Sherborne Times July 2023

WELCOME

Astroll through The Quarr Nature Reserve and up along the adjoining lane is rewarded with a beautiful view of the town. From this field gate vantage point, across rippling crops, Sherborne appears cradled in hills and woodland, silent but for the swifts, and still but for the ever-orbiting pigeons. Up here the skylarks are beside themselves. More easily heard than seen, it’s as though the sky itself is giggling.

Up here you are also within earshot of a distant and very different sort of hubbub – the unmistakable rumble of some 1,500 11-18-year-olds and their school, The Gryphon, in full swing. The Gryphon celebrates its 30th anniversary this month and we thought it would be fun to hand over the keys and let them drive for a while. So for July, we climb into the back seat, wind down the window and let Gryphon students past and present take us for a spin.

Have a great month.

Glen Cheyne, Editor glen@homegrown-media.co.uk @sherbornetimes

Editorial and creative direction

Glen Cheyne

Design

Andy Gerrard

Cover illustration

Mike Fenton-Wilkinson

Editorial assistant

Helen Brown

Social media

Jenny Dickinson

Print

Stephens & George

Distribution team

Barbara and David Elsmore

Douglas and Heather Fuller

The Jackson Family

David and Susan Joby

Mary and Roger Napper

Hayley Parks

Mark and Miranda Pender

Claire Pilley

Joyce Sturgess

Ionas Tsetikas

Lesley Upham

Paul Whybrew

CONTRIBUTORS

Rachel Akerman

Isobel Blair & Ella Hague Sherborne Girls

Olivia Bowditch, Bonnie Cooke, Siân Greenwood, Callum Harwood, Olivia Mason & Ella Morgan

The Gryphon School

Richard Bromell ASFAV Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

Mike Burks The Gardens Group

David Burnett

The Dovecote Press

Jenny Campbell

Sherborne Scribblers

Paula Carnell

Cindy Chant & John Drabik

David Copp

Rosie Cunningham

Reverend Jim Edie & Canon Nicki Edwards

The Gryphon School

PO Box 9701

Sherborne DT9 9EU

07957 496193

@sherbornetimes

info@homegrown-media.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk

ISSN 2755-3337

Sherborne Times is printed on 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.

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Jon Fletcher

The Grange Hotel

James Flynn Milborne Port Computers

Simon Ford

Craig Hardaker Communifit

Andy Hastie

Yeovil Cinematheque

Sarah Hitch

The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms and The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre

Abbie Hole

Richard Hopton & Jonathan Stones

Sherborne Literary Society

Safia Hothi-Bellamy

Pure Punjabi

James Hull

The Story Pig

Amélie Rose Kurpierz

Amélie’s Doggy Delights

Mike Lehnert

Sherborne School

Joelle Lindsay

Sherborne Turf

Chris Loder MP

Paul Maskell

The Beat and Track

Tom Matkevich

The Green Restaurant

Gillian Nash

Paul Newman & Emma Tabor

Suzy Newton

Newton & Dyl

Mark Newton-Clarke

MA VetMB PhD MRCVS

Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons

Hayley Parker

MA VetMB CertAVP MRCVS

Kingston Equine Vets

Mark Pender

Sherborne Art Club

Emma Rhys Thomas

Art of Confidence

Mark Salter CFP

Fort Financial Planning

Rebecca Silcock Mogers Drewett Solicitors

Val Stones

Andy Treavett

Sherborne Prep

Joanna Weinberg Teals

ARTIST AT WORK

No.56 Dorset Map Rachel Akerman (Gryphon School 2012), Reproduction Print £30

When I’m not behind my desk drawing, I love spending time outdoors exploring in nature – looking out for cute shells, holes in the trees and nests in the ground and thinking about all the creatures that call them home. My illustrations are usually inspired by these outings and hopefully encourage others to get outside and into nature too.

The majority of my work is commissioned projects. At the moment I’m working on a book for the Scouts, as well as a map exploring the accessibility of nature on Portland for B-Side Festival.

When I have a bit of downtime from client work I love to develop personal pieces, this map of Dorset being one of them.

I always start a map project with a list of places I’d like to include, plotting these onto a map and working out the spacing of the spot illustrations. I then have to decide what to include for the locations, making sure the illustrations are varied so it’s not just buildings! I always begin with a pencil and paper before taking rough work into digital, where I choose my colour palette, and then working in layers to produce the map base, illustrations and text.

@Rachelakerman rachelakerman.co.uk

You can find Rachel at The Sherborne Market in August, September, November and December.

The home of Country House opera in South West England featuring renowned soloists, a full orchestra and a large chorus of emerging young artists

Marquee bar | Picnics | Formal Dining

Jules Massenet

LE ROI DE LAHORE

Sung in French with English surtitles | 24 to 29 July 2023 | dorsetopera.com

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO

Sung in Italian with English surtitles | 24 to 29 July 2023 | dorsetopera.com

Coade Theatre, Bryanston, Blandford Forum

Box Office: dorsetopera.com

07570 366 186

|

Original design by Augusto Ferri for the first Italian production of Le roi de Lahore in 1878

ON FILM

Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque

As the summer unfolds and the days become longer, people’s thoughts of an evening turn quite rightly from sitting inside in the dark to more outdoor pursuits. Traditionally film societies have had a summer recess to take stock, plan ahead and follow the film festivals from around the world searching out those gems that can be gleaned from the various programmes.

Cinematheque is no different, our committee, all volunteers, meet to choose the films for next season, our 41st. These are always lively discussions, taken seriously, with one eye on a responsibility to come up with a balanced selection, and the other to fulfil our remit to ‘show the best of world cinema’. As I have mentioned before, this job is getting tricky and will only become more difficult over the coming years, not for any fall in the quality of the films being released, but in the manner in which they are released. The film industry is going through great change currently because of the proliferation of streaming sites. So much of the industry’s money goes into streaming, which is where the finance for so many new films is directed.

This means they are never released on DVD, our only available method at present of projecting films in a venue. As music has gone from vinyl to cassette to CD to downloading (and ironically back to vinyl in many instances), film has been taken from reel-to-reel projection to VHS cassette to DVD and now streaming. If one has a hard copy of the product (a DVD) the companies have no control over how many times one watches it; with streaming they can monetise each and every time one accesses their products. Even with these factors in place, I do feel we have come up with an excellent selection for next season.

These include in no particular order, The Quiet Girl (2022) – an Irish coming-of-age drama by first-time director Colm Bairead. It follows a troubled nine-yearold girl in rural Ireland, as she is farmed out over the summer holidays to distant relatives, whilst her mother is expecting yet another baby. This heart-wrenching film, beautifully acted, slowly reveals how this withdrawn girl experiences a loving home for the first time and has been universally critically acclaimed.

Alcarras (2022) tells the tale of a Spanish family who

runs a peach farm, under threat from their neighbour who owns the land. He wants to build a solar farm where their orchard grows. Filmed with a cast of nonprofessional locals this is a ‘profoundly authentic and moving contemplation of the fragility of family and childhood’ with some wonderfully natural acting from the children.

Azor (2021) is a Swiss/Argentine production revealing the alluring world of the ultra-wealthy in 1980s Argentina. Following a private Swiss banker arriving in Buenos Aires to replace a missing colleague and placate their moneyed clientele, this slow-burning thriller untangles a sinister web of colonialism and high finance, with a riveting reveal of Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’. This story of international intrigue is like watching a Graham Greene novel unfold.

Three highly recommended films then, from our next Cinematheque season. Watch out for more titles to follow. All details will be on our new website below.

cinematheque.org.uk

swan-theatre.co.uk

MARY JACKSON BRIDGE, SOMMIERS

DAVID BACHMANN DARTMOUTH, SUMMER

Alcarras (2022)

CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT

Rosie Cunningham

The world premiere of the play, Brokeback Mountain, based on Annie Proulx’s short story, has opened in the West End, transferring here from the States with an award-winning American cast. If you didn’t see the film, this is a heart-breaking story about two itinerant farm workers who meet as they are hired to look after the sheep on Brokeback Mountain, Wyoming, to stop the coyotes from picking them off. Mike Faist plays Jack and Lucas Hedges, Ennis, and this is the story of their love affair, which spanned twenty years, but which could never be acknowledged and always remained hidden in the shadows. This is a very backward, isolated, conservative and poor rural community, who have been known to lynch people for minor offences, and in 1963 homosexuality was definitely a killing offence. The set is desolate, and the country and western band,

with singer Eddie Reader, frontwoman of Fairground Attraction, and harmonica player extraordinaire, Greg Miller, add to the emotion of impotence and futility as their relationship gets more painful and the hopelessness of their story is played out. @sohoplace is the new theatre on Charing Cross Road owned by Nica Burns, where the audience surrounds the central stage, designed to give the most immersive experience. It is on until 12th August.

I am fascinated by Gilbert and George so took myself off to the Gilbert & George Centre in East London, to see their new exhibition, The Paradisical Pictures. Two people who identify as one artist, having met 50 years ago at St Martin’s School of Art. It took a while to get into their headspace and the work is, as always, challenging boundaries. Do watch Michael Bracewell’s interview with them on the website. The

The Motive and the Cue cast at the National Theatre

centre is only open from Friday to Sunday, but no booking is required, and it is free to enter.

The Motive and the Cue, is a new play written by Jack Thorne and directed by Sam Mendes, at the Lyttelton Studio, National Theatre. Sir John Gielgud is played by the sublime Mark Gatiss, who can do no wrong at the moment, and the multi-talented Johnny Flynn is Richard Burton. Both have observed and assumed their characters so well, that the accents and mannerisms are flawless. This is the true story of Gielgud directing Burton for a new production of Hamlet on Broadway, and it is a demonstration of the politic clash of cultures between a Shakespearean old school actor and ‘the most famous movie star in the world’, who is on honeymoon with Elizabeth Taylor. Why did Burton take on this challenging role and how does he react to exacting

direction from Gielgud, who barely controls his sniping comments? The script brings out the best and the worst of two exceptional men at the height of their power as they clash and parody, part comedy and part tragedy. The agonising scene of Gielgud in his hotel room with a male prostitute, whom he hired, shows how controlled and restrictive his life as a famous person has been when he dissolves in tears and just wants to be hugged. Tuppence Middleton plays Taylor, but I would suggest, finds it hard to stamp her personality on the play. On until 15th July at The National. Do whatever you can to get a ticket. This is phenomenal.

sohoplace.org

gilbertandgeorgecentre.org

nationaltheatre.org.uk

Image: Mark Douet

July brings the return of the ever-popular Sherborne Open Art Exhibition. At this time last year, together with the excitement for the organisers, Sherborne Art Club, was a little nervousness as we anticipated the first Sherborne Open since 2018. It’s easy to forget that only a year ago there still existed uncertainty regarding the pandemic. In the event, with 400 excellent works hung, record footfall, buoyant sales and generous public feedback, any fears were shown to be unfounded. The freshness and greater space of the refurbished Digby Hall also added to the feeling that this was bigger and better. Can 2023 be more vibrant and exhilarating still?

Well, the venue, planning and organisation are in place for success, but the Sherborne Open is really about people. This is a truly inclusive exhibition, open to all artists, showcasing the huge wealth of talent found in Sherborne and the surrounding areas. Selection is by independent judges, seeking quality and diversity for a winning display. The variety of subject, medium, genre and type of work - the qualities and characteristics that make for an interesting, balanced and attractive

SHERBORNE OPEN ART EXHIBITION 2023

collection - come from the many skilful, imaginative and creative artists who choose to contribute to this special exhibition. The increasingly unusual submission process, allowing entrants to turn up with their artworks with no online pre-selection and no need to submit photos in advance, encourages spontaneity. The aim is to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible to enter and to encourage, help and advise new entrants. The prize fund for artists is now over £1,000 with a new prize this year to encourage 3D work.

Of course, this couldn’t happen without our volunteers – mostly participating artists but several who are art lovers and supporters choosing to give their time and assistance. A big thank you is due to them.

Again this year, the exhibition is organised under the ‘umbrella’ of Sherborne Arts. Local solicitors Mogers Drewett continue as lead sponsor, awarding the ‘Judges’ Choice’ artist prize. Other sponsors are Castle Gardens, Charterhouse Auctioneers, The Grange at Oborne, Knight Frank, Old Barn Framing, Platinum Skies and Symonds & Sampson. We truly appreciate our sponsors’

Mark Pender, Sherborne Art Club

generosity and support.

This year we are introducing the concept of becoming a Patron of the Sherborne Open, allowing a donation of between £25 and £100 to be made towards costs. Patrons, businesses or individuals, will be invited to priority events like the exhibition’s Private View and their names listed at the exhibition in recognition (unless they wish anonymity) but their real reward is that of helping a worthwhile event. If you would like to become a Patron, please contact me via the website. A word about Sherborne Art Club and the Sherborne Open Art Exhibition, which came close to folding permanently during the pandemic, needing concerted efforts by a few dedicated people to resurrect them both. With Artslink folding and the cancellation of the Paddock Project, the loss of the Sherborne Open too would have been a serious blow to Sherborne’s creative community and to the town as a whole. Now, things look brighter all round. With the Sherborne House development well under way too it seems that Sherborne is recovering its creative mojo.

Our immediate aims for The Sherborne Open are:

For creatives – to stage a forum for all artists. As well as established artists, we seek to attract new and, hopefully, younger artists to participate and to attract a wide range of 2D and 3D visual art. Prize winners in 2022 included someone who had never entered an exhibition before, mistakenly worried about taking that one small step. Such things are key to what the Sherborne Open is about.

For Sherborne – to benefit the town’s artistic, cultural and social calendar. The exhibition is already well re-established but can develop further. Its return after four years was hugely welcomed and we see it bringing visitors, benefitting local trade and enhancing Sherborne’s attractiveness overall as a destination. In terms of promoting the town’s reputation in the visual arts (some of which has been lost both in absolute terms and relatively to other local towns) the Sherborne Open definitely has a part to play.

For all – to put back into the arts. A financiallysound and widely-supported major regional exhibition like this feeds back into the town, encouraging all sorts of artistic endeavours; education, workshops, youth and schools training, fun and creativity for all age groups.

For these things to happen, we need active and engaged people, as all clubs and non-profit making organisations do. If you can help, have particular skills or even have a vision, do get in touch: sherborneartexhibition@gmail.com.

If you’d like to show your work, there’s still time: online ‘fast-track’ registration for entries is available on the Sherborne Arts website: sherbornearts.org/sherborneopen-art-exhibition until 10th July. We very much encourage all artists reading this to register in advance but if you miss that deadline, you can still enter on the two hand-in days – 14th and 15th July.

For everyone else, do make a point of visiting this excellent exhibition. Enjoy it, support so many talented people and maybe even come away with an artwork to give you pleasure for years to come.

sherbornearts.org

Overleaf – last year's prizewinning watercolour entry

Saturday 22nd – Sunday 30th July

10am-5pm (10am-2pm Sunday 30th)

Sherborne Open Art Exhibition

Digby Hall, Hound Street DT9 3AA. Admission free.

Image: Art Fo-Tography

The Race Yolanda Moreno, Watercolour Prize, Sherborne Open Art Exhibition 2022

COUNTER CULTURE

Paul Maskell, The Beat and Track

No. 21 Dave Brubeck: A Question of Timing

Dave Brubeck is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz pianists and composers of the 20th century. His innovative approach to jazz, characterised by complex time signatures and unconventional musical forms, paved the way for a new generation of jazz musicians. Brubeck’s 1959 album Time Out is perhaps his most iconic and groundbreaking work – a record that defied convention and challenged the very essence of jazz music.

Dave Brubeck was born on 6th December 1920 in Concord, California. He grew up in a musical family and started playing piano at a young age. After studying music at the College of the Pacific in Stockton, California, Brubeck enrolled in Mills College in Oakland, where he studied composition under Darius Milhaud. It was during this time that Brubeck

started experimenting with different time signatures, exploring the possibilities of unconventional rhythms and harmonies.

In 1947, Brubeck formed the Dave Brubeck Quartet, consisting of Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, Ron Crotty on bass and Cal Tjader on drums. The quartet quickly gained a reputation for their innovative approach to jazz, characterised by Brubeck’s unorthodox style and Desmond’s smooth, lyrical playing.

In 1959, the Dave Brubeck Quartet released Time Out, a record that would change the course of jazz music forever. The album’s opening track, Blue Rondo a la Turk, featured a 9/8 time signature, a rhythm inspired by Turkish folk music. The track’s intricate interplay between Brubeck’s piano and Desmond’s saxophone set the tone for the rest of the album, which featured

similarly complex and unconventional musical forms.

Time Out was a commercial and critical success, selling over a million copies and earning Brubeck widespread acclaim. The album’s fusion of jazz and classical music, combined with its off-kilter framework, helped to establish Brubeck as a leading figure in the jazz world. Time Out also inspired a new generation of jazz musicians, who were eager to experiment with new rhythms and sounds.

One of the key strengths of Time Out was the skill and talent of the musicians who played on the record. In addition to Brubeck on piano and Desmond on saxophone, the album also featured Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums. Wright’s deep, resonant bass lines provided a strong foundation for the complex rhythms of the album, while Morello’s precise, technical drumming added an extra layer of complexity to the record.

Desmond’s saxophone playing was a particular highlight of the album, with his smooth, melodic lines providing a perfect counterpoint to Brubeck’s intricate piano playing. Desmond’s playing on tracks such as Take Five and Strange Meadow Lark demonstrated his exceptional musicianship and his ability to create a distinctive sound that was both lyrical and innovative.

Time Out has had a lasting impact on jazz music, inspiring countless musicians to experiment with unconventional rhythms and forms. The album’s most famous track, Take Five has become a jazz standard and remains one of the most recognisable and beloved jazz compositions of all time. The track’s distinctive 5/4 time signature has been emulated and reinterpreted by numerous jazz musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheney and Chick Corea, among others. The album’s influence has also extended beyond jazz, inspiring musicians in other genres to explore new

EM_ST.qxp_Layout 1 04/06/2023 14:28 Page 2

rhythms and sounds.

One of the reasons for the enduring popularity of Time Out is the way in which Brubeck and his band managed to combine complex rhythms with a sense of accessibility. The album is still highly listenable, thick with catchy hooks and melodies. It’s this balance of the challenging and comfortable that has helped to make Time Out a timeless classic.

In addition to its musical influence, Time Out also had an important social impact. The album was released at a time when the civil rights movement was gaining momentum, and its success helped to break down racial barriers in the music industry. Brubeck’s quartet was one of the first racially integrated jazz groups and their success helped to pave the way for other interracial groups to follow.

Dave Brubeck’s Time Out is a landmark album that changed the course of jazz music and paved the way for a new generation of musicians to experiment with rhythm, form and sound. Brubeck’s exceptional musicianship, combined with the talent of his quartet, helped to create a groundbreaking record which continues to inspire and delight listeners to this day.

It only remains for me to suggest that you take five and give this gem a listen.

thebeatandtrack.co.uk

Tuesdays 7pm-8pm

Under the Radar Abbey 104. The Beat and Track’s Paul Maskell often joins presenter Matt Ambrose on his weekly radio show, bringing you the best new sounds from established underground artists and new and rising acts from across the world. Listen live on 104.7FM or online at abbey104.com

THE FREE WESSEX ARTS AND CULTURE GUIDE EVOLVER MAGAZINE

Pick up your copy at arts venues, galleries, museums, art shops, cafés, libraries and tourist information centres (etc) throughout Dorset, Somerset, East Devon, West Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath Or subscribe online at: evolver.org.uk

Instagram: evolvermagazine

OPERA IN OBORNE

Opera is not accessible. It is not easy for someone to experience opera for the first time. Who is going to travel to an opera house and spend over a hundred pounds on a ticket for something which they don’t even know they are going to enjoy? As a result, many people will go through their lives never having seen an opera. Enter stage door left, Opera in Oborne. What sets Opera in Oborne apart is how easy it is to see opera. We hope to get people to come to an opera for the first time and to change people’s minds about opera. And so, in the spirit of doing exactly that, I thought it would be a good time to debunk a few myths about opera in general and to tell people why they should make a visit to Oborne their first trip to the opera.

It is too long and boring. Each year our main opera is two hours long, including the interval. OiO’s director, Stephen Anthony Brown, abridges the operas largely by cutting the recitative (the wordy bits that are sung) and adding ordinary dialogue where necessary. And the stories are anything but boring, crazy perhaps, but not

boring – cross-dressing, falling in love with the person you are already in love with, but without realising it is the same person, dressing as a goose, betrayal, jealousy and murder. This means that you get to experience the comedy, or the drama, along with the beautiful music in a short, manageable format.

I don’t understand it. True, many operas are sung in Italian or French and that makes it tricky to follow the plot. At Opera in Oborne, we use screens on each side of the church to give plot prompts so that you know what is happening in the story.

It is expensive. At OiO, we have professional singers, all soloists in their own right but we stage operas which have a smaller cast. The musical accompaniment is from just one piano, rather than a full orchestra. The piano is played by OiO’s musical director, the masterful John Cuthbert. Costs are also kept to a minimum as many of the back-of-house duties are carried out by volunteers – the wonderful Siobhan who designs and makes the costumes, Jenny on the lighting desk and Pete and his endless supply of props. All of this means that we

Jon Fletcher, Opera in Oborne

Image: Jim Johnson

keep costs as low as possible and this year, tickets are between £20 and £40. At Sunday’s Opera in the Park, children are free.

