NEVER PRINTED - YOUR GREEN CHOICE
April ‘22
ISSN 2634-8810
From the heart of the Blackmore Vale.
The BV magazine - April ‘22
IN THIS ISSUE Swanskin Find - P.8
Spring Countryside Show Special - P.62 The Spring Countryside Show is taking place at Turnpike Showground between Gillingham and Shaftesbury on the 23rd and 24th April. We’ve got a sneaky peek into what’s going to be happening, the map of the showgraound, plus the full timetable of the weekends events.
They may look like a grubby old pair of oven mitts, but those mittens are made of Swanskin - a fabric uniquely made in the Blackmore Vale 1500-1800, and considered lost forever. A local history project between Sturminster Newton High school and a school in Newfoundland discovered these on a remote island in a private museum.
Dorset Island Discs p.18 This month’s castaway is Giles Henschel, the award-winning ‘oliveer’ owner of Olives et al, who came to his national artisan brand by way of school expulsion, the Army, being deported from Libya with his wife (twice). And Take That ...
Food & Drink
Equestrian p.54 Horse therapy, stunning foals, and we welcome three day eventer Toots Bartlett to her new column Contact the BV
Expert wine tips from Sadie at Vineyards, Rachaels been to visit Provenance of Tisbury, and of course there’s Heather’s recipe for those amazing Friands.
Team:
We think we’re probably the biggest two-man band around. Thank you team.
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Front cover: Spring blossom at Kingston Lacy, by Leigh Norris
INDEX
We know, it’s a HUGE magazine. So we make it easy for you - just like grabbing the sections you like best from the Sunday papers, you can click the number to jump straight to the section you want. Or, y’know, just make yourself a coffee and read from the beginning ...
68
A country living - Bonnie Cradock
80 124
Animals Announcements
90 36 34 109 101 18 54 72 92 112 126 32 48 4 46
Antiques Art ft. Maria Burns Book corner Business news Community Dorset island discs - Giles Henschel Equestrian Farming Food & Drink Health Jobs Letters to the editor Local history News Night sky
85 23
Out of doors Politics
134 100
Property Puzzles
14 42 27 105 62 82
Random 19 - Kerry Gardner Reader's photography Rural matters - CPRE School news Spring Countryside Show special Take a hike
71 117 76
Tales from the Vale What's on Wildlife
Contact the BV Team: Editor: Laura Hitchcock editor@theblackmorevale.co.uk Deputy Ed: Andy Palmer andy@theblackmorevale.co.uk Advertising: Courtenay Hitchcock advertising@theblackmorevale.co.uk Everything else: Try Courtenay, he’s the organised one ...
Even if you’re not on a tight budget, you’re probably starting to raise an eyebrow at the checkout for the cost of those modest few top-up items in your shopping basket. For those who break out in a cold sweat when the car starts making an odd clunking noise (and ignore it in the hopes it’ll simply go away), then those rising bills are starting to really hurt. Our food bills have stealthily increased over the last year, and that new energy bill this month is going to hurt, frankly. Let’s not even mention the car fuel, rent or mortgage, council tax, even parking charges … And as always, it’s the individuals on the lowest incomes who are hit hardest. It’s not about those who choose to eat the chicken and not the leg of lamb. It’s about the people who have to leave the chicken on the shelf. We have an ever-increasing demand on our local food banks and the Vale Pantry community food store. What will happen in six months time when the fuel bills go up again and the days are short and cold? Money worries are horrible. They sit heavily on your brain, they clamp down any day-to-day happy and they rear their angry gnashing teeth to invade your dreams and keep you thinking in tight panicky circles in the small hours of the night. What if you already work full time around your family, are just about managing – and then someone whips out the rug from under your feet, asking for an extra £200 a month please? Where does it come from? And it’s not just domestic bills – more companies are concerned about losing their business now than at the height of the pandemic. Our farmer columnists have been honest this month about the volatility of pricing and how this affects every level between the farm and your plate. I don’t have any answers – I wish I did. I guess all we can do as individuals is to live consciously, and cut our coat according to our cloth. For some that will be cancelling an extra streaming service, maybe that gym membership they never use anyway. For others it will mean not booking that holiday or shelving a wedding. But for some it will mean increasing debts, a cold house and an empty stomach. And to finish on a lighter note, our eldest son has this week been awarded his Green Card, and finally booked a plane ticket home. It’s been 15 months since I hugged him goodbye (for a three month trip …), and we’re all just a little excited to see him.
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NEWS
by Rachael Rowe
Local councillor headed straight to Krakow to help the refugees The effects of the war have filled our screens and our conversations; Rachael Rowe has spoken to one local councillor who went straight to a refugee point in Krakow. “Krakow is just one of many onward ‘safe’ points from the Ukraine border. I have spoken to too many Polish people today torn by this war. Young staff at our lodgings and in the cafes who have said goodbye to young Ukrainian men who have gone home to fight. People who have Russian friends who have been hissed and spat at. This current generation in Poland was not expecting to see this.” The recent events in Ukraine have shocked and appalled people across the world. However, local resident and chair of Shillingstone Parish Council, Rachel McNamara, could not stand by and do nothing. She packed a bag and travelled to Krakow with an excolleague from British Airways to roll up her sleeves and help. When I contacted Rachel, I was curious why she decided to go to what is the edge of a war zone, and whether it was part of a charity or NGO. “We both felt sure there must be something we could do. We’d heard the visa application process was awful and thought we could just get stuck in. We are both ex-BA cabin crew with access to cheap flights, and just years of experience travelling to strange and sometimes hostile environments. “We, like others we met yesterday and today, are independent. There are lots of ex-cabin crew that we have met here. There are a couple of charities here, but I’d say [there’s] as many people like us who just decided to pack a bag and try and help.” Refugees in Krakow What were your first impressions
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Rachel McNamara on right, with former colleague Mike Miles as they arrive in Krakow
of the impact of refugees on the city of Krakow? “It’s strange. Initially, we couldn’t find them, and life in this affluent city looked unaffected. But then our instincts took us to the railway station. Suddenly, the contrast from ‘life as normal’ to the refugee centre in the middle of a brand new train/shopping mall was striking. “Every day two trains arrive from the Ukrainian border. Refugees are cared for by loving volunteers
with some basic financial support from the Polish government (about £6 per day). Some prefer to stay. Feeling far enough away to dodge the bombing but close enough to feel connected with their loved ones fighting or unable to escape. Hundreds of thousands are processed to Germany, Sweden, the USA and many other countries. They are hungry, without papers, with uncertain futures. “I came here with friends to help,
NEWS and we are astonished by what we can do. We thought we might not be needed or welcome.” Peeling fruit So how was your offer of support received, and what sort of things have you been doing? “Open arms! There is a volunteer process and registration with the police, but it is also possible to just dive in and start peeling fruit. This morning that’s what I did. Mike went shopping with another volunteer for sanitary essentials and spent about £200 of his own money. He came back, helped give out the essentials and then helped with lunch.” Rachel also described how refugees were helping each other in Krakow. “Refugees are getting involved themselves. Some refugees are not looking to go any further. They have left friends and family behind and want to be far enough away to be safe but close enough to feel they haven’t left properly. These refugees are starting to help the new refugees arriving. They work alongside us with food provision. Most importantly, some of the younger ones have multilingual skills in Polish,
Rachel’s friend Mike Miles stocking up on sanitary essentials for the refugees he spent about £200 of his own money
Rachel McNamara, left, peeling apples in the refugee centre
Ukrainian and English translation. Last night, we learnt from locals who are fearful for their own loved ones. Many Ukrainians lived in Krakow and went ‘home’ to fight. There is also some fear that the war will spread here.”
How can readers help? It is important to know that there is still so much to do and help with. The visa application process takes about two and a half hours. Help is needed to do that with each applicant. Volunteers are also ladling soup, giving drinks, sorting accommodation, finding funds for onward transport etc. I think sometimes we think that ‘someone else is dealing with it’. We had initially considered going to the border, but we were genuinely concerned that we should not take up required accommodation. Equally here we have chosen accommodation with plenty of availability. Many
volunteers are in hostels. “There have been conflicting reports about what is needed. I think this is because what is required in Ukraine, on the border and here at a secondary refugee point are different. So here, less medical supplies are needed but more daily sanitary essentials, reading glasses, paper/plastic food dispensing stuff like plates, bowls, cups, cutlery ... There is a supply here, so volunteers go and buy it each day. There are volunteers in Poland that money can be passed directly to in order to buy supplies. “Register to be a sponsor on ‘homes for families’ here https:// www.gov.uk/register-interesthomes-ukraine . Then email me on rachel@ shillingstone-pc.gov.uk , and I will connect them with the volunteers who are matching individuals and families here to the requirements of sponsors in the UK.” 5
NEWS
by Andrew Livingston
2021 Near Kharkiv. Ukraine has the largest area in Europe in arable use, and is a massive producer of barley, wheat, rye, corn and countless other produce. Ukraine has a population of just over 40 million but has the agricultural capabilities to feed 600 million people. Reuters reported recently that Ukraine’s then-agricultural minister Roman Leshchenko said planted acres could be cut in half due to the war. He said farmers in Ukraine may only be able to plant about seven million hectares this year, compared to 15-million last year before the Russian invasion.
UK agriculture feels the squeeze as the war in Ukraine hits home Many are talking about the atrocities in Ukraine - but UK farmers are already fearing the repercussions of the war in Europe’s largest granary, says Andrew Livingston For more than a month now the UK population has been horrified as they’ve watched Russian forces invade and attack Ukraine. Twenty-four-hour rolling news and social media have meant that the data and fear that comes with war is being viewed like never before. What the public may not know, however, are the long-lasting consequences the war will have on our own lives safely back in the UK. Fuel prices had been gradually rising since last summer, but in the last month 6
petrol and diesel have gone up nearly 20 pence per litre - the highest price in 14 years. The sharp rise in fuel cost is due to Russia being an oil and gas-rich country. Although it is believed that only 6% of our oil in the UK is imported from Russia, the global reduction in supply has caused the market wholesale price to increase. Unfortunately, the war is due to have larger ramifications than just the cost to run your car or heat your home. The food you eat is already rising
in price, and set to go higher; Ukraine and Russia are two of the largest exporters of agricultural commodities. Less supply, same demand Due to Ukraine having the largest arable land use in Europe, the country is a massive producer of barley, wheat, rye, corn and countless other produce. To put it into context, Ukraine has a population of just over 40 million but has the agricultural capabilities to feed 600 million people.
NEWS if we haven’t got that choice, we’ve got to produce it here.”
Mole Valley Farmers’ Alternative Feeds Trading Manager Catherine Ward explained the effect of the war: “The trade does not expect to be able to get the normal amount exported from these regions Doubly ambitious if any. So this tightens [the] supply up, but demand Currently, in the UK, the National Farmers Union will stay the same, resulting in price increases in plans for agriculture to be carbon neutral by 2040. those products or replacement products.” To do this the countryside is going through a Ward buys and sells bulk major transition. Crops are being removed as raw materials and other feed “ ...in the space farmers are being paid to have wildflowers, products and says that, in wild animals and the public roaming in their of a month, the space of a month, wheat, field - but is this right? wheat, maize and maize and barley all went Gelfs says we need to try to do our bit for the barley all went environment. He said: “I don’t know if you can up by £100 or just under per tonne. This obviously has huge up by £100 or just achieve both but it’s worth looking at and it’s ramifications on farm, while exploring it. under per tonne” worth trying to feed your animals. To say that either we’ve got to produce food However, the Mole Valley or look after the environment is a bit of a no employee explains that there are other issues no going forward because the population is going raising costs on farm. She continued: “Others have to grow so they’ve got to go hand in hand. been impacted by the increase in energy costs “Whether there’s a food crisis or not at the that have resulted from the war, which impacts on moment, longer-term we have to balance each distilling and crushing plants, hitting margins and of them out because if we just buy our food from resulting in higher prices.” abroad and we keep our countryside looking lovely and full of birds and bees, all we’re doing is Risk of shut-down in poultry exporting the problem to a different country. It’s a One farmer who has been feeling the squeeze world problem, so we’re not actually sorting it.” on his farm in West Dorset is chicken farmer Tim Gelfs. He has 15,000 chickens across two sites and explained how dire the current situation really is: “Our feed costs in April will go up to the tune of £6,000 per month above our budgeted price, with little impact on the egg price yet.” If the price he is paid for his eggs isn’t improved he says he will just move away from chickens; fellow farmers he knows have already done the same. “I can close my chicken unit at the end of this crop or whenever it becomes unviable. You just shut it down and then you don’t replace them - simple as that. “I know people aren’t re-ordering pullets because the pullet price has gone up over a pound a pullet because of the feed and fuel costs; a lot of people just shut down.” Feeding ourselves This isn’t the first time that food security issues have flared up over the last few years; in March 2020, as the world shut down due to COVID-19, fears of empty shelves in the supermarket began to heighten. The NFU Poultry rep for Dorset says that the country needs to be self-sufficient and food secure. He said: “We should be producing enough food that we can feed our country in calories every day, rather than going for 60% or 70% as that is no good if we can’t buy 30% from elsewhere. “Nowadays we will always buy food from abroad because we’ll want choice in the supermarket. But,
West Dorset chicken farmer Tim Gelfs has 15,000 Lohmann Brown chickens across two sites. “Our feed costs in April will go up to the tune of £6,000 per month above our budgeted price”
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NEWS
by Roger Guttridge
Mittens across the ocean A unique heritage project is reviving historic connections between North Dorset and Newfoundland – and has already led to a couple of a remarkable discoveries, says BV columnist Roger Guttridge A humble pair of mittens that probably started life in Sturminster Newton has turned up in a private museum in a remote part of Newfoundland – and is causing ripples of excitement on both sides of the Atlantic. The mittens are the world’s only known surviving garments made of swanskin, which was uniquely manufactured in the Blackmore Vale from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Dorset’s fishing mitts They came to light as a direct result of a heritage project called the Swanskin Seafarers of Sturminster Newton, which is bringing together historians, museums, teachers and students in both Sturminster and Twillingate, Newfoundland. As word of the project spread around Newfoundland’s remote north coast, Peter Porter came forward to say he had the mittens
The discovery of these rather dull-looking mittens is causing international excitement - they are the world’s only known surviving garments made of swanskin, which was uniquely manufactured in the Blackmore Vale in the 15001800s. The cloth for these may well have been made in Sturminster Newton. in his museum on Change Islands. they may be decades older – and Peter has a ledger recording the the material would have been sale of the mittens in 1899 but made in the Blackmore Vale. Former teacher Jocelyn Bath told the BV from Twillingate: ‘My father remembers his dad having a pair. “They were favoured by the fishermen because they were warm but could also be removed quickly when the need arose while fishing or sealing.”
The swanskin mittens are in a private museum in Newfoundland
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Twillingate and Sturminster Jocelyn has also uncovered some family documents dating back to 1816 that included orders for swanskin and references to Sturminster Newton. An estimated 92% of the ancestors of people in Twillingate (pop 2,121) and neighbouring Change Islands (pop 208!) and Fogo Island (pop 2,244) came from Dorset - and many of those from North Dorset.
NEWS As I discovered when I visited Twillingate in 1997, a huge proportion of residents have traditional Dorset surnames, and speak with strong elements of the Dorset accent and dialect. The story of North Dorset’s close connection with Newfoundland dates back to the 16th century, when hundreds of ships sailed annually from West Country ports to exploit the North Atlantic’s rich stocks of codfish. No swans were harmed in the making of these mittens ... In those days the Blackmore Vale was predominantly sheepfarming country and much of the wool was turned into a thick flannel-type cloth called swanskin. Swanskin, whose only connection with swans was its colour, was ideal for clothing fishermen working in the cold and wet North Atlantic waters, and Newfoundland became the main market for a fast-growing production line. The earliest reference to swanskin is dated 1578, when Sturminster
clothier James Yonge (Young) which the poor, who are very applied for tax relief on cloth sold numerous, are chiefly employed.’ to ‘mariners going beyond the The Sturminster dialect poet seas’. Robert Young recalled that the In 1611, a fulling mill was racks on which the cloth was fixed built alongside covered one or “ ...Sturminster: Sturminster’s two fields. ‘The principle grain mill. ‘Many a time I Here watermanufactory carried have watched powered fulling on here is for white the weavers’ stocks hammered swift shuttles baize or swanskin, in passing between the fabric until it was sufficiently which the poor, who the tightened felted to make it are very numerous, threads,’ he waterproof. wrote. are chiefly employed” The fulling mill By 1793, no fewer than was demolished 1,200 Sturminster people about 1800, when the swanskin were employed in swanskin trade was beginning to decline production, an industry which in the face of competition from also extended to Shaftesbury, the industrialising North and Stalbridge and the villages. Midlands. Between 4,000 and 5,000 35-yard By 1812, the number of people pieces were produced each year employed had dropped to 700 or and carted to Poole, whose ships 800. dominated the Newfoundland As this trend continued, some of trade in the 18th and 19th the Sturminster cloth merchants centuries. filled the economic vacuum by A trade directory reported of switching to cod fishing. Sturminster: ‘The principle This in turn led to a dramatic manufactory carried on here is increase in the migration of for white baize or swanskin, in Dorset people to Twillingate
The only other known picture of a swanskin garment dates from 1712 and shows a swanskin-clad fisherman (far right) at a Newfoundland fishing station
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NEWS and other developing fishing communities. High school Zoom The Swanskin Seafarers project, supported by a £14,000 grant from the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will include research led by the Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust, arts projects – including a film – led by arts company Emerald Ant and hands-on research by students on both sides of the Atlantic. As the former Old World Connection columnist for Newfoundland’s Downhomer Magazine, I was honoured to kick off the project by talking to 100 students at Sturminster High School and, by video link, to students at JM Olds Collegiate (JMOC) in Twillingate. Students from the two schools have since met each other via Zoom and more exchanges are planned. The Twillingate youngsters are especially intrigued by the discovery that most of their ancestors came from a small area of southern England and are plunging into family history. JMOC principal Stephen Earle said his school community felt privileged to be involved
in a project which had already In 1621, Sturminster clothier exceeded expectations. William Williams left money in his ‘Our students are already making will to apprentice two boys a year some amazing connections – from Sturminster, Shaftesbury between Twillingate and and Blandford in rotation – ‘to Sturminster Newton, particularly the sea service’. around their ancestry,’ he said. Each apprentice received ‘two ‘This project is allowing us to jackets, two pair of breeches, a easily expand into some of our greatcoat, three shirts, two pair deep learning of trousers, one principal Stephen hat, two pair of objectives and we look forward shoes, two pair Earle said his to continuing this school community of stockings, two partnership.’ handkerchiefs, felt privileged to knives, combs, The Twillingate be involved in a caps, bed, pillows students are planning a school project which had and a large trip to Peter already exceeded blanket’. Porter’s museum The William expectations on Change Islands, Williams charity, which is also home which also aided to a Newfoundland pony refuge. ‘clothiers, serge-makers, linen The hardy ponies, whose weavers and felt-makers’, numbers have dwindled in recent continues to fund students 400 decades, are descended from the years later (see BV March issue New Forest, Dartmoor, Exmoor here) and Connemara ponies that Sturminster High School students went out on the ships as working are furthering their studies with animals. visits to the mill, museum and the Jocelyn Bath added: ‘We’ve had so Dorset History Centre. much community interest in this ‘This project has enabled staff project on our end. The response and students to weave the has been fantastic.’ “golden thread” of local history At Sturminster High School, one through the existing curriculum, of the topics that has caught creating exciting opportunities for students’ imagination is the further study,’ said the school’s apprenticeship of young orphans head of humanities, Sandra to the Newfoundland trade. Mitchell.
Students at JMOC, Twillingate, learn about their community’s historic connections from Roger Guttridge (on the big screen). From the JMOC Facebook page “Mrs. Bath’s grade 9 social studies class take in a chat from UK historian Roger Guttridge as part of our history linkage project between us and Sturminster Newton High School. More exciting stuff to come in the following weeks!”
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NEWS
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NEWS
by Rachael Rowe
Is it right time, wrong place, for a solar farm at Hazelbury?
Is a rural site in Dorset right for a large solar farm? Rachael Rowe revisits the proposals for an industrial-scale solar farm between Mappowder, Hazelbury Bryan and Pulham
We’re all aware of escalating energy prices and the impact of the war in Ukraine on oil and gas supplies. More sustainable solutions need to be found quickly, but what if they are not the most appropriate ones for a rural site? If you have recently been out on a spring walk and admired the delightful scenery in the Blackmore Vale, how would you feel if you turned a corner and encountered a mile-long solar panel farm? We revisited the solar panel proposals planned for a site between Mappowder, Hazelbury Bryan and Pulham to see what progress has been made. When does a plot become a blot? How large can a solar panel site be before it becomes a blot on the landscape? The area around the proposed site is prime farmland and lies within the setting of the most beautiful northerly part of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The views from Woolland Car Park and the Wessex Ridgeway, in particular, would be obliterated by a mile-long solar farm. At 77 hectares, it would be one of the largest solar farms in the South West. Apart from losing good agricultural land, Ian 12
Bryan from Save Hardy’s Vale said: “They need it to be as big as possible to be economically viable. This type of development eats up farmland for very little return.” The group supports solar panels, just not on an industrial scale in a rural area. A handy location Solar panels have to go somewhere, but why did the developers pick this particular site? At a meeting in October last year, a representative from the proposed developer British Solar Renewables explained the reasons for creating an industrial solar power station at North Dairy Farm. It turns out there are already 132,000 Kva power lines running above the fields, making it highly attractive as a site for a solar farm. Further reasons included ‘doing it for Dorset Council’ and for local supply. However, the people of Spetisbury recently learned the electricity generated from a solar farm near them is actually supplying London, raising questions about where power from Mappowder would go.
NEWS
The ‘Boywood canal’ – or the road to Hazelbury Bryan as some people call it.
Flood plain And could the developers have picked a site with a far lower risk of flooding? Remember that day of torrential rain and flooding in October last year? Mappowder was cut off by flooding for hours. Photos from the proposed solar farm site reveal a weakness: its position where the River Lydden and Wonston Brook meet, and where the high landscape points converge, mean this area is always vulnerable to flooding. It’s not somewhere you would naturally choose to place solar panels, where they would probably get submerged in heavy rain or flash flooding. There are also footpaths in the area that would be significantly affected by the development. We all need to change our habits and learn to live with alternative energy sources in the months and years to come.
But how effective is solar power compared to other sustainable energy sources? Compared to hydropower or offshore wind, it lags behind and is less efficient. A planning opportunity? As pointed out in an article in the February issue of the BV, Dorset has been slow on the uptake of solar panels on housing. Is there an opportunity for new housing developments in Dorset to be fitted with solar panels as a more sustainable solution? Rupert Hardy, chairman of the North Dorset CPRE, said: “On the solar front, we are well aware of the climate emergency and have not objected to a number of solar farms in North Dorset, except for the more inappropriate ones, which are often the larger ones, that would desecrate our countryside. We are supportive of small, <5MW,
community-funded solar farms that can be well screened, and more deployment of roofmounted Solar PV.” What is the current position? The senior landscape architect at Dorset Council has recommended the site be opposed, due to its impact on the landscape. It is now Dorset Council’s responsibility to decide whether to support or oppose the proposal, which could see a significant effect on a beautiful part of North Dorset. There are more than 200 letters opposing the proposals on the planning portal, reflecting the strength of feeling from local people. Although we all have a responsibility to look at more sustainable ways of living, there is clearly a time and place for developments on an industrial scale.
From bridleway N52/5 the site can be seen – indicated in red.
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THE RANDOM 19 QUESTIONS
interview by Laura Hitchcock
Actor and top actors’ agent Kerry Gardner takes on the Random 19 His own acting career may have peaked with Up Pompeii!, but as a theatrical agent Kerry Gardner went on to shape the careers of some of our best-loved British actors. Now living in Dorset, this month Kerry braved the Random 19 questions. Born in India to British parents at the tail end of the British Raj and packed off to a miserable English boarding school at a very young age, Kerry Gardner’s years as a stage and television actor culminated in his time as Nausius in Up Pompeii! Without an agent and realising he was wasn’t good at selling himself, (“it was embarrassing, to tell the truth”), he left acting to set up an actors’ agency, Kerry Gardner Management, and helped fashion the careers of Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Pam Ferris and Bill Paterson – to name but a few world talents. After nearly 30 exciting years of this he took on a partner, Andy Herrity, (who now runs Gardner Herrity), retired, and came to live in North Dorset. In his recent memoirs, Not Another Waltz (I, Nausius) he has written a frank retelling of his journey from Harrogate to Hollywood (“it came out to tumultuous indifference, which is rude – I’m a bloody good read! It has 26 five star reviews on Amazon to prove it! They include: ‘Beautifully written with sharp wit but also compassion. Funny, sometimes sad, and very often wickedly mischievous’. So there!”) 1. What’s your relationship with the Blackmore Vale (the loose North Dorset area, not us!)? I fell in love with Dorset when I was working (if you can call acting ‘work’ and not fun) on Bournemouth Pier and stayed through that glorious summer in a house outside the town. I’ve been living just outside Sturminster Newton for the past 25 years. It’s a magical county. 2. What was the last song you sang out loud in your car? I have adapted Gershwin’s 14
“Bess, you is my woman now” for my dog, Biscuit, so I sing the first verse (‘Biscuit, you’re my woman now’) to her in a gruff voice, and the second verse in her much purer soprano, addressed to me. So it goes: ‘Kerry, I’s your poodle now’. After that it’s ‘Oklahoma, sweeping down the plain’. 3. What was the last gift you gave someone? Gift giving at my age is a problem. Because you have everything you need, and gifts are inevitably greeted with “Oh, thank you. Another one.”
