© Waldo Etherington
Photograph by Robin Mills
Philippe
Kojo
Iconsider myself born in Bridport, although actually I arrived in Yeovil. My early years were a bit unsettled. My mum was pretty much homeless at times, and my father wasn’t in the picture. It was just my mum, my half-sister Eleanor, and me, and we stayed with friends, lived out the back of a car briefly, and I stayed with my gran for a bit. When I was about three, Mum moved into the house in South St where she now lives and where I was brought up.
I was really hyperactive as a kid; I struggled with being indoors, and still do. I didn’t get on too well at school and moved around a lot. Symondsbury, Loders, St Mary’s, Colfox, Beaminster, and Thomas Hardye, I tried them all out. It may sound like a fairly rootless start in life, but my mother and sister kept me grounded and I was always shown unconditional love. Looking back, I always felt like I was destined to climb trees. It was all I wanted to do.
My great uncle was a glaciologist, who worked from Ohio state university in the US. He travelled through Patagonia and Antarctica with a team of huskies, measuring glaciers and taking ice cores, back in the ‘50s and ‘60s. He was known as one of the grandfathers of the Greenhouse Effect, because he found out that what we were releasing into the atmosphere was causing the ice to melt. He was
Robin Mills met Waldo Etherington at Walditch, Bridport
© Waldo Etherington Photograph by Robin Mills
a whistle-blower, because when he published his findings all his funding was pulled. He was called John Horlick Mercer, and the reaction to his discoveries is known in the scientific community as the Mercer effect, which describes the scientific reticence which often happens when inconvenient truths are discovered. A mountain range in Antarctica is called the Horlick Mountains, including a Mercer Ridge, named after him. He died about a year before I was born, but he was always an idol in my upbringing. Stories of his escapades were passed down to me by my grandmother Cuckoo, and I saw photos of him with the huskies. My imagination was fired by stories of him surviving remote and inhospitable places, carrying out scientific research.
Perhaps because I was brought up in rural Dorset I was always drawn to trees and forests. I still have a picture I painted when I was about five of monkeys and snakes in a forest climbing about in the trees, and all my favourite books were about climbing trees. Every chance I got I would shin up a tree, usually with my mum’s encouragement. Every birthday and Christmas, my uncle Robert would bring me a bin bag filled with ropes rescued from Gundry’s. Our neighbour Will had a large garden with various trees growing in it, which were big enough for me to string up zip lines, cargo nets and rope walks between them, and every spare minute I would be climbing aloft barefoot. I learned a lot about ropes back then and fell out of a few trees too. As a fan of Indiana Jones, I made a whip out of electrical wire with insulation as a handle. Wrapping the whip end around a branch I tried to climb up the trunk, but of course it came off and I fell on my back onto a tree root, about 5 or 6 metres down. I was still winded an hour later, but recovered. Since then, I’ve fallen out of trees multiple times, although it’s been a while since the last time.
I thought I would do a degree in Environmental Sciences at Sussex University. My mum was, for the only time I remember, absolutely adamant that I get a degree, but because I couldn’t face the idea of being indoors studying, I didn’t want to go. At the last minute, in the last days of sixth form, I found out about a forthcoming project in Honduras, with an opportunity
to assist research scientists on a conservation trip. I had to raise £2000, an insane amount of money for me and my mum to find. So, I packed bags, worked as a lifeguard, did gardening jobs, and Mum chipped in whatever she could. My uncle sold a hot air balloon ride to raise funds; eventually I made the target and went off to Honduras. It was only for two weeks, but I realised immediately, there in a cloud forest in Central America, that this was what I wanted to do, and these were the people I want to be around. And while I was there, I met two tree climbers from Canopy Access Ltd, the world’s leading provider of tree canopy access for film companies. They were the company enabling David Attenborough and others to film high in the canopy of rainforests, and to my great joy they gave me some professional tree climbing experience. I had no doubts now about what I was going to do.
For the next four years, I volunteered for every expedition I could, maxing out on about four credit cards to finance myself. I did a basic canopy access course when I was 17, and met a guy called James Aldred, who’s now a very good friend. He took me under his wing, and found me more opportunities for volunteering, and got me on an advanced canopy access training course. It was like an apprenticeship, which included working with some of the best tree climbers in the world. I worked on a project in Borneo, where we were studying canopy ant mosaics. This was the tallest tropical rainforest on earth, where the trees are basically huge flowering plants with an amazing architecture. It was just how I’d imagined the rainforest as a kid, with orangutans swinging around, elephants, and 2-metre-long lizards.
In 2014 I met well-known rock climber Leo Houlding, rigging a tree for a film project in Guyana. I though he was going to be a total lunatic, and he was, but in the best possible way. He recognised I was good at tree climbing, and generously gave me a whole set of climbing cams and told me to learn how to climb rocks. So, I went to Yosemite in the US and immersed myself in big wall rock climbing. The next year, with Leo and his team, I went to Greenland, where we completed the first ascent
of the north east face of Mirror Wall, which involved 19 days and nights on the rock face. That was learning to climb at the deep end, through which Leo and I have become best friends, sharing a great love of adventure.
I became the chief instructor for Canopy Access, the work being mostly about providing access for filming in trees, but also providing height safety with ropes for other purposes. I became qualified in rope rescue, and industrial rope access. Also, by now I was rigging waterfalls and cliff faces, and was much more experienced in rock climbing, so felt confident and experienced enough to form my own business, which I called Remote Ropes. Our work’s mainly for filming, and I’m lucky that the production companies for people like National Geographic and the BBC know my work and come to me.
Most of my friends are into tree climbing, come from Dorset, and are men and women of the woods. So, I have a great pool of skilled, practical people that I can work with and get on with well. There are dangers involved of course, and there have been some spicy moments. But it’s very much about being aware of the risks and managing them, and although people naturally
assume my job is dangerous, the truth is I’m not really a fan of taking unnecessary risks, or adrenaline hits.
Currently I’ve got a team heading to South America to provide rope access into a remote cave system for a TV film featuring a famous person I’m not allowed to mention. My fiancée Meg, a climber, is in Bhutan filming wildlife for a project out there. My next job is with an ex-rugby player called Ed Jackson, who broke his back and is now an incomplete quadriplegic. His determination to recover has enabled him to scale several peaks, and he’s started a project called Millimetres to Mountains, which aims to help motivate people to recover from injuries by attempting seemingly impossible challenges in the mountains. We’re going to France to climb a mountain and find out how we can help with his particular needs.
Climbing trees in the most remote places on Earth with my best friends is just the best fun I can ever imagine. I’ve hit every lucky branch in the lucky tree. But although I’ve seen a lot of amazing trees in many amazing parts of the world, Dorset trees in the springtime are still the most beautiful.
© Waldo Etherington
Photograph by Robin Mills
There’s little doubt that many stories, as they make their way through history, go through a certain amount of shape shifting. It’s one of the reasons that traditional media spends so much time fact checking and ‘reality checking’. But it’s not always fake news or devious manipulation that causes problems. There are times when our memories and what we think we see, simply play tricks on us. A friend once told me about an incident she witnessed along with two others. They gave statements to the police and later discovered that each of them saw the incident quite differently. I have occasionally told friends the story of when Princess Maragaret visited the village I grew up in. My father, ever the entrepreneur, had started a dog racing enterprise in a field behind our house to raise money to build a clubhouse for our local boxing club. It was called Mongrel Park, and although it might have been entirely frivolous and more for the dogs’ enjoyment than the visitors, it took off and was held twice a week, often attracting big crowds. Local bookies set up stands and there were many furry friends that got fully into the spirit of the chase. Over time champions were crowned and great memories made. The part of the story that shape shifted was an occasion when my father had a big banner made announcing ‘Mongrel Park Welcomes Princess Margaret’ and had it tied between two poles across the main road in the village. I recall how the story of the day royalty came to town was often mentioned as I grew up. However, it turns out my version had a fatal flaw. I learned a couple of days ago that not only was Princess Margaret nowhere near the dog races, she wasn’t even in the country. It was a visit by Princess Grace of Monaco that had piqued my father’s attention. It seems the banner actually said ‘Mongrel Park Welcomes the Rainiers’. And it turns out that they did pass through the village on race day. However, unlike the huge crowds that gathered to see Her Majesty’s funeral recently, everybody was busy cheering on their household pets and missed them. How memory can be flawed. I’m sure, given enough time, the story will change again. One day someone will swear blind that Queen Elizabeth II came to town and was so enthralled by the event that she entered the corgis—and that they won.
Published Monthly and distributed by Marshwood Vale Ltd Lower Atrim, Bridport
Dorset DT6 5PX
For all Enquiries Tel: 01308 423031 info@marshwoodvale. com
3
Cover Story By Robin Mills 10 Event News and Courses 22 News & Views
Nature Studies By Michael McCarthy 26 The Magic and Myth of Hares By Philip Strange
28
House & Garden 28
Vegetables in October By Ashley Wheeler 30 October in the Garden By Russell Jordan 32 Property Round Up By Helen Fisher
34
Food & Dining 34
Crispy Lyme Bay prawns with lime leaves, chilli and garlic By Mark Hix
Arts & Entertainment 36
36
Brother do you love me By Fergus Byrne 38 Galleries
The Accidental Lawyer By Fanny Charles
Preview By Gay Pirrie Weir
Screen Time By Nic Jeune
Young Lit Fix By Nicky Mathewson
Health & Beauty
Politics and the battle for Health By Fergus Byrne
& Classified
“Experience is what causes a person to make new mistakes instead of old ones.”
Like us on Facebook
marshwoodvalemagazine
Fisher
Hix
Jeune
Jordan
McCarthy
Nicky Mathewson Robin Mills
Gay Pirrie Weir Philip Strange Lesley Waters
Ashley Wheeler
The views expressed in The Marshwood Vale Magazine and People Magazines are not necessarily those of the editorial team. Unless otherwise stated, Copyright of the entire magazine contents is strictly reserved on behalf of the Marshwood Vale Magazine and the authors.
Disclaimer : Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of dates, event information and advertisements, events may be cancelled or event dates may be subject to alteration. Neither Marshwood Vale Ltd nor People Magazines Ltd can accept any responsibility for the accuracy of any informa tion or claims made by advertisers included within this publication.
NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS
Trades descriptions act 1968. It is a criminal offence for anyone in the course of a trade or business to falsely describe goods they are offering. The Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. The legislation requires that items offered for sale by private vendors must be ‘as described’. Failure to observe this requirement may allow the purchaser to sue for damages.
Road Traffic Act. It is a criminal offence for anyone to sell a motor vehicle for use on the highway which is unroadworthy.
Fergus Byrne Twitter @marshwoodvale
Isata Kanneh-Mason Thomas Hardye Theatre Dorchester 8pm, doors and bar 7.30pm. £25/£15 under 18s. Booking through dorchesterarts.org.uk or 01305 266926.
Royal Opera House Cinema Live: Madama Butterfly (12A) 7.15pm. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
West Cliff and Eype Guided Walk Meet at West Bay Discovery Centre 10:30am. Adults £5 Further details http://www. westbaydiscoverycentre.org.uk.
Greta Stoddart poetry performance and book launch in conversation with Gill Barr. 7pm, doors at 6.30pm. Sladers Yard, Contemporary Art, Furniture & Craft Gallery, West Bay Road, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL. Bar and hot snacks will be available Tickets: £10. 01308 459511. www.sladersyard.co.uk
Thursday Group Talk Trick or Treat by Richard Kay Fakes and Forgeries in the Art Market. 9.30 for 10.15 £3.00 or join. Talks each week until March. The Warehouse Theatre, Brewery Lane, Ilminster TA19 9AD Call Jane Peace 01460 259596.
Georgian Coffee House Day Axminster Heritage Centre, Silver St, Axminster from 9am until 4 pm.
Bullet Train (15) screening, 7.30pm, doors 6.30pm, tickets £7. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.
Drop in the Ocean An infectious blend of reggae, ska & dub fusion with special guests, The Dilly Boys (lively folk). 8pm The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050.
Paul Foot Corn Exchange Dorchester 8pm, doors and bar 7.30pm. £16/£14 members and concessions. Booking through dorchesterarts.org.uk or 01305 266926.
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 6 mile moderate walk. Hayes Barton and Squabmoor reservoir. 07780-638350.
An evening of Music by Adam Parrish at Crewkerne Methodist Church South Street TA18 8DB at 7pm. Tickets £8 in advance, £10 on the door. Available from Crewkerne Information Centre TA18 7LN OR by ringing 01460 74380.
Dorset Greener Homes Over 50 homes will be open over two weekends to showcase low energy living. Please check the website http://dorset.greenopenhomes.net/ Organised by Dorset CAN. Also 2, 8 and 9 October.
Axminster Repair Cafe 10am to 1pm in Axminster Guildhall. We offer free repairs on broken household items as well as teas, coffees, bacon rolls & cakes. We can be contacted on this address: axerepaircafe@gmail.com or more info at: facebook.com/ axminsterrepair.
Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7.5 mile walk from Symodsbury. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.
The Brue Boys A concert to be given by a large Somerset-based choir for men in St George’s Church, Hinton St George. Doors open at 7:00pm. Concert starts at 7:30pm. Refreshments available.
Tickets: £10 (£5 under 18s) from ‘Our Shop’ Hinton, or £12 at the door. (Ticket enquiries: 01460 271218).
Concert of Traditional Afghan Music at Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis. 7.30 pm. Tickets £12.50. Proceeds to the AfghanAid charity. Part of the October Shute Festival. Booking via https://www. marinetheatre.com/shute-festival-music-of-afghanistan/ Indoor Bowls Session Join us from 10am until 12 noon at the Bridport & W D I Bowls Club St Andrews’s Trading Est. DT6 3EX. First session FREE of charge! For more details. Tel Arthur on 01308 425278. Also 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th.
Hibernation Come and be transported to a magical forest full of mirth, live music and marvellous creatures. Join award winning Little Bulb (house band in CBEEBIES The Nutcracker) as together we prepare to take a very long nap! 2pm Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR
2 October East Devon Ramblers 10.30. 6 miles leisurely walk. Woodbury common. 01395-513974.
Organ recital to include Pachelbel, Bach, Mendelssohn ; 3pm at St. Swithun’s Church, Allington, Bridport DT65DU. Contact: Mandi Sturrock 07887 483228.
3 October
Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30-10.00 pm. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £2.00. Contact David on 01460 65981 www.chardscottishdancingclub.org.
Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new then come along to our dance sessions from 7.15 to 9.30 pm on Monday evenings in the W.I.Hall. Occasional live music. All welcome especially beginners. Tel 458165 or 459001 for details.
Hawkchurch Film Nights in association with Devon Moviola, presents ‘Elvis’ (153 mins, Cert. 12). Doors 6.30pm, film 7.00pm at Hawkchurch Village Hall, EX13 5XD. Ticket reservations £6 from csma95@gmail.com or leave a message on 01297 678176 (socially-distanced seating available if booked in advance) or pay at the door. New improved projection Home-made cake and other scrummy refreshments available.
Free Taster Evening of Scottish Dancing in Chardstock
A special introductory session for beginners. The only kit you need is a pair of light shoes. 7.30 - 10.00 pm. Chardstock Community Hall EX13 7BJ. Contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancingclub.org.
IT and Biscuits at Lyme Regis Library free, drop-in session, offering digital support. Join our Digital Champion for a chat about a digital topic over a cup of tea or coffee. Bring along your digital device and any IT questions you have. 2 – 4pm. Contact the library for further information lymeregislibrary@dorsetcouncil. gov.uk or 01297 443151, during opening hours.
Indoor Bowls Session Join us from 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm at the Bridport & W D I Bowls Club St Andrew’s Trading Est. DT6 3EX. First session FREE of charge! For more details. Tel Arthur on 01308 425278. Also 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st.
4 October
Scottish Country Dancing at Ashill Village Hall TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Beginners , returners and dancers of all abilities are very welcome and you don’t need a partner. Biscuits and hot drink at the interval. £3.00 per evening. More information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com.
Short Story Slam Calling all tellers of fabulous tales. Come and take part in our Short Story Slam and share your 5 minute (max) story with a lively and appreciative audience for a chance to win prizes. Register in advance to take part in the slam or just come along to enjoy an evening of wonderful words. All welcome. 7pm Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR 5 October East Devon Ramblers 10.30. 8 miles moderate walk. Thorncombe. 01297-552313.
Living Mindfully through Art and Nature At the Othona Community, Burton Bradstoc10a.m.- 4 p.m. £60, Bookings: www. othonawestdorset.org.uk.
