Sherborne Times September 2024

FLOWER POWER

with Saskia Marjoram of Saskia's Flower Essences

WELCOME

The wind picks up and brings with it the ‘thud’ of falling apples. Nimble-winged bastions of summer are buffeted across greying skies, berries fatten in the hedgerows, bats chatter through well-worn corridors and we find ourselves propelled into another season. This perception of time has me wondering if packaging up the seasons as we do, in four finite chunks, is contributing to my uneasy sense of time accelerating. While scientists recently announced that the spin of the Earth is quite literally speeding up, my own sense of motion sickness probably has more to do with the fact that another summer has passed without so much as a dent in my list of gardening jobs.

The traditional Japanese calendar separates the year into 72 microseasons (kō), each one a poetic observation of a fleeting detail in nature. It is a concept that brings the present moment into clarity, slowing the cycle and nurturing a degree of awareness that perhaps these days only those working the land are truly attuned to.

And so to September… We enter the woollen fever dreams of artist Nicola Turner, imagine a contemporary exchange with Rubens, hang out at The Beat and Track, play cards at Sherborne Museum, visit RHS Wisley with Mike Burks, barbecue peaches with Tom Matkevich and learn to hold our heads high with Emma Rhys Thomas. Claire and Katharine meanwhile are in Wincanton where they find themselves spellbound by Saskia Marjoram. One-time professional gardener and florist to the Prince of Wales, Saskia now harnesses the power of flowers to cure all manner of ills.

Have a great month.

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

Editorial and creative direction

Glen Cheyne

Design

Andy Gerrard

Photography

Katharine Davies

Features writer

Claire Bowman

Editorial assistant

Helen Brown

Social media

Jenny Dickinson Print

Stephens & George

Distribution team

Jan Brickell

Barbara & David Elsmore

Douglas & Heather Fuller

The Jackson Family

David & Susan Joby

Liz Lawton

Jean & John Parker

Hayley Parks

Mark & Miranda Pender

Claire Pilley

Poppy Sheffield

Joyce Sturgess

Ionas Tsetikas

Lesley Upham

Paul Whybrew

PO Box 9701

Sherborne DT9 9EU

07957 496193

@sherbornetimes

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

ISSN 2755-3337

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CONTRIBUTORS

Andy Adler BVMS MBA PGCert Vet Ed MRCVS Kingston Vets

Lauren Attwood Oxley Sports Centre

Dzhonni Avdoi Sherborne International School

Jeremy Barker

Elisabeth Bletsoe Sherborne Museum

Richard Bromell ASFAV Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

Mike Burks The Gardens Group

Paula Carnell

Harriet Cleverly Cleverly Wrapped

Rosie Cunningham and Richard Hopton Sherborne Literary Society

Martin Dickson Martin Dickson Ceramics

Barbara Elsmore

James Flynn Milborne Port Computers

Simon Ford

Abi Guiton Sherborne School

Imogen Gurton

Craig Hardaker Communifit

Andy Hastie Yeovil Cinematheque

Giles Henschel Olives Et Al

Sarah Hitch The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms

Jules Horrell Horrell & Horrell

James Hull The Story Pig

Lucy Lewis Dorset Mind

Mary Lister Ashby Sherborne Scribblers

Paul Maskell The Beat and Track

Tom Matkevich The Green Restaurant

Sandra Miller BSc, MSc, BCNH Dip, FDN-P Wholistic Health

Gillian Nash

Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons

Hannah Parkin Sherborne Girls

Hilary Phillips Hanford School

James Phillips Hidden Pizza

Nin Rawlins The Homemover Specialist

Emma Rhys Thomas The Art of Confidence

Alec Rich Round Chimneys Farm

Hazel Roadknight Winstones Books

Kelly Ross The Art Stable

Mark Salter CFP Fort Financial Planning

Jonathan Simon Sacred Heart & St Aldhelms Catholic Church

Val Stones

Stephanie Tabor Set Interiors Studio

Fernando Velazquez

Simon Walker Mogers Drewett Solicitors

Sarah Webster Sherborne PCN

Joanna Weinberg Teals

Elizabeth Wills

ARTIST AT WORK

in association with

No 70: 4-Panel Vase, Incised Geometric Shapes, by Martin Dickson stoneware with metallic/gold finish, 97 x 97 x 392mm, £340

Ihave been making and teaching ceramics for the best part of 50 years. My ceramics explore the theme of the vessel with a particular emphasis on form and surface. These concerns are at the forefront of all of my hand-built work which includes a range of garden ceramics - planters, sundials and fountains and, with a different emphasis, a range of wheel-thrown pieces in polished porcelain. Slab-built vessels are constructed from a variety of coarse stoneware bodies; surfaces are scraped to reveal the nature of the material and thinly stained or glazed.

This 4-panel vase is one in a series of vessel forms. Decorated with incised geometric shapes this series ranges from small single-panel vases to a large floor-

standing lamp base. Incised geometric shapes are highlighted by variations in the metallic surface and on some pieces by the incorporation of white glaze.

Each piece is a development of a previous one so in many ways, the process is quite linear. The fascination for me is in finding an answer to the question of ‘Where next?’ And students, whether they are 5 or 95, have a knack for asking questions to which I don’t have an immediate answer. I love the way these conversations parallel those that I have with myself during the making process.

martindicksonceramics.co.uk dorsetvisualarts.org

CON FILM

inematheque is all setup and ready to start our 45th season of films this month, with our first outing on 4th September at the Swan Theatre. I was extremely happy with the last season – the quality of the films, the audience reactions to them and the general feeling of forward momentum as the season progressed. Having said that, my absolute favourite was ironically the first film we showed, this time last September. It was The Quiet Girl, an adaptation of the novella Foster by Irish writer Claire Keegan, which is short and the sort of book one picks up and cannot put down until one has finished it. The film grabs you in the same way and is a beautifully understated, deeply moving story of a young girl growing up in rural Ireland in the 1980s. I tell everyone who asks me for a film recommendation, and even those who haven’t, to watch The Quiet Girl. Quite genuinely, without exception, I have been contacted immediately and thanked by everyone for my suggestion. If you haven’t seen it yet, correct that omission by watching it on BFI Player, Amazon Prime, or buy the DVD of course. Then, let me know what you thought of it!

Now, our first film on 4th September is the fantastic US/South Korean Past Lives (2022), from writer and director Celine Song. Using her playwright background, the film is split into three acts, each set twelve years apart, and follows two young Korean childhood sweethearts, Nora Moon and Hae Sung. When Nora’s parents suddenly decide to emigrate to Canada, the youngsters are torn apart. Twelve years later, Nora, now married to Arthur, an American, is living in the US, while twelve years after this, Nora and Hae Sung agree to meet in New York for one fateful week. This beautiful

film’s emotional climax is how these three sympathetic characters resolve their feelings for each other. The direction is wonderfully balanced between them, as the audience is skilfully invited to choose between the protagonists’ longings and desires. With stripped-back dialogue so much is played out on the faces of the excellent actors, each articulating their own specific agony and need. This heart-rending romance confronts notions of destiny, love and the choices that make one’s life. This is an exceptional film worthy of the multiple accolades and awards poured over it.

A great way to start Cinematheque’s season but if you need more information, everything is on the website below.

Although I often mention the Swan Theatre in these articles, for anyone who’s never been, it is a communityowned and run theatre on Park Street in Yeovil and from the roadside looks deceptively small. The inside is quite like the Tardis, with a wonderful, tiered auditorium of 140 seats and impressively high production values. We are delighted to be part of its output.

cinematheque.org.uk swan-theatre.co.uk

Visit Cinematheque as a guest for £5, or take out a membership for the season. See website for details.

Wednesday 4th September 7.30pm

Past Lives (12A) 2022

Cinematheque, Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT

Members £1, guests £5

Andy Hastie, Cinemateque

Past Lives (2022)

YEOVIL AUDI

DRIVE AND DINE WITH THE CLOCKSPIRE

To celebrate the arrival of the brand new Audi Q6 e-tron at Yeovil Audi, we are holding an exclusive Drive and Dine event with our partner, The Clockspire.

The newest member of our fully-electric SUV family takes innovation and user focused design to a whole new level.

On Friday 20th September, we are offering you the opportunity to test drive the fantastic new Audi Q6 e-tron at our exclusive Drive and Dine event.

Begin your journey at The Clockspire in Sherborne and explore the innovative features of the Audi Q6 e-tron with one of our knowledgeable Sales Specialists. After the luxurious drive, enjoy delicious culinary delights prepared by our esteemed partner.

Don’t miss this unique chance to experience cutting-edge automotive technology and exquisite cuisine in one unforgettable event. Spaces are limited, so act now to secure your place!

To register your interest in the Drive and Dine event with Yeovil Audi, please scan the QR code.

CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT

Rosie Cunningham

Iadmit that I do avoid some of the more schmaltzy musicals which, whilst I am certain have a huge following of enthusiasts, are simply not for me. It may have something to do with childhood overcooked school productions! Hello, Dolly!, starring the divine multi-Olivier and BAFTA award-winning Imelda Staunton, is absolutely not in that category. The London Palladium is a big, expansive theatre with a wide and deep stage which allows for the energetic dancing of a large cast, the display of elaborate costumes and hats, a streetcar moving across the stage and other scenes including the sweeping descending staircase of a nightclub.

The music and lyrics were written by legendary Jerry Herman and this is a classic Broadway musical of pure entertainment. Staunton clearly loves playing her role and the supporting cast and dancers clearly love her. The aura of absolute enjoyment surrounding the production is palatable and we, the audience, were mesmerised by the performance. I didn’t know that Staunton had such a wonderful voice and it seemed that Hello, Dolly! could have been written for her –

‘Wow! Wow! Wow!’ (not my lines but from one of Dolly’s heartfelt songs). On at the London Palladium until 14th September and a five-star production that shouldn’t be missed.

The first Broadway production was in 1964 and Louis Armstrong recorded the title tune which became a number one single. The 1969 film version starred Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau in the lead roles and a feud began from the first moment they began working together. Apparently, Streisand’s requests for retakes irritated Matthau who thought that they weren’t needed and from then on they both tried to upstage each other. The film was directed by Gene Kelly and won three Academy Awards although only just broke even and was not considered a commercial success. Possibly too many competing egos on set?

In true British style, I sat in the pouring rain for nearly two hours at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre watching well-known actors, including Damian Lewis, Samuel West, Olivia Williams and Tony Robinson, who had cut their teeth on various Shakespearean parts before they had achieved greatness, reprise various

Image: Manuel Harlan

poems, speeches and scenes. The evening, ‘Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year’, was introduced by Allie Esiri based on her bestselling poetry anthology and was a celebration of 400 years of Shakespeare’s First Folio and over 90 years of Shakespeare performances. Whilst the rain teemed down, soaked tourists and wily raincoated Brits were treated to some memorable moments from the prolific work of ‘The Bard’, as actors relived fond memories from their pasts.

I went to Theatre Royal Bath to see Suite in Three Keys, two of Noël Coward’s three plays, Shadows of the Evening and Come Into the Garden Maud, starring Tara Fitzgerald, Emma Fielding and Stephen Boxer but the evening was marred by poor sound and the play had to be stopped until the issues were resolved. Unfortunately, the audience could also hear every footstep and hushed word behind the scenery which also didn’t help. The cast accordingly was slightly on edge. What a shame because usually Bath puts on excellent productions.

lwtheatres.co.uk allieesiri.com

THE CLOCK GOUACHE

STILL LIFE WITH PATTERNED POTS

Imelda Staunton and ensemble in Hello, Dolly!

HER DARK MATERIALS

The 2024 Somerset Art Weeks event, Somerset’s yearly celebration of art, is set to make a real impact this year with its theme of ‘Landscape: Flux and Flow’ in a series of events and exhibitions focusing on the hot topic of environment and sustainability.

There will be 100 art exhibitions to see across the county, all responding to the landscape and environment, including a number of exciting SAWsponsored projects which have been developed especially for this event by Somerset Art Works, the organisation that runs the festival.

One such project is Spinning a Yarn - a partnership project to tell the story of wool in Somerset. Somerset Art Works is partnering with the Somerset Rural Life Museum to celebrate one of the county’s most sustainable natural products. Through art installations, an exhibition, workshops, talks and family activities, visitors can discover more about the history and uses of this versatile material.

As part of this project, visitors to the museum’s 14th-century Abbey Barn will encounter a dramatic new installation by artist Nicola Turner. The striking artwork, created using hand-crafted woollen tendrils, will encompass the 8-metre height of the historic barn.

I spoke with Nicola about the use of sustainability in her art practice.

Why do you think it‘s important to use materials such as wool in artwork such as this and other raw natural materials you wouldn’t normally see being used?

For me, using unprocessed wool which is biodegradable and locally sourced is a sustainable medium and it is often a waste product. There are amazing people doing campaigns, for example Campaign for Wool and Fernhill Fibre, to reinstate the importance of wool, as it is often undervalued. The cost to farmers of shearing and transporting the wool to a collection depot is often more than the remuneration for the wool itself. It’s been really great to work on this project as it’s given me the time to research wool in a way I have never done before. I went down to the Reference Library in Taunton and read books on wool and its history. It‘s a material people have been trying to copy for years, as wool has cuticle scales on each fibre which trap air - so it’s amazing as it can take on 40% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp, as well as insulate you, keeping you hot or cold depending on the outside temperature as well as having a high tensile strength. All things which people are trying to recreate in man-made fibres and yet wool as a resource has been around for years. >

Imogen Gurton, Somerset Art Works & Artist, Nicola Turner

Image: Nicola Turner

Image: Maxwell Attenborough

Images: Nicola Turner

What support do you think could be offered to artists to produce more environmentally sustainable work without compromising on their work quality and ethic? Allowing more time. Even transporting artwork from one place to another, if it can be slower then sometimes that‘s better in achieving a lower carbon footprint. I think what’s interesting is how audiences are starting to challenge artists, which I think is a good way of pushing people to respond more. I’ve noticed less so when you talk to large galleries. Sometimes they’re quite surprised when I talk about using sustainable and biodegradable materials, as though that isn't their issue. Whereas, when I go and hear some artists talk nowadays, people in the audience put their hands up and say, ‘Why are you using those materials? How will they biodegrade? What‘s the longevity of that item? What will happen when the sculpture is finished with?’ It‘s evident that people are becoming so much more aware. It‘s in the news so much, we read about it so much and we’re responding so much more - I think questions of sustainability are being asked by people engaging with the artwork.

How are you hoping people will respond to the project?

Not much has been done, as far as I am aware, to capture people’s responses to wool as a material. I’m interested in researching the emotional connections people have to wool, through my sculptures. I am interested in how we relate to material when we touch it, material becoming a part of the world we are living in – which relates to

the climate emergency – and for us to realise we are not living separate. Our environment flows through us - we don’t finish at the skin. I think there is a lot written about wool as a material, how sheep came to Somerset and how it’s processed. Wool was such a major part of export with much of our landscape being built up around it, ever since its arrival in the Bronze Age and then with the Roman period commercialising it. But not much is written about the visceral response to it or what wool brings up in people. I have had different responses from people linking it to soft toys or trauma or something about the soft, comforting aspect as well as blankets of loneliness. We will be collecting people’s responses to seeing such a large mass of wool in one space.

somersetartworks.org.uk

‘Spinning a Yarn’ opens at Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury from 14th September - 30th November. An exhibition in the Mapstone Gallery will feature historic collections alongside work by contemporary artists whose work uses wool. The Nicola Turner and Trevor Pitt commissions in the Abbey Barn run until 2nd November.

The exibitions feature as part of the Somerset Art Weeks Festival running from 21st September - 6th October. Look for Venue 48 in the official SAW Festival Guide, which can be found in tourist information centres, libraries and museums near you throughout autumn.

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ARBOUR ARDOUR

GEORGE YOUNG

Kelly Ross, The Art Stable

George Young graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2008. He lived and worked in London until he moved to Somerset in 2023. His work centres around documenting family life, the home and the garden. Based on his experiences, vibrant colours, textures, brushed, rolled and airbrushed paintings develop which push the form, texture and colour towards a charged version of daily and often unexceptional events. Boiling down to something quite simple, layers of painterly gestures as well as mistakes and wrong turns accumulate, demonstrating the maxim ‘show your working’, while ultimately representing simple ideas of narrative and circumstance. Simple paintings therefore earn their place.

Arbour Ardour presents a body of paintings, prints and drawings which include landscapes, portraits and still lives as a way to explore different media through the means of intimate subjects and spaces.

theartstable.co.uk

Saturday 7th SeptemberSaturday 5th October

(open Thursday - Saturday, 10am-3pm)

George Young - Arbour Ardour

The Art Stable, Child Okeford, Dorset, DT11 8HB 07816 837905 kellyross@theartstable.co.uk

Black Horse (2024), 49 x 66cm

Lead Windows (2024), 98 x 65cm

LETTERS TO THE MASTERS NO.1:

RUBENS

Dear Rubens,

I am writing to you from a world very different to yours. I am a painter from Spain living in England. Perhaps strange, given the tense relationship between these two great nations during your own time. Things are better now, thanks in part to your very crucial diplomatic intervention. I have always admired your fine service to King Charles I and your tactful and well-balanced communication with King Philip IV of Spain. You embody the best character and qualities of your age, in

harmony with the values and aspirations of your society.

I should like to ask you about your time in Madrid and your meetings with the court painter Diego Velazquez. Looking back in time, I get excited imagining you and Velazquez walking around the Escorial Palace looking at the fine art collections. What do you think about the Titians there?

Your reputation today is as a great master, studied by painters (myself included) with deep interest and curiosity, just as you so much admired those masters during your stay in Italy. Oh Italy, so full of art! Please

Fernando Velazquez, Artist and Teacher

The Miracle Fishing Triptych (detail) 1618, Rubens

tell me about your experience there.

Rubens, what would you make of how painting has changed? What would you think of abstract art and the many different ways of communicating ideas?

Looking at your work, I feel a great sense of movement in your figures, something that makes the eye dance all over the canvas, jumping from warm colours to fresh, beautiful greens, all so well put together. Your use of oils is free and painterly, particularly evident in Allegory of Peace and War, today exhibited permanently in London. I love your use of colour, with rich deep blues, crimsons and yellows that make me think of Venice. I also love your Autumn Landscape with a View of Het Steen, a landscape with a wonderful sense of space.

Please tell me about Anthony van Dyck – I believe he was your pupil – was he a good assistant? Perhaps too many questions!

Suffice to say, your contribution to the development of European culture is widely recognised. Your work, as both diplomat and artist, is important. Your perception of life is so vivid, affirming fundamental human values with such force, making your paintings a living aesthetic. In your art sir, we find all the aspects of seventeenth-century painting, the frenzy of the Baroque, the harmony of Classicism and the authenticity of Realism, all subordinated to one idea: a human victory over a troubled world - still an aspiration for my own time.

I very much look forward to your reply.

Gratefully yours, Fernando Velazquez

Dear Velazquez,

I shall overlook your informal approach; I suppose a manner of your time. I am intrigued by your grand name, perhaps you are related to the great master, who I had the pleasure of meeting in Madrid. I had time to enjoy the King’s collection and the opportunity to discuss with Sr Velazquez some of the finest pieces in the palace, whilst there on sensitive matters at the service of both Spanish and English monarchs. This was my second visit to Madrid in 1628 and I remember well seeing his almost completed latest piece in his studio, The Triumph of

Bacchus, an imaginative variation of Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne. I felt that Caravaggio’s treatment of religious subjects was in the back of his mind as much as Ribera’s naturalistic portraits of figures from antiquity.

You asked me about Italy. My eight years there were extremely important in my development as an artist. I knew I needed to see the masters in the flesh and I was extremely grateful to work at the service of the Duke of Mantua. During my stay in this wonderful country, I travelled widely and copied many wonderful pieces, informing my perception of nature and movement. I learnt how important ‘disegno’ was for my work and the colour of the Venetians changed the way I see light. Italy will always be in my heart.

It seems art has become a very different thing in your time. You mentioned terms that I do not fully understand. What is Baroque or Abstract? An artist approaches subject matter as an abstraction but always at the service of classical ideas with inspired imagination. The classics are always present in my time.

Yes, Van Dyck was my assistant, a young talented man who I very much respect. He did many copies of my work, exercising a good sense of colour and excellent manners.

I appreciate your comments about Allegory of Peace and War – I painted it in 1629-30 in England. It was a gift to Charles I. It is about the benefits of peace. In my preparations, I studied Tintoretto’s Minerva and Mars in Venice, looking at composition and design, but also on my mind was Ecce Homo by the great Titian.

You ask about my Autumn Landscape with a View of Het Steen. I painted this in 1636, towards the end of my life. I bought this beautiful estate and retired from my long career as a diplomat and an artist. This is a painting for my own pleasure and almost a full circle for me, as I started my art education with the landscape painter Tobias Verhaecht in Antwerp. This painting was of a view that I loved, done on seventeen panels! I kept joining more panels as I worked on it, creating the sense of space. The blues and greens, the yellows and the light, all brought joy to my heart.

‘Painting is the art of imitation but with an added touch of imagination.’

Sincerely yours,

Peter Paul Rubens

fernandovelazquez.co.uk fernandovelazquez.art

COUNTER CULTURE

No. 33: Under the Radar

Ifrequently get asked, ‘Do you sell online?’ or sometimes I get told, ‘You must do most of your business on the internet.’ I always answer this question in the same manner. I reply that I do sell online but very little of my business is conducted digitally. Probably 10% of my total sales are online. That percentage could very well be a lot more if some effort was put into it but that’s not my motivation for doing this. The shop gives me the opportunity to interact with a huge array of people and over the years relationships have been forged that I hope will remain for years to come. The local community is full of character – independent people coming together to create a special, fun and interesting place to frequent. There are a whole host of talented people around –some in full view, some flying under the radar. It’s these people that inspire and make my work so rewarding. People in business and people in the arts. Performers and facilitators. These are just a few… Working in a record shop you meet like-minded people – people who are passionate, sometimes obsessive and people who sometimes have a story. I am a

51-year-old fanboy. If someone comes into the shop and mentions that they’re in a band then I’m in and they’re in for the long haul, as I want to know everything.

