The New Blackmore Vale Magazine - Issue 92

Celebrated

Gillingham

The

Above the FOLDE

FOLDE Dorset in Shaftesbury has been named the best independent book retailer in the south west.

The shop was the regional winner in the British Book Awards Independent Bookshop of the Year competition, organised by The Bookseller magazine, and will now go forward for the national award being announced in May.

FOLDE Dorset, on the iconic Gold Hill, specialises in nature writing and was praised by a judging panel of industry specialists, authors, journalists and celebrities for “practising what they preach”.

is an amazing endorsement. We’re grateful to everyone who supports us.”

FOLDE Dorset opened in April 2021 after Karen and Amber quit their corporate jobs to pursue their dream of opening a bookshop that would champion nature and encourage people to engage more fully with the natural world.

They also said the shop has “sustainability at its heart, with purposeful practice and meaningful conversations surrounding sustainability every day.”

Karen Brazier, co-founder of FOLDE, said: “We’re still processing the news. There were some very impressive shops in the south west finals, some of which have been around for much longer than us. It’s a huge accolade.”

Co-founder Amber Harrison added: “To be recognised by our industry for what we do

Both women live in Shaftesbury and describe their awardwinning shop as a hub within the town for conversation and community.

The pair also host a regular programme of evening author events at Shaftesbury’s Grosvenor Arms, which has seen renowned writers such as Raynor Winn and Tristan Gooley speaking in the town.

submissions, but in the sheer unbelievable quality of every shop that entered.

Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller’s managing editor, said: “This has been among the most competitive Independent Bookshop of the Year judging processes since the award was conceived.

“Not just in the record number of overall

“Getting down to these nine regional and country winners was a very difficult process.”

FOLDE Dorset is now in contention for the overall Independent Bookshop of the Year Award to be announced at The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on May 13.

The overall Independent Bookshop of the Year winner will also compete to be crowned Book Retailer of the Year.

Amber Harrison and Karen Brazier of FOLDE Dorset in Shaftesbury, awarded best independent bookshop in the south west in The British Book Awards 2024.

MP Simon Hoare among reported members of exclusive ‘men-only’ club

FOUNDED in 1831 to ‘tend to the regeneration of the Drama’, the Garrick Club in London’s West End is one of the oldest members’ clubs in the world.

A list of those to have ventured through its imposing doors reads like a list of the great and the good of theatre, art and music through the centuries.

They are joined by judges, KCs, politicians and many more. Indeed, the King himself is down as a member in a list that reportedly dates from 2023.

But despite the rich tapestry of professions, status and industries, there is one notable absence on the list; women.

Of the reported 1,500 members, there is not one female, as they are effectively banned from joining.

Indeed, until 2010, women were not allowed to even visit the club as a guest or a spouse.

In 2015, the last time a vote on the matter arose at the Garrick’s AGM, one member was reported to have said admitting women would “change the nature of the club”.

“Men behave differently if there are no women there,” one said. “There is camaraderie, banter, the knowledge you can say anything you want and have a jolly good discussion about anything in a completely egalitarian atmosphere in which no one is trying to impress anyone else.”

But despite 50.5% of members voting to admit women, it failed, falling short of the two-thirds majority required.

And so the ban on female members remains.

Back to that list of members of the Garrick Club, which The Guardian claims to have obtained a copy of.

On it are numerous members of the Government, including the deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden (Con, Hertsmere), secretary of state for levelling up, housing and

communities, Michael Gove, and Jacob Rees-Mogg (Con, North East Somerset).

They sit alongside football manager Roy Hodgson, Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler and editor in chief of Daily Mail publisher DMG, Paul Dacre.

However, another name will jump out at Dorset residents – Simon Hoare.

The Conservative MP for North Dorset is on the list seen by The Guardian

Like cabinet secretary Simon Case, or head of MI6 Richard Moore, Mr Hoare has not, it appears, been vocal about his membership.

Despite repeated attempts by your New Blackmore Vale, Mr Hoare has not commented on the reports. However, his link with the Garrick Club was highlighted in a parliamentary debate, when Mr Rees-Mogg referred to the MP as “my fellow Garrick member”.

But is Garrick Club membership simply an oldfashioned in-joke among the privileged establishment, or is there more to it?

Harriet Harman (Lab, Camberwell and Peckham) brought forward the Equality Bill in 2010, which was later passed into law.

She said clubs like the Garrick “prop up structures that restrict women’s access to power”.

Under the 2010 Act, the club can’t actually prohibit women from using the facilities, but they are only ever invited as a guest. And that is rare.

During a meeting of a cross-party parliamentary committee after his membership was revealed, Simon Case –head of the 500,000-strong civil service – was asked about what that said about his role.

“Can you foster a genuine culture of inclusiveness while being a member of an all-male club like the Garrick?” asked

Jim Byrne (Lab, Birmingham Hodge Hill).

Mr Case claimed his membership motives were all for the greater good.

“I have to say my position on this one is also clear,” he said. “If you believe profoundly in reform of an institution, by and large it’s easier to do if you join it to make the change from within, rather than chuck rocks from the outside.”

That’s alright then. He only joined, in 2019, in a bid to help the righteous efforts to reform the Garrick Club and let women in.

“I think when you want to reform, you have to participate,” he added.

Partcipate? Yes. Join a male-only members’ club? Hmmmm…

Anyway, the defence didn’t last long, as it was reported a day later Mr Case had resigned his membership.

Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, a charity that campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights, told your New Blackmore Vale membership of the club was “at best careless and at worst arrogant”.

“You can only come in if a man gives you permission? What place is there for that in the 21st century?” she said.

“Because these clubs have existed historically and because

powerful people continue to be members of them, it almost makes it seem as if it’s normal to have this kind of discrimination. It isn’t acceptable.”

She added: “Why would you not want women there? What would having women there do that would be so harmful to the purposes of the club?

“You’ve got to look at what is the motivation for keeping women out. I can’t see anything other than sexism and misogyny at the root of that.

“All these senior professionals know that there is a problem where women, and in particular women of colour, are systematically disadvantaged and underrepresented.

“Theoretically, the organisations they work for are committed to challenging that. So to have senior influential people still indulging in the mechanisms that we know keep that system in place, does feel at best careless and at worst arrogant.”

Despite the protestations of Mr Case and the 50.5% who voted to allow female members in 2015, another old adage Garrick Club members might appreciate is that you can always vote with your feet.

Many of us outsiders would find that approach preferrable to accepting defeat and putting those feet up, nice though the chairs may be…

Simon Hoare, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Robert Buckland and Simon Case, who were all revealed to be members of the male-only Garrick Club in London

Closure of Lloyds Bank ‘Devastating blow’ says Dorset councillor

LLOYDS Bank in Sherborne is closing next year, it has been revealed.

The branch in Cheap Street will shut as customers favour online banking, the firm said, with 166 locations across the UK set to go.

Lloyds confirmed the branch will shut its doors on January 16, 2025.

Elsewhere in Dorset, a branch in Ashley Road, Poole, is also set to close, while in Somerset, banks in Wellington, Burnham on Sea, Nailsea and Portishead will go, while Halifax branches in New Milton, Hampshire, and in Bridgwater, Somerset, will go.

instead, which means they are using branches, including the Sherborne branch, much less.

A Lloyds Bank spokesperson said: “Before we close any branch, we look at how our customers are managing their money and using the branch.

“Most customers are now using our mobile app, internet banking or calling us

“This means we’ll be closing Sherborne branch.”

Reacting to the news, town and Dorset councillor Robin Legg (Lib Dem, Sherborne Rural) said it was a “devastating blow” to the town, including businesses.

“It will also hit hard the elderly not comfortable with internet banking,” he said.

The branch will be replaced by a banking ‘hub’, Lloyds said, manned one day each week by staff from major banks.

But Cllr Legg said this did not replace the current operation and that access to a cash point will only be “well away from the town centre and its shops”.

“Liberal Democrats may not be able to stop the closure but we will campaign for a dedicated hub presence in Cheap Street with access to a cash point and not a desk poked into the corner of the already busy Post Office,” he added.

“The buildings once occupied by HSBC, Natwest and Barclays all remain unoccupied and would provide ideal accommodation for a smaller but dedicated banking hub in the town.”

Lloyds Bank, in Cheap Street, Sherborne, will close next year

PHOTO: Google

Time for a chat?

THE Chitter Chatter Club, which combats loneliness among people of all ages, is coming to Wimborne next weekend.

The Magna Care Centre (BH21 3BQ) will host the Club meetings from 10am-12 on the first and third Saturday of the month, starting April 6.

Chitter Chatter Club founder Anne Anderson has dealt with feelings of loneliness herself. She believes sharing stories in good company is a natural cure.

Anne has been inviting anyone struggling with loneliness to join the Chitter Chatter tables for two years now. She has witnessed over 8,000 attendees transforming their lives.

“Being lonely can be just as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” says Anne. “It can lead to heart issues, mental health struggles, obesity, high blood pressure, and even strokes. Loneliness can also cloud your judgment and lead to poor decision-making. As social beings, we thrive when we are surrounded by others, feeling a sense of belonging, and finding joy in life.”

Neighbours and newcomers who are experiencing loneliness are invited to join The Chitter Chatter Club for a cup of tea, cake, and the chance to meet both residents and fellow visitors.

Anne and her team of volunteers are thrilled to foster unity within communities at their Clubs. Anne says she often leaves feeling empowered and resilient, as the residents share incredible stories of resilience and perseverance. Find out more at www.thechitterchatterclub.co.uk or contact Anne thechitterchatterclub@gmail.com

Easter adventures

FOLLOW a National Trust Easter trail to pick up some tasty rewards this bank holiday.

Designed with families in mind each National Trust Easter trail features activity stations, showcasing the cheery signs of spring, from bursting buds, daffodils in bloom to frolicking lambs and spring birdsong.

And of course, every trail ends with a chocolate egg or a vegan ‘Free-From’ chocolate egg, made here in the UK using cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

National Trust Easter egg trails cost £3 per child, plus normal National Trust admission/free entry for National Trust members.

Family Law Advice

Family Law Advice

Stourhead

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/stourhead

March 23 to April 14, 9am-3pm

Enjoy family fun at Stourhead (pictured) this Easter with egg-citing Easter-themed activities as you adventure your way around on this colourful trail.

We realise talking about divorce or separation is very personal and so we are offering virtual appointments by Zoom. As an alternative, we offer a one off FREE telephone appointment for initial advice on Wednesdays 9am – 1pm

We realise talking about divorce or separation is very personal and so we are offering appointments at our offices. For new clients seeking initial advice a FREE appointment can be booked on Wednesdays 9am – 1pm.

To book an appointment please call us on 01747 852377

To book an appointment please call us on 01747 852377

Offices in Shaftesbury – Sturminster Newton – Gillingham

Hardy Monument

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/hardy-monument

March 29 to April 1, 10am-3pm

Make your way along the trail and find nature-inspired activities with an Admiral Hardy twist. Explore the beautiful scenery of Hardy Monument and learn more about the incredible man in whose memory the Monument was created. There is also a brass rubbing trail, and if you have energy to spare, you can climb the 120 steps to the top of the Monument. The area can be quite exposed and could be very muddy underfoot if the weather is wet so please dress accordingly.

Newton)

Age Concer n North Dorset (Sturminster

Your local charity for all age-related information and advice

Befriending Welfare Advice

Balance Classes

Kingston Lacy

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/kingston-lacy

March 28 to April 14, 10am-3pm

01258

475582

Office open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

9.30 - 2.30. Answerphone Thursdays & Fridays

Telephone Support Foot Clinic info@acnorthdorset.org.uk | www.acnorthdorset.org.uk

Head for the Easter festival field to find playful activities that will engage the whole family. With 10 different activities to try and no time limit on how long you spend in the festival field, you can go back again and again to your favourites or challenge your friends and family for an Easter competition. From a classic egg and spoon obstacle course to find your way through a giant web, there’s plenty to keep every bunny entertained through Easter and beyond. If you have access needs, ask for a special ‘I spy’ sensory bingo that can be enjoyed anywhere.

©National Trust Images/James Dobson

blackmorevale.net

Steam crews coin in the cash for Air Ambulance

STEAM engine owners and their crews from north Dorset have presented more than £12,000 to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance at its base in Henstridge.

The informal group of friends are based around Blandford and attended events all over Dorset to raise the money. One of the group, Paul Ritchie, also ran 200km in September, raising £3,000.

Charity shops targeted in acts of vandalism

THREE shops in Gillingham had windows and doors smashed – but it appears nothing was stolen.

The incidents happened at stores in the High Street and Station Road overnight between March 19 and 20.

Dorset Police said the premises involved were the Weldmar and Scope charity shops in the High Street and The Original Factory Shop, in Station Road.

“On each occasion it was reported that windows were smashed and entry was gained but it is not believed anything was stolen,” a spokesperson said.

A 21-year-old man from Shaftesbury has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, they added.

He has been released on police bail as further enquiries are carried out.

His 18-year-old nephew was killed in a road accident in 2022 and the air ambulance response team were first on the scene. Last year’s activities, which made £12,070.87, were in his memory.

Paul, representing the fundraisers, said: “We have been overwhelmed with the support from everyone and intend to again make the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance our charity of choice this year.”

The hunt is on for alien invaders

by Robbie Baird, North Dorset Beekeepers

I’M writing this at the beginning of March on a sunny afternoon – yes, one of the very few we’ve had lately. It’s been a long, mild, and pretty wet February which has kept the honey bees inside their hives, but today, they’re making the most of the sunshine. It was cold and foggy this morning, so they were late to get going, but now they’re queuing up at the hive entrances, bringing pollen back from the early spring flowers. For beekeepers, that’s a sign that the queen is being encouraged to lay eggs, and the first of the new season’s workers will start to arrive in about three weeks’ time.

It’s an exciting time as new life signals the start of another season. But this year, we’re on our guard as never before. There’s a new threat – the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) – and it’s a threat not just to the honey bee, but to a whole range of our native insects. It’s a voracious predator. Our insects do much of the pollination of our native plants, and they’re also the foundation food for many birds and animals – think how often you’ll have seen a blue tit with its beak full of insects, food for the chicks back at the nest. All of that is under threat.

The Asian hornet is thought to have arrived in southern France in a shipment of pottery, took up residence there, and has now spread across much of Continental Europe with devastating consequences. As temperatures continue to rise, it has marched steadily northwards. One or two have appeared on our shores over the years – they probably hitched a lift on one of the cross-Channel ferries, maybe in someone’s car, or they found themselves blown across the water. Either way, their presence here threatens our biodiversity as never before.

Last year, the National Bee Unit (working with Defra – the UK’s Department for Food and Rural Affairs) managed to track down and destroy 72 nests in 56 locations, mostly around Southern England. That’s up from less than a dozen in previous years, and how many did we miss?! How many mated queens will have survived our mild winter to start again right about now?

Beekeepers and Defra fear this year’s numbers could easily exceed last year by a long way, and the fight is on. The Channel Islands have already lost the battle to keep them at bay and are now having to do what they can to manage the consequences of living alongside Vespa velutina

Local beekeepers are doing everything they can to find these invaders, setting traps and reporting sightings, and then helping the National Bee Unit find and destroy any nests. But it’s a big task and there is so much ground to cover. We really need everyone to become part of this effort.

So, what can you do?

Well, first and foremost, download the Asian Hornet Watch app to your mobile phone. You’ll find it in Apple and Android app stores. Look at the photographs with this article and on the app. You’ll be able to tell the difference between the Asian hornet

A walk around…

Glanvilles Wootton

Soak up the scenery as you walk with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade

PARK near the war memorial and the village sign, which has a coat of arms, presumably of the Glanvilles family. Walk eastward up a lane to the church, which was closed when I visited but I noticed some interesting graves.

Join a bridleway that takes you south to meet a road, Park Lane. Turn right and head west north west to a junction where you turn left, south, to Court Farm where there’s a right turn, west. After 100 yards it curves left, south south west to a stream which forms the parish boundary. Join a footpath which leads you north east across a

and one of our European hornets or other insects. The Asian hornet is generally smaller than our own hornets and they have yellow legs and that distinctive yellow/ orange fourth segment on their otherwise dark abdomen. If you take a picture and submit it for identification right away via the app, the location will be added automatically, and that’s already a great help for those who will arrive to find the nest (without a smartphone, you can still log a sighting at www.bit.ly/asianhornetreport). If you think you have found a nest, please do not disturb it – they sting, and they will defend themselves. Sending your picture for identification is already a big help.

The world of insects is infinitely fascinating and if this article has made you think you’d like to know a bit more, how about coming along for a Bees & Beekeeping Experience this summer with North Dorset Beekeepers? They’re fun afternoons and you’ll find out a lot about the Honey Bee, including the chance to explore inside a hive, opening it up with your experienced tutor. For more information and to book your place, please go to www.tickettailor.com/events/ northdorsetbka. You can follow us on Facebook too (search NDBKA).

couple of fields. The path can be rather muddy if the weather’s been wet so make sure you’re properly shod.

The path meets the road where you turn left and head north, passing your car, then forking left, north west, for a mile to Osehill Farm. Take a footpath leading east across a field to cross the Caundle Brook then north east across several fields to Round Chimneys Farm. Join a road that takes you east to a junction at Gog and Magog. Wikipedia will explain why it’s called that!

Then turn right and follow the road along Stock Hill Lane. This takes you south then south west through the village and back to your car.

You’ll have walked about six miles.

Mike

Romans, Celts and home-made cake

FIGHT with the Celts and march with the Romans at the Ancient Technology Centre in Cranborne this March.

The Centre (BH21 5RP ) is hosting two pre-history days on March 30 and 31, from 10am to 4pm.

Living history enthusiasts will be helping our ancestors appear from the mists of time, preparing food in a Celtic round house, making nails in a Roman forge, sheltering in a Saxon Grubbenhause and sitting around a fire in a Viking longhouse.

The Vicus historical reenactment group will be at home in their encampment, giving talks and combat displays.

Visitors can help move a

monolith, sample historic crafts from the Ancient Wessex Network and have a go on a Roman water wheel.

Tea and home-made cakes will be available in the Viking long house, and burgers will be on the barbecue, served by the redoubtable Ladies of the WI.

For more details visit www. ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk

Adults £10, Children £5, under-4s free.

Tickets available on the gate.

Free parking.

Dorchester walking festival coming soon

THE beauty and heritage of Dorset will be showcased in the Dorchester Walking Festival being held in May.

The event, staged during National Walking Month, promises walks suitable for all abilities.

Matilda Manley, tourism development officer, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the 2024 Dorchester Walking Festival, offering residents and visitors alike the chance to explore our stunning region on foot.

“With 50 guided and self-guided walks to choose from, as well as our exciting 50-Mile Challenge, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

“We look forward to welcoming all ages and abilities to join us for a week of adventure and discovery.”

Among the 50 featured walks are: In the Trail of Thomas Hardy, Iron Age Forts, Family Scavenger Hunts, Exploring Coastal Paths, In the Footsteps of the Romans, the Big Dorset Picnic Walk and family scavenger hunt walks.

In addition to the walks, the festival is collaborating with accommodation, cafes, producers and restaurants to ensure participants have a memorable “foodie” experience.

The Dorchester Walking Festival runs from Saturday, May 11, to Sunday, May 19.

For more information and to register for the festival, visit www.discoverdorchester.co.uk/whats-on/dorchester-walkingfestival

Over 25,000 di erent outdoor plant pots

Bring the outdoors in with the largest range from Daro indoor cane furniture with more than 70 oor models on display. Various UK made cushions inc. Laura Ashley fabrics and replacement cushions.

WEEKLY DELIVERIES OVER 400 OLIVE TREES, PALMS, SPIKEYS, VARIOUS SIZES. DIRECT FROM OVER 12 NURSERIES ACROSS, ITALY, SPAIN AND HOLLAND

ALL READY FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY Compost Paving Aggregates Heaters Wooden Benches Arbours Gazebos Parasols Hammocks Loungers

Cream tea for church funds

BBC South presenter and reporter Jon Cuthill will be giving a talk at St Mary’s Church, Charminster, next month for church funds.

Jon has spent 30 years at the BBC, starting in Dorchester with BBC Dorset FM. He has worked for Radio Solent, presented BBC’s Inside Out South for 10 years and fronted Panorama

Afternoon Tea with Jon Cuthill is on Saturday, April 13, at 4pm. Book your ticket in advance for £10 from 07795 347408, 07818 508011 and 01305 213403.

See historic mill in action

VISITORS to Sturminster Newton Mill next month can enjoy A Grain to Flour day, offering the chance to see the processes involved more closely.

Visitors will have the opportunity to start the turbine, hoist the grain to the bin loft, feed it down to the winnower and channel the cleaned grain into the mill stones.

The cleaning, dressing and adjusting of the mill stones will be explained.

Miller Peter Loosmore will also talk about the history of the building, past millers and millrelated events.

Sturminster Newton Mill stands in an idyllic, peaceful environment on the banks of the River Stour.

It is a Grade II*-listed building, parts of which are nearly 500 years old, with a history dating back at least 1,000 years.

Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust manages the mill and museum with a group of enthusiastic volunteers.

Peter Loosmore has been at the mill 30 years, following in the steps of his grandfather, running and maintaining the machinery, milling the flour and guiding visitors.

Now the trustees are looking for trainee millers

to share these roles.

The trust is also looking for guides to show visitors around the building. These part-time, flexible roles will be paid positions.

More information about these roles is available from zillabears@hotmail.co.uk, Peter Loosmore on 01747 854355 and the website, www. sturminsternewton-museum.co.uk.

The mill is open four days a week from the end of March until the end of September and the Grain to Flour event is on Sunday, April 21.

Sturminster Newton Mill

PHOTO: Google

Pick of the pops

SHERBORNE has been named the best place to live in the south west.

The town came out top in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

Judges from the Sunday Times praised the “busy high street” and “high-class” education on offer in a “community-centred, cultured town”.

“Sherborne is handsome and historic, but it’s the friendly, energetic population that really makes it stand out,” they added.

“There are more than 200 community groups covering every conceivable interest, while the opening of Sherborne House as a high-end arts and community centre later this

spring will add extra cachet to a town that already has a perceptible spring in its step.”

The Vale’s Tisbury also made the Best Places to Live list, which described it as “well heeled and well connected”, offering “country living at its most aspirational”.

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024.”

The Sunday Times’ judges visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

Doctors order us to take more exercise

GET active and move more.

That is the advice from staff at Gillingham Surgery, who know how important it is to be physically active.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) were so impressed by the commitment of staff to move more and encourage their patients to do the same that the surgery can now call itself an Active Practice – the only practice in north Dorset with the accolade.

The surgery hammers home the advice that being physically active reduces the onset of long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart conditions and high blood pressure.

Dr Kathryn Mounde, clinical director, said: “We are delighted to be nominated as an Active Practice which supports our staff and patients to become more active.”

RiversMeet – the community-owned leisure centre – hosts a variety of exercise classes and activities for all and has teamed up with Gillingham Medical Practice to offer special membership to those looking to boost their health.

The centre has developed a Doctors Referral Scheme – a low-cost membership to access exercises classes, the gym and swimming pool.

Those who take up the membership will be given an induction programme and regular support.

Lynsey Pledger, fitness manager and GP referral coordinator at RiversMeet, said: “We love to welcome patients into the centre on the GP referral scheme and to see the improvement that regular exercise can make to their wellbeing.”

If you are interested in a doctor’s referral, speak to the social prescribing team at Gillingham Medical Practice on 01747 834337, or email gillingham.socialprescribing@nhs. net.

Dorchester group makes Climate Count

A NEW group in Dorchester is calling for more volunteers to help make climate count at the next general election.

The group, which isn’t affiliated to any one political party, is part of a national campaign called Project Climate Vote, which has been initiated by Greenpeace in advance of this year’s general and local elections.

Group member Ruth Hayes said, “We are frustrated that the present government is not taking climate change seriously enough. We want to make sure that the next government – of whatever political stripe – understands that over 80% of the electorate want climate change to receive the attention it deserves.”

The group visits voters to ask if they will put climate change and the environment as one of their top priorities when they are

deciding who to vote for.

Local group organiser, Philip Browne, said, “The next general election will be the most important in my 50 years of voting. We are sleepwalking towards disastrous climate change so it’s essential we elect politicians who are awake to the danger and prepared to take tough decisions. If we squander another five years, our children and grandchildren will hold us all accountable.”

Dorchester’s Climate Vote canvassers are not all environmental activists or members of Greenpeace. “We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer with us,” says Philip Browne. “Speaking to members of the public on their doorstep is not as daunting

as you might think. Most people are very supportive. Our canvassers receive training from Greenpeace and always work in pairs.”

Further information about the campaign can be found at www.greenpeace.org.uk/ take-action/project-climate-vote. Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to text Philip Browne on 07732 116605.

Cullingford Carpets branded rogue trader

A WINCANTON carpet retailer has been accused of being a “rotten apple” amid bombshell claims made by a trade body after it went out of business.

The Carpet Foundation –which represents retailers across the country – has made shocking claims with “moral and ethical issues” by Cullingford Carpets, based in Wincanton.

It says the firm had carried out a “blatant abuse” of a scheme to protect customer deposits – taking orders and money from customers but often not ordering any goods, as it knew it was insolvent.

In October last year, Cullingford revealed it had made the “difficult decision” to close the “retail side” of the business, citing the fact “Mr Cullingford” could no longer work.

The company is now listed as being in administration, with Sharon Cullingford – former mayor of Gillingham and a town councillor – and Stewart Cullingford listed as directors.

Now, in a letter to customers affected by the closure and seen by your New Blackmore Vale, the Carpet Foundation has said it will not be honouring orders from the “rogue trader” under its deposit protection programme – which guaranteed it would complete orders where customers had paid a 50% deposit.

It said Cullingford had not fulfilled its duties under the foundation’s Consumer Code of Practice, voiding the guarantee.

The letter said it had taken legal advice and consulted with Cullingford’s administrators.

“The foundation is advised that the actions and defaults of Cullingford Carpets, and their breaches of their obligations pursuant to the foundation’s Code of Practice, render the Deposit Protection Scheme in favour of Cullingford Carpets void.”

It added: “I regret to advise that the deposit protection will not apply in the case of orders placed with Cullingford Carpets.”

An email to members of the foundation added: “While there are moral and ethical issues, we

fervently do not believe that the Carpet Foundation should be held accountable for the blatant abuse of the scheme by one of our retail members, nor should the malpractice of one retailer threaten the viability of the Carpet Foundation.

“The money entrusted to us by you, our law-abiding retail members, should not be spent on making good the foul play of one rotten apple.”

Cullingford Carpets and administrator Antony Batty & Company have been contacted for comment.

Charity car wash

PHOTO: George Jeans

FIREFIGHTERS in Mere – Kelly Gasson on wheels, Steve Pester on “smiles”, Ben Avery on boot and assistant chief Andy Cole on brush – take part in a charity car wash.

The event at Mere fire station raised money for the firefighters.

Community readies for giant festival

THE Cerne Giant Festival, held in and around Cerne Abbas and getting under way next month, promises three weeks of walks, talks and workshops for visitors to connect with the landscape and cultural roots of Dorset.

Highlights of the event include Michael McCarthy, an author and journalist, and former environment editor at The Independent newspaper, speaking on ‘What if the Swallows Didn’t Come Back?’

