The Bulletin | May 2021

The Bulletin

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S1188. . Travveell-LLuuxxuurry Crruiissees s

S2200. . Auttheennttic c Meddiitterranneeaan n C Cuiissiinne e

S2222. . Suppppoorrtinng g t the e H Homelleesss s

S2244. . A S Smmalll l Gardeen n Haveen n

S2266. . Speeaakkiinng g the e Laanngguaagge e

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S3300. . Whaatt’s in a Namme? ?

S3322. . New w Brrigghhton n Liigghhtthoouusse e

Welcome tothe Bulletin!

May! Such abeautifultime of year and with two bankholidays looming, warmer weatherandlockdowngradually easing, thingsaredefinitely on the up!

Apartfrommissingfamily and friends, holidays seem tobe upper most in peoples minds once restrictions have finally lifted. If youare consideringtravelling furtherafield you may beinterestedinthetravelarticleon page S18that outlines luxury cruises around Great Britain and the Greek Isles. It appears thattravel is the themethis month: ‘Speakingthe Language’ on page S26 explainsthe benefits of learning a foreign language to enhance yourtime abroad and the localhistory article featuresThomas Brassey who was responsible for building much of the world’s railway network including theonebetween Christchurch and Ringwood

Happy springbankholiday, wherever you maybe!

BestWishes,Julie

522. . Gluutten n Frree e F Fllaappjjaack k Recciippe e

566. . Boook k R Revviieew w

622. . Vetterrinnaarry Corrneer r

Editor: Julie Smith

Tel:01425270100 or 07762 701271

Email: julie@themudefordmag.co.uk

www.themudefordmag.co.uk

Cover Photo Courtesyof John Clarke

Printed by Warwick Printing

Disclaimer: Whilst every carehas been taken to ensure that data in this publication is accurate, thepublisher cannotacceptany liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errorsor omissions resultingfrom negligence, accidentorany other cause. The Bulletin does not officially endorseany advertising material included within this publication. No partof this publication may be produced,stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted in any form, without prior permissionof thepublisher.

Chhiilld d Laabouur r in n thhe e 1 188000’’s

Photoby Jesse G-C on Unsplash

Financialadvicemadepersonal

Werecognisethattalkingaboutmoneyandfinancesispersonal –sometimessensitive.Soit’sreassuring to knowthatthere’s someoneonhandwhocanhelpyouaddressyourneeds,understandyourgoalsand realiseyourdreams.

Weoffer afriendlyandapproachableservice,backedbythestrengthandsecurityof FTSE100company, St.James’sPlaceWealthManagement;andbeinglocalmeanswe’rehere to helpwheneveryouneedus. Let’sstarta conversation.

Virgo

Sky WatchingwithRufusHenderson-Smith

AsMayprogressesandifwearelucky enough,tobeblessedwithclearnight timeskies,theconstellationof Virgo, iseasilyspotted.Lookingouttosea, almostdueSouthbeforemidnight, aroundhalfwaybetweenthehorizon andtheZenith,whichisdirectlyabove yourhead, Virgocanbeseen.Lookfor thesecondbrighteststaryoucansee inthisdirection,thisisSpica.

Inmanyinterpretationsof Virgo, Spicadepictstheearofwheatshe isholdingas asignoffertility.The brighteststarhigherintheskyabove Spica,isArcturusandbelongstothe constellationBootes,theHerdsman.

Unlikemanyconstellations,thetwelve orsomainstarsthatmakeup Virgo dotakeup arecognisablehuman form,apparently reclining.Butyouwill havetolookcarefully.Try atechnique knownasavertedvision. To dothisjust moveyourcentreofattentionslightly totheleftorright,whilstmaintaining

concentrationonthemainobject.More faintdetailswillbecomeapparentas youwillbeusingthefarmoresensitive rodcellsinthe retinaofyoureye,not theconesatthecentre.

Although atelescopeisneededtoview theminanydetail,itisinterestingto notethat Virgocontains aclusterof over13,000galaxies,justoffherright shoulder.Onaperfectnighttheymay appearas alighthazewiththenaked eye.Theyaremainlyelipticalgalaxies, muchlikeourown,mostofthem includingtheaptlynamedSombrero galaxy,are 65millionlightyearsaway fromEarth. Wow!

