Purbeck Issue 288

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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

About the Purbeck Gazette

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The East Street Deli in Wimborne is in the running for a top national award. Page 29

East Dorset Beekeeping Association provides advice to on bee swarms Page 10

Safety fears scupper filming at quarry site

FILMING for a new Star Wars series at a disused Dorset quarry has been cancelled – amid fears of a landslip.

Winspit Quarry, near Worth Matravers, was going to be a location for the latest series of Disney+ show Andor, a prequel to the Rogue One film.

However, the National Trust (NT) has confirmed filming has been called off due to ‘safety concerns’.

An NT spokesperson said: “The planned filming due to take place at Winspit Quarry has been cancelled due to safety concerns following the recent turbulent weather, which has increased the risk of rockfalls and landslips.

“Visitors looking to explore the Dorset Coast are advised to

follow signs and keep out of unsafe areas until further surveys have been undertaken.”

Andor follows the exploits of Cassian Andor, a scavanger who later becomes a member of the Rebel Alliance.

But sadly, the Dorset location will not be part of the story this time around, having been used in the first series – as Segra Milo.

Tracey Churcher, NT general manager for Purbeck, said: “The coast and cliffs along this stretch of the Dorset Coast, including the quarry, can be unstable and naturally liable to landslips and falls – particularly after extreme weather, including heavy rainfall and hot dry periods.

“We urge people to take the

Police appeal after church silver stolen

SILVERWARE has been stolen from a Wareham church.

The items, including candlesticks, plates and chalices, were taken from the Lady St Mary Church, at Church Green, some time between 9.45pm on Friday, April 14, and 9am the following morning.

PC Ryan Dunkerley, of Purbeck police, said: “We are conducting enquiries into this burglary, and I am keen to hear from anyone who may have information that could assist our investigation.

“I would urge anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area on the night of Friday, 14 April, 2023, to please get in touch.

“I would also like to speak to anyone who comes across silverware being offered for sale locally or online in suspicious circumstances.”

Anyone with information

should contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55230057398, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

time to read warning signs and follow the instructions so they can enjoy the coast safely.

“People should always stay well back from the cliff and rock edges, whether on or below them, and we ask people

not to visit Winspit Quarry until our experts are confident it is safe to visit again.”

The site, bought by the NT in 2022, has previously featured as a location for Doctor Who and Blake’s 7.

Compiled by National Coastwatch Institution, Swanage

Compiled by National Coastwatch Institution, Swanage

Compiled by National Coastwatch Institution, Swanage

Solar & Tidal Predictions - Jan '23

Solar & Tidal Predictions - May '23

Solar & Tidal Predictions - May '23

Solar and Tidal Predictions - Feb'23

Disney+ Star Wars series Andor (top) was going to film at the disused Winspit Quarry, near Worth Matravers, but fears of a landslip led to the cancellation of shooting

Lady St Mary Church Wareham PHOTO: Google

Warm space gets a boost with chair donation from funeral director

A CHURCH has 40 new seats for its ‘warm space’ days thanks to a generous donation.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, the Buckland Road Baptist Church in Parkstone opens its doors to people between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

Its magnificent Victorian heating system keeps people physically warm and the friendship offered keeps people warm on the inside.

Meanwhile, Douch Family Funeral Directors’ Ives and Shand branch, in Ashley Road, was refurbishing its ceremony room and had 40 smart spare seats.

Knowing the church because of funerals

it has organised there, it donated them. Zoe Grimley, who runs the ‘warm space’, said: “We launched the warm space days in October and they’ve been very popular.

“There is always a safe, warm space in our back room where we have tea, coffee, biscuits, and a soup and roll. People pop in for a chat and it helps those who are lonely.

“You wouldn’t think by looking at our church from the front that we’d have such a large area at the back, but we have pool tables and even a stage for performances.

“However, we were short of chairs and those donated are perfect and they are very well used. We are very grateful and invite

everyone to come along.”

Jonathan Stretch, from Douch Family Funeral Directors, said they were delighted to help.

“Our branches are being constantly updated and in some cases completely rebuilt,” he said. “With our Parkstone branch Ives and Shand we bought some new chairs for our ceremony room.

“It seemed fitting to donate the old ones to the church, which does a great deal of good work for the community.”

Buckland Road Baptist Church was built in 1880 and services are held on Sundays at 11am.

Arrest after alleged assault in Wareham

A MAN has been arrested after the alleged assault of a woman in Wareham.

The alleged incident unfolded at around 11.40pm on Thursday, April 20, after reports raising concerns for the welfare of a woman in the Sandford Road area.

It is reported that the victim – a woman aged in her 40s – was assaulted. She did not sustain any serious injuries, a Dorset Police spokesperson said.

Officers attended and a 47-year-old man, from Wareham, was arrested on suspicion of assault.

The arrested man and victim are known to each other.

PC Karam Mander said: “I am carrying out a number of enquiries into this incident to establish the full circumstances.

“I would ask any witnesses who saw what happened and have not already spoken to police to please get in touch.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55230060549 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Back row, from left to right, Leanne Adimi from Douch Family Funeral Directors, Deacon Jonathan Martin from the church, Jonathan Stretch and Marcella McDonagh from Douch Family Funeral Directors and in front, Zoe Grimley

Man charged after Audi and jewellery stolen

A MAN has been charged with burglary in connection with an incident that saw jewellery and a car taken from a Poole property.

The alleged incident happened at around 11.30am on Tuesday, April 11, at an address in the Ringwood Road area, pictured.

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The victim’s Audi was also reportedly stolen.

Original design by Augusto Ferri for the first Italian production of Le roi de Lahore in 1878 | Archivio Storico Ricordi

FOR a long time, Tracie’s father said she should go into work as a presenter in some way. And after hosting his funeral service in January 2022, and with encouragement from her husband Duncan, who works as a funeral assistant with Grassby’s Funeral Directors, she decided to train to become a celebrant - and that is what she did in the beautiful countryside of Malham, Yorkshire, with the International College of Professional Celebrants.

Tracie, 56, said: “The training was second to none, with the very hardest aspects of the role being faced head on, such as child and baby loss and suicide and how to help families suffering in this way, at what is likely to be one of the darkest times in their lives.” Even as a student nurse, Tracie’s strengths were her empathy and compassion with the patients in her care, which never left her throughout her various roles in life, including midwifery, health visiting, leading parenting courses, counselling, helping members with health and weight loss in her more recent role as a Slimming World consultant and training consultants in her role as a Slimming World manager.

Since last May, after Tracie trained as a celebrant, she has hosted around 40 Celebration of Life Services and has four weddings booked, with potentially two more on the horizon. Weddings including a “Garden Wedding” with afternoon tea and Tracie says: “It’s definitely that time of year when love is in the air and weddings are being planned, even at short notice.

“Some have still been on hold since the pandemic, and I am so excited now to start hosting weddings. “There are so many interesting and unique elements to a celebrant-led wedding and can include one or several mini ceremonies within the ceremony itself.” An engaged couple whose wedding Tracie will be hosting this August have chosen to have a

“sand ceremony”, which involves pouring sand in the colour of their choice into a glass jar, separately, then at the same time, which blends the two colours, representing unity. They have five children between them and each of their children has chosen a separate colour sand which they will pour separately then altogether into the jar, representing their blending as a family.

The couple or family keep the jar of beautifully-coloured sand as a memory of their special day and a reminder of their love for each other. Another couple have chosen to have the ancient “tying the knot” ceremony, which involves lots of coloured ribbons where they wrap them over each other’s hands then pull and tie the knot representing binding their two lives as one. Tracie said: “Weddings are all about love, as really, are all the ceremonies I host, acknowledging all the rites of passage which are a natural part of life.

“My business name was derived from something I am passionate about - my own family. I feel very blessed to have had two daughters and now two small grandaughters. “Three of us were born in June, which is when roses bloom and roses represent love and are fitting for all occasions.

Tel: 07379982487

Email: juneroseceremonies@gmail.com

Website: juneroseceremonies.co.uk

Tracie would be delighted to chat with anyone who would like more information about the ceremonies she puts together and how she can personalise your ceremony to make it unique, special and leave you with lasting memories for years to come.

Tracie can be contacted on 07379 982487, or by email at juneroseceremonies@gmail.com

Man needed surgery after bottle attack

A MAN needed surgery after being hit with a bottle in Christchurch High Street in the early hours of Saturday, April 1.

Electric bikes stolen in late night raid

TWO electric bicycles were stolen when a Poole shed was burgled.

The incident happened at around 12.30am on Wednesday, April 5, at a property off Links Road.

The stolen bikes, pictured above, were a Specialized Turbo Levo with a large dark blue frame and a Trek Powerfly 4 with a carbon grey and mint blue small frame.

Police Community Support Investigator Paul Bosley, of Poole police, said: “I would also like to hear from anyone who may have come across electric bikes matching the description of those given being offered for sale locally or online in unusual circumstances.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk or on 101, incident 55230054211.

The Village Inn Ulwell

We are open all day, the events in London will be on the televisions, to help get us all in the mood. Coronation quiche and our usual menu will be served. A special ale and jugs of Pimms will be available.

Police have issued a CCTV image of a person they would like to speak to in connection with the incident, which happened at around 1.35am.

The victim – a man in his 20s – was assaulted by an unknown attacker on Millhams Street and High Street.

It is reported the victim was hit with a glass bottle and sustained an injury to his nose.

PC Samuel Burlton, of Christchurch police, said: “The victim required surgery following this incident and we are determined to identify the person responsible for causing the injuries.

“I am now issuing a CCTV image of the suspect and while I

appreciate the image is not very clear, I am hoping someone may recognise the man from his general build and clothing.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk or on 101, quoting incident number 55230050003. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

From 9.30a.m - 11.30a.m

Out Of The Blue

MAY already. For you early birds out there don’t forget to check out the Eta Aquariid meteor shower which will peak between midnight and dawn on May 6-7, and after that we would appreciate it if you could take 10 minutes to fill out one of our priority surveys: www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/PurbeckEmail

So, what have we been up to? Well, in the period March 6 to April 18 we dealt with 598 occurrences in Purbeck, of which 249 were recorded crimes and resulted in 73 arrests.

We have reports not only from members of the public but from local authorities of anti-social behaviour around Purbeck. A lot of it is happening on council-owned ground with reports of youths behaving in a threatening and abusive manor, and damaging property. The local authorities are reporting damage to their facilities, toilet blocks and so on, and this is clearly unacceptable.

The local Neighbourhood

Policing Teams (NPT) are increasing patrols in these areas in an attempt to prevent such occurrences.

But we need your assistance as well. From aggressive, noisy or abusive behaviour to neighbourhood disturbances involving drugs or animals, anti-social behaviour takes many forms.

If you’ve witnessed anti-social behaviour, please report it, you should not have to put up with this irresponsible behaviour.

And finally, if you need to get in touch with Dorset Police, please contact our Police Enquiry Centre by calling 101 or emailing 101@ dorset.pnn.police.uk. Always call 999 in an EMERGENCY when there is a risk of HARM or a CRIME in progress. Alternatively, call the free CRIMESTOPPERS line on 0800 555 111.

You can also use our website to report a number of issues, from full crime reports to lost property – visit www.dorset.police.uk/ do-it-online/

Don’t forget to visit us on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/Purbeckpolice and Twitter – @ PurbeckPolice – we really value your support and

comments. You can also see our latest priorities and up and coming events at www. dorset.police.uk/ neighbourhood-policing/ purbeck/

Why not register on Dorset Alert? By registering for the free Dorset Police community messaging alerts, you will receive information on local crime and incidents where we believe that sharing information with you will help to prevent further offences occurring; crimes and incidents where you may be able to help by providing vital information; current crime trends; crime prevention advice and Safer Neighbourhood activity; and opportunities to meet the team.

You can also receive news from our partner agencies such as Dorset Fire and Rescue Service and Trading Standards, and community safety messages.

