Bridport Times June 2020 by Sherborne Times

J UNE 2020 | FREE

A MONTHLY CELEBR ATION OF PEOPLE, PLACE AND PURVEYOR

THINGS WE DID LAST SUMMER

bridporttimes.co.uk

WELCOME

his month’s edition, as did the last, comes to you from the garden bench. I have been sitting here so long that my toes have taken root, reaching deep into the clay soil. Blackbirds sit at my elbow and sparrows nest in my beard. Greenfly navigate my awkward topography while spiders spin webs on my face. A canopy of white wisteria, thick with the buzz of a billion bees, stretches a tendril around my shoulder and I am woven silently, willingly into the wilds of my garden. Meanwhile, the world steps blinking into the light, and the creatures – though arguably more able custodians – dart back into the shadows. What have we learned? What happens now? Will families still cycle the streets? Will we still sit and look for looking’s sake? Will we continue to help our neighbour and value, above all, those we had long taken for granted? Let’s hope we can hold on to our newfound patience, our reinterpretation of what is truly necessary and carry it with us into this next version of normal. This month, we revisit summers gone by, the people we met and the stories they told. It seems like only yesterday that we were rowing out of West Bay, hanging out with Mary Moore, keeping watch over Hive Beach and drinking tea with James Lovelock. How time flies. Take care. Glen Cheyne, Editor glen@homegrown-media.co.uk @bridporttimes

CONTRIBUTORS Editorial and creative direction Glen Cheyne Design Andy Gerrard @round_studio Sub editor Sadie Wilkins Photography Katharine Davies @Katharine_KDP Feature writer Jo Denbury @jo_denbury Editorial assistant Paul Newman @paulnewmanart Social media Jenny Dickinson

David Burnett

Anna Powell

The Dovecote Press

Sladers Yard

dovecotepress.com

@SladersYard @sladersyard

Kelvin Clayton

sladersyard.wordpress.com

@kelvinclaytongp greenthoughts.me philosophyinpubs.co.uk

Adam and Ellen Simon Tamarisk Farm @ tamarisk_farm

Dee Fenton

tamariskfarm.co.uk

Bridport Arts Centre @bridportarts

Niina Siwennoinen

@bridportarts

Dorset Wildlife Trust

bridport-arts.com

@DorsetWildlife @dorsetwildlife

Alison Ferris

dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre @CharmouthHCC

Elizabeth Sporne

charmouth.org/chcc

Clocktower Music @clocktower_music_bridport

Jane Fox

clocktowermusic.co.uk

Yoga Space @yogaspacebridport yogaspacebridport.com

Steven Spurrier Bride Valley Vineyard @BrideValleyWine

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

Kit Glaisyer @kitglaisyer

@bridevalleywine bridevalleyvineyard.com

@kitglaisyer kitglaisyer.com

Antonia Squire The Bookshop

Annabelle Hunt

@bookshopbridprt

Bridport Timber and Flooring

@thebookshopbridport

@BridportTimber

dorsetbooks.com

@annabellehuntcolourconsultant bridporttimber.co.uk

Ann Sydney Bridport Museum

Beth Kempton @bethkempton

@BridportMuseum bridportmuseum.co.uk

bethkempton.com

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 | June 2020

Emma Tabor & Paul Newman Gill Meller

@paulnewmanart

@GillMeller

@paulnewmanartist

@Gill.Meller

paulnewmanartist.com

gillmeller.com Chris Tripp Chris Onions The Old Dairy Kitchen @olddairykitchen

Dorset Diggers Community Archaeology Group dorsetdiggers.btck.co.uk

@olddairykitchen olddairykitchen.co.uk

Colin Varndell Colin Varndell Natural

Eddy Pearce @bridportlockdown

History Photography colinvarndell.co.uk

JUNE 2020

6 Community

64 Archaeology

86 Interiors

22 Arts & Culture

66 THINGS WE DID LAST SUMMER

88 Philosophy

44 History 48 Wild Dorset 58 Outdoors

78 Food & Drink 84 Body & Mind

90 Literature 94 Crossword

bridporttimes.co.uk | 5

COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY SERVICES ____________________________

Billa’s Kitchen

____________________________

Baboo Gelato Home

West Bay. Meat and vegetarian Indian

Bridget’s Market

meals served in microwaveable trays

stockists of eggs, cheese, organic milk,

Delivery of ice cream to addresses in

DT6, DT7 and DT8. Order via email

info@baboogelato.com with your phone number. Free delivery with a minimum order of 4 x 500ml tubs for £22. Visit

Thali cuisine for Saturday nights. All

East Street, Bridport. Greengrocers and

for heating. Menu on Facebook

baking goods, spices, etc. Also, pork

@BillaskitchenUK order by Thursday via messenger. Pick up between 5pm-6.30pm.

Facebook for flavours.

____________________________

Bothen Hill Farm

Balsons Butchers

Bothenhampton. Organic vegetable

West Allington, Bridport. All meat

locally sourced where possible. Local Spring lamb available. Sausages a

speciality. Exotic meats also available.

Collection and delivery 10% discount

____________________________ Bayside Bakery

boxes available. Collection and delivery

01308 427096 or message via Facebook.

____________________________ The Bridport Basket

the Farm Gate at 7 Green Lane, DT6

Local suppliers to your door including

being harvested – available direct from

Crepe Business Park, Symondsbury.

4ED, Modbury Farm Shop Burton

Mercato Italiano (cheese, cured meat),

Two Veg, Beaminster and Washingpool

richard@rjbalson.co.uk rjbalson.co.uk

local farm. Fruit bags and vegetable

growers. Asparagus and rhubarb now

Bradstock, Fruits of the Earth, Fruit n

given to NHS staff 01308 422638

sausages, chops and rolled joints from

Farm Shop. 01308 424271/07870 388304 bothenhill.co.uk

____________________________

Selected Grapes (wine), Wobbly Cottage (bread/pastry), Tamarisk Farm (veg), The Monmouth Table (fish dishes)

more favourites to be added. Home

delivery Wednesday and Friday. Visit

Bridport. Award-winning chocolate

Bradpole Village Store & Post

To see full range of what is available

Middle Street, Bridport. Providing

baysidebakery.co.uk

day including Sunday morning. Check

Open Thursday-Saturday evenings. To

____________________________

website for full details and to order

brownies gift boxes posted nationwide.

Office

and to buy visit their online shop

groceries and essentials, open every

Bridport Kebab House

Facebook page for opening hours.

pre-order ring 01308 456260

____________________________ BearKat Bistro

mercatoitalianoshop.uk 07827 524602

____________________________

Barrack Street, Bridport. Offering

Brassica

Broadwindsor Community Store

vegetarian dishes (£5 per meal) and

Shop

coffee 250g bags - house blend £6.95,

Beaminster. Takeaway or delivery £25

single origin £7.95 (decaf available)

min order. Free delivery Beaminster, £5 delivery within 8-mile radius.

Providing groceries and essentials, home

Order online by Wednesday 6pm

delivery service provided by volunteers to homes locally.

delivered to your door.

Email bearkatsupper@outlook.com

____________________________

for Friday deliveries 01308 538100

brassicarestaurant.co.uk/meals for menu.

____________________________ Burton Bradstock Post Office

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 newowners@dorsethideaways.co.uk dorsethideaways.co.uk 6 | Bridport Times | June 2020

COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY SERVICES and Farm Shop Delivery in the village, West Bexington, Swyre and Puncknowle, orders taken on Mondays between 9am and

12pm for deliveries on Wednesday

mornings, on Wednesdays between

homemade ready meals delivered

Curious Kumbucha

See Facebook for menu and details,

locally of their wholesome gut-friendly

chilled or frozen to reheat at home.

Bridport. Offering home delivery

phone before 2pm for next day delivery

kombucha. Phone 07907 123757 or

or collection. Daily except Sunday.

Minimum order for free delivery £25.

email curiouskombucha@gmail.com

____________________________

01308 301207/07973 631059

Dark Bear

897243 maydownfarmshop@aol.com

Chickenland and Pizza

group serves, spirit drams, beers, ciders

____________________________

chickenlandandpizza.co.uk for menu.

9am and 12pm for deliveries on Friday mornings. Minimum order £10. 01308

____________________________

maydownfarm.co.uk

Bridport. Open 5pm-11pm daily. Visit

Cafe Bean

01308 458800 Delivery order minimum

South Street, Bridport. ‘Café Bean

to go’ is open - pasties, sausage rolls,

£10 plus £1 charge within DT6. Orders minimum £13 plus +£2 charge outside

Bridport. Canned cocktails, bottled and cocktail kits delivered to your

home in the Bridport, Beaminster and

Dorchester area. For menu and to order darkbear.co.uk

____________________________

of Bridport.

Dexters

____________________________

Chideock Village Shop & Post

Catch of the Day

Office

collection Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Bridport. Live lobster, crabs, scallops

Groceries and essentials. Opening hours

around West Bay and Bridport. Posting

8am-7pm, Sunday 8am-1pm. 01297

baps, cakes and lots more - full social distancing in place.

and fresh fish. Delivering in and

daily on Facebook ’Catch of the Day’ where the van will be and what is

____________________________

- Monday to Friday 7am-7pm, Saturday 489584

____________________________

Beaminster. Open for takeaway

12pm-8.30pm and Sunday Carvery Takeaway service 12pm-4pm. Call

01308 863285 or 07807 231640 to place your order. Menu available to view on Facebook Dexters.

____________________________

available. We also take orders for any

Copsegate Farm

Dorset Nectar

fish you require ring 07851 649939 or message on FB. Cash only.

Whitchurch Canonicorum. Quality local

Waytown. Apple juice, craft ciders

____________________________

meat (all cuts of beef, pork, bacon and

sausage) and farm produce including free

Saturday 9am-6pm and available through

Chariot of Fire Bridport. Mobile wood-fired pizza oven run by the team from the White Lion

range eggs. Email copsegatefarm@gmail.

com for a full list of what is available and to order or call 07840 785783. FREE delivery

and beers. Farm shop open Monday -

their online shop. Free delivery within 10 miles 01308 488382 dorsetnectar.co.uk

____________________________

for orders over £20 in a 6 mile radius.

Dorshi

pizzas. Loders - Wednesday, Beaminster

Coriander

of the items are sauces, spices, blends

Seatown – Saturday. For menu times and

delivery available 01308 428262

Bridport and Anchor Seatown. Visiting local villages in the evenings with their

____________________________

- Thursday, Lyme Regis - Friday and

South Street, Bridport. Indian takeaway

to pre-order: chariotoffire.co.uk

____________________________

Crown Inn

Cherry Tree Preserves

Uploders. Supplying essential items,

Bridport. Producers of the finest quality

chutneys, preserves, condiments and now suppliers of cheese! Available to order online cherrytreepreserves.co.uk

____________________________ Cherries Ice Cream Parlour West Bay veg and fruit boxes, meats, dairy, bread, dry goods and Cherries’

milk, bread, eggs, butter, frozen foods,

soups etc. for Uploders residents with a

Bridport. Operating a Mini-Mart. A lot that they make in the restaurant that can

be used as marinades, stir-fry and sauces. Visit @eatdorshi on Facebook for menu and price list. To order 01308 423221 during opening times for a collection slot.

____________________________

delivery service. Pie night on Wednesday,

Eype Eats

collection 5.30pm-7pm. Ring Karin &

shop offering a limited selection of cakes,

fish & chips on Friday. Time slots for

Eype House. Caravan park. New cake

David on 01308 485356 for details or

cream teas and ice cream for take away.

follow on FB crownuploders.co.uk

____________________________

Visit @eypeeats on Facebook for more information.

bridporttimes.co.uk | 7

COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY SERVICES ____________________________ Felicity’s Farm Shop

Fivepenny and Bothenhill. Collection

Green Yard Café

____________________________

takeaway breakfast and lunch choices.

and home deliveries. 01308 425827

Bridport. Open from 9am-2pm for

with deliveries locally. Monday to

Furleigh Estate

Visit @thegreenyardcafe of Facebook

local produce and food-to-go including

delivery. ‘Say thank you’ - a bottle of

Morcombelake. Shop open 9am-2pm Saturday. Home-reared pork, other

Wine collections, 25% off and free

savoury pies and cake. Telephone orders

Furleigh wine with fresh flowers from

until 5pm 01297 480930

____________________________ Five Bells Inn Whitchurch. Takeaway meals - scampi, cod, sausage (inc. vegan) or chicken

breast chunks (all with chips). Place

orders by 2pm. Collect between 4pm-

6pm. 01297 489262. Leave message on

for menu. Call 01308 459466 / 07495 517280 to pre-order.

____________________________

Dorset’s Seasonal Flower Company -

The Greyhound Inn

DT8, DT1. Order by Wednesday

Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings

from £20. Free delivery to DT6, DT7,

Beaminster. Takeaway menu available

lunchtime for weekend. Wine shop

(5pm-8pm) with collection and home

open Monday to Friday 11am-5pm for delivery or drive-through collections furleighestate.co.uk

____________________________

delivery to Beaminster only. Order by

phone 01308 863783 by 4pm. Menu on Facebook @thegreyhoundbeaminster

____________________________

answerphone. Delivery can be arranged

Gelateria Beppino

Half Moon

for those unable to get out.

____________________________

Bridport. Open for takeaway coffee,

Melplash. Takeaway and delivery

Ford Farm Cheesemakers

gelatos and cakes Monday-Saturday

from 9am. Home delivery Friday and

Sunday lunch roast. For menu and pre-

Litton Cheney. Traditional farmhouse

cheddar makers, producing three quarters of the UK’s volume. Buy-online fordfarm.

Saturdays - gelato boxes, cheese scones,

kale & pinenut rolls, arragostine, pasteis de nata. Minimum order £10 phone for

available Thursday - Saturday and

order visit halfmoonmelplash.co.uk/food or call 01308 488 321 to pre-order.

____________________________

orders 01308 422856.

Hangers Dairy

Framptons Butchers

George Inn

Bridport. Shop open Monday - Saturday

Chideock. Wood-fired pizzas on Thursday

Can also supply eggs, bread, fruit juices,

(minimum order £10) 6 days a week:

Wednesday. Scones with jam and cream

com/the-shop

____________________________

8am-3pm. Free local home delivery

fresh and cooked meats, sausages, pies, eggs, cheese, chutneys and essential

vegetables. Order in the morning to

receive the same day. For collection or

delivery call 01308 422995 or message via Facebook.

____________________________ Fruit ‘n’ Two Veg

____________________________

nights from 5pm-8pm. Order by 5pm

or cheese scones with chutney and cheese available for collection on Saturdays and

North Mills Trading. Bridport milkman. flavoured milks, cheese, butter and

yoghurt. See Facebook page for product list. For collection and delivery call 01308 423308

____________________________

Sundays from 2.30pm-5pm – 24-hour

Hive Beach Café

489419, email georgeinnchideock@gmail.

