Purbeck Gazette 299

What’s inside this issue...

n Staff and residents mark 20 years of a Poole care home with fancy dress party Page 8

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

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

The Purbeck Gazette is printed by Blackmore Ltd of Shaftesbury.

The Purbeck Gazette website is managed and edited by The Blackmore Vale Ltd. Blackmore Vale Ltd also publishes The Purbeck Guidette, the Purbeck Visitor Guide. All rights reserved. All layouts copyright Blackmore Vale Ltd. No reproduction without permission.

OUR TEAM: The Gazette team consists of: Lloyd Armishaw, Debi Thorne, Donna Garner, Jane Toomer and Paul Jones.

n A range of new concessions are up for grabs in Swanageincluding at town car parks. Page 4

ADVERTISING

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The legal stuff...

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No part, written or visual, of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the editor.

Oly rises to Greek island swimming challenge

By Lorraine Gibson

IS it a man or is it a fish?

Regular Purbeck Gazette readers know that Dorset’s well-known endurance swimmer, Oly Rush, is dedicated to raising environmental awareness, particularly around plastic pollution.

He’s previously swum the entire length – 100 miles – of the Jurassic Coast, circumnavigated the Isle of Wight in record time and set a world record by swimming round Grand Cayman in 37 hours.

Fast forward to last month and Oly was putting his turbo stroke to work around the waters of Ithaca, Greece, in an amazing display of resilience and commitment to environmental conservation.

Setting off from a remote beach in complete darkness at 4am, he faced formidable

obstacles – strong currents, jellyfish stings, blustery winds, relentless sun and long periods in the vast expanse of the ocean.

Undaunted, Oly circled the island in a gruelling 19 hour 41 minute swim that both showcased his physical endurance and made a statement about the fight against plastic pollution and the urgency for responsible environmental stewardship.

The swim was sponsored by recruitment agency GreenFolk, ensuring that all funds raised go directly to the cause.

To maintain the stamina required for his swim, Oly stuck to a rigorous diet which included coffee, oats, soup, bananas and essential electrolytes.

He also took antiinflammatories to mitigate pain.

An essential part of Oly’s endeavour was the team of kayak supporters who

accompanied him.

Compiled by National Coastwatch Institution, Swanage

They provided crucial support, relaying his health updates to the main boat, Kalipso, and ensuring he received sustenance at precise intervals.

Solar & Tidal Predictions - Mar '23

Beyond the physical feat, his Ithaca swim delivered a

message, drawing attention to the pollution issue and urging responsible and sustainable living to minimise humans’ impact on the environment. Anyone who would like to support Oly’s aims can make a donation online at www. projectplanet.earth

Solar & Tidal Predictions Sept/Oct 2023

Peveril Ledge, Swanage

Supporters on kayaks helped Olly Rush by relaying health updates to the main boat, Kalipso

Oly Rush swam around Ithaca in 19 hours and 41 minutes

Council offers concession sites

A NUMBER of commercial opportunities are open in Swanage – with people being urged to express their interest.

Opportunities from Swanage Town Council include running a catering facility at the Main Beach car park and on the seafront.

The council is seeking ‘Expressions of Interest’ for up

to eight locations in the town.

“This is an exciting opportunity and will help the council meet some of its aspirations developed within the Seafront Masterplan,” a spokesperson said.

A document detailing the opportunities, across six different areas, has been produced.

The sites are:

n Catering facility at Main Beach car park

n Catering and activity facilities on the seafront hardstanding

n Concrete area above the seafront hardstanding

n Catering facility on Swanage Central Beach (north)

n Catering facility on Broad

Road car park

n Catering facility on North Beach car park

n Summer attraction on Day’s Park: Journey’s End

The document provides detailed information about each location and explains how to make an ‘Expression of Interest’.

The closing date is October 31 at noon. All submissions should be forwarded to business development officer Jayne Moulder by email to j. moulder@swanage.gov.uk.

Licences for successful operators are expected to be finalised at the end of January next year, with concession start dates anticipated from Easter 2024.

Just the (raffle) ticket for Yvonne, 106!

YVONNE Glover is steaming on – at the age of 106.

And the intrepid centenarian showed no signs of slowing down when she took up the offer of a free trip on the Swanage Railway.

Earlier this month, Yvonne attended a lunch organised by community group Linking Lives and won a raffle to take a trip on

the heritage railway.

And this week, she took to the line for her outing, joined by Julian Owen and Sarah Bamber from Linking Lives, who helped organise the trip, as well as fellow group attendees, Brian and Phil.

After her trip, Yvonne said she ‘really enjoyed’ the ‘beautiful views’.

Locations such as Swanage seafront and the main beach car park are set for concessions – applications must be submitted by the end of the month

The Linking Lives group: Adrian Glover, Elaine Glover, Yvonne Glover, Brian, Phil, Sarah Bamber, Julian Owen, Kate Potter and a volunteer

Yvonne with fellow passenger Nick and his daughter, six-week-old Effe

180-year-old vandalised oak tree to be felled

The mature oak is set to be cut down after being ‘maliciously’ damaged, says Dorset Council Picture: Dorset Council

‘MALICIOUS’ chainsaw damage means a 180-year-old oak tree in Wool will have to be cut down.

Dorset Council is investigating two incidents which have left the tree, in Lampton Close, ‘permanently damaged’ by ‘deep cuts’ to the trunk and ‘several’ drill holes.

“The tree, which is estimated to be at least 180 years old has been severely damaged, is close to properties, a footpath and the highway and is no longer deemed safe,” a council spokesperson said.

“It will have to be cut down.”

They said any replacement will take many decades to make up the loss of the ‘important feature’, which supports more life than any other native tree species in the UK.

The oak was protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) which bans the cutting down,

uprooting, topping, lopping, wilful damage or wilful destruction of trees without the local authority’s consent.

“It is a criminal offence and the penalty for carrying out works to TPO trees without consent can result in fines of up to £20,000,” the spokesperson added. “Unlimited fines can be handed down in the Crown Court, in the event of serious breaches.”

Investigations are continuing into the two incidents of suspected malicious damage to the protected oak – on or before August 8 and again on the evening of August 26 – are ongoing.

Anyone with information about the damage to this mature oak tree should email treeteameast@dorsetcouncil. gov.uk or call 01929 557344 quoting enforcement reference EN/2023/00354.

What a difference a day makes

JULIA’S HOUSE cares for around 180 seriously ill children and their families in Dorset and Wiltshire.

Advances in medicine and technology mean that many children with life-shortening conditions are living longer. But longer life means more complex care and increased pressure on families.

92% of the children we care for are so fragile they need two Julia’s House staff members.

We are not just there for the child; we wrap our arms around the whole family –mum, dad, siblings and grandparents.

Because we support families in so many ways, every day is different.

Every day at Julia’s House is filled with making special and lasting memories that families will treasure forever.

We’re also there when the worst happens. The team will be there for as long as necessary, providing expert clinical care to make this time as pain-free and peaceful as possible.

With only 8% of our service

supported by government funding we cannot provide this vital lifeline of care to local families without you.

Amazingly, 1 in 4 of the children in our care are funded by gifts in Wills. A gift in your Will can help shape their future care. You could be a vital lifeline for seriously ill children in Dorset. You are our missing puzzle piece!

To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will visit juliashouse/legacy or call 01202 644220 .

Digging in: Time Team return

TIME Team has been back in Purbeck to explore the ancient landscape – 30 years after the first ever episode of the TV show was filmed in the area.

Although the much-loved Channel 4 programme ended in 2014, since 2021 it has been running via the fundraising website, Patreon.

Team members continue to explore historic sites, revealing information of selected areas, with fans subscribing to watch episodes and receive special extras, such as behind the scenes clips and more.

And last month, the team was in Purbeck, investigating an ‘intriguing Iron Age landscape’ near Corfe Castle.

The excavation coincided with the 30th anniversary of filming Time Team’s first episode, back in 1993, which

aired the following year.

Time Team’s creator and series producer, Tim Taylor, said: “We couldn’t hope for a better site to celebrate three decades of Time Team.

“I still can’t believe it’s been that long, but here’s to the next

30 years.”

The Dorset site, which the team said is ‘brimming with archaeology’, was put forward by Time Team’s own Dr Derek Pitman and Dr Lawrence Shaw.

Dr Pitman said: “I’ve honestly never seen so much

archaeology in a single trench before. We think this is the tip of something much bigger. We’re in for a treat.”

For more details on Time Team, log on to www.patreon. com/TimeTeamOfficial.

It was 30 years since the Channel 4 show recorded in Purbeck.

PHOTOS: Time Team

All dressed up for home’s 20th birthday

FANCY dress festivities were the order of the day during an anniversary party at a Poole care home.

Staff and residents at Colten Care’s The Albury marked the care home’s 20th anniversary with a sparkling event in the garden – with a theme of icons of yesteryear.

Home manager Sam Reid came as Daphne from Scooby Doo, while colleagues dressed up as, among others, Audrey Hepburn, Elton John, Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin.

Entertainment from singer Kelly prompted singalongs and dancing as guests sampled glasses of fizz and tucked into sweet and savoury tasty treats, including an anniversary cake specially baked by chef Izzy Turczyn-Kuzma.

Sam said: “The cutting of the cake was the ideal opportunity for residents, staff and visitors to come together and sing happy 20th birthday to our home.

“It was a lovely afternoon and a chance to celebrate with around 25 friends, former members of staff and, of course, our current residents and their families.”

But Sam said some things had not changed in the two decades since the home opened.

“The focus for The Aldbury remains the same as it was 20 years ago,” she added.

“It’s all about supporting people who live with dementia and making sure their needs always come first.

“We have built strong, prominent links, led by our Admiral Nurse Kay Gibson, across the local community to support individuals and families living with dementia.

“Our message is that you can live well with dementia if you have the appropriate help and support.”

As well as the chance to dance and dine, the party featured a lucky dip in aid of the Little Lives children’s charity.

Among guests were four staff who have worked at The Aldbury since it opened in

2003.

Poppi Kgongoane, Duagsuda Odey, Kanya Branon and Suzanne Pollard, staff nurse, healthcare assistant, housekeeper and kitchen assistant respectively, joined in the celebrations.

The Aldbury’s 20th anniversary party had the theme of icons of yesteryear, with guests invited to dress up as their favourites

The Albury chef Izzy TurczynKuzma cuts the anniversary cake

Aldbury resident Valerie Short dances with housekeeper Ida Gray

Scarlet closing in on mission Cambodia

By Lorraine Gibson

ALMOST a year ago, the Purbeck Gazette featured the story of Scarlet Sutcliffe who had set herself a double challenge – to help clean Dorset’s beaches and to raise enough money for a volunteering trip to Cambodia to help with wildlife and conservation projects.

The Queen Elizabeth School, Wimborne, student is still fundraising to meet the £4,580 cost of her mission but was happy to report that a recent bingo night raised more than £200 as participants competed to call ‘house’ and win prizes given by local businesses.

“My dad made a sterling effort at being a bingo caller for the first time in his life,” said Scarlet.

“We had so many worthy bingo winners and a thoroughly entertaining night.

“I have finally passed the halfway mark with £1,700 still to raise.

“Thanks to Ferndown Forest Golf Club, Tigerlilly Nails, Salamander Cookshop, Swaffields Barbers and Sonder Coffee for the prizes.We really appreciate their help.”

Scarlet aims to spend four weeks in Cambodia next July, supporting Camp International in raising the educational and

living standards of developing communities and assisting with conservation programmes.

“Next up is a stall at Handmade Wimborne in October, and then all things Christmas,” she said.

“I am also putting all my wages from working at Little Pickle towards the goal and I’m hoping to secure most of the

remaining money in the next few weeks so that I can focus on my GCSEs.

“So, if anyone has any odd jobs or events that I could help with for a small donation, nothing is too big or small, and you can follow my fundraising journey at www.instagram.com/ challenge_cambodia_2024 or at https://gofund.me/8da523f7

Plastic fantastic: Scarlet Sutcliffe makes a clean sweep at Durdle Door

Pub sold for £402,000

A PUB in the Purbeck area has been sold in an auction bidding war for £402,000.

The Cock & Bottle Inn at East Morden, near Wareham, went for £62,000 more than the freehold property’s guide price.

Mike Marchant, a senior auction appraiser with Clive Emson Auctioneers, which sold the property, said: “This quaint, deceptively large village pub,

offered with vacant possession, sold for £402,000 against the guide price of £360,000, with

41 bids made.

“We are not privy to any plans the new owner may or may not have for the pub, which is a short drive south from the A31 and north from the A35.

“The pub sits within an extensive plot of 0.58 acres, the majority of which is currently used for car parking, with two lock-up garages at the furthest point from the main building.”

New minister at church

By Lorraine Gibson

WIMBORNE Methodist

Church’s new minister has been welcomed into the fold.

Reverend Deborah Cornish (pictured) joined a service at the church last month and is looking forward to her part-time role there.

She said: “One of the key gifts of the Methodist Church is their abundant hospitality. A further attribute is the ability to

embrace inclusivity.”

Originally from Saltash in Cornwall, Rev Deborah has enjoyed a varied ministry that began far from ‘home’ in Fife.

From there, she headed south to Hereford where she was appointed Superintendent of the Circuit for eight years.

She comes to Wimborne with her husband, John, after six

Graham takes helm at Rotary

THE new president of Wimborne Rotary has been appointed.

Graham West received his chain of office from outgoing president Ron Franks at a special handover meeting of club members at Wimborne Town Football Club.

years serving two churches in Brighton where she was appointed assistant district chair.

The well-attended service included Holy Communion, with Matthew Burt on the organ and John Cornish one of the readers.

