Marshwood+ April 2023

Marsh wo o d

© Simon Deverell

Photograph by Robin Mills

Iwas a babe in arms when my family moved to Vancouver on the west coast of Canada from Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex. I spent the next 11 years of my boyhood in Canada, loving all it had to offer, the space, nature and school were all great. Seeing it as a land of opportunity, my parents had been excited to try a new life there. In the travel business, my dad was one of a circle of friends and business colleagues who had also moved there. Dad’s work allowed us to fly frequently—he had a briefcase full of blank tickets he could fill in on arrival at the airport. I loved that, once spending an entire transatlantic flight on the flight deck with the crew. My mum was doing an MA at the University of British Columbia, and for a while we lived on campus; I took full advantage of the facilities there, and the freedom that came with it.

Although my parents loved Vancouver, there were aspects of their lives they eventually began to miss. Family connections particularly, and some of the familiarities of English life like the pubs which we take for granted. The cultural differences were bigger back then. So back to Sussex we came. As an 11-year-old kid with a Canadian accent I stood out at school, the novelty accent (which very quickly disappeared) made me ‘interesting’. We eventually set up home at Shoreham Beach, my Mum and Dad, my sister, me, and a dog called Herman, and a new life of enjoying the seaside began. I soon became addicted to the sea, boats and fishing. My

Robin Mills went to Bridport to meet Simon Deverell

© Simon Deverell Photograph by Robin Mills

Simon Deverell

Mum would drop me off at the harbour arm, and my friend and I’d be there all night fishing, two 13-year-old lads with no phones and only some old guys for company! In those days it all seemed perfectly ok.

Secondary school really didn’t go well for me. Trying to integrate with a new education system was a struggle. Schooling in Vancouver, which is bilingual, meant I was nearly fluent in French, but I fell behind in every other subject, and did not get ignited by learning in any way. I disliked the teachers, they disliked me, and I left school with one GCSE just as the school was closing for good. But I then went to 6th form college, which I enjoyed. I maybe got one more GCSE, but more importantly there were teachers who were interested in me, and they inspired me. My uncle Budge had a small graphic design studio in Shoreham where I would hang out, and I became interested in the design and production processes. It was all precomputers, and I began to see how the one subject, art, I had been inspired by at school could fit into that world. I managed to get on a foundation course for a diploma in Art and Design in Brighton, and I did that by begging, and borrowing. (Begging them to admit me and borrowing some portfolio work from my sister). There was an excellent tutor, who both encouraged and disciplined me, and I started to grow a real passion for graphic design. After the diploma course, I managed to get on a degree course at the London College of Printing. Some freelance design work before that in Brighton was valuable experience and helped me develop my interest in the commercial side of art and design. On reflection, I often feel very fortunate to have been able to study a subject I loved and have as a result enjoyed my work so much throughout my life. That good fortune also extends to the many amazing people I’ve worked with, and the entrepreneurial spirit that I can thank my family for.

In my second year at London College of Printing I discovered the Computer Room. Most of the work we did was by hand, using silk screen, hot metal press and learning all the manual typographic techniques, but Mac computers had recently appeared, which although slow and clunky, were able to design artwork which could very quickly be turned into print. Once we’d

started to use them, the way we worked changed completely, and having acquired one for myself (thanks, Mum and Dad), I began to get freelance and collaborative work. So having grown up with a foundation in graphic design using traditional methods, I began putting it into practice using computers and design software— QuarkXpress became my best friend.

Having moved back to Brighton from London in 1996, I began to work more and more for design agencies, some of whom were showing interest in websites. Companies were moving away from displaying their wares in printed brochures to the whole online concept. I persuaded my boss to let me spend a day a week learning about how the internet worked and began designing websites. There was a business just down the road in Brighton called Victoria Real—I wasn’t sure what they did but it seemed really cool—who were experimenting in interactive television. I nagged them endlessly until they gave me a job, joining a team of about 20 people. And now, one of those people, Rob Love, is my business partner and co-founder of Crowdfunder, and I remain good friends with people I worked with at that time. That job was quite an experience. They were techy, I was creative, a good combination. We set up systems which enabled bookmakers, insurance companies, UEFA, the National Lottery, and many more to transact business with customers using their TV’s and remote controls, as well as online. We grew from a team of 20 odd to over 200 people—at one stage we were the fastest growing company in the UK, culminating in enabling the first ever truly digitally interactive TV show, Big Brother. The immediate success and scale of that planted a seed, a realisation that design and technology can be used to create behavioural change, through a combination of storytelling, real world events, and interactivity. All of course now having become the norm. This was in 2000, well before any social media existed. However, the next year, 2001, 9/11 happened, the bubble burst and everything started to fall away in that industry. We were acquired by a big London company, and at that point I decided I didn’t want to do it anymore, left and formed my own design agency.

We had approached Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his TV company about how we could help develop his River Cottage

brand beyond the TV series. That work enabled us (my then wife and I) to move here to Bridport with our 2 children. The work for River Cottage expanded considerably and led to doors being opened to work with Jamie Oliver and others, such as campaigns with Channel 4, like Fish Fight, for which we got around a million signatures which we then took to Brussels to change the laws on fish discards. These campaigns helped me decide I didn’t want to work for commercial clients again, or at least in the same way. The experience sparked the idea of providing people with the means to bring about the change they want, in their communities, as opposed to just the causes we were highlighting. With this thinking, Crowdfunder began to take shape. The idea soon proved successful; one early notable campaign raised £40k in about 24 hours… so we quickly realised that all our efforts at the agency should now be focussed on Crowdfunder. We are now a team of around 45 people, widely based but mostly around here and in Cornwall.

Making Bridport my home was about much more than work. I needed to find more space and a calmer pace, and it’s only when you get past Bournemouth heading this way along the south coast you begin to find that. Since moving here, my mother and my sister have followed. Alfie and Dulcia, my older children, have had brilliant schooling locally, but they now crave more opportunities for younger people, and they are forging their own paths nearer the action.

There’s an amazingly creative community in Bridport, a diverse array of people from here and away. I’ve made life friends and have other fascinating opportunities outside of my day job, recently becoming a trustee of a startup charity, The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares. To stay calm, I have also re-connected with the water—spending time alone and with the family on our tiny boat. My wonderful wife Joanna is from Clapton here in Marshwood Vale; she’s the mother of our chirpy little boy Caspar, who’s into tractors and monster trucks. ’

© Simon Deverell

Photograph by Robin Mills

Deep fake photographs of Donald Trump being arrested and pass grade answers to the Uniform Bar Exam are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to distort the information we consume today. It’s now many years since I first became disillusioned with how easily the internet could be used to corrupt, and many more years since I had been a vocal advocate of the potential of this exciting thing we first called the World Wide Web. I still believe that as a force for good it has unlimited value. However, years of unscrupulous manipulation, disinformation, misinformation and algorithm induced rabbit holes have made it a minefield for many users. The latest rush by tech heavyweights to grab a share of the potentially lucrative AI market has all the hallmarks of yet more disastrous use of brilliant opportunities. I’ve watched the progress of San Francisco start-up Open AI since a friend’s son described it as a ‘game changer’ about a year ago. In recent months it has received a lot of attention because of its ability to write convincingly about whatever subject it is asked to. Last week I asked it what are the dangers posed by AI? Its answer stated that apart from the potential for massive job losses and the dangers of nefarious interference, it could also be programmed to carry out malicious tasks autonomously, without the need for human input. This could include activities such as collecting sensitive data or manipulating financial markets. It suggested that the biggest danger is that ‘it is able to learn and evolve on its own, without an established set of parameters or boundaries.’ This means that it can potentially make decisions that could cause harm to humans or the environment. For example, an AI system could make decisions that lead to the destruction of the environment, or to the misuse of resources. It could be used to create autonomous weapons—systems that can use AI to make decisions without any human input. These aren’t my opinions—these are its own predictions. So I asked it whether it would ever mislead me. It began its reply with the words: ‘Hand on heart…’

Fergus Byrne

Editorial Director

Fergus Byrne

Deputy Editor

Victoria Byrne

Design People Magazines Ltd

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Fergus Byrne info@marshwoodvale.com

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EVENTS

April

AND COURSES

31 March

Zoe Schwarz: Blue Commotion Expect an exciting evening of refreshed blues with eclectic arrangements, virtuosic playing and vocal prowess. Strong catchy riffs and exciting grooves, Zoe Schwarz mixes old school tradition with contemporary verve and sophistication. Concert starts 19:30, bar available. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £18. To book: 01460 54973. https:// www.ilminsterartscentre.com/music.

Voices of Hope Beautiful songs from around the world taught in harmony. Group is accessible to all ages and abilities. £5 suggested donation per session. Very relaxed atmosphere, uplifting and fun. No singing experience necessary. Drop in 11am to 12am Borough Gardens Bridport near Buckydoo Square (benches in gardens for those who need to sit or rest) If it is very wet we sing in The Unitarian Chapel in the Garden on East Street Bridport Jane Silver Corren 07887675161 janesilvercorren@gmail.com.

Women Talking (15) 7.30pm Sarah Polley’s unflinching drama follows a group of Mennonite women who must protect their colony following a discovery of systemic abuse. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050.

Katherine Crouch winner of BBC Gardener of the year in 1999, BBC Gardener of the Decade in 2008 and a Gold at Chelsea Flower Show in 2013 - will be giving a talk in WInsham village hall entitled New Tricks for Old Gardeners. Starting at 7.30pm tickets will be £3.50 for members and £5 for non members and tea, coffee & cake will be available. The society is also organising a morning workshop with Charles Dowding (google him he’s a very forward thinking gardener) at his garden in Alhampton on Sunday May 14th. Tickets are £20 and spaces are limited so if you are interested and want to reserve one or need information on either of these events please contact Debbie 01460 432815. East Devon Ramblers 10.00am. 5 mile leisurely walk. Musbury. ‘Lanes, paths, hills, views’. Phone 07522-417682

Sew Your Own Bunting at Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Create some fun bunting to decorate a special event such as a family get-together at Easter, the Coronation in May, or for a sunny summer party. 10:00-13:00. Cost: £25 + £5 materials. To book: 01460 54973. https://www.ilminsterartscentre.com/ workshops.

1 April

Axminster and District Choral Society will be performing the UK premiere of a rediscovered work by CPE Bach. The concert, featuring professional soloists and orchestra, takes place at the Minster Church, Axminster at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12 and £15 from Archway Books, Trinity Square, Axminster, by phoning 01404 41907, or on-line at www.axminsterchoral.co.uk.

Cattistock Point-to-Point Horse and Pony Racing at Chilfrome, near Maiden Newton (signed off A356). Licensed bar, local food, Bookies, stalls, childrens entertainment. Early Bird e-tickets £12.50 www.pointingwessex.co.uk. £15.00 on the day, under 16 free. First race 1.00 p.m. Come and enjoy a day in beautiful countryside.

Chideock WI will be hosting a talk by PaulAtterbury entitled Eastern Dreams: Britain’s Fascinations with the Orient. 7.00pm

in Chideock Village Hall. Tickets £5.00 in advance available from Janet Carey 01297 489782. Email - chideockwi@gmail.com. The Friends of Weymouth Library (F.O.W.L.) talk at 10-30a.m. will be by Graham Perry on the History of Parks and Gardens in Melcombe Regis, stretching from the Alexandra Gardens to Lodmoor. Tickets from the Library at £2 for members and £3 for non-members. All welcome. Refreshments provided.

‘Till’ (12A) Picnic Night Screening, 6.30pm, screening 7.30pm, tickets: Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. ‘Till’ tells the heartbreaking true story of the historic lynching of 14 year old Emmett Till – for whistling at a white woman in Money, Mississippi in 1955 –through the eyes of his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person TueThur 10am - 1pm.

Cantamus presents ‘On wings of song’, beautiful choral music for spring. St Mary’s Church, Edward Road, Dorchester DT1 2HJ at 7pm. Tickets £10 on the door.

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 6 mile walk from Musbury. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Scottish Dancing Party in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 - 10.30 p.m. No partner required. Please bring your own mug and a plate of food to share. Tea and coffee provided. Cost £5.00 Contact David on 01460 65981 www.chardscottishdancingclub.org

Spring Plant and Gardening Fair 10:30am – 3:00pm. Packed with inspiration and ideas for the Spring garden we will be hosting the Spring Plant Fair with specialist nurseries selling plants and gardening sundries. Special Entry fee of £5 per adult and children under 15 free. Forde Abbey and Gardens Chard TA20 4LUwww.fordeabbey.co.uk – 01460 221290.

Moscow Drugs Club 8pm A curious musical place where elements of Berlin Cabaret, Latin Tinge, French musette and storytelling meet. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ www.beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050 Wootton Fitzpaine social club Easter Bingo, Wootton fitzpaine village hall, Eyes down 7.30, Info 01297 560913.

1 - 2 April

Mike Nicholls - Art Exhibition “100” Local artist returning to exhibit a range of paintings inspired by the sea and various nearby landscapes. 10am - 4pm. Merriott Village Hall (TA16 5QH). www. mikenicholls.org.uk.

1 - 30 April

Tulip Festival Enjoy our spectacular display of 50,000 tulips in the 30 acres of Gardens at Forde Abbey and Gardens for the whole month of April. Usual entry fee applies. Please check our website for more information. Forde Abbey and Gardens. Chard TA20 4LU - www.fordeabbey.co.uk – 01460 221290

2 April

East Devon Ramblers 10.00am 8 mile leisurely walk. Park Estate. ‘Which way this time’. Phone 01392-214430.

3 April

Meeting Townswomen’s Guild 2 p.m. Heather and Peter Foster who will be talking about The Swanage Railway. Dorchester

EVENTS AND COURSES

Community Church, Poundbury. Visitors £2.50. Tea and coffee available. Enquiries 01305 832857.

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, then come along to our dance sessions in the W.I. Hall on Monday evenings from 7.15pm9.30pm. All welcome, especially beginners. Occasional live music, and always a caller to explain the dances. Tel: 863552 or 459001 for more information.

West Dorset Flower Club are having a talk by Carrie Diamond on WAFA India. This will take place at the WI Hall in North Street, Bridport at 2.30 pm. visitors £5. For further details please contact the secretary on 01308 456339.

Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Village Hall 7.30-10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £2.00. Contact David on 01460 65981. www. chardscottishdancingclub.org.

4 April

Scottish Country dancing at Ashill village hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for drinks and biscuits. Please wear soft , flat comfy shoes if possible. £3.00 per evening. All abilities welcome including beginners, so why not come along and join us ?. For further information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com

5 April

East Devon Ramblers 10.00am. 7 mile leisurely walk. Kilmington. ‘Kilmington woods and fields’. Phone 07966-451875.

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater for soprano, alto, cello and organ. St John the Baptist Church, Hawkchurch E13 5XD at 7pm. Admission free with a retiring collection.

Scottish Country Dancing at 7.30 Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. First evening free, thereafter £2.00 which includes tea, coffee, squash and cake. Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

6 April

Join us and local Devon Shanty Men, The Chantry Buoys, for an evening of their favourite sea shanties, and other well known songs of the sea. Come along and join in with the fun, it is a free event and the bar will be open for local drinks and soft drinks too. Marine Theatre Lyme Regis. The Buoys start at 7.30pm, doors open at 7pm, and all proceeds go to local charities. Tel 07761 469676.

Our Little Sister (2015, Japan, PG, S/titles, 126 mins, Director: Hirokazu Koreeda) After the death of their estranged father, three siblings (Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho) invite their halfsister (Suzu Hirose) to live with them. Doors 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm start. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall (TA18 8PS).). Membership £25, guests £5 per film. Contact mickpwilson53@btinternet.com or ring Mick Wilson on 01460 74849 or Di Crawley on 01460 30508.

St Michael’s Scottish Country Dancing Club 7.30 - 9.30pm Davis Hall, West Camel BA227QX £2.00 07972125617 www.

stmichaelsscdclub.org also 13th,20th, 27th April.

Colyton Town History Walks at 2pm from Colyton Dolphin Street Car Park. Guided Walk, Cost £4, childdren under 16 free. Group Bookings by arrangement, £5 per head, phone 01297 552514 or 01297 33406 also 13th, 20th and 27th April

Folk dancing at Combe St Nicholas village hall (TA20 3LT)

Caller Simon Maplesden and band Jeroka will be providing the moves and music. at 1930 hrs. It’s £4.00 per person which includes a cuppa and cake, all welcome and it is a lot of fun! Further details from Elaine on 01460 65909.

Tatworth Flower Club at 2pm, at Tatworth Memorial Hall. We have a demonstrator from Dorset, Philippa Louden. Her title is Modern Again ! All the arrangements are raffled and we sell hot drinks and cake afterwards. All welcome. Non members £6 and doors open at 1.30pm. Enquires, Julie Kettle 01934 248536. Our Little Sister (2015, Japan, PG, S/titles, 126 mins, Director: Hirokazu Koreeda). After the death of their estranged father, three siblings (Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho) invite their half-sister (Suzu Hirose) to live with them. Doors 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm start. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall (TA18 8PS) Membership £25, guests £5 per film. Contact mickpwilson53@ btinternet.com or ring Mick Wilson on 01460 74849 or Di Crawley on 01460 30508.

“A Propagation Demo” 2.30pm, Morcombelake Gardening Club - A demonstration by Philip Gamble, JH Hall, Morcombelake, J Coates 01297 678303.

Flute Theatre Company Pericles 5pm (special performance for people with autism and displaced by war) 5pm & 8pm Shakespeare’s lesser-known story of loss, storms and miraculous reunions, makes this beautiful romantic play a timely experience for all audiences in our modern world. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www.beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404

384050

7 April

Tulip Festival Enjoy our spectacular display of 50,000 tulips in the 30 acres of Gardens at Forde Abbey and Gardens for the whole month of April. Usual entry fee applies. Please check our website for more information. Forde Abbey and Gardens. Chard TA20 4LU - www.fordeabbey.co.uk – 01460 221290. The Fablemans (12A) - 7:30pm Steven Spielberg’s most personal film, loosely based on his childhood. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www.beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050.

Beaminster Museum opens for the summer 2023 season at 10.30am. The display this summer highlights the importance of “Apples, orchards and cider”, from times past when cider was included as part of labourers’ wages to the modern cider enterprises using our most suitable soils. Learn about the role of apples and orchards in the economic and social life of Beaminster and area. Even today, annual juice production is about 1.25 million litres or 2.2 million pints. This is a lot of cider! New familyfriendly activities for 2023. Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Bank Holidays 10.30am – 4.00pm, Sundays 2.00pm - 4.30pm.

EVENTS AND COURSES

April

Free entry. Visit www.beaminstermuseum.co.uk for further information.

Voices of Hope 11am to 12am Borough Gardens Bridport near Buckydoo Square (benches in gardens for those who need to sit or rest) If it is very wet we sing in The Unitarian Chapel in the Garden on East Street Bridport Jane Silver Corren 07887675161 janesilvercorren@gmail.com.

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater for soprano, alto, cello and organ. Lyme Regis Parish Church at 2pm. Admission free with a retiring collection.

Waffle Live Presents: Fly Yeti Fly Wiltshire-based acoustic duo Lorna Somerville and Darren Fisher. Blending sensitive vocal harmonies with intricate guitar arrangements, mandolin and harmonica, the duo weave songs and stories from their travels together, with a sound that is reminiscent of the late-’60s folk scene. 19:30, The Community Waffle House, First Floor, Trinity House, Trinity Square, Axminster EX13 5AP. To enquire or book a table either call 01297 34694 or email bookings@waffle.org.uk. Standing room available, walk-ins welcome, but booking strongly recommended for table seating.

Easter Trail and ‘Hop’(U) Family Film Screening, Trail from

11.30am, screening at 2pm, tickets Trail £1 on the door, film –adults £7.50, under 16s £6.50. Join us for an Easter Trail around the town followed by the screening of the Easter Family Film ‘Hop’. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

East Devon Ramblers 10.00am. 6 mile moderate walk. East Budleigh. ‘Heathland and ponds’. Phone 07780-638350.

7 - 10 April

Artists showing Laura Boyd, Penny Silverthorne, Cynthia Boult, Rowan Turnbull plus other local artist and crafters. Raising money for local homeless charity GATEWAY through the sale of refreshments including delicious homemade cakes. Colaton Raleigh Village Hall near Sidmouth. 10 am to 5 pm each day More information from Laura 07770 809571.

