in 1994 all without a will.

If a person dies without a will the intestacy rules apply.

This sets out the order of which persons inherit from the estate of the deceased. It is a common misconception that if you die without a will, but you are married, your spouse will automatically inherit everything. If your estate is worth over £250,000 and you have children this not the case.

Anything over £250,000 is divided half to your spouse and half to your children.

The intestacy rules may

not distribute your assets in accordance with your wishes.

You may want to include gifts to people other than family. If you do not have a spouse, children or parents, then the next to inherit would be your siblings. However, if you wanted a friend or your nieces and nephews to inherit part or all of your estate this would be achieved by making a will. Finally, taking advice about making a will from an expert will help you to distribute your estate in the most tax efficient way.

HGW understands that people are busy and time is precious and that is why their experts can visit you or take instructions over the telephone if you prefer. Contact HGW at any branch detailed in the adjacent advert for an informal chat and a no obligation quotation.

With over 100 fines being issued by Dorset Police in less than four weeks to those making non-essential journeys, or blatantly flouting the regulations, chief constable James Vaughan has warned, “Our officers will continue to patrol across Dorset to ensure that people are only making essential journeys. They will continue to engage with the public, explain the rules and encourage people to go home.”

The government advice is • Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home) • If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times • Wash your hands as soon as you get home • Do not meet others, even friends or family.

• You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms Out of the total of 118 fixed penalty notices issued by Dorset Police, over half (60) were handed to non-Dorset residents.

James Vaughan said, “We will only enforce as a very last resort.”

This column is for information only and does not constitute legal advice

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| 35

LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

Coping with lockdown

By Marilyn Barber As my husband will attest I like to go out and about, whether it is to visit historic houses and gardens, for a walk on the beach or just to have coffee with friends, so staying within the

Marilyn Barber

confines of home, apart from a social distancing walk each day, doesn’t come naturally to me.

I’m used to working from home, so that isn’t a problem, but free time has always meant getting out and about, sometimes I have to confess to the detriment of work that should be done in the house and garden.

However, I seem to have adjusted pretty well to the lockdown, although like other readers, I hope it won’t continue for too many months.

I won’t go into details about the problems of getting supplies – you can have many happy hours trying to find a supermarket slot – however, we have managed to source items from smaller outlets.

Unfortunately, you don’t always receive exactly what you ordered, with some items missing, so we have been having some slightly unusual meals. However, as my culinary skills have always been somewhat limited, my husband has been uncomplaining. I am trying to take a leaf out of his book, as he has always been good at making a brilliant meal with just a few ingredients and some herbs and spices.

At the moment we seem to have an excess of large oranges, a lettuce, which would feed a family of 10, and enough frozen broccoli to last months.

But we are determined not to waste any food at all, so if someone can come up with a dish to include all three of those items, I would

be pleased to hear from them.

The lawn has been cut to within an inch of its life, and having cleared out weeds, we are using up the umpteen boxes of wild flower seeds we had accumulated and done nothing with.

Confession time. We have been going to ‘the pub’. Well actually it is our own pub. Sitting by the window, looking out over the River Allen, we have been enjoying the odd glass of wine.

We dress as though we are going out for the evening, and just chat as though we were at our ‘local’.

I have been going out for walks and have been impressed with everyone who in Wimborne is going out of their way to ‘social distance’. I greet everyone and have had some interesting long distance chats. So very many people live on their own, and it is a chance to just check that they are all right, and not short of necessities.

Having structure in the day helps enormously, and each evening I plan the day ahead.

Sitting in the sun reading is hugely pleasurable and we are safe in the knowledge that we won’t run out of reading material as we have shelves full of tomes including the complete works of Dickens.

Now where did I put that copy of War and Peace?

Animal lover describes life in Turkey following the lockdown Maggie Mellor, who lived in Merley, and then in Parkstone, describes life in Turkey during the Covid-19 crisis.

Maggie, who is on the board of a charity called ARK in Kuşadasi, which helps all street animals, said, “I moved to live in Turkey in 2004, not knowing anyone; it was an exciting adventure. I was made very welcome by my Turkish neighbours who took it in turns to bring me plates of food.

“I soon made many friends and have had a fantastic social life until three weeks ago when we went into lockdown. I have been in self isolation since then. I am lucky in that I have a nice garden to enjoy on a warm spring day.

“My closest Turkish friend has kindly done my food shopping during this time but, with more restrictions in place, it will now have to be done online.

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4DORSET May 2020

“I have a rescue dog that I am allowed to walk within my complex and we are joined by four street dogs that I feed. I’m also kept company by the three cats that adopted me, plus many strays that I feed.

“Thank goodness for technology; being able to call and see my daughters, family and friends means I don’t feel alone.

“Whilst I have so much time on my hands, I intend to improve my Turkish skills - it’s not an easy language. Like most people, I am watching the news constantly hoping to hear some good news. I enjoy sketching, doing code word books and reading. I do a seven-minute workout every morning, which helps to keep my energy up.

“I hope and pray this pandemic will come to an end soon, so we can all get back to a normal life again. Stay safe everyone.”

Maggie Mellor

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Raw Bites Vegan Energy Recipe

foodie news

By nutritionist Sonia Solanilla Paco, Co-founder of Turnilla Yoga, Estepona, Spain

All of the delicious bite recipes have the same simple method but the ingredients vary depending on what fabulous creation you want to achieve.

1. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor 2. Bit by bit process the mixture until you have a thick sticky mixture 3. Optionally at this stage you can cool the mixture in a fridge for 15 minutes which helps form the final balls 4. Split the mixture into evenly sized pieces and roll into small balls 5. Optionally the balls can now be coated in any light coating of seeds or powders (let your imagination run wild)

Ginger Fizz Nut-ricious Cacao Bomb 1 ½ Cups – Dates 1 Cup – Cashew Nuts 3cm³ – Ginger 1 Tbl Spoon – Turmeric 1 Pinch – Sea Salt 1 Pinch – Vanilla 1 Pinch – Pepper

1 ½ Cups – Dates

½ Cup – Almonds

1 ½ Cups – Dates

½ Cup – Cashews

1 Cup – Walnuts

Third of a Cup – Coconut Flakes

2 Tbl Spoon – Cacao

Third of a Cup – Maca

1 Tbl Spoon – Chago Powder

1 Pinch – Vanilla

1 Pinch – Cinnamon

1 Pinch – Sea Salt

1 Pinch – Sea Salt

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| 37

around & about / what’s happening in your area.

Sunset in the New Forest before lockdown Photo ©Louis Pulford

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4DORSET September 2019

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around & about

Rescheduled events at the Tivoli BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL (RED PROGRAMME) - Rescheduled to: Wednesday 2 September 7.30pm BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL (BLUE PROGRAMME) - Rescheduled to: Thursday 29 October 7.30pm JETHRO - Rescheduled to: Wednesday 26 August 7.30pm TOYAH & HAZEL O’CONNOR: ELECTRIC LADIES OF THE 80’s - Rescheduled to: Tuesday 15 September 7.30pm JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH’S BACK! - Rescheduled to: Wednesday 16 September 7.30pm ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Rescheduled to: Sunday 20 September 2.30pm RUSSELL KANE: THE FAST & THE CURIOUS Rescheduled to: Thursday 24 September 8.00pm GYLES BRANDRETH: BREAK A LEG! - Rescheduled to: Sunday 27 September at the amended time of 5.00pm WILLE & THE BANDITS - Rescheduled to: Friday 30 October 7.30pm

Please find attached a copy of your

JOHN COOPER CLARKE - Rescheduled to: Sunday 15 November 7.30pm

SOUNDS OF THE 70’S LIVE WITH JOHNNIE WALKER Rescheduled to: Friday 26 March 2021 7.30pm NINE BELOW ZERO - Rescheduled to: Friday 9 April 2021 7.30pm REVENGE (CRIME AND COMEDY THEATRE COMPANY) Rescheduled to: Saturday 10 April 2021 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Tickets for these and all other events from 20 August onwards are on sale to andappear can be purchased online at: www.tivoliwimborne.co.uk advert in the 4DORSET APRIL 2020 The Tivoli is still in the process of rescheduling as many other events as possible.

Ticketholders for any rescheduled events will be contacted once the date has been confirmed. Updates will continue to be posted on the Tivoli website and social media pages. The Tivoli thanks its customers for their words of support and kind donations at this difficult time and looks forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as it is safe to do so.