It is stuffy. Opera in Oborne is about as relaxed as it gets. There is no dress code. Have a glass of wine outside the church before the performance, then head inside, sit back and listen to some beautiful music.

I don’t like the music. This is where we must disagree. Opera music is everywhere and is loved by people who don’t realise they are listening to opera music. Do you remember that famous helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now? Ride of the Valkyries from Wagner’s opera, Die Walküre. The scene in the Shawshank Redemption where Andy Dufresne locks himself in the warden’s office and plays the music over the loudspeaker? The letter duet from Figaro. The famous British Airways advert that had everyone humming the tune for about a decade? The Flower Duet from Delibes’ Lakme (which was also used in Sex and the City, Tomb Raider and True Romance). Sunday Bloody Sunday has Soave sia il vento from Cosi fan tutte; the Overture to The Marriage of Figaro is used in The King’s Speech; Sempre libera in Pretty Woman; Au fond du temple saint is used in Gallipoli. And probably the most famous aria of them all; Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot used at Italia ’90, in Mission Impossible, The Killing Fields, The Sum of all Fears and Bend it like Beckham, to name just a few. If you don’t know them by name, type them into Google and listen – I guarantee you will know many of the tunes. We think we have created something rather special in Oborne. Each year we transform a little church into a theatre, with a stage, backdrop and lighting. We have

a cast of professional opera singers come to Oborne and in just a few days, rehearse and stage a weekend of music. With just eighty seats in the church, it makes for a very intimate performance where you can see every expression on the performer’s faces.

This August we have three different performances. Our opera this year is Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. A story of two men, who begin to doubt their fiancées’ love for them and decide to put it to the test. Friday 4th and Saturday 5th August, 7.30pm. Tickets £40.

Our Saturday matinee is The Telephone. A one-act comic opera by Menotti, lasting just one hour. A GI is desperate to propose to his girlfriend before he goes off to war but the telephone is a source of endless interruptions. Saturday 5th August, 3pm. Tickets £30.

Lastly, the weekend is finished with Opera in the Park – a concert of popular arias and some show tunes, held outside in Oborne playing field. If you have never been to an opera before, this is the perfect taster. Bring a chair, bring a picnic and we will supply the music and the Pimms.

If you have never been to an Opera before, come to Opera in Oborne this August, we might just change your mind.

operainoborne.org

Friday 4th - Sunday 6th August

Opera in Oborne

St Cuthbert’s Church and Oborne Playing Field

Tickets £20-£40 via operainoborne.org

Maribeth Diggle

Ashely Mercer

Beth Moxon

Mondays & Thursdays 1.30pm-4pm

Sherborne Indoor Short Mat Bowls

West End Hall, Sherborne 01935 812329. All welcome

Mondays 2pm-5pm & Tuesdays 7pm-10pm

Sherborne Bridge Club

Sherborne FC Clubhouse, Terraces 01963 21063 bridgewebs.com/sherborne

Tuesdays 10am-12pm

Fine Folk Dancing

Charlton Horethorne Village Hall £2.50 per session. Beginners welcome. 01963 220640.

Every 1st & 3rd Thursday 10am-12.30pm

Castleton Probus Club

The Grange, Oborne, DT9 4LA New members welcome. edwardhiscock6@gmail.com

WHAT'S ON

Every 1st Thursday 9.30am Netwalk for Business

Owners & Entrepreneurs Pageant Gardens @Netwalksherborne

Thursdays 1.45pm-4.45pm Rubber Bridge

Sherborne Bowls Clubhouse, Culverhayes car-park 01963 21063 bridgewebs.com/sherborne

Thursdays 7.30pm-9.30pm

St Michael’s Scottish Country Dance Club Davis Hall, West Camel £2. Call Elspeth 07972 125617 stmichaelsscdclub.org

Until Sunday 2nd The Summer Festival

Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Dorchester DT2 8QU Tickets £14.50. sculpturebythelakes.co.uk

Until Sunday 2nd Beaminster Festival Information and tickets beaminsterfestival.com

Saturday 1st 7pm (5.30pm hog roast and bar)

Outdoor Theatre and CircusBrainfools: Lucky Pigeons

Halstock Village Hall Field 01935 891744. Bring your own chair/ blanket to sit on. Suitable 6+. £10, £5 u18s, £25 fam artsreach.co.uk

Sunday 2nd 2.30pm CHAPS Panto Summer

Social & AGM

Charlton Horethorne Village Hall BBQ provided but bring own liquid refreshment

Wednesday 5th 3pm and 7pm

Velasquez – The Great Magician of Art

Digby Hall, Hound Street

Free for members, £7 for non-members. theartssocietysherborne.org/

Wednesday 5th 6.30pm (doors) 7.30pm (performance)

Illyria Outdoor TheatreTwelfth Night

Castle Gardens, New Road, Sherborne Tickets from Castle Gardens and illyria.co.uk

Thursday 6th 7.30pm

Sherborne & District Gardeners’ Association Talk ‘Conserving the Diversity of Garden Plants’

Sherborne Chamber Choir

Conductor Paul Ellis

Sherborne Abbey ~ Saturday 8 July ~ 7.30pm

Tickets £5-£16, under 18s FOC, available from www.sherbornechamberchoir.org.uk

July 22nd - 30th

10am – 5pm (2pm on Sun 30th)

The Digby Hall

Hound St.

Sherborne

DT9 3AA

Admission Free

Entries open until 15th July

Artists featured (clockwise from top): Yolanda Moreno, Robert Burden, Paul Newman, Judith Bailey, Andy Rollo, Marianne Bareham, Gillian Flack

Digby Hall, Hound Street

All welcome. Visitors £3. 01935 389375

Saturday 8th 4.30pm

Wick Charity Music Festival

Off the B3145 between Charlton Horethorne and Sherborne. (what3words location: memory.recruiter.knots)

Adults £20, 13-18 £10, under 12 free. Tickets via eventbrite.co.uk 07526 259146 or stowellfarm@btconnect.com

Saturday 8th 7.30pm

The Bath Gilbert & Sullivan Society - Selections from the Mikado

Martock Church, TA12 6JL

Tickets: £12 or £10 at guardianstickets@ gmail.com, 07547 213992, Martock Gallery and Martock Newsagent. martockonline.co.uk/events bathgands.co.uk/history

Saturday 8th 7.30pm

Sherborne Chamber Choir -

A Grand Tour

Sherborne Abbey

A European choral journey. Tickets £5-£16, available from sherbornechamberchoir.org.uk

Sunday 9th 7pm

Book Talk - Kate Mosse -

The Ghost Ship

Winstone Books, 8 Cheap Street

Tickets £7 or £20 with signed copy of the book. shop.winstonebooks.co.uk or in store

Tuesday 11th - Thursday 13th 9.30am-5pm

Art-life Exhibition

The Jerram Gallery

Proceeds to Art-Life. art-life.co.uk

Wednesday 12th 6.30pm (doors) 7.30pm (performance)

Illyria Outdoor TheatrePride and Prejudice

Castle Gardens, New Road, Sherborne Tickets from Castle Gardens and illyria.co.uk

Saturday 15th 10am-12.30pm (last repair 12.15pm) Repair Cafe

Cheap Street Church Hall. Bring household items to be repaired & avoid landfill. repaircafesherborne@gmail.com or @repaircafesherborne

Sunday 16th 10am-3pm

The Sherborne Market

Cheap St, Abbey Road, Half Moon St, Digby Road and Pageant Gardens

Local producers, suppliers, amazing

food and crafts thesherbornemarket.com

Sunday 16th 10am-4.30pm

AFWM Classic and Supercar Show

Sherborne Castle, New Road

Tickets: Adults £17 (£20 on the gate), children free (accompanied under 16) classic-supercars.co.uk

Thursday 20th - Sunday 23rd

32nd Cerne Abbas Music Festival, with the Gaudier Ensemble

Information and booking cerneabbasmusicfestival.org.uk

Saturday 22nd –Sunday 30th 10am-5pm (10am-2pm Sunday 30th)

Sherborne Open Art Exhibition

Digby Hall, Hound Street DT9 3AA Admission free.

Sunday 23rd 11.30am-3.30pm

Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre Oborne Rd, Sherborne, DT9 3RX Presentations, working exhibits, tea and cakes. Entry by donation.

Monday 24th - Saturday 29th

The Dorset Opera Festival -

Members free; visitors £7 theartssocietysherborne.org

–

“The Great Magician of Art”

Velazquez was admired by artists from Whistler to Picasso who described him as `The Great Magician of Art`.

Le Roi de Lahore and Le Nozze Di Figaro

Coade Theatre, Bryanston, Blandford Forum. dorsetopera.com 07570 366186

Monday 24th 6.30pm for 7pm

Ferdinand Mount –Big Caesars and Little Caesars

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Rd £10 members, £12 non-members. Tickets from Eventbrite and Winstone’s

Friday 28th 7.30pm

Michael McQuaid reeds with Mike Denham piano

Cheap Street Church, Sherborne. £15. Bookings: raymondwood1949@gmail.com

Sunday 30th 2pm-4pm

Singing Bowl Soundbath

Oborne Village Hall, DT9 4LA £15. Advance bookings 01935 389655 or ahiahel@live.com

Planning ahead

Friday 4th - Sunday 6th August Opera in Oborne St Cuthbert’s Church and Oborne Playing Field

Tickets £20-£40 via operainoborne.org

JULY 2023

Saturday 5th August 2pm-4.30pm

The 76th Annual Chetnole

Flower Show & Fete

Chetnole Village Hall, DT9 6NU Free Admission.

Sport

Sherborne Cricket Club The Terrace Playing Fields

Dorchester Road, Sherborne Dorset DT9 5NS

Men’s 1st XI (1pm KO)

Saturday 1st Wimborne (H)

Saturday 8th Cattistock (A)

Saturday 15th Broadstone (H)

Saturday 22nd Poole (A)

Saturday 29th Christchurch (H)

Compton House Cricket Club Over Compton, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4QU

Men’s 1st XI (1pm KO)

Saturday 1st

Corfe Mullen (H)

Saturday 8th

Sturminster & Hinton (A)

Saturday 15th Shaftesbury (H)

Saturday 22nd Cerne Valley (A)

Saturday 29th Sherborne 2nd XI (H)

To include your event in our FREE listings please email details – date/ time/title/venue/description/price/ contact (max 20 words) – by the 5th of each preceding month to listings@homegrown-media.co.uk

Ferdinand Mount Big Caesars and Little Caesars

Monday 24th July 6.30pm for 7pm

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Rd, Sherborne

Tickets £10 members, £12 non-members from Winstone’s Books or www.sherborneliterarysociety.co.uk

Somerset

A group show bringing together hand-drawn work on paper by 17 artists working in Britain today, curated by artist Giulia Ricci

Exhibiting Artists: Fay Ballard, Duncan Bullen, Lucinda Burgess, Helen Cass, Rachel Duckhouse, Mary Griffiths, Simon Hitchens, Louise Hopkins, Carali McCall, Onya McCausland, Anna Mossman, David Murphy, Peter Peri, Kathy Prendergast, Wendy Smith, Giulia Ricci and Kate Terry

MARKET KNOWLEDGE

AMÉLIE ROSE KURPIERZ, AMÉLIE’S DOGGY DELIGHTS, YEAR 7, THE GRYPHON SCHOOL

Welcome to Sherborne Market!

What brings you here?

I’ve been coming to Sherborne Market since it began but I started trading last October.

Where have you travelled from?

I live in Sherborne so I just walked up this morning. I have lived here since I was 3 years old and go to the Gryphon School.

Tell us about what you’re selling

I sell natural, homemade dog treats. I make them myself at home in my mum or dad’s kitchen (sometimes with some help). Then I pack them up the night before and lay them out ready for all of the dogs and puppies of Sherborne. It’s all grain-free as a large proportion of dogs cannot tolerate grains. There are peanut butter bones (no Xylitol as that makes dogs poorly), cheesy star biscuits, sweet potato and apple pupcakes. I also sell puppuccinos which go down a treat (squirty cream and a dog treat on top) as well as dried pigs’ ears.

Where and when did it all begin?

I started enjoying baking by myself at the age of 6 and my parents would help me measure out ingredients. But when the first lockdown began in 2020 I asked them if I could bake more regularly so they bought me a cookbook and I would pick out a cake we needed to buy the ingredients for each week. I started getting much better and have even applied to be on the Junior Bake Off twice. Then last summer we were visiting Frome

Market and I saw a woman selling homemade dog treats and my mum encouraged me to set up my own stall at Sherborne Market.

We researched lots of recipes that have been tested and approved online as well as ensuring all of the ingredients are dog-friendly. My little sister is coeliac so I have always made a point of baking without gluten, which gave me great practice in baking without grains for the dogs.

What do you enjoy most about selling at markets?

I have the best job in the world – I get to stroke all of the dogs that come over with their owners to buy treats! I love seeing the smiles on peoples’ faces when they walk by and realise that all of the wonderful snacks on offer are for dogs! I met a 5-month-old black Labrador puppy called Dave last month, who buried his snout in a puppuccino and enjoyed licking it off his lips. It makes me really happy!

If you get the chance, which fellow stallholders here at Sherborne would you like to visit?

I enjoy going to see other pet stalls for inspiration but I love sneaking off for 5 minutes to get food throughout the day and leaving an adult in charge. The food at the market is amazing and they have lots of yummy options!

Where can people find you on market day?

You can find me and all of the other small ‘suitcase stalls’ on Cheap Street opposite Swan Yard.

Hand picked artisan TRADERS

featuring local producers, suppliers, amazing food, arts and crafts.

2023 dates

July 16th

Aug 20TH

Sept 17th

Oct 8th

Nov 19th

Dec 17th

Flying the flag for local

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

We’ve spoken a lot about the preservation and restoration work being undertaken on the original Sherborne House building in recent months – it’s a major project requiring many specialists from all walks of life – but this month we wanted to shine a light on something brand new.

Bringing Sherborne House back to life and transforming it into The Sherborne for its next exciting chapter means striking the perfect balance of ‘old meets new’. Luckily for us, we have an expert team in place who understand what makes the ideal architectural marriage. And so, we’d like to formally introduce you to our rather impressive, purpose-built pavilion. It’s a fine example of how to match innovation with originality and it’s set to be a stunning events space with a bespoke curved ceiling that seamlessly connects the main house

to our glorious, enclosed garden.

The spectacular structure stands as a testament to our commitment to sustainable design and architectural excellence. Without a doubt, its most striking feature is its largescale frame. Buckland Timber in Devon skilfully crafted it from an eco-conscious material known as glulam using Spase Architect’s meticulous design. It took over two years to plan as it needed to be just right. The 17-metre pieces of laminated European spruce, with a touch of larch were then curved into an awe-inspiring structure. It’s the capability to curve, bend and manipulate each timber that makes glulam such an exciting wood-based material for architects. The individual pieces, each weighing 1.5 tonnes, were methodically joined together with secret steel flitch plates which are secured with hidden dowels, and

The Sherborne

resemble a giant Jenga puzzle – hence the need for large cranes on site. The design’s clever counterbalance and weight-bearing properties then ensure that the structure supports itself seamlessly. It truly is something to marvel!

The pavilion, whilst striking in appearance, has been created to be sympathetic to the original building, so you can see straight through it to the magnificent medieval wing. We opted to use spruce because it’s light in colour and so will not dominate the overall colour scheme of the surroundings, creating a more harmonious look. Its integration with the landscape and the incorporation of visually impactful features, such as a bespoke copper canopy and floor-to-ceiling glass walls, make it an inspiring space that connects art,

nature, and community. The copper canopy of course will evolve in colour as the venue ages, which we’re sure will be interesting to watch.

Stefan Pitman, MD of Spase Architects, and our lead surveyor explains, ‘This project is particularly remarkable because of the complexity of its design. The tented shape, with a continuous flow from the roof-light apex down to the tapered ‘feet’ took two years to perfect through 3D modelling, as opposed to more conventional CAD drawings. The wood has been tapered in such a way to be load-bearing but appears lightweight, and the whole structure had to be brought in by crane due to the sheer scale of it.’

‘The exceptional curved wooden ceiling of our new pavilion showcases the versatility and beauty of glulam as a structurally engineered wood product. Glulam was first used in Europe in the early 1890s and is a conscious choice. Used to create frameworks for buildings much like steel or concrete, glulam is manufactured by bonding layers of timber together using a durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesive. However, this innovative material has a sixty per cent lower carbon footprint than concrete. Buckland Timber are also certified to supply FSC products sourced from responsibly managed forests and reduce the haulage impact by using locally grown timber.’

Buckland were an obvious choice for us – not only do they call the southwest ‘home’ but they have an illustrious portfolio, which includes St Paul’s Cathedral, Clifford’s Tower and a handful of RNLI structures. From residential extensions to huge commercial projects, shopping centres and equestrian facilities to heritage properties and buildings nestled within outstanding nature, they have done it all.

We’re hoping that the pavilion will become a cherished gathering place for celebrations and cultural events at The Sherborne – bringing the outside in, creating a captivating ambience and immersing guests in nature’s beauty while providing a unique sensory experience. Our new space complements the historical splendour of the house and tempts visitors to think creatively about the future. Lots of natural light floods in, enhancing the atmosphere, and making the entire space feel open and inviting. Plus, the greenery and outdoor elements give freshness and tranquillity, making it an unforgettable setting. We can’t wait to share it with the wider world…

thesherborne.uk

FAMILY ROOM

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS AT THE GRANGE

The Grange was built around 1750 and has been a restaurant since the early 1970s, but nobody seems to be able to tell you exactly when that change happened. Mauro Lupi, the man who came up with the brilliant idea of turning a manor house in Oborne into a restaurant, will swear blind it was 1974, while his friend, who was sitting next to him when I asked, told me that it must be at least a year earlier as they can remember coming here in ‘73 to celebrate a

significant birthday. Another claimed they came here to a party in ’72. When asked, we just say the 1970s.

There must be something about the place that causes this confusion. We have heard many versions of how long we have been part of The Grange’s story. Some are convinced that we inherited it from Jenny’s parents who used to run it and who have owned it for donkey’s years. Some will tell you that we have just moved to the area and have recently taken over. Some have heard on

Jon Fletcher, The Grange Hotel

Image: Graham Hiscock

the grapevine that The Grange was bought by a Russian hotel chain (yes, really). None of these are true – the truth is that Jenny’s mother and father bought the hotel in 2003 and we have managed it for them ever since.

Jenny grew up in hotels – her parents ran a hotel in Brighton and it was after we both finished university that we started managing their family-run seaside hotel together. In 2003, we swapped the squawking of gulls for the mooing of cows and moved to Oborne to take on The Grange. It was a bit of a whirlwind, probably more for me than Jenny who had much more experience in hotels and restaurants, meeting the locals, getting to know the team and finding our way around the area. I remember well the evening when Pam, our wonderful kitchen porter, walked into reception and announced very loudly and proudly, that, ‘I be one of the only people to have seen the headless horseman up on ladies’ mile.’ She then smiled and walked out.

We have been blessed with the wonderful people we have had work at The Grange – it never ceases to amaze me how Sherborne and the villages can consistently turn out such a lovely bunch of people. We regularly have people from the same families working here; siblings, cousins and parents with their children. The record from one family stands at five.

Some fifteen-thousand people come to The Grange each year, for an afternoon tea, a meal, a party, a wedding reception or to stay, and so we could claim to have served three hundred thousand people in twenty years. We have met some wonderful people and some of our guests have become our friends. We have hosted weddings – we once went to Manchester to attend the wedding of one of our hotel guests.

The Grange has its own story to tell. I have lost count of the number of proposals that have taken place in the restaurant. But it is the parties and weddings that offer the richest pickings for anecdotes. The wedding where Buzz Lightyear delivered the wedding rings after the best man announced that he had ‘left them on the kitchen table’; clearing up after a particularly raucous Christmas party and finding one guest sound asleep under the table; and at one Christmas wedding, a visit from Father Christmas complete with sleigh, elf and two reindeer, to give each wedding guest a present – it was quite a feat to hide that from the guests.

A huge change in our lives has been the arrival of our children. Now 12 and 9, both have partly grown up at The Grange. They have been known to lay up a table now and then and both have a good understanding

of how to clean a hotel bedroom. On one occasion, they ended up checking-in a hotel inspector and remembered to offer him a wake-up call and newspaper. I was a little concerned to be told by the inspector that they did a better job than I normally do.

And more recently, there was Covid. The PM announced on a Friday night that we were to close immediately and then two weeks later we reopened as a convalescent home, and then we were closed, then we opened, then closed, and finally opened again. Like many hospitality businesses, we were very busy when we were open, and some might say it was because people were desperate to get out. While that might be true, I do like to think that the support we all received was just that, people wanting to support the places that had hosted so many of their celebrations over the years and of which they have fond memories.

As I write this, there is a delightful couple having lunch in our restaurant who are among a handful of guests that I would call by their Christian names. In 2006 we hosted their golden wedding anniversary celebration at The Grange for around sixty people. That day they had galia melon with summer fruits, salmon fillet with brioche crust and a choice from The Grange dessert trolley, followed by an Australian sparkling wine for the toast. Today, they are celebrating her ninetieth birthday.

