Marshwood+ July 2023

Marsh wo o d

© Holly Miller Photograph by Robin Mills

Robin Mills met Puppetmaker Holly Miller in Bridport

When I was nine years old my family came to live in Beaminster, so Dorset has been home for most of my life. After attending Beaminster School I went to Bournemouth for two years to do an Art Foundation course. Living in Bournemouth, at aged sixteen, after growing up in a small town was quite a challenge, but I was drawn in by the wide scope of art forms on the course which included photography, textiles, and graphic design.

After completing the foundation course, I went study at Hereford College to do an HND in Design Crafts. The course was great, teaching you a wide variety of crafts and material fabrication knowledge alongside business studies so you could design and create pieces to sell in galleries. I loved beachcombing, especially on Portland with my dad, so I made driftwood sculptures that included animal skulls, shells and other hidden gems we found on the beach. I think I’ve always been a maker, even as a child.

Moving back to Dorset after my studies I worked for a Theming company on Portland where I learnt, in a hands-on way, fibre glassing, sculpting, scenic painting, and basic carpentry which has been immensely useful.

I worked for 10 years as a picture framer for Abbotsbury Pictures, learning new techniques, framing work for local artists, and it gave me the opportunity to go to Venice to buy beads to make jewellery to sell in the gallery at the picture framers. All these

© Holly Miller Photograph by Robin Mills

Holly Miller

experiences, and perhaps never saying no to anything, have combined to give me the skills I need for what I do now.

Moving to Bridport as an adult and raising my family here, I was intrigued to discover ‘Puppet Club’ at The Lyric Theatre and started to come along with my children. They loved it, I loved it and I soon became more involved with making puppets. Nikki McCretton, Lyric owner, began to take me under her wing, and using my experience over the years as a visual artist and my new skillset, I now run Puppet Club!

Puppets can become anything you want, at any time as you’re making them. They can morph. Recently participants created a Japanese anime figure, a pterodactyl, a chameleon, a fluffy dog, and a dolphin. During the last session, half an hour before the end of the workshop, the dolphin began to look very like an old lady, so it became The Old-Lady Dolphin. I have noticed how children, post lockdown, are having real trouble with basic manual skills, like cutting with scissors. Perhaps this is due to so much of their time being spent tapping or swiping a screen. Some kids get stuck creatively, as they focus on making characters that they have seen on TV or in a movie. With puppet making, it’s more rewarding to create something from your imagination. The puppet can look like anything!

As a designer, I can find myself creating for both outdoor and indoor theatre productions all over the UK. One of the lovely parts of my job is working in theatres, in rehearsals and on tour. Theatres are beautiful buildings to work in and to find out how they function backstage is a thrill. My part in the production is a privilege, but it’s also high pressure, making sure the set and puppets are robust enough to cope with the rigours of touring. I also get to work with some fabulous people.

Although I’m a freelance artist, working with lots of companies and other artists, I work regularly with Bridportbased theatre company, Stuff and Nonsense. When I first started working with the company, I made the puppets and some of the props, but now I’ve worked my way up. During lockdown we started to create a large-scale, adaptation of Pinocchio, commissioned by Theatre Royal, Plymouth. This was my first show as Theatre Designer; a role which includes visioning the whole stage design from concept to final finish, the costumes design and colour palette, as well as the puppets and props, spending 18 months creating this alongside the team to the premiere. I’m one of a team which, over the 10 years I’ve been

with them, has grown as a creative unit. Stuff and Nonsense’s performances are devised in the rehearsal room and a script and scenes grow as we explore the themes of the show.

I also design for other artists and companies, like Clare Benson at Pavilion Dance South West, with her climate-related show Plastic Paradiso, making puppets, props and set from recycled materials.

It can be a really satisfying challenge to be asked to design and make something from a very minimal brief. I design and draw an idea, make protypes which we experiment with, then, once we know it’s working, constructing everything alongside fabricators to turn it from a model into the full-sized set and puppets, which is the joyful part for me. An actor or puppeteer then brings everything to life on stage, and although I may have been close to a puppet for ages while making it, that transformation is always a huge thrill; something I have made with my own hands now has a life of its own.

This is the essence of theatre; when you realise all you’ve been through to get to this point. The work that people have put in, the people you’ve met in that process, the ideas that have come and gone, seeing the show grow from those ideas, the rehearsing, and finally seeing the performance; then at last, hearing the reactions, laughter, applause and comments from the audience. That’s the “worth it” bit.

I think the puppets that I make have a unique style, despite being of different scale or construction. For example, some are carved from foam with wooden mouth-plates, some are squishy puppets, some are made of fleece or found objects. It all depends on the job they must do. Needing to know what gaps the puppet might have to go through on its journey through the show, if it’s for the left or right hand and is it going to be hand or mechanically operated. This is why I’m in the rehearsal room from the first day, to work all these things out. However, once I was asked at short notice to make an enormous, articulated elephant trunk for the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmonds, with only dimensions to work from. I then sent it off in a big box. Not seeing it how it worked in rehearsal or performance was strange indeed!

Touring companies perform on stages which vary in size massively, which also requires adaptability from the puppets and set designs. I have developed a process where I often make a functioning protype from cardboard, to make sure all

the proportions work for these different sized theatres. So, if something isn’t quite working, I am able to make changes really quickly without wasting precious materials. All quite a challenge, but lots of fun.

So much of it is about understanding whether a material—like leather, plastic, wood, fabric, etc, will behave in the way you need it to. An understanding of anatomy helps to make things realistic in their function, especially in the bigger pieces I’ve made, like the Spirit of Bridport lady, a giant, twelve-foot street puppet carried by several people, made from willow and bamboo, or the Char dragon that paraded through Charmouth down to the river Char to highlight its pollution.

Working in the arts means you have to have many strings to your bow, so I also work as an Assistant Rehearsal Director for Stuff and Nonsense, which means I’ll travel to the venues to see the

shows to make any changes to the performance and give the actors direction, according to audience reaction. I also design and lead creative workshops for a variety of schools and community groups for people of different abilities, which they seem to really enjoy.

Many of the shows I’m involved with are for people aged 3 to 103! They are a magical experience for whole families. Audiences right now are much reduced because of the high cost of living and the disruption from the pandemic. I’m optimistic about the future for touring theatre companies, but funders often don’t understand about the challenges we face. The pandemic caused skilled theatre technicians to find work elsewhere, so that staging a show in a limited time is even more of a challenge. The arts, sadly, is a low-paid sector, and this needs to change, but like so many other people in low-income careers, we still find passion in what we do.

© Holly Miller Photograph by Robin Mills

Hearing Charlie Fardon’s story (p24) about how she once started a business selling CDs for unsigned bands through local hairdressers, and now works with an organisation that helps innovative young people to set up their own businesses, is a story of hope for the future. Especially at a time when hope is something that older generations fear has been taken away from our youth. The organisation that Charlie will offer advice to, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), is the UK’s leading public funder of environmental science. They invest £330 million each year and recently announced investment in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry. A consortium called Responsible AI UK (RAIUK) aims to create “a UK and international research and innovation ecosystem for responsible and trustworthy AI that will be responsive to the needs of society”. £54 million has been earmarked for various university projects including research to help create more sustainable land management, accelerate energyefficient CO2 capture, and improve resilience for natural hazards and extreme events. In our interview with British designer and digital photographer Mike Kus (p34), who is selecting exhibitors for the Digital Media category for this year’s Marshwood Arts Awards, he says he believes that AI will leave a more profound impact on our society than even the internet. It already impacts our lives in many forms. A recent AI innovation that raised an eye or two was news that supermarket trolleys could help to identify risk of stroke. We’ve had various sensor devices used in athletes clothing for some time but the latest trial of installing electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors in the handles of supermarket trolleys to screen adults for abnormal heart rhythms as they shop might be seen as a little intrusive. Although perhaps not quite as intrusive as installing a recording device in part of our anatomy, as one imaginative person informed me at a recent drinks party. Apparently, he explained, my life-changing new hip might be recording private conversations and sending them to Google ‘or God knows

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who!’ What a pity it’s not true. It might have helped me to discover what Zaphod Beeblebrox was doing at a drinks party in Dorset.

Fergus Byrne

EVENTS AND COURSES

July

30 June - 2 July

Flower Festival Dalwood Church, EX13 7EQ, 10am -5pm Daily. This year’s theme is ‘Nursery Rhymes.’ Flowers and raffle in church. Light Refreshments, art and craft display in adjacent village hall. Thanksgiving Gospel Service led by the Kroft Originals and Old Peculiars on Sunday, 2nd July at 6pm. Entry is free but donations will be shared between Dalwood church and the Community Waffle House in Axminster. Stunning Flowers in a delightful setting. Both sites are accessible. For more call 01404881313.

Hilary and Michael Pritchard are opening their one and a half acre garden for the National Garden Scheme and Axminster Hospital League of Friends. There will be a fretwork stall with beautiful wooden goods, occasional live music and a large plant stall well stocked with interesting plants. Socks Orchard, Smallridge, Axminster EX13 7JN (2 miles from Axminster. From Axminster on A358, left at Weycroft Mill traffic lights. Pass Ridgeway Hotel on left. Continue on lane for half mile. Park in field opposite. 1-5 pm. Admission £5 children free Dogs welcome on leads Wheelchair access for most of garden

1 July

Salisbury Cathedral girls choir Concert, St Michael’s Parish Church, Lyme Regies. 11am. See www.lymeregis-parishchurch. org for more information.

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

Cerne Abbas Village Fete Annual event run by St Mary’s Church and Friends of Cerne Abbas School. A traditional Dorset village fete. 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm. The Vicarage, Back Lane, Cerne Abbas, Contact: Roy Burnham roy@burnham. uk.com.

Talk and reading by John Clarke of the Red River Project and author of new poetry collection Boy Thing. 4-5pm. £5. 6-7pm Tintinnabulations performance. A performance of music by Marcus Vergette and Coach York using one of Vergette’s unique Time & Tide Bells. £10. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX, 01404 45006.

The F.O.W.L. talk is by Roger Holehouse, who has researched the life and career of T.E.Lawrence, archaeologist, army officer, diplomat and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt. His writing earned him international fame as

July

EVENTS AND COURSES

Lawrence of Arabia. The talk begins at 10-30 a.m. and tickets are available at the Library, costing £2 for F.O.W.L. members, and £3 for non-members. Refreshments are available after the talk.

Quiz & Supper £10 per person; come in a team, or join one on the night; prizes for the winning teams. Licensed bar; raffle. 7pm; Clapton & Wayford Village Hall.. Please book in advance, on 01460 74849 or 01460 72769.

Beaminster Festival St.Mary’s Church, Beaminster.

2-30p.m. Alison Weir , author of “ Henry VIII The Heart and the Crown”. Tickets £12 / £2 under 18. 8-00p.m. at Beaminster School. “Zoots” Sounds of the 60s and 70s. Tickets £18 /£8 under 18. www.beaminstfestival.com TicketSource 0333 666 3366.

Quiz & Supper £10 per person; come in a team, or join one on the night. Licenced bar; raffle. 7pm; Clapton & Wayford Village Hall.. Please book early on 01460 74849 or 01460 72769. The Elton John Experience 7.30 Chapel in the Garden, Bridport. We can’t all be at Glastonbury on June 25th to see Elton John’s last concert. So the Chapel in the Garden is bringing Mark Stewart with his “Elton John Experience” to play a week later on Saturday 1st July. This concert will raise funds for the Chapel, and after a wonderful evening, will we all be “Still Standing” as we boogie on down to his rip-roaring encore of “Crocodile Rock”. Tickets £12.00 from the Tourist Information Centre in Bridport 01308 424901 or the Chapel itself 07566 751752. The concert will begin at 7.30 with doors and bar open from 6.30.

1 - 2 July

Garden open in aid of Hospiscare Prospect House, Lyme Road, Axminster EX13 5BH, July 1st and 2nd from 1.30 to 5pm.

Admission £5, teas & cake available, plant stall, jazz band and Pimms bar.

2 July

New monthly ‘CommuniTea Cafe’ at St Candida & Holy Cross, Whitchurch Canonicorum, 10.30am to 12 noon. A chance to catch up with friends and make new ones over tea, coffee and biscuits. Free (donations welcome). Organised by the Friends of St Candida.

East Devon Ramblers A leisurely 8 mile walk Whitty Down, Trinity Hill 10.30am. Meet Uplyme Village Hall. Contact 01297443836.

Springing into Summer: a choral celebration of 30 years singing. Yeovil Chamber Choir. 15.30 followed by tea and cake. St Andrew’s Church, Preston Grove, Yeovil BA20 2BQ.

3 July

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, then come along to our dance sessions in the W.I. Hall on Monday evenings from 7.15pm-9.30pm. All welcome, especially beginners. Tim and Angela Laycock to lead the dances and provide the music so no experience or partner required. Musicians welcome. Tea and biscuits .Tel: 863552 or 459001 for more information.

A talk by Dr Robert Nantes on “Distressed in Dorset. A Tale of Debt, Bankruptcy and Flight in the 1820s”, at Bridport Museum, South Street, at 5pm for 5.30. £5 from museum shop

5 July

West Dorset Community Orchestra and Local Vocals Community Choir concert in St.John’s Church,West Bay at 7-30p.m. Free admission. Retiring collection. Interval refreshments and a raffle.

East Devon Ramblers A strenuous 9 mile walk with Teign estuary views. 10.00am. Meet in Shaldon. Contact 01395-516897

6 July

Tatworth Flower Club at Tatworth Memorial hall. Doors open at 1.30pm for a 2pm start. We have Alison Finch as our demonstrator this month. All arrangements are in the raffle and refreshments served afterwards. £6 for non members. For any enquires contact Julie Kettle 01934 248536.

The Shanty Sessions Marine Theatre. Lyme Regis. Come and join us, and East Devon shanty men, The Chantry Buoys, for an evening of traditional sea shanties and other well known songs of the sea. Entry is free, and the licensed theatre bar will be open, from 7pm. Come along and listen, or join in, you’ll be very welcome. All proceeds go to local charities. The Buoys start at 7.30pm. Tel 07761 469676.

7 July

Life in the Nature Zone … aka how to re-wild our children Part of the Help Our Planet series a talk by Steve Bowles at Sladers Yard, West Bay. 7pm (Doors 6pm hot snacks and bar available) Tickets: £10 (concessions and under 21s £5) All ticket proceeds to conservation charities Please call 01308 459511 to reserve your tickets now.

Fair Oriana Angela Hicks and Penelope Appleyard joined forces in 2019 to form Fair Oriana, a duo that mixes their passion for historical music with entertaining staging, contemporary influences and varying genres such as folk, medieval and jazz. Promoted by Concerts in the West. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Concert starts 19:30, bar available. Tickets: £18 (free to under 12s. Students £5). To book: 01460 54973. https://www. ilminsterartscentre.com/performances.

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 and ends with a relaxation. Cost: £8 Enquiries and to book please contact Nikki Northover at nikkinorthover43@ gmail.com

East Devon Ramblers A moderate 6.5 mile walk on the common. 10.00am. Meet in Newton Poppleford. Contact 01392833109.

Until 8 July

View of Yeovil Yeovil Art Space. A Yeovil-based charity is finding new ways to experience an art exhibition so that everyone feels welcome. View of Yeovil is an exhibition of more than 100 photographs taken by people from the local community,

July

EVENTS AND COURSES

displayed alongside those of professional photographers. Rather than a traditional gallery space, it takes place in Yeovil Art Space’s new exhibition venue in the Quedam Shopping Centre, where visitors will be able to sit on sofas, read books and have a go at making some art themselves.

8 July

Instrumental group “Quintessentially Wind” will be performing in St Mary’s Church Charminster, DT2 9RD. Wellknown in the Surrey and Hampshire areas they will be playing light classics, film, show and dance music. For tickets at £10.00 each including drinks and nibbles (children free) Tel. 01305 213403. The concert begins at 7.00 pm.

Eco-art and creative writing workshop with Corinna Wagner and Sally Field 11- 1 pm. Discover eco-art techniques including hand-made dyes, eco-printmaking, and cyanotype to inspire poetry. £10 Buy tickets: thelmahulbert.com. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX, 01404 45006. Selections from the Mikado The Bath Gilbert & Sullivan Society Martock Church; TA12 6JL 7:30pm Admission fee: Tickets: £12 or £10 at Guardianstickets@gmail.com /07547 213992/Martock Gallery/ Martock Newsagent. www. martockonline.co.uk/events; https://www.bathgands.co.uk/ history

Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 8 mile walk from Osmington. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.

Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society Summer Flower and Produce Fair 1-5pm. Uplyme Village Hall and playing fields DT7 3UU. Show marquee, music and dance, food and drink, plants and bees, artisans, fun and games. £3 entry all adults, 16 and under free. Bring plenty of cash. www.ulrhs. wordpress.com

9 July

Chard Royal Naval Association The association will be holding their annual ‘Sea Sunday’ service at 10 am in St Thomas Church, Cricket St Thomas. The service is open to all wishing to attend and is usually well attended. Proceeds of the communion are donated to the ‘Mission of Seamen’. After the service the association will attend The Windwhistle Golf Club for a summer lunch/carvery.

East Devon Ramblers An easy 4 mile walk by Exeter canal. 10.30am. Meet in Exeter. Contact 07460- 181- 656

10 July

Bats, Myths, Magic & Mystery Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild 2p.m. After a short Business Meeting Nick Tomlinson who has 20 years experience as a professional ecologist will be entertaining the Guild in Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street, Poundbury DT1 3DF. Visitors would be made most welcome (£3). Enquiries 01305 832857. A talk by Robert Alcock on “The Museum’s Fine Art Collection”, at Bridport Museum, South Street, at 5pm for 5.30. £5 from museum shop

Winsham Art Club 2pm at Jubilee Hall TA20 4HU. The theme this practical session is Painting Portraits. It is a tutor led 2.5 hr. session. Small friendly group of mixed abilities. Members £5, non-members £7. Annual membership £15. All welcome. Contact: Email : elfridevaughan@gmail.com for further details. Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new, then come along to our dance sessions in the W.I. Hall on Monday evenings from 7.15pm9.30pm. All welcome, especially beginners. Occasional live music and always a Caller to lead the dances so no experience or partner required. Musicians welcome. Tea and biscuits. Tel: 863552 or 459001 for more information.

11 July

Parkinson’s Lyme Regis District Local Support Group Meeting. We welcome anyone from the Lyme Regis, Axminster, Charmouth or Seaton area living with Parkinson’s to come along and share anecdotes, ideas and wisdom in an informal, friendly environment. Guest speakers, occasional informative events and refreshments for all. 2pm - 3.30pm at the Lyme Regis Powerboat Club, Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis DT7 3LE.

12 - 13 July

“Allelujah” (12A) at Kilmington Village Hall. Judith Dench, David Jacobi, Jennifer Saunders, Russell Tovey, star in this film adaption of Alan Bennett’s 2018 play set in the geriatric ward of a failing Yorkshire hospital. Allelujah is a warm, humorous, and deeply moving story about a fictitious ward in a small hospital threatened with closure.mDoors open 6.45 film starts 7.15 on Wednesday. Matinee on Thursday doors open 1.45pm film starts 2pm, advance booking required for this matinee, cream-teas served during the interval but must be pre-booked with your seats @ £3.50. Pre-booked seat tickets @ £5 or £5.50 on the door, booking essential for the matinee. Tickets can be prebooked by email: wattsjohn307@gmail.com or Tel: 01297 639758 see www.kilmingtonvillage.com/other-organisations.html for more information.

13 July

Chard Royal Naval Association Members will be attending their official meeting at 7.30 pm.at the Chard Rugby football club, Essex Close, Chard. Anyone interested in what is involved within the association can come to the meeting where they will be made most welcome. You do not have to be former service personnel and there or no yearly fees involved. Further information can be obtained by visiting the official website www.royal-naval-association.co.ukor branch chairperson. Paula 07929291401.

Crewkerne Garden Club Meeting 7.30pm at The Henhayes Centre, Crewkerne. Speaker on the evening is Dr Francis Burroughs on “A Victorian Head Gardener” Entry for Visitors £2.50. Refreshments available. Contact 01460 74290. All visitors very welcome.

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

with our creative writing group. New writers always welcome. 7pm - 9pm, Portesham Village Hall. Find out more by calling Linda on 01305 871802.

Seaton Garden Club an outing to Hartland Abbey North Devon. For more information contact 01297 792710.

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

Chard History Group Talk ‘Entitled A Family Affair’ Chard and the Great War, the experiences of three local families. Stuart Roper. Our last indoor meeting until September. 7.15 for 7.30pm Upstairs at the Pheonix Fore Street Chard. £2.50 members £3.50 for guests. All welcome. For further details ring Chris 07914 079067

14 July

Much Ado About Jazz A show aimed at people who don’t necessarily like jazz (and for those that do)! Chris Gumbley and Al Gurr revisit some much-loved (mostly) jazz classics and present them with energy and verve, so that the audience not only feel involved, but also gain an insight into how jazz musicians work on stage. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £18

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

EVENTS AND COURSES

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

East Devon Ramblers A leisurely 5.5 mile walk from the village of Woodbury. 10.00am. Meet in Woodbury. Contact 07706078143

‘The Little Mermaid’ (PG) Family Picnic Night Screening – Gateway Theatre, Seaton, doors 6pm, film 7pm, tickets

Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

15 July

‘Book Club - The Next Chapter’ (12A) Picnic Night screening - Gateway Theatre, Seaton, doors 6.30pm, film 7.30pm, tickets

Adults £7.50, under 16s £6.50. The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure. Starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen, Andy Garcia and Don Johnson. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm. Summer Concert in Colyton The Friends of St Andrew’s presents a concert of evocative and poetic folk music. Brooke Sharkey, Isaks Island and Blythe Pepino will provide a wonderful evening of music following a Pimms and Canapes reception (from 6.45pm). 7.30pm. St Andrews Church, Colyton, EX24 6JS. Tickets: Adults £16/Student £8 (ticketsource.co.uk or on the door) Contact: 07815728708/ Facebook- FoStA/ https://www. instagram.com/fosta.colyton/

Yandles Summer Handmade Craft Market 10 am - 4 pm. Over 70 stalls full of amazing products made by talented artists and makers from across the South West. Yandle & Sons Limited, Hurst Works, Martock TA12 6JU. crafts@yandles.co.uk.

St. Swithun’s Patronal Festival Cream Tea 2.30 - 4.30pm

During the afternoon the St. Swithun’s Band and the Lyric School of Dancing will entertain the party. On sale in the hall, home produce, children’s tombola, raffle plus with cream teas and cakes. Entry and parking are free with extra parking at Amsafe. Everyone is most welcome. St. Swithun’s Church, Allington, Bridport, DT6 5DU.

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

Exeter Festival Chorus celebrates its 30th anniversary year with a performance of Edward Elgar’s choral masterpiece, The Dream of Gerontius, in Exeter Cathedral (7.30pm). Directed by Andrea Brown, the choir is joined by renowned soloists Daniel Norman (Gerontius), Jess Dandy (Angel) and Alex Ashworth

(Priest/Angel of the Agony), members of Southern Sinfonia, Peter Adcock (organ), members of German partner choirs Bachchor Bad Homburg and Hanauer Kantorei, and choristers from Exeter Cathedral’s junior and youth choirs. This powerful work, setting text by John Henry Newman, is a statement of faith and wonder. It tells of a man who is dying and, in Part II, his soul’s journey towards heaven, guided by an angel. The music builds to a searing burst of emotion as Gerontius at last sees his God for a brief, dramatic moment. Tickets from £15 (concessions from £8) via Ticketsource - 0333 666 3366 or https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/venueplan/ chAmYbpLBljs

16 July

Stoke Abbott Street Fair 2-5pm Sunday 16th July 2023

One of the region’s most popular events, the traditional Stoke Abbott Street Fair will take place from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday 16th July - the first time it’s been held on a Sunday. There’s fun for all the family with enticing stalls, entertainment, craft displays, ferret-racing, a novelty dog show, cream teas and more. This year, proceeds will go to support the Bridport Clothes Bank as well as St Mary’s church and the village hall. Free parking from the Beaminster end. Entry £2 per adult, children under 16 free. East Devon Ramblers A leisurely 7 mile walk on pebblebed heaths. 10.00am. Meet at Wheathill Plantation car park. Contact 07739-392614

Chard Royal Naval Association Members will be having an afternoon out to visit ‘Bruckland Park and Nature Reserve rounded of with a Cream Tea.

Divine Union Soundbath 2PM Lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’, while charging and balancing the aura and chakras of the subtle body, and detoxing the physical body. Bridport Unitarians, 49 East St, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3J X £15 Please book in advance via 01935 389655.

Garden open for the N.G.S. at Broomhill, Rampisham. DT2 0PT. 2-5pm £5 entry Ph: 07775 806 875 Glorious 2 acre garden, with extensive borders and island beds, planted with a succession of bee friendly perennials, annuals and shrubs. Lawns and paths lead to a less formal area with a large wildlife pond and a small meadow, the garden also has a productive vegetable garden, cutting garden and orchard. Well behaved dogs on leads welcome, wheel chair access. Ample parking. Delicious homemade teas and quality plants for sale.

17 July

Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like exercise, sociising and maybe learning something new, then come along to our dance sessions in the W.I. Hall on Monday evenings from 7.15-9.30pm. All Welcome, especially beginners. Occasional live music and always a Caller to lead the dances so no experience or partner required. Musicians welcome. Refreshments. Tel:863552 or 459001 for more info.

A talk by Bruce Upton on “Boozy Bridport. A History of

Breweries and Pubs in the Town”, at Bridport Museum, South Street, at 5pm for 5.30. £5 from museum shop.

18 July

Barrington and District Gardening Society Barrington Village Hall 7.30pm. Talk – ‘Fruit trees and the British orchard’ by Roger Hirons – ‘The Plant Doctor’ Members free, Guests welcome £3, New members – join on the night £10 for the year. Refreshments and raffle More info: 01460 54691.

19 July

East Devon Rambles A moderate 7 mile walk in the Blackdown hills. 10.00am. Meet in Chardstock. Contact 07977057546.

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

20 July

The Bridport & District monthly meeting is at 7.30pm at the W I Hall North Street Bridport when Janette Merillon will give a talk on Dorset a Calendar of Colour. Janette has a successful garden design business and has created child friendly gardens for schools, low maintenance gardens for hotels and public houses and sensory gardens for the disabled.Her ongoing project is a conservation area planted to attract birds and other wildlife.She has given radio broadcasts,made a series of garden makeovers for Yorkshire television and given lectures on garden design and garden history for various education authorities.Non members are welcome to join our meetings, for a fee of £2.00 and more information about the club is available on the club website www. bridportgardening.co.uk

21 July

‘Women Behind The Wheel’ (12A) Picnic Night – Gateway Theatre, Seaton, doors 6.30pm, film 7.30pm, tickets Adults £7.50, under 16s £6.50. Cat and Hannah undertake a road trip across Central Asia on a mission to uncover women’s stories in a region thousands of miles from their own. But along the journey, they’re forced to challenge many of the assumptions they set out with Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

East Devon Ramblers A leisurely 6 mile walk along the river Otter. 10.00am. Meet in Tipton St John. Contact 07986-850892 Dorset Desert Island Discs Castaway Mr Brian Jackman. Author, Musician and Conservationist. Presenter Jo Willett. All proceeds to go to Church Repairs and Church Funds. Tickets £10 in advance - £12 on the door. Limited availability. Please email to tware@pobroadband.co.uk. Or visit Bridport Tourist Information Office. Refreshments available. 7.00pm. St Marys Church North Poorton.

22 July

Spectacular Night of Music From the big Band era to the Beatles and beyond, with the fabulous Three Counties Swing Band 7pm Misterton Village Hall Tickets: email events@ mistertontennis.co.uk or call 07702 242000.

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

‘Fashioned Reimagined’ (12A) Picnic Night Screening and Pre-loved clothing stalls – Gateway Theatre, Seaton, doors 5pm, screening 7.30pm, tickets Adults £7.50, under 16s £6.50 Fashion Reimagined follows fashion designer Amy Powney of

EVENTS AND COURSES

cult label Mother of Pearl, who embarks on a three-year journey to create a sustainable clothing collection from field to finished garment, and transform her entire business. We are having local charity shops here with pre-loved clothing for you to buy before the film. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton. co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

23 July

Dalwood Jazz Club Alan Barnes (clarinet & saxes) and Dave Newton (piano) 8pm. 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 at the door. info: t.mackenney111@btinternet. com 07999 553477.

East Devon Ramblers A leisurely 7.5 mile walk near the river Teign. 10.00am Meet at Fingle Bridge. Contact 01395-577891

24 July

The Ile Valley Flower Club meet at Broadway Village hall close to Ilminster. Our Demonstrator will be Martina Coleman from Fording bridge Titled Footlights and Clapper Boards Doors open 1.30 pm for a 2 pm start Visitors welcome £8 entrance. Tea and Cake and chat after the Demo.

A talk by Vincent Sheppard on “The Developing Science of Geology in the 18th and 19th century”, at Bridport Museum, South Street, at 5pm for 5.30. £5 from museum shop.

25 July

Nicholas Brown (piano) and Steven Mingay (clarinet)

Lunchtime concert. St. Andrew’s Church, Charmouth. 12:30 with light refreshments from 12:00. Free entry donations welcome. 01297 560681.

26 July

Symondsbury Summer Fete a big family, foodie day out! There will be plenty or free activities, such as live music, Punch & Judy show, Morris Dancing, coconut shy and magic show, plus the inaugural Symondsbury Estate vegetable sculpture competition! We will also have a host of local and artisan food and drink producers showcasing the best of the south-west. https:// symondsburyestate.co.uk/

Coffee Concert with Katie Rook (soprano sax) & Dave Wicken (guitar) St. Peter’s Church, Dalwood EX13 7EG, near Axminster. Free entry, coffee/biscuits. Very friendly and informal atmosphere. at 10.30am Retiring collection for local charityShelter Box info: t.mackenney111@btinternet.com.

East Devon Ramblers A moderate 8.5 mile walk around the reservoirs.10.30am. Meet in Christow. Contact 07594-622813

Bridport Scottish Dancers invite you to an evening of dancing to recorded music at 7.30. Church House, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NN. Cost: £3.00 (which includes soft drinks & tea/coffee + biscuits). All welcome, no partner required but please wear soft shoes. Our weekly meetings will recommence on Wednesday 13th September. First evening free, thereafter £3.00, which includes soft drinks, tea, coffee and biscuits. Contact: Malcolm on 07790 323343. Check out bridportscottishdancers for more information.

27 July

The Magic of Terry Pratchett One Man Show – Gateway Theatre, Seaton, doors 7.30pm, show 8pm, tickets Adults £8.50, under 16s £7. Join author and comedian Marc Burrows on a journey through the life and work of Sir Terry Pratchett, based on his Locus Award-winning biography and officially endorsed by the author’s estate. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm. Folk dancing at Combe St Nicholas village hall (TA20 3LT) 1930 hrs. Mary and Robert Blackborow with their Merry Band will be entertaining us this evening. It’s £4.00 per person which includes a cuppa and cake, all welcome and it is a lot of fun! Further details from Elaine on 01460 65909

28 July

Blue Note Grooves Neil Burns Organ Trio + Terry Quinney A hard swinging, hard groovin’ jazz trio celebrating the rich history of the Hammond Organ, joined by guest star Terry Quinney on the saxophone. Expect a funky night of Blue Note gems and original compositions! Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tickets: £18 (free to under 12s. Students £5). To book: 01460 54973. https://www.ilminsterartscentre.com/performances.

Frances Hatch Artist’s Talk at Sladers Yard, West Bay 7pm (Doors 6pm Hot food available before) Tickets £10 from Sladers Yard Tel. 01308 459511.

East Devon Ramblers A 6 mile moderate walk by Squabmoor reservoir. 10.00am. Meet at Squabmoor. Contact 07780-638350

‘Dungeons & Dragons – Honour Among Thieves’ (12A) Picnic Night screening – Gateway Theatre, Seaton, doors 6.30pm, film 7.30pm, tickets Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary role playing game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

29 July

‘Greatest Days’ (12A) – Picnic Night screening – Gateway Theatre, Seaton, doors 6.30pm, film 7.30pm, tickets Adults £7.50, Under 16s £6.50. Greatest Days is an upcoming British film based on the Take That jukebox musical of the same name, directed by Coky Giedroyc and written by Tim Firth. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.

Chideock WI Cream Tea Chideock WI will be holding their annual Cream Tea at Chideock House, Main Street, Chideock between 2.30 - 4 pm. £6.00 adults and £3.00 for children. Raffle and WI Cake Stall. For more details email chideockwi@gmail. com.

Lyme Bay Chorale and friends of all ages present an hour of joyous summer music. Conducted by Richard Tanner, Director of Music, Rugby School. Lyme Regis Parish Church at 6pm. Free admission with retiring collection in aid of the RNLI.

