Valley News May 2017

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E E R

Issue No. 124

May 2017

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

Bluebells and the Bee at Bulbarrow Mike

Helping to inform and unite the Community Š Valley News 2017

Content may not be reproduced without prior permission of the contributor

The replacement equipment for the play park has been decided on with the suppliers being ABC Playgrounds Ltd. They will be installing a new tower with slide etc. and a bird nest swing once the ground has been levelled and prepared. Fundraising plans include a Fun Dog Show and a Craft Fair together with other events in September. The Dunbury Academy has also applied for a lottery grant which they have offered to assist with the replacement costs if successful.

April: April's meeting was held on the 12th April in the Old School Room with 2 members of the public present.

As nothing further has been heard from DCC Highways regarding the village hall sign it was agreed to contact County Councillor Hilary Cox for her assistance in trying to sort the issue out and also to request clarification on the horse riding signs.

The play park is due to be levelled within the next 2 weeks as the tower has been removed so that the new equipment can be ordered.

A letter has been sent to the residents of Fields Close advising of the planned Fun Dog Show to be held there on September 16th along with other fundraising events with only one resident responding to the PC that they are unhappy with the idea.

The other events include a craft fair on the Academy playing field, a cake & flower competition in the Village hall, cream teas in the Old School Room and a quiz and fish & chip supper in the Village hall in the evening. All events are in aid of the Play Park Fund.

A question was asked whether there was going to be another entrance to the Teddy Rocks Festival at Charisworth Farm just outside of the parish later in April, as the last music event there caused issues with traffic on the A354. This will be checked out with NDDC. The damaged wall in Jubilee Walk which has been causing concern in the village has now been partially removed by the owner.

The next meeting including the AGM will be on Wednesday 10th May in the Old School Room at 7:30pm. All welcome For further information please contact the clerk on 01258 880600 or email to winterbornewhitechurch@dorset-aptc.gov.uk

Editorial Spring has certainly sprung!

It's remarkable how much the onset of spring has lifted spirits. So many conversations have reflected on the early arrival of a real variety of plants and birds - bluebells, swallows and oil-seed rape to name but a few. When have we seen so many fields bursting with their bright yellow flowers so early in April? We hope that farmers who rely on our normal patterns of weather - with more rain than we have seen in recent months! - manage to avoid what other areas of the country have suffered, with the rape crop failing through lack of moisture in the soil.

There are some forecasters who are already describing our current weather patterns to the hot, hot summer of 1976 when much of the country suffered extensive drought and very high temperatures. As ever with our weather, who knows what will come? Isn't that part of the joy of our climate?

This month we have had a bumper crop of adverts and some very interesting articles as well. We are very grateful to everyone for their understanding about the increased cost of the adverts - we have seen an increase in adverts rather than a decrease - and many of these this month are advertising events and activities that should appeal to a wide cross section. We hope that you will find something to take part in, and enjoy.

One of the articles - from Joy McCormick, who is becoming a regular contributor which we are really pleased about - is a fascinating but somewhat disturbing article about our trees, which are under increasing threat. Many of us can remember the deadly Dutch elm disease which devastated that particular tree species, and more recently the ash die-back disease. Well, it seems that there are even more problems that we should be on the lookout for. Do read Joy's article and enjoy the information available through the 'Observatree' website which she has provided for you.

Last month proved to be a really busy time for our printers, so we were a little later than we had hoped with receiving the printed magazines back from them. However, thanks to the sterling efforts of our delivery organisers Sue Eggar and Angela D'Silva, and our wonderful team of volunteers, most people got their copies just before or on the first day of the month, which is always our target.

Thank you for your continuing support for our magazine; we hope you enjoy this edition.

The Valley News Team

Winterborne Whitechurch 100 Club March

1st 2nd 3rd

83 Mr. R. Gardener 9 Mr. David Betts 64 Mrs. Gillian Cuff

Milton Abbas Local History Group We particularly enjoyed this meeting with a record attendance of 35 and lots of good ideas from members. Some visitors had come specifically to hear Martin Foers talk on the Damer Dynasty. This presentation was packed with information including the origins of the family's wealth following Cromwell's Irish war of 1649, and of course their family seat at Winterborne Came, Dorset. It was only due to Joseph, Lord Milton's vision and immense effort that we are blessed with the current village, Abbey and Capability Brown landscape. The presentation was supported by a display of the family tree which attracted much attention, and you are all welcome to come along next month to hear part 2.

One of our members has been transcribing the churchwardens' accounts from the 17th century and new information has been coming to light. We have learned that troops were billeted here during the Civil War and payments made to soldiers. One puzzling entry is "paide Gayle money for the whole year, ÂŁ1 6s", this possibly refers to Gaol, but we cannot be sure. It is certainly not to a person called Gayle. Any ideas?

There is clear evidence too in the church inventories of the changes caused by Puritan legislation.

