DECEMBER 2019 | FREE
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If you sit down at set of sun And count the acts that you have done, And, counting, find One self-denying deed, one word That eased the heart of him who heard, One glance most kind That fell like sunshine where it went — Then you may count that day well spent. From Count That Day Lost by George Eliot (published 1887)
CONTRIBUTORS Simon Barber
Editorial and creative direction Glen Cheyne Design Andy Gerrard @round_studio Sub editors Jay Armstrong @jayarmstrong_ Elaine Taylor Photography Katharine Davies @Katharine_KDP Feature writer Jo Denbury @jo_denbury Editorial assistant Paul Newman @paulnewmanart Print Pureprint Distribution Available throughout Bridport and surrounding villages. Please see bridporttimes.co.uk for stockists.
Evolver @SimonEvolver
Will Livingstone @willgrow willgrow.co.uk
@evolvermagazine evolver.org.uk
Gill Meller
David Burnett
@Gill.Meller
@GillMeller The Dovecote Press
gillmeller.com
dovecotepress.com Anna Powell Kelvin Clayton
Sladers Yard
@kelvinclaytongp
@SladersYard
greenthoughts.me philosophyinpubs.co.uk
@sladersyard sladersyard.wordpress.com
Annie Coplestone & Carlotta Paolieri
Ellen Simon
The Monmouth Table
Tamarisk Farm
themonmouthtable.co.uk
@ tamarisk_farm tamariskfarm.co.uk
Kathy Dare Bridport Christmas Cheer @bridportcheer bridportchristmascheer.co.uk
Steven Spurrier Bride Valley Vineyard @BrideValleyWine @bridevalleywine
Alison Ferris
bridevalleyvineyard.com
Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre @CharmouthHCC charmouth.org/chcc
Antonia Squire The Bookshop @bookshopbridprt
Jane Fox Yoga Space
@thebookshopbridport dorsetbooks.com
@yogaspacebridport
1 Bretts Yard Digby Road Sherborne Dorset DT9 3NL 01935 315556 @bridporttimes glen@homegrown-media.co.uk paul@homegrown-media.co.uk bridporttimes.co.uk Bridport Times is printed on an FSCÂŽ and EU Ecolabel certified paper. It goes without saying that once thoroughly well read, this magazine is easily recycled and we actively encourage you to do so. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither Bridport Times nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. Bridport Times does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without prior permission from Bridport Times.
4 | Bridport Times | December 2019
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Ann Sydney Bridport Museum
Kit Glaisyer @kitglaisyer
@BridportMuseum bridportmuseum.co.uk
@kitglaisyer kitglaisyer.com
Emma Tabor & Paul Newman @paulnewmanart
Charlie Groves Groves Nurseries
@paulnewmanartist paulnewmanartist.com
@GrovesNurseries @grovesnurseries
Chris Tripp
grovesnurseries.co.uk
Dorset Diggers Community
Julie Hatcher
dorsetdiggers.btck.co.uk
Archaeology Group Dorset Wildlife Trust @DorsetWildlife
Colin Varndell
@dorsetwildlife
Colin Varndell Natural
dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk
History Photography colinvarndell.co.uk
Little Toller Books @LittleToller
Karen Watts
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Porter Dodson Solicitors
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46
DECEMBER 2019
6 What’s On
46 CUPBOARD LOVE
78 Community
18 Arts and Culture
52 Food and Drink
80 Literature
26 History
62 Body and Mind
84 Philosophy
30 Wild Dorset
66 Interiors
85 Crossword
38 Outdoors
68 Gardening
42 Archaeology
74 Legal
bridporttimes.co.uk | 5
The new Audi Q3 Sportback. Style. Agility. Intelligence. Available now at Yeovil Audi
Mead Ave
Yeovil Audi
Houndstone Business Park
Av e M ea d
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Official fuel consumption figures for the Audi Q3 Sportback range in mpg (l/100km) from: Urban 43.6 (5.4), Extra Urban 51.1 - 54.7 (4.6 - 4.3), Combined 48.0 - 50.0 (4.9 - 4.7). CO2 emissions 129 - 123/km. There is a new test for fuel economy figures. We are currently changing our systems to use data from this new test - in the meantime, you should not rely on the fuel consumption data included here. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load.
Houndstone Retail Park
Way Stourton
Yeovil Audi. Look No Further.
Yeovil Audi Houndstone Business Park, Mead Avenue, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 8RT
01935 574981
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WHAT'S ON Listings
____________________________
____________________________
Mondays 9th 7.15pm
Mondays 10am-12pm
Biodanza @ Othona
Tuesdays 7.30pm-9pm
Watercolour Painting
Othona Community, Coast Rd,
Bridport Sangha
01308 897130 biodanza-bridport.co.uk
Quaker Meeting House, South St.
____________________________
Mondays 7.30pm-9.30pm
____________________________
Mondays (term-time) 6.30pm-8pm
Bridport Folk Dance Club
Every 2nd Tuesday 7pm-9pm
Bridport ASD & Social
WI Hall, North St, DT6 3JQ.
Co-operation Bridport
____________________________
cooperationbridport.eventbrite.co.uk
for Beginners LSi, 51 East St. 07881 805510
marion@taylormade.demon.co.uk
Anxiety Support Group
Lyme Morris
____________________________
Burton Bradstock DT6 4RN. £8-10.
Meditation Evenings
____________________________
07950 959572
01308 423442
Free. 07974 888895
parents & carers
Tuesdays 10am-1pm
____________________________
____________________________
Art Class
Every 2nd Tuesday 7.15pm
Mondays 7.30pm-9.30pm
Town Mill Arts, Lyme Regis DT7 3PU.
Bridport Sugarcraft Club
____________________________
West Bay Rd, DT6 4AB
Bridport Children’s Centre. For teens,
Bridport Folk Dance Club
07812 856823 trudiochiltree.co.uk
Ivy House, Grove Nurseries,
recorded music. 01308 423442
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10.30am
____________________________
____________________________
Walking the Way to
Wednesdays 6pm-8pm
Mondays 7.30pm-9pm
Health in Bridport
Contemporary Patchwork
Bridport Campfire -
Starts from CAB 45 South St.
Evening Classes
____________________________
07383 490026 getcrafty@studi0ne.com
WI Hall, North St. Folk dancing with
Women’s Coaching Group
01305 252222 sarahdavies@dorset.gov.uk
Studi0ne, Broadwindsor Craft Centre
____________________________
Tuesdays 6pm-8pm
____________________________
Mondays 7.30pm-9.30pm
Heritage Coast Canoe Club
Wednesdays & Thursdays
Bridport Choral Society
Westbay Watersports Centre,
7pm-10pm
01308 862055 westbaykayak.co.uk
St Swithun’s Church Hall, Allington
Yoga @ Othona
Tuesdays 7.15pm
____________________________
Othona Community, Coast Rd, Burton
Lyme Morris Rehearsals
Wednesday or Thursday 9.30am-12.30pm (term-time)
kate@othona-bb.org.uk
Charmouth Scout Hut, Barr Lane
Playing Field. 07917 748087 Facebook:
67 South St
bridportchoral.wordpress.com/Facebook
____________________________ Mondays 2nd & 16th 7.30-8.30pm
Bradstock DT6 4RN. £8. 01308 897130
Fisherman’s Green. Age 12+.
Bridport Bridge Club
____________________________
bridgewebs.com/bridport
Painting & Drawing Art Classes
Thinking of letting your holiday home? We know that your holiday home is just that – a home. That’s why our local team is dedicated to managing your property with the same care and attention you would. With tailored services to suit your needs, you can be as involved as you like, so why not get in touch today?
01929 448 708 enquiries@dorsethideaways.co.uk dorsethideaways.co.uk 8 | Bridport Times | December 2019
River Cottage Gift Vouchers
Find something special for everyone
Cookery Courses | Dining | Gifts | Stay Find out more
01297 630300 rivercottage.net
WHAT'S ON Mangerton Mill Artist Studio
____________________________
____________________________
07505 268797
Until 12th January
Monday 2nd 7.30pm
____________________________
Art Exhibiton: Radiance
Beaminster Moviola: Kind Hearts
Wednesdays 2pm-4pm
Sladers Yard, West Bay, DT6 4EL.
& Coronets
____________________________
booked/£5.50 on door. 01308 861746
01308 459511 sladersyard.co.uk
Public Hall, Beaminster. £5 pre-
Maiden Newton Village Hall, DT2 0AE
Until 22nd March 2020
____________________________
(term-time) Maiden Newton Art Group 01300 321405
Exhibition: Roots of
Tuesdays 3rd & 17th
____________________________
Religion in West Bay
9.30am-4.30pm
Wednesdays 7pm-10pm
West Bay Discovery Centre. Free/
Willow Workshop: Elegant Deer
____________________________
£75 incl. materials. Booking essential.
Bridport Scottish Dancers
donations. westbaydiscoverycentre.org.uk
Studi0ne, Broadwindsor Craft Centre.
bridportscottishdancers.org.uk
Sunday 1st December-Sunday 5th
____________________________
January 10.30am-4.30pm
07531 417209 josadlerforgednwillow.
Every 4th Wednesday 7.30pm
Winter Art Fair
Philosophy in Pubs
The Gallery Symondsbury DT6 6HG
Tuesday 3rd 2.30pm
____________________________
Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd,
Church House, South St. 01308 538141
bigcartel.com
____________________________
Free entry/parking. lymebayarts.co.uk
Talk: The Romans in Dorset
____________________________
Sunday 1st-Sunday 8th 10am-7pm
Thursdays 6.30pm
Pre-Christmas Art Show
DT8 3NB. £3. info@beaminstermuseum.co.uk
Pop-up Restaurant - The
The Durbeyfield, West Bay Rd, DT6 4EL
Tuesday 3rd 7pm
01308 868083
to Climate Change
themonmouthtable.co.uk
Sunday 1st 10am-2pm
____________________________
Christmas Fair
lsibridport.co.uk
Every 1st Thursday
Bridport Museum Shop, 25 South
Wenesday 4th-Sunday 15th 10am
bridportmuseum.co.uk
The United Church, East St
01308 420943
Sunday 1st 11am-6pm
Wednesday 4th am
____________________________
Christmas Market
Patchwork Session:
Fridays 10am-11am
Symondsbury Estate, DT6 6HG
Christmas Tree
____________________________
£15. 07383490026 studi0ne.com
George Hotel, South St. Read Kelvin Clayton’s monthly article on page 84
Monmouth Table (fish tapas) Soulshine Cafe, 76 South St. Bookings 07425 969079
10.45am-11.45am Free Community Coffee Morning St. Swithun’s Church Hall, Allington.
German Language Classes
____________________________
£1 incl. Refreshments. 01460 30661
Deep Adaptation
____________________________
LSi, 51 East St. Free/donations. ____________________________
St DT6 3NR. Free. 01308 458703
Christmas Tree Festival
____________________________
____________________________
Free entry & parking
Studi0ne, Broadwindsor Craft Centre.
lsibridport.co.uk
Sunday 1st 3pm
____________________________
____________________________
Wessex Military Band
Wednesday 4th 4pm-8pm
Every 3rd Friday 10.30am-3.30pm
Bridport Arts Centre. £10/£8/£6 01308
Bridport Christmas Cheer
____________________________
01308 424901 bridportchristmascheer.co.uk
LSi, 51 East St. Free/donation.
Bridport Embroiderers
424204 bridport-arts.com
Festive fun & entertainment. Free.
01308 456168
Sunday 1st 3pm
____________________________
____________________________
Rob Gee: Forget Me Not –
Thursday 5th 10.30am-1pm
Saturdays 10am-12pm
The Alzheimer’s Whodunnit
Versus Arthritis Christmas Fair/
Chess Club
St Andrew’s Community Hall,
Coffee Morning
artsreach.co.uk
£3 including refreshments
St Swithun’s Church Hall, Allington.
LSi, 51 East St. All ages/abilities. Free/ donation. lsibridport.co.uk
10 | Bridport Times | December 2019
Charmouth. Suitable 14+. 07967 759135
Sweetbriar Farm, Uploders DT6 4NY.
WHAT'S ON 01308 485464
Bridport Choral Society:
____________________________
____________________________
A Wintry Noel
Friday 13th 10am-12pm
Thursday 5th 7.30pm
Bridport United Church. £10 includes
Willow Workshop -
TIC, Smith & Smith or on door.
Studi0ne, Broadwindsor Craft Centre.
01308 482552 artsreach.co.uk
Sunday 8th 10am-4pm
____________________________
Textile & Wire Christmas
josadlerforgednwillow.bigcartel.com
Friday 6th 12.30pm
Decorations
Friday 13th 7.30pm
DWT West Dorset Group
Studi0ne, Broadwindsor Craft Centre.
Christmas Fundraising Party
____________________________
____________________________
John Kirkpatrick: Carolling & Crumpets Litton Cheney Community Hall.