Kerry Gardner with Biscuit the poodle (from Katmandoodle)
So you end up going out to buy the most odd thing you can find. Which will naturally end up being greeted with either ‘THANK you, that’s terrific!” or a horrorstruck “what is it?”. It’s a 50/50 adventure. 4. It’s Friday night - you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do? Mind your own business. 5. What was the last movie you watched? Would you recommend it? Simon Amstell’s Benjamin.
THE RANDOM 19 QUESTIONS
Being a bit soppy myself the love story appealed to my treacly core. The acting is superb throughout, and it’s very funny! 6. What is your comfort meal? *suitably thoughtful pause* “Well, I think it’s just about anything that passes in front of me…” 7. What would you like to tell 15yr old you? Try and see the world through other people’s eyes, not just your own. 8. The best crisps flavour? Plain, lightly sea salted. Probably Walkers. If it’s got flavours like chilli, well then I’m afraid I’m obliged to spit it out. That’s not a crisp, that’s the work of the devil. 9. And the best biscuit for dunking? *swift and unhesitating* Dove’s Digestives. They must be Dove’s. You’ve never tried them? Rush out now and buy them. Everyone who comes to my house adores them. I mean, I may have a gun to their head at the
time of asking, but still, it’s a unanimous response.
for ‘poodle’, so I sense it’ll take time to complete. Cats can be very beautiful, but I could never love a serial killer.
10. What shop can you not pass without going in? Any hardware “Gift giving at my store: they’re just an Aladdin’s cave age is a problem. of extraordinary, You have mysterious objects, everything you the uses of which can only be guessed need, and gifts at. I could spend are inevitably hours in one very greeted with happily.
13. Your top three most-visited, favourite websites (excluding social media & BBC News!)? Can I cheat with a podcast? I do love LBC with James O’Brien (who’s on “Oh, thank you. live 10 am - 1 pm Another one” weekdays). There’s 11. What book did you read last year always a catch-up that stayed with you? What online: look for ‘james o’brien made you love it? the whole show’ A History of Loneliness by John *a heavy pause as Kerry Boyne. It is… superb. Witty, searches his memory for searching, moving ... honest. another website* The book is stunningly written, I am just not a creature of the it is immediate, shocking and web, I’m afraid to say. It’s so powerful. infuriating I tend to find it safer to stay off it. Why is there no 12. Cats or dogs? common sense on the internet? Dogs, dogs, dogs. My present I’m going to have to say one is an excuse for me to write Amazon, aren’t I? poetry – which she usually Sorry. appreciates. I’m still working I’m not proud. on ‘There’s a little yellow poodle But it IS so convenient – I to the north of Katmandoodle’. simply can’t drive across half There aren’t too many rhymes the county trying different 15
RANDOM 19 shops to see if they have the thing that I want (usually to be told no, but I can get it online). You do need to be careful to check the weights though – I’ve ended up with vast sacks of dog food for my poor little poodle more than once. HUGE they were. The weevils moved in before she was halfway through!
14. What’s your most annoying trait? A rather rude urge to throw a verbal hand-grenade into a conversation when I’m bored with it. 15. Tell us about one of the best evenings you’ve ever had? Oscar night in Tinsel Town. A truly bizarre day led up to the most other-worldly evening of razzmatazz and over-the-top shows of advertising I’ve ever experienced. The clothing, the jewels, all
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hanging on the shapeliest bodies that exercise, the surgeon’s knife, diet and money can produce. The bonhomie of all those fabled film stars was just jawdropping fun – but completely manufactured. 16. What’s your secret superpower? A sense of the ridiculous. All my best friends have it. Without it conversations can grind on without anything being said for what seems like hours. ‘Pleasantries’ should be a dirty word. 17. Your favourite quote? ‘Try not to dominate, or be dominated’ – Ursula le Guin, American author. Speaks for itself, really. 18. What in life is frankly a mystery to you? Cruelty to defenceless children and animals.
19. Chip Shop Chips or Home Baked Cake? Well. I like both. Obviously. But cake does go on rather, doesn’t it? By the time I’m halfway through I’ve had enough, it just goes on forever. So I’m going to have to choose the chips, please.
DORSET ISLAND DISCS
Interview by Courtenay Hitchcock
Turning ‘no-one likes olives’ into a business supplying Fortnum & Mason (via Take That) Giles Henschel, the award-winning ‘oliveer’, who came to his national artisan brand by way of school expulsion, the Army, being deported from Libya with his wife (twice), and Take That ... From a youth spent rebelling against the expectations of a world which insisted on comparing him to his disciplinarian headmaster father, Giles Henschel followed a circuitous route to become The Olive People with his wife Annie. “I was eventually expelled by my own father at the age of 16 – and kicked out of home too. I joined the Royal Engineers (who are known for building things then blowing them back up again. Which was exactly what I wanted to do). I was told I wasn’t bright enough to operate a giant digger, but perhaps I should apply to Sandhurst? I did, and then joined One Squadron, 30 Signal Regiment in Blandford - the very best posting. We flew all over the world; Hong Kong, Belize, Namibia, Bahamas, Beirut… “ Out on Civvy Street “I left the army as a Captain, expecting simply to walk straight into another job. I obviously started to apply for £150k a year jobs… and didn’t get them. So I reduced my expectations a little and applied for more… down to £80k, £60k, £35k… the last job I was rejected from was a second hand car salesman in Clapham for £11k a year. I didn’t ever
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get an interview. Not one single from Manchester called: interview. ‘I’m putting a band together, and “I was 30, and living in a bedsit in I need you to run the auditions, Walthamstow. My landlady Judy and then get them working Walker worked for Renata John together’. (Elton John’s wife), who owned “Judy did the first auditions, a music management business, brought me a demo tape to which and Judy sat “I wasn’t deemed I said ‘yeah, they’re me down one She spent bright enough to alright’. night ‘I want to some time grooming operate a giant the band, took them start my own business. I know digger for the Royal all over the place, and the music. But I Engineeers, but eventually got them don’t know the onto a kids Saturday it was suggested morning TV show, and administration – which you then on Terry Wogan I should apply do.’ And so we the same evening. to Sandhurst started; we had “On the Sunday instead?” some opera morning Nigel called singers and jingle singers on the ‘Yes, I’ll take them from here, books, and then a guy called Nigel thanks’, and they were gone.
DORSET ISLAND DISCS We had no contract, we were never paid – and that was it with the music industry for me. “Oh, the band? They were called Take That. The only thing I still have is the original demo tape, the first time they ever sung together, labelled ‘March 1991’. And then there was Annie “I was working for a charity in Covent Garden when I met Annie who was flying for Japan Airlines. We got married on 4th July in 1992, living in a dilapidated houseboat. Annie was from Stur originally, and neither of us wanted to continue what we were doing. We both wanted to take a gap year out. So we sold what we could, and bought two motorbikes (we still have them; two BMW R100 GSs), and we travelled the Mediterranean. Down through Spain, up the coast to France, Italy, Greece… It was during the Yugoslav war, so we had to adjust our route to go through Turkey, Syria – an utterly amazing country to be in in 1993. Back into Israel, Jordan, Egypt, all the way down the Nile into Sudan, through the Western Desert into Libya – where we got arrested and deported twice – and then bumped back to the UK and
ended in a bedsit, flat broke, in Southampton. “The one thing we’d found throughout that trip, every meal of the day, was an olive. Everywhere you went, bar, restaurant, roadside shack, there was always an olive of some description. On the trip we learned to use food as a social lubricant – we were an anomaly, these two people on two motorbikes in winter, but we found a ‘wow, this is delicious, how have you made that?’ got people chatting. We kept journals, noted recipes, but arrived back in the UK not
thinking about food at all. And eventually, the olive “Our bedsit landlord was an old army colleague, and he was an ardent nudist. We were stuck at home, no money, deep in posttravelling blues, and this guy wandering around naked while we tried to set up a training business. Annie and I were so depressed. Eventually Annie said “Why don’t we just go into town, buy some good bread, wine, some nice olives, we’ll put the tent up in the back garden and we’ll pretend we’re travelling again”. And so we did. Up went the tent, we drank the wine, ate the bread, and spat out the olives because they were so awful. We started to make them for ourselves, with a bucket of olives fermenting in the corner of the bedsit. “All our guests refused to eat them ‘no, no, we don’t like olives’, but after a glass or two they couldn’t stop eating them ‘these are amazing! Really good, they don’t even taste like olives! You should SELL them!’ “We resisted – after all, ‘no one likes olives’ – but eventually we put our last £500 into enough jars and enough olives. On the 28th October 1993 we took ourselves to the Rural Living Show in Bath, and came back
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DORSET ISLAND DISCS with £1,875.80p (we have no idea who gave us the 80p). So we did it again the following week, and the week after that, and eventually we found ourselves doing the Country Living Show in London the following March. Where it actually began “A very pregnant lady wandered past the stand, and stuck her fingers in a bowl, ate one olive and moved on. I hate that, I was about to call out ‘do NOT use your fingers!’, but she’d already gone. Then she came back ten minutes later and did the exact same thing with a different olive – again I couldn’t catch her. “She circled back for a third go, and this time I was armed with a cocktail stick… I was ready to stab her in the back of the wrist, when she said ‘Do you supply the trade?’ “why yes of course” I said, suddenly feeling very friendly to this nice lady. “She pulled her card out and she turned out to be Food Development Director of Fortnum & Mason: ‘I have been looking for someone to supply F&M with olives. I have tasted olives all over the place, and I have never tasted anything as good as these. These are what I want on my shelves. Will you supply us?’ Up until then, it had just been for pin money. It was suddenly a serious business. That was 1994, and we’re still supplying Fortnum & Mason to this day. “We started in Southampton in that bedsit, but circumstances meant we moved into a house owned by Annie’s parents back here in Stur - doing the olives in the shower room. We moved to Stapleford, to Wilton, to Mere, and we were going to go to Wincanton, but the deal fell through on signing day, and we had just six weeks to find new premises. I’d been driving past this place at Rolls Mill, which was just walls. No windows, no heat, light or power; we bought it on the condition it could be finished in the six weeks. We moved in on
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the Queen’s Jubilee in 2002 – 20 years this year.
And so to Giles’ eight music choices, along with how and why they stuck in his life: Bakerman by Laid Back First heard when serving in Harrogate with the Royal Signals running the External Leadership troop. I was spending a lot of time in the hills and it brings me back to those days. The lyrics do have meaning - the line Sagabona Kunjane Weni is Swahili for ‘Hello, how are you’ which is basically how we’d greet people in the hills (in English - not Swahili) Sensitive Kind by JJ Cale I’ve loved JJ Cale since the time I first discovered his laid-back style of blues played with such a casual ease and musicality. He always shunned the big time and his wife used to say if you want to hear the real JJ just come around to the Airstream one evening and listen to him on the porch. This particular track has special meaning to me as it just reminds me so much of Annie - original oliveer and my rock for the last 30 plus years. Sodade by Cesaria Evoria I came across this wandering through the streets of Cordoba; I was drawn to a café where this was playing one sunny Sunday morning while we were out there for the olive harvest. Her voice is so plaintive and speaks to the
heart and was just perfect to let wash over us as we sat and watched the world go by. We discovered later that the song is sung in her native Cape Verde Kriolu - a blend of Portuguese and West African languages and speaks of loss and sorrow at leaving the islands. Into the Night by Santana I have always liked Santana and this collaboration with Chad Kroeger really makes the most of his voice and Carlos Santana’s amazing guitar skills. It makes me think of family holidays driving with the windows down in a beaten up rental, hot air and sandy beaches with the kids singing along in the back. Go! by Public Service Broadcasting I was seven when the first moon landing happened and I was fascinated and begged to be allowed to stay up and watch as Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the surface. My favourite film is Apollo 13 - the story of the greatest space rescue. To hear the original radio transmissions from those on board and at Mission Control stitched together in this track still gives me goose bumps. Such an original and timeless piece and yes, as an avid Blue Peter watcher I did make the rocket from Fairy Liquid bottles ... Mul Mantra by Snatum Kaur My mother, Norah Forbes Stewart, was a deeply spiritual
and widely-read lady for whom no one religion, creed or faith was enough - this was one of her favourite pieces of music which we played at her funeral last year. She is sorely missed by so many and I’ll be forever grateful for all she opened my eyes to - from the occult to different faiths, poetry and forever seeing the beauty in everyone who was lucky enough to meet her and life itself. Refugee by Oi Va Voi Oi Va Voi is a British collective of musicians, celebrating many different genres but with a distinctly Yiddish flavour. The name is Yiddish for “Oh Dear”, and being of Jewish descent, this sings to roots I never really knew I had. Especially poignant given the current unjust war in Ukraine, and while this is not a political statement or choice - we are all refugees in some way, some more than others and there but for the grace of god go all of us - this song is a reminder of both where I’m from and where so many are headed. Senegal Fast Food by Amadou & Mariam I came across Amadou & Mariam while working at the Larmer Tree Music Festival as MC on one of the fringe stages. I loved the feel and warmth of their music, and this song from their fourth album Dimanche à Bamako is produced by and featuring another favourite artist, Manu Chao.
DORSET ISLAND DISCS This song combines them both and takes us back to a five-week road trip in an old Land Rover down to Morocco and the edge of the Sahara we took as a family for my 50th Birthday. This was on a playlist called Sahara Songs and we played it endlessly as we reached the very edge of the road in a town called M’Hamid El Ghizlane about 20km from the Algerian border. Amazing Chicken Tagine followed, by the most miraculous night spent camping under the full moon and stars way out in the dunes ... And if the waves were to wash all your records away but you had time to save just one, which would it be? I’d save the JJ Cale track, Sensitive Kind - it’s probably the only one I can sing along to and keep in tune, as well as being a reminder of Annie! My luxury item Would be an acoustic guitar with unlimited string replacements. And before you ask, my book would be the best primer of how to play the damned thing properly as I’ve been playing for 45 years and still can’t do it any justice.
Click here to listen to Gile’s entire playlist on YouTube
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POLITICS
Amid the images of disaster, we see the rise of human spirit by Simon Hoare MP As we watch the atrocities being committed in Ukraine, Simon Hoare MP praises the communities who have risen up in swift action to provide help - and urges us all to continue to ‘do our bit’ where we can. While Spring creeps into life the situation in and around Ukraine resembles deepest winter. Our Ukrainian brothers and sisters are living through the hell of war, amid scenes and images which we had all hoped were consigned to the European history books. The best of us While Russia is showing us the worst of mankind, and of man’s inhumanity to man, across North Dorset we are seeing the best. Our DNA-embedded spirit of wanting to do all we can to help has risen to the fore. I cannot tell you how genuinely moved and inspired I was by the veritable army of volunteers I was privileged to go and help (albeit for a few hours) at The Exchange at Sturminster, and to see similar hives of activity at Shaftesbury’s Guildhall and Blandford’s Ginger Viking. A continuous stream of members of the public, motivated not by instruction but by a spontaneous desire to ‘do something’, bringing literally tonnes of food, clothing, blankets, toiletries
and toys. Some came with a car full, others a carrier bag; it was clear that all were doing everything they could to help. Then there were the rooms of people sorting, packing and boxing up. Still others in a human crocodile loading vans for dispatch to Southampton and the port. Each and every one is a hero. They were and are the best of us. A magnificent spirit Local businesses too have been marvellous. I don’t know all of those who helped but a shout out to Dikes of Stalbridge, Johnsons of Gillingham, Virginia Heywood at Shaftesbury and Gillingham’s South West Packing for either donating goods or that elusive and much-needed commodity, the cardboard box. Thank you too to Dorset Council for allowing the use of the chapel at St Mary’s School for storage purposes, and of course thank you to Ginger Viking and the Exchange for allowing their premises to be used as donation hubs. You’ve all been magnificent.
So - what can be done now? As your MP I continue to press Ministers to be swift and flexible with the refugee resettlement process, and for the Home Office to be far more fleet of foot than it has demonstrated hitherto. We are dealing with a wartime situation and our processes and policies, designed for peacetime, need to reflect that dynamic shift. Whatever can be afforded - be it £1 or £100 - I would urge you to make a donation to the DEC fund www.dec.org.uk. Can you offer housing? Also, please consider registering on this website for the housing scheme www. homesforukraine.campaign. gov.uk. You might have a spare room, granny flat or a holiday-let. Please do register your interest on this site. If we can do our bit then we should. If we all try to ask ourselves the question ‘if we were in their position, what would we want others to do for us?’ I don’t think we will go far wrong. 23
POLITICS
P&O join the household brand ‘race to the bottom’
It is the power imbalance which allows giant brands to mistreat their staff, says Labour’s Pat Osborne P&O Ferries sacked 800 staff without notice by video this month, replacing them with agency workers on worse pay and conditions. As a subsidiary of Dubai-based DP World, a firm owned by the Dubai royal family, P&O aren’t exactly short of a bob or two. In fact, over the last two years DP World has paid out more than $376 million in dividends to their royal shareholders, at the same time as reportedly receiving more than £30 million in emergency funding from the UK government (including benefitting from the taxpayer funded furlough scheme) while sitting on the kind of bank balance that has Scrooge McDuck reaching for his
swimming trunks. P&O aren’t alone in engineering a deliberate race to the bottom for pay and conditions. Household names like British Gas, BA, Weetabix, TESCO, ASDA and Clarks have all used ‘fire and rehire’ tactics to bully and intimidate their staff into accepting cuts to pay and conditions in recent times. It seems that the Tories have created an environment where bad bosses think they have license to tear up staff contracts, leaving many working people leaning into the cost-of-living crisis feeling more insecure about their jobs and income than at any time since WWII. We need to reverse this race to the bottom for pay and conditions
by ending the power imbalance that allows bad employers to treat their staff in this way. That’s why Labour’s ‘New Deal for Working People’ and Keir Starmer’s promise that a Labour government will write it into law within 100 days of taking office are so important. Under Labour, work will be more secure and better-paid because unions and individuals will be given stronger rights to redress power imbalances in the workplace.
We know they must do better Many in business could learn from the ‘can do’ attitude of the British public and do better, argues Lib Dems’ Mike Chapman. Against a backdrop of some glorious Dorset spring weather, the gold of daffodils along verges, the beginnings of blossom and the return of the dawn chorus, we have had some grim stories with which to come to terms. The line on Ukraine that struck me most forcefully came in a conversation with a now very elderly soldier. Echoing Kennedy, he said “Ich bin ein Kyiver”. It is so much to be hoped that the active diplomatic, financial, humanitarian and material support being given to which those words allude will help enable democratic values to prevail. Some of that high ground was lost, though, with the shocking announcement of the mass redundancy at P&O. Thoughts 24
are with those who have lost a livelihood - but also with the agency staff who will do a tough and responsible job on much poorer terms. The phalanx of security men escorting employees from the ships was a sorry sight. They might as well have had a Z on their uniforms for all the moral authority they conveyed. There hasn’t been such instant damage to a wellknown brand since the infamous comments of Gerald Ratner! Since we are comparing and contrasting … as a people we seem to embrace the need for a ‘Can Do’ attitude. We are seeing it in the heart-warming stories of the support being mustered for the Ukranian refugees across the nation. We saw it in the Covid vaccination programme
and annually in the response to Children In Need. The contrast is with the inertia of government (and its centralisation and secrecy), with the stories coming out of the DVLA about a culture that seems to be at odds with the ethos of public service, and with the light now being thrown on the prosecution, nay, persecution of so many postmasters and postmistresses. A dishonourable mention must also go to high-rise cladding businesses, profiteering energy companies and sewagedischarging water companies. We need to seize the day, hang on to the ‘Can Do’ and turn it into ‘Can Do Better’.
POLITICS
Can we stop the waste, change what we eat and how we grow? While the fuel bills are taking the headlines, the 20 year high in food bills and food poverty requires immediate action, argues the Green Party’s Ken Huggins Energy prices have risen dramatically recently, but food prices have also been rising and are now at a 20-year high. As with energy costs, this disproportionately affects the households whose income falls below their needs. For us here in the sixth richest nation in the world it is a national disgrace that food poverty means there are over 2,600 food banks operating across the UK, with almost six million adults and two million children struggling to get enough to eat. This is why the Green Party is calling for a Universal Basic Income, so that citizens have a guaranteed income to support
their essential needs. The relentless rise in the use of food banks in the UK began long before the Covid pandemic. It is 22 years since the Russell Trust opened its first food bank in their home town of Salisbury, and it now supports over 1200 food banks across the UK. In North Dorset we have food banks in Sherborne and Blandford and the Vale Pantry community food store in Sturminster Newton. No doubt there are others. While energy is essential for our society, food is essential for our survival. For good health we need good food, and we need to grow more of it ourselves. Here in the UK we rely on
imports for a staggering 45% of our food overall, including 84% of our fruit. This means we are extremely vulnerable to external events such as climate change and conflict. Food produced sustainably and consumed locally helps protect us from global shocks. So we have to change what we eat, what we grow, how we grow it ... and reduce the appalling wastage. One-third of food production is never eaten! Farmers are THE key workers, and we must support them to transition to more sustainable agriculture.
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NEWS
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RURAL MATTERS - monthly column from the CPRE
Would you consider a Prefabricated home?
NEWS
Proposal for Boklok UK Housing Estate CGI
We’ve come a long way since the temporary post-war emergency housing gave prefabricated a bad name, says Rupert Hardy, chair of North Dorset Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) Some of us still remember the stigma surrounding ‘prefab’ housing. In the post-war years, prefabricated homes were seen as a temporary solution to the housing crisis. Many weren’t intended to last more than a decade, were poorly made and insulated ... but surprisingly are still standing. Their lack of appeal was also related to British housebuilding’s traditional use of brick and stone, rather than northern Europe’s use of wood, which lends itself to prefabrication. Building standards have moved on considerably since the 1940s when an indoor bathroom was considered a luxury. Modular homes on sale today are energyefficient, built to last and quick to assemble. CPRE often complains about excessive
housing targets, but there as enhanced insulation, solar is clearly a need for more panels and heat pumps. genuinely Many are made affordable “Building standards of wood, the most and social sustainable building have moved on housing. material with the considerably since Modular lowest carbon homes should the 1940s, when an footprint. They are be 10-20% indoor bathroom therefore more cheaper than was considered a environmentally traditionally friendly and cheaper luxury” built homes, to run. Off-site once scale construction also economies have been requires fewer builders, thus achieved. Although there are addressing one of the housing few on sale in North Dorset industry’s major challenges. now, this is likely to change. Modular building offers a lower carbon footprint as The eco credentials there are fewer lorry deliveries We are of course also faced to the site, which has a with a climate emergency and pleasant knock-on effect of modular homes can boast people living nearby being less eco-friendly credentials, affected. using sustainable materials In other European countries and construction methods, such as Germany, factoryincorporating features such made modular homes are 27
RURAL MATTERS - monthly column from the CPRE
common. In Sweden more than 80% of detached houses use prefabricated timber elements. Flat pack housing? Things are changing here in the UK too, and political support is also growing. Of the 200,000 homes built in the UK each year, only 15,000 are modular but it is anticipated that this will now start to rise rapidly. Insurance giant Legal & General have opened a factory in Leeds, with the intention of producing 4,000 units a year; housing associations are expected to be major customers. Worthing Council in Sussex have signed up with BoKlok, a company jointly owned by IKEA, to build 162 flats on its own land - 70% of the properties are being
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Urban Splash are building 406 modular homes at Inholme, in the Midlands, with 60% being affordable housing, including 60 homes for older persons. The development won the prestigious National Housing Design Awards 2020. Buyers can configure the internal layouts to create their own space before being precision-built in the company’s factory, fitted with bathrooms and kitchens and delivered and assembled in just a few days.
sold using its innovative affordability model, which analyses how much residents can afford after tax and monthly living costs have been deducted. Standard features will include heat pumps and enhanced insulation. In the East Midlands at Inholm, Urban Splash are building 400 modular homes
with heat pumps that use 67% less energy to build compared to a traditionally built unit. Sleepy Dorset may be slow to emulate other authorities, but even here change is expected soon. Many peoples’ sons and daughters trying to get a foot on the housing ladder deserve no less. For many, the future will be prefrabricated.
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COMPETITION
Rename the old Legends Nightclub – and win a prize worth up to £800! Can you find the right name for the new inflatable soft play world at the old Legends Nightclub in Gillingham? If so, you could win a year’s family membership, plus a family party – including food – together worth up to £800!
Like so many businesses, the team from the Gillingham Community and Leisure Trust (GCLT), who run Riversmeet, were devastated by the effects of the lockdowns. These were already troubling times for the Three Rivers Partnership (the charity which oversees GCLT), and it was hard to see a path forwards for the business – but here we are in 2022, not just surviving but thriving again. Covid quickly showed the team the weaknesses in their business model, and in the services being provided to the community. A new way needed to be found to enable the business to expand and survive over the next 20 years, and last summer a new Community Interest Company was formed. Legends Called Thrive Services CIC, its only purpose is to deliver valuable services to the community that it serves. With the survival of Riversmeet forming the cornerstone of its business plan, the team have now started to undertake several exciting new local projects, highest of which is the redevelopment of the Legends building on Brickfields Industrial Estate. The site, which has been empty for a few years now, was generously offered to the team by its owners, and with their full support Thrive has been able to start work on what will be a new community facility. Complimenting the services already in place at Riversmeet, the new facility – which hasn’t been named yet (your chance 30
to name it is below!) – will initially focus its activities on the children of the town and their parents. Phase 1 of the project will offer a huge new indoor soft play area, party rooms and a café for parents. Phase 2, which will be completed after an extension has been built to the original building, will offer a new health and fitness space which will compliment the existing gym at Riversmeet. Choose the name - and win! Over the coming months we’ll be
happy talk to the community and answer any questions… but right now we’re asking the community to name our new facility – much like we did when Riversmeet was built back in 2008. To be in to win, just click the image to go to the website, scrol down and answer the first three questions in the widget box at the bottom of the page. The closing date for this competition is 15th April 2022 and only entries received on or before that date can be included. Good luck!