PURBECK NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING TEAM

Free ways to be more active

GET outdoors, get some light exercise and make new friends – that’s the invitation to people in Wimborne from Dorset Council’s Health and Activity team.

Health walks are now running starting from Wimborne library on Mondays – not Bank Holidays – and Tuesdays every week, with a new outdoor fitness circuit launching at Bytheway Field on Tuesday evenings.

Wimborne health walks have been running since 2006 and now the council co-ordinates walks all over Dorset with Ramblers Wellbeing walks.

The walks are free of charge,

last between 10 and 90 minutes and are geared to people of all abilities but especially those who would like to be more active.

Volunteer health walk leaders welcome walkers and provide encouragement and support throughout the walks, which offer a chance for group conversation, company and a reason to get moving.

Health walks have also teamed up with Wimborne Library, which provides free tea and chat at its ‘Cuppa and Company’ days every Monday.

The walks start at 10.15am and participants can just turn up on the day.

The fun instructor-led free fitness circuits are designed to raise the heart rate and burn calories and are open to all, although children must be accompanied.

The sessions at the field off Leigh Road start on Tuesday, May 2, between 7- 8pm, and run every week throughout the summer.

Cllr Peter Wharf, Dorset Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “Being active outdoors is good not just for your body, but also for your mind. “Exercising in an outdoor environment can improve mood, reduce levels of depression,

reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate.

“What better reason to get out there and enjoy what Dorset has to offer? These sessions are free, friendly and you do not need to book in advance.

“There is no long-term commitment, so whether you are looking to improve your health and wellbeing, and/or hoping to have a nice chat with some new friends, these activities have something for everyone.”

n MORE health walk leaders are needed – if you think you can offer some time to help lead a walk, email dorsethealth walks@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Operation dolphin watch

WILDLIFE watchers are wanted this spring and early summer to observe dolphins in the sea off Durlston Country Park.

Marine watchers will be looking out for behaviours including breeching, tail slapping, station keeping and leaping as part of a project to help understand what marine mammals do off Durlston.

The research will employ an ‘intelligent cetacean recorder’ which will record the acoustics of passing cetaceans including dolphins, porpoises and toothed whales.

The echolocation sounds the device captures could be associated with the creatures searching and hunting for prey, navigating and orientating themselves in the sea, social interaction and even defensive or territorial behaviour.

The device will probably be recovered by the end of June

and then its data will be analysed.

Durlston Country Park and Dorset Wildlife Trust are seeking the marine watchers who will also be recording other data such as the numbers observed, the presence or absence of marine traffic, the weather conditions and more.

Countryside ranger (Durlston) Paul Jones said: “It would be helpful if you have your own binoculars, while a camera with a zoom lens could be an excellent tool.

“Observation would be while patrolling or positioned on the coast path between Durlston Head and Tilly Whim.

“Less mobile watchers could be stationed at or near Durlston Castle, while we also have a dolphin watch shelter on the coast path itself.

“The acoustic device is not designed to attract dolphins, so we do not guarantee that as

Durlston marine watcher that you will get to see any marine mammals, but at least there should be seabirds!”

Training can be provided and if enough volunteers come forward a rota may be created to

maximise effectiveness and coverage.

Anyone interested in becoming a temporary Durlston marine watcher should email durlston@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Marine watchers are being recruited to support a project investigating the behaviours of marine mammals off Durlston Country Park

PHOTO: Dorian Mason

Bugged by bees? Help’s at hand

WHO are you going to call if you see the marvellously natural sight of thousands of bees swarming?

Eventually they may choose to alight in your favourite tree, garden bush or even the bird table, in what’s known as a cluster. Between April and June honeybees will follow their queen to find a new home. Remain calm, and it is sensible to keep your distance and keep children and pets indoors.

Remember, these vital pollinators need care and not a pest controller. It is much better for the bees’ survival if you phone your local beekeeping association to collect them, before the little scout bees decide your chimney is the ideal place to live! You can anticipate the bee swarm will rest for between a few hours and even

two days before their scout bees have come back to tell them about a perfect permanent nest.

Firstly, a colony of bees prepares to swarm when they are raising lots of baby bees and it is getting a little crowded in their original hive. The queen bee decides to take half of the hive with her to find a new home. That could be between 1,500 and 30,000 bees, including workers – female bees – and drones – male bees.

Secondly, and most interestingly, the bees’ little tummies will be engorged with

honey for their flight. Because of this they will be in a docile, passive state of mind. In addition, they do not have a home to defend!

Rest assured, East Dorset Beekeepers has a swarm co-ordinator who can be contacted via our website and will try to find someone to go to your home, free of charge, to collect them. These are passionate beekeepers who can help you. They are volunteers and, even if they are working and cannot attend immediately, a network of trained swarm collectors will be happy to remove them carefully, free of

charge.

Your trained swarm collector will ask a number of questions to help you identify if you have honeybees, or if you are describing the nest of wasps or hornets. They may ask you to forward a photo if you are unsure. Be ready with your address and postcode, your best contact phone number and as much information about the swarm’s location as possible – such as ‘8 feet up in my apple tree’! It will really help if we know we need to bring a ladder with the other equipment.

Our friendly swarm collector will guide you through what happens on the phone and arrange to pop over if they are honeybees. You can learn a lot by watching from a safe area, preferably indoors.

To get the information and find out who to call, check out our interactive map on our new EDBKA website – www.edbka. org.uk/swarm

* You can also call 07714 289400 for advice.

Swarms of bees can between 1,500 and 30,000 insects

Sandra Palmer-Snellin of the East Dorset Beekeeping Association provides advice to anyone who finds themselves with a swarm of bees in their garden

Dorset HealthCare changes guidance on face coverings

WEARING masks at Dorset HealthCare sites is no longer mandatory.

With the success of the vaccination rollout, and a reduction in cases of Covid-19, we will no longer be asking visitors and staff to wear masks in public and clinical areas at our sites, in line with the approach also being taken in the local acute hospitals.

Mask wearing will now be a personal choice for anyone working at, or visiting our sites, and masks will still be made available for anyone wishing to take extra precautions.

The only areas masks may still be required, will be when we need protect patients who have lowered immunity or respiratory illnesses. These areas will have

notices on entrance doors to advise visitors.

If you are unwell with a raised temperature, coughing, sneezing, diarrhoea or vomiting, the advice to avoid coming into Dorset HealthCare buildings remains.

Staff will continue to observe good hand hygiene and wipe down all shared spaces, in line with infection prevention and control recommendations, to minimise the spread of infections within a clinical environment.

Thank you to everyone for following the previous guidance and wearing masks for such an extended period of time.

Patient safety remains our priority and we will continue to take precautions in

line with infection prevention and control guidelines to protect all visitors, staff and patients.

Professor Dawn Dawson, Chief Nursing Officer

HealthCare

at Dorset

Professor Dawn Dawson

SPRING at Durlston is one of our favourite times of year – it feels like sitting at the top of a rollercoaster, before plunging down into summer. With each new day, more wildlife emerges or returns to the park, so you never know what a walk will bring!

Alongside the blossoming cowslips and early orchids in the meadows, we are anticipating some fantastic displays of spring flowers in the woodland following the habitat management work carried out as part of the Pleasure Grounds Project. Dense swathes of garlicscented ramsons, constellations of golden lesser celandine and cheery purple dog violets carpet the woodland floor.

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.

In the Castle visitor centre you can see the guillemots via the live cliff camera images and spot the large bright blue eggs being incubated. 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

Protecting your home and assets with a Living Trust.

Everyone needs a will, but a will does not protect your assets. One of the most efficient additions to your will is a living trust. A living trust has many benefits and protects your hard-earned legacy. Let’s consider some of the benefits below...

Avoiding probate: By placing assets including your home into a living trust, those assets can pass directly to the beneficiaries named in the trust, bypassing probate.

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

Control: With a living trust, you can be both a trustee and beneficiary. You can maintain control over your assets even after you pass away. You can specify how and when your assets should be distributed to your beneficiaries.

Protects your bloodline: Your legacy is protected from remarriage and divorce, protecting both your surviving partner and children’s legacy. Asset protection: A living trust can protect your assets from creditors in the case of bankruptcy etc, divorce settlements, and other claims against beneficiaries and yourself.

In these days of uncertainty its best to plan wisely and protecting your legacy for family and loved ones. To discover more about living trusts, contact Oakwood Wills on 07832 331594

calendar also kicks up a gear from here: visit www.durlston. co.uk/events. We have a fantastic programme of exhibitions in the Gallery –from textiles, to print-making, to landscape painting.

This month in the Gallery we will have the last week of Poole Printmakers exhibition ‘NATURE’, then will be welcoming the ‘seam’ collective with its exhibition ‘A Visible THREAD’. The exhibition will run from Tuesday, May 16, until Wednesday, June 7, and will present a sustainable exhibition encouraging viewers to rethink their relationship to thread, be aware of its materiality, its sustainability, its possibilities and limitations, and take part and play through

demonstrations and workshops. Along with all of this, our Seabird Boat Trips will be starting again every Friday from May 12 until June 30. Join the Rangers for an evening cruise from Swanage Pier along Purbeck’s Jurassic Coast with the chance to spot guillemots, kittiwakes, puffins, peregrine falcons and more! Book your tickets with City Cruises by calling 02077 400400 or visit www. cityexperiences.com/poole/ city-cruises/summerbirdwatching-cruises/.

For more information on events and more visit our Durlston website. Visit the Durlston website https://www. durlston.co.uk/ Visit the Seventhwave café website at https://7eventhwave.com/

New waters for anglers on Silverlake Estate

ANGLERS can enjoy fishing at two new lakes Dorchester & District Angling Society (DDAS) have created at Silverlake Dorset.

The club were told about eight years ago the four-acre lake they leased on what is now the Silverlake Estate – formerly Warmwell Quarry – would be converted into a wildlife marsh/ nature reserve, and that a new lake would be provided elsewhere on the estate.

The club were given the same acreage as the old Heath Lake and asked for two lakes next to each other, producing a design for a boomerang-shaped lake and a kidney-shaped pool set within the arc of the boomerang, both with islands.

Lysander Lake for coarse fish is about three acres in size and will eventually have 35 fishing

platforms, and the 1.1-acre Lucy’s Pool will have four platforms with fishing areas marked for each peg.

Lucy’s is a carp lake with common and mirror carp ranging from 4lb to 30lb – at the moment it contains 42 fastgrowing carp which weighed between 4lb and 16lb when stocked about a year ago.

Steve Sudworth, retired

Silverlake Estate manager and DDAS club captain, said: “They have been fed on a regular basis during this time, so we expect to see a couple of fish on the bank at around 20lb during the summer.

“We have plans to purchase a few more bigger fish at the end of 2023, depending on membership numbers and funds available.”

Lysander Lake is named after the Westland Lysander aircraft based there at RAF Warmwell in the Second World War.

Lucy’s Pool is named after Bill Lucy, a member of the club’s committee who died several years ago, who got DDAS onto the estate at a small lake at West Knighton, which was rented from the quarry company before the move to Heath Lake in 2009.

DDAS will have almost exclusive rights to the lakes but are required to provide four Silverlake guest passes a day for Lysander Lake and one for Lucy’s.

Steve said: “This is the very least we could do because the Silverlake management were totally in support of this project and assisted us enormously during the process, for which we thank them very much and hope our longstanding partnership will continue well into the future.”

He added: “For those precious few that have helped out over the past few months, DDAS thank you so much for your help and hard work.

“We couldn’t have done it without you.

“It has been a long worthwhile journey and hopefully DDAS members will reap the benefits.”

To fish the lakes and other waters DDAS have access to visit the website at www.d-das. com or email secretary@d-das. com with specific enquiries.