When Tim came into the shop one day we began chatting about a mutual respect for Mark Lanegan. Tim comes from Milborne Port, quietly spoken and effortlessly cool. It turned out that Tim played for several bands, those being Hey Colossus, Reigns and Henry Blacker. He also used to play in P.J. Harvey’s band (touring with Queens of the Stone Age and U2 to name but a few). He was a member of Spleen with Rob Ellis and the (for me) infamous Gutless who once supported the mighty Shellac (Steve Albini fronted post-hardcore band) at Evershot village hall in the 90s. As well as being a musician and singer Tim also writes and is an artist. He recently managed to combine all three talents with a novel he wrote called Dead Centre, illustrated by himself, which also comes with an accompanying album by his band Reigns. Incredible talent on our doorstep.

Through Tim, I met Joe. Joe plays bass in Hey Colossus. He lives in Street. He’s a very tall, very

Paul Maskell, The Beat and Track

Urbancow/iStock

amiable guy who, after selling me some records, it transpired that he also ran a record label with friend and bandmate Chris. On investigation, it appears that Joe is a most modest man as the label he runs is one of the best independent labels that I have ever come across. A host of fantastically diverse bands, all doing it for the right reason. Passion. The label is run on passion and hard work and this is evident by the sheer quality of releases on Wrong Speed Records. Joe has also written a book charting the trials and tribulations of being in a band (Hey Colossus) called Sleevenotes. I recommend reading this book if you are thinking of starting a band, are in a band or ever wish you’d been in a band. It’s a fascinating read. If only I’d persevered playing the bass. Enter a fantastic character from Yeovil named Kek who has become a good mate and inspiration when it comes to music-making and the inhabitants of the leftfield. Chatting in the shop over a love of Acid Mothers Temple and all things psychedelic, a story started to emerge. He used to be a member of electronic outfit, Hacker Farm. I had once tried to track down their form of Broken Music for a Broken Britain some years ago. I had no idea that he was once 50% of said duo. So Kek is a musician contributing electronic interventions with the likes of Unruly Milk, Hacker Farm and most recently BRAM Van BARTEK. He’s also a scriptwriter for 2000AD comics as well as a host of other publications. He’s also written several books and is the author of newsletterzine Humane Debris. You should subscribe. You should subscribe now.

Matt too was an early visitor to the shop and has been a regular ever since. A very unassuming guy, Matt is a virtuoso in the modular synth world. He’s played as Magnétophone and Twilight Sequence as well as being one-third of electronic psych masters Rapid Eye Electronics Ltd. Currently signed to Castles in

EM_ST.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2024 14:54 Page 1

Space, Twilight Sequence has released a cracking and somewhat beautiful 12’ single Trees in General: and the Larch (clear vinyl, single-sided, etched) and an album Outline of Nature. Matt manages to bring nature and the world around us into the electronic sphere with stunning results.

I haven’t the space to tell you about the numerous other characters that punctuate life in the shop. Dan who is a rookie film and documentary maker. Simon who still fronts early indie favourites The Chesterfields. Steve who makes music for TV. James, Chris and Mark who are all fantastic artists – all with very different and exciting styles. There’s Matt who has a passion for The Cure like no other person I know. There’s Psych Steve, Japanese Adam and Rock n Roll David. There are stories from ex-landlords, roadies, sound engineers and punters alike. Customers who have battled demons and come out on top plus the sad story of one that didn’t.

These are just some of the reasons that the faceless world of internet sales fails to motivate me. Maybe it’s a necessary evil to keep the business going? However, I already consider myself a very rich man. Not in terms of money but in terms of the people I meet and the community within which I work. A community that has a wealth of talent and more importantly, passion.

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

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

Mondays 1.30pm-3.30pm

Craft and Chat Group

Sherborne Library, Hound Street

Bring along your current project and meet others.

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, Terrace Playing Fields. 01963 210409 bridgewebs.com/sherborne

Tuesdays and Thursdays 2pm-4pm Croquet Club

Charlton Horethorne Croquet Club

Free taster sessions. charltoncroquetclub. com JillHanson123@Outlook.com

Tuesdays 10am-12pm

Fine Folk Dancing

Charlton Horethorne Village Hall £3 per session. Beginners welcome. 01963 220640.

WHAT'S ON

Every Wednesday 6pm–10pm

DJ Sessions

Roth Bar, Bruton BA10 0NL. An evening of chilled tunes by local DJs. Free.

Every 1st Thursday 9.30am

Netwalk for Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

Pageant Gardens. @Netwalksherborne

Every 1st Thursday 11am-12pm Poetry Writing Group

Sherborne Library, Hound Street

Every 2nd & 4th Thursday 10am-12.30pm

Castleton Probus Club

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

Thursdays 2pm-4pm & Fridays 11am-1pm

Digital Champions Sessions

Sherborne Library, Hound Street Bookable sessions for help with basic skills using your own device or a library computer. sherbornelibrary@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Thursdays 7.30pm-9.30pm (beginners 7pm-7.30pm1st 2 sessions free)

St Michael‘s Scottish Country Dance Club

Davis Hall, West Camel. £2. 07972 125617 stmichaelsscdclub.org

Fridays 3.30pm-5pm

Children’s Board Games Club

Sherborne Library, Hound Street Drop-in for children age 5 and over. Play board games, including chess, or bring one of your own.

Every Saturday 7.30pm-10pm

Whist Drive

Trinity Church, Lysander Road, Yeovil BA20 2BU. £5 including raffle. Contact Nigel 01935 862325

Every Sunday 4pm–6pm Sunday Sounds

Roth Bar, Bruton BA10 0NL. A chilled afternoon with live jazz or folk music. Free.

Wednesday 4th 3pm and 7pm

Lecture - Danish Modernism –The Skagen Painters

Digby Hall, Hound Street

Members free, £10 for non-members theartssocietysherborne.org/

Wednesday 4th 7.30pm

Past Lives (12A) 2022

Cinematheque, Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT. Members £1, guests £5 cinematheque.org.uk

Saturday 7th - Saturday 5th

October 10am-3pm (and by appointment)

George Young - Arbour Ardour

The Art Stable, Child Okeford, Dorset, DT11 8HB (open Thursday - Saturday) 07816 837905 kellyross@theartstable.co.uk artstable.co.uk (see page 20)

Saturday 7th - Saturday 5th

October 10am-3pm (open Thurs-Sat)

George Young - Arbour Ardour

The Art Stable, Child Okeford, Dorset, DT11 8HB. 07816 837905 theartstable.co.uk (see page 20)

Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th 11.30am-3.30pm

Sherborne Steam & Waterwheel Centre Open Days

Castleton Pumping Station, Oborne Road DT9 3RX

Entry by donation. sswc.co.uk

Sunday 8th 8am (sellers) 9am (buyers)

Car Boot Sale

The Terrace, Sherborne, DT9 5NS

Raising funds for Friends of The Yeatman Hospital. admin2@friendsoftheyeatman.org.uk

Tuesday 10th 9pm-10.30pm

Singing Bowl Soundbath

Digby Memorial Hall, DT9 3LN Sonic deep-tissue massage and detox. £16. 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com

Wednesday 11th 10.15am-12.30pm (2pm with lunch)

Probus Club of Sherborne - RNLI

The Grange Oborne DT9 4LA. New members welcome – please message beforehand. probus.sherborne@gmail.com probus-sherborne.org.uk

Wednesday 11th 7pm

Macready and DickensTalk by Katherine Barker

The Sherborne, Newland DT9 3JG Tickets from Winstone’s and sherborneliterarysociety.com/ £10 members/£12 non-members

Thursday 12th 7.30pm

Sherborne and District

Gardeners‘ Association

Talk and DemonstrationBlack Shed Flowers

Digby Hall, Hound Street. All are welcome. Visitors £3. 01935 389375

4th September: Danish Modernism –The Skagen Painters: This lecture looks at the 1870s period until the beginning of the 20th Century when this village on the Jutland Peninsula was home to an artists’ colony.

Members free; visitors £10 theartssocietysherborne.org

Friday 13th 7pm

30th Anniversary Save the Children Charity Concert Cheap Street Church, Sherborne DT9 3BJ. Tickets £20/student £10 (cash only) available from Winstone’s, Cheap Street, Sherborne

Saturday 14th 10am-4pm

National Garden SchemeGarden Open for CharityThe Potting Shed

Middlemarsh, DT9 5QN

£4.50, children free. Cream teas.

Sunday 15th 10am-3pm

The Sherborne Market

Local producers, suppliers, food, art & crafts. thesherbornemarket.com

Sunday 15th 2pm

2025 Production of Mother Goose Script Reading and Auditions

Village Hall, Charlton Horethorne

Friday 20th

Wine Tasting Evening Castle Gardens, Sherborne. Tickets admin2@friendsoftheyeatman.org.uk

Friday 20th 8pm

Dean Carter Live - ‘Wheel

Hall, Hound Street,

of the Year’ Album Launch

Digby Memorial Hall, DT9 3LN

Suggested minimum donation £8

Satuday 21stSunday 6th October

Somerset Art Weeks Festival

A celebration of the county‘s artists across the region. Visit somersetartworksorg.uk for more information, and to download the official app

Saturday 21st 11am-5pm

Mind Body Spirit Fayre

Digby Hall, Hound Street DT9 3AA Psychic mediums and demos, therapists, stalls, tombola. Cakes and coffee. £1 coin entry.

Saturday 21st 2pm (doors 1.30pm)

The Gerald Pitman Memorial Lecture - ‘Hospital Blues: Nursing in Sherborne during the First World War’

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road Sherborne Museum members free, £5 for visitors. Refreshments provided.

Saturday 21st 6pm

The Band of the RAF Regiment Charity Concert Sherborne Abbey. Tickets £25

WHAT'S ON

(includes interval refreshments) from Winstone’s Books, Oliver’s Coffee Shop, Kafe Fontana, Sherborne Abbey or eventbrite.co.uk All profits to Yeatman Hospital, Dementia UK and RAF Benevolent Fund

Saturday 21st 7pm

The Dorset Wrecks Sea

Shanties plus Dorset Humour

Holy Rood Church, Buckland Newton DT2 7BX. To support repairs to the church roof. Interval refreshments £10pp - 07971 277584 or 01300 345434

Saturday 21st 7.45pm-10.15pm

Ballroom, Latin and Sequence Dancing

Digby Hall, Hound Street. £5 (pay on the door). dancingduo.co.uk 01803 325905

Sunday 22nd 1.30pm-4.30pm

Sherborne Folk Band

Digby Memorial Hall. All abilities welcome sherbornefolkband.org

Tuesday 24th 2pm

Jeffery ArcherAn Eye For An Eye

The Sherborne, Newland DT9 3JG Author talk and signing. Tickets £5 available from Winstone’s Books, shop.winstonebooks.co.uk and sherborneliterarysociety.com

ART COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

ALL LEVELS OF ABILITY - STUDIO-BASED COMPTON STUDIOS, SHERBORNE

City And Guilds Courses

Creative Techniques

Interior Design

Painting Techniques

Drawing

Hand Stitch Techniques

Mixed Media

SWAC Workshops

Silver Clay Jewellery

Acrylic Techniques

Still Life in Oil

Abstract Alcohol Inks

Perspective Drawing

Hand Embroidery

Tuesday 24th 8pm

Mapping Dorset‘s Historic Buildings

Digby Hall, Hound Street. Members free, visitors £5 sherbornehistoricalsociety.co.uk

Wednesday 25th 10.15am-12.30pm (2pm with lunch)

Probus Club of SherborneChannel Dash

The Grange Oborne DT9 4LA. New members welcome –please message beforehand. probus.sherborne@gmail.com

Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th 10am-5pm Angels of Sound Module 1 Oborne Village Hall, DT9 4LA Toning and over-toning workshop. Advance bookings only centreforpuresound.org/home/ AutumnAngels24

Saturday 28th 6.30pm

Classical Guitar ConcertGary Ryan supported by Sherborne Girls Madrigal Society & Chamber Musicians

St Laurence Church, Holwell DT9 5LB

Beginners Workshops Acrylic Oil

Watercolour Printing Drawing Embroidery

South West Art Courses

Compton Court

Coldharbour

Sherborne DT9 4AG 07549357138 / 07917190309

admin@southwestartcourses.co.uk southwestartcourses.co.uk

Tickets £15/£12 (under 21s £7.50/£6)

01963 23428 budgells@hotmail.co.uk

Sunday 29th 2pm-4pm

Singing Bowl Soundbath

Digby Memorial Hall, DT9 3LN

Sonic deep-tissue massage and detox. £16 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com

Planning ahead

Wednesday 2nd October at 3pm and 7pm

Lecture - Mars and the Muses: The Renaissance Art of Armour Digby Hall, Hound Street

Members free, £10 for non-members theartssocietysherborne.org/

Sport

Sherborne RFC

The Terraces, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NS

Men’s 1st XV. 3pm KO

Saturday 7th

Devizes (H)

Saturday 14th

Frome (A)

Saturday 21st

Chippenham II (H)

Saturday 28th

Walcot (H)

Sherborne Football Club

The Terraces, Sherborne,

Dorset DT9 5NS

Men’s 1st X1. 3pm unless otherwise stated

Tuesday 3rd (7.45pm KO)

Christchurch (A)

Saturday 7th

Brockenhurst (H)

Saturday 14th

Christchurch (H)

Saturday 21st

Hythe & Dibden (A)

Saturday 28th

AFC Portchester (H)

listings@homegrown-media.co.uk

MARKET KNOWLEDGE

CONNOR FROST, JAMES PHILLIPS & RAPHAEL WOLFF, HIDDEN PIZZA

Welcome to The Sherborne Market!

What brings you here?

We have a regular Wednesday night pop-up pitch in Sherborne at The Parachute Tap Room and Bar and we have been trading at local markets for years. The Sherborne Market is always a fun one.

Where have you travelled from?

We are based in Gillingham, Dorset.

Tell us about what you’re selling

We sell wood-fired sourdough pizzas that are good for the planet! We source all our ingredients from local producers and suppliers who care about their impact. Our bases are made with regeneratively grown flour from Wildfarmed, which amazingly is carbon-negative! Our mozzarella is made by Brue Valley Artisan Dairy, just outside Glastonbury. The vegetables are supplied by Riverford Organic Farms. And all our meat is supplied by Somerset Charcuterie,

who only use free-range locally reared pigs.

Where and when did it all begin?

We started the business back in 2014 – our first event was in February at the Snowdrop Festival in Shaftesbury.

What do you enjoy most about selling at markets?

We love the banter with other stallholders and we always meet interesting people.

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

Usually the coffee stallholders! Love the Gamekeeper’s Larder too – amazing venison!

Where can people find you on market day?

We’ll be in Pageant Gardens.

hiddenpizza.co.uk

Hand picked & selected artisan market

Flying the flag for local featuring local producers, suppliers, amazing food, arts and crafts.

Markets held between 10am - 3pm on the dates below.

10am - 3pm Nov 17th Dec 15th Sept 15th Oct 20th

THE TREASURES OF SHERBORNE THE MACREADY/DICKENS SCREEN

Jeremy Barker

It is remarkable how many cultural treasures there are in Sherborne. Apart from the multitude of Grade 1 Listed Buildings, there are 6 artefacts on a smaller scale that are of particular interest and quality. First, in the Almshouse, there is the remarkable fifteenth-century triptych by a follower of Rogier van der Weyden; second, the procession of Queen Elizabeth I in Sherborne Castle, a picture that appears in all the art books of that period; and third, the mural of The Bishop and the Boot in Sherborne Museum, originally from ‘Tudor Rose’ in Long Street.

The others are all associated with Sherborne House. Of these, foremost is Sir James Thornhill’s painted stairwell depicting the story of the Calydonian Hunt. But there is also his painting, The Folke Resurrection, which belongs to Folke Parochial Church Council and the now famous Charles Dickens/William Charles Macready Screen, which is the main subject of this article.

The screen first came to the notice of the Friends of Sherborne House when Sir Nevil Macready, a direct descendant of the famous Victorian Shakespearean actor, offered it as a gift to the Friends of Sherborne House. It was a very generous gesture and one willingly accepted.

According to family tradition, it was pieced together in Sherborne House by Dickens and Macready. It is a giant collage consisting of four hinged panels, each 6'3 x 3'. The panels are covered with 500 and more art pictures cut out and arranged with great care from publications of whatever kind in the 1850s on both sides of each panel. It is a fascinating insight - a time capsule of artistic taste in that period.

The screen remained in the family ’s possession; wherever the family went, the screen went, including a period in Paris. However, when it returned home to Sherborne, it was in poor condition. It had suffered greatly at the hands of playful children, scratching dogs and those puffing at cigars and cigarettes. Repairs/ restorations had tended to make things rather worse.

Once the House was closed for restoration, the ever-active Friends undertook the cleaning, repair and restoration of this precious historical artefact. An appeal was launched, which received a generous response from the people of Sherborne, and £22,000 was quickly raised.

It was fortunate that Rebecca Donan, an expert on paper restoration, was working in the Dorset record office at the time. She was elated to have the opportunity to bring the screen back to life and the transformation she achieved is remarkable.

The next task was identifying the pictures, which was undertaken by Professor Catherine Waters and her

researcher, Rosa Coles, at Kent University with financial assistance from the Friends. The images are of all manner of subjects, portraits of eminent people, scenes from Shakespeare, landscapes, architecture etc. They sought to discover the authorship, subject material and provenance of each picture and were successful in the overwhelming majority of them. These were then made publicly available on a website created at the University and available here: research.kent.acuk/macready

Word on the screen spread quickly and the call came for its display at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh in the recent exhibition Cut and Paste: 400 Years of Collage. The screen was

beautifully presented and lit and its powerful presence stole the show. We can look forward to the day when the screen, the Folke Resurrection, and Thornhill’s Painted Stairwell draw and thrill the crowds in Sherborne House.

One last word. Why did Macready undertake this massive task? Partly, it was the fashion to create such collages at the time but one suspects that Macready also considered it an educational aid for his children. So it can be now as well for the schoolchildren of Sherborne in the hands of inspiring teachers.

thesherborne.uk

SHERBORNE PRIMARY CARE NETWORK

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

Sarah Webster, Sherborne PCN Operational Manager

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are GP practices working together. The Grove Medical Centre, The Apples Medical Centre and Yetminster Health Centre form the Sherborne Primary Care Network. Our PCN has several healthcare professionals with specialist knowledge, working alongside your GP and practice nurses. This collaboration enables us to provide local Covid-19 vaccinations.

Social Prescribing is an integral part of healthcare. Our Social Prescribers focus on what matters to you. They empower patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle, connecting them to services for both practical and emotional care, improving your health and wellbeing through non-medical, personalised, holistic support.

Two dedicated Frailty Nurses, work with the District Nurses and Community Matrons to support patients living independently in their own homes and those residing in care homes. Our Mental Health Practitioners provide help and support, with appointments at your GP practice. They can refer you to a Health and Wellbeing Coach who will develop your knowledge, skills, and confidence so you become active participants in your care and reach your wellbeing goals.

Care Coordinators support patients in preparing for or following up clinical consultations. They work with other primary care professionals, ensuring that your changing needs are addressed. Our Pharmacy Team work closely with the GPs – they review your personal needs, offer advice and ensure your prescription is appropriate. NHS England has requested that GPs reduce unneeded prescriptions, asking us all to buy simple, everyday medicines from a chemist or supermarket. Remember your local chemist can help with a range of common conditions.

Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) offer feedback, helping us to inform patients. Our PPG requested free health talks, which we are arranging. So see our posts on Facebook and practice websites or ask your GP practice for details or if you would like to join their PPG. Topics include: Weight Management, Ways to Avoid High Blood Pressure and Trouble Sleeping.

Please help us to help you. Since 1984 the UK population has surged from 56 million to almost 68 million. In 2024 there were 1,694 fewer fully qualified full-time GPs than in 2015. Yet the average number of patients allocated to a practice increased from 7,761 in 2016 to 9,995 in 2023. In addition, long hospital waiting lists with the shift of some services to primary care have seen the workload of our GPs increase exponentially. This additional PCN workforce means that GPs can focus on the more acute needs of our patients.

We can help you to use the NHS App to order prescriptions or make appointments. Each practice website has information, links and advice. Our Receptionists are highly trained and ask questions so they can make you an appointment with the right practitioner – this may not be your GP! Lastly, please arrive on time for your appointment and let us know if you need to cancel so we can offer it to someone else.

gp-patient.co.uk

Children’s Book Review

Hazel Roadnight, Winstone’s Books

Hummingbird by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Jane Ray (Walker Books 2024 £7.99)

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

Anew book from Nicola Davies is always something to treasure and when it’s been beautifully illustrated by Jane Ray, you know it’s going to be good.

There are over 300 different kinds of hummingbird, all of which are very small. This is the story of the Ruby-throated

Hummingbird which weighs about the same as a penny and yet manages to fly 3000 kilometres every spring, build a nest, have little hummingbirds and then fly all the way back again to have a winter in the warmth. This picture book has lots of interesting

UNEARTHED

Grace Barnes, aged 15

The Gryphon School

Grace always has a mindfulness colouring book in her bag and sometimes when she needs a break from lessons, she gets it out and colouring the intricate pages helps to calm her down. But this is no ordinary colouring book – this is one that Grace designed and produced herself and when her teachers found out they thought it was such a good idea, they ordered some copies as well! Now each Head of Year office and The Haven at The Gryphon - where students can go for extra support - has a copy for students to use.

Grace openly talks about how having ASD and ADHD can often mean she finds lessons overwhelming but her colouring book really helps, and she’s really happy that it’s now helping other students too. Other students have commented how it takes their minds off their worries and helps them to relax. Having started designing them last summer, Grace has so far produced two different colouring books. Her next project is to design one aimed at boys, with a more urban feel than the pretty florals she has previously used.

Budding entrepreneur Grace hopes to go on to Sixth Form to study business or find a business apprenticeship and sees a future where she is her own boss. With all these skills at just 15 years old, we have no doubt she’ll do well!

gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

Portrait, lifestyle, PR and editorial commissions

07808 400083

info@katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk www.katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk

RAISING THE BAR

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FEMALE ATHLETES

Hannah Parkin, Director of Sport, Sherborne Girls

As Director of Sport, I am incredibly excited that we are hosting Girls Go Gold 2024 on Thursday 19th September with the theme of ‘Raising the Bar’. Girls Go Gold is the national Girls’ Schools Association Conference aimed at inspiring the next generation of women in sport. In 2019, we invited over 200 aspiring young

athletes and professionals to Sherborne Girls for our inaugural Sport in Her Shoes conference, in collaboration with The Well HQ. Looking at sport through a female lens, we discussed performance, participation and the joy of sport, and broke new ground by addressing vital topics such as puberty, breast health and the importance of proper sports

clothing designed for women and girls.