Christmas Lunch & Talk
refreshments. Tickets from Bridport
Christmas Wreaths
____________________________
£25. Booking essential. 07531 417209
____________________________
£30. 07383490026 studi0ne.com
LSi, 51 East St. £10. lsibridport.co.uk
montycrook@rocketmail.com
Sunday 8th 2pm-4.30pm
Friday 13th 7.30pm
____________________________
Qi Gong & Meditation
Living Spit: Swan Lake
Friday 6th 7pm
Quaker Meeting Hall, South St. £15.
Wootton Fitzpaine Village Hall.
____________________________
____________________________
Bridport WI Hall. Booking essential
Firewalk Bridport Fire Station, Sea Rd South,
07800 717283 dianabarnardtherapy.co.uk
Suitable 6+. 01297 560948 artsreach.co.uk
DT6 3XA. nicholas.coutice@dwfire.org.uk
Sunday 8th 7.30pm
Friday 13th 7.30pm-9.30pm
ukfirewalk.com
Story Cafe: Winter Fest
Parnham Voices in Concert:
____________________________
O Magnum Mysterium
Saturday 7th 7pm
The Lyric Theatre, Bridport. £10. the-lyric.com
____________________________
Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Rd,
Village Hall, Evershot. £30 per team.
Tuesday 10th 7pm-9pm
DT8 3NB. £7. info@beaminstermuseum.co.uk ____________________________
____________________________
Quiz & Supper Night Teams of 6. Booking essential. 01935 83299
Therapuetic Writing Workshop
Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th 10am-4pm
Saturday 7th 7.30pm
Bothenhampton Village Hall. £15. 07747 142088 george@georgegottscounselling.co.uk
Dressmaking Workshop:
____________________________
Frocks That Rock
caller Jeremy Child
Wednesday 11th 7.30pm
St Mary’s Church House Hall,
West Dorset Community
Studi0ne, Broadwindsor Craft Centre.
bridportceilidhs.wordpress.com
St John’s Church, West Bay. Free.
Saturday 7th 7.30pm
01308 456297
English Ceilidh with
South St. 01308 423442
Orchestra & Local Vocals
____________________________
Retiring collection. Refreshments/raffle.
12 | Bridport Times | December 2019
£160. Bring own material. Booking
essential. 07383 490026 studi0ne.com
____________________________ Saturday 14th 10am-4pm Living Spirituality Event: Me, My
DECEMBER 2019 Soul and the Biosphere
Thursday 19th 7pm
Quaker Meeting House, 97 South St
Candlelit Carols
____________________________
01297 489795
9am–1pm
South, West & East St
____________________________
iona.lake@aol.co.uk
Whitchurch Canonicorum Church.
2nd Saturday of the month,
Saturday 14th 2pm-3.30pm
____________________________
Farmers’ Market
Winter: An Exploration
Friday 20th 7.30pm
Through Art
Charity Christmas Bingo
Bridport Arts Centre
Uplyme Village Hall. £10. Free parking
Salway Ash Village Hall, DT6 5QS.
Every Saturday, 9am–12pm
btinternet.com
____________________________
WI Hall, North St
____________________________
Top prize £50. 07897 684345
Country Market
____________________________
Thursday 26th 10.30am for 12
____________________________
Saturday 14th 3pm
The West Bay Wallow
Last Sunday of every month,
Christmas Concert
West Bay. Prize for best fancy dress
10am-4pm
____________________________
Bridport Vintage Market
DT6 3AD. Free. Refreshments available
Saturday 28th 11am
____________________________
Christmas Grand Tour
St Michael’s Trading Estate, DT6 3RR
Saturday 14th 6pm-midnight
Furleigh Wine Estate, Salway Ash
01300 321715 chris.pamsimpson@
St Catherine’s RC Church, Victoria Grove,
Big Time Boogie 4 Band Spectacular Village Hall, Evershot. Bar & food
DT6 5JF. £25 furleighestate.co.uk
____________________________
available. £10 in advance. £12 on door.
Planning ahead
fannyhatstand.com
____________________________
____________________________
Saturday 4th January
Saturday 14th 7.30pm
10.30am-1.30pm
David Mynne: A Christmas Carol
Bridport Seed Potato Day
Shipton Gorge Village Hall. Suitable 8+
Bridport United Church, East St.
____________________________
01308 897407 artsreach.co.uk
Free. Light refreshments available
____________________________
Sport ____________________________ Bridport Rugby Brewery Fields
Skilling Hill Road Bridport
DT6 5LN
bridportrugby.co.uk 2.15pm start
____________________________
Saturday 7th
Sunday 15th 1.30pm & 4.30pm
Saturday 4th January 7.30pm
v Swanage & Wareham 3rd (H)
Under the Frozen Moon
Twelfth Night Entertainment
The Lyric Theatre, Bridport. £9/£6
Bridport Town Hall. Tinker’s Cuss Band;
Saturday 14th
____________________________
food/drink. 01308 425037
____________________________
Ages 3+. the-lyric.com
Sunday 15th 2pm-3.30pm
poetry readings. £7.50/£6.50 includes
v Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew (A)
____________________________
Winter: An Exploration
Tuesday 7th January 9.30am-1pm
Through Art
Willow Workshop –
St Mary’s Church House, South St.
Hedgerow Basket
btinternet.com
£55. Booking essential. 07531 417209
____________________________
____________________________
To include your event in our FREE
£10. 01300 321715 chris.pamsimpson@
Studi0ne, Broadwindsor Craft Centre.
____________________________
josadlerforgednwillow.bigcartel.com
Thursday 19th 2.30pm Arts Society West Dorset:
listings please email details (whole
Stravinsky & the Ballets Russes
Fairs and markets
Bridport Town Hall. Non-members
____________________________
1st of each preceding month to
Every Wednesday & Saturday
listings@homegrown-media.co.uk
____________________________
Weekly Market
____________________________
£7.50. taswestdorset.org.uk
listing in 20 words max) by the
bridporttimes.co.uk | 13
A local agency with
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Thinking of letting your holiday property?
Your local holiday cottage specialist is currently looking for properties in the area to add to their ever-growing portfolio in Dorset. If you are considering letting your holiday home, we offer free, honest, expert advice on how to get the most out of your holiday property and the potential income you could generate through marketing.
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D I S C O V E R | E AT | S H O P | S T AY | C E L E B R AT E
Welcome to Symondsbury Estate, set in the beautiful Dorset countryside just a stone’s throw from the Jurassic Coast. Join us for lunch. Browse our shops. Visit the gallery. Explore our fabulous walks and bike trails. Relax and unwind in our holiday accommodation. Celebrate your wedding day... ... Isn’t it time you discovered Symondsbury Estate?
SY M O N D SBURY E S TAT E
+44 (0)1308 424116 www.symondsburyestate.co.uk The Estate Office Manor Yard, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6HG
PREVIEW In association with
A CHRISTMAS CAROL David Mynne
Joy to all mankind? Bah! Spend an evening in the company of a mean, tight-fisted, squeezing, grasping, clutching old miser. Bah!
Watch horrified as Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by four
A Christmas Carol. Bah! Humbug!
Suitable for adults and older children (9+)
creepy ghosts (wooo-oooh) each one more terrifying than the
David Mynne is a Cornish actor and a founder member of Kneehigh.
with rickets. Bah!
mynne.com
Expectations, Dracula and The Odyssey (Greek stuff!) will now take
____________________________________________
last. Bah! Sob at the bedside of a tiny, malnourished child riven In their inimitable style, the team that brought you Great
evolver.org.uk
you on a grim journey through the dark, dismal streets of Victorian
Saturday 14th December 7.30pm
Dickens’ original words with added silliness. Silliness? Bah!
Shipton Gorge Village Hall, Bridport DT6 4NA
performance of Charles Dickens’ timeless, transformative story,
____________________________________________
London, where Ignorance and Want cower together. This is
Celebrate the festive season with a mesmerising, one-man
16 | Bridport Times | December 2019
A Christmas Carol £9/£6. 01308 897407 artsreach.co.uk
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. WILLIAM MORRIS
ORIGINAL WORKS FINE ART PRINTS BOOKS & HOME COURSES & EVENTS
Thoughtfully sourced, carefully chosen. ELEMENTUM GALLERY SOUTH ST, SHERBORNE 01935 813776 ELEMENTUMGALLERY.CO.UK @ELEMENTUMGALLERY From pastel color-blocking ensembles to vibrant floral prints, we have the
SHAKEN BY AN EARTHQUAKE
Stravinsky, The Ballets Russes and the astonishing premiere of The Rites of Spring
Speaker - Sandy Burnett Thursday 19th December 2.30pm at Bridport Town Hall Visitors welcome - £7.50 Details: taswestdorset.org.uk
bridporttimes.co.uk | 17
Arts & Culture
18 | Bridport Times | December 2019
WHOLENESS. HARMONY. RADIANCE ALFRED STOCKHAM
Anna Powell, Director, Sladers Yard Gallery and Café Sladers
A
Garden, Cap Ferrat 2004 71x91cm
s we approach Christmas, I would like to celebrate long friendships. The warmth and deep pleasure of spending time with old friends reminds you who you always were, clarifies where you are now and affirms your sense of humour in the very best of ways. Two of the artists in Radiance, our current show, are the oldest and greatest of friends, David Inshaw and Alfred Stockham, and amid much laughter the pair have been a guiding influence in the shaping of Sladers Yard. David Inshaw has a new range of Giclée prints in the show and a couple of beautiful paintings. David’s next solo show here is in May 2020. According to David Parfitt, ‘Alfred Stockham was and is a wonderful teacher, with an exceptional ability to inspire students and fellow artists.’ In 2015 Stephen Jacobson, Alex Kirby and a group of artist friends made a film called Alfred the Great Inspirer. For many years now, Alfred has continued to paint despite increasing physical difficulties. In painting as in conversation, he looks, he listens and he thinks before doing or saying something extraordinary. Alfred’s deep engagement with and knowledge of paintings, both contemporary and throughout the history of art, feed into his work as an ongoing dialogue. His own love is for simple forms caught in tension with each other, painted with soft lines and breathtaking colours. His contemplative vision lies somewhere between Braque and Morandi. He laughs about painters being members of the Flat Earth Society who insist the world can be seen in two-dimensions. In his ship-shape studio looking out over the Bristol Channel are shelves of black sketchbooks filled with tiny drawings in which he works out colour relations and forms in a lifelong study, at the same time scientific and joyous. Known and very much loved for small, resonant paintings which glow with colour, this winter Alfred Stockham is also showing a remarkable, large, abstract oil painting from 2004 called Garden, Cap Ferrat, which has always hung in his home. A warm and fizzing composition filled with luxuriant detail, it invites your eye to move pleasurably around in it like a garden. Alfred was born in 1933 in London. ‘I have always been drawn to colour and pattern,’ he says. ‘As a child I was blessed by the visual richness in the stalls and decorated wagons of the East Lane Market where Mother’s family were traders, in the flags and regalia of Father’s life in the Royal Navy and in the many colourful events my grandfather took me to see.’ Now in his late 80s, Alfred describes with absolute clarity the fireworks and public spectacles such as the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace that he saw with his grandfather. Many of the recurring motifs in Alfred’s paintings stem from childhood > bridporttimes.co.uk | 19
Arts & Culture
House and Trees, Sinerades 2019 12.5x18cm
Chalk Cliff 2019 10x14in 20 | Bridport Times | December 2019
memories. ‘Visits to Father’s family brought me into the wonderful Surrey countryside with the majestic architecture of the hop gardens and the “mellow fruitfulness” of the vines. Holidays in the Norfolk Broads gave me an enduring fascination with sails in a green landscape.’ Although he only wanted to paint, Alfred followed family tradition and went from school into the Royal Navy. After six years he escaped and ‘ran away from sea to be an artist.’ At Camberwell in the early 1960s he was taught by Frank Auerbach, Euan Uglow and Anthony Fry. In life drawing classes he learned the Euston Road School of painting which demanded strict observation of the world. He made studies and copies of Old Masters’ paintings, spending a great deal of time in the Tate and the National Gallery. Undeflected by Pop Art, but quietly developing his sense of simplicity, pattern and light, Alfred left the Royal College of Art with a First Class degree, a silver medal and the Prix de Rome. Despite legendary levels of partying at the British School in Rome, Alfred found time to relish early Italian painters Uccello and Giovanni di Paolo as well as contemporary Italian artists. In Rome he met Michael Fairclough, also showing in Radiance, another lifelong friend. After a year at York University as Granada Art Fellow, Alfred became a fine art lecturer at Bristol Polytechnic where he met David Inshaw, who had come to teach etching, and shared his flat. One imagines much partying and good fun although David claims it was from Alfred that he learned his immaculate tidiness and discipline in the studio. Over twenty years Alfred rose to be head of the Faculty of Fine Art. He left in 1988 to paint full-time. Alfred Stockham Seven Decades of Painting was published this year and includes the art critic Edward Phelps’ comment, ‘Alfred Stockham paints like Fred Astaire dances, with wit, spontaneity and a sort of controlled joy. But all his dexterity is subordinate to the lyricism which pervades the work. The world was never like this – but, to quote Turner, how we wish it was!’ sladersyard.co.uk
____________________________________________ Until Monday 12th January 2020 RADIANCE: Fred Cuming RA, Michael Fairclough, Rachel Fenner, Jeremy Gardiner, David Inshaw and Alfred Stockham Sladers Yard, West Bay Rd, Bridport DT6 4EL
____________________________________________ bridporttimes.co.uk | 21
Arts & Culture
PAINTING HARDY COUNTRY Kit Glaisyer, Artist
An evening view across the Bride Valley, oil on canvas, 72x48cm
T
