Politics

Political round-up Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher We must exercise self-restraint and sacrifice

At the time of writing this column, the identity of the new Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party is yet to be revealed. What is certain, however, is that the challenges facing the new occupant of 10 Downing Street - the eighth since I first became an MP - are immense. Fortunately, there is still time for radical emergency action to be taken in response to the problems caused by Putin’s war against civilisation. The primary victims of Putin’s aggression are the citizens of Ukraine who continue to defy the odds by defending their homeland, 20% of which is still illegally occupied by Russia. It is a cause for national pride that we have given such a warm welcome to over 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. Many Ukrainians are now settled in Dorset and it was heartening to meet some of them at a summer garden party held in their honour at Moorlands College, Sopley. Although most are looking forward to returning to Ukraine, many still have practical issues as well as worries about relatives and friends back home engaged in the armed struggle. A few are now in need of fresh host families to replace those unable to extend their hospitality further. Against this background, Boris Johnson was absolutely right in his appeal that we should keep our resolve in defending Ukraine despite the personal privations increasingly being experienced as a consequence of escalating energy prices and galloping inflation. We should be responding with the same defiance as our Ukrainian friends while recognising that we are secondary victims of Putin’s aggression. Our welfare state cannot insulate everyone against these disastrous consequences. Everyone has a part to play in our national response. Hysterical scaremongering coming from some quarters doesn’t help because it creates a sense of individual impotence and perpetuates the falsehood that it is only the Government that can ‘do something’. The people of Ukraine are taking personal responsibility and making

Christchurch & East Dorset CHRIS CHOPE MP

sacrifices in their own courageous efforts. We should be following their example and acting in the national interest. It is, therefore, unacceptable that some Union leaders seem intent on using their monopoly power in the coming weeks to hold their fellow citizens to ransom while selfishly arguing for unaffordable pay increases. Putin has deliberately unleashed these destructive forces of inflation to wreck our economy and would like nothing more than for us to press the self-destruct button by further fuelling that inflation. We must recognise that threat and, instead of playing into Putin’s hands, be exercising personal self-restraint and sacrifice while being generous to those less fortunate than ourselves. These are the best weapons at our disposal as, indeed, they are in every war.

We need to be better prepared for warming

I often travel to London for meetings. Luckily, I am home based, so I wouldn’t call it a commute. I really feel sorry for anyone who does commute by rail though, based on my experiences last Friday. You may be aware that a small section of track on the West of England line between Gillingham and Tisbury has a speed restriction of 40mph in place rather than the normal 80mph. The reason for the speed restriction is that the clay-based embankment outside Tisbury has dried out during the recent heat wave and the track has sagged as a result. And Network Rail needs it to rain enough before they can fix it. This is climate change in action, folks. We need infrastructure in this country that is resilient to it, whether the planet warms by 1.5 degrees or 2.5. It’s happening, and we’ve got to be better prepared. By any measure, halving the speed on a short section is a minor limitation. However it is apparently responsible for the whole timetable going to pot. Trains have been cancelled at short notice, or diverted via Westbury. Travellers are missing meetings in the city, and/or getting home two hours late. The emergency timetable now in place cuts the train frequency down to once an hour from the previous every 30 minutes previous peak service. The majority of services now terminate prematurely at Basingstoke or Yeovil, with through services to Waterloo or Exeter reduced. Who is responsible – apart from climate change? Whilst South West Rail like to appear blameless, I’m not convinced they’ve tried hard enough to accommodate through works. Pressure needs to be kept on both them and Network Rail to remedy the situation as soon as possible. I hope all our elected politicians will do that. What chance is there of reinstating the double track? Well the track bed is all there at least, meaning an upgrade is more practical than say reinstating the old lines through Blandford or Verwood. A 2020 Network Rail report indeed recommended doubling the line in key segments that would enable a higher frequency and more resilient timetable. Regrettably, this recommendation is un-costed. So we are years away from knowing if it is economic, let alone whether it will happen. Finally, the current debacle should give pause to plans from rail operators to close many ticket offices. The gentleman at Gillingham dealt with about 10 queries from confused passengers in the hour I sat in the waiting room. Apps and machines are fine if the trains run on time 99% of the time. But this is not the case. Ticket offices should at least be manned during morning peaks and times of disruption. When trains are cancelled, why not put the train staff at the stations instead? Maybe these ‘antiquated employment contracts’ we hear about prevent that.

