Sherborne Times October 2022

MEN OF STEEL with Chris Hannam and Martin Galbavy of Dorset Forge & Fabrication

WELCOME

Like the sudden silence of a house in a power-cut, October arrives, wearing a knitted sweater and a knowing gentle smile. She won’t stay long and you might not notice her leave, but for a while at least, all is calm.

This month, Katharine and I make the short journey to North Wootton (was there ever a South Wootton?) to meet the gentle souls making a thorough racket at Dorset Forge & Fabrication. Stefan Pitman affords us a cheeky glimpse behind the scenes of a familiar house that we will all soon come to know as The Sherborne and we hear from a team of prolific volunteers taking it upon themselves to help keep us warm this winter.

Michela Chiappa puts stale brioche and a basket of berries to good use, the Millers are busy chopping logs, while Nico Goodden and Mat Follas are out hunting for mushrooms. Joanna Weinberg talks cheese with Jamie Montgomery, Lucy Lewis extols the virtues of listening and Sarah Hitch gives the men something to think about.

And all the while, someone, somewhere, is whistling…

Have a great month.

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

Editorial and creative direction

Glen Cheyne

Design

Andy Gerrard Photography

Katharine Davies

Editorial assistant

Helen Brown

Social media

Jenny Dickinson

Illustrations

Elizabeth Watson Print

Stephens & George

Distribution team

Barbara and David Elsmore

The Jackson Family

David and Susan Joby

Mary and Roger Napper

Hayley Parks

Mark and Miranda Pender Claire Pilley

Joyce Sturgess Ionas Tsetikas

Paul Whybrew

1 Bretts Yard

Digby Road Sherborne Dorset DT9 3NL

07957 496193

@sherbornetimes info@homegrown-media.co.uk sherbornetimes.co.uk

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CONTRIBUTORS

Jane Adams Dorset Wildlife Trust

Katherine Barker MA FSA Sherborne Museum

Nick Bathurst Sherborne Community Orchestra

Laurence Belbin

Rachel Billington & Richard Hopton Sherborne Literary Society

Elisabeth Bletsoe Sherborne Museum

Richard Bromell ASFAV Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

John Bullock Insulate Sherborne

Mike Burks The Gardens Group

David Burnett The Dovecote Press

Paula Carnell

Chris Carver Sherborne Scribblers

Cindy Chant Michela Chiappa

Jo Child BVetMed MRCVS Friars Moor Vets

Paul Collins

David Copp Rosie Cunningham

James Flynn Milborne Port Computers

Mat Follas Bramble Restaurant

Simon Ford

Andrew Fort B.A. (Econ.) CFPcm Chartered MCSI APFS Fort Financial Planning

Nico & Chrystall Goodden

Daniel Gornall Mogers Drewett Solicitors

Craig Hardaker Communifit

Rachel Hassall & Hugh Tatham Sherborne School

Andy Hastie Yeovil Cinematheque

Sarah Hitch

The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms & The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre

Annabelle Hunt Bridport Timber and Flooring Ltd

Kathryn John The Natural Ink Project

Bridget Joslin Repair Cafe Sherborne

Sarah Langford

Carolyn Lefley Lucy Lewis Dorset Mind

Joelle Lindsay Sherborne Turf

Chris Loder MP

Paul Maskell The Beat and Track

Charlotte Miller Timber Millers

Gillian Nash

Paul Newman & Emma Tabor

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

Stefan Pitman Spase Design

Hazel Roadnight Winstone’s Books

Jonathan Simon Church of the Sacred Heart & St Aldhelm

Jack Smith

The Green Restaurant

Val Stones

Joanna Weinberg Teals

ARTIST AT WORK

No.47: Carolyn Lefley, Sea of Clouds #2 Archival giclee print, 27.5cm x 37cm, limited edition of 20, £100

For the past three years I’ve been photographing the full moon and learning about the folklore behind the monthly names for the moon, such as Wolf, Storm, Harvest, Worm and Snow Moon. This is part of a larger body of work called ‘Tide’ which explores the rhythm and wonder of the tide. This work draws a link between tidal power, the ebb and flow of the waves and the moon and stars. I’ve been making images above and below the water, revisiting the visible and revealing the hidden world beneath the surface of the waves. Over long periods during the pandemic I was unable to visit the coast, so I became more interested in the moon, learning about its terrain and its own ‘seas’. Restricted geographically I enjoyed garden astronomy and reworking my archive of photographs of the sea with double exposures of the moon. I take photographs on a variety of equipment including a digital SLR, analogue and digital underwater cameras, a medium format film camera and my phone. I also enjoy working with traditional photographic processes such as cyanotype and solargraphy. To create this layered image I combined two digital photographs in Adobe Photoshop, adjusting the properties of several layers to reveal and enhance different aspects of the image.

Recently, I’ve begun to work on a new project related to my work around the moon and tides. Commissioned by Somerset Art Works, ‘Ancient Sea’ re-imagines the countryside surrounding Ham Hill as the sea. Millions of years ago, the local limestone, known as hamstone, was formed under water. Fossil remains of ammonites can be found in the fields around Ham Hill. Using photographic layering techniques this time with moving image, land and fossil remains are merged with the sea. Local community groups were invited to participate in the project development, including a fossil walk with a geologist. The final work is installed at St Mary’s Church, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, as part of Somerset Art Weeks.

carolynlefley.co.uk

24th September - 9th October

Somerset Art Weeks

Carolyn Lefley - Ancient Sea

Venue 4, St. Mary’s Church, Church Lane, Stoke-sub-Hamdon TA14 6UF. Open Fridays and Saturdays somersetartworks.org.uk

your home to a Ferris & Ella

bar.

Welcome to Ferris & Ella, a cottage enterprise situated in Hazelbury Byran, North Dorset, creating solid oak flower bars inspired by the surrounding countryside. Perfect for window sills and sideboards or mounted on a wall. Bring the beauty of the outdoors in with an arrangement of mixed dried flowers and grasses all carefully packaged. The bars are locally sourced from Pulham and are supplied in three sizes (40cm, 60cm and 120cm). Prices start from £55† and the complete range is available to view on our website.

Select optional fixing brackets for wall installation.

ON FILM

We’ve hardly had time to blink since the end of our last season of films at Cinematheque, and here we are, starting up again this month with our 41st season. And not just starting up, but opening with a bang. We have three films on offer in October, all excellent. I have touched on each of them over the past couple of months in this column, but will mention them again as dates for your diary.

On 5th October we open with Ali and Ava (2021), Clio Barnard’s love letter to the city of Bradford, and its radical cinematic history. She is quoted as saying, ‘I really wanted to make something that celebrated Bradford, and showed you how beautiful it is.’ Like the

1950s/60s Room at the Top and Billy Liar, to her own The Arbor (2010) and The Selfish Giant (2013) (previously shown at Cinematheque), Clio Barnard channels social realism in her film-making. Ali and Ava’s unlikely, tentative middle-aged romance between British-Asian landlord and British teaching assistant quickly blossoms through their shared love of music. Her film is an intelligent and subtle depiction of 21st century Britain, addressing race and class issues, also mental health, and is acknowledged as a conscious response to post-Brexit divisions. It is a warm and thoughtful celebration of cross-cultural love between everyday characters who could easily be neighbours or friends.

Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque

Ali and Ava (2021)

19th October brings Finnish Compartment No. 6 (2021). Set in the 1990s, Laura is an archaeology student travelling by train across Northern Russia to see some prehistoric rock carvings. She ends up reluctantly having to share a compartment with a hard-drinking Russian miner, Lyokha, returning to work. He is gruff, chain smokes and often drunk, while she is aloof and regards him with horror. Slowly, remarkably, an unlikely friendship begins to develop. This Cannes Grand Prix winner, with beautifully believable performances from both actors, is a rich, emotional yet unsentimental journey, with a central theme of finding common ground across cultural and geographical borders.

The third film this month on 26th October is Drive my Car (2021) from Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi. It is a serene yet riveting drama. Nearly three hours long and laden with awards this developing connection between a widowed theatre director and his female chauffeur is unpredictable while revelations slowly emerge, as enforced close proximity within the car creates a sense of uneasy intimacy. As the title infers, most of the film takes place inside the car, but it is the sheer quality of the immaculate script and acting that holds the film’s tension, slowly peeling back the layers, revealing an engrossing and satisfying conclusion.

Three completely disparate stories then, but all have the universal theme of relationships developing against the odds within intelligent, enjoyable films.

Do think about becoming a part of Cinematheque film society. A full membership works out at only £3 per film, or £5 if you come as a guest. We would be delighted to meet you. As usual, all information is on the website below, or do contact us if you need more information.

cinematheque.org.uk

swan-theatre.co.uk

Wednesday 5th October 7.30pm

Ali and Ava (2021) 15

Wednesday 19th October 7.30pm

Compartment No. 6 (2021) 15

Wednesday 26th October 7.30pm

Drive my Car (2021) 15

Cinematheque, Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT

Members £1, guests £5

RICHARD PIKESLEY

7th – 26th October, 2022

www.jerramgallery.com

THE JERRAM GALLERY

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

APULIA, BEACH SHADOW

OIL

AXE, EVENING

OIL

CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT

Rosie Cunningham

Come from Away, at the Phoenix theatre in London, is a musical based on the true-life story of 7,000 passengers who unexpectedly landed, and were stranded, in the small town of Gander in Newfoundland, diverted there in the wake of the 9/11 catastrophe. This is a celebration of the townspeople who opened their hearts and homes to travellers who were clearly traumatised by events unfolding in America, their narrow escape from tragedy and the desperate need for news about loved ones who may have been caught up. The choreography of a small cast of twelve actors, taking on dual roles of townspeople and passengers, was slick and masterful, and the stage design, where the simple movement of chair configuration clarified the scene location, worked brilliantly. The theatre was full of a significant number of tourists, many from America, and we all paid homage to this heart-warming true story with laughter, tears, and applause. Transferred from Broadway, winner of four Olivier Awards, this is a wonderful production with songs such as Welcome to the Rock. Alice Fearn, who played the first female captain for American

Airlines, Captain Beverly Bass, had an outstanding and compelling voice. She has an album, which she recorded during lockdown, out on iTunes called Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, which I love. Running time is 100 minutes without interval, which speeds by, and no children under 10. On until 7th January 2023.

Frinton Summer Theatre is the longest-running professional Summer Repertory Theatre in the United Kingdom, established in 1934, and launched the careers of many famous names including Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Asher, their current patron. Jesus Christ Superstar was their end-of-summer finale, set in a big circus top on the Greensward, directly above Frinton’s beautiful sandy beach. This was a mighty big production with an impressive choir, made up of locals, an immersive, centralised, scaffolding circus-inspired stage, and a swaggering, acrobatic cast, who, whilst at the beginning of their theatrical careers, will undoubtedly go on to big West End roles. Jad Habchi as Caiphas and Joseph Riley as Simon both caught the imagination of the audience, judging by the upturn in applause when they stepped forward at the end.

Come from Away

As the cost of living worsens towards winter, it will seem like Covid times again when we stayed indoors rather than going out. Don’t forget that there are many ways to enjoy theatrical performances rather than making the physical journey. National Theatre Live has a host of filmed live theatre performances which can be viewed at the local cinema, such as Jack Absolute Flies again on 6th October and The Seagull on 3rd November. Both of which are excellent. The British Library also holds events, which can be viewed online as well as in person, for example, a talk by Robert Harris and An Evening with Miss Marple. Fane hosts live events, talks and interviews which you can pay to view. Fi Glover and Jane Garvey are always worth listening to and Stanley Tucci and Graham Norton are bound to amuse.

thephoenixtheatre.co.uk frintonsummertheatre.org ntlive.com bl.uk/events fane.co.uk

Sunday 16 October 3pm Gransden Hall, Sherborne Girls School

Composer Clara Schumann’s extraordinary life story, told through her own words and music, spoken by award-winning actor Dame Harriet Walter; interspersed with live performances by Lucy Parham

/

Members and concessions

Box Office: 01305 266926 Mon-Fri 10-4

Charity No:

Lucy Parham & Dame Harriet Walter

Image: Matt Crockett

AN ARTIST’S VIEW

Laurence Belbin

Since preparing this copy, summer has turned into autumn. I have managed to visit a few places out of the county of Dorsetshire and one such place was Devonshire. I had been commissioned to produce a painting looking across the River Dart. Once I had all the information I needed from being on location I headed homeward. Stopping off at Brixham I had a wander. I do like to call into that busy fishing port whenever I am near because I spent many happy times there as a child. My grandfather was born in the top room of the three-story house in the centre of the drawing shown here.

I love the tangle of fishing boats. There is always so much going on and all accompanied by the sound of gulls overhead. The tide was out and chaps were working on their vessels checking and repairing before it got too deep. Some were hosing off the bottoms, whilst the fellow in the drawing was doing something to the prop. As it was the boat that caught my interest as usual that is where I started. Straight in with pen, concentration is absolute with something as complex as this scene. I don’t mind ‘wrong’ lines, if there is such a thing, but I like to be reasonably true to the subject. The main point for me

is to get the essence of the place. Detail is sort of there but so much is hinted at. If I were to do everything the result would be so confusing it wouldn’t hold together or be pleasing to look at. Here, I feel, I’ve captured busy Brixham. On leaving I bought a box of fresh fish, some of which was our tea when I got home.

My next outing was much closer, The Quad, Sherborne School. The event was the vintage car and motorbike rally. What a collection of shiny metal! Very busy with many interesting machines. I even saw a tidy example of a bike I used to ride some 43 years ago. Whilst there were the classic vintage cars with the big mudguards and headlights I was taken by this 1931 BSA Three Wheeler – owned and restored locally. From the back, or should I say the stern, as it resembles the lines of a boat, it looks very unstable but I’m sure it’s not. I drew both front and back as I couldn’t decide which view was best. The spread of the front two wheels is probably why it doesn’t fall over. I don’t know anything about engine size, top speed or mpg but it was great to see them and draw these two views.

COUNTER CULTURE

Paul Maskell, The Beat and Track

No.14 Punk DIY: Dischord and Dissonance

Punk by simple definition is the art of self-expression with no hidden agenda or ambition for financial reward. Nowadays it doesn’t so much define a genre, but more a movement that envelopes all genres produced in a certain way for a certain reason. One of the best examples of the punk ethic in its infancy would be the creation of Dischord Records in Washington D.C.

This record label was formed out of necessity above all other things. The hardcore scene in D.C. was huge but purely local. The bands had no way of getting their music heard elsewhere with no record industry within the state and no punk or new wave radio stations to help with promotion.

It all started when the hardcore band from Washington D.C. The Teen Idles decided to release an EP. They were actually in the process of splitting and the only thing left to decide was what to do with the money in the band fund. They decided to finish their short-lived career by releasing a record. Being members of the underground punk/hardcore scene it was a near impossible task to get signed and receive any exposure outside of D.C. itself. Even more so if your band had just ceased to exist. They pulled together all of the band’s resources, $600, and decided to put out the EP themselves. Ian MacKaye, Jeff Nelson, Nathan Strejcek and Geordie Grindle (all in their teens at the time) set about getting the vinyl pressed and cutting and glueing the covers by hand. In December of 1980, an eight-song 7” EP by Teen Idles, was released as Dischord Record #1. As the hardcore scene grew, news of the EP circulated and Mackaye and the other members of the Dischord label decided to see if they could manage this feat again. It was decided that if they managed to make back the initial $600 outlay by

selling the Teen Idles EP they would release Dischord record #2 No Policy by S.O.A.

Henry Rollins, founding member of S.O.A. was so eager to release a record that he fronted the money for the manufacture himself and Dischord managed the release. Both Dischord Records were in high demand and using the money coming in the label managed to release singles by Minor Threat, Government Issue and Youth Brigade. Popularity of the scene and the output of the label encouraged the label to expand and they began to rent a bungalow dubbed ‘Dischord House’. The building was used to house the guys working for the label, provide working space to package and post releases and also provide a rehearsal space for bands. Dischord House became a hub for the hardcore scene and anyone just hanging out there would often find themselves putting sleeves together or folding photocopied lyric sheets. This pattern continued throughout the early to mid-eighties with numerous 7” releases and a compilation album entitled Flex your Head – 32 songs by eleven D.C. hardcore bands. A slight lull in output during the late eighties was re-ignited in 1991 with the explosion of Nirvana’s album Nevermind onto the scene. This sparked interest in independent music again and in particular the music of Dischord band Fugazi. Fugazi were fronted by Ian MacKaye after the dissolving of Minor Threat and the termination of short-lived follow-up band, Embrace. Still staying true to their punk rock roots they also introduced elements of reggae into their style. Six studio albums to their name, the band became easily the biggest thing to happen to Dischord. In the run-up to the release of their second album, the label received over 160,000 pre-orders! Fugazi were offered the opportunity to sign to a major label in 1992 but staying true to their punk ethics and to Dischord’s whole DIY ethos the band refused. At this point, major labels then attempted to purchase Dischord outright in order to get the bands they wanted. Again, staying true to their roots the Dischord gang declined a big payout in favour of maintaining creative control for themselves and the bands on their roster.

The label is still operating, out of the same ‘Dischord House’, over forty years later. They haven’t fallen prey to the pursuit of profit. In fact, Dischord are steadily making every live recording that Fugazi have produced, over 800 in total, available to fans on a name-your-price basis. They haven’t had to amend their ethics to fit in with anybody else’s ideals. This steadfast approach has made the label synonymous with producing great music by great bands. Music with feeling, passion and no compromise. Just the way everything should be.

(In memory of Hugh. RIP)

thebeatandtrack.co.uk

THE FREE WESSEX ARTS AND CULTURE GUIDE

EVOLVER MAGAZINE

Pick up your copy at arts venues, galleries, museums, art shops, cafés, libraries and tourist information centres (etc) throughout Dorset, Somerset, East Devon, West Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath

Or subscribe online at: evolver.org.uk Instagram: evolvermagazine

Every 1st Thursday 9.30am

Netwalk for Business Owners & Entrepreneurs Pageant Gardens. @Netwalksherborne

Thursdays 7.30pm-9.30pm

St Michael’s Scottish Country Dance Club Davis Hall, West Camel £2. 07972 125617 stmichaelsscdclub.org

Sunday 2nd 3.30pm

Serenata Guitar Trio

Thornford Village Hall, DT9 6QB. Tickets £10 and £5 (seniors/unwaged), accompanied under 16s free. 01935 426876

Monday 3rd 7.30pm-9.30pm

Treacle Eater Clog - Morris Dancing for Beginners

Rimpton Village Hall, Back Lane, Rimpton BA22 8AH secretary@treacleeaterclog.org

Tuesday 4th 7.30pm

Sherborne Literary Society ‘Words with Wine’Colin Heber Percy The Raleigh Hall, Digby Rd. Doors open 7pm for refreshments. Tickets £5, available on the door. sherborneliterarysociety.com

Wednesday 5th 3pm and 7pm

The Arts Society Sherborne Talk - The Borgias: The Most Infamous Family in History

Digby Hall, Hound Street Free for members, £7 for non-members theartssocietysherborne.org

Wednesday 5th 7pm

Sarah Langford - Rooted Winstone Books, 8 Cheap St Talk and book-signing. Tickets Winstone Books 01935 816128

WHAT'S ON

winstonebooks1@gmail.com winstonebooks.co.uk (See page 126)

Thursday 6th 2pm

Sherborne Museum TalkSherborne and the 1831 Reform Riots

Digby Memorial Church Hall, Digby Road. Visitors £5, members free. sherbornemuseum.co.uk

Thursday 6th 6pm

Women Entrepreneurs and Their Drive for Success

Susie Watson Designs, Cheap St In conversation with Susie Watson & Janet Gleeson. 01935 817641 susiewatsondesigns.co.uk

Sunday 9th 7.30pm

Cellage à Deux - Cellicious Sandford Orcas Village Hall Cellists Kate Shortt & Rupert Gillett £10 / £5 u18s / £25 family. 01963 220208 artsreach.co.uk

Monday 10th - Friday 28th 9am-4pm (weekdays)

Yeovil Art GroupAutumn Exhibition Innovation Centre, Barracks Close, Copse Road, Yeovil BA22 8RN 01935 474095 yeovilartgroup.com

Monday 10th 7pm

The Repair Shop’s Sonnaz Nooranvary

Cheap St Church. Talk & book-signing. Tickets Winstone Books 01935 816128 winstonebooks1@gmail.com winstonebooks.co.uk

Tuesday 11th 8pm (7.15pm coffee/tea)

Sherborne Historical Society Talk - Creating a ‘Usable’

Past: the Legacy of the 1917 Revolution in Modern Russia

Digby Hall, Hound Street Members free, visitors £5 sherbornehistoricalsociety.co.uk

Wednesday 12th 10.45am

The Probus Club of Sherborne Talk - Hambledon Hill

The Grange Hotel, Oborne New members always welcome.