SHOP

By Lewis-Manning Hospice Care

Lysander Lake is about three acres and will be used for coarse fishing with Lucy’s Pool, about a third of the size, stocked with carp

Purbeck Art Weeks Festival

27 May - 11 June

PAW Festival brings an inspiring mix of art, music and events for all to enjoy. Over 30 artists’ studios are open across Purbeck – painters, sculptors, jewellers, wood workers, fabric artists, glass artists and more, are all looking forward to welcoming you.

Magnificent Rollington Barn (near Corfe Castle) hosts our extensive collective exhibition, and is an excellent place to start plotting your Open Studio trail in Lovecake’s delicious courtyard café. Various artists will be demonstrating their skills in the PAW Pop Up Studio near the café, and Purbeck Young Artists’ work will be on show in the adjacent byre.

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The Portraiture Celebration includes exhibitions, a ‘compered’ live painting event Portrait Artist of Purbeck, a schools’ portrait competition, and a talk by PAW’s President, the internationally renowned sculptor Philip Jackson, on The Trials and Tribulations of doing Portraiture in Public Sculpture, followed by a panel discussion. In the evenings you can enjoy music in beautiful venues. This includes some of the best vocal consort music sung by the Gesualdo Six, a commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the great William Byrd by Tenebrae and an imaginative performance by Voice celebrating the life and works of 12th century visionary Hildegard von Bingen. The Festival ends with Helen Charlston and theorbo player, Toby Carr exploring the stories of women in war in 17th Century England and Italy.

Festival brochures can be picked up from venues across Purbeck. For more information and to book tickets for our events please go to our website at www.purbeckartweeksfestival.co.uk

27 May–11 June www.purbeckartweeksfestival.co.uk

Pick up our brochure from venues across Purbeck or the PAW website from early April, and get ready to enjoy our many and varied artists. Book tickets for our evening events on line

Old Harry by Cathy Veale.

Photo: CV

Voice Photo: VKP

The Magic Numbers to play Purbeck Valley Folk Festival

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival has just announced headliners The Magic Numbers in what is set to be its best line-up yet. Having had a load of top 40 hits since in the noughties, you may think The Magic Numbers fit more into the “pop” genre, but with great songwriting, acoustic guitars, and lush harmonies, they’ll fit right in at Purbeck.

“Having The Magic Numbers play is going to absolutely brilliant!” says Festival Director, Catherine Burke. “Michele Stodart has played for us before - she stepped in at the last minute last year when Kathryn Williams was taken ill with Covid. We’re delighted that she’s coming back this year with her brother and their band! Kathryn Williams will also be joining us, and she and Michele together will be taking part in our more intimate, Saturday morning Songwriters’ Circle too. It’s going to be so good!” Other names booked for PVFF this year include: Newton Faulkner, Seth Lakeman, Michele Stodart, Kathryn Williams, and

Sheelanagig, along with a long list of international, national and local folk, roots and acoustic acts. Purbeck is more than just great music. With a huge number of activities for kids (all included in the entry price - no hidden

extras), and incredible craft area full of workshops, music and singing workshops, ceilidhs, poetry, storytelling, healing area and fire shows.

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival is a 4-day event - 17-20 August 2023

Full weekend tickets including 4 nights of camping are currently available at the Earlybird price of £130 (£70 youth, £30 kids) - bargain! Day tickets to be released soon! www.purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk

WEEKEND TICKETS INCL.£120CAMPING

LADY NADE - HANNAH MOULE & THE MOULETTES - PONS AELIUS - MAN THE LIFEBOATS

FARGO RAILROAD CO - TOUKI - FAITH I BRANKO - CARRIVICK SISTERS - SOUSOU & MAHER CISSOKO

MAZ O’CONNOR - LUKE JACKSON - JON DORAN & THE NORTHERN ASSEMBLY - FILKIN’S ENSEMBLE

MISHRA - OLD BABY MACKEREL - HONEY AND THE BEAR - ATLANTICO - ALDEN & PATTERSON

KATIE SPENCER - OWL

MORE THAN JUST GREAT MUSIC...

CROCHET - POTTERY

TIE-DYE - STONE CARVING

WILLOW WORKSHOPS - BLACKSMITH

ORIGAMI - PRINTING - CYANOTYPE

TRADITIONAL WOOD TURNING

PEBBLE PAINTING

STORYTELLING - GIANT SCRABBLE

FANCY DRESS - RHYME TIME - TOY SWAPSHOP

THEATRE & GAMES WORKSHOPS - CRAFTS

WISHING TREE - WELLY WANGING

HOOLA-HOOPING - TREASURE HUNT

SPACE HOPPER OBSTACLE COURSE

CIRCUS AREA:

JUGGLING - UNICYCYLING

DIABLOS - DEVILSTICKS

STILT WALKING

ACROBATICS WITH INFLATABLE

TUMBLE MAT

2 CEILIDHS - OPEN MIC - SESSIONS - WORKSHOPS - HEALING AREA - FIRE SHOWS

BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FESTIVAL ON A SMALL FARM WITH VIEWS ACROSS THE PURBECK HILLS AND CORFE CASTLE - EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE FESTIVAL

IN THE SUN - MA POLAINE - MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO - THE MODEL FOLK BLUE LASS - BIERFASS BAND - WAREHAM WHALERS - QUINNS QUINNEY + LOADS MORE!

CRAFT AREA KIDS’ ACTIVITIES

GRAMMY AWARD WINNING

BBC FOLK AWARD WINNER

National Coastwatch – Eyes along the coast

to return. If there’s an issue, we know that someone knows where we are and what we are doing.

LASER QUEST

A bit ‘chewy’ but elite young sailors shine

EVERY now and then you have a watch where everything seems to come together and the messages we send out seem to be being listened to. On a blustery Thursday, in mid-April, the watchkeepers at Peveril Point received a phone call from some hardy young sailors saying that they intended to sail from Weymouth to Swanage, aiming to arrive between 14.00 and 15.00. What made the call unusual was that they were planning on making the journey in Lasers. Anyone that knows about sailing would tell you these single-handed boats are the sports car of the dinghy world and can be pretty unforgiving if you don’t know what you’re doing.

With a fresh south-westerly breeze and a flooding tide, conditions would have been ideal but for the fact that it was the day after Storm Noa. Sea conditions, as one of the local skippers would say, were a little bit chewy!

Having logged the call, the watchkeepers contacted St Alban’s Head to let them know about the intended passage and asked them to keep a look out for the boats. St Alban’s picked the dinghies up around

By Nick Reed

lunchtime and were able to let their colleagues at Peveril Point know they were making steady progress. The St Alban’s team monitored the sailors along the cliff and rang Peveril when they rounded Anvil Point, where they lost sight of them.

The section of cliff between Durlston Head and Anvil Point is a bit of a blind spot between the two lookouts and it is standard practice to let the other station know when a vessel we are monitoring passes these points.

As the Swanage team were preparing to monitor Durlston Head, they received a channel 65 radio message from Pierhead Watersports’ boat Ski Protector to say the young sailors had been seen making their way along the cliffs. Once the three dinghies rounded Durlston Head, the afternoon team at Swanage monitored them across Durlston Bay. As Phil Palmer, owner of Pierhead Watersports, is also on the lifeboat crew at Swanage, he went over to check them. ‘Radio-ing’ back to Peveril Point, he let us know they were fine, adding that we were watching part of the British sailing team at work! In fact, one of the group, Sam

Whaley, is a local lad. He cut his teeth in Swanage Bay, sailing with Swanage Sailing Club and is currently number three in the world rankings!

Shortly after 14.00, three tired, but no doubt satisfied, sailors sailed passed the Peveril Point Lookout and into the relative calm of Swanage Bay. With the grins on their faces, I think we all thought ‘oh to be young and invincible again!’.

WHAT was pleasing about the episode was that the young sailors had the common sense to let us know of what they were intending and had given us a timeframe. With that in place we were able to share information and observations between stations. Talking to Sam afterwards, he said they’d planned the trip well but that it was good to have the watchkeepers keeping an eye on them.

Using the lookouts for a radio check and letting our teams know of your intentions helps take the load off the coastguard, enabling them to concentrate on their key task of co-ordinating maritime safety. When diving, we always let Peveril Point know when we go out and what time we are likely

The one thing we can’t accept is a full passage plan. This is where a vessel leaves one port and finishes in another port, often arriving the next day. An example of this would be a yacht travelling from Poole to Cherbourg and making an overnight Channel crossing. This kind of plan still needs to be logged with Solent Coastguard or one of the other rescue co-ordination centres. An alternative is to use the RYA SafeTrx App or website. The app provides all recreational boat users with an easily accessible and simple to use means that can inform HM Coastguard of their voyage plans and dynamic location in the event of distress.

RYA SafeTrx allows you to enter your plans and contact details directly from a smartphone knowing that should you not arrive by the time given, your nominated emergency contact will be alerted and advised to initiate appropriate action.

Where an emergency contact calls HM Coastguard about an overdue trip, the Coastguard will have access to the boater’s location and SafeTrx trip data through a secure SafeTrx server. This will help the Coastguard to get help directly to you, and quickly.

With the Coronation, May Day and Whitsun, we seem to have a plethora of Bank Holidays in May. It is hoped the weather will be good enough for people to get out and enjoy the coast. The ‘Hatch’ will be open for refreshments at St Alban’s on May 7 and 8 and between May 27 and 29. The team at Peveril will be offering tea and cakes on May 28 and 29. If you’re out about come and join us, enjoy some refreshments and find out some more about what we do.

This is St Alban’s NCI and Swanage NCi welcoming your radio check on Channel 65, NCI out.

One of the Laser boats – the sports car of the dinghy world – on passage to Swanage PHOTO: Sam Whaley

Ticket to ride to nature reserve

A SHUTTLE bus taking rail passengers from Wareham to the RSPB Arne Nature Reserve will run again this year.

The 2RN service, from the town train station, will be on offer from May 2 until December 3.

It will also run from the Purbeck Park, which includes the ‘Park and Ride’ and Norden Park link for the Swanage Railway service.

The RSPB said a trial last year showed the service benefited those who cannot access a car and otherwise who wouldn’t be able to get to the reserve.

The latest trial will help establish if the route is viable for future years – and could be expanded beyond the summer months.

The service is supported with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and operated by Dorset Community Transport.

This year, the service will also stop at Norden Farm campsite, as well as the existing Lookout and Ridge Farm stops.

Rachel Martin, RSPB Hyde’s Heath

“This is a valuable service for those who can’t drive or don’t have access to a car to be able to come and visit RSPB Arne this summer.

“Whether visitors choose to leave their cars at home, don’t have access to a vehicle

enjoy RSPB Arne’s fun nature trails, wonderful wildlife and stunning views.

“With the nature and climate emergency on everyone’s agenda, we are also very aware that our visitors are looking to reduce traffic and carbon emissions by choosing public transport, and we’re thrilled to be able to help.”

The 2RN routes will serve: Wareham train/bus station, Wareham town, Stoborough Lookout, Ridge (Sunnyside), Norden Farm and Purbeck Park.

The bus will be operated by Dorset Community Transport using one of its ‘little green buses’.

Tim Christian, general manager at Dorset Community Transport, said: “We are excited to be part of this pilot project for a second year. It demonstrates community transport’s role in providing local, affordable and integrated services.

“We are working to demonstrate the case for alternative and sustainable transport solutions, part of the shift from car dependency.”

A Dorset Community Transport driver and new passenger by the 2RN shuttle bus

PHOTO: Pam Bowyer-Davis

Hidden crime behind stats

IWAS so pleased to see that our police and crime commissioner David Sidwick took the time to write a long and detailed letter to the Purbeck Gazette in response to my column criticising the police service. I’m sad he thinks my comments are ‘unhelpful’ – all I wanted to get from my original article was an efficient and visible police service in Swanage and Wareham.

I remain of the opinion that actual crime, including thefts and burglaries, vandalism and threatening behaviour, is a great deal more than ‘recorded crime’. So many people have told me that they haven’t reported minor crime because it’s too complicated, 101 is impersonal and online reporting takes too long and only results in receiving a crime number. We don’t want crime numbers, Mr Sidwick, we want police stations reinstated in our towns and more police presence on our streets. We want reports of stolen goods being recovered and restored to their rightful owner. We want to see the ‘bad guys’ go down for real time and not just ‘community service’.

