Viewpoint May 2020

Mid May 2020 Volume 44, Issue 7

Foxbury – success story

MS Hub a struggling local charity

Horton Tower ©CatchBox

The perils of bird poop when you park under a tree

Businesses coping with lockdown

Your Independent Local Magazine Established Over 40 Years | ISSN 2397-7191 (online) VERWOOD | RINGWOOD | FORDINGBRIDGE | WEST MOORS | WIMBORNE | FERNDOWN | ASHLEY HEATH | ST IVES | ALDERHOLT

VIEWPOINT

Volume 44 • Issue 7 • May 2020

Dear readers

Picture of the month

MAGS4DORSET

Before Covid-19 I would dress in the morning, and wouldn’t change until the evening.

But since the beginning of lockdown I’ve been wearing around seven different outfits each day.

Firstly I put on my ‘office’ clothes although I work from home on articles for this magazine.

Then when I’ve finished for the day, it is the turn of my walking gear of jeans, top, socks and trainers.

When I return from my social distancing exercise, I change into casual wear for lunch.

A bit of housework afterwards demands my ‘cleaning clothes’ of misshapen T-shirt and jeans about which my husband commented ‘did they ever fit you property?’.

I like to put my heart and soul into gardening and am never happier than with muddy knees, so out come the creased jeans and another top.

Since lockdown, we’ve made it a rule to dress for dinner. I don’t mean a smart suit for him, and a cocktail dress for me, but wardrobe favourites that might not see the outside world this summer – or until social gatherings are permitted.

I know some people are living in PJs, but mine don’t go back on until bedtime – and then the outfit has the addition of white cotton gloves.

Why? You may ask My hands are dry from frequent washing so the only solution is to slather on copious amounts of hand cream, and then don the gloves to keep the sheets clean.

My husband ordered them online but they turned out to be waiter’s gloves with non-slip material on the fingertips.

As yet I haven’t woken up in the night and in a semi-conscious state thought that I should be serving in a restaurant!

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

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

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

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

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

LOGISTICS

Mike Talbot Alexandra O’Neill

Anyone know a good hairdresser? ©CatchBox

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Copy date

5 JUNE 2020

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

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Fundraiser receives Good Citizen Award

Sing a song for SANGS A personal view by Marilyn Barber Having over the years reported on local people’s concerns about the huge housing estates being built to the north, east and west of the town of Wimborne Minster, in addition to proposals for up to 600 properties at Merley, I didn’t think I would be amongst a number of local people to see a positive side to the expansion.

Whilst recognising that the infrastructure is inadequate as Wimborne is approached on three sides by narrow bridges – Canford, Julians and Walford – and GP surgeries are at capacity, the new developments are all adjacent to miles of pathways.

These pathways are contained in SANGS (Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces).

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

Mrs Moya Botterill has been awarded the Good Citizen Award by West Moors Town Council for her selfless acts for the good of the community.

A pathway on the SANG to the north of Wimborne Photo by Marilyn Barber

SANGS are areas aimed at protecting a Special Protection Area and are provided to offset the impact of new development.

Mindful, at the time of writing, that our one walk a day had to be taken from our homes, I had been, and am still enjoying the endless pathways surrounding the Wimborne Chase and Badbury Reach developments to the

north of Wimborne.

The SANG at the Saxonbury estate at Parmiter has paths that reach down to the River Stour.

In addition there is the Bytheway Field adjacent to Leigh Common, which was East Dorset’s first SANG. Chatting to walkers – and I have to say there aren’t that many – the general consensus is that we are now able to access countryside walks over fields, that were once privately owned.

And getting closer to nature is something we are all enjoying in lockdown. And becoming fitter too!

A fundraiser for nearly 30 years, Mrs Botterill has also acted as a not for profit club organiser and volunteers for various charities. She is also a very good friend to many.

She will receive a small trophy and certificate at the next full council meeting after lockdown restrictions are lifted.

The other nominees Mr Martin Rowley, Mr Malcolm Adam and Mrs Angela McVeigh will each receive a certificate of recognition.

255 people fined for flouting regulations Dorset Police has issued 255 fixed penalty notices to people who have allegedly breached the COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. The fines were issued between 27 March and 29 April 2020.

In a number of instances officers have issued tickets to individuals who have travelled from other

parts of the country into Dorset for non-essential travel. Examples have included three people from Surrey who travelled to look at nature, a group of four people who had driven from Slough to walk at Durdle Door, someone who had travelled from Nottingham to visit Lulworth Cove, a group of five motorcyclists from Southampton out for a ride, people from Uxbridge and Hampshire who had gone for a drive because they were bored, someone travelling from Winchester to drop fishing rods to a friend, and someone transporting a vintage car on the back of his vehicle to deliver elsewhere.

Officers in Dorset are continuing to work with the public to ensure they understand and adhere to the rules, which are in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, help the NHS and save lives.

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Take up the 2.6 Challenge for charity With thousands of fundraising events being cancelled across the UK due to Covid-19, charities are bracing themselves for the devastating impact this will have on their income.

The 2.6 Challenge was launched on Sunday 26 April – which should have been the date of the 40th edition of the London Marathon – the world’s biggest one-day annual fundraising event, which raised £66.4 million for charities in 2019.

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) CEO Karl Wilding estimates that the UK charity sector will lose £4 billion in income as a result of the pandemic.

In response, the organisers of the biggest mass-participation sports events across the country have come together to create the 2.6 Challenge to raise vital funds to help save the UK’s charities.

Open to anyone of any age, all participants have to do is dream up an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26

and fundraise or donate to Save the UK’s Charities via twopointsixchallenge.co.uk The only requirement is that the activity must follow government guidelines on exercise and social distancing.

It can be anything that works for you, says Nick Rusling, co-chair of the Mass Participation Sports Organisers group (MSO) and CEO of Human Race. “You can run or walk 2.6 miles, 2.6km or for 26 minutes. You could do the same in your home or garden, go up and down the stairs 26 times, juggle for 2.6 minutes, do a 26 minute exercise class or get 26 people on a video call and do a 26 minute workout – anything you like. We want people to get active, have fun and raise money to help Save the UK’s Charities by giving money or raising funds for the charity close to your heart.”

Care Homes join the 2.6 challenge Team Colten has also mobilised to support charities. The team effort by the care home staff has helped raise £1,000 - and counting.

While respecting all the essential social distancing rules, the list of activities included 26-mile bike rides and walks, 2.6-mile runs, cookery challenges, trampolining and hula-hooping.

At Kingfishers care home in New Milton, Hampshire, staff invited residents to take part in a 26-minute ‘seated dance’.

A head office manager, Tim Jones, completed a 26-hour DIY decorating challenge at his home.

At Colten’s Braemar Lodge in Salisbury, colleagues clocked up a combined 26-mile walk through the gardens and home corridors.

Resident Dennis Johnson, who helped man the ‘start’ and ‘finish’ lines at Braemar, said, “You have to feel sorry for the many charities who would have been relying on receiving money from the London Marathon.”

Residents and team members at Braemar Lodge in Salisbury at the start and finishing line for the walk in aid of the 2.6 Challenge.

Hadley (left) and Layton (right)

Boys smash charity target during daily From 26 yoga exercise poses to a 26-minute disco

In Hampshire, Minstead Trust is inviting people to join the 2.6 Challenge. Sponsorship funds will help the charity to continue to support people with learning disabilities through the coronavirus crisis. Some of them are also taking on their own challenges, from 26 yoga poses to a 26-minute disco, which are being shared on the Trust’s Facebook page.

Over £1,000 has already been raised.

You can register at www. twopointsixchallenge. co.uk to fundraise for, or donate to Minstead Trust.

Locally, two Ferndown brothers aged 7 and 8 have not only taken up the 2.6 challenge, but also smashed their fundraising target.

The boys usually attend Oakhurst First School, which is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They aimed to raise £500 for Dorset Mind over four weeks, and exceeded this in the first 12 days.

The challenge came about when seven-year-old Layton Harding who rides for Team Mind BMX was approached to take part in the Team Mind and Bournemouth BMX challenge to ride 2.6 miles. But he and his brother Hadley planned to ride much farther by completing 260 miles over a four-week period accompanied by their Dad, Gary.

They still have until 25 May to complete their 260 miles and donations are more than welcome to boost funds further. Although already victorious, more donations will help them cross the ‘finish’ line in style for Dorset Mind.

You will find details and a donate button at https://www.facebook. com/donate/280360136297693/

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LIFE

Exclusive

LOCKDOWN

How a town crier is dealing with lockdown

By Marilyn Barber By his own admission, Chris Brown is used to making quite a bit of noise. Wimborne’s town crier has been such a familiar figure around the town for some years, heralding events that are taking place and marking important dates in the calendar.

But sadly, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, he has been silenced, apart from marking the Queen’s 94th birthday on 21 April.

“This is my seventh week of not going out very much, which is strange for me, as previously there was never a day when I didn’t go out,” said Chris. He contracted polio in 1958 at the age of two, and initially was totally paralysed and confined

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

to an iron lung. Doctors said he would never walk again but he defied this grim prognosis.

However, over the years he has had multiple operations and realises he is in the ‘vulnerable’ category.

He said he is missing his other voluntary work at Moors Valley and Shire Hall in Dorchester.

“However, I am doing a bit of gardening and, working from home, have been able to do my shows on Radio Wimborne, Forest FM and KeeP 106 in Dorchester.”

He is also finding time to work on his book Only a Boy which tells the stories of local people who died during the First World War.

Chris Brown as we’re so used to seeing him

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Perchance to dream

By Julian Hewitt, Fordingbridge Museum

How much sleep do you need?

I have read that teenagers need about eight to 10 hours, adults seven to nine hours and seniors seven to eight hours. I fall into the latter category and find that I need my eight hours and I do love an occasional morning lie in. This frustrates my wife who gets up at some ungodly hour and has done the washing and read half a book before I surface.

I bring the subject of sleep up because of an unusual article I read recently in a local newspaper from the 1790s about Mary Watts, ‘a poor woman’ living in Fordingbridge who had, ‘lately died’.

Mary’s ‘lethargic habit of body had for the last three years been very extraordinary and lately so considerably increased that she would sleep a week, a fortnight and sometimes a month, or more, at a time which she considered but a day’.

In the 18th century people loved a weird story in the papers as much as they do today so no doubt the journalist does not hold back. How would she survive? I hear you ask. The article goes on to answer that question. She lived with her son who was a weaver and his method of waking her was by putting food in her mouth. The article goes on to say, ‘When she awoke she would partake of a small quantity of aliment [an archaic word for nourishment], chiefly liquid, and quickly fall into the same state again.’

This all may well be ringing a bell with those of you who have brought up teenagers but even taking into account some exaggeration, it does seem to indicate some sort of medical problem. It could have been hypersomnia which affects two per cent of people causing them to need up to 12 hours of

Julian tries out what looks like an implement of torture

sleep. Another diagnosis could be narcolepsy, which is a rare long-term neurological disorder that results in excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes.

People with this condition may be working or talking to friends and suddenly nod off. I have no medical qualification so apologise to anyone who has and is reading this, if I am talking through my hat.

Whatever the cause, word soon got around and poor Mary became something of a freak show. The article relates that, ‘Curiosity induced many ladies of the town and neighbourhood to visit her, and many efforts were often in vain made to arouse her’.

As you might guess this story has no happy ending for poor Mary because it was reported that she awoke about three hours before her death and ‘continued awake apparently in good health and spirits ‘till the moment of her dissolution, when nature, exhausted as it were by this last unusual effort, gave way and she sunk without a fight, to awake no more here’.

Sweet dreams!

Julian Hewitt has been writing for Viewpoint for many years and we include a few photographs of items at the museum that have been featured in back issues.

The museum is currently closed until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. Museum manager Jane Ireland said, “We will keep the situation under review and will open the museum as soon as we are able to.”

Fordingbridge Museum relies on donations from visitors and fundraising events to keep it going. If any readers want to help during this difficult time by becoming a Friend of the Museum they can do so at a cost of £7.50 a year by ringing 01425 657850 or 01425 654322.

Pressure cooker

WW1 gas mask that encased the baby

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David, Isabel and Gemma, people supported by Minstead Trust, take on their first fundraising 2.6 challenge – 26 yoga poses in the garden.

Coping with lockdown – Minstead Trust The Minstead Trust supports over 200 people with learning disabilities to live more independent and fulfilled lives.

The charity has changed the way it continues to help people with learning disabilities during the lockdown – those people that Minstead Trust assist in residential care and in their own homes are now supported in their house groups to avoid the potential of infection moving between houses.

Minstead Trust’s social enterprises Furzey Gardens, Hanger Farm Arts Centre in Totton and Minstead Lodge conference and event venue, all of which were providing training and employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities, have all had to close their doors.

For those individuals who would normally attend day opportunities, or community groups, the Trust has put in place telephone and individual support as required and has also started online

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activities to ensure that people can stay connected and active during the lockdown.

The crisis has proved to be an enormous challenge for the wellbeing of people with learning disabilities and other additional needs, as many find it difficult to get used to even the smallest changes to routine, while others suffer from severe anxiety, even when all is right with the world.

To help the charity maintain its funds and continue care through the coronavirus crisis, the Trust is asking its supporters to take part in the 2.6 Challenge.

Madeleine Durie, Minstead Trust chief executive, said, “The 2.6 Challenge is the next stage in our fundraising push after the success of our emergency appeal, which raised more than £50,000 thanks to our generous community of support.

