Valley News April 2020

E E FR Issue 156

April 2020

for Whitechurch, Whatcombe, Clenston, Stickland, Houghton, Turnworth & Milton Abbas

A SUMMER VIEW TOWARDS HOUGHTON Picture by Lynne Rainford

Helping to inform and unite the Community

In our most recent survey, 92% of users were satisfied with the eConsult and would recommend it to their friends and family.

To submit an eConsult and to access the medical conditions database, please go to our website, www.theblandfordgrouppractice.co.uk, and click on the eConsult tile on our homepage. The forms can be submitted from your phone and you can also submit them on behalf of your child if they under 18.

Editorial As this editorial is written, the news is full of reports about the coronavirus. It is clear that this pandemic is going to get worse before it gets better, and the government is explaining that it seems inevitable that, among other measures, people aged over 70 and/or with underlying health issues may have to remain housebound for several weeks. It seems almost surreal - such a major impact upon our lifestyles for an indeterminate length of time - and yet the information coming in from countries around the world makes it all too real. And, clearly, the impact will be felt for many months to come as businesses and manufacturers will have to take stock about what effects such a prolonged shutdown on 'normality' will have. Already it is clear that international travel, be it for holidays or business, has been severely affected, and will suffer long-term too.

What we have seen in recent days is that this worldwide pandemic is going to disrupt life as we know it. Worries about whether holidays will have to be cancelled pale somewhat when we hear that all shops (with the exception of food and chemist shops) have been closed in some countries; that some countries have closed their borders; and that in our own country - despite relatively low numbers of people being infected - shops are running out of some supplies as people 'panic buy'.

This makes it very difficult for those members of our communities who have followed advice and not done so when some important staples are unavailable.

The government has made it clear that expecting everyone over 70 to be isolated is a major step, as it may well impact on their mental health as well. Loneliness and isolation can be very damaging on their own, but coupled with the problems that we are facing and the worry of it all may compound this. Locally, let's all do our bit to look out for each other; if you know of a neighbour over 70 who is on their own and housebound, see if you can help with shopping; keep in touch regularly, even if not by visiting in person but by phone; and generally keep a 'weather eye' open for all our neighbours not over 70 in the event that they have to remain inside too because of illness.

The expectation that in time everyone in the country will be affected is a sobering commentary on this highly contagious virus; we can only hope that the effects locally can be mitigated by a true spirit of co-operation and mutual support, helping each other through the worst of what may lie ahead.

Most, if not all, local events have been cancelled or postponed, so do check that an event is on before you travel to attend it. VN Team

The Milton Abbas Surgery With the weather getting (slightly) warmer and the evenings lighter, it must mean that the run of Spring Public Holidays are heading our way. Please note that we will be closed on the following dates: · Fri 10th April (Good Friday) · Sat 11th April · Mon 13th April (Easter Monday) · Fri 8th May (May Day/VE Day) · Saturday 9th May · Mon 25th May (Spring holiday) For out of hours care or advice during closures, please call 111. In the case of an emergency, call 999.

The surgery is now starting to support patients with 'social prescribing'. Social prescribing gives people time to focus on what matters through shared decision making or personalised care and supported planning. Social prescribers connect people to community groups and agencies for practical and emotional support.

Social prescribing particularly works for a wide range of people, including people: • with one or more long-term conditions • who need support with their mental health • who are lonely or isolated • who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

There is emerging evidence that social prescribing can lead to a range of positive health and wellbeing outcomes for people, such as improved quality of life and emotional wellbeing. It also may lead to a reduction in the use of NHS services. If you feel you may benefit from this kind of support, please speak to reception.

Dorset Police - Cold Caller Advice Re Coronovirus The current coronovirus pandemic is presenting us all with new challenges and uncertainty and we will all have our own methods to meet whatever comes our way over the coming weeks.

We are all being inundated with information, so it is important that we only take advice from trusted broadcasters and websites and to follow the guidance of Public Health England, so as to avoid becoming ill ourselves and if we do, to prevent passing it on to others.

Unfortunately, there may be some who will take advantage of the current situation, so we are urging everyone to continue to be vigilant in regards to cold callers both on the phone and at the doorstep.

In particular please be wary of anyone coming door-to-door and offering to do shopping - there are many community groups springing up and most will be genuine, but make sure that you can verify they are legitimate. You should pre-arrange payment directly with the shop and not pay cash or give bank details to the person delivering your shopping.

In these uncertain times it is important to maintain our usual vigilance with cold callers, so please if you are not expecting a caller don't open the door and if you must open the door always use your door chain.

We are also advised that the public and businesses are being increasingly targeted with emails, texts, phone calls and WhatsApp messages offering advice and treatment for the coronavirus, as well as setting up fake websites selling products and offering 'cures' or for donations for victims.

Be sceptical if you receive an email, text or WhatsApp message about the coronavirus, and never click on attachments or links.

Never provide personal data such as your full name, your address or date of birth - scammers can use this information to steal your identity.

Don't be pressured into donating money, and never make donations by cash or gift card, or send money through transfer agents such as Western Union or Moneygram.

Never give out bank details or PIN numbers to cold callers.

Don't be pressurised into making a quick decision.

If you think you've been the victim, then speak to your bank immediately and report any fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

You can also call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline 0808 223 1133.

Stickland Coffee Pot Due to the current situation, Coffee Pot at St. Mary's, Stickland is suspended until further notice.

Ann Fox

Houghton, Higher Houghton and Dunbury Lane residents With the Coronavirus spreading throughout the country and many people having to isolate themselves, we want to let you know that there will be help at hand for you. If you or someone in your family is ill and has to be isolated, there is a band of volunteers in our village, who are more than willing to get your shopping and/or collect your prescriptions etc. To make things easier, there will be one point of contact - Kathy Westby on 880698, the number has an answer phone, so if no reply please leave a message giving your name, address and number where you can be contacted. Or you can try her mobile 07852 308983.

The Blandford Surgeries eConsult With the uncertainty surrounding Coronavirus looking likely to continue for the near future, we are asking our patients to consider using our online consultation platform, eConsult. This is a free service where you can submit a form online to receive help for new and ongoing non-urgent medical conditions and administrative help such as a sick note or a test result.

We know our phone lines can be busy in peak times. With eConsult, you can fill in and submit a form when it suits you. You are guaranteed to have heard from the surgery by the end of the following working day. eConsult also has a comprehensive database of information on conditions to self-help and suggestions on over the counter medication.