Dr Helen Gittos, a locally born Oxford academic, will present ‘The Giant in a Sacred Landscape’. She has made exciting new discoveries about the Cerne Giant in the wake of the figure being dated to about 900AD.

Dorset Wildlife Trust is giving a talk and running a practical workshop about how the small things people do in their gardens to make them more wildlife-friendly help pollinators and insect predators to thrive.

The Cerne Giant Festival was born out of the local community’s May Day tradition, when Morris dancers and villagers gather at dawn on the landmark.

They salute the sunrise and celebrate the coming of summer with a traditional barrel of Beltane Beer.

The festival, which began in 2017, runs from Saturday, April 13, to Monday, May 6.

Any profits will go towards maintaining the fabric and work of the churches in the participating villages.

For more information on festival events visit www. facebook.com/CerneGiantFestival and www.eventbrite.co. uk/o/cerne-giant-festival-17087814217

Festival programmes will be available in CerneVillage Stores and venues in villages around Cerne Abbas from early April.

Town crier tribute

THE great and the good of town criers in Dorset gathered to bid a fond farewell to a legend of the scene.

On March 16, the Town Criers of Dorset gathered in the county town to honour retiring Dorchester crier – and current mayor –Alistair Chisholm. The attending criers were tasked with delivering a cry under the title ‘Alistair Chisholm’.

“Alistair is held in high regard by his compatriots and is without doubt the most successful town crier in competitions around the country and further afield, as well as being a supportive and inspiring friend to all,” a spokesperson for the group said.

The resulting cries were rich, informative and very funny, covering Mr Chisholm’s adventures and many amusing moments.

“The escapade mentioned the most was the time Alistair delivered a cry upon Studland nudist beach with just his tricorn, scroll and bell to protect his modesty,” the spokesperson said.

“However it was abundantly clear from all the cries that the Dorset Criers hold a lot of love for Alistair and his partner, Kate.”

The best cry was judged to be the one delivered by Liz Rawlings, of Blandford Forum.

Dorset’s town criers gathered to pay tribute to retiring Alistair Chisholm Picture: Hannah Fleming-Hill

Town celebrates sustainability win

THE efforts of townsfolk and local businesses in making Sherborne more sustainable have been recognised with a prestigious award.

The town was presented with the Sustainability award in the Visa and British Retail Consortium’s Let’s Celebrate Town Awards in a ceremony held at the House of Lords in London.

Sherborne will receive £15,000 to put towards a community project or initiative. Help will also be made available to the town to upskill small and medium enterprises and connect small businesses to experts for advice and support.

Steve Shield, Sherborne town clerk, said: “Winning the Let’s Celebrate Town’s Sustainability award is a great achievement for Sherborne and huge recognition for the effort local people and businesses make towards sustainability within the town.

“The financial investment and support will go a long way in helping to realise our town’s ambitions of building a sustainable future for future generations.”

The town council would like to thank all the businesses and organisations in the town that contributed to the submitted award entry.

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How a Living Trust protects your estate:

1. Care Costs: Placing your main home into a living trust can ring fence the property from any potential future care costs. Thus, protecting your inheritance.

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By transferring ownership of your home and other assets to a living trust, can help protect them from creditors, divorce & remarriage, and other potential claims, including care costs.

3. Inheritance Tax Planning:

A living trust can be part of an estate planning strategy to minimize inheritance tax liability. By placing assets into a trust, they can be excluded from your taxable estate upon your passing, potentially reducing the amount of inheritance tax your beneficiaries would owe.

4. Revocable Nature: One of the advantages of a living trust is that it is revocable, meaning you can make changes to the trust or even revoke it entirely during your lifetime. This flexibility allows you to adapt to changing circumstances or wishes.

5. Trust Administration: When you establish a living trust, you typically designate yourself as the trustee, thus maintaining control over the assets and allowing you to continue using and managing them as you did before. Should you move home the trust stays in place and protects your new residence. The effectiveness of a living trust in achieving your specific goals will depend on your individual circumstances. Oakwood Wills offer a free consultation in the privacy of our own home.

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Our loose Canon

We cannot know the joy of the Empty Tomb without the darkness of the crucifixion

by Canon Eric Woods

HUMAN

beings

instinctively use signs rather than words at the most important points in life. Say it with flowers, the old slogan goes – and we still turn to flowers to speak for us: happy birthday, I love you, get well soon, congratulations, I’m sorry. Think of the flowers that pile up wherever there is a road accident, or a terrible incident such as a stabbing. The flowers do not contain the love and sorrow they symbolise, but they are potent signs of it.

Holy Week, Good Friday (today) and Easter are full of signs – which by their very nature are ambiguous. Just as that bunch of flowers can stand for so many different emotions, so can the signs Christians use to express their feelings, their hopes and their faith.

Above all, Easter itself is a sign. No-one saw an event called the resurrection. No-one knows what it was like for Jesus to be raised from the dead. These are God’s secrets. What we have in the New Testament is evidence about the various ways in which people reacted to encountering the living Christ whom they had thought both dead and buried.

The disciples have sometimes been accused of wishful thinking, of imagining that Jesus was not dead and then beginning to believe

it. That’s daft. But how much more difficult it must have been for St Paul – or Saul as he was then – to make sense of his encounter with the man whom he not only believed to be dead but wanted to remain dead. Paul was an enemy of this new Christian faith. The last thing he wanted was to meet the risen Christ on the Damascus Road. But meet him he did.

We have to hold crucifixion and resurrection –Good Friday and Easter – in creative tension. We live by the resurrection, yes, and that brings us comfort, hope and joy. But the crucifixion demands a constant re-entry into those dark areas of life which still cause great suffering to so many. This is not easy. It costs. But always, always, we need to remember that we cannot know the joy of the Empty Tomb except by way of the Cross.

Here is a carol for Good Friday and Easter written by Pamela Egan, to be sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Try singing it yourself:

On the day of Good Friday, my true love gave to me His own self upon a bare tree.

On the Saturday that followed, my true love gave to me rest after pain and his own self upon a bare tree.

On the first day of Easter, my true love gave to me Life, new life – rest after pain and his own self upon a bare tree.

All the days after Easter my true love gives to me Grace for my living, Joy in my giving, Comfort in sorrow, Strength for tomorrow, Love without end – His risen light, Life, new life, Rest after pain and his own self upon a bare tree.

Photo by James on Unsplash blackmorevale.net

The importance of an inhouse bakery to the village shop

There can be few more memorable smells than the scent of freshly baked bread floating on the early morning air. The residents of Child Okeford wake up to this toasty aroma three hundred and sixty-three days of the year, and its source is the bakery inside the village shop.

Each morning the shop bakes an array of bread; granary cobs, white bloomers, organics, French sticks, croissants, pain au chocolates’,

and a selection of Danish pastries. After about an hour or so they begin to bake the giant sausage rolls, several different kinds of pasty, bacon and cheese turnovers and vegetarian and stake bakes.

On the weekday mornings it is mostly the workmen who queue up first thing to buy a fresh cup of coffee and a sausage roll or a pasty, then the regular customers come in for the bread and croissants, followed by more workmen at lunchtime.

At the weekends there is a lively trade in croissants and Danish pastries as the residents of Child Okeford set about a leisurely breakfast, and then in the afternoons the cyclists and hill walkers come by to fill up on some much-needed sustenance. This means that the bakery is busy seven days a week.

Behind it all are long standing bakers Sheila and Mary, whose dedication keeps the bakery alive.

A fun fact is that if you consider that they bake an average of 30 sausage rolls a day, and they have over 25 years of baking experience between them, this adds up to bit more than 270,000 sausage rolls. That is 34 miles of sausage roll- enough when put end to end to build a continuous path from Child Okeford to Salisbury.

helps to feed the hungry residents and visitors to Child Okeford, an inhouse bakery is also vital to the character of the shop: ‘The bakery is an integral part of the shop, and the customers can see the baking in progress. The constant activity brings an energy to this part of the shop, and it becomes quite a social hub, especially in the mornings” says Andrew Stevenson-Hamilton, the owner of the shop.

There is no doubt that the banter around the bakery is as fresh as the bread itself.

The bakery has played its part in helping the Child Okeford Village shop reach the final of the 2024 Countryside Alliance Village Shop Awards. Why not come and see it for yourself, it could even be worth a trip from Salisbury.

Although the smell of the bakery entices customers in and what comes out the oven

Music in the round

JAMINAROUND festival of music and art is celebrating 20 years at the unique and inspiring Earthouse at the Ancient Technology Centre.

The music event began as a way to draw together audience performers in an intimate moment, harnessing the resonant energy of the circular space to honour the magic of musical artistry.

Shortly after the completion of the Earthouse, in 2004, Jaminaround began bringing together world-renowned artists, musicians, bands, storytellers and choirs. Previous performers to grace the Earthouse’s unique stage include Lianne La Havas, Balimaya Project, Alabaster DePlume, Melt Yourself Down, Dave Okumu, Mellah, Anita Daulne (Zap Mama), Kakatsitsi Master Drummers, Soothsayers, Sam Lee, Kadialy Kouyate, Eska and storytellers Jan Blake, Hugh Lupton and Claire Murphy.

“The core mission of this event was born out of respect and love for the uniquely inspiring Earthouse building,” says Jaminaround founder Olly Keen. “It’s a re-imagined iron-age roundhouse, a 250-capacity indoor amphitheatre held up by 21 enormous tree trunks, purpose-built for performances. The Ancient Technology Centre was founded by my father in 1986.”

What began as an annual event has grown into a summer-long

varied program of festivals and concerts. This year, that includes a summer residential music course (August 12-17) with workshops and masterclasses exploring music practice, the nature of creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Organisers are now building up to an event on May 25-26, celebrating the festival’s 20-year anniversary.

For more information and tickets, visit www.jaminaround.com

Gorgeous gardens open for spring

AS gardeners across the country look forward to longer days and warmer weather, Dorset Open Gardens invites visitors to help raise money for charity as part of the National Garden Scheme.

Check www.ngs.org.uk for the most up-to-date details about opening times.

The Potting Shed

Middlemarsh, Sherborne DT9 5QN

The Potting Shed opened its doors in April 2023. This two-acre wellbeing nursery, and therapy garden is designed to enhance relaxation and tranquillity.

The community garden has been planted organically to encourage all forms of

wildlife. There is an acre of wildflower meadow, plant nursery and tea garden to explore. The café is towards the back of the garden and overlooks the wildflower meadow.

Open Saturday, May 18 (10am-4pm), £4.50, children free.

Wincombe Park

Shaftesbury, SP7 9AB

Extensive mature gardens with sweeping panoramic views over parkland to a lake and enchanting woods through which you can wander among the bluebells. The garden is a riot of colour in spring with

azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons in flower among shrubs and unusual trees. Beautiful walled kitchen garden. Has been opening for NGS for 30 years now.

Open Sunday, May 12, and Wednesday, May 15 (2pm-5pm), £8, children free.

The Old Vicarage

East Orchard, Shaftesbury SP7 0BA

Hundreds of different snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips and many other bulbs and winter flowering shrubs. A stream meanders down to a pond and there are lovely reflections in the swimming pond, the first to be built in Dorset. The new acre has been planted with several unusual trees. Wildlife garden, pond dipping, swing and other children’s attractions.

Open Friday, April 26, and Sunday, April 28, (2pm-5pm), £5, children free. Visits also by arrangement from January 2 to December 3.

Lifesaving skills

PUPILS at Mere School have been learning how to save lives in emergency situations with the help of a team from Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

They learnt everything from how to make a 999 call to techniques such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

They also practised emergency procedures including the recovery position and aiding someone who is choking, with the aid of mannequins.

The children also learnt about controlling bleeding, treating burns and managing head injuries.

DON’T MISS DORSET’S FIRST COUNTRYSIDE SHOW OF THE RURAL YEAR

Put a spring in your step at Dorset’s first countryside show in the rural calendar.

The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Spring Countryside Show opens its gates at Turnpike Showground, Motcombe on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April.

Both days are jam-packed with new attractions, entertainment, workshops and delicious Dorset food and drink. The focus of this new-look show is very much on family with free entry for children up to the age of 16. Adult early bird tickets are just £14 until 14th April.

Unforgettable countryside experiences come to life with a chance to meet heavy horse giants and see them in action. There’s also hilarious pig racing, the Lamb National, spectacular sheepdog demonstrations and free tractor rides.

Bringing comedy capers to the main ring is stunt clown Dingle Fingle with his crazy antics. Make sure you duck to miss the water canon!

Adventure meets nature as a host of renowned gardening experts offer top tips - from plastic-free gardening to ideas for junior greenfingers.

Keen crafters will love the Hands-On marquee with a chance to try felting, willow weaving and flower crown making.

Church tent plans for summer show

THE Church Tent will be back at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show this summer serving up tea, coffee and cake, with all profits going to charity.

The marquee is run by the Church of England in Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Stour Vale, and the money raised goes to a good cause rooted in the local community.

Profits from last year went to the Student Support Fund founded by the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show in 2020.

Matthew Price, chair of the Student Support Fund, is pictured accepting a cheque for £750 from Jo Churchill, administrator of the Church Tent (centre), and stalwart volunteer Philippa Forrest.

The Ouessant sheep, a rare heritage breed and the smallest

sheep in the world, will be at the Spring Countryside Show on the Turnpike Showground near Motcombe on Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21.

The Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show is on Wednesday and Thursday, August 14-15.

Lara Honer, gardening for kids expert.

Luxury residential care

What is a respite stay?

A respite stay offers a temporary, supportive environment for both caregivers needing a rest and individuals requiring care. It’s designed to provide residents with a peaceful and nurturing change of scenery, just like a well-needed holiday, while giving caregivers an important pause from their responsibilities.

For those needing care, respite stays provide a refreshing change of pace from their daily routine. These breaks offer them the chance to interact with new faces, engage in different activities/outings, and enjoy a variety of experiences that might not be available in their usual setting. Such changes can stimulate their minds, uplift their spirits, and enhance their overall well-being. Additionally, respite care can offer a preview of the

care home experience, easing transitions should full-time care become necessary in the future. Our charming light and airy ensuite bedrooms offer total comfort, and our beautifully appointed communal areas are the heart of our homes. Here, guests can engage in social interactions or simply enjoy the elegant and comfortable surroundings. These spaces are perfect for relaxing with a book, engaging in like-minded conversation, or participating in any of our planned social activities. Furthermore, our safe,

beautifully landscaped walled gardens that are now springing into life allow residents to take some gentle exercise and a breath of fresh air.

We recognise the joy that good food brings, and we provide delicious homecooked meals. Dining with us is always an anticipated event, where residents can savour nutritious and flavourful dishes in the company of others, making mealtimes a delightful experience. For a small charge, residents are also welcome to invite guests to join them for lunch or dinner.

Respite stays not only support the physical and emotional wellbeing of the person receiving care but also allows caregivers to recharge, knowing their loved one is in our safe and caring hands.

Please do get in touch to find out more.

Rescued library is thriving 5 years on

THE library at Somerton will celebrate five years as a Community Library Partnership next Saturday (April 6).

The library is offering a range of activities for younger and older visitors between 10am and 1pm, as well as refreshments.

Members of Somerton Town Council and the Somerset Library Service, and local MP Sarah Dyke, have been invited to attend.

Over the last five years, the library’s community activities have expanded and now include Story Time every Thursday morning, Knit and Natter sessions, craft events and the King Ina School Library Club.

RSPCA-sponsored events, a monthly Lego club, ad hoc mindfulness classes, a monthly changing treasure hunt and digital drop-in sessions on Thursdays are also held.

The library is also a venue for ‘Tuning into Kids Emotion’ coaching courses.

At no cost, it lends blood pressure monitors and will book a thermal imaging camera for individuals to identify thermal leakage hotspots in their properties.

Two desktop computers and WiFi are

also available to members.

The traditional library services of book and audio book loans form the core of daily operations, alongside a home library service and support of local book clubs.

Over the last five years the library has had to get through the Covid pandemic and extremes of hot and cold weather.

The cost of utilities has soared and wage expenses for staff hired from the county council have risen by more than 25%.

However, the library has installed energy efficient LED lighting, enhanced loft insulation and will soon mount reversible fans to improve the circulation of air in hot and cold conditions.

A ‘warm space’ seating area is also available for use by the community.

The library now boasts solar panels and two digital noticeboards as well as a comprehensive website at www. somertonlibrary.com.

Somerton Library Trust was formed in 2019 after Somerset County Council said it would no longer fund the operation of 15 libraries in the county, including Somerton.

Now the library is open for 21 hours a week over five days staffed by volunteers and a full-time professional librarian.

Somerton Library

PHOTO: Google

Mystery solved

A FORMER accountant has written a new series of books set in Dorset loosely inspired by 19th-century fossil hunter Mary Anning.

The Jurassic Jemma Mysteries feature fossil hunter ‘Jurassic’ Jemma Thorne and her dog Dino.

Mary Anning discovered and identified many of the first plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs.

The books, written by Derbyshire author John J Delaney, are set in a fictitious seaside town called Lulcombe.

John has been interested in fossils for many years and has always loved Dorset, so when he retired and started his first novel, A Dangerous Fossil, it was an easy choice to set it there.

Although it is set in a fictional seaside town, visitors to Lyme Regis and Charmouth may see some similarities.

and herself before a thrilling finale in a quarry near Axminster.

The first book sees Jemma discovers a huge, fossilised plesiosaur on a storm-tossed Dorset beach. She thinks the find will help to save her local museum, but some people have other ideas.

The find leads to a trail of jealousy, greed, theft and murder. Jemma has to fight to protect her family, her friends

The second book in the series is Jurassic Jemma and the Mysteries of Time, which starts on the Isle of Wight with the discovery of a Spinosaurus but soon returns to Dorset where Jemma ends up a suspect following the murder of a university colleague before fighting for her life on the beach.

John has started work on the third book, Jurassic Jemma and the Trail of Tears, which returns to the cliffs of Lulcombe.

John retired in 2020 after

being a chartered accountant for 40 years.

He started writing in 1999 when he had a plot accepted for a boxed murder mystery party game. He wrote more than 30 murder mystery games.

He has also written three musicals and an opera, an aria from which reached number one on the iTunes classical chart.

A Dangerous Fossil is available at locations around Dorset including Charmouth Heritage Centre, Lyme Regis Museum and Lyme Regis Fossils. It is also available from Amazon.

Looking for a new bed?

Why not come and look at the huge range of beds and mattresses we have in stock. Ready to take away or free delivery in the Blackmore Vale area.

Prices from £450 for a 4ft 6” Bed and Mattress set. Somdor house, Station Road, Gillingham, SP8 4QA 01747 822077

May fair: chance to show off rare breeds

ENTRIES are invited for the 2024 Rare and Traditional Breeds Show at Sherborne Castle Country Fair, on Bank Holiday Monday, May 27.

The Fair is a qualifying show for the National Pony Society, South West Pony Association, Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Society, Kune Kune Pig Society and Shetland Sheep Association, and will be hosting the English Goat Society Breed Show.

There are show classes for sheep, pigs, English goats, cattle, heavy horses and light horses and ponies.

Held in the grounds of Sherborne Castle in Dorset, this lakeside event highlights traditional rural skills, as well as those more modern.

The Fair was started by a small group of volunteers in

1996, with the aim of raising money for local charities, especially those working with children and young people. To date it is still run by volunteers and has raised over £1.3m for local charities and support groups.

The Fair is open from 9am to 5pm and car parking is free. Dogs are welcome.

The closing date for entries is May 3. Space is limited so please only book the pens you need and state on the form whether they are for stock or equipment.

Forms can be downloaded from the Sherborne Castle Country Fair website www.

sherbornecountryfair.com or from the Sherborne Rare Breeds Group Facebook page.

To find out more, call Ruth Summerley, show co-ordinator, on 01935 428405 or Rosemary Lovegrove, show secretary, on 01935 891415, or email dorset. rarebreeds@yahoo.co.uk

Stay safe

PERSONAL safety for youngsters will be the watchwords for two events held during the school Easter holidays at Shaftesbury Library.

A representative of the Dogs Trust will be holding a family workshop about staying safe around dogs and keeping dogs happy and healthy on Monday, April 8, at 11am.

And Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Safety Service will be holding a fire safety event with dressing up, colouring and craft activities on Thursday, April 11, at 11am.

Booking for both events is advised – via Eventbrite, by emailing

shaftesburylibrary@ dorsetcouncilgov.uk or calling 01747 8522565.

TedX inspires the change makers

YOUNG people from Dorset spoke on a variety of topics to a global audience in TEDx Shaftesbury Youth at the town’s arts centre.

The 14 speakers, all aged 18 or under, spoke on topics ranging from diversity in education to why everyone should learn sign language, and from the creativity crisis to why people should love bugs.

They came from secondary schools across Dorset including The Gryphon School in Sherborne, Shaftesbury School, Sturminster Newton High School, Sherborne Girls and Poole Grammar, and from across the UK.

Entrepreneur Fatimah Hussain flew in from San Francisco to host the event. She has started multiple successful business ventures in the US and has received the Gold Presidential Service Award from President Biden.

Event organiser Alex More says: “Ideas are the currency of the present and will shape the future. There are few things more inspiring than a bold idea, delivered by a great speaker.

“Our TEDx event is a day for curiosity,

for inspiration and for action. We hope the ideas shared will find new life in the hearts and minds of others.

“Good ideas can travel and the TEDx community is far-reaching. We hope that the talks will inspire change and encourage more children to take to a public platform in the future.”

The event was the second TEDx Shaftesbury Youth after the first in 2022 and was a sell-out.

It was livestreamed to global audiences on the day and the talks will be uploaded to the official TEDx website.

The audience heard Alex Tucker talk about why the history of Northern Ireland should be taught at GCSE history, and Leo Oxford on why everyone should learn about cryptocurrency.

Tom Massey, from The Gryphon School, gave a talk he called “The silent language we should all be learning”, about sign language.

Tom said after the event: “TEDx is a special journey, as you meet people from different schools and different countries to share things we are truly passionate about.

“If I could choose anything to take away with me as a main point, it’s that even if you are small, you can make a big change to the world around you.”

This year, TEDx Shaftesbury launched Lightning Talks, on a specific topic or idea delivered in a short, sharp, clear and entertaining manner, as an addition to the TEDx programme.

Speakers as young as 10 talked on topics including equality in girls football, the benefits of gaming, why space junk needs to be tackled and the positive effects of the pandemic.

Viking fashion

MEMBERS of Blandford WI learned about clothing from Viking times at their latest monthly meeting when Jennifer Heath, a tutor at the Ancient Technology Centre at Cranborne, was guest speaker.

Her husband Dwayne, a member of the Poole Viking Re-enactment Group, accompanied her.

Members learnt that many hours of labour were required to produce the simplest of garments and basic items of dress.

Jennifer showed a comprehensive display of the plants used to dye the most common fabrics, wool and linen, along with the tools, spindles and utensils employed to make the fabric and the simple tablets used to weave the decorated braids that beautified the garments.

She spoke about the status her dress conferred and how glass beads were used as ready cash for barter.

Dwayne displayed and talked about his items of clothing and weaponry including a very heavy chain mail shirt, short domestic blade, hand axe, sword and much-feared Viking battle axe – as tall as some of the ladies.

Jennifer and Dwayne make items for fellow re-enactors.

Members and the five visitors agreed the talk

was one of the best they have heard and the crafters among them were fascinated by the simple but effective production of the woven braid.

The next open weekend at the Ancient Technology Centre, Cranborne, is tomorrow and Sunday (March 30-31) – www. ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk

Defib kit ready to use

A LIFESAVING defibrillator has been installed at the farmhouse at Kingston Corner Farm, near Hazelbury Bryan.

The village’s primary school and the Red Barn shop combined to donate the device, the fourth in the Hazelbury Bryan area.

The parish council found the site for the equipment with the Dorset Village Defibrillator Scheme and contributed to the cost of the installation.

Defibrillators can be used without training, but the British Heart Foundation has a 15-minute training package offering instruction on applying CPR and using a defibrillator. Training can also be arranged locally. blackmorevale.net

TRIPLE GLAZING

Nature haven is good for community

DORSET Wildlife Trust and Natural England have acquired Lyscombe Farm to make more space for nature.

Dorset Wildlife Trust and Natural England have purchased 335 hectares (833 acres) of chalk downland and farmland at Lyscombe, 10 miles north-east of Dorchester. The land has been acquired for nature conservation and environmental restoration.

The purchase was made possible through funding from Natural England’s National Nature Reserves programme and planned nutrient mitigation credit scheme, alongside generous donations from Dorset Wildlife Trust’s members and supporters.

The farm lies within the Dorset Downs in an area of chalk grassland, scrub, wildflower meadows and ancient woodland. Existing designations include a 50-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) and several Scheduled Monuments including Lyscombe Chapel. For many years, the farm has practiced wildlifefriendly land management techniques within the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

Over the coming years, Dorset Wildlife Trust will use natural regeneration techniques blended with traditional land management to enhance habitats, support the site’s valuable downland, and enable

increases in wildlife throughout the landscape.

Livestock will continue to play an important role at Lyscombe with the introduction of an extensive grazing regime. Through working with neighbouring landowners and farmers, the ambition is to use Lyscombe as a nucleus from which to create a nature recovery network across the

Emily’s got good vibes about beauty awards

HOME-BASED beauty business Vibe Beauty Studio in Gillingham has been shortlisted in three categories in the UK Hair and Beauty Awards.

Emily Holden is up for awards in the Rising Star, Best Gel Nails and Nail Technician of the Year categories.

Emily is originally from Leeds but moved to Gillingham after she met her husband-to-be Will.

She said: “When I came back to visit his family I fell in love with this quiet little town as I felt so at peace and safe.”

Emily moved to

Gillingham in November 2019 and started her business in August 2020 but had to battle problems caused by Covid.

She said: “It was very challenging to begin with as I didn’t know anyone down here and I didn’t get the chance to meet new people and make friends due to lockdown.

“I had no family or friends supporting me, so I really had to push and work hard to get the clients in, which wasn’t easy as we were all still wary of Covid.

“I wanted to give up at least three times but my husband believed in me and

wider Dorset Downs landscape.

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive, Brian Bleese said, “This is amazing news for wildlife in Dorset. This purchase represents one of the largest land acquisitions in Dorset Wildlife Trust’s history and a major opportunity to make more space for nature in the Dorset landscape, to engage people in conserving Dorset’s rich natural heritage, and to transform the land into a wildlife-rich National Nature Reserve.

“We also look forward to improving visitor access to this stunning Lyscombe landscape, particularly on existing footpaths and rights of way to help local people and visitors to enjoy this incredibly special place. Opportunities will be created for people of all backgrounds and abilities to learn about and enjoy nature and help to create a wildlife haven for everyone through volunteering.”

Mark Russell, former owner of Lyscombe expressed his delight at the transition of Lyscombe to the stewardship of Dorset Wildlife Trust. Mark said, “I eagerly anticipate Lyscombe becoming a haven for both nature and people and providing a cherished space for future generations to enjoy.”

To find out more about the plans for Lyscombe, visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/ Lyscombe

supported me to get me through the tough times.

“And I am so, so glad he did – I have met lifelong friends through this job and have so much fun every day making all of my beautiful clients’ nails pretty and chatting all day.