“We can’t wait to see the challenges people choose, whether they be energetic sporting feats, impressive crafts or acts of kindness. It will be wonderful to see our community come together as a collective to help our amazing support workers to keep caring through this crisis. Good luck everyone!’

Fundraising is crucial to the Trust as the coronavirus outbreak has made its support work increasingly difficult and put its finances under enormous strain.

If you would like to take on a 2.6 challenge for Minstead Trust or sponsor some of the people with learning disabilities that they support visit www. twopointsixchallenge.co.uk and search for Minstead Trust. Share your activity on the charity’s Facebook page and donate on their fundraising page, which has already raised over £1,000.

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LIFE

Exclusive

Business in LOCKDOWN

Local Brotherhood of Man star mourns cancellation of concerts

By Marilyn Barber With bookings having been lined up this year for gigs in Belgium, Holland and Germany as well as this country, the 2020 diary for The Brotherhood of Man is now empty following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The band, which won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976 with Save Your Kisses for Me, is unique amongst those from the 1970s in that they can still boast the original line-up of Nicky Stevens, who lives in Corfe Mullen, Martin Lee, Lee Sheridan and Sandra Stevens – who isn’t related to Nicky.

“We had so many bookings for this year, and now of course they are all wiped out, but hopefully will be rescheduled for 2021. It is very sad. We still enjoy performing together, and we’re very close.

It is sad to think that I probably won’t see the other members of the band until next year. I laugh with them like I laugh with no other people.”

Nicky has also starred in local pantomimes at the Tivoli and the Allendale Centre, but fears she won’t be doing so this year.

The band is incredibly popular at Warner Leisure Hotels and at Butlins.

“At Butlins you can get an audience of 2,000 to 3,000 people who all sing along to your hits,” she said.

As well as Save Your Kisses for Me, they include United We Stand, Where Are You Going to My Love, My Sweet Rosalie, Oh Boy (The Mood I’m In), Angelo, Figaro and Beautiful Lover.

“I had problems with lockdown at first, but realise you have to change your life otherwise you are just whiling away the hours until you go to bed,” Nicky said.

As well as touring with the band, Nicky is vocal coach for Oakley based Footlight Performnce Academy, runs her own private singing lessons, and is choir mistress for Shroton Choir, which is in a village four miles north-west of Blandford.

However, Nicky is teaching pupils by Zoom which she describes as ‘a very different experience’.

Nicky Stevens

Nicky, who grew up in Wales, started singing in a chapel in Carmarthen at the age of four, and subsequently her parents sent her for singing lessons. She joined Hywel Girls Choir and achieved high grades as a classical pianist.

Having performed in nightclubs, cabaret and summer seasons, Nicky joined The Brotherhood of Man four years before Martin and Lee wrote Save Your Kisses, which reached number one in the charts before the Eurovision Song Contest was even

staged.

The song achieved 80.4 per cent of the votes and hit the number one slot in the charts in 33 countries.

The band appeared on Top of the Pops many times with some of the prominent names in 70s rock music.

Nicky is being pragmatic, and looking forward to getting back with the band next year. Bye- Bye Baby Bye- Bye is certainly not on the horizon of this enduringly popular band.

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LIFE

Exclusive

Business in LOCKDOWN

West Moors butcher pulls out all the stops for the community

By Webb’s Butchers team Alex Webb, Lou Webb, Matt Stevens Owning a butchers shop in West Moors, (over 9,000 km away from Wuhan), Alex and Lou Webb did not expect the coronavirus outbreak to affect their business, or even reach this country. How wrong they were. Since the middle of March the shop has seen more customers than even they could have predicted and the queues started a week before lockdown, when people started to panic buy.

Alex explains, “We had watched the unfolding news of a life-threating virus in China and thought it wouldn’t touch our lives – things like that happen in faraway places, not in Dorset.”

Alex and Lou were so sure it wouldn’t touch their lives that they went ahead and picked up some orphaned lambs to bottle-feed. It would mean Lou would have to stay at home bottle-feeding. “This was a mistake,” said Alex. “The news started to change a few days later and it became apparent the virus was getting closer. The panic buying started about a week before lockdown and it became obvious, we would have to look at how we managed the influx of customers who were in a state of panic.

“For instance, the shop freezer was full of pre-packed sausages and pies and these were cleared out in a few days.”

Not wanting to let customers down, Alex started work at 4.30am to make sausages and prepare for the day. “As soon as the door opened at 7.30am the queue of customers didn’t stop coming and the phone didn’t stop ringing until the door was closed at the end of the day,” he said.

“Myself and Matt would stay and write out deliveries and I would deliver on my way home when I finished. This couldn’t continue as I felt shattered and didn’t want to make myself unwell.

“The news had reported the larger supermarkets had changed their opening times so they could replenish the shelves,” continued Alex. “We had a team meeting and decided to make some changes too.

We started to open later and shut earlier.

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

This would leave us time to process more deliveries to vulnerable customers in the West Moors area and deep clean the shop.

“The deliveries have been working very well and we would like to thank everybody for supporting us and understanding the challenges of setting up a delivery service overnight.

“Matt suggested we get in vegetables as people had been asking and the local shops kept running out. We contacted a local veg supplier and the next day we were offering a basic selection. The vegetables have been popular and we now have fresh produce in five days a week to meet demand.”

Bread deliveries followed. The bread, scones and rolls come from Pandora’s Bakery based in West Moors who deliver daily.

Milk was harder to source. “We eventually found a small supplier called Meggy Moos, based in Shroton, near Blandford,” said Alex.

“The milk is so nice we decided to get their cream and both have been a massive hit with customers.

“We hope to continue with the vegetables, bread and milk when life returns normal, as it’s been so well received.

“The panic buying has calmed down and customers are buying their usual amounts. We are busier, but that’s to be expected. We have worked hard to meet the needs of our customers and we hope to see everyone back shopping in the village soon.”

Webbs Butchers can put a 'cream tea' smile on your face

Webbs Butchers now deliver on Thursday and Friday afternoons. If you would like a delivery contact them on 01202 855817.

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

If you are in any doubt about your health you must consult your GP. Viewpoint is not responsible or liable for damages, which may occur as a result of your use or misuse of the information available on this page.

Now could be the time to learn to meditate If you’ve never meditated, now could be the time to give it a go and LiveWell Dorset has produced a practical guide to help you.

Mindfulness meditation is a great way to tune into your thoughts, feelings and senses.

Meditation might sound like a pastime reserved for Buddhist monks, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s just another word for being present.

Sit in a comfortable position with your back upright and feet firmly on the floor. Close your eyes and allow your attention to come to your breath. In, out, in, out. Just notice it, not trying to change anything.

Your breath becomes your ‘anchor’ to the present, and every time you find your mind drifting – which it definitely will– just notice that and bring your awareness back to the breath. You could also use a different anchor such as the sensation of your feet connecting with the floor. Allow thoughts and feelings to come and go: not urging them to go away or focussing too hard on them, but just letting them pass.

Give it a try and see how you feel.

It might feel relaxing or enjoyable, it might not. It doesn’t matter; the main thing is to just be present. Be patient, and you’ll soon start to see the benefits, even if some of your meditation sessions feel frustrating or pointless.

A nice way to get tuned into the present is by connecting with our senses. Having something more solid to pay attention to than thoughts, feelings or breathing can be helpful.

If you’re able to go for a walk or

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

mooch about in the garden, really pay attention to the feelings in your feet as you walk. Look around you and simply notice what you see. If you’re indoors, look out of the window and notice how many different colours and shapes you can see.

Try mindful eating: really tune into each of your senses as you go through your meal. Notice the colours, smell, tastes and textures; put your fork down between each mouthful to really experience the eating before grabbing for the next bite.

Arts and crafts are another great way to take notice and get connected.

The sense of ‘flow’ we get when engrossed in a task is really good for us. Grab some paints, a colouring book, weaving papers or any other crafty stuff, and just get into it. Pay attention to what you’re doing and allow everything else to slip away. This could be a great way to pass the time if you’re finding yourself indoors more than usual, and you may get some lovely pieces of art out of it too.

See www.livewelldorset.co.uk for details of mindfulness audio guides.

Over 100 businesses answer BCP Council’s PPE appeal Following an appeal for more personal protection equipment (PPE), over one hundred local businesses have come forward to help meet the council’s frontline service demands.

In just under two weeks, approximately 185,000 additional items including gloves, hand sanitiser, face masks, goggles, aprons and gowns have been provided either as donations from local businesses or from regular or new suppliers.

With a high demand for PPE both locally and nationally these sought after items will now be used to support essential council services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, including those which protect the most vulnerable people in the community.

Councillor Vikki Slade, leader of BCP Council, said, “We’ve seen an exceptionally high demand for PPE in recent weeks with supplies increasingly hard to source. Issuing our appeal to local businesses which may have equipment within their stocks, we were soon taken aback and overwhelmed by the number of responses received. We thank everyone who has been in touch with their offers. We will have continuing needs for PPE for our frontline staff over the coming weeks so would be very grateful for further offers which businesses are able to make.”

Council services which require PPE, include the in-house front line social care teams who are delivering personal care to residents, the Telecare teams who may be responding to customers who have fallen, the outreach teams who are helping to move the homeless off the streets and all partner agencies who are working alongside the council to deliver other vital services.

For more information on the appeal, please visit: www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/News/NewsFeatures/COVID19/Employers-Employeesand-Businesses/appeal-for-local-businessassistance.aspx

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Healthy tips and pea soup recipe

By Heart Research UK

Easy ways to get your 5-a-day!

Eating five portions of fruit and veg every day can help keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of heart disease. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you achieve your 5-a-day.

What counts as a portion?

Eighty grams of fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and veg or 30g dried fruit count as one portion. For example, one fresh pear or banana, two small plums, or three heaped tablespoons of peas. Beans and pulses also count, but you should only count these once as they contain fewer nutrients compared to other fruit and veg. 150ml of fruit/vegetable juice or smoothie also counts, but you should limit these drinks to no more than one a day due to the sugars they contain.

Top up with lentils

Lentils are a versatile ingredient and a great source of fibre, which is good for heart health. Try replacing some of the meat in your bolognese sauce with a handful of lentils or try adding lentils to homemade soups.

Spiced lentils on toast make a tasty lunch

Include tinned, frozen and dried fruit and veg in your meals Try adding dried or frozen fruit to your bowl of breakfast cereal in the morning and include a variety of frozen or tinned veg with your evening meals. Tinned fruit with yoghurt can also provide you with a healthy dessert.

Spiced lentils

Enjoy homemade soups for lunch

Homemade soups are an easy way to increase your veg intake. You can include a variety of tinned, fresh and frozen veg in soups. There are lots of healthy vegetable soup recipes available online, but here is one to get you started.

Easy-peasy pea soup.

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil or vegetable oil • 1 onion, chopped • 400g frozen peas, defrosted • 500ml vegetable stock • Salt and pepper • Fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)

Heat the oil over a medium heat and stir in the chopped onion. Gently fry the onion until soft, but not browned.

Add the peas and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree the soup using a blender and add salt and pepper to taste. If you have fresh mint available, you can add this at the end.

New appeal and update on Neon Run Dorset disability charity, Diverse Abilities, has launched an emergency fundraising appeal to help cover running costs, alongside the increased need for personal protection equipment (PPE). The increased requirement for PPE alone is anticipated to cost more than £25,000 per month.

Mark Powell, Diverse Abilities CEO, said, “The people we support are some of the most vulnerable to the risks of COVID-19 within our communities and these people remain our primary focus, now more than ever.” He explained how the services had been adapted in response to the current emergency and added, “Our amazing team is working tirelessly to continue delivering the highest standards of care. Our nursing and physiotherapy services can continue, meaning that we reduce pressure on the NHS by delivering these safely within homes and our services.”

Visit diverseabilities.org.uk/emergency to donate to the appeal.

Another way you could raise money

for the charity is by taking part in Diverse Abilities Dorset Neon Run, which this year has become a virtual event. Originally postponed until September, the charity’s biggest fundraiser will now be taking place virtually over the Bank Holiday weekend of Saturday 23, Sunday 24, and Monday 25

May. The 5km event can be undertaken as part of the government directed exercise, and social distancing measures must continue to be taken. You can run – or walk - either during the day or at night. Visit dorsetneonrun.com to find out more and sign up by donating between £5 and £15.

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MAGS4DORSET

Charity of the Year Bournemouth and District MS Community Hub

A Day in the Life at the MS Centre The sun was shining through his bedroom window when suddenly the alarm clock sounded, encouraging him to get up and face the day.

Before he knew it he heard the key turning in the front door and his carer appeared with her usual “morning sweetie”. Life has been like this since his wife had left him and he needed the help of social services to get by.

Showered and dressed by 9.30am, he finished his breakfast before hearing the comforting sounds of the MS transport pulling up outside. How he looked forward to this time of day when he could join his friends on the bus and between them, put the whole world to rights by the time they had reached the MS centre. Since joining the branch he had got to know a lot of disabled people who, like him, were wheelchair bound and enjoyed the company of similar people.

Once in the centre it was time for coffee and biscuits served by the volunteer friends who also took bookings for the three-course lunch cooked on the premises. Depending upon which day it was, the next thing to do was book one of the many sessions on offer that day. Physiotherapy, yoga, Pilates, karaoke, were usually offered and it was often difficult to decide which ones to leave out.

He managed to have another coffee before his physio and by 12.30 was looking forward to the day’s lunch, which he ate with relish. He remembered it was his brother’s birthday so he popped into the in-house shop, run by yet more

volunteers, and picked up a gift and card.