We are proud to be building on the Sport in Her Shoes legacy and to be hosting GSA’s Girls Go Gold 2024. The event has already sold out and we are looking forward to welcoming over 400 young athletes and their coaches from across the country, along with an impressive line-up of elite performers and coaches.

Girls Go Gold 2024 comes at an exciting time on the back of the first Olympics in history to show numerical gender parity on the field of play, with the same number of female and male athletes taking part. This milestone reflects the growing momentum in women’s sport globally and we are thrilled to be contributing to this movement. Our aim is to inspire every girl to recognise she has limitless potential and that no goal is too high.

However, while women’s sport has undoubtedly made significant progress in recent years, there is still much work to be done to ensure that every girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential. Girls Go Gold 2024 is a crucial step in the right direction. By bringing together a stellar line-up of female role models, including renowned broadcasters, such as Sue Anstiss and Clare Balding, Olympic medallists and industry experts, we aim to create an environment where young women can be inspired, informed and empowered.

This extraordinary event will provide the girls aged 15-18 with an unparalleled opportunity to engage with some of the most accomplished women in sport. Through interactive workshops, inspiring talks, and specialist coaching sessions led by current and former Olympians, Paralympians, England coaches, players and performance sports experts, girls will gain invaluable insights into the world of elite athletics.

We hope that the chance to learn from and be inspired by these incredible role models who are trailblazers in their field will facilitate an environment that focuses on possibility and opportunity. It will not only enhance the sporting abilities of the young athletes but will also develop their personal growth, leadership skills and confidence.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the challenges and triumphs of female athletes, the business of sport and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry. Sessions such as ‘Life in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Villages’ and ‘Life Beyond the Final Whistle’ will offer a glimpse into the

realities of life in performance sport, while workshops on topics ranging from sports marketing to healthy nutrition will provide practical takeaways for aspiring athletes and those considering a career in the industry.

Our Head, Ruth Sullivan, comments, ‘We are privileged to welcome to our school pioneers who have shaped the landscape of women’s sport. Their stories of perseverance and success will empower all of us to pursue excellence. We hope Girls Go Gold 2024 will be a day of inspiration and discovery, as we continue to push the boundaries and raise the bar in women’s sport.’

Beyond the talks and workshops, the event will also provide opportunities for networking and collaboration. We believe that building connections between young athletes, coaches and industry professionals is essential for creating a thriving ecosystem for women’s sport. By bringing together a diverse group of individuals, we hope to inspire new partnerships that will drive positive change.

Sport is more than just physical activity; it is a catalyst for character development, leadership and teamwork. It teaches resilience, determination and the importance of setting goals and overcoming challenges. These are qualities that will serve the girls well not only in their sporting endeavours but also in every aspect of their lives.

We believe that every girl deserves the opportunity to discover the joy and benefits of sport. Whether it’s the thrill of competition, the camaraderie of team sports or the personal satisfaction of achieving a goal, sport has the power to transform lives.

Girls Go Gold 2024 is just one example of our dedication to empowering young women to raise the bar. To quote Michelangelo, ‘The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it but that it is too low and we reach it.’

Sponsorship Opportunities

Girls Go Gold 2024 is a fantastic platform for businesses and organisations that share our commitment to promoting women’s sport. If you are interested in sponsoring this event and helping us inspire the next generation of female athletes, please get in touch with our marketing team at marketing@sherborne.com. Together, we can create a future where every girl has the opportunity to shine.

sherborne.com

REFLECTIONS OF SUMMER

Abi Guiton, Events Manager, Sherborne School

As the boys return to school and we turn our attention to the incoming academic year, we can pause for a moment and reflect on another successful summer of events, lettings, holiday camps and activities.

The school site wasn’t quiet for long after the term ended, as within hours of the boys packing up their rooms and departing for the summer holidays, we welcomed back a group of Old Shirburnians bringing with them a sense of excitement and nostalgia as they returned to the school. Despite the changeable weather, the group were happy to be reunited for a week of cricket against alumni from other local schools on the sports pitches and sharing stories of their school days.

We have hosted a number of residential summer schools throughout July and August, the first of which was an Urban Design and Architecture course run by the Create Streets Foundation. The historic buildings and architecture in the school, as well as the wider town of Sherborne, provided the perfect

setting and inspiration for the students, giving them the opportunity to apply theory and classroom-based learning to local sites and hands-on practice.

The school campus was transformed once again with the arrival of the Sherborne Summer School of Music at the start of August. The residential course spanned across two weeks, with hundreds of talented instrumentalists, singers, conductors and composers from different backgrounds and countries uniting to share their passion for music and to practise and perform together. In addition to the busy timetable of classes and rehearsals, many concerts and recitals were performed in venues around Sherborne, allowing members of the public to share and experience the fantastic music. As always, the weekly Gala Dinners proved to be a particular highlight with a full orchestra accompanying an outstanding three-course dinner provided by our catering team. Those attending the Gala Dinner were also treated to a cabaret by the Music School’s students, before ending the evening on the dance floor.

After two weeks of wonderful music filling the school site, the Summer School of Music departed, only to be replaced by the British Theatre School moving into our Drama School. At the end of each week of rehearsals, games and activities, families were invited to an all-singing, all-dancing 20-minute show in the brilliant venue of the Powell Theatre, complete with stage lighting, costumes and sets.

Our sports facilities were also put to good use in August, when Activate Camps returned for three weeks to run their cricket, football and hockey camps. Each day the children enjoyed a wide range of sports, games and activities. They were soon followed by a residential group from Bath Rugby who utilised the rugby pitches and one of our boarding houses for their holiday training camp.

Our final event of the summer, the Rotary Club of Sherborne Castles Historic Vehicle Rally and Car Show, this year in its forty-eighth year, was another success. More than a hundred vehicles attended the

annual fundraising event, which starts with a 30-mile tour around the local Dorset countryside before the cars are parked in The Courts, Sherborne School, to be showcased to the public and judged across twenty-three categories for which trophies are awarded. As usual, many vehicle owners entered the spirit of the event and dressed up for the occasion with costumes and props to match the age of their vehicles. Participants and visitors were able to enjoy refreshments from our fantastic café, the Hub, as well as ice creams provided by Ecco Gelato and music played by Sherborne Town Band. As in previous years, the summer has proved to be a busy, varied and demanding time for the Events Team and many other departments. At the same time, we are reminded of how rewarding and fulfilling it is to see the school site busy and full of life with different talented, passionate groups and individuals from around the world.

sherborne.org

Images: Abi Gutton

FILM SCHOOL

Hilary Phillips, Head, Hanford School

The quiet days of summer are over and the children are back in school. Hopefully, the sun will shine, as it often does once the holidays are over, and we can make the most of the great outdoors before the nights draw in and find other ways to deliver our lessons.

One of the jobs we worked on during the summer term was the making of a new school video. This proved to be a time-consuming process but one which we feel has been very worthwhile, not just because we have a lovely new school video but more importantly, because it made us focus on what exactly makes us different.

We started by looking at lots of videos on other school websites to see what made us get the ‘feel’ of a school. What we found is that there was a distinct pattern to a school promotional video and this wasn’t what we wanted as we feel we really do have a unique offer. This encouraged us to look further than the usual production companies and we found a brilliant little company, aptly named Tiny Studios, which has built itself up slowly but steadily over the past five years making a wide range of content. What we liked about them was the time they took to really try to understand what we felt was different about Hanford and what messages we wanted to convey. Each step of the way they listened to us and challenged us to really get to the heart of what makes us special. This was an extremely useful exercise as it made us stop and think about what really matters and whether we are doing what we say we do. It provided an opportunity to reflect on our offer and to ask ourselves what needs to be done as we move forward under the new government.

This was a very timely exercise as there is no place for complacency in independent

education. The application of VAT on school fees will squeeze many parents who are already making sacrifices in other areas of their lives because they believe an independent education is the best for their children. Our duty, therefore, is to make sure we are providing an excellent educational experience and in our fast-changing world, there are core values that we must enshrine in our offer but also whilst making sure that our girls are future-proof and futureready. The new Secretary of State for Education is placing more emphasis on life skills, transferable skills and breadth and depth of education. We know, through our video-making process and time of reflection that this is exactly what we do but we also have a strong vision of how we are going to build on and improve what we offer the girls here. We have a heavy focus on practical skills allied with intellectual thought and we are going to work to extend our curriculum even further through adopting an enrichment programme focusing on reallife skills. We are going to look at how we can work with and within the local community, to preserve those things which have been in danger of getting lost but which we know are crucial for our mental and physical health. We are blessed with an amazing site and are now part of a strong group of schools, the Sherborne Schools Group and this will help us ensure that we don’t sit back. Exciting times are ahead and we are looking forward to sharing our belief in a practical, creative curriculum, making full use of the outdoors but with rigorous academic standards underpinning all that we do.

And so back to our video. Please do take a look at it on our website or social media. We hope that it shows how important childhood, family, belonging and endless possibilities are to us. Then, perhaps you’d like to come and see for yourselves if that’s really true!

hanfordschool.co.uk

Images: Tiny Studios

Independent boarding and day school for girls aged 7 to 13

“Offers the most magical upbringing a little girl can dream of” The Carfax Education School Index

A SUMMER TO REMEMBER

Dzhonni Avdoi, aged 15, Sherborne International School

Dzhonni Avdoi is a 15-year-old student from Russia. Studying GCSEs, he was in Sherborne for four weeks this July for the Sherborne International Summer Course, an intensive academic programme for international students aged 8 to 17.

The summer courses provide a taste of life in a traditional British boarding school giving students from over 35 countries a taste of the British countryside. For many of the students, parents and agents, this is their first taste of England beyond London and in visiting Sherborne they leave with great experiences of this part of the world, providing a great boost for Sherborne as a town.

Dzhonni writes about his experience.

This warm and beautiful summer, I embarked on a journey to Sherborne International to help me prepare for my GCSE exams. Little did I know, this school would soon feel like a second home to me, with its welcoming boarding houses, supportive staff and lively student community.

At Sherborne International, I discovered a new approach to learning, with lessons focussing on how to study for exams, as well as deepening my understanding of the sciences, maths and English. The teachers, many of whom are experienced examiners, shared their experiences with us, providing invaluable tips for success in our exams. They shared their wealth of knowledge, from highlighting common mistakes to guiding us on how to articulate answers for maximum points.

The staff at Sherborne International played a crucial role in creating a positive and enjoyable environment. Their friendliness and willingness to help, whether tending to injuries or offering a supportive conversation during tough times, makes a huge difference. The athleticism of the staff also contributes to the fun, with post-dinner games of football, touch rugby or cricket being a regular highlight.

Friendships formed with fellow students added another layer of joy to my experience. The camaraderie among us made school activities, trips and sports events even more enjoyable. The welcoming nature of the student body ensured that no one ever felt lonely, fostering a sense of belonging and community.

Our adventures outside the classroom were equally memorable. We went on numerous exciting trips, including visits to Thorpe Park, the Chelsea FC Stadium, boat trips in Greenwich, various waterparks, shopping destinations and adventure parks. Exploring new places across England with friends made these experiences even more enriching and enjoyable. It also gave us all a taste of other parts of the country and a chance to see some of the famous sites we had heard of.

Another highlight for me was the sports opportunities available. These offered a fantastic outlet for both physical exercise and mental relaxation. With a wide array of activities available, such as gym sessions, basketball, football, touch rugby, badminton, horse riding, climbing, swimming and kayaking, there was something for everyone to enjoy and push us to get out of our comfort zone.

I owe a debt of gratitude to the people who made my stay at Sherborne International so special. A heartfelt thank you to my house parents, Louis and Will, for their constant support and care. I am also deeply grateful to my favourite members of staff—Sandy, Angus and Guy—whose presence made a significant impact on my experience. And, of course, a special thank you to my friends, with whom I made all of these memories.

sherborne-international.org

DISCOVER | EAT | SHOP | STAY | CELEBRATE

Welcome to Symondsbury Estate, set in the beautiful Dorset countryside just a stone’s throw from the Jurassic Coast. Join us for lunch. Browse our shops. Visit the gallery. Explore our fabulous walks and bike trails. Relax and unwind in our holiday accommodation. Celebrate your wedding day...

Upcoming Events & Workshops

Willow Pheasant Workshop with Jo Sadler - Tuesday 24th September

Wild Words with Sarah Acton - Wednesday 25th September

Lino Cutting with Sarah Robinson - Tuesday 8th October

+44 (0)1308 424116 symondsburyestate.co.uk

Symondsbury Estate, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6HG

DRAWN TO THE LIGHT

Garden Tiger Moth Arctia caja

Gillian Nash

The rather gaudy Garden Tiger is one of our most iconic resident moth species. If any would-be predator failed to be confused by the giraffesque brown and white forewing markings, when disturbed navy spots on vivid bright orange hindwings provide a further shock to bedazzle. Every individual has its unique variation of this cryptic design which sadly made them popular with collectors in the past. Colour differences, rather than pattern, such as reduced markings or yellow hindwings, are rare.

A nocturnal, thickset moth with a wingspan of up to 65mm, The Garden Tiger has a flight season from July to September here in the south when they may visit parks and gardens seeking plants on which to lay eggs. Habitat is as diverse as its wide variety of larval foodplants, which includes bracken, plantains, nettles and many other herbaceous species both native and cultivated.

Confident in the apparent knowledge predation is unlikely, the hairy larvae, often known as the ‘woolley

bear’, are sometimes seen on open ground speedily and purposefully searching for suitable pupation sites. Once selected the pupa is formed within a spun silken cocoon at ground level among leaf litter where it will overwinter.

Once commonly found throughout much of the UK, numbers have dramatically fallen in recent decades. This decline is most likely due to environmental factors such as loss of habitat and pesticide use. Climatic changes such as increased winter and spring rainfall combined with higher temperatures may have also contributed.

Surveys indicate that nationally our private gardens account for a greater total area than that of designated nature reserves. Native plant species such as knapweeds, scabious and trefoils provide important larval foodplants as well as pollen and nectar for many insects including moths. Our gardens will be enhanced if we are able to incorporate some of these plants into our precious outdoor living spaces.

SHEEP ON THE HILLS

We have recently returned from a fascinating round Britain tour in our camper van, where we visited the Chilterns, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Caithness and Sutherland, Loch Lomond, Cumbria, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire (we are planning to visit Wales on a separate trip). We are so lucky to live in such a stunning country, with so many varied landscapes and such interesting wildlife.

In a few short miles, you can leave the coast and cross the low plains, before climbing through the foothills to spectacular mountains. Maybe it was that

we seemed to have a rain cloud following us the whole way around for 6.5 weeks but everywhere looked so lush and green, with vibrant mosses and cascading rivers and beautiful still lochs!

I loved seeing the Wiltshire Downs and Chiltern Hills, the Yorkshire Moors and Dales, the Cheviot Hills in Durham and Northumberland, the Lake District and of course the many ranges of hills and mountains, from the Scottish Borders to the Grampians and Highlands. Each has its own character, from gently undulating to steep and precipitous, to rugged and craggy. You only need to look at a geological map of Great Britain

Simon Ford, Ecologist

Beatrice Sirinuntananon/Shutterstock

to see the complex geology and varied rock-forms, that create the British Isles, from chalk to limestone, slate to granite and gneiss to schist. One other thing which appears to be a common factor is sheep. In the southern lowland hills, there will be varieties such as the Dorset Down and Suffolk. Further north, there are breeds such as Swaledale and Rough Fell in the Pennines and Herdwicks in the Lake District. On some Scottish islands, there are unusual breeds such as Soay, Ronaldsay and St Kilda. Each has been selectively bred to thrive in the local area.

Many people do not realise that sheep are not native animals to Britain but were brought originally by Neolithic people from North Africa. Britain now has over 20% of Europe’s sheep and is the largest supplier of lamb, with about 21.5 million animals. They began to be farmed in a more intensive manner by the monasteries during Medieval times and brought great wealth to areas such as the Cotswolds and the mill towns of northern England, primarily for their wool, rather than meat. In Scotland, it was not until the late 18th and 19th centuries that large feudal landowners started introducing sheep to the mountains, often causing great hardship as they forcibly cleared crofters off their estates, to allow vast flocks of sheep to be farmed and also for deer stalking and grouse shooting.

We have perhaps become accustomed to our uplands, such as Dartmoor, the Lake District, the Pennines and the Highlands, being bare and grassy (or occasionally covered in heather). Closer to home, the rolling chalk downs are similarly naked and are mostly devoid of trees. Some species of wildlife, such as grassland wildflowers and species such as chalk-hill blue and marbled white butterflies and the skylark thrive in the open habitat. Many of us think that this is what it should be and is the natural state of our uplands.

However, ecologists and environmental journalists, such as George Monbiot of The Guardian are now highlighting that many of our uplands are in fact in very poor condition and that the main cause is excessive sheep grazing. They use derogatory terms, such as ‘sheep wrecked’ and ‘woolly maggots’, much to the consternation of hill farmers.

It really became apparent to me the incredible damage that unsustainable levels of year-round sheep grazing were causing to the uplands, while on our trip. I would walk for mile after mile over the Pennines or in the Highlands and see virtually no wildflowers, except for those which could grow in inaccessible

boggy ground, such as cotton grass, lousewort and bog asphodel. The area was virtually devoid of birds or wild mammals, except perhaps a distant buzzard or if I was lucky the sound of a curlew calling. The peat was becoming eroded (releasing carbon into the atmosphere) and preventing the ‘sponge effect’ where peat and sphagnum slowly absorb and then release water and as a result thereby greatly exacerbating flooding. As far as the eye could see, there was not a tree or even a patch of scrub.

Now, in areas such as Ben Eighe, Torridon, Durness and Braemar (as well as closer to home in Wharfedale in North Yorkshire and on Kinder Scout in the Peak District), sheep are being excluded from areas of mountains. The results are dramatic, with beautiful Caledonian forests of open-grown Scots pine, with birch, willow, oak and alder beginning to grow. Alpine and mountain flowers are returning, rather than being chomped off as soon as they emerge above the ground. The peat is stabilising and the flood risk to people downstream is much reduced. The National Trust for Scotland’s vast Mar Lodge Estate on the Cairngorms is an excellent example of a site where Caledonian pine forest is re-establishing and we saw pine marten, crossbill, red squirrel, pied flycatcher and golden eagle! King Charles is doing similar projects on the enormous Balmoral Estate.

Sheep, of course, are an important part of the agricultural economy and provide us with our Easter joint, our woollen jumpers and carpets and sheepskin clothing and rugs. There is a long-standing cultural link to upland areas and they can create conditions for specialist species of wildlife if managed correctly. However, as so often happens on common land, the rights are abused and the numbers are pushed way beyond what is sustainable for the land. They are left on the hills and mountains all year round and even native woodlands are so heavily grazed that nothing can regenerate and they are slowly dying. This is well explained in the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’, which was first described by Aristotle or in George Monbiot’s book, Feral.

Look again if you are travelling to our uplands. Hopefully with the good work of various conservation charities and some enlightened landowners, we will start to see a place which is not managed for sheep at the expense of everything else but allows extensive seasonal sheep grazing in areas, while allowing wildlife to once again thrive.

RETURN OF THE BEES

Paula Carnell, Beekeeping Consultant, Writer and Speaker

Since my last piece, I have now moved bees into the garden at Oceania House and am looking to move another small swarm later this week. This may sound like a simple task, however, on these Cocos Keeling islands, it takes a community and a lot of impressive kit to move a single colony across the lagoon!

I had split Jack and Johnny’s wild bees from the wooden hive into one of the modern Apimaye hives that I am using for this project. A few weeks later and

they were seemingly well and with an abundance of new eggs and brood. Plans to move them across the lagoon began. Although it’s only 9 kilometres, the prevailing wind is from the east, blowing any bees that would attempt the crossing, back to West Island. I’d undertaken much soul-searching on the ethics of moving this colony. I am against moving bees from one area to another. In the UK, there are so many bees, managed and wild that simply placing a bait hive in your garden is enough to get it populated by local bees.

I knew that honeybees had been managed and wild here since the 1940s, although no one could tell me when the bees disappeared. I weighed up the pros and cons and decided I couldn’t heal with bees here without any bees!

I get numerous emails and messages from people all around the world telling me the ‘bees have gone’ and living here for two months on a small island with absolutely NO bees, is very unnerving. There is an abundance of butterflies, dragonflies, wasps (three species at least), beetles, cockroaches, moths, birds and grasshoppers. Neighbouring islands unveiled hidden species of bees, carpenter, sweat bees and perhaps a stingless bee, as well as honeybees.

This really challenged my belief as to bees’ spiritual nature. I was told by someone once on one of my tours that bees had disappeared on a number of occasions throughout history, proven by gaps in fossils recovered. This confirmed my belief that honeybees are indeed beings of the 5th-dimensional realms. I’d been considering this for a few years now, tentatively mentioning it when safely in groups of like-minded or at least sympathetic people. Whilst we had our few days break in Bali, I had a dream in which I publicly stated that bees were 5th-dimensional beings and that is why they are disappearing from our 3-dimensional world today – in my dream that resulted in a million new followers on my social media accounts! Rather than launch my thoughts on Facebook, I did record a podcast episode all about this and explained the 3rd, 4th and 5th perception of realities and why it’s relevant to us, and bees. It’s always easier to speak into a microphone with an invisible audience! As ‘selfless beings’ fully aware that everything is connected, they epitomise the characteristics of a 5th-dimensional being and to me at least it makes sense that they would not wish to exist in a world of division, hatred, exploitation and poisons. Why then would bees disappear from this seemingly perfect paradise in the Indian Ocean? These questions led me down some of the deepest self-exploration and development yet in my 55 years. My naive belief that we could turn up here, have bees easily then use them to help heal the land and its people from generations of trauma whilst filming a documentary, all without any problems, was soon brought to reality. Life was getting SO extremely difficult here – ‘everything was a challenge’ in my business back in the UK and all aspects of life here. Our documentary plans were moving further away from My Octopus Teacher and to more of

"Why would bees disappear from this seemingly perfect paradise in the Indian Ocean?"

the trials and tribulations of Clarkson’s Farm, leading me to realise we needed help!