Coffee at the close gave members the chance to speak to Rev Deborah and John.

Broadstone resident Graham said: “I want us to give a strong focus to supporting local young people, not only because they are our future but, who knows, their parents could end up joining us in Rotary.

“Any youth organisation in the local area which is looking for support for a project they want to complete should contact us to explore whether we can help them.

The club can be contacted at wimbornerotary.org.

Why Footprints?

In this article we would like to pay tribute to some of the fantastic extracts from the carers at footprints foster care, advocating why footprints is the right decision when selecting a fostering agency. Don’t just take it from us, read on for some personal notes from the carers:

‘I choose Footprints as they were a smaller agency, and their website drew me in to wanting to find out more about fostering. After a visit from to social worker, whom I found warm and friendly, I felt that this was the agency that I wanted to be a part of. I’m so glad that I did, as you become a part of the Footprints family, you’re not just a number who has a room and a bed for a child, you and the child are valued equally, and they will always do their best to match you and the child’.

Isn’t it great to read that footprints was a great decision! At footprints you are never a number, we have a small community of carers and minimized caseloads, so you really get to know your social worker.

‘Footprints are a small, local agency. We felt it would be more personal than a big agency where you don’t know anyone. As it is local, so is the training which also was important to us. Footprints seemed and are more supportive than competitors’.

Footprints is proud to have satisfied carers that feel supported This is part of the footprints journey where Stephanie and Vanda set out to support carers ‘every step of the way’ resonating to footprints in the sand, taking steps towards brighter futures.

The Cock & Bottle Inn

Swanage Conservative Club opens its doors to non-members for the weekend commencing Friday 13th October

The open weekend is from 13th to 15th October and is a chance for people to see what the club has to offer. Swanage Conservative Club is a social club and entertainment venue set in the heart of the town. Founded in 1885 the club is situated only 50m from the train and bus station. Refurbished in 2017 it is both comfortable and modern. We are proud of the facilities we can offer our members and with this in mind we would love to show these off to the local community.

Our restaurant is open for fresh cooked food Wednesday to Saturday 12 – 2pm, we also offer rolls and snacks during the rest of the day.

The club boasts two very well-maintained snooker tables, darts boards and a large function room with bar, dance floor and stage which can be hired by members and non-members. We currently provide free live entertainment every Saturday, as well as weekly bingo and poker matches, we

also host charity and fun quizzes.

The club joins in and supports local events like Swanage Carnival, Lifeboat week as well as the Blues, Jazz, and Folk festivals. The club is proud to announce that it a finalist in the Club Mirror Awards 2023 and were hopeful that we will win an award at the finals in November.

Come and see for yourselves with a warm welcome, well stacked bar and club price drinks and incredibly competitive food prices.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

SWANAGE CONSERVATIVE CLUB

13 th to 15 th October

• Come and join us and look around the club!

• Benefit from members competitively priced drinks (pint Carlsberg £3.50) and food.

• Food service at lunchtime in our Restaurant and Bar.

• Function room available. Sports catered for snooker, pool, darts and shove halfpenny.

• Live entertainment every Saturday, plus bingo draws etc

• Yearly membership £25 a year.

A warm welcome from all the committee and

• The Club has free wi-fi service available to members and their guests. www.swanageconservativeclub.co.uk

Care home’s ‘brekkie’ for 999 workers

STAFF at Upton Bay Care Home in Hamworthy have been providing a free continental breakfast to emergency services personnel.

Paramedics, nurses, police officers and other emergency services workers who don’t always have time to go home or back to their workplace on their break are invited to go along on Mondays this month.

The fire crew from Poole station (Dorset and Wiltshire division) visited and enjoyed bacon baps, croissants and freshly brewed coffee.

Some of the residents chatted to the watch, made up of Jo, Steve, Matt and Lewis, and enjoyed a tour of the fire engine.

Mevin Sohorye, the home’s general manager, said: “To

Volunteer appeal for Hardy’s Monument

VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help visitors make the most of a trip to the Hardy Monument.

their lifestyle.

say thank you for all of the great work our emergency services do for us, we here at Upton Bay are inviting all members of the police, ambulance and fire services to pop in and take their duty break on us for free.”

The National Trust is hoping to expand the team of people based at the monument, at Black Down near Dorchester, for a few hours each week.

The charity was planning to hold an open day last Tuesday (September 26) at the monument for anyone interested in volunteering.

Elizabeth Flight, partnership and programming officer of the National Trust, said: “Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and work a range of different hours that suit

“If you love meeting people, are passionate about local history and working outside, or maybe you are looking for an opportunity to learn new skills, then come along to our open morning to find out more.”

The Hardy Monument, which stands 780 feet above sea level, was built in 1844 in memory of Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, Flag Captain of HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

For more details on volunteering, contact Scott Welland of the North & West Dorset National Trust, at scott. welland@nationaltrust.org.uk.

The Hardy Monument, built in 1844 in memory of Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, Flag Captain of HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar

PHOTO: National Trust/John Miller

Tucking in at Upton Bay care home in Hamworthy

Dan’s 25km swim for 25 years of SPRING

CHARITY supporter Dan Lovett is set to swim 25km from Old Harry Rocks to the Needles lighthouse in the Isle of Wight in aid SPRING, which supports bereaved families through baby loss.

The SPRING service, funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, is celebrating 25 years of supporting bereaved parents in Bournemouth, Poole and surrounding areas who have experienced the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, whatever the circumstances and however long ago.

Dan, who will be doing the swim in the next few weeks, said: “I will be braving the waves and battling the tides, currents, jellyfish and anything else in-between to celebrate 25 years of this much-needed

service. In 2023, my wife and I were delighted to be expecting our first baby.

“We couldn’t wait to share our news with the world and visualised all of the things we wanted to do as new parents.”

“When we went for a scan and found out that a heartbeat couldn’t be found, we were devastated.

“It was a ‘missed’ miscarriage, which felt especially cruel as there were no

signs that anything was wrong with our baby.

“Our world collapsed around us and it felt like a huge wave had hit us, flipping everything upside down.

“In our darkest time, SPRING was there to support us and our counselling has helped us to learn how to sit with our emotions, how to grieve and how to begin to rebuild.

“Talking openly and honestly in this safe environment provided by SPRING has allowed my wife and I to grow and heal together.

“I will never be able to thank the team enough for all that they have done, but I can swim the distance to make a difference and say thank you.”

Dan has so far raised more than £2,235 and anyone who would like to give should visit www. Givewheel.com and search ‘Old Harry Rocks to the Needles’.

Half of the funds raised will go to Myleoma UK in support of a family member’s cancer journey and recovery.

Dan Lovett is swimming from Old Harry Rocks to the Needles lighthouse in the Isle of Wight in aid of baby loss charity SPRING

Swanage seafront: Options for change

RESIDENTS are being urged to have their say on ‘essential’ works to shore up the seafront in Swanage – which could see new public toilets, entertainment areas and outdoor seating created.

Swanage Town Council says three locations ‘need to undergo essential ground stabilisation works’ to protect them for years to come.

The works come ‘due to significant ground movement and slope instability’, the council added.

The affected areas are: Sandpit Field, Weather Station Field and The ‘Spa’ beach hut area.

“Following extensive monitoring of the site, and the recognition that essential stabilisation works take place to protect these well used community greenspaces, Swanage Town Council is asking for feedback on possible options that aim to stabilise and enhance the green seafront that runs parallel to Shore Road,” a council spokesperson said.

Council-contracted engineers, WSP, have drafted two options for the stabilisation of the green seafront. The options are:

Option One: An essential scheme option for essential works.

A document outlining the plans said: “This option would stabilise the area and retain Sandpit Field as a large events field for future generations while retaining current features of the fields with greenery and stone walls.

“Enhancements under the essential scheme include a replacement of the planting on the beach side of the field to create an attractive, biodiverse area close to the sea.

“Additional beach huts will be provided on the Spa area, in a very similar orientation and style to those that were there previously, and Battlegate toilets will be upgraded providing modern public conveniences that serve both the beach huts and this area of the Blue Flag beach.

“Finally, Weather Station Field will be preserved, and new seating will be provided for residents and visitors to enjoy the wonderful views.

“Limitations of the essential scheme are that it would limit the opportunity to substantially enhance the fields once the stabilisation work has been completed.”

Option Two: An enhanced option providing more public benefits but is more substantial in terms of scope and cost.

It said: “This option would stabilise and significantly enhance the area with the notable filling in and conversion of Walrond Road to create more green space, linking up the sections of the Green Seafront.

“This option offers numerous public realm improvements including increased accessibility, biodiversity and enhanced event space but is significantly more costly than the essential scheme.

“Sandpit Field will be retained and enhanced, delivering a significantly

improved and fully accessible event space with a secondary smaller event field available for smaller events and celebrations.

“Increased planting, chosen to enhance biodiversity, add interest and complement the natural landscape will be introduced delivering a green and vibrant seafront to attract wildlife.

“Through the closure and filling in of Walrond Road, public open space will be increased, connecting the areas to enable accessible routes through and across the landscape with the plaza and amphitheatre seating creating greater connectivity to the beach.

“Seating will be increased at key locations across the site, allowing visitors space to sit, enjoy the views with pathways that are level and accessible enabling the space to be enjoyed by all.

“New, larger beach huts, including some which have level access and are suitable for use for those with limited mobility will be introduced. These are located to ensure full regard is given to the fantastic views available and are set into the landscape to ensure they blend into the natural environment.

“New, modern and accessible public conveniences, including those with disabled facilities, will be provided along with shower facilities.

“Finally, a new eating and drinking space with outdoor

seating will be provided at the plaza creating a new destination at the northern end of the Main Beach.”

Residents are now being urged to have their say on the plans – and to select their preferred option – in an online survey at www. dorsetcoasthaveyoursay.co.uk/ swanage-green-seafrontstabilisation.

They can also find out more at upcoming events:

n October 6: Swanage Market

n October 19: Mowlem Theatre Show Bar, 4-7pm

The survey will close on October 31.

Cllr Tina Foster said: “While the stabilisation works are essential and scheduled to be carried out in 2025/26, there may be an opportunity to significantly enhance these areas.

“It is important to gain the community’s view on the two options. If additional funding can be sourced, option 2 enhancements include increased accessibility, biodiversity, seating, new larger beach huts, accessible toilet facilities and potentially a new plaza with eating and drinking space.

“Please take a look at the options and tell us your view on which option is best for Swanage.”

For more details on the plans, and to have your say in the survey, visit www. dorsetcoasthaveyoursay.co.uk/ swanage-green-seafrontstabilisation.

Works to shore up the seafront in Swanage could lead to enhancements including a new plaza with eating and drinking space

PHOTO: Google

The Waste Group expands with the aim to recycle 100% of your waste

Friends of Wareham Hospital AGM

By Julie Bradshaw

The Waste Group are pleased to announced the acquisition of Ideal Skip Hire (Southern) Ltd as of Monday 10th July.

a resource for clinics held in the hospital.

Based in Wareham, The Waste Group is a local family run skip hire business that has branched out into aggregates, asbestos disposal and grab hire.

THE Friends of Wareham Hospital (FoWH) has continued to broaden its remit –campaigning to maintain and improve community services throughout Purbeck working with other agencies including the Friends of Swanage Hospital.

Trade customers can tip all types of aggregates and waste at their existing recycling centre on the Puddletown Road in Wareham.

For further information about The Waste Group, please visit www.thewastegroup.co.uk or contact us on 01202 247716

Three existing services which are accessed by GP referral were explained by their staff.

more purposeful.

FoWH funds have gone towards improvements to the Kimmeridge and Redcliffe consulting rooms, toys for the paediatric speech and language clinic, furniture and equipment for the Bonnetts Lane hub, equipment for the Better Balance group, a Christmas party for Lewis Manning patients and a donation to Dementia Friendly Purbeck.

People can financially support FoWH by making a donation, buying a raffle ticket – 1st prize £100 – from Reception at the hospital or a ticket for Ball and Socket who will be appearing at the Corn Exchange on Saturday, October 14, at 7.30pm.

Four speakers at the annual meeting talked about their work in Purbeck community services.

Ideal Skip Hire (Southern) Ltd is based in Swanage and has a long tradition of providing skips and aggregates to the local Swanage and Purbeck area. Their existing recycling facility on the Victoria Avenue Industrial Estate will still be open and running as usual.

The Waste Group’s aim is to strengthen customer service through great relationships whilst implementing an improved fleet and new technology. A full range of aggregates are available to purchase from the recycling facility on the Victoria Avenue Industrial Estate.

FoWH is working on Wareham Hospital garden which is much appreciated by outpatients and staff and will be

Anna Darling, a nurse practitioner who began her nursing career at the hospital, is the new Purbeck clinical director.

She will work with staff in the six GP practices in the Purbeck Primary Care Network to assess the particular needs of each surgery and try new services.

Rachel, the Purbeck Admiral nurse, supports people living with dementia, and had done a special study on the link between dehydration and dementia resulting in a handbook for patients and their families, training for care staff and a calibrated, easy-drinking water bottle.

Lucy’s role arises from the concern that care homes should get more NHS support.

Every week Lucy, a clinical practitioner, visits the seven care homes in Purbeck to see residents who are newly admitted or returned from hospital stays, or residents that staff are concerned about.

In this way, Lucy supports the staff and makes GP visits

After 27 years working in Wareham Hospital, three years ago Sharon specialised in palliative and end of life care in people’s homes and now leads the team. Their visits can be few or frequent, short or longer, and their care reflects the wishes of the patient and the patient’s carers.

FoWH chair Maggie Hardy said how fortunate Purbeck was to have these services, but reiterated that FoWH would campaign for the return of the chemotherapy clinic to Wareham Hospital and the rheumatology follow-up clinic to Swanage Hospital.

