Marshwood+ February 2025 by Marshwood Vale Ltd

Mark Farrelly is Quentin Crisp in Dorchester Page 42

Declan Duffy searches for true identity Page 40

Floella Benjamin on Coming to England Page 34

Owen Day Photograph by Robin Mills

Fergus Byrne met Owen Day in the Marshwood Vale, Dorset

My father was born in Devon, and my mother was born in Guernsey just before the German occupation. She was evacuated with her mother, brother and sister, and she spent the war in England. It was only at the end of the war that she met her father for the first time. My parents met in Guernsey when they were still students and married soon after in St Peter Port. My mother had been an art student at Brighton and moved to Aberdeen with my father where he did a PhD in epidemiology. They had very little money but managed to buy a small house in Peterculter where my sister and I were born. When I was one, we all moved to Australia where my father was a lecturer at the University of Canberra. My first memories are of koala bears, kangaroos, spiders, and a picnic when my mother pulled me away from a deadly brown snake that I nearly stepped on.

My parents were adventurous, we would often drive into the outback where my mother painted landscapes. In 1970, my father took us all to Papua New Guinea where he was part of team studying tropical diseases, including Kuru, a disease affecting tribal villages in the Highlands and transmitted by eating human brain during traditional burial ceremonies. I remember the rainforest with flying foxes and giant toads, but my most powerful memory is when my father took me snorkelling for the first time. I can remember it vividly to this day, putting my head underwater and seeing this unbelievable explosion of

small fish of every colour, as well as spectacular corals. It had a huge effect on me and awoke a lifelong passion for marine biology.

We moved to France when I was five. My father got a job with the World Health Organization in Lyon. My sister and I went to the local primary school and quickly spoke French to each other, much to our parents’ amazement. Apart from a year in Washington, D.C., when I was 12, we lived in France on the outskirts of Lyon until I was 18. The French countryside was very wild back then, and I was obsessed with collecting anything related to nature. My room was a small museum. I had jars of animals I dissected in formalin and collections of insects, feathers, eggshells, fossils— whatever I found. Every summer, during the long French school holidays, we’d go to Guernsey where I spent my time fishing, building lobster pots, and developing a passion for the sea.

After passing the Baccalaureate, I applied to Oxford to study biochemistry, which meant a term cramming for the Oxbridge exam in an English boarding school in Norfolk. That was a real culture shock. After the Lycée in Lyon, where you could wear what you want, drink beers at lunchtime in the local bar, and were treated like an adult, suddenly, I was having to wear a jacket and tie, go to chapel in the morning and evening, and follow a strict timetable. I soon discovered there was a parallel world of illegal binge drinking and wild parties. I told my

Owen Day with one of the teams working to save coral in the Caribbean

Owen Day

French friends they weren’t drinking enough—they were rather shocked.

After four years at Oxford I never wanted to see the inside of a laboratory again and needed to see the world. I joined a shipping company, who posted me to Antwerp—not quite the exotic destination I had hoped for. After a year I realized that it really wasn't what I wanted, and I decided to do a master’s in marine biology at the University of Bangor in North Wales. I loved it. It was very international and the work was fascinating. I followed on with a PhD developing methods for rearing Dover sole in large numbers to restock the Irish Sea as part of a government programme with CEFAS.

It was while living on Anglesey that I met my wife, Suki, at a house party my sister organised. She was very beautiful, a great dancer, interested in the French philosopher and naturalist Rousseau and passionate about her work as a primary school teacher in a tough inner-city school in London. I was smitten. After many weekends and several holidays together, she agreed to marry me. We married in Dunkeld Cathedral and moved into a little house right on the Menai Straits, and had two boys, Alastair and Jamie. In 1999, we moved to Dorset to continue my work with CEFAS in their Weymouth office. My work on Dover sole became relevant to fish farmers in other countries, so I travelled to Spain, Greece, and Norway doing commercial research projects. The work was interesting but I didn’t like the intensification of industrial fish farming and it’s increasingly negative impact on animal welfare and the environment. Then, out of the blue, someone emailed me about a possible project in Trinidad and Tobago involving aquaculture and marine conservation. I jumped on it and hunted for funding, which I eventually got from a wealthy Trinidadian businessman and philanthropist. In September 2001, nine months after the birth of our daughter Phoebe, we found ourselves moving to the tiny Caribbean Island of Tobago, where we lived for seven and a half years.

I did many different projects, including seaweed farming, mapping coral reefs, helping local glass-bottom boat operators to manage the impact of tourism and ran educational programmes for students—it was very hands-on conservation. In 2004, our small organisation called the Buccoo Reef Trust, won the annual Environment Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations. That really helped with fund-raising, and we expanded our programmes

to employ 18 staff. Family life in Tobago was great fun; we made lifelong friends, and our children loved the freedom and excitement of life on a tropical island. But eventually it was time to leave, and in 2008 we returned to Dorset. Adjusting back to English life proved harder for Suki and me, surprisingly, than for our children who loved their new school and wider friend group.

I joined a firm of consultants who focused on assessing the current and future impacts of climate change in the Caribbean and helping governments develop policies and adaptation plans. Sadly, many of these plans are not being implemented, hindered by a lack of political will and insufficient funding – a problem that’s all too familiar in richer country. In 2016, some of my colleagues and I set up the Centre for Livelihoods, Ecosystems, Adaptation and Resilience in the Caribbean (CLEAR), which focuses on more practical communitybased interventions, and direct support for vulnerable fishing and farming communities. Poverty, especially in countries like Haiti, Jamaica and St Vincent, can make it much harder for communities to adapt to the profound impacts of climate change, like more intense hurricanes, coral bleaching, declining fisheries, sea level rise, prolonged droughts and accelerating soil erosion.

One of our programmes is to train fishermen to become coral gardeners, and set-up underwater nurseries where more resilient corals can be propagated and then replanted on the reefs. The coral gardeners get an income from our grants, and the coral restoration can be made a tourism attraction, where locals can generate additional revenue from tours of the nurseries and visitors planting corals. Unfortunately, much of the hard work was lost last year, when our corals amazingly survived a category 5 hurricane, but subsequently died because of the extreme marine heat wave that affected the Eastern Caribbean in late 2024. Sea water temperatures reached an unprecedented 31C, even down to 25m depth for several months. Our priority now is to identify the coral survivors, who are genetically more resilient, and keep propagating and outplanting them. While there is still hope to keep some corals alive, the reality is that coral reefs, as we know them, are unlikely to survive the current century.

Working all over the Caribbean for over 25 years has been an amazing experience and privilege. What has always inspired me, is the extraordinary resilience of often poor communities and their willingness to pull together for the common good. ’

It’s fair to say that the last few weeks have been challenging for those who hope to see a world with a more sophisticated attitude toward diversity, environment, social justice, and efforts to bring people and their various cultures together. The current US administration’s lurch toward isolationism, environmental negligence and bullying seems a lifetime away from dreams of a better world. Looking through this magazine, it seems we are also at odds with what might be seen as a less caring philosophy. There is a common thread that seems to link many of the articles. Dr Owen Day has been, and continues, to work tirelessly to save dying coral, which is being bleached by over heating seas due to global warming. Dying coral has a direct impact on the food chain. Baroness Floella Benjamin talks about the impact coming to England had on her perception of what she had grown up to believe was the ‘Motherland’. Part of the Windrush generation, her insights into life as a migrant couldn’t be more relevant today. Declan Duffy, whose one-man show is at Bridport Arts Centre on the 8th of February, gives a flavour of what it’s like to be born in one country with parents from another, while John Davis writes about Alexander Selkirk, the man who chose to stay on a desert island rather than sail back to England. His story is a real-life tale of Robinson Crusoe. These articles may share a common theme of exploring difficult circumstances and showing resilience in the face of adversity, but they also share a view of how different people respond to difficulties and changes in their environment, whether they are natural, cultural, or social. They show a healthy quest for preserving culture and environment which is definitely at odds with the concept of climbing into a giant shell and crushing anything that gets in your way.

Fergus Byrne

DONATIONS

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EVENTS February

Friday, 31 January

Oh La La! Quintet - A Night of French Music. A fabulous quintet led by Parisian-born Fifi la Mer, featuring French jazz at its best. 7:30pm at Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £20 01460 54973 www.ilminsterartscentre.com.

Saturday, 1 - 9 February

Compton Valence Snowdrops villafe lunches & teas. Come and walk/drive through our beautiful village and see the stunning white drifts of snowdrops. The village hall is just below the church open (weather permitting)11.00am-3.30pm. To book please ring or email so that we can cater accordingly. Tessa Russell – Tel ; 01308482227 mob: 07818037184 email; tessa@cvfarms.co.uk. Pre booked guests will take priority as the hall is small. In bad/icy weather we may not be open Please be considerate of our village/verges etc when parking. Or ring us to discuss your needs so that we can advise you where to go. We very much look forward to seeing you/ Cash Only Please.

Saturday, 1 - 16 February

Groves Nurseries in Bridport are hosting their Violet Festival to celebrate their world-famous collection of these timeless flowers, steeped in history, charm and family tradition. Groves Nurseries 74 W Bay Rd, Bridport DT6 4BA.

Saturday, 1 February

West Dorset Ramblers, 8 mile circular walk on coast and country in Ringstead area. To book and and for details please phone 07974 756107.

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 6 mile walk from Tibbs Hollow. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340. New members/ visitors welcome.

The friends of Weymouth Library (F.O.W.L.) talk at 10-30a.m. in the Library, will be by Peter Down from Dorchester Museum. He will talk about Mabel Stobart, who led a group of doctors and nurses in France during WWI. She was a born leader. She was given a black horse by a Serbian general and became known as “The Lady of the Black Horse”. Tickets are available at the Library and are £2 for members and £3 for non-members. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be available. For any other

information phone Chris Brackner on 01305832613, or contact the Library on 01305762410.

Monday, 3 February

Hawkchurch Film Nights, in association with Moviola.org, proudly presents ‘The Critic’ (101 mins, Cert. 15 - strong language). In this deliciously dark and sharp-witted 1930s-set thriller, the most feared and vicious theatre critic in London, Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen), finds himself in the cross hairs of the Daily Chronicle’s new owner David Brooke (Mark Strong), and strikes a sinister Faustian pact with struggling actress Nina Land (Gemma Arterton), who is desperate to win his favour. Romola Garai and Lesley Manville lead a strong supporting cast. Doors open 6.30pm, film starts 7.00pm at Hawkchurch Village Hall, EX13 5XD. Ticket reservations £6.50 from csma95@gmail.com or leave a message on 07753 603219 (socially-distanced seating available if reserved in advance); tickets also available in advance for £6.50 from Hawkchurch Community Shop or £7.00 on the door (cash only). Subtitles for hearing-impaired patrons provided if available. Home-made cake, teas, coffees, soft drinks, wine and other tasty refreshments available.

Bridport Folk Dance Group Meets every Monday 7.15 --9.30pm in The W.I.Hall, North Street. No partner needed and no experience necessary. Refreshments and social chat. Only £3. All welcome. Tel- 863552 or text 07456730753.

Tuesday, 4 February

Scottish Country dancing at Horton Village Hall TA19 9QR every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with tea / coffee break, £3.00 pay on the door. Everyone welcome from beginner level to experienced, so why not come along and join our friendly group of dancers. For more information email Anita at anitaandjim22@gmail.com or phone 01460 929383 and visit our web site at www.ashillscd. wordpress.com

Wednesday, 5 February

Entertaining talk, with pudding – popular, well known speaker Francis Burroughes will give a lively and humorous discourse ‘Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage’. 7.30pm, at Clapton & Wayford Village Hall. £8 includes a choice of hot puddings; please book and

pay in advance, by contacting Mary (01460 74849) or Julia (01460 72769).

Meeting Voices Community Choir, Chard. 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn songs in harmony by ear. Everyone welcome. Chard Guildhall. Fore St, Chard TA20 1PP. Phone 07534 116502 or email mvsecretary@outlook.com.

Thursday, 6 February

Lyme Regis Museum Friends offer an illustrated talk, ‘William Buckland: his Career & Character and Collaboration with William Conybeare’ by David Knapman at 2.30 pm in the Woodmead Hall, Hill Road, Lyme Regis DT7 3PG. David is a local historian based at Axminster Heritage Centre. William Buckland was Dean of Westminster and Professor of Geology & Minerology at Oxford (1819). Both Buckland &Conybeare, also a prominent geologist,

lived in Axminster and were contemporary with Mary Anning who they supported. Members £3 visitors £5. Enquiries to David Cox, 01297 443156. Foursquare Rum Tasting Event at Mercato Italiano, from 7pm. An exclusive rum tasting, hosted by Peter Holland their UK Ambassador, he will be taking you on a journey tasting through some of the world’s best rums from the multi award winning distillery in Barbados. Ticket £15. Unit 3b, Dreadnought Trading Estate, Bridport DT6 5BU. 01308 459274. https:// mercatoitaliano.uk.

Lyme Voices Community Choir. 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn songs in harmony by ear. Everyone welcome. Baptist Church (Pine Hall round the back), Silver St., Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. Phone 07534 116502 or email petelinnett2@hotmail.com.

Close (2022, Dutch, 12A, 100 mins, s/titles Director

Lucas Dhont). This film follows two teenage boys whose close friendship is thrown into disarray when their schoolmates notice their intimacy, causing a rift between them. Doors 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm start. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall (TA18 8PS). Membership £25, guests £5 per film. For more details, contact mickpwilson53@btinternet.com or ring Mick Wilson on 01460 74849 or Kathy Everard on 01460 30646. Folk dancing at Combe St Nicholas village hall (TA20 3LT) at 1930 hrs. Derek Boles will be calling and Chris Toyne be providing the music. 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.

