Marshwood+ February 2022

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THE

© James Cowan Photograph by Robin Mills

The best from West Dorset, South Somerset and East Devon No. 275 February 2022

COVER STORY Robin Mills met James Cowan in North Dorset

© James Cowan Photograph by Robin Mills

’M

y mother’s family are from Dorset, but my father’s was originally Scottish; we lived in Scotland until three years ago, when we moved to Dorset. My father was a soldier, which meant we lived all over the world, so I was at prep school from the age of 7, and public school from 13. After school I went to Oxford, where I read Modern History. Several generations of my family were in the Army, so my joining “the family business” seemed the obvious thing, and I found I enjoyed it hugely. After training at Sandhurst in 1986, I was posted to Berlin. It was such an interesting time to be there; to start with we were guarding Rudolf Hess, the last of the Nazis in Spandau prison, until he died shortly afterwards, and then the Berlin wall came down. It was a remarkable period, the hangover from the end of WW2, and the beginning of the new age which followed the end of the Soviet Union. Berlin was such a fascinating city, vibrant, fun, and altogether a hugely enjoyable experience.

I was in the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), Scotland’s oldest and most famous. Belonging to the Black Watch gives one a great sense of esprit de corps, and pride in being part of it. It’s almost like being part of a family, and I made many lifelong friendships from that time.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 3

James Cowan

A few years later, in 1998, as a junior staff officer based in London I did the planning for the Kosovo operation. I wasn’t deployed there, but obviously I went out there from time to time. It was an interesting time, to be potentially involved with a ground-based invasion and the air war that accompanied it. It was the first big example of New Labour’s “force for good” approach to international conflict, and in that case it actually went quite well. Perhaps it went too well, giving the Labour government confidence to become militarily involved elsewhere in the world, and of course we all know what happened in Iraq.

I was working in the Ministry of Defence, on 9-11, and very involved in dealing with the aftermath. The first operation was in Afghanistan, late 2001. I remember going out to Kabul in 2002. Although I was still only a lieutenant colonel at the time, I soon became aware that looking beyond that operation, to removing Saddam Hussein in Iraq, was under consideration. The rationale for that plan was dubious, and with hindsight we know the intelligence was faulty. I wasn’t there for the invasion in 2003, but in 2004 I went to Iraq to command my regiment, The Black Watch. The invasion had been relatively simple, but by 2004 the war had degenerated significantly, becoming quite vicious. Initially we were in Basra in the south, dealing with the Shia insurgency, but it became clear that the main problem came from the Sunnis in the centre of Iraq, and my battle group were sent there to help the Americans in what became known as the second Battle of Falluja in November 2004. This was a big set piece operation which involved the encirclement of Falluja and the defeat of Al Qaeda occupying it. Five of my soldiers were killed, and several more wounded, and it had a big impact on me and my professional life, but I look back on our involvement with considerable pride.

I went back to Iraq in 2006 and 2007, to Basra, where the situation had deteriorated further. There were many casualties on all sides, and the British government were by this point extremely jaded about the whole Iraq business.

It was a difficult time with a lack of political support, but I felt we did the best we could.

In 2007 I took command of a brigade, of 5000 men, which I had to set up from scratch, an exciting challenge.

In September 2009 we went to Afghanistan, to Helmand, really at the peak of the fighting. Jointly with my more senior commanders we decided on a new strategy, which was to try and protect the people instead of just killing the enemy. Together with the Americans, this involved a greater number of troops, but it enabled us to operate with far less violence, and I’m proud of the fact that as a result we turned the tide of the campaign at that point.

Of course tactical victories are not necessarily strategic success, and one has to look back at our efforts in the light of what’s happened in the last few months in Afghanistan.

All of the campaigns I’ve been involved with have taught

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me that wars come to an end, and peace eventually emerges. Although we fought the Taliban I believe in honour among warriors. I’m not one for looking back, so we now have to find a way of working with them to make Afghanistan a functioning state. At the moment most of their problems are made by the West, through sanctions and the freeze on the banking system. Women aren’t going to work not because the Taliban are stopping them, women aren’t going to work because they’re not being paid, because the West has cut the money off. In my current job, running The HALO Trust, I’m still very involved with Afghanistan, so I don’t have a sense of having abandoned Afghanistan because I and my organisation are still incredibly committed to it. It’s our biggest programme; out of 28 countries employing 10,000 people, 3,000 of them are in Afghanistan.

My wife, Minnie, trained to be a doctor relatively late in life, we have three children, and the military life is hard for a wife who has her own career path to follow. So at the age of 50 I felt it was time to leave the Army while I was young enough to embark on another career. I have had wide experience of working internationally, especially in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and I’m quite good at organising large groups of people, so when the job of running The HALO Trust came up in 2015 I applied for it, and I’m now extremely pleased to be working for a humanitarian organisation. Our mission is quite straight forward; to save lives and restore livelihoods by clearing land mines and IED’s, remove small arms, and deal with ammunition stockpiles. We’re not a charity with a huge bureaucracy; we have a staff of 10,000, 9900 of whom work overseas.

Our metrics are very clear: for instance, in Zimbabwe we are currently working on clearing 30,000 landmines a year. When the last one is gone, we won’t be going back.

Farmland will be made safe for cultivation, and children will be able to go to school without having to walk through a minefield. The satisfaction for us is the difference made to real lives. Ours is not a military charity, but the nature of the work makes military experience helpful, so many of the staff are ex-soldiers. And I knew many soldiers who died, or lost limbs, by stepping on landmines, so I have a personal desire to see them disappear.

Afghanistan is still a massive priority, and we’re very disappointed by the British government’s decision to stop funding us there. I think they’re confused about the importance of our role. Fortunately other countries are still supporting us there in a big way. Our work is about stabilisation as well as humanitarian support.

We don’t just clear the landmines, we train up the guy who was in the Taliban, as a combatant, and give him something constructive and peaceful to do by swapping his Kalashnikov for a mine detector.

Like all charities, we have to raise our own funding, we have to make a case for it. As well as from governments,

© James Cowan Photograph by Robin Mills

money comes from a huge range of incredibly generous private donors, foundations, and even children contributing their pocket money.

Our aim is to make landmines history, to be victims of our own success, but with ongoing conflict in the world that may not happen. We have many ambitions for our future; firstly, to employ more women. Ours has been a very male workforce, and we would like many more women to be involved and become beneficiaries of our

success. Secondly, there is a relationship between conflict, conservation and climate. Many of the countries who made promises at the recent COP 26 to address climate issues are in conflict. If they are not in control of their own territories they will not be able to deliver on those promises. Conflict damages the environment, and stressed environments create conflict. My vision for HALO is to move from “the people who clear landmines” to “the people who tackle conflict”.

’

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UP FRONT In the village where I grew up, some of the local business men and women dabbled in more than one activity. It was a small population and therefore not an enormous local economy. In my father’s case, as well as a hospitality business, he was also the village undertaker. I spent a lot of my early days playing amongst coffins, shrouds, plaques, and other funeral paraphernalia. It wasn’t rare to see him at the end of the kitchen table putting a name on a brass plaque with what seemed to be an unwieldy hand-held engraving machine. So listening to and highlighting Seth Dellow’s audio interview with willow coffin maker Sophia Campbell this month brought back many memories. I don’t recall ever being allowed into the hearse that for a long time lived in our garage, nor do I remember helping to carry coffins down from the loft to be used in a local homestead.

And although I knew the local gravediggers from their visits to our house, I also doubt that I ever helped with a shovel. But I do remember being on the edge of the many conversations about death, and more often about the lives of those that had passed on. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I have spent over twenty years trying to highlight people’s lives in this magazine. I’ve always found it sad that we only learn about people through a eulogy. But these memories made it all the more striking to hear Sophia talking about the people that sometimes come to help weave a coffin with her for a loved one. The process of helping to prepare a final resting place for someone that shared one’s life is obviously poignant, and as Sophia explained, it is not an everyday experience. In her own case, the most heartrending commission she talks about is making a coffin for her sister whose body has never been recovered from where she died. The coffin was to be used as a prop in a theatre performance in Spain about her sister’s life and death. And although it looks unlikely that it will ever be used for its usual purpose, Sophia found making it an enormous privilege. Stories such as this, and the countless other interviews on these pages over so many years, are sometimes such profound and captivating pictures of the rich tapestry of local life, that recording and relaying them has also been an immense privilege.

Fergus Byrne

Published Monthly and distributed by Marshwood Vale Ltd Lower Atrim, Bridport Dorset DT6 5PX For all Enquiries Tel: 01308 423031 info@marshwoodvale. com

THIS MONTH

© Photograph by Dr Sam Rose

3 8 14 18 19 20 22

Cover Story By Robin Mills Event News and Courses Past Present and Future - Sophia Campbell News & Views Laterally Speaking By Humphrey Walwyn How the Mighty are Fallen By Cecil Amor Mahonia By Philip Strange

24 24 26 28

House & Garden Vegetables in February By Ashley Wheeler February in the Garden By Russell Jordan Property Round Up By Helen Fisher

30 30 32

Food & Dining Red Cabbage and Juniper Hash By Lesley Waters Ruby Salad By Mark Hix

34 Arts & Entertainment 34 Wild West Dorset By Fergus Byrne 38 Galleries 40 Preview By Gay Pirrie Weir 44 Young Lit Fix By Antonia Squire 45 Screen Time By Nic Jeune

46 Health & Beauty 48 Services & Classified “An educated person is one who has finally discovered that there are some questions to which nobody has the answer.”

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Editorial Director Fergus Byrne

Contributors

Deputy Editor

Seth Dellow Helen Fisher Richard Gahagan Mark Hix Nic Jeune Russell Jordan Robin Mills

Victoria Byrne

Design

People Magazines Ltd

Advertising

Fergus Byrne info@marshwoodvale.com

8 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Gay Pirrie Weir Antonia Squire Philip Strange Humphrey Walwyn Lesley Waters Ashley Wheeler

The views expressed in The Marshwood Vale Magazine and People Magazines are not necessarily those of the editorial team. Unless otherwise stated, Copyright of the entire magazine contents is strictly reserved on behalf of the Marshwood Vale Magazine and the authors.

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of dates, event information and advertisements, events may be cancelled or event dates may be subject to alteration. Neither Marshwood Vale Ltd nor People Magazines Ltd can accept any responsibility for the accuracy of any information or claims made by advertisers included within this publication.

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Trades descriptions act 1968. It is a criminal offence for anyone in the course of a trade or business to falsely describe goods they are offering. The Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. The legislation requires that items offered for sale by private vendors must be ‘as described’. Failure to observe this requirement may allow the purchaser to sue for damages.

Road Traffic Act. It is a criminal offence for anyone to sell a motor vehicle for use on the highway which is unroadworthy.

February

EVENTS AND COURSES 28 January

Lawrence: After Arabia at 7.30pm. Village Hall, The Causeway, Milborne St Andrew DT11 0JX. Doors and bar open 7.00 Tickets £10, which includes a drink or an ice-cream. The screening will be introduced by the Director and will be followed by a Q&A. East Devon Ramblers 4 mile leisurely walk Uplyme. Phone 07740-427812 Roger Beaujolais, Robert Fowler, Jamie Brownsfield, with the Craig Milverton Trio - modern and mainstream jazz Ilminster Arts Centre TA19 0AN £20. Starts 8pm. Doors open 7pm, with bar. 01460 54973 - musicbookingsIAC@gmail.com www. ilminsterartscentre.com Talk on line: Grayson Perry, Potter & Artist and so much more!’. Fee £11, On line via Zoom. 2pm, Pam Simpson, MA, Associate Lecturer, London College of Fashion. To book please email: chris.pamsimpson@btinternet.com (This lecture would move on line, if covid prevents face to face lectures).

29 January

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7 mile walk from Bothenhampton. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

30 January

Singing Bowl Soundbath 2pm-4pm. Oborne Village Hall, Oborne, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4L £15 Please book in advance 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com ffi centreforpuresound.org East Devon Ramblers 7.5 mile leisurely walk Colaton Raleigh.

Phone 07772-069940 Bridport: John Colfox Academy. Sunday 30th January at 3pm, Allington Strings and Jonathan Delbridge play Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov and others. Tickets £10/under 18s free. info: allingtonstrings.yolasite.com

31 January

Talk by Paul Atterbury local writer, broadcaster and historian and of BBC Antiques Road Show fame – “The Perfect Partnership – Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll”. United Church Hall, East Street, Bridport at 2.30 pm. Golden Cap Association. Entry members- £2, non-members - £5. More information 01308 459855.

Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30-10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided and no partner required. Contact David on 01460 65981 Cost £1.50 www.chardscottishdancing.org

1 February

West Dorset Ramblers Moderate 8 mile walk visiting villages around Bridport. Contact 01308 538101.

Art talk series with art historian John Francis: 10.30-12.00.

Themes: Art of Snow and Winter, Diego and Frida – two revolutionary artists, Collage & Montage, The Story of Art in Food. Also 8 and 15 February and 1 March. £10 per talk (£8 students/THG Friends). Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, 10 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Honiton 01404 45006/info@thelmahulbert.com. To book, please visit thelmahulbert.com.

Scottish Country Dancing every Tuesday at Ashill Village Hall TA19 9LX from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with hot drinks at the interval.

Come and join the fun. For more information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you soon. All welcome.

Beaminster Museum Winter Talks continue with a talk on Coker Canvas – a history of sailcloth. Richard Sims is an industrial historian interested in the flax and hemp textile industries and author of a book on sailcloth. Although Trafalgar was won with Coker quality sailcloth, the manufacture was really centred on Beaminster and Crewkerne. It is time we took more interest in the sailcloth history of our area. 2.30pm. Entry £3

1 - 27 February

East Lambrook Manor Gardens Festival of Snowdrops runs throughout February. An opportunity to see the fabulous snowdrops in the garden together with additional displays showcasing many of the 150 varieties grown there. Steel snowdrop sculptures by local sculptor Chris Kampf, paintings

by Moish Sokal and photography by garden photographer Jason Ingrams plus snowdrop tours and over 90 varieties for sale in the nursery. Tuesday to Sunday,10am to 5pm, £6.50, over 65s £6.00, under 16s free. NGS Charity Snowdrop Open Day 10 Feb. East Lambrook Manor Gardens, East Lambrook, South Petherton TA13 5HH, www.eastlambrook.com

3 February

Friends of Lyme Regis Museum talk: ‘Lyme Regis: a changing seafront’ by James Thomas. The evolution of Lyme’s seafront over the last 200 years, including a short film, narrated by James, a retired geography and geology teacher. 2.30 pm Woodmead Hall, Lyme Regis. Contact: David Cox on 01297 443156.