SpiralGalaxybyBryanGoff~UnSplash

VIrgoConstellation

mudefordquaycc

@mudefordquaycc

@mudefordquaycc

www.mudefordquaycleanup.org.uk

hello@mudefordquaycleanup.org.uk

Thenewlystartedcrewwill be runningregular cleanups andhelping outatevents tohelp keep Mudeford Quaylooking beautiful.

Manypeople pick up litter when theyarewalking,if we join forces we cankeepMudefordQuaylitter free andmaybe makesomenew friendsalongthe way!

As we grow, we will introducenew events andactivities,so please followusonlineandcomeand join the fun.

• Saturday 8thMay,10am- 12pm (booking required)

• Saturday 12th June,10am -12pm

• July 24th -25th- CleanupatMudefordArts Festival

• Sunday August 1st- CleanupatRNLIBlue LightDay

• Saturday 9thOctober,10am- 12pm

• Saturday13thNovember, 10am -12pm

• Saturday11thDecember, 10am -12pm

Please checkthe websiteorsocial mediabeforeattendingaseventsare subjecttochange.

ThomasBrassey(1805-70), Railway Builder

Iloverailways. Givemeatrain over acarany day(theproblemwiththelatterbeingthe knuckleheadswhodrivethem ratherthan the vehicles).Havinggotthatoffmychest, I’mhaving ashout outthistime foroneof my engineeringheroes,ThomasBrassey,who was borninCheshire, buttweakedthelandscapein ourpartofthe world.

Thereare somefairlystartlingstatsabout Brasseywhichmakesone wonderwhyhe’s notbetter known,although,havingsaidthat, thereis‘Brassey Road’inBournemouth.He was responsible forbuildingmuchofthe world’s railway network up to hisuntimelydeathaged 65(one-twentiethinfact)as wellas contributing aroundone-thirdoftheUK’s railwaysby1847, when he wouldhave beeninhisearly-40s.His overseasstakeincluded ¾ofFrance’srailways, linesinother Europeannations,plussomein Canada, Australia, Indiaand South America.I hope you’re impressed.

Butwhataboutthelocalstory? Well, Christchurchmissedoutonthenew-fangled railway to beginwith. Whenthe SouthamptonDorchesterlinesnakedthroughtheNew Forest,openingin1847,it bypassedthe Priory

town by some distance, thenearest railhead beingtheoptimisticallynamed ‘Christchurch Road’, which wasseven to eightmilesdistant. Christchurchneeded atowncentrestation, andthisdulyarrived15yearslater, in 1862,a lightlyengineeredlineburrowingdownfrom Ringwood,throughHurnandinto Christchurch, arriving at astation t’othersideofBargatesfrom today’slate-Victorianstation. Theengineerwas ourmanBrassey.

Perhaps,mostimpressively,Brassey wasnot averse to building arailway in awar zone.During the Crimean War(1853-56),theBritish forces were havingendlessproblemstransporting suppliesfromtheirharbour at Balaclava to the frontatSevastopolwheretheRussians’Black Sea portwasbeingbesieged.Brassey wasinvolved inbuildingtheGrand Crimean CentralRailway in justseven weeksduring1854,whichhelpedthe Allied forces to take Sevastopolandwinthe war.

Thomasmarried MariaHarrisonin1831, fatheringthreesurvivingsons,allofwhom servedasMembersof Parliament, although loyalties were dividedwiththe twoolder boys servingasLiberals,whilstthe youngest defectedtothe Conservatives.There’salways one.Apparently,Brassey waswortharound£600 millionin today’swongawhenhedied.

Sadly,the railway Brasseybuilt forusisnomore. It wasthe onlylineservingChristchurch,and Bournemouth, to whichit wasextendedin1870, until anewline openedthrough Sway andNew Miltonin1888. Theoriginallinefrom Ringwood became abitof aslow, secondaryrouteand closedinthe1930s.Brasseybuiltthefull panoplyofstructuresaccompanying railways, sobridges,viaducts,stations,tunnels,drainage anddocks.Lotsofhis work remainsaroundthe countryandindeedthe world. TheRingwoodChristchurchlineis aghostlyone todaythough, thehauntofcyclistsand walkers,withBrassey possiblylookingdown wonderingwhere his railway went.