Beatrix Potter Easter Trail Forde Abbey 10.30am - 4pm. Join Mrs Tiggy Winkle and her friends for fun and acrivities in our beautiful gardens

8 April

Ant-Man and The Wasp- Quantumania (12A) Family Picnic Night Screening, doors 6pm, screening 7pm, tickets: Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. Super-Hero partners Scott Lang and Hope Van

Dyne return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and The Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents, the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm. Yarcombe Village Market 10-12noon. Fantastic local produce – Cakes, Plants, Pies and Pasties, Fresh Eggs, Pottery, Crafts and lots more…. Come and have a browse and enjoy coffee and cake, Yarcombe village hall EX14 9BN Any queries 07858625421. Avatar: The Way of Water (12A) - 1pm & 6pm Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www.beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

9 April

Yeovil Railway Centre Yeovil Junction BA22 9UU: first of two Easter Train Days, with Peter Rabbit and Easter Egg trail. 01935 410420 for recorded information, website www.yeovilrailway. freeservers.com or find us on Facebook.

10 April

Hawkchurch Film Nights in association with Devon Moviola, proudly presents ‘Living’ (102 mins, Cert. 12 - moderate sex references). Bill Nighy gives an Oscar-nominated performance as a staid, emotionally withdrawn 1950s local government official who receives news which compels him to rethink his outlook on life. From Kazuo Ishiguro’s (‘The Remains of the Day’) adapted screenplay (also Oscar-nominated). Doors open 6.30pm, film starts 7.00pm at Hawkchurch Village Hall, EX13 5XD. Ticket reservations £5.50 from csma95@gmail.com or leave a message on 01297 678176 (socially-distanced seating available if reserved in advance); tickets also available for £5.50 from Hawkchurch Community Shop or £6.00 on the door (cash only). Subtitles for the hard-of-hearing provided. Home-made cake and other delicious refreshments available.

11 April

Scottish Country dancing at Ashill village hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for drinks and biscuits. Please wear soft , flat comfy shoes if possible. £3.00 per evening. For further information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com

12 April

Scottish Country Dancing at 7.30 at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. First evening free, thereafter £2.00, which includes soft drinks, tea, coffee and biscuits. Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

12 - 13 April

Living (12A) For all its visual flair and artful writing, “Living” is Nighy’s showcase. [He] offers a masterclass in understatement as a man long defined by tradition, dignity and responsibility. (review Rotten Tomatoes). Doors open 6.45 film starts 7.15 on Wednesday. Matinee on Thursday doors open 1.45pm film starts 2pm, advance booking required for this matinee, cream-teas served during the interval but must be pre-booked with your seats @

EVENTS IN MAY

Live or Online send your event details to info@marshwoodvale.com

BY APRIL 14TH

EVENTS AND COURSES

April

£3.50. Pre-booked seat tickets @ £5 or £5.50 on the door. Tickets can be pre-booked by email: wattsjohn307@gmail.com or Tel: 01297 639758 see www.kilmingtonvillage.com/other-organisations. html for more information.

13 April

Old Chard in Photos from Craig’s entensive collection 7.30pm Upstairs at the Pheonix Members £2.50 Guests very welcome £3.50 Contact Chris 07943 170052.

Dance Connection restorative movement £12, 7:15pm, Bridport St Mary’s CHH DT6 3NN, 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@gmail.com

Talk on Dorset Bridges – Spanning the Ages A journey along the rivers, highways and byways of Dorset, by Bernard Paull, who will also be presenting his latest book. At Bridport WI Hall, North Street, from 2.30pm. In support of Bridport Millennium Green. £5/members £4 to include tea and biscuits. Details Sandra Brown, 01308 423078.

Chesil Bank Writing Shed Do you write? Would you like to be a writer? Whatever you want to write come and learn with our creative writing group. New writers always welcome. 7pm - 9pm, Portesham Village Hall. Find out more by calling Linda on 01305 871802.

Seaton Garden Club A talk by Andrea Rye of Coombes Garden Centre, entitled The Dark side of Plants. 2.30 p.m. at Seaton Masonic Hall. None members £2.00 including refreshments. For details 01297 22869. (it is a five digit number). Come and Create your own Lego Off-Road Vehicle Axminster Heritage Centre Silver Street, Axminster, EX13 5AH. Using the motors and Lego bricks provided come and create your own off-road vehicle. Then help create a bumpy terrain for all the cars to be tested on. The workshop is 2 hours long and we expect each child to have an adult present to build with them and create a family experience (one adult could supervise more than one child). Who is it for: Children Aged 7-12 (with an adult) Price - £7 per participant (both adult and child) All you need to bring along is your imagination and design skills You can book either the morning session, 10.30-12.30, or the afternoon session 1.30pm until 3.30pm For further information check our website (www. axminsterheritage.org) or email info@axminmsterheritage.org. Places are limited and booking in advance is recommended

14 April

Dragonboy Productions present ‘Tales From A Thousand and One Nights’ Live Family theatre, doors 6.30pm, show 7pm, tickets Adults £12 Under 16s £10, Family £40 ( 2 adults + 2 children. Recommended for age 10+. With their stylish brand of ensemble storytelling, puppetry, mask and live music, Dragonboy Productions breathe new life into some of the funniest and most entertaining folk tales found in The Arabian Nights. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person TueThur 10am - 1pm.

What’s Love Got To Do With It (12A) 2:15pm (Lunch available as an additional option) & 7:30pm How do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe

(Lily James), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr. Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www. beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050.

Waffle Live Presents: Open Mic, It’s the 2nd Friday of the month… anyone and everyone welcome! Email live@waffle.org.uk if you’re an act and want to book a spot… or just turn up! 19:30, The Community Waffle House, First Floor, Trinity House, Trinity Square, Axminster EX13 5AP. To enquire or book a table either call 01297 34694 or email bookings@waffle.org.uk. Standing room available, walk-ins welcome, but booking strongly recommended for table seating.

Ile Valley Flower Club meet at Broadway Village Hall close to Ilminster. This month Helen Strickland from Blackshed Flower Farm Sherborne will show pictures of the work they do growing there own Flowers for Florist. Starts at 2 pm doors open 1.30pm. All welcome £6 for visitors.

Family Bingo South Perrott Village Hall (A356), Doors open at 6pm for eyes down at 6:30pm. Refreshments and raffle. In aid of St Mary’s Church Roof Fund. Enquiries: 01935 891224.

Voices of Hope Beautiful songs from around the world taught in harmony. Group is accessible to all ages and abilities. £5 suggested donation per session. Very relaxed atmosphere, uplifting and fun. No singing experience necessary. Drop in 11am to 12am Borough Gardens Bridport near Buckydoo Square (benches in gardens for those who need to sit or rest) If it is very wet we sing in The Unitarian Chapel in the Garden on East Street Bridport Jane Silver Corren 07887675161 janesilvercorren@gmail.com

Cinechard at Chard Guildhall Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start - time to get a cup of tea or coffee and some sweeties before the start of Living which stars national treasure Bill Nighy. Bring tissues! Tickets from Eleos, Barron’s and the PO in advance for £5 and £2.50 or from ticketsource/ cinechard, or on the door for £6 and £3. Don’t forget - attend 6 films, get your ticket stamped and attend the 7th film free!

Graham Smith’s Shades of Jazz Expect a varied selection of Dixieland, Revivalist, Trad, Swing and popular jazz tunes with dazzling instrumental features from members of the band. Concert starts 19:30, bar available. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £18. To book: 01460 54973. https://www. ilminsterartscentre.com/performances.

East Devon Ramblers 10.00am. 5 mile moderate walk. ‘Three trails around Pilsdon Pen’. Phone 07966-300919.

14

- 16 April

Sherborne Travel Writing Festival curated by Rory MacLean, will be the first travel literature festival to be held in the UK in recent years. At its heart is the idea – and the timely theme – of reaching for the horizon. There will be 10 talks over 3 days, including local travel writer, Sophy Robers. From 5pm Friday to 5pm Sunday. Powell Theatre, Sherborne. www. sherbornetravelwritingfestival.com

15 April

Rosalie - A One-Woman Play Pleasure Dome Theatre in

partnership with the National Trust present ROSALIE: A new one-woman play inspired by Rosalie Chichester (1865-1949): Scientist, Photographer, Explorer, Collector, and unapologetic eccentric, exploring the pressures of female identity and familial responsibility in Victorian England. Performance starts 19:30, bar available. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £12. To book: 01460 54973. https://www.ilminsterartscentre.com/ performances.

Storytelling workshop at Membury Village Hall EX13 7AF from 2pm to 5pm. Led by the talented storyteller Clare Viner, we’ll delve into the fascinating history of Membury village, its landscape, river, medicinal plants, and folklore. Clare will guide you through her storytelling process and help you create your very own local tale. Do bring along any maps, anecdotes, place names, or objects that inspire you. This free workshop which is through the Devon arts charity ‘Villages in Action’ is perfect for anyone who loves a good yarn, local history, the environment, and creative writing. No experience is necessary, and everyone from ages 10 to 100 is welcome to attend. To book, please call Wendy on 01404 881207 Climate Cafe, Axminster A respectful space where you can express your feelings about climate breakdown. A chance to talk safely and informally about what it means for you, and listen to others’ experiences. Please arrive for 10.30am till 12 noon, at Axminster Health and Wellbeing Centre, Hanover House, Chard Street, Axminster, EX13 5DZ. To book or for more information contact Fiona Anderson fiona.anderson.01@gmail.com

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 8.5 mile walk from Cerne Abbas. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Royal Ballet: Cinderella (12A) - 4pm The Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season. Royal Ballet Founder Choreographer

Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella celebrates its 75th anniversary this Season. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www. beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

CUPID 10:00 -12:00 Three charities: Colostomy UK, IA and Urostomy Association talking about their work plus Sponsors, Coloplast. Dorford Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RR Zoe Gilby ft Tony Kofi Jazz Supper An evening of music and food from award-winning vocalist Zoe Gilby and saxophonist, Tony Kofi. World class jazz fizzing with excitement. 7.00pm, The Gateway Theatre, Fore Street, Seaton EX12 2LD. More: www. jazzjurassica.co.uk.

The Dorset Branch of the British Printing Society Wayzgoose (open day). A wide selection of printed items, plus type and equipment on display and for sale. 10am to 5pm. Refreshments available. Admission is free to everyone. At Stratton Village Hall.

16 April

The Royal Ballet : ‘Cinderella’ (12A) Screening, doors 1.30pm, screening 2pm, tickets Adults £14.50, under 16s £7.50. A creative team steeped in the magic of theatre, film, dance and opera brings new atmosphere to Cinderella’s ethereal world of fairy godmothers and pumpkin carriages, handsome princes and finding true love. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Lyme Town Band Enjoy an afternoon of band music. Entry free with retiring collection. Concert starts 2:30, Tea and cakes from 2:00 St. Andrew’s Church, Charmouth Liz Sansom, 01297 560681 Singing Bowl Soundbath 2PM Bridport Unitarians, 49 East St, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JX £15 Lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’, while charging and balancing the aura and

EVENTS AND COURSES

April

chakras of the subtle body, and detoxing the physical body. Please book in advance.01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com Last minute booking queries or cancellations 07798530515. Dance Connection Dance Day Workshop, 11am-4pm, Bridport St Mary’s CHH DT6 3NN, 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@gmail.com

17 April

Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Village Hall 7.30-10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £2.00 Contact David on 01460 65981 www.chardscottishdancingclub. org.

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, then come along to our dance sessions in the W.I. Hall on Monday evenings from 7.15pm9.30pm. All welcome, especially beginners. Occasional live music and always a caller to explain the dances. Tel: 863552 or 459001 for more information

18 April

The Lyme Regis Society presents their AGM followed by A Talk: Medieval Lyme Burgage Walls and Protected Sites 2021 by Peter Coe 2pm at Woodmead Halls, Hill Road, Lyme Regis. DT7 3PG. All Welcome. Members Free. Visitors £3.00. Refreshments Included. Please check website for further information: http// lymeregissociety.org.uk.

Scottish Country dancing at Ashill village hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for drinks and biscuits. Please wear soft , flat comfy shoes if possible. £3.00 per evening. For further information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com

19 April

East Devon Ramblers 10.00am. 7 mile moderate walk. Bridport. ‘Stunning views over the Brit valley’. Phone 07977-057546.

Scottish Country Dancing at 7.30 at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. First evening free, thereafter £2.00, which includes soft drinks, tea, coffee and biscuits. Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

Coffee Morning including cakes, scones & pastries, and bacon/ egg rolls (made to order), 10.30am – noon; all welcome. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall. More details from Julia (01460 72769)

The Beehive Acoustic Night 7:30pm Open Mic Night in the café at The Beehive Honiton. Hosted by Terry Stacey. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www.beehivehoniton. co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

Colyton & District Garden Society ‘Alpines in Troughs’, talk by Richard Horswood, an alpine enthusiast. 7.30pm, Colyford Memorial Hall. Members free, guests £3. Information: Sue Price 01297 552362.

20 April

The Arts Society Post War New Towns: Stevenage & Harlow to Milton Keynes. Heroic Architecture or a Concrete Mistake?

Speaker: Matthew Denney Visitors Welcome £7.50 2.00pm for 2.30pm Bridport Town Hall www.taswestdorset.org.uk.

Folk dancing at Combe St Nicholas village hall (TA20 3LT) at 1930 hrs. Mary and Robert Blackborow will be providing the music and calling the dances. It’s £4.00 per person which includes a cuppa and cake, all welcome and it is a lot of fun! Further details from Elaine on 01460 65909.

National Theatre Live: Good (15)– 7pm David Tennant (Doctor Who) makes a much-anticipated return to the West End in a blistering reimagining of one of Britain’s most powerful, political plays. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www. beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050.

Bridport & District Gardening Club is at 7.30pm at the W I Hall North Street Bridport. When Dave Usher will give a talk on Bedding Plants. David is a professional gardener with 45 years experience; he began his training with the City of Bath Parks department. For 18 years he was Head Gardener in charge of the world renowned formal Lutyens Jekyll gardens at Hestercombe, near Taunton, Somerset.Currently David is a hands on gardener and garden speaker. In his talk David draws on his long gardening experience and looks at the practical aspects of growing bedding plants. He will give suggestions for suitable species useful in small to average size gardens and also other plants that can be planted along with them to extend seasonal interest. The meeting is open to non members for a fee of £2.00 and more information about the club is available on the website www.bridportgardeningclub. co.uk.

21 April

‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ (12A) Picnic Night Screening, doors 6.30pm, screening 7.30pm, tickets Adults £7.50, under 16s £6.50. For documentary – maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr Wrongs, to her mother’s dismay. For Zoe’s childhood friend and neighbor Kaz, the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an arranged marriage. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm. Flats & Sharp 7:30pm Flats & Sharps are a four-piece bluegrass outfit from Penzance, Cornwall. Delivering energetic, enthusiastic, and spirited Bluegrass to audiences all around the world, Flats & Sharps have been performing their unique take on this music for over ten years. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www. beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

South Somerset RSPB Local Group Communication in Birds –An illustrated talk presented by Dr. Colin Ryall, a retired lecturer in environmental management. Colin will take us through a variety of approaches that birds use to communicate, from simple songs and calls to specialised display behaviour. 7.30pm The Millennium Hall, Seavington St. Mary, Ilminster, TA19 0QH. Entry: Group members £4, non-group members £5, under 18’s £1. Tea/coffee & biscuits included – Wheelchair access. Further details from Denise Chamings on 01460240740 or www.rspb.org.uk/groups/ southsomerset. Everyone welcome.

Waffle Live Presents: Philip Clouts & Ron Phelan Lyme based pianist Philip Clouts is joined by bassist Ron Phelan for a

night of original melodic jazz. 19:30, The Community Waffle House, First Floor, Trinity House, Trinity Square, Axminster EX13 5AP. To enquire or book a table either call 01297 34694 or email bookings@waffle.org.uk.

Standing room available, walk-ins welcome, but booking strongly recommended for table seating.

Elvis (2022) The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge). 7.30pm Village Hall, The Causeway, Milborne St Andrew DT11 0JX. Doors and bar open 7.00. Tickets cost £6, which includes a drink or an ice-cream

Voices of Hope Beautiful songs from around the world taught in harmony. Group is accessible to all ages and abilities. £5 suggested donation per session. Very relaxed atmosphere, uplifting and fun. No singing experience necessary. Drop in 11am to 12am Borough Gardens Bridport near Buckydoo Square (benches in gardens for those who need to sit or rest)

If it is very wet we sing in The Unitarian Chapel in the Garden on East Street Bridport Jane Silver Corren 07887675161 janesilvercorren@ gmail.com

Ensemble Molière Their unique combination of instruments provides memorable and creative programmes from the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries, all performed on historical instruments. Promoted by Concerts in the West. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Concert starts 19:30, bar available.

Tickets: £18 (free to under 12s. Students £5). To book: 01460 54973. https://www.ilminsterartscentre.com/ performances.

Fun Quiz Doors open 6.30pm, starts 7.00pm includes refreshments St. Swithun’s Church, Allington, Bridport, DT6 5DU Teams of 6 (max) @ £5 a head, cash at the door Bring your own nibbles and drinks. Raffle and Standing Bingo Reserve a table in advance 07741457505

The Friends of Beaminster Festival are delighted to welcome The Delphine Trio to perform in St Mary’s Church,Beaminster at 3pm. These three young passionate musicians were finalists in the 2022 Royal Overseas League Competition in London and have performed at numerous music festivals. They are all former students of the Royal College of Music. They will be playing music for Cello,Clarinet & Piano by Zemlinsky,Delanoff and Beethoven. Tickets are £12 and available from the Yarn Barton, on line via the Beaminster Festival web-site or on the door.

22 April

‘Solve-Along-Murder-She-Wrote’ Interactive show doors 7pm, music 8pm, tickets £18 table seat, £16 row seat. Over 18s. A unique and hilarious night featuring games, prizes and audience participation, with special permission from NBC Universal Television, this critically-acclaimed show was rated one of Time Out

EVENTS AND COURSES

April

50 Great Nights Out in London 2021 and 2019, and has played to sell-out audiences across the UK and Australia. This is an interactive screening of the classic Murder She Wrote episode ‘Broadway Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton. co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Yandles Spring Handmade Craft Market Over 70 stalls full of handmade products from talented makers across the South West. 10am - 4pm, Hurst Works, Martock TA12 6JU. www.yandles.co.uk. Saturday Ceilidh -BFDC Join the regular dancers with a stomp and a swing at their Saturday night Barn Dance/Ceilidh in the W.I.Hall, Bridport, from 7.30 to 10.00pm. Live musicians and a caller will lead the dancers so no experience is necessary. Tea etc. and biscuits available or BYO. Musicians and singers and children all welcome. Adults £5.00/children free All proceeds to the RNLI. Tel:863552 or 459001 for more information.

Sewing Workshop for Beginners from 10 am until 2 pm. Venue tbc in Axminster on application. Cost £18. Make a phone case or a tablet case ( bring half a metre of fabric). Learn how to do zig zag , straight stitch , threading the bobbin etc. This is a relaxing class and a small group. For more information and to book contact : gina.youens@btinternet.com

Bridport Choral Society presents Sing into Spring, music for a Spring evening, featuring songs from musicals, operetta, opera, traditional songs and spirituals. 7.30 pm, Bridport United Church. Musical Director: James Crawshaw Accompanist: Peter Parshall. Soloist: Anna-Maria Geare. Tickets £12 (to include refreshments), available from Bridport Music Centre, Smith & Smith or on the door.

Beaminster Connect Showcase the wide range and variety of social and community activities and organisation in Beaminster. Free Entry, Tea and Cake available. 10am to 2pm Prout Bridge Project, Prout Bridge, Beaminster. Mick Read 01308 861139 Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7 mile walk from Winfrith. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Plant and Gardening Fair Bridport Millennium Green, from 9.30am. Proceeds to the upkeep of the Green. Plants, pots, books, tools etc. If you have anything garden related to donate please bring along on the day, or phone Sandra Brown, 01308 423078 to arrange collection.

Women In Rock 7:30pm Since 2016, Women In Rock have been wowing audiences across Europe with their high energy performances of classic female rock. Performing to audiences of up to 120,000 and backed by a band of world class musicians, these women are ready to take you on a spectacular journey through five decades of female rock, leaving you cheering for more. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www. beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

The Gaz Hughes Trio Featuring Gaz Hughes on drums, Andrzej Baranek on piano and Ed Harrison on double bass, the trio have been described as “Old school jazz for the 21st Century”. Concert starts 19:30, bar available. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £18. To book: 01460 54973. https://www.

ilminsterartscentre.com/performances.

