Sherborne Times August 2018

AUGUST 2018 | FREE

A MONTHLY CELEBR ATION OF PEOPLE, PLACE AND PURVEYOR

GOING ON A BUG HUNT with Conservationist, Nigel Spring

sherbornetimes.co.uk

WELCOME I thought I’d write this in the shade of a tree with the squeaking of life all about me A moment of peace, of creative release and space for my thoughts to run free The to-ing and fro-ing, the cooing and crowing draw my eye, then beckon my mind These bees on the breeze put my body at ease and plead “Leave all this toil behind” So at this I let go, for I am overthrown by the stream, the sky and its choir And despite what’s required, I let nature conspire to lead me to something far higher Have a wonderful month.

Glen Cheyne, Editor glen@homegrown-media.co.uk @sherbornetimes @sherborne_times

CONTRIBUTORS Editorial and creative direction Glen Cheyne Design Andy Gerrard @round_studio Sub editors Jay Armstrong @jayarmstrong_ Elaine Taylor Photography Katharine Davies @Katharine_KDP Feature writer Jo Denbury @jo_denbury Editorial assistant Helen Brown Illustrations Elizabeth Watson @DandybirdDesign Print Pureprint Distribution team David Elsmore Christine Knott Sarah Morgan Mary and Roger Napper Alfie Neville-Jones Claire Pilley Geoff Wood

Simon Barber Evolver Magazine @SimonEvolver evolver.org.uk Deborah Bathurst and John Gaye Sherborne Literary Society @SherborneLitSoc sherborneliterarysociety.com Laurence Belbin laurencebelbin.com Sue Belfrage suebelfrage.com David Birley davidpfbirley@hotmail.co.uk Elisabeth Bletsoe Sherborne Museum @SherborneMuseum sherbornemuseum.co.uk Richard Bromell ASFAV Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers @CharterhouseAV charterhouse-auction.com Mike Burks The Gardens Group @TheGardensGroup thegardeneronline.co.uk Chris Carver Sherborne Scribblers Cindy Chant Sherborne Walks @sherbornewalks sherbornewalks.co.uk Gillian M Constable DWT Sherborne Group @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk David Copp

Homegrown Media Ltd 81 Cheap Street Sherborne Dorset DT9 3BA 01935 315556 @sherbornetimes glen@homegrown-media.co.uk helen@homegrown-media.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, Shutterstock and iStock 4 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Dr John Crossman Sherborne Food Bank @FeedSherborne sherbornefoodbank.org Anna Dencher Leweston School @LewestonSchool leweston.co.uk Rebecca de Pelet Sherborne School @SherborneSchool sherborne.org Jenny Dickinson Dear to Me Studio, Fine Stationery @DearToMeStudio deartome.co.uk Father Robert Draper Sacred Heart & St Aldhelm Roman Catholic Church Maeve England Mogers Drewett Solicitors @mogersdrewett md-solicitors.co.uk Jimmy Flynn Milborne Port Computers @MPortComputers computing-mp.co.uk Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.)

CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS Fort Financial Planning ffp.org.uk May Franklin-Davis Dorset Wildlife Trust @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Craig Hardaker Communifit communifit.co.uk Peter Henshaw & Mike Riley Riley’s Cycles @rileyscycles rileyscycles.co.uk @DCNSherborne dcn.org.uk Sarah Hitch The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms @SanctuaryDorset thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk Helen Lickerish The London Road Clinic @56londonroad 56londonroad.co.uk Loretta Lupi-Lawrence The Sherborne Rooms thesherbornerooms.com Sasha Matkevich The Green Restaurant @greensherborne greenrestaurant.co.uk Suzy Newton Partners in Design partners-in-design.co.uk Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS Newton Clarke Veterinary Partnership @swanhousevet newtonclarkevet.com Kitty Oakshott Upstairs Downstairs Interiors @updowninteriors updowninteriors.co.uk Simon Partridge SPFit @spfitsherborne spfit-sherborne.co.uk Beatrice Pollen Waitrose Cookery School @waitrose waitrose.com Lindsay Punch Lindsay Punch Styling @stylistmum lindsaypunchstyling.co.uk Dr Tim Robinson MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom Glencairn House Clinic glencairnhouse.co.uk doctortwrobinson.com Luke Pender-Cudlip Knight Frank @knightfrank knightfrank.com Paul Stickland Black Shed Flowers @NaughtyDinosaur blackshedflowers.blogspot.co.uk Val Stones @valstones bakerval.com Sean Walbank Sherborne Preparatory School @Sherborneprep sherborneprep.org John Walsh Friars Moor Vets friarsmoorvets.co.uk Wayne Winstone Winstone's Books @winstonebooks winstonebooks.co.uk

70 8

What’s On

AUGUST 2018 58 Antiques

118 Tech

18 Shopping Guide

62 Gardening

120 Directory

22 Community

70 NIGEL SPRING

122 Short Story

24 Wild Dorset

78 Food & Drink

124 Literature Festival Preview

28 Family

86 Animal Care

128 Crossword

38 Art

92 Cycling

129 Pause for Thought

40 History

94 Body & Mind

130 Out and About

44 Profile – Peter de Savary

108 Property

46 Interiors

116 Finance

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 5

The Audi RS 4 Avant.

It shifts.

Yeovil Audi. Look No Further.

OďŹƒcial fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Audi RS 4 Avant: Urban 32.1 (8.8), Extra Urban 39.2 (7.2), Combined 24.4 (11.6).

CO2 emissions: 200g/km. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

Mead Ave

Yeovil Audi

Av e M ea d

Lu ft on W ay

ve Western A

Houndstone Business Park

Preston Rd Yeovil Audi Houndstone Business Park, Mead Avenue, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 8RT

n Way Stourto

Houndstone Retail Park

Luft on W yeovilaudi.co.uk 01935 574981 ay

ASDA



@elizabethwatsonillustrations 8 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

WHAT'S ON Listings

2pm-3.30pm

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“My Time” Carers’ Support Group

Mondays 9.30am-10.30am

The Shielings, The Avenue, DT9 3AJ.

Yoga Flow Chetnole Village Hall. £6 per class

07983 100445 justbyoga@outlook.com

Good company, advice, information, relaxed atmosphere, coffee & a chat.

£32 fam. Recommended 7+. Open air performance - bring a cushion, rug, picnic & torch artsreach.co.uk miracletheatre.co.uk

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Info 01935 601499 or 01935 816321

Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th 8pm

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Oborne Opera

Mondays 2pm-3.30pm

Fridays 2pm from Waitrose

The Tales of Hoffman

‘Feel Better with a Book’ group

Sherborne Health Walks

Sherborne Library, Hound St. Do you

Free, friendly walk around Sherborne.

St Cuthbert’s Church, London

enjoy listening or taking part in shared

____________________________

____________________________

love classic stories & poems & would

Info: 07825 691508

reading aloud with a small & friendly

Saturday 21st July -

Road, Oborne DT9 4JY. Abridged

version. Tickets £35 01935 817194 operainoborne@gmail.com

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group? Free. 01935 812683

Sunday 9th September

Saturday 4th 2pm-4.30pm

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Maize Maze

Chetnole Fête & Flower Show

Mondays 7pm-8pm

Toy Barn, Blackmarsh Farm DT9 4JX.

Field next to Village Hall DT9 6NU. Live

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games & circus workshop, classic cars. £1

Yoga Flow ALW, Corton Denham. £6 per class

From £6, toy-barn.co.uk

music, dog show, refreshments, children’s

07983 100445 justbyoga@outlook.com

Monday 23rd July -

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Sunday 5th August

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Art Exhibition in the

Saturday 4th 2.30pm

Sherborne Town Walk 10.30am

Butterfly House

Trent Annual Flower,

From Sherborne TIC, Digby Road. 1½-2

Castle Gardens, New Road, DT9 5NR.

Produce & Craft Show

1000 years of history for £6

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____________________________

hrs with Blue Badge Guide Cindy. A

entry, children free. 01935 873742

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01935 814345

Village Hall, Trent. £1 entry

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Sunday 29th July -

Saturday 4th 6pm

Tuesdays 10.30am

Sunday 12th August

“Finest Years” -

& Fridays 2.30pm

Sherborne Summer

Churchill as Britain’s Warlord

Sherborne Abbey Guided Tours

School of Music

April-September, 01935 812452

Various Sherborne venues, 30 events:

Maperton Church, BA9 8EJ. In aid

Wednesdays 9am-10am

concerts/recitals. Info: Sherborne TIC

____________________________ Kunda Dance ALW, Corton Denham. £35 per 5 week

chamber music, choral, orchestral & jazz sherbornemusicsummerschool.co.uk

of ABF - The Soldiers’ Charity. £20 pp, maperton.com/events-projects/

forthcoming-events/ or 07966 171723

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____________________________

Sunday 5th 7.30pm

pass 07983 100445 justbyoga@outlook.com

Thursday 2nd 6.30pm-7.30pm

Oborne Opera

____________________________

Illyria Open Air Theatre The

Show Songs & Arias

First Thursday of

Pirates of Penzance

each month 9.30am

Castle Gardens, New Road DT9 5NR.

St Cuthbert’s Church, London Road,

Netwalking from Bean Shot, South St

Free walk & talk with other small

Bring picnics & blankets. All ages. Tickets from Castle Gardens or illyria.uk.com

____________________________

Oborne DT9 4JY. Performed by

intermezzo soloists & friends. Tickets £25 01935 817194 operainoborne@gmail.com

____________________________

business owners & entrepreneurs.

Friday 3rd 7pm

Thursday 9th 2pm from the Abbey

FB: Netwalk Sherborne Instagram

Miracle Theatre Company -

Walking in the Past - Over 1,300

yourtimecoaching Twitter @yt_coaching

The Cherry Orchard

Years of Sherborne History

____________________________ First Thursday of each month

Sandford Orcas, Higher Orchard, DT9 4RX. 01963 220749. £10, £8 u18s,

2 hour guided stroll with Cindy Chant.

10 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Tickets £5 in advance from Abbey Fryer,

AUGUST 2018

Children

Please share your recommendations and contacts via FaceBook @sherborneparents

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Sundays 11am-1pm

Mondays 6th, 13th & 20th

Fridays 10.30am-11am

Art Club@Thornford

10.30am-1pm

Sherborne Library

No 1 Wheelwright Studios, Thornford

Messy Museum Monday

Rhyme Time under 2’s

DT9 6QE. Art tuition for scholarship

& exam prep. Info: 07742 888302, email

Art & craft & treasure hunts. Children

For babies & toddlers under 2 with their

alicockrean@gmail.com or visit alicockrean.

must be accompanied by an adult. Free

but donations welcome. 01935 812252,

welcome). It is fun, interactive & noisy!

co.uk

____________________________

Facebook page or sherbornemuseum.co.uk

parents & carers (but all children are

____________________________

____________________________

Saturdays 10.30am-12pm &

Mondays until 3rd

Tuesdays 10am-11.30am

Sundays 2pm-4pm

September 10am-12.30pm

Sherborne Breastfeeding Group

Float session

Little Strawberries Summer

Children’s Centre, Tinney’s Lane. Older

Oxley Sports Centre. Fun family time

Facebook @Sherbornebreastfeeding

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Cookery School Cooking & eating with homegrown

ingredients. For 0-10 years old. £25 per

siblings welcome. Info: 01935 389914 or

with floats available, info: 01935 818270

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Thursday 16th 11am-2pm

session includes refreshments for 1 adult

Wednesday 22nd 2pm-5pm

Teddy Bears’ Picnic

& lunch for up to 3 children. Info: 07586

Children’s Fancy Dress Party

717678 hayley@hayleyfrancesnutrition.com

Toy Barn, Blackmarsh Farm, Dodd’s

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Castle Gardens, New Road, DT9 5NR.

Dinosaur adventures. Free. 01935 814345

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Cross DT9 4JX. Refreshments, enjoy our climbing frames & trampolines, prize

for best fancy dress teddy. £5 per child (adults are free). toy-barn.co.uk

____________________________

West Street. joybennetts@hotmail.com

Melbourne & Sue Detain.

Pop-Up Dining

Thursday 9th 7.30pm

Saturday 11th 2pm-4pm

Sherborne & District

Longburton Garden,

DT10 2AQ. 5 course fine dining £45 pp

Gardeners’ Association

Art & Craft Show

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road

Longburton Village Hall. Plants for

Saturday 11th 7.30pm

Info: 01935 389375

50p, children free.

Ploughman’s BYO

Saturday 11th - Monday 27th

Saturday 11th 2.30pm

(closed 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th &

Leigh Flower Show

New Road, DT9 5NR. In aid of

26th) 10am-5pm

Flowers, produce, crafts & fun section

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DT9 3NL. 75th Summer Show.

____________________________

Sense of Place The Studio, East Lambrook Manor

Gardens, S.Petherton TA13 5HH. Free exhibition - new paintings by Clive

____________________________

Haddon Copse Farm, Fifehead Neville,

angelcottageorganics.co.uk or 07810 628504 ____________________________

sale, raffle & refreshments. Entrance

Barn Dance with

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The Butterfly House, Castle Gardens,

for kids. Info: leighvillage.org.uk

Fortuneswell Cancer Trust. Tickets from Castle Gardens. 01935 814633

____________________________

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Sunday 12th 11.30am-3.30pm

Saturday 11th 6.30pm-11pm

Sherborne Steam &

Angel Cottage Organics

Waterwheel Centre Open Day sherbornetimes.co.uk | 11

WHAT'S ON Oborne Road, Sherborne, DT9 3RX.

____________________________

by donation. 01935 816324 sswc.co.uk

The Parade

Collection of Victorian engineering. Entry

Friday 7th September 8.45am-1pm Marie Curie Coffee

Thursdays 9am-11.30am

____________________________

Morning & Market

Country Market

Wednesday 15th - Sunday 19th

Digby Hall, Digby Road. 07717 220119

Church Hall, Digby Road

Sherborne Girls Art Exhibition in the Butterfly House

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________ Every third Friday 9am-1pm

01935 814345

Workshops and classes

Sunday 26th 2.30pm

____________________________

Every fourth Saturday

Ralegh 400 Festival presents

Thursdays 2.30pm-4pm

(exc. April & December) 9am-4pm

“From EXE to AXE”

ArtsLink Parkinson’s Dance

Saturday Antiques & Flea Market

Paddock Gardens, Newland DT9 3DX.

Tinney’s Lane Youth Centre, Sherborne.

Church Hall, Digby Rd

susanvincent11@yahoo.co.uk

with movement specifically designed

Saturday 4th 8.30am (trade)

Parkinson’s followed by a cup of tea &

Chasty Cottage Antiques

01935 815899 sherborneartslink.org.uk

Digby Hall, Hound Street.

Monday 27th

Thursdays 7.30pm-9.30pm

____________________________

Alweston Car Boot Sale

Art Club@Thornford for Adults

Saturday 4th 10am-4pm

Alweston playing field. Proceeds to Folke

No 1 Wheelwright Studios, Thornford

Summer Craft & Gift Fair

____________________________

Cockrean. £10 per session (tuition only)

01749 677049 westcountrycraftfairs.co.uk

Castle Gardens, New Road, DT9 5NR. ____________________________

Outdoor play, tickets £10. 01935 321925 ____________________________ Sunday 26th Sherborne Historic Vehicle Rally Courts of Sherborne School

____________________________

Church, info: 01963 23525

Monday 27th 2pm outside TIC Cindy’s Walk - Off The Beaten Track In Sherborne £6 pp, no booking required, info: 01935 815341

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Planning ahead

A fun, supportive & therapeutic class

Farmers’ Market Cheap Street

____________________________

____________________________

for those experiencing the symptoms of

9.30am (public) until 4pm

social time. Free - donations welcome.

& Collectables Fair

____________________________

Info: 01963 370986

DT9 6QE. Tutored art with Ali

Memorial Hall, Digby Road. Free entry.

or £15 (materials included). Info: 07742

____________________________

888302, email alicockrean@gmail.com or

Saturday 11th 10am-4pm

____________________________

Memorial Hall, Digby Road. 1000s of

alicockrean.co.uk

Fleamarket

Saturday 18th 1pm-3pm

collectables, antiques & crafts. Free entry.

Social Yarn Dying Sessions £12 exc yarn. Book via Slipped Stitch,

01749 677049 westcountrycraftfairs.co.uk

____________________________

info@theslippedstitch.co.uk

Saturday 18th 8.30am (trade)

____________________________

9.30am (public) until 4pm

Saturday 1st September 1pm-4pm

Tuesdays & Thursdays 10am-12pm

Chasty Cottage Antiques

Sacred Heart & St Aldhelms

Knit & Natter at The Slipped Stitch

& Collectables Fair

Church Fete

The Julian, Cheap St. To book call 01935

Digby Hall, Hound Street

or online theslippedstitch.co.uk

____________________________

____________________________

Pageant Gardens. Info: 07707 444556, sherbornetown.com/directory/sherbornecatholic-church.aspx

____________________________

508249, email info@theslippedstitch.co.uk

____________________________

Saturday 1st September

Fairs and markets

Vineyards -

____________________________

Sherborne’s Gin Festival

Thursdays & Saturdays

Info: Vineyards, Digby Road

Pannier Market

12 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Info: 01963 370986

Saturday 18th 9.30am-4pm Sherborne Book Fair Church Hall, Digby Road. Free

admission. New, second-hand &

antiquarian books. 01803 613356, colinbakerbooks@btinternet.com

THURSDAY 23rd AUGUST WEST BAY, BRIDPORT DT6 4EG

the best of agriculture by the sea FREE BUS - FREE PARKING + PARK & RIDE

CHILDREN Go FREE!!

www.melplashshow.co.uk On the day: £16 - Advance tickets: £14 online and from local outlets

R J Balson & Son, Bridport - Felicity’s Farm Shop, Morcombelake - Footeprints, Bridport - Spar, West Bay Road - Highlands End Holiday Park, Eype - Freshwater Beach Holiday Park, Burton Bradstock - Golden Cap Holiday Park, Seatown - Gorseland Caravan Park, West Bexington - Girling & Bowditch Veterinary Surgery, Beaminster - Axminster, Bridport, Dorchester & Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centres - Beaminster Yarn Barton and Crewkerne Local Information Centre

WHAT'S ON ____________________________ Saturday 25th 9am-3.30pm Vintage Market Memorial Hall, Digby Rd. 30+ sellers of quality vintage. 07809 387594

____________________________

Sport

Ottery Lane. DT9 6EE. Novices very

comptonhousecricketclub.co.uk

sessions free. Visit sherbornetouch.org or

Poole Town 2nds (A)

welcome. £2 per session, first four

Saturday 4th

call Jimmy on 07887 800803

Saturday 11th

____________________________

Hamworthy Recreation (A)

Sherborne Cricket Club

Saturday 18th

The Clubhouse, The Terraces, Sherborne

Christchurch (H)

sherborne.play-cricket.com 1pm start

Shillingstone (A)

DT9 5NS. DCB Premier League

Saturday 25th

Saturday 4th

____________________________

Digby Etape Cycling Club Ride

Broadstone (H)

To include your event in our FREE

From Riley’s Cycles. 20 - 30 miles,

Saturday 11th

listings please email details – date/

average 12 to 15 mph. Drop bar road

Poole Town (A)

time/title/venue/description/

bike recommended. Facebook: Digby

Saturday 18th

price/contact (in approx 20

Etape Sherborne Cycling Club or text

Swanage (H)

words) – by the 5th of each

Mike 07443 490442

Saturday 25th

preceding month to gemma@

____________________________

Stalbridge (H)

homegrown-media.co.uk

Every Tuesday and Thursday

____________________________

7.30pm–8.30pm

Compton House Cricket Club

Due to the volume of events received

Mixed Touch Rugby

Over Compton, Sherborne DT9 4RB.

we are regrettably unable to

____________________________ Every Sunday 9am

Sherborne School Floodlit Astroturf,

Dorset League County Division 1

acknowledge or include them all.