The Wind Will Carry Us (1999 Iran,U,118 m, S/titles, Dir: Abbas Kiarostami) This acclaimed film of the arrival of an engineer and colleagues from Tehran in a remote village in Iranian Kurdistan. Assumed by the locals – with whom they form an ambivalent relationship – to be archaeologists or telephone engineers, the visitors’ behaviour and keen interest in the health of an ailing old woman seem strange and their true motives are shrouded in mystery. Haunting and visually stunning, The Wind Will Carry Us is an absorbing, abstract meditation on life and death and the divisions between tradition and modernity that stands among Kiarostami’s best works. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall (TA18 8PS). Membership £22, guests £4 per film. Contact mickpwilson53@btinternet.com or ring Mick Wilson on 01460 74849 or Di Crawley on 01460 30508. Prices as they were in 2019.

Sensible COVID-19 precautions are in place.

West Dorset Ramblers Moderate 9 mile walk through Charminster Downs and along the River Cerne. 01305 2611226

5 February

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 6.5 mile walk from Uplyme. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

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February

EVENTS AND COURSES Uplyme & Lyme Regis Horticultural Society. Coffee morning for members and anyone wishing to join the Society. 10am12nooon. Uplyme Village Hall.

6 February

film starts 2.15 advance booking required for this matinee very limited seating, and cream teas (£3) available if booked with the ticket reservation. Please Note the screening times are different to the James Bond film.

7 February

West Dorset Ramblers Moderate 7 mile walk to Cerne Giant & Minterne Parva. Contact 01305 262681.

Upholstery Classes, Dalwood Village Hall - fortnightly Time: 9.30am – 3.30pm. Also 23rd February, 9th and 23rd March. Cost: £20 per session inc tea/coffee, bring own lunch. Limited places.

Not for profit. To book: Tel 01460 831207/07969 804184

Singing Bowl Soundbath: all you need to do is lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan singing bowl soundbath take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’. £15 STOUR ROW Village Hall 2-4PM bookings 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com www. centreforpuresound.org

9 February

The Stanchester Quire will resume meeting at 7:30pm, at the very spacious David Hall, Roundwell Street, South Petherton, TA13 5AA. They will be learning songs of hardship, hope and humour which have either been collected from, or written about, agriculture and the countryside in the South West of England.

Musical director is Eddie Upton, the holder of the English Folk Dance and Song Society gold badge for services to folk music.

Everyone is very welcome and there are no auditions and the ability to read music is not essential. For more details please email Bonnie at stanchesterquire1@gmail.com or phone Phil on 07 778 119 663.

Axminster Musical Theatre are holding their Annual General Meeting at 7 30 pm in The Masonic Hall, South Street, Axminster.

Hear all about their forthcoming productions Magic of the Musicals in May and Sister Act in November! Everyone welcome and refreshments provided!

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you enjoy music and dancing, gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, come along to the W.I Hall on Monday evenings -7.15 to 9.30pm.

All welcome, especially beginners. Tel:458165 or 459001.

Hawkchurch Film Nights, in association with Devon Moviola, proudly presents ‘The Courier’ (Cert.12, 112 mins).

Dominic Cooke (‘On Chesil Beach’) directs this gripping Cold War espionage thrilller, based on a true story, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jessie Buckley. Postponed from 10th January.

6.30pm (doors 6.00pm) at Hawkchurch Village Hall, EX13 5XD. Reservations £5 from csma95@gmail.com or 01297 678176, or pay at the door. Refreshments available.

Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30-10.00 p.m. Tea and Coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Contact David on 01460 65981 Cost £1.50 www. chardscottishdancing.org

11 February

8 February

Scottish Country Dancing every Tuesday at Ashill Village Hall TA19 9LX from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with hot drinks at the interval.

Come and join the fun. For more information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you soon. All welcome.

The Courier (12A) Kilmington Community Cinema (KCC) will be screening at the Village Hall (EX13 7RF). Doors open 6.45 film starts 7.15. Matinee on Thursday afternoon doors open 2pm 12 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

East Devon Branch, Devonshire Association; Writing a bestselling novel with a Devon flavour; Jane Corry, a best-selling author and newspaper columnist who lives in Sidmouth, will describe how her surroundings in East Devon have influenced the content and feel of her popular novels; 2.30pm, Manor Pavilion Theatre Sidmouth EX10 8RP; contact Brian Ludford 01395 513232 or edevon.sec@devonassoc.org.uk The Last Duel (18) starring Jodie Comer and Matt Damon in Ridley Scott’s latest epic. CineChard is back and ready to welcome you (safely) at the Upper Site of Holyrood Academy TA20 1JL. The new venue has plenty of free parking, tiered seating and a great sound system. Masks to be worn, please, and there is plenty of room for social distancing. Tickets are from Barron’s, the PO and Eleos for £5 or on the door for £6 or at ticketsource/ cinechard (small booking fee). Doors at 7pm, film at 7.30pm.

West Dorset Ramblers Moderate 8 mile walk in Frampton valleys to view snowdrops. Contact 01300 320346

12 February

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

Lyme Regis Golf Club are holding a Valentine’s Dinner Dance, 3 course meal, prosecco and DJ to dance the night away £37.50.

For further information please call 01297 442963 or email admin@lymeregisgolfclub.co.uk Scottish Dancing Party in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 -10.30 p.m. No partner required. Please bring your own plate of food and mug. Tea and coffee provided. Cost £3 Contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancing.org.

14 February

Scottish Dancing in Chardstock. Evening of Scottish Dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Contact David on 01460 65981 Cost £1.50 www. chardscottishdancing.org.

Bereavement Support Group, A peer support group where people can share experiences at a difficult time, 4.00pm – 5.30pm, Burrough Harmony Centre, The Assembly Rooms, Gundry Lane, Bridport, DT6 3PA, Feel free to drop in, or for more information please call 01308 428943.

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you enjoy music and dancing, gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, come along to the W.I Hall on Monday evenings -7.15 to 9.30pm.

All welcome, especially beginners. Tel:458165 or 459001.

15 February

West Dorset Ramblers Leisurely 4.6 mile walk in Charmouth & Wooten Fitzpaine. Contact 01308 538101 Scottish Country Dancing every Tuesday at Ashill Village Hall TA19 9LX from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with hot drinks at the interval.

Come and join the fun. For more information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you soon. All welcome.

The Lyme Regis Society presents their monthly Talk: History of Salt Making in the Ax and Lim Valleys by Colin Pady To be held on Tuesday 15th February 2022 at 2pm Woodmead Halls, Hill Road, Lyme Regis. DT7 3PG All Welcome. Members Free. Visitors £3.00. Please check the website for further information: https://www.lymeregissociety.org.uk Beaminster Museum Winter Talks continue with a talk about Smuggling and the Dorset Connection. Trevor Ware has been actively involved in the redevelopment of the LSI and West Bay Discovery Centre in Bridport. He will be talking to us on one his other interests - the history of smuggling in the West Country. Smuggling was widespread along the Dorset Coast in the eighteenth and early nineteenth Centuries. This talk is an authoritative review of smuggling, from its reasons to some of its famous Dorset names such as Rattenbury and Gulliver.

2.30pm. Entry £3.

16 February

West Dorset Ramblers. Moderate 8.5 mile walk alongside the Fleet. Contact 07826 150114.

Colyton & District Garden Society: talk - ‘Fuchsias My Way’

by Derek Dexter, specialist fuchsia grower. Colyford Memorial Hall, 7.30pm. Members free, guests £3. Information: Sue Price 01297 552362.

Community Coffee Morning, including croissants & bacon rolls, 10.30am – noon, at Clapton & Wayford Village Hall. More details from Julia (01460 72769).

17 February

Dahlias and Chrysanthemums Bridport & District gardening club. Dahlia and chrysanthemum expert Brian Madders is a National Dahlia Society judge and Chairman of the New Forest & District Dahlia & Chrysanthemum Society.His illustrated talk will tell us how to successfully grow and propogate these plants that have such a profusion of colour, type and size. Bryan has been growing dahlias and chrysanthemums for forty years. Covid regulations mean only members can attend. Please bring proof of vaccination. Seating is well spaced and the room is ventilated.

7.30 W. I. Hall North Street, Bridport.

Illustrated talk – popular speaker & local author Anne Mosscrop will recount memories of her trip from Land’s End to John o’ Groats in vintage car ‘Gypsy’; £5 includes cheese & wine; please book. 7.30pm, at Clapton & Wayford Village Hall.

Further information from Mary (01460 74849).

Arts Society West Dorset: Tracing the Three Hares: A remarkable link between the West Country and Ancient China.

EVENTS IN MARCH Live or Online send your event details to info@marshwoodvale.com TH

BY FEBRUARY 14 .

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 13

February

EVENTS AND COURSES Speaker: Dr Tom Greeves 2.30pm Bridport Town Hall. Visitors welcome-£7.50 Company Gavin Robertson - Done to Death, By Jove!

Wootton Fitzpaine Village Hall on Thursday February 17th at 7.30pm Doors open at 7pm Tickets: £10 (U18:£5 Fam:£25) suitable for 12+ For information and tickets please contact 01297 560948 or book online at Artsreach.co.uk. Closed bottle bar and raffle. All proceeds to the upkeep of the hall. Please book early as tickets are limited due to Covid restrictions. Mask wearing, sanitisation, distancing and ventilation will be requested and encouraged to help keep everyone safe. Please do not attend if you are unwell or at risk of carrying Covid.

18 February

A Night with Tango Calor. For all ages. Norton Sub Hamdon Village Hall. Tango Calor will take you on a journey from the back streets of Buenos Aires to the salons of Paris. The trio has performed for tango milongas (dances) around the country and at festivals such as Womad and Glastonbury, and abroad. Indira Roman is one of the great singing stars of latin music. She is accompanied by Mirek Salmon one of only a few Bandoneon (Argentine concertina) in the UK. The instrument is the true sound of the tango and this show moves from high energy latin rythms to the heartbreaking songs of Carlos Gardel. Tickets; Available from the Village Shop, www.takeart.org, John Bailey (01935 881227) ( £10 adults; £5 children (under 15 - £5) Norton Sub Hamdon Village Hall, Recreation Ground, New Road, TA146SF. Contact John Bailey on 881227 with any queries.

No Time to Die 7.30pm Village Hall, The Causeway, Milborne St Andrew DT11 0JX Doors and bar open 7.00 Tickets cost £5, which includes a drink or an ice-cream.

HamstoneLive 2022 at the Norton Village Hall A Night with Tango Calor For all ages. Tango Calor will take you on a journey from the back streets of Buenos Aires to the salons of Paris.

The trio has performed for tango milongas (dances) around the country and at festivals such as Womad and Glastonbury, and abroad. Indira Roman is one of the great singing stars of latin music. She is accompanied by Mirek Salmon one of only a few Bandoneon( Argentine concertina) in the UK. The instrument is the true sound of the tango and this show moves from high energy Latin rythms to the heartbreaking songs of Carlos Gardel. Norton Sub Hamdon Village Hall, Recreation Ground, New Road, TA146SF Contact John Bailey 01935 881227 Tickets available at the Village Shop in 24 January 2022. Adults - £10; Children (under 15 - £5)

18 - 19 February

Classical Piano with Angela Brownridge Join us in Tincleton to hear her return to her favourite intimate venue. Tincleton Gallery, The Old School House, Tincleton, nr Dorchester, DT2 8QR Opening / performance times: doors open 19:30; concert starts 20:00 Admission fee: £15 Venue contact number: 01305 848 909. Website: http://www.tincletongallery.com

19 February

West Dorset Ramblers. Moderate 9 mile walk around the 14 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Beaminster countryside. Contact 07891 087195.

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7 mile walk from Maiden Newton. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Curry & Quiz night. South Perrott village hall. Doors open at 6.00pm with Dave’s famous quiz starting at 7pm. Teams of up to six persons. Cash prizes. Licensed Bar. Tickets £5.00 per person inc. curry. Bookings: Mike Gardner 01935 891669 or Dave McSkelly 01935 891891

19 - 20 February

Angels Of Sound Voice Playshop: learn the ‘out loud’ meditation practice of toning chakras using the Sacred Sanskrit vowels and find your Soul Note £70 OBORNE Village Hall from 10 am to 5pm at Oborne Village Hall bookings 0193538965ahiahel@live.com www.centreforpuresound.org.

20 February

Tea Dance and Modern Jive Ice Breaker class - 2-5pm St Mary’s Church Hall, Bridport. £7 per person - Tea and Cake provided! Due to Covid restrictions places must be booked in advance www.dynamic-dance.uk

21 February

Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £1.50 Contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancing.org.

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you enjoy music and dancing, gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, come along to the W.I Hall on Monday evenings -7.15 to 9.30pm.

All welcome, especially beginners. Tel:458165 or 459001.

Art History 6 wk course in Bridport, Romantic Moderns, British artists, John Nash, Gertrude Jeykll, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, John Hoyland, Wlhemina Barnes- Graham, Bernard Leach, Graham Sutherland, L.S. Lowry and Ben Nicholson. 2pm-3.30pm. Venue: United Church Hall, East Street. Fee £60. Tutor: Pam Simpson MA. Pam is an Associate Lecturer at London College of Fashion. (This course is also available on line on Fridays at 2pm.) To book please email: chris. pamsimpson@btinternet.com

22 February

Scottish Country Dancing every Tuesday at Ashill Village Hall TA19 9LX from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with hot drinks at the interval.

Come and join the fun. For more information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you soon. All welcome.

23 February

West Dorset Ramblers. A more strenuous 8 mile circular walk from Ringstead to Durdle Door. Contact 01460 62060.

Experiences of a WW2 Evacuee in Colyton presented by local footpath warden Hugh Westacott. Plus ‘Forty Four Fascinating Facts about Colyford’ presented by well known Colyford historian Colin Pady, who will also include a slide show of old photographs.

Colyton Town Hall, 7.30pm. £4 non-members, £2 members includes refreshments. For more info contact email: secretary@ colytonhistory.org Uplyme & Lyme Regis Horticultural Society. Talk - Glorious Trees, Sir Ghillean Prance FRS, VMH. 7.30pm, Uplyme Village Hall. Refreshments from 7pm. Members free; guests £3.

Smuggling and the Dorset Connection

24 February

West Dorset Ramblers. Moderate 8 mile walk taking in Thorncombe Beacon and Colmer’s Hill. Contact 01308 459875.

25 February Art History 6 wk course on line via Zoom, Romantic Moderns, British artists, John Nash, Gertrude Jeykll, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, John Hoyland, Wlhemina BarnesGraham, Bernard Leach, Graham Sutherland, L.S. Lowry and Ben Nicholson. 2pm. Fee £55. Tutor: Pam Simpson MA. Pam is an Associate Lecturer at London College of Fashion. To book please email: chris.pamsimpson@btinternet.com

26 February

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

Table Top Sale - Musbury Village Hall. 10 - 12.30. Anything goes, old and new items, bric a brac, also including home made cake stall, tombola. Refreshments including bacon buttys.