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is definitely NOT one - it can pose a health risk to humans. There is a roped-off area currently that has been chemically treated in preparation for re-seeding. It is really important to keep off this area as the treatment can pose a serious danger to humans and, especially, dogs. The area will be treated again in the future too.

Phil Deeming

Winterborne Houghton Parish Council The Winterborne Houghton Parish Council met on the 3rd March in St Andrew's Church rooms with 5 members of the public in attendance.

The meeting opened on a positive note with news that the battle to keep the village telephone box has been successful and the service will not be discontinued. However, no date as yet for the repair to the interior light which has now been out of action for nearly six months.

Construction of the new bench for the millennium pond is on schedule with the manufacturer, with delivery expected sometime during the last week of March/ first week of April.

Essential work has been carried out to clear some of the encroaching vegetation in the pond, but due to toads and frogs spawning, the main tasks of clearing sediment and overgrown bull rushes will have to wait until Autumn.

New railings have been bought to replace the old (rotten) ones around the pond. There will be a work party to install the new railings when the weather improves. All volunteers will be welcome!

Concerns were raised again, about traffic speeding through the village. It was explained that although the village is on the list to install speed limits, we are very near the bottom, and will probably remain so as other bigger projects come into the system. It was agreed to see if we could locate suitable signage at the approaches to the village asking drivers to reduce their speed and take care when driving through.

The ongoing problem of dog fouling and owners not picking up was again brought up. The dog warden has been approached and will visit to assess the problem and make recommendations.

Road problems where vehicles have gone onto verges, causing the verge to collapse into the running stream, have been reported to North Dorset Highways. Potholes will have to wait until the waters die down.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 5th May at 7.30 pm in St Andrew's Church rooms

Milton Abbas Local History Group We have been busy preparing for an exhibition to be held in both St James and the Reading Rooms on the Bank Holiday weekend of 23 - 25 May. We will be showing some of the history of the ordinary people in rural Dorset villages. We will have some clothing and artefacts on display to illustrate their living conditions. The exhibition will be FREE - although we would very much welcome a donation which will help us do more research.

On the afternoon of Sunday 24 May in St James, to coincide with the exhibition, there will be a concert of music from the Brianstpuddle Singers, with some readings which will tell part of the story of rural village life from days gone by.

One of our members was researching the Dorchester Prison Admissions Book when they discovered that there had been six men from Milton Abbas convicted and sentenced in 1803 of "Combining with others to increase wages". This is of course 30 years before the famous Tolpuddle Martyrs. These poor men were sentenced to two months hard labour. We are calling them the "Milton Abbas Martyrs".

Were there men from other local villages prosecuted? There will be more on this story in the exhibition.

We have been given a copy of a comprehensive diary of Milton Abbas first school from 1985 to 1991. This is the result of several year's work by Ron Karley, former headmaster.

One of our correspondents in Canada has just completed the transcription of our Overseers of the Poor Book 1830 - 1836. After entering 8600 records the sigh of relief could be heard from across the Atlantic. It is amazing how dedicated our transcribers are, and what a great legacy for our history group. The records are now searchable, for members, by name, which will help family historians tell the stories of their ancestors.

Talking about our transcribers, we have now found a volunteer to translate the medieval Latin of the Milton Abbey Customary of 1317.

We have completed about one fifth of this, covering the manors of Whitcombe, Milton Abbas, and Osmington.

news@valley-news.co.uk Pamela Hambro Hall Just a reminder that the Annual General Meeting of the committee was due to be held on Wednesday April 22nd at the hall at 7.30pm. This has now been postponed indefinitely. The new date will be advertised in the Valley News. Until then, all members of the committee and its officers will remain the same.

Please note that currently all hall bookings have been cancelled, so there are no clubs or fitness classes until further notice.

Dunbury Academy News With pupil numbers on the increase at Dunbury we were really excited to launch our new Golden Willow Class in KS2 at Whitechurch base. It is almost unheard of to make such changes after the start of the new academic year but Dunbury has again had an influx of new pupils and the change has been necessary to reflect this. The year 4 and 5 pupils are taught by Mrs Duerdoth.

We recently celebrated World Book Day in style! With the theme of 'Alice in Wonderland' the school was full of White rabbits, Mad Hatters, Queen of Hearts and Alice's; there was such a wonderful array of costumes! Well done to all the children (and their parents!) for their efforts.

At Dunbury Academy we are very proud of our fundraising, whether it be by our Friends of Dunbury Academy raising money for the school and our children's education or a whole school effort to support national and local charities. We have recently taken part in Children in Need with a Wacky Hair Day and Gift of Love at Christmas providing gifts to lonely pensioners in the Dorset area. We are currently running our 'School in a Bag' fundraiser with children taking part in a sponsored spell. If you know any Dunbury pupils or families please support them. We are hoping to raise enough for each child to have a bag that they have sponsored (which they are able to track and therefore know which country and child it has been delivered to!)

Finally, Headteacher Mr Barker has signed up to run a 100km ultra-marathon from Poole to Bridport in May to raise money for a wonderful charity called the Woodland Trust. The charity is set up to buy wild land and place it in trust to be protected forever, saving wild habitats for generations to come. Please support him in raising money for this excellent cause, his fundraising page is: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/barkerbenjamin Thank you

Pamela Hambro Memorial Hall 100 Club March 1st 198 Carolyn Walsham 2nd 147 Frances Grant 3rd 115 Janet Bown Reminder that subs are now due - ÂŁ12 for the year - we still have some spare tickets. Please contact me on 01258 880969.

We have a new bank account, so please can all cheques be made payable to 'Pamela Hambro Memorial Hall 100 club'. Thank you.

Thank you for the continued support.

Hazel Lappin

Winterborne Stickland Sports and Community Club Following on from our notes last month about the activities going on at the club some people may have noticed that the tennis net has gone. This, hopefully, is only temporary as the winding mechanism to lift and lower the net has passed its sell-by date, and renders the nets deceased. We are, as a matter of urgency, seeking to replace the net complete with a new winder so that the court, which is also soon to be painted, will have a new lease of life. The croquet club are progressing well with the conversion of the old football pitch into two croquet courts to be ready for the new season as soon as this terrible wet weather eventually passes. We hope that these changes to the facilities at the club will encourage more local sports enthusiasts of all ages to become members.

