VIEWPOINT
Dear Readers!
When February is well underway I always feel that spring is peeking round the corner, with a proliferation of snowdrops on verges and in gardens, and daffodils coming into bloom.
Opening the doors to the new season is the Wimborne Minster Pancake Race, which once again this magazine is sponsoring. However, with Easter being later this year –Easter Sunday is 20 April – participants will have to wait until 4 March to run around the Minster with their pancakes.
The earliest we can ever celebrate Easter is 22 March and the latest is 25 April. And it really is Easter when many tourist attractions open up, although you can visit museums, most National Trust properties and many historic churches throughout the year.
The name February comes from the Latin word februa which means ‘to cleanse’. The Romans kept it as a month-long festival of purification and a time for spring cleaning – now that’s a cheerful thought!
However, the Anglo-Saxons called it Sol-monath which means ‘cake month’ – and I rather prefer that idea.
The Welsh call February “y mis bach” which means “little month”.
Although it’s always good to make the most of every day, there is also a great deal of pleasure gained from looking ahead.
In this month’s magazine we have an article about the silver anniversary of Dreamboats from where we can enjoy taking a boat on the River Stour during the summer months.
Plus, we have an exciting competition to win £500 of vouchers to spend with Dorset-based businesses.
And here is some cheering news. We are now experiencing more hours of daylight. By the end of February, the sun won’t set until 5.58pm and with the changing of the clocks on 30 March this will extend to 7.58pm. That’s something to look forward to.
Marilyn Barber
News editor
The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions in order to fit in with the editorial policy and style of the magazine
VIEWPOINT is independently published and distributed
VIEWPOINT
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Snowdrops in bloom © Martin Shaw Photography
Hire bike provider quits East Dorset
Teal-coloured hire bikes provided by Beryl are leaving parts of Dorset due to a lack of demand
The bike share company announced in January that its contract with Dorset Council had ended and that it will remove 122 bikes and bays from Wimborne, Colehill, West Parley, West Moors and Ferndown by the end of February.
Bikes will remain in Corfe Mullen and Upton to connect to the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole network of over 1,000 bikes. Beryl will also continue to operate in Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland.
Since launching in the East Dorset region in August 2022, the bikes have been used nearly 30,000 times. This uptake is low compared to Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland, where the bikes were used 15,000 times in just six months from August 2024.
Commenting on the decision, Cllr Jon Andrews, Dorset Council’s Cabinet member for Place Services, said: “This is a commercial decision, as the number of people renting bikes isn’t enough to maintain the service without additional funding.”
The council claims the lack of
demand reflects that many people in this area are riding their own bikes instead of renting them.
But Beryl suggests that a lack of cycling infrastructure might be at fault. The company’s CEO and co-founder Phil Ellis said: “We know, from our latest annual Rider Report, that a lack of good cycling infrastructure can be a significant barrier to people looking to take their first ride. This is reflected in the ridership patterns for Wimborne and Ferndown.”
Lloyds Bank in Ferndown will close on 17 November
Frustration in Ferndown as Lloyds to leave high street
Lloyds Bank has announced it will shut the Ferndown branch in Victoria Road on 17 November. The closure will leave Nationwide Building Society as the only high street banking provider available in the local area.
Ferndown is one of 136 branch closures across the country. Lloyds claims the decision is because customers are using mobile and online banking instead of branches. A report published by Lloyds claims that customer transactions in Ferndown are down 50 per cent since 2019.
The decision could adversely affect access to cash and banking services for the elderly and vulnerable people. The Lloyds report claims that two thirds of users of the Ferndown branch are aged over 55.
To address the situation, Ferndown Town Cllr Philip Leach has proposed setting up a banking hub in the town which would provide access to cash and a forum for customers to meet with representatives from the major banks.
To begin this process, Cllr Leach is asking residents to complete a form to trigger a review of cash access in the town. To fill out the form, visit this site: link.co.uk/ helping-you-access-cash/request-access-to-cash.
© Beryl
Ferndown pupils join biggest ever children’s choir
A total of 50 young people from Ferndown Middle School took part in the largest choir ever assembled at London’s O2 Arena in January.
They joined with 8,200 others as part of ‘Young Voices’, a longstanding programme that encourages school singing.
An audience of 10,000 parents and family members were there to hear the children belt out some popular classics.
Scott Welcomme, head of music at the school, said: “When the children suddenly realise that they’re performing at the same venue as some of the world’s biggest musicians and singers, the looks on their faces [are] priceless.
“Prior to the visit, many of the children had never been to an external concert before. They’d never been inside a large venue, let alone one of the UK’s most sought after concert locations.
“Special thanks to Lindsay McGowan, our music administrator –our very own Mary Poppins.
“And, of course, to our headteacher Amber Barter for supporting life-changing experiences such as this to take place.”
Ferndown Middle School outside London’s O2 Arena
Council cancels cemetery plans
Ringwood Town Council’s Recreation, Leisure and Open Spaces Committee decided in January to cancel plans to build a Columbarium – a structure for the public storage of cremation urns – which had been proposed for the town’s cemetery. This is because the tender quotes received were way in excess of the proposed funding.
Discussions with local funeral directors have taken
place revealing that there is a move away from burials in favour of cremations and increasing demand for disposing of ashes by way of interment or scattering. Therefore, the committee decided that a new ‘Garden of Remembrance’ should be created as a place for the scattering of ashes. A Working Party will be formed to consider the location and design of this garden.
Cartoon by Lyndon Wall, Justsocaricatures.co.uk
Fabric shop’s bobble hats are a winner
The results are in, as they say on ‘Strictly’. Ringwood Fabrics has been crowned the overall winner out of 34 contenders in Ringwood’s Christmas Window Decoration competition.
The event, which was part of Ringwood Winter Wanderland, saw over 800 votes cast.
Queen Nails claimed second place, while Little Monkeys Children’s Day Nursery at The Old Cottage came in third. BrightWater Independent Estate Agents and Champions Barbers rounded out the top five.
Angela Cork, owner of Ringwood Fabrics, which this year celebrates 50 years
of trading in Ringwood High Street, said: “We put out a call for people to knit or crochet bobble hats in shades of green with a colourful bobble on top to create a bobble hat Christmas tree. We expected around 25 hats, but we received 186, making it a truly magical and festive display.”
The hats are being distributed to local charities, including Ringwood Foodbank. Any funds raised from the sale of these hats will be donated to STARF (Stronger Together Across Ringwood & Fordingbridge), which helps local families.
New Forest confirms dates for new bin collection
Residents in Ringwood and Fordingbridge will receive new bins including food waste recycling caddies as part of the New Forest District Council’s new waste collection service starting this summer.
Households in the district will receive a black-lidded 180-litre wheelie bin for rubbish, a green-lidded 240-litre recycling bin, and an outdoor and an indoor caddy for food waste.
The new service will be introduced in three phases across three different areas. Phase 1 will begin from June 2025 with residents in New Milton, Lymington, and some surrounding areas getting the new waste collection service. Phase 2 will start in October 2025 and covers the west and northwest region, including Ringwood, Fordingbridge, Burley, and the surrounding areas.
Phase 3 will begin in
March 2026 in the east and northeast areas.
Households will receive a letter and leaflet in the post confirming what phase they are in, or can find out online using a postcode checker on the council’s website: newforest. gov.uk/findyourphase.
When the new service begins, recycling and rubbish will be collected on alternating weeks, while food waste will be collected every week. To get people started, the council will provide one roll of caddy liners.
Glass collections will continue to be made every four weeks using the black glass collection box.
Cllr Geoffrey Blunden said: “Our new waste collection service will mean that we can recycle even more, separate food waste, and reduce what’s thrown away. It’s an exciting step towards a more sustainable future for our district.”
L-R: Cllr Rae Frederick, Ringwood Fabrics owner Angela Cork, and shop workers Donna Shiner and Emma Marsh. Photo by Trevor Pogson
Men’s Shed helps Fordingbridge food bank
Members of the Avon Valley Men’s Shed have helped out Fordingbridge Greener Living’s community fridge by installing a set of shelves.