All too soon the day was over and the volunteer drivers were rounding up their passengers in order to take them home again. There was never enough time to talk to everyone but how he enjoyed that banter.

Suddenly, his alarm clock arose from its snooze mode awakening him for the second time that day. He had been dreaming and, on waking up fully, he realised that because of the coronavirus there was to be no

MS centre, so no physiotherapy to keep his disabled joints from seizing up. Gone were his mates and their friendly banter. All that surrounded him now was a cold, unwelcoming silence.

It was only then that he realised just how much he missed the centre and all that it offered.

He is one of our many members who will be feeling these emotions in this current situation.

Alan Lindsay President

.

Stop Press A member of the MS Centre in West Parl ey has set up a ‘Just Giving’ page in order to help our fund s. To donate search for Tim Barton on Justgiving.com . The MS Centre in West Parley is a truly important service for people with multiple sclerosis. Please help the charity to survive.

Photographs © KD Browning

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

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LIFE

Exclusive

Business in LOCKDOWN

Family ‘mucking in’ to help run historic estate

By Marilyn Barber

Sir William and Lady Ali Hanham ready for their turn at cooking

If you are responsible for a large estate, which has been in your family for nearly 500 years, lockdown presents some interesting challenges.

The historic Deans Court Estate, which is a stone’s throw from the centre of the town of Wimborne Minster, is run by Sir William and Lady Ali Hanham. The earliest part of the house formed part of the Saxon monastery of Wimborne, which was founded in AD 705.

The estate portfolio includes residential and commercial properties in the town, more than 100 allotments, a vintage lifestyle shop, a health food café and holiday cottages and houses. Deans Court hosts numerous activities including open air theatres, pop-up social suppers, courses, workshops and fly-fishing - and of course these have all come to a halt.

“We haven’t been affected appallingly by the lockdown, although of course income is much reduced,” said Sir William,

adding that it was sad to have to furlough staff.

“We were very fortunate as the weekend before the lockdown was announced a number of the members of Ali’s family came to visit.”

It was only supposed to be for the weekend, but they have ended up staying to help out on the estate. The garden extends to 13 acres and each year is opened under the National Garden Scheme. However 2020 dates have been suspended until further notice.

The Hanhams have retained one gardener for the kitchen garden, which was the first organic garden to be accredited by the Soil Association under the supervision of Sir William’s mother Lady Jane Hanham.

“Life is very different, but everyone is mucking in. I have to say we are enjoying the peace and quiet, and with no staff running in and out we have much more privacy.”

Weddings are held in a marquee set alongside the lake, but these have either been postponed until later in the year or to 2021.

“At the moment we are all mucking in and taking it in turns to cook. For instance we have a curry night,” said Sir William.

Lady Ali added, ”We now have a much slower pace of life, and I am sure we will all think about life very differently in the future.

We are getting back to nature.”

Environmental issues are hugely important to Sir William and he is working towards a new project.

“We have 130 acres of land south of the River Stour between Canford and Julians bridges, which has been let out to a farmer, who is leaving in October. We hope to re-wild it, returning it to its natural habitat to encourage wildlife. Dorset Wildlife Trust are helping me and we are hoping it will become a new nature reserve, but not for public access.”

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| 25

Mental Health Briefing May 2020

By Annabel Poate-Joyner

Many weeks have now passed since most employers started telling their workers to stay at home and work remotely. Since then it has become the predominant way of working for most of us apart from NHS and Health & Social Care staff, and the emergency services, to whom we owe an enormous debt of gratitude; also those who work in essential shops, and services workers, who are just vital to keep everything and everyone going.

It has been an intense time of change and adjustment and most of us have suddenly acquired new IT equipment and skills enabling us to work, network, socialise and even learn, using video conferencing and social media platforms.

Right now, the government is making announcements about possible plans for moving forward from the lockdown but the future is still impossible to predict.

We are thankful for the warmer weather, which makes most things seem a little more bearable whether you are working from home or furloughed. Never before have people insisted on taking their daily exercise which is so crucial to maintaining good physical and mental health and preventing new problems. There is a new spirit of warmth towards others, so reach out to those who are isolated and lonely, and join neighbourhood volunteer groups if you can help, and keep in touch with those you know, especially if they are ill or grieving.

As business owners, senior leaders and employers, you will have been facing massive change and this has already had many disastrous consequences, sadly. Some businesses are struggling on, desperate for the lockdown to end, but it may be too late for their business to survive. Remember there is absolutely no blame or shame if your business has collapsed, try not to feel guilty or feel that you have let your workers down if you have had to let them go already, or only now are realising that it is a likely outcome in due course. Do not feel that you personally have failed if it couldn’t be helped in this COVID-19 crisis situation.

Link up with friends and colleagues in similar positions for moral support and comfort. If you are feeling very stressed, depressed and desperate, speak to your family and your GP who are offering telephone consultations and please do consider Talking Therapies, which is available remotely and take medication if this is recommended. Seek support from BCTC who are here to support you and signpost you to others in the business community who can help and advise you. Do your best to come to terms with this crisis and then start to think about what to do next.

There is a new future waiting for everyone. #no blame no shame

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NEWS IN BRIEF Oak trees to be felled: permission has been granted for the felling of two oak trees at 18 St George’s Drive, Bransgore.

Damage to property is the reason for the work.

Dead ducks: three dead ducks were reported to the rear of the Littledown Centre between 30 April and 2 May. They were apparently shot with an air rifle. Criminal damage to a picnic area and reports of teenagers gathering in the area were also received. If you can help the police with their enquiries contact 101 quoting occurrence number 55200061823.

Outdoor events cancelled: all outdoor events scheduled to take place in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area from now until the end of August have been wiped off the calendar. This includes, the cancellation of BCP Council organised events – the Bournemouth Air Festival, summer fireworks and summer events programme on Poole Quay. Other cancelled events include BSO Concerts in Meyrick Park and Christchurch Food Festival. Next year’s Bournemouth Air Festival will run from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 September.

Other 2020 cancellations: The Dorset County Show, Ellingham Show, New Forest and Hampshire County Show, Ferndown Fete on the Field, Verwood Carnival, Verwood Rotary Rustic Fayre, Christchurch Cheese and Chilli Festival, The Great Dorset Steam Fair.

Development plan refused: New Forest District Council has refused permission for an outline plan to demolish 14 Lin Brook Drive and the erection of nine properties on the site of 14, and land to the rear of 14-17 Lin Brook Drive, Ringwood.

Southern Gas Networks will be replacing a section of medium pressure gas main at Ringwood Road, Ferndown. Due to the location of the main, Dudsbury Avenue and Church Road will be closed until the site is cleared on 24 May.

Wimborne in Blooms’ annual Open Gardens Day, due to be held on Sunday 28 June, has been cancelled. Instead you can enjoy a virtual tour of around 20 gardens. Just visit www. wimborneinbloom.org.uk after 1 June. Last year’s event raised over £5,000 so if you enjoy the virtual tour, organisers hope you will remember Wimborne in Bloom at the next opportunity.

New Forest District Council has received an application to demolish the buildings at Boundary Cottage, 272, Christchurch Road, Ringwood and to erect a terrace of three, three bedroom cottages with parking.

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pets and wildlife / an animals eyes speak a poweful language.

Watch the butterflies flutter by

Making home schooling pawsome

The summer of 2019 has provided a welcome boost to butterfly population levels, according to the latest results from the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) led

by Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

In their best year since 1997, just over half of UK butterfly species showed higher population levels in 2019 compared with 2018, making it the 8th best year out of the 44-year series.

Butterflies most likely benefited from an usually warm and wet summer conducive respectively to both a strong emergence of adults

and successful development of the immature stages preceding this emergence.

Summer flying species that benefited included the Marbled White, which had its best year in the series with annual abundance up by 66%, Ringlet (second best year in the series, up by 23%), Dark Green Fritillary (third best year, up 51%), and Meadow Brown (fifth best, up 38%). The rare Lulworth Skipper, restricted to the Dorset coast which has been in free fall in recent years rallied with its annual abundance up by a whopping 138%.

It wasn’t all good news though. To discover which butterflies took a nosedive in numbers visit ukbms.org

We know that cats rule the household – and now they are helping to educate children.

Cats Protection has come to the rescue of parents struggling to make home schooling fun, with the Moggy Modules - five pawsome new free learning tools to keep kids happy and engaged.

Each of the online resource packs includes cat-themed worksheets, quizzes, creative writing exercises, feline facts, recipes and other fun learning activities linked to one of the five cat welfare needs; a place to live, behaviour, the right diet, good healthcare and space.

The packs help young learners discover more about our feline friends and their welfare needs, with age-appropriate learning tools for children aged five-seven and seven-11.

Moggy Modules are free to download: https:// education.cats.org.uk/moggy-modules-forlearning-at-home/.

On completing #TheMoggyModules, children can download and print a colour certificate to celebrate their knowledge of the five cat welfare needs.

The Moggy Modules support Cats Protection’s call for animal welfare to be included as a mainstream topic in the National Curriculum to give children a basic understanding of how to respect and care for animals.

A social media campaign will encourage parents to share their stories, photos and videos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the #TheMoggyModules hashtag.

Marbled White © Bob Eade, Butterfly Conservation

Lulworth Skipper © Garry Barlow, Butterfly Conservation

Cats Protection’s learning library has additional video resources: www.cats.org.uk/education.

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pets and wildlife / an animals eyes speak a poweful language.

Vixen treks 25km across the New Forest in one night but her tale doesn’t please everyone GPS tracking by the Fordingbridge-based Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has shown the remarkable journey of an intrepid New Forest fox who travelled 25km in just one night, followed by a hair-raising excursion along the M27 motorway.

The female fox, or vixen, was fitted with a GPS collar by the conservation charity’s predator ecologist Mike Short at a site near Fordingbridge in April 2019, as part of the charity’s LIFE Waders for Real project’s research into fox behaviour.

“GPS tracking is helping us unravel the lives of foxes and their habits” said Mike.

“This fox was a non-breeding adult female, still in her thick winter coat. Physically she appeared in tip-top condition,” he continued. “Foxes are often highly territorial, so I assumed she was one of the family of foxes that occupied the river meadows where I found her, two of which I had already tagged.”

But Mike was in for a surprise. The tracker showed that overnight the vixen had left the river meadows, heading east.

Moving purposefully along the course of a stream and navigating forestry tracks, she travelled about 25km across the New Forest, before settling near Totton. After a few days she ventured into Totton town centre. On another occasion she was tracked doing some risky foraging along the hard shoulder of the M27.

After a week or so the adventurous vixen was on the move again, this time heading south-west. Leaving Ower near Totton around 10pm, she covered about

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20km back across the New Forest to the Avon Valley, following the A31 for some of her journey. By 5am she had arrived at the edge of a country estate just south of Ringwood, which is an internationally important breeding ground for several threatened species of wading birds including lapwing and redshank. The site is also one of the locations where GWCT scientists, working on the LIFE Waders for Real project, monitor breeding waders and work to improve habitats to reverse their decline in the Avon Valley The vixen remained in this area for more than a week, managing to avoid being spotted by 20 cameras used by the bird monitoring team. The estate culls predators during the nesting season, which helps lapwing and redshank to thrive here. Sadly for this fox, a camera set up by the game-keeper picked her up and she was culled 10 days after returning to the Avon Valley. While this was the end of her story, her adventures gave the GWCT scientists a unique insight that will help wildlife managers to better understand fox behaviour, range and patterns of movement on wading bird breeding grounds, allowing them to protect the nests and chicks of threatened bird species like the lapwing and redshank.

“Our GPS-tracking of foxes in the Avon Valley has shown that while most foxes living around river meadows are highly territorial, some are surprisingly mobile,” commented Mike, “We don’t know where our vixen came from, but she showed how easily a fox can travel 20km in one night.

This could indicate that some of the foxes that threaten the Avon Valley’s wading bird may migrate from Southampton or Bournemouth and Poole.”

The GWCT’s findings will be used to provide research-based guidance for landscape managers and inform future policy decisions on predator management for wading bird conservation to help breeding lapwing, redshank and curlew populations to recover.

Mike Short’s fascinating blog detailing the vixen’s travels can be found at https://www.gwct.org.uk/blogs/ news/2020/april/the-fascinatingjourney-of-a-fox-gps-tracked-in-theavon-valley/

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foodie news

Adventurous travels inspire Thai cuisine in lockdown Some readers may remember Camelia Terry from the Town and Village days when she used to write a regular recipe. She and her husband have recently been on a 7-week cruise around the world. They set off in February from Southampton calling in to Bali, Malaysia, Sril Lanka, India and Thailand. But with the worries growing about the coronavirus, their travel agent contacted them and advised them to return home early, which they did.

Hello everyone, Having just been on an adventure around the world with my husband, we were lucky enough to have sampled many incredible flavours, and I have learnt so many new cooking skills. Our trip was sadly cut short by the recent events, and we managed to get home safely in time to lockdown.

I decided that each week we would have ‘date night’ recreating some of the wonderful memories we had, and giving me a chance to try out new recipes. I am happy to share our Thai Night starter and have suggested alternative ingredients in case some things cannot be obtained. I managed to get everything I needed from my local supermarket.

In these times when we can’t get out for a special meal, it’s fun to do our own, so lay the table, invite your lockdown partner and get cooking.