his month I’ve been busy preparing to do an Artist Talk about my work and it got me thinking about the story behind my current series of Cinematic Landscape paintings. This series was originally inspired by a wonderfully evocative view that I witnessed on a journey back from London to Dorset in 2002. I always love that feeling of finally returning to the West Country as I head high over the hills from Dorchester towards Bridport and that sense of ever-growing grandeur as the Jurassic coast gradually opens up to reveal the sweeping arc of Lyme Bay. On that autumn day, just before descending into Bridport, my attention was unexpectedly taken by a glimpse into the Chilcombe valley where, far below, a gentle mist had settled over freshly ploughed fields and extended across the surrounding hills towards the Bride Valley. I’ve painted the countryside that inspired Thomas Hardy since going out watercolour painting with my father as a boy. This led on to plein-air painting with oil on board as a teenager, after which I went to Art College and then on to London - though I’d often return to paint these familiar Dorset views. While in London, probably feeling deprived of my countryside muse, I became an Abstract painter, and for five years I learnt 22 | Bridport Times | December 2019
invaluable lessons about colour, surface, texture and all the amazing things one can do with oil paint. When I moved back to Dorset in 1998 it took a while for me to adjust and for my paintings to fully respond to my more natural surroundings. I initially started with a few paintings of my old haunts in London, which then evolved into a succession of paintings of roadside petrol stations, before settling on my popular series of Café Royal paintings of the neglected Bridport diner which is now Domino’s Pizza. I was still making occasional plein-air landscape paintings, when my poignant experience of that misty valley made me realise how much work would be required to truly do justice to these unique West Dorset views. I committed myself to taking as much time as was necessary to create these paintings, be it several weeks or even months of work. As it turned out, I spent the next five months working on three Bride Valley paintings and the experience completely changed my life. A successful exhibition of these new works then led to more, equally ambitious, landscape commissions and I’ve continued to work in this way ever since. For me, what sets these paintings apart is that I’m >
Young Tree on Lewesdon Hill, oil on flax, 140x108cm
On a walk to Colmers Hill, oil on canvas, 26x36cm
Bride Valley Puddles, oil on canvas, 72x48cm bridporttimes.co.uk | 23
Arts & Culture
A view across the misty Bride Valley, oil on canvas, 72x48cm
happy to dedicate six to eight months of work on every one of them. Before starting, I have lots of conversations with the buyers and I also spend considerable time on research, exploring the location by walking, sketching and taking reference photographs - and searching out the best vantage points - while waiting for those magical moments of light and atmosphere that might just inspire an exceptional painting. I’ve also been known to wait several weeks for a period of dull weather to finally break and transform them into something more theatrical or sublime. When that moment arises, I know I have to act quickly, devouring as much information as I can in the brief time that all the elements are in balance. Once I’ve got enough reference materials, I then begin to put them together in collages, exploring ideas, adjusting compositions and crafting pictorial narratives that allow me to create a concept sketch that evokes the mood and atmosphere I want to capture. I then either hand-build or order a custom-made stretcher. I stretch the canvas, linen or flax over the top, stapling it tightly onto the frame before preparing the canvas with size (glue) in the traditional manner, then prime it twice with a white oil primer. Then I’m ready to get started. After I’ve been given the go-ahead, I’ll probably 24 | Bridport Times | December 2019
show the buyers some of the initial sketches and underpainting but, after that, they have to wait until the painting is finished. This is because, from then on, it’s all about my relationship with the painting, which will continue to evolve and develop in its own way until the painting is finished. The early stages of painting tend to be quite raw with strong colours and vivid tones that I deliberately exaggerate so that I can clearly spell out the grand themes within the painting. I then begin to patiently build up the many glazes (layers) of oil paint required, gradually toning down the colour palette in order to attain ever greater subtlety over the following months, all the while improvising and adapting various elements of the painting. This intentionally patient process means that none of my paintings are rushed and I don’t ever feel that I have to compromise my ambition for them in any way. To see more, visit Bridport Contemporary, Kit’s studio & gallery, at 11 Downes Street, Bridport on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. bridportcontemporary.com kitglaisyer.com
Calling all Artisans Short and long-term studio/ workshop/retail space available in the heart of Bridport
CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION 19 ARTISTS’ WORK FOR SALE 30th November – 20th December
For more information call 07818 057730 or email angela.boon123@btinternet.com
PAUL NEWMAN FINE ARTIST Greetings cards and limited edition prints available paulnewmanartist.com
Benjamin Hope
New Mediums
STUDIO 48
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History
LOST DORSET
PORTESHAM
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ack Street in about 1890. Most men in the village worked on one of the two principal farms, whilst their wives stayed at home braiding nets – helped after school and in the evenings by their daughters. James Jolliffe, a carrier and shopkeeper, acted as agent for one of the Bridport net-making companies, collecting various thicknesses of twine once a week for distribution to the villagers. As well as seine-nets, they made black-tarred, brussels sprout nets, for which they earned 3 shillings a hundred, partly paid in groceries from Jolliffe’s shop. The tin bath would have been used for the weekly bath in front of the fire. Lost Dorset: The Villages & Countryside 1880-1920, by David Burnett, is a large format paperback, price £12, and is widely available throughout Dorset or direct from the publishers. dovecotepress.com
26 | Bridport Times | December 2019
HUTS TO HUNKER DOWN IN plankbridge.com 01300 348414
bridporttimes.co.uk | 27
History
JEKYLL AND HYDE
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Ann Sydney, Volunteer, Bridport Museum
ut there, in the ‘little bit of Heaven that is Walditch’ as a friend puts it, is the Hyde Real Tennis court. It has had several reincarnations in its existence. The court dates from 1887, when there was a revival of the mediæval game of Real Tennis. Lawn tennis had gone its own way in 1870, but Real Tennis continued as a game played by royalty and the rich. It is a mix of squash and lawn tennis, played over a net but also off the court walls. Joseph Gundry built the court to impress his friend, King Edward VII, but Gundry died in a hunting accident in 1891 before he could lure his friend to Dorset to witness the impact. After Gundry’s death, the court was rarely used for tennis. It hosted the village flower show, was a roller-skating rink and, from 1930 onwards, it was a barn. We have a photograph which was taken in 1910 when Mr G. Bonfield opened the Grand Skating Rink: ’The Fastest and safest floor in England, twice the size of any other local rink’. Refreshments were provided and tea made to order at moderate prices. Roller-skates could be hired for sixpence (2.5p), the same as the adult entry fee for a two-hour session (children half-price). For an extra sixpence, you could have an hour’s rollerskating lesson. The rink opened and closed in 1910 and was open again from 1914 to 1918. In September 1939, before moving to the battlefields of France and Belgium, members of 229 Battery, 58th Sussex Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, were billeted in Walditch; we have a photograph of them in the archive. The barn was their dining room. A side room became the sergeants’ mess, while the yard and shed were the cookhouse. There were four artillery guns behind the barn (court) next to the parade ground. Sanitary facilities for the men consisted of buckets and canvas screens. The Hyde house was, of course, the officers’ mess and living quarters. Some officers were billeted privately in houses 28 | Bridport Times | December 2019
along Crock Lane and East Road. Whoever chose the billets had a sense of humour: they included houses called Battlecombe and The Retreat. In 1942 the Hyde Real Tennis court was requisitioned by the US army. Two companies of American infantry arrived in 1942 to train for the Normandy landings. They needed covered space for a tank repair depot, so they knocked a large hole in one end of the building and removed most of the fittings. These troops took part in the disastrous Slapton Sands rehearsal for D-Day, where many troops died. There is no mention of casualties at Slapton in the Commanding Officer’s notes (this was kept secret until recently); however, he reports that casualties at Omaha Beach were ‘extremely heavy’. Before embarking for D-Day at Weymouth, General Montgomery addressed the US and British troops at Bridport Cricket Grounds. He wasn’t a popular guest at The Hyde: Mrs Gundry described him as, ‘bossy and overbearing’. The court was used as a barn for cows until 1995 when another Joseph Gundry died and left it to the Bridport and West Dorset Sports Trust, which also owns Bridport Leisure Centre, on the condition that it was restored to its original use. It cost £400,000, with most of the money coming from the Lottery and small contributions from Bridport and local parish councils. This is one of only 25 Real Tennis courts remaining in Britain, and the club welcomes all ages and abilities. How many of you know that four of you can play there for £6 for an hour, borrow racquets for £2 each or have a lesson from the resident professional for £8 each? And yes, Prince Edward is a member, but others are postmen and teachers. In the History Centre, we have some fascinating photographs and news articles, and you’re welcome to come and browse. bridportmuseum.co.uk @bridportmuseum facebook.com/BridportMuseum
BRIDPORT ANTIQUES Situated on West Street, in the heart of Bridport, the historic building that was Joseph Gundry and Co Ltd now houses one of the finest antiques showrooms in the south-west of England. With its diverse range of furniture, art, silver and collectibles from the 1600’s through to the 1900’s there is something to cater for everyone’s tastes. BRIDPORT ANTIQUES wishes all our customers, old, new and prospective, seasonal greetings and a prosperous new year OPEN DAILY 10am to 5pm EARLY CLOSING Thursday at 2pm CLOSED SUNDAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THESE HOURS THE OLD COURT, 41 WEST STREET, BRIDPORT, DORSET DT6 3QU TELEPHONE: 01308 455646 WEBSITE: www.bridportantiques.co.uk
From the exquisite to the bizarre
Antiques Centre We’d like to say a big thank you to all our customers for their support during 2019 and look forward to you visiting us during the festive season With over 50 traders selling antiques, retro, classic & vintage furniture, pictures, paintings, clothes and collectables plus The Red Brick Café & 10 other shops all situated centre of Bridport in the Art & Vintage Quarter on the St. Michaels Trading Estate Bridport, Dorset DT6 3RR
Open 7 days from 10:00am
CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY, BOXING DAY & NEW YEARS DAY Telephone 01308 425 111 www. bridportantiques.co.uk
bridporttimes.co.uk | 29
Wild Dorset
Image: J.Hatcher
THE DECEPTIVE CUTTLEFISH
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Julie Hatcher, Wild Seas Centre Officer, Dorset Wildlife Trust
he closest most people come to a cuttlefish is when their white ‘bones’ wash up on beaches after rough weather. These are the evolutionary remains of the animal’s shell, as cuttlefish are molluscs, relatives of the snails in your garden. Way back in the evolutionary past, their protective shell was internalised and then evolved into the cuttlefish bone, which is used to provide the animal with buoyancy in the sea. By regulating how much gas the bone contains they can move up or down in the water without having to expend energy on swimming. If you pick one up it feels light. Cuttlefish bones are not the only thing that makes this animal extraordinary. They are recognised as intelligent animals; indeed, research has shown that they can be more intelligent than cats and dogs. Capable of counting at an equivalent level as a 4-year-old child, they can also solve puzzles, negotiate mazes and plan ahead. Research has now revealed that these remarkable animals can use deception to get what they want – something that only a handful of species, including ourselves, are known to do. Cuttlefish communicate using the colours and patterns on their skin, which they can change instantaneously. This is especially 30 | Bridport Times | December 2019
used in courtship, when males compete for a female. Male cuttlefish have been filmed displaying female patterning on one side of their body (where a competing male can see it) whilst at the same time displaying to the female on their other side that he is an interested male. By deceiving the male cuttlefish into believing it is a female and therefore no threat, it avoids a physical battle, whilst at the same time giving the female its ‘come hither’ signals. While divers regularly encounter and interact with cuttlefish in our coastal waters, most people do not have the opportunity to meet these most interesting of animals. Cuttlefish breed only once in their lifetime and then die, making them quite short-lived. As they breed during the spring and summer they tend to die off in the autumn. Their soft bodies decompose leaving just the white bone behind. Being buoyant, this floats to the sea’s surface and washes up on beaches during windy or stormy weather so keep your eyes peeled this autumn when walking along the beach. For more information about the Wild Seas Centre please visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wild-seas-centre
Wild Adoptions
Adopt an iconic seahorse or red squirrel today DORSET WILDLIFE and help ensure these species’ habitats are TRUST protected and cared for now, and into the future.
Visit: www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop Registered Charity No. 200222
Photos Š Julie Hatcher, Emma Rance & Paul Williams.