COMPETITION
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor
Want to reply? Read something you feel needs commenting on? Our postbag is open! Please send emails to letters@theblackmorevale.co.uk. When writing, please include your full name and address; we will not print this, but do require it.
We find ourselves in such troubling times of late. What is - for want of a better word - fascinating to me are the different opinions and levels of compassion for the Ukrainian people shown on social media. I am astounded once again at our country and their willingness to help. However there are just some that just don’t get it. My six year old has shown more compassion than a lot of adults I have seen. I have attached a picture of her with the goods she purchased because I am proud.
Proud to have raised a strong and thoughtful young lady. Entirely independently, she put her dolls house up for auction to raise funds to buy toys for the Ukrainian refugee children. As it happened she received donations instead, and raised £150 to buy toys and toiletries with. This is after both she and my son donated £10 each from their birthday money to take bags of food and toiletries to cubs to be sent on. I am so very proud of them both. Sammie Peckover, email
Food not solar THE ongoing conflict in Ukraine has serious implications which will affect the long term future of food prices, farming and food production in Britain. Ukraine exports more than 25 million tonnes of wheat a year; 15% of the world’s wheat exports. It is one of the four major world exporters of grain. It has just been announced by Ukraine that, because of the invasion by Russia, the planting of this year’s grain crop has been delayed, if not totally wiped out in parts. This means there will
be no exports of grain in 2022, as they will need it for their own consumption. It does not take a crystal ball to see that if we do not look to our own resources to feed ourselves, then the future will look very bleak indeed. This then brings in the question as to why thousands of acres of agricultural land, capable of food production, is being proposed for adaptation to solar panel farms? There are a number of proposals for solar panel farms being considered locally affecting excellent agricultural land - the largest of which is the one near
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Hazelbury Bryan, 190 acres of an industrial power plant across prime farmland in an AONB. If allowed to go ahead, land will be lost for food production for the next 40-plus years. Climate change will only add to the problem; as crop yields fall where droughts are becoming the norm, populations will look to move, with the accompanying conflicts that will ensue as a consequence. David Armitage, Sturminster Newton *** Car Parking Charges I am writing to congratulate Dorset Council on making my working life considerably more difficult. Along with high inflation, record price rises for fuel and an increase in National Insurance and Council Tax, you have almost doubled the cost for me to park my car in the Long Stay car park in Wimborne, which today went up from £3.20 a day to £6.00. Forget about inflation running at 8% or fuel at 40% - you have managed a very profitable 87+% overnight! As this car park, along with many others, appears to be run by a private company, it makes me wonder who Dorset Council is actually working for: residents and council tax payers in Dorset; or the private companies that are making an absolute killing from these exorbitant charges. What, I wonder is your “cut”? Of course this rise will be justified as part of a wider “green” agenda to encourage people out if their cars and on to public transport, but in reality it is nothing of the sort. I cannot use public transport to get to Wimborne from where I live in North Dorset, as the service is functionally useless for work purposes (try it yourself and see). Which means the price rise is simply nothing more than a good, oldfashioned rip-off. As with so many aspects of government,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR both local and national, it leaves me seething at the complete lack of consideration by those elected (and not elected) to power towards the population they represent. Shaun Linsley, Stour Provost ***
Misleading increase in Council Tax precepts? Yet again, Dorset Council has grossly misled Council Tax Bill payers regarding the annual percentage increase of the Adult Social Care Precept. The charge this year for my Band E property is £248.16. Last year, the charge was £226.49. Elementary mathematics shows this to be a 9.5% increase – yet on my bill the ‘change from previous year’ is shown as 1.0%. Last year, the actual increase was 37.7%, when the claimed increase was 3.0%. Following correspondence with Dorset Council on this gross misrepresentation, the justification for this chicanery is on the basis that the mathematics is ‘prescribed by government’. I have chased down the associated legislation – and while their thus authorised convoluted arithmetic employed may technically legitimise Dorset Council’s claimed percentage increase, it nonetheless does not represent to the bill payer the true ‘change from previous year’. I have no truck with the amount charged to provide this important service – my dissatisfaction is with the Council’s duplicity of its presentation. Alan Bennett, Leigh
*** On a Cow’s Life Thank you for tackling the BBC’s Panorama show on the dairy industry (‘Is Hardy’s ‘vale of little dairies’ a place of brutality?’, March issue) . I’m not a farmer,
have no ‘insider’ knowledge, and I was horrified by the programme. It was reassuring, then, to read what experienced local farmers (Surely the writer Andrew Livingston is your columnist and also a farmer?) condemning the actions seen in the programme. James Cossins’ words ‘if this is farming, I want no part of the industry’ had more truth in it than the whole Panorama investigation, I felt. I do understand the need for balanced reporting, but I felt the closing paragraph being given to the Vegan Society representative tilted what up to then had been an interesting and fair article. It left a feeling of judgement on an industry which the rest of the article had seen as unfairly attacked. John Grey, Sherborne ***
A deep thank you We wanted to express our sincere gratitude & thanks from the bottom of our hearts you all helped save my husband’s life… We hope this message will reach out to all those persons who helped us on St.Leonard’s Avenue, Blandford Forum on the morning of Sunday 20th February 2022; you all played a very important part in saving my husband’s life. We wanted to reach out to send a personal message to express our sincere thanks & gratitude to all those who appeared literally out of nowhere that day and helped in every way - you were all like angels. By providing immediate medical assistance you all helped save my husband’s life. We are extremely fortunate & blessed to say that two weeks on he is still with us, and though he remains critically ill he is on his way to making a full recovery with the help of all those people above, the Dorset Ambulance & the amazing NHS staff at
Dorchester Hospital. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Patricia & Family, email ***
On Tales from the Vale I don’t feel the need to obey his instructions and ‘email the editor’ (March issue, p.22) about Mr Palmer’s innocuous views on women driving in Saudi. Likewise, I see no reason to complain about his ‘Mr Bush and his broccoli’ story. However, I don’t appreciate his need to bash Sherborne’s charity shops - it’s not the first time he has pointed out that books in Sturminster Newton’s Emporium are a quarter of the price. The Emporium no doubt has a quarter of the overheads the Sherborne charity shops have. It’s not a competition Mr Palmer - and we’re all welcome to vote with our feet. With the price of fuel the way it is, that small saving of 75p a book would be gone of Sherborne residents chose to drive to Sturminster Newton anyway. Annie Calsop, Stalbridge ***
I do really enjoy reading your magazine as it covers such a wide range of interesting subjects. However what you write about as ‘Blackmore Vale’ is mainly about North Dorset and hardly ever covers anything in the South Somerset area of Blackmore Vale. I would like to see more content about places such as Templecombe, Horsington and Henstridge. I was brought up in that area during WW2 and I am sure you should include the whole of Blackmore Vale and not just that of North Dorset. Apart from that, I think that you are doing a very good job and I wish you every success. David Peckham, Romsey (aged 89)
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BOOK CORNER
Wayne recommends:
On the subject of politics ...
“Given what is going on in the world today, this month’s selections have a political theme. A fascinating and timely book by Oliver Bullough on how our capital became Londongrad, and an incisive account of the second most powerful unelected woman in the UK today.” - Wayne Butler to the World : How Britain became the servant of oligarchs, tax dodgers, kleptocrats and criminals by Oliver Bullough, £20
How did Britain become the servant of the world’s most powerful and corrupt men? From accepting multi-million pound tips from Russian oligarchs, to enabling Gibraltar to become an offshore gambling haven, meet Butler Britain ... In the immortal words of former US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, ‘Britain has lost an empire and not yet found a role.’ But the funny thing was, Britain had already found a role. It even had the costume. The leaders of the world just hadn’t noticed it yet. Butler to the World reveals how the UK took up its position at the elbow of the worst people on Earth: the oligarchs, kleptocrats and gangsters. We pride ourselves on values of fair play and the rule of law, but few countries do more to frustrate global anti-corruption efforts. We are now a nation of Jeeveses, snobbish enablers for rich halfwits of considerably less charm than Bertie Wooster. It doesn’t have to be that way. ‘Brilliant’ Marina Hyde, Guardian ’A savage analysis of Britain’s soul. As essential as Orwell at his best’ Peter Pomerantsev’
First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson by Michael Ashcroft, £20
Carrie Johnson is not only the consort of the Prime Minister; she is also considered to be the second most powerful unelected woman in Britain after the Queen. Since she moved into Downing Street in July 2019, questions have been raised about her influence, her apparent desire to control events, and the number of her associates who have been appointed to positions of standing. Are these concerns justified? In this carefully researched unauthorised biography, Michael Ashcroft scrutinises Mrs Johnson’s colourful family, her attempt to become a professional actress, and her early decision to work in politics. Long before she moved into No. 10, Mrs Johnson made a name for herself as a Conservative Party press aide before becoming a special adviser to two Cabinet ministers and eventually director of communications at Conservative campaign headquarters. Aside from politics, she is the mother of two young children and campaigns in the fields of the environment and animal welfare. Carrie Johnson is a very modern prime ministerial spouse. This book offers the electorate the chance to assess exactly what role she plays in Boris Johnson’s unpredictable administration and why that matters. In 2022 Winstone’s celebrates 10 years as Sherborne’s Independent Bookseller. Winstone’s has won the ‘British Book Awards South West Bookseller of the Year’ four times and was winner of the ‘Independent Bookseller of the Year’ national award in 2016. Owner Wayne Winstone was previously one of the three judges for the Costa Prize for Fiction, and in 2018 Wayne was selected as one of the top 100 people in the Bookseller’s Most Influential Figures listing.
BOOK CORNER
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ART
Interview by Edwina Baines edwina@theblackmorevale.co.uk
Do what you love, love what you do From childhood birds’ nest collections to interpretation boards and book covers (via life-size rhinos and Gromit), Maria Burns shares with Edwina Baines how her love of the Dorset countryside has shaped her career As children, we talk about what we want to be ‘when we grow up’. It’s a dream of the future, something we can put off for years before it becomes a reality. The majority of us have no idea what the future actually holds. But for a lucky few, it’s a straightforward answer: having spent her childhood in Purbeck exploring the stunning natural habitats and wildlife around her and painting what she could see, Maria Burns was never in any doubt about what she would do. We chatted in the garden of her home near Wareham, in the “sanctuary” of her beautiful studio: “My father was a policeman. He joined the force at the age of 15 and was posted to Wareham when I was four: I get my strong work ethic from him. Getting a ‘proper job’ “As children we went on lots of walks. We spent all our childhood on the beaches, looking in rock pools and developing an interest in nature. “I had a friend whose father was an ecologist and we made a little museum in his garage out of our collections of fossils and old bird’s nest. We used to charge the neighbours to come and look! I was always drawing at school and would get told off for doodling all the time.” Despite her father’s misgivings
“ ...despite her father’s misgivings about her earning ability and the need for a ‘proper job’, she went on to train as a natural history illustrator” 36
Much of Maria Burns’ most popular work is available to purchase through her Etsy shop
about her earning ability and the need for a ‘proper job’, she went on to train as a natural history illustrator at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. On leaving college, Maria worked as a graphic designer for Poole Tourism, which “gave me a good grounding”. She subsequently set up Maria Burns Illustration & Design and now has 30 years of freelance illustration and graphic design
experience behind her. From nature to Gromit Rather than work in London (as most illustrators do), Maria is at home in the Purbecks, where the variety of coast and countryside provides her with everything she needs for inspiration: “It just feels right being here.” she says. Maria’s talent and versatility enable her to be involved in a huge range of fascinating
Maria Burns in her studio, working on some current Natural History watercolours, with some of her Poole Tourism work plus ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit on the shelf behind. Image - Edwina Baines
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ART projects and her body of work incorporates a variety of styles. As well as the more traditional watercolour natural history and historical illustrations, she ranges from decorative bold images using mixed media collage techniques to, more recently, digitally produced artwork. In Bristol, the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal “Gromit Unleashed 2” Public Art Trail featured Maria as one of the official artists who decorated the Shaun the Sheep figures and other Gromit characters. The Trail featured giant fibreglass sculptures which were positioned in high footfall and iconic locations around Bristol and the surrounding area. Maria’s ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit (above right) , sponsored by the House of Fraser, raised £37,000 for Bristol Children’s Hospital. The model was “filled with zingy colours, sweet fruits, agile flamingos, and a friendly toucan, to provide a dash of the Caribbean’!” There is also a T-shirt, which comes with a set of pens for children to colour him in “It was a wonderful project to be part of,” chuckled Maria, “But it
On Maria Burn’s desk; some of her recent Natural History watercolour studies
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In 2018, Maria’s ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit was part of the Gromit Unleashed 2 art trail in Bristol, which featured 60 giant sculptures designed by high-profile artists, designers, innovators, and local talent. Sculptures were positioned in high footfall and iconic locations around Bristol When raffled in aid of Bristol Children’s Hospital, ‘Tropi-canis’ Gromit raised £37,000
began to get out of control when I had endless animals delivered to the house. The worst part was when my husband came home from work to find, in the lounge, two life-size rhinos that I was painting for Paignton Zoo and two Aardman animation ducks in
the kitchen! I didn’t have my own space at the time so the animals had to be in the house. At that point my husband decided to build my studio. He thought it was the end of the animals - but I had to tell him that I’d also agreed to do an elephant, an
ART
otter, a pig and a giant bear ... These have been lovely projects to be part of because so much money has been raised for charity and wildlife causes.”
There are now interpretation boards at various locations in Dorset including Holton Heath Station and the Wareham Walls Trail - it gives Maria great pleasure to walk past and see Boards and books visitors reading the information. Maria has ‘found her niche’ by One of my own favourite summer combining all her interests, skills walks is along the Priest’s and knowledge to specialise Way from Worth Matravers in producing to Swanage “ ...my husband (included in the natural history and interpretation came home from BV’s stunning boards sited on work to find, in coastal walk footpaths, nature featured in the the lounge, two reserves and January issue life-size rhinos historical sites. here). Little did Working with that I was painting I know that it the Broadstone for Paignton Zoo was Maria who Neighbourhood had designed Forum to create five and two Aardman the waymarkers, animation ducks leaflets and large interpretation boards detailing in the kitchen!” information the history and boards along the natural history of route. Broadstone Village was a yearA regular contract involves long project and involved a painting stunning illustrations huge amount of research before in The English Garden magazine she could start the design and for garden landscaper and illustration. writer Non Morris’s monthly
column; and an exciting current project in Maria’s busy timetable is to design dust jackets and illustrations for successful novelist Rachel McLean, whose six books in the Dorset Crime series include The Corfe Castle Murders and The Fossil Beach Murders. Maria feels that her alreadywide-ranging skills are constantly adapting and changing; she is always learning. Where to find Maria’s work Purbeck Arts Week (28th May – 12th June) will involve a joint exhibition at Rollington Bar.Maria’s work can also be found at Purbeck Artisan Yard, Wareham. A visit to her Etsy shop gives an idea of what will be on show - you can purchase Maria’s most popular designs on prints, illustrated maps, greetings cards, cushion covers and even a mindfulness book – ‘Unclouding - Clearing the Way to a Brighter Outlook’ - something we can all hope for at the moment. 39
ART
by Fanny Charles
Contemporary art on our doorstep (with great cakes)
The Slade Centre in Gillingham enjoys a reputation as one of the top visual art spaces in Dorset, says Fanny Charles IT is all too easy to imagine that exciting contemporary visual art is only available in big cities – and certainly in this region there is a lot of challenging, cutting edge artwork happening in Bristol. As well as the international Hauser & Wirth arts centre at Bruton and Messums in the Tisbury tithe barn, there are a small number of experienced curators, who are also bringing outstanding work to galleries in unexpected places. Sladers Yard, a former ropeworks in West Bay – famous for its cute food cabins and the dramatic fossil-rich cliffs – hosts exhibitions by some of the country’s leading painters, ceramicists and sculptors, alongside furniture by the resident designer-maker Petter Southall. In a farmyard at Child Okeford, Kelly Ross shows work by leading artists of the past 100 years at The Art Stable at Gold Hill Organic Farm – most recently lockdown paintings by one of Britain’s finest portrait artists, Michael Taylor, marking his 70th birthday (see BV, Feb ‘22 issue, p.26). The Slade Centre, in The Square at Gillingham, in an impressive Edwardian building that was once a department story, shows work by some of the region’s most talented contemporary artists. It was founded by its director, Anne Hitchcock, who was ECO of Wimborne’s Walford Mill Crafts for some years, after an MA at Falmouth and studying at Winchester School of Art. 40
Recent exhibitions have featured multi-media work (photographs, collages, sketches) by Kirsten Palmer and paintings by Ursula Leach, whose powerful, semi-abstract landscapes often have a provocative environmental message. Originally on the first floor, the gallery has moved to the lighter and more visitor-friendly ground floor. There is also a cafe which serves a range of teas, great barista-style coffee, supplied by Reads Coffee Roasters of Sherborne, milk from Madjeston Milk Station, pastries and sausage rolls from Somerset’s Lievito Bakery, and cakes by Sam Ross’s Gillinghambased Lavender Blue bakery.
Impressions The new exhibition at The Slade Centre, running from 2nd April to 7th May, is Impressions, with work by four North Dorset-based artists, painters Eric Bailey and Jane Barnard, printmaker Victoria Garland and ceramicist Caroline Hughes. The work on show reflects the individual responses of the four artists to wildlife, landscapes and coastlines. The works, through shape, colour, mood, glaze and texture, convey their impressions of the diversity in the world around us. The Slade Centre also offers a range of facilities from office suites and meeting rooms to art classes and exhibition space - call 01747 821480.
ADVERTORIAL
FORM in flow
ART
FORM 2022 is now live at Sculpture by the Lakes, where more than 200 inspirational works by 30 leading contemporary sculptors await discovery in this countryside idyll. When it opened on March 30, FORM 2022 transformed this delightful sculpture park, at Pallington Lakes east of Dorchester, into a nationally significant sculpture hub. Building on the success of 2021’s inaugural FORM exhibition, there is even more to see this year, with a curated collection of large scale and monumental work dotted across 26-acres of gardens, woodland trails, river and lakes, as well as smaller pieces showing in Gallery by the Lakes. Among the eye-catching new works are those by the late Heather Jansch, celebrated for her sculptures of horses created from driftwood, as well as Barn Owl III, a striking 2.5m piece by talented young British sculptor Carl Longworth. Figurative works by award-winning sculptor Ed Elliott, and Jonathan Hateley, whose pieces are notable for their rich natural textures, are also showing for the first time at this year’s event, along with a new ‘ballerina’ sculpture by Simon Gudgeon, the founder of Sculpture by the Lakes and himself a globally-renowned sculptor. He said: “It is so exciting to bring together works of exceptional quality in this special setting; here they are in scale with their environment and all their power and beauty can be experienced.”
Carl Longworth’s Barn Owl III
Heather Jansch’s sculpture ‘Clover’
Visitors can also stop into Café by the Lakes, where the seasonal menu is created from produce grown in the park’s kitchen garden, and visit The Artisans’ Bazaar and newly-opened Artisan’s Pantry, with their ranges of hand-made pieces and small-batch food and drink from local producers - you can even build your own picnic to enjoy in the grounds. The final five days of FORM from May 25 to 29 will also include The Garden Festival, featuring the Fire and Food Festival, celebrating everything to do with the garden and outdoor living and dining, with stalls, speakers and live fire cooking in the outdoor kitchen. Tickets remain just £12.50 –the standard price of entry to Sculpture by the Lakes. With a daily cap on visitors it’s best to book early - see https://www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/ 41
READER’S PHOTOGRAPHY
Great crested grebes - Dave Joicey
Long tailed tit - Sandie Kingswell
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The incredible levitating hare - Graham Bannister
Belchalwell Church - Marilyn Peddle
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READER’S PHOTOGRAPHY
Kingfisher in Blandford - Allan Gates We welcome photography submissions from readers - the only rule is that they must have been taken locally in the last month. Our cover shot is usually selected from our submissions pile each month. If you’d like to join in, please either use #BVPhoto and tag us on Instagram (@ theblackmorevale), share it in our Facebook Group, or simply email it to photos@ theblackmorevale.co.uk.
Ladybug in Hazelbury Bryan - Zita Durdle 44
READER’S PHOTOGRAPHY
Shillingstone sunrise - Meyrick Griffith-Jones
Spring Peacock - Ann Barlow
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by Rob Nolan
NIGHT SKY
Take a trip to the North America Nebula The equinox on March 20th is a sad day for stargazers as that’s when days become longer than the nights, says expert Rob Nolan. But there’s still lots of astral excitement to observe Spring is starting to make some appearances, marking the end of a rather cloudy and dull autumn and winter! If you’ve started to take up star gazing recently, you’re probably starting to notice that we seem to get the clearest spate of night skies during a full moon! This is rather troublesome for us astrophotographers, as this makes it more challenging to capture the clarity we want from the blackness of space. However, for observing the lunar surface, there have been some very good seeing conditions; do get out and take a look. This month, I thought I’d take you to North America ... well, the nebula anyway, which is considerably further away than the North American continent!
The North America Nebula (NGC7000 or Cadwell 20) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The shape of the nebula resembles that of the continent of North America, complete with a prominent Gulf of Mexico. The portion of the nebula resembling Mexico and Central America is known as the Cygnus Wall which is seen toward the bottom of the image. This region exhibits the most concentrated star formation. On 24th October 1786, William Herschel, observing from Slough, England, noted a “faint milky nebulosity scattered over this space, in some places pretty bright.” The most prominent region was catalogued by his son
John Herschel on 21st August, 1829. It was listed in the New General Catalogue as NGC 7000. In his study of nebulae on the Palomar Sky Survey plates in 1959, American astronomer Stewart Sharpless realised that the North America Nebula is part of the same interstellar cloud of ionized hydrogen (H II region) as the Pelican Nebula, separated by a dark band of dust, and he listed the two nebulae together in his second list of 313 bright nebulae as Sh2-117. This image was taken in December last year using Altair 70-EDQ-R Pro Refractor Telescope and Cooled Astro Camera. More thean seven hours of total integration time reveal the most prominent details.