So, on 8th July this year, we will have been at The Grange for twenty years and we have no plans to move on any time soon or to sell to any hotel chains, Russian or otherwise. Although we will still be asked, almost weekly, ‘have you just taken over?’ ‘No’, we will reply, ‘we have been here a while.’

thegrange.co.uk

"Buzz Lightyear delivered the wedding rings after the best man announced that he had ‘left them on the kitchen table’"

Yeovil Audi. Look No Further.

Please visit our showroom to view our fantastic new and approved used Audi models in Yeovil, Somerset.

Our team is available to provide you with the information and guidance you need when choosing your next car, including the benefits of a plug-in hybrid or fully-electric Audi.

RAISING THEIR GAME

SHERBORNE RFC FUNDRAISING FOR THE FUTURE

The game of rugby football was introduced to Sherborne School in 1846 by Headmaster Charles Penrose, a keen sportsman and former pupil of Rugby School where the game originated in 1823 when William Webb Ellis ‘with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it.’ Sherborne School is known to have played a town side as early as 1868 and these links have carried through to the present Sherborne Rugby Football Club (founded in 1980), with exceptional coaching support provided over the years by the likes of Phil Jones, who later become Headmaster of Christ College Brecon (probably one of the best, if not the best rugby playing school in Wales), Mike Davis, who was capped sixteen times for England and coached the grand slam winning team in 1980, and David Scott, who coached the Club to become one of the top twelve clubs in the South of England outside the first-class game. More recently, Chris Smith, Sherborne School’s Director of Rugby (RFU Level 4), has both played and coached at the Club, in addition to Rhidian McGuire, a housemaster at Sherborne School, a Cambridge Blue and Welsh Under-18 rugby international, who plays and advises when he can. Today, Sherborne senior rugby is led by Ryan Hunt

who, like Chris Smith, is RFU Level 4-qualified and has worked for Wasps RFC at the club and in the community. Ryan is supported by Tom Hopkins, a talented centre three-quarter who stopped playing at a young age because of recurring shoulder injuries.

The club has achieved tremendous success and attributes that to the energy, skill and enthusiasm of its many coaches. The club takes young children and coaches them in their age groups with great care, developing skills and making it good fun right through to the adult game. Some will play for the 1st XV but all will be playing the games on the basis of the rugby values of Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship.

We have been very successful at what we do and have had some brilliant players over the years with five ex-Sherborne players in the Rugby Premiership (Devoto, James, Lawday, Lockwood and Woolmore) this season and Sam Nixon playing in France – quite extraordinary for such a small town!

This summer the club is raising money to bring its clubhouse up-to-date. The membership today has grown to such a level that the clubhouse is no longer conducive for sustaining the numbers we have or supporting player growth, particularly for women and

girls rugby. Whilst the clubhouse has served us well for more than 30 years, the toilets, kitchen and club room are too small, too cold and unable to meet the demands of a thriving club. Our plan is to move the existing kitchen and toilet facility, staying within the footprint of the existing building and to build in the areas that were previously used for storage.

We will build new toilets including a wheelchairaccessible facility. The new kitchen will enable us to serve up to 300 meals on a weekend and, by increasing the space within the club room by 40%, we will be able to provide seating so that the players can eat together with their opposition post-match and provide enough shelter on a cold and wet Sunday morning for our youngest members!

This project will help to ensure that the club continues to thrive, providing opportunities and appropriate facilities for all involved, as well as a welcoming space to our visitors and the local community. This project will help underpin the female game and serve as a catalyst for growth, demonstrating that Sherborne RFC is inclusive, progressive and equipped to promote this special part of our game.

Sherborne RFC champions the youth and coaches

children from under six through to adults. Our project for change will transform and strengthen the club for generations to come. Working as a team and with the help of the Sherborne community, we will deliver new and sustainable facilities worthy of the commitment, dedication and camaraderie shown week in, week out, by our fantastic players, supporters and club volunteers. Thanks very much from everyone at Sherborne RFC!

‘Over many years, Sherborne RFC has provided thousands of young people in our community a focus, a purpose and a sense of belonging. Through rugby, young people develop key life skills: discipline, commitment, self-confidence, work ethic, leadership and teamwork; they learn how to win and how to lose. Having been an active member of Sherborne RFC for over 30 years, rugby has given me memories and friendships for life.’

James Gower, Deputy Headteacher, Gryphon School

sherbornerfc.rfu.club

You can donate to Sherborne Rugby Club’s fundraiser at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/facilities-for-the-future. Your generous and gratefully received support will go a very long way.

OUR MAN IN WESTMINSTER

As a town and surrounding villages of Sherborne, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Gryphon School this month. This is the school I have great pride in being able to say I attended, and which has educated and enabled talented young people to go on and to excel. Whether that’s in sports, business, technology or elsewhere. A school that enables so many young people to achieve their potential is something we should all be proud of having in our town.

Back in 1990, the local education authority (the then-named Dorset County Council) made the

decision to restructure state education in Sherborne. There were difficult political debates about removing grammar schools from the town – which themselves had achieved a great deal and were much loved, especially by the generations that preceded mine. But the cost of three schools in Sherborne – Digby’s Grammar, Fosters Grammar and St Aldhelm’s Comprehensive – was becoming too much and changes needed to be made. Cllr Pam Seaton, who was in charge of Education at County Hall at the time, approved the decision to merge the three (I was talking to her about this only a year or so ago when I campaigned to replace

Chris Loder MP (Gryphon School 1999), Member of Parliament for West Dorset

the temporary classrooms at The Gryphon School). At the end of 1992, The Gryphon School was formed as an entity over three campuses whilst the building started of the new school

This anniversary of 30 years is an important milestone. I was a student from 1993 to 1999, when I studied for my GCSEs and GNVQ. The education and experience I gained from The Gryphon School were fundamental. I achieved 10 GCSEs at A-C, despite not being particularly gifted academically. Unlike many of my peers, I was not fortunate enough to go to university; at that time, tuition fees

had just been introduced by the Labour government and would continue to increase by the time I was old enough to enrol. Instead, I opted to enter the workplace immediately after completing my education at The Gryphon School, with my first job sweeping platforms and selling train tickets at the railway station before becoming a train guard. Twenty years later, I was elected as the Member of Parliament for West Dorset in 2019.

When I worked for South West Trains, I was able to facilitate the choir coming to Waterloo each year to raise money for the Sherborne Foodbank at Christmas. I’ve also returned to the school to mentor those looking to progress career-wise and have always appreciated the relationship with the school after having left.

The last time I visited The Gryphon School was in December, when the Department for Education confirmed improvements as part of its School

Rebuilding Programme. After months of campaigning in Parliament last year, the school is scheduled to receive a substantial refurbishment, with the ‘temporary’ classrooms set to be replaced in the near future. I for one welcomed this news, as these were classrooms that were meant to be ‘temporary’ when I was educated in them over 25 years ago!

I look back fondly on my time at The Gryphon School, which brought together young people from Sherborne and the surrounding villages. I distinctly recall a culture of acceptance, an environment where we could all learn together, and ultimately keep an eye out for and support those who perhaps weren’t as fortunate. I didn’t always enjoy school though in those days – who did?! But it is a matter of great pride to me when I bump into a former teacher of the school in Cheap Street and we catch up on life and how things have changed.

But I do think that how the school has evolved and improved in more recent times is a great testament to Headteacher, Nicki Edwards. The school is much more openly diverse and embracing of differences and different learning styles. The teaching staff continue to achieve great things and great results for children whatever their background, and the alumni of The Gryphon go on to achieve more and more. Regardless of our politics, the fact that our own Member of Parliament was educated at the Gryphon School, I think, says a lot about the school and its education and is a matter of great pride for me and I hope for all of us.

chrisloder.co.uk

Respecting the past, embracing the future

In the 231 years since we were established, The Abbey Pharmacy has seen many changes in our society. We continue to evolve and are now, more than ever, committed to meeting the changing needs of our customers.

Our vision for the transformation of The Abbey Pharmacy invests not only in the health of our community but also our high street – we need your support in making this a reality.

To find out more about our exciting plans and to register your support, please visit www.theabbeypharmacytransformation.com

UNEARTHED

Gryphon Alumni

Dave Bendell (1998)

Dave was a Staff Photographer at the Western Gazette for 5 years before joining Dorset Police in 2004 as a Force Photographer. His role changed to Digital Video Examiner in 2016 and now works in Regional Video & Audio Forensics.

Favourite subject: English

Favourite memory: There are too many... Being predicted an E grade in A level English, to then go and achieve a grade B. Getting a round of applause in my year assembly after scoring an own goal against Westfield; we won 7-6 thankfully! And Mr Forrester’s leaving assembly. He exited the Quarr Hall at great speed on a motorbike and never returned, leaving some of the staff a little unsure.

Joe Miles (2005)

After leaving the Gryphon Joe went to Southampton to study Computer Systems. He then did a PGCE at Exeter University in ICT and e-learning and got a job at The Gryphon! Joe had always wanted to be a teacher but never thought that he would end up back at his former secondary school. It was a little strange at first, but he soon settled back into life at The Gryphon, only this time doing the teaching! Joe is proud to have been a student at The Gryphon and feels very lucky to be teaching at the school.

Favourite subject: ICT (we didn’t have Computer Science in 2005!).

Favourite memory: I have great memories of the end-of-term pantomimes which saw many teachers make a fool of themselves and always included a live set from the staff band. Hits included Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody and a great rendition of Nellie the Elephant!

Dr Jessica Scott (2009)

After Sixth Form, Jessica studied Dentistry at The University of Bristol. She has since worked as a dentist in NHS, private and mixed practices, and as a junior doctor in the maxillofacial surgery department in a hospital. She has also volunteered abroad with dental charities. She currently works at Wessex House Dental Practice in Sherborne, where she is also an educational supervisor for foundation dentists during their first year in practice.

Favourite subject: Probably biology… or chemistry… or maths!

Favourite memory: Participating in the music concerts and music tours as part of the choir and big bandMiss Davies and Mr Mizen were the ultimate music department duo!

Jacob Brazier (2018)

After leaving The Gryphon, Jacob went on to study Philosophy with English at Bath Spa University for three years before quickly securing a Production Assistant job on The Marvels. Following that, Jacob has moved across a few productions including Ted Lasso and Loki and is currently working on a project that must remain secret! Jacob’s dream is to write screenplays and hopes to have many more great experiences along the way.

Favourite subject: Philosophy and Ethics at A level and English.

Favourite memory: I will have to go for my experience on Ten Tors. It was something quite different, required physical and mental strength, was enormous fun and consequently led to my DofE journey.

George Botley (2012)

Since leaving The Gryphon, George initially studied for an IT degree at UWE Bristol and worked in the IT industry for a short while. He then changed paths and trained towards his childhood dream of being an airline pilot. Fast forward to the present day and George now works for EasyJet, taking passengers all over Europe and North Africa!

Favourite memory: My favourite memory of The Gryphon is the trip to China during Sixth Form. I also enjoyed the drama productions, such as Oliver, and the staff pantomimes were fun to watch every year. >

Grace Ryall (2017)

Grace graduated with a first-class integrated master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of York in 2021. During her time there she spent a summer working as a horseback instructor at an overnight camp in Pennsylvania, which was handsdown the most fun she’s ever had. Seeking to move a bit closer to home, Grace began her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Bristol as part of the South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership straight after graduating. It is incredibly challenging but the occasional successful experiment makes it all worth it!

Favourite subject: Biology

Favourite memory: The time I used to spend in the library. I really enjoyed being able to dive into lots of different stories somewhere peaceful and quiet during my lunchtimes. I must have gone through hundreds of books over the years! It was nice to be able to chat with the librarians about all things book-related too.

Kitt Thomas Peter (2010)

After leaving Sixth Form, Kitt completed a degree in Sport Science at Marjon University in Plymouth before returning to The Gryphon and working for a year as a teaching assistant. He then spent some time in Toronto, Canada before coming home and joining the Royal Air Force as an Officer in 2016.

Favourite subject: PE, Sport Studies.

Favourite memory: Beating Sherborne School by 50 points during our Daily Mail Cup run in Year 10. As a year group, we never lost to them at rugby!

Alice and Louise Conway (2010)

Sisters Alice and Louise started Dorset Delights, their event catering business only a month after finishing at The Gryphon. They employ 3 full-time staff and a team of up to 20 throughout the busy summer months. They purchased and moved into a purpose-built catering kitchen in 2018 and business has gone from strength to strength.

Favourite subject: Alice – Business Studies. Louise – Catering, I’ve always loved being hands-on with food

Favourite memory: Alice – The fantastic teachers who always gave me opportunities. Louise – The catering team of staff who supported me every step of the way. I am still in contact with one of the teachers

Chloe Northover (2022)

Since leaving The Gryphon, Chloe has worked in two different Golf Pro shops. Initially at Salisbury Golf Centre, where her golf coach is based, then at her home club Yeovil, where she has been a member since 2015. Chloe now works at the club and will be starting her PGA university degree through the University of Birmingham later this year. She will then turn pro and hopes to make a name for herself. Meanwhile, Chloe continues to play competitions such as the England Ladies Championship and England Under 18 Stroke Play Championship. She has also competed locally in Dorset Ladies County Week and Junior Girls Inter Counties, where she was Deputy Captain for Dorset.

Favourite subject: Naturally, my favourite subject was sport

Favourite memory: I have many amazing memories – receiving the bursary to go towards my golf, playing for the rounders, netball and hockey teams, receiving a Sixth Form scholarship, receiving a sports award over 3 consecutive years and being in the rounders team that fought successfully for the title 3 years in a row.

Children’s Book Review

Sian Greenwood & Callum Harwood, Year 12, Gryphon School

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh (Bloomsbury Young Adult, 2022) £8.99 (paperback)

Sherborne Times reader offer price of £6.99 from Winstone’s Books

War is an event experienced all over the world, yet written about by so few. Katouh’s As Long as The Lemon Tree Grows uses meaningful and conscientious depictions of the terrifying reality of war, by contrasting it with hope. One can only hope to achieve the extensive plot work employed in this novel, which explains to readers, young and old, how it feels to be a victim of war, and how it can make you suffer. The protagonist, Salama, encounters circumstances of which one can only imagine from the comfort of their homes and exemplifies the true nature of conflict. Her strength and heartbreak combined make her the perfect heroine, capable of revolution and escape, and embodies the fight of refugees everywhere.

In Katouh’s presentation of love in war, readers can understand and appreciate that there is indeed hope and light at the end of the tunnel. People will always be capable of loving and that is a fact not always explored in modern literature – for that I applaud Katouh and the journey she takes readers on throughout the novel, which follows Salama and her found family attempting to escape the atrocities of civil war in their country, in their home, in Syria. This novel’s hauntingly accurate descriptions of the effects of war are profound and compelling and serve as a reminder to readers that war is often inevitable but through strength and guidance new generations can persist and evolve, leaving this harrowing conflict behind them.

URGENT REQUEST

Donations of food items have been falling for some time. This is understandable given the cost-of-living pressures everybody is under but we are now struggling to cope with the surge in demand and require more items than ever.

If you’re in a position to help, PLEASE consider adding any of the following items to your trolley when shopping:

• Soup • Baked Beans • Pasta Sauces • Tinned Tomatoes

• Tinned Vegetables • Instant Mash • Rice Pudding

• Tinned Fruit • Porridge • Sweet Biscuits

• Savoury Biscuits • Boil-in-the-bag Rice

Donation points can be found near the check-outs at

Thank you.

www.sherbornefoodbank.org

07854 163869 | help@sherbornefoodbank.org

JOURNEY STICKS

Andy

As we progress through the dappled woodland shade, a blue train of overalls curving round hart’s-tongue ferns, past spirals of unfurling bracken, over fallen logs and under dangling catkins, each Forest School learner carries their carefully chosen journey stick. Using grass stalks or twine, they attach a selection of meaningful items which they encounter as we traverse the landscape. A soft downy feather caught on a bramble, chestnut brown leaves gifted by autumn, sweet-scented primroses plucked from the grassy verge, the coil of a snail shell and the smoothest of pebbles. As the children gather their items, they consider what each means to them and what it says about them. Quietly contemplative, with the buzzard calling its young overhead and the gentle shimmer of leaves in the trees as their acoustic backdrop, they compare their treasures as we weave our way through the forest.

In ancient cultures, the journey stick is a tool used to tell stories, track travels and remember important events. By creating a journey stick, we make a visual map of our travels. By talking about it, a verbal story is made. But journey sticks are not only a way to document and remember a journey; they carry spiritual significance in many cultures. In Native American culture, the journey stick links the carrier to the earth and the spiritual realm. For children, as well as these physical and spiritual aspects, journey sticks can encourage personal growth and reflection.

Arriving at our destination, having glimpsed a passing deer, negotiated the badger set and clambered over thick trunks toppled by winter’s mighty gale, we settle down to relax on the

Treavett, Teacher and Level 3 Qualified Forest School Leader, Sherborne Prep School

soft bed of leaves under the great beech tree. Using their stick, each child in turn describes their journey, physical or metaphorical, in time or in space. One traveller focuses on her movement across the forest; the difficult patch of brambles, the spot where her friend tumbled into an abyss of soft ferns and the patch of ochre clay left by a burrowing mole. Another talks of significant steps along the path of life; his first memory of the silky sand between his toes on the beach, the gentle touch of his departed grandmother’s hand and the friendships he forged on his first day at school.

As the children share their stories, they ask questions, giving thought to how each other feels and what triggers their emotions. This exchange promotes empathy and understanding and develops communication skills and their understanding of the world and place within it. This can, in turn, enable pupils to develop many other skills: self-awareness, conversation, creativity, respect and an understanding of other people’s ideas and cultures.

As Forest School Leader for Years 3, 4 and 5 at Sherborne Prep School, my role is to facilitate a myriad of adventurous, creative and enjoyable experiences in 22 acres of ancient woodland. But a leader is also a learner. I too join in creating a journey stick and you’ve read my story. Life is a journey, not a destination. We can all benefit from taking time to pause, reflect and share our experiences along the way.

sherborneprep.org

Image: Katharine Davies

Image: Josie Sturgess–Mills

AI IN EDUCATION

Mike Lehnert, Teacher of Music Technology, Sherborne School

The challenge of writing about Artificial Intelligence (AI) is that by the time this article is published, the technology will have already advanced, and the innovative work we’re undertaking today in the classroom will be yesterday’s news. Working with AI feels like Gromit furiously laying down tracks before a speeding train, with no clear direction and the constant threat of a train wreck. Everything is up for grabs, and there is potential to revolutionise the way we teach and learn. Yet like most technology, it moves faster than individuals and society can adapt, before we can even fully conceptualise the implications. While developments in technology can be exciting, we must consider how AI will affect jobs, privacy, and the laws around General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Most importantly for educators, we need to ensure that the quality of student education remains at the centre of advancements in teaching. The issue is that technology changes and develops at such a rapid pace, being assimilated by young learners more quickly than educators can keep up. I’ve been amazed at how quickly students have adopted this new technology into their vocabulary and adapted their approach to AI to suit their learning style.

AI is already capable of producing materials for students and personalising the learning to fit their needs in various subjects at different levels. It can differentiate the material according to an individual learner’s level of ability and learning style. Lessons can be adapted for learners with Special Educational Needs and it can generate resources and exam-style questions tailored to the student’s individual needs. AI can draw various diagrams, create specific video resources on any topic, translate into many languages and source relevant and up-to-date research papers for high-functioning learners. AI can create resources on these papers and provide countless examples and analogies. Many tasks a competent human teacher can perform, AI can also do, and it does them far quicker.

We have initiated a variety of teaching groups, along with staff training, to explore different ways AI can benefit students. We’re developing diverse uses for AI in the classroom. Teachers are experimenting with AI for marking, providing feedback, creating personalised

resources, data analysis and supporting SEN and EAL students. Examples of using AI in classes are abundant but to highlight a few:

• Collaborating with students through shared chats to monitor and encourage critical thinking

• Flipping the role of student and teacher to reinforce understanding (Feynman Technique)

• Interactive lessons where the AI engages with the student’s strengths and weaknesses

• Supporting dyslexic students through AI-generated audio resources instead of written ones

• Visual diagrams to assist in explaining difficult topics Self-correcting assessments which provide students with immediate feedback on areas for improvement

What has been interesting, and scary, is where the teacher’s role comes into this new model of educating students. Consider my subject, Music Technology, where students are asked to record, compose and produce contemporary music. An AI can now listen to and analyse a song, giving students a breakdown of the sonic qualities and suggesting improvements. Unsure how to proceed? The AI will guide you step by step, answer questions, test you on content, or, as with Google’s MusicLM, compose a piece of music based on text input.

While the potential of this new technology can be exciting, educators must collaborate across sectors, exam boards, independent and state schools, and online and face-to-face lessons. We need to start a conversation about using AI in the classroom, share our experiences, discern which methods work best and discard those that don’t support learning. Collaboration with schools to discuss ideas and implications is vital because currently, there is no blueprint — it’s all up for grabs and we’re creating it as we go along.

Above all else, we need to find a way forward with using AI in the classroom to prepare students for their future, to be able to give them the tools to think critically and differentiate between facts from fabrication. We must cultivate an environment of critical thinkers who are not over-reliant on the AI’s ability to do the work for them.

sherborne.org

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Wellbeing has become a buzzword in our lives, and rightly so. For us, as part of Sherborne Girls’ first Wellbeing Ambassadors programme, we have learned that it’s all about community.

