J ULY 2020 | FREE
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sherbornetimes.co.uk
WELCOME
T
o many we might have seemed absent but we’ve been here, behind the curtain, pulling the levers, business as usual. Our endeavours since March can be found online where we have been publishing the Sherborne Times in digital form. Along the way we have garnered readers in the Falklands, Malaysia, Burkina Faso (north of Ghana, I believe), Finland and UAE, (to name but a few). Our UK readership has spread to every coastline and here in Dorset, little old Sherborne is pulling quite a crowd. So fear not, it’s all there, everything you thought you might have missed. Meanwhile, in the here and now, Sherborne tip-toes back to life. An early evening stroll through town has the feeling of a utopian novel. A world becalmed. Pageant Gardens plays host to neat human circles, friends sharing stories at arm’s length. Families cycle on quiet roads like rows of chatty ducklings and while there’s light to dig by, Paul Stickland tends and tends and tends his flowers. It’s easy to see Sherborne through rose-tinted glasses. Harder to spot is the existential turmoil currently endured by every business owner right now. The shops and businesses that form the very fabric of our town are running to stand still. It is within our power as a community to pull them back from the brink – for our own sake as much as theirs. They are not faceless entities, they are our friends, neighbours and relatives. We are in this together. This month we talk with six of them, champions all. Take care. Glen Cheyne, Editor glen@homegrown-media.co.uk @sherbornetimes
CONTRIBUTORS Editorial and creative direction Glen Cheyne Design Andy Gerrard @round_studio Sub editor Sadie Wilkins Photography Katharine Davies @Katharine_KDP Feature writer Jo Denbury @jo_denbury Editorial assistant Helen Brown
Charlotte Allen Sherborne School @SherborneSchool sherborne.org Richard Bromell ASFAV Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers @CharterhouseAV charterhouse-auction.com Mike Burks The Gardens Group @TheGardensGroup thegardensgroup.co.uk David Burnett Dovecote Press Paula Carnell @paula.carnell paulacarnell.com
Social media Jenny Dickinson
Cindy Chant Sherborne Walks @sherbornewalks sherbornewalks.co.uk
Illustrations Elizabeth Watson elizabethwatsonillustration.com
Ali Cockrean @AliCockrean alicockrean.co.uk
Print Stephens & George Distribution team Barbara and David Elsmore Nancy Henderson The Jackson Family David and Susan Joby Christine Knott Sarah Morgan Mary and Roger Napper Alfie Neville-Jones Mark and Miranda Pender Claire Pilley Ionas Tsetikas
Sarah Collins Sprout and Flower sproutandflower.co.uk Gillian M Constable DWT Sherborne Group @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk David Copp Rosie Cunningham Jemma Dempsey Nick Folland Sherborne Preparatory School @Sherborneprep sherborneprep.org Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.) CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS Fort Financial Planning ffp.org.uk
1 Bretts Yard Digby Road Sherborne Dorset DT9 3NL 01935 315556 @sherbornetimes info@homegrown-media.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk Sherborne Times is printed on 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.
4 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Andy Foster Raise Architects @raisearchitects raisearchitects.com Bee Grant Peterkin beegrantpeterkin.co.uk Jane Grimes BTEC Level 6 London Road Clinic 56londonroad.co.uk Craig Hardaker Communifit @communifit communifit.co.uk Andy Hastie Cinematheque cinematheque.org.uk Sarah Hitch The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre @SanctuaryDorset @margaretbalfourbeautycentre thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk margaretbalfour.co.uk
James Hull The Story Pig @thestorypig thestorypig.co.uk Sandy Lyons MRCVS Kingston Vets kingstonvets.co.uk Sasha Matkevich The Green Restaurant @greensherborne greenrestaurant.co.uk Eleanor Milton eleanormilton.co.uk Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS Newton Clarke Veterinary Partnership @swanhousevet ne wtonclarkevet.com Jan Pain Sherborne Scribblers & Sherborne Literary Society @SherborneLitSoc sherborneliterarysociety.com Simon Partridge SP Fit @spfitsherborne spfit-sherborne.co.uk Cath Rapley Lodestone Property @LodestoneProp lodestoneproperty.co.uk Mike Riley Riley’s Cycles rileyscycles.co.uk Dr Tim Robinson MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom Glencairn House Clinic glencairnhouse.co.uk doctortwrobinson.com Niina Silvennoinen @DorsetWildlife dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk Deacon Jonathan Simon Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm sherbornecatholicchurch.org.uk Harriett Stanley Mogers Drewett Solicitors @mogersdrewett md-solicitors.co.uk Paul Stickland Black Shed Flowers @blackshedflowers blackshedflowers.blogspot.co.uk Val Stones @valstones bakerval.com Dee Swinton Dorset Mind @DorsetMind dorsetmind.uk Emma Tabor & Paul Newman @paulnewmanart paulnewmanartist.com
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JULY JULY 2020 2020
10 Market Research
48 Antiques
100 Property
12 Film
50 Architecture
104 Legal
16 Theatre
52 Interiors
106 Finance
18 Art
58 Gardening
110 Short Story
22 Family
64 BACK IN BUSINESS
112 Crossword
32 Wild Dorset
72 Food & Drink
113 Literature
40 Outdoors
80 Animal Care
114 Pause for Thought
44 History
86 Body & Mind
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8 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
e V n i r r o a b l r e h S Kindness We Can Help!
We have a network of volunteers covering Sherborne and the surrounding villages. We can help with shopping, delivering food, collecting prescriptions, walking dogs and more. If you are in isolation and need help with something - please contact us. We can also connect you to a FREE book and DVD delivery service. Contact us via Facebook @sherborneviralkindness or call us on 07884 115 987. All our services are completely FREE.
MARKET RESEARCH
NO.3: SARAH COLLINS, SPROUT AND FLOWER
Welcome to The Sherborne Market. What brings you here? We love doing markets, although we have a thriving shop, we love the opportunity to get out and meet new faces in new places. Where have you travelled from? Mere, Wiltshire – just over the Dorset border. Tell us about what you’re selling? We bring a little bit of our shop with us: wild and wonderful cut flowers, quirky planted up vintage ware, indoor and outdoor plants, dried flower bunches – basically, as much as we can fit in our van! Where and when did it all begin? We opened our shop in Mere 9 years ago. The ‘sprout’ bit relates to greengrocery, provisions and a coffee bar; the ‘flower’ to all things floral. We started supporting local markets for charities and now attend some of the biggest monthly markets around. What do you enjoy most about selling at markets? 10 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
It’s all about the people. When folk visit our stall and see something unusual and quirky, we love the look of sheer delight. At the first Sherborne market, we had really lovely chats with local residents as we set up the stall on a glorious sunny morning – let’s hope we get sunshine again this time! If you get the chance, which fellow stallholders here at Sherborne would you like to visit? Without a doubt, the brocante stalls are absolutely brilliant! Sherborne is so lucky to have all these amazing vintage and antique dealers in town. Where can people find you on market day? We will be at the bottom end of Cheap Street. sproutandflower.co.uk
___________________________________________ Every 3rd Sunday April – September The Sherborne Market Cheap St, Abbey Green, Digby Hall, Digby Memorial Hall and Raleigh Hall
@thesherbornemarket
___________________________________________
THE
Hand picked & selected artisan market featuring local producers, suppliers, amazing food, arts and crafts. 3RD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Film
ScreenProd/Photononstop/Alamy Stock Photo
12 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
ON FILM
A
Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque
t the time of writing, there is no news as to when Cinematheque will be safe to reopen. I feel cinemas and theatres will be amongst the last type of venue to get back to any kind of normality but do watch this column for updates. Bumping into people around town (at a 2-metre distance of course!), the overwhelming feeling is frustration at not being able to see the rest of the films in our 2019/20 season, but we do hope to show them on rearranged dates later this year, or early next. Whilst reading the Sunday papers last week, I came across an article detailing that two Buster Keaton sketches, previously unpublished, have just come to light in the States, and have been bought by the International Buster Keaton Society. They are to be shared at an online convention later this year, which will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of Keaton’s birth. This announcement took me back to my teenage years in the 1960s, when every year, during the summer, the Academy Cinema, on Oxford Street in London, would run a season of all Buster Keaton’s feature-length films in the afternoon. I would save my wages from working part-time at Brixton Library, and get the bus uptown to the Academy. The auditorium held about 80-100 people, and because the films were silent, a piano stood in the front right corner. As the programme started, a man in a morning suit would step out from behind the safety curtain, sit at the piano, and play along to the film, without a score, watching it with the audience for a full 90 minutes! I loved these films and would return again and again until I had seen them all. Considering Keaton’s classic silent films are almost 100 years old, it is astonishing how well they have stood the test of time and are still hugely influential on filmmakers today. Laugh at the moustache-shaving scene in the French comedy ‘Untouchable’, then watch Buster Keaton, deadpan, trying on different hats from Steamboat Bill Junior. Both Woody Allen and Wes Anderson acknowledge his influence on the physical comedy in their films. If you are unfamiliar with any titles, probably the three most popular and well known are The General, Steamboat Bill Junior, and Sherlock Junior. The General is basically a steam locomotive action chase between two trains, set during the American Civil War. Buster Keaton performed all the stunts himself, on real moving trains. In fact, he actually broke his neck under a torrent of water from a water tower, but continued filming, nevertheless. The continuous visual gags are so meticulously staged that one easily forgets how dangerous and hair-raising it all is. Steamboat Bill Junior follows rivalry between the owners of two paddle steamers but is best known for the amazing stunts during a cyclone, as Keaton remains motionless while whole buildings literally crash around him. Sherlock Junior recalls the story of a cinema projectionist who is falsely accused of stealing his girlfriend’s father’s watch. This film features some of Keaton’s most perfect physical comedy, with a dazzling variety of visual tricks, perfected from his days working in vaudeville with his father. As these films are now out of copyright, they are all freely available to watch on YouTube. If you haven’t experienced Buster Keaton before, do check him out. There are also many of his short films available to view on various websites. Keep safe. cinematheque.org.uk swan-theatre.co.uk
sherbornetimes.co.uk | 13
SHERBORNE INDIES ABACUS FINANCIAL
Johanna Kemp, your local independent mortgage and insurance specialist. Helping with mortgages, equity release and protection. 07813 785355 jk@abacusfinancialoptions.co.uk abacusfinancialoptions.co.uk
CHAPTER HOUSE BOOKS We carry a large general stock of second-hand modern and antiquarian books, both hardbacks and paperbacks; also used sheet music, CDs and DVDs. Trendle Street, Sherborne DT9 3NT
AVALON DISTILLERY
Artisan distillery based in Cerne Abbas. Producers of the award-winning Viper Gin and, more recently, hand sanitiser. info@viperspirit.co.uk @viperlondondrygin @viper_gin viperspirit.co.uk
THE COURTYARD SALON The Courtyard Salon is proud to offer a variety of beauty treatments from manicures, lashes, expert skincare, sports massage, pamper packages and much more.
BREWED BOY Sherborne’s only brewery. Brewing modern craft beer, with an on-site bar open Fridays and Saturdays. Unit 16, Old Yarn Mills, Sherborne DT9 3RQ 07889 731071 info@brewedboy.co.uk info@imaginaryfriends.beer @brewed_boy @imaginaryfriendsbrewing
FIX UP Inside the Sherborne Barbers and online. Lifestyle essentials for the dapper gentleman. All new clothing, body care and accessories. #razeyourgame 56 Cheap Street
01935 816262 chapterhousebooks@hotmail.com chapterhouse-books.co.uk
@thecourtyardsalon thecourtyardsalon.co.uk
07544 328447 henri@fixupclothing.co.uk fixupclothing.co.uk razeyourgame.co.uk
FLY JESSE
GLENHOLME HERBS
GODDEN & CURTIS
The only baby shop in town! Fly Jesse’s focus is on the artisan, organic & handmade. 37 Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3PU @flyjesseonline flyjesse.co.uk
01935 816372
beautyatthecourtyardsalon@gmail.com
We are a family-run business located in Sandford Orcas, specialising in growing a huge range of herbs, pelargoniums, salvias and wildflowers. Penmore Corner Bungalow, Sandford Orcas, Sherborne, DT9 4SE
Television and audio, sales and repairs. Continuing to support all our wonderful customers through these challenging times.
01963 220302 / 07855 279072 @glenholmeherbs glenholmeherbs.co.uk
07718 253309 / 01935 813451 simon@goddenandcurtis.co.uk goddenandcurtis.co.uk
@shoplocalinsherborne #shoplocalinsherborne
SHERBORNE INDIES YOGA SHERBORNE Classes online and outside Yoga Alliance qualified teacher • Small classes and 1-1’s • Hatha Yoga • Relaxation and guided meditation Contact Dawn for more details 07817 624081 hello@yogasherborne.co.uk @yogasherborne yogasherborne.co.uk
THE SHERBORNE BARBER
PURE HAIR
RILEY’S CYCLES
Pure Hair is the perfect place to relax and be pampered. Established salon of 17 years. Hair and Beauty Finalist 2019 & 2020.
Riley’s is Sherborne’s long established cycle shop, providing a range of bicycles and e-bikes plus parts, accessories, clothing, repairs and servicing.
Half Moon Street, Sherborne DT9 3LN
Trendle Yard, Trendle Street, Sherborne DT9 3NT
01935 814172 @purehairsherborne @purehairsherborne
01935 812038 info@rileyscycles.co.uk rileyscycles.co.uk
SHERBORNE MARKET FRUIT & VEG
SHERBORNE WEB DESIGN
Sherborne’s friendliest barbershop on the high street. Plenty of barbers. Walk in and appointments. Looking forward to welcoming you all back.
Seasonal and local, fruit and vegetables.
56 Cheap Street, Sherborne
Every Thursday and Saturday on the Conduit, plus home deliveries.
07544 328447 sherbornebarber.co.uk
07871 609345 / 07515 554549
TOTAL WELLBEING MATTERS
UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS INTERIORS
Personalised, quality support service to help keep you independent.
sherbornemarketfruitandveg@aol.co.uk
Bespoke curtains, blinds, fabrics, upholstery, loose covers, homeware and furniture. Full measure and fitting service. Free estimates.
Designed to make your life easier.
The Old School Rooms, Long Street, Sherborne DT9 3BS
07786 251637 info@totalwellbeingmatters.com totalwellbeingmatters.com
01935 813831 info@updowninteriors.co.uk updowninteriors.co.uk
Your local ‘one-stop shop’ for everything that falls under the umbrella of web design; custom built for you. 118 Yeovil Road, Sherborne DT9 4BB 01935 813241 info@sherbornewebdesign.co.uk sherbornewebdesign.co.uk
VINEYARDS OF SHERBORNE Sherborne’s indie wine merchant. Stocking over 450 wines & 150 spirits. Hosting tutored tastings & festivals. Producing Sherborne Gin. 4 WSET trained winos and a bulldog. 2 Tilton Court, Digby Road, Sherborne, DT9 3NL 01935 815544 hello@vineyardsofsherborne.co.uk @Vineyards_wine @Vineyards.wine vineyardsofsherborne.co.uk
@shoplocalinsherborne #shoplocalinsherborne
Theatre
CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT
N
Rosie Cunningham
ational Theatre Live, available on YouTube, gave us This House written by James Graham. It’s 1974 and Britain has a hung parliament. Infighting and backstabbing are the order of the day and ultimately, it was one single vote which allowed Margaret Thatcher to get in. This is a really refreshing insight into the political stage. The vitriol and despair were palpable. The stage design shows us the face of Big Ben. Did you know that in 1976 Big Ben broke down? For the first time in 117 years, metal fatigue took its toll. Then came Coriolanus, starring Tom Hiddleston in the title role, filmed at the Donmar Warehouse in 2014. The cast is fantastic with Mark Gatiss as Menenius and Deborah Findlay as Volumnia, Coriolanus’ mother. This tragedy was known as Shakespeare’s war play and is full of the sweat of the battlefield. It is a play packed with shouting and taunts. Whilst there are some comic lines to relieve the harshness, there are good reasons why this play does not see the stage too often. What I did enjoy was seeing so many relatively unknown faces in the production which, six years on, have become household names. By the way, there is a really brilliant National Theatre quiz presented by Helen Mirren, Lenny Henry, Lesley Manville and Ian McKellen. Fun to take part, possibly with friends, and make a small donation too. I am sure that many of you dialled in to the Hay Festival online. This was the first time that Hay literary sessions were available for free. Peter Florence pulled together an amazing digital festival in a short time. Traditionally, the audience was only a maximum of 3,000 per session but online, the maximum was set at 15,000. If you would like to catch up and watch some of the sessions, for an annual subscription of £10 there are thousands of audio and video recordings from Hay Festivals, dating back from 1995 to the present, available on the Hay Player. I would recommend watching the 2020 talks by Simon Schama and Sandi Toksvig. There is a wonderful section on the Tate’s website entitled Making Art in Isolation, from artists that have chosen self-imposed isolation, or have been imposed by seismic events such as the Covid-19 virus, political oppression or imprisonment. Gulsun Karamustafa’s art, whilst imprisoned in Turkey, reflect her personal observations of daily life in prison. She painted them from memory after her release. So very moving. News that the show Hamilton will be released on Disney+ from 3rd July with the original Broadway cast including Lin-Manuel Miranda as the title character, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, is rather exciting. If you have not had the opportunity to see Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, please do watch this. It is powerful and mesmerising. As one critic wrote, ‘this is like a rock concert where you don’t know the star.’ A riveting history lesson with non-stop rap, hip-hop, R&B and jazz. 16 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Image: Johan Persson sherbornetimes.co.uk | 17
Art
ARTIST AT WORK
No. 20: Bee Grant Peterkin, Portrait of Akram Khan, oil on cartridge paper
S
hortly after moving to Chetnole in 1977, I joined the Yetminster Group of Artists. When we converted the mill at Chetnole fifteen years later, the group moved there; this enabled us to take part in Dorset Art Weeks, raising money for St. Margaret’s Hospice. Being part of DAW gives the group a focus; we were all disappointed when the event was cancelled this year due to the virus, however, we look forward to opening the mill studio next year. In the first week of lockdown, my daughter-in-law Christabel Blackburn won Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2020. Christabel encouraged me to try portrait painting and to take part in ‘Sky Portrait Artist of 18 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
the Week’ where she was demonstrating for their first episode. Akram Khan was the sitter and I followed the demonstration, painting at the same time from my computer. Christabel is unable to paint without using yellow ochre; my portrait contained none of this colour or any other yellow. I surprised myself with the result. I have kept an A3 sketch book during lockdown, working every day until I ran out of pages. It contains Akram Khan as well as a ten-minute drawing of my dog asleep in her basket! beegp@btinternet.com beegrantpeterkin.co.uk
OUR DOORS ARE OPEN Welcome Back!