More members would give more weight to the campaigning – contact friendsofwarehamhospital@ gmail.com or phone the hospital 01929 557550.

WE ARE DEDICATED TO REDUCING LANDFILL. Working with waste doesn’t have to be wasteful. We currently recycle at least 98% of all our waste through our dedicated waste recycling & processing facility, helping to protect the environment.

AUTUMN is here! We can start to say hello to scatterings of leaves on the woodland walks and a milder heat on the sunny autumnal strolls as we welcome in the spooky season. October at the park is a great time to see the seasonal changes happening in the wildlife here, from changes in colours, sounds and smells to changes in the nature you may stumble across on your visit.

A month of changeable weather, with the dampness producing a fantastic array of fungi in the woodland. These include the weird jelly ear on old elder trunks, wood blewit with its slight slimy cap and pale purple colouring, plus the deadly – and to be avoided – death cap, a greenish tinge giving it away. In the canopy tops, tiny goldcrests arrive in

numbers along with an occasional firecrest, also a good selection of warblers with chiffchaff, blackcap and wood warbler often in evidence.

October features two exhibitions in the Fine Foundation Gallery. From Monday, October 2, to Tuesday, October 17, drop in any time between 10am and 5pm for one of our returning in-house exhibitions, Durlston Past. Learn about the 20th century history of Durlston and Durlston Castle as well as the newly restored Durlston

Pleasure Grounds.

Then from Friday, October 20, until Saturday, November 4, Purbeck Film Festival provides an exhibition to explore the past years of the film festival and the themes of this year’s films. Both exhibitions will be open daily and are free to enter. During the Purbeck Film Festival, a selection of films will be shown in the gallery, so make sure to visit www.purbeckfilm. com for more information or to book your tickets.

As usual, we have plenty to get involved with in the October half-term. Running daily we have our Hallowe’en Children’s Activity trail to take you on a route around the park, a drop-in Wild Wednesdays event offering free activities and craft, as well as a Ranger-

led children’s activity Wild Durlston.

October hosts plenty more to get stuck into, including a drawing workshop with artist Mark Page, a Drawing in Pen, Pencil and Ink workshop with Madelaine Devenay and plenty of guided walks to join to learn about different aspects of the National Nature Reserve. Make sure to visit www. durlston.co.uk/events for more information.

Whatever your reason for visiting the park this October, make sure to take time to enjoy Durlston in its autumn glory! For more information on events and more visit our Durlston website, www. durlston.co.uk. Visit the Seventhwave café website at www.seventhwaverestaurant. co.uk.

The south of England’s premier skate suppliers

Purbeck

Durlston Country Park has a lot going on this month

Man hospitalised in alleged charity box theft in Swanage

A MAN needed hospital treatment after being assaulted as four teenagers attempted to steal a charity box in Swanage.

The incident unfolded in Shore Road, pictured, at around 12.03am on Sunday, September 10 - during the Swanage Folk Festival.

Dorset Police officers attended the scene, where it was reported an altercation had taken place involving four teens, who had attempted to steal a charity box.

“It was reported that the charity box had been recovered but two of the teenagers had been seen in possession of knives and they had left the scene,” a spokesperson said.

“During the incident, it is reported that a man was assaulted and attended hospital for treatment.”

After searching the area, officers located a group of teenagers, who were not from Swanage.

Arrangements were made for the teenagers to be collected by their parents.

“Officers arrived at the scene within 24

minutes of the initial call to Dorset Police,” the spokesperson said.

“Where there is a crime in progress, we will endeavour to dispatch officers at the earliest available opportunity.

“However, there will be occasions when other officers in the immediate vicinity are committed with other incidents and officers have to travel to attend.

“On this occasion, officers were committed elsewhere in the Swanage area and the nearest available officers had to travel a distance to arrive, which they did as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, an investigation into the incident is ongoing and police are keen to speak with witnesses, particularly if they have mobile phone footage or other CCTV covering the incident.

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55230143439. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police recruits pass muster

A PASSING out ceremony saw the largest intake of new officers in Dorset Police’s history taking the next step to join the ranks.

Some 55 new student officers, recruited as part of the national Uplift programme, joined the police in March and have since completed their initial classroom-based training.

To mark the achievement, the group came together at a special

Rais Viva

Chesneys Beaumont

Dru Maestro 60 Tall

Contura

Onyx Avanti

Flower show helps school

MORE than £700 was raised for Livability Victoria School at this year’s Poole Flower Show.

The show, sponsored by Compton Acres, was held at the school over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Show organiser David Bassil, his wife Pam, and Kaye Merna from Compton Acres, visited the school to meet staff and pupils and present a cheque for £747.50.

Donna Brown, family liaison officer at the school, based in

Lindsay Road, Poole, said: “Victoria School was delighted to host Poole Flower Show this year and we are incredibly grateful for this donation.

“Thank you to the show’s organisers and Compton Acres for its support.”

Funds from the event will go towards equipment and activities for pupils at the school, which offers specialised, high quality education, therapy and care for young people aged three to 19.

Lightning damages homes

A LIGHTNING strike caused a fire that left two Corfe Mullen properties badly damaged.

Firefighters from Poole and Wimborne were involved in tackling the blaze, which was reported at a property in Coronation Way at around 12.19am on September 18.

A Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Thankfully no-one was injured and everyone was out safely when we arrived, but the two affected houses are badly damaged.”

Shielding Your Home & Estate from Care Costs with a Living Trust

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Nobody likes to think about getting old, but it is certainly worth thinking about if you value your home. That is because your house could very well have a charge placed upon it or sold by the local council to pay for your care fees. If a person’s capital and savings, including equity in their home, is worth more than £23,250, they will have to fund their own care.

A living trust can shield your home and estate from care costs in the following ways.

Placing your main home into a living trust ring fences the property from any potential future care costs. 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.

Other benefits of the trust include the avoidance of probate upon the property and the protection from both divorce & creditors for your beneficiaries. The situation won’t get better over time. The UK’s fastest-growing age group comprises those aged over 85. Councils will face even more pressure on budgets, leaving them with little choice but to continue to sell people’s homes.

To protect your home, contact Oakwood Wills on 07832 331594.

The main thing to remember with a trust is that because you do not own the assets held in the trust in your own name, a charge cannot be placed upon the home.

Chris Tennant Oakwood Wills.

Vintage bikes on show

VINTAGE motorbikes will be on show at Upton Bay Care Home in Hoyal Road, Poole, later this month.

Enthusiasts are invited to take their classic modern or vintage machines along to the event on Sunday, October 15, 2-4pm.

Hot dogs, hot cider, local ales, tea and coffee will be on offer. Ukulele band Frayed Strings will provide the music. To book a place phone 01202 679529.

Lewis-Manning launches Candles in the Community events

LEWIS-MANNING Hospice Care will be reflecting, celebrating and remembering loved ones at its Candles in the Community events being launched this autumn:

n Candles on the Lake – The Kitchen, Poole Park, Saturday, October 7.

n Candles on the Beach – Swanage seafront, Saturday, October 21.

n Candles on the Green – Wimborne Minster, Saturday, November 18.

Event organiser Hannah Garrett said: “We were overwhelmed by the response from our local communities at last year’s Candles on the Lake and Candles on the Beach events, and in response to public demand, we are thrilled to launch a new location for this year – Candles on the Green in Wimborne.

“These will be unique, memorable and

meaningful events where families and friends can come together to reflect, celebrate and remember loved ones.

“While the events are emotional, the overriding feeling of community spirit always outweighs any sadness. The occasions provide real energy of hope and togetherness.”

Local choirs and The Salvation Army will perform at each event, which will include a short reflective reading, while creating a magical display of lights.

The Candles in the Community events are free to attend. Supporters are encouraged to make an online donation for a candle(s) before the event at www. lewis-manning.org.uk/candles, alternatively candles will be available on the night.

If you would like to add a personal dedication to your candle, facilities to

write your own message will be available.

Donations will be used to fund our Bereavement and Family Support as well as other vital services across our community, allowing us to give invaluable support to patients and their families from diagnosis of a life-limiting condition, through to end of life and bereavement.

If three people donated it could cover the cost of a one-hour telephone call or visit, providing support to a grieving family. All events are sponsored by Care South. With special thanks to Rockley Water Sports, Douch Family Funeral Directors, Harbour Bay Crystal Clear Media, LED House and Reformed Plastics, for kindly supporting our Candles in the Community events.

All the candles are made from recyclable materials and will be safely placed on the sand, lake and green, so as not to affect wildlife or cause damage in the area.

All the flameless candles are collected at the end of the evenings by a dedicated volunteers to ensure there is no litter and will also be reused for subsequent years.

To find out more about the Candles in the Community events visit www. lewismanning.org.uk/candles

Fastnet Race, the Waverley and more in busy summer

WITH the nights starting to draw in and the first of the autumn storms sweeping through a couple of days ago, I thought it would be interesting to look back on what’s turned out to be an interesting summer. St Alban’s Head NCI and Swanage NCI have been busy keeping ‘eyes along the coast’, engaging with our coastal community and responding to incidents.

The weather has been really variable all summer. The warm and calm spell in June gave way to a fairly changeable July. This was most evident over the weekend of the Fastnet Race. With strong winds and poor visibility, sailing conditions could best be described as challenging for the 450 yachts taking part.

The race is held biennially and is one of most prestigious yacht races in the world. Starting at Cowes, the course takes yachts along the south coast out into the Celtic Sea and around the Fastnet Rock. Since 2021 the race has finished in Cherbourg, a distance of just under 700 miles.

The yachts, ranging from the mammoth 100ft foiling trimarans down to small 36ft yachts, usually make an impressive sight as they pass by both stations. Sadly, this year, our views were largely restricted to following the fleet on our chart plotters. Many of the smaller yachts opted on the side of caution and made their way slowly down the Channel, often sheltering overnight in the numerous yacht havens along the coast.

By Nick Reed

The French trimaran, SVR Lazartique, set a new course record of just over 32 hours, while the last boast to finish, La Loup Rouge, took eight days!

The winner of the first Fastnet race, a gaff-rigged pilot cutter called Jolie Brise, is still a regular visitor and is logged by our watchkeepers as she passes by. It’s one of the perks of our role that we regularly see classic vessels passing our lookouts and this year we’ve been treated to several.

ONE of the most impressive was the paddle steamer, Waverley. The Waverley – or more correctly PS Waverley – is the last seagoing passengercarrying paddle steamer in the world. Her importance is recognised by being listed in the National Historic Fleet as ‘a vessel of pre-eminent national importance’. The current Waverley was built on the Clyde, in 1946. She replaced the first Waverley which was built in 1899 and was sunk in 1940 while helping to evacuate troops from Dunkirk.

In early September watchkeepers were also treated to impressive views of another historic vessel, SS Shieldhall. Also built on the Clyde, in 1954, she is one of the last steam ships built using technology that dated back to the last quarter of the 19th century. Her history is slightly less glamorous than the

Waverley as she spent her working life as a ‘sludge boat’, carrying treated sewage sludge to be dumped at sea.

Now fully restored as a passenger vessel, one of the highlights of a trip on the ship is a visit to the impressive engine room with its original steam engines at work – similar to that used on Titanic – with its traditional instruments and gleaming brass work.

BOTH stations have been involved in a number of incidents this year, with St Alban’s having two on one day. It’s interesting to compare incidents from the two stations. Situated high on the cliffs, and overlooking St Alban’s Race, our station at St Alban’s Head has an extremely good field of vision and is often involved in incidents involving sailing craft with issues including engine failure, lack of progress and even running aground on the Kimmeridge Ledges.

Looking along the coast, watchkeepers have a good view of a fairly remote section of the coast path and the climbing routes on the cliffs. Consequently, quite a few incidents have involved supporting the emergency services rescuing injured walkers and climbers.

In contrast, the Swanage station is relatively low down,

at Peveril Point, next to a major tourist beach and bay. Many of the incidents are focused on holidaymakers – both on land and sea – who have not appreciated the dangers posed by the tidal and weather conditions. In early July two paddle boarders were swept out to sea by the tide and wind, sparking a major search by the rescue services.

The station manager at Swanage was asked to provide extra support, out of hours, to provide a visual watch using our powerful binoculars. Luckily the story had a happy ending with both casualties being recovered safely.

WE pride ourselves on being not only part of the search and rescue community but also part of the wider community in which both stations are based. It was a real privilege to be invited to take part in the Swanage Fish Festival and Swanage Lifeboat week. We’re particularly grateful to the fish festival for making us one of its nominated charities.

With no external funding, both stations have to raise the money to keep ourselves operational, and donations, such as the one received from the fish festival, are not only extremely gratefully received but are essential to keeping our watchkeeping going.

This is St Alban’s Head NCI and Swanage NCI listening on channel 65, NCI out.

Classic vessels PS Waverley and SS Shieldhall passed the lookouts

‘It seems police assurances have been torn up and thrown in the bin’

SOMETIMES I wonder if I have ‘MUG’ tattooed on my forehead. But honestly, I came out of the June public meeting with the Police & Crime Commissioner and two senior police officers, actually believing that things here in Swanage would improve.

I genuinely thought the public pressure on the PCC would achieve results.

Naively, I believed an assurance they would open a police station in Swanage.

Turned out to be the small office next to the town hall, opened on August 4, between 9.30am and 3.30pm on Mondays and Fridays and staffed by two pleasant and efficient admin staff.

Not, perhaps, what Linda and I had worked so hard for.

And the extra police presence is one police officer who cannot be expected to work all hours of the day or night and who is, of course, entitled to at least one day off a week, plus annual holidays. And who is not a ‘response officer’.

