Sherborne Times June 2016

June 2016 | FREE

A MONTHLY CELEBR ATION OF PEOPLE, PLACE AND PURVEYOR

IN THE WORKSHOP with Jamie and Rhiannon of J Smith Woodwork

e Exclusoiv er ff r reade ffee o Reads C www.sherbornetimes.co.uk

S

WELCOME

herborne bursts into life this month as we celebrate The Queen’s 90th birthday with a grand procession, music, entertainment and a huge party in Pageant Gardens. Further cause for celebration is the news that our very own Winstone’s has been crowned Independent Bookshop of the Year by the British Book Awards 2016. It is testament to the hard work of Wayne, Helen and Hazel that a small shop, in a small town can set the bar nationally for an industry otherwise dominated by chainstores and online behemoths. Helen in fact, joins us this month with the first of our children’s book reviews. We also welcome new writers - Nick Folland, headmaster at Sherborne Prep School, Sue Fisher of Mini First Aid and Mark Greenstock, chairman of the Sherborne Literary Society. Colin Lambert returns with a new feature ‘Folk Tales’, while Kitty Oakshott joins us from Upstairs Downstairs Interiors to help enliven our homes. On the subject of homes, we visit Jamie and Rhiannon, the ambitious young duo behind J. Smith Woodwork, an exciting local startup producing beautiful kitchen cabinetry and unique, bespoke pieces.

Have a great month.

Glen Cheyne, Editor editor@sherbornetimes.co.uk @sherbornetimes

CONTRIBUTORS Editorial and Creative Direction Glen Cheyne

Mike Burks The Gardens Group @TheGardensGroup thegardeneronline.co.uk

Steve Hurley Oxley Sports Centre @OxleySports oxleysc.com

Design Andy Gerrard

Niki Cassar The Sherborne Rooms @nikicassar nikicassar.com

Colin Lambert colinlambert.co.uk

Photography Katharine Davies Feature Writer Jo Denbury Print

Gillian M Constable DWT Sherborne Group @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk Jill Cook @JillCookPCT jillcook.co.uk David Copp

Distribution Team Maggie Belly Richard & Heather Betton-Foster Sarah Copley Christine Knott Sarah Morgan Roger & Mary Napper Claire Pilley Judith Rust Geoff Wood Contact 01935 814803 07957 496193 @sherbornetimes editor@sherbornetimes.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk Sherborne Times is printed on Edixion Offset, an FSCÂŽ and EU Ecolabel certified paper. It goes without saying that once thoroughly well read, this magazine is easily recycled and we actively encourage you to do so.

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither Sherborne Times nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. Sherborne Times does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without prior permission from Sherborne Times.

Additional photography contributor's own and www.shutterstock.com 4 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

Jason Moore & Adam Corbin The Dining Room @Diningsherborne thediningroomsherborne.com Jenny Dickinson Dear to Me, Fine Stationery @DearToMeStudio deartome.co.uk

Mark Lewis Symonds and Sampson @symsam symondsandsampson.co.uk Jeremy Le Sueur 4 Shires Asset Management @4ShiresAM 4-shires.com Helen Lickerish 56 London Road Clinic @56londonroad 56londonroad.co.uk @FSaddiction fullstoptherapy.co.uk Sasha Matkevich The Green Restaurant @greensherborne greenrestaurant.co.uk

Giles Dick-Read Reads Coffee Roasters @reads_coffee readscoffee.co.uk

Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS Newton Clarke Veterinary Partnership @swanhousevet newtonclarkepartnership.co.uk

Alan & Sue Dodge Bailey Ridge @YourBaileyRidge baileyridge.co.uk

Kitty Oakshott Upstairs Downstairs Interiors @updowninteriors updowninteriors.co.uk

Sue Fisher Mini First Aid minifirstaid.co.uk

Lisa Osman All Hallows Farmhouse School for Cooks & Makers @cooksandmakers allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk

Jimmy Flynn Milborne Port Computers @MPortComputers computing-mp.co.uk Nick Folland Sherborne Prep School @Sherborneprep sherborneprep.org Andrew Fort Fort Financial Planning ffp.org.uk Paul Gammage and Anita Light EweMove Sherborne @ewemoveyeovil ewemove.com Rachel Goodfellow The Hidden Needs Trust @HiddenNeedTrust hiddenneedstrust.org Mark Greenstock Sherborne Literary Society sherborneliterarysociety.com

Peter Henshaw & Mike Riley Riley’s Cycles @rileyscycles rileyscycles.co.uk @DCNSherborne dcn.org.uk Dr Tim Robinson MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom Glencairn House Clinic glencairnhouse.co.uk doctortwrobinson.com Sally Wellbourn Dorset Wildlife Trust @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk Helen Stickland Winstone's Books @winstonebooks winstonebooks.co.uk Canon Eric Woods Sherborne Abbey @SherborneAbbey sherborneabbey.com

36 6 What’s On

Your monthly events guide for Sherborne and its villages

JUNE 2016 25 Colouring Page

You know you want to 28 Interiors

10 Unearthed

A new regular interiors feature with Kitty Oakshott

12 Shopping Guide

32 In the Garden with Mike Burks

Amy Rippen

With Elly Vvaller having left us to sell her boutique stationery to the Swedish, meet our new and equally lovely shopping expert Jenny Dickinson 14 Exclusive Reader Offer

Reads Coffee

16 Butterflies

with Sally Welbourn from Dorset Wildlife Trust 18 25 Part Harmony

Dorset Wildlife Trust Sherborne Group round-up with Gillian M. Constable 20 The Hidden Needs Trust

We hear from Rachel Goodfellow as she prepares to run an incredible 26 marathons in 26 days 21 Mini First Aid

A new regular feature from first aid trainer Sue Fisher 22 Taking the Stress out of Exams - A Parent’s Guide

with Nick Folland, Headmaster at Sherborne Prep 24 Children’s Literature

The first of our book reviews for children with Helen Stickland

In his greenhouse, to be specific 34 Choosing the Right Plants

The landscaping complete, Alan Dodge hands over to his wife Sue for the first of her guides to plants 38 Past Presents and their Future

Auctioneer, Richard Bromell finds a new home for the weird and wonderful unwanted

_________________________ 40 J SMITH WOODWORK _________________________ 46 Puppy Fat and Tubby Cats

Weight-loss advice for pets with Mark Newton-Clarke 50 Food and Drink

with coffee roaster Giles DickRead, chefs Lisa Osman, Sasha Matkevich, Jason Moore and Adam Corbin, and wine expert David Copp 58 Cycle Sherborne

Peter Henshaw and Mike Riley take us further afield

60 Body & Mind

Defining Ourselves with Jill Cook, Alternatives to HRT with Dr Tim Robinson, Controlling Eating Habits with Helen Lickerish, Triathlons with Steve Hurley and Distracters with Niki Cassar 70 How Do You Pick the Best Agent to Sell Your Home?

Anita Light and Paul Gammage lead the way

72 I Thought I Had Seen It All

Tales from the archives of property auctioneer Mark Lewis 76 Principles for Investment Success

Expert investment advice from financial planner Andrew Fort 77 Value or Growth Investing?

Exploring the options with investment director Jeremy Le Sueur 80 It’s All On The Disk

IT support with Jimmy Flynn 86 Folk Tales with Colin Lambert

In conversation with Keith Harrison

88 Literary Review

with Mark Greenstock The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District, by James Rebanks 89 Crossword 90 Happy (Official) Birthday Your Majesty!

with Canon Eric Woods

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 5

WHAT'S ON Saturday 18th Queen Elizabeth Day

Sherborne Health and Wellbeing Fair

______________________________________________________ 2pm Cheap Street Sherborne Ukulele Doodle Grand Procession (led by respected classical of Celebration guitarist Samantha Muir),

Local schools and organisations will join the procession with a walking ‘Float’, each representing an event in the 90 years of The Queen’s life.

_________________________ 3pm Pageant Gardens Party in the Park Presented by Abbey 104

Music and entertainment into the evening including performances from Sherborne Town Band,

Listings _________________________ Tuesdays & Thursdays 10.30am Sherborne Town Walk

Sherborne Philharmonic Choir, The Diamonds, Flatland Boogie Band and more. Children’s storytelling and craft tent, food from South Street Kitchen, Dorset Wood Fired Pizza and bar run by the Digby Tap. For more information please contact sherborneqe90@ gmail.com or Millie Furby theslippedstitch@gmail.com

Wednesday 1st 2pm and 8pm Glittering Prizes – The Mosaics of Ravenna

Tuesdays from Sherborne TIC, Digby Rd. and Thursdays, from the Post Office. 1½-2 hrs with Blue Badge Guide, Cindy. £5

Lecture with Rt Rev Christopher Herbert MPhil PhD. Digby Hall, Hound Street.

New members are welcome. www.sherborne-dfas.org.uk

Open studios, exhibitions and events. The UK’s greatest free festival of art. www.dorsetartweeks.co.uk

Memorial Hall, Digby Rd. 01179 872313

_________________________ 28th May - 12th June Dorset Artweeks

_________________________ Wednesday 1st 12pm - 3.30pm Sports, Swimming, Indoor Archery, Table Tennis and Hockey

Coaching and activities for disabled children and their families. Oxley Sport Centre, Bradford Road, Sherborne. Please book in advance: 01305 252266 _________________________ 6 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

_________________________ Wednesday 1st 7pm BREXIT discussion with Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for NE Somerset

_________________________ Wednesday 1st 7pm for 7.30pm An Evening with Formula 1 Racing Legend Mark Webber

Interview followed by questions and then a signing. Cheap Street Church, Sherborne. 7pm for 7.30pm. Tickets £5 from Winstone’s Books 01935 816128 _________________________ Thursday 2nd 11am - 4pm

Meet with local GP practices and hospitals, sports centres, Citizens’ Advice, complementary therapists and self-help groups. Digby Hall, Hound Street. 07825 691508 moriarty601@btinternet.com _________________________ Friday 3rd 6.30pm - 8pm Weldmar Summer Party

Drinks and canapes. £12.50.

Old School Room, Sherborne School. 01305 261800

_________________________ Saturday 4th & 5th 2pm - 5pm Sherborne Hidden Gardens

Various locations around Sherborne town. Map of gardens and weekend tickets available from Sherborne TIC & Castle Gardens. Individual Garden Entry donations on the day (min £1).

_________________________ Wednesday 8th & 22nd 7am - 9am Early Bird Business Exchange

Fortnightly meetings at Castle Gardens, Sherborne to exchange ideas, leads and knowledge. A vibrant and welcoming group. www.sherbornebusinessexchange. co.uk or contact info@ sherbornebusinessexchange.co.uk

_________________________ Wednesday 8th Sherborne Flicks: Spotlight (15)

A riveting account of the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize winning investigation into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church.

Memorial Hall, Digby Road.

7.30pm. £6 from Sherborne TIC. www.artsreach.co.uk _________________________

JUNE 2016 Friday 10th 7pm ‘Laureates Through Her Lifetime’

The Sherborne Literary Society present selected poems by the Poets Laureate spanning HM The Queen’s ninety years.

Raleigh Hall, Digby Road.

Tickets £5 (to include wine and canapés) from Winstone’s Bookshop or at the door.

_________________________ Saturday 11th 2pm - 4.30pm The Battle of Jutland and the First World War at Sea

A look at the story of the war at sea during the Great War. Somerset & Dorset Family History Society, The Parade, Sherborne. 01935 389611 www.sdfhs.org/events/sdfhs-events _________________________ Sunday 12th 12pm - 3pm Bradford Abbas ‘Best of British’ Summer Fete

BBQ, cider tent, tea café, games and stalls, raffle, silent auction, demonstration arena featuring The Majorettes, Sherborne Acting Academy, Martial Arts, Oxley Sports Centre, St Mary’s School Choir and lots more! £1 entry, kids go FREE. St Mary’s Primary School, Bradford Abbas _________________________ Tuesday 14th 7.30pm John Cobb The Eye-Catcher

An affectionate, comic and visually stimulating show based on the life and gardens of the famous landscape architect, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

Nether Compton Village Hall.

01935 413220. £8, £6 u18s www.artsreach.co.uk

_________________________ Thursday 16th 7.30pm - 9pm Better Together

Lecture by Gary Streeter MP on the EU. Memorial Hall, Digby Rd. 01935 812452

_________________________ Friday 17th 7.30pm Absolute ABBA

Professional Vocalists and Dancers in a brand new all singing, all dancing, sensational production. Digby Hall, Hound Street. Adults £10.50, Children £8.50. www.reambapantos.co.uk

_________________________ Saturday 18th 1pm - 5pm Chetnole Open Gardens

Gardens of varying sizes and styles will be open including a wildlife garden. All gardens are walkable from the village centre.

Start off from the village hall just next to The Chetnole Inn.

_________________________ Sunday 19th 10am Race For Life

Sherborne Castle, New Road. To participate see: www.raceforlife.org _________________________ Sunday 19th 3pm Wessex Strings Concert conducted by Arturo Serna

Summer concert includes Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 3, Elgar’s Serenade for Strings and Mozart’s Divertimento in D. Cheap Street Church. Tickets £10 at the door, to include tea and cakes after the concert, with free admission for children and students.

_________________________ Monday 20th 7.30pm Out of Egypt - Sherborne Abbey Insight Lecture by

His Grace Bishop Angaelos

Memorial Hall, Digby Rd, Sherborne. 01935 812452 www.insight.sherborneabbey.com

_________________________ Tuesday 22nd 7.30pm Four Seasons in One Day: The Met Office, Weather and Climate

Science Café Lecture

by Dr Jeremy Walton.

Raleigh Hall, Digby Rd. sherborne.scafe@gmail.com

_________________________ Friday 24th - 25th 10am - 4pm ArtsLink Summer Show 2016

A show of over 100 pieces of work by local children, students, tutors, volunteers and friends.

Family art activities on the Saturday. Drama performance at 2pm. Newland Gallery, 101 Newland, Sherborne. 10am4pm. 01935 815899

_________________________ Saturday 25th 7.30pm Sherborne Chamber Choir: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with choral settings, songs and instrumental music. Sherborne Abbey. Tickets £5 - £16 (U19s free) from Sherborne TIC.

_________________________ Saturday 26th 10am Weldmar Hospicecare Trust Sponsored Dog Walk

A 5 mile walk around the beautiful gardens of Sherborne Castle. £7.50 per dog. Suggested minimum sponsorship of £30 per dog. Register online at www.weld-hospice.org.uk/paws or call 01305 261800.

_________________________ www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 7

WHAT'S ON Thursday 30th 7.30pm Miracle Theatre Life’s a Dream

Calderon’s greatest play, ‘La Vida Es Sueño’ provides the inspiration for an epic fable of love, war and destiny, full of passion and humour.

Suitable 7+ *NB This is an outdoor performance. Bring weatherproof clothing, a chair/ rug and a picnic. Higher Orchard, Sandford Orcas.

01963 220208. £10, £8 u18s, £32 family. www.artsreach.co.uk

_________________________

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES _________________________ Saturday 4th 10am - 3pm Creative Penmanship

Learn the art of calligraphy.

Memorial Hall, Digby Rd. £10 from Parish Office

_________________________ Monday 13th 9.30am - 3.30pm Crewel Work with Fay Maxwell

West Country Embroiderers Sherborne District meeting with optional workshop at £15 booked in advance. Digby Hall, Hound Street. New members welcome.