ANDY PARSONS: HEALING THE NATION - Rescheduled to: Thursday 29 April 2021 8.00pm

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| 39

LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

Helen Mellor-Mitchell describes life in Dubai during lockdown: 14 April 2020 My husband and I have lived in Dubai for just over four years. In November 2015, I was approached for the role of VP Brand & Communications for Dubai Airports and three months later we became expats. We had never even visited Dubai, let alone considered living here but, after a whirlwind trip for interviews (and a spot of sightseeing), we fell for the place so, after 13 years in London, we made the decision to relocate.

Of course, it took a while to adjust. We had a vast social circle in London and worked in an industry with a busy after work culture.

Particularly in the early months, we missed our friends and family, but we soon had plenty of visitors.

Dubai attracts an adventurous, open minded crowd so we quickly made a lot of friends and started to lead busy social lives. The city has so much to offer so there was never a dull moment and always an excuse for a pool day or a Friday brunch. That is until March 2020 when the coronavirus and the fear of it, started to really hit.

At first conferences began to be cancelled, but then the nurseries, schools and universities closed and those were followed by the attractions that Dubai is so well known for – the theme parks, the restaurants, the beaches and, of course, the malls.

From 22 March, all but essential workers were told to stay at home.

Now that we are in our third week of lockdown measures, with a 24/7 nationwide disinfection programme underway, we are required to apply for a permit just to leave the house, with permission being granted for essential shopping trips only and with that only one family member at a time may go. It is now 10 days since I’ve left the house.

As I’ve been working as a consultant for the past 18 months, I’m used to working from home so being productive in this environment wasn’t a difficult adjustment. Although, with so many projects on hold, there’s been little to be productive with.

After a week of zero work and utter laziness, I started trying to create a routine – filling my calendar in an attempt to give days some structure, with varied success. Some days I do manage to do the scheduled workout, read the marketing news, refresh my French skills and bake banana bread. On other days, I spend an unhealthy amount of time on Twitter or just reading a book by the pool.

I’m used to video calling family and friends to stay in touch but in the past few weeks I’ve been in touch with friends who I haven’t spoke to for months or even years and I’m cognizant that I am extremely lucky with my isolation conditions compared to most. I’m with my husband and two cats, in a spacious villa with beautiful weather and a pool to enjoy.

Being Dubai, you can get just about anything delivered. Even the best restaurants are now available and even the famous Dubai brunches have gone virtual. I don’t think I would have coped half as well if we were still in our flat in London. Even here in Dubai, we are luckier than most; I think of single friends on the 60th floor of a tower block, or families with kids who can’t go out and play.

Despite being blessed with this environment, I’m stressed and worried as everyone is. I worry about my parents, who are in good health but over 70 and living in badly affected countries. I worry about all my friends and family around the world. I worry about how long we will be living like this and what state the world will be in when it finally ends. I’m lucky to be somewhere I feel relatively safe, where such decisive action was taken early to halt the rapid spread of the disease that we see in western European nations and in America, and I wish this was the case for others less fortunate.

Stay safe everyone!

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| 41

in the home / home is where the heart is .

Private rent tenants urged to seek help early during Covid-19 crisis Local people who rent privately and are worried about meeting their rental payments during the Covid-19 crisis are urged to seek help as soon as possible.

With many residents across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole experiencing a change in circumstances - such as reduced working hours, job loss or inability to work due to the outbreak - this could have an impact on being able to afford to pay rent and puts their tenancy at risk.

Councillor Kieron Wilson, Cabinet Member for Housing, said, “I would strongly encourage private tenants to speak to their landlord, agent or the Council’s Early Housing Prevention Service as soon as possible.

They are there to support and understand your personal circumstances and together will work with you to find a solution and put arrangements in place to help you.”

If tenants are able to continue paying their rent each month, they should do so to ensure they maintain their tenancy.

Tenants who privately rent across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and would like free, confidential advice and support can contact: earlyprevention@ bcpcouncil.gov.uk or Let’s Talk Renting 01202 451474.

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4DORSET May 2020

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in the home

Coronavirus will change laundry habits The lockdown is changing the way many of us behave, and one plus for mums and dads is that with social distancing their offspring will now start to do their own laundry.

Hadn’t they been doing that already?

I hear you say.

Well no, they haven’t!

According to a survey of 2,000 people under the age of 40 - commissioned by home appliance brand Beko in February, before the lockdown – 36 per cent of people in the south west preferred their parents to do their washing for them. A whopping 71 per cent have used their parents’ washing machine and 61 per cent claim their parents have done their washing for them since they left the family home.

Doing your own laundry has been voted the third worst thing about leaving home, trumped only by cleaning and cooking. The laundry battle reaches a peak for those in their 30s, the age group that were most likely to see washing as the worst household chore. No wonder, considering Brits living with a partner and

children are likely to use their washing machine a whopping 260 times a year (an average of five times per week).

Men are more likely to call in a favour from mum and dad than women, where the figure rises to 75 per cent.

Reasons people have been likely to engage help from their parents included; struggling to keep on top of the load (19%), because their mum enjoys doing washing (18%), being too busy (17%) through to the 11% that just cannot be bothered. Whilst 10% admit there’s no excuse, their parents always do their washing.

Nearly a third of Brits would be more likely to ask their parents to do their laundry, than for a loan. Forget the bank of mum of dad, we’d rather have clean sheets and freshly pressed shirts for work.

On average people in the UK stop using their parents’ washing machine at the age of 23, but one in ten admitted that they would never

stop relying on the ‘launderette of mum and dad'. They will have to now.

All things considered, 35% of Brits said they would prefer their parents to do their laundry for them full time if they had a choice. In fact, over half of us would rather call mum for laundry advice than go to Google or a friend. Reasons we prefer to use the ‘launderette of mum and dad', range from preferring the smell of their washing powder, to the fact it’s cheaper and they have more space for drying.

Of the people surveyed, the most common problems encountered when attempting to do their own laundry included; leaving wet clothes in the drum so they ended up smelling (40%), overloading the washing machine (36%) and shrinking clothes (18%). In addition to this 20% admit they rarely check the care label in their clothing.

There could be a further very interesting survey some months down the clothes line.

Photo by Beko

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| 45

in the home / home is where the heart is .

10 easy DIY jobs As under current guidelines we are not permitted to allow experts into our homes – except in an emergency – we all have to learn how to do things ourselves.

And some jobs are not too difficult.

1. Fix a smelly dishwasher First empty the dishwasher, then clean the screen at the bottom of the dishwasher and clean out any food lodged in the sprayer arm ports. Finally, clean the door lip before running a full cycle using a dishwasher cleaner.

2. Fix a wallpaper seam If you have a wallpaper seam that is coming apart, all you have to do is reactivate the paste around the gap with a rag soaked in warm water.

Hold the rag over the area for a minute or two, and then carefully open the gap a little larger so you'll have more room for the sealer. Squeeze seam sealer into the gap, and press the paper to the wall with a roller. Clean off the excess sealer with a sponge.

3. Sort out that sticky lock Would you believe that all you need is a pencil!

Simply rub the teeth of your key with a pencil, coating it generously with graphite. Insert the key in the lock. Repeat until the key glides in smoothly.

4. New way of cleaning your kitchen Stainless steel kitchen appliances can be cleaned using car wax. This is said to keep the appliances resistant to fingerprints and smudges.

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4DORSET May 2020

5. Remove price sticker residue It’s always so annoying that when you buy a new item you have to spend ages trying to remove the price sticker, often leaving bits behind.

However, the solution is in your food cupboard.

Dab any type of cooking oil onto a paper towel.

Then lay the paper towel over the residue that refuses to budge. Wait a few minutes while the oil works to dissolve the stubborn glue. Finally, remove the towel and rub away the sticker residue with another clean paper towel.

6. Removing a water stain You can get rid of a water stain without having to repaint a ceiling. Spray the spot with a bleach and water solution (10 per cent bleach), and wait a day or two. If it's an old stain, use a mould and mildew remover. You'd be surprised how often the stain disappears by the next day. It works on both flat and textured ceilings. Wear safety goggles, and make sure you protect the walls and floors with plastic.

