Sherborne Times October 2023

WELCOME

Days are now bookended with dog walks in the dark – a perilous tip-toed dance through the snails (for is there anything more wrenching than the untimely crunch of a snail?). The air is damp and heavy with the alcoholic scent of ripe apples. Robins hold the fort, belting their hearts out in the mist. If we’re lucky, the sun burns through it, clearing our way and our minds. If it rains, well, in the words of one wise writer this month - ‘let it’. A philosophy worth applying to far more than just the weather.

And so to October… Laurence Belbin misses the geese, Simon Hitchens explores time and transience and Paul Maskell revisits a classic. Mike Burks extolls the beauty of a bare tree, Sarah Hitch unties our knots and Tom Matkevich and Val Stones are both sterilising jars by the dozen.

Claire and Katharine meanwhile spend a noisy few hours shoulder-deep in the formidable community endeavour that is Sherborne Rugby Club. With more than 250 players across the age groups and a legion of volunteers, the club’s local interconnection and influence cannot be overstated.

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

Features writer

Claire Bowman

Editorial assistant

Helen Brown

Social media

Jenny Dickinson

Print

Stephens & George

Distribution team

Jan Brickell

Barbara and David Elsmore

Douglas and Heather Fuller

The Jackson Family

David and Susan Joby

Mary and Roger Napper

John Parker Hayley Parks

Mark and Miranda Pender

Claire Pilley

Caspar Sheffield

Joyce Sturgess

Ionas Tsetikas

Lesley Upham

Paul Whybrew

CONTRIBUTORS

Kate Ashton

Kate Ashton Prints

Jeremy Barker

Sherborne Douzelage

Laurence Belbin

Elisabeth Bletsoe Sherborne Museum

Richard Bromell ASFAV

Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

Chris Bryer ReBorne Community Church

Mike Burks The Gardens Group

Paula Carnell

Cindy Chant & John Drabik

Jack Clarke Dorset Wildlife Trust

David Copp

Rosie Cunningham

Adrian Everett Bone Black Ltd

PO Box 9701

Sherborne DT9 9EU

07957 496193

@sherbornetimes

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

ISSN 2755-3337

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James Flynn Milborne Port Computers

Simon Ford

Annabel Goddard

Dorset Mind

Abi Guiton

Sherborne School

Craig Hardaker Communifit

Dawn Hart

YogaSherborne

Andy Hastie Yeovil Cinematheque

Kate Heffer

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

Richard Hopton Sherborne Literary Society

James Hull The Story Pig

Annabelle Hunt

Bridport Timber and Flooring

Richard Kay

Joelle Lindsay

Sherborne Turf

Chris Loder MP

Paul Maskell

The Beat and Track

Tom Matkevich

The Green Restaurant

Gillian Nash

Paul Newman & Emma Tabor

Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS

Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons

Katherine Perrins CLOSE Ltd

Julie Plumley

Future Roots

Mark Salter CFP

Fort Financial Planning

Gael Sellwood

Val Stones

John Walsh Friars Moor Livestock Health

James Weston GP Weston

Anne-Marie Worth Mogers Drewett Solicitors

ARTIST AT WORK

No.59 Iris Study: Deep Black, Gael Sellwood, Watercolour on vellum, 40cm x 28cm, £1,500

Ihope the art I create takes the viewer to a time or a place; evoking an emotion or a recollection. Inspired by the English countryside, whether it is a flower recalling us to the summers of our youth, a scene taking us to a long-ago trip or the memory of the nip of a winter walk at dusk, I aim for my work to connect people with an experience.

My creative story started with the school’s ‘nature table’. The wonder I felt in collecting and arranging natural objects found on school nature walks allowed me to go to a special place within. Textures and colours literally came alive before my eyes. Country lanes and tracks, woodland, heath and moors were compelling. These natural and often wild surroundings have been

my constant and are now my home.