The night sky, April 2022 - Rob’s tips for your stargazing this month: With Winter now officially over, it’s a race against time to maximise how long we get under the stars as the dark nights begin to recede. Three bright stars dominate the spring skies: Leading the way we have Regulus in Leo, then Spica in Virgo is to the lower left, and finally the unmistakable orange glow of Arcturus in Boötes. One of the best constellations to look for this month is Leo (the lion); one of those rare constellations that actually resembles the imagery it is named after - in this case a crouching lion. The star Regulus marks the Lion’s heart, and using a small telescope you can pick out Algieba, which makes up the Lion’s shoulder. Using the telescope, navigate to the beast’s underbelly where you’ll find a clutch of spiral galaxies. There’s also some great planetary action this month in the dawn skies, with Mercury’s best display in the evening towards the end of the month. Starting early on in the evening of the 4th to 5th, 46
the crescent Moon passes by the Pleiades and Aldebaran. For early risers, also on the 5th before dawn Mars will pass below Saturn to the right of Venus. On the 24th to the 27th before dawn, the crescent Moon passes below the planets Saturn, Mars and Venus. Look towards a clear horizon in the east, and use binoculars to get an even better view. On the 30th April, Mercury passes the Pleiades in the Northwest. Meteor shower The big event this month has to be the Lyrid Meteor Shower, on the night of the 21st to 22nd. It promises to be an excellent year for observing the maximum of this display, due to the fact that the Moon doesn’t rise until 3:30am. Make sure to be ready if the skies are clear on the 21st April look towards the constellation Lyra in the north east skies as the debris from Comet Thatcher burns up in the atmosphere which will leave a glowing trail of dust. Find RPN Photography on Facebook here
LOOKING BACK
by Roger Guttridge
The tale of the runaway rector There’s nothing like a naughty vicar story to set tongues a-wagging, and the Rev W M Anderson certainly did that, says Roger Guttridge
The rector of Durweston and Bryanston was already low in diarist Julietta Forrester’s estimation, and when he eloped with a parishioner, his reputation went through the floor. “Received a letter from Mrs Oborne saying that Rev W Anderson had gone off on Wednesday with Mrs Axford, Lord Portman’s coachman’s wife,” Julietta noted on January 25, 1912. “There had been talk about them for some time. He said he had loved her for 17 years! It seemed incredible! ”‘I never thought of Mrs A behaving so but Anderson was bad enough for anything! I believed he had sold his soul to Satan over the Durweston Ghost!” This was a reference to Durweston’s headline-making poltergeist, the subject of this column in our October issue. Anderson was among those who took the spooky events of 1894-95 seriously, unlike the sceptical Mrs Forrester. Even before the poltergeist, Julietta – wife of James Forrester, agent for Lord Portman’s Bryanston Estate – was not enamoured with the rector. Lord Portman was disgusted After his first service at Bryanston in 1893, Julietta wrote: “I liked his appearance and voice. I wish I had liked his sermon.” In 1895 she complained that Anderson was neglecting the Bryanston half of his flock. And when Durweston and Bryanston played Blandford 48
Mrs Axford, who left her husband and two daughters in 1912 to elope with the Rev. Anderson, rector of Durweston and Bryanston
at cricket that same year, she for him to go abroad etc”. commented that “our rector, She added: “About two years Mr Anderson, ago, on hearing declined to play “the hostility to the of the intimacy because he was runaway couple was between afraid of the Anderson and such that a crowd Mrs Axford, Lord weather!” threatened to tar P spoke to the It appears that God was not on and feather them former about it their side either. as they waited on but A denied all After Blandford the charge.” the platform at declared their Anderson’s Blandford station” more charitable innings at 300 for 9, the Durweston parishioners and Bryanston XI were skittled might have forgiven his inability out for 70. to resist the lure of love but less Fast forward 17 years to 1912. forgivable was the theft of his On February 3, Julietta noted curate’s pay packet, and money that Lord Portman was “very from the Coal Club fund to disgusted” with Anderson ‘after finance the elopement. all he had done for him, paying He had also “left his wife,
LOOKING BACK
his mother and his sister destitute”, according to Julietta. No welcome in Halifax Her diary continues: “Axford had spoken to Lord P about a divorce but as he had actually seen his wife off by train when she left him (because people should not say they had parted bad friends or that he had driven her from home!), Lord P told him he had connived at the elopement and therefore would be unable to obtain a divorce. “The two [Anderson and Mrs Axford] had first gone to Halifax to her brother’s but he refused to take them in and where they went then did not appear to be known.” Two years before his death in 2014, Pete Sherry, a grandson of James and Mrs Axford, told me the hostility to the runaway couple was such that a crowd threatened to tar and feather them as they waited on the would be costly and had to go platform at Blandford station. through the ‘Court of Arches’. Pete, of Maperton, near Wincanton, confirmed Julietta’s A quiet end claim that they were turned away at Halifax and added that From Pete Sherry, I learned that after leaving Bath, the they then spent six months at elopers went to Montreal, the Pump House in Bath. where Anderson eked out a According to Julietta, Mrs living as an artist. Axford made a brief return to Bryanston hoping to collect the After his death just seven years later, Mrs Axford worked as younger of her two daughters, Constance. The child refused to lady-in-waiting to the Molson family, owners of North leave. America’s oldest “I suspect “We used to get brewing company. Auntie Con dollars from She eventually hung on to ‘Auntie in Canada’ returned to England my mother with a substantial and said she and I guess pension from Molsons wouldn’t go,” that was my of £7 10s a week. Pete told me. grandmother” She lived in On February Worcestershire until 17, Julietta her death aged 98. noted her fear that Anderson James Axford, a diminutive man would continue drawing his of less than 5 feet in height, rector’s stipend as long as he retired in 1923. was ‘let alone’. He subsequently lived with his She added that his ‘unfrocking’ get in touch with Roger: roger.guttridge@btinternet.com
Cuckolded James Axford, a diminutive man of less than 5 feet in height, was Lord Portman’s coachman and known as a fine horseman
elder daughter, Winifred, and her family at West Orchard and later Maperton, where he died in 1936 and was buried in the churchyard in an elm coffin made by his own hand. Pete recalled: ‘He was a terrific horseman and taught me to ride ponies. “He never talked about my grandmother. He was very strict about that and paid a solicitor to make sure she never got in touch with the family. “We used to get dollars from ‘Auntie in Canada’ and I guess that was my grandmother.” After James Axford’s death, his estranged wife was accepted back into the family, being introduced not as Winifred’s mother but as ‘Auntie’. • Roger Guttridge’s book Dorset: Curious and Surprising includes chapters on The Runaway Rector and The Durweston Poltergeist. 49
LOCAL HISTORY
THEN AND NOW
by Roger Guttridge
Victorian steam meets Tudor timber A steamroller heads towards Abbeylands c1900. Picture from Simon Rae’s book Dorset of 100 Years Ago (1993)
The old Tudor building on Cheap Street is far more than meets the eye of the casual shopper, says Roger Guttridge It’s one of the finest old houses in Sherborne, passed daily by hundreds who rarely give it a second thought or glance. But step inside the half-timbered Abbeylands in Cheap Street and it turns into the Tardis. Not in design, of course - there is nothing even vaguely resembling a space-travelling police box - but in scale. “How many boarders do you have?” I asked housemaster Rhidian McGuire after he explained that Abbeylands is a boarding house for Sherborne School. “Seventy-four.” “Seventy-four?” I doubtfully exclaimed, suddenly realising that there must be far more to this building than meets the eye. In fact it stretches back and back and back from Cheap Street,
towards the main school buildings. To my architecturally uneducated eyes, the grade II-listed building looks unmistakably Tudor, but the date of 1649 above the front door confused me (the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I, died 46 years earlier). That construction date was also the year of Charles I’s execution, and the Commonwealth of England. Troubled times. The Dorset volume of Newman and Pevsner’s classic series on The Buildings of England suggests the dating is not that straightforward; the entrance porch includes features “that one would call Jacobean, and a hoodmould which looks Early Tudor”. “That must surely be reused,’ say Newman and Pevsner, adding that the porch “must have originally
A similar view of Cheap Street and Abbeylands today Declaration of the poll at the Old School, Sturminster Newton, 1910
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belonged to the next-door house”. The Old Shirburnian website provides further illumination, confirming that Abbeylands – so named because it stands within the precinct of Sherborne Abbey – is a combination of two separate properties. It has been in continuous use as a boarding house since 1872, and staff and housemates are celebrating the 150th anniversary this year. Sherborne School originally rented Abbeylands from the descendants of former headmaster John Cutler and bought it in 1921 for £4,187. The Old Shirburnian site also confirms my suspicions of a Tudor connection, adding that the halftimbered frontage on to Cheap Street ‘dates from the late 16th century and has a projecting upper storey and three gables’. The premises were at one time occupied by the Sherborne Coal, Timber, Corn and Cake Company, which was dissolved in 1921. I wonder if the steamroller powering up Cheap Street in this circa 1900 picture was about to pick up some coal from the shop. These days you can only drive down one-way Cheap Street and you’re unlikely to spot a steampowered vehicle.
interview by Laura Hitchcock
LOCAL HISTORY
The gardener with 10,000 pictures At first glance Barry Cuff may simply be the expert veg-growing BV columnist. But eagle-eyed readers will also have spotted old pictures of Dorset are usually accredited to ‘the Barry Cuff Collection’ - editor Laura finally pinned Barry down to talk about his remarkable archive of almost 10,000 postcards of ‘Old Dorset’. “Even as a young teen in the 60s, I was always stopping in to Dorset Bookshop in Blandford or Longmans of Dorchester if I got the chance - to see if I could find a new Dorset book I hadn’t seen yet.” Born in Blandford and raised in Winterborne Whitchurch (where he lived for 30 years), Barry was always a collector; stamps, matchbox labels, cigarette boxes… and he was always fascinated by his beloved Dorset. But in 1974 he received a gift which began his old postcards of Dorset collection. It began with three albums “Our elderly neighbour gave me three Edwardian postcard albums, filled with Dorset images, especially from around the Winterbornes. She’d never married, her brothers had died, and she knew I was fascinated by the old pictures, so she handed them on to me. It was fascinating to look through the albums with her – she knew everyone in hunting for them in junk shops: them. She’d point at a person, “I used to pay 20-30p a card. raise her eyebrows and whisper At 50p I walked away - far too “love child” at me… course I much!” didn’t know “She knew everyone When postcard what that was back in them, and would collecting became more popular, it was a then!” point at a person, double-edged sword Those three “all of a sudden there raise her eyebrows albums started and whisper “love were fairs popping up, and I could go to Bristol, Barry on child” at me… course Brighton, Cheltenham, the journey I didn’t know what Twickenham… but it did to collate that was back then!” mean the prices went probably up too!” the largest existing collection of old So what is it about postcards? postcards of Dorset. He started “It’s not just the photographs off by spending his spare time
Barry Cuff - usually to be found on his allotment in Sturminster Newton - has the largest known collection of postcards of ‘bygone’ Dorset, and an astonishing memory for the pictures and stories they contain image: Courtenay Hitchcock
themselves, though they’re always the main interest, of course. There are the stories around the photographers too – Nesbitt from Blandford who photographed locally between 1890 and 1920. Chapman who came up from Devon and only photographed Sturminster Newton, Lyme Regis and Wimborne Minster; the late Victorian French brothers who came across the channel to photograph the whole of the south coast; Clarke from Sturminster Newton, who never got his fixing solution right so 51
LOCAL HISTORY all his postcards are very faded now… And of course the ones which have actually been written on have their own story to tell” Lost conversations Many of the postcards were sold for locals and tourists simply to add to their own picture albums in the days before personal photo albums were possible. But many were also sent in the post, giving tantalising glimpses into past conversations (although being England, Barry acknowledges many of the postcard messages are spent discussing the weather…): “we shall be very pleased to see you Monday next. Come to supper if you can. MRW.” (July 26, 1910) or - in Mr Mitchell’s case in Shroton - to complain: “Dear Sir, I do not think your 2 lots of wheat quite good enough for me. If you have anything better would buy them at market price.” (Nov 22nd 1902)
I presumed with almost 10,000 images currently in his collection, there must be a state of the art filing system to keep the archive organised and easily accessible? “Well… they’re in albums? I do have individual albums for each of the main towns – Poole, Stur, Weymouth, Portland, Blandford etc. And other albums are grouped by area.” So how does Barry ensure he doesn’t duplicate a postcard when he goes to a fair? “Oh, I remember them, pretty much. I’m not saying doubling
up hasn’t happened – probably about 15 times over the years…” Fifteen times he’s duplicated an image, in 50 years of collecting almost 10,000 postcards, based on just his memory? Barry looks nonplussed by my bemusement at this (I have trouble remembering what film I saw last week…) “I just… remember them”. The day job Barry’s lifelong career as a Seed Analyst began by accident – introduced to the owner of local
At £40, this is the most expensive postcard Barry has purchased - it was taken by Nesbitt, and is of Lord Portman’s prize cattle
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LOCAL HISTORY Barry’s favourite postcard - it has sentimental value as a friend of his father gave it to him. It is of the ‘Post Office, Owermoigne’
agricultural company Blandford & Webb by the father of a friend, Barry started as a 16-year old, not actually knowing what a seed analyst was. He trained at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridge, and has spent his life running a lab, visiting Dorset farms, growing, assessing and certifying seed. Quickfire questions: What’s the most expensive postcard you’ve bought? £40 – it was by Nesbitt, of Lord Portman’s prize cattle (see previous page) And the one you want to find? I know there’s one of the Giant’s Head Inn, above the Cerne Giant where the caravan & camping site is now. It showed the landlady standing outside the pub, pre WWI. Your favourite postcard? A friend of my father gave me the postcard ‘Post Office, Owermoigne’ – because it’s from him, I treasure it (above) The saddest? A card of Spetisbury. The message reads ‘Mr Hunt committed suicide this morning by drowning himself. Awful isn’t it.’
He has been involved in bean breeding, and was responsible for multiplying ancient Spelt and Einkhorn seeds for the Eden Project. Despite passing official retirement age Barry is still working for Sherborne’s Pearce Seeds “who wants to retire?”. Barry the lawbreaker Barry was great friends with Rodney Legg, the late campaigner, author and publisher, and joined him on many adventures through the 70s as Rodney led the campaign to restore public access to the army-occupied Lulworth Ranges, including the village of Tyneham (evacuated by the War Office in 1943 and never returned to its former residents). “In 1974 we announced that ‘Tyneham Post Office had reopened’. Rodney took some pictures which we had made into postcards. We opened up all the barbed wire on the Bank Holiday weekend and sold them from the old Tyneham Post Office. Loads of people showed up… as did
the Army and the Police…” An unrepentant Barry grins at the memory. Known as the Tyneham Action Group (later known as The 1943 Committee), the campaign eventually resulted in access to ten square miles of land that were also secured from being ploughed or developed. View the collection If you’d like a peek into the Barry Cuff Collection, a good place to start would be his books in partnership with author David Burnett. The first (currently not available - worth hunting for) is Lost Dorset: The Villages & Countryside 1880 – 1920, containing 350 photographs chosen from Barry’s remarkable collection, few of which have been published before. This was followed up at the end of last year by Lost Dorset: The Towns. Again, few of the 375 postcards chosen for this book have been published before, and they form a unique portrait of urban Dorset between the invention of the postcard until just after WWI.
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EQUESTRIAN
by Sara Greenwood
Simon was a little nervous at first and he was still a bit unsure when Bertie edged close to him and tried to give him a kiss. Then Bertie closed his eyes and waited for Simon to feel brave enough to come closer.
Horses - the ‘mood altering drugs’ used by many schools How exactly does spending time with a horse help when you’re struggling? Equestrian columnist and RDA coach Sara Greenwood reflects on the power of those gentle ears, and talks to April Kibby of Lofty Therapy Horses. Where do you turn if you have a problem? Personally, I will have a cuddle with a horse and we put the world to rights. Thoughout my life I have done the same I’ve been lucky enough to always have a horse there to listen. It’s not even necessarily about the riding; is it the feel or the smell of a horse that helps? Or is it just someone that doesn’t answer back? It’s not just about the exercise Most of us suffer through short periods of physical or mental health issues. But for some these are lifelong and debilitating – and the Riding for the Disabled Assiociation (RDA) and Equine Therapy Centres are always there to help, whatever a person’s age. 54
Horse Therapy has been effective for dementia patients as much as it is for physically impaired children and struggling teenagers. Many schools for pupils with special needs now routinely use RDA sessions. The physical activity provides a sense of independence and freedom, while developing coordination and muscle tone. Inevitably, however, the real benefits go far deeper than core strength. Children will increase in confidence, improve communication, gain real life experiences and even work towards being employed in the equestrian world, among other things. Locally, the wonderful Milton
Abbas RDA works with younger children, Bryanston RDA works with adults, and the Blackmore Vale RDA works with all ages. The Stella Hayward Meerhay Group work with teenagers from Beaminster School who are finding it difficult to see their way in life. “This year we have focused on work experience, starting with the basics of putting on a headcollar, a rug, saddlery. Tying up a horse or a hay net with the correct knot can take a lot of work on co-ordination. We have been working on the BHS Challenge Awards, as these have small bitesize chunks to work on, with certificates that show lifetime skills.” Horses often simply help people
EQUESTRIAN talk; someone who is lonely, or just frightened to speak aloud, can whisper quietly to a nonjudgmental ear. Even walking a horse, whether being ridden or led, around the village will always cause lots of chat and brightens someone’s day. My own neighbour and her pony are going to the next village ‘Coffee, Cake and Chat’ meeting. It gives people a chance to pat, stroke and talk to a pony that they otherwise may not have.
Sara Greenwood says never underestimate the power of a quiet chat with a pony, especially for someone who is lonely or perhaps frightened to speak aloud.
Horse therapy April Kibby runs Lofty Therapy Horses. Lofty and his friends are miniature horses, pint-sized pals that travel around Yeovil and the surrounding areas, offering animal-assisted therapy. April says: “Working with, learning how to care for, and interacting with horses has a really positive effect on our mental health. It has been said that horses are ‘mood altering drugs, without the side effects’ and that is so true! Horses can read human emotions, they mirror our feelings. They are kind, forgiving, challenging ... and they are incredibly good at teaching us about ourselves, our emotions and how we interact with others. “Horses provide psychological therapy - helping us to learn about ourselves through interacting and connecting with them, how to manage new challenges, and ultimately leading to new life skills and a more positive outlook on life.”
‘A Lofty kiss for Jenny’ - Lofty Therapy Horses is a Somerset-based charitable organisation offering animal-assisted therapy open to all ages and abilities with one-to-one sessions and small groups.
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Lucy Procter, co-owner of The Glanvilles Stud (TGS), shares bydiary Lucy Procter her of life on a Thoroughbred stud.
Seebeedee’s Nathaniel filly, one of Lucy’s morning-coffee foals from 13th March. image Courtenay Hitchcock
Honeysuckle reigns supreme, and it’s a busy foaling season at the stud Mother’s Day was not the day of rest and relaxation Lucy Procter might have planned - but the unusual daytime foalings were special to the team Foals, foals and more foals, but before we get onto the foals, we have to talk about Honeysuckle. In the middle of March the TGS-bred mare won her second Champion Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival and by so doing, became the first mare ever to have scored twice in the An unusual early morning foaling before coffee with the TGS staff
championship race’s 95-year history. To give our hardworking team the opportunity to see Honeysuckle in the flesh, we sent them all to Cheltenham on the Tuesday, with the hope they would be shouting her home. With the staff having come in early and rattled through morning stables, they were off shortly after 10 o’clock, leaving the bosses at home to enjoy Honeysuckle’s triumph on the television before finishing up for the afternoon. Mother’s Day gifts And so, to foals! Most mares foal during the night and the staff don’t see them until they are a few hours old after they arrive at work in the morning.
Miss Moses’ Aclaim foal image Courtenay Hitchcock
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EQUESTRIAN
Occasionally a mare will foal during the day. In last month’s column I wrote about sharing the culmination of the dream with the staff when they all came to Wincanton to watch TGS-bred Last Royal’s win. Now, during March, our staff have been able to share the beginning of the dream, with two mares having foaled in the morning before coffee break, and a third having foaled around tea-time. The afternoon foaler was in fact one of four mares to foal on Mother’s Day – literally no rest for new mums (or the bosses) here at TGS! The foals are happily enjoying the dry weather and sunshine. The new foals go out for an hour twice a day for the first few days, and only in the paddock right by the yard. The older ones go further up the farm for a longer period, before they’re all back in a warm, dry straw bed for the night. Equestrian obstetrics Last month we talked about Glanvilles Guest visiting her chosen stallion with this year’s foal at foot. Two weeks after she was covered (mated), we were delighted when our vet scanned her in foal - and even happier when she scanned with a heartbeat two weeks after that. The mare will have one final scan at 45 days after covering, to check that the pregnancy is progressing normally and that will be the last check until stallion fees are due in the autumn. We scan to confirm that our mares are all still in foal on 1st October (a horse’s gestation period is 11-12 months). Three other mares have also scanned in foal this month, so the season is progressing well.
Glanvilles Guest, mentioned in last month’s column heading off to be covered, had a successful 28 day heartbeat scan
A Poet-ic double win To put a cherry atop our March cake, our daughter Alice rode her first point-to-point winner at Larkhill, which then became a double, in somewhat unusual circumstances. Her horse in the first, Golden Poet, was the only declaration so they won with a ‘walkover’ (in racing, if there is only one runner in a race, that horse still has to go onto the track and cross the finish line, hence the term ‘walkover’). Golden Poet was also entered in the last race of the day, which turned out to be a ‘match’ (two runners), which Golden Poet won by 25 lengths, under an excellent ride from Alice for trainer Keiran Burke. We all hope these are the first of many. Miss Moses’ Aclaim foal - who was the first morning-coffee foal on 12th March image Courtenay Hitchcock
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NEWS
A three day old Scalo filly out of Mollasses - another of the Mother’s Day foals image Courtenay Hitchcock
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EQUESTRIAN
by Toots Bartlett Toots Bartlett with her new horse, six-year old old Cor Y Taran - who she bought unseen, using her house deposit savings. Image © Courtenay Hitchcock
Toots settles into the Fox-Pitt yard with Freebie, Jago and new boy Taran New columnist Toots Bartlett can’t hide her excitement as she leaves home to move into William Fox-Pitt’s yard near Sturminster Newton, buys a horse without seeing him, and looks ahead to a busy 2022 season It was definitely time, but the idea of leaving home and finding a base to begin a professional career within the world of Eventing filled me with excitement - and some trepidation. I wasn’t absolutely sure how to even start the process ... until I remembered that William FoxPitt has encouraged young riders in the past by allowing them to be based at his beautiful yard in North Dorset. A few messages with William (and a visit with my father ...) and the adventure of moving began. What an absolutely life-changing opportunity, to be based alongside one of the worlds’ best Eventers, and with such fantastic facilities - I am honestly still pinching myself! We moved in the middle of November, originally bringing three horses; Carlos 55 (Charlie), Freestyle R (Freebie) and Extasy SR Z (Gatsby) from home, as well as my wonderful groom Joel Harts and his horse The Rag Lad. Although the move was a long process, it didn’t take long for us all to settle in. 60
The work begins We spent the winter basically hiding from the weather - made all too easy here with the amazing indoor barn, horse “I used my savings walker and indoor arena. We brought for a house deposit a few of the horses and bought Cor slowly back into work, Y Taran over the allowing them to their muscle phone, without develop and strength correctly actually having after a few months off. The training has now seen him” picked up, and we are trying to get the horses out to British Showjumping (BS) and British Dressage (BD). We have regular training with both William Fox-Pitt and Emma Fisher (GB Young Rider Eventing Coach and Chef d’Equipe) on the jumping side, and Lisa White (FEI International Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer) for the flat work.
EQUESTRIAN A new boy With the excitement of the event season around the corner I received a call about a fabulous six year old about to go up for sale. I had been saving for a house, but when I heard about him I knew if I didn’t grab him someone else would, so I used my house deposit money and bought Cor Y Taran over the phone, without actually seeing him. He’s the first horse I’ve owned by myself, and he’s worth every penny. He is a superstar in the making and I can‘t wait to get him out eventing and to start his career. The rest of the team My top horse for this season, Freebie, produced the second best dressage and a double clear at his first event of the season at Tweseldown in March. The remaining four horses all begin their event season in the next two weeks. C Why, my partner for the last three seasons, is returning to me after a period of rehab and I can’t wait to have him back with us. He is an incredible jumper and we have gone from BE100 (competition level with a maximum height show jumping of 105cm and cross country of 100cm) to 4* and Championship events (CCI4*-L is for experienced riders with Advanced horses competing at the top of the sport, and who may go on to greater International success at CCI5*-L) in a very short period of time. We also have a very exciting new horse joining our lovely team in the next coming weeks so there is a lot to look forward to. 2022 is looking to be a very exciting year ahead, with a fantastic team of horses and some big goals to try and fulfill!
Toots has ony owned Taran for a few weeks, but is already sure he is a superstar in the making Image © Courtenay Hitchcock Freestyle R - Freebie - is Toots’ top horse this year, and has already produced the second best dressage and a double clear at his first event of the season at Tweseldown in March Image © Courtenay Hitchcock
“We are currently looking for a second/home groom to join our team (you would think that with British Eventing having claimed Olympic, World and European Championships last year it would not be as challenging as it is proving!). If you’re interested, see more details here, call Susannah on 07798 820019 or email susannahbartlett@me.com”
“I’m still pinching myself!” Toots Bartlett has recently moved into William Fox-Pitt’s world-renowned Eventing yard near Sturminster Newton. Image © Courtenay Hitchcock
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SPRING COUNTRYSIDE SHOW SPECIAL
interview by Laura Hitchcock
One man, his horse, his birds and the spirit of freedom Moving crowds to tears is all in a day’s work for Jonathan Marshall, the horseback falconer starring at the new Spring Countryside Show
Talking to Jonathan Marshall is unexpected. From a look at his website, my impression was of the ultimate showman persona; shinily clichéd, with a confidence bordering just on this side of arrogance. I did not expect a quiet, unassuming northerner on the
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phone – with an irrepressible sense of humour, the deepest love for his horses and falcons threading through every word, and entirely dismissive of his own importance: “the fella in the middle of the arena telling the story is irrelevant”
An accidental career Jonathan Marshall’s love affair with horses began in early childhood – at 78, his mother still has horses, one of whom is 38 years old. At the age of eight, Jonathan discovered falconry and the birds soon took over his attention. Eventually he realised that he could combine his two passions – falconry was traditionally a horseback method of hunting. “I never set out to be a horseback falconer – I mean, who does? - but in ’86 I made it my professional career. Though I quickly realised if I was going to make it a show, I needed the right horses. It’s not quite so spectacular if I’m on a donkey!” So Jonathan chose to work with
SPRING COUNTRYSIDE SHOW SPECIAL
the most beautiful – Andalusian, shows were far more emotive. Lusitano, Friesian and Arabs. I think it has to do with our “We work on dressage lines collective lived experience – high school moves such as over the pandemic. At the end Piaffe, Passage, Passo Espanol, of each performance I allow Reverencia and Levade. the horses “I never set out and birds But I’m well aware I’m not a dressage rider, I’m a to be a horseback to run and showman. fly, entirely falconer ... I “We carefully rehearse mean, who does?” uncontrolled every second of the and shows - the falcons are trained unrestrained, and I simply run to the lure, flying through the with them – it’s the ultimate horses legs. It’s all timed to expression of freedom, and for music, and the horses and the the first time I found audiences birds know exactly what they’re were crying, reacting on a doing. It’s taken a long time to deeply emotional level. It’s get the show to where it is now spontaneous, the only part of – our first season was a steep the show that’s not carefully learning curve, and it was… scripted; it’s not a stunt… and I well, let’s say it wasn’t the most think there’s a part of everyone polished performance at first!” who longs to be as free as those “And it’s animals in that moment.” evolved “ ...high school Books too over time moves such as During lockdown Jonathan – it’s such Piaffe, Passage, began writing “I’m in a natural my 50s now. I’ve got to Passo Espanol, pairing think forwards – I’m not between Reverencia and so young anymore, and the horses Levade. But I’m it hurts when I fall off!”. and the birds, and well aware I’m not a His first book ‘Spirit, the dressage rider, I’m a fastest bird in the world’ is it always a story about acceptance, resonates showman.” and that no one is more at an important than anyone instinctive level with the else. His second book, ‘A Falcon’s audience. I’ve noticed it Love’ which he has illustrated especially since we came back from the lockdowns – last year’s himself, is out shortly.
Jonathan breeds peregrine lanners or ‘perilanner’ , a hybrid between a peregrine falcon and a lanner falcon. It is larger and faster than a lanner, but does not fly as far as a peregrine.