“It’s three and a half years since I started this adventure in life and now I’m up for three awards in one of the biggest award ceremonies in the UK.”

Emily has a four-year-old German Shepherd cross Husky called Zelda, who she says she secretly thinks is the reason clients keep coming back!

Photos: James Burland

Emily (pictured with Zelda the German Shepherd cross Husky) is up for three awards for her nail art

Slimming World isn’t a diet. It’s a way of life...

Pauls journey bagan when his terminally I’ll father expressed concern at his weight and wanted him to take his health seriously. Paul joined a Slimming World group in June 23 in Shaftesbury and has since moved to the sturminster Newton group with Gail.

Paul says any exercise was exhaustingeven just walking around museums, DIY around the house left me struggling!

My health problems increased I was worried about my blood pressure and also with a history of cardiovascular illness in the family this was a concern.

My GP was talking about the need for statins but thankfully after a 7 stone 5lb weight loss there is no longer any need for any of these measures and my blood

pressure is into the healthy range! I now find it easy to climb the stairs, talk while taking the dogs for a walk, and I can join in with all family activities without feeling self conscious it also means I’m an active scout leader too. I love talking about the foods I enjoy in group each week. A favourite is burrito bowl with rice and chicken curry noodles are my go to for an evening meal. The family get to enjoy more variety of meals too. Learning how to cope with comfort foods and falling back into unhealthy habits with the groups support

has been invaluable- I’m enjoying life so much more.

New recruits needed

AGE UK in north Dorset is looking for volunteers to help clients claim the benefits they are entitled to.

The recruits will visit clients in their own homes and help them complete Attendance Allowance forms.

Volunteers will need to be confident, empathetic, enjoy talking to others and be able to ask for sensitive information tactfully.

Age UK offers a comprehensive training programme and the chance to shadow an existing volunteer or member of staff before recruits go it alone.

As well as driving to people’s homes, volunteers need to return completed forms to the Age UK’s office in Poundbury – the charity pays travel expenses.

A spokesperson for Age UK said: “This is a very rewarding role – being able to claim Attendance Allowance can transform the lives of older people.”

Since last April, Age UK North, South and West Dorset’s welfare benefits team has helped vulnerable people claim £1.5 million in financial support.

And demand for the Attendance

Allowance service is very high.

To find out more about joining Age UK’s award-winning team, phone Kathy on 01305 231382 or email volunteerenquiries@ageuknswd.org.uk

D-Day anniversary

THE Royal British Legion (RBL) in Sherborne is inviting Normandy veterans, families, descendants of Normandy veterans and members of the public to join it in commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The RBL will have a stall on The Conduit (The Parade), Sherborne, on Thursday, June 6, with a display of work by Sherborne schools commemorating D-Day.

A short memorial will take place followed by the laying of a wreath at the war memorial outside Sherborne Abbey at 11am.

The RBL would like to hear from Normandy veterans, families of the fallen, and descendants of Normandy veterans so the their accounts and memories can be recorded.

For more info, or to support, contact poppy appeal organiser, Andrew Norton, at Andrewrbl@ outlook.com or on 07769 407130.

Tel: 01747 855554

Email: peterhardingwm@sjpp.co.uk

Visit:

www.peterhardingwm.co.uk

Contact:

Ellie Jump, Age UK information and advice manager

Dorset heroes honoured at awards night

UNSUNG heroes from across Dorset were honoured in the High Sheriff Awards held at Dorset Museum in Dorchester.

Some 22 awards were presented and more than 120 dignitaries, volunteers and community leaders attended the event.

The theme for this year’s awards was ‘Helping One Another’.

High Sheriff of Dorset Colin Weston MBE JP said: “It was a special evening for everyone involved.

“I am privileged to recognise the hard work and unwavering commitment of the volunteers across Dorset who generously give their time to support their communities and those in need.”

The event showcased the work of community groups and charities, allowing them to share their work and inspire others.

It culminated in a performance by the Bovington Military Wives Choir.

In her role as Undersheriff of Dorset, Katharine Jones, partner at HK Law, said: “We are proud to support the work of the High Sheriff, and to help organise and run tonight’s event.

“It was a pleasure to see so many worthy groups and individuals receiving the recognition they deserve, and to enjoy the wonderful performance by the Bovington Military Wives Choir.”

Mr Weston also thanked Dorset Museum for hosting the event.

High Sheriff Award recipients: The Drop In Portland (Individual Award) Lisa Osborn; Rendezvous - Sherborne (Individual Award) Jemma Turner; Under 17 Driving Club (Individual Award) Doug Kettlewell; The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares – The Charity; B Sharp – The Charity; Somerford Youth Centre – Individual Award - Jae Harris; 100&First Foundation – Individual Award - Sam

Cload; Doc Bike (Individual Award) Ian Mew; National Coastwatch – Swanage; YFW Blood Bikes – Individual Awards – Andrew Wiley (Chair) and Dr Charles Campion-Smith; Dorset Search & Rescue (Individual Award) Trevor Antell; Dorset Rotary (Individual Award) David Welch; Dorset Community Action (Individual Award) Paula Bennet; Community Action Network (Individual Award) Karen Loftus; Weymouth Street Pastors; Dorset Police volunteer – Janet Ranger; Andrew Fear – chair of the Independent Custody Visiting Panel; Yvonne Fenwick, Unit Leader, Wey Valley Police Cadet Unit; Rebecca Knox – Chair of the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire; The Keep Dorchester (Individual Award) Chris Jary; Bovington Military Wives Choir.

Cross-continent challenge

THE story of a how a former army officer living with Parkinson’s Disease drove 18,000 miles solo from his home in Chetnole in Dorset to Cape Town in South Africa to raise awareness of the condition is being told in a new book and television documentary.

Guy Deacon’s book Running on Empty and a Channel 4 film are scheduled to be released on World Parkinson’s Day on Thursday, April 11, with all proceeds going to Cure Parkinson’s, a charity working to find a cure for the disease.

The father of two had a childhood dream to drive across Africa and in the early years of his career in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards he travelled extensively throughout the continent.

Guy set off on his adventure in November 2019, aged 60, having lived with Parkinson’s Disease for over 10 years, and seeking to raise awareness of the condition on the continent, where it is often linked to witchcraft and black magic.

His journey took him through 25 countries over 12 months –with a long break because of the Covid-19 pandemic – driving, eating and sleeping in a VW Transporter, often camping alone in the jungle and remote spots hundreds of miles from the nearest village or town.

Guy made it as far as Sierra Leone in March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The borders were closed, and after being stuck in the country for months, he was evacuated on an emergency relief flight by the British government.

He re-started his journey two years later in March 2022, but the Stage 3 Parkinson’s sufferer’s condition had deteriorated significantly.

The simplest tasks, from emptying pockets to tying up shoelaces, going to the toilet and putting on clothes, and from typing a text to picking up change and making food, became incredibly difficult.

His vehicle’s clutch burnt out in Côte d’Ivoire, its prop shaft broke in Angola, he contracted malaria in Zambia, his phone was stolen in Côte d’Ivoire and when he forgot to take his medication his symptoms would worsen.

Guy came close to giving up on several occasions, feeling physically and mentally exhausted, and although he had a phone to keep in touch with friends and family, with limited dexterity, it was often easier not to.

He kept a video dairy throughout his journey and a documentary maker joined him on four occasions, resulting in 85 hours of footage and thousands of photographs for the book and one-hour documentary.

Parkinson’s Disease is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative illness worldwide with no known cause or cure.

By 2040, more than 13 million people will be living with the condition – a quarter of them in Africa where it is little understood.

Seasonal dressing

A NEW display of three handmade dresses representing spring, summer and autumn has been greeting visitors at the entrance to Walford Mill, the arts and crafts centre in Wimborne.

The dresses are the work of the charity venue’s administrator of eight years, Mel Pownall, who has never displayed her creations in public before.

Mel’s love of horses as a youngster led her to equineinfluenced drawings and sewing, but later she made clothes for her children, and now she makes free motion machine embroidered items for friends and work colleagues.

She said: “Lockdown gave me the time and space to develop my style, from which the first summer dress evolved.”

Each of the garments has taken over a year to make and a winter model to complete the

quartet is now in progress.

Mel says her sewing and creative work is a hobby that fits around family and work.

The dresses can be seen, along with work by resident and visiting makers and artists, at Walford Mill, which is open to the public free of charge, Wednesday to Sunday.

Walford Mill Education Trust is keen to give developing new talent the opportunity to take space at the centre. Email info@ walfordmillcrafts.co.uk or phone 01202 841400 for more information.

Shaftesbury: 01747 851 476

Longmead Industrial Estate, Shaftesbury SP7 8PL

Warminster: 01985 219 200

5 George Street, Warminster BA12 8QA

www.myhomemaker.co.uk

Leweston students leave audiences mesmerised in production of Les Misérables

The saying ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ was never truer than last week when Leweston pupils took to the stage with their annual production. As well as relying on the enthusiasm of the pupils, Les Misérables, took an enormous level of commitment from the Performing Arts team who had waited years for a suitable opportunity to showcase Leweston boys as well as girls.

The combined efforts of pupils and staff culminated in a magnificent display of dramatic and musical talent that was well-received by audiences over three nights. There were some outstanding performances by Oliver D as Jean Valjean, Henry B as Javert, and Kiran J as Marius, while Jasmine A and Serena M as Fantine and Cosette equally matched their male counterparts. Two of the youngest performers, Alfie AB and Scarlett R, embraced their roles of Gavroche and Young Cosette to become the perfect role model for those waiting in the wings for their chance to take the spotlight.

But there is no ‘I’ in team and it was the power of a totally committed ensemble that gave this production the power to make grown men weep in their seats… literally! ‘Magnificent…’ ‘Phenomenal…’ ‘Amazing…’ ‘Completely mesmerizing…´’Unbelievably emotional …’

‘For a minute we thought we had walked in to a West-End production’ are only some of the comments received, but these are reward enough for the cast and crew who are left wondering how to follow what was a truly remarkable production.

01963 211015 | admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk | www.leweston.co.uk

Superb kitchens designed and installed for you

Stonehenge visitor numbers soared in 2023, new report reveals

VISITOR numbers to Stonehenge increased by 36% in 2023, reaching more than 1.3 million, according to a new report.

The figures, from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), showed a 19% rise in visitor numbers to the UK’s most popular destinations last year.

More than 1.3 million people ventured to the stone circle of Stonehenge, making the Wiltshire site the 23rd most-visited attraction in the UK.

Top of the pile was the British Museum, which attracted a whopping 5.8 million visits, up 42%. That was followed by the Natural History Museum (5.6m).

The most visited outdoor attraction was Windsor’s Great Park, popular among royal

spotters, which saw 5.4m visits.

In fourth place was the Tate Modern (4.7m), with the Southbank Centre in London completing the top five (3.1m).

Bernard Donoghue OBE, director of ALVA, said: “Our members are not yet back to hosting the same number of visitors that they did in 2019, but they are really delighted that even in a challenging cost-of-living climate, visitors are still prioritising spending special time with special people at special places.”

He said an extension of tax relief for venues such as museums and

theatres helped boost numbers, but the removal of tax-free shopping for tourists was a “missed opportunity”.

“While the extension of tax relief for museums, theatres and galleries was a very welcome announcement in the recent Budget, there was a missed opportunity to reintroduce tax free shopping for overseas visitors, which would have improved the UK’s international competitiveness, and reduce VAT for tourism and hospitality which would have helped businesses repair their balance sheets,” he added.

Shaftesbury among Britain In Bloom finalists

TWO Dorset groups have been shortlisted as finalists in the 2024 Britain in Bloom competition.

Shaftesbury in Bloom and Upton in Bloom have made the shortlists in their categories for the gardening contest, run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Shaftesbury, right, is up against Rochdale, Canary Wharf

and Farnham in the Town Centres and City Centres category.

Upton in Bloom has been shortlisted in the Town category, alongside Ainsdale, Forres, Glastonbury and Todmorden.

Judges will visit each of the finalists this summer, with the winners of each category announced at a glittering awards ceremony in the autumn.

Stonehenge welcomed more than 1,3 million visitors in 2023, behind the British Museum, below

Neighbours brand house extension plan a “monstrous carbuncle”

A PROPOSED extension to a Wincanton property has been branded a “monstrous carbuncle” by one neighbour.

The plans, for the rear of 60 High Street, would see a two-storey extension built, replacing a single-storey conservatory currently in place.

Somerset Council is due to consider the plans, which have been submitted by architectural firm Lendel Stephens, which is listed with Companies House as being based at the address.

“The property was acquired by the current owners in 2022, who have begun a wider internal and external refurbishment programme to what was a neglected heritage asset in poor condition, as a result of a lack of maintenance,” the application said.

“The objective of both past and forthcoming interventions, including the proposed extension addressed in this application, is two-fold: to safeguard the building for the enjoyment of future generations and to establish a family home tailored to meet the requirements of contemporary living.”

It added: “The application seeks to demolish the existing conservatory, which is in poor condition, and replace it with a rear extension designed to provide a subservient addition that compliments the existing building and enhances the rear aspect of the property.”

However, the design of the extension has met with opposition from one neighbour.

They said the proposed structure – including a timber cladding – resembled a “garden shed”, overlooking neighbouring gardens and blocking light.

“We have lived here for 33 years.

“It’s like having a garden shed up in the air above you,” said the neighbour, who did not wish to be named.

“It towers over our little courtyard. It’s a monstrous carbuncle.”

The application said the proposed extension had been designed “to minimise any effect and to maintain outlook from the

neighbours’ windows”.

“In this case, the proposed rear extension will be perpendicular to windows on the rear elevation of number 62 and opposite a ground-floor window to the rear extension of number 62,” the plans added.

“However, these windows are not to habitable rooms, opening from a bathroom and kitchen respectively and can therefore be discounted in terms of effect to daylighting and sunlight in planning terms.”

The scheme will be considered by planners at Somerset Council.

For more details, and to comment on the scheme, log on to somerset.gov.uk and search for planning application reference 24/00414/HOU.

The scheme would see an extension at the back of 60 High Street, Wincanton

Church

• Anglican High Mass at Wimborne St Giles: First Sunday of each month at 11am. BH21 5LZ.

• Blandford Methodist Church: Sundays – everyone is invited to services at 10.45am and to stay for refreshments.

Thursdays – coffee and a chat from 10am-noon. Fridays –lunch club for the over-55s from noon at £5 per meal. Phone Joyce Wild on 07817 505543 to book. The church is anxious to offer help to all those in need – call church steward John Cornish on 07799 516735 or leave a message.

• Chalbury Church: Fourth Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Hinton Martell: Second Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Horton Church: First Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Horton & Chalbury village hall: Third Sunday of the month, 9am Breakfast Church.

• Kingston Lacy: Second Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion. Fourth Sunday of the month, 9.15am Family Service.

• Longburton Lenten lunches: Thanks to everyone who supported the lunches, £325 has been sent to Christian Aid to help its work in Gaza.

• Longburton Village Cafe: The cafe, held in the village church of St James, provides tea, coffee – free refills – and great cakes for just £2. It is open on Tuesdays April 9 and 23 from 10.30am-noon.

• Lower Stour Benefice: Good Friday, March 29 – 2.30pm reflective service at St Mary’s Church, Blandford St Mary. Easter Sunday, March 31 –9.30am Communion at St Mary Church, Charlton Marshall; 9.30am Communion at St John The Baptist, Spetisbury; 11am Communion at All Saints, Langton Long; 11am Communion at St Mary’s Church, Tarrant Rushton. Coffee and cake – Spetisbury 1011.30am first and third Monday each month. Sunday, April 7 – 10.45am Together

Communion at St Mary’s Church, Charlton Marshall.

• Lillington: All morning services at Lillington now begin at 9.30am.

• Our Lady’s RC Church, Marnhull: Mass Sunday, 9am and 6pm.

• Shaftesbury Quakers

(Society of Friends): Meets for one hour each Sunday from 10.30am at the Quaker Meeting House, Abbey Walk, Shaftesbury SP7 8BB.

• Sherborne Abbey: Monday to Saturday, 8.30am Morning Prayer; The Sepulchre Chapel. Mondays, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Tuesday, noon CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion with Homily; The Lady Chapel (alternates CW and BCP). Thursday, noon BCP Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Friday, 9am Ecumenical Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. First Friday of the month, 9am Requiem Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel. Third Friday of the month, 11am Remembering the Fallen. Saturday, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel.

• Sacred Heart, Tisbury, and All Saints’ Wardour Catholic Parish: Sunday Mass times –Sacred Heart, Tisbury 9am, coffee after Mass; All Saints’ Wardour 10.30am.

• Shapwick: Third Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion.

• Sherborne Quakers: Meet Sundays 10.30am in the Griffiths Room, Digby Memorial Church Hall. Everyone welcome.

• St Benedict’s RC Church, Gillingham: Sunday, 11am.

• St Gregory’s, Marnhull: Sunday services 8am and 10am. Other services, visit www. stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk.

• St John’s Church, Enmore Green: Service every Sunday at 11.15am; parish communion on the first Sunday of the month; prayer services every other Sunday.

• St Mary’s, Motcombe: Evening worship (BCP) – every

first Sunday 6pm; parish communion – every second and fourth Sunday 9.30am; evening worship – every third Sunday 6pm.

• St Mary’s, Sturminster Newton: First, third and fourth Sundays – 11am Holy Communion; second Sunday – 9.30am Morning Prayer; fifth Sunday – 11am Benefice Holy Communion; second and fourth Sundays – 6pm Evensong; Wednesdays – 10am Holy Communion.

• St Peter’s, Hinton St Mary: First, second and third Sundays, 9.30am Morning Prayer. Fourth Sunday, 9.30am Holy Communion.

• St Peter’s, Dorchester: Cathedral-style service of Choral Eucharist on Easter Sunday, March 31, at 10.30am. Music includes Haydn’s Little Organ Mass, Harris’s This Joyful Eastertide and Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem by Stanford. Everyone is welcome to this free service and for refreshments afterwards.

• St Thomas’, Lydlinch: Second and fourth Sunday, 11am Holy Communion. Third Sunday, 6pm Evensong.

• West Camel Independent Methodists: Meeting at All Saints Church (BA22 7QB). Good Friday, March 29, 10.30am — United Service on the Village Green. Easter Sunday, March 31, 6pm — United Easter Praise service. Phone: 01935 850838 or email Geoff.mead@yahoo.com.

• Witchampton Church: Third Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Sherborne Abbey: Farming Community Network coffee morning at The Vicarage, Abbey Close, on Saturday, April 20, 11am-1pm. Farmers and their spouses/partners are welcome. RSVP to Sue Lee on 01935 713777 or at Sue.Lee@ sherborneabbey.com

• Sherborne Abbey: The project to convert the vestry block to toilets and create a new vestry under the organ has been approved by the diocesan advisory committee. The plans enter a 42-day consultation

period, followed by a 30-day public notice period, after which it is hoped faculty approval will be given.

• Friends of Sherborne Abbey: Coffee morning on Wednesday, October 27, 10.30am-1pm, at Digby Memorial Hall. Visitors are invited to take a friend or friends! For catering purposes, RSVP to Francesgd49@gmail. com.

• EZO appeal: Support the work of the Diocese of Ezo, South Sudan, by helping the 700 children of Masumbu School to build a kitchen, grow crops, install solar panels and provide school resources. Donations by BACS to ‘Sherborne Deanery Synod A/C’ – sort code 60-1912; a/c 97819735 – or cheque – payable to ‘Sherborne Deanery Synod A/C’ – sent to Ezo Link, Milton Brook, Corscombe, Dorset DT2 0NU.

• Sherborne Abbey: Volunteer stewards are needed to help steward events/concerts in the abbey. Anyone interested should contact the parish office.

• Sherborne Community Larder: Held in the grounds of St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Close DT9 4DU every Friday 9.30-10.30am. The Larder is run by volunteers and facilitated by FareShare. It aims to help reduce shopping bills. Membership not more than £5 a week – members receive at least three times that value in food and sundries. To sign up –referral not needed nor is it means tested – visit on a Friday or request a form from FSSouthernCentral@fareshare. org.uk.

• Sherborne Abbey: Remembering the Fallen, a short service held on the third Friday of the month at 11am. Following prayers, a member of the Devonshire & Dorset Regimental Association reads the names from one page each of the two Dorset Regiment Books of Remembrance, the Sherborne Book of Remembrance and The Rifles Book of Remembrance. The service ends with the Last Post, Two Minutes’ Silence, Reveille and Blessing. All welcome.

Kolkata school gives children a future

Retired teacher Hugh Notley, from Compton Abbas, goes back to India to revisit a school for street children in Kolkata

A THIN mist of pollution veils the sun, and scooters and motorbikes weave towards my taxi heading the wrong way –traffic has its own rules here. A cow stands sadly tethered on the pavement.

I am back in Kolkata after 12 years to revisit Future Hope school for street children – a place where I volunteered as a teacher in 2012. The school is tucked away between flats and houses in the Ballygunge region

of the city. Because it is an NonGovernmental Organisation and was not originally fully acknowledged by the Indian authorities, it does little to announce itself. Only a tiny notice pointing down a dusty lane indicates its presence.

My work at Future Hope began soon after my retirement as a full-time state school English teacher. I was hesitant at first as I thought myself too old to volunteer, but it was the most fulfilling job I ever had.

The children were delightful

Fun for followers of fashion young and old

LOOKING for something to do with the children this Easter?

Then travel no further than Blandford Fashion Museum.

Entry is free for young people under the age of 16 and activities are on offer to keep even the coolest kid entertained.

The museum has a dressing up area – with costumes for mum, dad and grandparents, too – and youngsters can create their own fashion design and follow a costume trail.

Clara and Ione (pictured) had a great time trying on different outfits.

Mums and dads can also enjoy the traditional tearoom where the museum’s volunteers offer a warm welcome.

and as I walked into school every morning, I was greeted with “Good morning, Hugh Uncle” and a shake of the hand.

Teaching had never been so much pleasure.

Thirty-five years ago a man working for HSBC in Kolkata called Tim Grandage spoke to six and seven year old children who had offered to clean his car. When asked where they lived, they told him on Howrah train station. From that day he vowed to build a school for those abandoned children.

Today the school has 360 pupils, 54 of those are parentless and live in six

Benazir was sleeping near a railway line at seven years old but is now prospering at Future Hope school

boarding houses where they are saved from abuse and poverty. This year there has been 100% success in year 10 and 12 board exams. So far, 74 pupils have graduated to universities.

One child’s story tells much. At seven years old, Benazir slept outside near the railway line as there was not enough space in her slum dwelling. Her extended family lived in one small room.

She joined Future Hope kindergarten in 2021 but really started to flourish in the normal classroom setting in 2022. Here she gained confidence and was recently brave enough to narrate rhymes in assembly.

Recently an area of land south of Kolkata is being negotiated for purchase where it’s hoped hope to build a new Future Hope on a single campus so all children, including boarders, can be together.

If you would like to learn more about Future Hope School to volunteer, or even donate, then contact www.futurehope. net

Events

Events

SALE OF EX-SHOP STOCK.

Cake Decorating stock. Everything must go.

Marston Magna Village Hall. 23rd March, 1pm-4pm.

Tel: 01935-851186

SHERBORNE DIGBY HALL MONTHLY MARKET

Saturday April 6th.10-3

Antiques, Arts, Crafts, Food & More

Tel: 07717-454643

LYN’S BINGO at Marnhull

Royal British Legion on Monday April 1st.

Eyes down 7pm

Charity Evening

Dancing

At Marnhull British Legion

Friday 5th April 2024

From 7.30pm

CAR BOOT SALE AND ARTISAN MARKET

Winterborne Stickland Sports Club DT11 0LZ

Sunday April 14th

9:30am to 12:30pm for buyers Sellers only from 8:30am, play park, bar and BBQ. Free Entry for buyers Sellers contact 07714 364750

SHAFTESBURYS EMPORIUM

Friday 29th & Saturday 30th March - 9am - 4.30pm

Shaftesbury Town Hall

Lots of lovely items for sale. Supporting Weldmar Hospice and Dorset Somerset Air Ambulance - FREE ENTRY

EARTH, WATER, FIRE & WIND,

A new collection of ceramics and landscapes from Somerset Ceramicists. 13th April – 25th May 2024 The Old Town Hall, Market Place, Somerton, Somerset, TA11 7NB Open hours: Tues – Sat 10.00 – 17.00

Early bird first view : Sat 13th April 10.00

CHARITY JUMBLE SALE, Stour Connect, at Stour View

Close. Sturminster. Saturday 13th April, 11am-2pm.

BANK HOLIDAY EASTER

MONDAY 1st April

Alweston Car Boot Sale, Monday 1st April. Sellers 7am, Buyers before 7.30am - £5, Buyers - by Donation. Info: 01963 23436

SOLAR POWERED POP-UP

DJ totally retro Ecotainment!

Suitable for any occasion 07554-477889

JUMBLE SALE Buckhorn

Weston hall Saturday 13th April 2.30pm. Teas-Cakes-Raffle

JUMBLE SALE, Durweston

Village Hall, Saturday 6th April, starts 12pm. Refreshments. admission £1. Contact: 07786-011321

JUMBLE SALE

Saturday 16th March, 1pm

The Hooper Hall, Lydlynch DT10 2JA. Donations welcome Friday/Saturday morning.

SIXPENNY HANDLEY CRAFT FAIR & TEAS

Village Hall, Common Road SP5 5NJ Saturday 30 March, 10am1pm, FREE entry

Crafts / Hot drinks / Homemade cakes. Information: 6dhandleyhall@gmail.com

SHAFTESBURYS EMPORIUM

Friday 12th & Saturday 13th April 9am - 4.30pm

Shaftesbury Town Hall

Lots of lovely items for sale under one roof. Supporting Weldmar Hospice and Dorset Somerset Air Ambulance FREE ENTRY

ON MONDAY 8 APRIL at 2pm Sarah Brooker, a trainee Flower Arranger will be treating members to a demonstration. Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street, Poundbury DT1 3DF. Visitors would be very welcome (£3). Tea and Coffee Enquiries 01305 832857.

WIMBORNE ST GILES

CHARITY TEAS starting on Sunday 14th April, then every Sunday until end of September. 2.30 -5pm at Wimborne St Giles Village Hall, BH21 5LX.

SHAFTESBURY LIBRARY

Children’s Easter Holiday activities: Dog’s Trust 8 April and DWFR 11 April. Please contact library for details. 01747 852 256

EASTER FUN WEEKEND, 30th/31st March, & 1st April. The Red Lion Gillingham, 10am5pm. Supporting Air Ambulance. Contact: 07960-313624

Book fun and adventure this Easter!

FAMILIES in search of fun and adventure this Easter will find it on Bournemouth Pier.

The RockReef adventure sports attraction is on the site, including 28 Clip ‘n Climb indoor climbing walls, as well as a vertical drop slide, a Leap of Faith Challenge, a HighLine ropes aerial obstacle course and the Pier Cave - a 65-linear metre indoor cave system.

The attraction was voted a 2023 Travellers’ Choice by Trip Advisor, offering challenges suitable for all abilities and all ages from four to 94.

Activities will be open from 10am each day between Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, April 14.

For the more adventurous, outside is the awesome PierZip, the world’s first pier-toshore zip wire, which will be open seven days a week during Easter.

