The Purbeck Gazette - Issue 313

Donna Garner Account Manager

Toomer

EDITORIAL

Paul Jones

Editor-in-chief

We love hearing your news and views. Get in touch with us by emailing ed@purbeckgazette.co.uk

Lloyd Armishaw Publisher

ed@purbeckgazette.co.uk 01963 400186

The Purbeck Gazette prints every fortnight and delivers throughout the region from Swanage to Dorchester, Lulworth to Bere Regis. The Purbeck Gazette is published by The Blackmore Vale Ltd. All editing, graphic design and lay-up is completed in-house by The Blackmore Vale Ltd.

The Purbeck Gazette is printed by Blackmore Ltd of Shaftesbury. The Purbeck Gazette website is managed and edited by The Blackmore Vale Ltd. Blackmore Vale Ltd also publishes The Purbeck Guidette, the Purbeck Visitor Guide. All rights reserved. All layouts copyright Blackmore Vale Ltd. No reproduction without permission. OUR TEAM: The Gazette team consists of: Lloyd Armishaw, Debi Thorne, Donna Garner, Jane Toomer and Paul Jones. About the Purbeck Gazette

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Adam Spong (left)

£20,000 target for skatepark crowdfunder

SUPPORTERS of the Swanage Skatepark Community Project (SSCP) are seeking to raise £20,000 in a matter of weeks through a crowdfunding campaign.

They are aiming to get fundraising rolling towards the £200,000 cost of rebuilding the skatepark in King George playing field.

They also hope for another £6,000 of match funding from Sport England if the crowdfunding target is reached by Sunday, June 9.

Campaigners want to see new and improved skate ramps installed after Swanage Town Council removed unsafe ramps last year.

The council did not have the funds to replace them but later resurfaced some of the skatepark area and committed £15,000 towards the cost of new equipment.

Now SSCP volunteers, led by Lorna Haines, are working to secure local and national funding to rebuild the skatepark, using the campaign to show funders the local community’s support.

Lorna ran her first London Marathon in 2003 to raise money for the skatepark and now, 20 years later, is running the North Dorset Village Marathon and Relay on Sunday, May 5, for the cause.

Lorna said: “Rebuilding the skatepark to ensure we have a fun and accessible facility will lead to more positive outcomes for the young people of Swanage.

“Wheel-based sports are known for creating a better sense of wellbeing and can attract people who wouldn’t normally engage in mainstream sports.

“Happier and healthier young people create positive ripples that will be felt by the rest of our community, too.”

Local businesses are supporting the crowdfunding campaign by offering rewards in return for donations.

For example, a £10 donation could land a voucher for a buy one get one free cream tea at Brook Tea Rooms or a donation of £100 a sea kayak experience

for two from Fore Adventure.

James Woodford, from SSCP, said: “When I was younger this was always a busy place, we had no idea it was only funded and provided by Lorna’s efforts.

“Now the skatepark and the young people of Swanage are suffering again, another setback for this generation who already lost so much due to Covid-19 lockdowns.

“This is not just about building a bigger skatepark –creating better physical infrastructure will give people of all ages an alternative social and physical outlet and bring more vitality to the town.

“We really need the community to get behind this. There have been loads of positive changes in the area recently, new businesses and

improvements that make Purbeck a better place, let’s not stop now.”

To make a donation to the crowdfunding campaign, which went live on April 15, visit https://www.crowdfunder.co. uk/p/swanage-skatepark.

Any local business which could make a financial contribution is invited to get in touch with Heidi Florence, SSCP secretary, at swanageskate park@gmail.com.

SSCP is also looking for volunteers to give their time to help the project in the long term.

n SSCP is holding a Skatepark Community Day on the closing weekend of the Crowdfunder campaign.

For more on that, turn to page 19.

Folk dance club celebrates 100 years

THE Swanage & Langton Matravers Folk Dance Club has celebrated 100 years of country dancing at Langton Matravers village hall.

Fifty members and visitors attended a special Saturday afternoon dance with caller Madeleine Smith with music by Sue and Pete Hall.

Madeleine and Kerry Fletcher, both gold badge holders with the English Folk Dance & Song Society (EFDSS), proposed a toast to the club and together blew out the candles on the birthday cake.

Madeleine incorporated several of the group’s favourite

dances into her programme and member Carolyn Yates wrote a new dance especially for the club called Langton 100.

The club was founded in 1924 under the auspices of the Women’s Institute and was initially run by Miss Dymon, who called, and Miss Lander, who played the piano. Rent for the parish hall was 6d a night.

The club became a member of the EFDSS in 1947, and has a membership of 27, with an

average attendance of 20 every Tuesday night, and four regular callers, two of whom call each night on a rota system.

The club meets every Tuesday night – except during school holidays – at Langton Matravers village hall and beginners and visitors are welcome.

For more information, contact chair Mike Walshaw on 01929 421913 or email mhwalshaw@talktalk.net.

Driving force: Lorna Haines will be running the North Dorset Village Marathon and Relay next month for the skatepark

PHOTO: Andrew Smith/Swanage News

BEM award a ‘huge honour’, says Stephanie

RIDING instructor Stephanie Buchanan, who lives in Swanage, has received the British Empire Medal for her services to young people.

The yard manager and head riding coach at the RAC Saddle Club Bovington was presented with the award by the LordLieutenant of Dorset, Angus Campbell at county hall in Dorchester last week.

Stephanie said: “It’s a huge honour be awarded a BEM, and I was quite taken back when I heard the news.

“I’m just doing my job – I am fortunate that I am in a position to help so many young people by introducing them to the incredible horses and ponies we have here at the Saddle Club.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without a great team of staff and liveries behind, me many of whom volunteer hours of their time. But I must admit it hasn’t been easy.”

Stephanie began teaching at the RAC Saddle Club in 1990 and has built a reputation for

producing young riders and mentoring many children through difficult times in their life.

The club provides riding lessons, livery and industry qualifications for military personnel and civilians, and Stephanie has raised more than £150,000 for new facilities.

Stephanie introduced the British Horse Society (BHS) Changing Lives Through Horses (CLTH) programme in 2019 to help local children who need additional support, are disengaged or disadvantaged, or at risk of being excluded from education.

Since its introduction 120 children have been given the opportunity to meet ponies, learn how to look after them and ride if they want to.

In 2022 Stephanie was awarded Coach of the Year for her work with CLTH for the BHS.

And in the same year she was named one of the UK’s top three coaches nominated for a Change a Life award supported by Sport

England for assisting personal growth and development.

BHS freelance coach Sam Lewis, who has known Stephanie for nearly 20 years, said: “Stephanie has mentored hundreds of adults and children over the last couple of decades.

“Not only has she tirelessly thought of imaginative ways to raise money and rallied liveries to help her, but she also has spent hours, days and weeks of her own time sourcing ponies and horses for both the riding school and private clients.

“In many instances her

actions have helped children who are struggling at an extremely difficult time in their life.

“Over the years some have lost family members, while others are struggling with disabilities or difficulties and simply can’t communicate with those around them.

“The horses have, with Steph’s guidance, played a key part in their recovery providing companionship, focus and structure, helping them to channel their behaviour, learn life skills and resilience.”

Land bought for hospital with future in mind

TRUSTEES of the Friends of Wimborne Hospital have worked with Dorset HealthCare to buy an acre of land next to the hospital.

The purchase, fully funded by the Friends, means it will be possible to expand the hospital in future to help meet changing health needs.

The land previously accommodated Wimborne Town Football Club and comprises a levelled, fenced site between the Victoria Hospital and a nearby new

housing development.

In addition, Dorset Council has granted planning permission to increase the total number of car parking spaces to 105.

This will include: cycle parking, 15 spaces for the disabled and new electric vehicle charging bays, along with other environmental enhancements.

Pressure on parking availability for staff and patients will be eased, and provision made for when

future additional services are provided at the hospital. Access will be provided through the hospital’s main entrance.

Chris Lawrence, Dorset HealthCare’s director for estates and facilities, said: “We are delighted the Friends have secured this extra land, which gives us the option to expand the range of services available at the Victoria Hospital and create new facilities as required.

“Healthcare is constantly

evolving, and this additional space will give us more flexibility to meet local needs in the years to come.”

Anne Salter, chair of the Friends of Victoria Hospital, Wimborne, added: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure the land for the future of the hospital.

“This has only been made possible by the generosity of local people who value the ease of access and the quality of care provided at Wimborne Hospital.”

Stephanie Buchanan has been presented with the BEM

Pupils’ artistic adventure Under the Sea

YOUNGSTERS at St Mark’s Primary School in Swanage have been getting ready for Purbeck Arts Week – with a little help from local artist Sophie Jenkins.

Pupils in years 3 and 4 produced a banner in the style of Henri Matisse, who used collage designs of brightly coloured shapes, for arts week, which has an Under the Sea theme.

They also produced their own individual creations using paper and card.

Sophie told the children she had enjoyed art from an early age and showed them examples of her work, which included seascapes of the Dorset coastline.

She said: “I really enjoyed working with the lovely children and am looking forward to seeing them at the exhibition.”

The banner will go on display at Rollington Barn as part of Purbeck Arts Week celebrations.

The children and their families will be invited to attend the event on Friday, May 24.

Wareham Masonic Hall, Howard Lane

Tuesday 5 30pm & 7pm, Wednesday 9am & 10 30am

Jackie 07715 438 810

Wool The D’Urberville Centre

Wednesdays 5.30pm & 7 30pm, Fridays 9 30am & 11 30am

Jane 07887 866 730

Swanage United Reformed Church, 112 High St

Thursdays 9am, 5.30pm & 7.30pm

Trudy 07486 454 046

Poole Canford Heath Community Centre, Mondays 6pm & 7:30pm, Wednesdays 7:30am

Sadie 07545 379 045

Artist Sophie Jenkins at St Mark’s Primary School

Children produced artwork with an Under the Sea theme

Beach clean: 104kg of litter collected in just two hours

MORE than 100kg of rubbish – including brooms, a fridge and even shoes – was collected from just one Dorset beach during an annual coastal litter pick.

Organisers hailed the 34th Great Dorset Beach Clean a resounding success after more than 200 dedicated volunteers came together to clean up eight county beaches.

Despite challenging windy conditions, participants worked tirelessly to clear marine litter, much of which was brought in by recent storms, organisers said.

Common items found during

the cleanup included fishing gear, hard plastics and nurdles, as well as more unusual items like brooms, a fridge and the occasional shoe.

Volunteers collected hundreds of kilograms of rubbish, including removing 104kg of litter in just two hours from Kimmeridge Bay.

As well as collecting litter, volunteers also collect data, which is shared with organisations like the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage.

The information then plays a role in informing government policies aimed at reducing litter

and protecting marine environments.

The Great Dorset Beach Clean is a free, family-friendly event, attracting individuals of different ages and backgrounds.

Kim Ford, one of the volunteers who attended the Kimmeridge clean, said: “Me and mum join the beach clean every year at different locations and wherever we go there is always a wonderful sense of community.

POLICE are reminding dog owners of their responsibilities towards livestock when exercising their pets. It is a criminal offence for a dog to worry livestock.

A police spokesman said: “In such instances, the owner or person in control of the dog can be prosecuted, and as a last resort the dog can be shot by the farmer to end an attack.”

Owners are asked to:

“Everyone pulls together to get the job done and we always have such a laugh at the same time.

“We’ve been going for 10 years now and will be continuing for the next 10 at least.”

People who attended the clean, or who took part on their own, can spread the message by tagging @litterfreedorset in social media photos, as well as using the hashtag, #GDBC24.

n Keep dogs either on leads or under close control around livestock.

n In a field with no livestock, keep the dog in sight, be aware of what it is doing, and be confident it will return to you promptly on command. If not confident of this, the dog should not be off the lead.

n Ensure the dog does not stray off the path or area where you have right of access.

Death Announcement

Michael James Haydn Walker

passed away peacefully on 15/4/2024 aged 89 two months after his beloved wife Sheila Mary. Formerly of Swanage, Dorset and more recently Pine Martin Grange, Sandford.