Also of great interest is evidence that the new town may have been built rather later than we had thought. We have transcribed two leases for newly built property in 1780 and 1787. These leases contain sufficient detail for us to locate these buildings today. Again Joseph Lord Milton stipulated that the lessee "shall not nor will keep or permit or suffer to be kept any Inn Tavern Alehouse Victualling house or place of publick entertainment in or upon the premises".

We have arranged a forthcoming guided tour of Cerne Abbas, and a visit to the Dorset County Museum store.

If any of our readers would like to join in our discoveries please get in touch with: bryan.phillips2010@gmail.com Our next meeting will be: Wed 3 May, 19:30 Reading Rooms

Winterborne Whitechurch Parish Council March: The meeting was held on Wednesday 15th March in the Old School Room with 4 members of the public present.

A member of the public asked if the PC knew if there was any change proposed for the X12 bus service. The clerk advised that nothing had been heard from the County Council.

The damaged wall in Jubilee Walk has been inspected by NDDC and they understand that it is not in any immediate danger of falling down. As the PC has exhausted all avenues regarding the wall they are closing any further investigations into it.

Regarding the horse warning signs for Chescombe Lane the PC has now been advised by Highways that they are no longer able to provide such signs due to a change in policy even if the PC were to pay for them!

The Avian flu regulations have been relaxed for the local area as it is now outside the restricted zone, although precautions are still being recommended.

Two planning applications were under consideration. The first was to build an extension to a dwelling north of Keeper's Cottage to add a bedroom, lounge and toilet had no objections.

The second was regarding a variation to allow Lady Bailey Caravan Park to allow 12 months unrestricted occupancy followed by the erection of 48 static homes for sale. The PC has requested an extension for their comments to NDDC until April 13th to obtain more information.

Due to the current problems with the PC web site It was agreed for the clerk to obtain training to enable him to take over updating the site.

It was reported that the flower boxes in Fields Close were now looking good with a colourful display of flowers.

It was advised that the local speed watch team will be involved in a joint event with the Dorset police together with Devon & Cornwall police during April.

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28th May. We look forward to a good day - sunshine always helps starting at 11.00 a.m. and your presence is what we need most. See you there!

Dorset Police Rural Crime Team Walking your dog this weekend in the beautiful Dorset countryside?

Thinking of letting your dog off the lead?

We are warning all dog owners to keep their dogs on leads when walking them near livestock.

Sheep Worrying is a criminal offence and landowners can legally shoot a dog if they believe that their livestock is at risk under the Countryside Rights Of Way Act 1971.

With lambing season in full swing, the ewes are close to or about to give birth and any stress could have a major impact on the welfare of the ewe and also a financial implication to the farmer.

If you see a dog worrying or attacking livestock please call Dorset Police on 999.

The Valley Walk Please join us for The Valley Walk on Saturday June 3rd. This will be the fourteenth year that we have walked from Turnworth to Milton Abbas via each of the churches of the Benefice.

The walk is for fun, for fellowship and to raise money for two very worthwhile charities. Some people are able to walk the whole way and others join in for just one or two stages - all are welcome.

The charities are DoubleJoy and TRUSTchildren. DoubleJoy supports children in rural Africa and TRUSTchildren supports children in rural India. There are direct links between local residents and the Children's Homes in India and Africa and we know that all the money donated will reach and support these children. More info online: www.double-joy.org.uk and www.TRUSTchildren.org.uk There will be leaflets giving timings and further details of the walk in all of the churches. Please visit and collect one, or contact me.

Busy Month For Bus2Go April was a very busy month with outings and presentations and a wedding between two of our passengers.

Richard D'Silva, 880118 or richard@dsilva.net

Murder in Winterborne Stickland For the past eight years the Valley players based in Winterborne Stickland have raised thousands of pounds for various charities by hosting a Murder Mystery. The members of this long standing amateur acting group get together and write their own play based on a theme of their choice. Past murders have been in a World War II hospital, a country manor, a day at the races, a country Fete and many more.

The Valley Players have existed for over 30 years. Founded by the WI it was then called the Valley Wives and the ladies provided entertainment such as talent shows and sketch shows with a supper included. Later the group turned to pantomime and were featured on the BBC Countryfile programme which can be viewed on YouTube (search for 'Dorset pantomime'). Things have changed through the years with a new village hall and up to date technology but the atmosphere is the same and they still include a supper at the pantomimes. They even have some of their original members. Having been asked to do a murder mystery play for Kingston Maurward Estate some eight years ago they decided to carry on with these to help local charities. Last year they performed "A Fete Worse than Death " around various village halls for four different groups to help with their fund raising.

The weather was perfect for our first outing of the month to Bridport and West Bay. The outing offered Shopping at Bridport and the market. At West Bay some of us were booked into the George for lunch. We had 31 passengers on the outing and sadly some passengers that booked late were unable to join us as the bus was full.

Our outings are becoming very popular; to avoid disappointment early booking is advisable. Our second outing in April had 40 passengers booked on.

To celebrate our fifth anniversary, we shall be going on a Horse Drawn Barge 1st June, 2017. We have a few spaces available.