Contact John Buckley jhbuckleyfca@aol.com 01935 507459. probus-sherborne.org.uk

Thursday 13th 2.30pm

Sherborne & District Gardeners’ Association Talk - Introduction to Garden Design Digby Hall, Hound Street. All are welcome. Visitors £2. 01935 389375

Saturday 15th 10am-1pm (last repair 12.15pm)

Repair Cafe

Cheap Street Church Hall, Sherborne repaircafesherborne@gmail.com or @repaircafesherborne

Sunday 16th 3pm

I, Clara

Gransden Hall, Sherborne Girls School Lucy Parham and Dame Harriet Walter. £24/£22 Members and concessions. Box Office: 01305 266926 dorchesterarts.org.uk

Thursday 20th 8pm

Daoiri Farrell

White Hart, Bishops Caundle Award-winning Irish singer/ instrumentalist. Tickets 01963 362890 or jhnwaltham@yahoo.co.uk

Tuesday 25th 8pm

(7.15pm coffee/tea)

New Members’ Evening Sherborne Historical Society

Talk - Marie Stopes: her life and times (1880-1958)

Digby Hall, Hound Street Members free, visitors £5. sherbornehistoricalsociety.co.uk

Wednesday 26th 7pm

Talk - Black Rod at Westminster Sherborne Girls. In aid of Sherborne Voluntary Ambulance. £15 book via sva.sumupstore.com

Sunday 30th 1.30pm-4.30pm

Sherborne Folk Band Workshop

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Rd. sherbornefolkband.org 07527 508277 info@sherbornefolkband.org

Sunday 30th 2pm-4pm

Divine Union Soundbath Oborne Village Hall, Oborne DT9 4LA

£15. Strictly advance bookings. 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com

Cinematheque

Wednesday 5th 7.30pm

Ali and Ava (2021) 15

Wednesday 19th 7.30pm

Compartment No. 6 (2021) 15

Wednesday 26th 7.30pm

Drive my Car (2021) 15

Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT. Members £1, guests £5. cinematheque.org.uk

Sherborne RFC

The Terrace Playing Fields

Men’s 1st XV (3pm KO)

Saturday 1st Wadebridge Camels (A)

Open Sherborne

Friday 14th

Bridgwater & Albion (A)

Friday 21st

Chard (A)

Saturday 29th Crediton (H)

Sherborne Football Club

The Terrace Playing Fields

Men’s 1st XI

Saturday 1st 3pm

Welton Rovers (H)

Saturday 8th 3pm

Cadbury Heath (A)

Saturday 15th 3pm

Wellington (A)

Saturday 22nd 3pm

Barnstaple (A)

Saturday 29th 3pm

Ashton & Backwell (H)

OUT

Monday 24 - Friday 28 October 2022

Explore the secret corners of Sherborne School with a Custodian or our School Archivist and visit the hidden gem of Shell House during October half-term. This event is free of charge, however places are limited.

To find out more and book tickets please visit: www.sherborne.org/opensherborne

A NEW CHAPTER

THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF SHERBORNE’S HISTORIC HOUSE

Stefan Pitman, Director, Spase Design

An extraordinary building with many stories, Sherborne House has served our community in many guises over the centuries – it has been a bishop’s estate office, a barn, a court, a grammar school for girls, and even played host to Charles Dickens, who visited regularly whilst his good friend William Macready took up residence in the 19th century. The threads of time are woven into the fabric of the stunning Grade I Georgian mansion with its Tudor wing and it’s time to peel back the pages of an exciting new chapter.

After more than 30 years of failed attempts to revive

the glorious albeit desperately neglected building, work is now well underway. Conserving and re-purposing a location such as Sherborne House is not an easy task.

Renovating and moulding it into the new and inspiring space that is to be 'The Sherborne', requires great sympathy, expertise, and skill. You may have caught a glimpse of the activity from the street-side, but what lies within has been nothing short of remarkable.

Stefan Pitman of Spase Design has been the lead for the project since 2018.

First of all, we undertook the survey, design, planning permission and listed building consent for the building. As it’s been empty for over 30 years and on the Buildings at Risk register, planning took almost three years. We then set up the wider design team and Spase Design are now the contract administrators and architects on site. This project, and the client’s vision, is quite unique compared to what you would normally expect to find in this area of the country. For the construction sector to take on a Grade I listed building like this with all

the inherent risks and look to significantly extend the size of the building is rather unheard of. There are three elements to the building: the Georgian house which is very significant because of the famous Thornhill Mural within the staircase, the Tudor wing and the coach house and then the modern extensions. We appointed contractors Stonewood Builders for their wealth of experience and capability in both the heritage and new build environments, with specialists to ensure that the quality and finishes are exactly what we want.

When we opened up the building there were some interesting finds. One of those areas was the original Tudor kitchen which we had some inclination of due to the depth of the wall. We pulled back asbestos and fibreboard linings using specialist workers and exposed a series of three Tudor fireplaces that would have been used as part of the main kitchen, as well as a number of different boilers and ovens across two walls which is absolutely fantastic to see. So, we’re going to be exposing those, repairing them, lighting them and making them the feature of the finished project.

In addition, we were bringing some services straight into the front of house and exposed some really lovely Victorian water chambers. Nobody had any idea that they were there as there is no record of them anywhere. We’re going to be retaining these in situ, together with an explanation, within the new landscape finishes, so everyone can understand why they are there. It’s such a satisfying project to be involved with and such a great legacy for all to enjoy.

This glorious building is for the community and we’re working hard to produce an impressive space where creativity is celebrated, people come together, and curiosity is a culture.

As with any substantial renovation project, there’s always a certain level of excitement buzzing in the background and so, we’re delighted to finally invite you to follow our remarkable journey. To receive the latest news, unearth the hidden secrets of Sherborne House, and gain exclusive insight into what lies ahead for its new life as The Sherborne, I encourage you to subscribe to the mailing list and stay connected.

Whether local to Sherborne, a Dorset dweller, or simply looking for cultural things to do in the south west – watch this space.

thesherborne.co.uk

Image: Len Copland

SHERBORNE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA

The Sherborne Community Orchestra reconvened for the 2021-22 season after an enforced break of nearly two years, except for one playing day when restrictions eased in the spring of 2021. In May this year, we returned to concert-giving with a programme which included popular items from the traditional ‘Last Night of the Proms’ pieces to celebrate getting back together.

Our long-standing conductor (since 2009), Ian Pillow led our return concert this year, following which he had decided to step down. We are delighted to welcome John Jenkins, the recently retired Director of Music at the Girls School as our new conductor for the 2022-23 season starting in October.

The Orchestra was formed in 1997 by Dr David Townsend and Mrs Frances Edwards, both learning the clarinet as adults, and their teacher Owen Clarke, to provide an opportunity for musicians in and around Sherborne to play orchestral music. We met initially as a rehearsal orchestra in the Big School Room at the Boys’ School on one Sunday in each school term. In 1998 it was decided to put on a concert at the end of the season and thus the format of four Sunday meetings with a concert given at the last meeting of the season was set. An annual concert has been given for 22 years until the Covid restrictions called a halt in 2020.

We very much welcome new players and would encourage adult learners for whom orchestral playing may be a new experience. A number of our players have used the opportunity to get back to playing an

instrument they played at school or university. We suggest a standard of around grade 5. The music we will be working on over the year will include:

Beethoven: Symphony No 7 (slow movt.) Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite no1 (selected movts)

Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture Sullivan (arr Mackeras) Pineapple Poll Suite (selected movts)

Maxwell Davies: Sir Charles Pavane Aaron Copeland: Down a Country Lane

The Orchestra will meet at the Digby Hall, next to the Sherborne Library in Hound Street, on the following Sunday afternoons (2pm–6pm) with a concert at 7pm on the fourth day: 16th October 2022 23rd April 2023 29th January 2023 21st May 2023

The first attendance for a new player can be a free ‘taster day’. The subscription for the series will be £30. Folders of music are provided.

Anyone interested in joining in can send contact details to either the Chair, Nicholas Bathurst nanddbathurst54@gmail.com or the Membership Secretary, Christine Hunt djcd.hunt@gmail.com

We can then send a registration form and arrange for a folder of music for you.

sherbornecommunityorchestra.org.uk

Nick Bathurst, Chair, Sherborne Community Orchestra

Image: Katharine Davies

A YEAR OF MENDING

It’s hard to believe it’s only a year since Repair Cafe Sherborne opened its doors for the first time. The small band of green enthusiasts who set up the organisation has morphed into 30 repairers and volunteers, all willing and able as we enter our second year.

Our remit is to do our bit for the planet by helping stem the oceans of waste ending up in landfill. By encouraging people to repair, reuse, and recycle, we have struck a chord with Sherborne people who have responded enthusiastically, bringing a vast array of objects for repair – things which would otherwise have been thrown away.

We weigh each item and record it. Since March this year, the date from which we began to keep strict records of weights, we have saved almost 100 kg from landfill and mended 134 items. These results are sent to Repair Cafe International who use our stats to pressurise manufacturers to only make items that are repairable. Our monthly Saturday mornings feed into a much bigger picture. Waste is a major contributor to planetary overheating and all countries need to cut waste to reduce carbon emissions.

Over the year, items repaired have ranged from a model spaceship (our very first repair), a terrifyinglooking chainsaw, a spate of old Henry vacuum cleaners, a number of beloved bears and vintage dolls, to a stuffed shark and everything in between.

Some classic tales have emerged. An eye-catching model of Tower Bridge was brought in with tottering turrets by Robert Membury’s great-great-grandson. Robert was responsible for the ironwork around Sherborne Abbey and had started the model. His son Reg finished it after Robert died and it’s still in the family.

Other stories include saving a boy’s toy rabbit, a

gift to him as a baby, a keepsake from a special aunt. A vintage radio repair brought tears to the eyes of one customer – it belonged to her father and was the only memento she had of him. Another customer was delighted with his much spruced-up bear, aged 64 (above), who had looked considerably worse for wear when brought in.

These are small human stories whose reach goes far beyond the personal and local. They gladden the hearts of the repairers too, making it all doubly worthwhile.

In the shortest time, Repair Cafe Sherborne is becoming an institution. People know where to find us and recommend us to others.

To date, we have been entirely self-supporting. Our costs are met by donations only, given by customers for items repaired. These help to pay for hall hire, insurance, expenses and advertising. We are a not-for-profit organisation.

Throughout the year Repair Cafe has greatly appreciated the support given by the community, especially cake donations from Cafe Fontana, Oliver’s and The Pear Tree.

Where to now? We hope to expand, offering howto-do-your-own-repairs and other workshops. One exciting new off-shoot, Insulate Sherborne, sponsored by Repair Cafe Sherborne, is one you can read about in this magazine. Volunteers are always welcome. We particularly need someone with social media skills.

Saturday 15th October, 19th November and 17th December Repair Cafe Sherborne Cheap Street Church Hall

Bridget Joslin, Repair Cafe Committee

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INSULATING SHERBORNE

We are in the middle of a two-pronged crisis.

On the one hand, we are threatened with insufficient fuel supplies, leading to energy prices rising beyond anything we’ve ever imagined –predicted to rise to £265 a month (gas + electricity) from October this year. And on the other hand, we have a climate crisis that is threatening our very future, with the possible loss of 200,000 homes in the UK due to irretrievable coastal flooding – and that includes the Somerset Levels. Unfortunately, the answer that we’re looking for that might save those communities is to stop using the very fossil fuels that we need to keep homes warm this winter.

So what can we do? Is there one answer that can help with both situations? It’s funny you should say that...

The aim of Insulate Sherborne is to provide advice about how we can all keep warm and to demonstrate

that there are things that can be done that don’t cost money. And it’s all about keeping the heat in and not letting the draughts take it away.

How big is the problem? The Office of National Statistics (ONS) reckons that only 0.2% of properties in England rate an ‘A’ for energy efficiency, while a disastrous 60% rate ‘D’ or less, and are thereby classed as ‘inadequate’. It gives us a good clue as to where our money is going – out through the fabric and those illfitting windows and doors.

Sherborne is an old town, full of gorgeous old buildings. But old buildings need a lot of maintenance and often need a lot of heating. Insulating old houses has never been an easy fix. Centuries-old building methods don’t necessarily lend themselves to easy-fix solutions. But a fix there is.

Since the war, a significant number of homes have

John Bullock, Insulate Sherborne

been built in the town, but unfortunately, most of these 20th and even 21st-century buildings still need bringing up to speed to make them warm and efficient. It is a great pity that, to date, no commercial house builder in Sherborne has produced passive, fully insulated, warm in winter, cool in summer homes that generate tiny energy bills. We hope any future building in Sherborne will be a different story and builders will take into account the changes in our climate.

Insulate Sherborne is working with Healthy Homes Dorset to provide advice and support to all homeowners and renters. Regardless of our situation, there will be something that we can do to reduce heating bills. At the end of the day, we’re trying to keep whatever heat we generate inside our homes and to keep the cold winter air outside. It’s like wearing an extra layer to trap the heat around our bodies, together

with a scarf and a hat to keep the cold air away – that is what insulation is all about.

We have three things to think about; the walls with their windows and doors, the floors and the ceilings. And they are the places where we need to put our energy to save our energy. At one end of the scale we might make creative use of stuffed trouser legs as draft excluders and cling-film as double glazing (yes it works); while further along the street someone might be installing interior wall insulation in their barn conversion.

We have to talk about climate change.

Despite the cost-of-living crisis we still need to have this conversation. The heatwaves – storms –droughts – floods – wildfires are not happening by accident, and they are not happening because it’s ‘what the planet does anyway’. Let’s be clear. This is a human-driven crisis, caused by an excess of carbon dioxide (and other gases) in the atmosphere. The only thing that will save us is to reduce the amount of carbon that we produce. And that means we need to find ways of burning less fossil fuel and to be much more efficient in holding onto the heat that we use in our buildings.

The twentieth century was very good to us, world wars notwithstanding. Those of us who grew up with unheated bedrooms and bathrooms will still remember the discomfort that came with them. Central heating became the norm around fifty years ago, and there are now a couple of generations who have no recollection of those deprivations. It’s those generations who are now making the running with the climate debate. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

It’s better that we choose to work to improve the way that heat is retained in our buildings than to suggest that we all learn to wear more layers like granny did. Not that wearing more layers is a bad thing, of course, but house insulation techniques drive us towards more practical - and more comfortable – solutions to our soon-to-be-devastating climate problem.

To learn more about the ways that you can improve the thermal efficiency of your home, please visit the Insulate Sherborne website, where you’ll find downloadable information sheets on what you can do.

Insulate Sherborne has been set up by the volunteers behind the Sherborne Repair Cafe - we are a not-forprofit organisation. Our aim is to spread the word about the steps we can take to keep warm this winter without it costing the earth.

insulatesherborne.org.uk

Image: Malcolm Balmer LRPS

OUR MAN IN WESTMINSTER

Chris Loder MP, Member of Parliament for West Dorset

Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth has been a cherished constant – a presence that is difficult to describe. One that I’d liken to a close grandparent, even though I have not even shaken her hand personally. Queen Elizabeth has provided a ‘sure foundation’, a rock on which I have aspired and respected and increasingly cherished over the years –and I am only 41! Given she was monarch for 70 years, I am sure there will be many people feeling that loss much more than me.

Being your representative in the House of Commons is an incredible honour for me, especially at this time

and I thought you might like to know a little bit of what has actually happened behind the scenes in the run-up to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

On Thursday 8th September, I was sat in the House of Commons chamber where energy prices were being debated and solutions shared in Parliament. At 12.30pm, there was clearly something going on. Messengers went to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Both left the House. The very busy press gallery, emptied and then refilled. It was clear that a message had been delivered that the Queen was very ill – a rumour that also spread across the back-benches

Image: Len Copland

until the Speaker shared the announcement from Buckingham Palace.

Later that day, the Queen died.

Parliamentary business was halted the next day and replaced with tributes to Her late Majesty the Queen. The Prime Minister gave her speech, followed by the Leader of the Opposition and then the former Prime Ministers. There were very moving tributes all day until late into the night. It is a regular occurrence that parliament sits until 10.30pm or later. I was able to make my tribute to HM The Queen at 9.32pm and if you’d like to see it, you can watch online at www. chrisloder.co.uk/ER

On behalf of West Dorset, I gave His Majesty King Charles III the deepest condolences on his and his family’s personal bereavement. I also spoke of the fondness and affection with which the Queen is held by West Dorset, with much of this stemming from Her Majesty’s numerous visits to West Dorset over the 70 years of her reign.

I wished the King to know of the profound sadness that we share with him and our sympathies. Of how much we have appreciated the Queen’s incredible leadership and steadfast support and our enormous respect for her duty and service to this country.

Some may recall the Her Majesty’s first visit as Queen to West Dorset in July 1952, only a few months after acceding to the throne when she visited Dorchester. Her reputation was cemented here in Dorset as a warm, down-to-earth lady who cared deeply about the countryside and its people. Here in Sherborne, we received two visits. One in May 1998, packing much activity into her stay. She unveiled the Great West Window at Sherborne Abbey, planted a commemorative tree at Minterne Gardens and opened the new buildings at Dorset County Hospital. Then of

course her Diamond Jubilee Tour in 2012, notable for her arrival at Sherborne station by train.

Some of you may know that I am a bellringer – in my spare time! And on Sunday 11th, in the morning, I joined the Sherborne Abbey ringers in the fully muffled ringing of the 8 bells. This was something that I have never done before, nor heard – because it only happens on the passing of a monarch. I then went to Dorchester where King Charles III was proclaimed as the new Monarch at 1pm, and then back to Sherborne at 3pm for the town proclamation before going to London that night.

On Monday 12th, with 1,200 fellow MPs and Peers, we listened to the King speak in Westminster Hall where a presentation of sympathy from both Houses was made to the King. The moving response from King Charles was one that inspired hope through the most painful grief.

Queen Elizabeth lay in state at Westminster Hall for 4 days before her funeral and I was very moved to pay our respects to the Queen on Friday afternoon by going to Westminster Hall in person.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has provided that continuous link to the past, a symbol of all that is good about the United Kingdom, and a reference point for our entire post-war history as a nation. The coronavirus pandemic being a case in point as to how Her Majesty lifted the nation, gave us hope, and shared in our collective grief, as she did during the Second World War. We have been immeasurably fortunate to have had Queen Elizabeth in our lives, and for so long. Charles III will be continuing his late mother’s legacy; maintaining the steadfast and consistent presence as we navigate the many challenges ahead.

chrisloder.co.uk

Join us on the first Wednesday of the month at 3pm and 7pm

Digby Hall, Hound Street

5th October: The Borgias - The Most Infamous Family in History

2nd November: Caravaggio’s Final Years - A Rebel on the Run

7th December: Toulouse-Lautrec - The Golden Age of Cabaret

Come as a visitor or join now for 2023 gaining 3 months of free membership theartssocietysherborne.org

MARKET KNOWLEDGE

KATHRYN JOHN, THE NATURAL INK PROJECT

Welcome to The Sherborne Market!

What brings you here?

Hello! I have come along to the market to share all things colour with The NATURAL INK. project. Along with selling my work, it has been such a joy to chat and share, and learn, from the folks I meet on the street.

Where have you travelled from?

My studio in Butleigh, near Glastonbury.

Tell us about what you’re selling?

I sell bottles of ink I make in small batches from plants and metals I forage and find: oak galls for hardy black and sepia, copper pipe makes a gorgeous blue, and avocado skins, a dusky pink. These can be used for craft, art and writing, whether you’re a player, nature lover, colour-curious or a full-time artist/maker looking to make your practice more sustainable and rooted in the natural world. I also sell hand-written cards and artwork I have created using these and a host of other inks. I am developing further things for my stall at the moment too. The silly ‘Bum Bum Bum’ and ‘Hello Poo Face’ cards have been very popular! I will be taking card and art commissions this winter too.