Retired Wing Commander with 35 years’ service.

Educated at Eltham College and RAF Cranwell.

Father to Wendy, Roger and Geoffrey. Grandfather to seven much loved grandchildren.

Funeral service 3pm May 1st Poole Crematorium.

Donations to the RAF Benevolent Fund www.justgiving.com/page/michaeljhwalker

Volunteers at Kimmeridge Bay during the annual beach clean

Communicare set

to mark 40 years

COMMUNICARE in Swanage is 40 years old and is celebrating with a special Service of Thanksgiving and Praise at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in the town.

Volunteers with the group come from all walks of life and have helped lots of people in need since 1984.

In the first year Covid-19 pandemic, they took 2,000 people to Wareham to have their jabs.

They have taken people to hospital, visited patients, done shopping, collected prescriptions and pensions, and accompanied frail elderly people for a walk or in a wheelchair.

They have also filled in forms, written letters, visited the elderly, handicapped, lonely and bereaved, and sat in to

relieve carers.

Some of these activities are now off limits due to rule changes but car transport for hospital visits and other reasons is still permitted.

The service is at the church in Victoria Avenue on Thursday, May 21, at 2.30pm and will be followed by tea and cake.

Everyone is welcome, whether they have helped, been helped or if they are interested in the cause.

n COMMUNICARE has cards dotted around town, in churches and at estate agent Corbens with phone numbers to ring.

Anyone who does not get a reply on one number is asked to try another or leave a message on the answerphone saying it is a “Communicare request”.

Citizens Advice’s marathon man

AN employee at Citizens Advice in East Dorset & Purbeck has coined in the cash for the charity by running his first full marathon.

Adam Spong, advice session supervisor, helped raise more than £3,300 by completing the Brighton Marathon, which will go towards the service’s general running costs.

He said: “It was a great event to be part of and I want to thank everyone who has donated and supported me.

“We’ve raised a considerable amount of money, which will help local residents access our services and additional donations are still very much welcome!”

Adam was one of three runners who ran the marathon in aid of the local branch of the charity. The other runners have

Citizens Advice employee, Adam Spong, did the Brighton Marathon in aid of the service

connections with Citizens Advice.

Citizens Advice in East Dorset & Purbeck is an independent charity and relies on grants and donations to fund its service.

For more information on how to donate, visit its website, www.edpcitizensadvice.org.uk/ fundraising.

Gardening club fair and more

EAST Burton village hall has lots going on in May.

The hall is the voting station for the local elections on Thursday, May 2, open from 6.30am to 10.30pm.

The Gardening Club spring fair is on Saturday, May 4, from 2-4pm.

As well as a plant stall, a cake stall, tombola and raffle will be on offer, and homemade cakes and cream teas will be served.

It is hoped the weather will

be kind and that the plant stall will be outside, but everything else takes place inside the hall.

The monthly coffee morning is on Friday, May 10, from 10am-noon, with homemade cakes on offer.

The regular weekly yoga class is held on Mondays at 6.30-7.30pm with a kick-boxing session on Tuesday at 7-8pm.

The hall can be hired for private/personal events or, if you wish to start a class –perhaps art, drama or book club etc – phone 01929 288020 or visit the website, ebvh.org.uk.

For information about these events, hire rates, availability, bookings and so on, do not hesitate to get in contact.

WIMBORNE WI’s speaker at its next meeting is Jane Benson, who will talk about the Wimborne Community Garden.

The group planted a crab apple tree in the garden for the late Queen’s Green Canopy, which is now in bud.

Wimborne WI meets at St Catherine’s Church Hall, Lewens Lane, Wimborne, and the meeting is on Monday, May 20, at 10am. Visitors are very welcome.

For more details, call Jill Haywood on 01202 888194.

Bikers turn out just for Joe...

MORE than 120 motorbikes roared through Dorchester high street to help a care home resident’s special wish come true.

Lifelong motorbike fanatic, Joe, who lives at Maiden Castle

House care home, travelled in the side-car of a motorbike to the Top O’ Town car park where he was surprised to be met by 126 motorbike riders who then travelled with him through Dorchester.

Afterwards, the bikers were invited back to the care home in Gloucester Road for tea and cake while chatting with Joe about their shared love of motorbikes, much to the delight of Joe’s daughter, Nicola.

The special event took place in response to Joe’s wish to ride a motorbike for the first time in 20 years.

Emma Norman, activities lead at Maiden Castle House, put a ‘shout-out’ to the local

biker community to organise a surprise motorbike rally for Joe – and they were keen to help.

Kind-hearted local residents who supported the event included John Bramble, who led the charge from the local Bikers for Action SW group; Richard Lucas provided a sidecar for Joe to sit in; and Will Badman captured photos so that Joe had mementoes of the day.

Joe said: “It was a great day and I didn’t expect so many people to be there. I enjoyed it very much.”

Ash Smith, home manager, said: “We were overwhelmed by the number of bikers who turned up to support Joe and the number of people who lined the streets to wave as he zoomed past.”

Dorset Art Weeks 25 May - 9 June

Discover Dorset’s creative community, featuring contemporary work from over 500 artists and makers exhibiting in open studios, group shows, galleries and events. This biennial event organised by Dorset Visual Arts features 266 venues across the county and is a great way to see some art and craft whilst exploring the beautiful regions of Dorset. Dorset Art Weeks is the perfect opportunity to make unexpected discoveries and experience firsthand the practice and process behind many talented visual artists and makers.

This year’s event also marks the opening of The Sherborne (Venue 1), Dorset’s major new venue for the arts, where Dorset Visual Arts is the lead arts partner. The Instinct of Hope exhibition at Durlston Country Park sees work featuring Dorset artists responding to the Climate and Ecological Emergency (Venue 173). The sponsors of Dorset Art Weeks, Hall & Woodhouse have pubs across the county and are perfect places to take a break on your day out visiting some of the art venues.

Copies of the free Dorset Art Weeks Guide 2024 can be picked up at cultural venues across Wessex. Browse the Guide and discover a wide range of art using the maps to plan the perfect day out. You can also access all the information on the website, and the free Dorset Art Weeks App. dorsetartweeks.co.uk

More than 120 motorcyclists gathered at the Top O’ Town car park in Dorchester before riding through the town and (right) Joe in the side car at Maiden Castle House care home

ImagebyNorriedeMontigny

High-speed broadband in pipeline for rural areas

INTERNET users in rural areas near Swanage, Dorchester, Sherborne and more will soon be able to enjoy high-speed broadband.

Dorset-based Wessex Internet has won a £33.5 million government contract to deliver lightning-fast broadband to 21,400 homes and businesses in rural areas of south and west Dorset, as well as parts of south Somerset.

The contract was signed as part of Project Gigabit, the Government’s £5 billion mission to upgrade digital connectivity in hard-to-reach areas of the country.

It is the fourth Project Gigabit contract awarded to Wessex Internet, and the company’s largest to date, following the announcement in March the supplier would also be delivering the £18.8 million Project Gigabit roll-out for the

south Wiltshire area.

Hector Gibson Fleming, chief executive at Wessex Internet, said: “We’re passionate about connecting rural communities to ultrafast broadband, making sure that people and businesses in the countryside are not held back by decades-old technology.

“From the first connections we provided to friends and neighbours in 2012, to now being awarded our largest government contract to date, we remain true to these core values.

“Everyone at Wessex Internet is excited we will be extending our service to thousands more people living and working in the new Dorset and south Somerset Project Gigabit area.

“While this is a large geographical area, it also represents an organic expansion of our existing network. This will allow us to retain the friendly local service that

Boutique plans:

PLANS have been submitted for a new ladies’ boutique in Wimborne.

CJF Design Projects Ltd has submitted a planning application to refurbish the shopfront at 49 High Street, to create the Thirty Three Boutique, on behalf of Catherine Gosney.

Ms Gosney is understood to be the person behind the Roberta boutique, in Bournemouth, as well as the Thirty Three Boutique in Lymington High Street.

Hector Gibson Fleming, chief executive of Wessex Internet, which has won a £33.5 million government contract to deliver high-speed broadband to 21,400 homes and businesses in south and west Dorset, and parts of south Somerset

matters so much to our customers, to continue working in partnership with rural communities in our network build, and to provide fulfilling employment opportunities for local people.”

Planning work on the rollout is already underway, with construction set to start before the end of the year.

The new network will give homes and businesses access to full-fibre connections, when fibre optic cable goes all the way to a home or business, rather than stopping at a cabinet down the road, delivering connection speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez (Con, Hornchurch and Upminster), said: “Outdated infrastructure

not only hampers economic growth for businesses and communities but also detracts from people’s quality of life.

“Essential tasks such as online medical appointments or business meetings shouldn’t be hindered by slow speeds and unreliable service.

“Thanks to our £5 billion Project Gigabit rollout, many rural areas in Dorset and south Somerset will have access to top-of-the-range connections and can unlock more opportunities in the digital economy.”

Residents who want to find out if Wessex Internet is coming to their area can use an online coverage checker at www. wessexinternet.com, or call 0333 240 7997.

‘Minimal changes’ to listed

Meanwhile, the plans detail a makeover for the premises in Wimborne, formerly occupied by Quba & Co.

“The changes to the shopfront are designed to be

minimal and enhance the existing shopfront with no structural changes but repair and refinishing of the existing in a neutral white colour, while also introducing clear branding in a way that complements the shopfront,” the plans said.

“Internal works are cosmetic with no plans to alter the structure of the building,” the application added.

“The fit out will include the reconfiguration of some internal partitions and wall linings that have been

building

introduced as a part of previous shop fits in 2009 and 2018.”

The building is listed, but the application says features deemed important “are to be retained in place and undamaged”.

Dorset Council will now consider the plans, which are open for consultation.

For more details, and to comment on the scheme, log on to www.dorsetcouncil.gov. uk and search for planning application reference P/

How the new boutique in Wimborne could look

PHOTO: CJF Design Projects/ Dorset Council

Rotarians give £500 to air ambulance

MEMBERS of Wimborne

Rotary Club have given £500 to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance to support its valuable work.

They welcomed local air ambulance volunteer, John Bizzell, at a meeting, who spoke about how the air ambulance team operates.

Club president, Graham West, said: “While we hope never to need its services, the air ambulance provides reassurance to local people that, if needed, the service has the capability to respond quickly to any emergency medical needs. “We are delighted to support its work.”

Rotary president, Graham West (left), presents Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance volunteer, John Bizzell, with a cheque for £500

Your Health Matters Dorset HealthCare’s monthly round-up

Groundbreaking stroke rehab trial

WE have joined forces with University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) for a pioneering trial of a treatment to help people regain use of their arms after a stroke.

Local stroke patients will be among the first to receive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (TVNS) as part of their rehabilitation therapy, which involves sending mild electrical pulses to the brain.

Known as the TRICEPS trial, it will run for two years. UHD has already started treating suitable patients with our trust to follow soon – and anyone interested in taking part is being urged to come forward.

About 110,000 people suffer with a stroke in the UK every year and one third of stroke survivors are left with permanent arm weakness which can make daily activities difficult.

Rehab therapy is the main treatment for people recovering from a stroke, but many people have persisting arm weakness, limiting their ability to look after themselves.

In TRICEPS, instead of an implant inserted under a general anaesthetic, brain stimulation will instead be triggered via a lightweight, wearable pacemaker-like device which connects to a wired earpiece.

The stimulation will be automatically activated as the arm is moved during therapy and the connected earpiece gently tickles the ear, meaning people can access the treatment at home and without the need for invasive surgery.

It’s hoped that the portable device will allow the revolutionary treatment to be

provided to larger numbers of stroke patients.

We are really excited to be taking part in this pioneering work. In preliminary trials, it was shown that gently ‘tickling’ a nerve at the ear using mild electrical pulses improved arm and hand weakness after stroke, when used in conjunction with rehab therapy.