Enter Kathryn Vere, a life, path, land and property clearer who I had met several months earlier through a business mastermind. I hadn’t quite understood what she did when we first met then just when I was at the lowest point, she shared a link to her latest podcast episode, which I listened to. Only a few minutes in I understood that we needed her help and so we employed her to work on this land and property for us.

I share the details in my podcast at paulacarnell.com, so I won’t go into them here, other than to say that this land and property were indeed locked in a cycle of trauma, grief and more blocks than I can mention. Over the following month, we worked with Kathryn and the transformation has been extraordinary. Only the day after our first session online (and a week of her doing the remote work) I was able to smoothly move the small split colony from West Island to Home Island. I needed Greg to accompany me and film the process. We then had to wrap up the hive, secure it to a pallet then a crane lifted it more gently than I could ever have imagined onto a barge. Then we slowly chugged across the lagoon, the bees were hoisted using another crane onto the back of our truck and then we drove them to the back garden and carefully unloaded them.

A few weeks in and they are settled. As with children, bees always give you something to worry about! ‘Will a queen manage to find a drone congregation area to mate?’ ‘Is there sufficient forage?’ They had ignored all the abundantly flowering calophyllum trees surrounding them. They are still the calmest bees I’ve ever worked with and I am very excited to announce that a small swarm in a frangipani tree needs moving from West Island so the process of moving will happen again, increasing my drones and fertilised queens on Home Island.

paulacarnell.com

IS THE GRASS GREENER?

Alec Rich, Round Chimneys Farm

After a particularly damp start to the summer months where silage-making was a boggy struggle at times, we transitioned into a drier and more settled time. Today the mercury is touching 30 and thankfully I’m in a beautifully air-conditioned tractor cab, spreading the last of our dung from the barns where the cattle spend the winter. The field on which we are spreading has been earmarked to be ploughed and reseeded in the next few days with the dung making a fantastic natural fertiliser which will help the new grass to grow.

Reseeding is a step we take when the grass in a particular field has become less productive and becomes a bit tired. Different fields will have different lifespans depending on what varieties of grass are planted. In recent years our strategy around the different types of ‘leys’ we plant has changed somewhat and we have moved to a balance between herbal leys and our more traditional longer-term ryegrass leys. Herbal leys contain more legumes and herbs along with the ryegrass and are far more deep-rooting, improving soil structure and overall health. The diversity of species also contributes to soil fertility, meaning a reduced need to apply fertiliser.

Our switch to planting more diverse grassland has been driven by a couple of factors. Firstly the skyrocketing price of fertiliser in the last few years has pushed us to try and reduce our usage. The second factor was our entry into the ‘Sustainable Farming Incentive’ pilot scheme around three years ago.

Since leaving the EU, funding offered to farms to aid food production has slowly been phased out, with DEFRA introducing new funding schemes where you’re rewarded for taking varying actions within your farming practices which are designed to have a positive environmental impact. Sounds simple right? In reality, it was quite a learning curve for us, building a plan of action which was achievable but still complimented our farming business. As we were in the pilot scheme

Ed Rich

DEFRA were also learning on the job which did make things a bit chaotic at times, whilst the feedback required to improve the scheme did make for a lot of paperwork - not something we are a big fan of here!

We run a herd of suckler cows and a flock of sheep and our farming practices are not the most intensive so many of the actions that contributed to our sustainable farming plan were naturally already in place or we were partially doing anyway – for example, rotating our cattle grazing frequently enough to allow fields time to recover. We also have areas on the farm which do not lend themselves to growing grass as they are perhaps too boggy – these are left to nature and contribute towards a small portion of our farm which is set aside. The scheme has also pushed us to modernise more of our methods and be more scientific in our approach by sampling our soil to assess its health and plan ahead based on the results.

Whilst there are a lot of positives to the SFI scheme and the other environmental land management schemes that have been introduced, they do divide opinion when it comes to the more extreme end of the spectrum of actions. The level of funding

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which can be achieved by ‘rewilding’ large portions of land or in some cases whole farms has made it a proposition that some are taking up. Whilst this will have benefits to biodiversity amongst other things and there is plenty of unproductive land which would lend itself to this, it does potentially take good productive farmland out of the system.

The situation can be a real conundrum. Many farms, particularly smaller family farms, are finding it increasingly hard to turn a profit and this amongst a multitude of other reasons can push farmers or landowners to move away from food production altogether and seek alternative ways of making money from their acreage. This could be signing land over for use as a solar farm or going down the rewilding route which can provide a more reliable income with potentially much less risk and effort! Like any business, it’s the financial bottom line that drives decisions but it does raise concerns for the future of British food production and food security when previously productive land is lost.

I am generalising to a degree and only just scratching the surface of the changing face of British agriculture

but there is only so much I can cram into 900 words! Every farmer’s situation is different but many find themselves at this crossroads. In our case, we are trying to balance environmental responsibilities with producing the best quality produce we possibly can. We are making changes which push us towards being more sustainable, whilst complementing our farming practices.

The metaphorical agricultural landscape has changed dramatically across the last few decades meaning it’s harder now to just farm without adding more strings to your bow. We’ve already diversified by adding holiday lets and a cafe and shop to the mix, aiming to add things which complement the farming heart of the business.

I’m a fourth-generation farmer, following on from a family line that has farmed passionately and successfully here over the years, with three of the generations still continuing to do so. There are some big (welly) boots to fill but I am determined to keep the farm moving forward as a working farm and guide it into the future. After all, it’s a real privilege to be a custodian of a section of this amazing part of the world. roundchimneysfarm.co.uk

T

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Tel: 01963 23219

Email: info@fcuffandsons.co.uk

www.fcuffandsons.co.uk

OBJECT OF THE MONTH

THE GAME OF PARLIAMENT

Elisabeth Bletsoe, Curator, Sherborne Museum

Lately, we’ve been reviewing the extensive collection of toys and puzzles held by the museum and researching some rather fine Victorian card games.

‘The Game of Parliament’, in particular, is rare and although incomplete (as is the set in the British Museum), it provides us with a unique snapshot of Victorian politics.

The game, created in early 1886 by Henry Reason and an uncredited artist, contains 46 cards, featuring the newly elected MPs from the November/December election of 1885. Each card reveals a caricature of one of these recognisable C19th politicians, which is complemented by a satirical adaptation of their name. They also bear a value reflecting the influence of the parliamentarian within their party. With a little effort, it is possible to work out the identities of this all-male cast, for example, Conservative Mr Asheap-Tartlett is Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, MP for Sheffield Ecclesall and Civil Lord of the Admiralty. Liberal Rt Hon Orchid ChainEm-In refers to Joseph Chamberlain, father of Neville, who made his fortune through ironmongery manufacture and who was also known as a fanatical grower of orchids.

Players form a mock parliament by creating two sides, Liberal and Conservative; each strives to pass all six laws on its programme before the other. All the laws are ridiculous, such as the Conservative objective: ‘To muzzle all snarling members’ or the Liberal imperative to secure: ‘A law to compel all red herrings to grow without bones’. Each law is passed or failed according to a ‘vote’. The members of each party’s team play one politician card and the values marked on each of their cards are totalled and weighed against the values played by the opposing party. The team in government proposes laws and the government changes when votes are won by the opposition. Victory, when it is realised, is total as each party’s sixth and final law ensures abolition of their opponent’s entire party.

The game’s creator Henry Reason (1863-1900) was an intelligent and enterprising young man. A toy

manufacturer based in Brighton, he was known for his card games and toy pistols. The Parliament Game was advertised with the strapline, ‘Much Fun, Easily Played, Great Excitement!!!’, and relied on its contemporaneity for its popularity. Unfortunately, a snap election was called in July 1886 following the defeat of the Government of Ireland Bill which resulted in a major reversal of the results of the election of the previous year and ended the period of Liberal dominance. The Parliament Game abruptly became irrelevant, and its original limited print run was never repeated. Undeterred, Henry persisted with other games and expanded into several premises on Gloucester Road in Brighton, forming a limited liability company under the name The Reason Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

In 1890 Henry made friends with a neighbour, an electrician called Arthur Wright, who became his mentor. Henry absorbed a great deal of knowledge of circuitry and switchboards, turning it to his advantage to become a household name as a major manufacturer of domestic fuse boxes. In 1900 he travelled to Australia with the intention of bringing electric light to Brisbane but tragically he suffered a fatal accident after being thrown from his horse in Queensland. Thus ended a brief but brilliant career.

We are fortunate to have this unique game which is both biting and humorous and affords us an insight into Victorian mores. A culture can be understood, in part, through the games it plays and our collections demonstrate that the Victorians played games reflecting their interest in finance, politics, class, mechanisation and ethics, against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution and an increasingly capitalist society.

sherbornemuseum.com

Sherborne Museum is open from 10.30am-4.30pm on Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is free but donations are warmly appreciated.

KEYS TO THE PAST

Have you ever wondered, like me, how rows of cottages and houses with quite differing frontages came into being? Have they evolved over time? Who might have lived in them and who might have built them?

There is a lot of interest in discovering ‘the history of your house’ and if you have an older property in Sherborne, where might you start? As a first step, you can turn to the town map of 1834 and its accompanying terrier (derived from the Latin terra - a register of landed property). The map was surveyed and drawn by Edward Thomas Percy for Lord Digby and is a ‘pictorial’ map in colour showing fields, gardens, trees and water as well as properties all of which, have a number that corresponds to an entry in the terrier.

In 1988, Jim Gibb, by then retired after 32 years of teaching history at Sherborne School, enabled a copy of the town map and an actual copy of the original terrier (not a transcription), to be reproduced and sold via Sherborne Museum. Many people were fortunate and obtained copies at the time and although I was not one of them, I was recently able to purchase an invaluable digital copy from the Dorset History Centre. Fortunately, a copy of both the map and the terrier is available in the museum for you to see any information appertaining to your property for yourself. What might you find? Firstly, you will be able to discover if your

house existed in 1834 and if it did it will be marked in pink and any adjoining workshops etcetera in grey. You will discover via the terrier who lived in it and who owned it – these could well be different people as many were tenanted. The scale is 26 inches to the mile and is measured in chains. Coincidently the museum has on display a set of chains so you can see one of the tools at the disposal of Edward Percy while map making. Acres, roods and perches were used to give the dimensions of each numbered site.

Now let us look at a random row of houses. I have picked the fourteen on the north side of Greenhill (pictured), just up from the Newell Restaurant – formerly the Crown Inn. In 1834 there were twenty properties as some were subdivided with all listed as having a garden. Four of the properties had owner occupiers and the remainder were tenanted. The next step would be to check the census to locate the appropriate property. The 1851 census is very helpful as the Crown Inn can be used as a starting point. Richard Down, who owned two properties on the town map and is shown living with his family in one of them, was listed in 1851 as a retired blacksmith. His next-door property was lived in by a younger man who was working as a smith.

I hope I have been able to show how, via this important map, the unlocking of the history of your house might begin.

Barbara Elsmore

STAR CARS

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

Growing up there were only a couple of TV channels plus the cinema.

Going to the Yeovil cinema as a child was a treat and it was in colour too! One of the earliest ‘grown-up’ films I remember watching was James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever as a 5-year-old boy. A bit of a petrolhead even back then, I remember the Ford Mustang Mach 1, not just because of the car chase but because I was more used to seeing an Austin 1100 or Morris Minor on the roads and not a full-fat American muscle car putting the pedal to the metal.

Today, the James Bond Ford Mustang Mach 1 will be worth a small fortune but not of course as much as the Aston Martin DB5 he used in Goldfinger which is probably worth £20 million or more.

This shows the value cars used by the stars can add. Even Del Boy Trotter’s iconic three-wheel Reliant Regal van is worth a pretty packet although you need to be careful as there are plenty of replicas out there.

Whilst I have not had the pleasure to auction any of the Bond cars or even Del Boy’s van, I did auction an Austin A35 van used to promote the wonderful Wallace and Gromit film Curse of the Were-Rabbit about 8 years ago. Clearly not used in the film, which was animated, it did feature at numerous promotional events including on the red carpet for the Leicester Square premiere!

With Wallace and Gromit having a loyal following, this little Austin A35 ‘Anti-Pesto’ van sold for about four times the price of a comparable A35 van without such history and provenance.

However, looking ahead to our 20th September auction, we have a real film star car. On instructions from the family of the late Gerry Wheeler we have been asked to auction his collection of vintage cars.

All the cars in the collection are in fine fettle, on the button and ready to be used, which is why he was contacted for a vintage Rolls-Royce to use in the 2021 film The King’s Man, the third instalment of the British Kingsman film series.

Being honest, this is not a film I watched when it came out but with the car consigned for sale, I thought it a good idea to idle away a couple of hours watching it.

The car from the collection used was a 1924 RollsRoyce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Springfield Pickwick

Limousine. Quite a long title but quite an imposing car. It was used in the opening scene in Jermyn Street, London. The film director asked for the Rolls-Royce to be driven at speed and come to a screeching halt before the static camera with the massive headlamps and legendary Rolls-Royce radiator grill filling the frame. I

can only guess the director has never driven a 100-yearold Rolls-Royce fitted with a 7,428cc engine and hardly any brakes and having watched the film, I think he never quite got the shot he wanted!

charterhouse-auction.com

The 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost from the Gerry Wheeler Collection used in The King’s Man film and being sold by Charterhouse on 20th September

WELCOME TO NEW PASTURES

A stunning new development of 2, 3, 4 and 5-bedroom homes in a village location.

A stunning development located 4 miles from Sherborne within walking distance of local shops and restaurants. This collection of 2, 3, 4 and 5-bedroom homes benefits from all the amenities of a large village and is the perfect base from which to explore two of England’s greenest and most beautiful counties, Somerset and Dorset.

PRICES STARTING FROM £380,000

ASK US ABOUT AVAILABLE INCENTIVES

Call 01963 408811 or email salesmilborneport@redcliffehomes.co.uk to book your exclusive appointment. Open Monday – Thursday 10am – 5pm.

PULL YOUR ROOM TOGETHER A

SHORT GUIDE TO THE HOME RENOVATION PROCESS

& Home Stylist

My grandad used to drive a horse and carriage for weddings so I know the importance of putting a horse before the cart. If you put the cart before the horse, you’re not likely to go anywhere fast. The poor horse can push but it will be running a bit blind. Many home renovators put the cart before the horse. Let me explain…

The cart is your contractors, your tradesmen. Your horse is your interior designer or, if you’re doing this DIY, then it’s you. Why? Well, without having a plan for the interior design, you won’t be able to answer the many questions from your contractors which will slow down the project. When it comes to interior design, the excitement and enthusiasm can often lead straight to paint colours and sofa choices but truly, those elements are the cherry on top. A well ‘pulled together’ room has been carefully thought out so function matches form in every possible way. Now you know that golden rule, here’s a short guide with some memorable takeaways to apply to your future home renovations.

Firstly, here’s my unpopular opinion, avoid starting with Pinterest. Social media, particularly Pinterest, is an endless rabbit warren that functions much like a sugar rush. Enthusiasm and inspiration soon lead to confusion, overwhelm and the risk of thinking you’re in love with a certain style when, in reality, it’s only a short-term crush. Pinterest is awash with trends that in a year or two you’ll absolutely despise. Unlike a pair

of trousers, buying into an interior trend could cost you thousands and far too much of your precious time.

Instead, tune in to your inner psychologist. Whilst it may initially feel a bit ‘fluffy’ to spend time deep diving into your (family’s) needs and lifestyle, it will pay dividends. Make notes on how you use the room, consider how much time you spend in there and what you go in there for. You should also think about how many people use the room at once, how you currently feel when you are there and how you imagine you’ll feel once it is complete.

Step away from the screen and focus on collecting textures you like, capture natural colour palettes through photos taken on your dog walk and consider how you feel when you step into different spaces such as a café, hotel room or a friend’s kitchen. Make a note of it. This will help you to pull together a concept.

A concept can be a collection of abstract images depicting colours and textures that illustrate how you want that room to feel. It’s also a helpful way to tap into what really makes your heart sing and will lead you to an original interior space that you’ll love long term.

Next, print off your floor plan (this might be from your architect, interior designer or the one from Rightmove) and scribble on it. Draw arrows showing commonly travelled routes to help you plan a furniture layout, for example, <i>‘We are in and out of the utility for the dog food and dog leads, twice a day, every day,‘<i>

Stephanie Tabor, Interior Designer

Images: Ryan Tabor

would be depicted as red arrows to and from the front door, back door and kitchen to the utility.

This will help you to decide on furniture placement and if, for example, a door needs to swing outwards instead of inwards…do they make sense with your commonly travelled routes or do they need to change? For example, changing a door that swings inwards to a sliding door, can allow a room to function much better by eliminating the dead space that exists behind the door swing.

There is also an emotional link to this part of the planning process, by considering how simple tasks make you feel. In the example above, let’s say this is an en-suite – installing a sliding door could mean you have space for a large walk-in shower and are able to make a small room feel 25% larger, therefore providing a relaxing and sanctuary-like ambience to a space you use every day. You see how design and emotions are interlinked.

Next, you need an idea of what’s happening with your floors, walls, heating and lighting before your contractors start on-site.

Why? Your flooring choice impacts the height of your floors. A stone floor coupled with underfloor heating, for example, can significantly alter the floor height. This will impact your thresholds, room flow and door height. Your contractor will need to account for this and therefore deciding your flooring finish

is a decision that should be made early on. Similarly, unnecessary money and time can be spent plastering a wall which you actually want to panel. Panelling covers the wall so the wall does not need to be perfectly plastered beneath.

If you do not have a lighting and electrical plan, you will end up with a basic grid system of spotlights in your ceiling. This will deliver an unflattering harsh light that won’t align with how you wish to use the room. You’ll also miss out on having power points where you need them for floor and table lamps. Avoid this by revisiting how you want to use the room and drafting out a furniture plan. You can then plot lighting and electrical socket locations to support those activities.

The value of putting time into these elements is essential for a project to run as close to the deadline and budget as possible. It also goes a long way to aiding a good relationship with your contractor and their team as you’ll be able to answer their questions right away, avoiding the stress of having to commit to a decision you haven’t thought through!

These might not be the elements you immediately come to mind when thinking about interior design or working with a designer but they’ll absolutely make a difference to the look, feel and timelessness of the finished result.

setinteriors.studio

A MOVING EXPERIENCE

Nin Rawlins, The Homemover Specialist

Moving house - there’s nothing quite like it. In fact, it’s ranked alongside divorce as one of the most stressful life events you’ll ever go through. It’s way more than just packing boxes and handing the keys over. Whether you’re moving down the road, to a new neighbourhood or across oceans, it’s completely normal to feel an onslaught of intense emotions. The psychological effects of moving house can catch you by surprise and make the whole process harder. Moving home is filled with change. Not only is your home changing but so is your location, environment and social circle. All these changes can create significant anxiety. Our homes are places filled with memories and emotional experiences and leaving them can trigger feelings of loss and grief. Contemplating the enormity of the task ahead takes energy, attention and of course,

plenty of time, which may leave you feeling like your life is on temporary pause. Whilst the physical aspect of moving can be exhausting, often the emotional toll it can have on you can be overlooked. Many people find themselves unable to focus and find it hard to make decisions which then leads to them becoming very disorganised and constantly worried. Although these feelings are unpleasant, they are extremely common and almost everybody experiences them when relocating to a new house. The good news is there are ways to prepare for it which will help minimise the stress and turn the moving journey into a positive experience.

As with most things in life, a positive attitude to what lies ahead is key. Turn your attention to all the things you can look forward to, like meeting new people and exploring a new area - a new home can offer fresh

opportunities, new friends and different experiences. Dive into some research about your new environment - this will make you feel proactive, motivating you to pursue the new chapter. Keeping a positive outlook can help shift your mindset from loss to opportunity. Get organised! Planning is crucial to reducing stress. Start the process by creating a detailed moving checklist. Draw up a detailed list of tasks including the move logistics, what you will need to pack as well as packing materials and break it all down into manageable steps. This approach can make the process less overwhelming and more organised.

Declutter and simplify. Use the move as an opportunity to declutter. If you have too many possessions in your current home, much of the stress you’re feeling is likely to come from not knowing

where to start. The best way to approach this process is to ask yourself, ‘Do I really need this?’ Be decisive and let go of things you no longer need. Letting go of unnecessary items can be liberating and reduce the volume of belongings to be moved. Donate, sell or recycle items that no longer serve a purpose. This can also make unpacking in your new home more straightforward.

Start small and early. Don’t wait until you receive a completion date to start packing. Start packing items that you use less frequently first. For example, if it is summer, you could start packing your winter clothes. Make sure to label all your boxes effectively - no boxes labelled ‘Miscellaneous’! This will reduce the chaos during the move and make unpacking more efficient. Knowing where your essential items are can provide a sense of control and reduce anxiety. And don’t forget to celebrate each milestone, no matter how small. Whether it’s packing your first box successfully, moving a fragile item or setting up your new kitchen, acknowledging these achievements can boost your morale.

Look after yourself. Although the moving process can seem all-consuming, try to take a break for some fresh air or to spend time with friends. Don’t worry if you feel more tired or stressed than usual; it is a normal part of moving house so take the time for some self-care. Ensure you are sleeping, eating well, taking much-deserved breaks and even exercising to release some of your stress.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Whether it’s friends, family or professional movers, having support can ease the physical and emotional burden. Talking through move logistics and sorting through possessions with a third party can really help with decision-making. If you can share the workload it will make the process more manageable and less lonely.