7. Remove hard water build up We live in a hard water area, but you can remove the build-up on your taps by simply placing half of a fresh lemon on the end of the tap. Wrap a small plastic bag around the lemon and secure it to the tap with a rubber band. After a few hours, remove the lemon and wipe the tap clean.

8. Remove wood scratches If you have some shelled walnuts in your store cupboard you have the solution to wood scratches. Just rub the nut over the scratch several times. Then with your fingers rub the scratched area and you will find the scratch has gone.

9. Sorting out a squeaky floorboard The squeak is generally caused by loose floorboards rubbing against each other.

Sometimes just shaking some talcum powder through the cracks can solve the problem, but the boards may need screwing down more securely.

10. Remove indentations from carpets During lockdown you might have been spending time re-arranging the furniture – and finding dents in the carpet. However, there is a solution.

Just place ice cubes on the damaged area and watch the dents – and the ice – disappear.

If you have any tips for further small jobs that can be tackled easily at home, send them to Marilyn Barber newseditor@mags4dorset. co.uk

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specialist services / who to contact for the service you need.

48 |

DECORATING

BLACKSMITH

DECORATING

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

CLEANING SERVICES

COMPUTER SERVICES

FENCING

DECORATING

ELECTRICIAN

FENCING

FENCING

GARDENING SERVICES

GARDENING SERVICES

4DORSET May 2020

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specialist services GARDENING SERVICES

HEATING SPECIALISTS

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LOGS

LOCKSMITH

MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE

ROOFING

MAINTENANCE

ROOFING

TREE SURGERY

TREE SURGERY

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| 49

specialist services / who to contact for the service you need.

TREE SURGERY

WINDOW REPAIRS

WINDOW REPAIRS

Good Samaritans do exist

We have always read your magazine with interest and with the current lockdown were pleased to have it delivered recently. I thought you may be interested to hear of an act of kindness.

Our son was on his way in his car to deliver a food parcel to us the other day. Glancing in his wing mirror he noticed a man lying in Westwood Avenue after falling off his mobility scooter. He stopped to help the old man up who said he was suffering with MS and couldn’t get up. He had been taking his dog for a run when the scooter tipped over and he became trapped under the machine. He was clearly shaken but didn’t appear to be injured apart from scratches and a bleeding hand. The dog was lying down by his master. The man was too heavy to lift, but fortunately another passerby came to help. Between them they disentangled the machine and got the gentleman back on his scooter. He told them he had a carer going in to see him later. After close contact our son went into self-isolation for a fortnight.

There is still kindness about and a lack of selfpreservation in the public sector even with coronavirus about.

Name supplied on email

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4DORSET May 2020

Laugh of the month…

There's no fool like an old fool as has recently been confirmed by me, and it's not for the first time either.

I won't go into details, but I am retired and I could not find any supermarket that had Bonios on the shelf for my dog Ben so I ordered a box on line.

The delivery guy handed it over with the comment, “It's heavy,” and it was. I had ordered what I thought was a 1.25 KG box, but it turned out to be 12.5kg of Bonios, all loose, but provided with a bunch of manufacturer's bags so I could bag them up and sell them in my shop!

The other blunder was the arrival of 550 tea bags, I still have no recollection of where I ordered them, and I don't know how they arrived, as recently I have had so many small deliveries left on the step. We now have about 18 months supply of tea – it's not a case of bring your own tea bag, but when you visit after lockdown you can have a complimentary one to take home with you.

Ken Horton West Moors

Dorset animal charity keeps lifeline open Waggy Tails Rescue are still taking and caring for emergency cases.

As you can imagine, life has changed considerably over the last month, but we are continuing with a skeleton staff and fewer dogs. Some four-legged friends have been placed into foster homes so there is space at Helen’s House for emergencies.

The dogs are enjoying their new home life and are still up for adoption.

We are currently not able to process any applications but still welcome enquiries through our website.

We have had to say goodbye to our wonderful team of volunteers for the time being to maintain social distancing, but will welcome them back when we are able.

All our events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future and both our shops are closed so we have lost our income stream.

A plea for foster homes generated lots of enquiries and we now have a list

of willing homes available to take a dog should the need arise. We have no idea how long this will go on for and what the demand for help will be, but we wanted to be prepared.

People have been generously donating food and treats for the dogs and we have started to pass some on to two local food banks so that it can be delivered directly to vulnerable people.

If anyone is struggling to look after their pet and needs advice please phone our office on 01202 875000, it will be answered between 10am – 1pm. Outside these hours please leave a clear message with your name and number and a brief message or email admin@waggytails.org. uk Waggy Tails Rescue Helen’s House Sanctuary Magna Road, Wimborne www.waggytails.org.uk

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MAGS4DORSET

Citizens Advice can help you

Bournemouth and District MS Community Hub

East Dorset Citizens Advice is keen to help during this difficult time.

If you’re claiming Universal Credit or you’re now on a very low income, you might be able to get some help towards paying your council tax. Most councils won’t backdate payments, so make sure you apply for a reduction as soon as you’ve made your Universal Credit claim. You can claim online.

Just type in Dorset Council Tax Support in your search engine and follow the steps.

Anyone seeking to make a new claim for Universal Credit should call the Universal Credit Help to Claim Line on 0800 1448444.

If you're one of the many people who would love to catch up with friends and family online, but don’t know where to start, the Dorset Digital Hotline can help. It’s a new free service provided by Dorset Council.

Digital champions and are available to talk on the phone, free of charge, Monday to Friday 10am to noon. Contact 01305 221048.

For advice and guidance, including upto-date advice about coronavirus, East Dorset Citizens Advice can be contacted on 01202 884738 or visit www.eastdorsetca.com.

Charity of the Year

It’s me again from the MS centre with my monthly chitchat about the branch.

I’m sure that because of the worldwide virus pandemic, the restrictions placed upon you have been difficult to manage and I hope you can all stay safe and well for the duration of the lockdown.

For us at the MS centre the situation very quickly became unworkable so with a great deal of reluctance we decided to close down until further notice, which was ironic because the following week the government decided to impose a similar closure on all meeting places such as ours, including groups of three or more people.

This of course meant that our members could not attend their weekly physiotherapy, manipulation, yoga or exercise classes, from which they would normally benefit greatly as it’s important for wheelchair users to keep their joints flexible and malleable, so these types of exercises were ideal.

Many used the centre as a social gathering place and in so doing, made long-lasting friends, however because of the closure this is a major loss to those people.

Due to the closure along with many similar small charities our future has become uncertain as all forms of fundraising has ceased which is our lifeline. Of course we still have to pay our service bills for the gas, water and electric services even though we’re not at the centre using them.

Until we are able to reopen a team of our centre volunteers are keeping in contact by telephone or email on a regular basis with all of our members. It is essential at this difficult time that, although we are not together, we are all still part of our MS family and will support each other through this.

Hopefully we will speak next month.

Stay in and stay safe.

Alan Lindsay Life President MS Hub

Man who coughed at officers is behind bars

A Bournemouth man who coughed and sneezed toward police officers and said ‘have some of the coronavirus’ has been jailed.

Martin Barry Turner, 50 of Capstone Place, was sentenced to 24 weeks in custody at Poole Magistrates’ Court on 2 April for offences of assaulting an emergency worker, failing to comply with a direction under COVID-19 (coronavirus) legislation, and being drunk and disorderly in a public place. The offence occurred on 1 April.

Residents of two neighbouring properties in Lewens Lane, Wimborne Minster, were out on the doorsteps at 8pm on Thursday to show their appreciation for the NHS. As they did so, one of the Minster’s bell ringers had climbed up to the ringing chamber to ring a solitary bell, which was heard across the town. Photo by Anthony Oliver

Closures affecting Poole and Purbeck

Sandbanks chain ferry service between Poole and Studland has been withdrawn until further notice due to the coronavirus health crisis which led to a significant reduction in ferry passenger numbers.

The ferry company says it is no longer economically or environmentally viable to continue to run during the coronavirus crisis.

To further exacerbate problems the Twin Sails bridge in Poole has been closed until further notice for repairs.

If you are getting a feeling of déjà vu, it’s because the same thing happened last year, but for entirely different reasons in the case of the ferry. Twin Sails has been plagued by problems since it was first constructed.

Poole Bridge remains open for key workers and essential journeys.