I have worked as a botanical and natural history artist for many years, have achieved awards and have work in important collections such as the RHS. I work to create vivid paintings which express a subject with integrity and feeling. Increasingly I am drawn to paint the natural environment and many of these pieces feature stark landscapes and byways. Having chosen to place myself here in the South West, perhaps these newer pieces are a metaphor for life’s journey. I hope they inspire the viewer and evoke an emotion and a sense of place and time.

gaelsellwood.co.uk

Children go free

Autumn Daze

Autumn is a time of plenty on our Somerset estate, as orchards and hedgerows become laden with fruit, and leaves turn to hues of gold. It’s the perfect time to join us with a Newt Membership, offering access to our gardens, woodland, eateries and exhibits for all seasons; plus, a vibrant programme of tours, events, workshops and children’s activities. Not forgetting access to our partner gardens such as Eden Project, Kew Gardens, Blenheim and many more throughout the UK.

Don’t miss our upcoming Autumn celebrations as we mark the shift to mists and mellow fruitfulness.

Apple Day Weekend – 21 & 22 October

Fire Night – 10 November

Visit our website to discover more about Newt Membership. Free entry for children (0-16 yrs) when accompanied by an adult member.

Stay . Visit . Shop

thenewtinsomerset.com

@thenewtinsomerset

ON FILM

Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque

There are two offerings coming up at Cinematheque this month, both from firsttime directors making their feature-film debuts; both excellent. The first is from Argentina and the second is from Iran, two countries with a complex history regarding independent cinema.

The Argentinian military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983 state-funded film-making and heavily censored anything casting themselves in an unfavourable light. It wasn’t until after the democratic elections of 1983 that filmmakers started to address the forced disappearance of thousands of opponents to the junta and other human rights violations. The Official Story (1985) probably the best-known true account, follows the wife of a wealthy businessman who begins to unravel the horrifying realisation that her own adopted daughter may have been stolen from a family of ‘the disappeared ones; los desaparecidos’. This Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film opened the way for others to acknowledge what had been happening. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) set during this politically turbulent time of death squads and secret police, is a fabulous edgeof-the-seat, nail-biting thriller and box-office smash hit, also winning the Foreign Language Academy Award.

Azor (2021) showing on 4th October at the Swan Theatre is a worthy addition to this oeuvre. I’ve briefly

mentioned this compelling conspiracy thriller before in this column, where in 1980 a Swiss banker Yvan, flies in from Geneva to reassure his bank’s wealthy clients that the disappearance of his predecessor in Buenos Aries is nothing to worry about and that their money is safe. As he travels around the country to fraught diplomatic meetings with various businessmen, church leaders and the military junta, Yvan is drawn deeper into the heart of Argentina’s political murkiness and danger. I loved this slow-build, menacing and claustrophobic film with its jaw-dropping reveal at the end. Azor is Spanish for ‘goshawk’, which in this context means - be quiet and/ or careful what you say, so you’ll never hear about ‘the horror’. Come along to find out for yourself!

Iranian cinema has a history of censorship similar to that of Argentina. Hit the Road (2021), showing on 18th October, is a family road movie from first-timer Panah Panahi, whose father, the celebrated, infamously banned director Jafar Panahi, has spent much of his recent years in prison or under house arrest for his work. His films include Offside (2006) (shown at Cinematheque), about a group of young Iranian girls who disguise themselves as boys, sneaking into the national stadium in order to watch a World Cup qualifying game. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, women have been banned from attending football matches. Panah Panahi has worked

Azor (2021)

on several of his father’s films and brings the experience to his own work.

Hit the Road follows a mother, father, two sons and a dog in a chaotic, claustrophobic car as they venture who knows where? Their unspoken destination causes concern but the drama is all about the journey and the beautifully observed relationships, evoking universal experiences. Criticism of Iran’s authoritarian regime is implicit in every stage of the journey (including the disposal of a mobile phone) but is portrayed with a light touch. With a great soundtrack this intelligent, funny, moving film is a delight.