“Guaranteed to get your heart rate rising if you dare, the Vertical Slide is for adrenaline junkies,” a spokesperson said.

“Participants wear a full body suit to protect the skin and to give extra slide ability.

ADVERTISING

“Handlebars are winched down, you need to hold on tight and the challenge is to see how high you can go as you are pulled up to an upright position and hang away from the slide, some 25 feet up.

“You decide when to let go - feel the gravity and speed as you are pulled back on to the slide. This one is a sure winner in the adrenaline stakes.”

RockReef manager, Chris Stradwick, said: “We provide a great choice of indoor fun and challenging climbing activities.

“It’s a great way to keep the kids entertained and let them burn off some energy during Easter.

“If you’re coming with the family or a small group of friends, then select our ‘family and friends’ ticket, as this is great value and saves money on groups of four-plus.”

Easter tickets are available now via www.rockreef.co.uk.

Arts & Entertainment

Panto comes up with winning formula

IWERNE Minster’s panto season is a little later than customary, perhaps, but it’s always worth the wait, and this year was no exception.

Aladdin Dorset played to sell-out houses for three nights and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

The witty script, written and directed by Adrian Delso, kept to the spirit of the traditional Aladdin story but was transported to Dorset.

Abanazar – played by a convincingly evil Deborah Jones – is after the magic lamp but needs the help of an innocent ‘lad in Dorset’.

Aladdin, played energetically by Helen Middleton, finds the lamp, falls in love with Princess Tiger Lily and eventually saves the kingdom with his newfound wealth after some misadventures.

He is helped on his quest to outwit the wizard by the exotic Spirit of the Ring – Pam Jelley,

in fine form – and the Genie of the Lamp – a truly hilarious Simon Kidd dressed head to toe in gold lamé.

Aladdin’s mother, the Widow Twankey – played outrageously by Richard Thomas – helped keep the action moving.

The show provided plenty of opportunity for audience participation as well as sparkling repartee, rousing song, references to British politics, just the right amount of innuendo and a nod to television and film, most notably with the Blind Date competition hosted by Cilla Cone, Jackie Eades bringing the house down with her Cilla Black impression.

The 15-member cast and backstage crew, all Iwerne Minster residents, were put through their paces for weeks leading up to the show and the rehearsals resulted in a tight and well-paced performance on all three nights.

Special mention should also

go to Saskia Darell and Caroline O’Brien, who designed and painted the splendidly evocative backdrops.

Congratulations to all those who helped to make the show such a success!

INTRIGUING, dramatic and colourful are words that could be used to describe the work of artists Hilary Ball and her brother Andrew.

The pair are holding their first exhibition together, called Oils and Metals, at Shaftesbury Arts Centre next month.

The exhibition runs from Tuesday, April 9, to Tuesday, April 16, open from 10am-4pm.

NICK COPE’S FAMILY

Members of the cast of Aladdin Dorset at Iwerne Minster

Arts & Entertainment

Send up of the Hollywood musicals

MILBORNE Port Opera (MPO) proved it could do big musical numbers extremely well last year with its production of Everything Goes.

Its next production, staged next week, is hit Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone, which carried off five Tonys in New York and was nominated for awards in London.

The show is a send up of 1920s Hollywood musicals, with an implausible plot, even more implausible characters and great music and dancing from the jazz age.

The Drowsy Chaperone is set in the apartment of a musical theatre fan who decides to play his favourite LP, which comes to life in his living room, while he comments wryly on the action, the actors and life in general.

The story concerns a wedding. The Drowsy Chaperone of the title –

“Drowsy” is an American euphemism for drunk – has the job of keeping the bride, a Broadway star who is giving up fame and the footlights to get married, away from her bridegroom, an oil heir, on their wedding day. Needless to say, she fails.

The star’s producer, one Mr Feldzieg, is hell bent on preventing the wedding, as he will be bankrupted following the loss of his biggest star. Several jovial singing gangsters, disguised as pastry chefs, are also trying to frustrate the match. They work for an anonymous third party, the biggest investor in the show. They intend to punish Feldzeig if he fails.

The plot is further enlivened by the antics of the groom’s best man, George – played by a girl – a Latin lothario, Adolpho, and a wanabee Broadway star, Kitty.

Most MPO regulars are in the show, including Oscar

Actor flies solo in Chekhov

ACTOR Andrew Scott

Shave-Smythies in his first leading role, Jessie Stones, Sukie Read, Matt Baker, Alison Ruddy and Lloyd Davies, making a welcome return in a major character role. They are joined by talented newcomers.

The cast is being worked hard by director Karen Pankhurst in her second show. She wrote and directed Everything Goes and has featured in several successful MPO productions. Caroline

D’Cruz wields her baton as musical director.

The Drowsy Chaperone is at Milborne Port village hall from Wednesday to Saturday, April 3-6.

Tickets are available online at www.mpopera.co.uk and from Wayne’s butchers in Milborne Port.

The production is sponsored by Mounters Gin, Shaftesbury, and the wardrobe by Farnfields solicitors, Shaftesbury.

Track Dogs promise taste of sunny Spain

EXCITING fusion

group Track Dogs are set to bring their blend of folk, Americana and roots to Dorchester Arts as part of their Blind Summits and Hidden Dips tour, celebrating the release of their latest album of the same name.

Track Dogs are back on the road after a big 2023, which included playing the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury.

The band are based in Madrid with members from Ireland, the US and the UK.

a tribute to a friend, and a celebration of her strength, life and spirit.

Hopes, dreams and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation which explores the complexities of human

emotions.

Shaftesbury Arts Centre will screen the London West End production as part of National Theatre Live on Saturday, March 30, at 7pm. Tickets are available from the box office or online from the arts centre’s website, www.shaftesburyartscentre.org. uk.

Garrett Wall is on guitar, ukulele and vocals; Robbie K. Jones on cajon, banjo and vocals; Howard Brown on trumpet, cajón and vocals; and Dave Mooney on bass, mandolin and vocals.

The tour coincides with the release of a new single called Too Good For This World. The song, out on Friday, April 12, is

Garrett Wall said: “We always love playing in the UK and bringing the sunny Spanish vibes with us.We hope everyone in Dorchester has got their dancing shoes ready, it’s going to be a big night!”

To see Track Dogs at Dorchester Arts, on Thursday, April 4, visit trackdogsmusic. com

The Milborne Port Opera crew, ready to entertain

(pictured), from BBC’s Fleabag, brings multiple characters to life in a radical new version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.

Track Dogs are playing Dorchester Arts

Arts & Entertainment

‘Fiddling supergroup’ celebrate 30 years

BBC Radio 2 presenter Mark Radcliffe dubbed them

“Britain’s fiddling supergroup” – and now Feast of Fiddles are heading to the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne on a tour of England.

The band were born in a village hall on Valentine’s Day 1994 and are now celebrating their 30th anniversary.

Over the years they have

done 28 spring tours, played 26 festivals and made seven albums.

Feast of Fiddles typically features fiddlers Garry Blakeley (Band of Two), Ian Cutler (Bully Wee), Marion Fleetwood (Trad Arr, Sandy Denny Project), Peter Knight (Gigspanner, Steeleye Span), Tom Leary (Joe Brown) and Brian McNeill (Battlefield

Band).

They bring a large range of fiddle playing styles to the rock back-line – all held together by drummer Dave Mattacks.

Feast of Fiddles are in Wimborne on Wednesday, April 17, at 7.30pm.

Tickets priced £26 are available on 01202 885566 or by visiting www.tivoliwimborne. co.uk.

Bicycle Club on the road

INDIE-ROCK favourites

Bombay Bicycle Club will be playing the Concert Hall at Lighthouse Poole this summer.

The band’s much-praised latest album, My Big Day, features a host of guest vocalists who encapsulate the band’s widespread appeal including Damon Albarn, Jay Som, Nilüfer Yanya, Holly Humberstone and the legendary Chaka Khan.

Frontman Jack Steadman sits on both sides of the glass for the duration of the record, having previously produced their fourth album So Long, See You Tomorrow, and co-produced 2020’s Everything Else Has Gone Wrong with John Congleton.

Additional production comes from Paul Epworth on the track Heaven and Ben Allen who co-produces Turn The World

On

The lead single, the gloriously funky Tekken 2, was recorded with Grammy awardwinning superstar Chaka Khan, who said: “After Jack invited me and then sent the song, I loved it, the ethereal part drew me in.

“The band has such innovative and passionate energy, truly great musicians. Absolute vibes.”

This led to Jack jetting off to LA to capture Chaka Khan’s distinctive vocal line.

“It has been a pretty crazy journey,” said Jack. “From

Phantasia’s series of Mysteries concerts

PERIOD instrument ensemble Phantasia (pictured) are performing the last in a series of concerts at St Hubert's Church in Corfe Mullen later this month.

Bombay Bicycle Club are playing Lighthouse Poole

sitting on my sofa messing around with a keyboard and drum machine to sitting across from Chaka Khan in a fancy LA studio giving her singing directions.

“Chaka was an absolute superstar and the whole experience was so positive. I think the song reflects that – it’s about coming together, putting any bad thoughts aside and just enjoying the moment.”

Bombay Bicycle Club play on Thursday, July 11 – for tickets and information visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk or phone 01202 280000.

The performances of HIF von Biber's iconic Mystery Sonatas are in aid of Bournemouth and Poole NHS baby loss charity SPRING.

The concerts began last month with The Joyful Mysteries and continued with The Sorrowful Mysteries.

The sonatas, written in the late 17th century, explore the range of human emotion, from joy to sorrow to ecstasy.

Violinist Emma-Marie Kabanova and lutenist Chris Hirst perform on period instruments, Emma-Marie playing six violins, including a fine Italian instrument from 1700 and a violin made in 1770 by Thompson Brothers of London.

The final concert is The Glorious Mysteries on Saturday, April 13, at 7pm.

Entrance to the concert is via donation to charity in lieu of tickets.

Feast of Fiddles are playing the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne PHOTO Neil King

Politics

Big business and influence on policy

ALMOST every day the news has me shaking my head in disbelief at the present state of UK politics.

Although I’d only ever voted Conservative before, I remember the sense of anticipation that things were going to change for the better when Tony Blair swept into power in 1997. Sadly, it didn’t last. Blair’s New Labour undoubtedly introduced some welcome social reforms, including the minimum wage, but in the end it turned out to be too much like the Conservatives, with its support for market economics where the markets dominate decisions on the allocation of capital to provide goods and services.

While there is absolutely a need to involve the business community in helping to inform debate on government policies, they must not be allowed to unduly influence policy decisions. They will naturally

on behalf of the Green Party in North Dorset

focus on obtaining maximum benefit for themselves, whereas the Government must consider the bigger picture.

Labour is now moving increasingly to the right, becoming New Labour v2 with the guidance of organisations like the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. It looks to be heading for electoral victory this

year, and vested financial interests are circling, looking to maintain their influence on government policy-making. They know exactly how to do it, thorough lobbying and media campaigns.

They include, of course, the fossil fuel industry, which has done such a good job of influencing government policy that the likes of Shell and BP now feel confident they can drop their half-hearted support for a transition to renewable energy, and focus instead on making even greater profits by expanding their oil and gas operations. All with a total disregard for the consequences, which include the climate change that is now unfolding around the world, and for which we in the UK have last month’s record-breaking flood damage to thank.

For its part, the present Conservative government is

aiding and abetting the fossil fuel industry through taxpayer funded subsidies, a wholly inadequate windfall tax and by stoking a culture war against a bogus ‘war on motorists’.

Among others who benefit mightily through connections in government is the Tory party’s largest donor, Frank Hestor.

Aside from his totally unacceptable remarks about a Labour MP, Hestor’s company makes a massive 50% profit from supplying software systems to the NHS. Nice work if you can get it, but hardly a good deal for our cash-strapped NHS.

To any previous Labour supporters who are disillusioned by their party’s drift to the right, can I offer the suggestion that you vote for the Green Party at the next general election. Your vote will send a message to Keir Starmer, and help to publicise the true level of public support for green policies.

What is happening to our rivers?

UNDER the Tories the state of our rivers has become a national disgrace. The UK is ranked as one of the worst countries in Europe for water quality, with pollution beyond legal limits caused by a toxic cocktail of sewage and agricultural pollution. Currently, 40% of waters fail quality targets due to pollution from agriculture and land management and, in 2022 alone, raw sewage was discharged into waterways more than 300,000 times.

Our rivers are no longer suitable homes for wildlife and they are not fit for people to swim in. This is a crisis – and one which the public wants to see urgently resolved.

• Our rivers are flooded repeatedly with human sewage. In England, water companies released untreated human waste directly into our waterways for a total of more than three million hours in 2020 alone.

• Agricultural pollution is also

rampant – vast quantities of animal slurry and more than three million tons of precious and irreplaceable topsoil are washed into our rivers each year.

• 10% of our river species face extinction.

Due to the cuts the Tories have made to the Environment Agency, polluters responsible for causing this damage can

carry on doing so secure in the knowledge that they are unlikely ever to be inspected –and almost never fined.

So why are the polluters not punished?

• In England, court actions against polluters fell by 98% from 235 in 2002 to just three in 2020 and prosecutions of polluting businesses have fallen by 88% in the last decade.

• Not one penalty has been enforced against agricultural polluters since the introduction of the 2018 Farming Rules for Water, despite hundreds of proven cases.

• Just 3.6% of pollution complaints to the Environment Agency’s public hotline result in penalties for those responsible.

• According to the BBC, the true scale of illegal sewage discharge is estimated to be much higher than shown in official statistics.

• In England, each farm can

expect to be inspected only once every 263 years as agricultural enforcement monitoring has been halved in the past decade. What should be done here in Dorset – if elected a Labour council would:

• Ensure that the council uses all its regulatory, environmental health and public health powers to monitor, enforce and prosecute pollution by locally operating water companies and agricultural operators.

• Ensure that any local organisations, particularly agricultural, that could produce contaminated water have a proper drainage system and possess the correct licences for their operation.

• Recognise that inland communities have an important role to play in river and ocean recovery through acting as the custodians of the rivers, waterways and tributaries that run through our towns and villages on their way to the sea.

Gerald Davies, on behalf of Dorset Labour

Ken Huggins

Train station question to the PM

FOR the first time since being elected last summer, I had the opportunity recently to put my first question to Rishi Sunak at Prime Minister’s Questions. I pushed him on poor public transport infrastructure in Somerton and Frome, specifically demanding to know whether he supported proposals for a new station to serve the Somerton and Langport area. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister was unable to give his support, despite confirming that money was available for public transport projects around the country.

The following week, I questioned the Minister of State for Rail and HS2 in the Chamber as to whether my constituents would see any of the funding the Prime Minister had promised. Unfortunately, his response all but confirms that very little HS2 money will be available here in Somerset to

Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton & Frome Sarah Dyke

improve our woeful public transport infrastructure.

Rest assured that I will continue to campaign for better bus and rail connections in Somerset as I know just how important they are. For anyone who would like to show their support for the proposed station, please sign my petition, which you can find at https://www.

sarahdyke.uk/campaigns/ new-train-station

This week I was also delighted to lead a parliamentary debate on UK food security.

The UK is facing a food security crisis. Some 110,000 British farms have ceased trading since 1990 and 49% of British fruit and veg farmers fear they will have to go out of business within the next 12 months.

But it is not too late to avert this crisis. I believe we need to start by adequately supporting our farmers. The Liberal Democrats will put £1 billion into the farming budget and will ensure that trade deals do not undercut farmers on welfare practices and food standards.

We must also produce more fruit and veg at home. Currently we only produce 53% of the vegetables and 16% of the fruits that we consume. The Liberal Democrats have committed to

developing comprehensive national land use and horticulture strategies to encourage the growth of the horticulture sector and effectively manage the competing demands on land.

Farmers are also frustrated by their inability to shorten the supply chain. Some are prevented by planning regulations which stop them from developing on-farm infrastructure, enabling them to diversify and add value to their products, and they may also be restricted by contracts, which limit the amount they can sell directly to consumers.

If we reform the system to allow more local procurement and direct selling, we can create local food cycles that encourage the proliferation of healthy food for all, that adequately pay farmers for their produce and that encourage both us and our children to eat well.

Questions to ask before elections

A FEW weeks ago, I had the pleasure of opening the new treatment rooms at the Apples Medical Centre in Sherborne.

The three new consultation rooms are an excellent addition to the practice, increasing capacity and workspace for the dedicated staff who work at the Apples – and ultimately benefiting more than 5,500 registered patients at the practice!

I’m especially grateful to Bruce Duncan and Simon Galvin of the Apples Patients Group for their continued representation on behalf of patients; to Philippa Cannings, managing partner and all the GPs and staff; and to Dorset ICB and Sherborne Primary Care for enabling this project to come to fruition. The additional facilities will have a longlasting impact for the town, its residents and patients.

In Parliament last week, we had the second reading of the

Post Office (Horizon Offences) Bill that will expedite the ability to finally sort out, compensation and reprieve those who have been falsely accused in the Post Office scandal. It’s very important and is being fasttracked.

I have to say that I still have little confidence in the Post Office leadership. I’m pleased that the Secretary of State for

Business sacked the previous chair and having previously called out the disingenuous behaviour of other Post Office executives, I believe that this approach is needed across the board at the top.

Looking ahead, we have some really important local decisions to make on May 2 as we have local elections for Dorset Council, Sherborne Town Council as well as the Police and Crime Commissioner. And I really encourage you to look at what each person or party on the ballot paper are offering – and their track record where appropriate.

I know through my own correspondence what local people have on their mind. And when I have researched some of these issues, there are some questions that I think would be worthwhile that we all discern when considering candidates.

Have they at any time voted

in favour of large housing developments despite previously saying they would not? Did their party vote in favour of large solar farms despite saying they would not? How have local services improved that they have been accountable for?

How much has council tax increased under their watch and what can be done to reduce the tax burden? What is the party’s agenda if it wins power in Dorchester – or Sherborne?

Should we ought to depoliticise the town council and if candidates stand on a ‘political ticket’ what is their party priority? These are just some questions that are valuable to ask when making your decision.

As always, if I can help, you can contact me by email at hello@chrisloder.co.uk or write to me at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

Conservative MP for West Dorset

Chris Loder

Politics

Volunteers make our lives better

THE technical seasonal weather bulletins tell us we are in spring but, as I write this at my desk looking out over North Dorset, it seems anything but. Let us hope for better weather as the Easter weekend approaches. For reasons, possibly unique to me, I don’t know, but I never feel that my article that coincides with a major Christian celebration should be too, if at all, political. Families and friends gather, meeting up to enjoy the holiday. The last thing they need is a heavy dollop of political reading. So my column this week is a little more reflective and celebratory.

The central messages of Easter are sacrifice and hope. The sacrifice of self through the Crucifixion and the hope of better things and times through Resurrection. One of my daughters and I are not long back from a lovely spring coffee morning held in Lydlinch in aid

Conservative MP for North Dorset

Simon Hoare

of the village church. The hall was decorated with flowers and delicious homemade cakes, jams, marmalades for sale. A neighbour of ours was running an egg decorating craft stall for children. Friends and neighbours were pouring the coffee, serving the cakes, washing up and making sure people were having a good time.

They had spent time planning the event, making produce for it and running the event.

The other week it was my joy to be the quizmaster at a fundraiser to celebrate the 150th anniversary of St Gregory’s School in Marnhull – a school close to my heart as our three daughters went there. My job was quite easy – set and pose the questions and provide a bit of humour and banter. It was over in around three hours but had taken a hardcore bunch of volunteers to arrange, sell tickets, harvest raffle prices, set up and dismantle. These are all impressive people who do so much to make life so much better for so many. Such tireless armies of volunteers can be found in every town and village across our communities.

Many of you will have attended similar events or will do so over the Easter weekend. The people who serve on our

parish and town councils, clean and decorate our churches, serve as school governors, fundraise as Friends of either Blandford or Shaftesbury hospitals, or Guys Marsh Prison, volunteer in charity shops, drive people to hospital and doctor appointments, organise and deliver summer fetes and Christmas fairs, who sell Remembrance Day poppies, arrange litter picks, volunteer in schools, sing in choirs, visit the lonely etc.

This is what makes our community fabric so strong and enduring. Each and every one makes an Easter-like sacrifice of their time week in and week out. We owe them our thanks. Our Easter hope must be that they, and others like them, continue in their sacrifice of service – life would be incomprehensibly poorer without them. May I wish you and your families a very happy Easter.

New settlement for health is needed

CONSIDERING the fundamental importance and constant presence of healthcare in the national story, lately it’s been strangely quiet. Cutting waiting lists has been one of the PM’s big targets but it seems healthcare has slipped off the news radar. While Rwanda and Lee Anderson consume political capital and airtime, little is heard of healthcare, barring occasional rumbles from the still smouldering volcano of the junior doctors’ dispute.

Going into the 2023-24 winter, waiting lists were up in Salisbury District, and Dorset County Healthcare trusts from the previous year. It’s been three years since the Government decided to increase funding in healthcare and protect people from sky high social care costs. Then these proposals were ditched and social care reform went onto the backburner as Trussonomics bit back. That means it will be well over a

Gary Jackson, North Dorset

Liberal Democrats

decade since Sir Andrew Dilnot’s acclaimed report and recommendations on social care were published and two failed attempts to resolve social care funding.

Going into this winter, the Chancellor insisted the NHS cut its investment budget to fund day-to-day pressures over the cold months. Something that serious commentators like the

Institute for Government thought extremely shortsighted.

So, we approach the next general election with nothing much being said about health or social care, yet we all know that this cannot carry on. Health and social care in England, and the other nations, needs some proper national thinking. We now have different systems across the nations and are effectively conducting experiments in different ways of running pooled health and social care insurance schemes in each place. There is much to learn from across the nations and between different parties and groups – certainly enough to tackle the challenges with seriousness and intent.

Liberal Democrats want a serious national effort to stop recurrent healthcare crises. On the doorstep, people say public services need renewal. We need new ways to maintain universal

coverage but improve people’s access as close as possible to where they live and work. We need better ways to keep people active, mobile and stop them getting sick. Equally, just throwing more money and more people at the problem is not the answer.

Liberal Democrats want cross-party and wider agreement on how we fund and deliver health and social care. At the same time, the GP and dentist supply super-tankers need to start turning. Scarce investment spending must be protected and used to improve the capital technology that will drive innovation and efficiency. We need a new settlement for health and social care but this demands grown-up, joined-up thinking and not ideological sniping.

In that spirit, may I wish you and my fellow contributors to this section of the magazine, a very happy Easter.

Politics

How paying less at the pump is actually costing us all dear...

IN June 2012, headlines screamed of George Osborne’s “biggest U-turn yet”.

The newspaper sensationalism was in response to a reversal of the thenChancellor’s decision to increase fuel duty – the tax paid at the pump by drivers filling up – by 3p.

Sensible, you may say, when households were struggling with the aftermath of a global financial crisis which brought the international banking system to the brink of collapse.

But since then, the standard rate of fuel duty on petrol and diesel has been frozen.

Again, as we face a fresh cost-of-living crisis, war in Ukraine and more, this may appear welcome.

However, the truth of the matter is, fuel duty is a big, big part of HMRC’s budget. It brings in a lot of money to pay for services such as the NHS.

In the financial year 1999/00, revenues from fuel duty made up 2.1% of the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP).

GDP, for the non-economically minded among us, is the main measure of economic growth, based on the value of goods and services produced.

But regardless of it’s technical definition, it is a vital tool showing the health of the economy; a growing GDP is a growing economy.

It’s no secret, due to numerous factors, the UK economy has not been in the best of places in recent times, stretching back to the global financial crisis.

Indeed, more recently, the UK entered a recession at the end of 2023, after negative GDP growth in the last two quarters of the year.

But why does fuel duty matter? Well, let’s take another trip down memory lane…

It is 1993, and the Conservative Government, led by John Major, introduced the fuel price escalator – a rather grandiose name for a formula that would control fuel duty rises in the coming years.

That year, 72.8% of the prices people paid for their petrol was made up of tax (for every £1 you spent at the pump, 72.8p went to the Treasury).

The fuel price escalator was designed to take the political sting out of increasing that rate, by laying out changes in advance.

When it was introduced, the government of the time dictated the escalator would gradually increase the rise in fuel duty above the rate of inflation – starting at 3%

above, which rose to 5% above in the following years.

When Tony Blair’s Labour was elected in 1997, they increased the final rate rise to 6%.

So, fuel duty was always rising, year-onyear, bringing more money in to the Treasury.

Jump forward to the year 2000 and Tony Blair’s first-term saw one of its biggest crises.

Lorry owner-operators in the south east decided enough was enough – fuel prices had got too high.

By that point, for every £1 spent at the pump, 81.5p was now tax, for unleaded petrol. Too much for the hauliers to bear.

Independent haulage firms blockaded oil refineries, prompting panic buying at petrol pumps across the country, and a huge headache for the government, which argued rises in the price of oil – and not higher taxes – had caused the spiralling costs.

In November 2000, to stave off protests and bad feeling among motorists, thenChancellor Gordon Brown announced fuel duty would be frozen until at least April 2002. The fuel escalator was, effectively, binned. Other taxes on fuels were also lowered, including for most lorries, easing tensions with hauliers.

As well effectively ending the fuel duty escalator, politically, it also ended the chance of raising fuel duty without all hell breaking loose.

But when the Coalition Government came to power in 2010, Chancellor George Osborne decided it was time for an increase – and was set to raise it by 3p, returning to the previous starting point of the fuel duty escalator – before his “biggest U-turn yet”, amid fierce criticism of the rise from not only the Labour opposition, but his own backbenchers.

Then, in the 2011 Budget, Mr Osborne cut fuel duty – with Labour’s increase tool axed for the rest of the parliament.

He referred to the decision in a recent podcast talking about the impact fuel duty freezes have had.

“When I became chancellor in 2010, I tried to get off the essentially stuck position that Labour had been in since the fuel tanker dispute back in around 2000 (the petrol dispute),” he said. “After that, the Blair/Brown governments never raised fuel duty. So I come in and I think, ‘that’s ridiculous we cant raise fuel duty, as it goes

up with inflation’ and I proposed an increase.

“And then the shadow chancellor teams up with Tory backbenchers and basically defeats me. And as a result I have to freeze fuel duty, indeed cut fuel duty initially.

“After that, no Tory chancellor has ever dared raise fuel duty either, and the result is material.”

Since 2011/12, fuel duty has been frozen.

The current Conservative Government, elected in 2019, has continued to freeze fuel duty, which they claim has saved motorists “a cumulative £1,000 by April 2020, compared with what they would have paid under the pre-2010 fuel duty escalator”.

And Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (Con, South West Surrey) continued that tradition in his Budget on March 7.

All well and good, you may say, one less thing we have to worry about.

But – and it’s a big ‘but’ – this does not come without consequences.

Going back to the UK’s GDP – that vital indicator of economic health…

A government report, published in April 2014, showed the steadily rising income from fuel duty up to the year 2000 – those protests – and the declining trend since.

In 1999/00, when those receipts hit their peak, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) says fuel duty made up 2.1% of the UK GDP (£22.5 billion).

Another graph, from the OBR, shows how that percentage has fallen ever since.

In 2022/23, fuel duty made up just 1% of UK GDP (£24.8bn), predicted to drop to 0.9% by 2027/28 (£25.9bn).