Profits to St Michaels Church Musbury. Table enquiries 01297 552440/552711 James Bond comes to Kilmington. KCC will be screening “No Time To Die” (12A)”). “Daniel Craig’s James Bond sendoff is extravagant, satisfying and moving”. You may have watched the DVD at home but come and see it on a big screen.

Pre-booking is advisable due to reduced seating. Matinee doors open at 1.30 with the film starting at 2pm. Evening Doors open 6, film starts at 6.30, tickets: £5 if booked in advance £5.50 on the door, children under 12 £3 must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments are available during the interval and there is a bar open at 6pm. Cash purchase only, no card facility. Tickets can be pre-booked by email: wattsjohn307@gmail.com, see www.kilmingtonvillage.com/other-organisations.html for more information.

27 February

Singing Bowl Soundbath: all you need to do is lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan singing bowl soundbath take you into the deeper brainwave states of the ‘relaxation response’ OBORNE Village Hall Sun 2-4pm bookings 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com www.centreforpuresound.org.

28 February

Slide from Trevor Ware’s talk at Beaminster Museum

SMUGGLING was endemic throughout Britain during the 17th and 18th Centuries. According to some historians it was the second largest industry in the country, second only to agriculture. Local Maritime Art Historian Trevor Ware will be talking about the ‘golden age’ of smuggling between 1750 and 1830 at Beaminster Museum in February.

Who in Dorset was involved and prosecuted and what penalties did they receive? Trevor will also explain the emergence of a properly organised and funded Revenue and Customs Service and how and why, the free traders (so called) gradually declined during this period.

Part of the Beaminster Museum Winter Talks series, this talk is to be an authoritative review of smuggling, from its reasons to some of its famous Dorset names such as Rattenbury and Gulliver.

Trevor Ware has been actively involved in the redevelopment of the LSI and West Bay Discovery Centre in Bridport. The talk is at 2.30pm. Entry £3.

Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB.

Scottish Dancing in All Saints, Near Axminster Evening of Scottish Dancing at All Saints Village Hall 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £1.50 Contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancing.org.

Modern Jive (Leroc) 6 Week Social Dance Course. 7:30pm, Chideock Village Hall. Come with or without a partner.

Beginners Welcome. £36 per person per course Due to Covid restrictions places must be booked in advance www.dynamicdance.uk Bridport Folk Dance Club If you enjoy music and dancing, gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, come along to the W.I Hall on Monday evenings -7.15 to 9.30pm.

All welcome, especially beginners. Tel:458165 or 459001.

Slide from Trevor Ware’s talk at Beaminster Museum

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 15

Past, Present and FUTURE Sophia Campbell talks to Seth Dellow

By Fergus Byrne

I

n this month’s audio interview with Seth Dellow, Sophia Campbell cites her mother’s influence as one of the reasons she has such a keen affinity with nature and the environment that surrounds her. She remembers that influence as a ‘beautiful foundation for my life experience and my childhood.’ One particular memory she shares is being late for school ‘because mum was pointing out all the raindrops on the top of the car and how they made this beautiful pattern.’ She describes her mother as a ‘general instigator of projects’ and the influence saw Sophia develop a natural flair for creativity. At the same time, being brought up in the countryside, ‘having adventures, and doing silly brave things’ also gave her the confidence to do things that were ‘different and a little bit scary.’

Today, that creative and environmental upbringing, along with profound life experiences, has forged a path to becoming a willow coffin maker. She has been creating beautiful natural things from willow for more than ten years and has produced coffins for the last three—recently winning an award in the Best Businesswoman Awards.

However, that wasn’t the original career path that Sophia had envisaged. After studying geography at university she had planned to go into a research position for wellbeing and human health. But that changed with the death of her mother. She had to process losing, what she explained to Seth, was her best friend, mentor, and mother, all in one person. She describes her mother’s death as a

16 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Sophia Campbell by Seth Dellow Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 17

‘foundational experience’ explaining, ‘my mum died in such in an amazingly integrated way, such a beautiful way, with community surrounding her. And she was just talking about her experience the whole time of dying. And it was just, you know, one of the best deaths, I think, that could happen.’

Afterward, Sophia traveled to Spain where she took long walks and eventually decided to study organic horticulture.

She ‘focused on environmentalism but from a kind of structural change, helping create more ecologically produced tasty organic food.’

But two life-changing events followed, which, as she put it, ‘threw my life up in the air’. Just after giving birth to her daughter, her sister died suddenly and tragically. It was an enormous shock.

Sophia had been using her work with willow as a kind of bereavement therapy after her mum’s death, but having experienced something she described as ‘beautiful and supportive and not fearful and traumatic’ followed by something that was tragic and shocking—not long after bringing new life into the world—she decided she wanted to work with death and the funeral sector. She sees it as having ‘such a powerful tinge to it’ and creating support for family and friends.

She did a short apprenticeship to be a coffin maker and says her passion for sustainability as well as ecological practices are very prominent within what she’s doing now, especially in terms of working with sustainably produced British willow as well as local materials. She donates a portion of her profits to the Woodland Trust and says she is ‘the only willow coffin maker in the UK to give money to charity from my profits.’

Sophia says that represents, and highlights, her integration of ‘death within life’. She points out that ‘you can’t have one without the other.’ From her perspective, with the right support, the right information and the right process, death is not something to fear. ‘And you can’t have life without death.’ She is also very keen on natural burial grounds which she describes as ‘spaces of biodiversity and beauty and wildflower meadows where death is the core of that.’ She hopes to set up a natural burial ground in the future.

Apart from the commercial element of weaving coffins, Sophia often experiences a relationship with clients on a level way beyond that experienced by most coffin makers.

People often share memories of the lives of their loved ones. Sophia says ‘I really love it when families share with me, as they often do when they’re placing an order.’ There are also times when people come and help weave the coffin themselves. ‘They share a bit about the person who has died, some memories, or sometimes songs they like. Or, you know, sometimes they’ll send me a photo. And so I have a little bit of an idea about the person, and I can have them in my eye when I’m weaving such a special object—you know, someone’s last resting place. It represents them physically in the funeral. It’s a really personal service to offer people.’

The weaving is a meditative activity: repeated motions and the touch of natural products offer calmness, tranquility, and time to process. It’s not something many people prepare for or expect to encounter. When families come and weave part of the lid with her they might share a cup of tea, and if they’re not so physically able they might just weave for an hour or so. ‘Or people come and weave the full coffin with

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me for three and a half days’ says Sophia ‘which is a really intense experience and a beautiful one.’ As well as being quite physically arduous it can also be quite emotionally taxing.

She says ‘the slow fabrication of a coffin, for someone that they so dearly love, is not something … it’s not an everyday experience.’

In her audio interview, Sophia also talks about the changes in our attitudes to death and the conversations that have become somehow taboo. She explains how before the Victorian era, death and funerals were very much homebased events. Bodies were prepared at home and it was all very family-oriented. ‘For good reason, in some senses, the creation of funeral parlours in the Victorian era meant that it was a slightly moved experience’ she says. She understands that for many that made it easier emotionally. People didn’t have to deal with the practicalities of their loved one’s

passing. However, she thinks that it is important ‘to be involved as much as it’s emotionally possible for the person in their bereavement.’

Whilst she sees many emotional and personal changes in the way funerals and death are experienced today, she is also looking at ways to ease the financial burden for those that would like a more environmentally sustainable experience.

She is developing the first flatpack willow coffin which enables families to preorder and store their coffin easily. It also enables one end of the coffin to fold down which, with a cardboard coffin liner, gives it the potential to be reused.

But she thinks it’s especially the attitudes to death that are changing, albeit slowly. She mentions the death cafes, and festivals, around death, dying, and grieving. ‘There’s a lot that we can learn from other cultures like in Mexico, the Day of the Dead’ she says. ‘In China, they have a big festival around

ancestors and around grief at the same time of year as Day of the Dead. I definitely feel like there is a convergent groundswell of people being more interested in sustainability in the funeral industry, and, well, maybe it’s more of a hope that I will see in my lifetime, governments stepping in to create more green legislation for the funeral industry to gear it to go in the direction around a low carbon footprint that we so desperately need. And I do feel like those things will converge. It’s a very interesting time to be a coffin maker.’

For more information or to contact Sophia visit www. wovenfarewell.co.uk.

Seth Dellow’s full interview with Sophia Campbell is available to listen to on the Marshwood Vale Magazine website.

Visit www.marshwoodvale.com.

News&Views

LYME REGIS The Lyme Lunge

Macmillan Cancer Support, Weldmar Hospicecare and Rotary Charities benefited from a terrific turnout at the annual ‘Lyme Lunge’ on New Year’s day this year. The Rotary Club of Lyme Regis were pleased to be able to go ahead despite many events having to be cancelled. It is estimated between 850 and 1000 swimmers in fancy dress took “the Plunge for the Lunge’ while thousands of spectators enjoyed the spectacle. Initial estimates put the collection in excess of £4000.

YETMINSTER Vote on Neighbourhood Plan

The Yetminster & Ryme Intrinseca community could have a Neighbourhood Plan if residents give it the go ahead. Following the successful examination of the Yetminster & Ryme Intrinseca Neighbourhood Plan, Dorset Council has agreed to enable the plan, as amended to proceed to referendum. Residents have to be registered to vote by 4 February 2022 to vote in this referendum which will take place on Tuesday 22 February 2022, with local residents going to the polls to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the proposals. The plan was drawn up by local people and agreed by their Parish Council. Questions can be emailed to: neighbourhoodplanning@dorsetcouncil.gov. uk

SEATON Erosion scheme moves forward A £900,000 scheme to slow the erosion of Seaton’s eroding cliffs has taken a major step forward, with hopes works could start in Autumn 2023. East Devon District Council recently announced that the Seaton Hole Beach Management Plan, already several years in the making, has been rubber stamped by the Environment Agency. The work, which will bring improved protection to 41 homes above the cliffs, will involve upgrading and extending the existing rock structures on the beach. The next step is to begin detailed design and further consultation to allow the project to be tendered.

20 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

BROADWINDSOR Securing a future for local pub

With support from Palmer’s Brewery to reopen the White Lion as a community run pub, locals have launched a bid to raise £30,000 to save what is the last remaining pub in the village. Locals in Broadwindsor have a good track record in successfully saving community assets after raising money to save the village shop which is now a great success. This time they are up against an imminent deadline of February 9th. To help save the White Lion donate at: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-the-whitelion-broadwindsor

WEST BAY Beach clean tribute

A whooping 115.2kg of waste was collected during a West Bay beach clean in January in a tribute to the late Simon Jordan who died suddenly in December. Simon was a well known and popular environmentalist who organised beach cleans and was founder of #5thingsclear, an initiative to help inspire people to stop the tide of plastic and litter.

Roy Beal (see Marshwood Feb 21) founder of the Clean Jurassic Coast group organised the West Bay clean and led tributes on the day. Mr Jordan’s monthly beach cleans will continue to take place at West Bay on the third Sunday of every month. Those wishing to help should meet at 10am outside the Watch House Café.

Tech Speak Laterally Speaking by Humphrey Walwyn

W

e are fast running out of words to describe New Technology and its rapidly expanding language.

This article is therefore the first of several attempts to try and help you (the reader) understand what some of today’s digital stuff really means. Or not. Here’s a brief lateral guide to some tech words with more than one meaning: Cloud is pretty much exactly what you think it is. You know what a cloud is, don’t you? It’s a large white fluffy thing in the sky. OK, so this is a digital cloud and you can’t actually see it but it’s absolutely crammed with gazillions of emails, spam, games, programs, text, photos and various electronic bits and bytes on your phone and on your computer. All that digital stuff that you’ve saved (whether you wanted to or not) over the last several weeks and years, from the photos of last summer’s rain-soaked quarantine holidays to pages in Word of Grandad’s memoirs and downloaded chocolate & cherry pudding recipes from Aunt Sarah (remember her?).

The reason why there’s so much stuff in the cloud, is that nobody ever wants to delete anything in case it might one day be useful. So, we just keep adding more and more. If in doubt, save it to your cloud! Then you can go through all those files over several damp Sunday afternoons and—quite possibly—you’ll still not throw any of them away. The cloud is huge and without limits. It could reside anywhere—in an air-conditioned vault near Yeovil or the basement of a former Indian restaurant in Taunton or even in a fridge in North Korea. Its location doesn’t really matter. The cloud is limitless and because it’s so large, you’ll find it hard to know how big it really is. Or who owns it. And it’s growing every day with all the World’s stored digital doodles. If you like having loads of old data stored in a cloud for safety or ‘in case I might need it one day’, then this is called “data hoarding”. I’m guilty! And I bet lots of you may be guilty of this too? iCloud is the word ‘cloud’ with a letter ‘i’ in front. The letter ‘i’ adds absolutely nothing to the product but it used to sound kinda new and super-cool like “iPhone” or “iPad” or even “BBC iPlayer”. You can also add the letter “i” to most other things like “iDog” (is this Dr Who’s K9?) or “iCar” or “iDinner”, but this is unlikely to make it run faster or taste any better.

Bandwidth is an indication of how much data your system can handle. It is literally the maximum volume of bits and bytes that your computer connection can receive/ transmit at any one moment. It’s not a bad idea to equate bandwidth with water in a pipe. The larger your pipe, the more water (bandwidth) that can flow through it. Bandwidth is measured in mega-bits per second or mbps. 10-25 mbps should be enough for the majority of your web browsing

and downloading of music and video. 50-100 mbps and above is pretty darn fast for rural bandwidth. Anything over 500 mbps is just boasting or showing off.

Bandwidth could also be the waist measurement of your favourite group’s lead singer. Neither Meatloaf nor Axl Rose were exactly skinny and Pavarotti might have sung a mean opera but I’m sure he also liked a good lunch. I would class all three singers as ‘’Heavyweight’. In computer speak this might be known as ‘Broadband’. Just kidding, well, mostly….

Back End This is not what you think it might be. The Front End of a project or a web site refers to all the bits you can see on screen and interact with. The Back End is the part of the website not normally visible to users (like the computer coding, the databases and all the squiggly programming) but it’s really important because it makes the whole thing work.

Cache is named after the French (cacher—to hide) and is a relatively small amount of data that is stored on your computer to make the browsing process faster. Cached data can be recalled immediately, although it still occupies space on your mobile phone or computer. I always thought it had something to do with money (cash), like rolls of twenty pound notes secretly tucked into your machine, but I latterly discovered this was too good to be true. Which is a shame as spare cash would have been a nice idea when looking at our current fuel bills…

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 21

How The Mighty Are Fallen

By Cecil Amor

B

etween leaving school and receiving pension I worked for four different companies, unconnected and of differing sizes, but all associated with engineering. I have recently realised that all have now virtually closed, but with one exception, sometime after I had left. The exception was the third, which was taken over by a very large group, with promises of bringing it up to date, money no object, only to eventually sell off all machinery and then the designs piecemeal, the result being that no employees had job continuity. Finally, our company had the freehold of the land and so the building was sold off profitably.