Camelia Terry

Richard and Camelia in Thailand

c i t n e th Thai Chicken Satay u A

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

Peanut dipping sauce

Marinade

150grms roasted peanuts

1 zest of lemon or 1 minced lemon grass stick

1/3 cup water

2 shallots or 1/4 onion chopped

½ tsp soy sauce

4 cloves garlic 1 to 2 red or green chillies, or ½ tsp chilli or cayenne powder 1 thumb size piece of ginger thinly sliced ½ tsp tumeric 2 tsp cumin

2 garlic cloves 2 tsp sesame or veg oil 1 tblsp fish sauce or 1 tblsp lime juice ½ tsp chilli sauce or cayenne pepper 1/3 cup coconut milk

2 tsp ground coriander 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tblsp fish sauce or 1 tblsp lime or lemon juice 6 tblsp brown sugar 2 tblsp veg oil 4 chicken breasts or 6 boneless chicken thighs cut into strips Skewers

Method

Put all the marinade ingredients into a blender or processor, Blitz together well. Taste, should be sweet, spicy, and salty and you can adjust to your taste.

Cut chicken into small pieces or strips, thinner is better.

Place into bowl with marinade mixing well.

Leave from 2 hours to 24 hours.

When ready to grill, thread onto skewers towards the top leaving ¾ of skewer empty.

Place under a hot grill basting and turning halfway through with left over marinade for 10 to 20 mins depending on thickness until cooked all through and golden.

Sauce Blend all sauce ingredients in a processor or blender until smooth.

Add a little more coconut milk or water if preferred runnier. Taste.

Serve alongside your chicken skewers.

Enjoy!

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LIFE

Exclusive

Business in LOCKDOWN

Curtain Cabin is COVID compliant

By Dawn Moses Before the Lockdown was announced, The Curtain Cabin was already taking measures to keep staff safe with social distancing and use of hand sanitisers and keeping surfaces clean. When dealing with a high proportion of elderly clients, we were extra cautious and careful.

In the initial week of lockdown I took it on myself to notify all our clients that had orders in the pipeline, of the current situation and have kept them up to date as the weeks have gone on. All my staff had to be furloughed, but we set up a WhatsApp chat so that we could all keep in contact and I could update when and where necessary. I was also making up PPE for a local care worker (scrubs) and am now making facemasks for our employees, as well as selling them to some local businesses.

Being the owner of four ponies and a border collie, I travelled and sorted the animals twice daily, meaning I was out in the fresh air for quite a lot of the time.

Running has also been my main source of exercise, with riding out on horseback on Holt Heath on occasions.

I am also chair of Trustees for Verwood Family Church, who meet via Zoom every Sunday morning, and my husband and I provide the musical lead for these meetings by means of worship songs.

I became a grandparent during lockdown and have communicated via Zoom with our son and daughter-in-law in Devon and watched our granddaughter grow over the weeks via this media. We long for the day to go and visit and to give our granddaughter a big hug!

Realising that the current situation was

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going to affect our business for some time to come, I have taken it upon myself over the last few weeks to make the Curtain Cabin COVID compliant, with the putting up of barriers between staff and clients (and also between staff members) making choosing of fabrics from our hundreds of pattern books more self-service and easier for customers. I have had time to sort out the stock room and the many fabric remnants that were being stored at the Cabin were put into several containers at the front of the shop for the people of Verwood to help themselves to free of charge.

A virtual design appointment service was set up as we went into the lockdown, offering clients a design and quotation service from photographs and measurements emailed through to dawn@ curtaincabin.co.uk. From the photographs and measurements we could suggest

fabrics and styles and send out samples for the client to look at in the comfort of their own homes. We could also give cost indications and even put the potential orders into production, pending the time when we could come into the home and check measure and fit.

Looking to the time when the showroom can re-open (hopefully in early June this year) I am delighted to advise that we will bring forward our fabric sale of 20% OFF ALL FABRICS to 1 June and have persuaded our suppliers to allow us to run this for two months till the end of July. This will be a great chance to draw back our loyal customers and reach out to new.

It has been a time of reflection and a time when I have done much “Spring Cleaning� in the showroom and workroom.

I feel excited that we can now move forward with anticipation and want to be a blessing to the town of Verwood.

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Overall winner Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2020 KM Asad ‘After Exodus’

Dorset food photographers among the world’s best Dorset-based photographers have received exceptional acclaim in Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2020, the world’s leading celebration of food photography and film, with an astonishing three artists recognised for their work. Nearly 9,000 entries

Runner up Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture category, Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2020 CHS Creative of Christchurch, ‘Zingy Slice’

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

were received from almost 80 countries this year.

CHS Creative of Christchurch was runner up in the fiercely-competitive Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture category. Robin Goodlad from Dorset came third in the same category and Esmé Lloyd of Corfe Castle was runner up in the 15-17 age group of the

Young category.

“These are stunning images,” said Caroline Kenyon, founder/director of the awards. “The world is in the grip of Covid19 and normal life, whatever that may be, has stopped for all of us. But photos such as these remind us of the ways and cultural habits that mean so much to us

Third 15-17 age group of the Young category, Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2020 Esmé Lloyd ‘Dessert Flambé

and bind us together.”

The Covid19 lockdown did not defeat the celebrations.

For the first time since the competition’s inception in 2011, the awards evening was held online in front of a global audience on 28 April.

The overall winner was KM Asad with ‘After Exodus’ taken in the vast Rohingya refugee camp – home for over one million people in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh. Poignantly, the camp has recently been placed in lockdown in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Third Marks & Spencer, Food Portraiture category, Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2020 Robin Goodlad, ‘Balsamic and Oil’

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around & about

Concrete decision: Sandbanks Ferry out of service until June Sandbanks Ferry service has been delayed until at least the beginning of June due to unexpected repair work that needs to be carried out.

The Sandbanks Ferry Company had suspended its service on 21 April as a result of the government-directed lockdown.

Unfortunately, whilst out of service, and moored in Poole Harbour to keep it safe whilst unmanned, a large piece of concrete unexpectedly detached from the fixed jetty and fell into the ferry on 8 May. This has resulted in a small but significant amount of damage to the hull which will need to be repaired using a platform and scaffolding fixed to the deck of the ferry.

More information on the exact date for the return to service, and social distancing measures for staff and customers, will be announced in due course. The return to service is likely to be delayed until at least the beginning of June.

Managing director, Mike Kean said, “The damage sustained by the jetty

malfunction is incredibly frustrating, when we were expecting to return to service as soon as traffic volumes were back at a sustainable level. We are doing all we can, working with our contractors and suppliers, to get this rectified as soon as possible. Social distancing guidelines must continue to be adhered to, so we once again ask our customers for their patience while we carry out these unforeseen repair works under difficult conditions.”

On the plus side, the ferry company can now confirm that the service withdrawal period will be used to carry out all mandatory maintenance and refit work ahead of schedule. This means that the ferry will no longer need to be

withdrawn from service in November for its regular biennial refit and maintenance schedule.

Mike Kean said, “This will mean less disruption for businesses and residents in the busy run up to Christmas this year, which I hope will be welcome news.”

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| 39

around & about

Fordingbridge Festival postponed The Fordingbridge Events Group has cancelled the Fordingbridge Festival, which was scheduled for July, due to the current coronavirus threat. It is hoped the festival will take place on 17 July next year.

Nicky Jenkins, chairman of the group, says, “After much consideration, the committee has unanimously agreed to postpone this year’s festival. Although we are not sure what the state of play will be in July, the current restrictions are making it very difficult to proceed and we think it will be unlikely that even if restrictions are lifted by then, group gatherings will still not be encouraged. We are hoping to arrange a free community event when the current situation changes instead.”

Nicky adds, “Everyone who has reserved a stand for the 2020 festival has been notified and can either use the money to hold their place for 2021 or get a refund. If anyone has any questions, they can contact the group by emailing fordingbridgeevents@ gmail.com.”

Photographs show a previous festival to bring back happy memories. They were taken by Paul Biggins, View42Photography.com.

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| 41

LIFE

Business in LOCKDOWN

Family-owned Dorset business adapts and prospers during Covid-19 pandemic A family-owned grocery store in Dorset has bucked the trend by not having to furlough or lay off any of its 75 staff during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Fifth-generation Dike & Son in Stalbridge, was established in 1851.

Andy Dike, who leads the firm said, “Like many enterprises, we’ve had to adapt in double-quick time to these extraordinary circumstances.

“My team have been absolutely superb and I’m incredibly proud of the way they have pulled together.

“On the technology side of things, our website is receiving record traffic, with online shopping orders for home delivery in our vans and the increasingly popular click-and-collect option.

“For the first four months of 2020 we

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

have beaten the yearly totals for every year since we started Internet shopping back in May 2015.

“Whilst the Internet has been incredibly convenient for many customers, who can choose from 10,000 products listed on our Internet shop, some of our older customers prefer the personal touch.

“They ring in their delivery order by phone, get people to drop their shopping lists into us or send over what they want via an old-fashioned fax.

“We’re also seeing a surge in orders for pre-selected grocery boxes, full of staples and fresh food and milk, because some customers simply don’t want to make decisions on food and drink items.”

Two delivery drivers over 70 had to stand down, for virus shielding reasons,

with people from the town stepping in.

Andy said, “It is clear to many of us that customers, particular the middle aged and older, are appreciative of the rigorous public health measures we implemented very early on – it gives them peace of mind.”

Six staff are on door rota at the grocery store, with a one-in, one-out policy and hygiene gel stations. Trolley and wire basket handles are wiped down before each use.

“At the entrance, while customers wait, you get to a chance to talk for the first time and we’ve met so many wonderful people in all of this. It feels like the 1950s,” Andy said. “The policy also means staff can top up shelves without compromising social distancing measures.”

In line with government guidelines, Dike’s shut its cafe; staff were given work at the grocery store instead. Subsequently the cafe has become a fish and chip takeaway two afternoons a week.

Even the deli display fridge has been modified, with the curved glass screen removed. Cold meats, pies and other savouries are portioned and wrapped so customers can help themselves safely.

Meanwhile, rather than being mothballed, the cafe’s espresso coffee machine is used every day by staff.

With flour in short supply, Dike’s sourced a local supplier - an ancient Domesday Book flour mill on the River Stour.

Sturminster Newton Mill is a working tourist attraction, which has temporarily converted to commercial production due to home-baking demand.

The tie-up even caught the imagination of BBC TV’s The One Show.

Andy said, “I’m so proud of the team.

Yes, there were tears to start off with, because of all the challenges which come with virus transmission prevention, but we’re still smiling despite everything. It’s that wartime spirit – keep calm and carry on.”

Dike & Son’s regional accountants and business advisors are PKF Francis Clark and James Robinson at the Poole-based firm said, “Family businesses are at the heart of our economy and communities – Dike & Son stands testament to that.

“According to industry figures, 88 per cent of all businesses in the UK are family owned – a staggering 4.8 million in total.

“Their contribution to the economy should never be underestimated, given that family firms pay £149 billion in tax each year, which is around 21 per cent of government revenues.”

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motoring / keeping you on the road.

The great bird poop test Getting pooped on by a bird is said to bring you good luck, but bird poop landing on your car can have more serious implications – for your paintwork.

“With so many cars parked up at the moment as people stay at home, it’s likely birds are leaving their mark more than usual,” said André Thierig, manager, Core Engineering Paint, Ford of Europe. “It’s wise to remove it before it gets too baked on, but our customers can at least take some consolation in the work we do to keep their paint protected.”

Ford of Europe say their vehicles are tested for just this eventuality – with the help of artificial bird poop.

The laboratory-developed synthetic droppings are so realistic that they can accurately reflect the differing diets – and subsequent different acidity of droppings – of most of the birdlife in Europe.

Applied to test panels as a spray, sample pieces are aged at 40° C, 50° C and 60° C in an oven to replicate customer use in extreme heats, pushing the paint corrosion protection to its limits.

The “bird poop test” is just one of the ordeals paint samples are put through.

They also spray phosphoric acid mixed with soap detergent, and synthetic pollen on panels before aging them in ovens at 60° C and 80° C for 30 minutes. The test guards against airborne particulates such as pollen and sticky tree sap.

and is the bird equivalent to urine, formed in the urinary tract. Poop is made in the digestive system and while both can be secreted at the same time, it happens with such speed that the two don’t have time to mix.

Additional Ford paint tests Other tests for paint samples include being bombarded non-stop with ultraviolet light for up to 6,000 hours (250 days) in a light lab – simulating five years in the brightest place on earth – to evaluate outdoor weathering; getting frozen in sub-zero temperatures; being exposed to harsh winter road grime in a high humidity

salt chamber and subjection to simulated fuel staining from vehicle service station over-fuelling.

How to clean bird poop from your car Leaving bird poop on any car is never a good idea. The advice for any car owner is simply to regularly wash your vehicle with a sponge and lukewarm water containing neutral pH shampoo, and gently remove harmless looking substances from the paintwork immediately. Waxing painted surfaces once or twice a year helps ensure new paint finishes can better resist harshest attacks, while staying shiny for longer.

Weather makes a difference Spring and summer can be particularly harmful for paint as not only are there often more birds about, but paint can also soften and expand under intense sunlight.

When it cools it contracts and any grime, including bird droppings, attaches itself to the surface. If left on the vehicle, it can leave a permanent impression that requires specialist treatment to remove.

By fine-tuning the pigments, resins and additives that go into making a car’s shiny protective paintwork, specialists can ensure the coating Ford applies to its vehicles has the optimum make-up to resist the impact of these types of pollutants, no matter what the weather.