These may sound like small numbers, but until 2000, fuel duty had been an increasing amount of money for decades, growing the UK economy.

Since then, it has not. While the amount may have risen, in real terms, and as a share of GDP, it has fallen relatively dramatically.

“In cash terms, both receipts and GDP will tend to rise over time because of economic growth and inflation,” the OBR explained.

“Receipts as a share of GDP is the most relevant metric when considering the sustainability of the public finances.”

When “considering the sustainability of public finances”, fuel duty has run out of gas.

And going by their own figures, politics at the pumps has cost the Treasury – and us – dear.

I READ Mrs Eveleigh’s letter – More cuts, less vision – New Blackmore Vale, March 15 –with interest.

I felt compelled, however, to address some inaccuracies in her assessment of the recent Budget.

The fundamental principle guiding Dorset Council in its recent budgetary decisions has been to protect vital local services.

And it has been faithful to that principle – no frontline services have been cut since 2019, and none are planned.

How has it achieved this? By delivering savings of £120 million through merging the six former district authorities into a single county council.

Savings haven’t meant a reduction in our high standards either.

According to DEFRA, Dorset Council is the best for recycling in the country, and it has also been shortlisted for Council of the Year by the Local Government Chronicle

In 2023, Dorset Children’s Services were rated Good and Outstanding for leadership by Ofsted.

We all know that more needs to be done across our county. And we all want to keep council tax as low as possible.

But in these challenging times, the council has rightly prioritised services that so many depend upon. This is commendable.

sacks cleared the area surrounding Zeals of the detritus thrown onto the roads and into hedges and fields.

A huge haul was found –everything from sofas, car seats, numerous vodka bottles, beer cans, fast food wrappings and dog poo bags hanging on trees.

The most frightening was a huge “zombie” knife accompanied by a large, sheathed dagger. These horrible items are now with the police.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped clear up after the filthy individuals who think it is their right to chuck so much rubbish onto roads in villages, towns, cities and the countryside.

Even more amazing when every household has access to council bins!

Lyndi d’Ambrumenil

Via email

PR comments misleading

MIKE Keatinge’s criticism of Susan Gaisford over her call for proportional representation – New Blackmore Vale, March 15 – is rather misleading.

In it he said: “In the wake of the 2010 election, we had a referendum on this issue”.

We had a referendum in 2011 on electoral reform – the issue – but not on proportional representation.

been that valid a point even if the vote had been on PR, but as it was not, the criticism of someone for wanting to debate PR now is totally unreasonable.

Erik Blakeley Child Okeford

In praise of our unsung heroes

OVER recent months we’ve heard about Oscars, Golden Globes, Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, BAFTAs, Emmys, Grammys – plus a long list of lesser-known awards.

There seem to be endless opportunities for “celebrities” – awful word – to be congratulated and rewarded for nothing more than doing their

job.

It all gets a bit nauseating.

I’d like instead to thank the many unnamed people who keep everyday life going, especially here in Gillingham – our local refuse collectors, council employees, electricians, plumbers, shopkeepers, post office staff, bus drivers and those employed in other local essential services.

Thank you all, and a very belated happy new year.

Colin Marsh, Revd Gillingham

Dorset Council is one of the best Village post box –the wait continues

Westminster politics can be maddening at times. But here in Dorset, we have one of the best run councils in the country – one that is focused on issues that matter most to local people. This ought to be recognised.

James Vitali Marnhull

Huge haul for litter pickers

TWENTY-FIVE volunteers donned yellow vests and armed with litter grabbers and black

The Lib Dems wanted a vote on PR but were only given one on AR – a form of single transferable vote.

A change to AR would not have addressed many of the problems flagged up by those who would prefer PR.

Such misrepresentation of history does the debate no good and I fear that the use of the word “issue” in Mr Keatinge’s comment rather than referring to PR specifically suggests he was aware of what he was doing.

As it is now over 10 years since that vote it would not have

IT’S more than four months since the Post Office sealed the only post box in Bradford Abbas on November 7.

Finally, after much lobbying by the village, a new one was installed on Saturday, March 16, but immediately wrapped in black plastic.

According to the neighbour whose house it is outside, it is an old EIIR type, not one that recognises the new Royal Mail

CIIIR insignia.

The wrapped replacement post box will be greeted with dismay in the village.

The installation without notice or explanation of when it will be brought into use demonstrates just how contemptuous the Post Office has become of its customers.

Robin Legg Dorset Councillor

1 Washington DC, eg (7)

5 Fish eggs (5)

9 Problems; drawbacks (13)

10 Black coffee (4,4)

11 Fight to settle an issue of honour (4)

12 Roof apartment (9)

16 Tiny, biting fly (4)

17 Selfless concern (8)

19 Nervous fear (6-7)

21 Declare (5)

22 Pupil (7)

Brain chain

Down

2 Waterproof jacket (6)

Down

3 Utensil (9)

2 Waterproof jacket (6)

4 Mexican friend (5)

3 Utensil (9)

6 Twenty-third Greek letter (3)

4 Mexican friend (5)

6 Twenty-third Greek letter (3)

7 Having difficulty breathing due to exertion (6)

8 Coiffure (6)

7 Having difficulty breathing due to exertion (6)

11 Interrupted (9)

8 Coiffure (6)

13 Movement (6)

11 Interrupted (9)

14 Come up with (6)

13 Movement (6)

15 To the rear, on a ship (6)

18 Special reward (5)

14 Come up with (6)

20 Android, perhaps (3)

15 To the rear, on a ship (6)

18 Special reward (5)

20 Android, perhaps (3)

Jumbo sudoku

Cryptic crossword

Place 1 to 9 once into every black-bordered 3x3 area as well as each of the 54 rows indicated by the coloured lines. Rows don’t cross the thick black lines.

Across

7 Expression in Italy for stations (7)

9 Find fault with bachelor, rowdy male (5)

10 Excellent feature in court? (3)

Killer Sudoku Pro

Down

9 Find fault with bachelor, rowdy male (5)

1 Direct and narrow passage, we’re told (8)

10 Excellent feature in court? (3)

2 Elder, say, getting support around rector

11 Claim job with university after a deadline? (9)

11 Claim job with university after a deadline? (9)

12 Fool within walls of grocery given to vapid talk (5)

3 Son with hint merely (6)

12 Fool within walls of grocery given to vapid talk (5)

4 Sailor in Marseilles on back of billboard ridiculous (6)

14 Robot in human form manoeuvred in road close to land (7)

5 Frenchman with a vehicle on island getting pasta (8)

14 Robot in human form manoeuvred in road close to land (7)

16 Percussive instruments in main pit damaged (7)

16 Percussive instruments in main pit damaged (7)

6 Give up source in hearing (4)

8 Unsteadiness, isn’t it, with Libya? (11)

18 Waste strip of wood for lighting candle (5)

18 Waste strip of wood for lighting candle (5)

19 Vain lot I fancy after securing Oscar getting abuse (9)

19 Vain lot I fancy after securing Oscar getting abuse (9)

13 Coils by ground around medium? That’s characteristic of a sign (8)

20 Priest, informally, concerned with verse (3)

15 Conveyance of French uniform (8)

21 Sound of bay, maybe, in eight harbours (5)

20 Priest, informally, concerned with verse (3)

22 Less advanced Canadian musician with Queen (7)

17 Indifference apparently at hospital close irresponsibility (6)

21 Sound of bay, maybe, in eight harbours (5)

22 Less advanced Canadian musician with Queen (7)

Across

7 Expression in Italy for stations (7)

9 Find fault with bachelor, rowdy male (5)

Killer Sudoku Pro Place numbers 1 to 9 once each into every row, column and bold-lined 3x3 box. No digit may be repeated in any dash-lined cage, and all the digits in any cage must add up to the value shown in that cage.

10 Excellent feature in

11

12

14

16

18

19

20

21

22

18 Like a misguided person among criminals Fulham (6)

19 Doctor penning note for opening (4)

20 Fury with shooting venue denied name (4)

Down

1 Direct and narrow passage, we’re told (8)

2 Elder, say, getting support around rector (4)

3 Son with hint merely (6)

4 Sailor in Marseilles on back of billboard is ridiculous (6)

5 Frenchman with a vehicle on island getting pasta (8)

6 Give up source in hearing (4)

8 Unsteadiness, isn’t it, with Libya? (11)

13 Coils by ground around medium? That’s characteristic of a sign (8)

15 Conveyance of French uniform (8)

17 Indifference apparently at hospital close to irresponsibility (6)

18 Like a misguided person among criminals in Fulham (6)

19 Doctor penning note for opening (4)

20 Fury with shooting venue denied name (4)

Superb silverware

By Amy Brenan, director of Heirlooms Jewellers, 21 South Street, Wareham

SILVERWARE is a general term for cutlery – also known as flatware – or dining items such as platters, tureens and gravy boats made from sterling silver.

It can also be used to describe trophies, candelabras and dressing table items.

We don’t tend to see traditional silver cutlery in everyday use nowadays but there is no doubt that if it is brought out on special occasions, it can make the table look magnificent!

I love discovering antique silver pieces when doing valuations and regularly come across the most beautiful pieces that have graced Georgian and Victorian homes, and have been passed down and treasured as heirlooms.

One unusual find was a

gorgeous intricate Edwardian Silver Tazza with lovely engraving, detail and fretwork in superb condition.

This would have been used to display fruits or desserts, but was actually being used on a dressing table for bottles of perfume.

I also acquired a lovely late Georgian silver bowl with engraving and intricate detail called Repousse.

This ancient method of decorating has been used in metalworking since the 16th century and it is where the decoration is raised from the back or inside of the piece by using a hammer or punch.

If you have any inherited silverware at home in a cupboard and are not sure what the story behind it is, feel free to bring it in to Heirlooms and I can give you a bit more background information. You may be surprised!

This intricate Edwardian Silver Tazza, with lovely engraving, detail and fretwork, and in superb condition, was an unusual find

Pendant or necklace?

By Amy Brenan, director of Heirlooms Jewellers, 21 South Street, Wareham

WHAT differentiates a pendant from a necklace?

A pendant will hang freely on a chain whereas a necklace is complete.

Even back in the Stone Age, pendants were worn which featured shells and stones, and were worn as a symbol of protection.

As you can imagine, the Ancient Egyptians designed more elaborate pendants with symbols they considered sacred like gods, snakes and scarabs.

Pendant design changed from being a religious symbol to being worn as jewellery as we know it in the 16th century being crafted in gold or enamel but still representing love and protection.

I am fortunate to see many examples of the most beautiful Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian pendants when I am valuing heirlooms for a client.

These are typically very

delicate in design and feature popular gemstones of the time including seed pearls, peridot, amethyst and tourmaline.

Queen Cleopatra was said to have gifted lockets with an image of her inside to her favoured courtiers. Queen Elizabeth I did the same.

Wearing images of the monarch of the day was a sign of loyalty.

In the 17th century, lockets became popular, initially as mourning jewellery.

Here the pendant opened to reveal a place to keep a loved one’s hair or picture, and was worn close to the heart to signify eternal love.

We now associate lockets, often in a heart shape, with Valentine’s Day and they are given as a token of love, especially if they are engraved with the name of a loved one or words and dates that are significant to the person.

Whether you choose a pendant or locket, they make charming jewellery with a lot of meaning.

Classic cars rolling into Frome

THE Market Yard in Frome will host the Dore & Rees Classic Cars marquee auction view, next to the Cheese and Grain, on April 12-13. Head of motoring, Nick Wells, has gathered a collection of classic and sports cars to showcase for collectors and fans alike.

Leading the pack is a 1954 Austin-Healy 100/4, in the family since the 1960s, off the road since the 1970s, and now seeking a new home, estimate £14,000-£17,000.

The auction is at Dore & Rees Auction Salerooms in Vicarage Street, Frome BA11 1PU on Saturday, April 13, at 2pm.

Fine Asian Art takes centre stage on May 20 with viewing

in London at Asia House on May 12-13 and viewing in Frome on May 17-19.

Highlights include a large and rare underglaze blue and copper red ‘Star God and Deer’ lantern vase estimate £20,000-£40,000.

An exciting programme of auctions is planned for 2024, offering a variety of opportunities for sellers.

The team at Dore & Rees can value items in prospective sellers’ collections by arranging a valuation appointment at home or at its salerooms in Frome.

The team is hosting valuation days for Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Asian Art on April 15, 16 and 29.

Contact Dore & Rees on 01373 462257 or by email at enquiries@doreandrees.com to arrange a free appointment.

Visit www.doreandrees.com for details of upcoming auctions.

Saturday

Friday

Saturday

Sale will benefit hospital appeal

ACREMAN St Auctioneers & Valuers has 900 lots on offer over two days in March.

The general Antiques & Collectors auction on Thursday, March 28, includes an antique Martin Ware vase signed and dated 1904 with vertical blue-lined decoration estimated at £400-600; an early Hornby O gauge clockwork train set in its original box £300-£400; and a boxed tin plate engine shed along with other toy entries.

The Jewellery, Watches & Silver Auction on Friday, March 29, includes 77 lots being sold on behalf of the Yeovil Hospital New Breast Cancer Unit Appeal. They include an antique Georgian unmarked gold set with pink paste estimated at £400-£600.

The catalogue and bidding is available through Easylive

auction.com and Thesaleroom. com and Auctionet.com for the timed auctions.

Upcoming specialist auctions are: Textile, Fashion & Apparel. Friday, April 19; and Garden & Architectural, Thursday, May 30.

Acreman is accepting items for future sales – photos can be emailed to auction@acreman streetantiques.co.uk or visit the offices in Sherborne, open Monday to Saturday 9am-4pm.

Anyone with items they would like to consign can contact Gill Norman on 07908 333577 or 01935 508764.

Valuation days, offering free valuations on items being considered for auction, are held every Wednesday 10am-4pm at Acreman Auctioneers & Valuers, 121, Acreman Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PH.

Auction marathon at Charterhouse

A SERIES of six specialist auctions will be held over April 3, 4 and 5 at Charterhouse in Sherborne.

“This is an accumulation of months of work, and I think we will all need some downtime afterwards,” said Richard Bromell, from the auction house.

The auctions start with a specialist sale of wristwatches on Wednesday, April 3, followed by automobilia and enamel signs.

Sales of pictures and books, followed by sporting, including the Harry Brewer lifetime collection of cricket memorabilia, take place Thursday, April 4.

Then on Friday, April 5, it is Asian art followed by antiques and interiors. Visit charterhouse-auction.

com for more on the lots, viewing times, registration and live internet bidding

Richard Bromell and the Charterhouse team can be contacted for specialist advice and valuations at The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, on 01935 812277 or via rb@ charterhouse-auction.com.

A gentleman’s 18ct gold Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch is estimated at £4,000-£6,000

Antique furniture and collectibles

CLARKE’S Auctions hopes to have more than 800 lots of antique furniture and collectibles in its sale on Friday and Saturday, April 12-13.

The picture section will feature a wide variety of prints and paintings including an LS Lowry (1887-1976) 1973 offset lithograph limited edition print 516/850 of The Football Match, a John Codner RWA (19132008) still life of flowers, Number 6 Albertine painting and a Beryl Cook signed print.

The jewellery section includes exquisite items such as an 18ct white gold oval tanzanite and diamond cluster ring, a 9ct RBV diamond cross and a 19th century 9ct gold turquoise and seed pearl star pendant brooch on a 9ct rose gold chain.

The Ethnographic section

features wonderful African pieces including a Ben Osawe (Nigeria, 1931-2007) carved hard wood totem figure, signed and dated 1970, 82cm high and estimated at £200-£400.

A wide selection of militaria, rugs, fabrics, garden items, collectables, silver, ceramics and more will be on offer.

A full colour catalogue can be found at the-saleroom.com and easyliveauctions.com a week before the sale starts.

Clarke’s Auctions also offers free home visits for valuations, valuations in its offices, probate and insurance valuations and a carriage service.

Anyone with enquires should phone Richard Clark or Karen Marshall on 01747 855109 at the main offices at Kingsettle Business Park, Station Road, Semley, Shaftesbury.

‘Glistening ocean’ of porcelain

DUKE’S in Dorchester is staging back-to-back sales with Art & Design post-1880 and The Spring Auction on Wednesday and Thursday, April 24-25.

They showcase a trove of curiosities and wonders of exceptional variety.

From furniture to fine art, The Spring Auction promises to be one of Duke’s most diverse.

The vast single-owner Bryan Beardmore collection is a glistening ocean of porcelain.

statement at auction.

Alongside the ceramic collection are several extraordinary paintings. A highlight of the collection is a Giacomo Mantegazza painting called The Love Token, featuring two lovers sharing an apple in an Italian courtyard.

The ever-popular Art & Design post-1880 auction features names belonging to titans of the art world, including Mary Fedden, Dame Lucie Rie, John Ward and David Hockney.

The halcyon hoard is striking to behold, from teacups to plates, each intricately and masterfully crafted and sure to make a fine

An original Mary Fedden oil on canvas entitled Jug and Grapes on a Table (pictured), from a deceased estate, is estimated at £8,000-£12,000.

Home & Garden

The do’s and don’ts of weeding

by Sally Gregson

SPRING is the time of year when weeding the borders is particularly prescient. Every weed left in place now will increase exponentially if it is allowed to seed. What was a single weed can suddenly become a forest of dandelions or nettles or docks.

With such pernicious weeds, it is essential that the entire root is removed and the roots disposed of in the waste bin, not the compost heap. Even a fraction of root can turn into a whole plant. The best tool for the job is a long, narrowpronged hand-fork that can excavate right down to the tip of the root. A twist of the wrist will extract the whole weed entirely.

Annual weeds that cannot proliferate from their roots are best extracted before their flowers have set seed. If they

are removed on a sunny day, and the seed has not yet formed, they can be left to wilt on the surface, although tidy gardeners may prefer to take the carcases away.

A garden hoe can be of great use in such a situation, especially among the formal rows of seedlings in the vegetable garden. Here it’s possible to run a hoe down through the rows, detaching the upper parts from the roots and leaving the weeds to die. Perhaps a quick run down the rows, hand-weeding between the seedlings, could finish off the task.

But hoeing in the ornamental garden can cause more harm than good. Leaving self-sown seedlings of ornamentals such as the soft lemon-yellow Oenothera odorata ‘Sulphurea’, or ‘pot marigolds’ (Calendula), will give a more relaxed, fuller

Every weed left in place now will increase rapidly if allowed to seed

feel to the planting. And often these seedlings put themselves in such good places. Hoeing the borders can make it all look too regimented and self-consciously ‘tidy’.

And when a whole border is thoroughly weeded in late spring, not only is it a timely

job well-done, but the soil has been titivated in between the perennials and shrubs, making a more absorbent surface for any more rain to drain down into the ground beneath the roots. And young plants actually like the rain, unlike gardeners.

Turkish sultans delighted in tulips

by Sally Gregson

MOST gardeners are familiar with the story of the Black Tulip and ‘tulipmania’ that captivated so many in 17th century Holland. But before and after that time the fashion for growing tulips centred on the court of the Ottoman sultans of Turkey.

In the 16th century, Istanbul – or rather, Constantinople –was famous for its fabulous gardens, and especially for its tulips. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled Turkey, especially adored them and would grow thousands of new species in his garden, known as The Abode of Bliss.

But the passion for tulips did not end with Suleiman’s death. By the 18th century Sultan Ahmet III was perhaps even more obsessed with them. He imported millions of tulip bulbs from Holland to grow in his own garden and gave those his gardeners bred wonderful names – Light of Paradise, Matchless Pearl and Gem of the Shah – this

latter variety bred by the Sultan’s lady gardeners. Sultan Ahmet grew mounds of tulips in his garden, in pots and containers, in fact, anywhere and everywhere they would flower. He would throw lavish parties in his tulip garden.

At sunset the gongs would be sounded, the doors of the harem

would be thrown open and the Sultan’s ladies would walk out dressed as tulips. At their feet, tortoises with lighted candles on their backs would weave among the revellers, and the tulips would be celebrated by all.

The Turks especially favoured tulips with long, thin petals such as Tulipa acuminata

Tulipa acuminata is easy to grow in a spot with welldrained soil and plenty of sunshine

with its flaming red petals that taper to a golden point. This shape was thought to resemble the Arabic script for Allah and thus was especially prized. It is an easy species to grow from year to year, providing the site chosen has well-drained soil and plenty of sunshine, just like its exotic Turkish home.

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LANGTON NURSERIES (C W Abbott & Son) Seed potatoes, onion sets and shallots, Fruit Trees, Perennials & Shrubs, Large selection of; stoneware, terracotta and glazed pots, Wild Bird food 20kg £14.50, Stockists of Kings, Franchi and Fothergill Budget Seeds, Potting Compost. Open daily 10am– 3 pm. Langton Long Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 9HR. Telephone 01258 452513

Home & Garden

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Please

Old

The latest gardening news, hints and tips, with Mike Burks, MD of The Gardens Group... Get in the Garden

Email:

07980-036250

1

dumpy

01258

Lawns and wildflowers...

VERY much on trend at the moment, and hopefully for many years to come is the establishment of wildflower plantings to encourage insects, particularly butterflies and bees which tend to be the headline favourites.

There is some confusion around wildflower gardening as some think that it is just a case of allowing areas to go wild whereas it will in fact need managing.

Actually most “wild” areas are an artificial state. Take for example traditional hay meadows, these were created and perpetuated by agricultural techniques whereby before the extensive use of weedkillers and artificial fertilisers, hay meadows were full of wildflowers as well as a huge range of grasses too.

In fact, any species that could grow, flower and set seed before the hay was cut would be selected by the farmers habit of cutting at the same time each year.

Selective weedkillers and high nitrogen fertilisers have destroyed these areas and the richness of the food and vitamin source for the livestock too.

Some organic farmers use fields with a diverse range of plants as a recuperation ward for animals that have been unwell or off colour and the range of plants in their diet can work wonders.

The cornfield display with lots of poppies was again perpetuated by a farming system.

Poppy seed falls to the ground at harvest and germinates the following year only when the ground is

cultivated (in daylight) for another crop. Without that cultivation the seed remains dormant.

This is why when new roads are created in rural areas a wonderful display of Poppies appears in the first summer after the road is opened.

In our own garden we leave areas of the lawn un-mown in graceful curves rather like the shape of an informal border. We also don’t feed the lawn, which reduces the vigour of the grass and helps the growth of non-grass species. In a fairly short time, we are rewarded by a proliferation of lots of wildflowers such as Self Heal, Bugle, lots of daisies, clovers of different sorts and early on, Violets. The insect activity and particularly bees and butterflies are enhanced very speedily and the scent from the clover is wonderful too.

Other ways of creating such areas are to cultivate parts of the garden and to sow the wonderful special collections that we now have available including mixes to promote ladybirds, birds, butterflies, to create floral meadows, with annual as well as perennial mixes too.

Such gardening requires a different mind-set to the traditional. It can be enormously rewarding and as well as some spectacular displays there is also a detail that is really pleasing. At the same time, it assists nature and our struggling pollinating insects. Not only that, dare I say it, it tends to be fairly resistant to the lack of water that may be a feature of this summer.

CONTACT

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Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

www.kingsmeresurfacing.co.uk

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Blackmore Vale Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Services

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

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Services offered include:

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways and specialise in fully SUDS permeable drainage surfaces.

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Fully Insured & Licensed Approved Contractor

Fully Insured & Licensed Approved Contractor

Fully Insured & Licensed Approved Contractor

Fully Insured & Licensed Approved Contractor

Fully Insured & Licensed Approved Contractor

Fully Insured & Licensed Approved Contractor

Local Services

ARCHITECTURAL, BUILDING & ELECTRICAL

J& C Handyman Services

Plumbing

Painting & decorating

Shed erecting & repairs

Flat pack furniture

Shelves & curtain rails

Door hanging & skirting boards

Guttering and facia clearing and replacement Fencing Pointing etc...

No job too small. Please call with your requirements. 01963 364457 07368 516658

dorsethandyman26@gmail.com www.jchandymanservices.com

KBB KITCHEN FITTER, all aspects of kitchen fitting undertaken. 30 years experience, free estimates given. Tel: 01963 364550 or 0789 0841827

Limited

Fully Insured, Free Survey Failed Double Glazed Units UPVC Windows and Doors

Shower Screens, Balustrades

T: 01747 631899 / 07708 180306

e: shaftesburyglass@gmail.com

w: www.shaftesburyglass.co.uk

New build, refurbishment, restoration, extensions, garden buildings. Free estimates.

Call Dom on 0 073 99 649 62 8

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HANDYMAN, reliable and experienced Call Chris 07413 678076

L R MASONRY GENERAL BUILDER, Stone work, Brick work 07971-982565

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REPLACE FENCE PANELS and repairs. Due to storm weather. NO VAT. Tel 07716-207150

ALL IRONWORK. Handrails.Gates. Railings. Repairs. Restoration. 01258 880301

B.LUCAS

General builder

25+ Years Experience, City & Guilds Qualified Extensions, Renovations, Alterations, New Build, Plastering, Floor and Wall Tiling, Brickwork, Blockwork, Stonework and Patios, Fencing and Decorating. FREE estimates, No VAT 01747 228827 07809 362919

Call 01963 400186 to advertise in Local Services

NEIL

All types of plastering, floor screeding & rendering. Wincanton & 20 mile radius.

HELPFUL ADVICE & FREE QUOTATIONS

CALL NEIL: 07974 185923 or 07811 211586.

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All aspects of building and plumbing catered for.

Tel: 07970 437786

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COMPUTERS & TECH

DEREK ETHERINGTON BSc(Hons). PC/Mac, Repairs, Networks, Websites, Tuition. Free local callout. 01963362403 07855287150 http://www.dcenet.co.uk

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS

Purchase advice, Virus Removal, New PC Setup/ Installation, Internet Connection, Upgrades, Computer/ Software Tuition - Call Gregg on 01963 370713

CSMG DECORATORS, City & Guilds qualified interior / exterior decorating call Steve on 07870124045 or email stevegill911@yahoo.co.uk DECORATION,

GARETH TANNER

M & M PAINTING & DECORATING. 30years experience. Fully insured, clean & tidy. References available. FREE no obligation quote. Tel: 07534952486 / 01305-849380

G.O.T. DECORATING City and Guilds qualified Interior/exterior Decorating Free Quotes no VAT Tel 07736644452 go.tanner93@gmail.com

LJB CARPENTRY & BUILDING SERVICES. Extensions, loft conversion, garden make-over, office removals, rubbish clearance. Mere VAT registered. 07543 814320. ljbcar@mail.com

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CLASSIFIED

01963 400186

Local Services GENEALOGIST

Plumbing

GENEALOGIST SERVICES

Seeking the roots of your family?

Experienced Genealogist now available to do the digging. Call Tony 01425 838184 tony.green.agas@outlook.com

Fish on Fridays –and keep it local

by Barbara Cossins

HAPPY Easter everyone! It’s that time of year when it’s all about eating shiny hot cross buns and fish on Good Friday.

And if you are one of the early birds when it comes to reading my food articles, then it’s Good Friday today!

When I was growing up, we were always made to eat fish today, as is tradition, instead of eating meat. I know some of you will still do this, but I also know many of you will never have heard of this old custom over the Easter holidays.