In this new trial, led by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we hope to see if these initial findings are replicated in larger numbers of patients. As this treatment does not require surgery, it can form part of people’s at-home rehabilitation.

We will run the trial for eligible patients in north Dorset, west Dorset and Purbeck, while UHD will treat people in the east of the county.

Participants will be asked to wear the device for an hour, five times a week, as they carry out their rehabilitation exercises at home, with the support of

Call 0800 153 3729

community physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Some people will also be asked to wear the device while performing their usual daily activities for a period of 12 weeks.

This trial is open to people up to 10 years after a stroke. There are not many rehabilitation studies so broad in their criteria, so we are keen to offer this opportunity to people in Dorset.

To find out more about the trial, please contact 0300 019 4504 or neuro.physio@uhd. nhs.uk – people living in the BCP area or east Dorset – or –for residents elsewhere in the county – 01935 601454 or dhc. dorsetstrokeandneuroservice@ nhs.net.

More information and an online eligibility questionnaire is also available at www. triceps-trial.com.

Louise Clark Stroke consultant therapist at Dorset HealthCare

Gordon Court, Flood

Bridport, Dorset,

World Parkinson’s Day

When Arthur and Wendy moved to Dorset Arthur was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, aged just 53 and since then their world has changed. Arthur’s condition has changed over time and Wendy found herself caring for her husband.

They joined a local support group, and someone there mentioned LewisManning Hospice Care. On Arthur’s first visit he was very nervous and Wendy stayed with him all day but they soon felt at ease. Wendy said, “All the staff and the other patients were very friendly. Straight away Arthur was quite a chatterbox and quickly made good friends with 3 others. They were nicknamed the ‘Four Muskateers’ because they get on so well together.”

Since then, Arthur has been a part of Lewis-Manning Day Hospice and has benefitted from good company and care, including complementary therapy and creative art sessions. Arthur

Highlighting Wendy and Arthur’s Story. Watch their story on YouTube: Arthur and Wendy’s Story - Parkinson’s Disease - Lewis-Manning Hospice Care (youtube.com)

attends every Wednesday, which helps Wendy, who is his full-time carer, with some much needed respite.

After many years of caring for Arthur full-time, Wendy has recently also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. They both experience different symptoms and have different ways

FIRE WALK

to manage these. Wendy said, “Parkinson’s is different with everybody that you talk to. Mine was shaky from the start, but Arthur’s is not so shaky so often, it’s more rigid.” Arthur said, “This shaking business really annoys me because I try hard not to shake.

“You worry a lot about what you look like, but here at the hospice, you don’t have to.”

This Parkinson’s Awareness Day, Wendy and Arthur would like to raise awareness of their story, how Parkinson’s can impact people and how there is vital local support available for anyone who needs it.

You can support Lewis-Manning Hospice Care to continue delivering extraordinary care to patients like Wendy and Arthur today. Visit LewisManning Hospice Care - JustGiving

17th May 2024 6.30pm-9pm

M argaret Green Animal Rescue

ARE you looking for a fun-filled event to attend with your four-legged friends? If so, why not come along to Margaret Green Animal Rescue’s GroundDog Day for a ‘pawsome’ day out.

The event will be returning to our Lincoln Farm centre, Blandford, Dorset DT11 9BP on Sunday, June 2, from 11am, and it’s set to be a fantastic day that you won’t want to miss!

There will be a fabulous Novelty Dog Show with a range of classes for your dog to enter, with the chance to win a rosette, as well as many other exciting activities to get involved with, including Have-a-go-Agility, Doggy Lucky Dip and Doggy Ball Bob.

The fun doesn’t stop there,

‘Traditional’ homes planned for rural location

A HOUSE, office and barn in Wimborne could be demolished and replaced by five new homes.

Plans for the development have been submitted to Dorset Council by Fortitudo for Longhow, on Dogdean.

It would see all buildings currently on the one-acre site demolished and replaced by five dwellings.

“The proposed development is based on a traditional rural design which is considered appropriate in terms of the rural location,” the application said. It went on: “As you enter the site and the properties are less prominent, the development has been

as you will also have the opportunity to enter our Summer Grand Draw, enjoy a range of delicious refreshments and explore a wonderful selection of stalls from local traders.

designed to reflect a farmyard courtyard, with a series of linked barn-style dwellings in brick, with one single-storey and two one-and-a-half-storey properties.”

A two-storey farmhouse with a separate gated access would stand at the end of the drive.

“The existing landscaping around the site will be retained,” the application added. “Overall, the proposed development reduces the hardstanding on the site, representing an increase in soft landscaping of the site, from 57.8% up to 72.4%.”

The existing access would remain, the plans say, with parking spaces being allocated electric vehicle charging points.

The scheme will now be considered by Dorset Council planners. For more details, and to comment on the proposals, log on to www. dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/FUL/2024/01024.

We would love for you to join us for this brilliant day, to support a local charity and help us raise vital funds for rescue animals in need. Donations will be gratefully welcomed upon entry, which will go towards the rescue and

rehabilitation of the many vulnerable animals we look after each year.

To discover more information, please see our website at www.mgar.org.uk/ GroundDogDay2024 for further details.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue is holding a GroundDog Day

Rotary runners raise £2,000 for Julia’s House

RUNNERS who took part in two fun runs organised by Wimborne Rotary Club last year raised £2,000, which has now been presented to children’s hospice Julia’s House.

The Caribbean summer fun run, run on the hottest day of the summer, and the Santa Stour fun run in December, attracted hundreds of entrants.

Julia’s House fundraiser, Katie Thompson, spoke at a lunchtime meeting of the club about the work the hospice carries out, how children can

access the facilities and how fundraising is always needed.

Rotary president, Graham West, presented her with a cheque for £2,000.

He said: “We are pleased to have raised this amount for Julia’s House and I would thank all the runners for turning up to enable us to raise this impressive sum.

“I would also thank all the volunteers, including those from Julia’s House, Wimborne Football Club and sponsors for making the events possible.”

Shield your home from Care Costs & Inheritance Tax with a Living Trust.

A Living Trust, is a legal arrangement that allows you to protect your assets, including your home, from care costs along with potential inheritance tax implications. Here are a few key points to consider:

1. Asset Protection: By transferring ownership of your home and other assets to a living trust, can help protect them from certain creditors and potential claims, including care costs.

2. 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

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. Reversable Nature:

One of the advantages of a living trust is that it is reversable, meaning you can make changes to the trust or remove your home from the trust 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 alongside one to three other trustees. Thus, maintaining control over the assets and allowing you to continue using and managing them as you did before. Surviving trustees take over the administration of the trust upon your incapacity or death.

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. Tel 07832 331594 email: info@oakwoodwills. co.uk

Rotarian Neil Hutchinson (left), Julia’s House fundraiser, Katie Thompson, and Wimborne Rotary president, Graham West

A DAY at Durlston in May offers so many experiences. Alongside the blossoming cowslips and early orchids in the meadows, we are anticipating fantastic displays of spring flowers in the woodland.

A walk around the park on a sunny day can feature appearances from butterflies including Large Skipper, Wall Brown, Small Copper and the jewel-like Adonis Blue. Take a stroll along the Clifftop Trail to hear, smell and see the guillemots, as well as razorbills, shags and fulmars.

After a quiet winter, it’s also lovely to see visitors returning, and as such, our events calendar also kicks up a gear from here – visit www. durlston.co.uk/events. We have

Durlston Country Park has a lot going on this month

a fantastic programme of exhibitions in the Gallery –from painting, to printmaking, to photography as well as a programme of pop-up displays in the Belvedere.

As the seabirds return, so do our Seabird Boat Trips. What better way to learn about and view our fantastic seabird colonies than from the sea? Join the Durlston rangers for a boat trip to view guillemots, cormorants, puffins and much more, as well as learn about

the geology and history of the Dorset coastline. The boat trips will run every Friday from May 10 to July 5. Book through www.cityexperiences. com/poole/city-cruises/ summer-birdwatching-cruises.

The Fine Foundation Gallery in May will feature the ‘Convergence’ exhibition until Tuesday, May 7, by the twenty3 art collective. Their multi-media work will have themes of human experience inspired by Durlston.

Up next, a short display from Low Carbon Dorset will take place, exploring how Dorset is preparing for a greener future. This display will be from Monday, May 13, to Tuesday, May 21.

Last up in May is a special exhibition from Dorset Art

Weeks, ‘The Instinct of Hope’. This exhibition will celebrate Dorset’s landscapes and wildlife through a variety of artforms and work from artists from the county. This will run from Saturday, May 25, to Sunday, June 9.

All exhibitions will be open daily and are free to enter.

Whatever you reason for visiting Durlston, May is a beautiful time for a walk, picnic or guided walk. We hope to see you here!

All the best from the Durlston Rangers.

n For further information on events and more, visit our Durlston website, www. durlston.co.uk. Visit the Seventhwave café website at www.seventhwaverestaurant. co.uk.

Victoria Medal for horticulturalist

ONE of the country’s leading authorities on ornamental grasses, Neil Lucas, of Knoll Gardens, near Wimborne, has been presented with a special award.

He has been given the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Victoria Medal of Honour in recognition of his services to horticulture.

This year marks his 30th anniversary at Knoll Gardens, where his grasses, grown in the on-site nursery, can be seen planted in drifts in the gardens for everyone to enjoy.

The Victoria Medal of Honour was established in 1897 in memory of Queen Victoria’s 63-year reign – only 63 people can hold it at any one time.

The medal is not awarded every year, making it especially prestigious to be selected.

Keith Weed CBE, president

of the RHS, said: “There is no higher horticultural award than the Victoria Medal of Honour.

“Those who have received this medal are the very best of the best.

“We at the Royal Horticultural Society are delighted that Neil Lucas VMH has been recognised for all that he has done over so many years.”

Knoll Gardens is an RHS partner garden and is renowned for its beautiful naturalistic plantings of ornamental grasses and perennials, and its wildlifefriendly approach to sustainable garden management.

be awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the RHS.

contribution to horticulture recognised through this longstanding tradition.”

Neil said: “I am delighted to

“Reflecting on previous and current recipients, who through history have inspired generations of gardeners, it is especially rewarding to have had my

Neil has this year successfully launched his latest book, Grasses for Gardens and Landscapes, and hosted a party of local dignitaries from across Dorset.

Neil Lucas, of Knoll Gardens, near Wimborne, and receiving the RHS’s Victoria Medal of Honour (left)

RAF veterans’ talk for memorial window

TWO veterans of the Second World War are giving a talk to raise money for a stained glass window at Holy Trinity Church, Warmwell, in memory of personnel from RAF Warmwell who served at the air station.

The talk, Flying High, Flying Low – the Mosquito in War, will be given by Flt Lt Colin Bell DFC, 103, a Mosquito pilot in Bomber Command, and Flt Lt Desmond Curtis DFC, 99, a Mosquito navigator in Coastal Command.

The talk is at the Dorford Centre, Dorchester, on Wednesday, May 15, at 6.30pm, with tickets priced £15, including soft drinks and nibbles.

RAF Warmwell was developed on land north of Warmwell, just before the war

in 1937, in what later became the village of Crossways.

During the Battle of Britain, it was the base for Spitfire and Hurricane Fighter squadrons, which protected a sector of the south coast that included the important port of Portland.

Later in the war it was also the base for a wing of USAAF P-38 fighters.

The site was closed in 1946, and few visible signs of the airfield are left now, with the old runways and hangars largely built over or pulled down with the expansion of Crossways.

The memorial window in the church, the garrison church for the base, has been planned to commemorate the personnel and the air station.

Warmwell churchyard has the graves, now maintained by the

War Graves Commission, of 24 air and groundcrew killed while serving at RAF Warmwell.

The design for the window, on display in the church, has been awarded to Andrew Johnson, a stained glass window expert from Exeter who has undertaken a number of prestigious religious and secular commissions.

The estimated cost is £22,000 and so far, the village, with an adult population of about 100, has raised around £12,500 from talks and donations from individuals and charities.

