Marshwood+ January 2024

Major Elizabeth Frink exhibition in Dorchester Page 32

Kitty Macfarlane at David Hall Page 43

Marcus Birdman in Lyme Page 44

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Marshwood + Magazine

THE

Jess Miller © Photograph by Robin Mills

The best from West Dorset, South Somerset and East Devon No. 298 January 2024

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COVER STORY Robin Mills met Dr Jess Miller in Bishops Caundle

© Dr Jess Miller Photograph by Robin Mills

’B

orn in rural Lincolnshire, my arrival was messy and a little traumatic; my hips dislocated in the process, a moment which set a trajectory for my life. Since 18 months old I have been through several surgeries. After one procedure (which is no longer considered ethical) I was, aged 7, immobilised in a body cast from toes to chest, unable to move for 8 weeks. Unfortunately, at the time, I was socially isolated in a highly dysfunctional single-parent family, which was imploding around me. It was a pathetic existence and one that at a tender age I longed to escape, even once the plaster was off. But something happened inside me at that time, and it’s only now as an adult that I understand what that was. This realisation has started me on a new story that intertwines with so many other people’s stories that perhaps it’s not my story at all.

I am a neuropsychologist specialising in trauma in Emergency Response. I work for a wonderful charity called Police Care UK, am a Principal Investigator at The University of Cambridge and a few years ago I was privileged to work for HRH Prince of Wales with The Royal Foundation. I’m on my second book and contribute to TV and Radio Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 3

Dr Jess Miller

documentaries and dramas. There seems to be something that I do that means something and the irony is that what I say and do is basic, even brutal. Essentially, our work makes it safe for individuals to look more closely at the abhorrent and to welcome it into their experience…because it’s there anyway.

On my journey from petrified child and geeky misfit teen, through to self-harming, anorexic, reckless, sexually assaulted, young adult, you’d think “Well, she’s going well!”

I wasn’t. But something in me somewhere was learning.

No matter what life threw at me, and regardless that I thought I may have wanted out at the ages of 7 and again at 17, there was something in me that had a relentless thirst for life—yet it didn’t seem to come out of any conscious decision. I was not a brave person and my choices were continually poor.

As a child, I spent a lot of time on my own and would go for long walks in the countryside. I gravitated to the natural world for solace and answers. They weren’t obvious, but there was something about that bigger picture of the planet just ‘getting on with it’ all around me that I found liberating and captivating. I wanted to join that gargantuan story of life on earth, not be confined to the mess that I and others were making of mine.

It was only in 2009 that some wisp of sense started to emerge. It was a very dull day. I was heading to work at the local authority on my bike when a car accidentally hit me. I lay on the ground, staring at my legs and I suddenly found myself dissociating from what was going on, with a wave of panic. My arm was broken, my head was sore, but legs were unhurt. I could see that, but the unbidden panic settled in to stay. Weeks later, the police recommended I went for a psychiatric assessment. I was professionally mortified, and confused as to why such a minor bump would have such an impact on me. I was diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

My brain could not compute this. After all this time, someone gives me a label. I decided to use the settlement money from the accident to go back to school and find out why. I registered at Bournemouth University and designed a PhD looking at how the brain (and later, as I discovered, how our genes) influence how we all process trauma. The results? It’s all about how we see what happens to us, how we file it. And recovery is all about our realising that.

The research was hard and humiliating for me, but the outcome has been life-giving, inspiring, and compassionate.

I found myself reading about ‘me’ in textbooks, rat studies and diagnostic manuals. Yet, between the lines came new light on what all of our bodies and brains do when it comes to dealing with suffering.

4 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

I learned that if a rat pup is immobilised and its mother ‘turns’ on it or is unpredictable, then it will slowly start to die. Brain and body will cease to be. However, if a pup safely explores its environment with its mother, it will grow a strong, resilient brain—and its body will follow. It turns out that this is the same for humans at key ages in our development. Looking at me and my sister’s upbringing, dealing with relentless psychological anxiety while in social isolation, we didn’t stand a chance—and it is no surprise to us why my once immobilised body developed systemic lupus (an autoimmune disease) and my sister’s overstressed brain developed trauma-related epilepsy. Our bodies and brains are saying they want out.

As the research went on, I realised that chronic exposure is not just about lab rats and freaky childhoods; it’s about those who deal every day with what happens when things go wrong for other people—the military and the emergency services. It’s also about those who witness it, like journalists and news agencies, social media editors and digital analysts.

This was worrying—but it is well known now that we have learned more about the brain in the last 20 years than we have in the whole of human history. The most critical new science? Our saving grace? The proof that we can rewire our own brains to deal with life better - and to be there better for others. Called ‘self-directed neuroplasticity’ or ‘metacognition’ (or in other words ‘meditation’), simply learning to watch your thinking can be an incredibly powerful thing. It is also the adventure of a lifetime.

But by this stage, approaching 40, I didn’t want to have any more adventures on my own. I wanted to bring this new approach to where it mattered. I wasn’t sure where to start so I spent some time reflecting on some of the jobs I have had. I’ve cleaned loos to finance my degrees, sold amateur art, sat on Select Committees, cut hair, set up a lobbying company on eating disorders, worked in Counter Terrorism, trained military veterans, been a negotiator with Gypsies and Travellers, even set up a Wildlife Rescue—but there was one day that stuck out for me as one of the best days of my working life. In 2007 I led a team of volunteers, establishing a Rest Centre for vulnerable evacuees from a tidal surge in Great Yarmouth.

I worked about 36 hours without sleep; it was chaos, but compassionate chaos, and watching so many people care for each other (police, volunteers, paramedics, families) was unforgettable. I knew from that day I wanted to do more work like this: help the helpers.

So, the front line it was. I have never looked back. I’ve been so very lucky in being sponsored by a charity to be able to offer we what we do now for free. A core team of

© Dr Jess Miller Photograph by Robin Mills

us train police officers in how to accept the exposure to human suffering which comes with the job, how to respect their brains, and encourage them to engage in (and better steer) our natural drives for survival. We introduce them to the biological tools they have in their bodies, open their minds to the bigger picture of life beyond the immediate exposure they are experiencing, and reintroduce them to what makes them “them” outside of the job. I wrote it up in a book called The Policing Mind: Trauma Resilience for a New Era. What I have learned—and what I have to tell myself regularly—is that it’s only possible to cultivate new

ways of thinking (be it through neuroscience or indeed Buddhism) if we are open to three truths: that we can change our thinking ourselves for ourselves, that we can do so with and for others; and that we deserve to do it, to be happy.

As a young child when I was asked by the occasional polite, unassuming adult “and what do you want to do when you grow up?”. My answer was always the same: I wanted to either be a fireman, helping others, or a hermit, being left alone. My work with people and wildlife seems to fit the first ambition. The second is perhaps an ambition of which I can finally let go.

’

6 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 7

UP FRONT It’s Boxing Day morning and the end of another Christmas. Scraps of wrapping paper peer out from the recycling, the Sellotape is back in the drawer and the house is quiet.

For many, there is a sense of contentment and gratitude for the time spent with loved ones. Whether you are off to a Boxing Day swim, another family gathering or watching racing or a game of football, it’s a time for reflection and relaxation, and maybe for making plans for 2024. At times like this the question of what we hope to achieve in the year ahead begins to loom large. Maybe we want to focus on personal growth and selfimprovement, set goals for our health, career, or relationships. Or it might be we want to make a positive impact in our community and consider options for volunteering and making a difference. Or perhaps we want to prioritize our mental and emotional well-being and try to find balance in our own lives. In reality, it often boils down to finding a balance between what we can realistically achieve and what we wish for.

Before Christmas I read the controversial entrepreneur Elon Musk’s biography, written

by Walter Isaacson. At the end of one somewhat busy week dealing with rocket launches, electric cars and buying Twitter, he unveiled the latest version of his new robot ‘Optimus’. He promised there would be millions of them, ensuring a ‘future of abundance’ and a future where there would be ‘no poverty.’ He told the audience it would be ‘a fundamental transformation of civilization.’ A man with the ‘Marmite’ effect, Elon Musk has achieved extraordinary things and he will certainly be credited with having had a major impact on civilization. For those of us that won’t make quite the same waves, let’s hope we can benefit our local communities in some small way in 2024.

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

3 9 19 20

Cover Story By Robin Mills Event News and Courses News & Views Nature Studies By Michael McCarthy

24 24 26 28

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

30 30

Food & Dining Oysters Kilpatrick By Mark Hix

32 32 36 42 44 50 51

Arts & Entertainment Elizabeth Frink in Dorchester Galleries Sneak Peek Preview By Gay Pirrie Weir Screen Time By Nic Jeune Young Lit Fix By Nicky Mathewson

52

Services & Classified

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Editorial Director Fergus Byrne

Contributors

Deputy Editor

Helen Fisher Mark Hix Nic Jeune Russell Jordan Michael McCarthy

Victoria Byrne

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Fergus Byrne info@marshwoodvale.com

8 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Nicky Mathewson Robin Mills Gay Pirrie Weir Dr Sam Rose 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.

January EVENTS

Friday 29 December East Devon Ramblers 10.00am Moderate 6 mile walk.

Otterton. Phone 07780-638350.

Sunday 31 December East Devon Ramblers 10.00am Leisurely 6 mile walk.

Broadclyst. Phone 07776-342711.

New Year @The Gateway with The Zoots Gateway Theatre, Seaton – 7.30pm, doors & DJ, Band from 9.30pm tickets £25. 18+ New Year @ The Gateway returns for it’s second year. Join us on New Year’s Eve for a fun party night to see in the new year 2024! Party the night away with our DJ and then live music leading up to midnight and Big Ben’s chimes. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton. co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Divine UnionSoundbath 2pm Oborne Village Hall, OBORNE, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4LA Quieten your mind, calm your emotions, and relax and detox your body.

Booking: 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com £15.

Monday 1 January East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 11 mile walk. Chardstock.

10.00am. Phone 07771-935117.

Wednesday 3 January Adult dance with Nikki Northover at Steps studio, Crepe Farm Business Park. Every Wednesday and Friday at 10am to 11am. Journey through different dance styles from Latin to disco, to freestyle and creative work. Each class focuses on dancing for well being. Cost: £8. Enquiries and to book please contact Nikki Northover at nikkinorthover43@gmail. com. Also Friday 5th January.

Bridport Scottish Dancers will meet at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. Time: 7.15 for a 7.30 start. Cost: £3.00 which includes tea/coffee and soft drinks + biscuits. Newcomers first evening is free. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. Instruction on footwork and formations given when necessary in the first half of the evening + simpler dances. After the break at 8.30 we attempt some more challenging dances for our regular members. Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343.

Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 9 mile walk. Sidmouth.

10.00am. Phone 07922-651426 Thursday 4 January Dance Connection Open Class, for well-being, 7:15pm, Bridport St Mary’s CHH, 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@gmail.com.

West Dorset Ramblers Tincleton Hang. Athelhampton.

Circular. Starts 10.30am. Tolpuddle Martyr’s Tree 8 miles.

Contact Ian 07826150114.

Folk dancing at Combe St Nicholas Village Hall with Fresh

Aire and caller Ali. 1930 start – The Hall Postcode is TA20 3NY and it’s £4.00 per person which includes a cuppa and cake.

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008, UK, 15, 113 mins, Director Mike Leigh) Teacher Poppy Cross (Sally Hawkins) is an eternal optimist who lives with her more cynical friend Zoe (Alexis Zegerman). Deciding she wants to learn to drive, she starts taking lessons from Scott (Eddie Marsan), a tense and downbeat instructor who believes Poppy’s levity reflects a lack of seriousness. Although they clash, Poppy is not deterred from her goal. Meanwhile, she starts dating Tim, a social worker who came to her school to help a child. Doors 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm start. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall (TA18 8PS).). Membership £25, guests £5 per film. For more details, contact mickpwilson53@btinternet.com or ring Mick Wilson on 01460 74849 or Di Crawley on 01460 30508.

Solo Charleston and Vintage Jazz Dance Classes 1-2pm, St Marys Church Hall Bridport - Class for all levels and abilities - £5 - All Welcome www.dynamic-dance.uk. Also 11th, 18th & 25th.

Friday 5 January An evening of music and readings from Rough Assembly and Debra Bates. An annual fundraiser for Bridport Millennium Green with peace and goodwill in mind.

Bridport Town Hall, 7.30pm. £10/members £8 to include glass of wine and mince pie. Raffle. For more information or use of the lift please contact Sandra Brown, 01308 423078.

Exhibition On Screen: Klimt & The Kiss at 7pm. The Kiss by Gustav Klimt is one of the most recognised and reproduced paintings in the world. Discover the scandalous life and the rich tapestry of extraordinary influences behind one of the world’s favourite paintings. Tickets £12.50. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050 East Devon Ramblers. Leisurely 5 mile walk. Seaton seafront. 10.00am. Phone 07710-160903 ‘The Lesson’ (15)- Picnic Night screening - Gateway Theatre, Seaton – 7.30pm, doors at 6.30pm, tickets Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. Liam (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring and ambitious young writer, eagerly accepts a tutoring position at the family estate of his idol, renowned author JM Sinclair, and his wife Hélène (Richard E. Grant and Julie Delpy). But soon, Liam realises that he is ensnared in a web of family secrets, resentment, and retribution.

Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Adult dance with Nikki Northover at Steps studio, Crepe Farm Business Park. Every Wednesday and Friday at 10am to 11am. Journey through different dance styles from Latin Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 9

January EVENTS

to disco, to freestyle and creative work. Each class focuses on dancing for well being. Cost: £8. Enquiries and to book please contact Nikki Northover at nikkinorthover43@gmail. com.

Saturday 6 January Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7 mile walk from Hooke. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

The Friends of Weymouth Library’s speaker will be John Porter, who will explore the events leading up to the German occupation of the Channel Islands in WW2. John, who was a native of the Islands, will describe the arrival of the German forces and their ensuing relationship with the populations. The talk begins at 10-30a.m. and tickets are available from the Library, at £2 for members and £3 for non-members (tel. no. 762410). Refreshments available and all are welcome.