23 April

‘Dance With Flavia’ Dance classes and evening show ‘Flavia and Jimi: Our Life At The Barn’ 11am – Singles dance class, Couples Dance class 12.30pm – tickets £12.50 per person. Evening show doors 6.30pm, show 7.30pm, premium seat tickets £20, Other tickets £18. Join Strictly stars Flavia & Jimi for an evening of film, anecdotes and stories as they tell their story of how they swapped the brights lights of stage & screen for the rolling hills of South Devon when they embarked on their life-long dream of moving to the country and running a smallholding. There may even be a bit of Dancing! Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton. co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Lyme Bay Chorale presents a celebration of English choral music for St George’s Day. Lyme Regis Parish Church at 4pm. Tickets £15 on the door / £13 in advance from choir members or Fortnam, Smith & Banwell in Lyme Regis (cash only please). East Devon Ramblers 10.30am. 8 mile moderate walk. Circular walk around Budleigh. Phone 07772-069940.

Singing Bowl Soundbath 2PM Bell Street United Church, Bell St, Shaftsbury, Dorset SP7 8AL £15 Lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’, while charging and balancing the aura and chakras of the subtle body, and detoxing the physical body. Please book in advance.01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com Last minute booking queries or cancellations 07798530515.

Dalwood Jazz Club LA VIE en ROSE at 3pm. Amazingly talented and very popular Gypsy Jazz Band. Dalwood Village Hall EX13 7EG (near Axminster) Bar for beer/wine/soft drinks and teas/coffees etc. Parking at the Village Hall. Ticket £12.50p Please pay at the door. info: t.mackenney111@btinternet.com 07999 553477

Chard and District Model Railway Exhibition Layouts in several scales, Entry £5 adults accompanied children free, hot and cold food available, parking close by 10am to 4pm Chard Guild Hall Contact Tess 07984 481634.

24 April

Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Village Hall 7.30-10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £2.00 Contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancingclub.org.

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, then come along to our dance sessions in the W.I. Hall on Monday evenings from 7.15pm9.30pm. All welcome, especially beginners. Occasional live music and always a caller to explain the dances. Tel: 458165 or 459001 for more information.

Forty Years on the Antiques Road Show A Personal View. Talk by Paul Atterbury, the well-known writer, lecturer, curator, historian and broadcaster. United Reform Church, East Street, Bridport at 2.30 pm. National Trust Golden Cap Association.

Visitors £5.00. Further information 01308 459855.

25 April

Scottish Country dancing at Ashill village hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for drinks and biscuits. Please wear soft , flat comfy shoes if possible. £3.00 per evening. For further information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com.

Bridport u3a Annual General Meeting & Talk Following the AGM the talk entitled ‘How to Avoid Banking Fraud’ will be given by HSBC staff. They will explain the types of financial fraud from fake emails to bogus callers pretending to be from your own bank. They will explain the measures they are taking to make customers’ money more secure, with sophisticated - yet easy to use digital banking tools. For the AGM to proceed we will need to have a good attendance from members so that we are quorate. This means that we have a minimum of 10% of the membership present. We currently have nearly 600 members. The AGM will start promptly at 2pm so please make sure that you take your seat a little beforehand so that there is no disturbance as the meeting starts. In terms of the HSBC talk please keep questions until the end of the talk. Thank you for your kind co-operation. The AGM is expected to take no longer than 30 minutes. The HSBC talk will follow and last for 45 minutes or so followed by the Q&A session. Then refreshments will be available. The venue is the Bridport United Church Hall in Bridport and entry is free to both members and visitors. Please see the Bridport u3a website :bridportu3a.org. uk for further information.’

Lunchtime Concert Catriona Bevan (Cello), Jane Bultz (Violin), Walter Brewster (Piano) play music by Haydn and Mozart. Entry free with retiring collection. Concert starts 12:30, Light refreshments from 12:00 St. Andrew’s Church, Charmouth Liz

Sansom, 01297 560681

26 April

Scottish Country Dancing at 7.30 at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. First evening free, thereafter £2.00, which includes soft drinks, tea, coffee and biscuits. Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

Drawing Workshop Would you like to learn to draw but don’t know where to start? 10 until 12 noon. Venue tbc in Axminster on application. Cost £16 to include all materials. Learn about light and shade, lively mark making and try different mediums to build your confidence. Study natural objects such as leaves, shells, flowers. Contact: gina.youens@btinternet.com to book a place or for more information.

Upyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society talk ’Around the World in 80 Plants’ by Jonathan Drori. Uplyme Village Hall 7.30pm. Refreshments from 7pm. Members free, non-members £3. More information www.ulrhs.wordpress.com.

26 - 30 April

From Page to Screen Bridport’s Film Festival Curated by Christopher Hampton with special guests including Richard Eyre, Frances O Connor, Rebecca Lenkiewicz and Francine Stock. visit www.frompagetoscreen.info for full list of films.

27 April

NTLive – ‘Good’ (15) Screening, doors 6.30pm, Screening 7pm, tickets Adults £14.50, Under 16s £7.50. David Tennant (Doctor Who) makes an much-anticipated return to the West End in a blistering reimagining of one of Britain’s most powerful, political plays. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or

EVENTS AND COURSES

in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

The Yeovil Concert Band Martock Church; TA12 6JL 7:30pm. Tickets: £12 or £10 at Guardianstickets@gmail.com /07547 213992/Martock Gallery/ Martock Newsagent. www. martockonline.co.uk/events; https://www.yeovilconcertband.com

Dance Connection Taster restorative movement £12, 2:30pm, Dorchester Corn Exchange, DT1 1HF, 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@gmail.com.

Nostalgic Cinema: Pillow Talk (PG) Playboy songwriter Brad Allen’s (Rock Hudson) succession of romances annoys his neighbour, interior designer Jan Morrow (Doris Day), who shares a telephone party line with him and hears all his breezy routines. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www. beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

The Royal Opera House: The Marriage of Figaro (12A) –6:45pm The Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season. Servants Figaro and Susanna are filled with excitement on their wedding day, but there’s a hitch: their employer, the Count Almaviva, has dishonourable intentions of his own towards the bride-to-be. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www.beehivehoniton. co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

Dorchester Art Club’s summer programme is starting today. The Club is friendly and sociable, and welcomes artists from absolute beginners to all levels of experience. It meets most Thursday afternoons from 2 – 4 pm at St. George’s Church Hall, High Street, Fordington, Dorchester, where there is free parking. Our Programme Secretary suggests subjects for each session but members are welcome to bring their own paintings/drawings to work on. The Club has demonstrations from time to time and there are in-house workshops and competitions during the year. New members are always welcome to come for a “taster” session. Each session is £2.50, to include refreshments. For more details see the Club’s website or phone 01305 264568.

28 April

East Devon Ramblers 10.00am. 4 mile leisurely walk. Newton Poppleford. Phone 07546-267229.

Voices of Hope Beautiful songs from around the world taught in harmony. Group is accessible to all ages and abilities. £5 suggested donation per session. Very relaxed atmosphere, uplifting and fun. No singing experience necessary. Drop in 11am to 12am Borough Gardens Bridport near Buckydoo Square (benches in gardens for those who need to sit or rest) If it is very wet we sing in The Unitarian Chapel in the Garden on East Street Bridport Jane Silver Corren 07887675161 janesilvercorren@gmail.com.

Waffle Live Presents: Orpheus A truly unique and authentic Latin extravaganza ready to transport you straight to Brazil!

Orpheus, with their melodic lines and diverse rhythms, play a potent mix of uplifting sambas and stunning bossa novas to sell out shows which have been well received by audiences of all ages. Ecuadorian/Swedish singer Annika brings authenticity to the performances by singing the songs in their native written language of Portuguese. 19:30, The Community Waffle House, First Floor, Trinity House, Trinity Square, Axminster EX13 5AP. To enquire

or book a table either call 01297 34694 or email bookings@waffle. org.uk. Standing room available, walk-ins welcome, but booking strongly recommended for table seating.

Exhibition on Screen: Vermeer The Blockbuster Exhibition, 90 – 7pm This new Exhibition on Screen film invites audiences to a private view of the exhibition, accompanied by the director of the Rijksmuseum and the curator of the show. A truly once-in-alifetime opportunity! The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www.beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

T. F. Movies Living (!2A) starring Bill Nighy, who has been nominated for an Oscar for his performance, will be shown In Tatworth Memorial Hall by T & F Movies at 7.30pm. The doors open at 7.00pm and the entry charge is still only £5. There will be the usual bar and raffle.

29 April

Broadway and Beyond Live Musical Theatre, doors 6.30pm, show 7.30pm, tickets adults £18, Under 16s £12. The show consists of music from shows that have all appeared on or off Broadway. Prepare to be captivated by the talents and versatility of the eight performers; comprising three all-singing, all-dancing actors sharing the stage with five musicians. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Puss in Boots: Last Wish (PG) – 3:30pm & 6:30pm Daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet. The Beehive, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LZ. www. beehivehoniton.co.uk Box office: 01404 384050

Rotary Coronation Concert United Church, Bridport, 7 p.m. for 7.30 p.m.with Weymouth Salvation Army Band Ticket £12 from T.I.C community singing, refreshments For Rotary charities, enquiries. 01297 489567

30 April

The Royal Opera ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ (12A), doors 1.30pm, screening 2pm, tickets adults £14.50, Under 16s £7.50. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Bridport Vintage Market St Michael’s Trading Estate, Bridport. Also 28th May, 25th June , 30th July , 27th August, 24th September Singing Bowl Soundbath 2PM Oborne Village Hall, Oborne, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4LA £15 Lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’, while charging and balancing the aura and chakras of the subtle body, and detoxing the physical body.Please book in advance via 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com Last minute booking queries or cancellations 07798530515.

East Devon Ramblers 10.30am. 9.5 mile moderate walk. Heath and River. Aylesbeare common. Phone 07874-037594.

The man who broke Gundry’s Bank

Anew book about Axminster tells how, when the tithe apportionment process for the parish was completed in 1842, Broadwinsor-born George Davey Ewens owned (and occupied) a desirable dwelling in Axminster called Purzebrook House. He had for some years been the local butter factor (merchant), and in that capacity he was the tenant of another 190 acres of titheable land in the parish, on which he had evidently established a series of 20-cow dairies which were rented out to self-employed dairymen, whose butter he then sent to London.

Despite it being clear that Exeter would be linked to the national railway network by the mid-1840s, well before Axminster, Mr Ewens either failed to understand the implications of this for the producers of butter (which had until then gone to London by road at a premium price compared to most other areas of Devon, for reasons of relative proximity), or could not change his business model in time.

After a hearing into his affairs at Exeter in December 1847, a formal declaration of bankruptcy was issued, and just over two years later the final dividend to his creditors was declared. Although his house and land would have been sold to pay his creditors at least a share of what he owed them, he continued to live at Purzebrook House, albeit as a tenant, until his death in 1883.

What is missing from this simple statement of the facts is Mr Ewens’ central role in the collapse of Gundry’s Bank, which occurred just 6 weeks before his own bankruptcy. Gundry’s Bank (also known as S & W E Gundry) was based in Bridport, but had been represented in Axminster since at least the early 1800s. After the bank failed it became clear that it had been treating as assets some debts which were in reality irrecoverable. As a consequence Gundry’s liabilities were found to be closer to £25,000 than to the figure of £1,700 shown in its accounts, a significant share of which was a debt owed by Mr Ewens. His own assets had been valued at about £10,000, but on top of his debt to Gundry’s he owed a further £9,000 to other creditors.

This all emerged in 1848 via a lawsuit heard in London in which a plaintiff called Mr Hernaman sought to show that the creditors of Gundry’s Bank were owed £20,000 by Mr Ewens at the time of his own bankruptcy, whereas he had ‘only’ admitted to owing the bank £10,000. Less than three weeks before Gundry’s Bank had failed, in an apparent attempt to shore up its balance sheet, Mr W E Gundry had approached Mr Ewens’ 22-year-old son, Charles, with a proposal that he and his father should jointly provide the bank with a bond for £10,000, payable in instalments of £1,000 a year, and that after these payments had been made, the remaining debt of £10,000 which was due to the bank would be cancelled.

Despite some misgivings father and son agreed, and signed the bond. When it was subsequently investigated by the court, Charles Ewens stated under oath that Mr Gundry had accepted that “… I don’t think it at all probable that your father will ever be able to pay this debt”, and when told by Charles Ewens that “… it was not likely that the instalments could be paid” he replied “Well, if I don’t get it, I can’t have it”. Mr Ewens himself told the court that his understanding was that “… the old debt would be extinguished. Had I in any way considered that there was any doubt as to this being fully understood and agreed to, I would not have executed the said bond, or consented to my son’s doing so”.

Given the explicit nature of these testimonies it is perhaps surprising that no charges of fraud by misrepresentation were brought against one or more of the parties concerned. The fact that none of this was reported locally probably owes something to the fact that Mr Ewens was the father-in-law of George Pulman, proprietor and editor of Pulman’s Weekly News. George Pulman’s brother William (and his principal correspondent in Axminster) was also a good friend of Charles Ewens, who himself went bankrupt after his father’s death, leaving his creditors heavily out of pocket.

This summarises just one of many stories contained in a new book called Axminster Legacies, in Wills, Deeds & Stone, which looks at a selection of buildings around the town, and the families most closely associated with them. The author, David Knapman, won the Devon History Society’s W G Hoskins prize for his previous book, Unsteady Progress: A history of Axminster from 1701 to 2000. Both books are on sale at the Axminster Heritage Centre, Silver Street, Axminster (£15 for Axminster Legacies and £16.50 for Unsteady Progress).

CHARMOUTH ‘Raffle’ the Plesiosaur goes public

A unique Jurassic plesiosaur is now on public display at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. One of the few 3D Lower Jurassic plesiosaur in the world, this 200 million year fossil has been loaned to the Centre to display. It was discovered by Tracey Barclay and her dog Raffle in 2007 and has taken a team of experts 16 years of painstaking and intricate preparation to be able to finally mount and display this unique three-dimensional specimen. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre is open all year round and free for all to visit.

LYME REGIS

Gig boat targets Isles of Scilly

LYME Regis Gig Club have announced that they are planning on building a brand new ‘Pilot Gig Boat’ with the Lyme Regis based Boat Building Academy. The boat is being commissioned and built by Rob Hounslow, a member of the Gig Club, current Men’s team co-captain and a lecturer at the prestigious Boat Building Academy in Lyme. ‘We expect to start work in June, this year, and to have the boat ready for the 2024 World Championships in the Isles of Scilly’, said Rob. The three existing wooden boats, Revenge, Black Ven and Tempest, were all built in Lyme Regis by local boat builder, Gail McGarva.

WEST BAY Wheelchair scheme

WEST Bay’s beach wheelchair scheme will launch on Friday 31 March at 12 noon at West Beach, West Bay. The event is being organised by Elaine Leader, who has led the campaign to make access to the sea available to all. One of the beach wheelchairs can float in the sea and can be used in conjunction with a qualified swimming coach so that the carers do not necessarily need to be in the water. There will also be a special wheelchair platform on balloon wheels for people who need a specific wheelchair and cannot transfer to one of the beach ones. There is also a Changing Places toilet provided by Parkdean which is available for the public to use at any time.

STALBRIDGE

Stalbridge House excavation

DORSET Diggers Community Archaeology Group and the Stalbridge History Society have announced the completion of the excavation of the house of 17th century scientist Robert Boyle who, along with Isaac Newton, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, was a founder member of the Royal Society. In 1643, Boyle inherited Stalbridge House from his father, Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork. It was considered the fifth largest house in the county at that time. Dorset Diggers Community Archaeology Group has led archaeological investigations in Maiden Newton, Nether Compton and now at Stalbridge. They can be contacted by email at tripp.chris60@gmail.com.

PORTLAND Call for hospital at The Verne

THE Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) who monitor the treatment of prisoners would like to see a community hospital established at The Verne in Portland. Such a facility would lessen reliance for minor treatment on Dorset County and other hospitals in the area. It would reduce the need for prison officers to act as escorts and allow them to be deployed in the prison, working on programmes to reduce reoffending. The Chair of IMB The Verne, Dr Madeleine Webb, suggested that a hospital facility would enable much of the routine treatment elderly prisoners need to be undertaken there and reduce dependence on Dorset County Hospital.

Nature Studies

By Michael McCarthy

The phenomenon of wild creatures moving from the countryside into towns and cities appears to be a relatively recent one. There did not seem to be any urban foxes when I was a boy— although that’s a long time ago now—or urban grey squirrels, but sometime around the 1970s both animals seem to have discovered that parks and gardens were just as exploitable a habitat as woods and fields; and they were eventually followed (to some extent) by badgers. Something similar took place with the magpie, which moved into the suburbs about the same time as the foxes and the squirrels, and then in the 1990s there was an even more interesting and glamorous suburban arrival from the bird world—the sparrowhawk.

If we ask why this happened, I think the answer is probably, population pressure. All the creatures named above are flourishing, and growing numbers in the countryside have very likely pushed them to the edge of conurbations, and then inside, as they found that they could survive there perfectly well. But there is one animal making the urban transition which is not flourishing at all, and that is the hedgehog.

This much-loved living pincushion, this worm-munching, slugcrunching, winter-hibernating solitary night-wanderer, in Britain is now officially classified as vulnerable to extinction. In the 1950s we may have had 30 million of them; the current population is almost certainly below a million and may even be only half that. The arrival of intensive farming, with the wiping out of much of its invertebrate prey through industrial-scale pesticide use, seems to have been the principal cause of the hedgehog’s remarkable decline, like the decline of so much of our wildlife, although the increasing numbers of its only predator, the badger, have very likely also played a part. (According to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s the British population of badgers went up by an astounding 77 per cent). But whatever the reason, the hedgehog is in serious trouble, and it is increasingly leaving the countryside and taking refuge in small towns and country villages. It is urban hedgehogs whose populations seem to be stabilising, while numbers in the open countryside continue to shrink.

Yet urban areas present a whole new raft of dangers and unaccustomed problems for our only spiny mammal, from car-

An incomer’s discovery of the natural world in the West Country

flattenings and poisonous slug pellets to tightly-fenced gardens making night-time food-foraging expeditions an impossibility. So in this context I am surprised and impressed by the progress already made in recognising and dealing with the hedgehog’s urban transition, here in Dorset. Eight years ago Susy Varndell of the Dorset Mammal Group established a project to set up hedgehogfriendly towns and villages; and now there are 30 of these, across the county (although there is room for many more.)

The essence of being hedgehog-friendly is to have a town or village coordinator who can act as a focal point for concerns, raise public awareness of dangers to hedgehogs and try to spot them as they arise. Linda Poulsen is the hedgehog coordinator for Dorchester (and there’s a character Thomas Hardy never dreamed of, as in, ‘my father was a hedgehog coordinator before me, and his father before him.’) Linda gives a long list of hazards the spiny ones face in urban gardens, from bonfires and grass strimmers (which can take off a hedgehog’s long nose) to attacks by dogs, as well as the ‘heartbreaking’ numbers killed on the roads. But most ordinary people, she says, are happy to do something about it once the situation is pointed out to them.

If your town or village is not yet hedgehog-friendly you can start the process by getting in touch with Susy Varndell (hedgehogs@ dorsetmammalgroup.org.uk) and she will help you organise an initial public meeting to see if there is enough interest. If there is, her husband, the well-known wildlife photographer Colin Varndell, will come and give you an hour-long illustrated talk on The Hedgehog Predicament (I’ve seen it and it’s a gripping account of hedgehog life—don’t miss the bit about ‘self-anointing.’)

I think that in a small way, this is a genuine historical moment in British wildlife—the transition of the hedgehog from being a rural animal to an urban, or at least a semi-urban one. But unlike the arrival of foxes and squirrels in our gardens fifty years ago, this move is being prompted by distress. And anything we can do to relieve the distress, seems to me very much worthwhile.

Urban hedgehog - photo by Colin Varndell (www.colinvarndell.co.uk)

Recently relocated to Dorset, Michael McCarthy is the former Environment Editor of The Independent. His books include Say Goodbye To The Cuckoo and The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy

The R-word: Busy as a …

You may have read in the media at the start of the year about the escapades of Twiggy and Woody, the two beavers who escaped from their enclosure in the Mapperton Estate near Beaminster. It seems that rather than doing a major disappearing act, they chose a gentle exploration of their surroundings because a few days later, signs of busy beavering were spotted a few km downstream from the enclosure in the ‘wilds’ of the upper Mangerton Brook. They had found a pleasant spot, munched on a few willows, and generally were having a great holiday until, with the help of apples and parsnips, they were carefully captured and taken back home.

The ‘escape’ was headline news—well, page 11 of the Independent—but the response was fascinating, divided amongst those who think beavers are the best things since sliced bread, and those who perhaps see them as burnt toast. You see, the reintroduction of beavers is ‘new’ and as with many objects, ideas, opinions or activities that are seen as ‘new’, they can often polarise debate. Some people think the way beavers adapt their ecosystem to create wetlands, bring back biodiversity, reduce flooding and drought and improve water quality is just a remarkable example of nature at work. Others think that that they are going to eat their trees, burrow under riverbanks, block drainage ditches, eat ‘their’ fish and flood their land or houses.