Spoken Word event for prose writers. Come and read from your novel, short story or flash fiction. Free entry. 6pm-8pm at Brook
Kitchen, 60 High Street, Budleigh Salterton EX9 6NE . Contact David Lloyd lloyddavidjohn@gmail.com if you would like to read on the night.
Beaminster Museum a performance of “Two Nations – drama and music from Time and Tide about the gulf between rich and poor in Victorian society”. 2.30pm. A mixture of dramatic readings and folk songs featuring well-known figures such as Benjamin Disraeli and Thomas Hardy, with traditional music from the Hammond Collection of Somerset and Dorset folk songs. Limited seating. Tickets £5. Please book your place from Beaminster Museum or email to info@beaminstermuseum.co.uk
The Climate Emergency - Can Geology Save Us? The Friends of Lyme Regis Museum are hosting an important and highly topical talk with Jonathan Evans and Chris Sladen at 2.30 pm in the Woodmead Hall, Hill Road, Lyme Regis, DT7 3PG. Admission £2 for members, £3 for visitors. Tickets not required.
National Theatre Live: Jack Absolute Flies Again (12A) 7pm A rollicking new comedy from Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night), with Caroline Quentin, Laurie Davidson, and Kelvin Fletcher. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
Lecture: Old Worlds New Worlds Join Professor Mark Horton for this lecture examining the latest archaeological and historical evidence on the West Country’s contribution to the settlement of North America. 7.30 pm. Online via Zoom, and In-person at the Museum: The Museum of Somerset, Taunton Castle, Castle Green, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4AA. Museumofsomerset.org.uk. Booking, £12.50.
A Separation (2019, Iran, PG, 123 mins, S/titles, Doors 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm start. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall (TA18 8PS).). Membership £25, guests £5 per film. Contact mickpwilson53@ btinternet.com or ring Mick Wilson on 01460 74849 or Di Crawley on 01460 30508.
Lyme Voices Community Choir 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn tunes by ear. Everyone welcome. Baptist Church (pine hall round the back), Silver St., Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. Phone 01297 445078 or email petelinnett2@hotmail.com. Please let us know if you are coming.
A Brief History of Dorset Gardens, 2.30pm, Morcombelake Gardening Club - A talk by Alan Eason, JH Hall, Morcombelake, J Coates 01297 678303.
National Theatre Live ‘Jack Absolute Flies Again’ (12A) -doors at 6.30pm, starts at 7pm. Tickets £13.50 adult £7 age 15 & under. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.
7 October
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 5 miles, leisurely walk. Ottery St Mary. 07718-201-209.
Talk: Sydney Vaux Find out about this newly-rediscovered local photographer and see some of his fascinating photos showing the Seavingtons in the 1900s and 1910s. 7.30 pm Seavington Millennium Hall, Water Street, Ilminster TA19 0QH. swheritage. org.uk. Free, drop-in.
Classic Concert Jubilee Quartet Each member of the quartet brings their unique sense of cultural identity to the group, which thrives on musical inspiration from four different homelands: the Czech Republic, Canada, Spain, and England. 11:30am. Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR.
Jazz in the Theatre The Clay Bottom Jug Busters The Clay Bottom Jug Busters cut their teeth at the Chelsea, Bristol’s infamous punk pub, and since then have been charming crowds from local dive bars and village halls to London theatres and various stages across the Glastonbury Festival. 8pm Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR.
Howerd’s End 7.30pm A new play about one of the greatest comics, Frankie Howerd, and his forbidden love for longstanding partner Dennis Heymer. The Beehive Honiton www. beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
Craft and Chat at Lyme Regis Library Bring your knitting, sewing, crochet or embroidery along to the library for an afternoon of creativity with others, over a cup of tea or coffee. 2.30 – 4pm. Contact the library for further information lymeregislibrary@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or 01297 443151, during opening hours. Also 14, 21 and 28 October.
Fisherman’s Friends One and All (12A) Picnic Night screening, doors 6.30pm, Screening 7.30pm: 13th matinee doors 1.30pm, screening 2.30pm, tickets £7. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm. Also 13th October.
Live or Online send your event details to info@marshwoodvale.com
Sidmouth Science Festival 2022 in and around Sidmouth. Events for everyone; children, adults and families and mostly free. Come and see our giant robots on Super Science Saturday 8th October. More information www.sidmouthsciencefestival.org or Facebook @sidmouthscience.
Wire willow reindeer workshop 10-4 Drimpton Village Hall. £50 includes all materials. A few places left call Carina 07796281542 or drimptonhallbookings@gmail.com.
The Goat Show Through Villages in Action’s rural touring scheme Running Dog Theatre CIC will be bringing their new family theatre show ‘The Goat Show’ to Stockland Village Hall (EX14 9EF). Doors open 3.30pm for 4pm show. Please book tickets through Villages in Action website:www.villagesinaction. co.uk.
Fisherman’s Friends: One and All (12A) 7.30pm The next instalment of the Fisherman’s Friends amazing and uplifting true story. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
Yarcombe village market 10- 12 noon in Yarcombe village hall. Local produce stalls – cakes,pies and pasties, plants, eggs, jams and chutneys, metalwork and woodwork , gifts and bric a brac and much more. Tea, coffee and cake stall – any queries – Helen 07858625421.
Jumble Sale - South Perrott Village Hall (A356) from 2pm. Entrance £1. In aid of St Mary’s Church Roof Fund. Enquiries: 01935 891224.or 891234.
Yukon Ho! Come to the Yukon! Cold, dark, and lonesome, with big animals, and dodgy liquor. Where there are more caribou than people, tossing chainsaws is sport and watching bears forage for garbage is considered a big night out. It’s where ‘Intrepid’ Jen grew up and barely escaped alive. 7:30pm Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR.
Belfast A movie from Kenneth Branagh’s own experience. A nineyear-old boy must chart a path towards adulthood through a world that has suddenly turned upside down. UK. 7.45pm. Warehouse Theatre, Brewery Lane, Ilminster. Contact details crisrainbow44@ gmail.com
Shute Festival at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis – join a glittering host of authors and musicians for the first full day talks and concerts: 10.00-11.00am - Living On The Edge with Louisa Adjoa Parker and Davina Quinlivan; 11.30am-12.30pm - Fairy Tellers And Folk Tales with Nicholas Jubber and Lisa Schneidau; 1.00-2.00pm - Hope And Glory with Jendella Benson; 2.303.30pm - Breakneck Point with T. Orr Monro; 4.00-5.00pm - In Search Of Mary Seacole - The Making Of A Cultural Icon with Helen Rappaport; 4.00-6.00pm - Yiddish Song And Klezmer Music Workshop with Merlin And Polina ShepherD; 5.30-6.30pm
- Protecting The Amazon And Its People with Sir Ghillean Prance; 7.30pm - Concert: Songs Of The Shtetl And Steppes with Merlin And Polina Shepherd. Tickets and full details via https://www. marinetheatre.com/shute-festival/
Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society Autumn Show 10 am-12 noon, Uplyme Village Hall. Fun, informal show open to all with classes for produce, flowers preserves and baking. More information www.ulrhs.wordpress.com
Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7 mile walk from Osmington. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.
The Darkside of Pink Floyd Gig doors 7.30pm, show 8pm tickets £20 (door £22.50). More than just an ordinary Pink Floyd tribute band, The Darkside of Pink Floyd entertain audiences with a fantastic light show and passionate performances. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person TueThur 10am - 1pm.
Francis Burroughes – The Wonderful World of Glass The Friends of Weymouth Library (Fowl) are hosting a talk by Francis Burroughes on the Wonderful World of Glass at 10.30am. This will be held in Weymouth Library in support of the library’s events and activities. Booking is essential. £2.00 for members, £3.00 for non-members. Please contact Weymouth Library on 01305 762410 or email weymouthlibrary@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.
9 October East Devon Ramblers 10.30. 7.5 miles leisurely walk. Bovey Tracey. 01392-214430. Singing Bowl Soundbath 2-4PM Bridport Unitarians, 49 East St, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JX. £15 please book ahiahel@live.com 01935 389655
Shute Festival at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis – join a further glittering host of authors and musicians for the second full day talks and concerts: 11.30am-12.30pm - How To Leave Your Psychopath with Maddy Anholt; 1.00-2.00pm - Young Bloomsbury with Nino Strachey; 2.30-3.30pm - Real Farming: Underneath The Archers with Graham Harvey and Martin Hesp; 4.00-5.00pm - I You We Them: Exposing The ‘Desk Killers’ with Dan Gretton; 5.30-6.30pm - Love & Revolution In Georgia with Jo and Mike Seaman; 7.30pm - Concert: Folk Music with The South Country. Tickets and full details via https://www. marinetheatre.com/shute-festival-2/
Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £2.00. Contact David on 01460 65981 www.chardscottishdancingclub. org.
West Dorset Flower Club will be holding a demonstration by Elizabeth Witcomb entitled “The Three R’s”. This will take place at the WI Hall in North Street, Bridport at 2.30 pm. Visitors welcome, entrance £5. Further details 01308 456339. Bridport Folk Dance club If you like gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new then come along to our dance sessions from7.15 to 9.30 on Monday evenings in the W.I.Hall. Occasional live music. All welcome especially beginners. Tel 458165 or 459001 for details.
Stage Show by local mental health charity To celebrate World
Mental Health Week, local mental health hub Harmony will be putting on their 80 Days Around the Mind show at Bridport Arts Centre. The evening will showcase the work that Harmony members have done for the UKs Platinum Jubilee creative arts celebrations. Featuring the well-known local storyteller, Martin Maudsley. Tickets from Bridport Tourist Information Centre (BAC box office), 01308 424901, or from www.bridport-arts. com or on the door. For more information visit the website www. harmonydropin.org.
Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild Meeting 2 p.m. Vincent Sheppard, Jurassic Coast Trust Talk. Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street, Poundbury, Dorchester, DT1 3DF. Contact 01305 832857. Visitors £2.50.
11 October
Psychic development group all levels welcome start time 7.30 finish time 9pm I will teach you meditation and protection run at the black dog tea room uplyme by Sonia email for info sonia@ blackdogtearoom.co.uk five pounds per person starting October 11th and every Tuesday.
Best-selling author Philippe Sands at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, speaking about his new book The Last Colony: A Tale Of Race, Exile And Justice From Chagos To The Hague - a book which deals with Britain’s last colony in Africa and the continuing struggle of a British possession for independence. 7pm. Tickets £10. Book via https://www.marinetheatre.com/shute-festivalphilippe-sands/
Scottish Country Dancing at Ashill Village Hall TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Beginners , returners and dancers of all abilities are very welcome and you don’t need a partner. Biscuits and hot drink at the interval. £3.00 per evening. More information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 8 miles moderate walk. Offwell. 01297-552860.
Loders Local History Group AGM 7.30 pm followed by Archive Box Rummage. This is an opportunity to see what we have in the archives. Who was in your house during the various censuses? What projects have been caried out since the Group’s formation in 1989? Entrance £3 Loders Village Hall. contact bogle.2@outlook.com
Colyford & District Photographic Club. Come along to our Club nights 7.15 to 9.45 pm, every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, Colyford Memorial Hall, Swan Hill Road, Colyford EX24 6QJ. Meet our friendly members, enjoy practical sessions and day trips out with your camera. We encourage and teach the art of photography. Learn more about your camera and improve your photographic skills, including Photoshop, Lightroom and Affinity applications. For more information please telephone 07753911751 or check out our website www.colyford-photographic-club.co.uk. Also 26 October.
The Good Liar (15) Kilmington Community Cinema will be screening at the Village Hall (EX13 7RF). Doors open 6.45 film starts 7.15. Matinee on Thursday 13th afternoon doors open 1.45pm film starts 2pm advance booking required for this matinee, limited seating, cream teas (£3) available if booked with the ticket reservation. Tickets can be pre-booked by email: wattsjohn307@gmail.com or Tel: 01297 639758 see www. kilmingtonvillage.com/other-organisations.html for more information.
Axe Valley Centre, National Trust Talk 2.30pm at Colyford Memorial Hall “Stories of the Mary Rose” by Doug Hislop, Volunteer Speaker, Mary Rose Museum. Members £1.00, Nonmembers £2.00, including refreshment.
Guardians of Martock Church Chinese Boxing. Martock Church; TA12 6JL. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12 or £10 at: guardianstickets@gmail.com/ Martock Gallery/ Martock Newsagent Website:www.martockonline.co.uk/events. https:// chineseboxing.co.uk.
Hardy Online: The Real Woman Behind Tess of the d’Urbervilles 7pm Online talk. Gill Donnell MBE will be joined by Dr Rose Wallis, Lady Edwina Grosvenor and Professor Angelique Richardson to talk about the real woman behind Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles. £5 per screen. www. wessexmuseums.org.uk/book-online.
Lyme Voices Community Choir 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn tunes by ear. Everyone welcome. Baptist Church (pine hall round the back), Silver St., Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. Phone 01297 445078 or email petelinnett2@hotmail.com. Please let us know if you are coming.
Royal Opera House Live Cinema: Aida (12A) 6.45pm Love and duty collide and nations clash in Verdi’s political drama, starring Elena Stikhina and conducted by Antonio Pappano. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
The Royal Opera ‘Aida’ (12A) screening – doors 6.30pm, screening at 7pm, tickets £13.50 adults, £7 age 15 & under Princess Aida has been kidnapped: a valuable prize in a war between Egypt and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the ambitious soldier Radames wrestles with his feelings for her. As they draw closer together, each must make an agonizing choice between their loyalty to home, and their love for each other. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 6 miles moderate walk. Drewsteignton. 07722-314499.
Black sheep Fusing physical theatre, spoken word, song and sword swallowing, the show is the story of a queer Black woman finding love, overcoming institutional racism and leaning into radical vulnerability.7:30pm. Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR.
East Devon Branch, Devonshire Association Bringing nature back to Devon; Harry Barton, CEO of Devon Wildlife Trust, will talk about the loss of wildlife from Devon over the past 200 years 2.30pm, Manor Pavilion Theatre Sidmouth EX10 8RP; contact Brian Ludford 01395 513232 or edevon.sec@devonassoc.org.uk.
Moonage Daydream (15) 7.30pm A glorious cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie’s creative, spiritual and musical journey. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
The Suffragettes in the South West Author Pam Vass will tell the story of the Suffragettes in the South West following her careful research into the campaign for women’s suffrage. 11am Woodmead Hall, Lyme Regis. Guests of the u3a are welcome for a donation of £2. Details available on www.lymeregisu3a.org. Cinechard at Holyrood Academy Chard at 7.30pm, Baz Luhrman’s Elvis starring Tom Hanks as Colonel Parker and Austin
Butler as Elvis. Tickets from Barron’s, Eleos and the PO and online at ticketsource/cinechard; or on the door. Holyrood has plenty of well-lit parking, tiered seating and refreshments.
CUPID is a mutual support group for ostomists i.e. anyone with a stoma (colostomy, urostomy, ileostomy) or pouch. Our next meeting will be held between 10:00 and 12 noon at the Dorford Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RR. Parking is available opposite at the Top of Town Car Park. It is an informal occasion where you can talk with other ostomists, or simply stop and enjoy refreshments whilst taking the opportunity to see the products of Pelican represented by Sian Nixon. Colin Clare will be presenting a talk on ‘Codes’.
Ciorstaidh Hayward Trevarthen 10.00am – 14.00pm. Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset is visiting Beaminster Museum for a finds identification session. Please see www.beaminstermuseum. co.uk for further information about attending.
The Friends of Beaminster Festival are pleased to promote a concert by The Cirrus Quartet in St Marys Beaminster at 3pm. The programme will be Mozart Piano Quartet No 493: W H Reed Quartet no 4 in C and Elgar Piano Quintet op 84. Tickets at £12 are available from The Yarn Barton,Fleet Street,Beaminster: The Book Shop,Bridport or www.ticketsource.co.uk (ref Friends of Beaminster Festival Concert)- Tel 03336663366 and on the door cash or card.
Come and Sing Great Anthems with the Sheldon Singers 2-5pm at St. Paul’s Church, Honiton, EX14 1PG. £10 per person, including music and light refreshments. For further details contact Julie: acorns31@hotmail.com
Barn Dance/Ceilidh at the W.I.Hall Bridport from 7.30 to 10.30pm. Musicians and a caller to help the evening go with a swing. Soft drinks provided. Come alone or bring your partner. Everyone welcome for a social, fun evening. For more information Tel; 458165 or 459001.
Barn Dance/Ceilidh Live music and a caller will lead us in the dancing from 7.30 to 10.30 in the W.I.Hall, Bridport. Soft drinks available. All welcome. Come alone or bring your partner... everybody joins in. Only £5.00 ...school children free. Tel 458165 or 459001 for details.