The community fridge team asked the Shed to build, supply and install a set of shelves to store ambient foods in a more presentable and tidy manner in Fordingbridge Library where the fridge is housed. The community fridge was set up to reduce food waste by collecting unsold food that is safe to eat and making it available for anyone in the community to collect and use, free of charge.
Avon Valley Men’s Shed encourages people to get together to focus on various activities and projects, including charitable community work, to share their skills and build friendships. The Shed was originally conceived to help men reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, supporting members’ mental health and wellbeing.
The community fridge shelves were completed on 14 January. Alison Ayling, team leader of the community fridge, thanked the Shed volunteers for their work which enhances the appearance of the fridge area in the library.
“They were very efficient in their work, and easy to deal with as they are very approachable,” she said.
Alison Ayling with Shed volunteers Kevin Graves, left, and Bob Mellors
All aboard! Railway society celebrates Golden Jubilee
The Wimborne Railway Society will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, with plans to hold an exhibition at the Allendale Centre in March.
Originally started by a small group of enthusiasts in 1975, the society grew to over 120 members before the pandemic. During lockdown, the group was able to maintain engagement through
an online news link and occasional meetings for up to 20 members.
As well as building and running model trains, the society hosts presentations, quizzes, and social events. It has attracted distinguished speakers including Red Arrow pilots and a former director of Hornby, Simon Kohler.
“The modellers have built some outstanding layouts that have won national awards and featured at numerous exhibitions around England,” said the society’s Chairman Peter Watson.
But the society has experienced its share of ups and downs over its 50-year history, including struggles to recruit younger members and dealing with fraud.
“[Our] resilience was tested a decade or so ago when we found out that we had been defrauded and lost all our financial assets, but the membership came up with the funds to pay the outstanding bills and the accounts are now in good heart,” recalls Watson.
Looking ahead, the society will host an exhibition called Railex at the Allendale Centre on 22 and 23 March to celebrate
the Golden Jubilee. The centrepiece will be the homegrown ‘Wimborne’ layout based on the town’s former railway station that was closed in 1977. The society is building a new flagship layout – ‘Turner’s Wharf’ – to display in the future.
Watson added: “The last few years have seen many organisations close their doors but Wimborne Railway Society is confident that it will move into its next half century supported by a mix of new members and some whose loyalty can be traced back to those very early days.”
The society meets at the Church Rooms in Chapel Lane, Wimborne, on Tuesdays (for modelling) and Thursdays (for social events and presentations) between 7.30pm and 10pm. Visit wimrail.org.uk for details.
An exhibition-quality model layout on display
Railway enthusiast Revd Canon Andrew Roland with Chairman Peter Watson at Railex 2023
Empty shop windows project for Fordingbridge
Empty shop windows in Fordingbridge have been given a makeover by Avon Valley Community Matters (AVCM), together with many members of the community.
Receiving the green light from Fordingbridge Town Council to help visually improve the town centre, and in turn increase footfall in the town, the Empty Windows Project has been supported by estate agents, landlords, businesses, schools, artists and many more.
AVCM’s Andy Wilson, said: “The long-term goal of the project is to replace all empty shop windows with vibrant collages, artwork, and other creative displays, transforming the town centre into a more inviting and visually appealing space.”
If you are a local artist and want to display your work, help design the panels or can offer sewing skills to help bring them to life, please email Andy at avcommunitymatters@gmail.com with the heading Shop Windows.
AVCM raises funds and runs a charity shop on Fordingbridge High Street to support its work in the community. The charity also funds local groups including Superstars playgroup each Friday morning from 9.30am to 11.30am at St Mary’s Church Hall.
Photo by Andy Wilson
Who can build the best scarecrow?
People in the Verwood area are being challenged with the task of creating a scarecrow.
The Verwood & District Horticultural Society are gearing up for their Spring Show on 15 March with the launch of a Scarecrow Competition, alongside the usual flowers, baking, handicrafts and children’s categories.
As World Book Day is the week before the VDHS Show this year, they have chosen to celebrate by asking members of the public to design and build a scarecrow with the theme ‘a character from a book’.
Whether it’s the BFG, Oliver Twist, Paddington
Bear or Heathcliff, the creations will be in with a chance of winning a first prize of £50 or a runner up prize of £20. The winning scarecrows will be voted for by members of the public visiting the Spring Show at the Verwood Memorial Hall from 1.30pm.
As well as individuals and families, VDHS hope that other local societies, clubs, youth groups and school classes also get involved. All details including rules and entry forms, which must be received before Thursday 13 March, are available on the VDHS website: verwoodhorticulturalsociety. co.uk.
Time to declutter as clothes swap returns to Verwood
A clothes swap will be held once again in Verwood on 26 April 2025 at St Michael’s Parish Rooms to encourage residents to reduce, reuse and recycle their wardrobe.
The “Big Swap” was first held on 21 September 2024 and organised by local eco group, Verwoodians on Waste. The free event allows participants to get rid of and replace old clothes. People earn points by dropping off unwanted clothes to the parish between 10am and 11.45am.
After 1pm, these points can be ‘spent’ on similar garments.
If you do not have clothes to swap, that is not an issue: from 2pm, clothes can be taken for free.
Last year, many attendees left with completely new wardrobes.
“Our first one was epic! We sincerely hope people will enjoy
our second one,” said Anita Rigler, chair of Verwoodians on Waste. “The aim of the swap is to extend the lifecycle of clothes and reduce pollution. The clothing industry is the second-largest industrial polluter and said to account for 10 per cent of global pollution.
“By extending the lifecycle of clothes through swapping we hope to do our bit and make a tiny dent in the 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions released by the clothing industry every year.”
Donations are welcome even if you don’t want to replace the items. Points can be saved for future events. Only good quality, clean clothes, will be accepted, including baby and children’s clothes. Shoes, however, must be in new condition. Visit vowverwood.com for full details.
Celebration of Song hits the right note in Wimborne
The Mayor of Wimborne Minster, Cllr Jeff Hart, hosted a fundraising evening at the Allendale Centre on 15 January, with five choirs performing to an audience of over 200 people. Celebration of Song was organised to raise funds for the mayor’s charities: Victoria Hospital and Planet Wimborne.
The evening was a resounding success, with the raffle alone raising over
£400 and the total funds for the night exceeding £850. Generous donations from local businesses made the raffle possible.
The mayor said: “The five choirs were magnificent, the audience was so appreciative,
and there was an amazing atmosphere in the hall. My sincere thanks to everyone involved, especially the incredible choirs: Jubilate, Minster Choir, Local Vocals, Live Harmony and Vivamente Voices.”
Jubilate Choir photo by Gill Horitz
A busy year ahead
By Louisa Hiscock, Verwood Rotary Club
The start of 2025 has been a time of looking forward for club members. Planning is already well underway for several big events. First up is our annual Swing Band Dance on Saturday 29 March at Verwood Memorial Hall. This popular evening has live music from Swing Unlimited and a licensed bar. Please support us to raise money for President Peter Campbell’s chosen local charity of The Helix Centre. Contact us for tickets (see below) and do look out for more details of other exciting events coming up, including our first Race Night on Saturday 17 May.
We are also in the early stages of planning our next Rustic Fayre for August Bank Holiday Monday. As always, this big Verwood event will have everything we all look forward to as well as being a great opportunity to raise funds for local charities, organisations and groups in our community. Put the date in your diary!
This month, we celebrate the ‘birthday’ of our club at our annual Charter Evening, marking the founding of our club in 1988. The plan is for the club to continue actively supporting and serving our local community for many more years, so we are always keen to hear from anyone interested in joining or getting more involved in local events with us. Did you know you can now apply for corporate membership as a local business? This gives your business access to several benefits as well as joining with us to actively support our local community. The club recently set up the Verwood Business Network which has monthly breakfast meetings at The Hub with interesting speakers and an opportunity to meet others from local businesses. To find out more about this, as well as upcoming events or how to apply for corporate membership, please contact us on enquiries@verwoodrotary.org.uk.