Wild Dorset
SEA HEDGEHOGS
Alison Ferris, Deputy Senior Warden, Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre
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t was fantastic to hear that Bridport became the first hedgehog-friendly town in Britain. What is quite surprising though is how many people have never heard of a sea hedgehog, which can be found in local rockpools. Or, to use their correct name, a sea urchin. ‘Urchin’ is an old French word for hedgehog, which they resemble. Sea urchins evolved in the Ordovician period approximately 450 million years ago and survive to this day. On the Jurassic Coast we can find both Jurassic and Cretaceous urchin fossils on the beaches. If you look in the rockpools around Lyme Regis, you can find 32 | Bridport Times | December 2019
living urchins hiding underneath rough-textured rocks. We have been lucky enough to find them on rockpool rambles, although they are not very common. Most of our participants don’t usually know what they are when they find them. Sea urchins are echinoderms and are related to starfish and sea cucumbers. They are spiny and globular and live on the seabed, moving about with hundreds of tiny tube feet. Some bury themselves into sediment on the seafloor while other species use their special mouth - referred to as Aristotle’s lantern - to bury into rock. Sea urchins feed on algae and are mainly
Nature Diver/shutterstock
herbivorous but can also feed on sea cucumbers, mussels and sponges, making them omnivores. In turn, sea urchins are also food for crabs, lobsters and sea otters. These animals have special adaptations to bite through the sea urchins’ spines and hard shell. In areas devoid of predators, sea urchins have been known to devastate ecosystems. As their predators are hunted, the sea urchins are able to graze across the seafloor, devastating everything in their path. It goes to show that you should never unbalance an ecosystem! The spines do give some protection to the sea urchin and on some species they are venomous. Other
animals may carry sea urchins with them as protection. A few years ago, we had an urchin in our tank that liked to decorate its spines with shells and stones. The spines can cause pain to humans if stood on and, in some cases, spines may need to be removed. Sea urchins are susceptible to catching diseases and mass mortality has been known. Sometimes you can find their shells washed up on beaches. A few years ago, in Dawlish Warren, masses of them were washed up. There are over 200 species of sea urchin and they can be found all over the world in different climates and at different depths in the ocean. In Italy, Japan, Alaska and New Zealand sea urchin is eaten as a delicacy. Japanese demand has caused some concerns about overfishing, as they currently consume 50,000 tons of sea urchin annually. I haven’t yet seen it on a menu locally, however on a recent trip to Italy it was on almost every menu, being used as flavouring. As well as overfishing, sea urchins are also susceptible to ocean pollution and their numbers have dropped. They are now placed on the list of threatened species. In folklore, sea urchins are said to ward off harm from witchcraft and poison - at the Heritage Centre we have a sea urchin in each office window to protect us from harm! In other countries the star symbol (sea urchins have a 5-fold symmetry) is deemed lucky and has been worn as an amulet. Fossil urchins were even used in prehistory. Burial mounds and places of worship have been found across Britain containing sea urchins and a few prehistoric tools have been found to have fossil urchins within them. Fossil urchins have been incorporated into the sides of church walls to ward off the devil. They have been known as shepherds’ crowns as they resemble a crown shape. There is a heart-shaped urchin which is referred to as a ‘fairy loaf ’: those who have a heart-shaped urchin in their home will never be without bread. Next time you are out rockpooling, why not try to find a sea hedgehog lurking under a rock? Broadledge in Lyme Regis, Seaton Hole, Beer, Kimmeridge, Lulworth Cove, Sidmouth and Exmouth all offer fantastic rockpools at low tide. Many of the visitor centres and museums across the coast will offer rockpool rambles throughout the peak season. It is best to go in good weather so that you have good visibility. Always check your tide times and remember to put your creatures back where you found them. charmouth.org bridporttimes.co.uk | 33
Wild Dorset
WINTER THRUSHES Colin Varndell, Photographer
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wo evocative bird calls, reminiscent of cold, short December days, are the harsh chuckle of a flock of fieldfares flying overhead on grey afternoons, and the wispy contact notes of redwings at dusk as they fly to roost. These are the winter thrushes, arriving here from the east in late autumn to spend their winter days in our warmer climate. Both of these species are gregarious and feed in flocks. Back in their breeding grounds, they also nest gregariously, with several nests close together, often in a singe tree or bush. Fieldfares spending the winter amongst us are from Scandinavian breeding populations and their arrival here is dictated by the extent of the rowan crop in that part of the world. An abundance of rowan fruit delays the species’ migration and can result in their later arrival here. Conversely, a dearth of rowan fruit triggers migration movements much earlier. The fieldfare is the larger of these two winter visitors. Characteristic diagnostic features of the bird are its pale grey head, rufous-brown back, grey rump and dark tail. The heavily spotted breast is tinged rustyyellow. Fieldfares feed on the ground in fields foraging for earthworms and, unlike their cousins the redwings, they always avoid woodland. When feeding, this bird has a habit of drooping its wings to reveal the striking feature of a light grey rump, which is visible from behind. In flight, fieldfares move around in disorderly, scattered flocks. Although fieldfares are gregarious when feeding in fields, roosting or in flight, this is not always the case, especially if the weather becomes cold. In freezing conditions, individual birds may become aggressive to others of their own kind, in defence of a static food supply such as a single apple or clump of hawthorn berries. I once witnessed a flock of around fifty fieldfares drop out of the sky into a small crab-apple tree on a snowy afternoon to feed on the fruit together. Overnight, the snow settled and, during the following morning, a single fieldfare defended that small tree against all other birds.
34 | Bridport Times | December 2019
The redwing is the smallest of all UK thrushes. It does not have red wings, as its name suggests, but reveals the rich, red colour of its flanks as it raises its wings. Other distinguishing features are the pale yellow eye stripe and heavily streaked underparts. Redwings tend to be more nomadic than fieldfares, moving widely in response to weather conditions and food availability. Redwings feed on hawthorn berries and strip holly bushes when they first arrive here. After all berries are exhausted, redwings join fieldfares to forage in fields for earthworms and grubs. If temperatures drop, redwings turn their attention to copses and woods where they turn over leaf litter searching for invertebrates. When foraging on the ground in woodland, a redwing moves in short bursts of up to five steps at a time, sweeping its bill from side to side in order to disturb the leaf litter. If the weather turns particularly cold, with freezing temperatures, redwings and fieldfares seek refuge in orchards and gardens, where they feed on berry-bearing garden shrubs and windfall fruit. In extreme hard conditions, windfall apples can be a vital food source for these birds, and pecking orders become established. The most usual pecking order on an apple crop is first the mistle thrush, followed by fieldfare and blackbird. Redwings, being much smaller birds, are chased away by the larger, aggressive thrushes and are usually the last to feed on apples. In harsh conditions, it is not unusual to find numerous dead redwings under hedgerows where, undernourished, they have died in the night. At night, redwings roost communally in evergreen shrubs. They do this by settling on the top of a shrub and then dropping vertically into the middle. Fieldfares also roost communally but more usually on the ground under cover of shrubs. Both fieldfare and redwing have been steadily extending their breeding range and both species now breed sporadically in Scotland. The question is, could this breeding range eventually extend into southern England? info@colinvarndell.co.uk
Image: Colin Varndell bridporttimes.co.uk | 35
Wild Dorset
BETWEEN YOU, ME AND THE GATEPOST Ellen Simon, Tamarisk Farm
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hutan, we hear, measures its success in gross national happiness instead of gross national product. Provided we stay above the breadline and can pay the bills, I think we might measure the farm’s success by whether the gates are good. Gates in good order are a joy. A gate should unlatch with one hand and easily swing open with just a light push. It should stay roughly where it is left, neither swinging wide open nor closing onto the person passing through. It should not touch the ground or have space underneath it to allow lambs to find their way through. It should have clear space at head level for the user, with no bramble shoots or sallow whips to catch unwary faces. It should close readily and latch securely when given a gentle nudge in the right direction. It should make a distinctive noise as it latches so that one can be totally sure without going to check that it cannot be opened with a shove from the next passing animal. Ideally a gate should stay like this forever. We have 36 | Bridport Times | December 2019
a lot of gates which we keep in pretty good order with the help of a spanner and a spade from time to time. We have just one gate on the farm which has stayed in excellent order for many years with no attention at all. It isn’t perfect: it closes very slightly faster than ideal and it latches just a tiny bit too easily. Just occasionally, it is handy to be able to leave a gate pushed to but unlatched, and this gate will not stay like that; the latch is slightly too responsive to the weight of the gate. It is a ten-foot gate and we now much prefer twelve-foot gates wherever we expect to use a tractor. Over the years, even on our conservative farm, machinery has gotten a little larger and every now and then we ask ourselves whether we should replace this gate with a longer one. It would entail replacing the sleepers which went in to hang the gate as a falling-to post back in the 1960s and which, unlike almost every other post we have put in since, seems to stay still whatever the weather and clay soil do. We don’t take the tractor in very often. The largest implement which needs
Image: Robert Golden
to go through it is the flail topper, which has a 2.4 metre cut. The whole thing, with skids and the belt casing is a bit wider than that, so there are only a few inches either side (note how we, like NASA with a memorable failed Martian expedition, work in more than one system of units). With care, it is perfectly possible to get the topper through and we do not plan to risk any change. We have about seventy fields on Tamarisk Farm and almost all have several entrances, typically around three although many have more. In a walk taken in my mind from the top of Tulk’s Hill, just below Abbotsbury Castle on the coast road, along the top of the farm walking westward to Swyre Hill (known to many of you for Flying Frenzy, my brother’s paragliding school), I can count many more than that average. As I walk into the first field, through seven fields in succession and out onto the village road near Gorselands, I go through nine gates, but there are others around me: one field has four gates, one has
five, another four fields have six gates and one has seven. Of course, many of these gates are shared by next-door fields but still it adds up to 31, a lot of gates to look after. When we are walking, gates don’t need to be perfect. We are already in the right position for untying ropes and lifting gates over rough grasses and, having stepped through, we are ready to turn to see the gate safely closed and latched. When we’re walking, gates don’t even need to be opened. They may be vaulted with elegance by the younger among us and climbed by the older, with more effort as the years go by. Many years ago I went to the doctor wanting help with my knee. Having hurt it badly long before catching a sick ewe on steep rough ground, I explained that, amongst other things, I no longer dared to jump off gates in case I damaged it further. I was told (politely!) that I could not expect the National Health Service to keep someone of my age in a condition that allowed her to do this. I was, however, given both surgery and physiotherapy and I do again jump off gates, though carefully and without my old youthful style. When we are riding to get about the farm, gates are more challenging than when walking. A good horse or pony will walk right up to the gate, stand still while the rider unlatches it, push the gate open with her nose or chest on command, walk through when told and turn neatly to push it closed without help. If the gate is less well-hung or adjusted, or the horse less convenient, a bit of leaning and lifting must be done. With a gate which is ill-hung or tied closed, I need to get off, lead the horse through and mount again: much less satisfying. I calculate my journeys to see the stock by how many gates there are and whether I can manage them when mounted. My choice of route may alter from day to day, with variables such as what I am carrying, whether the hedge is becoming overgrown, what the weather and ground conditions are like, how relaxed and good the horse is today and how stiff my back. Going through a gate gets you to the next field and always that field has something fresh. Sometimes it is special; maybe there will be a lovely flower blooming which we haven’t seen since last year. For the stock it may be special too. Early last month our rams left their bachelor band and each went though a gateway to find their ladies and do their year’s work. Generally, however, the animals go through a gate just to find the greener grass beyond it. It is a simple satisfaction adding to their wealth of happiness. tamariskfarm.co.uk bridporttimes.co.uk | 37
Outdoors
38 | Bridport Times | December 2019
On Foot
RYALL BOTTOM Emma Tabor and Paul Newman
Distance: 4¼miles Time: Approx. 2½ hours Park: On the side of Ryall Road as you enter Ryall Walk Features: There are a couple of sharp gradients on this route, especially the final section back up to the start. The outer section is through farmland with the return route following the Monarch’s Way, with glimpses of some of the holloways in the area. While the terrain itself is not a challenge, a lack of footpath signs, along with some overgrown stiles in a poor state of repair and electric fences, can make the going slow. However the views and sense of tranquility are well worth it. Stout boots, an Ordnance Survey map and secateurs would be useful! Refreshments: Annie’s Tea Room, Morecombelake >
bridporttimes.co.uk | 39
E
ach month we devise a walk for you to try with your family and friends (including four-legged members) pointing out a few interesting things along the way, be it flora, fauna, architecture, history, the unusual or sometimes the unfamiliar. For December we walk from the secluded village of Ryall across a picturesque tapestry of fields and enclosures, with good views from the hills around Ryall Bottom to the surrounding hillforts of Pilsdon Pen and Lamberts and Coney’s Castles. Although there is little of historical building interest, the walk twists and turns to reveal constantly changing vistas and other views to the east of the Marshwood Vale as well as across to Golden Cap and Lyme Regis. Directions
Start: SY 408943 1 From the A35, park on the right-hand side of Ryall Road as you reach the village sign for Ryall (there is a layby with space for approximately three cars on the right, just before the sign). There are good views across to Colmer’s Hill and the sea. 2 Walk into and then through the village, past Ryall House and, after ½ mile, at the junction with Pitman’s Lane, turn right by Hope Cottage onto Lower Lane. Head downhill, past Pothills Farm. Towards the bottom of the lane, after 200 yards, pass the sign for Mayfield on your left (do not go up this drive) and keep ahead towards some gates as the lane carries round to the right. Go through the small gate next to a large gate (please close) by a house there is no footpath sign here. Through here, pass 40 | Bridport Times | December 2019
next to buildings and onto a lovely grassy footpath. 3 Head along the footpath for ¼ mile. At the bottom of the path, go through a large metal gate to meet several converging tracks. Here, take the left-hand stony track which, after 70 yards, enters a field. Follow the right-hand edge of the field and, after a few more yards, you will see a gap in the hedge on the right. Walk through a small copse to soon reach a stile. (At the time of the walk this was overgrown). Cross over the stile into a field and walk diagonally across and downhill to a large metal gate. There is a stile to the right of this but it is impassable, so go through the gate and then through another large metal gate, across a brook on a farm track, with farm buildings to your left. Now go straight ahead into a field, through an electric gate (which is a bit tricky) and then straight up into the field. Keep to the left-hand side of this field for 100 yards, until you come to a stile in the top left-hand corner. Leave the field by this stile to enter a copse. Cross a wooden footbridge and then go over another stile to leave the copse and into a field. (At the time of completing this walk there was a temporary electric fence inside the field boundary and close to the stile which made negotiating the stile difficult). 4 From the stile, walk in a straight line across the field, looking for a stile on the opposite side which will take you through a hedge. (At the time of completing this walk, this stile was poorly maintained and overgrown). Cross this stile into another field. Go straight across this narrow field to a double stile through another hedge.
