Sherborne Times July 2022

J ULY 2022 | FREE

A MONTHLY CELEBR ATION OF PEOPLE, PLACE AND PURVEYOR

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sherbornetimes.co.uk

WELCOME

I

magine knowing that at any given moment, whatever you might be doing – whether you’re at work, having dinner with friends, on the school run or in the supermarket – you could be required to drop everything, immediately, and rush to save someone’s life.

To be forever slightly on your toes is to be an on-call firefighter. The men and women of Sherborne Fire Station have day jobs, families, demands and responsibilities but when duty calls, dinners go cold. We meet them during drills on a Wednesday evening and learn what it takes to join their ranks.

Paul Maskell meanwhile, takes us back to the fine art of recording the Top 40 on a Sunday and the joy-cum-misery of lovelorn teenage mixtapes.

Gillian Nash introduces us to a truly massive moth, Paul Newman plays his part in the creation of Chelsea’s award-winning rewilding garden and, while a busy bee may know no sorrow, the show takes its toll on Paula Carnell.

Elsewhere, a farmer meets a grisly end, the sharks are circling at Sherborne Rugby Club and in wanting to mention our many food and drink writers, I’ve realised that we have our very own brigade de cuisine.

Have a great month.

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

CONTRIBUTORS Izzy Anwell

Craig Hardaker

Editorial and creative direction Glen Cheyne

Dorset Mind

Communifit

Ian Bartle

Dawn Hart

Design Andy Gerrard

Sherborne Primary School

YogaSherborne

Crispin Black

Rachel Hassall & Laura McCormick

Sherborne Literary Society

Sherborne School

Photography Katharine Davies Feature writer Jo Denbury Editorial assistant Helen Brown

Adrian Bright

Andy Hastie

ReBorne Community Church

Yeovil Cinematheque

Richard Bromell ASFAV

Mike Hewitson MPharm

Social media Jenny Dickinson

Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

FFRPS FRSPH MRPharmS

Illustrations Elizabeth Watson

Mike Burks

Print Stephens & George Distribution team Barbara and David Elsmore The Jackson Family David and Susan Joby Mary and Roger Napper Mark and Miranda Pender Claire Pilley Joyce Sturgess Ionas Tsetikas Paul Whybrew

The Abbey Pharmacy The Gardens Group

James Hull The Story Pig

David Burnett The Dovecote Press

Chris Kampf Chris Kampf Garden Sculptures

Paula Carnell Peter Littlewood BA (Hons), Cindy Chant

FRSA, Cert Mgmt (Open) Young People’s Trust for the Environment

Michela Chiappa Chris Loder MP Kate Chidley Paul Maskell Paul Collins David Copp

The Beat and Track Nick Mowat Yeovil & Sherborne Hockey Club

John Crossman

1 Bretts Yard Digby Road Sherborne Dorset DT9 3NL 01935 315556 @sherbornetimes info@homegrown-media.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk

Sherborne Food Bank Rosie Cunningham

Gillian Nash Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS

Katie Ellery

Newton Clarke Veterinary Partnership

Sherborne Sharks Girls Rugby Mark Pender James Flynn

Sherborne Art Club

Milborne Port Computers Julia Skelhorn Sherborne Times is printed on an FSC® 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 2022

Mat Follas

Sherborne Scribblers

Bramble Restaurant Jack Smith & Charlotte Ferris Simon Ford

The Green Restaurant

Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.)

Val Stones

CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS Fort Financial Planning Nico & Chrystall Goodden

Emma Tabor & Paul Newman Simon Walker Mogers Drewett Solicitors

82 6

Art & Culture

JULY 2022 72 Antiques

128 Finance

18 What’s On

74 Gardening

130 Tech

22 Community

82 Sherborne Fire Station

134 Short Story

36 Family

92 Food & Drink

136 Crossword

50 Science & Nature

106 Animal Care

137 Literature

64 On Foot

112 Body & Mind

138 Pause for Thought

68 History

124 Legal

We are looking to expand our portfolio

With a local and enthusiastic team, Dorset Hideaways are well placed to make the process of sharing your holiday home easy and enjoyable.

We are dedicated to managing your property with the same care and attention you would and with tailored services to suit your needs, you can be involved as much or as little as you like.

01929 448 708 newowners@dorsethideaways.co.uk dorsethideaways.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 5

Art & Culture

ARTIST AT WORK

No.44 Chris Kampf, Small Spiral Fern, 68cm x 40cm x 30cm, oiled steel on oak, £230 (available in several sizes)

I

have been designing and making sculptures since the 90s. My early work involved cartoon animals welded in steel. While I still weld, I now create an increasing selection of larger-than-life plants.

Inspiration from hedgerows and local gardens has led to an array of sculptures including snowdrops, ferns, teasels and grasses.

The majority of orders come via the internet and exhibitions, and have come from as far as the US and Australia. However, I have had several larger projects with councils in Scotland and Lincolnshire. Perth Parks have a ‘forest’ of my cow parsleys and a specially commissioned shell, referred to in local folk law, which contained a large pearl.

Growing Giants public art project is an initiative to install a number of outdoor artworks from several 6 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

artists, along a footpath in the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire to celebrate the unique landscape and heritage of the area. I designed five large plants which were installed this spring. I am currently working on new work for an exhibition at East Lambrook Manor Gardens, starting in July.

Ferns are a true inspiration, particularly this time of year, as they unfurl at some pace.

Chris will be taking part in this year’s Somerset Art Weeks, 24th Sept - 9th Oct ckgardensculptures.co.uk @chris_kampf somersetartworks.org.uk

THE DORSET OPERA

MMXXII

The home of Country House opera in South West England featuring renowned soloists and full orchestra

Marquee bar | Picnics | Formal Dining Giacomo Puccini

MANON LESCAUT 25, 28, 30 July at 19:00 | Matinée 27 July at 14:00 Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

THE MAGIC FLUTE 26, 27, 29 July at 19:00 | Matinée 30 July at 14:00 Sung in English with surtitles

Coade Theatre, Bryanston, Blandford Forum

Box Office: dorsetopera.com 07570 366 186

Art & Culture

ON FILM Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque

A

nd so this month we reach the final film in our 38th season at Cinematheque, a supposed nine-month programme which started full of promise in September 2019. We had some exceptional films booked, membership was on the rise, with a great venue in the Swan Theatre, then, in March 2020 – bang – coronavirus hit, lockdown followed, and everywhere shut. So here we are, just short of three eventful years later, reaching our last film before the summer break.

On 6th July we screen the Danish thriller The Guilty (2018). With a similar format to the earlier Locke (2013), a rather gripping British real-time car journey starring Tom Hardy setting out from a construction site in Birmingham to return to London. He leaves in high spirits, but after 90 minutes and a few phone calls later his life has unravelled to a point where he no longer knows whether he still has a job, a marriage or a future.

The whole film takes place inside the car.

8 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

The Guilty is claustrophobically filmed with a static camera on the face of Asger Holm, a police officer at a drab emergency services call centre in Copenhagen. A woman, Iben, phones the emergency line and it appears that she has been kidnapped. It soon becomes apparent however, that Asger is dealing with a crime that is far bigger than he first thought, and just a handful of phone conversations turn events into a nerve-shredding unfolding crisis, happening somewhere else entirely.

With a music-free soundtrack, it is the brilliantly acted – the details on Asger’s face portraying the horror we can hear but can’t see. This film will not keep you on the edge of your seat – you will be hanging off it, clinging on by your fingertips!

The Guilty won the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was short-listed for Best Foreign Language film at the 91st Academy Awards. We now have the Hollywood remake of course, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, but this is the one to see.

FRANCIS BOWYER ROBERT E. WELLS 24th June – 13th July, 2022

ROBERT E. WELLS

COASTGUARDS

FRANCIS BOWYER

BY THE FERRY

Jakob Cedergren as Asger in The Guilty (2018)

‘A flat-out brilliant film’ The Guardian, ‘Superb’ The Observer.

A great film then to finish off the season. Let’s hope that with our new programme of titles to start in September/October everyone will be more relaxed about being in an auditorium with others. We will announce which films have been chosen over the next couple of months, but if you want to find out, or contact us about Cinematheque, do go to our website below.

We would love to hear from you. cinematheque.org.uk swan-theatre.co.uk

www.jerramgallery.com

___________________________________________ Wednesday 6th July 7.30pm The Guilty (2018) Cinematheque, Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT Members £1, guests £5

THE JERRAM GALLERY Half Moon Street, Sherborne, 01935 815261 Dorset DT9 3LN info@jerramgallery.com Tuesday – Saturday

___________________________________________ sherbornetimes.co.uk | 9

Art & Culture

CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT Rosie Cunningham

Dame Vanessa Redgrave as Mrs Higgins and Amara Okereke as Eliza Doolittle. Image: Marc Brenner 10 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

M

y Fair Lady is on at the London Coliseum, a magnificent production in an incredibly beautiful setting, first time back on a London stage for twenty-one years. This production is fresh from Broadway where it played to packed audiences who came to listen to ‘real’ English accents.

Amara Okereke plays Eliza Doolittle, with an outstanding voice which completely fills the auditorium, to Harry Hadden-Paton’s Henry Higgins, who capers around the stage like a mad professor. Vanessa Redgrave is Henry’s mother and, although rather frail, is strong of voice with a gimlet look and an air of no-nonsense.

The costumes are sublime, particularly the hats for the Ascot scene, some of which were towering frothy cakes of confection which looked likely to topple at any moment. Most members of the audience were pretty much word-perfect for many of the big songs, possibly recalling the 1964 film starring Aubrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. This is a family outing and will not disappoint. It is really worth going early to admire the interior of the Coliseum with its golden chariots and Roman statues and it is a little-known fact that you can book a glorious ‘high tea’ there to enjoy before the performance. On until 27th August.

I went to the Theatre Royal Bath recently with a friend to see Catch Me if You Can, combining a wonderful day of shopping with a matinée performance.

Just perfect. This classic Broadway thriller starred Patrick Duffy (yes, he of Dallas fame) and his wife, Linda Purl. The play was entertaining and the twist at the end was completely unexpected but what was most intriguing was Mr. Duffy. He was the only one on stage with a body mic because he rather famously has

a soft whispering voice and, as my friend pointed out, wasn’t trained to project his voice like most theatrical performers. I did feel that Mr. Duffy needed a lie down by the end of the play. Theatre Royal Bath does have some excellent plays coming up with the Girl from the North Country, music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, and The Doctor with Juliet Stevenson, both highly recommended.

To Kill a Mockingbird is on at the Gielgud Theatre and is based on Harper Lee’s story of racial injustice, set in Alabama in 1934. The novel has sold over 45 million copies over the 62 years since publication. It is an enduring story that still holds ramifications in today’s world. Rafe Spall plays Atticus Finch, the man who defends Tom Robinson on a charge of rape, and he produces an electrifying and mesmerising performance.

The children, Scout, Jem and Dill, are played by adults which at times was a bit off-putting as they galloped around the stage but other minor parts such as Poppy Lee Friar who played Mayella Ewell, the rape victim, were excellent. This is a powerful adaptation by Aaron Sorkin and is one of the best plays on in the West End this year. On until 13th August.

Dorset Art Weeks was an excellent opportunity to get out and about and I found an amazing ceramist called Polly Cazalet who does the most beautiful and unique furled single-flower vases. I found it so hard to choose, that I bought three of them! Do visit her site to have a look. londoncoliseum.org theatreroyal.org.uk gielgudtheatre.co.uk pollycazalet.co

EM_ST.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2022 13:19 Page 1

The Electric Broom Cupboard presents

Orchard Popfest

South Somerset The Monochrome Set • The June Brides • The Chesterfields Helen McCookerybook • The Rhynes • The Leaking Machine • Palooka 5 Saturday 16 July 2022 DJ Johnny Dee • DJ Alan Flint • DJ Andrew Perry

North Down Farm, Crewkerne, TA18 7PL • Gates 12noon, live music from 2pm, curfew 11pm Bar and food • Tickets from Eventbrite: £20 / under 16s free / camping £10 sherbornetimes.co.uk | 11

Art & Culture

James Budden painting Alex Cree

THE SHERBORNE OPEN ART EXHIBITION

A

Mark Pender, Sherborne Art Club

fter a gap of three years, it is exciting to think that Sherborne’s Open Art Exhibition is happening again. Run by Sherborne Art Club, this well-loved and highly regarded show was last held in 2018 and, indeed, events since then raised fears that it might not take place again. With the previous 12 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

committee having stepped down and the club itself effectively dormant for three years, the venture has been re-launched this year with the planning, organisation and entries being taken under the wings of Sherborne Arts.

So many people have said how glad they are that the ‘Sherborne Open’ has returned. Those readers who

remember previous shows will know that it was one of the best quality, most prestigious open exhibitions in the West Country, supported by and exhibiting the work of many of the region’s top artists as well as a host of accomplished amateurs and attracting visitors from far afield.

Things have definitely moved on since I found myself chairman of a committee of one after a conversation with ex-chair Sarah White early in 2021 and my most sincere thanks are due to James Budden’s Sherborne Arts for stepping in and providing both support and a framework to get things off the ground.

Thanks also to those many people who have now come forward to volunteer their help with hanging, stewarding and other jobs and to those local businesses who have provided their support.

Local solicitors Mogers Drewett have agreed to sponsor the exhibition overall. Their assistance has hugely underpinned our efforts and given us enormous confidence in our endeavour. As part of this sponsorship, they have generously offered to fund £200 to the winner of the main artist prize, the ‘Judges’ Choice’.

We would also very much like to thank the other businesses who are providing a prize for artists and in several cases also providing additional sponsorship.

Castle Gardens (The Gardens Group) and Old Barn Framing Gallery have previously been linked to the show and we are pleased to have them with us again, donating the prizes for oils and watercolours respectively.

Other prizes come from Charterhouse Auctioneers (dry media – pastel, pencil, chalk etc), The Eastbury Hotel (two prizes for second and third in the Judges’ Choice), estate agents Knight Frank (acrylic and mixed media) and Sherborne Arts themselves (the prize for the work of art voted their favourite by visitors to the show).

The exhibition takes place in the newly refurbished Digby Hall, Hound St, Sherborne from Saturday 23rd to Sunday 31st July and, with the exception of Sunday 31st when it closes at 2pm, is open from 10am to 5pm every day. Admission is free.

At the time of writing, based on the huge interest already shown and on the numbers that we have from 2018, we anticipate exhibiting up to 400 pictures and sculptures and there will also be unframed folio ‘browsers’ for sale. The judges will have a difficult job. Work selected will be chosen for quality but also variety and diversity in all aspects – style, medium, theme and, of course, subject matter, to make an interesting, balanced and attractive whole. Visitors will certainly find something to please

"We anticipate exhibiting up to 400 pictures and sculptures" them and, with prices set over a large range and hidden bargains in the browsers, there will be something to suit the pockets of all those looking to buy.

Having re-established the show this year, our aim over time is to develop it into something bigger, bolder and yet still true to the huge wealth of artistic talent and ability that exists in Sherborne and its surrounding area. The Open is part of Sherborne’s artistic culture but also the town’s fundamental persona and the objective is for it to be a key part of the regeneration of the town, post-pandemic and post-economic downturn. These are difficult times and with the demise of Artslink and the termination of The Paddock Project, Sherborne’s art scene now deserves some good news. With increased ties to local businesses and an intention as we progress to introduce linked events and activities, in time more of a ‘festival’ approach may be encouraged.

The exhibition is open to all artists to enter, with work being selected by a panel of independent, regionally well-known judges. This year for the first time we are allowing entries to be submitted on handin day, although we are encouraging artists to register online first (through the Sherborne Arts web address below) so that they receive a ‘fast-track service’. That, for example, allows artists’ labels to be printed out and saves them from completing an entry form. We hope this will generate a more exciting and spontaneous entry and maybe encourage a wider and more diverse group of artists. If you are reading this before 16th July there is still time to enter although please make sure the paint has dried before arrival! Full instructions for entry and presentation of work are on the website and we are all too happy to answer any queries and to provide any advice to make submission easy.

If you would like to join the team for an enjoyable time hanging, stewarding or whatever, we always welcome volunteers so please get in touch.

Make a note in your diary. The Sherborne Open Art Exhibition is indeed open again!

For further details and entry instructions visit sherbornearts.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 13

Sherborne Art Club & are pleased to announce the return of the

Sherborne Open Art Exhibition 2022 At the Digby Hall, Hound St, Sherborne DT9 3AA Sat 23rd - Sun 31st July 10am - 5pm (2pm on the 31st) Free Admission

Open to all, this juried exhibition celebrates the wealth and variety of visual arts in the region.

From pastime to profession, the Sherborne Open has welcomed artists to share their creations since 1931.

Enjoy a huge range of artwork, with the opportunity to buy an original piece, and nominate your favourite for the ‘Viewer’s Choice’, one of the many prizes for artists.

Laurence Belbin ‘Summer Evening’

All entry details are available at www.sherbornearts.org Artists: The exhibition is open for entry until hand-in closes. If you choose, you can register your entries in advance for faster hand-in on the day. The details and conditions of entry, and the simple online submission form can all be found at www.sherbornearts.org Hand in days: Fri 15th July 1pm - 6pm Sat 16th July 10am - 1pm

With thanks to our main sponsor

Art & Culture

COUNTER CULTURE Paul Maskell, The Beat and Track

No.11 The Rise of the Cassette

thenatchdl/Shutterstock

I

t’s a format that is treated with much derision but is making a steady comeback. No doubt nostalgia is a major factor in the regained popularity of this outdated and long-forgotten format for music. While nowhere near the levels of the vinyl record, cassettes have experienced ever-increasing sales over the past five years. In 2021 over 190,000 cassettes were sold in the UK which is a 20% increase on the previous year.

Introduced in the late 60s/early 70s, the cassette 16 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

was made as a more mobile compact alternative to the reel-to-reel format and the 8-tracks popular in cars.

The cultural explosion for the cassette took place in the late 70s and early 80s with the production of the ‘Boom Box’ and the Sony Walkman. Once systems were able to give good quality stereo sound the popularity of the very portable and compact nature of the cassette grew to become an important support to the vinyl record.

I have memories as a child, no doubt very similar

to yours, of recording the top 40 from the radio on a Sunday night, trying not to catch the DJ speaking.

Finger poised over the pause button hoping to produce a recording that could be listened to all week before completing the same ritual the following Sunday and the Sunday after that…

The cassette also gave birth to the mixtape – a collection of your favourite tunes that you would proudly present to a friend (sometimes a girl/boyfriend) either hoping to introduce them to new music that they may like or to subtly declare your undying love for them. I can remember doing both but having far more success with the former. It would be safe to say that my vinyl collection and love for music would not be what it is today without the use of the cassette tape.

As much as the common phrase ‘Home taping is killing music’ may have held some truth, this process actually helped encourage me to buy vinyl. My first introduction to Metallica and Anthrax was due to a cassette given to me by my best mate at the time, Dan. This led to me buying Master of Puppets and the whole Metallica back catalogue. Returning the favour I passed him a tape of different sessions that I’d recorded from the John Peel show on Radio 1. Littered with tracks by the likes of Sebadoh, The Fall, The Wedding Present, Ozric Tentacles and Napalm Death, this again aided us in choosing what bands to follow and what vinyl to buy.

I still have numerous cassettes of obscure sessions and a large collection of live ‘bootleg’ recordings.

Most popular in the early 90s, bootleg recordings of gigs were sold on cassette either by mail order or an underground network of traders who would appear at markets selling their wares, never to be seen again. It was always a mission to try to obtain live recordings of the gigs that you had been to or obscure recordings of demos previously unreleased. I can remember managing to get hold of live recordings of Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Silverfish and the Sisters of Mercy live from Reading ‘91. I also still have cassettes of Jane’s Addiction from Brixton ‘91 and my first ever gig, Metallica Hammersmith Odeon ‘88. Being able to relive great gigs that you’d been to was quite something back then and only something you could really do with the aid of a bootleg cassette, unless you were lucky enough to have gone to the gig that was recorded and officially released by the band. Nowadays of course you can watch the exact gig you’ve been to on YouTube literally minutes after it has finished but where is the magic in that? The hunt for the correct venue and correct date. The arrival

"I have memories as a child of recording the top 40 from the radio on a Sunday night, trying not to catch the DJ speaking.

Finger poised over the pause button..." of the small jiffy bag in the post. The anticipation of what the cover would look like. Would it have the set list printed on it? Would you indeed need to make your own cover with the use of magazine cuttings from the NME or Sounds and the faithful Pritt Stick? Would the recording be ‘Audience’ or would the cassette have the magic letters ‘MX’ written on the label to indicate it had been recorded directly from the mixing desk? I guess nostalgia is the magic here. Being able to show someone a collection of tapes that help define your formative years is tangible and can take you straight back to those times. The internet can do the same and more but minus a little bit of the magic.

So to the future. The cassette will never experience the resurgence that the vinyl record has experienced and understandably so. We all remember needing a pencil handy to wind the tape back into the cassette when it attempted to spool out and escape. Bands today are seeing the cassette as a niche release that has a place in today’s environment. They are being made available as limited collector’s items. Different colours. Gig-only releases. Bands also see this format as a viable alternative to the CD and new bands are including the humble cassette as an important addition to their catalogue.