As a child it was a must, and I always disliked my mother making us eat fish and filling our family home with the awful smell of fish cooking. It has a smell that lingers in the whole house for at least a couple of days afterwards.

As always at Love Local Trust Local, it matters very much to us where the fish you eat comes from.

The sea off the coast has plenty of wonderful fresh fish to enjoy. In fact, more than 40 species are commonly caught in Dorset waters, including cod, haddock, plaice, sole, bass, mackerel and Whiting.

We also have wonderful local, flavoursome shellfish such as crab, lobster, oysters, mussels, clams and many more.

Let’s make sure we get to enjoy the fish and shellfish ourselves rather than exporting it to other countries for other people to consume.

Very few of us eat enough fish from our own waters and we should try to change that. We export most of it, with almost 75% going across the

More than 40 species of fish are commonly caught in Dorset waters

English Channel to mainland Europe.

This is madness, as what we eat in the UK is mainly imported fish. Sending our own fish overseas and paying to import someone’s else’s fish for

us to eat at home. Utterly bonkers!

Dorset seafood is the best on offer of any in the world, so let’s appreciate that luxury and eat more local fish and shellfish.

It’s full of vitamins and minerals, great for our hair and skin and our overall health, and right on our doorstep. Perfect. n Barbara Cossins is creator of Love Local Trust Local and proprietor of The Langton Arms and Rawston Farm Butchery & Shop.

TRADITIONAL COUNTRY PUB SERVING FINE FOOD

AND

DRINKS

Peter and Karlene are delighted to invite you to the Plough Inn at Manston and look forward to seeing you soon.

We are delighted that our renovation and expansion project has been well received by customers as have our food and beverage offerings. After a very long search, we now have a fully staffed kitchen and offer our full lunch and dinner menu every day from Tuesday lunch until Sunday lunch. We are closed after lunch on Sunday and all day Monday. We offer a wide range of beers, cider, wines and spirits as well as a range of non-alcoholic options.

A Pub With Warmth And Atmosphere

The bar and snug have been refreshed but retain all the old features that made this cosy area so attractive. And, by popular demand, we have a new wood burning stove to provide atmosphere and warmth whenever needed! We have a completely new kitchen, beer cellar and new male, female and disabled washrooms. The old conservatory is now an insulated garden room and we have a new dining area which can accommodate a further twenty guests.

Hearty Food And Distinctive Drinks

By experimenting with our menu and listening to our customers we have developed a popular menu ranging from light snacks to exciting specials and everything in-between. Please look at our menu and see if you can spot your favourite country pub meal. For Sunday lunch, in addition to our full menu, we offer a traditional roast with all the trimmings. Our range of drinks has evolved in response to customer demand and caters for all tastes. But most importantly we have built a wonderful team to look after you all and ensure a great experience at the Plough.

We hope to see you soon, Cheers, Peter & Karlene

07783

Cafe’s customers’ Easter eggs gift

out to

the area for Easter.

Brad, Lilly and Freda, staff of the Kitchen, packed the many donations into a very large box

delivered all to

in plenty of time for the celebration.

“A big thank you from Dan and Laura to all who donated,” a cafe spokesperson said.

Actions speak much louder than words

by Alice Johnsen

I HOPE by the time this article reaches print, the furore around the apparently doctored photograph of the Princess of Wales and her three children will have died down.

As I write, I don’t know which way this story will go, but it seems to me there’s a lot of fuss being made over a young girl’s hand while she, Princess Charlotte, has to go about her life at school without the option of explaining. I’m pretty sure that’s not fair.

All of us will face times when we are being criticised or accused wrongly. It happens but it’s never nice, particularly if it’s unjustified. That old saying, ‘the truth will out’ is

often applicable, but even when it’s not, carrying on with your life and not getting directly involved in an accusation can very often be the quickest and calmest way to move forward.

Rather than fuelling the flames by voicing your reaction it is so often more effective to show your purpose and strength through just carrying on.

Actions are greater than words in other ways, too. We are surrounded by bad news stories, now more than usual, and we are all affected by this to a greater or lesser degree.

But saying the world is an awful place or expressing sympathy for someone in trouble only goes so far. Few of us are in a position of global

reach but we are all in a position to make a difference locally. I don’t think we should ever underestimate the power of a small deed, a short conversation, a shared meal.

In the very early days of the Russian invasion, a scheme was set up unofficially to get financial support to people in Ukraine. In March 2022, almost exactly two years ago, social medial platforms encouraged people to book a short stay in B&B accommodation, obviously

The power of a short conversation should not be underestimated

without travelling, throughout Ukraine, therefore ensuring money got to people direct. You may have done this.

I am looking back on a short online conversation I had with my ‘host’ because of this initiative. It was a tiny human contact between two strangers who will probably never meet but it was a contact based on love and a simple but effective action.

n Alice Johnsen is a life coach based near Sherborne (07961 080513; alicejohnsen.co.uk).

Simple herbs to keep the body healthy and strong

by Fiona Chapman

I CANNOT believe that it is almost two weeks since we came back from India – four by the time this article is published. It is unbelievable to think that we were enjoying 37 degrees with bright sun. We are now sitting in a water-logged, grey Dorset. But spring is in the air, wonderful daffodils, crocuses, forsythia, hyacinths, tulips – a bit early – and rosemary with their stunning purple flowers coating the stems all cheering me up as I look out of the window.

We are all, particularly my husband, missing our daily one-hour massage, which is an integral part of the Ayurvedic

treatment and especially important as we get older. It breaks down knotty muscles, which is great for circulation, pain and bad postural habits.

It breaks down fat cells which is quite wonderful and literally has changed our shape. I now have a waist! My friend was complaining about her “bingo wings”. Her therapist really worked on the underneath of her arms, and she now feels she can wear tank tops. She also got rid of a small hump on the back of her neck. Another lady at our centre had a stomach that was slewed to one side and the therapist managed to get it back into the centre.

The massage helps with

lymph drainage and detoxification and makes one feel much younger and more agile. This then, with daily yoga to stretch out and strengthen muscles, has taken years of us all.

To replace the massages, I will make some delicious herbal teas as an alternative and try to do yoga daily to keep the body flexible. Fresh nettles are brilliant for this as they

strengthen the blood and provide lots of the nutrients we need after winter.

The beautiful rosemary bush outside my window is cowering slightly as fresh rosemary tea is excellent for circulation, particularly taking blood and therefore oxygen up to the brain.

The Galium aparine, goosegrass/cleavers can be just steeped in cold water overnight and drunk to improve lymph drainage.

Dandelion leaves added to salads act as a bitter to stimulate digestion. They are diuretic, which will make sure we get any toxins out of the body. Dandelion root helps to detox the liver and acts as a mild laxative to keep the bowels moving.

So, although a massage is simply lovely, there are ways in which we can all keep our body healthy and strong with simple herbs.

n Fiona Chapman is a naturopathic herbalist; email Pellyfiona@gmail.com.

Making Everyday Life Easier

Do I need a Stairlift? – If you have difficulty getting up and down stairs you are not alone. Buying a stairlift can be a liberating investment, restoring safety and freedom to people with mobility problems.

Why choose us? – Suttons Stairlifts offer a range of new or refurbished stairlifts for straight or curved stairs throughout Dorset, Wiltshire and the South West. We aim to provide an ethical, reliable and prompt service to our customers and have worked hard to establish an affordable and dependable service to be proud of. Thanks to personal recommendations from satisfied customers referring us to their friends and relations Suttons Stairlifts is now a well-established company committed to providing expert advice with a no-pressure selling policy, guaranteed!

We also offer fast and efficient repairs as well as annual services to keep your stairlift running as smoothly as the day it was installed.

What happens next? – We will visit you to survey the staircase leaving you the leaflets and prices so you can make the decision in your own time.

With our inclusive and comprehensive 12 or 24 month warranty you can be assured of a first-class and personal service from Suttons Stairlifts.

Fresh rosemary tea is excellent for circulation

Meditations in nature: The moth that thinks it’s a bird

by Susanna Curtin

MARCH is marching on, and to be honest, I am not sorry. As the nature poet John Clare declared, it is a “month of many weathers, that wildly comes, in hail, snow, rain, and threatening floods”. Occasionally though, the cold wind drops, and March offers us a taste of the warm sunshine to come. Fortunately, this morning is one of those glorious

moments. Usually, I would be eager for a nice long walk on such a day, but I am currently nursing a sprained ankle and am therefore out of action. Instead, I have taken the opportunity to stop for a while with my feet up in the garden, to enjoy the sunshine and watch the comings and goings of my garden birds.

There are blackbirds squabbling in the undergrowth,

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blue tits checking out the nest boxes and flocks of finches fighting with the blackcaps for supremacy on the bird feeders. Beside me, one of my visiting wrens is rummaging through the flowerpots like a mouse, looking for insects and grubs, and it is watching him that alerts me to something quite extraordinary for this time of year.

A hummingbird hawk-moth is hovering on the patio in search of nectar. Stopping at a jonquil, it places its inch-long proboscis on the flower stamens to collect nectar. Like its namesake, this exquisite moth looks and behaves like a hummingbird. It flits from flower to flower and even appears to have feathers and a tail. They are often quoted as a perfect example of what evolutionary biologists call convergent evolution. Because creatures all face the same challenges for survival, it is not surprising that nature can arrive at the same solution to meet these demands. So sometimes, distantly or non-related animals independently evolve similar traits and can bear an uncanny resemblance to each other.

This delicate hummingbird hawk-moth has a wing-speed of up to 80 beats per second. It flies by rotating its wings in a figure of eight motion, enabling it to generate lift on both forward and backward strokes. This allows it to maintain a stable position mid-air – just like a hummingbird. In fact, their wings can move so fast they also emit a characteristic humming sound. Being a member of the hawk-moth family, whose Latin name is Sphingidae, they are commonly called “sphinx moths”. Apparently, their name comes from the caterpillar’s habit of raising its head up when alarmed like an Egyptian sphinx.

I’m always amazed at how many people shudder at the idea of moths because we have many beautiful, intriguing species in this country, and they are such important pollinators. But these hummingbird mimics are the moths that defy all others by blowing away the myths. These ones are pretty and they fly during the day and people are fascinated by them.

n Dr Susie Curtin (email curtin. susanna@gmail.com)

SMART PHYSIO

Treatment in your own home!

Bad back? Stiff neck?

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Bad ankle? Shoulder pain?

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DVCA DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF THE AUCTION AT THEIR SPRING SALE

There are times when a certain specialist item just cannot be accurately valued by even the most respected professional and really the only answer is to carefully research and describe it, then apply years of experience in marketing the article in an appropriate manner to achieve the maximum competitive bidding on the day of Sale.

So it was that DVCA’s auction on 1st March began strongly with some 199 lots of Automobilia being very well received, with enamel signs and a collection of model tractors and buses running far beyond their estimated prices in most cases.

The motor vehicles opened with a rare but aesthetically challenged three wheeled and very rare 1963 Scootacar MkIII, tentatively estimated at £3-4000.

With bids coming in fast, a final all-in price of £10,340 was achieved, much to the amazement of all concerned.

From the same collection, a brace of pre-war Wolseley Hornets and a Long Tailed Singer Le Mans 4 Seater, all in need of reviving after 50 years in storage, each achieved in excess of £10,000 and some 10% over estimates.

Other entries which were successfully sold include a mighty 2007 Dax Tojeiro Cobra 427 at £28,600, a 1979 low

Wolsely Hornet

mileage Daimler Sovereign with manual gearbox was strongly contested to £9,350, a fully restored series one 1956 Land Rover ex Cornwall Civil Defence made £26,400 and a 1949 civilian Willys Jeep in orange, £10,450. The handsome 1948 Riley RMA deserved the £5280 paid and that 2006 Jaguar XKR 4.2 V8 supercharged was a delight at £12,650 and may well be an investment if we are to believe that Jaguar plans to phase out their sporting models. For the restoration lovers, a barn fresh

1970 Austin Mini Van sold at £4,180 and the part finished 1933 Riley Lynx Tourer at £12,650. A sharp-eyed purchaser spotted the non –catalogued 1966 Humber Sceptre, which needed TLC but should prove worth the £2,995 outlayed. Post auction, a 1947 Triumph 1800 Roadster and a Tiger Cat E1 both found new custodians.

Further thought is invited in the said Private Treaty Sales department for the 1968 Daimler V8 with very rare manual gearbox and power steering, the Austin A40 Sports and a totally immaculately restored Triumph TR2.

Please contact Brian Chant on 01963 363353 if you would like to consign your historic vehicle to DVCA’s Summer Auction Sale.

Motoring

ON ALL VEHICLES UP TO 3.5 TONNES INCLUDING HORSEBOXES AND MOTORHOMES

SUNRISE SERVICE & MOT CENTRE

Bodyshop open for all repairs and restorations, f rom small scratches to complete resprays, insurance work welcome.

MOTS , SERVICING AND REPAIRS ON ALL VEHICLES UP TO 3.5 TONNES INCLUDING HORSEBOXES AND MOTORHOMES

MOTS – class 4,5 and 7

MOTS, SERVICING AND REPAIRS ON ALL VEHICLES UP TO 3.5 TONNES INCLUDING HORSEBOXES AND MOTORHOMES

Diagnostics

Air conditioning

Bodyshop also available.

Valets

Bodyshop open for all repairs and restorations, f rom small scratches to complete resprays, insurance work welcome.

MOTs – class 4, 5 and 7

MOTS – class 4,5 and 7

Courtesy Cars

Diagnostics Air Conditioning

Diagnostics

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Collections within a 5 mile radius

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Valets

Concessions for Pensioners, Armed Forces and Emergency Services

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Collections within a 5 mile radius

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15B Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road Blandford DT11 8ST

15B Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road Blandford DT11 8ST

15B Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road Blandford DT11 8ST Tel: 01258 459798

Tel: 01258 459798

Email info@sunriseservicecentre.com

Tel: 01258 459798

Email sunriseservicecentre@hotmail.com

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Email sunriseservicecentre@hotmail.com

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2019 (19)

1.3Tce Prestige SUV 5dr.

6 speed manual gearbox, high seating position, high ground clearance, large boot, sat nav, parking sensors & parking cameras, cruise control, auto lights, blind spot assistance, hill start assist, speed sign recognition, 23,600 miles

2020 (20) Hyundai i10 1.0 SE Connect 5dr. 67bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, cruise control, auto lights, parking camera, lane aid, hill start assist, upto 60mpg economy, 1 owner, 29,800 miles .................DUE IN NOW

£12850

2015 (15) Dacia Duster 1.5DCi Laureate SUV 5dr. 110bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, high seating position, high ground clearance, large boot, touch screen sat nav, leather seats, parking sensors, cruise control, hill start assist, Bluetooth, cambelt kit replaced, 60,500 miles ...................£6250

2005 (55) Ford Focus 1.4 LX 5dr. 79bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, nice old example with only 52,900 miles & plenty of history, clearance car to be sold as seen with MOT until March 2025, only 52,900 miles ...........................................................................................DUE IN NOW

2016 (16) Ford Kuga 2.0TDCi Titanium Nav SUV 5dr. 150bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, high seating, big boot, £1800 of factory options, appearance pack, sat nav, sign recognition, parking sensors, cruise control, auto lights & wipers, hill start assist, heated front screen, cambelt kit replaced, 60,500 miles .............................................................

DUE IN APRIL

2014 (14) Peugeot 308 1.6HDi Active 5dr. 92bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, sat nav, cruise control, parking sensors, hill start assist, automatic lights & wipers, FREE yearly road tax & upto 70mpg economy, cambelt kit replaced, only 64,500 miles

£5850

2018 (68) Renault Captur 1.5DCi Iconic SUV 5dr. 90bhp, diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, high seating, sat nav, parking sensors, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, hill start assist, cambelt / timing belt replaced, upto 67mpg fuel economy, 49,500 miles ..........................................DUE IN APRIL

2016 (66) Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Design 5dr. 100bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, cruise control, auto lights,

2019

2014 (64) Ford Transit Connect 1.6TDCi 240 L2 Van. 115bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, No VAT to pay, 3 seats, unusual van with tailgate & twin side doors, Bluetooth, parking sensors, cruise control, heated front screen, alloys, cambelt kit replaced, 82,700 miles, No VAT to pay ...................................................................................

DUE IN APRIL

81 drivers caught on mobile phones

SCORES of people were caught using mobile phones behind the wheel during a crackdown in Somerset.

Avon and Somerset Roads Policing officers ran a twoweek operation targeting mobile phone use while driving, resulting in 81 offences being identified.

Operation Telecom, which ran between February 26 and March 10, was part of an annual national roads policing operation aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

While use of a mobile phone at the wheel is illegal, any driver distraction –including use of a handsfree device – significantly raises the likelihood of being involved in a fatal or serious injury collision.

Chief Inspector Robert Cheeseman, Head of Roads Policing, said: “A driver using a handheld mobile phone or

handsfree mobile phone is four times more likely to be involved in a collision than an undistracted driver.

“Within Avon and Somerset, 33% of collisions in 2023 involved a driver that was distracted.”

Various methods of detection were used during Op Telecom. As well as highly-visible patrols, the team used unmarked vehicles, officers stationed at local ‘hotspots’ and officers in plain clothes.

Officers dealing with an eight-vehicle collision on the M4 on March 5 saw numerous incidents of drivers passing the scene using a handheld device.

In total, 81 drivers were caught during the two-week operation, compared to 49 offences recorded in a similar operation in 2023.

Meanwhile, in addition to mobile phone offences, officers recorded a further 32 traffic offences, including failure to wear a seatbelt and driving at excess speed.

Ch Insp Cheeseman stressed poor driver behaviour is directly linked to fatal and serious injury collisions, saying this urgently needs to be addressed.

New MOT, battery, tyres and brakes. £2600 o.n.o. If you require any further info: Tel: 07859-906959/ 01258-721389

STORAGE FOR CARAVANS, boats and cars at Enford Farm near Blandford. 01258 450050 / 07704 813025

Book online: blackmorevale.net

BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY

60 Years & Still Going Strong

Heartfelt congratulations to Les & Barbara Day of Sixpenny Handley who are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary on March 30th, 2024 from Mark, Samira, & Zane, & all the family

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DARLING ELLY on the 25th March.

All my love as always and forever. Dave

MEETING PLACE

RETIRED LADY would like phone/pen-pals, preferably retired. male or female.

Tel: 07786-771409

PUBLIC NOTICES

GILLINGHAM CAR SPACES AVAILABLE

CLOSE TOWN CENTRE SHORT WALK TO STATION

CONTACT CHAPMAN MOORE 01747 822244 chapmanmoore@btconnect.com

We are looking to contact Mrs Waters formerly of Thornibank Court, Long Street, Sherborne, Dorset. If you have any information, please contact John Grace on 01749 835273 or email: John.grace@mogersdrewett.com

GOING GROUP LTD T/A GOING UNDERGROUND is applying for a licence to use Unit 1 Melbury Business Park, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 0AF as an operating centre for 1 goods vehicles and 0 trailers. Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Hillcrest House,386 Harehills Lane, Leeds, LS9 6NF, stating their reasons, within21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A guide to making representations is available from the Traffic Commissioners office.

Book online: blackmorevale.net

IN MEMORIAM

16/5/27 – 16/03/24 of Mere, Historian. Much respected, a member of the community. Private Crematorium. Memorial in the Summer.

DEATHS

JOHN MIGHALL

82 of Blandford, and of J.M Commercials, Piddle Hinton Passed away 22nd March 2024.

Loving husband to Mira and loving father to Sharon, a loving grandfather to Brandon and Alisha, great grandfather to Mason & Seb. Funeral arrangements to be announced.

Valerie Janman

Died peacefully at Nazareth Lodge, Sturminster Newton, At the age of 91 on Sunday 17th March. Previously of Brambles Kennels and Cattery, Stourton Caundle.

Cremation only.

JOHN PERRETT

Peacefully on the 10th March 2024 at home aged 77 years, formerly of Stroud Farm, Belchalwell. Dearly loved Husband, Dad & Grandad. A service to celebrate John’s life will be held at St Lawrence Church, Folke on Wednesday, 3rd April at 12 noon. Please wear some colour. No flowers, donations if desired for Weldmar Hospicecare or St Lawrence Church. C/o Peter Jackson Funeral Services, Mons, High St, Henstridge, BA8 0RB. Tel: 01963 362570.

Peter Myers

Passed away peacefully on 10th March 2024 at Dorset County Hospital. Aged 71 years. Loving Husband to Mary. A much loved Dad, Grandad and Brother. Peter will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Funeral Service to be held at Poole Crematorium on Friday 12th April 2024 at 2.00pm. Please wear something blue.

Family flowers only please but donations, if desired, made payable to Cancer Research UK and Dorset County Hospital Charity (for the benefit Fortuneswell Unit), may be made online by visiting www.close-funeral.co.uk or cheques payable to the charity c/o Colin J Close Funeral Service, Peel Close, Salisbury Road, Blandford DT11 7JU. Tel: 01258 453133

STICKLAND

Veronica Ruth

On Monday 11th March 2024, Veronica sadly passed away at Yeovil District Hospital, aged 89years. She will be greatly missed by her daughters Vanessa and Andrea, her son in laws Garry and Robin, her 4 grandchildren, Luke, Sophie, Matthew and Hannah and also by her 5 great grandchildren, Mia, Lexi, Riley, Paisley and Cailan plus her niece Brita and partner Richard and all family and friends. Funeral Service at All Saints Church, Castle Cary on Wednesday 10th April at 2.p.m. followed by interment at the Cemetery. Family flowers only please, donations in memory of Veronica are being invited for the British Heart Foundation or Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

C/O Harold F.Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22 7ES. Telephone. (01963) 440367

Dr David Longbourne MBE

DEATHS

Christabel Ann Hunt

‘Chris’

Peacefully passed away at home on the 12th March 2024. Beloved wife to the late Gordon, Mum to Max and Jeff, and grandmother to Abi, Sarah, and Rebekah. Chris was much loved and will be sadly missed by all her family and friends. The funeral will take place on 10th April 2024 at St Michael & All Angels Church, Stour Provost at 12pm. Donations, if desired, to Macmillan, via Bracher Brothers website or on the day of the funeral. For enquiries, please contact Bracher Brothers on 01747 822494

Kempster, Albert.

died the 7th of March, peacefully in his sleep at 92 he had a good innings, no ceremony, just cremation. Any donations to cancer relief or guide dogs for the blind. Thankyou.

SKELTON-WALLACE JACK

On 14th February 2024 in Salisbury District Hospital, aged 88 years, of Gillingham.

Loving Husband, Father and Grandpa.

Funeral Service at Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Gillingham, on Thursday 4th April at 12 noon.

Followed by Committal at Salisbury Crematorium. No flowers please. Donations to RNLI on the occasion of their 200 years Anniversary can be sent to the Lymington Branch, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, BH15 1HZ.

Please mark the envelope ‘ In memory of Jack Skelton-Wallace’ or cheques made payable to the charity can be sent c/o Peter Jackson Funeral Services, Harwood House, Newbury, Gillingham, SP8 4QJ

JOHN HAYES

John Hayes of Gillingham passed away peacefully on 10th March 2024 at Yeovil District Hospital. A much-loved father, grandfather and great grandfather who will be greatly missed by family and friends. His funeral service will take place at Mortimer Methodist Church, 17 West End Road, Mortimer Common, RG7 3TB. on 17th April at 1pm. Family flowers only please, Donations in John’s memory to Alzheimer’s Society.

AMANDA HODGSON

On 5th March 2024, sadly but peacefully passed away in Dorset County Hospital aged 56 years.

Much loved daughter to Bernard and the late June (Judy).

Funeral service takes place at Salisbury Crematorium on Friday 12th April at 11.00am No flowers please but donations, if desired, for Dorset County Hospital Charity, may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532

JANE COX

On 12th March 2024, peacefully at home aged 65 years, of Shaftesbury. A much loved mum, daughter, sister, auntie and friend to many.

“Never to be forgotten”

Funeral service takes place at Yeovil Crematorium on Thursday 11th April at 12 noon.

No flowers please, but donations for the RSPB may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532.

Jennifer “Jo” Lewis

Passed away peacefully at Dorset County Hospital on 14th March 2024. Aged 87 years.

Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother. Funeral Service to be held at St Nicholas Church, Child Okeford on Monday 8th April 2024 at 11.30am.

Family Flowers only please but donations, if desired for Horatio’s Garden, may be made online by visiting https://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk/donate/ (adding Jo Lewis as a reference). Enquiries and cheques payable to the charity can be made c/o Colin J Close Funeral Service, Peel Close, Salisbury Road, Blandford DT11 7JU. Tel: 01258 453133

PATRICIA ANN SCRIVENS ‘’Pat’’

On 12th March 2024, peacefully in her sleep after a short illness in Southampton General Hospital aged 82 years of Tisbury.

A beloved wife of the late Michael, a much loved sister, aunt and great aunt.

Funeral service takes place at Salisbury Crematorium on Monday 8th April at 11am

Family flowers please and donations for Wiltshire Air Ambulance may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532

Celia Peaty

Of Winterborne Stickland

Sadly passed away at home on 5th March 2024. Aged 93 years.

Beloved wife to the late Jim Peaty. A Loving Mum, Nan and Great Nan.

Funeral Service to be held at St Mary’s Church, Winterborne Stickland on

Thursday 18th April 2024 at 11am.

Family flowers only please, but donations, if desired for Margaret Green Animal Rescue, may be made online by visiting www.close-funeral.co.uk or cheques payable to the charity c/o Colin J Close Funeral Service, Peel Close, Salisbury Road, Blandford DT11 7JU. Tel: 01258 453133

DYTER – Lorna Shirley

On 7th March 2024, peacefully at Poole Hospital aged 76 years. Beloved Wife of the late Paul and will be sadly missed by all her family and friends. Funeral service to take place at The Halo Ceremony Hall, Poole on Thursday 18th April 2024 at 11am. Family flowers only please, but donations if desired for Diabetes UK may be made online at www.oharafunerals.co.uk.

Nicholas O’Hara Funeral Directors, West Moors, 01202 895875

PEARL LEWIS

Pearl sadly passed away on 11th March, aged 99 years. Her funeral will be held on 18th April at 12pm at St Mary’s Church, Gillingham. Donations if desired for Guide Dogs for the Blind C/O L.C.Hill & Son, Water Street, Mere BA12 6DZ Tel: 01747-440369

THEOBALD Lorely

Aged 77 years of North Cheriton. On 12th March 2024, peacefully at Ashwood Care Centre, Warminster. Lorely will be sadly missed by her family and friends. Funeral Service at St John the Baptist Church, North Cheriton on Friday 5th April at 12noon followed by private cremation. Family flowers only please, donations in memory of Lorely are being invited for Ashwood Care Centre. C/O Harold F.Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22 7ES. Telephone. (01963) 440367

RICHARD WALBRIN

Peacefully on 9th March 2024, aged 60. Of Yeovil. Dearly loved husband, Dad, Granddad, Brother and a friend to all. He will be sadly missed.

Funeral Service at Yeovil Crematorium, 3rd April at 12.40pm. Donations to Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance and The Doner Family Network. C/O Stuart Foster Funeral Services. 27 Market Street, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 1HZ

FRYER, June Frances

Formerly of Charlton Horethorne, died peacefully on 8th March 2024 aged 89 years. Much-loved wife of the late Tony Fryer for 57 years, mother of Richard and Janie, very proud grandmother of Alice, Lucy, Abigail and Eliot and great-grandmother of Eva and Fearne.