5 In this next field, head towards your right; first, walk along the contours of a slope and then drop down to find a stile in the hedge and trees at the bottom, past a scrubby area. Go over this stile into a small, narrow holloway. Climb up, across a bridge and then through another stile into a field. Head towards your right. You can either follow the right-hand edge of this field or cut slightly diagonally across to a stile through a gap in the hedge to your right. Go over this stile into the next field. The footpath now heads to your left, aim diagonally across the middle of this crop field, climbing at first and then dropping down towards some farm buildings. 6 Before the farm buildings and just before you leave the field, turn sharp right to follow a track along by the hedge and the top boundary of the field you have just walked across. You have now joined the Monarch’s Way. The field you have just crossed is now below you, to your right. Walk up the track for 250 yards to reach a large metal gate with a Monarch’s Way sign. Here, go to the right and follow a tree line/hedge with good views to your right. You soon pass through another metal gate. Here, keep the tree line/hedge on your immediate right. Do not follow the track as it goes up to Copper Hill. The path is indistinct at first so follow the tree line, roughly level with the contours. Follow this field edge, which soon starts to go up slightly to meet a small metal gate. Follow the path through this into a field. Keep round to the right on the path, with the tree line still on your right, until you reach the far right-hand corner of the field and a large
metal gate with another Monarch’s Way sign. Go through this to emerge into another field - there are now expansive views to the coast. Follow the tree line for 300 yards and then look for a gap on your right to leave the field. This takes you down into a grassy lane. Turn left, go through another metal gate and follow the lane which becomes a holloway. Keep going to the bottom of this lane to meet Venn Farm, on the bend of a road. 7 Take the bridleway on your right, past the pigs, and keep on this path into a field, with a hedge on your left. Turn left through a wooden gate into another field. Cross this small field, go through a larger wooden gate then up and across the field to the far left corner with an opening and a bridleway sign. Go through this opening at the top of the field with the tree line on your left. At another wooden gate, turn left onto a track, over a brook. 8 Walk along this track (Butt Lane) for ⅓ mile, passing a house on your right and, as the track becomes tarmac, you will soon see a bridleway sign on your right. Here, turn sharp right and walk along the field edge for 150 yards. As the field edge turns away to the right, cross the field making for its left-hand edge. Follow this as it climbs slightly and bends around to the left to soon meet a wooden gate and a bridleway sign. Turn right into this field and follow the valley uphill, heading for the very top corner and staying above Right Bottom. At the top corner go through a small wooden gate, climbing steeply through a very narrow overgrown area, to take you back to the start. bridporttimes.co.uk | 41
Archaeology
42 | Bridport Times | December 2019
ROMAN DORSET
Chris Tripp BA (Hons), MA, Community and Field Archaeologist
I
looked at the Iron Age confederation of the Durotriges in the May edition of the Bridport Times and touched on Roman villas and the establishment of Dorchester in the February edition. So, what else did the Romans do for us? After Claudius’ invasion in AD43 the impact was massive, although most people still lived in roundhouses and culturally as they did before. However, we must not forget that a hammer blow was delivered to the people who lived in Dorset at this time by General Vespasian and the Legio II Augusta. According to Suetonius, they fought thirty battles and took twenty ‘towns’ (hillforts and oppida?), and within three years established a large fort at Exeter, supplied by the building of the Fosse Way. They also built a road from Hamworthy on Poole Harbour leading to a fort at Lake Farm and crossing the Stour toward Badbury Rings. They were supported by supplies from the sea using a base at Radipole with a road that eventually led to the new town of Dorchester. Forts were built on Hod Hill and Waddon Hill, the former covering four hectares, big enough to hold 250 cavalry and 700 infantry. Signal stations were used to keep these strong points in touch with each other. One such is at Black Down, on the road junction, and others are at Abbotsbury Castle and Jordan Hill near Weymouth. The most important connection, however, was established by the road system, an undertaking not seen again until the 19th century. Although not all roads were straight (no point in going over a hill that was too steep for wagons!) sightings were made between two points using a groma, a cross-shaped, hand-held, wooden instrument with strings hanging down that the user lined up on poles some distance away. The road was built up from an agger, or bank, with parallel ditches for drainage. There is evidence that they drove on the left! The Thorncombe Woods road was seven metres wide, with surviving wheel tracks being one-and-a-half metres wide. It can still be walked on
today. You can also drive on the A35 from Dorchester to Winterborne Abbas following a Roman road until you see it divert up to Eggardon Hill. Part of the A37 to Yeovil is along the Roman Ilchester route from Dorchester, north from Poundbury to Bradford Peverall crossing the Frome valley, with the A354 being the route to the Radipole fort. One chalk way-marker found in Dorchester was inscribed IMP. POSTV. MO ABG. G or ‘dedicated to the Emperor Postumus Augustus’ (AD260-269). Once Britannia was settled as a Roman province, new towns began to develop fine buildings in which mosaics were laid down. Dorset County Museum has a mosaic from Olga Road, found in 1899, but one of the best came from Lott & Walne’s foundry yard on Fordington High Street in 1903. This was 4.8m square and shows a marine theme - the head of Oceanus with two dolphins and fish. Although the Romans brought their own religion to Dorset, they preferred to blend the local traditions in with their own. Sometime after AD367, a square Romano-British temple was built at Maiden Castle in the eastern half of the hill fort. The date was deduced from a hoard of coins discovered beneath the mosaic floor. At Jordan Hill, a temple contained deposits of animal bone, ceramics and coins in a deep shaft. After the collapse of Roman rule in Britain in the early 5th century, the Romano-British of the southwest held back the cultural domination of Germanic incursions for up to two hundred years. Evidence of inscriptions carved on a Romano-British column found in the church of Lady St Mary, Wareham, and dating to the 7th century may indicate surviving Romano-British Christian traditions. It would seem that the people of the south-west were, at this time, a hard nut to crack. dorsetdiggers.blogspot.com
bridporttimes.co.uk | 43
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CUPBOARD LOVE Words Jo Denbury Photography Katharine Davies
I
t’s Wednesday morning and we are in St Mary’s Church, South Street. The doors are flung open, sunlight pours and in the background I can hear music playing. ‘Right everyone,’ says Carrie Gamble, swaddled in a warm coat, ‘let’s gather round, it’s huddle time.’ Her voice is quiet and caring as she asks the volunteers which of the food stations they’d like to man for the morning. Cupboard Love has been active for around five years and Carrie has been running it for the last three. It provides food, company, advice and a space to visit for those in need. As an organisation, Cupboard Love is run independently to the Trussell Trust national network of 1,200 plus food banks but operates along similar lines. Among the ‘huddle’ there is some discussion as to who is going to help on the tea and coffee stand. Jean hasn’t arrived yet - she’s been delayed volunteering at ‘Messy Play’ for the kids - but Lewis has already set up the cakes and got the urn going. He has been in catering all his life so, when he retired to Bridport from Kent, he volunteered as a way to keep busy. It doesn’t take long to sort out and soon another volunteer, Alan, has offered to help out with tea and cakes until Jean arrives. >
46 | Bridport Times | December 2019
bridporttimes.co.uk | 47
Cupboard Love coordinator, Carrie Gamble 48 | Bridport Times | December 2019
Clients of Cupboard Love are beginning to trickle into the church. As Alan pours them a cup of tea and offers them a bun, I chat about what led him to volunteer. ‘It is not about handing out food and walking away,’ he says. ‘We are helping people move forward with their lives. Being here opens your eyes to what people are going through. The need for a food bank can happen to anybody, but it is Universal Credit that has put a lot of people out in the cold.’ He sees that people are struggling (Alan also volunteers at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau) but, as he says, ‘Bridport is an unusual town because it embraces the community’. Part of Lewis’ and Alan’s role is to collect the food from the contributing supermarkets: Morrisons, Waitrose and Lidl. They are very grateful for the shops’ donations but are visibly shocked by the quantity of food waste that stems from the sell-by date regulations. However, we agree that the supermarkets’ loss is Cupboard Love’s gain. Diane and Mo are the two ladies in charge of the fresh bread. Today, a tray of apples has been donated but even when fruit is scarce Pam always makes sure there is something fresh available. They also make a point of providing onions, carrots and potatoes which all contribute to turning a can of meat into a healthy meal. ‘We’re also the bread buddies,’ says Mo, who joined the group as a volunteer three years ago. ‘We collect the cakes from Lidl every week. It was Ken Loach’s film, I, Daniel Blake, that did it for me,’ she says. ‘I went and
helped in the Calais Jungle for a while after that but when people say, ‘What can I do?’, well, there is a lot that can be done locally.’ Co-ordinating everything is Carrie. She has gentle, knowing, hazel eyes and has lived in Bridport for many years. When she is not at Cupboard Love, Carrie works in the field of mental health. Much of the warmth and care that emanates throughout the building comes from Carrie and how she approaches her job. ‘It is hard enough to admit to using a food bank,’ says Carrie. ‘It is really hard to walk in through the doors the first time, so we need to make the place as relaxed and welcoming as possible.’ Carrie is employed by Cupboard Love one day a week. She joined about three years ago when two of her friends, who were volunteers at the time, encouraged her to apply. ‘My friends said, “Hey, you need to do this. Go for it!” so I did,’ says Carrie. ‘And I got the job. But really we are reliant on the volunteers, who come from diverse backgrounds; some have used food banks in the past, most are retired but we have special needs teachers, ex-mental health nurses, ex-bank managers - a wide range of people who still use their skills here. If someone comes with a particular need, although we can’t always help, we can signpost, which is really important and makes us a bit of a hub.’ ‘It’s a misconception, that food banks are used only by people on benefits,’ she continues. ‘That isn’t true. People don’t do it comfortably. There are people > bridporttimes.co.uk | 49
50 | Bridport Times | December 2019
