Sherborne Times July 2016

July 2016 | FREE

A MONTHLY CELEBR ATION OF PEOPLE, PLACE AND PURVEYOR

TAKING TEA with Michelle and Rob Comins of Comins Tea House

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk

W

WELCOME

elcome to another month in Sherborne. July sees us play host to jousting tournaments, fire juggling, supercars, classic cars, two open air theatre performances, art exhibitions, bands, choirs, plenty of cricket, a myriad of talks, a food festival, fairs, markets and a quick triathlon for good measure.

Meanwhile, over these 96 pages we hear from regular contributors, the likes of Mike Burks, Lisa Osman and Giles Dick-Read, and extend a warm welcome to new writers, Jenny Campbell, Becky Horlock and John Gaye.

Katharine, Jo and I visit Rob and Michelle Comins at their tea house in Sturminster Newton. A place where the pulsing demands of daily life are rendered futile and my faith is renewed in Things Done Well.

Have a wonderful month.

Glen Cheyne, Editor editor@sherbornetimes.co.uk @sherbornetimes

CONTRIBUTORS Editorial and Creative Direction Glen Cheyne

Mike Burks The Gardens Group @TheGardensGroup thegardeneronline.co.uk

Frances Aylen Bsc Hons OST 56 London Road Clinic francesaylen.com 56londonroad.co.uk

Design Andy Gerrard

Jenny Campbell

Photography Katharine Davies

Amanda Burbidge MBACP FdSc The Sherborne Rooms sherbornerooms.com amandaburbidge-counselling.co.uk

Paul Gammage and Anita Light EweMove Sherborne @ewemoveyeovil ewemove.com

Feature Writer Jo Denbury Print

Gillian M Constable DWT Sherborne Group @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk Jill Cook @JillCookPCT jillcook.co.uk

Distribution Team Maggie Belly Richard & Heather Betton-Foster Sarah Copley Christine Knott Sarah Morgan Roger & Mary Napper Claire Pilley Judith Rust Geoff Wood Contact 01935 814803 07957 496193 @sherbornetimes editor@sherbornetimes.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk Sherborne Times is printed on Edixion Offset, an FSC® 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 Sherborne 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. Sherborne 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 Sherborne Times.

Additional photography: contributor’s own, Shutterstock and iStock 4 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

David Copp Jenny Dickinson Dear to Me, Fine Stationery @DearToMeStudio deartome.co.uk Giles Dick-Read Reads Coffee Roasters @reads_coffee readscoffee.co.uk Alan & Sue Dodge Bailey Ridge @YourBaileyRidge baileyridge.co.uk Fiona Finn Mini First Aid minifirstaid.co.uk Jimmy Flynn Milborne Port Computers @MPortComputers computing-mp.co.uk Becky Horlock Sherborne Prep School @Sherborneprep sherborneprep.org Andrew Fort Fort Financial Planning ffp.org.uk John Gaye Sherborne Literary Society sherborneliterarysociety.com George Hayward Natasha Williams Oxley Sports Centre @OxleySports oxleysc.com Colin Lambert colinlambert.co.uk

Sasha Matkevich The Green Restaurant @greensherborne greenrestaurant.co.uk Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS Newton Clarke Veterinary Partnership @swanhousevet newtonclarkepartnership.co.uk Kitty Oakshott Upstairs Downstairs Interiors @updowninteriors updowninteriors.co.uk Lisa Osman All Hallows AGA Approved Cookery School @cooksandmakers allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk Peter Henshaw & Mike Riley Riley’s Cycles @rileyscycles rileyscycles.co.uk @DCNSherborne dcn.org.uk Kate Reynolds Leweston School @LewestonSchool leweston.co.uk Dr Tim Robinson MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom Glencairn House Clinic glencairnhouse.co.uk doctortwrobinson.com Sally Wellbourn Dorset Wildlife Trust @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk Wayne Winstone Winstone's Books @winstonebooks winstonebooks.co.uk Amber Whitmarsh BSc (Hons) BVSc CertAVP MRCVS The Kingston Veterinary Group @TheKingstonVets kingstonvets.co.uk Canon Eric Woods Sherborne Abbey @SherborneAbbey sherborneabbey.com

42

JULY 2016

6 What’s On

29 Children’s Literature

74 Landlords - Is Your Tenancy

Your monthly events guide for Sherborne and its villages

Captain Pug by Laura James

Agreement Fit for Purpose?

10 Unearthed

Going outside with Kitty Oakshott

Ellie Green 12 Shopping Guide

Jenny Dickinson takes us shopping 14 Dorset’s Reptiles

with Sally Welbourn from Dorset Wildlife Trust 16 Butterfly Nett

Dorset Wildlife Trust Sherborne Group round-up with Gillian M. Constable

28 Interiors

32 In the Garden with Mike Burks

Preparing for Uncle Les’ birthday party

with Anita Light and Paul Gammage 78 It’s an Ill Wind

The continuing tales of property auctioneer George Hayward 81 Why Goals are Essential

36 Structuring Beds & Borders

to Investment Success

Sue Dodge shows us how

Expert advice from Andrew Fort

40 How to Get Ahead

84 Chamber of Trade and

Auctioneer, Richard Bromell, looks back at some weird and wonderful lots

Commerce

____________________________

Chamber update with SCOT President Andrew Maddock

42 COMINS TEA HOUSE

85 Repair, Upgrade or Renew?

18 Painting Lobsters

____________________________

with local artist Richard Bramble

48 Tummy Troubles

IT support with Jimmy Flynn

20 Never Too Young to Learn

Becky Horlock, Nursery Leader at Sherborne Prep discusses the benefits of pre-school education 22 Born to Run

The importance of physical activity for children with Natasha Williams of Oxley Sports Centre 24 Mini First Aid

A mother’s first hand account of meningitis 26 A Way with Words

Jo Denbury visits Winstone’s, winners of the 2016 Independent Bookshop of the Year 28 Nothing

A hair-raising moment in the Vietnam jungle prompts Kate Reynolds to reevaluate the traditional family holiday

Advice for owners of unwell dogs with Mark Newton-Clarke 50 Equine Obesity

Emma Whitmarsh of The Kingston Veterinary Group highlights a growing problem for horse and pony owners 54 Food & Drink

86 Folk Tales with Colin Lambert

Colin in conversation with James Curtis of Brewers Garage 90 A Room with a View

The first in a new series of original short stories and recollections contributed by local writers

with local coffee roaster Giles Dick-Read, chefs Lisa Osman and Sasha Matkevich and wine expert David Copp

92 Literary Review

64 Cycle Sherborne

93 Crossword

Peter Henshaw and Mike Riley go off-road 60 Body & Mind

Food Allergies with Dr Tim Robinson, Osteopathy with Frances Aylen, Mental Health Apps with Jill Cook and Counselling with Amanda Burbidge

with John Gaye - Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker

94 Could You be a Friend of Sherborne Abbey?

with Canon Eric Woods

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 5

WHAT'S ON Listings

www.knightsroyal.co.uk.

on art and culture. New members are

Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:30am

Saturday 2nd 7:30pm

Sherborne Town Walk

Sherborne Abbey Choir Concert

www.sherborne-dfas.org.uk

Tuesdays from Sherborne TIC, Digby Rd.

The choir’s annual concert, including

Thursday 7th 2:30pm

hrs with Blue Badge Guide, Cindy. £5

year’s repertoire. Free entry with retiring

Butcher of Beaminster

www.sherborneabbey.com

who had a successful career in Victorian

____________________________

and Thursdays, from the Post Office. 1½-2 ____________________________ Friday 1st doors open 7pm Holwell Variety

welcome. For further information visit ____________________________

anthems and motets taken from the

My Namesake the

collection. Sherborne Abbey.

Peter Meech will speak about a man

____________________________

London and became a benefactor

Performance Night

Sunday 3rd 3pm

Music, poetry, art, storytelling, games and

Sherborne Singers

we can all enjoy. BYO booze. Snacks, soft

Easy-on-the-ear selection of Gilbert &

in West Dorset. £5. Family History

Research Centre, The Parade, Sherborne

any other form of shared entertainment

Cheap Street Church, Sherborne.

and hot drinks available. £4 suggested

Sullivan, songs and ballads. Approx 1hr.

Friday 8th 1pm-5pm

Hall afterwards. £5 on door or from

150th Birthday Celebration

____________________________

staff, patients, friends and family are

contribution. Holwell Village Hall, DT9

01935 389611 www.sdfhs.org

____________________________

Afternoon tea will be in the Church

The Yeatman Hospital

01935 816332

Garden party on The Willows. All ex

Saturday 2nd 9am

Monday 4th

The Sandford Orcas Dawdle

Treacle Eater Clog North West

welcome. June McCourt 01305 361522

Charity Sponsored Walk or Run -

Morris Dancers & Musicians

from Sandford Orcas Village Hall Car

Bradford Abbas DT9 6RF, 8pm and

Sherborne Sports Centre’s

DT9 6QD, 9pm. With their friends

Sherborne Sports Centre, Acreman St.

Morris Men. Come along and enjoy the

give it a go! 500m swim (20 lengths),

5LL. To get involved email Music@ BearCatCollective.co.uk

____________________________

or Liz McMeiken 01305 361532

10miles/16km (or just half of it). Starting

Performing outside The Rose & Crown,

Sunday 10th 9am

Park. Entry fee £10 for adults and £5 for

again at The Kings Arms, Thornford

12th Annual Sprint Triathlon

Wyvern Jubilee Morris Men and Wessex

Open to all ages and abilities. Come and

children. For information contact Sarah Whittick – whittick445@btinternet.com 01963 220855 or 07765 771184

____________________________ Saturday 2nd Scarecrow Display

traditional music and dancing. 01963 210562 www.treacleeaterclog.org.uk

____________________________

20K cycle, 5K run. 01935 810548.

Sunday 10th 11am-4pm

and Competition

Wednesday 6th

Sunday 10th 11am-4pm

School children will deliver entries on

& 20th 7am-9am

Steam & Waterwheel Open

Friday 1st July. The Super Scarecrow

Early Bird Business Exchange

Day + Victorian Family Picnic

trophy will go to the winner and there will be a prize for all entrants. Castle

Fortnightly meetings at Castle Gardens,

Play Victorian games. Prizes for children

Gardens, Sherborne. 01935 814633

Sherborne to exchange ideas, leads and

knowledge. A vibrant and welcoming group.

display. Adults £5, family £7, children

Saturday 2nd Sunday 3rd 10am-4pm

www.sherbornebusinessexchange.co.uk or

contact info@sherbornebusinessexchange.co.uk

____________________________

in Victorian costume. Vintage bicycle

free. Oborne Rd, Sherborne, DT9 3RX. www.sswc.co.uk

____________________________

Jousting Tournament

Wednesday 6th 2pm and 8pm

Sunday 10th 11am and 2pm

Falconry, archery, fire juggling and more.

Croatia, Artistic and

Open Day at the Quarr Nature

Tournament times 12:30pm & 3pm.

Cultural Crossroads

Reserve & Terrace Meadows SNCI

Sherborne Castle, DT9 5NR. Tickets;

adults £9, children £4.50 in advance from

Nirvana Rommel BEd looks at the

Meet at Quarr 11am (by Mermaid Pub,

Sherborne & Dorchester TICs.

story of Croatia as a ‘melting pot’ at the crossroads of history, and its influence

Playing Field Car Park, off A352).

6 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

off Bristol Road). Terraces 2pm (Terrace

JULY 2016 Guided walks including flower & insect

Food and drink stalls from some of the

Gardens Garden Centre, New Road,

776767 nigelspring@yahoo.co.uk

classic cars & motorbikes. Refreshments,

814633 www.thegardeneronline.co.uk

identification. For more info: 07981

best local producers. A variety of veteran/ ice cream, beer and cider. Entertainment

Sherborne. Tickets available in store. 01935 ____________________________

inc. children’s activities. Leigh Village

Friday 22nd 12:30pm for 1pm

free. 01935 873846 www.leighfoodfair.co.uk

Sherborne Literary Society dinner.

Marvellous travelling outdoor theatre

Saturday 16th 2pm

£25 for 2 course meal, drinks served

01935 814633. Castle Gardens,

Prof Rebecca Probert will discuss how

Tuesday 12th doors open at 6:30pm for 7:30pm start Illyria performs ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Hall, Nr Sherborne DT9 6HL £2, U15s

company. Tickets available in store.

Marriage Laws for Genealogists

New Road, Sherborne

the laws relating to marriage, divorce

Wednesday 13th 7:30pm Sherborne Flicks: Bridge of Spies Lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks)

is thrust into the centre of the Cold War

and bigamy have changed over the

centuries and assess the implications

for genealogists trying to unravel their

Literary Luncheon Rosie Thomas this year’s star speaker. upon arrival. Leweston School, nr

Sherborne, DT9 6EN. Book in advance: 07712 590897 sueadams.sls@gmail.com www.sherborneliterarysociety.com Tickets also at Winstone’s Bookshop

____________________________

own family histories. Members £8 non-

Friday 22nd-

Centre, The Parade, Sherborne 01935

Sherborne Art Club Annual

members £10. Family History Research

Sunday 31st 10am-5:30pm

389611 www.sdfhs.org

Open Art Exhibition 2016

www.artsreach.co.uk

Sunday 17th opens 10am

____________________________

Classic & Supercars Show

Sunday 31st July). Digby Hall, Hound

14th, 20th and 28th 6pm-7:30pm

Vintage and classic car displays, car

when sent to negotiate the release of a captured US pilot. Memorial Hall,

Digby Road. £6 from Sherborne TIC.

Sherborne Pubs

run, trade and craft stands, autojumble,

Open daily from (closes at 1pm on

Street, Sherborne, DT9 3AA www.

sherborneartclub.com/open-art-exhibition

____________________________

children’s entertainment. £10 in advance

Saturday 23rd 7:30pm

www.classicsatthecastle.co.uk

St James the Great Church,

Meet at Greenhill (westbound) bus stop.

Sunday 17th 2:30pm-4pm

of wine. 01963 210548

be booked in advance. 01935 389611

Music from Sherborne Town Band and

Saturday 23rd-30th

picnic and enjoy a concert of light music.

Residential courses for instrumentalists

www.sherbornetownband.co.uk

the week. Sherborne School. For more

Walkabout - Route 1 Barry Brock will lead an evening walk

around the sites of Sherborne’s vanished

pubs, ending with a pint in one still open.

from Sherborne and Dorchester TICs.