The role which older students play in supporting younger girls within our mixed-age boarding houses is key to creating a supportive and positive environment where girls are known, cared for and feel a sense of belonging. Here two of our Wellbeing Ambassadors share some of their reflections on wellbeing at Sherborne Girls and what they have learnt.

‘Whether it is on a small scale through meaningful relationships with friends, or giving back to the wider community, a sense of value and satisfaction can be found through kindness to others, and this is the legacy that we wish to leave as Wellbeing Ambassadors.

As we headed into this busy exam term, with the memory of our own GCSEs still fresh in our minds, we wanted to take the opportunity to pass down some of the experience and wisdom we had gained. We arranged a time to come together with the U5 (Year 11) girls to give advice on revision, stress coping mechanisms, time management and personal wellbeing. It was so nice to be able to help them as they enter a stressful couple of months. They all said that they felt much more prepared after talking to us. We also gained real personal satisfaction from being able to help others succeed.

We discovered that the wisdom gained from shared experiences such as this can alter perspectives positively and create a sense of safety and mutual respect.

Being in a boarding environment, one of the most crucial aspects of school life is the relationship with those around you. Being with such supportive, fun

Isobel Blair & Ella Hague, Wellbeing Ambassadors, Sherborne Girls

Sherborne Girls Wellbeing Ambassadors, Isobel Blair (L) and Ella Hague (R)

and kind friends has shaped our time at school in an incredibly positive way. The ability to balance our busy school lives with social interactions, whether at group socials or merely chatting with friends, reduces stress and generally provides a sense of self-worth. We have come to recognise wellbeing as not only how we are doing as individuals but as a cohesive community.

At Sherborne Girls, we are offered a plethora of opportunities to do our part for the community at a local, national and global level. That could be volunteering with the youth club in Sherborne or spending time with the residents of Trinity Manor Care Home, helping at Brownies or mentoring children via Skype in a slum village in Kenya through the EdClub Movement. The girls really value these opportunities, which benefit all parties involved. We have also both taken part in volunteering

in the Sherborne community this year. I worked at Sherborne Food Bank during the Easter break and Ella has helped the pupils in the Pre-Prep at Sherborne Prep learn to read on a weekly basis. Working at Sherborne Food Bank, I gained a much better sense of perspective on my life. I have donated to the Food Bank previously but it is not until you are faced with making sure all the people on the other side of these donations receive the provisions they need that you really understand why this work is so necessary.

Having the opportunity to volunteer with the Food Bank alongside such lovely people was such a great experience and one that I feel is truly valuable, both for me personally and the community. Helping in Sherborne Pre-Prep also made Ella feel proud to be able to give some of her time back. Wellbeing can often be seen as something that is personal to oneself, and as such, the benefit of helping others to help yourself is often overlooked.

As Wellbeing Ambassadors, we have been able to try and improve the wellbeing of others around us. A key highlight was Press Pause Day, when the whole school came off timetable for the day to stop, relax, unwind, laugh and reflect together, in the middle of a busy term. Pupils and staff were given the opportunity to design their own perfect day, choosing from a range of activities, including creative workshops, inspiring talks, singing, cookery, quiet reading, mindful colouring, yoga, mindfulness, dance and fitness classes, 5- and 10-kilometre runs, golf, or whole-day walks for those who love exercise and the outdoors.

It can be a challenge to find the right balance in our busy lives and this is something we will continue to strive for. In amongst a vastly busy day, we often forget that we need to make time for ourselves and others. The value of watching TV, listening to music or going on a walk shouldn’t be underestimated. As Wellbeing Ambassadors, we have taken the initiative to ensure that each boarding house has a quiet space for people to unwind – an especially important space during exam season – and that we encourage our peers to remember to ‘press pause’.

It has been a privilege to be an Ambassador this year and to be able to support our peers and the younger girls. We have learnt that we are better together as a community and that the greatest sense of fulfilment comes from helping others.

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DRAWN TO THE LIGHT

Lappet Moth Gastropacha quercifolia

Gillian Nash

Throughout the world nature has devised many cryptic designs and forms to assist in the avoidance of predation – not least the Lappet moth. Although its Latin name suggests a snail-like creature with a connection to oak, the adult moth’s most obvious feature lies in its resemblance to dried leaves, both in colour and form. A large moth with a wingspan of up to 90mm and in its resting pose, hindwings extend below the forewings giving the impression of flanges. Decorative fabric ‘lappets’ were a popular feature of 18th-century headdresses so it seems likely this may be where the common name originated.

Broad wings and exaggerated sensory palps protruding from its head create the outline of a shrew. Altogether an undeniably extraordinary moth with a primeval presence.

Resident and nocturnal, Lappet moths are on the

wing from June to August as they seek larval foodplants such as hawthorn, blackthorn and various other hedgerow species on which to lay eggs. The resulting night-feeding young overwinter whilst small to resume feeding in spring, eventually attaining a length of up to 90mm. At this stage the impressive dark-coloured larva is now ready to pupate in a tough spun cocoon tightly secured to a twig low on a food-plant until the emergence of the adult moth the following summer.

Habitat includes woodland, hedgerows, undisturbed wild areas and occasionally rural gardens with a range that is now confined to southern counties. Local sightings date back to the late 1800s and never a common moth, it is now included in the UK endangered list. Sadly, yet another declining species as changes in hedgerow and land management affect its opportunity to complete life cycles.

David Havel/Shutterstock

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THE LITTLE THINGS

Simon Ford, Land and Nature Adviser

Insects do not always have a good reputation. Humans have a ‘love/hate’ relationship with insects or invertebrates and in reality, probably more of the latter.

If I am being honest, there are quite a few insects that I am not so keen on. Number one for me are horse flies, which sneak up quietly on you on a warm humid day – often in marshy or wet areas while I am doing some surveying. The first time you realise that they are around, is when you have a nasty bite and a reddish raised lump, as you have involuntarily done a bit of blood donation!

Number two for me are mosquitoes and midges. Lying in bed in the dark, perhaps on a foreign holiday or camping when you hear the high-pitched buzz overhead and when it goes quiet, you know they are feasting on you! I particularly remember a trip to Scotland in June and the Florida Everglades where hundreds and thousands descended, despite all of the most potent repellents, leaving us with itchy spots.

House flies are annoying and not something you want landing on your food, as you don’t know where they have been. I have no problem with the insect which most people probably have as their number 1 baddie - the wasp. Ok, they will sting if you antagonise them, but if you ignore them and don’t go flapping around, they will do an important job of controlling lots of pests, just like ladybirds and greenfly.

Conversely, most of us rather like some groups of insects, usually because they look pretty or produce something useful. Almost everyone likes butterflies, (although gardeners may not be so keen on small and large whites, which lay eggs of brassicas). We are lucky in Dorset to have one of the richest butterfly habitats in Britain.

The other insect which most people are keen on is honey bees, probably because they produce honey, but also because they are important pollinators. However, we forget that there are over 250 other species of bees, from bumblebees to mason, potter, mining and solitary bees that also do an incredibly important job of pollination.

Older readers will no doubt remember going on a drive and having to regularly stop to clear hundreds of insects that had been splattered on their windscreen. If you go out today, you will only see an occasional insect casualty. In fact, entomologists have devised a simple citizen science method to monitor insect biomass (or numbers), by asking people to first clean their number plate and then drive a set distance and then count the number of splats. Buglife, the insect charity has found that there has been an alarming 64% decline in insects in the UK since 2004.

Whatever we might think of insects, they are fundamental to life. They are the first link in the food chain, as we will remember from the nursery rhyme, ‘There was an old woman that swallowed a fly’. We hear every day of losses of many birds and mammals, but is it any wonder, when we have destroyed the very building blocks of life. Some people may have read Rachel Carson’s, chilling Silent Spring, which highlighted what was happening with the use of predominantly agricultural pesticides in the early 1960s. In the intervening 60 years, scientists working for multi-national agri-chemical companies have developed even more potent insecticides, while their colleagues have done an equally effective job of creating herbicides to kill plants, many of which are vital food and nectar for insects.

Our biodiversity or wildlife crisis is as critical as our climate crisis. So, however annoying some insects might be, we must learn to love them and create places that will allow them to thrive. Ditch those dreadful insecticides and sprays and plant flowers that will attract insects and then we will see not only bees and butterflies, but swifts and insectivorous birds, hedgehogs and so much more returning.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE BEES GONE?

We appear to be living in a dual reality currently when it comes to bees. I am observing more and more species of bees in our garden, as well as in some of my clients’ gardens and woodlands. However, my recent stay in London for the Chelsea Flower Show as well as hearing from people as far afield as Norfolk and Sidmouth, are asking me ‘where are all the bees?’

This year has also been the busiest swarming year in my experience since 2018. After a long cold spring, which prevented any early hive checks, suddenly the temperatures soared, the rain stopped, and the colonies had been able to quietly build up ready to make the most of the conditions for procreation.

There is much panic from the general population when seeing a swarm of bees. Memories of all those ‘killer bee’ films of the 1970s certainly didn’t do anything to warm people to the wonder and sheer beauty of a colony of honey bees swarming.

After the shortest day on 21st December, the honey

bee colony begins preparing for spring. The numbers inside the hive need to expand from their reduced cluster of around 10,000, to a full summer size of 5070,000 bees. Consisting of a single queen and the rest female worker bees, it’s only as the weather warms up that the colony starts rearing male bees – the drones.

As a beekeeper, when you start seeing drones, you know that now is the time to check the colony, inside if at all possible to see if they have enough room. If the colony run out of space or feel healthy enough to expand, or if they are sick in some way and need a fresh start, they will swarm. The earlier in the season they split and swarm, the better their chances of survival, both the swarm and the bees left behind in the original hive to create their new queen.

To increase their chance of survival, the swarming bees fill up their stomachs with honey to enable them to start building wax comb as soon as they have swarmed into a new location. They require 8kg of honey to make 1kg wax comb. An average hive will contain

Paula Carnell, Beekeeping Consultant, Writer and Speaker

around 2kg of wax. This is why many conventional beekeepers don’t like their bees to swarm – because they leave the beekeeper with no honey! There are various methods beekeepers can employ to prevent the swarming, adding more space (more super boxes), clipping the queen’s wings so she is unable to fly (I have found that a determined swarm will carry a clipped queen and tend to settle in the ground rather than hanging from a branch.), crushing queen cells created inside the hive to rear the next queen (as if we know better than the bees) or splitting the colony before they get a chance to swarm. The last method is my preferred one if I have colonies in an area where swarming could be upsetting for neighbours, or the public, when The Newt is concerned.

Swarming is a wonderful way for the bees to expand naturally. By positioning bait hives in strategic places, I can entice swarms straight into them, not losing the swarm. Something I am noticing is that due to many middle-aged trees being felled, the cavities you would normally find in those trees are no longer around. This does cause a problem as colonies increase. Perhaps that is why I have had more than the usual calls from people with bees moving into roof spaces, chimneys and even door frames.

When on the one hand there seems to be an abundance of bees, these are the honey bees – the ones we manage and can increase by breeding more. The bees we are losing rapidly are solitary and bumble bees. Whilst in London, I walked, on World Bee Day, from the City through to Charing Cross. Some areas have now been pedestrianised and planted with ‘wild’ flowers as well as other bee-friendly plants. Stopping a while specifically to spot some bees, I was horrified to find that I didn’t see a single bumble or solitary bee on beautiful blooming alliums that literally should have

been covered. The following day I sat in Battersea Park for an hour and a half, under a holly tree in full bloom next to a flowering, and beautifully scented, mock orange. In that time I saw two honey bees and two buff-tailed bumble bees. In our garden, our holly tree when in bloom is covered in bees and we can hear it buzzing from across the garden.

I heard of people in Norfolk with quiet gardens and a couple in Sidmouth that really shocked me as they shared that their cotoneaster-covered fence was silent this spring. I wasn’t surprised by the city being devoid of bees, or even Norfolk with its large chemically treated farmland. I was very surprised by Sidmouth though. ‘What’s changed in your area since last year?’ I asked. They live on a fairly new housing estate and lived there around 5 years. ‘Nothing’, they replied, ‘other than all our roads being dug up as they put in super fast broadband… surely that wouldn’t have anything to do with it?’

We know that bees communicate with each other and plants through electromagnetic frequencies (EMF). We also know that manmade electromagnetic ‘smog’ pulses, causing disruption on the natural world wide web of communication systems. Combine this EMF ‘noise’ with chemical agriculture, lack of habitat and forage, is it any wonder the bees have left? Where have they gone, other than taking refuge in the overgrown, under-tech gardens of people like me? Whatever is going on, it has become very serious, and we all really have to take note. Let’s take more seriously the invisible damage that we are creating – after all, it can’t be affecting bees and not ourselves…

paulacarnell.com

Paula’s weekly podcast, Creating a Buzz about Health, is available on all popular listening platforms.

On Foot THE HOLLOW AMID THE FERNS

Emma Tabor & Paul Newman

Distance: 3 miles

Time: Approx. 2 hours

Park: Car park in Mapperton, donation box Walk Features: This is a shortened version of a previous and favourite walk around the Mapperton Estate, giving you the opportunity to experience the particularly secluded valleys in this area of West Dorset with a series of gullies and hillocks which host a diverse mix of woodland and coppices, and an enigmatic-looking fern-clad enclosure at its centre. There are some fine views near the start of the walk across Hooke Park and a patchwork of fields towards the sea before delving into one of the valleys on the estate.The walk has a couple of short, steep sections up then down at the start, with a longer, gentler climb back towards the end. There is also a fine view of Mapperton House towards the very end.

Refreshments: Coach House Café, Mapperton House >

Each month we devise a walk for you to try with your family and friends (including four-legged members) pointing out a few interesting things along the way, be it flora, fauna, architecture, history, the unusual and sometimes the unfamiliar.

For July, we walk an easy route around the Mapperton Estate which also allows you time to enjoy a visit to Mapperton House and Gardens. It's an ideal summer walk; an easy route where foxgloves, hawthorn blossom, beech and oak line the way and if you are lucky, you may see a peregrine falcon or red kite, as well as other raptors.

The Estate is responding to the biodiversity crisis by rewilding hundreds of acres of unproductive farmland and opening up the countryside to visitors for the first time. The existing sense of ‘wildness’ in this corner of Dorset makes it the perfect place for such a project.

Mapperton House doubled as Bathsheba

Everdene’s Farm in the 2015 film adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd and the final scene was shot on nearby Mythe Hill.

Directions

Start: SY 503 998 Look for the car park signed in Mapperton by the village hall.

1 Turn left out of the car park onto the road and walk up past houses, then in 250 yards bear off to the right up a road signed as a dead end. Keep going uphill, first right then left, past a fine row of beech trees, and soon there are good views opening out to your right across a patchwork of fields towards Hooke Park and the sea. This is a good place to see passing raptors including buzzard, peregrine falcon and kestrel. At the top, bear right and follow the

track in front of a house, Coltleigh Hill. Walk for another 300 yards along this track until you reach a bridleway sign to turn right, through trees, and just before reaching another house.

2 The track heads downhill, towards woods. Ahead are fine views including a good view over a hilltop enclosure which sits on a spur above neighbouring valleys and there are some lovely solitary oaks spread across nearby the fields. After 1/3 mile and as the track reaches the bottom, turn right through a large metal gate and onto a path.

3 The path now follows a lovely wooded valley floor, along a secluded section of the Jubilee Trail, lined with a magnificent dense mixed woodland, a remote and peaceful spot. Follow the path for 2/3 mile, the river just below, and pass Hold Acre Coppice, to soon meet the path coming from Burcombe Wood. Where a joining path crosses the stream over wooden boards, keep right and start walking uphill, with Bentover Coppice and the stream on your left and open fields on your right. Passing through a metal gate, stay on this path as it winds up out of the valley, and into a field between woods.

4 Eventually, as you near the top of the valley, the path reaches a metal gate with a cottage on your left- keep straight ahead on the path and where this meets the drive coming from Mapperton House, cross the drive and go through a gate into a field. Go straight across this field, heading to the left of buildings and looking for a gate and bridleway sign in the far hedge. There is a lovely prospect of the front of Mapperton House and surrounding buildings from here. At the gate, turn right onto the road and back to the car park.

Welcome

Upcoming Events & Workshops

Willow Sheep Workshop with Jo Sadler – Thursday 20th July Summer Fête – Wednesday 26th July

+44 (0)1308 424116 symondsburyestate.co.uk Symondsbury Estate, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6HG

LOST DORSET NO. 36 MARNHULL

David Burnett, The Dovecote Press

Watching the renaissance of our nearest pub, the thatched Bottle Inn at Marshwood, which until four months ago was derelict and seemingly doomed, reminded me of Dorset’s rich history of brewing. This is Marnhull Brewery in 1885, when it was known as Jennings, Styring & Co. The lovely bow windows in the pair of 17th-century cottages were put in by the brewer Thomas Burt in about 1799. The Brewery was bought by Eldridge Pope shortly before the First World War, who in turn sold it to Hall & Woodhouse in 1935. By the 1970s the brewery buildings had been sold and converted into houses and flats, the now gabled main building remaining a local landmark. Only Hall & Woodhouse and Palmers remain of Dorset’s four principal breweries, though happily small micro-breweries flourish throughout the county.

dovecotepress.com

The Dovecote Press has been publishing books about Dorset since 1974, many of which are available locally from Winstone’s Books or directly from the publishers. This photograph is taken from Lost Dorset: The Villages and Countryside

THREE HUNDRED BOMBS IN THREE MINUTES

Cindy Chant & John Drabik

England was at war with Germany and this was a dangerous time. It was 30th September 1940, a warm afternoon and in the skies above Yeovil several barrage balloons were gently swaying in the breeze. Eddie, and his wife Vera, had driven to the cinema to celebrate Eddie’s birthday. The film was suddenly stopped and a message came on the screen, for Mr Freeman to immediately return to Sherborne. They could hear the distant sound of explosions and wasting no time they rushed back and headed towards the flickering skyline, blazing fires, and black plumes of smoke – Sherborne was under attack.

Eddie Freeman, a respected and well-known Sherbornian, had never missed a day’s work as Clerk to Sherborne District Council and was awarded an MBE for these services. He was also the ARP Controller and immediately jumped into action at the site of the destruction which greeted him. There was total chaos and confusion as electricity and water supplies were damaged, as well as the sewers and the telephone system.

Vera was particularly distraught, as her 2-monthold son John, had been left in the caring hands of his grandmother at their home on the Bristol Road. This

is where our story begins, the story of this very young infant who was destined to live against all odds. This baby is now an elderly man, very much alive and well, and would like his story told.

That afternoon John’s grandmother had decided to take him for a walk in his new pram. She carefully placed his soft toy lion, ‘Lizzie’, next to him, whispering that they were going to go on a lovely walk down Cheap Street. Poor Mrs Freeman, she had just reached the Conduit when it all happened. Air-raid sirens wailed loudly as 37 Henkel bombers accompanied by fighter aircraft, failing to find the Westlands factory

in Yeovil, bombed blindly across the ancient town of Sherborne. 300 bombs rained down from Lenthay to Coldharbour in 3 minutes. Taken by surprise by the deafening noise of the explosions, she hurriedly sought shelter and pushed the pram into the doorway of the nearest building, which happened to be Phillips Department Store, nowadays known as Melbury Gallery and The Pear Tree Deli & Cafe.

One by one the bombs left the bellies of the aircraft and fell through the clouds towards their unintended targets. Phillips took a direct hit. There was a loud explosion and masses of debris mixed with dust >

Half Moon Street, Sherborne, September 1940. Image courtesy of Sherborne Museum

John Freeman and 'Lizzie'

and much masonry fell heavily all around. This was followed by the eerie silence which inevitably follows a huge explosion. Fearing the very worst, Mrs Freeman had fainted by the time the ARP men had rescued them both. When hearing the news, Vera became hysterical. The pram was full of debris and shrapnel, but luckily, little baby John was found alive, lying on his right side clutching Lizzie, his fluffy lion. The force of the explosion was later found to have made him permanently deaf in his left ear.

Eddie Freeman continued his duties dealing with the appalling aftermath, and the many needs of the Sherborne townsfolk, including a distraught farmer who had an unexploded bomb blocking the entrance to his house.

John remembers the war years, and his mother teaching him how to use a gas mask and to always be careful. She, and many others at this time, lived in fear of the Germans coming up the garden path and entering the house. He remembers being woken in the night by the sirens and being taken to the Anderson Shelter in the garden. He also remembers taking great delight in peeling off the protective bomb blast tape from the windows.

John was 5 years old when the war ended and already had learnt good work ethics, good manners and punctuality from his conscientious father. He went to Newell House and Sherborne Prep followed by Tockington Manor and eventually Clifton Boarding School. On leaving school he wrote short stories for various magazines and eventually joined the family business, Freemans Sports Outfitters in Cheap Street. This had been created in 1953 by his grandfather, who had played professional cricket for Essex, before becoming a coach for Sherborne School. The Freemans were a cricketing family and his great uncle was ‘Tich’ Freeman who had played for Kent and England. Leaving the business, John had a varied career. Firstly as assistant sales manager for George Wimpey Construction, later owning a burglar alarm business, and then a restaurant in Wimbledon, before retiring to Bourton, Gillingham, where he built a golf course and took over Bourton Mill.