‘Moonage Daydream’ (12A) Picnic Night Screening doors 6.30pm screening 7.30pm, tickets £7. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 12 miles strenuous walk. Wiveliscombe. 01395-567450.
Singing Bowl Soundbath 2-4PM The Scout Hall, Redcotts Lane, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH 21 1JX £15 please book via ahiahel@live.com 01935 389655.
Axe Vale Orchestra Dvorak Cello Concerto Arturo Serna will perform this magnificent concerto in The Gateway, Seaton, in a Sunday afternoon concert, beginning at 3.00pm. Other works to be performed are William Mathias’ Serenade op.18 and Peter Milmer’s King Across the Water. Tickets at £12, free for students,
from TicketSource via the Axe Vale Orchestra website or from Owl and Pyramid Bookshop, Seaton. Brian Northcott will conduct and Jane Bultz will lead.
Far From the Madding Crowd (1967) premiere anniversary film screening. 3pm Plaza Cinema, Dorchester Marking the film’s 55th anniversary with the chance to see John Schlesinger’s iconic Far From the Madding Crowd on the big screen. £4.50pp. 01305 262488
Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £2.00. Contact David on 01460 65981 www.chardscottishdancingclub. org.
Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Othona Community Burton Bradstock10-12.30 midday £25. Phone 01308 898337, howsesp@ yahoo.co.uk.
Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new then come along to our dance sessions from 7.15 to 9.30 on Monday evenings in the W.I.Hall. Occasional live music. Alll welcome especially beginners. Tel 458165 or 459001 for details.
The Great Big Dorset Hedge - Turn Lyme Green talk Talk from Julie Leah, one of the project co-ordinators of The Great Big Dorset Hedge. 7pm. Driftwood Cafe, in the Baptist Church, 2 Sherborne Lane, Lyme Regis DT7 3NY. enquiries@turnlymegreen. co.uk.
The Lyme Regis Society present A Talk: Charmouth Heritage Centre by Senior Warden: Phil Davidson. 2pm. Woodmead Halls, Hill Road, Lyme Regis. DT7 3PG. All Welcome. Members Free. Visitors £3.00. Including Refreshments. Check website for further information: https://www.lymeregissociety.org.uk/ Scottish Country Dancing at Ashill Village Hall TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Beginners , returners and dancers of all abilities are very welcome and you don’t need a partner. Biscuits and hot drink at the interval. £3.00 per evening. More information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com
Finding Mr Robins – the exceptional Rococo artist. Illustrated lecture, Monk’s Yard, Ilminster. For further information, please contact Susie Thorne on 01823 451693.
Coffee Morning including croissants, cakes, & bacon rolls, 10.30am – noon; all welcome. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall. More details from Julia (01460 72769) Spoken Word event for poets Come and read your poetry. Free entry. 6pm-8pm at Brook Kitchen, 60 High Street, Budleigh Salterton EX9 6NE . Contact David Lloyd lloyddavidjohn@gmail. com if you would like to read on the night. East Devon Ramblers 10.30. 8 miles leisurely walk. Knappe Copse. 01404-549390.
The Beehive Acoustic Night 7.30pm Perform or listen
in the Beehive bar. Free entry. The Beehive Honiton www. beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
Colyton & District Garden Society talk by our honorary member, Anne Swithinbank, on ‘Around the World in 80 Houseplants - or thereabouts!’. Colyford Memorial Hall, 7.30pm. Members free, guests £3. For information: Sue Price 01297 552813.
Versus Arthritis 2.30 for 3 pm, Loders Village Hall DT6 3SA John Wolfe Illustrated Talk ‘In Shackleton’s Footsteps’ an Antarctic Journey, Cream Tea, Stalls,Raffle. Tickets £12 from 01308 863690/01308 425965.
Lyme Voices Community Choir 19.30 to 21.15. Sing for fun. Learn tunes by ear. Everyone welcome. Baptist Church (pine hall round the back), Silver St., Lyme Regis, DT7 3NY. Phone 01297 445078 or email petelinnett2@hotmail.com. Please let us know if you are coming.
Royal Opera House Live Cinema: La Boheme (12A) 7.15pm Puccini’s opera of passion, friendship & heartbreak. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050
Arts Society West Dorset: “A Sleuth’s Guide to Architecture” The story of an Elizabethan Master Mason in the West country. Speaker: John Davies. 2.30pm Bridport Town Hall. Visitors welcome-£7.50. Further details: www.taswestdorset.org.uk
Talk and Tea with Stonemason Andrew Ziminski Join Andrew Ziminski as he talks about his work conserving Somerset’s ancient buildings including the techniques, methods and materials he uses. 2.30 pm. Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8DB. srlm.org.uk. Booking, £5 Bridport & District gardening club monthly meeting is at 7.30pm at the W I Hall North Street Bridport when Charles Chesshire will speak on New and Unusual Plant for Dorset. The meeting is open to non members for a dee of £2.00 and further information about the club can be found on the website www. bridportgardening.co.uk.
East Devon Ramblers 10.30. 6 miles moderate walk. Seaton wetlands. 07886-926636.
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 6 miles leisurely walk. Hemyock. 07483-886622.
Chapel in the Garden Bridport will be hosting a jazz evening with Philip Clouts and Mitch Hiller. 7.00pm. Tickets at £10.00 will be available from the Tourist Information Centre and the Chapel, call Glenda Willis on 07912 534064
Great British soul & blues revue unforgettable evening of soul and blues classics from Jo Harman, Mike Mayfield, Eddy Smith & Joanna Cooke. 8.00pm, Marine Theatre, Church Street, Lyme Regis DT7 3BG. More: www.jazzjurassica.co.uk. Downton Abbey - A New Era at 7.30pm. Village Hall, The Causeway, Milborne St Andrew DT11 0JX. Doors and bar open 7.00. Tickets cost £5, which includes a drink or an ice-cream. Beaminster Public Hall fundraising quiz for the Yarn Barton Centre (reg’d charity); 7.00 for 7.30pm, six people per team
(max), tickets £10pp (including supper) on sale at YBC, tel: 01308 862715.
Fairport Convention 7.30pm British Folk Rock legends celebrate their 55th anniversary. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton. co.uk 01404 384050
‘Ticket to Paradise’ (12A) Picnic Night Screening, doors 6.30pm, screening 7.30pm tickets £7. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm.
Classical piano with Rosemary Tuck. The Australian-born pianist Rosemary Tuck will be playing in Tincleton Gallery for the first time. She has appeared worldwide in concerts at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, National Concert Hall in Dublin, the South Bank Center, Wigmore Hall and St Johns Smith Square in London, and the Aarhus Musikhuset where she appeared live on Danish Television. Tincleton Gallery, The Old School House, Tincleton, nr Dorchester, DT2 8QR. doors open 19:30; concert starts 20:00. £15. 01305 848 909. www.tincletongallery.com.
22 October
Christmas Craft Fair 10am-4pm at Portesham Village Hall. All exhibits by local crafts people. In support of TheHorseCourse a Dorset charity providing help for children. A Recital & Album Launch: Variations For Piano & Sitar Andrew Goldberg, piano and Ricky Romain, sitar – launching their new album Variations, which is a dialogue between Western classical music and Indian Classical music. They will be accompanied by percussionist Carlo Strazzante at 7.30pm. Eype Centre for the Arts, St Peter’s Church, Eype DT6 6AP. Tickets: £18.00 adults / £15.00 concessions. Tickets from https:// bridportandwestbay.co.uk/product/variations-for-piano-sitar-withandrew-goldberg-ricky-romain.
Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 7.5 mile walk from Beaminster. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.
Singalonga The Greatest Showman Interactive screening – doors 1.30pm, show 2pm, tickets £16.50 adults, £13 under 16 years. ‘Singalonga Grease’ – Interactive Screening – doors 6.30pm screening 7pm Tickets as above. Fancy dress is strongly encouraged and full audience participation essential! Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person TueThur 10am - 1pm.
23 October
Fresh Fiction - Lifting the veil on Halloween Fresh Fiction is a series of new short story nights read live by writers at The David Hall, South Petherton, Somerset. Original short stories on a theme are hand-picked from writers across Somerset and surrounding counties. 7.30pm. The David Hall, Roundwell Street, South Petherton. Somerset TA13 5AA. Contact details for tickets www. thedavidhall.org.uk.
Organ recital to include Philip Glass, Louis Vierne, Bach, Franck; 3pm at St. Swithun’s Church, Allington, Bridport DT65DU. Contact: Mandi Sturrock 07887 483228.
East Devon Ramblers 10.30. 5 miles leisurely walk. Otterton. 01395-266668.
Royal Opera: La Boheme (12A) Screening – Recording from the Royal Opera House performance, doors 1.30pm, screening 2pm tickets £13.50 adults, £7 under 16s. Paris, 1900. Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person TueThur 10am - 1pm.
24 October
Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish dancing at Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. Tea and coffee provided but please bring your own mug. No partner required. Cost £2.00 Contact David on 01460 65981 www.chardscottishdancingclub. org.
Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new then come along to our dance sessions from 7.15 to 9.30 on Monday evenings in the W.I.Hall. Occasional live music. All welcome especially beginners. Tel 458165 or 459001 for details.
24 - 28 October
Half term living history event at historic house. at Athelhampton House and Gardens, DT2 7LG, near Puddletown, from 10:30am – 3:30pm. The famous gardens will be open from 10am - 4pm. Children under 12 go free, and tickets can be booked online at www.athelhampton.com.
25 October
Artsreach at The Hut Powerstock at 11am. Doors open 10.30am. Norwich Puppet Theatre’s “Thumbelina” for ages 2+. Tickets: 01308 485730 or 07817 429907 or online at www.artsreach.co.uk Adult: £6, Under 18s: £5, Family: £20 Refreshments available. Hardy Online: Building Wessex; passions and parallel lives. 7pm Online talk. Join stonemason Andrew Ziminski and curator Harriet Still as they talk about Andrew’s passion for Wessex’s ancient buildings – and the parallels between his life and that of Thomas Hardy. £5 per screen. www.wessexmuseums.org.uk/bookonline.
Nostalgic Cinema: Pal Joey (PG) 2pm 1957 film. Dementiafriendly with subtitles. The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton. co.uk 01404 384050
Socotra: Island of Dreams, Dragon’s Blood and Desert Roses Janice Booth, co- author of the Bradt Guide to Socotra will give a talk about this magical island for Seaton u3a. The talk will start at 2pm at The Gateway, Seaton and is free to members. A charge of £2 for non-members includes refreshments afterwards. Take this opportunity to learn more about the many varied activities available at Seaton u3a. For more information go to https:// u3asites.org.uk/seaton/home.
Bridport U3A Monthly Meeting & Talk Having a Wilder Time in Zimbabwe - Brian Pettit. Bridport United Church Hall at 2pm. If you are kindly able to help with setting up the chairs please arrive at 1.15pm. This talk is free to members and non-members are welcome but will need to pay £2. If you would like any further
information visit bridportu3a.org.uk
Scottish Country Dancing at Ashill Village Hall
TA19 9LX every Tuesday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Beginners, returners and dancers of all abilities are very welcome and you don’t need a partner. Biscuits and hot drink at the interval. £3.00 per evening. More information contact Anita on 01460 929383 or email anitaandjim22@gmail.com
26 October
East Devon Ramblers 10.30. 8.2 miles moderate walk. Broadwindsor. 01297-552313.
27 October
Talk on Nature Rambles by Alan Bowley, 2.30pm, Bridport WI Hall, North Street. In support of Bridport Millennium Green. £6/£5 members. Raffle. Details Sandra Brown, 01308 423078. ‘Halloween Party Time’ children’s party, doors 1.30pm party 2pm, tickets £8 child, £5 adult. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Come and join Hot Rock Productions for half term spooky Halloween party! There will be party games, dancing and singing! Fancy dress is definitely encouraged! Tickets from 01297 625699, www.thegatewayseaton. co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am - 1pm. Clapton & Wayford Village Hall AGM business followed by cheese & wine, 7.30pm; all welcome. More details from Mary (01460 74849)
28 October
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 5 miles moderate walk. Branscombe. 07854-685433.
Operation Mincemeat (12A) T & F Movies in Tatworth Memorial Hall at 7.30 pm. The doors open at 7.00pm and the entry charge is still only £5. Cable Street Collective Festival favourites 8pm “Spicy indie pop with a tropical feel.” The Beehive Honiton www.beehivehoniton.co.uk 01404 384050. Somerset Wildlife Trust Ilminster/Chard group invite you to “Wilder Somerset 2030”. Katie Arber SWT’s Deputy CEO and Director of fund-raising will speak about SWT’s Wilder Somerset 2030 Strategy, what is being done now and future plans. Q&A
included. 7.30pm Parish Hall, North St. Ilminster TA19 0DG, roadside & town car parks. £3 SWT members, £4 nonmembers, no charge for children. Sales table. Refreshments will be available. Enquiries Valerie Godsmark 01460 234551.
29 October
Bridport & West Dorset Rambling Club 8 mile walk from Smitten Corner. For further information please ring 01308 898484 or 01308 863340.
‘Halloween Spooky Trail and film’ Trail starts at 2pm, film from 3.30pm Tickets: Trail £1 per trail sheet, on the day, film £7 per person. Tickets from 01297 625699, www. thegatewayseaton.co.uk or in person Tue - Thur 10am1pm.
Axe Valley Centre, National Trust Autumn Fair 10.0012.00 at Colyford Memorial Hall, cakes and produce, books, plants, crafts, bric-a-brac and Sidmouth National Trust Shop. Admission £1.00 including tea/coffee and biscuit.
Mark Simmons: Quip Off The Mark As Seen on Mock The Week, BT Sport and ITV, ‘Master of one-liners’ 8pm Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR White Tara 2:1s Stour Row Village Hall, Stour Row nr. Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0QG £60 per individual session please book via ahiahel@live.com 01935 389655
30 October
East Devon Ramblers 10.00. 10.5 miles moderate walk. Shipton Gorge. 07759-324849.
Singing Bowl Soundbath 2pm-4pm Oborne Village Hall, Oborne, nr. Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4LA £15 please book via ahiahel@live.com 01935 389655.
Bridport Vintage Market St Michael’s Trading Estate, Bridport.
31 October
Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Evening of Scottish Dancing in Chardstock Village Hall 7.30 - 10.00 p.m. Cost £2.00 Contact David on 01460 65981 www. chardscottishdancingclub.org.
Bridport Folk Dance Club If you like gentle exercise, socialising and maybe learning something new then come along to our dance sessions from 7.15 to 9.30 on Monday evenings in the W.I.Hall. Occasional live music. All welcome especially beginners. Tel 458165 or 459001 for details.
Grace Petrie Protest singer Grace Petrie has an army of loyal fans across the alternative, folk, political and comedy scenes. 7:30pm Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR.
Illustrated talk by well-known garden and travel writer Rosemary LeGrand – Lyrical-La Mortella. Talk about the Italian island garden of the late Sir William and Lady Walton and the gardens of Capri and Pompeii. 2.30 pm at United Church Main Hall, East Street, Bridport. Members £2.00, Visitors £5.00. Information 01308 459855.
ONE of the many highlights of the St Michael’s Trading Estate in Bridport is the Bridport Vintage Market which runs on the last Sunday of each month from March to October. A lively and valuable part of the community, the vintage market has developed a huge following amongst those enjoying antiques, vintage, collectable, clothing, items and pieces of decor.
The traders pride themselves on stocking a range of vintage pieces and there is always something to catch the eye. Time spent wandering through the many fascinating shops is a great way to find unloved items that can fit seamlessly in your home.
For more information telephone 07468 579570.
The next Bridport Vintage Market is on Sunday October 30th. Besides the Antiques & Vintage shops situated within the historic art and antique quarter, you will find artist studios and much more. For a concise list as to who and what is on St Michael’s Trading Estate please go to: stmichaelsbridport.co.uk/ whos-who/
Vintage Market photographs by Doug Chalk whose wonderful Colmer’s Hill photographs can be purchased from Bridport market or online at www.colmershillpictures.co.uk
A Crowdfunder campaign has been launched in Broadwindsor to raise the £20,000 needed to transform the village green. The project will provide community open space, play equipment and physical exercise for all, right in the heart of the village. ‘The plan has almost three years in the making but we’re determined to make it happen,’ said Sheila Hawkins, who worked with the late David Leader to put the project together for the Comrades Hall, which owns the land. ‘It will be a fitting tribute to David, who died suddenly earlier this year. He made such a difference to community and sporting life in the village and brought everyone together.’ To support it visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ broadwindsorvillagegreenappeal
Farming and wildlife organisations have teamed up to support farmers and other land managers to increase farm business resilience whilst delivering what nature and people need for a sustainable future. Partners from FWAG SouthWest, Mendip District Council, Mendip Hills AONB Service, Mendip Hills Facilitation Group, the National Farmers Union, Selwood Forest Facilitation Group and Somerset Wildlife Trust are offering a free programme of workshops on sustainable land management for farmers and land managers across Somerset. For more details visit www.somersetwildlife.org/slmworkshops. A printed flyer is also available by telephoning Jacob Hall 07870 581655.