A series of talks and fundraising events are planned for the summer, with the installation to be completed in time for Armistice Day in November 2024.

For more information, contact David Walsh on 07770 343441 or at davidpwalsh1802 @gmail.com, or Gerry Gerrard on 01305 852320 or at ggerrard99@gmail.com.

History centre spring quiz

PUT your Dorset knowledge to the test at the Big Dorset History Centre Spring Quiz.

The challenging and lively event will feature a wide variety of questions, including some on Dorset’s history.

The quiz is ideal for groups of friends and family, and quiz-goers should take their own drinks and nibbles.

The quiz is on Thursday, May 2, at 7pm at Dorset History Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester DT1 1RP.

Skatepark community day

THE Swanage Skatepark Community Project (SSCP) is holding a fun and free actionpacked community day this summer.

King Ramps of Bournemouth is hosting the event and will bring a pop-up skatepark street course to fill the empty space in Swanage Skatepark.

It will also provide skateboards and safety gear for anyone who does not have their own.

Richie Inskip, from King Ramps, said: “King Ramps is really excited to be working with SSCP and the local community.

“We will be hosting workshops throughout the day as well as demonstrations with our King Ramps Pro team.

“We will also be holding contests throughout the day for scooter, BMX and skateboard.”

Thanks to funding from local charity #Willdoes, entry to the event, use of equipment and

access to lessons is free.

James Woodford, from SSCP, said: “We hope to show just how valuable a resource the skatepark is and get everyone behind our long-term goal of raising funds for new ramps.

“The event will increase access to skateboarding with free beginner lessons for all age groups – adults are welcome, too – and guidance from coaches.

“It will be a fun day to make new connections, hone skills and be entertained by demos and competitions.’’

The Community Day aims to improve social inclusion for teenagers and young people in Purbeck.

The #Willdoes Community Bus will be at the event to provide a safe space for young people to meet and access information and support.

The Swanage Skatepark Community Day is on Saturday, June 1, from noon-5pm.

Game on for a country challenge...

Country Challenge, in aid of Diverse Abilities, includes clay pigeon shooting, target rifles, archery and fly fishing

a tournament that involves activities including clay pigeon shooting, target rifles, archery, fly fishing and more.

Mariana Swain, events executive at Diverse Abilities, said: “This is a great teambuilding activity.

“Over the last few years, everyone that has taken part has learned new skills and had a great laugh along the way.

“It’s the perfect balance of competitive spirit and fun, so there’s no need to have tried any of these activities before.”

Shooting School for a day of challenges.”

Teams of four can enter from £550, which includes a bacon sandwich and lunch, and each activity will come with expert tuition.

This year it will be sponsored by Town and Country Communications & IT Solutions.

Team are invited to join in the fun on Friday, June 21, for

Lee Butler, managing director at Town and Country, added: “This is a great opportunity to support a local charity who do so much to support children and adults with disabilities in the Dorset area.

“This is the second year we are supporting the charity, and we are looking forward to getting back to the Purbeck

Money raised by the teams will help to provide vital support at the charity including days out for children who attend its school holidays activities, and much-needed equipment at Langside School Activities for adults who attend the Beehive – the charity’s activity and day centre.

Purbeck Shooting School was established in 1955 and has been voted the Best Shooting Ground in the UK.

The site occupies 80 acres of mixed heathland and conifer plantation.

To find out more and sign up, visit diverseabilities.org.uk/ country.

Skateboarder Alex Hallford in action

PHOTO: King Ramps

COUNTRY Challenge, a fundraiser in aid of Dorset’s disability charity Diverse Abilities, is returning for its fifth year at Purbeck Shooting School, near Wareham.

Is council seeing the light on street lights?

FOR many months now, certain residents in Swanage have been complaining to the county council that the new ‘energy efficient’ street lights which have been foisted upon us are not only intrusive in the extreme, but also potentially bad for our health.

Initially, the council waived objections aside and refused to communicate further with the complainants. Now at last, Matt Prosser, Dorset Council’s chief executive officer has appointed someone to look in detail at the problem. Well, that’s a first step, anyway.

I understand that councillors Gary Suttle, Bill Trite and Ray Bryan have been working on our behalf to have the lighting policy reviewed since the council meeting on February 13, so let’s hope that their efforts will be rewarded.

As someone brought up in the 1950s, I became used to dark streets, learned not to fear the shadows and revelled in the beauty of the night-time skies.

As more and more wilderness is destroyed, light pollution intrudes, and these days, to find a really dark area is becoming less and less possible.

I am hopeful that the council will soon have the high-CCT LEDs changed to properly designed warm white directional fittings in due course.

They may well claim that the costs would be beyond their budgets, or that it’s all about ‘climate change’, but Dorset Council uses ‘budgetary restraints’ to justify inaction so often that the words are wearing thin.

Will we ever get our potholes repaired, our road markings renewed or will the continued dilapidation of our country be

By David Hollister

justified by the need for more and more ‘social care’?

But it’s not just street lamps, so many houses have ‘outside lights’ on all through the night, denying local wildlife the right to enjoy their nocturnal natural habitat.

Most people are in bed and asleep at night, and any burglar worthy of the title will avoid brightly lit driveways and gardens anyway.

If you see anyone creeping suspiciously around your property, do you really think a call to 101 will bring a carload of police officers round to help? No, at best you’ll get a crime number!

Or would you be daft enough to accost the intruders at great personal risk? Would I accost a burglar?

No, in these dark days when knives are de rigeur among criminals, I would leave well alone.

I cannot imagine a burglar in my house being discouraged by the sight of an elderly and unfit man standing at the top of the stairs waving a rolled-up umbrella and shouting “what’s going on”.

ARE your evening barbecues and garden parties spoiled by wasps?

Take any brown paper bag, fill it with plastic bags, tie it up and hang it anywhere near your pool or patio. Bees and wasps will think it’s a hornet’s nest and stay far away. It works really well, without killing the bees!

On the subject of which, as the summer approaches, there are fewer flowers and other food sources for bees.

Water is so rare and so many bees are drowning while trying

to drink in the pools and puddles.

So, grate an apple and add some water to a bowl. Bees will be able to get the sugars from the fruit and drink the water and not drown as they can stand on the pieces of fruit.

Our bee populations are under threat, let’s give them all the support we can.

And – as honey imported from China appears to be overwhelming local supply, why not make sure that the honey you buy in the local health food shop is sourced locally!

Bee farmers need your support – they too have families to keep and we cannot allow them to die out in the interests of protecting international trade.

ISN’T it great to see the published list of events due to take place at Swanage bandstand this year!

No fewer than 10 concerts, from Swanage and Wareham Town bands, and other bands from further away. Let’s hope that the promised good summer weather is kind to them all.

I’M still having difficulty in justifying the ongoing costs being incurred by Swanage Railway which has announced a five-year plan to overhaul a T9 locomotive, put it back to pristine condition and see it back in steam and travelling on the heritage railway line between Swanage and Norden, alongside the T3 loco.

To see two rare Victorian locomotives steaming through the Purbeck countryside will be a great achievement for Swanage Railway and will help towards its objective of becoming a tourist attraction in its own right, as opposed to a transport service, now that plans

to operate a regular service between Swanage and Wareham have been put on ice.

The last time I dared to question Swanage Railway, I was roundly vilified by railway supporters, and yes, I know that public funds are not involved, and yes, I realise that the labour is voluntary, that the railway is a major tourist attraction, and all the other reasons why I, too, welcome the presence of Swanage Railway.

When it all started in the 1970s I understood that the end product would be a practical transport link between Swanage and Wareham.

That seems to have been quietly dropped.

If we can afford to fundraise and renovate yet another steam engine, would that money not have been better spent on the practical transport link? Or achieving a reduction in fares?

In common with a large number of locals, I simply cannot – will not – afford the cost of travelling on the Swanage Railway and will have to content myself with rubbing my nose against the window as the – usually – half empty train chugs past the bottom of my garden.

ON a different note, how good to see the churches in Swanage all pulling together to help the Swanage Foodbank in its time of need. And with little fuss and bother. They just did it.

AND finally. The radio studio in Commercial Road is taking shape –a few test transmissions are already being made. www. purbecksounds.com will find our website, and give you access to what in a few weeks will be a fully-operational local radio station.

I think I’ve been put down for drive time from 4-6pm Monday-Thursday, so if you don’t like me or what I do, then there are 160 hours a week during which I’m not on air.

Fun and games at care home

THE Pine Martin Grange care home in Wareham has been spreading a little happiness among residents and staff thanks to a piece of new kit.

The Happiness Programme uses a new interactive light projector to connect residents with staff and with each other.

The projector invites participants to pop bubbles, play the piano, colour in pictures, sweep leaves or interact playfully with fish, among other things. stimulating movement.

It can be projected onto the floor, ceiling, walls, a whiteboard or even a bed, improving the wellbeing of people living with dementia and other cognitive challenges.

The Happiness Programme is provided in partnership with

Social-Ability and designed and manufactured in the UK.

Pine Martin Grange invited children from local primary school, Sanford St Martin’s, to the care home to use the projector with residents, among them 101-year-old Alice, who has become one of its regular users.

Helen Lacey, home director, said: “We have a varied and stimulating activity programme, and even though we only introduced the projector recently, it has quickly become an important part of the programme.

“It’s already having a very positive impact on the health and wellbeing of our ladies and gentlemen, particularly those living with dementia and people struggling with limited mobility.

“It was also lovely for the residents to be able to meet the children and play the projector with them. We have never seen so many smiles on faces!”

Abby Benko-Robbins, teacher and music lead at Sandford St Martin’s, said: “The children absolutely loved taking part in the games and activities the projector provided.

“It was lovely seeing how the

residents and children interacted with each other in a fun and stimulating environment. The children haven’t stopped talking about it!”

The Happiness Programme has helped improve mood and behaviours, increase physical, social and cognitive activity, and had a positive impact on relationships with care staff, friends and family.

Reader’s Picture

Robin Boultwood took this picture on Knoll Beach as the 80th anniversary of Exercise Smash – a dress rehearsal for the D-Day landings in Studland Bay in the Second World War – was marked with a series of events

Pine Martin Grange resident Alice, 101, plays the interactive games with children from Sanford St Martin’s Primary School

Exercises

Brain chain

Sudoku 3D puzzle

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

1 Official in Spain is free from vulgarity (6)

Killer Sudoku Pro

Across

Down

1 Official in Spain is free from vulgarity (6)

1 Cancel engineers with ring (6)

4 Substantial leaning almost in London tourist attraction? (3,3)

4 Substantial leaning almost in London tourist attraction? (3,3)

8 Friend pushed back drink (3)

9 Pressure facing one in house, political leader? (9)

11 A decoration recalled for horse (4)

Killer Sudoku Pro

8 Friend pushed back drink (3)

2 Spanish composer has to leave or collapse (4,5)

9 Pressure facing one in house, political leader? (9)

3 Work in Nebraska gets definite refusal (4)

11 A decoration recalled for horse (4)

5 Blood Greek character with appeal in Italy retreat (8)

12 Prompt religious education with guardian (8)

12 Prompt religious education with guardian (8)

15 Log a trail that’s winding to find reptile (9)

6 Spelling competition gets one buzzing?

7 Primitive condition in constitution (6)

15 Log a trail that’s winding to find reptile (9)

18 Fool starts to release official information for gas (8)

18 Fool starts to release official information for gas (8)

19 Jelly close to toaster by oven (4)

19 Jelly close to toaster by oven (4)

10 Person retaining freshness always on part course (9)

21 Mobile help for those with complaints? (9)

23 The day before element of revelry (3)

21 Mobile help for those with complaints? (9)

23 The day before element of revelry (3)

24 Wages cancelled as outcome (3-3)

Across

13 Fashion gurus desire to have jacket in suits turned out as style dictates (2,7)

24 Wages cancelled as outcome (3-3)

25 Teach repeatedly British snooker player, we hear (6)

25 Teach repeatedly British snooker player, we hear (6)

1 Official in Spain is free from vulgarity (6)

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.