At least, he wasn’t there when four kids with knives attempted to steal charity money at the Sea Breeze restaurant on a crowded evening at the Swanage Folk Festival (see page 17 for full report).

The Sea Breeze is on Shore Road, a permanently closed section of road.

A considerable number of people at the restaurant were celebrating a charity walk that had taken place that day –they’d walked from Swanage to Bournemouth and back, no mean feat in the sweltering heat that day.

It was reported youths took the charity collection bucket and a man who had stepped in to stop them was assaulted and needed hospital treatment.

Our public meeting and the assurances given were

By David Hollister

meaningless – Swanage is still without adequate police cover when it’s needed most.

The town was heaving, the folk festival and other events were taking place, super weather had filled the town with visitors, but again, not important enough to have police cover.

I have to ask again: Why didn’t we have more officers in town?

It seems to me that all the police assurances have been torn up and thrown in the trash.

Swanage residents have really had enough of the bad cover and policing provided.

I’m pretty sure if things don’t improve, the talk among the locals of becoming vigilantes will become a reality.

And that would be a shame because it would make criminals of the decent ordinary people who were just defending their town and property.

We’re told not to take the law into our own hands, but if there are no police to uphold the law, then what should we do? Fill in an online report?

Dorset is among the top 10 safest counties in the UK – the overall reported crime rate in 2022 was 60 crimes per 1,000 people.

But I have this feeling that ‘crime’ and ‘reported crime’ are totally different statistics.

I’ve been told by many people that they haven’t bothered to report crimes as, like me, they’re not satisfied with ‘do it online’.

They want action, property recovered and retribution.

So perhaps next time you’re stopped in your car for a minor driving offence, you could tell the police officer to ‘do it online’?

ORK has now been completed by our stone conservation

contractors ‘Stonemasons of Dorset’ to steam clean the historic Great Globe – one of the final parts of the National Lottery Heritage Funded Durlston Pleasure Grounds Project.

Work was completed over a few days, along with the cleaning of the Grade II-listed Sea Chart.

Doesn’t it look great!

AMATURE oak at Lampton Close in Wool has been permanently damaged by what appears to be a chainsaw.

There are deep cuts to the trunk and several drill holes.

The tree, estimated to be at least 180 years old, is close to properties, a footpath and the highway, and is no longer deemed ‘safe’. It will have to be cut down.

Any replacement could take many decades to make up the loss of this important feature, which as a species supports more life than any other native tree species in the UK.

This tree was protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) which bans the ‘cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, wilful damage or wilful destruction of trees without the local authority’s consent’.

It’s a criminal offence – the penalty could be fines of up to £20,000.

Investigations into the two counts of suspected malicious damage to this protected oak

firstly on/or before the August 8, 2023, and again on the evening of the August 26, 2023, are ongoing.

The council is appealing for information about this act of vandalism.

But somehow I don’t think it was a random act by a passer-by – someone went out equipped with the tools to do this damage and when I ask myself ‘why’ only a few rather unacceptable reasons come to mind...

WHEN does a ‘designated nature reserve’ become a scruffy and unloved area of rank grass and poisonous ragwort?

Not so long ago, ragwort was on the government’s list of toxic plants that landowners had to remove.

But now, the environmentalists claim it’s attractive to bees and other insects, so they believe we should let it spread, as it will –each plant holds hundreds of seeds.

It’s the curse of farmers and horse owners as it spreads so fast.

Let’s be honest here. The unkempt verges and public areas aren’t left for environmental reasons. The reason is purely financial.

And our beautiful county is being allowed to go to rack and ruin to save money.

Shame on you, Dorset Council!

‘Time for a new deal for councils’

THERE are some services in our community that everyone takes for granted, and we only really notice when they are gone. Toilets is one such facility and bound to get everyone talking.

Most people do not realise that toilets are not a statutory function of councils – there is no requirement to provide them, and as such when council finances are under pressure they are at risk of closure.

The topic is also intensely personal. Older people and those with medical conditions often plan day-to-day activities around the availability of these facilities and when they are out of order it can cause real distress. Some rarely leave the house through the worry of not being able to reach a loo –directly impacting physical and mental health.

Cleanliness and quality of toilets also come under the spotlight when talking to

residents and visitors alike. What seems like a straightforward function is often complicated by anti-social behaviour, vandalism and even arson. Prior to the closure of public toilets in my own community we calculated that they had been closed more often than they were open, running up costs to the taxpayer, and even when open, their condition was so poor many people refused to use them.

Good toilets feel like they should be a basic right, and during the 2017 General Election campaign this became a hot topic locally with me calling for action. Liberal Democrats recently called for the Government to introduce a Public Toilet Fund so councils can maintain toilets in our communities and modernise them where they are not fit for purpose.

We talk of ‘spending a penny’ when we visit a public toilet because there was always a tradition of making a small payment to use the facilities. Some places I have visited with toilets in the best condition do ask for payment – usually 20p – and while this is not ideal, it serves two purposes. The mindless entry to toilets for anti-social purposes is less likely if you are paying for the privilege and the income also enables some of the costs to be recovered.

Councils were traditionally funded by a Revenue Support Grant alongside collecting council tax and business rates. This has been slashed over the last decade – in the Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole area this contribution was previously £106m a year, it is now £6m. The figures in Dorset Council

will be similar.

It is therefore inevitable that councils have had to make impossible decisions, closing services and increasing charges where they can. During this time local authorities have had to take on more responsibilities, particularly around adult social care, and everything that is not statutory has been squeezed.

It is time for a new deal for Local Government, for councils to be provided with the funds to deliver what communities need. They need the revenue to support services day to day and the capital to improve the facilities they have. The Public Toilet Fund which the Liberal Democrats have called for is just an example of an area where the public deserve better, and the health of the nation demands it, too.

VIKKI SLADE

‘So, who actually owns Dorset land?’

WHEN our children were young, every year we’d drive to Cornwall for a camping holiday.

On our way west, we’d pass what we called ‘the wall’ as we drove from Wimborne to Bere Regis.

I’d marvel at the length of this wall, and at the archway with its statue of a stag – I’d wonder who lived behind that wall, and what was to be found there.

I could see the tops of trees, and through another grand gateway, just before the one with the stag, I could sometimes, if I was quick enough, catch a glimpse of a driveway, flanked with statues of classical figures.

I now know that this wall is the boundary of Charborough Park, the estate owned by our MP, Richard Drax.

The Drax family historically derived its wealth from sugar plantations in Barbados worked by enslaved Africans.

Richard Drax still owns Drax Hall, the family’s ancestral plantation on Barbados. To date he has given no sign he intends to make reparations.

South Dorset’s MP is one of the wealthiest MPs in the House of Commons, and it is no surprise to learn that he is a very substantial Dorset landowner, number 2 in the Top 10 landowners of Dorset – his Charborough Park Estate comprising 13,870 acres.

In all, 10 landowners between them own one sixth of Dorset, 103,901 acres out of the total 655,570 acres which comprise the county.

Among these landowners are Viscount Rothermere, owner of the Daily Mail, (4,700 acres), the Pitt-Rivers family (7,500 acres), the Marquess of Salisbury (7,796 acres) and Richard Chilton, American

billionaire, chief executive of Chilton Investment Company, a global investment management firm (7,932 acres).

The picture of landownership in Dorset is replicated on a national level. Half of England is owned by 25,000 landowners – less than 1% of its population. A third of Great Britain is still owned by the aristocracy – 24 non-royal dukes own almost four million acres. Offshore companies in 2015 owned 490,000 acres of England and Wales.

At the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, I once bought a T-shirt commemorating ‘The Diggers’ – a group of radical thinkers who emerged during the English Civil War, along with another group of equally radical thinkers, The Levellers.

Both groups poured scorn upon the ownership of land,

power and privilege by rich landowners. Their ideas, surely, are resonant today.

The constituency represented by Richard Drax is marred by deprivation and inequalities. Wages are low and living costs, especially housing costs, are high.

According to the House of Commons Library, 18.4% of the constituency’s children were living in relative poverty in 2021-22. Health inequalities are marked, and too many families are food insecure and fuel poor.

Casting my mind back to The Diggers and The Levellers, I think of the words of one of Oliver Cromwell’s officers – Colonel Rainsborough of The New Model Army: “I think that the poorest hee that is in England hath a life to live, as the greatest hee.” Words our MP could well reflect upon.

CHRIS BRADEY Chair, Swanage & Rural Purbeck Labour Party

Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary CandidateMid Dorset & North Poole

Chris Bradey

Vikki Slade

First show for new gardening club

THERE was a buzz in the air as the first visitors arrived for the Wimborne Gardening Club’s first Autumn Show held in the Allendale Centre, Wimborne Minster.

Wimborne Horticultural Society had run both a spring and autumn show for many years but with a dwindling membership it was feared that last year’s autumn show might be the last.

However, with show manager Tony Beard and a small group of enthusiasts, it was relaunched under the name of Wimborne Gardening Club.

Visitors were greeted by more than 100 entries in 32 classes.

Nine trophies were presented and each first prize winner received a £10 voucher given by Stewarts Nurseries.

Wimborne in Bloom,

Wilding Wimborne and the Wimborne Community Garden each had a stand.

Going forward monthly meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month, moving to the second Monday when the first is a Bank Holiday.

Meetings will be held in the Allendale Centre at 7.30pm with the first on Monday, October 2, when David Ewer from Dorset Coppicing will give a talk.

Club president Martin Stewart, who presented the awards, thanked those that gave up their time to judge the entries and all those who exhibited.

He said the aim was to make Wimborne Gardening Club the friendliest, most inclusive, most relaxed and most welcoming gardening club around, welcoming the novice, the experienced, the old and wise as well as the young.

To keep up to date with all the club’s activities and events visit wimborne gardeningclub. co.uk

Big Quiz for Friends

FRIENDS of Victoria Hospital, Wimborne, is inviting local quiz groups and individuals to a fundraising Big Quiz on Monday, October 9, to support the work of the hospital.

The Big Quiz at the Allendale Centre promises to be a fun evening of questions on a range of areas: science, history and geography, books, current affairs etc, from easy to challenging.

Participants can go along as an individual or as a group of up to six people.

There will be prizes, a raffle and licensed bar – and quizzers can take their own snacks too.

Entry is £5 on the door –cash or cheque – and doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Places should be reserved as soon as possible.

For details and to book, contact trustee Jeff Hart at jeffhart414@gmail.com or phone 0102 884201.

M argaret Green Animal Rescue

Celebrate your love and save lives

ARE you planning your wedding or civil partnership?

If you are looking for a unique way to celebrate your magical day, while making a truly meaningful difference to lives of animals in need, then we would love to hear from you.

By asking for donations from your kind loved ones in lieu of wedding gifts, you could help us to rescue and rehabilitate the vulnerable animals who need us.

We are taking in more animals than ever before, with a huge number arriving which require urgent physical and behavioural support.

Every donation received directly helps us to get so

many rescue animals back on their paws and give them the second chance they deserve.

If you would like to join us on this journey, then why not celebrate your wonderful life event by helping us to change the lives of many

rescue animals, who have no voice to ask for help.

Collecting donations will be an incredible opportunity to share your love and make a ‘pawsitive’ impact to an amazing cause.

If you would like to find

out more about supporting Margaret Green Animal Rescue, please email comms@mgar.org.uk or phone 0330 400 6670, and the team will be delighted to discuss your options with you.

Wimborne Gardening Club prize winners at the autumn show

Quakers find quieter place

WIMBORNE Quaker Meeting has recently moved to Allendale House, from the Allendale Centre next door.

We were one of the first groups to meet post-Covid in the Allendale Centre.

The success of Allendale Centre as the town’s hub has made it less quiet.

Quakers enjoy being involved but the stillness and quiet of our Meetings for Worship is enhanced by a quiet environment.

The Quaker Meeting meets on the first and third Sundays each month, at 10.30am in the

Motoring

Bankes Room at Allendale House, a light, airy room.

A meeting for learning and sharing on the fourth Monday evening of each month has also re-started.

Quakers are a faith group, committed to working for equality and peace, and striving to live in truth, peace, simplicity and equality, finding God in ourselves and everyone around us.

It was Quaker Day yesterday (Sunday, October 1) and Quaker Week last week, with opportunities to share locally, nationally and internationally.

Quakerism is almost 400 years old, while Wimborne Quaker Meeting is now just nine years old.

We welcome everyone who would find our simple, quiet approach to faith helpful.

To find out more, contact me, Richard Bush, the clerk, on 01202 882697 or our assistant clerk, Barbara Winwood, on 07787 416619.

Lots more information can be found at quaker.org.uk.

Richard Bush Wimborne

Car park problems

SAINSBURY’S car park in Wareham now has new ticket machines and the disabled now have to pay 50 pence to park.

Okay, so not a problem, but

to obtain a parking ticket after parking in the disabled bay you now have to walk the length of the car park, then walk back to your car and place the ticket on the dashboard.

Then walk back towards the shop entrance.

Surely placing the ticket machine near the disabled bays would have been preferable?

If the people who plan these things were to get in a buggy or chair and try out their plans before implementing them they could save money and stop themselves looking foolish.

Computer planning in the office does not show drop kerbs or hazards on the ground.

John

Škoda scores high in used car stakes

ŠKODA has scooped ten class and category wins in the 2023 Auto Express Driver Used Car Awards – reinforcing its reputation for delivering value and quality to buyers.

The Driver Power satisfaction survey, now in its 22nd year, is the biggest of its kind in the UK, with 70,000plus drivers contributing more than 12 million data points for the 2023 edition.

The survey allows owners to have their say on a wide range of subjects, from dealers to

driving dynamics, and gives potential buyers an insight into what a particular model is like to own.