Friday, 7 February

Fleetwood Shack - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Prepare to be transported on a remarkable musical journey as Fleetwood Shack delivers an extraordinary performance, featuring an impressive repertoire of the biggest and most beloved Fleetwood Mac hits. Guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience that captures the essence of Fleetwood Mac’s love, emotion, and mystical aura. 7:30pm at Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £22. 01460 54973 www. ilminsterartscentre.com

Saturday, 8 February

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7 mile walk from Beaminster. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340. New members/ visitors welcome.

Come and Sing choruses from Haydn’s Creation and other works with the theme of Nature The Mid-Wessex Singers and their Musical Director, Alice Dicker, invite you to a Come and Sing day at Long Sutton Village Hall (TA10 9NT) from 9.30 am until 5pm. Bring your own lunch; teas, coffees and light refreshments will be provided. Cost £20. To register interest and for any further information please contact Steph Taylor by e-mail on info@midwessexsingers. co.uk through the website at www.midwessexsingers. co.uk or on 07502 280596.

Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society. Coffee morning, Uplyme Village Hall, 10am-12noon. Free entry.

Table Top Sale. Clear out your cupboards or grab a bargain. 1-4 pm At Forster Memorial Hall, Bradpole. Sellers £6 a table. 50p entry teas coffees and raffle Contact Dawn 07825707623.

The Stanchester Quire Spring term learning some of the old songs of the South West of England depicting “Love and Courtship”. New members very welcome and ability to read music not essential as we learn everything by ear. £10, new members first session free.

At 10:30am, Leigh Village Hall, Nr Sherborne,DT9 6HL. Further details from stanchesterquire2@gmail. com or visit our website stanchesterquire.org.

Sunday, 9 February

Spitz & Co - Elvis in Blue Hawaii. Expect the usual mayhem and lots of audience interaction, plus all your favourite Elvis songs in this hit comedy show from the award-winning comedy theatre company Spitz & Co, who have built a reputation for creating funny, original and playful shows, including Gloriator, Gloria in The Mist and Les Gloriablès! “The funniest and silliest thing I’ve ever seen – pure joy” Stagetalk Magazine. Award-winning Elvis impersonator Joe Reeve (Best Sideburns, GlosVegas 2014) stars in his version of the classic Elvis film Blue Hawaii, whilst his long-time tour manager, Josephine Cunningham, is there to keep the show on the road - next stop, Vegas! Dig out your favourite Hawaiian shirt and escape to Paradise in this raucous musical comedy, guaranteed to leave you all shook up! Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the county’s rural arts charity. Recommended 8+ www. artsreach.co.uk 7:30pm. Wootton Fitzpaine Village Hall. 01297 560948. £12.50, £6 u18s, £35 fam. How to Discover Your Inner Idiot! A clowning workshop with Susie Donkin of Spitz & Co. Come and do some clowning with experienced comedy performer and writer Susie Donkin and learn that it’s not all about oversized shoes and red noses! Clowning comedy is about being playful, and open, and yourself. Participants will take part in some simple games like Mr Hit and Follow The Leader and learn some basic theatre exercises which focus on status and relationship with an audience, to help you discover what it is about you that can make people laugh. Suitable for adults, no experience is required, just a willingness to be silly and to have fun! 4pm-6pm. Wootton Fitzpaine. 01297 560948. £10.

Dance Connection Workshop, 10:30am-1pm, Bridport St Mary’s CHH, DT6 3NN, 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@gmail.com, www. joysofdance.co.uk

Monday, 10 February

Winsham Art Club, 2pm at Jubilee Hall TA20 4HU. The theme this practical session is Exploring Charcoal. It is a 2.5 hr. session led by a visiting tutor. Small friendly group of mixed abilities. Members £5, non-members £7. Annual membership £15. All welcome. Contact: Email : suzyna48@gmail.com for further details.

Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild 2 p.m. After a short business meeting a representative from The Medical Detection Dogs will be informing us of the work of the charity at Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street Poundbury DT1 3DF. Visitors would

be made very welcome (£3). Tea and coffee available. Enquiries 01305 832857.

Bridport Folk Dance Group Meets every Monday 7.15—9.30pm in The W.I.Hall, North Street. No partner needed and no experience necessary. Refreshments and social chat. Only £3. All welcome. Tel-863552 or text 07456730753.

Tuesday, 11 February

Divine Union Soundbath 9 PM Digby Memorial Hall,Digby Rd, Sherborne DT9 3LN Lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning give you a sonic deep-tissue massage, taking 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 £16 Please book in advance 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com.

Beaminster Museum Winter Talk Discover how the shops in Beaminster have changed over time, from the 1800s to the present day. Find out which shop has continued to sell the same items, which shops disappeared, and why Manchester House is not in Manchester. The talk starts at 2pm, tickets are £5.00 on the door. Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB. www.beaminstermuseum.co.uk.

Dance Connection, 7-8:30pm, Uplyme Village Hall, DT7 3UY 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@ gmail.com, www.joysofdance.co.uk

Wednesday, 12 February

Kilmington Film Night The Critic (15) .Is a deliciously dark and sharp-witted thriller set in the 1930s theatreland with an all-star cast including Ian McKellan & Gemma Arterton. Doors and bar open 6.45 film start 7.15 at Kilmington Village Hall EX13 7RF. Tickets @ £6, or £650 on the door, can be ordered by contacting: John at wattsjohn307@gmail. com or Tel: 01297 521681. Meeting Voices Community Choir, Chard. 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn songs in harmony by ear. Everyone welcome. Chard Guildhall. Fore St, Chard TA20 1PP. Phone 07534 116502 or email mvsecretary@outlook.com.

Thursday, 13 February

Kilmington Film Matinee The Critic (15) (See 12th Feb) Matinee, doors open 1.45pm film starts 2pm,

cream-teas served during the interval but must be prebooked with your seats @ £3.50. see above and www. kilmingtonvillage.com/other-organisations.html for more information.

The Shanty Sessions The Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis. 7.30pm. Come and join local Sea Shanty group, The Chantry Buoys , from East Devon, singing traditional sea shanties and other well known songs of the sea. Audience participation is welcome and encouraged. Entry is free and all proceeds go to support local charities. A licensed bar will be open, The Buoys start at 7.30pm. Tel 07761 469676.

Chesil Bank Writing Shed. Do you write? Would you like to be a writer? Whatever you want to write why not 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.

Bridport History Society will be welcoming Richard Sims who will give a talk titled ‘From Bridport Harbour to West Bay: The Story of its Industrial Past’. The talk includes new research. The talk will be held at the United Church Hall on East Street, Bridport. Doors open at 2.15pm for a prompt 2.30pm start. All are welcome, members £1pp, visitors £5pp. Bridport History Society meets on the second Thursday of each month (except July and August). Membership is open to all (£12 individual / £18 couple). For more information visit: www.bridporthistorysociety.org.uk.

Seaton Garden Club. A talk by Julia tremlett entitled The Devon National Trust Scheme. Venue The Masonic Hall Seaton. Time 2.30p.m. Members free visitors £2.00 plus refreshments.

Friday, 14 February

Ensemble Hesperi - Baroque Music at its Best. Ensemble Hesperi is a dynamic and innovative London-based period ensemble, with a reputation for showcasing Baroque Music through intelligent, research-led programming. 7:30pm at Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £20. 01460 54973 www. ilminsterartscentre.com.

NGS Snowdrop Open Day at East Lambrook Manor. 10am - 5pm. A popular day to come and see the snowdrops. All admission charges donated to the National Garden Scheme therefore all 2-for-1 and other offers are not valid on the 14th February as we are raising money for charity. East Lambrook Manor Gardens, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5HH. Visit www.ngs.org.uk for more details of the NGS and the great work it does.

Venetian Masked Ball at Mercato Italiano from 8pm. Ticket £19. Unit 3b, Dreadnought Trading Estate, Bridport DT6 5BU. 01308 459274. https:// mercatoitaliano.uk.

The Love Stories Show - the interactive story-telling show. A Valentine’s Day you’ll never forget Are you wondering how to earn some extra love points on Valentine’s Day? Do flowers and chocolate feel a bit unoriginal? The Love Stories Show is here to save your day and take you on a whirlwind romance of love and laughs at The David Hall, South Petherton. But just like love itself, this is not a sit back and listen affair. The Love Stories Show is a double-act between Mark Rutterford and the audience. Mark will share some tales of happiness and heartache and he will wear his big red shiny heart for all to see. In return for some Love Hearts, you can decide the course of a first date and you won’t even have to sing to get a winner’s medal in ‘The World Cup of Love Songs’. Mark will share his best and worst romantic moments and you might share yours too. There have been first-kisses and proposals, knock-out sex, a broken back and a second date that was accidentally set on fire. Romantics and cynics alike, take a chance on love and make Somerset sizzle at The David Hall. Take your loved one to The Love Stories Show and make it a Valentine’s Day you’ll never forget. At 8pm. The David Hall, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5AA. Tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ thepethertonartstrust/1427943. £11.50 Full £9.50 Concessions.

Saturday, 15 February

Chard History Group The History of Axminster Harbour by Nigel Daniel. 7pm for 7.30pm. At Chard Guildhall. £2.50 members £3.50 guests all welcome. Contact Tessa on 07984481634..

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7 mile walk from Symondsbury. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340. New members/ visitors welcome.

Sunday, 16 February

French + Breton Folk Dance, Bal Crewkerne with live house band, in the Speedwell Hall, Abbey Street, Crewkerne, TA18 7HY. All welcome, no experience necessary. Dance workshop for beginners 6-7pm followed by main dance 7-9.30pm. Admission £4 at the door. Tea and coffee available or bring your own

drinks. Free parking in the town centre car parks. More information on our website: https://balcrew. wixsite.com/balcrewkerne.

Monday, 17 February

Tuesday, 18 February

Turn Lyme Green Talk “Quarries to Nature Reserves” Andy Littler has spent 40 years pioneering the restoration of quarries to bio-diverse habitats. He is a geologist, chartered engineer and quarry manager with a passion for natural history. He writes action plans and runs courses for quarry professionals. He will give a lively and richly illustrated talk.6.45 for 7pm start at the Driftwood Cafe, Baptist Church, top of Broad Street, Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. FREE Event, Refreshments available.Visit www.turnlymegreen.co.uk or 01297 446066.

Wednesday, 19 February

Coffee Morning, including cakes, scones & savouries, and bacon/egg rolls (made to order), 10.30am – noon; all welcome. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall. More details from Julia (01460 72769). Colyton & District Garden Society Talk ‘Water Water Everywhere’ by Rebecca Flintham, Environmental Educator. Colyford Memorial Hall, EX24 6QJ , start 7.30 pm. Parking in the hall car park. Members free, guests £3.00. Information : Sue Price 01297 552362.

Thursday, 20 February

Chesil Bank Writing Shed. Writers Feedback Workshop. 7pm - 9pm, Portesham Village Hall. Find out more by calling Linda on 01305 871802.

Folk dancing at Combe St Nicholas village hall (TA20 3LT) at 1930 hrs. Mary Blackborow and her merry band will be providing the music and the Mary herself will be calling and keeping the class in order! 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.

The New Arts Group, Alfred Hitchcock: Master of

Suspense Speaker: John Francis Cost: £10.00 Time: 2.00pm (tea/coffee from 1.30pm) Bridport Town Hall.

South Somerset RSPB Local Group Farming the Wildlife Friendly Way. An illustrated talk presented by Mark Musgrave who is the Lead Ranger at the National Trust’s Lytes Cary Manor, nr. Somerton. Mark’s talk will focus on the management of the 350 acres of farmland and its wildlife.7.30pm The Millennium Hall, Seavington St. Mary, Ilminster, TA19 0QH. Entry: Group members £4, non-group members £5, under 25’s Free. Tea/coffee & biscuits included – Wheelchair access. Further details from Denise Chamings on 01781473846 or www.rspb.org.uk/ groups/southsomerset. Everyone welcome.

Friday, 21 February

Cole Stacey- Postcards From Lost Places album launch Friday 21st Feb, doors 6.30 for 7pm. St Michael & All Angels Church, Stockland EX14 9BR Cole Stacey is a visceral and lyrical songwriter, singer and musician who has roamed the highest diverse echelons of British folk, 80s pop, spoken word and ambient electronics. With explorations into traditional song writing and verse in his blood, Cole will be releasing his extraordinarily honest debut album ‘Postcards From Lost Places’ in early 2025 to audiences far beyond his Dartmoorian horizons. Offering regeneration as its theme while being rooted in tradition, at its heart is a symbiosis of ‘lost’ places and forgotten words, stretching as far back as the 13th century, paired with Cole’s distinctive lyrical song writing and soft pop vocals mixed with singular field recordings.“Cole’s soaring vocals were a highlight of an electrifying performance, nothing short of mesmerizing” – Scottish Music Network Website www.colestacey.net Tickets may be purchased £14 from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/stocklandpromoters/t-jzyrxox Or call Wendy for access arrangements on 01404881207.

Half-Term Film Night at Milborne St Andrew Village Hall: A Special Screening of Wonka Looking for a fun family outing this half-term? Join us for a magical evening as we screen Wonka (2023), a heartwarming prequel to the beloved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Discover the story of how Willy Wonka’s dreams (and chocolate factory) began in this dazzling, musical adventure that’s perfect for all ages! Doors open at 7pm | Film starts at 7.30pm. Adults: £6.50 (includes a drink or ice cream). Accompanied children: Just £1 (includes a free glass of squash!) Bring the whole family for a fun and affordable night out!