‘Trolls Band Together’ (U) – Family Picnic Night Screening- Gateway Theatre, Seaton, 6pm, doors 5pm, Tickets adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. Get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return for the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: Trolls Band Together. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue Thur 10am - 1pm.

Sunday 7 January East Devon Ramblers. Leisurely 4 mile walk. Otterton.

10.00am. Phone 07979-263043 Monday 8 January Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild Meeting. 2 p.m. after a short business meeting, Brian Margetson will be speaking of his personal pilgrimage in former East Germany. Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street, Poundbury, DT1 3DF. Tea and coffee available. Visitors welcome (£3). Enquiries 01305 832857.

‘Art from and about Wales’, Monday afternoons in Bridport 2pm, or Fridays 2pm from January 12th on line: We’ll explore art historically artists from the 18c, 19c, 20c to recent times, for example Paul Sandby, Richard Wilson, Francis Towne, J.W.M.Turner, Alfred Sisley, Gwen & Augustus John, Sir Kyffin Williams, Graham Sutherland in Wales, David Jones, Ceri Richards, Josef Herman, Glenys Cour, Bert Isaac, Sally Moore, David Wilson’s landscape photographs & the impact of the Davies sisters collecting and other artists. Fee is £65 for 6 wks, ‘Drop in’ lectures for £13 each. Venue United Hall, East Street, Bridport.

Online fee £60. To book and for more information email chris.pamsimpson@btinternet.com. Tutor is Pam Simpson

MA, Associate Lecturer University of the Arts. Pam is a professional art historian, with 35 years teaching experience in London art schools.

Winsham Art Club, 2 pm at Jubilee Hall TA20 4HU. The theme of this practical session is Experimental Watercolours.

It is a 2.5 hr. session led by a tutor. Small friendly group of mixed abilities. Members £5, non-members £7. Annual membership £15. All welcome. Contact: Email : suzyna48@ gmail.com for further details.

Hawkchurch Film Nights, in association with Moviola. org, proudly presents ‘A Haunting in Venice’ (99 mins, Cert.

12 - moderate threat, violence, suicide references). Kenneth Branagh’s third outing as Agatha Christie’s famous detective Hercule Poirot, who returns from retirement to investigate a murder at a seance. Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Dornan also star. Doors open 6.30pm, film starts 7.00pm at Hawkchurch Village Hall, EX13 5XD. Ticket reservations £5.50 from csma95@gmail.com or leave a message on 01297 678176 (socially-distanced seating available if reserved in advance); tickets also available for £5.50 from Hawkchurch Community Shop or £6.00 on the door (cash only). Subtitles for the hard-of-hearing provided. Home-made cake and other tasty refreshments available.

An 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 £2.00 For more information contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancingclub.org.

West Dorset Jive Community Evening - 7:30pm, Chideock Village Hall - All dancers from all types of Jive welcome Introduction to Modern Jive class by Qualified Teacher Dee Lanning - No need to book and there is no charge for this event!

Tuesday 9 January Scottish Country Dancing at Horton Village Hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9QR every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for tea/ coffee and biscuits.

Please wear soft, flat shoes if possible. Pay on the door £3.00 per evening. Contact Anita on 01460 929383, email anitaandjim22@gmail.com or visit our web site at www. ashillscd.wordpress.com New year , new hobby. All welcome.

Beaminster Museum Winter Talk “Lunatics and Imbeciles”. Pauline Thorne will be exploring attitudes to mental health in the 18th and 19th centuries through stories of local people and institutions. Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB. 2.00pm. Entry £5.

Wednesday 10 January East Devon Ramblers. Strenuous 10 mile walk. 10.00am.

10 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 11

Branscombe. Phone 07870-804711.

Bridport Scottish Dancers will meet at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. Time: 7.15 for a 7.30 start. Cost: £3.00 which includes tea/coffee and soft drinks + biscuits. Newcomers first evening is free. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes.

Instruction on footwork and formations given when necessary in the first half of the evening + simpler dances.

After the break at 8.30 we attempt some more challenging dances for our regular members.Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

Wednesday 10 - 11 January The Great Escaper (12A) showing at Kilmington Community Cinema (EX13 7RF). In 2014, nearnonagenarian Bernie Jordan (Michael Caine) is sad to miss out on an official group outing to the D-Day anniversary in France. Encouraged by wife Rene (Glenda Jackson), he sneaks out from his care home and goes on one last big adventure to cross the Channel, while reminiscing about his wartime experiences. Doors open 6.45 film starts 7.15 on Wednesday. Matinee on Thursday doors open 1.45pm film starts 2pm, advance booking required for this matinee, cream-teas served during the interval but must be prebooked with your seats @ £3.50. Pre-booked seat tickets @ £5 or £5.50 on the door, booking essential for the matinee.

Tickets can be pre-booked by email:vwattsjohn307@gmail. com or Tel: 01297 639758, see www.kilmingtonvillage.com/ other-organisations.html for more information.

Thursday 11 January Dance Connection Block of 6 begins, 7:15pm, Bridport St Mary’s CHH, 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@gmail. com.

A talk by Andrea Rye from Coombes Garden Centre, entitled “Life of Plants” at 2.30 p.m. Venue The Masonic Hall Seaton. For more details contact 01207 22869.

Lyme Voices Community Choir 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn songs in harmony by ear. Everyone welcome.

Baptist Church (pine hall round the back), Silver St., Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. Phone 07534 116502 or email petelinnett2@hotmail.com. Please let us know if you are coming.

Chard History Group The Story of Guy Fawkes Barry Hamblin and 10 minute AGM 7.15 for 7.45 Start New Venue Chard Guildhall upstairs Members £2.50 visitors most welcome £3.50 For further details 07984481634 Chesil Bank Writing Shed. Do you write? Would you like to write? Whatever your reason, why not come and learn more with our creative writing group. New writers always welcome. 7pm - 9pm, Portesham Village Hall. Find out more by calling Linda on 01305 871802.

Bridport History Society presents a talk by Dr Robert Nantes ‘The luxury of the age will be the ruin of the nation’ (Daniel Defoe): The eighteenth-century panic over lifestyles, luxuries, and the consumption of tea, coffee and wine. The talk may be considered the perfect antidote to Christmas excesses. Bridport History Society meets on the

second Thursday of each month (except July and August) at the United Church Hall, 2.15 for 2.30pm. Visitors welcome £5pp. Membership is £10 individual / £15 couple. For more information visit www.bridporthistorysociety.org.uk.

Friday 12 January East Devon Branch, Devonshire Association; Churchill’s Secret Army in East Devon; Mention the army in Britain in 1940 and people instantly think of Dad’s Army. The truth is very different. Highly secret civilian groups were set up to cause as much chaos as possible to potential German invaders. These volunteers, both men and women in spy roles and trained in guerilla and sabotage activities, knew that this was a suicide role with a low life expectancy. Come and hear Andrew Chatterton, author of Britain’s Secret Defences, describe how these Auxiliary Units and Special Duties Branches operated, with special attention to the groups operating in East Devon; 2.30pm, Manor Pavilion Theatre Sidmouth EX10 8RP; Admission £3 members, £4 nonmembers; contact James Baldwin 01297 23045 or edevon. sec@devonassoc.org.uk.

“A Haunting in Venice” (12A). Starring Kenneth Brannagh as Agatha’s Christie’s eponymous detective Hercule Poirot.

7pm for 7.30pm start at Cinechard at Chard Guildhall, Tickets in advance from the PO, Barron’s and Eleos (cash only please) for £5 or £2.50 or £6 and £3 on the door.

East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 6 mile walk. Uplyme.

10.00am. Phone 07886-926636.

Dream Scenario (15) 2pm (with optional lunch) & 7.30pm.

A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.

Tickets: Adults £8, U16’s £7. Lunch + £5. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050 ‘The Marvels’ (PG) – Picnic Night Screening - Gateway Theatre, Seaton - 7.30pm doors 6.30pm, Tickets Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50 Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue Thur 10am - 1pm.

Saturday 13 January ‘Wish’ (U) live music- Family Matinee - Gateway Theatre, Seaton, 3pm doors 2pm, Tickets Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. The latest Disney animation film. Young Asha makes a wish so powerful that it’s answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy called Star. With Star’s help, Asha must save her kingdom from King Magnifico and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.

Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Beaminster Museum Dorset Finds Liaison Officer Ciorstaidh Heyward Trevarthen is holding another of the

12 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Palm oil initiative increases impact

D

orset Sustainable Palm Oil Community, (DSPOC), has been making steady progress in its goal to get local businesses to use only certified sustainable palm oil.

Over the last few months four more Bridport businesses signed a pledge to use only sustainable palm oil in their products; The Green Yard Café, in Barrack Street, Aleksandra’s Chocolate Café in East Street, Fruits of the Earth in Victoria Grove and Market House Inn, a dog friendly Palmers Brewery pub on West Street.

As well as local businesses, Co-op has

become the first national retailer to join the Sustainable Palm Oil Communities project!

Co-op have become champions country-wide in Dorset, Chester, Blackpool, Hull & East Riding of Yorkshire, Oxford and Newquay.

‘This is a big moment for the umbrella communities project and for the sustainable palm oil mission’ stated Lucy Cullinane, Operations Director of Efeca & Efeca Éire.

‘That means at least 34 different Co-ops throughout Dorset are now officially part of our campaign and are ensuring that all of their own brand goods will only contain certified sustainable palm oil.’

World-renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace is just one of our Ambassadors for the Dorset Sustainable Palm Oil Community, a pro-bono project encouraging businesses, workplaces, hospitality and organisations— anyone that serves, sells or deals with food in Dorset—to find out where they source their palm oil from, and make changes to ensure that they only use certified sustainable palm oil.

Using certified sustainable palm reduces deforestation and protects biodiversity including orangutans, pygmy elephants, and other endangered and vulnerable species that inhabit these rich forest ecosystems.

About 100 globally-renowned conservation organisations including WWF, Conservation International, Jane Goodall Institute and Save the Rhino signed a statement declaring that sustainable palm oil and halting deforestation is the best solution to the palm oil crisis rather than a blanket boycott.

To learn more or sign up to support DSPOC visit: https://www.efeca.com/our-work/dorsetsustainable-community/

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 13

museum’s popular identification session. Finds are identified and recorded on a national database and interesting items may be borrowed for further research. Bring along any archaeological (not geological) items found within Dorset.

Drop in between 11.00am and 3.00pm, Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB. Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 6 mile walk from Uplyme. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Sunday 14 January Dance Connection Day Workshop, 11-4, 07787752201, danceconnectionwessex@gmail.com.

Allington Strings at St Mary’s Church, Bridport. A Slavic Serenade: A 3pm afternoon concert of Czech and Slavic music to kick off 2024 as the year of Czech Music, wrapped up with Elgar’s sensational Serenade for Strings. Including music from Dvorak, Bartok, Smetana, Neruda, and Brahms.

Advance tickets available from The Bookshop, Bridport (cash only) for £10 adults and £4 children, or on the door at £12/£5. For ticket reservations or further information: allingtonstrings@outlook.com Monday 15 January An 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 £2.00. For more information contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancingclub.org Modern Jive (Leroc) Social Dance Classes. 7:30pm, Chideock Village Hall. £6 per person, Come with or without a partner. Beginners and Returners Welcome Every Week. www.dynamic-dance.uk. Also 22nd and 29th.

Monday 15 January - 26 February Art Talks Series of 6 art history talks on Mondays 10.3012.00 from James Ravilious to Danish painting and Norway’s Golden Age. £12 per talk (£60 for all six). Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX thelmahulbert.com.

01404 45006 Tuesday 16 January Home Instead Nostalgic Cinema Matinee ‘Summer Holiday’(U) screening - Gateway Theatre, Seaton, 1.30pm, doors 1.pm, tickets £3.50. All screenings are Dementia Friendly and have relaxed table seating, refreshments served throughout, subtitles, a slightly lower volume and soft lighting. There will also be a free, fun quiz for participants to enjoy! Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton. co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

North Perrott and Haselbury Plucknett Garden Club Charles Cheshire with be talking about the Japanese Tea Garden at Hoskyns Memorial Hall, North Perrott, Somerset. at 7.30. Guests £2.50 Members free. Contact Barbara Spence 01460 73847.

Barrington & District Gardening Society present a talk

on ‘Country Gardens International’ by Ian Anderson. Start 7.30pm - Barrington Village Hall, Somerset, TA19 0JE. Refreshments available, visitors & new members welcome.

Further info: 01460 54691.

The Lyme Regis Society presents A Talk:Pirates: The Origins and Truth by Richard Hutley 2pm at Woodmead Halls, Hill Road, Lyme Regis. DT7 3PG. All Welcome.

Members Free. Visitors £3.00. Refreshments Included.

Social distanced seating available if desired. Please check website for further information: http//lymeregissociety.org. uk Scottish Country Dancing at Horton Village Hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9QR every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for tea/ coffee and biscuits. Please wear soft, flat shoes if possible. Pay on the door £3.00 per evening. Contact Anita on 01460 929383, email anitaandjim22@gmail.com or visit our web site at www. ashillscd.wordpress.com New year , new hobby. All welcome.

Netherbury Repair Cafe? We’re looking for volunteers to help set up a local Repair Cafe. Anyone who loves to tinker and fix, with the skills to mend bicycles, clothing, electrical items, computers, phones, jewellery, furniture, toys, clocks, etc. We also need a small team to run the cafe and welcome the public at the reception desk.

If you are interested in being part of it, or are just curious, please come along. 7pm in The Reading Room, behind Netherbury Village Hall, New Inn St, Netherbury, DT6 5LR. Phone 07870 950 666 for more details.

Wednesday 17 January East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 8.5 mile walk. Budleigh.

10.00am. Phone 07874-330097.

Bridport Scottish Dancers will meet at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. Venue: Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. Time: 7.15 for a 7.30 start. Cost: £3.00 which includes tea/coffee and soft drinks + biscuits. Newcomers first evening is free. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. Instruction on footwork and formations given when necessary in the first half of the evening + simpler dances. After the break at 8.30 we attempt some more challenging dances for our regular members.Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

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

Thursday 18 January Lyme Voices Community Choir 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn songs in harmony by ear. Everyone welcome.