To avoid disappointment, please phone 01258 837749/07917298321 or visit www.bus2godorset.org to see a full list of our outings through to the end of July and to book on the web site.

Margo - Founder and Trustee

Turnworth in May We look forward to seeing you at this year's fund raising venture for Turnworth Church - please note the earlier than usual weekend.

We plan to hold our main church fund raising event at the Old Rectory, Turnworth (by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Richard Heald) on Sunday 28th May from 11.00 a.m. There will again be a plant sale - shrubs, vegetable and flower seedlings etc for sale and other stalls such as books, bric-a-brac, hand mades, produce and tea and cakes. (The bric-a-brac has been especially successful with many making spectacular "finds"!) There will be the chance to explore and have fun in the garden or to simply sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings with delicious homemade cakes and a cup of tea.

The Church will be open, decorated with flowers, and during the day there will be musical interludes for you to enjoy. A number of the other gardens in the village will be open so that you may see the diversity and beauty of gardens in Turnworth. We very much wish to keep the Church as a focus of our village life so if anyone would like to help us on the day in person or by doing some baking or by donation please let us know. If any gardeners have any plants/shrubs surplus to requirements we'd love to hear from you. If you can help in any way please contact Rosemary Hennicker 01258 480933, Sue Dalton-Brewer on 01258 455788, Sarah or Richard Heald on 01258 450326 or John Tory on 01258 453491 otherwise - please remember the date - Sunday

Guests are always encouraged to dress for the occasion but the only involvement is to solve the crime by questioning the characters as they mingle around the tables after the murder. This year's murder will take place at a wedding. There are always plenty of skeletons in the cupboard and secrets to be kept around a family gathering. What is the saying? " You can pick your friends but not your family." The murder will take place at the Pamela Hambro Hall Winterborne Stickland on the 24th of June. You are invited to attend and to enjoy a light hearted play (murder included). The evening will also include a 3 course meal comprising of a starter, a delicious cold wedding buffet and a desert trolley followed by coffee and mints, certainly well worth ÂŁ20 with all profits going to charity. This year's charity is the Blandford Opportunity Group, a pre-school for children with special needs. If you can't make this murder then don't worry as they will be taking it around the villages again. The next date will be 30th September in Durwestern Village hall for Durwestern School PTA. They will also be doing the 18th November for Teddy 20.

For more info or to book tickets visit www.valleyplayers.co.uk or facebook The Valley Players Winterborne Stickland 4

Charisworth Farm

Hog Roasts Event catering 01258 453202 • 07766 913943 Private parties Machine Hire Outdoor reared Pork, Lamb or Turkey Call to discuss your requirements Meat boxes also available

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forests in the eastern USA during the first half of the 20th century, killing an estimated 3.5 billion trees after it was accidentally introduced there from Asia. Although losses have not been on the same scale in Europe, it has spread steadily throughout much of Europe, and tree losses have been regionally significant. Sweet chestnuts are grown commercially in Europe and the UK for the timber and nut markets, so in addition to environmental and biodiversity impacts, it can have an economic impact.

In response, a prohibition has been imposed on the movement of sweet chestnut material including plants, logs, branches, foliage and firewood out of, or within certain zones in Devon and Dorset with a 5 kilometre (3.2 mile) radius from where sweet chestnut blight has been found. As the disease can occasionally affect oak trees, the same restrictions apply to oak within an area with a 1kilometre (0.62mile) radius inside these zones.

The Observatree project aims to protect UK trees, woods and forests from existing or new pests and diseases. With advice from the UK Plant Health Risk Group, it focuses on the ones of highest concern.

The earlier these are spotted, the higher the chances that outbreaks can be eliminated or controlled.

Volunteers play an essential role within Observatree. They are critical 'citizen scientists' who help perform a number of functions.

Anyone can help and this could be you! The Woodland Trust isn't looking for any huge commitment. All it asks is that you keep an eye out when you're out and about around trees.

If you are interested in learning more there are a number of free, downloadable resources available. Included in these is a handy pest and disease calendar which highlights key pest and disease signs and symptoms across the year. Observatree also produces quarterly bulletins and monthly blogs about their progress so, if you want to know more, visit www.observatree.org.uk for further information.

By working together we can have more eyes on the ground and hope to secure a better future for our trees and the valley we live in.

Doggie Show-offs on the Green 2017 On Sunday, 7 May we will be hosting the 2017 Fun Dog Show on the Village Green in Winterborne Stickland starting at 2pm. There will be a range of classes to enter, including two new classes to test your best friend's skills and your training!

The classes this year are: The dog with the most appealing eyes.