DAYS OUT and HOLIDAYS with TAYLORS COACH TRAVEL Day Trips

Holidays

____________________________

____________________________

Cheltenham

Thursford -

Saturday 11th August

Christmas Spectacular

Adult £22.00, Club £20.00

13th - 16th December

Lymington Market,

____________________________

____________________________

4 Days - £445.00

New Forest Drive & Cream Tea Saturday 18th August Adult £28.00, Club £26.00

____________________________ Mystery Drive & Lunch Sunday 26th August Adult £37.50, Club £35.50

____________________________ Boscastle & Tintagel Sunday 2nd September Adult £21.00, Club £19.00

____________________________ 14 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

2018 Day Excursions and Holiday brochures available.

To join our mailing list please call the office on

01935 423177 www.taylorscoachtravel.co.uk

pixie.app @pixieapp @pixieapp

Passionately Independent We’ve built a new kind of app, one that lets you discover, pay and get rewarded in all those hard to find indie businesses. Join us as we create a more local world that we can all belong to.

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PREVIEW In association with

THE ARBOREALISTS AND GUESTS 21st July - 2nd September Long Gallery, Black Swan Arts, 2 Bridge Street, Frome BA11 1BB

Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm (plus Sundays 5th August and 2nd September

10am - 3pm for The Frome Independent Market). ÂŁ5 / ÂŁ3. 01373 473980 | blackswan.org.uk A major new exhibition at Black Swan Arts will present the

the Neo-Romantics and the Ruralists. Piet Mondrian and

reputation including a stunning Paul Nash. United by their

Paul Nash famously stated that he loved and worshipped trees

work of 43 arborealists and 6 guest artists, some of international subject, they employ an extraordinary diverse range of working practices: scale, medium, philosophy, style and technique. The results are by turn dramatic and contemplative, expressive,

abstracted, hyperreal and surreal and they demonstrate that trees still have a deep relevance in contemporary art and retain their

power to move us all as a vital element in our landscape, lives and wellbeing. This exhibition reaches beyond an arts audience.

In Britain trees as a subject have inspired artists from

Gainsborough and Constable through to the Pre-Raphaelites, 16 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Victor Pasmore used the tree as a device to turn abstract and and believed they were people, as beautifully demonstrated

by his work in the show. Trees provide a wonderfully versatile subject for artists, not only in terms of the rich variety of

character, form, texture and colour they provide, whether

individually or collectively, but also in terms of the wealth of

association - myth, folklore, religious and symbolic significance, that they have come to embody over many centuries. evolver.org.uk

ARCADIA

+ Q&A WITH ADRIAN COOPER OF COMMON GROUND

SATURDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER Doors 7pm Start 8pm

UK 2017 | Dir Paul Wright | Music by Adrian Utley, Will Gregory | 78 mins | Cert 12A

Arcadia is a provocative and poetic new film about our contradictory relationship with the land, crafted from archive footage.

‘Absorbing…Fascinating…Seductive’ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian (Film of the week)

Tickets £10 in advance from www.other-side.eventbrite.co.uk

DIANE CLUCK

+ SUPPORT

SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER Doors 7pm Start 8pm

It is with giddy excitement that we welcome American singer-songwriter Diane Cluck and her intuitive folk balladry to Haydon.

“I grew up on 60s music, but my first contemporary music love was Diane Cluck.” Laura Marling

Tickets £10 in advance from www.other-side.eventbrite.co.uk

DUKE GARWOOD

SATURDAY 15TH DECEMBER Doors 7pm Start 8pm

“Duke Garwood’s music has an otherworldly, heady quality suggesting sun-baked desert days, croc-skin boots and a Chevrolet gently rolling along empty highways” The Guardian Tickets £10 in advance from www.other-side.eventbrite.co.uk

CHURCH STUDIO HAYDON DORSET DT9 5JB

A series of talks, live performances and screenings + food and drink of an interesting ilk In association with

Shopping Guide

Flower press, £6.50 The Toy Barn

Craft workshops, from £4 The Bootmakers, Wincanton

Bird Bingo Game, £19.95 Circus

Dawes Lil' Duke balance bike, £69 Riley’s Cycles

SCHOOL’S OUT Jenny Dickinson, Dear To Me Studio Keep the children entertained this summer with a little help from our local shop keepers. deartomestudio.com 18 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Maileg clown mouse, £49 Circus

Temporary tattoos, £6 Circus

Child’s cycle helmet £20 Riley’s Cycles

Fabulous classic books, from £3 Chapterhouse Books

Playmobil, from £2.49 The Toy Barn sherbornetimes.co.uk | 19

Outdoor Theatre

Maumbury Rings Much Ado About Nothing Rain or Shine Theatre Thursday 9 August One of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies, set against the backdrop of the end of The Great War.

Rustle Paddleboat Theatre Company Thursday 23 August Join us for an interactive family adventure jam-packed with puppets, song and outdoor surprises.

An evening with

IAN BOTHAM & GEOFF MILLER

Saturday September 15th TICKETS FROM £50

1/2 price for under 16’s

MEET & GREET £75

Grab your chance to meet the legend.

Photo, signature and meet opportunity VIP / Corporate tables available - ask for details Memorabilia Auction Evenings MC - Mr. Paul Booth Two course meal included in the ticket price followed by Ian & Geoff’s after dinner speech TICKET BOX OFFICE

01935 483430

George Albert Hotel Wardon Hill, Evershot, Nr. Dorchester, Dorset DT2 9PW Tel: 01935 483430 www.gahotel.co.uk 20 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

L I F E S T Y L E

B O U T I Q U E

OPEN 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM 33 CHEAP STREET, SHERBORNE, DT9 3PU PHONE 01935 816551

Melbury Gallery

SALE

Dorchester

O13O5 265223

Sherborne

O1935 814O27

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 21

Community

SHERBORNE FOOD BANK Dr John Crossman, Trustee, Sherborne Food Bank

S

ummer holidays eh? Who had that great idea? Kids off school, good weather and the opportunity to get away and forget the everyday and routine. We at Sherborne Food Bank wish you a very happy summer period, whether you are planning a big trip, a bit of time away with the family or just enjoying the splendid weather (at least as I write this article!) at home.

When I started as a teacher in Lancashire our pupils had a joke: ‘Where did you go for your summer holidays?’ ‘Oh, Margate.’ ‘Oh, I went to OUR gate.’ And that‘s the reality for many of the Food Bank clients who have children. There‘s nowhere to go and, for families with children who would normally get free school meals, there’s the increased pressure of finding a main meal every day - plus the stress of finding childcare.

Local people have contributed extremely generously since the Sherborne Food Bank opened and we owe you a big ‘Thank You!’ Your donations have enabled to us provide over 1000 parcels in 2017, providing over 3000 meals for people in need. That was an increase of 33% over 2016 and our figures show that demand is increasing further in 2018. However, the summer puts pressure on us too. Many of our loyal donors themselves go away and so we have to supply extra demand with lower donations. That‘s why I am asking you now – are you able to help us even more over the summer?

22 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

If you could increase your contributions we would be delighted. Or if you haven‘t donated before maybe you would consider doing so on your next supermarket visit?

It‘s very easy: just find the donation box in store and see what we need most – or donate any food stuff that is not fresh or frozen. Especially useful are tinned meals/meat/ fish, soups, pasta, rice, and cereals.

We also spend about £400 a month on food to make sure we give a balance of items. That‘s why I and others prefer to make a monthly donation. If you are a tax payer and Gift Aid your donation, for every £1 you give the Food Bank will get an extra 25p back from the tax man.

Every penny will go on food. If you would like to know more or make a one-off donation via Just Giving please go to our website.

We love what we do - whether it‘s as deliverers, collectors, sorters or trustees. We have very low overheads and no paid staff and all our clients are referred by reputable agencies such as CAB and doctors so you can be sure your support is going to those in need.

We wish there was no need for our services but, until that time arrives, our donors enable us to make a real difference for our clients – and they are extremely grateful for the help we give. Can you help us this summer? sherbornefoodbank.org

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Wild Dorset

THE ROCKPOOL WAY OF LIFE

R

May Franklin-Davis, Dorset Wildlife Trust

ockpooling is perfect on summer days. When the tide goes out, get close to fascinating creatures in the glistening depths of a rockpool.

Memories of days perched on rocks, hoping for glimpses of fish and crabs, are likely to be familiar to many of us. Have you ever wondered about the names and characteristics of those creatures we came across?

Rockpools are intriguing microcosms of life under the waves and filled with a wealth of marine life, some of which are not easy to see. The common prawn darts around so quickly while scavenging for its next meal that you might easily miss it. The shore clingfish stays near the edge of rockpools, cleverly camouflaged into its surroundings. The blenny fish is a little more curious than most of its neighbours; a gentle disruption of the water’s surface may entice a blenny to swim out from under a rock to investigate. With changing tides and variation in water temperature and oxygen levels, you have to be tough to survive. The beadlet anemone survives by retracting its tentacles at low tide and storing water to stop it drying out before the tide returns.

A vast array of marine life lives within shells. One rockpool can contain many species, such as the dog whelk, purple topshell and flat winkle, all of which come in varying shapes, sizes and have different favourite foods. The 24 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

shells of dog whelks make them look similar to snails. Their diet revolves mainly around barnacles and mussels. Flat winkles have more rounded shells, usually in a warm yellow or sunset orange colour, and prefer to feast on algae.

Be sure not to disturb the wildlife and to replace any rocks you move. Always be aware of your safety. Watch the tides and, if you are going rockpooling, go on a calm day when the waves are small. Follow the Seaside Code to get the best rockpooling experience - details can be found on Dorset Wildlife Trust’s website.

• Guided rockpool rambles in Kimmeridge Bay during August: Monday 13th 2pm-3.30pm & Tuesday 28th 2.30pm–4pm. £3 per adult and £2 per child.

• Pop into the Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre in Kimmeridge Bay which has interactive displays, aquaria and rockpooling information.

• Download your rockpool species guides at dorsetwildllifetrust.org.uk/kimmeridge.

• Using hooks, mistreating crabs and littering while crabbing is a serious problem but can be avoided with Dorset Wildlife Trust’s 5 key guidelines, available at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/ecocrabbing. dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Wild Summer How will you go wild this summer? www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/events

DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST Photos © Vicky Ashby, Katharine Davies, Laura McLellan & Matthew Roberts.

Wild Dorset

SHERBORNE DWT Gillian M. Constable, Dorset Wildlife Trust Committee Member

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wice this year I have written about Dorset Wildlife Trust’s (DWT) Lorton Meadows Reserve and twice this year they have had the BBC there. Their second visit was for an item in the Countryfile programme about the kestrels nesting in the reserve and the web-cam coverage of them. The webcam on DWT’s website, which had been covering the barn owl nest until the required removal of the remaining owlets (Sherborne Times July edition), is currently focused on a kestrel nest and the youngsters are close to fledging.

This year I have been surprised by the number of times I have seen a red kite on the wing in the Sherborne area. On all occasions, unfortunately, I was either driving a car or a passenger in one and hence unable to revel in the delight of watching its flight. Perhaps at some stage we shall discover they are nesting locally.

In early July I was surprised to read on the Portland Bird Observatory website that swifts had been observed on two consecutive days heading south. A total of about 150 individuals were recorded making an early autumn passage. Presumably these individuals had been unsuccessful in breeding and so there was no need to remain in Britain. Eventually I was in the right place, 26 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Sherborne’s Cheap Street, at the right time to enjoy the screeching of the swifts this summer.

The British Trust for Ornithology’s cuckoo website has data for 14 tagged ‘active’ cuckoos and by the start of July all had departed from England and were making good progress towards Africa. These birds will probably have bred successfully and left their eggs in the parasitised nests. Their offspring will follow south when sufficiently developed.

When the hedgehog was DWT’s species of the month, they were was surprised by the volume of contributions. Clearly hedgehogs are a favourite species of many people. The Today Programme has reminded people to put out water for hedgehogs during this period of heat and dryness. Recently a good friend sent me a sequence of photos from her garden, where she had found a very poorly hedgehog under some shrubbery. It was a very hot day and so she decided to place the little creature beside a dish of water which it immediately appreciated. After a few minutes a muchrevived hedgehog walked away. dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

GROUNDED Sue Belfrage

W

e’re forever being told how spending time in nature is good for us and holds the key to inner calm and physical wellbeing. But what do we do when we’re actually out there?

How do we connect with nature in a way that feels both meaningful and personal?

A couple of summers ago, I surprised myself by leaving my job of many years. Whilst I had a few ideas about what to do next, I decided to take a short break and spent quite a bit of time outdoors, thinking and walking and painting. I went for long strolls around places such as Stourhead forest and Duncliffe woods, as well as ancient earthworks like Cadbury Castle and Hambledon Hill, and I also spent hours in front of a rickety easel, sketching local landscapes. Being in the Dorset and Somerset countryside proved helpful in a number of ways; I started to regain a sense of perspective and to feel truly grounded for the first time in a long while. And in the process a seed was planted, a seed which germinated into a book.

I wrote Down to the River and Up to the Trees to share the sense of wholeness that nature can offer us, whoever we are, whatever our age and wherever we live: city or countryside, seaside or suburbia.

It’s full of inspirational quotes and ideas, and designed to be interactive – part guide, part journal.

While great nature writing is a joy to read, there’s no substitute for being out in the elements and feeling the breeze on your skin.

If imagining the history of humankind as a timeline, people have only spent a tiny fraction of that time stuck indoors, staring at phones screens and laptops. Rather than being a species apart from the natural world, we absolutely belong to it. Thinking of the many benefits that spending time outdoors can offer us – whether foraging, whittling, creating, growing or simply observing – I’m drawn to these lines from the poem Leisure by the welsh writer W H Davies: What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows…

When we slow down a little and pause to connect with the world around us, we’re likely to be greeted by all sorts of wonderful surprises. Who knows what you will discover.

Down to the River and Up to the Trees is published in paperback by Harper Thorsons, £8.99. Sherborne Times Reader Offer Price of £7.99 from Winstone’s Bookshop. suebelfrage.com @suebelfrage

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 27

@elizabethwatsonillustrations 28 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

SUMMER AT THE TOY BARN SHERBORNE’S INDEPENDENT TOY SHOP

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC TUESDAY 16 AUGUST

TRADITIONAL TOYS & GAMES

GIANT MAIZE MAZE NOW OPEN NEW DESIGN FOR 2018

CLIMBING FRAMES, SWINGS, SLIDES & TRAMPOLINES

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01935 815040 toy-barn.co.uk encouraging

happy,

enthusiastic and

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For more information or to arrange a visit please contact the Registrar, Charlotte Carty

01935 810911 or registrar@sherborneprep.org Acreman Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3NY

www.sherborneprep.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 29

UNEARTHED COCO SMYTHE, AGED 16 Leweston School

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oco has loved riding from a young age, ever since getting her first pony on her eighth birthday. Coco’s first big competition was in 2016 as part of the Southern England Junior Tetrathlon team at Moreton Morrell.

Coco joined Leweston School in 2016, attracted by the opportunities the school provides for equestrian and modern pentathlon competitors.

She has since competed in GB pentathlon events and is a keen member of the Leweston Equestrian Team.

In April 2018 Coco won the title of National Schools County Dressage Preliminary Champion at the NSEA County Championships at Bury Farm Equestrian Centre in Buckinghamshire. She was also second in the Novice Championship at the same event. On top of these impressive achievements, Coco was part of the team of four from Leweston that lifted the National Schools Team Dressage title at the NSEA Championships at Addington Manor in October 2017. As a whole, the school’s equestrian team accumulated more points than any other school in the South-West to become the NSEA Regional Points League Winner for the second year running.

Coco is currently studying for her GCSEs but she hopes to have a great eventing season in 2018 once her exams have finished.

She is aiming to complete the Pony Club Intermediate Regional Tetrathlon Course, take part in the National Pentathlon and move up a level to compete at elementary dressage.

Coco has a busy season ahead of her, hopefully as successful and rewarding as the last. leweston.co.uk

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

30 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Family

Children’s Book Review

Wayne Winstone, Winstone’s Books, Independent Bookshop of the Year 2016

First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies, Illustrated by Emily Sutton (Walker, 2018) £14.99. Aged 3+ Sherborne Times Reader Offer Price of £13.99 from Winstone’s Bookshop

E

mily Sutton is an illustrator we love at Winstone’s and we have reviewed her brilliant work in the Sherborne Times before (Lots. The Diversity of Life on Earth).

Emily Sutton has again joined forces with Nicola Davies to produce a stunning anthology that blends stories and information about the sea. The text comes in a collection of poems about the oceans of the world and their shores, and the watercolours, ‘capture the excitement of a child’s first glimpse of the sea, the majesty of ancient trading

'Independent Bookseller of the Year 2016’ 8 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PX www.winstonebooks.co.uk Tel: 01935 816 128

ships and the sheer wonder of the humpback whale.’

With this book, children can swim alongside dolphins and flying fish, pore over rock pools and sail from pole to pole and back, learning about everything from phosphorescence and plankton to manta rays and puffins - all in the comfort of their bedroom.

This book has all the wonder and excitement of the seaside without the traffic, sunburn or sand in your shoes. winstonebooks.co.uk

Books to occupy eager minds this summer

Family BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

THE IMPORTANCE OF FIELD TRIPS Sean Walbank, Head of Geography, Sherborne Prep School

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s we all know, the weather here in the South West is variable to say the least, but the summer term generally provides a bit more sunshine and an opportunity to take learning out of the classroom and provide children with hands-on experience of the world around them.

These days field trips involve lots of hard work in terms of preparation: risk assessments, event planners, staffing, catering and checking the medical files are all part and parcel of any trip out of school. However, the benefits far outweigh the difficulties. Situated, as Sherborne is, on the Dorset and Somerset border, the possibilities for taking children out of the classroom and appreciating some of the outstanding scenery that surrounds us is an opportunity to be seized. Dorset has two ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ as well as the Jurassic Coast, which is a World Heritage Site, and the wonders of Cheddar Gorge are found just over the border in Somerset. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most stunning landscapes in the world and to even think of foregoing this cornucopia of possibilities would be selling our pupils short.

Remember the old adage that children remember little of what they are told, more of what they see and most of what they do? When it comes to field-trips, this could not be more true and with the added benefit of having fun along the way.

Contrary to opinion, field-trips are not the sole preserve of the Geography Department. Under the broader umbrella of ‘Humanities’ and with a little forethought and planning, both Geography and History trips can include elements of Maths, ICT, English, Art and the Sciences, making them truly cross-curricular in nature.