How about appointing one of your staff to spend five minutes a day trawling through the local Facebook pages? You will be surprised how much is going on that you don’t know about.

And again, I’ll say to our readers, if you see a crime or are a victim of something, however petty, you need to report it somehow, even if it takes half an hour of your valuable time. Because if we don’t report every single crime of which we are aware, the crime figures will continue to appear to be lower than they really are, and we will be reducing Mr Sidwick’s chances of increasing government funding of his police force.

WE just took a week off and went to Torquay, then Lynton and

By David Hollister

Lynmouth. We were really impressed with the absence of litter and roadside rubbish, and, in most cases, the absence of obscene graffiti and dog poo. It cannot be that difficult to keep the towns and footways of Purbeck similarly clean, can it? And not to have to rely on volunteers such as Frank Roberts and Rob Nunn. The shopkeepers, staff and hoteliers were unfailingly kind, courteous and we felt as if we were wanted. One bar manager, hearing our unsuccessful attempts to secure a local taxi to get us back to our hotel, kindly volunteered to take us himself and refused to take payment.

WHILE we were away, 80 volunteers managed to dismantle, recycle and repurpose 8,000 disposable barbecues taken off the shelves by Southern Co-Op. The components are being recycled and the charcoal sent to Swanage Railway to be used in the steam train! Not quite sure what happened to the ‘sausages’, but it doesn’t matter, as long as no-one tried to eat them.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this happen, including Dorset Council, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Rescue Service, Southern Co-op, W&S Recycling and many more. I will be disappointed but not surprised to discover that these obscenities are still on sale at the Swanage or Wareham co-op branches.

And I wonder how many heath and forest fires we will experience this year caused by people’s inexplicable desire to cook ‘food’ in the open air. I suppose if you’re not that fussy about what you eat, you won’t be that fussy about how you dispose of your litter!

GOOD to see our MP Richard Drax writing about the Portland barge scheme, but even better to

see representatives of the local Liberal Democrats and Labour Party, along with Michael Tomlinson MP, writing regular columns for this magazine. I am really looking forward to learning the result of Mr Tomlinson’s inquiries with Network Rail and hope he won’t allow himself to be fobbed off as so many other local authorities have been.

I also hope that Mr Drax, who represents so many Purbeck Gazette readers, will take the hint and let us know from month to month what he’s up to. Those of us in Purbeck don’t have an election this year but I expect that Mr Drax will keep in touch with his electorate more and more as the 2024 election comes nearer.

IN common with many of my age group, I have always tried to exercise my vote at general and local elections, even if at times a choice of candidates was a political puzzle. People fought and died for their votes and it would be disrespectful not to use mine. We always got poll cards through our letterbox, took them to the polling station and voted that way. Now, apparently, we’re going to have to take photographic evidence with us. Another layer of bureaucracy, government expense and difficulty for our very senior citizens, many of whom don’t have passports or valid driving licences. It’s more important to me that no-one is disenfranchised because of their age or infirmity, than a few

people being prevented from voting twice or several times.

SWANAGE Chamber of Trade is launching a local loyalty card and is inviting all the businesses in Swanage to participate in this scheme. The object of the Purbeck Pass is to keep people spending in Swanage and Purbeck. Customers can register for a card at Swanage Information Centre. The card will cost £5 and it’s valid for a year. Email contact@ swanagechamber.co.uk. The current fee will cover administration costs and provide funds towards Swanage-based projects such as the Christmas lights.

What they’ re suggesting is for businesses to offer a discount or promotion to cardholders. They would not need to offer a year-round discount but rather what and when they can afford to. Perhaps it’s something to offer in the low season, to promote sales of a slow line/product or to introduce a new service. The Purbeck Pass loyalty card will be available to purchase by residents and tourists alike.

Hopefully, there will be enough incentives in and around town to keep the locals and visitors spending here and at the same time people will become more aware of the diversity of Swanage and Purbeck businesses that exist on their doorstep. Not quite sure if Wareham is doing likewise but I really hope so. We need all the customers we can get!

Get creative with hanging baskets and planters

WITH the warm weather starting to appear, now’s the perfect time to start thinking about planting your summer hanging baskets and pots, to bring colour and cheer into your garden. With just a little advice and a few top tips, we are sure you will become a professional in no time.

solid iron. If you’re using a wire or iron hanging basket, you’ll require a liner to contain the compost and plants. Coco, coir or moss liners are the most common materials, offering

container and basket compost, as this will have added slowrelease fertiliser and waterretaining gel to help encourage healthy plant growth. I would recommend the peat-free container and basket planting mix from Westland.

Now it is time to choose your plants, and an abundance of plants is available for hanging baskets. Trailing plants, which include geraniums, fuchsia, bacopa, surfinia, nepeta and lobelia, to mention a few, will be placed around the edge of your basket. Upright plants will be placed in the middle of your basket to add height – again, there are many to choose from, including geraniums, fuchsia, nemesia, felicia and verbena –the list goes on!

Make sure your plants are thoroughly watered before you begin. Start by placing your trailing plants around the edge of the basket, tweaking the roots out slightly to enable the plants

height to your basket. The most problematic question asked about hanging baskets is: ‘How do we stop them from drying out?’ The key is to keep them hydrated – make sure you water them at least once a day. In the height of summer your baskets will need to be watered twice a day. Top tip: Lay ice cubes on the top of your basket – not only will this keep the overflow of messy water to a minimum, it will give

Hanging baskets need watering at least once a day, says Sue Butterworth of Goulds Garden Centre

11am and 3pm in the plant area at Goulds Garden Centre for a free demonstration on how to make a beautiful hanging basket and a colourful container for the patio. Pick up some useful tips and have your questions answered by a member of our knowledgeable team.

Happy planting!

Sue Butterworth GouldsGC.co.uk

Gardens are coming alive

AN extra busy May approaches with Bank Holidays and a Coronation, following what seems a very long cold winter and spring.

Finally, gardens are coming alive with spring-flowering shrubs, azaleas, rhododendrons, flowering crab apples, cherry trees and a host of other perennials, bulbs, roses and flowers.

It’s a great time to plant new trees, shrubs, plants, roses, herbs and perennials.

Preparing and planting of summer baskets, patio and bedding plants can be carried out now for summer-long colourful displays.

A huge selection of patio and basket plants in every colour and shade will flower all summer long.

Visit your local nursery for geraniums, bizzy lizzie, begonias, fuchsias, lobelias, diascias, bacopa, verbena and

PLANTS DIRECT

many more.

Upright trailing plants for every planting aspect and situation, from full sun to heavy shade – there’s a plant to fill tub planters and baskets.

Vegetable gardens and plots should now be planted with favourite vegetable plants, beans, tomatoes, courgettes, chillies, peppers and salad crops. Choose warm, sunny positions for the best results and cropping.

Lawns and grass areas can now be re-seeded, fed and weeded.

Wildflower meadows can be re-seeded or over-seeded to increase flower variety and quality.

After some early May activity your garden space should now be ready for a bright, colourful, fruitful summer.

n SUE Butterworth is in her 24th year at Goulds Garden Centre.

She is the plant manager for this busy store and has been sourcing plants for award-winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show since 2018. She is an avid gardener, leading to numerous Britain in Bloom awards including a 1st.

White ball ace raises hopes

THE men’s and women’s Dorset county cricket teams have started their T20 campaigns.

The men are playing in the National Counties Cricket Association competition, the level below the professional county game.

The women are taking part in the national England & Wales Cricket Board competition with current and former professional players participating.

Last year saw the men reach finals day in the competition but

CRICKET

lose in the semi-final to Cambridgeshire.

Team captain Luke Webb is upbeat about the team’s chances of returning to Tring Park CC for finals day with the appointment of Paul Lawrence as head coach and the exciting signing of white ball specialist Ross Whiteley. “Having got to finals day last year, one area we identified we probably need to improve is power in the middle order and Ross certainly

provides that,” said Webb.

Lawrence was quick to talk about the impact Whiteley could have on one of the youngest sides in the competition.

He said: “It was important that we brought in a player who would share his experiences and when we approached Ross, we had no doubt he was the person for us.”

Sherborne School was the venue for the opening game against Herefordshire and offered free admission.

The county women’s team

have faced a winter of rejuvenation. A new head coach, Steve Wilson, supported by new team manager Charlotte Mandale, aim to drive the promising squad forward. For fixtures and the latest team news cricket fans can head to www.dorsetccc.play-cricket. com for the men and www.dcb. play-cricket.com/home for the women. Or for the latest news visit Facebook – @ Dorsetcricket; Twitter –dorsetcricket; Instagram – @ Dorsetcricket

Luna Wolves girls get kitted out

YOUTH SPORT

GIRLS football team Dexter FC’s Luna Wolves FC U12s had a first birthday present when they received new strips.

Tops Day Nurseries, who have a nursery in Denmark Lane, Poole, are sponsoring the local team (pictured) with new home and away kits, and team jackets.

Harriet Pacey, sales, marketing and recruitment director at Tops, said: “We are thrilled to be able to support the U12s Lunar Wolves FC.

“Sport and physical activity

are so important for children’s physical and mental health, and we are proud to help provide young people with access to these opportunities.”

A spokesperson for Dexter FC said: “Our aim when starting this football team was to create new opportunities for young girls in the local area. Our team was made up of complete novices, all new to the game, and recently we celebrated our first birthday, and what better way than to celebrate with a new sponsorship.

“The girls are thrilled to have Tops Day Nurseries on

board with us, and thanks to their support the team now feels truly professional and grown up, with the amazing new kits really giving them a boost in confidence.

“We cannot thank Tops

Day Nurseries enough for their wonderful support and generous funding. We hope to do them proud win lose or draw, and promote our shared values of inclusion, support, and development.”

Prior bags brace for on song Swans

Swanage 3

Blandford United 1

SWANS played some of their best football of the season when they beat Blandford at Day’s Park in The Jewson Dorset Premier League.

Swans got off to a flying start and took the lead after nine minutes when Will Prior chased a long ball and beat keeper Ford to calmly slide home.

Prior, a constant thorn in the Royals defence, produced a good ball but Moore hit the

FOOTBALL

post with the keeper beaten. Streams and Moore linked up well down the left wing and Steele played a delightful ball for Moore who was just off target.

Swans had a great chance to double their lead but Royals keeper Ford touched Charlie Dyke’s penalty onto the post to safety.

A minute before the interval, Prior scored his second and doubled his side’s lead with a

sublime shot from the angle of the penalty box which flew in the top corner with Ford rooted to the spot.

Swans keeper Hibbs saved straight from the re-start of the second half, then Prior was denied his hat-trick when Ford saved.

Blandford were applying the pressure, but the resolute Swans defence held firm and again Hibbs made a superb save.

The visitors reduced the deficit with five minutes left when Joe Freak fired home.

The Royals pressed for the equaliser and keeper Ford was stranded up field following a corner.

Swans took full advantage when Prior and Moore linked up to allow Jack Hughes to slot home into an empty goal to secure the three points and an impressive win.

Team: T Hibbs, J Goldsack, S Pryor, C Dyke, J Streams, E Steele, T Parrott (T Parrott 27), J Hughes, C Moore, W Prior, O Smith.

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A celebration of Coronation jewellery

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

THE pomp and splendour of the Coronation of King Charles will showcase the most magnificent jewellery held in the Royal Collection.

The Coronation Regalia, as they are known, include familiar pieces such as the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and the Sovereign’s Orb, which we will see King Charles wearing and carrying following the ceremony. Made in 1937 for the Coronation of King George V, the Imperial State Crown that will be used for this Coronation features a magnificent 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls, and is the one we probably recognise the most from the Coronation of the late Queen, and which is also worn for the annual State

Opening of Parliament.