Details from Ann 01963 34696 _________________________ Monday 20th 10am - 4pm The Art of Book Folding

Day class with Kate Osman. Digby Hall, Hound Street. £55, £45 Friends of ArtsLink. 01935 815899 www.sherborneartslink.org.uk _________________________ The Slipped Stitch

Wednesday 8th 7am - 9pm Fair Isle Knitting Workshop.

8 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

Thursday 9th 7am - 9pm Crafty Get Together. Saturday 25th 10am - 1pm Needlefelted Toadstools with Mary Jane 1 Cheap Street. 01935 508249 www.theslippedstitch.co.uk

_________________________

FAIRS & MARKETS _________________________ Pannier Market Every Thursday and Saturday on the Parade _________________________ Country Market Thursday mornings, 9.15am-11.15am

Church Hall, Digby Road

Saturday Antiques and Flea Market Every 4th Saturday, 9am - 4pm (exc. April and December)

Church Hall, Digby Road

_________________________ Saturday 11th 10am - 4pm Flea Market

Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne. A fair for everyone.

Free admission. 01749 677049

_________________________ Saturday 18th 9.30am - 4pm Book Fair

Memorial Hall, Digby Road.

01803 613356 colinbakerbooks@btinternet.com _________________________ Saturday 18th 8.30am (trade) 9.30am (public) - 4pm Chasty Cottage Antiques Fair

Digby Hall, Hound Street.

Entrance £1. 01963 370986

_________________________

SPORT _________________________

Every Thursday 7.30pm - 8.30pm Over 30’s Touch Rugby

Sherborne School floodlit AstroTurf, Horsecastles Lane. £2 per session. First three sessions free. For more details go to: www.sherbornetouch.org.uk or call Jimmy on 07887 800803

_________________________ Sherborne County Cricket Club

Terrace Playing Fields www.sherborne.play-cricket.com Dorset Cricket League - Premier 1 Saturday 4th 1pm

Parley CC

H

Swanage CC Sat 1st XI

A

Martinstown CC 1st XI

H

Saturday 11th 1pm

Saturday 18th 1pm

_________________________ Compton House Cricket Club

Over Compton (behind the Fortune Palace on A30)

Every Wednesday 6pm - 8pm

Senior (14+) practise, nets or T20 match. 07962 663472 www.comptonhousecricketclub.org.uk Thursday 9th 6pm Net Opening

Meet with teams young, old, past and present, official opening by international fielding coach + raffle, BBQ and bar.

Dorset Division 2 Saturday 4th 1.30pm

Stalbridge 2s

Saturday 11th 1.30pm

A

Ashmore H Saturday 18th 1.30pm

Branksome & Parkstone Saturday 25th 1.30pm

A

Cattistock H _________________________

We are pleased to announce the opening of our Sherborne office to new & existing clients

We focus solely on providing face-to-face advice and offer a dedicated, personal wealth management service to build long-term, trusted relationships with our clients. Together, we would look to create a working plan, providing you with a clear direction towards meeting your financial goals. This includes clarifying your objectives and researching all of the options available to you.

We have the experience to help you successfully secure and enhance your financial future by offering specialist advice in a wide range of areas including: • Investment planning

• Retirement planning

• Tax and estate planning

For further information, or to request your complimentary guide to wealth management, contact:

PETER HARDING WEALTH MANAGEMENT Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management Established in 1993 40 High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8JG Tel: 01747 855554 9 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3PY Tel: 01935 315315 Web: www.peterhardingwm.co.uk

The Partner Practice represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www. sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner Practice’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

UNEARTHED

AMY RIPPIN Aged 13, Sherborne Dance Academy and Gillingham High School

H

ow many of us can say that we found our vocation at the age of 3? She may still only be 13 but it seems that young Amy Rippin has a very clear idea of where she’s going.

Amy started dancing as a mere toddler and has danced with Sherborne Dance Academy from the age of 8. A past student of the Elmhurst Associate Programme, Amy has also studied in London under the esteemed tutelage of Federico Bonelli, Sarah Lamb and Marianela Nunez. Amy has her sights set on an Advanced Foundation RAD exam this autumn and then, following her GCSEs, Amy will take her dance and ballet studies further still.

Amy won novice ballet class at last year’s Exeter Dance Festival and performed a contemporary piece (an area of growing interest for Amy) at the Devon Dance Schools Festival in Ilfracombe.

Her talent clearly extends beyond the dance studio. In between studies and performances, Amy enjoys art, drama and music, particularly piano, which she currently plays to grade 5. www.sherbornedance.co.uk www.gillingham.dorset.sch.uk

KATHARINE DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY Portrait, lifestyle, PR and editorial commissions 07808 400083 info@katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk www.katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk

10 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

Orangeries | Conservatories | Glazing Design • Planning • Installation • Construction Please give us a call to start creating your perfect space

Sherborne 01935 872640 Marlborough 01672 890606 Bath 01225 459574 www.coastandvale.com

Fairtrade bunting, handmade in India, £8 Melbury Gallery

Pacmat, lightweight waterproof picnic mat with carry bag, from £35 Ginger & Pickle Kikkerland wide angle clip-on smartphone lens, £8.99 The Present Finder

PICK N’ MIX Celebrate National Picnic Week (11th-19th June) and kick start the festival season with these great finds from Jenny Dickinson of boutique stationery brand Dear to Me. www.deartome.co.uk 12 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

Charlie Dodge necklace, £46 The Circus

Amenapih 'Dream' bracelet, £45 The Circus

RICE food boxes, £6.95 Butterfly Bright

Neal's Yard festival kit, £19 The Sherborne Rooms

Metallic 'temporary tattoos', £4.99 The Present Company www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 13

EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER

WORTH THE DAILY GRIND

3 BAGS FOR £10

(£5 saving on normal RRP) Selected bags, as shown 227g wholebean or ground to order Offer for the month of June 2016. Pre-order for collection from Lime Kiln Farm Sherborne or add £2.95 for delivery by post (Please quote Sherborne Times at time of order)

01935 481010 readscoffee.co.uk 14 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

The Joinery Works, Alweston Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5HS Tel: 01963 23219 Fax: 01963 23053 Email: info@fcuffandsons.co.uk

www.fcuffandsons.co.uk

DESIGNERS AND MAKERS OF BEAUTIFUL FINE BESPOKE JOINERY SINCE 1897

Wild Dorset

BUTTERFLIES

Sally Welbourn, Dorset Wildlife Trust

T

he flitting to and fro of Butterflies is one of the first sure and welcome signs of summer. Their colours and patterns adorn the Dorset landscape in a variety of urban and rural locations and habitats.

Whist the best known pollinators might be bees, butterflies also play a big part in pollinating plants, helping to enable the circle of (wild) life to continue.

The presence of butterflies is also very important as they act as indicators for changes in the environment and the weather. A decline in a butterfly population might indicate that a habitat is becoming less suitable for wildlife generally.

Whilst it is true that butterflies are declining across the UK, conservation work carried out by Dorset Wildlife Trust and other organisations means that many places in Dorset are becoming a stronghold for them. The proper management of habitat has led to the increase of butterfly

populations, some of which are rare.

A great example of this, is on Portland in Dorset, where the removal of over 200 metric tonnes of invasive ‘cotoneaster’ has allowed previously smothered grassland to thrive. In 2014, Butterfly Conservation confirmed the first recorded colony of Lulworth skippers there, on DWT’s nature reserve, Kingbarrow Quarry. Other butterflies like the dingy skipper, small blue, chalkhill blue and adonis blue were all recorded in higher numbers from 20122015 in the area the work had been carried out.

We can all do our bit for conservation by providing Dorset’s butterfly population with some wildlife-friendly garden features for them to enjoy.

Butterflies love landing on bright flowers – pink and lavender preferably, and the bigger the petal (or landing pad), the better! www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

THREE BUTTERFLIES TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS SUMMER Peacock How to Identify: One of the most recognisable butterflies, it is so-named for the large blue and yellow ‘eyes’ on each upperwing, similar in appearance to the tail feathers of a peacock.

When to see: It is on the wing throughout the year, and overwinters as an adult.

Where to see: Found right across the country. A regular visitor to our gardens, where it feeds on Buddleia and other flowers.

Brimstone How to Identify: A large, lemon-yellow butterfly with pointed wings. Females have orange spots in the middle of each wing, and it always rests with its wings closed.

When to see: One of the first of the season, but it might be seen flying on any warms days throughout the year.

Where to see: Woodland areas, mature hedgerows and in large gardens.

Orange Tip How to Identify: The male is unmistakable, a white butterfly, half orange, with light grey wingtips. The female is a smaller version of the males.

When to see: Early spring, between April and July.

Where to see: Across the country, can be seen in woodlands and meadows.

Find out more about wildlife friendly gardening at www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-gardening 16 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

Brimstone Butterfly Š Ken Dolbear, MBE www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 17

Wild Dorset

25 PART HARMONY

Gillian M. Constable, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Sherborne Group Committee

E

arly summer is with us and we have the joy of watching swallows, house martins and swifts ruling the sky. Portland Bird Observatory, whose website records each day the movement of birds over the Bill and ringing of birds at the Observatory, says that despite the cold northerly winds it is has been a good spring for migrants. I felt it seemed a long time before I saw more than just an odd swallow, perhaps they just flew straight on to northern nesting sites. Very early on May Day the Sherborne DWT group had a dawn chorus field meeting with Nigel Spring at Alners Gorse. Sadly I could not attend but I am told two nightingales sang well and another 23 species were heard.

With summer, the Sherborne DWT Group does not hold an indoor meeting until September. There is another field meeting, ‘A Guide to Everything Chesil’, on Sunday 26th June starting at 2pm from the DWT Chesil Beach Centre. We have a free guided talk and walk and in late June there should 18 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

be a wonderful display of shingle-loving flowers.

A Little Tern colony breeds on Chesil and they should be fishing in the Fleet, which is the shallow area of water behind Chesil beach. The Centre has a wildlife display, underwater camera display and a pleasant eating area, with good food, with a view over the Fleet.

From 28th May to 12th June, DWT’s Chesil Beach Centre & Kingcombe Centre will be exhibiting work for Dorset Art Weeks. Sam Dodd, local Sherborne artist, will be exhibiting at Chesil.

This year DWT is running the Fleet Explorer; this vessel was the Fleet Observer run for many years by a local fisherman. This shallow bottomed vessel is ideal for exploring the waters of the Fleet which supports over 150 species of seaweed, 25 species of fish and 60 species of mollusc, as well as providing food and sanctuary for many important bird species. For more details see DWT website. www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Summer Fun at Leweston Both adults and children are invited to enjoy the use of Leweston’s extensive grounds and facilities this summer.

SUMMER CLUB

HOLIDAY ACTIVITY CLUB

4 July – 31 August

25 July – 19 August

Enjoy membership of Leweston’s Summer Club with access to the swimming pool, tennis courts and extensive grounds

For 5-7 and 8-11 year olds £30 per day or £130 per week

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS COACHING

SUMMER TRAINING CAMP

Exact dates on website

Join Team GB coach, Mick Flaherty and his team of international coaches to develop skills in fencing, shooting, cycling, swimming and running

Professional coaching in: Hockey Swim school Fencing Pistol shooting Cycling

1 – 6 August

For more information and to register your interest please contact office@leweston.dorset.sch.uk or telephone 01963 210783 www.leweston.co.uk

our wild Dorset

– EXPLORE ART, EXPLORE NATURE – Visit our wild art exhibitions at The Chesil Beach Centre and The Kingcombe Centre dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/dorset-art-weeks-2016

DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 19

Family

THE HIDDEN NEEDS TRUST

I

Rachel Goodfellow

founded the Hidden Needs Trust in 2015, to raise funds for Dorset/Somerset children with Special Educational Needs and their families, and to raise awareness of the specialist pre-school Opportunity Groups that support them.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) refers to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age e.g. Autism, Global Developmental Delay, Cerebral Palsy, ADD, Down’s Syndrome, Dyslexia. Children can range from being highly functioning to having very complex needs and even shortened lifespans.

Many children have hidden needs which are only picked up much later on. At school, they may present as quiet, watchful, withdrawn, unwilling to participate, even deemed as stupid. Or they may be disruptive, the class clown or perhaps loud and aggressive. These children can go through schooling feeling miserable and isolated, somehow managing, often with great effort on their part, to hide their inability to cope behind another guise.

Early diagnosis and appropriate intervention is therefore vital from pre-school age to ensure each child can reach their full potential.

The Opportunity Groups (only 4 across Dorset and Somerset) are registered charities and have worked with children for over 40 years.

They provide education via highly trained staff working on a 1:1 basis or with small groups, support to the families, and serve as a link with medical professionals to ensure optimum care for each child. Although County Council funded, this is not enough to cover the costs. Each group needs to raise in excess of £30,000 per annum to be able to continue.

My daughter has global developmental delay/autism. She has blossomed from being a watchful, withdrawn 3 year old with little speech and language into a 7 year old live-wire with a huge sense of humour and the ability to go to mainstream school...all thanks to the 20 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

help that she [and I] received from the Yeovil Opportunity Group. Without this, life for her would be so different.

I set up Hidden NeedsTrust, with the aim engaging people and raising awareness. Last year, events included the Studland Skinny Dip, 10K runs, the Battle Ready Race (where I managed to break my neck!), and running 7 marathons across Dorset in 7 days.

This year, with the support of SPFit and local sponsors I am running 26 back to back marathons: Start Date 10th June 9am - Outside Oliver’s Coffee Shop, Sherborne End Date 5th July 2.15pm - As above Do come and see the start and end if you can!

The idea is to meet people on the run from across the 2 counties, gathering information as to how other specialist groups/individuals support SEN children and see how HNT can help them in future years.

Somerset Community Foundation handles HNT’s administration and finances. Money raised up to the end of September 2016 will be divided between the 4 Opportunity Groups in Dorset and Somerset. After this date others working in support of SEN children will be considered for future Hidden Needs Trust funding.

Please spread the word… I need all the support I can get to be able to drive HNT forwards for another year.

Thank you Sherborne!

Sherborne Times are very proud to be sponsoring Rachel on Day 9, (Saturday June 18th) of her mammoth 26 day run. See www.hiddenneedstrust.org for full details of Rachel’s route, how to donate, sponsor and also set up your own HNT fundraising event.

Look out too for Rachel’s daily photo blog to be posted during the run.

MINI FIRST AID

M

Sue Fisher, Mini First Aid Trainer

any parents do not have the basic first aid knowledge to help save a child’s life. In this, her first article, Sue Fisher talks about choking – one of the most common worries for any parent or carer.

For many parents weaning their babies, the possibility of them choking is nerve wracking.

And the worry doesn’t stop as babies turn to toddlers as they continue to stuff food in their mouths in vast quantities. Then we have dreaded older sibling toys; think Lego and the like. We as parents fear choking especially when we hear so many terrible stories in the press. So, what do we do?

Firstly, we show our babies and children that grown-ups eat sitting down, chew properly (!) and that we never put too much in our mouths.

We never leave a baby or child eating without supervision. Silence is a sign of choking.

We then learn to deal with choking:

Choking child (aged 1 – puberty)

• Encourage child to cough.

• 5 back slaps between shoulder blades.

Check if anything comes out and check mouth.

• Up to 5 abdominal thrusts. Clenched fist between tummy and breastbone, with other hand over the top. In and upwards motion. Check if anything comes out. If nothing has come out, call 999.

• Cycles of 5 back slaps and 5 abdominal thrusts.

Choking baby (aged 0-1)

• 5 back slaps.

• Up to 5 chest thrusts (jabbing motion).