Every year, we take pupils to Chesil Beach and, whilst it is important that practical skills are developed on field trips, by learning to record data accurately for example, it is the discovery that the facts do not always

32 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

match what the textbooks say that, for me, is the best part of the trip. Hopefully it leads to them asking the most important question of all, ‘Why?’ Once they start to look around for themselves and to question why things are as they are then they are truly learning. Why, for example, are the pebbles smooth and round along Chesil Beach? Attrition. Why do the pebbles change size from one end of the beach to the other? Textbooks will tell our pupils that this is Longshore Drift, however, the prevailing wind is from the south-west which means that they should be bigger at West Bay and smaller at Portland. Why? I’ll leave you to ponder that one. The pupils will inevitably find the answer and develop a deeper understanding of the forces at work. Pick up an innocuous pebble and ask the pupils why it is smooth and round? Attrition, again. But, did you know that this pebble was once washed out of a river, in the middle of a sandy desert, during the Triassic Period so what you are holding in your hands is over 200 million years old?

Once that information has been absorbed just watch them scrabble around the beach to see if they can find any more pebbles. Seeing the fascination and intrigue brought about by learning in the natural environment is one of the greatest highlights of teaching.

Field-trips are a fundamental part of a child’s learning experience. The recording of findings will, of course, cement the facts but it is the memories that these trips create which makes them so important.

Getting outside the classroom will enrich every child’s learning and, every now and then, it will provide that one moment of inspiration that will be with them for the rest of their lives. Who knows where that might take them?

Most importantly, however, they have fun on the trips, especially if you have allowed enough time for an ice cream at the end of the day! sherborneprep.org

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 33

Family

THINKING LIKE A GEOGRAPHER Anna Dencher, MA, BA, PGCE Cantab, Head of Geography, Leweston School

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sk someone of a certain age about their school Geography and it is perhaps likely that they will remember learning about various glacial moraines, the formation of ox bow lakes and perhaps the exports of various countries. Whilst some of these topics still form part of Geography in the classroom (my Year 11 pupils will all be able to tell you about oxbow lakes!), some may be surprised at what constitutes Geography today. Surprised but, one would hope, inspired and interested by its very relevance and importance in our rapidly changing world.

Geography is an inherently multi-disciplinary subject, spanning both the physical and the social sciences. If we view Geography as the study of the earth and its peoples we have a very big subject! Yet this very scope is, in part, what lends the subject its value. Major world issues of our time - globalisation, climate change, migration, resource disputes - are all considered, alongside natural events and disasters such as earthquakes and floods. It helps pupils to understand how and why these things happen and the impacts they have on people and the environment.

But Geography is also about skills and mindsets, and pupils learn to understand processes, to collect, analyse and process data, use Geographical Information Systems (mapping software which can add layers of data to physical and human landscapes) to evaluate and make judgements and, perhaps most importantly, they learn global awareness, to look outside themselves, encompassing the idea of ‘thinking like a Geographer!’

My Year 9 classes are an example of the importance of this mindset. Our current scheme of work on Globalisation and Development involves pupils considering how we measure and compare countries around the world in terms of development. Yes, they 34 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

learn about statistics but more than that they learn to question, to empathise and to consider the future and their role in it. Using the excellent Dollar Street website (gapminder.org/dollar-street) they have been comparing families from countries around the world, moving beyond the idea of wealth per capita to what that income means for how those families live, and how this compares with how they themselves live. A simple video of what constitutes a toothbrush at different income levels around the world opened the pupils’ minds, indeed for some it simply blew their mind! In this way discussions can be opened, debates held and solutions sought.

Geography addresses so many of the key issues of the day and it is vital that our future citizens are not only aware of these issues but actively engage with them, consider the multi-faceted reasons behind them

and can look to develop solutions. Take climate change, flood risk, global migration, hazard preparation and response – all key issues of our time and all addressed in the Geography classroom.

to build a more socially and environmentally sensitive, informed and responsible, economically and politically stable society. They are geographers.’

(Geographical Association and Time for Geography March 2018)

As the Geographical Association aptly describes:

So next time you are chatting to your children or grandchildren, ask them what they are studying in Geography at the moment; chances are you will open up an interesting and lively discussion on many of the issues of the day. They may well have a way of viewing the world that is more complex and passionate than you might expect, attempting to both explain the detail but also see the bigger picture. These very discussions in my classroom leave me optimistic for the future. We call it, ‘thinking like a Geographer!’

‘Geography is so much more than a school subject or academic discipline. It defines our everyday lives. From the moment we are born, a journey of interactions with people and places begins. All of our day-to-day activities unfold over space, place and time, putting Geography at the heart of human endeavour.

In a world where careers are becoming increasingly specialised, there are those not afraid to seek the big picture, those not afraid to adventure outside their bubble in search of new challenges and a greater understanding of the world. It is these people that the world needs, if we are

leweston.dorset.sch.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 35

Family

THE WONDER OF MOOMINS Rebecca de Pelet, Head of English, Sherborne School

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ne of the ways I know that I will get on with someone is by gauging their response to Moomins. If you are already smiling, then you and I should meet. If not, then, probably we shouldn’t. Although I should be clear, that by knowing the Moomins, I mean loving everything about Tove Jansson’s work, not just enjoying the pleasingly plump shape of the Moomin dolls available in all good Scandi gift shops.

Tove Marika Jansson was a Finnish artist and writer who loosely based her Moomin stories, first published in 1945, on her own bohemian family. Her Moomin comic strips are wonderful - I own copies of them all - and the novels themselves are unlike anything else you will ever read, plunging you into the wonder of Moominland populated by the Snork Maiden, Snufkin and friends. Don’t be fooled by the apparently twee names of the characters however, Tove knew what the world of war and suffering was like, and the books can be unnervingly dark.

Thus, I was thrilled to see in the Sherborne Times that Other Side, in collaboration with Evolver, Denman and Gould and the magazine itself, was showing the 2014 Finnish-French animated film, ‘Moomins on the Riviera’, at The Toy Barn in Sherborne. Originally a comic strip, this is the first and only film version of Jansson’s strip art. As all locals know, The Toy Barn is much more than that, and always an exciting place to visit, even more so now that Black Shed’s flower meadow abuts the premises.

My two daughters, at 19 and 14, found themselves the eldest there by roughly ten years, but we happily queued for our Hari Hari curry and settled down for the movie. The barn itself looked fantastic. Lit with strings of bulbs, laid out with a combination of arm chairs, sofas and hay bales, and lined with colourful flower heads nestling inbetween cardboard cut outs of Moomin Valley’s curvaceous slopes, it created exactly the kind of fantasy setting Jansson loved.

There were even Moomin books to buy, and three exquisite character puppets on display. The evening was a joy from start to finish.

Recently, someone passed me a list of books which Balliol College, Oxford, thinks would be good for Year 10 pupils to read. Some on the list seem odd (Milton at 13 anyone?), but I was delighted to see Tove Jansson’s ‘Summer Book’ there. Probably her best collection of short stories, these tell of the summers Tove spent with her grandmother, mother and, later, her partner Tunlikki, on the island of Klovharn. They are simply perfect and deserve to be celebrated far more widely than they are. Good on Balliol for giving them a place.

And good on you, if you decide to read the comic strips, the novels, the short stories and to look at Jansson’s drawings and paintings. Not because it will mean that I will probably like you, but because they are full of wonder and full of truth. sherborne.org

36 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Images: Pete Millson sherbornetimes.co.uk | 37

Art

A

fter a busy time with Dorset Art Weeks it was nice to get away for a couple of weeks and disappear down to Cornwall. I know the Penwith area quite well, having regularly stayed in various parts over the last 35 years or more.

The weather was excellent and there were so many subjects to inspire the artist. I chose my location to suit my mood. For the first time in many years I drew boats on only two occasions; instead I walked along a section of the coast path west from Lamorna Cove.

With no shade at all and in the blistering heat, I did a few sketches of the very impressive rock formations looking down into the swirling, greenish-blue sea. It could have been the Mediterranean, it was so clear. It looks like I was very close to the edge but in fact I was secure on a large rock.

I hope the photo of the drawing does the area justice.

The contrast between the sunlit side and the shade was what I wanted to get down. Normally I would not have done so much work on the water but I needed the midtones to make the sunlit rock stand out and also to make the sea look brighter against the shade on the other side.

Lamorna is a beautiful place but I found I could not look at it without bringing to mind the fine paintings of S.J.Lamorna Birch, whose work forms the current exhibition at Penlee House Gallery in Penzance. I went to see it and was not disappointed. The work was done 38 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

about 100 years ago but it still stands up against anything done today of a figurative nature.

The weeks soon went by and we returned to Dorset. I had work to deliver to an exhibition by members of Bournemouth Art Club, on show now at the Kingcombe Centre near Toller Porcorum.

Once my paintings were signed in I went off with the intention of getting the oils out and doing a spot of painting. It was so hot that, once again, I ended up seeking out the shade and found it in the churchyard of St. Peter and St. Andrew at Toller Porcorum. I was killing time really before heading back to the Kingcombe Centre. I decided to leave painting and get the sketch pad out. The little corner attracted me because of the strong contrasts - deep shade and brightly lit areas make a good starting point of any composition and as long as there is a range of mid-tones so that it’s not all or nothing then there is a picture. With this sketch the gravestones/tombs create a lovely arrangement of shapes, using the darker areas to bring them out. Because of the heat I saw no one. My only companion was a robin, furiously gathering anything it could find to feed its young. I assume it had young as it was back and forth many times while I stood drawing. Both drawings were done using a 2B pencil on cartridge paper.

The heat wave continues. Now when I go out and paint the need for mixing greens has almost disappeared!

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 39

History

THE RALEGHS’ NEW LIFE IN CASTLETON TALES OF HERESY AND ATHEISM Cindy Chant, Blue Badge Guide

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o, at long last the Raleghs had arrived in Sherborne. Ahead of them was a whole new way of life that marriage and family would bring. Sir Walter the Courtier had now become Sir Walter the Country Squire. For Bess, it was a very new way of life too: no longer at Court, no longer a personal servant to the Queen. She was now mistress of her own home and acknowledged as Lady Ralegh.

They had arrived in Sherborne at Christmas 1592.

The town was delighted; the Abbey bells had rung out. It was to be their first Christmas together and Bess was very busy. She had the castle decorated with mistletoe, holly, ivy, yew, and the rooms lit with hundreds of candles and filled with dried herbs, spices, and flowers. The twelve days were filled with feasting and entertainment. Christmas was a time of hospitality and 40 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

the Raleghs extended this hospitality to many who lived around Sherborne.

They made many new friends with the local gentry including Sir John Horsey at Clifton Maybank, the Fitzjames’ of Leweston, Charles Thynne from Longleat and Sir George Trenchard from Wolfeton outside Dorchester. Walter’s half-brother, Adrian Gilbert, a somewhat strange chap, came to live with them in the castle. He was a genius at landscaping the castle grounds but he dabbled in astrology and the occult.

The Raleghs also invited many other intellectuals and people involved with the sciences and became very involved with the townsfolk.

They regularly attended services in the Abbey, where they sat in what is now known as the Leweston Chapel.

Quite possibly it was Walter who invited ‘Her Majesties

Players’ to Sherborne; they performed in the Church House Hall in Half Moon Street. Walter also involved himself in trying to help one of the Almshouse residents, Elinor Dyer, who claimed that she had been cheated out of her rights as a tenant of a house owned by the Almshouse. His intervention was successful.

All in all, they were very much involved in Sherborne life. However, after a while they began to find the Old Castle a bit damp and cold. Repairs and alterations were becoming expensive. Walter then began to convert a nearby old Tudor hunting lodge on his estate into a new home; this is known today as the Sherborne New Castle. With Adrian his half-brother, he laid out lovely gardens and orchards, and planted many exotic plants brought back from his voyages. Bess grew the pretty pink flowers now referred to as ‘Lady

Betty’s Pinks’, which continue to flower to this day.

Walter also found himself a quiet spot where he could retire to think whilst enjoying a smoke of his pipe, keeping one eye on the old London Road, the avenue of potential news from Court. Legend has it that it was here at ‘Ralegh’s Seat’ that one of the gardeners poured a pail of water over him, having seen the smoke from his pipe and believing him to be on fire.

So their life was content and happy, perhaps the best years of their marriage, and two more sons, Wat and Carew, were born. They were christened in little Lillington Church. Life in Sherborne was good, and they called their home ‘Fortune’s Fold’.

But difficult times were around the corner. At a supper party given by George Trenchard from Wolfeton, where everyone including the Raleghs may have dined too well, the conversation turned to the topic of the existence of God, and man’s belief. This was dangerous talk at a time when religion was firmly controlled by the Church of England and disbelief was viewed as treason.

Ralegh still had some enemies at court - and some among his new gentry neighbours too. Someone told the Privy Council about the supper party and an enquiry was set up. The Privy Council had been worried by rumours that a group of gentlemen and clerics were spreading heresy and atheism in Dorset, and the rumours had started to reach London. The name being bandied about at the forefront was Sir Walter Ralegh.

A few months later a ‘Kangaroo Court’ was held in The Nag’s Head in Cerne Abbas. (The Nag’s Head is no longer an inn, but a private residence called ‘Barnwells’).

However, nothing came to light, and no charge was made. It was passed over as just a theological discussion.

Sir Walter survived… until Queen Elizabeth died and the new King James I arrived.

Next month: Ralegh, The New King and the Dream of El Dorado.

Join Cindy every Tuesday & Thursday, April-September for a guided walk through time. 10.30am from the Tourist Information Centre, Digby Road, £6.

Sunday 26th August, 2.30pm “From EXE to AXE” Open-air play as part of the Ralegh 400 Festival, Paddock Gardens, Newland, Sherborne DT9 3DX (see listings). sherbornewalks.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 41

History OBJECT OF THE MONTH

SEYMOUR’S ENAMELLED SIGN Elisabeth Bletsoe, Curator, Sherborne Museum

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eymour’s, manufacturer of aerated table-waters, was one of Sherborne’s most successful industries, producing lemonade, pale dry ginger ale, supercarbonated soda water, cherry cider, fruit wines, ginger beer and other non-alcoholic cordials. It was particularly noted for its cleanliness, its modern methods of production, its excellent service and artistic and distinctive branding, of which our sign is an example.

The company was founded in 1862 by William Seymour, a wine and spirit merchant from Stalbridge, at Greenhill in Sherborne. Established in the same premises for forty years, he died at his residence in 1902, having made an enormous contribution to the life of the town. His obituary stated, ‘By dint of hard and untiring work his business soon began to extend and he acquired a large clientele not only in the town but throughout the district.’ Seymour’s was taken over from William’s executors by Herbert Richard Hall in 1903 and continued to expand, absorbing other companies including Knight & Co. of Yeovil, Ring & Co. of Martock, C.M. Roberts of Sturminster and T. Coombs of Milborne Port. It was considered one of the most upto-date plants in the district, able to guarantee a superior and high-class mineral water which possessed, ‘a pure flavour which retains to the fullest extent the delicacy and aroma of fresh ripe fruit.’

By 1927, Seymour’s products were available in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, including Weymouth and Dorchester, Taunton, Glastonbury and Wells ‘and many other towns and villages.’ Delivery was accomplished by a fleet of vans from a wholesale distributor in Dorchester; it was so efficient that they had the ability to execute emergency orders including 42 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

12 tons of drink to Taunton cricket ground. In that same year, the Western Gazette reported that Seymour’s had transcended the concept of a mere ‘bottle of pop’ and was creating specialised drinks which harnessed the medicinal properties of citrus in carbonated waters and which could effect a cure for an unhealthy digestive system. The sugars they contained were believed to provide an energising and valuable food. Seymour’s became so popular in the 1920s that advertising was forced to warn, ‘avoid imitations.’ In the latter half of the decade the company started to win awards in open competitions at the Brewers’ Exhibition.

The introduction of its ‘Seyco’ brand made Seymour’s a household name; particularly popular were its party packs (complete with cups, straws and bottle opener, the latter of which the museum has several examples) and wholesale distribution of Cydrax, Peardrax and Pineapple Crush. This led to further expansion of the firm and by 1931 a branch had been established at Taunton and availability increased across five counties.

It continued as one of the major industries in Sherborne until its closure in the 1980s.

Our vintage sheet steel and enamel sign, 61cm x 38.5cm, advertises Seymour’s prize medal mineral waters and dates from the 1930s. Vitreous enamel is strong and hard-wearing, and retains its bright colours far longer than paint or print. These signs are now much soughtafter by collectors.

Museum opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10.30am– 4.30pm. Admission is free although donations are welcome. sherbornemuseum.co.uk

ARE YOUR RETIREMENT PLANS ON COURSE? Contact us for a pension review.

PETER HARDING WEALTH MANAGEMENT Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s PlaceWealth Management

40 High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8JG Tel: 01747 855554 9 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PU Tel: 01935 315315

www.peterhardingwm.co.uk

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 ‘St. James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. Peter Harding Wealth Management is a trading name of Peter Harding Practice Ltd.

Profile

PETER DE SAVARY THE EASTBURY HOTEL Words Jo Denbury Photography Jay Armstrong

T

he day I meet Peter de Savary it’s hot. The sun is shining and we’re seated on the lawn at the back of the Eastbury Hotel. He’s dressed in white shorts, his chihuahua, Monty, sitting at his feet.

‘Monty goes everywhere with me; he’s flown the Atlantic over 10 times,’ he announces and immediately lights his ubiquitous cigar. ‘Would you like a glass of wine to loosen you up?’ he asks and I decline. He orders a coffee and I stick with water.

Earlier this year Peter and his wife, Lana, bought the Eastbury from Paul and Nicky King and he’s keen to discuss his new plans for the hotel. ‘It’s a perfect country house hotel in a town,’ says Peter, ‘and I want to expand on this to create a 4-star hotel with 5-star service.’ Those who have already been to the Eastbury will know that it has a pretty walled garden at the rear. As keen gardeners, Peter and Lana are passionate about developing it into a potentially award-winning garden.

But they have other plans as well. At the furthest end of the garden, tucked behind the trees, the plan is to build a ‘Hobbit House’ spa. Petite in dimensions but high on treatments, it will include a steam and sauna room, hydrotherapy pool, exercise bikes, a treatment room with Thalgo products, and a relaxation area with a terrace. Its petite dimensions make it perfect for couples who might like to share a massage or treatment privately.

Although the spa will be open to residents only at the weekends, non-residents can take weekday membership.

The other surprise is a proposed plan for five new luxurious rooms designed as Victorian ‘potting sheds’ that will be unseen from the hotel. Making the listed garden wall a feature, each of these new rooms will be built using upcycled old bricks, oak boarding and have a sedum roof. They’ll each have a private patio area with a fire pit and logs, making them a perfect place to enjoy a private evening. ‘The idea is to give them as great a country house feel as possible,’ says Peter who is clearly mad about detail.

44 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

He also intends to make them dog-friendly.

Peter de Savary is known worldwide as a successful entrepreneur. He owns many hotels across the world but intends to make the Eastbury a close sister to his successful Cary Arms & Spa in south Devon. ‘I was drawn to Sherborne because I like the town. It has a good high street and people can come here and enjoy the artisan shops and the countryside,’ he explains.

He grew up in Venezuela, living with his mother until he was nine, however his father lived in the West Country and Peter arrived there as a young child. He left school at 17 and at 20 was married and managing a sawmill in Dulverton. The rest, as they say, is history.

You can Google Peter; he’s a multi-millionaire with philanthropist trappings but, as he says, ‘I’ve had a home in the West Country for the last 54 years. It’s my roots. I’ve sailed all around its coastline. I owned Land’s End and Bovey Castle and, more recently, the Cary Arms. The area is in my bones.’