Where and when did it all begin?

This all began in 2015, in Hay-on-Wye, when I was using a lot of toxic enamel paints in my work as a trainee traditional sign-painter. Ethically and physically it didn’t sit right to be using these materials. My body had a lot of discomfort breathing in these chemicals

day-in-day-out, and I realised they were also similarly harmful to the natural world. My mentor was an avid natural dyer - applying colour to textiles - and I began researching how to take this alchemy and turn it into ink and paint. It all delightfully snowballed from there.

What do you enjoy most about selling at markets? The conversations with the people I meet. When someone walks by and is drawn in by the colours and I see, and recognise, the curiosity in them I know we will have a good chat. I learn a great deal from the people I meet – it really is a community project. I never anticipated this, but I often leave markets with many notes scribbled in my notebook about new plants, or some interesting piece of related information, that I then research when back in the studio.

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

There are the fabulous seaweed folks who I have met in passing. I am eager to get out and soak it all up, to be honest. Fellow artist-makers and all of the tasty food… There is so much going on.

Where can people find you on market day?

I have been based at the suitcase stalls on Cheap Street this spring/summer but will be back in November and December with a full pitch somewhere new, so keep an eye out for me!

@_kathrynjohn

producers, suppliers,

and

dates

Boys’ School of the Year and The Development Award for an Outstanding Fundraising Achievement

Aimee Holtham, aged 10

St Andrew’s CE Primary School, Yetminster

Aimee is an extremely talented dancer who trains with The Dance Factory in Yeovil and also takes lessons with Elmhurst Ballet School, The Royal Ballet School and Tring Park Classical Ballet Academy.

In March 2022, Aimee auditioned for the English Youth Ballet alongside 200 other applicants. Aimee was successful and cast as Lady Songbird and The White Cat in their production of Sleeping Beauty, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham in July this year.

Aimee is thoroughly enjoying experiencing the life of a professional dancer and is particularly excited to be dancing alongside international, professional dancers. She has been attending regular rehearsals with the full support of her school. Head Teacher Julie Simpson said, ‘We are all so proud of Aimee and her achievements, at this young age. She is to be commended for her hard work and positive attitude – a wonderful member of the school community.’

Aimee achieved a ‘distinction’ in her most recent ballet exam. Further demonstration of her dedication and talent.

yetminster.dorset.sch.uk

BookChildren’sReview

Hazel Roadnight, Winstone’s Books

The Little Match Girl Strikes Again

by Emma Carroll and Lauren Child (Simon & Schuster), £12.99 Hardback, Age range 7+

Sherborne Times reader offer price of £10.99 from Winstone’s Books

Somerset-based author Emma Carroll has written an inventive and inspiring new take on the Hans Christian Anderson tale The Little Match Girl.

Emma’s books are always imbued with a real sense of time and place and here, she manages to transport us to an important period in British history.

It tells the story of Birdie Sweeny, a povertystricken match seller in Victorian London. The author expertly weaves Birdie’s tale into the 19th-century Irish immigrants’ struggle and a historic moment in trade union movement, along with some real sparks of magic from her last 3 matches.

Emma says, ‘If there’s any kind of message to take away from this book, it’s a David and Goliath story. It’s about someone from a very humble background making a massive difference and about how, when we work with other people, we can achieve great things.’

To make this book even more exciting, it’s excellently illustrated by the amazing Lauren Child (creator of Charlie & Lola and Clarice Bean), who carefully researched the factories and living conditions at the time to make sure she did the women of the story justice. shop.winstonebooks.co.uk

The Repair Shop’s Sonnaz Nooranvary

Monday 10th October 6.30pm for 7pm

The Dorset-based upholsterer will be joining us to recount her experiences on the show, in conversation with Kirsty Crawford.

Tickets £5

Available in-store and online at winstonebooks.co.uk

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

Awonderfully simple recipe to use up any breakfast leftovers. In our family, there is nothing better than a delicious fresh croissant or panettone but they can be a bit of a let-down the next day if stale. This recipe will bring any sweet bread back to life and with berries (especially blackberries) in season, this is a great autumnal recipe for the whole family to enjoy.  Quick, simple and cost-effective (if you’ve had success in the hedgerows this month).  Don’t forget blackberries can be frozen in a bag to keep the family supplied for many months.

Prep Time: 15mins

Cooking Time: 35-40mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

3-4 slices (approx 150g) of brioche or any sweet bread (e.g. panettone, croissant)

4 large handfuls of seasonal berries (200g)

1 tub of cream cheese (180g)

Icing sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)

4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

225ml milk

Method

1

AT THE TABLE Michela Chiappa BERRY BAKE

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4

2 Cut the brioche/croissant etc. into 2cm cubes and place in a greased 23cm square ovenproof dish

3 Sprinkle with berries

4 Beat the cream cheese, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until well blended

5 Slowly add the milk whilst continuing to whisk

6 Pour the milk mixture over the brioche and berries and leave to soak in for approx 20mins or overnight in the fridge

7 Bake for 35-40mins, or until set in the centre and golden brown

8 Cover with foil for the last 5-10mins if the surface is getting too brown

9 Serve warm, sprinkled with icing sugar

@michela.chiappa TheChiappaSisters thechiappas.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

Mack Rutherford, Sofia, Bulgaria, 23rd March

Image: Beatrice De Smet

BACK DOWN TO EARTH

Hugh Tatham BA MA, Housemaster, Sherborne School

Question: what do you do when you have just become the youngest person ever to fly solo around the world – a journey of just over five months involving 52 countries on five continents?

Answer: go back to school, of course! Specifically, in the case of Mack Rutherford, back to Abbey House at Sherborne where he is a boarder doing his A levels.

Mack undertook his great adventure partly to demonstrate that young people can pursue their dreams and do great things, just as much as adults can. He wanted to show that grit, determination and resilience can help anyone to overcome challenges and achieve success.

And there were certainly challenges aplenty for Mack as he made his way around the globe! The journey took almost twice as long as originally planned and took in all manner of paperwork problems, mechanical and electrical failures, suspected fuel leaks, extreme heat, monsoon rains, and multiple changes of route. But, through it all, he kept going and he kept smiling, ultimately reaching Sofia in Bulgaria on 24th August, from where he had set out on his great quest on 23rd March.

So, Mack did it. He has achieved something quite incredible – not just in taking a year off the previous record but in conceiving and executing a remarkable feat of endurance and imagination.

Now he is back – amongst his peers, amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy boarding house, and with a lot of study to catch up! He knows it’s going to be

a really tough year, but he also knows that, after what he’s already been through and achieved, any challenge can be met head-on and any hurdle can be overcome. Most importantly of all, fame and international media coverage have not affected him in the slightest: he’s still Mack – the same lovely, smiley, quiet, sometimes slightly chaotic chap that he’s always been. Of the many attributes that he might role-model to our boys, modesty and humility are amongst the most powerful. So too, of course, is the message that anything is possible, anyone can achieve, anyone can succeed, and that you don’t need to be limited by other people’s expectations.

As Mack’s Housemaster here in Abbey House, I have to confess to tremendous feelings of pride that one of our boys has done this extraordinary thing. I’m proud that he actually made it around the world. I’m proud that he is a world record-holder and, most of all, I’m proud that he can be such a powerful and inspirational figure for other young people - whether pupils at Sherborne or beyond. Of course, not everyone has the opportunity to learn to fly or break a world record, and Mack himself is keen to point out the debt he owes to his family in which there are five generations of aviators. However, everyone can dream, and everyone can do something amazing. Indeed, another boy in Abbey - two years younger than Mack - passed his ground flying exams this summer…

sherborne.org

PLANT GALLS

Jane Adams, Volunteer, Dorset Wildlife Trust

Whether crushed and turned into ink for manuscripts, or used as a remedy for insomnia, plant galls have been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years by our ancestors. Nowadays, though, these traditional uses have all but ceased. But galls are still fascinating to discover and easy to see in our countryside, especially during an autumn walk.

Our most common plant galls form when gall wasps lay their eggs under the surface of plant tissue, triggering an abnormal plant growth. Each gall wasp species triggers a different gall to grow and are used to shelter, protect, and provide food for their young. It’s a clever, and some may say devious, evolutionary tactic, but doesn’t seem to harm the plant.

Find an English oak at this time of year and you’ll often find oak marble galls growing from its twigs. As the name suggests, this gall is round and by autumn has turned hard and brown. Because of its high tannin content, some leather tanners still use it to tan leather, and it was especially popular in medieval times for making ink.

Also found on oaks are spangle galls. These round growths found on the underside of oak leaves look like miniature spaceships. Close examination of a handful of fallen leaves is sure to uncover a few. But don’t expect to see the common spangle gall wasp larvae, as they are

long gone, having emerged earlier in the summer.

One of the strangest galls found in Dorset is Robin’s pincushion. Found on wild roses, especially dog rose, field rose and sweet briar its pincushion of red hairs is easy to spot. Thought to be named after the English folklore sprite, Robin Goodfellow, every gall is home to several wasp larvae, each with their own self-contained chamber. This is another gall popular with folklore remedies. Not only was it hung around the neck to help whooping cough but one placed under your pillow would, supposedly, lull you to sleep.

Have you seen a plant gall this year? Let Dorset Wildlife Trust know at @dorsetwildlife on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Three Gall Facts:

• There have been over 1,000 different galls recorded in the UK.

• If you spot a small hole in a marble gall, you can be sure its lodger has left.

• Gall ink was used on the Dead Sea scrolls and by mediaeval monks on manuscripts.

Robin’s pincushion gall

Image: Marcus Wehrle

DRAWN TO THE LIGHT

Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum Gillian Nash

No one could blame the casual observer for mistaking this exquisite moth for a hummingbird as it hovers around flowering plants. The long proboscis enables it to extract nectar from tubular flowers such as valerian, buddleia, petunia, honeysuckle and lilac. With a flight season extending from warm January days right through until December, we may be lucky enough to see the moth as it dashes from flower to flower. Flying most often in sunshine, it is also frequently seen at dusk when attracted to night-scented flowers such as nicotiana. Its speed of flight is remarkable but even more fascinating is a wing beat of eighty times per second, so rapid as to create an audible hum – no surprise then for frequent identity confusion. At rest, the dull brown/grey colour and unique thickset outline give no clue to the beauty of form in flight. A blur of orange underwings and broad abdomen edged with striking black and white markings set it apart from the two similar species that have mainly clear wings.

Each year there is a varying degree of immigration from southern Europe and North Africa. The adult moth is able to survive our winters, in the South West, hibernating in the shelter of outbuildings, lofts and crevices in tree bark.

Larvae may be seen from June to early autumn, hatched from eggs laid singly, usually on bedstraws and madder. In the final stage of growth, its mainly green colour changes to brownish pink when a pupa is formed at ground level among leaf litter. In favourable conditions, there may be two generations in one year.

If able to avoid predation by spiders, birds or bats by its speed of flight, it has been known to live for several weeks.

Some believe a sighting of this beautiful and unusual moth is a good omen – its presence having coincided with significant historic events. This is a good reason to welcome and attract the hummingbird hawk-moth into your garden with plants such as those listed above and include its larval food-plants where possible.

Daniel Dunca/Shutterstock

So you’re thinking about an alternative to gas or oil-fired central heating? With the current state of energy pricing going through the roof, you can hardly be blamed. Or perhaps you are looking from a more ecological point of view? There is a lot of information out there for and against burning wood to heat a space, so if you’re still undecided it’s hardly surprising. Wood as fuel has gone from being reported as carbon neutral, a great alternative to fossil fuels, to just as bad as gas, oil and coal. So what are we to believe?

It is a fact that burning wood creates carbon dioxide, a chemical that is essential to us and the planet as it helps to retain heat close to the surface of the earth instead of letting it be released out into space. Without CO2 our seas would be frozen solid, but an excessive increase in the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere is causing the temperature of our earth to increase above levels that we are

comfortable with. Not so good. So there’s no denying that burning wood can be an issue, but if it’s done properly, taking responsibility for where the logs are sourced and how they are seasoned and stored, the environmental impact can be minimised.

When it comes to buying firewood, you have a responsibility to source logs that are dry. Ideally, logs need to have a moisture content of 20% or under, something your provider will be able to tell you. Currently, log suppliers all over the country are being asked to become Woodsure Certified under Ready To Burn – a scheme developed to regulate the quality of logs sold commercially, ensuring moisture content and sustainability. A sustainable source means a woodland that is managed, making sure there are plenty of trees left and re-planted that would love to use up the carbon that you are creating by burning your logs, to help them grow big and strong, creating a carbon cycle. Hence burning wood

Will Miller of Timber Millers

Image: Katharine Davies

REFUEL

Charlotte Miller, Timber Millers

being labelled carbon neutral.

Burning wet logs will lead to a very disappointing fire with an increase in smoke, particle emissions and very little heat. It will also blacken up your glass if you are using a log burner, and cause a buildup of soot in your chimney. The dryer the log you use, the more efficient your fire will be.

How you store your logs is also very important. The nature of wood means that as well as losing moisture, it can also increase its moisture content if your logs are not stored properly. Always make sure your log pile has some protection from the elements along with good airflow – this will prevent logs from becoming mouldy.

Did you know that the remnants of your wood fire could also be useful? Ash from wood-burning stoves, wood fires and bonfires can be a useful additive to the compost heap, or can be applied to fallow ground and dug in. It can be a natural source of potassium and other trace elements. It also has a liming effect, meaning wood ash can remedy excessively acidic soil.

If the pull of a warming fire this winter is becoming stronger, the wood burner is the most efficient way to heat your home, retaining and radiating heat from its metal casing, and using far less fuel than an open fire. The wood burner itself has gone through many a metamorphosis over the years, becoming very popular during the 1970s’ energy crisis. Unfortunately, the stoves then were basic, inefficient, and a fire hazard due to the buildup of creosote caused by burning wet wood.

In the 1980s the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stepped in to regulate the wood stove industry, and in an effort to lessen our impact on the environment, they set emissions limits at 7.5 grams

per hour for wood stoves, requiring manufacturers to improve their designs.

Today we see a log burner that has been through a wealth of technological design improvements. EPA-certified stoves have exceptionally low emissions, as little as 1-2 grams of particulate per hour. The stoves are designed to enable complete combustion, meaning that there is plenty of oxygen circulation for the fire to burn at higher temperatures, burning off the combustible gas, therefore creating less smoke, ash and creosote build-up.

On 1st January 2022, an Ecodesign regulation for solid fuel space heating came into force. All stoves manufactured for sale must comply with the efficiency and emissions levels set out within Ecodesign. This means that modern stoves are more efficient and less polluting than ever before, offering a very low carbon, sustainable and renewable way to heat your home.

In conclusion, when you responsibly source your logs, using wood for fuel is a sound environmental choice. It is plentiful, especially when taken from managed or coppiced woodlands, and its price is much more stable than gas and oil. A key aspect of burning wood is the low-carbon nature of the wood itself. Trees remove as much CO2 during their lives as they produce being burnt in a wood-burning stove. A fallen tree left to decompose in the forest will produce more CO2 than when it is burnt in an Ecodesign-compliant stove or fireplace.

Also, with all this in consideration, I must say there aren’t many things more enticing than curling up in front of a real fire on a cold night.

timbermillers.co.uk

DO BEES HAVE TEETH?

Paula Carnell, Beekeeping Consultant, Writer and Speaker

Ipondered this whilst in Turkey for a short holiday and large Apimondia Bee Conference. On the day of travelling out, one of my rear upper molars started to niggle, which developed into a full-blown abscess by day 3. As you can imagine I am a natural manager of my teeth and gums, despite having gum issues, possibly related to my Ehlers Danlos years, and grand middle age.

I was in Turkey to visit beekeepers, taste honey and speak at Apimondia, and by day 5 I was unable to eat

or chew anything other than yogurt and honey! With hourly spritzing of my own propolis tincture, I was thinking about bees, and how lucky they were not to have teeth problems. Most of us think nothing of our teeth until they give us cause to grieve over them. I was in a lot of pain, and Mr C wondered if we should get me to a hospital, off the remote organic island where only we spoke English. He was worried about me developing sepsis and worse. It takes some courage to treat naturally and fully embrace pain and discomfort.

I had been looking into my gum health and the connections between gums and the rest of our bodies. I am very blessed to have an holistic dentist, who via WhatsApp advised me to rub bicarbonate of soda on the sore parts. This was an excellent tip and gave almost immediate relief. I now have added this to my travel survival pack. I was able to eat more food and speak at Apimondia and had an appointment with my dentist on my return, so all is now well.

So bees’ teeth… they have many tasks that need to be undertaken with collecting and digesting food so their mouthparts extract nectar from flowers, collect water, feed larval bees, ingest pollen grains, manipulate wax in comb-building, clean cells and remove debris. Their main chewing device is the ‘mandibles’ which can chew and grasp items. They also have maxillae which are fused with the labium (lower lip) forming a proboscis which is the long hairy tongue which draws up liquids and is active in the process of prophylaxis where bees exchange fluids with each other. The mandible is ridged and each surface slides past the other. Coated in tiny hairs with a neuron, they are thought to register the contact between each mandible. These hairs and the edges of the mandibles get worn out in older bees, very much like humans, making the mechanics of chewing harder. The neuron would also indicate that they may even feel pain. Looking into the biology of bees is fascinating and the mouth parts are certainly far from simple as the various mechanical processes and connections between mouth and hypopharyngeal glands (which secrete royal jelly) are all working together. The royal jelly was a subject of many lectures and conversations as I met with and listened to some of the Apitherapists at the conference. Apitherapy is using bee products as medicine and has a several thousand-year history around the globe.

I attended many of the lectures during Apimondia and spent much time connecting with beekeepers, honey producers and beekeeping equipment inventors and manufacturers. There was plenty to distract from toothache. I learned how bee venom can be extracted from bees using an electrical device attached to a hive which gently stimulates the release of venom into a collection device. The venom is then used for bee sting therapy for people who have become seriously allergic to bee stings, as well as many other healing and medicinal products. One such was a face cream containing bee venom to help plump out skin, a kind of ‘bee-tox’! The Turkish honey was bountiful. The island we had stayed

on was full of organic agriculture and the mountainsides were covered in pine forests and wild thyme. This was the main source of Gokceada’s honey. Some valleys contained wildflowers and olive groves, so that also provided a tasty blend of honeys. We were lucky to visit the government’s protected pine forests outside Istanbul where many beekeepers kept their apiaries. A tour with many of the attendees from around the world to Apimondia brought groups of 50 beekeepers to these apiaries. I was astonished that these Anatolian bees were so gentle and calm. I’d seen beekeepers with their own bees in Gokceada, handling bees with little more than shorts on. I was astonished that the bees in these forests were equally gentle, allowing many of us strangers to lift a frame from the hive and get close without being attacked. We were able to see queen-rearing operations, pollen collection and of course many hives that produced Turkey’s highly prized pine tree honey. Pine trees are known for their medicinal properties, and this translates into the dark syrupy honey which tastes of molasses, and perhaps a hint of pine Radox!

Meeting beekeepers from around the world raised discussions about different honeybee species. Thinking of my teeth, it was natural for the ‘stingless bees’ to be of interest. I’d learned that they don’t sting, however, they do bite! Their honey is found across South America and Asia from these tiny bees, often kept in coconut shell hives. What I found particularly interesting is that their honey has been used as medicine for eyes for thousands of years. Guess where they bite you if they feel under threat? The eye sockets and eye brows! This reminds me of how everything is connected, and so my tooth pain with meridians to my digestive system, liver and kidneys, which I have since found need attention. I will be speaking more about how bees connect everything during my TEDx talk in Frome on 9th October – hope to see you there!

paulacarnell.com

Sunday 9th October 2pm-6pm

TEDx Frome

The Merlin Theatre, Frome, BA11 2HG TEDxFrome celebrates local ‘ideas worth spreading’. Ten speakers will be sharing their ideas in the theme of ‘I am because we are’ – climate, words, women’s health, life and death, personal development, culture, food, the natural world, our homes and more. Tickets £20 via merlintheatre.co.uk

with the shavings then highly compressed into briquettes of varying lengths, using only the naturally occurring resins inside the timber to hold them together. The moisture content is 10 – 15%.