The pair of dogs most unalike. Best handler. Best condition (as thought by the judges). Best biscuit catcher (your dog will love practising for this one!) The dog with the waggiest tail. Best tricks (so keep up the training). Fastest sit down (even more training). The dog the judges would most like to take home and, of course, the dog most like its owner (variety of props allowed). As the agility class we trialled last year was so popular, we will be running this class too, Kevin and Jason have been working hard preparing fun obstacles for this. And, as a special bonus, Glynis and her lovely dogs will demonstrate their agility skills - a display not to be missed. The entry fee for each class will be ÂŁ1. Rosettes will be awarded for first, second and third places and there will be treats for the entrants. Refreshments will be available with water bowls provided for your pets, and tea/coffee/soft drinks and delicious home-made cakes for you to buy and enjoy if you wish. Please note that dog waste disposal and bins will be provided, we ask that all dog owners keep their dogs on leads and act responsibly. We look forward to sharing a great fun afternoon with you, your family, neighbours and, of course, your best friend. If you don't have a dog why not come along to watch and share in the fun too.

St Mary's PCC & Events Team

The Valley Gardening Club It was so good to see so many of you at our extra talk 'Dorset Owls and their Habitat' on Thursday 6th April. We hope that you enjoyed the evening and that we see you again at our other talks and events.

A draft version of the Summer Show schedule is now available on our web site - sites.google.com/site/vgcdorset - along with our calendar of events. We are still finalising the details of the classes for our Children's section.

We have introduced a junior membership at 50p for the year for the younger ones interested joining the club.

On Wednesday 5th July, we are planning a coach trip to the Wells, where you can visit The Bishops Palace and Gardens or you can explorer the city and go shopping. If you would like to book a place, please contact Pat Oakley on 880445 or email valleygardening@gmail.com.

Our Plant Sale this year will be on Saturday 3rd June at St. Mary's Church, Stickland. If you have any plants to donate or have any spare 5 to 7 inch plant pots that we can use, we'd be very grateful.

Spring Show Results Congratulations to all our exhibitors for producing another brilliant Spring Show, and to the following who won awards.

Daffodils (Growing) The Bob Steele Cup Hazel Steele Daffodils (Cut) The Ivor Billett Memorial Cup Hazel Steele General Cup Sheila Pilkington & Hans Hennicker The Presidents Vase Richard Marchant Cookery Philippa Smith Cookery - The Reg Lomax Tankard Richard Marchant The Photograhy Cup Pat Butler The W.I. Cup for best photo Pat Butler

Joy McCormick

Dunbury CofE Academy Beech Class are the smallest children at Dunbury Academy but they have definitely been working hard this term and it is hard to believe that they are now 2/3rds of their way through their first year at school.

Our topic this year has been all about Dinosaurs. At times I think the children have taught us more than we have taught them about dinosaurs. We have been involved in measuring the size of dinosaurs on the playground outside as well as watching some mysterious ice eggs melt to release baby dinosaurs inside.

Mark Steele, valleygardening@gmail.com

It's time to act!

We took a trip to the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester where we made our own fossils and learnt about the discovery of a pliosaur in Weymouth.

We have been learning to use our phonic knowledge to write words and sentences. Our writing has included signs such as 'please don't eat me' (a message to the dinosaurs) and 'don't step on the flowers' (to protect the daffodil bulbs as they have grown).

In maths as well as lots of counting and looking at shapes, we have been learning to estimate a group of objects which seems to have involved eating brownies and chocolate as they help us to learn things quickly!

Next term we will be looking at growing things and exploring traditional tales which will involve a lot of growing plants for the garden and maybe a giant bean stalk or two.

As the weather warms up across the Winterborne Valley we begin to see the woodland waking up. Spring brings with it a sense of anticipation, a sudden flush of colour - an excitement about what will emerge. We expect it to happen every year but what if it didn't?

As a recent volunteer for the Woodland Trust I have begun to realise that our trees are under unprecedented threat from new pests and diseases from other parts of the world. Curious names like oak lace bug, horse chestnut leaf miner, red necked longhorn beetle, or Phytophthora austrocedri could all have a significant impact on our environment.

An outbreak of Sweet Chestnut blight has recently been discovered near Exeter. Caused by a fungal infection it is usually fatal to European and North American sweet chestnut trees. It devastated sweet chestnut 6

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Valley News around the World

Leaving Rio de Janeiro passing Sugar Loaf Mountain. Mike

Ospizio Bernina in Switzerland, 403ft above sea level. Greame Gale The Valley News in Marrakech.

Carolyn Walsham

Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Andrew Gould

If you are travelling this year, please send us a photo with the Valley News.

We love seeing them!

Email to news@valley-news.co.uk I’ve just returned from a visit to the TRUST Children’s Home in rural south India and took a copy of Valley News with me!

The children at the Home are all destitute rural boys and girls with no parents or extended family able to support them. They are given a home, love, security, food and education so that the cycle of deprivation can be broken. Generous people in our valley have been offering support to them since the home was opened in 2005 to care for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami.

If you would like to see some pictures and know more, please visit TRUSTchildren.org.uk, facebook.com/TRUSTchildrenSupportGroup, pick up a leaflet in one of our churches or get in touch with me. It would be great to hear from you and to tell you more about the great work being done to support these lovely children!

Richard D’Silva, 880118 richard@dsilva.net 8

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Around the Valley How briefly blooms the blossom, before falling without sound.

Scattering as confetti, beneath the tree, upon the ground. Jackie Grearson

Taken in West Street.