I was asked to stay on to the last, as Chief Engineer, to see that design details were complete and sent off to their purchasers. (Almost alone in a deserted factory!).

On leaving school I became an Engineering Apprentice for five years with the Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company at Chippenham, Wiltshire, hoping to become an electrical engineer.

In retrospect Westinghouse was an excellent choice, as we spent some time in most departments of the firm, including the foundry, machine shop, transformer manufacturing, various assembly shops and electrical testing. Good all round engineering. My stint in the foundry was straight from school and so was rather heavy going. I had a period in the Drawing Office, for the Signal Office, but initially that was full so I had to intrude on the Brake Drawing Office, under its Chief Draughtsman, ‘Ossie’ Nock. He expected his office to be like an old library, and there was another apprentice who came to my drawing board to talk and laugh loudly, causing ‘Ossie’ to come along and whisper ‘Boys, please be quiet in the office’. Nock was a prolific writer of books about railways, illustrated, which were well received.

The name Westinghouse came from an American, George Westinghouse, who invented an air brake for railways. He tried to introduce it to Britain, forming the Westinghouse Brake Co., eventually at Kings Cross, London, but Britain already had a different system, the vacuum brake. In due course, George Westinghouse returned to America and eventually the UK company became British owned. In 1894 a new company, Evans O’Donnell & Co. was formed, to produce railway signals and purchased The Foundry in Chippenham and built some workshops there.

From the company title, obviously brakes and signals were produced, and also almost anything for a railway, for examples, point machines, brake compressors (steam operated), ticket machines (e.g. for the Underground), etc. I can remember a token machine (the token allowed the train to proceed) for Indian railways, originally designed by a Westinghouse subsidiary.

Westinghouse at Chippenham grew to employ about 3,300 men and women by 1952. One of my early surprises was to see the gates open at lunch time to be filled with men on bicycles going home to their nearby homes for a meal, cycling and covering the road in a hoard.

From time to time the company had hard times and even after the war workers still referred to a lean period before the war when a large contract from Poland for braking equipment for its freight vehicles was signed in 1934. Apparently staff salaries had been cut by 10% previously and were then restored. The contract was almost finished

by September 1939, but the German invasion meant that final payments could not be completed. When I joined the company, from a small village, I was amazed at some of the workshops which seemed huge, with heavy work on the ground floor and a second floor for lighter assembly work with interconnecting passages, capable 22 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

of carrying motorised trucks. I learned later that these modern workshops were built to facilitate the Polish contract.

After the war Westinghouse commenced paying a Christmas bonus of two weeks additional pay, which came to be expected until one year before 1950, when it was announced that owing to a poor order book it could not be paid that Christmas. Naturally workers were relying on it and the local press was full of comments from shopkeepers, who were then expecting a lean time.

Some years later a colleague and I attended a talk about buying shares. A few days later it was announced that Westinghouse shares had fallen to about 3/4 below par, and we both bought a small number of shares. I held them for many years. There were a number of periods of poor results, another being in 1961 when British Railways terminated a large contract for brake cylinders, resulting in a loss of over £1,200,000 for the year 1963. This brought a takeover bid from Thorn Electrical, but a court action against BR by Westinghouse was eventually won in 1964 and Dr Beeching, then Chairman of British Railways, presented a cheque for £1,650,000 to Westinghouse.

The Thorn takeover then failed. However, British Rail orders were often variable in the post war period, as also were overseas orders for railway equipment.

After the war the rectifier business increased substantially. A large battery charging installation was built at the Faraday Building in the City of London, for the GPO, completed in 1951. When my apprenticeship ended I joined the Rectifier Engineering Department (my choice) in 1950 and just missed the Faraday contract.

In 1955 Westinghouse acquired Douglas (Kingswood) which was then producing the Vespa Scooter, under licence from Italy. Douglas, under Westinghouse, commenced making air brakes for road vehicles, and another ex apprentice and school friend, Brian Neal, became its Chief Draughtsman.

I left Westinghouse in 1965 for company no. 2, so that later developments are not within my personal knowledge. However, I have referred to a book, A Hundred Years of Speed with Safety, the progress of Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. Ltd, 1881 - 1981, by O S Nock, earlier mentioned as ‘Ossie’. He eventually became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the company.

In 1979 Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. was acquired by the Hawker Siddeley Group. I had earlier omitted to mention the numerous subsidiary companies of Westinghouse, but at this acquisition there were four subsidiaries and two associated UK companies, together with subsidiary Co. in Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and USA and an associated Co. in South Africa. Many of these had existed since early days.

The Chippenham site gradually ceased working and largely became empty. As an ex apprentice and employee it is a sad memory. One or two off shoots of the old business in brakes and signals carried on, probably as small design houses, with manufacture subcontracted.

So ended the first company I worked for, and the other three also ended in somewhat similar fashion. ‘How the mighty are fallen’ indeed.

Bridport History Society meets again on Zoom on 8th February at 2 for 2.30 pm when the subject will be “A Century of Ceramics” about Torquay Pottery, by Andy Violet. Details from Jane Ferentzi-Shepard.

Cecil Amor, Hon. President, Bridport History Society.

Future hedgerows AS part of a campaign by DorsetCAN Land Use Team, 300 metres of native hedging was planted up along Grange Lane just outside Hedge planting, Broadwindsor Photo: Suzie Barker. Broadwindsor by volunteers from Broadwindsor, Drimpton, Burstock and Beaminster.

The weather was kind and with much diligence and friendly banter, 1,500 tree whips were planted in one day—a remarkable achievement. This visionary campaign aims to plant, extend and join up hedgerows, copses and woodlands across Dorset to create a regenerative wildlife corridor. Farmer Tim Frampton provided the saplings and Angela Frampton for organised all-day long refreshments and provided everyone with fish & chips for lunch.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 23

Mahonia

A shrub for winter colour and so much more, says Philip Strange

I

f, like me, you enjoy looking at flowers, then winter can be a pretty dismal time. The plants that give colour to the autumn such as asters and sedums have long since faded and there’s a gap of several weeks before the winter flowers, snowdrops, aconites and pulmonaria show their faces. It hasn’t helped this winter that the December weather, although very mild, brought many overcast days.

Ceilings of thick grey cloud hung overhead, keeping light levels low and draining the landscape of colour so that I yearned for some brightness.

But there is help at hand in the form of winter flowering shrubs and plants which bring welcome colour to the gloom. These include winter honeysuckle and winter flowering heathers but my favourite is mahonia with its starbursts of lemon-yellow flowers and its spiky evergreen leaves. Mahonia works hard, flowering from November with some varieties continuing to bloom well into the New Year. A large stand of the shrub is a fine sight in winter, sometimes as much as three metres in height, covered with multiple plumes of flowers reaching upwards above sprays of spiky mid green holly-like leaves. Even on the darkest winter day, the yellow flowers light up their surroundings like banks of fluorescent tubes and should the sun shine, both flowers and leaves glow in reply. As an added bonus, stands of mahonia are often enveloped in a cloud of sweet fragrance said to resemble lily of the valley, a rare

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experience in these low months. If all that wasn’t enough, as the flowers mature, they produce attractive blue-black berries dusted with a white bloom.

Mahonia was first discovered during the Lewis and Clark expedition sent to explore the newly acquired north western territory of the United States during the early years of the 19th century. The shrub was found growing extensively between the Rockies and the Pacific Ocean. The prominent Irish/American nurseryman Bernard McMahon based in Philadelphia was responsible for propagating the seeds and plants brought back from the expedition and mahonia was named in recognition of his work. Mahonia is also referred to as Oregon grape after the resemblance of its berries to the vine fruit and the part of the US where the shrub was first seen.

The native US shrub was imported into the UK in the 19th century and different varieties were also found in Asia at about the same time. These and their hybrids are now very popular in this country contributing architectural interest to gardens as well as winter colour.

They are often planted around the edges of car parks and outside buildings where their potential size can be readily accommodated.

It’s not just humans, though, who take pleasure from mahonia in winter. Both insects and birds relish the profusion of flowers and berries on the shrub. The long

Bumblebee queen on mahonia

Close up view of mahonia flowers showing the ring of stamens

Red admiral butterfly on mahonia

Unripe mahonia berries alongside flowers

arching racemes thrown upwards by mahonia are densely packed with small flowers, each shaped like an upturned bell and formed from concentric rings of petals and sepals. The flowers are rich sources of pollen and nectar providing important forage for insects on mild winter days and, as the insects feed, they contribute to pollination.

Among the insects visiting mahonia in winter, bumblebees are regular foragers in the south of the UK and I have seen both workers and queens even in late December, sometimes liberally dusted with yellow pollen. Honeybees and hoverflies will also venture out to feed on milder winter days and they may occasionally be joined by red admiral butterflies. It’s fascinating to watch bumblebees working the flowers, moving systematically along a raceme, dislodging yellow petals which fall to decorate nearby leaves and create a yellow “snow” on pavements below. Birds such as blackcaps and blue tits also take sugar-rich nectar from mahonia flowers. When they visit, they may pick up pollen on their beaks contributing to pollination.

The flowers have a special mechanism for increasing the efficiency of pollination by visiting insects and birds. In each flower, the pollen-loaded stamens are arranged in a ring just inside the petals. Stimulating the flower, as would happen if a pollinator visits, causes the stamens to move inwards increasing the likelihood that the pollinator will pick up pollen to transfer to the next flower. Pollination

leads to formation of the berries, each about the size of a blackcurrant which start green and mature to blue-black with a white bloom. The berries provide winter food for birds later in the season and blackcaps, blackbirds and song thrushes may be seen feeding.

Although mahonia was a new discovery for colonists in the US in the early 19th century, the native American tribes of the north west were already familiar with its properties.

Some ate the berries, either raw or cooked and some used preparations of the shrub for medicinal purposes. Yellow dyes derived from the plant were also used by the tribes for colouring fabrics and basketry. Preparations of mahonia have been employed in traditional Chinese medicine over many years and are used by some contemporary herbalists but rigorous scientific studies of their effects have not been performed.

It is interesting to reflect on how mahonia, a shrub native to parts of the US and Asia, has successfully travelled to the UK where not only does it brighten our winters but it also supports wildlife across this low season.

Philip Strange is Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Reading. He writes about science and about nature with a particular focus on how science fits in to society. His work may be read at http://philipstrange.wordpress.com/

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 25

House&Garden

Vegetables in February

By Ashley Wheeler

W

e have been lucky with the weather during January—with some beautiful cold, crisp, blue skied conditions that make growing vegetables an absolute pleasure during the winter. I often find the idea of winter vegetable growing as quite daunting—trying to get around the garden with clay soil sticking to my boots, picking salad leaves that have been frozen in the polytunnels, stressing about whether it will ever be dry enough to plant spring crops - that sort of thing. However, there is nothing better than working in the market garden during the winter when it’s not too wet. We don’t have the pressure that we experience in the summer, we can take things more slowly, reflect on the year gone by and get excited about the year ahead. By February, the days are now getting longer, the birds are busier and there is the hope and promise of spring on the horizon. We start sowing summer polytunnel crops by the end of February (we used to sow tomatoes in the middle of February, but we have found it makes very little difference to production if we sow them a few weeks later—the beginning of March is usually good). Sowing seed brings so much hope, so when we begin again this month it brings another lift to this time of year. Most sowing can wait until March if you do not have any polytunnel or glasshouse space, but we have a lot of polytunnels and want to make the most out of this space by growing lots of early sown crops as well as the main summer crops like tomatoes and peppers.

Something new that we will be focusing on this year is lots of undersowings of autumn crops with green manures.

This is something we tried a bit last year, and we have learnt lots from it and have seen great benefits of having beds and paths covered with plants, and the roots of these stabilising the soil and providing a continual source of food for soil life.

The improvement to drainage is massive. Our field is heavy clay and difficult to deal with in the winter. The rain puddles in pathways and drains really slowly, however, with green manures rooting into pathways, or with woodchip paths (which we do on one area of the garden), the water drains so much quicker, allowing us to walk along the paths without causing as much smearing/compaction which would lead to further drainage problems. We sowed a mix of black oats, phacelia and linseed throughout August, either straight over crops that were growing in the beds, but would be finished by late autumn—like lettuce, herbs, fennel and chicory or we would clear summer crops like courgettes and early beets by the end of august or early September and then sow the same mix into bare soil. With the oversowing, we found that after spreading the seed onto the soil (just by broadcasting it by hand) we would hoe around the crops and this would bury the seed lightly, this would then germinate in the warmth of the late summer/early autumn soil and put on a lot of growth before winter. This winter it continued to slowly grow and some of it was over a foot tall by the end of last year, as it was such a mild late autumn/early winter. We have been strimming or flail

26 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Much of the garden was sown with green manures in late summer and early autumn which has provided soil life with a continual source of food

mowing these green manures on beds that we will be planting up during March and early April. We have then covered these beds with black plastic to kill of these green manures as well as any weeds and crop residue. We will pull the plastic off a few days before we plant the beds and rake them out, they are then ready for planting. For beds that we do not need to plant up until mid April or later we will mow or strim at the beginning of March and do the same. By March, the soil will be a little warmer and soil life will start to be more active and so the green manures will break down quicker than through January and February. Leaving these living plants in the soil for as long as possible will maintain the best conditions for soil life, which will then thrive and benefit the next crop, and improve the soil for future plantings.

These techniques are at the heart of organic vegetable growing, and the longer we grow veg, the more we understand about our soils, and more we see the benefits of really focusing on systems that work to build good soil health.

WHAT TO SOW THIS MONTH: If you have a heated propagator in a naturally well lit place: peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, beetroot, shallots, spring onions, spring cabbage, salad leaves (see above). If you do not have a heated propagator, best leave sowing until March.

WHAT TO PLANT THIS MONTH: OUTSIDE: Wait until next month!

INSIDE: Most of the indoor space should have been planted up with overwintering leaves, herbs, and early crops like spring onions, early garlic and peas.

OTHER IMPORTANT TASKS THIS MONTH: If the weather dries, continue preparing beds for the spring by mulching with a little compost and covering with black plastic if you are planning on planting them in Spring. Wash any polytunnel or glasshouse to make sure maximum levels of light are getting through to the crops. Try to finish off any “winter jobs” this month before sowing, bed preparation, planting and weeding begins to take over!

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 27

February in the Garden

By Russell Jordan

T

here is a danger that what I write to cover gardening tasks this month won’t be any different to what I suggested last month—that’s ‘the nature of the beast’ when it comes to getting on with gardening during the winter months.

Traditionally, February is cited as the month when you risk life and limb, clambering up a ladder, to shorten all the flowering shoots of wisteria back to just a few buds.