Dorset Labour GREG WILLIAMS

by Lorraine Gibson

At St Peter’s Catholic School, St Catherine’s Road, Ben Doyle, headteacher summed-up his students’ GCSE success saying that he was exceptionally proud of year 11’s resilience and of ‘how they have performed in their GCSE and vocational subjects. “As with the A-Levels, there are simply too many outstanding performers to mention by name.” A pupil who was delighted with her grades said: “Even though it was hard at times with remote learning and studying alone a lot, we still worked hard and got really good results results.” At Ferndown Upper School, headteacher Philip Jones was equally proud and said: “It has been an extremely difficult and challenging year for them and they have risen to this challenge superbly. I wish them all the very best for their future, they have been a pleasure to teach.” Katie Boyes, headteacher at Queen Elizabeth’s School, Wimborne, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the results of each of our Year 11 students. “This cohort has faced an incredibly tough two years having disrupted years of schooling since starting at QE as a result of the Pandemic. “The results are fantastic. Behind every set of results is a student who has worked exceptionally hard, demonstrating determination and resilience. We are incredibly proud and congratulate them all.” At Corfe Hills, headteacher James Sankey said: “Our students have worked so hard and thoroughly deserve the superb results they have achieved. “We are incredibly proud of their resilience and commitment over two very demanding years.” In Christchurch, executive head of Twynham and The Grange, Jy Taylor said: “Today is a story of individual successes and there are so many of them. At the age of 13 and 14 these children were faced with an unprecedented set of circumstances with schools moving to online learning. “Plenty of students have achieved 8 or 9 Grade 9s but today we celebrate all of our children.” Parkfield School, Hurn, saw 50 per cent of all grades awarded ‘strong’ passes at grade 5 or above.

PASS MASTERS: Results joy at Queen Elizabeth’s School

Exam resilience reaps rewards

What are Lasting Powers of Attorney and why do I need one?

Like Wills, lasting powers of attorney (LPA’s) are an essential part of estate planning. Why? While wills only come into effect once a person has died, LPAs are effective if someone is still alive but no longer able to function normally. LPAs allow you to nominate a trusted person called an attorney. They can make decisions on your behalf if you are no longer able to do so. An LPA gives the attorney the authority to act on your behalf. Both financially and with matters pertaining to your health and care. It goes without saying that attorneys must be people you trust. But what happens if someone “Without a ‘lasting power of doesn’t have an LPA? If you attorney’ document created in advance, families can find themselves locked out of an ailing loved one’s finances Night sky events with Bob Mizon MBE of the Wessex lose mental capacity a bank would freeze all accounts – including any in joint names. Even family members would not be able to access them at and facing a complicated Astronomical Society first. court process to be Obtaining access to the appointed their ‘deputy’, In late August and early accounts requires a long, drawn-out application to the Court of Protection, and this is a far more expensive process than getting an LPA in the first place. There are two types of LPA document – one that covers financial with fees running into many thousands of pounds.” Chris Tennant September, find a dark site uncluttered by trees and houses (and of course light pollution), with a low southern horizon. matters and the other health. You should get both types of LPA Late-night observers might drawn up as soon as possible, well in advance of when – or if – they notice a group of stars, due might be needed.south, looking like a dot-to-

Book an appointment with a Maplebrook Wills by calling 07832 331594 dot teapot, pouring out just above the horizon (some younger readers might

A teapot in the sky like to search ‘what’s a teapot’?). The celestial teapot is formed by the main stars of the constellation of Sagittarius the Archer. Near its spout, to the right, lurks an unseen monster. In this direction, at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy, churns an enormous black hole about four million times more massive than the Sun. You won’t see that. Clear skies!