Check if anything comes out.

If nothing has come out, call 999.

• Cycles of 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts.

You must always refer to hospital any child or baby who has been choking and where abdominal manoeuvres have been used.

To book a place on a Mini First Aid course near you visit www.minifirstaid.co.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 21

Family

TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF EXAMS A PARENT’S GUIDE Nick Folland, Headmaster, Sherborne Prep

I

t’s that time of year again, when school children across the country are swotting hard as the pressure of exams mounts and the exam days loom close on the horizon.

The number of young people in Britain seeking counselling over exam stress has increased by 200% in recent years, according to the NSPCC. The charity said last year that its ChildLine service received record numbers of approaches from students worried about exams, with a tripling in the number of those receiving counselling over exam stress specifically.

Recently, parents boycotted primary schools in their thousands, as pupils faced tests at the end of Key Stage 1 (6/7 years of age). “Let our children be children and allow teachers to do their jobs and teach!” was the cry.

However, exams are here to stay. Schools need to be accountable and measured in some way and they will remain an integral part of the education cycle, but they need not and should not be unduly stressful for children. At Sherborne Prep I think we would feel that we had failed a child if they felt unable to cope with the pressure of exams.

We build up the scale and the formality of tests gradually throughout a child’s prep career. We 22 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

work hard to teach our children that exams are not the ultimate prize but rather stepping stones on the path through life, which should, with application and preparation, present an opportunity to show off one’s knowledge. They are also a useful means of measuring for the teacher how well a class has grasped a concept and whether perhaps a topic could usefully be revisited with an alternative teaching method.

As children enter secondary education and head towards GCSEs, A’ Levels, or IB exams, the pressure teenagers feel can increase. So what can we, as educators and as parents, do to help?

Spot the stress signs

Children who experience stress may be irritable, not sleep well, lose interest in food, worry a lot, and appear depressed or negative. Headaches and stomach pains can also be stress-related.

Feed the mind

A balanced diet is vital for your child’s health and can help them to feel well during exam periods.

Stock up with meals and snacks that are known to release energy slowly and so keep sugar levels more stable, such as oat-based cereals or bars, bananas etc.

A problem shared

Having someone to talk to about their work can help, so we can encourage children to chat openly with us about their worries in the build up to exams. Support from a parent, tutor or study buddy can help children share their worries and keep things in perspective. It may also ease the pressure your child is feeling if you let them know that exam nerves are perfectly normal and can actually improve exam performance.

role as parents is to support and encourage, to help our children keep things in perspective, to offer a listening ear. If we can offer advice and support without injecting any criticism, we can boost our child’s confidence to crack on and take their best shot at the next exam. You can gain a clear and realistic picture of your child’s potential and capability by asking your school to share in confidence, the considerable data they will hold on your child.

Sleep

Remember to laugh

Consistently good nights’ sleep will improve thinking and concentration. Sleep helps your brain to assimilate new knowledge into your long-term memory so that you can recall it when it comes to test day. Most teenagers need between 8 and 10 hours’ sleep a night. Cramming all night before an exam is usually a bad idea. A decent night’s sleep the night before an exam will benefit your child far more than a few hours of panicky last-minute study.

Be flexible during exams

When your child is revising all day, don’t worry about household chores that are left undone or untidy bedrooms. If it can wait until after the exams then why not let it?

Quality not quantity

Help them to study wisely by encouraging focussed but reasonably short revision periods, interspersed with regular breaks. They may also need your help to draw up a sensible and realistic revision timetable that includes some time to do other things as well as revision.

Healthy body, healthy mind

Exercise can help boost energy levels, clear the mind and relieve stress, so encourage your child to be active every day. Walking, cycling, swimming, football, dancing - whatever they enjoy – can be very effective, not only in making them feel better and reducing stress, but also in terms of being able to focus again on revision.

Positive parental support

One of the most common threads in calls to ChildLine about exam stress is the pressure at exam time placed on a child by parents. Our

There is nothing quite like a moment of humour to lighten the mood of an anxious child. Whether it is some gentle family ribbing, relating a funny episode from your day, sharing a new joke, or watching your child’s favourite comedian perform, it is remarkable what an uplifting effect a moment’s laughter can have.

Celebrate!

When the exams are over, celebrate, and show them how proud you are of the effort they have put in over the past months. It could be something you have planned with your child at the outset of the revision process, so that you have something to look forward to, such as a trip to the beach, a family holiday, a party, a special meal with friends or a camping weekend.

Nick Folland took over as Headmaster at Sherborne Prep in September 2015. Nick has been at the forefront of prep education as a headmaster, for over a decade. He started his teaching career working with deaf children, before joining the staff at Blundell’s School, where he taught Geography A’ level and also took on the role of Housemaster for six years.

Nick was then appointed as the inaugural Head of Blundell’s Prep for ten years. After that he spent six years leading St-Johns-on-the-Hill Prep before the call back to the South West was too great to resist, and he joined Sherborne Prep. In his younger days Nick played County Cricket for both Devon and Somerset and in addition to being a member of IAPS, is also a keen member of the MCC! Nick has 2 children, and is married to Di, who has a Masters in Psychology and is a Speech and Language specialist. www.sherborneprep.org www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 23

Family

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Helen Stickland, Winstone’s Books, Independent Bookseller of the Year 2016

'The' Scarlet Files: Cat Burglar, Tamsin Cooke (Oxford University Press) £6.99 Exclusive Sherborne Times reader price of £5.99 at Winstone’s Books.

Please bring a copy of this review to claim your discount

A

s a parent, choosing appropriate fiction for our children can be confusing.

Strong fictional role models are vital, and this is one of the reasons I loved Tamsin Cooke’s new action-packed thriller ‘Scarlet Files: Cat Burglar’.

As the title suggests, Scarlet McCall is no ordinary school girl. By night she is a stealthy and fearless cat burglar, although she’s not stealing things for herself.

Scarlet and her father are on a mission to find ancient valuable treasures and return them to their rightful owners. One of these treasures, an extremely rare Aztec bracelet, has mysterious powers and Scarlet finds herself drawn deeper into ancient Aztec lore and myth, becoming a shapeshifter and holding the bracelet’s potency in her spirit. A fiercely rational teenager, she tries desperately to keep her wits about her when her father goes missing, kidnapped by a trusted client on account of the missing Aztec bracelet which won’t release its hold on Scarlet.

Her neighbour’s grandson, computer geek Ethan is at school with Scarlet and he has recently become rather fascinated by her. The nature of her dual identity means she keeps a low profile socially, but her aloof and sometimes slightly odd behaviour has sparked his interest. He is only too happy to find out more about the girl-nextdoor when Scarlet entrusts him with the job of

24 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

computer hacker. She finds her father’s laptop which is the only hope she has of tracking him down, but she needs someone who can break the extra strong security protection and reveal his whereabouts. Which is when we see Scarlet come into her own.

Now armed with the essential information, Ethan witnesses Scarlet hot wire a Ford Fiesta, pick innumerable locks and wield a grappling hook on their quest to save her father. Although he finally draws the line at the possibility that they might have to steal petrol...when they reach their destination, we also see Scarlet managing to decipher an ancient Aztec code but time is running out.

Scarlet is not only a strong, independent character, she’s also as appealing to boys as she is to girls. Her quick wits and bravery see her get the better of some tricky situations and several nasty characters. I can’t wait to read the next volume of her adventures which is published in July.

‘Tamsin Cooke has created exciting and engaging characters who lead the reader through the many twists and turns of the story. Readers who are looking for action and adventure will not be disappointed by this book.’ (The Book Trust)

www.winstonebooks.co.uk

COLOURING PAGE

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 25

T H E S A N C T UA RY B E AU T Y RO O M S

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Personalised gift bags for every guest, along with entry into our prize beauty raffle.

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10% off any purchases made on the day & a free gift with every treatment course booked.

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Upstairs Downstairs Interiors We are proud stockists of Sirdar, Stylecraft, King Cole and DMC yarns. We also stock a wide range of haberdashery, including buttons and ribbons, and other craft items.

Extensive range of wool

Buttons, ribbons & crafty bits

Come along to one of

our workshops (see our website for details)

Tel: 01935 508249

1 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3PT www.theslippedstitch.co.uk

bespoke curtains. blinds. upholstery. loose covers. fabrics. free estimates The Old School Rooms, Long Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3BS Tel: 01935 813 831 Email: info@updowninteriors.co.uk www.updowninteriors.co.uk

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www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 27

INTERIORS Kitty Oakshott, Upstairs Downstairs Interiors

T

his year it has taken a long time but at last there are positive signs that a late spring is here with the promise of a warm, sunny summer. Yet it brings new problems. As sunlight streams through the windows, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air, everything in the room seems that little bit sad and tired. There is still that winter feeling.

It’s not that long ago that a big spring-clean meant washing the walls and changing the winter curtains – very thick and interlined to keep out the draughts – to lighter, brighter summer fabrics.

With better insulation these days this is rarely done but new colours and fabrics do help to enliven a room.

The idea of a huge makeover is pretty daunting but it’s surprising what a little imagination and a few tweaks here and there will do. In my experience, most people are keen to make some changes but don’t want to spend a fortune. And, of course, you don’t have to. Don’t be daunted by what seems to be an impossible task. Remember, Morris & Co small changes, gradually introduced, add up.

First of all, it is not necessary to change everything in the whole house. Start with one room and think how you can brighten it, improve it or simply modernise it. A few cushions might do the trick or you could add a colourful throw and even paint or paper one wall. A change of colour or texture can make a huge difference. There are some fabulous paints about with shades ranging from the palest of pinks to vibrant, acid-bright colours.

Try some of the cool, watery blues, for instance, in a bathroom. Modern wallpapers can introduce extra textures and range from subtle colours and shapes to wild, exciting statement-making designs.

William Morris, the Victorian textile designer and polymath, was one of the leading lights of 28 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

the Arts and Crafts movement. His designs have lasted well over 100 years and are now reproduced

by Sanderson. He memorably said, ‘If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it. Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’

How right he was! I know I have things in my house which I have had for years. I don’t particularly like them and they are not at all useful but I can’t bear to get rid of them. Now is a good time to wander round and look critically at everything – and then be strong. It is a good thing to do but utterly exhausting!

Furniture is often a problem especially if you long to be minimalist but have inherited many antiques that you are expected to pass on to the next generation. Remember it is possible to mix modern and period pieces very successfully and cleverly done, they really do enhance each other.

Don’t throw out an old piece of furniture just because it is battered and well used. Consider painting it. There are some extremely good paints on the market that are very easy to use, do not always need an undercoat and dry rapidly. Chairs that have seen better days can be reupholstered or, if they are still firm and comfortable, then the loose covers made nowadays are hard to detect and are worth investigating. If you have a particularly uncomfortable chair and are not keen to get rid of it because it belonged to great-aunt Eliza, there are experts who can work wonders with this sort of a challenge. Talk to them.

Whatever you decide to do, take your time.

Browse around the specialist shops, talk to the experts and discuss ideas with family and friends.

Most of all, enjoy making changes. Have fun! www.updowninteriors.co.uk

Cole & Son

Cole & Son www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 29

Dodge Interiors For all your interior needs

New Spring Summer Collection from Jane Churchill 28 Cheap Street Sherborne DT9 3QD 01935 818150

www.dodgeinteriors.com

With dedicated and experienced staff, specialist equipment and passion, Queen Thorne can develop and maintain gardens for all to enjoy. www.queenthorne.co.uk Tel: 01935 850848

30 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

The Manual and Electric Garage Door Specialists

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Gardening

IN THE GARDEN

with Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

GREENHOUSES

I

have been messing around in greenhouses all rose scent, Grandeur Pino with a pine scent and my life! Growing up, I can’t remember a time Grandeur Hazelnut…you’ll have picked up the when we didn’t have one. Whether it was the theme by now! propagation greenhouse, two 8m x 6m houses Currently I am undergoing a trial (do you see joined together, the old-fashioned tomato house, the addict’s excuses creeping in?) of Nemesia which once seemed huge, with grafted varieties including Vanilla Lady, Lady Vanilla, Wisley of tomatoes, which we grew for commercial Vanilla and Easter Bonnet. All have magnificent production and the exciting lean-to where our scent and the former have beautiful white flowers Geraniums, Begonias and Fuchsias grew. This was sometimes with a tinge of pink at the back whilst the start of my ornamental gardening interest.

Easter Bonnet is much more colourful.

During my training I worked Of course it’s important to in various propagation and I now have a produce something edible to production houses in both justify the greenhouse and so five worrying addiction ornamental and edible crops different colours of Aubergine to growing plants for were trialled a couple of years and more recently it’s been fun in this space! greenhouses for retailing and ago. I’m not sure I even like also poly tunnels for bedding Aubergines but they were really plant production. However, over the past couple attractive plants with the grey-green foliage and of years we have renovated one of the Victorian the striking flowers whilst the fruit colours were greenhouses that were derelict in the corner of our as good as the labels suggested. Potatoes are also garden. This has caused me a few problems because in the diary for planting in August in order to have I now have a worrying addiction to growing plants new potatoes for Christmas dinner. for fun in this space!

It’s imperative, I persuade myself, to have fresh It started off with the superb Geraniums herbs available year round. Thymes, Rosemary, (Pelargoniums) with the coloured foliage Mint and Basil are a must, and are essential for including Frank Headley with its variegated a healthy lifestyle. leaves and salmon pink flower, the wonderful I have been out speaking to garden clubs and name and spectacular colours of Occold demonstrating seed sowing but usually these props Shield and then, still as vibrant but much less are discarded. So a plethora of seed trays have interesting name of “Contrast” with its golden arisen which of course then need pricking out and variegation and red flower. potting on. Many are Thompson and Morgan trial I then couldn’t resist the scented foliage types packs of new varieties which could be very exciting including Geranium Grandeur Rose, which has a I tell myself. This issue has been compounded by us 32 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

sponsoring two aspiring garden designers, who are entering The BBC Gardener’s World exhibition at the NEC. Some of the plants that Elle Wilson and Julie Haylock needed had to be grown from seed, so guess who now has the unwanted plants! Well, they can’t be thrown away!

My son’s Avocado grown from a stone which he checks very carefully in his sporadic visits home and my daughter’s Spider Plants, too many for her University room, are also in residence. As is an Amaryllis belonging to a customer which, bizarrely flowered just two inches from the compost. I have agreed to look after it to see if it does it again next winter - in the interest of science of course.

“Try these tree lilies” said Brian, our manager

at Castle Gardens – he’s like a dealer feeding my habit. But I’ve got it under control and so only had a dozen. And then he introduced me to an exotic bulb from India which he called Colocasia.

Its street name is Elephant’s Ears or Taro and the root is edible with the leaves being used for fritters.

“Just a couple for me”, I tell him.

My wife Louise doesn’t help any, persuading me to plant one each of the range of annual climbers we have. They are superb fun; Asarina, Star of Yalta – a Morning Glory and Firecracker Vine and just have to be tried out. Maybe I do have an addiction.

Sure I can give it up any time, but just not yet! www.thegardeneronline.co.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 33

Gardening

34 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTS Sue Dodge, Bailey Ridge Plants, Landscaping & Design

T

he blank canvass of your new garden lies before you. The well landscaped hard lines and long considered design are now crying out to be fully realised with planting. Planting your garden is the finishing touch, the icing on the cake, but choosing the right plants can be daunting. Different plants like different soil types, some prefer shade or full sun, they may be evergreen or deciduous, they’ll have different foliage colour, flower colour, some are fragrant, others not, they might flower in early spring, late summer or even winter… the permutations are endless! Luckily help is at hand. Your local nursery will have a good selection of plants which grow well in your area and by visiting you will be able to see what looks good throughout the year.