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, although not technically jewellery, dates back to 1661 and is valued at £57 million. It is set with the Cullinan I diamond, also known as the Star of Africa, which weighs a whopping 530.2 carats. This was cut from the Cullinan diamond, found in 1905, and which is the largest diamond ever found. It was set in the Sceptre in 1910.

Representing the Sovereign’s power, the Orb, again made in 1661 for the Coronation of Charles II, is a globe of gold encircled by sapphires, rubies, emeralds, amethysts, diamonds, pearls and enamel topped by a cross symbolising the Christian world.

Queen Camilla will be coronated at the same time as the King with Queen Mary’s crown dating from 1911 with the original, very large Koh-i-

CROWN FOR A KING

The Imperial State Crown that will be used for the Coronation of Charles III features 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls

noor diamond removed, but to which the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds from the late Queen’s

collection have been added. This truly historic occasion is set to be a feast for the eyes.

Advertise

us

Purbeck

Refugees: Reality and the rhetoric

THE Isle of Portland is a magical place, the most southerly point of the Jurassic Coast. Its scenery makes it an explorer’s paradise. Once, on a clifftop path, I saw peregrine falcons swooping down from the sky. Visitors flock to Portland Bill, where there are three lighthouses and a splendid view of the sea.

Yet the beauty masks poverty and deprivation. Since the closure of Portland Dockyard, well paid and high skilled jobs are scarce. Professor Marfleet and Jenny Lennon-Wood’s recent report ‘Forgotten Towns’, highlights the poverty that blights not just Portland, but also Weymouth. In 2017, average weekly wages in Weymouth and Portland were the lowest in the country.

A few weeks ago, Dorset councillors rejected the proposal to build a waste incinerator on the island. The incinerator would have called into question

the World Heritage Status of the Jurassic Coast. Natural England warned of air pollution harming plants and wildlife.

Campaigners won their battle to preserve the beauty of their island – and to ensure the health of the many residents who would have to live cheek by jowl with the incinerator. Yet Powerfuel, the company behind the proposal, intends to appeal. Giles Frampton of Powerfuel – bearing the name of the magistrate who bought the Tolpuddle Martyrs to trial – is seeking damages.

And now the island faces another challenge – the decision made by the Government to moor a barge in Portland Port which would house up to 500 male asylum seekers.

Amnesty International has condemned the Government’s

failure to open sufficient safe and legal routes for refugees driven from their homes by war, threat of torture and arbitrary arrest – and now, increasingly, by the effects of climate change.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman speaks of ‘stopping the invasion on our southern coast’ – making use of the language of extremist groups. I was reminded of a 2019 photograph in The Sun, claiming to depict ‘The Moment Migrants Storm Kent Beaches’.

Yet the UK –according to Government figures – is below the EU average when it comes to the number of asylum applications being made. In 2021, there were nine asylum applications made for every 10,000 people living in the UK, compared to 14 applications made across the EU. In

Germany, there were 22.9 applications made for every 10,000 people, in France 17.8 – and highest of all in Cyprus, with 153.

The reality is far different from the shameful rhetoric. And Portland will be face-to-face with the consequences of that rhetoric.

Portland Labour councillor Carralyn Parke’s words, as reported in The Guardian, ring true: “If they do house these people here, our council will treat them with love and respect, but it’s disgraceful that in the 21st century the Government is thinking about housing asylum seekers on a barge”.

All credit to Dorset Stand Up to Racism – its message is clear: ‘Say no to camps, prisons, or barges – refugees welcome here’. We must show our humanity – open our hearts.

Tories can’t get policing basics right

AS the son of a police officer who served for 30 years from the early 1960s and having an uncle who did the same, I grew up in an urban environment where police seemed to be everywhere and many knew my relatives – in a good way!

Looking back with rosetinted spectacles, it’s easy to idealise and romanticise policing as it was then and easy to ignore societal changes that have altered the service our police forces deliver.

Cybercrime and similar fraud were essentially nonexistent, and communities have become less coherent with a car dominated commuter paradigm rising to the fore.

However, it’s fair to state that in some respects, that service has deteriorated to the extent many crimes are essentially ignored with little or no expectation they will be solved.

Nationally, over 67% of

burglaries are unsolved, with Dorset worryingly being one of the highest at over 76% and here only 2% of all burglaries resulted in a charge or summons.

The Liberal Democrats’ Freedom of Information requests have also uncovered shocking figures on police attendance of burglaries. Nationally, almost four in ten burglaries in the country did not result in a visit to the scene by a police officer.

The figures were based on data provided by 19 police forces in England. Our own Dorset police force refused to provide the data but there is definitely a post-code lottery as to the level of response you can expect.

Recently Ed Davy called for a new ‘Burglary Response Guarantee’, which would create

a guarantee that all domestic burglaries are attended by the police and properly investigated. This, of course, will require a return to proper community policing – where officers are visible, trusted, and have the time and resources needed to focus on solving crime.

It is shocking that so many burglaries in our community are going unsolved by the police. No family should be denied justice after suffering the distress and trauma of being burgled. And the issues are elsewhere, too. Fewer than a quarter of car thefts were attended by police forces across England and Wales last year, figures show. Of the forces which responded, they reported 47,228 incidents of car theft in 2022 and 10,963 of police arrivals, meaning only

23% of incidents were attended. The 47,228 figure is also up 30% year-on-year from 35,734.

Since 2015, the Conservatives have taken more than 4,000 Police Community Support Officers off the streets, while they look set to have broken their key promise of having recruited an extra 20,000 police officers by the end of March 2023.

With crime rates on the rise and so many cases of all kinds going unsolved, it’s clear that this is a party that cannot get even the basics of policing right.

The recent introduction of the need for Voter ID to tackle essentially non-existent voter fraud is a prime example of this. Don’t forget your ID if you are voting in the BCP elections on May 4!

Nick Ireland

CHRIS BRADEY Chair, Swanage & Rural Purbeck Labour Party

Chris Bradey

Visits to Belfast and on home turf

AS always, I am writing this several weeks before publication – and today the American President is visiting Northern Ireland, to mark 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement.

I was in Belfast just before Easter and recently voted in favour of the Windsor Framework, which sets out a new way for the Northern Ireland Protocol to operate. The Government has been in negotiations with the EU since the protocol came into force in January 2021, and I am pleased that the new framework resolves some of the issues that had arisen. I hope that powersharing can now be re-started, to continue the important work of devolution for all the people in Northern Ireland.

My visit to Belfast was as part of my work as HM Solicitor General. Although I have ‘rights of audience’ as Solicitor General for England and Wales, I was also called to

the Northern Irish Bar, along with the Attorney General and Advocate General for Scotland, to show our commitment to every part of the United Kingdom. I also spoke to members of the judiciary, as well as members of the Northern Irish bar, and lawyers from the Crown Solicitor’s Office who consider some of the most critical legal issues in Government.

As part of the visit, I also visited Northern Ireland Alternatives which considers how to use restorative justice to reduce paramilitary-style attacks. This is an important charity that developed into a government-accredited restorative justice programme that aims to promote and develop non-violent community responses to the issues of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour.

Closer to home, I have been out and about across the constituency as usual. I visited Julia’s House following its outstanding Care Quality Commission rating, and discussed with the chief executive the importance of the support it provides for local children and families in very difficult circumstances. I have also been out chatting to residents across the constituency, including enjoying a fantastic breakfast courtesy of Bere Regis Scouts!

Following the very concerning oil spill in Poole harbour I continue to receive regular updates on the situation. I discussed the spill with the Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience, and was sitting next to her on the front bench in Parliament for the Urgent Question tabled by

my colleague from South Dorset. I have also been to speak to the Poole Harbour Commissioners in person about the spill and will follow closely the clean-up and investigative work to ensure it cannot happen again.

I continue to hold regular surgeries in the constituency, so please get in touch if there is something you need help with. Email me on michael. tomlinson.mp@parliament.uk or contact my office on 01202 624216.

You can also follow what I’ve been doing on Twitter @ Michael4mdnp, Facebook www.facebook.com/ michael4MDNP and on my website, www. michaeltomlinson.org.uk, where you can also sign up to receive my regular email newsletter.

MICHAEL TOMLINSON Member of Parliament for Mid Dorset & North Poole

Michael Tomlinson

Dacombes gives a helping hand

By dorsetbiznews.co.uk

AN independent retailer has been thanked for its generosity after donating a new, top-of-therange Liebherr fridge-freezer to a community group.

Domestic appliance specialist Dacombes of Wimborne said it was an honour to help Wimborne Community Food Supply.

Based at the back of the Allendale Centre in Hanham Road, the voluntary organisation offers free food to families and individuals at a time of crisis.

More than 30 volunteers work six days a week to provide hot meals, food parcels and school lunch boxes for those in need around Wimborne, Colehill and Ferndown.

The resource was launched by local volunteers just two days after the nationwide

lockdown. Three years on, it’s now supporting families and individuals struggling with the cost-of-living crisis as well as unemployment or poor health.

Food donations via local Co-Op supermarkets as well as excess food from Greggs sandwich chains is all put to good use.

Elizabeth Barge, who has been volunteering since the outset, said: “We’re overwhelmed with thanks to Dacombes.

“This new fridge-freezer will allow us to store more of our prepared portions of food such as fish pie and lasagne that people can take away and heat up at home.

“If they have no cooking facilities, we can reheat and serve to them in our discreet area at the back of the

Allendale.”

Perry Grist, volunteer manager of Wimborne Community Food Supply, said: “Our aim is to help anyone on no income, or a low income, eat a well-balanced diet.

“We ask for no proof of income and our service is confidential and without judgement.

“People from all walks of life come to us – the homeless, those in hostels, sofa surfers and single parents.

“We also deliver to people

with disability issues and some living with dementia.

“Being able to easily reheat a hot, home-cooked meal can make all the difference.”

Matt Renaut, managing director of Dacombes, said: “In the 100 years of trading as an independent business in Wimborne, our family-run business has always sought to support initiatives in the local community.

“It’s an honour to donate an appliance that will help this impressive resource.”

Matt Renaut, managing director of Dacombes in Wimborne, presents the new fridge freezer to Elizabeth Barge, volunteer cook at Wimborne Community Food Supply

Deli in awards running

By dorsetbiznews.co.uk

A POPULAR Wimborne deli is in line for a top national award. The East Street Deli has been short-listed for the High Street Hero award at this year’s Small Awards.

Now in their seventh year, the Small Awards are organised annually by Small Business Britain.

The organisation champions, inspires and accelerates the nation’s 5.5 million small firms.

The East Street Deli was founded by Claire and Simon Warren in June 2020.

It has been chosen as one of eight finalists for the UK High Street Hero award for the best high street business.

Sponsored by TSB, the award celebrates the nation’s stand-out independents that play a key role on their local high streets and within their communities.

Judged by a panel of industry experts, the winners will be announced at a glittering awards night in London on May 18.

Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business Britain, said: “The Small Awards is all about celebrating the incredible small business owners who are at the heart of the economy and communities.

“They are an opportunity to recognise and applaud the passion and tenacity of the

nation’s small firms, particularly during such turbulent times.

“Claire and Simon from The East Street Deli should be incredibly proud of being short-listed for this award and we can’t wait to celebrate with them in May.”

The East Street Deli in Wimborne was opened by Claire and Simon in the middle of the 2020 lockdown with a world of uncertainty surrounding the retail sector.

It offers a wide range of cheeses, meats, wines, craft beers and ciders, coffee and many other treats.

The deli also has an ecofriendly refill section where customers can fill their own bottles with various household cleaning products.

Its product range is a mix of local, national and continental foods and wines with more than

50 cheeses crammed into the cheese counter at any one time.

Plans are afoot to launch a new website in the coming weeks which will have information on the suppliers, partners and products that fill the deli’s shelves.