Jane Goodall supports DSPOC Dr. Jane Goodall, a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist has recently become an ambassador for the Dorset Sustainable Palm Oil Community (DSPOC). Run by Efeca, a specialist on responsible sourcing of agricultural commodities, the DSPOC hopes to make Dorset the world’s first sustainable palm oil county. So far 36 Dorset-based businesses and organisations across the county have committed to only using sustainable palm oil via the (DSPOC). To join those businesses visit www.efeca.com.
Simon Hall, tenant blacksmith at the National Trust’s Branscombe Forge in Devon, has been crowned as both national British static and live forging champion for the second year running. He won the titles, seeing off competition from 22 other blacksmiths. Day to day, Simon works at Branscombe Forge which is cared for by the National Trust. The Forge was built around 1580 and is believed to be the oldest thatched working forge in England.
Boomtown Festival waste
Eco Sustainable Solutions, a Dorset-based organic recycling organisation, partnered with Boomtown festival in Hampshire to recycle the waste from the festival into green energy. The food waste from the festival this year was transported to Eco’s anaerobic digestion plant in Dorchester where it was turned into biogas and converted into enough renewable energy to power 30 homes for a day. Boomtown’s organisers are working towards transforming Boomtown into a sustainable city that’s run entirely on renewable energy.
Many of us harbour dream invitations. They differ widely. For some, it might be a Buckingham Palace garden party; for others, Would you like to be my guest in my box at Manchester United? might fit the bill, or perhaps Come to lunch—it’ll be just you, me and Paul McCartney. But for most of us, I think, there is a summons somewhere in the imagination which sets bells ringing, so I hope you do not think I am exaggerating when I say that I felt that sort of excitement, when our friend Anthony casually said: Would you like to see the marsh gentians?
Gentians are a family of flowers which have some of the allure of orchids, in that they are mostly uncommon, and very beautiful: they are usually dark blue or purple. We have about eight species in Britain (depending on whether or not you count subspecies) and you will struggle to find them in many basic wild flower guides, although you can see them all painted on Plate 59 of The Concise British Flora in Colour, the magnificent encyclopaedia published in 1965 by the Church of England clergyman William Keble Martin, which became an instant best-seller. (Keble Martin was 88 at the time of publication—he had spent 60 years drawing and painting every native British wild plant.)
The commonest and most familiar of our gentian species is probably the autumn gentian, Gentianella amarella (avoidance of confusion note: Keble Martin refers to it by its old name of autumn felwort.) The marsh gentian, Gentiana pneumonanthe, you are much less likely to stumble across. For one thing, it has a specialised habitat: wet heaths. Dorset has plenty of heaths but most of them are bone dry; wet heaths are commoner in the New Forest, which is a marsh gentian stronghold. But Dorset does have a few damp places where this exquisite rare flower can be found, and our friend Anthony knew of one of them.
He is an antiques expert, with a marvellous eye for man-made things, but he also has a sharp eye for the beauties of nature, and
as an inveterate walker has discovered many of the treasures the landscape of Wessex has to offer; for example, he alerted us to the walk from Kingston to Swyre Head, where you get to the top of the hill and gasp as suddenly the whole Jurassic Coast is laid out in front of you.
The gentians Anthony knew of were quite a long way from our home village: my wife Jo and I trailed his car for more than half an hour to a lonely layby in the middle of a large area of heathland, and then followed him on foot to a damp depression the size of a football pitch which was clearly the requisite patch of wet heath. (I have to say, if you didn’t know it was there, you probably wouldn’t find it.) And eventually, we came across the flowers.
They were wonderful. Part of their charm was that they were half-hidden amongst the grasses, rushes and clumps of heather, so finding each one felt like an achievement, and also there was the sense of privilege at seeing such a rare bloom. But the biggest attraction was the colour, a vibrant and intense deep blue, standing out against the murky greens and browns of the heath. Some of them were darker still and I was put in mind of the lovely, melancholy poem DH Lawerence wrote at the end of his life, probably contemplating his approaching end. It’s called Bavarian Gentians and it imagines the flowers as torches of darkness, which can guide him down into the underworld.
It was an unforgettable experience. Anthony has known their location for decades and kept the secret. And believe me, I’m not knocking the garden party at the Palace, the box at Man United, or lunch with the great Beatle—I’d accept any one of them—but his invitation to that lonely piece of heathland is something I would choose above them all.
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
Marsh Gentians © Photographs by Robin Mills
The minor road headed roughly northwards, climbing gradually across chalk downland towards Ansty Cross. At least that’s what we had planned until a large red and white placard loomed ahead of us at a fourway junction declaring “Road Closed” in capital letters. It didn’t specify which road was closed and we could see no sign of roadworks so we decided to take the risk and press on past the sign. At the next junction, though, another sign was more specific. The road ahead, our planned route, was closed and, this time, we could see the roadworks blocking our way. A few minutes of frantic map reading revealed that an alternative was possible and soon we were on our way northwards again. We were now following a very quiet one car’s width-road lined by hawthorn scrub and low fences with grassy downland rising on the western side, a pleasant if unanticipated place to be on this mild, sunny early May morning.
Suddenly as we drove on, two animals, the size of medium dogs, shot out from the hedge and proceeded to chase one another up the road ahead of us. We slowed down to avoid upsetting them and watched, transfixed. My initial reaction was “two deer, possibly muntjac”. I was wrong, though, because just as suddenly as they appeared, they turned and ran back into the hedge and it became clear that these were hares, running fast. One came out again on to the road briefly before returning through the hedge on to the downland.
We moved forward, stopped the car and looked through a gap in the hedge on to the nearby field. It was like looking through a portal into another world as there on
the downland were three hares with their long ears and sandy brown fur, almost golden in the morning sunshine. One was very still and held its ears down but the other two proceeded to have a rough and tumble, squaring up aggressively, running about at high-speed, chasing, even jumping over one another. After a few minutes, one ran off, “defeated” and we decided to leave the hares in peace. We drove on, in total silence for some time but glowing, after one of the more surprising and emotional wildlife encounters we have ever experienced.
The animals we saw are more properly called brown hares to distinguish them from the other species found in the UK, the mountain hare, now mostly confined to the Highlands of Scotland. Brown hares are large animals, about twice the size of a rabbit with sandy brown fur, long black-tipped ears, powerful back legs and staring eyes set so that they have almost all-round vision. They are herbivores inhabiting grassland and open woodland, feeding mainly on young cereals, grasses and herbs. In autumn and winter, brown hares are nocturnal, solitary creatures ranging widely and feeding at night. They have no burrow and rest during the day in a hollow in the ground where from a distance they are largely invisible. The lack of burrow makes them potentially vulnerable to predators such as foxes or birds of prey so they are always on the watch for threats, helped by their superb vision and hearing. They can usually elude predators by being able to run at speeds up to 40 mph.
Their lives change in the spring months when mating becomes the driving force leading to the sort of daytime display we witnessed that morning. The classic behaviour is
Philip Strange tells how an unexpected road closure led to a surprising encounter with three hares.“boxing” when two animals square up to one another and may exchange blows but chasing and jumping also often occur. This pattern is now thought to reflect a persistent male encountering a reluctant female who tries to fend him off and the energetic leaping and wild chasing have given rise to the phrase “as mad as a March hare”. The pattern may also be part of a ritual where the female selects a suitable mate based on his strength and endurance.
Female hares are receptive to males for much of the year, they can conceive even when already pregnant and can have up to four litters in a year. Young hares, leverets, are born fully furred and with eyes open into a depression in the ground. The adult female leaves the young during the day returning at night to give one feed. The young leverets left like this are vulnerable to predators and some may also be killed by grass cutting equipment. Other threats facing hares come from intensification of farming which has removed some food sources needed for good nutrition and there has also been an increase in the number of foxes. The result is a 75% reduction in the brown hare population since WW2.
With their lives lived mostly at night and often unseen there is something elusive and undefinable about hares. Add to this their surprising behaviour during the breeding season and it’s easy to see why these creatures have become associated over the years with myth and magic. One widespread belief in medieval times was that hares were shape shifters linked to witches and related stories of this transformation may be found in various parts of the country.
A Dorset version of the shape shifter myth is told by local story teller Martin Maudsley. It concerns a group of four farm labourers from Littlebredy who went out at night hunting with dogs to catch animals for food. While they went hunting, they left their farming tools by the house of an old woman whom some people in the village thought was a witch and others respected as a healer. One evening when the men were out hunting, they glimpsed a mysterious and magical creature, a pure white hare and tried unsuccessfully to catch her. Catching the white hare became an obsession for the men and one evening they were almost successful. They cornered the white hare and she was thrown about and bitten by the dogs but still managed to escape.
When the men went to collect their tools, they found the old woman lying on the floor in her cottage badly injured with her clothes ripped and bloody. Most of the men left quickly, filled with fear and guilt, but one stayed with the old woman and nursed her back to health. Chastened by this experience, the men vowed never to hunt the white hare again. The full story may be read at https://www.dorsetaonb.org.uk/the-white-hare/.
Philip Strange is Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Reading. He writes about science and about nature with a particular focus on how science fits in to society. His work may be read at http://philipstrange.wordpress.com/
October is definitely the time that things start to slow down for us in the market garden, and although there is still plenty to do, especially up until mid October, there is a feeling of less urgency and we become more reflective on the year gone by. The final big jobs in the garden in October are taking out all of the tunnel summer crops and planting up with winter salads, herbs (parsley, coriander and chervil), spring onions and sugarsnap peas, as well as some leafy greens like perpetual spinach and chard. Also, any remaining bare soil outside is sown to cereal rye to help protect it from the winter weather. The roots of the rye will help to stabilise the soil, but also form associations with some of the soil life and in doing so will maintain and improve the health of the soil. Throughout September we sowed a more diverse range of green manures—including phacelia, oats, fenugreek, clover, trefoil, buckwheat and linseed, but it is now too late for most of these to germinate and establish, so cereal rye is really the only option.
If you haven’t already done so then it’s time to bring in any squash that you have out in the garden. These will have ripened through the summer and got the last of the summers sun to ripen them more through September. The best way to make sure that your squash last through the winter is to make sure they are properly cured before storing them. Some varieties also last longer than others—make sure you eat the onion squash (Uchiki kuri types) first as these tend not to store quite as long as something like a Crown Prince. Harvest the squash once the stem has gone light brown—this indicates that it is ripe. Cut the squash carefully and with as much of the stem as possible—it is important to be gentle with the squash at this stage, as any damage now can leave the squash open for rotting. The next step is to bring the squash into a warm, airy room to help harden the skin, meaning that it can then be stored for longer through the winter. Make sure you leave some space around each squash. The curing allows water to evaporate out of the squash, concentrating its flavour and sweetness as well as hardening the skin which protects the squash from damage and moulds through storage. The key to good curing is keeping the squash in a warm place for about 10 days— ideally around 20 degrees and a fairly high humidity of around 80 percent. Once they are cured the squash can be stored in cooler conditions—around 10 degrees with lower relative humidity. Keep checking the squash every couple of weeks once they are stored and compost any that have rotted.
Now, it’s time to start planning for next year! Hopefully you have made plenty of notes through the year on timings of sowings, plantings and harvests, and using these notes you can figure out how to get the most out of the garden by fitting in quick crops before and after slower growing crops.
WHAT TO SOW THIS MONTH: Spring onions (for polytunnel/glasshouse), broad beans, garlic, peas, sugarsnaps and peashoots (all for overwintering in the polytunnel/ glasshouse), mustards, rocket, leaf radish (last chance for sowing these for overwintering in polytunnel/glasshouse)
WHAT TO PLANT THIS MONTH:
OUTSIDE: overwintering spring onions (if not before), direct broad beans and garlic.
INSIDE: overwintering salad leaves, coriander, chervil, chard, perpetual spinach, parsley, spring onions, overwintering peas.
OTHER IMPORTANT TASKS THIS MONTH: continue mulching beds for the winter, especially on beds that you didnt get round to sowing green manures. Make a start on your winter job list before it starts getting too wet and cold!
Plant broad beans outside, as well as spring onions and garlic
We’ve certainly been having a good few dollops of rain recently, making the near drought conditions of the summer seem like a lifetime ago. This has definitely breathed new life into some of the later flowering perennials which otherwise might have stopped flowering by now. The Hesperantha (formerly Schizostylis), which I touched upon last month, is making the most of the wetter soil conditions which initiated their flowering after the dry summer.
Cyclamen hederifolium is such an undemanding plant that there is no excuse for it not to be present in every garden, no matter how small. It tends to start flowering, pinkypurple blooms appearing from nowhere, before leaf emergence as soon as cooler, wetter, weather arrives at the end of summer. They are happiest in shady areas, under trees and the skirts of deciduous shrubs, but are so prolific at seeding that they often find their way into lawns, cracks in paving and sunnier areas where they have no right to be! For me their secret weapon is that, after the flowers have faded, they have attractive, non-smothering, marbled foliage which persists all winter and into late spring.
As generous self-seeders, these ‘ivy leaved’ cyclamen can form large sheets to perform a useful ground cover role where otherwise, especially during the barren winter months, there would be just bare soil. The disappearing trick that they perform, as summer approaches, means that their reappearance is especially welcome at this time of year when their flash of bright pink blooming contrasts with the general dying down of the wider garden. Another plant which flowers late in the year, but with almost springlike enthusiasm, is Liriope muscari . It has spikes of dusky mauve flowers, akin to grape hyacinth, sprouting from grassy leaves. A quietly ‘background’ sort of plant which is culturally undemanding and yet surprisingly generous when it comes into flower—great for edging or weaving through mixed borders.
As with last month, keeping on top of tidying beds and borders, removing herbaceous foliage as it begins to collapse, helps to maintain an air of orderliness just as everything tends to chaos. Removing dead and dying leaves also exposes all those little gems, such as autumn flowering crocus and Colchicum species, which otherwise might struggle to be appreciated if battling against a background
of decaying border plants. Tidying away excess foliage also affords opportunities to plant more spring flowering bulbs in any gaps that are exposed. The general abundance of water in the autumn, with soils still holding a degree of summer warmth, makes it a good time to dig up and move around plants so that they have a chance to establish again before the real winter cold sets in.
As well as planting spring flowering bulbs, into beds and borders, it’s also a good time to plant them in pots and containers. Add plenty of drainage to the bottom of your chosen container, coarse gravel will do, and use a 50:50 mix of loam based and multi-purpose compost on top of that. Add your chosen bulbs in layers with the largest at the bottom; the bigger the container the more bulbs you can cram in and the greater the mix of types for the longest succession of blooms. Try tulips at the bottom, daffodils in the middle layer and grape hyacinths, or another small bulb like Anemone blanda, on the top level. This will require a large, deep, pot but it will provide a spectacular firework display of spring colour. It’s popular, these days, to refer to this a ‘lasagne planting’ (i.e. layers of bulbs) but it’s nothing new.
To finish off the ‘lasagne’ of bulbs, adding a cheesy topping you might say, winter flowering bedding plants can be fiddled into the top of the pot. These always look best when squeezed in relatively close together, unnaturally so, because whatever variety you use they tend to sulk a bit before coming into bloom so the more you have the less bare soil will be visible before they get into their stride. I generally use violas, the smaller flowered forms of winter pansies, because they tend to flower better during colder periods and are less likely to succumb to botrytis (rot) than the larger flowered varieties. I really like primulas and primroses too although I find that these tend to be much more spring flowering, than truly winter flowering, so they may provide no flowers at all until well into next year. Bellis perennis (bedding daisies) fall somewhere between pansies and primulas, in my experience, when it comes to their winter flowering potential.
One word of warning with containers which have bulbs underneath spring bedding; there is a good chance that, if the pot is really well crammed, the larger bulb types, narcissi especially, will lift the bedding plants out of the pot as they begin to emerge in late winter or early spring.
If this happens it requires a small amount of vigilance and intervention on your part so that you can gently firm the bedding plants back into the pot before they are left completely high and dry. This is a small price to pay for a winter / spring flowering container with real impact. There’s nothing worse than a mean little pot with just a few sparse blooms in it. Be generous with your planting and you can look forward to proper fireworks in the spring.