Soil type is important and a simple test using a soil test kit from your nursery will tell you if it is acid, alkaline or neutral. Around Sherborne we have mainly alkaline soil but there are pockets of acidity.

Minterne Gardens is a notable example and has a fantastic display of Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias which all love acid soil.

When creating a new planting scheme I first compose a list of the plants that I would like to incorporate within the design. This would take into account any theme required, such as pastel shades, hot vibrant colours, or whites. I then draw up a plan and try to include as many of my listed plants as I can. Sometimes I'll also create a sketch like the one opposite. With so much choice it’s wise to plan on paper to help you visualise colour and form within the border.. The planting should create a tapestry of density, architectural value, texture, colour and interest.

It is sensible to put trees in first. Even though they might not be in the beds and borders, they create an effect either formal or informal.

They set the stage in any garden and resolve common problems such as screening an unwanted view, or creating a focal point. Silver birch, especially Betula Jacquemontii, is an excellent upright tree with multiple white barked stems and a wealth of twiggy branches which help screen winter and summer. Acer “Drummondii” (yellow variegated) or Acer “Crimson King” are also a good choice for medium sized gardens and who could argue with an evergreen oak for a large garden? As a focal point in a small garden I may use an ornamental cherry which will be one of the first to flower in spring, Prunus Snow Goose is good. Or a Crataegus Paul’s Scarlet, which flowers in May, produces red berries in September and keeps its autumnal foliage well into November. A more uniformed garden will need formal plants like the upright Irish Yew, Taxus Fastigiata, Juniperus Blue Arrow or any of an increasing number of “pleached” or trained trees such as, Hornbeam, Beech and even Liquidambar, to form “hedges on stilts”. Having decided on trees and hedgerows we can now move onto the borders…

Next month: “Structuring your Border with Shrubs and Perennials” www.baileyridge.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 35

The Rotary Club of Sherborne Castles

Hidden Gardens of Sherborne 2016

Saturday 4 - Sunday 5 June, 2-5pm

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN We are an experienced, qualified team, dedicated to a high level of service and quality of finish All types of work undertaken References available on request Call 01935 389392 or email info@garden-angels.co sherbornegardenangels.co.uk

Sponsored by:

Weekend Tickets £8. Available from Castle Gardens and Tourist Information Centre. Individual Garden Entry donations on the day. Minimum £1

The Swimming Pool Specialists • Construction • Renovations • Servicing • Chemicals/Equipment 25 years experience in pool industry 36 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

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WINDOWS

&

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PAST PRESENTS AND THEIR FUTURE Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

Happier Times - A Chrysler Horizon 38 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

W

e all like being presented with presents. Sometimes they can be pleasant presents like a diamond ring, sometimes they can be a woolly jumper from an aged relative who has spent months knitting it for you, only to forget you are 40 not 15 and sometimes they can be given or presented to you for a good deed or simply winning a competition.

However, over time, our ideas of style and taste change and develop. Also over time, we grow old, downsize our houses and eventually pass away.

This is generally when we get involved. We see and auction a broad range of “presents” which are then surplus to their owners’ needs or requirements.

Unfortunately the baggy old woolly jumper is of no commercial value or interest to us but there are many presents which can sell for big money.

On a typical work day we regularly see presents which are unusual and their owners are looking to sell. Coming up in our June collectors auction is a Victorian presentation Midshipman’s dirk (or short sword). The blued steel blade is beautifully engraved “Chief Captain’s Prize HMS Britannia, July 1876” and would have been presented to the top recruit in that year. As is often the case, research into who was presented with this sword has drawn a blank. From about 1880, all recipients of these presentation swords was recorded in The Times,

but sadly prior to this the records have been “lost”.

With the family not knowing who it was presented to they decided to sell it. Estimated at £400-600 it will be a labour of love for the successful bidder to identify who was presented the dirk when it goes under the hammer on Friday 24th June.

Also coming up in June is another present. This time a car in our classic and vintage car auction on Sunday 19th. Here, it is a 1983 Chrysler Horizon GL. A family car in its day, it never set the automotive world alight with cutting edge design.

However, being given a new one I would have thought would have been a good thing back in the early 1980’s. I guess the owner disagreed with me.

He was an Aer Lingus pilot and was presented with the car from a raffle he entered and I can only assume he did not like the car as it covered 318 miles in the past 33 years. Now unearthed from its Bristol garage, it is a very rare survivor which will grace any museum being in the condition you expect a car which has travelled just 318 miles to be, as we say, where can you find another one?

The pre-sale auction estimate for this car is £2,000-3,000 and is being sold without reserve.

Who knows, perhaps it will be bought at the auction as a present for its next owner! www.charterhouse-auction.com

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 39

J SMITH WOODWORK

T

Words Jo Denbury Photography Rhiannon Adkins & Katharine Davies

ucked away in the valley that houses Corton Denham and Sandford Orcas is a lazy lane of slothful curves and leafy hedgerows brimming with wild flowers. At this time of year it is a joy to behold. Down a bumpy track, through a yard and into an ancient dairy building, we find Jamie and Rhiannon, a young couple quietly living life on their terms while working doggedly hard to build their business. >

40 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 41

Fortunately, ‘work’ to Jamie and Rhiannon is also a joy. Together they set up J Smith Woodwork and have barely paused for breath since its launch last summer. ‘To be honest, I am just doing what I love,’ says Jamie who, since leaving the Gryphon School with his A levels 8 years ago, has been honing his craft as a cabinetmaker.

‘I grew up in Bradford Abbas, where my father was a gardener. My love of working with wood came about as I began building things using his off-cuts.’ Jamie explains. ‘First it was just ramps in the woods, then friends started asking me to make bits and pieces for them.’ Later, while watching from the wings as his parents had a new kitchen fitted, James was inspired to pursue carpentry as a career. ‘I asked the firm if I could do work experience with them. They took me on for six weeks and I stayed for five years.’

It doesn’t come as a big surprise to learn that carpentry is in Jamie’s genes as he shows me faded sepia photographs of his great grandfather stood outside his own carpenter’s workshop.

Jamie still uses some of his great grandfather’s well-worn tools. Handling them they have a balance and weight that is hard to find nowadays.

Jamie has also caught the eye of contemporary toolmakers Axminster and Triton, the latter sponsoring him to give talks and carpentry demonstrations both here and abroad (an arrangement that ensures Jamie remains ahead of the curve in terms of the industry’s latest equipment and technology).

Jamie and Rhiannon’s decision to go selfemployed was not taken lightly. They have invested heavily in making the workshop fit for purpose but are glad to have given the otherwise derelict farm buildings a new lease of life. Filled with that wonderful scent of freshly sawn timber, their workshop is a hub of creativity. Working with largely recycled and certainly FSC timber, they source all their materials locally so that they can be sure of its provenance. Their preference is to work with oak, ash or walnut. Using time-honoured and trusted techniques, Jamie makes sure every kitchen he builds has a handfinished quality that will last for life. Frequently he is commissioned to produce a kitchen from a client’s sketch. ‘I love a challenge,’ he says, unfazed. ‘I was asked recently to produce a > 42 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 43

44 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

curved island for a minimalist kitchen near Shaftesbury,’ he laughs. ‘That really was a challenge but the client was very happy with the end result.’

Attention to detail is clearly something close to his heart. I notice a pair of simple stools standing on a workbench. Their design is minimalist, restrained, but on closer inspection I realise that each seat has been finished with a delicate, flush oak butterfly. Rather like an embroidered cuff on a dress, it is something that isn’t instantly obvious but then draws the eye. ‘I particularly like working with Ash,’ he adds, ‘there is just something about its grain and texture.’ Rhiannon is often the one who oils the wood after the piece is finished and is careful to give each piece three coats in a raw oil that will not colour the wood. ‘I prefer to avoid that “orange” fake tan finish that can sometimes be created,’ she adds.

Rhiannon brings her love of interior design to the process. ‘As a child I was forever decorating and rearranging my room,’ she laughs, and her eye for furniture and design has been a guiding force in their work. ‘I am still learning the skills,’ she adds. Recently she has produced a number of chopping boards with copper detailing and a series of wooden ‘doll’s chalets’ which promptly sold out (she promises something new for the autumn). Her latest project is a skateboard in black walnut striped with purpleheart – an unusual wood that is quite dull when first cut but develops an aubergine colour as it ages.

Jamie admits that his favourite part of the job is working with a product of nature. He is happy for a project to be informed by the shape and patina of the material’s raw design.

It is on the contemporary platforms of social media however that their business thrives.

Serving as both showcase and journal it draws commissions for the couple from across the UK. As Jamie humbly points out, ‘Rhiannon brings our business to life online and that keeps me busy in the workshop’. They make for a great team - Rhiannon, sharing their work with the world, helping now to rearrange other people’s rooms. And Jamie, as happy today as he was making ramps in the woods. www.jsmithwoodwork.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 45

Animal Care

PUPPY FAT AND TUBBY CATS

A

Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS, Newton Clarke Veterinary Partnership

round this time of year, many of us start to think about wearing less and wondering what that’s going to look like! The perfect figure is elusive for most of us...and our pets! The little snack here or there can accumulate over the winter months and so when the long coats come off, the results of our edible indulgences become all too obvious.

Weight control is talked about so much, in both human and veterinary medicine. It is definitely an important topic, although there are clear differences between humans and dogs due to the variation in body types that we have created through selective breeding. Having said that, no pet animal should be seriously overweight. As owners, it is up to us to control our pets’ food intake and take steps to regulate it if the pounds start to pile on.

Owners often ask me whether I think their dog or cat is overweight. Some guidance is offered through tables of recommended maximum and minimum weights for many pure breeds of dog but variation between individuals within a breed often makes these comparisons meaningless. I generally use the scales for monitoring an animal’s weight over time and use the “finger-tip” test as a guide to body condition. It’s quite simple, run your fingertips down your pet’s chest and you should be able to feel each rib. If you cannot, it’s probably time to think about a diet.

The easiest “diet” is just less food.

Straightforward? Well, some overweight animals will scavenge relentlessly if the main meal is (in their view) insufficient. So if this is a problem,

46 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

try one of the reduced-calorie foods that are tailor-made for the over-hungry dog or cat. The best foods maintain essential nutrients without the calories, an important consideration for the fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids.

Combining a weight-reducing diet with increased fatty acids can be an important challenge, as it is common for older, overweight dogs to need help with arthritic joints. One manufacturer produces just such a dog food so may be a good choice for your larger, older, creakier labrador. Just a word of warning about dieting cats; don’t be overzealous!

Cats that lose weight too rapidly can suffer a syndrome of excessive fat mobilisation which is then deposited in the liver. This can be lifethreatening. So go slowly.

Our nurses at both surgeries will be offering free weight-control clinics. This will involve weight and general health checks and dietary advice, tailored to your individual animal. Both cats and dogs are welcome. Optional extras would be urine and blood tests, just in case abnormal thyroid function is suspected, and regular check-ups (all free) to monitor weight loss and keep everyone motivated!

One last thought. I have concentrated on the overweight animal. Just as important (and potentially more urgent) is the animal losing weight or chronically underweight. By all means see one of nurses first (bring a urine sample with you if possible) but a full veterinary clinical exam will almost certainly be necessary. www.newtonclarkevet.com

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 47

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Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday - Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 8am - 3pm Booking recommended

01935 815501 6a Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PX /jps_barber_shop

Menu of the Day

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The Dining Room is a beautiful restaurant situated in the stunning surroundings of the 8th Century Sherborne Abbey and 15th Century almshouse. We cook sensational traditional British food with a respectful nod to the past and an eager fork in the fresh ideas of contemporary dining.

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Food & Drink

DECAFF… WHAT’S THE POINT? Giles Dick-Read, Reads Coffee Roasters

S

leepless nights, we all have them from time to time and most will go to great lengths to avoid them. In my case, wondering what to write for the next issue of the Sherborne Times can be a great antidote to sleep so, this time, my mind slipped to the potentially thorny subjects of Caffeine and Decaff.

‘What’s the point?’ many will shout. ‘If I want a coffee, I want a proper hit…not some airy fairy brew full of chemicals.’ Hard to argue – what is the point of coffee if it doesn’t have any caffeine and what indeed, is the truth about those chemicals?

Caffeine, as you’ll know, fires up the brain, gets us going in the morning, sharpens the senses, makes us more creative and gives us an energy boost but also comes with quite a few downsides if you either overdo it or are sensitive to it. Nervousness, irritability, twitching, heart palpitations, not to mention the affect it has on the bladder. Above all, coffee’s fearsome reputation for inhibiting sleep has done wonders for the herbal tea industry.

The question is, how much is too much? 400mg per day to be exact. If to you, like me, that’s pretty meaningless, here are some numbers that give it some perspective. A mug of Cafetiere or filter coffee comes in at around 140mg, so you can have three of those. Espresso 60mg…great, six of those, or three doubles (now you know how the Italians do it!). Meanwhile, a mug of instant comes in at around 100mg, so it’s four of those if you must! Of course it’s all going to vary, depending how you make it but it’s worth pointing out that Arabica coffee, the high grown good stuff, has half the caffeine content of Robusta, the cheaper low grown variety that’s usually tucked away in ‘blends’.

So there is some good sense in drinking better coffee after all. A word of warning though, don’t 50 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

forget that cans of coke, chocolate, some medicines and all sorts of other things that contain caffeine could tip you over the edge. Also, caffeine is highly soluble which is why some of the most innocuous tasting drinks can leave you completely wired - the weight of coffee used to make the brew is directly in proportion to how much caffeine you’ll get in the cup. Beware filter coffees made using 27 grams of ground coffee and be really careful when it comes to some ‘Cold Brews’ created using vast amounts of coffee, a Lazarus brew for sure!

Believe it or not, decaff is our third most popular coffee and I find myself roasting it two or three times a week. But how does it come about and what about those darn chemicals?

These days, there are essentially three methods of decaffeinating coffee. The cheaper options involve rapidly evaporating solvents, the more expensive use either water or carbon dioxide (an essential part of the air we breathe before you worry) so are to all intents and purposes, natural.

The chances are that if you’re drinking decaff that doesn’t specifically tell you otherwise, it’ll have been decaffeinated using the former, chemical method.

To make sense of this we need to look back to where it all started. Decades ago decaff was known as Café HAG. ‘HAG’ standing for ‘Handels-Aktien-Gesellscaft’, trading name of coffee trader Ludwig Roselius who patented his decaffeination process in 1906. Benzene was used to extract the caffeine, for many that’s where the trouble started as it turned out to be carcinogenic.

The scene was set and despite benzene being dropped, to this day many are convinced that decaff is deadly. Quite why they worry, I don’t know, for the modern benzene replacements are either Dichlorometha, also found in paint stripper,

or Ethyl Acetate, nail polish remover. Whilst there is no doubt that any miniscule trace of any solvent left after the modern process is harmless and well within guidelines, the coffee used in the first place may have been low grade, the effects of the processing only detracting from it, so the end result tastes like it’s going to kill you….ah!

Luckily, the other two increasingly common methods don’t use any harmful chemicals at all – water in the Swiss Water Process, and Carbon Dioxide in the CO2 process. In extremely brief terms, I’ll try to explain the Swiss Water Process as it’s a question I’m so often asked and I could do with learning an abbreviated answer myself.