Private family cremation. Donations in lieu of flowers, if desired, for Save The Children c/o G & M Lunt Ltd, Sheffield

NORMAN LESLIE PULLEN (NOBBY)

Passed away peacefully on the 14th March after a long illness. Aged 78 years. Husband, Dad, Grandad and Brother. Funeral Service at St Mary’s Church, Gillingham on the 16th April 2024 at 1030am, Followed by Interment at Wincanton Cemetery. Family Flowers only. Any Donations for Huntington’s Disease Association.

Dorset care home bids for 12 new rooms in two-storey extension

A DORSET care home has submitted plans for an extension.

Casterbridge Lodge, off the B3159 at Winterbourne Steepleton, has applied to Dorset Council for permission to build a two-storey extension.

The scheme would see the number of beds on offer increase from 34 to 46.

Two other buildings are also included in the plan, submitted by WDA on behalf of the care home, which would provide staff accommodation.

“To make a success of a care home, an operator requires at least 45 beds,” the application said. “There are currently 34 rooms, 32 of which have en-suite bathrooms, set over two storeys.

“As part of extensive works to upgrade existing facilities, the applicant seeks permission to extend the building so it is able to cater for an additional 12 en-suite bedrooms and an additional day room.”

The scheme would see the building extended to the southern side by around 11 metres, with six private bedroom suites on the ground floor, six on the first floor, with an “inviting new communal day room that benefits from peaceful views of the landscape to the south”.

“The proposal capitalises on the opportunity to give the building a new public identity, creating a simple but beautiful

new element which harmonises the building with its countryside setting,” the plan said.

“A modern composition of soft materials greet staff and visitors and enjoys its relationship with its setting. Staff accommodation is also included in the planning application.

Picture: WDA/ Dorset Council

“In providing more beds, the applicant recognises the ned to increase staff numbers and wants also to take the opportunity to enhance staff convenience through the provision of flexible overnight accommodation.”

Access to the site would stay the same, with an increase in parking spaces, the plans added.

The scheme will now be considered by council planners. For more details, and to comment on the scheme, log on to dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/FUL/2024/01024.

Arrests after assault claim in Dorchester

TWO people have been arrested after a woman suffered serious injuries in an alleged assault in Dorchester.

At around 10.50am on Sunday (March 24), police were told a woman had been assaulted earlier in the morning at an address in Damers Road, pictured.

The victim – a woman in her 40s from the Dorchester area – sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment.

A 28-year-old woman and a 51-year-old man, both from Dorchester, have been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Detective Inspector Rhys Griffiths, of

“An investigation is underway and I am appealing to anyone who saw or heard any suspicious activity in the area during the morning of Sunday, March 24, to please get in touch.

“A cordon has been put in place at the scene and there will be an increased police presence while officers carry out detailed enquiries.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55240043942.

They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk. org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.

Casterbridge Lodge and, below, how the new extension could look

Dorset County CID, said: “From our initial enquiries, we believe the incident happened inside an address and involved individuals who are known to each other.

Recruitment

WAITRESS REQUIRED

At Hays Park Retirement Apartments, Sedgehill, Shaftesbury.

On Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays 12pm – 2pm.

For further details on the role and pay

Please contact: Carolyn or Rosie on: 01747 830349 or email: hays.park@googlemail.com

MULTI-DROP DRIVER (PART-TIME) driving a 3.5 tonne vehicle, delivering picked orders to customers.

Approximately 25hrs per week

Monday – Friday start 7.00am, plus Saturday mornings start 6.30am. Clean licence preferred.

Email: careers@finefoodco.co.uk

COMPTON ABBAS AIRFIELD ‘SMOKEHOUSE’ KITCHEN MANAGER.

A unique manager role for the new Smokehouse at Compton Abbas Airfield. The role will offer the opportunity to lead and manage a team, delivering a one-of-a-kind menu, cooked on our new J&R Oyler 1300e Smoker. Our ideal candidate would have great attention to detail and consistency, manage in a disciplined, systemic approach with a mature, positive attitude. Email a covering letter and CV to officemanager@comptonairfield.com

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A GARDENER to work 1 Day a week in Hilton. Ideally you should have a good working knowledge of plants and trees and be able to help maintain a well established garden, including pruning, taking cuttings, advising on and siting new plants and general garden work. This will not include grass cutting. Please call Alison (07971-903226) or Jane (07787-427435) For more information.

TEACHING JOBS

RECRUITMENT OPEN EVENING

Monday 15TH April 2024, starting at 16:30

Shaftesbury based SEN School

To book your place call 01747 449858 or email HR@dorsetcentreofexcellence.org.uk

www.coombehouseschool.org.uk

SHAFTESBURY & DISTRICT CARERS, are looking for 2 Senior Pier Support Workers. Evening and weekends included. Tel: 01747-851397 eileencrew. hopeprojects@gmail.com

SELF EMPLOYED EXPERIENCED GROUNDWORKERS/PLANT OPERATORS

We are looking for an experienced Groundworker who can also operate a 360° Excavator for local interesting contracts, working as part of a team.

Applicants must be con dent in their ability to carry out all aspects of groundwork to a good standard with attention to detail. We o er a safe working environment with good rates of pay. Local work and an opportunity of long-term employment with a friendly family run business.

If you are that exible, skilled groundworker who can also operate plant to a good standard please call, Martin on 01258 455219 or email admin@farwellplanthire.co.uk

WE ARE RECRUITING GROUNDS PERSON Full-time, Permanent King’s School, Bruton

We are currently looking to fill the following full-time position:

We are looking to recruit an experienced “can do” Grounds Person at King’s School.

Reporting to the Foundation Director of Grounds, you will be joining a hardworking and happy team who always strives to deliver the best. This is a varied role, where you will carry out routine maintenance of all school grounds including maintenance of all sports pitches, general upkeep of sports equipment and maintenance of equipment and assisting the Director of Grounds as required.

You will have experience in general grounds work and hold the appropriate qualifications or have had training in gardening and grounds work. To succeed in this role, you will be expected to be flexible with excellent communication skills.

Experience working in a school environment would be advantageous but is not essential.

This is full time position, working 40 hours per week with a rota to work weekends during the Summer Term.

Please visit

www.kingsbruton.com/about-us/vacancies for further information and an Application Form, or contact HR on 01749 814316

King’s School is an independent co-educational boarding schools committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Recruitment

Small traditional building company looking for multi-skilled tradespeople for upcoming contracts. Rendering, repointing, stone & brickwork

Contact: Dave Welsh

– 07838654468

CLEANER REQUIRED

Dorchester home. Call 07597 621 922

A.P.STEPHENS AND SON require a full time Bricklayer and Labourer, driving license needed. Call Luke 07818-297152

Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.

Dorset Resin Flooring Contractors Ltd. Sherborne Based.

Trainee Technician required. Full training provided. THIS IS A RARE OPPORTUNITY - Permanent position. Full and part time opportunities, but a minimum of 3 days per week. Rate of pay will be generous and progressive as you learn and take on more responsibilities. Once fully qualified 4-5 years, you should expect a salary of £50k plus per annum. This will take dedication and attention to detail. If you would like to know more please call Kenny on 07973-838735. If I am not able to answer your call, please do leave a message.

RELIEF MILKER

REQUIRED on small organic farm near Sturminster Newton. Up to 1.5 days a week. Sundays preferred. Excellent rate of pay.

07944-392177

blackmorevale.net/jobs

EXPERIENCED GENERAL FARM WORKER/TRACTOR

DRIVER, on dairy farm near Castle Cary. Tel: 07974-004493

GARDENER OR GARDENER/HOUSEKEEPER

COUPLE REQUIRED full time near Sherborne. Experience with garden machinery. Accommodation available. Send CV to Mark.leatham@lyonshill.co.uk

BLACKMORE VALE JOBS GROUP

NOW ON Facebook

MERE SURGERY

ADMINISTRATOR

16 hours per week

We are looking to recruit an enthusias�c and mo�vated individual to join our administra�on team at Mere Surgery.

The successful candidate will work within a small team and provide secretarial, data processing and administra�ve support. Successful candidate will have strong interpersonal, customer care, organisa�onal skills and understanding of IT. Training will be provided.

Flexibility to work addi�onal hours for holiday and other absences is essen�al.

To see the job descrip�on and person specifica�on for the above posi�on, please visit www.meresurgery.co.uk. To apply please send a CV and covering le�er to: Michele Mason, Prac�ce Manager, Mere Surgery, Dark Lane, Mere, Wiltshire, BA12 6DT or alterna�vely email: michelemason@nhs.net

Telephone: 01747 860001

Applica�ons to be received by: 25th April 2024

SITUATIONS WANTED

CHEMISTRY TUTOR Experienced GCSE and A Level teacher. Call 07732 418488 or visit www.cometugrow.com/services.

GARDENER. Available one day a week. South of Sherborne. 07709-092610

HOUSE KEEPING SERVICES and Dog Walking. Honest and reliable and pet friendly. Tisbury and surrounding areas.My rates are £15 an hour.Please phone me on 07931-423596

CAMPERVAN SOLD. Contents and various camping items for sale. Phone Child Okeford: 01258-861887

CARAVAN AWNING, Star Camp Magnum 390, little used, £150.00 Tel: 01963-364008

POWAGLIDE GOLF BUGGIE, 60amp Lithium battery, excellent condition, little used, 2yrs old £1,150.00 Tel: 01258-452313

GENTS RIDGEBACK CYCLE. 28” wheel. Carrier etc. Black/silver. Mudguards. 7-speed shimmo gears. £95 ono. 01258 454919

COLLECTION OF OLD STONE TROUGHS various sizes details call 01963 362779

SILVER CROSS PRAM, 1970’s navy/white, immaculate condition, plus extras. £200.00.

Tel: 01935-425509

VOLT BURLINGTON ELECTRIC BIKE

186 miles from new, dry stored, 47cm frame, many accessories, battery always fully charged, £750 Tel. 01963 210576

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS

NUTOOL NTPG2 GASOLINE GENERATOR as new / never used. £50. Tel: 01258-817810

10 PAIRS OF WELDING

GAUNTLETS plus 4 leather welding aprons. £50 o.n.o

Tel: 01747-870824

STAIR GATE WITH ADJUSTMENT FITTINGS £10, good condition in Tisbury area, Phone 01747 873103

BENROSS 460DRIVER £10. Tel: 01935-476815

ADJUSTABLE 6FT HEDGE TRIMMER. Hardly used. As new. £15.00 Tel: 01258-452166

BLOW UP LUXURY DOUBLE DIVAN bed, automatic builtin pump, with holdall/bag, Used Twice 30 pounds ONO Tel 07449-116144

DOUBLE PANNIER CYCLE BAG. MWAVE. £45 incl cycle cape and bike cover. Bargain. 01747 838788

NEW GO CHEF 8 in 1 cooker £50 07791-847767

GARDEN HARDWOOD LARGE

TABLE & 6 chairs with arms v good con 01747-822874

FISHING, COMPLETE SPINNING outfit, rod, reel, lures, line. Ideal river or sea £50. Tel: 07907-044084

FISHING PARAPHANALIA. Rods, Reels, Floats etc. Must sell. Offers considered. 07785 534524.

SELECTION OF GARDEN POTS, plastic, terracotta, with or without flowers in. £48.00 for five.

07984 192409

SHOLLEY SHOPPING TROLLEY. Smart, safe, fits car boot. Bargain £25 Tel: 01935 812328 (Sherborne)

15 JIGSAWS, 500 or 1000 pieces. Pristine. £20 ono for all. Can split. 01963 23412

PAIR OF BRIGHT RED PVC over knee boots. Size 6½-7. £15 ono. Tel: 07717 522304

PIG GALVANISED TROUGH heavy duty £45.00. 07743-731685

VONO STYLE CARD TABLE £30. CARPET BOWLS Excellent condition £16 tel 07765-800413

HONEY PINE CHEST OF DRAWERS. 2x2. needs a foot glued on, otherwise good condition. £7.50. 01963-350018/07527-733046

FLYMO-MOWER EASI-GLIDES 300. VGC. £50 Tel: 01258 830537

BROWN

£20. 01747 830656

GOOD GARDEN TOP SOIL, 3 LARGE Wheelbarrow loads £15. Tel. 01 747 824 240.

CAKE DECORATING EQUIPMENT, Turntables, nozzles, cutters, tools, ribbons, books, etc, Details 01963 362156

SCARIFIER. BOSCH AVR 1100. Perfect condition. Used about five times only. £50. 01963 220640

QUALITY LEATHER GENERAL PURPOSE SADDLE. 17”. Medium width. Deep seat. Good condition. Surplus to requirements. £50. Tel: 01935 834270

ATCO COMMODORE B20 Lawn Mower working order unused since receipted professional service £50 Wincanton 07438-269221

AVIARY PANELS. Offers 01963 33156

HARTMAN ATHENA used garden table 200cms x 100cms, 8 matching chairs. Teak top, aluminium frame. £50.Buyer collects. 01747-685664

GARAGE DOOR FOR SALE with frame. Very good condition, £50 01963-250633

BOXES (Cardboard) - strong, ideal storage/house move. For up to 12kg wgt. 30 for £20

Tel: STREET 01458 44 32 64

GREEN PVC COATED FENCING Wire 2m x 10m £15

Tel 01935 814746

WOODEN TOY/BLANKET BOX, vgc, painted pale grey 92cm long/ 40cm deep/36cm high £45 ono Tel: 07891-987809

A SET OF 4 HENSELITE BOWLS, size 5, in a box. £50. 07707-596857

THE LONDON ARCHIOLOGIST MAGAZINES, 1985-2020, plus a selection of others.

Tel: 01935-873321/07916-490061

FREE. Collection only

SOLID PINE CHEST OF DRAWERS £50. Tel: 07860-969868

TWENTY GARDEN PARTY PLATES and bowls. Beauty of fine china, convenience of plastic! Unused. £35. Tel: 01935-872459

OLD BOOKS BOUGHT. Will call by appointment entirely without obligation. Bristow & Garland 07392 602014

STAMPS & COINS wanted by collector/ investor. I am very keen to purchase large or small collections at this time.

Tel Rod 01308 863790 or 07802 261339

WANTED

WANTED

All militaria bought British/Foreign. Single items or collections

Contact Tim on 07904 082997

WOOD CUPBOARD, 71cmW, 33cmD, 69cmH. One shelf.

Chipping in for air ambulance

SHERBORNE Golf Club 2023 captains Iain McVie and Angela Peel have handed over a cheque for £8,250.17 to Becky Heath from Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Members and visitors to the club raised the money by supporting charity days, social events and paying light-hearted fines throughout the year.

Iain said: “This was a fantastic effort by everyone for

GOLF

our chosen 2023 charity.

“The air ambulance provides a crucial public service that has saved many lives in Dorset and Somerset.

“Their work is reliant on donations and fundraising, and we are so pleased to be able to support this vital service.

“Thank you to all those who gave so generously.”

Tight finish in ladies’ first team event

WHEATHILL Golf Club’s first Ladies team event of the season was a three ball better ball stableford, played off full handicap with the best two scores to count.

Some 18 ladies faced testing course conditions with the ground wet and soggy under foot.

Winners were Jen Warmington, Sam Thorpe

GOLF

and Sue Adams, two of whom also won the event last year.

The second team were Greta Hillier, Marion Hodgson and current ladies captain, Anne Scott.

It was a very tight contest between the top four teams, all scoring 80 points, but Jen, Sam and Sue came out on top

RUNNING

after countback to win the Celee Trophy.

Students make the grade

SHAFTESBURY Karate Club students are taking a bow after taking part in the club’s latest grading.

The club’s leading instructor,

Blackmore

BLACKMORE VALE JOBS GROUP

NOW ON Facebook

KARATE

John Dalton, a 4th Dan black belt, has been training for over 37 years and has helped hundreds of karate students take their first steps into the sport.

The club, established in 2003 at Lindlar Hall, still train twice weekly on Tuesdays and

Thursdays at their original site.

The current membership includes 31 students ranging in age from five to 50-plus, eight black belts and three members who joined in the club’s first year.

New members are always welcome with gradings taking place three times a year.

Tough 10k Challenge

PEN Selwood Community Association are holding their Tough 10k Challenge on Sunday, April 14, at 11am.

The event, organised in association with Dorset Doddlers, has three races – 2km for under-11s, 5km for under15s, and 10km, starting and finishing at Pen Selwood village hall (BA9 8LR).

The 5km and 10km races are close to the Stourhead Estate and are very scenic with little traffic.

For entries and further information, visit www. penselwood10k.co.uk.

Proceeds from the event will be shared with the PCA and local charities.

In the picture (from left) Iain McVie, Angela Peel and Becky Heath

Lady captain, Anne Scott, Sam Thorpe, Jen Warmington and Sue Adams

The Pen Selwood Community Association event has three routes for all ages

Pitman bags his 50th goal

By Avril Lancaster

Shaftesbury 1 (Pitman 9)

AFC Portchester 0

THE Rockies won a close game in the Velocity Wessex League Premier Division with a first victory over AFC Portchester since 2019.

The Royals had scored 10 at Cockrams in their last two visits.

Brett Pitman headed in his 50th goal in all competitions against his former team.

Eddie Perrett’s throw in was flicked up into his path to head past Steven Mowthorpe to secure a fourth straight victory for manager Jim Milligan.

Shane Murphy saved Harrison Brook's penalty in the second half.

The two sides will no doubt be facing each other again in the play-offs.

United Services Portsmouth 0

Shaftesbury 1 (Beard 75)

THE Rockies achieved another Velocity Wessex League Premier Division double and a single goal win over United Services Portsmouth at Burnaby Road with Cam Beard bagging the winner.

FOOTBALL

Roll up and give bowls a try

BLANDFORD Bowling Club are holding an open day in May for anyone who would like to try the sport and meet new friends.

Bowling offers excellent, enjoyable and comparatively safe outdoor exercise, in a friendly atmosphere and is comparatively inexpensive.

It is suitable for all ages and abilities with the club welcoming members from five to 85 years of age.

The club have a

GOLF

WINCANTON Golf Club Results.

BOWLS

comprehensive social diary that extends to the winter months and which includes bingo, quiz nights, hobby days, coffee mornings, bowling tours and crib nights.

Anyone who would like to try out the sport should go along to the club at Milldown Road Recreation Ground, next to Blandford Hospital, on Saturday, May 11, between 10am and 4pm.

All equipment and refreshments will be provided and qualified coaches will be on hand to guide visitors. If possible, wear flat shoes.

For further details about the club and open day visit www. blandfordbowlingclub.com or contact the secretary on 07798 790369.

Ashfield nett 74.

Shaftesbury are grinding out results under Jim Milligan.

The result might not have been spectacular but it is more points on the board as the season heads to its conclusion.

United Services Portsmouth: O’Donnell, Adeniran, Kelly (Capt), Ayre, Mann, Ewins, Orepo, Nwaehi, Bailey, Clements, Rolls, Quirke. Subs: Walters, Brady, Norton, Richards.

Shaftesbury: Murphy, Farrugia, Davidson, Wells, Beard (one), Kellaway, Bartlett, Pitman, Bennett, Green, Satterley. Subs used: Philips, Pollard, Peel, Sweeney.

Seniors 3 Clubs & Putter – March 12: 1 Kees Schouten 36, 2 Steven Ireland 33, 3 Simon Lenton 32 ocb, 4 Mike Case 32.

Seniors 3 Clubs & Putter 9 Hole – March 12: 1 Pete Starkey 15; 2 Jon Reed 11; 3 Geoff Lye 8

Monthly Medal – March 16: 1 Chris Chapman nett 71, 2 Steven Ireland nett 72, 3 Brian White nett 74 ocb, 4 Stephen

Seniors Monthly Stableford March 19: 1 Kevin George 38 ocb, 2 Kees Schouten 38, 3 Steven Ireland 37.

Seniors Monthly Stableford Back 9 – March 19: 1 Keith Williams 14, 2 John Wolstenholme 12, 3 Geoff Lye 11.

Monthly Stableford – March 23: 1 David Amann 30, 2 Phil Francis 28, 3 Jim Stephen 27ocb, 4 Jim Phillips 27, 5 Chris Chapman 23.

Sherborne club set to stage open day

ANYONE for tennis? Well, Sherborne Tennis Club are inviting budding players in next weekend at an open day.

The club are based by the Terrace Playing Fields, just outside the town, and have four clay courts and four hard courts.

The club say they offer something for everyone with social and competitive events during the daytime and evening.

All age groups are catered for from five- to eight-year-old mini reds to veterans and over-70s.

TENNIS

The club have resident LTA-accredited coaches available for private lessons and regular group coaching squads.

After-school programmes run for children on most days and members can join men’s, ladies and mixed teams to play matches throughout Dorset and Somerset.

The open day includes free coaching for mini tennis – age four-11; free coaching for juniors – age 11-18; adult taster sessions; test your service

speed; target tests; free lunch from 12.30pm; and special membership offers when joining on the day.

The open day runs on Saturday, April 6, from 9.30am12.30pm. For more information visit www.sherbornetennis.com

Cameron Beard scored the winner against Portsmouth

PHOTO: Ben Chandler

Pets

by Lynn Broom Longmead Veterinary Practice

FROM June 10, 2024, it will become a legal requirement to have your cat microchipped by the age of 20 weeks – five months. It has been a legal requirement since April 6, 2016, for dogs to be microchipped from eight weeks old and this must be done before they are sold.

From June 10, if your cat is identified as not having a chip, you have 21 days to get it chipped or you may face a £500 fine. The same already applies to dogs.

It is a legal requirement for breeders to microchip their puppies by the time they are eight weeks old and the chip must be registered to the breeder. It is illegal to sell a puppy before they are eight weeks old, so all purchased puppies must be sold already chipped and registered to the breeder – unless a vet states in writing that they are too small or for health reasons.

As vets we get a lot of stray cats and dogs brought in. It is frustrating when we find they are either not chipped, the chip is unregistered or the details are out of date. We often need these

details urgently if the animal brought in is injured where decisions have to be made in terms of treatment options.

It is also a legal requirement for all dogs – with a few specific exclusions – to wear a collar with the owner’s name and address on – as specified under the Control of Dogs Order 1992. Failure to comply can risk a fine of £2,000. Providing a phone number on a collar ensures you will be contacted as soon as your dog is found rather than having to wait

for someone to scan their chip and get access to their registered details.

If you put a collar on your cat, please ensure it is one with a breakable clasp because cats can get caught up by their collar causing significant injuries.

We recommend you get your pet regularly scanned to ensure the chip is reading properly. It is also a good idea to sign into your chip company account to check your details are up to date and correct them as necessary. Currently, there are a number of

different sites where chips can be checked, and you must access the correct site to get the information. It is hoped that a national register will be developed to centralise this information.

For information about getting your pet chipped, please contact your vet or a local registered and experienced chip implanter. Ideally use a chip provided by an established chip company because accessing details from some companies can be more problematic.

COCKER

MID DORSET CATS PROTECTION

Cats looking for new homes

n Harlow (12 years). Looking for somewhere where she can continue her socialisation and have a stable, settled forever home

Three words that mean nothing to your dog...

by Raychel Hill

n Tigger (10 months). Has a curious and loving nature and craves attention

For details, please call our helpline on 01258 858644 or visit our website www.cats.org.uk/blandford

LOST CATS

If you have lost a cat contact us via our website, phone or Facebook. Please provide a contact phone number so we can get in touch with you quickly if needed.

n Black fluffy male, missing since January 23 from Buckhorn Weston.

n Small tuxedo female, missing since February 27 from Bourton.

n Small tabby female, missing since March 3 from Blandford.

FOUND CATS

If you regularly see a cat in your garden or down your street that you don’t think has an owner, please give us a call. It may be a lost cat that could be reunited with its owner.

n Black fluffy male cat, Corton Denham, been around for about six months.

n Black, Sturminster Marshall, been around off and on since 2022.

n White and ginger, Shaftesbury, half a tail, dated advised March 12.

THE words we use to ascribe meaning to their behaviour can give us a clearer picture of their interests and needs, or they can muddy the waters of our understanding of the species we share our lives with. Their “problem” behaviours may be problems for us, but they are perfectly normal behaviours for dogs. Here’s three common attributes that we often ascribe to dogs that do nothing but muddy the waters of our understanding of them.

Stubborn: To suggest that a dog is stubborn is to suggest that he is a moral creature – that he has some sort of conception of what is right and what is wrong, and more importantly, that he chooses what is wrong, despite knowing better. The truth is that dogs do what works for dogs. They have no concept of what is right and wrong, only what serves their interests. When your dog doesn’t respond to you, it’s usually either a “what” problem or a “why” problem – I will be diving into this in my next article.

Dominant: The idea that all unwanted dog behaviour is somehow rooted in an intrinsic need for dogs to assert their dominance over us seems to be

quite appealing to some people. It’s really quite fascinating that old myth has lived for so long without scientific backing and decades of research suggesting otherwise. All behaviour serves a fundamental, evolutionary purpose, with adaptive significance. The root of all behaviour is: 1 – Getting enough to eat; 2 – Avoiding being eaten; 3 –Avoiding injury or disease; 4 – Reproducing. Climbing the social ladder has no adaptive significance.

Guilty: Imagine that you are just dishing up a roast dinner but have to leave the kitchen. When you return, you find your plate empty. Your dog looks up at you with his snout covered in gravy, his head lowered and his body crouched. Surely, he’s got a guilty conscience, right? But here’s the thing: dogs are not moral creatures. Guilt is a complex emotion that, as far as we know, dogs aren’t capable of feeling. It is far more likely that the dog is fearful; he is interpreting your posture as unsafe, and thus, giving the appearance of feeling remorse.

n Raychel Hill BSc (Hons) MA CCAB APBC-CAB FABC ABTC-CCAB; Pet Peeves Animal Behaviour & Teaching; www.petpeevessomerset.co.uk.

Field & Stream

Swallows, swifts and more –ticking off the summer migrants

by AJ Selby

“Oh to be in England, now that April’s here.” Robert

Browning

MY chiff-chaff arrived with impeccable timing on March 14, bang on the median date for the last 50 years. He always gives me great comfort that another spring is with us and summer cannot be far behind. Daylight is increasing and the first leaves are appearing – the hawthorn buds are bursting and older country folk will be nibbling on these deliciously nutty treats. Their country name is ‘bread and cheese’, as they helped sustain travellers and drovers for centuries.

O, to be in England

Now that April’s there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf

Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough

In England — now!

In those distant days the elm was a pre-eminent tree across the country and I still remember

magnificent specimens dotted along many a hedge line. The alarm bells started ringing in the early 1970s when word came of Dutch elm disease, spread by the elm beetle. I can recall the warnings that the trees would quickly die back as the beetles burrowed into the bark and cut off their sap supply. However, looking up at those beautiful trees, it seemed incongruous that within a few short years they would all be felled and gone, if not forever, then for the rest of my lifetime.

Elm was a strong and durable wood that has a tight grain and is resistant to water. It was used to make boats and boat parts, coffins, wooden water pipes, wheel hubs and furniture. As the trees were felled, the bark parted from the trunk and we saw the myriad burrows of the beetle – like a drone view of those water channels found on beaches as the tide goes out. Today’s younger generation will fail to grasp how beautiful these trees were and how iconic they were of the England at that time – even old photos fail to do them justice.