FINE ART SALES 21st, 23rd & 24th July 2020 See it all online at lawrences.co.uk Available for viewing from 11th July 2020
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Art
LOCKDOWN LOVE
An excerpt from The Art Class, a fictitious work by Ali Cockrean, Artist and Tutor ‘I think it’s time, you know.’ Meredith felt the piercing nature of Anita’s stare through the screen. ‘Time for what?’ she asked. ‘That we try out this social distancing thing and get together, Meredith. What do you think?’ ‘My garden’s a bit small.’ Meredith mused, wondering if she was really comfortable with the suggestion. ‘Oh, come on Meredith, you know I’ve got the room, so let’s just get on with it. I’ll set up a couple of chairs and little tables and we can drink tea, eat cake and do some drawing or, bring your paints over if you want to?’ Anita tried to hold back her frustration with Meredith. They had become firm friends during art classes and when lockdown had stopped the face to face sessions, they had quickly set up their Skype chats to help fill some of the many hours of isolation and boredom ahead. The fact was that neither of them had got bored or felt isolated because they spoke daily and compared, with great hilarity, their attempts at developing their painting and drawing skills. They also found common ground as they discussed the politics and morals of the world situation and opened their hearts to each other as they explored their own personal histories. Despite the technological interface, a really close bond had formed between the two women who found many similarities in their lives. Both, they discovered, had lost their husbands and never properly recovered from the experiences. Somehow, talking through the screen allowed them to open up and discuss their feelings in 20 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
a way they wouldn’t have done at class. They were both essentially very private people, holding it together through extraordinary times. Meredith chuckled, sensing Anita’s rising irritation. ‘You’re quite right Anita, when should I come around?’ ‘Tomorrow, Meredith, before you have second thoughts! Let’s meet at 2pm - you can use the side gate and come straight round into the back garden. I’ll have everything set up ready.’ ‘I’ll bake us a cake!’ Meredith knew she wouldn’t be backing out. If this pandemic had taught her anything it was to seize opportunities. After a few hours of painting, several cups of tea and having made an impressive assault on the cake, their continuous chatter and laughter caught the attention of the next-door neighbour. ‘Afternoon, ladies!’ A head popped up over the hedge. A man stood holding a pair of hedge trimmers. Meredith recognised him immediately as the owner of the art shop in town. ‘Tom! Hi,’ Anita shouted, ‘fancy a cup of tea?’ ‘That’s kind, but I don’t want to gate-crash your party.’ Tom smiled at Meredith and said kindly, ‘Hello. I recognise you, don’t I? You’ve been in the art shop?’ Meredith felt herself blush slightly. ‘Yes, back at the beginning of the art course we’re doing,’ she gestured towards Anita, realising his gaze was slightly unsettling her, and trying to divert his attention back to her friend. But Tom’s eyes were firmly fixed on Meredith, ‘And how’s it going? I know Anita is learning a lot and she’s turning out some half decent stuff now.’ He laughed and winked at Meredith in a conspiratorial way. ‘Hey! You told me my early work was very good!’ Anita grinned, ‘So that would mean I’m going backwards!’ Anita hadn’t mentioned Tom since the early days of class and then only in passing, but Meredith knew they got on well and often talked across the hedge. Now she could see that they were very comfortable in each other’s company. It was then that Anita took Meredith’s breath away. ‘Meredith, show Tom your painting. She’s really good, much better than me. Go on Meredith, don’t be shy.’ Meredith suddenly felt herself revert to the anxious schoolgirl in Mrs Holmes’ class all those years ago. She stuttered, ‘I’m sure Tom isn’t the slightest bit interested in my...’ ‘Oh yes I am!’ Tom cut across her. ‘Let’s have a look Meredith. Come on, you’re among friends.’ Realising she was outnumbered, Meredith picked up her painting and turned it to face Tom. In her head she prepared for his slightly embarrassed hesitation, followed by a lukewarm ‘lovely.’ She was right, there was hesitation; she could feel herself inwardly curling up. The silence continued for several seconds more, so Meredith decided to fill the excruciating void. ‘I know it’s very crude, I haven’t picked up a...’ ‘Not at all Meredith,’ Tom gently interjected, ‘I’m just speechless at the quality of your work. You’re a very sensitive painter, the brushstrokes are so accomplished, and you clearly see colour very acutely. Tonally it’s so well balanced. Honestly, Meredith, it’s quite beautiful!’ ‘Thank you, Tom! Haven’t I been telling you Meredith? You’re a natural at this.’ Anita was delighted that Tom was voicing all her own comments over the months. ‘It’s just that I don’t feel confident when I paint, and I just don’t see it myself.’ Meredith was overwhelmed and a little embarrassed. ‘I love it Meredith!’ Tom smiled at her. ‘Nothing more to be said.’ Anita nodded in agreement and added, ‘If you think her painting is good, you should try her cake!’ To be continued… alicockrean.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 21
elizabethwatsonillustration.com 22 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Strong Citizens. Strong Community. Stronger Outcomes. 01935 810911 or registrar@sherborneprep.org
www.sherborneprep.org
Do you have a spare room in your home? Are you caring, nurturing and supportive?
Become a Host Family for an international pupil at a local boarding school Attractive daily rates Occasional weekend and half terms only
Contact Laura to find out more on laura@pippasguardians.co.uk or call 01684 252757
www.pippasguardians.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 23
UNEARTHED Jack Davis, Aged 10 Leweston Prep
A
t the start of April, Jack Davis, Year 5, developed an idea to unite Leweston Prep pupils and staff during the lockdown. Jack wanted members of the school community to come together to virtually travel ‘around the world’ by walking, cycling, running, scootering or using other man-powered modes of travel. After establishing that the distance they needed to cover was approximately 25,000 miles, they made this their target and virtually set off from Leweston on Good Friday (10th April). By the end of May, the team had reached Beijing, covering over 7,500 miles. To help keep everyone motivated, Jack has been showing fantastic initiative by contacting some of his sporting heroes and people he looks up to. He has been telling them about Leweston Prep’s Challenge and, as a result, has received a number of messages of encouragement which are inspiring them to keep ticking off those miles. So far, Jack and his friends have received video messages from Jonny Wilkinson, Alistair Brownlee, Dr Xand and Dr Chris from CBBC’s Operation Ouch, as well as a message from Harry Redknapp! The pupils and staff are using fitness trackers and apps to keep track of the miles they cover, then logging them on a shared spreadsheet at the end of each day. Jack is enjoying opening up the spreadsheet at the end of each week to see that so many people have not only been keeping active during the lockdown with regular walks, runs or bike rides, but also that they have contributed towards the total by keeping track of their activity. Leweston Prep is extremely proud of Jack for coming up with the idea. He has inspired so many pupils and staff to get on board and continue to work hard towards reaching their goal. They still have a long way to go, but will complete their journey back to Dorset over the summer holidays in time for a wellearned rest, before they can hopefully all be together again. leweston.co.uk
KATHARINE DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY Portrait, lifestyle, PR and editorial commissions 07808 400083 info@katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk www.katharinedaviesphotography.co.uk
24 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Family
Children’s Book Review By Ethan, aged 12
Asha and the Spirit Bird by Jasminder Bilan (Chicken House) £6.99 Sherborne Times Reader Offer Price of £5.99 from Winstone’s Books
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sha and the Spirit Bird is a book about a young Indian girl whose dad leaves their village to work at a factory in the city but mysteriously stops writing and sending his wages. Asha and her best friend Jeevan go on a dangerous adventure across the Himalayas to find him. The story starts in Asha’s village – Moormanali and travels to lots of different places across India. The scenery changes very dramatically as you travel from the little village to the city of Zandapur – from lovely fields and snowy mountains, to spluttering cars and crowded
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streets. Unfortunately, it’s not just the scenery that changes, it’s the people too… This is a very spiritual story. Asha believes that when you die you come back as an animal and that her grandmother is guiding her on her journey. I particularly liked this book because it was unpredictable and created a vivid picture in my head. The story made me feel every emotion! I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and enjoy a rollercoaster of feelings. I didn’t want it to end, it was all so exciting!
WE’RE OPEN!
A shopful of adventure awaits…
Family
HOME FRONT Jemma Dempsey
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hat repetitive thudding you can hear is the sound of my weary head hitting the kitchen table after it became clear that neither of my children would be returning to school this academic year. Home-schooling is here to stay. Sigh. The older one was aware this might happen, but he’s been having a right old time with a couple of friends, hooking up over one of the myriad of social media networks, maintaining the link while getting his school work done during the day. The younger one, on the other hand, was, like me, desperate for the phased return to school to continue in June. Missing his friends, he’d started going on strike and on some days was refusing to work at all. And so, I did what every parent does when the going gets tough. I resorted to bribery. Or, to put it more subtly, I introduced incentives from the if-youdo-this-just-look-at-what-you-can-get school of thought. But what would tickle his fancy? The days when stickers elicited excitement are long gone. The young one realised the pointlessness of their flat existence after a particularly pained visit to the dentist; on being released from the chair of torture and offered the obligatory sticker by the charming assistant, the young one proffered a glare of evilness that even James Bond’s most feared villain would have been proud of. No, I would have to do better than that. Knowing that missing his friends was what was really leaving the biggest hole in his heart, made me realise this was the gap I would have to fill. So, I got in touch with the mums of his two best friends and suggested a movie night. It would work thus… the three boys would settle on a Netflix movie to be watched at their own homes on the forthcoming Friday night – the incentive being to get all the schoolwork done during the week, the film something to look forward to with popcorn, fizzy drinks, even an interval with ice cream if they wanted. Now, here’s the genius bit. So, they could all share in this experience in a socially-distanced fashion, we’d all connect up on our preferred social media network on the phone and keep that line up so the boys could laugh and chat during the film, as if they were at someone’s home. Are you with me? The chosen movie was ‘Big, Fat, Liar,’ a story about Hollywood and how lying never pays. Tell that to the people in charge of the world, I mutter while simultaneously stuffing popcorn into bowls and into my mouth. So far so good, it’s decided to start the movie at 6 seconds in, where the Universal logo appears on the screen. The 8 year olds are all beyond excitement, popcorn is bouncing up into the air and all over the sofa, meanwhile the dog has retreated into another part of the house foregoing her ringside seat. If the lights could be dimmed down low, they would be, but it is 6.30pm on a Friday in June and it is broad daylight outside. ‘Is everybody ready?’ I shout. ‘Yes,’ they somehow reply in unison, so we count down 3,2,1 and everyone presses play. The movie starts, and it miraculously sounds as if it’s in sync. I step back quietly as if playing ‘Grandma’s Footsteps’ in reverse. Then, because this is my life and nothing is straightforward, something goes wrong. One of the other boys’ younger brothers has got hold of a remote control and paused the movie, he wants to join in. I knew it was too good to be true, everyone starts talking over everyone else, the movie comes to a halt as they try to restart from the same point in the film. I decide it’s easier if I just leave them to it, the young one is far more tech savvy than me, and I go to find the dog. Returning a short while later, synchronicity has returned and they’re all laughing their heads off. The movie is doing its job. As the credits roll there’s some chat about the film and a bit more chat about lockdown before they say their farewells. The young one gives me the biggest hug, ‘I love you Ma,’ he declares with the most solemn face, ‘now I’m hungry, what’s there to eat?’ It’s good to know that some things don’t change.
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Family
WE’RE BACK!
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Nick Folland, Headmaster, Sherborne Prep School
t has been wonderful to have all year groups back in school today, the 22nd June. Whilst we have been open since the start of lockdown for our key worker children, then for our Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children from the start of June, it was great to welcome all the children back to the Prep this morning. The children were very excited to see one another in person after months of only speaking online during our remote learning provision. They have been fantastic about following the ‘new normal’ in school with the socially-distanced pods and staggered drop-offs, pickups and break times. The children shall be joining us in the mornings, then returning home to continue afternoon lessons online to allow those not able to come back into school to stay involved in school life and to allow for a thorough clean of the school each day, ready for the next morning. The children have been genuinely excited to return to School. ‘I have missed my friends and teachers,’ is the usual response. It is lovely to be back and see all year groups. Of course, all our teachers wanted to see the children who have missed their school community and we all recognise the huge commitment our parents make in a fee-paying school. We are fortunate to have 16 acres in the middle of Sherborne, as well as normal class sizes of 15 and a large pool of staff. We can make it work and we are fortunate. Schools find themselves in such different individual circumstances. Schools across the country find themselves in the unusual position of some children attending school whilst others remain learning from home. I am very proud of the whole Sherborne Prep community in the way it has responded to this challenge. We are taking the positives from this journey. The children have learnt much from this experience and it is something they will remember for the rest of their lives. They have had to build their resilience, be more self-disciplined, follow instruction and dig deep to maintain their motivation to learn, when they could have taken the foot off the pedal. They have risen to the task magnificently. Parents have had a busy time, having to juggle their own commitments whilst supporting children with
28 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
their remote learning. Feedback from our parent body has been extremely positive as the online learning has been innovative, engaging and accessible. It has been quite a learning curve for us all but there are also many positives that staff, parents and children can take forward from this experience which will stand us in good stead for the future. A lot of hard work has paid off. Our teachers have been top class. Lessons are obviously crucial, but the social interaction and community is what has been really missed. We have maintained the co-curricular activities and have tried to keep as much social interaction for the children as possible. Our digital form times have been a particular hit. Artwork, design projects, sporting challenges, forest school, musical concerts have all continued, as have my assemblies, usually from my garden! As always, the staff watch pastorally and we have been very conscious of the amount of screen time to which the children are exposed, keeping this to a minimum as much as possible. With Mental Health Awareness Week falling just before half term, it was a timely reminder of how these unusual times can be unsettling for children. Currently, we are planning for the celebrations which come with the end of the school year. New opportunities for innovation await as we start to put online the host of events that mark this time of the year - our Summer Art Exhibition, our Summer Concert, our Speech Day and perhaps most challenging of all this year, our socially-distanced production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet! Our Virtual Sports Day was a great success, so I am confident we shall find a way to honour all the children’s achievements over the past academic year, albeit in a digital format. We are looking forward to welcoming all the children back to us full-time, subject to Government rules, in September and leading them forwards in their educational journey. In the meantime, in their wellearned holidays, they should run around, climb trees, make sandcastles, splash in puddles, have fun! These have been challenging times - let them be children. sherborneprep.org
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Family
Images: Josie Sturgess-Mills
NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
Becoming a Resident Boarding Tutor During the Covid-19 Outbreak
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Charlotte Allen, Abbey House Resident Tutor, Sherborne School
aturday night pizza, sleepy Monday morning wake-ups, tea and cake in Matron’s kitchen, cosy chats in my study, football in the barge yard… these were the images in my head when in January 2020, I accepted the role of Resident Tutor in Abbey House. I joined Sherborne School in September 2019, after two decades of teaching in day schools. My initial impression that I had arrived somewhere in between Hogwarts and a 1950’s Enid Blyton novel had been only somewhat dispelled by a term of tutoring at The Green [boarding house], but this experience had only convinced me further that the boarding life was for me. My past experience has given me a good feel for schools with a strong caring ethos, and it was something I recognised immediately on my first visit to Sherborne. Although my role is Head of History, I felt keenly that the focus on pastoral care and wellbeing was something that I wanted to play a bigger part in. There was a simpler reason: I found myself drawn, on an almost daily basis, to the boarding house where the 30 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
buoyant, irrepressible ‘joy of being’ found in almost every Sherborne boy was an irresistible foil to marking. I felt valued by the boys, who need caring adults around to listen to their stories, laugh at their jokes, to encourage them, to model kindness and to keep them on track. So, I was delighted to be joining Housemaster, Hugh Tatham’s, team after Easter and February passed in a blur of introductions, rotas, packing and plans. The highlight for me was a carb-filled ‘date night’ at a local eatery with the Abbey House Lower Sixth to get to know one another better. There were plans to have similar events with each year group: the Fifth Form wanted to go for waffles. It was all, wonderfully, everything I had hoped for. Then Covid-19 arrived. And everything changed… On 6th April 2020, I moved into a still and silent Abbey House. Even Hugh and Claire Tatham - my new ‘roomies’ - were unable to welcome me in person. I wandered around empty corridors, looking in the communal spaces, stripped bare of personal touches.