At the time of writing it’s impossible to know what type of autumn we shall have, let alone what the spring will hold. Having had a hotter and sunnier summer than usual there is every chance that the autumn colour will be particularly good because the brightest and deepest autumn hues rely on the leaves having a good sugar content at the point where they are beginning to break down and be shed. Lots of sun combined with a relative lack of rainfall should provide maximum concentration of sugars in the leaves and should therefore maximise the potential for good autumn colour.
Having said that, abundant rainfall preceding leaf drop may dilute the sugars and therefore the potential for outstanding autumn colour. Other factors also come into play; a rapid and sharp drop in overnight temperature is more likely to lead to strong colours than a slow descent into autumn. Very strong winds, before the leaves have a chance to produce their autumnal hues, may scupper everything as the one thing that is necessary is for the leaves to stay on the trees and shrubs long enough for them to be shed naturally and not be blown off while still green!
If there is one thing that we have learned recently it is that there are no certainties.
Detached bungalow with 2 large bedrooms, well maintained and benefitting from 16 solar panels. Living room with wood-burning stove, kitchen opening onto a large conservatory over-looking gardens. Many mature fruit trees and shrubs, plus timber outbuildings, summer house and 2 greenhouses. Attached garage and parking. Set in 0.25 acres.
Gordon & Rumsby Tel: 01297 553768
A classic Arts & Crafts 5 bedroom house with studio and wonderful views over the Marshwood Vale. Open fireplaces, arched & bay windows, panelled doors and walls throughout. Mature gardens with a paved terrace with intertwining paths plus ornamental pond and greenhouse. A meadow with numerous fruit trees plus a veg and soft fruit area. All set in just under 3 acres.
Symonds and Sampson Tel: 01308 422092
A 3 bedroom bungalow in an enviable, tucked away position with distant views. Sitting room with feature fireplace and door into a conservatory overlooking the garden. Double glazed windows throughout. Mature rear garden with lawned area, raised patio and summer shed. Front driveway with parking and detached single garage. No onward chain.
Goadsby Tel: 01308 420000
WEST CAMEL £1,595,000
Grade II listed farmhouse dating from 1730, with 5 bedrooms. Period features inc: flagstone floors, fireplaces, window seats, shutters. Cottage with garage, tack room, workshop, pigsty and studio flat. Garden with small pond, orchard plus 2 paddocks and copse. Ample private parking. All set in 3.4 acres. No onward chain.
Knight Frank Tel: 01935 810062
A mid-terrace 1940s house with 2 bedrooms and workshop/ utility extension. Characterful features inc: picture rails and cast iron fireplace. A new oil-fired boiler plus uPVC doubleglazed windows and doors. A 100ft lawned rear garden with greenhouse, south-facing front garden with patio area. Within walking distance to all local amenities. Residents parking area. Kennedys Tel: 01308 427329
An individual detached Edwardian house with 3 double bedrooms. Set in an elevated position with stunning sea views. Bay windows, high ceilings, fireplaces and well proportioned rooms throughout. Lawned gardens with many mature trees and shrubs plus water feature, greenhouse and workshop. With a long drive, turning circle and parking. Stags Tel: 01308 428000
DORSET’s Ridgeway Singers and Band have three concerts in October performing songs and music discovered in the archives of the Dorset History Centre. They will be at the Dorford Centre in Dorchester, on Thursday 6th October at 7.30pm. On Sunday 8th, the Ridgeway Singers and Band will be at Wareham’s Lady St Mary Church, at 4pm, and the last concert is on Thursday 13th, at Poole’s St James Church, at 7.30pm.
The music group, led by musician Phil Humphries and actor, historian and musician Tim Laycock, has been collaborating with the Dorset History Centre to bring to life old music long hidden in its archives. Among the manuscripts are those of William Knapp, an important Dorset musician of the 18th century. One of his pieces being performed in the concerts was dedicated to the town of Blandford after a huge fire in 1731 destroyed most of the town.
Works from the early 19th century music book of Benjamin Rose will also feature in the concerts. Rose was a farmer and alehouse keeper from near Okeford Fitzpaine who wrote out a collection of catchy country dance tunes.
Other songs will be taken from the Hammond manuscripts, which contain a large number of songs collected in Dorset. Between 1905 and 1908, the two Hammond brothers travelled around Dorset by bicycle and collected nearly 700 folksongs.
Tim Laycock (left) and Phil Humphries of the Ridgeway Singers and Band with some of the musical archives at the Dorset History Centre. Photograph by Lyn Pullen.
I always look forward to the text from Tax, one of the local fishermen in Lyme in late September with his first haul of local prawns. I fished for them as a kid and always savoured the post-prawning snack, even if it were just a couple dozen prawns. We serve them very simply at the Fish House, either plain boiled with herb mayonnaise, raw as a ceviche with something citrus, chilli and coriander or like the below, deep fried with heads and shells with lime leaves, chilli and almonds. All three options show off the prawns without disguising their delicate flavour. These local prawns aren’t so big but look and taste the business compared to those things you often see in fishmongers that look like they have been in the freezer for a year with black heads. When we serve them steamed we return the shells to the customer deep fried nice and crispy and scattered with Cornish sea salt, just like real prawn crackers.
• 2 elephant garlic cloves (or 5 medium ones), peeled and thinly sliced
• 20g of flaked almonds
• 20 or so curry leaves, fresh, frozen or dried – lime leaves work just as well
• 20g desiccated coconut, lightly toasted
1. Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160180°C in a large thick bottomed saucepan or electric deep fat fryer
2. Carefully deep fry the garlic, almonds and curry leaves for 15-20 seconds, stirring with a slotted spoon until lightly coloured and crisp, then drain on some kitchen paper.
• 200g cooked prawns
• 2 chillies, red or green, very thinly sliced
• 1 tbs chopped coriander
• 1 lime, quartered
To season
• A mix of 90% sea salt and 10% sugar to season
Serves 4
3. Next fry the prawns: set out three containers, filling one with seasoned flour, one with milk and leaving one empty. Coat the prawns first in the flour and then in the milk, before coating them again in the flour. Shake off any excess flour and place them in the third container.
4. Deep-fry the prawns for a couple of minutes or until crisp then drain on some kitchen paper.
5. Mix the prawns and the other fried ingredients in a bowl, season with the sugar and salt mix. Toss well with the coriander and serve with a wedge of lime.
Adversity and heroism often go hand in hand. In a book to be published in October, Manni Coe tells a story of tragedy induced by lockdown and the heroism of two people who find a way through it. Manni spoke to Fergus Byrne about their journey.
Describing him as a ‘squidgy bundle that never cried’ Manni Coe remembers the first moment he held his little brother Reuben in his arms. His earliest memory is that Reuben ‘made me happy’. On hearing that his little brother had something called Down’s syndrome, Manni wondered if his family was ‘special’ and had somehow been ‘chosen’ to have this gift bestowed upon them. His sense of responsibility and growing love for his little brother were born out of those early days of wonder and enlightenment, and the bond has never diminished.
This year, with Reuben about to turn 39, Manni has written a book about their journey from the dark days of pandemic lockdowns, to the ray of hope that now sees Reuben living a more independent life in a flat of his own. Subtly filling in the back story of how Reuben ended up in a care home for adults with learning disabilities, brother.do.you.love.me., will be published by Little Toller Books in October. It is a story that soars and plummets and wounds and heals in equal measure. Written with a warming depth of love, care, and profound insight, it also casts a keen eye over our care system, our understanding of people with learning difficulties, and the deeply personal questions that can haunt anyone with responsibility over others.
Growing up as the youngest of four brothers, Reuben was part of a merry troupe in a family filled with love and natural warmth. Manni explains that their parents’ lives ‘orbited the Church’. One day, after a comment at school Reuben asks his father “Why do I have Down’s syndrome?” His father explains how much the family love him and says: “You are a gift. And guess what? You will not have Down’s syndrome in heaven.” Manni has always been bewildered by the response. However, today he accepts that it is something that we all do. It was an ‘evasion’, a shaping of make-believe to avoid pain. For Reuben it may have helped nurture a fantasy and escape that in reality helped build a mythical world for him to live in. Like places in Reuben’s favourite stories, CS Lewis’s Narnia and JR Tolkein’s Middle Earth, make-believe is a place to go when the real world presents too much pressure, in the same way that characters from The Lion King embody what Reuben sees as safe and strong.
When it becomes obvious that Reuben’s care requires expert assistance, the family reluctantly follows the path of social service advice and allows him to be scooped into the adult care system. However, seeing Reuben unhappy in a west Berkshire care home Manni flies him to Spain to live with him in Andalusia. He realises that while in a care home Reuben has nothing to compare his life to, so can’t express how his life is.
Embracing characters from Lord of the Rings, Manni’s partner Jack becomes Samwise Gamgee and Reuben becomes Frodo Baggins, while Manni becomes Gandalf the Grey. Reuben is ‘happy-go-lucky’ and ‘daring’ and the three get on with life in their own comfortable care system. Reuben makes friends, goes for walks with the dogs, and begins to learn to make his own observations and decisions. But in the long term, the language and cultural differences are too much to cope with and Reuben moves back to stay in a care home in Dorset. Here he also appears to be happy, until suddenly the world is thrust into the jaws of a pandemic that turns everyone’s life upside down.
Coming to terms with the medium and long-term effects of lockdowns and the fear that comes with a worldwide pandemic has been hard for everyone, but for someone with learning difficulties, separated from a close and loving family, the only place for Reuben to go is inside his head. The pandemic stopped all visits and the only communication Reuben had was through letters and waving at people from the window of his room. He soon becomes non-verbal and only communicates through drawings using felt-tip pens. By the time Manni is allowed to see him again—socially distanced at the back door of the home—Reuben will hardly make eye contact. He has been trapped in what Manni describes as ‘an ever diminishing lonely world’.
As soon as lockdowns and restrictions are lifted, Manni flies back to England, puts his life and business on hold, and takes his brother out of the care home to live with him in a cottage in Dorset. Thus the heart-wrenching story of Manni and Reuben’s journey to search for a shared recovery during the winter of 2020/21 slowly unfolds. To begin with, it is trapped inside a bubble of fear, anxiety, and no shortage of guilt, but given time, patience, and undying brotherly love, there is hope. ‘He’s such a character’ says Manni, ‘a massive personality, and it was all gone. It was just underground. I grappled and had to be very inventive in ways to try and get him to remember. It was all about engaging his memory through photographs and video and conversation.’
It was a mountain to climb, but through Manni’s perseverance, Reuben’s gentle and often concealed understanding, along with a community of caring friends and neighbours they scale the cliff-face together. Manni describes feeling that he only has half of his brother. He wants the other half back but that entails helping Reuben withdraw from a prescription for anti-depressants, as well as recover from nine months of being looked after ‘but not
being cared for’. ‘I think there’s a big difference’ Manni says. He relates the story of how Reuben sent him a text wishing he could watch the Strictly Come Dancing final. He had a television but nobody had bothered to see if it was working. ‘It’s that gap between what he can express and what he needs that is the bridge of care that we’re looking for’ says Manni. Explaining the need to see beyond simply looking after someone he says: ‘It’s a real question of pre-empting his needs and having the imagination to introduce ideas to him—because then he can capture them as his own.’
Manni’s deeply personal narrative, along with Reuben’s drawings, liberally spread throughout the book, are about so much more than the battle to bring life back to someone traumatised by the ravages of a pandemic; a trauma that made it impossible for even the most devoted carers to do their jobs beyond simply coping. It’s a story about looking past the means available to care for someone. It’s about giving someone the opportunity, physically and psychologically, to make something of their own life rather than forcing them to fit into a routine that is determined by a financial structure.
‘It is a story of brotherhood’ says Manni. ‘It’s about caring for and loving somebody in a real and practical way. It isn’t a book that attempts to describe Down’s syndrome to people. It’s really just a story of two brothers who need each other. I need Reubs just as much as he needs me.’
Manni was originally going to dedicate the book to anybody who has lost a brother, but instead dedicated it to “anyone who has ever lost their way”. ‘Because we did lose our way’ he says. ‘Reubs lost his way. And we, his family, allowed that to happen.’ Manni carries a weight of guilt for allowing Reuben to get to that state. ‘He had lost his way but I feel partly responsible for that. So the book is about finding our way back onto the right path.’
brother.do.you.love.me., is, in many ways, a heroic story with many heroes. When Reuben was 19 he and Manni along with their brother Nathan walked the Camino pilgrim path to Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, Reuben left a drawing on another pilgrim’s bed. It was of a wardrobe, a door into Narnia. When the person who found it returned it to Manni he explained that for Reuben the door to Narnia represented hope. ‘My brother is finding the Camino tough’ he tells the other pilgrim. ‘So at the end of every day he draws a wardrobe as a sign of hope—one day soon he’ll find a Narnia.’
brother.do.you.love.me. will be published by Little Toller Books on October 4th. ISBN 978-1-915068-05-7.
Manni and Reuben will be in conversation with Sophy Roberts at Bridport Literary Festival on Tuesday, November 8th. For tickets and more information visit www.bridlit.com.
Manni and Reuben. Photographs by Eddy Pearce
The new exhibition of paintings by Bridget Syms Gallery On The Square, Poundbury, Dorchester Tel 01305 213322.
1 - 29 October
Eddie Burrows Exhibition Open daily from 8.30 - 4pm at Unique Framecraft, Unit’s 4 - 5 Millwey Rise Workshops, Second Avenue, Axminster, Devon. EX13 5HH. Tel 01297 631614.
The Secret Gardener Art Exhibition Paintings by Angie Porter and Claudia Dharamshi. Private view Saturday 1st October 6-8pm, talk by Stephen Griffith at 7.30pm. Grow Slow Nursery, Farm Shop & Café, Broomhill Farm, Westbay Fields, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 5LB. Mon - Wed 10-5pm/ Friday and Saturday 105pm. Enquiries to Angie Porter on 07796 415395.
1 - 31 October
Kit Glaisyer: The Marshwood Vale & Beyond is an exhibition coinciding with the release of Kit’s new book documenting his evolving series of West Country landscape paintings over recent years, with a range of works on show in his gallery and studio. Pick up a copy in local bookshops or at Bridport Contemporary Gallery, 11 Downes Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JR. Open Saturdays 10-3pm or by appointment. 07983 465789 www. bridportcontemporary.com @bridportcontemporary
A Celebration of Sky: Steve Manning Steve is a printmaker based in Devon producing unique limited edition linocut prints. His images are inspired by the cloudscapes that gather over moorland, estuary and coast. 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.
3 - 16 October
Mandy Selhurst and Ruta Crafter: Recent Work 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.
Time & Light: Dorset Independent Photographers Dorset
Independent Photographers. 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 4 October
Under the Cedar Tree Artist Belinda Smith. Athelhampton House and Gardens, Athelhampton Road, Puddletown, Dorchester, DT2 7LG. Open Sunday - Friday, 10 am - 5 pm (Closed Saturdays). www.athelhampton.com.
4 October - 12 November
Time After Time & The Wild Ones An exhibition of work by Nick Berkeley, combining images from Time After Time (1999) and The Wild ones (2016) shown together for the first time. Bill Cummings describes the images as ‘crude and sublime’. Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR
Until 6 October
Bridport Textile Artist Deborah Tiltman Art Unlimited gallery, South St, Bridport, DT6 3NR. 9am - 5pm Mon-Sat. Contact gallery 01308 426593, or Deborah 07929280639.
7 - 26 October
Richard Pikesley The Jerram Gallery, Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LN. www.jerramgallery.com. Until 8 October
My Space My Sanctuary by Joanna Briar & Jill Davies. 10 – 5pm Tues to Sat, ACEarts, Market Place, Somerton, Somerset TA11 7NB 01458 273008, hello@acearts.co.uk, www.acearts.co.uk. Meet the artists Saturday 24th September 11am. Until 9 October
Somerset Art Weeks Artists across Somerset will be responding to the theme of ‘Sanctuary’. Pick up a guide or visit somersetartworks.org.uk.
14 - 19 October
British Ugandan Asians at 50 Wednesday – Saturday, 10am –5pm. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX thelmahulbert.com. 01404 45006
Until 15 October
Absurd Sewn Selfies by Jenni Dutton 10 – 5pm Tues to Sat, ACEarts, Market Place, Somerton, Somerset TA11 7NB 01458 273008, hello@acearts.co.uk, www. acearts.co.uk
Until 16 October
‘Pop Up’: Selected Artists and Makers An innovative ‘galleries within a gallery’ show: a platform for discovery. Sou’-Sou’-West brings together a selected collection of artists and makers, each of whom will have their own individually curated exhibition space. 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.