On a more serious matter, it has been noticed that dog exercising has taken place on the fields which is strictly banned. Our lovely countryside has so many places to exercise dogs but our playing field 4

Polly 'Bs'

The Winterborne Stickland Solar Fund Committee would like to remind residents of Winterborne Stickland that funding is available for community projects.

Local lady doing: Holistic Treatments, Massage, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage and Ear Candling.

Also Beauty Treatments Facials, Waxing, Eyebrow/Lash tinting.

Manicure and Pedicure Nail cutting and Hard Skin Removal.

Appointments available during the day and evenings.

Some treatments can be done in your home.

Applications for funding should be emailed to sticklandsolarfund@yahoo.com Decisions are made every 2 months.

The basic criteria are that ideas should have benefit to the community. A committee of volunteers select successful projects.

Ring Pauline on 01258 880084 / 07760 303332 Gift Vouchers available.

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Contact Anne Donnelly Phone: 01258 881261 Email: ads@valley-news.co.uk AD DEADLINE: 10th of the month prior to publication

Advertising Rates 12 issues

1 issue Size (300dpi)

Full Page

£600

£56

W: 19cm H: 27cm

Half Page

£320

£30

W: 19cm H: 13cm

Quarter Page

£175

£17

W: 9¼cm H: 13cm

Eighth Page

£115

£11

W: 9¼cm H: 6.25cm

Contact Anne Donnelly Phone: 01258 881261 Email: ads@valley-news.co.uk AD DEADLINE: 10th of the month prior to publication

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shredded and sprinkle over some pine nuts just before serving.

My husband being a Scot loves puddings. This winter he has been making apple and walnut pudding with apples stored in the garage. It has all the elements for a perfect pudding, light sponge encasing apples, dates and walnuts, a marriage made in heaven. Chop 1lb peeled and cored apples, 2oz shelled walnuts and 4 oz of stoned dates into small pieces. Sift 4oz wholemeal self-raising flour then mix with 4oz soft brown sugar, 1oz melted butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg and the fruit.

Place in a greased 8cm baking dish or cake tin and bake at 200?

C/400?F/gas 6 for about half an hour. Serve warm with custard, cream, yoghurt or ice cream. The apple can be swapped with plums when they are in season. It is easy to make and quick as well as delicious.

Easter is approaching fast which is a time that many families get together, this year the corona virus may make a difference to people choosing to travel, all we can hope is that warm weather arrives soon and that this virus does not like it and disappears before it does too much damage, and that this year's vegetables come into season early.

This year is proving a difficult one for farmers and food growers as the flooding and sodden ground has made it impossible or very difficult to work the land and plant seed and some of the flooded winter wheat has died as a result of drowning. As always all we can do is wait and see when the rain will stop and how soon the ground will dry out and what vegetable shortages occur as a result. On a more cheerful note the fields are already home to this year's lambs which is always a joyful sight and one that lets us know that Spring is just around the corner. Apart from lamb, eggs are very much around at Easter, not just chocolate eggs, but scotch eggs with different flavourings have become very popular.

When driving I often listen to Radio 4 and usually find that I learn something. Last week a scientist who had specialised in lead poisoning and lead in the food chain was interviewed. Lead has been removed from petrol and paint because of the dangers from poisoning and we all know that ingesting it is not good for us. Being surrounded by pheasant shoots, a lot of us eat pheasant at some time in the year and yet they are shot with lead shot. However most of the shot ends up on the ground and is eaten by wild birds, who think it is grit or food, and many die a painful death while others survive but in pain. We spit out the shot when we find it but small particles of lead remain in the flesh and are ingested. An agreement was made several years ago with those shooting on wetlands that they would replace lead shot with one of the alternatives but this has been largely ignored. The shooting groups have agreed that the evidence over the last twenty years means that lead shot should not be used; it has been banned in several Scandinavian countries, Defra as usual is sitting on the fence and won't get involved.

If there are health issues for humans and wild life and there are alternatives that do the job just as well it seems strange that there is so much resistance. If you are concerned, Waitrose only stock birds which have not been shot with lead.

It is always a treat to have a slice of home-made cake with afternoon tea and this recipe is lusciously moist and can also be served as a dessert, it is unusual in that the orange has to be cooked in water for an hour until the skin is soft. When cool, cut the orange in half and discard all the pips and then whiz in a blender until you have a smooth pulp. In a bowl whisk 3 eggs with 8 ozs/225g caster sugar until thick then fold in 1 tsp baking powder, 8 ox/225g ground almonds and 1oz/25g plain flour and then add the purĂŠe. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8'/20cm round cake tin lined with baking parchment and bake at 180?C/350?F/Gas 4 for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper and cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Orange and lemons are used in savoury meals by a lot of cuisines, the classic preserved lemons for tagines being one and of course the French classic orange sauce with duck. The zest added to beef and venison casseroles adds another layer of flavour and lemon juice can be added to mayonnaise or a dressing to cut through rich food or to add a tang to the dish. Spiced satsumas are perfect alongside cold meat, pate and fish dishes and a marie rose sauce for prawns with a lovely lemony bite is a wonderful contrast to the sweet prawns. There are lots of ways citrus can be added to dishes to provide a lift, many salads benefit from their addition and how could we eat fish and chips without a good squeeze of lemon.

Claire Scott

Nora Steele Mum passed peacefully away at her home in Blandford on February 17th 2020. She had a long spell in hospital eventually coming home on the 16th December in time for Christmas. Although mum moved to Blandford to be nearer family after her beloved Peter passed away, her heart and memories were always in Stickland. She really enjoyed coming back to the village for fetes, flower shows and the odd bowl of chips at The Crown Inn. And of course to catch up on all the gossip!! For many years whilst living in Stickland mum & dad enjoyed delivering the Valley News, so whenever she came back to Stickland we would always try and retrieve a copy from the church or the pub. Long live the Valley News!!

Carol, Helen & Derek

Double Premiere for New Dorset Show Choir Coro Bonhomie is a newly formed show choir and its first production will be the premiere of a new musical, 'Mutiny on HMS Bounty', which will make the choir's debut a double premiere. The group's name projects its ethos, a choir that is friendly and approachable. The Choir's first show will be under the expert and experienced direction of Sonia Gilson. Sonia is well known in Dorset for her productions over many years in local venues such as the Lighthouse and Tivoli Theatres. The group's Musical Director is Dorset based Lee Redwood, an accomplished musician, writer and performer. The new show has been written by Winterborne Stickland resident Ron Dawson, the author of the popular Dorset children's adventure stories of 'Scary Bones the Skeleton'.