For a few days, I felt as though my new role didn’t really exist, and I was a bit lost. But then something special started happening. Over the spring, ‘remote learning’ Sherborne came to life. And it was clear that far from being superfluous, the house teams were to be integral to the running of the school in its virtual incarnation. In maintaining regular, in some cases almost daily, tutorials with tutees, and attending weekly house meetings to discuss issues and share strategies, the familiar Sherborne routines have continued. As boys face myriad and individualised struggles – with technology, with loneliness, with academic work – the personal relationship with tutors has been crucial to keeping communication flowing; mediating with teachers, supporting parents and most importantly, keeping the boys connected and motivated. The remote learning model has adapted and evolved rapidly and successfully, and the pastoral team’s input has been crucial to the process, feeding back on both the challenges and the extraordinary resilience that the boys have shown. Abbey has kept the house spirit alive with assemblies, birthday wishes/gifs posted on Teams, online prefect applications, photo competitions, and weekly challenges. And what about that Resident Tutor role? Well, incredibly, I’ve felt that despite the distance, I’ve been
able to do exactly as I’d hoped, and begun building relationships with boys. My delayed ‘date night’ with the fifth form became a virtual ‘long lunch’ via a Teams video call, which was both chaotic and hilarious. We discussed binge watching Killing Eve, Hall, our favourite books, the best things about Abbey House, and discovered the unalloyed joy of being able to mute one another! The fourth form are next, and I can’t wait. I’ve been able to connect individually with some boys who needed academic support and found that behind this, lay some anxiety and the need for reassurance and encouragement, which I was only too happy to provide. Hugh and I have met regularly, so I’ve been included in current discussions and in planning for next year. With a shared vision for the values and ethos of the house, it already feels like we are working in tandem. An unexpected bonus of having much of the house to myself is that I’ve been able to explore and become familiar with it, and it now feels like home, although an empty one. So rather than being the ‘newbie’, when we are all reunited in September, I’ll feel like part of the furniture. One consistent theme in almost every conversation is that the boys are desperate to return: I can’t wait to welcome them back! sherborne.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 31
Wild Dorset
MARVELLOUS MOTHS Niina Silvennoinen, Dorset Wildlife Trust Volunteer
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crucial link in the ecosystem, moths have long been in the shadow of their more popular cousin, the butterfly. Butterflies’ significance as indicators of the health of the environment is well known, but the role moths play is less understood. They are hugely important to biodiversity and their abundance is a sign that other species are flourishing, also. Moths are often thought to be dull-coloured and less beautiful than butterflies, but this could not be further from the truth. The mere names evoke colourful images: how could a ruby tiger, pink-barred sallow or a light emerald be dull?! Moths underpin many a food chain and they feature in the diet of such varied species as hedgehogs, bats, frogs and birds, with their caterpillars especially crucial for breeding the young chicks of our most common garden birds, including black birds and wrens. However, their culinary popularity has also resulted in moths developing ways to avoid predators, from clever camouflage of caterpillars that resemble twigs, to emitting squeaking sounds to mislead bats, their main predator. Like many other insects, moths have been subject to reduced numbers and extinction in recent decades, with the southern part of the country having suffered the greatest losses. Climate change, agricultural intensification and urban sprawl are just some of the reasons thought to be behind this. Worryingly, disappearing numbers are not just bad news for moths, but a sign of larger environmental changes and problems. Luckily, there are still approximately 2,500 moth species in Britain, and Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Kingcombe Centre, near Dorchester, with its mosaic of habitats, remains a stronghold. The unusual looking lappet and the splendid brocade, recorded in Britain only since 2003, are some of the more special species observed here in recent times. Moths need our help! A steeper decline in moth numbers could have a serious domino effect on species relying on them as vital food sources. As with many other wildlife species facing habitat loss, gardens are crucial for moth survival. The same rules apply to moth-friendly gardening as to encouraging other wildlife; forego pesticides, leave piles of leaves for overwintering, ensure a variety of native plants are planted, and you will easily attract more than a hundred species to your backyard! Moths are also important as pollinators, so nectar plants like honeysuckle are crucial, and will attract other pollinating insects as well. Why not create a moth trap in your garden? You might be surprised at what you find. Visit wildlifewatch.org.uk/discover-the-wonderful-world-of-moths to find out more! dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk 32 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Image: Jonny Owen sherbornetimes.co.uk | 33
Wild Dorset
SHERBORNE DWT
Gillian M. Constable, Dorset Wildlife Trust Sherborne Group Committee Member
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t is early June and visits to our favourite DWT reserves are now generally possible with care. A scan of the spring issue of the DWT magazine makes one realise the amazing range of events planned for spring and summer of 2020 which have been cancelled and also all the workshops, courses and events to be held at The Kingcombe Centre. However, there is next year… It is wonderful to hear how, during the shutdown, nature started to repossess the spaces which humans have taken over. I feel the most amusing story of repossession I read was in The Times, in early April, and described the Kashmiri goats of the Great Orme coming down into the town of Llandudno and wandering about the streets and gardens as if the space was entirely theirs. A local is reported saying, ‘they are curious, and I think they are wondering what is going on like everybody else.’ Many of you attended the ‘Wildings’ talk about Knepp Estate, presented in Sherborne, last year at a joint Literary Society and DWT event. Knepp has been fronting the white stork project and last year, storks nested there but the eggs failed to hatch. This year, we have the exciting news that storks have hatched and are making good progress. This is the first time storks have bred in Britain since 1416. This year BBC’s programme Springwatch has been 34 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
of a very different form; I have thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the locations used for broadcasting has been a beaver reserve in Cornwall. It is some 400 years since Dorset had native beavers and there are plans to reintroduce them. DWT is proposing to host the project and a potential site has been located. The winter 2019 edition of DWT’s magazine had several articles about the scheme. In 2017, our local group had a beaver-watching expedition to Escot Park in Devon. It was a damp evening and we sat in silence on logs watching a water course. Our patience was rewarded with two sightings. The above picture is a record of an exciting event in damp conditions and poor light. Perhaps soon, we shall be able to achieve better results in Dorset. Over the last two months, I have mentioned the progress of the barn owl nest at the DWT Lorton Meadows reserve. All five eggs hatched in the sequence laid but currently only two owlets are alive – the first two hatched. They are growing rapidly, are starting to look more like barn owls and we hope they have a safe departure from the nest. Sadly, it is quite normal for the younger owlets to be sacrificed if food resources are insufficient to feed the whole family. dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk
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Wild Dorset
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS Paula Carnell, Beekeeping Consultant, Writer and Speaker
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t’s been an unusual season, even for the bees. With an early April start of swarms, a long dry spell, and then very few swarms and empty bait hives in May, it seemed that the bees were reluctant to leave their homes too. Similar to humans, they didn’t feel safe. The dry weather meant low nectar and without nectar, there’s no honey; the bees need the honey to make new wax comb. At The Newt, where my team and I manage the colonies, we were surprised that at the time of writing this early in June, our bait hives remained empty. We have been managing colonies by splitting, however, we have some wild colonies in Freedom Hives, as well as managed colonies in Warre and Golden Hives, ready to burst with bees. These colonies were expected to swarm during May, but as our veteran bee team member, Joe Bleasdale, suggests, they won’t swarm until we have some rain. I am able to write this due to forecasted rain, and colder temperatures. It slows the bee world down a little from swarm call outs and general hive checks or honey extractions. Perhaps during June, after sufficient 36 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
rain, there will be a surge in swarming. This reminds me of the 17th Century saying: ‘A swarm in May is worth a load of hay, a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon, but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.’ This saying from beekeepers shows that the later in the season, the less likely your swarm is to survive the winter due to insufficient time left for foraging pollen and nectar from summer flowers. I’ve often wondered if during that time the load of hay was worth more than a silver spoon…and what would we use to measure the value of swarms in these days? In 2019, everything was given a monetary value. Spring 2020 saw a demand in items often undervalued: face-masks, loo rolls, and fresh vegetables. In such uncertain times, 2021 could see products never before in shortage suddenly soaring in value. Perhaps even beekeepers’ wisdom, lasting hundreds of years, will now have to be re-written due to climate change and Covid shipping and shopping restrictions. What we do know for certain is that we can learn from the bees and their values of equality
Viesinsh/Shutterstock
and management of sharing what supplies they do have. Researchers observed that a colony with only a small amount of honey in storage through a winter, doesn’t feed more to the queen, or even the drones, every last drop is divided up and shared equally amongst the colony. If there isn’t enough for them all, they slowly starve and die together. As 2020 unfolds with new layers of human distress, looking to the bees gives yet more insight and wisdom. I’ve often said that before I began working with bees, I thought that the hierarchy of life was a god at the top, then humans, animals and then right beneath us all, insects. It didn’t take long before I could see that we were indeed beneath everything else and that bees were closest to God. They’ve been here on Earth for over 150 million years, which gives any species time to experience some disasters and learn to adapt. Humans are still new to living here and can’t we just see it with the distress we are managing to create, not just to the world around us, but even to our own species.
Growing up in a Dorset Village, I was intrigued by indigenous people around the world. Fascinated at their ability to live sustainably, separate from the ‘modern world’. As I grew older, I was horrified to learn of the destruction of rain forests, indigenous tribes forced from peaceful rainforests into overcrowded toxic cities. Non-white people from around the world have been persecuted and punished, forced to abandon their cultural ways of living in tune with nature. Survival International, a charity almost as old as me, has continued to speak on their behalf. A few years ago, the film Aluna was released. Alan Ereira had visited the Kogi tribe in Columbia thirty years earlier and returned to see how they were doing. He learned of their knowledge that we ‘their little brothers’ were destroying, not only the planet but also ourselves. Unnecessary wars and greed were leading to inevitable disaster. I don’t remember anyone in particular teaching me that these indigenous tribes were ‘primitive’, but I do remember finding it confusing and disappointing that their views weren’t being listened to. In the pursuit of happiness and progress, we have lost the meaning of life and our connection with the earth on which we live. Life is a circle; when we die, we return to the earth for recycling into the soil. Somewhere along the line, we have forgotten this and created a belief of separatism - division from the earth, nature, other living beings, and even each other. The film was so moving that I continued to watch all the short director’s edits that followed - the most impactful being the message that we can’t wait for governments to change the world to make it better. There are only 250 governments yet 7 billion people. We really do have the power to create a world that lives in peace and harmony, connected to the earth below and skies above. This is where the hive community has already learned how to live a successful existence. The hive isn’t controlled by the queen, and definitely not by the minority male drones. It is a true democracy; the bees have evolved to understand the importance of selfless behaviour - no judgement, just doing the jobs that need doing, understanding that their own needs are taken care of. As we emerge into a post Covid-19 world, we each have the power to ‘bee the change’ we want to see and perhaps learn from the wonderful variety of people we’re lucky enough to share this planet with. paulacarnell.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 37
The Joinery Works, Alweston Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5HS Tel: 01963 23219 Fax: 01963 23053 Email: info@fcuffandsons.co.uk
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DESIGNERS AND MAKERS OF BEAUTIFUL FINE BESPOKE JOINERY SINCE 1897
Outdoors
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On Foot
NORTH CHIDEOCK AND HELL LANE Emma Tabor & Paul Newman
Distance: 3 1/2 miles Time: Approx 2 hours Parking: In the car-park for the Catholic Church donation required for church Features: Church of Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs and St Ignatius Church and Museum display, Holloways, Views of Colmer’s Hill and Portland Refreshments: The Anchor Inn, Seatown
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ach month we’ll be taking a walk and sharing the route for you and your family (including four-legged members) to enjoy. We’ll also point out a few interesting things along the way; be it flora, fauna, architecture, history, the unusual and sometimes unfamiliar. We start by plunging straight into the tangled lanes and holloways that creep unnoticed across West Dorset. Holloways are sunken lanes, the name derived from the Old English “hola weg”, caused by years of water and traffic erosion. Directions
1 Start North Chideock Catholic Church (grid ref: SY420934). It is well worth popping into this gem of a church before starting the walk, crammed full of delights including a fascinating museum. 2 Turn left out of the car park and head back down in the direction of the A35. Take the first left by a large stone slab saying Chideock Manor - note the archway made of whale jawbone - and head down a cul-de-sac. Go across a bridge (over a brook) and head up. Follow the lane until it starts to turn more towards the left where you will then meet a footpath sign. Take this footpath along the left-hand side of a large field and keep the hedge to your left. On the right are views across to Quarry Hill, with the sea behind you. >
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3 At the end of the field, in the left-hand corner, go through a small gate into a smaller field. Head across the middle of the field and start to go down a small steep hill towards some buildings. At the bottom of this slope, there is a small wooden stile next to the entrance to the field. Turn right onto Hell Lane; it starts out as an innocuous-looking farm track. Ignore the branch right to farm buildings and keep slightly left. The lane becomes very wet, more like a stream, depending on the time of year and also more enclosed, providing shelter as you start to climb. Listen out for ravens here. You will notice a wonderful variety of ferns and mosses as well as hazel, holly, ash and oak as the lane becomes increasingly sunken, with their root systems exposed. 4 Keep heading up for 15 minutes or so and eventually you will find yourself in a wonderful sandstone gorge, punctured with holes from burying animals, criss-crossed by roots and fallen trees above you, yet many feet below the surface of the surrounding fields. Emerge to the junction at Quarry Cross and the route now turns left heading for Jan’s Hill. It is worth making a quick slight detour right to look out over Colmer’s Hill. Retrace your steps as you now head inland along the ridge towards Henwood Hill. 5 As you leave Hell Lane behind, there are wonderful 42 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
views with Quarry Hill behind you, the sea and then over towards Langdon Hill and Ryall. Carry on along this ridge and ignore two left turns, one of which is for the Monarch’s Way. After a very slight climb up Henwood Hill, the lane descends into another much smaller holloway. The hedges here provide food and shelter for Linnets in winter. You then arrive at a junction with a distinctive small clump of trees on Jan’s Hill, just ahead and slightly to the right. Turn left through a metal gate and head down hill, along a small gully on the right-hand side of a field. Go through a gate into a smaller field, cross this and through another gate in the far left-hand corner. Emerge onto a track on the corner of North End Farm; go left and head downhill past a thatched sandstone building. 6 Cross a cattle grid at the end of the farm and then another after a few more yards. Keep on this track, which becomes more of a road, to emerge at Venn Farm. Here the road hairpins left; keep following, heading back towards North Chideock. After 5 minutes, the road bends sharp left and after a few more yards, then turn right at a junction. Follow this for 10 minutes through North Chideock and back towards the church. paulnewmanartist.com
D I S C O V E R | E AT | S H O P | S TAY | C E L E B R AT E
Welcome to Symondsbury Estate, set in the beautiful Dorset countryside just a stone’s throw from the Jurassic Coast. Join us for lunch. Browse our shops. Visit the gallery. Explore our fabulous walks and bike trails. Relax and unwind in our holiday accommodation. Celebrate your wedding day...
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+44 (0)1308 424116 www.symondsburyestate.co.uk The Estate Office Manor Yard, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6HG
History
HIGHWAYMEN AND ROBBERY Cindy Chant, Blue Badge Guide
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ost of us have a romantic image of a highwayman, mounted on a black horse, sporting a pair of pistols, and wearing an eye mask, a tricorn hat and a swirling cape. But this was far from the truth! Highwaymen came from all backgrounds and many followed honest trades, which were a cover for their criminal activities. Throughout the coaching era, 1750–1850, highwaymen and highway robberies were common, involving post boys, stagecoaches, private carriages of all sorts at its peak, though largely dying out in the 1800’s. Early highwaymen were often ex-soldiers from the Civil War. They were mostly filthy, poverty-stricken, and desperate, unscrupulous ruffians, who showed little mercy for their victims. Sometimes, highwaymen were the sons of the aristocracy who were facing drinking and gaming debts. Eager for money, they stole watches or gold chains from the many rich travellers. Oxford was the location for one of the most notorious places for highwaymen with its many impoverished university students. The infamous Dick Turpin seems to be the most widely known highwayman in the north of the country, but here, in the South West, and on the Exeter road, was the muchfeared ‘Golden Farmer’. Surprisingly, the command ‘stand and deliver’ or ‘your money or your life’ are not the product of scriptwriters. These phrases repeatedly crop up in trial reports of the 17th and 18th centuries. Many of the landlords of the inns along the main roads were in league with the highwaymen. They were well placed, of course, to pass on information about the movements of those travellers who stayed at their establishments. Armed with this knowledge, it was easy for the highwaymen to relieve the rich and genteel travellers of their possessions. These masked men were coarse and abusive; a nuisance and a menace to life on the roads. The punishments 44 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
for highway robbery was always hanging and many highwaymen met their death at the gallows. A common place for the London and Middlesex area was the ‘Tyburn Tree’. Today it is the site of Marble Arch! But there were also the ‘Gibbets’ along the length of the road. These were the trees from where criminals would be hanged, to serve as a deterrent for a life of crime. Other clues from those years, and which we can see today, are the ‘Red Posts’. But there are only three of these left in Dorset now. One in Sherborne, at the top of the Bristol Road, where the old coach road to Bath forks left to Corton Denham, you’ll find the red signpost, which I have already written about in an earlier article. Local talk is that it was the location of gallows or a gibbet.
duncan1890/iStock
The other two red posts are in Benville, on the Evershot to Beaminster road, and the final one being between Bere Regis and Wimborne Minster, at the junction with the road to Anderson and Bloxworth on the A31 road. Perhaps ‘Red Posts’ do mask a bloody spot, but it is also said that suicides were buried at crossroads as well. By the early 1800’s, travellers began to carry less money and a greater use of bank notes made money more traceable than gold coins, so the robberies became less frequent. Many coaches routinely travelled during the night-time and highwaymen seemed to dislike the darkness because it was harder to see their prey, or, if the coach had an armed guard on board. The standard reward for arresting a highwayman
was £200 with another £100 if it was within five miles of London. The activities of highwaymen declined once the Enclosure Act of 1773 was passed and with the efficiency of the turnpikes and gated toll roads, highwaymen appeared less and less, and then came the development of the railways. By 1850, the era of coaching was over. The coach was on its way out (the final coaching years became the province of horse cabs, horse omnibuses and every imaginable type of private coach). And then… the train had arrived! Next month, I will discuss the experience of travelling in a stagecoach. sherbornewalks.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 45
History
LOST DORSET
NO. 1: KING’S STAG
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David Burnett, The Dovecote Press
line of cars outside the Green Man in King’s Stag in about 1906; chauffeurs at the wheel. Under the Motor Car Act of 1903, the registration letters ‘BF’ were originally issued to Dorset but following the inevitable cries from small boys whenever a car went by, the letters ‘FX’ were also assigned. Both BF1 and FX1 belonged to Sherborne residents. BF1 was a motorbike owned by Edward Ffooks, and FX1 a Wolseley belonging to John Goddard. By 1914, 1,200 cars were listed in the Dorset Licensing Department records, trundling to and fro at a maximum speed of 20 mph. By contrast, there were still well over 16,000 working horses. The car on the left, FX 307, was a Fiat belonging to Sir Randolf Baker of Ranston, near Blandford. Sir Randolf later became MP for North Dorset, winning two DSOs in the First World War whilst serving with the Dorset Yeomanry. Lost Dorset: The Villages & Countryside 1880-1920, by David Burnett, is a large format paperback, price £12, and is available locally from Winstone’s or directly from the publishers. dovecotepress.com
46 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
CHARTERHOUSE Auctioneers & Valuers
We are now accepting entries for our forthcoming specialist auctions including:
Classic & Vintage Cars Classic & Vintage Motorcycles Automobilia Furniture & Decorative Arts Silver, Jewellery & Watches Beswick & Royal Doulton Wine, Port & Whisky Pictures, Prints & Books Coins, Medals & Stamps
A 4ct diamond solitaire ring in our August jewellery auction £15,000-20,000
Email Richard Bromell with images for valuation to rb@charterhouse-auction.com or call our salerooms for a Covid-19 safe appointment Valuations for Probate, Insurance & Matrimonial Dispute The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne DT9 3BS 01935 812277 www.charterhouse-auction.com
STEWAR D TO THE BR ETHR EN ST. JOHNS’ ALMSHOUSE, SHERBORNE
A rare opportunity to join the team that runs this historic institution St. Johns’ Almshouse is a Charitable institution operating primarily as a residential home. We are looking for someone special to join us as the Clerk to the Brethren (the Trustees), known for historical reasons as ‘The Steward.’ This is a part-time role. You will be required to liaise with the Brethren, the Almshouse residents, line manage a small professional team and ensure that a variety of key compliance and administrative tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. We will consider a range of skills and experience to suit. The key roles of the Steward are: • Clerk to the Brethren • Relevant legal and regulation compliance • Financial planning and assurance • Line Manager (to Almshouse Manager) • Commercial activities (Properties management) • Asset management – buildings, services, equipment • Management of supporting professional services (accountants, land agents, lawyers, etc.) The successful candidate will possess excellent management, organisation, communication and ICT skills and be familiar with maintaining confidentiality at all times. They will oversee the maintenance and care of the Almshouse, its properties and investments and line manage a small team, working closely with the Manager. Salary: Negotiable, dependant on skills and experience. If you are interested in finding out more about this position and wish to make an application please contact Jonathan Stones by e-mail: jandcstones@hotmail.com
sherbornetimes.co.uk | 47
Antiques
DATES TO REMEMBER Richard Bromell, ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers
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here are quite a few occasions we mark and talk about. They mostly include birthdays and wedding anniversaries. For a lot of us, we also talk about other landmark events. I remember where I was when I heard about the aeroplanes attacking the twin towers at the World Trade Centre. I was outside Palmers Fish and Chips shop in Market Street, Yeovil. I happened to be walking along (no, I wasn’t getting anything to eat!) when I met a friend and she told me what had happened; it was difficult to take in. Another major event I think of often is the 7/7 London Bombings. I was at a client’s house in Marnhull. They had the TV on in the background and 48 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
the terrible news of the bombing flashed up on the screen taking our attention for quite a while. With Covid-19, I am certain we will be talking about it for a very long time, if not the rest of our lives. It is clearly still very early days and we have all been affected by Covid-19 in one way or another, and some more than others. At Charterhouse, like other businesses, we’ve been in lockdown and followed government advice. So, 23rd March 2020, the day lockdown started, is another date to add to the list. Like many businesses, we worked out ways of continuing during lockdown. Thankfully, the internet came up trumps for us. For the past 15 years or so,
"For the antique auction there were over 1,000 bidders record registrations! Buyers from across the UK, America and Europe secured the lots they wanted."