‘When I heard this hotel was to be sold I came and had a look. It was the most charming characterful

Image: Jay Armstrong

house. The wonderful thing about it is that, sitting here in the garden, you could be deep in the countryside, in the middle of nowhere but in fact you’re in Sherborne. It’s a comparatively little-known place that could be a destination in its own right. It’s such a lovely easy place with two castles and an abbey and plenty to do which makes it the most perfect, stress-free destination. I am hoping the hotel will attract people to come to the town and spend money. I really do think Sherborne is under-appreciated because when you come here it speaks for itself.’

Whilst it is planned to build the new rooms during the winter, the plans for the Seasons restaurant are already taking shape. Local man Matt Street is still the head chef and has been promoted to food and beverages director. Peter explains that there will be three menus: the ‘house menu’ which will be what you would expect from a good bistro with dishes that are best described as modern British comfort food; a gourmet menu; and both five- and seven-course tasting menus which will feature local and seasonal produce with accompanying wines for each course. ‘I want people to eat as well here

as you can in London,’ adds Peter.

Those who already know the hotel will note there have been a few changes to the existing rooms. There are two family suites, one with 3 bedrooms, that can be exclusively used. There’s a honeymoon suite with a fourposter bed from the 1700s that came from Littlecote Manor, a property that Peter once owned. There’s also a new collection of works throughout the hotel that is part of Peter’s personal collection.

‘I buy them at auction when I can,’ says Peter of the mix of original artwork from illustrators whose work would have appeared in magazines such as the New Yorker and American Vogue during what is now called the ‘Golden Age of Illustrators’. ‘They’re a small selection of American illustrative art,’ says Peter. ‘Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg both collect them as well. I like them because they make colourful and interesting period pieces,’ he adds.

And with that he picks up Monty and heads off to his next meeting. theeastburyhotel.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 45

@elizabethwatsonillustrations 46 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

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Interiors

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W

illiam Morris is known as an icon of the design world and many of you will be familiar with Morris designs. They can be described as unique and often don’t appeal to everyone, however Morris has been given a fresh new update that’s hard not to love. Despite this new look, they haven’t lost touch with their roots. New designs feature the classic ‘Willow bough’ alongside some re-worked designs from previous decades.

They have been injected with new techniques, printing and embroidery styles. Morris’ iconic colours have been carried through and mixed with a more contemporary colour palette to create an exciting updated collection. Their previous archive collection also brought updated designs: re-worked patterns from vintage textiles and adaptations of his stunning hand50 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

knotted carpets which were printed onto sumptuous velvets and fine cottons.

You will see classic Morris designs coming through in their newest ‘Pure Morris’ collections, such as the willow bough leaf, bramble and brer rabbit (featuring Morris’ iconic birds). These designs have been given a fresh look on neutral backgrounds with touches of shimmering embroidery plus velvet appliqué.

If you weren’t a Morris fan before, you may well be converted by their ‘Pure Morris’ collections; featuring all neutral tones they give a contemporary look. But don’t forget it’s okay still to love the jewelled earthy tones of the classic Morris. Why not go bold? updowninteriors.co.uk

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Interiors

Yellow based neutrals

Red based neutrals 54 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Traditional neutrals

Easy neutrals

COLOUR ME CREATIVE Suzy Newton, Partners in Design

Decorating is not a look, it’s a point of view…

L

ook back at the avocado green of the ‘70s and the black & whites and neons of the ‘80s and you can see that colour trends come and go just like fashion - and can have a serious impact on home décor! The colours we choose to paint our walls are just as important as the surrounding furniture. Thanks to the stream of stunning interiors on social media and in glossy magazines there’s no shortage of inspiration. One item within your home can be the deciding factor of a decorating scheme; whether it be a cushion, a piece of artwork or a floor tile, it can give you a starting point for your décor.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating. We all tend to gravitate towards different styles but there are a few pointers to bear in mind which will help: (1) the architectural elements of the room; (2) the light; and (3) your style.

Colour can visually alter the proportions of a room and, costly extensions and architects aside, it can also be used to alter the shape of a room. When planning your colour scheme remember that a darker wall colour will bring the wall towards you, whereas a lighter colour creates the illusion that it’s further away. You can also prevent narrow hallways from appearing ‘tunnel-like’ by painting the end wall a darker shade than the side walls.

The same principle works within a rectangular room that you’d like to make appear more square.

A few tips can help make the decision-making easier!

A marvellous way to create light and space is to use the lightest colour on the largest surface area, such as the walls, and a darker tone on woodwork. Or there is great historic precedent for using one colour on both walls and woodwork and it is also popular in contemporary settings as it creates a strong, clean look. It generates a sense of calm in a room, as well as exaggerating its size, as there are no contrasts to draw the eye. Low ceilings?

Using the same colour on the walls and ceiling will increase the illusion of height as the eye is drawn away from where the wall stops and the ceiling starts.

Neutrals are the perfect backdrop for decorating a room. Many people feel comfortable when surrounded by carefully balanced colours that create an understated

environment. Choosing your perfect group of neutrals can really reflect you, your personality and your style.

Farrow and Ball have made this a lot easier by dividing their neutral paint shades into six distinct categories: • ‘Traditional Neutrals’, which are particularly at home in classical interiors, create calm spaces that have an unmatched richness or depth. One of the most effective ways to use neutrals is to layer them up on one another, resulting in an area that feels seamlessly sophisticated.

• The ‘Yellow-based Neutrals’ should not be thought of as yellow. They have a delicacy and lightness that are perfect for sunny rooms and create a relaxed, pretty atmosphere.

• The ‘Red-based Neutrals’ produce the warmest schemes which work well in contemporary homes, pairing beautifully with linens and limestone. They work well in rooms that get less daylight or if you just want to enhance the feeling of cosiness.

• With ‘Contemporary Neutrals’ each shade is on the grey spectrum but with a lilac undertone which imparts a certain warmth; perfect for the modern family home.

• ‘Architectural Neutrals’ are great for those wanting a strong architectural or modern industrial feel. These are cool colours with a bluer undertone. They can be a great alternative to the pure white favoured by architects; definitely the right colours for those who believe less is more.

• ‘Easy Neutrals’ will sit happily in most homes. They make an excellent foundation for bright furnishings and work fabulously well to create a fresh Scandinavian look paired up with beautiful woods.

All in all, neutrals offer infinite possibilities for making spaces airy and relaxing, refined and timeless, or elegantly sophisticated. Then you can add that unexpected pop of accent colour or wallpaper to augment your scheme.

Partners in Design are stockists of Farrow and Ball and Zoffany paints and can help pull your perfect colour scheme together. partners-in-design.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 55

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Antiques

STORAGE WARS

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

W

e all need somewhere to keep our clothing, personal possessions and the items we have collected or amassed over the years.

If you are lucky you will be able to display your prized possessions in a prime spot in your property. In my experience, however, this is not always the case.

It never ceases to amaze me, when out valuing client’s antiques and collectibles, where people keep their items. A couple of years ago, when visiting a client near Exmoor, he proudly showed me his collection of Austin J40 pedal cars.

He had about 100 of these very sought-after pedal cars which were probably worth then, on average, £1,500 each (yes, that is a collection of pedal cars worth £150,000!).

When I say he ‘showed’ me the collection, that is possibly a half-truth. All the pedal cars were in a range of outbuildings and, due to a lack of storage space, stacked vertically up on their rear bumpers. However, being security conscious, he also tried to camouflage the cars by throwing bits of old carpet, cardboard boxes and even faded and rotten curtains over them to keep prying eyes at bay from his precious collection.

In some respects he was lucky. Although his wife would not allow him to keep his pedal car collection in the house, they were in close proximity, which meant he could pop out and shuffle some cardboard boxes around on top of them.

He was certainly luckier than a client I visited near Exeter. This client had been retired for a few years and was looking to have a sort out of some antique furniture.

A good estimate of his age (remember, auctioneers love their estimates!) would be 65-70 years old and after we had finished walking around his house discussing the furniture values, he said he had some more items for me to look at. I assumed, incorrectly, that we would then be heading into his garage, but no. His father, well into his 90s, lived just around the corner and my client had some items stored there which his father bluntly asked him to remove as they had been there for decades!

If, however, you want to meet the luckiest chap ever, with the most understanding wife, then Cambridge is where you will have to go. Those of you who have been following, in Sherborne Times, the trials and tribulations of 58 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

being an auctioneer at Charterhouse will know that we travel far and wide – not just within a 10-mile radius of Sherborne. You will also know that, in addition to our very popular auctions of antiques and collectibles, we also have specialist sales of classic cars and motorcycles, and it is the Cambridge client, now well into his 80s, who has his storage sorted courtesy of his understanding wife.

For many years he had been a keen classic

The 1949 Vincent Black Shadow previously on display in the owner’s hallway at his home in Cambridge.

motorcycle enthusiast. In 2008 he bought a 1949 Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle as a box of bits and he lovingly restored it. Having finished the beast of a bike, with its 1,000cc engine capable of 125mph when new (twice the speed of a contemporary family car), he did not want to store it in the garage, so he kept it in his hallway where both he and his wife could enjoying looking at it every day.

Moving forward 10 years, he has now decided to part with this marvellous machine and has entered it into our Netley Marsh classic motorcycle auction on Friday 31st August. Estimated at ÂŁ60,000-70,000, I do wonder whether the successful bidder will be allowed to keep it in their hallway when they get it home! charterhouse-auction.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 59

CHARTERHOUSE A u c t i o n e e r s & Va l u e r s

An extensive collection of silver 23rd August

We are now accepting entries for our forthcoming auctions: Silver, Jewellery & Watches Thursday 23rd August

Interiors with a selection of Wine, Port & Whisky Friday 24th August

Classic & Vintage Motorbikes at Netley Marsh Friday 31st August

Classic & Vintage Motorcars Wednesday 12th September

Contact Richard Bromell for advice and to arrange a home visit The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne DT9 3BS | 01935 812277 | www.charterhouse-auction.com

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Sunday 26th August 14th October Hundreds of stalls inside and out Public 9.30am - 4.00pm www.sheptonflea.com Enquiries 01278 784912 Admission ÂŁ4.50 FREE PARKING 60 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

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Gardening

WATERING

P

Mike Burks, Managing Director of The Gardens Group

erhaps the best way to put a halt to the drought that we are currently experiencing is to construct a column about how to keep the garden well hydrated! Regardless of the inevitable downpours that will have happened in the interim between writing and publication, water is going to become an increasingly scarce resource, so it’s a good idea for us to make the most of it when we use it.

Firstly, if you have space, save as much rainwater as you can by using water butts. Rainwater is really good quality for plants as it doesn’t have in it any of the chemicals that are used by the water companies in processing tap water. It is also likely to be more acidic than most of our local tap water, and so will also have a beneficial effect on our gardens.

Before getting started, it’s best to work out what actually needs watering. Plants that have been established for a number of years are likely to be able to find their own water and therefore shouldn’t need any. Any that have been planted in the last 12 to 18 months will need some help though, as will tubs and hanging baskets.

To get the best effect it’s a good idea to water out of the heat of the day, in the early morning or late evening.

This reduces the amount of water that is lost through evaporation, so more can get to your plants. Soak plants really well 3 or 4 times a week rather than a little bit every day, with the exception of tubs and baskets which will need daily watering.

For borders the use of a good depth of mulch – a layer of fibrous material such as composted bark, will help conserve moisture. Not only that, but it will also help reduce weed growth, protect your soil from heavy rain when it finally arrives, and will improve the soil quality in the long term.

In the vegetable garden or on a newly planted border, seep hoses can be used to water larger areas. Such hoses are made from recycled car tyres; when connected to a garden hose the water will gently seep through them and out into the soil. There is no splashing, so they are very efficient and the amount of water that gets to your 64 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

plants is very high. Seep hoses can easily be rolled up and moved to another area or can be left permanently.

Make a decision about your lawn; keeping it green and lush will take a significant amount of water.

Maybe just tolerate the fact that it will be brown for a few weeks and then be amazed at its ability to return to its full glory as the rain returns. You can help by not mowing quite so tightly too.

The use of mini irrigation systems has become very popular in recent times. A main pipe is laid around the perimeter of the garden, and from this ‘spaghetti’ tubes are added, leading to a sprinkler or better still, a dripper, which can be inserted into your pots, hanging baskets or growbags as well as in borders. A timer

can be used back at the tap to control how often and for how long the watering is carried out. These systems can be really efficient at getting water precisely where it is needed but they need to be lived with for a while and the nozzles adjusted as necessary, as all plants have different levels of thirst. After a while, with good observation, this is easy to work out.

The use of Rootgrow when planting can reduce the amount of watering required by enabling plants to find their own water. Rootgrow contains mycorrhizal fungi, a naturally occurring sort of mould which attaches itself to the roots of plants and grows out into the soil like an extension to the root system. It occurs naturally in the wild and, by adding it when planting, it significantly

improves the establishment and success of plants.

In tubs and hanging baskets, the use of moisture retentive gels can give a helping hand in making sure plants get enough water. In times of abundance the gel (which can be added to your compost when planting) swells up, absorbing water. In times of drought the water is released to the plants.

Although all the time spent watering might sound a chore it can be very useful in keeping tabs on pest or disease issues. It also provides another opportunity to enjoy the detail and the beauty of the plants in your garden.

Has it started raining yet? thegardeneronline.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 65

Gardening

66 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

DIARY OF A FIRST TIME FLOWER FARMER Paul Stickland, Black Shed Flowers

J

une was our busiest month ever but July?

Incredible! Soldiering on through the incessant heat was a challenge for us poor humans, never mind our trusty lurcher, Murphy, who doesn’t seem to have the brains to take it easy in the shade and who insists on following us everywhere, panting and looking miserable. Some of our poor plants looked similarly unhappy in the heat. Everything is going over so quickly, it’s a huge challenge. Luckily, we prepared for this drought by ensuring our beds were well watered before we applied yet more tons of composted household waste.

This has kept many plants alive without watering. We had issues with water stress causing mildew on our beloved delphiniums and a few other species, so we had to clear fell them in early July to let them regrow with the benefit of a feed of seaweed extract, a good water and yet more mulch! Some plants sail through this weather - the scabious in their various delightful forms have bloomed non-stop - but when you look at our native species shining out of our desiccated verges you can see that they’re a tough bunch.

Our flowers have been to some interesting locations this last month. Locally we have supplied wedding flowers to many of the lovely wedding venues hereabouts. Our barn has been full of countless buckets of astounding colour. It’s been a joy to provide flowers for these happy days and we’ve had tears of joy and emotion on several occasions from brides, grooms and the mothers of both! We were delighted to welcome two florists from San Francisco who came to visit and left with a sheaf of specially prepared poppies, cut in such a way to open the next morning for their photoshoot at St. Giles House, Wimborne. On an even grander scale, we’ve been delighted to supply one of Britain’s top event florists with flowers that have graced the halls of a castle in Kent, a Chinese billionaire’s private wedding in Castle Howard and then to a top-secret, middle eastern royal wedding in a Scottish Castle. You couldn’t make it up!

We’re finding ourselves falling into a new weekly rhythm. Much hangs on the weekends but our part in that is usually over by Friday morning. Wedding orders are booked well in advance, so we know what we’ll be picking for each weekend. Florists’ orders are usually in

on Monday, often via Instagram where we can easily show them what we have available, quantities and prices etc. Tuesday is sometimes gentle, a day to regroup and get on with planting, maintenance and coaxing flowers into bloom. Wednesday at dawn we start to pick, placing our carefully prepared and conditioned flowers in deep buckets of cold water in the big barn here at Blackmarsh Farm. The ancient structure is the most wonderful cool room, its metre-thick stone walls smoothing out the extremes of the day and night temperatures. Thursday at dawn we’re picking again ready for the first wedding pickups from the event florists. Friday sees us up at first light to pick our DIY buckets, which have proved a great success, ready for the weekend’s weddings. By Saturday, the pressure’s off and we can relax and get on with the daily chores, maybe even socialise a bit! Sunday might be a Pick Your Own day and is often a day when families come to discuss their wedding needs and look at the flowers that we’ll have available in the weeks to come.

And then it’s Monday morning and the orders start again.

What have been the stars of the last month? The foxgloves in peach, cream, white, pink purple, yellow and brown have been pretty stunning. We grow a lot!

The dahlias went from nowhere, giving us much worry, to lighting and filling up the field with their extravagant colours and myriad forms. The subtle colour themes of early spring gave way to enormous rainbow antirrhinums, forests of multi-coloured larkspur, a sea of irritating but spectacular cornflowers (so gorgeous, such a pain to cut, strip and condition: ask any florist), trumpet blasts of mallows which blinded passing traffic, tall spires of the veronicas, outrageous digitalis ferruginea and my beloved soft, greyish white lysimachia ephemerum.

Highlights? Too many to mention really. One of the things that has given me the most joy is the incredible hum and thrum of insect life; we have thousands of hoverflies, bees and butterflies loving our efforts.

However, providing an entire bed of 150 complete and perfect 6ft larkspur plants for that secret wedding in a castle might just take the biscuit. blackshedflowers.blogspot.co.uk instagram.com/paulstickland_ sherbornetimes.co.uk | 67

August Events at

Castle Gardens Monday 23 July - Sunday 5 August Art and Artefacts exhibition at The Butterfly House In the Butterfly House Thursday 2 August

Illyria performance of The Pirates of Penzance

Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7:30pm start Tickets available in store

Saturday 11 August

Wednesday 22 August, 2pm – 5pm

7:00pm until 10:30pm, in the Butterfly House Tickets available in store - £10 a head

Free to attend

Wednesday 15 - Sunday 19 August

Illyria performance of The Hound of the Baskervilles

Barn Dance with Ploughman’s in aid of The Fortuneswell Cancer Trust

A Sherborne Girls Art exhibition

In the Butterfly House

Children’s Dinosaur Adventures Fancy Dress Party

Thursday 30 August

Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7:30pm start Tickets available in store Plus many more to be announced!

Open Monday-Saturday 9.00am-6.00pm, Sunday 10.00am-4.30pm (tills open at 10.30am).

Castle Gardens, New Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NR.

We are now a Countax dealer & service centre. We have the E36, C60 and C80 models in stock at our showroom on the Marston Road.

We are located just down the road from Pearce Seeds.

Call us on 01935 850388 lawnandlandscape.co.uk

68 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

WINDOWS

&

DOORS

Our Visofold doors open effortlessly, gliding on stainless steel rollers allowing unrestricted thoroughfares and the maximum use of space and light.

The signature smooth contours and curved clean lines create an attractive aesthetic that will compliment any home, whatever your taste or style.

Manufactured from our factory in Sherborne all of our aluminium products are available in whatever colour you wish.

For more information visit our website or come down to the showroom.

Unit 1a > South Western Business Pk > Sherborne > Dorset > DT9 3PS T: 01935 816 168 > sales@billbutterswindows.co.uk > www.billbutterswindows.co.uk

70 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

NIGEL SPRING Words Jo Denbury Photography Katharine Davies

T

he sun is high and just a whisper of breeze tickles the long grass. Stop for a moment and you can hear a blackcap's song float high above the trees. This is summer at its best. I’m standing under a linden tree with environmentalist, Nigel Spring, as he examines the tree’s flowers. These tiny bursts of the palest yellow provide a heady mix for bee and human alike. ‘They’re used in France to make tea,’ says Nigel.

‘The French make a tisane from the flowers which helps you sleep.’ And while I stand and consider the merits of picking a few to help with my husband’s insomnia, Nigel is off looking for a hole in the hedge.

We are about to embark on a stroll round the Terrace Meadow, a patch of limestone grassland adjacent to Sherborne’s Terrace playing fields. Nigel is the local representative for EuCAN and Butterfly Conservation.