Well yes, beavers can do all of that (except eat fish), but I thought it would be helpful to explain a bit more, and to put it in the context of the r-word, rewilding. You see, beavers are native species, a fact that our government has only just deigned to recognise in law. They were wiped out in the UK and much of Europe some 400 years ago by hunting for their fur and castoreum, a secretion which was used for making scents and was also believed to have medicinal properties. Oh, sadly they also suffered from indiscriminate hunting for ‘sport’.

They are nocturnal animals and completely vegetarian, eating pretty much anything green. They love riverside plants and tubers, with a particular favourite being young sallow branches (a type of willow), and the bark of some trees. They don’t eat fish! They have orange iron enriched front teeth which they use to scrape off bark and gnaw their way through bigger trees which they cut down mainly to open up the canopy. The increased light that result stimulates new growth of vegetation in the understory, which of course provides them with food. They don’t tend to eat the dry hard wood when they chop down trees and leave that on the ground in the form of beaver chips— considered lucky by some! Oh, and just in case you missed it, they don’t eat fish!

Their behaviour is all about safety and food—much like all of us! They build dams to raise the water level which then gives them safer access throughout their territory, away from harmful predators—not that the wolf lives in Dorset, but otters and badgers can kill baby beavers, called ‘kits’. They live in ‘lodges’ which are normally dug into the side of riverbanks and accessed below the raised water level, but which have ‘escape’ tunnels into the riverbank above, normally cunningly disguised as a pile of sticks! The tree felling not only allows new plant growth, but allows them to eat the bank and young branches all the way up the branch, and can help with dams.

Crucially, beavers are a ‘keystone species’—an animal that is so important in shaping the ecosystem that it has a disproportionately positive impact for nature. Their dams make wetlands which not only provide an uplift in the diversity and abundance of wildlife, but can prevent downstream flooding of property, hold water for the dryer months and filter all the bad gack that comes from fields and drains into our river. Oh, and wetlands store carbon, helping with climate change.

Surely it is a win-win? Well, the impact on people from this wonderful ecosystem engineering is that sometimes the dams flood parts of fields, sticks they cut can block road culverts, and they might cut down or ring-bark your favourite apple tree. But all of this can be managed, with the judicious use of chicken wire around trees, and devices called ‘beaver deceivers’ in dams. These approaches have all been used successfully in Devon’s Otter valley, the first legal wild trial in the UK, and whilst there is still a certain degree of scepticism amongst some landowners there, most are accepting that the beavers are here to stay. The wellbeing benefits of knowing that these animals are back in nature has also been seen as a real positive.

So what have beavers got to do with rewilding? Well, rewilding is about allowing natural processes to take place for the benefit of nature. The work beavers do is entirely natural, and they have been missing from our countryside for 400 years and boy has it suffered as a result. To reintroduce them—or any missing species—is to kickstart a missing ecosystem process, and is one of a range of approaches used in rewilding.

So, from studies in the UK and overseas, we know what a positive impact they can have for nature, for water quality, and flood and drought prevention. Given the shocking state of our nature (even in glorious West Dorset), and the increasing flood and drought events, maybe now is the time to turn our focus back to how nature works and allow it to take the lead, with help of this very busy, and extremely cute animal. Woody and Twiggy, enjoy your enclosed home for now, but maybe in the future you will be able to roam free in the rivers of Dorset, and make up for 400 years of lost ground.

Dr Sam Rose whatifyoujustleaveit.info

Beavers ‘shaping the ecosystem’. Right: Tree being felled by a beaver to open up the canopy. Below: A beaver lodge, and below that, a beaver dam. Images © Dr Sam Rose.

The Great Big Dorset Hedge

100 km of hedgerows surveyed in West Dorset and we have barely begun the journey.

By John Calder GBDH Survey Lead

Hedgerows are not a natural phenomenon. We humans invented them centuries ago to help us to manage food production. Not much else explains the presence of the 100 km of hedgerows that have already been surveyed in the Great Big Dorset Hedge project. Those hedgerows provide many additional benefits that are now important as we collectively address both the global climate emergency and the local losses of biodiversity.

In common with our neighbours in Devon, our West Dorset hedgerows are generous in proportions, and complex in their structure. We have banked hedges; we have doubleplanted hedges; we have species-rich hedges; we have hedges with ditches and their scale is generally BIG. So, in these parts, it is especially urgent to restore our existing hedgerows. Planting new hedges will help too, and across England the government has a target of a 40% increase by 2050 which is a big ask. We are constantly looking for the sites where it would be reasonable to put them.

DCAN seeks to connect individuals, local groups, organisations (including Dorset Council) to help fulfil their aims and their obligations in all aspects of net zero delivery, and biodiversity recovery throughout the county. You can find out all about the wider ambitions of Dorset CAN on the website (https://www.dorsetcan.org/)

The DCAN project which has been mobilising its supporters right now is the Great Big Dorset Hedge. Its momentum took hold here in West Dorset in the late summer of 2022, but it will be ramping up fast, both here and across the county, this spring and through summer. Joint project leaders, Julie Leah (from Charmouth) and Ian Duckworth (from Wareham) have been encouraged by the early public support shown in the registration of over

100 volunteer hedgerow surveyors through the DCAN website. We will need more because the effort is ongoing and expanding. The overall mission to see as many of our hedgerows enhanced or augmented as possible may remain unfinished for a decade or more.

This is a map showing some hedge condition results at the Kingston Maurward estate where discussions about the ongoing maintenance and restoration of hedgerows are about to begin. All the completed surveys are similarly illustrated on the GBDH MapApp via the DCAN website. Search to see your nearest survey results.

Above: Gaps in hedges planted up by Dan Stover of Stoke Abbott - completed before the GBDH project had even started. Elsewhere, Dan has planted 600 metres of new hedge this season near the Wessex Ridgeway.

The purpose of the GBDH survey phase is to assess the present condition, and composition of Dorset’s hedges starting with those that are accessible from major public trails. Those results are then shared with the relevant local communities and with landowners. Wherever the response invites it, we can then move on to a collaboration with the landowner. Farm-wide hedgerow surveys can then be initiated with hedgerow restoration and the planting of new hedges as the ultimate outcomes.

All this groundwork anticipated the announcement of the Hedgerow Standard for DEFRA’s emerging Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). The scheme should be providing the vital funding that would enable England’s ambitious hedgerow-planting targets to be achieved. As things stand, however, we do not see those ambitious government goals adequately matched by the current elements of the scheme, but discussions with DEFRA are ‘ongoing’. Janet Hughes, Programme Director for DEFRA’s Future Farming and Countryside Programme recently reassured us with, ‘We’ll be in touch very shortly on the specific points you’ve raised and also on the way we’re proposing to work going forward, taking into consideration everything we’ve learned so far’.

Back on the GBDH project itself, we sometimes get a complete surprise. Recently, we came across a felled, diseased elm in an otherwise vibrant hedgerow. We paused to remove some bark to explore its underside and a labyrinth of beetle cavities was revealed. That solitary beetle was working hard

to sustain its own genetic footprint but (through a fungus it innocently carried into the tree’s bloodstream) it had brought the demise of its host. You can still find elm surviving as smaller plants in hedgerows, and we have.

So, humans were not the first species to unintentionally wreak destruction on other species, but we can rethink how we cope on a planet of limited resources and adjust our land management practices accordingly.

The GBDH project is currently appealing to a broad spectrum of (mainly mature) volunteers. Every volunteer has a very important contribution to make, and everyone can choose the level of commitment that suits them and their circumstances. We do need more who are able and willing to take on the local coordinator role, but that will come naturally as our surveyors become more experienced.

All over the county, volunteers who cherish our hedgerows have been inspired to train to undertake the GBDH surveys. Most of them are also eager to be out there planting hedges in due course, but the landowners first need to find the time to prioritise their hedgerows amongst their many other challenges. A sustained collaboration may be needed to bring through the successes we seek.

You can sign up as a GBDH surveyor on the website (https://www. dorsetcan.org/hedge/volunteer) and explore these man-made landscape features that we have inherited from generations of practicing farmers. Enjoy the rich heritage of the Dorset countryside, learn something new, and help to make a difference.

Left: Helen and Meredith on the Jubilee Trail at Toller Fratrum / Right: Sally, Michele and John at Kingston Maurward. Below: Simon, Tracee, Richard, Pippa, Richard and Stuart at Wynford Eagle.

Vegetables in April

By Ashley Wheeler

April is a big month for planting for us. We’ve already planted a fair amount of early crops outside through March (things like red russian kale, turnips, radish, peas, broad beans and salad leaves). Everything we plant through March and April we fleece—we simply lay the fleece directly over the crops, not using any hoops to support it. The key is to pull it tight over the crops and weigh it down securely in the paths (we use sandbags), as the damage from fleece usually comes when the wind blows and it starts flapping around on the leaves. Make sure you check under the fleece at least weekly—weeds can quickly become a problem, and as soon as the fleece goes over a bed it is covered and there is a sense that everything will be fine under there. In reality, slugs like it under fleece, as do weeds—so its important to check regularly. For some of the hardier brassicas we take fleece off at some point in April and swap it over for mesh to stop the flea beetle but to improve airflow a little. It is also a little cooler under the mesh so crops like rocket and salad mustards are less likely to bolt as they would under fleece as the spring warms up.

We will be planting up our polytunnels at the beginning of May with all of the tomatoes and peppers. The peppers were sown mid February and we have had supplementary light on them, which fools them into thinking the days are longer so they focus more energy into their vegetative growth, and they grow into stockier plants. Without the extra light at this time of year they stretch out to the light and can grow very leggy. Peppers are fussier about day length and temperatures than tomatoes, so they require a little more attention. The tomatoes we have begun to sow later and later each year as we so often have them ready too early for planting, so this year we sowed them in mid March, which is around 7 weeks before we intend to start planting them. They should grow stronger too, as the light levels earlier in the year encourage leggier growth, and it is not worth the electricity cost of putting supplementary lights on them for a slightly earlier harvest.

April and May are when all of the crop planning done through the winter really comes into action—having a solid plan for where everything will be planted is important for us, so that we know exactly how to prepare the beds in good time, and so that subsequent crops will fit in with the timing of spring crops finishing. It’s all a bit like a jigsaw puzzle and everything slots together with not loads of room for adjustments. However, like all good plans, it needs to be slightly flexible so that if things don’t quite go to plan it is easy to move crops about a bit. With the plan we can see which beds need preparing a week or two in advance of planting so that we can get them ready for planting. This is especially useful if the beds are weedier than we want them to be as it allows us the time in advance to get them into a good state for planting and we can then just plant them up as soon as the plants are ready to go in, rather than having

plants sitting around outgrowing the space in their trays. It is important to try and get plants in the ground before their roots have outgrown their cells. The roots will establish much quicker once planted if they have not been too restricted in their cells, they will then make associations with soil microbes more quickly and access all of the nutrients they need.

Good luck with your first Spring plantings!

WHAT

TO SOW THIS MONTH:

turnips, chard, spinach, salad leaves—chervil, buckshorn plantain, lettuce, burnet, peashoots, anise hyssop, kales, mustards, agretti, sorrel, summer purslane & goosefoot (end of month). Radish, fennel, courgettes (end of month), spring onions, cucumbers, dill, basil, coriander, chard, perpetual spinach, kalettes, french beans, peas and mangetout. We sow all of these into trays in the propagating tunnel to be planted out in April mostly.

WHAT TO PLANT THIS MONTH:

OUTSIDE: salads—mustards, rockets etc., lettuce, peas, broad beans, potatoes, early kale, beetroot, chard, perpetual spinach, spring onions, onions and shallots

INSIDE: Successions of peas and spring onions will continue to be planted. By the end of the month you can get away with planting french beans, cucumbers and tomatoes in polytunnels or glasshouses, but it’s still pretty early so don’t worry if you don’t get round to it!

OTHER IMPORTANT TASKS THIS MONTH: If the weather dries, continue preparing beds for the spring for planting. Keep on top of the seed sowing, but don’t sow too much of anything—think about sowing successionally rather than doing one big sowing in early Spring. Things that are perfectly suited to successions include all salad leaves, spring onions, peas, beans, beetroot, chard, kale, carrots, fennel, radish and annual herbs.

First plantings going into the ground last month in beds that had silage plastic on them for around 6 weeks to kill off old crops and weeds. These beds were then just raked and planted.

The Secret Life of Words

COUNTDOWN’s star lexicographer Susie Dent comes to the Electric Palace at Bridport on Saturday 1st April at 2pm, with her new show, The Secret Lives of Words

A skilled word expert and etymologist, who is also a delightful presenter and broadcaster, Susie has appeared in Dictionary Corner on Channel 4’s game show Countdown since 1992. She also appears on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, a post-watershed comedy version of the show presented by comedian Jimmy Carr. She has been honorary vice-president of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading since 2016.

The new show is an invitation to take a journey into the curious, unexpected and downright surreal origins of the words we use every day.

Susie will retell the adventures that lie hidden within such words as lasagne (involving a chamber pot) and bugbear (a terrorising monster), and explain such oddities as the silent h in ghost and the mysterious disappearance of kempt, gormful, and ruly (and yes, you really can be gruntled).

She will look to the lexicon of the past to fill some of today’s linguistic gaps—such as the frenzied fit of tidying we all do just as guests are about to descend (that’s a scurryfunge).

Alongside such forgotten stories you will hear Susie’s selection of the funniest moments from her 30 years on Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, as well as some startling results from eavesdropping on a group of waiters.

Each event will include some of Susie’s favourite words from the towns and regions she visits, and she’ll be asking the audience for theirs. In fact, she’ll be welcoming any questions about word origins, usage irritations, the dreaded impact of Americanisation and the very future of our language, in her very own ‘word surgery’.

April in the Garden

By Russell Jordan

With the rapid greening of the landscape, as bud burst really gathers pace, it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security this month. It’s still perfectly possible to get falls of snow in April and clear skies overnight generally result in big temperature drops and damaging frosts. Tender bedding plants have been on display in garden centres for many weeks but these are only really viable if you are able keep them frost-free in a heated greenhouse or have room indoor on your windowsills. If you are able to protect them for a few more weeks, until the infamous “after the last frost”, then buying your tender plants as tiny plugs is very cost effective as long as you are able to mollycoddle them for a while and pot them on a couple of times before their final planting out.

It’s not too late to sow some bedding plants and gap fillers now with the advantage that later sowings are not so dependant on supplementary heating because warmer outside temperatures, with longer days, mean that glasshouses and coldframes can get relatively balmy for a lot of the time. They will need some form of heating to prevent young seedlings from getting checked, even killed, by low overnight temperatures but simple heated propagators, or heat mats, will suffice for small scale sowings.

If you did get sowing as early as February or March, there will be plenty of ‘pricking out’ and ‘potting on’ to be getting on with. If you sowed your seeds ‘en masse’ it’s important to prick them out into individual cells, or very small pots, before they get too congested and too large to successfully transplant. Wait until they have produced their first ‘true leaves’, these will be the same shape as the mature leaves but on a miniature scale, but also still have their ‘seed leaves’, the ovoid leaves that emerge upon germination, because it’s best to handle the tiny seedlings by holding these relatively tough seed leaves, rather than the fragile stem or true leaves.

In most cases seed raised plants will require at least one more ‘potting on’ before they reach an adequate size to be used in the garden, hanging basket or bedding scheme. It’s important to use fresh potting compost to do this because

it will have been formulated with the right amount of nutrients to sustain the growing seedlings and it will be sterile, free from weed seeds, pests and pathogens, to give your delicate new plants the best chance of survival.

It’s tempting to pot a tiny seedling into a relatively large pot in order to give it ‘room to grow’. This is not a good idea because a large pot, with virtually no plant roots in it, is very likely to become waterlogged, and the compost anaerobic as a result, which in turn causes the fragile new roots to die and the seedling to ‘rot off’. There is a reason why buying a fully grown plant is relatively expensive compared to a tiny ‘plug plant’; a lot of work and resources has gone into producing it.

Some other gardening tasks to be getting on with; spring flowering bulbs should be allowed to die down naturally although a sprinkling of ‘blood, fish and bone’, gently forked in around them, will help to build up flowering strength for next year. The patches in beds and borders where spring bulbs have died down are prime spots for the tender bedding plants that you have just been pricking out and growing on. By the time that any chance of frost has passed, as mentioned previously, early spring bulbs should have completely died down and, as long as the bulbs have been planted suitably deep, your summer gap fillers can be planted in the vacated space.

One of the joys of April are the early flowering perennials which are the kind of plants which have evolved to come into flower at almost exactly the same time as their leaves emerge in the spring in order to steal a march on all those perennials which will later overshadow them and flower on taller stems. The kind of plants that I’m thinking of are the primulas, Brunnera, pulmonarias and Dicentra which can be planted as a kind of carpet or tapestry, either as a feature on their own or under shrubs. Primulas and pulmonarias, the lungworts, are particularly useful in happily seeding around and frequently producing seedlings with attributes different to their parents if you have more than one type of Primula or Pulmonaria in your garden.

It’s a good time to plant out containerised trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials as they are in active growth, which makes establishment easier, and water is in good supply. It’s good practise to water in all new plantings, even in wet weather, because this initial watering in is to ensure an intimate bond between the newly introduced root ball and the surrounding soil. Further watering, in dry spells, remains essential for the whole establishment period at least—the prolonged dry period last year claimed many victims as it occurred before full establishment had taken place.

Although the time window for bare-root planting is now over, the flipside is that now is the real window of opportunity for planting evergreens. They need to be planted after any freezing winter weather has passed and before the risk of summer heat and drought is upon us. This is because, being evergreen, they are unable to shed their leaves and are therefore always losing a certain amount of water from their foliage which needs replacing via root uptake.

When the ground is frozen, or droughted, there is no water available to the roots and the evergreen plant will become stressed; in severe cases it will die. Moving or planting them at this time of year means that they are active enough, after the relatively dormant winter months, to produce new roots ensuring rapid establishment and to have at least some resilience to drought. Having said that, a thorough wateringin at planting time is essential as is the ability to keep them watered throughout at least the first growing season.

Maybe now is a good time to treat yourself to a few more water butts, hoses and well pumps? “Fail to prepare; prepare to fail” and all that!

April-liant Selection of Properties

By Helen Fisher

CATHERSTON LEWESTON £625,000

A handsome, predominantly Victorian Gothic Grade II listed house with 4 bedrooms, created from the main Manor house previously divided into six individual homes. Multiple period features throughout and with outstanding far-reaching countryside views down to the sea. Well stocked communal gardens, private parking and garage.

Symonds and Sampson Tel: 01308 422092

BRIDPORT £1,375,000

A detached 3 bed cottage style house with a detached 2 bed cottage annexe. Built in 1946 in Arts and Crafts style. Featuring solid oak windows, porcelain floor tiles and a polished limestone fireplace. Outstanding views from every room. South-facing gardens and orchard and specimen trees. Plus large paddock and woodlands. All set in about 4.25 acres. Stags Tel: 01308 428000

LYME REGIS £800,000

A stunning Grade II listed 4 bedroom apartment in the middle of the high street yet walking distance to the beach. Occupying part of a site originally known as ‘The Great House of Lyme Regis’. Open aspect sitting room with feature fireplace and sea views plus access to a fully enclosed roof terrace with large seating area. Private parking to the rear for multiple vehicles.

Goadsby Tel: 01308 420000

COMBPYNE £650,000

A well presented detached bungalow with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Semi open-plan kitchen, reception with fireplace and sunroom. Lovely views across the garden, which wraps around the house. The majority of the beautiful, private gardens are westfacing and well stocked. Plus a greenhouse and garden shed. With double garage and ample parking.

Gordon & Rumsby Tel: 01297 553768

BRIDPORT £845,000

A Grade II listed former mill house with 6 bedrooms and many character features inc: secondary glazed sash windows, flagstone floors and an inglenook fireplace. Kitchen with bespoke wooden units and Aga. Impressive outdoor space with viewing area. Modern wooden chalet/studio plus fruit trees, greenhouse and wood store.

Kennedys Tel: 01308 427329

UPWEY £1,500,000

A Grade II listed stone built 4 bedroom cottage with high ceilings, 3 bathrooms and an additional detached 2 bedroom self-contained bungalow. Riverside gardens, Victorian greenhouse, plus modern greenhouse and workshop and WC. Remote controlled triple garage and ample additional parking. All set in just over an acre.