Following on from the successful staging of his 'Lest We Forget' National Children's WW1 Remembrance Concert at the NEC, Ron turned to creating this musical retelling of the world's most famous which took place on board HMS Bounty in 1791. The mutiny was the climax of a clash between Fletcher Christian and the Bounty's brutal Captain, William Bligh. To tell the story Ron has used some of the most well-loved and well-known pieces of classical music from such composers as Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Handel, Chopin and Wagner, supported by some of his own compositions.

The 'Double Premiere' will be staged on the 28th October (Half Term) at The Layard Theatre in Canford with matinee and evening performances. Local singers and performers are being recruited to take part in the show with a willingness to learn regarded as being more important than choir experience. Rehearsals will held on Tuesday evenings, 7.30 -10.00 pm, in Broadstone, with some Sunday sessions as the show approaches. This is an exciting opportunity to join a new show choir and to take part in the premiere performance of an exhilarating new show. Initial meetings of the choir begin in April with rehearsals and auditions for Principal parts starting later in the month.

For full details and to apply telephone : 01202 732734 or email : clunky489@gmail.com.

news@valley-news.co.uk ads@valley-news.co.uk Whats Cooking?

Asparagus season is upon us, those luscious green stems which I think are the best in the world. I know you can buy them all year round having been flown in from far flung places but I think English asparagus knocks spots off these. In reality they need to be eaten as soon after cutting as possible, otherwise they deteriorate and there is so much that you can do with them. Ideally, they should still have a bite and not be all soggy and mushy, but the choice is yours. They make a perfect lunch when cooked in a quiche, on their own with butter or a good mayonnaise, in a salad with French beans, salad leaves, skinned broad beans, peas and a light lemony dressing. Roll on spring and fresh asparagus. Asparagus and samphire go really well together and make a really easy salad. Steam the asparagus and add the samphire for the last minute, make a dressing with finely chopped mint leaves, olive tapenade, (if you don't like olives leave it out or replace with sundried tomato paste), lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper. To serve, toss the asparagus and samphire in the dressing with a bunch of watercress 6

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back. Well-rotted leaf mould is also a valuable source of nutrients for the garden, I have a compost pen that two years ago was full to the top with leaves and now that they have rotted down is only about a foot high but it is wonderful stuff, well worth the raking in the autumn. I need to make another raised bed for my potatoes which will be filled with manure and compost from the heap and some leaf mould will all help to feed and keep the moisture in the soil. My crop suffered last year due to the dry weather, this year they will have soil full of humus.

Claire Scott

Down the Garden Path February was the wettest month on record and March just followed on the same, wet and mild, I like the mild but have had enough of the wet. My greenhouse is taking off apace, the first beefsteak tomatoes have germinated as have the cosmos. I was given some seeds by an elderly friend last year as she was no longer able to garden so have been sowing some of them to see what happens. Some of her packets were dated 1983 so I have little expectation but you never know. I sowed some fennel last year which did nothing and I hadn't thrown out the seed tray and soil, to my amazement they have germinated this year, so there is always hope.

I love amaryllis flowers, they are so elegant and beautiful, perhaps a bit over the top but why not. Some I have had for years and some years they decide they won't flower but will produce babies instead and a mass of foliage appears around the bulb which will become big enough to break off and pot on. I have one of those pointy stripy ones that was a baby off a friend's bulb some six years ago which flowers every year.

The shame is that the flowers don't last very long.

The hellebores clearly love the weather as they are quite magnificent this year and are flowering their proverbial socks off. Double and single makes no difference, they are covered in flowers. I have three areas with them and it is only in one area that they have dropped their seeds which have germinated. They are renowned for being promiscuous and being seed will not necessarily look like their parents but some may prove interesting. It is a shame that they hang their heads down and are so shy.

With such a mild winter many plants and shrubs are coming into leaf and flower earlier than usual and many spring bulbs have flowered in winter so it will be interesting to see what Spring looks like. One thing is for sure it will be wonderful when it is dry enough to cut the grass which is desperately in need of a haircut, it is also full of moss and will need a lot of aerating and raking to help it recover from being so soggy.

My first broad beans will be ready to plant out by the beginning of April. I grow one lot for eating fresh and a second lot for the freezer.

They need to be picked small when they are sweet and delicious, larger beans need the outside skin taken off, they don't taste very nice when older which is why many people don't like them as they have only ever eaten large beans with the skin on. The same applies to runner beans which taste so much better when they are small and tender, we grow them to eat and the big ones tend to be dry and have a string and need more cooking, so pick small and if you have too many blanche and freeze them to enjoy in the winter and spring next year.

Fresh herbs are so useful and not difficult to grow, plant up a pot and place by the back door so that they are easy to get to when needed.

If you have some old wellington boots which are leaking, plant them with herbs, chives, parsley, sorrel and thyme - they all grow well in wellies and also look great and it saves on landfill.

Gardeners are increasingly being asked to be more environmentally aware due to the issues around single use and black plastic. Black pots I reuse until they fall apart and the black lined plastic bags from compost are perfect to fill with twigs to dry off for the fire, but both end up in landfill which does seem a waste. As I have said over the years, I save all our loo roll insides and plant beans, peas, sweetcorn, sunflowers etc, any large seed and anything that doesn't like its roots being disturbed.

It makes planting out so easy and the cardboard just disintegrates into the soil. I start off in February with two bags stuffed full and am always amazed how many I get through, six fit snugly into those plastic fruit containers, it also makes it easy to see how the roots are doing as you can just pick up a loo roll and have a look and if necessary put some more soil underneath until you are ready to plant out.

I always enjoy this time of the year in the garden with the planning and sowing of seed or plug plants arriving in the post which need potting on, there is so much energy about which is contagious. Plants and cuttings which have overwintered in the greenhouse benefit from checking and sometimes potting on with some fresh compost to help them put on new growth. The garden beds also benefit from a good feed at this time of year especially after all the rain, well-rotted manure or compost is perfect to feed the soil and to help suppress the weeds.

You don't need to dig it in, just leave it to the worms, they are very efficient at taking organic matter down into the soil and it saves your

Digital Champion's bright idea helps Barbara switch and save A lady from Dorchester has benefitted from free digital sessions on how to change suppliers online and has managed to save over ÂŁ450 a year on energy bills with the first switch.