Jackie Grearson

We were thrilled to have cows peering over our stile on a beautiful spring day Nigel & Nicky

Taken at 09:30 on April 1st. Our house overlooks the Winterborne Valley in Winterborne Whitechurch.

This is the first time in the 30 years we've lived here that we have seen such a well defined rainbow.

Mike Dicks

VN Team: Advertising: Distribution: Printing: Payments: Small Ads: Charity Events: Articles: Deadlines:

Graham Case, Valerie Ashford, Claire & John Scott, Barbara Luke, Jim Luke 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 Mark Steele at news@valley-news.co.uk or to Valerie Ashford, 11 Fairmead, Stickland (DT11 OND) Please include name & contact number in case of any queries.

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.

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Events COFFEE MORNING & CHARITY SHOP • Mondays • 10.30am12noon • St. Mary’s Church, Stickland WHITECHURCH YOUTH CLUB (7-14 year olds welcome) Mondays • 6.30pm • Whitechurch Village Hall COFFEE STOP • Tuesdays • 10.30am-12noon • St James, Milton Abbas CUP-N-CAKE • Wednesdays • 10.30am-12noon • Old School Room, Whitechurch ROUND ROBIN RAMBLERS Sun 7th May • 2pm • Nether Cerne & Bramble Bottom (4½m) Meet outside St Mary's Church, Cerne Abbas Wed 24th May • 11am • Sherborne, Haydon & Folke (6m) Meet near Haydon Church Sun 4th Jun • 2pm • Milton Abbas & surroundings (4½m) Meet at Milton Abbas Church More info: Ian Bromilow 880044 BERE REGIS FLORAL GROUP • Creative Creations • Tue 11th May • 2pm • Kingston Village Hall Visitors & New Members welcome BINGO • Fri 19th May • 7.30pm • Whitechurch Village Hall Raffle, Refreshments • In aid of Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance CAR BOOT/TABLETOP SALE • Sat 20th May • 10am-1pm • Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Cecilia Catholic Church, Blandford Fundraiser for Parish Room Milborne Movies ‘A UNITED KINGDOM’ (12A) • Friday 21st May • 7.30pm • Milborne St. Andrew Village Hall Bar open 7pm. Tickets £3.50 on the door.

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Events & Notices

We now have very few flower arrangers for St Andrew’s Church in Winterborne Houghton.

If anyone would be interested in doing some arrangements from time to time, please contact Stella Doar 880371 We regret to inform everyone in Stickland, Houghton and Clenston that, due to personal circumstances we will not continue selling or delivering newspapers (or sending/receiving parcels) as of 31st May 2017.

It is not an especially onerous task so if anyone would like to take on this valued local service (or knows anyone who might do so), they should contact us on 01258 881483 or smphilippa@aol.com for more information.

Philippa and David Smith

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Polly 'Bs' 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.

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

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 ALL ADVERTISING TO BE PRE-PAID

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Streamwatch

How Do Trees Know?

Walking between Stickland and Houghton is always a pleasure particularly when you try and count all the birds seen on the journey.

To spot 10 different species is invariably quite easy, and sometimes 15 or more different bird types can be identified come summer or winter.

It's nice to see something special: a kingfisher, a goldcrest, a fieldfare, and of course, the little egrets are always a joy to behold. Shortly swallows will be abundant in the valley, exhausted after their long migration from southern Africa. A glimpse of a swallow was caught above Normandy Farm on 7th April and then on 14th April above Water Lane so they will be regularly swooping and chasing insects along the course of the Winterborne River by early May.

How do trees know, when it's time to grow, new blossom and buds for the Spring?

Are they aware of a change in the air, or perhaps when the birds start to sing?

How do trees know when to put on a show, of boughs laden in full green-leafed glory?

Does the warmth of the sun tell them Summer's begun?

Only the trees know the story.

How do trees know when an Autumn wind blows, to colour their leaves gold and brown?

How do they know when it's time to let go, and send their leaves spiralling down?

Do the wind and the rain sing a mournful refrain, of the coming of frost and of snow?

Whatever the reasons, at the change of the seasons, those wonderful trees always know.

Jackie Grearson

Book Review The Shepherd's Life: a tale of the Lake District, by James Rebanks This is a passionately-written memoir by an unusual Lake District sheep farmer. Rebanks (born in 1974) brings his motivation tellingly to life. In his Cumbrian secondary modern school: 'I argued with our dumbfounded headmaster that school was really a prison and "an infringement of my human rights". He looked at me strangely, and said, "But what would you do at home?" As if this was an impossible question to answer. "I'd work on the farm," I answered equally amazed that he couldn't see how simple this was.'

This sense of the contempt which the available intellectual class had for his family's way of life was reinforced at a particular school assembly, where a female teacher implied that the pupils 'were too dumb to want to leave'. Decades later, Rebanks is understandably indignant that 'The idea that we, our fathers and mothers, might be proud, hard-working and intelligent people doing something worthwhile, or even admirable, seemed to be beyond her.'