Brace yourselves…

Firstly, understand that coffee beans are decaffeinated before it gets roasted so we have sacks of decaff arriving at Limekiln Farm looking just like any others.

Caffeine, as I mentioned, being highly soluble, can be tempted out of green unroasted beans by soaking them for some time in very hot water under very exact conditions of pressure and so forth, unfortunately the flavour goes with it, so this is where it gets more complicated. The process starts with a sacrificial batch of beans.

The aforementioned hot water, now charged

with caffeine and flavour is drained and filtered through activated charcoal designed only to capture the caffeine molecules, leaving us with two tanks - one full of beans with no caffeine or flavour, the other full of water saturated with flavour, but no beans. That batch of beans heads for the bin then, and this is the clever part, another fresh batch is dropped in, the flavour-filled water sent back under very precise conditions, and the process starts all over again.

This time, the flavour-saturated, caffeine-free water readily accepts the new caffeine, but, won’t accept any flavour which stays in the bean. Hey presto!..a batch of beans full of their original flavour and no caffeine. It works, trust me!

So, after this rather convoluted tale, if you never suffer from grumpy irritability or lack of sleep then all of this will have been an irrelevance.

However, if you’re one of the rest of the world, I’m pleased to report that there are some excellent Single Estate beans being naturally decaffeinated, many are so good that they really are virtually impossible to tell apart from their caffeinated cousins. Try them and sleep easy! www.readscoffee.co.uk See our Reads Coffee offer on page 14

COFFEE BREAK Kafe Fontana 82 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ 01935 812180 kafefontana @kafefontana www.kafefontana.co.uk

Oliver’s Coffee House 19 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3PU 01935 815005 Olivers-Coffee-House @OliversSherbs www.oliverscoffeehouse.co.uk

Old School Gallery Boyle’s Old School, High Street, Yetminster, DT9 6LF 01935 872761 www.yetminstergallery.co.uk

The Pear Tree 4 Half Moon Street, Sherborne, DT9 3LN 01935 812828 @peartreedeli www.peartreedeli.co.uk

Sabins Deli 5 Hound Street, Sherborne, DT9 3HY 01935 816037 @SabinsDeli www.sabins.co.uk

Zest Cafe 1 Abbey Road, Sherborne, DT9 3LE 01935 389192 www.fourleafcloverclub.org.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 51

Food & Drink

WHAT TO EAT IN JUNE…

B

Lisa Osman, All Hallows Farmhouse, School for Cooks & Makers

y selecting produce in season, nature’s larder gently coaxes us to partner ingredients that blend together in a harmonious marriage of flavours. Gooseberries are all the better poached in elderflower-infused syrup or served with a fritter made from a cluster of flowers. But equally a sauce made from this sour fruit is a perfect foil when served beside a deliciously rich smoked mackerel.

As we approach early summer we can look forward to the longest days and shortest nights. Linger in the garden. Pick a strawberry warm from the sun and pop it straight into your mouth. I promise it will be the sweetest and juiciest you taste all year. Reminding us of childhood days spent running free in a beloved grandparent's back garden. Crouching down and hiding in the fruit cage, bushes laden with jewelled goodies, ripe for the picking. Or reminisce about carefree afternoons spent at the local ‘pick your own farm’, returning with smudged faces and red-stained fingers and carrying traditional cardboard punnets full to the brim with summer berries perfect for jam-making, jellies and puddings.

In the herb garden the borage has come into flower, once picked, ease its delicate blue flowers from their prickly stamens and use the petals to scatter over salads and desserts or freeze into ice cubes to serve with Pimms. The mint is now at its best and used daily when boiling potatoes or for a simple sauce served with roast lamb. Make a tisane by pouring freshly boiled water over a few sprigs of mint and allow to infuse before taking a quiet moment to enjoy. Replace basil and make a pistou of chopped mint and parsley ground together in a pestle and mortar with grated parmesan, crushed garlic and some olive oil to accompany a summer vegetable soup. Or marinate a handful of strawberries in a tablespoon of your favourite fruit vinegar for a few moments before arranging on a platter of salad leaves with a fresh young cheese cut into cubes and scattered with mint for an easy lunch. www.allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk 52 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

MACKEREL PATE 8 oz /225g cooked or smoked mackerel 3 oz /85g approx. cream cheese, full or half fat or curd cheese A little yoghurt or crème fraîche Pepper and ground mace Fresh chopped dill Horseradish sauce Lemon juice Method

1. R emove skin and bones carefully from fish if necessary.

2. Using a food processor whizz up cooked fish with cheese and seasonings.

3. Soften with a little crème fraîche or yoghurt.

4. Taste before adding any salt as most smoked fish is very salty.

5. Serve on its own with toast for lunch or serve as canapés.

Later in the month look out for…

Garlic – Traditionally harvested on the longest day so look out for ‘wet’ garlic after midsummer.

Fresh bulbs tend to have a milder flavour and are great roasted.

Garden peas – If you do have the time to keep a vegetable patch (or know somebody that does) then you will appreciate the taste of a pea that has been just picked from the garden is the sweetest you will ever find. Their natural sugars start to convert into starch as soon as they are picked so I urge you to grow a few peas in a pot by the backdoor, if only to experience the child-like pleasure of popping a pod open and discovering the raw treats inside. www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 53

Food & Drink

OAK SMOKED MACKEREL MOUSSE WITH CURED CUCUMBER, FENNEL AND BORAGE SALAD AND GOOSEBERRY COMPOTE Jason Moore and Adam Corbin, Head Chefs, The Dining Room Mousse

200g oak-smoked mackerel 100g full fat soft cream cheese 50g creme fraiche chives salt and pepper 1. W hip cream cheese and creme fraiche together until it holds its shape 2. Flake mackerel into the mix and fold it in 3. Add chives and season to taste then transfer into 4-6 moulds or ramekins and chill for 4 hours

5. H alve cucumber and scrape out the seeds then finely slice 6. Add the two together, halve and squeeze the lemon 7. Add salt, mix it all together and set aside (the lemon will soften the fennel slightly) 8. Add the borage leaf just before serving, mix through Compote

100g gooseberries 50g caster sugar 50ml water or elderflower cordial

Salad

1 large fennel bulb 1/3 cucumber 1 lemon 1 tsp salt 20 small borage leaves

9. Top and tail the gooseberries then halve 10. Add to a pan with sugar and liquid 11. Bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes 12. Cover and set aside to cool, simply squash to gain the consistency you wish, adjust taste with more sugar or a little lemon juice

4. Finely slice the fennel bulb

www.thediningroomsherborne.com

54 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

MACKEREL ESCABECHE WITH JERSEY ROYALS AND GOOSEBERRIES Sasha Matkevich, Head Chef and Owner, The Green A great recipe for warm summer evenings

For the Marinade

1. P ut white wine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, coriander seeds and peppercorns into medium-sized pan, bring to the boil and reduce by half.

2. Add sliced leek, carrot and saffron.

Stir well and let it infuse until just warm.

For the Mackerel

Ingredients

4 medium-size mackerels, filleted and V boned 1/2 small leek, sliced 1/2 small carrot, sliced 1 clove of garlic, chopped 1g saffron 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 1/2 tsp white peppercorns, crushed 100ml white wine 100ml white wine vinegar 100ml olive oil 2 heads of fennel, thinly sliced and blanched 200g of red gooseberries 200g Jersey Royals, cooked and crushed Cornish sea salt to taste

3. A rrange the gooseberries and mackerel fillets, skin side up, in a glass or ceramic dish.

Season lightly with sea salt. Pour marinade over the fish, cover with clingfilm and let it marinade for minimum one hour (you can keep it up to 1 week in the fridge).

4. Cook fish and gooseberries in marinade, preferably under very hot grill for around 3 to 5 minutes or in the oven on 180°C for 10 minutes.

5. Serve with a Jersey Royal and fennel salad and dress with the warm, saffrony marinade. www.greenrestaurant.co.uk

From our table to yours Delicious, frozen ready meals, made in Sherborne using only the very best local ingredients

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY* Order by phone on 01963 548181 or email info@olives-kitchen.co.uk

View our range of dishes online at www.olives-kitchen.co.uk *Free local delivery available within 10 miles of Sherborne. Nationwide courier service available. Minimum order value ÂŁ35. Please see our website for full details.

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 55

Food & Drink

PROVENCE ROSE David Copp

I

t seems over generous to devote all my space this month to the rosé wines of Provence when so many other good rosés are being made elsewhere in France and in other great wine producing countries around the world. However, my real purpose is to draw your attention to rosé wines in general and what they have to offer particularly at this time of year: and I start in Provence because it was the region in which I first really enjoyed true rosé wines.

The Greeks brought the vine to Marseille some 600 years before Christ but the region really began to flourish when the Romans moved in, referring to it as Provincia Nostra and treating it as an overflow of Italy.

In the early days rosé was made by default rather than by design. If red varieties such as Grenache and Mouvèdre didn’t ripen fully or were taken off the lees early, the result was a shade of pink.

There were various shades of pink - plain pink or one with an orange or bluish hue, salmon pink or even tawny pink; but definitely not deep coloured red.

It was a wine made to be consumed in hot weather, in one of two styles. The first a crisp, dry, refreshing lighter aperitif style ideal for lazy day conversation, reading by the pool or listening to music: the other deeper in colour, body and flavour to match the robust, garlic-laden regional cuisine, which we English first got to know through the writing of Elisabeth David.

In recent years a host of would be winemakers have been drawn to the gloriously peaceful Provencal countryside, with its delightful climate to give their 56 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

time and enthusiasm to producing ever increasingly sophisticated wines.

But it is not only Provence that has developed the rosé habit. Tavel in the neighbouring southern Rhone, has built itself a sound reputation, and the Loire has long since found loyal custom for its Rosé d’Anjou. Spain, Chile, Italy, Hungary (Spice Trail made from Pinot Noir and Kekfrankos), Portugal, South Africa, California (where it is called blush) and now England, all produce excellent dry refreshing rosé wines at under £10.

Vineyards of Sherborne will be delighted to sell you their perky Pierre et Papa at £7.29 or Furleigh Estate’s Sea Pink Rosé at £9.99. Furleigh Estate, a few miles north of Bridport, made its reputation for sparkling wine but Sea Pink stands up well on its own.

Waitrose also have an excellent selection of rosés, including the pale pink Domaine St Rose, Coquille d’Oc made by the British couple Charles and Ruth Simpson in France’s Pays d’Oc at £7.49, and Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rose at £12.49 a wine which impressed me so much at the English Wine Producers tasting. The Wine Society offer their own Pays d’Oc Rose at £5.95 as well as Richard Maby’s full bodied Prima Donna Rose made from old Grenache and Cinsault vines in Tavel at £9.95.

Wine merchants have responded to the genuine improvement in quality of rosés by giving the category greater sales space than ever before. So why not bring out some wine glasses and see the world through rosé coloured wines now that summer is almost here.

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 57

CYCLE SHERBORNE Peter Henshaw, Dorset Cyclists Network Mike Riley, Riley’s Cycles

I

f you are thinking of cycling abroad this year, then you’re not alone. Brittany Ferries carried nearly 40,000 ‘cars with bike racks’ across the Channel last year, 50% more than they did in 2011 (what they didn’t say is whether all of those bike racks actually had bikes attached – I suspect they did). In a way, it’s hardly surprising – board a cross-Channel ferry in the holiday season and every other car appears to be festooned with a bike for every family member.

What is surprising is how many of us take our bikes abroad without the aid of motorised transport. According to Brittany Ferries, over 20,000 people rode their bikes on board a ro-ro in 2015, which is another healthy increase over 2011.

“We’ve seen a strong increase in demand from cyclists in recent years,” said the proverbial Brittany Ferries spokesperson. “In the next couple of months, the global spotlight will turn to Normandy and the Grand Depart of the Tour de France at Mont St Michel...cycling fans will need to move as quickly as the peloton to book a crossing.”

Behind the corporate PR-speak, and whether or 58 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

not you’re planning to watch the Tour de France set off from Le Mont on 2nd July, there are lots of good reasons to take a bike abroad unassisted. For a start, it’s more exciting than sitting in a car, in a queue, with your bike strapped to the roof.

There’s a real sense of occasion as you pedal your way up to the passport check, past customs and get waved into the two-wheeler lane, along with the motorbikes. The best bit of all used to be cycling up the ramp and right through the gaping maw of the giant ferry, but most ferry companies now insist that you walk your bike on...spoilsports. But still, it’s quite an event to walk on board, a really dramatic start to the holiday. It’s also cheaper than taking the car and most ports have long-stay car parks to leave la voiture in.

Of course, none of this will make a lot of sense if you’re determined to head for the south of France or the Black Forest – better to bolt on that bike rack or put the bikes on Eurostar. But if you’re content to explore northern France, or Holland or Denmark, then crossing the Channel by bike can be great fun – the holiday starts when you board the ferry, not after a long day on the autoroute.

Credit: Brittany Ferries

So what are the options? Break yourself in gently with a long weekend in Ouistreham, the little port that serves the Portsmouth-Caen ferry on the French side. Catch the overnight boat, arrive early morning and cycle the 10 miles into Caen alongside a canal, getting there just after the cafes have opened. Stay in Ouistreham and spend a couple of days riding up and down the (very flat) coast, taking in the Normandy beaches, D-Day museums and some stunning ice cream.

If you want to sample the legendary cycle routes of Holland then I can recommend the HarwichHook of Holland boat. Admittedly, Harwich is a fair old haul from Sherborne, however you do it, though the train is fairly painless, heading straight to the ferry terminal. But the real joy is when you get to the other side – ride off the boat and straight onto a glorious traffic-free cycle path that takes you up the Dutch coast.

Back in France, St Malo ferry port gives access to the flat and scenic terrain around Mont St Michel (expect crowds on 1st July). Roscoff (from Plymouth) is more hilly, but it’s worth it – follow the cycle route signs to Morlaix to find an ex-

railway traffic-free route south. And all without the aid of a bike rack.

_______________________________________ If you like the idea of a ferry trip and cycle ride but are limited for time, Isle of Wight is easy to reach from Lymington. My sons and I took a ride round the island whilst there on a recent stag do! Also, Guernsey and Jersey can be visited from Poole and Mrs Riley and I have enjoyed day trips and short breaks to both.

You can purchase a picnic in the market before setting off and stop for a long lunch enjoying the views which feels very French.

If you plan to fly with your bikes, Riley’s hire and sell bike boxes to protect your pride and joy. A recent bike box hire customer watched as his bike jammed in the baggage carousel and luggage from the flight tumbled over it, due to the box’s protection, the bike was unscathed. _______________________________________

www.rileyscycles.co.uk www.dcn.org.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 59

Body & Mind

WHO AM I? HOW WE DEFINE OURSELVES Jill Cook, Counsellor

I

was looking through this magazine the other day and was struck by the variety of individuals involved; advertisers, contributors and those who put the magazine together. This set me thinking about how our job is part of the way in which we define ourselves but it’s certainly not all of who we are. I contribute to this magazine, I have a role as a counsellor, I am a mother, grandmother and friend. They all, amongst other things, make me who I am.

So what happens to us when one of these ‘roles or labels’ is changed or removed? In a time of increasing job insecurity, do we have to try to turn ourselves into someone who we think our employer wants us to be, even if it doesn’t feel like it suits us? How do we manage that tension?