we have conducted all our auctions both live in the saleroom and online via the internet. At the start, there was quite a degree of scepticism about buying items online without seeing them. The old guard had to see everything they would bid on at auction and could not comprehend how or why you would buy a lot without at least handing it. But that was then and we are now in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. As mentioned in the Sherborne Times before, collectors like to collect. They have this itch and they need to scratch it and auctions are a good way of scratching this itch. Prior to the lockdown we had been working on three auctions - classic cars, motorcycles and a two-day antiques sale - all of which were postponed. With everything in place and keeping a sharp eye on what other auctioneers were up to, we geared up to hold the auctions online only and with no viewing. Our first lockdown auction, held online only and behind closed doors, was the classic and vintage motorcycle on Wednesday 6th May. This was followed by classic and vintage cars on Saturday 30th May and then our two-day auction of antiques, including the contents of a Somerset Rectory and a collection of David Hockney and other modern art from a local estate, on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th June. For the old guard, this would not have worked, but for our clients, the stats tell a different story. At the classic motorcycle auction, we had 500 bidders register online for the auction. Sadly, I cannot remember how many there were for the car auction, and for the antique auction there were over 1,000 bidders - record registrations! This, combined with absentee commission bids and telephone bidding, resulted in plenty of competition, strong bidding and high prices. Buyers from across the UK, America and Europe secured the lots they wanted. Quite remarkable. Now, moving forward, we are preparing to open the doors to the Long Street salerooms as I write this, with Covid-19 safety precautions in place to keep our staff and clients safe and to continue protecting the NHS. Whether the plans we had in lockdown will change our business in the long term, only time will tell. Though, I can now add more dates to the ever-growing list of occasions to mark and talk about – the start of lockdown, the successful auctions held in lockdown and of course, 15th June 2020 – the first day we were able to open our doors once again after lockdown. charterhouse-auction.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 49
Architecture
IS IT TRUE? Andy Foster, Raise Architects
Image: Millie Thompson, Raise Architects 50 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
I
’m not a builder; I’m an architect. But I’ve always been fascinated by building construction. I’m also not a writer, but I have a burgeoning interest in words and how they fit together. Both of these subjects have been on my mind recently as I wrestled with a problem involving a roofless Georgian farmhouse. Until recently, it did have a roof, but by the time I joined the project, it had been removed; the timbers condemned as too rotten to be retained. Over the weeks that followed my introduction, many more building defects were discovered, and the project that had started as a simple roof repair grew into a complete restoration. The causes of the defects were many, but there is no denying that much of it resulted from poor construction. Inadequate foundations had caused movement of the three-storey building above. The walls had deformed for other reasons too: mortar joints in the brickwork had disintegrated, lintels were under-sized, and unnecessary timbers built into walls had suffered from both insect attack and wet rot. Had the hipped roof structure still been present, it would also have been misshapen, partly as a result of the movement of the walls and partly because of its deteriorating condition. Now, as the team attempted to put the house back together again, we faced the challenge of constructing a new roof on the existing contorted structure. Should the new roof follow these contortions, or should it be built to a perfect shape regardless of its imperfect support? If the latter, how would the different geometries be satisfactorily resolved? And would anybody notice the difference? To answer those questions, we needed to know the extent to which the building was deformed. First, we looked at the level of the top of the walls. The word ‘level’ in building construction is a noun, an adjective and a verb. It comes from the Latin word ‘libra’ which refers to a unit of weight or a pair of weighing scales. You can easily see the connection if you imagine the connecting arm of a set of scales being horizontal as a result of equal weights placed to either side. Using a builder’s level, we found that around the building, the wall level varied by up to 6 inches (or two brick courses). In other words, it varied very noticeably. Next, we wanted to know about the plumb of the walls. ‘Plumb’ comes from ‘plumbum’ which is Latin for lead. It refers to the lead weight at the end of a plumb line, used to measure the depth of water or the verticality of a structure. The word has associations with measurement and precision and therefore turns up in everyday phrases such as ‘plumb in the centre’. We
found that the walls were out of plumb by as much as 4 inches, sometimes bowing outwards and sometimes bowing inwards. The new roof would, therefore, have to negotiate this snaking geometry. Finally, we wanted to know whether our building was true. The word ‘true’ in building construction refers to alignment and shape but finds its root in ancient words that mean ‘honest’, ‘loyal’ and ‘trustworthy’. In this case, we wondered, if the building was a perfect rectangle with opposite sides of equal length and square corners. Using string lines to join the four corners of the farmhouse, and across the diagonals, we established that the building was, at least, a reasonably true rectangle. Of course, even without the movement that can occur over time, it’s impossible to construct a building with perfect accuracy. The extent to which a structure is built out of its specified position is referred to as the ‘construction tolerance’. Depending on the situation, the accuracy of construction should be within a tolerance of a few millimetres, say five or ten. But due to the movement of the building, our new roof structure would have to cope with a supporting structure being out of position by much larger margins than normal. It would be theoretically possible to construct a roof that followed the irregular wall geometry; after all, we can build a roof that resembles almost any organic form if we are so minded. But our subject is a Georgian farmhouse, and it would appear odd if the roof were anything but a regular shape. Following the deformations of the walls would cause each rafter to be a different length, and their ends would have different profiles. It would also mean that the roof planes would be warped, the fixing of the roof slates would be more complicated, and the gutters may not fall in the right direction. As such, we decided to adopt the alternative approach of constructing the roof to be level and true; the potential visible differences between the geometry of the roof and that of the walls being dealt with in the connecting details. Such are the challenges of a working architect in balancing the practical or economic concerns of construction, with the aesthetic impact of the finished building. Knowledge and experience of those things that draw the eye are required in order to derive satisfactory solutions that mitigate the issue. The word ‘tolerance’ is derived from the Latin ‘tolero’ which means to endure or bear pain and hardship. Feelings we hope the viewer will not suffer when the works are complete. raisearchitects.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 51
elizabethwatsonillustration.com 52 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
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Elementum Gallery
www.eleanormilton.co.uk
ELEANOR MILTON COLOUR CONSULTANT
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@elementumgallery
54 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
eleanor.gloriouspaint@gmail.com 07582 218 858
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Interiors
IRISES, ART AND INSTAGRAM
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Eleanor Milton, Colour Consultant
n eternity ago in June 2018, in what now seems a parallel existence, I caught a train to London to visit the recently redeveloped Garden Museum in Lambeth. It was a spur of the moment decision and although I was aware there was an art gallery with an exhibition of a collection of flower paintings, I was much more interested in seeing the vastness of the deconsecrated church of St Mary-at-Lambeth repurposed as a thoughtfully designed space dedicated to the gentle art of gardening. I was also told the café offered homemade cake. There was no holding me back. After spending a large part of the day absorbed in the collections within the museum, I glanced at my watch and heading for the gallery, pushed open the door – and stopped short. The intensity of the deep aubergine paint on the walls against the explosion of colours within Cedric Morris’ glorious iris paintings hit all my senses. The colours reverberated around the gallery space like a drum roll. In our own homes, the choice of colour on a wall can 56 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
also have a powerful effect on the artwork we display and using a soft, grey white like Wevet from Farrow & Ball serves to concentrate all the focus on the art without distraction. But if you stand back and study the piece carefully, there is an opportunity to watch it burst into life with a really sizzling background colour. Tester pots can help with the decision-making and don’t skimp on the preparation. Use a good size piece of lining paper and if two coats are what’s needed, then allow the first coat to dry thoroughly before applying the second – it will make the difference. A charming, vintage cottage-garden watercolour of lupins and hollyhocks painted with a palette of pinks, lilacs and blues will settle softly against Laylock from Edward Bulmer Paint, or by choosing Eau de Nile will gently expand the view depicted in the painting by blurring the edges and reinforcing the mental image of lush foliage. Those of us longing for the intense light and vivid blue seas and skies of the Mediterranean or the Caribbean can take small solace in a grouped collection
of silvery foxed mirrors against The Lake from Francescas’s Paints, a strong warm blue in her Earth Collection, or try clear fresh Turquoise from Edward Bulmer Paint – dancing colours which will whisk you back to warmer climes. The question of where to hang inherited artwork with great sentimental value calls for calm, but often lengthy, discussion. Or stealth. And don’t forget the spare bedroom. In my family, we have a little watercolour of Mousehole harbour painted by my great aunt, who was quite rightly affronted when told by a fellow student at Penzance Art School that her fishing boats looked as though they ‘had arrived by helicopter.’ And so, they do. But we cherish it.
Tradition dictates that the downstairs loo or cloakroom is the destination for art which is considered too off-the-wall or saucy – I would be spoilt for choice here for a backdrop of a strong bold colour. Consider using Invisible Green or Brimstone. And just how fabulous would Indigo look? All from Edward Bulmer Paint. It is always good to move your artwork around as it gives a new perspective and a fresh feel to the space - not forgetting the thrill of making a place
for a brand-new purchase. Social media now plays a huge part in raising awareness and offering a way in for those curious about purchasing art. While following businesses on Instagram during lockdown, it was very moving to see the enormous effort being made by artists to support each other through Matthew Burrows’ Artist Support Pledge. So many artists also produced work to raise money for the NHS and Tristan Sherwood caught the mood with his beautiful lino cut of a single word – ‘Hope’. Decorative art fairs, galleries and exhibitions traditionally offer the portal for anyone wishing to expand a collection as well as those who are curious about art and it is lovely to see the breadth of work on offer as plans are made to open their doors to a socially-distancing public. Bruton Art Society will hold its 67th annual exhibition online this year and all work will be for sale through their website. eleanormilton.co.uk @eleanor.gloriouspaint Images courtesy of Jubilee Galleries jubileegalleries.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 57
elizabethwatsonillustration.com
Crafting quality timber buildings and gates since 1912 Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7LH Tel: (01963) 440414 | Email: info@sparkford.com | @sparkfordtimber | www.sparkford.com 58 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Thank you for visiting
Following the reopening of our garden centres, we’ve been delighted to welcome so many of you back into Castle Gardens. With new social distancing measures in place, you can pick up your pots, plants and gardening essentials any day of the week, during our new opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 4pm Sunday: 10am – 4:30pm For those still stuck at home, you can place your orders by telephone or email, and we’ll deliver free within 25 miles.
01935 814633
Castle Gardens, New Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NR www.thegardensgroup.co.uk
thegardensgroup
castle@thegardensgroup.co.uk Please visit our website for more information on what to expect during your visit, including the systems and measures we’ve put in place to keep both staff and customers safe.
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sherbornetimes.co.uk | 59
Gardening
AstroStar/Shutterstock_1076538962
60 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
DON’T RELAX JUST YET!
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Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group
t the height of summer, one could be forgiven for thinking that all of the work in the garden is done and that a spot of relaxation should be an entitlement! However, whereas there should be time for a snooze every now and then, there are also chores to be done to keep your plants in good shape. Baskets and tubs need to be watered every day. On a rainy day in the garden centre, it can often amuse customers seeing the plant team in waterproofs still watering the plant displays. This is because so much of the rain will be blocked from getting to the soil in pots by the foliage of the plant. The use of water retentive gel in the compost can help, but its effects are marginal and are no substitute for daily watering. It’s also worth considering how the water is applied. Gaily wafting the fine spray from the end of a hosepipe is probably the least efficient method, whereas seep hoses and the use of micro irrigation systems, which apply water very precisely, will be much more effective. Regular feeding will also keep the garden looking good, again with tubs and baskets needing the most attention. It’s worth thinking about what the food is for. For example, if more flowers are required in somewhere like a hanging basket, then a high potash fertiliser such as Tomorite would be good. For leafy crops in the vegetable garden, a feed higher in nitrogen might be more appropriate. If a tub or basket has been allowed to dry out, then soaking to rehydrate the plants and the compost should be followed by a high nitrogen foliar feed (Phostrogen or Maxicrop), before returning to the high potash (tomato food). Keep an eye out too for shrubs and herbaceous plants looking pale in leaf colour. We had so much rain over the autumn and winter that much nutrient was washed out of the soil. Foliar feeding will help get the nutrient where the plant needs it most. This is especially true for acid loving plants in most of our soils locally. Use an ericaceous fertiliser, such as Maxicrop in the blue bottles, and the plants will improve quickly. It’s also worth remembering that camellias make their buds at this time of year and in order to do so, they need to be kept well-watered at all times. You will probably only notice that they didn’t get enough water next spring, when they try to flower, only for the buds to fall off. This is especially true for plants in tubs. Dead heading should also be carried out on flowering displays. On many plants, should a flower be allowed to go to seed, the plant will think that its job is done. However, with the removal of the old flowers, the plant is kidded into thinking that it needs to produce more flowers and so the display will be prolonged. And once all of this is done, there should still be time to step back and admire the display! thegardensgroup.co.uk
sherbornetimes.co.uk | 61
Gardening
DIARY OF A FLOWER FARMER
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Paul Stickland, Blackshed Flowers
very so often a very special plant emerges, and the floral world ignites. The nature of the plant families on this planet are, that in order to survive inevitable constant climate change, they have the amazing ability to cross-breed within their genera and thus adapt to the prevailing conditions and maybe tastes. The global gardening market is vast. Big companies always have their eyes open for a plant with a real wow factor and they vie for plants with that something special that will catch the eye of the huge gardening demographic. It’s a sophisticated business. Sometimes it’s done in laboratories, in a methodical and calculated way. Using the latest and easily accessible micropropagation techniques, it’s possible to bring an unusual sport or variation of a plant into commercial horticulture in a very short time. Some are special, often they look awkward, freaks, no value to wildlife, no part in the scheme of things. I can’t be the first person who’s wondered what would happen if I could somehow pollinate that white poppy and that midnight purple one. Behind the scenes, there’s a wonderful world of plant geeks always tinkering about, I’m quite sure they always have been. Thank heavens. So many names stick out; people whose unusual understanding of a particular flower has led them to be tempted to select flowers with very special qualities, maybe get a brush out to cross pollinate two intriguingly related varieties… The painter, botanist and aesthete, Cedric Morris springs to mind. His utterly gorgeous ‘Benton Iris’ series are ravishing beyond belief: strange, subtle, shaded, scented and the subject of serious lust in the Black Shed household. We’ve been growing his extraordinary selections of our common field poppy for the last few years though. Instead of the wonderful clear vermillion scarlet of our native species, he chose those rare albino forms and their close crosses, and somehow over the years, selected a strain that throws every colour from subtle pinks to plum purples, faintly veined whites and, exquisitely, soft greys. I’ve been pulling out the reds, the dodgy pinks and just leaving the subtle greys and blushes. As the years pass by, the self-sown seedlings have been pretty amazing, heading in the direction of that elusive faded, slightly monochrome bloom. But then came papaver rhoeas ‘Amazing Grey’… First available in the US last year, seed sold out in minutes. Photos of the first extraordinary dusky crumpled blooms ran through the floristry and gardening worlds, as everyone scrambled for seed. We couldn’t get any, try as we may. We looked at people’s Instagram accounts with suppressed envy. It became more readily available and this year, we got some seed. Rather than scattering it about, we grew it in modules, so that we could plant out a bed of it in our usual grid pattern. We didn’t have to wait too long. Poppies grow very rapidly indeed. The unassuming leaves look just like our native wild poppy but as the buds grow and gradually turn their heads to the sun, you catch that first glimpse of the colour of the folded petals as they prepare to open. This is the time to cut them for the vase. All you need to do to enjoy them on your table is to pop their cut stems in boiling water for 5/10 seconds and then place them in the vase. In a cool place, they will last for a week before their precious petals fall. blackshedflowers.blogspot.co.uk @blackshedflowers
62 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
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BACK IN BUSINESS Words Jo Denbury Photography Katharine Davies THELMA DRABIK
Melbury Gallery Thelma Drabik, owner of the Melbury Gallery and something of a matriarch to Sherborne’s retail fraternity, was due to celebrate the shop’s 40th anniversary on the 29th April. ‘We were going to have a big splash,’ she says with regret, ‘but now is not the right moment.’ As we chat, Thelma is mid-preparations to reopen the shop with reduced hours. ‘I am going to do it on my own,’ she adds, ‘we are living with an unknown and doing what we can.’ She is sure that ‘slowly, everyone will regain the confidence to ease back into society.’ Thelma has had a taste of this before. ‘The recession in the 90s was awful; the majority of Sherborne’s shops closed then, it was worse than now,’ she says. In her experience, the key to survival for small businesses is diversification and if something is not working then to keep evolving. ‘Sherborne is such a beautiful town, with lovely customers and it is so important to keep our individuality. In these hard times, everybody is nervous but working together to pull this town through the crisis.’ melburygallery.co.uk >
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JANE WOOD
Oliver’s Coffee House ‘I was heartbroken when I heard the news we had to close,’ says Jane. ‘This cafe is eight years of my life and I was worried for all the staff (she employs a large number of local students) because at that point, I didn’t know for how long we would have to close.’ However, not one to flinch from a challenge, Jane turned the uncertainty into an action plan. She immediately became part of Sherborne’s Viral Kindness campaign and began baking and making deliveries from the cafe. ‘We all buy locally,’ she says, ‘alcohol from Vineyards, bread from Oxfords, meat from Parsons.’ The Easter weekend saw her baking 18 chocolate Creme Egg sponge cakes. Her cake and cream tea deliveries have continued. ‘We have had to adapt,’ she says. The lockdown has elevated her delivery business and she has noticed a change in people’s buying habits: ‘now people are increasingly mindful of the source of their food. With time to reflect, they have become more considered and are choosing to buy local.’ Something of which Jane is a staunch advocate. As chairman of the Sherborne Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Jane is crucially aware of how 66 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
important it is that the business owners now rally in support of one another. As owner of Oliver’s, Jane is forced to take things week-by-week, pending further government guidelines. In the meantime, the coffee shop is open for takeaway and delivery orders of cakes and scones. Despite the uncertainty, Jane is very positive about the future. With an increased number of people working from home – perhaps now permanently – she has met many new regulars who visit as a break from their desk. When the dust does finally settle, Sherborne may well see more homeworkers using the coffee shops as a base or meeting location. One of many hopeful lights at the end of the tunnel. oliverscoffeehouse.co.uk HANNAH and SADIE WILKINS
Vineyards of Sherborne By the time you read this, Vineyards will have celebrated their 15th birthday. As it happens, it was on the day that I spoke to Hannah and Sadie. ‘We’re celebrating with a live, virtual tasting on Instagram tonight with lots of fizz and lovely suppliers joining us as co-hosts,’ says Hannah. ’What could possibly go
wrong?’ She laughs. But Hannah’s upbeat manner belies the steely determination that helped keep Sherborne going through lockdown; a meeting with Mo from The Cross Keys and Steve from The Pear Tree sowed the seed for a business support network and a collaborative approach to serving the community. Sadie points out the several factors that, like many businesses, Vineyards had to consider when news of lockdown was broken.‘Although we initially felt terrified, we also had to strike a balance between the health and the abyss. Vineyards is synonymous with Hannah and has been built from the ground up – it was important to keep it going. However, we believe that the health of our staff and customers is paramount. We could have traded fully throughout but felt a responsibility to adapt and find a way through that was safest for all.’ They closed their doors to the public and implemented a popular doorstep delivery system. ‘Looking ahead, following the recommended guidelines for shops of our size would mean that only a single customer could enter at any given time,’ says Sadie, ‘we don’t want people to miss out on the dialogue we are used to having with customers. We see ourselves as storytellers of wine; we’ve been creative in finding ways to connect with our customers and keeping it personal.’