Domvs Tel: 01305 757300

Little known records of Bridport Fraternities made into new book

new book about Bridport’s history has just been published. It describes the work of the Fraternities (or Guilds) in Bridport. They were like modern clubs or societies, and they played an important part in life during the later Middle Ages. Little is known about them, as few records survive, but documents in the Bridport Borough Archives throw rare light on their activities in the town.

The Fraternities raised money for the local churches, and put on social events for their members, provided welfare for members who were sick and unable to work, and arranged for a suitable funeral when they died. The surviving membership lists show there were members with Bridport surnames still familiar today.

AThe original documents, preserved in Dorset History Centre, are written in a mixture of Latin and old English, and the old handwriting is difficult to decipher. They have been transcribed into modern typeface in the book, making them easy to read.

The documents form part of the Bridport Borough Archive held at the Dorset History Centre. This impressive collection consists of over a thousand items, dating from the thirteenth to the twentieth century. The documents contained in the archive relate to a wide range of activities, including law enforcement, the administration of justice, local government, religious life, trade and industry and the buying and selling of land and houses. Bridport is indeed fortunate that such a rich source of historical material has survived and is available to those studying the past of this interesting town.

Dorset Record Society is a registered charity. Any profits from books sales go into publication of future volumes. Records of Bridport Fraternities 1271-1530, edited by Antony Wilsdon, published by Dorset Record Society. The book includes a brief history of mediaeval Bridport, with a map for easy reference. Available from The Book Shop in South Street, Bridport, price £15.

Bridport Bowls Club

Celebrating the club’s Centenary Neil Kennedy looks back on the history of ‘the friendliest club in the area’

The idea of a Bowls Club was first mentioned in March 1921 at the AGM of the Bridport Cricket & Lawn Tennis Club. It was announced a green was to be laid at Brewery Field the site of today’s Leisure Centre.

A green was laid within a year costing £200 and a Mr. Heath was appointed the first Secretary of the Bowls Section of the above club. In 1923 it was recognised as the year the club got underway properly when in February they were elected to the South Dorset League Competitions by which time their membership stood at 33. In April that year the club erected a pavilion with one room reserved for Ladies and by the time it had opened a month later the membership had swelled to 80 William Saunders Edwards became the club’s first President in 1925, the owner of a prominent net making business in the town W.S. Edwards products were shipped for use at venues such as Wimbledon and Wembley and who during the Second World War was tasked in constructing anti submarine nets with great success.

By 1929 difficulties developed and friction formed between the three separate elements of the Sports Club initiating, after much deliberation, the departure of the bowls section. It was towards the end of that year that the now homeless Bridport Bowling Club were to receive much needed good news. At the Annual Supper held on November 8th, President W.S.Edwards announced that he wished to donate to the club a parcel of land he owned by the River Brit and it was here on the site where the club now stands.

1930 represents a milestone year in the club’s history when the new green was laid at a cost of £750 and said to be financed by J.C.Hunt who then leased it to the club on a 99 year lease for the princely sum of £3 per annum.

It was reported that 16,076 sq feet of turf each piece one foot square and one and a half inches thick were transported from South Wales where it was laid diagonally from corner to corner on a foundation of six inches of clinker, two inches of fine ash and one inch of sand as a result forming a fast draining surface. Major S.H.Cleal lay the final piece of turf on March 28th 1930 and the green was remarkably ready to be played on by May 9th six months after the site was waste ground. Major Cleal and S.Vaugham together donated the club’s flag and flagpole along with store cupboards and a tool shed. With the completion of the new pavilion the grand opening ceremony on June 6th saw the arrival of a combined England Bowling Association and County team to celebrate the occasion, a photograph of which is displayed at the club today.

1932 saw the untimely death of the club’s founder member and patriarch W.S.Edwards who through his generosity, donations and leadership the club would not be where it is today.

In 1934 at the Club’s AGM it was decided that women should

not be allowed membership to the club but in an allowance it was decided that one day be set aside for member’s wives to use the green.

In 1939 at the outbreak of war all league games were suspended for the duration although the club continued to function for its members to use.

A Ladies section of the club was formally introduced in 1965 with inaugural numbers being 16.

The club joined the South Dorset League in 1964 and won it in its first attempt. An upturn in fortunes came about with the popularity of Bridport and surrounding villages becoming a retirement haven and the holiday industry on the Dorset coast experiencing an upsurge in numbers all of which increased the membership to 58 by 1969.

By the beginning of 1970 the clubhouse was refurbished including a fully equipped kitchen and bar. In 1973 with the death of J.C. Hunt and the subsequent death of his wife the freehold of the club was offered to the club which it duly purchased and since that time Bridport is one of the few clubs in the area which owns its own club and green.

In 1978 the club celebrated its Golden Jubilee with an invitational match against the English Bowling Association led by its then President. Further land acquirements occurred in 1981 when a strip of land between the river and club was purchased and then gifted to the club. Around the mid 80s various events dictated that the club would once again change shape when with the Ladies membership allowance increased to 50 and around the same time the Wessex River Board altered the course of the River Brit along the west perimeter of the club new ladies and men’s changing rooms along with a shed and workshop for the mowers were built.

In 1992 a further landmark for the lady members was their acceptance within the club as having the same full rights and votes as the men, apparently one of the few equal joint membership clubs in the County at that time. In 1993 an automatic watering system was installed at the mammoth cost of £16,000.

The Ladies section of the club began outstripping the men’s section providing regular teams competing in National Finals at Leamington Spa. Over a ten-year spell from 1985 to 1995 Bridport provided the County with two Lady Presidents and members selected to play for England.

1998 saw the club celebrate 75 years with the men and ladies playing their respective County sides, and a combined team selected from officials of the sports main governing bodies. It was believed that the collection of teams and representatives had never before been involved in such a match.

Outside the old clubhouse circa 1930s

Club members circa 1939

The Mayor of Bridport at the time, the recently deceased David Tett bowled the first wood and both the E.B.A. and the E.W.B.A. presented Bridport with a flag to mark 75 years of the club along with rare and much cherished pendants from E.B.A. and World Bowls Board.

In more recent years the club continued its success in team and individual competitions throughout the county with the Ladies side in particular regularly featuring at the National finals in Leamington. Membership numbers hovered around the 140-160 mark with the continued allure of the area as a retirement hotspot.

Since the Millennium the club has undergone changes from the dress code to the structural aspect of the club. In a move to become more modern the club was one of the first to adopt a lightweight sports top as the club shirt moving away from the traditional shirt and tie which was the standard dress code for all bowlers.

The club underwent a major upheaval in when the old original clubhouse was deemed inadequate for the membership and the image the club wished to portray and it was decided that a new clubhouse be built. Aided by grants and the tireless work and fund raising by the members a new modern clubhouse was opened on the west elevation of the green in2006.

The current clubhouse now houses both men’s and ladies changing room as well as toilets along with disabled toilet, a fully functioning large kitchen and bar as well as a large community area where all social functions are held and teas and meals during matches.

A further building was erected almost on the exact site of the old clubhouse which afforded the club a visitors changing room, an equipment shed and a maintenance shed for the Green keeping team. As Bridport is one of the few greens which is entirely owned by the club itself the upkeep and maintenance is carried out by the dedication and care of the Green keeper who follows in a long line of committed members fulfilling the task.

As a result of the personal care and attention given to the green at Bridport it is and has always considered to have been one of the best in the county. The green underwent extensive treatment and overhaul before last season where it was literally stripped back and sanded a process which is expected to pay dividends for the forthcoming and subsequent seasons.

The club, unlike many other sporting clubs and associations managed to survive and come through the Covid pandemic through diligent fund raising and grant approval sourced by the club’s dedicated Treasurer and the generosity of its members who still paid their membership or part of it to contribute to the clubs survival. Further strains on the club have come in the shape of the increased utility charges everyone is facing, but the club as usual met the demands head on and made changes whereby their continuation is assured.

2023 will be significant for Bridport Bowling Club as it represents the club’s Centenary and there are many plans afoot to celebrate the event as one would expect for the oldest club in the West Dorset area. The administrators of the game of bowls in the UK, Bowls England are to play a match at Priory Lane in May and in the same month the County side, Bowls Dorset will also be visiting the club with a team for another game, all of which are seen as a feather in the cap for the club and an acknowledgement of the club’s achievement.

In August there will be a day set aside for the club members to get together on Centenary Celebration Day where there will be a game and hopefully visits by many past members. Apart from the games there will be lasting legacy’s planned for the club that the members can benefit from for years to come.

The club throughout its season play in a number of leagues for

both men and ladies, there are upwards of 40 friendlies played throughout the season with neighbouring clubs from Somerset and Devon. Bridport is always high on the wish list for clubs throughout the country visiting the area on tours on account of the facilities and green but most of all the undisputed and widely accepted claim that Bridport is the friendliest club in the area. The club also hosts prestige friendlies between counties on account of its facilities and green. There are also many internal competitions throughout the season culminating in Finals Weekend where these competitions come to a climax.

Taster Days 2023

Monday 8th May 12.00am – 2.00pm

Saturday 13th May 10.00am – 12.00am

Saturday 20th May 10.00am – 12.00am

Saturday 27th May 10.00am – 12.00am Come along, have a try. (Only stipulation is wear suitable shoes i.e. trainers or flat soled shoes)

For further details contact Liz Kennedy on 01308 480930 or email lizneu@hotmail. com

The club are constantly looking out for new members and with that purpose in mind run Taster sessions where residents of Bridport and surrounding villages can come to the club and try out the game in a very relaxed, inviting and jovial manner with club members on hand to show them the rudiments of the game and a tour around the facilities. These taster sessions will be run over three consecutive weekends in May commencing with the Bank Holiday Monday of the Coronation. Anyone interested are encouraged to come along and try the game for themselves, meet the members and no doubt be pleasantly surprised what the game of bowls can offer in both health and socialising to the point that hopefully they will want to become a part of it.

The club also has an informative website visit bridportbowlingclub.org.uk or just search Bridport Bowling Club

Captain’s Charity Fun Day

Current Men’s Game

Let the bells ring out! Ring for the King!

How many times have you walked past a church on a sunny Saturday and enjoyed the beautiful sound of the bells pealing in celebration of a wedding? Perhaps you have heard the bells calling the faithful to church, whether you attend or not. Church bell ringing is an ancient and fascinating art that has been practiced and developed for more than 300 years. Your knowledge of what is involved may be limited to adverts for Mars Bars and seeing John Noakes learn to ring on Blue Peter (depending on your age, of course!). It is, in fact, an art that is easy enough to pick up, but sufficiently challenging and stimulating to provide a lifetime of learning and enjoyment.

Learning to ring is both a mental and physical challenge. It is also a great social activity - a group of ringers is called a band – who all work together to produce beautiful sounds in changing patterns. A basic ability to handle a bell will give anyone a warm welcome to ring at towers from Abbotsbury to Wool, Aberdeen to Penzance. Going abroad? You will find ringing towers in several old British Colonies too.

Bells have been rung for major festivals, celebrations, weddings, and funerals for centuries, and hopefully will continue to do so. Bellringers are wonderful team players, helping out at other towers when asked, particularly for commemorating special events. One such event recently was the death of our much-loved Queen, Elizabeth II. There are 6000 towers in the UK and several thousands of those rang to mark the Queen’s death, and subsequent funeral, something picked up in local and national press.

More recently, the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers are aiming to recruit the next generation of ringers in time for the coronation of Charles III in May, and you may well have seen something about this on the television or read it in your daily newspaper. This is a national scheme for everyone to take part in, whether young or old; male or female; religious or not. If you would like to learn an ancient skill, improve your mental and physical health, whilst making new friends and helping to make history, then your Dorset contact is Nigel Pridmore, Secretary of Dorset County Association of Church Bell Ringers at dcacbr@gmail.com and let’s get all the bells of Dorset ringing for our new King!

CHILDREN from Symondsbury Primary School who were rehearsing Noyes Fludde, the one act community opera written by Benjamin Britten, on Wednesday 22 March in St Swithun’s Church, Allington, had a surprise visitor. The Right Reverend Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury since April 2022, dropped in to hear the rehearsal and to encourage the performers and organisers.

The opera was written in 1957 and has been a favourite with children’s groups and local community music groups ever since. It tells the story of Noah’s Ark and the large children’s choir represent the procession of animals as they board the Ark to escape the Flood.

The production by Symondsbury School draws upon the talents of professional and amateur local musicians, a huge array of supporters and helpers from the community and the musical efforts of every pupil, from older children taking lead solo roles to the smallest child in the chorus.

Bishop Stephen said “ It was a great joy to drop in on the children during their rehearsal and to see and hear their enthusiasm for this retelling of the centuries old mystery play. Benjamin Britten always intended performances of Noyes Fludde to be held in church halls and churches, so it was wonderful to see it being performed in St Swithun’s.”

Canon Deb Smith, Rector of Bridport, said “we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome this wonderful group of musicians and this lovely children’s choir here. The sound is wonderful and the enthusiasm infectious. St Swithuns has great plans for the future and events like this are very much part of our vision”

The Revd. Chris Grasske, Rector of the Colmer and Eggardon Benefice that includes Symondsbury, said how much he was looking forward to the performance and congratulated the children, staff, parents and all the supporters of Symondsbury Primary School on their hard work and engagement with this powerful Old Testament story. The performance has been under the direction of Matt Kingston, a local composer, musician and parent at the school, and teacher and musician Ruth Wakefield. Matt had long wanted to put on this work and said St Swithun’s provided just the right venue. He was particularly pleased at the way in which the children had risen to the challenges of the music and the way the community had come together to bring the opera to life. Ms Wakefield, commented “we were due to perform the opera just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and it sadly had to be cancelled. We are so delighted to stage the work at St Swithun’s and the story’s message of hope and new life is especially poignant. This really is a celebration of the children’s resilience and the power of community collaboration”.

Jennie Pease - Dorset County Association of Church Bell Ringers

New Bishop of Salisbury joins Symondsbury children for a rehearsal of Noye’s Fludde

Photograph by Tim Russ

Excitement building about 22023 Beaminster Festival

The Beaminster Festival has been launched and there is already a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm about the programme. Priority tickets for Sponsors Donors and Friends are on sale with the General Public booking opening on 13 April.

Few who saw the BBC Young Musician 2022 finals could fail to be inspired by Ethan Loch, pianist, blind from birth and consequently learning his entire repertoire by ear. He won great praise from the judges for the tone colours he managed to conjure in his rendition of Debussy Preludes in the category finals and we are thrilled that they will feature in his programme, bookended by Bach and Chopin. Ethan has extraordinary hearing, not only having perfect pitch but being able to pitch your voice, the washing machine or the hum of a car engine.

There has not been an accordion appear at the Beaminster Festival for many years—and like buses, now two come along!

Ryan Corbett has taken the classical musical scene by storm! Having taught himself for a few years, he found a teacher and last year he was the first Accordionist to win the prestigious Royal Over-Seas League Gold medal, beating all other categories in the final. He is also the first accordionist to become a BBC New Generation Artist and as such features on Radio 3. Playing music from Bach to Albeniz this concert will be full of poignance, passion and virtuosity.

With the same instrument but a totally different style we have Faith Ristic playing together with her virtuoso violinist husband, Branko in an international quartet. Combining tabor pipe, double bass and guitar they journey from melancholy Roma violin laments to storming Kolos via jazz improvisation, swing, Gypsy Rumba, and Turkish and Indian influenced songs.

For more information visit www.beaminsterfestival.com

Ethan Loch photograph by Dan Prince

Ryan Corbett

Faith and Branko

BOILED DUCK’S EGGS WITH ASPARAGUS SOLDIERS

Our British asparagus season is upon us, these days growers produce earlier crops from often March and April as we shouldn’t be competing against foreign imports or we get into a tomato and cucumber shortage situation in February where we shouldn’t be eating tasteless imported tomatoes anyway. We really do need to eat more seasonal produce and a lot of people say they do but you will be surprised what’s lurking in their fridges that have cumulatively done an awful lot of air miles. This is a simple, fun dish for dinner parties, with not much preparation required. If you can’t get hold of duck’s eggs, large free-range chicken eggs will do. It’s also a great fun way to get kids into asparagus.

DIRECTIONS INGREDIENTS

• 4 ducks eggs

• 1kg medium thickness asparagus, woody stems removed

• Maldon sea salt

• Celery salt

MARK HIX

Serves 4

Naomi Devlin at The Oyster & Fish House

Naomi will be joining Mark and the team on 17th May to cook a delicious 4-course meal and share her expertise on gluten-free foods and how you can boost your gut health by choosing the right food and drink. Naomi will be serving her homemade ferments and letting you know how you can make your own at home. You don’t need to be coeliac to enjoy this evening—you simply need to enjoy your food as much as we do!

For more information visit https://theoysterandfishhouse.co.uk/news-events/ an-evening-with-naomi-devlin/

1. Have two pots of water boiling, one salted for the asparagus and one for the eggs. Carefully place the eggs into the pan of unsalted water with the help of a slotted spoon. Set a timer for 6 minutes for duck eggs, a minute or so less for hen’s. Remove the eggs from the water on to a plate and at the same time put the asparagus into the boiling salted pan. This will take about 5 minutes to cook while you remove the tops from the eggs.

2. With a small knife (you can use a special egg top remover) carefully remove the tops from the eggs, then replace them to keep them hot, and put them into egg cups on pre- warmed plates.

3. Check the asparagus by cutting a little off a thick end to see if they are tender. Drain in a colander, then arrange in bundles next to the eggs. Spoon a little pile of Maldon sea salt and celery salt on to each plate and serve.

From Page to Screen

Now in his sixth decade working as a playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director, Sir Christopher Hampton could quite easily have filled any of the From Page to Screen slots with powerful films from his own repertoire. In fact, with films such as Dangerous Liaisons, Mary Reilly, The Quiet American, Atonement, A Dangerous Method, The Father and most recently The Son under his belt, a festival of just his films would have been a titanic event. So it’s no surprise that his vast experience and prolific work in the industry has produced an incredibly powerful series of films for Bridport’s much anticipated From Page to Screen film festival in April.

Christopher was born in Faial, Azores. During the Suez Crisis in 1956 his family fled Egypt to England where he went on to read German and French at New College, Oxford, graduating with a starred First Class Degree in 1968.

Speaking with him recently I said no one would be surprised at the French influence in his choices; he is after all the go to person to translate anything from across the pond. However, the depth and range of films that he has lined up for film goers this year even surprised him a little. Right from the first film of the Festival, Le Feu Follet, the line-up offers a roller-coaster ride through emotional turmoil and tackles many challenging subjects while introducing the audience to some of the major shifts in the development of cinema over the years.

‘There are basically four strands of films’ explains Christopher. ‘The 11am strand is European New Wave films. The afternoon session is new Hollywood 70s films. The 5 o clock session is adaptations from stage plays and/or films that have subsequently turned into stage plays. And then in the evening we have the new films.’ The release of his most recent film, The Son—the screenplay another collaboration with the French playwright Florian Zeller—has kept him busy over recent weeks. Showing at The Electric Palace on April 28th it has been described by Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian as a ‘laceratingly painful drama of familial fear and loathing’. He goes on to say that it is ‘about the middle-aged generation’s fear of and incomprehension of the young.’

A follow up to Zeller and Hampton’s Oscar winning film, The Father, it has had mixed reviews that Christopher found somewhat bemusing. He describes it as being ‘very roughly received in America’ because they ‘don’t like to be told that this is an intractable problem which we can all try to solve— but might not be able to. I don’t think this chimes with American “can do” philosophy.’ He says that ‘some of the reviews are quite angry—which was interesting’ and feels it has been ‘more temperately received’ in Europe.

But what is serious writing and cinema if it doesn’t make the effort to challenge audiences? ‘I like to leave the audience with some work to do’ says Christopher. ‘I don’t like to spoon feed them or tell them what to do. Or moralize in any way. That’s always been one of my principles in choosing material.’ That is certainly the case with many of the films in this year’s Festival. The morning and afternoon sessions feature stories that encourage the viewer to confront issues that range from racism to sexism, misogyny to religion and mental health to violent confrontation. Directed by Daniel Petrie, A Raisin in the Sun features a young black family where Sidney Poitier struggles with what he has not yet achieved in his life. ‘I am a volcano’ he cries at one point and the audience is left in no doubt that an eruption could come at any time. The theme of disillusion carries on with Rock Hudson in the extraordinary film Seconds on April 26th.