Baptist Church (pine hall round the back), Silver St., Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. Phone 07534 116502 or email

EVENTS IN FEBRUARY

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

BY JANUARY 12th

14 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

petelinnett2@hotmail.com. Please let us know if you are coming.

The Deane Big Band 8pm The band plays music mostly from the classic big band era of the 1930’s & 1940’s. We regularly include music by Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington & Ted Heath.

With two great vocalists featuring many songs by Frank Sinatra or recently recorded by Michael Bublé. Tickets: £14 Early bird £11. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton. co.uk 01404 384050 South Somerset RSPB Local Group The Highlands of Scotland. An illustrated talk presented by well-known wildlife photographer David Boag. The scenic beauty of the Scottish Highlands is spectacular, from glens with lochs, beaches and seabird colonies. Also snow-capped mountains and primeval forests. David will endeavour to capture the essence of the Highlands through his excellent photography. at 7.30pm The Millennium Hall, Seavington St. Mary, Ilminster, TA19 0QH. Entry: Group members £4, non-group members £5, under 18’s £1. Tea/coffee & biscuits included – Wheelchair access.

Further details from Denise Chamings on 01460240740 or www.rspb.org.uk/groups/southsomerset. Everyone welcome.

Folk dancing at Combe St Nicholas Village Hall with Ian Bryden and his band with Jane Thomas calling. 1930– The Hall Postcode is TA20 3NY and it’s £4.00 per person which includes a cuppa and cake.

The New Arts Group “Auctioneers Tales” Speaker: Marc Allum (Antiques Roadshow) Cost £10.00 Time 2.00pm (tea/ coffee from 1.30) Bridport Town Hall Friday 19 January ‘NYAD’ (15) Picnic Night screening - Gateway Theatre, Seaton -. 7.30pm, doors 6.30pm, Tickets adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50.

Craig Milverton - Jazz Piano Legends. Craig Milverton pays homage to 17 of the great piano players from James P Johnson through to Dave Brubeck. In this show, Craig discusses each artist, their style and piano techniques and demonstrates his thorough knowledge of jazz piano and stylistic range from Stride to Modern Jazz through the ages.

7.30pm, Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £16 (Students £5. Free to under 12s.)To book: 01460 54973 or www.ilminsterartscentre.com/performances Typist Artist Pirate King (12A) 7.30pm. In a mission to get recognition for her talent, a non-conformist, forgotten artist persuades her psychiatric nurse to take her on a road trip back to where her story began – but with so many deviations into the past along the way, will they ever make it?

Tickets: Adults £8, U16’s £7. The Beehive Honiton www. beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050 The Great Escaper at 7.30pm Village Hall, The Causeway, Milborne St Andrew DT11 0JX Doors and bar open 7.00 Tickets cost £6, which includes a drink or an ice-cream Based on a true story In the summer of 2014, Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) made global headlines. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their

fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th anniversary. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world as Bernie embodied the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was an inspirational but sanitised retelling of one man’s need to come to terms with the lasting trauma of war.

Bernie’s adventure, spanning a mere 48 hours, also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Rene (Glenda Jackson) – The Great Escaper celebrates their enduring love but always with an eye to the lessons we might learn from the Greatest Generation. A remarkable true story of tenacity, friendship and the triumph of the human spirit, NYAD recounts a riveting chapter in the life of world-class athlete Diana Nyad. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 5.5 mile walk. 10.00am.

Colyton. 01297-552860 Saturday 20 January Coffee Morning in aid of Hedgehog Rehabilitation 10.30 a.m. at Whitchurch Canonicorum Village Hall DT6 6RF. Raffle, cake etc. Come and help us support sick and injured hedgehogs. All welcome. Contact 01297 489 275.

Snowman Drive with Pudding 6.30pm for 7pm start.

Blackdown Village Hall ,DT8 3LE £6 Adult / £4 Child /£18 Family (2+2) All Welcome Contact Philip 01460 30661 / 07980 864169 to book your place.

Singing Workshop With Wessex Women Come and join our fun and friendly group for a morning of songs and simple harmonies. 10.45am – 12.45pm Seavington Millennium Hall £5 per person including refreshments. To book your place please contact. Louise 01460 234536. We are open to new members! www.wessex-women.uk.

Wessex Women are holding a Singing Workshop 10.4512.45am at Seavington Millenium Hall. £5 including refreshments. To book a place contact Louise Knight 01460 234536. We are open to new members!

Wonka (U) 4pm & 7pm Filmed locally in Lyme Regis.

With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

Tickets: Adults £8, U16’s £7. The Beehive Honiton www. beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050 Organ Recital All Saints Church, Martock TA12 6JN

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 15

Performance time: 7:30 pm. Admission fee: Tickets: £10.00 at Guardianstickets@gmail.com /07547 213992/Martock Gallery/ Martock Newsagent (Cash Only); £12.00 at door.

Website:www.martockonline.co.uk/events. https://www. jonathandelbridge.com/ Dalwood Jazz Club presents Zoe Lambeth’s Vintage Jazz Collective with Zoe on clarinet, sax & vocals, Steve Dow guitar & vocals, Martin Jenkins - piano, John Donelly - bass and Gary Evans - drums. 3pm. Dalwood Village Hall, EX13 7EG (near Axminster) Bar for beer/wine/soft drinks and teas/coffees etc.

Parking at the Village Hall. £12.50p If possible, please book in advance and pay (cash or card) at the door. t.mackenney111@btinternet.com Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7.5 mile walk from Kingston Maurwood. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Saturday 20 & 21 January ‘Wonka’ (PG) – screenings - Gateway Theatre, Seaton – Sat Picnic Night 7.30pm, doors 6.30pm; Sunday matinee 3pm, doors 2pm - Tickets Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the jewel in the Roald Dahl crown and one of the bestselling children’s books of all time, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Saturday 20 January – 10 February Painting Workshops Series of 4 painting workshops (acrylics, gouache, watercolour, mixed media) with artist Claire Jeanes on Saturdays, 10.30-1.00. No experience necessary. £35 each (£120 for all four). Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX thelmahulbert.com.

01404 45006.

Sunday 21 January East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 10 mile walk. Ottery St Mary. 10.00am. Phone 07867-842713.

Monday 22 January An 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 £2.00. For more information contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancingclub.org.

Winsham Art Club, 2 pm at Jubilee Hall TA20 4HU. The theme of this practical session is Layering Techniques with Acrylics. It is a 2.5 hr. session led by a visiting tutor.

Small friendly group of mixed abilities. Members £5, non-members £7. Annual membership £15. All welcome.

Contact: Email : suzyna48@gmail.com for further details.

Tuesday 23 January Scottish Country Dancing at Horton Village Hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9QR every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for tea/ coffee and biscuits. Please wear soft, flat shoes if possible. Pay on the door £3.00 per evening.

Contact Anita on 01460 929383, email anitaandjim22@gmail. com or visit our web site at www.ashillscd.wordpress.com New year , new hobby. All welcome.

Bridport U3A Talk at BUC, East St, at 2pm. The talk will last about an hour, followed by a Q&A then refreshments.

Our speaker is Brian Freeland and his subject is ‘Women of the Raj’. Brian is a retired author and playwright. He has visited many countries and did 8 tours of India as well as 2 circumnavigations of the globe. His time in India led to his writing about the Raj. When the Colonial Administrators arrived to take over from the East India Company they were often accompanied by their wives: wives who spoke only English, who mixed only with other wives, and who couldn’t even communicate with their household staff. Join us for what promises to be an entertaining talk in the depths of winter. Talks are free to members and £3 for visitors Beaminster Museum Friends of Beaminster Museum AGM. Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd, Beaminster DT8 3NB. 2.00pm.

Wednesday 24 January Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society talk on ‘Choosing the Right Veg for You’ by Joy Michaud of Sea Spring Seeds. Seeds for sale. Uplyme Village Hall DT7 3UY 7.30pm; refreshments from 7pm. Members free, nonmembers £3. More information www.ulrhs.wordpress.com.

East Devon Ramblers. Leisurely 7.5 miles. Chard. 10.00am.

Phone 01404-549390.

Bridport Scottish Dancers will meet at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. Venue: Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. Time: 7.15 for a 7.30 start. Cost: £3.00 which includes tea/coffee and soft drinks + biscuits. Newcomers first evening is free. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. Instruction on footwork and formations given when necessary in the first half of the evening + simpler dances. After the break at 8.30 we attempt some more challenging dances for our regular members.Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

Thursday 25 January National Theatre Live ‘Dear England’ (15) screening – Gateway Theatre, Seaton -7pm, doors 6.30pm Tickets Adults £15, Under 16s £8. Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) plays Gareth Southgate in James Graham’s (Sherwood) gripping examination of nation and game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game?

Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

West Dorset Ramblers Discovering Lawrence of Arabia Country.Moreton. Starts 10.00am. 7 miles. Contact Heather 07798732252.

Lyme Voices Community Choir. 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn songs in harmony by ear. Everyone welcome.

Baptist Church (pine hall round the back), Silver St., Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. Phone 07534 116502 or email petelinnett2@hotmail.com. Please let us know if you are coming.

The Royal Opera House Live Cinema: Rusalka 7pm.

Rusalka, a water spirit, lives with her family in the pure waters of the forest lake. When she falls in love with a Prince, she sacrifices her voice and leaves her home in the hope of

16 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

finding true love in a new world – a world that does not love her back. Tickets: Adults £17, Students £11. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050 Thursday 25, 26, 27 January All Saints Pantomime Society are once again, performing their annual production which this year is ‘King Arthur and the Knights of the Wobbly Table’, a tale of scheming, intrigue and much hilarity! at 7.30 pm in All Saints Village Hall. Tickets £5 adults and £3 children (please note prices have not increased). Tickets available from Monday, 8th January, 2024. Book early to avoid disappointment! Contact Barbara Foulkes 01297 35687 until Saturday, 20th January, 2024 and then Dinny Pollard 01297 32876 Tickets also available on Monday and Friday evenings at All Saints village hall 7.30 - 8.30 pm Friday 26 January ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (15) Picnic Night Screening Gateway Theatre, Seaton – 7pm doors 6pm Tickets Adults £7.50 Under 16s £6.50 At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder.

Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Fruit Tree Propagation Workshop at Adam’s Apples Nursery. Learn the techniques of bench grafting and topworking and take 2 grafted apple trees home.

9.30am - 3.30pm Adam’s Apples Nursery, Dulford, Cullompton EX15 2EF. £125.00 bookings at www.adamsappletrees.co.uk The Real Manhunter Live Talk! (15) 7.30pm.

Writer, broadcaster and former murder detective DCI Colin Sutton takes you through his career - from cracking cold cases and chasing serial killers, to writing books and making TV shows.

Colin presents ‘The Real Manhunter’ his true crime documentary series on Sky Crime, which is now entering its third season. Tickets: £16.

The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton. co.uk 01404 384050 East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 5 mile walk.

Salcombe Regis. 10.00am. Phone 07748-618089 Saturday 27 January The New Elizabethan Singers have rarely if ever sung Elizabethan music and after more than half a century they are no longer New. The name has caused some confusion amongst those who don’t know the choir and so they have renamed as the West Dorset Singers. The members of the choir and the Musical Director, Matt Kingston remain the same, as of course do their high standards. Their first concert will be held in St. Swithun’s Church, Bridport when they will sing modern works that are settings of two of the most ancient Christian hymns.

John Rutter’s Magnificat from 1990 expresses

Mary’s joy when sharing her news that she is expecting Jesus, the promised Messiah. Paul Carr’s Stabat Mater from 2017 reflects Mary’s sorrow when witnessing Christ’s crucifixion, yet remains calm and confident. In addition, they will present the first concert performance of Matthew Coleridge’s new Stabat Mater Dolorosa. (Matthew Coleridge is the name under which Matt Kingston composes). The choir will be joined by a professional soprano soloist and musicians. The concert starts at 7.00 pm and tickets (£15, under 18s free) are available from Goadsby Estate Agents in Bridport or online at ticketsource.co.uk/wds.

Napoleon (15) 7pm. An epic that details the checkered rise and fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine.

Tickets: Adults £8, U16’s £7. The Beehive Honiton www. beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050 Jumble Sale with refreshments, 2pm. Contributions gratefully received, & may be left at the hall between 10am & mid-day on the Saturday morning. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall. Further information from Jackie (01460 72324) or Mary (01460 74849).

‘Joey the Lips’ – Live Music – Gateway Theatre, Seaton 8pm, doors 7.30pm, Tickets £20 (22.50 on the door.) Joey the Lips are back with a fantastic night of soul and funk!

Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

End of line designer clothing sale 11am - 4pm

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 17

Colmers Hill Fashion Boutique clothing sale at Blackdown Village Hall DT8 3LE Meet a friend for soup or tea and cake to raise money in support of the work of the 3 churches Blackdown,Broadwindsor ,and Burstock. Free parking on B1365 Crewkerne /Lyme Regis road. For more info tel .01308 868083.

White Tara 2:1s Dean Carter and Anna Howard return with this very powerful healing modality, combining sound healing and ‘traditional’ spiritual healing. Ihr individual sessions @ £80/60 concs. Oborne Village Hall, Oborne, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4LA 12.30-5PMPlease book in advance via 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 8 mile walk from Portland. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Sunday 28 January Royal Opera House ‘Rusalka’ (12A) screening – Gateway Theatre, Seaton -2pm, doors 1.30pm Tickets Adults £15, Under 16s £8. Rusalka, a water spirit, lives with her family in the pure waters of the forest lake. When she falls in love with a Prince, she sacrifices her voice and leaves her home in the hope of finding true love in a new world – a world that does not love her back. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

East Devon Ramblers. Moderate 10.5 mile walk.

Aylesbeare. 10.00am. Phone 07848-852463.

Divine Union Soundbath Quieten the mind calm the emotions relax and detox the body. Oborne Village Hall, Oborne, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4LA 2-4PM £15Please book in advance via 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com Monday 29 January An 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 £2.00. For more information contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancingclub.org.

The Studying of Insects for the National Trust. A talk

by Andrew Foster an Entomologist with the National Trust Biological Survey Team for 24 years. Now newly retired he undertakes voluntary and survey work for NT across Dorset.