For menu visit FB @hivebeachcafe

notice required. Order via phone 01297

Burton Bradstock. Open for takeaways.

com FB @theGeorgeInnChideock. Pay

____________________________

over the phone. Delivery available to

The Hare & Hounds

____________________________

(Waytown, Uxbridge and Netherbury)

residents of Chideock.

Waytown. Knock & Drop local delivery

2pm weekdays. Offering a limited

The George

including Sunday roast £8. Phone for menu

to those isolating. Orders for this service

Saturday 12pm-8pm. Offering home-

Beaminster. Shop is open from 9.30amnumber of volunteer-led local deliveries

West Bay. Takeaway menu Monday to

via phone 01308 863085

cooked food and pub favourites, also hot

Hogs Hill Stores

visit Facebook @georgewestbayharbour.

7 days a week also offering a collection and

____________________________ Fruits of Earth Victoria Grove, Bridport. Wholefoods and fresh organic vegetables supplied by local farms including Tamarisk, 8 | Bridport Times | June 2020

and times. Delivery only 01308 488203

____________________________

& cold drinks for takeaway. For menu

Beaminster. Groceries and essentials. Open

Pre-order via Facebook, email info@

home delivery service. Call 01308 863353

georgewestbay.com or call 01308 423191 ____________________________

or email karenallen1970@hotmail.co.uk to place your order.

COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY SERVICES ____________________________ Hollis Mead Organic Milk Beaminster. From Westcombe Farm, Hook. Milk available from self-serve

vending machines at Bailey & Son, 1

West Bay. Open Wednesday – Sunday,

Farm Shop, Morcombelake. 07432 156245

Collection and home delivery service.

____________________________

5pm-9pm. Menu on Facebook.

judith.libertydairy@btinternet.com

Payment by phone 07879 338060 £3

Lime Tree Deli

____________________________

delivery service. Biscuits, jams, chutneys,

delivery surcharge for orders under £50.

West Street, Bridport. Free home

Commercials, Mosterton DT8 3HG.

K. Yeuns Chinese Takeaway

chocolates and of course, delicious

____________________________

co.uk Please order by phone and collect

Broadwindsor Road, DT8 3BH and Fry’s Refilled daily. hollismeadorganicdairy.co.uk

Bridport. Menu on Facebook and kyuen.

Holy Cow Organic Milk

01308 421992.

Salway Ash. Self-serve vending machine

____________________________

open 7am-7pm. Card payment only. 1

L & F Catering Fish & Chip Vans

£2 on site or bring your own container.

Drimpton, Corscombe, Puncknowle,

cheese! Friday and Saturdays - Cheesy Night In: bottle of prosecco, selection of 4 cheeses & crackers with chutney

and olives delivered to your home £25. Message via Facebook or call 07799

litre bottles available to purchase for

Visiting Salway Ash, Broadwindsor,

Local cheese, butter eggs, bacon,

Burton Bradstock, Powerstock and

Little Pearl

times. Pre-order the day before by text

bringing you fresh fish, hand-dived scallops

yogurt and apple juice also available. holycoworganic.co.uk

____________________________ Hungry Mule Bridport. Offering DIY dinner parties

267653 limetreedeli.co.uk

____________________________

Bradpole. Follow on Facebook for visit

West Bay. Commercial fishing boat

07803 257674. Pay by card on the night

and pot-caught crab and lobster, available

or BACS over the phone.

____________________________

from harbourside to people adhering to

social distancing. Like our Facebook page,

delivered by their Ready Mule Express.

Leakers Bakery

Friday and Saturday. 30 minutes oven

Open Monday to Friday 7am-1pm

Longs Fish & Chips

Monday - Friday morning. Home

5pm-8.30pm Thursday 5pm-8.30pm,

Little Pearl, for updates and times.

Changing weekly menu, served every

East Street, Bridport. Artisan bakers.

to table! Menu available on Facebook

and 6am-1pm on Saturday. Delivering

Bridport, Kings Street. Open Wednesday

delivery free within a three-mile radius

Friday 12pm-2pm, 5pm-8.30pm,

or instagram @hungry_mule or 07769 227116 to order.

____________________________ Ilchester Arms Symondsbury. Takeaway menu available

of the store. Orders 01308 423296

between 7am-12pm for next day delivery. ____________________________

____________________________

Saturday 12pm-2pm, 5pm-8.30pm. Order and pay by phone 01308 423199. Orders will be taken in the takeaway area but

for collection or home delivery – Bridport,

Leando’s Pizza

Wednesday evenings - selection of

pizzas with some locally-sourced

The Market House Inn

and Instagram. At Salway Ash Village

Friday and Saturday 4.30pm-8pm for

only allowing two customers at a time.

West Bay, Chideock and Symondsbury.

Beaminster. Serving Neapolitan style

different ploughmans, Friday & Saturday

ingredients. Menu available on Facebook

Bridport. Takeaway menu Thursday,

Hall Tuesday and Thursday, Beaminster on

collection or delivery. Free delivery to

evenings menu - pub favourites. For

menu visit Facebook or Instagram @

ilchesterarmssymondsbury. Call 01308 422600 to order and pay for delivery.

____________________________

Saturday from 4.45pm-9pm. Order online and book: leandospizzas.setmore.com/

____________________________

people aged 70 and NHS workers. £2.50 charge outside a 3-mile radius. Menu

available to view and order on Facebook

Kernow Pantry West Street

Liberty Dairy

Bridport. Pasties, turnovers and sweets.

Organic Dairy Farm

Frozen pasties always available, cooking

milk through vending machines. The cows

The Marquis of Lorne

on-site before being delivered to retailers

roast on Sundays - order in advance

@themarkethouseinnTMHI 01308

459669 info@themarkethouseinn.co.uk

Free local delivery for order of £10.

Halstock. Providing non-homegenised

for Saturday. Order and pay via card

are milked at 7.30am. Milk is pasteurised

Nettlecombe. Takeaways available,

the same day. Visit Stella at Bridget’s

via phone 01308 485236, email info@

07385 168355. Menu on Facebook.

____________________________ Klin Klan Thai Cuisine

Market Bridport or Martha at Felicity’s

____________________________

marquisoflorne.co.uk or on social media. bridporttimes.co.uk | 9

COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY SERVICES ____________________________ MacSorsons Fish Van Fresh local fish, smoked fish and shellfish

(collection only) Moores famous Dorset

as well. Please call for more information

order online. Open Monday to Friday

____________________________

Knobs, biscuits, cereals, etc. available to

01308 422794. Collection only.

9am-4pm. moores-biscuits.co.uk

S J Norman’s Butchers

regulations 2020. Collection only 01297

Moore than Tea

deliver cheese, eggs etc. £25 meat deal

____________________________

afternoon tea. Free delivery within 6-mile

stall. Continuing to operate in Bridport market under the essential needs (food)

____________________________

32253 macsorsons@hotmail.com

Bridport. Meals on wheel service and

Mercato Italiano

radius minimum order £10 see Facebook/

Crepe Farm Business Park, Bridport. Italian delicatessen. Bridport Market Wednesday and Saturday. Collection and home delivery service. 07827

524602 hello@mercatoitaliano.uk or

Instagram for menu. Call 07852 273575

courier deliveries. Operating a free

Bridport. Online orders for UK wide

____________________________

local delivery service using their own

MDS Meats

Local home doorstep deliveries. Order by

palmerswinestore.com

____________________________ The Parlour

on line morrishandbanham.com

service Wednesday, Friday and Saturday

mark@morrishandbanham.com or order

Burton Bradstock. Pizza takeaway

____________________________

evenings plus Sunday roast. Also

Naturalife

____________________________

supplies, shop open 9am-5pm home

mdsmeats@gmail.com

Bridport. Groceries and essential

Modbury Farm Shop

delivery service phone or visit their

fresh milk from our own Jersey cows,

vehicles to DT6, DT7 & DT8 area

phone 01305 261480, message or email

delivery 01308 427152 / 07939 244678

Burton Bradstock. DT6 4NE. Supplying

____________________________

moorethantea.co.uk

Merchants

savouries a speciality. Collection and

about our products and offers. Palmers Wine Store

____________________________

locally. Boxes available. Pies and

ring 01308 423618 for more information

deliver. Cash or card accepted on delivery.

Morrish & Banham Wine

Butchers who raise their own meat

available. Message via Facebook page or

with orders before 11.30am and we will

message via Facebook.

North Mills Trading Estate, Bridport.

Bradpole. Free home deliveries, can also

Facebook page for details. 01308 459690 ____________________________

plus beef, pork and local produce and

New Inn

elderly or those in self isolation within

to Saturday. Order by 5pm for home

wholesome homemade ready meals, which can be reheated or frozen for a later date, for collection Thursday,

Friday or Saturday. Wine also available. Free delivery (£20 min order) within 3-mile radius or £2. For menu go to

theparlour-bredyfarm.com or Facebook

vegetables. Open daily. Delivery to the

Stoke Abbott. Takeaway menu Tuesday

the Bride Valley, at no extra cost. Phone

delivery or collection. Menu on

Pineapple Estate Community

newinnstokeabbot.co.uk

Salway Ash. Supplying essential

The Monmouth Pantry

Nick Tett Butchers

Regular pop-up at Soulshine, Bridport.

Beaminster. Orders taken daily, delivery

meals, tinned goods, eggs, etc. To

4pm, get your order delivered to

and cooked meats and ready frozen meals

01308 897193 and leave a message with name and phone number.

____________________________

Order your delicious meal by Wednesday your door on Friday. Reheat and eat!

Minimum order £15. Free delivery with

£45 spend, otherwise £5 delivery charge

on all orders. Visit monmouthpantry.co.uk for menu choices, to order and pay.

@theparlourbredyfarm

____________________________

website and Facebook. 01308 868333

Shop

____________________________

groceries, dairy products, frozen ready

Tuesday to Saturday. Locally-sourced, fresh available from butchers in Beaminster and at Bradpole Village Post Office.

Visit Facebook for menu. Free delivery to

option 1. Let us know what you need

and we will do our best to make up an order for you.

____________________________

surrounding area (minimum order £10). To

Prohibition Pizza Club

____________________________

delivery. Thursday to Sunday 5pm-

order and pay call 01308 862253.

Bridport. Pop up wood-fired pizza

Moores Craft Bakery

Nina’s Greengrocers

Morcombelake. Bread & cakes

Bridport, South Street. Lots of stock! Eggs

9pm. Free delivery in Bridport. Please

____________________________

10 | Bridport Times | June 2020

telephone for deliveries outside Bridport.

COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY SERVICES Please see our Facebook page for menu

delivery to your door. Family-run farm

Collection on Saturday (allocated

____________________________

Message on Facebook or call 07769

reheating instructions. Home delivery

and to pre-order. Cash only. 07837 39112 Punch and Judy

West Street, Bridport. Traditional bakers.

and regulars at Bridport Food Festival. 187456 samspigs.co.uk

____________________________

collection times), food provided with

available for those unable to leave home.

____________________________

Shop and home deliveries. Sourdough

Samways Fish Shop

Straight Off The Boat West Bay

a speciality. Now offering a cream tea

in a box for 4 and a savoury box for 4.

West Bay. Open Wednesday to Sunday

A new initiative by West Bay fisherman

Visit Facebook for menu and order or

10am-4pm. Home deliveries available 01308 424496

bought and delivered to you from the

call 01308 423384. Free home delivery

____________________________

in Bridport, Beaminster and surrounding

Selected Grapes

____________________________

fantastic wine in stock. Orders of 12

to enable their catch of the day to be

Quayside. App available to download

Straightofftheboat. Follow on Facebook

areas after 4pm.

St Michael’s Trading Estate. Plenty of

Rawles Butchers

bottles or more receive 10% discount.

Spice ‘n’ Rice

Bridport, Beaminster, Axminster and the

Wednesday and Friday. Minimum order

East Street, Bridport. Traditional family butchers. Open Monday – Saturday,

7am-2pm. Free home delivery, minimum spend £25. See Facebook page for offers. For more information and to order call 01308 427590

Now offering home deliveries Monday,

surrounding area. Ring 01308 427177

£20. Menu and order via stophereforcurry.

or email info@selectedgrapes.co.uk for a details and a list.

____________________________ Shave Cross Inn

Red Brick Café

Shave Cross. Takeaway/delivery of

Meat, vegetarian and vegan takeaway

- see Facebook or Instagram for menu.

____________________________

Operating a delivery-only, free service to

____________________________ St Michael’s Trading Estate, Bridport.

to keep up to date.

food, bread and shopping essentials to

immediate area ring 07508 310180 email tom@foxandowl.co.uk

co.uk. Pay on order or on delivery. All orders cooked fresh in the morning

delivered in the afternoon 1pm-4.30pm. Heat and serve or put in the freezer.

Check Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

on Thursdays for menu, to order and pay. Delivered to your door on Fridays.

____________________________

Soulshine Café

takeaway and delivery. Order by phone

Skilling Stores

Bridport. Takeaway service ‘Saturday

between 6.30pm-7.30pm. Also Saturday

groceries and essentials 01308 424434

Open Friday and Saturday evenings for before 5.30pm for delivery/collection

Bridport. Convenience store selling

11am-2pm for takeaway and delivery

____________________________

(3-mile radius). Minimum order £6 (cash

Sophia’s Choice

____________________________

& Saturday 10am-1pm. Stocking organic

only) 07868 752329 / 07837 186313

Beaminster shop open Tuesday, Thursday

RopeMakers

and natural brands including specialist

Bridport. Takeaway Sunday roasts £10:

pork, beef, slow roasted beef brisket and nut roast (VG) with all the trimmings.

To order phone 07983 611204 from 4pm Thursday to 10am Saturday and pay by

card. Available for collection or delivery,

teas, coffee, dairy free milk, dried fruit,

Cafe or delivery within 3-mile radius. Order by 12pm Saturday. Pay cash on delivery/collection or via PayPal.

____________________________

co.uk for orders and deliveries

available, Tuesday to Sunday, in

Askerwell. Takeaway and deliveries

sophiaschoice.co.uk

Askerwell, Bridport, Burton Bradstock

____________________________

Sunday roast. Menu updated every

free) also mutton and beef available for

Collect from front door of Soulshine

The Spyway Inn

Sam’s Pigs and sausages (gluten and preservative

Facebook message or call 01308 422 821.

07525 662888 and info@sophiaschoice.

The Station Kitchen

Halstock. Freshly produced pork cuts

on Facebook @soulshinecafe. Order via

nuts, wholemeal, etc. as well as essentials.

every Sunday from 12pm-2.30pm.