Wambrook Flower Show at The Tithe Barn, Cotley, TA20 3EP, near Chard. Doors open at 2.30pm. Entry by donation to our chosen charities, St Margaret’s Hospice and the church of St Mary the Virgin, Wambrook. St Wulfric’s Folk Club in courtyard, grand raffle, tombola, teas and cakes. Children’s Fancy Dress and Entertainment. Flower Show schedules are available from: The Cotley Inn, Combe Dingle Nursery, Barleymow’s Farm shop and Floweringi flower shop or download a copy at www. wambrookparishchurch.com

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

The Bridport and District Model Railway Club will once again be holding their annual exhibition in the Sir John Colfox Academy, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3DT on Saturday 29 th July from 10am until 4pm. Visitors will be able to view a wide variety of layouts in various gauges and themes, from both local exhibitors and those coming from farther afield. There will also be layouts representing steam and modern railway scenes which have a very local and an international flavour together with other railway displays. The exhibition will also have some trade stand for visitors wishing to buy new or second-hand model railway products. Car parking is available in the car park with hot and cold refreshments being served during the day. Admission prices are:- Adults £6 Child (under 16 years) Free Family (2+2) £10 Contact:- Bob Ahrens 01308-861754 or 07927-312341 or R_Ahrens@outlook.com

29 - 30 July

Yeovil Railway Centre Yeovil Junction, Stoford BA22 9UU: Train, Tractor and Land Rover Weekend. Further details on our website www.yeovilrailway.freeservers.com; find us on Facebook

or recorded information on 01935 410420. If you are interested in exhibiting, call John on 01297 32935.

30 July

Divine Union Soundbath Lie down, relax, and allow the Pure Sounds of a crystal and Tibetan bowl soundbath plus sacred vocal overtoning take you into the deeper brainwave states of ‘the relaxation response’, while charging and balancing the aura and chakras of the subtle body, and detoxing the physical body. Oborne Village Hall, Oborne, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4LA £15 Please book in advance via 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@ live.com.

Walk and High Tea starting from the Blackdown village Hall at 2.00pm. There will be a choice of long or short walks, and the cakes on offer will at least undo all the good that the walking has done. People are able to attend for Tea, without undertaking the walk if they so desire. The funds raised are in aid of Blackdown, Broadwindsor & Burstock churches. The cost will be £8.00 per person for adults and £4.00 per child. Dogs are welcome on leads.

East Devon Ramblers A leisurely 7.5 mile walk along the Umborne and Coly. 10.30am. Meet in Colyton. Contact 07966300919.

The Alice Dilke Memorial Concert presented by the Friends of St Candida. Professional pianist Maria Razumovskaya plays music by Liszt, Schumann and Beethoven. St Candida & Holy Cross, Whitchurch Canonicorum at 3pm. Tickets £12 on the door, to include light refreshments.

31 July

A talk by Bruce Upton on “Country Life in the old days. Farming and Rural Life in Photos”, at Bridport Museum, South Street, at 5pm for 5.30. £5 from museum shop.

Girls make a difference for Lyme Morris

Morris Dance, with its deep roots in English history, has been experiencing a renaissance recently and has even been featured on the Brits music awards. The traditional form of dance is being embraced by a new generation of groups seeking to reinterpret the art form or just looking for a fun way to improve their wellbeing. Lyme Regis’ own Lyme Morris has also newly relaunched and has, for the first time in its history, welcomed female dancers to join the group. Following successful recruitment events in October 2022, five new dancers joined, including three women.

Lyme Morris Squire, Peter Morton, says ‘We have had a very successful and fun time introducing new members especially the girls into the side. They have given us a new look and different dimension. We are moving forward with new dances and would relish more people, girls and lads, locally to come and give Morris dancing a try. It’s so much fun!’.

The revitalised side’s first major performance was at the recent Joint Morris Organisations’ Day of Dance in Exeter. This was followed by a special performance at the Lyme Regis Town Mill in collaboration with Lyme Morris’ new sponsors, Lyme Regis Brewery.

New recruit Emma Ellynn has always enjoyed watching Morris dancing so attended a Lyme Morris recruitment event last year. Since joining the side, Emma has found out that there are many benefits to Morris dancing, ‘...the dancing requires concentration and focus and is a great way to de-stress at the end of the day. It uses coordination, balance, flexibility and strength. It’s also good for stamina as some of it can be quite high energy. In fact it is a really enjoyable workout that is fun and very social.’

Vickie Stickler’s interest in Morris dance from her studies of the history and folklore of Britain. ‘Morris dancing is such an integral part of the rural identity of our country and learning the dances makes you feel connected to that history. In true Lyme Regis style though, we add our own twist to the classics and one of my favourite dances is to Queen’s legendary We Will Rock You!’.

Dancer Jennifer Guest was also a fan of Morris dancing before joining the side and finds the group’s performances to be very rewarding. ‘I get such a buzz from dancing in public. There is great comradery in the group and it is so much fun.’ She encourages anyone to have a go at Morris dancing, saying that they will not be disappointed

Lyme Morris encourages new dancers to join this fun and social side. Musicians are also urgently needed to help the group perform. For more information, please contact Peter Morton, Co-Ordinator at petemorton56@googlemail.com

You can see Lyme Morris performing regularly on the Lyme Regis seafront or at various festivals in Dorset and Devon. Lyme Morris’ annual day of dance will be taking place on Saturday 15th July when Morris sides from across the South West and beyond will be descending on Lyme Regis to perform. Follow Lyme Morris on Facebook or Instagram for all the details of upcoming performances.

Schoolgirls helped to overcome gender-based barriers in STEAM Challenge

TEAMS of schoolgirls from West Dorset and East Hampshire have taken part in an annual STEAM challenge designed to promote participation and raise aspirations in industries that young women often see as male dominated.

Organised by Soroptimist International Bournemouth (SI Bournemouth), the challenge aims to encourage girls to overcome gender-based barriers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) related subjects.

The challenge was created in recognition that there is a shortage of girls choosing STEAM subjects as degrees.

Running for its tenth year, the challenge saw six teams of Year 8 and 9 schoolgirls tasked with designing, researching and building a product which would create a sustainable solution to help people in the poorest parts of the world.

The teams were asked to consider what problem their solution is going to help overcome, who would benefit from it, how and where it is to be used, and how many people it would help.

Two winning teams from Bournemouth School for Girls and Canford School were crowned at a final event at Bournemouth University and received £250 for their respective schools. All participants who met bronze criteria received CREST Bronze Awards.

At a final event held at Bournemouth University, Bournemouth School for Girls were crowned winners in the Year 8 category and Canford School’s flat pack house won the prize for the Year 9 category. The team designed a durable, sustainable structure that was suitable for families to use in refugee camps.

The challenge was part-funded by Bournemouth Water, which as a company, promotes diversity and inclusivity in the water sector.

From left to right. Linette Wheeler, Emma Ellynn, Victoria Stickler and Jennifer Guest.

The winning year 9 team from Canford School

Exhibition in Yeovil presents a new kind of cultural venue for the high street of the future

AYeovil-based charity is finding new ways to experience an art exhibition so that everyone feels welcome. View of Yeovil is an exhibition of more than 100 photographs taken by people from the local community, displayed alongside those of professional photographers. Rather than a traditional gallery space, it takes place in Yeovil Art Space’s new exhibition venue in the Quedam Shopping Centre, where visitors will be able to sit on sofas, read books and have a go at making some art themselves.

Local people were invited to help create a contemporary archive of photographs made in and about Yeovil. More than 50 Yeovil residents and young people submitted photos via social media using the hashtag #ViewOfYeovil, and a selection is included in the exhibition. Students from Yeovil College also responded to the brief, and ten professional artists were invited to take part.

The project is inspired by the South Somerset Heritage Collection, which has over 6000 photographs reflecting the heritage of Yeovil.

Zoe Li, Director of Yeovil Art Space said: ‘This exhibition highlights how photography illustrates our life stories. We invited local people to be part of this new contemporary archive of Yeovil, and their work will be displayed alongside that of professional photographers. The photographs include local landmarks, aspects of nature, and a bird’s eye view of Yeovil Town’s football ground.

‘We want people to feel that this is a place where they can come to look at the exhibition, meet other people, connect

through their stories, discuss Yeovil’s heritage and join in activities. It’s a kind of ‘home from home’, and I think this could be a new kind of cultural venue for the high street of the future. We’re going to see how people respond, and adapt accordingly. We want to create the perfect environment for people to enjoy art which has been created in the community with community involvement.’

Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to create their own version of the original selfie, inspired by the Cartes des Visites held in the South Somerset Heritage Collection. The small photographs became popular in the 19th century when friends exchanged and displayed them in albums. They were relatively cheap, which made the photographs accessible to a broad range of people. A photo booth is set up in the exhibition for visitors to create their own version of the 19th century selfie.

The exhibition is part of a wider programme of exhibitions and events called the Story of Yeovil, which explores Yeovil in the present by looking at the past and considering the future. Stories from diverse perspectives are being gathered through creative activities and will be shared through this photography exhibition, called View of Yeovil, as well as through future projects—Sound of Yeovil and Taste of Yeovil

Yeovil Art Space is working with the University of the West of England Regional History Centre and a number of local organisations, groups and schools. Story of Yeovil will bring a programme of events, talks and displays to Yeovil residents and visitors from further afield. The project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and will give local people the opportunity to contribute their own stories and to be part of the project by taking part in community workshops and events.

View of Yeovil is at Yeovil Art Space gallery at 13-15 Vicarage Walk, Quedam Shopping Centre, Yeovil, BA20 1EU until Saturday 8 July.

Unique photographic artworks from Sian Cann

Cartes des Visites inspiring selfies

‘Complex’ reweave of National Trust’s most important carpet now complete

For the first time in more than 40 years, visitors can enjoy one of Britain’s finest early Georgian interiors as its designer intended, after its spectacular Axminster carpet—the most significant in the National Trust’s care—was recreated by the firm whose founder wove the original in the same Devon town in 1770.

Historic local firm Axminster Carpets rebuilt its largest loom to enable the weave, the most complex commission it has undertaken in its 268-year history.

John and Theresa Parker asked the fashionable Scottish designer and architect Robert Adam to design every detail of the Saloon at Saltram, near Plymouth, in around 1768. He designed a huge 13.5m x 5.9m one-off carpet to echo the pattern of the exquisite plasterwork ceiling above, with festoons of flowers and ribbons, bands of diamonds and fans in pinks, blues, browns and greens.

But for decades, visitors have been unable to appreciate Adam’s no-expense-spared interior scheme as it was meant to be, or to see the details and artworks in an elegant, harmonious whole.

Now, the Trust has worked with Axminster Carpets, whose founder, Thomas Whitty, wove the original carpet in the 18th century, to reweave two partial copies that can be laid over the original. These will allow visitors to enter and appreciate the lavish room as John and Theresa Parker did, while protecting the precious carpet.

The full-length protective reweaves, each covering two-thirds of the carpet’s width, will be regularly rotated. Initially, one copy will be placed along the fireplace wall; after 18 months to two years, it will be cleaned, repaired and stored by bespoke flooring specialists Linney Cooper

and the second copy will be laid along the opposite wall. This approach will allow the original carpet to rest and extend the life of the reweaves to up to 30 years.

Following the reweave, people can get up close to artwork and furniture that for many years could only be seen from a distance, including paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, a suite of Chippendale gilt and silk armchairs and sofas and an early 17th century copy of Titian’s painting The Andrians, said to have been bought by Joshua Reynolds for the family.

Axminster Carpets’ six-week reweave involved 22 thread colours and 96,130 changes of bobbin (the cylinder on which the yarn is wound), each change taking from three hours to one day to complete.

Most of the wool was British, specially dyed to give an appropriate antique appearance. Gary and his team made more than 50 visits to Saltram to check thread colours against the original carpet.

The carpet reweave is the final stage of a major Saloon conservation project which began in 2017 and gave visitors the opportunity to watch the work in-situ. This included cleaning and consolidating the plaster ceiling by Cliveden Conservation and cleaning and repairing the original carpet, undertaken by a team of local textile conservators. The conservation project was funded by the National Trust and the Wolfson Foundation.

For more information about Saltram, visit nationaltrust. org.uk/saltram

Above, The finished carpet before delivery and (below) at the Saltram Saloon following the installation

DEVON

Recognizing those who help

To celebrate the amazing work of unpaid volunteers across Devon who encourage others to be more physically active, Active Devon is encouraging people to nominate deserving individuals and teams in their Volunteer Awards 2023. For the second year running, the awards will recognise those people who go the extra mile, giving up their time and energy to make a big difference to the health and wellbeing of others in their local community. The closing date of 10 September 2023. To find out more, to nominate someone for an award and recognise their amazing work, please go to https://www.activedevon.org/volunteerawards/

LYME REGIS

No risk to human life

Dorset Council has announced that analysis of the sediment deposited on Lyme Regis Front Town beach from the annual dredging in March this year shows that there is nothing that could be a risk to human or marine life. The tests showed that all the substances tested for were well below the threshold level. This shows that there is no risk to human health from the sediment taken from the harbours navigational channels to keep these routes operational. Cllr Mark Roberts, Chairman of the Harbours Advisory Committee, said: ‘This is great news for Lyme Regis, especially on the run up to summer.’

DORCHESTER

Communication boards

Dorchester’s’ Borough Gardens Play area has recently seen a new addition.

Communication boards, based on similar boards used in some schools, feature pictures and symbols which are intended to allow autistic and verbally non-communicative children to express themselves to others in an easy fun way. It is hoped that by locating them in play areas the council will facilitate communication with others in the play environment so opening up more possibilities for friendship and engagement and helping to make play areas more inclusive.

SHERBORNE

Supporting those in need

Major food distributor and wholesaler Hunt’s Food Group, based in Sherborne with several sites across Somerset, is partnering with Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) and Dorset Community Foundation to launch the Hunt’s Food Group Community Fund. The new charitable giving fund is guided by three strategic themes to help meet local need: relieving poverty and disadvantage; improving mental health and wellbeing; and investing in the next generation. The Fund has just awarded its first grants totalling over £130,000. Any community group or charitable organisation wishing to apply for funding can call 01749 344949.

DORCHESTER & WEYMOUTH Free use of bicycles

Not having your own bike doesn’t need to be a barrier to learning to cycle for Dorset youngsters, thanks to 20 bicycles gifted to Dorset Council. The bicycles are free to use (subject to availability) by primary-aged school children during Bikeability sessions in the Dorset Council area. Bikeability is a national cycle training programme that equips children with the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding to cycle safely on roads. Instructors deliver the training at schools and nominated centres. At the end of the course, participants will receive a certificate and badge for the Bikeability Level they have completed. Tel 01305 251521 for more information.

Nature Studies

By Michael McCarthy

One fine morning at the end of the spring I did a butterfly walk, but not a casual butterfly walk. I counted what I saw, which included 35 dingy skippers, 28 common blues, eight grizzled skippers, six brown arguses, five brimstones and singles each of the small tortoiseshell, the large white, the small heath and possibly of great rarity, the Duke of Burgundy (which flew past very quickly).

It was a walk of real delight, because while the two little skippers are indeed somewhat on the dingy or the grizzled side, they are by no means common butterflies in most of Britain and encountering them is a pleasure, while the common blue is a truly lovely creature, as is its cousin the brown argus—this last a brown member of the blue family, its dark wings bordered with brilliant orange spots.

I didn’t have to go far to find them. Our village sits between two steep chalk downland hills, both of which are wonderful butterfly sites, each holding more than 30 different species; but while one is famous for its spectacular ancient monument and often dotted with tourists, the other, which is harder to find your way onto, is empty for most of the time. So I gave The Famous Hill a miss and chose The Other Hill for my expedition, which was with Bernard Franklin from the Dorset branch of Butterfly Conservation, because he was showing me how to walk a butterfly transect.

One of the sad wildlife truths that has dawned on us in recent years is that insect populations are tumbling in many parts of the world. In Britain about seventy per cent of our 58 butterfly species are declining either in their abundance or in their range, probably because of the intensification of farming, although in some cases climate change may be starting to have an effect. But here’s a question which may interest you: how do we know?

I mean, we can’t go out and count all the butterflies in the land, can we? How many red admirals will there be flying around in Britain this year? Ten thousand? Fifty thousand? A million? You

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

can’t count ‘em all. And anecdotal evidence is no good—as in, ‘I don’t seem to see as many red admirals as I used to.’ Maybe you’re just not looking hard enough, or you’re not looking in the right places.