Swing Band Night in March 2024
Raise funds for hospital charity
Last September, over 300 people took part in University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity’s Walk for Wards at Upton Country Park and House, raising a total of £21,479.38. Now it is hoped that people will sign up for the charity’s March for Men on Saturday 29 March, which aims not only to raise funds but to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
Taking part in March for Men costs £10 per adult and £8 per child aged five to 16. The 5K and 10K routes will begin from Bournemouth Pier Approach. The charity is fundraising to raise £1.5m to enhance the BEACH Building with various additional items above and beyond NHS funding. Visit uhdcharity.org/m4m for more details and to sign up.
Ferndown charity challenge in memory of John Thornton
April this year marks what would have been the 40th birthday of Lieutenant John Thornton RM. To commemorate this, the Ferndown-based John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF), which was set up in his memory, has announced the ‘40 For JT’ charity challenge.
Participants are asked to raise a minimum of £40 by completing a sponsored event centred around the number 40. Volunteers and supporters are planning a diverse range of activities including: playing 40 holes of golf in one session; walking 40,000 steps in a day; performing 40 good deeds; baking and selling 40 cupcakes, or running, walking or cycling 40K or 40 miles.
Since JTYAF was established in 2008 following John’s tragic death while serving with 40 Commando Royal Marines in Afghanistan, the foundation has supported over 2,500 young individuals and nearly 200 whole
school and group projects. The challenge has already sparked enthusiasm among local schools and organisations supported by JTYAF. ‘40 for JT’ runs from 29 March to John’s birthday on 12 April, giving almost two weeks to complete the challenge. For more details, visit jtyaf.org/events/40-for-jt.
John Thornton
Wanted: new treasurer for STARS Dorset
- Advertisement feature -
By Helen Stevens, STARS Dorset
STARS Dorset is an independent charity providing specialist support to anyone living in Dorset, who has been affected by any form of sexual abuse
The charity was first established in the late 1980s and now supports children, young people and adults from every area of the county.
The charity’s vision is “A society free from abuse” and the organisation has aspirational and ambitious plans to help raise awareness of the impact of sexual abuse as well as providing information, training and workshops for schools, colleges, and workplaces, as well as community settings and other charities.
To help us achieve these plans, the Board of Trustees is currently looking to appoint a new treasurer trustee, who will have oversight of our financial processes and procedures
to ensure we continue to successfully meet our financial and auditing obligations. Experience of charity accounting will be essential. Our Board of Trustees is very proactive in supporting the growth of the charity and assisting our chief executive and senior leadership in the ongoing development of the charity. If you’re looking for an opportunity to make a real difference, using your skills and experience, we’d love to hear from you.
For more information, contact Helen Stevens on 01202 308856 or email helen.stevens@ starsdorset.org. To view the job description and application form, visits starsdorset.org/jobs.
The event at Upton Country House
New Forest charity celebrates success
A charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of older people is celebrating a year of achievements.
Over the course of 2024, Helping Older People (HOPe) New Forest took on more than 220 new clients, offering many of them home visits and free support. In total, these clients are more than £180,000 better off from benefits received or savings made thanks to the charity’s help.
“Without HOPe, there would be nobody else to do what we do,” said Laura Davy, HOPe’s support associate. “Demand continues to grow, and we are regularly looking for volunteers and seeking donations.”
For more details of the support available or to get involved, visit hopenewforest. org/support or call 07842 204 829.
Are you brave enough for a Fire Walk?
Ringwood Rotary are challenging the community to walk across fire to support charity.
Anyone over the age of 12 is invited to tackle the daring challenge of walking barefoot over red-hot embers on Saturday 22 March at the Ellingham and Ringwood Rugby Football Club.
If fire is not your thing, there will also be a chance to show your bravery by conquering a colourful Lego Walk instead – anyone who has stepped on a Lego block barefoot will know how painful this could be!
On the day, there will be a safety training session led by a professional fire walking instructor to prepare participants both mentally and physically, followed by the walk over the hot coals. After completing the Fire Walk, there will be a celebration with refreshments and music.
Funds raised from the event will be split equally between PLANETS Cancer Charity and Motor Neurone Disease Association. To register or donate, visit ringwoodrotary.enthuse.com.
Stroke patients invited to take part in new trial
People in Dorset who have suffered a stroke are being invited to take part in a ground-breaking new trial.
Electrically stimulating the vagus nerve while participants move their weak arm has been found to result in better arm recovery compared with rehabilitation therapy alone. However, the electrical stimulator needs to be surgically
implanted, with nerve stimulation triggered by a therapist and delivered in hospital.
But with the new TRICEPS (TRanscutaneous lImb reCovEry Post-Stroke) trial, brain stimulation is triggered via a lightweight, wearable pacemaker-like device which connects to a wired earpiece, rather than an implant inserted under general anaesthetic.
The stimulation is automatically activated as the arm is moved during therapy and the connected earpiece
gently tickles the ear, meaning people can access the treatment at home and without the need for invasive surgery.
Patients have already been enrolled via two local NHS trusts, UHD, and Dorset HealthCare, but researchers need more people to come forward.
The trial is being run from locations in Bournemouth, Sherborne and Dorchester.
To find out more, contact 0300 019 4504 or neuro.physio@uhd.nhs.uk.
The Mayor of Ferndown, Cllr Terry Cordery has organised a Charity Quiz Night in support of the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation. It takes place on Thursday 27 March with doors open at 6pm for a 7pm start at The Barrington Centre. Form a team of six and get your tickets from the venue in Pennys Walk, Ferndown. The mayor is pictured with the foundation’s Chairman Pete Thornton.
Therapist Lucy Haynes and TRICEPS trial participant Ian Odd
Charity of the Year
Get out and volunteer in 2025
By Jannine Loveys, fundraising manager at DCCF
If you are looking to get into volunteering or to do some kind of fundraising this year, please ‘choose local’ and help Dorset Cancer Care Foundation (DCCF) to support Dorset families struggling because of cancer.
Volunteering is essential to our work, without it we wouldn’t be able to raise the money needed to fund grants for people when they need it most – and we’re extremely grateful to anyone who donates their time to us. Whether minutes, months, hours or days, the time you give really does make a difference.
Volunteers are always needed before and during our popular local, monthly Coffee Mornings. You could sell raffle tickets, collect entrance money, or make cakes beforehand.
Our regular quiz nights, curry evenings, bowling and musical events also rely on the help of our amazing volunteers.
Our volunteers tell us that they gain real enjoyment from knowing they
are helping struggling local families. Many also make lasting friendships as part of the DCCF family.
If you’d rather help by fundraising, you could hold a DineIn event and sell tickets to friends to attend your dinner party or picnic?
Or if you like to run, we will pay for your registration into any of the Run Bournemouth events in return for your sponsorship. Or you could enter another sporting event on our behalf?
Attending DCCF events is also a great way to support us.
Our next Coffee Morning is on 12 February from 10am–12noon at The Angel Inn in Ferndown. Entry is £6 and includes a hot drink and cake.
If you can’t join us, please consider donating to what will be our most adventurous fundraising event to date when Chris Helberg and Chris Bryer-Ash run seven marathons in seven days across Dorset between 10–16 March.
You can donate to their £20,000 fundraising target at justgiving.com/page/ super-seven-dccf. You could even help by organising a coffee morning in their honour, or simply going to cheer them on! Please get in touch to get involved with the DCCF in 2025. For more information, call Penny on 07849 249250 or visit dccf.co.uk.
Chris Bryer-Ash, left, and Chris Helberg plan to run seven marathons in seven days for charity
Column by Fordingbridge Museum is sponsored by Adrian Dowding
The writing’s on the wall
By Julian Hewitt | Fordingbridge Museum
My secondary school in Yorkshire had a tradition that pupils would carve their names on the wooden panelling of the corridor in the main building. Having been brought up to regard such an activity as outrageous vandalism, I kept my pen knife firmly in my pocket. Something that I now rather regret.
Leaving messages on walls has a long history going back to the Stone Age, where 30,000-year-old cave paintings tell us much about life at the time. Hunting scenes show us the wild animals they were surrounded by and how they hunted them. Like modern day graffiti artists, the handprints they made by placing their hands on the wall and blowing paint on them left their mark for posterity.
In ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, graffiti was a common way of communicating. In the excavations at Pompeii, the drawings and inscriptions reveal the preoccupations of ordinary citizens. These could be erotic drawings or poems, political comments or opinions about neighbours or employers that give us a unique insight into life at the time.
From the mid-16th to the early 18th century, there was a fear of the supernatural and evil spirits. Much graffiti from this time was designed to protect people from evil. If you look in churches,
cathedrals and domestic dwellings from the time you will often see these “Apotropaic” signs carved into the stones, woodwork or plaster. These were usually placed at doorways, windows and chimney places or anywhere that evil spirits may enter. These were often geometric designs that were thought to confuse or trap any spirits trying to enter. Others were intertwined VV or VM letters calling on the Virgin Mary to protect them. If you visit the 15th-century Fleece Inn near Evesham, you will see these so-called witch marks painted around the ingle nook fireplace. Deliberate taper burns were sometimes left on wooden beams to protect against fire and lightning.
Prison cells in the Tower of London are covered in graffiti recording the prisoners’ names and their views on their confinement or the politics of the time. In the castle at Richmond in Yorkshire, there are cells that held conscientious objectors during the First World War. The walls are covered in graffiti left by these men giving their political, moral or religious justification for their beliefs or showing portraits of their loved ones. There are so many of these that historians are still being researching them. The English Heritage website showing these is well worth a visit.
Graffiti was sometimes scratched onto windowpanes often using a diamond ring or sharp implement. Scratched on a window in the church of St Martin-cum-Gregory in York, there is a long comment on the battle of Culloden by a Hanoverian loyalist. A later example can be seen in the window of the bar in the Spread Eagle pub at Stourhead. The name of the film star David Niven and his wife can be seen scratched on the window. He was an officer in the Second World War and was based in Stourhead.
Today, the arguments over graffiti being an art form or a crime still goes on. Residents may welcome a Banksy. They may not be so keen on the more random territorial tags that are seen as a blight on the area, lowering property prices and being expensive to clean off. Some councils such as Stroud now provide areas where graffiti artists are encouraged to leave their marks, although unauthorised graffiti is regarded as criminal damage that can lead to a fine or imprisonment.
On Friday 4 April at 7.30pm, Fordingbridge Museum is putting on a fascinating talk called ‘Graffiti in Winchester Cathedral’. Please put the date in your diary and look out for more information nearer to the time.
Apotropaic markings on a timber in Tudor House, Southampton © Ethan Doyle White Graffiti on a Tower of London cell wall © Rachelle Haun
Witch marks from a church in Suffolk © Medievalg
HOW TO ENTER
Backed by local traders, this is your chance to win a huge prize worth £500 in shopping vouchers.
One lucky winner, drawn at random, will be able to spend their vouchers at any of the participating businesses (advertising on pages 23, 24 and 25 in this issue of Viewpoint Magazine) in £50 lots.
The winner can spend a maximum of £250 in one outlet, with the remaining amount split into vouchers to spend with any of the other vendors.
For example, you could split your prize as: 1 x £250 voucher, and 5 x £50 vouchers OR 1 x £100 voucher and 8 x £50 vouchers OR 10 x £50 vouchers.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer the follow questions about these local businesses (Hint: the answers can be found on the adverts on pages 23, 24 and 25).
Which beauty establishment can be found at 14D The Furlong?
What is the name of the award-winning butchers in West Moors?
Where would you go to get a frame restored?
Terms and conditions:
Enter online at www.dorsetview.co.uk or post your answers to the address on page 3 of this magazine. Closing date is Monday 31 March 2025. The first correct answer drawn will be the winner. Employees of Pulford Publicity Ltd are not permitted to enter. The shopping vouchers will be valid for three months from the date of issue. The editor’s decision is final. Personal details will be stored securely and will only be processed to determine the winner. The winner will be announced in the magazine. The winner will need to inform Pulford Publicity which businesses they will spend the vouchers with and how much before they are issued.
Wimborne goes a-Wassailing
Report by Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk
“This is so Wimborne” were the many comments from invited guests at the annual Wassail held at Deans Court, the home of Sir William and Lady Ali Hanham, on Friday 17 January.
Wassail Queens, Wimborne Militia and the Dorset Druid Cove provided a colourful and lively spectacle, as did Sir William.
People had been urged to bring loud voices, pots, pans and anything else to make a loud noise and to sing and make merry.
The purpose of the Wassail is to encourage the spirits to ensure a good harvest for the season.
In the Middle Ages, the lord of the manor would give food and drink to the
peasants in exchange for their blessing and good will.
A video of this year’s Wassail was recorded by Damien Stone and can be viewed on Youtube via: https://tinyurl.com/446pdkjv.
Flying start for Pamphill pupils
Children at a local first school have enjoyed the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of an aircraft.
On a trip to Bournemouth Aviation Museum, Reception pupils at Pamphill CE First School explored the many exhibits on display at the museum, taking on the role of budding future pilots and flight crew.
Sharon Staddon, executive headteacher of the school which is part of Initio Learning
Trust, said: “The children had a soaring time at Bournemouth Aviation Museum.
“The visit allowed the pupils to think about travel and aviation and how it impacts our lives as part of our ‘On the Move’ topic this term.
“The Pamphill CE First School community would like to thank staff at the museum for making us feel so welcome and making the trip such a memorable one.”
Flip your way to sweet success on pancake day
Once again, Viewpoint Magazine is sponsoring the Wimborne Minster Pancake Race which takes place on Shrove Tuesday 4 March.
The venue is, as always, outside the main north porch entrance to the Minster and the first race will commence at 11am as the Pancake Bell is tolled. Competitors will be required to run around the Minster tossing their pancakes at the four corners of the church.
All competitors should report to the north porch by 10.30am to enrol, complete with frying pan and ready-cooked pancake.
Challengers over 18 can win the John Loader Memorial Cup, presented by Martyn and Kathy Curtler, and become the Minster Pancake Champion 2025. The winner will also receive a prize presented by Viewpoint Magazine
There will also be races for the under-18s spilt into three age ranges: four to nine, nine
to 13, and 13 to 18. Likewise, there will be races for preschoolers, toddlers and those using wheelchairs, with prizes for the winners of each category. Entry forms will be available in the Minster and in the Parish Office in Church House (next to the Minster) during February or just turn up on the day.
A contestant from the 2022 Pancake Race
Images by Viewpoint Magazine
Students in the cockpit
Fordingbridge student wins poster competition
Nearly 200 local students from Burgate School, Forres Sandle Manor School and Moyles Court School aged between 11 and 13 entered this year’s Lions International Peace Poster Competition sponsored by Ringwood & Fordingbridge Lions Club.
The three winning entries were by Lorelei from Forres Sandle Manor School in Fordingbridge, Carina from Burgate School in Fordingbridge and Jayden from Moyles Court School in Ringwood.
Each year, Lions International invites young
people from around the world to create their visions of peace in a 2D poster form. This year’s theme was: peace without limits. Club President Alastair Ward said: “We are so lucky that three local schools were able to participate in this amazing competition and thrilled that Lorelei’s poster has been judged to be the best in our district and progressed onto the national finals of this international art competition. She is now one of eight students in the country whose work can potentially reach the international finals.”
Children invited to enter writing festival
Children in Dorset are invited to enter the Bournemouth Writing Festival which is being organised in conjunction with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Open to all children aged five to 14, the competition aims to instil the key facets of water safety while being creative in any form – whether a poem, story, comic strip or illustration.
Winners of the competition will be treated to an exclusive tour of the RNLI Support Centre in Poole, along with other exciting prizes. The celebrations will culminate in a special awards ceremony at the Bournemouth Writing Festival, taking place on 25–27 April.
The competition is now open, and entries must be submitted by Friday 14 March.
A panel from the Hengistbury Head Writer’s Group will judge the submissions. Poems can be up to 30 lines and short stories up
to 500 words. Illustrations are welcome and they can be in any format: a comic strip, handwritten or typed. For more information on how to enter, please visit the Bournemouth Writing Festival website. During the festival, there will be free drop-in activities and author-led workshops for children on Saturday 26 April. Tickets are now on sale at bournemouthwritingfestival. co.uk.