Barbara Scanlon went online at Dorchester library under the guidance of her local volunteer Digital Champion Mike Watson. She visited a price comparison website and worked out that with just a few digital moves she would be over ÂŁ40 a month better off.

Mike has been helping her master a range of digital skills to do household bills and chores online such as paying Council Tax, setting up insurance, joining a loyalty discount scheme, using email, printing and using price comparison sites.

Mike said: "All Digital Champions are able to help you master the skills to do these essential households tasks online and a whole lot more.

Don't waste time and money, just book a slot to see your local Digital Champion and we will help you every step of the way. It won't cost you a penny."

Digital Champions work in communities, usually in libraries, one-toone with people to help improve their digital skills. They are volunteers who enjoy using computers and have the patience and enthusiasm to show others how to benefit from being online, in this case how to save money.

To get help from your own Digital Champion and find out how much you could save, please call us and we will put you in touch with your nearest Digital Champion. Call now 01305 221048.

Book Review A Woman in the Polar Night, by Christiane Ritter This is a new edition of marvellously written memoir of a year spent in the far north of Svalbard in 1934-35, a Norwegian island high in the Arctic Circle. Against everyone's advice, Christiane Ritter accepted her (Austrian) husband's invitation to join him in an exceptionally remote and harsh peninsular. She was initially shocked by the ugliness, as she saw it, of the bare landscape, the savagery of the primitive life she had unwittingly thrown herself into, and the distance she felt from her husband - though she only hints at the latter.

Things get worse as Christiane, her husband and an irrepressible young Norwegian, Karl, struggle to survive, to find food in the form of seals or birds to shoot and eat. Left alone in deep winter, 250 miles from the nearest settlement, in minus 30 degrees, while the men hunt for weeks at a time, Christiane finds an awful emptiness tearing at her soul.

But she lives through it, and comes to see the stark beauty of land and sea. Nearly all the demands and illusions of 'European' life are absent, and this brings a deep sense of freedom. continued on page 12 8

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9

Please check for any cancellations with event organisers

Winterborne Whitechurch Village Hall

Jumble Sale SATURDAY 25th APRIL

CANCELLED COFFEE MORNING & CHARITY SHOP St. Mary’s Church, Stickland • CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE •

LAST CROSSWORD ANSWERS CRYPTIC Across 1. Spring 4. Sprawl 8. Handball 10. Scribe 11. Stealthily 12. Duty 13. Coded 14. Hedgerow 16. Chemists 19. Oasis 21. Abed 22. Far fetched 24. Stripe 25. Graduate 26.

Dearth 27. Symbol Down 1. Scant 2. Rudyard 3. Neap tides 5. Pushy 6. Abridge 7. Libations 9. Leith 13. Cohabited 15. Dromedary 17. Madeira 18. Sprog 20. Succumb 22. Fleet 23. Extol CONCISE Across 1. Zagreb 4. Bypass 8. Embossed 10. Avoids 11. Bilinguist 12. Ibis 13. Sushi 14. Youngest 16. Eyesight 19. Drupe 21. Diet 22. Fax machine 24. Tiller 25. Signpost 26. Gadget 27. Stayed Down 1. Zombi 2. Glories 3. Easy Going 5. Yeast 6. Adoring 7. Side issue 9. Daily 13. Skydiving 15. Up-draught 17. Settled 18. Taxes 20. Unhappy 22. Farce 23. Nosed

COFFEE STOP St James, Milton Abbas • CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE • CUP & CAKE Old School Room, Whitechurch • CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE • ROUND ROBIN RAMBLERS • CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE • BINGO Fri 17th Apr, Whitechurch VH VALLEY GARDENING CLUB:

• CANCELLED •

• APRIL TALK CANCELLED •

Valley News Information VN Team: Advertising: Distribution: Printing: Payments: Small Ads: Charity Events: Articles:

Graham Case, Claire & John Scott and …..

Anne Donnelly ads@valley-news.co.uk 01258 881261 Treasurer: Janet Snook news@valley-news.co.uk Sue Eggar and Angela D'Silva news@valley-news.co.uk Layout: Mark Steele news@valley-news.co.uk Purely Print www.purelyprint.co.uk 01258 459977 All advertising to be pre-paid. Cheques payable to ‘Valley News'. Internet Bank Transfers now accepted.

Private sellers only. Small ads will be included for a donation and confirmed for publication when the donation is received.

Events in the Valley News area will be listed free on the Events page. Normal advertising rates will apply for boxed ads.

Send by email to news@valley-news.co.uk or by hand/post to Jageroma, Clenston Road, Stickland DT11 0NP Please include name & contact number in case of any queries.

Deadlines: For Advertising : 10th of the prior month. For all other submissions (articles, pictures etc.): 15th of the prior month.

Late items may not appear until the next edition.

Websites: More information at sites.google.com/site/valleynewsdt11 Editions can be viewed at issuu.com/valleynewsdt11 © VALLEY NEWS 2020 CONTENT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE CONTRIBUTOR

10

The Winterborne Valley & Milton Abbas Benefice We are pleased to announce that the Patron, Piers Chichester, and the Bishop of Sherborne have appointed the Revd Lewis Pearson to be the next Rector of Winterborne Valley and Milton Abbas. Lewis is currently Training Curate at St James' Poole and brings much experience and gifts to the post, including working with children and young people; of creativity and outreach. The appointment is subject to the completion of Lewis' curacy in June. We are looking forward to welcoming him, his wife Jo and their family sometime over the summer and to a licensing on Thursday 3rd September at 7pm at Winterborne Whitechurch.

Bishop Karen and Archdeacon Antony wish to thank all those who were involved in the appointment process.

Please hold Lewis in your prayers as he ends his time in Poole and prepares to move to the Benefice. Our parishes have worked well together during the vacancy and we will continue to do so, allowing Lewis to begin his new role, assured of our support.

Debbie Albery

FROM THE REGISTERS Funerals Valerie Ashford February 27th Toinette Barbara Luke March 4th Nora Steele March 9th

Stickland Whitechurch Stickland

Please check the benefice website bwvmabenefice.uk - for the latest information ALL CHURCH SERVICES AND COFFEE MORNINGS ARE CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE THE LENT COURSE HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

Infographic by Molly Bruggeman: 10 Tips to Reduce COVID-19 Anxiety

A foggy morning in the valley Mark Steele

11

continued from page 8 A cruise ship returns a year later to pick her up, full of eager passengers. But 'the Arctic does not yield its secret for the price of a ticket. You must live through the long night, the storms, and the destruction of human pride. You must have gazed on the deadness of all things to grasp their livingness.'