The Joinery Works, Alweston Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5HS

Tel: 01963 23219 Fax: 01963 23053

Email: info@fcuffandsons.co.uk www.fcuffandsons.co.uk

On Foot RYALL BOTTOM

Emma Tabor and Paul Newman

Distance: 4¼miles

Time: Approx. 2½ hours

Park: On the side of Ryall Road as you enter Ryall Walk Features: There are a couple of sharp gradients on this route, especially the final section back up to the start. The outer section is through farmland with the return route following the Monarch’s Way, with glimpses of some of the holloways in the area. While the terrain itself is not a challenge, a lack of footpath signs, along with some overgrown stiles in a poor state of repair and electric fences, can make the going slow. However the views and sense of tranquility are well worth it. Stout boots, an Ordnance Survey map and secateurs would be useful!

Each 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 or sometimes the unfamiliar. For October we walk from the secluded village of Ryall across a picturesque tapestry of fields and enclosures, with good views from the hills around Ryall Bottom to the surrounding hillforts

of Pilsdon Pen and Lamberts and Coney’s Castles. Although there is little of historical building interest, the walk twists and turns to reveal constantly changing vistas and other views to the east of the Marshwood Vale as well as across to Golden Cap and Lyme Regis.

Directions

Start: SY 408943

1 From the A35, park on the right-hand side of Ryall Road as you reach the village sign for Ryall (there is a layby with space for approximately three cars on the right, just before the sign). There are good views across to Colmer’s Hill and the sea.

2 Walk into and then through the village, past Ryall House and, after ½ mile, at the junction with Pitman’s Lane, turn right by Hope Cottage onto Lower Lane. Head downhill, past Pothills Farm. Towards the bottom of the lane, after 200 yards, pass the sign for Mayfield on your left (do not go up this drive) and keep ahead towards some gates as the lane carries round to the right. Go through the small gate next to a large gate (please close) by a house - there is no footpath sign here. Through >

3

here, pass next to buildings and onto a lovely grassy footpath.

Head along the footpath for ¼ mile. At the bottom of the path, go through a large metal gate to meet several converging tracks. Here, take the left-hand stony track which, after 70 yards, enters a field. Follow the right-hand edge of the field and, after a few more yards, you will see a gap in the hedge on the right. Walk through a small copse to soon reach a stile. (At the time of the walk this was overgrown).

Cross over the stile into a field and walk diagonally across and downhill to a large metal gate. There is a stile to the right of this but it is impassable, so go through the gate and then through another large metal gate, across a brook on a farm track, with farm buildings to your left. Now go straight ahead into a field, through an electric gate (which is a bit tricky) and then straight up into the field. Keep to the left-hand side of this field for 100 yards, until you come to a stile in the top left-hand corner. Leave the field by this stile to enter a copse. Cross a wooden footbridge and then go over another stile to leave the copse and into a field. (At the time of completing this walk there was a temporary electric fence inside the field boundary and close to the stile which made negotiating the stile difficult).

4 From the stile, walk in a straight line across the field, looking for a stile on the opposite side which will take you through a hedge. (At the time of completing this walk, this stile was poorly maintained and overgrown). Cross this stile into another field. Go straight across this narrow field to a double stile through another hedge.

5 In this next field, head towards your right; first, walk along the contours of a slope and then drop down to find a stile in the hedge and trees at the bottom, past a scrubby area. Go over this stile into a small, narrow holloway. Climb up, across a bridge and then through another stile into a field. Head towards your right. You can either follow the right-hand edge of this field or cut slightly diagonally across to a stile through a gap in the hedge to your right. Go over this stile into the next field. The footpath now heads to your left, aim diagonally across the middle of this crop field, climbing at first and then dropping down towards some farm buildings.

6 Before the farm buildings and just before you leave the field, turn sharp right to follow a track along

by the hedge and the top boundary of the field you have just walked across. You have now joined the Monarch’s Way. The field you have just crossed is now below you, to your right. Walk up the track for 250 yards to reach a large metal gate with a Monarch’s Way sign. Here, go to the right and follow a tree line/hedge with good views to your right. You soon pass through another metal gate. Here, keep the tree line/hedge on your immediate right. Do not follow the track as it goes up to Copper Hill. The path is indistinct at first so follow the tree line, roughly level with the contours. Follow this field edge, which soon starts to go up slightly to meet a small metal gate. Follow the path through this into a field. Keep round to the right on the path, with the tree line still on your right, until you reach the far right-hand corner of the field and a large metal gate with another Monarch’s Way sign. Go through this to emerge into another fieldthere are now expansive views to the coast. Follow the tree line for 300 yards and then look for a gap on your right to leave the field. This takes you down into a grassy lane. Turn left, go through another metal gate and follow the lane which becomes a holloway. Keep going to the bottom of this lane to meet Venn Farm, on the bend of a road.

7 Take the bridleway on your right, past the pigs, and keep on this path into a field, with a hedge on your left. Turn left through a wooden gate into another field. Cross this small field, go through a larger wooden gate then up and across the field to the far left corner with an opening and a bridleway sign. Go through this opening at the top of the field with the tree line on your left. At another wooden gate, turn left onto a track, over a brook.

8 Walk along this track (Butt Lane) for ⅓ mile, passing a house on your right and, as the track becomes tarmac, you will soon see a bridleway sign on your right. Here, turn sharp right and walk along the field edge for 150 yards. As the field edge turns away to the right, cross the field making for its left-hand edge. Follow this as it climbs slightly and bends around to the left to soon meet a wooden gate and a bridleway sign. Turn right into this field and follow the valley uphill, heading for the very top corner and staying above Right Bottom. At the top corner go through a small wooden gate, climbing steeply through a very narrow overgrown area, to take you back to the start.

LOST DORSET

NO. 28 SHERBORNE

David Burnett, The Dovecote Press

The autumn lifting of potatoes for storage has by chance coincided with Rachel Hassall, the Sherborne School archivist, sending me this photograph of a group of men posed in a potato patch in what is now the site of the Masonic Hall in Digby Road. It was found only recently in the Abbey muniment room amidst a collection of glass plate negatives by Chris Hamon, a verger at Sherborne Abbey. But who the men are, and the reason for the photograph, are a mystery, and I know that Rachel would welcome any help readers of the Sherborne Times are able to give. If you recognise any of them, or know more, please contact me at online@dovecotepress.com and I will forward

your email to Rachel. Some have buttonhole flowers. One sitting squeezed between two lines of spuds holds a bundle of what look like chimney sweeps rods. The photograph was probably taken by Adam Gosney (1844-1921), whose Half Moon Street studio was gutted by fire in 1913, but whose fine photographs of Victorian and Edwardian Sherborne happily largely survived.

dovecotepress.com

The Dovecote Press has been publishing books about Dorset since 1974, many of which are available locally from Winstone’s Books or directly from the publishers.

OBJECT OF THE MONTH THE 1820 PETITION

Elisabeth Bletsoe, Curator, Sherborne Museum

Dipping into the archives once again reveals an item that throws Sherborne into relief against a backdrop of national events. Petitions to the monarch, often styled as addresses, had been an important way in which British subjects expressed their loyalty to the Hanoverian dynasty, reflecting a populist notion that monarch and subjects were bound together in a shared social contract. While forms of this ‘subscriptional’ culture had medieval origins, this type of petitioning burgeoned particularly in the 18th-19th centuries revealing shifting perceptions of the crown, parliament, the administrative state and local government.

The notorious divorce between George IV and Caroline of Brunswick in 1820 sparked one of the most turbulent periods in British political history. Their disastrous relationship resulted in Caroline fleeing abroad, where rumours were rife of an affair between her Italian secretary and companion. After six years apart, Caroline unexpectedly returned to England to claim her title as Queen. In an attempt to block her, George pressed his ministers to introduce into the House of Lords a Bill of Pains and Penalties which would annul the marriage and deprive Caroline of her rights. This action inflamed a politically tense public, hungry for reform of the electorate.

The scandal soon became public and acrimonious. The popular press had a field day and the nation became divided, with large swathes of the population turning out to petition in favour of Caroline. She was perceived as a ‘wronged woman’ fighting against a callous political establishment, whereas the King was portrayed as extravagant and dissolute, in sharp contrast to the poverty of the working classes, suffering under the cost of living crisis induced by the Corn Laws.

The Bill was dropped on its third reading in November

1820, as ministers deserted the cause and the government ’ s majority quickly slumped to nine. George was outraged. The Whigs and Radicals had used the turmoil to their advantage to expose corruption in the Tory government and to push for political reform. Their opposition campaign seriously weakened Lord Liverpool’s administration at a time of economic distress and oppressive measures following the Napoleonic wars.

Support for Caroline abruptly disappeared after claims of her supposed ‘immorality’ were exposed. This petition from the people of Sherborne, just over 5 feet long, dated 7th December 1820, and printed by Cruttwell of Sherborne, was part of a loyalist reaction against the general ferment. Signatures from conservative townspeople across the nation attested to an appeal for the return of stability and the preservation of church, state, monarchy and constitution. George IV may well have been adulterous but, to the establishment, adultery in women was more condemnatory since it was perceived that the female influence could corrupt a pure bloodline. At the top of the list of signatories were the principal landowners, Digby and Ilchester, followed by the Master of the King ’s School and prominent clergy, yeomen and tradesmen of the town.

In the months that followed, Caroline became an increasingly isolated figure. When she tried to attend George IV ’s coronation at Westminster Abbey in July 1821, she was famously shut out. Within a month she was dead but by then her political importance had already greatly diminished.

sherbornemuseum.co.uk

Sherborne Museum is open from Tuesday Saturday 10.30am–4.30pm. Admission is free but donations are very welcome.

PACK MONDAY FAIR

Pack Monday is Sherborne’s only surviving medieval street fair. There were once three annual fairs; St Thomas Becket Fair held on 7th July on The Green, St Swithin’s Fair held on 15th July along Newland, and a third, ‘Pack Monday’ held on the first Monday after the 10th October which, by 1826, had been moved from the Abbey Close (an increasingly ‘insanitary’ graveyard), with stalls from then on set up along the roads around the Abbey and in the market area at the bottom of Cheap Street. ‘Cheap’ is the Old English word for ‘market’ – Cheap Street is ‘Market Street’.

Our earliest eye-witness account of the Fair

dates to the 1790s with a colourful description of the wide range of itinerant (and local) traders and entertainers; ‘the ginger-bread men and the bustle, the horses and carriages and mules, the fiddle playing and the frolicking (and the drinking). At 4 o’clock the great Abbey bell is rung... from this time the bustle commences. Then the town comes alive,’ and it still does (but not quite so early). The writer remembers the livestock market in what is now the Hound Street car park and in 2012 met a lady in her 90s who remembered the gypsies and the Horse Fair on The Green. Pack Monday changes with the times. The Fun Fair was formerly held in the ‘Fairfield’ north of

Katherine Barker MA FSA, President, Sherborne Museum

Pack Monday, The Green c.1956

Coldharbour, by the sixties in the open ground off Blackberry Lane above The Quarr and today held on The Terrace, which affords better car parking.

We also find an early description of Teddy Roe’s Band which, ‘ushered in the Fair parading the town with a noisy shout. Whilst some of the sleeping inhabitants deplored this, others respected old customs delighting in the deafening mirth.’ Things are much the same today!

On Pack Monday the town is crowded with people, some travelling from a considerable distance. So how do they know which Monday? The ‘deciding date’ of Pack Monday has clearly been handed on

down the generations by word-of-mouth; that is, the first Monday after the 10th October. This places the Fair during Michaelmas-tide when the harvest was in, contracts completed and workers ‘signed off’. It is suggested it was once known as ‘Pact Fair’. The term ‘pack’ was, however, used all over the country to refer to itinerant traders, to ‘pack men’ (pedlars) with their ‘pack horses’ and this seems a more likely origin of the name. Until recently the Fair rights were held by the Lord of the Manor (today’s Sherborne Castle Estates) which is an indication of its considerable age. In 2018 the management of the Fair was taken over by the Events Crew at Henstridge.

It was the writer who noted that 10th October is the Eve of the Feast Day of St Probus whose name is presented in the pre-Saxon name of Sherborne. Before the time of St Aldhelm, Sherborne was known as ‘Lanprobus’, a Welsh/Cornish-style name meaning the ‘enclosed Christian settlement of [Saint] Probus’. Teddy Roe’s Band will find its origins in an early bound-beating and many other fairs were heralded by a similar noisy procession. It is suggested that the name ‘Teddy Roe’ is from the hymn Te Deum laudamus; ‘Thee, O God we praise,’ the Te Deo, chanted during the procession. And this set off at midnight, not from the Abbey, but from The Green, the site of the lost St Probus’ Church. Teddy Roe’s Band now sets off from the bottom of Bristol Road a few hundred yards away. In the days before street lighting and a regular police force, nineteenth-century local newspaper accounts make for sobering reading. Burning torches were carried; drunkenness and violence, pick-pocketing and pilfering were commonplace.

We will, in short, never know whether Pack Monday goes back to the days before St Aldhelm, but the coincidence of 10th October with St Probus is a remarkable one and hard to ignore.

There can be little doubt that Pack Monday is a unique survival. Not Sherborne’s ‘dead’ history conserved in the stonework of our buildings but our ‘living’ history for us all to enjoy, to cherish and to enhance as to ensure its ‘protection’ on into the 21st century and beyond.

Monday 17th October Pack Monday Fair Cheap St, South St, Half Moon St, Digby Road and Station Road

THE CONDUIT

A SYMBOL OF CIVIC PRIDE

Rachel Hassall, Sherborne School Archivist

At the bottom of Cheap Street on the Parade stands the Conduit, or more properly the Conduit House. Visitors to the town may suppose this hexagonal stone building is a market house, however, on reading the old metal plaque they will discover that not only is the parking of cycles prohibited but that the Conduit was built as a monks’ washing place in the Abbey Cloister early in the 16th century, or, as my grandfather liked to tell us, it was

where the monks washed their dirty habits.

Over the course of its 500-year history, the Conduit has survived bombing in the Second World War, being hit by drunk drivers and having rugs beaten against it. It has served as a reading room and a library, a police lock-up and a bank, a collection point for items for the wounded of the 1870 Franco-Prussian war and as a temporary war memorial for the First World War. Also, every Christmas since 1978 it has housed the Rotary

Club of Sherborne Castles’ nativity crib scene.

After the Abbey, the Conduit is probably the most-photographed building in Sherborne. It has come to symbolise the town – appearing on postcards and memorabilia and, until 1986 when the College of Heralds granted Sherborne a coat of arms, it featured on the town council’s insignia. Today, the Conduit is used as Sherborne Town Football Club’s logo.

Surprisingly, despite the Conduit’s importance as a focal point and a symbol of civic pride, it was not until 1815 that the first artistic representation of the building was produced when Edward Percy, a Sherborne surveyor and architect who lived opposite the Conduit on the corner of Long Street and Cheap

Street, sketched it for Hutchins’ History of Dorset. The earliest known photographic record of the building is a glass plate negative taken in about 1850 and held in Sherborne School’s archives. Viewed from Long Street the photograph shows the Conduit with glazed windows and surrounded by high railings with water pouring from the fountain on the roadside.

Although the Conduit is now considered an integral part of the landscape of Cheap Street it does not really belong there. It was actually built in about 1520 in the monastery’s cloister garth on the north side of Sherborne Abbey (now part of Sherborne School) where it served the monks as a lavatorium or washing place. Its name is derived from the open stone channel, or conduit, through which the Newell spring water was piped to it from Kennel Barton north of the Yeatman Hospital.

The Conduit’s connection with the monastery was short-lived because on 18th March 1539 Henry VIII’s representatives expelled the monks from Sherborne, and the Abbey, the Conduit and its supply of fresh water were sold to Sir John Horsey of Clifton Maybank. Sir John recognised the importance of the Conduit’s water supply to the town and in about 1560 moved the Conduit from the former cloister garth to a more accessible site on the Parade in Cheap Street, where it is said to have yielded a hogshead of water every minute (the equivalent of 66 gallons or 300 litres).

For 304 years from 1629 until 1933, the Conduit was owned by the Governors of Sherborne School. In 1873 they oversaw its restoration, removing the railings and bricks from the doorways and covering it with a new lead roof, and in 1889 they undertook further restoration when the building was taken down and moved back to allow for the widening of the road. In 1933 the Governors of Sherborne School presented the Conduit as a gift to the town.

In 1950 the Conduit was granted Grade 1 listed building status on account of its special architectural and historic interest, and today it is one of ten Grade 1 listed buildings in Sherborne. This summer the Conduit was cleaned and restored by Daedalus Conservation ensuring that it will remain in pride of place at the heart of Sherborne for at least another 500 years.

One aspect of the Conduit’s history remains a mystery – the curious tradition that no Sherborne School boy ever walks beneath its roof!

sherborne.org

An early photograph of the Conduit. c.1880.

THE MONMOUTH REBELLION

Cindy Chant

The Monmouth Rebellion in 1685, was an uprising lasting only 20 days with its beginning, and ending, in Dorset. But what was the Monmouth Rebellion? It was all part of the Civil War – a fascinating story of ordinary people being motivated to take up arms for what they really believed, with a very unhappy ending.

To start at the beginning, the Duke of Monmouth was the result of a brief affair between Charles II and an Anglo-Irish girl named Lucy Walter. She claimed that she had an affair with Prince Charles whilst in Holland, and gave birth to his son and that Charles had very much recognised him as such. But Lucy sadly died at the age of 28, and her young child was brought up by a Royalist Officer living in exile, and so took the name of James Croft.

By the time that Charles was restored to the throne in 1660, young James Croft was thirteen, and it was his grandmother, the widow of Charles I, who brought him to England where he became a great favourite at court. The King gave him the title, Duke

of Monmouth, and made him a Knight of the Garter. He was considered very brave and led a full life with a distinguished military career. He was popular with the ordinary people and had countless mistresses. However, there was an intense hatred between Monmouth and the Duke of York, when Monmouth suggested himself as heir to the throne, rather than the King’s brother James, the Catholic Duke of York. A year later in 1685, Charles II died suddenly, and the Catholic James II came to the throne.

The new king, fearing Monmouth’s popularity, ordered a watch on all ports in case Monmouth gathered reinforcements to make a bid for the throne. In June 1685, three foreign ships were seen anchored off Lyme Regis – Monmouth had arrived to claim the throne of England! A dominating tall figure dressed in purple strode through the crowds and led a group towards the town. The townsfolk were soon aware that this was Monmouth and cheered him all the way to the marketplace. In a nearby field, Monmouth welcomed new recruits as they queued beneath a large green flag,

saying ‘Fear Nothing but God’. Over 90 signed up immediately and were soon followed by another 60. Monmouth led his troops north, recruiting as he journeyed through Axminster, Taunton, Bridgewater and Shepton Mallet. He had amassed an army of mostly untrained men now over 1,000 strong, with about 150 horses bought or borrowed. The next day training began, with taller men drilled in the use of the heavy 16-foot pike, while the others were taught how to fire and load a musket. But they had no town as a base, his ships in Lyme Bay were captured, and they were literally going around in circles.

Monmouth’s spirits were beginning to dampen and he was giving up all hope of becoming King. There was no news of any men rallying to his cause in other parts of the country, and having come full circle, he passed through Shepton Mallet again and headed towards Sedgemoor, where his campaign was to end. On this lonely peat moor in Somerset, on 6th July 1685, his poorly trained and inexperienced army, were involved in a very bloody battle – the last battle to be fought on English soil where English men took arms against fellow English men.

This was the climax of the rebellion to overthrow the Catholic King, James II. 300 rebels and 200 royalists were killed on the battlefield, 1000 rebels were killed as they fled, 320 were executed, and 750 were transported as bonded slaves. Monmouth, with his men lying slaughtered all around him, fled the battle accompanied by Lord Grey and a small party. There was a reward of £5,000 on his head, and he was soon captured, in a field of peas.