The way to get a proper scientific idea of what is happening to insect populations is by sampling them, and then comparing the samples year by year. And a particularly clever way of doing this has been devised for butterflies: the transect. This is a weekly walk done in good weather throughout the summer months, following exactly the same route in exactly the same place, and recording every butterfly seen within a five-metre ‘box’ around the observer. These standardised counts produce figures which are statistically robust; they have been taking place every year since 1976 and more than 2,000 are now walked every week across Britain, with the data fed into the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, so now we have a pretty good idea of how our butterflies are faring nationally. (And 22 other countries across Europe have taken up the idea.)

But walking a butterfly transect, as I did with Bernard along the base of The Other Hill and then back along the top, is not just a valuable piece of citizen science; it is immensely enjoyable, not least for the changes in species throughout the season: by the time you read this the browns will be on the wing there, the meadow brown, the gatekeeper, the ringlet and the marbled white (which is a white member of the brown family). And enjoyable too for the lovely wildflowers—the horseshoe vetch, the rock rose, the bird’s foot trefoil and the thousands of tiny lollipops sticking out of the grass which are the flower heads of salad burnet. And for the views of the village, which are sensational. But mostly for the butterflies.

Uncommon in its beauty: the common blue. Below: the dingy skipper. Photos by Robin Mills

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

The R-word: climate saviour?

Iwas asked last week by a friend about the link between rewilding and climate change. Can, he asked, rewilding save the planet? Can it have a significant impact on mitigating climate change? Now I had to think carefully for a minute as my puppy-like enthusiasm for ‘nature-process led ecosystem self-restoration’ (rewilding to you and me) wanted to jump up and down and say YES, but it is, of course, more complex than that. It is so complex in fact that this article does not even scratch the surface, so please bear with me!

Rewilding involves allowing nature to choose its own path— and it is pretty good at that. Give it some bare earth, such as a ‘retired’ wheat field on heavy clay, a bit of rain and no herbicides and you will have a patch of thistles, dock, grasses, ragwort and other pioneer species before you can say ‘carbon sequestration’. With those plants comes the insects, and with the insects comes the birds, bats and the small mammals, followed closely by the predators—kestrels, weasels, barn owls, foxes etc—bang, a whole ecosystem brought back to life! Now in terms of climate change, this rich and fast growth of vegetation is great—pioneer species suck up carbon quicker than your average Dyson, so this, followed by the secondary growth of herbs, shrubs and eventually, trees, is a positive thing for the climate.

Of course, ‘letting things go’ is not just the only thing that is good for the climate, and to be fair, very few places adopt that abandonment process for very long anyway before putting a few herbivores onto the land, animals such as hardy old breed cows, pigs and ponies; examples include English Longhorn cows, Tamworth pigs and Exmoor ponies. These herbivores ‘manage’ the system naturally, and as long as their numbers are not too high, their rootling, browsing and grazing, along with that of the wild deer that are invariably present, can really help biodiversity come back, and allow strong and sustained growth of scrubland vegetation.

But the cows that ‘do’ rewilding also have a trick up their hypothetical sleeves for climate change. Research from the Knepp Estate in West Sussex has shown that because the diet of the freeroaming English Longhorn cows is varied and self-selected from what is around them, they eat what is best for their system, and their methane production is significantly lower. Who knew? Well, I guess we all know our own reactions to foods that don’t really agree with us, and it is no different to cows. Intensive farming depends on mainly grass, but cows are naturally browsers as well as grazers and need the woody or thorny material they get from browsing to help their digestion, so perhaps it is no wonder that intensively farmed cows fart so much!

In terms of other aspects of rewilding, carbon is captured and stored in the wetlands created by beaver dams and through other projects to ‘rewiggle’ rivers and create / re-create wet areas. This is through the storage of carbon in sediment, the creation of peatlands and the fast growth of aquatic vegetation. To add to this, and as you will know, carbon is also stored through natural forest regeneration and in the tree planting that is sometimes done in rewilding projects where the soil is so bereft of naturally occurring tree seeds.

If we add in ‘regenerative agriculture’, which will be the subject

of another R-word, this approach adopts a soil protection and improvement strategy through not ploughing when planting crops. The amount of carbon in soil organic matter is vast, and when fields are deep ploughed, much of this organic matter is exposed, dried out by wind and the sun, and lost to the atmosphere—not good. Rewilding is at the extreme end of this as growing crops is not part of its system, but where the land is good for growing food, and rewilding is not an option, then a regenerative ‘no-till’ approach can stop a lot of carbon escaping to further heat our planet.

Simple questions can require complex answers. Dr Sam Rose tries to scratch the surface.

So where am I going with all of this? Well, my friend asked can rewilding save the planet? On its own, no, not really. There are issues of huge concern to the planet’s climate that are possibly an order of magnitude above what rewilding can mitigate— methane emission from melting permafrost, oceanic carbon release, peatland drying, fossil fuel emissions and so on. It’s all a bit doom and gloom, but combined with other changes, nature and rewilding can play a significant role, and that is if the lessons of rewilding (and regenerative agriculture) are adopted globally.

To explain, if livestock that have co-evolved in their location were used instead of imported breeds, and in significantly smaller numbers than now, then methane emissions would come down, and vegetation would not be decimated. If damaged or degraded natural areas were allowed to naturally regenerate, then new scrublands and equivalent areas would lock up carbon. If no-till approaches were adopted rather than deep ploughing

then carbon would stay in the soil, and if wetlands were allowed to evolve or come back, they would also lock up carbon, in sediment, plant growth and peat. And in respect of all of this, the people who know this already are those indigenous to their parts of the world, whether in northern Canada, the Amazon or Papua New Guinea. We should listen to them. They know, but they are so often voiceless.

I know that it is all very well me saying this now, but I am under no illusion, it would need seismic global changes in behaviours to meet the changes I suggest above, including changes that impact our own needs and wants. Sadly, I can’t see that happening quickly, but what I can say is that that rewilding and regenerative approaches really can play their parts, and the more places that adopt them, locally and globally, the bigger the combined positive impact on the climate crisis will be.

whatifyoujustleaveit.info

English Longhorn cattle browsing the hedgerow eating woody material as well as grass Copyright Sam Rose 2021

Whilst at university, Marshwood resident Charlie McNichol-Fardon set up a business helping unsigned bands by selling their CDs in hairdressing salons around the region. Finding a captive audience for new music was a big hit and she won a regional award for her efforts. It wasn’t the only business she set up during her course, but a point came where sustainability in its many forms became her main focus— whether running a business or helping others to do so. Now, after 14 years in business ownership and sustainability consultancy she has just been appointed Chair of The Future Leaders Council (FLC), an advisory panel to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

But how did she end up in Marshwood? ‘I literally stuck a pin in the map’ she tells me as we sit on the edge of a farmyard overlooking the Vale. ‘It was a sort of forced work life balance’. Nature and the countryside are in her blood. Growing up in the Midlands, Charlie’s earliest memory is sitting on tractors on her grandfather’s farm in Warwickshire. Later when she moved to Basingstoke and it came time to escape the pressures of an overload of work, she closed her eyes and allowed fate to take her to the Westcountry. Now her daily view is the stunning vista of ancient hills surrounding the currently lush fields of the Marshwood Vale.

A degree in Music Industry Management and Business, followed by an MSc in Global Sustainability Solutions and then an MBA from the University of Exeter, coupled

with extensive experience in business management and consultancy, has left Charlie with a unique set of skills, not least the ability to concisely present complex concepts. Today she leads the sustainability programme at the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) under the Ministry of Defence, working with internal stakeholders, external partners, and industry peers. ‘As head of sustainability I look at defence’ she says. ‘How the Hydrographic office can achieve the goals that they have while weaving in sustainability and positive outcomes.’

But the term sustainability is broad. ‘Sustainability is often misunderstood’ she says. ‘It has many meanings in many different contexts. One of the first things is defining that meaning. Until you define it you can’t achieve it.’ She says there are three pillars of sustainability. ‘The first, obviously, is environmental but the other two are often overlooked. There is the social side—social value. That’s the effect that we have on communities. For example the effect we have on coastal communities that we come into contact with. Then the third pillar is economic. That takes many different forms. How are we creating a product that offers a sustainable return on investment?’ The challenge for Charlie is not only to broaden that scope but also to communicate it.

She can’t talk in too much detail about her work at UKHO but her new role as chair of the FLC offers scope to expand and develop her expertise in sustainability. And that is where her heart lies.

Sometimes it is easy to see the results of research and innovation. Other times, activities that create meaningful change to our lives are hidden behind complex initiatives or little known institutions. Marshwood resident Charlie McNichol Fardon is involved in one of those organisations trying to make the world a better place. She spoke to Fergus Byrne about her hopes for a sustainable future.

NERC describes itself as the driving force of investment in environmental science. It invests public money in world-leading science, designed to help us sustain and benefit from our natural resources, predict and respond to natural hazards and understand environmental change. And that’s a subject that Charlie has plenty to comment on. ‘People talk about climate change, but we should be talking about the effects of climate change’ she says. ‘In the West we tend to be the emitters, but the people most affected tend to be nearer the equator.’ She believes it’s going to become so hot that that area will become uninhabitable and people will have to move. ‘There will be mass migration, and of course when that happens there will be knock-on effects within our social system such as political unrest and civil unrest. And as we get closer to nature we also have more risk of pandemics. These things are severe risks. For example we don’t talk enough about food production, diseased crops etc. It’s these things that are the real effects of climate change that we will feel.’

For Charlie, sustainability and the environment is a selfdeveloped interest. ‘I remember growing up in a family where there was no recycling, there was nothing like that.’ She recalls her father, who died in her teens, instilled a sense of resilience in his family. ‘When I was about ten he dropped me and my sister off on the side of a country lane, gave us some money and told us to find our way back. We did. He was quite a character and believed in order to become resilient we had to be put in these sorts of situations. To some extent that’s what life has been for me—pushing outside the boundaries and putting myself outside of my comfort zone all the time.’

Subsequent to finding her own way home she spent a lot of time going to different countryside locations to hike for the weekend and enjoy things like walking in bluebell woods. ‘Those for me are my really treasured memories’ she says. ‘Just being in nature and hearing the sounds—and feeling as well. We tend not to stop and listen and look and consider the textures. As a child I remember really considering the textures of things. Or swimming in the

river, though quite frankly the state of our rivers at the moment, you wouldn’t want to swim in them.’

As her gaze is drawn to the fields beyond where we sit, she considers the future for areas like the Marshwood Vale. ‘Places like this, which are already places of natural beauty, could be biodiversity hotspots’ she says. ‘Places that are education hubs to show how we protect the environment, but also how we improve the environment that we are in.’ This of course requires collaboration and engagement with the farming community—not only in NERC but also in the wider context. ‘I think the future is all about collaboration’ she says. ‘At the moment there are lots of blockers and bottlenecks to collaboration but I hope with my role and the things that I will be involved with over the next ten years, that I will be able to unblock that and help to facilitate those collaborations.’

She explains that sometimes there is the issue of impact versus visibility when dealing with sustainability and environmental initiatives. ‘So in the background we could be doing lots of things that have impact, for example decarbonisation, you can’t necessarily see that. But then on the flip side you have visibility, things like recycling bins are things that you can tangibly see. You can’t have one without the other. If you have visibility without impact, that’s called greenwashing. If you have impact without visibility you don’t get buy-in. There has to be balance and that’s another facet to my role—helping to create that balance.’

As well as having responsibility for certain funding lines within NERC, the FLC is also there to bring a fresh voice to the organisation, to offer fresh perspectives. ‘Because you can also sometimes suffer from “group think”, as any board sometimes can. And having that different perspective and that challenge from those future leaders enables them to stop and think “maybe we do need to do something differently”.’

NERC Deputy Executive Chair, Alison Robinson, says she expects the Future Leaders Council ‘to have a real impact on the future of environmental science.’ Initial impressions are that Charlie Fardon will do her utmost to make that happen.

There will be mass migration, and of course when that happens there will be knock-on effects within our social system such as political unrest and civil unrest

Vegetables in July

By Ashley Wheeler

Ienjoy July as a vegetable grower. A lot of the planting has been done, the main crops are all planted up, have been hoed and are almost all undersown with green manures— mostly a mixture of yellow trefoil, white clover, crimson clover, persian clover, buckwheat, linseed, oats, phacelia, cornflowers and calendula. These crops can then just be left to grow until harvest time. There is still plenty to do and there are plenty more plantings to be done and successions to be grown, but the main crop vegetables can pretty much be left to get along with things. July is actually a big month for sowing late summer and autumn crops, which will be planted in August to replace earlier crops, so don’t think that once those main crops have been planted up through June that you can sit back and relax!

Sowings made through late June and July include fennel, chicory, kohl rabi, chinese cabbage, broccoli, chard and perpetual spinach, dill and coriander, and salad leaves such as lettuce and mustards, endive, buckshorn plantain and chervil. These can all replace earlier crops such as radish, salads and herbs, shallots, peas, broad beans, early carrots, early beets and fennel.

Don’t forget to keep up with weekly training of tomato plants too—taking out all sideshoots, and a few lower leaves to encourage better airflow and also more energy going into the ripening of the fruit. If the plants are growing up strings they will also need to be twisted around the strings every week.

After a wet spring, it suddenly dried out a lot and through May and June there has been a distinct lack of rain. This has meant that we have been moving sprinklers around the garden a lot—making sure that the crops are well watered. We prioritise watering new plantings—giving them a good soaking immediately after we plant them. The polytunnel crops usually get watered three times a week through the summer with the drip irrigation, and then the next priorities are the leafy salad crops and fruiting crops like french beans and courgettes. We tend to put out drip irrigation on some of these crops that are in the ground for a fairly long time— courgettes and french beans for example. We then overhead water the leafy salad crops like lettuce as they are so quick growing that it is not really worth the effort of putting out drip tape to irrigate them at ground level. However, generally it is far better to be watering with drip irrigation as this is far less wasteful because the water goes directly to the rootzone of the plants rather than being sprayed about in the air— with lots being lost through evaporation especially on hot days. If we are using overhead sprinklers to irrigate crops during the summer we tend to put on the watering early in the morning or late in the evening especially on hot sunny days. This results in less evaporation and more water going directly to the soil and plants. We will be looking at digging a small reservoir/pond this autumn to harvest rainwater from the big polytunnel and barn which can then be used to

irrigate our crops. We currently use a borehole which works well, but these last couple of dry summers have made us think more about water use and water storage. It’s definitely worth trying to collect as much rainwater as possible to use in the dry months not only for financial reasons, but also rainwater is far better for plants than mains water which is often treated with chemicals that have a negative effect on soil life, and it seems such a waste having buildings that can collect so much water for us and letting it all run away.

WHAT TO SOW THIS MONTH: chicory (first week of July), endive, summer purslane, winter purslane, mustards, rocket, land cress, chard, beetroot, lettuce, kohl rabi, chinese cabbage, broccoli, chard, perpetual spinach, fennel, broad beans (for tips in salads) & peashoots (at the end of the month), carrots, dill, coriander

WHAT TO PLANT THIS MONTH:

OUTSIDE: fennel, beetroot, lettuce, chard, kale, salad leaves—amaranth, orache, anise hyssop, buckshorn plantain, salad burnet, chervil, endive, chicory

INSIDE: summer purslane, late french beans, late cucumbers, basil

OTHER IMPORTANT TASKS THIS MONTH:

Try to clear beds where crop harvests are coming to an end such as broad beans, peas, spring onions, lettuce and shallots, so that you can put in newly sown crops straight away. We either flail mow old crops and cover with thick silage plastic for 2-3 weeks or remove the crops by cutting them off at ground level and then hoeing the bed before planting.

Watering in leeks straight after planting in June

Go Large on Vegetable Sculpture

SYMONDSBURY Estate outside Bridport is encouraging everyone, young and old, to get creative this summer with the launch of its first ever Vegetable Sculpture Competition at the Symondsbury Estate Summer Fête which is being held from 10am to 4pm on Wednesday 26th July 2023.

This will be a fun, free-to-enter competition open to all—no artistic skills are required. People are being invited to make a sculpture out of fruit and vegetables which can be as simple or elaborate as they like.

Symondsbury Estate Summer Fête is a big family, foodie day out. There will be free activities to enjoy, including live music, Punch & Judy, Morris Dancing, a children’s entertainer, coconut shy and magic show. Plus, there will be the chance to sample some of the best food and drink from the South West with a great selection of local and artisan producers showcasing their wares.