To that effect, they will continue sharing tasting notes by email and hosting their well-attended ‘virtual tastings’ via IGTV (Instagram TV @vineyards_wine). The tasting events make for a gloriously indulgent and informative evening. The girls share a good bottle of wine (be sure to order yours so you can join in) and discuss its virtues with the producer. All enjoyed from the safe comfort of your sofa. Hurrah! Meanwhile, the shop will now be open for selected hours on set days. It’s been rearranged in the style of an old liquor store, with the wine and Hannah behind the counter, a perspex ‘sneeze screen’ providing the necessary protection. Over the last three months, their unique expertise has kept them busy and their fingers firmly on the pulse of the wine industry. The shop was recently nominated for the Harper’s Top 50 Wine Shops list and they were judges for the Wine Merchant’s Magazine Top 100 Wines in the UK. Then the Guardian’s wine critic, Fiona Beckett, included them in her article about creativity from wine shops in lockdown. ‘It’s been incredible,’ says Hannah, ‘and it has kept us going through the last few months.’ Long may it last. vineyardsofsherborne.co.uk > sherbornetimes.co.uk | 67
Old Yarn Mills images: Karyn Sparks 68 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
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MARIANNE BAREHAM
Trouvaille Gallery ‘I have wanted to own a gallery for 20 years,’ says Marianne who signed the lease on her gallery on 6th March. ‘The arrival of lockdown left me totally gutted,’ she says, but the enforced downtime has been well spent, providing an opportunity to organise herself and the gallery ahead of opening. Tucked secretly away off Cheap Street, between William Hill and the St. Margaret’s Hospice charity shop, you will find Marianne’s studio and gallery. Marianne studied ceramics at Falmouth and has set up the gallery beside her studio which allows her to produce her own sculptural work, inspired by sea life and nature. ‘My aim is to show my own work alongside other artists. I am particularly keen to focus on local artists and give them an opportunity to get their work out there and in the public realm. I remember from when I was a graduate and struggling artist how hard it was to get your work seen.’ For now, the gallery will be open in the mornings until 1pm, but she intends to extend the hours over time. Her inaugural show features a number of artists. One of them, Lindsay Wilson, works in acrylic and her first series of paintings are inspired by wildlife. It’s always exciting to see a new venture open on Cheap Street and we look forward to seeing Marianne’s work and curated shows over the coming years. trouvaillegallery.co.uk SARAH HITCH
The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms and The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre When Sarah, owner of the long-established Sanctuary Beauty Rooms, heard the news of lockdown she admits that it was ‘emotional and a little overwhelming’. Having recently also acquired Margaret Balfour’s business ‘it couldn’t have come at a worse time,’ she explains. The silver-lining in Sarah’s ‘Covid-19 cloud’ is that she has now had the time to get stuck in to a revamp of the new salon. ‘I have spent three or four days here every week,’ she says, ‘and it has made me feel much more connected with the salon.’ As we chat, local girl, Sarah is still waiting for the government to finalise their guidelines for beauty salons, but she has already trained her staff in ‘Covid-19 prevention’ practice. There is also the assurance that all
staff will have their temperatures taken each morning, masks will be worn, customers will need to complete a pre-treatment health questionnaire and hygienic precautions will include every beauty room being fully cleaned between clients. ‘We are expecting to be busy,’ she says. ‘My staff can’t wait to get back to work and see their clients again.’ thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk margaretbalfour.co.uk MO GHERRAS
The Cross Keys ‘Really it’s Steve Squibb from Sherborne Market Fruit & Veg who should get the prize for everything during lockdown,’ says Mo of Steve’s fruit and veg stall that has appeared outside without fail from the start. Between them, Mo and Steve have kept many of us going over the past few months. It’s also typical of Mo’s generous community spirit to share the praise with local suppliers. When lockdown came, Mo said he ‘closed Friday, cried Saturday and opened Sunday. I worry too much and sleep too little,’ he adds. He has recently celebrated a year at The Cross Keys and although 25% of that time has been spent under lockdown, he remains chipper and is looking forward to doing what he does best. After 22 years spent in London working with the likes of Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsey, he came to the county with his Dorsetborn wife Hannah, to open a cafe-cum-restaurant that will serve coffees, lunch and dinner. ‘For me, the thing is to always innovate and be a step ahead,’ he says, ‘so when the government allows, we will open our terrace again for Prosecco and ‘bites’ and things will evolve from there, but we will be ready and waiting.’ And of course, they will continue their take-out menu. Seeing a socially distanced queue form outside The Cross Keys on an otherwise silent evening, with Mo handing over bags of hot meals, has been a heartwarming sight during lockdown. ‘I love being in Sherborne,’ he adds, ‘everyone is friendly and there’s plenty of locally-sourced seasonal ingredients. It’s ideal for a family-friendly restaurant like ours.’ thecrosskeyssherborne.com Mo, along with Thelma, Jane, Hannah, Sadie, Marianne, Sarah and all of our town’s businesses, despite individual challenges and uncertain odds, are collectively and determinedly spurring Sherborne back to life. sherbornetimes.co.uk | 71
elizabethwatsonillustration.com
FROM FIELD TO TABLE Order our homegrown Tamworth produce from the fields outside Sherborne - Buy Local! The finest Tamworth quality and flavour, a taste of the past!
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP Free-range Tamworth pork, prime cuts, sausages, hams and cured bacon Please contact James and Charlotte Tel 07802 443905 | info@thestorypig.co.uk The Story Pig, Sandford Orcas, Sherborne See more at www.thestorypig.co.uk
72 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
COFFEE BREAK Café Pineapple The High Street, Milborne Port DT9 5FB cafepineapple 01963 250726 The Cross Keys 88 Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3BJ crosskeyssherb crosskeyssherborne 01935 508130 thecrosskeyssherborne.com Old School Gallery Boyle’s Old School, High Street, Yetminster, DT9 6LF @yetminstergalle 01935 872761 yetminstergallery.co.uk The Three Wishes 78 Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3BJ 01935 817777 thethreewishes.co.uk
HAPPY RETURNS Luke Sutton & Massimiliano Mannella, The Clockspire
F
irstly, it is great to be able to take restaurant reservations for July. We’ve worked hard with Public Health England to ensure we provide a safe dining environment for both our staff and guests and will continually review as we proceed. We're also fortunate to have professional specialist support from our group's Health & Safety team, some of the most meticulous and accredited people in the country. We needed to make sure we can still provide the same warm service our guests have come to expect, the same beautiful dining room and some wonderful new menus to explore, whilst maintaining the highest levels of cleanliness and hygiene. A meal in a nice restaurant is not just a transaction, you’re buying an experience that you can’t get at home. Fortunately, The Clockspire has a sizeable dining room and mezzanine bar so there will be ample distance between tables and diners. Small adjustments to the restaurant layout, service and staff rotas have been made to reduce the number of guests and staff needed at any one time. We’re also extending our opening hours so that our guests can book tables and still have the time and space to enjoy the experience; our lunch time menu will be offered from 12pm-4pm and our evening menu from 6pm-9.45pm. Legally-required documentation for risk assessments and full operating policies, across both the restaurant and cookery school, are in place. Following PHE guidelines,
our staff will use personal protective equipment. Enhanced procedures and training for staff regarding hygiene are implemented, and sanitising stations will be provided at entrances for guests. Regular cleaning will take place throughout service, and all front-of-house employees serving food or drinks will wear cotton gloves, which will be washed after each service. All our menus will be viewable by utilising a QR code on each table or a disposable menu; there will be no menu covers until further notice. We have a ‘no handshake’ policy between employees, suppliers and guests in place to further reduce points of contact. Closing The Clockspire doors on 21st March was very difficult for everyone involved. The team is our biggest asset; we made sure that all members were financially, physically and psychologically fine. Our priority and duty of care has been to support each other. Social media, newsletters and emails have kept us in contact with our customers. The support from guests over this period has been immense and we have already seen a rise in bookings since opening our reservations for July. We’re looking forward to returning the favour with great service and tasty local food. Understandably, there will be a period of time when people will be nervous. When that passes, we think the human love of socialising will continue. theclockspire.com
sherbornetimes.co.uk | 73
Food and Drink
THE CAKE WHISPERER Val Stones
STRAWBERRY AND ELDERFLOWER TART
Image: Katharine Davies
T
his is one of the quickest, simplest ‘no bake’ puddings ever to make and I am sure it will become a family favourite. Some time ago, I showed you how to make a gingerbread, raspberry and orange tart (with port wine jelly). Well, this is the original version that I learned to make from my Auntie Doreen, when I was fourteen. There are so many variations that you might like to try but this recipe uses strawberries, as I have my own in the garden. Other variations
Raspberry – add 1 raspberry jelly Raspberry and orange – use 1 raspberry jelly and add 140ml freshly squeezed orange juice and a tin of mandarin oranges Mandarin orange – add 1 orange jelly and 2 tins of mandarin oranges Strawberry – 120ml cold water and 20ml strawberry liqueur Be creative – develop your own with either fresh or tinned fruits. What you will need
A round, shallow, 23cm loose-bottom cake tin, or a similar shallow ceramic or Pyrex dish that has been greased with butter. A stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer for beating the cream. A cake lifter for transferring the tart from the tin to a serving plate. 74 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Preparation time
Base - 10 minutes, plus 40 minutes to 1 hour chilling time Assembly - 10 minutes and 3 hours or overnight for the jelly to set Chantilly cream - 10 minutes Ingredients
For the jelly 1 x 5oz pack of strawberry jelly 285ml boiling water 140ml elderflower cordial 1 tablespoon elderflower liqueur (optional) Biscuit base 250g crushed digestive biscuits 120g unsalted butter, melted Filling 200g fresh strawberries Chantilly cream 250ml double cream 1 tablespoon dried milk powder 1 heaped tablespoon icing sugar 3 tablespoons elderflower cordial (or half cordial and half elderflower liqueur)
Method
If you wish, you can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Tip - place the whisk attachment or beaters for your mixer in the fridge to chill, until needing to make the cream. To make the base 1 Butter a 23cm loose-bottom tin. Put the biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin, you can blitz them in a food processor if you wish. 2 Place the butter in a microwaveable bowl and cover with a plate, so the butter doesn’t spit and dirty your oven. Then, microwave for 2 minutes on medium or until the butter is melted. 3 Transfer the crumbs to a bowl, then pour over the melted butter. Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are completely coated. Pour them into the prepared tin and press firmly down into the base and up the sides to create an even layer about 1-2 cm thick. Tip - to ensure that the base is firm and flat, use the base from a slightly smaller loose-bottom tin and press this on to the biscuit base. 4 Chill in the fridge for 40-50 minutes to set firmly. 5 Make the jelly by cutting it up into cubes, placing them in a bowl and adding 280ml boiling water. Stir until the jelly is dissolved, then add the elderflower cordial. Set aside until cold. 6 Remove the base from the fridge. Cut the strawberries in half, lengthwise, then lay the strawberries on the biscuit base and gently spoon the cooled jelly over the strawberries. Return to the fridge to chill - about 3 hours or overnight, if you are making the day before required. Tip - if you are leaving overnight, cover the tart with cling film. Whilst the tart is chilling, make the Chantilly cream‌ 7 Place the double cream and the powdered milk in a bowl and stir - allow to stand for 2 minutes to dissolve the milk. 8 Add the icing sugar and beat the mixture until soft peaks are formed. Then, add the elderflower
cordial and liqueur, if using, and beat a little more, until firm peaks are formed. Set aside in the fridge until needed. To serve the tart 9 Remove it from the tin, place the base on top of a can, then gradually pull the sides of the tin down. Using a cake slider, glide the tart onto a serving plate, removing the base if you can. If not, serve on the base. 10 At this point, you may place the cream in a pretty bowl and add a generous spoonful of cream onto a slice of the tart or fill a disposable piping bag with a Wilton 2D nozzle/tip and pipe swirls around the tart. If you don’t wish to make the Chantilly cream, offer a jug of pouring cream. This tart is best eaten within a day or two but there has never been a problem with leftovers. Tip - The butter can be replaced with a vegan variety and there are jellies suitable for vegans too. Instead of Chantilly cream, you may wish to add a scoop of ice cream or pouring cream (vegan varieties are available). bakerval.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 75
Food and Drink
FILLET OF HALIBUT
COOKED IN A SEA SALT CRUST WITH TOMATO SALSA AND SAUTÉED SPINACH Sasha Matkevich, Head Chef and Owner, The Green
N
ow is a good time of year for halibut, a deliciously firm and meaty white fish. This recipe uses a traditional Italian method and lends itself perfectly to warm summer’s evening al fresco, with freshly baked ciabatta and a dry, crisp sauvignon blanc. Serves 4 Ingredients
750g fresh halibut fillet, skin on 50g Cornish sea salt 400g spinach, washed and well drained 50g unsalted butter 4 large tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped 1 plum tomato, peeled, deseeded and diced into concassé – ‘roughly chopped’ 20 black olives, sliced and julienned into strips 20 capers 100ml white wine 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon of chopped shallot 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves freshly ground white pepper, to taste Method
1 Cut the halibut into four evenly sized portions and place on a large baking sheet. Press the salt into the skin side of each piece and refrigerate. 76 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
2 Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: liquidise the chopped tomatoes in a food processor then pass through a chinois or fine meshed sieve onto a plate lined with a muslin. Tie into a bundle and suspend from the handle of a large wooden spoon over a bowl. Leave for one hour to drain. 3 Put the tomato purée in a pan and add the tomato concassé (crushed, roughly chopped, tomatoes), olives, capers, chopped shallot, wine, vinegar and olive oil. 4 Pre-heat the grill on medium heat. Cook the halibut, skin side up, for eight minutes. Then, cover with baking parchment or kitchen foil and set aside to rest. 5 Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the spinach for four minutes. 6 Gently warm the tomato-based sauce you placed into a pan earlier, making sure it does not come to boiling point, otherwise it might separate. Add oregano leaves and white pepper to taste. 7 Remove the skin and all the salt from the halibut pieces. 8 Divide the sautéed spinach between four warm serving plates. Place the halibut on top of the spinach and spoon the sauce around the fish. Serve immediately. Buon appetito! greenrestaurant.co.uk
A MONTH ON THE PIG FARM James Hull, The Story Pig Company
T
ime is precious, racing past me this year faster than any I can remember. We are already past the longest day - a real milestone for me - it means only one thing, the slow descent towards mud! Constantly, my list of jobs gets longer rather than shorter. We are both incredibly busy at the farm. The 2020 normal of not being able to go anywhere has meant we are working ever more at home. Normally, we would be busy at various shows and events, selling our wares and meeting lots of lovely customers. Not this year though, it’s a year of staying home and trying to advance. We have made big changes down on the farm; we have fenced the sheep in to a proper paddock. After naming our farm Lavender Keepers at its birth, it has been my dream since then to plant acres of this beautiful plant – a really exciting step for us – so, the lavender field is fenced and hopefully, we will have planted all 1,000 of them by the time this reaches you. The process has been to meticulously measure out and mark our rows at the same distance apart, then I hired a little garden tractor with a rotovator to work up the beds, pick out the biggest stones and then cover in perfect straight lines with black weed fabric. To start with, the tiny plants are mere dots on the horizon but hopefully, with some serious lavender love, they will grow and flourish and love living at Lavender Keepers. By next year, we will have the full-on Provence look. Other things have changed too, we have invested in a lorry load of new pig equipment to help our lives
on the pig front. The most exciting of which are new automatic pig feeders. These will be filled up once a week and then the pigs can access them at all times; better for the pigs – less squealing for food, and certainly less hard work carrying feed bags through the mud! We will still have to feed the sows and their babies by hand, but this is a mere drop of feed compared to the growing pigs’ amounts consumed. We also have new huge pig arks for the growing pigs; no more homemade straw houses that they eat their way out of and destroy – they now have smart new homes. Also, wallow troughs to keep them cool in the hot summer months. Hopefully, this will stop them digging their own. As I was connecting the first trough on a scorching hot day, I had a fleeting thought, will they know what to do? I shouldn’t have worried; they were in there before the water had started flowing – they love them! This is good for their summer welfare. There is one other development that, hopefully, we will be able to tell you all soon. For now, we are waiting... Finally, as things start to ease slightly, please continue to support your small local businesses, most of which scrambled to stay in business and adapted so quickly to supply our community with goods they needed. As the supermarkets add more capacity, remember the small suppliers; they all need your support but remember, what they supply is generally far superior too. thestorypigcompany.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 77
Food and Drink
NO ALCOHOL WINE David Copp
T
hree years ago, I wrote about low alcohol wines. My conclusion then was that they were neither fish nor fowl. Three years on, I write about wines with no alcohol whatsoever. And I write with great enthusiasm. ‘Alcohol,’ I wrote previously, ‘gives body and soul to a wine… a satisfying, mouth-filling feel.’ However, I did also mention my concern that global warming was ripening grapes to the extent that the wines they produced were more alcoholic. More warmth means more sugar, which is converted into alcohol when freshly picked grapes are fermented. I also made the point that greatly improved viticultural techniques were producing more physiologically ripe grapes, with ripe flesh, ripe skins, and even ripe pips! All very well for the younger, more active among us but as yet 78 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
another birthday comes around, I realise I don’t want more alcohol in my wine: I want less. Even, on the odd occasion, none at all. What I do seek is fruit flavour, finesse and elegance. More so because my wife is a talented chef who produces dishes with delicate flavours. Wines of 14.5 or 15 abv (alcohol by volume) tend to overpower fine food flavours. Besides, alcohol usually means adding even more inches to the waistline, a tendency to drop off to sleep after lunch, and driving is verboten. I began looking for sources of quality white wines in the 7-10 abv range and red wines in the of 10-12 abv range. I found wonderful white wines in the cooler climates of northern Europe, such as Mosel, where truly fine, elegant, classical wines are made at around 8-9 abv, and Portugal, where I was delighted to be reunited with
Jack Frog/Shutterstock
"As yet another birthday comes around, I realise I don’t want more alcohol in my wine: I want less. Even, on the odd occasion, none at all."