In 2022 the East Street Deli won two awards at the inaugural Wimborne Business Awards –Independent Business of the Year and the prestigious Overall Business of the Year.

The couple said: “It’s

incredible to have been shortlisted for such an award. The UK is full of inspirational, independent businesses and contrary to popular belief the high street is alive and kicking.

“We are so proud of what we have built in our community and are so grateful for the support of all our customers and the people of Wimborne.

“We’re looking forward to the awards in May and getting to meet all of the other finalists.”

Tax Return 2023/24

There are a number of reasons why you might need to complete a Self-Assessment return. This includes if you are self-employed, a company director, have an annual income over £100,000 and / or have income from savings, investment or property.

Taxpayers that need to complete a Self-Assessment return for the first time should inform HMRC as soon as possible. The latest date that HMRC should be notified is by 5 October following the end of the tax year for which a Self-Assessment return needs to be filed.

HMRC has an online tool www.gov.uk/check-if-you-need-tax-return/ that can help you check if you are required to submit a Self-Assessment return.

The list of taxpayers that are usually required to submit a Self-Assessment return includes:

• The self-employed (earning more than £1,000);

• Taxpayers who had £2,500 or more in untaxed income;

• Those with savings or investment income of £10,000 or more before tax;

• Taxpayers who made profits from selling things like shares, a second home or other chargeable assets and need to pay Capital Gains Tax;

• Company directors - unless it was for a non-profit organisation (such as a charity) and you didn’t get any pay or benefits, like a company car;

• Taxpayers whose income (or that of their partner’s) was over £50,000 and one of you claimed Child Benefit;

• Taxpayers who had income from abroad that they needed to pay tax on;

• Taxpayers who lived abroad and had a UK income; or

• Income over £100,000.

Claire and Simon Warren celebrating the second anniversary of their business, The East Street Deli, in 2022. PHOTO: DorsetBizNews

Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business Britain

Arrow words Wordsearch

Crossword

Across 1 Extremely stupid (7)

5 Thrash (4)

10 Overseas officials (7)

11 Quarrel (5)

12 Less revealing (5)

13 Turfs out (6)

15 Small (6)

17 Opportunity (6)

19 Blown away (6)

20 Messes (5)

23 Pre-tadpole stage (5)

24 Puts in (7)

25 Precipitation (4)

26 Critical (7)

Down

2 Bright (5)

3 Making ineffective (12)

3 Making ineffective (12)

4 Placed inside another object (6)

4 Placed inside another object (6)

6 Become less dark (7)

6 Become less dark (7)

7 Increased in size (4)

8 Freezing (3-4)

9 Carry the can (4,3,5)

14 Keep going (7)

16 Orchestral drum set (7)

18 More experimental, artistically (6)

21 Roughly (5)

22 One running computer software (4)

1 7

3 8 9

8 5 2 8 2 1 7 4 8 3 1 6 5

Nature serves up a bountiful amount

by Fiona Chapman

SPRING is here despite the weather indicating to the contrary. The birds are singing in the morning, my garden is awash with daffodils and hyacinths, the roses are coming into leaf, and there is a feeling of optimism and warmth just around the corner!

Herbs too are growing, and this is when we should be harvesting nettles and cleavers to

use fresh to give our bodies a good vitamin and mineral boost, and help drain the body of old winter toxins.

Cleavers should be picked and washed and put in fresh, filtered water and left overnight to infuse. They are diuretic and in particular work on lymphatic drainage and helping the body get rid of toxins, which will also help with chronic skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis, acne and rosacea.

Nettles, which I know I bang on about lots, are full of minerals and vitamins and if you make a good strong nettle tea, they should not only help with skin conditions such as urticaria but are brilliant for hay-fever as they block the histamine receptors in the body.

Anyone who suffers from allergies should be taking nettle tea now with a good raw organic local honey to prepare the body

for the pollen season and acclimatise it so that it does not have an overreaction when the time comes.

Nettles are also diuretic and help to remove toxins in the body, particularly the joints, so those who suffer arthritis, rheumatism and even rheumatoid arthritis would benefit.

Pick a large handful of new leaves – obviously wear gloves – wash and pour boiling water on

Top tips to help your fretting teenager

by Alice Johnsen

EVERY spring across the country thoughts turn with mixed emotions towards exams. GCSEs, A-level and other exams are looming.

If your household is one of many being struck with the curse of revision, read on.

The run up to exams can be harder than the exam weeks themselves.

The fear of the unknown combined with hours of solo study can create a whole range of emotions like boredom or real fear.

A revising teenager needs careful handling if they are to

feel supported without feeling over-pressurised. Here are a few ways to help.

n Talking to your son or daughter about their revision and exams at the beginning means you are more likely to notice if things go off course. As with all such conversations, a walk or a car journey are both excellent ways of discussing without visual confrontation.

n It can help your child to ask them where they can get help from at school. If they’re not sure, offer to find out with them so they know they’re not in this on their own.

n Consider putting together a

revision timetable with them and talk about breaking revision periods into small sections. Twenty-minute bursts with a five-minute break away from their desk are more effective than 90 minutes sitting somewhere near your books, grinding your teeth and clock watching.

n If you have the space, set aside a room or part of a room for revision and make sure everyone knows they need to keep away and keep distractions to a minimum.

n Set a finish time and once that’s been reached, encourage taking a break outside. A run, a

A revising teenager needs careful handling if they are to feel supported without feeling over-pressurised

PHOTO: Welcome to All!/Pixabay

Recruitment

OAKDALE, POOLE LIVE-IN CARER

2/3 days a week (flexible). Help care for frail elderly mother with dementia. Phone Maria 07836 250077

them. Leave them to sit for at least 10 minutes to infuse and then drink. If you have any left over, use it as a final rinse for your hair. It makes it shiny, thick and healthy.

Also, to my joy, the wild garlic is up and that is just delicious as a pesto or in a soup, or just cut up into a salad. I often make a nettle and wild garlic soup which is packed with goodness and just makes you feel healthy eating it.

of spring treats at revision time

Wild garlic is extremely good for the heart, it is anti-inflammatory and helps to lower cholesterol levels and so blood pressure.

It is quite amazing how nature has all the right plants for us to eat as we come out of the dark days of winter. We just need to take note, to appreciate and to thank her.

n Fiona Chapman is a Naturopathic Herbalist (Pellyfiona@gmail.com)

J B GARDEN SERVICES

We are looking for full time Hard Landscaper to join the team. We are looking for an experienced candidate, or an individual looking to add to their skills.Tel 07929 094811 cv to jbgardenservices@live.co.uk Holwell, Dorset

VACANCY

PARTS SALES STAFF

AGRICULTURAL TRACTORS & MACHINERY

walk, meeting a friend, a bike ride – anything like that will make a huge difference to how your child sleeps, feels about his or her day and how what they have revised will sink in. n Encourage good sleep. Teenage brains are changing alongside the more visible physical changes. That can bring about real difficulties with sleep but a regular evening routine can help. Coming off smart screens an hour before

bed not only helps you sleep. It improves retention of the work you have done that day as the processing part of your brain is able to function more efficiently while you sleep if you have had a break from screens for an hour before you go to bed.

A longer version of this article will be on my website soon: www.alicejohnsen.co.uk

n Alice Johnsen is a life coach. Phone: 07961 080513; visit www.alicejohnsen.co.uk

DORSET FOOT CLINIC

Francis Bugler Limited are seeking a Parts Sales person to support the growth at our Bere Regis depot

We have some of the best franchises available including New Holland, Kuhn, Joskin, Honda and Kawasaki We will offer a competitive financial package and the opportunity to work for one of the UK’s top New Holland dealers Experience an advantage but not essential – training offered

Please apply in writing with full CV to; vacancies@buglers.co.uk

CATERING / BAR ASSISTANT

Duties include working behind the bar, day to day running of the restaurant, setting up for functions whilst interacting with members and guests. You must be 18+ years old and have your own transport. Previous experience is an advantage but full training will be given. Professional customer service and a positive happy attitude is essential. No split shifts. Pay related to experience.

Full-time (to include Friday, Saturday & Sunday) From £24,500 per year.

HOUSEKEEPER

Duties include ensuring communal areas clean, bedding changes and cleaning of the Hotel & Resort Properties. Applicant should possess good organisational skills, a high level of attention-to-detail, and a positive and approachable manner. Must have own transport. No split shifts. Pay related to experience.

Full or part time hours available. £9.50-£10.50ph.

Job benefits: Employee discount (50% off for food), company events, free use of Gym/Golf/Fishing/Bowls for staff, on-site parking and share of tips.

STAYCATION

Make the most of the beauty spots and activities on your doorstep.

STAYCATION

This year H20 Adventures is running a two-hour Swanage Bay kayaking experience perfect for all abilities. Our clients will learn a few kayaking skills before heading out to explore Swanage Bay, including the old and new pier, and kayaking along the beach towards Ballard Point. Kayakers can enjoy games and races out on the water, and occasional capsize games. All the kayaking equipment is supplied and the minimum age is 13 when accompanied by an adult.

The half-day Old Harry Rocks sea kayaking adventure is for clients who have had some experience in a kayak and are comfortable in a kayak for three hours plus.

This trip shows kayakers much more of the Jurassic coast, including the caves and sea stacks along the chalk cliffs, hidden beaches and the UNESCO world heritage site of OId Harry Rocks. The trip normally runs for three to four hours.

Paddleboard and sea kayak hire is offered throughout the season with all safety equipment included, all of which can be collected from H2O Adventures at Swanage Boat Park with pre-booking. Kayak coaching courses are also offered, including a six-week river to sea kayak course for people who live nearby and want to learn a new skill. H20 Adventures also runs an introduction to sea kayaking course, and the more advanced British Canoeing Sea Kayak Coastal Award – participants can come away with various awards based on their performance over the course.

Visit H2O Adventures’ website at www.h2oadventures.co.uk or its Facebook page for more information.

Kayaking Trips Around Swanage Bay and along the Jurassic Coast.

(Sea Kayak and Personal Performance)

Old Harry Rocks Sea Kayak Adventure Kayak and Paddle Board Hire.

07735

We’re dedicated to providing exciting and thrilling experiences for players of all ages, all year around, even in the rainy days. Our laser tag events are popular not just with birthday parties, but also during school holidays, Halloween, Easter and other special events. We’re here to make sure that each and every experience is a blast.

Laserguys Laser Tag, a premier outdoor laser tag venue in Blandford Forum, Dorset.

Far From the Madding Crowd

Plumber Manor defines ‘Dorset country hotels’. Built by Charles Brune in the early 17th century, it was a family home when Thomas Hardy was living in nearby Sturminster Newton, and has remained in the same family ever since. Richard Prideaux-Brune opened Plumber as a hotel and restaurant in 1973, along with his wife Alison and brother Brian in the kitchen. Fifty years on, accompanied by Head Chef Louis and a wonderful team, it remains a family affair. The Prideaux-Brunes have carefully preserved their home’s 17thcentury charm. A sensitive refurbishment programme complements the traditional feel created by antiques and open fires, and a gallery hung with ancestral portraits. Secret to the family’s success is genuine hospitality. Guests are welcomed as friends to a much-loved home. Richard comments, “Our guests are our friends, and we cook for our friends.” He adds, “We love it here and we hope you will too.”

At the Heights Hotel on Portland, the Bistro is located on the first floor with magnificent panoramic views of the World Heritage Jurassic Coast, Chesil Beach, Lyme Bay and Portland Harbour. The Bistro is open for pre-booked evening meals, afternoon tea & Sunday lunch. Please call to book a table.

The View Café Bar is on the ground floor with great views of Chesil Beach. Open every day 9-5pm and weekends till late. Lots of fun events and activities, call in and check us out! The View Cafe can be booked for private events.

Comfortable ensuite accommodation is also available for those wishing to extend their visit. Wake up to a full Dorset breakfast, overlooking the Jurassic Coastline. With no better place from which to tour, make the Heights Hotel your first stop. Pop-in or call to speak with a colleague for details on your next stay, event, meal or function. Open every day.