EuCAN is a community interest company that works in the UK and Europe to involve people in the conservation of their local environment. It provides training and practical experience for everyone from volunteers to graduates and therapeutic groups. Locally, it has provided a number of opportunities for young people to gain a skill, such as in the use of chainsaws and brush-cutters which has enabled them to find work. In Dorset there are several voluntary groups that work hard to maintain local natural habitats such as the Terraces. >

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 71

72 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Nigel’s other involvement as Chair and Reserves Manager for the Dorset branch of Butterfly Conservation is a natural ‘mirror’ to the work that EuCAN does. He tells me that recently a lot of conservation focus has been on large mammal conservation, but it’s the survival of insects and bees that’s very closely linked to our own human survival on this planet. As we discuss this, Nigel stops in his tracks and inspects a bush. The bark has been worn away. ‘Look!’ says Nigel. ‘Deer have been here and worn away the bark by rubbing their antlers on the trunk.’

Then we’re off again and for a moment I feel I’m back in my childhood. ‘We’re going on a bear hunt!’ I want to shout. We don’t have bears but instead there’s a tiny scrap of land full of burgeoning wildlife. ‘Large skipper,’ calls Nigel as he points to his right. ‘Hemlock,’ he remarks.

‘We’ve spent a lot of time clearing that, and hogweed’s a problem too,’ he adds. Then he calls, ‘ant hills.’ We’ve stopped. These thriving mountains of living ingenuity are over 20 years old. ‘There’s a ringlet.’ I look eagerly and there it is, a tiny, dark butterfly that will only live for a few days.

Imagine, just a few days to do everything it needs to do.

‘Some butterflies are increasing in population,’ says Nigel, ‘and some are moving north because of the rise in temperatures. For example, the peacock butterfly has gravitated to Scotland but where will the mountain species go when it becomes too warm for them there?’

That’s something to ponder while we head off again.

‘Look, a marbled white,’ he calls as a speckled butterfly floats past. We’re standing looking west over the long grasses close to the crossroads of the A352 and New Road.

‘We’ve had a success story here,’ adds Nigel. ‘We planted yellow rattle, a semi-parasitic plant that takes its goodness from grass. Consequently, it keeps the grass down and allows other plants to grow. When the seed heads are ready we’ll make hay and that will naturally spread the seeds.’

This is just one small part of what the EuCAN group does.

The work that the teams have been doing at the north of town at the Quarr has helped to improve the nature reserve for the general public and for wildlife. The work is all done by volunteers and the reserves are reliant on new members; while many of the current volunteers are of a more elderly vintage, Nigel is keen for young members and families to join Butterfly Conservation.

They have organised walks open to everyone and if this quick stroll is anything to go by it’ll make the science even more fun.

Dorset is an important county for butterflies. The Dorset branch of the charity was formed in 1986 by three butterfly enthusiasts: Robert Goodden, founder of Worldwide Butterflies near Sherborne, Clive Farrell and Dr Jeremy Thomas, a renowned entomologist who was responsible for the re-introduction of the large blue into England. They believed Dorset was one of the best counties for seeing butterflies but numbers were already showing a serious decline, and so the society was formed.

During the next month you will have a chance to see a wide variety of butterfly species. As well as the migrants such as red admirals and painted ladies, there will also be peacocks to spot. Other less common varieties will include the browns – the gatekeeper and > sherbornetimes.co.uk | 73

74 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 75

76 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Marbled White

Six Spot Burnet

meadow brown - the marbled white and the other more usual whites. Then there are the shy small coppers and hairstreaks to add to the colourful cloud.

Close to where we’re standing the rabbits have nibbled away the grass and in its place grows wild thyme, its scent filling the air. We find birds-foot trefoil sprouting at the side of the path, an important plant for burnet moth caterpillars who can convert it to a form of cyanide that makes them particularly unpalatable to birds. Looking around we see a red-tailed bumble bee pass by and above us a sparrow hawk glides down to the wood below. It really couldn’t be more idyllic.

Near the end of our walk we come to a group of young saplings that were planted by the council. Nigel leads me to one particular tree where, in the elbow between two branches, there’s a tiny tangled web of a nest. And then I spot them: just below the nest are three small caterpillars busily nibbling. ‘The small eggar moth,’ says Nigel.

‘Quite rare. The chrysalis stage can last up to five years.’

Later that day when I get home, a friend tells me she is going to try mindfulness, explaining that she just wants some headspace. The search for 'headspace' being such a popular pursuit has seen the smartphone app of the same name now reach over 1 million users. Alternatively, you could just leave your phone at home, walk up to the Terraces or Quarr and take a closer look at what’s there.

They are both places where butterflies, dragonflies, bees and a wide variety of flora and fauna thrive, free from the effects of modern agricultural practices. By stopping to enjoy them, perhaps we’d gain a few tips on handling certain modern pressures.

This month the Big Butterfly Count is asking you to take just 15 minutes to look around you and see how many butterflies you can spot. You might have a flowerbed at home full of butterfly-friendly flowers or you could make a day’s walk of it with a picnic. You can take the lead by joining Butterfly Conservation, or you could attend one of Nigel’s walks. We are lucky to live in a county playing such a crucial role in butterfly conservation.

Dorset has long been known for its butterflies, with the help of volunteers like Nigel, let’s get to know them.

Join Nigel for a butterfly walk on Sunday 12th August at The Terraces, Sherborne. Meet at The Terraces carpark for a 2pm start. Call 07981 776767 for information.

Meadow Brown (Images: Lloyd Davies)

eucan.org.uk dorsetbutterflies.com bigbutterflycount.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 77

@elizabethwatsonillustrations 78 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Food and Drink

COOKING WITH CHARCOAL Beatrice Pollen, Waitrose Cookery School Chef

W

hile we Brits may have a reputation for burnt sausages, often cooked under a large umbrella sheltering from the rain, I hope that with my handy BBQ tips I can show you how to pull off a wonderful BBQ that will impress any guests this summer.

My ultimate top tip for charcoal cooking would be to make sure you preheat your coals for at least 20 minutes to reach the perfect temperature. The BBQ is ready to cook on when the coals are glowing red and have a powdery grey surface appearance - that is when you know you are all set for cooking. Try to close the barbecue lid if possible when cooking as this will help cook your food through to the middle without burning it on the outside.

Cater for all needs and make sure your barbecue isn’t just a meat feast - there is no excuse for not having vegetables on the barbecue these days and there are some great vegetarian BBQ options now.

Don’t forget you can always cook straight on your coals too. Just wrap your vegetables in some foil and then carefully snuggle them among the coals. Flat breads are also great on the BBQ and really simple but impressive.

Like all cooking, “mis en place” is the key to a great barbecue, having everything prepped beforehand means you can go outside and stay outside, rather than running in between the barbecue and the kitchen.

When cooking with meat, such as lamb, low and slow is the way forward so make sure your barbecue is at a medium temperature which will encourage the meat to become succulent and retain its juices. When cooking poultry on the BBQ I would suggest cooking it in the oven and then finishing it off on the barbecue.

This will ensure it is thoroughly cooked. You could also buy yourself a meat thermometer to check your meat is cooked through. Make sure you wash your hands before preparing the food for your barbecue and after handling raw meat, poultry and seafood with hot soapy water.

A key thing that many people forget to do is to rest your meat before serving. Heat makes meat fibrous so allowing it to rest for five minutes, under some tinfoil, will mean that the juices resurface and the meat becomes nice and tender. Seafood normally just needs a few minutes on the BBQ. Last but not least my favourite tip of all is to marinade, marinade, marinade - even a few minutes will change a dish from simple to fantastic before getting it onto the barbecue!

The Waitrose Cookery School in Salisbury is running Cooking with Charcoal courses on brand new Weber barbecues. To book your place or find out more please call 01722 3294429 or visit waitrose.com/home/inspiration/ waitrose_cookery_school/salisbury.html sherbornetimes.co.uk | 79

Food and Drink

THE CAKE WHISPERER Val Stones

RHUBARB, GINGER AND CUSTARD CAKE

I

’m from Yorkshire where almost every garden has a rhubarb crown or two. Although I now live in Somerset, I still have a crown of rhubarb. As children we were given a small stick of rhubarb and a little triangular bag filled with sugar to dip the rhubarb in – heaven!

I love baking with rhubarb; it’s sharp but can be sweetened with a little sugar, the juice of an orange or maple syrup. It’s also excellent to freeze. Prepare it as for this recipe and it will keep for 12 months.

When pulling the rhubarb from the crown, hold the stem almost at the base of the stick - this will allow it to be pulled cleanly. Trim the top and the bottom of each stick by 3cm.

Caution: Rhubarb leaves are poisonous so when you chop them off, cut about 3cm from the leaf. The top part of the stem contains sap from the leaf which will upset your tummy. Rhubarb should not be picked after the end of August as the leaf begins to send the sap down the stems to feed the crown to withstand the winter months.

Eating it after this date may also upset your tummy.

Serves 12-24 Time preparation: 15 minutes to cook the rhubarb; 10 80 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

minutes to make the cake; 35-40 minutes baking time; 20 minutes to assemble/decorate.

You will need

Two 23cm round tins, or two square 25cm deep tins.

Alternatively make in two 2lb loaf tins and leave undecorated Shallow baking tray to roast the rhubarb Stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer Wilton 2D nozzle/tip Optional - cake turntable if making a round cake Ingredients

For the cake 360g eggs 360g caster sugar 140g softened unsalted butter 220g soft margarine 360g self-raising flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger (2g more or less depending on personal taste) 6g baking powder 25g custard powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 250g prepared rhubarb (juice and zest of an unwaxed orange and 2 tablespoons caster sugar) 80g stem ginger cut into small pieces, reserve some of the ginger syrup for the cream filling Ginger cinnamon cream filling 500ml double cream 1 tablespoon skimmed milk powder 6-8 tablespoons icing sugar 1 tablespoon ginger syrup (from the stem ginger) 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract To decorate the cake Pieces of stem ginger or some rhubarb and custard sweets Method

To prepare the rhubarb 1 Chop the rhubarb into 2cm/1� lengths. Place in a shallow roasting tin, pour over the orange juice and scatter over the sugar.

2 Bake in the oven on 160C for 15 minutes until soft and beginning to break up. Allow to cool while making the cake.

To make the cake 3 Set the oven for 160C fan assisted, 175C, 350F, gas mark 3-4.

4 Place the eggs, caster sugar, butter, margarine in a bowl. Mix on low speed for one minute and leave for one minute to allow the sugar to dissolve a little.

5 Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder and custard powder.

6 Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, add the vanilla extract and beat on low speed gradually turning the speed up to full, then beat for 2 minutes.

7 Fold in the part-roasted rhubarb and the stem ginger.

8 Pour the mixture equally into cake tins and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake is baked when it is golden-brown and a skewer comes out clean.

Leave in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

While the cake is cooling make the cream 9 Place the cream in a bowl and whisk in the skimmed milk powder. Allow to stand for two minutes. (This helps to stabilise the mixture naturally so the cream will hold its shape. Once prepared it can be kept in

the fridge for up to 3 days.)

10 Stir in the icing sugar, ginger syrup, ground ginger, vanilla extract and beat on medium until the cream begins to thicken. Stop occasionally and push the thinner cream on the sides of the bowl into the middle. The cream is ready when it holds its shape.

To assemble the cake 11 Using a serrated knife cut each cake horizontally so you have four layers.

12 Place a dessertspoon of cream on the display plate; this helps anchor the cake to the plate.

13 Place a layer of cake on the plate and spread 3 tablespoons of the cream onto it; repeat this with two more layers, ensuring you have a flat layer for the last layer placed on the cake. Spread a final layer of cream evenly on the top of the cake.

Tip: I keep a spirit level for checking the level of my cakes as I build them up. For cream cakes, add some cream under the side that needs levelling up. For Christmas cakes, alter the thickness of the almond paste.

14 To pipe roses on the top, place the remaining cream in a disposable piping bag with a 2D piping nozzle.

15 Hold the nozzle vertically 2cm above the cake and begin to pipe a round movement from the centre of the rose until it is formed. Lift the piping nozzle from the piped rose with a twist of your wrist to leave a clean finish. (You can find instructions on how to pipe roses on YouTube.)

16 When you have piped 12 roses, add either a small piece of ginger or a rhubarb and custard sweet to each rose - don’t place the sweets on the cake until just before serving as they will begin to dissolve in the cream leaving a syrup trail.

17 Either serve straightaway or place in the fridge to firm up for 2 hours before serving. This cake can be kept in a fridge for up to 3 days but is best served on the day it is made.

If making in loaf tins, do not decorate but add only demerara sugar to the tops before baking to give a crunchy texture.

The cake can be made ahead and left undecorated in the fridge in an airtight tin for 3 days, or frozen until needed. Decorate on day of serving. bakerval.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 81

Food & Drink

Sherborne's first and very own gin, lovingly distilled by Vineyard's Hannah and Sadie

GIN

Y

David Copp

ou will hardly have been able to avoid the news stories about the resurgence of gin as a popular drink. In 2017 UK sales of gin increased by 16% and the number of gin brands now available in the UK exceeds 100. Gin is back in fashion and I am pleased to report Vineyards of Sherborne has locally been at the forefront of its regeneration as a popular spirit. Even better news is that the government, delighted with the increased revenue from excise duty, has wisely decided 82 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

not to halt the flow of revenue by raising excise duty rates.

For someone employed in 1971 to develop a major vodka brand but who is himself a gin enthusiast, this makes good reading. In 1971, when vodka was all the rage, Greenalls continued to produce its famous 1761 brand of gin, the oldest established brand continuously distilled in Britain, and from 1960 used the same recipe with some subtle differences to produce Bombay Gin for

the American owners of the label. The actual 1761 recipe remains a secret but I can divulge that it was basically juniper with angelica root, cassia bark, coriander, lemon peel, liquorice, orris root and bitter almond.

Allan Subin was the New Yorker planning to introduce Bombay, a new top-quality English dry gin, to the American market (in which the Martini cocktail was firmly established). He came to England to find a producer for his brand and chose Thomas Dakin’s 1761 recipe above all the others. He admired the quality of distillation, the variety of botanicals used and the method of their infusion into the spirit. Bombay has been a remarkable worldwide success and is now the most widely sold international brand after Gordons.

It is hardly surprising that other distillers wanted to emulate Bombay, and William Grants, the Scotch Whisky distillers, successfully introduced Hendricks Gin. Since then a host of other craft distillers have appeared on the scene and we lucky gin drinkers are now spoilt for choice, such is the variety on offer.

I admire Thomas Dakin, the entrepreneurial 25-yearold Warringtonian who set out to distil top-quality gin in his native town in 1761, because he paid attention to every aspect of distillation and not least the purity of his spirit and his mix of botanicals. At a certain stage Dakin formed a business relationship with Thomas Greenall, a brewer from St Helens, who financed the development of the distillery and the purchase of the best available copper stills.

The new breed of gin distillers may or may not have known about Thomas Dakin but they have done very much what he did: refine their distilling techniques to produce pure spirit and infuse it with their choice of botanicals. Interestingly they are usually the same ones as Dakin used, although some rather more exotic ones have been added to try and establish product difference from competitors.

However, most gin is consumed with tonic or in cocktails such as the Martini and Negroni. The choice of drinks and how to take them is a very personal matter and I would never presume to tell anyone how they should enjoy their favourite tipple. Nevertheless, I will share with you my own way of building a gin and tonic, which has evolved after taking the advice of some of the world’s leading bartenders who sell our gins. I use the word ‘building’ because certain things must be done to make a good G&T stand out, just as a great building does; the ‘building’ procedure is the same regardless of your choice of brand of gin or tonic.

I start with a cold glass tumbler and lots of ice. I prefer a good-sized tumbler but long, thin glasses are equally as good. Ice is important because gin and tonic is a refreshing drink, and ice keeps the tonic fizzier. I use the zest of a lime around the lip of the glass, before pouring a good measure of gin over the ice and adding tonic under pressure. I usually use two to three times as much tonic as the measure of gin. I prefer to use cans of tonic which I empty from directly above the glass. I add garnish to taste which could include a slice of fresh lemon, lime or cucumber, mint, herbs, or even lavender.

Having made our gin and tonic and found a comfortable place to sit and enjoy it, perhaps we should give some passing thought as to whether or not it is good for us? After all gin had the reputation of being ‘mothers ruin’ and a cheap way of getting merry. In the bad old days before controls were implemented and almost anyone could produce and sell gin, one shop is on record as advertising, ‘Get drunk for a penny and dead drunk for two pence’.

That was of course pre-Dakin. He started by distilling pure spirit from juniper berries and enhancing the flavour with carefully selected botanicals. His prime target audience was the merchants travelling between Liverpool and Manchester and those trading in the British Empire out of Liverpool.

It is significant to bear in mind that in those days the world’s leading commercial enterprise was the East India Company with its outposts in Asia and Africa, and that the coastal areas of those continents were malaria country. Gin distilled from juniper berries and mixed with quinine (a powder from the bark of the Chinchona tree) was a recognised antidote to malaria, and travellers to India and Africa were advised to take it before travelling because on arrival they had a better chance of staying clear of the disease. Incidentally, gin with bitters such as angostura was considered an antidote for sea sickness.

I take the view that gin taken in reasonable proportions with tonic and ice is good for you, if only because it is a refreshing drink that helps makes life appear rosier. The secret as always is not to let it become a habit. Judging from the orderly conviviality at Vineyards when customers sample their extensive range of gins, that message has already been well received.

Gin Fest, Saturday 1st September 2-5pm and 6-9pm, gin, music, food and masterclasses. Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne. Tickets £20 from Vineyards. sherbornetimes.co.uk | 83

Food and Drink

AUBERGINE, RED PEPPER AND PURPLE BASIL STEW (AJAPSANDALI) Sasha Matkevitch, The Green Restaurant

T

his traditional Georgian summer stew recipe is as old as the mountains it comes from.

Every mother and grandmother through the generations has their own special take on it. Here's mine.

Ingredients

Serves 6 500g ripe plum tomatoes 150ml cold pressed olive oil 4 large onions, sliced 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed 1 bird’s eye chilli, chopped 1kg aubergines, peeled and diced 700g long red peppers, finely diced 5tbsp fresh purple basil, chopped 3tbsp fresh basil, chopped 3tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 3tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1 Drop the tomatoes into boiling, salted water and cook them until soft (about 5 minutes). Drain and force through a sieve to make a puree.

2 Pour enough of the oil into a large cast-iron pan to coat the base and reserve the rest for later. Heat the oil over a medium heat. Once just smoking, fry the diced aubergines and red peppers with a pinch of Cornish sea salt and black pepper for 5 minutes.

3 Add the onions, garlic and chilli. Cook, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes, until soft and tender.

4 With a large wooden spatula, push the vegetables to the side of the pan. Add the tomato and remaining olive oil to the centre of the pan and cook until thickened (about 15 minutes). Incorporate with the other vegetables.

5 Add fresh herbs to the pan. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.

6 Season to taste.

7 Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cool for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.

8 Serve with rice and sour cream on the side. greenrestaurant.co.uk

84 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

COFFEE BREAK Kafe Fontana 82 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ @kafefontana kafefontana 01935 812180 kafefontana.co.uk Old School Gallery Boyle’s Old School, High Street, Yetminster, DT9 6LF @yetminstergalle 01935 872761 yetminstergallery.co.uk

M

Y

CM

MY

readscoffee.co.uk

RBO

S

ET

REA D C

FEE

S

HE

OASTED COF 'S R

RNE DOR

GUATEMALA HUEHUETENANGO FINCA EL PATIO

Bright and spicy with a dash of treacle.