“Nature as your Neighbour” A talk by Higgy (a nickname inherited as a boy that has stuck) about how he developed his own garden for wildlife, whilst keeping it as a safe, child friendly and usable space for

his family and friends to enjoy. Over the past 14 years he has photographed almost 800 different species in his garden and it would be fantastic if by putting into practice some of his ideas we could encourage the same diversity of creatures into our gardens. The presentation will be held in Winsham’s Jubilee Hall, starting at 7.30pm, and will cover topics such as how to provide food and shelter and the use of water within the wildlife garden. It will feature Higgy’s photography and use his experiences and knowledge of wildlife gardens and habitats. There will be the usual raffle, and refreshments will be available during the question & answer session at the end of the talk. Higgy will also have a selection of wildlife themed items for sale such as cards, calendars, bird boxes, bug houses (all made from reclaimed timber) and possibly a selection of perennial plants. We all need to be more sympathetic towards our garden insects and wildlife and with an entry fee of £4.50 for WHS members (please bring your membership cards) and £5.50 for non members Higgy’s talk seems like a very cost effective way to get started. For more information call Debbie 07808 505357

Friday, 21 - 22 February

Angela Brownridge from London “One of the world’s finest pianists”. New York Times, - CPE Bach : Fantasy in C and Prussian sonata; Beethoven : sonata no. 14. “Moonlight” and sonata no 30 with variations Tickets £20 each. All concerts start playing at 8pm. Please arrive after 7:30pm. Pre booking and prepayment only. Each party of guests must give a contact. We will give refunds if we need to cancel the concert for whatever reason. We will not refund if you need to cancel as that would disadvantage the musician(s), unless we can resell your seat. As usual price includes drinks & nibbles which are served in the interval, but exactly what, how and where depend on our discretion & weather. To order tickets please email info@tincletongallery.com or phone the gallery on 01305 848909. More information on website at www.tincletongallery.com Tincleton Gallery, The Old School House, Tincleton, Dorset, DT2 8QR.

Saturday, 22 February

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club walk from Toller Porcorum. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340. New members/ visitors welcome.

Beaminster Museum Paperback Sale This year we’re offering a special ‘buy five and a get a sixth free’ deal, along with raffle tickets at £1 a pop. Drop your books off at the museum between 10am and 12pm on a Friday. The sale takes place from 9.30am to 12.30pm, admission free. Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB. www.beaminstermuseum.co.uk

Sunday, 23 February

Axe Vale Orchestra invites you to a tuneful afternoon concert at The Feoffees Hall, Colyton, EX24 6JR, at 3.00pm. Tickets are £15, (free for under 18s or students) and are available from www.axevaleorchestra.co.uk or on the door. Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel Overture, Alwyn: Suite of Scottish Dances, Bizet: L’Arlesienne Suite no 2 and Mozart: Symphony no 39 K543. With Walter Brewster conducting and Jane Bultz leading, it’s going to be a real treat! Divine Union Soundbath 2pm Oborne Village Hall, Oborne, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4LA Lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning give you a sonic deep-tissue massage, taking 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 £16 Please book in advance 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com

Dalwood Jazz Club presents Zoe Lambeth’s “Vintage Jazz Collective” with Zoe Lambethclarinet, sax and vocals, Steve Dow - guitar, Martin Jenkins - keyboard and Jim Rintoul - double bass. At 3pm Dalwood Village Hall, EX13 7EG, near Axminster. Bar for beer/wine/soft drinks and teas/coffees/cake etc. Parking at the Village Hall £12.50p If possible, please book in advance and pay (cash or card) at the door. t.mackenney111@ btinternet.com www.dalwoodvillage.co.uk.

Monday, 24 February

Winsham Art Club, 2pm at Jubilee Hall TA20

4HU. The activity this practical session is Creating Relief Plaques using Black and White Clays. It is a 2.5 hr. session led by a tutor. Small friendly group of mixed abilities. Members £5, non-members £7. Annual membership £15. All welcome. Contact: Email : suzyna48@gmail.com for further details. Bridport Dance Group. Meets every Monday 7.15—9.30pm in The .I.Hall, North Street. No partner needed and no experience necessary. Refreshments and social chat. Only £3. All welcome. Tel-863552 or text 07456730753.

“The Royal visit that went wrong” – An talk by Alan Jenkins a retired Dorset Police Inspector who was involved in planning and commanding Royal visits. On one royal visit in Dorchester everything that could go wrong did! The talk is an

EVENTS IN MARCH

Live or Online send your event details to info@marshwoodvale.com BY FEBRUARY 12th

informative and humerous account of that day. United Church Main Hall, East Street, Bridport at 2.30 pm. Members £3, Visitors £5. National Trust Golden Cap Association. Contact: Mike Nicks 01308 45855.

Tuesday, 25 February

Beaminster Museum Winter Talk Martin Papworth spent 38 years as the National Trust’s archaeologist in the South West. This talk highlights some of the discoveries on National Trust properties during that time. Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB. The talk starts at 2pm, tickets are £5.00 on the door. Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB www. beaminstermuseum.co.uk.

U3A The next talk is at 2pm in the Bridport United Church Hall, East Street, Bridport. DT6 3LJ. Free to members, £3 for visitors. The speaker is Michael Roberts of Dukes Antiques. He is an auctioneer and valuer, and will describe his business and make valuations if attendees bring their heirlooms.

Dance Connection, 7-8:30pm, Uplyme Village Hall, DT7 3UY 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@ gmail.com, www.joysofdance.co.uk

Wednesday, 26 February

Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society. Talk ‘How to Add Colour in the Garden’ by Claire Greenslade. ‘Potato in a Bucket’ kit for sale £3. Uplyme Village Hall. Doors open 7pm, talk 7.30pm. Members free; guests £3. More information https:// ulrhs.wordpress.com.

Thursday, 27 February

Dance Connection Open Class, 7:15-8:45pm, Bridport St Mary’s CHH, DT6 3NN, 07787752201,

danceconnectionwessex@gmail.com, www. joysofdance.co.uk

Friday, 28 February

Coming to Milborne St Andrew Village Hall; courtesy of Artsreach. Arthur Coates and Kerran Cotterell are an exciting and energetic young folk duo who are quickly carving out a name for themselves with their unique style, rooted in Quebecois traditional music fused with songs from around the British Isles and North America. Arthur Coates is an awardnominated musician who studied violin and piano at the Aberdeen City Music School. Guitarist Kerran Cotterell has garnered numerous plaudits having performed at Cambridge Folk Festival, and the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. Together Arthur and Kerran produce a versatile mix of instrumentals and song, true to the roots of traditional music and featuring fiddle, guitar, bouzouki and feet percussion. Now the duo are heading to Dorset following the release of their debut album, Music for Cows. Don’tmiss these rising stars on tour. For tickets call 01258839060 or see https://artsreach.co.uk/event/ coates-cotterell.

Saturday, 1 March

Free Celebrating Women event hosted by UNISON Somerset Health, to mark International Women’s Day - join in the festivities and enjoy a range of free practical workshops available for sign-up on the day. Support local crafters and artists by purchasing distinctive, handcrafted Mother’s Day gifts. Connect with various participating organizations, including St. Margaret’s Hospice, which will be hosting the refreshments area, Yeovil Diversity Project and Wessex Water. In support of the Smalls for All Charity, donations of ‘gently worn’ laundered bras and new pants will be collected for distribution to women and girls in need around the world. Timing:10.00-13.30 at The Gateway Centre Addlewell Lane, Yeovil Contact Susan Bickle on susanbickle.unison@gmail.com for details.

Sunday, 2 March

More Tales from under Shady Tree: Disappearing Lyme. Ken Gollop remembers growing up during 1940s and 1950s with the families fishing boat trips from Cobb Gate beach. The new sea walls and sewerage works have altered that part of Lyme and a generation has passed since Cobb Gate and Church Cliff beaches were working beaches, and the holiday trade is totally different now. Woodmead Halls, Lyme Regis. Doors open at 2pm for talk at 2.30pm. Admission £4, proceeds in aid of the friends of Lyme Regis Museum.

LYME REGIS

No nominations for council

No nominations were received for a town councillor vacancy in Lyme Regis, so a new election process will now begin. Cllr John Trevena stepped down for personal reasons in December. Dorset Council gave notice of an election in January but as there were no nominations, a new notice of election will be given and an election will be held within 35 days of Thursday 13 February.

SIDMOUTH

Grant for Rugby Club

East Devon District Council has awarded Carbon Action Fund (CAF) grant to Sidmouth Rugby Club as part of a series of grants to local businesses. Matthew Barrett, Chairman, of the club said it will help the club to ‘take meaningful steps toward decarbonisation.’ The awards will help the club to promote environmental responsibility.

ROUNDHAM

Farm Shop plan

An application for a farm shop and café at Lower Farm, Roundham, part of Coombe Farm, seeks to strengthen the local economy. A H Warren Trust has submitted the planning application which it hopes will create at least ten more full-time jobs and additional parttime positions. The shop would sell home-produced dairy as well as other south west produce.

BEAMINSTER

Beavers escape in storm

The hunt is on for a pair of West Dorset beavers who took advantage of winter storms to escape their enclosure on the Mapperton Estate near Beaminster. Woody and Twiggy, the four-year-old beavers made their escape during the bad weather in the run-up to Christmas. Anyone with any information about the beavers is asked to email office@ mapperton.com or call 01308 862645.

DORSET

Local men row 3,000 miles 41 days, 10 hours and 5 minutes after leaving the Canary Islands, Rex Fisher, Sam Weston and Daragh MacDonagh and Ed Hughes arrived in English Harbour, Antigua & Barbuda after a gruelling 3,000 mile row. Supporting the charity Tackling Minds the four men met many challenges including a US warship, whales, sharks, migrants and massive waves but arrived on dry land in 8th place to cheers from family and friends.

Violet Festival to brighten up February

Asmall and beautiful Violet Festival at Groves Nurseries in Bridport is a sure sign that there is much to look forward to in the coming Spring and Summer. Groves are hosting the Festival from 1st to 16th of February to celebrate their world-famous collection of these timeless flowers, steeped in history, charm and family tradition.

Clive Groves holds the largest collection of Sweet and Parma Violets in the world. With over 200 varieties, this National Collection is a treasure trove of botanical history, cultivated over generations by the Groves family. Clive achieved National Collection status in 2002, adding to a list of accolades including a silver medal at Hampton Court Flower Show in 2007 and a knighthood from La Confrerie de la Violette in the city hall of Toulouse, France.

Groves Nurseries’ violets have been featured on Gardeners’ World, Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Weekend, and even earned a special place at the 2007 Hampton

Court Flower Show, where their Violet Garden dazzled visitors.

The appeal of violets has endured for centuries. In the 1890s, they were the world’s third most important commercial flower, right after roses and carnations. And they’re not just for show—violets are edible. The flowers can be crystallised for cakes or eaten raw, while the leaves are a fresh addition to salads.

The Groves family’s passion for violets dates back to the 1960s when Charles William Groves—Becky and Charlie’s grandfather—began the collection and rescued the famous Zambra collection. The very first violet he bred was named ‘Clive Groves’ and most members of the family now have violets named after them.

So, whether you’re a lifelong fan of violets or simply curious to learn more, come along and see these wonderful little flowers at their very best this February.

Groves Nurseries, 74 W Bay Rd, Bridport DT6 4BA. Open Monday - Saturday, 8 am - 5pm; Sunday, 10 am4 pm. https://www.grovesnurseries.co.uk/

Clive and Becky Groves with their violets

Trust calls for people to help themselves and nature at the same time

Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched a brand new initiative that aims to help inspire and motivate people to give their health and wellbeing a boost at the start of the new year. New Year, Wilder You hopes to help people through a range of nature-friendly activities to suit all ages and abilities—all of which also make a positive and meaningful contribution to ensuring the amazing wildlife and wild, green places we all love stay that way.

The New Year, Wilder You initiative will run until mid- February, and the Trust will be sharing ideas and inspiration to encourage people across the county to make a difference, while demonstrating how simple it can be to become part of the solution nature needs.

Suggested ways that people can get involved include taking on a new physical challenge; claiming your Somerset Wildlife Trust membership for half price to join a community of over 23,000 nature lovers supporting Somerset’s biggest nature charity; committing to spending more time in nature in 2025; getting involved in volunteering this year, with opportunities that include joining a practical conservation group, running a Wildlife Watch group

for kids, or supporting Somerset Wildlife Trust in one of their offices across Somerset, or leaving a legacy to the Trust to support future generations.

Kirby Everett, Head of Marketing Communications at Somerset Wildlife Trust, says: ‘We’re all different, and have different ambitions at new year, so this campaign is all about choice. Whether you want to challenge yourself physically, just get outside more, fundraise or put in some time to support a local green space—it doesn’t matter—you can just take your pick to do your bit. We are here to motivate people along the way.’

Somerset Wildlife Trust is a nature conservation charity. Its purpose is to restore and protect the populations of species across the county and the habitats they call home. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to nature, natural habitats and the ecosystems that support our life on earth. The Trust’s aims are to help address both the ecological and climate crises and put nature back into people’s lives.

You can find out more about New Year, Wilder You and what you can do for nature in 2025 on the Somerset Wildlife Trust website here: www. somersetwildlife.org/new-year-wilder-you.