Band of HMS Heron Concert Longburton. £10 to inc. a glass

Numbers limited to 20 and places must

Music In The Park

www.sdfhs.org/events/sdfhs-events/

the Youth Band. Bring your family, bring a

CSSM Summer School of Music

Pageant Gardens, Sherborne, DT9 3NB

and singers. Free concerts throughout

Friday 15th gates 6:45pm Shakespeare in the Garden Amateur Players of Sherborne

____________________________

____________________________

information contact: 01286 673401

commemorate the 400th anniversary of the

Thursday 21st 2pm

www.cssm.org.uk

scenes, speeches and music. BYO seating

Catholic Church Hall, Westbury,

Sunday 31st July -14th August

Sherborne. Tickets: £5 from Marsh’s and

refreshments). 01935 816946

of Music & Concertfest

____________________________

Thursday 21st 6:30pm

Saturday 16th 10am-4pm

Wildlife Friendly Gardening

ages and abilities to meet in a friendly,

Leigh Food Festival

Awards Ceremony

& Classic Car Display

Organised by Dorset Wildlife Trust. Castle

Bard’s death with an informal evening of

Over 50’s Bingo

and picnics. Paddock Garden, Newland,

Sherborne. £3 (inc. 6 games &

Sherborne Summer School

____________________________

The ideal venue for musicians of all

Winstone’s Bookshop. 01935 817439

____________________________

supportive atmosphere where they

can enhance their skills. Free concerts for the public to attend. Sherborne

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 7

WHAT'S ON Saturday Antiques & Flea Market

SPORT

Sherborne Abbey. Info: 01342 893963

Every 4th Saturday, 9am-4pm

____________________________

(exc. April and December)

Every Thursday

____________________________

Church Hall, Digby Road

7.30pm - 8.30pm

____________________________

Over 30’s Touch Rugby

Saturday 2nd 10am-4pm

Sherborne School floodlit AstroTurf,

School, Cheap Street Church and summermusicschool@btinternet.com

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES ____________________________ The Slipped Stitch

Flea Market Memorial Hall, Digby Road. A fair for

everyone. Free admission. 01749 677049

____________________________

Saturday 2nd 10am-4pm - Experiments

Saturday 2nd 10am-1pm

Horsecastles Lane. £2 per session. First three sessions free. For more details go to: www.sherbornetouch.org.uk or call Jimmy on 07887 800803

____________________________

in wet felting with Lydia. Thursday 14th

Monthly Table Top

Sherborne County Cricket Club

7-9pm - Crafty get together. Monday

Sale & SwapShop

25th 10am-12pm - Children’s workshop.

Terrace Playing Fields

Learn how to crochet a granny square.

Good used items, produce & crafts. In

Ages 7+. 1 Cheap Street. 01935 508249

the Swap, find clothes, cookware, books,

CDs, DVDs, bric-a-brac & toys! Sellers:

Premier 1 Start 1pm

samantha-jane-@hotmail.co.uk

Poole Town CC

A

Watercolours

Saturday 9th 8:30am (trade)

Day class with Jake Winkle. Raleigh

9:30am (public) - 4pm

Broadstone CC

H

of ArtsLink. 01935 815899

Digby Hall, Hound Street. Up to 35

Wimborne & Colehill CC

H

____________________________

available. Entrance £1. 01963 370986

Over Compton (behind the

Oriental Lanterns

Sunday 10th Sellers from 8:30am,

Every Wednesday 6pm - 8pm

with Beppy Berlin

Buyers 9am-12noon

West Country Embroiderers Sherborne

Car Boot Sale

at £15 booked in advance. Digby

(£5 per car), 50p per person. Terraces,

www.theslippedstitch.co.uk

____________________________ Saturday 9th 10am-4pm

www.sherborne.play-cricket.com Dorset Cricket League

£5. Holwell Village Hall, DT9 5LL

Saturday 2nd

____________________________

Saturday 9th

Saturday 16th

Hall, Digby Road. £65, £55 Friends

Chasty Cottage Antiques Fair

www.sherborneartslink.org.uk

stands, homemade food and refreshments

Compton House Cricket Club

____________________________

Fortune Palace on A30)

Monday 11th 9:30am-3:30pm

____________________________

Senior (14+) practise, nets or T20 match. 07962 663472

District meeting with optional workshop

Friends of the Yeatman Hospital

Hall, Hound Street. New members

Sherborne, DT9 5NS

Start 1:30pm

____________________________

Saturday 2nd

Saturday 16th 9:30am-4pm

Poole Town 2nd IV

welcome. Details from Ann 01963 34696

____________________________

FAIRS & MARKETS

Book Fair

www.comptonhousecricketclub.org.uk Dorset Division 2

Saturday 9th

H

Memorial Hall, Digby Road. New,

Witchampton A

(also magazines, prints, postcards

Portland RT

colinbakerbooks@btinternet.com

Marnhull H

Country Market

Saturday 23rd 8:30am-3:30pm

Thursday mornings,

Vintage Market

Blandford A

9:15am-11:15am

Over 30 sellers of quality vintage items.

____________________________ Pannier Market Every Thursday and Saturday on the Parade ____________________________

Church Hall, Digby Road

____________________________ 8 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

second-hand and antiquarian books and ephemera). 01803 613356

____________________________

Memorial Hall, Digby Road.

____________________________

Saturday 16th

Saturday 23rd

H

Saturday 30th

____________________________

We are pleased to announce the opening of our Sherborne office to new & existing clients

We focus solely on providing face-to-face advice and offer a dedicated, personal wealth management service to build long-term, trusted relationships with our clients. Together, we would look to create a working plan, providing you with a clear direction towards meeting your financial goals. This includes clarifying your objectives and researching all of the options available to you.

We have the experience to help you successfully secure and enhance your financial future by offering specialist advice in a wide range of areas including: • Investment planning

• Retirement planning

• Tax and estate planning

For further information, or to request your complimentary guide to wealth management, contact:

PETER HARDING WEALTH MANAGEMENT Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management Established in 1993 40 High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8JG Tel: 01747 855554 9 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3PY Tel: 01935 315315 Web: www.peterhardingwm.co.uk

The Partner Practice represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www. sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner Practice’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

UNEARTHED

ELLIE GREEN

E

llie Green has been competing in triathlons ever since she learnt to swim, which was actually just 3 years ago, shortly after her 16th birthday. “I have always been a very sporty individual so taking up triathlons wasn’t a massive challenge, apart from the swimming side of it!” Now a proficient swimmer, when Ellie’s not busy training, she works at Oxley Sports Centre as a lifeguard.

In those three years Ellie has completed three half Ironman races, two being Ironman 70.3’s (referring to the total distance covered in miles) and the other being Challenge Weymouth in 2015. She placed 4th in the 70.3’s and won her age group in the Weymouth event. Ellie’s goal now is to reach the 70.3 World Championships in Australia this September. In order to qualify Ellie must win her age group in an Ironman 70.3 race. Her final chance comes on June 26 at Wimbleball, Exmoor, which I am told is one of the hardest courses. So by the time you read this we will know, one way or another, if Ellie is going to the World Championships.

Ellie puts her successes down to the unwavering support of her father; ‘As well as being my dad, he’s my coach, my training partner and my biggest inspiration. All it took was for him to tell me to “just sign up and see how you get on”’. She hasn’t looked back since. www.ironman.com

KATHARINE DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY Portrait, lifestyle, PR and editorial commissions 07808 400083 info@katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk www.katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk

10 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

Orangeries | Conservatories | Glazing Design • Planning • Installation • Construction Please give us a call to start creating your perfect space

Sherborne 01935 872640 Marlborough 01672 890606 Bath 01225 459574 www.coastandvale.com

Selection of Handcrafted Ceramic Drawer Pulls, £3 - £5 Melbury Gallery

Summer Reads, £8.99 - £14.99 Winstone's Bee Fayre Scented Candle, £8.99 The Present Finder

SHOPPING IN SHERBORNE Jenny Dickinson of boutique stationery brand Dear to Me shares her favourite Cheap Street finds. www.deartome.co.uk 12 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

Dear to Me Studio Drinks Coasters, Set of Six £12 deartomestudio.com

Glass & Driftwood Mobile, £15 Melbury Gallery

Question Everything Dungarees, £30 Ginger & Pickle

Rockahula Girls Headbands, £8 - £12 The Circus

Vow London Sunglasses, £45 The Circus www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 13

Wild Dorset

DORSET’S REPTILES Sally Welbourn, Dorset Wildlife Trust

L

ike humans, reptiles love basking in the sun at this time of year. In Dorset we are lucky to have heathland habitat to support all six British native reptile species.

Reptiles are truly magnificent creatures but they need a very specific habitat to thrive in.

They can also be very sensitive to changes in their environment, which is why all reptile species are legally protected. You need a license to handle and monitor them.

As reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded), they bask in the sun to warm up, and hide away in the shade to cool down again. During the colder months they hibernate but in the summer months reptiles enjoy the sunshine and feast on the delights the heath has to offer, with lizards preying on spiders and insects, and snakes favouring small animals.

As with lots of wildlife species in Dorset, their

survival and success is largely due to having wellmanaged habitat to thrive in. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Great Heath team work hard on our heaths to ensure there is sandy soil, low vegetation and not too many trees, to create a dry and warm habitat for reptiles.

If you’re out on the heath this summer, please admire reptiles from a distance, and do not lift metal tins (used for surveying purposes) to see them. You can also join our Heathwatch programme, asking members of the public to keep an eye out for any unusual behaviour on the heath – a fire can be devastating to a reptile population.

Phone 01202 692033 for more information about Heathwatch or visit www.thegreatheath.org to find out more about DWT’s heathland nature reserves. www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

SIX BRITISH REPTILES FACTS: Grass Snake • Can grow up to 150cm long • Can be found near water, eats frogs, newts and fish • Olive green in colour with a yellow and black collar Smooth Snake • Rarely seen in the open, basking • Has smooth scales, unlike the adder and grass snake • The first record was on a Dorset heath in the 1850s

14 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

Slow Worm • It is actually a legless lizard!

• Not often seen basking, they get their heat lying under objects that warm up in the sun • The female can drop its tail if caught, to confuse its predator!

Common Lizard • Found in many heaths or log piles and rockeries, hiding from predators • Can also be found on the edges of grassland and quarries

Sand Lizard • The male has spectacular green sides after shedding its skin after hibernation • As its name suggests, it lays its eggs in the sand!

Adder • Our only venomous snake (a bite is rarely fatal but seek medical assistance if bitten) • Very recognisable with red eyes and a black zig-zag pattern on its back

Sand Lizard © Andy Fale

Smooth snake tongue © Steve Davis www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 15

Wild Dorset

BUTTERFLY NETT

Gillian M. Constable, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Sherborne Group Committee

H

ave you seen many butterflies so far this summer? I was disturbed to read in a recent article by Martin Warren, the chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, that butterflies have declined by more than 50% in the last decade. Moth numbers are similarly decreasing. His article brought together recent research into the effects of the neonicotinoids range of chemicals, used in agriculture to control pests, on butterflies. During the last decade most reported research into neonics has been into their effects on bumble bees. A very recent report (April 2016) has indicated that not all forms of neonics have a drastic effect on bumble bees and that one form called clothianidin did not pose a negative effect on bumble bees. Perhaps there is a solution which will keep both sides happy.

Simultaneously with this decline in bee and butterfly numbers, the interest in insects, particularly butterflies, seems to be increasing.

Two of BC recent butterfly walks have had record numbers of attenders. At a recent DWT talk by Nigel Spring, we heard of someone taking a pair 16 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

of steps down onto Alners Gorse to get a better picture of a particular butterfly.

DWT’s Fontmell Down Reserve is a lovely place to walk in early summer. In addition to the wonderful views across Blackmore Vale this chalk downland supports a huge variety of flowers and insects. One can see more blue butterfly species there than in our area. Once we found a gathering of 16 Adonis Blues – 12 seem to be appearing in the above picture (shame about the grass).

DWT has a Wildlife Friendly Gardens Scheme and a section of their website covers many of the things we might do to provide a haven for wildlife.

It might simply be leaving an area of long grass, planting some nectar rich flowers or providing a bird bath. So many wildlife and gardening magazines and books have articles about creating areas in our gardens which are wildlife friendly.

Is there something simple you can do this summer to help? Have a look at the website for plants to include in your garden. www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

LEWESTON NURSERY

Situated just outside Sherborne in 46 acres of beautiful parkland, Leweston Nursery offers the best possible start to girls and boys aged 3 months-4 years. The Nursery is open for 50 weeks of the year from 8am-6pm daily and runs a breakfast club from 7.30am-8am.

Open Morning Saturday 11 June 2016 S 10.00am-12.00pm

Find out more about our exceptional early years provision, see our facilities, meet our specialist staff and find out more about our unique offering including free swimming sessions for 3-4 year olds.

L E W E STO N N U R S E RY

P

Please let us know if you plan to attend by contacting the Admissions Team on 01963 211010 or Leweston School Trust is a registered charity number 295175 email: admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk

www.leweston.co.uk Leweston School Trust is a registered charity number 295175

DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 17

Wild Dorset

PAINTING LOBSTERS

Richard Bramble, artist, designer and conservationist

M

y earliest memories as a young boy on family holidays in The Hebrides include gathering washed up, broken wooden lobster pots on the beach and taking them home to repair on the kitchen table. The fun of lobsterpotting, going out in the dingy from the beach to find a good spot, and the simple pleasure of finding a lobster in the pot the next day (if you were lucky) is something special. Of course in those days I didn’t think about the value of the lobster, just what a boyish challenge it was to coax them out of the pots without getting myself nipped by their claws in the process. Of course cooking and eating them was always the end prize and something I only really appreciated as I got older.

In Victorian times, lobster was so plentiful that it was deemed food for poor people (at a time when, ironically chicken was considered a luxury) and there was a thriving shellfish trade all along the Thames. Nowadays of course it is considered a special treat, for high days and holidays, unless you are lucky enough to have your own lobster pot of course!

Closer to home in Dorset, Old Harry Rocks and Poole Harbour were favourite places to dive for lobster when I was young and this inspired me to want to discover all that dwelt under the ocean. In doing so, I realised that lobsters take on the colours of their surroundings – whether it’s the orangey rust colour of metal on wrecks, or the pinks, blues and purples of the surrounding sea and habitat. Some people do not realise that the natural colour for a lobster is not in fact red – they only appear this colour when cooked.

Lobsters are often canny neighbours of the

18 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

conger eel – something to bear in mind when diving for them, as coming face to face with a conger eel isn’t quite such fun. They like to make their homes in cracks and crevices close to eels in the hope of catching the crumbs from their table – or bits of fish in this case. They are decapods (having eight legs and two claws) and common to all decapods, they are partial to a bit of scavenging for an easy meal, emerging to feed at night and scouring the seabed for marine worms, starfish, other crustaceans and fish scraps.

I’ve always been inspired to paint fish and shellfish and these designs form a popular part of my collection available on ceramics and textiles.

Every marine creature offers its own individual challenges when recreating on canvas. I always paint from real life, having swum with, dived for or fished for every single subject, wherever they are in the world. From langoustines to basking sharks, it has been a pleasure to get to know these creatures better under water.