Talking about what he describes as the European New Wave films, Christopher says he picked them because they were at a very formative moment in his life. They represent something that he believes is no longer available to the cinema going audience. ‘I was in my late teens and early twenties when these films came out’ he says. ‘And in a way that doesn’t happen now at all. Those of us that developed an enthusiasm for film early on had this range of very interesting and challenging films to grow up with. It started in France and also with people like Ingmar Bergman and Antonioni and so on, and then it did spread across the channel and we had a new wave of our own.’ He has chosen John Schlesinger’s A Kind of Loving and Jack Clayton’s The

This year’s curator for Bridport’s Film Festival, From Page to Screen, is Christopher Hampton. With two Oscars, two BAFTAs and a Cannes Special Jury Prize, he brings a wealth of experience to his selections. He talked to Fergus Byrne about the films he has chosen.

Christopher Hampton, Photograph by Michael Avedon

Pumpkin Eaters, not just because he knew both and had worked with Clayton on The Tenant before it ‘got hijacked by Polanski’ but because ‘both films tackled subjects that had been absent from drama.’

Christopher describes cinema and theatre as both being in a ‘state of comfortableness’ in the mid-fifties until ‘these boys came along and blew everything out of the water. And then, very much influenced by these films the same thing happened in Hollywood in the early seventies with what Billy Wilder called “The kids with beards”’. Coincidentally, Christopher’s latest project has been working on the screenplay for a film loosely based on Jonathan Coe’s novel Mr Wilder and Me which he hopes will be made in the Autumn with Stephen Frears directing. It will be their fifth film. ‘We generally try to do one together every decade’ he laughs.

Christopher remembers exactly the moment when studios decided to refine their output. ‘I was in the middle of writing a film for Universal based on East of Eden.’ His story was based on the whole book ‘the James Dean character doesn’t come along until about page 400’ he says. He wrote and delivered the script but then Universal rang and explained they had made the formal decision not to make drama films of this particular budget range. ‘They were going to make films up to five million dollars that were contemporary or comedies, and they would make films over a hundred million dollars that were super hero films and so forth.’ The budget range had been finely tuned. Oddly, it seems the emergence of streaming came to the rescue. ‘Of course, in a way, the streamers are much maligned by filmmakers in various ways with various axes to grind, but at least the streamers brought back the possibility of the mainstream drama which is what I was working in—which was an endangered species about ten years ago.’

This leads to thoughts on another of the powerful films in this year’s festival, A Dangerous Method, one of only two of Christopher’s own films in the line-up. Starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender, the film deals with the birth of psychotherapy and the complex relationship between Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein. Originally commissioned by Julia Roberts’ company in the late 80s, Christopher wrote a screenplay called Sabina about Sabina Spielrein which eventually ended up in what he describes as ‘development hell’. It was never made. But he had done so much research on it that he decided to rewrite it as a play and change the main character from Spielrein to Jung. Director David Cronenburg picked up a copy of the play in a bookshop and asked Christopher if he might write it for film.

Christopher cites ‘an enormous unwieldy book’ called A Most Dangerous Method written by an Irish academic named John Kerr as being the original source material. However, the relationship between Jung and Sabina only really came to light later. ‘What I was interested in was this woman who in her way was as innovative and interesting as Jung and Freud, much younger than them but she was very original, and in fact became a pretty famous child psychologist later on in her life. She’s highly revered in child psychological circles. And she was completely forgotten and sort of ignored by both of them. Freud behaved a little better. In a couple of footnotes in some of his writings he acknowledged that some ideas had come from her. But Jung, who in a way derived a lot of his thinking about archetypes and the anima and all of those sorts of things from her in a way, never acknowledged it. So I was quite interested in rehabilitating this figure.’

A Dangerous Method

A Raisin in the Sun

Best of Enemies

Emily

Le Feu Follet

After over 50 years in the industry, a conversation with Christopher Hampton will inevitably bring up names that have left a huge imprint on the history of culture. The final film of the late afternoon sessions Best of Enemies is about a series of televised debates between Gore Vidal and William Buckley. Seen as a debate between the political left and right, Best of Enemies was noted for a series of on-air insults that, although now tame compared to the poisonous comments that can regularly be seen in today’s online forums, has been called a ‘harbinger of an unhappy future’. Knowing Gore Vidal over the years Christopher was fascinated by him and this documentary.

‘People now just howl at each other’ says Christopher. ‘The Buckley Vidal debates, which were brought in by ABC to bridge a gap, astonished them by being so popular. I mean they hated each other and it did finally explode. But the level of debate between them was infinitely higher than you’ll find anywhere today I think it’s fair to say.’ Although the internet has much to offer it has also wrought havoc with its ability to drag people into an echo chamber. ‘I deal with it mostly by ignoring it but there’s no question that it’s had a not entirely positive effect on everybody’s life. Apart from everything else, the whole notion of having invested something designed to save time which then proceeds to consume all your time, is paradoxical.’

The final session of films in the evening slot throughout the week is given over to recent films including a gala opening of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton on April 26th. Writer and Director Frances O Connor will join Christopher for a post screening Q&A about her film Emily on Thursday 27th. A part-fictional portrait of English writer Emily Brontë, Christopher contributed some French dialogue saying ‘I was comfortable doing it because it’s French spoken by English people, so it doesn’t have to be perfect.’

A screening of Christopher’s film The Son closes the day on Friday 28th with a post screening discussion led by Francine Stock. The following day’s films finish with the excellent She Said, the incredible true account of the New York Times investigation into Harvey Weinstein. The film is an adaptation of the 2019 non-fiction book of the same name by writers Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Christopher describes it as ‘one of the better films from last year, and I really admire the writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz who did a marvelous film called Ida a Polish film that Pawlikowski directed a few years ago.’ Explaining that he is ‘a sucker for those kinds of films anyway’ Christopher is pleased to be in discussion with Rebecca Lenkiewicz after the film.

As if there weren’t enough highlights in an already spectacular selection of films and special guests throughout the week, Christopher will be joined by Director Richard Eyre following the screening of Allelujah on Sunday April 30th. A deeply moving adaptation of Alan Bennett’s play of the same name, Allelujah features a cast that includes Judi Dench, David Bradley, Jennifer Saunders and Derek Jacobi.

With two Oscars, two BAFTAs and a Cannes Special Jury Prize already on the shelf, Christopher Hampton is a spectacular curator for this year’s From Page to Screen. With endearing humility his thoughts on curating a Festival that is so relevant to his skills says as much about him as it does about the complexity of the industry he works in. ‘Adapting for the screen, whether it be a novel, a stage play, a biography, a historical event or a newspaper article, presents its own particular problems’ he says. ‘Perhaps more technical, but in no way less intricate than writing an original screenplay. I’ve spent decades ruminating on these issues, without necessarily having reached any firm conclusions, though I do by now, I suppose, have a few tentative suggestions. I’m delighted at the opportunity to visit Bridport to be able to kick some of these suggestions around.’

Bridport’s film Festival From Page to Screen runs from Wednesday April 26th to Sunday April 30th. For full information visit www.frompagetoscreen.info.

Letter from an Unknown Woman

She Said Seconds

The Son

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Digital Utopianism or Pixelated Madness?

Horatio Morpurgo on the growth of a ‘more sceptical relationship with technology’

‘THE question is no longer whether our future is digital but to what degree we want to remain human.’ So begins the current (fourth) number of Analog Sea, the ‘offline journal’ founded in 2018 by Jonathan Simons. Copies are only available through actual physical bookshops (such as The Bookshop, Bridport) and the publisher can only be contacted by post. Its pages form part of ‘an emergent fringe publicly championing a more sceptical relationship with technology’, particularly ‘digital utopianism’.

Analog Sea, an English language publication based in Freiburg, Germany, has been reviewed favourably by the Washington Post and the Times Literary Supplement among others. It sells more copies in Menlo Park (birthplace of Google, current home of Meta / Facebook) than in any other city in the world. They know very well there what ‘the pixelated madness’ is doing to us.

This fourth number is largely given over to a sustained meditation on the nature of liberty. It is properly wary (which is to say not reflexively dismissive) of the West’s claim to embody such an ideal. Ukraine is mentioned only once but the war is clearly the occasion for these troubled reflections upon what is being defended there.

Featuring interviews with historians and film-makers, the writings of philosophers, poets and novelists, it is divided into four sections. The first explores some lesser-known byways of the Sixties counter-culture. In San Francisco, for example, the Diggers took more than their name from the seventeenth century English dissenters. In a park they set up a makeshift wooden frame, labelled it ‘Free Frame of Reference’ and started cooking. You brought your own bowl and by walking through the frame were understood to have entered a new space. The free food you ate wasn’t just a picnic but part of a utopian experiment, a reclamation of the commons. They ran free printing shops, too, emulating the pamphleteers of the 1640s.

Theirs was a freedom radically at odds with an America where, in the words of Herbert Marcuse, ‘the music of the soul is also the music of salesmanship.’ The Diggers were rapidly outflanked: divergent strains within the counterculture soon began to pull apart. These different groups, though, should be seen not as the ‘foolish ideological missteps’ of caricature but as ‘collectives engaged in a larger battle for the concept of freedom as such.’

So the famous ‘Summer of Love’, for example, was organised by a more ‘entrepreneurial’ faction within the counter-culture, deliberately pitched to the media fascination with its more photogenic aspects. When a certain Republican hopeful and former actor named Ronald Reagan argued, in 1964, that the only freedom which could guarantee prosperity was the free market, his argument was part of this wider struggle within American culture.

Why should anybody care now? Because by 1967 Reagan was Governor of California. Because from the defeat of that utopianism there emerged ‘the free market doxa that has

dominated the last 30 years of Western politics.’ To recall this now is anything but an exercise in nostalgia. It is to affirm the possibility of contesting that victory and in multiple ways.

The journal’s next section explores how freedom has manifested through music down the centuries, whether that be Bach’s Chaconne, Mozart’s concertos or the piano Nietzsche played. We hear of Scott Walker’s ‘Jesse’, a song about Elvis Presley’s still-born twin, to whom he spoke ‘in moments of desolation’. There is John Coltrane, too, and the ‘free movement’ in jazz, as well as the centrality of mutual aid to the punk ethos.

The third section addresses authoritarianism head on. We surely can do better than match Putin’s imperial mania belligerence for belligerence, mechanically invoking a freedom we prefer not to examine too closely. So the historian Robert Zaretsky tracks freedom from Edinburgh to Paris to Geneva, through the writings of Hume, Diderot and Rousseau in the eighteenth century, through to Camus and Weil in the twentieth. He also describes what it’s like teaching this to students who see themselves as ‘clients’ for whom a degree is ‘a marketable commodity.’

Robert Fulford explores British culture through the story of The Sun’s notorious ‘Gotcha!’ headline, which rejoiced at the drowning of hundreds of Argentinian recruits during the Falklands War. To Fulford, the literary imagination matters as an inveterate foe of borders, whether those are policed along ethnic, class or national lines. Abraham Lewin recalls that myriad resourcefulness shown in the Warsaw Ghetto, the ways found by its inmates to insist upon fully human identity. The poet Adrienne Rich squares up to her American homeland. She questions ‘the ‘‘free’’ market’s devotion to freedom of expression,’ exploring the work of Palestinian poet Mahmood Darwish as she does so.

‘We are not simply trapped in the present,’ she writes. ‘We are not caged in a narrowing corridor at the ‘‘end of history’’. Nor do any of us have to windsurf on the currents of a system that betrays so many others. We do have choices.’

The final section is devoted to the theme of walking. From Rebecca Solnit to Henry David Thoreau, from Walter Benjamin on why the flâneur was invented in Paris to Virginia Woolf meandering down to the Strand in search of that pencil. The literal freedom here is simply that of moving through space. To actually exercise it, though, prompts reflection on more elusive forms that freedom can take.

Readers of the journal’s earlier issues will notice here a looping back to the section in Number Two about Situationism. In any case you will need several good walks to digest the sheer abundance of suggestion on offer here. Analog Sea is what a grown-up public culture looks like. We’ve got so used to our poisonous fog, we scarcely recognise the real thing when we stumble upon it. Presented here are writers who can defend the possibilities of our freedom and bear witness to its shortcomings. Analog Sea deserves our attention.

Join Analog Sea editor Jonathan Simons in discussion with writer Horatio Morpurgo for the 57th Lecture on Everything at the Chapel in the Garden in Bridport at 8pm on April 14th. Tickets £10 on the door.

GALLERIES April

Until 1 April

Inhabit The Brunel Broderers are a group of artists based in the South West of England who have built up a following within the textile world for challenging expectations in the medium traditionally called ‘embroidery’. Today their work defies a neat title, encompassing a diverse range of approaches, methods and materials. Each member will be showing a recent body of work around the word ‘inhabit’, with members adopting their own approach. For some, the word may suggest the living in or physical occupation of place. For others, it may evoke ideas around reflection or memory relating to place. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tues-Sat, 9.30am - 3pm. Free entry. https://www. ilminsterartscentre.com/exhibitions.

Grad Race exhibition of work by recent graduates from two of the South West’s leading universities, Arts University Bournemouth and Solent University in Southampton. This exhibition aims to provide a platform for emerging artists as they navigate one of the hardest points in their careers, and contains themes of politics, race, class, domestic abuse, gender, social media, grief and the body. Bridport Arts Centre. 9 South St, Bridport DT6 3NR. 01308 424901. https://www.bridport-arts.com/

1 - 2 April

Mike Nicholls Art Exhibition “100” Local artist returning to exhibit a range of paintings inspired by the sea and various nearby landscapes.

10am - 4pm Merriott Village Hall (TA16 5QH) www.mikenicholls. org.uk.

1 - 29 April

Nicola Leader is our guest artist for April. Nicola has lived in West Dorset all her life, her studio and exhibition space which are open by arrangement are in a hayloft at her home where she has lived for the past 43 years. Nicola works in oils, watercolour and pencil, painting a wide range of subjects including birds and animals in natural and farmyard settings. We will be displaying

original artworks on the wall, browser and a large selection of greetings cards taken from her original paintings. Open daily from 8.30 - 4pm at Unique Framecraft, Unit’s 4 - 5 Millwey Rise Workshops, Second Avenue, Axminster, Devon EX13 5HH. Telephone 01297 613614 or 07801 260259. Find us on Instagram:@uniqueframecraft. What3words: warned.tasteful.elaborate.

1 - 30 April

Kit Glaisyer: The Marshwood Vale & Beyond is an evolving exhibition of West Country landscape paintings, with works on show in the gallery and studio. Open Weds & Sat 103pm or by appointment. Bridport Contemporary Gallery, 11 Downes Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JR. 07983 465789 www. bridportcontemporary.com @bridportcontemporary

Until 2 April

Smalls For Walls Sou’-Sou’-West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury Estate, Bridport DT6 6HG. Open daily 10:30-4:30. Free admission & parking. Contact 01308 301326 www.sousouwest. co.uk. An exhibition which focuses on smaller works of art, with a maximum size of 30cms x 30cms.

3 - 16 April

Outside The Box Malcolm Giladjian Sou’-Sou’-West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury Estate, Bridport DT6 6HG. Open daily 10:30-4:30. Free admission & parking. Contact 01308 301326 www.sousouwest.co.uk. A study of the Wey Navigation in Surrey, painted through artist Malcolm Giladjian’s eyes. Malcolm lived there as a child, and has expressed the rivers, canals and locks where he grew up, free from inhibitions, with the use of the colours around him, the smell of the water, and influenced by his childhood memories.

7 - 10 April

Bridport Art Society Easter Exhibition and Sale. 10am- 5pm. The Salt House.West bay.DT6 4EL

Until 11 April

Chasing The Light Sou’-Sou’-West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury

Estate, Bridport DT6 6HG. Open daily 10:30-4:30. Free admission & parking. Contact 01308 301326 www.sousouwest.co.uk. A retrospective of the late Michael Chappell’s work. Profits from sales of the exhibition will be donated to the Joseph Weld Hospice in Dorchester.

Until 14 April

Peter Archer Discovering a Friendship: Isaac Levitan and Anton Chekhov. Peter Archer’s paintings are the result of a search, often a long, round-the-houses search, which mix memory, imagination and a sense of the world with the demands of the painting he’s working on. He says he does not want this process to be obvious, but for the completed painting - the final a image—to have the ‘robustness of reality’. The land and the sea continue to provide most of the subject matter for the paintings. Open Thursday - Saturday 10am - 3pm The Art Stable, Kelly Ross Fine Art, Child Okeford, Dorset DT11 8HB. www.theartstable.co.uk

Jazmin Velasco-Moore I’m always Hungry: Memorial Exhibition. Jazmin possessed a formidable talent for drawing, no doubt inheriting the expressive line from her father. She worked fast and never seemed to make a mistake, filling a sketchbook in no time with characters, ideas and stories which would surface later in other media. Open Thursday - Saturday 10am - 3pm The Art Stable, Kelly Ross Fine Art, Child Okeford, Dorset DT11 8HB. www.theartstable.co.uk.

14 - 21 April

The Malthouse Gallery Lyme Regis Exhibition by Lyme Art Collective, an eclectic group of seven exciting artists from the Dorset/Devon area. The exhibition is an exploration of colour, light and texture portrayed in their own distinctive styles. This is a celebration of Spring and New Beginnings inspired by coastline, landscape, nature and animals.

14 April - 3 May

Sonia Barton, Lotta Teale The Jerram Gallery, Half Mood Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LN www. jerramgallery.com.

16 April - 1 May

Spring Time Sou’-Sou’-West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury Estate, Bridport DT6 6HG. Open daily 10:30-4:30. Free admission & parking. Contact 01308 301326 www.sousouwest.co.uk Sou’-Sou-West’s Annual Spring Open.

17 - 30 April

Portraits of Golden Cap Sou’-Sou’-West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury Estate, Bridport DT6 6HG. Open daily 10:30-4:30. Free admission & parking. Contact 01308 301326 www.sousouwest.co.uk. Local artist Edward Hall draws his inspiration from the dramatic coastal and inland landscapes of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. His latest

exhibition explores the iconic form and setting of this highest point on the south coast.

Until 21 April

Exhibition by Donna Goold Woodlands in Wax and Seascapes on Silver Solo Donna Goold’s paintings are an exploration of colour and light. In this new body of work, led by the differing materials she has chosen to use, her paintings have taken two distinct directions: Dark, mysterious woodlands captured forever in wax and vibrant sunsets expressed on aluminium. Artwave West, Morcombelake, Dorset DT6 6DY 01297 489746 www.artwavewest.com

22 - 23 April

Harbour Rhythms: Liz James A delightful exhibition observing the changing rhythms of fleeting sunlight, ripples and reflections. The exhibition celebrates the versatility of coloured pencils on paper. Original works and limited edition prints.The Salt House, West Bay, Bridport DT6 4EL10am to 4:30pm @lizzyjamesart

Until 23 April

A Celebration of Sky An exhibition of cloudscape lino prints by Exeter-based printmaker Steve Manning. Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues/Wed-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm, www. lymeregismuseum.co.uk

Until 30 April

Abstract Ceramics Natasha Daintry, Nicolas Lees, James Rigler also Thiebault Chague Woodfiring in Action; also Sandrine Bringard Splash! part of Ceramics Season, Messums Wiltshire, Place Farm, Tisbury, SP3 6LW. messums wiltshire. com.

Until 3 May

Teresa Lawton Gallery On The Square Queen Mother Square Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3BL gallerypoundbury. co.uk

Until 8 May

Rodney Graham Getting it Together in the Country Rodney Graham (1949 – 2022) expanded his diverse practice to encompass photography, painting, sculpture, film, video and music. A true polymath, Graham seamlessly inhabited different personae, genres and art forms throughout his unparalleled career. Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Durslade Farm Dropping Lane, Bruton Somerset BA10 0NL. The New Bend Curated by Legacy Russell, Executive Director & Chief Curator of The Kitchen, ‘The New Bend’ travels from Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles to Somerset. The exhibition brings together 12 contemporary artists working in the raced, classed and gendered traditions of quilting and textile practice. The artists featured are Anthony Akinbola, Dawn Williams Boyd, Myrlande Constant, Ferren Gipson, Tomashi Jackson, Basil Kincaid, Eric N. Mack, Sojourner Truth Parsons, Tuesday Smillie, Rachel Eulena Williams, Qualeasha Wood and Zadie Xa. Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Durslade Farm Dropping Lane, Bruton Somerset BA10 0NL.

Until 13 May

The Life that Springs Anita Klein RA, Fred Cuming RA, Martyn Brewster ARE, Merlyn Chesterman RE, Sally McMaren RE, Yo Thom ceramics, Petter Southall furniture. Sladers Yard, 6 W Bay Rd, West Bay, Bridport DT6 4EL. 01308 459511.

Until 3 June

Paradise Found: New Visions of the Blackdown Hills Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Elmfield House, Dowell Street, Honiton Devon EX14 1LX. www.thelmahulbert.com.