4 Substantial leaning almost in London tourist attraction? (3,3)

8 Friend pushed back drink (3)

9 Pressure facing one in house, political leader? (9)

11 A decoration recalled for horse (4)

12 Prompt religious education with guardian (8)

15 Log a trail that’s winding to find reptile (9)

18 Fool starts to release official information for gas (8)

19 Jelly close to toaster by oven (4)

21 Mobile help for those with complaints? (9)

23 The day before element of revelry (3)

24 Wages cancelled as outcome (3-3)

25 Teach repeatedly British snooker player, we hear (6)

14 Face lot getting militant about lecturer –put on staff? (4,4)

16 Make settlement in French college with politician (6)

17 Pressing university chap about rule (6)

20 Last character, menial worker – character Sparta? (4)

Down

22 Space for vehicle and tree (3)

1 Cancel engineers with ring (6)

2 Spanish composer has to leave or collapse (4,5)

3 Work in Nebraska gets definite refusal (4)

5 Blood Greek character with appeal in Italy in retreat (8)

6 Spelling competition gets one buzzing? (3)

7 Primitive condition in constitution (6)

10 Person retaining freshness always on part of course (9)

13 Fashion gurus desire to have jacket in suits turned out as style dictates (2,7)

14 Face lot getting militant about lecturer – one’s put on staff? (4,4)

16 Make settlement in French college with a politician (6)

17 Pressing university chap about rule (6)

20 Last character, menial worker – character in Sparta? (4)

22 Space for vehicle and tree (3)

Sport

Swans can hold heads high despite defeat

By Ron Butler Papa John’s Trophy Counties 1 Championship Round 2

Longlevens 48

Swanage & Wareham 32

SWANAGE & Wareham had a long journey up to Gloucester for a second round encounter in the Papa John’s Trophy and Swans put up a creditable performance against a heavier pack and a well drilled threequarter line.

Swans were never in the lead but came back well in the

second half.

Longlevens put Swans under pressure and they scored two more tries by the half hour mark taking the score to 24-3 and it looked like Swans were in for a heavy defeat.

And with two minutes of the half to go, the home side scored again making the score 29-3.

A couple of penalties to Swans took them into the Longlevens 22 and after a few phases Swans scrum-half Ollie Peters worked his way over the line close to the posts. Jamie Foskett converted to take the score to 34-25.

This was as close as Swans got, Longlevens scoring two converted tries.

The home side attacked from the start, and after Swans had to take a goal line drop-out, the Longlevens backs ran the ball wide to score a try in the corner.

A penalty took the hosts into Swans’ 22 and after a few phases they scored close to the posts. The try was converted.

Swans had a penalty after 15 minutes which fly-half Jamie Foskett converted to give Swans three points.

Goals galore at Day’s Park

Swanage & Herston 10 Sturminster Marshall 0 SWANS recorded a double figure victory against basement side Sturminster Marshall at Day’s Park in the Dorset Premier League.

Swans took 18 minutes to register their first goal from Dan Reeks then slowly grew in confidence to break the visitor’s resistance.

Further goals by Jack

Hughes, Ocean Smith and Reeks put Swans firmly in the driving seat before the break.

However, in the last minute the ball was passed along the Swans backs to winger George Crouch who made ground to score a try in the corner.

From the re-start, the ball came to Swans, and a move along the three-quarters enabled George Crouch to score his second try out wide.

But Longlevens scored again, taking their score to 34 points.

Swans continued to make ground with the backs and in the 50th minute George Crouch went in for his hat-trick of tries.

Swans continued to put the hosts under pressure through the backs but the Longleven pack dominated the scrums.

However, Swans took advantage of a couple of penalties at the end of the game and replacement centre Rory Ferguson ran in for a try which Foskett converted.

Swans: L Reeves, G Crouch. E Dimescio, M Spencer, O Dillon, J Foskett, O Peters, A Crouch, J Phillips, S Waterman, K Salina, J Towers, T Holland, C Moag, K Jones, replacements G Smith, S Chapman, A Foskett, D Collins, J Warren, R Ferguson.

Swans totally dominated the second half with six more goals from Cody Moore, Charlie Dyke, an own goal, Ocean Smith, with his second, Sam Willcocks and a penalty converted by Charlie Brassington.

A big win for the Swans against opposition who kept battling to the end despite the scoreline.

Team: G Taylor, J Hughes, Olly Smith (S Pryor 46), B Smith (C Furmage 46), J Streams, C Brassington, C Dyke, C Lee, C Moore, D Reeks (S Willcocks 75), Ocean Smith. Subs: C Furmage, S Willcocks, S Pryor. Star man: Charlie Dyke.

Bowlers set out stall for new season

SWANAGE Bowls Club begin the new season hopeful of matching or even improving on last year’s successes.

The club won Division 1 of the Bournemouth & District Triples league and two of their ladies represented Dorset in the Pairs National Finals.

Swanage also won the Division 1 league in the Dorset Mixed Triples Competition, after entering four teams across the leagues for the first time.

The club welcomed lots of new members in 2023 and

FOOTBALL BOWLS RUGBY

would like to see more people join this year, whether they are experienced players who have moved to Swanage or who have never tried the game before.

Membership fees are half price for the first year and free coaching is also available.

Two ‘Have a Go’ sessions are planned next month, the first on Sunday, May 5, and the second on Sunday, May 12.

Two sessions will be held

each day, one at 10am and the other at 2pm – all you need are flat shoes.

The club is at Beach Gardens off Cauldon Avenue or Northbrook Road.

Anyone with questions should call Barrie Tatman on 01929 421162 – if you cannot make either date, he can arrange a taster session for you.

The club run internal club competitions, a fun and relaxed triples competition and hold organised but relaxed roll-ups during the week, including a

Friday night fun game followed by food.

The president, Linda Wallis, has chosen Swanage Pier as her charity for the year, and will funds through social events.

The club captains for this year are Julie Lomas-Smith and Tony Bell, who also hold a fundraising day.

The club welcome clubs from all over the country visiting Dorset on bowls tours and this year look forward to their own bowls tour in Eastbourne.

Ladies on the up

SWANAGE & Wareham

Ladies 1st team have been promoted after winning South Central Forest Division 1 this season.

After finishing fourth last season, the squad knew they had the skill and depth to strive for a better position in 2023/24.

Swans won 19 of their 22 league games, drawing one and losing two.

They scored an incredible 99 goals and won the league eight points clear of second-placed

HOCKEY

Andover.

Captain Jess Hale said: “I’m incredibly proud of the season we have had.

“Thank you to everyone who has played, coached and supported us.

“I’m excited to see what we can achieve next season.”

The team will be playing in South Central Division 2 South in the 2024/25 season and are hoping they can continue their

impressive form.

The promotion is the perfect way for Swans to begin the celebrations for the club's 60th anniversary.

Jack’s the winner – by an ounce!

JACK Copp returned to winning ways in the third round of the 2024 Dorchester & District Angling Society Junior Points Championship, held on the Canal Lake at Whitemoor, near Wimborne.

It was close though as Jack sneaked in by just a single ounce weighing in 31lb 5oz to

ANGLING

take the full 25 points.

Austin Scott-Kennedy had to settle for 2nd with 31lb 4oz.

Jack Cryer and former champ, Oliver Smith, tied for 3r place both weighing in 28lb 8oz.

After three rounds, the

championship leader is Oliver Smith on 53 points.

Jack Cryer moves into second on 50 points ahead of Alec Campbell and Austin Scott-Kennedy who both have 49 points.

For more information go to ddasjuniors.co.uk or email juniors.sec@d-das.com.

Anyone looking to join a successful, friendly club can contact Swanage & Wareham via Facebook, Instagram or the club’s website.

Jack Copp with his catch

Swanage & Wareham Ladies 1st team have won promotion

Politics

Local Conservatives still Conservatives

ACROSS Dorset candidates for the May 2024 local government elections are approved and busy campaigning. Leaflets are being delivered. Candidates are knocking on doors. At street stalls, voters can meet with those who wish to represent them. Candidates will face searching questions at hustings. In a matter of weeks, voters will deliver their verdict on contenders and sitting candidates alike.

Dorset Council’s website gives details of those standing for the unitary authority – 82 seats are up for election. Across the Dorset Council area, 1,500 seats will be contested for parish and town councils.

In Swanage, there is a full slate of candidates for town council and Dorset unitary authority – Labour, Liberal Democrat, Independents and Local Conservatives. In 2019, likewise, Swanage Conservative candidates styled themselves Local Conservatives.

The Dorset Echo reported as “notable” the fact that “many” – in fact, the overwhelming majority – of Conservative candidates for the unitary authority are listed as Local Conservatives.

This distancing of local Conservative campaigners from the national party has been taking place for a while. In 2022, before another set of local elections, Conservative pollster, Robert Hayward, said an “abnormal” number of Conservative candidates had done so. The Independent reported that Conservative candidates were pleading with voters not to “punish” them for “mistakes made in Westminster”.

This year is no exception. In February, the I newspaper reported that “shy Tory candidates” seemed “reluctant” to tell voters they were Conservatives. Leaflets were delivered that were green rather than blue, and barely mentioned the word

“Conservative”.

It is no wonder that local Conservative campaigners in Dorset wish to distance themselves from Rishi Sunak and their national party. The latest You Gov poll finds 71% of Britons surveyed had an unfavourable view of the Prime Minister. Pollsters Redfield and Wilton reported in January that Rishi’s personal approval ratings were “firmly in negative territory”.

At our Swanage street stalls, residents and visitors alike make clear their dissatisfaction with 14 years of Conservative government. National policies have had a local effect. No amount of distancing can hide this.

Austerity has damaged the public realm. The Progressive Economy Thinktank, using official figures, reported in March 2023 that the costs of Conservative austerity were “significantly higher” than previously thought, with cuts of more than half a trillion pounds

in public spending. A Bank of England analysis indicates George Osbourne’s austerity programme cost the UK economy more than 2% in lost GDP by 2015.

The bitter fruits of austerity have been tasted in Dorset. In 2018, a House of Commons Library report concluded South Dorset, Richard Drax’s constituency, had the lowest social mobility out of 533 constituencies in England. Yet Dorset schools remain underfunded. Sure Start Centres remain closed. NHS services are under pressure. Valued clinics and hospital departments are closed. Key workers cannot afford to rent or buy a home in Purbeck. Wages are low. Many jobs are precarious.

Voters tell us our MP is invisible. They will not be taken in by Conservative candidates calling themselves “local” Conservatives.

CHRIS BRADEY Chair, Swanage & Rural Purbeck Labour Party

Visitors welcome at seat of democracy

ONE of the privileges of being your Member of Parliament is working in one of the most iconic buildings in the world –the seat of our democracy in the Palace of Westminster.

If you have not ever visited Parliament, I would encourage you to do so. All UK residents can book a free, 75-minute tour through their MP – and it is always a pleasure to facilitate visits for constituents to Parliament. These are led by an excellent and engaging team of guides and are available at specific times MondaysWednesdays and Fridays while Parliament is in session.

Tours can be booked up to six months in advance, but for groups of one or two people we are often able to find space at shorter notice. Please do contact my office on michael.tomlinson. mp@parliament.uk for further

information, and to book. Separately, tours, workshops and Q&As are available for schools to book directly with Parliament’s brilliant Education Team. Subsidies are available to help with the cost of travel to visit Westminster.

The centre also welcomes home educating families, hosts quiet days for children with SEND and will send outreach teams to schools to support pupils’ learning. More information is available at https://learning.parliament.uk/ en/uk-parliament-educationcentre/

All UK residents and overseas visitors are welcome to watch debates in both Houses from the public galleries. Watching debates in Parliament is free of charge.

On most days you can just turn up and wait for entry to

either Chamber on the day. There is usually a queue for the public galleries – and generally you will not have very long to wait – unless it is a Wednesday!.