Visitors on the day are welcome to bring a picnic, treat themselves to delicious takeaway food from the Estate’s BBQ or deli, or sit down to a home-cooked, locally produced meal at Symondsbury Kitchen—washed down with a glass or two of Pimm’s from the bar.

The competition has two classes to enter: A Children’s Class for those aged 15 and under and an Adult Class for those aged 16 and over. The Adult winner will receive a £100 voucher and the Children’s winner will receive a £30 voucher to spend at Symondsbury Home & Garden, the Visitor Centre or Symondsbury Kitchen.

To enter the competition simply fill in the entry form at www. symondsburyestate.co.uk/events/enter-the-inaugural-symondsbury-vegetablesculpture-competition/ and email it to suzie@symondsburyestate.co.uk, or drop it into the Visitor Centre at Symondsbury Estate, by midday on Monday 24th July. Sculptures can then be delivered to the Visitor Centre between 10am to 4pm on Tuesday 25th July or between 8am to 9.30am on Wednesday 26th July.

The competition will be judged on the day of the Fête by a panel of guest judges including Phil Clayton, Artistic Director of Lyme Bay Arts who runs the Sou’-Sou’-West Art Gallery at Symondsbury Estate.

July in the Garden

By Russell Jordan

Having had an unusually dry and sunny beginning to summer, there is a danger that certain plants may ‘run out of steam’ this month if they have been stressed due to lack of water earlier on. Cutting back early flowering border plants, herbaceous geraniums being a prime example, as soon as there’s been a good dose of rain, or if you are able to provide irrigation, should result in a new flush of growth and flowers. In fact, getting into the borders for a bit of editing, weeding, feeding and propping up should ensure that plants can carry on performing for the rest of the summer and ‘gird their loins’ for further periods of heat induced stress.

Before we had, as I write this, the spell of thundery weather with occasional downpours, I had been thinking this might be another ‘summer of 1976’—notoriously hot and dry with severe water shortages. Using irrigation is fine as long as there aren’t hosepipe bans, or if you have your own water supply (I am fortunate enough to have a deep well) but looking after your soil, with regular applications of humus rich mulch, is a better long-term bet. The shift over the past few decades to a more prairie style of planting, lots of grasses and late season perennials, also favours a less water dependant palette of plants compared to the traditional ‘high summer herbaceous border’ style which epitomises the classic English country garden look.

Talking of prairie style planting; I have recently been weeding self-sown ox-eye daisies out of an established perennial border. It brought to mind that age-old gardening debate regarding ‘when is a plant a weed?’ The reason why these thuggish daisies had started to take over the border was because someone else I work with, and the last person entrusted with weeding this particular section, considers oxeye (Lecanthemum vulgaris) to be rather beautiful and therefore had not weeded out the self-sown seedlings while they were still tiny.

I think they are beautiful, when they are madly flowering in a wildflower meadow, roadside verges, etc., but I do consider them to be weeds when they have sown themselves into an ornamental planting scheme where they don’t belong.

Native plants, of all sorts, have the potential to be ‘weeds’ because they tend to be better adapted to our soil and climate, due to the simple fact that they have evolved to thrive here, and are therefore likely to out compete,

eventually killing off, any non-native, ornamental, plants which they seed into. Having spent good time and money in obtaining, planting and nurturing a curated collection of pretty plants, having a bullying daisy invade their space, killing then off, is, to me, intolerable.

In this case there is a happy ending because, having cut the invasive daisies down, prior to seeding, they were dug up and are currently being kept moist in readiness for replanting back into an area of establishing flower meadow, once it’s been mown down in late summer. In a meadow they will have a lot more competition, from other native plants, which will suppress their thuggish tendencies. Hence they will cease being a ‘weed’ and regain their rightful status as ‘meadow flower’. Conversely, I have ornamental bronze fennel seeding itself into my wildflower meadow at home... but that’s another story!

Elsewhere in the garden there are certain timely tasks which it is traditional to do in July, cutting off the long, whippy, growth on wisteria being the most often quoted activity. This is really just a very specific example of a task which you should have been doing ever since the beginning of the growing system; the ongoing maintenance of shrubs that have finished flowering. Any shrub which has the potential to outgrow its allotted garden space will benefit from regular pruning and reshaping over its lifetime once it has reached maturity—wisteria is just a specialised case because it is a shrub (actually it’s a ‘climber’) that is trained onto walls and pergolas and has especially obvious extension growth.

More ‘ordinary’ shrubs have less obvious extension growth or spent flowers but they benefit just as much from some gardener intervention when it comes to rejuvenating them, in order to maximise their flowering potential and to maintain their vigour over a very long lifetime. The major reason why shrubs of the Weigela / Philadelphus / Deutzia etc. persuasion outgrow their usefulness is simply because they don’t get the kind of regular attention that the more needy Wisteria receives and, left to their own devices, they become congested ‘blobs of doom’ in the garden. Show them some love and attention, with regular pruning out of spent flowering shoots and thinning out of the oldest stems, and they can be just as glamorous as their more ‘show off’ cousins.

Although the fresh bloom of early summer has evolved

into a slightly less shiny state of affairs by July, keeping on with regular maintenance will ensure the longest flowering period possible and the best chance of keeping the garden looking good. During the very hottest, driest, weather the lawn will practically stop growing and will only require mowing in order to remove the flowering spikes which the grass will want to produce. In really dry spells then raising the cutting height, really short mowing adds additional stress to the sward, is a good idea. Most flowering plants and especially the tender ones used as bedding in summer containers, benefit from regular dead-heading, as do any repeat-flowering roses not grown for their hips. Feeding and watering, as ever, of pots and containers is also critical to keeping them happy until the first frosts.

If you want to get a bit more involved in your horticultural activities then high summer is the best time to take all sorts of cuttings. The heat and high light levels of the season so far should ensure that cuttings taken now have the best chance of being successful. There are many specific ways of taking cuttings, depending on the plant in question, but the general principles are the same: pencil thin cuttings cut with a sharp knife; leaves removed or reduced except for a few at the tip; inserted into an ‘open’ (not claggy) compost; cover with a polythene bag / propagator lid; keep in a light place and covered up until rooting has taken place. You’ll know that they have rooted when they start making new leaves / when they aren’t dead. There are plenty of online resources which cover this, and every topic under the sun, in more detail— good luck!

How July-ke these homes?!

By Helen Fisher

MORCOMBELAKE £1,175,000

Beautifully restored Grade II listed Georgian Farmhouse with many classical features plus modern day conveniences. 5 bedrooms and outstanding views towards Golden Cap. A range of traditional outbuildings inc: pp for a conversion to holiday let unit. Set in 2.06 acres with paddocks, garden, orchard and greenhouse. Close to coast. Symonds and Sampson Tel: 01308 422092

CHARMOUTH £695,000

Individual detached house with 4 bedrooms. Built in the 1930s and recently altered and enlarge to a very high standard. Featuring a stunning glass atrium/balcony with retractable glass roof, contemporary kitchen with solid oak worktops and 4 oven Aga. Plus studio/home office. Landscaped, south-facing rear garden with pond, raised beds and a palm tree. Ample parking and double garage. Centre of village location.

Stags Tel: 01308 428000

NR COLYTON £795,000

A picturesque detached 3 double bedroom home with a fully selfcontained annexe in an ONB rural location. Sitting room with large fireplace and bread oven. Lawned gardens of about 0.3 acres plus trees, shrubs and hedge boundaries. Large double garage with workshop. Plus a long driveway and carport.

Gordon & Rumsby Tel: 01297 553768

PYMORE £700,000

A family-sized home with 4 double bedrooms tucked away in a quiet cul de sac. Large, L shaped sitting room with views across the garden plus doors leading to an undercover entertaining area. Beautiful, private gardens with a substantial outbuilding, currently used as a gym. With far-reaching countryside views and ample driveway parking.

Goadsby Tel: 01308 420000

BRIDPORT £395,000

Semi-detached Victorian 3-storey town house with 4 bedrooms. Ready for renovation. Many characterful details inc: high skirting boards, ceiling cornices, picture rails, original doors & fireplaces, sash windows and a mint condition decorative, mosaic tiled floor. Walled rear gardens, outbuilding and countryside views.

Kennedys Tel: 01308 427329

POXWELL £375,000

Grade II listed semi-detached cottage dating back to 1843, restored to its former glory following a serious fire in 2020. Characterful features were rebuilt using local, experienced craftsmen to include: latch doors, timber beams and flooring and a brick built fireplace. With 2 bedrooms and contemporary kitchen. Garden with shed and outside tap. DOMVS Tel: 01305 757300

Outdoor learning to help save the planet?

CAN a bunch of school children catching newts in a pond and shovelling manure save the planet? The answer is a resounding yes! In fact it is probably the only thing that will!

Join Steve Bowles on a thought-provoking romp through the trials and tribulations of setting up an outdoor learning programme in an ordinary state primary school. Life in the Nature Zone underlines the imperative for engaging our children with nature in a school setting in the age of environmental crisis.

Steve Bowles has had an eclectic career which has included scientific exploration particularly in the Amazon, work as a film-maker for the BBC, Channel 4 and Discovery and as an outdoor learning teacher in schools and for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. He has also trained teachers and lectured widely on the imperative for engaging our children with the natural world in the school setting.

The HOP talks are an initiative started by Philip Howse OBE (Professor Emeritus, University of Southampton) with Professor Sir Ghillean Prance FRS VMH CBE (former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) George Monbiot, Clive Farrell, Dr George McGavin and the late James Lovelock CBE. The project aims to inspire and inform individuals, families and local communities with tangible actions to help combat the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, and to raise money for charities working in these areas. Each month the charity is chosen by the speaker. Join us at the talks to Help Our Planet!

Life in the Nature Zone … aka how to re-wild our children Part of the Help Our Planet series a talk by Steve Bowles. Friday 7 July 7pm (Doors 6pm hot snacks and bar available) Tickets: £10 (concessions and under 21s £5) All ticket proceeds to conservation charities Call 01308 459511 to reserve your tickets. Sladers Yard Contemporary Art & Craft Gallery, West Bay Bridport Dorset DT6 4EL

MACKEREL PIRI PIRI

Piri piri is an Angolan name for a type of small hot chilli, and the term came to be used all over the Portuguese empire for hot dishes, usually of fish and meat, prepared this way. You can make it as hot as you like by using different kinds of chillies, or even adding some dried chillies as the shop ones often aren’t that fiery. If you are a chilli lover, don’t miss the Great Dorset Chilli Festival on 5th and 6th August in Sturminster Newton. There’s a whole host of demos, competitions, music and plenty of food and drink stands for you to enjoy over the weekend. I will be hosting a demo of my favourite chilli recipes on 5th August.

https://www.greatdorsetchillifestival.co.uk/the-festival/

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large or 8 small mackerel, heads removed and gutted

• 60-70g (or more to taste) red chillies

• A small red pepper, seeded

• 5tbsp olive oil

• A good pinch of salt

• Lemon or lime wedges, to serve

For the salad

• A handful of coriander leaves, washed and dried

• A handful of flat parsley leaves, washed and dried

• 1-2 ripe tomatoes, diced

• 1 mild red or green chilli, thinly sliced

• 129-150g broad beans, cooked

• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the angle

• 1tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 1 lime

Serves 4

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender or liquidiser, blend the chillies, red pepper, olive oil and salt until smooth. Score the mackerel about five times on each side, then mix with the piri marinade in a bowl. Transfer to a tray and refrigerate until required.

2. You can cook the mackerel under the grill, in a very hot oven, or on the barbecue, although they do tend to stick with the marinade unless you lay them on some foil and close the barbecue lid to get the temperature really hot.

3. Cook the mackerel using any of the above methods, but not for too long – 5-6 minutes will do. Baste the fish with any excess marinade as they are cooking.

4. To make the salad, just toss all of the ingredients together and season to taste. Serve the fish with the salad on the plate or separately.

Chose your own Somerset Food Trail

The Somerset Food Trail Festival in July celebrates the best, most sustainably produced local food and offers the opportunity to visit and meet many of those involved in growing and producing quality food in Somerset.

It’s the first of its kind: a countywide event focused specifically on the area’s more nature-friendly farmers and artisan producers—the local food heroes who are leading the transition to a new era of regenerative, ‘agroecological’ farming, to cut emissions, restore wildlife and produce better, tastier, more nourishing food.

There is not one ‘Somerset Food Trail’. You choose the route yourself based on what catches your eye or whets your appetite. The Trail is divided into clusters, or areas, to make it easier to navigate. You don’t, of course, have to confine yourself to one area, although each area will offer plenty to see and do.

Venues open for set times during the festival, and opening times vary, so check out the venue listing and their website before heading out. The Food Trail Festival is mostly free, although some events have a modest fee, and there will be a charge for feasts, of course. Book in advance as many events may have limited numbers.

The Festival programme runs from the 14th to the 30th July and participants include the Burrow Hill Cider & The Somerset Distillery, Charles Dowding’s Garden Tours in Shepton Mallet, Perry’s Cider Mill at Dowlish Wake and The Pig Pen in South Petherton. For a full list of participants and events visit www.somersetfoodtrail.org.

Charles Dowding garden tours is one of the many attractions in this year’s Somerset Food Trail

Digital Media

As a designer and photographer, Mike Kus finds inspiration comes from everywhere. He talked to Fergus Byrne about his journey from fine art to graphic design, and then coding. Mike will be selecting exhibitors for the Digital Media category of the 2023 Marshwood Arts Awards

British graphic designer and photographer, Mike Kus, has produced work for clients as diverse as a Jason Flemyng vampire movie to the online ecommerce software business ‘Shopify’. Once commissioned by Getty Images to produce a series of posters he used a combination of bold and colour graphic design, typography and imagery to create intrigue and impact. Mike says he was initially inspired by ‘contemporary legend’ American designer David Carson, a designer who once said that ‘if everybody loves your work, you’re playing it much too safe’.

Mike is a regular speaker at design and tech conferences and will be selecting exhibitors for the Digital Media category for this year’s Marshwood Arts Awards and John Hubbard Prize.

While the word ‘digital’ denotes work that encompasses some form of electronic technology, Mike’s background wasn’t always quite so contemporary. ‘During my college and university years, my inclination towards technology was rather limited’ he says. ‘While I dabbled in music production and utilised music editing software, my visual creative work predominantly involved traditional hands-on painting. I also did analogue photography. It wasn’t until after completing my education that I jumped into the world of tech.’

He pursued a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at Chichester University, specialising in Related Art & Art and says that while his primary focus revolved around fine art and painting, the course encompassed a diverse array of creative disciplines. ‘While painting remained the core of my artistic endeavours, I drew inspiration from a multitude of creative areas of the arts.’ It was only when he took a position at The Body Shop after University that he began to use design software which would then become ‘integral to my work over the next 25 years.’

His passion for music and album artwork fuelled his creative drive and his use of digital photography led to a commission for a book. He was approached by Laurence King Publishing

to write a book which initially didn’t revolve around mobile photography. ‘However, I Iove the idea of lowering the barrier to entry to the creative fields’ he says. ‘So consequently, I decided to shift the focus of the book towards mobile photography. This adjustment aimed to create a photography book that is accessible and empowers individuals to express their creativity.’ The book The Pocket Photographer: How to take beautiful photos with your phone was published in 2021.

Empowering people to express their creativity is one of the reasons for the very existence of The Marshwood Arts Awards and the Digital Media category—which includes film, digital

photography, graphic design and digital illustration—today benefits from a range of software facilitated enhancements that includes artificial intelligence. The recent story from the Sony World Photography Award, where one of the winners elected not to accept his award as his entry was produced using AI shows that the category needs to embrace the complexity of our creative future. Mike says that over the past decade he has greatly benefited from advancements in photography and film editing software. ‘These technological innovations have made significant contributions to both my artistic output and creative process. Currently, the notable tech revolution is AI, which is causing both excitement and fear in the creative space. I am actively experimenting with and assessing its potential impact as it continues to unfold.’

But for him the jury is still out on AI. While he has experimented with it and found it enjoyable to use he is still in the process of determining how it can integrate into his own workflow. ‘I have used AI for generating ideas and as a kind

‘I Iove the idea of lowering the barrier to entry to the creative fields’

of stock image generator. But I’m still trying to work out my relationship with it. I do however believe that AI will leave a more profound impact on our society than even the internet. It’s undeniably the next technological revolution. I think it will change many aspects of our lives in a big way.’

In his own work Mike aims to craft distinctive and meaningful work for his clients, often venturing into creative areas that may not come naturally to him. He believes that taking on challenges and stepping outside his comfort zone is good for both personal and professional growth.

