Blowers in Dorset, my dear old things!

Legendary cricket commentator and broadcaster, Henry Blofeld OBE, known amongst his many fans as Blowers and famed for his plummy tones and all-round good humour, invites you to join him in a brand new show, My Dear Old Things - coming to the Exchange in Sturminster Newton next month.

I asked him what made him head out on tour again – did he not think, at 83, he might be ready to retire from the rigours of touring?

‘I don’t know what you mean? I don’t recognise this word ‘retirement’. No, I shall never retire. I have a number of friends who retired at 60, and they were either dead at 65 or soend their days drunk and playing bad bridge. Not me. You can cut that one out, pretty quick. You’ve GOT to keep your little grey cells going. You can’t give up. If you retire, what do you do? Drink? ‘Doing nothing bores me to death. I enjoy what I do hugely. I wondered if the audence need to be cricket fans to enjo... I didn’t even get the rest of the question out before Henry chips in: ‘NO! I hate the phrase “cricket fan”, actually. People will know me because of cricket, of course, but it’s not a cricket evening at all. It’s humour and anecdotes. The same way an awful lot of avid listeners to Test Match Special didn’t paricularly like cricket. Four years ago I did the Marigold Hotel programme in India. There were some splendid behind-thescenes stories, but COVID came around and I couldn’t share them with anyone. So for the first hour I’m talking - I hope quite amusingly ... I think quite amusingly, anwyay – about the stories from India that couldn’t be seen on camera. And the second act is Test Match Special stories – there are some really funny ones to share. Hopefully everyone leaves just having had an excellent time!’

Henry will be appearing at the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne on 8th March, at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton on 16th March and the Memorial Theatre in Frome on 17th March.

Free entry to Snowdrops at Springhead

Visit Springhead’s first open gardens of the year – as well as having the chance to wander around the lakeside gardens you will be able to see some of the many named varieties held at Springhead as you enjoy the beautiful drifts of snowdrops. The gardens will be open from Monday 6th until Sunday 12th February from 11am to 3pm.

In addition, the gardens will be open on Saturday 18th February from 1 pm until 4.30 pm as part of Shaftesbury’s annual snowdrop celebrations (times are of course weather dependent). Entry to the gardens will be free but donations would be appreciated. Light Refreshments will be available throughout the day on Saturday 11th and Sunday

12th provided by, and in aid of, St Andrew’s Primary School, Fontmell Magna. Dogs on leads are welcome and there is assisted wheelchair access.

6th-12th February, 11am to 3pm and 18th February 1 to 4pm For more information email info@springheadtrust.org.uk or call 01747 811853.