He pleaded for his life, but James had no mercy and he was thrown into the Tower. His execution was a horrible, botched affair, with five blows of the axe. At one point, Monmouth twisted his half-severed head and grinned up hideously at his executioner. Eventually, the executioner knelt down and sawed through Monmouth’s neck with a knife, so ending his life, and his bid for the throne of England.

Little is left to remind us of this campaign, only the battlefield memorial at Westonzoyland, and the church that became a prison to 500 unfortunate rebel prisoners. Many were badly injured and kept in appalling, insanitary conditions for several weeks until they were sent for trial at the Bloody Assizes. Monmouth was not a great leader – he was soft and too good-natured. He had been spoilt as a child and led to believe in an unsuitable role for himself which was bound to end in disaster.

MIGHTY MICROCARS

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

Last month I wrote an article about a big old barn-stored Bentley, and for this edition, I am going to talk about cars at the other end of the scale – that is, little cars from a loving home.

A few months ago when it was particularly hot, I was asked to look at a collection of cars in a private museum over in Kent. However, the appointment was then postponed due to the very high temperatures with the risk of life. As the client mentioned to me, the museum has no air-conditioning and with little roof insulation resulted in it being more like an oven when hot than a museum!

As usual, getting our diaries together took a few more weeks and eventually I spent a lovely day with the family and their unusual museum of microcars.

Whereas last month’s vintage Bentley was fitted with a 3,500cc engine, a microcar is one which generally has an engine of less than 700cc with three or four wheels, and is a fraction of the size.

The museum is the accumulation of nearly 50 years of collecting microcars. When the family bought their first microcar in 1975, a 197cc three-wheeler Heinkel, it was quite a brave choice of motor to buy as they were seriously uncool.

Moving forward a few decades and microcars are now the king of cool. In 2013 a rare 1958 Messerschmitt

FMR Tiger sold for a whopping $322,000 – very cool.

Although there is a Messerschmitt in the museum, it is not a Tiger but a KR200 – still worth a tidy fivefigure sum.

Elsewhere in the museum of over 40 cars, along with a vast array of spare engines and other automobilia, there are the weird and the wonderful. There are mainstream microcars from Fiat, BMW, Reliant, Trabant and AC (yes, of Cobra fame but very far removed from one of these!). But there are also some called Flipper, Bamby, Velorex, Scootacar, Fristly, Sulky and Eccles which are names you might come across only once or twice in your life.

Sadly, with the owner of the museum having now moved into residential care, the family have instructed Charterhouse to auction the contents of the museum. Located near Staplehurst in Kent we will leave the microcars and automobilia on site in the museum. There will be a viewing day on Wednesday 26th with the auction being held online at our Sherborne salerooms on Thursday 27th October.

There has been plenty of interest in this large auction of microcars, from Switzerland to America and yes, I am sure these little cars will bring some big bids!

charterhouse-auction.com

1960 Messerschmitt KR200 from the Museum of Microcars

A lifetime mortgage is a form of equity release that allows you to take a portion of the cash tied up in your home. The amount you can borrow depends on your age and the value of your property.

Unlike a regular mortgage, you are not required to make any repayments before the end of the plan. Instead, each year, interest is added to the loan. The loan and the interest are repaid in full, usually from the sale of your property, when you die or have to go into long-term care.

There are all sorts of reasons you may wish to release cash from your home including but not limited to: home improvements, supplementing your retirement income, purchasing an investment property, gifting to a loved one or making special purchases.

Independent financial advice should always be sought before considering any form of equity release as it is vital that you are fully informed of the risks and costs.

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As the gardener’s efforts come to glorious fruition during October, now is the time to plan for colourful blooms over the coming months.

When pots finish their summer displays, refresh them with plants that will flower through until Christmas and beyond, such as pansies, violas and primroses.

Pick up your seeds, bulbs, pots and plants in store any day of the week.

Open seven days a week

Christmas displays open at Castle Gardens Friday 14 October, 9am - 6pm

Meander through endless twinkly lights, sparkly baubles and shiny ornaments every day until Christmas.

MERRY BERRIES

Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

Following the combination of the hot summer and the nights in recent weeks starting to get cooler, plants are responding with subtle changes in colour of foliage, stem and, of course, ripening berries. Those colours now are well and truly formed and to me are a great delight.

Ornamental berries have been great on Hawthorns, Rowans, Cotoneaster, Spindleberry and Pyracantha. There are some really good varieties of Pyracantha grown not just for their great fruit but also because of their natural disease resistance. These are the Sapphyr range and include Sapphyr Orange, Red and Yellow. Pyracantha or Firethorn is best grown against a wall or fence, not because it needs the support or protection but because it is then easier to keep the plants under control using pruning and tying techniques.

Equally, Cotoneaster are often seen against the wall but with the vast range of habits and sizes, Cotoneaster is a very useful genus of plants and can be used in just about every situation in the garden. Some are evergreen, others lose their leaves and some sit in between the two as semi-evergreens losing their leaves in tough winters or at the end of the winter as new leaves form. Varieties range in growth from prostrate ground-hugging forms

such as Queen of Carpets through semi-prostrate forms with arching branches (Cotoneaster Coral Beauty) up to large shrubs or small trees including Cotoneaster Cornubia, a large grower with red berries. There is also a similar-sized yellow-berried form C. Rothchildianus. A very useful variety, which will happily act as a lowgrowing wall shrub is Cotoneaster horizontalis.

There is also a remarkable range in the Euonymus genus. Many gardeners don’t connect the very useful low-growing evergreens E. Emerald ‘n Gold and E. Emerald Gaiety with the Spindleberries which are taller, deciduous and grown for their berries, autumn colour and stem interest. The latter include varieties such as, Red Cascade which has a mass of pinky-red fruit in the autumn. For autumn colour though the Euonymus alatus is superb with fiery red colours in the leaves which when fallen reveal a strange bark with winged edges giving interest throughout the winter. One of my favourites is Euonymus phellomanus, which combines the best of both varieties. It has winged bark, great autumn colours though butter yellow not red, and lots of fruit.

There are some very tasty new varieties of Hypericum with stunning berries. You may well have

seen these in arrangements from florists as they make a great cut ‘flower’, brightening up bouquets. Look out for Magical Lightning with its red berries after yellow spring flowers and Magical Pumpkin with salmon pink berries. Both are compact growers and make a fabulous display in the late months of the summer through to early winter.

If these others are in the wrong scale range for you then berries can be found on a number of lower-growing plants, some of which are great for winter tubs. The berries of Gaultheria procumbens (pictured) commonly known as Wintergreen are red and will last through the winter months. This is an acid lover but will sit through the winter very happily with autumn and winter bedding before needing to be moved into a pot with some ericaceous compost should your soil not be suitable.

Berries have ripened early this year with the heat and some, such as blackberries, are over too soon which could make life difficult for wildlife. Perhaps, though the abundance as seen on my mum’s yellow-berried holly (Ilex Bacciflava) may be enough to last the winter. thegardensgroup.co.uk

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BACK FROM THE BRINK

Joelle Lindsay, Sherborne Turf

After a summer of heat and drought (and little that can be done for your lawn), it’s now time to get busy with repairs.

Autumn is an incredibly important time for lawn care and in many cases, October is the last opportunity to get your lawn ready for the winter ahead. With the days getting shorter, the temperatures getting cooler and the possibility of an increase in rainfall, it can seem as if there’s so much to do in so little time, but these six simple steps will help you to prepare your lawn for the winter:

Scarify

Put simply, rake your grass. If you have a look at your lawn, you’ll probably notice a layer of light brown debris, called thatch, covering the soil that can easily be removed. This will have served a purpose during the hot summer we’ve had, protecting the roots from the heat of the sun, and helping to retain the little water left

in the soil. As the weather cools, however, it becomes important to remove the thatch in order to let light, water, fertiliser and seed through.

Removing this layer is easy to do with a good quality rake. Simply rake away as much of the thatch as possible. For larger areas, an electric-powered scarifier may make life easier. If it’s the first time you’ve done this, it can be a little daunting to see how much comes away as you rake but persevere to give your lawn the best chance of recovery.

Removing the thatch layer from the lawn will minimise disease in the coming winter months by reducing the material pathogens need to thrive.

Aerate

After scarifying, you’ll be able to see the quality of the soil beneath. There’s a strong chance it will be compacted due to heavy use over the spring and summer. This

means it is solid and pressed together so water will struggle to reach the grass roots and will just run off the surface. This may in turn lead to water-logging. To prevent this, aerate or spike your lawn using a lawn aerator with solid tines or spikes. After a drought it is a good idea to use something with narrower spikes –items such garden forks with larger tines may not help. Make sure you aerate before fertilising your lawn.

Fertilise

With the cooler weather and heavier rainfall, autumn is the perfect time to apply fertiliser or conditioner. This will protect the lawn over the winter months. The best fertiliser will be lower in nitrogen and higher in iron. Now is also the perfect time to use soil conditioner, which purifies the soil, improving root mass and nutrient uptake while increasing resistance to disease and pests, protecting the lawn as it enters

the dormant period.

Improve the surface

If you have aerated your lawn and feel that the surface needs evening out, an application of top-dressing will smooth the lawn surface and correct any irregularities. A mixture of sand and compost will help improve drainage whilst stimulating healthy grass growth and improving the appearance of the lawn’s surface.

Re-seed

Here in the South West we have a wider window of opportunity to sow grass seed should we need to, with October being the latest. Keep an eye on the weather as particularly heavy rainfall or cold temperatures will prevent germination, whereas light rainfall and warmer temperatures will encourage it.

Mow

It is important to continue mowing your lawn throughout the colder months. I would recommend cutting little and often, then collecting the cuttings and any leaf fall to keep for compost and mulch. Don’t mow when the grass is wet as this can spread disease such as red thread, as well as potentially damaging your mower.

If your lawn is considered beyond repair and you’ve decided to lay new turf, autumn is the perfect time to do so. Thanks to the cooler, wetter weather, a newly laid lawn has the perfect opportunity to establish good root growth without growing too quickly (which it would do in warmer months). Higher rainfall means you would need to use less water. Shorter days mean people will be spending less time outside walking across the grass, avoiding compaction.

If you are planning on laying new turf, remember to prepare the ground thoroughly first, removing larger stones and applying a layer of fertiliser. After the turf is laid, remember to ensure it is well watered (so keep an eye on the weather), avoid walking on it, and give the lawn about three weeks to take root before mowing. When you mow for the first time, keep the mower at its highest setting to avoid stressing the grass, then cut little and often through the winter months.

Remember, establishing good lawn maintenance now will pay off as the weather warms up again next year. sherborneturf.co.uk queenthorne.garden

Miriam Doerr Martin Frommherz/Shutterstock

CLOSER TO NATURE

Simon Ford, Land and Nature Adviser

We read in the papers and see television programmes promoting the value of nature to our well-being. It is quite hard to know what people mean by ‘nature’ and indeed what they perceive as ‘outdoors’. I guess it means different things to different people and perhaps we should not get too hung up about it.

Some people love to spend time pottering in their garden, others visiting the park or beach, while the more adventurous prefer to go for a long walk or climb a mountain. Some people are happy seeing a grey squirrel in a tree or seeing squabbling sparrows on the bird feeder, while others seek out a rare osprey or an endangered orchid. The main thing is whatever they do, they can switch off from their normal routine and the depressing news and enjoy the sights and sounds (and sometimes smells!) of the great outdoors. Apparently, your blood pressure immediately drops and you feel

better. I can certainly personally vouch for that, whether being in the garden or up on Bulbarrow or Old Harry Rocks. I am not too bothered if it is blowing a gale or raining (providing I have a decent coat), and if I am being honest, the outdoors beats the indoors every time for me!

Maybe it was reading Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons as a child and all of the adventures they had, that did it, or was it something deeper? I also loved nature from a very early age and joined the Young Ornithological Club (YOC), volunteered with the Wildlife Trust carrying out coppicing and ‘scrub bashing’ and helped clear old shopping trollies and bicycles from our local canal.

I have been incredibly lucky to have spent 40 years in my dream jobs in nature conservation and the countryside, whether it was with the National Parks on Dartmoor, Exmoor and Australia, the Wildlife Trusts,

Everst/Shutterstock

Natural England or the National Trust.

In England, we have an extensive network of footpaths and bridlepaths and in cities such as London, there are some amazing parks such as Hampstead Heath, St James Park, Richmond Park and Clapham Common. However, sadly for many people, there are very few paths or open spaces to visit and the only walks or cycle rides are along narrow pavements, buffeted by lorries and speeding cars.

During the Covid lockdowns, it became so apparent that people wanted to get out for fresh-air and exercise. I met people on paths where I had never seen a soul before and saw people cycling the byways and bridlepaths.

What depresses me is seeing ‘Private, Keep Out’ signs being plastered across the woods and countryside and well-used casual paths being fenced-off, stopping pleasant circular routes. Cyclists are being forced to go up busy narrow roads, where there are excellent alternatives away from any traffic.

Another outdoor activity I enjoy is canoeing which is a lovely peaceful way to enjoy the countryside and to see wildlife. Sadly though, access on foot or by canoe is only permitted on 3% of our rivers in England and Wales,

meaning long journeys to find somewhere to enjoy.

In Scotland and in much of Scandinavia, there is a presumption in favour of open access to the majority of the land. Many people will have heard of Kinder Scout in the Peak District, where people from the large cities of Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and elsewhere became fed up with being unable to walk on the beautiful open hills and mountains and held a mass trespass, 90 years ago. This spawned improved public access to some of the uplands, but less so in the lowlands where most people live.

It is however vitally important that those visiting the countryside respect that it is a working environment where people make a living. Leaving litter, leaving gates open or letting dogs chase stock is not acceptable and understandably creates tension.

Maybe when you are on a walk, take a bag and pick up any rubbish you see and some secateurs and trim back any brambles on the path. Hopefully we will in time see improved access and there will be more opportunities for everyone to ‘get outdoors and closer to nature’.

simonfordgardening.wordpress.com

LIVING THE GOODDEN LIFE

October last year was the time we really got into fungi and decided to step up our knowledge of this misunderstood and often demonised food group.

Back in France where I grew up, people just learn to recognise the good ones and the bad ones. After all, one would not pick just any berry while out on a walk and eat it as it could be poisonous. Instead, we learn what a blackberry looks like and we can safely eat them. Why can’t it be the same with fungi?

While we built up our knowledge of mushrooms through books and observation, we decided to begin cultivating mushrooms at home in order to diversify the food we grow and also have a meat substitute available. However much we enjoy meat, we try to eat less and mushrooms have that great meaty texture.

We ordered pre-inoculated bags of grain spawn so we could grow pink oysters, yellow oysters, pearl oysters and enoki mushrooms indoors. We bought inoculated wood dowels which we’d hammer into holes we’d drilled into freshly cut logs from recently felled trees. In

fact, we inserted 390 of them into 13 logs. They include shiitake, Lion’s Mane, reishi and I somehow forgot the fourth. And finally, we created a mushroom bed outdoors with semi-composted organic matter from the garden and the kitchen which we inoculated with Wine Cap mushrooms.

The indoor mushrooms did very well – we followed instructions to the letter and were rewarded with many flushes of delicious and fresh exotic mushrooms. This opened up new avenues in our cooking through their unique taste and texture.

The outdoor ones, time will tell. At the time of writing, no mushroom has emerged. It can and often does take longer than a year to produce fungi.

My valid concern is the lack of rainfall we suffered from in the past year. Admittedly this was the worst year to begin outdoor mushroom cultivation and we should have watered our logs profusely to help the mushroom mycelium populate the wood. I didn’t fancy wasting water spraying logs all summer long while waiting for the rain. It felt somewhat wrong and therefore they may have

Nico and Chrystall Goodden

Image: Nico Goodden

dried up and not produce anything.

Time will tell and in the grand scheme of things, it barely matters since we made an incredible discovery. One autumn morning after a light frost I went out for a walk and ventured into a corner of the woods I’d never been to before. There was really no reason for me to step out of my usual territory and that particular area was hard to access but I pushed through. It was as if I was called by something, attracted by some sort of magnet.

Then it presented itself to me. Like a beacon, THE most gigantic white mushroom growing on a fallen tree across a stream. In fact, this was no ordinary mushroom. I’d stumbled upon the largest Blue Oyster mushroom I’d ever seen and the first I’d ever found in the wild. I could barely contain my excitement and probably let out a little scream of joy.

There was no jumping over the stream, it was simply too wide. I went home and got my ladder which I extended across the stream and proceeded gingerly across while whistling to myself the Indiana Jones theme tune, which felt appropriate.

The mushroom was perfect, not just big but pure white with an almost gunmetal blue/grey cap. It smelt strongly of aniseed, a dead giveaway for Pleurotus Ostreatus. I picked it and saw another behind it, and another, and another… My basket quickly became full.

I spent the following days looking for other spots and found a total of six locations with incredibly large flushes of pearl oyster mushrooms. I yielded probably 10 pounds in one picking. It blew my mind that such delicate and delicious food would grow within a relatively short walk of my house – shorter than driving to the shops that’s for certain.

It woke me up to the fact that there is an abundance of fungi (and food) everywhere. Not all are edible but once you start looking you will see more, I guarantee you.

Other edible mushrooms we enjoy foraging are the parasol mushroom, velvet shank mushrooms (a wild form of Enoki), meadow waxcaps, wood ears, St George mushroom for food but also turkey tail and birch polypore for medicinal use and immune system-boosting properties. Turkey tail is omnipresent and the only fungus from which a recognised anti-cancer drug is produced.

Of course no mushroom discussion can be without the usual warning to only eat what you are 100% sure of. Don’t be in a rush to eat just anything you find, buy a good book (Mushrooms by the late Roger Phillips), be thorough in your identification, and use common sense. In doubt, even the smallest, don’t eat.

Simply knowing two of the most dangerous mushrooms (the subtly named death cap and the destroying angel) can save your life since they are responsible for over 95% of all mushroom-related deaths.

Be a little adventurous and embrace the bounty mother nature offers. Locally foraged food not only feeds our hungry stomachs but also provides the best medicine. It is packed full of the good things we need and that’s because it grows where we exist – there’s a reason it grows here. We (should) look after the mushrooms by protecting their environment and the mushroom will provide us with health benefits. This is how the world should run – a symbiotic relationship between all things where all benefit from each other.

We hope our love for fungi will convince a few of you to look at mushrooms differently and perhaps if you don’t enjoy eating them, start by spotting them for fun, document them with a camera and your appreciation will grow, as did ours.

Happy October foraging!

Nico: @nicholasgoodden Chrystall: @thegooddenlife creativebritishgarden.com

North

01308 863054 / 07974 943411

DORSET FORGE & FABRICATION

Words Glen Cheyne Photography Katharine Davies

High above me, a pair of vultures sit hunched on the branches of a long-dead tree. Nearby, a clench-fisted giant is clearly enraged about something, kittens play idly on a rooftop and someone, somewhere, is whistling.

I edge past a rodeo rider and follow the mysterious tune into a workshop of sorts, where a dark figure in the shadow of a seemingly mechanised donkey ushers me across the courtyard. There I am led by creatures, vines and motionless oddities into a bright room of paintings, ceramics and the cheerful faces of Chris and Nicky Hannam. This then, is Dorset Forge & Fabrication. >

Chris Hannam

Nicky Hannam

Chris, a Dorset-born, steel fabricator and sheet metal worker of some 45 years, started the business in 2011. ‘I’ve been in the industry since I was 15,’ Chris tells me. ‘I started as an apprentice at Snashall Steel in Pulham, went on to work for Newton Forge and then set up on my own. I was approached by Sherborne Castle Estate with the offer of work, along with a unit to rent and I went from there.’ Chris has been working with the estate ever since, on-hand to maintain their many gates and fences.

The space we’re standing in, once a tumble-down outbuilding, is now home to Elm Yard Gallery - a vibrant shop and exhibition space, lovingly curated and managed by Chris’ wife, Nicky. Most of the artists exhibiting here have appeared on these very pages over the years and it’s a joy to see them brought together under one roof. That said, the paintings will soon be rehomed for the winter as the building’s exposure to the elements can make keeping them here a nervewracking experience. ‘I’d be waking in the night worried about them!’ says Nicky. Officially the gallery then closes for the winter but if customers drop in and Chris is available in the forge next door he’ll gladly open up.