He will show some examples of recent insect surveys in West Dorset that illustrate the importance of their conservation work. United Church Hall, East Street, Bridport at 2.30 pm. Members £3, Visitors £5. National Trust Golden Cap Association. Contact: Mike Nicks 01308 45855.

Tuesday 30 January Scottish Country Dancing at Horton Village Hall Nr Ilminster TA19 9QR every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm with break for tea/ coffee and biscuits. Please wear soft, flat shoes if possible. Pay on the door £3.00 per evening. Contact Anita on 01460 929383 , email anitaandjim22@gmail.com or visit our web site at www. ashillscd.wordpress.com New year, new hobby. All welcome.

Wednesday 31 January Bridport Scottish Dancers will meet at Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. 7.15 for a 7.30 start.

Cost: £3.00 which includes tea/coffee and soft drinks + biscuits. Newcomers first evening is free. All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. Instruction on footwork and formations given when necessary in the first half of the evening + simpler dances. After the break at 8.30 we attempt some more challenging dances for our regular members. Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

Learn to Draw from Nature : a class for beginners. 10 til 12.30 At the United Reformed Church Hall, Chard Street, Axminster ( opposite the Poplar Mount car park). Would you like to learn to draw ? Don’t know where to start ? Come and join this beginners class in Axminster. Draw from still life which this month will be Snowdrops , Winter Jasmine and other winter shrubs. Learn about depicting shape and form and try some unusual pencils on a coloured background.

Cost £16 ( all materials are supplied) To book a place as places are limited please contact : gina.youens@btinternet. com Thursday 1 February Luke Wright’s Silver Jubilee 7:30. Luke Wright is one of Britain’s most popular live poets. In his most confessional show to date, drawing on the discovery of his birth mother on Facebook, Wright navigates his audience through a warm and honest hour of poems and stand-up. With some wild experiments in form, a nervous kitten called Sir John Betjeman and a healthy smattering of drum n bass, Wright manages to navigate some heart-wrenching material and keep the laughs coming. This show debuted to a packed arena at Latitude Festival before a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe where it was the toast of the critics. Expect humour, rage and passion. Don’t miss it! Venue: Shipton Gorge Village Hall. Tickets £12, £5 (u18s) Suitable 14+ Tickets available online at www.artsreach.co.uk / 01308 897407.

Lyme Regis Museum Friends illustrated talk ‘The Battle of Britain: Role of RAF Exeter’ at 2.30 pm in the Woodmead Hall, Hill Road, Lyme Regis DT7 3PG. We look at the involvement of the Exeter based squadrons: the tragedy of friendly fire incidents, the memoirs of TSR2 test pilot Roland Beaumont and the experience of an Australian pilot. Members £2 visitors £4. Enquiries to David Cox, 01297 443156.

Saturday 3 February to Sunday 11 Compton valence snow drops Village hall lunches and teas. Come and Walk/Drive through our beautiful village and see the stunning white drifts of snowdrops. (The village hall is below the church) Open (weather permitting): 11.00am -3.30 pm Daily To Book Please ring or email so we can cater accordingly: Tessa Russell Tel: 01308 482227 or email: tessa@cvfarms.co.uk Or Pippa James 01305 889338 m 07880882985. email:enquiries@dovehousedorset.co.uk Pre booked guests will take priority as the hall is small. In bad/icy weather we may not be open. Please be considerate of our village/verges etc when parking or ring us to discuss your needs so we can advise you where to go. We very much look forward to seeing you. Cash please.

18 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

News&Views HONITON Collage at the Station A collaborative collage created

by Honiton Primary pupils at Thelma Hulbert Gallery (THG) has been unveiled at Honiton Station. Pupils created the new artwork on the station footbridge during workshops with artist Alistair Lambert. An illustrated town map has been placed in the station forecourt.

SIDMOUTH Coastal funds approved The Sidmouth and East Beach coastal defence scheme has been fully approved by the Environment Agency, with £16million of funding from the UK Government. The £20million project will protect 113 residential and 70 commercial properties from the risks of sea flooding and cliff erosion.

For more information, visit the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan and Scheme webpages on EDDC’s website.

YEOVIL Dementia garden ‘Outstanding’ A safe and enclosed garden for dementia patients to visit off the ward at Yeovil hospital has been recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as ‘Level 5 – Outstanding’. Head gardener Adrian Goldring helps maintain the green space and volunteer helpers can contact Kirsty.Withers@SomersetFT.nhs.uk.

KINGCOMBE Volunteers needed Dorset Wildlife Trust is appealing for local people aged 18 and over to join their volunteers at their visitor centre at Kingcombe, near Maiden Newton. Local people who would like to do something valuable for nature and have time to offer on a regular basis are invited to take part. All volunteers will be provided with free training. Contact Matt Harcourt or Harriet Johns on 01300 320684 or email kingcombe@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk.

PORTLAND New training base The British Sailing Team has unveiled plans for a state-ofthe-art training base in Portland. The new Performance and Innovation Centre will bring together sailors, coaches, and support staff in one location designed to promote collaboration and innovation. If approved, building will start in spring 2024 hoping to open in summer 2025.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 19

Nature Studies

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

By Michael McCarthy

A

s my wife Jo and I come up to our third winter in Dorset, I find myself harbouring a sentiment more suited to a child than an Old Geezer: you might call it snow-longing. As the air gets chillier I want to see flakes of the stuff fall from the sky and not melt when they hit the ground, I want to see a world of white, I want to hear the shouts of children sledging and building snowmen and throwing snowballs. I do. I find that I want that strongly.

about the disappearance of snow in Dorset. For infinitely greater consequences will be visited by global warming upon millions of people, especially the poorest, if rising temperatures mean agriculture starts to fail across Africa and Asia, say, or if extreme weather events continue to increase in severity, or sea-level rise makes vast coastal regions uninhabitable. Part of me says, you should be shouting about that, not wittering on about some cosmetic aspect of winter. Well, I do care strongly about that; but I

There is already a measured decrease in lying snow in Britain in recent years compared with the past I think the feeling has been brought on by coming to the countryside and witnessing the natural world more vividly in all its phases: the new life and colour of spring, the luxuriance of summer, and the ripeness and melancholy of autumn. So part of me feels, when it comes to winter, that I want the full deal there as well, the whole experience, and snow is part of that. I mean, it was so throughout my childhood, and much of my adult life. But now, of course, with the advent of climate change, it is vanishing. There is already a measured decrease in lying snow in Britain in recent years compared with the past; depending on how quickly the climate warms, it may vanish altogether. And I wonder, how much more of it will I see?

Yet I find it something of a moral conundrum, to care

also feel, that the coming disappearance of snow from our lives, is not nothing.

For someone of my age, it is very much part of childhood: I remember the excited shout, looking out the window: It’s sticking! I am old enough to remember the great winter of 1963, when Britain was snowbound for two months (and recently I have been reading The Blizzard of ’78 by Mark Ching, a fascinating account of a mini-63 which fifteen years later, as the book’s subtitle proclaims, “buried Dorset” for five days.) And not just childhood; in adulthood I came to appreciate and love subtler aspects of snow—its transformation of the world, its softening of all edges, its muffling of all sounds, indeed its silence: it has seemed to me that the silence of snow falling is almost

20 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

silent music. And of course, its physical beauty: last winter the one proper snowfall we had filled up the bluebell wood to west of the village, and its white purity in the dark wood was breathtaking.

These feelings have been part of what it is to be human, for countless generations; and my wife summed it up.

“Snow is in our psyche,” she said. Indeed it is. But for future generations perhaps it won’t be. For 2023 was the hottest year in history, with temperature records broken all around the world, and because of an intermittent global weather pattern known as El Nino, the year 2024 is very likely to be even hotter. Climate change is properly upon us, and the failure of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai in December to do more than issue pieties about moving away from burning the fossil fuels causing it, shows how far away we are from slowing it down, never mind bringing it to a halt.

Making precise predictions about weather and climate is a mug’s game, not least because one of the principal characteristics of weather is its natural variability, and the advance of climate change is non-linear (it progresses in fits and starts rather than in a straight line.) It is perfectly possible that another vast snowstorm will cover Dorset this winter. But I don’t think it’s very likely. I think my longing will probably remain unsatisfied, and the months to come may be wet, but not snowy. And that loss, even if it is small compared to the other damage climate change

may inflict upon the planet—that coming loss of snow and our feelings for it, is a real loss, a diminution of human experience which I find sad beyond measure.

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

Kate Adie announced as President of Dorset CPRE

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he Dorset branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) welcomed its new President, Kate Adie, as well as Roger Mortlock, new Chief Executive at National CPRE, to its 86th Anniversary Annual General Meeting in November.

Kate Adie, who has lived in Dorset for over 12 years, Kate Adie, Dorset spoke about her passion for the CPRE President countryside having first fallen in love with the countryside while growing up in Sunderland.

She talked about the way the world is changing and keeping modern farming in harmony with the countryside. She said: “We lead busy lives, we need to make our mark, stand up for our principals and be happy to have a chance to help it.”

Peter Neal, Dorset CPRE Vice-President, who chaired the AGM said: “We are absolutely delighted that Kate has agreed to be our President and she will be a great ambassador for our charity.”

Roger Mortlock, who joined CPRE in May 2023 after 15 years in leadership roles for environmental charities, spoke of the challenges facing the CPRE as it campaigns on many fronts to protect the countryside. With a general election

in 2024, CPRE is calling on all political parties to recognise the true value of the countryside. The CPRE manifesto for the countryside includes a focus on a planning system with democracy at its heart, properly balancing our use of land to meet the needs of people, planet, and nature as well as prioritising development on brownfield land. It also calls for genuinely ‘affordable’ housing linked to local incomes and to make solar panels a standard requirement for all suitable new build housing, commercial buildings and car parks to secure planning permission.

Dr Guy Dickinson, Vice-Chair of Dorset CPRE’s Trustees, spoke of the problems facing Dorset in particular. The countryside, Green Belts and National Landscapes (new name for AONBs) are under threat from development. He said: “We strongly oppose any attempts to redraw the boundaries of either. We believe, as we always have, that new houses should be built on Brownfield rather than Greenfield sites.” Looking ahead to 2024, BCP Council is pushing on rapidly with its Local Plan which is likely to be released for public consultation in the new year with a view to adoption by late 2024.

Dr Guy Dickinson went on to thank the dedicated local CPRE members. He said: “A huge contribution is made by our volunteers in examining and responding to planning applications, assisting with campaigns, attending and speaking at planning meetings, writing articles and responding to consultations.”

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 21

Nature management bid gets thumbs up

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50-plus year vision for improving nature in West Dorset is behind a successful funding bid by local charity West Dorset Wilding.

The Brit Catchment Recovery Project has been chosen as one of only 34 projects in England to be shortlisted for major support under the government’s Landscape Recovery funding scheme Round 2.

The project, which involves an amazing 53 farmers and landowners from within the wider Brit catchment area, has identified more than 8,000 acres of land which will be improved for nature over 20 or more years. This amounts to a staggering 38% of the rural land in the catchment, and there is scope for bringing yet more farmers and landowners, and their expertise and land into the project.

Over the lifetime of the scheme, the outcomes for nature will include more wetland, species-rich grassland, wood pasture, native woodland and vitally important but often undervalued scrub. This will create space for nature to return, including an increase in the diversity and abundance of birds, insects, mammals, fish, native wildflowers and trees. The project will also work with local organic and regenerative farmers, will look to improve water quality in the area’s four rivers, and will seek to increase the amount of carbon stored above ground and in the soil.

In addition to the work with farmers and landowners, the project will also explore deer management, look into the reintroduction of species such as water voles, and consider the use of ‘flying pigs’—hardy pigs like Tamworths that are loaned for short periods—to help smallholders to bring back more wildlife to their land.

Crucially the project will also look to help people from within the catchment area to reconnect with nature, through education and community animation. The project aims to benefit everyone as well as nature and our climate.

Tim Harris, a farmer within the catchment says: “As a farmer in the Brit catchment area I am delighted that the Landscape Recovery Project application has been successful. This is a golden opportunity for farmers and landowners to cooperate in farming and managing the landscape in an environmentally friendly way. Such largescale projects are vitally important to both local areas and the country as a whole.”

Lauren Goringe, who also farms within the catchment says: “As farmers, we really appreciate the beautiful countryside and wildlife that surrounds us and are keen to preserve and enhance this in the future. We are hopeful that this project will provide local farmers with the support to engage in bespoke activity to boost biodiversity, in a way that complements sustainable food production.”

22 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Luke Montagu, Chair of Trustees, West Dorset Wilding and landowner says: “This is a great day for nature in West Dorset. 53 farmers and landowners came together with an ambitious 20-year plan to restore biodiversity across the whole Brit catchment.

Subject to some formalities, Defra has now agreed to fund this plan and we have an extraordinary opportunity to work together to create a thriving local ecosystem by rebuilding lost wildlife habitats.”

Dr Sam Rose, Executive Director for the charity adds: “This is an innovative and exciting approach to farmer-led ecosystem restoration, and our overall objective is that at last 50% of the rural parts of our catchment are under better management for nature by 2050. I can’t wait to get started!”

West Dorset Wilding now has to undertake a period of preparation with the government advisors, Natural England, so that work can start in earnest by April 2024.

Find out more about the project at westdorsetwilding.org/brit and by emailing info@westdorsetwilding.org

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 23

House&Garden

Vegetables in January

By Ashley Wheeler

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lthough the pressure is off as a market gardener in January, there is still a lot to be getting on with, partly inside and partly outside. Making the most of the downtime by getting things in order before the chaos of spring and summer begins means that we are prepared for changes, often caused by difficult weather. Rather than fire fighting, we can consult our well made plans and adapt if we need to.

Being organised in this way is helpful in managing the stress of market gardening through the spring and summer, and although often times the work itself can bring untold benefits to our mental health and wellbeing, it is not always rosy, and the “living the good life” idea is not an achievement that we have yet met after 14 years of being growers. So, any ways that we can try to manage the stress that comes with the cyclical nature of our work are well worth putting time into implementing to be able to sustain a healthy balance.