A few years later, Rebanks came across the highly Romanticised view of the Lakes as a place of 'nature', in which the farmers, the people who lived there, did not feature. This was galling, leading Rebanks to demand that 'The real history of our landscape should be the history of the nobodies' who work on it. As his memoir shows, he learnt to combat his own chippiness, and can now acknowledge that 'more than half the employment in the area is reliant upon tourism' and that this ancient way of life has survived in part because of the historic poverty of the land and 'because it was protected from change by the early conservation movement.' It was the Tales of Beatrix Potter that made the biggest practical difference, as, with the money from her hugely successful books, the writer and conservationist bought swathes of the Lake District during 1905-1940, and bequeathed these to the National Trust. Potter's former land now constitutes much of the Lake District National Park.

The Shepherd's Life is most vivid when the author tells everyday shepherding stories, focused on his flock of sturdy Herdwick sheep. He writes relatively little about the landscape, though there are a few lyrical passages. The meat of the book is the business of shepherding, which is mentally demanding (like that of all skilled businesses) because rearing, selling and buying lambs, at the right price, is crucial to economic survival. And it is not a matter of squeezing out the highest (or lowest) price because - within a margin for canniness - the price must be seen to be fair in the close-knit farming community, or a shepherd's reputation may be lost.

We also learn something of James Rebanks's personal life: his all-important grandad, the patriarch in charge of the two small fell farms which the family worked; the painful generational conflict with his father; his wilder drinking companions from school days; his sudden conversion to the path of love when he meets his rock-like wife-to-be, Helen; and his astonishing journey in his 20s, without (initially) any A-levels, to a degree in Oxford University, which he went through largely outside college life, working feverishly at his books and earning money in Helen's catering business. It is a sign of the man (and his wife) that he is intensely proud of having made it to Oxford, but we don't

Picture: Swallow perching on overhead wires - Will Bown

Nesting is well under way and so any maintenance to the river must be done sensitively. One bird that is unusually prominent at this time of year is the Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes. (The Latin name means cave-dweller - which is misleading.) Wrens are resident throughout the year in Britain and can presently be seen singing from the tops of the hedgerows advertising the tenancy of various 'des. res.' built to impress a potential partner. They are shy birds and are usually heard before seen. For a small bird the song is loud, melodious, lasting about 5 seconds and usually ending on a trill. They are more likely to be seen in winter when hunger induces boldness as they look for spiders, insects and larvae. You may have seen wrens searching for food in your garden, particularly on plants like cotoneaster, searching around the base of pots or perhaps even on a winter hanging basket.

Male birds build several globe shaped nests each season using moss, grass and leaves to create a hollow nest: in banks, trees or in previous nests. The female chooses the nest she likes the best to raise her clutch.

Their eggs are 16mm by 13mm in size and total 5 to 8 in number. Both parents feed their young for which their long pointed bills are ideal for choosing and delivering tasty morsels to their hungry chicks. Fledging takes place between 15 and 20 days after hatching.

Wrens were considered to be Britain's smallest bird although they are not; the goldcrest and firecrest being even smaller. By comparison, a wren has an equivalent weight of a ÂŁ1 coin, whereas the goldcrest has that of a 20p piece (a blue tit ÂŁ2 and the sparrow 2xÂŁ2 coins). Being thought of as the smallest bird, the Royal Mint produced a farthing coin - equal to 1/48 of a 5p piece, between 1937 and 1956, depicting a wren on one side and a profile of King George VI or Queen Elizabeth II on the other.

Being called a Jenny Wren is intriguing. Folklore identifies the Wren as 'King of all birds' and authors throughout ages have used the wren as a comparator of something small yet strong. Dickens in 'Our Mutual' Friend tells of a central character, Jenny Wren, the doll's dressmaker, as a small, frail and possibly neglected daughter of her ne'er-do-well father and portrays her with much strength and spirit. However earlier literary references to Jenny Wren go back to Shakespeare and before.

When next walking along Water Lane, have a close look for these small chestnut coloured restless birds with a short upright tail, darting within the hedge, often low and near the water. So look hard and enjoy a melodious concert as you walk. In early April there were at least five hopeful males along this stretch telling of their property portfolios.

If you would like to help and become involved in supporting the River Stickland Management Group, please contact Richard Marchant - 01258 881716.

River Stickland Management Group 18

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learn from his memoir what his degree or subject was (he got a double first in History - and has a following of 94,000 on Twitter as "herdyshepherd1"). His intention was, and remains, to be a successful and well-regarded fell-side shepherd, no more, no less.

Mark Hudson

coloured stems and gives you two vegetables in one - the leaves and the stems. But it's still easier to find in the farmers' market than the store.

Swiss chard au gratin is a classic French dish and many vegetables go well with a cheese sauce, which is easy to make in a variety of different ways. The first stage is to make a roux with melted butter, plain flour and milk, well seasoned. To avoid the lumps, warm the milk first before adding it slowly, followed by cheese of your choice and more seasoning. Mustard is a classic addition for a cheese sauce, which can be powder, Dijon, coarse grain, tarragon or whatever else tickles your fancy. Add as much or as little as your taste buds tell you and the liquid can be milk, cream, sour cream, chicken or vegetable stock or wine. The choice depends partly on how rich you want the sauce to be, what you are serving it with and simply how you feel on the day.