The cost of cassette production and its ease also allows artists to get their music out on an ever-growing medium at a much-reduced cost than that of CD and vinyl. This has resulted in the formation of cassette-only labels that produce limited runs of niche electronica, folk, self-produced indie and everything in between. Exposing music made by great artists that would otherwise never be heard. As with vinyl, they come with their own story, their own artwork, liner notes and their own magic.

The world of music has room for the cassette once more and it’s always got room for magic. thebeatandtrack.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 17

WHAT'S ON ____________________________ Tuesdays 10am-11am and 6pm-7pm

from sherborneliterarysociety.com/events or

The White Hart, Bishops Caundle.

____________________________

who has remained one of the most

Winstone’s Books

The Heart of Yoga Classes

Wednesday 6th 7.30pm

7 Sheeplands Lane, Sherborne

Yeovil Cinematheque –

for details. aristos.org.uk

Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil.

Wednesdays 10am-11am

____________________________

Contact aristos.tropos@gmail.com

The Guilty (2018) 15

____________________________

Members £1, guests £5 (see preview page 8)

English folk singer and guitarist

influential figures in British traditional music. Interview/Q & A session,

3.30pm (£7). Concert, 8pm (£15, or

£20 for both). Tickets: 01963 362890 or jhnwaltham@yahoo.co.uk

____________________________

Tai Chi for Wellbeing

Thursday 7th - Sunday 10th 7pm

Saturday 9th 7.30pm

7 Sheeplands Lane, Sherborne

The 30th Cerne Abbas

Sherborne Chamber Choir –

Contact aristos.tropos@gmail.com

Music Festival

A Royal Occasion

for details. aristos.org.uk

____________________________

St. Mary’s Church, Cerne Abbas. A series

Sherborne Abbey. A celebration of

Sunday 3rd 2pm-5.30pm

of chamber music concerts performed by the Gaudier Ensemble. Information and

music performed at Royal occasions

Poyntington Open Gardens and Plant Sale

booking: cerneabbasmusicfestival.org.uk

____________________________

the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with

across the centuries. £5-£16. Under18s free, Tickets available from

The Manor House and 6 other

Friday 8th 7.30pm

sherbornechamberchoir.org.uk

only). Tea and cakes available in the

Marnhull Village Hall. High-energy,

Saturday 16th 10am-1pm

Air Ambulance and Village Church

a dizzying line-up of renowned

Repair Cafe

folk, Americana and festival bands.

Bring household items to be repaired

Poyntington gardens. Tickets £5 (cash

Old Baby Mackerel

village hall. In aid of Dorset & Somerset

foot-stomping bluegrass band featuring

(last repair 12.15pm)

musicians from some of the UK’s best

Cheap Street Church Hall, Sherborne.

01258 820458 artsreach.co.uk

and avoid landfill. Volunteers and

____________________________ Wednesday 6th 10.30am Probus Club – Magna Carta with speaker Wing Commander

____________________________

Tony Davies

Friday 8th 7.30pm

The Grange Hotel, Oborne. New members

Emma Fisk (violin)

____________________________

repairers needed please contact

repaircafesherborne@gmail.com or @repaircafesherborne

always welcome. Contact John Buckley

with Mike Denham

____________________________

(Club Secretary) jhbuckleyfca@aol.com

Cheap St Church. Live jazz in aid of

Saturday 16th 2pm

01935 507459. probus-sherborne.org.uk

Comptons Fete and Sheep Racing

____________________________

The Rendezvous. £15 – bookings by

email only raymondwood1949@gmail.com ____________________________

Nether Compton Village Green.

The Arts Society Sherborne:

Saturday 9th 2pm-11pm

Birds of prey display, circus skills, fun

‘Gateway to Eternity’.

Tent @ The Terrace

races, dog show (bring your pup at their

Digby Hall, Hound St. Jane Angelini

The Terrace Playing Fields, Sherborne.

icons. New members and visitors (£7)

Cricket Club. Drinks festival with

Sunday 17th

bouncy castle and food stalls. Tickets £10

Cheap St, Half Moon St, Digby Road

and festival glass). Children free.

suppliers, amazing food and crafts

Wednesday 6th 3pm and 7pm

gives an introduction to the world of welcome theartssocietysherborne.org

____________________________ Wednesday 6th 7pm-9pm Sherborne Literary Society: Alison Weir - Elizabeth of York:

Fundraising event in aid of Sherborne

best!), live music, country dancing, cakes, teas, bar and BBQ.

____________________________

local bands, face painting, Kiwi cricket,

The Sherborne Market

(includes entry, 1st drink, programme

and Pageant Gardens. Local producers,

____________________________

thesherbornemarket.com

The Last White Rose

Saturday 9th 3.30pm and 8pm

The Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road,

Martin Carthy –

Sunday 17th

Interview & Concert

Classic & Supercars Show

Sherborne DT9 3NL. Tickets £9-£10 18 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

____________________________

JULY 2022 Sherborne Castle. The car enthusiast’s and

and celebrity in 2084.’ Please bring

millfarmparty2022

cherished and spectacular cars on show

clothing. therudemechanicaltheatre.co.uk

Sunday 31st 2pm-4pm

____________________________

Singing Bowl Soundbath

marque feature. Discounted advance

Monday 25th - Saturday 30th

Oborne Village Hall. Quieten the mind,

____________________________

Coade Theatre, Bryanston, Blandford

family show returns for a 17th year. 2,000 including a special ‘100 years of Jaguar’

low-backed chairs, picnics and warm

tickets available from classic-supercars.co.uk

The Dorset Opera Festival

Wednesday 20th 10.30am

Forum. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Probus Club – Battle for Stalingrad with speaker Robin Miller The Grange Hotel, Oborne.

New members always welcome.

Contact John Buckley (Club Secretary) jhbuckleyfca@aol.com 01935 507459.

- The Magic Flute. Giacomo Puccini Manon Lescaut. Featuring renowned

calm the emotions, relax and detox the

body. £15 advance bookings only 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com

____________________________

soloists and full orchestra. Marquée

Sport

dorsetopera.com 07570 366186 (10am-

Sherborne Cricket Club

____________________________

Dancing Hill, Sherborne

bar, picnics, formal dining. Box office:

____________________________

5pm) boxoffice@dorsetopera.com

The Terrace Playing Fields,

probus-sherborne.org.uk

Monday 25th –

____________________________

Saturday 30th 7.30pm

Thursday 21st 6.30pm-10.30pm

Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse

Mill Farm Dining Society

and Willis Hall

with Chef Oli Kahan

Amateur Players of Sherborne.

Mill Farm, Bradford Abbas DT9 6RE.

____________________________

Men’s Senior 1st XI

Saturday 2nd 1pm v Poole (H)

Sherborne Studio Theatre, Marston Rd

Saturday 9th 1pm

£10/£12 aps-sherborne.co.uk

v Cattistock (H)

£35pp. Advance reservation only.

____________________________

Mill Farm, Bradford Abbas DT9

A wonderful tasting menu complemented by the ‘Best of Baboo’ – a gelato feast!

____________________________ Saturday 30th 12pm-11pm

Saturday 16th 1pm

millfarmdorset.com/events/bestofbaboo/

Mill Farm Party

v Broadstone (A)

Friday 22nd 7.30pm-10pm

6RE. Annual flagship one-day music

(picnics from 6pm) The Rude Mechanicals Gods and Dogs Mill Farm, Bradford Abbas DT9 6RE.

The Rudes’ latest summer outdoor play.

‘An hilarious allegory of love, marriage

Saturday 23rd 1pm

festival featuring: The Charlie Cole

v Bere Regis (H)

& The New Tricks Jazz Trio, The

Saturday 30th 1pm

and ales, food and hampers. Tickets

____________________________

Band, Mighty One, Rebecca Chambers Ducks, Dream Robbery. Local cider

v Puddletown (A)

from millfarmdorset.com/events/

listings@homegrown-media.co.uk

A Royal Occasion

A celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with music from Royal occasions across the centuries Sherborne Chamber Choir Conductor Paul Ellis

Sherborne Abbey | Saturday 9 July 7.30pm Tickets £5-£16 | under 18s FOC | available from www.sherbornechamberchoir.org.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 19

If every adult in

SHERBORNE

spent just #fiverfest

£5 per week in their local independent shops

& businesses it would mean

£1.9 MILLION PER YEAR GOING DIRECTLY INTO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY*

which can lead to more jobs, a better high street, a stronger local economy & a nicer place to live.

MAKES YOU THINK DOESN'T IT?!

TO HELP YOU SPEND THAT £5 WE'RE TAKING PART IN THE

fiverfestsherborne

fab SUMMER

FIVER FEST

fiverfestsherborne

2-16 JUL

2022

fiverfestsherbs

LOADS OF AMAZING £5 SPECIAL OFFERS

FROM OUR INDEPENDENT SHOPS & BUSINESSES. OUT WWW.FIVERFEST.CO.UK

CHECK

LOOK OUT FOR POSTERS IN SHOPS, OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA

shop like your

high street depends on it

WWW.TOTALLYLOCALLY.ORG

*Based on figures calculated by Totally Locally using most recent O.N.S. Census data: Town’s adult population x £5 x 52 weeks in a year = total into local economy.

Community

MARKET KNOWLEDGE KATE CHIDLEY

Welcome to The Sherborne Market!

What brings you here?

Jules contacted me to illustrate a map for the market. I thought it would be rude to then not book a pitch!

everything around us and create artwork that makes people smile. I’ve also grown up in the festival fields, and this is reflected in my work too. I love squeezing lots of detail into my illustrations.

Where have you travelled from?

Not far. I live on the Somerset/Dorset border in Halstock.

What do you enjoy most about selling at markets?

Selling my artwork at the markets is lovely. It is great to get out and meet people face-to-face. I love hearing people reminiscing about their favourite places on the county maps and sharing memories of their times at the festivals. Sherborne is a town close to my heart so it’s always a delight to bump into friends.

Tell us about what you’re selling?

Original artwork, prints, little books and other painted goodies. I have illustrated festival maps from Glastonbury to Shambala, painted maps of rolling counties from Land’s End to Oxfordshire and city maps from Bristol to London, silly cows, ewenique sheep, fancy fairies and other fabulous creatures to make you all smile.

Where and when did it all begin?

I am fortunate to be inspired by a creative family. I have always doodled from an early age and was encouraged to take the artistic path. I love to splash colour into 22 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

If you get the chance, which fellow stallholders here at Sherborne would you like to visit?

I can’t resist Judith Layzell’s gorgeous knitted bears.

Where can people find you on market day?

Half Moon Street, directly in front of the Abbey. katechidley.com

Hand picked & selected artisan market featuring local producers, suppliers, amazing food, arts and crafts.

2022 dates

July 17th Aug 21st Sept 18th

Oct 9th Nov 20th Dec 18th Flying the flag for local

Community

THE TOTALLY LOCALLY FIVER FEST RETURNS! 2ND-16TH JULY

Jane Wood, Owner, Oliver’s Coffee House and Fiver Fest Sherborne Organiser

O

ver 100 towns and thousands of businesses across the UK are joining together to bring you very special £5 offers and to highlight the contribution to the economy that local shops and businesses bring. It is also an opportunity for those businesses to say ‘thank you’ to their loyal customers who have supported them through the pandemic. And Sherborne is joining in.

Fiver Fest happens three times per year and it is now a big part of our promotions for Sherborne. The independent shops and businesses are what makes our town special and unique. The community support for local businesses has been amazing during lockdown, but it is easy to slip back into old shopping habits now that things are returning to normal. So this is a little nudge to say ‘Our local businesses are still here, we are still serving our community and we appreciate your support.

And of course, we are great value!’.

It is a free-to-join campaign, devised and run by Totally Locally, a grassroots high street organisation that has been helping businesses and high streets to help themselves since 2010 with incredible results.

Fiver Fest is based around the now famous Totally Locally £5 message: ‘If every adult in Sherborne spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops and businesses, it would mean £1.9m per year going directly into our local economy. Which can lead to more jobs, a better high street, a stronger economy and a nicer place to live. Makes you think, doesn’t it?!’

Totally Locally founder Chris Sands said, ‘Over 24 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

100 towns from the north of Scotland to the south coast of England now take in Fiver Fest events on a regular basis. It’s a campaign that sees incredible offers from £5 massages, to £5 veg boxes, £5 walking tours, £5 lunch deals, £5 ghost story-telling, £5 axethrowing session and even £5 Scottish dance lessons!

Independent business owners are really inventive with their offers, and we encourage them to also promote their neighbouring businesses’ offers too. Fiver Fest is about everyone working together to promote their town and high street as a whole, instead of individually. If lots of shops have great offers on, the trip to the high street is really worthwhile and fun!’

Simon Waldren of Totally Locally concurs, ‘We’ve seen huge increases in footfall during Fiver Fest campaigns, with many businesses reporting their best shopping days outside of Christmas.’

Fiver Fest shows that a small change in your spending habits can really make a difference on our high streets. By diverting just £5 of our weekly spend to local independents we give them and our high street a fighting chance to survive or even thrive. Fiver Fest makes that easy, and it’s fun! fiverfest.co.uk totallylocally.org For any independent business wishing to participate in Fiver Fest Sherborne, please contact Jane Wood via fiverfestsherborne@gmail.com

Opening 4 July

Award-winning ethical fashion and homewares store, Dilli Grey will be opening at 27 Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3PU Visit dilligrey.com to preview the summer collections

Community

Image: Kim Wall

ANYONE FOR HOCKEY?

H

Nick Mowat, Communications Officer, Yeovil & Sherborne Hockey Club

ockey - or more accurately ‘field’ hockey to differentiate it from ‘ice’ hockey - is played widely across the world. It is generally reckoned to be the second-largest team sport in the world played in over 100 countries.

It is a popular family-orientated sport, played by both men and women and offers a lifetime of both sporting and social opportunities for players, officials and administrators alike.

Hockey is an inter-generational sport with a great team, club and family spirit. It is played with a great sense of mutual respect and discipline. Whatever their age and ability players can find a level that suits them and can play from childhood into their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Its players are passionate people – for many, hockey is a way of life.

Hockey has come a long way since the days of bumpy, uneven pitches and hooked wooden sticks.

You only have to watch games being played in the international ‘Pro League’ to see how far it has changed.

The demand to make the game more ‘televisable’ has 26 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

meant the game has evolved beyond all recognition.

Gone are the wooden sticks and instead players use the latest composite materials to propel a hard plastic ball. Gone are the grass pitches to be replaced by flat synthetic ‘Astro’ surfaces.

The rules have evolved beyond all recognition and now differ significantly from some of the original similarities to football. There is no offside rule, players do not have to pass to another player from a free hit (a free kick in football) and they can pass to themselves when the ball goes off the side.

The speed of the game has consequently gone up a notch and the physical demands on the top-tier player are intense. Instead of rest days after a game, the international competitors will often have to play games on consecutive days!

While it is not without the threat of injury, hockey lacks some of the dangers of concussion that other contact field sports offer.

So what are the benefits of playing hockey?

Lifetime-long friendships are formed and the

camaraderie of meeting with your teammates each week cannot be missed. It is an exciting and fun way to keep fit and the skills you learn playing a technically challenging game will build your confidence.

Hockey is a great team sport for building local pride in your school, town, or country while enjoying the challenge of trying to better yourself and your team’s ranking. Hockey is often thought of being a purely winter sport but games can carry on over the summer.

There is a thriving network of local clubs that offer ‘grassroots’ hockey. Clubs are friendly and welcoming for all ages and abilities. There is usually a coaching scheme to develop juniors and also help introduce the game to adults who may never have played before. Returnees to the game after a break – the usual reason being having a family – can pick up a stick again and brush up their skills during ‘Back-to-Hockey’ sessions. These are offered by many clubs including Yeovil & Sherborne.

Yeovil & Sherborne is an amalgam of three hockey clubs: Yeovil, Sherborne and later Westlands Ladies.

The Yeovil and Sherborne hockey clubs merged in 1972 and Westlands joined in 1994. The club badge represents Yeovil (the gloves), Sherborne (the castle), and hockey (a ball).

Despite being a local club, Yeovil & Sherborne has been associated with some notable players including Rob Hill who represented GB at the 1992 summer Olympics and who played at Yeovil & Sherborne when he was a sports coach at Sherborne Boys. Luke Hawker who used to play for the club was the captain of the Welsh squad at the last Commonwealth Games. Since then Wendy Butcher, Becky Frater and Jo Stevenson have been selected for the England Masters squads with Sue Waller joining the Wales Masters set-up. Twins Sophie and Olivia Hamilton who were recently called up to the senior England squad started out playing as juniors in the club. Other club members have gone on to represent Somerset and the West at senior, masters and junior levels.

Yeovil & Sherborne’s senior section fields seven adult teams (three men’s and four ladies) each week in competitive leagues, hosting teams (and neutral umpires) from all over the South West of England for league matches, cup competitions, and county tournaments. The club’s senior teams cater for all age groups, the oldest player being 73 years young, while the youngest players can be 14 years old. The Junior section is very active and offers coaching to the players under the age of 14. A Centre of Excellence for adolescents

was launched last year to provide for those players transitioning from junior to adult hockey.

Importantly in 2021, the club took the first steps to support hockey in local state schools by running free taster sessions led by the club’s specialist hockey coaches. This new initiative was initially aimed at involving pupils in Years 3 and 4 and provides the opportunity for children in the Yeovil and Sherborne area to find out what hockey has to offer. In the longterm, the club is aspiring to be at the centre of a ‘hockey community’ working with all local schools to fulfil the potential for hockey to grow in the district and provide a banner under which Yeovil and Sherborne school children could compete on the national stage. If you would like the club to run hockey sessions in your school please get in touch.

Having been based at a variety of local venues over the years, matches are now played on the artificial pitch at the Yeovil Recreation Centre in Chilton Grove. There is still a strong link with Sherborne, as coaching staff are drawn from Sherborne Boys and Girls’ Schools and next season sees an exciting development of the Boys’ School sports hall hosting training and an indoor league. There are not many clubs that offer such a wide range of hockey opportunities!

Hockey is a superb sport and relieving the stress of work or school by running and hitting a ball with a stick is very rewarding. Come and give it a try! yshc.co.uk Summer 7s League Tuesday (Ladies) and Wednesday (Men’s) evenings Over-40s Masters Summer Sessions Thursdays An open ‘Come and play’ session aimed at having fun and keeping fit over the summer Hockey Summer Camp for Juniors (aged 8 to 14) 27th - 29th July

For more information about any of the club’s activities please contact the Club Secretary, Jo Stevenson at secretary@yshc.co.uk

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 27

Community

28 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

SHERBORNE SHARKS

W

Katie Ellery

hat a buzz there is around women’s rugby now, with the England Red Roses dominating the season and currently ranking top in the world! They are a real inspiration for our girls’ section of Sherborne Rugby Club; The Sharks. It is an exciting time for the sport, and it has certainly been a great season for The Sharks, as we emerge from the restrictions of lockdown.

The Sharks have enjoyed superb, twice-weekly training sessions provided by Head Coach Tony Stone and Coach Abi Huddleston, whose excellent instruction has really brought out the best in the players and has made them cohesive as a team. As a parent, and a relative newbie to rugby, who was initially concerned about the physical elements of the game, it’s reassuring to see the emphasis that is placed on safe playing practice and contact manoeuvres. The quality of the girls’ play; ball handling, contact and tactical skills has massively progressed over the course of the season. This has led to many successful games being played alongside other teams across the region, including Yeovil, Bournemouth, North Dorset and Dorchester, where the U15s have enjoyed wins against Trowbridge and Berkshire.

The Sharks have also taken part in mini and supercluster events across the region, where they have been able to network with other teams and benefit from training with Bath Academy coaches.

This season also saw a record number of invites for our players to trial for the Dorset and Wiltshire team and we were delighted to have Daisy Stone and Milly Gomm picked to play for the U18s and Imogen Priestley for the U15s. With top-quality gameplay, both groups have enjoyed success, with wins against Buckinghamshire, Somerset and Berkshire. Our manager, Caroline, reported that, ‘Our girls were a total credit, and I couldn’t be prouder.’

No one can doubt that the last few years have been especially challenging for our young people and it is fantastic that they are now able to fully enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of team sports again. Driving my daughters and their teammates to and from sessions is always fun, as they talk tactics, discuss training, or excitedly ponder how muddy they are likely to get! (I am still hugely grateful to co-manager, Lloyd, who lent me a tarpaulin to save my car seats, on THAT infamous wet and muddy day!)

It is immensely satisfying witnessing the look of glee on the girls’ faces as they emerge from a successful tackle or the jubilation as they successfully cross the try line or win the ball in a line-out. However, the real positive is seeing the development of friendships, camaraderie and good sportsmanship, together with the growth of confidence amongst the players, especially those new to the game.

‘For both my girls, playing rugby for Sherborne has been a really positive experience. They haven’t engaged with other out-of-school activities in quite the same way. No matter what the weather or time of day, they are keen to go. The team spirit and encouragement make it particularly worthwhile.

They love Tony and find him an excellent coach’.

Next season is going to be even more exciting, with more fixtures and a move to a change in age groups encompassing U18, U16, U14 and U12 teams. As such, we are keen to recruit more players, in the hope that we will eventually be able to present and play full teams across each of the age groups.