Jonathan will be appearing at the Spring Countryside Show with his 2022 ‘A’ team: Amadeus In 2018 Jonathan got a call about an unbroken 10-year old Friesian stallion. Kept purely for breeding, when his owner died no one knew what to do with him; his sheer size was intimidating. Within a week of bringing him home, however, Jonathan was riding Amadeus on Bude beach. “He was a bit of a bully, and was used to simply getting his own way. The first time I approached him in the stable, he started to push himself forwards at me, but instead of retreating I kicked the stable door loudly, and he backed off. He came at me again, so I kicked the door again, and in a gesture I’ve come to know and love, he lifted one hoof gently – it was like a sorry, an ‘OK, I’ll be a good lad’. He is honestly the kindest, gentlest, most beautiful horse I’ve ever worked with. Everyone loves him. And he still lifts his hoof to ask permission or apologise, even now.” The Falcons Jonathan will be bringing Duchess, Sonnet and Aria, his peregrine lanners, to the Spring Countryside Show – the trio are full sisters, though hatched in different years, and bred by Jonathan himself. “I’ve had falcons since I was eight, and these birds are the best I’ve ever had. Anyone who breeds any animal knows that sometimes you get a pairing that just produces magic. The parents are good birds, but their offspring are something else. They have the speed and agility you’d expect, of course, but they’ll spin as they dive, just for fun, they twist like nothing else … they’re amazing birds, spectacular to watch.” 63
NEWS
Dorset’s newest Countryside Show ‘springs to life’ this month The Spring Countryside Show is taking place at Turnpike Showground between Gillingham and Shaftesbury on the 23rd and 24th April The show is organised by the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show team, and the theme for this year is ‘Bring Spring to Life’. A line up of over 50 exhibits, demonstrations and attractions are set to deliver a weekend jam-packed with fun for the whole family. James Cox, event organiser said: “We’re so excited to bring this new country show to Turnpike showground. It embraces and highlights all the wonderful rural pursuits, traditions and talented craftspeople our region has to offer. There really is something for everyone.” Rural Living Countryside pursuits and rural activities will of course be on display, including a dedicated ‘Rural’ ring sponsored by Gritchie Brewing Co. See heavy horse logging, terrier racing, gun dog demonstrations and the spectacular horseback falconry display by Jonathan Marshall (see previous pages). The famous Dorset Axemen will be battling
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it out against the clock, and there’s a dedicated Farm Yard feature sponsored by Friars Moor Livestock Vets with the hilarious ‘Sheep Show’ – yes, sheep love to dance – plus farm machinery and goat milking demonstrations. Plus the pre-requisite goat milk ice cream.ice cream. The rural skills of farrier, wood carving, blacksmith, stickmaker and coppicer will also be on show. In other news ... Food lovers can indulge their passion in a dedicated cookery area. The best local produce is on offer, as well as new recipe ideas in the Cookery Theatre, run in association with Dorset Food and Drink. If mechanics are more your focus, there’s classic cars, military vehicles, autojumble and working steam engines to view close-up. A high-level platform will give visitors a fascinating birds-eye view into the inner workings of these massive machines.
SPRING COUNTRYSIDE SHOW SPECIAL Green-fingered visitors will enjoy the stunning show gardens and floral displays. Entertainment To increase the celebratory atmosphere there’s a festival area with live music, food and - of course - a bar with local ales, gin and cider. This will all be open until 10pm on the Saturday evening, so visitors can dance beneath the stars and enjoy a true festival vibe. You can join in If that’s not enough to ‘bring on the spring’, there’s a fun fair with bouncy castles, and tractor and trailer rides. Perhaps try your hand at willow weaving, in one of the various have-a-go activities scheduled. Tickets start from £8.50 for adults and just £1 for children – but hurry as the price will increase when a quota is reached! And, if you have a country craft or tradition you can demonstrate or want to try your luck at a Show Garden or floral display – there’s still time to get involved. For tickets, more information and details on how to exhibit, visit www. springcountrysideshow.co.uk or telephone 01747 823955
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DAY 1
SATURDAY 23 APRIL
TIMETABLES *SUBJECT TO CHANGE
RURAL RING 09:45 Heavy Horse Logging
sponsored by Chris Abrams Green Houses
10:30 11:15 12:00 12:45 13:30
Gundogs Jonathan Marshall Free Spirits Show Terrier Racing Falconry Heavy Horse Logging sponsored by Chris Abrams Green Houses
14:15 15:00 15:45 16:30
Gundogs Jonathan Marshall Free Spirits Show Terrier Racing Falconry
STEAM ENGINES 11:00 12:00 14:00 15:00
Working Steam Engines with Commentary Inner Workings of a Steam Engine Working Steam Engines with Commentary Inner Workings of a Steam Engine
AXEMEN RING 10:30 14:30
Lumber Jack Demonstrations Lumber Jack Demonstrations
FARRIER 09:45 Farrier Demonstration 12:15 Farrier Demonstration 15:00 Farrier Demonstration
COOKERY THEATRE 11:30 13:00
Lizzie Baking Bird Mike Nadioo, Catch of the Day
FARM YARD 09:45 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:30 15:00 15:30 16:00
The Sheep Show Goat Milking Goat Milk Ice Cream Making The Sheep Show Goat Milking Goat Milk Ice Cream Making Goat Milking The Sheep Show Goat Milk Ice Cream Making
DOG AGILITY 10:00 Fitpaws Display 10:30 Agility Demo Display 11:15 Obedience to Music Display Team 11:30 Obedience Training Class Demo 11:45 Temptations Alley Competition 12:00 Gundogs Display Fun Dog Show - Open to All, £3 per Entry 12:15 5 Top Best Show Dogs 12:30 5 Top Cheekiest Dogs 13:00 Agility Display 13:30 Hoopers 14:00 Obedience to Music Display Team 14:15 Obedience Training Class Demo 14:30 Scentwork 14:45 Agility Demo Display 15:00 Fitpaws
MUSIC STAGE 10:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 18:00
Becca Maule Band on the Strum Sturminstrels To be announced Above Board To be announced
CHRIS ABRAMS GREENHOUSES
NEW ELMS GARAGE
Julian Shave Landscaping
A COUNTRY LIVING
by Tracie Beardsley
Meet Bo Peep 2022 edition
Bonnie Cradock (26) from Ludwell never wanted to work in agriculture, and fasttracked a promising military career before being invalided out. image Courtenay Hitchcock
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A COUNTRY LIVING
With hundreds of sheep about to lamb and a major new countryside show to organise, Dorset shepherdess Bonnie Cradock is in for a busy spring! Tracie Beardsley reports in this month’s A Country Living Bonnie Cradock has been up since silly o’clock. The 26-year old shepherdess from Ludwell near Shaftesbury has nearly a thousand sheep to look after. Add to that her second job of helping to organise two of Dorset’s major country shows. And even though she grew up on a dairy farm, she never even wanted to work in agriculture! A soldier, but for a sheep When her elder sister, Laura, came home from a careers fair with an army keyring, Bonnie decided to find out more. At 16, she passed the officer selection process with flying colours, and at 17 gained an army bursary to do A-levels at Welbeck Sixth Form Defence College. Bonnie went on to Southampton University to study geography through the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS), with a view to joining the Logistics Core. A keen sportswoman, she also played rugby and polo for the army. Ironically, it was the animals she now tends that put paid to her military career. “I broke my collar-bone when I was five, helping to move sheep with my brother Matt. The old injury played havoc with my shoulder and resulted in me being discharged.” For three years now, Bonnie has been learning the skills of sheep farming, guided by her knowledgeable big brother. Her parents are also involved in the administrative side of the business. She says: “Matt and I were never that close growing up. Being the youngest of three, I was always either picked on or left out. We get on so well now – working together has brought us much closer. We’ve got different strengths and weaknesses, so we pick up where the other one falls down.” The glam life of a shepherdess Lambing season kicks in this month, the “hardest part of this job, but the most rewarding,” explains Bonnie. “My days will start at 4.30am and I arm myself with a Thermos of coffee. We rent our land so our flocks are spread around – ewe lambs at Lydlynch, a breeding group at Motcombe and more ewe lambs on turnips at Farrington. It can take four hours to check on them all. ‘’Our sheep will lamb outside, usually and most inconveniently in the muddiest parts of the field. So we have to set up pens for the mums and their
newborns. There we can monitor them more easily and make sure they’re suckling and getting enough milk. Just like newborn babies, that first hit of colostrum is essential.” Every year it’s all hands on deck to cope with the surge of births. In traditional style, there’s a four-year old collie sheepdog, Brock, working alongside a more modern herder – a quad bike that Bonnie refers to as their ‘gamechanger’. Her mum gets roped in as well, bottle-feeding any lambs who are struggling to feed naturally. She adds: “Dad gets involved too - fixing everything my brother breaks!”
Bonnie now runs a flock of almost a thousand sheep with her brother Matt across three plots of rented land in Lydlynch, Motcombe and Farrington. image Courtenay Hitchcock
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A COUNTRY LIVING In addition to her flock, Bonnie is also Assistant Organiser and Event Secretary for the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show image Courtenay Hitchcock
The lambing season starts at the end of April, just one day after Bonnie finishes helping to run the first ever Spring Countryside Show at Turnpike Showground in Motcombe. “I’ve been working a few days a week for the past couple of years for the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show as assistant event organiser and assistant event secretary. I could never work in an office full time – I would miss the outdoors. But I love this job; I can work it around tending to the sheep and my boss actually believes me when I turn up late for work because of a ‘sheep situation!’ The spring show means April is going to be a crazy month for me – working flat out on the show then straight into 10-hour lambing days, followed by an intensive sheep-shearing course. And I thought a career in the army would be hard work!”
Quick-fire questions with Bonnie: A-list dinner party guests? Winston Churchill and Jeremy Clarkson. I want to know what Jeremy Clarkson is really like and if he is as clueless a farmer as he seems on TV. I’ve always been fascinated by history and meeting the man who called the shots in WWII would be incredible. Books on your bedside? Eclectic choices. My mum themes my Christmas presents and last year it was sheep! Sheep tote bag, sheep headband, mittens and a book – ‘A Short History of the World According to Sheep.’ That’s next to read after I finish my chick-lit and a history book about Nazi Germany.
Bonnie’s lambing season begins the day after the Spring Countryside Show at the Turnpike Showground in Motcombe - and will be immediately followed by an intensive sheep-shearing course image Courtenay Hitchcock
“Matt and I were never that close growing up. Being the youngest of three, I was always either picked on or left out. We get on so well now – working together has brought us much closer.” (pictured with 4yr old Brock the sheepdog) image Courtenay Hitchcock
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by Andy Palmer
TALES FROM THE VALE
Tales From The Vale
I live in Mappowder. And I’m a guitar teacher (I know, not two sentences that you’ll have read before in close proximity, I’d guess). I’ve taught guitar in the States and in France and the wealthy south east of England. I say ‘wealthy’ because teenagers would turn up for lessons with expensive guitars worth thousands. I did wonder at the wisdom of such expensive indulgence to a beginner - rule of thumb is start off with a decent but relatively inexpensive guitar. When I started offering lessons here, I wondered what requirements rural Dorset’s rockers would have – and apparently the first thing you need to teach guitar in Dorset is tact. Not a commodity that abounds in me, but I’ve learnt. Oh Hank A new student, retired, is with me, we’re drinking coffee and chatting about what he wants to get out of lessons. I assess his ability and whether he would actually practise (I’m always naively hopeful on that last one). What’s the first song you’d like to learn, I asked. He replied, ‘The Young Ones by Cliff Richard and the Shadows.’ I’d just taken a sip, so after I’d wiped coffee off my old Telecaster, I said, ‘Good one, but really, what would you like to play?’ The Young Ones? was his rather hurt answer. ‘Great song,’ I gabbled, ‘it’s in G and goes like this…’ Twang, twang (that’s Hank’s intro, obviously). It’s a good song: great tune, charming sentiments. A young couple meet (twang) they plan to have kids, so they ‘won’t be the young ones anymore (twang)’. YouTube the song and you’ll find Cliff, absurdly, criminally handsome (so reminds me of my
young self) crooning to a bunch of girls dressed like your gran, all hopelessly in love with him. Good luck with that, ladies. And do you know what? My sniffy attitude to these old classics has left me. There’s a reason why these old songs live on: they’re well-constructed and play well. It’s charming and fulfilling for me to see that this guy is, to quote a burger chain’s slogan, lovin’ it. It’s a song which thrilled him when he was young and he has always wanted to play it. And now he is. Not quite like twangy Hank, but he’ll get there. The teenager Next, I have a young teenager with his lovely young mum. I’d had a long chat with mum, who is concerned that I might be put off because he has Asperger’s and is dyslexic. I reassure her that these conditions are absolutely no barrier to being able to play, in fact you’d be surprised at the number of brilliant guitarists with natural ability who are dyslexic. And I understand Asperger’s and we allow for that – in fact we have a bit of a laugh. I can see that after 10 minutes his concentration is lapsing, so I get him to put the guitar down and tell me about himself. Don’t know how, but I find that he’s good on accents, particularly Australian! ‘My fingers are getting sore,’ he says, to which I reply in a bizarre mixed American accent ‘Son, all art is pain. Y’gotta suffer for your art’.
And I make him stand up and chant: I am an artist I must suffer for my art Art is suffering Suffering is art. He’s rather pleased with this, and so is his mum who’s happy that her lad, possibly a little ostracized at school, is enjoying himself. The next time he comes he says, gleefully, ‘I’ve been suffering for my art’. Practice makes ... There’s a reason why tens of thousands of people pick-up a new instrument to learn. I wrote a piece about it in The Times and it was replied to by an expert who said that apart from the pleasure it gives it ‘builds important disciplines vital for success in life such as concentration, setting goals, selfconfidence…’ But the trick to learning is simple: practice little but often. I cannot stress that enough. The constant mantra I get from beginners is, ‘it’s difficult’. Quickly growing a long white beard and adopting a pair of little Oxford Don steel spectacles, I became the philosopher and say, ‘All things are difficult until they are easy’. And I tell them the tale of a sightseer in New York who asks a laconic cop ‘how do I get to Carnegie Hall?’ The cop pushes his cap back, breathes deeply and wearily says, ‘Lady, you gotta practice.’
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George Hosford lives in hope that ELMS will eventually arrive NEWS just as BPS expires, with an administrative system that works first time, complete with a functioning mapping system.
It’s a steaming pile ...
Dorset NFU County Chair George Hosford reacts to the recent comments of Environment Secretary George Eustace on not needing artifical fertiliser I hope George Eustace, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is listening - he who seriously seems to believe (article here) that we don’t need artificial fertilisers because there is enough manure and digestate in the country to sufficiently fertilise all of our crops. With this sweeping statement, he is implying: 1. that we have been wasting fertiliser all these years because we never actually needed it, and 2. we must have millions of tons of farmyard manure hiding somewhere that we accidently haven’t been using. The fact is that we already use 48 million tons of manures on our crops in the UK every year, plus one million tons
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of nitrogen fertiliser, which ELMS will pay farmers for contains approximately 33 times undertaking actions to improve as much nutrient as there is in the environment) will eventually a ton of manure. To think this arrive just as BPS expires, with is replaceable with manure an administrative system that is simply ridiculous - we have works first time, complete with nowhere near a functioning “ ...when faced with mapping system. enough animals. (and we keep such ignorance as has I’m sure that being told that been shared recently, the disconnect animals are bad between Farming I find myself really Rules for Water for the climate, but that’s a story struggling to remain and creating for another day). healthier soils will calm” I have tried to also be mended. convince myself that public NFU president Minette Batters money for public goods will really has said the Environment make sense when we see what Agency’s (EA) interpretation of it means, that Environmental the Farming Rules for Water Land Management Schemes effectively banned farmers from (ELMS - the primary mechanism spreading organic manures on for distributing the funding land in the autumn. previously paid under common This is contrary to government agricultural policy (CAP), aims to improve soil health under
FARMING
matters, and right now we need other manures during autumn to do our sums really carefully. and winter to meet agronomic the forthcoming Sustainable On top of fertiliser woes, we needs. This guidance will Farming Incentive scheme. have a huge headache over fuel provide more clarity and has Spreading organic manures in price and availability; without been developed with farmers early autumn was better than fuel we can’t spread fertiliser and farming bodies. spreading onto bare soils in even if we have any. And let’s be Environment Secretary, George February, she added. honest, something Eustice, said: I generally try to be a ‘glass half “ ...clarity to will grow even if it “The significant full’ person, but when faced gets no fertiliser farmers on how rise in the cost with such ignorance as has been at all, but without they can use slurry of fertiliser is a shared recently I find myself fuel, we won’t be reminder that we and other manures need to reduce really struggling to remain calm. able to harvest during autumn our dependence what has grown, To save, or not to save so I know which I and winter to meet on manufacturing Rocketing input prices and yoconsider the more processes yoing grain prices leave farmers important. Having agronomic needs” dependent on with a very high risk of making said that, for red diesel to be gas. Many of the challenges we bad decisions. costing more than DERV does at face in agriculture will require a Fertiliser is in the spotlight, the local pumps once the 47p fusion of new technology with not only because of price, but per litre difference in fuel duty conventional principles of good because of supply - how many has been taken into account, farm husbandry. The measures will go short this year? Some someone’s doing nicely. are not the whole solution but well-resourced farmers are will help farmers manage their in the habit of buying their UPDATE: nitrogen needs in the year nitrogen requirement almost As we go to press, the ahead.” a year before they need it, Government has announced NFU President Minette Batters and those who did so last year steps (see details here) to assist said: “Many of the measures should be feeling very smug farmers with the availability today, particularly the updated right now. Prices have risen by a of fertilisers for the coming guidance on the Farming Rules factor of four. growing season to help address for Water which will allow But should they be using all that uncertainty among growers and autumn manure spreading, are fertiliser this year, or should keep farmer’s costs down. positive for farmers. This is what they save half With agricultural the NFU has been asking for and “ ...those who did so commodities closely I’d like to thank government for of it for next year? We are last year should be linked to global gas making these changes.” often reminded feeling very smug prices, farmers are that 50% of the Finally - a police escort right now. Prices facing rising costs nitrogen applied for inputs including A small bunch of sheep went have risen by a manufactured to a crop gives walkabout in the village recently. up to 80% of the factor of four” fertiliser, due to the By the time we caught up with yield, NIAB (the process depending them, a couple of police cars National Institute of Agricultural on gas. Environment Secretary, had joined the chase, careering Botany) has many graphs George Eustice has announced into the village with sirens demonstrating that the last bit that changes to the use of urea wailing and blue lights flashing. of fertiliser, which we have in fertiliser will be delayed by at It was the usual problem of the past often applied ‘just in least a year. someone leaving a footpath gate case’, barely pays for itself in In a move to further support open, so the sheep enjoyed a more years than when it does. farmers, revised and improved few hours of freedom, caught So is this a time for statutory guidance has been on one resident’s hedgehog experimentation, to see what we published on how farmers webcam and a neighbour filmed can get away with and still grow should limit the use of slurry them wandering around their a profitable crop? and other farmyard manure at garden nibbling bits of this and Headline yield is not what we certain times of year. This will that, before being escorted back need to pay the rent, it is the provide clarity to farmers on to the field under the eye of the margin over costs that really how they can use slurry and law. 73
In association with VOICE OF A FARMER
by James Cossins
Tricky times on the farm
The arrival of good weather has meant a busy but productive month on the farm, but James Cossins says in 40 years he’s never had to deal with such market volatility March has been a very productive month here at Rawston Farm. All the sowing of our spring beans and spring malting barley has been completed into good seed beds. Most crops have received some fertiliser to give them an early boost, and we have managed to cover most of the spring sown area with farmyard manure produced from our cattle, which should hopefully save on spreading so much expensive purchased fertiliser. The milking cows have also been let out to graze, much to their delight, and are enjoying the sunshine and fresh green grass. We also managed a clear TB test much to everyone’s relief, although we now need another clear test in 60 days in order to be able sell cattle to other farmers without needing a movement licence. Prices, carbon and food Many of our farming meetings seem to revolve around being net zero and measuring our carbon footprint. I know the war in the Ukraine has put some of the discussions on the back burner, but we are still being encouraged to work out what our emissions are and how we can improve. It seems Apprentice Ellie Taylor earned a distinction, having started on the farm 18 months ago with limited agricultural knowledge
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Rawston Farm’s milking cows have been let out to graze this month, much to their delight
that Farmers are in the forefront of carbon emission targets, without too much regard concerning the food we’re actually producing. The government still don’t seem to recognise the importance of food security in this country - we are only about 60% self sufficient, and current affairs show us that we should not rely on imported foods. Interestingly our number two coal supplier was Russia (with the USA being number one) the coal being used to keep our steel manufacture going in the UK. The war in Ukraine means we now have to import from Canada and Australia, but no one seems to be discussing the environmental impact of doing this. It’s a challenge The Government should be prioritising food production to make sure that its citizens are fed and can get the food they want from local sources. With Ukraine being a large exporter of cereals, vegetable oils, seeds, fruits, fats and a large number of chickens, the sudden lack of exports has led to a dramatic shortage - naturally leading to an increase in prices to us all. I don’t think in over forty years of farming I have ever experienced such volatility in the price of what we buy and sell on the farm. It makes any future budgeting
decisions very difficult. With all this going on, and with the government encouraging us towards ever more regenerative farming and reducing our carbon emissions, life on the the farm seems quite a challenge. The Apprentice Employing people to work on farms, like any other industry, is a key part of the success of any business. In agriculture, quite often employees stay on one farm for many years - one member of staff has recently retired after giving us 51 years of loyal service. Recruiting new members to any team can be challenging, so we decided at Rawston Farm to take an apprentice. We thought it was important to train young people in the work place, with the back up of our local college Kingston Maurward. Our apprentice Ellie Taylor came to us about 18 months ago with limited agricultural knowledge but she was keen to learn, especially about dairy cattle. She has now progressed to looking after our calf unit, and can be called in for relief milking as and when required. She recently received her certificate with distinction for her apprenticeship scheme. We need to bring more young people into farming, and apprenticeships with the right person and the right ambition - are a great solution.
FARM TALES
by Andrew Livingston
Fast & the farmer-ish?
Dull tractor driving tests completed by annoying young farmers do not ‘prime time exciting entertainment’ make, says a disappointed Andrew Livingston I was a teenager in an age before Netflix and other streaming platforms, and my evenings were spent consuming whatever the BBC decided to produce and release on BBC Three. I was exactly their target audience, so for me, the channel was great. I was excited then to hear the channel had relaunched recently (the BBC bigwigs opted to move its content online in 2016). There have been multiple complaints that the channel is predominantly showing old reruns, but I was pleased to see in the TV guide that there was some original content targeted at farmers. That was, however, until I watched it. Top Gear meets Countryfile? ‘The Fast & The Farmerish’ was painful viewing, to say the least. Radio 4’s Farming Today program had described it as ‘Top Gear meets Countryfile’, but I would say it had all the farming content of Countryfile (not much) and the (lack of) humour and excitement of Chris Evans’ short-lived Top Gear era. The show consists of two teams going head-to-head in tractor driving challenges; it’s essentially Scrapheap Challenge, but with none of the mechanical intellect or entertainment. I’ll be honest - the first episode
was such awful viewing that I have only actually watched 30 minutes of the whole series. The pain was partly down to the farmers featured on that first episode; the ladies’ team called The Diva Drivers took on three of the most insufferable lads from Somerset, calling themselves The Check Shirt Choppers, with hair cuts that suggest Covid lockdowns sent all their local barbers into permanent closure. Dullness in a tractor Frankly, the show was never going to work. As I have mentioned previously (see ‘it’s officially the most dangerous industry’ from The BV Sep 21), farming is the UK’s most dangerous industry to work in. I think the BBC knew that they couldn’t be encouraging
young kids to jump London buses in their Dad’s 1980s Massey Ferguson. So instead the show is a procession of boring tasks like reversing, or driving through water. Simply dull viewing. Looking at the positives, I have a lot of time and respect for the show’s presenter Tom Pemberton. His YouTube channel ‘Tom Pemberton Farm Life’ is well worth a follow if you are actually looking for decent, informative agricultural content. I am unsure how much creative control he has on the show, but I hope he had nothing to do with the naming of it at least; without a doubt the worst name for a show I’ve ever heard. I encourage the work of the BBC and implore them to keep shaking the agricultural tree - there is some decent content ripe for eating. The world of farming is filled with weird and interesting characters; there’s something about the isolation of agriculture or the abundance of fresh air that breeds a special type of human that the world wants to see. Be prepared for a lot more, too - Clarkson’s Farm began a TV renaissance for the countryside. But not everything will be the next Mona Lisa… I think the Fast and the Farmerish proved that.
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DORSET FORAGER
by Carl Mintern
It’s time to find the first mushrooms and your crop of hairy bittercress St George’s Mushrooms are the first traditional mushroom (grows out of the ground) to start showing across the country, hailing the start of the season proper. It can be found in fields, by the side of roads, the edge of woodland and on patches of grass throughout Europe, North America, Russia and Japan. In Italy it is known as Marzolino (the March mushroom), and in Germany, Maipilz (the May Mushroom).