refreshing Vinho Verde. In the Dolomite valleys of northern Italy, I found some deliciously light sparkling wines. The diurnal difference in temperature in Alpine regions intensifies fruit flavours without increasing alcohol. I also found some delightful light red wines under 12 abv in Austria, made from Zweigelt and St Laurent. These two varieties were never considered too seriously but growers who know what they are doing have found the right conditions for plantings and are now producing some sophisticated lighter style reds. But my enthusiasm for non-alcoholic wines has soared as a result of re-tasting Miguel Torres Natureo range. I cannot hide my admiration for this truly great Spanish winemaker from the hills above Barcelona. He has led the Spanish wine industry by example. His persistence over twelve or more years in developing low and then no-alcohol wines deserves our attention. He first launched Natureo in 2007, as a low alcohol wine. He removed the alcohol by a process called reverse osmosis. If you are not a chemist, don’t go there. The net result was an acceptable wine with less than one or two degrees of alcohol. When I first tasted it was somehow neither fish nor fowl. Perhaps, I was not ready for it. But with patience and persistence, Torres continued to invest in research and development and I am delighted to record that he now produces an absolutely delightfully fresh and fruity non-alcoholic Moscato, and a rosé and red from Syrah, which are available from Waitrose and Sainsbury’s and many other stores at around £6 a bottle. His success has encouraged several other producers to go down the no-alcohol trail and for those who have not yet been tempted to try this segment of the wine market, I strongly recommend a dabble while we have such wonderfully warm weather. Torres now has several competitors. I particularly liked Johannes Leitz’s sparkling Riesling which he calls Eins Zwei Zero. He refers to it as his ‘special baby’ because it has been so well received everywhere, selling at around £7 a bottle. Rawsons Retreat, from the great Australian winemaker Penfold, has also been well received at £4 and I was very impressed with Reh Kindermann’s Merlot from M&S. If you are looking for a lower alcoholic intake, for one reason or another, I think the crisper, refreshing white and sparkling wines are really worth a sampling, if you haven’t already got there. sherbornetimes.co.uk | 79
elizabethwatsonillustration.com 80 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Sherborne Surgery Swan House Lower Acreman Street 01935 816228
Yeovil Surgery 142 Preston Road 01935 474415
www.newtonclarkevet.com NC0007_June Sherborne Times Ad HP Ad_V1.indd 1
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Independent veterinary services for livestock in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire Collection points for livestock medicines and supplies at Sherborne, Sturminster Newton, Blandford and Shaftesbury Please call the office on 01258 472314
www.friarsmoorvets.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 81
Animal Care
HANDS-FREE
Mark Newton-Clarke, MA VetMB PhD MRCVS Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons
W
e are all coming to terms with the ‘new normal,’ a term that has entered our vocabulary over the last few months along with several other unwelcome phrases relating to this very abnormal period in our lives. At the very start of the whole coronavirus episode, the veterinary profession was determined to make itself part of the solution, not part of the problem. These words of wisdom, coming from the president of the British Veterinary Association, came with detailed restrictions on the type of work vets in general practice were allowed to do and the manner in which it was done. Overnight, after lockdown, the usual flow of animals and their owners into the clinics slowed to a 82 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
trickle; only the most urgent and cases of emergency being admitted for treatment. Telephone and video consultations took up almost all of our time, helping to keep people at home but with access to veterinary advice. From a diagnosis and treatment point of view, certainly not ideal as medicine and surgery are among the most hands-on of occupations. It was fascinating to watch the situation in veterinary medicine mirror human medical practice, with a 50% downturn in even urgent cases, with no ‘routine’ cases coming into the clinic. What happened to them all? Did they just get better? I’d like to think the advice we gave over the phone helped resolve these cases and we were (and still
seeshooteatrepeat/Shutterstock
are) able to prescribe medications without a face-face consultation. Although no studies have been done on the success of telemedicine in veterinary science, it seems clear that the clinician’s experience will be an important factor in the accuracy of the advice given and hence the outcome. Luckily, all our vets are very experienced! Even so, there will inevitably be more uncertainty in a diagnosis without a good clinical examination and for that reason, amongst others, I am relieved that we are now able to see most pets at the clinics for direct consultations. The easing of restrictions on travel and the opening of shops and services had an immediate effect on our work. In the space of a week at the end of May,
our challenge was to cope with demand as the backlog of vaccines and less urgent cases started filling the diary. The strategy during lockdown of minimising staff became rapidly impossible to maintain and so, a way had to be found for more vets and nurses to work safely together in a relatively small building. I know this challenge is faced by all businesses, large and small, together with maintaining the safety of clients and customers. With due diligence on our part and patience by you, our clients, we will minimise the risk of coronavirus spread, provide quality care for your pets and still be part of the solution to Covid-19. Now to other things... July is here and with no foreign travel likely for holidays abroad, we’ll all be on staycation. For us, living in what for many would be a holiday destination, stepping out of our doors into countryside to walk the dogs has heightened the realisation of how lucky we are. Many of you may feel disinclined to visit the local beaches (I know I am) but there are plenty of beautiful riverside walks nearby. So, I’m going to issue my usual words of warning, not to ruin your enjoyment but to ensure days in the countryside are stress-free. With no rainfall in April or May, river flow is sluggish, and waterweeds have flourished. Low river levels mean more muddy banks exposed, still relatively easy for the older, bigger dog to get in but getting out is much trickier. Dense river weed can act like a net, catching legs and making escape extremely difficult. If we have had rainfall to make up for spring’s drought, keep your dog out of fast flowing water. Easier said than done if you have a real water-lover, so plan ahead and use restraint before the tempting swim is in view. I have touched on Tick Born Encephalitis (TBE) before but just in case it has escaped some of you, we now have this viral disease in Dorset ticks. An unwelcome import from Northern Europe, TBE is rife on the continent and Scandinavia and can affect both humans and dogs. Transmitted through a tick bite, it causes inflammation of the brain and can be serious. There are good preventative treatments for your dogs but not for you, although there is a vaccine available for humans (not free on the NHS.) So, check your feet and legs after a walk in the countryside and remove ticks from yourself and your dog as soon as possible. Call us if you need more advice on parasite prevention and particularly how best to deal with ticks. newtonclarkevet.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 83
Animal Care
BACKYARD POULTRY
What You Need to Know Sandy Lyons MRCVS, Kingston Vets
Milosz_G/Shutterstock
H
ens were popular pets prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and now that we’re all cooped up during lockdown with egg-shortages in the supermarkets, their popularity has grown. Perhaps you’re thinking of rescuing some battery hens or buying some fancier ones to keep at home? Poultry 84 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
are easy to keep, but there are some regulations and requirements you need to be aware of before starting a flock of your own. Backyard poultry are deemed food-producing farmed animals by law, meaning that in addition to the regulations applying to other pets, they are
subject to many regulations regarding welfare, feeding, disease, waste disposal, environmental protection and veterinary medications/procedures. All owners should be familiar with DEFRA’s Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock: Laying Hens (there are also recommendations for ducks and turkeys). These are easy to find online if you search. The Poultry Club of Great Britain has lots of info on keeping chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys on their website. The Bird Welfare Strategy website has a straightforward guide to bird-care, available as a downloadable document, that briefly explains your legal responsibilities as a hobby poultry keeper. Dirty drinkers and feeders can spread diseases such as canker through your flock – these should be cleaned with appropriate disinfectants and rinsed to make sure they are residue-free. Leaving food around to get mouldy will not only attract vermin but can cause fungal infections in your birds’ upper digestive system. Red mites are extremely common in poultry and difficult to get rid of once you have an infestation. As well as treating the birds for infestation with insecticides, you need to treat the housing to get rid of mites hiding in cracks in the walls and floors especially around perches. Diatomaceous earth can help keep them under control in housing and is also safe to dust poultry with. Housing needs enough space for your birds (bare minimum around 30 square cm each for chickens), with nest boxes down low where it’s dark to encourage laying, and perches up high for sleeping. You need good ventilation to prevent dampness from condensation and to keep the house cool enough for good welfare. Plastic materials are best for minimising mite hiding places. The housing should be kept clean to prevent nesting boxes and eggs being contaminated by dirty feet. Shavings make a good litter material and should be cleaned out at least weekly. Regular use of a bird-safe disinfectant will help minimise bacteria, viruses and fungi from building up indoors. If you keep your flock in a small run, you’ll need to move this regularly so they have fresh ground to scratch and dig in, and you should provide some enrichment to keep them happy. Alternatively, you can let them have the run of your garden but be aware that chickens will dig, so you might need to make some areas out of bounds. Make sure they always have access to fresh water and grit whether they are freerange or enclosed.
Feed your birds appropriate commercial feeds which will be nutritionally balanced for their stage in their lifecycle – chick crumbs for young ones, then growers pellets or layers pellets when they’re older. Hens will eat grass if they have access to it, otherwise provide them with some greens. It’s important to know that it’s illegal to feed backyard poultry any kitchen scraps, due to the risk to public health of spreading disease. Your birds might be confined to your property, but wild birds will visit and can transmit disease afar. Avian Influenza (bird flu) is a globally important disease which can spread to humans and other mammals and is therefore a notifiable disease – this means that if there is a suspicion of a case, then it must be reported immediately to DEFRA. Currently, the UK does not have any cases, but it is present in Europe and can be spread to backyard flocks by visiting wild birds. It’s important to keep an eye out for signs of the disease and maintain good biosecurity. If you see signs of ill-health in your birds, contact your vet as soon as possible. If you have more than 50 birds, you must by law register them with DEFRA, even if they are pets. This is to allow DEFRA to contact you if there is an outbreak. You can register your flock voluntarily if you have fewer birds than this. It’s not just humans that think chicken and duck is tasty – foxes and other predators like a takeaway as much as we do. Fox-proofing your poultry’s environment will save you some heartache and cleaning up the carnage left after a midnight raid. Rats are also attracted to poultry environments, so you also need to ensure your housing and feed storage is vermin-proof. Feeders are available that open when the weight of a bird is detected, helping to keep pests out of your feed. Fresh hen eggs don’t need refrigeration due to the protective membrane on the outside of the shell – unless you wash the eggs in which case the membrane will be compromised and then it’s best to keep them in the fridge. It would probably work out cheaper to just buy your eggs from the supermarket, but keeping poultry is not just about economics. Chickens all have individual personalities and can be great fun to get to know so maybe you should consider some poultry if you’re thinking of getting some new pets! kingstonvets.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 85
elizabethwatsonillustration.com 86 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Check our social media and website for details of our re-opening. www.oxleysc.com
Yeovil Sherborne & District
Join our team of amazing volunteers Volunteer with us To find out more and apply, visit
samaritans.org/volunteer Call 01935 414 015 Email yeovil@samaritans.org @Yeovilsams2 Samaritans of Yeovil, Sherborne & District is a registered charity.
LONDON ROAD CLINIC Health Clinic • Acupuncture • Osteopathy • Counselling • Physiotherapy • EMDR Therapy • Shiatsu • Podiatry and Chiropody • Soft Tissue Therapy, Sports & Remedial Massage Therapy
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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 sherbornetimes.co.uk | 87
Body & Mind
A FRESH START Sarah Hitch, The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms and The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre
A
s the key to a glowing and younger looking complexion, exfoliation rewards with countless benefits. Our skin is constantly shedding in a process known as desquamation and the role of an exfoliator is to mimic this process and help regulate it, as it slows down with ageing. Particularly important over the changing seasons, a good exfoliator will gently remove dead skin build-up, whilst nourishing and targeting any additional skin problems. By removing dead skin cells, the fresh living cells on the upper layer will absorb further products applied and get the maximum benefit from them. Plus, it eases congestion, creates a better base on which to apply make-up, smooths lines, brightens, refines skin texture and helps make-up to last longer. Regardless of skin type and gender, regularly using an exfoliator will work wonders as there is something positive to reap for every skin type. To maximise the benefits helps to understand which category of exfoliator works best for your skins needs and these can be split into two groups - physical and chemical. Physical exfoliation, as the name suggests, is a physical motion to detach the cells of the skin surface involving a rough grainy compound to abrade the surface. A scrub or polish type product will contain ingredients such as salt, seeds and grains, which are massaged into the skin usually with water to remove dead skin, dirt and debris associated with clogged pores. The effects of physical exfoliators can be intensified using tools such as a facial cleansing brush or body mitt, enabling the product to get deeper into the skin. Chemical exfoliators have an ability to work deeper into the epidermis, working on skin health and stimulating cell renewal. They use acids or enzymes to soften and dissolve the outer layers of the skin. The formulas can vary in strength and skin benefits but 88 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
Alina Kruk/Shutterstock
have a non-abrasive action. When using a chemical exfoliator, gradually building up the strength of the exfoliator as taking a progressive rather than aggressive approach pays dividends, particularly with retinol. A sensitive skin should start with a mild nonabrasive powder exfoliant with low levels of acids and enzymes to avoid irritation. For acne and congested skin, products with a salicylic acid base will dissolve build-up in the follicles, and for ageing and pigmentation concerns, both lactic acid and retinol
formulas speed up cell renewal, collagen production and hydration levels. Exfoliate a young skin every week to ten days. A mature skin with age-related concerns should use a chemical exfoliator twice a week to refine and rejuvenate. If the skin is tight, red and uncomfortable, it can be a sign of over-exfoliating or using too strong a product too quickly. Also, make sure that you are not exfoliating with something that is too rough and not intended for the face, as you can scratch or tear the epidermis.