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TNature Studies

By Michael McCarthy

he first time I saw a bullfinch in our garden, not long after we arrived in Dorset, it was one of the great birding events of my year. In 30 years living in West London, I had never seen such a sight. Not in our Richmond garden, where we certainly had goldfinches, where we had goldcrests, even. And not in nearby Kew Gardens, where you can find chaffinches, and not even in fairly-near Richmond Park, where you can find greenfinches, plus a stunning array of birds from treecreepers to ravens to buzzards.

No. Never a bullfinch. While other attractive finches have got used to suburbs, bullfinches tend to keep clear of large conurbations, and in all those years the only one I saw was in my mother-in-law’s garden in the centre of Dorchester when we were down for the weekend, and I looked out of the window and was gobsmacked.

There it was, on the feeder. It’s the colour, the colour of the breast of the male bird. Its one of the most remarkable things in nature, because even though it’s stunning, you can’t really decide what it is. Is it pink or is it red? If it’s pink, it’s a pink of tremendous power and force, by no means the sort of gentle hue to which some small girls are so drawn. If it’s red, what sort of red? It isn’t scarlet. It isn’t crimson. It’s something more than either, it’s got a hint of orange in it, it’s sort of throbbing with its own identity. Certainly, the moment when it suddenly fills your binoculars, after you think, hey, is that a bullfinch? and rush to focus, is one of the great moments in wildlife-watching. You gasp. I do, anyway. And indeed I did that morning a few weeks after we came to the village, when there it was on a bush barely yards from the kitchen window, and it stayed for at least five minutes with me watching in delight.

Bullfinches used to be popular cage birds, not least because when young they could be taught to whistle a tune. That has largely gone, but I personally caught their allure when at the age

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

of ten I read a book called Ben The Bullfinch by the old-fashioned natural history writer ‘BB’ (whose real name was Denys Watkins-Pitchford). I have loved them ever since and when I saw the bird in our garden part of me instantly thought: this is why we’ve come to Dorset. I had already had that thought about the small tortoiseshell butterfly, beloved in my youth when it was common, but now increasingly rare. I never set eyes on a single one in all our years in London, but we saw them in the village as soon as we arrived and they were plentiful (though last year the terrible spring weather wiped them out).

Bullfinches too are increasingly uncommon in southern England—according to the British Trust for Ornithology, the population virtually halved between 1967 and 2022, and there are swathes of the countryside where they are completely absent. But not, thank the Lord, in Dorset. Last year we started a Whatsapp group for bird lovers in the village, and in recent weeks various members have been posting their pleasure at bullfinches coming into their gardens, often in pairs. The male and the female make a stunning couple, as although the female does not have the dazzling red breast of the male, she has the same smart black cap and white rump and a breast of pinkishgrey which itself is very attractive.

The Whatsapp posts have made it clear that we have a very healthy population of them and I find that fantastic. As a bird-lover I find it almost a reason on its own to move to Thomas Hardy’s county, besides all the Hardy associations. I certainly know how I personally would sum up the village’s attractions, although I haven’t seen an estate agent do this yet: Lovely setting. Medieval church. Medieval houses. Chalkstream. Great village shop. Three pubs. Bullfinches.

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.

A pair of bullfinches (male on the right)

This Month in the not so distant past

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Looking back at historical moments that happened in February, John Davis highlights Alexander Selkirk.

Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Wuthering Heights from Emily Bronte and even Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol are among the books that most readers have heard of, without ever owning a copy let alone having read them.

‘Everyman’s’ list might also include Robinson Crusoe written by Daniel Defoe and published under the title The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe in 1719.

Defoe is believed to have based his story partly on the real-life escapades of a Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk but it was probably just one of many survival narratives that existed at the time.

A closer examination reveals that Selkirk’s situation and that of the eponymous hero of Defoe’s novel do differ considerably, Selkirk, for instance, was castaway on the Juan Fernandez archipelago in the South Pacific while the Crusoe story is based on an island in the Caribbean, possibly Tobago. Selkirk actually spent about four years living as an island recluse while Crusoe’s abandonment is seven times greater. Robinson Crusoe is able to salvage useful materials from wrecked ships but has to contend with cannibals, hostile Spaniards and mutineers. Conversely, Alexander Selkirk was provided with only basic utensils to work with when abandoned and, apart from hiding away from a group of Spanish seamen who came ashore briefly, had no human contact.

Selkirk was born near Fife in Scotland in 1676. By all accounts he was an unruly youth who crossed swords with the law several times and it was no surprise when he ran away to sea as a teenager.

In 1703 he enlisted with the English privateer and explorer William Dampier on an expedition to the South Pacific. The authorised mission was to attack and loot foreign shipping. Selkirk sailed on a vessel named Cinque Ports under Captain Thomas Stradling where his considerable maritime skills led to him being appointed sailing master.

In 1704 after a skirmish with a French vessel, St. Joseph, they captured a merchant ship and attempted a raid on a Panamanian goldmining town. Lucky to escape being captured or killed, Stradling soon lost

patience with Dampier and decided to strike out on his own.

So, in the autumn of the same year, Stradling brought Cinque Ports to the Juan Fernandez archipelago off the coast of Chile to re-stock fresh water and other supplies. It was here that Selkirk raised grave concerns about the seaworthiness of the vessel and insisted on necessary repairs being carried out before they continued.

He told Stradling that he would rather stay on the island than put back to sea in a leaky ship. Surprisingly, Stradling took him at his word and, despite Selkirk’s protestations, he was marooned on the island. All he was left with was a musket and some shot, a hatchet, a knife, a cooking pot, the Bible, some bedding and several changes of clothes.

Later Selkirk’s prophecy proved to be accurate when Cinque Ports foundered off the coast of Colombia. Stradling and several of his men survived but were captured and imprisoned by the Spanish and did not return home until after four years of incarceration.

Initially, Selkirk spent his time living along the island’s shoreline eating fish and spiny lobster until hordes of raucous sea lions forced him to move inland. The relocation was fortuitous as there was a more varied diet of food available here. Feral goats, introduced by earlier sailors, provided meat, milk and skins while he also found edible berries, vegetables and leaves. Here he was able to build several shelters, one for cooking in and the other for sleeping. From his Bible he sang psalms and derived comfort reading familiar passages.

Selkirk’s long-awaited deliverance came on February 2nd, 1709 when a ship piloted by Dampier, The Duke, visited the island. After four years and four months without human company Selkirk was incoherent with joy and provided fresh meat for the crew, some of whom had developed scurvy.

The skipper of The Duke, Woodes Rogers was impressed not only by Selkirk’s vigour but also by the peace of mind he had managed to attain. He observed, 'One may see that solitude and retirement from the world is not such an insufferable state of life as most men imagine, especially when people are fairly

called or thrown into it unavoidably, as this man was.'

Selkirk became second mate on The Duke and later was put in charge of a captured vessel named Increase From then on, he returned to privateering with a vengeance capturing treasure galleons along the coast of Mexico. Before returning home in October 1711, he had, in effect, completed an around-the-world voyage. He had been away for eight years.

His privateering had made him a wealthy man although legal disputes made the payment of some amounts difficult. He married several times but could not settle to shore life and by 1720 was serving as an officer on HMS Weymouth on anti-piracy patrol off the west coast of Africa. In December 1721 he became ill with a tropical disease, probably yellow fever, and along with a number of his shipmates he died and was buried at sea. He was forty-five years old.

Footnotes:

(1) Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), the author of Robinson Crusoe, was a prolific novelist, journalist, pamphleteer, poet and part-time spy. He produced more than three hundred works. Some of his political treatises got him

into trouble with the authorities and he spent several periods in prison. He also dabbled in espionage during his time in Scotland in the years leading up to the Acts of Union when England and Scotland merged. He chronicled events of the time in writings like The Storm and A Journal of the Plague Year and his other novels include Moll Flanders and Roxana

(2) Robinsonade is now the name given to a literary genre in which a leading character or characters are suddenly separated from normal civilisation usually by being shipwrecked or marooned. These include plays, films, animations, pantomimes, novels, short stories, poems etc. Some examples might include Lord of the Flies, The Coral Island, Life of Pi and the recent films Cast Away and Ad Astra

Semi-retired and living in Lyme Regis, John Davis started working life as a newspaper journalist before moving on to teach in schools, colleges and as a private tutor. He is a history graduate with Bachelors and Masters degrees from Bristol University with a particular interest in the History of Education and Twentieth Century European History.

East Lambrook Manor Snowdrop Festival

Throughout February East Lambrook Manor Gardens will be celebrating the snowdrop season once again with its annual Festival of Snowdrops.

Cottage garden doyenne and avid ‘galanthophile’

Margery Fish and her husband Walter turned the drainage channel between two orchards into the perfect place for planting her growing collection of snowdrops in the 1940s and the bulbs have thrived there ever since. ‘It gladdens the heart to see the snowdrops lining the banks of the famous Ditch in this gem of a garden,’ says owner Mike Werkmeister.

The garden has a collection of around 140 named varieties and many of these are used to make a special display in a raised bed enabling visitors to appreciate the subtle and often not so subtle difference between them. Unless you are a snowdrop aficionado, or ‘galanthophile’, you are probably not aware of how varied they can be.

Visitors are often amazed by the different shapes and colours of the flowers, including delicate

Galanthus ‘Margery Fish’, found in the Ditch in 1987.

Somerset sculptor Chris Kampf will be exhibiting his steel snowdrop sculptures. These are an ideal way of marking choice snowdrops in the garden and will be on sale throughout the festival.

The garden also has lovely drifts of Crocus tommasinianus, winter aconites and clumps of Iris unguicularis. Once the snowdrops start to go over there is a wonderful collection of hellebores to take the garden on into March, although they are often already looking good in February.

There will be around 90 varieties of named snowdrops for sale in the nursery, a greater number than ever before, ranging in price from £3.00 a pot to £80.00 a bulb. Please email mike@eastlambrook.com for the list. Plants can be reserved for collection when you visit the garden.

The Festival of Snowdrops runs from Saturday 1st February to Friday 28th February, every day except Mondays,10am to 5pm. Pay on arrival. For more information visit: www.eastlambrook.com

SOMERSET DESIGNER’S Garden of the Future

Somerset-based Joshua Parker is co-designing the Garden of the Future at this May’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20-24 May). Along with his design partner Matthew Butler, Joshua will be exhibiting the Show Garden with support from the Gates Foundation.

The Garden of the Future will spotlight the people and partnerships supporting communities to adapt and thrive in the face of climate change. It will inspire visitors to believe in the power of innovation and collaboration to unlock human potential around the world.

The garden will highlight the lessons that countries like the UK can learn from those living in regions on the frontline of climate change.

Commenting on the context from which the design was conceived Joshua said: ‘Our garden is set in the near future in the UK, in a scenario where the climate is continuing to change. Countries all over the world, including the UK, are experiencing higher than average temperatures, more extreme weather, periods of drought and sudden, heavy rainfall. These environmental changes also threaten global food security and nutrition, causing declining global crop productivity and a significant reduction in the nutritional value of key crops leading to food scarcity, malnutrition and hunger.’

Despite these huge challenges, there are incredible solutions being developed by scientists, innovators and farmers

Despite these huge challenges, Matthew and Joshua point out that there are incredible solutions being developed by scientists, innovators and farmers that enable healthier, climate-resilient futures both here in the UK and globally. These solutions include better seeds and tools to grow climate-resilient crops, which can help to make agriculture more both productive and sustainable. They can also ensure more consistent food production, even in the face of climate shocks like floods or droughts.

At the same time, these solutions give families access to affordable, nutritious food and empower communities, particularly women and girls. Crops like bio-fortified sweet potatoes and climate-resilient chickpeas help households meet their nutritional needs and prevent

Matthew Butler and Josh Parker

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nutrient deficiencies—leading to better health overall.

The Garden of the Future is a demonstration Show Garden which will showcase some of the people and organisations behind these solutions, featuring a wide array of climate-resilient ornamentals and crops, edible plants with multiple uses and properties, and tools that help conserve water and support sustainable planting. These innovations will show how farmers, scientists, and communities are working together to grow healthy, affordable, nutritious food for a warming world.

Visitors both at the show and online will have the opportunity to understand the science and research behind the innovations which are helping communities adapt to climate change. They will see climate-resilient crops that can grow and flourish in the UK, learn about innovative water harvesting and storage systems which support gardeners and farmers in times of unpredictable weather, as well as tools which are already supporting growers globally but which can also be applied in our own backyards.

As well as tools and crops, the garden will introduce some of the inspiring individuals who work on groundbreaking adaptations in this field, both in the UK and globally. For example, the garden will feature Dr. Clare Mukankusi, an agricultural scientist and Global Breeding Lead for the Common Bean at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Kampala, Uganda, who focuses on developing new plant varieties that are more nutritious and easier to grow.

Butler & Parker is an award-winning design partnership with a decade of experience. Their philosophy is to create beautiful and creative spaces that are researchdriven, focusing on planting environments and natural environments around us. For more information visit: www.butlerandparker.com.

February in the Garden

By Russell Jordan

In theory this is the last month of winter. This doesn't mean very much when February can bring some of the lowest temperatures of the year. I'm pleased that we have had some properly cold periods, even up to this point, because this means that some of the pests that might survive in a mild winter will have been killed off during this one. Many plants, and especially seeds of plants, require a period of cold before they break dormancy, starting back into growth when temperatures rise again, a process known as vernalisation. This is important because if we do have a mild spell, even in February, then plenty of weed seeds will germinate and get a head start on your ornamental plants which are yet to emerge.