Every lobster is individual but I have enjoyed capturing their characters and unique markings over the years, including our native British lobsters (and the lesser known spiny lobster) as well as the North American lobster. If, like me, you are interested in marine conservation, do look out for my new lobster design mug this summer with fifty percent of profits going to support the work of Cornwall’s National Lobster Hatchery – you can find out more about what they do at www.nationallobsterhatchery.com. www.richardbramble.com

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 19

Family

20 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEARN Becky Horlock, Nursery Leader, Sherborne Preparatory School

T

here is plenty of evidence in the literature to support the premise that early education has long lasting benefits to IQ test results and social skills, right through into adulthood. President Obama stated in 2013, quoting from studies carried out by Heckman, that “Study after study shows that the earlier a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road,” and called for greater investment in pre-schooling.

It is incredibly rewarding to witness any of our Nursery children light up with pride when they remember their phonics sounds or achieve a “first”, such as a counting or numbers target, learning the art of negotiation or sharing, giving their first public performance. We love to see our children grow and develop through a structured programme including letter and number games, artistic development, physical education, languages, music, drama and dance.

Yet at the same time we, as Nursery educators, are also aware of the huge benefits and value of unstructured periods of play, where our children can choose whether to play in our mud kitchen, have fun on the bikes or the slides, or decide with their friends to build a tower or a race track, to dress up and role play. Play also allows children to relax, let off steam, develop social skills such as concentration and co-operation, encourages the

development of the imagination, develops motor skills and teaches self-expression.

Like so many things in life, it is about striking a balance and also having the flexibility to respond to the dynamics of a particular day, recognising when the children are tired, or when they are particularly bouncy and would benefit from a physically active session, seizing the right moments when children are ready to learn and to concentrate for perhaps 10 or 20 minutes on a particular activity, and also helping them to extend their ability to concentrate gradually over time.

An educationally focused Nursery setting is so much more than playing. While the basic educational benefits of pre-school (such as literacy and numeracy) are tangible, the advances children achieve towards becoming well-rounded individuals are invaluable.

It is up to us as educators and as parents, to provide a stimulating environment for playing, and for learning in a fun and exciting way. As the Summer holidays approach, let’s be mindful of giving our children the opportunities for structured play and for learning, but let’s also make sure we step back from time to time and leave plenty of opportunity for free and undirected play. Most important of all, let’s have some fun! www.sherborneprep.org

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 21

Family

BORN TO RUN Natasha Williams, Duty Manager, Oxley Sports Centre

P

hysical education, or more commonly ‘PE’, is a feature on the school curriculum in almost every country around the world.

There’s no doubt that schools are under a lot of pressure to ensure that they offer a broad curriculum providing children with the skills and knowledge that they will need in the wider world. In the little time that they have, there is a lot to fit in. Taking the recent controversy over SATs examinations into consideration, schools are focusing their attentions on these areas and prioritising them over other activities to meet government standards. This pressure often results in children failing to achieve the recommended amount of physical activity each day.

There is increasing evidence to indicate that there is a direct relationship between good levels of fitness and dexterity with academic achievement.

This would therefore suggest that it was important to ensure that children were getting as much physical activity as possible. By making an effort to improve the physical activity of young people we can attempt to improve their grades. Being active regularly has long been recognised as vital for the mental and physical health of young people.

It is important as a community, as parents and educators, that we instil enjoyable daily exercise into routines from an early age.

Research completed by the Institute of Medicine in Washington D.C. has found that in terms 22 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

of mortality rates, the global burden of physical inactivity is at a similar level to cigarette smoking.

Disease associated with lack of exercise is now at a pandemic level. This isn’t only true for adults.

Children are increasingly in danger of developing diabetes and some are showing early cardiovascular disease risk factors. This is directly linked to obesity and inactivity. If estimates are correct and current trends continue, by 2025 the number of overweight and obese children globally will be 70 million.

Parents have a significant role to play in helping their children achieve the recommended daily

physical activity levels. All children need 60 minutes or more of physical exercise five times a week. We can’t expect our children’s schools to provide this full quota; therefore as parents we must ensure that we encourage our children to do more to supplement what schools already have in place. I understand as a busy mother of two children that sometimes in our age of TV and internet, that it can be tempting and easy to switch on the TV or an iPad to keep our children entertained. But there are always alternatives.

Many schools offer sports sessions after school.

We are lucky to live in a beautiful rural area of the country; this means that walks, parks and country estates are easily accessible and sports centres such as Oxley Sports Centre offer swimming for all ages, amongst other activities such as holiday sessions and junior gym. www.oxleysc.com There’s still time to register for the junior and sprint triathlons on 14th August. See wessexwizards.com/?/oxley_triathlon for more details. www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 23

Family

RASH DECISION

Fiona Finn, Childminder & Nursery Manager

Fiona Finn, Mum, Childminder & Nursery Manager, shares first hand her own personal experience of meningitis and what we as parents can learn from it.

I

t was Tuesday 8th November 2011 - a day I will never forget. The day started normally and we headed off for lunch at a local soft play. Lucy dashed off with her friends but later complained that she had bumped her head on the slide. After a big cuddle and kiss she went back off to play. At lunch, she didn’t eat a thing however, crawled into the pushchair and quickly fell asleep. She woke as we left but then was sick as we arrived for school pick up. That explained it... she had a bug!

Lucy was sick a couple of times in the evening and whilst in the bath she complained that her head hurt.

When I checked again, there was no visible mark and I didn’t think she had bumped her head hard.

Lucy slept in our bed that night so we could keep an eye on her. She woke up a few times to be sick.

She’d then have a little chat and go back to sleep.

The next morning Lucy woke as usual and came downstairs to snuggle on the sofa. I left the living room later for a few minutes and when I returned, Lucy had been sick again but this time was different. Her sick was almost black and she hadn’t woken up. I tried to wake Lucy but she was floppy and unresponsive. I checked her temperature and it was normal. She seemed to respond a little whilst I was speaking to Daddy at work and the doctor and I checked her for any rashes but her skin was normal. On the way to hospital to get her checked out, Lucy was talking but seemed very drowsy. I also noticed that her hands and feet were incredibly cold.

At A&E Lucy was admitted straightaway and had fluids pumped into her, but she was becoming more unresponsive and had now developed a high temperature as well as a couple of very tiny blemishes 24 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

on her tummy and foot. Doctors started her on a course of antibiotics just in case she had meningitis!

Blood tests showed that Lucy had a severe bacterial infection and the results of a lumbar puncture indicated she had meningococcal meningitis.

By the time she had her lumbar puncture, Lucy had thankfully been on the antibiotics for 24 hours and was showing slight signs of improvement. She came home five days later. She was very weak for a while and it took months for her balance to return to normal. Other than having a hearing loss in her right ear now, she has made a full recovery.

When people think about meningitis, they think about ‘the rash’. This is however usually one of the last symptoms to develop and not everybody develops a rash. The rash only appears when the patient develops septicaemia (blood poisoning), caused by the bacterial form of meningitis, and not viral meningitis.

The first symptoms are usually:

• Fever • Limb pain • Vomiting • Pale skin • Headache • Drowsiness • Cold hands and feet • Difficulty waking up The more well-known symptoms such as stiff neck, aversion to bright lights and the non-blanching rash can often appear later on or not at all.

Don’t wait for the rash and make sure you know the signs and symptoms.

Mini First Aid offer local classes covering meningitis awareness. Vist www.minifirstaid.co.uk for details

The Joinery Works, Alweston Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5HS Tel: 01963 23219 Fax: 01963 23053 Email: info@fcuffandsons.co.uk

www.fcuffandsons.co.uk

DESIGNERS AND MAKERS OF BEAUTIFUL FINE BESPOKE JOINERY SINCE 1897

Family

A WAY WITH WORDS Words Jo Denbury Photography Katharine Davies

B

ooks are everything to Wayne Winstone, the face behind Winstone’s Bookshop on Sherborne’s Cheap Street. His store has recently won the prestigious Independent Bookshop of the Year and since it opened in 2011 has become a thriving hub in Sherborne life.

‘Bookshops are integral to the makeup of a town and we work very hard on community events'. As an example, last month Wayne brought Formula 1 legend Mark Webber to town to discuss his autobiography, tickets for which sold out in days. ‘I put on these events to engage with readers on a physical, social level. Books aren’t something to sit revered on a shelf but something to interact with and enjoy. As booksellers we have a responsibility to inspire this in readers both young and old’.

Wayne’s passion for books began in Wales.

‘I grew up in a very rural community,’ he continues.

‘There wasn’t much to do but read. There was a library and that was about it, so I worked my way through Enid Blyton and the children’s classics and then I turned to Dickens. It was Dickens that got me into books. I enjoyed his humour and loved his use of language. It made me realise the power of words.

Wayne has lived all his adult life in England and after a short spell in London working for Ottakers, he moved to their Salisbury branch.

‘When the company was sold to Waterstones (themselves owned by HMV) I knew it was time 26 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

to strike out on my own,' he explains. So why Sherborne? ‘Sherborne as a community recognises the importance of its high street and values independence. It is a wonderful destination and place for people to meet. I think we value social cohesion and work hard to protect what matters to us.'

It is important to Wayne that the shop offers a space where people can meet for a coffee and browse at leisure. 'The shop is dog-friendly too.

We give each dog that visits a biscuit,’ he smiles.

But for Wayne it is children’s books that are the motivating factor. ‘I firmly believe that unless we excite and engage the next generation of readers we won’t have a book industry. We are competing with unprecedented sources of distraction, all vying for attention. We have to make books accessible’.

"Sherborne as a community recognises the importance of its high street and values independence"

Unsurprisingly Wayne positively encourages mums with pushchairs to bring their children in to explore the shop’s colourful far corner and ride the resident rocking horse.

‘Books are life-changing, they can be used as a steer or a prop, for information or for help,’ he continues. ‘The words “I read somewhere” are such a vital part of life. We have a particularly vibrant publishing industry in this country and it is deeply encouraging to witness the resurgence of the physical over digital. High production values, quality of writing and illustration are very dear to me. I can’t think of another product that I would rather work with.' www.winstonebooks.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 27

Family

NOTHING

Kate Reynolds, Head of Leweston School

“What is this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare…”

I

was never very good at learning the weekly poem set for us at school; it struck me as an easy option for the teacher to set and a time consuming, nigh well impossible one for us to complete. William Davies’ short poem “Leisure” however, both struck a chord and stuck in my head even over 30 years later.

Life is frenetic, probably even more so now than when Davies was writing his poetry at the turn of the last century, and how much more important is that chance to 'stand and stare'? Surely that is what these long summer holidays are all about.

Not in our household. I am not sure how innocuous fairground rides became scary white water rafting before morphing into canyoning, but our family holidays have become increasingly adrenalin filled and increasingly terrifying. It was on a skiddy, hour long motorbike pillion ride through the Vietnam jungle last summer, as I watched my 10 year old hanging on to a bag of giant snails (supper) with one hand and his teenage looking motorcyclist with the other, that it struck me that there might be other ways to holiday.

“A Nothing holiday? What’s that?” My idea for summer 2016 was initially met with a total lack of comprehension however, as the idea took shape, we all became increasingly excited. A beach, some books, a pack of cards. Nothing more.

Now that our fortnight of Nothing is approaching I am getting nervous. What will 28 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

we do all day? 14 days of Nothing? Really?

Yet I know, deep down, that doing nothing is, occasionally, really important. School days are wonderfully full, fantastically challenging and forever taking us out of our comfort zone but the opportunity to slow down occasionally is equally educational. One memorable holiday we bought a book of card games and agreed as a family to learn a new game a week. Another summer we each tried to find something new and free on our doorstep that we had never done. Most special was our afternoon wild swimming through stone arches on the coast. Reading is another really important part of relaxing that can get pushed out of busy schedules. I follow the pattern I always encourage my students to aspire to in the holidays – choose a classic that will challenge you, a book that you have often heard recommended but have never had the time to read. Once you have read it, reward yourself with an easy read and so on.

On reflection, maybe ours won’t be a truly Nothing holiday since activity seems so deeply embedded in our DNA but I hope to conquer the fear of empty days and to allow space just to be and enjoy the simpler things in life before returning to the challenges of a new term in September. I hope our students enjoy their much deserved summer holiday and also experience the joy of Nothing. www.leweston.co.uk

COLOURING PAGE

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Wayne Winstone, Winstone’s Books, Independent Bookseller of the Year 2016

Captain Pug, Laura James (Bloomsbury) £5.99

I

Exclusive Sherborne Times reader price of £4.99 at Winstone’s Books.

Please bring a copy of this review to claim your discount

t’s always a challenge to help children to make that leap from reading with an adult to reading alone. You need an engaging story that captures the attention and engages the child throughout.

Captain Pug from Bath-based author Laura James delightfully does exactly that.

A deliciously madcap doggy adventure for Pug, the pampered dog of the even more pampered Lady Miranda. When Lady Miranda determines that Pug will be the ship’s captain when they go for an outing on the boating lake and dresses him accordingly, she forgets one important thing: Pug is afraid of the water! But when Pug gets

pug-napped as he is foraging in someone else’s picnic, he finds himself off on a very watery adventure indeed.

Highly entertaining, wittily illustrated and fun to read alone. 6+ Amy’s Mum, age 8 - ‘Having spent many years struggling to get my daughter to read, Laura James has nailed it. Two days and the book was read cover to cover.’

Abi, age 6 - ‘This was so gripping that I had to read it all in one sitting. The pictures made me laugh out loud and it made me feel happy.’

www.winstonebooks.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 29

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bespoke curtains. blinds. upholstery. loose covers. fabrics. free estimates The Old School Rooms, Long Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3BS Tel: 01935 813 831 Email: info@updowninteriors.co.uk www.updowninteriors.co.uk

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With dedicated and experienced staff, specialist equipment and passion, Queen Thorne can develop and maintain gardens for all to enjoy. www.queenthorne.co.uk Tel: 01935 850848

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 31

INTERIORS Kitty Oakshott, Upstairs Downstairs Interiors

I

t’s the time to bring the inside outside.

Although a fabric might be labelled waterproof, Whether you have a large garden with an you need something that will not fade or rot, is impressive terrace or a small back yard with washable and is mould, mildew and oil proof. a wobbly surface, both can be I’ve noticed that more people made inviting and attractive have hammocks in their gardens. without spending a fortune. An This is fine if you have two added bonus is no vacuuming convenient trees but if not, find or dusting and it‘s almost like some sturdy posts. The advantage adding an extra room! of these is you can put them Garden furniture that is wherever you want. Modern stored away for the winter hammocks are made from tough, always look a bit sad when you colourful material – again, a bring it into the sunlight. A perfect way to brighten a dull Enjoy the luxury of a modern hammock. quick rub down with a damp day. Add a few cushions and you cloth does wonders. Add a few have another comfortable place colourful cushions, put funky to while away the hours with a candelabra on the table with good book. some pottery dishes and you are As I write this, the weather starting to create an atmosphere. is dull and chilly but I’m still I was born in India so I optimistic that there are long, grew up with exciting colours hot, sultry days ahead. Just all around me. I still love the remember that prolonged Deck chairs are easily re-seated in strong, attractive fabrics. vibrant kaleidoscopes and vivid exposure to sun will play havoc hues you find in Indian fabrics with indoor furniture, pictures, and the stunning block printings photos and fabrics, causing on some of the materials. Yes, discolouration and fading. they might clash and scream One way to cope with this at each other but somehow is by using roller blinds with they seem to work, especially ultra-violet filters. It’s worth outside. These garden parasols investigating the many different are guaranteed to brighten the blinds or curtains that are on dullest day. the market. Those lined with Don’t be tempted to throw blackout material are perfect away a scruffy deck chair! It is for children’s rooms and really not a big job to repair and reGarden parasols and umbrellas come do stop them waking too early in a variety of colours and designs. stain and certainly worthwhile or not being able to go to sleep reseating. Striped fabric is at night because it’s too light. conventional but you can always put your own Mind you, they do tend to discourage the average stamp on it by choosing a different pattern or teenager from getting up at a reasonable time in adding an interesting fringe. These days there the morning! are many suitable fabrics that are waterproof and sun-resistant. But take care when you are buying. www.updowninteriors.co.uk 32 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 33

Gardening

IN THE GARDEN

with Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

G

ardening is a very personal thing but sometimes your small piece of empire has to be shared with others. For many of you this will not be an issue at all - in fact you may even enjoy opening your garden for charity or in the National Garden Scheme which is a wonderful thing to do.