Škoda models appeared at the top of numerous categories, with the Karoq and Superb taking the largest share of wins.

The Karoq, named Auto Express Used Car of the Year in 2022, took Gold in the Best Used Mid to Large SUV in this year’s awards with owners praising its practicality and comfort.

The SUV also took four category wins for Value, Practicality and Boot Space and Interior.

UNWANTED VEHICLES bought for cash ● Mot failures

●Nonrunners ● Unfinished projects ● end of life scrap vehicles

●minimum of £200 paid for complete vehicles.

Call Ryan on 07474 737577

It was also named as the Best Used Car for Infotainment, scooping the highest Gold rating from owners.

The Superb also confirmed its status as a buyer favourite, taking the Gold award as Best Used Family Car and winning three further category titles.

The brand’s acclaimed hatch and estate topped the voting tables for Practicality and Boot Space, Safety and Value.

The Yeti completed Škoda’s haul of Driver Power Used car honours, taking the bronze award for Exterior design.

Editor-in-chief Steve Fowler

said: “It’s clear that owners agree with us – when it comes to new or used cars, Škoda makes some of the best cars you can buy.

“The latest Driver Power Used Car Survey results prove how highly owners rate their cars with a whole host of wins across numerous categories, proving that owners’ satisfaction lasts and lasts.

“And with a used Škoda on the Fowler family fleet, I can stand testament to how brilliant they are to own.”

High individual model and category scores helped the Škoda brand to achieve a sixth place finish – out of 32 – in the car brand rankings.

The Karoq won a string of awards in the Auto Express Driver Used Car Awards

Wareham via email

Your Health Matters

Dorset HealthCare’s monthly round-up

life

AS part of World Suicide Prevention Day last month, we urged people to reach out to anyone who might be struggling.

Anyone can have suicidal thoughts, and they can be distressing or frightening for the person who is experiencing them.

By being there for someone to listen and show you care can help.

We can all make a difference by reaching out to someone in their darkest moments, supporting friends and colleagues who might be experiencing suicidal thoughts or others bereaved by suicide. No one needs to suffer alone.

We can all take action by starting a conversation with someone by:

n Choosing a good time, and a place where there are no distractions

n Using open questions that need more than a yes/no answer. For example: “How are things, I’ve noticed you don’t seem quite yourself?”

n Being a good listener

n Avoiding giving your view of what’s wrong, or what they should do. Instead, find out what help is available and signpost to it.

It’s also important to remember that free, nonjudgemental help and support is available, and we encourage anyone feeling down, stressed, worried, in a crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts to reach out for support as soon as possible.

Dorset HealthCare offers a range of services to support people. Its Access Mental Health services are on hand to help when needed, and you don’t have to be referred by a

GP or health professional. You can seek support for yourself or ask for advice about a friend or family member. Services include:

n Connection – a 24/7 helpline open to all ages. Anyone in Dorset can call 0800 652 0190, or NHS 111, for free

n The Retreat – a drop-in service in Bournemouth and Dorchester, run in partnership with the Dorset Mental Health Forum, which allows adults to talk through problems with a mental health worker or peer specialist face to face

n Community Front Rooms

– a face-to-face drop-in support service for adults in Bridport, Shaftesbury, Wareham and Weymouth. They are run by local charities

– The Burrough Harmony Centre (Bridport), Hope (Shaftesbury) and Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (Wareham and Weymouth)

– and are all staffed by mental

health and peer support workers.

In addition, Steps2Wellbeing is the free NHS Talking Therapies service for anxiety and depression and provides mental health support for Dorset and Southampton City residents who are feeling down, stressed or worried. Support is given through talking therapies, online courses and guided self-help, and can also help people who are having problems at work or living with a long-term health condition to improve their mental wellbeing.

Visit www. dorsethealthcare.nhs. uk/takeastep for further information on Access Mental Health and Steps2Wellbeing, plus other phone, face-to-face and online support available.

The International Association of Suicide Prevention can also provide further advice on reaching out to help others: www.iasp.info/ wspd/

Ailsa Greenlees

Dorset HealthCare’s Senior Service and Clinical Lead for Steps2Wellbeing

Sport

Juniors feel the heat in big match

DORCHESTER

& District

Angling Society Juniors, refreshed after the summer break, returned with their biggest event of the year, the Senior/Junior Pairs Match at Todber Manor.

Ash Lake was the venue for seven teams on what was a blisteringly hot day for everyone, including the fish.

Practice yielded impressive weights of over 300lb but match day saw much lower weights than expected.

The only exception was Richard Butler who showed everyone how it is done with

ANGLING

just under 275lb.

A reverse points system was used and Richard and partner Jack Cryer were third with six points, and Jack and Dave Copp second with five points.

But the winners and 2023 Senior/Junior pairs match champions were Josiah WellsParkes and Si Wagner with three points.

Jo fished a magnificent match to win the junior section with 179lb 7oz, backed up by Si, who was second in the seniors, with 112lb 12oz.

For fishery information visit www.todbermanor.co.uk.

n SIX juniors sat in mild but changeable conditions for round eight of this year’s Dorchester & District Angling Society (DDAS) junior championship at Whitemoor.

The freshly manicured Chester’s Lake looked perfect for a few fish and did not disappoint.

The juniors had plenty of room to spare and were spread out around the lake to give them as much space as possible to fish.

Most opted for the method

feeder as their main line of attack but one or two tried the pole.

Jack Copp nearly made that pay off for him by catching some larger fish very close to his platform. One more fish would have grabbed second place for Jack, but he had to be satisfied with 39lb 7oz and third.

Austin Scott-Kennedy was just 6oz ahead with 39lb 13oz of margin-caught carp but the winner was Josiah Wells-Parkes with 50lb 12oz.

Jo took home 25 points and a £15 voucher for Alan’s Angling.

Reach out to someone who may need help – it could save their

Ladies first in triples league

SWANAGE Bowls Club were able to enter four teams in the Saturday Bournemouth & District Mixed Triples league for the first time this season, giving many more members the opportunity to play in this friendly competition against teams from as far away as Fordingbridge and New Milton.

The Swans became champions of Division 1 with an impressive 31 point lead over the team in second place.

Swanage’s new teams –Seagulls, Dolphins and Puffins – played well in their respective leagues.

Men’s captain Clive Bryceson said the club were proud of the teams’ achievements this year and is delighted to see great interest already in entering four teams in 2024.

The ladies team again won Division 1 of the Bournemouth & District Triples league, eight points ahead of their nearest rivals.

Ladies captain Julie LomasSmith thanked all the ladies who had contributed to this excellent win, repeating the

BOWLS

success of last year.

The ladies’ great season continued with Jenny Carter, Connie Palmer and Pam Roddick reaching the quarterfinals of the Dorset Triples Benevolent Competition, alongside their stars of 2023, Gill Bryceson and Sue Bird, who won the Dorset Pairs Competition and went on to represent the county at the national finals.

The men did not enjoy the same successes this year but Roger Senior was runner-up in the Dorset Champions of Champions competition.

Captains’ day saw a relaxed and fun afternoon of bowling, raising £600 for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

President Brian Beeston also held a day of bowling and fundraising and was delighted to present £332 to Swanage Hospital.

The club competitions saw a number of new winners this year.

The president congratulates Julie Lomas-Smith, who won

Swans still going strong GOT A STORY? Then email

Swanage & Wareham 33

Sport RUGBY

North Dorset 25

By Ron Butler

SWANAGE & Wareham continued their winning form as they welcomed North Dorset to Bestwall.

The game started with a couple of penalties to each side, with one by Steve Woolley for Swans after nine minutes and one to North Dorset three minutes later.

Woolley put Swans further ahead with his second and third

penalties making the score 9–3 after 20 minutes.

Five minutes later Swans conceded a catch-drive by the visitors to take them to 8pts.

On 35 minutes a move along Swans three-quarters to winger Sam Bowen had him scoring half way out.

Woolley added the extras, meaning the half-time score was Swans 16 North Dorset 8.

Five minutes into the second

the ladies singles, Carey Trophy and the ladies pairs with Sue Bird.

Clive Bryceson won the men’s two woods, chosen pairs with Gill Bryceson and men’s pairs with Vince Nunn.

Terry Buck won the men’s singles, Australian Pairs with Lil Bell and the Veteran’s Singles.

Tim Luscombe won the men’s handicap, Lil Bell the ladies handicap, Sue King ladies two wood and Vince Nunn Levi Cup.

half, Swans were in the North Dorset 22, when a North Dorset winger intercepted a Swans pass and raced 80 metres to score a try close to the posts. This was converted (16–15).

North Dorset went ahead with a penalty after 50 minutes but Swans soon took the lead again with a try by centre Leon Esera out wide (21-18).

Just after the hour mark a move by Swans backs out to winger Sam Bowen saw him cut inside to score close to the posts. Woolley converted (28–18).

Swans were on top and it was no surprise that with five minutes left on the clock another move by the three–quarters had Sam Bowen going

The season was set to end on Saturday (September 30) with a relaxed game followed by fish and chips. Members will get together in the closed season from this month for good company, coffee and biscuits at Saturday coffee mornings.

The club have been pleased to welcome 13 new members this year – anyone interested in trying the game out or joining the club next year, should visit the website at www. swanagebowling.org.uk or the club’s Facebook page.

in for his hat-trick of tries. Woolley converted (33–18).

In overtime Swans conceded a penalty to the corner flag and with the last move of the game North Dorset powered over the line with a catch-drive move. This was converted, leaving the score Swanage & Wareham 33 North Dorset 25.

The victory left Swans second in the league with the same league points as Wootton Basett but second on points scored the difference.

Swans: S Waterman C Peters, Z Wyburgh, M Seaton, K Salina, K Jones, M Roberts, JCasey (capt), C Moag, S Woolley, O Dillon, L Esery, M Spencer, S Bowen, R Ferguson J Towers, J Blackmore, N Audley.

The winning ladies triples team (front, left to right) Linda Wallis, Lil Bell, Gill Bryceson, Julie Lomas-Smith. Back, Kath Senior, Sue King, Judy Smooker, Sue Bird, Uta Keats.

Swans are hit for six in cup

Dorset Premier League Cup

Bournemouth Sports 6

Swans 2

SWANS suffered a comprehensive defeat at Chapel Gate in The Jewson Dorset Premier League Cup.

Bournemouth Sports came close to breaking the deadlock when Hibbs produced a smart save to deny Voisey.

Swans took the lead against the run of play when following neat passing football from

FOOTBALL

Lightbown-Smith and Keates, Cody Moore hit a volley from long range which found the top corner for a superb goal.

Swans only held the lead for three minutes before Voisey equalised from close range.

Cody Moore once again went close and the hosts should have taken the lead but Voisey shot wide from the penalty spot.

Swans were undone by set

pieces when James Trimble headed home from a corner and James Bergin headed in from a free-kick following a save from Hibbs to take the score to 3-1 at half-time.

The hosts increased their lead through Matt Gane from close range but Swans nearly reduced the arrears when Blake Hughes beat keeper Nippard with a good shot which hit the foot of the post.

Sports confirmed their place in the next round when Trimble completed his brace with number five.

Swans pulled a goal back when Ocean Smith turned in a cross from Olly Smith.

Sam Darlow scored number six for the home side to

complete a comprehensive cup victory after a disappointing Swans display.

The Swans’ miserable afternoon was complete when they had the influential Dec Keates stretchered off with an ankle injury late in the game.

The football club wish Dec a speedy recovery.

Swans star man – Cody Moore

Team: T Hibbs, Olly Smith, T Lightbown-Smith, B Smith, J Streams, B Hughes, D Keates, C Magnier (L O’Connell 46), C Dyke (Ocean Smith 64), A Merredew (E Steele 46), C Moore.

Subs: E Steele, L O’Connell, Ocean Smith.

Wells’ ton highlight for 1st X1

SWANAGE 1st XI won just four of their 13 matches in Division One, to finish in joint eighth place.

At the time of writing, relegation issues are still to be resolved – particularly with all the leagues being re-structured next season.

The batting highlight was Craig Wells’ century against Poole – he also made three other half-centuries. Mark Stacey (three), Ben Hodder (two), Sid Nash (two), Tom Wells (two) and Ricky King also registered half-centuries.

The stand-out bowling performance was a five-wickethaul by the returning Matt Beard against Chalke Valley. Steve Ramsay claimed a four-wicket haul and they were well supported by Charlie Dyke, Mike Hernandez, Hodder, Freddie Long, Nash and Ryan Stearn.

The 2nd XI won nine of their 14 games to finish fourth in Division 4.

The batting highlight was Mike Nash’s two centuries against Cheselbourne & Martinstown. He also scored five other half-centuries. John Lewis (three), David Alcock,

CRICKET

Phil Eades, Steve Kent and Sam Wells also recorded halfcenturies.

The outstanding bowling performance was a four-wicket haul from Steve Kent against Witchampton. He was well supported by Beard, Ross Carroll, Ed Cross, James Harding, Harry Long, Sam Marks, Sam Wells, Lily Wood and Steve Woolley.

The 3rd XI won four of their nine games in Division 6 to finish in joint third.

The highlights of their batting were the centuries made by David Alcock and Tim Ives against Charlton Down and Dorchester respectively.

Ives also made four other half-centuries.

Alcock, Dylan Church, Matt Dunster, Andrew Hancock, Jon Maidman, Gary Marsh, Ethan Stacey and George Taylor also all scored a half-century.

The ‘champagne’ moment of the season, however, was Hancock’s seven-wicket haul at Verwood.

Stacey claimed a four-wicket haul against Dorchester.

Jernimain Berry, Alan and Luke

Marks and Mark Savage also put in consistent performances.