April sees the start of mushroom season, and expert forager Carl Mintern says you definitely have hairy bittercress in your garden right now As we tick into April, the changeable weather can often remind us of winter one moment and tease us with tastes of summer the next. This year, after such a mild winter, I am expecting a bountiful wild harvest to begin earlier than usual; indeed we can already see magnolia trees in full flower. Elsewhere, those of us with a gardening bent will likely see the increased determination of our garden weeds to populate our beds and pots, and that is where we will begin this month’s Foraging guide. Hairy bittercress Like so many of our most common garden weeds, hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is a diminutive, unassuming plant that you probably don’t notice despite its eager 76
determination to pitch up on commercially-produced cress, every small patch of ground it’s and feels very at home in an given a chance to find. egg sandwich! It “a diminutive, truly is a delight A Pioneer plant (hardy unassuming plant to eat, and every species which are that you probably forager owes it the first to colonize barren environments, to themselves don’t notice or previously despite its eager to familiarise biodiverse steady-state determination to themselves with ecosystems that have this abundant pitch up on every plant – if you have been disrupted, such small patch of as by fire), it can take a garden, then ground” root in ground deemed right now you unworthy of many have this plant other weeds and as a result it growing in it somewhere I’m can be found in well-trodden willing to wager. paths and, well, just about anywhere from pavement cracks Birch tea to plant pots. Next up, lets talk about an Its name is somewhat misleading often-overlooked tree, the Birch; however - its not that hairy specifically the Silver Birch without a very close inspection (betula pendula) and Downy indeed, and it’s definitely not Birch (Betula pubescens). bitter. In fact, it serves very The young leaves of the birch well as a replacement for any tree are often one of the first
DORSET FORAGER
to greet the Spring, and can be infused with hot water to make a peppery, slightly minty tea. A refreshing drink after a morning’s forage, and rich in vitamin C. Silver Birch leaves are simple, with serrated edges and round corners, whereas the downy birch has rounder leaves than those of silver birch, but both grow all over the Blackmore Vale. If you cared to be a little more adventurous, you could also attempt to tap these trees for sap, although the season for doing so is ending as we leave the winter months behind (note to self; let’s talk tree tapping next February!) St George’s Mushroom Finally, let’s talk about the St George’s mushroom (calocybe gambosa). The first eagerlyawaited prize of a new wild mushroom season. Traditionally late April and May is peak St Georges Mushroom time - hence the name, since it would tend to appear around St George’s Day. I would expect to see these any time this month or next, if you are lucky, and committed enough to go looking for them. They have a pale complexion, and an unevenly shaped cap with gills that match the pale colour of the cap. A stout stem attaches this mushroom to the grassland habitat they grow in. They will grow in rings, and these rings can often be spotted long before
Hairy Bittercress tastes like cress crossed with rocket and is great for salads, salsa, pesto (hairy bittercress pesto recipe here)and anywhere you would use cress raw
the mushroom actually appears as they exhibit circles of lush grass, a deeper colour than that of the grass around them. It has what is often described as a ‘mealy’ smell – to me it smells like bread flour - and this smell is one of its key identification characteristics which makes it a quite safe mushroom to identify. And the cherry of the mushroomy cake is if you find yourself a patch, they will likely come back every year! It is also worth mentioning that wild garlic, and all the other plants I mentioned in March’s issue of the BV magazine are still available to harvest, so you might want to click that link and revisit before you leave the house. See details and availability of Carl’s local foraging courses on his website: Self Sufficient Hub
St George’s mushroom rings can often be spotted long before the mushroom actually appears as they exhibit circles of lush grass, a deeper colour than that of the grass around them.
See details and availability of Carl’s local foraging courses on his website Self sufficient Hub here 77
WILDLIFE
by Jane Adams
Jane Adams - Naturalist. bTB Badger Vaccinator. Nature writer. Photographer. Bee Watcher.
The hairy footed flower bee is one of the first solitary bees to emerge in spring and people often confuse them for small bumblebees, although their quick darting flight motion is a good way to tell them apart. Image - Jane Adams
The hairy footed flower bee They may sound like a character from a Brambly Hedge book, but Mr & Mrs hairy foot are a quintessential 20’s couple, says Jane Adams She’s a head turner. meet him in the garden staking Orange stockinged and with eyes his claim over pulmonaria, that match the dark velvet of her primroses, dead-nettles, tasselled dress, she somehow daffodils, and cowslips, and has the knack of looking though bumblebee sized, he has glamorous without being garish. a distinctive darting, jazzed-up Her beau’s the way of flying and high“They’re the same; they’re a wellpitched buzz. He gets matched pair. He quintessential his quirky name from sports a loose-fitting 1920s couple. the long, silky gingersuit of reddishbrown hairs hanging Or they would from his middle legs yellow tweed and be, if they as he fusses around and feet, and if you’re her, the fringe weren’t bees” in his territory, he of his silky scarf might try to chase ripples in the breeze. They’re the you away. It’s all bravado. He’s quintessential 1920s couple. Or harmless, and in common with they would be, if they weren’t other male bees, doesn’t have a bees. sting. But these aren’t any old bees. Besides chasing you and insects These are hairy-footed flowerthat stray into his patch, he will bees, one of many harmless hope for a female (or two) to solitary bees that live for just a come and feed, which they do few short weeks in gardens and within a week or two. Black, but green spaces in Dorset. for her gingery-haired back legs, Males appear first, in late the female couldn’t look more February or March, depending different to the male and once on the temperature. You’ll often mated, she’ll make a nest within 78
the soft mortar of a wall or vertical surface of a coastal cliff. Here she’ll leave pollen collected on her orange stockinged legs for her unborn young and, after repeating this several times in several nests, her job is done. She won’t see her progeny grow into adults. By June, she and any males will usually have died, but don’t worry, new head-turners will be back again next year. Fact File: Found: all over Dorset from late February/March until June. The female nests in soft mortar of walls and soft coastal cliffs. Males: bumblebee sized. Ginger/ beige-coloured hairs, cream face. Territorial. Hairy legs. Females: bumblebee sized. Black with orange back legs Fast, darting flight. Hover in front of flowers to feed. Often rest on ground or leaves. Favourite flowers: pulmonaria, red dead nettles, primroses, daffodils.
by Jeannette Hampstead
WILDLIFE
Spring - the most dangerous time of year for emerging hedgehogs?
“It’s the time of year I hate most” - Jeanette Hampstead of the Hedgehog Rescue shares why so many hedgehogs are seriously hurt in spring Having released the majority of our winter hedgehogs I am now busy organising our next Hedgehog Rescue fundraising event which will be held on 21st May. We have over 30 Craft stalls ready to join us on the day, the field and Pavilion in Hazelbury Bryan are booked ... all we need now are volunteers to help us on the day! If you are interested in helping out, please do give me a ring 01258 818266 or contact me on nhampstead@ hotmail.com. Alternatively, a raffle prize would be a wonderful help too. As the weather begins to brighten and the days lengthen our minds turn to garden maintenance and cleaning up all those messy areas in the shed. It’s the time of year I hate the most. We have more hedgehogs admitted into the rescue with life-changing injuries than at any other time.
Below is a video of one of this winter’s successes - press play and sound UP for a sleepy just-wokeup excellent hedgehog prickle shake, a serious scritch, and then some clearly delicious munchies.
Burns People always say to me that they light the fire from one side so the animals can run out the other but hedgehogs do not run. They are scared by the voices and noise, so they simply curl up into a ball. And that is where they stay until they are burnt. Even then they do not run out the other side, because they do not understand about fear. Just by moving the pile to be burnt you could save several hedgehog lives that you do not even realise need saving. Strimmers and lawn mowers Hedgehogs make nests in long grass. They are virtually unnoticeable, even when you know what you are looking for. Most of the time a nest just looks like a lump of grass with leaves and twigs. By cutting an area to be strimmed but leaving it longer, then walking “ ...hedgehogs through the area before cutting it short do not run. They may help you identify are scared by the a nest and rescue a voices and noise, hedgehog.
so they curl up into a ball.”
Major works Removal of sheds and other garden buildings require planning but a good time to start that planning is now as hedgehogs are waking from hibernation. Removing an outbuilding in the spring
gives the hedgehogs time to find an alternative nesting site. Finding a nest of baby hedgehogs is traumatic and stressful for both finder and hedgehog. If the worst happens and the nest is disturbed give the mother an opportunity to remove her babies if possible. The rescue will be closed for the coming month so that I can have some electrical work, with new sockets and heater installed; we are also doing some much-needed painting and emergency repairs. See you on 21st May! 79
NEWS VET
ANIMALS
The Easter bunny and the chocolate egg As we approach the Easter holidays, the Damory small animals team provide a seasonal reminder about choosing rabbits for pets, and on chocolate for dogs With Easter approaching, it might seem like a great time to buy an ‘Easter Bunny’. While rabbits make lovely pets it is always important to do your research before getting a new animal to care for. Your main considerations when deciding whether to take on a pet rabbit should be whether you can provide enough space and suitable housing, the right kind of company (rabbits are very social animals and should be kept in pairs or small groups), the correct diet and suitable healthcare. It is always an exciting time to get a new pet, but it is important that you can commit to being able to care for them lifelong; the current estimate from the PDSA on the cost of owning a rabbit ranges from £6,500 up to as much as £30,000 for their lifetime - and they can live up to 10 years. Choosing the right bunny for you should be well thought through, and ideally we would always recommend rehoming from a reputable rescue centre, such as Margaret Green Animal 80
Rescue based in Church Knowle in Dorset. If you are thinking about getting a rabbit, check out the PDSA website for more information on caring for them and recommended suitable housing.
has eaten so the vet can assess the toxicity correctly. The amount that is fatal to your pet depends on its size. For example a St Bernard could eat more chocolate than a Chihuahua before it would become ill, whereas the Chocolate Chihuahua wouldn’t need much During Easter the amount of at all to make it poorly. chocolate in your home will most In large doses chocolate can likely be on the rise. This is great be fatal to dogs - it can cause for you - but not so great for your seizures, irregular heartbeat, dogs. internal bleeding and heart Chocolate contains an ingredient attacks. called theobromine; this is hard To try and reduce the risk of your for dogs to digest, allowing it pet getting hold of any chocolate to build up to try and keep any “in large doses toxic levels in chocolate out of their system very chocolate can be reach of your dog, quickly. fatal to dogs - it securely stored Different chocolate away from them can cause seizures, has different levels and sealed. irregular heartbeat, If your pet has of theobromine: Cocoa, cooking internal bleeding ingested chocolate chocolate and dark and heart attacks” we advise you chocolate have the call your vet highest levels of theobromine, immediately. The usual protocol whereas white and milk is to induce vomiting within two chocolate have the lowest. This is hours of the consumption to why it is very important to know ensure there is no chocolate left what type of chocolate your pet in the dog’s system.
ANIMALS
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NEWS
Take a Hike:
The most spectacular sunken lanes and holloways in Dorset? 8.9 miles
We plotted this route on the map for one reason - we wanted to finally walk Hell Lane and Shute’s Lane between Symondsbury and North Chideock. And what an absolutely gorgeous cracker of a route it turned out to be! Mostly using the ancient green lanes and spectacular holloways which are scattered through this area of West Dorset. It’s got huge variety - some stunning views, interesting pathways, away from the busier Symondsbury it was entirely unpopulated, there were sneaky peeks at the sea - and we can now agree that the experience of walking through Hell Lane and Shute’s Lane is pretty special.
The routes we feature have always been created and walked recently by ourselves (See all previously published routes on the website here), so you know you can trust them - we aim for unpopulated routes with as little road and as many views as possible! You can see all our routes (including those not published) on Outdoor Active website here, and all include a downloadable gpx 82 All images Laura Hitchcock
The middle section of the ancient holloway, where North Chideock’s Hell Lane morphs into Shute’s Lane at the Symondsbury end
CLICK THE MAP TO SEE THE ROUTE ON OUTDOOR ACTIVE, OR SCAN THE QR CODE
Colmers Hill is an ever-present landmark on the circuit
As Shute’s Lane nears Symondsbury the walls get ever higher and more deeply carved The charms of the holloways never stop
The first section of Hell Lane was a shallow stream which required sploshing through. Once you’re past that, there’s a steady incline up to Quarry Cross through the astonishing holloway
Though the tracks are easy to follow, many are well-used and clearly winter streambeds, like this approach to Venn Farm. Boots required!
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NEWS
Suite 7 | Second Floor | Merley House | Merley Park | Wimborne | BH21 3AA | 01202 848203
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Clearbrook House | Bristol Road | Sherborne | DT9 4EF | 01202 848203
by Charlotte Tombs
FLOWERS
Come on, soil your pants! Soil testing is often expensive and usually unfathomable - but there is another way to check your soil health says expert Charlotte Tombs Soil your pants? Ew! I hear you all cry. Disgusting! What on earth is she on about now? Allow me to explain… The latest science emphasis in growing flowers or vegetables is all about your soil’s health (is this something else we have to worry about now?). On digging a bit deeper (excuse the pun) it does seem to make some sense. If your soil is super healthy and full of all the micro-organisms it needs, then your plants too will thrive and flourish as they take up all those lovely nutrients from that super healthy soil. But we need to understand more.
weeks. Mark where you planted them (or some time in the future you will have men in white all-inone suits looking for where the body is buried) and make a note in your diary of when to dig them up. After your six weeks are up, if the pants are still wearable and will protect your modesty then your soil needs attention. If they are ragged and rotting then you’ve lost a pair of pants, but can rest assured that at least your soil is alive and well. You should have good healthy flowers and vegetables. And probably buy some new pants. Apparently the optimum season to try this experiment is in the summer months when the soil’s biology is more active.
An unorthodox test lab The conventional way to test your soil is to spend money on a specialist kit, send away the samples to be tested in a laboratory and then receive the What to do next results back - and not really understand what they If your experiment reveals less than healthy soil, are, or be any clearer on the findings (is a low Ph there are a few things that you can do. level good or bad? I barely knew what that meant Firstly stop using pesticides and chemicals; their at school ...). effects underground might not be obvious at first, The unconventional way, and but in time they might be having the opposite the one I have read up on, is far “Bury the pants effect to the one intended and be destroying simpler. You need to ‘plant’ a roughly 10 to your garden. pair of 100% cotton Y fronts or minimise digging so as to avoid 15cm deep in Secondly, boxers (best to ask the owners disturbing the complex structure of the soil permission before taking them - your flower or farmers have almost entirely stopped ploughing you don’t want to be burying his vegetable beds, their fields for this same reason. lucky pants) in the soil in your Of course, do add peat-free - or better still your and simply garden. own - garden compost and other well rotted leave them” Bury the pants, several pairs organic matter on the top, and just let the if your garden is extensive, worms bring this down into the soil. roughly 10 to 15cm deep in your flower or I will report back on the result of my test and share vegetable beds, and simply leave them for six the results (but not the pictures!). 85
ADVERTORIAL
The kids are back in town! Far more than your local garden centre, Thorngrove offers something rich and precious for the whole community, says Kelsi-Dean Buck Spring has well and truly arrived and we couldn’t be happier! The sunnier days bring a Vitamin D and mood boost which has been greatly missed during those winter months. After the storms of February, we’re delighted that March brightened up, and we’re certainly finding more reason to be outside in the our gardens. After a month of beautiful snowdrops and daffodils taking centre stage, it won’t be long before more spring plants start to make themselves known. From Tulips and Lilies to name a couple – and of course, the Roses will start to bloom before we know it! Children’s events are back At Thorngrove in March we were delighted to announce that for the first time since before the pandemic, events for children are returning to the garden centre this Easter half term! We can’t believe it’s been over two years since we last hosted some craft fun, and although it’s been difficult to wait, we feel now’s the time we can start to 86
encourage more events, and finally show the community that we have so much to offer; that we’re not just the place to pick up your plants – we’re somewhere the family can visit for a day out (or at least a good chunk of it!). We’d love to get young people more interested in plants and gardening, and we’re making plans for more events later in the year. However, sometimes we know kids just want to have fun, so we’re happy to be hosting Easter crafts and would love to see you there! A diverse community As we’ve mentioned in the past, keeping Thorngrove diverse in terms of the services we offer
is a big priority. We’re more than just a garden centre, and as we continue to develop it’s important to us that you, our customers, see the ethos of Employ My Ability through everything we do. Yes, we’re selling plants and gardening essentials, but at the same time we’re providing opportunities for employment, for people to connect, maintain a community spirit, and we feed back into Gillingham and the surrounding areas as our students eventually move on to somewhere new. Whether it’s through events, community projects, or just giving gardening advice, we do our best for the community.
by Barry Cuff
The voice of the allotment:
It’s a new year on the allotment Barry Cuff shares what’s happening on the allotment this month - what he’s cropping and what he’s planted - plus a few of his interesting finds With few crops left in the ground to harvest and the start of planting/sowing for the coming season, March is the beginning of the new allotment year. We are picking plentiful spears of both early and late purple sprouting broccoli (Rudolph and Claret). Claret started to produce earlier than normal, brought on by the days of glorious sunshine which started on the 17th. We cut our first Medallion cauliflower mid-month (top picture); not as large as the winter cropping Cendis which we grow, but still of a good size. We grow this variety because it always crops earlier than other spring varieties, and we need to clear the ground for the next crop which will be potatoes. We have a six year rotation of all our crops, except potatoes which are three years. Throughout the month we also harvested parsnips and leeks. With a good supply of both we were able to give some to other allotmenteers. At home we cut our second lot of chicons on the 25th, hopefully we will get a third cut in about
three weeks time. By the time you read this we will have planted seven lines of potatoes - Foremost, Charlotte, Elfe, International Kidney, McCain Royal and Rooster. Further lines of Rooster and Picasso will be planted in April. By the 25th the soil temperature was warm enough to sow part lines of carrot and beetroot. In the greenhouse we have plug trays of onions, cabbages and lettuce, and these will be ready to plant out in April. During the sunny days we have enjoyed seeing Commas, Small Tortoiseshells, Brimstones and Orange Tips flying over the plots. Despite two days with heavy rainfall (over an inch on the 11th with a further 0.8 inches on the 16th) our soil dug well after about six days. We only dig about one third of our total plot area each year to fit in with the rotation. I love digging, and it never seems like hard work with a good long handled spade (see Barry - and his spade - on p.51)
During the last 34 years on our plot at Sturminster I have made some interesting finds while turning over the soil: • An Elizabeth 1st silver sixpence. • 1790 George third gaming token. • Prince of Wales half sovereign (Date ?) • 17th century wine bottle seal, showing what I think is a mermaid • A yellow submarine - A baking powder ‘Atomic Sub’ from a 1957 packet of Kellogs Cornflakes! 87
by Pete Harcom at Sherton Abbas Gardening
Garden jobs for April
Now is the time to start planning your hanging baskets, says Sherborne gardener Pete Harcom - but keep watching out for frosts. April.. at last! Things really do get going in the garden in April, there is lots to do now: Watch out for frosts Even if the days are warm, watch out for frosts at night, and resist the temptation to sow and plant out too early. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, and wait a few days if necessary. Protect any early outdoor sowings with fleece. The growing lawn will also need attention, including sowing fresh grass seed on any bare spots. Hanging baskets at the ready Hanging baskets can now be made up in a cold greenhouse. Top tip - ue a pot to stand the basket in while you plant it up! When it’s done, either hang the basket up in the greenhouse, or keep it standing on the pot for support. Don’t hang the basket up outside until the danger of frosts is over. I have seen some baskets in the last few years that have been ‘mounded up’ to, in effect, create a large ball of flowers. To create a huge ball of flowers lots more moss is needed to line the basket and the higher ‘mound’ (the soil is also ‘mounded up’). You need to have a basket that is not less than 15 inches in diameter, and is capable of having flowers planted through the sides of the basket (through the wire sides of the basket). Once it’s well underway, don’t forget to deadhead the flowers throughout the season, as this helps repeat flowering. These large hanging baskets my need an irrigation drip to ensure they’re watered regularly, too. Understand your fertiliser These huge balls of flower will need regular feeding with a slow release fertiliser high in potash for more flowers. All fertiliser plant foods have ‘NPK’ on their packs. N stands for Nitrogen, P stands for Phosphorus and K stands for Potassium or Potash. Have a close look at the packs when next in a garden centre. A fertiliser with NPK of 7:7:7 would be a balanced fertiliser, 10:5:3 would be for early in the year plant growth (i.e high in Nitrogen), and for lots of flowers (i.e. later in the season, and hanging baskets…) an NPK of say 5:5:12 would be good. 88
It’s the month to start planting up your hanging baskets - with some planning now you can create one of these huge balls of flowers this year
ANTIQUES
by Craig Wharton & Philip Traves
Ugly shelf fillers, or undervalued, beautiful and useful? Antique and vintage cut glass has a place in every home, and should never be ‘kept for best’ argue antique experts Craig Wharton and Philip Traves We have always been attracted to antique glassware. Quality glassware from the past 200 years is still very reasonably priced; decanters dating back to the early 1800s can be purchased for under £50. Top quality makes like Waterford can still be less than £40 a glass. Beautiful fine Art Deco cocktail glasses are very popular at the moment, as are sets of kitsch Babycham glasses (with matching Babycham plastic deer, of course. So much so that the 60-year-old giant Babycham Bambi is back in pride of place in Shepton Mallet). 200 years of surviving The quality of Regency cut glass is so high - it’s all hand blown and then cut, with a lovely grey colour due to the high lead content. It is amazing how much glass has survived over 200 years and is still usable today. Take the lovely glass ‘rinsers’ small bowls with two lips - which were used in the 18th and 19th centuries for cooling glasses with ice, the melted ice being poured away.
New uses for old glass Old and chipped cut glass decanters can be used in the kitchen. Why not store olive oil infused with garlic, or use them for sloe gin? An antique glass decanter with polished silver wine label looks very elegant and always improves the look of any ‘value’ gin! Cut glass bowls are great to use for a homemade trifle - didn’t all our grandmothers use one for this? Cut glass or etched vases 90
Val St lambert Art Deco green overlaid vase - £325
never disappoint when filled with some fresh flowers in a sunny window, with sunlight refracting through the glass facets. Don’t keep it in a cupboard Why not use your better quality glassware more? I discussed this with my mother and her Inner Wheel group a few years ago. My mother is of the generation who grew up post- World War II, and they of course never waste a thing. So her ‘everyday’ glasses
were the ones which we all remember - they came free with petrol tokens in the 1970s ... She of course had her ‘for best’ glasses packed away, and frankly she never used them. I asked why not, and she really didn’t have a good answer. She now uses her ‘good’ glasses every single day, even the bedside water glass is a pretty cut glass tumbler. And she says the wine tastes so much better! Craig & Phil
Sherborne Antiques Market is open 7 days a week: Monday to Saturday 10 till 5, Sundays 11 till 4. www.sherborneantiquesmarket.com
ANTIQUES
1. 19th century cut glass rinsers - £22 each 2. Victorian cranberry glass epergne (dining table centrepiece; used to serve pickles, fruits, nuts etc. Occasionally for candles, casters, or cruets) - £220 3. Waterford glasses - sets of six from £160 Regency cut glass bowl with matching dish £125 4. Three George III cut glass decanters, £30-50 each
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FOOD & DRINK
by Sadie Wilkins, Indie Wine Merchant
Grape experiences There’s endless enjoyment from the bottom of a wine glass, says expert wine merchant Sadie Wilkins - but make sure you keep an open mind One of the things I love about wine is the fact that each glass becomes an experience. There are so many variables that are tightrope walking in any given bottle that’s it’s hard not to feel excited or like there’s an opportunity to feel something new from the bottom of each glass. So, I suppose the question I am posing is: can we ever truly suss out a single grape variety? There are so many factors at play, from climate and terroir to winemaking processes and blending; the easy (and enthralling) answer is, simply, no. However, does this mean that we never know where we stand? To an extent, yes - but we can of course always fall back on tradition, long-standing terroir conditions and appellations to protect the typicity of a given region, right? Though, even in these contexts, we can’t account for climate change and the individual personality of a winemaker, which influences their unique style – they are human after all. Do you take your Malbec French or Argentinian? Let’s take Malbec for example; a grape which has risen to heady heights over the last 20 years, it is often a grape that customers feel confident in claiming as a variety they ‘know and love’. Interestingly though, we can often bet that 75% of the time when they say ‘I like Malbec’ that they mean they like Argentine Malbec, as the recent popularity is thanks to the South American revival. 92
Malbec from this region, most notably Mendoza, is incredibly different to a glass of Malbec (or ‘Cot’) from France – the country of origin. If it’s made in Argentina, you are going to have a warmer climate and grapes that ripen at a faster rate. Therefore, you can expect a very fruit-forward plummy style alongside a fuller body, which quite often has more in-your-face oak ageing than its French counterpart – which is still plummy in flavour, but has a drier, more subtle freshly-picked-from-the-hedgerow style. The same goes for many other wine grapes: a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc for example offers a greener palate, with vibrant vine tomatoes, gooseberries and cut grass notes in comparison to a leaner, more mineral French take from the Loire. Handy benchmarks But what I’ve done here is rely on my previous experiences to create a ‘typical grape experience’, an expectation, in my mind. But wine is much more than that. We source wines at Vineyards that are both typical and unusual examples of a grape variety – but that’s where having a benchmark standard comes in handy. It gives you a point of comparison. The actual beauty of wine is being taken on a journey from a single sip – whether that be to a place of surprise or somewhere within your comfort zone. So, is it ever worth pigeonholing a grape when there’s so much at play in each given vineyard? For us, an open mind is the best approach and is the very thing that makes a career in wine so fun!
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by Heather Brown
FOOD & DRINK
Deliciously light lemon friands Easter has come around again and our social media feeds are full of all kinds of creme egg infusions… the latest trend seems to be rolling a whole creme egg in pre-made croissant pastry and baking in the oven! I can’t decide if that is amazing or an abomination? If you are looking for a chocolatey delight this Easter then our recipe in February’s BV Magazine of decadent chocolate brownies also includes a cheeky twist to bake creme eggs into the top. We also had a delicious recipe for leftover hot cross buns last Easter, turning them into a bread and butter pudding, should you happen to panic buy hot cross buns this Easter. This month’s recipe is a lighter and zestier alternative to all that chocolate. These Lemon Friands are essentially the French version of a cupcake. Made with egg whites and icing sugar, they are deliciously light and the addition of some fresh raspberries and blueberries really work alongside the ground almonds. They are a lovely bake to make to serve with coffee, or as a light little dessert after your full Easter Sunday Roast with loved ones. Perhaps with some clotted cream ... Heather x
Ingredients • • • •
200g butter (melted) 250g icing sugar 50g plain flour 190g ground almonds
• • •
6 egg whites zest of 2 lemons fresh raspberries or blueberries.