By StephenRoberts www.steveroberts.org.uk Twitter:@SRChristchurch

ThomasBrassey, takenfrom‘ThomasBrassey, Railway Builder’, C. Walker,1969

ChildLabourinChristchurch

IntroductionandPoemby MarkLaming

Duetomyinterestinhorology, Ihavealwaysfeltsympathyfor theyoungchildrenwho,inthe 1800s,workedintheChristchurch workhousesproducingthechainfor fuseedrivenclocks.History reveals thattheseunfortunate,homeless youngstersled atough life resulting indamagetotheireyesight, malnutritionand,insomecases, evendeath.Thechildwasonlyof usetotheorganisationifthequality oftheirworkwassustained.The daythattheyoungworker’sfingers grewtoolargetoproducethe tinylinksortheirsightfailed,their employmentendedand,forsome,it wasbacktolivingonthedangerous streetsoftheseasidetownthat wenowseeaspicturesqueand inviting.

Asfarbackasthe15thcentury, clockmakingindustriesdevelopeda methodforimprovingtimekeeping byequalizingtheunevenpullofthe mainspringbarrelof aspringdriven clockmovement.Thisbecame knownasthefuseewhichisa cone-shapedpulleywith acoiling groovethatfeeds afinechainto themainspringbarrel.Inessence,it actsas aregulatortoenhancethe accuracyoftheclock.

Attheheightofproductionofthe fuseechainintheearly1800s,the DOWNSIDEwasthattherewereno

machinesthatcouldcraft achain withlinkssofinethattheycould passthroughtheeyeof aneedle. Fuseechainmakingwas ajob forsmallfingersandsharpeyes. Workhousessawchildlabourasan opportunitytoswelltheircoffers.A destitutesmallchild(predominantly girls)wasgivenmodestfoodand boardinreturnforsixand ahalf daysofgruellingwork.

Christchurchwasthemain centrefor productionofthefusee chaininEngland.Thethreemain workhouseswereownedbyRobert HarveyCox1784-1870s,Henry Jenkins &Sons1823-1914and WilliamHart1845-1899.TheRed HouseMuseumfeaturedstrongly intheproductionofthechainand isanexcellentsourceforlearning moreabout theplightofthe youngsterswhowereputto workthere.

On apersonalnote, Ihavebeen fortunatetoobservefuseechains infineclocksandmyheartgoes outtothoseyoungpeopleforthe hardshipstheymusthaveendured. Havingneverwritten apoembefore, thispromptedmetoexpressmy feelingsonthesubject,sohere itis…

FingersthatGrow

WorkhousemakingFuseeclockchain, Finelyformedlinksingreatdemand, Clearlychangedthefaceoftime. Children’swork,sounkind, Onlytiniestfingersqualify. Boysandgirlsneverouttoplay, Cuts,tearsandtiredeyes, Longingtojustwalkintherain. Christchurchworkhousedishingoutpain.

RedHousegang,youngandafraid, Usedanvils,punchesanddies. Tinychainstheymade, Smallestlinkthroughneedle’seye. Damagedfingers,diminishedsight, Smallhandsneeded,biggerdenied. Sevendaystoil,healthnotthebest. Onepoorboydied, Inabox,laidto rest.

Importantworktheforemansays: Breadandbed,shouldbegrateful. Painstakingwaytogoonliving, Gottokeepworkingtobefed. CouldGodbemoreforgiving? Anothertenchainsbeforebed, Pinchingthosefingers, Wearyhandsinthedust, Carryontheymust.

Younggirl,seatnothighenough, Benchlengthwaystocapturelight, Needstogetfaster,herlifetough. Sightfailing,fingerstoobigandsore, Foremanshouts‘nastycut, Fourfingerscan’tmakechainnomore, Yourtimeisup,youcan’ttakethepace. Havetotrainanother,onyourway! Plentymoretotakeyourplace.’

Photo:JesseG-C~UnSplash

Thefarmingco-operative,LaGuardiense,wasfoundedover 60yearsagoby33farsighted,collaborativefarmers. Today membershiphasgrowntonearly1,000ofverysmallfamily ownedvineyards.