Instead, use a scrub that contains rounded spherical grains to slough away and polish the dead skin without damaging the skin’s integrity. Suitable for every skin type, the benefits of facial exfoliator have never been easier to feel. It’s as simple to use as remembering to use it. A product sat on the bathroom shelf is never going to achieve its life goals! thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk margaretbalfour.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 89
Body and Mind
CYCLING SAFETY FOR NEW RIDERS Improving Routes for Cyclists Mike Riley, Riley’s Cycles Duncan Andison/Shutterstock
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ne of our cycle club members forwarded a social media message from the police about motorists giving cyclists enough room when overtaking. This caused a mixed reaction, but revealed some motorists are hostile to cyclists (quelle surprise!) One response said, ‘Stand close to the edge of the platform at a train station when an express train hurtles through at 60mph. It’s terrifying. This is what a cyclist experiences every time a motor vehicle passes by at less than 1.5 metres. Passing slow and wide reduces the chance of collision.’ During police operation ‘Close Pass’, Dorset Police advice to drivers was, ‘The Highway Code states that cyclists should ride within 0.75m of the kerb and that drivers should give 1.5m clearance to cyclists.’ They continued, ‘a lot of people don’t realise that they need to 90 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
leave so much space and drive far too close to cyclists. You also have to remember that the cyclists might have a wobble or need to avoid a drain or perhaps a pothole.’ Social distancing creates another dilemma. I try and move out into the road when approaching pedestrians, but it is tricky if a vehicle is coming up behind. I wear a one-piece neck tube, so I can pull it up over my nose and mouth as a mask when I have no choice but to pass close to someone. Safety
Helmet wearing is not compulsory in the UK and is a subject of debate. In the event of an accident, a helmet will give protection to the head. It is argued that in countries where helmets are not worn, motorists treat cyclists with more care and a cyclist wearing a helmet
gives a driver an excuse. My personal opinion is other factors affect drivers’ behaviour, such as legislation. • Wear clothing that is easily visible and avoid loose items that can catch in moving parts. • Lights are a legal requirement at night and helpful to show up in daytime. Most lights now are led types with long battery life or rechargeable batteries. • Check your bike is in good condition. Conduct pre-ride checks, e.g. tyres - condition and pressure; wheels secure and running freely, spokes intact; brakes working; forks not sloppy and handlebars tight; pedals and cranks attached correctly and tight. Coexisting with Other Road Users
The simplest guidance is to show the same courtesy and respect to other road and trail users as we expect towards ourselves. It really is a mutual understanding that is needed. Pedestrians
Use a bell to notify pedestrians you are approaching or call out and slow down. A nice bell’s tone can be a cheerful ‘hello’ not an impatient ‘ting ting’. My favourites are Japanese crane bells, which are well-made, using brass with a clear tone and elegant hand-painted Japanese designs. Be alert that pedestrians may be distracted on a mobile phone or wearing headphones and may step into the road without looking, so be prepared to stop. The Highway Code
Cyclists are permitted to ride 2 abreast but should go into single file on narrow roads. If the road is narrow, the motorist should wait until it is safe to pass and not squeeze past. Animals
When approaching horse riders, it is better to call out ‘hello’ and pass wide and slow, rather than to ring a bell. Dogs may be alarmed by a cyclist, so you should again call out and take care to avoid leads. When passing dogs, give them a wide berth and be prepared for them to bark or give chase – generally, they are just excited and harmless. Bike Maintenance
Servicing and cleaning will prevent problems, so you can enjoy your rides and keep the bike in safe condition. Keeping tyres at the correct pressure (marked on the
side of the tyre) will make riding easier, reduce risk of punctures and lessen damage to rims. Maintaining Routes
Sustrans volunteers help maintain routes and develop new ones. A group from Dorset Cyclist’s Network (DCN) have been working to create cycle paths on land that was purchased by one of their number; they have had to clear trees and undergrowth and create paths from scratch. There is a council pothole reporting website where you can send a picture of a pothole, its dimensions and location, so it can be repaired: bit.ly/2YGNnOB Improving Routes
Dorset Council has been awarded £577k and is now consulting to help residents with social distancing while travelling around towns, and in preparation for the restart after lockdown. You can make suggestions at: bit.ly/30OSkHY. There is also an interactive map where Dorset Council invite comments to help improve safety on our streets: bit.ly/2Y41puC Local Action Groups
I mentioned Sustrans in last month’s article and there are other national organisations, but for this article I focus on local groups: • Sherborne Transport Action Group (STAG) meet regularly to discuss transport matters. Contact the secretary, Peter Henshaw, by email at peterpodd@ yahoo.co.uk • Dorset Cyclist’s Network (DCN) promote cycling in Dorset and can be contacted via the local coordinator, Peter Henshaw, by email at sher@dcn.org.uk There are also several local cycling clubs which I have referred to in my article for the February edition of the Sherborne Times. I hope that if you have taken up cycling during lockdown, you will find this advice helpful. Perhaps you could possibly become involved with the groups mentioned, if not already. The more of us that use bikes regularly for errands, cycling to work as well as recreation, the more impetus there will be to improve cycle access on our roads. I also hope it gives you helpful pointers and insight into the etiquette to adopt with other road users and they in turn will understand the cyclists point of view better. rileyscycles.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 91
Body & Mind
ISOLATION AND LONELINESS Dee Swinton, Dorset Mind
Air Images/Shutterstock
92 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
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solation. It’s a word that we hear so often at Dorset Mind when people speak to us about their mental health. And it’s been a huge problem in all our lives these last few months, enforced upon us by the strict government restrictions regarding moving freely outside. One of the hardest challenges we’ve faced in lockdown is the lack of human contact and social situations. For people living alone or without family close by or in rural areas of the country, it’s been incredibly tough. Although we recognise that feeling lonely isn’t a mental health problem, it is a contributory factor usually triggered by life events or by certain times of the year. People who live with a long-term chronic illness, poor socio-economic circumstances or belong to minority groups are generally more vulnerable to loneliness. Older people and younger generations are also susceptible – our senior friends’ social circles get smaller as their friends and family pass, and young people can struggle to interact in real life, preferring to communicate via their phones and online platforms. But in lockdown, we’ve all experienced feelings of loneliness. This uncertain situation has ironically brought us together through our isolation. Imagine for just one moment if this was your ‘normal’ and you couldn’t get out due to social anxiety or extreme OCD. Would you cope? What would the lasting impact be on our communities if we spent an even longer exposure to being alone? As human beings, we crave social interaction and long periods of being alone and feeling isolated can impact on our mental health in a negative way. It also works the other way around – for some people, their mental health conditions can leave them with crippling loneliness and feeling distanced. According to Mind, loneliness is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, increased stress and a lack of sleep. So, what can we do about it? There are actions you can take for yourself, and some options that you might need a trusted friend or family member to help you access. Returning to society is important for our sense of worth but remember to take it slowly. If you’ve been alone for a long time, it can feel overwhelming to meet people again or open up to people for the first time. Don’t expect to jump straight in and feel immediately comfortable – why not join a class or group that are based on your hobbies or interests, these will have an element of familiarity to them.
We’re always looking for volunteers to work alongside us. It’s a great way for you to meet people in a safe and welcoming environment, plus we provide you with regular support from our team and the chance to help other people like you. One of our volunteers at our allotment scheme, The GAP Project, in Dorchester said recently: ‘I love volunteering at The GAP Project. I’m meeting new people, enjoying my time out in the fresh air, and learning a lot about how to grow plants!’ Taking that first step to reach out to someone can be daunting, but the benefits you’ll gain from starting your recovery journey will far outweigh the trepidation you might feel in doing so. If you need help to regain your confidence and return to society, we can help you. At Dorset Mind, we offer an accredited ‘befriending’ service. Usually, this takes the format of 1-2-1 support with a trained volunteer. For example, you might arrange to meet for a coffee or go for a walk, but we’ve had to adapt this service given the current restrictions. We’ve moved the majority of our support online or have re-designed them to be delivered by phone. It’s been very important to provide continuity in our support and befriending currently takes the format of a weekly phone call to check on your wellbeing. The impact of this service can be seen very clearly in some recent feedback we received from one of our service users: ‘I could not have hoped for a better befriender. He helped me tremendously in getting out to see places. I feel he has exceeded my expectations of what I anticipated a befriender could do.’ During lockdown, demand for our befriending service has rocketed – it’s up over 80%. We believe that many people have been adversely affected by factors such as loneliness and isolation alongside anxiety and stress. How to access befriending
If you’d like to find out more about Dorset Mind’s befriending service, please head to their website. dorsetmind.uk/help-and-support/befriending Service details were correct at the time of writing this article. Always check our online groups and services online before travelling and please stay away if you have COVID symptoms or have been advised to self-isolate. dorsetmind.uk/help-and-support sherbornetimes.co.uk | 93
Body & Mind
HEALTH IS WEALTH
Image: Stuart Brill
Craig Hardaker, BSc (Hons), Communifit
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hope you are all fit, strong, healthy and that you are continuing to stay safe. What a turbulent few months we have had! It is great to see the local businesses of Sherborne helping each other and riding the wave as one. We make a very powerful team, and together we are stronger. A massive thank you to everyone who has supported Communifit during these challenging times. We are pulling through and for those I haven’t been in contact with, I can’t wait until we meet again! Our online videos have been a huge success, with 94 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
over 1,800 views in 12 weeks! There is a huge demand for the videos and we shall continue to provide them – not only locally but also up and down the country. We do, however, understand a desperate need to restart our group exercise classes and I am determined to provide these as soon as possible. It is both what you want and expect from Communifit – and we will deliver more and more classes as soon as we can, ensuring it is safe to do so. With Government guidelines changing, June has enabled us to restart some small group training outside
for up to 6 people. Although it’s a bit different to welcoming groups of 25-30, as we were doing before lock-down, it’s a very welcome beginning. As I write this, and with government guidelines changing frequently, I am unsure what July will bring. I do know many of you are desperate to meet again and begin group training with a professional trainer, or with family and friends. We must, however, stay safe and follow government guidelines. Here are some key points to consider, if training without an experienced instructor: Choose your outdoor space wisely
If there isn’t enough room to train, find somewhere else. If the location you have chosen is too busy, go elsewhere. If you can’t exercise safely, it is best not to and rather wait for a time you can. Don’t share equipment
Exercise classes in Dorset and Somerset
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It is not worth sharing equipment. Unless you can use your own equipment, exercise without it. There are plenty of beneficial exercises to undertake without the use of equipment.
VIDEOS
Don’t play music
OUTDOOR TRAINING
Normally, I would say play music for motivation. For the time being, enjoy your time with friends and family. Talk, laugh and enjoy each others’ company. This social interaction is, by definition, absent from our online exercise classes. Social interaction plays an important role in exercise and at Communifit we have definitely missed it! Grid your space
If there are six of you, use markers to identify your space. It is all too easy to forget and get too close. Remember that at all times we must stay a minimum of two metres apart. In fact, Communifit’s outdoor social distancing procedures ensure a minimum of four metres between individuals… I hope these pointers are of value and help you to enjoy your exercises with others. Let’s train safe, have fun and enjoy each others’ company – it’s felt like a long time coming. If there is anything we can help you with, please do contact us! communifit.co.uk
Video packages available for Sit and Strengthen, Stand and Strengthen, Don’t Lose It, Move It! exercise classes. Watch on TV, laptop, computer your favourite exercise classes as often as you like.
If you are interested in an outdoor exercise class please contact us and we will try our very best to make this happen for you. Whether on your own, with a group, whatever the class, whatever your objective - we have you covered! We just need to know your interest.
BOOTCAMP COURSES
Strengthen, increase CV fitness, train hard, train smart. A range of bootcamp courses in multiple locations at different times and days of the week. We are constantly reviewing and following government guidelines to keep you safe.
PERSONAL TRAINING
Outdoor and online PT available to hit your specific objectives. We are continuing to follow government guidelines but are determined to keep you strong, physically and mentally
CONTACT T: 07791 308773 E: info@communifit.co.uk
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sherbornetimes.co.uk | 95
Body & Mind
FITNESS TRAINING ONLINE AND IN PERSON Simon Partridge BSc (Sports Science), Personal Trainer SPFit
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riting this article, at the start of June, week 11 of the lockdown, so much has changed. I would never have thought back in March, that I would be writing about coaching fitness online. However, for many people and indeed us at SPFit, this is now the norm and seems like we have always been doing it. We work online, shop online, date online – so why should exercising be any different? The pandemic has changed our daily routines, so it’s no surprise that online training has become the solution for so many. Clients now follow their training plans and do their workouts at home, using the equipment they have available. Another advantage of online training, particularly for beginners who are new to exercise, is that they often feel intimidated by the gym/class environment. We have clients in some of our Zoom classes who have turned their camera off. They can still see and hear me, but the rest of the class cannot see them. Perfect anonymity for some. We provide a workout program for every 1:1 and small group session, so everyone can record their reps etc. and, in this way, track their progress. We can then discuss on an individual basis. This is, without doubt, a fantastic tool for motivation and aid to hitting individual goals. Another unexpected benefit of online training is that clients have developed friendships with other people and shared experiences. Similarly, friends and family have been able to see each other and exercise together online. I am now training two old school friends I have 96 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
not seen for over 25 years, which is amazing. Questions to the trainer can be shared, as well as experiences and motivation. Online training can make clients feel part of a group. We have testimonials from new online participants saying they are proud to be part of our club. I am super proud of this myself. I am genuinely surprised by the camaraderie, group motivation and competition, in some cases, which can be developed online. However, this is all very well, but we are human and like different things. Online training will always lack that physical contact and human relationship. Many people do love the social aspect of actually being with each other. One of the main benefits of personal/small group training is getting clients to work out when they don’t particularly want to. Clearly, there are definite advantages to both online and in-person workouts and classes. Different people have different needs, desires and circumstances. But I now genuinely believe that by combining online with coaching my clients in person is what will really take their training to the next level in our new world and into the future. Hence, the Government’s announcement that we can now not only train individuals outdoors but in groups of 5 people was greeted with so much excitement, by so many in June. What will happen when you are reading this in July? Whatever we can do and whatever exercise you want to do, good luck, have fun, enjoy it and stay safe. spfit-sherborne.co.uk
CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME Jane Grimes, Massage and Scarwork Therapist, BTEC Level 6, London Road Clinic
Hakan Kiziltan/iStock
D
uring this period of enforced change to our day to day lives, I am sure a lot of you have added gardening, working from home, DIY, home schooling and other things to your days. Maybe working on computers in less than ideal conditions, or using hand tools that vibrate, often to the detriment of your bodies. I have been busy preparing and painting windows and doors - as a consequence I have been affected by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), waking in the morning with numb fingers, feeling like you have ‘fat fingers’ with pins and needles in the hand radiating proximally up the arm. These are some of the symptoms of CTS, the most common median nerve compression syndrome. The median nerve extends from the upper arm to the thumb. At the wrist, the nerve passes through the carpel tunnel, formed from the carpel bones and the strong transverse ligament, flexor retinaculum. CTS is a constellation of symptoms associated with compression of the median nerve at the wrist but as the median nerve travels distally from the top of the arm, the symptoms expressed can be wide ranging: from tingling, numbness, burning, itching in the palm, thumb and three fingers, to weakness, a tendency to drop things, reduced fine motor skills like doing up buttons, difficulty making a fist and tingling that moves up the arm. Radiating pain which increases when holding the steering wheel or a book or while you hold something with the wrist bent, are signs of CTS. No single cause has been identified in research.
Onset is usually slow, with symptoms progressively increasing. It is more prevalent in woman, especially during pregnancy and menopause. Also post injury or overuse of vibrating hand tools or extensive work with the hands, thyroid problems, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, all can be contributing factors. Having fluid retention and pressure on the retinaculum, tendinitis, swelling of the tendons can also have an impact and cause nerve ischemia. These symptoms can also be exasperated by trigger points (areas of hypersensitivity in muscles), entrapment of the brachial plexus and nerve entrapment such as thoracic outlet impingement. These need to be taken into consideration when treating, hence the fact that the back of the neck and shoulders are treated. In the initial stages of the condition, shaking your hand might help you feel better, but after some time it may not make the numbness go away. There are lots of options when it comes to treating CTS, from yoga to surgery. As the symptoms tend to come on slowly before getting worse, early intervention has been shown to slow or stop symptoms. I have found from experience that a combination of myofascial release, hot and cold stones, acupressure, stretching to reduce the inflammation and relax tense muscles, combined with self-care, have been shown to have lasting beneficial results. janegrimes.co.uk 56londonroad.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 97
Body & Mind
NIGHT, NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT!