____________________________

Night at Home!’ menu available to view

West Bay. Weekend takeaways and

and Shipton Gorge. See Facebook

page for menu. Takeaway and delivery 01308 485250

____________________________

Sunday, visit thestationkitchen.

Stephie’s Eggs

sausageandpear.co.uk by Friday morning.

Bridport Market (outside of Smith &

co.uk/takeaway. Order via station@

South Street. Free range eggs sold on

bridporttimes.co.uk | 11

COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY SERVICES Smiths, West Street) Wednesday and

Burton Bradstock. Takeaways: Thursday

Facebook page. Collection and delivery

service. Call 07831 615542

and chips, burgers, Sunday roasts. Order

____________________________

Saturdays - delivery and collection

____________________________ Sumtum Thai Café & takeaway. Free home deliveries in 3 mile radius (minimum order £30)

01308 420004 thaitakeawaybridport.co.uk

curry night, Friday pub favourites - fish the day before by 5pm and pick up

Westleaze Farm

2.30pm. Call 01308 897259, payment

packs available at the farm gate or

between 6pm-8pm or on Sunday, 12pm-

Beaminster. Farm fresh eggs and meat

by card.

delivered to homes in Beaminster, by

____________________________

Washingpool Farm Shop

Sundorbon Indian

Bridport. Open Monday – Friday

South Street, Bridport. Home deliveries within 7 mile radius of Bridport, open every day from 5pm. Visit sundorbon.

co.uk, call 01308 425266 or message via Facebook to place order.

____________________________ Symondsbury Kitchen Open for Thursday takeaways. Different menu every week. Pre-order and either

collect or have home delivered. Call San on 07701 289315 between 10am-4pm

01305 259135 westcountrycatch.com

8am-4pm, Saturday 8am-3pm. Order

and collect service available. New veg/

fruit box available for Tuesday delivery

prior arrangement only. Follow on

Facebook @westleazefarm for details of availability. Order via telephone or text to 07768 865094. Collect from farm gate on Thursdays.

____________________________

in Bridport area, different contents each

Windy Corner

every Wednesday. Email orders to info@

10am-2pm. Social distancing in place

week, posted on website and social media

West Bay. Open for takeaway from

washingpool.co.uk with your phone

with limited staff (all from the same

number and we will call you back to

confirm and take payment washingpool. co.uk/farm-shop

____________________________

household). Telephone orders welcome 01308 459221 or Facebook messages Windy Corner Cafe @kirstysmith08

____________________________

before midday on Wednesday. Deliveries

Waste Not Want Not

The Wobbly Cottage Bakery

5.30pm- 6.30pm. Collect 6pm–7pm. For the week’s menu visit symondsburyestate.

South Street Bridport. Organic,

Broadwindsor. Bakery open at

co.uk/offers/thursday-takeaway

unpacked, plant-based wholefoods and personal care products. Open

– Saturday, 10am-4pm. Free delivery

____________________________ Taj Mahal East Street, Bridport. Takeaways on

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 6pm for collection and

FREE home delivery service for orders

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10.30am-2.30pm. Order online at

wastenotwantnotbridport.co.uk or by

phone 07775 380797 for collection and home delivery.

Broadwindsor Craft Centre Wednesday within a 10-mile radius. Minimum order £10. See Facebook or phone for product list. Delivery only 07368 200249 (Dani) 07488 313857 (Rich)

____________________________

This list is compiled and kept up to

of £20 minimum within a 3-mile radius

West Bay Tea Rooms

date by the Bridport Local Food

of Bridport. As well as usual takeaway

Group on their Bridport Food

menu, there are 2 special menus based

Offering afternoon tea delivered to your

upon popular choices. £20 each for 2

door. Menu includes sandwiches, sausage

rolls, scones with jam & cream, cakes, soft

people. tajmahalbridport.com

____________________________ The Three Horseshoes Powerstock. Providing village shop

services with the following on offer

drinks and Clipper tea. For menu and to

order, email westbaytearoom@gmail.com or on Facebook. Order before 12pm on

Friday for delivery on Saturday or Sunday. ____________________________

- fresh meats, chicken, fish, sausages,

West Country Catch

as well as a selection of frozen meals and

caught seafood. Free home delivery

bacon, dairy produce, eggs, fruit & veg,

Chickerell, Weymouth. Fresh, locally-

other essentials 01308 485328

for customers in and around Bridport,

____________________________ Three Horseshoes 12 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Dorchester, Lyme Regis and Weymouth for orders over £20. Check their

Festival website tiny.cc/bridport

TAKE YOUR TIME

AVAILABLE ONLINE sherbornetimes.co.uk bridporttimes.co.uk

bridporttimes.co.uk | 13

D I S C O V E R | E AT | S H O P

Welcome to Symondsbury Estate, set in the beautiful Dorset countryside just a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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... ... Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it time you discovered Symondsbury Estate?

S TAY | C E L E B R AT E

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

Community

BRIDPORT LOCKDOWN Eddy Pearce

16 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Image: Jennifer Dixon bridporttimes.co.uk | 17

Image: Pauline Kenny

Image: Louise Allen

one of us need reminding that the times through which we are living are full of the strange and new. We are all having to learn fast how to live life at a different pace, with different freedoms, and to see through different eyes. Yet, at the same time, many elements of our ‘normal’ lives are enhanced – the time we spend with those very closest to us, or our relationship with our homes, workplaces, food, belongings, and health amongst many others. To bring the changes together to a ‘new normal’, we have had to adapt and become creative in how we live and how we spend our time. The Bridport Lockdown project initially came from a tiny idea for a photographic portrait of one person. This quickly evolved into a far wider-reaching idea to record these changes, normalities, and creativities into a shared archive of life, right now, in Bridport and the surrounding area. My family had been running some regular errands for a wonderful, elderly, local resident while he was isolating. 18 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Image: Neil Barnes

Image: Jennifer Dixon

We had never met previously and each time I saw him, he was framed within his front doorway. Beyond him, was a small glimpse into his home – his fridge, the tins of soup on top, the living room beyond – not much, but plenty enough to tell a story. A perfect portrait opportunity - not just to record an image, but to capture his story and his part in this evolving history. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that we all have these stories to tell right now and we are all seeing different sides to the lives of others. A call to Dorset History Centre, who keep the archives for Dorset Council, really opened my eyes to how interesting and useful it could be to find a way of using photos to tell the stories which will become the history of this time, for both current and future generations. They were keen to support the project and to use it to add to the Covid-19 archives which they aim to create. History isn’t something that happened, it is something that is happening and, right now, this is more obvious than ever. The details of our lives, the >

Image: Kay Joy

Image: Jewels Evans

Image: Elizabeth James

Image: Emma Greenshields

Image: Chris Hilton bridporttimes.co.uk | 19

Image: Eddy Pearce

Image: Emma Greenshields 20 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Image: Helen Wrixon

world around us, at home, and at work, our thoughts, our feelings, and our struggles are all a part of this history. As I spoke to more people, support and enthusiasm for the idea grew. So, I pulled in the help of some friends and, with the approval of a number of local organisations including hospitals, town councils and charities, just jumped in… Website, Instagram and Facebook pages were up quickly and are growing daily. Photos, and the thoughts or tales behind them, are now rolling in regularly – these are eye-opening, heart-warming, and occasionally heartwrenching and give a chance to look into other people’s lives thanks to their openness and honesty. Social media has been a great way to engage with people and to spread the word. However, each platform has a particular demographic and many people live their lives blissfully free of social media or even fully off-line. So, we have been contacting local groups, clubs, businesses and other organisations to use existing networks to reach as wide a cross-section of local life as possible. Although it is based around photos, this is not a photography project, or an art project, it is just a record of life. We have all heard how a picture can paint 1000 words, however, the reality is that the photos which

truly achieve that are few and far between. Good photography is something that we absolutely encourage (there is a section on the website with insights and tips for photography learning and inspiration) but, it is in no way essential – your story or honest thoughts are the real gold inside this project. We really encourage everyone to share, however much they feel able, by sending in their photos and writing a few words to go with them. There is plenty of additional information in the FAQ section of the website and a link to the simple form which we have set up with the Dorset History Centre to ensure that EVERY submitted photo ends up as part of their Covid-19 archive. A selection of the photos sent in are also featured on the social media pages and, when appropriate, will become part of a public exhibition. Much of our lives are now lived behind closed doors, away from others, or shielded from the outside world. We hope that this project helps to connect local people beyond these barriers and to create a snapshot of a unique time. Submissions ongoing. bridportlockdown.org @BridportLockdown @BridportLockdown bridporttimes.co.uk | 21

Arts & Culture

BAC TO THE FUTURE Dee Fenton, Operations Manager, Bridport Arts Centre

aving worked at the Arts Centre for almost twenty years, what I miss most at this time in our lives is what everyone is missing — people. This organisation is people-based, and we work hard to make your experience the best it can be whenever you walk through our doors. A pleasure shared, easy familiarity and a diverse mix of artists and entertainment from all over the world is now glaringly absent since our doors temporarily closed. Culture during Covid-19 has forced us down a very different road, but we are determined Bridport Arts Centre will return stronger than before. Though the Arts Centre is closed, the work never stops. We are busy behind the scenes rescheduling performances and innovating future events. Former Director, Chris Huxley, described us as ‘an Arts Centre with a town running through it.’ People are woven into the story of us and we do not want to let our Bridport 22 | Bridport Times | June 2020

family down. We always have been a community-based venue and remain a vital, robust conduit to local art and culture; that will never change. BACStage

The internet really is a gift right now; a way to stay connected and access aspects of our lives before lockdown. Drama teacher Bryony Moores O’Sullivan, mentored by Niki McCretton, leads our BACStage Youth Theatre for 12 to 18 year olds. Bryony is running virtual improv sessions with existing members via Google Meet. Contact Bryony at bryonymos@icloud.com Art works

The Allsop Gallery is a truly wonderful space – airy and light with the feel of a major gallery. We’ve been extremely fortunate to host some incredible art, as well

to an audience and then collect a cheque at the end of the day. Being with other winners and celebrating that day was a really proud moment, although the award’s lunch was wasted on me as I was too nervous to eat. The Arts Centre sprang to life thanks to the passion and vision of Peggy Chapman-Andrews and the first trustees. Peggy set up the Bridport Prize as a fundraiser and the competition has grown to become highly respected within the publishing industry. The connection lives on through Peggy’s son, Peter Chapman-Andrews, and his family. Continuity is what this Arts Centre is all about. Whether you’ve bought a ticket to a show, carved a pumpkin, attended a workshop or watched pottery being thrown in the gallery, you have supported us. We are resolute in continuing as a family-friendly venue. We are also dementia-friendly and our morning films with tea and cake are very popular and also much missed. We really are at the heart of the community and hope that you will keep in touch, maybe even become a member. Living with lockdown

Image: Ines Cavill

as some rather challenging exhibitions. As one of the only funded galleries in the South West, we never take for granted how immensely lucky we are. From 1st – 23rd December we have Exiles, a multimedia art installation about the social and personal impact of alienation. In the new year, from 8th to 30th January 2021, there’s Keith Rogers with From Here to There and In Between about the process of change. It details how by letting go and learning to pause, we can move our overactive minds into a gentler empty space and discover that happy place. Writing history

In 1991, before I came to work here, I entered the Bridport Prize international writing competition and won! Here was little old me, Bridport born and raised, with the opportunity to have my poem published, read

Social distancing means we have been thinking out of the box for future events. Outdoor venues with drive-in movies, promenade theatre, art installations, tricktracks in skate parks and on industrial estates. These are just some of the ideas for consideration. Scribes, artists of every genre, street performers, storytellers, audiences, we’d love to hear your thoughts, so please get in touch at info@bridport-arts.com The From Page to Screen Film Festival is re-scheduled for 28th October to 1st November with Edith Bowman as curator. The Yoruba Women Choir, one of Nigeria’s best musical exports performs on 24th October, while folk music great Martin Carthy is here on 19th September. We want to give a big shout out to all the musicians, artists, performers, comedians, dancers, techs, freelancers and suppliers. To those who grace any stage: we raise a cuppa to each and every one of you. I have written this with emotion, hope and thanks. Gratitude for being here in beautiful, brilliant Bridport and hope for where we will be in the many months to come. What I know for sure is that now more than ever, we need you. When the time comes, know that we will do everything we can to create an easy and safe transition to a new world. In the meanwhile, take care, look after each other and see you all soon. bridport-arts.com bridportprize.org.uk bridporttimes.co.uk | 23

Arts & Culture

24 | Bridport Times | June 2020

REAWAKENING

Anna Powell, Director, Sladers Yard Gallery and Café Sladers

Anthony Garratt, Fret, 150 x 120 cm, mixed media on canvas

s I write this, we have just learned that, all being well, Sladers Yard gallery will be allowed to reopen from 17th June. From Dorset with Love and Ceramic, two exhibitions that we launched online at the beginning of May, will hopefully now become realities that people can actually visit. There is much to do to be ready for the new, post lock-down world. We will reopen our Café Sladers takeaway on 3rd June offering delicious picnics, cakes, snacks and drinks to have on the beach or to take home, but also cooked meals to fill your freezer. We will deliver to those who can’t get here. We have hand-washing and sanitisation arrangements to sort out. Luckily, there is plenty of space here in this beautiful Georgian flax warehouse to allow for social distancing. Although the gallery will continue to trade online and to ship artworks out by courier, it will be good to meet people face to face again, albeit 2 metres away, and to watch them engage with these dazzling artworks. Watching people looking at art is a fascinating business. The immense skill and care that goes into making the work is a thing of wonder that gradually strikes first-time visitors. What we hope for, of course, is the moment someone really falls in love with something. Whether it is a chair made from steam-bent oak or paint on a canvas, the level of connection and communication it evokes can feel like a hand reaching out; a meeting of eyes; an understanding from one person to another through a work of art. Nobody really knows what is going on in that moment or in all the moments that follow when you live with and love a piece of art. Artists feel the same passionate engagement with their work. It must be their energy that catches us and makes us respond in such a powerful way. Adela Powell - no relation of mine sadly - lives on the banks of the River Tamar. She loves to walk on the beaches in Dorset where she looks at bottles and cans washed up, battered by the sea and bound about by fishing line and seaweed. She gathers clay and pebbles from the beach and from > bridporttimes.co.uk | 25

Frances Hatch at work on the beach 26 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Adela Powell, 44. Can form Tall Blue bridporttimes.co.uk | 27