Alongside the artworks are smaller pieces of steelwork and conversations with customers invariably lead to the fantastical creations outside. A sudden throng of visitors arrive and so, with Nicky now occupied, Chris and I head out into the autumn sun.

We pause at a display of newspaper cuttings documenting TV appearances and the project that threw Dorset Forge & Fabrication well and truly into the limelight. ‘This guy put us on the map,’ says Chris proudly. ‘A couple were visiting the pub next door [now The Elms restaurant] and noticed a sculpture of a rearing horse we had on display at the time. They ended up buying the horse there and then but also commissioned a 20ft WWI soldier!’

This now-famous sculpture, entitled The Haunting, was inspired by a folk tale from the village of its owners. The story goes that the ghost of a WWI soldier can be seen walking the streets at night trying to find his way home. The soldier is soon to appear in a series of children’s books written by the owners who have since commissioned further sculptures of characters from the series.

The project took three and a half months to create and uses 1.5 tons of scrap metal. ‘We thought it was destined for the owner’s garden,’ Chris tells me, ‘but since delivering it in 2017 it has been on loan to sites around the UK. It comes back to us in between for a clean-up and repairs, then we accompany it to its next home.’ While we talk, I notice that the ‘someone, somewhere’ is still whistling and somehow audible above the din of welding and hammering. ‘Would you like to meet Martin?’ Chris asks.

Martin Galbavy moved to the UK from Slovakia thirteen years ago following a job offer from Newton Forge in Sturminster Newton. He had come here to ‘clean his head’ following the breakdown of his marriage and had imagined only staying for a few months. It was at Newton Forge though that he met Chris and, a few years after Chris had left to set up on his own, Martin joined him. Prior to the UK, Martin had spent time in the Slovakian military and then art school where he was ‘a no-good student’. A talented troublemaker it transpires.

While Martin can speak Slovak, Czech, Polish and Russian, he arrived at Gatwick without being able to speak a word of English. He made it from the airport to Shaftesbury but still grapples with the language barrier. ‘My work speaks for me,’ he says with a grin. Watching Chris and Martin communicate is something of a marvel. Martin talks in enthusiastic, chortling bursts, often about ‘number one plans’, of which he has many. The soldier, the giant, the vultures, rodeo rider, cats >

Martin Galbavy

and all manner of other creatures here at the yard are down to Martin. He is relentless in his urge to create and spends much of his time here at the forge. ‘Every sculpture makes me feel electric,’ he beams. ‘I am always thinking two, three, four ahead.’

The aforementioned life-size donkey-in-progress sits atop Martin’s workbench. It is an unfathomable jigsaw of scrap metal formed to somehow create, very obviously, a donkey. The key features of Martin’s creations – in this case, nose and ears – are brought to life using traditional sculpting techniques. He starts with a clay mould, then a plaster cast which is filled with steel beads that are then welded to achieve an approximate shape. Using a grinder, the steel is then painstakingly worked into its final lifelike form. Martin hands me a single gleaming donkey’s ear. ‘How long did this take you?’ I ask in awe. ‘Very long time!’ he laughs.

There are some things they can’t make quick enough. The family of cats on the roof for instance. ‘That’s the 2nd set we’ve had to make,’ exclaims Chris. ‘As soon as I put them up there somebody bought them! Now if anyone asks, I say they can have them but they’ve got to go up there and get them!’

Unlike the soldier, the donkey isn’t a commission but

Martin has a customer in mind. ‘Martin makes things for the fun it,’ says Chris. ‘Just like he did with the giant - 140,000 ball bearings!’ These creative excursions always sell (some within hours) and never get in the way of the bread and butter work. The company was built on the manufacture of high-quality fencing, gates, handrails and fabrication work such as balconies, cattle grids, stairways and pergolas. ‘If I’m building a balcony for instance and need 47 decorative scrolls. I can come in on Monday morning and find 47 perfectly forged scrolls waiting for me. Between the two of us, there’s nothing we can’t do really. The only limitations are Martin’s imagination and the size of the workshop!’

The next big job on the cards is for a new music venue in Birmingham where the pair have been commissioned to create wall art and steampunk industrial pipework. ‘This is why I don’t mind getting up and coming into work in the morning,’ says Chris. ‘I never know what we’re going to be asked to do.’

As we say our goodbyes Nicky locks up the gallery, Chris secures the yard gates and behind us from within the forge Martin whistles.

dorsetforgeandfabrication.co.uk

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An Evening with Ayala Champagne at THE CLOCKSPIRE

Thursday 3rd November

Indulge yourself with a mouth-watering four-course meal in the incredible 19th century setting of our restaurant whilst sampling four of Ayala’s best champagnes.

Aylya Export Director, Laurence Alamanos, will host the evening in partnership with our Head Chef, Luke and General Manager, Massimiliano, giving an insight into the company’s long history. We will explore the processes involved in creating the champagnes and why the varieties selected work so well with the evening’s paired food menu.

Four-course paired menu and champagne ~ £100 per person

Ayala Brut Majeur / Reception & Canapés

Ayala Brut Nature / Starter

Opening Hours

Wednesday to Saturday

12 noon – 3:00pm, 6:00pm – 9:30pm

Sunday - 12 noon – 4:30pm

Ayala Le Blanc de Blanc 2015 / Main Ayala Rosé Majeur / Dessert

The Clockspire

Restaurant & Bar

Gainsborough, Milborne Port, Sherborne DT9 5BA

@theclockspire

Reservations 01963 251458

host@theclockspire.com

www.theclockspire.com

MONTGOMERY CHEESE

Joanna Weinberg, Teals

Image: Ed Schofield

Image: Ed Schofield

There is little so anchoring for a farm shop as to stand on farmland. Our shop, just off the A303, 10 miles from Sherborne, sits on the land of Montgomery cheese, where cheddar has been made in the same tradition for over a century. Come into the store, and you will see produce and wine stacked high on Montgomery crates. At the cheese counter, the Montgomery cheeses sit centre and back, in pride of place.

Industrially manufactured cheddar is such a commonplace cheese that it’s easy to forget how classy a true heritage cheddar can be. A bite of Montgomery demands your attention. First, you notice the texture: structured yet responsive, immediately beginning to melt in your mouth. The flavour builds slowly, arriving first as a perfume in the nose and then travelling back across your mouth: deep and rich with a nutty, savoury complexity. Ogleshield, Montgomery’s raclettestyle sister cheese, is growing fast in reputation and popularity alongside, with wins in its class at no less than nine British and five world cheese awards.

‘I have a customer who calls our cheddar ‘50 mile cheese’. That’s how far he drives before he loses the taste on his tongue,’ Jamie Montgomery tells me when I visit him at Manor Farm, in North Cadbury. Jamie is the 3rd generation of Montgomerys to take up the cheesemaking mantle.

The farm is much like many you’ll see scattered across our countryside – handsome old stone buildings coexisting with modern barns and sheds. Cattle will graze for as much of the year as the weather allows, usually from mid-April to November, to take advantage of the excellent pasture. These days the farm makes about 15 truckles of cheddar a day, increasing up to 18 from January to March when the milk is at its most plentiful.

To enter the ageing barn is to step back a century in time: a huge space, shelves neatly stacked with some 6,000 truckles – a year’s worth. It’s a striking sight. The one anomaly is the bright red figure of a Henry vacuum cleaner sitting on top of a very tall ladder where it serves as pest control to any potential cheese mites on the rind. The vacuuming of truckles is a job much like the painting of the Golden Gate bridge – as soon as the last one is done, the first one begins again.

‘There was already cheesemaking here before my grandfather arrived in 1911, as there would have been

on every dairy farm,’ says Jamie. ‘The grass is good around here – you didn’t have to have many cows before you had too much milk and had to find a way of storing it.’

Jamie has spent his life making cheese in the same way as his grandfather, using the same materials and probably very similar bacteria. The starter bacteria were bred by the 400 or so cheesemakers in Somerset in the 1950s. ‘In the old days, they didn’t know that viruses in the air, known as ‘phages’, could kill the crucial bacteria. They just knew that if they used it for a long time, it would eventually stop working. So when they bred a good one, they’d share it with all the local farms. Then they’d know that if theirs died, they could go to another farm and ask for some of it back.’ It made the ethos of cheesemaking different from every other kind of farming: more ‘we’re in this together’ than ‘you’re on your own’. As a member of the Special Cheesemaking Association, Jamie feels that same camaraderie today.

Protecting the starter bacteria is one of the most important tasks on the farm. They keep seven strains of it alive – one for each day of the week. Shelves carry Monday cheeses, Tuesday cheeses and so on; all are distinctively Montgomery, but each will have a subtly different flavour profile. Some customers even have a preference. ‘Most of my role is tasting and grading cheeses and selecting for customers. I get to see a pattern that nobody else sees and that’s constantly fascinating,’ he says.

The cheeses are as much a favourite with high-end restaurants in London as they are on the family table. When I ask if he’s ever tempted to grow the business, making, and sharing more cheese, he shakes his head. ‘Our ageing rooms are full. It would be impossible to move into new buildings because of the bacteria in these rooms – they are what give our cheese its character and flavour profile.’

Jamie is regularly invited to America to talk to cheesemakers – or rather to share his secrets. ‘They always ask: what’s the one thing they can do that makes the magic? But the truth is, I don’t know.’ It’s in the air of a hundred-year-old barn, it’s in the grass and the rich, sweet balance of the unpasteurised milk. That’s a secret Jamie can’t share if he wanted to.

teals.co.uk montgomerycheese.co.uk

CÔTE DE BOEUF WITH CHIVE HOLLANDAISE & RED ONION ESCABECHE

Jack Smith, The Green

Our red onion escabeche recipe has been requested by numerous customers. We serve it with fillet of local beef at the restaurant but it works wonderfully with vegetarian dishes or lamb.

Ingredients

600g côte de boeuf

4 egg yolks

150g unsalted butter

1 lemon

1 bunch of chives

1 tablespoon of tarragon vinegar

300g red wine

300g red wine vinegar

6 bay leaves

2 tablespoons green peppercorns

3 tablespoons soft brown sugar

500g red onions

½ tablespoon salt

10ml olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

3 sprigs rosemary

Method

1 Preheat oven to 180º. Remove your beef from the fridge thirty minutes before you intend to cook to allow it to come to room temperature. Season the beef generously with salt and black pepper.

2 Peel the red onions, chop in half and separate the

layers into individual cups. In a large pan combine the red wine, red wine vinegar, bay leaves, green peppercorns, brown sugar and ½ tablespoon of salt. Bring to the boil add the red onions remove from the heat, cover with cling film and set aside.

3 Melt the butter in a pan and skim off the solids. In a glass bowl add the egg yolks and tarragon and whisk over a pan of simmering water until the yolks are pale and thick. Slowly incorporate your butter. Finish by adding a squeeze of lemon, thinly chopped chives and salt to taste.

4 Heat up a cast iron pan on a high heat, add the oil and sear the beef for 2 minutes on each side. Once a crust has formed on the outside of the beef lower the temperature add the remaining butter, rosemary and garlic and baste for 2 minutes. Transfer the beef onto an oven-proof tray along with the pan juices and cook in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 54 degrees (medium rare). Remove the beef and rest for at least 10 minutes.

5 Remove the onions from the pickling liquid and sear in a hot pan on one side while the beef is resting.

6 Slice the beef onto a large serving dish, decorate with your red onions, spoon over the hollandaise and serve with a rocket salad.

Enjoy.

greenrestaurant.co.uk

Image: Katharine Davies

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WESTBOUND

RYE CRACKERS

Paul Collins, Chef

These very tasty crackers are a welcome addition to any meal. I love to use them as a canapé on account of how crispy they are once cooked, or to serve Dorset crab with a little fresh mayonnaise. They are also a very nice way to start a lunch, placed on the table as a light alternative to bread. But of course, they come into their own when you bring them out with a wonderful cheese board. Make more than you need because they are very more-ish and I can guarantee they will get eaten.

They are also very easy and quick to make, so do have a go – they are worth it, just like you!

Ingredients: Serves 6-8.

250g rye flour

Pinch of salt

1 ½ tsp honey

140 ml water

Method:

1 Place the flour into a suitable bowl and add all the other ingredients. Mix well.

2 Wrap in clingfilm and then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3 Remove from the fridge and roll out very thinly on a floured surface.

4 I tend to cut these into long thin biscuits of irregular shapes just to make an impression when they are served.

5 Bake at 175 OC for 8-10 minutes until nice and crispy. Turn over if necessary to ensure they are crispy all over.

Once cooked, keep in an airtight container.

chefpaulcollins.co.uk

PUFFBALL

AND BÉARNAISE

The top selling dish in many restaurants will be steak, chips and béarnaise sauce; my recipe is more than just a vegetarian substitute. It may not be possible for everyone to get hold of a puffball mushroom, but do give it a try because they’re more than equal to any fillet steak in terms of flavour. Try using Portobello or wild mushrooms as a substitute for the puffball if you can’t get one.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 large potatoes

1 litre groundnut oil

75ml white wine vinegar

10–12 fresh tarragon leaves

250g unsalted butter

4 egg yolks

1 puffball mushroom

Vegetable oil, to coat

Table salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Inage: Steve Painter © Ryland Peters & Small

Mat Follas, Bramble Restaurant Recipe from Vegetables by Mat Follas, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£14.99)

Method

1 Wash and cut large chips out of the potatoes (I prefer them with the skin still on) and rinse them under cold water.

2 Put the chips in a saucepan filled with salted, cold water, set over a medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the chips are just starting to become rough on the edges. Strain then pat dry with paper towels. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3 Pour the groundnut oil into a clean saucepan and preheat it to a temperature of 130°C over a medium heat. Carefully put the chips in the oil and cook for about 10 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from the oil, drain on paper towels and chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes.

4 To make the béarnaise sauce, you will need a handheld electric blender and a jug of about 300ml capacity that is only slightly larger in diameter than the blade end of the blender.

5 Put the vinegar, tarragon leaves and a pinch of black pepper into a small saucepan set over a medium heat. Heat to boiling point, then simmer until the volume has reduced by approximately half. Take the pan off the heat.

6 Slowly melt the butter in a separate pan over a low heat. Pour the liquid butter, vinegar reduction (including the tarragon leaves), egg yolks and a pinch of salt into the jug. Slowly, put the stick blender into the jug, capturing the yolks under the blade. Start with a couple of pulses of the blender, then while continuously blending, pull the stick blender slowly out of the jug combining the butter and yolks to form the sauce. It really is that simple. The sauce will keep for about 45 minutes at room temperature.

7 When you are ready to serve, return the oil to a temperature of 190°C and cook the chips for about 5 minutes, until deeply golden brown.

8 To make the puffball steaks, trim the puffball and carve 4 steaks from it about 2cm thick. Save the rest of the puffball for making a soup or stock. Preheat a grill pan over a medium heat. Heavily oil the steaks with vegetable oil and season generously with table salt and black pepper, before placing them onto the hot grill pan to blacken them and cook through. Turn three times to create a crisscross pattern from the griddle on both sides.

9 Serve with chips and loads of béarnaise sauce.

COURGETTE, LIME AND MINT CAKE

In my recipe book there’s a courgette and lime cake which is delicious. In summer I like to drink lime and mint cordial - absolutely delicious - so I decided to add mint to my courgette cake and, rather than a lime curd filling, to create a lime and mint frosting.

Timings - prep time 20 mins, baking time 30-40 mins, making the frosting and decorating 20 minutes. What you will need for the cake - a 30cm x 23cm shallow tin, or 2 x 23cm cake tins. Piping and number 2 nozzle. Hand or stand mixer. Baking parchment. Serves 24 small squares or 12 rectangles

THE CAKE WHISPERER

Val Stones

Image: Katharine Davies

Ingredients

For the cake

4 medium eggs

200ml vegetable oil, either rapeseed or sunflower oil

180g caster sugar

450g self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon

500g courgette, finely grated and squeezed out with your hands to remove some of the moisture

Zest of 1/2 an unwaxed lime

4 drops of lime extract

2 tablespoons lime and mint cordial

For the icing

100g cream cheese

100g unsalted butter

500g icing sugar

2 tablespoons lime and mint cordial

To decorate

1 tablespoon lime zest

24 small mint leaves

Method

1 Preheat oven to 180C / 160C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line the sandwich tins or rectangular tin.

2 Using a stand mixer beat together the eggs, oil and sugar in a large bowl until creamy.

3 Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda, baking powder and cinnamon then add to the egg mixture and beat well.

4 Stir in the grated courgettes, lime zest, extract and cordial until well combined. Put into the tin and make a little indent in the mixture to ensure the cake doesn’t peak, or divide the mixture into the cake tins.

5 Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is baked when it is firm to touch and springs back.

6 Remove the cakes from the oven and carefully leave for two minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. Carefully peel off the paper lining and leave to cool.

7 Once cool you can either decorate and serve or pack the cakes in a freezer container placing parchment between the cakes and freeze for up to a month - I suggest you do not freeze with the icing. On the evening before the cake is needed get it out of the freezer to defrost at room temperature.

For the icing

8 Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth then add the butter and beat until smooth.

9 Add the icing sugar a dessert spoonful at a time until all combined and stop the mixer to pull down the icing sugar when needed.

10 Finally stir in the lime and mint cordial.

11 If making a round cake sandwich, put about 1/3 of the frosting between the layers and use the rest to decorate the top.

12 If making the tray bake, spread a thin layer of frosting on the top of the cake and then place the rest in a piping bag, pipe roses or stars all across the cake in rows.

13 Scatter the tray bake or cake with lime zest.

14 Mark the tray bake into 24 squares and place a mint leaf on each square.

These will both keep for 6 days.

bakerval.com

RIESLING

Riesling is my preferred white wine grape variety because it transmits terroir with greater sensitivity than any other white wine grape that I know. I also admire it because it has a distinct and decisive fragrance and flavour.

Many people dismiss it because they associate it with the inexpensive brands of sweet white wine, usually labelled Liebfraumilch, which poured into Britain in the aftermath of the Second World War when consumers, who had been starved of sugar, tended to like anything sweet.

While many imbibers dislike residual sugar in a wine, I love it. The great wines of Tokaj, the Rhine and Mosel, Alsace and Sauternes are quite beautifully made and have a powerful flavour and fragrance which is quite unforgettable. Yes! They are expensive, but then they are made by craftsmen who understand what wonderful riches nature provides if you are both knowing and patient.

Like Pinot Noir, Riesling is good at expressing its terroir and it ages well. The drier wines can be quite austere in their youth but patience is rewarded. Most of the very best Rieslings I have tasted were made in the Rhine or Mosel valleys. Typically they were dry, crisp, elegant wines with green apple and peach flavours, perhaps more obviously slatey in Mosel.

I am pleased to see wine merchants giving more floor space to Riesling wines. We should take advantage of the superb growing conditions at the northern limits

Bob Pool/Shutterstock

Finger Lakes, Upper New York State

David Copp

of grape growing in Europe where weathered slate is the typical ’soil’.

In Alsace, where the southeast-facing Vosges provide almost perfect conditions for growing Riesling – the wines tend to be more floral and perfumed. It is in Alsace that one of the world’s truly remarkable wines is made. Clos St Hune is a small vineyard with a modest output but I have been known to drive quite a long way to taste its best vintages because they are so special.

Why do I admire Riesling so much? I think it is because it is very much a product of its environment and transmits the character of its terroir in a subtle, understated way. Riesling wines develop their flavours gradually and age gracefully. Indeed if the Riesling ripens too quickly it doesn’t deliver the same intensity of flavour.

There are so many good small firms producing top-quality wines that it is best to seek advice. Because I have a modest budget and I admire Ernst Loosen as a man and a winemaker, I tend to look out for his wines in good wine merchants and supermarkets.

The Mosel wines suit me better because they are lighter in alcohol (often eight or nine degrees), crisp, and full of flavour. I recommend newcomers to Riesling to start with Mosel Rieslings before moving on to the great Rheingau Rieslings. Our company used to represent Rauenthaler Nonnenberg, one of the very best single vineyard Rieslings. The wines are now made by Georges Bruer and if you have a special occasion this Riesling will not let you down.

Riesling lends itself to many different expressions from very dry to very sweet. The top sweet wines are relatively expensive because yields are small and such special wines need time to develop. I recommend starting with light dry Mosel before graduating to the fuller-bodied Rheingau wines.