Lorelei’s peace poster
The Sheiling Ringwood and its commitment to providing the best possible SEND education and care
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The students, staff and trustees of Sheiling School are celebrating a double success with two wonderful Ofsted ratings whilst also looking to the future by successfully launching the build of a new double classroom, increasing the capacity of the school by 6–8 students.
The Sheiling Ringwood, comprising a day and residential school and college for young people aged 5–25 years, is a bright light amongst SEND provisions and received a rating of ‘Outstanding’ across all inspection areas following their recent Ofsted residential inspection for the school. The residential provision has been ‘Outstanding’ since June 2023 and, in November 2024, the school education provision was rated ‘Good’ with Outstanding areas. Sheiling College is also rated as ‘Good’.
To receive this level of recognition only deepens the resolve of everyone at the Sheiling to provide the very best in SEND education to students now and for years to come and, with a new state-of-theart classroom launching in 2025, this will create further opportunities for learning and achievement.
Sheiling School provides day and residential placements for children and young people between the ages of 5 and 19 with severe, complex and moderate learning disabilities including autistic spectrum disorders. Set in a stunning sustainable and eco-friendly 45-acre site close to the New Forest and Dorset’s coastline, the natural surroundings of the school provide a rich, enabling and therapeutic learning environment for its students.
Social Care Inspectors Wendy Anderson and Sally Shakespeare praised the setting and its strong track record of consistently providing children with excellent care.
The report explains, “The foundations for this excellent level of care are the very strong relationships that staff have built with children and their families. Staff demonstrate their nurturing approach and their love for the children throughout their day-to-day interactions and in how they talk about the children.” They also note that the residential provision provides children with a welcoming home.
Some of the highlights reported by the social care inspectors include:
• Children are making excellent progress from their starting points.
• Staff are very ambitious, striving for the best possible outcome for each child.
• Their safety and safeguarding practice are managed like a golden thread that runs through all aspects of the children’s care.
The school education report was equally as positive with highlights including:
• The school expertly guides pupils to overcome barriers to learning and unlock their potential.
• The school does not limit pupils’ aspirations. Pupils achieve well because staff make every moment a learning opportunity.
• Behaviour and attitudes and personal development were highlighted as Outstanding areas and education inspectors complimented the outcomes in these areas.
Both inspection teams were impressed by the strong culture of teamwork that exists and that parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school’s work.
Just a few of the comments from parents:
• “Our child is at the heart of every little thing the staff do.”
• “Staff here are ambitious for our child.”
• “It is an amazing place. It has saved our family.”
• “We feel blessed to have found this place; it is like my child has a second family.”
The Sheiling Ringwood is proud of its outstanding practice, with leaders excited about the opportunity to grow the outstanding offer with the additional facilities provided by the new double classroom building that are crucial for the students to thrive. With school places in specialist settings being very limited both locally and nationally, we are thrilled to be able to increase our school spaces by 6–8 students.
A single storey construction, the impressive new build will feature expansive facilities for students across school ages 5–19 including classrooms, quiet rooms, teachers' area, meeting room, bathrooms and covered outside areas. Plans show all spaces finished to a high standard with robust and modern finishes.
The Sheiling School’s core values of ‘every student, both because of and despite their disabilities, has something to give and something to learn in all of their relationships, with other children/young people, with staff, teachers, carers, friends and family,’ have been considered throughout the planning process and the school remains at full operational capability throughout the building project. In addition, the new build will also support the school’s sustainability mission through thermal performance and a high standard of sustainability which will achieve netzero carbon in use. The building will feature solar panels, triple
glazing, air source heat pumps and all materials selected have been weighted to achieve net zero with an emphasis on structural timber elements and insulated timber framework to ensure any carbon heavy materials are adequately offset by the carbon captured and within the wooden elements.
The school excitedly awaits an exact date for the project to complete and anticipates an official opening of what has now been named ‘Parsifal’, but it is certain to be in the spring to summer months of 2025. Andy Walters, Head of School, said: “This building reflects the ambitions we have for our students and school community, equipping our young people with the skills to access what they need to achieve their potential. New bespoke areas will also help them flourish. The eco-friendly
building is designed to enhance the educational experience and the classrooms are equipped to reflect this and the needs of our SEND students. Parsifal is more than just a new structure; it's a symbol of our commitment to providing the best possible education for our students. This facility will have a lasting impact on our school community, opening further opportunities for learning and achievement.”
The opening of the Parsifal building will be a significant step for the school in its mission to provide the best SEND learning environment and to provide increased capacity to serve more students within the community. It reflects its ongoing commitment to excellence in education and future-focused development for SEND students.
Andy Walters, head of Sheiling School
The new double classroom under construction
Getting ready for retirement
By Luke Graham
Are you on track to be able to afford to stop working?
Around my birthday every February since 2019, I update a spreadsheet with the values of my pension savings. I know, I’m so much fun.
But if workingage people like myself ever want to be able to afford to stop working, then we need to take saving for retirement seriously. A report by pension provider Scottish Widows released last year claims that 38 per cent of individuals are not saving enough to afford even a minimum retirement lifestyle, defined as £14,400 a year for a single person. The full state pension is currently only £11,502.40 per year, so people cannot rely on that alone to fund their retirement.
Here are some tips for getting your retirement savings sorted
Wait, what IS a pension?
A pension is a tax-advantaged savings account. Money put into a pension can be saved as cash and bonds to earn interest or be invested in the stock market, and any growth on these savings are free from most taxes. These accounts come in various types, such as workplace pensions and selfinvested personal pensions (SIPPs), or the Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA) which can be used for retirement savings
or to buy a property. Any money paid into these accounts receives a 25 per cent bonus from the government but cannot be accessed until you are aged 55 (from a SIPP or workplace pension) or 60 (from a LISA).
The important point is that the earlier you save into a pension, the longer it has time to grow for when you reach retirement.
Stock market investments can go down as well as up.
Sign up to your workplace pension
If you are employed, make sure you
are signed up to a workplace pension. This is a type of personal pension plan arranged by your employer. You pay in a percentage of your wage, at least five per cent, and your employer pays in a minimum of three per cent. It is well worth opting in to a workplace pension, as this employer contribution is effectively a pay rise that will benefit you come retirement.
Combined, you are saving eight per cent of your annual income each year for retirement. But is this enough?
How much should you save into a pension?
A rule of thumb is to save a percentage of your income based on half your age from when you started saving for retirement. Someone who starts aged 20 would only need to save 10 per cent of their income each year, while a 30-year-old would need to put aside 15 per cent for a comfortable retirement. If your workplace pension only covers eight per cent, then you could open a SIPP or LISA to boost your retirement savings.
I opened a SIPP when I was 26, so I try to save 13 per cent each year. However, this is only a rule of thumb and I’ve rarely been able to afford to put away 13 per cent, given other demands in life, but it gives me a target to aim for. If you’re just starting out on your retirement savings journey, you could start with a small amount, say £25 a month, and increase it each year.
How much will you need to retire?
This is a hard question to answer, as it depends so much on your personal situation. Hopefully by the time you retire, you will have paid off a mortgage or own your own home, and you will no longer have to pay for things like childcare or commuting.
A suggestion I once read is to aim to save three times your annual income by age 40, six times by 50, eight times by 60, and 10 times by retirement. This pension pot can then be used to buy an annuity (a financial product that pays a guaranteed income every year of your retirement) or left invested and income withdrawn as and when you need it – a process called drawdown. Again, in a world of inflation,
higher interest rates and rising cost of living, this suggestion might not be very realistic or achievable, but it has given me a target to work towards with my savings and I have these figures on my pension spreadsheet. Keep track of your pension pots
Over the course of your career, you may work for different companies each with their own pension plan. As a result, it is easy to lose track of old pensions; according to the Pensions Policy Institute, there is over £30 billion lying in unclaimed, inactive, or lost pension pots.
If you think you’ve lost a pension pot, there are online services that can help you search for them, such as gov. uk/find-pension-contact-details.