So what does he say to aspiring photographers and designers? ‘For aspiring creatives and designers of the future, my advice is to remain authentic to yourself and pursue the work that truly resonates with you. The work you choose to share plays a significant role in showcasing your unique creative identity to potential clients or employers, as well as demonstrating your capabilities. Also, I would encourage you not to shy away from exploring new tech. Embracing new tools and techniques can often lead to unexpected opportunities and open doors that you may not have initially expected.’

He also sees the benefit of entering initiatives such as Arts Awards. Many selectors over the years have echoed the suggestion that the process of having to focus on entering an Arts Award competition has been very beneficial in galvanizing artists and makers who are often working inside a bubble. Mike goes beyond that: ‘Participating in arts awards offers many benefits beyond just showcasing your work and potentially winning accolades’ he says. ‘It provides the opportunity to engage with a vibrant artistic community, receive valuable feedback, and make new connections and friendships.’ He says that while ‘gaining visibility for your work is undoubtedly a good thing, the true value lies in the meaningful connections and relationships formed during such events. The chance to interact with like-minded individuals, share insights, and build a supportive network is often the most rewarding outcome of being involved in arts related events of this kind.’

Entry is now open for the 2023 Marshwood Arts Awards and John Hubbard Prize. To enter visit www.marshwoodawards.com or email info@ marshwoodvale.com to request more information.

All photographs © Mike Kus.

‘AI will leave a more profound impact on our society than even the internet. It’s undeniably the next technological revolution. I think it will change many aspects of our lives in a big way.’

GALLERIES July

1 - 23 July

‘Summertide’ an exhibition by Bridport Art Society at Sou’Sou’-West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury. DT6 6HG 10.30am until 4.30pm Daily. Contact: 01308 301326 sousouwest.co.uk/ bridportart.com FB: Bridport Arts Society.

1 - 29 July

Axminster and Lyme Cancer Support Guest artists are Marina Morris, Anne Townsend, Maggie Stead, Jools Woodhouse, Christine Allison, Alison Bowskill and Mary Kahn. Open daily from 8.30 til 4pm at Unique Framecraft, 4-5 Millwey Rise Workshops, Second Avenue, Axminster. EX13 5HH. Telephone 01297 613614 or 07801 260259. Instagram:- @ uniqueframecraft. What3words: warned.tasteful.elaborate.

1 - 31 July

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

Until 2 July

Colours of Dorset Caroline Liddington and Lynne Grace present their annual exhibition of joyful oil paintings inspired by the Dorset Coastal landscape. Subjects include the sea in all seasons, marine life under vast skies and life ashore from local landscapes, cats and domestic interiors, all painted with a unique colour palette producing a vibrant and stimulating experience. The paintings are created using oil or acrylic on canvas and range from postcard to large A1 + size. Greetings cards, prints and other gifts will be available, open daily from 10-4. Eype Centre for the Arts, St. Peter’s Church, Mount Lane, Eype, Bridport, DT66AR. www.carolineliddingtonart.com

Spirit of Symondsbury 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 West Country Artist Rob Crisp will be returning to the Lyme Bay Arts gallery in June with an exhibition devoted to the beautiful village and estate of Symondsbury. This will be an artist’s personal overview in capturing the timeless and tranquil spirit of an area of outstanding beauty.

3 - 23 July

In The Company of Colour: Alison Rose 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 Alison is passionate about the power of colour and creates expressive, vibrant, semi–abstract floral still life and landscape paintings. She explores and layers colour intuitively capturing sensations and feelings from both observation and imagination.

4 - 9 July

By Design: What’s the score? Innovative work from 11 textile artists. While each individual follows her own creative path, the group joins together to work on themed exhibitions which result in paired wallhangings, one by an individual artist and the second with input from four artists. The current exhibition celebrates 20 years of collaboration. The exhibition at Eype will also include other smaller works by individual group members – something to interest everyone. Eype Centre for the Arts, St. Peter’s Church, Mount Lane, Eype, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6AR (for sat nav use DT6 6AP). 11am – 5pm daily, 11am – 4.30 pm Sunday. Free entry and parking. www.bydesigntextiles.co.uk.

7 - 13 July

Five go to Lyme Again: an eclectic show from 5 artists working in oils, acrylic, mixed media, silk & printing. Alison Summerfield, Liz Vonberg, Lynsey Pickwell, Lesley Hook & Susan Paradise show their latest work. Malthouse Gallery, Town Mill, Lyme Regis DT7 3PU First day 2 to 4.30pm, otherwise 10am to 4.30pm. 01297 444042 www.townmill.org.uk

Until 8 July

The Garden & Beyond Forest of Dean artists Jackie Cox & Chris Sinden delight with natural scenes created with pastels, linocut, silk painting, scraperboard and more. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tues-Sat, 9.30am - 3pm. Free entry. https:// www.ilminsterartscentre.com/exhibitions.

Philip Sutton RA A Colourist’s World Paintings from a lifetime, new work, works on paper, ceramics, and posters. Sladers Yard, 6 West Bay Rd, West Bay, Bridport DT6 4EL. 01308 459511.

8 - 21 July

John Hammond (1961 – 2023) Retrospective at Marine House at Beer. Opens 11am. John Hammond was an exhibitor at Marine House for many years and we honour his life with a retrospective of his incredibly popular work. A master of light, he was particularly drawn to the countryside, cities, and towns of Southern France and Italy and found in these places a broad font of inspiration - be it a grand Belle Epoque palace, the landing stage of a Mediterranean harbour, or a kerbside café. Closer to home, he loved the ever changing moods of English landscapes and seaside, and the drama of London’s streets and unique interiors. John also had a passion for the 1940s and we have some wonderful work in the exhibition, never previously exhibited, from the Goodwood Revival which he regularly attended. Marine House at Beer, Fore Street, Beer, EX12 4EF. Tel: 01297 625257 E: info@marinehouseatbeer.co.uk. www.marinehouseatbeer.co.uk

Until 9 July

The Hidden a sound and film installation by Australian filmmaker and artist Tim Georgeson and composer, performer and proud Kalkadunga man, William Barton. It offers a personal account of the Bundanon land and waterscapes in New South Wales, Australia. Messums Wiltshire, Place Farm, Court St, Tisbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6LWE: info@ messumswiltshire.com T: 01747 445042.

11 July - 12 August

Celebrating Art Creative Coverage is an organisation that provides opportunities to introduce artists to wider audiences, and returns to the Arts Centre this summer, under the theme ‘Celebrating Art’. The exhibition will include artists from all over the country, including those that have not exhibited here previously. As always, it will be an exhibition not to be missed. Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. Tues-Sat, 9.30am - 3pm. Free entry. https://www. ilminsterartscentre.com/exhibitions.

13 July - 19 August

Genius Loci Featuring paintings by Katie Barons and Luke Mintowt-Czyz, and a video/sound installation by former students of AUB in collaboration with Richard Waring, this exhibition reveals how ten artists explore their sensations of landscape. How are experiences of sensing the character of a landscape transformed into a painted surface or a sonic action? How does the artist’s diverse knowledge of that place inform the artwork? This exhibition features the project Sonic Camouflage, the response of a group of artists to an ancient Greek language, the Hammer Whistle or sfyria, invented to disguise the human voice as bird song in order to evade capture by an enemy. Preview including artist’s Q&A: Thursday 13th July, 6-8pm. Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre, 9 South Street, Bridport DT6 3NR 01308 424901. Open 10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday, Free Entry.

14 - 16 July

Landmarks: the Colours and Patterns of Dorset an exhibition of vibrant paintings by Hilary Buckley The Malthouse Gallery, Town Mill, Lyme Regis DT7 3PU. Daily 10.00am to 5.00pm. Free admission. Contact: 01297 444111.

Website: Dorset-artist.uk

ART@EYPE is an annual free-entry event exhibition showcasing some of Dorset’s finest artists and makers, this year featuring David Brooke, Sally Davies,Jamie Hart, Lucie Milner, Marnie Shaw, Russ Snedker, Elizabeth Sporne, Cliff Towler and Paul Wenlock . Stunning church venue overlooking the sea. St.Peter’s Church. Eype Centre for the Arts. Eype. Bridport. 6AR, well- signposted and with free parking, dogfriendly. Facebook @ArtatEype, tel 07718 078453

14 July - 31 August

Summer Exhibition Fifteen painters and sculptors exhibiting new work. The subjects encompass landscape, still life, interiors and marine by the painters with the sculptors showing animal, bird and abstract subjects. Exhibiting two new artists to the Gallery; the painter David Atkins and sculptor David Sprakes. The Jerram Gallery, Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LN. www.jerramgallery.com.

15 July - 2 September

Hope: Ways forward into a changing world Frances Hatch ARWS paintings, Rachel Fenner ARCA paintings, Adela Powell ceramics. Caroline Sharp woven sculpture, Petter Southall furniture. Sladers Yard, 6 West Bay Rd, West Bay, Bridport DT6 4EL. 01308 459511.

17 - 23 July

Eype Centre for the Arts will be hosting Andrew Haydon’s solo photographic exhibition, REFLECTION featuring landscapes and birds of prey holding the viewer in a moment of contemplation. The landscapes are shot in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, the predominately black and white photographs afford a degree of timelessness and allow scope to create a version of reality. Conversely, Andrew’s colour shots reflect the curiosity and strength of various birds of prey, showcasing the intricate detail of their wonderful feather patterns and facial features. Eype Centre for the Arts, St Peter’s Church, Mount Lane, Eype, Bridport, DT6 6AR. www.andrewhaydon. com

Until 21 July

Summer Exhibition gallery & guest artists features over a dozen of our gallery artists, plus four guest artists, including

a range of sculptures, oils, and prints. A fine selection of landscape monoprints from Bristol-based Ruth Ander contrast nicely with landscapes in oil from Dorset-base Kim Pragnell. The Hampshire artist Philippa Headley adds her landscape oils to the mix and then Dorset-based Colin Moore provides further contrast with his linocut landscapes, and the detailled landscape etchings of Devon-based 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 London-based guest artist Chloe Fremantle and pieces by local guest artist Sarah Batt. Tincleton Gallery, The Old School House, Tincleton, nr Dorchester, DT2 8QR. http://www.tincletongallery.com.

Until 22 July

Lines of Empathy a group show of 17 mid-career artists working in Britain today, whose practice centres on drawing and works on paper. The exhibition travels from Patrick Heide Gallery in London to Somerset. The project was conceived by artist Giulia Ricci during the first wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic and during this time of great uncertainty, Giulia began a series of conversations with artists whose practice contains drawing as a key component. The resulting exhibition contains a ‘synthesis of the project’s main themes: lines as mark making in the process of working on paper, and empathy as the act of reaching out into someone else’s experience.’ A beautiful book, now in its second edition accompanies the project and contains thought provoking interviews with all the included artists about their practice. Copies will be available to purchase during the exhibition. The show will be open to the public until 22nd July by appointment. CLOSE Ltd, Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset TA3 6AE info@closeltd.com, 01823 480 350, www.closeltd.com.

29 July - 13 August

South West Academy Sou’-Sou’-West Arts Gallery, Symondsbury Estate, Bridport DT6 6HG. Open daily 10:304:30. Free admission & parking. Contact 01308 301326 www. sousouwest.co.uk

Until 31 July

Bridget McCrum a retrospective view of the past three decades of Bridget McCrum’s practice with sculpture and drawings on display dating from 1995 through to new work, shown for the first time. Messums Wiltshire, Place Farm, Court St, Tisbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6LWE: info@ messumswiltshire.com T: 01747 445042.

Henry Lamb RA A rare opportunity to view a collection of over 90 drawings by the Australian-born British painter Henry Lamb (1883-1960). One of the guilded generation of Edwardian artists, Lamb was a founder member of the Camden Town Group in 1911 and the London Group two years later in 1913. Messums Wiltshire, Place Farm, Court St, Tisbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6LWE: info@ messumswiltshire.com T: 01747 445042.

Until 12 August

Corinna Wagner: TerraOceanus Exhibition of the work of photographer Corinna Wagner exploring our relationship to rivers, seas and to their edge lands relating to the Time and Tide Bell Project. Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm.

Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX thelmahulbert.com. 01404 45006

Until 13 August

Landscapes of Dorset and Cornwall by Caroline Nairn, Caroline Nairn is a Weymouth-based artist whose inspiration comes from the Dorset countryside and West Country coastline. Her love of nature, walking and sketching outdoors has led her to create this memorable series of paintings and drawings. Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues-Sat 10am5pm; Sun 10am-4pm, www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk

Until 1 January 2024

‘Gruppenausstellung’ is a celebration of Hauser & Wirth’s Swiss heritage through a playful presentation of over 20 artists, including Phyllida Barlow, Martin Creed, Nicole Eisenman, Isa Genzken, Rodney Graham, Richard Hamilton, Mary Heilmann, Camille Henrot, Richard Jackson, Rashid Johnson, Allison Katz, Paul McCarthy, Jason Rhoades, Pipilotti Rist, Dieter Roth, Björn Roth, Mika Rottenberg, Anri Sala, Cindy Sherman, Roman Signer, Lorna Simpson, Alina Szapocznikow, Franz West and David Zink Yi. The multidisciplinary exhibition is inspired by the notion of a traditional Kunsthalle, conceived as a place to showcase groundbreaking art and explore contemporary issues with a broad audience. The entire site takeover provides a platform for discovery and interaction, extending to all five galleries, outdoor sculpture and a collaborative events program with the Roth Bar & Grill. Hauser & Wirth, Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton Somerset BA10 0NL

PREVIEWJuly

Ayckbourn trilogy SIDMOUTH

THIS year’s summer play season at Sidmouth Manor Pavilion, which runs from 26th June to 23rd September, includes Alan Ayckbourn’s Damsels in Distress trilogy.

The country’s only surviving traditional summer rep, produced by Paul Taylor Mills, runs over 12 weeks, with plays from Monday to Saturday each week. It opens with The Small Hours, a classic murder mystery by Francis Durbridge, followed by Boeing Boeing, Marc Camoletti’s classic farce.

The first of the Ayckbourn trilogy, Game Plan, opens on 10th July, and is followed by Flat Spin from 17th July, and the final part, Role Play, from 24th July.

The mood turns darker on 31st July, when Richard Harris’s thriller The Business of Murder comes to the stage.

There is a gap for Sidmouth Folk Festival, from 4th to 11th August, and the curtain rises again on the rep season, with Ray Cooney’s most famous farce, Run For Your Wife, from 14th August.

Not Dead Enough, by best-selling crime writer Peter James,

follows from 21st August, and Robin Howdon’s The Mating Game is on from 28th August.

High Whitemore’s spy thriller Pack of Lies opens on 4th September, followed by Noel Coward’s Private Lives from Monday 11th.

The season ends with Patrick Barlow’s clever and hilarious four-handed adaptation of John Buchan’s classic thriller, The 39 Steps, from 18th to 23rd September.

Multi-arts free festival

EXMOUTH

EXMOUTH Festival, from 28th to 31st July, moves out into the town this year, with a programme of free events that include film, music, food, and arts and crafts.

A highlight for the whole family will be a visit on Monday 31st by the inclusive Jack Dean & Company with their contemporary take on a classic Greek myth, Hero and Leander (Or, I Love You, But Everything’s Underwater).

The gig-theatre show features multi-talented actormusicians, with a six-piece band, telling the story of star-

Jack Dean and Company bring their gig-theatre take on the Greek myth of Hero and Leander to the free Exmouth Festsival

crossed lovers caught on different sides of the sea, fighting against all odds to be together.

Each night, Hero signals for Leander to swim to her across the stretch of sea that separates them, but the vengeful God Hephaestus is determined to thwart the lovers’ plans.

Jack Dean’s trademark poetic storytelling is combined with a mix of folk, indie, sea shanties and choral music, played by a band of six multi-instrumentalists.

Jack Dean says: “It’s kind of an ode to a disappeared England, and I also think it will speak to anyone who’s done something a bit daft and over-the-top for someone they loved when they were young.”

Chamber music in the church

CERNE ABBAS

THE beautiful Cerne Abbas parish church of St Mary is the venue for this year’s 32nd Cerne Abbas Music Festival, over the weekend 20th to 23rd July.

As always the concerts are presented and performed by

The Gaudier Ensemble, led by clarinettist Richard Hosford, who was born in Melcombe Bingham in West Dorset.

The ensemble was formed in 1988 by a group of international musicians, who wanted to perform and record the chamber music repertoire for wind, strings and piano.

The 13 members of The Gaudier Ensemble arrive from across Europe to rehearse and perform an always exciting collection of masterpieces and lesser-known chamber works.