ThewineryissituatedintheSantaLuciaareaofGuardia SanframondiintheveryheartofthesouthernItalian provinceofBenevento.

TastingNote:Richstonefruitcharacterwithcitrusorange notesonthenose. Verysmoothanddrinkable,thiswinehas nooaktreatmentandisverytautandmineralsois agreat winetoenjoynowthesunisbeginningtoshine.

FoodMatching:Ideallightappetizers,gnocchiorhomemadepastawithtomatosauce.

Thepriceofthewineis£11.99

01202470847

TuesdaytoSunday12pmto8pm Monday3pmto8pm

THECUCKOO –A NATURALCHEAT

ByRon Toft

Ifthereisonebirdthatmostpeople haveheardbutrarelyseen,itmust surelybetheCommonCuckoo (scientificnameCuculuscanorus) –a longdistance,spring/summervisitor fromsub-SaharanAfrica.

AdultbirdsarriveintheUKinlateMarch orAprilandgenerallydepartasearly asJulyorAugust,youngstersleavinga monthorsolater.

Strictlyspeaking,therefore,the CommonCuckoois reallyanAfrican birdthathaschosentovisitourshores justtobreedanddoesn’thangaround forlongafterithasdoneso,heading southonceithasensuredthecontinuity ofitsgenes.

Thecuckoocaptivatesmanyofus, Isuppose,becauseitspresence somehowconfirmsthatspring really hasarrived.

Itisonlymalebirdsthatproducethe familiar‘cuck-oo’song,femalesuttering alessoftenheardbubblingsound.

Thedove-sizedCommonCuckoo–oneof147cuckoospecies –iswhat isknownas abroodparasite,laying itseggsinthenestsofotherbirdsand leavingthe‘fosterparents’toraise itsyoung.

ExplainstheBritish TrustforOrnithology (BTO):“Amongtheparasiticcuckoos, thenestinwhich afemalewilllayis geneticallydetermined(thatofthesame speciesinwhichshewasraised)and thereisacontinual‘armsrace’between cuckoosandthehost –bythecuckoo tomimicthepatternandcolourationof thehost’seggs,andbythehosttospot theimposter.”

Parasiticcuckooshavebeen recorded usingmorethan100differenthost speciesglobally.IntheUK,hostbirds includeMeadowPipit,Dunnockand Reed Warbler.

Thefemalecuckoolays asingleeggin ahost’snestveryquicklyonceithas beenleftunguarded.The resultingchick growsquicklyandpushesallothereggs

Photo: Edmund Fellowes /BTO

Photo:Neil Calbrade /BTO

andchicksoutofthenestsothatitgets allthefoodbroughtbyitsfosterparents.

Interestingly,lessthanhalfoftheworld’s cuckoosarebroodparasitic,mostof themincubatingtheirowneggsand rearingtheirownyoung.

Tragically,cuckoonumbershave declineddrasticallyintheUK,morethan halfofallbreedingbirdshavingbeen ‘lost’duringthepast25years.Precisely whyisunclear.

Until relatively recently,littlewasknown aboutwhereUK-visitingcuckoos wentincentralAfricaorthe routes theyfollowedto reachtheirwintering quarters.

Now,thankstotechnology,thepicture isbecomingmuchclearer.Since2011, dozensofcuckooshavebeenfittedwith a5gsatellitetag.Solar-powered,these tagstransmitfor10hours,then‘sleep’ forthenext48hoursinorderforthe batterytobe recharged.

“Informationgleanedfromtheproject willhelptoformconservationstrategies andinitiateaction,”saystheBTO.

OneofthediscoveriesoftheBTOCuckoo ProjectisthatmanyBritishcuckoosleave asearlyasJune.Blinkandyoumight missthem!OneindividualnamedChris wasfoundtohavespentaround47per centofitstimeinAfrica,38percenton migrationandjust15percentintheUK!

“TheyaretrulyAfricanbirdswhichmake ashortanddangerousexcursionto northernclimespurelyforthepurposes ofbreeding.”

TheCommonCuckoois astriking,hawklikebird(themoreoftenseenmalehas blue-greyupperpartsandstronglybarred underparts)with afascinatinglifecycle. Seeifyoucanspotaswellashearone thisspring.