However, do not forget that outstanding Riesling wines are also made in Alsace, Austria, Hungary, the Clare and Eden Valleys of Australia, the Finger Lakes of Upper New York State and in Northern California. South Africa and New Zealand have also identified good sites.

If you want to compare sources of Riesling beyond central Europe, I can recommend the aforementioned Clare Valley (£8-10) and Dr Konstantin Frank's Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes (£16). However, my advice is to start in the classic regions of Germany and France before moving on to New World offerings. I feel sure that with a pit of patience you will find excellent Riesling wines that will make you a real fan of the variety.

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Animal Care

BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED

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

Ihave written articles for the Sherborne Times in various parts of the world but few more beautiful than where I am now, off the west coast of Sardinia. A close friend asked me to join him on his sailing boat for 10 days or so and although I have never set foot on one before, I jumped at the chance despite a little trepidation. All those ropes (lines) and pulleys to trap fingers let alone the possibility of feeling seasick the whole time. I needn’t have worried though – my captain knew I was ignorant of anything nautical so I could

concentrate on my role as cabin boy! As for feeling nauseous, that wasn’t a problem either although the same cannot be said for the constant stream of vomiting dogs that we have seen at the clinic recently.

We all know dogs eat stuff, some of which are clearly non-food items. Quite what induces a dog to chew on a battery, a toy plastic dinosaur or an inhaler is beyond me. These three items represent different dangers when ingested but all of them are potentially serious. Alkaline batteries are probably the commonest found in our

thka/Shutterstock

homes. How many of us are diligent about recycling them immediately after they run down? If chewed and ingested by your happy hound, the chemicals inside are caustic and toxic, causing chemical burns to delicate tissues in the mouth and oesophagus. The heavy metals inside the casing can also cause toxicity if the battery sits in the stomach for a few days. Button-type batteries are even more hazardous as once in the gastrointestinal tract, an electric current between the two sides of the ‘coin’ damages the surface on which the battery rests, resulting in ulceration of the stomach or intestine. A 3v Li-Ion button battery can burn all the way through in just 30 mins!

Electric currents and toxic metals aside, batteries can cause obstructions like any other foreign body (e.g. children’s toys). The question we as vets have to ask is whether the nausea and vomiting the patient is suffering is due to irritation, inflammation or obstruction. Also in the mix are medical conditions of the pancreas, the liver, the kidneys or anything else in the abdomen, thorax or nervous system. So just about everything! That’s the reason we almost always perform blood tests first and then go on to imaging with x-rays and ultrasound if necessary. Even with these modern diagnostics, ultimately if we are still in doubt an exploratory operation is called for to check the abdomen for abnormalities and take biopsies if necessary. It’s not an unreasonable question to ask, with all the medical paraphernalia we have, why is there still uncertainty? Well, partly it’s due to some foreign bodies being invisible on x-rays (in fact, many of them are) and abnormalities on blood tests can be incidental findings that have nothing to do with the presenting problem.

I have encountered many different causes of intestinal obstruction, from stones and bones to chains and stockings (I don’t ask the owners any questions about such things!). Anything long and elastic is by far the worst, as the intestine constricts around the length of the material which then cheese-wires through it, resulting in peritonitis. As there are multiple sites of damage, repair is very difficult and the infection can be impossible to contain. So lock away the underwear and be especially careful to secure the lid on the dirty linen basket which seems to be a special target for some dogs.

The rise in childhood and adult asthma means many households have inhalers scattered around the place – I know our house does! The active ingredient inside is often a bronchodilator (salbutamol also known as albuterol) that stimulates the receptors in the lungs

to open up small airways through muscular relaxation. However, the dose for a human user is carefully metered so that a very specific amount is delivered per puff. Not so when it’s being chewed by the quite-definitely-nonasthmatic dog (cats can get asthma but dogs can not).

As the inhaler canister is under pressure, one puncture by a tooth releases the entire contents immediately, resulting in an almost certain overdose. Symptoms include a racing heart and breathing rate, restlessness, tremors, collapse, vomiting, low blood potassium and glucose and in extreme cases, even death.

If this happens in your home, contact your vet immediately and bring the remains of the inhaler, any packaging and also details of any medication your pet may be taking.

Dogs suffering from this toxicity will need hospitalisation for 12-48 hrs during which intensive fluid therapy will be necessary to correct electrolyte and glucose levels. Heart rate will need to be slowed by giving beta-blockers (salbutamol is a beta receptor stimulant) and close monitoring of blood pressure is necessary. With prompt and effective treatment, inhaler toxicity is rarely fatal although patients with preexisting heart conditions or those on medications that react adversely with the salbutamol are at increased risk of complications. Be aware that empty inhaler canisters still contain enough to cause toxicity in a small dog or puppy so dispose of them promptly and safely, along with your alkaline batteries!

As the yacht on which I am sitting gently rubs up alongside the multimillion-pound luxury motor launch (much to that crew’s disdain), the fish literally swarm around us in the harbour, as they have done all around the coast of this wonderful island. My first taste of being under sail has been eye- and mind-opening and I think I’m beginning to understand our nation’s maritime obsession.

newtonclarkevet.com

"How many of us are diligent about recycling batteries immediately after they run down?"

THE MENTAL WELLBEING OF A FARM VET

Jo Child BVetMed MRCVS, Friars Moor Vets

Mental health in the veterinary profession is at an all-time low, with suicide rates being 3-4 times that of the general population and numerous vets citing poor mental health as the reason for leaving clinical practice. Personally, I feel I have been very lucky to work for lovely practices, with amazing supportive colleagues and fabulous farmers and friends. Living and working in a glorious bit of the country also helps, I am sure.

I was pondering this on my morning dog walk yesterday. One of the joys of being a farm vet is the outdoors – in open spaces and being part of the changing seasons. At this time of year, it is easy to want to be outside all of the time, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine, albeit sometimes dripping in sweat underneath some soggy waterproof overalls. In the winter it can be more challenging for the mind and

body, with long days starting and ending by torchlight and requiring numerous and varied layers of clothing to adjust to the wind, rain and cooler temperatures. When I was studying at university, it was observing the change in seasons which I missed most and which I now delight in, almost daily.

One reason for poor mental health in agriculture and in farm vets is isolation and lone working. Farming can be tough and insular with little time for other activities. I have a springer spaniel, who now aged 10 has been with me for most of my working career. He ensures that I get out walking 2 or 3 times a day come rain or shine and that I take a break from TB testing or routine cattle fertility work to spend a few minutes just listening to nature. He is my constant companion; many a clinical dilemma has he listened to intently as I reason through cases and a fair few emotional moments

Seeseeie/Shutterstock

has he witnessed and comforted me through when the day goes less to plan. In the winter months, I take him beating with a local shoot. It forces me to take time away from work (there is no phone signal in the valley), encourages discipline (for both the dog and me) and is very sociable.

Having a dog means I have uncovered places to run and walk that I never would have done otherwise. Every morning we walk somewhere different, often en route to our first call of the day. I am acutely aware of farmers’ sometimes difficult relationships with dog walkers; the importance of keeping dogs on leads around all livestock and clearing up poo. In the summer we run with the Dorset Doddlers Running Club, who meet at a pub weekly to be led on a scenic evening trail run around the Dorset countryside. The dog comes too of course.

Other great outdoor activities for mental health are swimming and cycling. I relish planning new routes and cycling roads I haven’t been on before. Especially if they include a large hill and coffee stop.

Since Covid, I’ve discovered wild swimming, which has rapidly grown in popularity and offers the opportunity to share the warm summer evenings

cooling off with the dog on our walk, alongside ducks, fish and dragonflies. Last week I swam with two of my colleagues admiring the wildflowers along the riverbank and wishing my horticultural knowledge was better.

My final tip for good mental wellbeing is good coffee. All outside activities should involve a coffee stop and we are blessed with lots of fabulous cafes to top up both during the working day and when out and about with the dog or on my bike.

As I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert, some of my favourites are:

• The Stalls at Sutton Mandeville

• Bird and Carter at Fonthill (also does incredible all-day brunch on a Sunday)

• Reads Coffee at Sherborne

• Pamplemousse in Shaftesbury

So, there you have it, my top tips for getting outside for mental health. Hopefully coffee, running and my trusty springer sidekick will ensure I stay in good spirits for years to come – that and working alongside our wonderful farmers in some beautiful English countryside.

friarsmoorvets.co.uk

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

SOUND ADVICE

Lucy Lewis, Dorset Mind Ambassador and Assistant Psychologist

Mindfulness has been attributed to a whole host of mental and physical health benefits including reducing anxiety and depression by lifting your mood.

There are hundreds of different ways for practicing mindfulness, but I have found music mindfulness to be particularly popular with those who don’t enjoy the more traditional methods.

Just like with other more traditional forms of mindfulness, music mindfulness involves focusing on sensory information (in this case, auditory) in order to ground ourselves in the present moment.

When being truly mindful, we are taking a break from listening to distressing thoughts about the past or future, and instead, we’re being present in the moment. This gives our minds a break and allows them to function better following the exercise.

If we think of the mind like a computer, we often have many programs running simultaneously (thinking about/planning for/dealing with multiple things at once, like work, family, friends, the news, etc). This causes the computer to not work as effectively, and in extreme cases can lead to the computer or brain

shutting down entirely. By being mindful, we are distancing ourselves from our thoughts (or closing down the many open programmes on the computer), even if just for a short time.

Like learning a new physical skill, mindfulness is a cognitive skill that will feel difficult at first but will then become easier with practice.

During any mindfulness practice, it is normal to experience distracting thoughts. These don’t need to be ‘blocked out’, but instead noticed and acknowledged so that you can return your attention to your practice.

For example, you might experience thoughts of judgement (‘this is difficult/boring/silly’) or thoughts about your life (‘I must hang up the laundry and get my partner a birthday present’). The key is to acknowledge the thought (‘I am thinking about my task list,’ or ‘I am passing judgement’) before returning your attention to the exercise.

With practice, your ‘mindfulness muscle’ will get stronger and distracting thoughts may be less common. Bringing your attention back to the exercise should also become easier.

Listening to music mindfully can be done with any

Elena Barenbaum/Shutterstock

kind of music, but choose music that doesn’t make you ‘amped up’ or make you feel strong emotions – such as sadness or anger, or a song tied to a painful memory.

The key is to focus on a single element at a time. You don’t need to be knowledgeable in musical theory to do this. The important thing is to notice changes and elements, even if you are not accurately labelling what you hear. For example, it is fine to be wrong when noticing which instruments are playing in a song. It is about the noticing.

Here are some examples of elements that you can listen out for and take notice of. Try to focus on one at a time:

• the sound of just one instrument in a song with multiple instruments

• the beats of a drum (or notes of any instrument) get faster or slower

• repetitive patterns of notes

• new instruments/sounds being added or taken away (does the song begin with drums, and then guitar, then the vocal, etc)

• which instruments are playing (again, does not matter if you correctly identify them or not)

• the singing voice or instrument getting higher or lower in pitch

• the backing vocals

• shifts in volume

• any physical sensations in your body caused by the music

These are just some ideas, but there are many different elements in songs that you can focus your attention on.

If you are a beginner, try being mindful while listening to just one or two songs. As you progress, you may want to practice for up to 20 minutes. However you try – the key is to practice regularly!

Different people will find it beneficial to practice at different times. Doing it first thing in the morning can set a relaxed, mindful tone for the day ahead. Practising before bed can make it easier to sleep. Additionally, when particularly stressed, anxious, or angry, mindfulness can help to reduce the associated uncomfortable symptoms.

Visit dorsetmind.uk for resources about mental health topics such as mindfulness, the wellbeing groups and 1-2-1 support we deliver, and signposting to other services.

If you experience a mental health crisis, please call 999 or The Samaritans free on 116 123.

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SCRATCHING THE SURFACE

MENOPAUSE AND MANOPAUSE

Sarah Hitch, The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms and The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre

Goodluz/Shutterstock

The 18th of October is World Menopause Day. It’s not a celebratory day as such - there will be no bake sale at school or Z-list celebrities acting out sketches on the telly. However, it does mark how far we have come in the open discussion about a change that pretty much every woman will go through in her lifetime. Interestingly our male counterparts also experience a hormone-related change – that perhaps ‘explains a lot’!

For women, perimenopause can start as early as late 30s or early 40s when oestrogen, an essential female hormone starts to decrease. The menopause follows and causes a greater drop in oestrogen which is the biggest factor affecting our skin. Cells throughout the body, including the skin, contain oestrogen receptors meaning

they are stimulated to perform certain actions when oestrogen is present. With less oestrogen, they cannot perform these functions. As oestrogen levels drop, fibroblast cells which are partly responsible for the production of collagen and elastin lose their oestrogen receptors. Lower collagen and elastin levels equate to thinner, less firm skin and can exaggerate pore size, fine lines and wrinkles. Women may also notice increased facial hair, not to mention the resurgence of acne as there is a relative androgen dominance as oestrogen diminishes.

Oestrogen also plays a role in maintaining the barrier function of the skin. The upper skin layers create a waterproof barrier that locks in moisture and keeps unwanted irritants out. As the barrier becomes weaker it leads to a decrease in hydration levels.

Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) increases and skin can become dry, cracked and uncomfortable. Replenishing levels of hyaluronic acid, ceramides and omega fatty acids through topical and oral skincare in the form of skin-focused nutritional supplements is key in reversing discomfort and improving the health of the skin.

To minimise the impact also incorporate vitamins A and C plus peptides and antioxidants into skincare routines. When used topically and taken orally these ingredients encourage the normal production of collagen maintaining skin health and structure. Using products at night containing retinol and harungana – nature’s alternative to retinol –stimulates the production of collagen and are hardworking additions to your night-time routine.

The male menopause known as manopause or andropause is used to describe decreasing testosterone levels related to ageing men.

Like female menopause, male menopause is usually an ageing-related hormonal imbalance issue. The significant difference is that the male menopause doesn’t involve the complete shutdown of reproductive organs. Like some women, men might sail through and not notice any symptoms or they may have very real signs. Men lose 2% testosterone a year from the age of 30. A male menopause tends to occur mid-forties and may present to the outside world as a ‘midlife crisis’.

The critical level of testosterone is different for each man and so physical symptoms and behaviour can differ. Skin becomes drier, thinner and more sensitive. An indication comes when the long relied upon shaving routine and products now don’t feel comfortable. Night sweats and affected sleep dehydrate the skin and make it appear dull.

Lifestyle and nutritional changes such as reducing alcohol, quitting smoking, reducing caffeine and managing stress levels help both sexes ease symptoms. Morning exercise activates the body when hormones are most in balance and supports mental health.

The appearance of our skin has a significant impact on our emotions. If we can support our skin through these changes it will increase our confidence and wellbeing.

thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk margaretbalfour.co.uk

outside

Staying motivated to achieve your health and fitness objectives throughout the whole year is extremely challenging. This becomes even more difficult when the weather is wet, dark, cold and miserable. We have always promoted the importance of being proactive, not reactive, so let’s discuss what can be done to stay motivated now the weather is changing. The best chance of a successful winter exercise regime starts by setting yourself realistic goals to achieve. Here are some goals that many of our members have set themselves to achieve over the coming months:

Signing up to an event

One of the best methods of staying motivated is to sign up to an event. If you know a challenge is around the corner, particularly one that is also supporting local charities, then this can help you stay both focused and determined to succeed. Signing up to a challenge such as the Couch to 5k programme can be seen as a fitness progression leading to a worthwhile end goal.

Believe it or not, it is a really good time of year to run! The weather we had during the summer was at times, incredibly hot. Now temperatures are dropping, and therefore making it easier to raise the heartbeat, allowing for the body to be worked that bit harder. The Couch to 5k programme is an excellent way of doing this, increasing your stamina to the point where you can successfully complete a 5k run. We have just started our own Couch to 5k course, with our next programme starting on 31st October.

Daily walk

If running isn’t for you, why not walk? Many of us tend

GOAL SETTING

Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons), Communifit

Image: Stuart Brill

to spend too long indoors, particularly in the winter months. If you look outside and it’s wet and windy, dark and cold, you may think twice about stepping outside! Set yourself the challenge of walking for a set time or distance every day for the whole month. This might be a simple walk to the end of the road and back, around the block or a few miles. Maybe record your monthly total and try and improve either distance or time taken (or both) throughout the year.

Exercise class consistency

Regular attendance to your favourite exercise class is a great way of achieving your goals and staying motivated. The instructors devise a suitable class plan, all you need to do is add your name to the list! Try and attend every class for the whole month and feel the benefits this has for your body, as this will also help you to keep determined to continue exercising during the following month…and beyond.

Better nutrition

This could be the time to focus more on healthy eating as well as exercise. Making sure we drink enough water, controlling our calorie intake and not drinking less alcohol are great targets to set. Can you limit your alcohol intake? Only have one sweet treat a week? Ensure you remain fully hydrated each and every day? Maybe October is the month to test your resolve. These are just some suggestions to consider, you may have chosen your own to achieve. Good luck in whatever you choose to do in order to stay fit and healthy.

communifit.co.uk

STIRABOUTS AND WHIRLYBIRDS

Annabelle Hunt, Colour Consultant, Bridport Timber

Colour is one of the strongest influences on how we connect with a place, whether it is our own home, our hometown or somewhere rather more far-flung. Consider London, for example. It is a city dominated by red, double-decker buses, telephone boxes and post boxes, even red brickwork. Similarly, we automatically connect the iconic yellow cab with New York, and blue and white immediately invokes images of sun-drenched Greek islands, where the dazzling Mediterranean air gives the brilliant white an inimitable quality.

Local culture and geography are reflected in colour, thus distinguishing one place from another, resulting in a sense of identity. Sometimes subtle and subconscious, it can create an emotional bond and a sense of security and belonging. Yet it is easy to take the familiarity of home for granted and underestimate the subtle connections that surround us in our day-to-day lives. But as they say, travel does indeed broaden the mind, if only to allow us to reconnect to the familiar and comforting.

After a long four-year wait, Farrow & Ball have added eleven beautiful new colours to their colour card. Rather

than relying on the shock of the new and unfamiliar, as so many designers do, they have taken a different approach. By taking their much-loved signature palette as their lead, each new addition has that familiar Farrow & Ball understated elegance and fits effortlessly into the palette of 132 colours. And, as you would expect, the names are inventive; either connected to existing colours or inspired by familiar rituals of home life, craft and nature that reassure and nurture us. Every one of these exciting new colours is an instantly recognisable Farrow & Ball colour, and it is incredibly hard to pick out a favourite as they are all sure to be winners.

The first is ‘Stirabout’, a warm neutral which takes its inspiration and its name from the Irish colloquial for porridge. Paired with ever-popular ‘Pointing’, it is gentle and nurturing. Next, inspired by wild swimming and named after the little whirls and currents in open water, ‘Eddy’ is a delicate green which sits somewhere between ‘Cromarty’ and ‘French Gray’. Barely there, ‘Tailor Tack’ is the lightest and most delicate of the Farrow & Ball pinks, drawing on the tradition of couturiers’ workrooms.

Named after Templeton House, once owned by Josiah Wedgwood, ‘Templeton Pink’ is an historically inspired shade which gently enfolds you, whilst for nature lovers, the papery winged seeds of maple, ash and sycamore lend their name to ‘Whirlybird’, a fresh, soft version of ‘Breakfast Room Green’. Birders will recognise ‘Kittiwake’, a clean, cool blue sitting between ‘Parma Gray’ and ‘Lulworth Blue’, inspired by bright sunlight on the wings of these noisy seabirds.

Building onto popular colour groups, a companion colour to the very popular ‘De Nimes’ is ‘Selvedge’, slightly lighter in shade but also named after a textile weaving reference. The result of the marriage of two of the most perennial of Farrow & Ball’s colours, ‘Hopper Head’ lies between ‘Down Pipe’ and ‘Railings’, all names inspired by architectural ironwork.