Arts & Culture

Frances Hatch, First Light, Fault Corner, Eype, Dorset, 2019. Site materials and gouache on handmade paper, 71 x 36 cm

the river and uses them to make bottles, bowls and cans that create beautiful ceramic commentaries on our present day. She is fascinated by texture, natural forms and organic processes. Beside her salty, rusty-looking can forms, her large shell forms are smooth, rippled, sensuous pieces that almost make you wish you were a mollusc and could live inside them. Also enthralled by coastal erosion but working in acrylic paint on board, Vanessa Gardiner’s painting techniques mirror the action of the sea in scouring, rubbing and washing her paint. She leaves some areas thick and opaque while others are worn through to layers beneath giving a dynamic sense of time stretching back through geology alongside time present in the foam of the waves and cloud-shadows on the sea. In a similar vein, leading Welsh potter, Paul Wearing creates ceramics that look as if they are encrusted with barnacles and have been under the sea for hundreds of years. Their simple satisfying forms have been fired many times with different oxidised slips and glazes so that looking at them is like looking into an underwater landscape with white bubbles rising from marine plants growing in the deep blue. Paul studies rippling reflections on water and natural distortions of vision; he notes how strong and calming he finds them. He brings the 28 | Bridport Times | June 2020

essence of nature into the alchemy of his pottery to create timeless-looking captivating vessels for the imagination. Thinking of energy, Anthony Garratt’s responses to the sea, sky and to Dartmoor, where he lives, range from the peaceful and gentle to the turbulent and thrilling. Somehow a cohesive voice comes through the constantly changing techniques and different types of paint on canvas or panel, handmade Indian paper or aluminium. Big or small, his bold expressive paintings speak of the great outdoors and the freedom it offers. The natural world is the source and inspiration for almost all the works in the two shows. The Dorset landscape itself seems to speak through Frances Hatch’s vivid pictures in which she incorporates materials from the place she is painting. She goes with the moment, dipping paper in the sea, rubbing it with found matter or whatever seems the right thing to express the wonder she feels. For Julian Bailey, it is the joy of being there that comes across in paintings he makes look effortless and spontaneous. From Dorset with Love and Ceramic are at Sladers Yard Gallery until 12th July. For information about the Gallery and Café call 01308 459511 or email us via the website sladersyard.co.uk

Paul Wearing 11. Ellipse 37 x 30 x 17 cm

Paul Wearing 12. Low Wide Ellipse 13 x 52 x 13 cm bridporttimes.co.uk | 29

PAINTERS STILL PAINTING Kit Glaisyer, Artist

30 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Jane Fox bridporttimes.co.uk | 31

Arts & Culture

Suzy Moger

e’ve all been facing challenges, to different degrees, in recent weeks. And whatever our circumstances, I think the main priority is to look after our own mental and emotional states. As an artist, I have an advantage as I’m already used to spending a lot of time alone in my studio. But of course, it’s not just about how we’re all living now, but also about how we come to terms with a changing world and an uncertain future. As the philosopher Heraclitus is quoted as saying 2,500 years ago, ‘the only constant in life is change,’ so, it would seem especially prudent to adopt a philosophy of actively embracing change as an essential factor in our lives. Naturally, some are better at this than others: for some thrive in such times, while others struggle; but at some point, I’m sure we’ll look back and see that these unprecedented events directly inspired a revolutionary generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives to 32 | Bridport Times | June 2020

help form a better world. From my own perspective, I’m keenly interested in how the world of art will change and evolve, and I’m reaching out to other artists to see how they’ve been creating and working at this time, with a project called ‘Painters Still Painting.’ So far, a dozen local artists have shared what they’ve been inspired to create in recent weeks and several of their pieces are shown here, as well as in an online exhibition at my gallery, Bridport Contemporary. Visit our website to see more works: bridportcontemporary.com @bridportcontemporary Boo Mallinson: ‘During lockdown, the weather has been so beautiful, and I’ve felt incredibly lucky to be able to walk out into the landscape. It is such a privilege to live here. My response has been to draw and paint a series of small spring landscapes. They are less abstract than much of my work, but I really wanted to capture the vivid greens, big skies, and sense of spring springing. Nature just carries on >

Marion Taylor bridporttimes.co.uk | 33

Russ Snedker 34 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Hugh Dunford-Wood bridporttimes.co.uk | 35

David Brooke

doing its thing, no matter what is happening in the world it is incredibly comforting.’ @boomallinson David Brooke: ‘I‘ve been unable to get to my studio, so have been working from home. With limited space available, I’ve been producing a number of smaller pen and ink drawings. How much living in a time of virus has had an effect on my subject matter is difficult to say, at the moment. It may only appear to be obvious at a later date, looking back at these strange days.’ @david.brooke.artist Caroline Ireland: ‘With all my commitments art wise mothballed for the foreseeable future, and the momentum of planning and working towards specific goals having melted away, it is surprising to realise that nothing needs to be done. I am left with a delicious essence of days and moments where listening to the birdsong outside my window, and taking the time to make thoughtful food, and writing to friends, are all that matters. Working at home, I have been responding to the difference of mood by improvising with whatever materials I could find: some old tubes of gouache, a pot of silver paint left over from Christmas and, in the absence of any paintbrushes, my makeup brushes have directed me to make bold patterns on thin sheets of layout paper that crinkle as they dry, like ancient treasure maps.’ @Caroline.Ireland.artist Gerry Dudgeon: ‘Over the last few weeks, I have been working in the studio as normal. I‘m the only person there, apart from the occasional visits from the wildlife: squirrels, partridges, pheasants and rabbits. I‘ve felt inspired by the exuberance of early spring, which is coming out in the paintings, although it‘s a cruel irony that humans are going through such a tough time while nature is celebrating its resurgence.’ @gerrydudgeonartist 36 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Gerry Dudgeon

Suzy Moger: ‘It is such a strange time to be anything and being an artist seems like something so distant from what we are all experiencing, and yet still somehow vital and relevant. During this bizarre time, my own creativity has found its way through cooking (which feels normal and comforting) and drawing, mainly of small domestic moments and little sketches of my family. Painting, whilst juggling the ‘home-school’ and other daily duties, has been a bit tough. I have continued to paint in the brief moments between the ‘other life stuff ’, finding myself returning to my favourite and constant subject of our sea and landscapes. The work is familiar and enjoyable; colour and light to counter the sadness of distance between family and friends and the darker feelings that creep in.’ @suzymoger Russ Snedker: ‘I have been working as normal pretty much, apart from the occasional cries of ‘aghhhh!’ when I’m fed up of my own company. I started a piece just as lockdown began and it kept me going for the first three weeks. I’m currently working on a horse sculpture which, will eventually be chrome-dipped.’ @thatfellaruss Marion Taylor: ‘I’ve found this period of isolation to be one of more measured productivity and a time for reflection. Without the pressures of forthcoming exhibitions etc., I have been enjoying exploring other media, mainly clay and collage, with painted paper. The work is for myself and therefore more experimental, and totally absorbing in the process, which is reassuring. Together with having the time to reconnect more fully with nature on long walks around the village, this period has been a fine balance between times of intense creativity and fear.’ @mariontaylorart Hugh Dunford Wood: ‘I have been painting and making sculpture and wall reliefs, many in response to an >

Boo Mallinson

Caroline Ireland bridporttimes.co.uk | 37

Mirella Bandini

David Smith 38 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Kit Glaisyer

interesting project I initiated. This involves a few invited artists responding to each other’s work, rather like ‘Chinese whispers’. I have found the images sent to me sometimes challenging, but it has been inspiring taking forward other artists’ prompts. You don’t have too long to deliberate, or fiddle around the finish before another image appears. It is a good dare.’ @hughdunfordwood Mirella Bandini: ‘Living with family around, and loads of DIY, has kept me somewhat sane. But it has been a difficult time. I think most people have struggled in some way or another. These recent sculptures were made as a means of saying goodbye to a relationship... a means of letting go. I imbued them with all the pain and sadness I felt during that period and then I burnt the letters I‘d written at the same time, inside the sculpture and buried one of them in the forest. It was my way of gaining closure and a way of moving forward. They were a very personal (and necessary) response to my situation.’ @mirellabandini David Smith: ‘It’s going to be a whole new world out there when this crisis passes. Nothing will be the same again. So, I have been wondering what the role of an artist might be in the new post-lockdown world that, hopefully, will be with us soon. We have all turned to the arts to help us through the stress of confinement: people are watching films and dramas; reading or listening to books; playing and listening to music; and visiting virtual exhibitions and online galleries. This shows just how important art is. This time of isolation has allowed the lucky ones of us to slow down and despite - or perhaps because of - the anxiety, it has brought us closer to what is most important to our true selves. We are learning to be quieter and more relaxed. So, I have been trying to make work that might serve as an antidote to the frenetic, overstimulation of our culture: something to help the viewer to continue to dwell in that peaceful, slower, and more contemplative state. My latest piece, ‘A Few Lines About What Happens to the Heart’, is a 5m long concertina book that can be ‘read’ in many ways and with

which I imagine the viewer might spend many pleasurable, meditative hours.’ @david_smith_artist Jane Fox: ‘As the UK moved into lockdown, the shock and catalogue of emotions of those first couple of weeks kept me far away from the studio. It was about week 6 of lockdown when virtual schools returned, that I too returned to my studio with a quiet enthusiasm and surprising focus. I have always been a somewhat iterant artist, moving between creative disciplines and often looking at how to merge them. In the past years, I have been enlarging my photographs and screen printing, drawing, or painting on top. Recently I have been reversing the process and using mono screen-prints as the base layer for sketches and paintings. These images are the initial results of this experiment and are in the very early stages with the intention to enlarge the format considerably, printing onto a wooden substrate. What I liked about the process is that it seems to mirror a ‘randomness versus control’ balance in a dreamy landscape that holds the narrative open to the viewers’ interpretation. We shall see where it leads!’ @janefoxartist Kit Glaisyer: ‘Artistically, I’ve found it to be a highly creative time, with fewer distractions or excuses not to paint. It has also been wonderful to breathe deliciously fresh air and to see such abundant wildlife on my daily walks in the countryside. In recent years, I’ve made a number of paintings of the views from Eggardon Hill and, at the end of March, I started on a new series specifically to express my emotions at this time. One is gently calming and atmospheric, with a palette of subtle blues and greens; another is deeply moody with dark storm clouds overhead, and cascading trails of rainstorms in the distance, while a third is more hopeful and upbeat, with the sun bursting through clouds to flood light into the valleys below.’ @kitglaisyer kitglaisyer.com ‘Painters Still Painting’ is now online at Bridport Contemporary Gallery bridporttimes.co.uk | 39

Arts & Culture

SHOOTING STARS Elizabeth Sporne, Clocktower Music

Images: Daniele Mar 40 | Bridport Times | June 2020

hat’s the connection between Jamaica, legendary Grateful Dead band-member Jerry Garcia, an upscale New York gallery, and Bridport? That’ll be locally based rock photographer, Adrian Boot. His may not be a name with which you’re very familiar, but he’s been photographing mainly musicians for nigh-on fifty years and his roster of subjects reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the music industry. It didn’t start out that way. Adrian set out to be a teacher and in 1970, he landed his first post-university position, teaching physics in Jamaica. While his ears were opened to reggae on the ship that took him — and his new bride — there, his subsequent immersion in photographing island life for the book ‘Babylon on a Thin Wire’ led to a life-changing commission. In 1973,

Adrian shot the Kingston recording sessions of the album ‘Goats Head Soup’… and the band making that record were none other than The Rolling Stones. Why were the Stones there? Keith Richards later claimed that – thanks to their various international brushes with the law – Jamaica was one of the few countries that would let them all in. The Stones were then, and possibly still are, just about the biggest band in the world, so that job was Adrian’s launchpad, and on his return to the UK in 1974, his photography career took off. Given his Jamaican experience he was often called on to photograph the best-known reggae musicians – Toots and the Maytals, Eddy Grant, even Bob Marley himself – but he was by no means confined to that genre, and over the next few years, he covered such diverse acts as > bridporttimes.co.uk | 41

Arts & Culture

42 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Led Zeppelin, Abba, Pink Floyd and many more. As the decade moved into its second half, music took an edgier turn as bands began to reject the theatrical excesses of glam and prog rock, and Adrian found himself shooting the likes of The Clash, Patti Smith, The Sex Pistols and Blondie. By 1978, he was staff photographer for music magazine Melody Maker, flitting between the USA, the Caribbean and the UK to cover The Grateful Dead, Grace Jones, The Police and an apparently never-ending line-up of yet more international artists. Rock and pop smoothed out somewhat in the 1980s, but Adrian continued to cover the current crop of stars – Bruce Springsteen, U2, Paul McCartney and Kate Bush, to name a few – all the while keeping up his Jamaican connection. In 1981, he co-produced the book ‘Bob Marley: Soul Rebel, Natural Mystic’ and then, sadly, covered Bob Marley’s funeral not long afterwards. In 1983, Adrian left Melody Maker to travel worldwide as in-house photographer for AngloJamaican label Island Records, then spent the next year largely working for the BBC at Top of the Pops. It was 1985, though, that brought possibly his highest-profile job, when Bob Geldof made him official photographer for Live Aid USA in Philadelphia. As the 1980s progressed Adrian kept roaming the globe to cover some of the biggest acts on the planet, interspersing his commercial photography with input on several books – one of which, ‘Midnights in Moscow’, stemmed from a winter working holiday in the then Soviet Union with, amongst others, another latter-day settler to West Dorset, Billy Bragg. The 1990s saw Adrian spending time in Africa, as he began to photograph the continent’s best-known musicians, starting with Baaba Maal, as well as political figures including South African president Nelson

Mandela. Adrian’s work diversified still further, with museum projects in several countries and a developing interest in India. In 2000, he – along with his son Felix and business partner Richard Horsey – set up the photo agency UrbanImage. Initially, they had an office in London where clients would visit to search through slides, but then, says Adrian, ‘It all went digital.’ Their website urbanimage.tv was born. Freed from the need for a London base, the photographer and his yoga teacher wife, Lynne, decided to leave city life behind and look for a countryside and coastal home, no more than three hours from the capital for the occasional work trip, and with good internet connectivity for his website. They spent a year searching the south coast, seeking ‘a small town with some life in it, lots of things happening, a bit rock and roll maybe’ – and found Bridport. ‘It has it all,’ says Adrian, ‘sea, rural coastline, amazing countryside, amazing people, its own music and theatrical venues. It even has the UK’s most famous vinyl record shop!’ They moved to the neighbouring village of Walditch in 2015. Adrian is still as busy as ever, taking photographs around the world and indeed closer to home, with last year’s Glastonbury Festival producing a sizeable haul. And as to those connections mentioned right at the start? Well, Jamaica was where it all began, and the only two physical (rather than online) outlets in the world where Adrian’s photos can be purchased are that gallery in New York and Clocktower Music in Bridport… where his image of the late Jerry Garcia (pictured on previous page) will be on display, alongside others, when the shop reopens after lockdown. clocktowermusic.co.uk

bridporttimes.co.uk | 43

History

LOST DORSET

BURTON BRADSTOCK

wo cars parked outside the Anchor Hotel around 1910. Note the uniformed chauffeurs and how the still rare motorcar has attracted the attention of the women watching from further up Barr Lane. In her book about Burton Bradstock, Farmers, Fishermen and Flax Spinners, Elizabeth Gale writes, ‘The greatest excitement came when the new-fangled motorcar travelled through the village. Driving through the main street was easy enough but the hills surrounding the village presented the early motorist with problems. The bigger boys would run beside the vehicles and then lend willing strength to push them when they conked out going up over Common Knapp or Mixen Gate Hill.’ Lost Dorset: The Villages & Countryside 1880-1920, by David Burnett, is a large format paperback, price £12, and is widely available throughout Dorset or directly from the publishers. dovecotepress.com