With its glorious acoustic and wonderful atmosphere, St. Mary’s Church has hosted more than 150 concerts over three decades. This year’s programme features favourite chamber works, including the Dvořák Sextet, Brahms’s Piano Quintet, Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet and Mozart’s Clarinet Quinte, as well as less familiar works by Gordon Jacob, Florent Schmitt, Boccherini and Devienne, and klezmer music by Kovacs.

The Trials of Oriana CONCERTS IN THE WEST

THE July series of Concerts in the West brings the quartet Fair Oriana to Bridport Arts Centre on Friday 7th July at

The Gaudier Ensemble present the Cerne Abbas Music Festival in July

PREVIEWJuly

11.30am, Ilminster Arts Centre that evening at 7.30pm, and the Dance House at Crewkerne on Saturday 8th at 7.30.

Fair Oriana are sopranos Penelope Appleyard, and Angela Hicks, with Sam Brown, lute, and Harry Buckoke, viola da gamba.

Described as “pure vocal beauty” by Classic FM, Penelope Appleyard and Angela Hicks are renowned for the purity of their voices. They specialise in a historical repertoire, collaborating with regular instrumentalists to perform chamber concerts with a hint of theatre.

Sam Brown, who has been called “the Eric Clapton of the lute” has performed internationally as a solo and ensemble player, including at Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Wigmore Hall. Harry Buckoke has appeared on BBC Radio 3, and at many early music festivals.

Their programme, celebrating the music of John Dowland, is called The Trials and Triumphs of Oriana. It centres around Thomas Morley’s madrigal collection of 1601, “The Triumphs of Oriana,” arranged here for two

voices with instrumental accompaniment. It takes the audience on a journey, exploring the public and private sides to Queen Elizabeth I.

As well as works by Dowland, there will be a contemporary lute song by composer Fraser Wilson, that sets Elizabeth’s own words to music and explores jazz as well as historical influences.

Elles Bailey at Jazz Jurassica

LYME REGIS

LEADING jazz and blues singer Elles Bailey returns to the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, as part of the Jazz Jurassica series, at 8pm on Friday 14th July.

Elles, who is at the forefront of the British blues and roots scene, swept the boards at this year’s UK Blues Awards, winning Blues Vocalist of the Year, Blues Album of the Year and Blues Artist of the Year.

She wowed last year’s Jazz Jurassica festival audience with an acoustic set, and now she returns with her band in tow to give what is sure to be an electrifying performance.

Brilliant blues-jazz singer Elles Bailey comes to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis

Elles, who also won Artist and Live Act of the Year at the 2023 UK Americana Awards, describes herself as a “rolling stone.”

She has headlined at festivals across the UK and into Europe, as well as joining Don McLean on his 50th anniversary American Pie UK tour.

Gospel joy at the Marine

LYME REGIS

GHANAIAN singer Alogte Oho comes to Lyme Regis on Friday 28th July, with the all-female Sounds of Joy gospel choir bringing the sunny and uplifting music of West Africa to the West Dorset coast.

Alogte Oho is the number one artist from the exciting music scene of Bolgatanga in Northern Ghana. He is accompanied by singers Lizzy Amaliyenga, Patricia Adongo and Florence Adooni, who are all outstanding gospel performers in their own rights.

Born to a Frafra father and an Akim mother, Alogte grew up in the rainforest of southern Ghana before

moving up to the land of the Frafra in the savannah of northern Ghana as a young boy. He was deeply impressed by the glorious music he heard during services at the village’s church and longed for the time he would be old enough to join the church choir, which he did when he was 13.

After school he focused on his own career as a FrafraGospel artist, releasing his first album in 2007. He is now in demand not only all over Ghana but at international festivals and venues.

Rising Dorset star

DORCHESTER AND PORTLAND

CATCH a rising star on her first tour, when Dorset teenager Asha Zee comes to Dorchester Corn Exchange with a solo concert of her own songs, on Friday 7th July.

At just 16 years old, singer-songwriter Asha has already had more than half a million views on Facebook, attracted the attention of major record labels and been invited to perform multiple times in the USA and UK.

Asha Zee comes to Dorchester Corn Exchange in July

Screen Time

with Nic Jeune

Top Six at the Flix

Plaza Cinema Dorchester

Barbie (2023) Starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Alongside Robbie and Gosling, Barbie is set to feature a star-studded cast…. Greta Gerwig (Little Women) serves as director and co-writer of Barbie alongside her husband, Noah Baumbach. Variety. McKinley Franklin.

Bridport Arts Centre

My Sailor My Love (2022) Bridport Film Society Screening. Shot on the misty Achill island off Ireland’s west coast, Finnish director Klaus Härö’s English-language debut grapples with the rough currents of late-in-life regrets and resentment. Cranky retired sea captain Howard (James Cosmo)—once content with shutting himself off from the outside world—is forced to open his disorderly home, and subsequently his heart, to Annie (Brid Brennan), a housekeeper hired by his overworked daughter Grace (Catherine Walker). The Guardian. Phuong Le.

BBC iPlayer

By The Grace of God (2017) This is a social justice film made with purposeful conviction and a quiet, never strident, sense of indignation. The Hollywood Reporter. David Rooney.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1936)

Only a spirited and extravagant production could do justice to the Robin Hood legend; this film is more that equal to the task. Korngold’s score won a well-deserved Oscar, as did the editing and art direction. TV Guide Magazine.

Netflix

Wham (2023) In 1982, the best of friends and still teenagers, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley as WHAM! set out to conquer the world. By June of 1986 they played their very last gig at Wembley Stadium having done exactly that. Martin Cid Magazine.

Amazon Prime

Respect (2021) Respect has everything you could hope for in a musical biopic. It has a good story and great songs and, best of all, it has someone in the lead role who can put those songs over. San Francisco Chronicle. Mick La Salle.

Come along to the Corn Exchange and be impressed with this young musician’s songwriting, pure and powerful voice and a stage presence that belies her years.

There’s a storm coming DORCHESTER

A GREAT storm is coming to the Isle of Portland, bringing trouble to its shores. Dorset’s open air theatre company SISATA comes to Maumbury Rings at Dorchester on Friday 28th July with a powerful new production of Shakespeare’s great last play, The Tempest.

Prospero’s spells wash ashore the ghosts of his past, triggering strange magical consequences for Portlanders, including Prospero’s daughter Miranda, the island spirit Ariel and the alienated and resentful Caliban.

The human lust for power and control have become toxic, causing devastating pollution, endangering lives and the future of the land itself. Can the tempest crisis unite them to live and love and work together with nature to battle the inevitable tide of climate change? Will love win the day?

This SISATA production draws from experiences of climate change and the power of nature through the company’s work with coastal communities on the Isle of Portland.

The project will culminate on Portland, as part of the b-side festival in September, in an original site-responsive promenade play cycle of three dynamic and natureconnected pieces inspired by the original Shakespearean text.

Russell-Beale as Rachmaninov DORCHESTER

SIMON Russell-Beale, one of Britain’s greatest actors, comes to the Gransden Hall at Sherborne Girls School on Saturday 8th July, as part of this year’s Dorchester Arts summer programme, with pianist Lucy Parham, in Elegie – Rachmaninov, A Heart in Exile.

The programme of words and music, chronicling the life and music of the Russian pianist and composer, is the fifth Composer Portrait written and scripted by Lucy Parham.

Though he became an exile in 1917, Russia remained deeply rooted in Rachmaninov’s soul. His cultural identity and his longing for his homeland imbue his music, not least the many much-loved works he wrote for his own instrument.

The narrative, performed by Sir Simon Russell-Beale, is scripted from letters and diaries, following Rachmaninov from his youth in Russia, through his self-imposed exile, and finally to California USA, where he died in 1943.

The programme features many of his best- loved works for solo piano, including a selection of Preludes, Etudes-Tableaux and Moments Musicaux, some of his own transcriptions and the haunting Elégie, as well as works by Scriabin and Tchaikovsky.

Exploring flamenco

BRIDPORT

FLAMENCO dance theatre with a difference comes to Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday 15th July when Salud performs her one-woman show, Con Permiso.

In this passionate, fiery and deeply moving show, the Bridport-based Spanish dancer Salud explores the history and future of Spain’s great dance tradition.

Con Permiso, which means “With Your Permission,” combines classical training with elements of contemporary dance.

Salud draws on the foundations of flamenco to explore new directions afforded by the freedom of using pre-recorded music and unscripted engagement with the audience. And by making full use of the stage as both performance area and dressing room, she lays bare the many-sided nature of the dancer as performer and solitary artist, a body existing in public as well as private space.

Music of the Balkans

PORTESHAM

PORTESHAM village hall is one of two venues for an Artsreach-organised visit by Balkan band Paprika, who will be bringing their electrifying, exciting music to

Dorset on Saturday 15th July at Portesham and Sunday 16th at Langton Matravers. Fusing together Eastern European, Balkan, gypsy and classical music in a whirlwind of virtuosity, Paprika is recognised as one of the UK’s leading Balkan bands.

Specialising in bringing rare or lost traditional Balkan music back to life, the quartet makes a welcome return five years after their debut Artsreach tour. The lineup is She’Koyokh’s Zivorad Nikolic on accordion, Vladimir Strkalj on guitar, Marko Tesic on violin and Rastko Rasic on percussion.

Following the release of their album, Wild, Wild East, in 2019, Paprika have performed all over the world, from New Zealand to Japan, including Womad and Glastonbury festivals and prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House.

Inspiration in the landscape INSIDE OUT DORSET

LOCAL and international performers and artists will be coming to Dorset for the biennial Inside Out arts festival, from 15th to 24th September.

The performances, workshops, installations and parades takes place in dramatic rural and urban settings that range from the Iron Age hillfort at Woodbury near Bere Regis to Weymouth.

The festival, programmed by Dorset’s Activate arts organisation, aims to remove traditional barriers to accessing the arts and encourage people to discover and appreciate some of the unique places across the county. The ethos is that anything is possible and everyone is invited.

Activate works with Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the National Association for AONBs, along with European partners with complementary interests in the relationship between the landscape, artists, land stewards and the climate emergency.

The venues include Weymouth, Woodbury Hill, an Iron Age hillfort near Bere Regis, and Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, where the focus will be on the climate emergency, and the events will include sound installations by the Fromebased composer Helen Ottaway.

Wild Woodbury will feature workshops, talks and local food vendors. The Dorset Wildlife Trust hillfort, a religious site in medieval times, was the setting for the Woodbury Hill Fair from the 13th to 20th centuries. Events there will include a site-specific project, Five Seasons, by French artists De Chair et d’Os, about our connection to the earth. A clay oven, which will be built as part of workshops with members of the public, will be used during the performances as part of the ritual of foraging and sharing food.

The Inside Out finale weekend will see a spectacular parade of light and music weave through Weymouth, led by Transe Express’ Poupées Géantes. Three giant dolls will glide magically through the crowd, with the voices of three opera singers transforming the street into an opera house.

The Young Lit Fix

Indigo Wilde and the Unknown Wilderness by Pippa Curnick

Published by Hodder Children’s Books RRP £5.99

Reviewed by Nicky Mathewson

INDIGO Wilde and her younger brother Quigley live an extraordinary life at number 47, Jellybean Crescent. Their home is full of exotic and dangerous creatures which were rescued from The Unknown World by their parents Philomena and Bertram Wilde; world famous explorers.

Both children were also rescued from dangerous situations and adopted by Philomena and Bertram. Indigo was rescued from a man-eating tiger and Quigley was found in a dragon’s nest on an erupting volcano! The dragon’s roars left Quigley deaf but the whole family soon learned sign language and were communicating in no time.

Being explorers, both parents are often away from home and Indigo and Quigley are very self-sufficient. One morning during their parents’ absence, a new creature arrives at their door with an urgent message: “Your parents are in GRAVE DANGER. Lost. Captured. Gone. They need help.”

The distressed creature is a Moonbear and she was with the explorers in the Jungliest Jungle just before they disappeared. So the three of them make a plan to set off in search of Philomena and Bertram. In order to get to the Unknown Wilderness however they need to find a Glurk, which is an “interworld doorway”. Not so easy if you don’t know where to look but luckily Indigo has a copy of The Abracadarium which is a sort of magical guidebook. A good thing too, because navigating the Unknown World is NOT going to be easy.

This is a fabulous follow up to Pippa Curnick’s first Indigo Wilde adventure, (though you can read them in any order). It is full of fun, danger and the most spectacular colour illustrations. Indigo and Quigley are such special characters that they have really captured my heart.

This series is perfect for children who have already started to read and are gaining confidence. *First book in the series: Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent, Pippa Curnick, Hodder Children’s Books, £5.99.

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

Paprika, exciting interpreters of the music of the Balkans, touring with Artsreach in July

The Starry Parabola

By Horatio Morpurgo

In a small town in 2003, when you needed to communicate something, you booked half an hour on one of the library’s computers. The need for an internet connection in every home, still less the need for one in the palm of every hand, was yet to be invented. Not that this was some pre-digital enclave: computergenerated change had made my move here possible. If the internet meant everywhere now was equidistant from everywhere else then why not just live where you wanted to? I’d always liked Bridport.

My half-hour was nearly up as I hurriedly checked through a message that afternoon. It was about Ted Hughes’ interest in Judaism—an important subject—and I wanted to say this right. Perhaps my absorption made what happened next more likely.

‘Hello, Horatio.’

A man in a tattered sheepskin jacket with a ginger Mohican sat at the next computer. The inky asterisks in a row tattooed under one eye together described a starry parabola. He was watching me and my speechlessness amused him, but there was something else there, too, an expectation.

‘Do you remember me?’ he asked, gesturing ironically at his own appearance, not waiting for an answer. ‘Christ, you haven’t changed at all. I’ve seen you around town but wasn’t sure if I should say hello or not. Well… Theo. The name was Theo.’

There were more tattoos on his hand as we shook on it. We had been at school together, it turned out, ‘though not for long,’ he added. ‘I spent most of my time there cutting classes and learning how to catch pike. First term second year...’ He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. ‘Fair cop, really.’ He remembered me as his prefect, ‘the only decent one, actually.’

It wasn’t that any of this ‘took me back’—I didn’t remember him—but the style was disarming. It somehow reminded me of the effortlessness with which we make friends up to a certain age, before we lose it in ourselves and then don’t know how to respond to it in others. He hadn’t lost it.

‘The river was the one thing you couldn’t fault that place for,’ I replied.

‘Too right. Since which golden time… too many travels, too many road protests… …too much… fwaah!’ He threw up his hands, in a gesture suggesting something explosive, not pausing to say what: ‘But why haven’t you…? I mean, I feel like I should be asking what you’ve been doing all this time. That’s what I meant to ask you. What I really want to know though, is,’ he leant in: ‘what haven’t you been doing?’

He could not have known—or could he?—how good a question that was. But the person booked onto my terminal next was hovering near and I had only a minute or two remaining. What hadn’t I been doing? though. It was either unnervingly shrewd or inspired guesswork. I wanted to find out which, but needed to finish this email, too. Catching the confusion, he apologised and went back to minding his own screen. I’d been unaware of this person, moments ago, even as someone I didn’t know. I knew now not only that he definitely thought he knew me but that he was capable of asking uncannily well-aimed questions.

I pressed send, vacated my chair for the next user and wanted to resume our thread but found even this brief interruption had

broken it. He wanted to explain now the consultation he was here responding to, about how one of the old rope factories in town should be redeveloped. The building had been subdivided into units after the factory closed and he had friends with studios there. He himself lived in some woods, a little out of town.

He gave me his number and urged me, as I left him to his consultation, to go and look around the old factory some time, since I’d obviously never heard of it. Or I should drive over to his woods. ‘Come and tell us what you haven’t been doing all this time.’

So the thread hadn’t been broken. Glad of this meeting, puzzled by it, I thanked him for his invitation and not long after I drove over. I’d not been living here long and it’s not the local worthies who let you in to a place where you don’t know anybody. It’s the local precariat which does that, because they know from long and difficult experience where you’re at.

Theo’s place in the woods was a caravan parked up against an old barn. A canvas awning was stretched over an outdoor cooking area, in which sofas were drawn up round an open fire. The barn was a work in progress, in the path of which progress the Council, he explained, was placing any and every bureaucratic obstacle it could bureaucratically think of.

Conch shells were ranged along the top of a stone wall he’d built around the cooking area, their spiral ends broken-off, blunted. Such a long way from home, they had a tumbled, sea-worn air about them, grey now after long immersion in shadowy European woodland. They were what got us onto the subject.