12 New Stour & Avon, September 9, 2022

‘Life’s a beach’ for fun-loving residents

Residents at a Dorset care home showed how much they love to be beside the seaside – without leaving the comfort of their lounge. While there are regular summer trips from Colten Care’s Brook View in West Moors to nearby coastal beauty spots, some residents cannot go for various reasons. So team members decided to ‘bring the seaside to the home’, transforming the lounge into a fun beachscape complete with sand, buckets and spaces, ‘rockpools’, ice cream and even a candy floss machine. Residents made balloons in the shape of sea creatures such as octopuses and there were competitions involving rockpool fishing and building sandcastles. Companionship team leader Sarah Moule said: “We thought it would be a great idea to host a beach-themed day here at the home as not everyone can always get out to the seaside. “Also, we did it in response to a request from one of the regulars on our minibus trips, Daphne Simpson. “When we go to the coast, Daphne always wants to get her feet wet. It’s the same with the New Forest - she will want to find a pool to go paddling in. “Seaside holidays tend to give us some of our happiest memories - and the same goes for our residents, including Daphne. “Most of them spent time enjoying beaches and coastal trips in their youth and so having the seaside brought to Brook View was a lovely experience for them.”

ICE TO KNOW YOU: Daphne Simpson enjoys the seaside experience with a friendly octopus

New book highlights fascination of fossils

by Lorraine Gibson

So, you want to be a proper fossil hunter? Before you pull on your wellies and arm yourself with a geological hammer and safety goggles, grab a copy of Rhys Charles’s inspirational new book, Frozen in Time: Fossils of the United Kingdom and Where to Find them. Rhys, 29, is a bona fide expert in the things, having studied Palaeontology & Evolution at Bristol, graduating with a masters in 2015, and boy, does he know where to look for them. From Verwood, he now runs the Bristol Dinosaur Project, which connects with schools (mainly in deprived areas) and community groups to giving children access to opportunities they might otherwise miss. Rhys rates Lyme Regis, near the famous Ammonite Pavement as the UK’S most fossiliferous area. “It is one of the best collecting sites in the entire world. There’s always material there to be found.” His first find cemented a love of dinosaurs and started a journey which sees him a leading light in his field, so much so, that he was approached by the Natural History Museum to write this beautiful book. It’s a vibrant, richly-detailed guide for anyone hungry to discover more about the natural world long ago. He says: “My personal top three fossil locations are Penarth in Wales (my most commonly visited site), Watchet in Somerset (an underappreciated gem), and the areas around the Black Ven of Charmouth (often overshadowed by nearby Lyme).” And his most unusual finds? “Often when the fossils have been eroded weirdly, like a zig-zagging ammonite cross section, or mystery fossils that would be missed by most, like the inner ear bones of whales.” The most exciting? “Anything articulated (multiple fossils still connected close to life position).” Rhys effortlessly conveys the joy of fossilhunting and where best to discover them. Under his and the Natural History Museum’s guidance, you can ‘unlock breathtaking fragments of a lost world.’ But what about responsible fossiling? “If you find anything important, post it on an online forum for discussion where researchers or museums can look at it.” He adds: “For ‘pick-uppable’ discoveries there isn’t much regulation, but if you find something big that needs proper excavation you’ll need help anyway, so there’s little chance of slipping it off the beach unnoticed.” His personal holy grail would be anything truly unexpected. “For example,” he explains, “finding a fossil you can identify as being a dinosaur jawbone, but from an area where no such discovery has been made before, so you may have found a new species.” Rhys admits that seeing his first book, in the flesh felt very odd: “I’ve seen the cover image of the cover for a long time but it’s very different physically handling it.” “Bizarrely,” he says, “the oddest thing for me was seeing the spine of the book and my name written there.” Frozen in Time: Fossils of the United Kingdom and Where to Find Them. Out now from good booksellers, £10.99.