17 - 30 October
Come Back To Colour: The Big Draw The Big Draw Festival is a worldwide celebration of drawing, promoting the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression, and invention. 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.
Until 23 October
In Our Hands Caroline Ireland’s folk-art inspired paintings. Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm, www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk.
26 October - 4 December
The Jurassic Coast on Ceramics Bridport-based ceramicist Janine Roper. Rotunda Gallery, Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm, www.lymeregismuseum. co.uk
Until 29 October
Ingrid Pollard Three Drops of Blood Solo exhibition Wednesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX thelmahulbert. com. 01404 45006
Until 31 October
‘Buried in Time’ at West Bay Discovery Centre. Open daily 11 am - 4 pm excluding Mondays. Admission free, donations welcomed. www.westbaydiscoverycentre.org. uk.
Until 12 November
Coast Lines - Martyn Brewster ARE at 70 alongside the ceramic sculpture of Peter Hayes and Petter Southall’s beautiful furniture. Sladers Yard, West Bay Road, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL. Wed to Sat 10am - 4.30pm. Café Sladers and the ground floor gallery are also open Sundays 10am - 4pm. Admission free. 01308 459511. www.sladersyard.co.uk.
Until 6 January
Mixed Autumn Exhibition of Gallery & Guest Artists Tincleton Gallery, The Old School House, Tincleton, nr Dorchester, DT2 8QR. Opening Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon from 10:00 – 16:00 Admission free. Tel 01305 848 909. www. tincletongallery.com.
Live or Online send your gallery details to info@marshwoodvale.com
Martyn Brewster Shadows and Light
150 x 135cm. £14,000
Martyn Brewster Sail Away
150 x 120cm. £13,000
Martyn Brewster Along the Coast 4 150 x 135cm £14,000
This autumn, to celebrate his 70th birthday, Martyn Brewster fills the galleries of Sladers Yard with his richly coloured lyrical paintings, drawings and prints of the Dorset coast. Martyn has lived in Dorset, near the cliffs, open skies and beaches of Southbourne for thirty-five years. He is inspired by the natural landscape, the sea and the light as well as by colour and paint itself. He is an artist whose seductive use of colour and vigorous originality has produced paintings and drawings that are collected worldwide. He has recently been elected an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Painter/ PrintMakers.
Martyn Brewster spends great deal of time outside drawing with pen and wash in his garden and on the Dorset coastline he loves mostly, between Bournemouth and Hengistbury Head. He makes these figurative nature studies on site in front of the motif mostly in blacks, whites and tones searching to express the composition and drama he sees in the multiplicity of nature.
His drawings feed into ambitious abstract colour paintings in oil and acrylic. Colour is for him an emotional vehicle. He talks of colours ‘having a presence in themselves’. The play between them within a composition has always fascinated him. He works on a group of paintings at the same time, boldly changing them, exploring and pushing until something magical happens and he finds his reward in the work. Evocative and suggestive, his paintings and drawings are open to the response of the viewer.
His recent work has a fascinating depth of field that draws you in like fine music. Confident and exploratory, his paintings sustain interest, gaining in momentum the more you look at them. Vivid colour combines with more muted tones of light and dark, the translucent and the opaque, the slab and the floating line, creating dynamic canvases. Filled with vitality that expresses his vigorous poetic imagination, these are the paintings Martyn will be showing this autumn at Sladers Yard.
Martyn Brewster was born in Oxford in 1952. He studied Art and Design in Hertfordshire and Fine Art (Painting) in Brighton followed by a Postgraduate diploma in Printmaking. He has been working as a professional artist ever since with regular solo shows in museums and galleries in London and throughout the UK as well as exhibitions in USA, Canada and throughout Europe. He has won numerous awards and his work is in private, public and corporate collections worldwide including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum. His work is in the collections of Pallant House, Chichester and the Hepworth Wakefield. In London he is represented by the Portland Gallery and in New York by Waterhouse & Dodd. In the West Country he has been represented by Sladers Yard since 2017.
For more information please contact Anna Powell at Sladers Yard, Contemporary British Art, Furniture & Craft, West Bay Bridport Dorset DT6 4EL t: 01308 459511 e: gallery@sladersyard.co.uk Open: Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sundays 12 – 4pm www.sladersyard.co.uk
Coast Lines – Martyn Brewster ARE at 70 recent paintings, drawings and prints continues until 12 November 2022.
Martyn Brewster. Celebration, acrylic and collage on canvas
The Wild Ones was first exhibited at Proud Galleries London in 2016. As in Time After Time, the imagery is collated from found material: in this case treated footage from a legendary Suede concert at the Brixton Academy, London in 1993. The prints are signed by Nick and Suede’s Brett Anderson. They are at once crude and sublime, reflecting their sweaty, romantic origins.
Nick Berkeley has divided his time between West Dorset and London since the mid 1980s, lecturing in Photography and Fine Art at The Arts University, Bournemouth. A SW Arts Fine Art award winner, his work has been exhibited at a wide variety of venues ranging from Dazed and Confused, London to the Imperial War Museum.
The Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre, October 4 - November 12. Private view: Sat 1st October, 7-9pm. www.bridport-arts.com
BRIDPORT ARTS CENTRE is delighted to welcome Nick Berkeley’s TIME AFTER TIME back to the Allsop Gallery twenty years after if it was first exhibited there. These iconic images were subsequently shown in a variety of venues including The Photographers Gallery, London, and return to Bridport with some previously unseen examples from the series. In these large scale, re-worked Race Finish photographs, time is uniquely represented as space. They thus combine classic sporting moments with an extraordinary aesthetic, providing an unforgettable viewing experience.De Waal’s The Trick to Time, published in 2018, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and she has also published a short story collection, Supporting Cast. She is editor of the Common People anthology, and co-founder of the Big Book Weekend festival.
She’ll be at The Electric Palace, Bridport, on Friday 11 November at 6.30 pm, in conversation with Lisa Blower, an award-winning short story writer and novelist whose debut novel Sitting Ducks was shortlisted for the inaugural Arnold Bennett Prize, and longlisted for The Guardian Not the Booker 2016.
Lisa is Senior Lecturer in Creative & Professional Writing at Wolverhampton University where she continues to champion working class fictions and regional voices.
Brave Hearted by Katie Hickman tells the extraordinary story of the women of the American west -from the harddrinking, hard-living poker players and prostitutes of the new boom towns to ‘ordinary’ wives and mothers walking two thousand miles across the prairies pulling their handcarts behind them, Chinese slave brides working in laundries and Native American women displaced by the mass migration.
Author Kit de Waal, who comes to BridLit on 11 November, won The Bridport Prize two years in a row for her flash fiction.
The competition was established by Bridport Arts Centre founder the late Peggy Chapman-Andrews in 1973. It’s now one of the most prestigious literary contests in the world.
De Waal won the Bridport Prize in 2014 with her flash fiction story Romans 1 Verse 29, Sins of the Heart and again the following year with Crushing Big. She returned as a judge in 2017.
Her first novel, My Name is Leon, was published in 2016 and shortlisted for the Costa Book Award and won the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year. It has been adapted as a one-hour film for BBC 1.
The Guardian wrote: ‘De Waal excels at bringing out the humanity of characters leading small lives on the fringe of huge social and political forces, struggling bravely not to be crushed by them.’
She’s now in the spotlight with her memoir, Without Warning and Only Sometimes – Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood.
She was on Radio 4’s Start the Week on Monday (you can find it here on the iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/ programmes/m001byjc) discussing the city of Birmingham with Tom Sutcliffe, alongside Richard Vinen and Liz Berry.
And her memoir was a Radio 4 Book of the Weekhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001b3yn
The memoir is stinging yet warm-hearted. In a household of opposites and extremes, and caught between three worlds, Irish, Caribbean and British in 1960s Birmingham, de Waal and her siblings knew all the words to the best songs, caught sticklebacks in jam jars and braved hunger and hellfire until they could all escape.
Without Warning and Only Sometimes is a story of an extraordinary childhood and how a girl who grew up in house where the Bible was the only book on offer went on to discover a love of reading that inspires her to this day.
All had traits in common - extreme resilience and courage in the face of the unknown. These women were put to the test, in terms of sheer survival, in ways that we can only dimly imagine.
Hickman will be talking about her book, Brave Hearted –The Dramatic Story of Women of the American West, on Monday 7 November in The Bull Ballroom.
Local author Nikki May has written a darkly comic and subversive take on love, race and family. In Wahala, Ronke, Simi and Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London. They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English, and now in their thirties, they are looking to the future. When Isobel a lethally glamorous friend from their past arrives in town, cracks in their friendship begin to appear, and the women are forced to reckon with a crime in their past.
She’ll be in conversation with Oliva Glazebrook in The Bull Ballroom on Monday 7 November.
Andy West will be talking to Prue Keely about his book, The Life Inside: A Memoir of Family, Philosophy & Prison in The Bull Ballroom on Wednesday 9 November.
Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. He has conversations with prisoners about their lives, discusses their ideas and feelings, and offers new ways to think about their situation. As his students discuss the knotty problems of bad behaviour, forgiveness and freedom, West struggles with his own inherited guilt - his father, uncle and brother all spent serious time in jail.
For tickets, or contact Bridport Tourist Information Centre in Bucky Doo Square (telephone 01308 424901 and email bridport. tic@bridport-tc.gov.uk) or online at bridlit.com
Nearly 60 years ago, 2,000 inhabitants of a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean were forcibly deported from the only home they knew. The lawyer who has fought for years for their right to return is coming to the Shute Literary Festival to talk about his new book, which tells their story.
Barrister Philippe Sands will be one of the principal speakers at this year’s festival, at its new venue, the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis, on Tuesday 11th October,
The Last Colony tells the shocking post-war history of the Chagos islands, focusing particularly on the story of one woman, who was just 20 years old, newly married and pregnant when she was deported. Mr Sands has been involved in the lengthy legal efforts to return the islands to Mauritius, to which they belong, and to enable the islanders to go home.
But how did a British lawyer, famous, among many things, for his role in questioning the legality of the Iraq War, become involved in the future of these islands that most people have never heard of, and whose location they could not pinpoint?
It came out of the blue—literally—says the distinguished international human rights and environmental lawyer. In 2010 he was on a skiing holiday in France, sitting on a chair-lift when his phone rang. It was his chambers and he knew it must be important. His first concern was not to drop his phone into the snow below!
The call from Matrix Chambers, which he co-founded, was to inform him that the Prime Minister of Mauritius wanted him to act as counsel in an international case to recover the Chagos islands.
The story is thrillingly told in The Last Colony, published this month. The reviews, even from the more conservative newspapers, have been very positive. There is ‘no nuance’ in this story, says Philippe Sands, with the British government refusing to accept the World Court ruling that the islanders should be allowed to go back. Britain’s position is untenable, he says. ‘What moral authority does Britain have to point the finger at other countries?’
More recently, the case has moved forward, and he now
has ‘a little hope’ that it may be sorted out. The situation is an ongoing tragedy for the islanders and a stain on Britain’s reputation but he believes that, during her time as Foreign Secretary, new Prime Minister Liz Truss was ‘on the point of making a proposal.’ Her desk is now very full—but he remains hopeful.
The story told in The Last Colony has its roots in the 1960s, when a secret decision was taken to offer the US a base at Diego Garcia, one of the islands of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, to create a new colony (the British Indian Ocean Territory) and to deport the entire local population. One of those inhabitants was 20 year-old Liseby Elyse, newly married and expecting her first child ... one suitcase, no pets, expelled from the only home she had known.
For Philippe Sands, born into a Jewish family and with a mother who had been a refugee, that expression was ‘very painful’—in 1942 his two great-grandmothers were deported from Vienna, and allowed just ‘one suitcase.’
The government of Mauritius has fought for the return of Chagos for four decades, and since 2010 Philippe Sands has been closely involved in the case. In 2018 it reached the World Court in The Hague. He called Liseby Elyse as a witness. It was important, he says, to have a real person at the heart of the story (and the case). She can neither read nor write and speaks only Creole (one of the islands’ three languages, with English and French), but her witness statement was powerful. ‘She was so dignified,’ he says.
As Mauritius and the entire African continent challenged the legality of the British and American actions, 14 international judges faced a landmark decision: would they rule that Britain had illegally detached Chagos from Mauritius?
Philippe Sands read Law at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, achieved a first-class honours Masters of Law degree and spent a year as a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School. He was called to the Bar in 1985, was a founding member of Matrix Chambers in 2000 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2003.
He had initially planned to study economics and
credits ‘wonderful teachers’ with his move to law and his interest in international law. His particular involvement in environmental law followed work on legal cases after Chernobyl. He co-wrote the first book on environmental law.
‘Life is accidental,’ he says. ‘There was no plan when I was 19.’ His advice to young people is to ‘follow your instincts.’
It was another accident—one of location—that helped him to find his writing style. His neighbour in Hampstead was the late John Le Carre (David Cornwell), who famously hated lawyers. ‘My job for 20 years was to read the books and check the pages about the horrible lawyers!’
Through this relationship, the lawyer-author learned the importance of focusing on individuals to give a human aspect to his big legal and political subjects.
Among his many posts as both a lawyer and a leading writer on international human rights and environmental law, Philippe Sands is Professor of Public Understanding of Law at University College London, a visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and co-founder of the Centre for International Environmental Law.
He believes strongly in freedom of speech and is President of English PEN and is a long-serving member of the board of the Hay Festival of Arts and Literature. PEN is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual cooperation among writers. The organisation fights for freedom of expression and is a powerful voice for writers who are harassed, imprisoned, threatened and even killed for their views. (Most recently he spoke out against the violent attack on Salman Rushdie).
He loves literary festivals, meeting local people and seeing different parts of the country. It’s all about keeping communities connected, he says. He particularly enjoys the smaller ones, like Shute: ‘I do believe that small is beautiful and less is more.’
Philippe Sands’ talk. The Last Colony: A Tale of Race, Exile and Justice from Chagos to The Hague, starts at 7pm on 11th October and is the final event of the 2022 Shute Literary Festival, at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis.
Local musicians Ricky Romain and Andrew Goldberg have teamed up to produce an extraordinary and inspiring album of piano and sitar. The result, Variations, will be launched at The Eype Centre for the Arts in October.
Variations for piano and sitar was recorded over three days at The Music Room in Dorset, England.
In fact, the works naturally and simply developed through improvisation based on traditional Indian Classical themes and moods, using electronic percussion arranged partly like a Monkey Drum, the Pakhavaj. Andrew Goldberg took on the role of engineering and producer for the album and the final mastering process is now in the hands of writer-musician, producer and tonmeister John Robertson.
The artistic relationship was absolutely inspiring and quite
extraordinary. Goldberg and Romain share similar ethnical backgrounds and instantly found comfort and common ground as composers, performers and most importantly, as friends.
Working with film maker, photographer and art director Robert Golden added yet another dimensional spark to the project concerning the image, album cover art and the forthcoming filming of their Première Recital and album launch later in 2022. .
Composer-pianist Andrew Goldberg started studying the
piano and harmony in Cologne at the age of eight with Professor Hugo Odenthal (Cologne Philharmonie) in 1965 and received further tuition from Professor Friedland (at the time, Docent at the Brussels Conservatoire). Studies were put into practice in a fairly traditional way, growing up in a classical music environment.
Initially being introduced to the works and studies of JS Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and Chopin from a young age, the influence of the Romantics still play a major part in his contemporary compositions.
The works of Ligeti, Pärt, Riley, Glass and Reich opened the gateways to the spiritual, transporting and sequential worlds of music and inspired his compositions for Contemporary Dance and Visual Performing Arts.
As a result further collaborations, productions and recordings with prominent, classical Hindustani Pandits// Ushtads such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Qawwali), Sayeeduddin Dagar (Dhrupad) and Pakistani Sarod Virtuoso Asad Qizilbash alongside the works for choreographers Catherine Massin, Pierre Droulers and Rosas (Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker) impacted Goldberg’s musical explorations over the years.
Ricky Romain is a visual artist and sitar player. In 1972-75 he began studying sitar and Indian Classical Music (ICM) with Punita Gupta a disciple of Ravi Shankar. He then studied with Bengali sitar player Pandit Gunguly between 1975 and 1977.
Romain became obsessed with ICM after first hearing the music via the Beatles and the explorations of George
Harrison. The two main influences in this genre are Bengali sitar player Nikhil Banerjee and Vilyhat Khan who is credited with the creation and development of gayaki ang (an attempt to mimic the sound of the human voice) on the sitar.
The two disciplines of being a painter and musician have been the biggest challenges in his life, both demanding and fulfilling.