The intensity of the experience, including the almost superhuman efforts of the hunters, and the echoing joy of seabirds and icebergs, is memorably captured in 18 concise chapters. Christiane Ritter was an Austrian artist who was born in 1897, dying in 2000 at the age of 103.

This is a new edition of this famous work, with a new foreword, by Sara Wheeler, a polar travel writer.

It is striking that none of the three who live at very close quarters in the tiny hut for a year on the Grey Hook peninsular in Svalbard expresses any emotion - or hardly ever. Christiane's husband is closer to his fellow hunter, Karl, than to his wife, and there are only two fleeting mentions of the Ritters' young daughter, left behind in Vienna. Feelings are dangerous as they get in the way of survival. Over the centuries, hundreds of hunters in Svalbard have apparently thrown themselves into the sea because they have become unhinged by the empty landscape. However, on the other side of this nothingness, there is a deep connectedness which needs no expression, which is complete unto itself, and which the busy world needs.

Mark Hudson

hold down someone's leg during an operation.

From around 1800 there was a large increase in the payments needed to keep the poor alive. Wages went down and prices soared during the Napoleonic wars. Indeed in 1893 we have six men from Milton Abbas being sentenced to two month's hard labour for 'leaving his work before the expiration of his agreement' or 'Combining with others to increase wages'. And this was thirty years before the Tolpuddle Martyrs. These cases deserve to be much better researched and known.

To see some examples of the writing in the Overseers of the Poor Accounts books see the Milton Abbas Local History Group website and search for Overseers.

Streamwatch Following the submission of the Streamwatch article of last month to the Valley News editor, there was hope that the worst weather had passed - how wrong that was. Storms and rainfall have continued to lash the valleys relentlessly for the whole month. Delcombe Wood borehole is up by 3 metres from the same time last month. Flooding outside Pamela Hambro Hall, as reported by a long standing resident, is the worst it's ever been, and the battle to keep vehicles driving at a sensible speed is being lost; those who do try and respect adjacent property by driving slowly are sometimes harassed by traffic following closely behind. Thanks to all who understand the need to drive slowly through the floods - it is greatly appreciated by householders.

Local Village History Part 7 Overseers of the Poor It is hard to imagine now that local government was just that - local, at least until Victorian times. Especially in villages where everyone knew everyone else. The church played a major role in governance because it was there that two Overseers of the Poor and two Churchwardens were elected every year at the Vestry held at Easter. They were from the higher status of the society, and mostly able to read and write.

Around here they generally served for one year, although sometimes reelected later. The Overseers were governed by the local Justices of the Peace, and reported to them, and got them to sign the accounts, as well as issue warrants for apprehending fathers of bastard children. The churchwardens did not report to the vicar, nor did the vicar take much part, if any, in parish business. Instead the churchwardens were responsible to the bishop, or his representative, at the visitation - but that is another story.

We know the names of the Overseers in the villages from their Account books which are to be found in the Dorset History Centre.

The role of the Overseer was an arduous one, as we can tell from their diaries. They were never paid, but they did claim expenses. There may be a simple entry in their accounts such as 'took John Vatcher to the Justice', but, if he was not willing, this might have taken them many days to achieve. They could travel to Blandford and then not find the Justice there, bring the prisoner back to the village, lock him up and try again. In the 18th century there was no way of telling the Justice that you were coming. The same often occurred when the Overseer had to get the accounts signed, issue a warrant, carry out an examination of settlement or bastardy. There could be many of these occasions in their term of a year's duty, and must have been frustrating, to say the least.

It was also the role of the Overseer to ensure that peace was kept in the village. They handled disputes, and saw that the law was applied.

They had no training in law or accounting, but managed to keep order most of the time.

One of their biggest jobs was to collect the poor rates and distribute the cash and benefits in kind to the poor. They had to be aware of who was really needy and who was pulling the wool over their eyes. Wages were so poor in these agricultural areas that even those workers being paid weekly were sometimes in great need - of clothing, boots, food or fuel. We think that this poor relief was handed out after church service every Sunday. When people couldn't work through age, infirmity, illness or accident then they could claim regular payments. The payment would be decided at the Easter vestry. Just asking for help must have been a shameful experience. Agricultural workers had no pension and had to work until they were no longer able to. The only charity and social care was through the Overseers. This included paying for the doctor to attend, and the medication and treatment that he prescribed - and doctors were expensive. We have an account of two men being paid to

Another issue that is affecting motorists is the growing number of potholes, particularly at Whatcombe and at the top of Dunbury Hill; the amount of debris that flooding has scattered over the road surfaces is a concern for other road users who risk being hit by flying stones.

A few additional signs have been positioned by The Highways Authority, acknowledging that there is danger along Water Lane as the remaining verge is waterlogged and very unstable. Is this a prelude to much needed repair work being commissioned? It is a sad fact that much finger pointing takes place between the governing agencies with little progress being made on improvement.

All in all, it has been a very nervous time for residents, some of whom have conducted nightly vigil of the river condition during the very worst periods. At the end of February the Environment Agency did issue a warning notice for Stickland due to excessively high ground water levels. Thanks go to the Flood Wardens who alerted households to the warning.

But where is spring? Good news - the wrens believe it's here. They have been busy nest building for a few weeks and the males have been displaying by singing their little hearts out. On a recent inspection walk along Water Lane to look for traces of spring beginning, a short pause to listen to a particularly operatic wren revealed that this performance had a much wider audience, a great tit, blue tit and a gold crest were similarly in awe.

A note of caution - about this time we experience an annual migration of frogs / toads, probably heading toward water for spawning.

This may appear like one of those childish riddles - why did the frog cross the road? - but seriously, migration is taking place at the western end of Water Lane. If you have a chance, do try to avoid what appears to be stones on the road when driving into Houghton.

And what about that hardy annual - ranunculus? Yes, it's very much continued on page 14 12

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continued from page 12 present and growing fast. The deep water appears to have encouraged a thick growth this year which may have consequences later in April / May when river levels drop - the lush growth of ranunculus might just block or hold back the river flow. Stickland Parish Council will apply for the appropriate licences that will enable management of this situation.

Picture taken by Richard Marchant Stickland River Management Group

Fraud Investigator Shane Cherrett, of Dorset Police, said: “Thankfully, no bank details were passed in any of the three incidents and the victims were given advice and support.