To avoid losing track of your savings, you
could switch old pots to your new workplace pension, file away the paperwork somewhere safe at home, or (like me) build an online spreadsheet with the details of your pension providers and how much is saved with them. The benefit of this spreadsheet is I can see how much I have saved and how much those savings have grown over time. Since I started keeping track at age 29, my pension pot including contributions has grown by 175 per cent. It’s not yet enough to retire on, but hopefully I am on the right track. Information in this article should not be construed as financial advice. If you’re considering investing for retirement, it is advisable to speak to an independent financial adviser. The website moneyhelper .org.uk offers pension and retirement advice including how to spot scams.
Will you get the full state pension?
The current state pension is worth £221.20 a week. Under the triple lock system, which the Labour government has pledged to keep, the value rises each year by either 2.5 per cent, inflation or average earnings – whichever is highest.
To receive the full state pension, you need 35 qualifying years of paying National Insurance (NI). It’s therefore worth checking your NI record to see if there are any gaps, which might be there because you lived abroad or took a career break. You can view your record by visiting this website: gov.uk/check-state-pension.
If you are missing some years, you have the option to pay voluntary NI contributions to fill them. This year, you have until 5 April to make up for gaps since 2006; after April, you will only be able to make contributions for the previous six years.
However, you may not need to fill in the gaps at all if you are still years away from retirement. For instance, when I checked my own record, I found I had 15 qualifying years and three gaps from the years when I was at university. I cannot access the state pension until 2059, so I have over three decades to contribute the remaining 20 qualifying years.
Deer-ly departed: farm park bids farewell to herd
A farm park near Poole is to rehome its herd of red deer due to government regulations
For years, visitors to Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park have enjoyed meeting and feeding the farm’s deer. Unfortunately, due to the enforcement of government regulations, the park feels forced to close this experience.
Due to the government’s DEFRA enforcement of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, Farmer Palmer’s can no longer allow public access to the deer, unless the entire park becomes a zoo. This is because red deer are classed as a wild animal. The farm park says that, due to rising hospitality costs and increasing legislative demands, this change is not viable and so it will rehome the deer. The public must visit before 25 February
if they wish to see the deer for the last time and say farewell.
The park says it supports the intent of the regulations but has called on Dorset Council to create and enforce a more unified approach to attractions. It adds that other farm parks in the UK which hold a zoo licence are choosing to adapt and drop their licences.
Farmer Palmer’s owners, Sandra Palmer-Snellin and Phillip Palmer, said: “This is a significant blow to our farm park. The decision to stop the customers viewing the deer has been incredibly difficult for us. We, and the team, are saddened to bid farewell to our red deer, who have been an integral part of our farm park.”
Damerham Duck Race returns
Fans of rubber duck races rejoice, as a village near Fordingbridge has announced it is reinstating a popular event that hasn’t been held since 2019.
Damerham Village Duck Race will return on Saturday 19 April. A total of seven races will be held between noon and 4pm, with the owners of winning ducks able to receive a share of a £500 prize pot. Entry will cost £3 per duck.
“This previously very
Will your duck sink or swim to victory?
popular event hasn’t been run since before the pandemic,” said Stuart Eastman from Damerham Village Hall. “It attracted visitors from a wide area.”
As well as the races, there will be a barbecue, cakes, tea, coffee and a licensed bar.
Eastman added: “We are also holding a drawing competition for all the children at Western Downland Primary School, which will be judged on the day.”
PREVIEW Worst Wedding Ever
Wimborne Drama Productions, Tivoli Theatre
A comedy drama about a wedding, written by ‘Broadchurch’ creator Chris Chibnall, is sure to lift the spirits this winter.
‘Worst Wedding Ever’ is set in Dorset, where Chris Chibnall has lived for the past 20 years, and is about a couple called Rachel and Scott who are getting married. They are also buying a house together – never the easiest of things to do at the same time. When the house price goes up, their plans for a dream wedding are downsized to the local register office.
But Rachel’s mother has other ideas. What if the family could make it a wedding to be proud of? With a marquee in the back garden, a hand-medown dress, a pub band and two Portaloos, surely the day will pass without a hitch?
The play will be performed by
Wimborne Drama Productions at the Tivoli Theatre from 20 to 22 February and is directed by Tracey Nicholls. In her cast are Jo Eva Edington, Rob Cording-Cook, Tracie Billington-Beardsley, Gary Paine, David BeddardBanks, Michelle Barter, Tony Feltham and Calum Hearne. To book tickets, call the box office on 01202 885566 or visit tivoliwimborne.co.uk.
The red deer herd will be rehomed after 25 February © Farmer Palmer’s
Events
Details were correct at the time of going to print. Send information about your events to newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk.
14–16 February
Colehill Music and Drama Society presents ‘Tales from the Woods’ at Colehill Memorial Hall. Book via TicketSource.
15 February 7.30pm
Artsreach presents The Neil Maya Quartet with The Charlie Parker Story at Sturminster Marshall Memorial Hall. Tickets from artsreach.co.uk.
16 February 11am
Guided walk around Wimborne town, starting from the Square and lasting approximately one hour. Just turn up.
16 February 3pm
Bournemouth Chamber Music Society concert at Kimmeridge House, Bournemouth University. Tickets from bournemouthchambermusic. co.uk or at the door.
17 February 10.30am–11.30am
Reading Friends group meets at Ferndown Library.
18 February 8pm
Wimborne Civic Society meets at the Allendale Centre, Wimborne for a talk on the restoration of the Wimborne Minster organ.
22 February 10am–12noon
Junior Chess Club for ages six to 14 years at Ferndown Library. Visit ferndownjuniorchess. co.uk or email graham7morris@ gmail.com for details.
25 February 7.30pm
West Parley Gardening Club meets at the MS Centre BH22 8TS. Pip Bensley to talk on climbers. For further details, please contact Rod Darch on 01202 896711 or visit westparleygc.co.uk.
26 February 7pm for 7.30pm
Wimborne Community Theatre quiz night with Ploughman’s supper at Colehill Sports and Social Club, BH21 2QR. Book in advance for catering numbers: barbarahart414@ gmail.com or call 01202 884201
28 February 10am–2.30pm
Stitch4u club for embroidery and textile art meets at MS Centre, West Parley. Details at astitch4u.com.
1 March 2pm–4pm
Ferndown Arthritis and Friendship Club meets at Ferndown Plus Day Centre. Call for more info: 03303 112793.
3 March 10.30am–11.30am
Reading Friends meets at Wimborne Library.
3 March 7pm for 7.30pm
Ferndown & West Moors Philatelic and Postcard Club meets at The Hamworthy Club, BH21 3AP. Call secretary Paul Barry on 07932 581791 or email paulrichardbarry@ hotmail.co.uk for details.
3 March 7.30pm
Wimborne Gardening Club meets at St Catherine’s Church Hall, Lewens Lane.
4 March 2.30pm–4pm
Bits & Bytes Computer Club meets in Ferndown library.
5 March 10am–2.30pm
Makers Market at Gather, Dolphin Centre, Poole.
6 March 1.45pm
Dorset Cricket Society meet at Hurn Bridge Sports Club, Christchurch, BH23 6DY for a talk by Stephen Chalke on the life of Brian Close.
6 March 7.30pm
Verwood and District
Horticultural Society meets at Verwood Memorial Hall for a talk by Gillian Taylor on My Greenhouse Year. Visit verwoodhorticulturalsociety.co.uk or call Ollie on 07508 577114.
7 March 10am–3pm
Poole Leisure Painters meets at Lighthouse Poole. Details via pooleleisurepainters.org.uk.
8 March 2.30pm
Concert at St Martin’s Church, 2 Moorland Road, West Moors in aid of Julia’s House. Tickets from St Martin’s Church, Brewer and Brewer estate agents, talksbychristopher.co.uk or email c.legrand@btinternet.com.
8 March 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Ferndown Phoenix Musical Theatre presents ‘Phoenix Favourites’ at The Barrington Theatre. Tickets from ticketsource. co.uk/phoenix or The Barrington on 01202 894858.
8 March 10am–1pm and 9 March 2pm–4pm
Manor Farm Hampreston open garden, Wimborne, BH21 7LX in aid of National Gardens Scheme.
10 March 2.30pm
West Moors Horticultural Society presents illustrated talk ‘Scottish Wildlife Encounters’ by Brian Pettet. Contact Sue Hamlett on 01202 871536.