It was a chance suggestion by local musician Grace Gillan that allowed Ricky to explore a new musical relationship with Andrew Goldberg.
A meeting was set up at Goldberg’s Music Room in Dorset to start the process of improvisation and recording. Romain suggested a melody in Matta tal (9 beats). Goldberg listened and said: “play it again and again and again”. He then made his musical suggestion which both composers followed and it became their first collaboration: Kirvani in Matta tal (9/4). Both musicians delighted in each other’s responses to the raga (Kirvani) and composition (gat) and it very quickly became their way of working together explains Romain: “Suggest a melody, a raga and then listening to each other trusting the process. We listen back and if we both agree, that’s it. Andrew then adds his recording magic. For me it is the best I have heard my sitar recorded. Variations is a journey into a musical world or soundscape that hasn’t really been explored, mainly because of the nature of the two instruments which are not natural bedfellows”.
The launch event will take place at St Peter’s Church Eype, Bridport in October 2022 at 7.30pm For more information visit www.goldbergromain.co.uk.
Photographs by Robert GoldenLIVIA Kojo Alour is a sword swallower, a circus artist and a burlesque artist. She is also a poet, musician and theatre maker and she brings her latest work, Black Sheep to Bridport Arts Centre on Friday 14th October at 7.30pm.
Fusing physical theatre, spoken word and song (and sword swallowing), the show is the story of a queer black woman finding love, overcoming institutional racism and accepting her own radical vulnerability.
After moving from Germany to London more than ten years ago to live and work in a more diverse community, Livia learned that life-long feelings of self-hatred and otherness are part internalised racism and part survival techniques.
With a successful career under her stage name MisSa but tiring of playing someone else full-time, Livia created Black Sheep as a candid autobiographical work and a euphoric reclamation of Livia’s identity and ongoing fortitude. She made her solo debut at the Edinburgh Fringe with the show, which explores the challenges and repercussions facing black women who dare to ditch stereotypes.
DORCHESTER Arts brings an exceptional afternoon of
words and music to the impressive setting of the Gransden Hall at Sherborne Girls School, on Sunday 11th October at 3pm.
I, Clara tells composer Clara Schumann’s extraordinary life story in her own words. It is the sixth Composer Portrait by the virtuoso musician and presenter Lucy Parham, created to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Clara Schumann. Lucy brings the performance to Dorset with the distinguished actress, Dame Harriet Walter, as narrator.
The narrative is drawn from Clara’s letters and diaries, interspersed with live performances by Lucy Parham of her works, as well as music by Robert Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Chopin.
CAN you imagine being terrified of your own happiness? You can? Then let’s begin… For half a century, Frankie Howerd was one of Britain’s most loved comedians ... but he had a secret ... and the secret’s name was Dennis. The story is told in Howerd’s End, coming to Honiton’s Beehive centre on Friday 7th October at 7.30pm.
This new play by Mark Farrelly (Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope) takes you to the heart of Frankie and Dennis’ clandestine relationship, which lasted from the 1950s
A dramatic image for Livia Kojo Alour’s one-woman show Black Sheep, coming to Bridport Arts Centre
until Frankie’s death in 1992. It also affords a glorious opportunity to encounter Frankie in full flight stand-up mode.
Packed with laughter but unafraid of truth, Howerd’s End portrays the journey of these two men through closeness, love, grief, and all the other things that make life worth living. Simon Cartwright plays Frankie Howerd and Mark Farrelly is Dennis Heymer.
The late Barry Cryer, brilliant comic writer and entertainer, said of Howerd’s End: “I knew Dennis, and I wrote for Frankie—and this play is brilliant.”
near Honiton on Saturday 8th October with The Goat Show, an entertaining new play for all the family about naughty goats.
In a quiet corner of Devon, trouble is brewing. One too many sandwiches have been stolen. One too many flowers eaten and one too many goat poos have been pooped. Something must be done about the goats! But no-one can agree what that is.
Mixing puppetry, storytelling and live music, Running Dog’s family show begins at 4pm.
ARTSREACH, Dorset’s rural touring arts charity, brings top tango band Tango Calor to three village halls, Milborne St Andrew on Friday 14th October, Buckland Newton on Saturday 15th and Langton Matravers on Sunday 16th, all at 7.30pm.
The trio has performed at tango dances and festivals up and down the country, including WOMAD, and is often invited to accompany visiting Argentine artists. Tango Calor has also collaborated with orchestras staging concerts of the music of Astor Piazzolla.
Expect an evening of songs and stories performed by Latin vocalist Indira Roman, Mirek Salmon (Welsh National Opera, Moscow Drug Club), one of the few masters of the bandoneon based in the UK, and Dutch jazz pianist Daan Temmink.
DORCHESTER Arts brings two exceptional female stand-ups to the Corn Exchange during October—Jessica Fostekew with Wench, on Wednesday 19th, and Jen Brister with The Optimist, on Thursday 27th.
Jessica Fostekew, a regular co-host of The Guilty Feminist Podcast, the host and creator of The Hoovering Podcast and a frequent panel member on BBC R4’s News Quiz and Now Show, says Wench is about sexy things (awkward), private things (oh no) and a woman trying to sit on the face of time to keep it still (hot, right?).
If Jen Brister has learned anything in the past 18 months, it’s that she’s no good in a crisis. (Unless you count getting into the foetal position in under 30 seconds.) Has the pandemic changed her for the better or is she the same old pessimistic naysayer she’s always been? I think we all know the answer to that. Let’s just hope she can make it funny.
Expect more laughs at the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on Friday 7th October, when the cricketing legend and veteran commentator (and famous cake-lover) Henry Blofeld brings his delightful show, My Dear Old Things, full of nostalgia, anecdotes and wry reflections.
The October line-up for Lyme Regis Comedy Club at the Marine on Friday 14th October, is headed by Josh Lambert, with Jessie Nixon, Dinesh Nathan and Tom Glover. Both shows begin at 8pm.
This is a show for young and old, for people who enjoy dancing or those who prefer to listen.
A DUO of singing cellists comes to Dorset with Artsreach on Saturday 8th October at Ibberton village hall and Sunday 9th at Sandford Orcas.
Cellage a Deux—Kate Shortt and Rupert Gillett—bring their unique take on some of the standard favourites of popular music, including Latin, originals and more.
Kate Shortt, cellist, singer-songwriter, cabaret artist and comedienne is known for her avant garde improvisations and off the wall humour. Rupert Gillett, multiinstrumentalist, singer, composer and jazz bassist is also experienced in rock, blues and Eastern European styles.
Expect a cellicious ride from bebop to the blues and Bach again!
ARTSEACH favourites The Devil’s Violin will be in Dorset from 21st to 23rd October with three performances of The Beast In Me, a thrilling tapestry of stories from long ago about our perception of beauty and the value of kindness.
A desperate soldier strikes a deal with a mysterious stranger. ... a battle between two magicians. ... a being that is neither human nor animal.
Imagine a world where the lines separating humanity and animals have blurred, in which dark forests contain refuge
What do we do with the goats?
RUNNING Dog Theatre comes to Stockland Victory HallComedian Jen Brister brings her pessimistic take on life to Dorchester.
as well as danger, and where blood is not always thicker than water.
Epic narratives are evocatively brought to life by master storyteller, Daniel Morden, with sublime stringed accompaniment from virtuoso musicians Sarah Moody (cello) and Oliver Wilson-Dickson (violin).
The Devil’s Violin will be at the village halls at West Stafford on Friday 21st, Shillingstone on Saturday 22nd and Drimpton on Sunday 23rd, all at 7.30pm.
THE Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra of the West Country, comes to Exeter University’s Great Hall and Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre on its autumn tour, which has a theme of Voices from the East, reflecting the background and particular interests of its chief conductor, the Ukrainian maestro, Kirill Karabits.
The BSO’s 2022/23 season features more venues throughout the south west, a programme that includes favourite classics and new works, while continuing the popular livestreamed broadcasts which have reached an estimated 100,000 global viewers in 18 months.
As part of the BSO’s ongoing Voices from the East series, spearheaded by Kirill Karabits, which champions lesser-known symphonic works from countries of the former Soviet Union, the orchestra will perform world premieres by Ukrainian composers Feodor Akimenko and Anna Korsun, as well as several works by Reinhold Glière.
Chief executive Dougie Scarfe says: “We’re gearing up to bring this full symphonic season of live music out on the road, reaching more venues throughout the South West as well as viewers at home, as we build on the success of our livestreamed broadcasts from our base in Poole. It promises to be an impressive season featuring some of the most exciting names—and we’re deeply grateful to Investec for coming on board once again as season sponsor, marking a decade of support of the BSO’s live music-making.
“I’m proud that we’ve been able to commission new music by Kate Whitley and [Ukrainian composer] Anna Korsun to empower lesserheard voices this season, and that we’re bringing together inclusive ensembles BSO Resound and RNS Moves—alongside musicians from the BSO and Royal Northern Sinfonia—in performances in Poole and Gateshead. As we share these performances to audiences at both ends of the country, I hope it’ll re-ignite conversations—and most importantly actions—around the ongoing challenge to build a more inclusive musical world.”
Kirill Karabits, who has been the BSO’s chief conductor for 14 years, says: “I’m especially looking forward to bringing new and previously unknown
with Nic Jeune
Emily (2022). Directorial debut of actress Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park, Importance of Being Earnest) “Shot with breath taking beauty and acted with extraordinary emotion and grace, this exploration of the life and development of Emily Brontë is tremendously enveloping.” The Film Stage. Christoper Schobert.
Odeon Dorchester
Ticket to Paradise (2022). Julia Roberts and George Clooney. “I would believe Ticket to Paradise was found in a 1998 time capsule: the film has the naif and adorable romantic tone of that decade” Espinoff. Randy Meeks.
Jackie Brown (1997). 25th Anniversary rerelease of the Quentin Tarantino classic. “Jackie Brown is about two-and-a-half hours long, but it zips by like a film half that length, and every second the iconic Pam Grier is on screen in her titular role as a money-smuggling flight attendant is a second worth relishing.” Nashville Scene. D. Patrick Rodgers.
Amazon Prime Fury (2014). Brad Pitt stars as tank commander Don ‘Wardaddy’ Collier. “This isn’t disposable popcorn entertainment, or a winking “war” film like Inglourious Basterds. Ayer’s aim here is a film that will stick, and stick with you. And he achieves it.” The Wrap. James Rocchi.
The Good Nurse (2022). Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne lead in this tense medical mystery. “Tobias Lindholm’s The Good Nurse is based on a book of the same title about the serial killer Charles (or Charlie, as he prefers) Cullen, an ICU nurse who would give his patients lethal doses of insulin or digoxin while they were hospitalized.” The Wrap. Fran Hoepfner.
Who You Think I Am (2019). “Juliette Binoche is wondrous as a woman with a fantasy identity in an exploration of the perils and pleasures of life online” The Observer. Mark Kermode.
music to life as part of our ongoing Voices from the East series, and to reuniting with Artist-in-Residence Felix Klieser and violinist Stefan Jackiw for concertos by Glière. I’m also excited to conduct Elgar’s Second Symphony for the first time.”
The first major West Country concert is at Exeter University Great Hall on Thursday 13th October, with Karabits conducting works by Bartok, and joined by soloist Fedor Rudin for Beethoven’s violin concerto. The concert is also at the orchestra’s home, Poole’s Lighthouse arts centre on Wednesday 12th.
On Wednesday 9th November at Poole and Thursday 10th at Exeter, the BSO, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, will play works by Ravel and Humperdinck, and Mahler’s Der Knaben Wunderhorn, with Dame Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano.
The first visit of the season to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre is on Saturday 19th November, when Karabits will conduct an Italian-themed programme including Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 4 (Italian), and Ning Feng will be the soloist in Walton’s Violin Concerto. This concert is also at Poole on 16th November.
GRINTER is a giant. She lives alone in her huge, cold house, surrounded by vast snowy gardens, enclosed by high, frost-covered walls. She shuts out the world, because long ago the world shut her out. So she hides, safe and quiet in her icy home. Outside her towering walls, the world is changing and there is very little green left. But one day, some children, tired of playing on hard roads and rooftops, find a chink in the wall and climb through. Their brave adventure will change the course of their lives—and Grinter’s—for ever.
Tessa Bide and Soap Soup Theatre bring the story of The Selfish Giant to Cerne Abbas village hall on Wednesday 26th October at 3.30pm. This is a magical show with powerful storytelling, captivating puppetry, enchanting music and a sprinkling of magic, that the whole family will love.
Wednesday 26 October, 3:30pm. Cerne Abbas Village Hall. 07823 778758. £6 / £5 u18s / £20 family. Thursday 27 October, 2:30pm. Alderholt Village Hall. 07709 933652. £6 / £5 u18s / £20 family
THE October series of Concerts in the West brings the Jubilee Quartet to Dorset and Somerset, with five recitals, starting at Minehead Methodist Church on Thursday 6th October.
Originally formed in 2006, the Jubilee Quartet, Tereza Privratska and Julia Loucks, violins, Lorena Canto Wolteche, viola, and Toby White, cello, will be at Bridport Arts Centre for a coffee concert on Friday 7th, and at Ilminster Arts Centre at 7.30pm, on Saturday 8th October at 7.30pm at Crewkerne’s Dance House, and on Sunday 9th at St Laurence Church, Upwey, at 3pm.
The quartet has received glowing reviews from leading music magazines and
The Jubilee Quartet has five recitals on the October series of Concerts in the West.
national newspapers for its performances and recordings. Winners of the First Prize at the Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award in Lugano, Switzerland in September 2019, the quartet maintains an active performance schedule across the UK and Europe, performing in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Conway Hall, and the Purcell Room.
The Concerts in the West programme includes quartets by Haydn, Webern, Schubert and Dvorak.
PORTESHAM village hall is the venue for The Syrian Baker, a powerful and touching story about refugees, food and the things we all have in common. The play, by Farnham Maltings, is being presented by Artsreach on Friday 28th October at 7.30pm.
With almost five per cent of the world’s population on the move, desperate to get away from trouble, this is a story of two people who have decided to go home despite the state of their country. The Syrian Baker is a human story about coming home, knowing where you belong and how small actions can make a big difference in one’s life and in re-building a community.
It is a piece about humanity, hope and courage told with affection, irrepressible humour and bread—because without bread nothing else will happen—and about how we all have so much more in common than we realise.
NORWICH Puppet Theatre, one of the UK’s few dedicated puppet companies, Comes to Powerstock Hut at 11am on Tuesday 25th October with a half-term show, Thumbelina, an enchanting retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen story.
There was once a little girl so small she could float on a lily pad and ride on the back of a dragonfly ... Thumbelina’s adventures with a frog, a mouse, a mole and a swallow are gently played among gardening tools, leading her to happiness in the kingdom of flowers.
Using traditional glove, rod and shadow puppets, Norwich Puppet Theatre’s productions are an excellent introduction to the magic of theatre for children aged two and over, and their families.
PURBECK Film Festival, back this year, from 14th to 29th October, with a full programme for the first time since the start of the pandemic, makes its first appearance at Bridport this year, with screenings at the Electric Palace.
For 27 years, the Purbeck festival has been showing films in venues including village halls, hotels and cinemas, particularly the historic Rex in Wareham, Poole’s Lighthouse arts centre and Swanage’s Mowlem Swanage. This year there are two new venues, Bridport’s splendid art deco cinema and Boscombe Art Depot.
There will be four films at the EP which bookend this year’s festival. On 4th and 5th October, there will be two Spanish films—The Good Boss, starring Javier Barden, director, Fernando Leon de Aranoa on the 4th, and Almodovar’s Oscarwinning All About My Mother, on 5th. On 5th November, the festival offers a French double bill, Petite Maman, directed by Céline Sciamma (of Portrait of a Lady on Fire fame), and La Famille Bélier, directed by Eric Lartigau, which tells the original French story of the hearing daughter of deaf parents, which was adapted to create the Oscar-winning Coda.
Hardback £14.99 Reviewed by Nicky Mathewson
“DO cursers really exist? (Yes.) Can cursers really set someone on fire, steal their shadow or turn them into a swarm of bees? (Yes.) Is it true that the power to curse comes from spiders? (No, the Little Brothers are not spiders, however much they look like them.)
Only those consumed by hate are able to curse. The Little Brothers gift them with a curse egg. Whilst inside them, the curse egg feeds their hatred, it wants to be released.
Kellen is an unraveller, living in the country of Raddith, paid to rid people of their curses. In order to lift it, he needs to unravel the reason why they were cursed in the first place. This is not easy, but not impossible. When his task is complete he moves on to find more work, abandoning the once cursed person to pick up the pieces of their life.