If you would like to try out or join us, we would love to hear from you, whatever your level of experience. Get in contact via Instagram or Facebook (@SherborneSharksGirlsRugby) or contact me at katieellery@aol.com.

“To inspire teenage girls to get out and participate in the way they do is a positive testament to The Sharks team as a whole.” Louise (parent) @SherborneSharksGirlsRugby

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 29

West Country Cars – your five-star, family-run, friendly and independent used car dealer We offer a large selection of premium used cars and also pay good prices for quality vehicles. Why not pop along to say a West Country hello!

Barrows Hill Garage, East Chinnock, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 9ER

Monday-Friday 8.30am - 5pm Saturday 8.30am - 1pm

01935 863538 or 01935 862986

www.westcountrycarsyeovil.co.uk

CHARTERHOUSE Auctioneers & Valuers

Forthcoming Auction Programme

Classic & Vintage Cars 6th July Pictures & Books 7th July Mid-Century Modern & Decorative Arts 8th July 1972 Datsun 240Z £34,000-36,000

Silver, Jewellery & Watches 4th August Wine, Port & Whisky 5th August Further entries invited

30 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Contact Richard Bromell for advice on single items and complete collections Valuations for Probate and Insurance

The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne DT9 3BS 01935 812277 www.charterhouse-auction.com

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 31

Community

RUNNING SHERBORNE FOOD BANK

C

John Crossman, Trustee

an you help me? I am a Trustee of Sherborne Food Bank and we are looking for several new volunteers to help run and/or direct the charity. We are a small, committed group of individuals whose real wish is to see an end to food poverty, but while it exists we will do everything we can to alleviate it. I’ll tell you a bit more about us and then explain how you could help.

‘There are more food banks in the country than there are branches of McDonalds,’ said Richard Walker, the Managing Director of Iceland – a fact that has been verified by the BBC. Certainly, Sherborne Food Bank has seen a steady rise in numbers of people and families being referred to us, most of which is related to lack of income. The demand at the moment is high and is rising with the increases in the cost of living.

Sherborne Food Bank was set up just over 10 years ago and is now a tightly organised and well-supported operation. We have teams of volunteers who collect the food for us; others who sort and stack and yet others who make up the weekly parcels. We have a base manager and an administrator managing the referrals, running the depot and keeping tabs on the finance etc.

Lastly our dedicated drivers take food anonymously to the door for our clients. We are one of the few food banks to do this - it’s essential in this rural area. We are so indebted to our volunteers.

We are very proud that our volunteers operated throughout the pandemic and even delivered safely during the unprecedented storms earlier this year. If the need is there, we will meet it. Recently someone was found in a distressed state outside the Council Offices which were closed. The Mayor noticed them, let us know, and within a few hours, we had delivered a relieving food parcel to them.

Especially now I want to thank you, the people of Sherborne. Right from the start, you have been wonderful, donating all those food items during your weekly shop and making generous cash donations, 32 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

especially during the pandemic. Because of your generosity, we are in a strong position to help those who need us. Recently we have begun to buy in items such as vegetables, milk and bread to improve the dietary range of what we offer.

All our clients are in need – we know this because they are referred to us by a trusted network of agencies including Citizen’s Advice, Community Mental Health, doctors, church leaders and others who know and help those with challenges in their lives. Demand has been increasing rapidly and we are exploring new ways to help.

So what do we need? We are always looking for new volunteers to support the aforementioned work

Image: Katharine Davies

of collecting, sorting and stacking donations, then packing and delivering the parcels. Could you help with any of these?

Or what about becoming a trustee? I have been a trustee now for six years and it is very straightforward – we meet about six times a year and most of us are involved in other ways too. I have found it a real pleasure and very rewarding. For me, it’s been about using the skills and experience gained in my work life to contribute to such a worthy cause.

We need a wide range of abilities and experience, including local knowledge, links with businesses or social agencies, experience of living on a limited income yourself, legal knowledge, finance, charity management,

and fund-raising. But the most important thing is a heart to help those in need. You’ll need a desire to help, an ability to work with others and the time and energy to join us in this important work.

If you can help us then please do get in touch with me at john.crossman@btinternet.com or on 07721 616003.

Equally, if anyone you know needs our help, ask them to talk to one of our link agencies (sherbornefoodbank.org/our-partners/) who can help and support them more widely and refer them to the Food Bank. Or they can email help@sherbornefoodbank.org Thank you. sherbornefoodbank.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 33

Community

OUR MAN IN WESTMINSTER Chris Loder MP, Member of Parliament for West Dorset

S

ince September last year, I have been one of 15 MPs who have spent time visiting the Royal Navy. We have visited naval bases and their personnel as close as RNAS Yeovilton a few miles away and as far afield as Bahrain in the Middle East.

It has been a fascinating, but also moving experience.

Watching new recruits pass out at HMS Raleigh near Plymouth, visiting aircraft carrier HMQ Queen Elizabeth whilst in Portsmouth along with the Joint Operations Headquarters in West London where the 34 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

most critical of operation defence decisions are made.

Also Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and, of course, the Royal Marines both in Lympstone and Portland.

Meeting hundreds of men and women who are committed to our nation and our security – often with the great personal sacrifice of being away from family and friends for so long – and being shown what they do has offered me enormous insight into their work and that of the Royal Navy.

Many of us who are MPs have little in the way of

direct personal knowledge of the Armed Forces as we come from all walks of life, but the need for us to better understand the Forces, their readiness and their capabilities, is more important now than ever especially given our new-found emergence from international numbness to the realisation of the true geopolitical ambitions of Russia.

I was really surprised to learn of the extent of Russian submarines entering our waters and their considerable presence in the North Atlantic. I was also enlightened to the significant anti-piracy operation in the Persian-gulf and the eastern Mediterranean, protecting ships that fly the Red Ensign and working with international partners in combatting the enormous international drugs traffic by sea. It shows the vitally important work that the men and women of the Royal Navy do and I can only commend them.

Some constituents ask me why, when we are such a rural and coastal constituency, I take such a close interest in the Armed Forces, the Royal Navy and Leonardo Helicopters, based in Yeovil. The answer is simply two-fold. One because the nation’s security is crucial and if that should become more difficult in time, I will be asked to decide whether action is required, or not, and to do so it is crucial for me to have a level of understanding and knowledge of implications and capability. But, secondly, the extent to which Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil have and continue to contribute to our community and local economy through building helicopters just over the county border in Somerset is enormous.

Leonardo is a major investor here. Hundreds of jobs are reliant on the success of the business. Going to visit RNAS Culdrose last month enabled me to see directly the work of Leonardo’s employees and its predecessor organisations with the fleet of 30 Merlin helicopters

on the Cornish coast. But Leonardo invests in and trains young people from across West Dorset. In April I was pleased to meet up with most of the 40-plus graduate trainees and apprentices from West Dorset who are now receiving training for a future in the aircraft engineering industry at Leonardo in Yeovil. Young people who attended school at Beaminster, Thomas Hardye, Woodroffe and the Gryphon School are among the many represented amongst Leonardo’s younger workforce.

But letting the Government know how important this industry is for us is equally important and that is why I take every opportunity possible to make sure the ministers in Government are reminded of that, particularly with the new AW149 helicopter procurement as part of the Integrated Defence Review – setting out the direction of travel for our defences.

And while RNAS Yeovilton is, strictly speaking, over the border in Somerset, the impact on our community is considerable. Staff live here, their children go to school here, memories are formed and it is an honour for us to be able to have those who work at RNAS as members of our community here. We have many links with the Armed Forces that we probably don’t even realise. Even the Archdeacon of the Fleet (the senior member of the clergy) is the son of the vicar who christened me at Bishops Caundle in May 1982!

Travelling around the country, with the Royal Navy has connected me to it with a closeness I had not expected at all and I shall be very sorry to finish my time with them. But I am clear that with such dedication, progression and capability, we are in safe hands and I commend all our service personnel to you with great affection and ask that you support them and their families in whatever way you can. chrisloder.co.uk

EBBX is an independent non-profit networking group that brings together business owners from Sherborne and the surrounding areas.

We meet for breakfast every other Wednesday morning, 7.00-9.00am at Castle Gardens, Sherborne.

New faces and visitors are always welcome, so whether you are running an established business or thinking of starting a new venture, please do join us for an opportunity to meet supportive, like-minded, local business people.

Email our secretary to book your place at the next meeting: info@sherbornebusinessexchange.co.uk www.sherbornebusinessexchange.co.uk

S H E R B O R N E The Early Bird Business Exchange

“Win the morning, win the day” Tim Ferris

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 35

elizabethwatsonillustration.com R

FO

H

O

O

O

L

TH

N

RD

CE PRIMA

RY

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Thornford Primary School

Reception places available for September 2022 For more information or to arrange a private visit please contact the Headteacher, Mrs Neela Brooking on 01935 872706 or email office@thornford.dorset.sch.uk Ofsted “Outstanding”, SIAMS “Outstanding” Boot Lane, Thornford, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6QY www.thornford.dorset.sch.uk

36 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

• Four days of professional tennis coaching • Open to players aged 10-17

• Run by a team of LTA-qualified, professional tennis coaches • Improve technically and tactically • Train and play on grass tennis courts

SUMMER TENNIS CAMP

Are your children tennis enthusiasts? Book a four-day summer camp this July and August to receive over 22 hours of professional coaching at Sherborne Girls School.

24 – 28 July 2022 14 – 18 August 2022 Stay with us! We are offering a residential and a day nonresidential package. If your children wish to stay in a modern boarding house at Sherborne Girls School, they will enjoy a full programme of day and evening activities (including swimming, indoor football, hockey, and karaoke disco in addition to tennis coaching), as well as all meals provided and a fun group accommodation.

To book please go to www.sherbornetenniscoaching.co.uk

UNEARTHED Charlie Woodhouse, Aged 16 Leweston School

C

harlie was about 5 years old when she first got on a pony and strangely enough did not enjoy her initial experience! Trying it again as a riding activity at school and then getting her first pony helped ignite her passion. Coming from a relatively non-horsey family, Charlie has been the driving force behind learning to ride and care for her horses, and eventually progress to compete at national level.

Charlie rates achieving Individual 3rd in the 2020 NSEA Intermediate Show Jumping Championships on her pony Peasedown Toners Neo and winning the SEG National 90 Eventing Championships on her new horse Quinn as her proudest achievements so far.

Leweston Equestrian Manager, Lorraine Roberts, describes Charlie as dedicated, hardworking, reliable and a very competitive rider who has been instrumental in their teams winning the NSEA Intermediate Eventers Challenge Championships, the Novice County Show Jumping finals and more recently the National title in the Regional Points League mixed height show jumping at the 2021 NSEA National Championships.

With Neo now handed down to her younger sister, Charlie has ambitious plans for Quinn and hopes to qualify for the Badminton Grassroots final along the way.

Charlie’s positive approach to life will drive her to achieve great things and one day realise her dream of becoming an Equine Physiotherapist. leweston.co.uk

KATHARINE DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY

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

38 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Children’s Book Review Rafa Armand, Leweston Prep, Aged 10

Call Me Lion by Camilla Chester (Firefly Press Jun 2022) £7.99

Sherborne Times reader offer price of £5.99 from Winstone’s Books

C

all Me Lion is a children’s book written by Camilla Chester. The story is narrated by a 10-yearold boy called Leo. Early on in the story you learn that Leo has a condition called ‘selective mutism’ which means that he can’t speak when he is in public. He can only speak to his own family and to his dog, Patch. You get a sense that Leo is very lonely and feels misunderstood.

His dream is to have a real friend but everyone (including Leo) thinks that that is impossible because of his selective mutism.

Celebrating 10 Years as Sherborne’s Independent Bookseller 2012-2022 8 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PX www.winstonebooks.co.uk Tel: 01935 816 128

The story starts in a heatwave when a new family moves in next door. In the family there is a girl called Richa who has a trampoline in line with Leo’s which is how they first meet. Richa doesn’t seem to mind that Leo doesn’t speak. In fact, she has her own secret that Leo finds out about.

Together they help each other to face their fears.

Call Me Lion teaches you that no matter what differences, difficulties or disabilities people have you can still be best friends with them.

(Age range 8+)

For busy bees and book worms

Family

AT THE TABLE

ZESTY LEMON & ROCKET PASTA

I

Michela Chiappa love this recipe as not only does it make a delicious cold pasta for picnics but you don’t need to pre-cook any of the ingredients; apart from the pasta of course! It’s very simple to make, refreshing for the summer and the kids enjoy it too.

Ingredients (serves 2):

200g pasta 1 tin of tuna (in olive oil ideally) 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 50g fresh rocket 50g small cherry tomatoes, sliced in half Juice and zest of 1 lemon Salt flakes Ground black pepper 1 Cook your pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water.

2 When al dente, drain the pasta and then run it under cold water to stop the pasta cooking.

You can also enjoy this recipe hot - if so, drain the pasta and continue on to the next stage.

3 Coat your pasta with the extra virgin olive oil to stop it from sticking 4 When ready to eat, toss the tuna, tomatoes and fresh rocket leaves through the pasta and sprinkle a generous amount of the salt and pepper 5 Zest your lemon and squeeze over at least half the lemon juice.

The amount of lemon used is personal preference - I love lots and put extra on, but some people find too much lemon overpowering. Tweak this to your preference and don’t forget to taste as you go along – same with the salt and pepper seasoning. I love putting a little extra salt in as I like the contrast of the salt and lemon but again this needs to be adjusted according to personal preferences.

My tip for making pasta salads is to pre-cook the pasta a day or two in advance, cool it and cover it with olive oil and put it in a zip-lock bag in the fridge, ready for when you go on your picnic.On the day, toss the remaining ingredients over the pasta. @michela.chiappa TheChiappaSisters thechiappas.com Recipe courtesy of barilla.com Baby at the Table: A 3-Step Guide to Weaning the Italian Way (Michael Joseph) £16.99 Sherborne Times reader offer price of £14.99 from Winstone’s Books Simply Italian: Cooking at Home with the Chiappa Sisters (Michael Joseph) £22 (hardcover) Sherborne Times reader offer price of £20 from Winstone’s Books

40 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 41

Family

Image: Nigel White, Head of Photography, Gryphon School

ABOVE AND BEYOND Ian Bartle, Headteacher, Sherborne Primary School

P

roviding special experiences, events and opportunities that truly ‘go beyond the curriculum’ is something that, like many schools, Sherborne Primary School is completely passionate about.

All of England’s state schools are expected to adhere to a countrywide National Curriculum (there is also curricular for Wales and Scotland), but this is just a guide. It focuses on key elements to help our children in their development to a productive adult life (preparing them for the workplace and integrating them into society). It is also occasionally supplemented 42 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

by the government to tackle national issues, such as sex education etc. But it is also up to individual schools to ascertain how to implement their curriculum and how far to stretch the experiences offered to their pupils.

Ofsted (the national education body that inspects schools) expects every school to adapt their curriculum to meet the needs of its own children and community.

This is key as each area, school and community can be very different! Below is an extract from Sherborne Primary’s own inspection report, which demonstrates the importance for schools in providing, not just the

‘basics’ for children.

Staff carefully plan exciting and memorable experiences that support pupils’ personal development. They deliberately seek out opportunities to involve pupils in the local community… Pupils value these experiences and talk about them enthusiastically (Ofsted Report - Oct 2021) This is generally divided into these areas: music, the arts, sport, languages and the community. However, it is not as simple as that. For example, the usual yearly calendar and local, regional as well as national events help provide ‘special days’.

Recently our Queen’s Jubilee celebrations provided an opportunity to go ‘beyond the curriculum’. Our children were exposed to drone photography, the logistics and organisation of a ‘Whole School Street Party’ and gathering as a whole school for the first time in nearly two years (after the Covid pandemic).

To be in a large gathering is in itself, ‘an educational experience’ for many. This might just sound like a party organised by adults, but this is simply not the case! It was an educational opportunity. Every outside classroom window was decorated with the seven decades of the Queen’s reign. It was truly amazing to watch the children become fascinated with our past; the key events, fashions, famous people and history. This was immersive learning. The children then had to make their own dessert, learning about baking cakes. Finally, our children understood how we collaborate socially as we work towards a large shared event. Part of this involved empowering our oldest children to direct and facilitate the logistics; organising tables, herding their younger peers, tidying and working as a team. This was not only massive fun for all (we truly believe education should be fun. All humans do things better when they are enjoying it!) but it is active learning. (See our drone photograph involving over 300 children.)

Another example of ‘going beyond the curriculum’ is our emphasis on teaching children about the environment. I know we all understand how important it is for the people of the future to be interested, engaged and proactive about their commitment to environmental issues. At Sherborne Primary we have worked hard to achieve multiple National ‘Green Flag’ Awards, but the journey to these ‘trophies’ is much more important. We have recently become one of the very few national ‘Plastic-Free Schools’. Our incredible Eco Committee wrote to national companies (like Walkers Crisps) and asked them to justify their use of single-use plastics and questioned them about

"Our Eco Committee wrote to national companies and asked them to justify their use of single-use plastics" their commitment to recycling now and in the future.

When children question these large companies these organisations must find it very uncomfortable to justify their environmental stance. This then continued with the children focusing on eradicating the use of plastic straws on our milk cartons. They came up with a simple solution – serve the milk from large recyclable containers into reusable cups. Thus no plastic straws!

This is problem-solving and changing their world in small steps at its best!

Finally, when delivering the required curriculum you can still ‘go beyond it’. Recently our key stage 1 pupils (5, 6 and 7-year-olds) were studying various sports and sporting personalities. They had to understand sports at different levels, this included personal ‘PE’ all the way up to international competitions. Our children enjoyed interviewing Tom Daley to ask him how he made it to the top! Aspirations are always part of great educational experiences!

As parents/carers/wider family members you are also very important in this journey to ‘go beyond the curriculum’. The wider the experiences we all provide for our children the more rounded they become. This can be as simple as a woodland walk, a scavenger hunt on the beach (to then conjure up some ‘beach art’), a ‘saucepan drum kit’, a bug fest hunt under logs or visiting a stately home. This doesn’t need to include expensive trips or visits; with my background of nearly 30 years in education, children just want your time and need to be directed and inspired to enjoy a life full of a range of experiences. Just one of these various experiences you provide as a parent/carer/ family member might inspire your child or children to take a different direction in life; fulfil their dreams or aspirations and also understand their sense of adventure.

Children enjoy exploring in a variety of ways, utilising their senses to find out about the world around them…

It is our role as adults to help our next generation ‘go beyond the curriculum’ to facilitate this exploration. sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 43

‘the best of the best in the UK for sport’ The Week, 2022

www.sherborneprep.org

44 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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TIES OF FRIENDSHIP Rachel Hassall, Archivist, Sherborne School

T

he merger on 1st April 2021 of Sherborne Prep School with Sherborne School was in fact a re-merger of two schools that share a close history stretching back over 158 years.

The Prep, as it is affectionately known, was from 1885 until 2021 run independently from Sherborne School, but despite this, the two schools have, as was so aptly described in a 1948 prospectus, always been bound by ‘ties of friendship’. These ties are not only the result of the close physical proximity of the school sites but also because of the generations of boys who have gone from the Prep to Sherborne School.

The origins of the Prep date back to the early 1860s when the Rev. Alfred Clapin (1826-1924), an assistant master at Sherborne School, opened a school boarding 46 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

house in what is now Sherborne School’s Bursary in Abbey Road.

In 1872 the Rev. Clapin moved his Prep School to Westbury House (now Wessex House) in the Westbury area of Sherborne where during the first few years the pupil numbers grew from 21 boys in 1873 to 30 in 1875.

When in September 1880 the Rev. Clapin decided to give up the Prep, its importance was recognised by the Head of Sherborne School who privately purchased Westbury House and gave a five-year lease of the property to William Heitland Blake (1852-1916).

The Prep thrived under William Blake’s headship and by June 1884 there were 36 boys at the school. Mr Blake needed larger premises for his growing school and purchased from the Congregational Church a

Netherton House from the orchard, 1926

two-acre green field site in Acreman Street known as ‘Meeting House Close’. Here he built Acreman House – on the south front of which can still be seen his initials ‘W.H.B’ and the date ‘1885’. Acreman House was designed by the Sherborne architects Farrall & Edmunds and built by Messrs. Young of Salisbury. It comprised a dining room, three classrooms, a matron’s room, and six dormitories.

In summer term 1905 Littleton Powys (18741955) became Head of the Prep. Littleton had loved his time as a pupil at both the Prep and Sherborne School, which he described with great affection in his autobiography The Joy of It (1937). He was a member of the remarkable Powys family from Montacute and was one of six brothers who attended the Prep, three

of whom became notable authors - Theodore, Llewelyn, and John Cowper Powys. It is therefore fitting that in 2005 the Powys Library was named in their honour.

The school site grew to its current size in 1913 when Littleton Powys purchased the neighbouring Netherton House, the former home of Old Shirburnian Edward Broadlake Dingley (1827-1912). Netherton House came not only with beautifully laid-out gardens, an orchard, peach house, vinery, woodland and three paddocks, but also Mr Dingley’s head gardener, Alfred Lane (18651939), who remained at the Prep until his retirement in 1939 having looked after the grounds for over fifty years.