And what impact does that have on other areas of our life? Changing working hours or demands may have an impact on those close to us, a knock on effect; being a great mum or dad may not be as straightforward as before. A promotion may boost our self-confidence or lead to the question ‘can I do this job?’ and adjusting to new demands may require some compromises in other areas of our life. Sometimes holding on to what has meaning for us can be difficult in the face of these challenges. Talking about these changes can be an important part of managing them.

In this and last month in particular, children and young people are under pressure to do SATs, GCSEs, A levels, college and university exams or

60 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

dissertations. How do these external events impact on their developing view of themselves? How do we support our young people to get through these ‘rites of passage’ without being left feeling that they have not fitted into the academic box?

Life is much more than ‘being the good student’.

Read any good school or university prospectus and there will be an emphasis on teaching the whole person. Helping each to have as broad a view of themselves as they can seems vital to me.

Learning is not just about the academic work which is assessed by these tests but is also about the social, physical and creative aspects of life which enable all to feel that they are the best they can be, whatever it is they try. Without exception, these tests do have an impact on the individual.

Some children and students thrive on exams and tests yet others may have a quiet meltdown which may go unnoticed by teachers or lecturers. As parents and carers we ask if everything is ok and receive the answer, “yes, it’s fine”, hopefully it is.

However sometimes we need to listen carefully for what is not being said too.

Talking and listening to each other is vital, whether adult or child. We can only be the best that we can be and do the best we can and encourage our closest to be that too, rather than trying to fit ourselves and them into the label or role demanded. www.jillcook.co.uk

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Body & Mind

MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS – ALTERNATIVES TO HRT

T

Dr Tim Robinson, MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom, GP & complementary practitioner

he menopause is a natural phase of life for women when their fertility draws to a close. Unfortunately a common consequence of the menopause is the onset of hot flushes and night sweats. These can be very troublesome symptoms that can have a significant impact on well-being and quality of life.

These menopausal symptoms arise as the female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, produced by the ovaries dwindle. These symptoms usually occur from the age of 45 and can last for up to 10 years. The flushes and sweats may occur up to hourly day and night. Women find them embarrassing, particularly if they blush and sweat facially. Interrupted sleep results in daytime tiredness, poor concentration, mood changes such as irritability and weepiness.

As these menopausal symptoms are caused by falling oestrogen and progesterone levels, the obvious solution is a top-up with synthetic equivalents, namely hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Although this is perfectly safe treatment prescribed and monitored by the GP, many women prefer to treat their sweats and flushes naturally. Women who are not able to have HRT due to cardiovascular disease or previous breast or gynaecological cancer also turn to natural alternatives. HRT should not be prescribed indefinitely; when it is discontinued the flushes and sweats may return. Women will look for alternative ways to eradicate the sweats and flushes at that point.

Lifestyle tips can be very helpful. Studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise, reduction of 62 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

caffeine and alcohol can reduce flushing. Smoking reduces oestrogen levels and brings about earlier menopause. For these reasons as well as the cardiovascular and cancer risk, smoking should be discontinued. Yoga, Tai Chi and meditation have also been advocated as flush control methods. Manual therapies such as reflexology, foot massage, chiropractic as well as acupuncture have also been shown to have some benefits in menopausal symptoms.

Dietary measures can help reduce menopausal flushing; oestrogen-like plant hormones (phytooestrogens) are found in many plants. They are much weaker than human oestrogen but still provide a natural boost as demonstrated by scientifically based studies. Two classes of food namely isoflavones (in soybeans and soy products such as tofu, chickpeas, red clover) and lignans (in flaxseeds, cereals and dark green vegetables) contain phyto-oestrogens and should be included in the diet to reduce flushing.

Herbal preparations have also been used for menopausal flushes with mixed success. Black cohosh, sage leaf extract and agnus castus are all herbs that can be sourced from the pharmacy and health food stores. Before taking any supplements check with the pharmacist to rule out any adverse effects or interactions with conventional medication that you may have been prescribed. Experiment with each in turn over a 6-8 week period; if there is no benefit proceed to another herbal medicine.

Hopefully one of them will be helpful.

Homeopathic medicine is another treatment that frequently relieves menopausal flushes and

night sweats. Belladonna, Lachesis, Sepia and Pulsatilla are often successful. These can also be obtained from pharmacies and health food shops at low potency. However advice from a homeopath is preferable in order to be prescribed the most appropriate medicine according to the symptoms as well as the overall profile of the person as an individual.

Having read this article you may feel slightly overwhelmed by all the suggestions on how to manage your troublesome flushes and sweats. To simplify matters I would sum up by advising regular aerobic exercise, incorporate plant-oestrogen food into your diet a few times each week, experiment with herbals or better still seek out an experienced homeopath. By following this advice I hope that your hot flushes and sweats will be minimised or even eliminated, energy and sleep restored, all resulting in full health and wellbeing. www.doctorTWRobinson.com

SHERBORNE SPORTS CENTRE

SPRINT TRIATHLON Sunday 10th July 2016 - 9am Start 500m Swim - 20k Cycle - 5k Run A great way of experiencing a Triathlon whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced athlete.

Register now at reception or contact Matt for more information.

T: 01935 810548 / E: mward@sherborne.org www.sherbornesports.co.uk/triathlon2016

Closing date for registration 06 July 2016.

The cost of entry is £35.00pp [BTF £30.00pp]

Complementary Health Clinic • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Acupuncture Pilates Shiatsu Podiatry & Chiropody Osteopathy Counselling Child and Youth Counsellor Physiotherapy EMDR Therapy Beauty Therapy Aesthetic Doctor McTimoney Chiropractor Manual Lymphatic Drainage Soft Tissue Sports & Remedial Massage

Tel: 01963 251860

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For more information please call 01935 818270 or go to our website www.oxleysc.com Bradford Road, Sherborne DT9 3DA www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 63

Brister&Son Independent Family Funeral Directors

When your family suffers the loss of a loved one, we are here to support, guide and reassure you – every step of the way Call Daniel on 01935 812647 100 Lenthay Road, Sherborne DT9 6AG Email: daniel@wsbrister.com www.wsbrister.com

Therapy rooms in the centre of Sherborne offering a range of different clinics • Medicinal Herbalist • Aromatherapist • Reflexologist • Doula • Hypnosis • Past Life Regression • McTimoney Chiropractor • EMDR Therapy

• Psychotherapist • Swedish Holistic Massage • Sports Injury Massage • Nutritionist • Shiatzu Massage • Bowen Technique and Lymph Drainage Massage

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www.sherbornerooms.com 56 Cheap St, Sherborne DT9 3BJ lorettalupil@gmail.com facebook.com/thesherbornerooms 64 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

A VERY SPECIAL VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY Become a SAMARITAN and you become part of a superb local team that offers emotional support 24/7 Find out more about our exceptional training programme and the chance to make a real difference at a Prospective Volunteer Information Session on the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm. These are held at our centre (address below) We are keen to hear from anyone over 18 with time in the evenings and weekends. Call 01935 414015 and let us know when you are coming or email recruitment@yeovilsamaritans.org.uk Yeovil Samaritans, 25 The Park, Yeovil

www.samaritans.org

You could change someone’s life – maybe your own

Body & Mind

ARE UNHELPFUL THOUGHTS CONTROLLING YOUR EATING HABITS?

W

Helen Lickerish, EMDR and Trauma Therapist, 56 London Road Clinic

e all have them sometimes - those nasty, sneaky little thoughts that put you in a bad mood, or convince you that procrastinating is the best choice, or tell you that you are not good enough. Where do they come from and who asked them to visit your head anyway? Perhaps the most important question is what can you do about them?

There are all sorts of tips and techniques we can learn to help with the annoying ones and often to great effect (even if the thoughts are persistent and we have to regularly repeat our mind-cleansing processes). However, for some people these thoughts are much more than just a nuisance; they can control their lives with ruthless determination and devastating impact and include PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), panic attacks and phobias. Perhaps the most difficult to eradicate however, are those of people suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. For them, their thoughts around food, weight and physicality (attractiveness etc.), are so deeply entwined with their identity that it can be difficult to believe they can ever be separated.

There is not usually a quick fix answer to this, as many people suffering themselves or watching a loved-one suffering will know. However, there is always hope and there are specialists about who can help. An important factor in recovery often revolves around having someone supporting you and understanding what your world is really like for you. To take a journey accompanied by someone you can trust, and will metaphorically hold your hand, can make the steps less frightening and seem more possible. If you are suffering yourself you may feel very alone or helpless, but if possible, take heart in the knowledge that although your circumstances,

life and pain is unique, the fact that you are suffering and feel unable to live your life the way perhaps you hoped for, is not. In that respect you are not alone, and it is possible to make changes.

EMDR (eye movement, desensitisation and reprocessing) therapy works by helping you gently uncover damaging thoughts, memories and belief systems and take away their power. Sometimes they are hidden so deeply that we are unaware that they are there, yet they can still cause havoc and become a foundation for further negative beliefs and behaviours. Replacing them with healthy ones is the next step. For ingrained behavioural patterns such as eating disorders it is most helpful if this process is undertaken within a gentle integrative trauma therapy, designed to help the body and mind find peace and health. The body is an amazing organism holding a wealth of information and capable of great things. However, trauma and deeply distressing memories can be kept prisoner within it and seemingly take control of the mind itself. When this is the case even the strongest will and determination can be at its mercy. Techniques such as meditation, visualisations and breathing exercises can help the body remember its safe state (i.e. the physiological state it was in before bad memories infiltrated it) and mitigate the effect of the unhelpful thoughts.

Examining, challenging and sometimes changing our own thoughts and beliefs is a hard and often frightening thing to do, yet can also uncover tremendous abilities and resources of which we were previously unaware. A journey of self-discovery is taken one step at a time but still takes us to new places. www.fullstoptherapy.co.uk www.56londonroad.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 65

Body & Mind

WELL WORTH A TRI Steve Hurley, Deputy Manager, Oxley Sports Centre

A

fter the road-running boom of the 1970’s there is well and truly a new kid on the block. Triathlon is now experiencing massive growth. The coverage of the sport has risen substantially since its great success during the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games. At London 2012, the home support for the various GB athletes was absolutely incredible, with a deafening roar following the lead athletes around Hyde Park. But it’s not all about the elite. New events are popping up year on year, with races of various distances closer to home than you might think.

As most people will be aware, a triathlon consists of three disciplines - swimming, cycling and running. The order stays the same but the distances covered may vary (vastly!). A standard Triathlon is a 1500m swim, 40km bike & 10km run. There are a couple of shorter options in the form of a Sprint distance or even Super Sprint. Which are far more inviting for a novice athlete or people who have limited time to train. Then for those who just want to go a little bit further, you can step up to middle or long distance Triathlon, which are probably known more commonly as half or full Ironman events.

But whatever the distance, and maybe which ever country the event is being held, the people involved in triathlon are fantastic; the volunteers who regularly give something back to their sport by marshalling, the athletes who have invested so much time and effort in preparing themselves to be as good as they can be on that given day, or friends and families lining the side of the course

66 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

cheering on loved ones.

Variety is the spice of life. Triathlon is an excellent cross training sport with its three disciplines, meaning you always have an interesting training program. This variety of activities can prevent injuries that could affect someone only undertaking one sport. Another plus point is that you don’t have to be good at all three disciplines; this allows a greater variety of people to participate.

While Triathlon is an individual event, I would strongly recommend training and racing with a team. The roads are a dangerous place if you are a novice cyclist. Wessex Wizards Triathlon club are a local group with almost 100 members who train out of Oxley Sports Centre. They have various coaches that can cater for athletes of all abilities.

Triathlon can become more of a lifestyle than a hobby. While I enjoy having a race to gear training towards, just getting in the pool or out in the fresh air is enjoyable and satisfying. Every training session I carry out I feel better for, and the feeling of “I’ll give it a miss today” gremlins that popped into my head beforehand are a distant memory. So get involved, I’m sure you won’t regret it.

The Oxley Sprint and Junior Triathlons take place on Sunday 14th August 2016. The sprint distance is 400m swim, 29.5km bike and 5km run.

It is open to anyone over 18. The junior distances are age dependant. For further information or to enter go to www.wessexwizards.com www.oxleysc.com

THE FEEL BAD AND DISTRACT CYCLE Niki Cassar DCH DHP, Hypnotherapist, The Sherborne Rooms

A

re you one of those many people caught in the trap of feeling ‘bad’ and then using distracters to feel better? Are you ‘doing-too-much’ of certain things, such as eating, drinking, smoking, gambling, shopping, working, internet surfing? You may have tried to cut down or stop doing your chosen distracter and wondered why you weren’t successful.

When I use the word ‘bad’, I’m talking about feelings of discomfort or pain that are so old and familiar, you’re not even consciously aware of them. Whereas ‘good’ refers to feelings that are pleasurable. In fact, all of our feelings are good, because they come from our inner or higher self, whose purpose is to motivate us to satisfy our needs, wants and desires. If we didn’t have feelings, we wouldn’t know that these needs aren’t being fulfilled.

When we experience a bad feeling, we really need to listen and ask which of our needs aren’t being met. Unfortunately, we are more likely to find a way of squashing the feeling down by using distracters as a form of comfort, to give us temporary relief. Over time, the relief lessens and soon we experience the secondary feeling of frustration, and when we feel frustrated, what do we do? We distract!

The reason why you can’t consciously stop doing your chosen distracter is because you have a programme running in your subconscious mind – the part of the mind that is your permanent memory and has no delete function. At some earlier time in your life, you had a bad feeling that

wouldn’t go away and so you ate something, or drank something (or whatever), and briefly, you felt better. Your subconscious, which has a protective function, logged this, and the next time you felt ‘bad’, it urged you to do the same thing to make you feel better. Over time, you got caught up in a vicious cycle of Feel bad>>>Distract>>>Feel frustrated>>>Distract.

By learning to listen to our feelings, we can interrupt this cycle by taking positive action before turning to our doing-too-much habit. Next time you experience an uncomfortable feeling, try the following 3-step process before you distract. (You may want to keep a notebook or worksheet to record your thoughts and feelings as you go).

First, name the feeling. For example: fear (also known as anxiety), sadness, loneliness, anger, guilt, or stress.

Second, identify the cause of the feeling (an unfulfilled want, need or desire).

Third, look for a healthy and satisfying way to resolve the feeling, and take action to fulfil that unmet need. This might initially seem a little daunting, but stick with it and you will soon experience the benefits of the outcome!

For a free, confidential chat about how hypnotherapy can help you call Niki Cassar on 01963 371695.

Quote SHERBORNE TIMES for a £10 discount on your first session. www.nikicassar.com

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 67

LIVE FOR EVERY MOMENT

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BY NICOLA & IAN GIRLING, PROUDLY CELEBRATING 15 YEARS IN THE TOWN! We offer the latest and best technologies with experienced, friendly service and outstanding aftercare. Visit our impartial, family-run centre for all your hearing needs.

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We understand what makes a property unique to the area and the market.

Combine this with our global network and we’ll find you a buyer that fits perfectly, in fact 48% of our buyers in the last 12 months have been sourced from outside of the South West.

To speak to your local Knight Frank team and arrange a free market appraisal please contact us on 01935 812236 or email sherborne@knightfrank.com KnightFrank.co.uk @KFSherborne

Property

HOW DO YOU PICK THE BEST AGENT TO SELL YOUR HOME?

M

Anita Light and Paul Gammage, EweMove Sherborne

oving home is widely reputed to be one of the most stressful things we do after divorce or family bereavement. We should be assured that our estate agent is going to take all the stress out of moving. By employing an agent that follows the guidelines below you’ll be well on that path to a stress-free move, in the best possible time frame to achieve the best price for your home.