Two good reasons to join Cinematheque. Try us out first as a guest for £5 – we’d love to meet you! All

details are on the website below.

cinematheque.org.uk swan-theatre.co.uk

Wednesday 4th October 7.30pm Azor (2021)

Wednesday 18th October 7.30pm

Hit the Road (2021)

Cinematheque, Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT Members £1, guests £5

4th October: Literary Portraits and their Afterlives

1st November: Wells Cathedral

6th December: Audience

Participation - Bring an Object

Members free; visitors £7

theartssocietysherborne.org

Hit the Road (2021)

CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT

Rosie Cunningham

Isaw the fabulous play Bette and Joan, written by Anton Burge, at Frinton Theatre festival. It stars BAFTA-nominated actress Greta Scacchi, who was reviving her role as Bette Davis, opposite the much-acclaimed stage and screen actress Felicity Dean’s Joan Crawford. The production tells the story of the bitter relationship that existed between the two actresses when they were filming the psychological thriller, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

The production cleverly shows the two stars in their adjacent dressing rooms, side by side, during a day of filming in 1962. As the feud progresses, the actresses share much about

Bertie Carvel and Penny Layden in Pygmalion at The Old Vic

themselves, which ultimately explains the background to their contretemps: who stole whose part; who stole whose boyfriend; and who should have won the Oscarnominated role. Whilst both actresses were known for being manipulative and hard-skinned, the play reveals a fragility in both and a sense that they are struggling to acknowledge that they are no longer being offered good roles and that their glory days are over.

I hadn’t seen Greta Scacchi on stage or screen recently and was struck by her wry black humour, comic timing and ability to assume the role of Bette Davis playing ‘Baby Jane’ Hudson. She assumed the persona of Davis, with bulging eyes and a smoker’s rasping voice, and then applied thick white make-up, red lipstick and an untidy wig, to portray the unhinged Baby Jane with an unsettling malevolent edge. Scacchi has played this role on and off for over a decade and has made it her own. Interestingly, the part of Joan Crawford used to be played by Anita Dobson.

In Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a sculptor from Amathus, Cyprus, who, according to Ovid, shut out the world around him to focus on creating the statue of his ideal woman out of ivory. The statue was named Galatea, and Pygmalion fell in love with her and brought her gifts, treating her as if she were real. The goddess Aphrodite took pity on him and decided to give his creation life. They went on to wed and have a son named Paphos.

Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw, is on at The Old Vic and stars the hugely talented, effervescent Patsy Ferran as Eliza Doolittle. I was there on the first night of previews so there were a few rough edges however Ferran supporters will find the play an absolute delight, showcasing her extraordinary versatility and skilful performance. Special mention for a glorious Alfred Doolittle, played by John Marquez, who was an absolute joy, whose every word and gesture were met with laughter and applause. Bertie Carvel played Henry Higgins as a rather unlikeable, self-righteous, uncaring professor of phonetics, and it was quite hard to get Rex Harrison’s much warmer performance out of my mind. I felt that the stage design was stark and unfriendly, the costumes utilitarian and the cast members moved in a whirlwind of speed and confusion, which detracted from the enjoyment of the production. On until 28th October, Ferran fans will find much to love.

oldvictheatre.com

McGREGOR TULIPS VANESSA BOWMAN NASTURTIUMS AND FISH JUG

AN ARTIST’S VIEW

Laurence Belbin

For this edition, I didn’t need to travel any distance to speak of to come up with my subjects. A stroll to the bottom of my garden is all it took. First, to draw the blackberries in all their glory in, appropriately called, Blackberry Lane. It has been a brilliant year for blackberries and my wife has picked a huge amount which we’ve had in various ways. I am not a botanical illustrator by any stretch of the imagination so any who are and who see this, take it for what it is – my response to a scene I see every year.

I began this drawing, very lightly, with a pencil outline and inked afterwards to bring out the lush shiny fruit. Each berrylet (I’m sure there is no such word) had a wonderful highlight making them as tempting to draw as to eat and I certainly ate some. It is quite an involved study – not my normal approach but enjoyable nevertheless. The contrast of the dark berries with the mid-tone of the leaves I think works well.