Eighteen people were killed during the bombings and they are commemorated with a brass plaque in front of the Abbey. 766 properties were damaged, some were totally destroyed. John, to this day, gets a strange feeling in the lower part of town. And as for Lizzie… she is still in John’s possession and still very much loved.

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

SUMMERTIME

Traditionally, the summer is one of the less busy times of the year for auctioneers. Although we very much see ourselves as a traditional firm of auctioneers, I do not think we have ever been as busy as we are now, which is great. Thankfully, we have the benefit of having a couple of university students on hand, mostly family of staff, who can help with the extra volume of work.

So, ‘what is in the pipeline?’ I hear you ask. Well, today (or a couple of weeks ago by the time you read this) we received instructions to auction the amazing studio archive of drawings from the late Graham Oakley. Many will have grown up reading his charming series of children’s books The Church Mice and we will be selling by auction some 800-900 or so original drawings from his books and other subjects. As this news is so

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

hot-off-the-press we have yet to work out when but do keep an eye out for them.

Another instruction we received was to clear a property in Sherborne. Not unusual for us, we clear properties throughout the West Country, London and beyond, but what is fascinating about this house is that having had four generations living in it, not much has changed since about 1900.

It is also a property anyone who has visited our wonderful town will have walked past. I cannot work out how many times I have been past the property, on foot, bicycle or in a car, since we moved to the town in 1970, but it will be a big number.

The property itself, a shop front with living accommodation behind, is an Aladdin’s cave of antiques. The family have not added or taken much away from the property for the past 120 years, apart from a new kitchen and bathroom many years ago. Bizarrely, there are still the original gas lamp fittings mounted on the walls. These became redundant when electricity was installed, probably in the 1930s. I do apologise if our vans blocked the road when we cleared the property!

Whilst we will be selling the contents over several specialist auctions, the majority will be offered in our July three-day auction on the 5th, 6th and 7th. This auction comprises decorative arts & mid-century modern on 5th, pictures, books & maps on 6th and then antiques & interiors on 7th.

As usual for me, there are a couple of stand-out lots in this auction, but there is one which is on the top of my wish list – a pair of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson oak bookends, in 5th July decorative arts sale.

The bookends are carved with his workshop signature mouse and are also carved with the original owner’s initials, but far more importantly they are dated 1940.

This date is significant as rarely do we see dated pieces. In addition, the company was still quite young in 1940 making these early pieces.

Despite not being in the best of condition, the bookends really need a good clean and polish, they are estimated at £400-600 and suspect they will easily double this. Personally, I would love to own them. However, I already have a modern pair, which I famously bought at a Charterhouse auction for more than you can buy them for new, and am not sure Mrs B will sanction yet another auction purchase at this level as she would rather book a holiday!

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THE GRYPHON AT 30

Words Olivia Bowditch, Siân Greenwood, Callum Harwood (Year 12), Bonnie Cooke, Ella Morgan (Year 8), Olivia Mason (Year 7), The Gryphon School

With thanks to

Joe Miles, Head of Year 8 and Teacher of Computing

Nigel White, Head of Photography

Prue Bendell, Associate Assistant Head and Head of English

Mike Fenton-Wilkinson, Head of Art & Design

Holly George, Head of Marketing & Communications

Thirty years ago, The Gryphon School was born.

‘Born?’ you ask. Yes, born. For some, a school is little more than a building – just four walls, a few windows, and a door. For Gryphon School students, both past and present, its teachers and the wider community, The Gryphon School is alive, breathing, constantly moving as one towards a collective goal – its 10:10 mission: ‘To live life in all its fullness’, or in other words, ‘the world is your oyster.’

A 30th birthday is a milestone. It is a time to celebrate, a time to reflect on what was and to look forward to what will be. To commemorate The Gryphon School’s 30th birthday, a group of students wanted to do just this; to celebrate with you, Sherborne Times readers, and share The Gryphon’s story... to date! >

Archive photography courtesy of Sherborne Museum

St. Aldhelm's School Foster's

We will reveal what we discovered about The Gryphon’s origins; the educational institutions on which its own foundations were laid upon. Some of our younger students will tell you about what a gift The Gryphon is in the present day and how the 10:10 mission shapes their lives. As a final flourish, we, the youth – active stakeholders, voters of tomorrow and potential future teachers at The Gryphon, will outline our vision for The Gryphon School in the years to come.

So, on its Pearl Anniversary, please indulge us as we proudly display our treasure, our pearl –The Gryphon School.

Three schools, alike in dignity, in fair Sherborne, where we lay our scene…

In 1992, in accordance with the 1988 Education Reform Act, three schools: Lord Digby’s Girls, Foster’s Grammar School for Boys and St Aldhelm’s Secondary Modern, were closed and combined to create The (glorious) Gryphon School that we are toasting today. Though these schools no longer exist, their individual histories and cultures remain woven into the fabric of The Gryphon.

Lord Digby’s Girls School opened in 1743, moved to Sherborne House in 1931 and was a grammar school for girls by 1944. Foster’s School for Boys, opened in 1640, and like Lord Digby’s, became a grammar school in 1944. St Aldhelm’s Secondary Modern School was a comprehensive and it opened its doors in 1959. Yes, though The Gryphon only has thirty candles on its cake, in one form or another, The Gryphon School has been educating the children of Sherborne for over three hundred and fifty years.

In what way does the essence of those former schools still remain at The Gryphon School? Many of you will already know that The Gryphon’s foundation stone was placed upon the site of St Aldhelm’s School but what if I told you that every Gryphon student carries a piece of each of those schools close to our hearts, every day?

Indeed, the Gryphon emblem on our school uniform has the colours of the three schools. The gold from Foster’s was used for the body of the gryphon, silver from Lord Digby’s was used for the gryphon’s feathers and the red from St Aldhelm’s was used for the colour of the crozier that the gryphon held. We also use the names of those schools as our sporting houses to keep the spirit of

‘I love The Gryphon - I really am living my life to the full here. There are so many opportunities the school has to offer. I have loved joining the netball club, choir, ‘Poetry by Heart’ group, the drama club and being involved in writing this article! I have enjoyed performing in three concerts this year, especially the ones at Sherborne Abbey. In primary school, we did not have Creative Design, Textiles, Cookery or Drama lessons, and now these are some of my favourite subjects as the teachers are incredible. When I first joined, I was scared about the size of the site, but now that I am nearly in Year 8, I appreciate it so much. The teachers and older students here are so warm and welcoming that I feel I have become a huge part of the Gryphon family.

Olivia Mason, Year 7

‘We have had engaging and enriching experiences during our time at The Gryphon. In Year 7, we went on a trip to the ruins of the first Sherborne Castle and were taught about its history, including why it was now in ruins. Year 8s studying French have the amazing opportunity to go on a trip to France. On this trip, you can partake in fun activities and you also learn about French history and culture. As part of our Geography course, we recently visited Durdle Door to study the different environmental aspects of the coast.

We also have many extra-curricular opportunities too, such as netball trips where we got to watch Leeds Rhinos vs Bath and even talked to Sasha Corbin, a netball player from the English national team. We are able to attend career fairs where you can ask companies questions, so that you may consider what careers you might like to try later in life. This school prepares us for our future; it helps us learn how to tackle the challenges we may face later in life.’

Bonnie Cooke & Ella Morgan, Year 8

competition and sportsmanship alive and well.

Despite The Gryphon turning thirty, like all of us, its story started before it was born with its ancestors. Sherborne’s town crest features gryphons – a mythical and noble beast that is half eagle and half lion. The eagle half of the gryphon was borrowed from the silver eagles on the arms of Roger de Caen, Bishop of Salisbury, who built Sherborne’s first castle in the 12th century, and the lion half of the gryphon came from the gold lions on the crest of Dorset County. The gryphon, legendary guardians of treasure – symbolise Sherborne’s pre-eminence as a leader in learning, whilst also conserving and protecting Sherborne’s traditions and character.

Knowing this, can you think of a better name for the school than The Gryphon School? Protector of education – looking fondly on the past, but paving the way for new minds, new thoughts, and new ideas.

The completed Gryphon School building swung open its doors in 1994. Its foundation stone was laid on 23rd July 1993 by the Bishop of Salisbury, The Right Reverend John Baker – maintaining the strong ties to the Church that Sherborne has long had. This July, in 2023, we celebrate that historical milestone.

After tracing its rich historical roots throughout the centuries, what can be said about The Gryphon’s future?

Just like in The Parable of the Sower, our predecessors knew to sow the seeds of excellence in education on good ground – and to them, we – the students of The Gryphon, are forever grateful. Teachers and staff of The Gryphon, you have nurtured the growth, allowing the current school to thrive and with the helping hands of the Sherborne community, it will continue to blossom and bear fruit. Whether through the establishment of new buildings to accommodate our expanding population, the creation of new student-run

initiatives, or its innovative teaching, our school will continue to maintain its ever-welcoming and connected environment. We are in no doubt that in the years to come, The Gryphon’s 10:10 mission - to create a centre for learning, where the youth of today can become the fulfilled, enlightened adults of tomorrow, will continue to remain central to its cause.

The future is bright. Our students are taking the lead on climate change, hosting a collaborative studentteacher-organised COP28 in December 2023 and are also ensuring the youth have a voice in civic life, by petitioning Sherborne Town Council to install a Youth Council. Gryphon students will continue to excel in the classroom, on the sports fields, on the stage, in concert halls, in science labs, in the community, churches and you can even find us changing the world on the TEDx stage! This Gryphon, this school, inspires our students and instils them with the courage, fortitude and passion

to implement change, yet nurtures, supports, and protects its treasure – our pupils.

As we celebrate The Gryphon at thirty and reflect on the achievements of our Gryphon community to date, may we raise a glass to the many people who have made our school whole: the students who bring their efforts and energy, the teachers – our eternal cheerleaders, who inspire and guide us through the choppy waters of adolescence, and of course, you – our Sherborne family.

And to the captain of our ship – ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ – our Headteacher, Mrs Nicki Edwards, and to her lieutenant, Deputy Headteacher, Mr Jim Gower - there are no words, just, thank you.

…One more thing. Cheers! Here’s to you, The Gryphon School, and here’s to another thirty years of 10:10 education and discovery!

gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

Open Monday-Saturday 9.00am-6.00pm, Sunday 10.00am-4.30pm (tills open at 10.30am)

Castle Gardens, New Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NR

www.thegardensgroup.co.uk @thegardensgroup

Feed, weed & water

With warmer weather and many flowers in full bloom, July is a great time to sit back and enjoy your garden.

To keep the colour coming, make sure to water regularly. Collect any rainwater in water butts and consider micro irrigation systems to save time and avoid waste. A layer of mulch in borders can also help the soil retain moisture.

Deadhead regularly and feed your plants with Boost and Seaweed fertilisers. Consider specialist products like Big Tom to get the best out of your tomato crop - it’s great for keeping your hanging baskets and tubs flowering too.

You can pick up your watering equipment, feeds and fertilisers 7 days a week:

Monday to Saturday: 9am – 6pm Sunday: 10am – 4:30pm

01935 814633

castle@thegardensgroup.co.uk

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

The purpose of every garden is different. It depends, I’m sure, on who owns it, who works in it and who uses it.

Some gardens are look-upon areas that are rarely ventured into. The first image that leaps into my mind is a neat garden in pristine condition with a manicured lawn and perfect blooms but in fact, some look-upon gardens are so because they are wild, overgrown and impenetrable. Sometimes this might be deliberate even!

My own garden has performed many functions in its time – I say mine, and this is my first mistake – our garden! But by ‘our’ I don’t just include myself and my wife Louise but also our dogs Myla and Joey who are very keen users of the garden. Myla tends not to do any work as such but knows the best spots for lounging. Joey though, is a very keen gardener and is really pleased to help in every possible way especially during

pruning when he hauls away the debris. Sure, that creates more work for me but he loves it.

Should there be the hint of a mouse the pair show little respect and will enthusiastically dig away, no matter whether lawn, wild meadow or border, almost always with no results. But the chase is good fun!

We were emptying pots the other day with one very large container that Joey found he could perch on. This was a good help when I was wanting it emptied but I have been less appreciative now that it’s replanted, but he still enjoys digging the soil out.

Joey also uses the garden as his place to hide stufflose a slipper and you almost certainly will find it in the garden. He will quite often take a titbit and carefully bury it only to be surprised when we find it together as I’m digging a border.

When younger, our children used the garden for

football, cricket, rugby and netball initially. It was also a campsite from time to time including the essential campfire but now it’s more a place to sunbathe or to read.

Wildlife also assumes the garden is theirs. We are lucky to have a family of slow worms – I presume they are a family as it’s tricky to work out their relationships. However, the grandad is on good form as I discovered to my surprise as I moved a collection of wicker baskets and there he was dozing below. He looked at me bleary-eyed wondering why it was necessary to be disturbed and why I had leapt back in such an alarmed way. I am a fan of their presence and know they are harmless and good news for the garden but I’m not so keen on being that close. Grandad sloped off eventually in his own time… Or was it Grandma?

We are also lucky to have a lovely community of birds too including sparrows, goldfinches, tree creepers, thrushes, blackbirds, wrens, flycatchers, wagtails, robins, blue tits, great tits, dunnocks… in fact, it’s a wonder there is any space for us!

As June progresses the wild areas of the lawn are starting to flower. It is amazing the scent that comes from ordinary clover and the bees and insects spot this before we do. A few minutes of quiet studying the area reveals a huge number of insects including bees moving from flower to flower.

I have also been keeping an eye on the ragwort, which starts growing every year. We don’t allow it to flower of course and so the seed must either have blown in or has been dormant for years. I try to leave it for as long as possible (until just before it flowers) as a food source for someone we call Mr Stripy – a yellow and black caterpillar that turns into a cinnabar moth. Mr Stripy and his mates devour ragwort at an incredible rate and will prevent it from flowering. I saw him for the first time a few days ago so am confident that he will solve the problem.

But the scent from the clover, my own plantings of Nicotiana, Night Scented Phlox, Choisya Aztec Pearl, Nemesia Vanilla Girl and Heliotrope plus the honeysuckle Hall’s Prolific and a wonderful Rambling Rector rose all attract wildlife and are useful food sources as well as providing a beautiful fragrance. In fact, our washing line (another role for the garden) nestles against the rose and the honeysuckle giving our fresh clean clothes a superb aroma – or maybe it’s the fabric conditioner!

thegardensgroup.co.uk

Becky Stares/Shutterstock

“When younger, our children used the garden for football, cricket, rugby and netball initially. It was also a campsite from time to time.”

PARCHED

Joelle Lindsay, Sherborne Turf

It can be easy to worry about our lawns during long hot, dry spells. To stay green during the summer a lawn needs consistent rainfall, a little bit of summer fertiliser and a regular mow to keep it looking neat. However, this advice can go out of the window when the weather heats up and the rain stops.

In the UK, a drought is defined as 15 consecutive days when there is no more than 0.2mm of rain. However, it does not need to be an absolute drought for our lawns to suffer.

The first issue is the lack of rain. This will leave your lawn parched and, probably, not looking its best. The less rain we have, the drier the soil will get, and eventually, your grass will start looking yellow, and then possibly brown.

At this point, you should not use fertiliser as it will need plenty of water to soak it in and prevent it from scorching the grass and making it look worse.

In terms of mowing in these conditions, as your lawn dries out, it will essentially shut down and stop growing. It does this to conserve energy in order to survive and will therefore not need mowing.

If you participated in No Mow May or haven’t mowed your lawn for a while, and then decide to do so while it is hot, there is a strong possibility your lawn will end up looking very yellow and sorry for itself. This is simply because the lower level of the grass hasn’t had exposure to light so there has been a lack of photosynthesis, leaving it a pale colour. Give it time and it will recover.

It is important to remember that grass is a surprisingly hardy little plant and it is amazing how much it can deal with. While it can be very tempting to try to keep it green by watering every day, it is very easy to underestimate the amount of water required: during hot, dry spells, our gardens can dry up to six inches, while it takes up to an hour for water to soak down just one inch – that would require a lot of water! In line with the TGA’s (Turf Grass Growers’ Association) advice, we always advise you to save your water bill and to let it go brown. This can seem counterintuitive but as soon as it starts raining again, your grass will recover and will start looking green again.

Somewhat strangely for a company that sells turf, we always strongly advise against laying new turf in hot and dry conditions. Because our turf is grown

plastic netting-free, it has a thick root bed, and it is, therefore, possible to lay at any time of year – except during extremely hot and dry weather. As turf is a living product, it needs a lot of water once laid to help it to establish which can be very expensive if there isn’t enough rain. If, however, you decide you still need to lay turf, please follow our advice:

• Fully prepare the ground and give it a good soaking before laying your turf.

• Sprinkle moisture-retaining granules evenly over the soil before laying your turf.

• Sprinkle fertiliser evenly over the soil before laying your turf.

• Get the turf delivered when you are ready to lay – do not leave it out in the sun, do not cover it in a tarpaulin and do not leave it for more than a day if possible.

• If you need to leave it, place it in a cool, shaded area.

• Do not water the turf while rolled up – it will cook the grass.

• Using a board to walk on, lay and water-in no more than 20% of the turf at a time – this will make sure the turf will not dry out before you’ve finished.

• Once laid, saturate the turf – paying particular attention to the roll edges, which will dry out first.

• Water every day for the first week. If it is very hot, dry weather, water early every morning and early every evening.

• Keep the turf damp for 2-4 weeks until the lawn is well established. You can check this by trying to pull up an edge of one of the rolls – if it comes up easily, it is not established. If it stays, then the roots have been established.

• If the hot and dry weather continues then continue to water it either early in the morning or early evening – new lawns can be thirsty.

With the strategies put in place by Wessex Water it is unlikely that a hose pipe ban will be needed. However, it is important to note that, should you need to lay turf, newly laid turf is exempt from the ban for the first 28 days after being laid.

It is of course always beneficial to try to reduce your water usage when you can, such as by using grey water in your garden (as long as it does not contain harsh chemicals).

sherborneturf.co.uk

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BEDROOMS

Suzy Newton, Newton & Dyl

Decorating a teen’s room is a challenge, to say the least. Part of being a teen is developing your own identity and usually one that is very different from your parents. They can be notoriously difficult to please so when it comes to a look that both parent and teen are happy with it can be challenging and collaboration is key! Creating a mood board can be a good starting point when putting together a room scheme. You can both add in things that you find, plus must-have items, and then build up a picture that’ll give you a visual tool to refer back to when it comes to ordering paint colours and fabrics. In an ideal world it should be tailored to last until they leave home and will work just as well when they visit for weekends or move back in!

From experience my teenage daughter’s room colour choices have bounced from black to pastel pink. The thought of a black room didn’t thrill me and although it might be the teenage dream we settled on a half-and-half colour scheme instead. Black and white bedroom ideas are a classic colour pairing for a reason. They last the test of time and can be updated with different accent colours or pattern combinations. Halfpainted walls also have a perfectly on-trend look. While painting the ceiling a dark colour is often thought of as creating a cave-like experience, painting the ceiling and top section of wall in the same dark shade helps to extend the wall upwards and can increase the sense of space, which is a useful trick for small rooms.

Lack of space can be a problem in a single bedroom or box room, so finding clever ways of working in extra storage without wasting floor space can be invaluable.

While wall-hung organisers and peg board systems are brilliant above desks and work areas, they can also be used above a bed – or even all around the bedroom –providing stacks of extra storage for all kinds of teenage bedroom decor essentials, from clothes to sports kit and gaming headsets.

If your teen has a favourite colour and a clear vision of what they would like the room to look like, try going all out! Lose the single bed and replace it with a double. Using good quality bedding and timeless fixtures will make it feel like a room that they’d like to sleep in when they’re older. Layering different textures also brings in some warmth and having a clear out of more childish belongings and updating with plants and gallery wall art will create a sanctuary they are proud of – a cool place to hang out with friends as well as perhaps devote some time to study!

Good luck!

Suzy_Newton

Image: Furniture and Choice

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CUTTLEFISH SALPICON

Atake on a classic Latin American salad-like dish consisting of marinated cooked seafood or meat, this recipe uses cuttlefish, a cousin to the squid that is abundant on the south coast. You can ask the fishmonger to clean them for you. Grilling the cuttlefish gives the dish another dimension, that contrasts well with the freshness of the lime and herbs. Works well as a starter or light lunch for the summer months; ideal for al fresco!

Ingredients: Serves 4-6

400g cleaned cuttlefish, squid can be used as an alternative

70g cooked red peppers, medium dice

2 shallots, finely diced

½ medium cucumber, peeled and medium dice

1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch fresh basil, finely chopped

1 bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

Juice and zest of 3 limes

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for grilling

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1 Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the cuttlefish for 2 minutes before plunging them into iced water to halt the cooking.

2 Place a large frying pan on a high heat and preheat until extremely hot. Add a little oil to the pan and sautée the cuttlefish rapidly for 1-2 minutes – the aim is to pick up some charred flavour before the cuttlefish overcook. Even better, grill quickly over a wood or coal barbecue.

3 Chop the cooked cuttlefish into a medium dice and let cool slightly, before adding to a mixing bowl and combining with the rest of the ingredients.