Professional photography: When people ‘browse’ a list of typically 10 properties, they spend an average of 28 seconds before choosing one. That’s just 2.8 seconds per property! The single biggest deciding factor on whether to click for further details is your photo. Once they’ve clicked, your internal photos will be the main reason in determining whether or not your buyer goes on to book a viewing. Surveys have shown that professional photos generate a staggering 61% more interest!

Floorplans: Many people will not consider looking at property details if there is no floor plan.

2 dimensional ones are pretty standard these days, 3 dimensional floorplans are very useful and plot drawings are better still. These can be great for visualising the whole property including the garden and parking and getting a feel for the size of the rooms.

Creative marketing description: Moving home is brought about by a change of circumstance to which emotions are attached. Most property descriptions are lacklustre and mundane. A description of the type of lifestyle you could have in your new dream home is much more likely to entice a viewing rather than knowing how many double sockets there are in a room.

Rightmove, Zoopla and Prime Location: Recent surveys tell us that 97% of house hunters start their search on these property portals. Is it enough to just be on these portals? Not if you want to maximize your chances of selling! Your agent should monitor the number of times your properties appear in searches and more importantly how often they are “clicked on”. If the results fall behind targets 70 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

a good agent will adjust the order of the photos or tweak the headline marketing description to generate more interest. Expect to be sent this data weekly and have informed conversations with your agent about the marketing strategy.

Well designed website: Look for a site that enables people to book their own viewings, market appraisals, make offers on properties, chat with trained operatives, offer a quality browse and property search experience, or finding information 24/7.

Accompanied viewings: Accompanied viewings are not just about giving your agent have a set of keys and letting people look around the house.

Your agent should advise you how to best stage your home for viewings. Your agent should have an in-depth knowledge of the area and be able to answer potential buyer queries. Your agent should know all the ins and outs of your home and should emphasise all the positive elements at appropriate junctures in the viewing. The viewers will feel far more comfortable asking questions to an agent than they would to the owner. The agent will gather feedback from the viewer and most importantly will encourage them to make an offer, something the owner may well feel uncomfortable with. A good agent will collate all this information into a Prospect Report and share it weekly with the owners along with the online “Click Through” data.

Customer service: One of the most common frustrations people have during the course of their sale is not being kept informed. Expect a 1:1 personal service and your agent to be available to answer queries. There’s an obvious relationship between price and service. A good estate agent will add value to your home thereby negating their fee.

And if you can get amazing service and a stress free journey thrown in then everyone’s a winner.

For a free copy of Paul and Anita’s book: “The 39 Steps To Avoid a House Sale Nightmare” email sherborne@ewemove.com or visit www.ewemove.com/sherborne

Hi we’re Anita and Paul Branch Directors of EweMove Sherborne Your Local Property Expert

8 Reasons Why Homeowners Trusted EweMove To Sell Their Home 1 We’re open 24/7, so we never miss out on a viewing or offer 2 We advertise on all major property portals: RightMove and Zoopla 3 Our award winning Ewereka! system allows buyers to book their online viewings 4 We will personally manage your sale beginning to end

£450,000 Sherborne • 4 Double beds, adapted throughout for disabled users

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5 We take professional photographs of your home that will make it stand out and increase your click through rates 6 2D & 3D floor plans to allow people to visualise themselves in your home 7 If you’re not happy, you can walk away at any time and you won’t pay us a penny 8 Our customers have rated us 5 star on Trustpilot making us The UK’s Most Trusted Estate Agent

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I have experience of buying & selling properties & how stressful it often is. On this occasion however, I have been lucky in discovering ‘EweMove’ who take the stress out of it by providing a brilliant service. I feel like they are working solely for me. Paul & Anita at EweMove in Sherborne are constantly in contact with us keeping us up to date with everything. They are professional in what they do, yet put me at ease so I feel confident to ask them anything that I am unsure about. From initially contacting them online I feel we have had their constant attention.

Whereas other more traditional agents are either unavailable or slow to respond. The photos, description & overall presentation of our house sale have been superb. I feel that this has been a significant factor in securing us a buyer within hours of being marketed. I can’t recommend Paul & Anita at EweMove highly enough.

Get Your FREE Online Valuation Estimate Visit: EweMove.com/Sherborne Or Call: 01935 350 350

Property

I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN IT ALL

I

Mark Lewis FRICS FNAVA, Partner, Symonds & Sampson

am based in Dorset and cover Somerset, East Devon, West Wiltshire and West Hampshire, some of the very best countryside that England can offer, and I thought I had seen it all.

I should have done as I have been an auctioneer for 36 years, having followed my father into the profession, and sold my first lot when I was 17.

I learnt the ‘dark arts’ from a very young age.

Symonds & Sampson are a typical firm of country Chartered Surveyors, long established with firm roots in the agricultural community, and have boasted the largest calf market in Europe. Michaelmas and Lady Day were key dates in our calendar when tenancies changed hands and calving was at its peak. There would be weeks when I was auctioneering six days a week, livestock markets on Monday and Friday (three lots a minute which is not as difficult as it may seem), two days at farm dispersal sales of livestock and machinery, furniture on a Wednesday and then some freelance selling of boats on a Saturday. A young farmer’s harvest supper on a Saturday night would never be complete without an invitation, usually at about 11pm, to auction a ‘night out with the Chairman’ or a lively ferret!

Auctioning property is a serene experience compared with the bear pit of the livestock market.

The noise and movement of incontinent animals and the speed of bids from gnarled, professional, abattoir owners is not for the faint-hearted and both buyers and sellers can be unforgiving. It gave me a unique grounding, however, especially when my father would watch and note down my mistakes for discussion later in the evening. Small amounts of praise were sprinkled amongst a lot of constructive criticism.

I left behind the hurly burly of the livestock market for the peace of the property auction and nothing could surprise me until a sale in 2009.

Our auctions are held in a hall with a capacity for 300 souls but, as there is little to do on Friday afternoons in Dorset, we time our sales so that everyone can get home in time for Countdown, we often attract crowds of 400. On this occasion we had 675 people crammed into the room and I knew, or was related to, most of them.

I offered lot one with a guide of £15,000 and a 72 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

man on my left, who I did not know, bid once but did not buy. He repeated this on the next four lots but bought lot 6 for £324,000. All was well until he came to sign the contract and realised he did not have his cheque book offering us a saddle as a deposit instead. He agreed to meet the solicitor in a small country town at 4pm and said he would have a banker’s draft ready for him. He did not show up, however, and the address and telephone number on his buyer’s form did not match.

I was telephoned by the solicitor at 6pm telling me we were not in funds and suggesting we sell to the under bidder. That was going to be difficult and I will let you surmise why!

I rang the number on the form and learnt that our buyer was in deepest Dorset mending a tractor in the yard. By the time I found the farm, talked to our buyer for half an hour and helped him find the banker’s draft I was able to call my relieved client and still be at a farmer’s dinner in time to auction a trailer load of dung at the end of the evening.

On the Tuesday, however, the buyer’s sister telephoned me to ask for the deposit to be returned as her brother had been ‘sectioned’ the day before. My client would not agree and kept the 10% deposit. Lawyers were instructed and the case was heard at Bristol court 4 years later.

The lawyers requested sight of my auction script and cassette recording, jokes by the way never look as amusing in print as they do on the day, together with a statement and I was then cross examined by barristers in front of the judge.

Cutting an even longer story short, the judge determined that, even though we had a psychiatrist’s statement following examination on the Monday, nobody could know whether the buyer was of unsound mind the previous Friday and my client could keep the deposit. His legal fees totalling over £30,000 were paid by the buyer.

How many times have I heard someone say “They must have been mad to buy that”? In this unfortunate case, a terribly sad story for the buyer, it could well have been true. www.symondsandsampson.co.uk

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Earning enough on your investments?

We offer experienced, personalised investment management for private clients We are experts at managing income portfolios We keep the costs of owning financial assets down to enhance returns We offer our clients superior financial planning Contact us today for your free portfolio review and see how we can help you improve returns Call Jeremy Le Sueur on 01935 813380 or email info@4-shires.com www.4-shires.com

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21 The Old Yarn Mills, Westbury, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3RQ 4 Shires Asset Management is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The value of investments and the income you get from them may fall as well as rise, and there is no certainty that you will get back the amount of your original investment.

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 73

Our business is blossoming‌

For all your property matters contact the award winning agents this spring

For a fresh take on your accounts, speak to Hunts.

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Trusted, professional, fee based advice We live in a complex world. At FFP we aim to remove complexity, replacing it with simplicity and clarity so that our clients can enjoy their lives without worry

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Finance

PRINCIPLES FOR INVESTMENT SUCCESS Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.) CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS, Certified and Chartered Financial Planner

S

uccessful investing hinges on many factors. Some can’t be controlled – the returns of the markets, for example.

But others can be. By following these four principles you can focus on the factors within your control, which can be an effective way to achieve long-term results.

It’s very easy and very tempting to focus on the markets, the economy, manager ratings or the performance of individual funds. This may lead you to overlook the basic principles that we believe can give you the best chance of success.

These principles rest on a simple idea: Focus on what you can control.

1. Goals

Create clear, appropriate investment goals. The investment process begins by setting measurable and attainable investment goals and developing plans for reaching those goals.

2. Balance

Develop a suitable asset allocation using broadly diversified funds. A successful investment strategy starts with an asset allocation suitable for its objective. Investors should establish an asset allocation using reasonable

76 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

expectations for risk and potential returns.

The use of diversified investments helps to limit exposure to unnecessary risks.

3. Cost

Minimise cost. You can’t control the markets but you can control how much you pay to invest.

Every pound that you pay in costs and charges comes directly out of your potential return. Indeed, research suggests that lower-cost investments have tended to outperform higher-cost alternatives.

4. Discipline

Maintain perspective and long-term discipline.

Investing evokes emotion that can disrupt the plans of even the most sophisticated investors.

Some make rash decisions based on market volatility. But you can counter emotions with discipline and a long-term perspective. This can help you stick to your plan.

Over the coming months we will explain each of these principles in greater detail and seek to demonstrate how a sound intellectual framework for making decisions can increase your future financial security. www.ffp.org.uk

VALUE OR GROWTH INVESTING?

T

Jeremy Le Sueur, 4 Shires Asset Management

here are two main types of investment theories when selecting shares to buy. Value investors buy cheap shares and they have several criteria. Growth investors buy shares that are progressively growing profits and are usually happy to pay a high multiple of profits. There are periods when value outperforms growth shares and vice versa. At the moment growth has been outperforming value for some years.

The criteria for a value share include a low multiple of profits, companies whose assets are more valuable than the stock market value of the business and those with high dividend yields. For example a company whose assets (book value) are £1 per share with an 80p share price, trades at a 20% discount to book value. Property companies and banks often trade at a discount to book value.

Growth companies include defensive shares like food manufacturers and utilities, for example Unilever

or National Grid. These companies trade on high multiples of profits because they produce reliable, steady earnings growth. Unilever trades on 21.5 times next year’s earnings (as at 11/5/16) whereas Lloyds Bank trades on 8.8 times next year’s earnings.

So which should one buy, growth or value? At the moment the gap between growth and value shares is at its highest since the technology stock boom at the end of last century. Global bank shares are very cheap due to concerns over falling prices and negative interest rates. But it has gone too far and the performance of bank shares is noticeably improving.

As usual it is best to retain flexibility and not be tied to one investment ideology. However, value has outperformed growth over the long term, making value shares particularly attractive today. www.4-shires.com

Want to know what your home is really worth?

We offer a free, no obligation valuation service. There’s no hard sell and it only takes 20 minutes.

Given the recent property price increases we have witnessed across the county, this is a perfect opportunity for you to understand the value of your home should you wish to sell, or are simply interested in what your home is worth.

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St Georges House, Greenhill, Sherborne, DT9 5HF • Email: sherborne@mortonnew.co.uk www.mortonnew.co.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 77

Days Out

Hampton Court Palace & Lunch Saturday 4th June, £43 (Club £41)

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

Saturday 11th June, £25 (Club £23)

Cotswolds Day Trip & Moreton-in-Marsh

Tuesday 14th June, £19 (Club £17)

Looe & Polperro

Sunday 26th June, £20 (Club £18)

Holidays

Killarney & Ring of Kerry 26th June - 2nd July 7 Days £655

The Grand Old City of York 26th - 29th August 4 Days £395

2016 Day Trips & Excursions brochure available now

For further information, or for a 2016 brochure call the office now!

01935 423177 | www.taylorscoachtravel.co.uk

Keeping you mobile

in style

We stock the largest range of mobility products and furniture in the area

Tel 01935 389391 www.sherbornemobility.co.uk Visit our showroom Unit 5, South Western Business Park, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PS (Access via the station car park)

78 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

The Old Vicarage Leigh, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6HL

01935 873033

info@tovic.com

We are delighted to announce that following our recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission we have been awarded a rating of Outstanding. This means we are in the top 1% of care homes in England.

The Old Vicarage CQC overall rating

28 January 2016

Set in its own secluded, beautifully landscaped gardens, woodland and meadow, and with stunning views overlooking the Dorset countryside, it’s hard to resist the charms of the Old Vicarage. As soon as you step through the front door of this charming country house, you’ll discover an oasis of comfort, warmth, calm and relaxation.

Our highly trained staff ensure that everything - from the mouth-watering food and drink and the stylishly cosy bedrooms to the wide range of activities - will make the Old Vicarage truly a home from home. We have been recognised by the Cinnamon Trust as being one of the best pet friendly care homes in the country.

To arrange a visit please call on 01935 873033 or email info@tovic.com

H

ere we are then…better late than never!

A hard disk (as opposed to a floppy disk, now obsolete) is a disk of magnetic media that spins at a high speed and has an arm that reads the data stored on its surface or writes data to it. If you like, it’s the same as an old record player with a bit more technology. They can store unimaginable amounts of data: on a 1 terabyte hard disk you could fit 728 million of the old 1.44mb floppy disk. You can now get a 10 terabyte disk and my brain just can’t cope.

The floppy disk has gone, the IDE hard disk (IBM compatible) has gone, ESDI has gone, PATA disks are rare and we are left with SATA that now has versions I, II & III. What’s next? SATA Express! All of these new terms actually relate to the connection between the disk and the computer and the improvements are all about the speed of data transfer between the two of them. Up to now, the weakest link has been the speed with which the disk can collect its data from the spinning disk.

The faster the disk spins the faster the transfer rate but, the more unstable it becomes. 7,200 is really the fastest you can physically spin a disk before it vibrates so much it can’t actually be read.

Most consumer laptops and PCs have a hard disk of about 500gb to 1,000gb (1tb) and this is loads of storage for the average user doing email, Internet, a few videos and some pictures. When we 80 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

are asked to transfer data from an old PC to a new one, most users are surprised how little of their storage they have used, typically 50-100gb. Think on then that internet speeds have gone ballistic recently with the introduction of fibre and on-line data storage has become so cheap that everybody can afford it. What we need now is a super fast disk that’s not really about storage but more about making the laptop or PC super fast.

Enter the SSD! That stands for Solid State Disk. A completely electronic device that has no moving parts, no spinning disk, no little arm, no noise, nothing. It uses a fraction of the power that a traditional disk uses, giving hours more battery life to laptops. They’ve been around for a couple of years but are expensive. However the prices have plummeted in the last 12 months and they are now affordable as fitted, in new computers, as well as an upgrade option. Typically, a three year old laptop with a traditional hard disk starts up in about 2-3 minutes; with a replacement SSD it starts up within 30 seconds. The future is here, now!