In 1916 the first female member of teaching staff was appointed and in 1957 the Prep’s first head of science was appointed, who was also a woman. Girls were admitted to the Prep in Michaelmas term 1976 and in 1978 the first girls’ netball match was played (the Prep won 18-14 against Port Regis!).

The Prep’s proximity to Sherborne School allowed the pupils to make use of the senior school’s larger facilities, including the outdoor swimming bath (now the site of the Pilkington Laboratories), the gymnasium (now the dining hall), the art school, the rifle range, and on Sundays they held their own service in the school chapel.

In 1924, a tangible link between the Prep and Sherborne School was formed when a two-storey bay window, which had been built in 1839 by Sherborne School’s Headmaster on the east end of Sherborne Abbey, was taken down and rebuilt at the Prep. The bay window had to be removed prior to the building of the Abbey’s new Lady Chapel and was sold to the Prep School for £60.

In 2021 the ties of friendship between the Prep and Sherborne School were further tightened when Mrs Natalie Bone was appointed Head. Not only does Mrs Bone have a vision to build upon the Prep’s distinctive character and values but she is also married to the Director of Art at Sherborne School, who is also an Old Shirburnian!

F.R. Lindsay was headmaster of Sherborne Prep School from 1923 to 1972 when he was succeeded by his son, R.T.M. Lindsay. In May 1998, a month before his due retirement date, R.T.M. Lindsay was asked by the Department of Education to stand down as proprietor and headmaster. From Michaelmas term 1998 Sherborne Prep School was run as a Limited Company with charitable status and a Board of Governors. sherborneprep.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 47

Family

A NEW TUNE

Laura McCormick, Music School Manager, Sherborne School

T

aking on the role of Music School Manager at Sherborne School in March 2020 after seven years as the Principal’s PA at Sherborne International was a new challenge and a prospect that was filled with excitement, slight trepidation and a sense of pride at joining the prestigious Sherborne School Music Department. The busy environment of the Music School was a quick settling-in process (!), learning the ropes under the supervision of James Henderson, the Director of Music for the School and who also leads the music on a wider scale in Sherborne as Director of Music for Sherborne Abbey.

My role is to support the Department who are a dedicated team of talented, committed and inspiring individuals. The Music School is a hive of activity from morning until night — there is always something going on, whether it’s an ensemble rehearsing, a musician practising, or one of the many instrumental lessons which take place throughout the day. One of the privileges of my role is the sound of music drifting as you walk to and from work, a multitude of instruments from brass to bagpipes and cornet to choral singing.

Every Friday during term time, Sherborne School musicians perform a Lunchtime Recital in Cheap Street Church — concerts which are open to the public and free to attend. During lockdown these recitals couldn’t be performed ‘live’, but rather than stop them altogether, the musicians filmed themselves performing at home and then submitted the recordings to James Henderson for ‘blending’ and uploading to YouTube every week. Since the come-back of ‘live’ events, members of the local community have made an enthusiastic return with audience numbers regularly reaching up to 100. A hugely enjoyable part of my role is always being there to greet guests at the door, and it is lovely to see so many familiar faces coming along regularly to enjoy the music. Performances focus on a specific category each week and include strings, woodwind, brass, pianists, and singers. Reaching out to an ever-growing audience is a great boost to the musicians’ confidence.

48 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

In April, the Sherborne Abbey Festival returned following a break during the pandemic, much to the delight of many. Sherborne School musicians opened the week of music-making with a Chamber Concert, featuring performances from the Chamber Orchestra, String Quartet, Brass Quintet, Brass Band, Clarinet Trio and Wind Quartet, and solo performances on the Abbey’s organ and new grand piano. That evening, the ever-popular Swing Band brought the house down with foot-tapping numbers by Duke Ellington, Dizzie Gillespie, Glenn Miller and more.

The following morning in the Abbey the talented Chamber Choir, which includes many ex-Choristers of Salisbury, Winchester and Exeter Cathedrals, sang a programme of music ranging from the 16th century

Image: Josie Sturgess-Mills

to the present day, and the Close Harmony group then followed with some light-hearted arrangements of well-known favourites. The town was a-buzz and the residents of Sherborne were treated to a veritable delight of musical performances of the highest level, and all of these concerts were very well-attended and enjoyed by so many of our local community. For me personally, it is always heart-warming to hear so many positive comments from the supportive and appreciative audiences, as the events require a degree of organisation not dissimilar to a military operation!

My role is a busy one, and I am grateful for the experience that I had prior to becoming Music School Manager in juggling several tasks and spinning many plates! If I am not creating the latest programme for

the next concert, I might be making arrangements for instrumental exams or organising the many music competitions and events which take place throughout the year. Currently, I am working on plans for the Swing Band’s 10th Anniversary Tour to Barbados in the summer. The group will perform in venues such as the Frank Collymore Hall and the Sandy Lane resort, providing a spectacular highlight to draw this first ‘postpandemic’ year to an upbeat and optimistic close and surely an unforgettable experience for the boys. For me, I am at my best when I am busy — the job requires it but the reward of seeing the joy on people’s faces as they listen to Sherborne’s music makes it all so worthwhile. sherborne.org sherbornetimes.co.uk | 49

elizabethwatsonillustration.com © David Parkyn

Join now and help the wildlife and wild places we all love. dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/MembershipST Dorset Wildlife Trust manages 40 nature reserves and four visitor centres as well as undertaking vital conservation work such as the scientific study monitoring the re-introduction of beavers to Dorset for the first time in 400 years. We can’t do it without your help.

50 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

GILLIAN NASH

L-N/Shutterstock

DRAWN TO THE LIGHT EMPEROR MOTH (Saturnia pavonia)

I

Gillian Nash

t is hardly surprising that each year entomology and lepidoptera groups are sent images of the spectacular Emperor moth by those seeking identification of such an exotic creature. With a wingspan of up to 80cm combined with its striking wing pattern, it is certainly unlike any other UK moth.

In fact, of the well in excess of one thousand species within the Saturniidae family worldwide, it is the only one native to the UK. The brightly coloured male is day-flying and therefore much more likely to be seen than the equally beautiful but greyer, larger female.

Both have the characteristic ‘eye’ on each forewing, and in flight more are revealed on the hindwings to further confuse any predator that may decide to give chase.

The fast daytime flight of the male resembles that of a butterfly at distance, but once settled its flat resting position is typical of most moth species. Its flight season is April and May and although not common

may be found in many parts of the UK and Ireland.

Its varied habitat includes hedgerows, heaths, wastelands and wild, undisturbed places and may consequently be found anywhere foodplants grow. The larvae hatch from eggs laid in April to May and feed from May to August on a wide variety of hedgerow trees and plants such as meadowsweet, heathers, bramble, hawthorn, blackthorn and sallow.

In the final stage of growth, the large bright green larvae has black bands dotted with pink, yellow or white across the length of its body.

Once fully fed they descend to form a cocoon attached to a plant stem near ground level, where they may remain for one or two winters.

Numbers appear to have remained stable since first official records dating from the mid-1800s when it was much prized by collectors of specimens, a popular pursuit at that time. sherbornetimes.co.uk | 51

Science & Nature

DRAWING ON NATURE A REWILDING BRITAIN LANDSCAPE

BEST SHOW GARDEN - RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2022 Paul Newman, Artist

Image: Dave Watts 52 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

I

n spring 2021, a chance conversation at Wincanton Town Festival led to a commission for a unique piece of artwork. Intrigued by Urquhart & Hunt’s stall at the Festival, and knowing a little bit about their work as environmentalists and landscape designers, I bought some organic bulbs from their stall and gave them a copy of one of my greetings cards. I thought nothing more of it other than the opportunity to say hello and share a love of all things wild and nature-based.

A few months later, I received a call to say that Urquhart & Hunt were working on a Rewilding Britain garden design for the 2022 Chelsea Flower Show and would I be interested in helping with some of the artwork? Commissions can be tricky; there are always doubts and questions when making any piece of art but a commission can sometimes also raise mismatched expectations. Although this was something different – the fact that the garden would highlight the reintroduction of beavers to the British landscape, after an absence of 500+ years, piqued my interest and I knew early on that this would be something that I would love to work on.

The desire to make a particular piece of work comes

from within, literally being drawn to make work about a very particular moment or observation, so being asked to produce something for someone else’s requirements has to fit in with that desire. Seeing the ongoing depletion of our natural world, and having the chance to contribute to something positive felt like an opportunity not to be missed.

Meetings followed, firstly on Zoom, to understand what the intentions and remit were, what the design might look like and how the different elements would fit together to tell this story. Water features which mimicked beaver habitats, dams and a lodge, authentic West Country walls and a riparian meadow would all combine for the vision. Just before Christmas, I was taken to see a nearby site where beavers had established a territory. A first glimpse of the beaver lodge and a gnawed branch, with distinctive incisor teeth marks, was thrilling and I knew at that moment that the garden would capture people’s imaginations. To see evidence of the beavers and their activity was a privilege and the tour of the site gave me an initial understanding of what incredible bio-engineers beavers are – channels linking up ponds and streams, dams, felled trees and > sherbornetimes.co.uk | 53

the lodge itself all creating a unique ecosystem which then enables other species to thrive, building a food chain.

I have to admit to being initially alarmed at seeing some sizeable alders felled, with the classic double inverted gnawing at their bases but reassured that this only enhanced the landscape, encouraging new growth, natural coppicing and regeneration. I also thought that if we hadn’t denuded nature so much ourselves, the sense of loss would not have felt so great; the work of the beavers was just part of the natural order of things.

Further research revealed what special structures the lodges are too, the heap of sticks and branches carefully constructed and housing chambers, with a temperaturecontrolled, secure interior.

Responding to digital artwork which laid out the plans, I produced the hand-drawn artwork over Christmas ready for the main rounds of press releases in the New Year.

Further visits were arranged for early February and I met with the team who would be working on the garden, at a couple of locations in Devon. We were accompanied by Professor Richard Brazier. Richard is a leading expert on beaver reintroduction and it was fascinating to hear first-hand how beavers can create areas of huge water retention, preventing flooding downstream as well as their work as a keystone species enabling the flourishing of a truly bio-diverse landscape. Richard was at pains to point out that this does not just happen in isolation and the need to 54 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

scientifically monitor licensed sites and mitigate any negative impacts on surrounding land use and human populations was vital to the success of this work.

Structures such as ‘beaver deceivers’ can help alleviate flooding in unwelcome areas. This is where I hoped that the artwork would have a small part to play in this process, helping interpret and explain to people the positive role of beavers on ecosystems as well as deflating a few myths.

The two sites we visited that day varied. The impression of the first site was completely unexpected and surprising. It was described as a ‘periglacial wood pasture’ – boggy, criss-crossed by channels, with various grasses, mosses and trees growing in different directions with a backdrop of pioneer birch, and then oak. It was a tricky landscape to traverse, with a sense of very much being in another creature’s territory and not being that welcome! As we made our way across the site, a section of ponds and dams was revealed. This was repeated at the second site, which was more linear, again a succession of ponds and dams, but dotted along a river valley. As the damming created ponds, the rising water level had encompassed the base of nearby trees.

Broken light filtered through. The watercourse changed further downstream, the dams becoming bigger and more elaborate, until we reached a very large pond with a dam which was big enough and established enough to walk across. Occasionally the dams break and the beavers re-engineer them (re-wiggling them) to create >

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Image: Dave Watts

a stronger structure, with greater surface area making contact with the water. The dams have a drop of several metres on the downstream side. It was incredible to walk across this dam and experience the beaver’s engineering skills in this way. It was clear that the whole team would take the experience of the visit to these unique habitats into consideration and that the initial design would need to be re-wilded further. I was excited to see how this might evolve and how wild they would go.

Seeing the garden at Chelsea, and understanding more about its evolution to something much wilder, was moving and to observe people’s responses was inspiring.

The attention to detail was astonishing, and the planting exquisite, thanks to people such as Landscape Associates, Water Artisans, West Country Hedge Layer, Hillside Conservation and Leaf Creative. Supported by Project Giving Back and Rewilding Britain, the garden was a perfect slice of West Country in the middle of London and faithfully presented many of the main elements from the site visits. This even included a silted, murky pond and water filtering through the dam to create a clear stream with gravel beds, which in the wild would be ideal for spawning salmon and trout.

The garden won not only a gold medal but also RHS Best Show Garden. The richness and detailing of the design, bravery of the concept and importance of the idea warranted this achievement. Watching it on BBC, the decision generated much discussion. Was it a garden?

From my experience of visiting Chelsea and seeing many 56 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

of the other gardens, I was left with the question of not only what constituted a garden but also the role gardens play in our lives. Is it not only to do with our relationship with and understanding of nature, and where and how we engage with it, but also the questions and choices we must now face given unsustainable pressures on the natural world? Chelsea is very much a blank canvas onto which ingenuity is applied and ideas are sown to inspire us, whatever we might want to take from them.

Beavers bring so much to the landscape, almost single-handedly positively transforming not only the upper stretches of river courses but also having benefits further downstream as well. Their moving of sticks and debris helps provide opportunities for diverse fungi habitats and improves soil and water quality, and changes in water movement. Beavers’ activity creates important and much-needed space for amphibians, fish, small birds and mammals. They are remarkable creatures. But maybe just as important is the way this whole project, along with the beavers themselves, might just be the story we all need to engage more people to appreciate our own place in the natural order, not outside of it – to capture people’s imaginations to take positive action to safeguard the future of the natural world, wherever we relate to it. Without visionary work like this, what we all stand to lose seems unimaginable. paulnewmanartist.com urquharthunt.com

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Science & Nature

RUNNING UP (AND DOWN) THAT HILL (A LOT)

Peter Littlewood, Director, Young People’s Trust for the Environment

T

he timing is perfect. Kate Bush’s 1985 hit Running Up That Hill is back at number one in the charts, thanks to being featured in the latest season of Netflix’s phenomenal Stranger Things.

Perfect, because that hit brings to mind a couple of people who are going to be running up a particular hill rather a lot in August.

If someone told you they were climbing to the top of Mount Everest, right here in Dorset, you’d probably think they were a bit mad. Well, guess what? That’s exactly what happened to me a couple of months ago, when I was first contacted by Charlie Lickiss about a challenge he and his friend Archie Parks had set themselves. What’s more, they wanted to do it in aid of the Young People’s Trust for the Environment.

Did I think they were a bit mad? Well, I was certainly confused! How on Earth were they going to do it? We’ve got some reasonably big hills here in Dorset, but there’s nothing you could call a mountain.

When Charlie explained how he and Archie intended to complete their challenge, I could see they had a plan, but I simply couldn’t imagine the amount of effort involved. I still can’t!

Their substitute for Mount Everest was to be Hambledon Hill, the summit of which is 192 metres above sea level. If you’ve ever been up there, you’ll know it’s tall, steep and a tough climb, but it’s not exactly the Himalayas!

So to climb the equivalent height of Mount Everest, Charlie and Archie will be running up and down Hambledon Hill (a lot) on the 6th and 7th of August.

They estimate that they will cover a distance of 168km whilst reaching the 8,848 metre equivalent of climbing Everest. That’s about four marathons in distance and the equivalent of running up and down Snowdon EIGHT times!

I still struggle to comprehend just how much of a

58 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

challenge that is going to be. I mean, I do a 5km run three or four times a week, which has a couple of uphill stretches. Depending on the day, that can feel quite tough. But 168km, pretty much entirely up and down a big hill? That’s crazy!

So why are they doing it? Well, as Archie admits on their fundraising page, he and Charlie are bonkers, but they can’t wait to give it a go! Both are veterans of endurance racing and they’ve been doing a lot of training for their challenge already.

‘We are both passionate about the environment and outdoor sports.’ Archie told me. ‘So we wanted to take on a challenge that incorporated both of those things’.

Charlie went on to say, ‘The work Peter and the team do at the YPTE is amazing, so we wanted to show our support doing what we love!’

Of course, to complete their amazing challenge, they’re going to need lots of encouragement. ‘We will need as much support as possible on the day.’ says Charlie. ‘So feel free to come along and watch us attempt Everest (in Dorset). Base camp is at the Shroton Cricket Club but if you can’t make it in person and still want to show your support, you can donate to our Go Fund Me page by searching ‘Everest Running Challenge 2022’ on the Go Fund Me website.’

Charlie and Archie’s Hambledon Everest Challenge will start at 3pm on 6th August and is likely to last for around 24 hours. I am still utterly in awe of what they are planning to do. It is an absolutely monumental challenge and I remain amazed that they actually want to do it. I really hope they succeed and am extremely grateful to them both on behalf of YPTE. ypte.org.uk Charlie and Archie’s GoFundMe page can be found at gofund.me/f96a51fc. Do please support them if you can.

Archie (L), Charlie (R) sherbornetimes.co.uk | 59

Science & Nature

TERRAIN THEORY Paula Carnell, Beekeeping Consultant, Writer and Speaker Sushaaa/Shutterstock

I

first came across ‘terrain theory’ during the first year of the Medical Herbalist Course I am studying, and was excited by it as it made so much sense. I incorporate it in my Naturopathic Beekeeping Course and it really has become integral in the understanding of my health and wellbeing. A recent hard week’s work supporting my husband at Chelsea Flower Show, gave me cause to revisit terrain theory.

There are two opposing theories on which medicine is based – germ and terrain. In the west, our modern 60 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

medicine is following Louis Pasteur’s germ theory which believes that all illness comes from ‘without’. We ‘catch’ a cold and that babies are born as sterile clean organisms which the outside world then pollutes.

Terrain theory, championed by Claude Beauchamp, stated, and proved, that babies are in fact born with many of the bacteria and viruses known to man, in their mouths, each with the potential to develop should the conditions be favourable.

Areas for debate in both theories arise when people

in the same area all suffer with the same sickness, and when people exposed to sickness do not all fall ill. When chatting about this during a Jubilee street party, I came up with the following analogy; getting a fever. Our common response is to suppress it with paracetamol or other chemical intervention. Fevers arise when our body is sending our antibodies to an invading substance, toxin, or bacteria, to break it down. (Lindlahr has an excellently descriptive term ‘morbid matter’.) Our super-efficient antibodies are busy breaking down and processing the offending items – all this activity creates heat/energy, which we notice with a temperature. There are of course times when a temperature can and does get out of control, so it is important to have an understanding of the body’s mechanism before taking full responsibility for outcomes. By suppressing the fever, we are slowing down the activity of our antibodies. I likened it to reducing our toilets to a trickle rather than a hearty flush! Sometimes we need a good flush out, fast and furious, even somewhat scary.

During and after Chelsea Flower Show, a very high percentage of the team who worked there were sick, with coughs (the well-known ‘Chelsea cough’ from the tree pollens), colds and sore throats. Germ theory would then conclude that a virus was present that got passed around to all exposed to it and vulnerable.

Terrain theory would say that the environment allowed the immune systems of those there to become weak and that the additional environmental toxins, not usually exposed to, needed to be removed from the body, coughs etc.

Personally, I had to contemplate this and look at my own situation. I loved being at Chelsea, however, I was doing long hours in a physical job that is not my passion or purpose (serving cyder samples to visitors). The days were a minimum of 12 hours, sometimes 15. I didn’t eat properly or healthily, drank too little water, didn’t get enough sleep and was exposed to toxins I usually avoid – non-organic food, alcohol, sugar, air pollution, tap water and excessive EMF radiation. My body needed to cleanse itself after all these shocks to its system.

I often only realise just how healthy my body is when I am away and realise just how difficult it is to find organic food and really pure water to drink, let alone get a good night’s sleep!

Does it matter which theory is correct?

On reflection, I think not. Personally, I like to

understand why I am unwell, and how best to recover so I can prepare in future. Germ theory makes me feel vulnerable and helpless – any bug could come and get me and I’d be helpless.

Terrain theory helps me prepare and know that by supporting my immune system and being conscious of what toxins are entering my body I can maintain good health. After all, I am living proof that the body can recover from a genetic condition (Ehlers Danlos syndrome).

Bee research has also found that bees carry all manner of viruses and a balance of good and bad bacteria in their guts, not always fully presenting as illness. We also know that the environment bees inhabit affects their health and wellbeing. Bees also selfmedicate – two hives positioned next to each other in an apiary, will select different food sources depending on their medicinal properties and the needs of the colonies.

If we place bees in a more healthy and less stressful environment they are more resistant to illnesses.

Marla Spivak and her team at Minnesota University have been studying this using the bees’ own super substance, propolis, finding that when colonies are able to surround themselves in a propolis ‘envelope’ they are able to resist the most virulent of bee diseases, European foulbrood. The environment that we are sharing with our bees and pollinators is affecting their health, and of course our own. The bees really are the canaries in the coal mine, showing us just how damaging so many stressors and pollutants are to our health. Being able to see for myself such an extreme example of putting myself into a stressful, albeit fun and exciting, environment which was far removed from my usual healthy surroundings has really brought it home to me how health and wellbeing truly is a combination and balance of many factors. Next time at Chelsea, I will ensure that I take my own organic food, or source a supplier for when I am there. I will also take breaks, and certainly won’t volunteer to serve cyder for 12-hour shifts again!