who use us who are working but who might have had an unexpected bill and can’t manage, or people who have seasonal work. Sometimes they work in the gig economy which makes their income erratic. In this area the seasonal work is gone in winter and that is when the bills are high. Also, in rural areas poverty is hidden. There are people sleeping rough but they too are hidden. On top of that, the Universal Credit system is draconian. If people don’t respond on time, their benefits are cut and if, for example, people have mental health issues and can’t manage the system, they can end up going for months without money.’ Carrie agrees that Bridport has such a generous heart and its residents want to help. ‘You witness that in the number of volunteers and the food we receive,’ she says. ‘The majority of our food comes from local people donating. We wouldn’t survive without the donations of the Bridport community. We always welcome longlife milk, coffee and sugar as well as tinned meat and pasta sauces. We do get food from the supermarkets,’ adds Carrie, ‘but we also have local companies such as Leakers, Nina’s, the Well Pharmacy and Washingpool, as well as lots of other local businesses, that also donate.’ A food parcel might be for an individual or a family of five and, on average, Cupboard Love provides about 25-30 food parcels a week. It is only open from 11.15am-1pm on a Wednesday at St Mary’s. With Christmas coming it’s a busy time for Carrie. ‘We don’t
do specific things for Christmas, however, over the last few years a business has donated canvas shopping bags which we fill with donated Christmassy goodies to give out in addition to our food parcels.’ The food bank also receives financial donations from time to time. ‘We couldn’t survive without it,’ says Carrie. ‘We buy fresh fruit and vegetables. If we know there is a baby coming in with needs, such as a particular milk, we might buy it in but basically, we are making sure people have food and shelter. It’s a human right. Bridport is a wealthy town on the surface but some people here live such precarious lives, surviving from day to day or week to week.’ The morning at Cupboard Love is coming to an end. There are still many enjoying a hot drink and the company of others. The Citizens Advice Bureau is here and there’s a housing group offering advice too. At other times it is the Fishermen’s Mission or a member of the mental health team for homelessness providing information. It’s been a cheery, positive morning and people are leaving feeling warmer and hopeful but the fact is, there is something going wrong at the very bones of our society. People should not be going hungry in this country, or anywhere else for that matter, but when it is happening on our doorstep we, as a community, have a very real opportunity to do something about it. @bridportfoodbank bridporttimes.co.uk | 51
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Food & Drink
GAME TERRINE Gill Meller, River Cottage
I
always make this terrine several days before I intend to serve it, because it develops in flavour and always tastes better that way. I layer lean strips of game, as well as a few plump brandy-soaked prunes, within a forcemeat, which I flavour with orange zest, juniper berries and fresh bay. All these flavours go incredibly well with the game, and complement the prunes no end. Serve the terrine in thick slices with toast and chutney. Ingredients
Makes 1 large terrine 100g (3 1/2oz) stoned prunes 3 tablespoons port 350g (12oz) unsmoked rindless bacon rashers 150g (5 1/2oz) venison liver, trimmed and cubed (use pork liver, if you can’t find venison) 250g (9oz) very fatty pork belly, cubed 1/2 onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated Zest of 1/2 orange 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped 3 bay leaves, very finely chopped 1 egg 50g (2oz) white breadcrumbs 200g (7oz) pheasant breast, venison loin or pigeon breast (or a mixture), cut into 3–4cm (1 1/4–1 1/2in) strips, as long as possible 4 juniper berries, finely chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method
1 Place the prunes in a bowl and pour over the port. Leave them to plump up for several hours or overnight. Drain, reserving the port. 2 To make the forcemeat, roughly chop half the bacon and place it in a large bowl with the venison or pork liver and fatty pork belly. 3 Add the onion, garlic, orange zest, thyme, bay and
54 | Bridport Times | December 2019
chopped juniper and mix well. Pass this mixture through a mincer and return it to the bowl. 4 Add the egg, breadcrumbs and reserved port, season and mix everything together. 5 Stretch out the remaining bacon using the back of a knife to make it as broad and thin as you can. 6 Line a 1 litre (35 oz) loaf tin or castiron terrine with ovensafe clingfilm, then use the bacon to line the terrine, allowing some overhang on each side. 7 Fill the terrine with a third of the forcemeat. Lay half the game strips along its length and arrange half the prunes around them, as evenly as you can. 8 Add another third of the forcemeat, pressing it down to cover the game and prunes, then arrange another layer of game and prunes. 9 Cover with the remaining forcemeat, pressing it down and levelling it off. 10 Fold over the overhanging bacon and bring the clingfilm up over the top. Place a lid on the terrine or wrap it in foil nice and tightly. 11 Heat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Put the terrine in a large, deep roasting tin, then fill the tin with enough water to come two thirds up the sides of the terrine and place it in the oven. 12 Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes, until cooked through. 13 Remove the terrine from the oven, allow it to cool, then place it in the fridge. Use a weight (a house brick wrapped in cling film works well) to press the terrine overnight – this will give it a better texture. 14 Take the terrine out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving in slices with toast and chutney. gill.meller gillmeller.com From Time by Gill Meller (Quadrille, £25)
Photography Š Andrew Montgomery bridporttimes.co.uk | 55
Food & Drink
PANETTONE PUDDING
Annie Coplestone and Carlotta Paolieri, The Monmouth Table
56 | Bridport Times | December 2019
A
t the Monmouth Table we make this seasonal pudding as soon as Carlotta spots a panettone on the market stall (she has a radar for Italian ingredients that remind her of home). To me it evokes a fond memory of working at the River Café many years ago, where we would start making this pudding from the first week of December. The smell of it cooking was like Christmas itself. On the last day before the restaurant closed for the holidays, the staff were allowed to take home anything that wouldn’t keep (or couldn’t be used in January). I was always first in the queue for a panettone so I could make the pudding again once I got home. I still make it every year and am transported back to that kitchen with the first bite! Here we serve it with a cardamon custard and, as you can see from the recipe, we use more cream than milk… very indulgent, but it’s Christmas after all. Enjoy the pudding warm out of the oven and, if you manage to hide some, spoon it out from the fridge on Boxing Day before everyone wakes up. Ingredients Serves 4
Salted butter for greasing ½ panettone, sliced into 1 inch slices 250ml whole milk 750ml double cream 3 cardamon pods, bashed with a knife 4 free-range eggs 50g granulated sugar Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas mark 4. 2 Grease a 26x15cm dish generously with butter. 3 Toast the panettone in the toaster, being careful not to burn it as it has a high sugar content (you can leave this bit out but it does add a nice smokey flavour). 4 Lay the slices in the tin so they overlap and fill the tin. 5 Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until well combined. 6 Combine the cream and milk with the broken cardamon pods in a pan. Bring almost to the boil then take off the heat. 7 Remove the cardamon and slowly pour the infused cream over the egg yolks, whisking quickly so as not to scramble the eggs. 8 Pour the custard over the panettone. It should come to within an inch of the top but not cover the bread as you want a nice golden crust. If you have some custard left, you can cook it to serve with the pudding. 9 Put the dish in a larger tin and fill the tin with warm water halfway up the dish. 10 Place the dish into the oven (being careful not to drown your pudding!) and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown. Image: Pete Millson
themonmouthtable.co.uk bridporttimes.co.uk | 57
Food & Drink
BRIDE VALLEY VINEYARD TEN YEARS ON
Steven Spurrier, Co-owner, Bride Valley Vineyard
W
hen Bella Spurrier bought the 200-acre farm on the edge of Litton Cheney to go with the Court House, which has been our home in the village since 1987, I noticed that the land was riddled with chalk. I was still working in Paris at that time and put a couple of small blocks in my pocket to show to Michel Bettane, the top lecturer at L’Academie du Vin, and asked him where he thought they came from. ‘Champagne, of course,’ was his reply. ‘No, south Dorset,’ I replied, to which he said, ‘In that case you should plant a vineyard.’ Inspired by this, I invited my friend Michel Laroche for a weekend and asked him to take some soil samples back to Chablis for analysis. The results were positive for Chardonnay and cool climate varietals such as Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. Nice to know, but we did nothing about it. Time passed and in the mid-1990s, attending the awards ceremony of the International Wine and Spirits Competition, I was offered a flute of fizz and asked what type it was. ‘Champagne, of course, certainly a Blanc de Blancs, probably from a Grand Cru’ was my reply. It was Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 1989 from Kent, the vineyard created by Chicagoan Sandy Moss, now under Dutch-born Eric Heerema, the leading brand of English sparkling wines. It had beaten all the Champagnes and other top sparklers from all over the world. Bella’s farm, apart from having one of the most chalk-based soils in the country – we are just 24 miles from the village of Kimmeridge, which gave its name to the similar soils in Champagne – is a steeply sloping half circle of land, the easier south, southeast and southwest slopes in the bowl seeming perfect for vines. Seeing the growing success of English sparkling wines, I compiled a dossier to present to the Boisset family of Burgundy at Vinexpo 2007 with the possibility of a joint-venture. Interest in sparkling wine from England was just beginning and they were on board immediately. 58 | Bridport Times | December 2019
No fewer than three visits from their expert, Georges Legrand, and his team ensued; they were hoping for around 30 hectares, a winery and visitor centre on site and a ‘Burgundian’ production of 150-200,000 bottles. Soil and climate analyses were sent back to the NuitsSt-Georges office, and back came the answer that there were only 10-12 hectares of really prime potential vineyard. The Boisset advice was clear: ‘You and Bella prepare these plots for planting, buy the vines from Pépinières Guillaume – the world’s best vine nursery - in north Burgundy, take the grapes to Ian Edwards (2012 English Winemaker of the Year) at nearby Furleigh Estate, who they had checked out, and if all goes well, we’ll buy the wine.’
With this encouragement, off we went and between 2009 and 2013 just over 10 hectares were planted: 55% Chardonnay with seven different clones, 25% Pinot Noir with four and 20% Pinot Meunier with two, on two different rootstocks – Fercal and 41B – matched to the climate and subsoil, for a total of 42,000 vines. My back-of-the-envelope prediction was, once the vines were mature after three or four years, to get a production of one bottle a vine. Compared to Champagne, this is very modest. So how have we done so far? The answer is not at all well, due to very short crops except for 2014. However the wonderful 2018 summer brought us almost 60,000 bottles, including our first still Chardonnay and Pinot
Noir, with more confidence for the future. Even the cold and rainy 2019 harvest produced our planned bottlea-vine and we will make a still Dorset rosé for summer drinking. Wine tourism is big across southern England and we have converted part of the stable block behind the house to offices, with a tasting room above and a Wine and Art Room with my collection of pictures, artefacts and awards where we can seat 30 for tastings or lunches. This opens onto our back garden, where visitors can spend pleasant moments, glass in hand. Ten years on, Bride Valley Vineyard is open for business, so please come and see us. bridevalleyvineyard.com bridporttimes.co.uk | 59
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60 | Bridport Times | December 2019
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Body & Mind
SING!