5 day coach inclusive holidays to the unrivalled LIVERMEAD HOUSE HOTEL

Right on the sea front with MAGNIFICENT views of Torbay. Travel in style by luxury coach with

Pick up & return to your local joining point SWANAGE – WAREHAM

4 nights en suite accommodation with Dinner & full English breakfast

Sea view rooms available

Extensive menu, silver served to individual tables

Inclusive South Devon Excursions Entertainment most evenings

Muddy Good Fun!

The Dorset Mud Run is back for 2023! Sign up today and enjoy a special last chance offer£32 per person with an extra 10% off for groups of 5 or more!

Tackle over 15 challenging but fun obstacles on the 6km run, winding through beautiful oak woodland, wading through ponds and getting very muddy, all while enjoying stunning views across the Dorset countryside.

Held at the Stock Gaylard Estate near Sturminster Newton, the Dorset Mud Run is an experience full of laughter, fun and teamwork. Cheerful stewards will offer encouragement as you jump hurdles, swing over ditches, scramble up mud hills and crawl under cargo nets.

The final obstacle ‘Takeoff’, a giant water slide descending into a water trough, is a refreshing end to the course, and a chance to wash off all the mud! All participants receive a free beer and a Dorset Mud Run t-shirt as a welcome reward at the finishing line. The Dorset Mud Run is held on Saturday 20th May 2023 at Stock Gaylard Estate, Sturminster Newton.

Use offer code: RUN20 at the checkout. £32 pp (Usual price £40pp). Offer ends 12th May 2023. For more information and to book your place visit: www.thedorsetmudrun.com or call 01963 23511.

Enjoy the scenic journey and the luxury, excitement and relaxation throughout your stay. Get away from it all with an affordable, luxurious break at The Livermead House Hotel in Torquay on the glorious English Riviera.

Our 3 star award winning Hotel offers excellent food and service and those extra home comforts designed to make this mini-break the one you will remember fondly and will want to repeat. Luxury and comfort all the way from the minute you are collected from your local pick up point to the time of your return.

Our team of Receptionists is always ready to receive your phone calls and offer any advice you may need.

Call us now 01803 290380 or e-mail us on info@livermead.com Our executive coaches have on board toilet and washroom and there are regular refreshment stop off points on route.

www.livermead.com/marine-travel-torquay

STAYCATION

This year H20 Adventures is running a two-hour Swanage Bay kayaking experience perfect for all abilities.

Our clients will learn a few kayaking skills before heading out to explore Swanage Bay, including the old and new pier, and kayaking along the beach towards Ballard Point. Kayakers can enjoy games and races out on the water, and occasional capsize games. All the kayaking equipment is supplied and the minimum age is 13 when accompanied by an adult.

Kayaking Trips Around Swanage Bay and along the Jurassic Coast.

More than four centuries of history reborn

(Sea Kayak and Personal Performance)

Old Harry Rocks Sea Kayak Adventure Kayak and Paddle Board Hire.

The half-day Old Harry Rocks sea kayaking adventure is for clients who have had some experience in a kayak and are comfortable in a kayak for three hours plus.

This trip shows kayakers much more of the Jurassic coast, including the caves and sea stacks along the chalk cliffs, hidden beaches and the UNESCO world heritage site of OId Harry Rocks. The trip normally runs for three to four hours.

Paddleboard and sea kayak hire is offered throughout the season with all safety equipment included, all of which can be collected from H2O Adventures at Swanage Boat Park with pre-booking. Kayak coaching courses are also offered, including a six-week river to sea kayak course for people who live nearby and want to learn a new skill. H20 Adventures also runs an introduction to sea kayaking course, and the more advanced British Canoeing Sea Kayak Coastal Award – participants can come away with various awards based on their performance over the course.

Visit H2O Adventures’ website at www.h2oadventures.co.uk or its Facebook page for more information.

BOOK

07735 582663

h2oadventures.co.uk

Laserguys Laser Tag, a premier outdoor laser tag venue in Blandford Forum, Dorset.

Welcome to Mortons Manor

Mortons Manor offers a range of quality food from casual lunchtime snacks on the sunny terrace, to afternoon tea in the Oak Room, to scrumptious fine dining in the restaurant in the evening.

We’re dedicated to providing exciting and thrilling experiences for players of all ages, all year around, even in the rainy days. Our laser tag events are popular not just with birthday parties, but also during school holidays, Halloween, Easter and other special events. We’re here to make sure that each and every experience is a blast.

The hotel’s restaurant is recognized by the AA (with 2 Rosettes) as one of the best restaurants in Dorset.

The food from the Bar menu to the A La Carte menu is of the finest quality

and this, combined with excellent service and an informal atmosphere, makes the hotel accessible and welcoming to everyone.

Mortons Manor also caters for

Helping young people to learn and flourish in the great outdoors

For those not aware Cumulus Outdoors are the school residential and activity specialists based in Swanage delivering school trips and activity days, either at their residential centre in Swanage (previously the Townsend Centre) or at one of their tented villages, plus Field Study trips, Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residentials and Walking Expeditions.

Their team work to create bespoke activity programmes in beautiful locations along the Jurassic coast, delivering outdoor experiences professionally and safely. They continually seek to challenge and excite young people to achieve their true potential with their wellbeing always the top priority.

The company’s success is evidenced by the high percentage of schools and groups returning every year and the abundance of 5-star reviews.

MD Sam Thompson, who was raised in Swanage, says “We took the centre on in late 2019, to add a hard-top option to our tented villages, and made a significant investment to improve all the facilities. Unfortunately of course this was just ahead of the pandemic and we had to work very hard, like many businesses, to find a way through that period.”

“Ultimately outdoor education had a unique role to play in helping to restore and rebuild the confidence and mental health of young people, we’re very proud of the work we do and humbled by the wonderful feedback we receive. It’s so rewarding to witness the young people enjoying and thriving in the great outdoors” says Sam. Operations Director and ex-Army Officer Tom Campbell-Hill added “We consider ourselves very fortunate to be in the position to support the development of healthy and active lifestyles, promoting a sense of well-being, enhancing communication skills, increasing physical health and developing creativity, problemsolving, independence and confidence”.

Working to support the local community

Cumulus also make their facilities and expertise available for a range of local initiatives and events:

• Activity days for local schools - St Mary’s Swanage, Swanage Primary, The Swanage School

• Delivery of part of School PE curriculum (Watersports) for The Swanage School plus Team building/bonding

• Activity evenings and fire pits for local Scouts and Brownies

• Overnight taster sessions for local primary schools - Wareham St Mary’s, Hamworthy Junior School, Sandford St Martin Primary

• Delivery of HAF programme for Dorset Council, free sessions for children who qualify for free school meals

• School Holiday Activity Club and Free Breakfast Club for local children

• Lone working outdoor first aid training to local farmers

• Sponsor of Swanage Carnival and Swanage Fish Festival

Working to support good causes

Cumulus Outdoors are proud to have been able to provide support for very worthy causes:

• Sleeping Bags donated to Julian’s House Charity

• Ukrainian Day for refugee families

• Activity day experiences for survivors and bereaved families from Julia’s House

• Full activity day for a group of young carers from Magna Academy, Poole

• Business partner of Jurassic Coast Trust, donations raising £500+ annually

“We’re very proud of what we have managed to achieve, aside from our core business we’re always open to talk about how our facilities could further help and support our local community, so please do get in touch”.

Sam Thompson, MD Cumulus Outdoors

LEARNING WITHOUT WALLS

Rural romp at the village hall

THE inimitable Living Spit are hitting the road from Bristol to bring the hilarious rural romp One Man & His Cow to Studland.

Farmer Trevor has a big problem.

Given just months to live, he is faced with the dilemma of which one of his three children to bequeath his beloved farmstead to.

Each has their own beguiling qualities and Trevor just can’t choose between them. Then one

fateful night in the cowshed, help arrives from the most unlikely of sources…

A multitude of agricultural antics and farmyard frolics lie in store, all told with homespun charm and wit, and entirely in rhyme and song.

The production is coming to Dorset with Artsreach, whose co-director Kerry Bartlett said: “We first presented this show in five rural pubs back in 2014, and retoured it twice in 2018, each time attracting a capacity

audience.

“We can’t welcome Stu and Ian to Dorset this summer to present a revamped version of this hilarious rural story – it’s still one of our favourite Living Spit shows!”

The show is suitable for ages 10-plus and is at Studland village hall – phone 01929 450587 on Saturday, May 27. More information and tickets are available from 01747 213203 or online at www. artsreach.co.uk

Erica is getting down to her roots

THE Drax Arms at Bere Regis is set to host a music night featuring New Orleans-based Erika Lewis.

Erika, who will be accompanied by Steven Paris and Leonie Evans, is an exceptional singer of Americana roots music.

The prolific songwriter and singer, known for her lengthy tenure touring and busking with beloved New Orleans jazz band Tuba Skinny, has

been churning out American originals all her own for several years. From classic country to cosmic Americana to dreamy indie folk, Erika continues to dip her toes more deeply into an everexpanding pool of roots music styles. She is playing on Thursday, May 25, and tickets are £10 – to reserve a seat email pipthebass@btinternet.com Doors open at 7.30pm for 8pm.

QUEEN tribute band The Bohemians will be playing all the hits, from Bohemian Rhapsody to We Are the Champions, when they are at the Regent in Christchurch.

The Bohemians perform on Saturday, May 6, at 7.30pm and tickets priced £24 are available from www. regentcentre.co.uk

Tickets are going fast to visit the king of Lahore or attend the marriage of Figaro... at the Dorset Opera Festival!

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The Dorset Opera Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024 – so expect something special! But then every year is special at the home of Country House opera in the South West – and 2023 is no exception!

Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro is undoubtedly one of the greatest operas ever written but the piece that’s getting everyone talking is Massenet’s Le roi de Lahore (The King of Lahore).

This spectacular work will involve an international cast of singers - many of southAsian heritage.

Dorset Opera supports talented young singers who are about to embark on a career in the music profession. With generous support from The Steel Charitable Trust,

the company gives full bursaries to chorus singers under the age of 25, who live, study or work in Dorset.

Regular opera-goers are snapping up tickets, with some 70% having been sold already! To encourage children and young people to opera, the ultimate artform, Dorset Opera offers £10 tickets for under 25s in full time education – an initiative sponsored by expert chartered financial planners, Bottriell Adams LLP.

Both operas are on offer at the end of July when summer evenings are balmy and perfect for outdoor picnics or 4-course Opera Dinners. The Pimm’s will be flowing along with champagne from Pol Roger or English sparkling wine from Dorset’s own awardwinning Langham Estate…

Don’t miss the social event of Dorset’s summer. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Ladies Chorus from Gounod’s Faust Interval picnicking on the Bryanston lawns

Living Spit are bringing One Man & His Cow to Studland

TWO of British theatre’s most popular stars, Matthew Kelly and Liza Goddard, star in one of the best comedies ever written when Noises Off plays a week’s run at Lighthouse Poole this autumn.

Michael Frayn’s celebrated play, coming from a triumphant West End season, serves up a riotous double bill, a play within a play.

Hurtling along at breakneck speed, Noises Off follows the on- and off-stage antics of a touring theatre company as they stumble their way through the fictional farce, Nothing On.

From the shambolic final

MEMBERS of Broadstone Art Society will this year look back to 1953 when a small group of artists in Corfe Mullen agreed to meet regularly to pursue their love of art.

The rest is history, as they say, and today the Art Society has 70 members including its most longstanding member, the celebrated Dennis Hill, who joined in the 1950s.

The society’s major event this year is its 70th anniversary exhibition at The Gallery Upstairs, Upton Country Park, between Thursday, May 25, and Tuesday, June 6.

The exhibition will feature a wide selection of paintings, prints, 3D work and greetings cards to view and to buy.

In keeping with the occasion, some artists will be presenting work around the theme ‘Over the Decades’.