Like rose pruning, I can’t really see why this task cannot be tackled at any point during the winter when the plant is leafless and dormant. There is a slight risk that if you do it too early, in a lethally cold winter, then the pruned stems may die back even further and you lose all the flowering buds. Doing it too late only defeats the object of doing it at all; namely that the plant will have already expended energy on every flower bud and culling the extra ones too late wastes those resources.

I mentioned snowdrops last month because they are generally the first of the spring bulbs to pop up. This month the palette of early flowering bulbs expands greatly and includes Crocus tommasinianus which can begin flowering in January, when naturalised, in short grass, on a south facing aspect, but which will be in full force by February. Similarly early are Iris histrioides (various named varieties and selections) and winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis), although I find the latter to be more difficult to establish as they prefer ‘woodland floor’ conditions rather than ‘standard’ garden soil.

An often overlooked bulb, perhaps because it has slightly rank foliage, is Ipheion uniflorum. This is one of those slight oddities that produces leaves as soon as the summer is over, with cool, wet, conditions following the warm, dry, summer months, and which then sends up occasional flowers from that point on. In a sheltered spot, such as in pots against a sunny wall, it can flower all winter but, more typically, it will

28 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

produce the majority of its blooms in February and March.

Similarly overlooked are the squills (mostly Scilla species but formerly Chionodoxa and, confusingly, the hybrid x Chionoscilla !). I have a soft-spot for these cheerful little chaps which look best in large drifts and which will happily seed around to pop up all over the place if allowed. Grape hyacinths (Muscari species with multiple synonyms) tend to be slightly frowned upon in polite gardens because they are a little too ‘easy’ and a little too keen to seed around. As with any, pleasingly promiscuous, self-seeder, they are not difficult to weed out where their presence is not required and, like squills, they are relatively diminutive.

Early daffodils, Narcissus species and varieties, are also usefully diminutive and, unlike the later, more robust types, appear, flower and disappear again without too much fuss.

Named varieties like ‘February Gold’, ‘Tête-à-tête’, ‘Jack Snipe’ and ‘Jetfire’ are suited to beds and borders while their species ancestors, such as Narcissus lobularis and Narcissus pseudonarcissus, are more suited to naturalising, in as large a drift as you can afford, in lawns and meadows.

With all these spring bulbs emerging there is a certain urgency to mulching any beds which haven’t yet had this done. With a move towards a more ‘new perennial’ style of gardening, where a greater proportion of herbaceous perennials have stems with winter interest, borders are no longer cut down to bare earth in the autumn and left naked all winter. This makes the timing of when to add a mulch, a humus rich covering of something like garden compost or well-rotted manure, a bit tricky. Herbaceous perennials will soon be back into growth so cutting down their last remnants and mulching now is a good compromise. It’s not good practise to trample all over flowerbeds if they are very wet, or the ground is frozen, so, as with so much when it comes to gardening, the weather will probably dictate when you actually manage to get the job done.

One of the best reasons for leaving mulching until just before the herbaceous perennials start back into growth is that it means that you can also fork in a sprinkling of ‘fish, blood and bone’ (my favoured organic fertiliser) and weed out any unwanted imposters while you go along. You can’t add nitrogenous fertilisers in the autumn, or the depths of winter, because the winter rains will wash away any goodness before your border plants become active enough to make use of the added nutrients. A few inches of weed-free, organic, mulch on top of the prepared soil will lock in soil moisture, during the growing season, and help to suppress weed growth into the bargain. Other tasks will become apparent, as you add the mulch, and that’s why it’s a pleasing job to be doing at this time of year. I tend to prune the roses as I go along and clear the underskirts of any shrubby specimens which are threatening to shade out their herbaceous bedfellows.

Getting a head start with a few propagating tasks, under cover, is always a good idea. Slow growing annuals can be sown, towards the end of the month, if you can provide them with supplementary heat and a light position. Otherwise a timely tidy-up and stock take, in readiness for the main seed sowing, makes sense. If we have days which are unseasonally warm and sunny then opening up and airing the greenhouse, or coldframes, is a good idea especially if you have a lot of overwintering tender perennials in residence. Too much heat at this time of year can promote them into premature growth which then dies if / when the temperature plunges again. Good air flow and ventilation, on sunny days, not only helps to keep things cool but also removes excessive moisture which otherwise causes rot and fungal attack.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 29

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Love at first Site!

By Helen Fisher

BRIDPORT £325,000

A 2 bedroom mid-terrace period cottage with double glazing and conservatory. Sitting room and kitchen/dining room both with open fireplaces & wood-burning stoves. Approached off a minor road leading to parking area. Store shed and a level shared, grassed and wooded area. Panoramic views across open countryside to Colmers Hill.

Kennedys Tel: 01308 427329

BRIDPORT £1,100,000

Imaginatively restored Regency period Old Vicarage. 7 bedrooms. Characterful features: flagstone & timber flooring, oak staircase, stained glass, window shutters, fireplaces & cellar. Self-contained attic suite with kitchenette & shower.

Set back from the road with part-walled west facing mature gardens & original outbuildings. Summer office with pergola, croquet lawn & ample parking.

Knight Frank Tel: 01935 810062

COLYFORD £345,000

ASKERSWELL £1,100,000

A picture perfect Grade II listed thatched cottage with 2 double bedrooms. Multi-paned sash windows and open fireplaces in the 2 reception rooms. Spacious hallway, country cottage style kitchen.

Walled courtyard garden. Completely private with a detached outbuilding. All set in the heart of the village with no onward chain.

Gordon and Rumsby Tel: 01297 553768

A beautiful 7 bedroom period home, dating back to 1850 - yet not listed. Characterful features inc: flagstone floors, historic bread oven and open fireplaces. An exceptional, spacious kitchen/ breakfast room plus home office, music room and cinema room.

Also a separate studio and store. Mature west facing garden with summer house. Double garage and ample parking.

Stags Tel: 01308 428000

LYME REGIS £995,000

BURTON BRADSTOCK £800,000

A substantial 6 bedroom family home in an elevated position with distant sea views just a short walk from the town centre and beach.

Currently used as a B&B, with spacious owners accommodation. The successful business could be continued or the whole house reinstated into a family home. Driveway for multiple vehicles and seating area. Plus fully enclosed rear garden with patio, backing onto the Woodland trust.

Goadsby Tel: 01308 420000

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A classic double fronted Georgian period property, refurbished to a high standard to create a gorgeous family home. Not listed, yet within the Conservation Area. Detached with 5 bedrooms and UPVC double glazing and conservatory. Garden with mature fruit trees, timber shed, double garage plus additional parking. A short walk to the village and beach.

Symonds and Sampson Tel: 01308 422092

South West’s first green hydrogen production facility completed

T

he hydrogen economy in the South West has taken a huge step forward with the completion of a £6.5 million funding package that will enable Dorset-based Canford Renewable Energy Ltd to deliver its Dorset Green H2 facility, the first of its kind in the region.

Unlike many other hydrogen projects which may use fossil fuels to produce the fuel, the Dorset Green H2 facility will use only renewable energy generated by on-site solar and landfill gases to make green hydrogen, a clean, zero-emission fuel.

The site, previously used for landfill, has been used to generate electricity by harnessing naturally occurring methane gases from landfill since 1996. This legacy will be continued through this exciting Dorset Green H2 project.

Green hydrogen power will play an important role in moving polluting, energy-intensive industries and heavy transport such as shipping, HGV lorries and trains, away from fossil fuels. It is recognised by the government as an emission-free fuel for use in vehicles, homes and much more.

Producing only water vapour and oxygen as by-products, green hydrogen is a central part of the UK government’s plan to reach net zero.

Published in August 2021, the UK Hydrogen Strategy states an ambition to have a world-leading hydrogen economy and identifies hydrogen as having the potential to provide a third of the UK’s energy in the future.

Housing Minister, Eddie Hughes, Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities said: ‘I am delighted to see

Hydrogen storage facility

funding go towards such a positive development in the South West, a real catalyst for a green hydrogen economy in Dorset.

It is a priority of this Government to level up opportunities and create a greener, more sustainable future’.

The facility at Canford Resource Park, Poole, is expected to be operational later this year and is being funded via £3 million from Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)’s Growing Places Fund loan scheme, a £1.5 million grant from Low Carbon Dorset, a £1.7 million loan from NatWest and equity funding from Canford Renewable Energy.

For further information on this project visit: www.dorsetlep. co.uk/dorset-net-zero.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 31

Food&Dining

RED CABBAGE AND JUNIPER HASH INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• •

1.

• • •

LESLEY WATERS

• • •

2 teaspoons olive oil 225g red cabbage, cored & very, very finely sliced 2 large coxes apples cored and finely chopped 100g dried berries & cherries mixed or dried cranberries 1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (syrupy one please) 300mls vegetable stock Freshly ground black pepper Serves 4

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Heat the olive oil in a large shallow pan.

2. Add all the ingredients except the stock and balsamic vinegar.

3. Stir fry over a high heat for 2 minutes add the stock and cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes or until the red cabbage is just tender.

4. Uncover the pan, add the balsamic and stir through and serve with the sausage and mash.

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RUBY SALAD This is a great winter or autumn salad using a good mixture of red leaves and whatever other suitable red ingredients you can get your hands on, you can even pop some halved red grapes in it if you wish.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

•

1. Whisk the vinegar and oil together and season to taste.

2. Remove the skins from the onions, cut them into 6 wedges each and pull the natural layers apart.

3. Toss all of the ingredients together with the dressing and season.

• •

MARK HIX

•

• • •

3-4 good handfuls of red salad leaves such as treviso, radicchio, ruby chard, red endive, red amaranth, etc 2 medium beetroots, cooked, peeled and cut into wedges 20 seedless black grapes, halved 2 large red onions, baked in a moderate oven in their skins for 45 minutes For the dressing 2tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar 5tbsp rapeseed oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves 4

34 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Art, Vintage lighting, Furniture and ‘Kitchenalia’ to take away at Mark Hix’s Pop Up in Lyme Regis

A treasure trove of artworks at Hix’s restaurant in Lyme Regis

D

espite the loss of so much in the pandemic, Mark Hix’s entrepreneurial spirit is undiminished. After losing his restaurant empire when the company was closed down due to the impact of coronavirus, Mark opened a wet fish stall in the back of a truck next to Felicity’s Farm Shop in Morecombelake. He followed that by buying back a lease on the Oyster & Fish Shop in Lyme Regis and reopening the popular restaurant, and then took on a lease at the Fox Inn at Corscombe. Now he has opened the Hix Art Pop-Up at The Oyster & Fish House where he is selling British artwork, vintage furniture and ‘kitchenalia’.

Mark’s name is synonymous with food and art so it’s perhaps no surprise to see him making his eclectic collection available. While The Oyster & Fish House is closed on a Monday and Tuesday until the half term, he has decided to bring collections of art, vintage lighting, furniture and ‘kitchenalia’ to the restaurant for customers to purchase.

From meat skewers and silver cocktail shakers, retro glassware to copper fish kettles, there is something available for everyone’s budget. Pre-pandemic Hix would support up-coming British artists with shows at his HIX ART Gallery in Shoreditch. Two years later he has decided to

rehang items from the collection in Lyme Regis before taking the collections on the road. Shows are scheduled for later in the year at The Malthouse, Lyme Regis and Kudu, in London. The dates will be announced this spring.

‘I’ve always been a keen art collector and as such felt it important to support new British artists. As the restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in the winter, I felt it was a great opportunity to open a Pop Up to showcase and sell some of this fantastic artwork’ said Mark.

HIX ART Pop Up will be open Mondays and Tuesdays in January and February 10.30am-2.30pm from 24th January 2022 The Oyster & Fish House Cobb Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3JP T: 01297 446910 Instagram @ markehix www.theoysterandfishhouse.co.uk/hix-art-2

Mark’s collection is vast and varied and now available to buy

Devon Shanty men coming to Lyme Regis DEVON shanty men, The Chantry Buoys, begin the first of an informal series of free monthly events at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, on Thursday 10th February at 7:3pm.

The Chantry Buoys sing traditional sea shanties and other well-known songs. Join them alongside special guests in the upstairs bar that overlooks the sea. It will be a fun singalong with local drinks, old seafaring melodies, and maritime frolics.

Based in Colyton, they have performed at many Sea Shanty festivals, including Falmouth and Teignmouth. They recently sang on Lyme’s Marine Parade, to close Lifeboat week.

Sea shanties were work songs, set to a rhythm for working, to reduce the monotony of undertaking repetitive tasks aboard ship. But they were also foc’sle songs, which were storytelling verses to be listened to at leisure, to remind sailors of home and these helped to keep alive traditions and record local events and people.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 35

Arts&Entertainment

36 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Wild West

DORSET

The concept of Rewilding has been written about in the many thousands of words. But how easy is it to visualize? Dr Sam Rose, former CEO of the Jurassic Coast Trust has been talking to Fergus Byrne about his new exhibition.

I

N A SHORT BLOG PIECE about of the same name and now a book, and leaving his job as CEO of the Jurassic is also helping to establish a rewilding Coast Trust, Dr Sam Rose admitted that charity in West Dorset. many people saw it as the best job in ‘I think now that the measure of being the world. And it probably was. But as in a role I really like has become how he went on to explain, ‘the best job in much I get out in the countryside with the world is the one in which you feel my wellies on—and the fact that I need that you can be your true self, happy, new wellies is a good indicator that things confident and relaxed, whether that is are going well.’ a CEO, gardener, carer, Prime Minister Photography is something that Sam has (hah!) or train driver.’ always loved. Whether with a point and It was a statement that will have struck click Olympus film instamatic back in the a chord with many, especially after the last 1980s, a pinhole camera, Digital SLRs or Dr Sam Rose by Paul Wenham-Clarke a high tech drone, he has always taken two years where a rethink of priorities has seen many people take a leap into the pictures. He says: ‘The simple act of unknown. Sam described the change as ‘daunting’ and a capturing a scene, person, place or action on film or digital little bit terrifying but also ‘very liberating.’ Thankfully, for is both easy and difficult at the same time; easy to do, him it wasn’t quite the unknown. Two particular interests difficult to get right!’ He describes it as an amazing feeling were about to combine and help him present something he to make an image ‘that not just feels right to me, but most had developed a great passion for. importantly, is loved by the viewer.’

He decided to go back to university ‘after a mere About 10 years ago Sam decided to take photography a 23 years’, and enrolled as a part-time MA student bit more seriously, doing a couple of short evening courses in Commercial Photography at the Arts University at the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), then making, Bournemouth. Now, combining his love of photography and occasionally selling landscape photos. He has also and his interest in ‘rewilding’ he is launching his first worked with Yeovil Hospital Charity and done work for exhibition at the university in February. It is said to be the display in the hospital, including photographing some of UK’s first photography exhibition exploring the concept of our finest paralympic athletes from the 2016 Olympics. So rewilding. when he decided to move away from his day job in 2019, Rewilding is taking the UK by storm. The 2019 he applied for the Masters in Commercial Photography at bestselling book Wilding by Isabella Tree has raised public AUB and was accepted onto it, leading to what he describes awareness of the idea, as has a storyline on The Archers. Sir as ‘the steepest learning curve of probably the last 20 years, David Attenborough is a supporter of rewilding and even but a fabulous experience and opportunity.’