For others though it can be a daunting prospect.

This is certainly the case for me. By the time this has been read we will have hosted a family party for my Uncle Les, who although a resident of Newcastle, has decided to celebrate his 75th birthday in Sherborne. This means that our garden has to cope with my vast family, many of whom won’t notice what the garden looks like, but some will certainly cast a critical eye and the less tactful may even comment or ask questions.

My strategy will be to work out which bits I want them to see and also calculate how to divert attention from the parts I’d prefer to not have to explain!

I’ll start with the lawn and although we have more of a wildflower 'meadow' than lawn I’ll make sure that the paths are cut tightly to ensure the wild areas look like they should be there. The 'proper' lawn will be mown perhaps two days before, to allow it to freshen up in time for the visitors. I will then carefully position chairs and perhaps the odd bench, in a careless sort of way, defining the positions where one might imagine me whilst I while away the afternoons sipping tea or something stronger.

Borders will require weeding and then a good layer of mulch. I prefer composted bark which improves the soil too as it breaks down. Any gaps can still be filled with a bit of herbaceous colour.

It’s amazing how quickly plants will bed in at this 34 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

time of year as long as they are well watered until they establish.

The patio pots of bedding plants will be freshened up by dead heading a week or so prior to D-day. This, along with a foliar feed with Maxicrop, will allow for fresh blooms when they are needed. Regular watering of course is essential at all times but especially now. We are about to supplement the usual display with some extras; large bedding such as Pelargoniums, classy Marguerites and tuberous Begonias all make for a great splash of colour. Attention will be diverted here with the use of the exotic looking Cannas which will excite the novice visitors, whilst also providing the expert visitors something to describe as 'slightly vulgar'!

As the party will extend into the evening, scent will be important and the use of large tubs of Heliotrope, Nemesia Scented Lady, and the already planted sweet peas will assist in providing the right heady atmosphere.

The greenhouse will also need a tweak – a good tidy up but also left a little askew to suggest recent horticultural endeavour. I might even leave a wheelbarrow with a few weeds in it along with a hoe and a fork just to complete the scene!

Dusk is a friend of the garden and discrete solar lights shine out in odd places, long forgotten as to why they were placed there. And then, as noisy hedgehogs snuffle past and at 4am the dawn chorus starts, those camping with us come to appreciate the real benefit of this space – the perfect hangover cure! www.thegardeneronline.co.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 35

Gardening

STRUCTURING BEDS AND BORDERS

T

Sue Dodge, Bailey Ridge Plants, Landscaping & Design

he final touch of magic, you have determined your bed shapes and gone to a great deal of trouble to weed and condition the borders ready for planting. You have written a list of favourite plants and have in your mind’s eye a colour scheme. Pastel shades are very popular, light pinks, blues creams and mauve. Blue and yellow make a good contrast.

White borders are tranquil, pleasing and bring light to areas of semi-shade. Purple and orange make an interesting contrast. Greys or silvers are often used to harmonise colours and positioned between shades as a mediator. Aspect is important but generally west is best if you want a mixed 36 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

variety of plants. South facing borders tend to be hotter, north facing beds cooler, east facing can be frosty during winter and early spring. Very often I plant herbaceous and grasses in odd numbers to create clumps, but this is not absolutely necessary. If planting the entire garden, repeating architectural varieties adds cohesion and helps to pull the design together.

A border which is going to sustain a good number of plants needs to be at least 5ft deep, even deeper if you want to make an impact. Generally speaking in a long mixed border the following applies. The object is to provide interest and colour for most of the year, including the winter. It’s a bit

like a large tapestry of sequential flowering and good plant companionship.

Large shrubs, evergreen or deciduous, and large herbaceous plants like Cynara should be placed at the back of the border. When choosing shrubs be governed by foliage colour, texture and architectural value as most will have a brief flowering period and some have very insignificant flowers. When I plan a border I will alternate shrubs, one evergreen and then one deciduous and so on. Large shrubs can grow up to 6-8ft high in some instances some even bigger, so if they are not planted in the right place they will overshadow smaller prettier things. Make sure you give the giants room to spread their roots and branches. If it is a border next to the house, position the most fragrant shrubs nearest the window, door or pathway so that you can appreciate the fragrance. In front of this I create another row mid border. These may

be plants that grow 3-5ft tall like shrub roses, hydrangeas, hebes, lower growing shrubs and taller herbaceous such as anenomes, paeonies, delphiniums, lupins. They will serve to stagger the intervals between the back row of large shrubs.

I then create the front row where all the pretty plants live, long flowering colourful perennial geraniums, low shrubs like the ordinary Euonymus Emerald 'n' Gold, heucheras, spreading ground cover plants like beach asters, ajugas, thymes and annual bedding plants. All the plants that occupy the front border should have the longest flowering period and arranged so that as one fades another flowers. When analysing the side profile of the border the height starts at the back and decreases as you get to the front of the border.

Next month: Extending Border Displays www.baileyridge.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 37

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HOW TO GET AHEAD Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

A

s I approach a “Big” (note the B in big) fleas had multiplied and were themselves birthday in August, I thought I would now looking for a new home and host. share with you some of the more unusual I beat a hasty retreat, the house was de-fumigated, situations I have found myself in and some of the but I still took the precaution of tucking my weird lots I have seen. Not really a look back at trousers into my socks when I returned. the best bits of my career but some of the more I have always been a fan of TV crime mad moments. programmes such as Inspector Morse. Also whilst I have never been good as a desk jockey, the in Gloucester, I visited a house which had been a sort of person who is tied to a desk all day long. crime scene, with the carpet bearing tape in the I think it could be a family trait, as one of my shape of a body. So if you think all I do is travel sisters fidgeted so much she was around visiting country houses nicknamed Zeb, after Zebedee taking afternoon tea with cake, in the Magic Roundabout – the you could not be further from jack in a box character who was the truth. always bouncing off somewhere.

Moving forward to 2016, it I am therefore at my best when never ceases to amaze me what out of the office visiting and people like to furnish their advising clients. homes with or collect, and June Learning how to be a valuer has been another mad month. of antiques and collector’s items Richard Bromell and friend.

First up I was with a client who An unorthodox welcome awaits takes time. I started off as a had a collection of sick bags Charterhouse visitors this month. saleroom porter in The Long to sell. I am not a squeamish Street Salerooms in Sherborne, I then moved to chap and I try to be open minded, but in over 30 Torquay to be a cataloguer. This was followed by years, I have never seen or been asked to value a working in Gloucester as a valuer and auctioneer collection of sick bags. I was a little taken aback and it was here that the company let me loose out and, struggling to find something to say, asked her on the road seeing clients. if she had a favourite – yes she did!

In Gloucester I was called to a property to look Having politely declined the sick bags, I then at the contents with a view to clearing the house saw one of the more bonkers pieces of art which as the owner had recently passed away. All very has grown on me considerably over the short time straightforward to an excited young valuer but it has been in the salerooms. It’s a composition when I entered the home I felt myself having a head entitled “Madness” which is estimated at funny turn. My eyes went blurry, just like when £400-600 in our July auction. Nothing to do with you rub them too hard, only I hadn’t rubbed them.

Suggs and his mates but a sculptural head of a After what seemed like 5 minutes, but was in man screaming. At first I thought it is a mad, mad reality 10 seconds, I realised there was nothing lot, but the more I see it the more I like it. In fact, wrong with my eyesight, it was simply the carpet I like it so much I put it into reception to meet moving due to an infestation of fleas looking for and greet our clients, some of whom say it looks some tasty snack to chomp on. With the passing a lot like me! away of the owner, the cats or dogs in the house were also removed, and after a couple of weeks the www.charterhouse-auction.com Happier Times - A Chrysler Horizon

40 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 41

COMINS TEA HOUSE Words Jo Denbury Photography Katharine Davies & Haydn West

T

hree years ago Michelle and Rob Comins moved to Sturminster Newton to begin a new life as owners of a tea shop. So far, so quaint, but Comins is no ordinary tea shop.

Michelle and Rob are also merchants, importing a range of over 30 speciality teas, direct from source. Their exquisite end product is presented with encyclopaedic knowledge and an unhurried dedication to ceremony. >

42 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 43

What brought them to Dorset began several continents away, but their journey begins in England. Michelle and Rob met while at university studying biochemistry and geography. Michelle went on to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals while Rob became a primary school teacher. Michelle worked her way up through a series of roles to a managerial position but felt disadvantaged when leading meetings due to her petite physique.

A friend suggested Michelle should take a less formal approach and hold meetings over a ‘shared hot drink’. The theory being that the time spent preparing and sharing removes barriers and becomes a bonding experience. Michelle tried this out and found that it worked.

The idea triggered memories. Michelle had often taken tea with her mother on Saturdays as a way of remaining close and sharing what was happening in each of their lives. The recollection of this simple ritual struck a chord. Rob meanwhile remained sceptical and it was not until a trip to India in 2007 that things started falling into place.

Michelle managed to persuade him to visit the plantations of Darjeeling where a chance meeting and tea tasting with a Mr Rajah Banerjee, changed Rob’s perception of tea forever. He was converted and the bud of an idea was formed.

Later, when Michelle’s work required that they relocate to Belgium, the couple settled in to the custom of visiting tea houses (rather than coffee shops) as a place to chat and meet like-minded people.

Inspired, Michelle and Rob began to explore the very real possibility of becoming tea merchants, sourcing pure loose-leaf tea from small specialist growers and bringing it home to the UK. It wasn’t that simple of course. They have three children under the age of 5 and so, at the time, needed to find a home that would accommodate the business and a growing family. The solution, they decided, was to find a house with a shopfront. And so three years ago Rob, Michelle and their young family moved into The Quarterjack on Sturminster Newton’s Bridge Street, now home to Comins Tea House.

Stepping over the threshold of Comins is like slipping into another world. The white noise of passing traffic and driving rain gives way instantly, almost eerily, to an altogether pleasant vacuum of calm. Over our Oolong tea, Michelle enthuses > 44 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 45

about her customers; ‘They are amazing, open minded people and really keen to try new things’.

At Comins, to compliment their teas, ‘new things’ take the form of Hokkaido, a sweet Japanese milk bread served for breakfast with cinnamon butter, and lunches of Japanese pork, vegetarian gyoza dumplings or Indian Momo dumplings. All unusual, exciting dishes. They even serve a soothing Matcha ice-cream and, in a unique cultural pairing, a traditional array of scones and cake.

Rob and Michelle spend time with customers, explaining the subtle nuances of each tea, along with their provenance and accompanying rituals. ‘Taking tea is about ceremony and making time,’ explains Michelle. ‘There are many different customs and methods. In our increasingly frenetic world the 46 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

ritual of making, pouring and tasting the tea is a great way of slowing down and taking stock.’ It certainly makes for a healthy experience before even considering the physical benefits of the tea itself.

‘The key to drinking tea is infusing it many times,’ says Michelle as she pours the 90°C water over our shared Oolong. ‘The ceremony is a journey. This tea is at its best at the third infusion.

The first awakens the tea, the second is drunk but it is on the third that the tea truly begins to reveal itself. You can infuse Oolong up to eight times.'

Our own national ritual of dunking a dusty teabag into some hot water and adding a splash of milk appears vulgar by comparison.

‘Tea is part of the fabric of life in China,’ says Michelle who has recently returned from there

on a tea-buying trip. ‘Taking tea is a mechanism for bringing people together. I really do believe that in the countryside there, they have a better knowledge of plants than we do here. Each village drinks their local tea, it is their way of connecting with their surroundings.’

Part of Michelle’s mission is to support small tea gardens and buy directly from their owners.

She has travelled across India, China and Japan, visiting gardens and sampling their teas. ‘I really want to stimulate the same debate about tea in this country as we have had recently about coffee.’ She actively encourages visitors to try new teas. ‘I want people to taste the different flavours,’ Michelle explains, ‘it doesn’t matter if you don’t like it.’ They will guide you so as to make the visit to the tea-

house a personal experience and it doesn’t have to be in the company of friends. ‘Lone tea-drinking is a form of mindfulness,’ she points out. ‘Just to sit and think over a cup of tea is very calming.’

Our next tasting is of Matcha tea. Rich and energising Comins Matcha comes from Uji, just outside Kyoto and much has been written about its health benefits. It is often sprinkled on cereal and the like but really Matcha is best taken as a tea. The process of making it is a Japanese ritual requiring years of practise. It involves firstly the correct selection of a bowl for your guest to drink from. In Japan each bowl would have a significance for that particular person (Michelle and Rob import Japanese Matcha bowls for an authentic Matcha experience). Rob is master of ceremonies this time. He pours the water and whisks, with gentle flicks of the wrist, the finely milled green powdered tea with a Chasen (bamboo) brush to create froth. ‘Matcha tea making is very precise and takes years to learn in Japan’. He is passionate about the assimilation and sharing of knowledge and it is this appreciation of detail that drew Rob into the world of tea. ‘I am the tea geek,’ he laughs.

Recently the couple have opened a 2nd tea house on Monmouth Street in Bath where they continue to develop their business both as house and merchant. They also hold talks about their buying trips to the East. China was the most recent but also another fond favourite is Ambootia Gardens in India where they grow the finest Darjeeling. ‘Many tea gardens in India have recently fallen into neglect. Sanjay Bansal and his team at Ambootia are actively reviving many in Assam and Darjeeling. They are using bio-dynamic and organic gardening which will repair the soil-erosion that has taken place and allow the workers to have safe drinking water.’

‘We strive to have a connected life,’ says Michelle. ‘By supporting the small tea gardens across the world, we’re able to help the growers, in much the same way as Fairtrade does for the coffee industry. They in turn enable us to meet and connect with people over our shared love of tea.