Jane Fox, Yogaspace
Satyajit Misra/Shutterstock
T
he grey skies and endless rain of recent weeks give way to a rare morning of sunshine as I sit to write this - a perfect metaphor for what singing does to us. Each year around Christmas in my childhood, my family would take a trip to London to see a musical. No easy feat with a big family and a 6-hour round trip. It started my love of singing and amazed me, as I always exited the theatre in another world, light-hearted and light-headed with song. It changed me. This led on to school choirs and adult singing lessons with Sammy Hurden in Bridport, for the sheer joy of it. Although I had no ambition to take it any further, I would walk in to my half-hour lesson one person and walk out another. Singing is part of most spiritual traditions and this time of year is synonymous with gathering and singing. With Diwali, Hannukah, Yule and Christmas there are many winter celebrations where we sing to express ourselves. ‘On a metaphysical level, when you sing, your heart opens. That’s why all religions and traditions have made so much of singing in their rituals. When the heart opens you feel good. It’s that simple.’ (Deva Premal) Singing changes the brain by moving musical 62 | Bridport Times | December 2019
vibrations through you, thereby altering both your physical and emotional landscape. It can have some of the same effects as exercise, such as the release of endorphins which give the singer a ‘lifted’ feeling. Research results show group singers have lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. It’s also an aerobic activity, meaning it gets more oxygen into the blood for better circulation, which tends to promote a good mood. In the yogic tradition there is the practice of chanting. As with all the yogic practices, the object is to melt, dissolve the layers or veils of illusion and return us to our hearts and our true nature. My first experience of chanting was very early on in my yoga journey. A dear friend invited me to go on a residential weekend in the UK to meditate and deepen my understanding of what yoga, in all its limbs, was about. Previously I had done a regular Hatha yoga class but that was the full extent of my yoga experience. I loved it and always felt great after a class, so I thought there was nothing to lose in diving in a bit deeper. However, on arrival at the centre where I was to spend the weekend, I did not feel peaceful and at ease. I felt very out of place and disconcerted. There were pictures
of Indian saints everywhere and shrines to lots of different deities. However, I had signed up so this was home for 2 days. On the evening we arrived the ‘satsang’ began with chanting in call and response. The musicians with a group of singers would sing a line in Sanskrit and then the rest of us would repeat this line. Back and forth in a rhythmic flow like waves of the ocean or our breath coming in and going out, and I soon began to get into it and lost track of time. When it ended we sat in meditation hearing the sounds of the chant in the silence and feeling it in our bodies. Despite feeling pretty uncomfortable most of the weekend, whenever we started the chanting, my eyes would close and I felt much more relaxed and something magic started to happen much like my childhood singing experience. “Chanting breaks down the difference between the inside and the outside. It’s about having a heart that never shuts down, that nothing can shut down.” Krishna Das Needless to say, 30 years later I am still listening to these chants, letting them work their magic alchemy, and I am immeasurably grateful to my teacher and Guru, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda. She says of chanting, ‘Singing in praise… connects one place to another, one heart to another. It uplifts your spirits. You receive a fresh spirit. On the Siddha yoga path this joyful sound is known as chanting.’ In one of her talks I remember her saying that if we felt nervous about a job, worried about a loved one’s health or fearful about a new change or challenge… Chant! Chant! Chant! Chanting moves us to a new space, away from the mountains and obstacles that clog up our consciousness, and allows us to be here, now. If the festive season begins to get you down or you are feeling overwhelmed by time constraints and jobs to be done, expectations to be met or dinners to be cooked, put on some music and sing. Or put on a yoga master and chant. Or go out and sing Christmas carols with friends! Bring yourself back to the innate joy that is always present inside of you. Sometimes we just have to sing our way through the labyrinths to find it. A happy and very joyful singing season to all! yogaspacebridport.com sammyhurden.com siddhayoga.org
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Interiors
66 | Bridport Times | December 2019
C
olour has a profound impact on our everyday lives. It connects directly to our emotions and is fundamental to our psychological wellbeing, influencing all of us on a deeply subconscious level. Picture a world without colour: views, sunsets, flowers and food all in shades of grey. Imagine not being able to express yourself through the colours you choose to wear or decorate your home with. Colour can nurture us, making us feel better about ourselves and better about the world around us. Every colour has both good and bad aspects, and everybody will react differently to each one depending on the way it is used and its underlying tone. Having said that, true grey (being a combination of only black and white) has no real positive effect on us, only negative, so it may seem odd that the use of greys in decorating has been so popular recently. Comforting and unchallenging, grey allows us to retreat from emotional noise in the world around us, enabling relaxation. Too much grey, however, without the beneficial influence of other colours, can be tiring and emotionally draining, making it difficult to find motivation. Think about how you feel on a dull, grey day. The three psychological primaries, red, yellow and blue, have the most distinct effect on us. All other colours are a blend of these three colours, so will demonstrate similar traits to a greater or lesser degree. As the first of the primaries, red has a physical effect on us. Energising and suggesting warmth and excitement, it has great visual impact as it forces our eyes to adjust as we look at it. Use too much or the wrong tone though and it can feel stressful, making it hard to relax and unwind. Yellow is directly linked to our ego and nervous system, influencing us on an emotional level. Think of the effect of a sunny day; yellow can lift our spirits. Positive and optimistic, it can really boost our self-confidence. Conversely, it can be emotionally draining, provoking feelings of anxiety and irritation. Often said to be the world’s favourite colour, we connect with blue on an intellectual plane. Darker, saturated blues are mentally stimulating, encouraging clarity of thought, whilst lighter tones are relaxing, invoking feelings of calm and serenity. However, like all other colours, it too has negative attributes and it can appear cold and aloof. By analysing global trends in fashion and politics, trend forecasters predict what people will want in the year to come. With so much influencing interiors recently, from the rise in popularity of house plants, a desire to connect with nature and increased eco-awareness and sustainability, it’s not surprising that a soft, delicate green, not unlike Farrow & Ball’s Cromarty, was recently named 2020’s Colour of the Year. Positioned right in the middle of the colour spectrum, green is balanced and restful, needing no adjustment to the eye to be able to see it. In fact, green is used in operating theatres because it rests the surgeons’ eyes when they have been over-stimulated after concentrating on so much red. As with all other colours though, green has both positive and negative connotations. It connects with nature, feels refreshing and can inspire harmony, but strike the wrong tone and it can represent decay and even make some people feel unwell. Colour psychology is a fascinating subject. Even a basic understanding of the subtle differences in the tonal properties of each colour will allow you to use them in beneficial ways, whichever colours you are thinking about using in your home. bridporttimber.co.uk
bridporttimes.co.uk | 67
Gardening
SMALL REWARDS Will Livingstone, WillGrow
T
here is no end to the gardener’s year. It is cyclical and takes no heed of the calendar. I am less drawn to spending the whole day outside in the dark and wet now, finding short, smaller jobs better when the sun breaks, such as tending to the containers of herbs outside our back door. However small, they too remind me how rewarding growing your own vegetables can be. Nothing tastes sweeter than vegetables you’ve grown yourself. You know where they have come from, what has been put on them and invariably, you have chosen what has been grown. The truth is, you don’t need acres of space to grow some of your own fruit and vegetables. The food that you pick at home will inevitably be amongst the most delicious you will ever eat. Some of this is scientific - as soon as you harvest your crop, all of those lovely sugars that the plant has been producing during growth will begin to revert to starch, so the quicker you eat what you have harvested, the sweeter and more delicious it will be. However, most of the enjoyment comes from that overwhelming satisfaction of success thanks to all your efforts. When choosing our dwellings, garden space usually comes secondary to the house itself, sometimes resulting in less than ideal outdoor areas. This poses a few problems to the keen home-grower. Your garden may not be south facing, limiting the yield and health of most food crops; it may be shadowed by a neighbour’s ghastly Leylandii hedge, sucking any remaining life from your soil; or it may be infested with a hoard of neighbourhood cats driving you to distraction. All is not lost however - there is always something you can grow successfully, despite adversity. Raised beds or pots can be the only option for growing in small spaces, allowing you to create a good soil media in the first season and avoiding the laborious task of improving what you have; sometimes in built up areas, you dig down to find only rubble and rubbish. I normally suggest building your raised beds to about seat height, 50cm or so. This will add an element of comfort
68 | Bridport Times | December 2019
to the jobs of planting, weeding and harvesting your raised bed. Make the centre of your bed arm’s length from the edge, meaning you can reach into the middle without walking on the soil, reducing compaction. Wood is usually the cheapest and easiest material to build your raised beds from although reclaimed bricks, blocks or corrugated tin can work as well. Avoid old railway sleepers as they can leech toxic creosote into your soil. I would suggest a blend of roughly 60% top soil and 40% compost, giving your plants a nice varied diet of mineral and organic matter. Be sure not to fill the bed up to the top as, in an ideal world, you will be adding more compost in following years. Build the raised bed directly onto bare ground, allowing worms to colonise and water to drain away, much like a well-placed compost bin. No need to line it. If you are growing in pots, make sure there are sufficient drainage holes and be aware that you will need to replenish the soil every two years or so, as nutrient depletion is inevitable. Container growing requires more care - you will need to be quite diligent with watering, as you have raised the soil surface away from natural ground level moisture. The edges of raised beds and the base of pots can be the perfect habitat for slugs and snails, so check regularly and remove. With a little research you will soon find that there are lots of creative ways to grow your own in a small space. I’ve tried potatoes in tyres, strawberries in wellington boots and thyme in olive oil tins; they all work, so get creative with your receptacles and an interesting urban garden will ensue. If you have limited space, grow what you use the most. Salads, soft herbs and strawberries are a good place to start, as they have shallow, fibrous roots which respond well to container growing. Tomatoes and chillies are firm favourites for the urban kitchen gardener but will need a sheltered, sunny position in order to thrive. If you have areas of partial shade, oriental greens, chard, kale, spring onions and spinach do quite well with only 5-6 hours of sun per day. willgrow.co.uk
bridporttimes.co.uk | 69
Gardening
Bublik Haus/Shutterstock
70 | Bridport Times | December 2019
A TREE IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS Charlie Groves, Groves Nurseries
W
e have finally made it! The team have done another great job of getting the shop ready with some fantastic displays and the Christmas trees are about to arrive and fill our car park once again. Christmas trees are a tradition dating back thousands of years and bring greenery into the house to cheer us during the darker winter months. The same thing goes for other evergreen plants such as holly and ivy. Mental health and wellness have been hitting the news headlines recently, not least with the Bridport Sunflower project that took place in October this year. The importance that plants can play in improving mental wellbeing has been shown many times. Green plants are a wonderfully calming thing to have around you and, in winter when perhaps you can’t get out in the garden and the leaves have fallen from the trees, they are probably more important than ever. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that one of the oldest Christmas traditions of all involves bringing plants indoors to cheer us up. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good Christmas tree. I have never had a year without one - from the days when my mum and dad would bring in one of the last trees in the car park to today, when we spend hours choosing just the right one with the girls. Trees have gone from dropping all their needles in a matter of days to ‘non-drop Nordmann Firs’ that (supposedly) hold on to their needles for weeks. They have a distinctive smell that can’t be beaten, especially in a cosy, warm room. However, I am starting to think it’s a bit wasteful (and a little bit sad) just to throw your tree out in January. The research on the carbon footprint of doing this seems confused at best. The main advice is to buy local and make sure you recycle, not just send to landfill. Unfortunately, the council seems to have stopped their Christmas tree collections but, where one man’s muck is another man’s brass, Weldmar Hospicecare Trust has stepped in. They run a recycling scheme and, for a small donation, they will collect your tree and recycle it (details
in our garden centre and on our website). Alternatively, you could try a pot-grown Christmas tree. These tend to be smaller, at least to start off with, but they can be nurtured and used again each year. This is a bit controversial I know, but I have often thought about getting the same hit of winter nature from a good-sized houseplant instead of a Christmas tree. These days we don’t have to rely on going into the forest and harvesting a hardy evergreen tree. Houseplants come in all different shapes, sizes, textures and colours to suit any room: floor-standing, shelfsitting, even hanging from the ceiling! You can still put lights and baubles on them, and even a fairy on top, but the great thing is, come Twelfth night, they will still be growing strongly (hopefully) and they will blend in nicely the rest of the year! Ficus benjamina, Kentia palms or Monstera make great floor-standing alternatives to a traditional tree. Calathea or Laurentii might be smaller but have interesting foliage that can provide that red festive feel if poinsettias aren’t your thing. Even succulents and cacti are bang on trend at the moment and require very little maintenance. Even if you don’t want to ditch the Christmas tree altogether (to be honest, I’m not sure either), getting more greenery into your home at this time of year is never going to be a bad thing, especially when the time comes for your beloved Christmas tree to head on up to that great big compost heap in the sky! Whatever your plans to cheer up your home this winter, I would just like to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers a Merry Christmas and to say thank you for your custom and support through a year that has been full of change for the garden centre. Hopefully next year will be much more settled as we make the most of all the changes made. grovesnurseries.co.uk
bridporttimes.co.uk | 71
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Legal
ARE DIAMONDS REALLY FOREVER? Karen Watts, Porter Dodson Solicitors
Aleona/Shutterstock
W
ith Christmas approaching, most of us are filled with excitement and anticipation for the festive period. For some, this may be even more so than usual. Statistics show that the festive period is the most popular time of year to propose. For most people, the thought of getting engaged is romantic and magical. However, there may be reasons why others are holding back. Everyone’s circumstances are different. You may be likely to inherit significant wealth, which you would like to protect, or this may be your second marriage and you want to ensure that your children’s inheritance is safe. There are, of course, many other reasons for financial prudence and it is only right to consider them. Protection can be sought through a prenuptial agreement. This is an agreement made before a marriage takes place. It sets out ownership of belongings, including money, assets and property, and explains how the belongings will be divided should the marriage break down. Although there is no legislation specifically governing prenuptial agreements, the existing law has been developed by the courts through case law. This means that, despite the fact that prenuptial agreements are not automatically legally enforceable, the courts will give great weight to them in financial remedy proceedings, provided you have one in place. Financial remedy 74 | Bridport Times | December 2019
proceedings determine who has what of the financial assets in the event of divorce. Following the decision of the Supreme Court in Radmacher v Granatino [2010], there are three important factors that, if satisfied, mean the court is more likely to uphold the terms of the agreement: 1 The agreement must be freely entered into. 2 The parties must have a full appreciation of the implications of the agreement (this usually means both parties must have access to independent legal advice). 3 It must be fair to hold the parties to their agreement in the circumstances prevailing. Moving forwards, the Law Commission has set out proposals for reform of prenuptial agreements. However, until the Government presses ahead with new laws, case law remains the source for the law on prenuptial agreements. Nowadays, there is a greater expectation that a court will uphold the terms of a prenuptial agreement, provided it meets the criteria set out by the Supreme Court in Radmacher v Granatino and the Law Commission. porterdodson.co.uk
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Community
BRIDPORT CHRISTMAS CHEER
C
Kathy Dare
ome and celebrate the arrival of Christmas at Bridport Christmas Cheer on Wednesday 4th December between 4pm-8.30pm. Soak up the festive atmosphere and get yourself into the seasonal mood. It’s going to be an evening of festival fun with a line-up of exciting activities and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. Many of the town’s retailers will be open for late-night shopping or you can purchase unique festive gifts of locallymade crafts and delicacies in the Christmas markets taking place in the Town Hall, Arts Centre and Electric Palace, as well as along West, East and South Street. The magical evening starts at 4pm when children from local schools will be singing Christmas carols in Bucky Doo Square and in the United Church in East Street. Local dance groups Perfect Pirouettes, Bridport 78 | Bridport Times | December 2019
Street Dance and Kelci’s Dance Academy will be performing in the Electric Palace. The highlight of the evening is sure to be the parade of children walking through the town carrying the lanterns that they have made with Bridport Community Artist, Mickey Bonomme. This year the entire school at Loders are participating, along with a few classes from Symondsbury, Bridport St Marys schools and also members from the day centre, Bridport Connect. The procession will make its way from Barrack Street to Bucky Doo Square, followed closely by Father Christmas, just in time for the Town Mayor to switch on the Christmas lights and for Santa to open his grotto. The procession ends at Borough Gardens where the lanterns will magically light a unique performance by No Limits, Bridport’s community inclusive performance group, of We
Timetable ____________________________________________ School Christmas Carols Bridport United Church 4pm
Salway Ash
4.15pm Symondsbury 4.30pm Loders 4.45pm
Burton Bradstock
Bucky Doo Square 4pm
St. Catherine’s
4.30pm
St. Mary’s
4.15pm
Bridport Primary
4.45pm Powerstock
____________________________________________ Dancing 4pm-5pm Perfect Pirouettes, Bridport Street Dance and Kelci’s Dance Academy in the Electric Palace
____________________________________________ Events 5.10pm Lantern Parade from Barrack Street to
Borough Gardens followed by a performance of We Are Star Stuff
6pm Father Christmas arrives in Bucky Doo Square. Christmas lights switched on by Town Mayor
6.10pm Santa’s Grotto opens (all children visiting will 6.20pm
receive a free gift)
Winners of ‘Best Shop Window’ announced
____________________________________________
Are Star Stuff with music by Andrew Dickenson. Other activities include live music by local musicians outside The Ropemakers, The Bull and on Bucky Doo Square, entertainment in the LSi and the museum. Also returning is the annual Christmas Tree Festival in the United Church, which invites local schools, charities, businesses and individuals to decorate a tree to be displayed in the church. ‘Christmas Cheer marks the start of the main countdown to Christmas. It is a very popular, free event in the town’s calendar, attracting both residents and visitors to the area. Not only is it a lovely evening out for all the family but also it gives local businesses a chance to showcase what they do and say thank you to their loyal customers,’ says Chairman of the Christmas Cheer Volunteer Committee and Bridport Town Surveyor, Daryl Chambers. All parking in car parks in Bridport will be free on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout December.