His early departure from the school we both attended was only the beginning. Sundry misadventures later, qualified as a chef now, he went to work in a restaurant on a Caribbean island. He lasted a week or so before taking up with the local Rastafarians. Bible-reading and weed under the coconut palms. These people might be in everybody’s way but, as a defector from the hospitality industry, maybe he could be in everybody’s way with them now. In any event he wasn’t going back to any restaurant. It’s not the local worthies who let you in to a place. A preacher he met was going away. He lent him his shed to sleep in and look after while he was gone.

Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take council among themselves, against the Lord. He told me a while later about the dream he had in that shed. He and its owner were sat under the trees outside and as they talked he felt himself literally lifting off, rising through the canopy, leaves brushing as he passed them. He went up about 300 feet until he could see the whole coast for miles. But everything had changed. It was covered in forest again, no ‘hospitality industry’ in sight, not even towns. He knew this was as it had been before the English, before the plantations.

He sank back down through the leaves and his friend was still there: ‘He was nodding and saying how the Lord was in this place, who brought forth the earth, and the earth brought forth the herbs of the field. And he was smiling to say he knew, man, he knew where I’d been and what I’d seen.’

What he found there, in other words, was hospitality, from people who seemed to know where they were and what they were there for

as he never had. OK so it’s a messed-up world and he had to go all that way for it. To apply this he would have to come back—he never lost sight of that. But a good reason to be here, a good reason to be anywhere—that’s what he’d never had.

That’s why he came back and parked that caravan where he did. The little wood formed part of the grounds of the home where he had grown up. He offered it now as a kind of retreat-space for environmental activists—road protesters, mainly, back then. Offering them somewhere to relax felt like the best use he could make of his place. He didn’t spell it out then and never has but I’m guessing the same culture of hospitality, first encountered in the Caribbean, was somewhere there at the back of his invitation to me. Computerdriven change made my move here possible but it doesn’t explain the choice of town. Likewise, sending emails from that library was how we met, but it doesn’t explain the friendship that followed. Our reasons for being here were in some ways different but there was room for those different reasons.

So I had no equivalent to Theo’s on-going war of words with the Council about living where he did. But he succeeded over time, as did I, in building a life here. Friends helped to restore the barn. Stone by stone, he terraced the slope below it which runs down to a stream. In the stream he fixed up a hydroelectric generator. He was voted onto the parish council. He was raising children. He won the Marshwood Vale Art Prize. Why his efforts to live off-grid, nurture friendships, care about his place, why any of this should be a problem has never been clear to me.

Then I blinked one morning and found myself reading about one ‘Theo Langton’ in a national newspaper. I already knew that the actor Martin Clunes had bought the large house nearby in which Theo’s parents once lived. He put on charitable fêtes at which you could pay £5 to kiss Mr Clunes, all in a good cause. He had himself photographed with shire horses. People move to the countryside for different reasons.

He had evidently decided now that his own reasons for being here were incompatible with Theo’s. Theo buys old boilers from reclamation yards, strips out the copper and makes beautiful ornaments and masks out of it. To begin with he gave them to roadprotester friends but found that all kinds of people liked them. He sells them at music festivals in the summer. So when both the Town and County Council finally decided to grant Theo and his family the right to permanent residence, Mr Clunes felt a line had been crossed. His lawyer argues that Theo’s wish to live where he does sets ‘an unfortunate and dangerous precedent’. The site is ‘wholly unsuitable’. He objects also to Theo describing himself as a ‘traveller’.

Theo’s reasons for living where he does seem to me a courageous solution to his own needs and those of his family. His community has already spoken up for everything he has brought to it over the years. The time and space to read and write which I came here for have taught me many things over those same years. Weymouth Sands, for example, is a novel by John Cowper Powys, one of Dorset’s greatest writers. Through this long and sometimes difficult book run strands of complex imagery. It demands the kind of sustained attention that our world makes less and less space for, but that’s why I chose to be here. The reader is rewarded with, among other things, a magnificent and provocative view of what place can be.

One of the novel’s least appealing characters is a wealthy young lady-killer with a car of which he is very proud. A plum job with the Council has been secured for him: as a local official he is tasked with turning out of her remote cottage a traveller and card-teller, together with the troubled orphan she has taken in. So we see him, for example, deliver ‘an imposing legal document’. As the novel progresses, however, the reader is shown how the true conflict here is

buried deep beneath the legal dispute. The parties are irreconcilably at variance in the ways they relate to surroundings, to power and to other human beings in their vulnerability.

The Sun newspaper involved itself in Theo’s case. Its aerial view of the situation labels Theo’s home for the last quarter of a century ‘PROPOSED SITE’ while another bright red arrow points to ‘STAR’S HOME’. The newspaper has made much of the wealth of Theo’s parents, describing him and his partner Ruth as ‘New Age hippies’.

Powys, as I say, often describes a character through the way they relate to what is around them. This is how he communicates their intimacy. He shows a young woman adrift in the world noticing the plants on Portland as she is shown around by a suitor. The orphaned boy watching a heron at Lodmoor. Newspaper stories, by contrast, do not ‘expose’ lives as they invariably claim to. A news story is to someone’s actual life as a road-scheme is to a landscape. It takes the irregular contours and buckled strata which make each of us who we are then it cuts through and flattens out and stamps mechanically all over. Finally, it justifies this as being in the public interest.

Theo and his woodland hideaway and the virtues of guestfriendship he had tried to bring home became a part of what I found here before I even knew I was looking for them. But he set me on the track of other things you don’t immediately notice here. Bridport’s wide elegant streets are obvious to any drive-through: its criss-crossing alleyways are more reticent. Beware obvious. New motto for the town? Its coat of arms has a castle on it. But there is no castle. Long ago demolished or never existed? Opinions differ. Was the present town of Bridport, a mile inland, ever actually a ‘port’? The question is disputed.

The Roman road which ran this way wavers in its course and then simply vanishes as it approaches where Bridport is now. For years a small but dedicated band set out each summer in search of clues to where that road went. It arrived each autumn, generally in the same pub, at the same indefinite conclusions. Into the hills around the town, during the Middle Ages, rainwater and livestock between them began to carve out a network of sunken lanes. They are still there, screened from view by the trees which grow along them. Together they form another tributary feeding into all this invisibility. There is a touch of the Bermuda Triangle about it.

And I soon began to realise this had its counterpart in the kind of people who fetch up here, myself included. The place was heaving with refugees from the visible culture. They could call themselves what they liked—lecturers or artists, Quakers or anarchists, trades unionists or musicians, reporters, road protesters, climate activists. They weren’t fooling me. They gathered now and again in various conclaves, to entertain or inform or fall out with each other, frequently all at the same time. The point was, they did this face to face. Even as they disagreed, they shared a sense that something in the visible culture was no longer working. They were here, as was I, to evade the metrics, to stay thoughtful while I figured out some way to live without being dictated to by the algorithms as their takeover began.

The town I moved to when it still felt post-industrial is now fully refurbished, with a literary festival and all mod cons. As I write, the latest application to build houses for wealthy retired people all over the site of that rope factory is being processed. I am, and others like me are, of course, part of the way it has changed. But I’m still glad I knew it as it was and I feel a kinship with others who remember. That another veteran of the way Bridport was can have his place here challenged, or even questioned, actually, by a TV personality with an expensive lawyer and horses to go with his huge house makes me shudder for us all.

HOLIDAY LET FOR SALE SITUATIONS VACANT

Ex-display sheds, Stables/field shelters, summerhouses, offices, workshops, agricultural 01935 891195

Plans chest, large, six drawer, vgc £250. Tel. 01935 892359.

Wallpaper. Lining paper. Embossed. Anaglypta. 3 rolls. £3.WokPan £3. Mug/ cup tree, wood. £2. Tel 07398 760637. DT6 3PP. Pair of Ercol armchairs and matching foot stool. Gold label. Saville model with light golden frames and jacquard golden brown fabric. From smoke free home. In very good sound condition. £250. Tel: 07891 987809.

TV stand glass and chrome legs/ 3 levels. Excellent condition. £15.

Golf Bag plus 7 Ladies clubs. Excellent condition £300. tel. 01395 577910. Barbecue Seattle 4 burner stainless steel. Used twice good condition,bargain £75 Buyer collect. Colyford 07816 018817.

Catflap New-sureflap microchip version. No longer needed still in packaging £45 (rrp £69). Axminster 07884935800. Titan Heavy-duty highpressure washer. Little used. With attachments. £45 for a quick sale. Tel: 01460 298243.

Lloyd Loom “Bistro Set” Cream Table 60 cm diameter and 2 chairs £195 (Cost £750). Very Good condition. Photo available. Tel. 01395 514894 (Sidmouth).

New weed burner never used £10, phone 01308 422997.

New high quality electric single bed with chrome plated legs, giving a 9.5cm

clearance from floor, enables use of mobility aids. Bed is adjustable, dual motor control head and foot. Weight limit 28 stone, length 6 ft 6 in. in original packing. New sprung mattress £850. 4 New Slumberland soft touch microfibre cover pillows which are hypoallergenic and machine washable. Sealed in original packing £42. Fuji film digital memory card 128mb compact flash. Still in original box. £15. Antique gold plated leaf brooch with attractive cut-out work. Length 5.5cm, width 3.5cm. Brooch is new condition and unworn £20. New white fermentation bin, complete with bubbler grommet, air-lock & carry handle. Capacity 32 Litres. Also 2 x gallon demi-johns £20. Denby hand painted Glyn Colledge Stoneware pottery graduated pot. Denby stoneware stamped on base of pot. Height 15cm, Diameter 18cm. This beautiful pot has never been in use. £20.

Tamron zoom lens adaptall 2 mount system for Pentax k. 70-210mm. F/3.8-4. for SLR camera, not digital. £45. Telephone 01935

824029. Single bed and mattress good condition £30 Tel 07510296183.

Buggy/Pram/Carrycot system with rain covers, for baby up to 9 months. John Lewis. Unwanted gift- as new condition.Bridport £200 01308-281497

Buggyboard attaches to wide range of buggies. Cost £90. As new £45 Bridport. 01308 281497 Fridge Zanussi under counter built in fridge with all fixings Vgc. £40 Bridport 01308 281497 Titan unbunded 1400 litre kerosene tank. £200 Tel 07510296183

Fastpress Ironing Press. Cost £180. Used twice. As new £75. 01308 897032. Free for collection

Length of laminate worktop, 145cm long x 62cm deep. Mock white granite, suitable garage/ workshop etc. Good condition. 01460 242644 Free half sack of grass seed. 01460 242644 Lazer dingy for sale £150 o.n.o. Aluminium football goal 9ft needs new net, free to collect Tel 01297 489421.

Two Boys Bikes 14 inch suit 5 to 7 year old 20 inch

suit 7 to 10 year old Nice condition £25 each ono 01984481634.

Extending oak double pedestal dining table and 4 chairs. Extends to 2.4 m. Cost us £2335. Yours for £900. 07757 383830. A collection of Aynsley China in Pembroke design, all in perfect condition. Ginger Jars, plates and Vases. 10 pieces in total £100 the lot, just to clear. I can send photos. Tel 01297442198 or 07368891280.

Double Glazed French Door Panels A pair of leadpanelled double glazed former french window glass 740 (68.5”) x 585 (23”). Could be fitted in any door or window to give more light and save heat. £45 each. 07958 239 732 (Powerstock).

Victorian Boot Remover Solid cast iron £18. Tel. 01460 68765 or 07890607474 (Chard).

Zanussi Kitchen Extractor Hood Model

ZHT611N. Misbuy - never installed and still boxed. £70 ono Please phone 01404 42081 Poole Pottery two tone coffee pot. with 12 cups, 8 saucers £20 ono. Please

phone 01404 42081

Wawel Rose & Daisy dinnerware. 35 items in all. £30 ono. Please phone 01404 42081

Royal Doulton dinner Service. 52 items in superb condition - Harvest Garland design. Please phone 01404 42081 for an itemised listing. £65 ovno. Fisher Price Jumperoo vgc £20. IKEA Antilop high chair vgc £15. 01297 552898.

Honda Lawnflite pro 553 HRS PRO Lawnmower for sale. Powered by a 5.5 OHV Honda, this mower has not been used for a while so is sold as spares or repair. I have freed up the clutch and will put fresh fuel in and try it for a potential buyer. Has a grass box . £60. Please call 07479474392 and leave a message and contact and I will call you back.

Stihl MS180C Chain

Saw 14” easy start £50 Stihl KM55R Combi with Strimmer Pole Pruner Hedge Trimmer £200. 01308 898335.

Aigle Wellington boots. Size 41. Neoprene lined (Cost over £100 new). Green with adjustable calf strap. £20. 01460 242644.

WANTED

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

Dave buys all types of tools 01935 428975

July 23

Coins wanted. Part or full collections purchased for cash. Please phone John on 07980 165047 or 01460 62109

July 23

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

Oct 23

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

Aug 23

Stamps & Coins

Wanted by collector/ investor. We are keen to purchase small or large collections at this time. Tel: Rod 07802261339 May 23

PLUMBING

RESTORATION

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

Sep 23

To advertise here email: info@marshwoodvale.com

Hypnos Pillow Top Super King Mattress, one year old, hardly used. Cost £1,499 will accept £500 or nearest offer. Buyer to collect. Tel. 01460 63087. TV stand 3 tiers, excellent condition £15. Golf bag, 7 clubs, excellent condition £300. 01395 577910. Karcher window vac rechargeable in good working order with box, £28. 07591 058862. DIY Scaffold tower, complete with outriggers, very little use, with trap

FOR SALE

door, and wheels, 5 metre working height. £300. 01460 220181.

Modern King size wooden bed frame, plus as new mattress, v comfortable. £80. Electric

exercise treadmill £50. 07399 359948.

Greenhouse 7’ x 5’ green metal, automatic window, louvre window, sliding door, good condition, £280. Buyer dismantles,

collects. Instruction book. 07523 853816.

Pico 2 armchairs as new £70. Amazon £152 each.

Karcher K4 with patio cleaner £40. 01460 57078.

Adam Fire surrounds with electric decorative fuel effect fire, as new, cost £250, any reasonable offer accepted. 07746 791298.

Commode Basket weave toilet chair with bucket in wicker chair, as new, £100. 01308 425784.

Karcher window vacuum rechargeable good working order with instructions and boxed. £30. 07591 058862. Blow up bed single unused in box £10. Wicker cat basket, Igloo cat basket, £10 each, cat bowls £1 each. 01297 443930.

Jeans, brand new M&S indigo, size 8 £10. England rugby shirt, size

L, tagged@ £34.99. £15. M&S shirt blue stripe easycare 15 ½ collar £10. 01297 443930.

Tennis skirt unworn 26”

waist white pleated £10.

Tennis racquet Dunlop Max27 with cover £10.

Carlton squash racquet £10. 01297 443930.

Paint emulsion 2.5 litres

Ice Pink World of Colour £10. Computer screen

Hewlett Packard F50s Dell keyboard free to anyone needing. 01297 443930.

Vintage Ercol easichair low armchair Yorkshire design circa 1960s, has new webbing, recovered in chintz. As new £500, matching footstool available too £250. 01297 443930.

Aluminium extension ladder, useful size £25ono. 07840 803872.

Ladies Ping 7 Iron, perfect condition £20.

Man’s Mizuno 3 wood steel shaft perfect £10. 01308 897385.

Ladies Callaway Golf umbrella perfect £20. Size

7 shoes and bag £10 brand new. 01308 897385.

Fireplace gas with coal £20. Dual motor electric rise recliner £75. Hoover upright vacuum cleaner £20. Ercol cabinets 2 £350 each. Tea set Posy Wedgwood 22 pieces. Can email pictures. 01460 62266.

Karcher FC5 floor cleaner, spare rollers, detergent, hardly used. £30. 01308 27633. Olivettti Lettera 32 type writer. Very light use from new in 1971. Comes with original delivery note to customer

in Taunton, instruction manual, and has just had a full service, clean and new ribbon installed by Chris at Francis Kay in Exeter with test sheet at a cost of £50. Can email pictures. Spanish built machine serial no 6114392. It features the rare international keyboard. £95. A lovely usable piece of history in very good condition. 01797 041 6021

Axminster.

Large parrot cage on legs, rounded top. Good

condition 62 inches high, 31 inches wide, 24 inches deep. £35. 01308 868816. Paving slabs approx 19 sq mtr grey Digby sandstone. Various sizes. New, unused. New £440. £200. 01308 867937. Sit on sholley (with accessories) use twice cost £200. Price £140. Pair curtains (Plumbs) with free matching stool cream and turquoise. Length 70cm. width 90 cm £30. 01308 459751.

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