The visitor assistants will be able to inform you of how long your wait is likely to be. Visitors wishing to watch debates should enter via Parliament’s Cromwell Green entrance, and there is airportstyle security when you arrive.

If you want to experience Prime Minister’s Questions on a Wednesday, you will need tickets. Please do contact me well in advance if you would like to do so.

Members of Parliament can apply for up to four tickets each month, however these are limited and sometimes we may not receive any at all. I will do my best to get you in!

There are also paid-for tours of Parliament, including tours of the State Apartments of Speaker’s House and Big Ben, please see https://www. parliament.uk/visiting/visitingand-tours/

If you would like to visit Parliament or have an issue that you need help with, please do get in touch – email me at michael.tomlinson.mp@ parliament.uk or contact my office on 01202 624216.

You can also follow what I’ve been doing on Facebook www.facebook.com/ michael4MDNP or my website, www.michaeltomlinson.org.uk, where there is also more information about visiting Parliament.

MICHAEL TOMLINSON Conservative MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole

Action is urgent on climate and nature

LIVING in Dorset is a real privilege, our beautiful landscape and the breadth of nature living in our waters, across our heaths and woodland and in our skies.

Polluted rivers and harbours, extreme weather events and the impact of lost crops and disappearing species really matters, not just to local people and businesses, but to our place in the wider ecosystem.

The impact of climate change is felt close to home – from the flooding from the River Stour and Poole Harbour to wildfires in Wareham Forest and Canford Heath. I am deeply concerned about the damage this is having on our lives and livelihoods.

As the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mid Dorset and North Poole in the general election, I am proud to support the Climate and Nature Bill – the legislation we need to ensure we get to grips with the climate and nature crises we face.

The next intake of MPs has a responsibility to act in the crucial years up to 2030. We are running out of time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to halt and reverse the destruction of nature. Not only is it more cost-effective to act now but taking serious steps to restore nature and deliver a clean energy transition can create the green jobs of the future, boost energy and food security across the UK, and improve people’s health and wellbeing.

The Climate and Nature Bill stands as a crucial step in delivering a joined-up plan for the climate and nature crises and would lock our international commitments into law. It stands as the only proposed piece of legislation that would tackle the deeply intertwined crises of climate and nature together — and has the backing of almost 50,000 members of the public and 1,500 organisations, politicians and scientists from

across the UK — including the Federation of Women’s Institutes, Friends of the Earth, The Co-operative Bank and CPRE: The Countryside Charity.

The Climate and Nature Bill offers us the opportunity to set the international standard for climate action — just as we did with the Climate Change Act 2008 — and show our commitment to a just transition, nature restoration, and an overall greener, fairer society. The Climate and Nature Bill is essential in addressing the challenges we face — as this is the last Parliament before 2030, we must turn the tide on climate change and the breakdown of nature.

We know families are worried about the cost of living – in particular, spiralling energy bills since the Ukraine war – and some people have expressed doubts about the need for urgency. Swift action will bring forward improved productivity

across Dorset and the south west, providing high quality green careers in sustainable construction, battery technology, land renewal and future-friendly farming.

Policies like the Liberal Democrat Energy Windfall Tax will fund insulation for fuelpoor homes and converting water companies into public mutuals will ensure profits are used to upgrade ageing infrastructure. Recent global developments show the importance of energy and food security and supporting the Climate and Nature Bill gives the UK – and Dorset – the opportunity to build a more resilient economy and more sustainable community. This does not just make sense for the climate – it makes sense for the economy too.

VIKKI SLADE

Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate –Mid Dorset & North Poole

Many virtues in national service

WHEN I mentioned some form of national service for the workshy recently, I was predictably derided, mainly by those on the Left.

I am a Conservative and believe in the freedom of the individual to lead their lives, free of burdensome State interference. However, on occasions, a situation is so serious that a stick has to be considered.

The carrot, of course, is a young man or woman imbued with a new sense of purpose and self-esteem.

My grandfather, who was a prolific writer, said that citizens owed their country a sense of service. I agree, and with this in mind, some startling statistics prompted me to say what I did.

At the last count in mid-April, the Office for National Statistics found that 9.4 million people of working age were ‘economically inactive’ in Britain. That means,

not in, nor looking for work.

And while that number contains carers, students, the retired and the long-term sick, it represents an eight-year high. Included are more than three million 16-24 year olds, a full 43% of them. What an appalling waste.

Many causes are mooted, including the pandemic, lack of opportunity and a perverse benefits system.

As a former Army officer, I have trained young men at the Guards Depot, some from troubled backgrounds, and seen for myself how routine, discipline and education give them a new lease of life. They carry these necessary skills with them for the rest of their lives, whether in the Services or out of them.

Interestingly, the same lessons, delivered by serving Paras to young offenders at the YOI on Portland, produced

astonishing results. After undergoing the ‘Airborne Initiative’ course, pioneered by former MP Sir Jim Spicer, re-offending fell.

Regrettably, due to lack of resources, the programme is now limited to Feltham Youth Offenders’ Institution, which is a great shame.

Of course, national service does not necessarily need to be military, nor mandatory, but there are countries where it works.

Norway, Denmark and Sweden have compulsory, highly selective and targeted national service for teenagers. In Norway, being selected – and just 17% were this year – is so prestigious that teenagers compete for conscription.

Open to both sexes – 36% this year were women – who go on to special training and development in civilian or military specialities.Jobs follow,

plus sponsored further education, making it preferable to university for many.

The programme is so successful that a quarter of conscripts join the regulars, of particular interest in the UK, where we are struggling to recruit and retain. Alternatively, a national citizenship service could see the young working on environmental, health or educational projects.

Already, the Scouts, Prince’s Trust, VSO and the British Red Cross offer volunteering opportunities to young people.

For the country’s sake, and that of those who refuse to work, surely the time has come to compel them to participate in some kind of national service.

Who knows, they may find, as I suspect they would, that it’s a virtuous circle.

Meditations in nature: Beneath the flowering cherry blossom

By Susanna Curtin

THERE is no doubt in my mind that flowers have power. They play such an important role in our lives. From the buttercups, dandelion clocks and daisy chains that occupy our childhood games to the symbolic gift of flowers to represent love. Their beauty, fragrance and diversity never cease to bring colour to our lives.

So far this year we have seen snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils, and the bluebells will be out soon. But for now, it is the turn of the flowering trees that mark the height of spring and fill our hearts with joy. It all began with the delicate white petals of the blackthorn lighting up the hedgerows with white brush strokes. Now in April, it is the turn of the cherry blossom that adorns our streets and gardens. As I write this from my office window, I can see the delicate pink buds of my own trees that are just beginning to unfurl in the warmth of the sun.

A few Aprils ago, I found

myself working in Japan right in the midst of the Japanese Hanami, the Cherry Blossom Festival. Although I stayed in central Tokyo, the street outside my apartment was lined with flowering cherry trees – known as Sakura in Japanese. Day or night, walking under the thick pink and white blossom was an ethereal experience, like walking through a sweetsmelling mist. When the breeze picked up, I was showered in clouds of velvet petals – quite extraordinary. I have never before, or since, seen such incredible blossoms as those in Japan. The density of the blooms, the size and abundance of trees, some hundreds of years old, and the colours and almond fragrance was beyond words.

Walking through Tokyo’s top Sakura destination, Ueno park, I remember seeing the hive of activity underneath the flowering boughs of the Sakura. Hanami, which means ‘flower viewing’, is an ancient tradition of meeting and partying under the cherry trees. Everywhere I

looked people were stopping to admire a single blossom or picnicking under the canopies. Celebrations and gatherings continued into the evenings when the trees were lit with different coloured lanterns.

The practice of Hanami dates back to the eighth century and, to this day, represents the fragility and beauty of life. Cherry trees only bloom for a short time and just when they are looking their best, their petals start to fall, serving as a reminder that although life is beautiful, it is also ephemeral and short, and so they are also symbolic of death. For this reason, they are a motif for the short but colourful life of the samurai and also the kamikaze pilots of the Second World War.

Japan is rich in Buddhist and Shinto legends about nature, and trees particularly have great cultural significance. Spirits are said to live within old and beautiful trees, and famous old specimens are encircled with

rope – called shimenawa. Anyone who cuts them down or mistreats them will be met with misfortune – a belief that might have saved our very own Sycamore Gap tree and others like it.

Flowering trees are not just a feast for our eyes, they also provide vital nectar for our bees, moths and butterflies which play a crucial role in pollinating numerous other plant species. They also help to purify the air in urban settings such as Tokyo. Now, enjoying my very own cherry blossom, I look back at those times during Hanami with fondness. How lovely that a flowering tree can bring people together to celebrate nature and provide a moment of mindfulness. As the delicate petals fall to the ground, they provoke us to live in the present and to appreciate the beauty of life and nature before it slips away.

n Dr Susie Curtin (email curtin. susanna@gmail.com).

Hanami, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan, dates back to the eighth century and represents the fragility and beauty of life

Purbeck

Wild garlic is good for the heart

By Fiona Chapman

IT is that time of year again –wild garlic! We all seem to get addicted to the stuff as soon as it appears. It is odd, because I have frozen it before and then brought it out in the middle of November to eat and not enjoyed it nearly so much. My conclusion is that it must be something that our bodies really crave after winter.

As I have said before, one of the best ways to eat wild garlic is as a pesto with parmesan cheese, a bit of olive oil, fresh lime juice, pine nuts and a good handful of clean wild garlic leaves and flowers, a pinch of salt and good grinding of black pepper, all whizzed up in a blender.

My daughter’s boyfriend eats it by the tub load and in the spring, it seems to go with just about anything!

Like its cousin, it is

extremely good for the heart, it helps the body deal with fats, it reduces blood pressure, will thin the blood and improves its circulation. It also helps with digestion – as long as you are not too greedy about it, then it definitely does not – by increasing the flow of bile, and it is a mild diuretic so helps the body to get rid of toxins.

We not only have it as a pesto – it is great with pasta with the flowers thrown on top after cooking, or in soups and stews. The leaves and flowers can also be added raw to salads.

People say that wild garlic breath is not as strong as after eating commercially produced garlic, but I disagree with this –I think you can smell it, or at least I am very conscious that I probably reek of garlic and find myself holding my breath if people get too close!

Rachel Ciantar

Pesto made with parmesan cheese, olive oil, fresh lime juice, pine nuts and a handful of clean wild garlic leaves and flowers is a treat

Last autumn, I wrote about making a blackberry balsamic vinegar, which is now wonderfully mature. It was a tiny bit watery, so I boiled it down to make the most delicious blackberry tasting syrupy vinegar – where am I going with this?

The most delicious, nutritious and healthy lunch or supper is a slice of sourdough or ryebread slathered with wild garlic pesto

baked in the oven with soft goats’ cheese. When it is all melted and smelling irresistible, take it out and drizzle over the blackberry balsamic vinegar and top with some of the blackberries that have been steeped for the last few months. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

n Fiona Chapman is a naturopathic herbalist; email Pellyfiona@gmail.com

Local Flavours

Support local to savour the flavours of local food and drink producers

What’s Cooking?

People are being invited to submit recipes for possible inclusion in a cookery book being produced by the Pine Martin Grange Care Community in Wareham, The book is due to be published this summer and will feature recipes, and stories related to the recipes, submitted by people living in the home in Sandford Road.

But there’s also an opportunity for one of our readers to have a recipe included in the book too. Ideally, the home is looking for recipes which have been passed down through the generations or have a particularly interesting back story to them.

The best story/recipe combo will be published in the book and the person whose recipe is chosen will receive a free copy of the book. Please send recipes, story, and pictures, if you have any, to Helen Lacey, Home Director at Pine Martin Grange via email helen.lacey@pinemartingrange. co.uk

Our main focus is simple flavours cooked well &

Love Local Trust Local Awards 2024 are now open

If you are a small, independent, Dorset business, farmer, or producer and have a story to tell let us help, we don’t want you to be the best kept secrets in Dorset. Love Local Trust Local was created in 2018, a label that people can trust and know that the product was grown, produced, caught, reared, brewed, crafted or cooked right here in Dorset with love and care using local ingredients.