4 Cover and let rest in the fridge for 4-5 hours before serving. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste, and serve cool with a leafy-green salad, toasted fresh sourdough or whatever you like!

greenrestaurant.co.uk

Tom Matkevich, The Green

Tom and Sasha Matkevich, Eype, Dorset, 2016

Image: Katharine Davies

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It features a restaurant, food market, butcher, bakery, cheese counter, bottle shop selling wine local cider, and beer, a gift shop with independent-label gifts and healthy food to go. A healthy kitchen will serve nourishing plates from across the region.

We can’t wait to welcome you, through our doors to sample the local produce and enjoy the orchard.

If you fancy a trip out with a friend or an alternative to shopping in the supermarkets this is a great destination worth exploring. We have also added an Aspiga pop-up for the summer, so come and explore the new store within our store upstairs above gifts.

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FOOD FOR A HOT CLIMATE

Now that the summer months have arrived, we will all (hopefully) enjoy food that is not only seasonal but also lighter and brighter to match the time of year.

The preparation and preservation of food does shift when the climate changes. As a daughter of the North Indian community, and having lived in Europe and Johannesburg during my childhood years, it is interesting to examine how the culinary ‘rules’ alter according to the climate. There is one particular practice - marinating, that I think is useful to further examine.

The origin of marinades, as I have always understood them (and been told by the women in my family), are two-fold: safety and taste. The preservation of meat, from the moment of slaughter to the time you are ready to cook, is incredibly important and has been cause for concern over centuries (even millennia).

The type of ingredients used to impart flavour such as garlic, ginger, salt, spices and oil (to name but a few) are traditionally used in hot countries as a means of not only flavouring but also preserving the main ingredient. Hence the development of pickling – the process of storing freshly harvested produce in brine or vinegar to kill bacteria and make safe for consumption long after the season ends.

Views towards salt in cookery can vary greatly from person to person, from omitting it completely to never serving a dish without double checking the salt levels. On the whole, I have found that cold-climate countries have a tendency to encourage lower salt consumption, often linked to sedentary lifestyles and the associated health issues. In warmer climates, salt in cookery is rarely discouraged. It forms part of the rehydration process and so is used in many dishes – and

Safia Hothi-Bellamy, Pure Punjabi

sometimes beverages – to replace the fluids lost through perspiration.

Here in the UK, the preference for marinated dishes tends to be towards the sauce/gravy accompanying the ‘main’ within a meal. Head East however and you will find that sauces and gravies are usually considered a ‘special occasion’ food due to their higher calorie content. Marinades in everyday foods are used only to cook into the meat until succulent, keeping the meal tasty yet light.

Accompaniments served in hot climates are usually preserves in some form such as pickles or yoghurt, followed by either Paan (a betel leaf spice mix to be chewed) or tea with spices, all serving to aid digestion.

Lemon Chicken

temperature before cooking. On taking it out of the fridge, squeeze the lemon juice over it and mix to ensure the chicken is evenly coated as this will tenderise it. (Note: it is very important that you do not leave the lemon juice on the chicken for longer than 20 minutes as the acid in the lemon juice stops tenderising the meat at this point and will start to make the texture of the meat become tough.)

3 Preheat a frying pan (or barbecue) to a medium-tohigh heat. Sear the chicken first. If using a frying pan, ensure that you blot up any liquid as it comes out of the chicken – this will ensure a good sear.

4 Turn the temperature down and cover until cooked through to the centre.

5 Served hot with fresh mango salsa (see our recipe below).

Ingredients:

500g chicken thighs, skin removed, with or without the bone

2 heaped tablespoons ground coriander (must be ground from whole and coarsely ground)

1 green birds eye chilli, very finely diced

1 teaspoon of salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

1 Mix the raw chicken thighs, ground coriander, salt and chilli in a bowl and massage the ingredients together for a couple of minutes. Cover and refrigerate for as many days as possible (2 days or longer if the ‘use by’ date on your chicken allows for this).

2 Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking so that it adjusts to room

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

1 mango

1 red pepper

1 small red onion

1 tablespoon of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar

Method:

1 Cut the mango and red pepper into small cubes, all of an even size/shape.

2 Very finely slice the red onion. (It must be fine otherwise the texture will be incorrect.)

3 Add the coriander leaves and balsamic vinegar and leave to marinate one hour before serving.

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THE CAKE WHISPERER

Val Stones

PISTACHIO AND CITRUS CELEBRATION VICTORIA SPONGE

This cake is based on one of my all-time favourites – a Victoria sponge. It is such a versatile cake that can be transformed into a huge variety of delicious cakes, with the addition of a few ingredients.

My first memory of a Victoria sponge was my mum making one by hand – no electric mixer just good old-fashioned beating with a wooden spoon. It was usually an orange zest and coconut-flavoured cake and it was topped with orange-flavoured water icing then sprinkled with coconut. I loved it and if I make it now I am transported back in time to being a 4-year-old with sticky fingers and crumbs of coconut down my front.

I’m going to use the all-in-one method for this cake.

Serves 12-16

10 minutes to make the cake, cooking time 35-38 minutes, 30 minutes crumb stage (chilling) and 20 minutes for assembly and decorating.

What you will need

Either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, cake turntable (optional),

4 Victoria sponge tins 23cm (9-inch) diameter (these are usually shallow). A cake side scraper or a pallet knife, a piping bag and a 2D piping nozzle. All the ingredients should be at room temperature so take the ingredients from the fridge the night before you need them.

Ingredients

For the sponge

300g eggs (weighed out of shells - this is usually 5-6 eggs)

300g caster sugar

300g soft margarine

300g self-raising flour

12g baking powder

50g pistachio paste

3 teaspoons pistachio extract

Zest of an orange and lemon

2 tablespoons Bottlegreen Citrus cordial or similar

A little sunflower oil and flour to dust the tins

Tip - don’t worry if it is a little bit under or over the 300g all you need to do is put the same weight in of the other ingredients, e.g. 289g of eggs, 289g sugar etc.

For the filling

300g unsalted butter at room temperature

cut into small cubes

50g cream cheese

800g sifted icing sugar

2 teaspoons of pistachio extract

A little green gel colour

150g pistachio curd

For the cake syrup

100ml Bottlegreen citrus cordial

Decoration

50g finely chopped pistachios

4 tablespoons pistachio curd

6 viola flower heads – these are edible flowers

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 160C fan assisted, 180C, 350F, gas mark 4

2 Weigh the eggs into a bowl and add the same weight of sugar and margarine. Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the bowl.

3 Add pistachio paste, pistachio extract, orange and lemon zest.

4 Gently begin to beat the mixture to combine the ingredients, turn up to full and beat for 1 minute, switch off and allow the mixture to stand (This allows the caster sugar to dissolve into the mixture

which gives the cake a softer texture when baked).

5 Line, grease and flour the baking tins.

6 Continue to beat the mixture for 2 minutes. It’s important not to over-beat as this will knock out the precious air you need in the cake to make a light sponge.

7 Add the cordial to the mixture, folding in with a metal spoon.

8 There should be a total of around 1290g of mixture. Place a baking tin on the scales, zero the scales and weigh 320g into each sponge tin.

9 Place the baking tins in the oven and bake for 35-38 minutes. The cakes are baked when they are evenly and lightly golden and if you listen to them they only whisper a crackle not shout out.

10 Remove the tins from the oven and place on a cooling rack. With a sharp knife and in one continuous movement, loosen the cakes from their tins and leave for two minutes to cool a little. Tip - To remove a cake from a tin hold one side of the tin with one hand and tap the opposite side of the tin with your other hand – this will loosen the cake even further.

11 Place a parchment round on the top of the cake and tip onto a cooling rack (Using the parchment prevents the cake from getting marked with the cooling rack pattern.). Flip the cake back onto another cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

To fill the cake

1 Place the butter and cream cheese in the stand mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.

2 Turn the speed down to a quarter and gradually add the icing sugar a dessert spoon at a time leaving a few seconds between each addition. Use a scraper to push the mixture back into the bowl.

3 Add the 150g pistachio curd, extract and colour, turn up to full and beat for 5 minutes. The buttercream should be firm enough to spread and to pipe on easily.

4 At this point, taste and add more extract and colour and add more icing sugar to adjust the texture.

To assemble

1 Place one of the cakes on a cake board having first placed a little cream on the base – this will hold the cake firmly on the board. If you have a cake turntable place the cake board onto it.

2 Pour the 100ml of citrus cordial into a bowl and brush the first cake evenly (using approx 1/3 of the cordial).

3 Using a spatula evenly spread about 3 tablespoons of buttercream onto the cake. Next spread a heaped tablespoon of pistachio curd over the buttercream. Repeat this 3 more times for each cake, placing one on the other, until the cake is stacked evenly and level.

4 Spread a thin layer of buttercream evenly around the cake then place in a fridge to firm for 30 minutes – this is called the crumb stage. Remove the cake from the fridge and spread the second layer of buttercream around the sides and top of the cake using a pallet knife or a cake side scraper to give smooth sides.

5 Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag with a 2D nozzle, pipe 12 roses or rosettes around the cake, place the viola flowers around the cake then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Place in the fridge for a further 15 minutes before serving.

6 This cake can be stored in a cake box or cake carrier for up to a week. You can open-freeze and then place it in a box where it will keep for up to a month but it is best eaten fresh.

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ISLE OF WIGHT TOMATOES

Joanna Weinberg, Teals

When I was growing up, tomatoes were all the same: about the size of a golf ball, a pale reddish colour, either hard and sour or soft and fluffy - and almost always without flavour. Then, one year, we went on holiday to Greece. It was the holiday of dreams: messing around all day by a calm sea with the sun beating down, followed by warm, sleeveless evenings to the loud beat of the cicadas’

rhythmic song. But what holds in my memory most was the tomatoes. Huge and fat, intensely sweet but with an acidic tang, bursting with juice. Unlike anything that was called by that name in the UK at the time.

It is still fair to say that not all tomatoes are grown equal. Supermarkets across the country still offer a plastic-bagged tray of ‘salad’ tomato which offers nothing but disappointment and tastes, if anything, of

The Tomato Stall/IOW Tomatoes

greenhouse. But not where Isle of Wight Tomatoes has anything to do with it.

You know when you come across their tomatoes, because they look different. Firstly, they are in cardboard trays, without sight of plastic. The fruits come in a kaleidoscopic variety of colours and sizes, from small, yellow cherry tomatoes to deep purplish varieties, bright striped greens, orange ones large and tiny, and a range of classic reds along the way. But while looks matter, it’s the bite that will blow you away. You can eat them from your hand like a piece of fruit, biting straight in, perhaps dipping the edge in a little salt, before taking another munch. So balanced in acidity and sweetness, they need nothing more than a little olive oil to dress them along with a scrunch of mild sea salt.

‘We get more sunshine hours than anywhere else in the country and we couldn’t do what we do without it,’ says Daniella Voisey, the New Business Development Manager at Isle of Wight Tomatoes. ‘We’re blessed with the best natural resources where we are, as well as a team of experts.’

Isle of Wight Tomatoes was founded in 2007 by Paul Thomas, a chef who, returning from time spent travelling in Australia, was looking for a new challenge, when he met Jeff MacDonald. The two took over 60 acres of glasshouses in the Arreton Valley dating back to the 1970s and began to drive their produce weekly to a handful of farmers’ markets, initially in London. Word spread and queues at their stalls grew: they were selling out of tomatoes by 10am. Gradually, the company grew too, and now produces a reported 8 million tons of tomatoes a year.

As a company, they are committed to good environmental growing practices, including a completely biodegradable growing system, onsite composting facility, rainwater harvesting and energy centres that generate electricity for island homes while providing Co2 and heat for the tomato-growing operation.

One of the keys to their success is their huge trialling programme. ‘We work with speciality seed houses across the world to develop new varieties alongside a range of heritage tomatoes, so we can make sure we grow the best tomatoes we can,’ she says. ‘Expertise and knowledge about varieties starts with them.’ The tomatoes are grown, tasted by a special taste panel and trialled through the farmers’ markets for direct feedback. ‘Our stallholders will come back to us with reports from regular weekly customers of which tomatoes are going down the best.’ Most tomatoes they

trial have no name, just a code. Last year’s particular success story was a bright green baby plum. This year, they are excited about a golden Coeur de Bouef, which is a large, yellow, ridged variety. Where most tomato growers will produce five or so varieties, they will develop 30-40 out of a trial of some 200 seeds each year, all grown slowly with a focus on flavour rather than yield. Their produce has now extended to other parts of the nightshade family: look out for beautifully coloured aubergines and peppers in different shapes and sizes.

Alongside the boxes of fresh produce, their bottled and jarred tomato sauces and condiments are well worth paying attention to. ‘There’s an unavoidable element of waste when you’re working with large amounts of fresh produce and we didn’t want to lose a single tomato if we could help it. We built a state-of-the-art kitchen at the nursery so Aggie, our development chef, can work on her new ideas. ‘They are all small batch jars and bottles so we listen to what our customers like and want more of,’ says Daniella. Currently, the shakshuka sauce, (a tomato sauce flavoured with Middle Eastern spices) is testing well at the markets, along with green tomato ketchup which is going down a storm. What is significant about the whole range is the freshness of the tomato flavour – they do not have the metallic flavour you’d usually associate with tinned tomatoes. Kitchen equipment includes several huge dehydrators that extract moisture from the tomatoes and turn out intensely flavoured dried and semi-dried tomatoes which are packed in good oil with herbs and aromatics.

Like me, I’m sure many swing between joy at our hotter, dryer summers and concern over changing weather patterns, not least farmers. But one thing is for sure – for UK tomatoes the only way is up.

thetomatostall.co.uk teals.co.uk

"We get more sunshine hours than anywhere else in the country and we couldn’t do what we do without it."

A MONTH ON THE PIG FARM

For goodness sake, how can I possibly be writing my July article already?! All those times we were told as children ‘time goes so much faster the older we get’ must mean I am getting old(er). I certainly feel older today – it’s a grey Monday morning and the day after our big Open Farm Sunday event and we are exhausted. I am alone on the farm today as I drove Charlotte to Bristol airport this morning at 4am for her to fly to Paris for 36 hours to visit a sick relative. I dropped her off and started on the journey home, only

to get a phone call 15 minutes into my return journey –her flight was cancelled! No notice, no email, no sorry, just her being told that she should rebook on a flight in the afternoon, to an airport further away and no they can’t help her book it. The poor level of service leaves me almost speechless. So poor Charlotte who is so tired she can hardly keep her eyes open has to sit in the airport for 9 hours. Contrast this with yesterday, here at the farm – our fifth Open Farm Sunday event – and how our staff, Charlotte and I went out of our way to

James Hull, The Story Pig

try and make sure everyone had a great day.

The build-up to these big events is always a slow burn, with plenty of time left as we methodically plough through both of our lists – Charlotte’s mostly involves baking for 800 people. I don’t know how she does it really. For me, it’s everything outside, making sure everything is as perfect as possible – the grass cut neatly, signs up everywhere giving people information and pig paddocks all neat and tidy. As the day approaches the list suddenly gets longer not shorter, things that have been forgotten, left to the last minute. Then it’s the day – we are up even earlier, running on coffee and not much else, surrounded by mountains of the best home-cooked food, neither of us can eat. Charlotte methodically sets the cafe up before all the staff arrive. I am doing a good impression of Anneka Rice, running here and there, getting faster and faster until there is no more time. I run in and change into cafe clothes, apron on. Charlotte and I hug each other and know that we will be like ships in the night for the next few hours.

At 10am on the dot the first cars roll in and park in the field – a trickle for the first few minutes and then it builds into a heady throng, people everywhere. I am stationed behind the coffee machine, working it as hard as it can go, cups piled high – another Charlotte next to me frothing the milk for the river of coffee we have to make. The queue is manageable, just. Charlotte’s food mountain which would have rivalled some of the old food mountains in the EEC (remember those?!) starts to be disassembled – the scotch egg pyramid goes down quickly.

Outside I hear hundreds of people, our band for the day start playing. I haven’t even seen them but they have played for us so many times they just get on with it. From behind the counter, I hear Theya’s beautiful

voice drifting towards me, fitting the vibe perfectly. Somehow for a moment we have beaten the queue and I step outside into the garden – the lawn is packed with people enjoying themselves. In the field below Len and Luke are ferrying everyone in trailer rides and quad bikes all over the farm. This for many is the highlight of the day – the dust is flying high with all the dry weather we have had. I have been worried about the dust – it’s not something we normally have to think of! Charlotte is carving our hog roast and serves lunch with a smile as another wiggly queue forms.

The one blot on the horizon, literally, is the weather. After no rain for nearly 5 weeks and a perfect forecast all week, it suddenly changes to 50% chance of thunderstorms. The air is heavy, people murmur about rain drops and many are dressed in flip-flops. The band put up our gazebo to protect their equipment and I am sure that act alone was enough to ward off the rains as we escape with a 1-minute shower. We were in the other 50% and how glad we were!

And then, in the blink of an eye, we reached the day’s end. Our guest’s started to leave and the girls got on with tidying things away. I turned the coffee machine off, we washed and cleaned, worked as a team brought the day to a close.

‘Come on,’ I say, ‘let’s sit and have a cider (ginger beer for young ones!)’. We sat and chatted, laughed and listened to Steve and his wild stories. The young ones looked bemused, waiting to be picked up and taken away from us old farts!

So thank you to all who visited us for another Open Farm Day and to our team – our tireless worker bees and of course my Charlotte, for quietly producing an absolute miracle in the kitchen.

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When we think of Italian wine we tend to think red: the great reds of Tuscany and Barolo are world-class. And expensive. Italian whites, on the other hand, are beginning to emerge; and they offer variety, fresh flavours and sensible pricing.

Italy did have a minor love affair with Chardonnay but is now confidently offering its own delightful indigenous white wines such as Fiano, Friulano and of course Pinot Grigio.

There was a tendency to look down on Pinot Grigio because it was competitively priced and always cheerful. However, if you are motoring between Germany and Italy this summer and fancy takes you through the Alto Adige,

I urge you to stop and taste Pinot Grigio (and many other white wine varieties) that will surprise and delight you.

Why has it taken us so long to find them? As a large wine-drinking nation, we tend, like many other big wine markets, to be led by the nose. When Australia first produced lovely, fruity, friendly Chardonnays at popular prices we responded enthusiastically. Then we discovered Sauvignon Blanc thanks to New Zealand finding perfect conditions in Marlborough in the north of South Island. Sauvignon Blanc was reared in the Loire Valley but both New Zealand and South Africa have shown what great value they have to offer. I have a personal love affair with the Loire Valley wines but as

Emanuele Longo/Shutterstock

Planet Earth warms up, I expect our own producers to make further gains in the market for Sauvignon Blanc. However, back to the Alto Adige. If you would really like to know Italian whites better I recommend that you look at the motoring map on your way down to the Italian lakes, Verona and Venice and refresh yourself on the way. I particularly recommend that you surprise yourself by having a glass or two of their Gewürztraminer as aperitif, or even digestif.

Elena Walch is a grower worth hunting down for her wonderfully full-flavoured wines.

This region is the home of so many good Italian white wines, both sweet and dry. The key to its success

ITALIAN WHITES

is warm days and cooler nights. The coolness of the night encourages flavour. In passing, I am very pleased to point out that we too have the conditions to produce outstanding white wines in due course.

What makes Italian white wines so good? As an agricultural country, we are inclined to think ‘goodness lies in the soil.’ That cannot be denied. However, the grape variety and climate have a lot to say. As does the skill and touch of a good winemaker. God has been kind to the Northern Italians and I encourage you to make your own investigations. The scenery is spectacular and I hope you will discover white wines you have not tried before.

David Copp

Kingston House Veterinary Clinic

Long Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3DB

Mon-Fri 9.00-10.30, 16.30-18.00

Sat 9.00-10.30

T: 01935 813288 (24 hours)

E: sherborne@kingstonvets.co.uk

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Happy Cats at Home Care Services

SINCE 2022

THE SNIFF TEST

Mark Newton-Clarke MAVetMB PhD MRCVS,

Clarke Veterinary Surgeons

July is a special month for many families, schools breaking up for summer and preparations being made for the holidays. Our pets certainly know that something’s afoot and react accordingly as bags are packed for a few days away. In my house, this means extreme excitement but a road trip causes stress and pleasure in equal measure. Stress for Portia the black Lab who hates the car and joy for Jessica the terrier who loves it. As we near our destination, sea or farm, both dogs sniff the air and look at us as if say, ‘Are we nearly there?’ No wonder we call them our canine kids.

I thought I would continue this mini-series of articles on the special senses (vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell) by considering what the latter means to our companion animals. Clearly, touch and smell are immensely important to all of us, as a means of

communication between and within species. The canine nose has legendary abilities and as research into this area develops, we are beginning to understand what a super-power dogs possess. Remember just three years ago we were all in lock-down, subjected to daily doses of gloom as SARS-Covid-19 ravaged society? The search for a diagnostic test that could identify infected people was high on the priority list and as dogs have been used to sniff out several human diseases in the past, it’s not surprising a trial was conducted using dogs as Covid detectors. It’s also not surprising that after some training, the dogs’ success rate at identifying Covid infected people was almost as good as sophisticated scientific apparatus and better than the adopted lateral flow tests. What’s more, the dogs needed only one sniff to make a diagnosis so screening a large number of people in a very

Newton

short time was possible. Such a pity the blunt instrument of body temperature measurement was adopted instead but I guess some people just don’t like being sniffed, not by dogs and probably not by other humans either.