12 March 6.30pm–9pm
Bournemouth Big Band, Swing and Jazz Club meet downstairs in Kinson Community Centre. Full details on bournemouthjazzclub.org
12 March 7.30pm
East Dorset Antiquarian Society meets at St Catherine’s Church Hall, Wimborne for AGM and lecture on ‘The Late Mesolithic and Neolithic at Druce Farm’.
13 March 1.30pm–4pm Verwood and District Horticultural Show at the Memorial Hall.
16 March 4.30pm
Broadstone Music Series presents Ensemble Aurea in concert at St John’s Church, Broadstone. Booking at broadstonemusicseries. info and TicketSource.
Forest Forge is so much more than a theatre company
By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk
The Ringwood-based theatre company has big plans for 2025
Set up as a touring theatre company in 1981 to bring theatre to rural locations, Forest Forge Theatre Company has now evolved in different directions, as co-artistic director Lucy Phillips explained.
They rehearse and hold some sessions in premises in Pintail House, Duck Island Lane in Ringwood, as well as doing a considerable amount of work in the local community.
“We have three very equal parts,” said Lucy, who has been with the company for 25 years.
“There are the touring plays, the public participation drama events for all ages, and thirdly the artistic development whereby we support theatre makers and facilitators to create and share their work in the New Forest. All three have equal weight and feed into each other.”
The touring theatre is professional, and its latest production is a new strand of small-scale theatre performances called ‘Suitcase Stories’. The first is ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, which begins its tour on 15 February. These new productions are the company’s most flexible touring theatre productions, able to perform throughout the year at fetes, schools, festivals, libraries, care homes and other community spaces. Performances will last around 45 minutes and accompanying workshops are available. This production has been made possible thanks to New Forest District Council’s allocation of the Shared Prosperity Fund.
Another ‘Suitcase’ story will go into production in the summer.
The annual Christmas production, created in partnership with Bumblefly Theatre and Mischievous Theatre, is a New Forest festive tradition. Available to tour to village halls, schools and studio theatres, it features live performance, music, puppetry and lots of laughter and is suitable for ages five to 105.
Forest Forge also specialises in designing and delivering educational workshops for schools, colleges and universities. The company uses drama, games and ensemble theatre techniques to create sessions that support the curriculum, explore a range of difficult subjects and underpin classroom learning.
Whether you’re looking for a drama workshop about a Shakespeare text, puppetry, masks or storytelling, or want a new way to explore subjects around e-safety, positive relationships and wellbeing, Forest Forge can help.
There are 21 participation sessions for people of all ages with the youth theatre holding regular workshops for young people aged seven to 18 as well as drama sessions for adults of all ages. There is also a writers’ group as well as an hour-long session in which adults can play – which Lucy said was “very wild”.
“We offer opportunities for everybody and create community,” said Lucy. “And we are so pleased that when the sessions aren’t running, people meet up and form friendship groups.”
Forest Forge is always looking for new venues and would also welcome applications for potential new trustees. You can contact them at hello@forestforgetheatre.co.uk or ring 01425 470188.
Simply the Best: Tina Turner tribute show set to rock Dorset
A tribute to the queen of rock and roll will take place on Sunday 9 March at Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre. ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ is a high-energy celebration of Tina Turner’s legendary 60-year career that is currently touring the UK.
The two-act show, featuring a live band, will showcase several of Turner’s classics, including ‘The Best’, ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’ and ‘Nutbush City Limits’. Bringing Turner’s music to life is singer Holly Bannis. Performing is written into her DNA: she is the daughter of Greg Bannis, former lead singer of Hot Chocolate. She spent over a decade performing semiprofessionally before appearing on ITV’s ‘Starstruck’, where she performed as Tina Turner. This caught the attention of the team behind ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ and led to her being cast as a backing singer and understudy, but Bannis quickly took centre stage. Interview with Holly Bannis What is it like to perform as Tina Turner and how do you prepare for the role?
Performing as Tina Turner is a whirlwind of energy, passion and preparation! It’s truly amazing that I get to take on this role but equally challenging as there’s a hell of an expectation to live up to. I love high energy and rock and roll, and being Tina is exactly that. Preparing for the role took a lot of studying. I was
lucky enough to have been a part of ‘Starstruck’, where I performed as Tina Turner. From doing that, I got the role in this show therefore I was able to take what I had already learned and continue that. The learning doesn’t stop; I’m always watching videos and performances of Tina, always learning and taking little bits away each time to get the vocals right and the moves. You’ve gone from performing in pubs to filled-out arenas. What is your advice to young performers and singers? It is certainly a big transition for me, but this is how the growth of a performer works.
You do your groundwork in the smaller places, or your schools or colleges, wherever you’ve come from, with the intention to always get bigger opportunities. So my advice to young performers and singers is to develop your craft and be prepared for hard work, and you will then reap the rewards.
What can audiences look forward to in the show?
An electrifying celebration of the queen of rock and roll! The show promises an unforgettable evening filled with high energy and endless hits. There are many costume changes to take you through the eras of Tina and we also involve audience participation… so make sure you bring your best moves and warm up your vocal cords, as we may pick you out to partake!
For tickets, visit: bournemouthpavilion.co.uk.
REVIEW Monkey World
By Luke Graham
To shake off the January blues, my family and I visited the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Wareham with friends to take advantage of their half-price offer.
Set up in 1987, Monkey World provides a home for abused primates, including chimpanzees and orang-utans. Many of these apes have very tragic stories, having been rescued from laboratories or the black-market pet trade.
Normally, visitors to Monkey World can look forward to seeing the apes swinging and climbing about the large enclosures created for them, but due to it being the middle of winter, many of the primates wisely decided to stay warm inside their shelters. Fortunately, it was still possible most of the time to observe these incredible animals through windows into their sleeping quarters.
Aside from the enclosures, there are several playgrounds scattered across the grounds where your children can practise
their own monkey manoeuvres. The most spectacular of these is the Great Ape Play Area at the far end of the park, which features huge climbing frames, cargo nets, swings and slides. We had plenty of fun at these areas, which helped to burn off my children’s excess energy.
Walking through Monkey World is a delight, as you are surrounded by nature. We were even able to spot deer in the woodland near the path.
If you need a fun family day out, Monkey World offers lovely walks, views and the opportunity to learn about our long-distance relatives. Visit monkeyworld.org for details and booking information.
Holly Bannis stars as Tina Turner © Chuff Media
Photo by Sarah Burrows
for sponsoring puzzle zone.
Here’s how to solve Codeword. Every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number.
To start you off, we reveal the code for three letters.
To solve Sudoku, you need to fill the grid so that each row, column, and three-by-three box of cells contains the digits 1 through 9, without repetition.
Start by looking for rows, columns, or boxes that are almost complete, and fill in the missing numbers. Then use a process of elimination to look for the only possible cell within a row, column, or box where a number can fit.
Good luck and enjoy. Solutions are on page 44.
A special thanks to Codeword Sudoku
Woodburner warning
We are experiencing a cold snap at the moment, so woodburning stoves have been warming many homes. However, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to take care as there has been a spike in incidents in recent months.
Here is their advice:
1. Make sure that you leave sufficient time after a fire to let the ash cool and keep the door to the stove closed.
2. Keep flues clean and well maintained.
3. Avoid drying or airing clothes close or directly onto the flues or stove.
Group Manager Neil Tidball said: “A combination of colder weather and trying to keep costs down means people are more likely to be using open fires and woodburning stoves.
Chimneys should be swept twice a year as a minimum to remove accumulated soot and tar, as well as making sure that the chimney is clear of debris.
“Green or unseasoned wood shouldn’t be used, as it smoulders with long-burning embers and produces a lot of creosote and not much heat. Buildups of creosote in a chimney or flue can become highly flammable and dangerous. You should also avoid burning painted, coated or treated wood, as this can release harmful gases.”
Another danger is the storage of wood and other fuel immediately next to a woodburning stove, as heat can build up and lead to a fire igniting.
Blocked or defective chimney flues also carry the risk of leading to carbon
monoxide poisoning so, as well as getting chimneys and flues swept, people are encouraged to fit smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.
