Cover Story By Robin Mills

was sold to Carlton Television, so I found myself on the board of Central Television PLC, overseeing £12million of TV production from the Midlands as its new Controller of Programmes. Within four years, I fell on my sword, escaping the claustrophobia of the corporate world for ever. In August 2003, Emma and I uprooted our family from London and settled in Charmouth. We knew no-one: everything slowed, I took 6 months off, spent time with the girls (now 3, 5 and 7) and rediscovered the person trapped within the corporate carapace. Perhaps like many who recently dropped off the working hamster-wheel after lock-down, I pressed my life’s re-set button and felt re-born: walking, seaswimming and living a present-tense life with my kids. We discovered a wonderful close-knit community of families around Charmouth Primary School and created the “Charmouth Fat Dads”—an unofficial men’s group of 40-somethings who playfully organised fun, outdoor events for families, the kids and each other. Now I realised there was another way to live.

The only work I undertook in that first year in Dorset was to help a young Geordie lad make his first film about an extraordinary character called Jonny Kennedy. The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off was shown on Channel 4 in 2004 to a stunned audience of five million. It raised almost £500,000 for charity, won 17 awards including a BAFTA, Grierson, RTS and International Emmy and was voted by Channel 4 as “the sixth best documentary ever”. Proof that returning to powerful, meaningful, human film-making was where I belonged.

Over 16 years, I’ve made many films remotely from my Dorset haven. After producing the BBC feature dramadoc Wainwright: The Man Who Loved The Lakes, it rekindled my childhood memories of The Lake District. With TV presenter Julia Bradbury, this led to eight BBC walking series including

© Eric Harwood Photograph by Robin Mills

Wainwright Walks and Coast To Coast, as well as two ITV series of Britain’s Best Walks—including the Colmer’s Hill & Golden Cap walk—still repeated now. With my current company, Heart & Soul Films, we shot the Ming Dynasty Great Wall of China from the Yellow Sea to the Gobi Desert for our BBC4 film—A Slow Odyssey: The Great Wall of China.

I feel privileged to walk this wonderful land, travel the globe and come back to Dorset to edit my adventures. But what I’ve learnt is that my family is my best production ever… it’s them I am most proud of: Ella, 24, working in Paris fashion; Holly, 22, getting a First at LSE in Politics & International Relations and Rosie, 20, studying Politics at King’s College Cambridge and my ever-patient, clever wife Emma, an accomplished therapist, tutor and counsellor for young people in West Dorset. As the song says… “I’m a

lucky man”. ’

In his audio interview with Seth Dellow, West Dorset MP, Chris Loder mentions the silver linings around the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He points to what he sees as a completely new approach to how communities support each other. We have all seen or heard about the broad range of acts of kindness and support shown by those around us over the last nine months. That community cooperation—so apparent during the last war—seems completely at odds with the anger and unkindness that sometimes seeps from digital forums onto the streets and national media. So much so that it’s easy to forget just how human and caring most people are. We are often told by authorities that those who wish to cause upheaval, discontent or terrorist carnage within a society—especially one trying to cope with one of the biggest disasters of our time—are in a very small minority. Looking through this issue there are many reminders of that truth. There is much to celebrate about hospitality and decency within the wider local community. George Streatfeild, as the current High Sheriff of Dorset, has been visiting charities and organisations around the county giving awards and highlighting some of those that should be thanked for their work before and during the pandemic. In an interview in this issue he also points to the value of bringing different groups together, something that is often easier to do in the middle of a disaster. Jess Morency, in her article ‘19 Silver Linings’ features residents in her village of Piddlehinton. She talks of flower posies made for key workers; local food delivered to those in need and the opera singer who entertained the village with a half-hour concert each week. One of the younger residents, Imani, highlights the environment—a mantel that has been grasped by her generation from those that have voiced their warnings over decades. Imani echoes the often mentioned observation that lockdown and the pandemic have given many people pause for further thought about how we deal with environmental issues. Another resident says of the village: ‘people here are so good. Really, they’ve all just been marvellous.’ It’s a sentiment that has been heard in towns and villages all across the country and something that is worth remembering as we enter the darker days of a winter with challenges well beyond anything most of us have experienced. It may seem odd then to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, but surely that has to be the goal.

Fergus Byrne

Published Monthly and distributed by Marshwood Vale Ltd Lower Atrim, Bridport Dorset DT6 5PX

For all Enquiries Tel: 01308 423031 info@marshwoodvale. com Editorial Director Fergus Byrne

Deputy Editor Victoria Byrne

Design Fergus Byrne

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Cover Story By Robin Mills

Event News and Courses

Chris Loder audio interview By Seth Dellow Shire Reeve By Fergus Byrne Orcombe Point By Philip Strange A Century of Sights & Sounds By Margery Hookings 19 Silver Linings By Jess Morency Hercule Poirot’s Christmas By Cecil Amor

News & Views

Laterally Speaking By Humphrey Walwyn

32 32 34 36

House & Garden

Vegetables in December By Ashley Wheeler December in the Garden By Russell Jordan Property Round Up By Helen Fisher

38 Food & Dining 38 Clove Grilled Mandarins with Stilton

By Lesley Waters 40 Squash Curry By Mark Hix 41 The Salmon Alternative By Nick Fisher

42 42 44 48 49 50 51 52

Arts & Entertainment Philip Sutton RA at St. Michael’s Galleries

Rural Voices By Louisa Adjoa Parker The Lit Fix By Sophy Roberts Young Lit Fix By Antonia Squire Screen Time By Nic Jeune Lifting Spirits By Bruce Harris

54 Health & Beauty 56 Services & Classified

“Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.”

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Contributors

Cecil Amor Seth Dellow Helen Fisher Nick Fisher Richard Gahagan Bruce Harris Margery Hookings Mark Hix Nic Jeune Russell Jordan Robin Mills Jess Morency Louisa Adjoa Parker Sophy Roberts Philip Strange Antonia Squire Humphrey Walwyn Lesley Waters Ashley Wheeler

The views expressed in The Marshwood Vale Magazine and People Magazines are not necessarily those of the editorial team. Unless otherwise stated, Copyright of the entire magazine contents is strictly reserved on behalf of the Marshwood Vale Magazine and the authors. Disclaimer: Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of dates, event information and advertisements, events may be cancelled or event dates may be subject to alteration. Neither Marshwood Vale Ltd nor People Magazines Ltd can accept any responsibility for the accuracy of any information or claims made by advertisers included within this publication.

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