Last month I touched upon using a sterile (weed and pest free) organic mulch to set off your spring flowering bulbs and early flowering perennials, especially 'Oriental Hellebores'. Mulching your beds and borders is another task which can continue, at a pace, this month before herbaceous perennials begin to emerge. Forking out any weed seedlings, or perennial weeds that have got established, is all part of this mulching process as is cutting back untidy remnants of last years herbaceous stems and decaying foliage. The time when borders were completely cleaned back, to bare earth, at the beginning of winter is long gone. If a herbaceous perennial is providing a structural element then it can be left right up until the point that you can see new growth emerging.

Something else which I wrote about last month, but which can continue this month, is pruning roses. Another pruning task, which the text books advise you to tackle this month, is cutting back all

the flowering shoots on wisteria to just a couple of buds. In theory, at the end of the summer, you will have shortened, to six buds or so, all the whippy extension growths but this will still leave plenty to tackle now. Fortunately, the lack of leaves makes it easier to see what's going on when pruning out all the congested shoots, dead limbs and the aforementioned shortening of the flowering stems.

Tear off, rather than cut, any suckering growth from the base as this will deter regrowth. If the wisteria is grown alongside another plant, a climbing rose for example, then it's even more important to remove all the unwanted growth because the twining nature of wisteria, along with its vigour, can easily swamp a companion plant or overload the structure which it is attached to. Checking the supporting structure, a system of strained wires attached to 'vine eyes' is the easiest to install, is important so that the wisteria, or any other climbing plant, does not peel itself off the wall or fence once its back into full growth.

Whenever the soil is not frozen or waterlogged there's still time to plant bare-root trees, shrubs and roses. The range available, from online and mail-order suppliers, is vast and it's particularly cost effective for plants which are best planted at a small size in large quantities—trees and hedging being chief amongst these. I have had great success, in the past, with herbaceous perennials bought in their 'bare-root' form. In practice, they generally arrive as clumps of rooted divisions, wrapped in damp newspaper or kept moist in plastic bags. These can then be potted up, into 9cm pots of compost, to allow them to put on some growth before planting out into their final positions.

If you are in the habit of growing sweet peas, I find that some years I am and some years I'm not, then now is the time to sow them. Some gardeners sow them in November and keep them alive all winter (under cover, of course, but protected from mice and voles) but I've tried this once and not found that the plants were any better than those sown in February. If you miss the boat completely then they are pretty easy to obtain as young plants by mail order, in garden centres and even D-I-Y superstores. While you are in the sowing mood, and assuming you have space in a greenhouse or on cool, indoor, windowsills, then there are some hardy perennials which are worth sowing and some, such as Dianthus (pinks), might even flower in their first year.

I tend to hold off sowing anything that requires additional heat, during these cold days, because they are more likely to succeed when the days are longer and average temperatures on the rise. Anything that isn't hardy will only sulk when forced to make an appearance during the relatively short, chilly, February days.

I've already mentioned 'Oriental Hellebores', flowering outdoors this month, as something which really benefits from being 'tidied up', the old leaves removed and a fresh mulch applied, to really show off

their exquisite blooms. In the same vein, but much daintier and much more fiddly to deal with, are the epimediums. The coarser, large leaved, varieties can provide useful ground-cover but the finer specimens are pretty feeble and easily swamped by neighbouring plants. These are best grown in dedicated beds, with little or no competition, and 'woodland floor' conditions. Denuding them just before their flowers emerge is well worth the effort or else the blooms will remain mostly hidden by last years foliage.

I have successfully combined the daintiest epimediums with a range of Hepatica nobilis seedlings, with flowers in shades of blue, pink and white, because they begin flowering in February and enjoy similar conditions. The one caveat that I have with growing hepaticas is that they seem to be a favourite when it comes to being totally nibbled off by voles or mice. The same vermin are also responsible for eating tightly furled hellebore flower spikes, especially when they are hidden under fallen leaves or anything else which protects the little pests from being spotted.

At least this month there are so many spring bulbs coming into flower, not to mention early flowering shrubs such as witch hazels, camellias and daphnes, that a little bit of rodent damage can be tolerated in the greater scheme of things.

Food&Dining

GUEST RECIPE

MOROCCAN CHICKEN & CHICKPEA TAGINE

North African-style recipes often feature sweet and savoury combinations, as does this Moroccan-inspired dish. If you don’t have a Moroccan tagine—the distinctive conical Middle Eastern cooking pot—use any flameproof casserole dish.

The Good Chicken Cookbook by MARCUS BEAN

Published by Nourish, an imprint of Watkins Media Limited

ISBN: 978-1-84899-424-9 (Hardback)

ISBN: 978-1-84899-425-6 (ebook)

Serves 4

(‘Scant’=slightly less than)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

• 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

• 2 onions, finely sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1½ tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp peeled and grated root ginger

• 200g/7oz/scant 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, then drained

• 80g/2¾oz/scant ²/3 cup raisins

• 400g/14oz/scant 1 ²/3 cups canned chopped tomatoes

• 1 kaffir lime leaf

• 250g/9oz/1 1/3 cups couscous

• 300ml/10½fl oz/scant 1¼ cups Vegetable Stock

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a tagine or flameproof casserole dish. Add the chicken and fry until just coloured on all sides, then remove from the dish, using a slotted spoon.

2. Add the onions and garlic to the dish and fry for about 3 minutes until softened, then stir in the spices and fry for 1–2 minutes until well blended.

3. Stir in the chickpeas, raisins, tomatoes and lime leaf and return the chicken to the dish.

4. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick. (Alternatively, cook in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for the same length of time.)

5. When the tagine is almost ready, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan over a high heat, then pour it over the couscous and stir well. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to stand for 10 minutes until soft. Drain off any excess liquid.

6. Serve the chicken straight from the casserole dish on a generous pile of couscous.

Ilaria’s Italian KITCHEN

CONSIDERED a highly versatile ingredient, nduja is a spicy pork paste with a texture similar to that of pâté. A combination of pork fat, herbs and spices and Calabrian peppers, it provides an intense colour, meaty, spicy and umami palate, lending itself to jazzing up many dishes—from spreading it onto bread, enhancing pasta dishes to branching out and stuffing squid with it.

Nduja’s origins are in the southern Calabria region of Italy. It is filled with rich and smoky pepper flavours, and the Spanish are thought to have introduced it into the region when they were fighting the French in the 19th century.

Mercato Italiano stocks nduja from Gabriella Bellatone, a company with strong Italian family traditions. The company is based in Spilinga on the north side of Mount Poro, in the Calabria region.

Originally established as a weekly market stall, supplying high quality cured meats and cheeses directly imported by Ilaria using her Italian produce contacts, Mercato Italiano has become the go to destination for authentic pizza, coffee, cocktails and so much more in west Dorset and surrounding area.

Be sure to visit https://mercatoitaliano. uk and subscribe to their newsletter to keep up with events, tastings and exclusive offers, including the Marshwood reader discount on special events.

Nduja from Mercato Italiano in Bridport

Cocktail Hour

Fight the February Fog with an Exotic Cocktail

WWhat is it that has driven the recent craze for cocktails and cocktail bars? The concept of mixed drinks is nothing new. According to Difford’s Guide for the Discerning Drinker, Minoan Cretans were blending a mix of beer, mead, and wine some 3,000 years ago, and in Homer’s Iliad, slave girls were preparing “concoctions of wine, cheese, honey and raw onions.” OK, we’ve come a long way from that, but why has the heady world of alcoholic blends become so popular?

Today, cocktails and cocktail bars are a cultural staple, with punters demanding ever more creative mixes and dynamic flavours. Exotic ingredients are used to reinvent classic cocktails like the Negroni and Old Fashioned, while innovative new concoctions tempt drinkers to a new experience, usually in a cool and sophisticated setting.

Cocktails are made by mixing different types of alcohol with juices, syrups, and bitters, along with fresh ingredients like fruit and spices, and creating new flavours is one of the many attractive elements of cocktails worldwide. Those of a more adventurous nature love trying new flavours, and a feeling of sophistication combined with a sense of glamour can sometimes allow people to transport themselves to exotic locations without the need to jump on a plane. Cocktails and cocktail bars give us a taste of optimism, and occasion even if it’s just for a night out.

At Mercato Nero, the cocktail bar above Mercato Italiano on the Dreadnought Trading estate in Bridport, Barista David Smith was tasked by owner Ilaria Padovani to come up with signature cocktail that was to be named after the restaurant and cocktail bar. The brief was to produce a Montenegro (Ilaria’s favourite) forward cocktail.

‘I don’t like Campari much’ said David, ‘so wanted to do a Negroni type drink that I enjoyed but it had to show off the Montenegro.’ He decided to use Montenegro, Punt e Mes and R L Seale’s 10-year-old rum. ‘Punt e Mes is more of a cross between an Amaro and a Vermouth’ explained David. ‘So it gives it plenty of bitter notes without being overly sweet, and the rum is the back bone of the drink.’ Stirred over ice with a grapefruit twist it has become a favourite. ‘The rum keeps the drink from being too watery as it melts over the ice’ he explains ‘and it is robust enough to bolster all the flavours.’

A European influenced zinc bar with art deco appointments, formica tops, and atmospheric lighting; Mercato Nero offers an escape, a world within a world where visitors can truly relax and enjoy company with family and friends the Italian way.

Mercato Nero is open Wednesday to Saturday 5 -11pm at Unit 3B Dreadnought Trading Estate, Bridport, Dorset DT6 5BU. Telephone 01308 459274 or email: retail@ mercatoitaliano.uk. To keep up to date on special events visit the website https://mercatoitaliano.uk and subscribe to their newsletter.

COMING to England

Baroness Floella Benjamin talks to Fergus Byrne about the stage show based on her early life, and the importance of never letting the negatives dominate.

Speaking with Baroness Floella Benjamin about the stage show of her 1995 award winning book Coming to England, a story of her young life, it is easy to see why those who have worked with her have been swept along by her energy and commitment to making the world a better place for our children. Her infectious laugh sits comfortably beside a powerful and confident delivery of profound truths born out of an extraordinary life. Coming to England is at the Lighthouse in Poole in February.

Part of the Windrush generation, 10-year-old Floella arrived on the shores of Southampton in 1960 and, along with her parents, two sisters and three brothers, lived in a one-room flat in Chiswick. Floella’s first memories reflect the shock at how little people knew about the county she had come from. ‘Yet we knew everything about Britain,’ she exclaimed. ‘We knew all about the Queen and British history’. She recalls how, in school in Trinidad, the children would sing God Save the Queen, and she felt that England was her ‘Motherland’.

Named after Ella Fitzgerald by her jazz-playing father, Dardie, she was soon to learn about the lack of racial diversity and the challenges of encountering racial prejudice and discrimination. For some time, she physically fought against bullying and racial abuse. ‘But after many years of being spat on and verbally abused, I had what I call a “spiritual moment”’, she says. ‘I heard a voice in my head; maybe it was my mother’s, but I realised that my physical retaliation was not the right response.’ She recalls the words that she so often repeats: ‘You can’t change the colour of your skin, and if that’s a problem for someone, then it is their problem, not yours.’ From that day forward, she determined that she would ‘fight with my brain’ smile and use the power of positivity and love to rule her life.

In her autobiography What Are You Doing Here, she talks about her mother, Marmie, and the strength she offered as a guiding influence: “I reckon that my mum’s wisdom gave me my staying power all through my life. If you don’t give in, everything comes good in the end.”

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With her mother’s words, ‘Education is your passport to life’ ringing in her ears, Floella decided to make her smile her ‘armour’. She studied hard and got a job in a bank. However, she soon found her real calling, working as a presenter on the children’s TV show Play School, eventually launching her own production company with her husband, Keith Taylor and going on to make and star in many TV programmes and films.

Fast-forward more than sixty years, and Baroness Floella Benjamin, a Lib Dem peer, is now one of the most powerful voices standing against racism and speaking for children all over the world. Her resume of achievements is so vast that it’s hard to imagine one person could have done so much. From singing God Save the Queen, Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia ‘with vigour’ as a child in Trinidad, she eventually met that same Queen who appointed her to the prestigious Order of Merit and even participated in the recent King’s coronation.

‘I still get letters and messages from adults telling me how much they loved my children’s shows’, she tells me. ‘I call them my Play School babies. Some are now government ministers or party leaders in the Houses of Parliament.’

So, has life changed for immigrants, or even for people in general? I ask her. ‘Yes, it has,’ she says. ‘There are now many more mixed marriages and increased awareness and conversations around diversity and inclusion’. She cites the many support systems and initiatives to help immigrants integrate into society. Most of all, she sees how children are educated to understand more about diversity and the world around them. She sees greater representation of different cultures in media, politics, and public life, with many people providing role models for new generations. ‘There is still more to be done but we are getting there.’

But she is aware of social media’s ‘wild west’ nature and its potential danger to children and looks forward to legislation that will protect young minds from misinformation and disinformation.

One of the vice presidents promoting Barnardo’s, she highlights what she calls the ‘Three Cs, which are consideration, contentment, and confidence.’ She believes these principles guide her in how she treats others and herself. ‘Consideration’, she says, involves being thoughtful and empathetic towards others. ‘We need to understand their needs and feelings’. Contentment, she explains, is finding happiness and satisfaction in what you have and who you are ‘without constantly seeking more’. While confidence involves ‘believing in yourself’ giving and loving unconditionally. She says: ‘I believe that children need to grow up knowing that they are loved and appreciated and important in the world.’

Floella, who is played by of Julene Robinson in the show, urges people to see the stage show Coming to England. She is delighted with the spectacularly talented cast. ‘Our cast and creative team bring with them a wealth of different experiences and skills to a show that is packed full of lessons for families to engage with, all set to an upbeat soundtrack of fun musical numbers and songs.’