#BletchleyParkVEDay75 will be celebrated online Temporarily closed in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus, Bletchley Park will be marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day online with a digital ‘Nation’s Toast’ at 3pm, and a special recording of a VE Day speech by ‘Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill’.

There are many ways you can join the celebrations at home, and remember to share your photos and videos using #BletchleyParkVEDay75.

To find out more visit the Bletchley Park website where you will find more activities and fascinating VE Day archive material in the run up to VE Day 75. www. bletchleypark.org.uk #BuntingForBletchley You can also help create 1,945 metres of red, white and blue bunting to celebrate VE Day.

A giant ‘Thank You’ spotted at St Catherine’s Primary School, Muscliffe.

Photo by Lee Cooper.

Adorn your houses and streets with bunting on the 8 May. Then, once the site is reopen to the public, Bletchley Park is asking you to send them your bunting so they can create a real celebration atmosphere when they open.

You can find the template to make the bunting on the Bletchley Park website.

When sharing anything on social media use #BletchleyParkVEDay75 or #BuntingforBletchley.

Bletchley Park at Milton Keynes was one of the first organisations to learn of the formal surrender of Germany in the early hours of 7 May 1945, the day before VE Day was formally announced on 8 May 1945. Although VE Day signalled the end of the war in Europe, the war in the Pacific continued, until VJ Day on 15 August 1945.

Rainbow brightens West Moors. Photo

by Andy Skeats

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| 51

motoring / keeping you on the road.

Don’t neglect car maintenance during Covid-19 pandemic If you’re following government advice, your car is only moving from its parking spot on rare occasions, but that is no reason to forget about it.

Road safety charity, GEM Motoring Assist, is urging drivers to ensure they keep cars in a safe, roadworthy condition during the current coronavirus pandemic.

Although the Transport Secretary issued an automatic six-month extension to any MoT certificates due from 30 March, it remains your responsibility to keep your car in a roadworthy condition.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth commented, “Now more than ever it is important to get into the habit of carrying out regular basic checks on fluid levels and tyre pressures to make sure your car is in good shape.

“You must ensure your tyres have at least the minimum amount of tread left, as police will still be fining drivers (with penalty points) who fail to comply.”

GEM’s collection of short videos which is available on https://www.motoringassist.com/howtguides/ will help inexperienced car owners conduct basic maintenance on their vehicle. This includes MoT checks, tyre pressure and tread, oil and screenwash levels.

Tyre repair centres are remaining open where possible, while mobile tyre fitting services continue to operate.

GEM is also reminding drivers that they should only be leaving home for essential travel. This is travelling to and from work if you cannot work at home, shopping for necessary items and medical needs, such as caring for a vulnerable person “Car servicing is not a valid reason for leaving the house,” added Neil Worth. “If your car is due a service then it will have to wait. But there’s no need to be concerned, as timescales are seldom strict with car service intervals, so waiting a few more weeks is unlikely to be a problem.”

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TV spinners… the most popular 80s TV cars revealed • Iconic Dodge Charger from The Dukes of Hazzard most popular to drive • It is closely followed by K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider and the A-Team van • Relive Saturday night tea-time with TrackDays.co.uk The top three most popular 80s’ TV cars to drive have been revealed, with the iconic Dodge Charger from The Dukes of Hazzard taking pole position.

Nicknamed the ‘General Lee’, the Charger was a central character in the incredibly popular 80s tea-time show which ran for seven seasons with nearly 150 episodes, eventually coming off air in 1985.

The research by driving experiences provider www.trackdays.co.uk was based on the number of bookings it received for its range of TV cars to drive.

Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, said, “There’s no doubt that The Dukes of Hazzard was one of the best-loved Saturday night tea-time shows of the 1980s, following the exploits of Bo and Luke Duke trying the evade the corrupt Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane.

“It is perhaps no surprise that it’s the most popular TV car to drive with Brits who can imagine they are speeding through Hazzard County racing for the county line with Rosco in hot pursuit.”

Meanwhile, taking second place was the Pontiac Firebird, commonly known as KITT in Knight Rider.

Starring David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, Knight Rider was a staple viewing of teatime TV across the UK from 1982 to 1986. Once again, the car was also the star and KITT was a virtually

indestructible foe and the bane of many villains.

Taking third place on the podium was the GMC Vandura, known to most people as the A-Team van.

With BA Baracus at the wheel, the Vandura transported the rest of the A-Team including John ‘Hannibal’ Smith, Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck and HM Murdock as they tried to evade capture and clear their names after escaping a military prison for crimes they did not commit.

Dan added, “These cars were at the height of their fame back in the 1980s but they still hold fond memories for millions of Brits.”

For more information about TrackDays. co.uk, or to book a driving experience in a TV car, visit www.trackdays.co.uk.

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motoring / keeping you on the road.

Hamilton on the limit

Recalling the extraordinary life and times of Duncan Hamilton Born 100 years ago on 30 April, Duncan Hamilton crashed numerous cars and aeroplanes, did his best to drown an admiral, and his dog delayed a critical wartime convoy for four days by eating top secret naval documents. Yes, Duncan Hamilton was certainly a larger than life character, but was also one of Europe’s premier racing drivers of the post-war era, who subsequently penned the funniest motor racing autobiography to date, Touch Wood.

James Duncan Hamilton was born in Cork, Ireland. Aged two he knocked himself unconscious by crashing his pram down a flight of 38 steps. Later, while studying at Brighton College, he drove a master’s car through a wall - arguably all useful preparation for his later years as a competition driver. His introduction to the world of motorsport was gained at Brooklands. By donning overalls and carrying a bucket of water he used to blag his way into the pits, where he would offer assistance to the bona fide mechanics, ultimately working on the cars of such noted drivers as bandleader Billy Cotton. Brooklands also opened his eyes to aviation, and his eventful war years were spent in the Fleet Air Arm, where he was most frequently seen at the controls of Supermarine Seafires. Post-war life was inevitably boring by comparison, and it was then that the motor racing bug really bit.

Works Ferrari driver Froilán González described him as ‘the world’s fastest wet weather driver’. However, he was no slouch in the dry either, and his many achievements behind the wheel included: outright victory with Tony Rolt (of Colditz fame) in the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours, and the 1956 Reims 12 Hours with Ivor Bueb – both of which results were achieved aboard works Jaguars. The Hamilton and Rolt

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pairing very nearly eclipsed the 1954 Le Mans race in a factory-supplied Jaguar too, finally losing out to González’s far more powerful Ferrari by the race’s narrowest margin for 23 years. In 11 seasons of top class motorsport, Duncan: competed against such all-time greats as Fangio, Ascari, Villoresi, Castellotti, Moss and close personal friends Collins and Hawthorn; drove Grand Prix cars from LagoTalbot, Maserati, HWM and ERA, and works team sports cars for Jaguar, Ferrari and Healey.

He also contested Le Mans, the world’s most arduous of all motor races, on no less than nine consecutive occasions.

The countless incidents that befell him are equally legendary. When transporting his ex-Malcolm Campbell R-Type MG to the Brighton Speed Trials he spotted a Bugatti in the mirror, so moved over and waved it by. It was only when it drew level he realised it was driverless, and in fact his own car that he’d been towing behind the MG – the story ended with a felled lamppost. It was when dicing for the lead during the 1953 Oporto Grand Prix that he was forced off the track at 125mph, causing him to demolish a steel pylon and eliminate the city’s electricity supply; not to mention break nine of his ribs, neck, jaw and a collarbone.

Even his famous Le Mans win was not achieved without pain, as he suffered a bird strike on the Mulsanne Straight that smashed both his Jaguar’s aero-screen and his nose. Arguably only Duncan Hamilton could have got himself fired for winning the Reims 12 hours (he was deemed to have breached Jaguar team orders), only to promptly join Ferrari as a teammate to none other than Juan Manuel Fangio. He’s almost certainly also unique in being stopped for speeding while en route to participating in a TV programme on road safety.

Duncan and son Adrian aged two

Hamilton was understandably highly respected by Jaguar, for whom he achieved many successes, and was therefore the first privateer to be granted racing examples of both its C-Type and D-Type models. However, looking back on his extraordinary driving career, he rated his Lago-Talbot Grand Prix car as the favourite among countless competition machines. Despite such fondness, it was only when he came to sell his faithful racer that he recalled storing it in a ‘coal-hole’ in Dieppe many years before. Initially even unsure of the house concerned, he eventually found the car buried but unharmed under a ton of domestic coke.