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Dr Tim Robinson MB BS MSc MRCGP DRCOG MFHom GP & Complementary Practitioner
leep really is the great healer. Not only does it restore the body but also enables the repair of brain circuitry and reassessment of the day’s activities. Body tissues are repaired as we rest, and all the internal systems have a chance to rebalance. During sleep, melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain - this regulates the body’s hormonal and neuro-endocrine systems and is also a powerful antioxidant. Without regular quality sleep, all these processes will not be working optimally, which will have an adverse effect on physical, as well as mental, health. Ideally, we should sleep for 7-8 hours per night. This varies with age – babies sleep for 18 hours, whereas 75-year olds only need about 5. Through the night, the brain goes through ‘healing’ sleep cycles; a mix of deep ‘delta’ wave and lighter rapid eye movement ‘dream’ sleep. Sleeping tablets create artificial brain patterns that don’t have the same healing properties. More natural aides to sleep are achieved by taking the herb valerian, especially if an overactive mind is contributing to the problem – it can promote sleep by relieving anxiety and reducing muscle tension. This is contained in the herbal preparation Nytol, bought in the chemist. Sleep problems can range from difficulties dropping off to sleep, interrupted sleep and early morning wakening. There are many common sense measures that will tackle these problems. It goes without saying that we have the desire to sleep if we are tired, both physically and mentally – and so regular exercise in the day to match our mental exertion is important to enhance this need and ensure healthy sleep. The other simple measures are avoiding stimulants such as coffee and tea at bedtime. Alcohol may help to get you to sleep but it may make you want to get up to visit the loo in the night. Avoid a heavy meal near to bedtime, especially cheese which contains the stimulant tyramine. Try to establish a regular bedtime routine and don’t nap for too long in the daytime. Relaxing before bedtime with reading rather than watching a drama or thriller is sensible. Other measures are a soothing hot bath, maybe with lavender oil added and a bedroom that is not too cold or warm. Ear plugs may help block out distracting noises (and a partners’ snoring!) and an eye shield will be an effective black-out. Relaxation techniques such as the body scan, focusing on how the body feels working your way down from head to toe, aided by slow, deep breathing. Meditative techniques such as mindfulness or visualisation are helpful – listen to the Headspace app on your mobile phone – a brilliant way to unwind and release. If you do have insomnia or wake but can’t get back to sleep, don’t toss and turn, with your mind racing, becoming frustrated and angry – get up and read a boring novel for 30 minutes, perhaps with a mug of Ovaltine. I guarantee that you will drop off when you go back to bed! Good luck and sleep tight – and don’t let the bugs bite! doctortwrobinson.com glencairnhouse.co.uk
98 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
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sherbornetimes.co.uk | 99
Property
FORGING NEW PATHS Cath Rapley, Lodestone Property
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t’s four walls and a roof; a place where home happens. Yet, a house can also open unexpected doors, as ceramicist Elizabeth Adam discovered when she moved into a classic character cottage. People move house for all sorts of reasons: a growing family, a new job, a lifestyle change. And with all the planning, comes the romance; visions of how that new life will be and all that can be achieved, thanks to a change of address. Yet, events don’t always pan out as planned… Take ceramicist Elizabeth Adam and painter Denis Lansdell. Like so many others who spend years striving in cities, they eventually left London in 1989 for a house in the country – in their case, The Old Forge at Nether Compton, just outside Sherborne in Dorset. And like so many others who reach an age when they can give up the day job, they moved with the intention of pursuing 100 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
their lifelong passions, which for them was their art. This was their second marriage. Both in their sixties, Elizabeth had been widowed in 1970 and over the years that followed, her longstanding friendship with Denis matured into a marriage. Now they were looking for a fresh start, especially as they had just retired: him from teaching art, her from teaching languages. And as Elizabeth’s two daughters were in their forties, there was no need for a traditional family home, but rather a place to inspire and create. The Old Forge was just that – a picture-perfect, large L-shaped thatched cottage (which might have once been two) with four bedrooms and three quarters of an acre of land, in a place described in Pevsner’s Architectural Guide to Dorset, as ‘a stone village and one which rarely for Dorset, has some sense of formality.’ It’s quintessentially English, with an active
church (St Nicholas), home to all kinds of reassuring activities (in usual times), like flower-arranging. It’s no surprise that Bafta award-winning actress Kristin ScottThomas grew up in nearby Trent – she won her 1994 Bafta for her role in Four Weddings and a Funeral as a black sunglasses-wearing sophisticate at odds with the bucolic happiness of floral dresses and English country weddings. She had much to draw on. So, with its wide-ranging rural views of The Goodden Estate, which then housed a working butterfly farm (Princess Diana’s wedding dress was cut from silk made here), The Old Forge provided the ideal inspirational canvas, particularly because it included a former, separate coach house to the side of the building, which was to become the couple’s studio. As the 20th century French philosopher Gaston Bachelard wrote in his 1958 treatise, The Poetics of Space: ‘I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.’ Elizabeth and Denis retreated to their rural idyll and immersed themselves in creativity. Denis, who had taught Art and Design in Willesden in London, had also always been a talented painter, whose landscape oil paintings had often been exhibited in West London. Elizabeth, by contrast, was a self-taught artist who had honed her skills in ceramics, photography and painting at night school. They threw themselves into their creativity. Then sadly, just five years later, Elizabeth was unexpectedly alone. How did she cope? ‘Mum initially contemplated going back to Twickenham, where we had grown up,’ remembers Jenny Adams, Elizabeth’s younger daughter on FaceTime, who moved to the village in 1991. She is sitting with her elder sister, Cath, who moved to the area two years later. The sisters are now selling the house on Elizabeth’s behalf, as their mother is being cared for in a home nearby. ‘She had a hankering to be back near the River Thames. But as well as us being here, she also felt a responsibility to the village and the house. So, she stayed.’ Elizabeth became the heart of the village, throwing herself into supporting local events at the village hall, holding art workshops for visiting children from Chernobyl and joining local art groups like WESCA (Wessex Contemporary Artists). She also fell in love with local history. ‘The history of the house made mum feel very rooted to Nether Compton and Dorset,’ agrees Cath, who continues, ‘the house is on the site of a 17th Century forge which still exists. It’s very ramshackle
now, but the walls, roof and cobbled floor are still there. Mum was always talking about Oliver Cromwell’s horse,’ she laughs, referring to the story that Roundhead troops had had their horses shod at The Old Forge before the nearby Battle of Babylon Hill, although it’s very unlikely ‘Old Ironside’s’ horse was actually one of those. The forge continued to operate until the early 20th century and the sisters even have a photograph of a former resident, a blacksmith, standing outside the cottage. The garden is full of mature planting and heritage touches too, like a pond with bulrushes and lily pads and a Victorian glasshouse which, although needs repair, is beautiful. But it was Elizabeth’s ceramic talent that really blossomed after Denis died, as she found herself producing hundreds of ‘pots’ (as the sisters refer to them), making them by hand (she had a wheel but rarely used it) in her home studio. ‘The coach house is a wow place,’ enthuses Jenny, ‘It was, and still is, over two floors. When you entered, you were greeted with mum’s pots. Upstairs was used for artwork and over the last 20 years, there’s even been a regular life-drawing class up there.’ Elizabeth got to know renowned local potters and volunteered at the Alpha House Gallery in Sherborne, where she became an expert in ceramics. Elizabeth Adam’s own work exudes earthy charm, with their bold, confident shapes and muted colours, which seem to represent Elizabeth’s character. Eventually, some of her work sold for £300 plus, but the sisters think they should have sold for more. ‘Her art is good,’ says Cath, ‘but her ceramics are really brilliant. She could have made a lot of money from them.’ So, the move to Dorset and the protection of The Old Forge gave Elizabeth the space to explore other dimensions of herself, which she may not have had the chance to do if she had stayed where she was. Now it’s time to let the place go to new owners, who might also fall in love with it and grow within its walls. ‘I really hope the next owners appreciate the history of this house,’ says Cath, as Jenny nods in the background. ‘We’ll be very sad to see it go. But we know how much it can give.’ Maybe, as you sit here reading this, it could be you? lodestoneproperty.co.uk For further information about The Old Forge, please contact Simon Neville-Jones at Lodestone Property at: simon@lodestoneproperty.co.uk or call: 01747 442577 sherbornetimes.co.uk | 101
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102 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
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CONSIDERATIONS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL CARE REQUIREMENTS DURING COVID-19 Harriet Stanley, Later Life Support Team, Mogers Drewett
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hile social distancing measures are beginning to ease, many people are understandably still concerned about the safety of elderly or vulnerable relatives currently in care. For this reason, many care homes are continuing to monitor the requirements and restrictions around home visits and encouraging relatives to continue their contact with loved ones via phone or video calls. But what should family members do if they have a relative needing care support for the first time? Firstly, if you need to arrange a package of care at this time, don’t worry; many care homes are still permitted to accept new residents, so there are options available. Understandably though, to protect both new and existing residents, there are a number of procedures in place. Prior to government recommendations, most care homes had been quick to introduce rigorous measures to protect residents from the outbreak, including restrictions on external visitors, ramping up of hygiene procedures, extra training for staff and the requirement that new residents isolate for seven days. In some cases, staff have even moved into homes full-time to provide regular care for residents and to limit the risk of the virus being brought in from outside. Where all care homes have been affected to varying degrees, creating a list of potential care home options is a good first step to locating the right level of support you need. When identifying a list of homes, it is first recommended to check whether new residents are 104 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
accepted and to understand if they have experienced any cases of Covid-19 and how they are currently dealing with it. As it is a possibility you will be unable to visit a care home prior to a relative moving in, you should expect any questions and a tour to be completed via phone or a video call, where homes will be well prepared for this. When it comes to moving in, if your relative is being transported from hospital, they will have been tested for Covid-19, otherwise there will be a temperature check for fever before being admitted. If your relative tests positive for Covid-19, providing the residential home can still allow entry, a period of isolation will be enforced. Visitors may also be restricted to one at a time, with one family member potentially being permitted to help with the move. Where small things can go a long way, checking in with the care home on items that can be brought in before the move and making a list of a few things you’d like to include, will help relatives feel more at home and settled. If you need help locating suitable long or short-term care providers, we recommend considering the expertise of a local legal team who can provide end-to-end support, from helping with initial assessments and care home lists, to providing practical and empathetic advice for you or your loved ones. mogersdrewett.com
EXPERT LAWYERS ON YOUR SIDE, AT YOUR SIDE. Forward-thinking legal advice on your doorstep Sherborne | Bath | Wells | Frome mogersdrewett.com | 01935 813 691
Finance
HE WHO HESITATES…
Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.) CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS, Certified and Chartered Financial Planner, Fort Financial Planning
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ometimes, the hardest part of becoming financially well organised is getting started. Sometimes, we become paralysed by the ceiling of complexity – not knowing where to start because there are so many choices – that we end up doing nothing. When it comes to investing, people miss out on years of stock market gains because they can’t decide when is the right time to get invested. Years later, they end up kicking themselves for waiting so long and suffering through the constant debate of ‘is now the right time?’ When it comes to spending money, we hear stories of how people save, save, save their entire life and are too afraid to spend any money when the time comes. The fear of losing money, or spending money on something and it not living up to your expectations, can stop us in our tracks. Some people don’t want to take part in the financial planning process because they’ll think they are trapped by the results, or they’ll feel like they can’t spend their money. Financial planning shouldn’t make you feel trapped; financial planning should make you feel empowered – empowered to make educated decisions, take charge of your life, and move forward with confidence. ‘Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering.’ This speaks to the pain brought on by indecision and not knowing where you stand. When it comes to financial decisions, waiting (saving money) can be painful, forgetting (moving on from a mistake) can also be painful, but being in a state of ‘I don’t really know’ is the worst. This isn’t a suggestion to spend all your money right now and deal with the consequences later. It’s an idea to help you understand that not knowing what state your finances are in is the worst kind of suffering. There are some people who refuse to even look at their bank accounts. They don’t want to know. Plenty of times, we’ve had people come to FFP saying ‘I’m a mess financially,’ and once they actually sit down and look at the numbers, they realise ‘wow, this isn’t as bad as I thought.’ The emotional nightmare and constant worrying of ‘am I going to be okay?’ is much worse than looking at your bank accounts every so often. Even if you’re in rough shape, at least you know where you stand and can work on improving. Being financially well organised and knowing you’ll be ok – in all circumstances – often enables people to get on with enjoying their lives. ffp.org.uk
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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
FFP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Telephone: 01935 813322 Email: info@ffp.org.uk Website: www.ffp.org.uk
AHEAD IN THE CLOUD Our real-time cloud accounting solutions present you with a full picture of your financial position 24/7, allowing you to proactively plan and respond ahead of tax deadlines. For a fresh take on your accounts, speak to Hunts
T: 01935 815008 E: info@huntsaccountants.co.uk W: huntsaccountants.co.uk @Hunts_Sherborne The Old Pump House, Oborne Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3RX
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Competitively Priced, High Quality Carpets, Vinyls, Woods & Rugs SHERBORNE SHOWROOM NOW OPEN Unit 12, Old Yarn Mills, Westbury, Sherborne, DT9 3RQ A family run business established in 1998, we promise a highly professional level of service Tel: 07733 101064 or 01935 817885 www.lsflooring.co.uk
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Short Story
ON THE BEACH
A
Jan Pain
s a babe in arms, I must have gone to the seaside, given that my paternal grandmother lived in Torquay, but I have no recollection of being taken to a beach until I was about ten years old. The war intervened and although during that time we visited a great aunt on the Essex coast. I only have a vague memory of a pounding, grey North Sea, rolls of barbed wire stretching the width of the bay and a disturbing notice: Beware, mines. Because of my father’s Devon roots and love of his boyhood county, it was only natural, post-war, that we should head to his familiar haunts. In a Ford 8, we would leave our suburban home in Surrey at around 7am to face the tedious journey of over two hundred miles, achieved in a day with my father at the wheel, to our destination in the South Hams. We resembled a travelling circus – Mother, Father, my little brother and me all squashed into our ‘Tin Lizzie’ with a fortnight’s luggage comprising two suitcases, picnic basket, buckets, spades, shrimping nets and, most remembered of all, an unpredictable Primus stove. My mother, ever anxious, always anticipated we children would suffer from motion sickness, unused as we were to car travel. Somewhere along the twisty A30, we unfailingly and obligingly threw up. I don’t think my parents subscribed to the notion that it was better to travel hopefully than to arrive, soon exhausted by we children interminably enquiring if ‘we were nearly there yet.’ Our final landmark on the journey was the broach spire of a village church, after which we descended steep and narrow Devon lanes, bordered by banks of hart’s tongue fern, glistening with the dampness from mini waterfalls draining the fields. Then, at last, we glimpsed the thatched roof of the cottage in the combe: our
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holiday destination. Our arrangements with our hostess were B & B and an evening meal with a packed lunch thrown in, if requested. The day after our arrival, if it was fine, my father flatly refused to take the car out again, having manoeuvred it into a restricted parking space in the lane. So, unless it poured with rain, every morning raring to go after a cooked breakfast, our ritual would be a long walk to the beach. The travelling circus of the journey now gave way to packhorses, laden down as we were with a groundsheet, swimming towels, all the beach paraphernalia and our sandwiches wrapped in greaseproof paper. Thankfully, a Thermos flask took the place of the spluttering Primus. The end of our long trudge did not reveal a vista of golden sand but, as we approached the estuary, a narrow path lay ahead of us, a vertiginous slope down which we slithered to be rewarded by the sight of a perfectly sheltered cove in which several families were already gathered. Having marked our territory with the unfurled groundsheet, my father would glance around and declare, ‘Let’s get cracking!’ This directive meant that we children rallied for at least half an hour as my father’s eccentric whim was to rid the beach of its litter before we could settle down for the day. My little brother, in his hand-knitted dusky pink bathing suit, and I were dispatched to gather any combustible waste: carelessly discarded sweet wrappers, cigarette ends, rotted pieces of rope and fishing nets, scraps of newspaper and cardboard, in fact anything that would burn. Meanwhile, my father would select a suitable site for a bonfire at the top of the beach where the sand gave way to pebbles and dry driftwood. Without fail, this exercise attracted hordes of other children who also raced round foraging for anything that would be consumed by the flames, eagerly awaiting the conflagration. As he retrieved some Bryant & May’s from his trouser pocket and struck a match, the pile of rubbish caught, and within a matter of minutes it was all over. No adult ever challenged him in what could have been construed as an anti-social exercise with the smoke of the short-lived fire wafting over the beach. The ashes were buried deep in the sand as our spades were at last put to use. It is only in recent years that I have come to think of my father as a pioneer environmentalist and wonder how he would regard the damage to our oceans from plastic waste. It is interesting to reflect, too, that in the late forties this material did not feature in our collection of beach detritus. As for the cove where we learnt to swim, fished the rock pools and dropped our sandwiches in the sand, the access is now barred and the foliage so overgrown one wouldn’t know there had ever been a path. From the estuary, no doubt, it can still be glimpsed as one sails out to sea, but it is as lost as our childhoods, and our pristine beach a far memory.
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GARDEN &
YogaSherborne
PLANTING DESIGN
Classes online and outside studio@ vanessaboal. co.uk 07815 742 510 01963 363749
WWW.VANESSABOAL.CO.UK
• Small classes and 1-1’s • Hatha Yoga • Relaxation and guided meditation Contact Dawn for more details 07817 624081 @yogasherborne hello@yogasherborne.co.uk Yoga Alliance qualified teacher
MAY SOLUTIONS
ACROSS 1. Paradise garden (4) 3. Spherical (8) 9. Cleaned (of feathers) (7) 10. Transmits (5) 11. Dispirited (12) 14. Support for a golf ball (3) 16. Barely sufficient (5) 17. Zero (3) 18. Thriftily (12) 21. Clean thoroughly; vegetation (5) 22. Quivering singing effect (7) 23. Exactly on time (informal) (2,3,3) 24. Wheel that moves a ship's rudder (4) 112 | Sherborne Times | July 2020
DOWN 1. Speed up (8) 2. Levels out (5) 4. Was in first place (3) 5. Wearing glasses (12) 6. Portable lamp (7) 7. Prickly plant with fragrant flowers (4) 8. Not guided by good sense (12) 12. Kingdom (5) 13. Recreational area for children (8) 15. Extract (7) 19. Not tight (5) 20. Capital of Norway (4) 22. Excessively (3)
Literature
LITERARY REVIEW Jan Pain, Sherborne Literary Society
To War with the Walkers, by Annabel Venning (Hodder & Stoughton 2019) £20.00 (hardback)
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Sherborne Times Reader Offer Price of £19.00 from Winstone’s Books
y the law of averages, one would not have expected all six siblings of the remarkable Walker family to have come through the vicissitudes of the second world war almost unscathed. With only seven years between the youngest and the eldest, all were eligible for service and by 1945, each had survived. There is a helpful mini biography at the beginning of the book, putting them in context, together with evocative black and white photographs. Their story is told through the eyes of the granddaughter of the second son, Walter. Their family upbringing was solidly middle class with all four boys attending Blundell’s School, Tiverton. The high standards set by their parents, former tea planters in Assam, did much to shape the people they became; intrepid, emotionally resilient and brave, with an underlying desire to serve their country. This patriotism is captured throughout, as the author unpicks their characters in an easy, familiar style, which enables the reader to engage in their individual stories. The youngest, carefree son, Harold, was a medical student who, with his sister Ruth, a Nightingale Nurse, survived the Blitz at St. Thomas Hospital, both being pulled from the rubble. By contrast, the older glamorous sister, Bee, married an American based in London, only to lose him later in a plane crash, leaving her with a baby daughter. But it is the minute detail portrayed in the lives of the three soldier brothers that resonates most and there
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is much contemporary evidence on which Venning has drawn. It would have made uncomfortable research for the author with graphic descriptions of the atrocities witnessed by both Walter, a CO of a Gurkha regiment, and his brother, former tea planter, Peter. The latter was captured after the fall of Singapore and, as a POW, sent to work on the infamous Thai-Burma Death Railway. The eldest son, Edward, as Commanding Officer of the 1st Jaipur Infantry, was involved in fierce fighting as the Allies pushed up through Italy at the German retreat. Both Edward and Walter were awarded the DSO, an honour later somewhat resented by Peter whose POW status made him part of ‘the forgotten army’. Throughout, their parents had stoically accepted that their children might never return. With all their lives irrevocably altered by 1945, their story is satisfyingly concluded with their post-war histories. Alexander Ross, the boys’ former headmaster at Blundell’s (later head of Sherborne School) had kept in touch with their father. On hearing of their survival, he wrote: ‘It embodies all the characteristics and services of what I believe is one of the finest families in England. I only wish to goodness there were more like it in both quality and quantity. That’s the sort of thing that is really the backbone of the Empire.’ This is a true story of resilience and hope, and an inspiring read in our current circumstances.
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PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Deacon Jonathan Simon, Roman Catholic Church of St. Aldhelm and the Sacred Heart
T
o manage the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has tried to set rules that will keep us as safe as possible and that will be fair, while being practical about the economy, plus our personal and social wellbeing. So far, so good. But, each of us lives within our own particular life circumstances. Some live alone, some with children or teenagers, or both children and teenagers. Others are living with vulnerable relatives. Then there is work; some are retired, some can work from home, some are able to go to work, some have lost their work through no fault of their own. There are so many other variables as well. In fact, most of the circumstances of our lives are different from our neighbours’. The person next door may have the same home circumstances as you, but their age, work, health, and financial position may make a huge difference to how they have experienced lockdown. Some of us have found the lockdown to be relatively painless; for others, it has been extremely hard. Some have managed to keep to the rules, some have found it too challenging. Mostly, people have responded as constructively as we can in our circumstances. Each of us has had to work with the rules in our own personal and communal lives as best we can. As we gradually move back to a more ‘normal’ way of life, which may turn out to be a very different ‘normal’ in various ways, we have the opportunity to think about our lockdown experience; it has been so new and so strange for all of us. We each have a chance to think about how the lockdown has affected the environment, our shopping habits, and our social interactions. We have the chance to look at what we found difficult and what we found rewarding. We can reflect on our personal responses to the challenges. We can look at the news of how others have been experiencing lockdown, and perhaps get new insights into the difficulties and challenges of other people’s lives. We can think about what we have seen and heard that has excited and inspired us; what others have done that we would like to imitate. We have an opportunity to apply these changes in the way we move forward. In the ordinary daily lives of health workers, those in the NHS and in care homes, we have seen wonderful examples of how the actions of ordinary people working together can make a huge difference to the lives of other individuals and to our society as a whole. The example of Captain Sir Tom Moore demonstrates just how significant the small actions of one person can be. No-one expects me, or you, to change the world on our own; all of my actions do count, and so do everyone’s. plymouth-diocese.org.uk
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TATLER SCHOOLS AWARDS 2020 ‘BEST HEAD OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL’
Green by name and nature
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