Despite her story being one of struggle against adversity, it represents hope. Floella strongly believes in the power to change and describes the show as exciting, uplifting and exuberant, but, most of all, she says it represents a story of ‘what it means to never give up.’

Coming to England is at the Lighthouse in Poole from Thursday, February 13, to Saturday, February 15. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.lighthousepoole. co.uk/event/coming-to-england/ or by phone at 01202 280000.

GALLERIES February

Until 2 February

The Art of Travel A photographic exploration of Central and Southeastern Asia as seen through the eyes of Chris Hilton. “The art of travel,” according to Chris,” is to find somewhere to get that zip fixed, or to get a watch battery, to go to the doctor, or to get a haircut. In other words, it exists in the cracks where our imagination failed to go. We need to let reality wash over us in all its messy, uncomfortable glory without the hindrance of expectation.” Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm, www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk.

8 February - 8 March

Christopher Riisager Paintings of Dorset, Wiltshire & Sicily. Presenting the fourth solo exhibition of new paintings by Christopher Riisager, the result of two years of painting the wonderfully varied landscape of Dorset and Wiltshire, as well as the more arid landscape of Sicily. Locally, the Wiltshire and Dorset downland remains an inspiration evident in paintings that are at once both rich and plain. Some, very formal pictures, take as their subject and make plastic emptiness and spaciousness. Others are more directly about colour and its emotions; the evening sky and forgotten farm buildings. As for new subjects, the show features a return to Sicily. The Art Stable, Kelly Ross Fine Art, Child Okeford, Blandford, Dorset DT11 8HB.

The Dorset Pavillion Celebrating the bounty of Dorset -this exhibition challenges conventional expectations of regional art by offering a powerful, tactile, and evocative exhibition that speaks to deep time; the land: the political; the literary; and the historical. Returning from

its triumphant debut in Venice where it had over 7000 visitors from 30 countries – it presents an earthy mix of contemporary artworks from 28 artists and provides a refreshing local, visceral, raw and playful exhibition that celebrates the parish-sized thinking that is both resurgent and under threat. It highlights Dorset’s contribution to the broader art world while challenging conventional expectations of regional art. Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport DT6 3NR.

8 February - 27 April

An Uncommon Thread Featuring Rachael Louise Bailey, Max Boyla, KV Duong, Charlotte Edey, Nour Jaouda, Lindsey Mendick, Jack O’Brien, Nengi Omuku, Tai Shani and Georg Wilson. The exhibition is in collaboration with Alice Black, Berntson Bhattacharjee, Carl Freedman Gallery, Gathering, Ginny on Frederick, Pippy Houldsworth Gallery and Union Pacific. ‘An Uncommon Thread’ features 10 contemporary artists living and working in the UK. The group exhibition highlights the transformative power of unconventional mediums in evoking personal and collective memories. Each artist demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the integral role materials and techniques play in their creative process; employing unexpected painting surfaces, adapting formal craft traditions and repurposing discarded products into compelling works. Through individual investigations of identity, tradition, nature, fantasy and the environment, the artists invite viewers to engage with the rich stories woven into each work. Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL.

Until 22 February

Convergence A shared exhibition featuring abstract and semi-abstract work from a number of local artists. Work will include paintings, ceramics, and textiles. Free entry at Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Open Tuesday – Saturday, 9:30am - 3:00pm. 01460 54973. www.ilminsterartscentre. com.

Until 23 February

Where you Find Yourself A visual exploration of hidden Dorset, conducted over one year through various media, research, recording, and recollection by members of Dorset Visual Art’s Interrogating Projects Group. The featured artworks delve into places that hold a particular meaning to the participating artists. They are accompanied by reflective accounts on how our connection to ‘personal’ places and spaces can reveal a sense of self and belonging. Artists have repeatedly visited and examined specific locations, asking questions of their practice to reveal facets of themselves and the county. The Group meets regularly to critically review work in progress, encourage skills swaps and knowledge sharing, studio visits, and informal collaborations, and consider some of the different aspects and challenges of working as an artist in a rural county. The exhibition is accompanied by a display of black and white photographs by Robin Mills, presenting a selection from his book Deep Roots - An Insider’s Photographs of Dorset Country Life. The Sherborne, Newland, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3JG.

Until 24 February

A group exhibition of Selected artists: Martha Beaumont, Cara Campbell, Tessa Coleman, Matilda Dumas, Florence Evenden, Rene Gonzalez, Jelly Green, Harry Martin, Beatrice Hassell McCosh, Tyga Helme, Jean Huang, Sax Impey, Sophie Kitching, Binny Mathews, Peter Matthews, Sofia Petrova, Michael Rainsford and Harriet White. The exhibition delves into the dynamic realm of contemporary painting through the lens of artists who reimagine and experience the natural world through their practices. Landscapes are a potent medium for exploring the intricate symbiotic relationship we have with nature and how, through painting, our perspectives can change to reflect this. Messums West, Place Farm, Court St, Tisbury, SP3 6LW Email: west@messums.org. Telephone: (Thurs - Mon) +44 (0) 1747 445042.

Until 9 March

Restless Earth Paintings by Anthony Garratt and Frances Hatch ARWS, with paintings and ceramics by selected

gallery artists, and furniture by Petter Southall at Sladers Yard, Contemporary Art & Craft Gallery, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL. Open: Weds to Sat 10–4pm. All work can be viewed on www.sladersyard.co.uk. Telephone: 01308 459511 or email: gallery@sladersyard.co.uk.

Until 16 March 2025

Artists in Purbeck: Spirit of Place a groundbreaking exhibition at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth. This first-of-its-kind exhibition celebrates the rich artistic legacy of Purbeck, Dorset, through the eyes of renowned and emerging artists. It is a captivating exploration of the Isle of Purbeck’s diverse landscapes, including quarries, seaside towns, and iconic landmarks like Corfe Castle. The exhibition features over 70 works and provides a unique opportunity to explore the Isle of Purbeck over time, through the eyes of artists who capture its ever evolving beauty. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth. www.russellcotes.com.

THE DICHOTOMY of the migrant’s child

ADeclan Duffy brings his new one-man show, Call Yourself an Irishman, to Bridport Arts Centre.

spoken-word and musical exploration of second and third-generation Irish identity, Call Yourself an Irishman, may resonate with many nationalities of migrants who found themselves making a life in a foreign land.

Focused on those born in Britain to Irish parents and grandparents, Declan Duffy’s one-man show considers the experiences of the Irish who moved to Britain and the impact their doing so has had upon their children born and raised here. It is relevant to Irish immigrants and their descendants, of course, and, beyond that, to a broader range of diaspora communities.

‘I am an Irish Londoner’, explains Declan, ‘born here to parents from County Cavan who worked as publicans in London for decades.’

But is he Irish or English? Declan explores the question of true identity when making a life in a new country while having a deep link with another country.

‘I was born in a London borough’, he says. ‘I attended London schools. I speak with a London accent. I’m from London. I’m English! But wait. I’ve got no English blood running through my veins, and I satisfy all the criteria to carry an Irish passport, and I do! I’m Irish!’

This is the dichotomy of the migrant’s child. Exploring Irish history, immigration to England and other far-flung shores, and the impact migration has had on those growing up with foreign parents or grandparents, Declan describes an intriguing web of contradiction and contrariety.

Citing The Pogues, Lawrence of Arabia, Kate Bush, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie as just some of those with Irish backgrounds, he asks the question: Does the sense of Irishness within each successive generation just naturally dissipate? When does someone officially lose the identity of their forebears?

‘I believe it is hugely important to maintain links between different generations of the diaspora and ensure that each new group is aware of the realities of the lives of their ancestors, something I have sought to do in the show. It is a subject dear to me and millions of people like me,’ says Declan. ‘I passionately wish to share it with my fellow Irish diaspora, telling our story, that of the Irish in Britain.’

Call Yourself an Irishman is at Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday, February 8th. To get tickets contact the box office on 01308 424204 or visit: https://www.bridport-arts.com/ event/call-yourself-an-irishman/#tickets

February

PREVIEW

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Tribute shows and half-term fun

DORCHESTER

DORCHESTER Arts has a packed programme for February ranging from tribute shows to half-term fun, from a one-man play about Quentin Crisp to a one-woman entertainment celebrating opera and triathlon!

A line-up that can truly be described as offering something for everyone, the month opens on Saturday 1st with Simon & Garfunkel Through the Years, a critically acclaimed production that brings the legendary duo to life, and has recorded sell-out performances across the UK, Europe, and beyond.

On Thursday 6th, Mark Farrelly presents a captivating play, Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope, exploring the life of Quentin Crisp, the original “Englishman in New York” (and the man who gave all of us who hate house-work the perfect excuse not to dust!)

Blues fans will enjoy a masterclass from Paul Jones and Dave Kelly on Friday 7th, while Moscow Drug Club set the mood on Valentine’s Day, Friday 14th, with their stylish fusion of cabaret, pre-war Berlin chic and musical romance.

On Saturday 8th, another musical icon is remembered in I’m Every Whitney—Kieshia, accompanied by her Million Dollar Band, delivers a breathtaking tribute to Whitney Houston, the Queen of Divas.

Half-term entertainment features The Bubble Show, Creation, on Sunday 16th, a family-friendly spectacle that tells the magical story of Bubbleland’s origins through dazzling soap and water artistry, and a delightful twist on classic stories in Fairytales, Fables & Other Assorted Nonsense on Thursday 20th February.

Take your musical pick with the Irish House Party, the joy of Irish music and dance, on Saturday 22nd, Ballgowns and Bib Shorts, with singer Grace Lovelass blending opera, humour and triathlon, on Sunday 23rd, and boisterously energetic folk music from The Churchfitters on Thursday 27th.

The last day of February (Friday 28th) brings comedian Alyssa Kyria in her one-woman show, The Funny Mummy, described as a relatable and laugh-out-loud exploration of parenting’s chaos and joys.

PREVIEW February

Anniversary year CONCERTS IN THE WEST

CONCERTS in the West, the musical charity which promotes the work of young soloists and chamber musicians, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025. The first concert series of the year, on 14th and 15th February, brings the period instrument quartet Ensemble Hesperi to Bridport Arts Centre, Ilminster Arts Centre and the Dancehouse at Crewkerne.

Ensemble Hesperi, an innovative London-based period ensemble with a reputation for showcasing baroque music through intelligent, research-led programming, is Magdalena Loth-Hill, baroque violin, Mary-Jannet Leith, recorders, Florence Petit, baroque cello, and Thomas Allery, harpsichord. They will be performing at Bridport Arts Centre on Friday 14th at the usual coffee concert at 11.30am, at Ilminster Arts Centre that evening at 7.30 and at Crewkerne Dancehouse on Saturday, also at 7.30.

Concerts in the West is a small but energetic arts charity, which organises and promotes an annual series of classical and baroque concerts at venues in Somerset and Dorset. The charity is directed by its founder, Catherine Maddocks, and run by a small group of trustees.

Catherine recalls: ‘Concerts in the West was launched in 2006 when I was asked if I would like to organise a concert in Ilminster as there was no classical music being performed locally at the time. As I was very new to the town it seemed like a good way to meet people and so it proved!

‘One concert quickly became four in the first year with Lyme Regis joining in. We have continued inviting young professional musicians to perform for us as they are embarking on a difficult and demanding career. When we started Concerts in the West I was still festival director of the London Handel Festival, from which I retired in June 2016. Working with very fine musicians in London, I was determined to have a very high standard of performance in the West Country.

‘The musicians, all of whom are trained to at least postgraduate level, find the tours quite useful in embedding repertoire and working towards recordings or a big concert in London or elsewhere.

‘We are a small charity and, as with many arts organisations, have to work hard on the finances and fundraising. We are very grateful to those who support us and without whom we would not survive! The schedule for this 20th anniversary year is:

Ensemble Hesperi, an innovative London-based period ensemble coming to Bridport on February 15.

14th-15th March – Alasdair Beatson, piano (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

11th-12th April – Mikeleiz-Zucchi Duo (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

9th-10th May – Trio Anima (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

27th-28th June – Mathis Rochat, viola and Erdem Mısırlıoğlu, piano (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

11th-12th July – Colin Scobie, violin and Jâms Coleman, piano (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

26th-27th September – Mitsu Trio (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

24th-25th October – Voice (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

28th-29th November – Consone Ensemble (Bridport, Ilminster, Crewkerne)

For further information about the 2025 concert series, visit www.concertsinthewest.org

Devon actress’s award-winning film debut HONITON

DEVON-born, RADA-trained actress Caroline Corrie has made an impressive debut as a film director with Shalborne—audiences at Honiton’s Beehive Centre can see her first film on Saturday 8th February, with two screenings at 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

Written and directed by Caroline, who also plays the leading role of Helen Bartlett, the film tells the story of a courageous woman who rebels against the repressive Edwardian society of her time. In 1905, a letter from Tzar Nicholas to Lord Bartlett recounts the Bloody Sunday massacre in Saint Petersburg. This becomes the catalyst for Helen’s rebellion against her oppressive husband. Risking everything, she leaves her marital home, pushing her sick father in a wooden flower cart.

She meets Lord Shalborne who offers her shelter on his estate, but when Shalborne unwittingly invests in her husband’s corrupt schemes, Helen once again becomes a pawn in a gentlemen’s game and finds that courage may not be enough to overcome the patriarchy of her time.