It goes back to tea being a way of bringing people together,’ and with a beatific smile, Michelle pours me another bowl of Matcha. www.cominsteahouse.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 47

Animal Care

TUMMY TROUBLES Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS, Newton Clarke Veterinary Partnership

D

ogs are natural scavengers, as many of us know, and actually prefer to eat rotting organic material over fresh. As humans, it’s difficult to understand how faeces could possibly be attractive as a food, unless you are a fly or a slug! This tendency is one of the commonest causes of your dog suffering from an upset stomach, resulting in vomiting, diarrhoea or both.

As for us, most gastro-intestinal (GI) upsets are self-limiting and settle down over a few days with simple treatment. Many owners seek veterinary advice at an early stage, if only for reassurance, although few things motivate owners to beat a path to my door than a filthy mess on the carpet!

48 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

In general, if you are ever worried about your dog (or any other animal in your care), call your veterinary surgery for advice; some more serious conditions can mimic an upset tum and need quick investigation and treatment.

So, a one-off vomit, producing a recentlyingested pile of something disgusting, in an otherwise happy dog means it’s usually the time to monitor the situation but not press the panic button. The key word here is “happy”; waggy tail, wants to eat, exercise and act normally. If this is the case, withhold food for 6 hours, offer small volumes of water every hour or so and then if no further problems, a little poached chicken or

white fish and mashed potato (no milk or butter, please!) is a good starter. If this new and delicious recipe is welcomed with open paws, no more for 2 hours and then just a little more. Regular food can be slowly introduced later on providing there are no attempts to be sick.

What if my dog is not happy? Danger signs are persistent vomiting or profuse diarrhoea, depression, a swollen tummy and stretching the abdomen with a praying posture, i.e.head down, bum up and tail out. Any of these extra symptoms are important as they indicate other, more serious conditions that need immediate treatment (obstruction, gastric dilation/volvulus or twisted gut and pancreatitis). Very young puppies or old dogs also need special consideration as they are more susceptible to the effects of dehydration.

Although most of us think of diarrhoea as a cause of fluid loss, it’s persistent vomiting with inadequate replacement that is more likely to cause significant water and salt loss. An animal with diarrhoea that is able to eat and drink will not normally become dehydrated; but combine this with repetitive vomiting and the situation can become serious in a few hours.

The most life-threatening condition that looks so innocent is the strange condition known as gastric dilation/volvulus syndrome or GDV. Our chocolate Labrador ‘Coco Bean’ once suffered from this dramatic event that we do not fully understand. Deep chested dogs are most at risk although smaller breeds and even cats have been treated for this abdominal disaster. For some reason, the stomach swells up and then twists on its axis to close off both ways out (up and down) causing a cascade of badness that results in death in a short period of time, in acute cases an hour or so. The important clues to the diagnosis are a large breed dog, trying to be sick (but not producing anything) with a swollen abdomen. Tap the distended tummy and it resonates like a drum.

Call your veterinary emergency line immediately, this cannot wait for a minute longer. Even with prompt treatment, this condition carries a high mortality rate and it usually happens at night.

Oh joy. Luckily I managed to save Bean from this relatively rare but highly fatal condition, the reason being I spotted the symptoms at an early stage. But then again, I am a vet!

Two other important diseases to be easily confused with a simple upset tum are an intestinal obstruction caused by a foreign body and pancreatitis. Socks, stones, corks and bits bitten off cheap toys can all cause a blockage in the intestine, resulting in persistent vomiting and significant unhappiness. The worst, however, is a long thread of material that causes mayhem in the intestine, often irreparable. String, cotton, dental floss and fishing line are all major culprits.

If you have a young puppy (as we have right now!) you must scour your house of these things and remove them. Most don’t show up on x-Ray and so diagnosis is difficult and the surgical treatment much more so.

Pancreatitis is another poorly-understood disease, which if happens suddenly causes pain and persistent vomiting. Once difficult to distinguish from an obstruction, we now have a blood test that can help make the diagnosis, although nothing is black and white in medicine!

Intensive care is needed with intra-venous fluids and pain killers although antibiotics are rarely useful as this inflammatory disease usually does not involve bacteria.

A quick word about diarrhoea...starving your dog is not helpful (unlike vomiting) but the causes are not usually so potentially disastrous.

Danger signs are high volume, bloody diarrhoea with a depressed patient. This wretched disease is known as haemorrhagic gastro-enteritis (HGE) and needs intensive fluid therapy as part of its treatment, so get along to your veterinary surgery as soon as possible.

But what of the simple upset tummy? If your dog is on medication, ask your vet if that could be a cause; if not, control diet and exercise for a few days and although many human drugs are safe in dogs, always check before giving. Definitely avoid powerful anti-diarrhoeals as the badness needs to come out and dogs don’t suffer the embarrassment of frequent loo stops.

GI symptoms in dogs occupy more of my time than almost any other, although itchy skins in summer are a close second. The trick is to spot the danger signals and seek help early if you suspect something more serious is at work. www.newtonclarkevet.com www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 49

Animal Care

EQUINE OBESITY

Amber Whitmarsh BSc (Hons) BVSc CertAVP MRCVS, The Kingston Veterinary Group

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besity in horses, ponies and other equids in the UK is becoming a very common problem. Owners can take simple steps to help reduce their horse’s waistlines and the likelihood of them developing potentially lifethreatening conditions. Obesity has not only been linked to insulin resistance, it can also increase the horse’s risk of developing laminitis, developmental orthopaedic disease (in young animals), osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. Weight loss starts with determining how overweight your horse is and developing an individual weight management plan with the help from your horse’s health care team.

Assessing the situation

Body condition scoring is the most common method for assessing overweight horses. It is a subjective assessment of their current body condition, essentially scoring fat cover in areas including the crest of the neck, withers, behind the shoulder, over the ribs, along the back and around the tail head. There are two numerical 50 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

grading systems which can be used to condition score your horse with the one devised by Carroll and Huntington (1988) being regularly used in the UK. This system is based on a grading system of 0 (emaciated) to 5 (obese). Many horse owners find it difficult to differentiate between fat and muscle, thus condition scoring needs to be hands-on in order to feel the relevant areas of the horse.

The most accurate method of weighing your horse is on an equine specific weighbridge, which will provide an accurate calculation of bodyweight.

However, these facilities are not widely accessible so using a weigh tape or a weight formula offers a more practical solution. The most accurate weigh tapes come as separate Pony (14.2 and under) and Horse (14.2 and over) tapes. Having an accurate idea of your horse’s bodyweight is important for a number of reasons: • To calculate your horse’s ration • To accurately identify weight loss and weight gain • To identify any sudden weight loss which may indicate a health problem

• To enable the correct dosage and administration of medication, supplements and wormers Having established your horse’s current condition, the next step is to determine exactly how much your horse is eating and how much exercise they are getting.

Nutritional and Exercise Evaluation

Obesity in horses and ponies, as in other species, is caused simply by too many calories being consumed and not enough calories being expended.

Weight management should therefore have a straightforward approach; eat less and exercise more.

The three factors need to be evaluated include: 1. What is the horse eating and how much?

2. The horse’s housing scenario – is the horse stood in a stable for much of the day or is the horse able to expend energy in a wide open space?

3. How many hours per week the horse works and how hard during exercise?

Once all these factors have been addressed, it’s now time to work with your vet and nutritionist to formulate a weight management plan.

Developing a Weight Management Plan

The art is to achieve the correct level of fitness and condition for the type and level of work required, and to the benefit of the horse’s overall health.

Just because a pony is retired does not mean he should be allowed to get excessively fat! As long as the horse is sound, increase their physical activity level to help burn calories. An effective weight management plan should be realistic with calorie restriction being the key to managing an overweight horse. There are several ways to do this: restrict grazing (grazing muzzle or strip grazing), choosing the correct forage and amount, avoid overfeeding with hard feed and stretch out feeding time (double hay netting with forage).

Ensuring horses reach and stay at a healthy weight are of upmost importance to their wellbeing. A weight management program can be designed and implemented for each individual horse by working with your vets and nutritionists. This will ensure your horse is consuming the appropriate diet for their body condition and activity level. www.kingstonvets.co.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 51

BARBER SHOP For those who know the difference

SHERBORNE’S BARBER SINCE 1992 Three highly skilled, professional barbers with over 80 years collective experience

Cut Back & Sides Crew Cut Shampoo & Cut Concessions

£15 Beard Trim £5 £45 £14 Shave £13 Colour from £24 £29 Under 11’s £13 for over 65’s Mon - Wed

Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday - Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 8am - 3pm Booking recommended

01935 815501 6a Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PX /jps_barber_shop

Menu of the Day

2 courses with a glass of wine or 3 for £19 Available Monday to Saturday lunch and Monday to Thursday evening

The Dining Room is a beautiful restaurant situated in the stunning surroundings of the 8th Century Sherborne Abbey and 15th Century almshouse. We cook sensational traditional British food with a respectful nod to the past and an eager fork in the fresh ideas of contemporary dining.

MONDAY to SATURDAY 12pm to 2pm • 6.30pm to 9.30pm SU NDAY 12pm to 3pm • 6.30pm to 8.30pm Westbury, Sherborne DT9 3EH

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Food & Drink

SAFE OPTION?

Giles Dick-Read, Reads Coffee Roasters

A

fter years of helping businesses escape their tentacles, I decided that it was time to bury the hatchet and install the old Bean to Cup machine that had spent several years gathering dust alongside the small fleet of coffee paraphernalia in the loft above the back room of our office.

For the unfamiliar, the ‘Bean to Cup’ concept was launched in Berlin in 1985, being seen at the time as the potential saviour of the café industry which was suffering from too many owners of traditional espresso machines (the Italian ones with handles), not understanding how to use them.

Basically, you pour fresh beans into the top of an expensive plastic box that holds within it all the essential components of a traditional machine.

Press a button and, lo and behold, out comes a perfect cup of coffee. Add a milk foaming device, Cappuccinos and Lattes were sorted, consistency guaranteed with no chance of the person in charge 54 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

making a hash of the process. Better still, bar instruction as to which finger to place on which button, no skill was needed, no more training, no milk frothing and no risk of employees burning themselves with nasty steam or hot metal. Any fool could make a fantastic brew, or so it seemed.

Café chains flocked to buy them, lured by tales of high-speed coffee making whilst their accountants rubbed their hands in glee at the prospect of the potential labour savings. Sure, there was a cost to all this as the machines were at least three times the price of a traditional espresso machine and needed twice as much servicing, but spreadsheets told them that they would be richer if they invested in these mechanical wonders. The economic future of the café industry was secure, a safe option at last, it almost sounded too good to be true.

In short…it was. For a start, the coffee quality was average at best and they broke down…a lot.

However, these machines were so complex that you needed a degree in electromechanical engineering to repair them. They broke down even more often if they weren’t cleaned properly, particularly the milky bits, but the new low-skilled, untrained workforce wasn’t equipped to do this very well. So, to overcome this they started making the machines even more complicated with apparently foolproof cleaning processes. They would even stop, refuse to make coffee, mid-service sometimes, demanding to be cleaned…NOW! Service companies started to make fortunes just from looking after them, while cafés bought even more of them to make sure they had a spare for when a machine inevitably broke down. Millions of pounds, quite literally, have been thrown at the problem with hundreds of machines now being scrapped each year as they become ‘beyond economic repair’. Despite all this, the coffee they produce remains distinctly average…which is why many people prefer the drinks made from Costa’s £2,500 ‘Traditionals’ to those from Starbucks’ £8,000 Bean to Cup machines. Even Howard Shultz, Starbucks CEO, once stated that the switch to automation all

but ruined the business, whilst the company has now reinvested millions in creating an automatic machine that appears to be traditional. Meanwhile, the Marzocco espresso machines that Starbucks pioneered have become the tool of choice for the hipster coffee revolution sweeping the UK. Why?... cheaper, better, simpler, more versatile and easy to fix but just requiring a little effort, understanding and flair.

So, where does that leave me two weeks down the line? I’d tell you if I could, but the truth is I can’t get a cup out of my machine at the moment because it’s refusing to let me use it until I’ve done something to de-scale it. Thankfully my beloved filter cone is close at hand, or the Moka pot, Cafetiere, Aeropress… each of which excel in their domain while their combined value is less than a single service for the beast of homogenisation…Freedom!

See Giles and Charlotte at the 2016 Leigh Food Festival, 10am - 4pm, Saturday 16th July, Leigh Village Hall. www.readscoffee.co.uk

COFFEE BREAK Kafe Fontana

Oliver’s Coffee House

Old School Gallery

The Pear Tree

82 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ 01935 812180 kafefontana @kafefontana www.kafefontana.co.uk

Boyle’s Old School, High Street, Yetminster, DT9 6LF 01935 872761 www.yetminstergallery.co.uk

19 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3PU 01935 815005 Olivers-Coffee-House @OliversSherbs www.oliverscoffeehouse.co.uk

4 Half Moon Street, Sherborne, DT9 3LN 01935 812828 @peartreedeli www.peartreedeli.co.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 55

Food & Drink

WHAT TO EAT IN JULY

T

Lisa Osman, All Hallows AGA Approved Cookery School

he sun is shining and beckons us to linger over a picnic beside the sea or enjoy a lazy ploughman’s lunch in a favourite pub. But there is work to done as soon as we step into the kitchen garden, the summer berries are glistening, ripe for the picking and tempting the pigeons that gather on the lawn. Artichokes and beans of all sorts are tender. Harvest now to serve in salads and preserve some in a chutney to enjoy later in the year.

This is definitely a season of plenty and I hope you will be spoilt for choice.

56 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

Blueberries

Full of antioxidants and vitamins C and K these flavoursome berries were first grown in Britain during the 1930’s. Partner them with yoghurt, mascarpone or ricotta to serve with pancakes or dessert. Bake in a pie or add lemon zest for a homemade breakfast muffin which will be enjoyed anytime of the day. Try a compote of berries poached gently in apple juice until their skins are soft and will gently burst with a touch of your fork, releasing their divine purple flesh. Spoon over a compote to serve with ice-cream or granola.

Later in the month when they are plentiful visit a fruit farm to pick your own, we like www.dorsetblueberry.co.uk Then return home with a basket full to make jam to spread on toasted sourdough or a freshly baked Victoria sandwich. Or carefully prepare a spiced sauce to bottle and serve with smoked duck.

Cherries

To me summer has arrived when I see a pile of cherries on the kitchen table displayed in my favourite dish.

They rarely get any further than being enjoyed just as they are but if you are inclined, invest in a cherry stoner. Then spend the time to make a clafoutis with a batter of ground almonds and free range eggs. Serve warm from the oven for a Sunday lunch treat and the family will love you even more.

Runner Beans

When I lived at my grandparents’ farm it was always my job to pick the runner beans but my grandmother always prepared them. She could slice them so thinly they were almost translucent.

They were served at every meal during their season, but with hindsight we were so fortunate to enjoy a ‘cooked dinner’ every day. My grandfather loved them as they were great to soak up the

gravy! A few were packed into the freezer for the autumn but I didn’t care much for those and would never bother to freeze beans myself. They would probably languish in the bottom looking sad and unappetising, waiting for that fateful day to be thrown on to the compost.