The club’s seven youth sides and the women and girls team all enjoyed successful seasons.

For all the latest news, visit the club’s website, www. swanagecricketclub.co.uk/ pitchero.com

n S WANAGE Cricket Club chair Craig Wells told the committee at a recent meeting that the club had received another regional award for their commitment towards inclusion and diversity within the community.

The news followed hot on the heels of president Ron Barker receiving a regional certificate for finishing runner-up at a grass roots cricket award ceremony.

It completed a good six months for the club after the groundsmen and pavilion development team were also rewarded for the work carried out transforming the nursery ground and pavilion.

This has led to the club being able to provide for the 3rd XI, women and youngsters, and host representative matches.

Swanage Cricket Club’s 2nd XI – they won nine of their 14 games

Arrow words Wordsearch

Wading Birds

Crossword

eg (5)

9 Ghost (7)

10 Skill (7)

11 Makes (5)

12 Annihilated (9)

14 Long, thin stick (3)

15 Find the sum of (3)

16 ‘It doesn’t matter’ (5,4)

19 Dismiss from a job (3,2)

21 Public disgrace (7)

Brain chain

Down

1 Full of anxiety (6)

2 Impartial (8)

3 Green fruit, rich in vitamin C (4)

3 Green fruit, rich in vitamin C (4)

4 In a lively way (6)

5 Julian or Gregorian, eg (8)

4 In a lively way (6)

5 Julian or Gregorian, eg (8)

6 Point of light in the sky (4)

7 Entertained (6)

13 Haphazardly (8)

14 Animal with antlers (8)

15 Assert (6)

17 Ocular (6)

18 Glob (6)

20 Rotate (4)

22 Moves with a curving trajectory (4)

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

Cryptic crossword

Brain chain (hard version)

Across

1 End of union or chapter in seedy joint (7)

Across

1 End of union or chapter in seedy joint (7)

Down

5 Resort with sun before start of May for a brief period (5)

5 Resort with sun before start of May for a brief period (5)

9 A main chat time arranged for numerical expert (13)

10 Damage varied gear around island in match (8)

2 Home and the opposite to some extent (2,1,3)

3 Play heroes with wit alternatively (9)

9 A main chat time arranged for numerical expert (13)

4 Tiny interval in sitcom maintained (5)

6 Muscle shown in exercise class without

10 Damage varied gear around island in match (8)

7 Unctuous male interrupts second host (6)

11 Move very quickly to get huge amount of money (4)

8 Run into an exam free from worry (2,4)

11 Move very quickly to get huge amount of money (4)

12 Trip to Tunisia to find place (9)

16 Wait to get offer close to reasonable (4)

17 Two US actresses in period of great success (5,3)

19 Work to cover oneself? (13)

21 Book inspired final character in burst of activity (5)

Across

1 End of union or chapter in seedy joint (7)

12 Trip to Tunisia to find place (9)

11 Put on the airwaves in the US woman and of actors (9)

16 Wait to get offer close to reasonable (4)

13 Event with amusements having opening barred? It’s not just (6)

17 Two US actresses in period of great success (5,3)

19 Work to cover oneself? (13)

14 Ceremonial code for all to see in criminal trial (6)

21 Book inspired final character in burst of activity (5)

15 A companion cuts prescribed envelope

22 Second person from Paris probes country law (7)

18 Group rowing had food, we’re told (5)

20 Some floating seed (3)

22 Second person from Paris probes country law (7)

5 Resort with sun before start of May for a brief period (5)

9 A main chat time arranged for numerical expert (13)

10 Damage varied gear around island in match (8)

11 Move very quickly to get huge amount of money (4)

12 Trip to Tunisia to find place (9)

16 Wait to get offer close to reasonable (4)

17 Two US actresses in period of great success (5,3)

Place 1 to 9 once each into every row, column and boldlined 3x3 box. No digit maybe repeated in any dashed-lined cage, and each dash-lined cage must result in the given value when the stated operation is applied between all of the digits in that cage. For subtraction and division operations, start with the highest number in the cage and then subtract or divide by the other numbers in that cage

19 Work to cover oneself? (13)

21 Book inspired final character in burst of activity (5)

22 Second person from Paris probes country law (7)

116 RESULT ×1/2 -50% +166 ×1/3 +20%

Down

2 Home and the opposite to some extent (2,1,3)

3 Play heroes with wit alternatively (9)

4 Tiny interval in sitcom maintained (5)

6 Muscle shown in exercise class without girl (3)

7 Unctuous male interrupts second host (6)

8 Run into an exam free from worry (2,4)

11 Put on the airwaves in the US woman and set of actors (9)

13 Event with amusements having opening barred? It’s not just (6)

14 Ceremonial code for all to see in criminal trial (6)

15 A companion cuts prescribed envelope (6)

18 Group rowing had food, we’re told (5)

20 Some floating seed (3)

How to layer ‘difficult’ Daphne

by Sally Gregson

AS the year rolls around and summer gives way to autumn, it can feel like the start of a new school term – time to move on, time for a change, and perhaps time for thoughts of making more of our own garden.

There are some shrubs at the garden centre that seem to cost more than others, and often these are those that are more difficult and less successful to propagate.

Daphnes are notoriously difficult to root from cuttings, but on an individual level, they are easy to increase by layering. It just takes a lot longer.

Choose a low, outwardpointing shoot and pull it down to the ground. At the critical point where the shoot might touch the soil if pulled down, with a really sharp blade, make a cut at a slight angle, along the length of the stem, almost cutting it off. Gently bend the cut part down, opening the wound, and peg it down into the soil with a piece of wire. In the old days hairpins would have been ideal. And cover the whole area with a little sharp sand. Then tie the end of the shoot upright, at right-angles to the wound, and tie it in to a stick. Label the ‘cutting’ and water it

well.

If it is not going to ‘take’, the shoot will die back very quickly and it can be cut off. Otherwise, watch and wait for the course of the winter, into next spring. Then when the shoot starts to make a bit of growth, the umbilical can be detached from its ‘mother’ and

Daphnes are easy to increase by layering – but the gardener has to be patient

lifted out. Either pot up the cutting or plant it out. And remove the growing tip to encourage healthy, bushy growth.

The new Daphne will be ready to plant out as soon as it’s judged big enough to withstand the rigours of the garden border.

Simple steps to a ‘greener’ home

NEW home, new you! Moving house is the perfect time to change habits and help in the fight against climate change by making your home eco-friendly. Here are some simple tips from the moving experts at Armishaws Removals that anyone can try.

Ditch the sponge

MOST sponges and scouring pads are made from nonrenewable sources and harmful chemicals. They’re also mostly shipped in from abroad. Switch to reusable – washable – cloths or alternatives.

Buy seasonal

STRAWBERRIES in December were once unheard of, but today seasonal fruits are available all year round. And while the price is great, the cost to the environment is not so good. Sticking to seasonal, home-grown produce will curb the carbon. The National Trust has an excellent guide to what to grow, or buy, and when.

Buy British

The latest blog featuring handy house-moving tips from Armishaws Removals…

BUYING British produce such as meat, vegetables and fruit can reduce the air miles and carbon footprint of your grub. When buying, check for the British Tractor symbol.

Have milk delivered AH, the good old days, when milk came in reusable bottles, delivered by electric vehicles, straight to your door. Stepping back in time and swapping out plastic bottles for reusable glass could reduce plastic waste in the UK by tens of tons a year. Milk delivery – and other items – is available in most areas from the likes of Milk & More.

Food packaging

FOOD packaging is one of the biggest causes of plastic waste in our homes. Rather than pre-packaged supermarket fruit

and vegetables, opt for loose vegetables or head to your local greengrocer, farm shop, or sign up to a vegetable box scheme, available from the likes of Riverford Organic. You should also consider air miles – by only buying locally grown produce, you’ll dramatically reduce the air miles your spuds will have racked up.

Beauty products

MANY beauty products can also be greener – facial wipes, cleanser, toner, toothpaste, shampoo, handwash, shower gel. It’s not just the chemicals in the products, consider the packaging. Chemical-free grooming alternatives on the market come in biodegradable packaging.

Clothing

YEP, fashion is going out of fashion. The new trend isn’t to buy new – if you really want to be fashionable, keep wearing your old clothes rather than throwing away and replacing perfectly wearable items. It’s

not just the landfill, the carbon footprint involved in making and transporting new clothes is huge!

Don’t throw, donate

IF you have finished with an item of clothing and there’s still wear in it, consider donating it or selling it online to give it a second life.

Switch to ‘green’ energy

SOME energy providers only use electricity sourced from sustainable suppliers – wind, solar, hydro, etc. As consumers we can create demand and force the energy giants to see the demand for fossil fuel is lessening. The people at Money Saving Expert have an excellent guide of shopping for 100% green energy.

Stop burning logs

WHATEVER fuel you use, wood burners create carbon dioxide. Burning wood creates more CO2 than oil, gas or coal.

Get more moving house tips and removals help at www. armishaws.com/blog.

‘Volunteers’ mostly a welcome gift

by Sally Gregson

SELF-SOWN seedlings are known as ‘volunteers’ across the pond in the US and as such they are mostly welcome. Often, of course, seedlings of all sorts of plants do choose to put themselves in the centre of a precious shrub and have to be winkled out, but mostly they choose good places.

Among the most desirable volunteers in my garden are annual Opium poppies –Papaver somniferum – in various shades of pink, purple and red. I have made a note to order some seed of Papaver

‘Amazing Grey’ next spring. Its flowers are in shades of French grey-lilac and are a beautiful companion to pink and purple roses.

My next favourite is the short-lived perennial Evening Primrose, Oenothera stricta ‘Sulphurea’ whose flowers open a milky lemon in the evening, to fade to apricot the next day. The calyxes and stems are also apricot, and the whole continues flowering throughout the summer.

Another charming ‘doer’ is the short-lived perennial Geranium ‘Bill Wallis’. Its

flowers are a sparkling carmine purple and bounce around where they are happy. They all prefer a sunny position, and all are generous with their seeds.

As volunteers they sometimes take a year off if the winter is especially wet and cold. It behoves the gardener to collect the seeds on a dry day in autumn and dry the husks off in a paper envelope in the warm kitchen for a week or so. Then clean the seeds on a sheet of newspaper, and store them in small paper envelopes each

clearly marked with the name and date of harvest. The envelopes should all then be stored in a sealed plastic box in the fridge where they will stay at a steady temperature of about 4˚-5˚c and a constant humidity.

And then next spring, as the leaves start to push on the hedgerow and the weeds begin to grow, the seeds will be ready to take out and sow directly onto the warming soil, or into trays in the greenhouse, ready to perform for another season.

SERVICES

Pruning

Low Level Gutter Clearing

Jet-Wash Path And Drives

Ring for an estimate on 07875762388

Papaver somniferum is among the most desirable volunteers

Grass Cutting Hedge Trimming

Health & Wellbeing

Meditations in nature: A sultry September evening

by Dr Susanna Curtin

WHILE I always prefer the company of others, sometimes there is nothing more healing than being alone surrounded by nature in your very own garden.

It has been a hot, sultry September afternoon with a patchwork sky of autumn blue and heavy clouds. Here sitting beside my pond in the cool of the evening, I am unwinding after a busy day; finding some peace with the world as I watch the large flock of house martins cheeping and circling high over the roof tops.

They are gathering to prepare for their journey home to Africa now that their summer holiday is over.

The nights are drawing in fast, and it is no time at all before my little flock of long-tailed tits skit off to roost, while the pair of chiff-chaffs that were picking off the insects in my hedgerow suddenly disappear as the sky turns a yellowy-pink. I listen to the blackbird singing his last tune of the day and watch the bats leave their roosts, swooping over my head then orbiting the garden before disappearing on their nocturnal jaunt. There is not a breath of wind and as the light slowly fades, the crickets begin their chirrup.

Their distinct sound as they rub their wings together always reminds me of holidays in hot

places. It is usually the males that call – with each species having a slightly different sound. The parts that are rubbed together are called ‘the file’ and ‘the scraper’. The file has little ridges, so the effect is like rubbing a comb along a piece of card. It is such a mesmerising sound at first until your ears become accustomed to it, and then it just becomes a backdrop to all the other sounds in the garden as the nightshift begin to stir.

Lighting a lantern, I catch sight of a garden spider spinning her long web right across my pond. These interesting spiders are the resident artists and architects of an autumn garden. While we are all sleeping in our beds, they are

busy building their large orb webs.

They have reached full maturity now and are coming towards the end of their lives, having lived for almost a year. They are grey, bright orange or reddish-brown with a white pattern on their back that resembles a cross, giving rise to their other common name of cross orb-weaver.

Once they have crafted their beautiful intricate webs, they sit patiently in the middle waiting to feel the vibrations from a struggling insect caught in their sticky trap.

It is these guys who weave support lines that cross from hedgerow to hedgerow and catch you on your country walks. Their dartboard-shape

webs can reach 40cm in diameter.

I used to be quite afraid of spiders but then I encountered some of our most attractive species such as the wasp spider and the raft spider, and then suddenly I became quite interested in them, and the more I knew about their lives, the less threatening or unattractive they seemed.

For example, the tiny little jumping spiders do not spin webs but make a miniscule sleeping bag in which they hide.

A spider’s silk is an incredibly tough substance. In fact, it is five times stronger than steel of the same diameter, and although it is finer than human hair, it is almost as strong as Kevlar, our strongest man-made polymer.

As I finish watching this little fellow systematically create his intricate home, I hear my hedgehog rustle through the undergrowth towards the bottom of my bird feeder.

Not wanting to disturb his quest for food, as he will be preparing to hibernate soon, I gently gather my belongings.

The clouds have cleared now, and the stars are shining brightly.