Ed Sheeran says that he plans to rewild as much of the UK The gallery is hosting a range of more than 40 images, as he can! including the animals that are the ‘ecosystem engineers’ Despite the publicity and soundbites, many people and make rewilding happen, the people who choose to are not sure about what rewilding really means, and this rewild, and the landscapes that result from rewilding. It exhibition intends to ‘unwrap’ the concept and help people also includes some drone photography of some areas being to find out more; and encourage them to get involved rewilded, and a range of fine-art black and white images themselves. that explore the ‘messiness’ and uncertainty that surrounds But what was it that drew him to rewilding? He is a rewilding. Sam will also set out a couple of surprise exhibits geographer, and his PhD was all about Tropical Forest as part of the display.

Biodiversity, which then led on to managing biodiversity Tim Smit, founder of the Eden Project and the first research projects in South America. ‘So by then, nature person Sam interviewed for this project says: ‘This and biodiversity and wilderness areas were firmly in my exhibition is quite simply marvellous. Sam Rose has a DNA’ he explained. ‘However, careers are funny things and highly unusual gift... his camera becomes an extension I spent a little time away from the subject in International of himself revealing landscapes, wildlife and people as if Development, and then returned to nature conservation— you are inside his head and that his head is playing host but geodiversity, not biodiversity—in managing the Jurassic to a wormhole of thousands of years of experiences, Coast World Heritage Site for 15 years.’ rather than simply a question of framing, light and ‘In 2019, I decided that I needed to move on from that, mathematics. He has a painterly eye and you are left with and so started the Photography MA part time. As part of a sense that he is revealing something more than what is that, I had to choose a major project, and I had just started immediately visible.’ to read Issy Tree’s book, Wilding, in which I was utterly The exhibition is gratefully supported in part by Heal absorbed, and it was just a lightbulb moment—I should do Rewilding and the Fine Family Foundation, and created in my project on rewilding.’ collaboration with the Arts University Bournemouth and He considers it as probably ‘one of the best professional Bournemouth University. It will be on show until March decisions I have ever made, as it has drawn me back into 31st in Poole House, the main entrance to the University’s nature, taught me more than I ever thought possible, and Talbot campus. allowed me to meet, photograph and interview some amazing and inspiring people, and spend time with the Images clockwise from top left: Dorset Dead tree -a source of life. Ecosystem Engineer at camera in some really amazing places.’

Wild Ken Hill. Hannah and Jan from Heal—Rewilding pioneers. Waterhole at Knepp He has created a website whatifyoujustleaveit.info, a podcast and English Longhorn self-grooming. Previous page: Wild West Dorset, Mapperton.

38 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 39

February GALLERIES

1 - 26 February

Ann Evans/ Ken Evans exhibiting both prints and originals painted in the lesser known medium of egg emulsion. Quirky, fun and mysterious thought provoking paintings. Sadly Ken is deceased but the power of his paintings live on and Ann is enthusiastic about his artwork still being appreciated. Viewing daily from 8.30 - 4pm at Unique Framecraft, Units 4 - 5 Millwey Rise Workshops, Second Avenue, Axminster. EX13 5HH. Telephone 01297 631614 or 07801 260259. Instagram: @uniqueframecraft.

1 - 28 February

Kit Glaisyer: Cinematic Landscape Paintings an evolving exhibition of West Country landscapes with a range of works on show in gallery and studio. Open Weds & Sat 11-3pm. Bridport Contemporary Gallery, 11 Downes Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JR. 07983 465789 www.bridportcontemporary.com @ bridportcontemporary

5 February - 5 March

Attic Stories Michael Taylor The Art Stable, Kelly Ross Fine Art. Having lived and worked in Child Okeford for over 30 years, I am particularly delighted to be having this exhibition at The Art Stable, having known Kelly since she opened the gallery in 2006. All but one of the works in the show were created in my attic studio just a few hundred yards away, and it features in most of them, along with the objects and people familiar to me. I became so accustomed to this wonderful space with its warped elm floor and quirky beamed walls that it developed into a kind of visual shorthand for me: a language I could manipulate instinctively and expressively for the compositions that evolved in it. After work it was wonderful to be able to walk out on to the nearby Hambledon Hill, whose high perspectives and ancient landscape acted as a perfect counterpoint to the slightly claustrophobic intensity of the attic. Coinciding as it does with my 70th birthday, and being situated in the heart of this lovely area, The Art Stable is an especially appropriate venue for this, my first gallery show outside central London for over 30 years. Open Thursday

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- Friday, 10am - 3pm, or by appointment. The Art Stable Child Okeford Blandford Dorset DT11 8HB.

Until 27 February

‘A Show of Love’: Designer Makers selected open. Sou’-Sou’West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury Estate, Bridport DT6 6HG. Open daily 10:30-4:30. Free admission & parking. Contact 01308 301326 www.sousouwest.co.uk.

Steve Dixon Political Pottery (1993 - 2000) Ceramic artist and professor Steve Dixon is also a satirist, writer, lecturer and curator. He is known mainly for his use of dark narrative and for using “illustrated ceramics pots as an unlikely platform for social commentary and political discontent.” From Renaissance paintings and British politics to pop culture, Dixon draws on a variety of sources to “challenge the status quo and inspire new ways of thinking.” Dixon tends to create busy, complex ceramics pieces, each with an intriguing message. Steve’s work features in numerous public and private collections, including the Museum of Arts & Design, New York; the Victoria and Albert Museum; the British Council; the Crafts Council; the Royal Museum of Scotland and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Please contact the gallery to discuss further options on 0207 437 5545 and enquiries@messumslondon. com. Messums Wiltshire, Place Farm, Court St, Tisbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6LW

Until 5 March 2022

Mikhail Karikis multi-venue exhibition Children of Unquiet & Sea Women: Two immersive film installations by international artist Mikhail Karikis. The works share the experience of two very different communities: fisherwomen on Jeju island, Korea, and children from Devil’s Valley, Tuscany. Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10-5. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell Street, Honiton EX14 1LX, 01404 45006 www.thelmahulbert.com / Ocean, Queen’s Drive, Exmouth EX8 2AY www.oceanexmouth.co.uk Radiance Paintings by Rachel Fenner ARCA and Alfred Stockham ARCA RWA, Prints by Martyn Brewster and Sally McLaren RE,

Furniture by Petter Southall. Radiance brings together prints and paintings by four exceptional artists with the fabulous furniture of Petter Southall. Inspired by the natural world of coast and countryside, ancient woodlands, rolling hills, sunshine and sea these are works of art to light us through the dark months at the beginning of the year. Sladers Yard Gallery and Café Sladers, West Bay Road, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL +44 (0)1308 459511

depth inquiry into the polemics of human relations, dissecting and reassembling the world around her spanning diverse mediums and modes of display. Now in her 90s, this comprehensive survey speaks to her radical introspection as a woman and an artist, presenting life as it is and the repetitive patterns of our existence. Tue – Sun, 10 am – 4 pm. Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL

Until 6 March

Until 26 June

An Artist’s Journey: Paintings by Dianne Mary Alice This Dorset-based artist is inspired by images and and forms from the natural world and experiments with all mediums in an impressionistic style. Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge Street, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Wed-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm, www. lymeregismuseum.co.uk.

Talking Heads, an exhibition of clay sculptures inspired by Elisabeth Frink, will open on 2nd December 2021 at Dorset Museum. The heads are on display in the Alice Ellen Cooper Dean Community Space, and the exhibition is free to en-ter. They are displayed in a recreation of the artists’ workspace, on turntables where visitors can explore them through touch. A film of the project and quotes from the participants will accompany the display. Dorset Museum, High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA

Ray Balkwill’s The River’s Voice is a celebratory exhibition of painting the Exe Estuary for over four decades. Ray Balkwill was born in Exeter and graduated from Exeter College of Art in the late 60s. He returned to Exeter in the late 70s to work in advertising giving up his job as an Art Director to paint professionally in 1990.

Since then he has lived and worked in Exmouth for over forty years, mainly capturing the many moods of the river. The exhibition will also feature some of his Mixed Media Assemblages from material washed up on its foreshore. The Cafe at RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter, EX4 3RX. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm. Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays. Admission free and all work is for sale. rammuseum.org.uk. raybalkwill.co.uk.

Until 19 March

The Blackdown Hills: A Photographic Portrait by Pauline Rook A photographic exhibition documenting two decades of farming life on the Blackdown Hills.

Somerset-based photographer Pauline Rook has photographed this hidden landscape for almost 20 years.

Over this period she has explored hundreds of miles of country lanes and paths, getting to know the individuals, countryside and buildings that make up the distinctive landscape of the Blackdowns. Includes a selection of Pauline’s most recent work which has been captured using an infrared sensitive camera. Open 10.00 am – 5.00 pm Tuesday – Saturday, booking advised. Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DB 01458 831197 Charge: Normal admission applies/FREE for Museum Unlimited pass holders SRLM.ORG.UK

Until 2 May

Ida Applebroog. Right Up To Now. Over the past six decades Ida Applebroog has navigated an in-

GALLERIES IN MARCH Live or Online send your gallery details to info@marshwoodvale.com

BY FEBRUARY 14TH.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 41

February PREVIEW

Frozen Light create theatre for adults with profound learning disabilities.

Theatre is for everyone

DORCHESTER FROZEN Light specialises in making sensory theatre for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

The company is bringing its new show, 2065, a futuristic sensory extravaganza, to Dorchester Arts at the Corn Exchange on 14th and 15th February with performances at 11am and 1.30.

The year is 2065; the people are stifled under an oppressive regime made up of all-powerful corporations.

In this, Frozen Light’s fifth production, the audience follows a group of rebels who live outside the system and believe things can change for the better. How can they remind people of a time when things were different?, when they hoped not only to survive but to thrive? Can they bring music back to a city where it is needed more than ever?

The company’s work has been widely praised. The Stage said: “The way the show is so carefully tailored to the audience’s needs provides a vital reminder that theatre can accommodate everyone.”

42 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Science, stories and snow

DORCHESTER WELCOME to the Seldomberg Science Fair. In the snowy town of Seldomberg, test tubes bubble, experiments explode and new inventions whirr for the Science Academy’s final exams which will be taken at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Sunday 20th February at 3pm, and at Exeter Phoenix arts centre on Thursday 24th.

Faina’s got a problem… her project has unexpectedly burst into flames! Desperate to pass her finals, Faina sets off on a perilous expedition to find the legendary Snow Beast.

She and her owl assistant Maude encounter extraordinary spectacles and mountainous obstacles as they battle through the wild, wintry wilderness in search of the truth.

Can you help Faina and Maude overcome the scientific puzzles along the way? Does the Snow Beast even exist?

This show, an energetic mix of storytelling, original music, puppetry and interactive science experiments, is a collaboration between critically acclaimed theatre company Scratchworks and award-winning writer Jack Dean. It was originally developed in association with the Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.

Innovative quartet

TOURING A QUARTET of young musicians, who are building a strong reputation for their adventurous programming of new music, are the musicians for Concerts in the West’s February series, starting at Bridport Arts Centre for a coffee concert at 11.30am on Friday 4th.

The programme is a typically intriguing mix of contemporary and classical, with works by Beethoven and Bartok and a new work, Sunrise, which draws on pieces by Purcell, Ivor Gurney and Cassandra Miller and traditional tunes.

The Solem Quartet, violinists Amy Tress and William Newell, Stephen Upshaw, viola, and Stephanie Tress, cello, will be at Ilminster Arts Centre that evening at 7.30pm, and at Crewkerne Dance House on Saturday 5th at 7.30. The final concert is at St Laurence Church at Upwey on Sunday 6th at 3pm.

Winners of a 2020 award from the Jerwood Arts Live Work Fund, the Solem Quartet is renowned for collaborating with contemporary composers including Anna Meredith, Colin Matthews and Thomas Ades. They recently gave the UK premiere of Jonny Greenwood’s suite from There Will Be Blood.

Their busy concert schedule ranges from international tours in Asia and Europe to performances at London’s Wigmore and Queen Elizabeth Halls, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Oxford’s Holywell Music Room. Their Solem Lates concept to present classical music in a fresh way, reaching broader audiences, has included bringing music for quartet and electronics to nightclubs around the UK, performing Bartók’s 3rd Quartet from memory, and collaborating with Picturehouse Cinemas to create a live score for Yorgos Lanthimos’ film The Lobster.

At Bridport, the quartet will be playing Beethoven’s Quartet No 14 in C sharp minor and Sunrise. At Ilminster, Crewkerne and Upwey, the programme will also include Bartok’s Quartet No 1.

Beauty and the beast

WEST STAFFORD AND DRIMPTON THE Devil’s Violin return to Dorset from 18th to 20th February with The Beast in Me, a powerful evening of stories and music imagining a world where the lines separating humanity and animals have blurred, in which dark forests contain refuge as well as danger, and where blood is not always thicker than water.

The show, at the village halls at West Stafford and Drimpton on Friday 18th and Sunday 20th, is a clever tapestry of stories from long ago, exploring our perception of beauty and the value of kindness.

A desperate soldier strikes a deal with a mysterious stranger ... two magicians engage in a thrilling battle ... meet a creature that is neither human nor animal.

Epic narratives are evocatively brought to life by master storyteller, Daniel Morden, and musical accompaniment from virtuoso musicians Sarah Moody (cello) and Oliver Wilson-Dickson (violin). Expect a charming and chilling winter evening’s entertainment.

The Devil’s Violin will also be at Child Okeford village hall on Saturday 19th; all performances start at 7.30pm.

Suzy Bennett by Steve Ullathorne

Welcome back Suzy Bennett

LYME REGIS ONE of the area’s most popular comedians, Suzy Bennett makes a welcome return to headline Lyme Regis Comedy Club at the Marine Theatre on Friday 4th February at 8pm.

Originally from Devon, ex-Butlins Redcoat Suzy is a comedy dynamo, and winner of the Funny Women Awards. She has been delighting audiences since “accidentally” reaching the finals of Jimmy Carr’s Comedy Idol on her first gig, and being asked to support him on his Gag Reflex tour.

Support comes from Leroy Brito and Christian RussellPollock, and Bridport’s Tom Glover returns as the resident compere.

A regular on the UK comedy circuit, Leroy Brito has had three sell-out solo shows at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff and is a star of the BBC One sitcom Tourist Trap.

With 23 letters and a hyphen, Christian Russell-Pollock is technically one of the biggest names in comedy! Lauded as “a stand out stand up” by Taking the Mic, Christian is an award winning performer who has been entertaining audiences across the country since his debut in 2016.