Following the tragic death of his close friend Mike Hawthorn, Duncan officially announced his retirement from motorsport in April 1959, whereupon he concentrated his energies on sailing and growing the highly regarded car dealership he had founded 11 years earlier.

Nowadays known as Duncan Hamilton ROFGO, it has been run by his son Adrian for the past 45 years, and is renowned as one of the world’s premier traders in competition and classic cars (www.dhrofgo.com). Duncan passed away on Friday, 13 May 1994, aged 74 – surely the most apposite of dates for a man that lived life at full throttle from day one!

Said Adrian Hamilton: “My dad was one of the last of that extraordinary band of post-war drivers who, hardened by the hostilities, feared nothing and were determined to enjoy every minute of their lives to the maximum. Their enthusiasm for racing was only matched by that for partying afterwards, and we’ll never see their like again. I am fiercely proud of all he achieved and am sure I won’t be alone in raising a glass to him on April 30, the centenary of his birth.”

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LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

Myra with Tommy and Vro in happier times

Yes we have no bananas

By Myra King, Australia

My lungs compress and my breath becomes ragged as I jog the two miles to feed my horses.

The privilege of driving was lost with my eyesight years ago, although I feel lucky to still have vision and fitness enough, at 64, to get there at all.

Fear stops my breath as the sting of a wasp on my neck burns like fire. It hisses up and crawls beneath my glasses. I fling them to the ground with grim irony that at least it's gone for my worst eye.

I inhale long and deep, think of all those in pain now with this virus and struggling to breathe. I pick up my glasses, dust them off and carry on, only one more mile.

My horses, Tommy and Vro, whicker out warm greetings on my arrival, walking towards me with expectation of bananas in the gleam

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of their eyes. They both love bananas even with the skin.

I tell them that there are no bananas today, as I hand them dried figs, their second favourite treat. They snort their surprise but gobble up the offerings.

While I drag fallen branches to the bonfire, both horses still taking 'the omission of bananas' as an outrage, follow me around their field, making throaty expectant noises, almost like a mantra. Hopeful I guess, on making the bananas magically appear in my hands like they have done every other morning for the past two years.

Around me, the wild free things still go on with their lives untouched: the male blue wren and his wives, the dragonfly in myriad hovering colours, all busy making preparation for the coming season. Even the wind lifts up a promise of rain to raise the green.

I throw out some hay to my horses and the bananas are soon forgotten in the crunching contented moment of filling their stomachs. For many seconds I forget too.

A tumble of thunder rapidly brings me back.

The horses leave their hay and gallop, tails raised and nostrils flared, to the far end of their field. I look to the darkening sky, longing for 'before' when life made sense and bananas and safety were not as 'now', rations from a world war, so hard to get.

Myra King lives in Australia with her husband, David, and rescue greyhound, Sparky. Among many other literary journals, her work has been published in San Pedro River Review, Boston Literary Magazine, Every Day Fiction and Eclectic Flash. myrakingprofile.webs.com

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LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

Canadian perspective on writing in lockdown Judith Silverthorne From my Canadian literary arts perspective, I suspect writers may well be among the more experienced in knowing how to deal with lockdowns during this time of global crisis.

Some of us have worked primarily from home for years and have adjusted to spending many days or longer in self-imposed full or partial seclusion. We thrive on being solitary.

At least for a time. How long we will be able to manage these imposed stay-at-home isolating conditions beyond our norm will be one of our challenges. Perhaps our responses will be not much different than the general public, though I doubt we would ever be bored, One major downside for writers, as is the same for the general populace, is the loss of income for basic survival from cancelled engagements and other presentation activities, and also our avenue for much-needed contact with others in between stretches of solitude.

Fortunately our strong national advocate writing and arts groups like the Canadian Council for the Arts and The Writers Trust of Canada have rallied and are offering some emergency financial support to those who are most desperate.

As worrisome as the financial aspects are, writers have been among the first sectors rallying to engage and entertain people across the country. They’ve been volunteering their time and skills to live stream readings of their books and doing presentations on writing through Zoom, Skype and other social media platforms. The technology part not necessarily a strong quality for writers, this is an opportunity for writers to embrace what likely will become more part of our future practice. Besides individuals, local and national writing organizations have become involved in supporting or launching online initiatives, all hoping to help alleviate the tremendous stress, fear, and ‘cabin-fever’ experiences sweeping through the nation. A bonus is more awareness is happening of Canadian authors and books.

With the world on pause, many of us are also suddenly able to work on projects we hoped to do ‘one day.’ We have time to sort, rearrange, and cull paper and digital manuscript files and photographs, and to do research for future projects. For me, with no deadlines

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to deliver articles or to prepare for writing workshops and school presentations, and with my editing jobs declining, I have hardly any external writing-related projects in the offing.

This gives me unprecedented time to work uninterrupted on current novels and create new material. I speculate this is an aspiration for most creative writers, who also juggle their creative side with the practicalities of earning a living through other work.

Although I can’t speak for most writers, I am among those who like to keep active and productive through personal external connections, Besides the revisions of my newest novel, like many of us without the benefits of outside contacts and activities, I soon discovered I needed an additional “purpose,” one preferably that might somehow help others get through these alarming restricting circumstances.

As a result, I found myself volunteering at our local community television channel to read books to kids stuck at home instead of attending school. The program manager snapped up the offer, assigned a camera operator to me, and I recruited another author friend to share her stories and those of others too. Before we could start choosing books, we learned the impromptu idea had morphed into a half-hour television series with eight weekly episodes. My friend and I became instant coproducers and the show got underway.

In a separate venture, I have offered to do virtual writing programs and workshops for adults and young people through our local library system. Several other writers are initiating additional creative contributions in their communities both within my home province of Saskatchewan and across the nation.

I imagine my writing weeks are similar to many - punctuated with shopping for necessities and dropping off groceries or meals to others, which in my case is for my 89-yearold mom, thankfully living in a relatively safe locked-down senior’s residence. As it is for us all, the fear and anxiety exuding from others are palpable each time we step outdoors or into a grocery store. I am anxious too, not for myself, but for my son who works in the provincial laboratory building where the testing for COVID-19 is done in Saskatchewan, and for a young niece, a frontline doctor in her local

hospital, and countless others like everyone has in their lives. Continuing to write helps, a coping strategy I’ve learned over the years.

Many writers like myself are encouraging people to give writing or journaling a whirl. Not only is writing a potential cathartic release from fears and an escape from the overwhelming daily barrage of dire news, for beginners it can provide a creative outlet and insights into an untapped talent or pleasurable pastime. The young people in particular seem to be embracing this activity. Now that they don’t have homework and extracurricular activities filling their schedules, many budding young authors are emerging and some of us are looking for online ways to nurture them.

Writing and authors reading books and doing literacy-related programs online is very much at the forefront in Canada as never before. Ideas for how to deliver additional writing and book-related activities surface every day, offering numerous choices for the literary minded – and the enjoyment of the general public. Writers write, but also love sharing our work.

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LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

Inspiring writers in lockdown

By Della Galton For the last 30 years I have been a published short story writer and novelist. For the last 20 years I’ve also been a creative writing tutor, which I love. It’s the perfect complementary job for a writer because we tend to spend a lot of time alone (or at least with a bunch of imaginary people!)

I teach two weekly classes in Dorset and I’m also invited to teach at conferences around England and Wales. But of course in lockdown this had to end. My courses generally entailed meeting in actual rooms and being less than two metres apart.

Briefly I contemplated using one of the online platforms like Zoom. I already offer online courses, but I knew that some of my students weren’t comfortable with this and I wanted my classes to continue with all of my students present, not just 50 per cent of them.

However, I knew I would miss inspiring other writers. For me, teaching is primarily about inspiring people to write and get published if that is their dream.

So I began a daily writing prompt on Facebook.

My original idea was to give my students a little extra inspiration. Many of them used Facebook.

Each day I post a writing prompt on my Facebook timeline. It might be a theme, for example, revenge. Or a quirky picture - so far I’ve had a yellow Ford Anglia, a lone swan on a lake and a picture of a medieval jouster. Sometimes my prompt might be just three random words to incorporate into a story. For example, Friday’s three words were, banana, penny, owl.

The word limit is 250. The deadline is the following day.