To enjoy at their best grow a few plants in a sunny corner of your garden or visit a farm shop where you can guarantee they have been picked that morning. www.dantanners.co.uk/cat-and-fiddle-farm.htm www.holmeforgardens.co.uk/pyo-fruit-farm Select the freshest looking pods that have only grown to about 15cm (6” long), prepare them as soon as you can by trimming the top and tail. Remove the string along the sides with a paring knife and then slice as finely as you can on the diagonal.

Serve briefly boiled and topped with dill butter for a delicious light summer supper.

Or blanch and refresh to serve with sour cream and toasted hazelnuts for a salad.

Make a runner bean piccalilli to serve with cold meats and store ahead for Boxing day or give to a friend.

Lobster

Although it can be available all year round, lobster is regarded as the ultimate summer treat. As the sea becomes warmer the crustacean tends to wander into the shallow depths so are easier to catch. In severe winter, the weather will limit the amount of days a fisherman is able to safely sail a small boat and haul, check and replace their pots. To guarantee freshness the cook should be prepared to select a live lobster and dispatch it yourself. Cooks tip - Plan ahead and pre-order from your local fishmonger.

See www.allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk for advice from Lisa on how to cook and prepare fresh lobster. www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 57

Food & Drink

and the lobster into the pan and cover with lid.

Bring back to the boil and cook for another four and a half minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool down. Meanwhile make elderflower oil.

For the elderflower oil:

Take 60g of elderflower and 80ml of extra virgin olive oil, combine then bring to the boil and leave to infuse for forty minutes. Strain and chill.

For the sauce:

LOBSTER TORTELONI WITH GRILLED COURGETTES, RUNNER BEANS AND ELDERFLOWER Sasha Matkevich, Head Chef and Owner, The Green with Jack Smith, Apprentice Chef This dish is a real treat and it uses every part of the lobster, true to its Italian influences. Here at The Green we feel passionately about getting the most out of every ingredient.

Ingredients:

1 pound lobster 3 courgettes (thinly sliced) 80g elderflower 6 runner beans (blanched and chilled) 1 red pepper (roasted and peeled) 150ml extra virgin olive oil 4 egg 300ml double cream 300g ‘00’ flour 3 large eggs 1 shallot (sliced) 2 cloves of garlic (sliced) 80ml white wine 100g hake meat (skinned and deboned) sea salt To cook the lobster:

Bring a large pot of water to the boil (approximately 3 litres), put 20g of elderflower 58 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

Take the lobster out of the elderflower water and remove all meat from the claws and the tail and save it for the mousse and garnish. Put all the shells from the claws and tail into a roasting tray and roast for half an hour. Put shells in the saucepan together with the shallot, garlic and red pepper peelings, cover with cold water then bring to the boil and leave it to simmer for 20 minutes.

Next add 150ml of double cream, bring to the boil and strain through fine sieve.

For the lobster mousse:

Put reserved lobster meat, hake and egg into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add pinch of sea salt then gradually pour 150ml of double cream. Refrigerate.

For the Torteloni:

Combine flour, eggs, olive oil and salt and knead until it just binds together, similar to creating scones. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Roll the pasta into a small square (roughly 5cm x 5cm), using the mousse and a lot of patience, create tortelonis, approximately 3 per serving.

To finish:

In a large pan of salted boiling water cook torteloni for 3 minutes.Grill your courgettes, peeled pepper and runner beans with remaining olive oil and arrange on plate with torteloni and remaining elderflower and sauce. Drizzle with fragrant elderflower oil and serve immediately.

Bon appétit from Sasha and Jack. www.greenrestaurant.co.uk

100ml (4floz) Milk 1 large free range egg 200g (8oz) Blueberries - washed 1 zest of lemon Method:

BLUEBERRY AND LEMON BREAKFAST MUFFINS Lisa Osman, All Hallows AGA Approved Cookery School Makes 12 muffins. You will need: A muffin tin lined with cases Ingredients:

75g (3oz) Unsalted butter 200g (8oz) Self raising flour 75g (3oz) Caster sugar 100g (4oz) Natural yoghurt or buttermilk

To get ahead - Weigh out all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, cover with cling film if you are leaving overnight. Measure the yoghurt and milk in a jug, cover and place in the fridge ready for the morning.

Put the butter in a heatproof bowl so that it can be easily melted and store in the fridge until needed.

In the morning – preheat the oven to 200 C or gas mark 6. Melt the butter. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk lightly together. Add this to the milk/yoghurt along with the melted butter. Add this mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix quickly and do not worry about any small lumps, add the blueberries and mix again.

Divide the mixture equally between the muffin cases and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Serve warm with butter and jam.

From our table to yours Delicious, frozen ready meals, made in Sherborne using only the very best local ingredients

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View our range of dishes and local stockists online at www.olives-kitchen.co.uk *Free local delivery available within 10 miles of Sherborne. Nationwide courier service available. Minimum order value ÂŁ35. Please see our website for full details.

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 59

Food & Drink

MOSEL David Copp

R

iesling is my preferred white wine grape largely because of the Mosel (spelled Moselle in France), that sinuous river which winds its way from the Vosges through slate sided valleys to empty itself into the mighty Rhine at Koblenz.

Riesling wins my vote for the best white grape for four very good reasons. It produces wonderfully refreshing low alcohol (8-10 abv) wines; it transmits the character of its terroir through aroma and extract; it responds well to being left on the vine in certain conditions to produce superb late harvest wines; and it has properties which allow it to stay fresh for a long time, in many cases longer than red wines.

Riesling is a marvellous variety but I unashamedly favour the Mosel because it produces 60 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

such wonderfully racy wines with tip toe delicacy and aristocratic elegance they will make you wonder why you bother with anything else. The answer of course, is that variety is the spice of life.

However, if you enjoy apple freshness mingled with hints of honey and a wonderful balance of acids and sugars, this is your wine. If you appreciate sublime elegance, complexity and sophistication, you will immediately want to turn on your favourite rhapsody and start that book at your side.

Mosel/Saar was the great vineyard of Rome.

Treves (now Trier) was founded by Augustus in 15 BC and is where he built himself an imperial residence. 300 years later Diocletian divided the unwieldy Roman Empire into four and made Augusta Treverorum (Trier) the headquarters

of the western part which included Gaul, Britain and Spain.

Over the centuries the art of fine wine making in Germany has developed to incredible heights.

Technically, they are superb and make four main styles - Kabinett (Dry) Spatlese (with some residual sugar) Auslese and Beerenauslese, late harvest wines, and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA for short) the great sweet wine from even later picking of selected rotten grapes.

Perhaps the most sophisticated and satisfying wines come from Brauneberger, Bernkastler, Graach, Wehlen, Erden and Urzig and are produced by world class growers such as Fritz and Willi Haag, JJ Prum, Dr Loosen (and in Saar, Egon Muller) which can be obtained from good wine merchants at prices between £10 and £25.

However, with Mosel you need to pay attention to the vintage because in some years when there is not enough warmth to get full ripeness the wines can be a bit tart. 2015 is very promising, 2013 and 2014 very acceptable. If you see any 2009, 2006 or 2005 at affordable prices, don’t hesitate.

The Mosel is a wonderful wine region to visit.

There are some really agreeable small hotels in the wine areas such as the Brauneberger Hof that match food and wine perfectly and allow you to buy fine wines by the glass with your dinner. Pleasure cruise boats run up and down the Mosel. Trier is definitely worth a visit. If you can’t get there, find a nice shady spot in the garden, buy a decent bottle of Mosel, imagine you are there and open your book. And tell me if it is not a good idea. www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 61

CYCLE SHERBORNE Peter Henshaw, Dorset Cyclists Network Mike Riley, Riley’s Cycles

M

ountain bikes, the 4x4s of cycling, will always be with us, and like many of those 4x4s, some of them never venture off-road.

I suppose the psychology is the same – people like the butch, knobbly-tyred toughness of a vehicle that has some (apparent) off-road ability. It’s the feeling that whatever happens, the vehicle will get you through. Digging deeper into the psyche of buying something with knobbly tyres might well reveal a hidden fear of the world, but let’s not go there.

Still, I’m not in a position to judge, as I do have a mountain bike in the garage, though riding it off-road can be a challenge – not in the terrain, but 62 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

simply getting it there. I don’t have a car, and much as I would love to pedal through the mountain passes of Wales, across the Quantocks or along the Ridgeway, it’s a bit of a hassle getting the bike to any of these places.

But it is possible to ride off-road from our Sherborne doorstep, just heading off for an hour or so. There aren’t any mountains to climb (though some of the hills feel like they have ambitions in that direction) though there are some exciting descents, and a bit of planning will minimise the amount of tarmac involved.

In the following route, all the tracks and

"Digging deeper into the psyche might well reveal a hidden fear of the world, but let’s not go there."

bridleways mentioned are legal to cycle on.

Out of town on Oborne Road and at the junction with Castle Townway, follow the bridleway sign up past Castle Farm and Sherborne Garage to a grassy track, a nice easy start which ends on what feels like someone’s lawn (but isn’t). Cross the A30 and head straight over past the house and fork right into Underdown Lane, which gives a fine view of Oborne before turning sharp right and heading downhill into the village – the church is the first thing you see, poking up amongst the trees. Left at the bottom, and left again for a long and tedious tarmac climb, over Bristol Road, past the golf club and down again to the Sandford Orcas road. (Next time I’ll use Quarr Lane, which avoids all that tarmac and much of the climbing).

Now we climb again (it is hilly north of town) up Coombe Lane and all the way down other side, which is rocky, so watch for the big ones. Pop out at Marston Road, where the traffic is faster than you might think, turn left then almost immediately right again up Checcombe Lane. My wife calls this ‘Johnathan Meades Corner’ because she once saw the writer and film-maker here. Checcombe is a much easier and well surfaced track and at last we’re keeping some height, sweeping along with good views to the west before turning right down another easy track, which becomes Kitton Lane and descends down to the outskirts of Nether Compton. It’s what seasoned mountain bikers would call a technical descent because it’s very lumpy and includes some 90-degree bends.

If you’ve now had enough, join the A30 (not as scary as it sounds) and head straight back to Sherborne. Otherwise turn left and head back uphill (very steep) on Ratleigh Lane, the first section of which is tarmac, but it’s so steep this doesn’t help very much. Finally you end up back on Checcombe and at the top, turn right onto Trent Path Lane, virtually overgrown with cow parsley this time of year, for a long and gentle descent back into town, the buildings gradually revealing themselves the closer you get.

You come out at Barton Farm, with a couple of nettle stings, sundry strands of grass and a sense of achievement. www.dcn.org.uk www.rileyscycles.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 63

Body & Mind

FOOD ALLERGY OR FOOD INTOLERANCE? Dr Tim Robinson, MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom, GP & complementary practitioner

A

n adverse reaction to food is extremely common and it is estimated that up to 25% of the population are affected. A reaction to food is due to either food allergy or food intolerance. There has been a four-fold increase in food allergy over the last 20 years.

The rise in allergy may be due to the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ because of our ‘cleanliness’ lifestyle and children tending not to play outside in the mud as we did in the good old days! This has resulted in our immune systems no longer fighting infection – instead it reacts against more innocent and innocuous substances around us such as in the air we breathe and food we eat.

The effects of food allergy usually occur within a minute or so of eating but may be as long as 2 hours afterwards. There are a number of symptoms caused by food allergy. In the digestive system conditions such as colic, diarrhoea and bloating can occur. It has been estimated that 20% of eczema sufferers, particularly in childhood are due to food allergy and skin irritation in the elderly may be due to an allergic reaction. Nasal symptoms such as a runny nose with clear secretions, sneezing, post nasal drip and catarrh can be triggered by food. Asthma has even been known to be triggered by food allergies.

An allergic reaction to food may lead to the serious condition known as anaphylactic reaction or shock in which the tongue and lips swell, narrowing of

64 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

the airway causing breathing difficulties and fall in blood pressure which can be life threatening.

Thankfully only 20% of all anaphylactic reactions are due to food allergy. The commonest foods responsible for food allergy are milk, egg, peanut and tree nuts, fish, prawns, wheat and soy.

Food intolerance is also an adverse response to food but the reaction does not involve the immune system. The mechanism of food intolerance is not known and the effects tend to occur a few hours after eating the food responsible for the intolerance.

The range of effects for food intolerance is much wider than food allergy. Most commonly they include gut symptoms such as colic, bloating, gas, alternating bowel habit. However they can also cause eczema, asthma, headache, migraine, palpitations and vague symptoms such as nonspecific tiredness. An adverse reaction to milk may be due to a condition called lactose intolerance in which there is an absence of the enzyme that breaks down the sugar in milk thus leading to abdominal fullness and diarrhoea. Another common food causing intolerance is wheat which is thought to be a major contributor to irritable bowel syndrome.

Other causes of food intolerance are the effects of the chemicals in the food itself such as caffeine or salicylates, as well as sensitivities to food colourants such as E factors or tartrazine and preservatives such as sulphites.

NATURAL HEALTH CLINIC AND THERAPY ROOMS

Food allergy can be differentiated from food intolerance by skin prick testing or specific blood tests. These allergy tests are scientifically validated and supported by research, unlike others such as kinesiology (measurement of arm strength), Vega testing (the ‘black box’), hair analysis and postal finger prick blood tests.

A positive skin prick test for a specific food is extremely helpful as it identifies the food responsible for the allergic symptoms.

A negative test rules out allergy as the cause for the adverse reactions which means that it is food intolerance causing the gut symptoms, asthma or eczema. People find allergy testing helpful as they then know which food they must definitely avoid. They can resume eating food that they had previously excluded in case of suspected allergy. For people with either food allergy or intolerance, allergy testing leads to an understanding of the condition and identification of the foods responsible for their adverse food reactions. The overall outcome is peace of mind for food allergy sufferers as well as the parents of children with adverse food reactions. www.doctorTWRobinson.com www.glencairnhouse.co.uk

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No appointment necessary 56 Cheap St, Sherborne DT9 3BJ www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 65

Body & Mind

OSTEOPATHY - A WEIGHT OFF YOUR SHOULDERS Frances Aylen BSc Hons OST, 56 London Road Clinic

I

have treated a lot of patients recently who have presented with shoulder pain relating to a surprising variety of reasons.

Some of the patients have felt pain over the tip of the shoulder, with some dull aches down into the muscle on the side of the arm, for instance, when raising the arm above 90 degrees to their side, reaching above their head, putting on a coat, bra or washing themselves.

This pain usually occurs either because of wear and tear to ligaments or tendons that attach into the shoulder girdle. Massage, exercise to reduce postural fatigue and overuse are very helpful and rest in these cases.

People with jobs which require repetitive movements from side to side or up and down like plasterers, glaziers and decorators may also suffer shoulder capsule impingement or rotator cuff problems. Medication, physical treatment, rest and exercise are key in helping calm these down.

Usually pain occurs in the dominant arm.

Pain in the side of the shoulder blade either 66 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

radiating under it or up into their neck can also occur when driving, typing or lifting. The onset of pain arises from sustained neck movements or from holding their arm(s) up. Pains like these are usually caused by postural fatigue and overuse of certain muscles and stiffness in the neck or upper back relating to injuries, being sedentary, poor abdominal strength or rib strains.