Ifyoulikebirds,supportyourlocal conservation-orientedbirdwatching organisation,CHOG(Christchurch HarbourOrnithologicalGroup).

chog.org.uk

Information:

BTO: www.BTO.org g

Photo: Edmund Fellowes /BTO

Cuckootagging by Mike Toms /BTO

LuxuryStaycations at Seawith CelebrityCruises

CelebrityCruisesarebringing their revolutionisedshipCelebrity Silhouette®totheUKthissummerfor aprogrammeofthreetoeightnight cruisesdepartingfromSouthampton. Withcompletelymodernised stateroomsandsuites,stunningly reimagined restaurants,barsand lounges; aredesignedspaandcasino, andtheadditionofanexclusive hideawayjustforsuiteguests,thisisa chanceforyouto rediscoverluxury atsea.

CelebrityCruises’iconic“X”isthe markof afleetof14award-winning ships redefiningluxurycruisetravel withcool,contemporarydesign andaccommodation;dining,spa andentertainmentexperiencesfor moderntastes;andculturallyrichand diversedestinationexperiences,all complementedbywarm,personalised service.

CelebrityCruisesbelievesthatyour holidayshouldbeeffortlessfromstart tofinishwhichiswhyWi-Fi,drinks andtipsare‘AlwaysIncluded’SMin

everypurchase,bringingthatwonderful feelingof‘everythingistakencareof’ to lifeonboard.

Atotalof10sailings,rangingfromthree toeightnights,havebeenannounced forthisyearwithdeparturesfrom JulyuntiltheendofOctober.Eachof theitinerarieswillbesettingsailfrom Southamptonwithscheduledports ofcallacrossEngland,Scotlandand NorthernIreland.

CelebrityCruises’firstpriorityisthe healthandsafetyofguests,crew,and thepeopleintheplacesthatCelebrity Silhouette®willvisit.Theshipwillsail withcomprehensive,multi-layered healthandsafetymeasuresleveraging expertguidancefromitsHealthy SailPanel;RoyalCaribbeanGroup’s GlobalHeadofPublicHealthandChief MedicalOfficer;andlocalUKhealth andgovernmentauthorities.These measuresincludethe requirementfor allguestsaged18andovertobefully vaccinatedagainstCOVID-19,andfor thoseundertheageof18topresent negativePCRtest results.

UltraLuxuryAllInclusiveSeabourn announceSummer21Greek Programme

Seabournhaveannouncedplansto restartcruisesinGreecewith aseriesof 16sailingsoperating aroundtripoutof Athens,GreecebeginningJuly3,2021.

SeabournOvationwilloperate7-day combinablesailingsexploringbeautiful andhistoricportsthroughouttheGreek Isles.Seabournwilltakegueststo thebeautifulandcharmingportsof AgiosNikólaos,Rhodes,Mykonosand NáfplionaswellasLimassol,Cyprus ononeitinerary.Ontheotheritinerary, guestswillhavetheopportunityto experiencePátmos,Rhodes,Thira (Santoríni)andSpétsaialongwith acall atPaphos,Cyprus.

Thecruisesareopentoanygueststhat arefullyvaccinatedagainstCOVID-19. “Fullyvaccinated”means aminimum of14daysfollowingthefinaldose ofthecurrentlyapprovedCOVID-19 vaccinesbeingadministered.Proofof vaccinationandthedatesgivenwill be required.

BookwithConfidence

To easemindswhenbooking,it’s importanttoknowyouwill receive 100%FutureCruiseCreditsforcancel feesifcancelled,forany reason, outsideof30dayspriortosailing.Plus, youalsowill receiveSeabournBest FareGuaranteeon2021voyageswhen bookedthrough31May2021.Forfull detailsandtermsandconditionsplease contactme.

StepaboardanyoneofSeabourn’s shipsandyou’llenjoy asophisticated andluxuriousjourneylikenoother.You willfeelasthoughyou’vebeeninvited tosailon aprivateyacht.

Ihavepersonalexperienceofsailing withCelebrityandSeabourn,please contactmeforfurtherdetailsorto make abooking. T:

AuthenticMediterraneanCuisinewithChefJose thentic Mediterranean C isine with Chef Jose

VanillaCheesecake

Ingredients

1kgCream Cheese

1/2litreCream

1tablespoonFlour

1VanilllaPod

7Eggs

400gSugar

Mediterraneancuisinewithsoul,madewithlove, toteachandtransmittheGastronomicCulture ofSpain.