I read the stories and give a free 5-word critique, also the following day. It’s hard to critique in 5 words, so my critiques are often longer. It’s the best fun.

I love reading the stories that people post. People often critique each other’s work too, which is brilliant. And I’ve had some lovely messages saying I am helping people forget about lockdown. What could be more satisfying than that?

If you’d like to read some FREE short stories by Della Galton.

You can download one of her digital anthologies Try Me (and other romantic short stories): Daily Della from https://www. amazon.co.uk/s?k=Della+Galton&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 You can find Della’s daily Facebook Writing Prompt on Facebook Della Galton.

Della’s latest romantic comedy Sunshine Over Bluebell Cliff is also available from Amazon.

Set on the beautiful Dorset coast of her hometown, it will be published by Boldwood Books on 28 April 2020 in audio, digital and paperback. It’s the perfect summer read to escape from lockdown. Quirky characters and a mystery!

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| 59

Flyaway

Angel

by Janine Pulford

With an impending court case, a baby son being held in care because of an adoption mix up and the lure of a sailing commission from Algiers to Poole that can't be refused, despite the worrying consignment, can Katrina and Brod's relationship possibly survive? Things take an even greater turn for the worst when Katrina makes a dark discovery about Brod, which means she has to step up as skipper. She tackles a sailing trip fraught with danger. Unusual noises coming from the yacht wear her and the crew down until they can stand it no longer. What they discover puts them at risk of being arrested.

With Interpol on her heels and an argument with a heartbreaking result, is it possible that love can turn to hate?

Find out in this romantic thriller. It is the second part of a trilogy and follows on from where Pulford’s first book in the series, The Whispering Waters, left off. The plot twists and turns as the themes of love and honesty expose the darker side of the man of Katrina's dreams. The first two e-books are available from Amazon.

The first two chapters of Flyaway Angel are published online in Viewpoint Mid April issue. The story is set in 1980s.

Flyaway Angel Chapter 3 Brod called late that evening, and though Katrina could barely hear him, the familiar American drawl gave her goosebumps. It had the same soft tones of rising movie star Kevin Costner.

‘Hi Trina, how’s it goin’?’

‘Terrible,’ she said as the line crackled. ‘The Bradleys, the revolting couple who think they own Joe, turned up.’ She started to explain, but the line was so poor, Brod cut in.

‘Hey, honey, everything’s cool. Keep contact with Joe as much as you can. Gordy’s been a hero. Don’t let the Bradleys anywhere near our son and don’t feel sorry for them. Okay?’

The line went dead, but she’d got the message. The only thing was, she had no idea of timescales, or when Brod would be back. She hoped Gordon had called Sylvie and given more details, so she couldn’t wait to see her mother at breakfast.

But sleep didn’t come easy. Everything was churning through her mind and when she eventually dropped off, she woke with a start thinking she’d lost the fight in court. Thinking the Bradleys had taken Joe. It was three in the morning, and feeling distressed and wide-awake, she put the heating element into a cup of water for a hot drink. Jon must have heard her moving around because he knocked quietly on the door before letting himself in.

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‘Can I join you?’ he said. His brown hair was dishevelled and he looked worn out.

‘Tea or coffee?’

‘Beer preferably. Coffee will do,’ he rubbed his eyes.

‘Why can’t you sleep?’ she asked, watching him slump into a chair. His gaunt expression made him look like he’d lost the will to carry on.

‘Tami and I had a row. She’s been blowing hot and cold since we got here. I’m seriously wondering if there’s someone else. I don’t suppose you would…’

It wasn’t her place to get involved. Anyway, she needed all her energy for Joe. ‘I’ve got enough worries, Jon. Sorry, you’ll have to sort out your own relationship problems.’

He looked beaten. ‘Sure,’ he said, and moved on quickly. ‘Did Brod ring?’

‘Yep. The line was chronic, so we didn’t talk long. He said to keep in contact with Joe as much as possible and not to let the Bradleys anywhere near him or to feel sorry for them.’

‘We know all that.’

‘Well, I guess we do, but he was confirming it.

I have to admit, I did feel sorry for her. Hopes and dreams and all that.’

‘She didn’t fool me. Those tears weren’t real.

They’ll be after a big pay out. Tami said so. It’s the American way these days. Anyway, they’ll have to sue Edward and he’s dead, so good luck to them.’

‘That’s true. I hadn’t thought of that. It was him who got me to sign the papers by…’

‘False representation,’ Jon said as if it was at

the top of his mind.

‘Ah, so you remembered. Dad was a good tutor eh? He taught us more than we realise.’

‘Yeah. He used to deal with such interesting cases. Despite what everyone thinks about my lack of business prowess, I could have been a lawyer if he’d lived to see me through my education.’

‘Don’t kid yourself. I’ve got the brains in the family,’ she eyed him haughtily.

‘I think you mean “had”.’

She laughed. Jon was back on form and it was always good to talk about their father. It kept his memory alive so she never felt he was far away. Jon had also inherited some of his good looks, but not his black hair. She had that.

‘I’m glad Mum has found Gordy,’ said Jon. ‘It’s good to see her so happy these days.’

‘Yeah. It’s taken a while. I never thought she’d get over losing Dad. Oh, that reminds me: Brod said Gordon was a hero, so I’m optimistic about Joe.’ She sank straight into a low mood at the thought of her son living with someone else, somewhere else on the island and her fears loomed bigger than ever. ‘What if the Bradleys find him? They found out where we were seeing him yesterday. How did they even do that?’

‘Stop fretting. We don’t even know where Joe is living, and Brod and I tried really hard to find out. They can keep some things secret, even though it’s a small island.’

He gave a big yawn. ‘I’m knackered Trina.

I’m going back to bed. Thanks for the coffee. Did

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Brod say when he’d be back?’

‘No. He got cut off. I’m hoping Mum will have found out from Gordon. I’ll ask at breakfast. I’m tired too. Thanks for the talk. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

‘Oh, you’d cope. I’m pretty useless according to Tami. See you in the morning. And by the way, I know for sure that Brod would have said “Gordy’s a hero”.’ And he was gone.

The nickname was one Gordon did not approve of, so Katrina refused to use it, but Brod and Jon never missed a chance. She snuggled into bed, worrying briefly about Jon and his relationship with Tami, but her last thoughts before sleep finally found her, were of Joe. When the call came through after breakfast telling Katrina her visit to Joe had been cancelled, she couldn’t handle it.

Without knocking, she burst into Jon’s room, only to find Tami curled up on the bed and no sign of her brother. It looked like Tami had been crying, but she sat up and put on a bright face, “Gee, hun, what’s up?’

‘They won’t let me see Joe today. Where’s Jon?’ ‘He went for a walk. Not sure when he’ll be back. Can I help? D’you want me to ring the socials?’

‘No. I need Jon. I’ll go and find him. Are you okay?’

‘Sure. I think I’ve got a cold coming.’ She sniffed loudly. ‘Any idea when Brod’s coming back? I can’t wait to see him. If there’s anything I can do about Joe, just call my name.’

But Katrina was out of the room and running to find her mother. She banged furiously on the door further down the hallway.

Jon opened it wide and it didn’t take long to work out that the row with Tami was a big one. His eyes were full of misery and defeat.

‘Hey, you don’t have to smash your way in,’ he said, stepping aside to let her pass. ‘Mum,’ he turned to Sylvie, ‘let me introduce you to the next crisis.’

‘They won’t let me see Joe,’ blurted Katrina.

Sylvie remained calm among the emotional storm. ‘Did they give a reason?’

‘Yes. No. All they said was that he’s at a safe house and can’t be moved. They said they’ll be in touch to let me know when I can see him next,’ Katrina’s voice verged on hysteria. ‘Mum, Joe’s my baby! How can they do this? He needs his Mummy and I need him. I can’t bear this any longer. If they let the Bradleys see him today instead of me, heads will roll. I will make sure of that. I have to find Joe. There must be a way to find him on such a piddly little island. I bet the Bradleys have sussed it out. I bet that’s why my visit’s been cancelled. They’ve pushed their snouts in.’

‘Slow down, darling. I can see how upset you are, but shouting isn’t going to make it any better. Firstly, let me call the social services and see if there’s been a misunderstanding.’

‘I don’t think so!’ Still in hyper-mode, Katrina was now struggling to breathe. ‘I argued… they… wouldn’t back down,’ she gasped. ‘No one to see me… office closed… I rang… no one picked up.’