Women are more likely to suffer from frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) in their nondominant arm. The onset can be sudden and very painful and the person will be unable to raise their arm to the side. Gentle articulation and stretches can help with this condition.

As you can see, shoulder pain is a complex issue and may occur for many different reasons.

Seeing an Osteopath will give you the information you need to make the right choices with which treatment, exercise and tests you might need. www.francesaylen.com www.56londonroad.co.uk

AN APPETITE FOR APPS Jill Cook, Counsellor

I

have a love/hate relationship with technology!

I know that my laptop and my phone can make life easier for me in lots of ways; instant communication, on-line shopping, research for my work and for leisure. It’s all great whilst it works but I’m thrown into a spin when it doesn’t quite go as I expected. I am also a bit unsure about apps.

If I download lots of them, will they clog up my phone and stop it from doing what I think of as its necessary functions?

At the suggestion of a colleague, I recently bit the bullet and downloaded an app for meditation.

Many of my clients use apps to help them manage anxiety and other things, so I felt that I ought to give it a try. I’ve found it very useful and I am beginning to see the attraction. This prompted me to do a little more research into apps for mental health. Apparently there are about 1,500 apps

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currently available which are trying to change the way in which we manage our mental health.

There is, as yet, very little research to determine the efficacy of these apps and tell us which might help or even hinder our recovery. Yet we use our smart phones and other technology to facilitate so many areas of our lives. Could this be a useful way forward for some of us?

Mental illness affects so many of us in one way or another and one of the effects can be a sense of increasing isolation. Could smartphone apps be helpful in this situation or could it reinforce the sense of being alone? For the time being, I don’t see it as a substitute for talking to another human being but I can see the potential for it being used in this way. www.jillcook.co.uk

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www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 67

Body & Mind

A LIFE CHANGING CONVERSATION Amanda Burbidge MBACP FdSc, The Sherborne Rooms

‘The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change’ – Carl Rogers

T

he 50 minute hour of counselling (also known as Talking Therapy) can be the most life changing conversation you may ever have.

Counselling can be for anyone who wishes to find solutions to life’s difficulties and struggles with mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

Life can, at times bring up difficulties that we struggle to cope with on our own such as changes in our physical health, relationship breakdowns, loss of any kind, anxiety, low mood or depression, work related stress or addictions to name but a few.

Sometimes it is not always clear what is making us feel the way we do, all we know is that life is not comfortable and we are unhappy.

We may feel that we don’t want to burden our loved ones with our struggles, we might find that they do not know how best to support us or, indeed, that there doesn’t seem to be anyone that we can turn to.

Building trust is at the heart of any good therapeutic relationship and can take time and work to establish, particularly if our trust has been betrayed or broken, either in the past or in our present experience.

Counselling offers a safe, non-judgemental place for young people, individuals or couples to explore options with a solution focus. Effective counselling offers the opportunity to build a sense of self, to explore and understand the choices 68 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

available. It can assist you in finding your own voice, exploring your own thoughts, and feelings, helping to make sense of yourself and your life.

It can assist you in finding balance in your life, help you to make decisions that are in your best interests and lead to inner tranquillity and a more fulfilling life. Integrative counselling utilises many and varied ways to assist you, using the best way forward for your individual needs, based on what is right for you and your circumstances. Thus bringing about the most positive outcomes for you and your life rather than following one specific school of counselling. One size does not fit all and your uniqueness is at the centre of the process.

The pace at which you work and the number of sessions you have will be dictated by you and what you need, you are the expert in you. You may be offered therapeutic activities to complete outside of your counselling session that will relate to your needs and specific concerns or issues, it is your choice as to whether this is useful to you.

Sometimes counselling can be a challenging experience, it may cause us to consider our thoughts and responses to circumstances or events but it is important to remember that positive changes and transitions can often occur at these times. www.amandaburbidge-counselling.co.uk www.thesherbornerooms.com

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A VERY SPECIAL VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY Become a SAMARITAN and you become part of a superb local team that offers emotional support 24/7 Find out more about our exceptional training programme and the chance to make a real difference at a Prospective Volunteer Information Session on the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm. These are held at our centre (address below)

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70 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

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When your family suffers the loss of a loved one, we are here to support, guide and reassure you – every step of the way Call Daniel on 01935 812647 100 Lenthay Road, Sherborne DT9 6AG Email: daniel@wsbrister.com www.wsbrister.com

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www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 71

The Old Vicarage Leigh, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6HL

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We are delighted to announce that following our recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission we have been awarded a rating of Outstanding. This means we are in the top 1% of care homes in England.

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Set in its own secluded, beautifully landscaped gardens, woodland and meadow, and with stunning views overlooking the Dorset countryside, it’s hard to resist the charms of the Old Vicarage. As soon as you step through the front door of this charming country house, you’ll discover an oasis of comfort, warmth, calm and relaxation.

Our highly trained staff ensure that everything - from the mouth-watering food and drink and the stylishly cosy bedrooms to the wide range of activities - will make the Old Vicarage truly a home from home. We have been recognised by the Cinnamon Trust as being one of the best pet friendly care homes in the country.

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Property

LANDLORDS - IS YOUR TENANCY AGREEMENT FIT FOR PURPOSE? Anita Light and Paul Gammage, EweMove Sherborne

O

ver the last few months we’ve made reference to a whole raft of legislative changes affecting the private landlord sector. There’s no doubt about it, being a landlord is a much tougher gig than it used to be. On top of all the legislative changes, which could affect the ability to repossess your property at the end of the tenancy agreement, the Chancellor has steadily chipped away at income streams. Having the correct documentation and being able to recall it when required could save landlords considerable time and expense. It may also prevent you from inadvertently breaking the law.

In a recent survey conducted

by Direct Line it was found that 58% of “go it alone” landlords were using adapted tenancy agreements, sourced either from online templates or from old agency contracts. These landlords had no awareness of how accurate or not these may have been. It was also found that 13% of landlords had experienced disputes in the past 2 years specifically arising from tenant’s rental contracts. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that 10% of landlords had no formal tenancy agreement in place at all.

Recent changes to the legislation include: Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. A Section 21 Notice is used when a Landlord requires the tenant to vacate a rented property by a specified date. Effective from October 1st 2015 you must provide your tenant with a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate, the Energy Performance Certificate

and the latest update of the Government’s How to Rent Guide. If you do not provide this then you cannot issue a Section 21. Will you be able to reclaim your property back from your tenant at the end of their tenancy agreement?

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms. Effective from October 1st 2015 for private landlords in England. There must be a smoke alarm on each floor and a Carbon Monoxide alarm must be fitted in every room with a solid fuel burning appliance.

The alarms must be tested and working at the start of each tenancy.

Energy Performance.

Effective from April 1st 2016 private rental sector landlords may receive energy improvement requests from their tenants if the property in question has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G. The landlord will be legally bound to improve the rating to E. Typical improvement measures being, increasing the insulation, upgrading the boiler or installing double glazing.

Right to rent. Effective from February 1st 2016, landlords will have to conduct the appropriate checks to ensure that their prospective tenants have the right to rent property in the UK. As you can see, there is so much to consider.

We haven’t mentioned Legionella, electrical testing, soft furnishings, inventories, schedule of condition and many other important factors!

"Being a landlord is a much tougher gig than it used to be"

74 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

www.ewemove.com/sherborne

Hi we’re Anita and Paul Branch Directors of EweMove Sherborne Your Local Property Expert

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Whereas other more traditional agents are either unavailable or slow to respond. The photos, description & overall presentation of our house sale have been superb. I feel that this has been a significant factor in securing us a buyer within hours of being marketed. I can’t recommend Paul & Anita at EweMove highly enough.

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Combine this with our global network and we’ll find you a buyer that fits perfectly, in fact 48% of our buyers in the last 12 months have been sourced from outside of the South West.

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Property

IT’S AN ILL WIND… George Hayward

H

e drove down the potholed track far too fast, weaving and bouncing around the deep puddles, water splashing up around the door handles before he skidded to an untidy stop in the farmyard. He got out of his mudsplattered 4x4, arched his back, stretched and broke wind in one movement.

I shook Randolph Hunter Crème’s hand. He was the landlord’s agent, ten years my junior at 26 and known behind his back as Creamy, possibly because he was rich, thick and wet. There was little doubt he owed his position to the fact that his father was a major client of his employers.

It was nine forty-five in the morning and we had agreed to meet at nine, although I had been at the farm since seven thirty with my client Maurice Williamson, the outgoing tenant. We were all meeting to agree the compensation Maurice was not the best farmer and the farm was in a shocking state, he had neglected his husbandry and it would be a tough negotiation to get him any money.

I introduced my client to Randolph. “Call me 78 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

Randy, all the girls do,” he laughed throwing his head back showing his teeth, still decorated with breakfast remains. “Talking of the fairer sex, got to be in London by six for a wild weekend, tux in the back and a case of Berry’s finest in the boot. Hello girls, Randy’s here, it’s party time.” He laughed loudly again and snorted, “Got to be away by two.” He clapped his hand on Maurice’s shoulder.

“Shouldn’t take too long to agree this. They tell me you are the worst farmer in Dorset. Time to take your caning like a man!” Maurice looked embarrassed and I resolved to get the better of Mr Hunter Crème.

It was Michaelmas, 29 September, and the new tenant was moving in the next day so we had to agree the valuation that day. It had been a miserably wet early autumn and I put on my waterproof trousers. “No need for those, George.

We can drive around in the Rangy. I am not going to walk the farm, I’ll be shattered before the weekend starts.”

This was ideal for my client. We drove around the fields, dock leaves all over the pasture unseen

from our elevated position. The rotten fencing stakes with drooping barbed wire making the fields less than stock-proof were ignored and we had earlier left every gate open so that we could drive though without checking whether they shut properly.

We eventually arrived at a meadow field close to a stream and I suggested we walk this one as it was so wet. “Nonsense,” said Randy, “this old girl will go anywhere.” Maurice said nothing as we drove into the field and promptly got stuck. The more Randy revved the engine, the greater the wheel spin as the vehicle sank further into the ground.

“Better get your tractor to pull us out, tenant.”

“Sorry Mr Agent,” said Maurice with relish, “George auctioned my machinery off last Saturday, but I could cross the fields and ask Farmer Barbour to come and help.”

“Barbour? Why does that ring a bell?” I glanced at Randy wondering if he was joking. “Well, Mr Barbour farms next door and we are trying to settle his rent review. I tell you what Randy, let’s walk back to the farm, measure the silage and hay and settle the rent review at the same time.”

I took him back and showed him a kale crop, making him walk through it, avoiding the area where the seed had not taken. The recent rain clung to the leaves and Randy’s trousers were soon soaked. By the time Ben Barbour and Maurice arrived back at the yard Randy was a dishevelled, wet, beaten man and it was gone two o’clock. “Now then Randy, what should we give Mr Barbour for towing you out? How about a couple of bottles of wine?” Randy looked aghast, “Flippin’ heck George, do you know how much they cost?”

By the time we finished the valuation it was five o’clock and Randy was only too happy to agree to anything I put in front of him. We signed each other’s books and he got into his Range Rover, lifted his right buttock off the seat, broke wind and drove off, not bothering to avoid the puddles.

I stood in silence with Maurice for a while, watching him drive away. “I can’t believe you got me off so lightly George, how about a pint to celebrate?”

“I’ll tell you what Maurice, let’s call in on Ben Barbour and I can tell him about his new rent. I think he might have two bottles of claret worth sharing!”

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www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 79

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People Property Places

Finance

UNCLEAR GOALS

EXTREME FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTY

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO SO I WILL DO NOTHING"

WHY GOALS ARE ESSENTIAL TO INVESTMENT SUCCESS Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.) CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS, Certified and Chartered Financial Planner

R

eal financial planning is the process of helping people to organise all of their financial stuff in order to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve.

They might want to take early retirement, to gift money to their children, to move to a bigger home or to find out what they can afford to do for the rest of their life. There are many other goals; to enjoy life without fear of running out of money, not having to worry about spending, to be financially well organised, to be able to afford to help others or simply to continue to enjoy your current lifestyle without worry. Indeed, to find out how much is enough.

A good financial planner will ask questions to enable goals, which are not always immediately identifiable, to be clarified. A good financial planner will drill down to find out what will really make them happy, to find out what people really want. Only rarely is the goal to build up a certain amount of money. Generally, real goal setting is about finding out how money can best be used in

the future. Money is, after all, an enabler.

Life changes. My life is so different from the way I imagined it 20 years ago. A good financial planner will enable you to adapt to future changes as and when they occur. A change of direction may be needed occasionally but a small nudge on the tiller might be enough. If circumstances change, your plan needs to change as well. It’s a life long process.

The job of a real financial planner is to put the whole thing together and help people to decide where their future lies, to explain what it actually means.

The benefit of having clearly identifiable goals is that it frequently reduces stress levels so that people can start to enjoy life without worrying about money. It gives them greater confidence, control and peace of mind knowing that they’re on track.

After all, if you don’t have a clear goal…

Next month: How to develop a suitable asset allocation. www.ffp.org.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 81

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www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 83

SHERBORNE CHAMBER OF TRADE AND COMMERCE Andrew Maddock, President

I

am delighted to introduce to you all our new chairperson, Sue Smith of Handelsbanken.

A Sherborne resident, Sue has been a long serving and active member of the Chamber executive committee. Her experience in the financial sector and first hand knowledge of running a small independent business (Sue’s husband, Barry runs The Bakery Café), means she is excellently placed to lead the Chamber for the 2016/2017 year.

I am sad to relinquish my role as chairman but have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the driving seat and am proud of all that we have achieved.

You will not be seeing the back of me however, as I have now taken the role of president and will be continuing to keep you up to date on Chamber news via this column and our member newsletters.

Jane Wood of Oliver’s coffee shop has moved into the position of vice chairman and is joined

Joanne Steel

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www.gahotel.co.uk 84 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

by executive committee members Steve Lee of Waitrose, Taff Martin of Abbey 104 and Holly Knapman of Battens.

We are keen to move forward with a number of projects, including the redevelopment of the Chamber website and the running of an ongoing events programme. One such event that we would love for you to attend is our Summer Barbecue.

Following the success of the last year’s barbecue, this again is open to everyone (members and non members) and will be held at Castle Gardens Butterfly House. A bar will available for drinks on the night. It takes place on Wednesday 6th July, from 6pm - 8:30pm. I look forward to seeing you there.

In the meantime, should you wish to bring any matters to the Chamber’s attention, please do contact us via the website. www.sherbornechamber.co.uk

W

hen I first started in this business it was all about repairs and upgrades a new screen, a new hard disk, a new fan or a new power supply. Computers then cost the earth. My first home PC with its 500mb disk, 32mb RAM and a processor from a pocket calculator cost over £1,000 so renew was never an option. Today, computers have almost become a disposable item when they go wrong but it’s always worth considering your options.