Until 11 June

A Celebration of Sky An exhibition of cloudscape lino prints by Exeter-based printmaker Steve Manning. Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues-Sat 10am5pm; Sun 10am-4pm, www.lymeregismuseum. co.uk

Until 13 June

Paradise Found: New Visions of the Blackdown Hills explores the Blackdown Hills through the lens of 36 leading contemporary artists alongside works by members of the Camden Town Group. This new exhibition marks the launch of THG’s new East Devon wide engagement programme ‘Create Our Space’ funded by Arts Council England. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Elmfield House, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX.

Until 21 July

Spring Exhibition gallery & guest artists. Tincleton Gallery, The Old School House, Tincleton, nr Dorchester, DT2 8QR. http:// www.tincletongallery.com.

Finding Paradise

in the footsteps of the Camden Town Group

The beautiful, mysterious Blackdown Hills called to the artists of the Camden Town Group in the years before and after the First World War. Robert Bevan, Spencer Gore, Charles Ginner and Stanislawa de Karlowska all visited and stayed to paint the landscape, the farms and the way of life around Clayhidon.

Their paintings now evoke a powerful sense, not only of that ancient landscape but also of an unspoiled countryside that has vanished in much of Britain, and a farming way of life that has gone altogether.

Their work is revisited and their subjects reexamined in a major exhibition, Paradise Found: New Visions of the Blackdown Hills, at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton until 3rd June.

The Camden Towners were Post-Impressionists, and their paintings seek to marry the ancient English landscape with the progressive French influence of painters such as Cezanne and Gauguin.

Today’s artists, invited to take part by cocurators Fiona McIntyre, Tim Craven and Sandra Higgins, represent a broad canvas of 21st century landscape artists, working in many different media and in styles from representational and photorealist to abstract.

The commission was to respond to the Blackdown Hills and the work of the Camden group through the changes to the architecture, ecology, agriculture and land management of what

is now a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The artists include Belinda Crozier, Paul Newman, Abi Kremer, Alan Rankle, Mark Dunford, Ruth Piper, Blaze Cyan, Frank Creber, Narbi Price, Ferha Farooqui, Day Bowman, and Tim Craven and Fiona McIntyre.

Excitingly, several of Robert Bevan’s splendid paintings are in the show, including the magnificent 1916 oil, The Hay Harvest. We may not see these paintings as revolutionary now, after more than a century of upheavals in the art world, they convey a depth of feeling and a sense of place that stands up to comparisons with Cezanne.

This is an exhibition to revisit—you won’t take it all in on first sight. It is exciting to see the Bevans, and to explore through the eyes of contemporary artists how this timeless landscape has evolved—but also to celebrate what we find in the Blackdowns, the trees, the old long-houses, the prehistoric earthworks and the footprints of humans. It is a living landscape not a rural idyll in aspic and that is what the 2023 artists are showing us.

From the stark abstracts of Day Bowman to the joyful colours of Abi Kremer, from the photorealism of Tim Craven’s watercolours and Paul Newman’s graphite drawings to the explosive colour of Alan Rankle or the stormy mysticism of John Ball, this exhibition will undoubtedly, in the words of co-curator Sandra Higgins, “add to the legacy of this area.”

Fanny Charles

Pictured left: ‘The Village Gossip’, David Ferry, 2023 and above: ‘The Hay Harvest’ by Robert Bevan (private collection) on loan to the Thelma Hulbert Gallery by the Bevan family.

Paradise Found: New Visions of the Blackdown Hills at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Elmfield House, Dowell Street, Honiton Devon EX14 1LX until June 3. www.thelmahulbert.com.

Addressing Social Mobility in the South West

Chair of the South West Social Mobility Commission, Sir Michael Barber talks to Seth Dellow

IN March 2023, the newly established South West Social Mobility Commission held its inaugural meeting. The initiative is the brainchild of Lee Elliot Major, the country’s first Professor of Social Mobility, who’s groundbreaking report last year advocated for the creation of the Commission to address the region’s low social mobility.

Chair of the Commission is Sir Michael Barber, an educationalist and world-renowned expert on government delivery. Appropriately, Michael has a number of local connections to the South West that make him suitable for the role. He tells Seth ‘I've lived here since 2010, so thirteen years I've lived in North Devon—that's a big connection; I'm Chairman of Somerset County Cricket Club, which is another connection; and I'm Chancellor of Exeter University.’

Michael brings to the Commission a wealth of experience in government and public service and has seen varying approaches towards social mobility in the last twenty years. From 1997 to 2005, he served in the Blair administration and he tells Seth that, at that time, ‘I think there was a lot of concern and focus on improving the education, certainly of children from low income families. We improved the quality of literacy and numeracy teaching in primary schools, and we could see, in the data, progress.’ He continues ‘we became more rigorous in dealing with underperforming schools, which tended to be in areas of low social mobility. That made some progress.’ When asked about the approach taken by the Conservative administration since 2010, Barber was honest: ‘Michael Gove did do some good reforms… however, austerity has an effect. The pandemic has had a very bad effect on low income children and the government is currently trying to address that through catch up programmes and so on. But there's a long way to go’.

In his view, the work of The Sutton Trust—an educational charity established in 1997 and once the home of former Chief Executive, Lee Elliot Major—has been highly influential in shaping approaches to social mobility. Michael asserts that the charity’s impact has been ‘not just on any particular party, but upon the political class generally.’ Additionally, he believes that the professions of banking, law, education, and healthcare are more aware now of social mobility than twenty years ago. What he’s observed, he informs Seth, is ‘often more like a movement, a sense that we as a society should be concerned about that.’

In the South West, Michael believes the region’s low social mobility originates with three factors. The first is ‘low paid, low skilled jobs in agriculture and tourism’. He argues that, although these jobs are plentiful there is no guarantee of progression. Secondly, ‘because of that traditional economy based around tourism and agriculture, too often the schools have relatively low expectations and so they don't demand enough from their students’. This correlates with the statistic that, in 2019 only 40% of disadvantaged students in the South West attained a standard pass in GCSE English or Maths. Thirdly, Michael says ‘I think we've had mixed contributions from the further and higher education system.’ Despite this, he’s adamant that today, ‘we're in a really strong position.’

A combination of recent educational and economic developments

has stimulated a more optimistic outlook on the region’s prospects. Michael highlights a raft of Good to Outstanding Ofsted reports at colleges, such as Exeter and Petroc. Higher Education providers, such as Exeter and Plymouth are also ‘really fired up’ about social mobility. Additionally, the region’s economy is changing rapidly. Michael is convinced that ‘we're going to see a growth in the number of high skilled jobs’ in what he terms the “New Economy”, which encompasses the technology, creative, and green industries. This is aided, in his view, by the most recent tranche of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, with nearly £180 million allocated to the South West.

The new South West Social Mobility Commission will play an integral role in scrutinising the work of twelve Commissioners. Representatives include Lisa Roberts, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter; Paul Crawford, CEO of Live West; and Brendan Staniforth, Strategic Delivery Director at Babcock International. In his role as Chair, Michael says ‘I’ll be challenging all of them to say, “so in your firm, in your local authority, in your bit of the health service, what are you going to do about it?” We won't just sit around and pontificate. We will be trying to make sure that people on the Commission and far beyond do something.’ Goals will be set by the Commission for each five-year period between now and 2050 to ensure significant progress is made.

While the new Commission is partly about policies, research and guidance, it is also concerned with initiating meaningful change. This is a view Michael is passionate about: ‘The biggest single thing we can do is raise the aspirations of families, children, parents and schools not to believe that simply sort of ticking over in school and getting a relatively low paid job in agricultural tourism—that’s not the future, and it's not social mobility. So, raising expectations will be crucial.’

Outside of the Commission, Michael is concurrently advising the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Education Secretary on the UK Government’s skills reform programme. The programme involves ‘massively improving the quality of careers advice and advice about roots into the future. So, better advice about apprenticeships, about degree apprenticeships, about university degrees, and better advice about which career directions are likely to be in the “New Economy”, and which ones are left over from the old economy’. The programme follows a sharp growth in the number of job coaches based in job centres over the last few years.

Behind the push for skills reform is the desire to redress the inequities faced particularly by those from white working-class communities. Michael encapsulates the matter, saying ‘I think the problem in some parts of the country has been that there's a certain generation that expected the world to be as it was in the 20th Century, and then when they got there, it wasn't.’ He infers ‘that leads to feeling negative, feeling left behind, sometimes feeling cynical, sometimes feeling bitter. For people who've reached adulthood and feel like that, they need really good one to one advice.’ It is his view that, beyond the classroom, these disadvantaged communities should ‘interact with some part of the state to try and unlock some sense of aspiration and get people to put their despair behind them… hope is really important in this.’

‘We won’t just sit around and pontificate. We will be trying to make sure that people on the Commission and far beyond do something.’

Double Dorset bill for community playwright

Fanny Charles looks ahead to community plays in Dorchester and Poole

This will be a busy year for community playwright Stephanie Dale—her Dorchester project, Spinning the Moon, finally takes to the boards in April, and Salt, which she has written for Poole’s first ever community play, will be staged in the town in July.

Spinning the Moon, Dorchester’s record-breaking seventh community play will open on 4th April for a two-week run at Thomas Hardye School theatre—three years after the first Covid lockdown caused the cancellation of the original opening night in 2020.

It comes to the stage almost a decade, following the hugely successful sixth community play, Drummer Hodge, in 2014. No other town in the world has staged so many community productions.

Like all Dorchester’s previous community plays, Spinning the Moon takes a Dorset look at a major historic event—in this case, the devastating civil war known as The Wars of the Roses. It is set in and around Wolfeton House, a historic property near Dorchester.

Lord Trenchard returns home to find that his lands have been mismanaged by his steward and the family faces ruin. As the play unfolds fortunes rise and fall with the civil war bringing chaos to the local community. The characters include the family and their retainers and servants, some less than brotherly monks from Abbotsbury and a group of cunning women.

The 90-strong cast includes new recruits of all ages and some actors who are veterans of Dorchester productions since 1985’s first community play, Entertaining Strangers.

It’s been an exciting but often frustrating roller-coaster for the company and the writer. Rowan Seymour, who leads the volunteer board of Dorchester Community Play Association, says: ‘Three years ago we were in despair when Covid hit and we had to down tools, but now I can’t describe how brilliant the atmosphere is.’

Stephanie Dale, who also wrote Dorchester’s fifth community play A Time to Keep, says: ‘When we were shut down by the first lockdown we were all devastated and didn’t dare hope we would ever get the play to the stage but now, seeing it come together week by week as rehearsals progress is the best feeling in the world.’

Director Peter Leslie Wild describes the company as ‘an incredible bunch of people—there is no let-up but everyone puts their heart and soul into every minute and works so hard.’

Music is a key part of Spinning The Moon, and the programme, from jolly harvest home songs to solemn Palm Sunday hymns, is in very safe hands, led by Dorset’s

for Salt

outstanding singer, historian, actor and musician Tim Laycock, assisted by Alastair Simpson.

Dorset has links with the Canadian province of Newfoundland that go back more than three centuries. Salt, the new community play, is being produced by Poole’s Lighthouse arts centre and created by Dorset-based Angel Exit Theatre.

Stephanie Dale’s play is set between 1681 and the present day. It shines a light on the Newfoundland trade that was at its height from the mid-17th century until the mid19th century and saw Poole sailors bring salt cod from Newfoundland to the ports of Spain, Portugal and Italy, and return with salt, olive oil and wine.

By the end of the 17th century many Dorset families had settled in Newfoundland, economic migrants from rural and coastal poverty in search of new lives in a new land, and the play focuses on the first brave women who made the treacherous voyage to settle in a hostile land.

The themes of what it means to belong and what it means to leave your homeland are woven into a story with contemporary characters which have been developed through workshops with the playwright.

As at Dorchester, music will also be an important part of Poole’s community production, with Tim Laycock recruiting a choir to learn some old Newfoundland songs.

For Spinning the Moon tickets, or more information, contact Dorchester Arts on 01305 266926 or visit dorchesterarts.org.uk—this is a promenade performance; contact Dorchester Arts if you have specific accessibility requirements.

For more information on Salt, email communityplay@ lighthousepoole. co.uk or call the project coordinator, Holly, on 01202 781338.

Rehearsals

The siren call of crime by the seaside

Who doesn’t love murder mystery in a gorgeous location?

Lyme Crime, the only literary festival devoted to crime fiction on the Jurassic coast, returns to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis, from 15th to 17th June, with a line-up that ranges from a best-selling writer of psychological thrillers to a retired judge.

Founded by local author and festival director Paddy Magrane, Lyme Crime brings together crime and thriller writers, forensic specialists, police officers and lawyers for a series of talks, panel discussionis and conversations, celebrating what is said to be the UK’s favourite fictional genre.

This year’s lineup includes Lisa Jewell, Fiona Cummins, Erin Kelly, Nadine Matheson, Jason Goodwin, Vaseem Khan, CL Taylor, Jane Casey and real-life Old Bailey judge, Wendy Joseph.

It’s a weekend of murder, mystery and mayhem, says Paddy, who is delighted that the festival is returning for a second year. ‘If you’re a fan of crime fiction, our festival is the perfect place to meet your favourite writers and other mystery lovers.’

Opening the festival, on Thursday 15th June, at 4.30pm, best-selling novelist Lisa Jewell will be in conversation with Erin Kelly. Lisa's first book Ralph’s Party was the best-selling debut of 1999, and she has gone on to publish 19 more novels. Initially finding fame as a “chick lit” writer, Lisa says she was always drawn to the dark side, and now writes hugely successful psychological thrillers, outselling John Grisham and Stephen King. She joins Erin Kelly to discuss her latest novel, The Family Remains, and what’s behind her evolution as a writer.

Later that evening, “Noir at the Bar”, will be a free event, with readings, conversation and laughter with established and emerging crime writers.

Friday’s programme starts with “Cosy Crime—from Guilty Secret to Top of the Charts”. So-called “cosy crime” writers have long felt like Cinderella in crime circles, but with the arrival of Richard Osman, that’s all changed. With cosy topping the charts, writers SJ Bennett, Derek Farrell and Rachel Ward discuss their genre.

Exotic settings and historic events provide the context for Friday’s “Where Past and Present Meet”, a discussion with Jason Goodwin, Vaseem Khan and William Ryan, whose protagonists are a eunuch investigator in Ottoman-era Istanbul, a female detective in the heat and dust of 1950s Bombay, and a shell-shocked soldier solving a mystery in the divided Ireland of 1921.

“In the Heart of Darkness”, the first of two Friday afternoon sessions, features Katerina Diamond, Sam Holland and Alex North exploring the darkest recesses of the human mind, with a cast of murderers, psychopaths, abductors and serial killers. The three panellists ask: Is there a line that can’t be crossed?

Meanwhile, “Spies like Us—from Fact to Fiction”, with Ava Glass, Charlotte Philby and Holly Watt—an ex-M16 handler, the granddaughter of Cambridge spy Kim Philby and a former newspaper reporter—discuss how tapping into personal experience brings grit and authenticity to their work.

The evening panel, Fiona Cummins, Erin Kelly and CL Taylor, discuss the enduring appeal of crime and psychological fiction in “Deadlier in the Dark”. Why, even in our blackest hours, do we turn to stories of darkness and death?

Saturday 17th June starts with “Crime Fiction—a Force for Change?” Holly Seddon, Nadine Matheson and Tina Orr Munro, with panel chairman Ayo Onatade, discuss why the genre is a great vehicle for exploring social issues, and may even be a tool for change.

“Too Close for Comfort”, the lunch-time session, brings crime into your street—where curtains twitch, walls have ears and everyone is watching. Jane Casey, Sarah Hilary and Olivia Kiernan investigate the nightmare of nosy neighbours, buried secrets and family feuds.

Whether you can’t wait for the next Donna Leon installment of crime and life in the Brunetti family in Venice or JK Rowling’s dark and dangerous London where Cormoran and Robin operate, you probably realise that writing a great crime novel takes huge skill. These novels generally have intricate, maze-like plots with killer twists. In a panel discussion, “To Plot or Not—the Big Debate”, Leye Adenle, Neil Broadfoot and Ed James discuss the merits of plotting versus “pantsing”, share the times that books were born from a single line, and reveal the tricks that keep their writing fresh and their readers guessing.

“Location, Location, Location” is the theme for the Saturday tea-time session, as Amen Alonge, Rachael Blok and SE Lynes talk about how the setting of a book—gritty urban sprawl, close-knit country town or windswept seaside community—can become another character, how they depict the locations in their work, and how these settings sometimes mould the stories they tell.

And for those who want the “Why as well as the Where, Who and When”, retired judge Her Honour Wendy Joseph talks with Paddy Magrane about “Why We Kill”. This festival finale event features one of only a handful of judges qualified to preside over murder trials at the Old Bailey. For the first time, she can talk about what it’s really like ruling on lifechanging cases. She discusses her book Unlawful Killings, which explores why we kill, what happens in court and what this teaches us about the society we live in. Fanny Charles

Lisa Jewell (above) opens this year’s Lyme Crime Festival founded by Paddy Magrane (right).

PREVIEW April

Afrobeat and electro-funk

LYME REGIS

ONIPA, an afro-futurist collective, bring their high-octane live show, featuring Afrobeat, high-life and electronic funk to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis, on Saturday 8th April at 8pm.

This supergroup features Tom Excell, the man behind Nubiyan Twist, and is fronted by singer and percussionist Kweku of Ghana (KOG). Born out of deep collaboration between these long-time friends, Onipa represents an electrifying coming of together of some of the most exciting players on the UK live scene.

The five-piece band features KOG on vocals, balafon and percussion, Tom on guitar, percussion and electronics, Dwayne Kilvington (Wonky Logic) on synths and MPC and Finn Booth (Nubiyan Twist) on drums.

Their debut album, We No Be Machine, was released in March 2020 via Strut Records. The record combines deep afro grooves, electronics and fierce energy. Its release was followed in September 2021 with Tapes Of Utopia, a mixtape full of dance-floor fire released on Boomerang Records.

Viking fun for all the family

TAUNTON AND SOUTH PETHERTON

THE Vikings, generally portrayed as some of the most violent (if colourful) invaders of the Dark Ages, get a vivid reimagining from Jack Dean & Company, who bring Vinland to Taunton’s Brewhouse Arts Centre on 6th April, and the David Hall at South Petherton on 11th April.

Vinland is described as a family-friendly Viking saga adventure show that merges history and mythology with storytelling, animation, and live music, written by Jack Dean and directed by Ellie Taylor. Founded by Jack Dean in 2020, the company is a disabled-led non-profit organisation set up to help tell stories of how things could be. They collaborate with inspiring and exceptional artists to create new work across many artforms.

Combining animation, visual and audio media, storytelling and live music, the show tells the little-known history of Erik the Red. and the Vikings’ final voyage to North America, where mankind lived for a brief period in the early 11th century, nearly 500 years before other Europeans “discovered” the New World.

The show, which is suitable for ages eightplus, brings the audience into a world where myth and history collide with ghosts, monsters, and wild gooseberries. Young audiences will set sail with Freydis and her son Snorri, joining her crew of explorers as they find out they’re not alone in this strange new land, and follow Snorri as he confronts an ancient spirit set on revenge, while learning the truth about himself.

Jack Dean said, “What fascinated me about the sagas was the way they blend historical events with things we would call fantastical. Battles and cattle trading are reported alongside demonic possessions, ghostly apparitions and giant sea-beasts. For the Vikings, all of these things were equally real. It is this world of unreliable narrators and mythical histories that we try and evoke with the storytelling, animation and music of the show.”

The Taunton Brewhouse performances are 12.30 and 3.30pm, and 2.30pm at the David Hall at South Petherton.

Reclaiming the last taboo DORCHESTER

RIDICULUSMUS, the powerhouse duo of director-creator-writer-actors David Woods and Jon Haynes, have been pushing theatrical boundaries for decades. Now they tackle the final taboo—getting old. They bring their latest show, Beautiful People, to Dorchester Corn Exchange on Wednesday 26th April.

Since they first burst on to the British theatrical scene in 1992, Ridiculusmus has demonstrated that it is possible to put very serious subjects on stage and make people laugh. But can they do it with that most perilous of processes, moving towards the exit?

We live in an age when death and grieving are medicalised out of existence. We can’t live for ever, but there are many—from some in the medical profession to tech wizards—who keep trying to find ways.

Woods and Haynes reclaim humankind’s last taboo from imminent eradication in a painful, poignant and ludicrously laughable portrait of a timeless trio cursed to eternal life without eternal youth.

Amid fumbling, daily rounds of coffee, call centres and cat food, their rants, dribbles, pills and cough bombs litter an ambling blend of symbolist mysticism and synaesthesia that has the fear of an ageing world population in its sights and oozes with the positivity of elderhood and making a good death.