I continually marvel at dogs’, and to a lesser extent unless medication is involved, cats’ abilities to detect different smells. I try not to dispense tablets to cats or poodles as no amount of disguise in sardines or cream cheese will persuade the patient to take their daily dose. We have a handful of liquid formulations but this does little to help if they are unpalatable, a fact seemingly lost on pharmaceutical manufacturers. Liquids that are not taken readily by our canine and feline patients can also result in aspiration into the respiratory tract if care is not taken in their administration. Only water and saline solutions are relatively harmless, in small

quantities, if aspirated and these are rarely given by mouth as intra-venous fluids are much more efficient at treating dehydration. However, occasionally we deliberately squirt a measured volume of saline into the lung or trachea to analyse the residue we can suck back out, in an attempt to identify the cause of lung disease.

Now, I’ve digressed a little. Dogs live in a world of smell and probably rely on that sense more than vision. Cats are more ‘visual’ although they can adapt to blindness, as we discussed a few months ago. We don’t really know how commonly dogs and cats lose their sense of smell and taste, although human experience from Covid-19 and other respiratory viral infections tells us it almost certainly happens. Cats commonly suffer from cat ‘flu and like us, a bunged-up nose means no smell and only the taste sensed on the buds on our tongues (bitter, sweet, sour and salt) remains. The fine detail of taste and smell is detected on an organ at the back of the nose, the ethmoid, where dogs have 300 million receptors for individual smells. What’s more, dogs and cats have another detection system, the vomeronasal organ, that detects molecules without odour. This is how one dog can determine at a sniff the sex and mood of another, as different pheromones (air-borne hormones) are released in response to fear, excitement, aggression and pain. A relaxing pheromone has been isolated from dogs and cats and is sold commercially as plug-in diffusers or sprays that can help stressed animals feel better.

One final fascinating fact about smell is the way it can adapt to the advantage of the individual. This allows us (humans as well as animals) to become more sensitive to certain smells while tuning out others. As all smells are detected by receptors, which are proteins, they are all coded on our DNA. The genes controlling these receptor proteins are prone to mutation, and favourable mutations give an advantage to the individual. For example, if you were competing to find food and had a more sensitive nose for it than your competitors, you will find more, be better fed and so more likely to produce offspring. Evolution, we now know, is all about genetic variation arising from mutations (thanks to Mr Darwin) in our DNA. We humans have helped the process along by selecting dogs with the most sensitive noses, the spaniel breeds, and bred from the best. And that is why your sweet little cockerpoo is a fluffy nose on legs.

OSTEOARTHRITIS IN HORSES

Hayley Parker MA VetMB CertAVP MRCVS, Clinical Director and Equine Vet, Kingston Equine Vets

With the summer months now upon us, the days are longer and the weather is kinder whilst the ground is getting harder. This paired with many competitions, rallies and camps to attend means our horses and ponies are generally doing more work which is more testing for their joints. Arthritis simply means joint inflammation. In horses, several types of arthritis can occur, with causes ranging from infection to age and years of athletic use. Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease refers to the type of arthritis involving chronic, progressive, painful degeneration of the cartilage lining the ends of long bones inside joints.

Osteoarthritis is often diagnosed due to joint pain and lameness (which is sometimes very mild).

A lameness investigation involving trotting up, limb flexion, ‘blocking’ joints and x-rays can be involved when localising the joints affected.

Changes that are seen on x-rays of joints with

osteoarthritis include: osteophytes (bone spurs at the joint margins); joints appearing narrower if the cartilage is damaged; and, thickening or absorption of the bone beneath the cartilage (sub-chondral bone).

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Bute or Danilon have been the mainstay of treating joint disease for many decades. This is, however, not acceptable in horses that are competing. If the horse is not competing, it is safe to give oral medication daily as there are not the same requirements for the horse to be clean of performance-enhancing medication. If multiple joints are affected, it is not appropriate to medicate each joint individually (we rarely treat more than 3 joints at a time as there is a maximal horse dose for the joint medications and an increased risk of having other side effects). Oral medication treats ‘the whole horse’ and therefore all of the painful joints.

Other drugs such as Cartrophen/Osteopen

(pentosan polysulphate) which is given as an injection into the muscle can help keep the horse sound by slowing the degenerative changes within the joint and by having anti-inflammatory effects.

Bisphosphonates are drugs that prevent or slow down bone damage. Tildren is a bisphosphonate which is given intravenously via a cannula whilst Osphos is a bisphosphonate which is given by intramuscular injection.

In addition, joint supplements containing oral glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, MSM and hyaluronic acid can help slow and alleviate the signs of osteoarthritis. Some supplements also include Boswellia which is a natural herbal anti-inflammatory that is also FEI-permitted. Devil’s claw supplement has been used as a natural anti-inflammatory but is not FEI-legal in competition horses.

Osteoarthritis is routinely treated using corticosteroid joint injections with the addition

of hyaluronic acid. Corticosteroids are very strong anti-inflammatories that reduce the inflammation which causes the pain and lameness associated with osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid encourages the production of proteins normally present within joint fluid and so acts as a joint lubricant.

Polyacrylamide gel (Arthramid) injected into the joint can provide lubrication and cushioning whilst re-establishing healthy joint lubrication using hydrogel with the effects often lasting longer than routine joint medication.

Arti-Cell Forte is a stem cell-based veterinary medicine which can be injected directly into a joint aiming to repair cartilage and alleviate signs of osteoarthritis.

IRAP is a biological treatment which harnesses the regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties of the horse’s own blood cells to encourage damaged musculoskeletal tissues to heal.

PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is also harvested from the horse’s own blood cells and is used most commonly to treat tendon and ligament lesions but is being increasingly used to treat joint inflammation and osteoarthritis having been shown to improve lameness scores in fetlock osteoarthritis.

Stem cell therapy is a treatment whereby stem cells are collected from the horse’s own bone marrow and then the stem cells are injected into joints, which can reduce pain and increase limb function in horses with osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured but in most cases, the symptoms can be suppressed to enable the horse to become sound and to continue in work or have a comfortable retirement. Horses that have been successfully treated for arthritis may continue a full athletic career but it may be necessary to repeat the joint injections in the future at variable intervals.

Corrective shoeing to ensure good foot balance is critical in the management of horses with lower limb joint pain.

It is especially important in horses that are known to have osteoarthritis but are still in work to have regular consistent exercise to aid the muscular and soft tissue support of the joints. Regular physiotherapy and chiropractic treatment can also help maintain a normal range of movement and help treat any secondary muscular tightness.

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HOT TIPS

Passport, boarding pass…hydration spray? Check, check and check.

When on holiday my skincare routine becomes a little more relaxed with easy-to-apply products to keep my skin calm and happy. If you are going somewhere warm it’s best to leave the exciting progressive ingredients of retinol and exfoliating acids at home as they increase sensitivity in the sun. Instead, your focus should turn to calming, hydrating and dealing with any pesky breakouts that may pop up because of the change of scenery for your skin.

Fingers are a great way to apply multi-tasking products and I am a fan of this method even at home.

Save case space with multi-toned bronzers and cream blushes that can be used to add a hint of colour

and finesse to your newly golden face. Lighten up your face base too and opt for a tinted moisturiser or BB cream (Beauty Balm) to give you a dewy wash of evening colour, rather than a fuller coverage foundation.

If you prefer a brush to apply make-up products there are many mini versions on the market to help you apply powder formulations. However, when it comes to our holiday mascara – that crucial grease, sweat and ocean-defying waterproof formula that you covet –only the full-sized real McCoy brush will cut it. When using water-proof mascara and with heavier sun creams regularly being applied to our faces, our eyes can get a bit puffy. So support them with a proper gentle eye make-up remover and an appropriate eye product to hydrate and soothe the eye area. Keep lips nourished

Sarah Hitch, The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms and The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre

from the drying salt water and wash over them with a pop of colourful lip balm or gloss.

Having an eyelash lift and tint before a holiday or break is also a real joy. Your eyes are opened up, lashes are darker and appear longer for 8-10 weeks. It really helps to give you that ‘I just woke up like this daarling’ look but without any faff – perfect when the mercury and humidity are hitting the heights.

Be mindful that most perfumes and aftershaves contain alcohol which will react and damage your skin in strong sunlight so keep them for the evening only. During the day use a plant-based aroma scent or spray to make sure you smell incredible on holiday without the risk of stinging or post-holiday pigmentation.

Sun protection products have come a long way

since the gloopy white stuff from our childhoods and, the seemingly acceptable at the time, baby oil for fast tanning fans. Tanning happens when the melanocytes in our skin create the pigment melanin to protect the skin from the damage the sun is causing. So tan sensibly. Use SPF protection to get a healthy colour and that post-holiday glow while aiming to minimise damage, ageing and potential cancer risks too. There are so many formulas on the market for different areas of your body and also your hair. Buy the best you can afford and apply plenty frequently.

Enjoy the summer and all its adventures…

thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk margaretbalfour.co.uk

The Old Vicarage offers residential care for both permanent and respite stays. Set in tranquil landscaped gardens with stunning views, our home has a warm and friendly atmosphere. The home has won more than 30 national and regional awards for its exceptional care.

We currently have both permanent and respite vacancies. Call us today to book a viewing and meet our amazing team. Call us on 01935 316800 or visit healthcarehomes.co.uk

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE FACE OF CHANGE

Abbie Hole

Summer is a period of transition for many. Perhaps you’re about to embark on a new journey or are seeking change as a way of self-improvement. The only constant in life is change so it’s important to learn to respond and adapt to it in a mentally healthy way.

Challenges of change

Change can be difficult for many reasons. For example:

• Breaking from routine can trigger worry/uncertainty.

• Change can be overwhelming especially if one change leads to other changes.

• Sometimes the benefits of change can be unclear.

When we perceive change as a threat it can lead to distress because we experience the demands posed by our environment to be too taxing, and we feel we are being forced to go beyond our limits or capacity to cope.

In the short-term change can be difficult, especially if you have a pre-existing mental health condition, such as anxiety, but in the long-term change can be rewarding.

Change as a positive

Although it can be challenging, there are many positive aspects of change. For example:

• You grow and learn new things every time

something changes.

• When we meet change with a positive attitude, we learn to let go of our set ways and become flexible.

• Depending on what the change is, it may also reinforce your values.

• When you turn from your usual path, there could be further opportunities waiting for you.

• Change brings new beginnings and excitement to life.

When we experience change as a challenge, for example, as an interesting opportunity to learn or do something new, it can be beneficial because

the new environmental demands seem within our abilities and limits.

Growth Mindset

There are strategies to help you develop a growth mindset to change. A growth mindset is a belief that you can improve your abilities and talents with effort and persistence, not just talent or luck.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a process which works to help people discover, challenge or reframe unhelpful thoughts. The way we think, feel and behave are all linked and continuously affect one another. Types of unhelpful thoughts, which may arise in response to change, may include expecting the worst outcome from any situation.

Reframing unhelpful thoughts

Try to keep the categories of negative thoughts in mind and, if you find yourself having an unhelpful thought as you go about your day, consider whether it fits one of them.

Examine the situation, take a step back and try asking yourself,

• How likely is the outcome you’re worried about?

• Is there good evidence for it?

• Are there other explanations or possible outcomes?

• Is there good evidence for alternative ways of looking at the situation?

SUPPORT FOR ANXIETY AMIDST CHANGE

Check out the NHS website ‘Every Mind Matters’, nhs.uk/every-mind-matters for further advice on reframing unhelpful thoughts and coping with anxiety.

Steps 2 Wellbeing is a free, NHS service which provides guided self-help sessions based on the principles of CBT. Find out more about their services at steps2wellbeing.co.uk.

Find mental health support in Dorset for adults and young people through your local mental health charity, Dorset Mind at dorsetmind.uk

Jorm Sangsorn/Shutterstock

PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH

Emma Rhys Thomas, Instructor, Art of Confidence

Remember I am a posture nut – I want to teach the world to stand, to move well, to present and feel more confident, for the betterment of physical and mental health. I want people to actively listen to and respond to their own bodies. One way to achieve this rather ambitious aim is to examine what I consider to be the greatest of all sensory inputs – touch.

Why does it feel so good to be hugged? Caveat – appropriately! A sprained ankle, a headache or muscular pain, feels instantly better if we use our hands to hold the affected area. Consider how our descriptive language is often related to touch – we ‘embrace’ new ideas, we ‘reach out’ to others and our ‘gut reactions’ tell us how to feel.

Cuttingtool/Shutterstock

Touch is so much more than the end of your fingertips or a burnt lip from your Americano. Touch is pressure, temperature, vibration, stretch and pain. From inside the womb, pressure teaches us proprioception; the ‘edges’ of self and environment. Language is learned from felt vibrations transmitted through the mother’s body. Warmth, stretch and pain can all be felt as our sensory systems develop. It might be argued that anything you ‘feel’ physically or mentally, internally or externally, can be traced directly to touch, involving the cutaneous (skin), muscularskeletal and fascial systems. Touch drives my passion to train the body in movement, encouraging everyone to take up their space.

We are all being encouraged to participate more in our very being. What I mean is, whilst the body is quite capable of functioning freely without conscious intervention, where it may have acted and reacted without reflection, we are learning to become more mindful. We are able to bring into controlled focus normally autonomous functions such as breathing. We are more aware of what we see and hear – we pay attention. The sense of touch, in all its guises, is about grabbing the brain’s attention to the wisdom of the body and hopefully getting an intelligent translation that the brain feeds back as an appropriate response. These conversations are happening millions of times a day, without us knowing, and they are super-fast. However, just like learned breathing techniques, we can develop the skills to actively listen to the body’s touch sensations inside and out, to teach us how to move better or deal with stress. We can tune in.

From a movement perspective, activities such as Pilates, yoga, tai chi, and dance are all great ways to reach that end goal. I can add my own movement technique, INSKN; informing the body and the brain, through touch sensations. Whilst most of the body’s sensory input occurs at a subconscious level, this particular piece of apparatus and its use helps bring heightened awareness to the conscious mind through resistance and proprioception. All these movement modalities are associated with touch, through sensory receptors located in the skin, fascia, muscles, joints and internal organs. Those receptors respond to weight load; pressure, force and resistance. They respond to stretch; positively, as in yawning, or expanding the body’s framework or negatively as in ‘if you go any further you are likely to rupture something!’ Pain is felt to protect the body from further injury or to help in rehabilitation.

Vibrations are felt through rhythms, aiding the release of serotonin, the feel-good hormone. The body needs a corset-like tension to enable movement in day-to-day life and to keep all the internal organs in the right place.

Proprioception is learned through feedback from our sense of touch. External tactile responses of the skin contact with the ground and consequent reactions from long chains of internal muscle contractions and millions of sensory nerves of the fascial system, allow the body to ‘know’ where it is in space. Proprioception is practised in those aforementioned movement modalities above and is vital to wellbeing. We would be constantly banging into things without it. We would not be able to give or receive that appropriate hug, with the appropriate meaningful amount of squeeze. We would not be able to judge our own, and others’, sense of space, and the majorettes would be in a terrible mess! Importantly, knowing how we stand and how we present ourselves depends on it.

The message I want to teach is to listen to your own body and bring more attention to feelings of touch. We can tune in for better physical and mental wellbeing when we move with this in mind. Done well, we improve on every level. We understand more how movements should be executed. We bring conscious thought to our space, shape and the effort and force we need. We are poorer without the sense of staying connected.

There are other techniques to address touch deprivation and make us feel better, these include; acupuncture, massage, weighted blankets and those best of human companions, our pets (except perhaps the goldfish!). My dog has been part of the inspiration to develop my INSKN technique. Her sense of proprioception must be innate – she does not look at her feet all the time, her back legs follow where her front legs have been and she ‘knows’ where she is in time and space. Dogs always stretch and they get a good feeling when they roll – something we empathically understand when observed. That’s another interesting thing about touch, even when we are not participating, we know it ‘feels’ good!

Moving better, aside, and to argue my case for our greatest sense of all, touch teaches us how to love, how to be loved and bond with others. In very simplistic terms, this is all we crave as human beings – to be loved and to belong. So please do stay in touch!

quantockpilates.com

HEALTH ADVICE FOR ANYONE OVER 35

Have you ever wondered why most professional athletes retire between 35-40 years of age? It can’t be because their ability level in relation to sporting know-how has dropped. Arguably with experience, and all that this brings, this only improves over time. On only a few occasions is it because they want to change careers – they find training too timeconsuming or for want of a better phrase, they simply ‘fall out of love’ with the sport concerned.

Nevertheless, very rarely will you see a professional athlete still competing at a high level in their 40s. With this still being a comparatively young age, we need to ask the question ‘why?’.

It is of course because our bodies can’t compete physically like they used to. We need to look at the science behind the changes to our bodies and more importantly, what we can do to help target these changes and aim to either slow them down or enable our bodies to adapt successfully to these changes.

We know that as we age we are likely to gain wrinkles, succumb to grey hair or even lose the latter.

But what about other, less obvious physical changes, those linked in particular to the early retirement of professional athletes?

As we age our bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more likely to fracture. This is why balance and fall prevention is key in our training programmes. Some individuals become shorter as they age, this is linked in turn to our bones weakening and shortening. Our muscles also lose strength. We won’t be as strong when we are 60 compared to when we were 40, nor at 80 in relation to when we were 60. Our muscles also lose their endurance and flexibility - factors that can affect our coordination, stability and balance. Here are some short key pointers to help us fight against these changes to our bones and muscles.

To help fight against the weakening of bones we need adequate amounts of calcium. The recommended amount for adults is at least 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day. This recommendation increases to 1,200 mg for women aged 51 and older, and men aged 71 and older.

Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons) (Gryphon School 2004), Communifit

Bear Productions/Shutterstock

Dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, broccoli, kale, salmon and tofu.

We also need adequate amounts of vitamin D. Last month we wrote about the benefits of exercising outdoors. Some people get enough vitamin D from sunlight. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 international units (IU) for adults up to age 70 and 800 IU for adults over 70. Sources include tuna, salmon, eggs and vitamin D supplements.

We need also to monitor certain less favourable substances entering our bodies. The perhaps obvious advice is to avoid smoking and limit our alcohol intake. They can significantly age our bodies. We should try not to smoke at all. With alcohol, you can ask your GP about how much might be safe for your age, gender and general health. As you may have guessed, it will be much less than we would have thought! This type of advice can be mirrored across a wide range of nutrition and, if you are concerned, or wish to adopt a healthier lifestyle, a chat with a dietician may be of value.

Aligned with dietary considerations is the need to include regular physical activity into our daily routine. Although aerobic activity is good, it isn’t enough and can’t perhaps always be relied on! We also need to turn our attention to strength training. Body weight training provides a minimum but ideally, we should be using external resistance equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells and resistance bands. Such training activities can strengthen bones, muscles and joints thus reducing the speed at which they ultimately weaken.

Despite this article leaning towards bones, muscles and joints, it is worth briefly mentioning the possible impact of ageing on memory and thinking skills. Our brain undergoes changes as we age, changes that may have minor or even more significant effects on our memory and thinking skills. Being social, eating a healthy diet and staying mentally active are all very important to combat the changes to our bodies (including the brain) as we age.

With multiple outdoors, sociable and strength training exercise classes available in Sherborne, you’re sure to find a class suitable for you.

Wishing you a strong, happy and sunny July!

communifit.co.uk

SAY I DO TO PRE-NUPS

Rebecca Silcock, Partner and Head of Department, Family, Mogers Drewett

The summer is here and so is wedding season, but getting protection in place in case things don’t go to plan isn’t always at the forefront of your mind when you’re about to get married or a newlywed.

However, you might be coming into the marriage with assets that you would want to protect if the marriage didn’t last. That’s where pre-nuptial or postnuptial agreements can play an important role in your wedding preparations.

I understand that raising the subject can be difficult but it’s better to be honest with each other before the big day and put something in place that will protect both you and your spouse in the future should your relationship end.

What is a pre-nuptial agreement?

A pre-nuptial agreement is an agreement signed before the wedding ceremony. Ideally, at least 21 days prior to the wedding but it can be done at any time. It defines who owns what while the parties are married. It also usually sets out a plan for what will happen if a couple gets divorced.

What is a postnuptial agreement?

A post-nuptial agreement sets out the same protection as a pre-nuptial agreement, but is signed after the wedding ceremony (at a point when the couple still plans on staying together). It is always advisable to put a pre-nuptial agreement in place if you can, but if this is not possible a post-nuptial agreement is advisable.

In the best case scenario the agreement will never be needed, but in the worst case scenario it may save you the emotional and financial drain of

contested court proceedings. The civil partnership equivalents serve the same purpose and are referred to as ‘pre-civil partnership agreements’ and ‘post-civil partnership agreements’.

It is a common misconception that only A-listers and millionaires need pre-nups, but anyone can get one and there are several reasons why you might consider signing one before marrying, particularly if you have children from a previous relationship.

Why might I need one?

Once you are married, any assets owned by you such as property or savings may become matrimonial assets, which on divorce a court could share between you and your partner, even if you had them before the marriage.