Shalborne was filmed in Devon. It is Caroline’s first feature film—as well as writing, directing, producing and acting in it, she also made the costumes, props and sets. The film was awarded Best Foreign Feature at the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto in July 2024. It has been enjoying a sell-out tour of Devon cinemas and was described as a “visual treat” by the American film-maker, writer and film critic Kevin Mayer. He called it “the most audacious and accomplished calling card I have seen in years”.

Caroline trained at RADA and graduated from the University of Birmingham with a first class honours degree in Drama and Theatre Arts. She was

a founding member of Labyrinth Theatre, an awardwinning, London-based, physical theatre company.

Two folk duos BRIDPORT

BRIDPORT Arts Centre’s February programme includes concerts by two duos, both featuring outstanding folk musicians and singers. Sound of the Sirens will be at the venue on Friday 7th February and Miranda Sykes and Jim Causley come to Bridport on Saturday 22nd,

Sound of the Sirens are acoustic singer-songwriting duo Abbe Martin and Hannah Wood, who are based in Exeter. Honing their craft over the past decade, Martin and Wood have become firm favourites not only on the West Country scene, but nationally, and internationally too. Their status and fast-growing fan-base are testament to their prowess as songwriters and musicians. They released their fifth studio album, Seasons, in 2024.

Sykes and Causley are very well-known in the West Country and beyond as outstanding folk musicians— now they have come together as a duo and will be touring a new album in 2025.

They have known each other for nearly 20 years and in 2024 they joined forces with narrator John Palmer to create and tour a show celebrating the centenary of the death of the Devon-based song collector and author, Sabine Baring-Gould. They enjoyed working together so much and audience feedback was so positive that they made plans to record and tour an album together.

The Last Of The Singers is a collection of traditional, self-penned and contemporary songs bringing their magical voices together.

Sound of the Sirens in Bridport on February 7.

Over the rainbow

BRIDPORT

BRIDPORT’s Electric Palace, with its colourful period decor and special atmosphere, is a rather magical place—so where better for Bridport Pantomime Players to take audiences “over the rainbow” for a delightful pantomime version of The Wizard of Oz—at the venue from Wednesday 5th to Saturday 8th February at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 1.30.

Get ready for a whirlwind adventure. As the players celebrate their 60th anniversary year they will take audiences on an unforgettable journey down the Yellow Brick Road, where colourful characters and hilarious hi-jinks await!

Follow the spirited Dorothy Gale (Justine Gawen) as she is whisked away from her mundane life in Kansas to the enchanting land of Oz with her adorable dog Toto by her side. She finds herself navigating an incredible world filled with fantastical creatures, whimsical landscapes and unforgettable friends.

Once on the path to the Emerald City, helped by the Mayor of Munchkinland (Alice Tuck) and Aunty Em (James Oldfield), she begins to wish nothing more than to return home. From the lovable Scarecrow (Johanna Leins) seeking a brain to the brave Tin Man (Ross Hughes) in search of a heart, and the timid Cowardly Lion (Greg Horton) hoping for courage, this exciting journey is sure to touch your heart and tickle your funny bone.

Glinda (Ziggy Gray) is there to support Dorothy when times get tough so she is sure to succeed, but no thanks to the Wicked Witch of the West (Hatti Amos) and her henchman monkeys (Olivia Grinter and Mandy Knott Radford). Sandra the Super Witch of the South (Rupert Oldfield), the Wizard of Oz (Teresa Grinter) and the Green Guardians of the Green Gates (Jess Goldstone and Amy Day) will keep things colourful as Dorothy and her friends traverse the twists and turns of their adventure.

Expect catchy songs, wonderful choreography and plenty of audience participation that will have you singing and cheering along. The show features dancers from Bridport Youth Dance and the BYD street dance crew together with guest artists—BYD alumni Louis Donovan, Charlie Green, Robyn Moss, Amber Palfreyman and Lucie Sivier.

The power of love

BRIDPORT

BRIDPORT Youth Dance takes centre stage at the Electric Palace on Friday 28th February and Saturday 1st March for a new show, The Power of Love, celebrating the company’s 21st anniversary. There are

performances at 7.30pm, with a Saturday matinee at 2.30.

The Power of Love is partly fictional, taking inspiration from the true story of a young 12th century couple who were shipwrecked at St Gabriel’s. It incorporates soulful contemporary dance, high energy street dance and dynamic tap choreography, interwoven with a transfer to stage of a recent BYD project.

It is choreographed by Nikki Northover, Aimee Symes, Claire Benson and the dancers, and produced by Nikki Northover.

I’m a Celebrity comedian

LYME REGIS

LYME Regis Comedy Club’s February gig at the Marine Theatre on Saturday 15th features Andrew Maxwell, an in-demand comedian who recently appeared in television’s I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here

Maxwell, who heads the line-up which includes Billy James and compere Tom Glover, is one of the most sought-after acts on the comedy circuit. As well as appearances on Live at the Apollo, he headlines major comedy venues and has performed extensively throughout the UK and internationally.

Known for his razor-sharp wit and unparalleled

Andrew Maxwell comes to Lyme Regis on February 15.

storytelling, Andrew has won over audiences around the world with his intelligent and laugh-out-loud shows.

A play about neurodiversity

LYME REGIS

A PLAY that tells the true story of a young performer’s struggles with health problems, The Magical Screentest, comes to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on Wednesday 19th February.

This is the disarmingly honest self-portrait of aspiring actor Isobel Jeffery: the inspiring tale of how she has worked to overcome learning disabilities and health problems, and fought to transcend other people’s ideas of what she might be capable of.

The show describes the true story of how she struggled in her teenage years with misdiagnosed epilepsy, the consequences of this on her health and lifestyle, and how she is fighting now to realise her dream of being an actor.

Puppets and sea shanties VILLAGES

THE Artsreach programme for half-term has two shows that between them offer wonderful puppetry, storytelling and sea-shanties, globe-trotting adventures with live music, comedy and more—plenty to keep children of all ages and their families entertained.

Sam O’ Shanty has lived his whole life at sea, ever since he first stowed aboard ship when he was just a wee lad. Since then, he has sailed the Seven Seas, from Devonport to Durban Bay, Nantucket to New Guinea, Cape Wrath to the Cape of Good Hope. Now Sam has come ashore with his two shipmates, Davy Lad and Sonny Jim and together they have all manner of marvellous tales to share ... stories of beguiling mermaids and batty sea witches, a boisterous retelling of the dastardly Blackbeard’s comeuppance, and tangled yarns of hidden booty and beasties of the deep.

This nautically comic show for all the family, Sam O’ Shanty, from Angel Heart and Rattlebox, is crammed

with facts, fantasy and farce—and the singing of a sea shanty or two. Perfect for children aged four-plus and their families, the show is at Sixpenny Handley village hall at 11am on Monday 17th February, Litton Cheney community hall at 11am on Tuesday 18th and Sturminster Newton Exchange at 11am on Wednesday 19th.

Can you fit the entire world into just one show? If anybody can, it’s the inimitable Craig Johnson of Squashbox Theatre. Join this intrepid explorer on a breathless race across the planet as he attempts to decipher the clues left by his globe-trotting Great Aunt Gladys—clues that could finally explain her mysterious disappearance! Wonderful World crosses continents, encountering strange and wonderful creatures, meeting crazy characters and learning incredible facts about geography, ecosystems, climate, language and navigation along the way.

Blending ingenious puppetry, fantastic facts, slapstick and live music, Wonderful World will be at 11am at Swanage’s Mowlem theatre on Tuesday 18th February, Broadwindsor’s Comrades Hall on Wednesday 19th and Alderholt hall, Fordingbridge, on Thursday 20th. After the show, children can take part in a puppet-making workshop and create articulated card puppets of amazing animals from around the world; workshop places are limited.

Rare gig by a jazz legend

LYME REGIS

MIKE Westbrook, winner of Jazzwise Record of the Year and a Ronnie Scott’s favourite, is a British jazz legend. He brings his Band of Bands to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on Sunday 9th February.

He is famed as a great musician, not only playing with all the biggest names but also as a composer and arranger. Now in his 80s, this is a rare chance to see him in concert and is a South West exclusive.

The Magical Screentest comes to Lyme Regis om February 19.

Sam O’ Shanty visits villages around the area in February

Band of Bands has been described as “a new band, comprised of master musicians ... a band for all seasons from composers with a gift for conjuring up the gladness of hearts” by Andy Robson (Jazzwise). The gig will feature re-creations of Westbrook classics alongside new songs and arrangements of some lesser-known standards, all interpreted by some of UK’s most creative and distinctive soloists.

Postcards From Lost Places STOCKLAND

SINGER-songwriter Cole Stacey comes to St Michael & All Angels Church, Stockland in East Devon, on Friday 21st February, at 7pm, to launch his debut album, Postcards From Lost Places.

The Dartmoor-based musician has a repertoire that ranges from British folk and 80s pop to spoken word and ambient electronics. With explorations into traditional song writing and verse in his blood, the new album explores the idea of regeneration. At its heart is a symbiosis of ‘lost’ places and forgotten

words, stretching as far back as the 13th century, paired with Cole’s distinctive, lyrical song writing and soft pop vocals mixed with singular field recordings.

Collaborations include traditional Lithuanian Kanklės virtuoso Emilija Karaliute, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee Jack Cookson and electronic producer and composer Guy Andrews. Each track, or postcard, is imaginatively recorded on location in spaces that to the outside world are easily overlooked, yet continue to endure.

As one half of alt-folk duo India Electric Company, alongside Joseph O’Keefe, Cole has done prime time live sessions for BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. Since 2015 he has been accompanying pop icon Midge Ure on everything from mandolin to bass guitar, analogue synthesizers to vocals, across sold-out tours of Australia, New Zealand, UK, Scandinavia and Germany.

(To eead a recent interview with Cole visit th following link: https://www.marshwoodvale.com/features/2024/11/wherethe-quiet-is-louder/)

Cole Stacey launches his debut album in Stockland on February 21.

Linden Lea and cream tea

STURMINSTER NEWTON

DORSET doesn’t need Burns Night, haggis and bagpipes—it has its own dialect poet to celebrate, and this year the annual William Barnes Tea will be at Sturminster Newton Exchange on Sunday 23rd February from 3pm, with the familiar lineup of Tim Laycock, Phil Humphries, the Ridgeway Singers and Band .. and a proper Dorset cream tea!

This musical and culinary event, celebrating Dorset’s own Victorian polymath, teacher, multilinguist, priest and poet, has taken place since 2017, and this year will also feature a pop-up producers and makers market in partnership with Dorset Food & Drink, open to the general public from 11am to 3pm, after which the performance and tea will take place.

The event is run in conjunction with Artsreach, which is also partnering with Pageant Productions to live-stream the event, so that those who are unable to attend in person can enjoy the music and readings from the comfort of their own home (hopefully with their own cream tea!)

Born in Bagber in 1801, William Barnes attended school in Sturminster Newton. A scholar, linguist, artist, priest and inventor, Barnes wrote more than 800 poems in the Dorset dialect, relishing the country dances, folksongs and carols of the county, and often writing about community celebrations where music is an element. Barnes’ best-known poem is Linden Lea, famously set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Led by Tim Laycock and Phil Humphries, the Ridgeway Singers and Band will be joined by guests from the William Barnes Society to celebrate the life of William Barnes, performing traditional songs and dance tunes collected across the county, and reciting some of the poems that keep alive the rich dialect of Dorset.

The mini pop-up producers and makers market will be a chance to try some famous local produce or discover something brand new made in Dorset! The market is open to the general public from 11am-3pm.

It takes three to tango DRIMPTON

TRAVEL from the back-streets of Buenos Aires to the salons of Paris—via Drimpton village hall—on Friday 7th February, when the acclaimed Tango Calor trio bring their latest show to Dorset for three concerts with Artsreach.

Described as “one of the best tango trios you will hear in the UK,” Tango Calor is a collective of musicians with a love for Argentina’s tango music. Formed by bandoneonist Mirek Salmon in 2016, the group features guitar virtuoso Daryl Kellie and vocalist Jimi Can.

A prominent member of Moscow Drug Club,

Mirek has also performed with BBC orchestras, Welsh National Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Daryl Kellie has been described by Guitar World Magazine as “epic”, and Jimi Can is a consummate showman and key figure from Bristol’s burgeoning Afro-Cuban and Flamenco music scenes.

Together the trio perform in arts centres, tango clubs and at festivals including WOMAD, as well as collaborating regularly with various orchestras to perform the works of Astor Piazzolla. This will be an evening of songs and wonderful stories, ranging from classic tango music to Piazzolla tunes, lively Latin rhythms and more.

The short tour also includes Langton Matravers village hall on Thursday 6th February and Shillingstone’s Portman Hall on Saturday 8th. All shows start at 7.30pm.

A tango romance VILLAGES

STAYING with tango and Buenos Aires, Artsreach also has a three-date tour with the Devon-based Multi Story Theatre, bringing Last Dance Saloon, a poignant romance set in a tango retreat, to Sydling St Nicholas, Portesham and Broadwindsor, from 13th to 15th February.

Tango Calor come to Drimpton in February

Last Dance Saloon in Portesham and Braodwindsor

Screen Time

with Nic Jeune

Top Six at the Flix

Bridport Arts Centre

My Favourite Cake (2024)

The film is exceedingly funny, even in translation, right up to the point where the tone shifts dramatically. Deeply endearing on every level, from its anti-authoritarian politics to its body positivity to general joie de vivre. The Hollywood Reporter. Leslie Felperin

Singing in The Rain (1952)

Singing in the Rain is a transcendent experience, and no one who loves movies can afford to miss it. Chicago Sun-Times. Roger Ebert.