Finally, I will make sure I have AT LEAST three days off afterwards to rest and recuperate. In simple terms, it comes down to knowing when to say ‘no’. To make certain I don’t repeat the mistakes of this year, I now have Bee (my new admin assistant really is called Bee!) blocking out my diary for next year, and having a ‘Chelsea survival pack’ on file ready to go! Surrounding myself with ‘Bees’ always teaches me something new! paulacarnell.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 61

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On Foot

64 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

On Foot

PUNCKNOWLE, TULK’S HILL AND THE KNOLL Emma Tabor and Paul Newman

Distance: 3¾ miles Time: Approx. 2¼ hours Park: Outside The Crown Inn, Puncknowle Walk Features: This walk starts with a steady climb through rough pasture and The Drives before dropping to Look Wood and then climbing again towards Tulk’s Hill. From here, it’s an easy stroll west along the Ridgeway with fine views over the magnificent sweep of Lyme Bay. The route then heads back down towards Puncknowle along Clay Lane, with a short detour up towards the Old Coastguard lookout on The Knoll, before turning off down towards Knackers Hole and back to the start.

Refreshments: The Crown Inn, Puncknowle >

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 65

E

ach month we devise a walk for you to try with your family and friends (including four-legged members) pointing out a few interesting things along the way, be it flora, fauna, architecture, history, the unusual and sometimes the unfamiliar. For July we explore Puncknowle and its fine manor house and church. Puncknowle lies off the main Bridport to Abbotsbury coast road and is easy to overlook but is a delightful village with some interesting buildings, and a good base from which to explore the coast. There are expansive views of the ridge above Little Bredy and Litton Cheney and beyond towards Eggardon and Lewesdon Hills, as well as towards Portland and Start Point in Devon from The Ridgeway. The section above the coast is wonderfully airy and The Knoll provides a good spot to sit and ponder towards the end of the walk.

Directions

Start: SY 535 886 1 Park safely on the street near the Crown Inn. Before setting out, it is worth looking around St Mary’s church, with its 12th century chancel arch, wall paintings and Norman font. Note some of the traces around the village of the Napier family, lords of the manor for three centuries.

2 With the pub on your left, walk up Church Street and then along Lytton Close towards a playing field 66 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

which you then pass on your left. At the postbox turn left, with a footpath sign to Look Farm and Green Leaze. Walk up the drive between houses and at the end, just before a double garage, turn left up a marked footpath. Cross a footbridge over a little brook and then head up to your right, over a stile, into a paddock. Go across the field, heading to your left, along a hedge, then through a gap in the hedge into an adjoining field. Go straight across this field to a stile. Good views now open up to your left.

Over the stile, head diagonally right across this next field, keeping a hedge on your right. You can now see across the Bride Valley; notice the strip lynchets on the far side. Aim for a gap in the hedge about 20 yards down from the top right corner of the field. Go through this gap, which can be boggy and wet, with low branches. Turn right and head up to emerge onto a track after a few yards, then turn left.

3 With a hedge on your left, you soon pass through a gateway with a large metal gate. Keep straight ahead, now starting to head downhill towards woodland.

There are good views from here ahead towards Tulk’s Hill and Abbotsbury Castle as well as some almost timeless views across the Bride Valley, with the feeling of being removed from modern life. (At one point during our walk we could hear nothing but the mew of a buzzard directly overhead and the sound of

fiddle music at a fair, drifting across the valley).

4 After 200 yards you then meet a gateway with a broken footpath sign. Go through this, then turn immediately right through a large opening. Walk downhill, diagonally away from the barbed wire fence on your left; you’ll then see a large gateway down to your right in the valley bottom. This is a cattle handling area which you pass through via two tall stiles, the smaller one leading into the next field.

5 Now keep left and walk steeply uphill past a small hut to head for the open top of the field. After 300 yards you reach two metal gates and a stile. Cross over the stile and then immediately on your right go over another stile. Go to the left of a large hedge which seems to bisect this field then walk along the left field now keeping the hedge on your right.

Keep going, passing a pheasant-rearing unit, until you come to a gap in the hedge and a concrete track. Turn left onto the track then immediately right to traverse the middle of a large field with a footpath sign directing you across. At the far side of this field, go through a disused gateway and walk around the left-hand side of this next field, keeping a coppice on your left. Keep on through another gap towards the main road.

6 Go over a stile in the left-hand corner of the field, then cross the road through a gate/stile, turning

right to keep along The Ridgeway, with the road on your right and the sea on your left. After a while the path drops down a little, heading towards a wooden gate in the far hedge. Go through this gate staying straight ahead, with views across West Bexington.

The footpath drops further to an old limekiln. Keep on to another wooden stile. Go through this and then up into a lay-by next to the main road. Walk through the lay-by and then drop down on the other side to pick up the footpath again. Soon, you will meet the footpath which comes up from West Bexington. Turn right, and walk up to meet the road.

7 Cross the road and head along Clay Lane towards Puncknowle. After 300 yards there is a path to the left for a short detour to the Old Lookout on The Knoll. Returning to Clay Lane, either keep on the road back into Puncknowle or, in a few yards, turn left through a metal gate onto a track, with The Knoll to your left. You soon come to a metal gate and a stile; go over this and turn right, down towards Knacker’s Hole. There are some great views from here along the coast. Head down this footpath and at the bottom, pass through a kissing gate and right onto a track. You soon meet the road into Puncknowle; turn right and back to the pub and the start. sherbornetimes.co.uk | 67

History

LOST DORSET

NO. 25 STURMINSTER NEWTON

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David Burnett, The Dovecote Press

ummer on the Stour in about 1900. A few years later the mill’s two waterwheels were replaced by a turbine, which curiously now makes the mill’s machinery much rarer. It is quite possible that the man peering out of the gable end window for the benefit of the photographer is the miller Harry Elkins, who was born at Broad Oak in 1879. He worked at the mill as a boy and was its miller until shortly before his death in 1949. Behind the mill is his cottage, which was demolished in the 1920s after flooding swept away part of the weir and stone was needed for rebuilding. Sturminster Newton Mill once belonged to Glastonbury Abbey and is one of the few survivors of Dorset’s 200 or so mills still standing. Despite occasional closures, it remains one of the county’s most popular attractions and continues grinding small amounts of flour. dovecotepress.com Lost Dorset: The Towns 1880-1920, the companion volume to Lost Dorset: The Villages and Countryside, is a 220-page large-format hardback, price £20, and is available locally from Winstone’s Books or directly from the publishers.

68 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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History

FARMER BAKER’S DEMISE Cindy Chant Murderers Lane, Melbury Bubb

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n the shadow of the magnificent tower of Melbury Bubb Church there, in the churchyard, is an old broken gravestone. It is barely legible and records the unfortunate death of, ‘Thomas Baker who was barbarously murdered on Bubdowne Hill on November 10th. 1694’.

On that fateful day, Farmer Baker had been selling corn and cattle at Dorchester Market and was on the last leg of his long journey home. He was driving his horse and cart up the hill known as Bubb Down Hill, which is just off the A37 Yeovil to Dorchester road.

He must have been very content and looking forward to the pleasures of a nice warm fire, as he was carrying two bags of golden guineas in his saddlebags, his profits of the day. But all was not well. Something so sinister was about to happen that it would leave its sad mark, forever, on Bubb Down Hill.

Two men, who had knowledge of Farmer Baker’s 70 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

hard-earned bags of gold coins, plotted to get their hands on his money. They planned an ambush on the lonely track across the top of Melbury Bubb and lay in wait for the unsuspecting farmer. When he came within range, one of them leapt up and threw a large stone which hit the poor farmer on his head, knocking him senseless and bleeding to the ground. There he lay, on that cold November night, the stricken horse having reared and bolted with the cart in tow. A search party later found the unfortunate farmer, but he was stone-cold dead, on the ground where he fell. But there was no sign or trace of the culprits who carried out this dastardly deed.

Seven long years had passed with the villagers none the wiser as to the perpetrators of this awful crime.

Then one evening the landlord of the Kings Arms (now known as The Acorn Inn), in the nearby village of Evershot, overheard a heated exchange between two

of his customers. The year was 1701 and the landlord was serving his own brewed ale, which by now had been consumed in large quantities by the two men. In their drunken state, they started arguing loudly over money, and also, the killing of Farmer Baker all those years ago. The landlord immediately sought able-bodied help, and the two men were overpowered and bundled into the village ‘lock-up’ for the night. The next day, securely handcuffed and with fuzzy heads, they were taken along the old highway known as Long Ash Lane, which is now part of the Yeovil to Dorchester road, to the County Jail. There they awaited the next available assizes, in Dorchester, for a trial and to hear their fate.

They were convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

The local blacksmith was commissioned to forge two cages, a cruel method of execution, as the convicted criminals would have been crammed tightly into these, hung from a tree and left to starve and dehydrate as the cages swung in the wind, rain, snow or scorching summer sun. As was the custom, and as a warning to others, the bodies were then left to decay there, for many months.

It was an offence to give any help, water, or succour to the occupants in the cages as they were enduring their last few breaths. The two men were taken to the scene of the crime, where Farmer Baker was killed on Bubb Down Hill, and there they were ‘gibbeted’, hung from a tree, chained in their cages, to suffer a slow death. There is an old chalk pit there known as Gibbet Pit, and all that remains today is a clump of beech trees.

In their agony, the men were screaming out for water, but nobody was nearby to hear their pleas. Until that is, an elderly lady, Martha Spigot was travelling from Yeovil along the Roman road and heard their pitiful cries. She approached the gibbet and took pity on the two men. She wanted to give them water, but she had none. However, she did have a number of tallow candles (made from the fat of cattle and sheep) in her basket. She placed one into each of the men’s mouths. Sadly for Martha, her charity landed her a seven-year prison sentence in Dorchester jail.

The names Gibbet Pit and Murderers Lane can still be seen, as can the ghost of Thomas Baker, who is said to still drive his horse and cart along the Lane on dark, foggy November nights…and then vanish in the mist.

The sixteenth-century coaching inn where the killers were arrested, achieved a little fame of its own.

The Kings Arms which became The Acorn Inn, was renamed The Sow and Acorn, by Thomas Hardy in his novel Tess of the D’ Ubervilles.

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lawrences.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 71

Antiques

PEDAL POWER

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

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hilst some of my friends, both older and younger, are grandparents, I think I might be a year or two or more away from being given this title, although I think by the time this has rolled off the printers’ press Second Born will be engaged, so a step nearer in theory!

I am sure there are many ‘seasoned’ grandparents reading this and a few just about to embark on this important role and coming up in our September specialist auction of automobilia we have just the lot which might tick a box or two for them, a classic pedal car, perfect for a grandchild.

Not unsurprisingly, the pedal car is being sold on behalf of a grandparent, and not unsurprisingly there is a story behind the little pedal car.

If first impressions are everything then this will certainly make you smile. The pedal car is based around a 1950s Morgan Plus 4 drop-head coupé, complete with twin-mounted rear spare tyres. It looks every part a sporty Morgan, albeit one which has been languishing in a barn for decades.

The owner, who lives in Devon, bought the pedal car with a view to restoring it for his grandchildren. He has 72 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

owned a series of Morgans including a 1952 Morgan Plus 4 drop-head coupé almost identical and it was an opportunity he could not let go when it came up for sale.

Like many projects, time stops for no man and the pedal car restoration never got underway. Sadly his grandchildren are now too large to sit in the pedal car, let alone take it for a spin down to drive. This combined with an imminent house move and downsize has forced his hand and he asked me to visit and give him some help and advice.

He entered his beautifully restored 1952 Morgan Plus 4 drop-head coupe, estimated at £30,000-£35,000, into our 6th July classic car auction being held at the Haynes International Motor Museum.

His matching project pedal car is being sold without reserve in our online automobilia auction on 29th September.

Whether or not the charming child’s toy will be bought by a grandparent and finally receive the restoration it needs we will have to wait and see, but I would like to think it will. charterhouse-auction.com

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Take a moment to marvel Following many months of satisfying work in the garden, July is a wonderful time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

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74 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Every corner of the garden is bursting with colour and with regular visits from a whole host of creatures that will be thankful for your wildlife friendly gardening efforts, there’s so much to take in. So once the watering, weeding and pruning is done, take a moment to savour the best of the summer season.

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Gardening

GOING FOR GOLD

Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

Shank_Ali/Stock

76 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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ne of the joys of the summer in the UK is the numerous local flower and vegetable shows. These are usually held in village halls and run by either the local gardening club or, sometimes a separate, dedicated group. The show is often the highlight of the gardening year and the biggest event organised by the garden club.

The role that garden clubs and societies have played over the years is varied.

Originally, they will have existed because of the new plants and trends created by the plant hunters returning from previously unexplored parts of the world. Club membership will have been dominated by those with large properties and their gardening staff.

In other times the need to produce food to keep the nation going during times of war and tough times will have been their purpose. Dig for victory in World War II was an extraordinary effort and flower and produce shows will have been part of this initiative, driving standards and increasing yields.

In more recent times the leisure aspect of gardening along with the importance of the garden as an extension of the house has been the driving force.

Today gardening has a big role to play in easing the pressures of the modern world whether it’s environmental concerns, such as climate change, wildlife, sifting out pollution or perhaps the mindfulness and mental health benefits as well as the physical.

But it’s not always straightforward and as wholesome as that – where there is competition in these flower shows there is also sometimes skulduggery! One Saturday morning, when I was working on my parents’ nursery before university, I was asked to deliver a wonderful bunch of gladioli for Miss Jones, the very essence of a respectable lady who lived in a local village. On the way into the village, I noticed that it was the village flower show that very day. I commented on this to my mum when I got home who said, ‘Yes, Miss Jones wins the prize for her gladioli every year!’

It’s also important to recognise the judges who usually do their work before the show opens and then they disappear as soon as the task is done. This can be a very exacting skill and the number of RHS-qualified judges is in decline. I’m not one, but sometimes get asked to judge. Recently I was at Frome Garden Club giving a talk when I was asked to judge the 100-plus entries into their geranium competition. I was told to pick the best five and then also the worst three. I objected to this saying that it wasn’t in the right spirit to call out the failures but they insisted. The winner was politely applauded but the worst entry got raucously cheered and came to the front to accept the applause!

What that showed is the camaraderie of a well-run club where the fun of getting involved is celebrated. Whereas the fruit, flower and vegetable judges are encouraging, I’ve often noted that the baking judges are much fiercer. I love reading their comments and one of the most memorable spiky comments alongside a loaf of bread said ‘congratulations to the bread-making machine – entrant disqualified’!

Garden clubs are very sociable places playing an important part in local communities bringing people together regardless of background, gender or faith.

Gardening can be a great leveller. A flower show is really good fun and can be fascinating so get your entries in, go and have a look and stay long enough to enjoy the wonderful tea and cakes that are almost always on offer. It’s a great British afternoon’s entertainment! thegardensgroup.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 77

Gardening

PEAT

Simon Ford, Land and Nature Adviser and Gardener

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hose of us lucky enough to have gardens are all too aware of the wonderful wildlife that can be encouraged to visit, with a bit of thought and planning. Some people will create ponds to attract frogs and newts, others will keep areas of long grass and create wildflower meadows and many of us will buy plants that are attractive to bees and pollinators. We will put up bird boxes, install hedgehog houses and ‘wildlife hotels’ and make log or stone piles for amphibians.

It is amazing what a garden, however small, can do for nature and sitting out on a lovely warm day, surrounded by birds and butterflies is a relaxing and calming experience.

Many people like growing plants from seed or cutting, perhaps for vegetables or flowers to adorn 78 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

the borders. It can be a rewarding process. (Although as we have found out this year, it can also be quite frustrating!) This brings me to the subject of this month’s Sherborne Times article, Peat.

I doubt there is anyone who has not seen something on the television or newspaper about the use of peat in gardens. Every week, Monty Don and other presenters stress the importance of using alternatives and David Attenborough has shown us some of the incredible wildlife that makes a home in our peat bogs.

There has been so much focus on planting trees to absorb carbon from the atmosphere to help reduce the impacts of climate change, that the importance of soils, and in particular peat, is often overlooked.

Amazingly, peat stores over twice as much carbon than all of the world’s forests! That means that the

gabriel12/Shutterstock

remaining peat bogs in the UK store an estimated 5.5 billion tonnes of carbon. However, in the last century, we have destroyed 94% of our raised bogs, while in Ireland, 99% have been lost. It has been extracted for horticulture, ploughed up for farmland, planted with conifers, drained and even burnt as fuel.

Peat is made of decomposed sphagnum moss and other vegetation that grew many thousands of years ago. It is a fantastic environment to preserve everything from prehistoric trees to woolly mammoths and even bodies. On the Somerset Levels, the oldest known track in Britain, known as the ‘Sweet Track’, made of lots of pieces of willow was found in the peat.

Peat bogs are home to an amazing array of wildlife from insectivorous plants like sundew and butterwort,

to rare dragonflies, raft spiders, breeding curlews and cotton grass. Near us, the Somerset Levels and Purbeck heaths are really worth a visit, particularly when the heather is in flower in August and September. Many sites are now protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest by organisations such as the RSPB, National Trust and Natural England.

Another incredibly important function of peat is that it can hold 20 times its own weight in water and this is extremely important to reduce flooding of houses downstream. Water is slowly released from peat, like a saturated sponge.

Despite every attempt to raise awareness of how special peat is if it is left undisturbed, we still see it being extracted at an alarming rate. Over 900,000 tonnes of peat was dug up in the UK in 2021 and additionally, we imported a further 1.2 million tonnes from places such as the Baltic countries, for use in our gardens.

After decades of lobbying by conservation bodies, the government has agreed to ban the sale of peat products in gardens by 2024, to help meet our country’s Net Zero ambitions. Organisations such as the National Trust stopped using peat in its many gardens almost 20 years ago and I really cannot understand how it is still being sold.

Most of us will go to the garden centre to buy compost where there is an array of different products to choose from. It is however surprisingly difficult to know what we are buying. There are products which are misleadingly being marketed as ‘environmentally friendly, organic and natural’, but still contain peat.

They have pictures of butterflies, dragonflies and of course flowers on the packet – all things which have been damaged by its production. There is one simple thing to remember, if it does not state ‘Peat-free’ on the front of the bag, it will contain various blends of peat and you should, in my opinion, not buy it.

There are now more and more peat-free composts that make good growing mediums. They are carefully blended from a variety of things from bark, coir, wood fibre and green compost. However, some of the best composts can be made at home with things like composted leaves, lawn clippings, vegetable peelings and cardboard.

Enjoy growing plants, but for Pete’s sake, say ‘no’ to peat! simonfordgardening.wordpress.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 79

Gardening

LIVING THE GOODDEN LIFE Nico and Chrystall Goodden

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he past two months have been very hectic in the garden. Foolishly led by our dreams of bountiful harvests, just like every previous year, we bit off more than we could chew and ended up sowing and propagating too many plants for the two of us to manage properly while working a full-time job.

It rained a reasonable amount in May and June which helped at least relieve us from having to water too often, bar the greenhouse. However, rain balanced with sunny days means an explosion of biomass in the garden. It feels as if we can see plants grow in real-time which in itself is great for tomatoes, not so much when we’re talking nettles, cleavers and brambles.

Talking about tomatoes… July is the month when we finally get to taste our first tomatoes, usually around the very last few days of the month. This year however we probably will eat them earlier as we have a few early varieties which look promising and grow very fast.

Tomatoes are being grown in number this year with 23 plants and 5 cultivars. ‘Shirley’ is the only F1 we grow – it is very early. ‘Green Zebra’ is a delicious tomato which remains green and is marked with beautiful stripes. We also grow a Spanish heirloom beefsteak tomato, very well accustomed to cold weather as it is grown in southern Spain during the winter. ‘Brad’s Atomic Grape’ is a seed gifted from another grower and 80 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

produces plum tomatoes that are fluro green and purple, hence its name. Finally, we grow an old heritage stuffing tomato from France called Peche Andre Vilmorin, which has a fuzzy skin and peachy colour.

And what do we do with our truck-load of tomatoes? We did consider organising an English equivalent to the Spanish Tomatina festival but we much prefer eating them than throwing them at our neighbours, however tempting this can at times be.

We often make gazpacho, a delicious cucumber and tomato soup served cold in summer. It also freezes very well. We love and eat daily a peeled tomato salad sprinkled with chives, parsley and finely chopped shallots and of course our signature French vinaigrette dressing.

Let us not forget of course the passata or tomato sauce we make for homemade wood-fired pizzas, topped with our homegrown oregano, chillies, onions, mushrooms, rocket, and anything we find ready to harvest.

I’ve had a very exciting success with apple tree grafting this year. My uncle, Michael, is the keeper of a near-extinct variety called Parson Goodden which was bred by Tom Putt in Trent and of which we think we have the only three remaining trees.

I bought three dwarfing rootstocks and cut three scions from his trees back in March which I grafted onto the new rootstock after watching YouTube

Images: Nico Goodden

tutorials. It took two months for anything to happen but sure enough, two out of the three grafts have survived and are pushing lots of new growth from the top part I grafted.

We now have five trees of this variety and in two locations which should help preserve it for future generations.

Chrystall’s dahlias are now in full bloom and although I had no particular interest in dahlias, it is hard not to fall in love with the enormous ‘Cafe au Lait’ blooms which are far bigger than my hand and the colour of coffee with milk, as its name implies.