Live Music Bucky Doo Stage 5.15pm 6.30pm
St Swithun’s Band The Boogie Men
Outside The Bull, East Street 6pm
Mitch Norman and Band
7pm
The B-Sides
6.30pm Elfentale 7.30pm
Wyld Morris
Outside of Ropemakers, West Street 6pm
Jodie Glover’s Youth Group
7pm
Mitch Norman
6.30pm
Wyld Morris
7.30pm Elfentale
____________________________________________
bridportchristmascheer bridporttimes.co.uk | 79
Literature
LITERARY REVIEW Loved and reviewed by all at The Bookshop
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (Penguin Books, 2019) £16.99 Bridport Times Reader Offer Price of £14.99 at The Bookshop, South Street
A
s I meet with publishers throughout the year, I do so not only with an eye to what will appeal to customers of The Bookshop but also what I want to put in the window or choose as book of the week. I had been wondering for a while which book would be the perfect Book of the Month for December. I knew all along how special this particular book was, but it has been watching how our customers have reacted to it that made the decision for me. I thought that, rather than have one of us write an in-depth review as we usually do for the Bridport Times, each of us could contribute our thoughts. I hope this book speaks to you as profoundly as it has to Anne, Esmeralda, Nicky and me. Antonia Squire, The Bookshop
80 | Bridport Times | December 2019
A meeting between a boy with a head full of questions and a mole with simple but profound answers. By rescuing The Fox from a snare, disregarding the danger, The Mole displays the kindness that lies at the core of this book. It is also about friendship and when The Horse joins the group the quartet become one unit, full of strength and full of love for one another. There is so much simplicity here and yet the message hits you deep in your heart. It’s a story with a beginning and an end and yet it is a page of wisdom for each day, a handbook if you like, which you are encouraged to thumb, turn down pages in, scribble in, and treat as a new friend. The Mole’s wisdom brings an instant smile to my face and The Horse’s compassion a tear to my eye. The emotive artwork is impossible not to love and, as a firm advocate of illustrated books, I was immediately smitten. It is a perfect package of humour and sentiment which is enough to chase any storm cloud away. I could read it every day. Nicky
One facet of the magic of this book is the perfect balance of words and illustration. The hand-drawn, sketchy lettering suits the artwork so perfectly that you can’t help but fall headfirst into its pages. With a light touch and a soft heart, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is entirely special – compelling yet gentle, soulful yet minimal. Striking and unforgettable, and filled with phrases, snippets, and happenings that resonate long after you’ve read them, this unique book holds muchneeded warmth this winter. It will leave you with a sense of wonder. Esmeralda I find the illustrations in this book captivating; the drawing is wonderfully spare and sensitive. There is so much character evoked in the small, blob-like shape of Mole. Kindness comes across in his outline which I see as almost ‘felt’, like a hug. The Horse is all movement: the twitching tail, toss of the head and striding legs conveyed with a sweep of a line or the gesture of a squiggle. The Fox’s character is conjured almost solely through its magnificent brush and the long crouch of its backbone. The Boy (so often seen from behind or turning away) is
given feelings and character through the straightness of his back and the slight tilt of his head. The drawings are integral to the emotional simplicity and clarity of the characters’ friendships which emerge through the tale. As well as being beautiful to look at, this is a wise and generous book, to be much appreciated in today’s climate of distrust, greed and discord. Anne Once in a very great while a book comes along that we find ourselves connecting with deeply. I’m a bit of a cynic and while I loved the illustrations on sight, I was not prepared for the profound impact these simple truths would have upon me. Each turn of the page takes me deeper into the place where contentment rests, not always an easy space for me to be in. I tend to be a bit bolshy, quick to react so here I am Fox, but I can see the path to Mole, to Horse, to Boy. So far travelled, so far to go, but there will always be time for kindness, bravery, love and friendship; and, of course, time to stop for cake along the way. Antonia dorsetbooks.com bridporttimes.co.uk | 81
Literature
EXTRACT
EMPERORS, ADMIRALS AND CHIMNEY SWEEPERS: THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL NAMES OF BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS Peter Marren (Little Toller Books), £30
A
lthough I loved butterflies with a passion, I had never paid much attention to their nocturnal cousins until the day I bought The Observer’s Book of Larger Moths from the village shop. It cost five bob (25p, that is). Five bob to change your life! Probably I had been attracted by the Red Underwing on the cover. It resembled a big, dusky butterfly but with its bright wings tucked unexpectedly beneath mottled grey forewings, like a party frock hidden under a raincoat. I opened the book, which began with the hawk-moths, far more substantial and animal-like than any butterfly, and proceeded through a gallery of wonderfully named winged beings: kittens, prominents, tussocks, eggars, tiger-moths, lutestrings, footmen… One big moth was
82 | Bridport Times | December 2019
named after a lobster, and another after an old lady, and a big plump one at the back named after a goat. I remember a flash of realisation that my inner world – the one you stock like an iPad with all the good things in life: stories, songs, pictures – had just experienced a seismic shift. I felt like John Keats when he opened Chapman’s Homer: ‘Then felt I like some watcher of the skies/When a new planet swims into his ken.’ Weird and homely at the same time, these mothy names seemed to catch something about the personality of each species even when, on the face of it, they made little sense. Even when the moth was called a Lackey or a Vapourer or a Ghost Swift. The author of The Observer’s Book did not attempt to explain how these funny names came about. He was far more concerned to tell you where to find the moths and how to rear their caterpillars. In his concentration on strictly scientific pursuits, he was in no way unusual. The Observer’s Book was the prototype of field guides that illustrate all the butterflies and all the moths, and tell you where to find them, and at what time of year, but they rarely display the slightest interest in why a moth should be called ‘a drinker’, or what kind of imagination lay behind names like Beaded Chestnut or Brindled Green or High Brown Fritillary (did that mean it flies high, or what?). Perhaps there was an unspoken sense that common names were unscientific, and not particularly helpful. If butterflies and moths were to be named afresh, we would probably dispense with all the emperors and admirals and goats, and go instead for the baldly descriptive approach taken by whoever named the Large Blue or the Small White or the Poplar Hawk-moth. The Beaded Chestnut, for instance, would be reinvented as the Spotted Brown. For proper lepidopterists, common names were always a bit, well, common. Among your scientific peers you would use the scientific ‘Latin’ name, whose meaning would have been more familiar because Latin and Ancient Greek were on the curriculum of every public school. But few bothered to delve into the meaning of the Latin names either. They might have realised that certain butterflies were named after characters in Homer or Virgil or Ovid. But they were only names – that is to say, labels, a simple necessity to enable you to talk butterflies and do science. No one seemed much interested in finding out why the Red Admiral was called Vanessa, or why a harmless little bee hawkmoth was named after the terrible giant Tityos. That was, until Emmet came along. Lt. Colonel A. Maitland Emmet (1908–2001) was a rare combination of expert lepidopterist and classical scholar. He specialised in the difficult species, the so-called Microlepidoptera, and especially the smallest of them all, the fingernail-sized Nepticulidae or ‘neps’. He studied Greats (Latin, Greek and Philosophy) at Oxford, and later taught Latin, English and Ancient Greek at St Edward’s School in that city. He was therefore perfectly placed to explore and explain the Greek- or Latin-based scientific names of butterflies and moths, and he did so in great detail in his scholarly work, The Scientific Names of the British Lepidoptera. Their History and Meaning, published in 1991, the book that inspired A. S. Byatt to write her novella Angels and Insects. A friend remembers Emmet as a ‘larger than life’ character: intelligent, phenomenally hardworking, and generous with his knowledge. He was also a man with a ‘wicked’ sense of humour, and mildly addicted to sherry. A perfect combination of traits for a writer about esoteric and often humorous names. littletoller.co.uk
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Philosophy
MARY MIDGLEY
M
Kelvin Clayton, Philosophy in Pubs
ary Midgley, the English philosopher, would have celebrated her 100th birthday this September had she not died the previous October. To mark the occasion, the Bridport Philosophy in Pubs group decided to break with its usual format of focusing on a particular topic and instead, as (probably) a one off, act more like a book club by reading her final book, What Is Philosophy For? This book covered many of her favourite themes, including strong attacks on reductionism and scientism. Rather than directly talk about these themes and her defence of the humanities against what she viewed as a take-over by science, I would like to use this column to reflect on my personal reaction to her work which, I am embarrassed to admit, was new to me. Due to this ignorance of her work I had unthinkingly associated her with a particular approach to philosophy and made assumptions that turned out to be very wrong. Philosophy in this country tends to be taught and studied in one of two distinct ways. Approximately two thirds of UK universities align with an approach that is referred to as Anglo-American or analytic philosophy. This approach has a heavy emphasis on formal logic and generally argues that the truth of complex propositions is concealed by ordinary language, but that this truth can be revealed through a reductive analysis of these propositions. In other words, the truth or falsity of propositions can be verified by a careful, reductive analysis. As Midgley had taught and studied at some of the most prestigious universities in this country, universities that adopt this approach to philosophy, I had assumed that this was her approach as well. I could not have been more wrong. In addition to arguing against reductionism, this drilling down to the fine detail in the belief that that is where ‘the truth’ lies, she adopts an approach to philosophy that is often referred to as continental philosophy – continental because it is the approach adopted by most European philosophers. Rather than seeking a certain truth in the fine details of a problem, this approach acknowledges the complexity of the world and human existence and instead, in the words of Midgley, seeks, ‘creative discovery – the finding of new ways to understand the world.’ This approach is best described using one of her often-used metaphors – maps. We create maps to help us navigate the world. We do not pretend that maps reveal the truth of the world. Rather, through their focus on certain aspects of that world (say the road or footpath network, its geographical or geological features) they allow us to find our way about an otherwise overly complex environment. In this sense they are synthetic rather than analytic. They join up carefully selected aspects of our world in such a way that it makes more sense or enables particular problems to be solved. Philosophy, approached in this way, becomes a creative enterprise, one much more attuned to the arts and humanities than to the sciences. This is the philosophy I love. And, much to my joy, this is the philosophy that Mary Midgley loved. I can only apologise for my initial prejudice. The Bridport Philosophy in Pubs group meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month in The George Hotel, South Street at 7.30pm. Anyone can attend and propose a topic for discussion. Attending the discussion is free and there is no need for any background knowledge of philosophy. All that’s required is an open mind and a desire to examine issues more closely than usual. For further details, email Kelvin Clayton at kelvin. clayton@icloud.com
84 | Bridport Times | December 2019
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9. New ___ : Indian capital (5)
3. Swam like a dog (7)
10. Lubricate (3)
4. Measuring sticks (6)
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5. Coldly (5)
12. Resay (anag) (5)
6. Hawaiian greeting (5)
13. Gift of money (8)
7. Difficult and intricate (11)
16. Disease (8)
8. Mean (5-6)
18. Allow in (5)
14. Become tense (7)
21. Established custom (5)
15. Very young infant (7)
22. Long period of time (3)
17. Free from a liability (6)
23. Entice to do something (5)
19. Eg September (5)
24. Menacing (11)
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