January can be a slog at times, but it can also offer up the most beautiful days of the year - those cold, crisp days with endless blue skies are hard to beat, but the muddy, cold, damp days get deep into your bones and can take up a lot of effort. Days are short, but they are getting longer, and it is well worth making time to get outside on those good weather days to prepare the garden for the spring. Some beds we plant up around mid March, and these need preparing early to make sure that all crops and weeds are killed off before planting.

On our slow draining soil we cannot rely on the ground to be dry enough to cultivate by mid March so we choose to use occultation to prepare the ground. This is the process of using black plastic to block light getting to the crops and weeds and killing them. Firstly we mow or strim any crops and weeds and then sometimes apply a little compost if we feel the need, before covering the beds with double thickness silage plastic, held down with sandbags. At this time of year it can take 6-8 weeks for plants to die off under the plastic, compared to just a week or two in summer. So, it is worth taking a bit of time to do this by the end of January to prepare some of those beds that we need early on in the year.

This technique of preparing beds means that living roots are in the soil for as long as possible through the autumn and winter, rather than clearing the beds and mulching with compost. Many of the beds were also sown with green manures through late summer and autumn, so they have been covered with a diversity of plants that benefits soil life. Although we are not strictly

This picture shows the market garden in December, with very little bare soil, but lots of green manures that were sown through September and October.

no-dig, this technique has allowed us to minimise the cultivations and over time has noticeably helped to improve soil health and drainage. We do have some dedicated no-dig beds which are treated in a similar way, but the paths are also mulched annually with semi composted woodchip. This also helps a huge amount with drainage and the difference when walking on these paths compared to cultivated beds is huge—no mucky boots at all! This sort of work is a pleasure on those cold, crisp days, but not so great on the wet days—so choose your moment!

Don’t worry if you don’t get much done in the veg garden in January, and don’t be too tempted to tidy it up too much—making sure you leave plenty of old crops and weeds as habitat for overwintering beneficial insects. But, do try and get out there—it’s important to get outside as much as possible on the short days of the year, and it often looks less appealing than it is when you are looking from inside a warm, dry house.

We have new dates for courses for 2024, focusing on Salad Growing year round and a more general Introduction to Market Gardening with two other growers in East Devon and Somerset—Ruth at Fresh and Green near Ottery St Mary and Rita Oldenbourg and Adi Beer of Pitney Farm Market Garden. To find out more go to trillfarmgarden.co.uk WHAT TO SOW THIS MONTH: It is still too early to sow most veg, but we will be sowing a few sugarsnap peas, lettuce, spring onions and agretti on a heated propagation bench for early tunnel production. But,

24 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

there is no rush for sowing anything until the end of February/early March.

WHAT TO PLANT THIS MONTH: Nothing to plant this month (unless you still haven’t planted garlic, in which case it’s not too late!)

OTHER IMPORTANT TASKS THIS MONTH: Keep working through your winter job list of getting everything sorted for the season ahead. Soon enough it will be time to start sowing in earnest, so the more prepared for this the better. Do your seed ordering now if you haven’t already—and try to use some of the great smaller seed companies growing open pollinated seed in the UK such as Real Seeds and Vital Seeds. Make sure you have gone through all of your seed packets, and throw out any that don’t last more than a year. We find that parsnip seed is no good after a year, and parsley, carrots, spring onions and leek seed doesn’t last particularly long so we tend to buy seed each year for these.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 25

January in the Garden

By Russell Jordan

Photo by Tom Oates

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s 2024 going to be a time of change in your garden or just the start of another year maintaining the status quo? Last month I touched upon the fact that it is during these dormant, winter months that there’s usually time to look at the structure of your garden and decide what is working well for you and what is, perhaps, ripe for change. The recent spell of extremely heavy rainfall, with some of the worst flooding I’ve ever seen in these parts, may have highlighted areas of your garden which need improved drainage, or where paths have become muddy and may require a total rethink. Obviously, you will need to wait for waterlogged areas to dry out before you attempt any improvements but, as soon as they do, digging drainage ditches, or installing something like a ‘French drain’, is a good winter project.

There are plenty of online tutorials regarding making French drains (named after an American called ‘Henry French’ and not the country across the pond) but the principle is pretty simple; dig a trench with a slope away from where the water collects, line it with permeable landscaping fabric (to stop the pipe from becoming blocked with soil or roots), add a layer of coarse drainage material and then lay perforated drainage pipe along the entire length, cover this with more drainage material like coarse gravel, lay more landscaping fabric over your layers of drainage material and pipe before reinstating the soil, or turf, so that the whole drainage system is invisible.

French drains can be very effective as long as there is a reasonable slope along the length of the drainage trench, and sufficient care is taken that the perforated pipe does not get blocked and has enough hardcore type material around it so that it does not get crushed—this is particularly important if it is likely to encounter any type of surface traffic.

While on the subject of waterlogged ground it’s worth mentioning a story which you may have seen

recently in the news; the banning of the garden plant commonly known as ‘Giant Rhubarb’. This is one of those slightly complex situations where one species of ‘Giant Rhubarb’ was already on the ‘banned’ list due to its invasive nature; that one is Gunnera tinctoria. Then there’s a less invasive, smaller leaved, species which is G. manicata and this is the one that was originally introduced as a ‘choice’ garden plant and has, until recently, been sold as such by plant nurseries. Unfortunately this is where things get a bit more complicated!

It has now been discovered, using gene technology and good old botanising, that, at some point soon after introduction to the UK, the ‘rampant’ species crossed (hybridised) with the ‘choice’ species to produce an, almost as rampant, hybrid form: Gunnera x cryptica.

What’s worse is that it’s been discovered that practically every plant that has been sold as the garden worthy G. manicata is, in reality, the hybrid form and it’s now been decided that because this form can also be invasive, to the point where it can threaten our own native flora, that it can no longer be sold to gardeners.

The ‘ban’ does not extend to destroying established plants, many of which have been a feature of gardens for over a century, but does ban new introductions and also any artificial means of aiding the growth of these plants. Theoretically, because they only grow really well where water is abundant, this could mean that if you have ‘Giant Rhubarb’ growing in your garden and you have to supply it with water, in order to keep it growing healthily, then now you must not ‘aid its cultivation’ by supplying it with water. The idea is that it will naturally die out in areas where it is not well suited and, being banned from sale, it will only remain in those gardens where it is already established and where, under the ban, it has to be controlled in a way that prevents it from escaping into the wild.

My own experience of this plant is that it’s only

26 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

usually found in large gardens, the sort attached to a grand country house, and is really too big for most of us with ‘normal’ sized plots. For me the most fascinating part of this story is that the original introduction, G, manicata, is a more delicate, smaller leaved, version of what we now know is G. x cryptica and that the interloper was able to completely supplant its weaker parent without anyone in the horticultural trade even noticing. It’s only due to investigation on a genetic level, going back to comparisons with the true species growing in the wild, that this ‘under the radar’ invasion was discovered; it makes you wonder how many other garden plants are not all that they seem? To see the original report go here: https://journals.rbge. org.uk/rbgesib/article/view/1998.

Anyway, that little diversion was inspired by the recent waterlogging that we’ve experienced. Hopefully 2024 will not be one of those years with excessive rain / excessive heat / excessive anything but, in these times of global warming, it seems that extremes are something we’re going to have to deal with.

Getting back to gardening, it’s worth reminding you that whenever the winter weather is not excessively wet or cold, both of which are best avoided whenever considering garden work this month, you could be planting bare-rooted trees, shrubs and hedging. Easily obtained by mail-order suppliers, found via the internet, bare-rooted plants are generally the most cost effective means of obtaining living plants for your garden and you have, weather permitting, up to about the end of March to buy and plant them. If you have been tempted by all the various ‘rewilding’ type projects, that everyone seems to be doing these days, then planting a mixed, native, species hedge in your own garden, maybe to replace an existing, single species, hedge, could be a good start.

From my own bitter experience my main word of caution, when buying ‘off the shelf ’ bare-root, native, hedging, is to avoid mixes containing ‘Blackthorn’, Prunus spinosa, which is only really important if the hedge needs to be stock-proof. I find that this extremely thorny brute can prove problematical when it comes to hedge trimming and also because any discarded prunings are very prone to puncturing pneumatic tyres. Blackthorn also has a nasty habit of suckering, often popping up many metres from the actual hedge line, and this is a major problem especially when those suckers start to invade your adjacent wildflower meadow! I’d substitute Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, which is a good native hedging plant but is less thorny and does not produce invasive suckers.

I hope that gives you something to be getting on with, even if in January all the gardening you actually do is to scour seed catalogues, on paper or online, from the comfort of your favourite armchair—Happy New Gardening Year.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 27

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Ring in the New Year on a new doorbell!

By Helen Fisher

THORNCOMBE £475,000

An attractive detached 4 bedroom family home with 2 bathrooms (one en-suite), built 25 years ago on a small development of 36 properties in the heart of the village. Wooden, double glazed windows plus uPVC double glazed conservatory. Rear garden with lovely rural views. Side driveway for 2 cars leading to a garage.

Gordon & Rumsby Tel: 01297 553768

HOOKE £795,000

A detached 5 bed family home built in Purbeck stone benefitting from a fully self-contained 1 bed attached annex with private garden. All set in a central village location. Triple aspect sitting room with log-burning stove and patio doors. Large lawned gardens with greenhouse, log store and patio areas, raised veg and flower beds. Ample driveway parking.

Domvs Tel: 01308 805500

MORECOMBELAKE £500,000

TOLLER PORCORUM £285,000

An attractive detached two bedroom bungalow in an elevated southfacing position. Initially built in the 1930s and now having been substantially extended to create a contemporary property. Benefitting from planning permission to build an additional standalone 2 bedroom bungalow. Attractive, mature gardens with a decked terrance and 2 timber sheds and double car port. All set in 0.42 acres. Private parking.

Symonds and Sampson Tel: 01308 422092

An end of terrace period property (probably Georgian) with 2 double bedrooms and uPVC double glazed windows. Sitting room with exposed ceiling beams and gas stove fitted to the fireplace recess. Pretty rear garden with patio area and timber summerhouse plus garden shed and storage. Set in a rural village location in an ANOB. Kennedys Tel: 01308 427329

BRIDPORT £325,000

PUNCKNOWLE £375,000

Attractive 2 bed semi-detached, brand new cottage in courtyard development of just 4 properties. Underfloor heating on the ground floor, sealed unit windows, well equipped kitchen, fitted carpets upstairs and built in wardrobes plus a walled, private courtyard garden. All set in a private tucked away location yet still in the heart of the town. With an allocated parking space.

Stags Tel: 01308 428000 28 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

A 3 bedroom family home in a good condition, set in a elevated position and benefitting from double glazed windows throughout. Sitting room with open fireplace and lovely far-reaching countryside views. Separate utility room with access to a low maintenance rear garden. On street parking adjacent to the house.

Goadsby Tel: 01308 420000

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 29

Food&Dining

OYSTERS KILPATRICK Created by chef Ernest Arbogast in the Palm Court restaurant in San Francisco’s Place Hotel. This cooked oyster dish with bacon and Worcester sauce and tabasco was named after Colonel John C Kirkpatrick who managed the hotel from 1894 to 1914. Sounds a bit Irish I know with the name spelling but he was a Scottish American. There are many variations on this dish and it makes a tasty snack served as a single oyster or serve 3 or 6 as a starter.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

•

1. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the bacon on a low heat for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue cooking for another minute, stirring as it’s cooking.

3. Spoon the mixture over the oysters and cook under the grill for a couple minutes so the oysters are just cooked.

• • •

MARK HIX

• • • •

3 rashers of streaky bacon, finely diced A couple knobs of butter 3 spring onions, finely chopped 6 oysters, opened and shucked with the juice saved for the sauce 1 tbs chopped parsley 1 tbs tomato ketchup 2 tbs water A few drops of Tabasco to taste

30 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Sneak Peek The future of food and farming

Bridport Arts Centre Thursday 25 January, 2024. 7:30 pm. Book at: https://www.bridport-arts.com/

A double bill of fascinating films at Bridport Arts Centre in January. Food for Thought, presented by organic beef farmer Lisa Guy, asks, should we all be giving up meat and dairy to help avoid dangerous climate breakdown?

And, in Hungry for Change, Josh Quick explores the fact that we import nearly 50 per cent of all our food in the UK, and waste one-third of it.

Click on the image to view a trailer.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 31

Arts&Entertainment

Elizabeth Frink exhibition opens in Dorchester

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hirty years after her death, the first ever exhibition dedicated to Elisabeth Frink’s time in Dorset showcases over 80 sculptures, drawings and prints at Dorset Museum, including the working plasters that informed the final bronze sculptures that have never been on public display before.

One of the most celebrated sculptors of recent times ‑ the first female sculptor to be elected as a Royal Academician (1973) - Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993) produced over 400 sculptures throughout her illustrious career, a significant part of which was produced at her Woolland studio in Dorset between 1976 and 1993.

As part of this new exhibition, her Dorset studio will be recreated featuring her tools and the working plasters that formed the basis of some of her most well-known bronze sculptures, giving visitors a unique opportunity to step inside and see how one of Britain’s foremost artists worked.

As well as understanding her artistic process, visitors will get a chance to explore the influence of her private Dorset life, with a selection of

personal possessions on display including letters and photographs.

The dying wishes of her son, Lin Jammet, were that the entire Frink Estate and Archive be given to the nation, ensuring that Frink’s vision of sharing her artwork within the public sphere was achieved.

This generosity resulted in a significant cultural gift to 12 public museums across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with Dorset Museum receiving more than 300 works in 2020, making it one of the largest public collections of Frinks’ work. The Frink Estate gifted 31 bronze sculptures, more than 100 prints and drawings along with several original plaster sculptures, studio tools and equipment.

Works in A View from Within is drawn from this collection, as well as from the Frink Archive at the Dorset History Centre, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Ingram Collection of Modern British and Contemporary Art. They show the breadth of Frink’s subject matter and mastery of different techniques, from works that have been seen by millions in public, to those she privately pursued.

32 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Riace III by Elisabeth Frink, 1986 © John-Paul Bland/Courtesy The Ingram Collection. Artist copyright in image kindly approved by Tully and Bree Jammet.