But back to Swiss chard. I make a delicious vegetable dish of leeks, garlic and Swiss chard over which I pour a cheese sauce and leave in the oven till gloriously brown and bubbling. If you can't get chard then use spinach. Personally I don't like big thick leeks as they can go slimy when cooked so my preference is for the smaller ones. At this time of year, with loads of wild garlic growing in the woods and hedgerows I add a good handful for flavour and colour.

Once you are happy with the dish it's time to ring the changes.

Place a layer of hard boiled eggs on the bottom of your ovenproof dish, followed by the vegetables and sauce. Or add some bacon mixed in with the vegetables. Why not use leftover chicken at the base, or sausages, or how about some salmon or one of Hans's fantastic trout.

A simple vegetable dish suddenly becomes a one dish supper. Add leftover broccoli or cauliflower to the mix and turn them into a quick and easy supper, so have the confidence to experiment with recipes.

One third of all food produced is wasted and while we can't make a major impact as individuals every little bit helps and adds to the fun of cooking, as well as helping the household budget.

Claire Scott

Down the Garden Path Easter has passed so fingers crossed that we don't face late frosts or cold snaps to interrupt the amazing growth that happens at this time of year.

Many of us have added a sun room or conservatory to our homes and have discovered what a pest flies can be, appearing like magic from hibernating in window and door frames the moment the sun heats up.

Three years ago I bought two pitcher plants which are incredibly easy to look after. They sit in water until bonfire night and then they go outside in the winter chill until Valentine's Day. This year I brought them in as usual and the plants produced single stems with a balloon on the end. These have now opened to produce a beautifully strange flower in an unusual lime green colour which is another good reason to grow them - I was only sorry that they flowered just after the Spring Show, but perhaps next year!

Recently I bought a packet of seeds for a round squash only to discover that there was only one seed in the packet! Many gardeners collect their own seeds to avoid such disappointment and the soil should be warm enough by now to sow the seed direct. I prefer to sow indoors as pheasants, pigeons, rabbits and blackbirds enjoy playing with my seeds outdoors. I plant in a deep seed tray which means that the seedlings have good roots before they need to be potted on. Growing from seeds gives you more choice in the varieties you grow but if you don't have the space or the time small plants are readily available in markets and garden centres and even supermarkets have joined in the fun.

I know that vegetables and fruit can take a bit of work but there's nothing to beat freshly picked produce from your own garden which tastes so much better than supermarket vegetables, which were picked so long before, and often under-ripe, that they have lost much of their flavour and nutrition in the chilling process. There's nothing to beat a freshly picked tomato, still warm from the sun's rays and there are plenty of varieties to choose from, indeed so many that I recently bought two of each from one market trader as I couldn't make my mind up! Some are perfect for hanging baskets, others suit pots and some prefer being indoors so if you share my love of a tomato salad with a little basil, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, then have a go, even if it's only one plant.

Strawberries are a classic summer favourite but I stick to the old adage of not buying them till after Wimbledon, partly because while the Spanish product may look good, it never tastes quite the same and eating things in our seasons reminds you of the passing of the year.

However breeders have developed new strains which fruit earlier and later in the season so that we can indulge our love for the fruit for longer. They are pretty plants in their own right and the suckers which they throw off give you the baby plants to replace the parents after about three years, by which time they are exhausted through having to satisfy your appetite. So plant out some now and you will be enjoying their wonderful flavour this summer.

Claire Scott

Deadlines for June’s Valley News Adverts & Events WED 10th MAY Articles MON 15th MAY Giant Boulder Unearthed in Whitechurch At Field Barn Farm the large powerful tractors used for ploughing are normally an "unstoppable force" and nothing much gets in their way. This year however there was a large thunk and the tractor was brought to an abrupt halt. The reason, sadly, was not buried treasure - instead we had hit a giant boulder.

What's Cooking?

There has been a lot in the press recently about food waste with people no longer planning their meals for the week ahead and instead relying on impulse buying from supermarkets which leads to loads of food being binned, sometimes because it is past its sell-by date and at other times simply because the purchaser doesn't really know how to make the best of it and so simply doesn't enjoy eating it.

This set off a train of thought about cookery books and programmes. How often do you hear someone say that they came across a good recipe but couldn't find one of the ingredients or didn't fancy one of them. The idea of adapting a recipe to suit our personal tastes seems to have vanished as chefs and writers present food in a prescriptive fashion.

So I thought that this month I would play with an idea. Over the years I have recommended Swiss chard, both to eat and to grow. It doesn't bolt as easily as spinach, is beautiful in the garden for the

We are quite used to small boulders on the farm but this one was the largest that we've encountered - weighing about three tonnes.

Digging it out was at the limits of our JCB's capabilities. You can get a feel for the size in comparison to five year old Josh Bagwell in the picture.