Most good computer shops won’t charge for a diagnosis of what’s wrong so it’s always worth asking for an opinion. A simple repair to replace a fan or PSU costing £50 could give your computer another few years of life. I always compare myself to a dentist - if I fill a tooth then I get paid and in a few years time I’ll have to fill that tooth again, if I pull it out then it’s gone forever. Similarly, a simple upgrade of some more memory or a new SSD (see June 2016) can rejuvenate a tired old PC or laptop. You just have to weigh up the costs and do what you’re comfortable with.

Eventually, however, you will need to replace your ageing technology with some new kit so put some thought into it. Write down what you do with your PC - Internet, email, some photographs, the odd holiday movie and your timeless collection of tunes! Then consider if you want to replace like-

for-like or change from a PC to a laptop or from laptop to tablet (see Sept. 2015). Think what extras you might need like antivirus, backup solution or additional software, and finally how much you want to spend.

Then go shopping! You have three choices: on-line, superstore or independent retailer.

If you shop on-line then make sure they are reputable, check the returns policy carefully just in case, check out the delivery charges and read the specification carefully. If you go to a superstore then be mindful that they may try and sell you what they make the most money on, not necessarily what is best for you, and they may try and sell you every last add-on that you probably don’t need. Finally, your local independent retailer where you will hopefully get good impartial advice, a product that is suitable for you, and a new machine set-up with care and all your stuff transferred. Of course you’ll have to pay for the service but nothing in this world is really free!

As always, if you need help, you know where to come.

Coming Up Next Month …

What’s New! (A roundup of the latest tech.) www.computing-mp.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 85

FOLK TALES with Colin Lambert

BILLY WHIZZ

I

was having a bad day: overslept, missed morning yoga, no gym and the lawnmower wouldn’t start. Already late for an evening reception, I had to drive to London - my trusty Saab never lets me down.

Until today. Truth be told, I’ve been ignoring my ever-flatter battery for weeks.

I know! Go and see Billy Whizz, he’ll rescue me. Down the garden, old tractor starts (phew!), up to car, jump start and, five minutes later, “Billy (his real name is James), I’ve got this flat battery.

You wouldn’t happen to have one and you wouldn’t happen to be able to replace it like now? Please?”

Billy smiles, looks under the bonnet and says, “Consider it done; just give me five minutes to finish three other jobs first.”

Who is Billy? Please be patient.

Born in Milborne Port (Sherborne Hospital), he’s lived ever since on land his family purchased from the Digby Estate in 1911.

Aged 11, he was travelling alone to school in Yeovil. Footy training after school meant he had to walk into town, meet the locals and catch a bus home. He wasn’t naughty but admits, “I talked a 86 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

lot and the police only ever came once.”

As a kid he loved taking things apart and was quite good at putting them together again. He left school at 16, becoming an apprentice mechanic at Wesley Fry Motor Engineers, Oborne. Seven years later he was at Yeovil Vauxhall but was back at Wesley Fry two years after that. In 2005, no doubt listening to the sound advice of Victoria (be patient), he took the plunge and purchased the business of Keith Brewer and Sons, Bristol Road, Sherborne. Brewers Garage was established, with James and Victoria Curtis proudly displayed above the workshop entrance.

They have three daughters: eldest a mobile beautician and receptionist for the business, middle one at university and youngest at the Gryphon.

Billy doesn’t hang about.

His love of football continued but a snapped cruciate ligament meant a bit of hamstring cut out, fixed with a pin and some bolts to somewhere behind his knee, and six months off work. He says, nonchalantly, “I still play occasionally.”

When I arrived Billy had a phone to his ear, another call holding, was popping a card

through some machine that takes your money and unscrewing something plastic and red, but he still managed to smile and say hello. Then he was out of the door running down the yard, left into another workshop (they expanded), and moments later was sprinting back whilst giving instructions over his shoulder.

This guy is amazing; he never stops. His mates agree. They strapped a pedometer (a thing that measures your steps) to his leg for a day. He went to work at 0730, didn’t leave the yard and, after walking the dog that evening, he’d covered 18,000 steps or 8.2 miles. How does he do it?

Well, he wakes at 0650 for a bowl of Frosties and a glass of orange juice - no hot drinks. Lunch includes a can of coke to kick start the afternoon and off he goes again.

I noticed he had a glint in his eye when a pretty lady said something about her dog and a locked boot. Not too much of a glint however, as Billy has Victoria, the solid rock who quietly minds the business and whom he describes as his ‘lynch pin’.

So who’s Victoria?

Billy said, “I met my wife at a drunken snog in a Yeovil nightclub, but don’t say that.” Like Billy, Victoria’s parents loved motor bikes. You can work out the rest.

Then he’s out of his office again, skipping over a box whilst signing a delivery note. He lovingly shows me a Honda Fireblade (I tried to look impressed, it did look shiny), quietly saying something about 178 miles per hour. He then confessed he hadn’t driven it since last September when a dear friend hit a tree and, sadly, has been in Salisbury hospital ever since.

Meanwhile back home, Victoria has lowered, by crane, a Shepherd’s hut into the garden. It’s her woman cave and Billy needs permission to enter.

At 1830 he goes home, pecks Victoria on the cheek, puts the dog on the lead and off he goes again. Every Friday he drives to Salisbury hospital to sit with his mate. Then he slows down.

There isn’t room for the story about the Ferrari MOT, or driving off in the wrong car with someone else’s child in the back seat. I made my reception on time and Billy was a star.

James and Victoria can be contacted at Brewers Garage: 01935 812720. www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 87

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www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 89

A ROOM WITH A VIEW

T

Jenny Campbell

here is a history to very old houses that becomes embedded in the walls, leaving echoes of people who lived in them before you.

Our house overlooking Rothesay Bay on the Scottish island of Bute, was built in 1827 and, at the outbreak of the First World War, a young army officer stood by the fireplace in our sitting room, talking about his imminent departure for France. Although we did not move into the house until 1969, his doctor father recorded the moment in a book which probably still sits on a library shelf at BMA House in Tavistock Square in London.

Sadly, the young man did not return. But I often used to picture him, standing there in that lovely, bright room with its high ceiling and ornate cornicing. Perhaps, from time to time during the conversation with his father, he would pause for a few seconds – his gaze drawn to the large windows and, beyond them, an ever-changing view of the sea and surrounding Cowal hills. Like Rupert Brook’s Grantchester, the image would travel with him and, hopefully, sustain him during the long watches of the night in some mud-filled, ratinfested ditch at Ypres or on the Somme. Victory and home, the sea and the hills‌these are what he must have dreamed of.

The sea and the hills. That scene, from our sitting room window, was one of which I never tired. On our very first evening in the house, my husband, Jim, and I could only stand and stare at it in utter wonderment. The month was June, when the south west of

90 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

Scotland does not really start to get dark until eleven o’ clock. So, by 9pm, the sun was only just sinking slowly in the west behind the Skeoch woods. It cast a rose-pink glow across the sky, beneath which the mirror-like water was silent – apart from a gentle lapping as a line of five wooden rowing boats, one behind the other, were led into the harbour.

Countless times, over forty odd years, we looked out at that view: at the ferries coming in and going out, bringing summer visitors, homecoming family members, Glasgow commuters and Shearings bus-loads of people; at the old Waverley paddle steamer heralding the arrival of summer as she chugged swiftly across the bay, lopsided beneath the weight of excited passengers leaning over the rails. In the early days, before new boats from Poland required the erection of high, steel barriers on the quayside, we would also see young boys and men fishing from the end of the old wooden pier – and I would watch for Jim and his friend, Dan McMillan, returning from their own fishing expedition in Dan’s boat Retriever.

The cod and the mackerel were gutted on board (before ending up in our freezer) and the entrails tossed to the screaming gulls that always circled incoming boats.

There were yachts, too, in the summer. Twice a year, there was a race and, oh, what a glorious sight as a flotilla of thirty or more white-sailed craft eased out into the bay, heading for the Kyles or the Firth of Clyde. You had to be up fairly early to see them but it was worth the effort on a Saturday morning and, invariably, the sun was always shining. In complete contrast, a submarine would occasionally surface in the bay and just lie there, black and sinister, before disappearing beneath the water once more. For the tourist, this was a fascinating sight. But for those of us who lived in and around Argyll, reminders of war and the nuclear arms threat were ever present.

Winter brought a different kind of beauty to those of us lucky enough to live along the seafront. A soft fall of snow, which never lay for long, created as pretty a picture as any Rockwell painting of America. And even when strong south westerly winds, dreaded by ferry passengers, caused the waves to rise in fury before crashing against the sea wall and spuming spray on to the promenade, there was a certain beauty in its power and respect for what the sea can do.

Sadly, as one gets older, it is the unpredictability of travelling to and from the mainland in winter which prompts so many with family south of the border or in the north of Scotland to eventually leave the island. But for all of us who do so, that image of the sea and the ever-changing light on the hills is locked into our hearts.

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 91

LITERARY REVIEW John Gaye, Sherborne Literary Society

Anatomy of a Soldier, Harry Parker (Faber & Faber) £14.99 Exclusive Sherborne Times reader price of £13.99 at Winstone’s Books.

Please bring a copy of this review to claim your discount.

T

his is one of the most extraordinary novels I have read this year; it is also extremely readable. Tom Barnes, the main subject of this story, is an army officer in an infantry regiment on operations in a faraway country that bears a remarkable similarity to Afghanistan (although it is never specified). Quite early in the narrative he is blown up by an IED, evacuated through the medical system and ends up in Selly Oak military hospital near Birmingham.

Not exactly coincidentally this is also the backstory of the author. Harry Parker was an officer in the Rifles who happened to follow a parallel path to Tom Barnes, ending up with 2 prosthetic legs and a very different life style to what he had enjoyed before being deployed.

What makes this book so extraordinary is the style of the writing. It is written throughout in the first person and the narrator varies from chapter to chapter but is always some form of inanimate object. It sounds weird but it works. It does not irritate the reader as I thought it would.

This form of writing allows the author to treat the whole brutal, savage but authentically touching story, dispassionately. Harry himself in a recent radio interview stated that his intention was to write around this hugely traumatic period without allowing sympathy or emotion to cloud the events as they unfurl.

But it also allows him to explore the minds of all the characters involved, ranging from his family, through the various medical staff to the 92 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

individuals who were ‘the enemy’ and who put in place the IED. Here the enemy characters have names, family lives and their own reasons for what they set out to do. Nothing in this, or any other war is black and white and writing in this unique style brings home the humanity of all those involved. It brings out the vulnerability of those who serve on operations, their frailties and fears that are rarely spoken about, let alone written about so sympathetically.

Not least this story is 100% authentic – in the language soldiers use, in the atmosphere in which they live and operate, in the relationships that keep them sane and motivated.

It is authentic in all the procedures, both medical and military, which are outlined in such detail.

It provides a unique insight into the mind of someone who has been seriously injured in action.

Such soldiers do not regard themselves as heroes, neither do they wish to be idolised by the public.

But they do wish to rebuild their lives and to reenter society as a useful person with a future.

In Tom Barnes there is no hint of self-pity. I feel certain that is the case too of the author. It is as if he is saying: “stuff happens, get on with life”.

Harry Parker will be talking about his book at the forthcoming Sherborne Literary Festival 12th-16th October. See www.sherborneliterarysociety.com for further details www.sherborneliterarysociety.com www.winstonebooks.co.uk

l e a 16 th tiv 20 s at Fe ly u us d e oo h J Se F 16t h ig ay Le rd tu Sa

SUDOKU

Fill the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 section contain all numbers between 1 and 9 JUNE SOLUTIONS

ACROSS 1. 7 - Exit; Bible book (6) 8. Send away (6) 10. Small dog (7) 11. ___ Milan: Italian football team (5) 12. Compass point (4) 13. Extra component (3-2) 17. Saline (5) 18. Continent (4) 22. Wild animal (5) 23. Sheer dress fabric (7) 24. Lengthen (6) 25. Ascends (6) DOWN 1. Therein (anag) (7) 2. Holiday visitor (7)

3. Moist (of air) (5) 4. French bean (7) 5. Puts through a sieve (5) 6. Group of notes played simultaneously (5) 9. Deep and extensive learning (9) 14. Cocktail with gin and vermouth (7) 15. Huge wave (7) 16. Early 20th century art movement (7) 19. Henrik ___ : Norwegian dramatist (5) 20. ___ couture: expensive clothes (5) 21. Nimble (5) www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 93

COULD YOU BE A FRIEND OF SHERBORNE ABBEY? Canon Eric Woods, Vicar of Sherborne

L

ast month a coach-load of members of The Friends of Sherborne Abbey spent a very happy morning visiting Romsey Abbey in Hampshire and then the afternoon at the delightful National Trust property nearby, Mottisfont, with its superb gardens.

Romsey Abbey was founded some two centuries later than Sherborne Abbey but had its last great major make-over from the Normans in the 12th century, whereas Sherborne adopted the Perpendicular style big-time in the 15th century.

So at first glance Romsey looks a great deal older than Sherborne, and boasts highly ornate ‘dogtooth’ Norman arches second only to those at Durham Cathedral.

We were met at the Abbey by the Vicar and the Chairman of the Friends of Romsey Abbey.

Tea, coffee and some wonderful biscuits were provided by members of the Mothers’ Union, and then we had an excellent guided walk-round from Liz Hallett – introduced to us as the person who knows more about the Abbey than anyone else.

Thanks to her inspirational tour, many of us have earmarked Romsey for a personal return visit soon.

The Friends of Romsey Abbey were founded as recently as 2009. By contrast, the Friends of Sherborne Abbey have a good claim to be the oldest such organisation in the country. Everything depends on exactly when in 1930 the Friends of Chester Cathedral were founded!

For our Friends, that foundation date is Saturday 24 May 1930. It was the day before the Feast of St Aldhelm, who founded his cathedral

94 | Sherborne Times | July 2016

here in AD 705. At that meeting, it was resolved that, ‘The purpose of the Friends of Sherborne Abbey be to bind together all those who love Sherborne Abbey in their desire to take part in preserving it for prosperity.’

In that they have succeeded, over and over again. Funding routine maintenance and a major contribution to Abbey insurance are examples of annual support. But during my time as Vicar, the Friends have been at the forefront of some major projects: the new West Window, the rebuilding of the organ and the addition of the nave section and, most recently, a wonderful new lighting system together with a complete rewiring.

Today we boast many individual members of the Friends, from far and wide – all united not only in their desire to preserve our amazing church for the future but also creatively to enhance it. What is particularly pleasing is the growth in the number of corporate members, from the Devonshire & Dorset Regimental Association to Sherborne Girls’ School.

I have a hunch that the sheer appeal of the Abbey has helped the whole town to weather many economic storms, and will be needed to do so again pretty soon. That is why I would welcome many more members of the Friends – both individual and corporate. Email me at vicar@sherborneabbey.com if you are interested. I will pass individual enquiries to our Membership Secretary. I will seek conversations with businesses, schools and other bodies about corporate membership: what we can do for you and what you can do for us. We all have the best interests of Sherborne at heart.

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