44 | Bridport Times | June 2020

History

#MUSEUMFROMHOME

THE GAZUNDER Ann Sydney, Volunteer, Bridport Museum With the world still in lockdown, our volunteers have been shining a light on some of the museum-type curios that are stashed away in their homes: Ann Sydney tells us about a once ubiquitous object to be found around the home.

ome of you will not recognise the object in the photo or you might suppose it’s just an extralarge coffee cup or something to put a plant in. Some of you, however, will cringe at the memory of having to use one of these. My Aunt Sarah called hers the ‘Gazunder’ because it ‘goes under the bed.’ It’s a chamber pot; a potty designed for adults. In the US there was a wartime spy-awareness campaign ‘beware the Jerry under the bed’, Jerry being the slang for German, but an unintended consequence was that the chamber pot became known as a Jerry. Before the days of en-suites and flush toilets, when the cess pit might be at the bottom of the garden or the dry toilet outside in the yard, chamber pots were a necessity. They were difficult to perch on and if you had a small bottom and the pot had already been used, it could be very unpleasant! In the morning the pot would be emptied in the outside toilet, the cess pit, or thrown out of the window in medieval tight-packed cities with a warning ‘Garde l’eau!’ Of course, people would be caught short during the day. Charles Darwin had one in the corner of his study with a screen in front. Others 46 | Bridport Times | June 2020

had them in cupboards or disguised as the base of chairs. Women with very large skirts just put them under their skirts and got on with it. Nobody, male or female, let going to the loo interfere with their enjoyment of a meal or party. And they weren’t just used for peeing in… Most chamber pots would have been plain pottery or even metal, but others were beautified or made into jokes, often at a politician’s expense. You can still see examples at boot fairs or in antique shops with eyes painted in the base, shocked faces looking up at you, or hate-figures of the period. The one in the picture is a nineteenth century Mason’s Ironstone design; a sturdy ‘poor man’s porcelain’. Early designs were hand-painted but, later, transfers of popular patterns were used to bring the price down. Some look like a giant gravy-boat designed for ladies on the move. The vast majority of households in Britain have not needed these since the 1950s, but even now only 40% of the world’s population have access to a flush toilet. With poor sanitation comes contamination of drinking water supplies and cholera epidemics. South Street in Bridport was the source of a cholera epidemic in the 1840s, but that’s another story… Every time you flush, say thanks to Sir John Harington of Bath (where else?) who invented the first flushing toilet for royalty in 1596. bridportmuseum.co.uk

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Wild Dorset

Image: Nick Tomlinson

Image: Mark Heighes 48 | Bridport Times | June 2020

WONDERFUL WILDFLOWERS Niina Silvennoinen, volunteer, Dorset Wildlife Trust

unshine, blue skies, the sound of buzzing bees and whirring crickets, thousands of wildflowers swaying gently in the summer breeze; the quintessential British meadow in June. The rich history of our meadows, which are mostly man-made grass lands, dates back millennia. An intrinsic part of our countryside, soothing to the soul, meadows are also wildlife havens, and their cultural, historical and ecological significance can hardly be exaggerated. This June, we may not be able to get outside to explore as usual, but there’s a great comfort in knowing that wildlife and nature are carrying on as normal. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s wildflower meadows are managed without the use of artificial fertilisers, and the growth management utilises the traditional means of winter grazing by cattle and sheep, and hay cutting in the summer. The meadows provide food, shelter and nesting habitats for hundreds of species – the wildlife ranges from simple grasses to stunning orchids, and from insects to mammals and birds such as hedgehogs and barn owls, forming a complex ecosystem in its own right. Sadly, nearly all wildflower meadows have disappeared in the course of the modernisation of agriculture and the urban sprawl that characterised the 20th century, and urgent action is needed to save them. Dorset Wildlife Trust, along with other environmental charities in the UK, work hard to sustain them by managing hundreds of ancient meadows as nature reserves. The tranquil Kingcombe Meadows, at the Kingcombe Centre near Dorchester, create a patchwork of unimproved grassland, hedges, streams and ponds. There is an intricate web of thriving wildlife from dormice and other mammals to the rare great-crested newt and the iconic marsh fritillary butterfly. Wildflowers burst with colour amongst the chalk slopes and meadows and include the devils bit scabious, the nodding petals of the harebell, bee orchids amongst many others. Not far from all these wonderful meadows, is The Kingcombe Centre. We’ve sadly had to cancel some of our courses this summer, but we’re looking forward to running courses later in the year. Keep an eye on our website for more details and to book at kingcombe.org. dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

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Wild Dorset

BROAD-BODIED CHASER

Colin Varndell, Photographer

ragonflies are the largest and most impressive insects to be seen, and to watch in summer. As predators, these insects have evolved to take advantage of two distinct habitats: water and air. In ponds and lakes, dragonfly nymphs prey upon small aquatic animals; in the air, they catch airborne prey. These four-winged creatures have incredible aerodynamic abilities, capable of sudden twists and turns as they chase their prey, and are even able to fly backwards when necessary. These invertebrates occur at the top of the food chain as awesome predators, killing in flight for a living. Some are large like the emperor or golden-ringed, others are small like the blue damselflies, but all feed on other airborne creatures. Dragonflies do not have the ability to sting, but rather catch their prey with their legs. The three pairs of legs are lined with stiff bristles; the front pair being the shortest and the rear pair the longest. As the legs are held in bent positions beneath the thorax, they form a basket shape into which airborne prey is captured and held. Small prey items are eaten in flight, but larger prey, like damselflies or bumblebees, are consumed at rest. The dragonfly supports itself with the two middle and rear pairs of legs, as it holds the prey with its front legs during the meal. The broad-bodied chaser is the earliest of the large dragonflies to emerge, usually during May. The female is often mistaken for a large hornet, as she has a plump, golden-yellow abdomen. The male is sky-blue. After spending up to three years underwater as an aquatic nymph, the insect climbs up the stem of a reed, or other wetland plant, to wriggle out of its nymph exoskeleton as a fully formed dragonfly. At this point, the wings are folded and crumpled, so the insect needs to pump blood into the veins of the wings to straighten them into the flight position. The female of the species have evolved to emerge before males; this enables them to dry off their wings and fly away before being hassled by sex-crazed males. Male broad-bodied chasers occupy territories on stretches of still water. Habitually resting on prominent perches, in readiness to chase off any other dragonfly that dares to enter the territory, giving the insect its name, chaser. Females hunt in woodland clearings, country lanes, nettle patches and only come to water to mate and lay eggs. Mating takes place on the wing, as females return to ponds to be served by males and to lay their eggs. Each dragonfly species has its own unique egg-laying technique. Female broad-bodied chasers hover vertically above water, dipping the abdomen into the water to release eggs, one at a time. It is incredible to think that these insects have been here far longer than we have, as most dragonflies were fully evolved during the time of the dinosaurs! colinvarndell.co.uk

50 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Image: Colin Varndell bridporttimes.co.uk | 51

Wild Dorset

EELGRASS

Ali Ferris, Deputy Head Warden, Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre

n my last article, we explored two fish that are reminiscent of when life came out of the water. This month we will explore something that went back in! Eelgrass is related to grass; having flowers, leaves and roots, it grows in the sea and can be found along the Dorset and Devon coast. The seagrasses evolved from land-based plants, moving into the oceans during the Cretaceous period 70-100 million years ago. Although it looks like a seaweed, it is in fact one of only a few plants that can live in the sea. Eelgrass grows in sandy sheltered bays, inlets and harbours, usually at 5 metres below the surface. It can grow in sandy, silty or gravelly substrates in the subtidal zone. The plants grow together to form meadows and they use their root systems to spread across the sea bottom. The long slim leaves of Eelgrass can grow up to two metres, but normally measure in at 50cm. Eelgrass meadows potentially live thousands of years with one Mediterranean colony near Ibiza thought to be 100,000 years old. Eelgrass forms an important habitat for shallow seas 52 | Bridport Times | June 2020

species, such as seahorses, crabs, sea slugs and pipe fish. They also form a nursery for young cuttlefish, shellfish, rays and other fish such as cuckoo wrasse. The grass provides cover and protection from predators. As well as forming an important home under the sea, at low tide eelgrass also provides food for grazing birds such as geese, teal and swans. It is sometimes referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wigeon grassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; after the small duck which also grazes on it. Tropical seagrass beds form important feeding grounds for green turtles, manatees and dugongs. Eelgrass abundance varies seasonally with winter die off and spring growth. Abundance can be down to physical and chemical factors, nutrient availability, light penetration, water quality and turbidity. However, winter die off can be beneficial in the food chain. When shoots die back, they form detritus, which is then consumed by bacteria and small invertebrates. As well as being an important home and food source for marine creatures and seabirds, the grasses are responsible for 15% of the oceans total carbon absorption. More research is needed to know just how

Divedog/Shutterstock

much carbon is fixed in different areas around the world. Seagrass meadows also act as filtering systems for other nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Globally, eelgrass has been used as food by native tribes in Mexico. It can be eaten fresh or dried into cakes for winter foods and its fruits harvested and processed as a grain. These native tribes have also used the grass to weave into baskets and blankets. It has been used in packing and stuffing for cushions and mattresses in France, insulation for eco-houses and thatched roofs in Denmark and as a soil conditioner in the USA and UK. Eelgrass is one of 60 species of marine plants known as seagrasses. Four of these are found in the UK. The UK’s eelgrass has declined in size and number in recent decades, due to marine pollution and warming sea temperatures. Dredging, anchoring and commercial fishing have contributed to the decline. It is also prone to disease and was badly affected in the 1930s and 1980s. Eelgrass is now listed as ‘threatened’ and is a priority species for conservation. Recent designation of Marine Conservation Zones around the UK should offer

some help for the grasses. Along our coasts, you can see eelgrass in Devon at Plymouth Sound and Tor Bay, or at Studland Bay in Dorset. Other seagrass species can be found from Looe in Cornwall to Poole. Sea Life, Weymouth, houses seahorses and pipefish so why not visit to see them in their seagrass habitat? The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth is to build a new laboratory to house seagrasses in an effort to restore meadows that have been lost. Visitors should be able to witness all the action as the lab is expected to open for public viewing (this was true at the time of writing, but may be affected by current closures due to the Coronavirus pandemic). If you’re looking to dive in to see the grasses in the UK or abroad, do your part by choosing sustainable operators that moor on buoys rather than anchor onto the seabed and potentially damage the meadows. Chose a guide who can educate and share knowledge. If you are diving alone, be careful not to damage the meadows and remove any of the grasses. charmouth.org bridporttimes.co.uk | 53

Wild Dorset

A WILDFLOWER WALK Adam and Ellen Simon, Tamarisk Farm

adly, we won’t be inviting you to join us on our annual wildflower walk this month. We have taken this walk in the first week in June for many years. We gather in the National Trust car park at Cogden and explore the fields which have been re-establishing as species-rich grazing since we took the tenancy there. In those days, the walk would have been boring at the start. We would have been walking on a poor sward of low-growing bent-grasses, neither nutritious nor rare, but oddly attractive when flowering, with dark red feathery plumes. Within this uniform carpet, there were a few scattered plants of clovers and trefoils making clear green splashes, each plant about the size of a cow-pat, but no other variety as we walked from west to east through several fields. Continuing, we would eventually have reached the two fields we call ‘New Lane Rough’ and ‘Under Mile End’. Here, we would have found a nature-conservation oasis in the bent grass fields. We would have been 54 | Bridport Times | June 2020

amongst trees: oak, ash, sallow, elm and maple, with scrubby dogwood, wayfaring trees, bramble and rose beneath them. In the grassy glades and open areas, there would have been coloured gems of flowers, sweet smells and the sound of insects whirring around our feet, and bright butterflies basking in the sun. We’d have found a mountain-range of anthills, at that time completely absent in the other fields. Looking under the scrub, we’d have seen old anthills telling us about history and succession. Unlike the first fields, which were growing arable crops in the 1960s and 1970s, these fields had not been cultivated in the second half of last century and likely, judging by the size of some of the trees, not for many years before that. Walking on, away from this oasis, we would have reached more once-cultivated fields of grass, unrelieved except by the same few legumes we’d seen at the start. Over the years, things have changed. The plain carpet is gone, replaced by rich variety. As I imagine the walk,

I see the splendid new carpet in my mind’s eye and can recite the list of the species which make it up. For me every name carries meaning, a sense of the history and ecology of the place the plant grows, as well as the delight they give me for their simple or complex beauty. I conceived this account as a virtual walk for those of you unable to walk with us in a literal sense just now, and I’d like to take with me all the many people who have come with us in the past, to give them a chance to share it again this year. I’d like to bring with us, too, the many other people who are finding the lockdown restrictions hard going, offering the imagined walk both as an immediate pleasure and as a promise for the future. We step from the car park through the kissing gate and come into the field we rather prosaically call ‘Car-Park Triangle.’ It is a small three-cornered field and one which, in most years, is walked over by many people. The path is broad and smooth, worn by lots of feet. We stand off the path to draw your attention to the first of the flowers, the showy and familiar (here goes with the list…) cowslip. While we stand beside the path, I may ask you to jump. This is so that you can get the feel of the elasticity of the soil, and I’ll suggest that you do it in various other places: back on the path, where you will recognise that the soil is compacted by the foot-traffic, then further on as we walk, to make judgements of the quality of the soil. As we walk, we are looking at the developing beauty of the place, but we need to remember the loss that is associated with the gain. In the 1970s, this was award-winning arable ground, run by the Bailey family and producing more food than it does now. We go through the gate into Upper Somners. Here (list warning) we will see self-heal, meadow vetchling, tufted vetch and red bartsia near the path, several little clovers and medicks, and as we go a bit further, the first of the bee orchids. We will pass a patch of gorse scrub with a couple of hawthorns growing through the darker leguminous shrub, and here there is often St. Johns Wort, another healing herb and like the cowslip, a deep golden yellow. It might not be out just yet, but this year many things have been early, so I expect its first few flowers. Then we reach the first pyramidal orchids, which spread down the field below the path. In the next field, Little Common, there are generally fewer bright flowers, so we may give more attention to the different grass species. I’d expect to find at least ten different grasses within a couple of yards of the path and more if we walked further from it (this time go to our website