Directions •
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Pre-heat the oven to gas 5/fan 180º. If you have a friand tin, then by all means use that, but I simply use a standard muffin tin. Grease the base and edges of each cup (mould?) of your muffin tin. Then cut strips of greaseproof paper long enough to go down one side, across the bottom and up the other side of each cup and pop them inside each one. This helps to release the friands from their tins once cooked - they can be super-tricky to get out otherwise. Mix together in a large bowl the icing sugar, plain flour and ground almonds. Then grate in your lemon zest and stir to combine. Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix, then add the egg whites and gently fold to combine. Divide the batter mixture into the muffin tins, and sprinkle a couple of blueberries or raspberries into the top of each cake. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is firm to the touch and golden brown. Leave to cool. Once cool, remove from the tins and sprinkle with a little extra icing sugar.
NEWS
Delicious lemon friands are the French cupcake image: Heather Brown
Heather Brown is on the committee of the Guild of Food Writers; a home economist with a passion for Dorset’s brilliant foodie scene. Heather runs Dorset Foodie Feed, championing Dorset’s food and drink businesses, as well as working with her food industry clients.
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by Rachael Rowe
MEET YOUR LOCAL When Halstock village shop first opened in 1991, the idea of community-run shops relying on volunteers was at that time visionary.
Meet your local: Provenance, Tisbury This month Rachael Rowe visited Provenance, a beautiful village shop-with-adifference in Tisbury, run by ex-Fortnum & Mason buyer Sam Rosen Nash. A delicious smell of fresh baking greets me when I arrive at Provenance. There’s a table laden with pastries, cakes and jars of tempting produce. I look closer, and owner Sam Rosen Nash welcomes me from the kitchen, having just baked a batch of sausage rolls. “Everything you see with a Provenance sign was made by us.” What’s your story? “I was a senior buyer at Fortnum and Mason and also ran a consultancy business.
Sam Rosen Nash make home-cooked foods using seasonal produce on the premises - and admits she can’t make enough sausage rolls and quiches!
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“When the pandemic struck, I was sat at home with my son, wondering what the next steps would be. Many suppliers I dealt with in the South West had lost their markets as restaurants were shut. By chance, a dear friend had just bought this shop and offered to rent it to me if I could make a go of it. So in September 2020, we opened the business. “Our unique selling point is that we make everything ourselves or source from the South West. Most of our produce comes from within a 30-mile radius. We also didn’t want to compete with others on the High Street in Tisbury. “For example, we have a good butcher, and there’s a fabulous deli. At Provenance, we either make it here or source it locally. “If you want French cheese, you won’t find it here, but the deli does an excellent range. I think being respectful to other businesses is very important.” What’s cooking? “I make home-cooked foods using seasonal produce on the premises. I can’t make enough sausage rolls and quiches! I’m part Turkish Cypriot, so using lots of flavours is important to me.” Sam shows me the rows of jams. “I’m not a jam person, but our jams have a dual purpose. For
MEET YOUR LOCAL
example, the plum and vanilla go well with game. And my rhubarb and star anise is excellent with smoked fish.”
Sam admits she’s ‘not a jam person’. But her preserves are dual-purpose: “plum and vanilla goes well with game. And my rhubarb and star anise is excellent with smoked fish”
How many are in the team? “There are five of us. We’re a small team, and we also do catering.” What’s flying off the shelves right now? “Our kimchi and fermented products. And our curds” Sam shows me a colourful jar of parsnip and horseradish kimchi. Below it are jars of Persian Pomegranate Curd and salsas, all made by Provenance. “And then there’s our ready meals ...” If your idea of a ready meal is a bland lasagne in a plastic container, Provenance is entirely different. Sam explained: ”I cook three choices each week. Half are frozen, and the others are fresh, so there’s always a good selection in the shop. For example, this week, there’s a Mere Trout fish pie. And there’s also a sticky pork dish. The containers are all compostable. Simply put them in the oven, and the two holes in the container let out steam but keep the food moist. And all these meals freeze.”
Old fashioned service There’s a steady stream of customers, some returning empty jars and bottles (discount for returned bottles), making a beeline for the freshly baked goods. Sam takes time to talk to everyone, and that’s clearly something important to her. “It’s important to take time with people, especially now. I love meeting people and working in the community.”
in Tisbury. The pork comes from WS Clarke &Sons in Sixpenny Handley. And our lamb is from Alvediston. We also sell Charles Dowding’s salad leaves.”
Tell us about your local suppliers. “Our coffee comes from The Roasting Party in Winchester. Milk is from Church Farm here
What are you most proud of? “I love my little shop, and the customers. And all the products we make ourselves. It’s lovely to have our repeat customers. You see them buying something, and they come back for more. All the recipes are mine. My big thing is flavour.”
What has been your biggest challenge? “Opening up in lockdown was hard. And right now, it’s hard to predict sales because of rising costs. Packaging is increasing in price as well as energy costs.”
What’s next for the business? “We’re moving into catering events. We have a couple of weddings booked for later this year. And we’re starting to work with wholesalers for our products.”
“I love my little shop, and the customers. And all the products we make ourselves.. All the recipes are mine. My big thing is flavour.”
Having sampled the sausage rolls and sticky pork, this shop is impossible to walk out of emptyhanded. Provenance is at 2, The Square, Tisbury, Wiltshire. www.provenanceonline.co.uk/ 97
Blanchards Bailey are a Dorset based law firm specialising in commercial and private law. Recognised by the Legal 500 as one of the top firms in the south west.
NEWS
In association with
LLTL - the local scheme aiming to change the nation’s shopping habit The Love Local, Trust Local scheme is far more than a local producer’s award. As it enters its third season, founder Barbara Cossins explains Love Local Trust Local (LLTL) is a Dorset-based not-for-profit organisation, focused on developing an accreditation mark which truly supports local farmers, fishermen, growers and small independent producers. The LLTL initiative arose due to concerns over the integrity of food labelling in the UK – allowing the consumer to understand how their food has been farmed, processed and packed - and is driven by the belief that all farmers and producers should be working to the same ethical and welfare standards. The Cossins family are fifth generation farmers, and when they open their gates for Open Farm Sunday they take the opportunity to talk to as many people as possible about the food they eat. Visitors love knowing the story of their food, the miles it has travelled and that they are buying & eating genuine local produce. But the mostrepeated question is always “how do we know that the food we buy every week really is what it says it is?”. “We should all be concerned about lower quality food imports, and low standards of animal welfare.” says LLTL founder Barbara Cossins “We should all be supporting - and promoting - locally and ethically produced food. Current food labelling, even the Red Tractor symbol, aren’t stringent nor transparent enough. It is time for a fresh initiative which endorses high ethical standards, full There are 14 LLTL 2022 award categories:
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Dairy Cheese Honey Jams Chutneys & Condiments Meat Fish Bakery (Sweet) Bakery (Savoury) Farm Shops Drinks Innovation & Diversification Conservation & Environmental Impact Business Development Award
provenance and complete traceability.” The ‘Love Local Trust Local’ scheme aims to educate consumers on how to trust food labelling - where to look, what it really means and why shopping local matters. Alongside this, LLTL helps farmers and growers promote their produce across their locality. It is all about Quality, Honesty and Proximity. LLTL is growing quickly and has already run two highly successful Love Local Trust Local annual food awards (see the website for the latest information on the upcoming 2022 awards www. lovelocaltrustlocalawards.co.uk). Many local companies are now supporting these important local awards, keen to be associated with the scheme. The LLTL team would love the opportunity to talk to you, and explore ways in which your business can benefit from being associated with this critical initiative and the positive profile it is generating. There are a number of ways in which anyone can get involved – do just give us a call on 07831 184920 or email Barbara at awards@ lovelocaltrustlocalawards.co.uk
Our very own in-house food writer Heather Brown, has been shortlisted in the international Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Competition, making the top 10% from thousands of entries globally. Heather first had an image shortlisted in the competition in 2018, with a photograph of a box of sugar-laden doughnuts. This year, Heather’s image of local cheesemaker The Book & Bucket Cheese Company’s multi-award winning brie style ’Shakespeare’ cheese has been shortlisted in the ‘Production Paradise Previously Published’ category. Heather works as a food writer and home economist, running Dorset Foodie Feed as well as working with brands and agencies to help make their products stand out from the crowd. Heather is on the committee of the Guild of Food Writers, and has worked in and around food businesses for the last 20 years. Heather says “I love working closely with business owners to help tell
their stories. More and more I think consumers want to see the products they buy in all their unfiltered glory, to know where they came from and about the people who created them. That is my focus when helping a business, whether that is through the building of a website, the taking of photographs or helping them curate some words for an advert or magazine article. “This particular image was taken to try and capture the sheer oozy-ness of brie in a way that might make a customer’s mouth water. It was taken very simply, with a dark background and natural light. I was careful to make sure that the cheese is the real hero in the image.” To see the entire prestigious Pink Lady Food Photographer Of The Year Shortlist click here, and to find out more about Heather, simply visit her website www.heather-brown.com
PUZZLES
Crossword
Jigsaw
100
Simply click to complete on your tablet, computer or phone - or there’s a download option if you prefer pen and paper.
This month you have the joy of some over-dramatic crocus, just showing off in the Spring sunshine - click to complete. If you get stuck, there’s an icon at the top of the screen which reveals the completed picture for you to refresh your memory.
COMMUNITY
A local expert from Citizen’s Advice provides timely tips on consumer issues.
This Month: what happens if surprise new restrictions mean events I’ve booked won’t go ahead? Q: “I love live music and, now that Covid restrictions have lifted, I’m keen to start going to events again. I’ve booked tickets for some gigs over the next few months, but I’m still a bit worried. I can’t quite believe things are fully back to normal. What will happen if restrictions come back in?” A: It’s understandable that you might be feeling uncertain when there has been so much change but knowing your rights will help you deal with anything unexpected. If you’ve got tickets to an event which goes ahead but you change your mind about going or realise you’re no longer able to go, you have no legal right to a refund. If, however, the event is cancelled, your right to a refund
will depend on how you bought the ticket: If you booked through an official seller, and the organiser cancels, moves or reschedules the event, you should get a refund. This is true even if it’s cancelled due to a government ban on large events. If this happens, contact the official seller to find out how you can get a refund. If you bought your ticket from a ticket-reselling website, your refund will depend on the site’s terms and conditions. If you’re worried about the event being cancelled, it’s a good idea to look at the terms and conditions before booking. If you bought from a private seller, unfortunately it is unlikely that you’ll be able to recover your money, even if the event is cancelled or rescheduled. We recommend contacting the seller
to see if there is anything they can do. Ahead of any events you’ve booked, keep checking the information from the official seller or organiser to make sure you know straight away about any updates, like changes to the date or cancellations. Another thing to be aware of is that scammers exploit these situations for their own benefit. If your event is cancelled and anyone - a person or a company - offers their services to try to recover money on your behalf, be suspicious. Make sure that you’re aware of the signs of a potential scam and always be on the lookout. You can read more about getting a refund on the Citizens Advice website here. 101
COMMUNITY This month’s news from the unofficial capital of the Blackmore Vale ...
Do you know where your nearest defibrillators are?
If a defibrillator is ever needed, it must be used fast, says Pauline Batstone - so we should all know where our nearest one is kept Local photographer Adie Ray has been creating beautiful still lifes with the products found in the Emporium
It has been a very good month for the Sturminster Newton Community Benefit Society (CBS) both in terms of income but also in achieving more of the Societies initial aims. The two CBS shops are attracting an ever-increasing number of happy customers which helps to make Sturminster a real ‘destination’ for those who want good value from their purchases. Whether it be collectables, essential buys, or just a bit of retail therapy shoppers report great satisfaction, and donors too are pleased as they find it a very gratifying way of recycling their unwanted goods. • Please make yourselves aware of the locations of the town’s various defibrillators. The one in the Market Place, which was bought and is maintained by the CBS, has recently had its first use. Unfortunately, there was a significant delay in accessing the defibrillator - if we all take the responsibility of knowing where the defibrillators are, we stand the best chance of saving a life. They are not all registered on one database, but ones I am currently aware of in the town are located
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at Harts, Sturfit, The Market Place, and the old phone box by the high school. • Working with several local businesses and Sturminster’s schools the CBS and SturBiz finally had a sunny day to put on the delayed pancake races on the Rec. There were teams from William Barnes and Yewstock Schools, Harts of Stur, plus a few brave parents, all fighting for the glory of crossing the line with a pancake in their pan. Jacqui Wragg (right) organised the pancake races which finally went ahead on the Rec!
COMMUNITY
Huge thanks to: the schools, Harts of Stur, those mad parents for taking part, the council groundstaff, Farnfields Solicitors, the Co-op, the Market Place Cleaners for supplying prizes and the White Hart for the pancakes themselves. And finally, the helpers from the CBS - in particular our very own organiser Jacqui Wragg (image bottom opposite page).
Another still life with a collection of paperweights, pottery and an old dictionary image: Adie Ray
• I am also pleased to report that along with various local companies and the Sturminster Schools, the CBS and SturBiz were able to put on a second Careers Fair. This time the fair took place at the High School, along with able assistance from Yewstock school. The overall aim was to give our young people an idea of the range of professions which they may be able to follow locally.
Spring activities
Easter is coming and there are some great spring events planned; put them in your diary:
9th to 24th April Children’s Spring Quiz around the various shops in the town. 11th to 22nd April Crafts at the library with many thanks to the library staff and volunteers. Good Friday, 15th April at 12.00 noon A short Service at the Cross erected by the churches in the Market Place, followed by Hot Cross Buns (from Oxfords of course) Easter Saturday 16th April • Children’s Easter Bonnet Making workshop 10.30 a.m. at The Exchange, with thanks to the WI. • This is followed by an Easter
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Bonnet Parade at noon – leaving from the Exchange, heading round the town and back to the Railway Gardens for some prize giving. The town shops will be open as usual on the Saturday including The Emporium and The Boutique which will be open until 4.00 p.m. Milling at The Mill
Easter Sunday 18th April • Easter Egg Hunt around the town centre, starting at 12.00 noon - look for egg tokens to bring to the Market Place to exchange for real Easter Eggs. • Milling at The Mill Check the website sturminsternewton.org.uk for up-to-date details 103
COMMUNITY Monthly updates from the various North Dorset Police Teams. This month’s news from Gillingham’s PCSO Vicky Biggs
Sheds, garages, heating oil ... all in a night’s work for local thieves
Gillingham’s team have seen a rise in thefts from sheds and garages, says PCSO Vicky Biggs - no small thing when garden tools are so expensive to replace Over the last couple of weeks, we have been starting to see an increase in thefts from garden sheds and garages. The value of property in sheds and garages is more than people think, you may think that your garden machinery is old and not worth a lot but if it was stolen it can soon become very expensive to replace. There are some simple steps you can take to protect your property and make it harder for thieves: •
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Keep garden gates, fences and walls in good repair to prevent intruders from getting in. Secure your shed by fitting a shed alarm, use reinforced hinges and locks and fit metal grills over any windows. Security mark your property and take photographs of the item and its serial number and any unique markings. Secure valuable items within your shed to a strong anchor point using security cables, chains and a robust padlock. Do not leave equipment lying around in your garden. Fit security lighting.
By following these simple steps, you will be able to protect your property and make your shed and garage uninviting to thieves. 104
“There has been a report of theft of heating oil overnight 1st March between 1800hrs to 0900hrs in the Kingston area of the village. If you have any information please contact Dorset Police via 101 or via the Dorset Police website www.dorset.police.uk /do-it-online quoting ref 55220035015”
4th March
“Thank you to the good Samaritan who assisted with a lost dog by Langton Road car park in Blandford yesterday, 7/3/22. Your dog lead is at Blandford Station!”
March 8th
“Carried out a number of enquiries and attended several incidents including a three vehicle RTC near #Blandford. Thankfully, nobody seriously hurt. Thanks as always to our colleagues in green”
March 18th
For details on your local team’s future engagements please refer to our website. As always, if you wish to contact us follow the links. You can report non urgent matters via 101, and remember if you see a crime in progress or a person in danger call 999.
SCHOOL NEWS
Okeford Fitzpaine fundraisers for Ukraine Following the crisis occurring in the Ukraine at the moment, as a school, the children decided they would like to help the humanitarian effort by taking part in the following fundraising events. 1. Dress down day for £1 donation (children wore blue or yellow the colours of the Ukraine flag) 2. Sunflower planting 50p donation (the children planted and took home the national flower of Ukraine) 3. Everyone loves a cake stall at the end of the day - we were overwhelmed with the level of donations made by parents and staff, looking beautiful and tasting just as good. The school council did a fantastic job selling the cakes to parents.
We raised an amazing £152 on the day and still have cakes left; the children have agreed all proceeds will be sent on to the Disaster Emergency Committee, who will
disburse the funds to Save the Children, Action Aid and British Red Cross as the need arises. Thank you everyone again for your support.
Idris swims to raise money for the homeless When Idris Briggs (year 4) saw someone sitting on the ground outside some shops, his mummy explained that some people do not have homes to shelter them and keep them safe. Idris was upset, and wanted to do something to help, so Mummy explained about getting people to sponsor you to help raise money for charity. “I decided to raise money by swimming. I used to be very frightened of the water, but two and a half years ago I set myself a challenge to overcome my fear. Now I feel safe in the water and I love swimming. I have not yet swum a length on my own and wanted to challenge myself by swimming as far as I can, hopefully a whole length or more! Idris raised a fantastic £445 for Centre Point!
Cheselbourne village school celebrates STEM week Cheselbourne’s village school motto of ‘inspiring a lifetime love of learning’ had true meaning this month, when a STEM-themed week of activities created a wide range of experiences ranging from a Science Dome to a Robotics workshop, and many visits and webinars from ‘proper’ scientists. The passion of all of the staff members and helpers was truly showcased, and the children were engaged in so many ways. These opportunities support the children not only to develop their knowledge, but also skills that will be transferred across the curriculum into many other subjects. During one task, the children had to design a contraption that could hold an egg. The contraption was dropped from over 7 feet in height and the aim was to see if the egg would stay intact ... Great fun!
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SCHOOL NEWS
Witchampton First School built LEGO for science week All the pupils at Witchampton First School decamped to the village hall this month to mark Science Week – by spending a day building with LEGO. With the theme of ‘growth’, the youngsters designed and created their own town which included houses, vehicles, roads, trains, airports and woods. There were 20,000 pieces of LEGO available during the day, which was organised by Bob Walker of Primary Workshop. A unique creation Headteacher Jo Hancock said: “With the theme of ‘growth’ our children were able to grow their own town out of nothing. “They all loved building with LEGO and it taught them many lessons - including the importance of communication and collaboration.
“The children designed and planned their parts of the creation, and then either on their own or with others built them. It was fun to see the whole thing coming together and watching the children become totally absorbed in it.”
Liz West, CEO of Wimborne Academy Trust, said: “Science is an important subject and it’s crucial to introduce the subject as early as possible. I’m sure that through the day the children learned a great deal without realising it.”
Shaftesbury School raises £3,000 in a fast fundraiser for Ukraine Shaftesbury School were motivated to raise money for the people of the Ukraine - and decided an appropriate way to help would be via Yeovil-based School in a Bag which provides a new rucksack filled with essential stationery items - each bag costs £20 to pack and send. A Target of £1,000 was set for the school, and Mrs Burfitt shared the fundraising target to the school, raising awareness of the conflict in Ukraine. An online fundraising page on was set up and two hours after the InTouch message was sent to parents the online total already stood at over £250. Fundraising within school commenced with Miss Frazer and Mrs Elphick setting up an activity colouring in Sunflowers, asking students to write messages of hope in exchange for a donation. In three days they raised an amazing £60. A Bake Sale raised a massive £160, and students were invited to donate to wear something in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The generosity of students, staff, parents and carers has been
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simply heart-warming. School Governor and Rotary Club member, Paul Whiteman, on behalf of the Governors approached the Rotary Club and secured a donation of £500, and an interview on This is Alfred opened the online appeal up to the general public. By the end of the first week of fundraising the school had over £1000 collected in school, and £1400 online. Added to this since is the £500 from the Rotary Club, and
final monies arriving means that Shaftesbury School tripled their target. A spokesperson said “We are immensely proud that Shaftesbury School can now pack and send 150 bags to the children of Ukraine. Thank you to each and every one of you who has contributed to this cause and a huge thank you to Mrs Burfitt for coordinating the campaign.”
SCHOOL NEWS
Bryanston’s Annual Charities Weekend raises a staggering £55,000 for charity and aid. Children add personal messages of hope as aid trucks depart for Ukraine following record fundraising drive by Bryanston pupils Bryanston School’s annual Charities Weekend was organised by Head Girl, Esme Thomas, and Head Boy, Spencer Davies, in support of their chosen charities #Willdoes, a Dorset mental health charity, and the ‘Girls will be Girls’ programme. In view of the immediate and growing humanitarian crisis, they also organised a special fundraising auction for the people of Ukraine. Aid and messages The enormous fundraising effort paid for over 22 tons of medical kit, a huge quantity of tinned food, well over a hundred sleeping bags and blankets, 40,000 nappies and other much-needed supplies, as well as a bulk supply of food for refugee welcome centres in Moldova and Slovakia. Personal messages from Bryanston pupils were also included in nearly 400 special fun packs for Ukrainian children. One lorry was loaded with specialist medical supplies off-site, but pupils were able to give the second lorry loaded with humanitarian aid an enthusiastic send-off as both vehicles started their 1,500-mile journey. “Raising so much money at such short notice for the people of Ukraine was very challenging but also very fulfilling,” says 18-year-old Esme. “We’re over the moon that our efforts will do so much to help improve the lives of so many people. I’m also really pleased we’ve been able to support a programme that is helping young girls from Nepal, Myanmar and Cambodia into education, as well as a more local charity that is so close to our hearts.” “We’re indebted to the entire Bryanston community for everyone’s generosity and enthusiasm,” adds 18-yearold Spencer. “pupils from all year groups have done a sterling job in helping to pack and sort so many pallets of baby materials, sleeping bags, personal hygiene products and fun packs for children that are now on their way to Ukraine. It really has been a case of everyone wanting to do something to help!” More than 12 pallets of aid were loaded onto the two lorries; they are expected to arrive at the Ukrainian border on the 4th April. Charities Weekend Open to parents and staff at the school, the weekend featured sponsored personal challenges, a concert by
Organisers of this year’s Charities weekend at Bryanston, Head Boy Spencer Davies (left) and Head Girl Esme Thomas on the catwalk of the fundraising Fashion Show
bands and musicians from the school, a lunch for friends and family, a fashion show, a dog show and a special dinner for pupils in their final year at the school. The Silent Auction for Ukraine benefitted from the advice and support provided by Jumblebee - the prizes were donated by parents, staff and local companies, and included everything from a pizza evening with a pupil’s favourite teacher and golf course tickets, to a stay in a holiday cottage and overseas trips. More than aid As well as the humanitarian mission to Ukraine, the Charities Weekend fundraising has supported Willdoes and United World Schools. Dedicated to the memory of William Paddy, a sporty and charismatic child who grew up near Swanage and known to a number of Bryanston pupils, Willdoes promotes mental and physical health, social inclusion and wellbeing for young people across Dorset and the surrounding area. United World Schools is an international education charity that builds schools, empowers communities and transforms the lives of children in deprived and remote areas of Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal. This is the second time the charity has benefitted from funds raised from Bryanston’s Charities Weekend. Pupils gathered to give a rousing send-off for one of the lorries carrying humanitarian aid to Ukraine
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SCHOOL NEWS
Sandroyd appoints new Deputy Head (Academics) Abi Carlyle-Clark, Sandroyd’s Deputy Head of Academics, leaves Sandroyd at the end of the spring term to become Headteacher for Semley CE VA Primary. We wish her all the best for this exciting new chapter, and look forward to forging an even closer relationships with Semley School. Abi has been with Sandroyd since 1995, teaching many of our current and past pupils during her time. She joined as a teacher in our junior department, then worked as a Houseparent, and latterly as Deputy Head of Academics where she has truly made her mark on the school. Sarah Whitty joins Sandroyd in September 2022 to take over the role of Deputy Head, Academic. Originally from Portsmouth, Sarah started her career in Reading for a local primary school before moving to Dubai in 2014, where she joined Dubai British School. In 2018 Sarah
took up the post of Deputy Head Teacher for over 600 children in the primary area of the through school. We look forward to welcoming Sarah into the Sandroyd team, and the wealth of experience she brings with her.
Wells Cathedral School’s Head of History is appointed Fellow of the Royal Historical Society Chris Eldridge, Head of History at Wells Cathedral School, has been made a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (RHS) in recognition of the unique work he and his team have been doing in promoting the study of medieval history in the Sixth Form at Wells. He is thrilled to have been made a Fellow, especially as it is normally university-level academics who receive the recognition. “When I first arrived in Wells I was captivated by our 10th century origins and the medieval heritage that we live and work within. Not studying medieval history in this context looked to me like a lost
opportunity. Yet medieval history tends to get neglected in British schools. A lot of teachers think it’s either incomprehensible or irrelevant to modern students. I hope the work we do at Wells studying and promoting it dispels this myth.” The RHS is trying to increase its engagement with secondary level education, and Chris will be involved in future initiatives for this sector. He has been invited to speak at the Historical Association’s forthcoming national conference in Bristol on 13th May about ‘Making Medieval History accessible to Sixth Formers.’