“I am appealing to anyone who may have been targeted in a similar way recently to please get in touch.

“Our advice is very simple. Always be aware and take steps to verify the identity of a caller who is asking for money. A genuine caller will not mind waiting or calling back to allow you to do this.

“The police will never ask for personal information over the phone and neither will your bank.

“If you are concerned about the validity of something – stop and speak to someone for help and advice.

“Anyone with concerns can contact Action Fraud or Dorset Police.”

For information and advice about scams in Dorset, go to the Fraud Alert page of our website – www.dorset.police.uk/fraud. To contact Action Fraud call 0300 123 2040.

Anyone who has information about the scams or who wishes to report an offence can contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Hello from Corfe Mullen It was sad to say goodbye to Valerie Ashford at her funeral on the 27th of February. I shall miss her very much. But it was a beautiful service, with hymns and readings chosen by Valerie herself. It was good to see so many friends there. I should like to thank all those who helped Valerie in the past few years. I know she appreciated all the help she received.

Just a week after Valerie‘s funeral I found myself in Poole hospital having had several bad asthma attacks in the middle of the night. High blood pressure and the asthma kept me in hospital for three days but all is well and I’m okay but my visit to left me with a sad insight into some of our young peoples problems – of mental health. 4 out of 7 of the ladies in my ward (acute medical) were suffering from some sort of mental health problem – the youngest being only 17. How sad that the young people of today have so many pressures put upon them – none of them want to be in this dark place they find themselves.

Finally I must praise the paramedics, doctors and nurses everywhere whose lives are in danger every day when dealing with all the problems they find.

Despite all this we wish everyone a happy Easter Heather Sims

ADVERTS Good Friday 10th April ARTICLES Wednesday 15th April

Poetry Corner - Bird Brained Does a Quail quail with fright?

Is a Pheasant a most pleasant sight?

Is a Partridge from a large family?

Is a Woodcock clearly out of his tree?

Is a Robin the smartest of all?

Or the Heron because he's so tall?

Is a Blackbird a Thrush in disguise?

Does a Flycatcher really catch flies?

Is a Mandarin Duck oriental?

Is a Capercaillie's shape accidental?

Is an Owl's life really a hoot?

Does a Moorhen turn into a Coot?

Does a Razorbill's bill really cut?

Does a Nuthatch really hatch nuts?

Does a Treecreeper walk on tiptoe?

Does a Swift ever go really slow?

These questions may seem quite absurd Regarding the naming of birds.

But look at the pleasure I've gained, and now I'm completely Bird Brained!

STOP PRESS

VALLEY NEWS INFORMATION

Following this week of emergency broadcasts by the Prime Minister, it seems that our hope that this disease might be contained in a short while is unrealistic. We are in unprecedented times, and there is no way to forecast what may or may not happen, and for how many months we must socially isolate ourselves and our families.

Clearly, we hope that all in our community remain safe, and that we all do what we can to minimise the impact of social isolation and the difficulties of buying our food, staying healthy both physically and mentally, and looking after our young people whilst there are no schools open.

As far as the Valley News is concerned, we hope that we will be able to publish a print edition as usual, but there can be no guarantee of this - there may be no articles, there will certainly be very few if any events to advertise, and it is possible that our printers may not be able to continue working (although we hope very much this is not the case for them.)

If we cannot produce a printed magazine for one of these reasons (or any other unforeseen ones) we will continue to put a digital edition on the website - https://issuu.com/valleynewsdt11 each month at the start of the month as usual. In this way we will try to keep everyone up to date with local news that we are given, and we hope it will be helpful.

It is possible that we may be able to produce a printed version but not be able to deliver it to individual homes as usual. In this case we will arrange for collection points to have good stocks from which you would be able to get a copy. We will let our delivery team know that this is happening, and they will disseminate this as widely as possible, and we will put the information on the website.

To our advertisers: Your support for our magazine is much appreciated and you will not lose your payment to it. If we are unable to produce printed copies of our magazine, we will automatically extend your subscription period so that you will still get the correct number of adverts for which you have paid.

To all our readers, we send our best wishes and the hope that this devastating disease does not become unmanageable locally. It will be far better to stay safe and not take any risks with our community's health, and follow the government guidelines. The Valley News Team

Jackie Grearson

Scam Prevention Advice Dorset Police Officers are urging residents to remain vigilant following three phone scams across Dorset.

At 1.28pm on Wednesday 11 March 2020 Dorset Police received a report from a Poole woman, aged in her 80s, that she was called by someone who claimed to be a police officer in Croydon. They advised the victim that her bank card had been used fraudulently to purchase a washing machine.

The victim did not provide her bank details and terminated the phone call.

A similar call was made earlier on the same day at around 9.30am to a man aged in his 70s in the North Dorset area. It is reported that the caller said he was from London police and asked the victim to confirm his address, before the line disconnected.

A third report was received at 2.36pm of a call to a woman in Weymouth aged in her 70s from someone purporting to be from the fraud squad. They told the victim that she needed to transfer her money to a safe account.

14

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15

The start of a beautiful walk in the valley

Mark Steele

VIVIENHORDER Estate Agents See the latest properties online:

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Also available to hire are marques and gazebos.

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ALL FRAMING OPTIONS UNDERTAKEN PHIL HARLOCK 4 West St, Stickland Blandford, Dorset DT11 0NT Telephone: 01258 881290 philharlock@hotmail.com

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news@valley-news.co.uk

•

ads@valley-news.co.uk

Valley Organisations & Contacts Abbey Swimming Club Milton Abbey Swimming Pool. Tue 1830-2030, Fri 1930-2030, Sat 1000-1200, Sun 8am-9am, Lynn 881443, Pat 880601, Stephen 881524, abbeyswimmingclub@gmail.com Aquacise and lane swimming for fitness Exercise in the water - safe and fun for all ages. Ladies and gentlemen welcome Fridays 6.30pm Maria 880895 secretary@masportsclub.org.uk Bere Regis Floral Group 2nd Tue each month, 2pm, Kingston Village Hall, Diane Edmunds 01929 472 331 British Horse Society (Dorset) County Bridleway Officer • 01258 880318 carolshoopman@btinternet.com Bus2Go Margo www.bus2godorset.org 01258 837749 / 07917 298321 Dunbury Church of England Academy www.dunbury.dsat.org.uk • 880501 Extend Exercise (to music for 60s+) Fri 10am-11am, PHH, Jilly Spencer 07971 755715 Golf Club Milton Abbey School, Laura Haim 881872 Ladies Keep Fit Wed 7.30pm WVH. Mary Fripp 880416 Milborne St. Andrew Village Hall Events Alice Harrall 01258 837371 msavillagehall@gmail.com Milton Abbas Art Group Mon 7pm-9pm, RRMA, Elizabeth Walker elizziewalker@yahoo.co.uk Milton Abbas Local History Group 1st Wed each month, 7pm RRMA Bryan or Pamela Phillips 880385 Miltonabbashistorygroup.com