There are 16 categories available, including new ones recognizing individual and business stories. We have two new nominated classes this year; lifetime achievement and rising star.

We want to recognise the achievements of what we have here in Dorset.

Please go to our website and either download entry forms or enter online at www.lovelocaltrustlocal.co.uk.

Our awards are now every 2 years so don’t miss out. Entries will close in May.

Discover B Curtis Butchers.

Wareham’s trusted butcher, spanning three generations and over seventy years of tradition. Our legacy rests on the values of Quality and Professional Service. Experience a personalized service and the finest meats sourced from the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset and Scotland. We stock Isle of Purbeck Grass Fed Gold Priory Angus Beef, Purbeck Pork and Dorset Lamb. Enjoy FreeRange poultry and locally shot wild Dorset Venison, Pheasant, Partridge, and more. Sustainability, quality, provenance, and locality define our ethos. Order online for home delivery or click & collect. Join us at B Curtis, where excellence meets tradition. 19 West Street, Wareham. www.bcurtis.co.uk

The highlight of our calendar falls on September 3rd: the awards evening. Set against the backdrop of the Members Pavilion at the Dorset County Show, this event promises to amplify our message and celebrate our 2024 winners.

If you would like to get involved as a sponsor to help us showcase everything Dorset at these wonderful awards, please contact us on 07831 184920.

Barbara Cossins

Creator of Love Local Trust Local Proprietor of The Langton Arms and Rawston Farm Butchery & Shop

Enjoying a

cha mpa

tea

ra re ‘Devon Belle ’ Pullman observation ca r as you stea m through the spectacula r Purbeck countryside

Farmers Markets in Dorset

Want to know where to find the very best and freshest local food and drink to compliment the gorgeous Dorset? The simple answer is at one of Dorset’s farmers’ markets!

Farmers’ markets take place all across Dorset throughout the year and are a great place to get to the heart of real Dorset produce and artisan producers.

Lovingly produced food

A trip to one of our fabulous farmers’ markets is the best place to find high quality food that reflects the character and diversity of the county. Discover, browse and sample a wide variety of Dorset foodie delights from fruit and vegetables straight from the garden to freshly baked pies, bread, organic meats and plenty of other treats.

The freshness and taste of locally grown food is unbeatable!

Savour the Aromas

Dorset farmers’ markets give you the chance to meet the farmers, producers and growers directly. Wander around and savour the aromas and flavours from the samples on offer and marvel at the wonderful array of colourful fresh, local produce on sale.

Listen to the chatter and banter between customers and traders…. you’re sure to pick up some great tips on what

others have tried and returned to buy again!

Ingredients for all occasions

The quality and diversity of the produce at our markets is impressive. Stock up on local delights to produce an amazing meal from scratch or grab some bits and pieces to rustle up a delicious snack or seaside picnic.

gift for a foodie friend so that they too can discover the true taste of Dorset!

Guaranteed local!

The producers at our farmers’ markets have to meet specific criteria so that you can be assured of authentic high-quality produce. Local really does mean local – all the produce must be grown, reared, caught or processed by the stall holders.

When shopping at a Dorset farmers’ market, you’re helping to support Dorset’s local economy & reduce food miles, which makes those fresh English strawberries taste the delicious!!

The Village Inn,: A Culinary Gem with a Local Touch

Nestled in the picturesque hamlet of Ulwell, The Village Inn stands out not only for its charming ambiance but also for the exceptional dining and drinking experience it offers. Under the meticulous guidance of Bar Manager Brian and Head Chef Dan, along with their dedicated team, The Village Inn has become a celebrated spot for both locals and holidaymakers. Brian has recently significantly revised and expanded the wine list, introducing a sophisticated collection that includes both international labels and exquisite selections sourced from local vineyards. This complements the Inn’s impressive range of beers and ciders, carefully curated to showcase the finest local producers. For those preferring non-alcoholic options, the expanded selection includes a variety of alcohol-free drinks, ensuring there’s something for everyone. In the kitchen, Dan and his team are committed to culinary excellence. The menu features an array of choices, from heartwarming pub classics to innovative daily specials, all prepared with the freshest ingredients. Sundays are a highlight at The Village Inn, where guests can enjoy sumptuous roasts—a perfect end to the week. Adding to its appeal, The Village

Inn recently developed a new beer garden, seamlessly connected to a large children’s play area. This space not only offers relaxation and leisure for adults but also a safe play environment for children, all set against the backdrop of stunning countryside views. Whether you’re a local or a visiting the area, The Village Inn promises a delightful visit with topnotch food, drink, and picturesque views. Join us to

Beautiful views of the Purbeck hills and direct access to our large children’s play area will make this the perfect Summer spot for socialising with friends and family

THE tastiest treats in Dorset will be dazzling tastebuds at an event in the county this summer.

The Dorset Food and Arts Festival is back on the menu, championing the best of the county, including local food, drink, art, craft and community talent. The event is set to run between 10am and 3pm on Saturday, August 3, on the Great Field in Poundbury, with free entry.

A spokesperson said: “It’s the perfect opportunity to shop for a wide selection of delicious products and artisan crafts.

“Grab a bite to eat and enjoy a tipple as you shop with local stallholders, producers, and makers – offering tasty food and drink, handmade gifts, art, and beautiful crafts.

“The icing on the cake is that when you shop at events like this, you get to meet the amazing people who

Coastal Crust cafe & pizzeria

make, bake, farm, grow, cook, preserve, pickle, and serve you with all this local loveliness – many of them award-winning.”

Anyone planning to pop along is urged to find the event online, to help producers bring enough tasty treats for everyone.

For more details, log on to dorsetfoodanddrink.org.

Coastal Crust is a family run cafe and pizzeria that opened in 2023. Nestled in an unusual location on Prospect Business Park, it champions using the highest quality ingredients to make sure all the food produced is the most delicious for you.

Serving fresh, locally sourced breakfast and lunch during the day and hand-crafted Neapolitan style pizzas in the evening, there is something to suit all tastes.

Barista style coffees and a range of alcoholic beverages (evening only) make this a must try spot for locals and visitors alike.

Open Wednesday to Saturday 8:30-2:30 (daytime menu), 4:30-8:30 (pizzeria menu).

Fully licensed in the evening. Family and dog friendly.

Inside and outside seating available.

Free parking..

Dine in and Takeaway available.

Book online at www.coastcrust.co.uk or on 07985574825

Find us at Unit 1 Anvil Centre, Prospect Business Park, Swanage, BH19 1EJ

Diamonds are forever

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

I LOVE sourcing the most gorgeous diamonds when I am looking for pieces to sell or when I am valuing a collection for a customer!

I use the recognised four Cs criteria which helps me assess the quality and authenticity of the gemstone:

Cut – the way a diamond is cut and polished by a skilled craftsman increases its value. You may have read about different cut shapes such as round, brilliant, marquise, pear, princess, emerald and Ascher. It's not just about shaping the diamond – it's about crafting facets that allow light to enter, reflect internally, and exit in a dazzling display of brilliance. Colour – truly colourless diamonds are the most sought after for their purity and brilliance, as they allow light to pass through without any interference from colour. However, coloured diamonds,

known as fancy diamonds, possess unique hues such as pink, blue or yellow, which can be highly prized for their rarity and individuality.

Clarity – refers to the presence or absence of internal and external flaws, known as inclusions and blemishes, respectively. These natural imperfections are formed during the diamond's crystallisation process deep within the Earth. It is graded on a scale ranging from Flawless – no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification – to Included –inclusions and blemishes visible to the naked eye. The higher the clarity, the higher the price!

Carat – refers to the weight of the diamond. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams, and diamonds are typically measured to the nearest 100th of a carat. While carat weight influences the size of the diamond, it's essential to note that two diamonds of equal weight can appear vastly different in size depending on their cut.

Asian Art is riding high

DUKE’S is inviting consignments for its upcoming Asian Art auction on Thursday, May 23.

Last year’s sales illuminated the significance of Asian art in the auction world, with triumphant results and international attention.

The May auction holds great expectations but promises to inherit the great prosperity suited to such a lineage of highly successful Asian Art auctions.

With artefacts of such eternal beauty, it is of no surprise Asian Art continues to hold such a dedicated audience in the auction world.

Not simply figures of spectacle, nor rusted relics of sentimental value, Asian art blends splendour and historical gravity, while remaining anchored in Asian cultural pride.

The previous sales saw numerous items exceed even

their highest of estimates, including a Chinese blue and white Qianlong-marked bowl which sold for £18,750 and a Chinese coral-ground bowl (pictured) for a colossal £212,500, inclusive of buyer’s premium.

With Asian Art’s unpredictable and wondrous nature, surprise hides behind every corner and even the most unassuming items can conjure vast fortunes.

Get in touch to organise a free and confidential valuation with one of Duke’s specialists either through enquiries@ dukes-auctions.com or 01305 265080.

Business

Work starts on Cherries’ new training centre

by editor@dorsetbiznews. co.uk

AMIRI Construction has begun work on a new

training centre for Premier League side AFC Bournemouth.

The structure will elevate

Bournemouth AFC’s new facilities will include a medical suite, altitude chamber, hydrotherapy pool and gym, and 16 pitches

from a single storey through to a three-storey building and feature a medical suite, altitude chamber, hydrotherapy pool and gym.

Outside there’ll be 16 pitches, along with changing rooms, a media area, storage area and classrooms.

Amiri aims to maintain harmony with the surrounding landscape, ensuring minimal impact on the surrounding area.

Managing director, Jon

Daines, said: “We’re very pleased to be working alongside AFC Bournemouth on their latest project.

“It’s an exciting statement project for the area and we look forward to delivering an exceptional Amiri experience.”

Based in Hampshire but with an office in Dorset, the firm has previously worked on the Stour Building and pathology labs at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Burger sales help YMCA leisure centre

by editor@dorsetbiznews. co.uk

THE Goods Yard in Broadstone has donated £500 to The Junction Leisure Centre.

The donation is part of an ongoing initiative at the pub, which was re-opened in October of 2023 as part of the Fired Up Collective, that sees it donating 50p from every Junction Burger sold.

In just four years since starting out in 2020, the Fired Up Collective has become one of the fastest growing boutique restaurant groups in the UK.

The Goods Yard, in the historic Old Railway Hotel near

the famous Castleman’s trail, is known for its excellent selection of local ales, beers and ciders, as well as its elevated pub classics menu.

Andy Lennox, chief executive of the Fired Up Collective, has chosen to support the Junction Sports and Leisure Centre – part of YMCA Bournemouth – as one of the Collective’s charitable partners.

Junction burger sold.

“We are excited to announce that we have now sold our 1,000th burger and are donating £500 to the Junction.

Andy said: “When we opened in October 2023, the Collective choose to support our neighbours, the Junction, by donating 50p from every

“They provide excellent leisure facilities for the local population and are at the heart of the community. They are not just a place to go and get fit, but it is also a place for the community to come together.

“We are looking forward to selling another 1,000 Junction burgers so that we can donate another £500 very soon.”

In response, Martin Stockley, senior operations manager of

YMCA Bournemouth, said: “Our sincere thanks to Andy and his excellent team.

“The Junction Sports & Leisure Centre, managed by YMCA Bournemouth, prides itself on serving the entire local community, all ages, and all abilities.

“The support from Fired Up Collective simply means that YMCA can stay at the heart of the community, continually updating facilities, passionately improving our services and ensuring that this invaluable ‘hub’ is here for many years to come.Thank you from my team to yours, Andy.”

Brewer gives £700,000-plus to good causes

By editor@dorsetbiznews. co.uk

DORSET family brewers Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) donated and raised more than £700,000 for charities and local good causes in 2023.

It is the highest sum raised by the independent brewer in a single year.

Charitable activities are already underway to beat this

New trustee at hospice charity

BOURNEMOUTH

University’s Dr Sue Baron has been appointed to the board as a new trustee at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care.