Nettle is Kellen’s constant companion, who survived being cursed by her stepmother. She was turned into a bird along with her siblings. Kellen unravels Nettle and returns her to her human form but she cannot forget how it felt to be a bird. She is quiet and fierce and never leaves Kellen even though he is rash and selfish. It is Kellen’s rashness that sees them thrown into prison without a penny.
Gall is a Marsh horseman, fearsome and bound to his Marsh horse, a creature from the deep wilds. The price for this horse was a single human eye. Gall’s eye. It is a bond that cannot be broken.
He has come to make Kellen and Nettle an offer to free them from prison in exchange for their help. There is a conspiracy afoot and a curse to be unravelled, but can Gall be trusted? And can Kellen find the source of his own curse before his whole world unravels?
Frances Hardinge has conjured up a fragile, gritty, and dangerous world where no one can be trusted and hatred is bubbling just beneath the surface.
I love all of her books and this did not fail to blow me away. Perfect for fans of gothic world building and macabre mysteries. 12+.
10% off for Marshwood Vale readers at The Bookshop on South Street, Bridport. 01308 422964 www.dorsetbooks.com
The Syrian Baker comes to Portesham in OctoberAre we expecting too much from an organisation that has its hands tied by government? In the first of a series of articles, Dr Lisa Naylor talks to Fergus Byrne about the need to support general practice.
Sometime in the early part of this year, I received a text from my local GP Surgery asking me to read a letter from an organisation called RebuildGP. It was an open letter from a group of doctors backed by the BMA and the GPDF, explaining that general practice was in crisis. The letter stressed that the crisis was not the fault of doctors or medical staff but had been caused by decades of underfunding and neglect, broken government promises, and what it described as political contempt for patients.
Whilst the story of underfunding of the NHS has been news for some time—a promise of 6,000 new doctors in 2019 hasn’t materialised and recent figures show we actually have nearly 2,000 less—it’s hard for most of us to understand the complexities involved in how our general practice is run. It’s also hard to understand how we have come to where we are now. One retired GP that I spoke to recently explained that much of the crisis was due to a ‘perfect storm’ of years of underfunding, a devastating pandemic, an aging population, and a reduction in those wanting to go into the profession.
Dr. Lisa Nayler, a Dorset GP who supports the RebuildGP initiative, now firmly believes that general practice is not safe. ‘There aren’t enough of us to provide the level of care that we want to be providing to the public’ she says. Qualifying as a GP twenty years ago she always saw her role as non-political. ‘My role has always been to care for patients. And I love my job. It’s an absolute privilege. I genuinely still now, feeling as exhausted and worried as I am, love my interaction with my patients. But we’ve got to do something about it.’ Lisa speaks for the many colleagues who are worried about what’s happening to primary care. ‘Primary care is massively important’ she says. ‘It provides the vast majority of NHS consultations. It provides the vast majority of NHS care and it’s the cornerstone of our NHS—and it’s being allowed to fail.’
Speaking about the lack of GPs since the promised 6,000 more doctors, Lisa points out how long the need has been there. ‘That was pre-pandemic’ she says. ‘The issue was already there. The pandemic has just exacerbated it’.
Lisa’s own experience, and that of seeing hospital doctors, nursing staff, Health Care Assistants and anesthetists as patients bears out RebuildGP’s point that general practice is no longer safe. ‘GPs are burning out’ she explains. ‘There are weeks where, if I saw myself as a patient I would sign myself off. And I’m not being over dramatic. The impact on family life and my mental health is massive and I am not an exception.’
The RebuildGP campaign set out with three main goals: to get the Government to deliver on its commitment of an additional 6,000 GPs in England by 2024, to tackle the factors driving GPs out of the profession, such as burnout, and to develop a plan to reduce GP workload and in turn improve patient safety.
The heartbreaking truth is that as objectives these are simply an effort to stop us from going backwards. In modern times we should be reaping the benefits of the extraordinary improvements in medicine over recent decades. Lisa points out an example of how the slowdown in procedures is causing yet more problems in GP surgeries. She cites the knock-on effect of patients waiting for hip operations and knee operations. ‘They need more primary care input because they’re waiting for their operation. So they are seeing us more which is increasing the demand for our appointments because they haven’t had their operation.’ She describes it as a ‘revolving door of patients. There’s not much I can do about them because what they need is their operation.’
There is little doubt that the call for more funding and less stress for those charged with caring for the health of the general population should be paramount in the minds of those in Government, but a better understanding of how people in the medical profession work would also help. An article in The Times recently highlighted how doctors’ income had increased because they were seeing more patients. Despite the tone being negative about doctors’ salaries, the comments section was massively supportive of the profession receiving fair compensation for their work. We all should be. A job with that level of stress deserves to be compensated.
However, there is still frustration on the ground from patients. ‘There is an expectation of a kind of Amazon Prime GP service’ says Lisa. ‘There is an expectation that the NHS can provide that kind of service. And it can’t. There’s no concept of the backroom work that goes on. I might finish seeing patients at six-thirty but I’ve got another hour and a half of paperwork to do at that stage and pathology results to look at, and they all involve important decisions.’
In 2020 we saw an outpouring of support for the NHS as people stood on balconies and applauded the work they were doing during the early stages of the pandemic. On a personal level, I was utterly overwhelmed by the dedication of the ambulance crew that visited me. I can’t say I remember or saw much of their faces but their efforts will be burned into my memory forever.
So for the many millions whose lives are struggling due to the strains and issues the medical profession is facing, and those that feel they are being pushed to borrow or use life savings to access private medical care, it’s good to see an initiative that pushes back. At a recent environmental talk I attended, the speaker suggested members of the audience should write to their MP to get help. The suggestion elicited general laughter in the room; most considered it a waste of time. RebuildGP is suggesting as many people as possible should write to their local MP to get them to help fix a creaking NHS. Perhaps that might elicit laughter too. But the key thing is, it’s better than not writing at all.
ALMOST a quarter of Dorset’s population live in rural areas and, for those who are struggling or facing mental health difficulties, that can sometimes feel isolating. Recognising that, Dorset’s Suicide Prevention Group has launched a new campaign to remind people that wherever you are, and whatever you’re facing, support is always within reach.
The new campaign encourages people to talk more openly about mental health, and will provide signposting and mental health training to people in areas of rural Dorset, including Broadwindsor and the Marshwood Vale area.
Trevor Cligg is a farmer in West Dorset who has faced mental health difficulties: ‘A lot of people out there are struggling. Some withdraw and others, like myself, hide in plain sight. But talking about it is the biggest thing you can do to help—to whoever, be it your family, your friends, counsellors, doctors. Just talk about it.’
If you don’t feel comfortable talking to friends or family, you can speak to your GP or contact any of these free support services, which are on-hand to help 24/7:
Services&Classified
• Dorset’s NHS mental health helpline Connection—call 0800 652 0190
• Samaritans—call 116 123 or email jo@ samaritans.org and someone will get back to you within 24 hours
• Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 for confidential support via text message
Sophia Callaghan, Public Health Consultant at Public Health Dorset, is the co-chair of Dorset’s Suicide Prevention Group: ‘Dorset has some wonderful rural communities but if you’re having a tough time, it might feel like help is far away,’ she explains. ‘Our Suicide Prevention Group works in partnership to help those in crisis and signpost to the support that is available across our county— because wherever you are, you’re never alone.’
‘Help is always available, whether it’s through a friend or family member, your doctor, or simply a listening ear on a helpline. You can also contact Dorset’s brilliant social prescribers through your GP surgery to access activities and support in your area. You might be surprised at what’s happening nearby— there are wellbeing activities, friendly groups
and drop-in services across Dorset.’
Suzanne Green, Programme Lead for Mental Health at NHS Dorset, urged people to look out for others too: “It can be tough for people to admit th’y’re struggling. If you’re worried about someone, don’t be afraid to ask how they are. And remember, we often say we’re fine when we’re not, so ask again if you’re worried. Even if they don’t want to open up then and there, they’ll still know you’re there for them.
‘The Samaritans have some great advice on how to spot when someone is struggling, how to support others and how to listen at www.samaritans.org’.
Find out more about the Within Reach campaign, as well as support and wellbeing activities in some of Dorset’s rural communities, at www.lightonmh.uk/ withinreach
As part of the campaign, Dorset’s Suicide Prevention Group is offering free mental health awareness training in Broadwindsor for people in the Marshwood Vale area. If you are interested in the training, please email phdcomms@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Piano, Violin, Theory tuition at your homw. Highly qualified teacher. Adults and children welcome from beginners to advanced. Dr Thomas Gold 07917 835781 oct 22
Ex-display sheds, Stables/field shelters, summerhouses, offices, workshops, agricultural 01935 891195
Nov
Classic Landrover Defender 90 (1995), MoD ‘Winter spec’ non-turbo deisel, MOT February. Recent tyres, pumps, radiator. Offers £16.3k+ 01404 850798.
Wallflower plants £7 per 100. Tel. 01460 74572
Bird bath. Classical style large stone shell with decorative pedestal. £50. Lyme Regis. 01297443118. Maypole 9424 breathable motorhome cover, to fit vehicle 6.5-7m long. In storage bag with all straps - not much used. Buyer collects - EX24. £100. Tel: 07774 752312. Boat anchor rope 25m long. Polyester 16mm diameter in good condition. White 3 strand. £25 07905627483. Free for collection. Panasonic 17” TV. 01460 242644.
Wanted - Old slot machines, shop signs, fairground & military items, Old Interesting items & collections, 07875 677897
oct
Vintage & antique textiles, linens, costume buttons etc. always sought by Caroline Bushell. Tel. 01404 45901.
Oct
Secondhand tools. All trades and crafts. Old and modern. G & E C Dawson. 01297 23826. www.secondhandtools. co.uk.
Aug
Dave buys all types of tools 01935 428975
Oct
Wanted: Old tractors and vehicles. Running, non running. Good price paid. 01308 482320 07971 866364
Dec
Coins wanted. Part or full collections purchased for cash. Please phone John on 01460 62109
Oct
To advertise here email: info@marshwoodvale.com
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
Dec
Microwave Panasonic, stainless steel. £20 01460 242644.
Modern 3 seater settee oatmeal vgc with armchair, Bridport area. £40. 01308 301377. Indoor bowls. Glass cabinet 2 ft high 4 ft 6 ins long 15 ins depth. £20ono. 01297 270025.
Mobility four wheeled walker with seat £50. 01395 568848.
Settee or chair raisers, in good clean condition, vgc. Bargain £10. 01308 423620 Bridport.
Ladies Falcon Bicycle, 5 speeds dynamo and metallic blue. Tip top condition £60. 01395 514808.Thomas Mercer 2 day Marine Chronometer, excellent condition, can be seen working, £650. 07391 610698.
New Truma high pressure propane pigtail for motorhome or caravan. POL connector one end, M20 x 1.5 nut other end. L 450mm, 21.5mm left hand thread other end. £10. New Gaslow butane 21.8 adaptor gauge, a visual warning of low gas level & quick, easy leak detector. £20. New Sherborne model ‘Hampton’ 3 foot adjustable electric bed, including new mattress. Chrome plated legs which give a 9.5cm clearance from floor to allow use of various mobility aids. Dual motor control for head and foot. Weight limit 28 stone. Bed length is 6 feet 6 inches. £850. Telephone 01935 824029.
Hanging bird table suspended by chain, size approx. 15inches long 9 inches wide x 15 inches high, can supply photo, buyer collects £20. 01297 22603. Victorian mahogany kneehole desk valued by professional up to £300. Offers invited between £270 and £300. Desk came from the Thomas Hardye (ancester of novelist/poet Thomas Hardy) Grammar School in Dorchester and has items of paperwork to support this including memorial service pamphlet of T.S. Elliot. Photo available on request - 01395 348024. Printer Canon Pixma MG4250 £30, immaculate condition, needs new cartridges, hardly used. 01308 897385.
Calor gas 3.4KW Manhattan portable gas heater c/w 15kg Butane gas bottle, gas, and regulator (value £200+) bargain £100. 01297 631808. Mansfield 2424 petrol Hedge Trimmer, only used twice, find it too heavy after covid. £110. 01460 64607.
Leisure CMTE Electric Range cooker 5 hobs large & small ovens and grill oven. W900mm D600mm h900mm £200ono.
Logik black cooker hood L9OCHDBI plus filter pads £20. Enquiries 01460 76909. Washmite X700A front loading commercial dishwasher plus water softner £250ono. Enquiries 01460 76909.
Prestinox Slide Projector with remote control, leather case and carry strap, super condition, £40ono. 07591 058862.
Electric Bike E Plus City Folder 24v battery 3 power settings, 6 Shimano gears, 20” wheels, folding model, unused, unfolded for viewing, box available £475. 01460 61005.
Milk churn painted Bargeware design £80. Men’s walking boots size 9 brown leather hardly worn. £15. 01395 568848.
Petrol chainsaw 53cc 18” cut, fuel mixer, chain oil, tool, glasses, ear defenders, unused, boxed. £110. 01460 61005.
Fridge/freezer Samsung Cooltech Plus SR-L628EV 32”w x 27”d x 69” h. Surplus to requirements, buyer collects. Offers. 01460 61005. Unused Dacia/ Renault spare wheel 185/65 R15 with jack, wheel wrench and aerosol kit. £110. 01460 61005.
Citroen Berlingo Peugeot Partner full roof rack £85. 07852 538676.
Brother Sewing Machine, electric hardly used, model X13/X23, can be seen working, bargain £50ono. 07840 803872.
Tefal Optigrill + XL used very few times, surplus to requirement. 9 specific programs all automatic, cooks all meats and fish, absolute bargain at £50ono 07840 803872.
Small Flymo lawn mower. Electric, working order, £20. 01308 42320.
Primrose full cassette 2 metre awning, used only twice, as new, yellow & grey striped, not suitable for area required, new cost £670. A bargain £250ovno. 01308 423620.
Pedestal basin brand new, unused, cost £135. Free.
01305 814033.
Adventura Rascal mobility scooter, excellent condition £995ono. 07796 563475.
Petrol Hedge Trimmer, Mountfield 224, new condition, very little used. £90. 01460 64607.
Wheelchair, lightweight, foldable with canvas holdall. Excellent condition £75.00 01308 422400.
3 beech frame kitchen chairs with tan seats 1960s £15. 01297 522683.
Old slatted garden bench, cast iron, scrolled legs. Willow green. Very heavy. 183cm long, 80cm high, 70cm deep. £195. 01308 482451/07391 610698.
Cycling library. Approx fifty books. Primarily racing £25 or free to novice teenage rider. Dorchester Tel: 07719 535094.
Cycling. Pair of Mavic wheels with 10 speed cassette sprocket block £25
or free to novice teenage rider. Dorchester Tel: 07719 535094.
New blind by Hilarys Blinds pleated pale grey thermal £25 (unused cost £100). Width 18” drop 38” 07500 592119.
New teddy bear 10” tall. Burberry scarf £5 07500 592119.
Hunter Herald 14 Wood burning multi-fuel stove. Second hand GBP125 ono. Can email photo’s if reqd. Phone 07887 372623 Crewkerne area.
Ladies Raleigh shopper bike in very good condition, can supply photo. £95. ono. 01297 22603.
Draper 580W electric Hedge Trimmer 32’ (9.75M) cable length 2’ (630mm) blade length £30. Tel. 07791919394.
Double pine painted double bed (and mattress) £50 cream. 3 drawer basket
chest unit £30. Rectangular pine kitchen table and 3 chairs (cream) £50. Old pine carver chair with arms £20. 3 x pine cane cream conservatory chairs £25. 1 x pine hamlet cream base dresser and top). 1 x pine hamlet cream base dresser) £60. Lots of tools open to offers. 01460 78074. barbaraeverett@ hotmail. com.
Jersey stamp booklets and prestige stamp books (1969 - 2010) all in mint condition, in album. Real price approximately £430.00 £350.00 ono. Jersey definitive stamps (1969 - 2007) all in mint condition in album, also jersey postage dues all in mint condition in album, (1969 - 1982) to include all bulletins with inserts, real price approximately £460.00 £370.00 ono. phone 01305 820878
This FREE ADS FORM is for articles for sale, where the sale price is under £1000 (Private advertisers only — no trade, motor, animals, firearms etc). Just fill in the form and send it to the Marshwood Vale Magazine, Lower Atrim, Bridport, Dorset DT6 5PX or email the text to info@marshwoodvale.com. Unfortunately due to space constraints there is no guarantee of inclusion of free ads. We reserve the right to withhold advertisements.
For guaranteed classified advertising please use ‘Classified Ads’ form
Address
Tel.