Moving house is undoubtedly stressful but it also presents an opportunity for growth and new experiences. It is important to acknowledge and accept your feelings about the move - it’s completely natural to feel a range of emotions, from excitement to sadness. But by understanding the emotional challenges and implementing practical strategies, you can navigate the move with greater ease. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help and to take things one step at a time. With careful planning and a positive mindset, you can turn the stress of moving house into an exciting new chapter in your life.

thehomemover.co.uk

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We are excited to announce that after 18 years in Sherborne we will soon be tripling the size of our showroom, offering you an even larger range of quality bathroom and bedroom products. Over the years we have built an exceptional reputation for product knowledge, customer service and quality workmanship

SASKIA'S FLOWER ESSENCES

Words Claire Bowman Photography Katharine Davies

Saskia Marjoram hovers a gold pendulum over the box of flower essences that sits between us and waits to see which starts swinging. ‘Did you just see this one change direction?’ she asks, lifting a blue glass bottle labelled ‘Oak’ gently from the box and lining it up on the side before moving on to the next. ‘I can’t see any of the plant names when I’m doing it but I get a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach when I feel its vibrations. It’s the kind of feeling you get when something’s about to change.’ >

I begin to feel part of a spooky seance but there are no dark arts at play here, merely flowers and water, so I put my cynicism to one side and trust in the process. After all, it’s exciting to find out which of the 48 essences, from carrot and dandelion to yarrow and morning glory, will be chosen for my personal blend. All I have to do is let Saskia work her magic and then make sure to put a few drops of it under my tongue each day when I get home.

‘So you have three solid trees – oak, walnut and beech – as well as penny royal, mugwort, rose geranium and Nan’s Polyanthus,’ explains Saskia, listing my seven chosen flower essences and proceeding to explain their benefits. ‘Oak is good for helping people feel solid and grounded; rose geranium is softening and balancing; and Nan’s Polyanthus, which was one of the very first essences we ever created, is fabulous for helping you get on with anything you’ve been putting off, from sorting out your accounts to clearing out your cupboards.’

Founded in 2003 with her friend and former business partner Christine Felce and now happily settled into new premises at Coles Yard off Wincanton High Street, Saskia’s Flower Essences has been helping people shift negative thought and behaviour patterns for more than 20 years. From poor sleep and stress to anxiety and low

libido, the blends have been specially crafted to help improve emotional wellbeing and include a special green bottle range for men. No wonder Saskia has a loyal and dedicated following not only in the UK but internationally.

‘More and more people are coming to realise how much our mental health has an effect on our physical wellbeing,’ says Saskia, who has a background in horticulture and floristry and was a long-time assistant florist to HRH the Prince of Wales. ‘The brilliant thing with flower essences is that they are totally safe. They can be taken at any age or while you are pregnant and they don’t interfere with medication. That is because they don’t contain any of the plant’s material matter, just its own unique vibration held as a memory in water.’

‘I make the essences by floating flowers in spring water and letting the sunshine transfer the energy between the water. When you take that liquid into your body, the water in your body hears that vibration and responds to it. You put it under your tongue because that’s the quickest way to get absorbed by your body.’

While I don’t profess to fully understand how it works, I have always had a soft spot for a flower essence, having turned to Bach’s Rescue Remedy in times of high stress for everything from driving tests and finals >

to public speaking events. ‘Our version of Rescue Remedy is Shock Release with added dandelion essence to ‘bring you back down to earth’ – it’s a release from panic and trauma. We’ve also one for anxiety, one for grief, one for procrastinating, one for “Oh my God, everything’s awful!”’ says Saskia, with a smile.

Saskia is referring to her award-winning Living Life Lightly blend ‘for when life feels dreary and joyless’ – a mix of, among other things, edelweiss, harebell and dandelion seed that she created after lockdown as an antidote to the all-pervading doom and gloom. ‘It was like, “Are we ever going be happy ever again?” After the last few years, many of us are now longing to feel light and free.’

And then there’s her acclaimed Sexy and Gorgeous, containing cowslip for ‘joyful playfulness’ and buttercup for ‘boosting self-confidence’, which Saskia describes as great for injecting ‘a bit of sass in your life.’ As an occasional insomniac, I also love the sound of the calming Easy Sleep Mist that Saskia makes using lavender from The Story Pig in Sandford Orcas. In fact, like a child in a sweet shop, I love the sound of almost every bottle on the shelves. Perked up, calmed down, cherished, nurtured, supported – they all sound like hugs in a bottle.

It appears that even the most hardened of sceptics come around to Saskia’s way of thinking in the end, whether they like to admit it or not. ‘The chap next door said he wanted to know more about what we do here so I explained about taking the vibration into your body and the whole thing, and he said, “Load of rubbish!” But I gave him something to help with his

procrastination and it worked. His brain wouldn’t let him admit it but when I asked how he was doing, he said, “Oh, I’ve been getting on with a load of stuff.”’

So do the flower essences work straight away or are the effects cumulative? In short, will the beech kick in immediately and make me ‘more tolerant of others’ (a more diplomatic way, I suspect, of saying less irritable) or will my loved ones have to wait a while to see the desired results? ‘It depends on the person and how stuck in the pattern they are,’ says Saskia. ‘Sometimes they work within minutes like the Rescue Remedy and you feel you can deal with things better. People with sleep problems, for example, often tell me that they’ve woken up the following morning feeling so much better. Essences change how you feel but it might be the people around you who notice it first. They’ll think, “Oh, he or she’s not doing that thing they used to do any more.” They really can help to shift old patterns of behaviour.’

My 40-minute fluorescent consultation over and clasping my little glass bottle in my hand as we head for the door to continue the photo shoot in Saskia’s beautiful flower-filled cottage garden, I enquire after her favourite flower essence – the one she turns to time and again. ‘That would be the Potentilla sterilis – a kind of fruitless wild strawberry,’ she replies. ‘It’s for selfappreciation and acceptance and just reminds you how fabulous you are in a quiet, gentle way. I like to think of it as the equivalent of wearing an invisible fairy crown.’

I’ll take a bottle of that one too, please.

saskiasfloweressences.com

When you employ Arbour Landscaping you are employing a local, family-run company with over 40 years combined experience.

Our mission is to create breathtaking outdoor environments that harmoniously blend nature’s beauty with personalised design. Through meticulous craftsmanship, sustainable practices and a deep understanding of your vision we strive to exceed expectations and transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary landscapes that inspire and delight.

Whether you need garden design or garden build services, our team is on hand to help. Contact us for a friendly, no-obligation chat about your vision for your outdoor living space.

Sandhurst Garden Design

Yenstone Walling Ltd

Dry

Garden Centre Association Awards Success 2024

Sustainability:

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

A DAY AT RHS WISLEY

Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

Ihad an interesting day at RHS Wisley recently. With my Garden Centre Association (GCA) hat on we had been invited to take part in a joint project with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Peat-Free campaign team. The RHS is committed to becoming completely peat-free by 2025 and has been working hard to help gardeners achieve those aims too.

We were filming short pieces looking at the challenges and solutions to growing in peat-free compost and especially the importance of correctly watering and feeding to get good results. Some of the films are aimed at the amateur gardener and explain why we need to garden without peat, and how and when to water and feed your plants potted in peat-free compost. Others were designed to give

Images: RHS/Oliver Dixon

advice to garden centre team members on how and when to water plants in the garden centre and what to advise customers on the challenges of growing in peat-free compost.

The filming took place in one of the gardens alongside the newly constructed Hilltop building, which is the ‘Home of Gardening Science’ and a very impressive structure buzzing with visitors with lots of events going on and displays to look at too. We were in the World Food Garden which is a fascinating vegetable and fruit garden but laid out in an ornamental fashion using a vast range of food plants from around the globe.

It looked fabulous but I was immediately struck by the nature of the planting. Vegetable planting traditionally is in blocks of similar plants planted in straight rows. This is the case for ease of maintaining each block of plants but also to allow for the practice of crop rotation which has been practised for years. In short, should a crop be planted in the same place year after year there will be a buildup of pest and diseases specific to that plant and eventually a depletion of the nutrients in the soil that the plant enjoys and needs? So gardeners and farmers will move the plot each year to a fresh part of the garden on a four-yearly rota so that by year five (when the plants are back where they started) the soil is refreshed and the pests and diseases have disappeared. And it works.

However, it also makes life easy for the pests and diseases of these crops as we make it so simple for the pest to proliferate through the crop with nothing to block its path of moving from one delicious plant to the next.

What they have done in the World Food Garden is to mix up the plants much more – there will be a block of the same plant with other plants mixed in too, such as Tagetes and Marigolds which will ward off pests and flowering plants, such as Alyssum and Flowering Sage which will encourage predators and pollinators. It has made the garden as ornamental as it is edible and productive but without huge pest or disease populations.

This is companion planting in perhaps its best form. It looked spectacular and was achieving good yields whilst not requiring pesticide other than the occasional use of SB Plant Invigorator which is an organic spray containing fish and vegetable oils.

Whilst admiring the garden we carried on with our filming and hopefully explained that we need to go peat-free because peat extraction destroys precious environments, damages peat bogs, which are vital for soaking up rainfall, and most importantly, peat harvesting releases vast quantities of carbon dioxide contributing to climate change.

We also spoke about how plants growing in peat-free compost often look dry when they aren’t so we suggested testing before watering by lifting the pot to feel the weight or poking a finger into the compost. Feeding needs to take place almost immediately after potting preferably with a fertiliser such as Boost or Ecofective (although of course, we couldn’t use brand names in the filming!).

As always with gardening I learned a lot on my visit and as often is the case, it happened when I wasn’t expecting it!

thegardensgroup.co.uk

THE ELECTRIC GARDEN

Elizabeth Wills

If you have walked or driven along Castleton Road on the eastern edge of Sherborne, you will not have missed the wonderful sight of the Electric Garden, well known for its rich, colourful hollyhocks.

For 12 years, Bill Heath has worked tirelessly to improve the garden and to bring joy to local residents, commuters and walkers. So many people stop and admire the spectacle it is today.

The project started by negotiating with the Electricity Board, who own the site. It had been a sorry sight of an unloved area for many years. Wildflower seed is provided by Clive Farrell of Ryewater Nursery and sown after many hours of preparation to ensure a colourful display. The hollyhocks clearly love the site and are now well-established. However, the garden still needs regular maintenance during the autumn, winter and spring. Every year and with any help he can muster, Bill tends the soil, rakes, trims and removes unwanted weeds. The emergence of Bill’s Electric Garden has now become a much anticipated summer event, attracting a wealth of wildlife and brightening the days of all who pass by.

BARBECUE-ROASTED FLAT PEACHES

WITH MEADOWSWEET CHANTILLY CREAM

Afantastic way to cook the peaches which gives them a honey-like sweetness and deep roasted flavour. Flat peaches work perfectly as they cook evenly and don’t roll off the barbecue! Alternatively, you could roast the peaches in the oven until equally soft and sweet. Meadowsweet is a medicinal herb native to the UK. It produces creamycoloured clumps of flowers with notes of almond and vanilla. Infused and whipped into a fluffy Chantilly cream, it’s delicious generously dolloped on top of the roasted fruit.

Ingredients: Serves 4

8 flat peaches, washed and halved

250g double cream

35g caster sugar

4g meadowsweet flowers

Method

1 To make the meadowsweet Chantilly, take 100g of the double cream and add it to a small saucepan along with the meadowsweet. Place on a low

heat and allow the meadowsweet to infuse for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring the mixture doesn’t boil. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and use a hand blender for 30 seconds or so to break down the stems into smaller pieces. Cover and let cool completely before straining through a fine mesh sieve.

2 Add the remaining 150g of cream to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand whisk until thickened and very soft peaks form. Continue to whisk whilst adding in the meadowsweet-infused cream, taking care not to overwhip. The result should be a perfectly smooth and light Chantilly cream. Cover and keep in the fridge.

3 To cook the peaches, place them on a barbecue over hot coals and cook until blistered and soft on each side. This usually takes around 5 minutes on each side but will vary depending on the temperature of your barbecue. Serve immediately with the Chantilly cream.

greenrestaurant.co.uk

Tom Matkevich, The Green Restaurant

THE CAKE WHISPERER

Val

Stones

TUTTI FRUTTI

SQUARES WITH RUBY CHOCOLATE

My first memory of a Victoria sponge was of 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, then topped with fresh orange juice and water icing and sprinkled with coconut. Since then I have used a Victoria sponge recipe as the basis for many bakes. This cake doesn’t contain dried fruits but fruit-flavoured jelly sweets and using ruby chocolate adds a fruity taste.

Time 10 minutes to make the cake, 35-38 minutes cooking time, 30 minutes cake chilling time, 15 minutes to make the butter cream and 20 minutes assembly time.

What you will need

A deep, square brownie tin, lined and greased

Either a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer or a wooden spoon

All the ingredients should be at room temperature so take the ingredients from the fridge the night before you need them.

Ingredients Makes 12 squares

For the sponge

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

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 of sugar etc

150g unsalted butter at room temperature

150g soft margarine

300g caster sugar

300g self-raising flour

12g baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon whole milk

150g Jelly Tots or similar fruity sweet plus 50g to decorate

A little butter to grease the baking tins or you can use a bought spray can of cake release

For the buttercream

200g unsalted butter at room temperature

450g sifted icing sugar

40g cream cheese

1 teaspoon of vanilla paste

A few drops of pink food colouring, optional

For the chocolate dip and shards

600g ruby chocolate or you may use white chocolate

To decorate

6 strawberries cut in half (leave on the leaves) or a sprinkle of Jelly Tots.

If you wish, sprinkle a little freeze-dried raspberry powder on the top of the cake.

Method

To make the cake

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

2 Put the eggs, sugar, butter and margarine in a bowl.

3 Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl.

4 Add the milk and the vanilla extract.

5 If you are using a stand mixer or hand mixer gently pulse for about 4-5 pulses – this will avoid sending up the flour in clouds and covering both you and the surrounding kitchen.

6 Turn up to full and beat for 1 minute and let the mixture stand (this allows the caster sugar to dissolve into the mixture which gives the cake a softer texture when baked). Continue to beat the mixture for 2 minutes, it’s important not to overbeat as this will knock out the precious air you need in the cake to make a good light sponge. Lastly, fold in the Jelly Tots.

7 Spoon the mixture evenly into the baking tray and create a slight indent in the middle for a flattopped bake.

8 Place the baking tin on the middle of the shelf and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake is baked when evenly and lightly golden and if you listen, it whispers a crackle, not a shout.

9 Place the tin on a cooling rack, with a sharp knife and in one continuous movement loosen the cake sides from the tin and leave for 5 minutes to cool a little.

10 Place a rectangle of parchment (which prevents the cake from getting marked with the cooling rack pattern) on top of the cake and tip onto a cooling rack. Flip the cake back onto another cooling rack and allow to cool completely. When cool, cut into even squares, place on a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. Whilst the cake is chilling, prepare the buttercream.

To make the buttercream

1 Place the butter in the mixing bowl and beat for 5 minutes on medium-high.

2 Add the cream cheese and beat for a further 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

3 Add the icing sugar a dessert spoon at a time when all is incorporated beat for a further 5 minutes.

4 Gradually add the vanilla and a hint of pink colouring. Set aside for later.

5 Remove the cake from the freezer to stand whilst you make the chocolate dip.

To make the chocolate dip

1 Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and place in a microwave oven set on low heat – I use 350C and set for one minute. Remove from the oven and stir – do this as many times as needed to melt the chocolate.

2 If you have silicone mats then place them on the worktop – if not use grease-proof paper. Pick a square of cake up and hold it near the top with your fingers, dip the cake vertically into the chocolate to coat the cake as close to the top as you can and gently shake the excess chocolate off the cake. Lower the cake and slide it across the silicone mat then lift and place it on the second mat to cool.

3 Repeat this until all the cakes are dipped. Don’t worry if you have used up all the chocolate – leave some plain undipped. Leave to set.

4 Once set the leftover chocolate on the mat can be used to break up as shards of chocolate to decorate the tops of the cakes.

5 Place the buttercream in a large piping bag with a 2D nozzle. Pipe horizontal lines across the top of each square. Place the strawberries in a corner of the cake cut side up. Add a shard of chocolate and 3-4 Jelly Tots if not using strawberries.

6 Store in an airtight tin for up to 6 days.

bakerval.com

THE KITCHEN GARDEN

SEPTEMBER

Jules Horrell, Horrell & Horrell

August has been a busy month for us with endless watering, picking and a multitude of dinners and events. In addition to welcoming everyone to our barn dinners, we hosted a very special evening at one of our local growers. On Thursday 8th August, we held the very first Horrell & Horrell dinner

offsite, at one of our local growers, Off-Grid Organics, a market garden based here in Sparkford, set up by Camilla Mayes.

Horrell & Horrell and Off-Grid Organics have worked together since both our ventures launched in tandem during the summer of 2023. Whilst we

were busy preparing the barn to welcome our first guests, Cam took on the stewardship of four and a half acres here in Sparkford through the Ecological Land Co-operative. The last 12 months have seen this parcel of land transform from depleted pasture, into a productive growing space, now teeming with life. Cam’s dream is to expand her market garden, plant a mixed fruit orchard, develop a wildlife pond, sow wildflower meadows for habitat and permanent ground cover, and all whilst leaving large areas to nature to increase biodiversity. No synthetic pesticides or fertilisers are used on the land and Cam works hard to encourage beneficial ally insects, as natural predators, for a more integrated approach to pest management. Healthy soil is key to growing healthy vegetables so building rich, living soil is the foundation for creating and expanding our growing spaces.

The menu for the evening was sourced mainly from the plot and included potato flatbreads with squash blossoms, honey and nasturtium pesto and a whipped yogurt with roasted beetroot and crispy kale. The main course was an abundance of seasonal vegetables, picked from the plot that morning and cooked over fire by Steve and the team. Pudding was a summer favourite of mine, courgette cake, which we decorated with plenty of brightly coloured nasturtium blossoms. So, I thought I’d share my secret recipe for you to try at home – a perfect solution to the infinite amount of courgettes in gardens right now!

COURGETTE CAKE

Ingredients

200g soft brown sugar

200ml rapeseed oil

4 whole eggs

175g self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

75g ground almonds

150g grated courgette

Zest and juice from 2 limes

For the frosting

275g mascarpone or similar soft cheese

100g icing sugar

Zest and juice from 1 lime

25g chopped pistachio nuts

Method

1 Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease a 900g cake tin and line with parchment paper.

2 Pop the sugar, oil and eggs in the mixer and mix well. Fold in the baking powder, flour and almonds.

3 Grate the courgette and squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can – I find kitchen towel useful for this!

4 Add the courgette and lime juice to the mix, stir well.

5 Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin and bake for 45-50 mins. Use a skewer which should come out clean if the cake is cooked.

6 Remove from the oven and pop on a wire rack for 20 minutes or so to cool.

7 Once completely cool, you can freeze for up to 1 month or decorate and serve.

8 To make the frosting, blend the cheese, lime juice and icing sugar in a blender. If it’s a bit thick, add a splash of cream, milk or water to loosen.

9 Spread a thick layer of frosting on top of the cake and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and lime zest.

10 Keep in a sealed container in the fridge, for up to 3 days (although it never lasts that long in our house!)

horrellandhorrell.co.uk

Corton Denham

À LA CARTE MENU

Open lunch and dinner Wednesday to Saturday, and Sunday lunch

Greenhill, Sherborne 01935 710386 www.newell.restaurant

Smoked Salmon with Smoked Salmon Mousse and Pickled Cucumber

Images: Ed Schofield

WHAT DOES BEING A B CORP MEAN?

Joanna Weinberg, Teals

Have you noticed that some of the companies you (and we!) most love sport a ‘B’ logo on their labelling? Origin Coffee, Tony’s Chocolonely, Beco, Bold Bean Co, Rude Health, Belazu (and yes, now us!) to name but a few. It feels brilliant to join the ranks of these and so many other companies that we deeply admire. But what does it actually mean?

‘B Corp’ (Benefit Corporation) is a global movement that promotes business as a force for good. When you become certified, it means that you have legally committed to work for the benefit of all stakeholders: communities, customers, workers, producers, suppliers –not just owners or shareholders.

It was started by three co-founders of AND1, one of the early poster children for what socially responsible companies looked like. They were ahead of their time in the 90s, with great parental leave benefits, widely shared ownership of the company, 5% of profits going

to charity and they worked with overseas suppliers to ensure worker health, safety, fair wages and professional development. They even had on-site basketball courts and offered on-site yoga classes before it became more commonplace to offer that type of perk. Yet when they sold the company in 2005, all of the company’s preexisting commitments to its people, overseas workers and the local community were instantly stripped away. They were devastated. The founders decided to create a system where social and environmental good couldn’t be destroyed by a change in company ownership. B Corp was born and the first company was certified in 2007.

It is really hard to meet the standards required - since 2007, less than 8,000 companies across 91 countries have done so. Among them, are pathfinders, such as Patagonia, whose mission was recently updated to ‘we’re in business to save our home planet’.

It’s easy to let words such as ‘stringent standards’ >

and ‘rigorous testing’ roll off the tongue when we talk about the process of certification – but underneath those words sit challenges to working practices that make us look in the mirror and ask ourselves what –and who – we really want to be as a company. How much leave do we give our team? How are we actually supporting our communities? What is our water usage? Our energy usage? Our commitment to sourcing products or regenerating the soil? How transparent are we in our activities? Are we watching – really properly watching – our recycling practices? And, possibly most important of all - are we willing to improve?

Going through the 12-month process of B Corp certification, having to research and evidence our responses to more than 200 questions about how we run and for whose benefit, has been both demanding and rewarding. We passed with a score of over 90 (high for a small business – you can see the breakdown of our score online). In some areas, we are doing well – in particular, our direct relationships with the farmers, makers and producers. You may remember, for example, our campaign before Christmas to encourage more people to swap out supermarket milk with highly nutritious Holy Cow refills, in direct support of a local

farmer in an under-pressure sector.

What we are left with, along with a great sense of pride, is inspiration. We are inspired by all the different ways companies we now stand alongside on this B Corp journey have taken on the challenge. For some, it has been about social responsibility, for others, environmental activism. We – being young and ambitious (and maybe a little giddy with it) – recognise we are far from perfect, see big opportunities to do better and want to do it all! We’d love your help. If you have ideas for what local businesses could do more of or better, please share them with us. We’re always open to feedback. Ideas, such as B Corp, change the world.

teals.co.uk

If you are a company owner or director and would like to know more about B Corp certification, Cath Coward, a B-leader who supports companies through and beyond process, will be running monthly B Corp Cafes for both aspiring and new B Corps at Teals.The next one will be on Wednesday 2nd October 11.30am-1.30pm. These events are free to attend. You can sign up or find out more by emailing hello@teals.co.uk

THE CLOCKSPIRE

Celebration Wine Dinner Thursday 10th October

The Clockspire celebrates five years of beautiful hospitality this Autumn, and to celebrate, we’re pulling out all the stoppers!