Dr Baron (pictured) is the principal academic in nursing and programme lead for MSc Adult Nursing and a Unit Lead Advanced Therapeutic Communication & Interpersonal Skills in the Department of Nursing Science in the University’s Faculty of Health and Social Science.

figure in 2024.

The business aims to raise £1 million a year before its 250th birthday in 2027.

The six-figure sum was achieved through direct giving from the business, a series of fundraising events and by implementing local initiatives at each of its managed pubs across the south.

Each year, teams across

invaluable to the hospice.

“In her role at Bournemouth University, Sue has already worked with our hospice over the last three years and has been pivotal in the success of our Bournemouth University Nursing students’ scholarships scheme in palliative and end-of-life care.

Sue said: “I feel very honoured to have been unanimously appointed as a trustee for Lewis Manning Hospice Care.

“Thank you to everyone for their support.

H&W’s estate of pubs elect their own charity of the year and organise their own fundraising events.

In April 2023, H&W was the headline sponsor of the threeday family-friendly festival, Teddy Rocks.

H&W contributed almost £140,000 from the sponsorship and profits from the bars run by its team members, who donated their time for free over the weekend.

The festival donates all its profits to Teddy20 and other children’s cancer charities.

The H&W Dorset Beer Festival, held at the Brewery in June 2023, donated 100% of its proceeds to the mental health and wellbeing charity, Dorset Mind, raising about £10,000.

Additionally, a series of direct giving from the business contributed to H&W’s total raised sum for 2023.

Last July, the brewer donated £18,000 to The Tank Museum as part of its annual TANKFEST, which will help preserve the world’s largest collection of tank memorabilia for educational purposes.

In November, H&W donated 50% of all net sales to the mental health foundation, Mind, and the British Red Cross Disaster Fund Appeal, totalling more than £60,000.

New charitable activity planned for this year includes sponsored walks, sleep outs in pub gardens and a Hall & Woodhouse football cup.

Hospice chief executive, Clare Gallie, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Sue Baron on to our board of trustees.

“She will be a huge asset to our team and brings an incredible amount of experience and knowledge to the role, which will be

“It was a pleasure to meet the trustees and Lewis-Manning executives at this month’s board meeting and I am looking forward to working more closely with all the team moving forward.

“I will, of course, also be continuing to support and promote the wonderful work of Lewis Manning Hospice Care through my role and work at Bournemouth University.”

ARMISHAWS SMALL MOVES

Its not the size that matters it’s the way you move it! Armishaws operate a fleet of small removal vans

and Wilshire catering for those clients who only need a small removal but still want the expertise provided by a larger removal company.

With prices ranging from £300 for a local move our services are tailored to meet your needs.

Motoring

Young drivers: Handy hints to help cut insurance costs

AFTER passing the driving test, many young drivers find the brakes slammed on their joy as car insurance for young drivers can be very expensive.

Here are some tips on how to lower your car insurance.

n Find a low insurance group

AVOID purchasing a vehicle in

the highest groups – 50 is the highest rating in the UK. Cars in group 1 generally have the cheapest insurance premiums.

n Don’t modify your car IT may be tempting to add modifications such as fins and spoilers to the motor – but they’re likely to increase your

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The cost of insurance can be a shock for new, young drivers

insurance bill.

n Compare like-with-like insurance

CAR insurance policies with the same price may not offer the same level of benefits.

So remember to check that a policy covers everything you need.

n Car security

THINKING about the security of your car could help reduce your premium.

n Where your car is kept

overnight KEEP your car secure by storing it in a locked garage or park it off the road.

And make sure you remove valuables when you lock the car.

n Security devices

BUYING additional devices such as an alarm system, ignition lock and glass etching will help to attract lower premiums.

Your insurer can advise what devices are suitable.

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2018 BMW 118 1.5 SPORT NAV STEP AUTO in Grey Auto, Sat Nav, Air Con, Cruise Control, iPod/USB Connect, Bluetooth, Front & Rear Parking Sensors, DAB Digital Radio, Auto Headlights, Alloys, 50500 Mile swith FSH.............£12995

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How to make a garden pond come to life

By Sally Gregson

ONE of the most interesting areas to plant in a new garden is a newly-made garden pond. It’s a question of working out exactly what areas will be available to plant, preferably before filling the pond with water. And it’s a lovely question to tackle.

It helps initially to divide the area in and around the new pond into different zones – a marginal area around the edge of the pond, which gets damp in wet weather; at a specific depth in the water on a shelf placed; and in deeper water, again at a specific depth, for true water plants.

The area around the pond – the margins – can pose problems in a particularly dry year, so it helps to ensure an area of surrounding soil is kept below or just near the surface level of the pond. Spring is a good time to improve the soil in these areas, with plenty of garden compost dug in before planting a selection of bogmarginals.

There are plenty to choose from. There are the water-loving irises such as I. pseudacorus with tall butter-yellow flowers, I. pseudacorus var. bastardii with pale lemon and white flowers, also tall and elegant. They would need to be kept in

check to prevent them taking over the whole area.

Within the water, at a specific depth, there are lots of beauties to choose from, including the elegant Arum Lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica. Many of the more colourfully flowered forms are, however, not quite hardy, but Z. aethiopica ‘Crowborough’ is a toughie that produces the typical arum lilies that look so good in a bouquet.

At a greater depth, of course, there are water-lilies, Nymphaea. These too are

particular about the depth of water they occupy. Consult a specialist grower to find which lilies will be happy in your pond. They can also spread more than desired. So, check exactly which forms suit the pond size, and be prepared to ‘tidy’ and ‘prune’ them all after a year or two, once they are established.

And your pond will capture the light and bring it down into the garden. It’s what Claude Monet spent half his life trying to paint. Successfully.

Boyband stars team up for tour

BOYZLIFE, formed by Boyzone’s Keith Duffy and Westlife’s Brian McFadden, are opening a UK tour next year at Lighthouse Poole.

Boyzone and Westlife were two of the biggest groups of the 1990s and 2000s boyband era, scoring 21-plus UK number one singles and performing to millions of people worldwide.

Keith and Brian joined forces in 2016 when they had left their respective groups.

As part of Westlife, Brian holds a record-breaking seven consecutive UK and Ireland number ones, as well as 12 chart toppers overall.

The band sold more than 30 million records globally and secured four number one albums.

Brian also went on to achieve solo success after Westlife, securing a UK number one with Real To Me.

Keith enjoyed great success as a member of Boyzone with

six number one UK singles, including 16 out of their first 17 releases making the top five.

The group had five number one albums and sold more than 25 million records worldwide.

The 2025 Boyzlife tour will see the duo perform a mixture of hits from both of their individual groups, including

from Boyzone I Love The Way You Love Me, All That I Need and No Matter What, and from Westlife My Love, I Lay My Love On You, Uptown Girl.

The concert is on Thursday, January 23, and tickets are available from www. lighthousepoole.co.uk and 01202 280000.

Surrealist painter in the spotlight VOTE CROSSING

A LECTURE about the relationship between the surrealist painter, Paul Nash, and the landscape of Dorset is taking place at Dorchester Museum next month.

Dorset exercised a powerful hold on Nash, fuelling his imagination and enriching his paintings, photographs and writing.

He thought of Dorset, and the Island of Purbeck in particular, as an ancient and mythical landscape ‘overcast by a noble melancholy’, a place strewn

with memorable motifs and deeply enriched by ‘the burden of its extraordinary inheritance’.

The illustrated lecture explores more than 80 artworks created from the mid-1930s until Nash’s death in 1946.

They range from ancient places such as Maiden Castle and Badbury Rings to the limestone promontories and fossilised forests on the Purbeck coast.

The lecture is at the Victorian Hall of Dorchester Museum on Thursday, May 16, at 7pm.

THE Wimborne-based Vivamente Voices choir will be presenting its spring concert, C’est la Vie Musicale, with guest choir Les Ségui’Singers, visiting from Cholet, France.

The choirs will perform a selection of contemporary and traditional, well-known and less well-known compositions, in Wimborne Minster.

The concert is on Saturday, May 11, at 7.30pm – for further information and tickets visit www.vivamentevoices.co.uk.

Boyzlife – Boyzone’s Keith Duffy and Westlife’s Brian McFadden

May Melodies concert with popular town choir

WELL-LOVED Swanage choir the Belvedere Singers promise something for everyone when they perform a May Melodies concert at St Mary’s Church in the town.

Music director Clive Watkiss has put together a programme of songs and music, including by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Arthur Sullivan, Eric Whitacre, Gerald Finzi,

Aaron Copeland and Handel.

Pianist Angus MurrayBrown will provide accompaniment and guest violin soloist Sally Aiko Dando will play three short

pieces.

Spanish-born Sally moved to Swanage in 2015 and is now in her third year at the Royal College of Music studying under Professor Lyutsia Ibragimova.

Tickets for the concert on Saturday, May 18, at 7.30pm are priced £7 and are available from choir members and at the door.

A retiring collection will be held in aid of Purbeck Besom, a volunteer-based group which supports vulnerable families and individuals in the Purbeck area.

That may include people on low income, refugees, those rendered homeless, people escaping domestic violence or at the point of being rehomed.

A representative will explain more about the charity’s activities and needs on the night.

The choir is always looking to recruit new members.

The Belvedere Singers are performing at St Mary’s Church in Swanage

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Specialist in Purbeck Stone Walling Construction General Building, Extensions, Renovations, Roofing, New Builds and all types of Ground Work.

Specialist in Purbeck Stone Walling, General Building, Extensions, Renovations, Roofing, New Builds and all types of Ground Work. Also available for Plumbing, Electrics & Carpentry.

Specialist in Purbeck Stone Walling Construction General Building, Extensions, Renovations, Roofing, New Builds and all types of Ground Work. Also available for Plumbing, Electrics & Carpentry.

Also available for Plumbing, Electrics & Carpentry.

Tel: 01929 554249 / Fax: 01929 552294

Specialist in Purbeck Stone Walling Construction General Building, Extensions, Renovations, Roofing, New Builds and all types of Ground Work. Also available for Plumbing, Electrics & Carpentry.

Tel: 01929 554249

Mobile: 07973 388190

www.jaconstructiondorset.co.uk

Fax: 01929 552294

Email: sales@jaconstruction.co.uk

Tel: 01929 554249 Fax: 01929 552294

Tel: 01929 554249 Fax: 01929 552294

Mobile: 07973 388190

Mobile: 07973 388190

Mobile: 07973 388190

www.jaconstructiondorset.co.uk

www.jaconstructiondorset.co.uk

www.jaconstructiondorset.co.uk

Email: sales@jaconstruction.co.uk

Email: sales@jaconstruction.co.uk

Email: sales@jaconstruction.co.uk

MARINE AND COASTAL ACCESS ACT 2009

APPLICATION FOR Hamworthy Barracks Jetty Works Notice is hereby given that Mr Paul Bowskill, Allenby Barracks, Bovington Camp, Dorset, has applied to the Marine Management Organisation under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, Part 4, for a marine licence to undertake improvement works on the marine facilities of the existing military boatyard at Hamworthy Barracks. Copies of the application and associated information may be viewed on line in the Public Register at www.gov.uk/checkmarine-licence-register

Representations in respect of the application should ordinarily be made by:

- Visiting the MMO public register at https://marinelicensing.marinemanagement.org.uk/mmofox5/f ox/live/MMO_PUBLIC_REGISTER/search?area=3 and accessing the `Public Representation? section of case reference MLA/2023/00510;

However, we will also accept representations via the following formats:- By email to marine.consents@marinemanagement.org.uk ; or alternatively - By letter addressed to Marine Management Organisation, Lancaster House, Hampshire Court, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7YH

In all cases, correspondence must:

- Be received within 28 days of the date of the first notice , 29th April 2024

- Quote the case reference; and - include an address to which correspondence relating to the representation or objection may be sent.

The Marine Management Organisation will pass to the applicant a copy of any objection or representation we receive.