Art spanning this time will be reflected by an invitation to retired members and to the winner of the new bursary for

rehearsals before opening night in Weston-super-Mare, to a disastrous matinee in Ashtonunder-Lyne seen entirely, and hilariously silently, from backstage, before the audience shares their final, brilliantly catastrophic performance in Stockton-on-Tees.

Noises Off – age guidance

12-plus – runs from Tuesday, October 10, to Saturday, October 14, at 7.30pm with matiness on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm.

For tickets and information phone 01202 280000 or visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Top stars in classic farce Art group marks seven decades

local A-level Art Students.

Another feature will be a painting completed by one of the society’s members during the heats of Sky’s Landscape Artist of the Year shown this year.

In 2023 the society is supporting Dorset Mind, the mental health charity, and a fundraising sketching event will be held involving visitors.

Simon Merry, from Broadstone Art Society, said:

“We hope many will visit our anniversary exhibition.

“It’s a community association and we are proud it has been representing local artists and art enthusiasts for 70 years, making it one of the most enduring clubs in the area and across the Dorset art scene.”

More paintings, including a preview of the show, can be found on the society’s website, www.broadstoneartsociety.com, and is supported by posts on Facebook and Instagram.

Theatre, Cinema & Function Rooms

Book your tickets: www.themowlem.com

LIVE SHOWS & MUSIC:

• Dial M for Murder - Revive Theatre Presents a murder mystery like no other, made famous by the classic 1954 Hitchcock film! The iconic Dial M for Murder is an intense and darkly gripping thriller, a masterclass in suspense, filled with spine-chilling twists and turns that will keep you guessing till the very end.

Saturday 6th May at 7.30pm

• National Theatre Live – Othello (Encore Screening) - An extraordinary new production of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy, with a cast that includes Giles Terera (Hamilton), Rosy McEwean (The Alienist) and Paul Hilton (The Inheritance). Filmed live on the Lyttleton stage of the National Theatre.

Friday 12th May at 7pm

• National Theatre Live: GOOD (Encore Screening) - Another chance to see David Tennant in a blistering reimagining of one of Britain’s most potent political plays. As the world approaches WWII, John Halder finds himself pulled into a movement with unthinkable consequences. Filmed live at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London.

Saturday 13th May at 7pm

• National Theatre Live - Best of Enemies - David Harewood (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) play feuding political rivals in James Graham’s multi-award-winning drama. As beliefs are challenged and slurs slung, a new frontier in American politics opens. Jeremy Herrin directs this blistering political thriller, filmed live in London’s West End.

Thursday 18th May at 7pm

• Glitterball Glam Fashion Show Put your glad rags on and join us for a fashion show in aid of two local charities, #Willdoes and RAC Saddle Club. Join us after the show with music by DJ Angelo in The Showbar until midnight!

Saturday 20th May at 7.30pm

MOWLEM VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITIONS

• ‘Shifting Edges’ - The latest Visual Arts exhibition continues until 23rd May. Fran Quinlan is a visual artist based in Dorset whose work encompasses drawing, print, performance, sculpture and installation.

IN THE SHOWBAR:

• Oscar’s Quiz Night - Another chance to take part in the Quiz to rival all others! Wideranging questions, lots of prizes and a bonus Rock’n’Roll Disco after the quiz! Starts at 8pm Wed 24th May – doors open from 6pm for a pre-quiz drink!

MOVIES:

• What’s Love Got to Do With It? (12A) - In London, an award-winning film-maker documents her best friend’s journey into an assisted marriage in line with his family’s Pakistani heritage. Starring Lily James, Emma Thompson, Shazad Latif and written by Jemima Khan. 7.30pm Mon 1st - Thu 4th May

• Everything Everywhere All at Once (15) -Another chance to see the winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Directing.

7.30pm Fri 5th May & 8th - 11th May

• Creature (12A) - Acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan’s collaboration with the English National Ballet is captured by Academy Award winner Asif Kapadia in this immersive and visceral film. 7.30pm Mon 15th & Tue 16th May

• The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry (PG) A seemingly unremarkable man in his 60s named Harold one day learns his old friend Queenie is dying. Starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton.

7.30pm Fri 19th May & 22nd - 25th May, plus 2.30pm Mon 22nd May

• Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret (PG) - Coming of age comedy drama based on the much-loved book by Judy Blume. Starring Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates and Abby Ryder Fortson. 7.30pm Fri 26th

- Thu 1st June

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie (PG)

- While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario and brother Luigi are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. Based on the bestselling video game! While comic and fantastical, there are some scenes that might frighten very young children.

11.30am Sat 27th May – Sat 3rd June

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

www.themowlem.com

Ugly Sisters scoop prized panto award

THE Ugly Sisters from Lighthouse Poole’s production of Cinderella came away with a top award at the star-studded Pantomime Awards held in London’s West End.

Andrew Pollard and Alim Jadavji won Best Sisters at the event hosted by showbiz legend Christopher Biggins at the Trafalgar Theatre for their memorable performances as Nadine and Doris.

Cinderella, written and directed by CBeebies star Chris Jarvis, was also nominated as Best Panto but lost out to theatre giant Sir Ian McKellen in Mother Goose.

Lauren Azania’s performance as Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother earned her a nomination for the Carmen Silvera Award for Best Magical Being.

“What a night – the awards were every bit as fab as we hoped and our Ugly Sisters were crowned the best in the land,” said delighted Lighthouse chief executive Elspeth McBain.

“We’re so proud, not only of Andrew and Alim, who were brilliant, but also of Lauren whose Fairy was out of this

world.

“And if our Cinderella is going to miss out on Best Panto, we’re only too happy to lose to Sir Ian McKellen.”

The UK Pantomime Association’s 64 judges visited more than 240 venues to see 700-plus performances across the United Kingdom.

Cinderella was nominated as Best Panto (500-900 seats) but the title went to Mother Goose at the Duke of York’s Theatre, starring Sir Ian McKellen who was also honoured with a special award in recognition of his ‘passionate advocacy and services to the artform of pantomime’.

Elspeth added: “As an independent regional producer, to be honoured by our peers is a real privilege and such a thrill. Huge congratulations and thanks to everyone involved in making Cinderella the most

creatively successful pantomime that Lighthouse has enjoyed.

“And a special thanks to our special friend, Chris Jarvis, who is quite simply a panto genius. Not only did he write and direct Cinderella, he played Buttons brilliantly. And he’s already working hard to make Aladdin every bit as good, if not even better, for this year.

“We know how much our

audiences love our family pantomimes and are truly grateful they keep coming back. It spurs us on to try even harder to bring them something special and we can’t wait to see what they make of Aladdin.”

Tickets are on sale now for Aladdin, which runs from Thursday, December 7, to Sunday, December 31, at www. lighthousepoole.co.uk.

Drama tells little-known war story

PRESSURE, an intense real-life thriller centred around the most important weather forecast in the history of warfare, is set to be presented at the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne.

June 1944. One man’s decision is about to change the course of history. Everything is in place for the biggest invasion ever known in Europe – D-Day. One last crucial question

remains – will the weather be right on the day?

However, two forecasters have opposing views. US celebrity weatherman Colonel Krick predicts sunshine, while Scot Dr James Stagg, chief meteorological officer for the Allied Forces, forecasts a storm. As the world watches and waits, Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower must decide which

of these bitter antagonists to trust. The decision will not only seal the fates of thousands of men but could win or lose the entire war.

David Haig’s play, telling an extraordinary and little-known true story, explores the responsibilities of leadership, the challenges of prophecy and the personal toll of taking a stand.

Wimborne Drama

Productions, directed by Richard Neal, is staging Pressure from Thursday, May 18, to Saturday, May 20, at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

Tickets priced £17.60 (£15.40 matinee), including £1.60/£1 .40 online booking fee, are available at www. tivoliwimborne.co.uk or from the box office priced £16 (£14 matinee).

Andrew Pollard and Alim Jadavji, from Lighthouse Poole’s production of Cinderella, won Best Sisters at the Pantomime Awards

Family is perfect blend for coffee firm

from

THEY’RE the perfect blend!

Jon and Rosie Rowe are not just the proud owners of a successful coffee shop and roastery in Poole called Grounded Coffee.

They also run two converted Land Rovers – Arthur and George – which have become a familiar sight at festivals and outdoor events in Dorset and beyond.

The husband and wife duo are also building up their subscription online coffee business.

Indeed, such is the demand for their coffee that they’re looking to expand with a new larger roastery by the end of the year which could double production.

And it all began with a short trip to Ireland nine years ago.

Rosie, 29, said: “We’ve both always loved coffee. What sparked it for us was that we

went to Dublin for a weekend break and found a really cool coffee shop called Coffeeangel.

“They were doing all the latte art, as we do and at the time, you didn’t really see that.

“We thought: ‘Wow, this is amazing and we’d love to do something like this’. We came from that weekend break and searched online for a truck or a car to convert and start our business.”

The couple purchased a 1976 Land Rover 88 Series III which they promptly christened ‘Arthur’.

Rosie said: “I was still in my full-time job in marketing and booking events in my lunch break when Arthur wasn’t even ready.”

The business grew and in 2019 Rosie and Jon began

roasting their own coffee in an old barn, with a big break the following year.

Rosie said: “We were approached by the Creative Director in charge of regenerating Kingland Crescent in Poole who was interested in having a coffee shop.

“Jon had wanted a shop for a long time and I’d always said no because of the rent and the costs. But when we were offered two years, rent-free, I couldn’t refuse.”

Grounded Coffee opened in 2020 and employs five staff.

A particular feature of the coffee shop is the roastery.

Rosie said: “We usually roast all day on a Monday but the business has built up so much we really need two roast days and to double our output. Our beans come from all over the

world including Brazil and Papua New Guinea.”

Apart from the coffee shop, Rosie and Jon have a floor in the same building which is used for private functions with a large meeting room available to rent out to businesses.

They have also acquired a second, and larger, coffee truck.

The couple, who have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Lola, are looking to expand their online coffee business.

Jon, 35, previously worked in the boat industry.

“I think we’re quite proud about what we’ve been able to achieve and how we’ve been able to employ people and keep them employed,” he said.

“I’m very happy with how it’s all gone. People have a lot of dreams about running a business but to actually do it and take the jump is another thing.”

Spotlight Diary

in association with: Karl’s Kabs – 07751 769833

Diary entries are £6 plus VAT per entry, per month. The deadline for 15th May is NOON on 1st May. Call Lizzie Wilmot on 01963 400186 or email lizzie@blackmorevale.net

KEY: * = Start time not known or n/a; Ffi = for further information; Sw = Swanage; Wm = Wareham; VH = Village Hall, Telephone code 01929 unless otherwise stated.

MAY 2023

Please call prior to attending events listed to ensure they are still on.

MONDAY

18:00 - SWANAGE TENNIS CLUB at Beach Gardens, Swanage. Free cardio tennis taster. Till 7pm.

19:30 - WAREHAM CHORAL SOCIETY. Lady St.Mary Church, Wm. Till 9.30. New singers always welcome. 01202 632678. warehamchoral@gmail.com

TUESDAY

18:30 - STUDLAND YOGA at Studland Village Hall. Beginners and experienced practitioners are all welcome. Until 8.00 pm Call 07932 180327 Email yogawithsemra@gmail.com

Wanted

BOOKS HARDBACK, FOUNTAIN PENS, coins and stamps, costume jewellery. Cash paid. Tel Mr Jones 01202 733550

THURSDAY

09:30 - SWANAGE TENNIS CLUB at Beach Gardens, Swanage. Free Matchplay taster session for prospective new members. First 3 sessions are free. Until 11am

FRIDAY

14:30 -

YOUNGER4LONGER CHAIR-BASED EXERCISE in Wm United Reformed Church, Church St. with daisy chain fitness, 01929558139

Farming

Puzzle solutions (from pages 30-31)

Local Services

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