Together with Corney & Barrow, we’ve pulled together a positively A-list selection of six wines from the Champagne and Burgundy regions, which we’ll pair with a menu par excellence for an evening to remember.

Tickets to this bacchanalian celebration are £140pp - and we can’t wait to raise a glass with you!

Let the festivities commence

If you like to plan ahead, you’ll be pleased to hear that our menus are prepared for the festive season. Visit our website for full details of this year’s celebrationsset to be our best yet!

Plus! We are once again offering our stunning hand-selected Christmas hampers, perfect for gifting or simply lightening the load for yourself. It’s going to be a delicious Clockspire Christmas!

Sunset vibes this September

The relaxed vibes continue in the Clockspire’s cocktail bar as we pull together a grown up playlist of chilled house music on Friday 13th September No need to book - just visit, sip and savour!

‘A visit to Horrell & Horrell is like going to a friend for dinner, where you bring a bottle, relax, enjoy the food, and let conversation flow –whilst we take care of everything else’

WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS (AND FOOD SUPPLY)

Giles Henschel, Co-Founder, Olives Et Al

The irony of the current situation with our two elderly motorcycles is something we've been discussing in recent days for, having been to many different and interesting places over the years, they, themselves, as constituent parts, are currently in many different and interesting places. Working with friends, they have been comprehensively dismantled as part of the preparation for the next leg of our climate change research project. Barrels in Weston Super Mare, cylinder heads in Henstridge, valve guides in Yorkshire, exhaust split between three known locations and various other components sitting on benches in garages and sheds across Dorset and further afield.

We’re often asked why we don’t buy new machines and surely wouldn’t they be ‘more reliable’? It is perfectly true that modern machines have more power, are bigger, fatter, glitzier and come with all sorts of accessories and adornments to make them supposedly more comfortable or easier to ride.

We are certainly not Luddites and, during the course of the trip, developed an envy of the ‘Plip’ of other

people’s remote locking and keyless entry. In fact, we often chatted, either as we were riding or over a glass or two in the evenings, about what our next trip should be and whether we will still do it on these bikes.

In having these chats, sooner or later, one of us will look at the other, point a fist at an imaginary vehicle with fingers vertical, thumb on top and say, ‘Plip,’ whilst raising and lowering the thumb.

‘Plip.’

Such a simple sound but it’s what separates four wheels from two. Climb out of 4 wheels, in a smart suit or shorts, t-shirt and espadrilles. Close the door, point and press the button on the keys. ‘Plip.’ Doors locked, done. Walk away and forget.

Us? Not so simple. Find somewhere level (ish), side stand down, unfold yourself out of the saddle, look around for risks, peel off layers of protective clothing and assess if it’s safe to leave the jacket and helmet on the bike or do we need to lug them with us? Does the welcome feel OK? Feel safe? If not – quick mount up and move on. If all OK, keys out and then, only then, can

you move away and have a coffee. Always looking back.

‘Plip.’

And this is where the Wisdom of The Ancients kicks in. It’s all very well to add a bell and whistle or two, just because you can, but when that gets to massively overcomplicating something that can be really simple by doing things that you have the technology to do, but really don’t need, then it all get’s out of hand.

Once, when practising for our Advanced Motorcycling Test, our wonderful observer, Brian, pulled us into a layby and, regretfully, said we needed to stop the ride because my indicators weren’t working.

‘Oh. Right. Oh. Give me a minute or two.’

Bike onto stand, saddle off, tank off, indicator relay out – give it a tap, pop it in, waggle it about, tank on, saddle on – indicators now work and flash delightfully. Time elapsed? 2 minutes. Brian simply stared in wonderment.

‘I cannot believe that you have been able to strip your bike to that degree and do what you’ve done in under 5 minutes. By the side of the road. With no workshop tools. If that happened on mine it would be in the garage for a week and cost me the best part of a grand.’

There is a lot to be said for the way previous generations engineered things – just because we have the technology to do something or add complexity doesn’t necessarily make it better. Our machines are simple and, as such, easier to repair and maintain with basic and attainable skills. We call it the Wisdom of The Ancients and, in many ways, we feel, the best new ways are the best of the old ways.

As a business, we are part of what is referred to as ‘The Speciality Food Industry’. The way we create, source and supply what we do is seen as being a Special Thing To Do. This, to us, is incongruous for we are doing nothing more than the Mediterraneans have been doing in their own homes for the best part of 6,000 years.

Up until around 150 years ago, they did it all with no pasteurisation, no sterilisation, no mechanical or electrical refrigeration and we do the same. Using that ancient wisdom and knowledge, passed down from generation to generation. To us, this isn’t ‘Special’ – it’s normal. However, what really is special is creating something like a tin of Spam, taking a cow and turning it into a MacDonalds or creating nuggets from a chicken. The way industrial food is processed really is a speciality and perhaps the old ways are in danger of being forgotten.

Speaking to an Italian agronomist in the heart of Chianti he told us that no one in Italy knew how to properly prune an olive tree anymore.

‘Really? But surely you still prune?’

‘Yes, but the real experts in the art, 80 or 90 years old – they have all died and the art died with them. These were the generation that had had the knowledge passed to them by their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers – people who knew the land, the weather, the needs of the trees – how to tend them, nurture them – all without chemicals. Their children and grandchildren chose not to work the land so the skills were lost.’

He went on, ‘Now, no one really knows the trees in the same way. We need to put ever more chemicals in. That old knowledge is gone.’

We ponder this on our way north and begin to consider the wider implications of what we’re discovering. It’s great to have technology and all that it brings but when that makes us lose the simple ability to prune a tree then perhaps, we need to consider some of the old ways once again. Otherwise, our food supply might just get a little sketchy.

‘Plip?’ Not just yet.

olivesetal.co.uk

A MONTH ON THE FARM

James Hull, The Story Pig

It’s fresh this morning. It’s only early August as I write and I’m sure as children we always thought August was the middle of summer but in reality, as my school days are long behind me, summer feels like it’s slowly slipping from our grasp. There is a heavy dew this morning and the sun is coming up now but it’s not half past five, nearer half past six.

I am sitting outside. As I look down the valley the maize below is growing at a crazy rate – after a slow start it’s catching up now, a dark lush green and long shadows follow the big trees sitting quietly in the landscape. The air is still and sound travels far. I always marvel at how the air is different at this time of day – I can hear a dog barking a mile away, pigs are slowly traversing their paddock in front of me and every so often I hear a squeak as one of them decides to try the electric fence. It’s working well I hear!

Our lavender stands magnificent in its purple. Some varieties have dulled now but our Grosso is full of promise. The bees are out already, up early and busily hovering from bud to bud. The spiders have been so busy overnight that our fence has every corner filled with a delicate web glistening in the sunlight. Nature as always is busy, although we as humans so easily miss it with our busy lives. It surrounds us and when we let it and breathe it in, it feels like a wellness drug.

Speaking of busy lives, here we are busy – the summer sunshine has brought many visitors to the farm. Charlotte has been cooking nonstop and I cannot overstate how incredible she is. Quite remarkably, every portion of lunch, cake, pizza, salad and scotch egg we have ever sold, she has made. Her care, thought and love that goes into every creation shines through onto the plates she serves.

I, meanwhile, have been splitting my time between the cafe and outside. Realistically, I can’t see all the jobs that I have set myself being done. I am tearing myself between making lavender beds, potting on thousands of lavender plants for said beds, starting to dig a huge pond, trying to keep on top of our garden, fencing our new garden and to be honest, that’s just the start of the list.

In between all this, we did manage to disappear to Wales for two days. As the cafe closed one Sunday afternoon, we hastily packed, left instructions for the animals and drove out of the gate. The Royal Welsh Show was our calling – we have been for the last few years. Quite incredibly really, just over two and a half hours drive and we are in a completely different country, literally! Gone are the butter-coloured houses and tightly manicured fields. High mountains brood over dishevelled villages, sheep graze everywhere, smaller and more wily than those soft southern sheep we are used to.

Peter Rhys Williams/Shutterstock

We drive through small towns and villages with names we cannot pronounce until we arrive at Hay on Wye, a jewel in the Welsh hills, so close to and entwined with England that you are not sure where you are.

The next morning we were up early, travelling to Builth Wells where the grandly named show is held. We travelled quickly, astounded that there were no queues on the road, making mental notes of the route if we return next year.

As we poured in with hundreds of visitors and ahead of thousands more, our senses were assaulted – smells of frying doughnuts, bacon (that we won’t eat because we don’t know its origin) and candy floss filled the air. It’s early yet so the aisles are still easily walked down. You can pick out individual voices, the thick Welsh of colleagues chatting ahead of the busy day to come. Farmers are a mixed breed but my goodness, you can see them all there. Some walk with a haughty limp and bad hip after years of heavy work and overuse. It’s warm (for Wales) so tweed does not figure highly but check shirts do – every farmer check you can imagine. Then there are the young ones, excitedly out with their friends, giggling and pushing each other and this year all wearing the same two coloured shorts (we saw

thousands of them)!

And then there’s the machinery – the bit I secretly love – rows and rows of shiny machines that realistically we have no use for but that we still stop to gawp at. The huge tractors that have very little place in Wales but that a machinery dealer has brought to pull the punters in. Weak coffee is served on every stand, cheesy puffs lay in china pots on picnic tables to keep the children happy while Dad is seduced by something red and shiny.

And then there are the animals, row after row of perfectly primped beasts. They swagger with an air of confidence – they know they look good! They are led by their owners, willing the judges to tap them on the rump and draw them forward to the top spot. For many, showing their animals is a life’s work. The whole family makes the pilgrimage to the show – they camp, the littlest of children wanting to help and lead a naughty lamb if they can.

It was a good day – tired but happy we left the show, trundled back to our little cottage in the hills and went out for supper, our summer holiday.

thestorypig.co.uk

PIZZA NIGHTS AT THE STORY PIG EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 5-8PM Please pre-order

Thursday - Sunday 10am-3pm

Lavender Keepers Sandford Orcas

Sherborne DT9 4FG thestorypig.co.uk

Get in touch with James or Charlotte 07802 443 905

info@thestorypig.co.uk

friarsmoorlivestockhealth.co.uk

farmoffice@friarsmoorlivestockhealth.co.uk

25 parking spaces

Separate dog and cat areas

5 consulting rooms

2 theatres

A dental suite CT scanner

NO SWIMMING

Mark Newton-Clarke MAVetMB PhD MRCVS, Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons

Oh-oh, it’s September and we all know what that means, although the ending of summer this year seemed to start around June. But who knows, maybe this month will be better than expected. I sum up summer this year as either too cold and wet or, just occasionally, too hot.

If we do have an early-autumn spell of fine weather, there may be the chance of blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) blooms in lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Although some algal blooms are harmless, it is difficult to differentiate the toxin-forming types without examination by an expert. So unless you are one of them and carry a microscope when walking the dog, avoid any water that has a green or brown scum which can also blow onto the shore. Obviously don’t let

your dog swim in the water or contact any vegetation that may be contaminated by the algae. Just licking contaminated wet fur can lead to ingestion of sufficient toxin to be seriously harmful and tragically a spaniel died earlier this year from blue-green algae poisoning after swimming in Anton Lakes in Andover.

Symptoms of exposure include vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, disorientation, breathlessness and seizures and can appear within minutes to hours after exposure, depending on the type of toxin involved (the Cyanobacteria contain many different species all with their own toxin profile). Liver damage is a major cause of death in affected cases and as there is no antidote for any of the toxins, supportive treatment by your vet is essential as soon as possible.

"It’s never a bad idea to wash your dog in clean water after swimming in any lake or river, as algae are not the only pollutants in our waterways."

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) has launched an app called Bloomin’ Algae which documents all reports of suspected algal blooms. If you do suspect contamination of any water course you come across, the app allows you to report the location and asks for a photo to help UKCEH identify the algae. It’s also never a bad idea to wash your dog in clean water after swimming in any lake or river, as algae are not the only pollutants in our waterways. With autumn comes lots of yummy things, grapes, mushrooms, fallen apples – you name it, your dog will want to eat it. The grape/sultana/raisin issue is still a bit contentious but recently a rational theory has been proposed that may explain the very variable nature of this poisoning. Dogs are very sensitive to tartaric acid which occurs in variable concentrations in fresh grapes and dried fruit. This variation is due to the type of grape, where it was grown and the degree of ripeness, factors that may explain why some dogs suffer the acute effects of vomiting, diarrhoea and disorientation and later on, kidney failure and why some don’t.

With no practical way of telling whether one grape is riskier for a dog to eat compared to the next, it’s obvious to avoid exposure to all of them, including dried fruit. Just in case you’re in the kitchen baking your favourite fruit loaf, remember cream of tartar also contains tartaric acid so don’t leave ingredients on the table unattended…they might not be there when you get back. For those unfortunate cases of grape ingestion, get to your vet as soon as possible and a vomit-inducing injection will be given, some activated charcoal and possibly intravenous fluids. Prompt action usually prevents any serious effects and I can happily say I have never seen a dog suffer kidney failure from grape ingestion providing treatment was given quickly.

Reflecting on my last two articles, it’s apparent that toxins have been centre stage. Well, with all the rainfall and then some hot weather, conditions for the creation of toxins have never been better. What’s more, when almost any dog is presented to us with an illness of unknown cause, the owner invariably asks ‘Is it something he/she ate?’. Well, the answer is always ‘maybe’! Our problem with diagnosis is the almost total lack of tests for environmental toxins and the similarity of symptoms with so many other diseases. So…prevention is better than cure.

newtonclarkevet.com

Elena Grigorieva/Shutterstock

BEETLE MANIA

Andy Adler BVM&S MBA PGCert

Vet Ed MRCVS, Kingston Vets

In June, the Inaugural Dung Beetle Conference was held at Yeo Valley in Somerset. Over 100 delegates representing farmers, vets, academics and the industry met to discuss how we could start to understand and protect these small yet vital parts of the farm’s biodiversity.

As a vet for the last 25 years, I have never really considered dung beetles when it comes to decisionmaking with farmers. We have had to consider animal welfare, farmers’ time, cost and ease of management of the animals however, considering the microflora and invertebrate populations that may be affected by our decisions has not been part of veterinary thinking.

We have got used to dung taking weeks to degrade with flies breeding on dung pats causing a nuisance in cattle and sheep. The conference heard from farmers who had not been using Pour on Endectocide or long-acting wormers on their cattle. They reported that dung on their fields would often disappear within 24 hours after being colonised by numerous species of dung beetles, leading to the degradation and burial of the dung. The added benefit is that the fly population could not increase as they were never allowed to breed within the dung. This all makes sense in retrospect. Of course, suppose we recommend products that kill flies and parasites to go onto sheep and cattle. In that case, it should not be a complete surprise if they also prevent insects from breeding in the dung and decrease the abundance and diversity of the insect populations in the field.

So now, as vets, we have more conflicts of interest to consider when supporting owner decision-making. We have always dealt with the conflict between animal welfare and owners’ wishes/ needs. As vets, we have advocated for animals however, we are constantly aware of owners’ pressures regarding knowledge, time and money. We have had to guide owners to make decisions based on what is best for the animal and the owner - in my day, this was called the art of

veterinary medicine. Today, it is called contextualised care. Now, for the first time, we have to think about our effect on the environment as well. What is the long-lasting impact of the products we supply? Do they affect any other species? Will they do damage to the environment? What can we do to manage animals that means they will need fewer chemicals to maintain excellent health?

The solution for farm animal vets is Integrated Parasite Management. This is all about reducing the reliance on parasiticides by incorporating complementary management to help control parasitic populations. For example, with rotational grazing the

Andrew Ashcroft/iStock

animals around farms you get much better grass growth, as the grass has time to recover. The added benefit is that dung pats have time to be removed by the few species of dung beetle we have; this increases the rate of dung disappearance so fewer flies can hatch. This leads to a virtuous circle: as dung beetle numbers and diversity increase, fly treatment can decrease, supporting dung beetle numbers!

We were lucky enough to see youngstock rotationally grazing in woodland pasture at Yeo Valley. This novel system allows the first-year and second-year youngstock to graze high pasture covers together. Cows are moved every few days and because they do not need

worming and fly treatment, the dung beetle diversity and abundance were impressive. In 30 years of farming, I have never seen animals grazing in woodland like this. It was great to see them browse the lower branches, use the trees for skin care and generally thrive on a different management regime.

Supporting farmers and animal owners to reflect on the use of chemicals on their animals and encourage less use of these environmentally damaging products is now another role for vets to consider when having conversations with their clients.

kingstonvets.co.uk

HAZY SHADES OF AUTUMN

Harriet Cleverly, Cleverly Wrapped

We think you’ll agree, it’s good news for the fashion season ahead. The autumn/winter 2024 catwalks showcased down-to-earth looks – both covetable and wearable – demonstrating a marked return to wearability and longevity. Shortlived micro trends and superfluous details have been pushed to the the side to make way for timeless style, re-worked classics, nostalgic trends and best of allcomfort. Hurrah!

Colours

The autumn/winter catwalks displayed a mix of sophisticated mid-hues, nature-based tones, deep darks and wholesome neutrals, including Almond Milk (a rich creamy white), Eggplant (a nutritious dark purple), Storm Front (a rainy grey) and Evening Blue (dark navy), creating a base of familiar and dependable tones, albeit poetically named. These were interspersed with playful accent colours - pops of lilac, purple, cherry red and an ethereal, airy blue - to add a little punch. Although green continues to be a key trend, from fern to emerald, it was olive green, whether worn head-totoe or as subtle accents, that was prominent.

Boho vibes

Boho chic has resurfaced this season, with peasant-style blouses and billowing maxi dresses. Vintage prints are embellished with smocking detail, string tassel ties, handcrafted trims and pretty cotton lace, culminating in a relaxed aesthetic with laid-back vibes. Embrace the trend now and style with wooden wedges or trainers, then switch to knee-high boots as the season progresses. Accessorise with big vignette sunglasses and a giant, slouchy bag.

Statement collars

Exaggerated collars remain big news for winter – from romantic ruffles and decorative embroidery to intricate crochet and crisp white lace. It’s been suggested that the trend initially emerged following the amount of time we’ve been spending on Zoom so with webcam and video meetings now the norm, it’s a worthy accessory that will improve screen presence. Come winter and the need for knits, simply layer a decorative collar over a crew-shaped neckline to add a little oomph. A grey jumper doesn’t feel so drab with a printed Peter Pan collar poking out!

Corduroy

Winter’s most nostalgic and cosy denim alternative, loved for its heavyweight, durability and comforting connotations, is having a comeback. Insouciant and slouchy, see it in suits, jackets, skirts, dresses, trousers and jeans. The latter are baggy and boyish in fit and styled with cosy knitwear and either loafers or a technical trainer. If jumbo cord feels too bulky, opt for a more flattering, velvety needlecord. Alongside neutral shades of navy, khaki, sand, slate and chocolate, you’ll find soft pinks and powder blues.

Denim

Denim is more exciting and creative than ever, with frilled yokes, embroidered collars, scalloped edges and elaborate trims, taking this well-loved, utilitarian fabric to a whole new level. Vintage details, like two-tone patchwork and plaited waistbands, create a sense of nostalgia but are updated to deliver new-season freshness. When it comes to jeans, a looser silhouette with plenty of legroom continues to trend and this season it seems the baggier the better. Not only are wide-legs comfortable to wear but they’re very flattering too, the high waist elongating the legs, especially when you surreptitiously add a pair of heels to the mix. To balance the proportions, team jeans with cropped knits or floaty blouses, tucked in to enhance the waist. The trend for double denim remains prevalent and the head-to-toe approach can be approached in many ways, from western-style shirts paired with jeans to pretty chambray blouses styled with denim pencil skirts. Fashion loves contrast so try a heavier denim with a lighter piece to add a sense of texture or mix shades of blue e.g. a dark wash with a washed pastel blue.

Knitwear

This season’s knitwear is all about texture and embellishment – decorative stripes, cable knits, embroidery and surface interest, such as flowers within the weave, as well as off-piste ski sweaters that go from slope to street. The sleeveless knit, a garment we’ve leaned into this season, continues to be a key trend and is especially good for layering, particularly during the warmer winters we are experiencing. Boxy is still a key shape too, as it complements the season’s high-waisted jeans and trousers. Make way too, for the style-mighty waistcoat. Whether tailored in wool or drafted in denim, wear now with nothing underneath then, come the chill, layer over skinny knits or blouses.

Trousers

Great trousers form the foundation of any outfit and are crucial to any curated wardrobe. The dominating silhouettes this season are tailored, high-waisted and wide-legged. Music to our ears as the freedom that comes from a looser, more slouchy fit is so liberating. Team them with a classic white t-shirt or shirt, an oversized blazer and sneakers for effortless, casual chic. A tailored blazer with heels or loafers would work in a more formal setting.

Footwear

No outfit is complete without footwear so let’s kick things off with boots. This season the focus is on lived-in, heavy-duty styles perfect for stomping around the city – the more straps or buckles the better. Think biker and combat styles and you’re on the right track. Knee-high boots are on the rise this winter and it’s not hard to see why. One of the most versatile shoe styles there is, they’re perfect for pairing with a midi or maxi dress or skirt and narrow styles can be worn under wide-leg jeans. If you love a loafer then step this way. This season they’re less of a prep school flat but elevated, with stacked heels and chunky platform soles. Cosy, comfortable and unconventional, fuzzy footwear was on the more experimental end of the season’s spectrum with shearling clogs, ballet pumps, sneakers and mules. Giving off slipper vibes, think bedroom to boardroom and back again…

Every discerning wardrobe needs a great pair of trainers to anchor it but the skill is to nail the function-to-fashion ratio so they’re stylish, versatile, supportive and comfortable. White sneakers are still very much in evidence and are considered by many to be as fundamental to one’s collection as a white t-shirt. Style them with other classic pieces, like black tailored trousers and a trench. This season sees the arrival of lots of colour-blocked or brightly coloured trainers, which are a great way to add a pop of energy to a look. Even a neutral or classic all-black outfit gets a refresh when finished off with a vibrant shoe.

cleverlywrapped.com @cleverlywrapped

Cleverly Wrapped is now open at 22 Cheap Street, Sherborne

POST SUMMER RECOVERY

Sarah Hitch, The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms

So the summer of 2024 finally arrived, although it was a sort of ‘here one baking day then take a few days off again’ sort of affair! Perhaps you got some sun abroad and were hit with a heatwave or just overcooked yourself whilst attempting to feel some heat on your skin.