Matilda the Musical was a hit at Leweston Roald Dahl’s Matilda may not seem like the obvious choice of show for a cast of discerning 12-18 year olds, but anyone who attended the Leweston Senior School’s performance of the Broadway Junior Version of this show could not argue that it is, in fact, the perfect choice for any age group. For five performances, the cast’s high-octane energy and palpable enthusiasm permeated through audiences. The extremely talented ensemble gave a strong, confident, and well-rehearsed performanced. Audience feedback said the quality of the choreography and singing was way beyond that of a school setting. But each show has highlights and these have to include the performance of Oliver D, Year 11, as Miss Trunchbull, and Felicity P-R, Year 9, as Matilda. Both embodied the spirit of Dahl’s intended characterisation, and both proved to be talented performers with comic timing and insight beyond their years. Using a simple stylised set integrated with a few
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‘technical tricks’ only enhanced the professionalism of this production, and it was easy to forget you were in a school hall operating on a minimal budget. Audiences are already asking ‘What’s Next?’… well, watch this space!
by Ian Girling
BUSINESS NEWS
Why should we create a business culture of volunteering? The benefits of a volunteering policy are far wider than simply ‘giving back’ and ESG work, says Ian Girling, CEO of Dorset Chamber Hello and welcome to my April column. At last it feels Spring is with us, and it’s brilliant to have the lighter evenings and mornings! This month I’d like to talk about the value of volunteering; not just for individuals, but how this is a fantastic concept for both employers and employees to really embrace. Many businesses are now focusing on this as part of their ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) work, and this can really be a win-win for all involved. Why is volunteering so important? Over the last few years, the 3rd Sector has been called upon to deliver more and more as funding for public services has been reduced. The 3rd Sector plays an incredibly important role and this has never been more evident than over the last couple of years with Covid and now the terrible situation we see in Ukraine.
Fulfillment, meaning and giving back: More than ever the younger workforce (Gen Z and Millennials) not only want, but expect these things in their workplace. They’re looking for a more rewarding, engaging and meaningful career experience, rather than gym memberships and health plan perks. Aside from just being a ‘good thing to do’, companies that offer paid time off for volunteering can attract and retain top talent, boost productivity, instill a sense of purpose and meaning in employees, and go some way to improving the employee engagement challenge.
Many charities and voluntary groups are being stretched to their limits in terms of capacity. These organisations can hugely benefit from volunteering – and enabling volunteers to offer their expertise to help. Build it into the business There are a huge amount of volunteering opportunities of all types available. Many employers now support a specific charity or cause each year, and will also give employees an allocated number of paid days to volunteer. This enables these employers to make a positive contribution to support the community and voluntary sector, and to support the vital work the sector delivers. Importantly, this isn’t about PR – many employers go about this very quietly. For the employer,
it also results in motivated employees who are able to help make a difference. An attractive workplace Many employers also report real recruitment challenges; it is very much an employee-driven market. Employees will now often have a very clear idea of the type of business they want to work for - businesses that are a force for good, with strong values and ethics. Businesses that embrace volunteering will be attractive to many future employees. If you are interested in volunteering, you can see a range of opportunities on the Volunteer Centre Dorset website www. volunteeringdorset.org.uk Until next time Ian
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BUSINESS NEWS
Twisted Cider farm has expansion plans approved, depite objections Almost two years after a fire destroyed their building, Twisted Cider have received planning permission for a bigger, more diverse operations base. Dorset Council has approved a change of use application for Twisted Cider to develop a farm building at Spring Farm off Bradford Lane in Longburton near Sherborne. The building is part of Ben Weller’s Twisted Cider premises, and the change of use will cover new cider ‘experiences’ for groups of up to 20 people. The business has operated from the farm for ten years, but suffered a devastating fire in 2020 in which it lost equipment and stock. The past two years have been a “real struggle” says Ben Waller, with sales dropping by 94% The new premises will be 14sqm larger than previously, allowing the business to expand. Objections by neighbours Dorset Council approved the change of use application despite some objections, which included neighbours who claim that the proposal amounts to “industrial development by the back door”. Part of the application includes the approval of 12 parking space on the site, and another objection states: “This is the wrong operation in the wrong place, which will adversely affect neighbours with increased traffic and influx of too many people to an area of quiet residential properties. Bradford Lane is unsuitable for the type of traffic which this operation will generate.” A planning officer report agreed that the proposal will generate additional traffic along Bradford Lane, but that ‘the Local Authority cannot object and considers the proposal does not represent a material harm’ Business community support Ben Weller’s application also received numerous letters of support from within the local business Twisted Cider has operated from Spring Farm in Longburton for ten years, but suffered a devastating fire in 2020
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community, including the President of Sherborne’s Chamber of Commerce Jane Wood “Mr Weller is an active member of the community, supplying many local businesses and participating in markets and events in the town and I support his application to develop his business” Another supporter stated the principle should be to encourage rural businesses to diversify “On-farm marketing is now a firmly established practice in the UK and is a very natural extension to a farm business ... The addition of an associated sales outlet has been permitted almost universally across the UK cider industry and forms a vital economic component of such an enterprise. Rural business development in Dorset deserves support ...” A similarly supportive letter points out that the proposed development plans “llustrate increased distance from previous to proposed location in relation to the nearest residential neighbours ... noise impact from Twisted Cider shall be reduced if the proposed location is awarded. Entrance to the proposed car park is also ... further away from neighbours driveways.” New business plans The new ‘cider experience’ classes will involve visitors cider and juice making, orchard management and the history of West Dorset ciders. Ben says he intends to open for three extra hours on Fridays and Saturdays, compared to the previous hours (9am to 9pm Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays). A further planning condition restricts any outside use to take place to the west and south of the building with a further condition prohibiting outdoor music. The ‘impact on neighbour amenity’ is considered acceptable.
READER’S PHOTOGRAPHY
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HEALTH
by Karen Geary, a Registered Nutritional Therapist DipION, mBANT, CNHC at Amplify
Three surprising ways to sleep better that you may have not yet tried. Some of the healthiest foods can be the most inexpensive. Nutritional Therapist Karen Geary explores the options for cheap protein and veg I have just concluded a gruelling years, leading to greater sleep six months writing up my disturbance and the potential for dissertation on sleep disturbance developing long-term habitual during menopause. I can’t say sleep issues if left unchecked. much here as it is yet to be published, but what I can share Sleep isn’t just ‘getting some are a few surprising things rest’ I learned about sleep more Lack of sleep makes us generally and what we can do to vulnerable to infections and help us have better quality sleep. illnesses, lowers our immunity The Sleep Council in the UK says and encourages weight gain. that 40% of us suffer with sleep Prolonged sleep deficiency can issues of some description and lead to chronic, systemic lowfor all kinds of reasons, so we grade inflammation, and is know lack of sleep affects a lot associated with various diseases of people. The that have an pandemic has “lack of sleep makes us inflammatory materially component, vulnerable to infections such as added to the and illnesses, lowers diabetes, numbers, with a number cardiovascular our immunity and of pieces encourages weight gain” disease of research and neuro indicating degeneration. that the prevalence of stress, Good sleep improves your anxiety and depression have immunity and among other all increased over the last two things it can also increase your 112
brain function, promote skin health and control insulin (and therefore help with weight management) and is anti-ageing. Most people who suffer with sleep issues say that have ‘tried everything’, and this was certainly the case in my research. If you struggle with sleep, you have no doubt already heard about terms such as ‘sleep hygiene’, the importance of winding down, stepping away from the smartphones and having a cool room etc. If that is you and you are still not sleeping properly then keep reading. I hope not to disappoint - but then again you already know there is no magic bullet. Your food may be keeping you awake • When we eat. Eating too late is a common issue for people with sleep
HEALTH disturbance. By the time they get home from work and have dealt with family and evening routines, mealtimes can be quite late. I had a Spanish client who did not eat until 9pm at the earliest, which of course is cultural for him, but his sleep was terribly disturbed and he was suffering the next day. We agreed to see what happened if he brought his meal time forward and went to bed slightly earlier. Over a period of six weeks he lost weight and the quality of his sleep improved. While this is an example of one, a recent study concluded that both sleep efficiency and the timing of going to bed were factors in managing blood sugar; people who had a later bedtime were less able to control their blood sugar the next morning, and craved a sugary breakfast. Poor blood sugar control can lead to poor sleep. I know from my own experiments, that I sleep (and eat) much better if I eat before 7pm. • What we eat. There was a fascinating edition of Secrets of Your Supermarket Food last year (Season 3, Episode 2 - see it here), when Stefan Gates and Hayley Pedrick demonstrated through monitoring the impact caffeine, alcohol and takeaways can have on sleep. Alcohol and caffeine are well known sleep disruptors, so experiment with what is right for you. A high caffeine, alcohol and salt intake can also wake you up in the night needing to pee, so cut down on those if that is happening to you. There are some studies that suggest that foods with good dietary sources of tryptophan, (found in foods such as chicken/turkey, tofu, milk, salmon, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds) and melatonin (found in milk, tart cherry juice, and pistachios),may lead to better sleep outcomes. • Ageing I found a number of interesting studies showing that while sleep may be shorter with ageing, it may get deeper. So while you may be frustrated with waking up early, the quality of your sleep may not be quite as bad as you think. One way of improving sleep is to make sure that our internal clocks reflect the natural periods of day and night. Help this by consciously stepping outside in the morning and get 15 minutes of daylight into your eyes. This action begins the process of converting serotonin to our night-time hormone, melatonin. Melatonin reduces as we age, so encouraging this through daylight exposure may be helpful. Matthew Walker in his book ‘Why We Sleep”, suggests that if you are waking up super early, try the daylight exposure technique slightly later in the morning. For more sleeping tips, read the longer article on my website here
Life’s complicated - instructing a solicitor shouldn’t be
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HEALTH
Has moving past the equilux improved your mood?
The spring equilux, when day and night are equal, is often the subconcious trigger for us waking out of a winter slump, says Izzi Anwell of Dorset Mind. An equinox and a solstice occur twice each year; once in the spring/summer and once in the autumn/winter. The equinoxes sit between the two solstices (the longest and shortest days) and mark the point where the sun crosses the earth’s celestial equator and becomes equally positioned between the northern and southern hemispheres. The spring equinox, which began on 20th March, signifies the point where days become longer than the nights. We all know that long dark nights paired with low temperatures and unsurprising downpours can take a toll on our mood and make us feel sluggish. With daylight hours increasing and the sun sitting higher in the sky we now have the opportunity and the time to not only give our homes a much-needed spring clean but also consider whether our minds and bodies need a spring refresh as well. 5 Ways to Wellbeing The 5 Ways to Wellbeing is a proven group of steps that we can use to check and identify the ‘dust’ we collect as a result of Winter’s stressors. They provide ideas about what 114
we can do to help manage our wellbeing: 1. Take Notice The first step encourages us to pay attention to what is going in our environment. In the context of spring this may be done by taking a walk and noticing the new life rising - new plant growth or a rise in temperature. 2. Get Active Taking notice leads nicely into the next stage - and ‘getting active’ isn’t as scary as it sounds. Think low impact, high reward. Walking for example, is a free, easy way to get active - never dismiss the power of a simple walk. Walking helps to build stamina and improve heart health and with warmer climes on their way, a walk in the sunshine is a surefire way to blow away cobwebs. 3. Learning With spring comes change, and learning something new is the third stage of the ‘5 Ways’, can help us to stay spry and build new neural pathways. So why not pick up a new hobby or learn something new? 4. Give Back Speaking of which, the fourth
stage of the checklist is ‘give back’ - why not make your new hobby/ activity a fundraising activity for a charity or volunteering? I know that when we feel overwhelmed with life it may feel like we have nothing more to offer people. However, when we ‘give back’ we ‘get back’ in return not only in the form of validation that we are doing something good but also that it is making a difference. 5. Connect The final stage motivates us to work on our connections with our loved ones and our social groups, but also to connect with our own body and our mind too. This stage might be considered the most important; without connection to our body and mind the other four stages become difficult to implement. Without connection to our minds we cannot ‘take notice’ of what is weighing on us or ‘learn’ something new, and without connection to our body we cannot know how best to nourish it. Further Help and Support Find out more about the 5 ways to look after your mind and body here: https://bit. ly/5WaystoWellbeing
by Mel Mitchell
Let’s do a little myth-busting
HEALTH
Fitness myths have amazing magical powers of sticking, says expert Mel Mitchell - even when there’s solid scientific evidence to the contrary. As a personal trainer I hear the same comments and myths that surround the fitness industry all the time - and some of the most frequent are the ones which put people off giving things a go. Running is bad for your knees. Yes, of course - if you over do the running then it may result in overuse injuries. But then again that applies to all forms of exercise. There is a common misconception that running will also result in arthritis later on in life. There is actually growing evidence that running recreationally can help your knees, and protect them against the development of knee osteoarthritis. And if you already have osteoarthritis, running can be beneficial in terms of improving the symptoms. Aside from the benefits for osteoarthritis, running also improves other aspects of the knee joint, not to mention the huge amount of other general health benefits. It is safe to say that the benefits of running far outweighs the risks. Strength training makes women get bulky Another comment I hear countless times is. Yes,
absolutely - women will build muscle tissue if they start lifting weights. That’s sort of the point. But no, they won’t get excessively bulky. Physiologically, the build up of muscle tissue in women is limited by natural hormones. Women have higher levels of oestrogen and lower levels of testosterone compared to men, which means that strength training tones the muscles and raises metabolism, rather than building ‘bulk’. Strength training also encourages women to produce more growth hormone - which helps metabolise fat and aids in reducing the effects of the ageing process. Ultimately, strength training should not be shied away from based on the fear of bulking up. In fact, strength training plays a valuable part in any fitness routine. Speak to a professional It is always worth having a chat with fitness professionals; there is plenty of contradictory advice out there and so many myths. Do not be put off by common misconceptions; chances are there will be research and evidence that proves otherwise.
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WHAT'S ON
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THE EXCHANGE
STURMINSTER NEWTON
AT A GLANCE
02/04 21/04 28/04 30/04
Ninebarrow Happy and Glorious West Side Story Roxy Magic
06/05 13/05 14/05 24/05 26/05 28/05
Vision of Elvis Stayin' Alive Cupid's Revenge Elizabeth I Monty Halls December '63
HAPPY & GLORIOUS
THURS 21ST APRIL, 2pm Neil Sands and his wonderful West End cast are back to celebrate the 70 glorious years of Her Majesty’s recordbreaking reign. This uplifting afternoon, coincidentally on the Queen's 96th birthday, will bring back golden memories. £15/ £14 conc
ROXY MAGIC
SAT 30ST APRIL, 7:30pm Celebrating 50 Years of Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music... Roxy Magic will help you celebrate in style! Recreating hits, including 'Love is a Drug', 'Dance Away', 'Virginia Plain'. £19/ £18 conc
A VISION OF ELVIS
CUPID'S REVENGE
FRI 6TH MAY, 7:30PM
Rob Kingsley is internationally renowned as the best Elvis Presley tribute touring the world today. A Vision of Elvis is an emotional rollercoaster through time, engaging audiences with a true Elvis concert experience featuring Elvis’ greatest hits. £22
WEST SIDE STORY
THURS 28 APR, 7PM An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs. Directed by Steven Spielberg £5 Sponsored by
STAYIN' ALIVE
FRI 13TH MAY, 7:30PM Winners of the National Tribute Awards in 2013, 2016 and 2017, Stayin Alive are recognised as the UK’s top Bee Gees Tribute. They re-create the most accurate portrayal of the Brothers Gibb, covering hits from all decades. £18/ £17 conc
SAT 14TH MAY, 7:30PM
The latest dance theatre comedy show by groundbreaking performance company, New Art Club. Presented with Artsreach. £12/ £5 U18s
LIVING SPIT'S ELIZABETH I
TUES 24TH MAY, 7:30PM After touring their sold-outfrom-Penzance-to-Pitlochry, Off-West-End-Award nominated The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Living Spit return with the second of their second (un)Holy Trinity of hilarious heritage historiographies. (14+) £15/ £14 conc
Celebrating a birthday or wedding? Hosting a conference? Organising a meeting?
The Exchange has a room for every occasion, hireable at competitive rates. Contact venuehire@stur-exchange.co.uk for more information.
01258 475137
WWW.STUR-EXCHANGE.CO.UK
OLD MARKET HILL, STURMINSTER NEWTON
NEWS
WHATS ON
Add your ‘What’s On’ event to the BV calendar FOR FREE
Have an event you’d like to share for FREE with our thousands of readers? It’s totally FREE for all charity and not-for-profit events We’re excited to say it’s now totally FREE (and supereasy) for charity and not-for-profit events (and just a £10 flat fee for business and ‘for-profit’ events) to get listed on our new BV ‘What’s On’ calendar, making it easy for everyone to find the Whats On events! One of the things we’re asked most to publicise are local events – and it’s always difficult to say ‘sorry, we don’t have room’, especially to all the brilliant free events, or the fundraiser charity events. But of course we’re limited on space for free listings in the magazine, and small charity events and fundraisers simply shouldn’t have to use their budget to pay for advertising. To solve this, we’ve made it so that everyone can advertise their events on our website – and most of them for FREE! What’s On? Whether you’re a local or simply visiting, you still want to know the upcoming events – if there’s a car boot sale on this weekend, a church jumble sale or a 5k fun run. Maybe you’re looking for a local comedy night, a live music gig, an amateur dramatics production ... and let’s not forget the village fetes this summer. The calendar shows what, when and where, how much it is, where to get tickets and even how long it’ll take you to get there too. You can browse the calendar by day, week or month, or just search for what you’re looking for - try ‘tennis’, ‘classical music’ or ‘Sherborne’. Have an event you’d like to share with our thousands of readers? If you’re a charity, or are running a free, not-for-profit or fundraiser event, then advertise your event for the Blackmore Vale on the BV’s What’s On page. Just add all the details here https://www.theblackmorevale. co.uk/add-your-whats-on-event/ along with a picture. We’ll automagically add it to the calendar – and even add directions from Google maps for you. Upload your event now – it couldn’t be easier! Is your event for profit? You’re still welcome! There’s just a small £10 admin fee - complete the same form, tick the ‘for profit’ box, and we’ll be in touch to sort payment.
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Please note, we do not accept recurring (weekly or fortnightly) events that could be classified as a class or as an activity.
WHAT’S ON
Peter Ursem - Return to Dorset Peter Ursem is an artist and writer who until 2011 lived and worked in North Dorset, where he had his painting studio at Bimport in Shaftesbury. Long-time locals may remember that the original weekly Blackmore Vale Magazine always included his black and white masthead.
Peter is delighted, then, to return with an exhibition in Shaftesbury Arts Centre Gallery of his recent works. Peter is known for his multi-coloured lino prints, but he also works in charcoal and oil paints. In addition to his art work, Peter (writing as Petrus Ursem) has published a trilogy for young adults, characterised by a similar visual experience of landscape, creating a vivid backdrop for a thrilling adventure story. Evening Viewing On Friday 8 April, 6-8pm, Peter will give a brief gallery talk about his take on landscape, printmaking approaches, his love of stories and the visual relationship between words and images, shaping his artworks as well as his novels.
For more information visit Peter’s websites: www.peterursem.co.uk (art) www.petrus-ursem.co.uk (writing)
Sturminster Choral Society presents Rossini - Petite Messe Solennelle Sturminster Choral Society will perform Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle at St Mary’s Church Sturminster Newton on Saturday 7th May at 7.30pm. The Choral Society are this year celebrating 60 years of singing in and around Sturminster Newton. It has also been two years since their last full concert due to Covid restrictions. They are delighted to present this most engaging and uplifting piece of music written by one of the giants of the music world. Gioachino Antonio Rossini (1792–1868), born in Italy, began to compose by the age of 12. Apart from his many pieces of set music, he gained fame for his 39 operas, including The Barber of Seville and William Tell. He set new standards for both comic and serious opera before retiring from large-scale composition while still in his thirties and at the height of his popularity. One of Rossini’s few late works, intended to be given in public,
was his Petite Messe Solennelle, composed in 1863 and first performed in the following year 1864. For this performance the choir will be conducted by their musical director Annemarie Lees, accompanied by Caroline De’Cruz on piano and Tracy
Kennington on harmonium, with soloists Anna Gregory (soprano), Charlotte Collier (alto), Kieran White (tenor) and Pauls Putnins (bass). Tickets are £10 each and can be obtained in advance by calling 01258 820755 or, subject to availability, on the door.
St Mary’s Church Sturminster Newton 7th May 7.30pm
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WHAT’S ON
Timber | Tools | Machinery | Hobbies | Gifts
Spring Handmade Craft Market Saturday 23rd April 10am-4pm
FREE FAMILY FUN DAY OUT SPECIAL OFFERS IN THE ARTS & CRAFTS SHOP DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE TOOL SHOP
FREE ONSITE PARKING Find us just off of the A303 at Martock www.yandlesartandcrafts.co.uk Yandles & Son Ltd Hurst Works Hurst Martock Somerset TA12 6JU 01935 822571 For more information please email crafts@yandles.co.uk
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WHAT’S ON
SECRETS OF AN ANTIQUES AUCTIONEER
A morning with Garry Batt Duke`s Senior Valuer
JUBILEE HALL, YETMINSTER, DT9 6LG SATURDAY APRIL 9th 2022
10AM – 12.30PM
Exclusive auction of promises Hot or Not – a fun quiz to test your valuation skills Refreshments - Raffle Tickets £10 – prebooked please – under 12s free from the Spar, the White Hart, 01935 873421 or email pccsec.yetminster@gmail.com Organised by the Friends of St Andrews
Contact 01305 265080 or enquiries@dukes-auctions.com
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PROPERTY SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Available 24 hours Personal service day & night. Pre-payment plans, memorials, private chapel of rest.
Water Street Mere BA12 6DZ 01747 860361 www.lchillandsonfuneraldirectors.co.uk 125
JOBS
If you’re considering a legal firm, here’s why we’re one of the best Genuinely valuing their staff, encouraging career progression, flexible working conditions and modern, open thinking all mean Blanchards Bailey are one of the best places to start if joining a law firm is something you would like Blanchards Bailey LLP, accredited by Investors in People, values its staff, and empowers and supports them to grow and develop. With both Employee Appreciation Day and International Women’s Day being celebrated recently, it seemed fitting to highlight why Blanchards Bailey is such a sought-after business to work for. Career progression With a team 100+ strong, Blanchards Bailey offers everyone the opportunity to progress their career. Key competences are defined for each role, and for those that wish to ‘climb the ladder’ in their chosen specialism, they can and do. A perfect example of this is Caroline Walton; Caroline joined Blanchards Bailey as a Legal Secretary in 1997 and is now a Partner at the firm and is Head of the Residential Property Department. 126
It’s more then just a job The firm is continuing to grow and develop, but its core values remain the same. The comradeship of the staff makes Blanchards Bailey LLP a happy workplace. Helen Harris, Executive Assistant to Paul Dunlop, Managing Partner, and a vital member of the firm’s Litigation and Disputes team has been at the Firm since 1986. When asked what is it that has led her to stay with the firm, she said; “Blanchards Bailey is a large professional standout business in Blandford Forum, where I live. Over my 36 years working at the firm, I have always found the team I work with very friendly. One of the main factors for my long service is that the firm have great family values; they were always accommodating when I was raising a family and working. This has not changed. The firm is also always striving to provide the very best client service.”
Over the bloody moon To continue to support our staff, the firm recently ran a training session with Over the Bloody Moon, to educate all about the stages of menopause and how it can impact women in the workplace. Legal Secretary, Charli Finney said; “I found the training very informative. I hadn’t considered how some of my colleagues might be feeling during the menopause, and now I have a clear understanding of how this could affect someone’s day to day work and how I can help them.” Our people are the heart and soul of our business. Consequently, we are always keen to hear from highly motivated individuals who share our aims and values. If joining a Legal 500 accredited law firm is something you would like to explore, please do look on our website www.blanchardsbailey. co.uk for current opportunities or send your CV to jane.cordner@ blanchardsbailey.co.uk
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PROPERTY
ADVERTORIAL
Top Tips for selling your home Selling your home is a big decision - and you want to get it right. The new Purple Bricks North Dorset team are on hand with some insider advice Putting your home on the market is a huge life decision and one which takes a lot of careful consideration and thoughtful planning. Purplebricks are proud to work with over 600 local experts located across the UK, each dedicated to taking you through the whole process of selling your home, from start to finish. Here to help you on your journey to getting sold, Purplebricks local expert and North Dorset resident, Chellie Elkington, shares her top tips for preparing your home for market: •
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First Impressions Ensure the outside of your property is clean, clear and tidy, including entrance ways and the front garden. Potential viewers will often pass by before deciding whether to book a viewing so it’s important to create a good first impression, starting with your home’s curb appeal. Declutter One of the most costeffective tips for home selling is to declutter your home. This includes keeping all surface spaces clear, without interfering with your daily life. By removing or hiding unnecessary items out of sight, you are maximising the perception of space in your home. A new face Freshen up scuffed paint marks by giving your walls a fresh lick of paint, where needed. While this is not essential to do before
Small details like placing fresh flowers in your home not only make it more welcoming, but also help buyers feel confident that you’ve cared for the house.
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selling, it will ensure your property is presented in the best way possible. A good deep clean Give your home a spring clean to show off the property in its best light. This includes descaling the shower, cleaning the windows, ensuring beds are made with freshly washed bedding and mending anything that’s broken. It’s in the detail Think about those little touches that make a home
feel welcoming. Fresh flowers are always great to have around the home for photos and viewings as they show you’re making an effort to sell while helping potential buyers to feel more confident that you’ve looked after the house during your ownership. If you’re thinking of selling your home and would like further advice, book your virtual or in-home valuation today: purplebricks.co.uk
Sell your home from only £999
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If you’re not sold, you don’t pay.* It’s that simple.
Book a free valuation with your Local Property Expert for North Dorset at purplebricks.co.uk
Chellie Elkington 07922880029
chellie.elkington@purplebricks.com
Rikki Sorbie 07922881705
rikki.sorbie@purplebricks.com
*Fixed fee payable on instruction. Money back guarantee of fixed fee redeemable if no qualifying offer is made within 10 months. Any extras purchased and all legal fees are excluded. See Terms and conditions for full details of the offer at purplebricks.co.uk 137
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