The second drawing was also from the end of my garden. We did for several mornings and

evenings have a skein of Canada geese fly over – the first I’ve seen using the fields at the back of our house. We first noticed them one morning as they left for their feeding grounds somewhere on the other side of Sherborne, honking their way across the sky. That evening they returned and we saw them again. This happened for about a week or so then stopped. Not a honk to be heard! We missed the early morning call, much better than an alarm clock! I managed to do various very quick sketches and this is the most atmospheric and one I feel that captures the movement and grace of their flight – I can almost hear them. Once again I used pencil and then ink.

When doing drawings like this you don’t have the luxury of time. You have to dash them off as a quick response relying on visual memory as much as looking and drawing at the time. It’s first impressions and if you can watch them fly on consecutive days and make sketches, no matter how rough and incomplete, after a while, you get to know and feel your subject and the lines just flow. It would have been nice to have them around longer. Perhaps next year they will return.

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Katherine Perrins

This time of year is all about new beginnings. Fittingly, last month saw the opening of Parallels, a CLOSE-curated exhibition of Simon Hitchens’ first solo museum show at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury. Huge thanks go to the South West Heritage Trust for sharing the vision in realising this project.

The Hitchens name in art goes back four generations – the painter Alfred Hitchens, Ivon Hitchens and his father, painter John Hitchens. A member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and Royal Academy of the West of England, Simon has exhibited extensively across the

South West of England and globally.

Stepping into Simon’s cavernous Somerset studio one can palpably sense the history of the artists in his family. He is a thoughtful, calm presence, but get him talking about rocks and his eyes light up. His first true passion is climbing (a large climbing wall covers one wall of his studio) and his artistic practice combines this love of geology and rock with the cyclical movements of nature. He has worked on large sculptural commissions all around the UK and when we first meet, the news that his latest project, an imposing 55-metre high sculpture, Ascendent: The Elizabeth Landmark literal ‘slice’

of a remote Northumberland hillside, had just been granted planning permission.

Heading away from the main working area of the studio where rocks are carved with a vast array of sculpting tools, this feels like mission control for the work; OS maps and drawings fill plan chests and cover the walls. A geologist’s dream! ‘My studio practice underpins everything and is centred on my fascination with rock and what position it holds in our psyche. My public commissions are continually informed by these studio explorations, yet with an acute awareness of the specifics of place. In both realms, I am fascinated by the difference between the human and the non-human –what passes and what outlasts.’

In this new exhibition, Parallels, Simon explores time and transience – the interconnected nature of what we share with the world. For this project he spent three weeks, spanning the autumn equinox of 2019, travelling the length of the British Isles; from latitude 50 in Cornwall to latitude 60 in Shetland. He was looking for rocks from eleven different geological time periods and to make drawings of the shadow lines cast by each rock at each of the eleven lines of latitude. Shadows cast from a twelfth object, a discarded lump of plastic, were drawn on a landfill site near London. Cast iron shadow sculptures complement the drawings. There will also be a large concrete sculpture, Bearing Witness to Things Unseen, on display in the museum’s Abbey Barn, one of the most significant Tythe barns in the region. Also on display, there is a film of the making of Hitchens’ drawings and a catalogue to accompany the show.

‘The British Isles have a rich and varied geology,’ says Simon, ‘and include rocks which are among the oldest on the planet. Each day these rocks get a little older as we too get older. To be able to comprehend the deep time represented by the rocks is to shine a light on our own short lifespan.’ Sarah Cox, Exhibitions Manager at Somerset Rural Life Museum said, ‘We are delighted to be hosting this thought-provoking new exhibition which explores our connection to the natural world through contemporary art. The sculpture and drawings on display will provide a striking counterpoint to the historic surroundings of Abbey Farm.’

Simon’s exhibition is curated by his gallerist Freeny Yianni from CLOSE Ltd. CLOSE has evolved from its roots as a creative space to now a dynamic agency and gallery that supports and nurtures all aspects of its artists’ practices. Freeny and Simon go back a long way and first met when Freeny worked as a director

at the famous Lisson Gallery, London. Freeny says of the project, ‘This exhibition draws our attention to our living environment and how our planet functions. Simon’s remarkable drawings and sculpture are a poetic and thought-provoking artistic achievement that we can all appreciate and enjoy.’