Ali Baba and the (4)2 thieves

BRIDPORT IT takes a lot of stage and a warehouse full of costumes, not to mention 40 very big jars, if you are going to tell the Arabian Nights story of Ali Baba faithfully. Alternatively, you work with what you’ve got ... as Bridport Pantomime Players are doing for this year’s panto at the Electric Palace from 2nd to 5th February.

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is one of the best known of the 1001 tales, and this promises to be a properly colourful and exciting production, with Cameron Love making his debut with the Players in the title role.

Ali Baba’s true love is Princess Haya (Justine Gawen), daughter of the royal Sultan (Teresa Grinter) and the even more royal Sultana (Amy Carlile).

Ali’s mum, Dame Barbara Baba, will be played with gusto

by Greg Horton, while Amy Day is his cheeky brother Cassim. Ross Hughes is the villain, the evil Vizier.

Sadly costumes were in short supply for 40 thieves and there wouldn’t have been enough stage space, so the

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 43

thieves were whittled down to just two—39 and 40—ably undertaken by Jess Goldstone and Hatti Amos.

Helping to thwart the Vizier and his evil plans is Morgiana (Alice Tuck), the princess’s devoted handmaiden, and it all happens under the kindly eye of the Spirit of the Sands, played by panto newcomer Kwant Gardner.

Of course, none of the adventures would be possible without the help of Colin the Camel who keeps everyone and everything in order without putting one of his four feet wrong. Stepping out in the front half is Olivia Grinter (the rear half is a tad shy about being known as the back end of a camel).

Warming up the blues

BRIDPORT LAURENCE Jones, hailed as “the future of the blues” by Classic Rock magazine, is coming to Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday 19th February for a warm-up gig before his new tour, featuring his latest album, The Laurence Jones Band.

Renowned as one of the country’s most talented blues guitarists, Laurence Jones has developed a reputation for coruscating riffs and catchy songs.

He has supported some of the biggest names on the blues and rock scene, including Sir Van Morrison, Sir Ringo Starr, Status Quo, Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck and has played at some of the most prestigious venues in the world including the Royal Albert Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Spinning comedy gold

DORCHESTER WIZARD improv quartet The Noise Next Door comes to Dorchester Corn Exchange on Saturday 25th February at 8pm with a new show, In Charge.

The four performers dazzled local audiences last spring with their ability to spin audience suggestions into comedy gold. Now they’re charging back with a brand new show to baffle and delight.

The quickest wits in comedy are putting you, the audience, in charge in brilliant and bombastic new ways.

Join comedy’s unstoppable force for an evening like no other.

The Noise Next Door are 12-time sell-out veterans of the Edinburgh Fringe and have appeared on BBC One, ITV1, BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 and alongside comedy megastars including Michael McIntyre, Katherine Ryan, Romesh Ranganathan and Harry Hill.

Overground with Police Dog Hogan

EXMOUTH AND DORCHESTER POLICE Dog Hogan, the seven-piece Americana band which includes Guardian columnist Tim Dowling, is back on the road after the long Covid lockdowns with a new album, Overground, and a tour including a first visit to Exmouth Pavilion on Friday 11th February.

The tour’s other local dates are 10th February at St George’s, Bristol, and 12th at Dorchester Corn Exchange.

Their trademark brand of country and Americana-tinged rock, incorporating raucous cacophonies and melancholic tributes, is guaranteed to lift your spirits. The songs range from wistful and poetic to foot-stomping tales of doomed barbecues and falling in love on a Tennessee highway.

44 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Police Dog Hogan coming to Exmouth Pavilion as well as Dorchester

Along with a new album, Police Dog Hogan also have a new drummer, Alistair Hamer, joining James Studholme on guitar, and vocals, Eddie Bishop on fiddle and mandolin, Tim Dowling on banjo and steel guitar, Emily Norris on trumpet, Shahen Galichian on accordion and piano, and Don Bowenon bass.

Police Dog Hogan are a high-energy and eclectic sevenpiece, combining fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bass, drums and guitars with four-part harmonies in a mix of country, pop, folk, and rocking urban bluegrass.

James Studholme was born and raised in Devon and is happy to be back on the road and performing in his home county. He says: “To have the seven-headed joy machine that is Police Dog Hogan back out on the road again is just fantastic. This will be the first time we have played in Exmouth but the Devon music scene is our home territory so we are looking forward to meeting many old friends and making new ones.

“We really missed the interaction, connection and energy that comes from being in front of an audience. It’s great to be back playing live with songs both old and new, refreshed and supercharged!”

Klezmer trio on tour

VILLAGES LOSHN, one of the country’s leading klezmer bands, comes to Dorset in February for three dates with Artsreach, at Broadwindsor’s Comrades Hall on Friday 4th, Buckland Newton village hall on Saturday 5th and Shillingstone’s Portman Hall on Sunday 6th.

Loshn are a klezmer trio exploring the traditional music of Ashkenazi Jewish culture. Their intimate chamber music style arrangements speak, sing and dance with the tradition’s distinct Yiddish accent and vocabulary.

Collectively bringing together more than 30 years of experience, the members of Loshn are an exciting collaboration between fiddle player Anna Lowenstein, clarinetist John McNaughton and accordionist Susi Evans

The classic detective genre gets a comic makeover from Company Gavin Robertson.

(known for her work with She’koykh and the London Klezmer Quartet).

Once Upon a Time in Pantoland

HONITON Honiton Community Theatre Company returns to the town’s Beehive Centre from Tuesday 22nd to Saturday 26th February,with a magical, original family pantomime.

Once Upon a Time in Pantoland is a new story featuring all your favourite pantomime characters as they battle the forces of evil to save the Spirit of Pantoland.

Dame Tallulah Tickle runs the local joke shop with her children Tommy and Tilly. But when the Spirit of Pantoland gets kidnapped by the nasty witch Mouldywart, not even the Tickles can get the citizens of Pantoland laughing.

Can PC Pete and his trusty police dog Baxter help the Tickles save the day? Will a visit to the Fairy Grandmother give them the answers they seek? Will the characters of Pantoland ever get their happy ever laughter?

The show is written by Alex Jackson and directed by Katie Haywood. Performances are at 7pm with a Saturday matinee at 2pm.

Who did it and where are they?

VILLAGES COMPANY Gavin Robertson have a neat send-up of the classic detective genre in their new show, Done to Death, By Jove!, on a short Artsreach tour from 17th to 19th February.

Holmes and Watson meet Poirot and Miss Marple— not to mention a selection of the usual suspects—in this spoof homage, at Wootton Fitzpaine village hall on Thursday 17th, Marnhull on Friday 18th and Corfe Castle on Saturday 19th. Who murdered Lady Fanshawe? Why is Matron Maudesly so friendly with one of the guests at the Clinic of Hopes and Cures? Why have the sound cues got mixed up?

A cast of six set about bringing a group of suspects and sleuths together to discover whodunnit, and how… except four of the actors are stuck in the van by the side of the motorway, and only those two knights of the theatre, Sir Gavin and Sir Nicholas, have managed to get to the venue.

But the show must go on!

Expect a whirlwind of costume changes and misdirected acting hiccups in a show where even the set’s gone missing!

GPW

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YOUNG LIT FIX IN FEBRUARY PICTURE BOOK You Can’t Count on Dinosaurs!

An Almost Counting Book

by Philip Ardagh and Illustrated

by Elissa Elwick Published by Walker Books RRP £7.99 REVIEW BY Antonia Squire Everybody knows how counting books go—one, two, three, four—all the way up to Ten. But poor Philip Ardagh is having a terrible time getting his dinosaurs to behave.

One is Rex (this might be where he went wrong—Rex has very big teeth and very small arms). Two is Patty (a very large dinosaur with a long neck and long tale). Three is Brian (so small and cute). Four is—Oh No! Rex ate Brian—we’re back to two. Ok, fine, moving on—Three is Steggy and then we have Four, Five and—No Rex—don’t eat Steggy. It’s OK Steggy, you’re fine. Six, Seven, Eight…

The real question for this amazing counting book is how many dinosaurs will it take for us to have 10 dinosaurs?

Silly, funny and perfect for all dinosaur lovers—I even bet your little ones will be able to name all the types of Dinosaurs when they meet Rex and Friends!

MIDDLE GRADE The Last Bear

By Hannah Gold and Illustrated

by Levi Pinfold Published by Harper Collins RRP £7.99 REVIEW BY Nicky Mathewson APRIL Wood is 11 years old and she has a deep affinity with animals which she does not have with humans. She doesn’t like school, mainly because she has no friends, and spends most of her time in her back garden watching a family of urban foxes. Her mother died when she was 4 and she lives with her father who is a scientist; researching weather patterns and spending most of his time working.

It is because of his research that the two of them find themselves travelling to Bear Island in the Arctic circle to assess how global warming is affecting the ice caps in the region. Part of an archipelago called Svalbard, Bear Island used to be home to polar bears and April is hugely disappointed to learn that they no longer live there. With the ice caps melting, they can no longer reach the island.

Oh well, at least 6 months on an uninhabited island with her dad will mean they can spend time together, have adventures together, reconnect. However, her father has to monitor the weather station constantly and doesn’t recognise his daughter’s need and desire to spend time with him.

Disappointed, April decides to explore the island alone and after hours of walking hears a strange guttural sound, definitely an animal, possibly in distress, and much to her

surprise and delight, there is a polar bear in the distance.

He is thin and scruffy, clearly in trouble somehow. When April gets a clear view she sees that the bear is injured; one of his paws is swollen and tightly bound with plastic and fishing net.

Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life...

The Last Bear is like a warm embrace on a cold evening.

With stunning illustrations by Levi Pinfold, it completely enveloped me. It made me smile and it made me cry.

Hannah Gold has treated us with an unforgettable story which is very timely and shows us that no matter how small, we can all make a difference.

I loved it!!

TEEN Loveless by Alice Oseman Published by Harper Collins RRP £7.99 REVIEW BY Nicky Mathewson LOVELESS takes us on a profound and turbulent journey into adulthood and self-discovery. Alice Oseman peels back the facade of fitting in, to reveal to the reader that our true identity can sometimes surprise us.

Georgia Warr and her best friends; Pip and Jason, are off to Durham University and are feeling a mixture of emotions about what to expect.

Georgia is a dreamer, she loves romance, from Disney to fanfiction, the idea of love and romance fills her mind daily. However, she feels a void in her life, she doesn’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend and she has never kissed anyone (which apparently is weird to most other people). Georgia thinks she wants to, but the right person just hasn’t come along, and when the opportunity arises for her to kiss Tommy, who is very cute, she can’t go through with it.

After a series of badly misjudged attempts to find love, Georgia takes some bad advice and seriously jeopardizes her friendships. Fortunately, she stumbles upon the Pride Society and in doing so questions her own sexuality. Georgia discovers that she is aromantic asexual and is terrified about what that will mean for her future happiness. Coming out is painful, and she needs her friends, can grand gestures repair what she has broken? Can she accept who she really is and can platonic love be enough?

Oh my goodness! This book kept me up all night and had tears streaming down my cheeks. I was feeling everything that Georgia was going through and I found it such an important read that I really wanted to share it with everyone. Loveless is bursting with real people, amazing friendships and so much love. It’s thoughtful and moving and eye opening for anyone of any gender or sexual orientation.

Simply fabulous!

Suitable for 15+ Contains explicit content.

10% off for Marshwood Vale readers at The Bookshop on South Street, Bridport. 01308 422964 www.dorsetbooks.com 46 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

Screen Time with Nic Jeune

Jim Broadbent in The Duke

CINEMA Plaza Cinema Dorchester The Duke In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old Leeds taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. He sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly.

“Roger Michell’s warm take on the true story of how Kempton Bunton acquired the National Gallery’s new Goya features a glorious performance by Jim Broadbent” The Guardian. Xan Brooks.

This is the last film from Roger Michell who died last year. A noted theatre and film director his films were always well received from the commercial success of Notting Hill to the critical success of Venus, Enduring Love or The Mother.

Odeon Cinema Dorchester Death on The Nile Kenneth Branagh clearly enjoys directing Agatha Christie and playing the detective Poirot. This time he has pulled together a cast featuring Gal Gadot, Kenneth Branagh, Letitia Wright, Annette Bening, Sophie Okonedo, Russell Brand, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders and the location of the Upper Nile is in fact Longcross Studios in Surrey.

“We did visit real Egypt, but we also recreated the Temple of Abu Simbel to its 150-ft height. We built an absolutely enormous Karnak Nile steamer. We built a massive water tank for it to sit in and float in, so we could have real water, a real boat, real people, and occasionally, in England, real sunshine.”

Kenneth Branagh.

Netflix Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) With the Supreme Court ruling this year on Roe v Wade and Abortion to be a key issue in the mid-term elections, this is an excellent film to follow this from a human level.

“Yes, it’s a searing examination of the current state of this country’s finicky abortion laws and the medical professionals tasked with enforcing them (from the small-minded to the big-hearted), and if art can have any impact on its consumers, the film will stick with many of its viewers, perhaps even changing long-held beliefs. But it’s also a singular look at what it means to be a teenage girl today, and with all the joy and pain that comes with it.”

Indiewire. Kate Erbland.

Amazon Encounter (2021) Second feature film for British director Michael Pearce (Beast) is an intriguing mix of sci-fi and a moving portrayal of trauma from Riz Ahmed.

“Encounter has a whole lot of heart and takes a sensitive approach to PTSD that is underscored by a cultural tension that comes to a head in its high-octane, action-packed final act.” Time Out. King Richard (2021) The story of the childhood of two tennis superstars dominated by father Richard and his master plan for tennis world domination.

“As stirring and heart-warming as you’d like, this is a hugely touching family opus. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it’s straight from the heart and gets you in the gut.” Empire. Alex Godfrey.

Being the Ricardos (2021) I love Lucy regularly pulled in an audience of over 50 million viewers, so it was big news in 1953 when the stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were accused of being communists. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing, Molly’s Game) the film has charismatic performances from Nicole Kidman and Javier Barden as the married couple fighting for their survival.

“I’ve always had my reservations about Sorkin as a director. His scripts tend to be better than his final products. Those druthers started to fade with the moving ‘Trial of the Chicago 7’ and are now completely gone after ‘Being the Ricardos’. His vision of ‘50s TV production is spot-on — nostalgic, quick, boozy, but without the glamor of Hollywood movie-making.”

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 47

Health&Environment Could you open your home and your heart to someone in need of support?

D

o you have room in your home and in your heart to help someone live their best life? Join the growing community of self-employed Shared Lives Carers in Dorset who work from home by sharing their lives with people who need care and support.

Meet David and Wendy. David and his wife Wendy live in West Dorset. David is retired from his role as a company director and Wendy is a care worker. They have been Shared Lives Carers for over 15 years and currently support Audrey, 84, who lives with them full time.