Another big change over the last half a century or so is the definitions of the seasons with many of them blurring into the next. Rarely did we see a winter without snow and prolonged frosts, and spring crept gradually upon us. However, autumn is the season that has changed the most, from that former descent into mists and mellow fruitfulness when the colours were beyond mindblowing, and then the post equinox gales and trees stripped bare of every quivering leaf. Today it is hard to tell when autumn starts and finishes.

Despite my chiff-chaff appearing on time, many marker plants tell us that the seasons are changing. With no proper winter this year, some flowers were appearing up to six weeks early, but with pollinators still in hibernation, prospects of fertilisation were slim. Once insects hatch they may then struggle to find those flowers upon which they have become interdependent for centuries.

Many people are trying to address the changes to our climate – all I can do is observe and compare, but there is no doubt we are close to a tipping point, if not already over it. So what else can we see as the days lengthen and the mercury rises? Summer migrants are arriving in numbers and it’s great fun ticking them off as you spot them – blackcap, willow warbler, whitethroat, flycatcher, swallows, martins and swifts.

I love swifts, beautiful birds that spend so long on the wing and scythe though the warm summer air. I used to have a Ladybird book with pictures representing each month and its associated wildlife, and July, I think, showed an old Norman village church with swifts wheeling around the bell-tower set against an azure blue sky. I rarely plug events here, but if you are interested in swifts, Edward Mayer, a leading swift conservationist, is giving a talk at the Digby main hall in Sherborne on Thursday, April 18, at 7pm.

I plan to visit some different habitats this year as there are still many birds I have never seen, such as the dipper, bittern and the corncrake – this last bird will be hard to find but possibly easier to hear.

Alongside the birds, of course, will be the different plants and insects in those habitats which will also be fun to learn about. Woodland has always been my milieu, so to visit fast-flowing rivers, reed beds and, to a lesser extent, organic farmland, to see the three aforementioned birds will be interesting.

My other plan this year is to see more butterflies. I have only seen many species once or twice, so I want to brush up on my identification skills this year, as who is not entranced by these beautiful insects? As time marches on, I want to experience as much as I can of the wonderful world of nature around me.

Garden centres’ boss honoured

GARDENING expert – and New Blackmore Vale columnist – Mike Burks has received an honorary award.

Mike, managing director of The Gardens Group, which owns Castle Gardens in Sherborne, Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil and Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester, has been awarded honorary membership of the Garden Centre Association (GCA).

Presented by GCA chair Will

Blake at the GCA’s 57th annual conference, the accolade recognises Mike’s commitment to and achievements on behalf of the industry.

Will said: “As Mike Burks steps down from the GCA executive committee, with his role as past chair coming to an end, the committee board members wanted to recognise the extraordinary work he has done over the past six years. Mike took the reins just two

months before the first Covid lockdown.

“He was instrumental in getting garden centres listened to by government, so that they could reopen after just seven weeks, undoubtedly saving many businesses within our industry. His guidance, support, leadership and environmental focus for the GCA and our industry is undeniable, and he will be sorely missed at executive committee meetings.”

Mike said: “I am bowled over by this announcement. The GCA represents the UK’s leading garden centres, so to be recognised and celebrated for my contribution is such a privilege. We are always inspired and motivated following the GCA conference, and this year is no exception. Our team is already looking at ways to implement their new ideas at each garden centre this year.”

High on the hill cows make hay

by Tria Stebbing

PADDOCK chess has begun. The relentless wet weather and lack of sun has now rendered the various plots of land we graze wet muddy bogs.

The Highland cows are at the very top of the hill – the logic is that it will be dry as the water runs down. When the top of the hill is also suffering from boggy conditions you know that winter has been wet. The cows are currently paddling in mud and have picked at the few shoots of grass that make it through.

We are lucky we still have small bales of hay that we can trudge up to them, as driving up has now become impossible. The cows love the hay and it is a joy to watch their excitement as we drop the bale in. Seb uses his horns to break the bale and spread it out, enabling him to pick at the sweetest parts first. Babybel likes to copy, but without the horns, and charges at the hay, shaking his head from side to side to scatter it in all directions.

They seem naturally drawn

to the wild garlic that is now in full fettle, providing a natural carpet for the sprouting bluebells underneath. The slight rise in temperature has led to an increase in midges swarming by the wettest parts of the paddock and the fold are using the garlic as a natural deterrent.

Wild garlic is also known as ramsons, cowleeks, buckrams and wood garlic. It forms a blanket of shoots at this time of year, preferring moist woodland soil.

Rubbing the leaves on the skin repels insects – clever cows – and it can also be eaten, although caution should be given by anyone on blood thinners. Chop the washed leaves and use as any other herb. It is known for its antiinflammatory properties and makes a good pesto. Do not let dogs eat it, though, as it is harmful to them.

The sheep fare less well as they are at the bottom of the hill, where it is boggy and wet. We have a list of people waiting for us to move the sheep to

them to graze down their paddocks. Easily moved, the sheep enjoy the variety of small spaces, more often than not horse paddocks that need finishing off because the horses are fussy and leave tufts behind. Our current dilemma is that if we move them now, they will just damage the ground, which is already muddy. When the sun does eventually come out, we will be running a flash-graze on the smaller sites, running them

for a week before taking them off.

During lockdown in 2020 we were now enjoying sunny warm spring weather. The lambs went straight out into the field and we were able to prepare for summer.

This year we are still unable to get to some of our hedges and ditches due to the ground conditions. Winter 2024 can go now – I think we have all had enough.

New ranger at ‘jewel in the crown’

A NEW ranger aims to bring the story of Ham Hill to the public in a new role.

Jasmine Ely has been appointed as an engagement ranger at the South Somerset landmark for the next three years, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as part of its support for the Uncovering Ham Hill’s Past for its Future project.

The initiative aims to safeguard and restore archaeological features, including the Iron Age Ramparts and the historic Lime Kiln.

Habitat enhancements will promote biodiversity, benefiting wildlife and local ecosystems, and the construction of a new visitor centre will be the centrepiece of the project.

In her role, Somerset Council

said Jasmine will delve into Ham Hill’s history, spanning from its geological origins to Iron Age settlements and present-day management.

Public events, school visits and activities are planned, with Jasmine also tasked with expanding the volunteering programme and encouraging more people to get involved at Ham Hill.

“I am fascinated by Ham Hill’s incredible history, stories and the nature embedded in its landscape,” she said.

“This iconic site is my passion, and strengthening the bonds between the local community and visitors to bring a greater understanding of what makes Ham Hill so special will be the key to securing its future.

“I am also excited about Ham Hill’s diverse flora and

fauna, and I can’t wait to share the wonders of its wildlife and bring people closer to nature.”

Lead member for environment and climate change at the council, Dixie

Darch, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jasmine to our amazing team at Ham Hill. Her role as engagement ranger will help us guide and inform visitors, as we set out and implement new and exciting plans to preserve and futureproof this spectacular jewel in the Somerset landscape.

“Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other generous benefactors, we now have the resources to showcase Ham Hill in the way it deserves, with a dedicated person to inspire and encourage visitors to connect with the site and its nature and bring them closer to all it has to offer.”

Anyone wanting to find out more about getting involved at Ham Hill can contact Jasmine by email at jasmine.ely@ somerset.gov.uk

But Tria Stebbing’s sheep put up with the mud at the bottom of the hill

New engagement ranger at Ham Hill, Jasmine Ely PHOTO: Somerset Council

Farming

Vet moves home after 138 years

A SHERBORNE vet is moving into new premises.

The Kingston Veterinary Group is leaving Long Street, moving the practice to Unit 5 at the Coldharbour Business Park.

Vets at the firm have provided care for livestock, equine and small animal patients for more than a century, based at Kingston House in Sherborne since its opening in 1886.

“Due to the high demand for our services and lack of space and car parking we are excited to announce that we are moving to a new premises, only five minutes away, at Coldharbour,” a spokesperson said.

They said the new site will provide room for growth and improve facilities and working conditions for staff.

“The new building will have four consultation rooms, a separate dog and cat waiting area in reception, an imaging suite, dental suite, modern theatre, separate kennels and cat ward, isolation units, purposebuilt farm animal theatre, a new laboratory, store and dispensaries, alongside better office facilities for our teams,” they added.

Animals will be welcomed to the new premises in late March/ early April, they said.

“We hope that you are all as excited as we are and look forward to you visiting the new premises very soon,” the spokesperson went on.

“Kingston Veterinary Group is investing in the future,

making sure the welfare of patients is at the forefront of their plans.”

The company’s small animal practice in Yeovil and the equine practice in Buckhorn Weston will run as normal.

NFU takes farming into schools

MORE than 275,000 schoolchildren across the country celebrated British Science Week and National Careers Week with NFU Education, with three new live lessons bringing farming directly into their classrooms.

Hosted by farmer Fiona Wilshaw and farm vet Dr Claire Whittle, the children delved into British food and

farming to explore key science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects through a real-life farming context.

The sessions for Key Stage 1 and 2 included:

KS1: Students saw first-hand how farmer Fiona looks after her animals, helped feed them and learnt how she grows their food from scratch to learn

about mammals and seasonal changes. They also learnt about the machinery she uses on her farm and helped an agricultural engineer fix her broken tractor.

KS2: Guided by Dr Whittle, students helped inspect a cow’s teeth, compared a cow’s digestive system to their own and then went on a ‘poo walk’ to hunt for invertebrates in the fields to learn about the

digestive system, nutrition, food chains and habitats.

KS2: Students learnt how farmers can help take care of cows’ hooves and how Dr Whittle responds to the different emergencies she’s called out to. They also helped scan cows to see if they are pregnant to learn about animal lifecycles, reproduction and inheritance.

The new premises on the Coldharbour Business Park in Sherborne (right) – and its base in Long Street

from our website or by post and catalogues available in due course

Enquiries to Simon Whaley 07971 571612 simonwhaley@scauctioneers.com

On behalf of Mr M C Denning

FOR SALE BY AUCTION ON THE PREMISES

175.71 Acres (71.21 hectares) OF ORGANIC GRASS KEEP

Comprising

134.69 Acres (54.61 hectares) in 5 Lots

At Manor Farm, Fifehead Magdalen and 41.02 Acres (16.60 hectares)

At Kings Court Palace, Gillingham

Available to both Organic and Non-Organic Farmers Auction at Manor Farm, Fifehead Magdalen SP8 5RR on WEDNESDAY 17th APRIL 2024 at 7.00pm

Sale particulars available online or by post Enquires to Iain Soutar 07971 571608 iainsoutar@scauctioneers.com

For details and catalogues of all of our sales including; Salisbury Livestock Market, Beaulieu Road Pony Sales and our online timed auctions of Furniture and General Items, Sporting Goods and Carpets visit our website www.scauctioneers.com or ring

DAVIS FENCING LTD

Agricultural, Equestrian & Forestry fencing

Land clearance/Estate management. 07707-069096 davisfencingltd@gmail.com

GRAZING NEEDED FOR RETIRED HORSE and pony, Shaftesbury, Tisbury, SP area. Tel: 07494-222284 Book

Symonds & Sampson link with the NFU and The Woodland Trust

As part of a scheme organised through The Woodland Trust and the NFU, Symonds & Sampson have planted 180 trees in North Dorset. The firm committed to planting thousands of trees throughout the region, and Senior Partner Mark Lewis has been pleased to be involved.

“13% of the UK is covered with trees but this is not enough to tackle climate change. We have been planting healthy, native trees where they are needed most. We have planted on marginal land, in memory of our client’s loved ones, and also in hedgerows where so many Elm, and now Ash have been lost over the years.”

Surveyors Sam Haskell and Will Cairns of Symonds & Sampson have been involved in the project “Most of the trees planted have been Oak, Rowan and Elder and we expect them to grow at different speeds throughout their life cycle. We are looking forward to showing the woods to our children and grandchildren and boasting that we made a difference!”

Accessing land as a new entrant

Almost half of farmers rely on tenanted land, but its supply is under threat with the number of available farm tenancies halving in the last 20 years. In a recent episode of Cornish Mutual’s Farming Focus podcast Tenant Farmers Association CEO George Dunn joins host Peter Green to share his tips for securing a farm tenancy.

“Tenanted land has a large role in the sector and competition for it is high,” says George. For those looking to start a farming business, this can be particularly challenging, with only 11% of farm tenancies awarded to new entrants. However, George advises gaining some experience before applying and starting the groundwork early to increase your chance of success. Building a network can also help you on your path. “It is about people and relationships,” says George. “For those outside agriculture, Young Farmers’ Clubs are a great place to start making connections.

“Put yourself out there and get in front of the people who can give you opportunities, even if you feel vulnerable. Be prepared to put in the hard yards to shine in the eyes of those who are offering access to land.”

Flexibility, a focus on margins and perseverance are all important qualities:

“Take the knockbacks as well as the positives. It is rare to get the first tenancy you apply for so be persistent.

Advertising feature

“Use your head and your heart – both passion and realism are needed to succeed in farming. Always remember, if it’s not profitable, don’t do it.” Listen to the full episode of Cornish Mutual’s Farming Focus Podcast at https://www.cornishmutual.co.uk/news-advice/farming-focus-podcast/ - also available via Spotify and Apple podcasts.

Farming

DORSET | DEVON | SOMERSET | HAMPSHIRE | WILTSHIRE | CORNWALL | LONDON

ON-FARM AUCTIONS

Tuesday 9th April

Higher Kingston Farm, Stinsford, Dorchester, DT2 8QE

Herd Dispersal of 261 Holstein Friesian Cows, Heifers & In-Calf Heifers

• 227 Milking Cows

• 34 In-Calf Heifers to Pedigree Limousin or Pedigree Aberdeen Angus

NMR Herd Av. 11,520 litres 3.92%BF 3.24%P cc117

Alta AI Sires – sexed Holstein, Pedigree Aberdeen Angus & Belgian Blue

AYR calving, Herringbone Parlour, Cubicle Housed IBR, Salmonella and Leptospirosis vaccinated and BVD free

On behalf of Hollands Farms Dorchester Ltd (Ceasing Milk Production) In conjunction with Cooper & Tanner and Norton & Brooksbank Online bidding available

Saturday 13th April

Chedington Estate, Chedington, Beaminster, DT8 3HY

Dispersal Sale of Polaris, Livestock Trailer, Large Quantity of Static & Mobile Sheep Handling Equipment and Livestock Equipment

Including: Polaris 570 Ranger, Bailey 25ft Livestock Trailer c/w Decks, Ritchie Combi Clamp Sheep Handler, Portequip Creep Feeders, Ritchie Weigh Crate, 1800HD 3 in 1 Feeder, Logic ATV Trailer, Rappa Hurdles, Albutt Dung Grab, Quantity of 6ft Hurdles, Ring Feeders, Footbath, Large Quantity of Electric Fencing Equipment, EziWeigh Weigh Scales, Stock Recording Equipment and other Livestock Equipment.

On behalf of Chedington Estate (Change in Farming Policy)

Tuesday 16th April

Dispersal Sale of 2 Tractors, Telehandler, Farm Machinery, 12 Bulk Bins and Pig Rearing Unit

Including: Case Tractor, Massey Ferguson 35, Merlo P 40.7, Bulk Bins from 7T to 25T, Farrowing Units, Metal Pig Arcs, Workshop Items, etc. On behalf of Corton Farm Partnership (Ceasing Pig Rearing)

Contact Greg Ridout: 01935 382909/07817 517467

Piddletrenthide, Dorchester Guide: £1,450,000 57.22 acres (23.16 hectares)

An excellent residential farm and equestrian holding located in the Piddle Valley.

This appealing property consists of a 5-bedroom farmhouse (subject to an agricultural and equestrian occupancy condition) with adjoining office and garage along with 24 stables and farm buildings, set within ring-fenced pasture land. CTB F. Freehold

Will Wallis or Ollie Chamings | 01305 236237

DORSET | DEVON | SOMERSET | HAMPSHIRE | WILTSHIRE | CORNWALL | LONDON

A rare opportunity to acquire a spacious

with versatile living spaces, modern fittings, and delightful outdoor area in this sought after village. CTB C. Freehold

Sherborne | 01935 814488

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Marnhull

Two houses remaining – Beautifully presented bespoke 3 bedroom detached houses in a small development with front and rear gardens, garaging and access to the footpaths and village amenities. CTB TBC. Freehold

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

JSA with Paterson Estates 01747 441199

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Marnhull Guide £395,000

An extremely well-presented 2 bedroom detached house close to the middle of the village in a quiet location with little passing traffic. CTB D. Freehold

Hazelbury Bryan Offers in the Region of £1,050,000

A stunningly positioned single storey 3 bedroom house with flowing internal space throughout set in approx. 5.95 acres on the edge of this highly regarded village. CTB F. Freehold

Sturminster Newton Guide £495,000

A charming Grade II lListed terraced Georgian cottage with 4 bedrooms and a garage located in the heart of the town. CTB E. Freehold

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Guide £550,000

South Cadbury Guide £419,950

4 bedroom family home

Marnhull

Guide £595,000

A character 3 bedroom detached house in an excellent central village location with a south facing garden, large oak framed double garage and workshop. CTB E. Freehold

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Osmington Guide £55,000 A level productive paddock close to Osmington and the coast. 1.18 acres in total.

Freehold.

Dorchester Ag. | 01305 236237

Melplash Guide £240,000 12.94 acres of level to sloping pasture land with far reaching views over the surrounding countryside.

Freehold.

Dorchester Ag. | 01305 236237

Halstock Guide £65,000 5.38 acres of level pasture land. Situated close to Halstock with direct road access. Freehold.

Yeovil | 01935 382901

Ilchester Guide £125,000 A three bedroom, semi-detached property with garage and parking, in need of renovation.

CTB B; Freehold.

Yeovil | 01935 423526

Ilminster | 01460 200790

HALL, SHERBORNE AND VIA LIVESTREAM

Limington Guide £70,000 3.55 acres of pasture land near the edge of Limington. With direct road access. Freehold.

Yeovil | 01935 382901

Crewkerne Guide £125,000

An attractive Grade II listed building with prominent corner position in Crewkerne. May be suitable for residential use (STPP). Freehold.

Dorchester | 01305 261008

Cranborne Guide £215,000 A semi-detached cottage for remodelling and refurbishment with an attached outbuilding and character features.

CTB C; Freehold

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Sopley Guide £90,000 5.04 acres of permanent pasture and woodland with New Forest common rights of pasture. Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Bournemouth Guide £250,000

A semi-detached two storey dwelling that has been converted to two flats but would suit being converted back to a single dwelling (STPP).

CTB A; Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Cranborne Guide £225,000 A semi-detached cottage for renovation/remodelling with an outbuilding and scope to create off-road parking.

CTB C; Freehold

Wimborne | 01202 843190

CTB E; Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Lytchett Matravers Guide £395,000

A spacious three bedroom property in a semi-rural setting on the edge of a small development.

Chard Guide £650,000

An elegant Victorian house with stunning original features and great potential. Set in 1.96 acres with self contained annexe. CTB G; Freehold.

PROPERTY AUCTION 18 APRIL AT DIGBY HALL, SHERBORNE AND VIA LIVESTREAM

Winton Guide £38,000

A ground floor commercial premises located on Winton High Street. Leasehold – 58 years remaining.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Sydling St Nicholas Guide £200,000

A three bedroom semi-detached house with large rear garden. Situated in a highly sought after village.

CTB C; Freehold.

Dorchester | 01305 261008

Merriott Guide £450,000

A substantial Grade II listed former pub, set in 1.02 acres with full planning permission for residential.

Freehold

Ilminster | 01460 200790

A

Bournemouth Guide £105,000

A one bedroom flat in a converted dwelling, situated only 0.5 miles away from the seafront.

CTB A; Leasehold – 62 years remaining.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Maiden Newton Guide £300,000

A well-positioned building plot with full planning permission for a detached two storey dwelling, double garage and access. Freehold.

Dorchester | 01305 261008

Lydlinch Guide £450,000

A substantial barn conversion with scope for refurbishment, set in 0.78 acres with potential for self contained annexe.

CTB F; Freehold

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

£550,000

CTB C;

24.54

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Blandford Guide £110,000 A substanstial Grade II Listed town centre property with full planning permission and Listed Building consent for change of use to residential. Freehold.

Blandford | 01258 452670

Redruth Guide £125,000-£150,000 Three Grade II Listed buildings for development (SSTP) with a wealth of character. Freehold.

Axminster | 01297 33122

Hinton St Mary Guide £150-175,000

A former garage measuring 0.06 acres (246.8 sqm.) with full planning permission to convert the existing buildings to residential. Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Ringwood Guide £275,000 6.43 acres of mixed woodland alongside a single brick bungalow for substantial renovation. Range of outbuildings.

CTB E; Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Sedgehill Guide £775,000

A four bedroom detached house with paddock and far reaching views,

need of updating.

CTB G; Freehold.

Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Wardon Hill Guide

former donkey/equine sanctuary comprising a bungalow, extensive stabling, outbuildingsand approx..

acres of pasture.

Freehold.

in all 5.5 acres. In

Somerset town is ‘property hotspot’

A SOMERSET town has topped a list of ‘property hotspots’, with the highest increase in house prices.

The average house price in Chard has risen by a whopping 123% compared with the average in 2023, to £245,202 in 2024.

Data put together by online agent Rightmove put the town at the top of its list of hotspots, followed by Hilton in Derbyshire and Padgate in Cheshire (both with a 112% increase).

“Nationally, the number of sales being agreed is 13% higher than during the same period in 2023,” a Rightmove spokesperson said.

“Though there are some areas seeing a much higher percentage of homes selling, with four areas more than doubling the percentage of

homes marked sold subject to contract compared to this time last year.

“The top area – Chard in Somerset – has an average house price considerably less than the regional average, which in the south west is £245,202, suggesting that some homebuyers are looking to more affordable areas against a backdrop of historically high mortgage rates, and continuing cost-of-living concerns.”

The sull list of current sales hotspots is:

Chard, Somerset: +123%: £245,202

Hilton, Derbyshire: +112%: £287,201

Padgate, Cheshire: +112%: £228,518

Caerphilly: +104%: £248,696

Keynsham, Bristol: +97%: £377,392

Royton, Greater Manchester:

+96%: £227,442

Cramlington, Northumberland: +94%: £194,352

Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire: +94%: £1,034,264

Armthorpe, South Yorkshire: +93%: £185,613

Seaham, County Durham: +92%: £158,645

Detached houses have seen the biggest jump in sales since 2023, the figures showed, increasing by 17%.

Rightmove property expert, Tim Bannister, said: “During the pandemic and into last year, there was very little availability

of larger homes.

“With not much choice of property to move to, this deterred some larger-home sellers from coming to market. Last year, movers had to adjust from historic low mortgage rates to much higher levels.”

He added: “While some larger-home sellers may have built up more equity over time, others looking to take out a larger mortgage on a more expensive home would have been particularly impacted last year.

“Rates have come down from their peak while prices have remained stable, and we have a group of larger home sellers who are seizing the opportunity to come to market.

“The increased choice is being met with more demand, resulting in higher numbers of sales.”

Puzzle solutions

Edition 92 Sudoko Jumbo sudoku Cryptic crossword

(from pages 50-51)

Property

The Loft Tisbury

01747 442500

www.ruralview.co.uk

Heytesbury, Wiltshire – Guide price £895,000

A penthouse apartment with elegant accommodation in a historic mansion in a parkland setting. Open plan sitting/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room.

Three double bedrooms, two bathrooms. Parking, garage, six acres of communal parkland. EPC Exempt

Sutton Row, Wiltshire – Guide price £649,000

A beautifully refurbished and extended period cottage, set in a spectacular rural location.

Entrance hall, cloakroom, sitting room, kitchen/dining room.

Three double bedrooms, bathroom.

Over 0.5 acre of grounds, outstanding views. EPC E

Fifehead Magdalen, Dorset – Guide price £685,000

A charming extended period cottage in an edge of village setting with a lovely garden and far-reaching views over the Blackmore Vale.

Sitting room, kitchen, conservatory, study, office/bedroom four. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Parking, garage. EPC D

Birdbush, Shaftesbury, Dorset. Guide price £495,000

A charming, detached cottage with stunning views over open countryside.

Kitchen, three reception rooms, garden room, two bedrooms, shower room, car port, workshops.

Gardens, parking. EPC E

www.ruralview.co.uk

Local perspective. Broad vision.

Our team has over 90 years of experience in the property market, so why not start your journey with Rural View.

We have established a strong reputation for selling lovely rural property from charming country cottages, farmhouses and barn conversions to Manor Houses and Old Rectories.

For valuations, viewings or enquiries, please call 01747 442 500, or visit our website at www.ruralview.co.uk

£725,000 Charlton Musgrove A

Thinking of moving in 2024?

Now is the ideal time to spring into action! Contact us for a free valuation and marketing advice.

Many potential buyers are registering with us wishing to purchase a property in the coming months within the local towns and villages.

If you are considering bringing your property to the market we would be delighted to hear from you.

Please call 01963 34000 to arrange an appointment or email wincanton@hambledon.net

£68,000 Wincanton

Handy hints to cut the clutter

SPRING is here and if you’re planning to move house or not, now is a good time to declutter and give your house a thorough clean.

Home stylist Georgina Burnett and fitted furniture company Sharps has some tips to help.

Prioritise: A good clear out before cleaning can really lower stress levels, and create a visually pleasing space that you’re keen to scrub.

The first step is to determine the most used areas of your home and prioritise these high traffic rooms.

Feeling the impact of your

cleaning efforts quickly will spur you on to finish the job.

Start small: The worst thing you can do is bite off more than you can chew.

If you try to start off with a huge tidy, you’re more likely to feel overwhelmed and burnt out, so you don’t end up doing it properly and seeing the long-term benefits.

Remember, organising and decluttering is about relieving stress, rather than causing it.

Divide items: Divide your decluttering into three areas – what to keep, what to consider and what to donate.

Items you know you can’t live without should be the only things you keep, so stay firm and try to donate as much as you can.

The change in season is the perfect time to look at last year’s clothes more objectively.

If there’s anything you didn’t wear last year, it’s time to donate them to charity.

Property Deeds?

Properties owned by the same family before 1990 may not be registered with the Land Registry.

This means that the title deeds must be kept safe and sometimes important documents can be lost. Registration of title means that ownership of land is recorded electronically at the Land Registry.

The benefits are:

• It is easy to check the ownership of property

• It can simplify the work needed when you want to sell

• Peace of mind about your deeds.

For a limited period Kernon Kelleher Solicitors are offering first registration as a reduced fixed price of £800 plus VAT and disbursements.

Free deeds check available, by appointment only.

For more information contact:

Roger Snowdon

Setting Up Home

Be it renting or buying, moving in together is always exciting. Whether you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, Kernon Kelleher can help.

When moving house, people often update their Wills. But that isn’t the only time uncertainty can arise.

Nuptial agreements (pre-nups and post-nups) and cohabitation agreements can outline how property is divided if you separate. They are made with the hope that they are never used, but they give you the confidence of knowing there shouldn’t be a drawn-out battle.

We offer free 30-minute consultations where we can discuss if this is right for you. We can also discuss updating your Wills at the same time. To