The science of bird poop Bird poop is often white and black, but it’s not all poop. The white part is uric acid

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Photographic competition

1

Held online: MAGS4DORSET Facebook group 1-8 May 2020.

If you’re not a member, ask to join. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/607693385921720/

Thank you for all the entries in our first photographic competition. There were 36 – an excellent start to what promises to be a regular competition.

Having never done this before, we found it tricky to judge due to entrants posting multiple entries in one post.

People liked the posts rather than the photographs. In future only one entry per person will be accepted. This will also prevent the possibility of the same person being placed more than once.

The winning photograph was taken by Warren Brown of his front garden.

2nd went to Steve Saville 'My garden with my old bike' Phil Fletcher and Paul Waterkeyn came joint third Editor’s pick is Paul Waterkeyn's Wisteria and bug house.

The editor liked the composition.

She said: “I love the balance of light and shade. There is also great contrast between the draping flowers on flowing branches and the hard edges of the wall and the bug house.”

2 3

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

The next competition runs until 20 May. Join our group to find out more.

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in the home

10 ways to keep safe at home Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is urging people to make sure they are keeping themselves and their families safe at home by taking the right steps to ensure they are safe from fire.

Everyone can do their part by taking small simple steps such as ensuring that smoke alarms are working and cooking is not left unattended.

DWFRS is urging people to: • Make sure you have a smoke alarm on each level of the house and test the batteries regularly.

• Take extra care when cooking – never leave cooking unattended or leave children alone in the kitchen when the hob or oven is on.

• Never cook while under the influence of alcohol.

• Plan an escape route in case there is a fire in the home and make sure everyone in the property knows what to do.

• Check for fire hazards, such as electrical items or hobs left switched on, before you go to bed.

• Don’t overload plug sockets – keep to one plug per socket and also look out for plugs and cables that are poorly wired, as they can be dangerous.

• Always stub out cigarettes properly and dispose of them carefully. Don’t smoke in bed or anywhere you could fall asleep.

• Make sure candles are placed in a secure holder and kept away from curtains, fabrics and paper. Always put candles out before going to bed or leaving the room.

• NEVER try and tackle any fire yourself. Get out, stay out and call 999.

• If you need any support or know anyone that needs the Service’s help call 0800 038 2323. For a wide range of fire safety advice visit www. dwfire.org.uk/safety

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| 49

Leisure facilities start to re-open Although certain leisure facilities began fees apply. Toilets are accessible too. to open throughout Dorset from 13 May, But if you want to spend a penny in the provided visitors continue to follow social Dorset Council area you will have to cross distancing guidelines, notifications came your legs until you get home because the tumbling in of the cancellation of major public lavatories remain closed. outdoor shows in the area where social Not so if you’re caught short in distancing rules would be impossible to Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole. maintain.

In this council’s area you will find many Many local events have been wiped out of the seafront toilets open, with public too and theatres remain shut, but venues conveniences at some local open spaces are busy rebooking events for later in the and parks available too. year or next year.

Also in Bournemouth, Christchurch and What is confusing is what leisure Poole you will find the piers, golf courses, facilities are opening and where because mini-golf, tennis courts, athletic tracks, different councils are dealing with their skate parks, outdoor bowls facilities areas independently. and ball courts have reopened. As have For instance, BCP Council, some catering outlets offering a takeaway (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) service along the seafront. However, has opened some leisure centres and car parks, with parking enforcement for contraventions in place, whereas neighbouring Dorset Council has decided not to reopen its car parks and visitor destinations including beaches and country parks. Although Swannery car park in Weymouth has been opened for safety reasons.

Leader of Dorset Council, Cllr Spencer Flower said, “Our overriding priority is the safety and wellbeing of Dorset residents. We want to discourage people from outside the county and from areas with a higher rate of infection than Dorset from visiting our beaches and beauty spots, and inadvertently spreading the virus to local people.”

At the time of writing, the southwest of England has had 7,044 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

This means the southwest’s rate of infection – at 126 per 100,000 residents – is the lowest regional rate across the country.

Cllr Flower added, “We are working closely with our partners including Dorset Police to monitor and review the situation. We will adapt our approach when the situation changes.”

The council-run car parks that Dorset Council had permitted to stay open in town and village centres throughout the COVID-19 outbreak for local residents will continue to remain open, although parking charges will now be introduced in these car parks.

Bournemouth pier reopens – deckchair hire on the beaches In Hampshire, car parks at Royal will not be operating Victoria, River Hamble and Lepe country parks are open and parking

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deckchair hire, land trains, cliff lifts, pier tolls, visitor centres and amusement arcades will not be operating. And there will be no lifeguards on any of the beaches, so enter the sea at your own risk.

Social distancing must be maintained whilst queuing for and using the facilities.

“Other than operating takeaway services, our hotels, pubs and restaurants are closed, and visits to second homes or self-catering accommodation are not permitted under the latest government guidance,” said BCP’s leader, Cllr Vikki Slade.

So as parts of the country begin to function in a somewhat confused and blurry manner, the cancellations of outdoor events keep rising.

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Dorset Council faces a shortfall running into millions of pounds

When Dorset councillors agreed a balanced budget of £304m in February, the size and scale of the Covid-19 pandemic was not known or budgeted for.

Subsequently it has been revealed that the authority is incurring additional costs of £13m per month as it supports Dorset’s residents, communities and businesses.

Since March, Dorset Council has been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as a category 1 responder under Civil Contingencies Act responsibilities. This includes a responsibility for planning and responding to the emergency with partners such as the NHS, Police and Fire Service.

Financial support for over 70s groups A house-building company which has given monthly donations to community groups for the past five years, has announced that the scheme is to solely help the over 70s for the foreseeable future.

Persimmon Homes launched Community Champions to help community groups, charities and good causes across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire with two donations of up to £1,000 made every month. However, the house-builder feels that elderly communities are in the most need of support at the moment. To apply to Community Champions, visit: www.persimmonhomes. com/charity.

The financial impact of COVID-19 on Dorset Council’s budget has been significant. It includes: 1. Additional unexpected expenditure on social care for adults and children including a 10 per cent increase in fees for care providers, renting and converting rooms in a hotel into a social care base, providing staff and care agencies with extra PPE, additional staffing costs, and preparations for potential excess deaths.

2. Lost income from suspension of car parking charges, closure of leisure centres and other commercial services, and lower than anticipated income from business rates and council tax.

3. Savings which were planned to be achieved through transformation projects. These savings can no longer be delivered due to employee redeployment to support communities including shielded individuals.

If the crisis continues into the summer, the council is likely to incur additional costs of over £54m in 2020-21.

At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in March, the government provided £1.6bn in additional funding to councils across England to help them tackle the crisis. Dorset Council’s share of this funding was £10.7m: this funding was spent in the first month of response.

On the weekend of 17 April, the government announced a further £1.6bn of additional funding for councils. Dorset Council is still waiting to hear what its share of this funding will be. Finance officers hope the sum will be a similar amount again of around £10.7m.

However, this additional £21.4m funding from government for the COVID-19 response represents just 40 per cent of the forecast additional costs of £54m, leaving a shortfall of £32.6m.

Dorset Council’s 2020-21 budget included reserves of £28m but even if all the council’s reserves were taken into account there is still a shortfall.

Cllr Tony Ferrari, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Assets, said, “We are grateful to the government for the funding we have received to date. We feel that government ministers are listening to councils and responding to our concerns to ensure that the country’s COVID-19 response is as effective as possible.

We are doing what the government has asked of us by supporting Dorset’s people and businesses through this crisis.

“The decision to form a unitary council in 2019 is proving to be the right one. Across the country councils have found it more difficult to manage the pandemic when there are two tiers of local government. Our own reorganisation meant that we entered this in a much more financially robust position than we would have been as a county council and five district and borough councils.

Although our position is uncomfortable many councils are worse off than Dorset.

“We will continue to brief government ministers, civil servants and our local Dorset MPs on the council’s position.

“So far the government has done as the Chancellor promised, ‘whatever it takes’ to support the country. They do need to keep delivering on this promise.”

Local people come up with climate change ideas Dorset Council has received hundreds of suggestions as to how it can tackle climate change after its Executive Advisory Panel for Climate Change hosted two Inquiry Day sessions earlier in the year. A selection of the presentations has been uploaded to Dorset Council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency web pages.

These will also be passed to the Council’s Task and Finish groups to be discussed and incorporated into the forthcoming strategy and action plan on climate change, due to be published for consultation this summer.

Fundraiser receives Good Citizen Award

Mrs Moya Botterill has been awarded the Good Citizen Award by West Moors Town Council for her selfless acts for the good of the community.

A fundraiser for nearly 30 years, Mrs Botterill has also acted as a not for profit club organiser and volunteers for various charities.

She is also a very good friend to many.

She will receive a small trophy and certificate at the next full council meeting after lockdown restrictions are lifted.

The other nominees Mr Martin Rowley, Mr Malcolm Adam and Mrs Angela McVeigh will each receive a certificate of recognition.

Housing plan New Forest District Council has received two applications for development at Eastfield Lane, Ringwood.

The first is for the erection of three properties at number 74, and the second for land to be severed at number 70 and for the building of two detached bungalows.

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© National Trust Images, John Millar

Lowland healthland restoration reaps rewards A new stronghold for the nightjar and other wildlife has been established in the north of the New Forest thanks to the total transformation of a commercial tree plantation.

A diverse landscape of rare lowland heathland, woodland and wetland has been created at Foxbury, a 350-acre site acquired by the National Trust.

Foxbury is the largest project in the New Forest National Park Authority’s £4.4m landscape partnership scheme Our Past, Our Future, which is backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Restoration work has included removing invasive species such as pine and rhododendron - allowing native trees, wildflowers and shrubs to re-establish - as well as planting 18,000 trees with the help of volunteers.

The result has been a huge increase in wildlife from birds to butterflies.

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Jacob White, the National Trust’s area ranger, said, “Foxbury now has one of the densest nightjar populations in the New Forest with 27 churring males identified in recent surveys. Breeding Dartford warbler and woodlark have also been noted.

“In 2006 when Foxbury was still a plantation, the bird surveys consistently found around 12 species of bird on the site. Now, 106 species of bird have been identified at Foxbury.”

Further studies have identified 26 species of butterfly, including heathland specialist the silver-studded blue, 12 species of bat and over 17 species of dragonfly and damselfly.

A third of Foxbury is now woodland;

trees planted include oak, alder, and sweet chestnut, as well as blackthorn, hawthorn, crab apple and wild cherry.

A herd of belted Galloway cattle and six New Forest ponies graze the land to keep the grasses and invasive plant saplings at bay.

Jacob said, “Foxbury is a huge success story for the National Park, not just through the regeneration of rare habitats and colonisation of wildlife, but also through its ability to involve members of the community from all walks of life through education, learning and volunteering.

“With such an undertaking of habitat restoration, we knew local community

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©IStock.com/Vassilly Vishnevski

Facts Box

Nightjars Nightjars are very hawk-like in flight with long, pointed wings and a long tail. Males have a white spot on each wing that can sometimes be seen, but the shape and song along with their nocturnal activity make them unmistakable.

The New Forest is important for these unusual birds and is designated as a Special Protection Area in part because of the breeding populations of this species.

Found in areas of heath and young woodland, nightjars are an enigmatic bird and people will not forget seeing, or hearing, one.

“

With such an undertaking of habitat restoration, we knew local community involvement was fundamental for longterm success

involvement was fundamental for long-term success. So far over 400 people have helped us plant 18,000 trees, survey for wildlife and maintain the heathland, clocking up over 1,600 volunteer days.

“Now we are able to offer the sweeping landscapes, rare wildlife spots and secluded woodlands of the New Forest within a private and easily accessible site.”

The landscape scheme has also seen a car park installed and a basecamp created featuring three timber cabins, benches, a den building area, bug hotels and a mud kitchen.

Foxbury is open for special events only. Upcoming events have been cancelled until government advice changes and social gathering restrictions are lifted.

They are only active at night as they feed on moths and other insects caught on the wing. They also sing at night – an eerie but beautiful churring sound, given from a prominent perch in a tree on the heath.

They have a silent floating flight, but the males will clap their wings together in a display to attract females. They are summer visitors (from Africa) and you will only see them between May and August.

Being nocturnal, they rest during the day. They also nest on the ground and so are superbly camouflaged with mottled browns and greys that are almost impossible to see against the background of bracken, heather and gravels.

Ground nesting birds can easily be frightened away from their nests in spring, leaving eggs or young vulnerable to the cold, or to predators such as crows.

To help them rear their young safely, please keep yourself, dogs and ridden horses on the main tracks from the beginning of March to the end of July.

“

To find out more visit www. nationaltrust.org.uk/foxbury

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© Richard Linnett Photography

Wimborne NWR dives into the virtual world during lockdown Maryanne Pike, local organiser for the Wimborne National Women’s Register, gives readers some insight into the organisation and how it is coping during the Covid-19 pandemic. She writes: Yes, it was definitely the pill! It had been a lively discussion topic, ‘The Most Influential Thing to Come out Of the Sixties’, so many contenders: fashion, music, free love (possibly due to the aforementioned medical advance?) to name but a few. However, the new opportunity for women to control their own fertility was certainly the majority favourite.

It was also the decade that started NWR, the National Women’s Register, formerly National Housewives Register, and it was the members of the Wimborne group of NWR that had been debating the topic as part of NWR’s Sixtieth Jubilee this spring. All over the country members were celebrating the week when Maureen Nichols, the founding member, wrote a letter, with a brilliant suggestion, to a newspaper.