I particularly love opium poppies with their delicate pink petals and glaucous blue leaves. When we moved here back in 2017 there were maybe a couple of plants.

In subsequent years we made a deliberate effort to collect all the seeds and carefully sow them in selected spots around the garden. Now our garden is overtaken by opium poppies.

We are now considering our options with regards to my obsession with chillies, aside from sending me to a specialist. Over 30 plants and all worryingly large already – it is only July. I suspect we will harvest up to 15kg of chillies, a rainbow of flavours, colours and shapes. Perhaps a mail-order service, mixed boxes for local daredevils? Maybe they will just all end up brined,

lacto-fermented and made into chilli sauces. Still… I need to find a way for them not to go to waste. Drying and powdering is always a good way to preserve chillies.

Waste is something we are very conscious of – we do not want to grow food we do not eat and end up throwing away. No waste to be feared as this year we have a bit of a problem with rabbits and deer. Their numbers have exploded and they have acted like little thugs eating all our bean seedlings, many carrot tops, lettuce and fruit trees.

We always make provisions for loss to pests – it’s their garden too – but this year is definitely a challenge.

My love of cute rabbits is fading away and yet I could never kill one to protect my food so we shall resort to other deterrents. Wire fencing seems to be the solution.

July gives us a good glimpse of how well our summer will go. And I’m telling you now, 2022 is looking set to be bountiful beyond our expectations.

For this to happen we now need to keep watering our pots, removing competing weeds, feeding what needs to be fed before deficiencies strike and think hard about how we will use these fabulous ingredients we’ve grown from seed and turn them into dreams in the kitchen.

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it!

Nico: @nicholasgoodden Chrystall: @thegooddenlife creativebritishgarden.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 81

SHERBORNE FIRE STATION Words Jo Denbury Photography Katharine Davies

I

pull into Sherborne Fire Station at 7pm and am relieved to see both engines parked in the garage.

The air is abuzz with a sense of purpose as the duty team busily clean and check over the vehicles. I am stood admiring the hulking engines up close when Station Commander Simon Gillett comes and finds me. ‘They’re about to test the pump,’ he calls ominously, ‘you’d better come this way.’ And I am whisked out of harm’s way into the station’s meeting and social room.

Simon has been with the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service at Sherborne for 27 years. He’s a builder by trade but as a youngster always wanted to be a firefighter. ‘I’d come down here and watch what was going on as a kid. I knew I wanted to be in the fire service,’ explains Simon. ‘Later on, I knew a few people in the service, so I came on a few drills and really enjoyed it. People can do that – we run training drills on a Wednesday night and anyone interested in becoming a firefighter can come along. Being an on-call firefighter is a big commitment but it is very rewarding.

When people dial 999 they are relying on you being trained to the very highest standard. I wanted to be part of that community. I’ve built my life around the fire service. I do enjoy it but I’m turning 50 and nearing the end of my career. At 55 I’ll get my pension,’ he muses. >

82 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 83

Station Commander Simon Gillett

Mike McCulloch 84 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Jonathan Hole

(L-R) Dan Bracher, Chris Ball, Steve Bracher

The station is manned by a rota of retained crew.

Sherborne currently has 16 serving firefighters but they’re actively recruiting more. ‘Everyone on the station has got another job,’ explains Simon. ‘We all carry a pager so it’s necessary for us to live or work close to the station. We come from all walks of life. We have a house-husband, a builder, a chiropractor, a mum with young children and a full-time carer – there’s a big mixture of people here. Age and experience is not a factor. If you are fit and local come and talk to us. You have to be able to get to the station quickly. Our crew are kitted up and out the doors in five minutes.’

The sheer cruelty of fire and its capacity for unrelenting destruction terrifies me. I have had a couple of run-ins too. A long time ago, late one night in a small flat in London, I was rudely awoken by a thundering knock on my front door. Staggering and bleary-eyed, I was met with a large fireman in full apparatus telling me to leave the building immediately.

I could smell smoke and left, as instructed, dressed in pyjamas and slippers. Once on the pavement, I understood the urgency. The flat above was a raging inferno and fire crews were battling from ladders to control it. I spent the rest of the night in an all-night

café sipping tea in my pyjamas, thankful for the fireman who saved my life. It transpired that the fire had been started by a candle left burning in the sitting room, while its owner went to bed. He lost his flat.

My other encounter was here in Sherborne and much more recently. Climbing the road out of town towards Dorchester, my car began to falter. I pressed on, not wanting to hold up the traffic and managed to turn into the Sturminster road before grounding to a stuttering halt at the lodge gate. Bizarrely, a man was stood at the gate with a clipboard and promptly started shouting, ‘You’re on fire!’ while pointing to my front bumper. I saw what I thought was steam (ugh, old car, faulty radiator) then I saw the smoke.

Then flames. At which point I realised the engine was on fire. ‘I’m dialling 999,’ shouted the man with the clipboard. ‘Get out of the car!’ I did, although the lazy whippets in the back displayed a frustrating and uncharacteristic lack of urgency.

Five minutes later, to my great relief, I heard the approaching sirens and watched helplessly as my steering wheel disappeared in orange flames – ‘there go my CDs’ I thought. It was a very old car but I was concerned that the flames would spread to the fence > sherbornetimes.co.uk | 85

86 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 87

nearby. On the fire crew’s arrival, I was told to stand well back because apparently tyres blow and people often sustain injuries from flying hub caps. The fire was under control within minutes but all that remained of my car was a charred husk.

In a curious twist of fate, the helpful man with the clipboard turned out to be waiting for my daughter and her group to return from their Duke of Edinburgh challenge. Slightly fearful of her reaction on spotting 88 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

the burned-out wreckage of her mother’s car, an advance party was sent to warn and assure her that I was fine and had walked safely home. In another twist, I’d had my car serviced only the day before.

As I recount this story to Simon, I notice a wry smile. ‘I think I remember that one,’ he says. Car fires are quite common. Then Simon adds, ‘the blood pressure really rises when your pager goes off in the middle of the night and it’s a house fire. You know

people are under severe distress and that potentially you are their lifeline.’ A firefighter is almost entirely reliant on his or her equipment. ‘Our breathing apparatus keeps us alive,’ he explains. ‘If that doesn’t work...’ He goes silent for a moment.

Talking with Simon, you can appreciate his dedication to the job. ‘Sherborne being the town that it is, it’s quite likely you might be called out to help someone you know. When it is a car accident… you just never know. Our machinery can cut the roof off a car like a tin can and on those occasions, we’ll be called out along with the other services. You do see things you’d rather not think about. But if it’s been a bad one, we’ll come back here, have a cup of tea and chat about it. There’s also a support mechanism within the Fire Service which we can rely on.’

The crew’s camaraderie is evident. ‘It’s a very closeknit team,’ adds Simon. ‘We work and train as a team.’

We’re joined by Mike McCulloch, one of Sherborne’s most recent recruits and another lifelong resident. ‘I started getting fit again during Covid,’ explains Mike, ‘and I was looking at something to do to help the community.’ He came along to a few Wednesday night drop-ins and went through with Simon what he would need to pass the fitness bleep test. Mike continued to improve his fitness, passed the tests and is now into his 18 months of training. ‘I’m a mechanic in Yeovil, the rest of the time,’ explains Mike, clearly relishing his firefighter alter ego.

Dan Bracher, another member of the crew, has been at the station for nine years and is currently in the process of becoming crew manager. ‘Dad was here as well,’ Dan tells me, ‘so we have lived and breathed the station for 20 years.’ Being of service to the local community is a motivation shared by Dan and fellow crew members, ‘that and the adrenalin,’ he adds. ‘The rush that you get when that pager goes off… It’s a buzz like no other. You drive to the station and have no idea what you’re going to. When we’ve attended a bad RTA (road traffic accident) we do look to our friends and families for support.’

‘On nights off we’ll get the families together and have a bbq,’ says Dan. ‘The kids are really proud and tell their friends. It’s a big commitment for the whole family. You might plan a night out but then there’s a ‘shout’ or you might have to leave in the middle of dinner. But the best take-home is when the family of a victim says ‘thank-you’ or when a patient is taken by air ambulance and the medics tell you they’re going to

make it – that’s nice, that makes it worthwhile.’

As I leave the station, driving home in a thankfully more reliable car, I am aware of how much our sense of community sustains us. The sacrifices made by firefighters and their families across the country every day of the week are immense. We take for granted the fact that they’ll be there when we need them, that they will put themselves in harm’s way to help us.

The retained firefighters of Sherborne go about their lives with one ear on the beeper, only ever 5 minutes away from who-knows-what. It’s a remarkable job and takes a very special type of person. You, perhaps..?

Sherborne Fire Station are actively recruiting on-call firefighters. To find out more, visit dwfire.org.uk/working-forus or call Simon Gillet, Station Commander on 07974 170149.

Always remember: Get Out

Stay Out Call us Out

Steps you can take to avoid starting a wildfire: • Avoid having open fires or using barbecues in the countryside. Disposable barbecues and campfires are actually banned in many parts of Dorset.

• Extinguish smoking materials properly, and don’t throw cigarette ends on the ground or out of car windows – take your litter home.

• If you see a fire in the countryside, report it immediately to the Fire & Rescue Service. Early detection can prevent it from developing into a large wildfire incident.

• When calling the Fire & Rescue Service: • Get to a safe place • Note the fire location (what3words.com can help if you’re not sure) • Call 999 • Meet the Fire & Rescue Service at the entrance • Don’t attempt to tackle fires that can’t be put out with a bucket of water – leave the area as quickly as possible.

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 89

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92 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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Food and Drink

DORSET 75

Jack Smith & Charlotte Ferris, The Green

Antonina Vlasova/Shutterstock

L

ondon Dry Gin is a classification of gin defining its unique flavours and aromas. Despite its name it does not need to be produced in London but can be made anywhere in the world, for our cocktail we use Conker gin — a local take on the London classic.

This classification is the most beloved by gin lovers as its predominant flavour is juniper berries hence why in gin-based cocktails it is recommended to use to ensure the gin can remain to be tasted alongside the added flavours of the drink.

Fresh lemon juice is always preferable to use in cocktails as it provides more flavours, balances any cocktail well and, as a bonus, contains higher levels of vitamin C than bottled lemon juice. Therefore, if possible, we recommend using a fresh lemon and, with a knife, carefully removing and setting aside the zest for your garnish then pressing the lemon for its juice.

A sugar syrup can be bought from a shop however with only two ingredients being its components we recommend making a small batch at home. Take 1-part caster sugar and 1-part water and dissolve over a low heat. Once dissolved leave to cool and store in a clean glass bottle or jar for use in an array of delicious cocktails.

94 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Ingredients:

40ml Conker gin 20ml fresh lemon juice 10ml sugar syrup Sherborne Castle Brut Lemon zest Ice Method:

1 2 3 4 5 6

Measure the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker.

Add enough ice to come above the liquid.

Shake making sure the ice hits both ends of the cocktail shaker 15 times.

Fine strain into a champagne flute.

Top with Sherborne Castle Brut.

Garnish with lemon zest.

Enjoy! greenrestaurant.co.uk

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Food and Drink

THE CAKE WHISPERER Val Stones

POUND LOAF ANY WAY YOU WISH

Image: Katharine Davies

I

began making bread back in 1965 and I have been making it ever since. My mum taught me and we always used fresh yeast that was bought at the local corner shop – the smell of fresh yeast takes me back to these times. We proved the bread in front of a coal fire and the yeasty scent filled the living room with the promise of crisp, crunchy loaves or bread cakes. I taught myself to make fancy yeast bakes of any kind and it was my breads that got me onto GBBO in 2016. I made a cinnamon roll shaped as a ‘King Cake’ as part of the interview process and later, when down to the last 190, I had to make a pound loaf – with no instructions, just the recipe to go by.

Changing the ratio of wholemeal flour to white flour in this recipe will give you either a nutty wholemeal loaf or a lighter ‘Hovis’ type loaf that I would call a wholewheat loaf.

96 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Wholemeal Loaf

400g wholemeal bread flour 100g white bread flour 10g salt 15g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast 50g olive oil 300g hand-warm water (100g of hot water with 200g cold water) Half and Half Loaf

250g white bread flour 250g wholemeal flour 10g salt 15g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast 50g olive oil 300g hand-warm water (100g hot water with 200g cold water)

Method

1 2 3

4

5

6

7

8

Set the oven to 200C fan to keep the kitchen warm, grease a 2lb loaf tin.

Place the flours in a large bowl, add the salt to one side and flick over a little flour.

If using fresh yeast rub into the flours away from the salt, if using dried yeast stir into the flours on the opposite side of the bowl to the salt.

Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the oil, add the water and with the fingertips of one hand combine the liquids with the flour and bring it together. The dough should be quite wet and sticky but don’t worry it will come together.

Tip the dough onto a work surface and with quick movements lift the dough and slap it down so that the dough makes a fold towards you. You may need a dough scraper to lift any stuck dough back into the ball.

Don’t worry, when I first used this method I was sure it wouldn’t ever be a kneading dough, but without adding further flour continue to lift and slap the dough down and after about 5 minutes it will stick less and less. When you reach this point knead the dough. If you need to, place a tablespoon of olive oil on your work surface as this will help with kneading.

Grease a clean bowl with a tablespoon of oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until almost double the size. Whilst the dough is rising turn the oven up to 240C fan, the heat from the oven will keep the kitchen warm.

When the dough is double in size throw the dough down onto a work surface and with your knuckles

knock out any big bubbles. Fold the dough into a roll the length of the baking tin then place the dough in the tin, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise until double the size.

9 Place a shallow baking tin filled with boiling water in the bottom of the oven and let a little splash onto the oven floor to create steam (instead you might want to use a water spray to spray in the oven to make it steamy). Creating a steamy oven encourages a crust to form on the loaf.

10 Bake the loaf for 30 minutes at 250C and then turn down to 200C for a further 10-15 minutes until the loaf when knocked on the bottom sounds hollow.

Then place on a cooling rack.

11 Bread is best eaten fresh but the oil in this loaf helps it to stay fresh for 3-4 days, that is if it lasts that long! If you wish, this loaf can be frozen for up to 2 months.

This mixture is very versatile, you can make rolls, a plaited loaf, sticks and more. If you wish you can glaze the bread – two coats give a really shiny crust.

For the glaze

1 egg 1 tablespoon milk A few grains of fine sea salt Instruction

1 Place all the ingredients in a bowl and beat well until combined and use a broad pastry brush to glaze the loaf or rolls before baking. bakerval.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 97

Food and Drink

Image: Steve Painter © Ryland Peters & Small

CRAB ON TOAST

I

Mat Follas, Bramble Restaurant

absolutely love crab and although I’m a bit too scared of the cold to dive for my own much anymore we are blessed in Dorset to have easy access to fresh seafood. Crab is an incredibly versatile meat and delicious whether served cold in a sandwich or hot on toast. White crabmeat can be very delicate in flavour, so I always use both white and brown crab meat, which gives a good balance of flavour and texture.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes Cooking time: 8-9 minutes Makes: 12 toasts Ingredients

1 loaf of ciabatta bread, thinly sliced into 12 slices Vegetable oil, for drizzling Table salt, for sprinkling 150g white crabmeat 100g brown crabmeat 50ml double cream Smoked chipotle Tabasco sauce 50g mild cheddar cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated 98 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2 On a non-stick baking tray, arrange the slices of ciabatta bread. Drizzle the bread with a little vegetable oil and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, until just crispy.

3 Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the toast to cool. Leave the oven on.

4 In a mixing bowl, mix the white and brown crabmeat thoroughly with a fork. Add the cream, a good splash of the Tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt. Mix together.

5 When you are ready to serve, put a heaped teaspoon of the crab mixture onto each slice of toast and spread it evenly. Sprinkle a little of each cheese on top and then bake in the preheated oven for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the toast is golden.

6 Serve immediately. bramblerestaurant.com Recipe from Afternoon Tea at Bramble Cafe by Mat Follas, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£16.99).

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Food and Drink

LEMON AND VANILLA POSSET WITH A COMPOTE OF RASPBERRIES AND CRISPY TUILE BISCUIT Paul Collins

T

his is such a simple dessert to create but the flavours on a warm summer’s day are definitely something to look forward to. I always use a local cream and deem it worthwhile looking for that so we can support Dorset’s farming community. It is one of my favourite desserts and I sometimes wait until the mixture has cooled down sufficiently to place fresh raspberries in the bottom of the glass so that when you eat it, you get that contrast of raspberries at the bottom and the compote on top. This wonderfully fragrant dessert is heightened by the additional taste and texture of a crispy tuile biscuit.

Ingredients (makes 4 puddings)

300ml double cream 75g caster sugar 2 lemons, zested and juiced 1 pod of fresh vanilla, split A punnet (or as many as you like!) of raspberries to serve Icing sugar and a sprig o’ mint per pudding for garnish Method

1

Put the double cream, caster sugar, split vanilla pod and lemon zest into a pan and bring to the boil. Boil gently for exactly 3 minutes, stirring all the time.

2 Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, stirring well as you do so.

3 Pass through a very fine sieve into a measuring jug and allow to cool slightly.

4 If you want to, at this point, when the mixture is cold, you could add extra raspberries to the

100 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

bottom of your glass.

5 Pour into your glasses and place into the fridge until set, between 4-6 hours.

6 Serve with the fresh raspberries in a raspberry coulis and lovely tuile biscuits to add that texture to the dish. (For the coulis, simply buzz a handful of the raspberries with a sprinkle of caster sugar in a measuring jug with a hand blender, pass through a sieve then add in some whole raspberries. Place on top of the posset when completely set.)

7 Garnish with a sprig of mint and a light dusting of icing sugar.

8 The dessert can be made a day before you need it, just don’t add the raspberries until you are about to serve.

For the tuile biscuit

100g butter 100g plain flour 100g icing sugar 3 egg whites Method

9 Mix all of the ingredients together with a whisk.

10 Spread out very thinly on some baking parchment and bake in a pre-heated oven at 175oC for 4-5 minutes or until they turn a golden brown.

11 Once out of the oven they will be very crispy.

Allow to cool and serve with your posset. chefpaulcollins.co.uk

Images: Tory McTernan sherbornetimes.co.uk | 101

Food and Drink

Image: Katharine Davies

A MONTH ON THE PIG FARM James Hull, The Story Pig

M

y stomach is churning. It’s 8am, Sunday 12th June, Open Farm Sunday – a national event that we have taken part in the last 4 times it has been held.

Charlotte and I have been up for hours putting the final touches together for the opening at 10am. Last night we seemed organised and ready. We talked our lists through and added and scrubbed off all the done bits, but suddenly, in the morning, as the hour loomed closer, the lists have taken on a life of their own. The pace is quickening – the last-minute decisions being taken at breakneck speed. The stress levels are rising.

We are racing around putting a sign here and a bin there, a table here and more cider there.

This is the biggest event of the year for us here at The Story Pig – we have been planning it all for weeks.

The thing is we don’t know how many people are coming – it’s open to all. Of course, we know how many people have come in the past, but every year it grows.

102 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Charlotte and her helpers have been baking for days – they have been ordering ingredients, making quiches and scotch eggs, and sausage rolls. They have made trays and trays of brownies and millionaire’s shortbread, cinnamon buns and rocky road – the kitchen has been filled with the scent of chocolate. Every tub and container has been filled with home-made cakes and savouries. We have stabbed in the dark as to how much she should make and then we have upped the amounts again and again, until Charlotte says, ‘That’s it – I can’t make anymore!’

For my part, I have been outside. Every blade of grass has been cut to make way for parking of the anticipated cars – the lawns with the mower, the fields with the tractor and topper. I have strimmed around the edges, the ditches, along the electric fences and up and down the lavender rows. I have put signs up and moved pigs to different pens. We have made lots of sausages and burgers – Charlotte has packed joints and different

cuts. We have cooked the biggest pig we could get in the hog roaster – it’s been cooking since 4pm yesterday and the smell of roasting pork fills the air in our shed.

All our staff are here now, scurrying around, filling the fridge, setting out cakes, cleaning toilets, and generally being very helpful. We talk through for the last time who will be where. We warn them how busy it will be and to be ready for a different kind of day to the normally sedate pace of our cafe, where a friendly chat with our customers, regulars or new is always welcome.

Then suddenly it’s too late – it’s 10 o’clock and the cars start to roll in. Quickly George dons her tabard and races into the field and John gets to the top of the drive just in time to greet the cars on their arrival. Beth, Annabel and Rosie are poised in the tipi as the first keen families tentatively make their way in. Maddy is kitchen-bound – a day of washing-up and running ahead of her.

Lenny and Luke are fuelled up with their quad bikes and trailers, bacon rolls in hand, waiting for their first passengers of the day. They don’t have to wait long as within minutes a queue has formed – the trailer rides are always a hit. Once they start, the queue gets longer and longer. It doesn’t end until gone 4 o’clock – by then the boys are weary, very dusty and have worn a track around the farm. Hundreds and hundreds of visitors have seen how our pigs live, as the sun beats down on them. They lie basking, bored with the constant hum of the quad bikes.