The boulder is a fine grained quartzite and is known as a Dorset Sarsen. The origins of these sarsens is not fully understood. They are either carried here by ice or perhaps they are the remnants of a geological formation that has since been completely eroded away.

The boulder is a lovely shape and will make a natural birdbath probably near the main entrance to the farm.

Graham Birch 20

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The Winterborne Valley & Milton Abbas Benefice Dear Reader, It is four years now, since Harriet and I came to live in Dorset and I have been thinking back over those years. It has surprised me to see the movement of people in our villages. I hadn't realised how many people would come and then go in that space of time. In all of that, when I look in the service attendance registers in our churches going back over the last thirty years or so, the numbers of people attending church has stayed about the same. Perhaps, even showing a slow and steady increase in the last year or so.

Whilst this is reassuring, there is always the struggle to keep our churches financially viable. There is a very real cost to having a church in the community. By that, I mean for the building to remain standing and to be open for the whole community. Each community seems to expect the church to be there. It always has been, so always will be. We expect to have our babies baptised, to be married and to have our funerals in our village churches. Do we expect to contribute to their existence?

You might be interested to see what the running costs for our village churches are. These are the 2016 figures of two of them: St Mary's, Whitechurch - £12,000, or £230 per week.

St Andrew's, Houghton - £9,500, or £185 per week.

There is a myth that our churches are State funded or that they FROM THE REGISTERS

Baptisms Funerals

Clenston Houghton Milton Abbas Stickland Turnworth Whitechurch Theme Old Testament Epistle Gospel

Harry Eric Vater Katie Maria Ledbury Gillian Margaret Dick Prunella Erdozain

7th May 4th of Easter White 1000 HC EP 1000 MW IB/WB 1000 MW + baptism x 2 AR 0830 (BCP) sHC AR

Giving not taking Acts 2: 42-47 1 Peter 2: 2-10 John 10:1-10

are centrally funded. The finance that keeps our churches open is generously given by local people. There is a very real cost to having a church in a village. Some of our churches are facing some difficult decisions. St Andrew's in Winterborne Houghton has £20,000 of electrical problems. St Mary's, Whitechurch needs a new roof for the Parish Room, more recently known as the Old School Room. I daren't think what the quotes for that will look like! These sums are on top of the running costs.

Someone has said: there are three kinds of givers -- the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb. To get anything out of a flint you must hammer it. And then you get only chips and sparks. To get water out of a sponge you must squeeze it, and the more you use pressure, the more you will get. But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness. Which kind of giver are might you be?

Of course, the another argument could be: "Do your giving while you're living so you're knowing where it's going."

The question that I am interested in is: Do we want our churches enough that we are willing to help in a financial way to keep them open? If we do, why do we leave it to 10 or 20 people to bear this burden? If you would like to help, I would love to hear from you 01258 880482, or alanryan1957@btinternet.com, Blessings, Alan Ryan

on 12th March 2017 on 19th March 2017 on 20th March 2017 on 21st March 2017 14th May 5th of Easter White

1800 HC AR 0830 HC BCP AR 1000 MW JT 1000 HC AR Divine hospitality Acts 7: 55-60 1 Peter 2: 2-10 John 14:1-4

at St Mary's, Winterborne Whitechurch. at St Mary's, Winterborne Whitechurch. at St James', Milton Abbas. at St Mary's, Winterborne Stickland.

21st May 6th of Easter White

28th May 7th of Easter White

1800 (BCP) EP JTh 1000 HC JHB

1000 HC TS 1000 MW AR 1800 HC AR 1000 MW AR 0830 (BCP) sHC AR Knowing and not knowing A living prayer Acts 17: 22-31 Acts 1: 6-14 1 Peter 3: 13-22 1 Peter 4: 12-14, 5: 6-11 John 14:15-21 John 17:1-11

MIDWEEK SERVICES: Mondays & Tuesdays 0835 Morning Prayer Stickland Wednesdays 0930 HC Milton Abbas SERVICES KEY: BCP 1662 Book of Common Prayer Traditional EP Evening Prayer HC Holy Communion (Eucharist) MW Morning Worship, informal service for all, with old & new hymns & songs, without Holy Communion SHC Service without hymns or music Rev'd Alan Ryan - AR • 01258 880482 • www.winterbornevalleyandmiltonbenefice.com Rev'd Sue Litchfield - SL Rev'd Jimmy Hamilton-Brown - JHB Rev’d Tina Sterling - TS Emily D'Silva EdS Debbie Albery DA Harriet Ryan HR Jenny Tory JT Ian Bromilow IB Wilma Bromilow WB Piers Chichester PC

Valley News

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

COPIES AVAILABLE FROM: • Winterborne Whitechurch Church • East Farm Shop, Winterborne Whitechurch • The Milton Arms, Winterborne Whitechurch • Milton Abbas Post Office • Pamela Hambro Hall, Winterborne Stickland • Winterborne Stickland Church • The Crown, Winterborne Stickland • Blandford Tourist Information Centre

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

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

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