If you are considering
installing a woodburning stove in your home, always seek advice from a professional and ensure you are using a qualified installer. More information on this can be found on www.hetas.co.uk.
Drive with caution during February and March
We’re still in the grip of winter in February and it could go on until next month – remember ‘the beast from the east’ in March 2018?
Following research revealing that 23 per cent of Britons have been involved in a collision due to cold weather conditions, several organisations have come together to provide some vital advice.
1. Don’t defrost the car with boiling water
While inconvenient, waking up to a frozen windscreen is an expected part of everyday life in the winter months. It might be tempting to de-ice the car with boiling water, but this can weaken the glass and lead to cracks, according to the RAC. Experts suggest staying safe on the road by using de-icing liquid instead.
2. Avoid sudden manoeuvres on snow and ice
According to SilverOak Solicitors, 10 per cent of all motorists have been in a road collision due to snow and ice on the road. Remember to stay calm and move gently in the direction of the slide. Suddenly braking is the worst thing to do in this situation, as quick manoeuvres increase the risk of skidding and losing control.
3. Remember not to tailgate vehicles on the road
Tailgating, which is when a motorist drives too close to another car, falls under the careless driving offence. Those found guilty of tailgating can face a £100 charge and three penalty points, according to the RAC. This is because failing to follow at a safe braking distance can lead to rear-end collisions, especially in low-visibility conditions. As such, stay at least two seconds behind every car.
4. No more procrastinating on vehicle maintenance
Winter conditions such as frost, snow, and ice can cause problems for any driver. With research by the AXA revealing that there is a 51 per cent chance of experiencing battery-related issues in cold weather, motorists should always check their battery, as well as brakes, lights, and heating systems before driving.
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator said: “According to gov.uk, there were 1,607 fatalities due to car crashes in the year ending June 2024. This two per cent decrease from the previous year shows that injuries from collisions are declining annually. To further reduce the risk of collision fatalities, drivers should ensure they avoid these common winter driving mistakes in 2025.”
Story collated by https://qrfy.com.
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CORRESPONDENCE
To express your opinion or idea about the community send your letters to letters@dorsetview.co.uk
Re: Campaign calls for 20mph speed limit across Dorset I was born in Wales, currently living in Verwood, but go back to South Wales at least three or four times a year. The Labour Welsh government spent millions of taxpayers’ money introducing the 20mph scheme throughout Wales, and it has produced such negative feedback and political fallout that the government is frantically backpedalling on the decision and trying not to appear [like] complete idiots. I think most people have some
sympathy with additional speed restrictions in places where there is greater risk of accidents e.g. outside schools, hospitals etc. But imposing a blanket 20mph speed limit over wide areas just infuriates businesses, couriers, and emergency services, and risks a similar almighty political backlash as it has done in Wales. Personally, I feel the money could be better spent isolating the vulnerable from traffic. More cycleways, more pedestrianisation of town centres and better roads.
Regards
Roger Jubin
Solutions puzzle zone
NEWS IN BRIEF
Volunteers needed
Age Concern Hampshire is keen to attract more volunteers to help out in a number of roles including offering practical support with formfilling and helping older people access benefits and services. To find out more, call 01962 868545 or visit ageconcernhampshire.org.uk.
Musicians wanted
St Aldhelm’s Orchestra based at St Aldhelm’s Church, Branksome is looking for musicians who can play to a high standard. It rehearses on Mondays during term time from 7.30pm–9.30pm. See staldhelmsorchestra.co.uk.
Walk for wards
The Stars Appeal, Salisbury Hospital’s Charity, has launched this year’s Walk for Wards, which will be the 20th event. It takes place on Sunday 6 July at Wilton House. Walkers can choose from one of four routes including the family-friendly 3K, or the 5K, 10K or 15K walks. To sign up or for more information, go to starsappeal.org.
Guide to New Forest
New Forest District Council has produced a pocket-sized guide explaining who does what in the New Forest, including Hampshire County Council’s role, and what town and parish councils look after. The guide highlights NFDC’s priorities and goals over the next four years and features 50 facts about services to mark the 50th anniversary as a district council. The guide is available from information offices at Ringwood Gateway and in Fordingbridge, or online via newforest.gov.uk/whodoeswhat.
New chairman needed
Pat Hymers, the current chairman of Vision Wimborne, the umbrella organisation for Dreamboats and Dial-a-Ride, is recruiting for someone to take over from her. If you are interested, she can be contacted on 01202 883442. Pat is also trying to trace the Dreamboats Cup which was last seen five years ago.
Verwood TG
Verwood TG’s recent Christmas party treated members to lots of food and drink, entertainment by Retro Rita, a raffle and a small gift to take home. A Christmas concert raised £930 for Macmillan Caring Locally.
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Silver anniversary for Dreamboats: Wimborne’s millennium project
By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk
Dreams can become a reality.
This was proved in the year 2000, with the launching of Dreamboats on 23 April as a millennium project for Wimborne.
25 years on, Pat Hymers, who spearheaded the project, said Dreamboats has gone from strength to strength and now has a large pontoon, workshop, two boathouses, a toilet and 16 craft to hire plus stand-up paddleboards.
Pat, who lives in Wimborne and was at the time the chairman of the then-Dorset County Council, said: “It was in 1998 that we were thinking we should do something to mark the millennium, and people were saying that it would be good to bring boat hire back onto the river.
“We held an open meeting and there was lots of enthusiasm.”
A group got together and with support from businesses and the then-East Dorset District Council, they managed to launch five boats in time to celebrate the millennium.
“The first boat was donated by the late Dr Holt and was named after his wife Julia, and we still have it,” said Pat.
In addition, John George, the then-owner of the adjacent Wimborne Market, donated £1,000 to buy a boat.
This wasn’t the first time that people had been able to enjoy boating on the River Stour.
Wimborne has a boating tradition dating back to Victorian times. During the middle decades of the 20th century, people were able to hire boats from Newman’s Boatyard, which was immediately downstream from Canford Bridge.
Dreamboats is now under the umbrella of Vision Wimborne, along with Dial-a-Ride.
“This is a crucial time for Dreamboats,” said Pat, who is now the life president of the charity.
“We had a hard time over the Covid period and of course it is weather dependent. We don’t aim to make a profit, but we need to raise funds for a new safety boat.”
To that end, Dreamboats is hoping to attract volunteers for fundraising and also to help to run the project during busy times.
The annual Dreamboats Regatta takes place in August and last year this included raft racing, a bar, a barbecue and music from a rock band.
Charlotte Warner, the chairman of Dreamboats who joined the committee eight years ago and became
chairman in 2022, said: “We are also keen to attract volunteers to our committee as we look forward to the coming season.” She added that they don’t have a firm day for re-opening, but it is usually the first weekend of May. They also sometimes open at Easter. People can enjoy boating on the river every day during the summer holidays. If you would like to volunteer in any capacity, contact Charlotte on 07973 270876.
The view from Newman’s boatyard – from a postcard
Mike Andrews, former town crier of Wimborne, and Pat Hymers in 2000
L-R: Pat Hymers, George Russell, then-chairman of East Dorset District Council, and Cllr Diann March, then-mayor of Wimborne at the launch in 2000
Super swimmer Oly Rush
Dorset’s ‘human fish’ stars in new documentary
Labelled ‘the human fish’, Oly Rush is the star of a documentary that was released in January.
The super-swimmer from Upton was filmed before, during and after his epic non-stop swim around Grand Cayman – a 37-hour feat of mental and physical endurance.
The documentary ‘The Grand Swim’ is now available to watch on WaterBear – a free app dubbed the Environmental Netflix.
Rush said: “The Grand Cayman swim was my most challenging one by far. It was 95.5km and it took me 36 hours and 59 minutes and the documentary crew from Grizzly Productions were there the whole time.
“The swim was to help raise the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans and led me to start my charity Project Planet Earth.
“This swim engaged a huge community on the island and even created a dialogue with the Cayman government. To have the story turned into a film is wonderful, and hopefully it will propel the issue of plastic pollution to a new audience.”
Rush has previously swum around the Isle of Wight, the length of the Jurassic coast and the island of Ithaca.