"We are watching larks ascending, hearing them high above us and stonechats chattering on the stems of thistles." for the list!). I hope to see the grass vetchling here, not a grass but an exquisite pea flower on a long, slender stem. We continue, field to field, sometimes picking our way as low-growing thorns grab our ankles, avoiding the growing anthills, noticing plants, seeing how they fit their place in the living web with insects and other invertebrates, with birds and small mammals. Even with lots of people and some dogs, we are watching larks ascending, hearing them high above us and stonechats will be chattering on the stems of thistles. Eventually, we reach the heart of the place, those two original oasis fields which contributed the seed bank to allow this development which we and the National Trust have nurtured. These are still the highlight of the place, but they are no longer in a desert. Here we will see the rarities and the greatest structural diversity and beauty. As we leave these fields, some people split off to return home. It has been an intense walk, with lots of colours to absorb, ideas to digest and for some of us, Latin names to note. Those of us with remaining energy walk to the very easterly end by the bridge onto the beach. There we find a miniature forest of marsh orchids and a dramatic display of yellow-flag, the big brilliant wild wet-place iris. We walk back, following the narrowing path between the reedbed and scrub on the low-lying land by the beach, through the open meadow, then up the old stone-cropped trackway to return to the start and say our goodbyes. tamariskfarm.co.uk bridporttimes.co.uk | 55

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Kingcombe Meadows

DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST

A place to learn, eat, relax and stay in west Dorset. Enjoy being with nature: www.kingcombe.org Photos Â© Tony Bates MBE, Katharine Davies, Mark Heighes & Nicola Hawkins

Outdoors

58 | Bridport Times | June 2020

On Foot

TWO COUNTIES' WALK

Emma Tabor and Paul Newman

s the lockdown continues and our deadline looms, this month we thought we would share our local walk with you and look at some of the things that inspire us whilst out on foot. Bridport Times’ readers are familiar with our monthly rambles, so as we are still restricting our travel, lockdown has provided an opportunity to write a walk which can also be shared with Sherborne Times’ readers. In a time of isolation, we are fortunate to live amongst woodland on the north west Dorset border with Somerset. At this time, our walks are fragranced with wild garlic and bluebells. The day, and night, is soundtracked by the allotted timeslots of different bird song. Blackbirds stir around 4am, while their song thrush cousins bookend the day; their liquid notes trickling though the newly clothed boughs of oak, ash, beech and hazel. Chiff chaffs and blackcaps have been here for a few weeks now and their warbling follows not long after the blackbird’s, gradually building a gently pulsing symphony which also includes dunnocks, blue tits and wood pigeons. Occasional contributors include percussive interludes from goldfinches, wrens, robins and jays. Greater spotted woodpeckers startle us with their frequent shrieks, flying across the gap between Goathill and Hanover woods. Tawny owls are not as vocal as they were earlier in the year, but occasionally they will call and can sometimes be heard deep in the wood in the daytime. Distance: 3 3/4 miles Time: Approx. 2 hours Park: There are limited parking places along the road between Goathill church and where the road forks for Haydon and Stourton Caundle. Walk Features: This walk twists along the Dorset and Somerset border, covering the gentle terrain to the east of Sherborne. The outward route follows an easy track through mixed woodland in Hanover Wood, with the return section along a quiet backroad from Purse Caundle to Goathill. The route is relatively flat, with a couple of small inclines. > bridporttimes.co.uk | 59

Each 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 and sometimes the unfamiliar. For June, we explore the woodland along the county border to the east of Sherborne Castle estate. Hanover Wood runs along a ridge, marking the border between south Somerset and north west Dorset. The wood has a lovely mix of trees including a hazel coppice, a small yew grove and many fine oak trees to admire along the way. The Manor House at Purse Caundle is an architectural gem and quietly impressive, dating back to the 15th Century and the time of Henry VI, although its origins go back further. There are a few other small buildings of note on the route, including the nearby church at Goathill and Goathill Lodge, an exquisitely thatched cottage. The seclusion of the woods allows for glimpses of deer, hare and particularly secretive birds including jays. 60 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Direction

Start: SY 677 168 1 From the start, walk up the road towards the fingerpost for Haydon and Stourton Caundle, on a grassy triangle in front of cottages. Fork left for Stourton Caundle, and after 20 yards, directly opposite a wooden gate for the cottages, turn left into the woods. 2 Enter the woods, following a well-worn path, soon passing an impressive oak on your right hand side. After 250 yards, and shortly after crossing a small, log-strewn gully, the path suddenly bears sharp left and heads down towards a track. Turn right onto this track and follow this as you continue through Hanover Wood, running parallel to a ridge on your right. This first section of the walk has a lovely mix of wood with some yew trees along the way. It is a good spot to see greater spotted woodpeckers, tree creepers, hares and deer. >

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62 | Bridport Times | June 2020

3 After just over a mile from the start, the track eventually reaches a grove of yew trees. From the grove, take the footpath to the right, now heading steeply up to the top of the ridge and a gap in the fence with an old broken gate. 4 As you emerge from the wood into a field, the footpath takes you diagonally across to the righthand corner of the field. This sometimes has electric fences running across it, if so, then it might be easier to head straight across the field to pick up a track nearer the farm buildings. If that is the case, turn right onto the track, after going through an electric gate. Where the track meets the corner of the field, by a large chestnut tree, turn left through a gate into a paddock which borders a stream. 5 Follow the hedge on the right and in 150 yards, the path drops slightly to meet the stream on the left. Go left and cross the stream, just before a pond, and then turn right through a large metal gate which takes you into Home Farm. Go straight through the farmyard and in 150 yards emerge onto the road. 6 Turn right to walk through Purse Caundle, first passing the Manor House and its beautifully proportioned oriel window, with four blank shields underneath the panes. You soon pass St Peter’s Church on the left and the village seat, with an

inscription from the Great War set above the alcove. 7 After a few more yards, take the first right and follow the road through the rest of the village. The road soon bends sharp left in front of Manor Farm. Stay on the road and after a few yards it bends sharp right. In just over a mile you will reach a fingerpost signed ‘Trip’s’, near Trip’s Farm. Keep straight on for a few more yards, past a bungalow on your left and then follow the road as it bends to the right at a junction. Just before the road then turns to the left, you will see a large metal gate and a footpath sign on your right. 8 Go through the gate, entering a field which runs along a shallow valley. Keep straight ahead along the bottom of the valley, passing a large oak tree on your left and in a few more yards, you will meet another large metal gate, where you cross a stream. This takes you into a larger field with another impressive oak on the left of the field. Head up the field, passing another smaller oak on your right, near the field edge. Follow the field edge for a few more yards until you reach the right-hand corner and a large metal gate to exit the field onto the road. Turn left onto the road and head downhill, back to the junction you passed earlier and back to the start. bridporttimes.co.uk | 63

Archaeology

ANCIENT DORSET TREASURES SERIES

NO.6: THE GREYHOUND YARD MONUMENT

Chris Tripp, BA (Hons), MA, Community and Field Archaeologist

Image: Pete Millson 64 | Bridport Times | June 2020

s you do your shopping in Dorchester, there is no sign of a wonderful ancient Dorset treasure that once dominated this area on the Frome. Around 4,700 years ago, a massive timber circle of oaks were set up, six to eleven metres tall, enclosing eleven hectares within its 380 metre circumference. The rough date comes from pottery and carbon 14 analysis of ancient charcoal fragments, which also tells us the species of timber. The area at this time would have been woodland and the reason we know this is due to snails. Snails come in many variants, and individual types only live in certain environments, so when you find the ones in archaeological strata that like woods - bingo! Early Neolithic pottery and a flint blade indicate that this area had already been a place for a small settlement, which predated the building of the timber circle. To construct the monument, our ancestors cleared some of this woodland, not an easy job, as they had to survey the site, cut down and move very large timbers over uneven ground and scrub, trim then smooth (woodchips were found around the site) and manoeuvre them into deep holes. These pits were not dug randomly, but to a specific design. First, the topsoil was cleared down to the chalk and the pit dug with one vertical face, with a shallow ramp of forty-five degrees directly opposite. Each pit was three metres deep, the optimum depth for the size of timbers > used. This design allowed the posts to fall under their own weight, once it reached the tipping point, and minimised the angle for pulling the timber upright, about 20%. A steeper angle would only work for shorter posts. An eleven-metre tall post would be on the edge of unstable, with one quarter in the pit, so it is probable that a six to ten metre timber was more likely. The excavated chalk was then rammed back into the pit and around the post. A shallow external ditch of uncertain function followed the curve of the posts. From the archaeological evidence, it seems that the monument was in decay around a hundred years after it was built, being reduced to an earthwork by about 2000 BCE. Charcoal in the post-pipes shows that the timbers were burnt, perhaps to aid the dismantling of the circle or part of a ritual â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;killingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the monument. It is possible, looking at most societies around the world, that some or all of these timbers may have been carved and painted. What a site that would have been! So why build this remarkable structure? With Maumbury Rings and Mount Pleasant close by and of roughly the same date, but possibly not standing at the same time, this area must have been of some importance to build structures here. Like other similar monuments elsewhere, they were built close to a river. Of the bones found on the site, over fifty percent were of pig, mostly meat-bearing portions, which has also been seen at other such monuments. Does this indicate ritual feasting taking place? With only a fragment of the structure dug, the centre of the circle is unknown, but at other places the remains of buildings have been found, either wooden temples or places for celebrants to use during gatherings, as small groups of finds have been found placed in specific parts of these buildings. Whatever their function, this monument is an important addition to our knowledge of these complex ceremonial enclosures. If you want to see how large these posts were, have a look on the ground when using the car park under Waitrose! dorsetdiggers.blogspot.com

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petemillsonphotographer.uk 07768 077353 CREDIBLE PORTRAITS FOR PRESS / ARTS / COMMUNITY / COMMERCIAL 66 | Bridport Times | June 2020

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RETROSPECTIVE Words Jo Denbury Photography Katharine Davies

JUNE 2018

NATIONAL COASTWATCH INSTITUTION

hen I arrive at Hive Beach near Burton Bradstock, the sea is still. There’s a quiet simplicity to this scene; the sea and the sky are much the same muted grey tone, save for a darker line on the horizon. But, as all locals know, this calm scene is deceiving and Chesil Bank has its own unpredictable ways. The coastline can often be wild and treacherous – there is the romance of the sea and then there is the reality. On the west cliffs, between the Seaside Boarding House and Hive Beach Café and tucked beneath the lip of the cliff, is a newly-built wooden hut. It is manned during daylight hours by local volunteers of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) who have dedicated their time to being HM Coastguard’s eyes and ears. Technology has improved safety but it can’t spot a distress flare, an overturned boat or sailor in trouble. The NCI ensures that every kayak that leaves Hive beach is logged and alerts either HM Coastguard or the inshore lifeboat at Lyme Regis to any vessel or person in distress. Continue reading

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JULY 2018

MARY MOORE

hen I arrive at Dress, the vintage clothes shop in South Street, I’m running late. The appointment was for 11.30 and our photographer, Katharine, is already immersed in a rack of frocks. All I can see is her camera lens poking out between the brightly coloured dresses as she photographs a petite woman sporting a sharp bob and dressed in a navy suit. She is sitting between her three assistants, all dressed in a colourful array of palazzo pants and chiffon. ‘I nearly hit 70mph getting here,’ I say. ‘We’re glad you did,’ she replies, and I smile – here is a woman who knows her own mind and likes to bend the rules. Mary Moore was born in the 1940s, grew up in the ‘50s and, in the ‘60s, hung out at Altamont in California, when San Francisco was going through its ‘Woodstock’ stage - she belonged to the ‘Easy Rider’ era. In London she worked for IT magazine (Britain’s first underground newspaper) photographing bands, and mixed with the journalists at OZ, another indie mag of the time. It was a period in fashion led by the likes of Quant and Ozzie Clarke but, as Mary says, ‘If you were in the music industry or the alternative press, you wore second-hand clothes.’ Continue reading

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JUNE 2019

JAMES LOVELOCK

wo things strike me when I first meet Jim and Sandy Lovelock on the steps of their house in Abbotsbury: first, how spritely they are and second the colour of Sandy’s fitted pullover, which is a stunning green. I start to make a mental note to find out the magic formula that keeps them so youthful but soon I am overwhelmed by their welcoming smiles and sense of energy and wonderment at the world. ‘Just listen to the birds,’ says Sandy as the larks trill their song high above our heads. We all take a deep breath of sea air before heading inside. In their sitting room Jim takes his favourite chair and Sandy kindly offers tea. So where do you begin with somebody whose life has spanned the last century? Jim turns 100 years old this July and to mark the occasion he has written a new book to expand on his discovery of the Gaia theory. He is an inventor, engineer and chemist who has contributed greatly to science throughout his lifetime. At times he has been controversial but his ebullient sense of humour and excitement has carried him through. So how did this wonderful couple end up in Abbotsbury? ‘Basically, we came to Bridport on our feet,’ says Jim. The couple had walked through Abbotsbury while walking the southwest coastal path 15 years ago (are you doing the maths? He was 85) and they instantly fell for the village and the walks that surround it. Seven years ago they moved here from Devon. ‘It was really for Sandy,’ says Jim, ‘she loves the coast whereas I am happy with the countryside.’ Continue reading

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JULY 2019

BRIDPORT GIG ROWING CLUB

t’s a blustery day as members of the men’s squad climb into the Cornish rowing gigs that are bobbing beside the swaying pontoon in West Bay. The waves are tipping white horses at the mouth of the harbour and, beyond, a swell is chasing towards the shore. It’s going to be a bumpy trip but it’s small fry to these men. They’re recently back from the Isles of Scilly Gig Championships, where they enjoyed some success, and are training for the rest of the season’s racing in the Jurassic Coast League. This will be the third year that Bridport, based at West Bay, has participated in the League. The club was formed in 2007 and the fibreglass gig, Bucky Doo, was their first boat. Since then, the club has grown considerably and there are now over 180 members. The club has two fibreglass gigs and three wooden, competitive gigs. Jason Matthews is one of the club’s early members. He joined about 10 years ago. A Bridport native, Jason grew up close to the sea and spent time in the Merchant Navy. Later he took up marathon running. ‘There came a time when my body had had enough of marathons,’ he says wryly, ‘I saw Bucky Doo and thought I would give it a go. I joined to row. It’s a great way of keeping fit and very social.’ Continue reading