Sun exposure, salty water, air conditioning and travel all take a toll on our skin and leave telltale signs that we have been having a good time. That true sunshine glow of a real tan is hard to replicate in a bottle because there are so many other traits it triggers.

A proper sun tan from exposure lifts our freckles, brings out pigmentation, creates strap marks and t-shirt lines, lightens our hair colour and brows and gives us white creases between our fingers and toes. Our skin colours as a protective response producing melanin to shield skin cells from damage and will be a unique colour to you. Overexposure creates inflammation and redness in the skin. Cooling and calming any sunburn quickly and

applying hydrating water-based lotions and gels to initially take the heat out is key. Avoid oil-based products for a few days or until the ‘sting’ has gone because they will trap the heat in. Follow up after the initial calming period with oilbased balms and creams to deeply nourish your scorched damaged skin to reduce peeling and dryness.

Pigmentation issues which occur from sun exposure may fade away when the rays are no longer warming your skin. If they don’t then there are many advanced skincare products and professional treatments available. An effective product will encourage your skin to shed the darker damaged cells, encourage new brighter growth from within and support your melanocytes to function correctly preventing further marks. These are usually in the form of a serum or mask so that they remain in contact with the skin for a good period of time and their use needs to be backed by daily application of SPF 50 minimum to be effective. Professional treatments such as skin rejuvenation

through laser, microneedling and chemical peels are all primed for autumn-winter use to correct and improve skin tone and texture while our skin is not exposed to strong sunshine.

Prioritise hydration inside and out to plump and tone your parched skin by upping your water intake and using products rich in hyaluronic acid, glycerin and ceramides – these encourage the retention of moisture in our skin cells. Facial toners or spritzes are a refreshing way to hydrate tight skin and can be used throughout the day even over makeup. Exfoliate dry and uneven skin away and drench your skin in a cocktail of body oils and creams to aid recovery and bring a glow back to your sun-baked skin. A trim at the hairdressers to refresh your locks and perhaps a deep conditioning treatment at home or in the salon will leave you revived from head to toe.

thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk

A deeply restorative form of treatment for the body, mind and soul, craniosacral therapy helps release deeply held patterns of trauma, tension and pain. Conditions helped include Stress, Birth Trauma, Anxiety, Insomnia, Chronic Illness, TMJ, Tinnitus, Physical or Emotional Trauma, Pre/Post Surgery, Accidents, Digestive Issues, Pregnancy.

07702 681264 www.belinda-roberts.co.uk

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Jules Sanders

Chartered Physiotherapist with over 40 years experience working for the NHS as well as private and domiciliary physiotherapy. I specialise in rehabilitation, orthopaedics, mobility issues, home

post-op and post-trauma care etc. Covering North Dorset and South Somerset regions. Please call to discuss your needs or to book an appointment T 01963 371163 M 07866 310 045 E julessanders2626@gmail.com

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PCOS AWARENESS MONTH

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

Lucy Lewis, Assistant Psychologist and Dorset Mind Ambassador

Black Salmon/Shutterstock

September is PCOS Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. While many people are aware of the physical symptoms of PCOS, such as irregular periods, weight gain and fertility issues, the mental health implications are often overlooked. This article aims to explore the connection between PCOS and mental health and offer strategies for women with PCOS to support their emotional well-being.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is a hormonal disorder characterised by the presence of multiple small cysts on the ovaries, high levels of male hormones (androgens) and irregular menstrual cycles. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The symptoms can vary widely among women and may include acne, excessive hair growth, lower fertility, thinning hair and difficulty losing weight. People with PCOS may also be at increased risk of experiencing heart concerns and some cancers.

The Mental Health Impact of PCOS

Living with PCOS can take a significant toll on mental health. Women with PCOS are more likely to experience depression, anxiety and eating disorders compared to those without the condition. Several factors contribute to this increased risk:

1 Hormonal Imbalances: The hormonal disruptions inherent in PCOS can affect mood regulation, potentially leading to depression and anxiety.

2 Body Image Issues: Symptoms such as weight gain, acne and hirsutism (excessive hair growth) can negatively impact self-esteem and body image.

3 Fertility Concerns: Struggles with infertility can cause emotional distress, feelings of inadequacy and strain on relationships.

4 Chronic Stress: Managing a chronic condition like PCOS can lead to persistent stress, which in turn can exacerbate mental health issues.

Supporting Mental Health with PCOS

While the challenges posed by PCOS can feel overwhelming, there are strategies that women can adopt to support their mental health:

1 Seek Professional Help: Consulting with healthcare

professionals, including endocrinologists and mental health specialists, can be helpful in managing the mental health effects of PCOS. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and other forms of counselling can be particularly beneficial.

2 Connect with Support Groups: Joining a support group, either in-person or online, can provide a sense of community and understanding. Sharing experiences and coping strategies with others who have PCOS can be empowering.

3 Prioritise Self-Care: Engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, and ensuring adequate sleep are crucial for overall well-being. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and yoga, can also help reduce stress and improve mood.

4 Educate Yourself: Understanding PCOS and its potential impact on mental health can help in recognising symptoms early and seeking appropriate treatment. Reliable sources of information include healthcare providers and reputable health websites.

5 Advocate for Yourself: Being proactive about your health and advocating for the care you need is essential. This might involve asking for second opinions, requesting mental health screenings or exploring different treatment options.

PCOS Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight the often-overlooked mental health challenges associated with the condition. By raising awareness and promoting understanding, we can help women with PCOS feel less isolated and more supported.

If you or someone you know is struggling with PCOS, remember that help is available, and taking steps towards mental wellbeing is just as important as managing physical symptoms. As we continue to learn more about PCOS and its impact, let’s use this month to advocate for comprehensive care that addresses both the physical and emotional aspects of the condition. By fostering awareness and understanding, we can ensure that women with PCOS receive the support they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

verity-pcos.org.uk

If you are worried about your mental health, please speak to your GP and/or contact Dorset Mind at dorsetmind.uk. In a crisis? Please call 999. The Samaritans are always there to listen at 116 123 – and you can call Dorset’s mental health helpline Connection 24/7 - on 0800 652 0190.

SEEING THE LIGHT

Sandra Miller BSc, MSc, BCNH Dip, FDN-P, Wholistic Health

The children are back to school this month and the autumnal equinox is also this month on the 22nd. Here in Sherborne the sun will rise at 6:57am and set at 7:07pm on that date. In line with Government requirements, our local secondary school day will be extended by ten minutes from this autumn term, beginning at 8:45am and finishing at 3:10pm. However, for most students, the learning day will not end there. Homework will need to be fitted in most evenings alongside clubs and dinner and hopefully some down time too. All this means that our teenagers may not see as much natural light and more artificial light than is truly good for them.

There was a pivotal study published in October 2023 in the prestigious journal Nature that stated, ‘Greater nighttime light exposure was associated with increased risk for major depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD, psychosis, bipolar disorder and self-harm behaviour. Independent of nighttime light exposure, greater daytime light exposure was associated with reduced risk for major depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD, psychosis and self-harm behaviour.’ They were able to conclude that, ‘Avoiding light at night and seeking light during the day may be a simple and effective non-pharmacological means of broadly improving mental health.’

I remember when I was in my 20s I had an office job that meant that in winter I was travelling to and from work in the dark. My office had a skylight but no other window. I remember hating it. Now I know why.

Robust studies inform us that what we do in the one to two hours prior to bed really matters. It can make a big difference to sleep timing and sleep quality. Exchange a wind-down routine that limits light for scrolling social media on an electronic device and sleep quality will inevitably suffer.

Consider also that lack of sleep leads to poorer memory consolidation and reduced ability to problem-solve. Combine all this with the impaired social skills from reduced sleep and it becomes obvious that we should be concerned about children

who are staying up late into the evening completing homework on digital devices.

In addition, everywhere I go I feel the problem of childhood anxiety is being rightly highlighted as a significant problem of our time. Undoubtedly, we should be cognisant of all the varied possible reasons for this but one that stands out as being underrated but having a significant impact is the use of digital devices too close to bedtime.

The ray of hope from the Nature study is that exposure to natural light during the daytime can offset some of the problems of artificial light exposure in the evening. We can allow children to walk to and from school, at least part way, where possible. Thankfully children can spend breaktimes and lunchtimes outside during the school day. There may be an opportunity for a short walk around sunset as part of the beginning of an evening winddown routine. Seeing daylight at the beginning,

Moore Media/iStock

middle and end of the day can be particularly helpful for enabling nighttime sleepiness and improving sleep quality. When being outside all day is not an option, choose these times. As we enter autumn on the other side of the equinox and increasingly later natural sunrise times, it may be helpful to do as the Scandinavians do and make use of high lux lamps over breakfast. This first morning daylight is a key moment which helps induce sleepiness by bedtime.

Any option to complete homework earlier in the evening is going to be important. Following up with a thoughtful routine for preparation for sleep is equally so. Turning off screens and making use of dim, warm-coloured lighting from lamps rather than bright pendant lights can accompany whatever calming activities work for each person. Reading a book or listening to an audiobook or music may appeal. I’d love to see more teenagers using this time to process the day through journalling or talking through the day

with their families. I personally enjoy a guided evening meditation. Yes, it is on my phone but I use night mode, turn down the brightness and set it up before I need to use it when I can. Making use of voice commands removes the need to look at a screen at all.

I’d like to think that government policy will increasingly take into account the wealth of data that shows how dramatically the effect of light can support or erode mental health for teenagers. More homework, more exclusively delivered via computers, may be counterproductive when it comes to reducing anxiety and increasing school attendance – two major current concerns for policymakers. In the meantime, knowledge can be power in the hands of parents and teenagers themselves. The research shows how quickly and decisively getting light exposure right can have a positive effect.

wholistichealth.co.uk

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THE ART OF CONFIDENCE

Emma Rhys Thomas, Instructor, Art of Confidence

Everything we excel at takes practice – being confident is no different. Perhaps you struggle with feeling confident – we all have fears and challenges. We can turn the mind to overcoming our insecurities. Even if you feel you are a naturally confident person, at some point it is likely that your brain has learnt how to practice being brave, for example, having had a secure, happy, safe environment to grow up in.

In addition to the attention of the brain, the other required component, and to my mind the principal constituent, is the body. Practising good posture teaches

better self-esteem. The body’s amazing complex sensory systems can tell us how amazing we are. Listen and believe.

I wish now to disclaim any idea that we can all be confident automatons with a few quick hacks. The following is intended for the general pursuit and practice of moving to feel good, improving posture, holding your head up high and putting your best foot forward. Training our body language is not new.

Whole courses are set up to improve non-verbal communication skills to be better in interviews, in the public arena and in the top job. This instructed learning might at first appear to be a little false, a pretence,

hiding our true feelings of utter fear and vulnerability in putting ourselves out there. However, by practising entering a room through the middle of the doorway with your chin elevated (as opposed to hugging the door frame) or throwing your arms wide and puffing up your chest, the brain responds to the physical sensation of owning your own space. Your confidence grows through your postural attitudes.

Smile, it’s not all bad, and you instantly feel a little better. Laugh in the face of adversity. It’s the facial manoeuvres that signal things are not as bad as you think. Positivity has a great deal to do with feeling confident. Of course, the law of opposites dictates that the reverse is also true. Walk around as if you have just swallowed a wasp and your feelings plummet. Not only that but people will cross the road to avoid you, denying that all-important social contact for better wellbeing.

I am in the business of building the body to withstand the knocks. I want to teach the world to stand tall, to functionally move well and discover the confidence and freedom they bring. I do it through Pilates and INSKN methodologies but surely all other sports and movement practices have the capacity to do the same if teaching good form and technique. They do. The focus then is to become more aware of how your training strengthens postural muscles and at the same time accommodates moving freely. Activate the synergists to a muscle action (no one group acts alone) – the deep stabilisers act in support of all dynamic movement without becoming rigid and do not forget breath work. In other words, recognise and act on the body as a whole. All that said still does not give much away about what good posture looks (and feels) like.

I like to start with the feet. Training the feet is as important as any other part of the body. Mobilise and strengthen the ankle, arch, the metatarsals and toes – all vital for good balance. When standing, imagine the imprint of the soles of your feet on the ground, do they resemble a classic heel, small space, ball of the foot, small space and spreading toe digits?

The pelvis can give away a great deal of information – it may tilt forward or backward, it may rotate or hitch on one side. Working to balance and stabilise the pelvis grounds much of what we do – it is also our base of support when seated. Mobilising it (a figure of eight when walking) and working on the flexibility of the hips, allow freedom of movement of the lower limbs and also release tension in the back.

The ribcage is also required to move freely, for good

"Throwing your arms wide and puffing up your chest, the brain responds to the physical sensation of owning your own space."

diaphragmatic breathing, rotation of the upper body and mobilising the spine.

The shoulders do like to interfere with much of what we ask our body to do. If it requires a big effort, they seem to want to take it all on. Similarly, when we are sad, we may be hunched with rounded shoulders up around our ears – a clear sign something is amiss. Relaxing the shoulders, finding the shoulder placement and stabilising that placement changes the body’s signal from fright or flight to ‘all is well’. Working on shoulder placement is a key element for confidence and posture.

The head and neck are the giveaways. A headache or neck pain seems to affect everything else. We move with more caution. So much information is transmitted with a tilt of the head, the elevation of the chin and the eyeline. I was always taught during my many years of dance training that, ‘you will end up where you are looking, darling!’ – referring to my once-upon-a-time propensity for looking down at the floor! It makes sense, the weight of the head will throw anyone off balance. Better to have it easily placed above relaxed shoulders at the pinnacle of a beautifully curved natural spine (something else to work on!).

When our body is in good alignment, when the placement of head and neck, shoulders, ribcage, pelvis and weight are in good relationship with one another the body feels invincible (perhaps that is an overstatement but clients do report many ‘wow’ moments). The final element is the space in between those relating body parts. The aim is for maximum length, extension and expansion, without overly tensioning.

Posture is always on. Good posture is light and springy, lively and energetic, supportive and strong, and if that can be achieved, through practice of course, you will feel the same in both body and mind.

quantockpilates.com

JUST KEEP SWIMMING

Pool exercise is a low-impact sport accessible to all, regardless of age or ability. Whether you’re taking part in an aqua-aerobics class, getting your lengths in or perhaps taking part in a game of water polo, the benefits of swimming reach beyond the enjoyment of a refreshing dip. So, what are the benefits of swimming?

Reducing Stress

Stress is a concept that many of us are all too familiar with. Let’s face it, we’ve had a rough couple of years lately; a global pandemic, lockdowns, cost of living increases –

the list goes on and on. As a society, we now have more awareness of the importance of our physical and mental health than ever before. As we all know by now, there is scientific proof that exercising releases endorphins and is one of the ultimate ‘stress busters’ that is easily accessible to all. It has even been linked to reducing the risk of dementia, certain cancers and strokes.

Cardiovascular, Strength, Flexibility and Endurance

Swimming works your whole body against the water’s resistance, which in turn works your heart and lungs,

Lauren Attwood, Swim School Coordinator, Oxley Sports Centre

strengthens your muscles and increases your flexibility and range of movement. The stretches and movements required in swimming lengthen the muscles, which can improve other aspects of your day-to-day life, such as reaching for those high-shelf items!

Weight Loss and Medical Improvement

Swimming has been scientifically linked to improved and sustained weight loss, as well as significant improvements for people going through menopause and with medical conditions, such as arthritis. As the water supports 90% of body weight, there is

much less stress and impact on joints when in the water compared to land-based exercise. Swimming is also a recreational and social activity which, combined with its calorie-burning and toning qualities, makes it an enjoyable activity that helps to maintain a weight loss plan over long periods of time.

Swimming increases fitness, balance and helps reduce the severity of any injuries caused by falls. Studies have shown that regular swimming in menopausal women (a group at increased risk of bone loss) has led to a decrease in loss of bone density compared to non-swimming peers.

Mental Health

Most of us have or will suffer from mental health issues at some point in our lives. Whether it’s taking part in an aqua class or swimming about in the pool whilst catching up with friends, spending time in the pool can significantly increase mental wellbeing.

Spending time working on mindfulness and being present and ‘in the moment’ are two techniques that many people have found helped them with mental health struggles. When swimming, you are focusing on your breathing, your movements and the sound and feel of the water lapping around you, which helps to block out everything else.

Physical activity like swimming releases endorphins, which act as natural mood lifters. This, combined with the social aspect of swimming will dramatically reduce the feelings of depression and anxiety. Regular swimming has also been linked to improved sleep and can help alleviate insomnia.

Swimming provides many benefits. Through its unique combination of cardiovascular workouts, strength training and low-impact exercise, it promotes physical and mental well-being, as well as helping to develop essential life skills, water safety and potentially lifesaving abilities. In addition to this, the social aspect of swimming (going to a class together, swimming lengths whilst having a good old natter) has been proven to help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation and, by extension, depression and anxiety.

Perhaps the best aspect of swimming is its accessibility – pools, waterparks, seas, lakes etc. Whatever the location, swimming is a universally accessible exercise that is suitable for all and available to all. So why not go for a dip? I guarantee you’ll feel better for it.

oxleysc.com

Image: Mollie Clothier

BACK TO CLASS

Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons), Communifit

Just like that, September has crept up on us! We hope you all had the most wonderful summer and are now ready to get back into a regular routine. We are immensely proud to be offering exercise classes for all ages and abilities to the local community, regularly attracting a sizeable number of participants to all our classes. We believe that people get many benefits from attending such

classes. Here, I want to discuss some of these benefits, many of them perhaps undervalued.

Friendships

Many of our class members have formed special friendships since attending the same weekly exercise class. Meeting like-minded people with similar interests, goals and objectives is a wonderful way to form

Image: Dave Bendell

friendships. This can be expanded to socials outside of the exercise class too. It can sometimes be difficult for adults to form new friendships but exercise classes provide us with a suitable platform – whilst improving strength and fitness at the same time!

Accountability

It can often be hard to put time aside for ourselves. Attending the same exercise class, at the same time and on the same day each and every week can help with this. If you have booked in your diary a specific hour each week, it is easier to stick to, making you more likely to regularly attend and reap the rewards.

Enjoyment

Exercising in a group is fun! It can be much more enjoyable and challenging than training on your own. Time passes quicker, you often achieve much more and being in a large group can help maintain your motivation to succeed and achieve your health and fitness objectives.

Structure

Attending an exercise class provides structure. Your instructor will plan a suitable session covering all areas of the body, with a balance of cardio, strengthening and mobility – sometimes also targeting specific areas, depending on the type of exercise class you attend. It takes away the ‘thinking’ so you can solely focus on the ‘doing’ –which let’s face it, is hard enough!

Sense of community

Attending a group exercise class provides you with a sense of belonging. Being part of a team, a group or a community, can only help with maintaining motivation and goal setting. It can be incredibly powerful and once you feel part of the community, your desire to improve increases further! There are, of course, other benefits from regularly attending exercise classes but we feel these are some that may be underestimated. If you want to build momentum, start something new, put time aside for yourself whilst of course getting fit and healthy then a weekly exercise class could be the answer. communifit.co.uk

Movement Practices and Wellness Be your body and mind’s best by attending to posture

at Unit 3, West Down Farm, Corton Denham, Sherborne DT9 4LG

Contact Emma Rhys Thomas 07928 291192 or email quantockpilates@gmail.com

Sandra Miller BSc, MSc, BCNH Dip, FDN-P Functional Medicine Practitioner Diet and lifestyle coaching: a powerful path to healing and weight management

Scan to contact me or find out more www.wholistichealth.co.uk

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SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY FEES

Mark Salter CFP, Chartered FCSI, Fort Financial Planning

At this time of year, many parents are preparing for the next chapter in their children’s lives, whether it’s starting school in September or heading off to University. Private school fees and the cost of university are increasing year on year and for many people, the cost of putting your child through school and university is a daunting one!

Private school fees were a hot topic in the election debate and with a Labour government now in place, the added extra VAT is likely to see fees increase. For those considering private education, this could have a substantial impact on the amount needed to fund a child’s education, starting at 5 and finishing school at 16 or 18.

The average cost for a day pupil is in the region of £20,832 per annum and £37,032 for a boarder.* Although this looks frightening, especially if you have more than one child, with sensible planning it can be achievable without ending up with a huge mortgage or stopping the family holidays for the next 15 years.

Planning

The best advice anyone can give is to plan! Start planning early – the earlier you begin planning the easier it will be. Most of us don’t begin planning for our future when we’re in our teens, especially for our future children’s education, but people who plan are normally those people who achieve. You can start a DIY financial plan yourself or you can visit a professional financial planner who will develop a plan with you.

Saving and investing

The question that everyone asks is where should I save? The answer is different for everyone but in its simplicity, a lot depends on how long you have to save for. Will you need the funds in the next couple of years or have you got 5-10 years or more?

If you need access to the funds within the next few years then you will need to be saving rather than investing. Short-term savings should be put in

deposit-based accounts, such as Cash ISAs, National Savings and high-interest savings accounts. These types of saving vehicles are the safest place for your money and you can find out which accounts are offering the best rates by shopping around. The internet has numerous websites comparing each account but beware the best rates are not always the best for you so check the terms carefully!

If you have more than 5 years to save then you can begin to be a little bit more adventurous with your money and seek out better returns by investing your money. Longer-term savings can be invested in gilts, corporate bonds, shares and property.

Create an investment portfolio that’s well-diversified so as the famous saying goes ‘don’t keep all your eggs in one basket’. Another important tip is to make sure you keep your savings and investments in as many taxsheltered vehicles as possible like ISAs, for example.

Help from grandparents

The children’s grandparents can often bring financial support when funding school and university fees and, if properly constructed, inheritance tax (IHT) may be saved. If the grandparents do offer help or you’re a grandparent thinking of helping then it is recommended you seek professional advice.