CLOSE’s luminous main gallery space is currently showing artist and environmentalist Magnus Hammick’s show First Light. Hammick uses his daily walking practice to produce a series of photographic works. Every morning at dawn he walks the same route journeying through fields close to his home in the South Somerset countryside photographing the same oak tree at sunrise, hereby recording the changing seasons. For Hammick the oak tree is a living, breathing symbol of our planet and the reliability of nature to repeat its cycle.

Fiona Yates, CLOSE’s artist-in-residence is showing her project Process and Time in the CLOSE studio. Just like the rolling of the seasons, the bringing together of these three artists and their connection through the gallery feels very fitting for the start of a new term and season.

Until 28th October

First Light by Magnus Hammick and Process and Time by Fiona Yates

CLOSE Gallery, Hatch Beauchamp, TA3 6AE

closeltd.com/exhibitions

Until 2nd December

Parallels by Simon Hitchens

The Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury, BA6 8DB swheritage.org.uk/events/parallels closeltd.com/simonhitchens

"To be able to comprehend the deep time represented by the rocks is to shine a light on our own short lifespan."

Duncan Grant, Portrait of Lindy Guinness, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava. Oil on canvas

Duncan Grant, The Mantelpiece. Oil on canvas

Duncan Grant, Seated Man in Boxing Shorts. Oil on paper laid on Masonite

THE BLOSSOMING OF THE BLOOMSBURY GROUP

Richard Kay, Director & Picture Specialist, Lawrences Auctioneers

The renown of The Bloomsbury Group arises principally from the versatility of those who worked within it. The boisterous talents of Roger Fry, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Dora Carrington, Henry Lamb, Lytton Strachey and many others brought literary skills, design styles, inventive artistic technique and skilful compositional motifs to their work. They laboured together in a form of brittle harmony that produced complex relationships within and outwith the group and there were numerous inevitable disagreements woven into joyously productive years that have come to define the group’s distinctive but chaotic legacy. At its heart, there lay a delight in the sensuous artistic temptations to be found in the everyday objects that filled the accommodation and the everyday lives of the group’s members. This quotidian inspiration could so easily have become domestically trivial. However, a bold joie de vivre introduced themes of abstraction, fantasy and exuberant design and all these were imbued with rich colour, a lavish abandonment of strict rules and a cavalier attitude to ‘academic’ technique. In truth, the group aligns more closely with the Fauvist movement in France than with any comparable artistic union in Britain from 1910 onwards. At a time of upheaval in the postEdwardian era that brought a terrible war as well as all the attendant political, social and economic upheaval, the breezy approachability of The Bloomsbury Group deserved to be just the tonic that it proved to deliver. The group excelled in finding something poetic, something eye-catching, something memorable in the humdrum routine of life. A beautiful still-life painting caught bidders’ eyes at auction here on 10th July. It was painted in 1929 by Duncan Grant (1885-1978) and depicts a cluttered mantelpiece with a lidded urn, books and a clock (or jardiniere) alongside. This picture was appealingly early in date (Grant worked tirelessly for another half century after he had completed this work) and it had been exhibited at the London Artists’ Association. It had been owned by the writer and keen Grant collector Sir Hugh Walpole (1884-1941) and it was sold by his executors at the prestigious

Leicester Galleries in London during the period of almost reckless hedonism after VE day in May 1945. In addition, it was appearing on the market for the first time in over 75 years. Measuring 32 x 42cm, its modest scale belied an irresistible allure. It caught browsers’ eye from across a crowded saleroom and its numerous blends of brilliance helped it to a price of £11,250 against hopes of £8,000-10,000.