To add a sense of adventurous joy and buccaneering spirit to a room, the piratically named, flame-red ‘Bamboozle’ couldn’t be more perfect but keep the contrast soft by using ‘Slipper Satin’ as its complementary white. Perhaps even more dramatic, ‘Wine Dark’, named for the Homeric term for the sea, is inspired by midnight skies and creates deeply spiritual and intimate spaces. Lastly, comes a clean mid-green named ‘Beverly’ representing the kindness, generosity, and enduring friendship of its namesake.

bridporttimber.co.uk

The West Country is Stags Country

Our highly successful Yeovil office conduct the sale of all town, village and country property and is ideally positioned on the Dorset/Somerset border.

If you are considering selling your property, start your journey today and contact a member of our team.

01935 475000

POSITIVE CHANGES TO CAPITAL GAINS TAX RULES FOR DIVORCING COUPLES

Daniel Gornall, Chartered Financial Planner, Mogers Drewett

The government has proposed new measures which will give spouses and civil partners more time to transfer assets between themselves without incurring potential Capital Gains Tax (CGT) charges.

Under current CGT legislation, transfers of assets between spouses and civil partners who are living together are made on a ‘no gain or no loss’ basis in any tax year in which they are living together.

This means that where assets are transferred in the tax year in which a couple separate, no CGT would be payable as the gains or losses are deferred until the asset is disposed of by the recipient.

However, if assets are transferred after the tax year in which a couple separate, the ‘no gain or no loss’ rule will not apply and a potential charge to CGT may arise as the asset is treated as if sold at market value.

For divorcing couples, the tax year end is often an unachievable deadline in which to make transfers on the ‘no gain or no loss’ basis.

The proposed legislation changes to be introduced in the Finance Bill 2022-23 are as follows:

• Separating spouses or civil partners be given up to three years after the year they cease to live together in which to make ‘no gain or no loss’ transfers.

• The ‘no gain or no loss’ treatment will also apply to assets

that separating spouses or civil partners transfer between themselves as part of a formal divorce agreement.

•

A spouse or civil partner who retains an interest in the former matrimonial home be given an option to claim Private Residence Relief (PRR) when it is sold.

• Individuals who have transferred their interest in the former matrimonial home to their ex-spouse or civil partner and are entitled to receive a percentage of the proceeds when that home is eventually sold. They are entitled to be able to apply the same tax treatment to those proceeds when received that applied when they transferred their original interest in the home to their ex-spouse or civil partner.

The changes will make CGT rules fairer for divorcing couples by giving them more time to transfer assets between themselves and reduce the likelihood of incurring potential CGT charges. The new measures are more practical than the current rules and should help to reduce financial pressure on separating couples at the point of divorce.

These changes will apply to disposals that occur on or after 6th April 2023, which means couples who have separated before this date could also benefit from the new proposals.

mogersdrewett.com

FEAR NOT

Don’t be scared to start something new in life, whether it’s financial planning or a do-ityourself project.

Most people are apprehensive about starting something new because they are afraid of making a mistake. Clients often have the same bout of fear when they first start investing or planning for the future.

Lack of experience can make people feel vulnerable or anxious. To help them overcome their fears, we tell our clients: never let fear of the unknown prevent you from living your best lives.

Although many people know that saving for their financial future is important, many don’t know what steps to take to accomplish their goals. Whether you’re aiming to purchase a home, pay for university or save for retirement, you have to figure out how to properly manage your financial resources in order to achieve your life goals. It’s important to know that financial planning is a process, not a transaction.

Here are some tips to feel more confident about planning for the future:

Have patience

Careful analysis and preparation are essential elements of any sound financial plan. Some people are so eager to start investing that they become impatient and rush into investments that aren’t right for their situations. The unpleasant outcomes of doing so breeds

resentment, and they become discouraged.

Well-planned diversification is key! Don’t put all your hopes into one investment idea. And don’t be afraid to start slowly by investing smaller amounts of money on a regular basis to build financial confidence.

Learn to enjoy the process

In financial planning and investing, clients should enjoy milestones, such as paying off student loan debt, creating an emergency fund or contributing the maximum amount to their retirement accounts. If you can find pleasure in the process, you will be motivated to do more.

Trust and have a good relationship with your financial planner

Building a good relationship with a planner is key to trust and financial planning. A good financial planner will openly talk about risk, make you aware of all fees payable, will try and educate you about investing, give you options, meet regularly and care about your goals for the future.

In the UK, October is actually known as ‘financial planning month’. With Christmas coming up (a.k.a. hefty gifting expenses) and the new year just around the corner, it is a great opportunity to get your finances and budgets in order before life gets too busy.

ffp.org.uk

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

Trusted, professional, fee based advice

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

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!

01935 815 008

WINDOWS VERSIONS

WHAT IS S MODE?

James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers

Since Windows XP, Microsoft have always released a Home version and a Professional version of their operating system software. When they released Windows 7 they added into the mix other versions –Starter, Home Basic, Enterprise and Ultimate which carried on until Windows 10 where they dropped the Starter, Basic and Ultimate versions. I think I may have had 1 or 2 customers on Windows Enterprise, but they didn’t even realise this. These days they have gone back to Windows Home and Professional and I would say 95% of our Windows customers use Windows Home and 5% use Windows Professional.

In the days of Windows 7, the only real difference for Pro users was you got the ability to use ‘Windows Remote Desktop’ where you could set up your computer to be accessed from somewhere else via the internet. Microsoft say the Pro was more secure than Home but for the normal user, I don’t think we noticed much difference.

Now with Windows 10 Pro, you start to have a few more benefits like privacy tools and BitLocker. Although it has been available since 2007, BitLocker encryption only really came to light when Windows 10 was released, and we started to become more security conscious.

BitLocker enables users to encrypt everything on the drive Windows is installed on, protecting that data from theft or unauthorised access. In simple terms, all your information and files are encrypted with a computer password when you lock your computer in case you lose it or someone steals it. For this to work properly you’ll need a Microsoft account (free) as they store a very long recovery key which is the other way to un-encrypt your

files if you forget the password – a very handy advantage of Windows Pro over Windows Home.

Fast forward to 2017 and Microsoft released ‘Windows S mode’ although this is not to be confused with ‘Safe Mode’ which is a completely different thing. Only available on Windows 10 and now Windows 11, Windows S mode is a version of Windows that’s streamlined for security and performance while providing a familiar Windows experience. To increase security, it allows only apps from Microsoft Store, and requires Microsoft Edge for safe browsing. In simple terms, you cannot install any of what I would call ‘normal’ programs and only simple apps from the store. They make you use Microsoft Edge for browsing and only the use of the Bing search engine. Microsoft restricts users from using other Windows configuration tools, such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, or the Windows Registry. Now all computers which come with S mode are either Windows Home in S mode or Windows Pro in S mode – meaning you can go to the Microsoft Store and sign in with a Microsoft Account and turn S mode off, which is what we have to do all the time as 99.9% of our customers require software to be installed outside the Windows Store. Microsoft claim S mode increases battery life by up to 15% and boot-up speeds of 80% but S mode is very much limiting the computer’s and user’s use by being led by what Microsoft want you to do and use. But that’s just my simple opinion.

computing-mp.co.uk

THE QUEEN IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE KING.

Chris Carver, Sherborne Scribblers

Iwas bemused by the media saying most people only knew one monarch. I remember George VI and the late Queen Mother very well when they visited the boys’ school in Sherborne. I thought 1950 but it may have been 1949. I also had a great affinity for the Queen Mother. She was Honorary Commissioner to the regiment I served in for over 22 years – the BSAP [British South Africa Police] − and sent us a Christmas card every year despite being told by Harold Wilson to stop because of UDI [Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence]. In 1999, she attended our Centenary celebrations at Grosvenor House in London. We were told she would only be there an hour, not to talk to her unless she spoke first and not to shake hands. In fact, she was there for well over two hours and spoke with everybody. In the interim, if you moved from one group to another, she would recognise you, ‘We met earlier didn’t we?’ she asked. Amazing. I think she was 96 at the time.

I am and have always been an avowed royalist and held our late Queen in the highest degree of respect and admiration for the way she kept the ‘mystique’ of the royal family alive despite all the brick-bats and insults thrown by anti-royalists and others; and the inter-family problems that have arisen. The British royals command respect from around the world and all world leaders wanted to meet the Queen. This was due entirely to the example set by her. No other nation can match it, even though some try. Even Putin has sent a message of condolences addressed to ‘The King’ and asking him to convey his commiserations to the British people. King Charles has a huge reputation to maintain. I’m sure he and The Queen Consort will do so, and with William and Kate to follow, the future of the monarchy is assured.

Even though we knew the inevitable would happen, and at 96 it was going to occur sooner rather than later, I was surprised at the speed with which it happened. 48 hours earlier she had held audiences with Boris Johnson and Liz Truss for an important constitutional change in the country in which she played a crucial role. She obviously regarded it as her duty to play her part and 48 hours later she had gone. The mobility problems they said she had were obviously more serious than we realised and she may have paid the price for carrying out her duty. She was a wonderful, wonderful woman and Queen and a great loss to the nation. She put the ‘Great’ into Great Britain.

LONG LIVE THE KING

MAX HASTINGS

Abyss: The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962

Richard Hopton, Sherborne Literary Society

Sixty years ago, for thirteen days in October 1962, the world gazed horrified into the abyss of nuclear war. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest humanity came to thermonuclear catastrophe during the five decades of the Cold War. Sir Max Hastings’s new book, Abyss, tells the gripping story of how the world side-stepped disaster, but also of how close it came and how easily events might have provoked a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

It is appropriate, therefore, that Sir Max will be

talking to the Sherborne Literary Society about Abyss on 25th October, sixty years to the day since one of the most dramatic events of the crisis. Much of what we now know about the events of those perilous days was at the time hidden from the public eye. The prolonged, agonised discussions in the White House between President Kennedy and his advisors, military and civilian, let alone the proceedings of the Russian Politburo, were entirely unknown to the wider world. The drama was largely a hidden one, conducted secretly in the corridors of power.

One exception to this was the stopping at sea on 25th October 1962 of the Russian tanker Bucharest. The presence of Russian nuclear missiles in Cuba - a mere ninety miles from the coast of Florida - had been revealed on 15th October by aerial photographs taken from a U-2 surveillance aircraft. After five days of intense debate in the White House, on 20th October Kennedy imposed a blockade on Russian shipping bound for Cuba; the exclusion zone extended for 500 miles into the Atlantic to the east of the island. The blockade came into effect on 24th October.

The following morning, as the Bucharest approached the blockade line, she was intercepted by US warships. Until this moment, the crisis had unfolded behind closed doors in Washington and Moscow but this encounter in the Atlantic was reported on live network TV: as Hastings says, ‘Millions of people held their breath’ as the presenter counted down the miles as the Bucharest steamed towards the exclusion line. In the event, it was an anti-climax as the vessel when challenged declared that she was carrying petroleum products which were not covered by the blockade so she was allowed to pass. But the world had seen the confrontation between the two superpowers in action. This was the threat of war made real.

The deployment of Russian missiles in Cubacodenamed ‘Operation Anadyr’ - began in the summer of 1962. Nikita Khrushchev, the head of the Soviet government, had mixed, not to say confused, motives for deploying nuclear missiles in Cuba, so close to the United States. On the one hand, he wanted to defend Fidel Castro’s communist revolution - threatened the previous year by the Americans’ farcical attempted invasion at the Bay of Pigs - while on the other wishing to project Soviet power into the western hemisphere. As Khrushchev memorably asked his defence minister while considering the deployment, ‘What if we throw a hedgehog down Uncle Sam’s pants?’ The missile deployment was ‘pure adventurism’. His mistake was to imagine that the missiles could be hidden from the Americans and that, once discovered, they would not take the greatest exception to their presence.

In 1962 the Cold War was at its height; the two nuclear superpowers glowered at each other across the continent of Europe but stood toe-to-toe in the divided city of Berlin. Here it was that tensions between the two blocs were most strained: the previous summer, the Russians had begun constructing a barrier to stop eastern Germans leaving the communist utopia in

droves. In 1948-49, Stain had cut the city off from the west altogether, forcing the Allies to supply it by air for nearly a year.

The United States in the early 1960s was ‘by far the richest and most powerful nation on earth’ but most Americans regarded the Soviet Union as a ‘force of cosmic evil’. Fear of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear war occupied a place in the public imagination which is hard to recreate today. Kennedy knew that once Russian missiles had been discovered in Cuba, his administration would have to be seen to take action to nullify the threat.

In dealing with the crisis, Kennedy had to balance the demands of the American military for immediate, devastating and provocative action against the advice of those diplomats who favoured negotiation. The US military top brass, having cut their teeth during the Second World War, were particularly bellicose; one of them said, ‘The whole idea is to kill the bastards. At the end of the war, if there are two Americans and one Russian left, we win.’

In the end, after thirteen days of excruciating tension, Khrushchev backed down, agreeing to withdraw the Russian missiles from Cuba in exchange for an American undertaking to leave Castro’s regime unmolested. Nuclear war had been avoided; the world could breathe once more.

President Kennedy’s leadership of the United States during the crisis was, writes Hastings, ‘his finest and most courageous achievement’. In fact, as we now know, Khrushchev never wanted a war: he was all too aware of the overwhelming superiority of America’s nuclear arsenal. In 1962 America had around 5,000 nuclear warheads against the Soviet Union’s 300. Neither leader wanted a war but there remained a real possibility that one might have started by default as a result of the actions of a lowly commander on either side taking a split-second decision in the heat of the moment. Thankfully it never happened.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

Tuesday 25th October 7pm

Max Hastings on Abyss: The Cuban Missile Crisis

The Powell Theatre, Abbey Road, Sherborne. Tickets £9-£10 from sherborneliterarysociety.com/events

EXTRACT ROOTED: STORIES OF LIFE, LAND AND A FARMING REVOLUTION

by Sarah Langford

This story happened by accident. I never expected, or wanted, to live a life on the land. But then fate took me there and taught me lessons I never knew I needed to learn.

Some people tell me that having farming in my family means it must be in my blood. Maybe they are right. Rooted is, in part, my journey to find out. First, I had to decide what being a farmer meant. To do that I had to find out what being a farmer used to mean, what it now means and what it will mean in the future. In doing so,

I met others asking themselves the same questions.

This book weaves their stories around mine. Some of those farmers are still discovering the answers. Others found them long ago. Like many of the farmers I met, to find my future I had to go back to my past. So that story – the story of my grandparents’ farm – is the first that you will read.

As I made this journey, I came across a revolution: a way of farming that is both new and also very old, and which asks us to look at our history, our future and our

values differently. It is a revolution that might just abate a climate crisis, a physical and mental health crisis, and a biodiversity crisis too. It could help to regenerate our land while also giving us some of the answers so many city dwellers seem to be looking for, not just about connection but about how to live. In doing so, it can teach us a different way of being.

I found myself in this world at the beginning of one of the greatest upheavals in farming for generations. Brexit has separated the United

Kingdom from Europe, and so too from the Common Agricultural Payments that have supported food production for so long. Now these public subsidies are being withdrawn. One-third of all UK farms make a loss without them. Farmers will now be granted public money for looking after land that many accuse them of wrecking, and not for growing the food they define themselves by. Food is no longer seen as a public good, but as a public given. This shift in mission is both huge and difficult, because farming is more than just a job. It is an identity. Everything about it must be seen through this prism. It is not just how farmers spend their days that is changing. It is who they are.

This journey has taken me around the country speaking to farmers from every walk of life who are farming in many different ways, on varying soils and on land with diverse histories. They have trusted me with their diaries, old correspondence, home movies and photographs. They have confided moments of pain and joy. More than one has cried at the relief of unburdening themselves. I have learned a lot from every one of them.

Rooted: Stories of Life, Land and a Farming Revolution by Sarah Langford (Viking). Available now at £16.99 (hardcover). Sherborne Times reader offer price of £14.99 from Winstone’s Books

Wednesday 5th October 7pm

Sarah Langford – Rooted: Stories of Life, Land and a Farming Revolution Winstone’s Books, 8 Cheap Street, Sherborne.

Sarah will be talking about her new book and an emotional rewilding of 200 acres of Suffolk Farmland. Tickets £3, available online at shop.winstonebooks.co.uk, in-store, by phone on 01935 816128 or email winstonebooks1@gmail.com

"Food is no longer seen as a public good, but as a public given"

Image: Jason Kirker

LITERARY REVIEW

Rachel Billington, Sherborne Literary Society

Lessons by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape) £20 hardcover

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

Lessons is a big book – big in length, big in ambition. The title is accurate; Ian McEwan is trying to teach us lessons through the life of Roland Baines, a cheerless hero, whose two great dramas occur near the beginning of the book, indeed one when he is eleven years old.

It would be wrong to give away this first happening, whose shock waves spread from first page to last. Enough to say it follows the example of many of McEwan’s novels and is as gripping as it’s shocking. It is lesson one for Roland, never resolved. Lesson two leaves Roland alone with a baby son, the mother having abandoned him for art. Her ambition is to become a great writer, which she does remarkably swiftly, and with lasting international fame. Question: Must you abandon all responsibilities to achieve great art? The answer here seems to be in the affirmative.

So what will Roland make of the rest of his life? McEwan tells his story against a background of mostly threatening world events, from the Suez Crisis to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall to the current pandemic and climate change. None of these involve Roland personally, nor, as he admits on the last few pages, could he have hoped to change them, despite his leftwing protests and Labour Party membership. Throughout his life he is haunted by failure for nothing can live up to the gloriously terrible excitements of drama number one.

True love between adults does make a small appearance, but it is disguised for most of the book as friendship, and only recognised by Roland as cancer takes Daphne from him. Yet Daphne, a positive, life-

affirming character, is given so sparingly of the author’s attention that she has little effect on the story.

McEwan is right in thinking that learning can be part of a novel’s attraction and there is an interesting history book here about global developments since the 1950s. However, if the narrative is to be told in one person’s voice, even if in the third person, then that person needs to arouse the reader’s sympathy, or, at very least, curiosity. A break in the monotony of gloom, a glimpse of a smile or a whiff of irony would help. Youthful erotic shock and personal unhappiness cannot sustain a whole novel. It seems McEwan is determined to write a disillusioned old man’s book where nothing has meaning, no lesson teaching more than loss and sadness, a downward spiral to death.

There is a spark of hope at the very end. The cold heart of our hero is touched by passionate love for his granddaughter. But it is too little and comes too late. Nevertheless, I suspect there will be many contemporary doom-sayers who will enjoy the book’s message, even lesson, that the world is rushing downhill; no pretending otherwise. However for this reviewer, it seems a waste that such a brilliant novelist as Ian McEwan decided to sheath his talents in the lack-lustre Roland Baines.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

Rachel Billington’s latest novel is War Babies published by Universe.

Sarah Langford - Rooted

Wednesday 5th October 7pm, Winstone’s Books

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

London Barrister turned farmer Sarah Langford will be talking about an emotional rewilding of 200 acres of Suffolk Farmland

Tickets £3. Available in-store and online at winstonebooks.co.uk

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Jonathan Simon, Church of the Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm

There’s a lot going on in the world. As usual. We recently lost our Queen, who has played such an important part in the life of this country for the last 72 years. We’ve had droughts in many places, floods in many others. There’s war in Ukraine. There are conflicts of all sorts, here and there. We could say that this has been a bad year so far.

In fact, all years are difficult years for someone, somewhere. We are particularly conscious of the difficulties of life when they affect us, or people we care about, and we are aware that others are struggling when we watch the news. Sometimes our lives seem to be going smoothly, and then we get an upset. If we look back at our lives so far, however young or old we may be, we can see so many changes: new schools, new homes, new jobs, new friends and things we’ve lost. Things we’ve left behind; family, homes, jobs etc. The particulars are different for us all, but our lives are full of change.

Here in Great Britain today, many of us are concerned about climate change, Covid, the NHS, food prices, and energy costs – no doubt we could all extend that list if we wish.

Our changing world is still the same wonderful world we grew up in. It is still full of marvels. It is still stunningly beautiful. It is still full of generous, kind and loving people, who give their time and energy to help and support those around them.

We live, as we always have, in a world that contains both good and bad, and rich and poor.

In these times, which are essentially just the same as all times, each one of us has plenty of opportunities to try to be the best we can be. To do whatever we can to encourage our politicians to look after the poorest, to promote policies to combat climate change, and to work for peace. To give what we can to the food banks, charities, and emergency appeals.

We have the opportunity to be good neighbours, in a world where everyone is our neighbour.