Withsimple,fresh,aromatic,variedingredients, fullofflavourandsunshine. We make100% Spanishfoodtoenjoyandshare.

Enjoyour recipesandshareyourexperiences. IfyoulikeSpanishfoodandwhatwedo,please supportusby SUBSCRIBING.

Preparation:

Preheattheovento200°C.Preparea mould23cmindiameterwithnon-stick paperandsealtheinteriorwith alittle creamcheese.

Openthevanillapod,removetheseeds andputeverythinginthecream.

Bringtotheboil,coverwithcling filmandleavetostandforatleast30 minutes.

Inthemeantime,beatthecheeseuntil smooth,addthesugaruntilblended.

Continueaddingtheeggs,beaten,one at atime.Nowaddtheflourandmix. Finally,addthecreamtothemixtureand stirwelltoobtain asmoothcream.

Bakeforabout45minutesfor acreamier texture,orabout55minutesfor afirmer texture.

Turntheovenoff,leavethedoorslightly ajar,andkeepthecakeintheovenfor4 to 5hours.

Thenputitinthefridgeuntilthenext day.

NOTE: TheoriginalRECIPEforthiscakeis from“La VinaRestaurant”(SanSebastian), mycontributiontothis recipehasbeento includevanilla.

Watch me prepare this and other meals on my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSpanishKitchen

eMail me: thespanishkitchen@outlook.com

s Nibbles

ApricotChicken

Ingredients:

• 600 grams chicken thighs (boneless and skinned),

• 160ml chicken stock,

• 4 tablespoons of apricot jam,

• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard,

• 150 grams of diced swede,

• 150 grams of diced carrots,

• 150 grams of diced potato,

• 150 grams of chopped leek,

• 3 garlic cloves (peeled and grated),

• 20 grams of fresh thyme (chopped),

• 20 grams fresh sage (chopped),

• 20 grams fresh rosemary (chopped).

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper then add them to the hot frying pan. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. The chicken won’t be fully cooked at this point. Remove the chicken from the pan and onto a plate.

2. Whisk together the chicken stock, apricot jam and Dijon in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Add the carrots, leeks, swede and potato to the frying pan, season with salt and pepper and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add in the herbs and garlic and sauté another minute

4 Add the chicken back into the frying pan pour in the apricot mixture. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid or piece of foil and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

5. Once the chicken is cooked, taste for seasoning and spoon some of the sauce over the chicken thighs. Garnish with more fresh herbs then serve

If you would like more info on the above recipe please email:

What’s in aName?

Oftenpeoplesaythatyouarenotdefinedbyyourname, butIbelieve differently. Ithinkthat,quiteoften,youaredefinedbycircumstances beyondyourcontrolandifyoufeelyouneedtomake achange, make achangeyoumust.

In2018,over aglassofwine,my dearmumtoldmethatshewantedto callmeElizabeth(Beth)forshort.

So,likethewonderfulTabithainBewitched, Ihavewaved mywand, andin2021ithashappened.Afterthestrangestyearofourlives,itfelt quiteliberatingtodosomethingthathasbeenonmymindsincethen. Mynameismoremeaningful,and,inturn, Ifeellike anewimproved versionofme.Maybethereissomethingin anameafterall, Ifeel acelebrationcomingon!

Photo:JasonLeung~UnSplash

Gardening Jobs for May

Plant out sweet pea plants

Regularly hoe off weeds

Earth up potatoes and promptly plant any still remaining

Trim and feed hedges

Other Jobs to Consider

Clear out and compost spring bedding

By the middle of May, it’s safe to put out summer bedding

Support tall perennials to prevent damage

Protect young plants from slugs

Increase water given to plants

Flower beds and borders can be fed with plant feeds

All equipment and essentials needed for the above jobs can be found in store, ask any member of staff for assistance