Back in the yard, Sonia is ready with bacon rolls, all with our own bacon of course. Sten has set up his fresh meat stand – he also has the job of selling the plants that we have grown. Not being a gardener, he has his list so he knows his ‘cosmos’ from his ‘cornflowers’. Sarah has turned a table into a bar, laden with local cider and soft drinks and, with hastily made signs, she awaits the

crowds. ‘So, what are you and Charlotte doing now?’ I hear you say. Well, we generally whizz around. I help Beth make coffees, loading the coffee machine as fast as she can make them, until between us we beat the machine. Charlotte is busy finding her stash of cakes as they diminish – she has a photographic memory which comes in handy when no one can find the rocky road!

Between us, we carve and serve the hog roast and we refill drinks and milk. We say hello to as many as we can.

We deal with any problems as they arise.

So as the day gets into its swing, people naturally follow each other and the farm fills to near capacity – every field is full of cars. Families walk around the fields on their own, the sound of hundreds of children fills the air, the sun beams down on all of us and the cafe empties of food quicker than we can refill the trays.

People walk around our garden, enjoying the bounty of flowers that fill it. Children run up and down the lavender rows. We have two bands playing for us – Dan, who hasn’t played for us before but is great, and then Theya who have played for us so many times I have lost count. The whole garden is filled with families eating, listening to the music and soaking up the summer sunshine. And then before we know it the day is over and the cars are heading away up the dusty road. The band pack away and we say our goodbyes. We enjoy the last few available ciders with the team and talk the day through. It was a success we decide, there is no food left, and now only one bottle of cider. We had great feedback, so we will take that. There’s always room for improvement of course, so hopefully next year will be even better and the sun will shine on us as it did today.

Thanks to all who came and made the day a success and to all who helped us. thestorypig.co.uk

Corton Denham

Open 7 days a week www.thequeensarms.com | info@thequeensarms.com | 01963 220317 Group bookings welcome sherbornetimes.co.uk | 103

Food and Drink

Bergerac, Dordogne

MONBAZILLAC

B

David Copp

ordeaux has a quite beautiful hinterland. For three glorious years in the 1980s, we holidayed in the Dordogne Valley in an old mill house on the Dronne, not far from the splendid old medieval city of Bergerac.

Bergerac is not one of the most fashionable names in the firmament of Bordeaux wines. Indeed, for a long time it was almost ignored by the wider world. Its wines were considered country bumpkins by the side of the more sophisticated offerings of the Medoc, St Emilion, Graves and Sauternes. But its basic red and white wines were well made and inexpensive, ideal for a family holiday. However, the wine that really captured my interest was an absolutely delicious sweet wine, Monbazillac.

The soil and climatic conditions of Bergerac make it a natural home for Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle which, when picked late, make lush, honey-flavoured wines which can be sipped as aperitifs or enjoyed with fresh fruit tarts and blue cheeses after the main course.

Late harvest wines are made by a process generally known as ‘noble rot’ – the sweetness in the grape bursts, allowing excess moisture to escape resulting in concentrated sweetness. The grapes are hand-harvested – only the ‘rotten’ ones picked. The skill of the harvester is in knowing when the level of sweetness will give the greatest flavour.

The idea of sipping late harvest wines as an aperitif is not so common in England

104 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

milosk50/Shutterstock

as it is in France, Hungary, Germany and the Low Countries. We used to drink a lot of dry and Amontillado sherry – wines with a distinct personality. Late harvest wines can fill that gap. If you enjoy late harvest wines as much as I do, then you will not only sip them as an aperitif but continue them with your first course.

In Hungary, Tokay Aszu wines are most often served with pate de foie gras; as are the late harvest wines of Alsace as in other regions of France and Germany that produce top quality foie gras. When it comes to the south west of France I would choose a Sauternes or good quality Monbazillac.

One great advantage of drinking Monbazillac is that the price is more favourable than for Sauternes and Tokay. The best value for money I found was a Chateau Conbel Laroche 2019 at £9 for 50cl from Lidl. Waitrose and Tesco also have some excellent Monbazillac wines at around £10 for a half litre – quite enough for six or eight people either as a starter or as a pudding wine. My preferred ‘puddings’ are fruit tarts but sweet wines work wonderfully well with blue cheeses.

In the cafes of the Dordogne, one can buy a glass of such an agreeable light sweet wine for around 5 euros. If you are heading that way look out for them. And if you have never tried Monbazillac I recommend you to do so and trust your own judgement as to what suits you best, bearing in mind that these are lush wines so a little goes a long way.

sherbornetimes.co.uk | 105

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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

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Animal Care

CHASING TRAFFIC Mark Newton-Clarke MAVetMB PhD MRCVS, Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons

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igration from Eastern Europe is not confined to humans – imported dogs far outnumber people crossing the Channel to find a home in the UK. There may be more similarity between this traffic than you might think, with large sums of money changing hands in both cases. Smuggling alcohol or tobacco is now passé – living cargo (and drugs) is the new contraband. The influx of puppies and older dogs from ‘farms’ in both Eire and eastern Europe is not new, often under the guise of being rescued. It is a pan-European law that puppies must be at least 3 calendar months old before they can be rabies vaccinated, essential for travel to the UK. Since the international trade in dogs became big business, it was clear that passports and vaccine documents accompanying puppies were being 108 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

forged. The puppies were far too young to be legally transported and were flooding into the UK, in an attempt to satisfy the booming demand before and during Covid lock-down. A move to stop dogs younger than 6 months being imported has been approved, which makes some sense as estimating a young dog’s age is tricky until permanent teeth start to erupt, at 5 or 6 months old. Puppy traffickers are not stupid though, so heavily pregnant bitches have taken the place of puppies, many of them giving birth in transit under dreadful conditions. After whelping, the bitch is returned to the country of origin, only to repeat the cycle in the next pregnancy. The newborn puppies are illegally separated from their mother after just a few days and then sold as ‘bred in the UK’. This loophole was due to be closed by legislation in this Parliamentary

session but the arrival of the four horsemen of the apocalypse has diverted Westminster’s attention and a change in the law will have to wait.

So why is the dog-trafficking business such a problem? Most important is animal welfare, or lack thereof – expectant mothers and newborn puppies are subjected to appalling conditions. Some might argue that the caring homes where most puppies end up make it all worthwhile but does the end justify the means?

In my view, no it doesn’t! Mainly because the trauma inflicted on young animals at the most impressionable and vulnerable time of their lives may well mean they never become fully-adjusted household pets. Another reason to control and regulate the international dog trade is disease control. Rabies is the most obvious, the classic zoonosis (disease transmissible from animals to humans), but there are many others of concern, among them Brucella canis, the canine form of the cattle disease that afflicted cows, farmers and vets in this country only a few years ago. Brucella is such a danger to owners who acquire imported dogs that we recommend all dogs are tested, even though there may be claims that it has already been done. Paperwork is easily forged and impossible to confirm and the blood test used to detect antibodies may not show positive for 3 months following contact with the disease. We feel this is so important that at our clinics in Sherborne and Yeovil we insist a test is performed by us on every imported dog before we start any treatment. Brucella primarily affects reproductive tissues and so any treatment around whelping carries the greatest risk of transmission. However, all bodily fluids can contain Brucella bacteria and what’s more, many infected dogs show no symptoms of disease.

Brucella is only one disease on the increase in the UK in our dog population. I have previously reported

tick-borne encephalitis virus that is now carried by sheep ticks and a recent report confirmed the presence of the brown dog tick in the UK. This is significant as Rhipicephalus sanguineus, to give its scientific name, can complete its life cycle indoors. That means, of course, in your home! This unwelcome addition to our fauna carries a disease called Babesia, a blood parasite that causes anaemia and low platelets. At least this disease is not transmissible to humans. However, it has arrived here almost certainly because the requirement to treat dogs arriving in the UK against ticks was abandoned a few years’ ago to move the UK in line with EU practice. Just after that, the EU decided to scrap the UK Pet Passport even though we recognise theirs. Maybe not the biggest issue in the Brexit debate but certainly illogical and unnecessary as mainland Europe is the reservoir for many animal diseases that historically we have not had. Clearly from my comments above, this situation is changing and not to our benefit.

There are several other transmissible diseases affecting imported dogs that should be tested for six months after importation, even if testing was done before arrival. The reason is the prolonged delay in antibody production or prolonged incubation period associated with these infections. So if you have rescued a dog from abroad, strongly consider an exotic disease screen that just needs a blood sample. If you are taking your dog on holiday to southern or eastern Europe, make sure your pet’s protection against exotic diseases is up to date. And don’t forget to check up on the Animal Health Certificate that has replaced the UK Pet Passport. Call the surgery if you have any questions, otherwise, bon voyage! newtonclarkevet.com

Sherborne Surgery Swan House Lower Acreman Street 01935 816228

Yeovil Surgery 142 Preston Road 01935 474415

www.newtonclarkevet.com sherbornetimes.co.uk | 109

Animal Care

HORSES IN SUMMER The Kingston Veterinary Group

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e have seen the back of frozen troughs and muddy paddocks for a while but there’s always something to think about throughout the year where horses are concerned.

Although we may be excited about the prospect of a bit of sun, we don’t look forward to the pesky flies that come with it. Flies can carry disease and cause allergic reactions as a result of any bite. All flies can cause irritation and annoyance to both horse and the rider and so it is important to consider them when working or competing your horse. Although there are many different types of fly there are a few in particular that are upsetting for horses.

Horse flies are particularly troubling for horses – they are most active on warm, sultry days and especially around woodlands. They are often quite large in size and their nasty bite leaves painful 110 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

papules (pimples) and wheals (small lumps) that are irritating to both the horse and the rider. Horse flies rarely enter dark places so offering your horse stabling can offer some protection.

Black flies are smaller in size and breed near rapidly moving water. Black flies commonly feed around the face and particularly in the ears where they trigger allergic skin reactions and are mostly active at dawn and dusk. Bites form as painful lumps often with pin-prick areas of bleeding or crusting.

Midges are just 1mm-3mm long and hover in swarms at dawn and dusk. They are mostly seen around stagnant water areas or ponds, so avoid these areas if possible.

Different types of midges feed on different sites of the body. A common feeding site for midges is the mane and tail and can be a factor in the cause of sweet itch.

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Preventative measures to reduce bites; use anti-midge/ fly turnout rugs and masks, apply a long-lasting fly repellent (spot test first to test for sensitivity), spray the stable with insecticide, and eliminate areas of still water where midges might breed. Practice good hygiene around the yard, worm your horse against bot flies in the winter and stable your horse when the flies are bad.

Sweet itch in horses, also known as pruritis, describes the unpleasant sensation that leads horses to bite, scratch or rub at their skin. This can sometimes be so strong that horses will cause severe damage to themselves or their environment. Pruritus is known to result from the stimulation of special nerve endings and receptors in the skin. The three main factors to induce itchy skin are ectoparasites (biting lice), infections and allergies. It is vital that the treatment targets the cause of the pruritus and

relieves the itch itself. Speak to your vet for advice on suitable treatments.

Sun damage can be underestimated in our country but the sun can be just as harmful to animals as it is to humans. The pigmentation in hair and skin protects against the penetration of ultraviolet light, so any nonpigmented horse or a horse with white-skinned areas is prone to sunburn damage. The horse’s face and heels are commonly affected areas. Ensuring fields have shady areas is essential, although it sometimes proves difficult to make sure your horse grazes in this area. There are equine sun barrier lotions available. Another option is to use a head and muzzle mask to provide some protection. If you have a horse that is prone to sunburn it is advised to stable the horse at high-risk times. kingstonvets.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 111

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Body & Mind

Image: Katharine Davies

A MATTER OF TIME

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Mike Hewitson MPharm FFRPS FRSPH IP MRPharmS, Pharmicist, The Abbey Pharmacy

fter more than two and a half years on the frontlines of healthcare, including running a vaccination centre which has vaccinated more than 17,000 people, I have finally caught Covid.

Throughout those early days in 2020 when we were told that we had to see patients face-to-face, but were not provided with and could not source PPE, I had thought that it was an inevitability. But the weeks and months have turned into years and I had started to think that I must have developed some immunity through the three vaccines I have received. For years I have worn a face mask for 8 hours a day, no Covid.

Go to a family wedding for a few days and come back with Covid. I don’t think this is a coincidence. Masks, distancing, hand washing, all work – they’ve helped to keep me safe for a long time when the risks were really high. I recognise that everyone is bored of these precautions, but they do work.

Many people in our community have already caught and recovered from Covid, so you’ll have to excuse the novelty of this brush with the bug which is a lot later than the majority of people. From the momentary dread as the second line appeared on the Lateral Flow Test, to the realisation that the day had finally arrived. I wasn’t ready. I guess I’ve been lucky, although it hit me like a mule. For days I couldn’t get out of bed, with flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue. But I wasn’t in hospital or worse as many others have been. I think this is largely down to those three jabs, two of which I had early last year at the Digby Hall (so thanks to everyone who ran that centre). Vaccination may not stop you getting the virus, but it gives good protection from developing 114 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

serious illness. If you haven’t been vaccinated: it is safe, and it is effective - get in touch with 119 or nhs.uk to discuss your options.

It is too early to say whether I will have any longterm effects of my brief relationship with coronavirus, but there are lots of people who are living with the after-effects of the virus or ‘Long Covid’ as it is called.

Most people will make a full recovery after 3 months, but some will go on to suffer longer term problems. It is possible for people to suffer with symptoms for as long as 3 months after infection. This could include respiratory symptoms such as breathlessness or cough, more generalised symptoms such as fatigue, pain, headaches, etc. I saw a patient a few months back for their Covid booster vaccination and they had developed a post-viral rash which was beautifully symmetrical – research showed that there are a huge number of potential symptoms and these can present differently.

Covid rashes themselves could be the basis for a huge number of PhDs, such is the number and the variety of these symptoms. Fortunately the NHS has developed some resources at yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/what-iscovid-19/long-covid. I would encourage you if you are continuing to suffer beyond 12 weeks, or if symptoms get suddenly worse, to seek support.

Moving away from Covid, we are approaching the completion of our refit at The Abbey Pharmacy, with work due to finish by mid-July. My team have completed the first big move, while we temporarily relocate into number 85 Cheap Street (the old Phase 8 premises). This has been a monumental task and involved more than a dozen volunteers who have helped us to shift thousands of packs of medicines and to get

all of our services up and running. This phase of the works involves the fit-out of our existing premises at 83 Cheap Street. This is the first time that we have been able to do this since 2009, when the pharmacy was last refitted. This process is like moving house on steroids – not only do you have the upheaval of having to move everything, but we aren’t allowed to close the pharmacy even temporarily, and have to keep working throughout.

Please be patient with our brilliant team led by our pharmacist Adam – it is stressful and less than ideal to be practising under these circumstances. Please be patient, but above all else, please be kind.

For those of you that have already been in to the temporary set-up, I hope you get a glimpse of what we are trying to achieve. Don’t worry this is not it.

We’ve had a few ups and downs along the way with our permanent shelving stuck in a port somewhere in Italy. You will notice if you do go in to number 85 that the two new openings between both buildings are now complete. When the builders eventually revealed all of the masonry they came across some absolutely enormous stone lintels which had to be cut by hand and

took about 2 weeks to complete!

Our project is not about taking away, it is about adding back to the heritage of the building. One fun fact that I hope you will enjoy in this jubilee year, is that we now have our very own royal connection.

Our lead mason, Mark has previously worked on some very important heritage assets including Oxford University and Windsor Castle. When he came in to the building, he was really excited about the prospect of using his craftsmanship to make the building better.

The steps that you will use between the two buildings are made with stone recycled from Windsor Castle!

Mark has done a fantastic job of making a real feature of this opening, and is just one conversation starter in a building which is going to have lots to talk about. In these final few weeks before we complete the project I would like to say thanks for being patient. We know that this disruption can be inconvenient, but in the long-term we hope that you will be very happy with the new and improved Abbey Pharmacy. theabbeypharmacy.com

YogaSherborne Sherborne, Milborne Port and Trent • Hath Yoga outside when possible • Relaxation and guided meditation Contact Dawn for more details 07817 624081 @yogasherborne hello@yogasherborne.co.uk Yoga Alliance qualified teacher

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This month if you are able, please consider visiting the Just Giving website to donate money, which you can gift aid. Your cash donations are valuable and enable us to buy items for babies, children and people with special dietary needs. www.justgiving.com/sherborne-foodbank Thank you.

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7 Cheap St, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PT david@muntanya.co.uk 01935 389484 • 07875 465218 www.muntanya.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 115

Body and Mind

YOU ARE NOT ALONE Izzy Anwell, Dorset Mind

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116 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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Community Life Survey conducted by The Government’s Statistical Service, between the years of 2020/21 reported that 6% of respondents, equating to approximately 3 million people in England, said that they feel lonely often or always. A stat which is not improving.

Prolonged periods of loneliness and social isolation can put our physical and mental health at risk and contribute to mental illnesses such as depression or chronic stress/anxiety; which in turn can lead to further withdrawal and worsening conditions. Long-term loneliness has also been suggested to increase a person’s risk of developing dementia, although further research is needed to ascertain its legitimacy.

Loneliness and the Pandemic

For some, the COVID-19 pandemic was their first experience of true loneliness. However, for others who feel such loneliness as part of their day-today lives, the pandemic may have brought about minimal change. The thought that such a huge moment in history may have been inconsequential for some, only indicates the severity of the loneliness epidemic this country was facing before the pandemic had even begun.

According to a survey from November 2020 conducted by mentalhealth.org 25% of adult respondents, 38% of 18-24-year-olds, and 34% of 25-34-year-olds, reported feeling lonely in the last two weeks when surveyed. It was also reported that loneliness levels were consistently higher amongst the younger demographics compared to the rest of the population; which often comes contrary to the usual stigma that loneliness only really affects older communities.

The importance of connection

Our ability to connect with others plays a huge role in us feeling a part of something, be it general society, a social group or a community. Events such as the Queen’s jubilee bring together communities like nothing else. They give neighbours something to talk about over the garden fence or in the street and provide an opportunity for us to notice someone who may be struggling.

Feelings of loneliness can be caused by a range of external and internal factors. External factors include living alone, the loss of family/friends or

poverty. Internal factors may include chronic and long-term illnesses or disabilities such as hearing loss. These factors, whether external or internal, can then cause a person to become socially isolated and therefore disconnected.

We know that one in four people experience a diagnosable mental health problem each year, which roughly equates to 16 million people across the UK. From this statistic, it is clear that you’re likely to know someone in your community who is suffering in silence and could use your support to feel less isolated and alone.

A little goes a long way

Posing the seemingly ‘insignificant’ question ‘Are you ok?’ can go a long way and really make a difference. The power of this small gesture is often underestimated. It could be all that is needed to start a conversation. However, others may need a gentle second push to get them talking, that’s why it is important to always ask twice. You’re more likely to get the truth the second time around.

You’re not alone

Remember that ‘you are not alone in loneliness’ and that everyone feels lonely from time to time.

However, if you or someone you know becomes isolated and suffers from loneliness there are positive steps that can be taken by you, friends and family members to combat these feelings.

Reach out

Reaching out and admitting that you need help can be embarrassing and the thought of it overwhelming. Once done however, the appropriate help and resources are then more easily accessed and the journey out of isolation a lot less daunting.

Help and Support

Trained Dorset Mind Befriending volunteers provide one-to-one support and encouragement, helping people to increase their self-confidence and create social opportunities. Please visit dorsetmind. uk/help-and-support/befriending/ for details.

If you are struggling to cope with your mental health in general, please talk to your GP. If you’re in a crisis, treat it as an emergency. Call 999 immediately or The Samaritans, FREE on 116 123. sherbornetimes.co.uk | 117

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TRANSFORMATION

Respecting the past, embracing the future In the 231 years since we were established, The Abbey Pharmacy has seen many changes in our society. We continue to evolve and are now, more than ever, committed to meeting the changing needs of our customers.

Our vision for the transformation of The Abbey Pharmacy invests not only in the health of our community but also our high street – we need your support in making this a reality.

To find out more about our exciting plans and to register your support, please visit www.theabbeypharmacytransformation.com

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Body and Mind

TURNING YOUR WORLD ON ITS HEAD SIRSASANA

Dawn Hart, YogaSherborne

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120 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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hen it comes to the physical part of your yoga practice it’s hard not to be influenced by images online of super flexible people, glowing with yogic joy as they appear to hover over their mat. It’s not just online, it happens in our classes too. It’s natural to compare ourselves to others; ‘Why can’t I stretch that far?’ ’I can’t balance as well as them.’ We only see part of the picture and have no idea what challenges physically or emotionally that person has faced, but of course that doesn’t make it any easier to switch off the voice of our inner critic.

Being the teacher doesn’t mean I escape this. Take the headstand (Sirsasana) as an example. If you are not familiar with the posture, at first glance you are balancing on the top of your head with very little support as you stretch your body effortlessly upwards, perfectly vertical. In reality, most of the weight is not taken by the head, it is strength in the arms and core that enable you to hold a headstand safely. A headstand looks impressive or scary depending on your view, either way it should be treated with respect and a certain amount of caution. Referred to as the King of Postures, it is empowering and gives us an alternate view of the world once we are upside down. For me however, the power of the headstand has come from the alternate view it has given me of myself.

