Family

Aimee Holtham, aged 10

St Andrew’s CE Primary School, Yetminster

Aimee is an extremely talented dancer who trains with The Dance Factory in Yeovil and also takes lessons with Elmhurst Ballet School, The Royal Ballet School and Tring Park Classical Ballet Academy.

In March 2022, Aimee auditioned for the English Youth Ballet alongside 200 other applicants. Aimee was successful and cast as Lady Songbird and The White Cat in their production of Sleeping Beauty, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham in July this year.

Aimee is thoroughly enjoying experiencing the life of a professional dancer and is particularly excited to be dancing alongside international, professional dancers. She has been attending regular rehearsals with the full support of her school. Head Teacher Julie Simpson said, ‘We are all so proud of Aimee and her achievements, at this young age. She is to be commended for her hard work and positive attitude – a wonderful member of the school community.’

Aimee achieved a ‘distinction’ in her most recent ballet exam. Further demonstration of her dedication and talent.

yetminster.dorset.sch.uk

KATHARINE DAVIES

PHOTOGRAPHY

Portrait, lifestyle, PR and editorial commissions

07808 400083 info@katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk www.katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk

Children’s Book Review

Hazel Roadnight, Winstone’s Books The Little Match Girl Strikes Again by Emma Carroll and Lauren Child

(Simon & Schuster), £12.99 Hardback, Age range 7+

Sherborne Times reader offer price of £10.99 from Winstone’s Books

Somerset-based author Emma Carroll has written an inventive and inspiring new take on the Hans Christian Anderson tale The Little Match Girl.

Emma’s books are always imbued with a real sense of time and place and here, she manages to transport us to an important period in British history.

It tells the story of Birdie Sweeny, a povertystricken match seller in Victorian London. The author expertly weaves Birdie’s tale into the 19th-century Irish immigrants’ struggle and a historic moment in trade union movement, along with some real sparks of magic from her last 3 matches. Emma says, ‘If there’s any kind of message to take away from this book, it’s a David and Goliath story. It’s about someone from a very humble background making a massive difference and about how, when we work with other people, we can achieve great things.’

To make this book even more exciting, it’s excellently illustrated by the amazing Lauren Child (creator of Charlie & Lola and Clarice Bean), who carefully researched the factories and living conditions at the time to make sure she did the women of the story justice.

shop.winstonebooks.co.uk

The Repair Shop’s Sonnaz Nooranvary

Monday 10th October 6.30pm for 7pm

The Dorset-based upholsterer will be joining us to recount her experiences on the show, in conversation with Kirsty Crawford. Tickets £5 Available in-store and online at winstonebooks.co.uk Celebrating 10 Years as Sherborne’s Independent Bookseller 2012-2022 8 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PX www.winstonebooks.co.uk Tel: 01935 816 128

AT THE TABLE Michela Chiappa BERRY BAKE

Awonderfully simple recipe to use up any breakfast leftovers. In our family, there is nothing better than a delicious fresh croissant or panettone but they can be a bit of a let-down the next day if stale. This recipe will bring any sweet bread back to life and with berries (especially blackberries) in season, this is a great autumnal recipe for the whole family to enjoy. Quick, simple and cost-effective (if you’ve had success in the hedgerows this month). Don’t forget blackberries can be frozen in a bag to keep the family supplied for many months.

Prep Time: 15mins Cooking Time: 35-40mins Serves: 6

Ingredients 3-4 slices (approx 150g) of brioche or any sweet bread (e.g. panettone, croissant) 4 large handfuls of seasonal berries (200g) 1 tub of cream cheese (180g) Icing sugar to sprinkle on top (optional) 4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 225ml milk

Method 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 2 Cut the brioche/croissant etc. into 2cm cubes and place in a greased 23cm square ovenproof dish 3 Sprinkle with berries 4 Beat the cream cheese, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until well blended 5 Slowly add the milk whilst continuing to whisk 6 Pour the milk mixture over the brioche and berries and leave to soak in for approx 20mins or overnight in the fridge 7 Bake for 35-40mins, or until set in the centre and golden brown 8 Cover with foil for the last 5-10mins if the surface is getting too brown 9 Serve warm, sprinkled with icing sugar

@michela.chiappa

TheChiappaSisters thechiappas.com

Baby at the Table: A 3-Step Guide to Weaning the Italian Way (Michael Joseph) £16.99. Sherborne Times reader offer price of £14.99 from Winstone’s Books

Simply Italian: Cooking at Home with the Chiappa Sisters (Michael Joseph) £22 (hardcover). Sherborne Times reader offer price of £20 from Winstone’s Books

BACK DOWN TO EARTH

Hugh Tatham BA MA, Housemaster, Sherborne School

Question: what do you do when you have just become the youngest person ever to fly solo around the world – a journey of just over five months involving 52 countries on five continents? Answer: go back to school, of course! Specifically, in the case of Mack Rutherford, back to Abbey House at Sherborne where he is a boarder doing his A levels.

Mack undertook his great adventure partly to demonstrate that young people can pursue their dreams and do great things, just as much as adults can. He wanted to show that grit, determination and resilience can help anyone to overcome challenges and achieve success.

And there were certainly challenges aplenty for Mack as he made his way around the globe! The journey took almost twice as long as originally planned and took in all manner of paperwork problems, mechanical and electrical failures, suspected fuel leaks, extreme heat, monsoon rains, and multiple changes of route. But, through it all, he kept going and he kept smiling, ultimately reaching Sofia in Bulgaria on 24th August, from where he had set out on his great quest on 23rd March.

So, Mack did it. He has achieved something quite incredible – not just in taking a year off the previous record but in conceiving and executing a remarkable feat of endurance and imagination.

Now he is back – amongst his peers, amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy boarding house, and with a lot of study to catch up! He knows it’s going to be a really tough year, but he also knows that, after what he’s already been through and achieved, any challenge can be met head-on and any hurdle can be overcome. Most importantly of all, fame and international media coverage have not affected him in the slightest: he’s still Mack – the same lovely, smiley, quiet, sometimes slightly chaotic chap that he’s always been. Of the many attributes that he might role-model to our boys, modesty and humility are amongst the most powerful. So too, of course, is the message that anything is possible, anyone can achieve, anyone can succeed, and that you don’t need to be limited by other people’s expectations.

As Mack’s Housemaster here in Abbey House, I have to confess to tremendous feelings of pride that one of our boys has done this extraordinary thing. I’m proud that he actually made it around the world. I’m proud that he is a world record-holder and, most of all, I’m proud that he can be such a powerful and inspirational figure for other young people - whether pupils at Sherborne or beyond. Of course, not everyone has the opportunity to learn to fly or break a world record, and Mack himself is keen to point out the debt he owes to his family in which there are five generations of aviators. However, everyone can dream, and everyone can do something amazing. Indeed, another boy in Abbey - two years younger than Mack - passed his ground flying exams this summer…