Walking Madonna by Elisabeth Frink, 1981 © John-Paul Bland. Courtesy The Ingram Collection. Artist copyright in image kindly approved by Tully and Bree Jammet.

34 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

A fascination with the human form characterises a lot of her art, and Frink was particularly celebrated for her rendering of the male physique in bronze. The exhibition will include Frink’s response to the then-recent discovery of two life-size Greek bronzes near the Italian coast with her sculpture Riace III (1988), inspired by the visual concept of the warriors as well as the scholarly commentary which designated them as ‘thuggish’. Her own versions demonstrate her mastery of movement and muscle in a figure that stands over 2 meters tall.

Frink shared her Dorset home with her husband Alex Csáky, and they populated the space with paintings and sculpture. Now in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Seated Man (1986) will return to Dorset, where it once used to be on display by her swimming pool for smaller audiences during the many parties they hosted. The extensive grounds of Woolland helped Frink work in natural light, across all seasons, and was also a place where she could frame both her individual and group sculptures.

The natural world was important to Frink, especially the relationships between those that populated it. Animals would routinely be her subjects, both in sculpture such as with Small Standing Dog (1991), and printmaking with Little Owl (1977) and Blue Horse Head (1988). Frink was well known for her fascination with the form of horses and the spiritual properties they possessed. One of the last sculptures that she ever completed, Standing Horse (1993), was finished at Woolland only weeks before her death from cancer and will be included in the exhibition.

Elizabeth Selby, Director of Collections and Public Engagement at Dorset Museum, said: “Elisabeth Frink was an extraordinary artist who explored what it meant to be human through her work. This exhibition will portray Frink in a more intimate light, revealing her inner world and the major themes she explored in her sculpture, prints and drawings. We are thrilled to be able to display more of the works we acquired from the Elisabeth Frink Estate in 2020, and explore Frink’s connections with Dorset, where she lived and worked from 1976 until her death in 1993.”

Elisabeth Frink: A View from Within is curated by Lucy Johnston, Exhibition Manager at Dorset Museum and Annette Ratuszniak, former Curator of the Elisabeth Frink Estate. Research assistance has been provided by Pippa Davies.

The exhibition is sponsored by Duke’s Fine Art Auctioneer’s. The exhibition is generously supported by the Arts Council England NPO scheme through the Wessex Museums Partnership. Other funders include JP Marland Trust, the Henry Moore Foundation, the Finnis Scott Foundation and the Fine Family Foundation.

The exhibition will be open at Dorset Museum, High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA until 21 April 2024. For opening times visit www.dorsetmuseum.org.

Transformations and Chalk Stories

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wo new collections of poetry by Dorset-based poet, Beth Brooke, have been published this autumn.

Transformations, published in November by Hedgehog Poetry Press, is a series of poems inspired by the art and life of the sculptor Elisabeth Frink. One reviewer has described these poems as beautiful, sometimes brutal and full of searing imagery. A poem from this collection features in the current Frink exhibition at the Dorset Museum.

Brooke’s most recent collection, Chalk Stories, is published by the Hobnob Press.

From a quirky account of an elephant bathing at Weymouth beach to an evocation of Worgret Heath, these surprising poems have been described as ‘love-letters to Dorset’. Time is their key theme: the deep time of geology and of archaeology, the cycle of the seasons, and the time that it takes to raise a family.

With over 100 poems already published in more than 20 journals and anthologies, plus regular appearances at open-mic and online events, Beth Brooke has emerged as a distinctive new voice.

She has recently had work accepted by the Poetry Archive and her poem, ‘Horses At The Battle Of Philippi’, from her Transformations collection, has been nominated for a 2023 Pushcart Prize.

All her books are available from Amazon and can also be purchased from the publishers’ websites. In addition, Transformations is on sale at The Dorset Museum. For more information about Beth and for links to her other work visit www. bethbrookepoetry.co.uk

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 35

January GALLERIES

Until 30 December Kit Glaisyer presents an evolving exhibition of his West Country landscape paintings, with works on show in his gallery and studio, including original paintings, drawings, and prints on canvas. Open Fri & Sat, 10am - 4pm or by appointment. Kit Glaisyer Gallery, 11 Downes Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JR. 07983 465789 www.kitglaisyery. com @kitglaisyer.

Until 1 January 2024 ‘Gruppenausstellung’ is a celebration of Hauser & Wirth’s Swiss heritage through a playful presentation of over 20 artists. Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton Somerset BA10 0NL. 1 - 30 January Kit Glaisyer presents an evolving exhibition of his West Country landscape paintings, with works on show in his gallery and studio, including original paintings, drawings, and prints on canvas. Open Saturdays 10am - 4pm or by appointment. Kit Glaisyer Fine Art, 11 Downes Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JR. 07983 465789 www.kitglaisyery. com @kitglaisyer Until 2 January 2024 Unwrapped The gallery’s annual festive exhibition, featuring some of the best handmade decorations, tableware, greetings cards and gift inspiration our local artistic community has to offer. 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.

4 - 20 January GOLD Toni Davey, Jane Harris, Carali McCall, Anna Mossman, Katherine Perrins, Alice Temperley, Denise Webber. An investigation of gold’s historical and

iconographic use in the history of art. The works all reference the individual artists’ own practices and demonstrate the continued importance of gold as an inherently potent idea, material, colour and pigment in contemporary art. CLOSE Ltd, Close House, Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset TA3 6AE. 01823 480350.

Until 5 January Autumn mixed exhibition Consuelo Child-Villiers brings visionary oils. A nautical theme comes from printmaker Colin Moore and Kim Pragnell’s charcoal deftly contrasts curvature of the boats with the linearity of the yard architecture. Hill forts enter by way of landscape monoprints from Bristol-based Ruth Ander. The Hampshire artist Philippa Headley adds her impressionistic landscape oils to the mix alongside the detailed landscape etchings of Devonbased Mary Gillett. A variety of raku ceramics are with us from London-based artist Alison Wear as well as stonework from Sarah Moore and the fine metal/glass/stone scuptures from Bershire based Johannes von Stumm. Imogen Bittner has some new textile pieces as well as work from Londonbased guest artist Chloe Fremantle and pieces by local guest artist Sarah Batt. Tincleton Gallery, The Old School House, Tincleton, nr Dorchester, DT2 8QR Opening 10 – 4PM Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon Or by appointment Admission fee: nil.

01305 848 909 www.tincletongallery.com.

13 January - 3 February Grace Crabtree: Elemental Drift. Artist Grace Crabtree works primarily in the traditional medieval and Renaissance techniques of buon fresco and egg tempera, which both involve a close engagement with the earthy, elemental materials of stone, sand and pigments. Her paintings, depicting fragments of figures and landscapes, draw in

36 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

particular from the coastlines of Dorset and Cyprus, and from historic or mythic narratives woven through the landscape. As a recipient of an Arts Council England DYCP studio and research grant for her project, ‘The Art of Fresco’ (2022-23), Grace attended a specialist fresco course in Sardinia, and has since been continuing her work to fold this ancient and alchemical medium into a contemporary painting practice. Preview: Friday 12th January, all welcome. Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre, 9 South Street, Bridport DT6 3NR Open 10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday, 01308 424901. Free entry.

13 January - 9 March Mikhail Karikis: Acoustics of Resistance First UK showing of new installation by internationally recognised artist Mikhail Karikis focusing on the climate emergency and exploring listening as a form of climate care and activism.

Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX thelmahulbert.com. 01404 45006 Until 21 January Radiance Alex Lowery, Louise Balaam, Julian Bailey, Martyn Brewster, Vanessa Gardiner, Frances Hatch, Petter Southall. A celebration of light in the landscape, contrasting the distilled sophistication of Alex Lowery’s bright new paintings, the painterly energy of Louise Balaam’s wild open spaces and Martyn Brewster’s deeply felt abstracted landscapes. Works by some of our most popular artists including Vanessa Gardiner, Julian Bailey and Frances Hatch, from perfect small presents to thrilling major works. Petter Southall’s work includes a new refectory table exploring beautiful simple lines and natural textures. Ceramics, sculpture, textiles, books, prints and accessories by

leading designers and makers. Sladers Sladers Yard Gallery, West Bay Road, West Bay Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL. 01308 459511.

27 January - 2 June Artist Rooms, Bill Viola Bill Viola (born 1951) is one of the world’s leading video artists, considered pivotal in establishing video as a form of contemporary art. Since the early 1970s Viola has used video to explore universal human experiences such as birth, death and the unfolding of consciousness. His work is renowned for its precision and simplicity while fusing the influences of painting, photography and cinema. Artist Rooms focuses on three intimate pieces from ‘The Passions’. Begun in 2000, this series is a sustained exploration of human emotions, suffering and transcendence. It is inspired in large part by Viola’s study of European religious paintings of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and his personal experience of loss with the death of his parents. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter EX4 3LS. 01392 265317 Until 28 January Beyond the Beach Huts: Strange Visions In and Around Lyme Regis Artist Dave Wicken will be sharing with visitors the fruits of his surreal imagination as he portrays the Jurassic Coast in a style halfway between drawing and photography, inspired by the coastal scenery around Lyme

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Radiance in West Bay

January GALLERIES

Petter Southall Life Table 2023 solid oak, steam-bent base

RADIANCE, the exhibition at Sladers Yaerd until Januiary 20th is a celebration of light in the landscape, contrasting the distilled sophistication of Alex Lowery’s bright new paintings, the painterly energy of Louise Balaam’s wild open spaces and Martyn Brewster’s deeply felt abstracted landscapes.

On the ground floor the gallery presents works by some of their most popular artists including Vanessa Gardiner, Julian Bailey and Frances Hatch, from perfect small presents to thrilling major works.

Petter Southall’s work includes a new refectory table exploring beautiful simple lines and natural textures. Ceramics, sculpture, textiles, books, prints and accessories by leading designers and makers are also available in a lively and vibrant display.

Sladers Yard Gallery and Café Sladers, West Bay Road, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL. +44 (0)1308 459511.

Rain off the Atlantic Dissolves Mortehoe, Woolacombe, Devon, Frances Hatch

Regis, wondering what may have inhabited the place long ago and what may occur there in the future.

Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm, www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk.

28 January - 28 April ‘Present Tense’ will spotlight the next generation of artists living and working in the UK, from emerging to mid-career, celebrating a breadth of creative talent and socially engaged practices. The multifaceted group presentation will consist of 23 contemporary artists outside of the Hauser & Wirth roster, testing the boundaries of their mediums to address and confront notions of identity, consciousness, humanity and representation. Through their individual lens, each artist is responding to the cultural climate of the UK right now, depicting a range of lived experiences that co-exist and connect within the rich fabric of the same location.

30 January - 31 March Bright & Bold: Celebrating the Dorset Landscape Miranda Pender takes a fresh look at familiar Dorset features in this vibrant collection of semi-abstract landscapes, recognisable without being realistic and playing freely with colour, curve and contour. Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm, www. lymeregismuseum.co.uk Until 21 April Elisabeth Frink: A View from Within An exhibition that will reveal an intimate portrait of the celebrated British sculptor Elisabeth Frink. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the artist’s death, Elisabeth Frink: A View from Within will be the first exhibition to focus on the significant body of work produced by Frink (1930-1993) at her Woolland studio in Dorset between 1976 and 1993. It will explore her artistic process, personal life and the profound influences that shaped her work: human conflict and our relationship with the natural world. Dorset Museum, High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA

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

BY JANUARY 12th

38 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Elemental Drift at the Allsop Gallery

ARTIST Grace Crabtree works primarily in the traditional medieval and Renaissance techniques of buon fresco and egg tempera, which both involve a close engagement with the earthy, elemental materials of stone, sand and pigments. A new exhibition at Bridport Arts Centre opens with a Preview on Friday 12th January—all are welcome.

The exhibition, Elemental Drift will continue from Saturday 13th January to Saturday 3rd February at the Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre, 9 South Street, Bridport DT6 3NR. Open 10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday, Free Entry. 01308 424901.

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You’re looking at me, Sang Woo Kim, 2023 Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 x 2 cm 9 58 x 15 34 x 34 in © Sang Woo Kim, Photo Damian Griffiths 40 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Present Tense Spotlighting the next generation of UK based artists

Let the Land Speak, Ania Hobson, 2023, Oil on canvas, 205 x 195 cm / 80 3/4 x 76 3/4 in © Ania Hobson, Photo: Ania Hobson ‘PRESENT TENSE’ will spotlight the next generation of artists living and working in the UK, from emerging to mid-career, celebrating a breadth of creative talent and socially engaged practices. The multifaceted group presentation will consist of 23 contemporary artists outside of the Hauser & Wirth roster, testing the boundaries of their mediums to address and confront notions of identity, consciousness, humanity and representation. Through their individual lens, each artist is responding to the cultural climate of the UK right now, depicting a range of lived experiences that co-exist and connect within the rich fabric of the same location.

An extended events and learning program will run alongside the exhibition, engaging with key themes addressed within the galleries and facilitating points of intersection between the artists’ practice and our audiences.

Present Tense. 27 January – 28 April 2024. Hauser & Wirth, Durslade Farm Dropping Lane, Bruton Somerset BA10 0NL. +44 (0) 1749814060.

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Sneak Peek A peek at what’s coming up on stage and screen near you Just click on an image to view a trailer

MET Opera: Nabucco (Encore) - Film Bridport Arts Centre Saturday 13 January, 5:55pm. Book at: https://www.bridport-arts.com/how-to-book/

The Third Life - Film Dorchester Corn Exchange Thursday 18 January 7pm.

Book at: https://www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/

Upbeat Beatles - Live Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis Saturday 28 January, 8.00pm.

Book at: https://www.marinetheatre.com/

Wonka - Film The Beehive, Honiton Saturday January 20, 4pm & 7pm.

Book at: https://beehivehoniton.co.uk/

42 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

I am Urban - Film Bridport Arts Centre Tuesday 30 January, 7:30pm Book at: https://www.bridport-arts.com/how-to-book/

Kitty Macfarlane - Live The David Hall, South Petherton Saturday 13 January 8pm. Book at:. https://www.thedavidhall.com/

Lyme Regis Memories - Film Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis Saturday 16 January, 2.00pm.

Book at: https://www.marinetheatre.com/

The John Martyn Project - Live Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis Saturday 20 January, 8.00pm.