What a lovely, gentle, meditative evening it has been just sitting here quietly in my garden.

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

Thursdays 9am, 5.30pm & 7pm

slimmingworld.co.uk

Wool

The D’Urberville Centre

Wednesdays 5.30pm & 7.30pm

Fridays 9.30am & 11.30am

Jane 07887 866 730

A spider’s silk is an incredibly tough substance, five times stronger than steel of the same diameter, and nearly as strong as Kevlar, the strongest man-made polymer

What’s happened to kindness?

by Alice Johnsen

EARLIER this week I was driving towards Sherborne and, as is often the case, I had to overtake some bicyclists.

The road was clear and there was plenty of room. As I had passed the bikes and was returning to my side of the road, a car came towards me and the passenger in the car took the opportunity of offering me a hand gesture that was definitely not a wave while the driver scowled and shouted something that probably wasn’t ‘hello’.

Something struck me as I drove on. Their actions were mainly noticeable because they were not unusual. And that led me to consider how sad it is that we as a species seem to excel in being unpleasant, aggressive, defensive.

Why? And why does that matter? What happened to just being kind? When did we all start seeing the world just from our point of view?

Aggressive behaviour is very often driven by fear or frustration on the aggressors’ part. So it’s fair to say the months of Covid-19 lockdowns aggravated everyone’s fears and frustrations.

Barriers were broken down. New rules applied and

boundaries shifted. Since then, it has become the norm to be angrier, more vocal, swearier, more opinionated and keen to share all the views.

Let’s not pretend since the lockdowns ended the world has become a pretty and peaceful place. It hasn’t.

Isn’t that a strong bid for more deliberate kindness? For more looking out for others rather than focusing on ourselves.

Indeed, my work as a coach is about helping people look at their lives, albeit with the clear intention of moving things forward.

But it is not about encouraging people to think only of themselves. If we shift our focus away from ME to OTHERS it is liberating.

Thinking of others and intending to be kind is not only good for us individually but for society as a whole.

Relationships on every level are boosted. Empathy feeds empathy which leads to tolerance and open minds. It’s all interlinked and one man’s kind act can make another man’s day.

As the news around the world continues to be so alarming and negative, shall we

MASSAGE FOR MATURE/OAP MEN AND WOMEN, in the comfort of your own home. Or my studio in Bournemouth. Phone Melinda on 07934-172306

all take a moment to think how our actions can make a difference, good or bad. And as we make positive choices to live more kindly, we each as individuals will benefit

just as much as the communities we live and work in.

n Alice Johnsen is a life coach based near Sherborne (07961 080513; alicejohnsen.co.uk)

Shifting our focus away from ME to OTHERS is liberating

PHOTO: Rachel Scott/Pixabay

Never give up on giving up

Good things start to happen when you stop smoking

EVERY time you smoke a cigarette, your body is being flooded with thousands of poisonous chemicals including arsenic and formaldehyde. At least 70 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke cause cancer.

It’s a frightening thought. The bottom line is, there is no safe level of smoking –

quitting completely is the only way you can protect your health from these risks.

The day you stop, your body starts clearing itself of toxins and begins to repair itself. Within a few days or weeks your senses of taste and smell improve, you’ll start to breathe more easily, and have more

energy. Your longer-term risks of cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke will be significantly reduced. One year on your risk of heart attack halves compared to a smoker’s.

Right now, it’s Stoptober, the perfect time to take on tobacco and win. Be part of the nation’s biggest mass quit attempt - but with local support from LiveWell Dorset. Register for a free quit pack and 1-2-1 coaching support.

Choose from a range of options including face-to-face support from your local pharmacy, nicotine gum and patches in the post, a vape starter kit or – new for 2023 – a place at an Allen Carr Easyway stop smoking seminar. LiveWell Coaches can help you identify your triggers and support you to overcome them. Coaching sessions take place over the phone at a time that suits you.

Call free on 0800 840 1628, visit livewelldorset.co.uk or scan the QR code on the advert.

Sovereigns – majestic coins and valuable heirlooms

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

AT Heirlooms, we not only specialise in antique jewellery, we also buy objet d’art and gold.

We’ve recently acquired this incredible 9ct gold sovereign case which is sadly empty. However, the history of sovereigns is fascinating!

Once an integral part of British currency, it is now forged as a commemorative coin and is often mounted in jewellery such as rings or pendants.

Sovereigns are always minted from 22ct gold which, of course, makes them incredibly valuable.

The first one was minted in 1489 to honour the reign of Henry VII and had a value of 20 shillings.

As befitting a coin called a sovereign, it was imprinted with a silhouette of the King with a Tudor Rose on the reverse.

When Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, her image on the different sovereigns produced changed from that of a young girl through to a rather formidable and stern old lady.

Queen Elizabeth II was always shown facing to the right on sovereigns and her successor, King Charles III, is now facing

Fly reservoir auction star

DUKE’S upcoming Sporting and Natural History auction will see it transformed into an emporium of curiosities, showcasing a fascinating collection of wonders and rarities, of a variety of different periods and provenance.

The sale includes rare carved salmon and fishing paraphernalia made by the prestigious Hardy Brothers, a large variety of sporting guns from names such as John Rigby & Co and Bentley & Playfair, London, and equestrian hats made by well-known vintage hatters such as Christy’s of London.

A sovereign case and (below) a 1902 sovereign

left, wearing the Tudor crown and features George and the Dragon on the reverse.

The current value of a sovereign is about £300-£500, dependent on the year, condition and the gold price at the time. Sovereigns hold their value well because of the gold content.

So if you have been bequeathed a sovereign which has been passed down through the generations, you might want to check if it is one of the following as these are much sought after and valuable:

n 1489 The First Sovereign –because it’s the first!

n 1879 Victoria Young Head St

George Sovereign – very rare

n 1937 Edward VIII Sovereign

– only six exist

n 1989 Elizabeth II Gold Proof

Sovereign – first Sovereign issued after Britain adopted the decimal system

A highlight of the collection is a pair of Hardy Uniqua: Rare Mahogany salmon fly reservoirs (pictured), with the fall front door opening to reveal ten sliding drawers, each with ivorine bun handles, holding a colourful ensemble of feathered hand-tied fishing flies.

The reservoir is expected to

sell for £3,000-£5,000.

The auction is on Wednesday, October 4, at 10.30am, with viewing from Saturday, September 30, until the date of the auction.

If you can’t make it in person, Duke’s fully illustrated online catalogue can be found on its website.

Find more information on how to view and buy at auction at www.dukes-auctions.com or phone 01305 265080.

Norden Farm goes potty for Pumpkins!

Hundreds of locally-grown pumpkins available from early Oct at Norden Farm Shop, Corfe Castle. All sorts of shapes & sizes from the classic Jack O'Lantern orange ones to quirky varieties inc. Black Futsu, Mashed Potato (yep!), Hakkaido & the Australian Blue. There's even FREE treats for the kids with every pumpkin purchase! Open 8.30 - 6 every day. Pop in soon to pick up your perfect pumpkin...

Christmas at Stourhead 2023: Tickets on sale

LARGER-than-life illuminations are set to wow visitors to Stourhead once again this year on the venue’s glittering Christmas light trail.

The National Trust-owned Palladian house and garden is preparing to welcome visitors once again - with a new displayopen between December 1 and 31.

Organisers are promsing a magical meander through the unique gardens, with the displays choreographed to a soundtrack of much-loved seasonal music.

Matthew Findlay, head of UK Trails for Sony Music/Raymond Gubbay Ltd, said: “We have a brand new route for 2023 so those people whom we welcomed to the trail last year can enjoy a different experience which will mesmerise families, friends and loved ones.”

The new show includes a Sea of Light stretching into the distance, larger-than-life crystals suspended in trees, and Liquid Lake, which fills the air with all the colours of the rainbow.

“Allow yourself to be transported into a winter wonderland and catch a glimpse of Father Christmas along the way,” a spokesperson said.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

“Grab a seasonal snack from one of the hand-picked street food vendors who bring an indulgent twist to tempting treats on offer.

“Complete your walk under the stars with a perfectly festive spiced winter warmer, hot chocolate or toasted marshmallow and share it with someone special.”

The after-dark trail is designed for visitors of all ages and is accessible for everyone to enjoy.

For more details, and to book your choice of date and time, log on to christmasatstourhead.co.uk.

Insurer helps out hospital charity

A DORCHESTER firm has handed more than £6,400 to the Dorset County Hospital Charity.

NFU Mutual Agents and staff at the Dorchester firm recently nominated the cause to receive a donation of £6,443 from the company’s national £1.92 million ‘Agency Giving Fund’. The donation will support the recently-launched Emergency and Critical Care Appeal. The rural insurer launched

the fund, now in its fourth year, to help frontline charities across the country as part of a £3.25m funding pledge for local and national charities in 2023.

The new Emergency and Critical Care Appeal is funding major enhancements to the new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit, with construction soon to get under way at Dorset County Hospital.

Matt Uren, senior partner at Dorchester NFU Mutual, said:

“For the second year running, we’ve decided to use our Agency Giving Fund to support Dorset County Hospital.

“As a team, we all live locally and have seen the difference that the hospital has made to a great many of our customers, providing quality care on our doorstep.

“We also know that the hospital needs greater funding if it is to continue to deliver such great care.

“When we heard about the charity’s new appeal, we were delighted to have the opportunity to support such a worthwhile project.”

Simon Pearson, head of charity at Dorset County Hospital, said: “We thank Matt and his NFU colleagues for their continued support.

“The new Emergency and Critical Care Appeal will fund a number of significant enhancements to the new-build departments including visitor and staff overnight accommodation, a paediatric bed space and a patient garden.

“Support from our corporate supporters is particularly welcome at this early stage of the appeal as it helps us to increase awareness and share the importance of this major project with our local business community.”

For more information about the NFU Mutual Agent in Dorchester, visit www. nfumutual.co.uk/dorchester, and for details of the Emergency and Critical Care Appeal, visit www.dchcharity.org.uk, or email charity@dchft.nhs.uk.

By dorsetbiznews.co.uk

SOME 33 charitable causes across east Dorset have received a big boost thanks to Talbot Village Trust, which has awarded £489,232 during the first of two grant-giving cycles this year.

Among them is Amelia’s Rainbow, a charity helping children with serious illness and disabilities to make lasting memories.

Farah Batchelor, from Amelia’s Rainbow, said: “We were over the moon to have been awarded a £5,000 grant from Talbot Village Trust.

“We applied because we had increasing costs at our holiday home in Highcliffe and were looking for help.

“We currently grant more than 40 free holidays a year,

so this significant grant is to be used to improve the wellbeing for these families.”

Some of the largest grants went to CRUMBS, which received £60,000 to help provide workplace training to adults with disabilities over the next two years, and Planet Purbeck, whose £40,000 will help to fund activities like its 2023 festival last month.

Other beneficiaries include BCHA, which is helping young people in the BCP region into education, Hope Community Church in Winton, Young Enterprise, Activate Performing Arts and Wareham Choral Society.

To find out more or apply for a grant, visit talbotvillagetrust.co.uk

Matt Uren and Pete Galloway from NFU Mutual with

Racy, sassy – and still going strong 40 years on

BRITAIN’S raciest and sassiest cabaret trio, Fascinating Aïda, are visiting Lighthouse Poole with their new 40th anniversary show.

Dillie Keane, Liza Pulman and Adèle Anderson have racked-up millions of internet followers, performed in the world’s most prestigious venues and been showered

with awards and plaudits since they sashayed onto the scene back in 1983.

The indomitable trio – charming, satirical, filthy, hilarious, belligerent, political, poignant and outrageous – are still mistresses of their craft.

The new show will feature much-loved favourites and wicked new songs.

Musical director, composer and pianist Michael Roulston will once again join Dillie, Liza and Adele on stage, and the show will be directed by Paul Foster.

Fascinating Aïda are performing on Saturday, November 4 – for tickets and information phone 01202 280000 or visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Magic moments from the movies

DESERT Island Flicks, billed as something between a sketch show, dance performance, night at the movies and an epic game of charades, is coming to Winfrith village hall.

Spiltmilk Dance’s show shines a spotlight on life lessons learnt from the big screen, all set to a soundtrack.

Desert Island Flicks, a blockbuster, adventure and rom-com rolled into one, sees two leading ladies reimagine, remake and spoof 90 of the most memorable movie moments of all time, taking on all the lead roles, stunts and special effects.

The show celebrates how iconic characters and thrilling plot twists have captured imaginations the world over, bringing people together to laugh, cry and cheer along in a room full of strangers.

Desert Island Flicks blends spoken word, intricate choreography and belly laughs to speak to audiences not usually familiar with contemporary dance.

The show originally toured in 2019 and has visited more than 50 venues nationwide to date.

Spiltmilk Dance head to Winfrith village hall – phone 01305 853783 – on Sunday, October 8.

Further information and tickets are available online at www.artsreach.co.uk

MAGICAL Mozart by Candlelight is coming to the Regent Cinema in Christchurch on Friday, November 17, courtesy of the producers of the Viennese Strauss Gala. The live performance, with period costumes, lighting and candles, will transport the audience to the time when masterpieces including the Magic Flute and the Marriage of Figaro were heard for the first time.

For more information and to book tickets visit theregent.co.uk/ event/79919

Fascinating Aïda are coming to Lighthouse Poole next month

Spiltmilk Dance are presenting Desert Island Flicks in Winfrith

Requiem and Rhapsody to Barber and The Beatles

By Lorraine Gibson

BOURNEMOUTH Symphony

Orchestra will light up October with a dazzling season that opens with Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody.