Maureen had been moving around the country with her young family following her husband’s job moves. This was the era when greater mobility of the workforce

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was becoming more usual. She thought how wonderful it would be to have a group of like-minded women, a register she called it, who would be readymade friends wherever you went.

The need for such an organisation was shown by the overwhelming response to her letter and NWR was born.

So there we were, 60 years later, and looking forward to our spring programme of discussions, visits, trips and talks, (not to forget the odd party). Then something shook the world and all our activities were put on hold.

It took a couple of weeks to come to terms with the situation and our disappointments. Then, like so many people and organisations, we decided we were not going to be beaten and we took a dive into the virtual world.

Our fortnightly meetings usually take place in each other’s homes but now we meet in a virtual room and, instead of twice a month, it’s twice a week. We have a weekly coffee morning (bring your own coffee), and a weekly evening get together (bring your own…whatever you fancy, most often it’s in a glass).

Of course it’s very different and there’s

been a lot to learn, not least the etiquette of this new social contact. Many of us have also learnt that we are not as bad at technology as we thought. Each meeting has a topic, the discussion mentioned at the start of this article was at one of our evening meetings, sometimes we need to give it a bit of thought beforehand and, most importantly, it is giving everyone an opportunity to stay in touch.

We are very grateful to the National Organising Group too. They have stepped up to provide access for all members to the Digital Theatre resources and have organised webinars with interesting and entertaining speakers and quizzes for any members throughout the country that would like to take part. Their regular newsletters with useful links and ideas help us to feel less alone.

So, this remains a difficult and challenging time for us all but, being a member of NWR is helping to make it more bearable.

Membership of NWR is open to all women. Enquiries can be made by filling in the contact form on the website nwr. org.uk or emailing office@nwr.org.uk

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LIFE

Exclusive

Business in LOCKDOWN

Any Tech Solutions – protection is key for all of us

By Chris Palmer I struggle to finds words that come close to conveying the current climate both from a business point of view and a personal one. Thankfully I am lucky enough to have people around me who make a real difference to my overall wellness. I can only feel for those who are alone and trying to run a business and their life – with no one to console them, share ideas and be creative with. And let’s not forget the children whose education has been severely disrupted and hampered.

While I admit to feeling uneasy regarding marketing during this period of uncertainty, I still have a compelling urge to help. After all, that’s why we started our business and what drives us to get out of bed every day. We want to help.

Due to the pandemic we have seen an incredible rise in cybercrime attempts.

The routes to gain access to users’ personal information have increased in sophistication, intensity and success rate.

From the usual online banking scams right through to posing as sellers of puppies and selling fake COVID-19 cures, we’ve seen it all; so right now protection is key for all of us.

From a business perspective the current situation is forcing business owners to be more creative but also to be sensitive in the way we go about marketing to our audience – not a bad thing. It’s given us time to re-evaluate, take stock and improve what we do and how we go about doing it. In our business we have approached our marketing efforts purely from a ‘what do our users need?’ and ‘how can we help them survive and thrive?’ point of view rather than the traditional ‘you have pain and we have the antidote’ tack.

Personally I have found the new calm a refreshing change from the crazy pace we were running at – I’m still incredibly busy but I’m now in a completely different headspace. In this time we have upgraded no fewer than three of our main back end

support systems which in turn will allow us to provide support and monitoring at an entry level cost along with increasing our automation processes for the betterment of our client base.

Moving forwards and through the uncertainty, I feel we are on the verge of a new horizon: more of us working in many more locations, more collaboration, teaming up of businesses to handle overflow or bolt on special services.

However, this has its own pitfalls. Many

users are using their own personal hardware and software for work purposes and we have seen an increase in issues being caused by breaches via untrusted and unprotected devices connecting to business services, like corporate email accounts etc. So there is a downside, which all business owners with remote teams must now consider and they must start to understand the possible weaknesses in their expanding digital network.

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Julia’s House nurse returns to NHS during coronavirus crisis During the current coronavirus crisis, many people have stepped forward to help the NHS in its daily battle against the pandemic. One of them is local nurse Rebecca Charlton. Rebecca is a nurse at Julia’s House, but took the difficult decision to leave the Dorset and Wiltshire children’s hospice charity and return to a local NHS hospital Emergency Department (ED). Here’s her personal story:

What took you back to the NHS during COVID-19?

I had only left the ED three months before the COVID-19 pandemic. I had a conversation with the team at Julia’s House and felt that I would be most useful returning to the NHS as I had only been with them for a short time. Being a nurse, I like to feel useful and that I am helping as much as I can.

Was it a difficult decision and why?

Yes it was a difficult decision, I was starting to find my feet and feel settled at Julia’s House. I was feeling like part of the team and I think it is always a difficult decision to go back after making a decision to leave somewhere. Having worked in the ED for over 13 years, I felt like my skills and knowledge were best placed to return and work alongside my NHS colleagues and friends in the emergency department at such a crucial time.

What is your role?

In the ED I am working in both green and red areas depending on where I’m allocated. As a nurse, I am covering different aspects of the department such as co-ordinating areas, resus and streaming.

What are the particular challenges?

To start with I found things difficult as all the systems and ways of working had changed since I was last there. Now however, things change on a daily basis and we have all learnt to be flexible and adapt to changes as and when required. Adapting to working whilst wearing PPE has been challenging, a lot of communication is non-verbal and wearing face coverings can be a barrier to this. Also, trying to make patients feel reassured is difficult when you are wearing gloves and unable to provide comfort as you would do normally.

What are you finding rewarding about the role?

Several of my colleagues have also returned to the ED from other areas and I feel that this has helped us with team work and spirit. It’s rewarding to feel that you are making a difference.

What’s the most worrying thing for you?

The most worrying thing for me was if I caught COVID-19 and took it home to my family - my husband is asthmatic. So, I took the decision to move out prior to starting back in the ED to minimise any risk to my family.

What are you missing about Julia’s House and the children you care for?

I am really missing my Julia’s House team and I am very much looking forward to when some sort of normality can return. I am especially missing my community sits with the children. I have been lucky that prior to returning to the NHS I had some lovely sits that had been lengthened due to COVID-19 and gave me opportunities to really get to know some of the children and their families.

What does the clap for carers mean to you?

I am not sure how to answer this - I find it makes me feel a bit awkward as I am just doing my job. There are more people deserving of recognition during this time such as, the families Julia’s House provides respite care to that are currently doing it all themselves.

Julia’s House is adapting its care on a day-to-day basis so that it can continue to support the most vulnerable children and families during the coronavirus crisis. The charity’s nurses and carers are still visiting family homes wearing PPE to provide care, reassurance and advice to anxious parents. Crucially, their support is easing the burden on an overstretched NHS by enabling these children to stay at home.

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What a cake!

International Nurses Day, which coincided with the International Year of the Nurse, was celebrated here an abroad on 12 May 2020.

Colten Care marked the special occasion in all of its 21 care homes when nurses were presented with cakes baked by in-house chefs. This amazing creation was made by chef Hannah Clark at Court Lodge in Lymington.

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| 59

LIFE

Business in LOCKDOWN

New Forest support for businesses and the community The New Forest National Park Authority is helping businesses to survive and local people to self isolate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

All 160 members of the New Forest Marque scheme have been affected by the recent lockdown, although more than half have adapted their services and are still trading in some way.

Many local retailers, caterers, butchers, bakers, farmers and growers are working at full capacity to serve their local towns and villages.

Marque members are offering online ordering and deliveries, while others are making up boxes of goods grown or produced in the New Forest, such as vegetables, fruit, meats and cheeses.

Restaurants, temporarily closed to the public, have adapted to deliver meals or baked goodies, or provide takeaways.

Claire Lee, New Forest Marque operations manager, said, “So many people are working hard to support each other as well as local businesses and the community.

“The New Forest National Park Authority supports the New Forest Marque yearround, including annual funding of £25,000, office space and admin.

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“Recently its rangers came forward offering further support and are now in their ranger vans delivering locally – helping people who can’t get out to shop for themselves.”

Elsewhere in the Forest, mills are working all hours producing much-needed flour which the rangers are delivering to farm shops. Gin suppliers are switching their production to antibacterial hand gel (much of which has been donated to care providers) and have been working with Marque skincare producers to add new

properties and fragrances.

While hotels and guest houses have had to shut their doors to the public, some are offering accommodation to NHS staff. And now that asparagus season is here, pick-your-own farms have introduced pop-up kiosks so people can still enjoy fresh local seasonal produce.

Claire Lee added, “We mustn’t forget all the Marque wholesalers which normally supply the hotels and restaurants. They are now adapting to food delivery schemes, or people can collect

from the warehouses, where boxes will be placed straight into the boot of your car.

“I’m amazed at the interesting ways people are adapting their businesses, supporting the community and helping people stay at home.”

Details of all the Marque producers and suppliers can be found on www. newforestmarque.co.uk.

There is support for businesses impacted by Covid-19. Further details on http://www.newforest.gov. uk/coronavirusbusinesses.

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DORSET & HAMPSHIRE HELPLINES ALDERHOLT COMMUNITY RESPONSE Prescription pick up 07858 849359 (Recreate hotline) Urgent supplies 01425 655155 (Alderholt Chapel) Friendly phone call 07805 979827 (St James’ Church office) or 01425 655155 (Chapel) Mail posting 07805 979827 (St James’) Email: alderholtresponse@gmail.com Also on Facebook

DORSET DIGITAL HOTLINE Telephone: 01305 221000 (Select Option 2).

Monday to Friday 10.00 am to 12 noon (except Bank Holidays) or leave a message.

Here is a selection of some of the support the digital advisers can provide – no problem too small:

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE Schools closing could put some children at greater risk of abuse and neglect. If you're worried about a child or young person, you can contact Dorset Council’s Children's Advice and Duty Service on 01305 228866.

The NSPCC can also offer free support and guidance on 0800 800 5000. The helpline is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 10pm and on weekends from 9am to 6pm.

• providing help to get online for home shopping

CHRISTCHURCH CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT Christchurch Community Partnership can advise on how to access goods and services in Christchurch.

Contact 01202 989632, email: ccp. coronavirus@gmail.com.

Your local church could support you – see http://www.christchurchfellowshipofchurches. org.uk/.

Christchurch Foodbank is experiencing a huge demand. To donate contact 07587 371088.

Email: christchurchfoodbank@gmail.com.

And if you’re an older person who just needs someone to talk to, contact Silverline on 0800 470 8090.

To find out which shops are delivering, log onto https://christchurch-tc.gov.uk/ CITIZENS ADVICE CONSUMER SERVICE Further information on dealing with scams and fraud is available from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service at https://www. citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer or by calling their new freephone number 0808 223 1133.

DOMESTIC ABUSE HOTLINE You First – 0800 032 5204 Poole Outreach (24 hours) – 01202 710 777 Bournemouth Outreach (24 hours) – 01202 547 641 Victim Support provides emotional and practical help to victims of crime in Dorset, and have a dedicated team which specialises in helping victims of domestic abuse. You can get help from the Dorset team by calling 0300 3030 163 from Monday to Friday 9am-6.30pm.

Other help The National Domestic Violence Helpline is a freephone number available on 0808 2000247 24 hours a day, seven days a week. www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk http://safelives.org.uk/news-views/domesticabuse-and-covid-19 This portal provides advice for victims and profession Women’s Aid – visit www.womensaid.org.uk email and online chat room 10-12pm Monday to Friday 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247 Respect helpline 0808 802 4040 (for anyone worried that they may be harming someone else).

Crime can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via its website – www.crimestoppers-uk.org

RINGWOOD CORONAVIRUS ASSISTANCE Helpline 01425 542031 To volunteer go to Ringwood-coronavirus.org. uk www.facebook.com/groups/ ringwoodcoronavirusassistance

• helping families with digital applications for home schooling

• support for all digital NHS services and e-Consult • setting up video calls such as Skype and Facetime to keep in contact with friends and family • support to use all digital appliances and solve problems • using digital to exercise at home and keep fit FERNDOWN COMMUNITY CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT Dedicated helpline 01202 936121, 9am-5pm, 7 days a week.

A charitable community group of volunteers Shopping and prescriptions, social telephone calls, help with pets Wednesday evening Fish & Chip night (delivered) for those self isolating Ferndowncommunitycoronavirussupport.org.uk Email info@ ferndowncommunitycoronavirussupport.org.uk Also on Facebook FORDINGBRIDGE IN NEED Fordingbridge in Need is on Facebook and has a website: fordingbridge-in-need.uk Tel: 01425 542045 (8am-9pm, 7 days a week) outside hours leave a voicemail.

Tel: 07746 005709 Essential shopping and medicine collection.

Email: help@fordingbridge-in-need.uk LEONARDO TRUST CORONAVIRUS HELPLINE Contact 01202 698325 or 07742 868002. The Leonardo Trust has a coronavirus helpline is open from 10am until noon from Monday to Friday. This independent charity was set up to help people in Dorset who are voluntary carers for sick or disabled relatives or friends.

LIVEWELL DORSET Ring 0800 840 1628/ 01305 233105 Monday to Friday from 9am-6.30pm. LiveWell Dorset can support you to become happier and healthier.

MENTAL HEALTH HELPLINE

Mental health professionals and peer support workers are on hand to help you avoid a crisis and help you find the path to recovery. The 24-hour helpline is 0300 123 5440 or access via NHS111.