Red Shoes (1948)

A fairytale about a dancer possessed by her footwear and forced to dance to her death. In 1948, Emeric Pressburger updated it to produce one of the most important and powerful films of the era, and now that film has been digitally remastered for a new audience. It’s as compelling as it ever was. Eye For Film. Jenny Kermode.

Comrades (1986)

A remarkable epic film by Bill Douglas (“My Way Home”/”My Ain Folk”/”My Childhood”), with a good eye for details on rural life, with a strong sense of what it’s like to fight for justice when not part of the power structure, with a keen sense of history. A lanternist’s account, of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. dennisschwartzreviews.com Dennis Schwartz.

Odeon Dorchester

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Watching Eternal Sunshine, you don’t just watch a love story -- you fall in love with what love really is. Entertainment Weekly. Owen Gleiberman

Amazon Prime

Nosferatu (2024)

It’s a Gothic horror nightmare heaving with sumptuous visual detail, groaning under the weight of portentous dread, writhing with both convulsive violence and sweaty eroticism and leavened by sly hints of fiendish camp. The Hollywood Reporter. David Rooney.

When two people, no longer in the first flush of youth, find each other at a tango retreat in Buenos Aires, a spark is lit and their passion smoulders—this was meant to be. But one has work and family ties in South America, the other in North Devon. They soon settle into the frustrations of a long-distance relationship, fuelled by regular tango sessions in Argentina, until one of them weighs up the ecological consequences...

Blending music, song, tango and tales both ancient and modern, this captivating and deeply moving new show is an immersive experience performed in the round, which explores love, legacy and the future we envision for coming generations. After the show, audiences are invited to stay for a social dance led by the company. Refreshments will be available.

Inspired by the enduring power of stories, Multi Story, formed in 2000 by Bill Buffery and Gill Nathanson, has spent 24 years crafting powerful narratives for intimate spaces, thriving on the close connections fostered in community venues. Their latest production features relatable characters who strive to do their best for themselves, their families and the future.

See Last Dance Saloon at Sydling St Nicholas village hall on Thursday 13th February, Portesham on Friday 14th and Broadwindsor’s Comrades Hall on Saturday 15th.

Up the beanstalk HONITON

HONITON’s Beehive Centre hosts the town’s community theatre company in this year’s pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, from 18th to 22nd February at 7pm, with a Saturday matinee at 2pm. The performances include a BSL interpreted show on Thursday evening. Join the players on a journey to the Land of Make Believe where Jack, Jimmy and Dame Trot take to the skies and back in their quest to rescue Jill when she is taken prisoner by Giant Grimm and his henchmen Bloodshot and Squint! Meanwhile, following hot on their trail is Squire Grabbem, after his overdue rent money.

Watch in amazement as the beans, swapped for a bag of gold after selling Cow Pat at auction, are transformed into a beanstalk reaching into the clouds. Filled with fast-paced action, lively songs and a smattering of pies, Jack and the Beanstalk is a show for the whole family.

Jack and the Beanstalk comes to Honiton on February 7.

THE inventive and popular comedy theatre company Spitz & Co returns to Dorset in February with a show that looks back to the early years of the greatest rock star—mayhem and audience interaction, plus all your favourite Elvis songs, are promised in Elvis in Blue Hawaii, which is on a short Artsreach tour, coming to Wootton Fitzpaine village hall on Sunday 9th February at 7.30pm.

Following their previous sell-out tours of Gloriator, Gloria in The Mist and Les Gloriablès, Spitz & Co returns with award-winning Elvis impersonator Joe Reeve (Best Sideburns, GlosVegas 2014) starring in his version of the classic Elvis film Blue Hawaii, while his long-time tour manager, the inimitable Josephine Cunningham, tries to keep the show on the road—next stop, Vegas!

Artsreach director Kerry Bartlett says: “Spitz & Co have built a reputation for creating funny, original shows, and our audiences have loved each of their previous tours. I still remember the laughter in Winfrith following some of the most unbelievable and unexpected comedy moments in Les Gloriablès!”

Dig out your favourite Hawaiian shirt and escape to paradise in this raucous musical comedy, guaranteed to leave you all shook up! Elvis in Blue Hawaii is also at Studland village hall on Wednesday 5th February and East Stour on Friday 7th; both shows start at 7.30pm.

At Wootton Fitzpaine, experienced comedy performer and writer Susie Donkin will lead a clowning workshop ahead of the show, from 4pm. Through simple games and basic theatre exercises which focus on status and relationship with an audience, participants will discover what it is that can make people laugh.

The Young Lit Fix

The Whisperwicks, The Labyrinth of Lost and Found By

Jordan Lees

Illustrated by Vivienne To Published by Puffin/ Penguin Random House Paperback £7.99 Review by Nicky Mathewson

“It began with the crack in the wall…” A crack in the wall which resembled a smile, but there was nothing friendly about this crack, nothing friendly at all. Edwid tried to cover it with one of his many drawings of famous map makers but it didn’t stop the voice from escaping the crack. The mysterious voice which lured Edwid from the safety of home and out into the labyrinth of lost and found. Another lost soul in the world of Wreathenwold.

Benjamiah Creek lived in a very different world with no magic, no mysterious voices, no friends and a lot of loneliness. Wyvernon-the-Water was very humdrum indeed, but when a mysterious package arrives for him containing a plain little doll with buttons for eyes, Benjamiah’s life takes a very dramatic turn. In the basement of his beloved book shop, he finds a door, and against his better judgement, Benjamiah steps through it, only to find himself in a book shop in Wreathenwold. The door disappears leaving him stranded. How will he navigate the labyrinth in this strange world and more importantly, how will he find his way back home?

When a children’s book hooks you in by the end of the first page, you know you are in for a fantastic read. Jordan’s prose, characterisation, and world building are rich, sensitive and exhilarating. I am very excited for the second installment which is due for release at the end of March. A top notch magical adventure for confident readers aged 9+

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

Spitz & Co bring Elvis to Wootton Fitzpaine on February 9.

The Siege by Ben Macintyre

Click Here for an Easy Read version of this article

The Holocaust Codes by Christian Jenkins

BEN Macintyre has established a notable reputation in recent years as both an author and a documentary maker specialising in the circumstances and characters involved in real life events.

Among his titles are The Napolean of Crime, Agent Sonya, Colditz, Operation Mincemeat and SAS Rogue Heroes—a second series of which has recently been dramatized on television.

The Siege focuses on an event which occurred during May, 1980 inside and around the Iranian embassy in London’s Prince’s Gate where a small group of activists burst into the building and took twenty-six hostages at gun-point, one of them a Metropolitan Police Officer, Trevor Lock.

Throughout the six days of the impasse, negotiators tried to find a satisfactory way-out for everyone involved including the armed raiders who were incensed by the way the people of their region in Iran had been treated by the regime there.

In the end, no agreement could be negotiated, the British government, with the resolute Margaret Thatcher at the helm, would not give way and an SAS task-force stormed the building-all in front of television cameras broadcasting live.

For those with longer memories, the outcome of the siege will be known but that does not detract from the way in which Macintyre’s comprehensive yet pulsating writing style moves events along at pace.

The thorough author/journalist that he is, Macintyre makes full use of never-before-seen files, and as much information as he can obtain on the actions of both the CIA and MI5. The tale also explores the complex, threaded sub-plots highlighting the bonding and mood swings that developed among hostages and terrorists in such a claustrophobic atmosphere.

Note: The recent film Six Days, directed by Toa Fraser and featuring Jamie Bell and Mark Strong, is an accurate re-telling of the events.

THIS is the true story of two men who would never meet. They were totally diametric in background, worked thousands of kilometres apart and had very contrasting characteristics yet were to become implacable enemies during the Second World War.

In Nazi occupied Poland there is Austrian-born SS Major Hermann Hofle, a ruthless career bureaucrat terrified that his record keeping and communication skills, although meticulous, will not satisfy the SS hierarchy.

At Bletchley Park, England is the legendary but unsung codebreaker par excellence, Nigel de Grey, a single-minded introvert who was so shy that his colleagues nicknamed him The Dormouse.

Hofle is overseeing the operations of five concentration camps in Poland including Treblinka and is tasked with relaying coded messages back to Berlin with full details about the extent of The Holocaust.

De Grey and his colleagues have to decipher the codes being used even though they are subtly changed frequently, sometimes every week.

Such is his determination, de Grey, who co-operates with codebreakers and agents in France, America and the Soviet Union, is also hell-bent on ensuring that somewhat sceptical British government officials are full conversant with the way in which the Holocaust is mushrooming even though the tide has turned against Nazi Germany.

This is a fascinating and thoroughly researched read that unlocks details about an aspect of the tragic consequences of The Holocaust that has received little attention to date. Sources are painstakingly referenced and there is a select bibliography.

Christian Jennings is an authoritative author who has written several books about German cryptanalysis and lectured at Bletchley Park. For some time, he also worked as a foreign correspondent in both The Balkans and Africa.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

ANTONI Gaudi had his cathedral, Franz Schubert his eighth symphony, Paul Cezanne his Turning Road while for Charles Dickens it was The Mystery of Edwin Drood. What do all these creative works have in common? It is the fact that they were all left uncompleted when the architect, the composer, the artist and the author died.

Like many of his novels, Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood was not originally published in book form. It was serialised in a weekly magazine called Every Saturday to keep the reader on tenterhooks. When he died in June 1870, three episodes of the Drood story had been published and three were ready for publication. There were, though, six remaining, with Dickens leaving few notes and no certain intentions about how the mystery of the title would unravel.

In brief, the novel, despite the title, really focuses on Drood’s uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirmaster and opium addict in the fictional town of Cloisterham, a thinly disguised version of Rochester in Kent. Jasper has designs on Drood’s fiancée Rosa Bud who has also caught the attention of the headstrong Neville Landless. Landless and Drood take an instant dislike to each other. Later as the story develops, Drood disappears under mysterious circumstances.

No body is discovered so investigations into the disappearance are hampered although, like all good mysteries, there are a number of characters who might have had good cause to want Edwin Drood dead.

Having read the first part of the story, the reader is faced with two main choices. Make up their own mind about what might have happened and who, if anyone, the guilty party might be. Or find a version that has been completed by another writer. Some suggestions for this second course are given below.

Note: Shortly after Dickens’ death Robert Newell completed the novel in 1870. Leon Garfield penned a version in 1980 as did David Madden in 2012, the 100th anniversary of Dickens’ birth. Also, in 2012 there was a television adaptation by Gwyneth Hughes.

Book ahead

Book now and always have something to look forward to.

Mark Steel, Hardye Theatre, Dorchester, March 7. Tickets from: www.dorchesterarts.org.uk.

Beyond the Blue Notes, Bridport Arts Centre, March 7. Tickets from: www.bridport-arts.com.

A Complete Unknown, Electric Palace Bridport, March 8 & 13. Tickets from: www.electricpalace.org.uk.

Oisin Leech, Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, March 26. Tickets from: www.marinetheatre.com

Catch Up on 2024

What have all the people below got in common? They have all been featured in the Marshwood Vale Magazine in 2024. Catch up on these and many more interviews and stories by visiting www.marshwoodvale.com. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to be first to hear about new issues, articles and local events.

Sir Liam Fox Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Sir Oliver Letwin Mary Kingsley

Martin Lines Tom Heap

Philip Lymbery Amelia Earhart

Nigel Toon Robert Golden

Hilary Cronin Johnny Lydon

Declan Duffy Sound of the Sirens

Nick Wallis Trewin Restorick

Lara Melda Tony Christie

Jah Wobble Henry Hemming You

Environmental initiatives launch energy competition for schools

Lyme Regis based company Little Green Change has teamed up with The Naturesave Trust to run an energy competition open to state-funded primary and secondary schools with a prize pot of £500.

Schools across Devon, Dorset and Somerset are encouraged to apply by telling Little Green Change how their school would spend the money to lower their energy consumption and/or to produce, or use, more renewable energy. They may wish to focus on one area, or multiple areas, such as heating, hot water, lighting, technology and equipment (for example, solar power).

Schools are currently facing extremely high energy prices due to changing market conditions, yet there are a variety of changes that can be made to help lower energy consumption and/or make the energy used in schools greener (renewable).

Entries need to be received by 10 am on Friday 28th March 2025. Schools can find out further details about the competition via Little Green Change’s website: littlegreenchange.com/action.

The funding also includes the creation of 6 lessons covering energy generation from solar, hydropower, wind and geothermal, and a lesson on careers in energy aimed at secondaryaged students. The resources will include presentations, expert speaker talks, worksheets, and teacher guides, and will be free for state-funded secondary-aged schools to access.

Clare Matheson, Founder and Director of Little Green Change, commented, ‘We are so grateful to The Naturesave Trust for financially supporting the creation of our energy competition and Schools Programme energy module.’

‘We work with a wide range of schools and know how important our free resources and activities are to them, especially following years of real term school budget cuts. Having the ability to educate and inspire the youth of today, so they feel empowered to make positive environmental changes in their own lives and in their communities, not only benefits the environment but society as a whole.’

Little Green Change have won a number of awards since their launch in September 2023, including a BBC Make a Difference Award 2024 (Green Award), a Jurassic Business Award 2024 (Green/ Eco Business of the Year), a West Dorset Gold Business Award 2024, and a Judges' Choice award at the UK StartUp Awards 2024 South-West for their environmental education programmes and activities.

Clare Matheson with Jo Loosemore, Senior Producer at the BBC at the BBC Devon Make a Difference Awards ceremony.

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