Baroque quintet on tour CONCERTS IN THE WEST

ENSEMBLE Moliere, the first ever Radio 3 New Generation baroque ensemble, will perform the April series of Concerts in the West, starting at Bridport Arts Centre with the usual coffee date on Friday 21st April at 11.30am, followed by Ilminster Arts Centre that evening at 7.30pm.

The quintet, Flavia Hirte, flute, Alice Earll, violin, Catriona McDermid, bassoon, Kate Conway, viola da gamba, and Satoko Doi-Luck, harpsichord, will be at Crewkerne Dance House on Saturday 22nd at 7.30pm, and on Sunday 23rd at the Church of St Roch at Pendomer near Yeovil at 3pm.

Founded in 2014, Ensemble Molière has established a reputation as an outstanding and adventurous early music group, performing throughout the UK and Europe. Their unique combination of historical instruments provides memorable and creative programmes from the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries, at venues and festivals including the Bruges festival fringe in Brugge and the London Festival of Baroque Music. They recently premiered their first cross-art opera project Pygmalion, a work with words, music and puppetry. first performed at Stroud Green Festival.

The Concerts in the West programme, entitled Theatrical Tastes, features works by Campra, Couperin, Rameau, Charpentier and Lully, including music composed for plays by Moliere and other theatrical performances of the baroque period.

Sharing rural myths and music

LYME REGIS AND TOURING

TIDAL Tales Collective comes to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on Friday 14th April at

Screen Time

with From Page to Screen

Top Six at the Flix

Bridport Arts Centre - 26 April 2pm

Seconds

‘Frankenheimer’s masterpiece grows in stature with each passing year due the relevant themes of existentialism, and freewill.’ rogerebert.com.

Bridport Arts Centre - 27 April 5pm

Letter From an Unknown Woman

‘Letter from an Unknown Woman is one of the greatest films of the ’40s, and therefore of all time.’ Michael Barrett, Pop Matters.

Bridport Arts Centre - 27 April 8pm

Emily

‘Its strength is in finding ways to provide a fuller portrait, sneaking in telling and evocative details here and there that merge the pure satisfaction of good drama with the more intellectual pleasure of watching a story avoid the usual traps.’ K Austin Collins, Rolling Stone.

Bridport Arts Centre - 28 April 2pm

A Raisin in the Sun

‘Based on Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play of the same name, David Petrie’s A Raisin in the Sun is at once a searing, affirming and defiant portrayal of race, poverty and frustrated aspiration in America.’ Christopher Machell.

Bridport Arts Centre - 29 April 8pm

She Said (15)

‘The film coolly conveys the awakeningfrom-denial horror that their investigation spreads through the film industry and I admire the way it takes the macho cliched nonsense out of journalism in movies: these are not boozy guys being adorable and chaotic, but smart, persistent people doggedly doing their job.’ Peter Bradshaw The Guardian.

Bridport Arts Centre - 30 April 5pm

Best of Enemies

‘Best of Enemies provides a rich, extraordinarily fascinating account that’s sure to have many viewers’ minds constantly shuttling between then and now, noting how different certain things about politics and media were in that distant era, yet marveling at how directly those archaic realities led to many of our own.’ rogerebert. com.

2pm with The Oak, The Ash and The Standing Stones, a show which celebrates and shares the legends and music of the English countryside.

They are an innovative group of musicians and performers, who between them play traditional folk instruments and a theremin, and combine beautiful vocal harmonies, looping and beatboxing,

The Oak, The Ash and The Standing Stones is a magical journey through the stories of England, Ireland and Wales, performed with energy, infectious fun and gentle humour.

They are touring throughout April, with dates across Bristol, Bath and Somerset, as well as performing at the Eat festivals across the region, including Taunton, Yeovil,

Other local dates are at Exeter’s Barnfield Theatre on 5th April, and Taunton Brewhouse on 12th April. Performances are generally during the day, sometimes twice, in the morning and afternoon. Check out their website for the full tour and more information—www.tidaltalescollective.com

World folk at the Marine LYME REGIS

THE April music programme at Lyme Regis’s Marine Theatre ranges from Ukrainian to Irish to traditional English, with some of Europe’s finest folk exponents, starting with a world-famous Ukrainian group, DakhaBrakha, on Saturday 15th April

With the eyes of the world on their brave homeland, as it goes into a second year of war with the Russian invaders, DakhaBrakha creates a transnational sound rooted in Ukrainian culture.

Accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African and Ukrainian instrumentation, the quartet from Kyiv captivate the audience with a world of unexpected new music, with an uncompromising vocal range and self-proclaimed ‘ethno-chaos.’

Veterans of two great folk super-groups, Knight and Spiers come to the Marine on Thursday 27th. Peter Knight, as part of Steeleye Span’s classic 1970s line-up, helped invent a brand of folk rock that is still influential today. John Spiers, a cofounder of the mighty Bellowhead, has had an equally profound impact on the landscape of traditional music over the past two decades.

Cara Dillon, who is at Lyme Regis on Friday 28th has been described as having “quite possibly the world’s most beautiful female voice” (Mojo). This extraordinary Irish singer, who lives in Somerset, has been captivating audiences and achieving exceptional acclaim for over 20 years.

Finding the meaning of success

NOTHING Happens (Twice), coming to Bridport Arts Centre on Friday 14th April, explores the meaning of success and why people like Mercè Ribot and Patricia Rodríguez keep trying for it.

Little Soldier’s comic play is described as “slapstick humour meets Beckett head-on in a quest for life’s meaning and purpose.” It is anarchic but touching, a deeply personal show that asks why, if making theatre is such hard work, we keep on doing it, even when things go from bad to worse?

It’s 2018 and Patricia and Mercè have three successful productions under their belts. But now, things have ground to a halt and after months of hard work trying to get their new show off the ground, they’ve hit rock bottom. In desperation, they accept a commercial contract to create a show promoting the Andalucían tourist board in the Westfield Shopping Centre in London. Dressed as flamingos, they try to entertain shoppers with the best that Andalucía can

offer (despite neither of them having set foot in the region). After a deeply humiliating few days, they vow never to sink so low again.

Jump forward to 2020, the world has been turned upside down and Patricia and Mercè are once more wondering if they should carry on. They go back to an early conversation, when they dreamed of making a new version of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. Unfortunately, the Beckett Estate imposes rigid restrictions on productions of the play, including a refusal to allow women to perform it. Not to be deterred, the two set to work…

Pericles reinvented HONITON

The Young Lit Fix

Jamie

By L.D.Lapinski

Published by Orion

RRP £7.99

Reviewed by Nicky Mathewson

Recommended for Ages 9+

MEET Jamie Rambeau. Eleven years old, one older sibling, two best friends, two fairly supportive parents and one big problem.

So far Jamie’s experience of school has been OK and with two best friends like Ash and Daisy, who wouldn’t be happy? However, the three of them will be moving up to secondary school next term and there are two schools to choose from: Queen Elizabeth’s school for Girls or St Joseph’s school for Boys.

PERICLES, one of Shakespeare’s late and notoriously “difficult” plays, gets a vivid and exciting reimagining from Flute Theatre, who come to the Beehive centre at Honiton on Thursday 6th April.

In line with the company’s commitment to reach marginalised groups as well as mainstream audiences, there are two performances, for autistic people and those displaced by war, at 5pm, and a mainstream staging at 8pm.

Pericles, directed and adapted by Kelly Hunter, is a story of love and loss, of terrifying storms and miraculous reunions, a beautiful romantic play that combines human frailty with magical realism.

Flute Theatre premiered Pericles at Craiova International Shakespeare Festival, Romania, in May 2022. A multilingual cast of eight on stage throughout use music, dance and the sheer power of emotion to conjure storms, kidnaps and resurrections using their bodies, voices and souls.

A feast of Bach DORCHESTER

VIOLIN virtuoso and baroque music specialist Rachel Podger joins the talented Corvus Consort at St Mary’s Church, Dorchester, on Thursday 20th April, for a concert of music by Johann Sebastian Bach and his cousins, Johann Michael and Johann Christoph.

Taking full advantage of St Mary’s glorious acoustic, Rachel Podger will play two of Bach’s greatest works for solo violin. Both the Sonata No 1 and Partita No 3 showcase his masterful writing for the violin, with meticulously-constructed lines carving out soaring melodies and eloquent harmonies.

These spellbinding performances will be bookended with beautiful choral music by the three Bachs, sung by the 16 glorious voices of the Corvus Consort, directed by Freddie Crowley.

The programme features JS Bach’s most famous motet, Jesu, meine Freude, a long-standing favourite with audiences. There will also be lesser-known works by Johann Michael and Johann Christoph, including the heartrendingly beautiful Herr, ich warte auf dein Heil.

It promises to be a sublime evening, brought to St Mary’s by Dorchester Arts. The concert begins at 7pm.

Not only do the three of them have to split up, but Jamie is nonbinary, so where do they fit in a school exclusively for girls, or a school exclusively for boys?

With both head teachers unwilling to accept Jamie into their school as anything other than a girl or a boy and with zero parental support, Jamie is forced to take action into their own hands in order to have their voice heard. Along with Ash and Daisy they stage a protest to raise awareness of non-binary people which, as it wasn’t exactly planned, goes a bit wrong. The result is a whole heap of trouble for the trio, but is it possible that they have drawn enough attention to their cause to make a change?

This book gets straight to the point and concisely delivers the message that society does not accommodate everyone in the same way and lots of people get overlooked. L.D Lapinski is a passionate author who knows how to spin a good yarn. Best known for The Strangeworlds Travel Agency series, L.D is really going to make waves with this book and I loved it.

10% off for Marshwood Vale readers at The Bookshop on South Street, Bridport. 01308 422964 www.dorsetbooks.com

Pericles at The Beehive in April

SITUATIONS VACANT

Help Needed. Lovely lady living in Bridport needs help at home, preparing meals, light household duties. Morning, lunchtime and evening with help getting ready for bed. Flexible for a job share or one person, must be trustworthy, kind and caring. Good rates of pay. Please call 07787 741288.

ACCOMMODATION FOR HELP

Gardener/handyman seeks accommodation with part-time work. Large garden, country house, estate, multiskilled, honest, reliable. 07410 957900.

FOR SALE

4051268. sigma zoommaster (35-70mm). £50.00. tel 01297678602.

Play Kitchen - Sturdy hardwood construction, slight play wear but in good condition. Many fun accessories. £30 buyer collects (Crewkerne). 01460 77014

Pink wall tiles 150mm. X 150mm approximately 150 with 10 matching border tiles, with a box of 20 150mm. X 150mm off white wall tiles. Can provide photos. £25. 0129722603. Seaton.

Clarke Router 240 volt unwonted gift £40. Chimenea 46” total height 18” diameter. £35. Bridport 01308 427349.

Garden kit Near newused twice Bosch Rotak mower Model 34-13 £48. GTech heavy duty long arm hedge trimmer. £50. Small Flymo without box, metal blade.. £15. Seen in Sidford. Tel 07831 316536. Grass Strimmer. Ryobi Petrol, Good condition, surplus to requirements, £50 ono. Tel:- 01935 863954 will send photos via email. Ladies court shoes size 6 1/2. Suitable for evening or weddings. £15 Tel 01935 863954. Photos via email.

Babyliss Ionic Hood

Dryer with stand. VGC £55 01308 488789. Brand new sink. 450mm x280mm x 125mm deep.

with red and green shutters, can supply photo £55. 1297 22603.

Morphy Richards Fastbake Breadmaker. Used twice. £35 o.v.n.o. Tel 07831 316536 (Sidford).

Shed base system new, complete with membrane suitable for 4 x 7 ft sheds. Costs £76 new, sell for £30 ono. 07768 927916.

2 Heavy duty adjustable roller ball stands 16” support, height 27” to 48”. £30. 4 Volvo wheels Alloy with tyres size 205/55/16. £40. Foot Spa make Ultimate USA. £10. 01460 234755.

Legmaster Exercissor £30. Vibrapower Vibration plate £35. Fold up bed, hardly used £45. All in good condition. 079001 24704. Brand new electric shredder. ‘The Handy Impact Shredder’ is still boxed, unwanted gift, priced new£160, accept £85. 01297 631808.

Einhell telescopic hedge trimmer electric with instructions not used, £60. 01460 72708.

Reclaimed Composite slates 24” x 12”

Approximately 430. £1 each. 07970824512.

Carlton hard shell suitcase (green) on wheels with combination lock size 11” x 22” x 31” £15. Metal folding pet cage with tray excellent condition L23” x W17” x H 19” - £15. Crewkerne 01460 76380. Ikea superking 2-seasons super king duvet One 7.5 tog one 4.5 tog Join together with poppers for extra warmth for winter Pristine condition bargain £6 01935 872217

Hornby Model Railway catalogues. Selection of 23 dated from 1973 to 1997, all in plastic sleeves. £20. Collection of Royal family and 2nd world war pictures dating back to 1945, taken from newspapers, and books of Elizabeth and Philips wedding. £25. Tel. 01308897764.

Motor cycle clothing. Complete outfit for lady, size 12, including boots (size7) and full helmet (medium).

All almost new except leather jacket. £210 ono 01404 881177.

Praktica b100 electronic

Cot - Baby’s traditional style hardwood cotComplete and comes with new mattress and pink bumper. Also large High Chair - very clean with cartoon character decoration. £30 buyer collects (Crewkerne). 01460 77014.

Evestaff mini piano. Overstrung, iron frame. Nice tone. Photos available. £125. 01297 599237. Free,brand new, unused bathroom basin with pedestal-cost £140. m.hyman123@btinternet. com.

Antique white marble washstand tops 1 36in. X. 18in. Semi circle, 1 oblong. 30 in. X. 18in. £45. 01297 22603. Seaton.

Suitable ensuite/cloakroom or garden planter. £25. 01935 872837 Yetminster.

Large fridge/freezer by Haier in brushed stainless steel finish. 18 months old, frost free, still under guarantee. Immaculate condition, 700mm wide x 1900mm high. 306 litres fridge with 140 litres freezer compartment. Offers on £300. Conservatory suite, 2 seater settee and 2 armchairs in mid brown cane with rattan backs and sides. Floral cushions to match.

Immaculate condition, happy to e-mail photos. £150 ono. Sidmouth 01395 489945.

Panasonic TV 32” good condition £25. Seller; Tel; 01460 391638.

Railway black oil lamp signalmans/ shunters lamp

Chimney pot yellow spiral pattern, clean 44” high £50. Oars 9ft good condition £150. Incubator 12 hen egg automatic turning instructions £50. 01297 445240.

Mirrored/ Teak lighted display cabinet 1970s, 5.3ft (w) x 5ft (h)x 17”(d).

Excellent condition £180ono. 3 x drawers 2 cupboards 4 x glass display cabinets, top separate to base. 07887 352892.

Attractive c. 1970s coal fire effect Belling electric fire with wooden ‘fireplace’ surround. Two 1kw bars and 700w convector. H24 ¾ in W29 n1/2 in Depth 10 ½ in. £60 07542 171829.

Old leather motorcycle jacket needs attention to lining in sleeves. Size large £20. 01297 34232.

WANTED

Secondhand tools. All trades and crafts. Old and modern. G. Dawson. 01297 23826. www. secondhandtools.co.uk. July

Dave buys all types of tools 01935 428975

Apr 23

Coins wanted. Part or full collections purchased for cash. Please phone John on 01460 62109 Apr 23

Wanted - Old Enamel signs, slot machines, advertising, tools, Military items, Interesting Items and collections, 07875677897

July 23

Vintage & antique textiles, linens, costume buttons etc. always sought by Caroline Bushell. Tel. 01404 45901.

Aug 23

Stamps & Coins

Wanted by collector/ investor. We are keen to purchase small or large collections at this time. Tel: Rod 07802261339

DISTRIBUTION

May 23

RESTORATION

FURNITURE. Antique Restoration and Bespoke Furniture. Furniture large and small carefully restored and new commissions undertaken. City and Guilds qualified. Experienced local family firm. Phil Meadley 01297 560335 Jun 23

To advertise here email: info@marshwoodvale.com

Jeans M&S Indigo slimleg size 8, new/unworn £10. M&S shirts man’s XL tartan still in wrapper, tagged £19.50. £10. England rugby shirt size L, tagged £34.99 unworn/ new £15. Unwanted presents! 01297 443930.

Metal router table with numerous slots for mounting power tools. 28” high. Top 21” x 17”. 01460 234755.

Mower Husqvarna self propelled 53cm cut, Honda 160 engine £30. Cane

FOR SALE

3 piece suite needs new cushions £25. 07384 329542. Man’s large fleece gillet, warm brown Bonart label £15. 01305 266273.

Mobiliy walker Topro Classic £75ono. Z-tec

folding lightweight wheelchair, brand new £100ono. 01308 459940.

Joie spin 360° Isofix child car seat. Birth to 4 years. Very little used £75.00 ono Phone 01460 62031.

Antique items Kitchen scales, cast iron plus brass imperial weights 2-7 British Scale Co £150ono. Copper/ brass bed warmer £75ono.

Two copper sacuepans £45ono. 01308 459940.

Colclough 21 piece tea set red rose design unused £30. 07854 346512.

Two large Stamp Albums pre 1970s plus spare sheets and large box of stamps. Excellent condition £60.01297 23775.

Vintage Ercol armchair Yorkshire design (circa 1960s). New webbing recovered in chintz, as new £500. Matching footstool £250. 01297 443930.

Akito Motorcycle jacket. Men’s size small £40. Good condition. 01207 34232.

Karchar window vaccum cleaner rechargeable. Good working order £30. 07591 058862 anytime.

Paint 2.5 litres Ice Pink matt emulsion by World of Colour. £10. Unused 4 winemakers demi-johns £10. 01297 443930.

Warmwell environmentally green recycled paper loft insulation, 14 bales. £10 per bale or £100 for the lot.

John Lewis whit pleated tennis skirt, tennis racquet, Dunlop Max27 squash racquet, both with covers. All £10 each. 01297 443930.

Rugby World Cup 2015

Canterbury short sleeved white top. Large. Officially licensed product in original sealed packaging £25.00

Sidmouth Tel. 01395

577859 or 07970 715413.

Paperback thrillers. 13 x Kerry Wilkinson. 9 x Harlan

Coben. 6 x Peter James. Only £5 the lot. Tel. 01395

577859 or 07970 715413.

Rocking chair antique late 19th century. Newly

upholstered in cream with padded seat back and arm rests with original sprung rockers £130. Can send photos. Telephone 01395 577859 or 07970 715413.

Royal Albert Paragon

Belinda 8 piece dinner dset plus 2 lidded casserole dishes. 1 large dish, 2 bowls, 1 teapot, 6 cups, 13 saucers, gravy boats & stands, Salt & Pepper pots. Excellent Condition. Only £45 the lot. Telephone 01395 577859 or 07970 715413.

Various blue china J&G

Meakin Spode & Iris woods ware. 3 Teapots, 1 Casserole dish (lidded) 3 Milk jugs, 2 dishes, 4 dinner plates, egg cups. £8.00 Sidmouth Telephone 01395 577859 or 07970 715413.

Sony 18” TV £15.00. 30” x 24” mirror £10.00. Two unused adult lifejackets £20.00. 01297 560251.

Compact VHS camcorder

JVC. Also Canon Pentax offers 01460 74367. Invacare wheelchair. Very good condition plus cushion. £40. 01297 489066.

Rehasense ‘Captain

Tom’s’ 4 wheel walker with seat & basket. As new £50. 01297 489066 07887 810919.

Vintage medium oak chest (Sydney 5 Whitehead Leics). Height 21” Length 42” Width 20” £60 ono 01404 823699.

Akito Motorcycle jacket. Men’s size small £40. Good condition. 01207 34232. Motorcycle jacket Oxford Hardy wax as new never worn. Large 42in. Cost £190.00. Will accept £110.00 ono 01297 489611.

Small car trailer Halfords £195. 01297 444112.

Revitive Medic circulation booster with remote, good working order. £130. Ono. Call 07591 058862 anytime. Guernsey post office mint stamps approx. 260 new issue display packs £300.00 01300 341655.

Hard wood dining table and four matching chairs 1200 x 900 Extends to 1600 x 900 £60. 07803 177164. Folding 6 gear bike £35. Delta scroll saw single speed £30. Jewson angle grinder new £20. Black metal bed end £10. 6’ x 3’ Snooker table £20. 01935 881424. Men’s dark grey suits. 1) Chest 48s, waist 42”, Leg 29”. 2) Chest 48r, waist 44”, Leg 29” as new £15.00 each. Tel. 01300 348513. 2 Brown recliner chairs as new. £100 ono each. Will separate. Buyer collects 01297 22371. Seaton.

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