PARENTS AND CARERS – DORSET Helpline is 01305 228300. This new helpline has been launched in Dorset to support parents and carers who are worried about how their child or teenager is coping during the coronavirus pandemic. It is open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.45pm. Callers need to ring and make an appointment for a 30-minute phone consultation.

SAFEGUARDING Dorset Social Services 01305 221016 TRADING STANDARDS – are you open legally?

Dorset businesses can speak with a Dorset Council Trading Standards business advisor on 01305 224702, or find information by visiting www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk Trading Standards will continue to adapt to changing circumstances and is available to help keep businesses trading legally and people safe.

VERWOOD SUPPORT GROUP A community group coordinated by resident Shelley Rose that offers assistance for those self-isolating. Shelley can be contacted on 07855 201532 or by email shelley. verwoodcommunity@gmail.com Medical advice and support (team of professionals) 07903 728547, 07903 728550 Shopping collections with payment through Morrisons gift card only 07903 07903 728552, 07903 728556, 07903 728557 and 07903 728558 Prescription collection 07930 219010 Food bank referrals 07930 219021 Food donations can be made at Morrisons.

WIMBORNE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE SUPPORT GROUP A volunteer network for Wimborne Minster to identify vulnerable residents who need help and support during the coronavirus pandemic and who have not already been picked up by other agencies such as Dorset Council and local GP surgeries. Shopping and collection of prescriptions is offered.

The group has been registered with Dorset Council, the Volunteer Centre Dorset and www. helpandkindness.co.uk Contact Councillor Shane Bartlett on 07593 197302.

SCAMS Fraudsters are increasingly targeting the public and organisations with emails, texts, phone calls and WhatsApp messages offering advice and treatment for coronavirus, as well as setting up fake websites selling products and ‘cures’.

Scammers have also been setting up bogus websites asking for donations for victims or promoting awareness and prevention tips.

Cold callers have been contacting organisations suggesting they must have certain measures in place by a certain deadline.

If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, speak to your bank immediately and report any fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 Further information on dealing with scams and fraud is available from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service at https://www. citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer or by calling their freephone number 0808 223 1133.

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

BLACKSMITH

DECORATING

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

DECORATING

CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

CLEANING SERVICES

DECORATING

FENCING

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VIEWPOINT April 2020

DECORATING

COMPUTER SERVICES

FENCING

GARDENING SERVICES

FENCING

GARDENING SERVICES

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specialist services LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING

LOCKSMITH

MAINTENANCE

GARDENING SERVICES

HEATING SPECIALISTS

LOGS

MAINTENANCE

ROOFING

ROOFING

TREE SURGERY

TREE SURGERY

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

TREE SURGERY

WINDOW REPAIRS

CORRESPONDENCE Send your letters to editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk

Take up the challenge and do one ‘wild’ activity each day for the 30 days in June Last year 400,000 people took part in The Wildlife Trust’s initiative across the UK, completing over 10 million ‘random acts of wildness’.

2020’s challenge is more important than ever as we enjoy the wildlife close to our homes, benefitting from the solace nature can provide during times of uncertainty.

Sign up here: www.wildlifetrusts/30DaysWild Dorset Wildlife Trust

WINDOW REPAIRS

Reduce your risk of stroke

Mealtimes will undoubtedly be a highlight of the day for many Dorset residents during the coronavirus lockdown.

Choosing what dishes to create can be very exciting, but at the Stroke Association, we’d like to encourage everyone to consider one particular ingredient – the amount and type of salt you use.

That’s important because the sodium in salt can cause high blood pressure which is believed to triple the risk of stroke. Reducing our salt intake will reduce incidence of high blood pressure and therefore stroke. In Dorset, more than 103,500 adults have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Cutting out salt as much as possible must be a priority. But, I know how hard it is and if you find it difficult to cut out salt completely, there is an alternative to regular salt called LoSalt®. It has two thirds less sodium than regular table, sea and rock salts without any taste compromise.

Now as a charity, we’re partnering with LoSalt® to encourage a #HealthierUK and share tips and ideas for small changes which can make a big difference to our health – including trying LoSalt in your cooking and baking.

To launch our #HealthierUK partnership we have some really scrumptious recipes, courtesy of LoSalt®, on our websitewww.stroke.org.uk/ healthierUK Please do note that if you take some types of medication that affect potassium levels, LoSalt® and other reduced sodium salt alternatives may not be suitable for you. This includes people receiving medication for diabetes, heart or kidney disorders.

Check with your GP for advice.

I hope you enjoy trying out the recipes!

Juliet Bouverie Chief Executive The Stroke Association

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Learn more about Ferndown U3A Like many other organisations, Ferndown U3A has had to close due to the coronavirus. We normally distribute our new brochures in May for the new term starting in September. All of this is now in doubt although brochures will be posted to existing members. We normally have an open day in May to attract new members. We do have a very good website at www.ferndownu3a. co.uk where you can familiarise yourself with the organisation.

Jean Stone email

Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival cancelled

It is with great regret that the directors of The Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival CIC have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event.

After much deliberating and waiting to see how the current situation was developing, it became clear that social distancing measures are likely to be with us for quite some time.

Consequently, we feel, like many other local organisations, that it would be irresponsible to continue planning for this year’s event.

Instead we now look forward to planning the show for the weekend of 12 and 13 June 2021.

Mary Reader

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Exclusive

Canford’s new head of sport tackles COVID-19 issues

By Marilyn Barber Former England National Rugby Union Captain Tony Diprose only joined Canford School in January as head of sport, so the temporary closure of the school and the ramifications of sport for the future are a thorny subject.

Tony, who won 10 full caps for England, and who has a reputation as being one of the most talented footballing forwards of his generation, signed for Harlequins from Saracens in 2001. He retired at the end of the 2005/6 season and joined the coaching staff at Harlequins as the academy manager.

“Joining Canford has been a baptism of fire, but I have really been enjoying it,” he said. “I am waiting to see the government plans as to how sport, particularly contact sports such as rugby could be restarted.

The RFU are also looking into it, and of course the professional level will be handled differently because of resources.”

He said that possibly tag rugby – a non contact team game in which each player wears a belt that has two Velcro tags attached to it - could be phased in.

“We have a duty of care so at Canford we must do what is best for the pupils.”

In addition to rugby, pupils at the Dorset school enjoy a huge range of sporting activities including athletics, cricket, golf, hockey, netball, real tennis, rowing, swimming and lacrosse.

“If we’re not able to play rugby in September, we could play summer sports such as cricket and tennis, but this would have to be evaluated,” Tony added. “We will be looking at what is happening in other parts of the world, and seeing how they are returning to normal.”

He added that he considered sport and exercise were crucial for pupils’ physical and mental health.

During the closure of the school, pupils have been set weekly programmes and challenges. This includes the NHS run or walk 5km challenge, whereby participants are asked to run 5km, donate £5 to the NHS and nominate five more people to do the same.

Although rugby is Tony’s passion, he said he had always been interested in other sports, and during his career he has worked to develop young athletes.

As far as England rugby is concerned Tony said that not being able to finish the season had financial implications.

“There are deals with TV companies and so the money would have to be refunded.

“Rugby is not as prosperous as football,” he said.

He also acknowledged that the suspension of sports has had huge implications for local sporting clubs.

Tony Diprose new head of Sport at Canford School tackles COVID-19 issues

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| 65

Flyaway

Angel

by Janine Pulford

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

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

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

The first two chapters of Flyaway Angel are published online in Viewpoint Mid April issue and you will find Chapter 3 in 4Dorset. The story is set in 1980s.

Flyaway Angel Chapter 4 When they reached the family centre, instead of being put in the waiting room as normal, all six of them were ushered into a side room. Tami had made an effort to come along, and Katrina noticed with relief, that she was dressed more appropriately for the occasion, but the fact that she was holding Jon’s hand was confusing and gave a mixed message.

Nothing seemed as it should be and Katrina was hit with the fear that everything was going to go wrong.

‘This has never happened before,’ she said.

‘Where’s Joe? The Bradleys must have taken him.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Brod reassured, holding her closely. The steady rise and fall of his chest was soothing. ‘Gordy’s worked hard to get us to this stage,’ he added.

‘He really has,’ agreed Sylvie.

‘Well, it’s scaring me. We want Joe, not all this messing around.’

Time ticked by and eventually an official aged around forty whom Katrina had never seen before strode in so aggressively, he created a draught, ‘Broderick,’ he nodded. ‘Mrs Vardakastanis; Mr Brownlea, this way, please.’

Other than his brief acknowledgement of Brod, there were no niceties and his severe suit matched his expression, unnerving Katrina.

‘Where’s my son?’ she said, but her voice was barely audible above the sound of his shoes striking the hard tiles as he strode across the floor. She could hardly breathe and her legs could barely hold her weight. Who on earth was Mr Brownlea? Or did he mean Bradley? Of course he did. She’d misheard him that’s all.

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

Her knees buckled, Brod and Gordon steadied her as they entered a small room where there was a desk and two chairs. She sat down, facing the desk. Brod let his hand rest on her shoulder.

‘I’m a solicitor,’ the man said, leaning forward. ‘The name’s Grech.’ He pushed a pile of papers towards her and with her heart in her mouth, she glanced quickly around the room; she had to know if the Bradleys were there.

Had they sneaked in behind her? But there was only Gordon, looking relaxed with his hand on the back of the chair. Could it be that he was Brownlea?

‘Are you all right?’ asked Grech, clearly worried by her pallor, which must have been deathly white because she felt horribly sick.

Although she tried to reply, the words wouldn’t come.

He carried on efficiently and said loudly, as if he thought she was simple, ‘This is the final formality. It’s something you should have been given the opportunity to deal with at the time of the birth of your son.’

Katrina suddenly found a rather loud voice that matched his, ‘What do you mean?’ she snapped. Her legs shook uncontrollably and her mouth was dry. ‘He’s my baby. I’m not signing anything, You can’t force me.’ She glared sharply at Gordon who stepped forward and read the document out loud. It was a declaration that she was the birth mother of Alex Vardakastanis and that she did not wish to proceed with the adoption. She felt the cloud of doom slide out of the room, but when Gordon indicated her to sign and gave her a pen, she produced the worst signature she’d ever managed because she was shaking so much. Would it even count as a signature she wondered, it looked like a child’s scribble.

Perhaps she should have just made a cross. The solicitor thought she was simple anyway. He’d

have understood.

‘Why did the Bradleys turn up to claim Joe?’ she said hoarsely.

‘They lied,’ said Gordon. ‘They said they wanted to see him just once, to say goodbye, but of course we had to block the request. Brod got a private detective on their heels and he soon found out they’d booked a return flight with a baby, Alex Vardakastanis.

‘I knew it,’ she said, letting the enormity of the situation sink in. She’d come close to losing Joe for good.

Grech was staring at her signature.

‘Vardakastanis,’ he nodded. ‘Quite a name.’

She swallowed hard. She’d actually signed Sanderson by accident. Vardakastanis wasn’t a surname she’d ever expected to use again.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘Would you like me to redo it? It doesn’t look right. I wasn’t feeling so good…’

‘I’ve seen worse.’ He collected the documents together and stood up. A kind smile crossed his face and he said, ‘Now I expect you two would like to see your son. Brod’s told me all about him.’

‘I delivered a yacht for Grech a couple of years back,’ explained Brod now the formalities were out of the way. ‘Took a punt that he’d be the best man to help us.’

‘It’s been my pleasure, Brod. You’re a good man. What an awful thing to go through.’

‘Yes,’ said Katrina, in awe of Brod. He seemed to know the right people all over the world.

‘Now, if you will excuse me,’ Grech said after he saw them back into the waiting room.

To Katrina’s disappointment, there was still no sign of Joe. ‘Job done! Joe’s all yours,’ said Gordon. ‘All we need now is to get him on your passport.’

‘He’s not even here! And I don’t have a

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passport,’ cried Katrina, ‘and I don’t have Joe’s birth certificate either. The Bradleys have got it.’

‘No they haven’t,’ and like a magician, Gordon pulled Katrina’s passport and Joe’s birth certificate out of his jacket pocket. ‘Brod and I managed to sort out a lot in a short space of time.’

‘But they showed it to me. I saw it.’

‘Hey, honey. Get a grip. It means nothing. It was copy sent by fax. It doesn’t prove a thing.

We have the original, the only thing is, we need to get the records straight.’

‘We sure do,’ she said without hesitation.

‘Both the names are wrong. Stefanis was not the father. How dare he even put his name there. Thank god he’s dead.’

‘So will Joe be a Sanderson or a Broderick?’

Brod asked cagily, and she could see by the look in his eyes that he wanted her to say Broderick.

But at that moment, Rosetta, the woman who’d been caring for their son over the last few months, walked in with Joe in her arms. It was obvious she’d become attached to her ward as her eyes were glistening.

He was wide-awake and gurgled happily when he spotted Katrina.

She took him and squeezed him as if she would never let him go. It felt like she’d given birth all over again, but this time to a healthy, six-month-old baby. Inhaling the glorious scent from his head, she broke into tears. Brod put his arms around them both.

‘I feel so made up,’ he whispered into Katrina’s ear. ‘This is our family.’

Jon joined the huddle and so did Tami, fixing herself overbearingly onto Brod, Katrina observed, while Sylvie busied herself collecting the nappy bag. Rosetta also handed over a box of baby formula and food to Gordon.

‘I never want to see this place again,’ said Katrina breaking up the hug because Joe was squirming in her arms. Tami still held onto Brod, but he shrugged her off.

After thanking Rosetta for all she’d done, they left without a backward glance.