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Food & Drink

BROAD BEAN RYE CRISPBREADS WITH ARTICHOKES AND MINT Gill Meller, River Cottage

78 | Bridport Times | June 2020

like the idea of a pod; it feels secure. A protective skin encases a downy fleece lining, where the beans would rather grow old and tough than come out to be eaten. But broad beans are deliciously sweet when young, so we harvest them during early summer and eat them in myriad ways – this is one of my favourites. If you don’t have time to make the crispbreads, just pile the beans on toasted sourdough instead. Ingredients

For the rye crispbreads 200g (7oz) rye flour, plus extra for dusting 200ml (7fl oz) water 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast ½ tsp fine sea salt 2 tsp caraway seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp sunflower seeds 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds For the topping 2-3 big handfuls of broad beans, podded 1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for trickling 1 large knob of unsalted butter 2 ½ garlic cloves (2 cloves thinly sliced, ½ clove finely crushed) 2-3 artichoke hearts, quartered and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 handful of mint, leaves picked and ribboned, plus a few whole leaves to garnish ½ handful of chives, chopped, plus longer pieces to garnish Zest of ½ lemon, plus a squeeze or two of juice 200ml (7fl oz) thick Greek yoghurt Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper Method

1 Make the crispbreads. Combine all the ingredients, except the sunflower and pumpkin seeds, in a bowl with 200ml (7fl oz) of water. Mix well to form a dough and set aside to rise for an hour or two. 2 Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5. Line a large, flat 35 x 35cm (14 x 14in) – or equivalent rectangular – baking tray with baking parchment or, better still, with a non-stick silicone mat. 3 Using a spatula or palette knife, spread half the crispbread dough out, as evenly and thinly as you can, over the parchment or mat. I like it when the

crispbreads are a little random in shape, so don’t worry about making anything too neat. 4 Scatter over half the sunflower and pumpkin seeds and press them into the dough. Finally, scatter over a dusting of rye flour. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. 5 Bake the crispbreads in the oven for 35–40 minutes, until they are, as the name suggests, crisp. 6 Remove the trays from the oven and use a palette knife or spatula to carefully lift each crispbread from the parchment or mat, easing it away in one piece to a cooling rack. If it’s not completely crisp, place it directly onto the oven rack and cook for a further 5–10 minutes. 7 While the crispbreads are baking, make the topping. Bring a medium pan of salted water to the boil. Add the podded broad beans and cook for 2–3 minutes, until just tender. Drain, then refresh the beans under cold water. Tip - if the beans are big, try popping them out of their skins, as the thicker skins have a tendency to be tough; if they’re little beans, don’t worry. 8 Warm a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter and when the butter is melted and bubbling away, add the sliced garlic. Sizzle for a moment or two, then add the artichoke hearts and broad beans. Toss the vegetables around the pan, then season well with salt and pepper. 9 Add half each of the mint, chives and lemon zest and stir the remainder through the yoghurt, along with the crushed garlic and some salt and pepper. 10 To serve, spoon the flavoured yoghurt onto the crispbreads. Top with some broad beans and artichokes, trickle with olive oil and finish with a squeeze or two of lemon and the whole mint leaves and chives.

From Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower: How to Cook with Vegetables and Other Plants by Gill Meller (Quadrille, £27) Photography: Andrew Montgomery gillmeller.com bridporttimes.co.uk | 79

Food & Drink

HOMEMADE HALLOUMI CHEESE

Chris Onions, Old Dairy Kitchen

riginating in Cyprus over a thousand years ago, this firm and simple cheese has more than stood the test of time. It was stored in a salty brine, which helped season and preserve the cheese in the days before refrigeration. Traditionally, it is made with sheep or goats’ milk but nowadays mainly cows’ milk is used for mass production. Personally, I don’t see an issue with this as long as the milk is of the highest standard. If you’re going to make this, I would recommend, if possible, getting the freshest, unhomogenised, raw and organic milk you can find. Of course, each will bring a different character to your cheese, but all can taste delicious and be brilliant on the summer barbecue. Early summer milk is always rich and aromatic - if coming from good quality farms the animals are grazing on pastures, rich with plant diversity. This recipe is a little time consuming, but at the moment one thing we have is a bit more time, so please do give it a try - you will not be disappointed! If you can find good local milk for your cheese, after grilling, pair it with a drizzle of local honey & cider vinaigrette with some wild edible flowers to really taste the summer season in all its splendour. The cheese will keep for a month if submerged in the brine and stored in the fridge. The recipe can be scaled up or down to suit your requirements. You’ll find rennet in health food stores or online. It lasts for ages in the fridge. What you will need

A large-bottomed pot with lid, a spoon, a thermometer, a long thin-bladed knife, a perforated spoon, a perforate container/sieve, muslin/fine tea towel, a container for drainage, a big saucepan, a chopping board and a skillet/ frying pan for cooking your homemade cheese. Ingredients

5 litres full-fat milk 5 ½ tsp vegetarian rennet ½ tbsp salt, for poaching the curds 65g salt, if you wish to later brine the cheese 80 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Method

1 Gradually bring the milk up to 32-36°C in a widebottomed pot, stirring gently. Once the temperature is reached, turn off the heat. (I use a digital thermometer, but you could use any type of thermometer as long as it will record a temperature up to 85°C). 2 Add the rennet and stir briefly to combine, then pop a lid on your pot. Let the mixture settle for one hour. It will set like a junket or jelly. 3 Cut the curd into roughly 1 inch cubes; do this by slicing the mixture in a grid pattern with a long thin-bladed knife. 4 The curds will come away from the watery whey; let it settle for half an hour. Now and again, I like to very gently wiggle the pan a touch, just to help the process. 5 Return to the heat and bring the entire mixture up to about 38°C over a very gentle heat for a period

Image: Matt Austin

of about half an hour. This can be tricky if you’re using really small quantities of milk - just don’t exceed 38°C. Using a large perforated spoon, scoop the curds into a perforated container (a sieve would also work here) lined with muslin or a fine tea towel. Have another container positioned beneath to collect the drained whey. Leave to drain until firm, about 1.5 hours at least. When you are ready to poach the curds, heat the whey to 85°C in a saucepan big enough to accommodate the curds and add ½ tablespoon of salt. Carefully turn out your block of set curd onto a chopping board and slice into oblongs about 5cm wide. Ensure your whey is at 85°C and gently place the cheese blocks into the hot whey. When the cheese pieces rise to the top of the liquid, they are ready. This can take up to 30 minutes. Place the cheese pieces back into your draining container,

ideally not touching each other. They will be quite fragile at first but will firm up as they cool. 10 Once cooled and the cheese is firm, it is ready to pan fry or barbeque. Remember they have not been salted so will need a good season before cooking. 11 I prefer to give them a day or two in a salty brine to develop the flavour. To make the brine, add half a litre of the whey to a litre of boiling water and add 65g of salt. Let the liquid cool completely. Pour the cool brine over the cheese pieces and keep them immersed in an airtight container. 12 To cook your halloumi, heat a skillet or frying pan to a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cheese and fry until golden and crisp. Carefully turnover and repeat on the other side; you’re now ready to serve and enjoy. olddairykitchen.co.uk bridporttimes.co.uk | 81

Food & Drink

HOW A FULL CELLAR PROVIDES MEMORIES DURING LOCKDOWN Steven Spurrier, Co-owner, Bride Valley Vineyard

Image: Pete MIllson 82 | Bridport Times | June 2020

y cellar is 90% European, this being around 70% French of which 35% is claret. Even before knowing how long ‘lockdown’ would be, I decided to go ‘off-piste’ for evening red wines, opening bottles that had been forgotten for years. First up, were the last of three 2001s from the Douro - early in the adventure of table wines away from Port. The Prats-Symington Chryseia – only the second vintage – showed good fruit with Medoc firmness on the finish, Dirk von Niepoort’s Redoma was still full of briary energy, while Quinta do Vale Meao combined richness, spice and smoothness; my favourite of the three. Informed that Carlos Falco, Marques de Grinon, had died from the coronavirus aged 83, led me to open a 2000 Syrah from his Dominio de Valdepusa estate near Toledo, still full of velvety vigour. Carlos Falco was the founder of the Pagos single estate vineyards that brought justified attention to wines from northern Spain. My Spanish wine rack reminded me of several old vintages of Rioja Gran Reserva from Marques de Caceres. So, on alternate evenings, I opened and decanted the 1998 and 1991. The ruby red colour of the former led to wonderful tempranillo flavours, years in American oak beautifully blended in, while the latter showed fine textural fruit, a classic Rioja in all its mature glory. Next came Hungary, from Domaine Mondivin in Villany, co-founded by my Academie Internationale du Vin colleague Belgian wine merchant, Eric Sauter. Recognised early on by Michael Broadbent that ‘the southern wine district of Villany is the natural home of Cabernet Franc,’ Villany cabernet franc now has its own appellation as the most highly regarded red wine in Hungary. Eric had left several bottles with me at the end of the AIV’s visit to English vineyards five years ago, and I went first for the 2000; a superbly elegant expression of the grape with not a hint of exaggeration. Then the 1996, the Domaine’s third vintage but from 35 year old vines; still youthful, claret-like in its fragrance, elegance and southern warmth. Of course, France could not be ignored and my last bottle of Dominique Lafon’s Volnay-Santenots du Mileu 1999, one of Jasper Morris’s favourites, was sumptuously worth waiting for. Chateau Angludet 1996, punching as usual above its weight as a Margaux Cru Bourgeois, showed this vintage’s staying power, while the CoteRotie Seigneur de Maugiron 1999 Delas confirmed the greatness of both wine (which I’ve followed over the years) and vintage. Then, I moved to Tuscany for more 1999s, starting

with two wines from Felsina Berardenga, Giuseppe Mazzocolin’s chianti classico estate overlooking Siena. His single vineyard Rancio Riserva, still robust in colour, was superbly expressive, while his flagship Fontarello was still earthily intense, both with a few years in front of them. South to Montalcino for three 1999 Brunellos: Tenuta Emilio Nardi, one of the most northern vineyards in the DOCG, was still youthful and firm, La Gerla incredibly elegant, almost feminine in style, while Casanouva di Neri had everything; a simply marvellous wine. Now it was the turn of the New World, staying with 1999 for Rustenberg’s founder, Peter Barlow’s, cabernet sauvignon, which brought to mind a ‘fruity Latour.’ Cuvee William Deutz 1999 showed how slowly Champagne ages in a cellar that averages 10C over the year. I then headed to Tasmania for Piper’s Brook Opimium 1997, then owner Andrew Pirie’s Bordeaux blend. At just 12 abv, it was firmly in the claret style, my wife loving it. Even better in the same style was Cullen Diana Madeline 2001 from Margaret River. Bella and I had met Vanya Cullen’s strikingly elegant mother at the estate a few months before she died, and this vintage was the first of many to carry her name. Moving to New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay, Unison 1998, a cabernet/merlot blend from their best Gimblett Gravels vineyards; it showed precision and vigour and allowed me to remember John Buck of Te Mata, Hawkes Bay’s oldest estate and his famous Bordeaux blend Coleraine. Finally, it was time for the Americas, starting with my close friend Jose-Manuel Ortega-Fournier’s Alfa Crux 2004, a superb malbec from his ground-breaking winery, now sadly sold, high up in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Vinedo Chadwick 2005 raised cabernet sauvignon, planted by Eduardo on his late father’s polo field, to new heights. While Sena 1996, a blend of 91% cabernet and 9% carmènere, only the second vintage made by Eduardo and Robert Mondavi, blossomed with warmth and depth over two hours in the decanter. Finally, the night before writing this, 9th May, SaintSupery’s Private Reserve cabernet sauvignon 1989, the Napa estate built up by wine visionary and art collector Robert Skalli, proved that you can wait for Napa Cabs as long as you like and they won’t disappoint. Each and every one of these wines had a story to tell. As Michael Broadbent said ‘One always comes back to Claret,’ so this is where I will go now, for more memories. bridevalleyvineyard.com bridporttimes.co.uk | 83

Body & Mind

Popmarleo/Shutterstock

84 | Bridport Times | June 2020

TAKING IT EASY

Jane Fox, Bridport Yogaspace

rom the initial intense shock to the labyrinth of emotions, the crazy recent months have brought with them a daily life carrying constant changes and a deep uncertainty. Maybe you have found solace and grounding in your yoga practices that can be as simple as taking a few deep conscious breaths. I hope so. My lockdown experience started with trying to avoid my feelings, as I cancelled my long-planned trip to California, struggled to get my yoga classes online only to be defeated by our intermittent broadband, ensuing DIY mania, followed by my back going out. Then, finally, a family bereavement very effectively stopped me in my tracks. Some atma vichara, the yogic practice of self-inquiry was needed and showed me that swallowing my feelings, as well as fighting reality, were old patterns of mine that had surfaced again and ripe for change. When my mind is tangled up, I retreat into the words and teachings of sages and saints. Their words help me remember and bring me back to myself. ‘Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they’re meant to be.’ BKS Iyengar These are challenging times. Letting ones’ feelings be here, especially those of powerlessness, can soften our inner battling and allow self-acceptance, whilst remembering it is always progress not perfection. For me, self-acceptance is key. If I can be honest and allow myself to fall apart a bit, I can begin to loosen my protective shells and start to change. Perhaps then, I can begin to use the yoga practice of witness consciousness, sakshi bhava. This is like driving to a mountain-top, pulling over, getting out of the car and taking a long deep breath as we look out at the view. It can give a new perspective and is a great practice to get a little distance from our minds and stories, thus developing the ‘muscles’ to keep our hearts open. And always, in the words of Maty Ezraty: ‘Keep in mind that when you practise yoga, you are not practising to improve yourself. You are perfect. The practice is there to help you know that.’

The Taittiriya Upanishads tell us: ‘We are born out of love, we live in love and we merge into love We are born out of joy, we live in joy and we merge into joy’ If this is the case, how can we keep returning to our innate love and joy? We have to do our Sadhana, our disciplined, dedicated practice and learning, and when we are washed with feelings or emotions and situations that take us out of ourselves and close our hearts, we do the yoga to return. In a recent talk, Swami Chidvilasananda talked of how this is our responsibility. We have to do the work to keep open to these states; they are not a given. We have to keep going to the joy gym! If it feels good… meditate!