BookReview

ShuggieBainbyDouglasStuart£8.99

WinneroftheBookerPrize2020,DouglasStuart’sShuggieBaindescribesa GlasgowbesetbypovertyseenthroughtheeyesofAgnesBainandherson, Shuggie.Agneshasalwaysexpectedmorefromlife.She dreamsofgreater things: ahousewithitsownfrontdoorand alifeboughtandpaidforoutright (likeherperfect,butfalse,teeth).ButAgnesisabandonedbyherphilandering husband,andsoonsheandherthreechildrenfindthemselvestrappedin adecimatedminingtown.Asshedescendsdeeperintodrink,herchildren trytheirbesttosaveher,yetonebyonetheymustabandonhertosave themselves.ItisShuggiewhoholdsouthopethelongest.Shuggieisdifferent -theminers’childrenpickonhimandadultscondemnhimasno’right.But Shuggiebelievesthatifhetrieshishardest,hecanbenormalliketheother boysandhelphismotherescapethishopelessplace. AworthyBooker Prizewinner.

Greenery:JourneyingwiththeSpringfromSouthernAfricatothe ArcticbyTimDee£9.99

Greenery recountshow TimDeetriestofollowtheseasonanditsmigratory birds,making remarkablejourneysintheSahara,theStraitsofGibraltar,Sicily, BritainandbytheshoresoftheArcticOceaninnorthernScandinavia.Oneach adventure,heisinstepwiththeverybestdaysoftheyear -thetimeofsong andnestsandeggs,ofbudsandblossomsandleafing. Ahorizon-expanding, life-enhancing read.

The Weather Weaverby TamsinMori£6.99

Perfectfor8-12yearolds

Whatifyoucouldbefriend acloud?Whatweatherwouldyouchoose?What iftheweathermatcheditselftoyourmood,whetheryouwanteditto,ornot? ElevenyearoldStellahas returnedhometoShetlandtospendthesummer withherGrandpa,butit’snothinglikeshe remembers.Grandpaislostinhis griefforGran,theislandisbleakandStellafeelstrapped,untilsheencounters anoldwomanwhocanspinrainbowsandcallhurricanes. Withthehelpof Nimbus, afeistyyoungstormcloud,Stellabeginstolearnthecraftofweather weaving. Afantasticcomingofagestory,intertwinedwithislandmythsand hiddenmagic.

Hello!I’mKirstyfrom BH6BooksandHome,anindependent bookshopandlifestylestorein SouthbourneGrove. We sellnewbooks,cards,jigsaws,giftsandhome-waresfromourshopand althoughwe’resmall,weprideourselveson aconstantlychangingstockthat reflectsthebestin publishing,carddesign,homeandgiftware. We alsotakeordersforbooks,CDs,DVDsandvinyl, withmostordersarrivingwithin24-48hours.

Whynotgetintouchon 01202418403,email sales@bh6booksandhome.co.uk orfinduson socialmedia @bh6booksandhome

Rabbit,Rabbit,Rabbit!

NowthatEasterisover,weatPrioryareseeingmorerabbits.Theyoften becomepopularpetsatthistimeofyearandweareusedtoseeingall shapesandsizes.Perhapsyoumightrecognisesomeofthesebreeds:

SomebreedslikeAngorarabbitsandrex rabbitswereoriginallybredfortheirfurrather thanaspets.Angorarabbitshaveverylong hairandcaremustbetakentheydon’tingest toomanyhairballs.Anotherrabbitbreedwith verylongcoatsarethedistinctiveLionhead rabbits.

Floppyearedrabbitsarecalledlopsandhereinthe UKweoftensee arangeofsizes—fromthetiny miniloptothechunkierFrenchlop.Theirunique headshapemeanstheycanbemorepronetoteeth andearproblems.

Probablythesmallestbreedofrabbitisthe Netherlanddwarf.It’simportanttobeaware thattheirshorterheadshape(alsoknownas ’brachycephalic’)putsthematriskofcertain diseases.Attheotherendofthespectrum arethegiantbreedssuchastheContinental giant.Thesecanweighmorethansome dogsat10kgormore!

Thehugevarietyintypesofrabbitsmakesthemfunandvariedpetsforthe familybutit’simportanttobeawareofthebehaviourandcharacteristics ofeachbreedastheycanallbesodifferent.Manyrabbitssadlyendupin rescuecentresso,ifyouareconsideringgiving arabbit ahome,wealways encouragecheckingtherescuecentresfirst -theymightjusthaveyour perfectmatch!