Concerts including Brahms, Puccini and Mozart add to the line-up and classics of different kind – a performance of The Two of Us: The Lennon and McCartney Songbook – are bound to be a big draw.

n BSO and artist-inresidence Alexander Malofeev

THE virtuoso will perform Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini – an exercise in compositional and pianistic prowess – at Lighthouse Poole.

Music packed with drama and inspiration under the baton of Kirill Karabits.

l Tickets from £10 – also available via livestream via bsolive.com. Wednesday, October 4, 7.30pm. bsolive.com/ events/rachmaninovs-rhapsodypoole/

n Eastern Promise –Mozart, Glière and Borodin

HARPIST Emmanuel Ceysson and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra perform Gliere’s Harp Concerto, a piece of immediacy and lyrical beauty.

The concerto is full of eastern colour – at times dreamy, at times brooding and then carefree.

Alongside music from Mozart and Borodin, sounds like a night to remember.

Conductor is Kirill Karabits.

l Tickets from £8. Wednesday, October 11, 7.30pm, Lighthouse Poole. https://bsolive.com/ events/eastern-promise-poole/

n Brahms: German Requiem; Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)

BSO is joined by Winchester’s Waynefleet Singers, one of the South’s finest choral societies.

They’ll be performing this pinnacle of the choral repertoire under the baton of Charles Stewart.

l Tickets from £10. Saturday, October 14, 7.30pm, Christchurch Priory. https:// bsolive.com/events/brahmsgerman-requiem/

n Violin Fireworks –

Puccini, Barber and Tchaikovsky

TIANYI Lu joins the orchestra to conduct a programme that includes Puccini’s, Preludio Sinfonico, Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and Barber’s Violin Concerto.

The piece will be performed by violinist Alena Baeva, described as ‘a magnetic presence’.

l Tickets from £10. Wednesday, October 18, 7.30pm, Lighthouse Poole. https://bsolive.com/events/ violin-fireworks-poole/

n The Two of Us: The Lennon and McCartney Songbook

FEATURING actor Mark McGann and singers Joe Stilgoe and Claire Martin, the BSO presents a celebration of music by The Beatles.

From Penny Lane to Eleanor Rigby, the audience will travel chronologically from Lennon and McCartney’s first meeting

Chaucer’s bawdy classic

NAUGHTINESS, nonsense and medieval swearing will be the order of the day when acclaimed actor David Mynne brings Canterbury Tales to Corfe Castle later this month.

The Cornish actor and co-founder of Kneehigh Theatre promises a vibrant take on Geoffrey Chaucer’s bawdy classic in a one-man show.

The Canterbury Tales is

one of the most important works in English literature and paints an ironic and critical portrait of English society in the Middle Ages.

All of life is represented in a few bawdy, funny and sometimes shocking short stories.

The audience can expect a journey down the foul and fetid footpaths of 14th century England, told with

irreverence, wit and silliness. The production, presented by Dorset touring arts charity Artsreach, is at Corfe Castle village hall – phone 07590 352219 – on Saturday, October 14.

The production is suitable for audience members aged 12-plus, and tickets and further information are available online at www. artsreach.co.uk

in 1957 to the end of The Beatles in 1970.

With sold-out performances in Liverpool, Gateshead, Dublin and Finland, it’s described as ‘a truly unforgettable experience .

l Tickets from £6. Saturday, October 21, 7.30pm, Lighthouse Poole. The Two of Us – Lennon and McCartney (bsolive.com) n Love and Death: Brahms, Wagner BSO’S principal guest conductor Mark Wigglesworth leads a concert exploring the music of Brahms and Wagner.

Wigglesworth’s appearances around the world have been critically acclaimed and his performance of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde ‘An Orchestral Passion’ promises to bring that magic to Dorset.

The orchestra is joined by violinist Tobias Feldmann.

l Tickets from £8. Wednesday, October 25, 7.30pm, Lighthouse Poole. https://bsolive.com/ events/love-and-death-poole/

David Mynne performs his one-man show

Alena Baeva will be performing in Violin Fireworks at Lighthouse Poole

Arts & Entertainment

Murder in Venice –Poirot’s on the case

By Lorraine Gibson

THE clues: a creepy building, a curious demise, un détective Belge and a cast of glamorous suspects.

Answer: Agatha Christie, of course.

“Every murderer is somebody's old friend,” says the maniacally moustachioed Hercule Poirot in 20th Century’s third and muchanticipated mystery, A Haunting

in Venice (PG-13).

This franchise has been a huge success, not just due to Christie’s inimitable twistyturny plotting and top-of-theirgame actors, but to the quiet depth and humanity that Kenneth Branagh – also directing this one – brings to Hercule Poirot.

We find our crime-cracking hero retired and living in exile by choice in an eerie post

Second World War Venice. Oh, and it’s All Hallows Eve.

As is always the case, Poirot unwittingly steps into a hot mess of drama and – reflecting a growing trend for being spooked in this end-of-days climate in which we’re living – an undercurrent of the supernatural, when he reluctantly attends a séance.

Naturally, a fellow table gripper is murdered and the

quirky detective is forced to uncover the killer – again.

At early screenings, audiences hailed this as the best Poirot outing yet, no doubt helped by an acting dream team that, along with Branagh and his ice-cold, knowing eyes, includes Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh and Tina Fey.

Agatha Christie with jump-scares? Pass me my portmanteau, I’m in!

n THE film is at The Tivoli, Wimborne on Monday to Wednesday, October 9, 10 and 11, at 7.30pm with a matinee on Thursday, October 12, at 2pm. www.tivoliwimborne.co.uk. Seating for this film is allocated.

Viva Voce: I Write the Songs

THE award-winning choir Viva Voce (pictured) was formed in 2016, under the direction of Jean Chambers with pianist Mary Potter. Members come from all walks of life and their annual concerts in aid of local charities have always been popular.

This year’s concert is called I Write the Songs which features a mixture of fun, foot-tapping songs and heart-lifting harmonies.

A taste of honey

EAST Dorset Beekeepers will be staging their Honey Show at West Moors Memorial Hall BH22 0HZ on Saturday (October 7).

For more information visit www.edbka.org.uk/

It celebrates all kinds of music from the ‘Electricity’ of Elton John to the magic of ABBA, and the nostalgia of Irving Berlin to a completely different twist on Mozart and much more.

Profits raised will go to High Mead Farm, Ferndown, which provides a work environment for those with disabilities, suffering from mental health issues and recovering from illness.

The concerts are at

Broadstone Memorial Hall on Sunday, October 1, at 2pm, and at the Allendale Centre, Wimborne, on Saturday,

October 7, at 7.30pm. Tickets are now available online at ticketsource.co.uk/ viva-voce

Queen of the circus

FEMALE tiger tamer Mabel Stark is the inspiration behind a production being presented at The Mowlem in Swanage.

Queen of the circus in the time of the ‘greatest show on Earth’, she was one of first female tiger tamers, and the only woman to step into the ring with seven tigers.

However, the scars on her body were not as deep as the scars on her heart.

Tiger Lady, presented by theatre company Dead Rabbits, had acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Fringe last year and at the Edmonton Fringe this

year. The show is being performed with Dorset touring arts charity Artsreach on Thursday, October 12, at 7.30pm.

Tickets and further information are available online at www.artsreach.co.uk or from The Mowlem on 03336 663366.

MODELS with a personal experience of breast cancer will model clothes in a charity fashion show in Dorchester next week.

The event at Dorset Museum will raise funds for Against Breast Cancer, which supports research into secondary breast cancer.

Tickets priced £25 are on sale for the Charity Angels UK Dorchester Fashion Show on Thursday, October 12, with all

200 years of church organ

THE assistant director of music at Salisbury Cathedral will help celebrate 200 years since the installation of an organ at St Peter’s Church in Dorchester when John Challenger (pictured) gives a recital on Monday, October 9.

His performance will be preceded by a brief introduction from the eminent historian Max Hebditch CBE FSA and a glass of wine will follow.

Redshark media will relay live images of John at the organ to screens around the church, so audience members will have a good view wherever they sit.

The performance begins at 7pm and tickets – £12 including wine – are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/ whats-on/dorchester/st-peterschurch/organ-200/e-rzrmpo

proceeds from ticket sales going to the good cause.

The event includes a

AWARD-WINNING opera singer Lucy Mellors is bringing singing, comedy and space to Lighthouse Poole next weekend as part of a tour of her new production.

It is I, Seagull fuses Lucy’s own operatic experience with the true stories of Soviet cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova – the first woman in space – and Valentina Ponomaryova – almost the first woman in space.

It not only highlights their achievements but shines a light on the sacrifices they made along the way, and examines how often women have to risk their self-respect, safety and mental health in pursuit of a dream.

It is I, Seagull is Lucy’s first solo show, having previously appeared on stage with opera companies including Longborough Festival Opera, Mid Wales Opera and Grimeborn Festival.

In this production Lucy showcases not only her awardwinning soprano voice, but her

sparkling wine and canape reception, entertainment, commemorative programme and a display of outfits from local retailers.

Tickets can be purchased through Just Giving https:// tinyurl.com/Charity-AngelsUK-Dorchester or go to the Facebook page, Charity Angels UK Dorchester Fashion Show, to link to the Just Giving site.

Every year more than 55,000 women and about 400 men are

diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK.

Survival rates have improved hugely in the last 30 years but about 8,000 women will lose their lives to the disease.

RiskSTOP Group and C G Fry & Son Builders are key sponsors of the event.

For more information visit the Charity Angels UK Dorchester Fashion Show Facebook page or email jane@ charityangels.co.uk

Fashion show will aid charity Comedy, singing and cosmonauts

comedic writing skills.

Lucy, who is based in Hampshire, said: “I’m so excited to bring this show to audiences across the south, which has been inspired by women in Gosport, alongside my own experience and research within the opera industry.

“I’ve chosen to tell the story of the first woman in space partly because there’s a trend at the moment of telling stories of

‘iconic’ women, and it made me think ‘what about the rest of us?!’

“I hope people will enjoy the mix of comedy and singing, the story of the cosmonauts and a look into mental health in today’s image-focused world.”

It is I, Seagull is at Lighthouse Poole on Saturday, October 7, at 8pm. For tickets and more information visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk or phone 01202 280000.

Opera siinger Lucy Mellors star in It Is I, Seagull

Spotlight Diary

purbeckgazette.co.uk

Diary entries are £6 plus VAT per entry, per month. The deadline for October 16 is NOON on October 13. Call on 01963 400186 or email adverts@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.

OCTOBER 2023

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

MONDAY

18:30 - 19:30

NEW ADULT BEGINNERS MODERN LINE DANCE class at St Edwards

Church hall, Swanage

Contact Donna Diebelius F.I.S.T.D

T: 07518 056149

E; purbeckdancestudio@gmail.com

19:30 - WAREHAM CHORAL SOCIETY.

Lady St.Mary Church, Wm. Till 9.30. New singers always welcome. 01202 632678. warehamchoral@gmail.com

19:45 - 20:45 NEW ADULT BEGINNERS LATIN AMERICAN & BALLROOM DANCE class (you dance with a partner) St Edwards Church Hall, Swanage.

Contact Donna Diebelius F.I.S.T.D T; 07518 056149

E; purbeckdancestudio@gmail.com

TUESDAY

19:30 - WAREHAM CAMERA CLUB: Parish Hall, Wareham unless zoom Visitors welcome £3 For zoom link contact club website www.warehamcameraclub.co.uk

03-Oct Speaker John & Di Tilsley‘Canada Revisited’

10-Oct ‘Open’ Projected Digital Image ‘Knockout’ & ‘Duncan Trophy’

Print Competition

17-Oct Zoom Talk - Adrian Davies

‘Nature Photography – Telling a Story’

24-Oct Speaker - Local Photographer Jack Lodge ‘The Landscape Photography Process’

31-Oct Theme Print & Projected

Digital Image Competition - ‘The Intimate Landscape’

19:30 - 21:45 SWANAGE AND LANGTON MATRAVERS FOLK DANCE CLUB at Langton Matravers Village Hall BH19 32 MI

English Country Dancing every Tuesday evening rom 7.30 to 9.45.

Experienced dancers and beginners welcome with or without a partner.

Chairman:- Mike Walshaw 07415 198694

THURSDAY

9:30 - 10:30 NEW ADULT BEGINNERS MODERN LINE DANCE class at The Scout Hut, Wareham

Contact Donna Diebelius F.I.S.T.D. T; 07518 056149

E; purbeckdancestudio@gmail.com

10:30 - 11:30 ADULT BEGINNERS LATIN AMERICAN & BALLROOM LINE DANCE class (you dance solo) At The Scout hut, Wareham

Contact Donne Diebelius F.I.S.T.D

T; 07518 056149

E; purbeckacnestudio@gmail.com

FRIDAY

9:30 - 10:30 NEW ADULT BEGINNERS LATIN AMERICAN & BALLROOM LINE DANCE class (you dance with a partner) Corfe Castle Village hall

Contact Donna Diebelius F.I.S.T.D T; 07518 056149

E; purbeckdancestudio@gmail.com

SATURDAY

18:30

WHIST DRIVE AT ST MARY’S CHURCH, Rectory Classroom. Every Saturday. Tea and coffee provided. Very friendly group. Contact Richard: 01929 553516

Events

Advertise with us 44 Purbeck Gazette October 2, 2023

AVON VALLEY CONCERTS PRESENTS CRAIG OGDEN, guitar, 13th October at 19.30, Trinity Centre, Ringwood. Adults £18.

Puzzle solutions

Edition 299

(from pages 28-29)

POOLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

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Come and hear about the A Level courses on offer, as well as the many extra-curricular opportunities available. Come and see our impressive facilities and brand new sports hall.

We look forward to welcoming you to our fantastic Sixth Form!

REGISTER NOW

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