‘Well, it is Saturday. Have you tried the out of hours number?’

‘No… I’m not functioning...’ she held out her hands, which were shaking like the rest of her body.

‘Jon, she’s in shock. Will you go to her room to look for the emergency number.’

‘In m…my b…bag,’ stuttered Katrina through chattering teeth.

Sylvie wrapped a shawl around her and made her sit down. ‘Hurry Jon.’

He wasn’t gone long and tossing the bag to Sylvie, he let her rummage through to find the number.

She dialled out and had to clear a security process before someone familiar with the case came to the phone and after a lot of digging, more details emerged.

After ending the call she explained that the Bradleys had put in a formal request to see their ‘adopted’ son.

‘They also let it slip that the Bradleys had accidentally been told where you were supposed to be seeing Joe, which was why they turned up.’

‘That’s outrageous.’

‘Well, it did them no good because social services quickly rectified their mistake and moved Joe under cover to a ‘safe’ house.

‘You can see him Monday,’ she said.

‘Monday! That’s two whole days away. I have to see him now. I’m his mummy. He’ll forget who I am. Jon, do something.’

‘Well, I could give them another ring, but they’ll tell me the same. Why don’t we wait until Brod and Gordy are here? They’ll know what to do. Brod’s the biological father and he never signed any paperwork. He’ll have all the rights he needs to get his son back.’

Katrina followed the logic. Jon was giving her positive things to focus on and her panic attack began to subside. Even so, she couldn’t stop an evil thought needling away at the back of her mind. What if social services were lying and Joe was actually in the hands of the Bradleys right now and heading for the airport.

‘Let’s go to the airport and wait for Brod and Gordy,’ she said illogically, although it made good sense to her.

‘They’re not due in until four,’ said Sylvie.

‘It’s not even midday. We can’t stay there all afternoon.’

‘It’s only a few hours. I’ll take a book,’ said Katrina. ‘There’s bound to be somewhere we can wait. If not, we’ll sit outside.’

Jon and Sylvie looked at each other despairingly.

‘I can’t,’ said Jon. ‘I’m in the middle of a crisis.’

‘Oh, sorry. When I saw Tami earlier, I thought she was putting on a brave face. Have you two…’

‘It’s complicated.’ But his crestfallen look told her it was more than complicated.

Sylvie broke the awkward silence. ‘Trina, why don’t you go and find that book you were talking about. I’ll come and get you in half an hour and you and I can wait it out at the airport.’

‘Will do,’ she said.

As soon as she got to her room, the phone rang. It was Brod.

‘Hey, how’s it goin’?’

‘You don’t know how good it is to hear your voice. I’ve been stopped from seeing Joe,’ she gushed, then it struck her that Brod should probably be boarding his plane by now.

‘Are you delayed? What’s going on?’

‘Delayed?’

‘Your flight. Is it delayed?’

‘Nope. But I don’t know how to break this to you…’

Her heart sank as she prepared for more bad news. Everything was collapsing around her.

‘Gordy and I are at reception. How cool is that?’

‘What reception? I didn’t know you were going to a reception.’

‘Not a reception. The reception, you know, concierge, front desk. Right here, Trina, at the hotel. I’ll see you in about two minutes.’

She dropped the receiver in surprise, ran to the bathroom, splashed water over her face and brushed her hair as quickly as she could

before opening the door to find her incredible man standing there. He looked as sexy as ever, his blond, layered hair kissed his shoulders like a lion’s mane and his soft brown eyes sparkled. He wore black jeans and a navy T-shirt that said in white All will be well schooner or later.

Lifting her in his strong arms, he swung her around, before his mouth engulfed hers with such passion, it aroused them both.

Their breathing was intense as he walked her backwards into the room, letting the door swing shut.

Despite all her worries, she couldn’t resist Brod. She never had been able to. Their strong relationship was the best rescue remedy she knew of. It transcended anxiety and heightened her senses. As he straddled her body, it was like falling in love all over again and she felt guilty for being able to enjoy him so much, while Joe might be crying for her at someone else’s house. At the same time, being with Brod gave her comfort and reassurance. The bed was a crumpled mess by the time they’d finished and his warmth was deep inside her. But this time, the world didn’t feel right – not without Joe. Brod tapped into her thoughts. ‘As you can see by my priorities, I’m not too worried about my son. Gordy and I got a lot sorted back in Greece. It’s all gonna to be cool. Promise.’ His voice was gentle as he stroked her hair.

She turned to face him, running her fingers lightly across his flat belly. ‘They cancelled today’s appointment and said I couldn’t see Joe until Monday. He’s in a safe house apparently. Do you think they’re telling the truth?’

‘Yep. The Malts are like that. Stick to the rules and say it as it is.’

‘But I want to see Joe now. I can’t wait until Monday. What if the Bradleys get hold of him?’

‘They won’t. Hey, stop doin’ that will ya.’

‘What?’ she said, suddenly aware that her hand was wandering. It seemed so natural.

‘Getting me all worked up again.’ He rolled on top of her, but there was a sharp knock on the adjoining door and Tami walked in uninvited.

Katrina pulled a sheet across their bodies.

‘Gee, sorry,’ Tami flicked her long blonde fringe out of her eyes to get a good look. As usual, she was practically falling out of a blouse that had the top three buttons undone. It was short cropped too and failed to reach the top of her skin-tight blue jeans showing off her nonexistent stomach. This wouldn’t normally have bothered Katrina, but now that Tami and Jon were no longer an item, she read it differently.

‘Hi, handsome,’ Tami struck a pose against the open door. ‘You’re early.’

Katrina’s skin prickled, the girl was making a play for Brod.

‘Tami,’ he said in a no nonsense manner.

‘Can’t you see we’re busy, catch you later, eh?’

‘Oh sure. Anytime. Always here for you. I thought you two would be talking shop about Joe, not, well, you know.’ She flicked her fringe again.

‘Jon’s not there is he?’ Brod asked.

‘No. We’re kind of on a break. Catch you later, buddy.’ And she returned to her room, closing the door behind her.

‘They’re on a break? What happened? Those two are good together,’ Brod rolled off Katrina before sitting up.

‘Not any more. She’s brought it to an end. Jon thinks there may be someone in the background.’

‘Hell’s teeth,’ said Brod. ‘I never saw that coming.’

To be continued in the next issue of Viewpoint

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Exclusive

LIFE

LOCKDOWN

Spain and free yoga lessons online

By Janine Pulford Dorset born Adam Turner is offering a series of free yoga sessions during lockdown.

His studio in Estepona, Malaga is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and though far away in sunny climes, his lessons are readily available and can be found online.

As you can imagine, coronavirus has massively affected the area where he lives – a part of Spain that relies heavily on tourism. He and his Spanish wife, Sonia, have a three-room B&B, normally let at this time of the year, but without any bookings until August, times are very lean.

“The current restrictions are forecast to be lifted on 26 April*,” he says, “and up until that point we are not allowed out. We can go out to buy food or for other critical tasks, but in general we are housebound.

The few restrictions that have recently been lifted applied mainly to industries, such as construction.”

Yoga has clearly helped Adam deal with lockdown. He said, “Yoga is not just an exercise class or a meditation. I would describe it as a lifestyle that affects all areas of your life from something as trivial as how you choose to get up in the morning to something as important as to how you choose to interact with yourself and others. It is more than the Western concept of stretching exercises, chanting ‘Om’ or meditating, although all of these form a small part of the yogic lifestyle.”

Adam grew up in West Moors in Dorset and after gaining A-levels at Ferndown Upper

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School, he went to Southampton Uni and graduated in Geophysics.

His job as an offshore geophysicist meant he worked on board a boat six weeks on and six weeks off. This gave him free time to travel and enjoy exciting hobbies like snowboarding, snowkiting, moutainbiking and climbing, but once back on the boat, his main form of exercise was yoga. “You can do it almost anywhere and with very little space or material,” he explained.

After 11 years working aboard seismic vessels looking for oil, he had not only visited many exotic, and not so exotic locations, but had saved enough money to change his lifestyle and focus more on family life. He and Sonia, bought a large house in Estepona and set up a B&B. “I gifted myself the yoga teacher training as a bit of a treat after working for 11 years offshore,” he said.