A perfect cafetiere or filter brew, it will also make a delicious light espresso when brewed in a moka pot.

CY

CMY

K

Free delivery in Sherborne call 01935 481010

Oliver’s Coffee House 19 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3PU @OliversSherbs Olivers-Coffee-House 01935 815005 oliverscoffeehouse.co.uk The Three Wishes 78 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3BJ 01935 817777 thethreewishes.co.uk The Trooper Coffee House The Trooper Inn, Stourton Caundle, DT10 2JW @TrooperinDorset @thetrooperinn 01963 362405 thetrooperinn.co.uk

Families in need who rely on free school meals to help feed their children have no access to this during the school holidays. Meanwhile, as many of us head away on summer holidays donations to the Food Bank reduce.

This is an important time of year and we urge you to keep giving. Please visit our website for details of where and how to donate food items. Financial donations can also be made via our website.

Thank you.

www.sherbornefoodbank.org 07854 163869 help@sherbornefoodbank.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 85

Animal Care

KEEPING COOL

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

S

ummer has now truly revealed herself, removing all doubt that quite often a long cold winter gives way to a hot summer. Naturally, animals and humans alike adopt strategies to keep cool and comfortable in the heat of the day. Problems occur when these options are denied through confinement or circumstance, due either to compulsion or ignorance.

I know every time the sun shines I bang on about heat stroke, which affects dogs primarily as they seem to spend as much time in cars as the drivers. Winding down the windows may not be enough to prevent your dog over-heating, even if the car is being driven. The 86 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

reasons why we humans can tolerate conditions that our canine companions cannot are due to differences in how we lose heat from our bodies. For dogs and cats, heat loss is due almost entirely to evaporation of moisture from the mouth, tongue and respiratory tract. Panting increases air movement in the upper airways and so increases ventilation, improving heat loss. We see dogs panting every day, no matter what the weather but rarely see cats doing the same. In fact, on the odd occasion I do see a cat panting, I know it’s stressed and so take immediate action to help relieve it, usually by providing a hiding space. If your cat pants inexplicably at home,

there is almost certainly something wrong so a visit to the vet would be recommended.

Let’s go back to the physics of keeping cool.

Evaporation requires energy in the form of heat, which is taken from the immediate surroundings. This mechanism works fine when the air humidity is low but when it rises to over 90% the efficiency of cooling falls by a corresponding amount. That’s why, on hot, humid days, puddles don’t dry, humans are sweaty and dogs pant. The message here is it’s the combination of heat and humidity that is so dangerous to dogs, not just heat alone. In fact, I have seen more dogs with

heat-stroke on warm, overcast, humid days than on sunny, clear-blue-sky days.

Happily, our clinics in Sherborne and Yeovil are fully air-conditioned so we can minimise heat-stress for owners and patients. Few of us have air-con at home, however, so sometimes we have to take active steps to protect our dogs from over-heating. It depends on the type of house you have; mine is old with thick walls so if we close the doors, shutters and windows during the day it remains cool inside. If this doesn’t work for you, or if you have a Husky or a Newfoundland (amongst other very heavily coated breeds), then buy yourself either a portable air-conditioner or a dehumidifier unit (the latter is much cheaper and easier to run).

It’s not the dogs that are mad when exercised in the heat, it’s the englishmen! Despite precautions, however, over-heating of our hairy, over-active pets can still occur so how do you recognise the signs? First, the over-hot dog will be panting excessively and drooling liquid (nonevaporating moisture and saliva); tongue and gums will be dark red with maybe even a tinge of blue if really serious; and hyperactivity will have given way to collapse. In this situation we must improve the other two methods of heat loss in this critically-ill patient and we must do it fast.

Conduction and convection of heat away from the patient requires cool water, shampoo or soap (to improve wetting of the skin and coat) and a draught. Don’t persuade your dog to swim in this condition as they cannot stop panting and will inhale water. If you have a thermometer for animal use (do keep it marked as such as it won’t taste nice if a human inadvertently uses it!) you can monitor core temperature. Anything over 40C is a concern and over 42C an emergency so contact your veterinary surgery for advice in the first instance and give them time to prepare for your arrival. Intravenous fluids, sedatives and steroids may be needed in severe cases. As our bodies are 70% water, it takes a long time to cool down and the “rounder” a body shape, the slower it happens due to surface area:volume ratio. So recovery from heat stroke can take many hours and is slower in older, fatter animals.

By the time this goes to print, the jetstream may have moved south and the heat and dust may be just a memory. On the other hand, echoes of 1976 might have become reality and in the place of hose-pipes we will have stand-pipes! Let’s hope for something in between but, as September is not far away, we should enjoy the sun while we can. So stay cool and keep your pets safe. newtonclarkevet.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 87

Animal Care

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FARM VET John Walsh BVSc MRCVS, Friars Moor Vets

I

am both a dairy farmer and farm animal vet at Friars Moor Vets. Based at Sturminster Newton, we cover large areas of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire.

I thought it would be interesting to share with you an insight into the day-to-day life of a farm vet and the challenges we face.

Early one morning in May, I was enjoying a cup of tea in bed when I suddenly heard a loud 'whooshing' noise. My immediate thought was, ‘What are the children up to?’ After shouting to the children to stop doing whatever they were doing, my wife and I heard the same 'whooshing' noise again. I jumped out of bed to investigate and saw an enormous hot air balloon coming down to land in one of our fields. We got the children dressed and went to intercept it. The children had great fun having their pictures taken in the basket and helping to deflate the balloon. Unfortunately, I had to make my exit to start my busy work day, leaving my wife and children to help finish packing away the balloon.

The incident sticks in my memory because my first call that day was to see a sick dairy cow with a balloonrelated illness! The farmer explained that she had suddenly stopped producing milk and looked in pain. I concluded that the cow had a condition called traumatic reticulitis, or wire disease. This results from a cow swallowing a piece of wire in their food which comes to rest in their 2nd stomach, the reticulum. When the stomach contracts to empty and mix the contents, the wire can penetrate the stomach and migrate anywhere in the cow’s body. This can result in severe pain, infection, peritonitis and, if the wire migrates towards the heart, can lead to heart failure and death.

You may ask, ‘Where do these wires come from and how does this relate to hot air balloons?’ There are several possible sources including the wire from old tyres (commonly used to hold down plastic sheeting on silage pits). However, an increasing source is the wire used to make Chinese lanterns or small hot air balloons!

88 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Image: Bruce Hammersley

You are probably familiar with these lanterns which are generally launched at times of celebration. However, once the fire goes out, they descend to earth and can end up in farmers’ fields. Once in the field, the paper rots down leaving the almost invisible wire remaining. The farmer then mows and gathers the grass crop in along with these wires, which get incorporated into the cow’s winter feed.

The cow then inadvertently swallows the wire along with their food. As an industry we have come up with novel ways to combat these issues. One way is to use magnets on the feeder wagons to help remove any metal and the other is to give cows a special magnet bolus. These magnets are swallowed by the cow and come to rest in

the reticulum where they sit. Any wire that is swallowed then sticks to the magnet protecting the cow from harm.

As with most things, prevention is usually better than cure. As vets we can do our bit to encourage farmers to stop using old tyres on silage pits. However, we also need to get the message out to the general public to stop using these lanterns. This will help prevent cows from becoming injured by this silent killer. Councils throughout the country are now banning the release and use of these lanterns to protect both wildlife and farm animals. Please do your bit by not releasing Chinese lanterns. friarsmoorvets.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 89

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Pet, Equine & Farm Animals

• Operating theatres • Digital x-ray • Nurse clinics • Separate dog and cat wards • Laboratory Kingston House Veterinary Clinic Long Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3DB

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Free registration appointment for new clients when accompanied by this advertisement 90 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Veterinary services for livestock & pets in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire We now have a new collection point for livestock medicines and supplies at Pearce Seeds, Rosedown Farm, Sherborne.

Please call the office on 01258 472314 for all enquiries

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sherbornetimes.co.uk | 91

Cycling

A BIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Peter Henshaw, Dorset Cyclists Network Mike Riley, Riley's Cycles

I

was at Rileys Cycles the other day, and noticed a dozen Dawes Galaxies, all in the same beautiful metallic blue and fully equipped – luggage, speedometers, lights, the lot. The Galaxy is a bit of an icon in the cycling world. In production for over 40 years, it’s quintessentially British, looks traditional but has been updated over the years – if it was a car, it would be a Jag. But what were 12 of them doing outside Rileys?

‘They’re for the Girls’ School,’ explained Mike Riley.

‘They’ve decided to offer cycling as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.’ Andy Block, the Assistant Bursar at Sherborne Girls School, is the man behind it all and, with a clinical, cycling and team-building background, he sounds like he couldn’t be better qualified for the job.

‘I started cycling 50 years ago and I’ve always had bikes,’ he told me. ‘I started racing in my twenties and later, when I was with the Royal Marines, I joined their mountain-bike racing team. Really, I’ve done a bit of everything – cycle touring, mountain biking and road and track racing.’ What he doesn’t do is cycle to work, but walk from the school that’s forgivable.

I remember the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

When I was at school, it seemed to be reserved for brainy, clean-cut, outdoorsy types, though of course it’s always been open to everyone and is about much more than hiking across Dartmoor – the mental challenge is as important as the physical.

‘We’ve got four girls doing the Gold award,’ said Andy, ‘who have to undertake a four-day trip, riding eight hours a day, and six girls doing the Silver, which is a slightly shorter three days. That’s fully loaded. They’ll have to do detailed route planning and use a map, so no satnavs. They get end points and waypoints and have to navigate themselves.’

‘Some have done quite a bit of cycling before and 92 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

are quite competent, others have things to learn.

So we’ve been building up to it – I took the Silver girls out in April from Sherborne and we did 38 miles, which some of them found extremely tough. They have to be competent in traffic too, so I’m taking them through the Bikeability national cycling standards – riding in traffic, dealing with junctions, that sort of thing. Part of the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme is that they have to learn a new skill which has to involve fitness, so cycling ticks several boxes. They must be confident riding a heavily laden bike downhill, so I’ve taken the Gold girls mountain biking to develop that. And

Andy Block, Assistant Bursar, Sherborne Girls School. Image: Peter Henshaw

they have to manage roadside repairs – punctures and gear/brake adjustments. They don’t have a lot of time, because they’re doing their school work as well, however I’m confident that by the time we get to their final expedition they’ll be able to do everything – navigate, ride safely and look after their bikes.’

I asked Andy why he liked cycling (because he obviously does) and, given his racing background, expected a treatise on fitness, but I was wrong. ‘There’s a fantastic social aspect to it,’ he said, ‘you can be riding down a quiet country lane on a Saturday morning, just chatting to the person next to you. It’s good for team building, because in a group you do have to help each

other. And cycling just makes you feel alive; you’re out in the fresh air, going somewhere, seeing differences in the weather and landscape – it’s just great.’

And so say all of us. Just one more thing. This is the last cycling column I’ll be writing for Sherborne Times, so thanks for reading it, and I hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as I have. Mike Riley will be taking up where I’ve left off so please keep reading. And it needs to carry on, because cycling isn’t just another sport for sunny Sundays. It’s a fun, efficient and clean means of getting around for work, shopping and school – the more of us do it, the better for the planet and everyone on it. See you on the road! sherbornetimes.co.uk | 93

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Body and Mind

PIGMENTATION ISSUES Sarah Hitch, The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms

M

elanin is a pigment in the skin, made in the base layers of the epidermis; it journeys up from the base layers to the surface. The amount of melanin synthesised in our skin is determined by genetics and the colour of our skin, hair and even our eyes. As melanin can absorb UV radiation, its primary function is believed to be protecting the skin from sunlight.

Melanin production is stimulated when skin is exposed to UV radiation: the pigments cluster together, forming a protective cap over the skin cell, and the result is a suntan.

Hypo-pigmentation (chloasma) is a decrease in melanin production leading to white patches; unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for this.

However certain triggers can lead to over-stimulation and surface colour-clumping. Hyper-pigmentation refers to melanocytes, or pigment-producing cells, producing too much pigment. Often referred to as age spots or liver spots, they are usually benign but can be unsightly and unwanted, and become increasingly more evident with age. However, it’s not just an age thing. There are several triggers that can lead to over-stimulation of melanin: • Hormonally-induced pigmentation can result from stress, usage of prescription drugs or elevated oestrogen levels in women. The latter is particularly prominent on the top lip or as melasma (the mask of pregnancy) which can stretch across the cheeks and forehead.

Melasma, whether mild or severe, can affect up to 75% of women during pregnancy and about 33% of women taking birth-control pills.

• Post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (PIH) is caused by the melanocytes having an exaggerated response to skin injury such as acne, infections or surgical wounds.

The deeper the injury and the longer the tissue remains inflamed, the more intense the hyper-pigmentation, and the more difficult it is to treat.

• Frequent and excessive unprotected exposure to UV rays can cause an abnormal distribution of melanin in the skin tissues. If caught early, hyper-pigmentation induced by UV rays alone tends to respond well to treatment, while melasma and other hormonal influences are more difficult to treat. Both hormonal hyper-pigmentation and PIH are intensified and prolonged by sun exposure.

The good news is you can address pigmentation problems. Intensive and frequent exfoliation is one of the most important steps you can take, as it helps slough off the layers of skin cells that contain excess melanin, encouraging the skin to produce new, undamaged cells.

There are products and treatments designed to boost healing and skin cell renewal, while shielding the skin from new UV stimulus. Micro-dermabrasion is fantastic for this, while retinol and specific peptides brighten the skin and control the erratic activity of melaninproducing cells. Professional skin treatments will deliver key ingredients deeper into the skin and, with follow-up home-care products, you will see improvement in 2 to 4 months. Treating hyper-pigmentation is progressive and can be continual depending on the cause. Knowing some idea of your personal triggers can reveal the best treatment path and enable a skincare therapist to set reasonable improvement expectations and advise on a skincare routine. thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 95

Body and Mind

WHAT TO WEAR Lindsay Punch, Personal Stylist

Y

ou may believe that hiring a personal stylist is a luxury reserved only for the rich and famous and that it’s going to cost you £1000’s! I often find myself debunking these common myths and helping people to recognise that by paying an expert to re-style your existing clothes or shop for you, you can actually save money. Stylists like myself have the expertise to be smart when shopping. We know what works for you and we know how to find it. A stylist will save you time and energy, and can sharpen up your wardrobe without you having to leave your house.

If you were to add up the cost of unworn garments in your wardrobe, how much would you value it at? I asked this question to the participants who joined my on-line style challenge, ‘How to Build a Summer Wardrobe’.

90% of them valued it at over £1000 before they started the challenge. When I restyle wardrobes in a one-toone session I often find it is a lot more! That is a lot of money wasted on clothes that do not fit, do not suit or which remain unworn. There may also be expensive pieces that are hard to let go of.

Spending a few hours looking at what you already have in your wardrobe is the best place to start before heading off on any new shopping trips. Working together, we will end up with a stylish, organised and streamlined wardrobe. During a wardrobe re-style we go through each item and discard worn out and unflattering items.

We then look at and photograph ways to style and wear items to make the most of them. You will end up with anything from 50-150 new looks, with combinations that you can mix and match effortlessly to create looks for any occasion or time of day. You will then be left with a focused shopping list of key items you need to bring the rest together to help you feel less overwhelmed with the 96 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

endless rails on the high street. There will always be bags of clothes needing a new home whether that is a charity shop or selling on to make some money back.

The final step is the personal shopping session which can either be done online or face-to-face at a destination of your choice. If you are spending on average £80 a month/£960 a year on clothes and only wearing 20% of your wardrobe, you have just wasted £768. My services are only £100 for an online shop and £180 face-to-face.

And that is why a stylist is not too expensive. You will end up with more to wear while spending less money, as well as feeling like a million dollars!

When it comes to dressing up, you deserve to look and feel fantastic every single day. Smart and comfortable casual wear is just as important as the right clothes for a successful interview or business meeting. I love seeing people look and feel amazing, it makes me feel very proud!

Just as you get a specialist to advise you about your finances or to take care of your car or your hair, a personal stylist is an image specialist who will take care of your clothes. If you did not know what car to buy or how to cut your hair you would ask an expert, wouldn’t you? It is the same with your clothes; after all you wear them every day.

Personal stylist Lindsay Punch offers group sessions from £30 per person and has a special offer in August. If you would like to get five or more of your friends, family or colleagues together, the hostess receives their place in the group styling session for free. This offer ends 31st August. Contact info@lindsaypunchstyling.co.uk for more information. lindsaypunchstyling.co.uk

GETTING WELL

Loretta Lupi-Lawrence, The Sherborne Rooms

M

y major surgery was successful and as I type this my work sabbatical and recovery is now fully underway. For me the first post operative days were a blur, long and painful with some hurdles that I managed to limp over but you know when you’ve turned that initial corner – everything brightens up a little and you can take stock of what is happening around you. I’m still (relatively) young and I understand the importance of having a healthy mind – my ward compadres I feel were not prepared for their new circumstances and I found myself surrounded by loneliness with little hope and certainly no joy or relief. I felt the heavy weight of this sadness leaving an impression and as is my nature I wanted to empathise and show some kindness. The nurses were incredible but so busy and they don’t see or choose not to so they can get through their days. Part of my immediate post op instruction was to mobilise slowly so I integrated moving with going and sitting at the bedisdes of my ward ladies. Just hand holding, smiling and talking – sometimes meaningful, sometimes the weather. Their stories touched me and I learnt a great deal in those first few days. Leaving hospital for my home and family truly made me feel grateful at what I had to return to. Leaving behind the visuals of what life can do to humanity, the nutritionally poor food and the unique smells of a hospital was a boost to my own mental mood.

Nothing can really prepare you for the reality of after surgery as we all have an individiual body and healing is a personal journey. I am so pleased I organised the children, a cook and a cleaner pre op as this alleviates the guilt and the house is operating whilst I recover. The hardest part for me is not being able to parent; I can’t pick the twins up when they are crying even hugging is painful, I've missed some ‘firsts’, I can’t play with them or take them for walks to the park. I rationalise that actually this is just a blip and soon I will be back to firing on all cylinders without disease. I really thought I would

struggle not working but I was ready for a break and I can feel new plans and ideas forming in my head as well as really laying some foundations for something new.

You can only really focus on the immediate so for me that is slowly getting up, showering and getting clothes on. Luckily for me I use Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic and because it has zero nasty chemicals it can easily wash over my wound and won’t harm it.

It has also meant I am able to give my skin time and attention; face masks (White Tea), polishes (Palmarosa – scrub away those hospital toxins), using wonderfully uplifting serums (Frankincense Intense Lift) and rehydrating moisturisers (Frankincense Intense Lift Cream)....and I wouldn't be without a spritz from my Frankincense Mist to keep me calm and skin hydrated in this wonderful weather. Stay positive, you won’t be recovering forever and the initial time post surgery is so important to heal properly.

R = rest : plenty of this E = evaluate : take time to look at your life and mentally write your new goals C = care : do everything with care O = o bserve : watch how you heal, listen to your thoughts V = voice : talk through any concerns or worries E = empathy : be kind to yourself R = recharge : plug in yourself and rebuild your energy levels Y = you : always YOU, put yourself first While on her ‘sabbatical’ Loretta will be conducting online calls for Positivity Mentoring throughout August.