OSR PHH RRMA WVH

VENUE KEY Old School Room, Whitechurch Pamela Hambro Hall, Stickland Reading Rooms, Milton Abbas Whitechurch Village Hall

Milton Abbas Neighbourcar For your medical transport needs, 01258 470333 Milton Abbas Riding For The Disabled Friday 10am-12noon Term time, Luccombe Riding Centre, Sue Hodder 880229 Milton Abbas Sports Club Andy Smith 880310 Pamela Hambro Hall 880969 • pamelahambrohall.wix.com/home Patient Voice (the Patient Reference Group for Milton Abbas & Milborne St Andrew Surgery), Sec. Nigel Hodder 880229 Pilates 1 hr classes: Mon 10am; Tue 6.45pm; Wed 10am; Thu 12.00; PHH, Jilly Spencer 07971 755715 Round Robin Ramblers Normally 1st Sun & 3rd Wed each month Ian Bromilow 880044 River Stickland Management Group Richard Marchant 881716 (Secretary) r.marchant@btinternet.com Short Mat Bowls Mon 1.00pm PHH Francis Dennett 880129 Sticklebacks Parent & Toddler Group Tue (Term Time) 10am-12pm, PHH Cheryl 07795 687151 cheryl_s84@hotmail.com Swimming Lessons Juniors and adults. Beginners and improvers.

Maria 880895 or Richard 837402 Table Tennis for Adults Tue 2pm-4pm & Fri 7pm-9pm, PHH Graham Case 880740 Tai Chi & Chi Kung Thursdays 7.00 till 8.00pm Blackmorevale.taichi@gmail.com

To add or update a listing on this page please email news@valley-news.co.uk 19

Tennis Club Winterborne Sports Club, Stickland Jerry Kelsey 07765 777451 Valley Ringers John Close (Tower Capt, WW) 880457 Ann Fox (Tower Capt, WS) 881156 Valley Computer Club Richard D’Silva 880118 Valley Gardening Club sites.google.com/site/vgcdorset Mark Steele 880002 Valley Players 881415, www.valleyplayers.co.uk Whist Drive 3rd Wed of month, 7pm, RRMA. Entry £1 Winterborne Arts and Crafts First Wednesday every month, PHH W. Stickland Sports & Community Club Vaughan Manners 880969 • wssc.club The Winterborne’ Scout Group - Beavers, Cubs and Scouts Friday, Beavers, 5.30-6.45pm, Milborne St Andrew Sports Pavilion, Girls & Boys 6-8 years Friday, Cubs 6.30-8.15pm, Dunbury School Gym, Girls & Boys 8-10 years Friday, Scouts, 6.30-8.30pm, Winterborne Whitechurch Village Hall, Girls & Boys 10-14 years thewinterbornes@gmail.com 07873762035 Winterborne Whitechurch Village Hall See Text Ads Yoga Thu 9.30-10.30am, PHH, Louise Hull 860381 Zumba WVH, Various classes, AM & PM, Tue & Thu Tracy 07971 636437

Parish Council Websites winterbornestickland.org.uk winterbornehoughton.org.uk miltonabbaspc.org.uk. winterbornewhitechurchparishcouncil.org.uk

W CROSS R D Compiled by Nick Donnelly There are two sets of clues, Cryptic and Concise, but remember, you cannot mix the clues as the cryptic answers are different to the Concise ones.

Answers will be given in the next edition.

CRYPTIC Across 1. Most of Jill's partner precedes gong and an era (8) 5. Port in antipodes safe for larger ships (6) 9. Junior found in Caribbean Island without tail (3) 10. Lewd boob bra produces interesting noises! (6, 5) 12. Moved slowly around knight and got confused (10) 13. Sounds like told to go to get coin (4) 15. Articles don't apply to goddess (6) 16. Designer sink (7) 18. Lead oxide with spike in has no active ingredients, but works nevertheless (7) 20. Schedule a long time before gagging clause (6) 23. Villain in the past (after one) (4) 24. Got down off rum odd minutes (10) 26. College room latter half of circular amoeba, for example (11) 27. Flower in alfalfa (3) 28. Grave fellow (6) 29. Diminished passed time leisurely around IoM races (8) Down 1. Scottish sweetheart about German and jolly (6)

2. Taxi intelligence profits top team (7) 3. Flabbergasted when Gene, for example, entered plot with European (10) 4. A drunken Sailboard Sam behaving like an envoy (13) 6. Damage retiring in a soft bed (4) 7. Marine environment caused wonderment in fancied tennis player (7) 8. Check on love railway can be heard (8) 11. Agitate each brimfull I drink (13) 14. Inter without unknown French water about rodent official (10) 17. Bent fitting indecently at first trundled oddly (8) 19. Old Brit, heavenly messenger, having lost Europe, holds onto Scotsman (7) 21. Compliant Duchess, under the influence, found ultimate love initially (7) 22. Confused mixed up father guided physically (6) 25. Excepting the French ship (4)

CONCISE Across 1. Made to measure (8) 5. Remnant (6) 9. Insect (3) 10. Game (11) 12. RAF Rank (3-7)

13. Knife (4) 15. Patch of dirt (6) 16. Nine-sided figure (7) 18. Publish again (7) 20. Tease (6) 23. Unwanted email (4) 24. County town (10) 26. Objects of an oriental style (11) 27. Amphibian (3) 28. Wild cat (6) 29. Throw overboard (8) Down 1. Source of a cuppa (6) 2. Provisional (7) 3. Bizarre (10) 4. The structures that keep us from collapsing (13) 6. Flatter (4) 7. Machiavellian (7) 8. Capital of Uzbekistan (8) 11. Rate of gaining new skills (8,5) 14. Prior (10) 17. Italian sparkling wine (8) 19. John Lennon hit (7) 21. Architect (7) 22. Sea god (6) 25. Malta's second island (4)

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