They took two cabs. Katrina, Brod and Joe went to the town together to buy a pushchair, or stroller as Brod called it. The others went back to the hotel. ‘We’ve got to decide what we do next,’ said Brod after they’d finished shopping.

‘Your place or mine, or maybe an extended holiday? We deserve a break.’

‘You know I don’t have a home,’ Katrina pulled a face.

‘Technically, not true,’ said Brod. ‘Your husband, and yeah, I get that he was a bigamist, but he hasn’t yet been declared one, so as his widow and beneficiary, you have properties in Greece.’

‘Never want to go back to them,’ she said without hesitation. ‘Too many bad memories.’

They turned a corner as they walked slowly towards the hotel.

‘Why don’t we go to yours?’ she said.

‘It’s in a bad ass mess. Crazy place for a baby.’

‘We can sort it.’

‘Yeah, sure we can, but it will take a few weeks. I’d rather do that another day.’

‘Then why even suggest it?’

He shrugged. ‘Just wanted to know your take on things.’

‘So now you know! I want to be where you are. What about staying here? We could wait and see if Demas is charged with anything now he’s out of his coma. He did sort make Edward’s death happen, if you think about it. We’ve all given statements. It would be good to know how it pans out.’

‘Sure. Malta’s not a favourite stop over but it makes life easy and we could do with taking it easy for a while. Maybe I’ll ask if they’ve got a bigger room. Something with a sea view.

We’ve been stuck here far too long, making do because having Joe taken off us kinda put everything on hold.’

‘Did you ever think we’d lose him completely? I mean I did stupidly sign adoption papers,’ said Katrina recalling the moment she’d unwittingly signed away her rights to her son.

‘No. Never. You thought you were signing for a C-section. It was blatant deceit. And all written in Greek. It had to be sorted, that’s all. Gordy did it the best way to avoid having to go to court.

If that had happened, it would have got messy and drawn out and we wouldn’t have got Joe back so fast. This way, it was a done deal. Hey, and don’t forget, I hadn’t signed anything and I’m Joe’s pop.’

‘Pop! You’re not a pop, you’re a daddy,’ she slapped him on his arm; pop wasn’t a fatherly term at all, it reminded her of a fizzy drink.

‘Hey, that hurt. I’m sure as hell his pop.’

‘No way. I’ve got to keep some British standards.’

‘We’re not gonna fall out over this are we?’

Katrina frowned. ‘Hmm. Can we talk about it later?’

‘Why? Oh I get it, when we’re in bed.’

‘Something like that. Maybe while we’re, you know…’

He put the brake on the stroller and turned to face her.

‘At the point when I’ll agree to anything?’

‘Maybe,’ she slid her arms around his neck, closed her eyes and kissed him.

‘Maybe, Mr Broderick. Maybe,’ as her eyes opened, she caught sight of two people on the other side of the road. Even though they had their backs to her, she didn’t have to look twice to know who they were, and a shiver ran right through her.

‘What are they doing here?’ she said shrilly taking her eyes off them for a second to turn Brod around so he could see for himself.

‘Who?’ He grasped the stroller protectively reacting to her voice and checked that Joe was still there. ‘I can’t believe the Bradleys are stalking us. Assholes! ’ ‘No, not them,’ said Katrina, ‘Look!’

But it was too late. The pair had vanished.

‘Not the Bradleys?’ Brod clutched the handles of the stroller, flicked off the brake and began to push it swiftly in the direction of the hotel. ‘Honey, who else d’you know who’d scare the shit out of you like that?’

‘Ilona, and Nyssa,’ she matched his long strides to keep pace.

Her mind was in overdrive. Ilona was Stefanis’ true widow and Nyssa was the young Greek girl who looked after her.

Disfigured and wheelchair-bound, Ilona had taken on the persona of Annabella Panousis, Stefanis’ maid, whom he’d maintained was badly injured in the car accident that supposedly killed Ilona.

‘Are you sure?’

‘I’d know them anywhere. Ilona’s in a wheelchair for a start and Nyssa looks Greek from every which way.’

‘Well, I guess they’re here to see Demas.

Nyssa’s his wife, yeah? She’ll be here to support him.’

‘Maybe. But to turn up here like that with Ilona, as bold as brass. One thing’s for sure, Ilona must have false documents. She’s definitely not Anabella Panousis. You do believe me?’

‘Sure. No reason not to. Why wouldn’t I? Nothin’s changed. It’s what you told me and, hell Trina, it makes sense. I don’t know why anyone else has a problem with it. But I guess they want proof. I don’t need proof.’

Thankful for the way he stood by everything she said, she felt reassured. Jon was the only other person who believed her. Even her own mother doubted the truth and the police had laughed in her face when she’d told them that Stefanis’ first wife was alive and still legally married to him.

“Vardakastanis a bigamist!” They’d ridiculed her suggestion, especially as they couldn’t find anybody to back up her claim. But there were three people beside Katrina who could expose the lie: Ilona, Nyssa and Demas and they were all here, together, in Malta.

‘Trina, we’ve taken a wrong turn.’

‘Damn. I felt sure this was the right way. Shall we keep going or double back?’

She scanned the busy street to see if she recognised where they were.

‘If we were sailing, I’d keep going, but as we’re on dry land, I say go back.’ He turned the stroller around and Katrina followed, her mind back on the two women. She wondered what Nyssa’s feelings would be towards her now. It wasn’t that long ago that the two of them had been good friends and Nyssa had told her what really happened on the night that Stefanis, Ilona and English girl Abigail Chase, were in a car accident.

The Greek girl knew details that no one else could have guessed, and she was probably regretting every word she’d uttered. But words, once spoken, could never be undone.

Katrina remembered her father telling her that on many occasions when he was dealing with court cases and unexpected witnesses were called; the type who’d been ‘bought off’ for years before realising that people have moral obligations towards each other.

Nyssa had clearly reached that point when she realised she was the only person who could get Katrina out of a seriously abnormal situation and had let the truth spill. But if the girl reverted to lying, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to prove otherwise.

Arriving at the hotel, Katrina and Brod approached the reception, but came to an abrupt halt when they saw Ilona at the front desk with Nyssa standing behind her.

‘Jeez,’ said Brod. ‘Is that them? They’re booking in.’

‘Shit,’ said Katrina, ready to run back outside, but Brod wheeled the stroller into a side corridor.

‘Let’s wait till they’ve gone,’ he said, but Joe was stirring and he began to cry.

‘He needs feeding,’ said Katrina, picking him up to soothe him. ‘I can’t keep him quiet for long. You take him back to the room and get him fed, I’ll follow when they’ve gone. They won’t know who you are.’

Brod hesitated. Joe’s face crumpled. He would be screaming soon.

As cool as you like, and with Joe in his arms, Brod marched straight past the two women and called the lift. Within a minute he was gone.

Nyssa stared after him, then the unexpected happened – the two women headed straight for the corridor where Katrina was hiding. There was little she could do, so she turned away and started to fiddle with the pram, acting as if she was pacifying an infant. Surely they wouldn’t recognise her from behind.

It was perhaps the worst thing she could have done.

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| 67

LIFE

LOCKDOWN

How Verwood Concert Brass is coping Verwood Concert brass has become one of only eight current partner bands with Geneva instruments, which has helped to boost the band during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Benefits include the opportunity for players to try out (post the lockdown) the wonderful range of Geneva instruments, along with discounts on purchases and repairs. But it also brings practical help in the form of Geneva’s Performance and Development Artists who are all players at

the top of their game.

With no band rehearsals taking place at present, Verwood Concert Brass has already taken advantage of the artist support on offer.

Ian Harris, principal euphonium at Verwood Concert Brass and committee member who fostered the partnership with Geneva said, “We have been looking at ways of keeping the 100 or so members of the Verwood Concert Brass organisation engaged during the lockdown and like

most bands we have been busy making some virtual band videos. However, through our partnership with Geneva, the opportunity arose to try out using Zoom video conferencing to allow our players to see and hear one of their Performance and Development Artists, the fabulous euphonium player Glenn Van Looy.

“Glenn was brilliant, giving lots of hints and tips, with practical demonstrations on his euphonium and holding a Q&A session at the end. This went down so well we are taking advantage of holding further sessions with a few more of Geneva’s artists, namely Eb bass aficionado Joe Cook and cornet supremo Richard Marshall, with no doubt more to come. It has been a real boost to the band having the support of Geneva Instruments.”

General manager at Geneva Group, Dr L Brett Baker added, “We are delighted to welcome Verwood Concert Brass into our select group of partner bands; they have already utilised Glenn Van Looy in the form of an online workshop and we look forward to working more closely with them when restrictions are lifted.”

Top euphonium player, Glenn Van Looy, providing an online workshop to players from Verwood Concert Brass

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

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LIFE

Business in LOCKDOWN

Pubs go that extra mile in lockdown A number of Dorset-based Hall & Woodhouse Business Partner (tenanted) pubs have adapted their usual service to support the local community during the lockdown.

They include The Cock & Bottle in Morden and The Inn at Cranborne.

The Cock & Bottle is operating a popup shop from Monday to Saturday from 10am-12 noon.

Locals can phone ahead and order fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, dry goods and frozen food. Shoppers are given an allocated pick-up slot to collect their purchases, limiting the number of people in the shop to two at a time.

Paul Solway, owner of The Cock & Bottle, said, “There are many vulnerable people in the community who are unable to go out to the larger supermarkets.

Through our usual suppliers, we are able to order the basic essentials with a 24-hour turnaround, so we wanted to extend this facility to the whole village as it felt like the right thing to do.”

At The Inn at Cranborne, free meals are being offered to NHS workers and their families every Sunday; currently this can range from 30 to 40 roast dinners a week. A temporary takeaway service is also available seven days a week for lunch and dinner. The pub is also offering locals the opportunity to order fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and milk.

Matt Clark, owner of the Inn at Cranborne, explained, “We are doing our best to help our community, which has been reflected in the fair pricing of our takeaway options. The team at The Inn wants to bring a bit of cheer and support to our locals in these difficult times, so it’s great to be able to help people enjoy their favourite home-cooked dishes in the comfort of their own home.

“In addition, we are using this ‘downtime’ to deep clean and revamp our premises by creating a new outdoor kitchen and repainting the whole interior so that when we are given the go ahead by the Government to re-open our doors, we’ll be able to welcome everyone back to a great, fresh-looking pub.”

Takeaway orders for The Inn at Cranborne are received over the phone.

Customers are then given an allocated pick-up slot to ensure they practise social distancing. If people wish to remain in their cars, team members are able to place their

orders directly into the car boot.

Chris Chapman, head of Business Partnerships at Hall & Woodhouse, added, “It is great to see so many of our Business Partners supporting their local communities, especially the most vulnerable people during these difficult times. It is only by all of us working and supporting one another that we will come through this. That is why at Hall & Woodhouse we are committed to providing our Business Partners with the financial support and advice needed to help them through this period of uncertainty.”

Up to date information on delivery services, takeaway menus and grocery services are available on each pub’s Facebook pages or websites, or by telephoning the pub in question.

Hall & Woodhouse has confirmed its support of its Business Partner estate by cancelling all rent and service charges and suspending loan repayments for eight weeks from Sunday 22 March.

The Inn at Cranborne

The Cock and Bottle at Morden Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news please mention 4DORSET Magazine when you contact our advertisers

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LIFE

Exclusive

Business in LOCKDOWN

Challenging times for a voiceover artist

By Stevie Cripps As a self-employed voiceover and audio producer, I am no stranger to the ebband-flow of work, but things are more of a trickle these days since the arrival of COVID-19. The lockdown has affected the voiceover part of my business in several ways with companies closing down, budgets being slashed, launches delayed and advertising cancelled.

Actors who would have ordinarily worked on stage, in television or on film projects are now becoming voiceovers, setting up studios from their homes. This has saturated an already crowded market place at a time when work is at a minimum.

Even though I work in a diverse variety of creative sectors for voiceovers, as well as offering full audio production services, the level of work has dropped dramatically

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VIEWPOINT May 2020

across the board. The most significant impact has come from several customers terminating long-term contracts.

Being a director of my own company, there has been no support forthcoming from the government during the crisis.

Small, limited companies, such as mine are struggling to see a way through this and are feeling let down. While I appreciate there is not a limitless pot of money to help everyone, there is a chunk of businesses that has been overlooked for support at this time.

Another challenge that I – along with millions of others – are facing is homeschooling! With three school-age kids, and my wife working from home as well, it's the wobbliest balancing act I ever want to be a part of. From a business perspective, it's not conducive to finding and focusing on work, and sneaking out to the studio to get

some peace and quiet is – according to my wife – is cheating (unless of course I am recording).

On a serious note, though, I do at times feel the strain. When I don't have much work, I find it hard not to think about it outside of working hours. Together with Natalie Cooper, a voiceover colleague, I have looked at alternative ways to fill my time.

We have now created a website dedicated to the provision of calming voices, and I am in the process of writing music for relaxation purposes.

This is an exciting and positive new venture and brings some confidence that my business can diversify and ride out this storm. While continuing to support long-term customers, I look forward to welcoming new ones and seeing where this journey will take me.

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Colten Care staff put on a show at Linden House, Lymington

VE Day 75 The planned VE Day 75 commemorative events on 8 May went largely by the wayside because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it didn’t stop people getting out and enjoying socially distanced street parties from their front gardens, or care homes getting into the spirit of the day. Here are a handful of photographs to prove it.

Residents at Colten Care’s Kingfishers, New Milton

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Treehopper found in West Moors Plantation Photo Š Louis Pulford