He didn’t initially intend to train others. “I wanted to do it purely for me to help learn how to live with myself once I was back on dry land, but during the training I started to like the idea of sharing yoga with other people as a teacher myself.”

Adam fulfilled a 200-hour yoga teacher training course in Spain and believes the best way to learn is to do the course over a long period of time to allow you to digest and deepen your understanding of what you are learning.

He and Sonia, who is a qualified dietician and nutritionist, founded Turnilla Yoga Studio in Estepona, which offers classes in Rocket Yoga, Hatha Elements and Vinyasa Flow as well as Ashtanga and Pilates.

They have two young daughters. Adam said, “Jody is three and Alma is one so we have definitely had our hands full during lockdown.

I would say that we have been pushed to be quite a lot more creative in our choice of entertainment at home as we would normally spend a lot of time in the local parks or down on the beach. We also don't make it easy for ourselves because we almost completely prohibit the girls any type of screen time.”

Does he miss West Moors where he grew up?

“Apart from the obvious of missing friends and family from Dorset there is not actually too much that I miss. I have been asked the question many times and the only real thing I always come up with is the way that people socialise. In Spain there is not much of a culture of getting together to do things in the evenings midweek because generally people work later hours.”

If you would like to meet Adam Turner at Turnilla Yoga Studio in Spain and discover how to change your life in 15 minutes a day with yoga, visit https://turnillayoga.com/changeyour-life-in-15-minutes/ and bearing in mind Adam has broken both his ankles twice, on four separate occasions, notice how flexible they are.

To read his full story visit https://www. mags4dorset.co.uk/spain-in-lockdown-andfree-yoga-lessons-online/ * Spain extended this date to 9 May after the article was written. At that time, coronavirus deaths had surpassed 20,000.

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Help us help you get the treatment you need.

If you need medical help you should still contact your GP practice, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

If you are told to go to hospital it is important that you go to hospital.

We’ll give you the care you need.

Massive community effort to supply PPE In extraordinary times extraordinary demands require extraordinary people, none more so than a combined effort in Poole to supply PPE. When the call went out locally for PPE to cover the needs not only of NHS workers but, perhaps more pressingly, key workers in the care sector, pharmacies and residential homes for the elderly, the DT department at Poole Grammar School, under the leadership of Andy Dallimore, rose to the challenge.

Aided by designs created by a school in Norwich and refined by others including staff at PGS, especially Nick Brady and Dave Jackaman, the school started production of face visors.

Head of History, Mr Powell said, “All of this may have run into the ground had it not been for the tireless and resourceful fund-raising of Mark Hannington who raised £5,000 in a matter of a week,

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allowing production to go into full-scale action. Steve Cook from AFCB donated £1,000; Freemasons of Dorset gave £500; Kevin and Emma Davies and Swarvy Ltd t/a Urban and Swarvy both gave £250, and a number of others gave £100, including Helen Wallace-Smith, Jane Mynors-Wallis, Claire Collins, Stuart Wilson, Peter Williams and Natasha Lyons of ZuZu Jewellery.”

With assistance from parents and staff manufacturers plus delivery work and admin support, this meant that the school was soon making well-over 100 masks a day rising to 250 by the end of the second week of production.

The school would like to thank Store and Secure, Big Yellow Storage, Steve Birchmore of Top Coat Print, Precision Follow 4DORSET MAGAZINE on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/4Dorsetmagazine

PPE production in progress at Poole Grammar School as everyone pulls together to make it happen

Units (Poole), and Ian Elkington, for all of their support with boxes and materials respectively.

"It has been particularly pleasing to see how the wider community has come to rally to the school as the school was working for that community. Collaboration is often encouraged but never more obviously seen. And this cooperation extends to some amazing collaborations with local schools; Lytchett Minster School, Swanage School, St Aldhelms, St Edward’s, Twynham, Bournemouth Grammar School for Girls and Corfe Hills. There has also been group activity with ‘3Dcrowd’, a large 3D printing network across the South West, Mr Muchin and the Bournemouth and Poole College Engineering department.

Truly everyone pulling in the same direction,” said Mark Hannington, who has been in charge of logistics.

"As well as face visors, we have also been busy producing handcream for NHS frontline staff, with help from local bees (some belonging to staff) to supply beeswax. Again, the orders are flooding in and a big thank you to Thorne Beekeeping who provided wax, The Soapery for other ingredients, Tinware Direct for the containers, and Avery for the labels.

"All of these people are making a contribution that is very much appreciated by the recipients, even moving some (in desperate need) to tears. Reward enough for all of those involved."

If you know of any NHS frontline workers who could benefit from our face visors or handcream,please contact Mark Hannington at careers@poolegrammar.com The school motto is Finus Opus Coronat – the end crowns the work – but maybe a mistranslation of the Latin might be more appropriate – the work of all might end coronavirus!

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| 65

LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

Editor in lockdown

By Janine Pulford, UK Just prior to lockdown, our business in Dorset closed rapidly on Friday 20 March when one of the staff rang in to say he thought he had developed symptoms of COVID-19. We’d all had contact with him and after swapping scared looks, we cleared our desks and went home to self-isolate. The suddenness of the way things happened gave us very little time to think.

Tough decisions followed resulting in some staff being furloughed and others, including myself, working from home to keep Viewpoint and 4Dorset going, as well as Dorset Chamber’s business magazine, albeit online only. We’ve survived several recessions and we don’t want COVID-19 to ruin the business we’ve worked so hard to build up.

But life has changed. Whilst I rattle the keyboard, my husband scours the web for shopping slots, which he assures me are like gold dust. When he finds one, the world stands still.

Between editing copy, I have to instantly recall items of food that are running low.

“Have we got biscuits? Sugar? Eggs?” Nick prompts from his computer. I dodge in and out of the kitchen to check.

“We need flour,” I reply.

“They haven’t got that,” he says.

“Lift lemon drink.”

“Not got that either.”

“What about yeast?”

“Not a chance.”

“Tomatoes?” I say hopefully – I shall never get this magazine finished.

“I can get those,” he replies breezily. And a few days later a single tomato arrives – a nice, shiny red one. There were other mishaps too, and these continue with every order but, despite this, we prefer to click and collect. Being in high risk brackets, visiting a supermarket is a big no, no, for us, regardless of how essential it is.

When my repeat prescription ran out, Ferndown Pharmacy kindly delivered it into the porch where it stayed for 72 hours before being sprayed with disinfectant. (You can’t be too careful).

Mail is similarly treated and the shopping is washed in soapy water by Nick. He occasionally goes a step too far. The things that have suffered most are mushrooms, carrots, cabbages and lettuces, which has caused a bit of waste.

Apart from this, being frugal is part of life now. I used to laugh when my mother squashed

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tail ends of soap together to make a bigger bar and now find myself doing the same. I shower less to save on shampoo and soap, we ration the bread, and bake more, so much so, I think the oven door is about to fall off. My homebaked tasty treats have sometimes failed like the yeast-less hot cross buns that were so dense they could have made good ammunition.

The way the community has come together is awesome. Everyone is looking after everyone else. When I posted on Facebook that I was using my teabags three times so I didn’t run out, friends immediately offered to put teabags on the doorstep for me. Alex from Webb’s Butchers even came round in the early hours and left a box with a packet of custard creams.

It nearly brought me to tears and I know there are thousands of caring people out there doing the same for the elderly and vulnerable folk.

The lockdown has brought out the best in most people. And like everyone else, we applaud them every Thursday.

The hardest part of lockdown is that I can’t visit Mum. Here she is enjoying her 93rd birthday party last August.

The hardest part is that I can’t visit my mother. She’s in lockdown at Brook View Care Home although the staff are doing an excellent job, it has just been confirmed there are three cases of coronavirus there. All residents are confined to their rooms for a fortnight.

I telephone Mum most days and see her on Skype regularly, but it's not the same as being able to hug and kiss her. And though we can share a joke, we can't have the open mother and daughter conversations that we used to enjoy so much. I live in hope that Brook View manages to keep the virus under control. I know they will do their best.

Keep safe everyone. Lockdown will be a talking point for many years to come. If you have enjoyed our Life in Lockdown series and would like to part, wherever you are in the world, please send your article with a photograph to editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk (300-800 words).

Mum and I

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"Are we supposed to be social distancing?" Red-eared slider and box turtles spotted near New York Š Diana Cosby