During my teacher training, I posted on social media that I had achieved a half headstand (feet off the floor with knees still bent so you are more stable) and that I had set myself the challenge to achieve the full headstand (straight legs in the air) by the end of the month. I thought sharing my goal would give me the incentive to practise – there was clearly a pinch of ego in here too, but it did not work. Instead, when I didn’t achieve it I felt I’d failed. Not just in my yoga journey but in my ability to be a teacher too. How could I help my students achieve it if I hadn’t, or worse what if they could do it better than me? Easily solved I thought, don’t teach it. There are plenty of other postures that give you similar benefits, and of course, there are but I was missing the point.

However, I did just that, ignoring it in my classes and in my own practice. Then on one of my trips back to my own teacher’s studio (she is still my teacher – we all need one!) I was faced with the headstand cycle as part of her class. I had listened to the fear so much that I couldn’t even find the foundation to get halfway up. After the class, I confessed I had stopped

practising it and therefore wasn’t teaching it either.

She pointed out that I had the knowledge and the physical strength to do it, the rest may or may not come in time but that was up to me. She reminded me I knew the correct alignment and could adjust my students helping them to find the right position. I could demonstrate 80% of the posture which still has an incredible amount of benefit when you do it, so, ‘Why?’ she asked, ‘are you denying your students the chance to try this as part of their own practice?’

Back in my classes, I started to break the headstand down into really small steps focusing on the benefits of each one. Kneeling with your head resting on the floor (or on a cushion) in child’s pose is actually the very first step – and the vast majority of us can do that.

I explained to my classes I was still working on the final posture and I waited for the look of disappointment or loss of confidence in me – there was none. I realised that by breaking everything down I’d taken away the fear of the final posture and therefore eliminated (almost) all the ego or inner critic. We were all at different stages, learning what our bodies could do.

This body awareness and slow pace meant I began to see students take their own steps. For many they did float their feet up to the sky, for some their feet stayed firmly on the floor and they built up strength in their upper body in other ways, still doing things they hadn’t expected to be able to do. My openness about my own challenges, I hope, has helped others let go of the ‘I should be able to do that’ voice.

Instead, we find our own path at our own pace, both on and off the yoga mat.

If you are considering practising a headstand and you are not an experienced yogi I strongly recommend you find yourself a teacher in person, rather than following guidance online. There are excellent online teachers but nothing can beat having someone in the room to help you physically adjust position and mentally pace yourself.

There is a long list of benefits of practising headstand as well as risks. We have to make our own decisions based on the information we have and knowledge of our own bodies. If you have any doubts about physical conditions relating to your ability to do headstand please consult a certified medical practitioner. yogasherborne.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk | 121

Body and Mind

RUNNING

Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons), Communifit

J

ust like that, we have run full speed into July!

It has been wonderful in recent weeks to see so many people running on the streets of Sherborne and the surrounding area. Last month we organised a successful ‘Couch to 5k’ course, with the last day of the course culminating in a run on the Sunday of our charity 5k/10k series. Those who attended had full guidance on what to do, why they were doing it and most importantly how to complete it safely. Whether you are a complete beginner or an advanced runner, guidance in your training is always worthwhile. If attempting to make running less tedious, prevent injury or simply trying to gain a new PB (personal best), here are some tips on how to improve your running this summer.

1 Add a strength and conditioning element to your weekly programme. Too many people have to stop running because of injury, particularly in their hips and knees. Our joints and muscles need to be strong to absorb impact from our running stride on hard surfaces such as concrete pavements. Strengthening exercises such as squats and lunges are essential in maintaining strength, helping us to run both faster and further, whilst decreasing the likelihood of injury.

2 Try different methods of running, this not only helps us to run more efficiently but also reduces boredom. Mixing up your speeds, distances, adding hill training, are all effective ways to avoid running becoming tedious. Continuous running for either a set duration or a particular distance is great but 122 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Image: Dave Bendell

shouldn’t be all you focus on. Running on different surfaces is also a great way to mix up your running, with trail running now becoming increasingly popular in the UK. 3 Running with others. Where time is so precious (and also to relieve boredom), running with others can be a great opportunity to catch up with a friend, whilst also helping each other to stay motivated – important in the summer but perhaps even more so in the darker, rainy months. Running doesn’t have to be an individual activity, it can be incredibly sociable and a wonderful way of meeting and spending time with people.

4 Signing up to events. Having an objective in the near future can help keep us focussed and on track.

There are so many wonderful running events in the local area creating lots of opportunity and goals to aim for. Running events don’t have to be serious, take a look at our Colour Run as an example!

Completing an event can provide enormous personal satisfaction and provide a springboard for attending further events.

Follow the guidelines above and we are sure your running experience will become that much more enjoyable. Why not join our running group? It is free to join and once a month we conclude our run with a visit to one of our wonderful cafes here in Sherborne.

Wishing you a wonderful summer, one stride at a time! communifit.co.uk

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NESTING ARRANGEMENTS Simon Walker, Mogers Drewett, Family Team

Elizabeth Dowler

F

or anyone who has recently watched BBC’s The Split, you may be familiar with the term ‘nesting’ (also known as ‘bird-nesting’).

It is an arrangement whereby upon separation, parents take it in turns to stay in one property (usually the family home) to care for the children, rather than the children moving between two separate homes.

The concept gets its name from birds nesting, whereby they keep their chicks safe in a nest and take turns to fly in and out to care for them.

Generally, this is a short-term option at the early stages of a separation and reserved for parents where there is a great deal of trust and co-operation.

It can create a smoother transition period for the children and reduce the disruption to their lives, retaining routine and familiarity in the initial stages whilst coming to terms with and adapting to their parents’ separation.

No ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to families. For this to be a viable option, parents must be amicable as parental conflict is likely to unhinge any prospect of the arrangement working. Both parents must fully buy-in 124 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

Victoria Cobham

to pursuing this as an option.

Nesting is a very child-focussed concept and parents will need to consider all the implications of what this entails. For example – are there any concerns about privacy and personal belongings remaining at the family home?

There also needs to be consideration of the financial implications of nesting. For example, renting or buying an albeit smaller second property as well as retaining the family home may not be an option. Equally being able to stay with friends/relatives when not caring for the children at the family home may not be feasible.

We would always recommend speaking with a legal professional to help you decide if nesting is the right option for you and your family.

Assuming you do wish to pursue this option, it is advisable for an agreement to be drawn up to set out clear ground rules and responsibilities from the beginning – from new partners staying over to who stocks the fridge. mogersdrewett.com

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126 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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Finance

LEARNING

BY MISTAKES

I

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

nvesting is, at the best of times, an uncertain activity. As people are fully aware that the value of investments can fall as well as rise, it is often a great worry when considering making an investment. Clearly we all wish to avoid the possibility of loss wherever possible.

We are living at present in a time of great uncertainty. The largest war in Europe for over 80 years is being waged with far-reaching consequences. Inflation is rampant around the world.

The pandemic may rear its ugly head again. Given these uncertainties, and many others, it may appear illogical to invest money for the future.

However, cast your mind back 25 years. The Dow Jones index broke through 7000 for the first time*. Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. Y2K worries were on the horizon.

Would you have invested money knowing then that the following events were going to happen?

• 9/11 • the tech market crash • the global financial crisis • global pandemic Quite possibly knowing what was to come (I’ve shortened the list for this article!) you might not have invested, which would have proven to be a bad decision. From January 1997 to December 2021 the US stock market returned, on average, 9.8% a year.

These returns aren’t actually out of the ordinary. They are very much in line with what returns have been throughout the history of the stock market. There have been some incredible innovations over the past 25 years. Our life is quite different now in the way we work, the way we communicate and indeed the way we live.

Investing is always uncertain. It never goes away – if it did there wouldn’t be a stock market!

It is precisely because of this uncertainty that there is generally a positive premium when investing in shares as opposed to relatively risk-free assets. By investing in the stock market you’re not aiming to find out whether this share or the other will do better. You’re actually betting on human ingenuity to solve different problems.

In the immortal words of Corporal Jones, ‘don’t panic’. Invest for the long-term. *The Dow Jones now stands at over 32,000.

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128 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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ON YOUR BIKE Your daily commute doesn’t have to be as sweaty or costly as you think. By using a Cycle to Work scheme, employers can reclaim the VAT on e-bikes and employees can hire their new wheels as a pre-tax deduction from their salary. It’s time to change gear!

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sherbornetimes.co.uk | 129

Tech

BUYING TECH IN TOUGH TIMES James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers

I

certainly don’t claim to be the ‘Money Saving Expert’ and this isn’t official advice, but more a helping hand. With the continuing rise in the cost of living there is some information here that might help you along the way to save some money on buying refurbished tech compared to buying new.

You may be surprised to hear that my phone (from a fruit-based company) is refurbished. Don’t get me wrong — I love a new device, but in the current market when the new devices aren’t quite the upgrade that they used to be, buying refurbished from the manufacturer is a great idea.

Warrantees

You should get a 12-month guarantee and depending on where you buy your refurbished product from you can save yourself a lot of money and sometimes get a device less than a year old! Some companies only offer a 3-month guarantee and some offer none. Always check before you buy.

Grading

Each website or shop that is selling refurbished goods will give you a grading score. These typically look like Grade A (Pristine or Excellent) Grade B (Good) Grade C (Fair). Some websites have more grades, and some have fewer. I have taken a statement from one website and this you must understand before buying something refurbished — ‘Our refurbished grades are solely based on the cosmetic appearance of the device’. Basically, all devices are generally graded on what they look like and not how long they have been used or how old they are.

This means you could buy a phone, tablet or laptop that may look great but has been used non-stop, meaning the hardware inside could be worn out. This may also 130 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

have an effect on the battery life. Most of the big refurb companies provide devices that have at least 80% health and some companies replace the battery with a brand new one. Always check before you buy.

VAT

If you’re a business or buying a refurbished product for business and want to claim the VAT back or get a VAT invoice, then there are only a handful of outlets that will do this. If they are selling the item unchanged then the VAT has already been paid but if they have replaced parts then normally VAT is charged for the item, and they should provide a VAT invoice.

Pricing

My general tone is if you want to buy something now then most of the time you will pay more for it than if you wait to see if you can get it cheaper. It can take a couple of hours for prices to change, or weeks depending on how patient you are. Some companies quite regularly promote discount codes of 10% or 15% on site-wide products but also sometimes the prices go up not long after they have released the code, so you’ll need to be quick. Always check before you buy.

Trade-in

If you’re upgrading a device and have no use for your old one, you can sometimes trade it in with the company you’re buying from and will either receive store credit or cash. You normally get more store credit than cash in most cases.

My top tip is to check the small print before you buy, and as ever if you need any help you know where to come! computing-mp.co.uk

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Contact Sarah on 07769 705807 or sarah@naturalbalancedt.com 132 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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Short Story

OLD DODGER Julia Skelhorn, Sherborne Scribblers

T

he late autumn sun rises, making the woodland a mysterious place, glinting through the trees and reflecting on the frosty grass in the shadows by the frozen ditch. Rooks swirl like cinders in the cold air, then return to perch high in the bare beech trees.

I poke my nose out of the den and sniff the chill air. To be honest, I should be out before daylight, searching for some tasty morsel but somehow it’s not as important now that I’m on my own. I’ve sired many litters of cubs but sadly, Rusty, my lovely mate, suffered the fate of a gamekeeper’s trap in September, so no more families for me! I’m getting old and tired and just want to take life easy.

Hunting for food has never presented me with a problem, even to feed a whole family. I’ve always been light on my feet and honed my special pouncing technique – crouching down in the undergrowth, then leaping up with great force before I land on my chosen prey. It’s useful having retracting claws which help to secure an appetising snack. For an old fellow, my hearing is excellent, allowing me to hear those pesky rodents digging underground; perhaps a juicy rat or field vole?

I’d better get cracking or it’ll be daylight. I can hear Russell the cockerel crowing his orders as he struts around the farmyard at Fast Rabbit Farm on the edge of the valley. In my younger days, I’d race hell for leather down Jawbones Hill to pick up some unsuspecting chicken sleeping behind the barn. Hiding under the old mulberry tree in the field, just where the fruit stains the ground purple, I’d advance on the sleeping fowl and pounce! But young Russell and that new sheepdog are red hot on security; I’m not going to risk it. Last night, I caught a rabbit and a vole so I won’t starve. They’re hidden in a secret place near my den,

134 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

buried under leaves and soil. My old dad trained me to keep a store cupboard for lean times and I’ve drilled the importance of this into all my cubs.

Despite my thick winter coat, I feel cold and shivery this morning. Shall I go hunting, or shall I be lazy?

Maybe I’ll just dig up the vole for breakfast and then curl up in my den and sleep till dusk. If I wrap my bushy tale around me, I’ll nod off in no time at all.

Normally, a vole wouldn’t satisfy my appetite, but today it was enough. I’m curled up now, feeling dozy and reminiscing about times past. Oh, the number of times I’ve been given chase. I ran and ran like an athlete, ducking, weaving and dodging those dratted hounds and horsemen. If I stand on top of Jawbones Hill I can just see Stuckleigh Court on the opposite side of the valley. Major Pulbrough is fond of holding lawn meets at Stuckleigh, where he and his wife like to think that they are fitting nicely into the country life. Lavinia Pulbrough stuffs everyone with cocktail sausages and mini pork pies, all washed down with vodka-fuelled consommé and fine port – and that’s before the chase! Then that puffed-up Master, Horace Trubshaw, heralds the start. He has the ability to blow a horn like John Peel.

I’ve given that lot a gallop and a tumble for their money many times. Those damned hounds couldn’t catch me; I outran them across the fields and knew all the impossible places that horse and hound couldn’t follow. Horace Trubshaw christened me Old Dodger – I was the bane of their lives. I admit it was touch and go sometimes, but I always made for very narrow and overgrown stony lanes which, after rainy weather, were almost impassable. I knew then that I was safe; neither hound nor horse could manage that terrain. Sometimes

I made for Colleyford Lake and, feeling absolutely exhausted, looked for a place to rest, often among the reed beds in an abandoned nest. When night fell, I would make my way back to the wood, picking up a chicken or a rabbit on the way.

One night last week, I had a real scare. Making my way home to Jawbones Hill, I noticed a tent by the wall at the bottom of the field beyond Fast Rabbit Farm.

As I slunk quietly by in the shadows, I heard two men talking. I stopped in my tracks.

‘I hear they’re onto The Fox again Bob.’ ‘Yeah. He’s had it this time – he’ll be a goner.’

‘D’you reckon?’

‘Definite. All that stuff hidden in his den as he calls it.

Under those leaves.’

‘Yeah – what a haul! He’ll be banged up for years.

‘Don’t know how he’s got away with it for so long.’

‘Well, his dodgy dealing days are almost over. Bet it makes headlines tomorrow.’

I froze with fear and made to race up Jawbones Hill as fast as my old legs would take me. Who was on to me? Was it the Master? It couldn’t be. I hadn’t done a chase this autumn; not after the loss of my lovely Rusty.

The day wore on and Old Dodger slipped into a deep sleep. Dusk became darkness and a full moon rose in a sky awash with a myriad of stars. Old Dodger was safe in his den and he slept on, and on, and on.

‘Too well I know, by wisdom taught, The existence of my race Ó’er all wide England’s green domain Is bound up with the Chase.’

From ‘The Fox’s Prophecy’ by D.W. Nash - 1870

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JUNE SOLUTIONS

ACROSS 1. Closing section of a piece of music (4) 3. Language used by an individual (8) 9. Innocently (7) 10. Academy award (5) 11. Seabird (3) 12. Smell (5) 13. Number after seven (5) 15. Chubby (5) 17. Move slowly (5) 18. Snow runner (3) 19. Crazy (5) 20. Combining (7) 21. Encrypting (8) 22. Remain in the same place (4) 136 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

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Literature

LITERARY REVIEW Crispin Black, Sherborne Literature Society

Billy Summers by Stephen King, (Hodder & Stoughton) £20 Hardcover

Sherborne Times reader offer price of £18 from Winstone’s Books

M

ost of us have watched The Shining and Carrie, the two most famous film treatments of Stephen King’s horror novels, but I had not progressed to reading any of his detective and thriller fiction. This was a big mistake on my part – a bit like never having visited Venice or Florence. It’s weapons-grade excitement.

Billy Summers is an ex-United States Marine sniper with a traumatic tour of Iraq under his belt. Unable to settle into civvy street he becomes a hitman but in the way Robin Hood was a thief – only killing bad guys, a selection of grotesques from the underbelly of ‘Flyover’ America. His fee is usually in $70,000 – $100,000 bracket. But then Day of the Jackal-like a mysterious client offers a huge sum to do one last job in a large town in the Midwest…at an unspecified date.

Summers’s cover story, while he waits many weeks to make his final kill, is that he is a novelist under pressure from a demanding agent to finish a book pronto.

Faking the whole process of writing a book seems a waste of time, and so he does it for real setting down an account of his life. As the assassination plot unfolds in the main narrative, the reader is taken back to his trailer park childhood and tour of duty in Fallujah.

The details of smalltown America and the horrors of counter-insurgency are powerfully recounted. A Gothic account of the treatment of a badly wounded Marine – part Catch 22, part Monty Python – is one of the

best accounts of handling a very severely wounded casualty in fiction I have read to date. Crazy, outrageous, but essentially true.

A quantum rather than Newtonian book – the plot twists and turns in unpredictable ways, each development somehow unlikely but skilfully made entirely believable. With each new twist comes a new set of tensions and a new clock ticking. The only way for the reader to keep up is to keep reading.

Perhaps because of King’s background in horror, he is highly effective at communicating menace; and, more subtly, an eerie sense that all isn’t quite what it seems – not overwhelming but just enough to cause an all-round sense of unease in the reader that becomes addictive.

Some of the writing is enjoyably Chandleresque: ‘Frank appears. In an ascot and a pink shirt, with his hair combed in gleaming swoops and swirls piled high above an Eddie Munster widow’s peak, he looks like the hoodlum in a gangster movie who gets killed first’.

At 432 pages it’s too long to read in one go but the pace never slackens. I turned off my bedside light reluctantly each night.

For those readers who prefer romantic fiction – it’s also a love story, movingly portrayed.

Grab a copy as soon as you can or if you are already on holiday persuade your hotel management to bulk buy copies – one for each room alongside the Gideon Bible. sherborneliterarysociety.com

Talk, Signing & Afternoon Tea with

Celebrating 10 Years as Sherborne’s Independent Bookseller 2012-2022 8 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3PX www.winstonebooks.co.uk Tel: 01935 816 128

Santa Montefiore Monday July 11th 3pm

The Butterfly House, Castle Gardens Tickets £10 from Winstone’s

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

I

Adrian Bright, Minister, ReBorne Community Church

am sitting writing this article between watching the Platinum Jubilee Trooping the Colour and waiting for the beacons to be lit across the nations. You will be reading this after the event in its entirety.

Whether you are a royal fan or not, the pageantry of trooping the colour is something this country does really well, even with NO fainting guardsman this year, as far as I could tell. It has been interesting listening to all the interviews that have taken place of those folk who have personally met the Queen. There seems to be a thread running through most, if not all the interviews, bringing out the amazing attributes that the Queen consistently presents. The Queen is said to have an amazing ability to remember names, notice when others are not well or happy, and to have fun. However, for me I was struck by the fact that many times over, the public referred to her serving, not just the men and women of this country but also the people of the commonwealth. Her reign has been one of service. The Queen herself has stated that that has been her reign’s intention and in royal and personal terms it would seem she has fulfilled this. What an example for us all.

There are many examples of servanthood and for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, God incarnate, we see the greatest example of servanthood. In the Gospel of Matthew we read: ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many’ . and in the Gospel of Luke Jesus said the ‘leader’ is ‘as the one who serves’.

So we see the Queen, who openly declares her strong faith in Jesus, taking this to heart and serving her country. How can we, therefore, follow the example we are shown? As a nation, we are extremely good in a crisis and during the pandemic we saw and heard of amazing examples of the community serving one another. Often though this can be short-lived, how can we make it our desire and goal?

I believe that on my own I cannot achieve this goal, but in following Jesus and loving my neighbours as Jesus commanded, then I take a step towards serving those around me.

Many years ago, there was a song written by Graham Kendrick that verbalises true servanthood and the way we can work this out in our daily lives. It refers to Christ giving up the splendour of Heaven to come and serve suffering humanity. May we, like Christ, have a servant heart; not just for those we love and get along with, but for all humanity without discrimination.

Here are some of the words.

From Heaven, You came helpless babe. Entered our world Your glory veiled.

Not to be served but to serve, and give Your life that we might live.

This is our God the Servant King. He calls us now to follow Him. To bring our lives as a daily offering of worship to the Servant King. rebornechurch.org

138 | Sherborne Times | July 2022

‘the best of the best in the UK for sport’ The Week, 2022

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LO C A L LY S O U R C E D I N G R E D I E N T S S E A S O N A L P RO D U C E MICHELIN BIB GOURMAND WINNERS 2019, 20 20 , 20 21 & 20 2 2 Tuesday - Saturday Lunch 12pm - 2pm | Dinner 6pm - 9pm 3 The Green, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3HY 01935 813821 @greensherborne www.greenrestaurant.co.uk