“We’ve been part of Shared Lives since the scheme began in Dorset.” says David. “Wendy has worked in the care sector virtually all her working life and, when I retired, I wanted to be more involved in care. We felt it was a great way we could work together.”

The couple have gone from strength to strength and have supported seven people in total as part of the Shared Lives scheme. David and Wendy have chosen to offer long term placements and some respite opportunities, but the role is highly flexible and carers can choose to support someone on a short-term basis or provide day support.

David and Wendy undertook the necessary training to become Shared Lives carers, including courses on how to safely support someone, administer medication, and deliver first aid.

“We’re professional in what we do,” says David. “All the things that you would expect of someone working in a care home, we have to be able to do too.” He adds: “The process of becoming a carer is thorough but the Shared Lives Team offer lots of support and guidance. Becky, our

Shared Lives officer, was so helpful and she guided us through every step of the way.”

The element that distinguishes Shared Lives from other kinds of care says David is “family life”.

“Audrey is treated as part of the family.

There’s no invitation that comes through our door - weddings, parties, barbeques, you name it - that doesn’t have her name on it!”

“She comes with us to family occasions and in the local community, and amongst our friends, Audrey is widely accepted as part of our family. And that’s key to what Shared Lives is all about, you’re helping people to live as near normal life as they can, as part of the community.”

David believes the flexibility of the role and the fact it is home based could suit a range Carers David and Wendy of people of all ages and backgrounds: “You could be a stay at home parent with young children so rather than travelling to work, you might find looking after someone in your own home fits in better with your family life.”

He adds: “You could be someone who has retired, like me, but would still enjoy the companionship that looking after someone can bring. The beauty of Shared Lives is that you can work in your own space at your own pace!”

Shared Lives Carers work by sharing their home and family life with someone aged 16+ who needs care and support. You don’t need to have formal experience of care work as full training is provided. Shared Lives Carers receive payment for every placement and the role can fit around your family and other commitments, including another job.

To find out more about Shared Lives call 01305 221393 or go to www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/shared-lives

Positive Progress from Bridport Climate Programs OVER 40 local organisations attended two Climate Forums in Bridport in late 2021, including Rotary, WI, and the Chamber of Commerce. The Mayor, Ian Bark, who opened both meetings, commented, “To say the responses were positive would be putting it mildly, with many of those present coming up with innovative ideas. The end result was much food for thought and a determination to turn the words and ideas into positive actions at the earliest opportunity.” The aim was to explore how to involve more local households in climate change responses, and how voluntary organisations can help with this.

There was a strong consensus from both meetings about the big opportunity to increase local awareness and practical action about climate change. A small team are now planning to launch a Bridport Climate Response in spring 2022. One of the team, Jane Smallman, said, “We want to create a one-stop shop for advice on how people can

48 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

minimise waste, reduce their costs, and help the community.

We aim to offer free workshops and create a new website, so that all the local projects and information resources are easily found in one place.” Another important aim arising from the Forums is to give young people a voice in what happens locally about climate change, and help them to share their views with the community.

Seeding our Future is a local environmental group who were lead organisers for the Forums, and are coordinating work on the Bridport Climate Response: see more at www. seedingourfuture.org.uk . They are looking for volunteer helpers, contacts with young people, and community groups who would like to be involved: please contact them at bridportclimateresponse@gmail.com. Please also use this email if you would like to receive occasional free email updates on progress. You can also see more at the new Facebook page for Bridport Climate Response.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 49

Services&Classified SITUATIONS VACANT Housing charity in Chard seeks independent examiner for charity commission return of accounts. Ring Tony 01460 65144 or email a.prior@btinternet.com

FOR SALE Ladies Poncho – New, Beige/cream, Cowl collar with button detail, Wool mix. £20. 01308 458955.

Exceptional Wall Mirror, size: 47ins x 54ins in a plain frame and with a boarded and jointed back. Would enhance any space. £210.

Tel: 01395 487554 Lovely Art Deco style quality Table Lamp Wire Binding Machine, AL-KO KHS3700 ACCO Rexel WB605 Electric Log splitter £50 with a coloured capiz shell shade in excellent A4 binding machine Tel: 01297 32465. condition, size: 22ins including a range Dualit cordless high x 13ins wide. £110. of covers. Free Tel: coffee percolator, with Tel: 01395 487554 07770720373 instruction booklet.

Sony Bravia TV, Excellent condition. Cost Fisher Price Play Family School House 26” with remote and £70, sell £20. 01395 Set with Clock and instruction book, HD 576952. ready LCD. Great picture Cat Mate C20 automatic bell, complete with all accessories including and condition from pet feeder with two play people, desks, smoke free house. Have compartments. Boxed, chairs, magnetic letters upgraded to a larger full with instructions. Used smart TV so surplus. once. £15. 01395 576952. and numbers, chalk board etc, playground Been used with wall Ladies Ridgeback mounting (used for new MXK bicycle 18” wheels equipment including roundabout, swings, TV) and misplaced the 3 gears 8 speed. Front slide, etc, plus also a table stand in a house and rear reflectors, rear nursery set with push move - hence only £40 light. Handlebar mirror, chair, high chair, play (wall bracket around leather saddle. Rear pen, rocking horse, etc. £7 - £10) 01300 341637 saddle bag, front basket (Cerne Abbas) - free (removable). Tyre pump VGC. £50. Tel: 01395 487554. local delivery if required. and cable lock included Slat Back Farmhouse Hanging bird table £50 Tel: 01297 23113.

Cottage Kitchen Dining suspended by chain, size Stressless recliner Chairs, solid wood, very approx. 15inches long 9 chair by ekornes in fine good condition, lovely inches wide x 15 inches leather. Cost £1000. examples - £120 only for high, can supply photo, Requires arms and six chairs. Tel: 07776 135 buyer collects £20. part seat recovering.

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01297 22603. £55. Weymouth 01305 Guitars Yamaha Hot point Dishwasher. 833523.

Pacific RL Vintage White. Standard size.

7 Foot Artificial White Electric £145.

Nearly new. Buyer Christmas Tree (green) Also black Street Bass collects. £150 ovno.

Free to collect from Electric £130. Both good DT11SG. Tel 01305 Uploders Tel: 01308 condition. 07800 524409.

267465 or 07398 760637. 485453.

50 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

FOR SALE

RESTORATION

Hay £3.50 Haylage £5.00 Straw £2.75 Free local delivery 07970 288272

FURNITURE. Antique Restoration and Bespoke Furniture.

Furniture large and small carefully restored and new commissions undertaken. City and Guilds qualified.

Experienced local family firm. Phil Meadley 01297 560335

Plain black graduation gown with mortar board hat - am downsizing so some memories need to go! £20. Contact 01460 30932 - can deliver?

Vintage cast iron dog grate, rust free, simple design standing on four legs 23cm high.

Width 81 cm x depth 43 cm. Lovely for large fireplace/inglenook. £55.00. Can deliver if within £15 miles. Circular pedestal pine table, 90cm diameter, painted and waxed in Farrow and Ball colour ‘Stony Ground’. £80. contact 01460 30932 (Thorncombe).

Three sliding wardrobe doors, smoked mirror glass - approx 220cm high by 102cm wide each.

Free to collector. 01297 552813.

Large Elm Plank. Very large Elm waney edge plank for sale. Thickness 5cm, length 212 cm, width approx 50cm.

Originally from Skye this large plank with some burr sections is ideal for a bar or table top. Not often seen for sale at this size, this has been naturally seasoned for some 15 years and just needs sanding. £300.

Please call 07479 474392 and leave a message.

Fossil Mammoth Tusk.

This is a UK fossil found by me in Kent.

Properly stabilised and complete with a stand, this rare 50+ cm section of tusk came from an old gravel quarry and is approximately 15-20,000 years old. £600 Please call 07479474392 and leave a message.

Mar 22

PEST CONTROL Three Counties Pest Control. Friendly, professional service.

Pest problems? Call us on 07484 677457 www.3cpestcontrol.co.uk Apr 22

FOR SALE Free! Mantis 4 stroke Tiller. Needs service.

Ring Tony on 01460 65144.

Quality 19th Century mahogany provincial made waterfall bookcase, adjustable shelves to the top, lockable base drawer.

52”H, 25.5”W, 10”D (max). Photo available. £375. Tel: 01935 426197/07967 140478.

Hover Mower Husqvarna GX 560.

Purchased July 2020 for £549. Lightly used. Save £300. £249. Tel. 07939 135062.

New Tongue and groove tantalised timber hen coop, outside nest box, suitable 5-10 hens. £250.

01297 552683.

Table top cooker new, never used, 2 white bedside cabinets with drawers. Free (buyer collects) 01935 434239.

Sea Fishing Tackle 5 multi plier reels, 3 fixed spool reels, 2 rods, loads of end tackle, weights, bargain £50. 07876 550056.

ELECTRICAL

WANTED

CHIMNEY SWEEP

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

Apr 22

Secondhand tools wanted. All trades.

Users & Antiques.

G & E C Dawson.

01297 23826. www. secondhandtools.co.uk. sept 21

Dave buys all types of tools 01935 428975

FOR SALE

waterproof, breathable.

Performance fabric, never worn, dark grey, Medals, badges as new, A bargain at and militaria. Tim £30ono. 01308 423620.

Pitcher 07715 490229.

Trolley Jack 2 tone thefrontline@btinternet.

Hilka in case £25. com. Fair prices paid.

Pr caravan towing mirrors Maxaview Mirror Pyramid £15.

Coins wanted. Part Caravan nose weight or full collections £5. Crewkerne 07891 purchased for cash.

705598.

Please phone John on Primrose 2 metre wie 01460 62109 striped awning installed but never used. Full Too much clutter in your Loft, shed, cassette including all Garage, barn. I buy fittings. Cost £750. Now job-lots of vintage items. £250. Please phone 07875677897 01308 423620 or 078056 22201 Bridport to view.

Hot water dispenser FOR SALE 3.5 litre, ideal for club Tumble dryer White groups. Used twice Knight, good as new, only in new condition used twice, space needed, boxed ‘Neostar’. Fully £40. 01460 220635. automatic £30ono.

Primrose full cassette Genuine reason for sale. striped awning, 2 metre 01308 423620 or 078056 wide used twice, still 22201. under warranty, cost Saddle GP Ideal. 17 £700 now £250. 01308 ½” excellent condition.

423620.

Brown leather, stirrups Moulinex Masterchef and leathers, also cob 450 complete with instr. bridle reins and bits Book £25. Copper NZ to view and collect. handcrafted John Dory £250ono, Maiden Fish wall hanging. £15.

Newton. 01300 321405.

01308 422361.

Real wood Venetian Gents XXXL Maine blinds Luxaflex 19 ½ New England’s winter inch x 50 inch. 6 units jacket. Windproof, £45. 01823 601133.

Jan 22

Apr 22

Mar 22

This England Magazine 2008 -2017. 3 issues missing. Free to collect.

07766 666191. Honiton.

Two car wheels and tyres. 155/70 R133 four stud auto grip ice-plus all weather Hardly used, for Kia Picanto, one low profile spare wheel and tyre to fit same. £80.

01460 30938.

Pink Damask headboard 5ft King £30.

Good condition. 2 small lamp tables, 1 cherry wood 19 x 19, 1 glass, 19 cx 19. Both £15. 01935 415868.

Free Piano GWO small upright Schubach 1400mm 900mm/ 600mm deep. Full 8 octaves. Tuned, needs removing from ground floor. Dorchester 07944 217211.

A bosh suck and blow garden vacuum, only used once, so in new condition. £35. Please call Axminster 01297 598249 evenings best.

York 15kg chrome dumbbells set - £25, York folding fitness mat 6ft X 2ft - £10.

Homebrew kit; 3 demi John’s, bucket, airlocks, Syphon, capper, corker etc - £15. Tel:. 01460 220029.

DISTRIBUTION

FOR SALE Ridgeback ladies hybrid bike, large frame, good condition, with mudguards, mirror, rear carrier and kick stand, £125, 01308 458810.

Antique Victorian brass house oil lamps x 2.

Complete with their glass and in full working order in brass. One is 70 cm tall and has a glass flu

plus ornate bowl, double burner. Very attractive. £40. One is 60cm tall, single glass flu, double burner. More simple design. £30. Or £60 for the pair. Please call 07479 474392 and leave a message.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 51

FREE ADS for items under £1,000 This FREE ADS FORM is for articles for sale, where the sale price is under £1000 (Private advertisers only — no trade, motor, animals, alcohol, firearms etc). Just fill in the form and send it to the Marshwood Vale Magazine, Lower Atrim, Bridport, Dorset DT6 5PX or email the text to info@marshwoodvale.com.

Unfortunately due to space constraints there is no guarantee of insertion of free advertising. We reserve the right to withhold advertisements. For guaranteed classified advertising please use ‘Classified Ads’ form

Name ............................................................. Telephone number .................................

Address ................................................................................................................................

Town .......................................... County....................... Postcode ..................................

Monthly Quiz –

Win a book from Little Toller Books

Send in your answer on a postcard, along with your name and address to: Hargreaves Quiz, Marshwood Vale Magazine, Lower Atrim, Bridport, Dorset DT6 5PX. Study the clues contained in the rhyme and look carefully at the signposts to work out which town or village in South Somerset, West Dorset or East Devon is indicated. The first correct answer drawn out of a hat will win a book from local publisher Little Toller Books.

There is no cash equivalent and no correspondence will be entered into.

Last month’s answer was Preston. The winner was Mr Smith from Bridport.

52 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 Tel. 01308 423031

BUSINESS NEWS Dorset student wins Young Farmer Bursary KINGSTON Maurward College student Enya McMullan has been awarded a Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursary. Having impressed the judges with her enthusiasm to follow a career in agriculture, Enya will receive £500 to support course-related costs.

Despite being from a nonStuart Gale and Enya McMullan with Ruth Dunford, Work Based Learning Co-ordinator and Assessor from farming background, 16-yearKingston Maurward College. old Enya always felt drawn to agriculture. Loving her work on a local dairy farm, Enya has started a Level 2 Stockperson Apprenticeship at Kingston Maurward.

‘Farming is my passion and future career choice,’ said Enya. ‘I’m keen to gain wider experience so I plan to use the bursary to cover travel expenses for visits to other local farms, including both sheep and pig businesses.’

The Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursary is part of the Future Farming Programme supporting the future of agriculture in the South West. Four bursaries have been awarded to students at agricultural colleges in the region. Applications were judged by a panel including Cornish Mutual Managing Director Peter Beaumont.

‘We were hugely impressed with the quality of applications for our first Young Farmer Bursaries,’ said Peter. ‘All applicants displayed a clear passion for agriculture, but Enya has a particular fascination with the industry and is working hard to gain the experience needed to become a first generation farmer.’

To find out more about the Cornish Mutual Young Farmer Bursary, visit https://bit.ly/CMBursaries.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine February 2022 53