A pre-nup allows partners to ring-fence certain assets to protect them in the event of divorce. Pre-nups are particularly useful for couples getting married for a second time and where a couple may want to protect assets they brought into the marriage for the benefit of their children from their first marriage.

Here are a few reasons why you and your partner may wish to enter a pre-nup:

• To protect your pre-marriage assets (such as your home, business, pension plan and assets of sentimental value)

• To protect gifts and inheritance you receive

• To ensure children from a prior marriage do not lose their intended inheritance to a new spouse

• To establish the value of non-monetary contributions to a marriage, such as being a stay-at-home spouse, or making career sacrifices for the sake of the marriage

mogersdrewett.com

REWARDING OUR FUTURE SELVES

Mark Salter, Certified and Chartered Financial Planner, Fort Financial Planning

It is widely known and psychologically accepted that human beings can be very shortsighted and find it difficult to see their future selves.

Imagine your own life and what it might look like in 10 years’ time. Will you still be working in the same job, will the children be leaving for university or will you be enjoying your retirement and spending time with grandchildren?

But perhaps more importantly, what would you like it to look like?

With so much uncertainty at the moment, it is difficult to even consider what will be happening in a week’s time or when your next holiday will be, but as a Lifestyle Financial Planner, I believe we should try and look beyond the next few months and think about our plans for the future.

Every good plan must start with the end in mind. It is vital to think and try to visualise various milestones and objectives you or your family want to achieve. Once these goals have been determined and plans put in place it is important to remain disciplined. This might sound simple but it is not always easy.

Here are a few top tips to help keep you on track with your longer-term financial plans.

Personalise/name your savings and investment accounts. You are much more likely to save if you can visualise the goal and see the immediate value of saving for something specific. Some new online banks make this even easier by allowing you to add the time frame and end goal.

Set up automatic savings. Pay yourself first, make it regular and make it automatic. Savings should be done upfront rather than ‘waiting to see how much is left at the end of the month’. Increase savings and pension contributions alongside salary increases. This won’t feel painful if it’s done each year or in line with salary increases. Don’t let the extra earnings fritter away. Separate accounts for different goals. With different goals, how much you allocate to each account and how much risk you take with each objective should be based on your time horizon. Saving for a new car and investing for retirement would require different types of accounts and strategies.

Review your savings and expenditure regularly. Take a look at your financial position periodically and make changes where necessary. Small changes will add up in the long term and make achieving your savings goals more likely.

‘Fun money’ account. Make sure you still enjoy the here and now and ring-fence money for discretionary expenses such as eating out, hobbies and holidays etc. You are much more likely to enjoy the process of saving and/or investing if you take a balanced approach. Save to spend. When making a surplus or discretionary purchase, try and only do so if you can afford to save or invest the equivalent value into a separate saving or investment vehicle. Whilst saving and investing for an uncertain future is important and necessary for us all, it is important to enjoy the present moment too. Money matters but life matters more.

ffp.org.uk

Here we go again – once more unto the breach. There’s no hiding that times are tough but fret not, we’ve been here before and together, we can find ways to protect your finances and look to the future. Let’s hatch a plan.

Apple, known for its innovative products and services, has recently made a significant decision that has left many users puzzled and disappointed. The tech giant has chosen to discontinue its popular feature called Photo Stream. Launched in 2011, Photo Stream allowed Apple users to effortlessly share and sync photos across their devices. This abrupt decision by Apple indicates a shift in its approach to photo sharing and raises questions about the future of iCloud-based services.

Recently, Apple sent out an email to any customer that has Photo Stream turned on on one of their devices. Understandably most believed it to be a scam but sadly it isn’t and they will be closing down the service on 26th July 2023.

When Photo Stream was introduced, it revolutionised the way users managed their photos on their Apple devices. It offered a seamless and automatic synchronisation of images across all devices linked to the same Apple ID. Users could snap a photo on their iPhone and instantly view it on their iPad or Mac without the need for manual transfers. This convenience made Photo Stream an integral part of many users’ lives, making it all the more surprising now Apple have decided to discontinue it. Photo Stream enabled users to view photos across multiple devices without using iCloud storage space but Apple is shutting down this service in an effort to push users to upgrade their iCloud subscription plan if they want to keep this sync function.

Apple’s decision to stop Photo Stream may stem from several factors. Firstly, the company has been focusing on enhancing its cloud-based services,

PHOTO STREAM END OF THE LINE

James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers

particularly iCloud Photos. iCloud Photos offers a more comprehensive and robust photo management system compared to Photo Stream, with features like full-resolution storage, shared albums and advanced search capabilities.

Secondly, Apple may be streamlining its services to simplify the user experience. With multiple photo-syncing features like iCloud Photos, Photo Stream and Shared Albums, there was some overlap and confusion among users. By phasing out Photo Stream, Apple intends to streamline its photosharing ecosystem, ensuring a more coherent and straightforward user experience.

What does this all mean for you? By the time this article is out, Apple would have stopped new uploads to Photo Stream as this will have happened on 26th June 2023. Photos uploaded to Photo Stream before 26th June will still remain in iCloud for 30 days. By 26th July, all photos will disappear from iCloud that were in Photo Stream. As long as the photos are stored on one device, they won’t have gone but if you want to sync them across all your Apple devices and essentially have them backed up you’ll need to switch on (if you haven’t already) iCloud photos. Switching this feature on it will upload all your photos to iCloud, however, it may then exceed your free or paid-for storage limit meaning you will then have to buy more iCloud storage so be aware of this.

A slight muddle and we appreciate it can be very confusing so if you need some help, you know where to come!

computing-mp.co.uk

To treat all clients with the same courtesy irrespective of wealth or budget.

Many adviser firms now have minimum fund sizes or high minimum fees making it sometimes difficult to receive cost effective advice. We believe this to be unfair and unethical. Whether you have £10,000 or £10,000,000, we have no minimum investment size, there will be a service to fit your needs enabling you to receive quality advice, now and in the future.

ALL GOD ’ S CHILDREN

Jenny Campbell, Sherborne Scribblers

Mrs Daphne Pugh did not believe in ecumenism. Her husband, Marcus, had been the vicar of St George’s C of E Church in Hampton Meadow for almost ten years and, in all that time, the E word had never crossed their minds or lips. Each of the surrounding churches kept strictly to themselves and it all seemed to work perfectly well.

The Pughs, of course, had many friends outside their own church. Marcus, in between ministering to his faithful flock, enjoyed the company of fellow musicians in the local Chamber Ensemble (one Methodist, one Anglican, one Episcopalian, one atheist) as well as that of his small walking group. Daphne, meanwhile, belonged to the Upper Hampton Women’s Institute and conducted the St George’s Church choir. At Cambridge, before meeting Marcus, she had joined a choral society and enjoyed it so much that she briefly toyed with the notion of switching to Music instead of French and English Literature. Marriage, three children and the role of vicar ’s wife intervened, leaving her little time to do more than conduct rehearsals for Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at Easter and the annual Christmas Carol Service, both greatly enjoyed by the local populace.

Now, a new bishop was insisting that Marcus should follow the general trend and organise a ‘Churches Together Service’ at St George’s. Daphne was furious.

‘If God had intended us to worship together he would have told us,’ she said.

‘And I don’t recall Thou shalt sing with the Catholics among his Ten Commandments!’

Marcus could not resist laughing. ‘ Well,’ he said, eventually, ‘that was a long time ago and much has changed since then. So, please, darling, promise me you will think about it. If the service proves successful, we could well be making that move to York you wanted. But I need your help.’

Daphne sighed. ‘I still don’t like the idea,’ she said. ‘ We may all be Christians but each religion is different and never the twain shall meet in my holy book.’

She did not, however, give up easily. And, in Mrs Veena Singh, the current President of the WI, Daphne was certain that she would find a sympathetic ear.

‘I can’t see her church joining in,’ she said. ‘And Mrs Singh speaks her mind. If she thinks it ’s a bad idea she will say so. That mango chutney of hers is to die for, by the way.’

‘I can vouch for that,’ said Marcus, sticking his dessert spoon into a jar of it on the kitchen table. ‘And I think you will find that the Sikhs have temples called gurdwaras, not churches.’

‘Exactly my point!’ exclaimed a triumphant Daphne. ‘ We are all different.’

At the next meeting of the WI she made a beeline for Mrs Singh. ‘Now, Veena, dear, tell me truthfully what you think.’

Mrs Singh rearranged her dark blue sari, raised her eyebrows and regarded the vicar ’s wife over the tops of her gold-rimmed glasses. ‘Go on, Daphne. Spit it out,’ she said.

‘How long have we known each other, Veena? Seven, maybe eight years? And have you ever been to one of Marcus’s services in St George’s or I into your...your temple?’

‘I’m intrigued, Daphne. Why do you ask?’

‘ Well, our bishop has this ridiculous idea that all the churchgoers in Hampton Meadow and Upper Hampton should come together and congregate in St George’s for a joint service. Now, I’m sure you will agree with me that this is bound to be confusing for everyone and will end up being a terrible mistake.’

‘Oh, but Daphne, darling, I don’t think that at all. It ’s a splendid idea. We welcome people, whoever they are, into our gurdwara and both Dalip and I would be honoured to attend a service in your church.’

‘ You would?’

‘Of course. Now, stop looking so disappointed and let ’s get this meeting started.’

On a designated Thursday morning in late spring, Marcus was at the door of the church to welcome people in and it was not long before he started to worry that there might not be enough seats for everyone. He was just about to return to the church and prepare for the service when a breathless young man in a green anorak arrived.

‘So sorry I’m late,’ he said, ‘I’m Father Brendan from St Joseph’s Church.’

‘Pleased to meet you, Father,’ said Marcus, beaming. ‘I’ve saved a place for you at the front, next to my wife. Are you a singer?’

The young priest nodded enthusiastically. ‘Used to teach it before entering the priesthood!’

‘Daphne will be delighted!’ said Marcus.

That evening, after dinner, they both agreed that the service had been a great success. ‘And I take back all I said about singing with Catholics,’ said Daphne. ‘Even if we don’t get to York, Father Brendan could be a blessing in disguise.’

Marcus looked at her fondly and nodded. ‘ Well, my dear, God truly works in mysterious ways and we are all his children.’

FERDINAND MOUNT

BIG CAESARS AND LITTLE CAESARS

Richard Hopton, Sherborne Literary Society

What do Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Recep Erdogan, Viktor Orban, Jair Bolsonaro, Narendra Modi, President Xi and even Boris Johnson have in common? The answer according to Ferdinand Mount’s new book is that they are all modern incarnations of an age-old phenomenon, the Caesar. Mount does not offer a precise definition of a Caesar but they are a readily recognisable phenomenon as ‘they all operate along the same spectrum’. ‘It is,’ Mount writes, ‘admittedly a huge spectrum: the Caesars range in intensity from overblown bully boys and con artists to mass murderers

of unspeakable wickedness.’ Big Caesars and Little Caesars is also Mount’s credo, an erudite and readable distillation of the experiences of a life patrolling the borders between journalism, history, literature, and politics. He will be talking about the book to the Sherborne Literary Society on 24th July; it promises to be a fascinating and enlightening evening.

Caesars in essence are rulers who consciously subvert the accepted political and constitutional conventions of their polities in order to achieve and then perpetuate their own grip on power. They are not confined to any one age and ‘may pop up in any country and under

all sorts of political and economic circumstances’, something the book’s scope certainly reflects. Mount’s Caesars range from Catiline – ‘a Jeffery Epstein of the first century BC, with added violence’ – and Julius himself in ancient Rome to Boris Johnson, taking in Oliver Cromwell, Mussolini, Hitler, Salazar, de Gaulle, Mrs Gandhi, and many others along the way.

The coup is an essential characteristic of the Caesar, big or little. It can bring the Caesar to power - as in Julius’s crossing of the Rubicon - or convert an incumbent ruler’s position from one which depends upon the vagaries of democratic consent to one which is unchallengeable – as in the case of Hitler. Mount wonders aloud at Oliver Cromwell’s posthumous reputation: why does the man who violently overthrew Parliament in a coup to install himself as a dictator warrant a statue in so prominent a position outside the Palace of Westminster? His answer is that time and the polish of revisionist history – a process started by Thomas Carlyle – has cemented Cromwell into the English pantheon: ‘His military dictatorship had become an integral - and valued – part of our island story.’

Just under half the book is devoted to the stories of six failed coups. As Mount says, ‘most coups fail’ but by examining the failures we can see more clearly how the successful Caesars make it and, by extension, how they can be stopped. Mount’s failed coups are a mixed bag: the Catiline Conspiracy, the Gunpowder Plot, the Cato Street Conspiracy, the Beer Hall Putsch, Mrs Gandhi’s Emergency, and Donald Trump’s March on the Capitol. The causes of their failure can be grouped under five distinct headings: Force, Intelligence, Eloquence, Lawfulness, and Diligence with good old bad luck hovering over all of them. Taken together, they are ‘a set of techniques for seeing off a threat to the civil peace’ rather than ‘a blueprint for long-term governance.’

For all the variety of Caesars, big and little, ancient and modern, adduced by Mount, it is the dishevelled, blustering figure of Boris Johnson which casts the longest shadow over this book. Mount is a lifelong conservative – he headed Mrs Thatcher’s No. 10 Policy Unit and was Political Editor of The Spectator – and a fervent believer in the principles of liberal parliamentary democracy but makes no effort to conceal his contempt for Johnson.

‘By an amazing series of coups, by turns daring, fluky and near-illegal, this improbable Prime Minister had become lord of all he surveyed, including hundreds of Tory MPs who had never liked him and still did not

trust anything about him, except his unique ability to win elections.’

Mount’s case against Boris Johnson – that is, why he regards him as a Caesar – begins with the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the 2019 general election. This document proposed reforms of the British political system which had the ‘unabashed intent of strengthening the Tory hold on power’ and which, collectively, added up to ‘a systematic challenge to our system of parliamentary democracy as it has evolved over several centuries.’ What Mount calls the Five Acts, which received the Royal Assent in the spring of 2022, were all ‘intended to increase government control in one sphere or another: over Parliament itself, over elections, over the courts, over immigrants and over public demonstrations.’ Mount likens them to the notorious Six Acts of 1819 which marked ‘a low point in British liberty.’

Eventually, as we all know, Johnson was forced to resign. ‘There has,’ Mount writes, ‘been no more humiliating exit in British political history.’ ‘He was thrown out because – let us use his own demotic here – he was a shocker, a rotter, a stinker.’ His successor, Liz Truss, ‘was widely known to be mercurial, dogmatic and not very bright’ but ‘she was only a Boris Johnson tribute act.’

The stories of the Caesars, successful and unsuccessful, long- or short-lived, stand as cautionary tales for proponents of democratic government. Mount describes Johnson’s administration as ‘the ripest example of bad governance in Britain since the war.’ Nonetheless, this is not a pessimistic book but ‘a hymn to vigilence’. To preserve our hard-won, long-held liberties, we need to be constantly on our guard against Caesarism. This engaging, learned and civilised book should be in all our pockets as we keep watch on the bastions of freedom.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

Monday 24th July 6.30pm for 7pm

Ferdinand Mount –Big Caesars and Little Caesars

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne Sherborne Literary Society talk and signing with the author.

Tickets £10 members, £12 non-members available via Winstone’s Books and sherborneliterarysociety.com/events

Muntanya is an independent trekking and outdoors shop offering clothing and equipment from major suppliers.

7 Cheap St, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PT 01935 389484 • 07875 465218 muntanya.co.uk

david@muntanya.co.uk

Suppliers of both new and pre-loved vinyl, official t-shirts, merchandise and memorabilia. Come visit and “Try before you buy”. The Beat & Track, The Old Shambles, South Street, Sherborne, DT9 3LN 07730 356719

thebeatandtrack@icloud.com www.thebeatandtrack.co.uk

ACROSS

1. Taxis (4)

3. Sports grounds (8)

9. Antlers (anag) (7)

10. Long for (5)

11. Sense of self-esteem (3)

12. Assisted (5)

13. Inactive (5)

15. Law court official (5)

17. Of the nose (5)

18. Appropriate (3)

19. Organic compound (5)

20. Diminish (7)

21. Delaying (8)

22. Lyric poems (4)

DOWN

1. Person who writes letters regularly (13)

2. Stringed instrument (5)

4. Fine cloth; type of paper (6)

5. Absolute authority in any sphere (12)

6. Without help (7)

7. Loyalty in the face of trouble (13)

8. Especially (12)

14. Guest (7)

16. Involving direct confrontation (4-2)

18. Grew fainter (5)

JUNE SOLUTIONS

LITERARY REVIEW

Jonathan Stones, Sherborne Literary Society

The Ghost Ship by

Kate Mosse, (Mantle 2023, £22 hardcover)

Sherborne Times reader offer price of £20 from Winstone’s Books

Today I am sentenced to swing. Before the sun rises, I will be taken from here to a place of execution and there, hanged by the neck until I am dead.’ These are the opening words to this exhilarating novel by Kate Mosse, the third in her series of works inspired by the Huguenot diaspora, which travels from France in the sixteenth century to the Cape of Good Hope in the nineteenth, via Amsterdam and the Canary Islands. The opening words are the spoken thoughts of Louise Reydon-Joubert, the descendant of a distinguished Huguenot family, who is due to be executed that day in 1621 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for murder and a number of other crimes for which she is of course, innocent. (She would hardly be a Kate Mosse heroine if it were otherwise.)

Louise’s journey there had commenced some eleven years earlier, coinciding with the assassination in Paris of the previously Protestant King of France, Henri of Navarre, which was a catastrophe for the Huguenots. But when we next encounter her she has become a young woman of fiercely independent spirit and the apparent heiress of a sizeable fortune, including a sailing ship called The Old Moon (the ghost ship of the title). Louise encounters a younger female character, Gilles, who has been passed off by her predatory mother as a boy in order to gain the confidence of a wealthy merchant uncle in the Huguenot port of La Rochelle. Rescuing him from a violent encounter, Louise finds herself falling in love with Gilles whilst realising that he is actually a woman, and it is this unusual love affair which is the main engine of the narrative.

From La Rochelle the derring-dos accumulate in ever-increasing and exotic detail, which pays the reader to concentrate and to resort gratefully from

time to time to the descriptions of the principal characters which the author has helpfully set out at the start of the book. Another violent encounter in Amsterdam causes Louise and Gilles to set sail hastily for Las Palmas where Louise develops an ambition to rid the seas around the north coast of Africa of the corsairs and slavers who have been despoiling the ports and coastal communities of the southern Mediterranean. After transforming The Old Moon from a seemingly innocuous cargo vessel into an armed privateer and developing a novel technique for terrorising the terrorisers, they dock in Las Palmas amid scenes of joyous welcome. However, their nemesis soon arrives in the form of a vengeful figure from their past, who utilises the dreadful apparatus of the Spanish Inquisition in hounding Louise to the gibbet. If some of the events described appear far-fetched, that is to overlook the considerable skills with which Kate Mosse draws the reader into the romance and swagger of the narrative and arrives at a pulsating conclusion.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

Sunday 9th July

6.30pm for 7pm start

Kate Mosse Talk and Signing

Digby Memorial Church Hall, Digby Road DT9 3NL

Kate Mosse will be discussing her new book The Ghost Ship and interviewed by her author husband Greg Mosse. Tickets £7 (ticket only), £20 (ticket and book) from shop.winstonebooks.co.uk or in store. Includes complimentary refreshments.

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Reverend Jim Edie, Sherborne Team Vicar and Chaplain to the Gryphon School, Canon Nicki Edwards, Headteacher, Gryphon School

The central aim of the group put together to establish The Gryphon School over 30 years ago was to build a school that would be at ‘the heart of the community’. Whether, like Jim, who has had involvement as Chaplain for a relatively small fraction of that time since joining in September 2022, or Nicki completing 21 years at the school, the school community can feel confident that the aim has been achieved. The senior leadership, teaching, support staff and governors care deeply about giving the best possible opportunities; both academic and extracurricular, to every young person who passes through the school doors. Like any institution, there will always be challenges, and without a doubt, funding is a constant battle, but at The Gryphon School the commitment, professionalism and resourcefulness of staff is exemplary; something that seems to be in the DNA of every member of the team.

The Gryphon School’s vision statement is taken from John’s Gospel, ‘I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10:10), and this legacy of ‘life in its fullness’ is what has rippled out across our society through the school’s past students. It is not uncommon when chatting to someone in town or further afield about the school, that they comment on their own positive experience or knowledge of the school’s reputation. The school’s legacy stretches broadly into the arts, academia, sporting prowess, business and even to parliament!

Yet, there is something that sits far deeper in the words of Jesus than ‘success’. Jesus’ words point to something else – they point to the fact that life doesn’t always run straight and that in life there are challenges and difficulties too. They point to the fact that to ‘live life to the full’ we need Jesus and that He offers to run, walk, crawl, alongside us and, where needed, pick us up and carry us home. This is also reflected abundantly at The Gryphon School, and therefore, also to be celebrated on this anniversary are the support staff, whose daily task is to prop up those for whom life is not currently straightforward, for whatever reason.

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, after ‘sending’ His disciples out, Jesus announces, ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Matthew 21:20). Therefore it is our prayer that along with the legacy of so many committed staff, the knowledge and love of Jesus would also be a lasting legacy of all who pass through The Gryphon School, that they would know Jesus is with them, as this is where life is lived to its fullest.

Green by name and nature