The great seventh limb of Yoga is Meditation. In the enforced quiet of lockdown, we heard the birds sing, we watched spring emerging with a new attentiveness, as our movements were limited, and we found a joy in small things. As we ease back into life, we can bring this experience into our yoga practice by taking time each day to listen, read or sit: • Make it something you love and make it daily. Just like doing any exercise, little and often is most effective. Each time we practise, we are forging new pathways; a new connection. • Feel the quiet connectedness of your 5 or 10 minutes with yourself seep into your day. • Watch your breath and drop below the white noise of the mind and ‘Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being.’ Rumi If there was ever a time for introspection, it is now. When Swami Muktananda first came to the USA in 1970, western journalists asked him: ‘Isn’t meditation selfish?’ His reply was that it was the least selfish thing one could do. We can begin now to try new and joyful ways to explore the most intimate human relationship we will ever have – the relationship with ourselves. Then, from this foundation, we can meet the world with a vital gift this virus has given us: the knowledge that land, sea, air, animals and humans are all connected. yogaspacebridport.com bridporttimes.co.uk | 85

Interiors

CABIN FEVER Annabelle Hunt, Colour Consultant, Bridport Timber

86 | Bridport Times | June 2020

ur homes have become our entire world. Suddenly, we view our homes in a new light and really have time to think about how they feel. The dream of an open-plan living area may not seem like such a fantastic idea now that everyone needs to find their own space for working, home schooling and relaxing! Rooms which before may have only been used during the evening, might now feel better if they were lighter and brighter. If your room doesn’t benefit from lots of natural light, don’t be tempted to just grab the whitest, brightest tin of paint available in an effort to lighten it up. A dark room painted in brilliant white will just end up looking dull and dingy. And still dark. By choosing a softer, pale shade instead and painting the ceiling, walls and woodwork all in the same colour, you will really see how the sense of light and space is increased. If you don’t have paint to hand or you’re simply not keen on completely redecorating, there are plenty of small changes that you can try to make a space work better. Shake things up by moving furniture around; placing a chair or a table in front of a window will make the most of the natural light. Perhaps take down those heavy curtains during the summer months to let more light flood in. A clever way of creating the illusion of a sunny day is to paint the window surround yellow. Even though I wouldn’t say I was a big yellow fan, it does have an almost subliminally uplifting effect and after all, it needn’t be permanent. Channel the power of plants and bring the outside in by placing pots next to windows, even if your view is only of next door’s wall. When my husband was organising our tiny snug as an office, he asked if he could have a plant. Not known for his green fingers, I took it as absolute proof that plants really benefit us on an entirely subconscious level. Using up old tins of paint for small projects or finishing off odd jobs, which have been overlooked because they’re just not that important, can have a reinvigorating effect; not just on a space, but on the people in it too. Sample pots can be used for art projects or you could handpaint a design onto a lampshade; try transferring a favourite fabric or wallpaper design. Most of the paint colours you might have stashed under the stairs will have been used somewhere in your home so will most likely fit within your colour palette. If a colour is a) too light b) too dark or c) too bright, you could try adding the tiniest bit of a) black b) white or c) its complementary colour. This is fine as long as you don’t need to recreate the final colour at a later date! If you don’t have enough emulsion to repaint an entire room, you could use up small amounts by creating or ‘zoning’ a small home office or a cosy reading corner. For jobs like this, Frog Tape is your friend; remove the tape before the paint is fully dry and you will get a lovely, crisp line. Any leftover Eggshell can be used to paint the lower half of walls in a tired hallway, making a feature of where the two finishes meet and creating a tough, scrubbable surface. Eggshell is also perfect for updating an unloved piece of furniture or injecting an unexpected pop of colour to a kitchen cupboard; remember that Interior Eggshell should not be used outside, but if you have it, Exterior Eggshell can certainly be used inside. As I write, no one knows when lockdown will end, but it is important to remember that it will end. Any decisions we make during these unusual times needn’t be long term. Remember it’s only paint. bridporttimber.co.uk

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Philosophy

ATTUNEMENT Kelvin Clayton, Philosophy in Pubs

ne of the many new phrases to emerge as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown is ‘the new normal’. The implication being that we will never return to living a ‘normal’ life, but will need to adapt how we live and what we regard as normal – we will need to live differently. Now some of these changes will undoubtedly be for the good. If, 88 | Bridport Times | June 2020

Image: Pete MIllson

for example, we can maintain the reduced levels of air pollution, our health, and that of the planet, will be greatly improved. However, there’s one area of this ‘new normal’ that I’m starting to get some concerns about: virtual meetings. Even before the lockdown, the idea of holding meetings via the internet was being actively discussed

as one method of reducing the need to travel. And if we stand any chance of reducing our carbon emissions to net-zero, we need to drastically reduce our need to travel. This is particularly important regarding air travel, but also our use of private cars. Most councillors attending Dorset Council meetings, for example, drive to meetings as the sole occupant of their car. So, if many of these meetings can be conducted virtually, then a lot of travel, with the resultant carbon emissions, can be saved. The lockdown has forced our hand. Slowly but surely, meetings, and not just Council meetings, are being arranged online. By and large these have gone well, but I am beginning to have my doubts about their long term use, particularly for more formal meetings. I don’t know whether it’s just me, but I have found it difficult to stay focused and attentive during these virtual proceedings, especially when the meeting is longer than an hour and/ or the issues being discussed are complex. Why is this? Well, on the one hand, there’s the environment in which you are sitting when in front of your laptop. Mentally, you are still at home. You are still partly engaged with what you were doing immediately before you connected to the meeting; you are still engaged with your domestic situation. Now I know this can still happen when you physically attend another location, but there is something about the travelling to this location that mentally adjusts you. But of even greater

importance, perhaps, is the actual different location, especially if it is the Council Chamber or formal committee room. This different space seems to influence our attitude, our mental attunement. And, on the other hand, there’s all the non-verbal and informal communication that is not being taken into account. Humans are social beings to our very core. We have evolved to be acutely aware of body language and other non-verbal signals, and to make appropriate judgements regarding our social situation. Meetings are no different, however much we would like them to be. Apart from all the informal contact you have with other participants both before, during and after formal meetings, you miss all those raised eyebrows, sighs of frustration and nods of approval which can and should be taken into account. If we try and restrict ourselves to verbal communication, we lose part of our humanity. And I for one struggle to keep engaged. In normal times, 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

bridporttimes.co.uk | 89

Literature

LOCKDOWN READING LIST Antonia Squire, The Bookshop

New and noteworthy titles plus some personal faves at The Bookshop on South Street. ADULT FICTION

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, translated by Jamie Chang

Simon & Schuster, RRP £12.99 Born 1982 is a million-copy international bestseller that should not be missed. Born at the end of the 20th century, Kim Jiyoung’s grandparents wanted her to be a boy. As she grows up, her brother is given privileges from micro to macro that are never offered to her. Kim Jiyoung is blamed for all harassments and assaults upon her. She is overlooked at work and quits after the birth of her child because it’s out of the question that her husband would give up. Her life is formed, developed, and warped by the fact that Kim Jiyoung is a woman – but now she has started to act strangely. Kim Jiyoung has become angry. A compelling, incisive, dynamic, and scalding reflection on the reality of the lives of so many modern women; this book is riveting from first page to last.

training for historians revolving around libraries and the occasional field trip to ruins, with perhaps a bit of archaeology thrown in for good measure, the fitness and survival training she receives at St Mary’s seems to be a bit overkill. Right up until she is introduced to the ‘Pods’ and discovers that her first field trip is to the Cretaceous period. But remember, these are historians not time travellers, their role is to observe history in contemporary time. Observe only, one step wrong, one move to changing history and history fights back. Usually with deadly consequences. This hugely entertaining book is the first in a (so far) eleven-book series and does for history what Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series did for literature; I cannot recommend it enough.

ADULT NON-FICTION

The Splendid and The Vile by Erik Larson

Harper Collins, RRP £20

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

Headline Publishing Group, RRP £8.99 When Dr Madeleine Maxwell is recruited to St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research, she has absolutely no idea what she is letting herself in for. Used to traditional 90 | Bridport Times | June 2020

From the moment of Chamberlain’s resignation, this extraordinary saga follows Winston Churchill, his friends and family, as well as major players from around the world, allies and enemies alike. Beginning with his first day in office, when Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium, through the astonishingly fast capitulation of France, defeat at Dunkirk and the terror of the Blitz. Familiar faces abound in this brilliantly researched and excitingly told journey into the first year of Churchill’s premiership. We witness one man unify a nation, a government and a family through Nazi inflicted death and destruction. It

was not enough for Churchill to be resolved, the entire country needed resolve, and Churchill inspired it again and again. An absolutely rollicking read.

CHILDREN’S MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

The book is full of warm, believable characters as you would expect from Hilary. I felt something for each one of them and I felt the magic seeping out of the pages. With the rich and detailed narrative, each time I opened the book I could almost smell the wooden panels of the deserted front room and the glossy ivy leaves reaching in through the windows.

TEEN FICTION

Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L. D. Lapinski

Orion Children’s Books, RRP £6.99 Like an expanded, more dangerous version of The Faraway Tree, there is a new world to experience each time you step into a suitcase. Twelve-year-old Flick has just moved to the area and is feeling completely underwhelmed by her new surroundings, so stumbling upon The Strangeworlds Travel Agency couldn’t have been more fortuitous. Taking a step into Strangeworlds however, can be more dangerous than you think, and Flick finds herself in a race against time to save not just our world, but all the others. A thoroughly enjoyable, fast paced bundle of magic and mayhem. We loved it.

The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay

Pan Macmillan, RRP £12.99 Abi and her stepbrothers, Louis and Max, share a strained relationship with each other in their cramped home. The family agree they need to move somewhere bigger and after much searching, they find a house like no other they have seen. Coloured window panes, an intriguing arched front door and the walls are covered head to toe in ivy. Rich and earthy, it’s the perfect location for a magical adventure, but there is real magic here, green magic and it can easily get out of control.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Scholastic UK, RRP £18.99 When talking about her writing on publication day, Suzanne Collins stressed that the worlds she creates, both that of The Hunger Games and The Underland Chronicles, explore the justifications of war. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes does exactly this. On the eve of the 10th Hunger Games, some 65 years before Katniss Everdeen enters the arena, a young Coriolanus Snow watches the Reaping with his classmates. Just 8 years old at the end of a war that saw both Capitol and Districts on the verge of utter destruction, Coriolanus is in his final year of the Academy and for this year’s Hunger Games, the game makers are going to try something different. Introducing the concept of mentors for the first time, they decide that children from the Capitol should mentor the tributes. As he tries to regain the honour and glory of the House of Snow, their family fortune lost as District 13 was destroyed, Coriolanus finds himself with the dubious distinction of mentoring the female tribute from District 12. But when tributes and mentors get to know one another, as their destinies become entwined, mistakes will be made, and lessons learned, and The Hunger Games will never be the same. During the COVID-19 Lockdown, customers can browse the shop stock at dorsetbooks.com using the ‘Online Shop’ tab; search books through the website; or use the ‘contact us’ tab to request a specific title. bridporttimes.co.uk | 91

IN THIS MOMENT, EVERYTHING IS OK

Beth Kempton

oday is a Sunday. Through my open window I can hear a single bell ringing out from the empty village church. More bells would mean more bell ringers, but the bell tower is too small for them to be more than two metres apart. It’s an unexpected reminder of the times we are in. What were the noises of everyday life before this? Train doors closing, cars and lorries rumbling past, aeroplanes droning overhead, phones pinging and ringing, coffee machines hissing. And now? Right at this moment? The clink of saucepans in the kitchen. Conversation bubbling. Birds calling. Breath moving. Children laughing. A gentle breeze in the trees and an absence of traffic. I miss people. But I also know that one day, I’ll miss this quiet too. It is as if someone sat down and made a list of all the noise in our lives – real and metaphorical – and turned it all off. Just like that. Except for the Internet, which is keeping us connected, and the voice in our head, which is chattering away as usual. We have to be grown-up enough, and mindful enough, to turn those down by ourselves. The rest – that has been taken care of. Normally, we have to work hard to find quiet in the chaos. But not today. Here we are. What can you hear? ‘We all want quiet. We all want beauty... We all need space. Unless we have it, we cannot reach that sense of quiet in which whispers of better things come to us gently.’ Octavia Hill, co-founder of the National Trust, writing in 1883 During my trip out for daily exercise yesterday, I took myself to a water meadow, over a bridge and through a small wood. There, I found a low bench, and I sat down. I probably shouldn’t have sat down, given that (at the time) I was supposed to be exercising, but there wasn’t another soul in sight and I needed this. A small stream happily bubbled along beside me. Lambs bleated from a nearby field. The electric-blue sky pulled my attention upwards, through the treetops, to a single cloud floating by. I closed my eyes and felt cocooned from all the stuff 92 | Bridport Times | June 2020

of the past few days. So many of us are trying to make difficult decisions without clear information, and uncertainty is hanging heavy. Sitting in the stillness, I felt protected from the need to think about it yet again. ‘Still’ means to be unmoving. It also means to endure. This centred, quiet place can be an enduring source of calm, clarity and hope that we can return to at any time. There by the water, held by the trees, everything was OK in that moment. Who knows about the next moment? We never know about the next moment. But very often, in a moment tuned into nature, everything is OK.

Image: Holly Bobbins

I have been getting up at 5am most mornings during the pandemic. I wrote my new book, We Are in This Together, during lockdown; the sense of urgency pulling me from my pillow to spill words as the sun came up. It became a welcome habit that I have chosen to keep now the book is out. With home schooling on top of home working bringing a new rhythm, and more people at home more of the time, the early hours have become an oasis. I have noticed how different the light is at that hour and how the air is filled with a hundred kinds of birdsong. I love to walk around the garden and check how my

veggies are coming along, and whether the raspberries have started to blush yet. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a moment for watching, listening, and feeling grateful for this beautiful place. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to ponder what comes next; try to hold those ideas loosely now, knowing that anything can change, as it always does. Beth Kempton is a writer and founder of dowhatyouloveforlife.com. Her latest book, We Are in This Together: Finding hope and opportunity in the depths of adversity, is out now. It is an inspiring reflection of this time and what it might mean for us individually and collectively. bridporttimes.co.uk | 93

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ACROSS 1. Access code (8) 5. Close (4) 9. In a slow tempo (of music) (5) 10. Cornmeal (7) 11. Junction (12) 13. Shares (anag) (6) 14. Car operator (6) 17. Notwithstanding (12) 20. Use up; exhaust (7) 21. Absolute (5) 22. Froth of soap and water (4) 23. Continues obstinately (8)

94 | Bridport Times | June 2020

DOWN 1. Inner surface of the hand (4) 2. Jumps up suddenly (7) 3. Showing total commitment (12) 4. State of sleep (6) 6. Capital of Vietnam (5) 7. Coaches (8) 8. Decomposition by a current (12) 12. Explosive shells (8) 15. Boats (7) 16. Respire with difficulty (6) 18. Lacking interest (5) 19. Creative disciplines (4)

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