Call 07545 328447 to arrange a session or for orders and enquiries regarding Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic shopping. thesherbornerooms.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 97

Body & Mind

BATTLE FIT

Simon Partridge BSc (Sports Science), Personal Trainer SPFit

L

ast month I wrote about the benefits of training outside like Usain Bolt using a ‘tyre drag’ to improve the power in your legs and run faster.

But don’t worry about the title of this article; it’s not another of those articles banging on about the benefits and popularity of military style workouts. Far from it.

This month I am focusing on a piece of equipment known as the ‘battle rope.’

In my opinion, the battle rope is not used nearly enough by those who want to tone up and burn body fat as efficiently as possible. You can use a battle rope in your own individual workout or as part of a group workout such as a bootcamp/HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) class.

But how many of us know how to use this fantastic piece of equipment properly? So, this is my beginner’s guide to battle rope training. The image demonstrates just one of the countless exercises you can perform with this incredibly simple piece of equipment.

In a study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, average oxygen consumption was measured among various exercises including battle rope training, burpees, squats, press ups, the plank and a whole host of other bodyweight movements. It was found that the greatest oxygen consumption was used during battle rope training, followed by the burpee burning 10.3 calories per minute.

However, the greatest benefit may be that battle ropes simply allow you to do HIIT without having to spend time on a treadmill, running, rowing or other pieces of equipment that may have begun to bore you.

HIIT allows you to increase your resting metabolic rate, VO2 max (oxygen that muscles can consume) and enable you to train both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems.

98 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Other benefits of the battle rope: • You can maintain a high intensity over an extended period of time.

• It’s easy to create a simple and effective fast workout that can be done in a gym, outside or at home.

• It’s super easy to set up and requires little storage space.

• You can get a full-body workout.

• It increases the lactic acid threshold in the upper body which is unique because most of the time work like this is done with the lower body • You can alternate between low and high impact by the way you move the rope.

• It’s great for developing grip strength which can help to improve other lifts like the deadlift, pull-up and kettlebell swings.

• You can work the upper body independently.

• It is really fun to use.

And here are three primary battle rope movements to practice and master: 1 The wave (alternating or two-handed) see photo 2 The slam (alternating or two handed) 3 Hip to hip If you haven’t tried battle ropes before why not give them a go? Even if you are already doing HIIT or some form of aerobic training which you may love or hate, battle ropes are sure to give you massive cardiovascular benefits and burn even more calories than you ever thought possible.

SPFit has a variety of training options designed for all abilities from 1:1 coaching and a Running Club to small group training that includes power yoga (Broga), outdoor bootcamps, crossfit and weight lifting, and circuits classes. spfit-sherborne.co.uk

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LONDON ROAD CLINIC Health Clinic • Acupuncture • Osteopathy • Counselling • Physiotherapy • EMDR Therapy • Shiatsu

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www.56londonroad.co.uk Email: info@56londonroad.co.uk 56 London Road, Milborne Port, Sherborne DT9 5DW Free Parking and Wheelchair access

Order your Neal’s Yard Remedies here Also available at the Sherborne Rooms • Positivity Mentoring (specialising in IVF / Adoption / Menopause) • Deep Tissue Sports Massage • Talking Therapy • Reiki Practitioners • Bach Flowers Remedy Practitioner • Osteopathy

07545 328447 email sherbornerooms@gmail.com or visit www.sherbornerooms.com

56 Cheap St, Sherborne DT9 3BJ sherbornetimes.co.uk | 99

Body & Mind

BELIEVE, ATTEND, MAINTAIN, IMPROVE

Image: Stuart Brill

Craig Hardaker, Communifit

I

speak to many individuals who are reluctant to exercise because they haven’t done so for a very long time. This reluctance can be due to many different factors: they may feel intimidated, nervous or may believe they won’t be able to complete the exercises.

Their reasons not to exercise can prevent them from doing so. But it doesn’t have to be like that! If you believe this is you, or know someone this may relate to, then follow Communifit’s three steps.

help you to relax and ease any potential stress or anxiety. Breathing techniques are most effective in a quiet space with your eyes closed. Slowly inhaling and exhaling is a simple element of meditation that helps to relax the whole body. Relaxation can be an antidote to stress. Alongside this form of relaxation you can start to visualise movement patterns using different limbs. This makes it easier to move the muscle groups that are to be used.

1. Create a better mindset

2. Attend a suitable exercise class

The first step is to help change your current mindset.

This is harder for some people to do than others, but breathing techniques are a great way to start. They

Having positively changed your mindset, you will feel more comfortable about starting a regular exercise class.

Finding an exercise class that suits your current ability

100 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

is an important next step. There are many different types of exercise classes you could attend. Make sure the class suits your needs and really targets what you want, and more importantly what you need to achieve. An exercise class needs to be beneficial but it also needs to be enjoyable. You want to attend an exercise class knowing you will gain fully from regular attendance. If you have read my previous articles you will understand the importance of muscle strengthening, which slows down the negatives of the ageing process such as those relating to balance, joint mobility, muscle flexibility, and which also reduces arthritis and osteoporosis.

Specialised Exercise Classes

“I’m Craig Hardaker & have been working in the health & fitness industry for over 12 years.

I enjoy working with individuals, improving their physical condition to help with everyday activities no matter how big or small.”

3. Maintenance

Whatever age group you fall into, it is important to maintain your efforts to prevent falling back into a sedentary state. Many individuals find this challenging, mainly due to decreasing motivation.

The best method of maintaining your exercise and preventing boredom is goal-setting. Once the initial goal of exercising regularly has been achieved, another goal must soon be set. It is always good to have a clear, realistic, long-term goal, with many short-term goals in between. It is always important to try to constantly improve. Improving can be monitored by an increase in resistance, the speed of exercise, the duration of your exercise, or how many times a week you exercise. Improving on your exercise regime will not only help you achieve your goals sooner, but also will help to maintain your regime due to the ‘feel good factor’. For some individuals, improving is actually maintaining current strength and fitness levels whereas if they didn’t exercise, the natural ageing process would deteriorate muscle mass and aerobic fitness.

It is important to remember that you are never too weak, never too old, or indeed never too able to attend regular exercise classes. There is always an exercise class suited to your needs. Communifit’s three exercise classes cater for all, from individuals who are sedentary to those who are strong and exercise regularly. Our clear advice and your choice of classes will help you start, or continue, your exercise journey.

45 minutes

45 minutes

45 minutes

Sit & Strengthen

£4

Stand & Strengthen

£4

Don’t Lose It, Move It!

£4

A chair-based exercise class aiming to increase your strength, flexibility, joint mobility, balance & functional independence - all while having fun!

Wednesday 2pm at the West End Hall Friday 12.15pm at Tinneys Lane Youth Club

Same objectives as sit & strengthen, but you are standing! Targets all major muscle groups. You must be able to stand for the whole duration.

Wednesday 3.15pm at the West End Hall Friday 1.30pm at Tinneys Lane Youth Club

An active circuit-based class improving muscle strength, aerobic fitness & core stability. Be proactive, not reactive, towards your health & fitness! Suitable for all ages.

Wednesday 4.15pm at the West End Hall Friday 2.30pm at Tinneys Lane Youth Club

BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE For the month of August only. Friend must be a new customer.

One voucher per person. Please bring your copy of Sherborne Times to claim offer

Pay as you go

Booking not required. For more information call 07791 308 773 or email info@communifit.co.uk

Believe. Attend. Maintain. Improve. communifit.co.uk

communifit

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communifit.co.uk

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 101

Body & Mind

WHEN CHANGE BECOMES TOO MUCH Helen Lickerish, PGDip Counselling/Coaching, BSc(Hons), EMDR, Dip Trauma Therapy Counsellor and Therapeutic Coach , London Road Clinic

W

e all know that life changes: our likes and dislikes, behaviours, friends, jobs, relationships, financial status, living environment, habits, health and beliefs all change over time, and yet we don’t always find change easy to deal with. We are naturally creatures of habit. Many of us try to keep some sense of order in our lives and endeavour to maintain a degree of predictability, giving us a sense of control. Should this stability go, we can be thrown into a different state entirely. This may be one of excitement (which we may find energising), or it may be one of despair, fear or anxiety, causing us to believe that we are a failure and leaving us feeling permanently “on 102 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

guard,” as if watching and waiting for the next disaster to happen. We may feel useless because we don’t know what to do or how to manage the changes and our feelings around them.

Some of us will thrive living on our wits and taking whatever comes our way, happy that it provides us with a sense of freshness and new opportunities. Many of us, however, will spend much of our lives repeating patterns and habits. We probably get up around the same time each morning, go to work/take the kids to school/walk the dog etc. around the same time and in the same way each day. It is widely cited that we make around 35,000 decisions a day. If, every day, we had to remake

whilst others can come out of the blue: children leaving home or not getting the grades/job that they wanted; a relationship break-up; being made redundant; caring for ageing parents; having a life-changing illness or injury; discovering that we have been left, as sole benefactor, great aunt Edna’s donkey sanctuary, or that our partner has secretly gambled away the savings and house.

How we manage changes is dependent upon various factors: i our state of being at the time – whether we are fit, healthy and full of energy. ii our level of stress - if we already have a lot on our plate, just one more thing (no matter how tiny or trivial) may overwhelm us and cause us to panic, even if we know that usually we are perfectly capable of coping. iii our personality type - whether we thrive on challenges, embracing them as opportunities to learn new skills and make positive changes, or avoid them like the plague.

all the small and relatively unimportant decisions of daily life, we would become overwhelmed and worn out before we ever got to the important decisions.

Habits and routines offer a way for the mind to be on auto-pilot, preserving energy and allowing us to have more time to think about the things that may have a greater impact upon our quality of life. However, no matter how much routine we build into our existence, life has a habit of throwing the unexpected at us and presenting us with situations in which we cannot rely on our usual patterns of actions and thoughts.

Some of these life changes are predictable, or at least we have warning of their imminence,

If you find yourself feeling that you can’t cope, these tips may be a starting point for some help: 1 Accept that it is normal - most of us, at some point (or several points) in our lives will feel like this.

2 Consider what you would expect of and say to your best friend, if this were happening to them.

3 Show yourself compassion - things are hard enough for you right now as it is.

4 Talk to someone you trust.

5 Get support.

6 Eat well and get plenty of rest.

7 Don’t listen to that critical voice telling you that you should be okay and able to manage.

8 Do something every day that you enjoy and is purely for you.

9 Try not to believe that just because you are feeling overwhelmed, incapable, anxious or fearful you are in any way a failure. You are human and doing your best. That is all we can do and is enough.

10 Recognise that this is a stage and things will change.

If you would like to speak with someone in confidence, the London Road Clinic has highly qualified and experienced counsellors who will be happy to help you. Please visit their website for details. fullstoptherapy.co.uk 56londonroad.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 103

Body & Mind

ANXIETY AND WORRY

THE HOLISTIC TREATMENT APPROACH

A

Dr Tim Robinson MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom, GP and Complementary Practitioner, Glencairn House

nxiety and worry are natural responses to situations that challenge the control and order in your life. The unknown can be frightening and make you feel unsettled, resulting in physical effects such as dry mouth, tummy bloating, palpitations and tension headaches. On the mental level the unknown can lead to apprehension, fear, terror, restlessness, despair and even bring on a panic attack. The threshold for these effects is different in all of us, ranging from those who are totally laid back and un-phased by whatever life throws at them, to others who are ‘born worriers’ and seem to be in a constant state of anxiety and tension.

A conventional prescribed treatment for anxiety, worry and panic is Propranolol, a beta blocker which reduces the physical effects of anxiety such as tremor, palpitation and muscle tension. This is non-sedating, unlike Diazepam (Valium) which dampens your thought processes, reduces alertness (beware driving and operating machinery) and is addictive. An anti-depressant in the same class as Prozac called Citalopram also has a licence for use with anxiety.

This is taken on a regular basis if you have generalised continuous anxiety and is monitored by your GP. Herbal medicine can be helpful. Valerian is a relaxant and mild sedative. Studies have shown that it is effective in improving sleep quality and duration. Chamomile has a gentle, anxiety-reducing action and relaxant effect – many people take it after their evening meal for this reason. Rescue Remedy is a combination of flower tinctures that are taken, often with great success, at times of great stress and tension.

Homeopathy can also be of use for worry and anxiety. This is a system of medicine that simulates natural healing using remedies derived mostly from plants or minerals. Argentum Nit is particularly good 104 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

for anxiety before an important or stressful event such as an interview or examination. Aconite is the remedy for acute panic and shock. Gelsemium is effective for generalised anxiety. Often I prescribe them in combination as my Stress Buster!

Besides medicines and remedies, generalised anxiety also responds excellently to counselling in order to tease out, understand and come to terms with the trigger factor that brought it on. More specifically, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is even better as it teaches you how to deal with the anxiety state itself; it gives you the tools to stop the downward spiralling of anxiety as well as the brooding and dwelling on the worry factors.

You can access NHS counselling services through your GP or directly by contacting ‘Steps 2 Well-being’ in Dorset or ‘Right Steps’ in Somerset.

Mind-body techniques such as meditation and relaxation may be helpful. Exercise releases the stimulant chemicals ‘endorphins’ which help both anxiety and depression. Yoga and massage can also be helpful to bring calm and focus. Traditional Chinese acupuncture is helpful for some people; selected needling can help restore the natural balance and flow of internal energies that are disturbed in general anxiety.

As I outlined above, anxiety which is either ‘brief ’, such as with an event, or ‘on-going’, as in the ‘born worrier’, should be tackled especially if it is interfering with your life. The biggest step is recognising it, admitting it and, most importantly, asking for help.

You may choose just one strategy or technique, or use a combination. Hopefully this guide will help you deal with your anxiety in order to enjoy life to its fullest. doctorTWRobinson.com

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106 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

The Old Vicarage Leigh, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6HL

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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.

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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.

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Tel: 01935 814946 108 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Chesters Commercial are pleased to announce that Sherborne House is now under offer

Property

THE ART OF INVESTING Luke Pender-Cudlip, Partner and Office Head, Knight Frank

T

he Knight Frank Research Department actively tracks all sorts of investments, not just property, and this month we take a look at how various investments have fared over the years.

This time last year art was almost at the back of the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII) however, 12 months later, it has moved through the field to overtake wine and claim first place with growth of 21% to Q1 2018.

Salvator Mundi, a work by Leonardo da Vinci, turbo-charged the headlines when it was sold for a staggering $450m last year, and paintings by less well-known artists have also been notching up multi-milliondollar results, says Sebastian Duthy, of Art Market Research. ‘Prices for works by impressionists and post-war artists have dominated auction sales for the past two decades. But this picture has been changing, with works by some contemporary artists appreciating rapidly in the last few years.

In March, artist Mark Bradford hit the headlines when his painting Helter Skelter I was sold by ex-tennis star John McEnroe for a record $10.4m at Phillips in London. In May, rapper Sean Combs, aka P Diddy, paid $21.1m at Sotheby’s for a painting by artist Kerry James Marshall. The figure represents an 800-fold increase on the $25,000 paid for the same work in 1997.

The Knight Frank Fine Wine Icons Index, compiled for us by Wine Owners, recorded overall growth of 110 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

9% over the same period, but the various sectors of the market are running at different speeds, says Nick Martin of Wine Owners. ‘The very top of the Burgundy market is on fire, with growth of between 20% and 70%, but Bordeaux is more of a mixed bag.’

Classic cars, meanwhile, have dropped down the grid in the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index, showing negative growth over a 12-month period for the first time since the creation of KFLII, although collectors are still spending big for the best machines.

‘The most active buyers are the really knowledgeable collectors and enthusiasts who know what they are doing and exactly what they want.’ Such buyers won’t pay over the odds for cars that don’t have a great pedigree or aren’t in the right condition, but they are still prepared to dig deep when they find a car they really want to buy.

There are strong parallels with property purchasers.

When we launch a ‘blue chip’ house ticking the right boxes of location, situation, accommodation and land, then buyers will often pay a premium over the guide price to secure what might be a once in a generation opportunity.

Watch this space: we have some ‘rare gems’ coming soon… * Data provided by Knight Frank Research knightfrank.co.uk/sherborne

Meet

your local experts

Your local property team at Knight Frank Sherborne will ensure a fresh, forward thinking service, grounded in local knowledge and true market expertise.

Our long-standing relationships with clients show our dedication to providing the best service possible. Let us sell your property, so you can get back to what you love, sooner.

Luke Pender-Cudlip MRICS Partner, Office Head With over 30 years of property experience plus a chartered surveyor’s credentials, Luke’s experience is extensive.

He has been involved in property of all shapes and sizes from £400,000 to £20 million. His client base has also been varied having dealt with those in finance, food, modelling, recruitment, sport, government and many more from all corners of the world.

Simon Barker MRICS Partner Simon has been selling country houses from the Sherborne office since 1995. He mainly concentrates on the sale of properties up to £1,250,000. He has also assisted with a number of sales over this price point, since joining Knight Frank.

For property advice or a no-obligation market appraisal of your home, please call our team.

We’d love to help you.

T: 01935 590023 sherborne@knightfrank.com 15 Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3PU

Sherborne Lettings & Property Management

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get movin’ this summer with Symonds & Sampson symondsandsampson.co.uk 112 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

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Property

DOES THE LENGTH OF MY LEASEHOLD MATTER? Maeve England, Partner, Mogers Drewett

W

hen a property is being bought, one of the first checks a solicitor makes is to determine whether it is a freehold or leasehold property. Whilst owning the freehold is always desirable, leasehold properties with long terms don’t usually present any problems. However, if a lease is running out, a property’s value can be significantly affected and selling it can be very difficult.

For historic reasons, there is a high proportion of leasehold properties in the South West. Many years ago, there were large areas of land held by estates and landowners; when they developed the land they wanted to keep an interest so that they could benefit from ground rents. Those ground rents are often minimal in today’s money and regularly go unclaimed, however the leasehold status of the property remains.

If people want to find out if their property is leasehold or freehold they can look on the Land Registry website. For unregistered property this information will be on the original conveyance. If owners discover the property is leasehold, it is critical that they find out how long is left on the lease.

The shorter a lease then, quite possibly, the lower the value of the leasehold. In addition, if there are fewer than 80 years left to run, then the premium for an extension will include ‘marriage value’ which means 114 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

that you pay more, and sometimes a lot more, for the extension. If people don’t address the issue of extending the term, it can significantly affect property value. Once a lease has fewer than 55 years on it, for example, it is incredibly hard to get a mortgage from a high street lender if you want a 25-year mortgage.

Even if you don’t plan on selling your house, it is worth extending the lease, particularly if you are close to the ‘fewer than 80 years’ bracket.

One of the first steps is to appoint a valuer specialising in lease extensions; they should be able to advise on the cost of the premium you will have to pay for the new lease.

Under the legislation which governs lease extensions the new lease, when granted, will add 90 years to the remaining term - the unexpired part - of the original lease.

The law around this area is extremely complex and fiddly. It is easy to go wrong and litigating when things have gone wrong is very expensive. What’s more, if mistakes are made in the process of applying for a lease extension, then under the legislation you may have to wait a further 12 months before you have the right to apply again.