Planning for the future

If you’re interested in finding out how much is enough for you and your family’s future but you don’t know where to start, our website offers a useful modelling tool ‘Truth About Money’. You’ll be able to enter details on your current financial position and the cost of educating the children and then see whether you’ll have too little, too much or just enough money to help cover the cost of school and university fees.

ffp.org.uk

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THE IMPACT OF VAT ON PRIVATE SCHOOL FEES

Navigating Educational Choices

Simon

Walker, Senior Associate Solicitor, Family Law, Mogers Drewett Solicitors

From 1st January 2025, the government plans to apply VAT registration to private schools. This will require VAT to be attributed to all charges/fees and has raised concerns among parents and schools alike. The additional financial burden could significantly affect family budgets and educational choices, leading to broader implications for both private and state education systems.

The Immediate Financial Impact

Once VAT is applied to private school fees, parents will face a substantial cost increase. Given the already high expense of private education, this additional burden may force many families to reconsider their options. This could lead to:

• Increased pressure on state school placements.

• Potential overcrowding in popular state schools.

• Disputes among parents about the best state school options for their children.

Navigating the New Educational Landscape

Parents facing this potential shift need to consider several factors:

• Reassessing the Family Budget: Understanding the financial implications and adjusting the family budget accordingly is crucial.

• Evaluating Educational Benefits: Comparing the benefits of private versus state education to determine what’s best for the child.

• Researching State Schools: Investigating local state schools to identify suitable alternatives.

• Considering the Child’s Wellbeing: Evaluating how a school change might impact the child’s educational and emotional wellbeing.

When Parents Disagree

In cases where parents disagree on the best educational path, especially separated or divorced parents, several

steps can help resolve disputes:

• Open Communication: Discuss the issue openly, focusing on the child’s best interests.

• Mediation: If direct communication is challenging, involving a professional mediator can help reach an agreeable solution without court intervention.

• Specific Issue Order: If mediation fails, applying for a Specific Issue Order from the court can help determine the best schooling option.

The Child’s Welfare Checklist

When making decisions about a child’s education, whether through mediation or court, the Child Welfare Checklist from The Children’s Act 1989 is essential. This includes:

1 The child’s wishes and feelings, considering their age and understanding.

2 The child’s physical, emotional and educational needs.

3 The likely effect of any changes in circumstances.

4 The child’s age, sex, background and relevant characteristics.

5 Any harm the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering.

6 Each parent’s capability to meet the child’s needs.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Introducing VAT on private school fees would significantly impact children with special educational needs (SEN). These children often benefit from the tailored support available in private schools, which might not be as readily accessible in state schools. The increased fees could limit access to these essential services, potentially disrupting the progress and well-being of SEN students. The government has confirmed that pupils funded via the Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) will be exempt from paying the VAT charge. However, this only covers a modest percentage of SEN pupils in the UK. Currently, 13% of UK pupils receive SEN support but only 4.3% have an EHCP to fund their schooling.

Questions Parents Should Consider

When preparing to make a case for their preferred educational choice, parents should consider:

1 How will the proposed school meet the child’s specific educational needs?

2 What are the long-term prospects and opportunities offered by each option?

3 How will the change affect the child’s social and emotional well-being?

4 Can we demonstrate that our preferred option is in the child’s best interests, not just our own preference?

5 How will we ensure continuity in our child’s education if a change is necessary?

Satisfying the Court

If the matter goes to court, parents will need to present a compelling case that their preferred option is in the child’s best interest. This might involve:

• Providing evidence of the child’s educational performance and needs.

• Demonstrating knowledge of the proposed schools and their suitability for the child.

• Showing consideration for the child’s wishes and feelings.

• Presenting a plan for managing any transition or change.

• Explaining how the proposed option aligns with the Welfare Checklist.

Key Facts About Private Schooling in the UK

• Private School Attendance: Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the UK attended a private school during their childhood.

• Current Enrolment: There are just over 554,000 pupils currently enrolled in UK independent schools, which constitutes about 5.9% of the total pupil population.

• Growth Over Time: The number of pupils in independent schools has increased by 16.9% since 1990.

• Cost of Education: As of 2023, the average annual fee for a day pupil at a private secondary school in the UK was £17,562.

Conclusion

The potential addition of VAT to private school fees presents a significant challenge for many families. While it necessitates difficult decisions and potentially contentious discussions, especially between separated parents, the focus must remain on the child’s best interests. By carefully considering all options, engaging in open communication or mediation and being prepared to present a wellreasoned case. Professional legal advice can be invaluable in these situations, helping you understand your rights and responsibilities and guiding you through any necessary legal processes.

mogersdrewett.com

As cybersecurity threats become increasingly more sophisticated, the choice of antivirus software is more critical than ever. Windows Defender, now known as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11 operating systems and offers a range of protective features. But is it safe enough or should users consider investing in paid antivirus software?

Microsoft Defender Antivirus is designed to provide comprehensive protection against a variety of threats, including viruses, malware, ransomware and phishing attacks. It offers real-time threat detection, regular updates through Windows Update and integration with Windows’ built-in firewall. These features collectively ensure that the system is shielded from many common threats.

One of the standout advantages of Windows Defender is its seamless integration with the Windows operating system. This integration results in lower system resource usage compared to many third-party antivirus programs, which can sometimes slow down a computer’s performance. For everyday users, this means robust protection without noticeable lags or slowdowns. While Windows Defender offers a solid baseline of protection, there are scenarios where paid antivirus software may be warranted. Paid antivirus solutions often come with advanced features that go beyond basic threat detection and removal. These features can include:

Enhanced Malware Protection: Paid antivirus programs often use more sophisticated algorithms and threat detection methods to identify and neutralise malware more effectively.

Comprehensive Internet Security: Many premium antivirus solutions offer additional tools like secure browsing, VPNs, anti-phishing protection and more robust email security, which can be crucial for

IS WINDOWS DEFENDER SAFE ENOUGH?

James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers

safeguarding personal information online.

Multi-Device Protection: Paid solutions often provide licenses to protect multiple devices, including smartphones and tablets, under a single subscription.

Customer Support: Access to professional customer support can be a significant advantage, especially if you encounter complex issues that require expert assistance.

For most users, Windows Defender provides adequate protection, especially if they follow best practices for online security, such as avoiding suspicious links, regularly updating software, and backing up important data. However, users with specific needs— such as those who frequently download software from the internet, handle sensitive information or require advanced security features—might find the extra layer of protection offered by paid antivirus software worthwhile.

Moreover, businesses and organisations with more substantial security needs should consider investing in comprehensive security solutions that offer robust endpoint protection, data encryption and advanced threat detection capabilities. In these environments, the cost of a security breach can far outweigh the price of premium antivirus software.

Now this being said, you’ll still need to be slightly wary of some of the paid-for antivirus software companies as some of them do try and upsell their catalogue of unnecessary programs which most you don’t require i.e. driver updates or clean-up tools! With this also check your automatic renewal costs and renewal date, as like most renewals in the UK, the cost of becoming a new customer is actually cheaper than renewing. They will also try and take the renewal sometimes months before it is supposed to expire.

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FOSTERING IMAGINATION

Mary Lister Ashby, Sherborne Scribblers

Archie was a red-haired boy whose smile dazzled all his fellow pupils and teachers alike. His family were not well off and he would often come to school hungry. He wore scruffy, hand-me-down clothes. However, he was not bullied. In fact, he made friends easily as he was good at football and had a wicked sense of humour. The boys would run around the playground together shrieking with laughter.

Miss Peters soon realised that Archie needed extra help with his reading so she referred him to Ann Marie, the voluntary reading helper who came to the school on Thursday afternoons. Archie grew to love these sessions not only because he liked the stories they read together but also because the volunteer was accompanied by her PAT dog. George, a liver and white Springer Spaniel, would lie at Archie’s feet as he tried to read a few sentences out of the set book for that term. Occasionally, the dog would rest his head on Archie’s lap and watch him intently as if he understood every word.

When not reading, Archie would fondle George and chatter on, telling Ann Marie what was going on in his head. It was then that she noted that Archie had a vivid imagination. One week he told her that he would become a famous footballer like David Beckham. Another week, stimulated by the story he was reading, he was to become a comedian like David Walliams.

At the end of term, Ann Marie and Miss Peters met for their usual termly feedback on the children’s progress. Miss Peters commented that the children’s confidence in reading had increased by leaps and bounds. She thought that George’s presence in the group had had a significant impact. She also remarked that Archie’s reading had particularly improved. Ann Marie suggested that he may have a mild form of dyslexia.

‘He has a very vivid imagination,’ Ann Marie smiled fondly.

‘Does he?’ Miss Peters replied. ‘Perhaps I should encourage that in my lessons. Thank you, Ann Marie. You and George have helped the children so much this term.’

At the beginning of the summer term, Miss Peters stood in front of the class.

‘I would like you to try a new exercise this morning. It’s called In my Mind’s Eye.’

A couple of hands shot up.

‘What does that mean, Miss?’ asked Chloe.

‘Yes, Tom.’ Miss Peters directed her attention to the boy in the front row.

‘Is it like when me mum says that she has eyes in the back of her head?’

A ripple of laughter spread across the room but Miss Peters kept a straight face.

‘No, Tom it is what we imagine. For example, you might hear a loud noise in the

corridor. This might lead you to imagine that an elephant has been let loose whereas in reality, it is just a class of children going to their gym lesson.’

Miss Peters paused to wait for the laughter and screams from the children who thought that there might have been an elephant in the corridor to subside.

‘So, see if you can imagine in your mind’s eye a person, a picture, something that happened or is going to happen. Draw a picture and write a few words, if you can, and describe what you have imagined.’

The class was silent for a few minutes. Archie rubbed his head and then scratched down his back with a pencil. A smile crossed his face and he began to draw. Miss Peters circled the room to help some of the children by asking them such questions as, ‘What do you think your mum is doing today?’

When enough time had elapsed, she stopped the exercise and asked some of the children to describe their pictures. When it was Archie’s turn he blushed – his face and neck turned bright red. He should not have done it. His picture was of a woman in a bright red dress with long, dark hair flowing down her back.

‘It’s you,’ he whispered, ‘when you are not at work.’

Miss Peters smiled at him thinking ‘I wish’. Self-consciously she straightened her skirt and checked that her hair was tied back securely. After that day, neither Archie nor Miss Peters referred to the picture again.

It must have been eight years after he had left primary school that Archie saw Miss Peters once more. He was out on his bike with his friends doing wheelies near town. She was walking down the street hand-in-hand with a tall man. Her hair was down and she looked so much like his childhood picture that he wondered whether she had always looked like that out of school. She was smiling. Could he have encouraged her to become more herself in the same way as she had helped him? Perhaps he could have.

OUR TOP TEN NEEDS

Please consider adding the following items to your shopping trolley:

• Breakfast Cereals • Long Life Milk [all types] • Chunky Soups

• Tinned Vegetables • Tinned Pies/Meals • Tinned Meats

• Sweet/Savoury Biscuits • Tinned Fruit

• Tinned Puddings • Tinned Custard

Donation points can be found near the check-outs at

Thank you.

www.sherbornefoodbank.org 07854 163869

help@sherbornefoodbank.org

and Private Events libbykey8@gmail.com 07985 539072

Pet, Equine & Farm Animals

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For more information visit our website or come down to the showroom.

LITERARY SOCIETY PREVIEW

Richard Hopton, Sherborne Literary Society

BURNING MAN: THE ASCENT OF D.H. LAWRENCE

Frances Wilson

D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover is one of the most famous, or notorious, novels of the twentieth century. First published in Italy in 1928, Lawrence himself described it as a ‘tender and phallic novel, far too good for the public.’ It was banned in England until 1960 when a prosecution against its publisher for obscenity failed. Lady Chatterley, which was Lawrence’s last novel, scarcely gets a mention in Burning Man, Frances Wilson’s brilliantly original biography of Lawrence. The book covers the author’s middle years, 1915 to 1925, that ‘decade of superhuman energy and productivity’ between the prosecution of his

novel The Rainbow and the diagnosis of his tuberculosis. Frances Wilson will be discussing it and Lawrence himself at the Sherborne Literary Society on Sunday 6th October.

Burning Man adopts the structure of Dante’s Divine Comedy - a work Lawrence considered a ‘piece of supreme art’ - to explain Lawrence’s apparently random wanderings during these years, when ‘he ricochets around the globe’. Looked at like this, ‘the apparent chaos reshapes itself’: ‘every house Lawrence lived in … was positioned at a higher spot than the last; he rose from the underworld to the empyrean’, a modern, consumptive Dante.

And how Lawrence travelled in these years. He was never in the same place for more than a few months: ‘he and his wife Frieda roamed the world like gypsies and slept like foxes, in dens’. In 1919 he left England for Italy, visiting or living in Turin, Florence, Rome, Capri, Monte Cassino, and Taormina as well as making trips to Malta and Sardinia. In 1922, Lawrence left Europe for the United States, where he settled for a while in New Mexico but also visited Sri Lanka, Australia, and Tahiti.

Lawrence married Frieda von Richthofen just before the outbreak of the First World War. She was a Prussian aristocrat and cousin of the Red Baron, the German fighter ace, who had abandoned her husband and three children to be with Lawrence. Frieda generally gets a bad press: ‘she was tasteless and irresponsible’; ‘she had no evident talent apart from sex’; ‘she smoked in the face of her tubercular husband while he scrubbed the floors’; and ‘got fatter while he got thinner, got stronger while he got weaker and slept with anyone she felt like sleeping with’. Worst of all, she probably shortened his life. For all her faults, though, she was important to Lawrence, ‘a vital organ of his own body’.

One of the most striking aspects of this tumultuous period of Lawrence’s life is the strange, often downright weird, people he attracted. In Italy, he fell in with Norman Douglas, a pederast with literary pretensions and a taste for Mediterranean life, and Maurice Magnus, an adventurer and fraudster who had done a stint in the French Foreign Legion before committing suicide by drinking prussic acid. In America, where she lived in New Mexico, Lawrence and Frieda formed a close if turbulent relationship with Mabel Dodge, an eccentric, promiscuous, syphilitic, self-proclaimed ‘saviour of the Indians’. Dodge, whose life, according to Wilson, ‘reads like a Freudian case-study’, ‘was a psychoanalytic lab-rat’. Then there was Dorothy Brett, half deaf and wholly batty, who joined the Dodge menage in New Mexico, and other, more transient misfits and oddballs who passed in and out of Lawrence’s orbit.

Lawrence is, Wilson admits at the outset, a controversial subject, ‘one of those figures whose name triggers a psychological lockdown’. ‘Being loyal to Lawrence,’ she continues, ‘especially as a woman, has always required some sort of explanation’. Burning Man attempts to explain his complexities: ‘I am unable,’ she writes, ‘to distinguish between Lawrence’s art and Lawrence’s life … and nor do I distinguish Lawrence’s fiction from his non-fiction’. When he said jokingly, ‘Art

for my sake,’ he meant it.

Lawrence was a prolific author, who produced a stream of novels, short stories, poems, travel writing, essays and reviews but the critical concentration on his novels has consigned much of his best work to the periphery. As a result, Wilson writes, ‘readers today have no sense of either his range or the preternatural strangeness of his power’. One of her aims in Burning Man is ‘to reveal a lesser-known Lawrence through introducing his lesser-known works’. For example, Lawrence’s introduction to Maurice Magnus’s memoir of his time in the French Foreign Legion is ‘the best single piece of writing as writing’ he ever produced. This means, Wilson explains, ‘that D.H. Lawrence’s best single piece of writing is an unclassifiable document virtually unknown to the majority of his readers’.

Burning Man forms an engrossing portrait of Lawrence in these central years by looking at his life - especially his marriage, his endless journeys and his companions - and his work. This biography seems to me to confirm the received impression that Lawrence was, by any normal standard, a strange but captivating man. Aldous Huxley, who knew Lawrence well in the last years of his life, summed him up as ‘different and superior in kind’. He was, Huxley thought, a ‘being, somehow, of another order, more sensitive, more highly conscious, more capable of feeling than even the most gifted of common men’. To spend time with Lawrence ‘was a kind of adventure, a voyage of discovery into newness and otherness’, ‘a brighter and intenser world, of which, while he spoke, he would make you free’. It was these qualities which made both Lawrence the man and his work so compelling for they were one and the same.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

Sunday 6th October 3pm

Burning Man: The Ascent of D.H. Lawrence

The Sherborne, DT9 3JG

Talk and signing with author Frances Wilson

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

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

Fernando Velázquez

Artist Commissions, Sales and Studio Visits by Appointment f.velazquez@hotmail.co.uk www.fernandovelazquez.co.uk fernandovelazquez.art

ACROSS

1. Majestic; wonderful (6)

7. Flying machine (8)

8. Blade for rowing a boat (3)

9. Difficult (6)

10. Make beer or ale (4)

11. Ye old (anag) (5)

13. Release (7)

15. Impassive (7)

17. Wedding assistant (5)

21. Bamako is the capital here (4)

22. Small fasteners (6)

23. Key on a computer keyboard (3)

24. Wanders (of a stream) (8)

25. Substance made by flowers (6)

DOWN

1. Having pimples (6)

2. Separated (6)

3. Starting point (5)

4. Fire-breathing creatures (7)

5. Dowdiness (8)

6. Makes available for sale (6)

12. Feelings (8)

14. Ate and drank sumptuously (7)

16. Closer (6)

18. Provider of cheap accommodation (6)

19. Decorative strip of fabric (6)

20. Understand (5)

AUGUST SOLUTIONS

JLITERARY REVIEW

Rosie Cunningham, Sherborne Literary Society

An Eye for an Eye by Jeffrey Archer (HarperCollins 2024, £22 hardcover)

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

effrey Archer, on his website, talks about his ‘community of readers’ and I am surprised to realise, looking down the list of books he has written, that I must fall into this category too because I have read so many or watched the television adaptions. Jeffrey Archer is such a well-known figure whose career in politics and as a writer has led to many personal appearances on television, at book festivals and other public events where he comes across as a masterful tactician, able to juggle and weave together numerous storylines, with his trademark plot twists and cliffhangers. Bestselling author of over 300 million books in 115 countries and 48 languages, his many novels include Kane and Abel, which was turned into a popular television mini-series, The Clifton Chronicles series, short stories, plays, screenplays and children’s books, and the cathartic Prison Diaries.

An Eye for an Eye is Archer’s seventh book in the successful detective series of William Warwick Novels, a crime thriller series spawned from a character in the Clifton Chronicles described by him as ‘not a detective story but a story about a detective.’ One plot thread focuses on the Prime Minister’s desire for the United Kingdom to win a lucrative contract to provide arms to the Saudi Arabians thus providing much-needed jobs at home, a boost to Treasury coffers and, of course, easy access to oil. However, two other countries are vying for the contract, France and Italy, so Tony Blair charges Simon Hartley, a banker whose family have over the generations been staunch supporters of the government, to lead the British delegation negotiating the arms deal in Riyadh. Unfortunately, the contract negotiation must be done through a Lebanese go-between, Hani Khalil, who has the ear of the Minister of Defence,

Prince Majid bin Talal Al Saud, and who proves to be a character that is unreliable, dishonest, greedy and ambitious, and blatantly open to bribery.

Meanwhile back in England, fraudster Miles Faulkner, prisoner no. 4602, whose recent incarceration was courtesy of Chief Superintendent William Warwick, is due to be released. His acrimonious vendetta towards both Warwick and his wife Beth dominates his life and he swears vengeance. Items of great artistic and historical value, and the loss of them to foreign investors and dubious collectors, become the means to make or break reputations and fortunes.

Intriguingly An Eye for an Eye mentions important British political figures of the day, whom Archer would have known well which gives events a semblance of credibility and an added frisson. The story of the Fair Copy of Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and several personal letters which were lodged in England with the Hartley family, sent me scurrying off to do my own personal research. This is Archer at his best, a master storyteller of political risk and double-dealing, with a storyline which touches on contemporary and controversial issues. Another very well-crafted, entertaining and suspenseful read to add to my collection.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

Tuesday 24th September 2pm

Jeffery Archer - An Eye For An Eye

The Sherborne, Newland DT9 3JG Author talk and signing. Tickets £5 available from Winstone’s Books, shop. winstonebooks.co.uk and sherborneliterarysociety.com

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Jonathan Simon, Sacred Heart & St Aldhelm Catholic Church

One common experience in life is hearing of the troubles of others. Sometimes those troubles are something that we can help with but more often we can’t help or we feel inadequate to help.

The daily news very often leaves us feeling sympathetic but also completely helpless. When we see people around the world suffering through extreme weather, homes and hospitals destroyed, crops dried up or swamped, we may help by giving to emergency aid appeals; yet as we do so, we know that our contribution is ‘just a drop in the ocean’.

When those we love, our friends and families, are ill, we can do small things – giving lifts, shopping, visiting - but we can’t cure their illness. We can’t make it all go away.

A simple fact of our physical existence is that nothing lasts forever. Everything changes and ends. There is nothing that we can do to alter that reality.

Facing that, many people have concluded that the universe ‘just is’. That there cannot be a God, a creator. They say: ‘If there was a God and he was good, he wouldn’t let all these bad things happen.’

The big problem for me about that point of view is this: ‘If I am a product of the God who created me, how is it that I can see the bad things in the world and the creator can’t?’

Or alternatively, if the world ‘just is’, then where does our belief in goodness come from? Why do human beings in every land, in every culture that we know of, believe that there should be love, and justice; that goodness should prevail? How often have we heard small children complain that ‘it’s not fair.’

After many years of searching for answers, I came to believe that God has created the world, that he is good and that we believe in love and justice because he created us to recognise them. I came to believe that there is a future beyond the physical universe that we are aware of and that while we need to accept our limitations, we also are called to do what we can to help others in their need, just as we need their help ourselves.

I’m not alone in these beliefs and I can assure you that the struggle to find a trusting relationship with God has been worthwhile for me, as it has for millions of others.

How about you?

F I N D Y O U R

F U T U R E P A T H W A Y

The Sixth For m at Sherborne gives you the very best preparation for your future. To find out more about the variety of academic and co-curricular options on offer, join us for our:

S I X

Wednesday 25 September from 1.30-5pm.