Book at: https://www.marinetheatre.com/

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January PREVIEW

Festival veteran comedian LYME REGIS MARKUS Birdman, a veteran of Glastonbury Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe, headlines Lyme Regis Comedy Club on Friday 19th January, in a line-up that also includes Burt Williamson and the regular host, Tom Glover.

As one of the most sought-after acts on the comedy circuit, Markus Birdman has performed at all the major comedy venues and extensively throughout the UK and internationally. He is one of stand-up’s most well-travelled comedians, much in demand in the UK and all over the world.

After attending several art schools and even managing to graduate from one, Markus became a graffiti artist, muralist and performance poet. He was the Glastonbury Festival Poetry Slam Champion but he can’t remember which year, because, he says, he was fairly out of it.

He went on to be one of the first British comics to have his own Netflix Special—Live in Amsterdam.

He has written and performed 13 Edinburgh Festival solo shows and toured Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Scandinavia and throughout Europe, the Middle East and Far East. He has also appeared on numerous TV and radio shows both in the UK and abroad, most recently reaching the live finals of Britain’s Got Talent.

44 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Fragments of nightmare and love BUCKLAND NEWTON AND DRIMPTON SOMERSET-based contemporary dance company Project Dance brings a new work, Fragments, to Buckland Newton village hall on Friday 19th January and Drimpton hall on Saturday 20th, both at 7.30pm.

Project Dance is led by artistic director James Bamford, who comes from Yeovil and was previously an artist with the English National Ballet Youth Company. The company strives to create ambitious, innovative and ground-breaking professional and youth dance works for stage and screen.

Performed by two dancers, Fragments tells the intimate story of a young couple who, when faced with what anyone else would describe as a nightmare, learn to fall in love with each other again, piece by piece, memory by memory. This uniquely intimate piece of dance theatre expresses the vulnerability, anxiety and helplessness of falling in love.

A memorable Christmas Eve DORCHESTER CHRISTMAS 2023 may be behind us, but there are plenty of Christmasses yet to come, and Somerset’s hilarious and multi-talented Living Spit are coming to Dorchester to transport you to their own version of the best-loved of all festive tales, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, at the Corn Exchange on Thursday 5th January at 7.30pm.

Despite the very sad news of the death of co-founder and comedy acting treasure Howard Coggins, Living Spit are back on the road, with Howard’s partner in theatrical crime Stu Mcloughlin joined by Bristol actor Craig Edwards.

Hard-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge hates the season of goodwill—until a visit from three phantoms one memorable Christmas Eve makes him rethink his miserly ways and turn his wicked life upside down ... blah blah blah.

We all know the story ... we’ve all seen the film(s) ... but you’ve got a New Year treat in store with Craig Edwards’ unique take on Dickens’ anti-hero. He is bringing Stu Mcloughlin along for the ride to dress up, sing, dance and generally act like a complete idiot while playing ALL the other parts.

Saturday 3rd February, at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 1.30.

The Players promise an unforgettable performance filled with laughter, music, and glittering fun, directed

by Greg Horton, bringing everyone’s favourite pantomime story to life, with Jess Goldstone as the enchanting heroine.

Witness Cinderella’s rags-to-riches transformation as she escapes the clutches of her wicked stepmother, Lady Gargoyle (Amy Carlile) and stepsisters Beyoncé and Britney (Holly Gibbs and Justine Gawen). With the help of her Fairy Godmother (Hatti Amos) and her loyal friend Buttons (Amy Day) she is sure to prove that true love conquers all. King Hubert (James Oldfield) and Queen Harriet (newcomer Lauren Good) are determined to find a bride for their son, not realising that magic is at work.

Laughter and excitement will be palpable as Cinderella eventually finds her Prince Charming (Johanna Leins) ably assisted by his servant, Gently, (Alice Scadding), but not without a few twists and hilarious moments along the way; especially when it comes to a certain love machine created by Professor Von Klaptrapp (Ross Hughes).

The Players are joined by dancers from The Lyric School of Dancing. Be prepared to sing along, cheer for your favourite characters and become part of the action as the magic unfolds before your eyes.

Cinderella in the (Electric) Palace BRIDPORT CINDERELLA has a special party at the palace to look forward to—join her and Bridport Pantomime Players at the Electric Palace from Wednesday 31st January to

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January PREVIEW

Dave Kelly and Paul Jones acoustic tour comes to Bridport in January They aren’t retiring BRIDPORT THE Blues Band may be retiring from touring, but their two lead vocalists are still on the road—Paul Jones and Dave Kelly bring their acoustic tour to Bridport’s Electric Palace on Saturday 20th January.

Ruggedly durable and timeless, the blues is as popular today as it has ever been. Young musicians still cut their teeth on its enticing 12-bar appeal, but its real rewards, true virtuosity, poise and knowledge, only come with age.

Founder members of The Blues Band, Paul Jones and Dave Kelly’s tangled and colourful roots go way

back into the deep undergrowth of the tradition.

As well as their own original material, they not only know and perform the work of the greats, including Howling’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson—they actually played alongside them, and enjoyed their friendship.

Paul Jones first made his mark on the blues scene as the lead singer of the great Manfred Mann (formed in 1962). And after more than a quarter of a century as presenter of his BBC Radio 2 R&B show, and more than 60 years as a charismatic singer and harmonica maestro, what Paul doesn’t know about the blues can be written on a pinhead.

The same can be said about Dave Kelly, who has

46 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Ancient myths brought alive in Wild Visions

played with them all, including legends such as James Burton and Buddy Guy. Superb blues vocals and guitar virtuosity have elevated him into the higher echelon of international blues performers.

Myths and storytellers CERNE ABBAS CERNE Abbas, deep in the heart of Dorset, below a mysterious and world-famous chalk figure, seems just the right setting for an evening of wild and wonderful stories and myths from the distant past. Wild Visions and Untamed Myth comes to the village hall on Sunday 21st January.

Storytellers Katy Cawkwell and Lucy Lill are coming to Dorset with two ancient myths that have women centre stage.

Plunge into the wild world of the goddess Artemis for an ecstatic encounter with the Dawn, a moonlit path that leads to transformation and a dilemma that maybe only the audience can solve.

Then meet Kassandra, a daughter of the Trojan King Priam, blessed with the power to see the future, cursed with never being believed. It’s a story of betrayal, war and destruction—urban, dark and devastating.

Join these two acclaimed storytellers on a path less trodden, as they go hunting in the wild places and raking through the ashes of a fallen city to bring you epic tales of women taking their power whatever the consequences ...

Wild Visions and Untamed Myth is also at the Pamela

Hambro Hall at Winterborne Stickland on Saturday 20th January. Both performances are at 7.30pm.

Take it From The Top DORCHESTER THE Irresponsible Theatre Company comes to Dorchester Arts at the Corn Exchange on 11th and 12th January with a new murder mystery, From The Top, a delightful mix of mischief, comedy, chaos, audience participation—and a whole host of things that are not as they seem.

In partnership with the drama department of Thomas Hardye School, the theatre company makes its debut, exploring murder at Monty’s Manor, set at a party for the esteemed Monty Grey, where the heir to his inheritance is about to be revealed! From The Top is a play-within-a-play—it’s funny, innovative and has something for everyone to enjoy.

Fifty years of love letters DORCHESTER A PLAY which revolves around 50 years of love letters comes to Dorchester Corn Exchange on Thursday 25th January in a new production by The Group Theatre Co. Have you ever known someone who touched every part of your life? Have you loved someone through time and distance? Share in the story of Melissa and Andrew as they grow together through the power of the pen.

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AR Gurney’s Love Letters is the story of a 50-year correspondence between Melissa Gardner and her childhood-friend-turned-love-interest, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. Premiered on Broadway in 1989, the play has been revived constantly and the list of acting pairings who have taken part is testament to the quality of the writing: Sigourney Weaver and Jeff Daniels, Charlton Heston and Jean Simmons, Elizabeth Taylor and James Earl Jones to name but a few!

The Real Manhunter HONITON HALF a lifetime of cracking cold cases and chasing serial killers, followed by a second career as a writer and broadcaster, has made Colin Sutton a popular public speaker. The former detective chief inspector is coming to the Beehive Centre at Honiton on Friday 26th January, at 7.30pm.

The Real Manhunter takes you through his career, which begin with 30 years in the police, the last nine years as head of a Metropolitan Police murder squad for the last nine years of that period.

After retirement in 2011, Colin wrote books about two of his major investigations. These were adapted into the acclaimed ITV drama series Manhunt, both seasons starring Martin Clunes as Colin. The second season, Manhunt: The Night Stalker, was nominated for the Best Drama BAFTA in 2022.

Colin writes and presents The Real Manhunter, a true crime documentary series on Sky Crime, which is now in its third season. In the Honiton show, he will talk the audience through his career, how policing has changed, what it is like to chase a serial killer and how he made the step from policing to story-telling.

New name for popular choir BRIDPORT AFTER more than half a century, Bridport’s New Elizabethan Singers can hardly call themselves new any more. And they have never sung Elizabethan (Tudor) music. So the choir is starting the new year with a new name—the West Dorset Singers.

Indeed the original name has caused some confusion among those who do not know this long-established group. So the new name makes sense—but everything else is the same, the members of the choir, the musical director, Matt Kingston, and the high standards!

The West Dorset Singers’ first concert of 2024 will be at St. Swithun’s Church, Bridport, on Saturday, 27th January—a programme of modern works that are settings of two of the most ancient Christian hymns.

John Rutter’s Magnificat from 1990 expresses Mary’s joy when sharing her news that she is expecting Jesus, the promised Messiah. Paul Carr’s Stabat Mater from 2017 reflects Mary’s sorrow when witnessing Christ’s crucifixion, yet remains calm and confident.

The singers will also present the first concert performance of Matthew Coleridge’s new Stabat Mater Dolorosa. (Matthew Coleridge is the name under which Matt Kingston composes). The choir will be joined by a professional soprano soloist and musicians.

The concert starts at 7pm and tickets are available from Goadsby Estate Agents in Bridport or online at ticketsource.co.uk/wds Hungry for change BRIDPORT BRIDPORT Arts Centre hosts a double bill of food documentaries on Thursday 25th January, at 7.30pm—Hungry for Change and Food for Thought.

In Hungry for Change, the film maker and forager Josh Quick explores the shocking facts that we import nearly 50 per cent of all our food in the UK, and waste one-third of it—so it is unsurprising that the food we eat and the way we produce it are responsible for a huge part of our carbon emissions.

Cornwall Climate Care’s Hungry for Change, looks at our reliance on this intensive, hyper-globalised, fossil fuel-driven food system—which is itself becoming more and more vulnerable to climate shocks.

Presenter Josh Quick asks whether there are ways of producing more of our food locally and in more imaginative, but less damaging, ways. It takes a fascinating and inspiring look at a whole range of stories, from the gleaners picking ‘waste’ crops in our fields to projects growing food in unusual places and a microbiologist keen to get us all eating low-carbon insects.

Food for Thought, presented by organic beef farmer Lisa Guy, asks another timely question—should we all be giving up meat and dairy if we are to have a hope of avoiding dangerous climate breakdown?

This is what the headlines seem to tell us. But is this too simplistic a picture—and what would this mean for Cornwall, where the majority of farmland is used to raise livestock or to grow crops for these animals to eat?

The film looks at the undeniable impacts of modern animal agriculture as well as some of the incredible Cornish initiatives under way to mitigate them—and also the role that regenerative farming could play in actually combating climate change while producing nutritious food.

Food for Thought aims to inspire much-needed conversation and action about a crucial subject that

48 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Earl Okin is coming to Lyme Regis has become one of the most contentious within the climate debate.

A national treasure in spats LYME REGIS EARL Okin is a man of many parts—musician, raconteur, philosopher, broadcaster, composer ... owner of absolutely no casual clothing and wearer of spats. Self-styled as a “jazz cabaret artiste”, Earl comes to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on Friday 12th January.

Described as the finest performer of bossa nova outside of Brazil, he is a singer, songwriter, “mouthtrumpeter,” pianist, guitarist, comedian, formerschoolmaster and all-round national treasure!

Active since the 1960s, he’s toured with Paul McCartney and Wings, performed alongside Billy Connolly, appeared on television with Michael Parkinson and the Two Ronnies, performed for royalty, successfully took his one man show to Edinburgh Fringe for 18 consecutive years, travelled internationally plying his craft and met and worked with just about everyone who’s anyone! He is also a long-time regular at Ronnie Scott’s legendary London jazz club.

Earl is unsure who would play him in a movie about his life, now that Cary Grant is gone, but there is a forthcoming documentary about his illustrious career.

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Screen Time with Nic Jeune

Top Six at the Flix Odeon Cinema Dorchester Poor Things. (2023) “Stuffed with rude delights, spry wit, radical fantasy and breathtaking design elements, the movie is a feast.” The Hollywood Reporter. David Rooney.

Plaza Cinema Dorchester One Life. (2023) “With a quality cast (which also includes Lena Olin as Winton’s wife and Jonathan Pryce as his friend), this is a finely crafted film.” Total Film. James Mottram The Electric Palace Bridport Wonka. (2023) “…in the hands of Brit-cinema’s new kings of comedy, writer Simon Farnaby and writer-director Paul King (who have already worked their magic on Paddington), this pre-Wonka is an absolute Christmas treat.” The Guardian. Peter Bradshaw.

Netflix The Kitchen (2023) “It is such a stunningly and meticulously designed film that it continually captivates.” Total Film. Neil Smith.

BBC iPlayer Films Easter Parade (1948) “MGM’s glorious 1948 musical starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, is sheer entertainment from beginning to end.”

Reel Talk. Betty Jo Tucker.

Spike Island (2012) “Following 24 Hour Party People and Control, another chapter in the rich musical history of northwest England is celebrated in coming-of-age saga Spike Island. This third feature from Mat Whitecross (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll) focuses on a fictional teen band in the days leading up to the May 1990 Merseyside outdoor concert performed

by Manchester’s Stone Roses”, Variety.