All you have to do is copy your existing disk to a new SSD…job done! As always, if you need help, you know where to come!

Next Month: Repair, Upgrade or New www.computing-mp.co.uk

Elite Estates

BRYAN C. COOPER LTD

Complete Property Services

A Traditional Family Run Building Company

• New builds and period property • Renovations and extensions • Joinery and carpentry • Electrics and plumbing • Plastering and all roofing

Established over 45 years

• Interior and exterior decorating • Soft and hard landscaping • Re-pointing specialists • All grounds works covered

Covering all aspects of building work across the South West and South East.

Renovations, Extensions and Alterations ~ Patios, Boundary Walls and Fencing

For complete and bespoke project management call Elite

Purpose made Joinery ~ Internal and External Decorations ~ Bathrooms and Kitchens

Mob: 07816 151439 Tel: 01935 872278

Wall and floor Tiling ~ Repairs and Maintenance ~ Roofing and Fibreglass Systems 96 Newland, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3DT Email: bccooperltd@btconnect.com Web: bryancooperbuilders.co.uk

Tel: 01935 814946

Email: eliteestatesinfo@gmail.com Tarks Hill, Melbury Rd, Yetminster, Dorset DT9 6NA

LTD

FRANKS

MAINTENANCE GROUP Building repair & maintenance | Home refurbishments | Facilities management services

Serving all your interior & exterior maintenance needs

CALL OU

2sev4en

• • • • • •

Heating & Plumbing Refurbishments Carpentry Kitchen Fitting Bathroom Fitting Wall/Floor Tiling

• • • • • •

Plastering Hard Landscaping Painting & Decorating Mobile Scaffold Tower Hire Electrical Installations Electrical Test & Inspections

T

01747 826656

info@franksgroup.co.uk www.franksgroup.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 81

Gas and oil appliance servicing, repair and installation plus All aspects of general plumbing Local, friendly, qualified and accredited professional Please call Patrick O’Loughlin on

07590 121599 or 01935 815613 phelpsgas@yahoo.com

Phelps Heating Solutions Ltd, 57 Granville Way, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4AT

82 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

Queen Tribute Night June 25th 2016 ÂŁ35 per person including a 3 course dinner To reserve your table call

01935 483430

Don’t forget to ask about our accommodation offer George Albert Hotel Wardon Hill, Evershot, Nr. Dorchester, Dorset DT2 9PW Tel: 01935 483430

www.gahotel.co.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 83

Wills

DESIGNER Specialist in outfits for the Mothers of the Bride and Groom Bespoke or Ready to Wear Find us in Half Moon Street, Sherborne, opposite the Abbey

01935 812 927

www.perriashby.co.uk info@perriashby.co.uk

Specialised maths tuition in your home

––– of Sherborne –––

Plu m b i n g & H eati n g Ltd Local & reliable plumber. Gas Safe registered, fully insured • New build • Renovations • Boiler installations • Vented & unvented cylinder installations

• LPG • Bathroom installations • Free quotes • Competitive prices

T: 07885 420609 E: wills.plumbing@hotmail.co.uk

Yeovil rne & Sherbo ing d surroun areas

24 hour emergency callout General plumbing and heating Evening and weekends Friendly and professional service No job too small

SATS, Common Entrance (11+ and 13+), GCSE and ‘A’ level Cambridge Board Examiner Enhanced CRB disclosure Tel: Barry Reid 01963 202452 Email: dorsetmathstutor@icloud.com www.dorsetmathstutor.org

Tel: 01935 584 034 | Mob: 07718 476 549 info@oakleighplumbing.co.uk www.oakleighplumbing.co.uk

EMDR - a supportive, effective therapy.

Eye Movement, Reprocessing and Desensitisation • Trauma • Anxiety • Low self-esteem • Phobias • Depression Tel: 01747 825288 Mobile: 07966 002927 www.fullstoptherapy.co.uk

Home Selection Service and Budget flooring available Carpets ~ Naturals ~ Vinyls ~ Contract Flooring Tel: 01963 441276 Mobile: 07855 743796 Therapy & Addiction Services

Keeping your family and business safe Contact us on paul.pcelectricals@gmail.com or 07974 155624 for a free quote www.pcelectricals-dorset.co.uk 84 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

glen@inspiration4floors.co.uk www.inspiration4floors.co.uk

Suppliers and Manufacturers of quality Signage, Graphics and Embroidered Workwear

T: 01935 816767

info@swsigns-sherborne.co.uk www.swsigns-sherborne.co.uk

Unit 14, 0ld Yarn Mills, Sherborne Dorset DT9 3RQ

DAVE THURGOOD Painting & Decorating interior and exterior

07792 391368 NO VAT www.sherbornedecorators.com dave.thurgoodstfc@btinternet.com

CROSSROADS PET SUPPLIES LTD All Pet Accessories Retail & Wholesale

Covering South Somerset & North Dorset Small Business Support

Networks & Cabling

New PCs & Laptops

Wireless Networks

Repairs & Upgrades

Broadband Setup

Virus Removal

Disaster Recovery

The Weighbridge • High Street • Milborne Port • DT9 5DG www.mpfix.co.uk

01963 250788

PORT AND AIRPORT CAR SERVICE ANY DISTANCE, ON TIME, IN COMFORT

01935 411859 Find us at Forward Garage on the A30 between Sherborne & Yeovil

Mercedes E Class

Greg Cook 01935 814334 07594 743748 greg.john.cook@outlook.com

FENCING & GATES Supplied and erected by the

SHERBORNE & DISTRICT FENCING Co. Free Estimates No VAT

A MONTHLY CELEBR ATION OF PEOPLE, PLACE AND PURVEYOR

01935 330095

Wayne Timmins Painter and Decorator

TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CONTACT

advertising@sherbornetimes.co.uk 01935 814803 | 07957 496193

• Dulux Approved • Interior and Exterior • All Jobs Considered For a free quote call tel: 01935 872007 mobile: 07715 867145

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk

www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 85

FOLK TALES with Colin Lambert

TALL KEEF

M

y alarm goes off at 6:25am and Radio 4 says, inter alia, rain all day. Hey ho. Wheat grass, black coffee and by 7:15am I’m eating continental breakfast with 30 others at the fortnightly Sherborne Business Exchange breakfast (EBBX) at Castle Garden Centre. Full English was available but I’m currently on a health roll.

By 11:15am I’m driving through torrential rain and floods to Sparkford to meet Tall Keef. Keef, who insists that’s what folk call him, is really tall at 6’ 8”. He greets me with a smile, the kettle on and a seat at his kitchen table. He wakes naturally around 6:30am and downs a mug of Assam tea with porridge or a bowl of fruit to kick start his day. In an earlier life he got up at 3am to drive a refrigerated van around Dorset. That’s for later.

Who is Keef ? His real name is Keith but be patient please. He’s a people person, likes being creative and is a musician: the drums are his 86 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

passion. He spent 10 years as a semi-professional drummer (Prog Rock) travelling throughout UK and Europe, as you do.

School in Sturminster Newton was followed by Lancaster University for a degree in Community Youth Work, then Gloucestershire County Council, becoming part of a groundbreaking pilot scheme working with child runaways. Problem was, after wandering the streets of Gloucester knocking on doors looking for the kids, the police were then legally required to return them home, to the very place they had run away from. Smiling, Keef said “The police just weren’t skilled or trained to deal with young people. The mere sight of a uniform puts off most children.”

He became a mentor, coach and therapist, and an advocate protecting kids from our inflexible legal system. Helping kids and putting a smile back on their faces gives him a buzz. It’s a warm glow in the belly to see a fellow human grow

from your work. Ask any schoolteacher or social worker why they love the job and they’ll describe that feeling.

By his mid-20s Keith was back in Dorset helping to set up an independent social enterprise, Equilibrium, funded by schools and Dorset County Council, working with children excluded from school. Next, Guys Marsh Prison, Shaftesbury, working as a personal development tutor dealing with assertiveness, anger management, emotional intelligence and literacy. He tried to introduce plate spinning (a friend was a circus performer) to the prisoners.

However, a long stick with a spike on the end meant his three applications to the prison board were refused. Apparently it’s great for stress relief and confidence-giving. Please use plastic plates.

The prison job was part-time, so three days a week he picked up a van in Sturminster at 3:30am, delivered refrigerated food around Dorset and was home in time for the school run. And he played in a band. Umm, surely something had to give? Two years later: divorced, left the band, left the family home, in a bedsit feeling miserable - but at least not getting up at 3am.

Keef smiles, saying “however I’m an optimist - my glass is always half full. I have to accept the things I can’t change and move forward.”

He now has an office at the Butte House Surgery where he works with nine local GP practices setting up and delivering Patient and Public Involvement groups throughout North Dorset. Keith says, “It’s a bit like a parent teacher association but for doctors and patients”. Which sounds like a good idea.

Does your surgery have a PPI group?

He’s also spent the past 3 years working part-time at the Rendezvous, under Cheap Street Church, helping with mentoring, recruiting and working with schools.

I’m not sure Keith ever stops working but he assures me he still plays the drums, does the odd gig and is perfecting his Bangladeshi cooking skills while reading.

A big thanks to Keith for my cup of Assam tea and the chance to share his folk tales.

Keith can be contacted on Keith.Harrison@dorsetccg.nhs.uk www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 87

LITERARY REVIEW Mark Greenstock, Sherborne Literary Society

The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District, James Rebanks (Penguin Books 2015) £8.99 Exclusive Sherborne Times reader price of £7.99 at Winstone’s Books.

Please bring a copy of this review to claim your discount.

I

finished this book on Carron Crag in the Coniston Fells area of the Lake District, basking in last weekend’s strong sunshine. Away to the north-east beyond Fairfield and Helvellyn lies Matterdale where James Rebanks and his wife Helen have their sheep farm. I wasn’t particularly interested in sheep before, just thought they were a part of the landscape and rather daft creatures. I remember years ago rock-climbing with a friend on Bowfell Buttress and hearing the plaintive moans of a cragfast ewe, so we decided to rescue her; she was dirty and flea-ridden and resented our intervention, more than once trying to leap into the void, until she was tied into a sling cradle and roped to safe ground. Now however, thanks to Rebanks’ book, I have a profound respect for her breed, especially for Herdwicks and Swaledales; and I’ve learnt a new word, ‘hefted’, which means ‘attached to an area of upland pasture’. There are no maps and the few black-and-white photos are mostly of white woolly animals (Beatrix Potter appears with one of them) – yet I find I am looking at sheep with a quickened interest and understanding: tups, ewes and lambs have magically acquired a new personality. James has given us, not quite an autobiography, certainly 88 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

not an academic handbook, but the inside story of three living strands: the animals, the people and the land. All are part of a living tradition, passed on through wind and snowstorm, hay harvest and foot-and-mouth cull (a tragic episode, this), from grandfather to father to son and daughter, and Rebanks is familiar with it all. He confesses his debt to W.H. Hudson’s similarly-titled A Shepherd’s Life (1910), which was incidentally recommended by Hemingway as a model for writers. His easy, loping style, colourful and coolly objective, carries us through the four seasons of the year in an episodic yet skilfully-woven narrative. James was a bit of a wild character at school, and the mystery is how he ever got to Oxford University – the secret has to wait till the end, where he pays tribute to his Primary School teacher ‘who helped me to love books and learning and who encouraged me later on from a distance.’ All teachers take heart! This book won the Lakeland Book of the Year as soon as it came out and has been showered with rave reviews ever since. Here, short as it is, is another. www.sherborneliterarysociety.com www.winstonebooks.co.uk

SUDOKU

Fill the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 section contain all numbers between 1 and 9 MAY SOLUTIONS

ACROSS 1. Slender; thin (6) 5. Assist (3) 7. Capital of South Korea (5) 8. Prepare for printing (7) 9. Doglike mammal (5) 10. Awesome (8) 12. Precious stones (6) 14. Moved back and forth (6) 17. Relating to the home (8) 18. Edits (anag) (5) 20. Parched (7) 21. Rock group (5) 22. Coniferous tree (3) 23. Republic once ruled

by Idi Amin (6)

DOWN 2. Type of precision surgery (7) 3. Channels of the nose (8) 4. Tease (4) 5. So soon (7) 6. Inflicted harm on (7) 7. Corpulent (5) 11. Wide-ranging (8) 12. Show to be reasonable (7) 13. ___ Wilson: 28th US President (7) 15. Gave out (7) 16. Solicits custom (5) 19. Cloth worn around the waist (4) www.sherbornetimes.co.uk | 89

HAPPY [OFFICIAL] BIRTHDAY, YOUR MAJESTY! Canon Eric Woods, Vicar of Sherborne

T

he Official Birthday of Her Majesty The Queen is celebrated this year on Saturday 11 June, and will be the focus of larger and more elaborate celebrations than was her actual 90th birthday on 21 April.

Why does our Sovereign have an ‘Official Birthday’ as well as an actual one? Well, the answer is that King George VI was born on 14th December, and it was thought when he came to the throne that public celebrations in winter in the run-up to Christmas were not a good idea, so a summer date was chosen. Elizabeth II continued the arrangement, as her birthday in April is considered too close to Easter (which is just five days earlier next year) and in a month quite likely to be cold and wet. So now the big public celebration is on the Saturday in the range 11th – 17th June. Some Commonwealth countries have a different date: in Canada, for example, it’s the Monday before 25th May. So, this month we in the UK have a chance to offer our congratulations to Her Majesty, who is Britain’s oldest-ever Sovereign as well as (since last September) the longest reigning. The ‘secular’ celebrations are concentrated on Saturday 11th and the nation’s churches have been asked to offer prayers of thanksgiving on Sunday 12th. At the Abbey we will be holding a special service of Evensong at 6:30pm. The town itself is planning to celebrate on Saturday 18th June.

Many of us will celebrate not only The Queen’s 90th birthday, but also the depth of her Christian faith and devotion. As the years have passed, that

90 | Sherborne Times | June 2016

faith has become more explicit, not least in her Christmas broadcasts. At a time when some public figures play down their religious beliefs for fear of committing offences against the great god Political Correctness, The Queen has been unafraid to witness to her faith. For example, in 2014 she said: For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace…is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role-model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none.

In celebrating the Millennium she spoke at length: Even in our very material age, the impact of Christ’s life is all around us. If you want to see an expression of Christian faith you have only to look at our aweinspiring cathedrals and abbeys, listen to their music, or look at their stained-glass windows, their books and their pictures.

But the true measure of Christ’s influence is not only in the lives of the saints, but also in the good works quietly done by millions of men and women day in and day out throughout the centuries.

Many will have been inspired by Jesus’ simple but powerful teaching: love God and love thy neighbour as thyself…His great emphasis was to give spirituality a practical purpose.

And for that, and for The Queen herself – thanks be to God.

Crafting quality timber buildings and gates since 1912

Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7LH Tel: (01963) 440414 | Email: info@sparkford.com | @sparkfordtimber www.sparkford.com

Enjoy an apĂŠritif and zakuski

Menu du Jour Offer

3 courses for ÂŁ20 or 2 with a glass of wine*

Its reputation as the best restaurant in Sherborne is well deserved Trip Advisor April 2016, #No.1 Restaurant in Sherborne 3 The Green, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3HY 01935 813821 @greensherborne www.greenrestaurant.co.uk *Available evenings Tuesday - Thursday and lunchtimes Tuesday - Saturday