If you have any questions or doubts, please get in touch with us so we can provide peace of mind. mogersdrewett.com

THE LAW FIRM ON THE SAME PAGE Forward-thinking legal expertise on your doorstep Sherborne | Bath | Wells | Frome mogersdrewett.com | 01935 813 691

Your Life, Your Money, Your Future 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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116 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

Finance

TOTAL RETURN

A

Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.) CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS, Certified and Chartered Financial Planner, Fort Financial Planning

n important component of a sound, lifelong investment strategy – the Art and Science of Investing as we call it – relates to total return versus income investing.

Historically, investors holding a diversified portfolio of shares and bonds could quite easily generate a healthy income from their investments. Not anymore.

With yields on low-risk government bonds at historic lows and likely to stay that way, how can the income conundrum be addressed?

There are three basic options for investors whose portfolio income falls short of their spending plans: they can spend less; they can reallocate their portfolios towards higher-yielding investments; or they can spend from the total-return of their portfolio, which includes capital appreciation as well as income.

For many investors, moving away from a broadly diversified portfolio may place their investments at greater capital risk than spending from capital. For example, four common approaches to boost portfolio income are to: • Increase weightings to longer-duration bonds; • Invest in higher-yielding, credit-sensitive bonds; • Allocate some of the bond weighting to incomegenerating shares; or • Allocate some of the broad share weighting to higher dividend yielding shares.

Each of these approaches carries its own potential dangers. Longer-duration bonds, for instance, are typically more susceptible to capital losses when interest rates rise. Meanwhile, higher-yielding bonds carry

greater credit risk than government bonds and can exhibit high levels of price volatility in times of market stress, greatly reducing the diversification benefits of holding fixed income alongside shares.

The third option, moving some of the bond portfolio to income-generating shares, can substantially alter the risk profile of the portfolio, potentially exposing investors to much higher levels of capital risk than those set out in the original plan. Finally, moving some of the broad share exposure into higher dividend yielding shares could skew the portfolio towards certain income-generating sectors, reducing diversification and potentially increasing risk.

Think total-return

Rather than pursuing any of these four paths, Fort Financial Planning favours a total-return approach, i.e. one that focuses on both income and capital appreciation. Such an approach has the advantages of maintaining the originally agreed asset allocation and controlling risk by ensuring maximum diversification.

The amount of value that can be added by employing a tax-efficient total-return strategy will vary according to the size and breakdown of portfolio and the spending needs of an individual. However, it is likely to be significant for many clients, especially when due consideration is given to the other key components of a sound lifelong investment strategy.

FFP specialises in providing lifelong advice to relatively affluent families who recognise the advantages of expert advice. ffp.org.uk

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 117

Tech

A

nother acronym for you this month! BYOD stands for ‘Bring Your Own Device’ and it tries to address the issue where an employee or regular contractor uses a personal device (laptop, phone, tablet) to connect to company systems. In simple English, it usually means getting your company emails on your personal phone or tablet. The consumerisation of IT is the blending of personal and business use of technology devices and applications. It is being pushed by a younger, more mobile workforce who grew up with the internet and are less inclined to draw a line between corporate and personal technology.

More and more, it is unofficially expected that employees (especially managers) remain contactable outside office hours and take work home with them to do during evenings and weekends. But BYOD brings significant challenges to the company as data must be secured on devices the company may not own. The IT department may need to support a larger selection of devices and operating systems and may need to develop new policies and procedures for data ownership. It’s a real headache for most organisations, many of whom may not have the skills or expertise to manage this. For instance, how would you deal with an employee leaving who used to get company email on his phone and did work at home using his own laptop?

Here are some of the things you need to consider: • Who will pay for the devices and data coverage required?

• What regulations must be adhered to when using an employee device?

• What measures will be taken for securing devices prior to use?

• Where will data from BYOD devices be stored?

• Will there be an agreement for employees who wish to bring their own devices?

118 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

• What happens if an employee violates your BYOD policy?

• What privacy will be granted to employees using their own devices?

• What support will the organisation provide for BYOD users?

• What safeguards are in place if a device is compromised?

• What methods will be used for securing devices before they are retired, sold, or disposed of ?

Here are some top tips for securing devices and reducing your risk: • Use password-protected access controls • Control wireless network and service connectivity • Control application access and permissions • Keep software and applications up-to-date and back-up data regularly • Never store personal financial data on a device • Beware of free apps and software (they’re only free for a reason!)

• Run mobile antivirus software or scanning tools • Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) BYOD is a broad subject that will keep the digital business engaged for some years to come. The lists of pros and cons are long and there is no universal best BYOD strategy as each organisation lives and works in a different way. Furthermore, the employees play an essential role in all this and they need to be consulted and engaged throughout the process.

As always, if you need help with this or anything else, you know where to come.

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sherbornetimes.co.uk | 121

Short Story

IMELDA

Chris Carver, Sherborne Scribblers

M

any years ago, a young maiden, named Imelda, lived with her step-mother in a small house on the edge of a forest. Imelda hated her step-mother, a washer-woman, who always complained and made her work in the washroom.

Imelda never knew her mother but loved her father, a musician. Her father taught her to play the violin and Imelda loved it. But when she was fourteen years old, he suddenly died; so, she inherited his violin.

One day step-mother said, ‘Imelda, you are old enough to work. Take your instrument and go into the town. Play it in the street and people will give you coins.

Bring them back to me.’ Imelda was pleased that she could now play her violin but anxious about playing in the street; but people gave her coins.

Imelda was playing as usual when two youths came upon her, laughing noisily.

‘Hey-ho, what have we? A scarecrow playing the fiddle,’ said one.

‘Nay,’ said another, ‘but I see she has coins,’ He bent and scooped them up.

‘Nay, nay,’ Imelda screamed. ‘they’re mine,’ but the youths ignored her and ran off. Imelda was distraught and went home in tears to tell her step-mother. Stepmother was unsympathetic telling her she should have been more careful and sent her to bed with no supper.

As she lay in bed, Imelda planned. She would play in the street and when she had some coins for her stepmother, would go into the forest nearby. Her father had taken her there and she remembered how beautiful it was.

It was a lovely spring day, warm with the sun shining. She came to a glade with many wild flowers and sat on a tree trunk to play her violin. To her surprise birds started gathering in the trees around her.

She repeated this daily and other animals, deer, rabbits and squirrels came to listen. ‘Fair maiden your music is magic,’ they said. Imelda was delighted.

One morning, a young man appeared. She rose to leave but he waved his hand at her saying, ‘I heard this beautiful music and had to see from whence it came.’

He said his name was Rudolf, a wood-cutter, and

122 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

lived in the forest. He came every day and Imelda looked forward to seeing him. After a while Rudolf told her he wanted a companion, asking if she would be his companion. Imelda saw this as a way of being free from her hated step-mother and agreed immediately. ‘I fear, kind sir, I have nothing to bring but my violin,’ she said.

‘Fear not, that is all you need for I have everything else.’

They set off, walking through the trees until they reached a glade. Imelda gasped as she saw the most beautiful little thatched cottage made from logs with wooden shutters. Rudolf took her inside and showed her a room containing a rustic bed laid with fresh hay and a clean blanket. ‘This is for you,’ he said. She was overcome.

Imelda and Rudolf settled in as companions, sleeping separately. Every morning Imelda played her violin and many animals came to listen. Rudolf taught her to cook using ingredients from the forest. He obtained eggs and milk from a nearby farmer and gave her a new dress. In the evenings they talked and enjoyed each other’s company.

Rudolf asked if the wolf ever came to her. Imelda replied ‘Nay’.

‘Be of care, he is evil and speaks with two tongues.’

A few days later, Rudolf said to her, ‘Fair maiden, we have proved our companionship. I wish us to be wed.’

Imelda was delighted because she realised she was in love with him.

The next day the wolf appeared. ‘You are living with the wood-cutter,’ he said, ‘be of care, he is evil. He had another companion.’

Imelda was stunned and shook her head in disbelief.

‘You are wearing her dress,’ the wolf continued.

This was too much for Imelda remembering Rudolf ’s warning. ‘Be gone, you evil wolf, be gone.

You speak bad words.’

‘I found her remains in the forest,’ he said as he left.

A few days later Rudolf visited the nearby farmer.

‘Whence are you to wed yon maiden?’ the farmer asked.

‘Nout ever,’ Rudolf replied. The farmer was shocked.

Rudolf continued, ‘She’s away. I heard music as I entered her room but all that was there was her violin lying on its back on the floor.’

J. Biskup

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Clare Mulley 124 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

SHERBORNE LITERARY FESTIVAL PREVIEW Deborah Bathurst & John Gaye, Sherborne Literary Society

The Women Who Flew for Hitler, By Clare Mulley (Pan Paperback) £9.99 Sherborne Times Reader Offer Price of £8.99 from Winstone’s Books

T

his is the biography of two quite extraordinary German women who became outstanding test pilots in Hitler’s Germany and were both awarded the Iron Cross. Melitta von Stauffenberg and Hanna Reich were born during the pioneering air age in the first half of the twentieth century and as they grew up were both gripped by a fascination for flying.

Melitta became an aeronautical engineer and Hanna was a medical student though never qualified.

Following the dissolution of the German airforce after the First World War, gliding clubs became immensely popular. These were men-only institutions but both women managed to get flights and once their exceptional talents were recognised they were encouraged and supported in their flying. Melitta, nine years older than Hanna, became an aeronautical engineer at the German Research Institute for Aeronautics and learnt to fly motorised planes. She become a test pilot, spending the morning undertaking test flights and the rest of the day analysing the data and improving the equipment. She made many innovations and was highly regarded by her colleagues. The war inevitably was a time for major advances in aircraft and she was at the forefront of developments and in due course headed up technical research at The Nazi Air War Academy, reporting directly to Goering.

Hanna abandoned her medical studies in favour of gliding, becoming a remarkable pilot. During the 1930s both women represented Germany abroad at gliding and flying events, gaining the respect of their fellow aviators and becoming famous throughout the world. In 1936 at the Berlin Olympics Mellita gave a spectacular aerobatic display and Hanna participated in gliding displays.

Both were fiercely patriotic and when war broke out volunteered for service. Hanna became a test pilot at the Glider Research Institute. Melitta requested to fly in the Red Cross Ambulance service but was instead seconded as an engineer-pilot to develop dive-targeted

bombing at the Luftwaffe testing centre, equivalent to Farnborough in the UK. Their work was dangerous and they both exhibited extraordinary courage, testing the craft to their limits and impressing even their fellow test-pilots.

These two women had highly contrasting personalities. Hanna enjoyed and courted publicity and knew many people in high places, whereas Melitta was more self-effacing. The world of women aviators was small but they never became friends. The story of their flying achievements is exciting enough, but the book has the added dimension of being played out against the rise of Hitler and the coming of the Second World War. These inevitably influenced their careers and provided them with opportunities that might not otherwise have come their way.

Melitta and Hanna grew up in the period of resentment felt by Germans following the Versailles Treaty. They saw the massive unemployment and shortages of food and fuel after the Wall Street crash, followed by the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor, the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship, increasing anti-semitism, the recovery of Germany economically and the onset of the Second World War. Of particular interest are the different reactions of these patriotic women and their families and friends to the changes that Hitler introduced and the increasingly violent events taking place. Hanna was a firm supporter of Hitler whereas Melitta was on the periphery of his attempted assassination carried out by the group which included her brother-in-law Claus von Stauffenberg.

Fact is certainly as strange as fiction in this book and with plots and rescue bids this biography has all the excitement of a good thriller. DB The author, Clare Mulley, will speak at the Sherborne Literary Festival on Friday 12th October at 2.30pm. sherborneliterarysociety.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 125

Henry Hemming (Image: Jeff Overs) 126 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

M: Maxwell Knight, MI5’s Greatest Spymaster,

by Henry Hemming (Arrow, 2018). £9.99 paperback Sherborne Times Reader Offer Price of £8.99 from Winstone’s Books

T

his is the extraordinary story of the early days of MI5 and the Security Service. Although the central character is the eponymous title of this book, it also features, for the first time, the stories and identities of many of the agents that he ran and who were critical to ensuring that neither the Nazis nor the Soviets were able to run a ‘Fifth Column’ at the start of World War Two. Unusually for a former MI5 officer, in the 1960s Maxwell Knight was a household name; he was as well known at that time as his fellow naturalists David Attenborough and Peter Scott. He was a prolific broadcaster and even featured as a guest on Desert Island Discs. But never was his former career, forged over 30 years, revealed to his adoring public.

Maxwell Knight (or M as he titled himself in memos) was probably Britain’s finest spymaster. Joining the Security Service without any formal qualifications in 1931, he successfully penetrated his agents into both fascist and communist organisations, thus being able to monitor their actions, assess when they threatened the nation’s security and take action accordingly.

He actively sought female agents, believing that their intuition and discretion made them invaluable as longterm and unnoticed witnesses to all that was going on within their organisations. He ran his M Section with considerable autonomy and kept his team physically separate from the rest of MI5 by having his own premises. He never seemed therefore to get involved in office politics or harbour ambitions for promotion within the Service.

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This helped him considerably when he confronted the various policies of the Home Service (for the detention of enemy aliens and others) with which he disagreed fundamentally. In this he found a valuable supporter in Winston Churchill with whom he developed a personal communication link outside of his immediate superiors.

Almost certainly Ian Fleming used his title ‘M’ as the origin of James Bond’s fictional boss, although the character was probably based on another. Another author, David Cornwell (better known as John Le Carré), worked for him and used his character and forceful personality as the inspiration for Jack Brotherhood in The Perfect Spy. Surprisingly his two careers were closely aligned. His love of wildlife and animals was a constant throughout his life and it was during his youth he learnt the vital lesson, ‘that if you watch an animal carefully, and if you study its behaviour, you must learn enough of its character to be able to tame it, and that if you do that, you may be able to look after it.’ This is what he went on to do, in one way or another, for the rest of his life.

Maxwell Knight was an eccentric whose skills and personality provide an amazing story, most of which has been previously untold. This book fills that gap admirably. JG The author, Henry Hemming, will speak at the Sherborne Literary Festival on 11th October at 7pm. sherborneliterarysociety.com

Talk with writer and politician Alan Johnson

Wednesday September 26th, 7 – 8pm, Cheap St. Church Tickets £5, available in store We are delighted to welcome the brilliant Alan Johnson to celebrate the publication of his new book In My Life: A Music Memoir

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JULY SOLUTIONS

ACROSS 1. Keyboard instruments (6) 7. Furniture for holding clothes (8) 8. Tree that bears acorns (3) 9. Andre ___ : tennis player (6) 10. Write down (4) 11. Aromatic vegetable (5) 13. Untanned leather (7) 15. Nervous (7) 17. Stars (anag) (5) 21. Light circle around the head of a saint (4) 22. Struck by overwhelming shock (6) 23. Meat from a pig (3) 24. Strong type of coffee (8) 25. Network of rabbit burrows (6) 128 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

DOWN 1. Quickly (6) 2. Opposite of an acid (6) 3. Joe ___ : English presenter and actor (5) 4. A number defining position (7) 5. Deep ditches (8) 6. Became less intense (6) 12. In the open air (8) 14. Massage technique (7) 16. Spiny-finned fish (6) 18. ___ Conan Doyle: author (6) 19. Sailor (6) 20. Chuck (5)

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Father Robert Draper, Sacred Heart and Saint Aldhelm Church

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e are told that this year the months of May and June have been the warmest on record, and the predictions are that it could be the hottest summer in modern times. I know there are many drawbacks to that for many people in all sorts of ways, but there is always something different about life when the sun shines! People seem much more ready to smile, and how easy it is to stand around to gather and chat when you are not fleeing from the cold and rain. I know that we always talk about the weather in this country – whatever it is like – so I’m not surprised to hear many talking already about the heat. ‘How early the sun rises in the morning and wakes us up’; ‘How loud the dawn chorus is which stops us sleeping’ – all these things are true. And in four months we’ll be complaining about how dark it is and how early we need to switch the lights on! I suppose it’s because humankind has steadily been getting better at controlling the environment, at countering the natural cycle of the seasons and the climate so that we can always have light and heat when we want it, in just the right amount.

So perhaps when we realise that we can’t control the cycle of the seasons we might better appreciate how amazing it is that we live in this extraordinary world with its great diversity and wonder, and how we must adapt ourselves rather than just alter our immediate environment. Perhaps we can appreciate both the diversity and the givenness of the world we live in. We can value how extraordinary that we live within such a beautiful and changing world. We might be able to accept and even enjoy not being in total control of our lives. Because that is the truth, for better or worse: we are not fully in charge – we are beholden to something greater.

So perhaps when we feel it’s too hot, we can register the truth that all life that we see around us is totally dependent on the sun. When we complain of the rain we might reflect that all life, including our own, is water-based. Perhaps when the dawn chorus wakes us we can join their simple song of joy. We don’t have to live in competition with the world around us: we can take things a bit slower when it gets too hot, we can sit quietly when the weather stops us going out, we can spend time reflecting and giving thanks when we can’t be as busy as we feel we ‘ought’ to be.

As people we hate to have our plans changed or altered; we like to think that we are in control but that isn’t the case. Something as ordinary and pervasive as weather can help us face up to the reality of our being and perhaps, if we allow it, it can give us an opportunity to recognise the source of it all, and the creator who made everything in heaven and on earth – including the weather.

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 129

OUT AND ABOUT David Birley

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f you ask an Englishman to name two topics of national conversation you might well get the reply, ‘the weather and football’ - except in Sherborne where the reply may well be, ‘the weather and rugger/cricket,’ depending on the season. In England we are lucky, though some may say unlucky, to have such a varied climate. I can recall snow in April and blisteringly hot days in early February.

Here in Sherborne, we have generally been lucky with our Summer Festival days, although this year the day was overcast with occasional light drizzle. This was, however, followed by weeks of glorious sunshine and cloudless skies. It was amusing to hear on the television news that Dorset roads were being gritted to help stop the tar from melting. Some said it was too hot. I took to walking our dog, Rosy, in the evenings but even then she needed a refreshing swim when we walked through the meadow.

We are fortunate to have so many lovely villages around us and the coast not so far away. On a midweek summer day a leisurely lunch at the Hive at Burton Bradstock is particularly pleasant and can be walked off afterwards either on the beach there or at West Bay. Alternatively, one can drive through leafy lanes bedecked with cow parsley to any number of pretty villages for a pub lunch, villages with enchanting names such as Bishops Caundle and Toller Porcorum. Many of them have managed to avoid being blighted by characterless modern housing developments that are completely out of keeping with their surroundings - long may that continue.

Village churches are another of the glories of our county. Thanks to the wealth created by the wool trade in the middle ages many are richly adorned. Sadly, a combination of the Reformation, Cromwell and Victorian ideas of decoration resulted in the loss of many features such as frescoes, carvings and stonework, yet many treasures such as vaulted roofs and elaborately decorated fonts have survived.

In Sherborne we are lucky to live among so many fine and interesting buildings. Our abbey is rated as one of the top ten ecclesiastical buildings in the country. Then there are the Almshouses, the school buildings, our interesting streets and so much more. Very few towns can boast of having two castles, and what a wealth of treasures the ‘new’ castle has.

Turning to sport we have such fine pitches and facilities at the Terraces. All our sports clubs put out several teams and are well supported, especially when there is a local ‘derby’ match on. Our clubs have also produced talented players who have gone on to achieve fame at county, regional and even national levels. In the town our bowls and petanque clubs enjoy good support and there is an active cycling community. If sport is not your thing you can enjoy a leisurely walk around the town or in the meadow or take part in one of the health walks organised by our surgeries.

To put it in a nutshell, summer in Sherborne takes a lot of beating!

130 | Sherborne Times | August 2018

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