Charles Gant

Hot Fingers and Spats Langham have a short Artsreach tour in January Twenty years of vintage hot jazz VILLAGES ARTSREACH favourites Spats Langham and Hot Fingers are back in January for a three-date tour, celebrating 20 years of hot jazz from the 1920s and 30s, starting at Langton Matravers village hall on Thursday 25th at 7.30pm.

Join Hot Fingers on a musical journey, weaving together the history of the songs in their repertoire with tales of 20 years on the road together.

Expect an eclectic mix of vintage acoustic music, from the red-hot jazz of 1920s New York and sophisticated 1930s swing, to the king of gypsy swing Django Reinhardt, the blues guitars of Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson and the syncopated Latin rhythms of Argentinean Oscar Aleman.

Hot Fingers frontman Tom ‘Spats’ Langham has been entertaining since his teens on tenor banjo, guitar, ukulele and vocals and has performed with such notables as The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, The Temperance Seven and Acker Bilk. Malcolm Sked, on tuba, sousaphone and double-bass, has toured the world with Bob Kerr’s Whoopee Band and The Charleston Chasers. Together with vocalist Emily Campbell and multi-instrumentalist Danny Blyth on clarinets, guitar, mandolin and harmonica, Hot Fingers regularly fill jazz clubs, halls and theatres up and down the country.

Twenty Years with Hot Fingers is also at Broadwindsor’s Comrades Hall on Friday 26th January and Briantspuddle village hall on Saturday 27th, both at 7.30pm.

50 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

The Young Lit Fix

Old Baby Mackerel bring old style bluegrass to Portesham and Halstock Stomping New Year bluegrass VILLAGES OLD Baby Mackerel, an English blue-grass quartet bring their high energy, foot-stomping sound to three Dorset villages on an Artsreach tour in January, from 11th to 13th January.

The line-up of renowned virtuoso musicians use the rhythmic sounds of banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle and double bass, to create blistering solos and gorgeous harmonies.

Be prepared to be transported back in time to the early 20th century and across the Atlantic to the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, where songs dramatised the small-town preoccupations of religion, locomotion and the veneration of whisky and bootleg liquor.

Catch this New Year treat on Thursday 11th January at Hinton Martell, Friday 12th at Portesham and Saturday 13th at Halstock. All concerts are in the village halls at 7.30pm.

Tuning into the past ARTSREACH TOUR JOIN comedian and broadcast historian Paul Kerensa for An Evening of (very) Old Radio… the First Firsts of Broadcasting, on four dates with Artsreach in Dorset, starting on Thursday 25th January at Nether Compton village hall, followed by West Stafford on Friday 26th, and Marnhull on Saturday 27th, all at 7.30pm, and Studland village hall on Sunday 28th at 2.30.

So, in the great tradition of radio ... Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin...

Journey back to the 1920s in this one-man ‘stand-up history’ show on how the BBC began, researched, written and performed by Paul Kerensa, a British Comedy Award-winning writer (Miranda, Not Going Out), comedian and broadcast historian.

Expect tales, clips and re-enactments of Auntie Beeb’s earliest landmark moments, including the first BBC broadcast, the first children’s drama, sports commentary and so much more.

A regular on BBC Radio 2’s Pause For Thought, Paul Kerensa has performed more than 3,000 stand-up gigs, including at the Royal Albert Hall, The Comedy Store and Montreal Comedy Festivals.

GPW

Nature Trail

by Benjamin Zephaniah Illustrated by Nila Aye Published by Orchard Books/Hachette £6.99 Board Book Reviewed by Nicky Mathewson

A JOYFUL rhyming celebration of the natural wonders on our doorstep.

This book begins with the most inviting, colourful cover, inside and out. Adorned with leaves, flowers, winding branches and friendly little bugs, it is instantly enchanting. A hard wearing board book makes it perfect for little hands for a first delve into the nature that is close to home.

The simple yet profound poem is a classic piece of Benjamin Zephania fun and it really highlights the wildness of a garden. There are plants, mushrooms, insects and bees, mammals, frogs and children, night and day, all beautifully illustrated by Nila Aye. It’s full of colour and I adore it. It would make the perfect edition to any toddler’s bedtime reading pile and is a joy to read out loud.

Suitable to read to newborns and keep throughout childhood. Perfect for 2-4 year olds. Also Available in paperback format.

10% off for Marshwood Vale readers at The Bookshop on South Street, Bridport.

01308 422964 www.dorsetbooks.com Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 51

Services&Classified FOR SALE 1971. 01297 34958.

4 large folding tables, 2 medium folding tables, 35 grey plastic stacking chairs, 2 indoor bowls mats on trolleys, bowls and jacks plus many sundry items Violin 1920s contents of closed Hall.

Stradivarius copy - full No reasonable offer size case bow and music refused, contact Alan £300 ono 01297 33745. 01308 488789. samsurfers@outlook.

Set of smooth round com. white deer antlers. 25 Camping Gas Butane inches long. £18.00.

Bottles 15 Kgs. x2. £10 Greens by Swift each or £18 the two. binoculars, 10X50, 01297 33889. coated optics. (262ft Alto Saxophone at 1000yds). in case (Chateau), ideal student as New. £15.00. Tel or upgrade model.

01297678602.

Beautifully engraved Wall mounted Air with black/silver nickel conditioning units £500 plate. As new condition. each. With remotes. £199. Bridport. 01308 07917 597075.

425037.

Flared candle bulbs, Free table from new & boxed. 27 of IKEA. It’s been used 40w BC-B22d frosted. 4 as an computer table. of 60w It’s 136x76 cm. Please BC-B22d frosted. 6 of contact us on 07940 60w SES-E14 frosted. 6 484129. of 40w BC-B22d clear.

Thomas Hardy. Ten £15. Tel 07721 530520. novels published in 1925 Dunlop welly shoes

by MacMillan &co. In size 11(46) as new. £7 Blue & gold and good Tel 07721 530520. condition for their age. Belle PC 400 16inch Offers 01297 443118 / wacker plate £500. Tel 07791 054401.

07721 530520. Anvil Furniture Restored medium size £200 Tel dark wood three draw 07721 530520. console table, mid-19 th Retired from golf so century, 48 x 18 inches, Power Caddy Classic £120. New Electric Trolley with three-legged stool or Battery. A “good display table made by workhorse”. Will local craftsman, top in take your valued clubs yew and other parts in anywhere. £40. tel: oak, ash & pine, 01308458778 or email: £95. Photographs pipeight8@gmail.com. available. 01297 34958. Mountain Bike Giant Free Countryman Boulder Adult Size M magazines Complete set Good condition 26” covering 50 years from wheels 21 gears £50.

Pottery clearout.

FREE glaze ingredients, tools etc. (Donations to Pilsdon welcome). By appointment 6/1/24 and 14/1/24 at 2 - 4pm.

Harriet 07765813862.

SERVICES

07889 842104 (Beaminster).

Slide/cine screen.

Fully collapsable screen, complete with tri-pod stand. Had very little use, excellent condition and with original box. £9. 00. Phone: 01460 68765 or 07486 511841.

Wheeltrims. Set of four unused metal car wheel trims, 13 inch, originally for Hyundai but will fit all 13 inch steel wheels. £10.00 Phone: 01460 68765 or train with 5 carriages £4. RESTORATION White Ladies fold up 07486 511841.

3 assorted older style bike 3 speed, £35. 07862 FURNITURE 349825.

AA badges. Chrome Antique restoration 2 Men’s new Shetland /yellow back plates. and bespoke furniture. £10.00. Phone: 01460 all wool tweed. Sports Furniture large and 68765 or 07486 511841. jackets grey and dark small carefully restored green leather buttons Bang and Olufsen and new commissions chest 40-42” £30 each. undertaken. French SUB Woofer perfect polishing, chair repairs 01297 489414. £30 or exchange and modern hand Maxijin 1 piece chair for Ford CD player. finishes. Phil Meadley Colyton. 01297 553440. cover 30” to 41” wide (81cm to 120cm) (new) 01297 560335 3’ Divan Bed and mattress. Silent Night. colour (camel) (2) £20 each. H Versail Tex Good condition £45.

FOR SALE Protects your Coach Buyer collects. 01460 Loveseat 75” x 90” 220081.

Leigh Dovetail Jig beige reversible (new) Dunelm Eyelet used once, c/w box, £20. Craft Gemini Foil manual + spares. £150. curtains 228cm x press £50. 01297 34801 01308 897488 (Burton 182cm, light beige please leave message chenille lined. 100% Bradstock). if no answer or 07944 polyester, excellent Trek 800 Mountain 458041. condition £50. 01460 bikes, one ladies (green) Bicycle carrier Asolo and one gents (blue) 54578. only used five times New Eazee cook recently serviced £50 £30. 07815 979784 microwave as seen on each. 01308 897488.

TV, 2 tiers, steam release Bridport.

(Burton Bradstock). vent steam without oils Stereo Stacking System Portable electric grille, Pioneer, amplifier, etc £8. White crock new unused £35. cassette – CT506, pot serves enough Electric polisher unused radio – TX606, record £20. Oval wicker basket for 2-3 people, has 3 player PL 514X. Free to new 25” x 16” x 9”, £25. settings, med, high, collect. 01308 420764. warm, £10. Phillips Metal lantern new £20.

Wolf Folding all-in-one Comb +11 01297 680560. wheelbarrow (canvas lock in length setting Annex for Dorema self sharpening blades, pan) £25. Leaf sweeper, De Lux awning, Ten all boxed, instructions. Wolf Garten, collecting Cate All Season coated £6. Small toy wooden bag needs a patch.

52 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

Jun 24

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 53

FOR SALE polyster only used 8 times, cost new £400, will accept £50. 01935 471577.

Security window grill, metal with white coating centre opening with key w104cm x h130cm, as new £45.

01297 489414.

Yardmaster metal shed 8’ x 6’ boxed. £100. 01308 425859 Alan.

Hornby “00” Two and One mainline Palitoy Locos 3 coaches Rollingstoke twin controller 63’ plus rail 8 points houses + shops trees £75. 01308 425497.

Free 5ft Dark oak refectory table. Ideal for stripping or recycling.

07593 179826.

Extractor fan 4” diameter bathroom/ kitchen Silent 100 Environment, will demonstrated working order, photos on request, sell £10. 07789 537011.

Settee 3 seater, burgundy red leather with inlaid wood features, faultless condition, photo on request £100. 07789 537011.

Karcher Steam Cleaner SC2 with attachments for kitchens bathrooms windows, in good working order, £50.

01308 861051.

American made lounge display cabinet honey colour 54” long

79” high, vgc, £95.

01458 223795 Eve. Almark Commander size 1m brown bowls £40. 01460 62074.

Kingsize duvet 4tg, excellent condition £10.

01308 422997.

Divan bed 6ft x 4ft x 2ft, six ball wheels. Four 9 inch deep drawers, divides into two. £50.

Buyer collects. 01305 262625.

Dog Kennel strong plastic construction, 30 inches high, 34 inches long, 21 inches wide. Good condition, suitable working/ farm dog. £25ono. 01308 868816.

Ladies waterproof navy walking trousers unworn size 14. £10.

Portuguese dictionary (Visual) + Portuguese grammar £10 (the 2).

01308 488086.

Nokia 105 4G mobile phone still boxed c/w charger £10. 01300 348513.

Windsor handmade Chelsea boots, never worn, size 8, brown and black, cost £100 each. £50 each ono. 07979 291219.

Boots, black knee high, worn twice, size 8, as new, M&S £20.

01395 513055.

Jack Murphy ¾ length coat navy blue red detachable lining, brand new, super coat, cost £175 accept £50 unwanted gift. 01308 861474.

Bellows 33” L carved handles and body carving of gent with pipe, beautiful cond. £150. Pr concrete planters 29” L 9 ½” W 10” H £100. 01935 881424.

N Gauge Model Railway buildt in 4ft x 3ft folding wooden cabinet complete all track with 9 points, 5 Locos, six carriages, goods wagons, control box, etc £650. 01305 266340.

Bikes for Sale, both in excellent condition, Claud Butler Legend £120ono. Belmont Appollo £80ono. 01404 581366.

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, 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 inclusion of free ads. We reserve the right to withhold advertisements.

For guaranteed classified advertising please use ‘Classified Ads’ form

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54 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 Email info@marshwoodvale.com Tel. 01308 423031

ELECTRICAL

WANTED

CHIMNEY SWEEP

Secondhand tools. All trades and crafts. Old and modern. G. Dawson.

01297 23826. www. secondhandtools.co.uk.

Dec 23

Dave buys all types of tools 01935 428975

Jan 24

Coins wanted. Part or full collections purchased for cash.

Please phone John on 01460 62109 or 07980 165047.

Jan 24

FOR SALE

A Combo apple crusher/press for sale; brand new they cost £495; we have inherited it with this house we bought earlier this year and would like £250 for it. Please see https:// vigopresses.co.uk/12litre-cross-beam-pressVintage & antique and-classic-crushertextiles, linens, costume combo/ for more buttons etc. always information. Telephone sought by Caroline 07929 925 797.

Bushell. Tel. 01404 45901.

Tempur Comfort Cloud Standard Support Stamps & Coins Wanted Pillow, offers balance Do you have a shed / garage full of old tools, car bits, unfinished projects etc? I buy job-lots of vintage items. Also enamel signs & slot machines & complete collections, 07875677897 Jan 24

Feb 24

by collector/investor.

We are keen to purchase small or large collections at this time. Tel: Rod mar 24 07802261339

To advertise here email: info@ marshwoodvale.com

WANTED

of support and softness.

Hardly used. Buyer collects from Bridport area. From smoke free, pet free home. £25 (RRP£99) 01308 868430.

Dyson Lightball Multi Floor Vacuum Cleaner with electric cable.

Excellent condition instructions included. £15.00. 01297 625112 (Seaton).

Violin 1920s Stradivarius copy - full size case bow and music £300 ono 01297 33745 samsurfers@outlook. com

DISTRIBUTION

Old Tractors and Machinery, Pick-up Vans and Tippers. Best prices paid. Tel. 07971 866364.

Tel. 01308 423031 The Marshwood Vale Magazine January 2024 55

Never miss a Marshwood - Send us an email to info@marshwoodvale.com with the words ‘Never Miss’ in the subject header and we will alert you whenever there is a new issue coming out