Two portraits by Grant from our sale in April could hardly have been more different from this quietly thoughtful still life but, more intriguingly, they were each so different from the other too. Grant’s mid-1960s portrait of Lindy Guinness, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava (1941-2020), depicted her in a green blouse and skirt and seated upon a divan reading a book. In so many artists’ hands, this could have been a lifeless and prosaic subject but Grant’s technique was both fluent and creamy (in the clothes) and briskly linear in the front edge of the divan itself. It is domestic and yet inventive. It is informal but it is neither casual nor careless. It is richly coloured without being garish and it imparts serenity and reflection in the sitter by the unified blending of colours with form in a palette of muted earth colours. This 58 x 48cm work made £16,000 but had realised just £3,300 at auction in Ireland as recently as 2017. Grant’s more provocative and confrontational portrait of his lover Paul Roche (19162007) in red boxing shorts was a decade earlier in date. Roche’s lean physique is depicted with a casual vigour, at ease and yet clearly alert, the body twisting slightly, the folded arms mirroring the flexed legs, the almost faceless sitter upon a Carolean-style dining chair in a pose that is shameless but with a regard that is thoughtful despite being so lightly sketched. Here the busy brushwork looks almost frantic in the chair back and yet there is a careful understanding of accuracy apparent in the musculature and the painstaking care taken in capturing the barley twist stretchers. This 80 x 55cm work made £21,000. In an auction in London in March 1984, the picture had failed to reach its £800 estimate.

lawrences.co.uk

COUNTER CULTURE

Paul Maskell, The Beat and Track

No. 24 In Utero 30th Anniversary: A Radio (Un)friendly Unit-Shifter

Thirty years ago, on 13th September 1993, a seismic shift in the music world occurred. Nirvana, led by the enigmatic Kurt Cobain, released their third and final studio album, In Utero. Little did they know that this raw and uncompromising work would not only redefine contemporary music but also leave an indelible mark on the fabric of society itself.

In Utero was a departure from the polished sound of Nirvana’s breakthrough album, Nevermind. The band deliberately sought out producer Steve Albini to capture

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their essence in its rawest form. Albini’s penchant for unvarnished, production allowed Nirvana to strip away the relative veneer that had become associated with their music.

The recording sessions were legendary for their intensity. Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl poured everything into each track. Songs like Heart-Shaped Box and Rape Me bore the emotional weight of Cobain’s inner turmoil and his critique of a culture obsessed with fame and superficiality.

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

THE FREE WESSEX ARTS AND CULTURE GUIDE

In Utero was more than an album; it was a manifesto for the disenchanted youth of the ‘90s. A disillusioned Generation X found its voice through Cobain’s lyrics, which oscillated between despair and rage. Tracks like Serve the Servants and Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle articulated the generational angst that had been long simmering.

Nirvana’s music didn’t just resonate with disaffected youth; it became a cultural touchstone. The iconic cover art, featuring anatomically correct angel dolls, was a commentary on the commercialisation of art and humanity. It became a symbol of rebellion against a consumerist society.

Fast forward to 2023 and the influence of In Utero remains. Its fearless approach to self-expression and its disdain for conformity have inspired countless artists across genres. The album’s message of authenticity over artifice still rings true in a world where social media and image have become paramount. Moreover, In Utero continues to be a source of solace and understanding for those navigating the complexities of life. Its rawness and vulnerability remind us that it’s okay not to have all the answers and it’s okay to question the world around us. In the immortal words of Kurt Cobain, ‘Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.’

While In Utero was a creative triumph, it also marked a turbulent period for Nirvana. The recording sessions were emotionally charged, reflecting Cobain’s personal struggles. His addiction issues and battles with fame took a toll on the band’s dynamics. While the album’s raw sound was deliberate, it created tension with their record label, Geffen, which had hoped for another radio-friendly (albeit disruptive) classic like Nevermind. Cobain, however, was resolute in preserving the album’s integrity.

Despite these challenges, In Utero solidified

Nirvana’s status as one of the most influential bands of the era. It showcased their artistic growth and a willingness to defy expectations. Dave Grohl’s drumming and Krist Novoselic’s bass lines reached new heights, adding depth to the band’s established identity.

Tragically, the release of In Utero was followed by the harrowing and final chapter in the band’s history. On 5th April 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead in his Seattle home. He had taken his own life, leaving a profound void in the music world and a legion of grieving fans. Cobain’s death sent shockwaves through society, highlighting the dark underbelly of fame and the pressures that had plagued him. It was a stark reminder of the emotional toll that can accompany creative genius and the need for better mental health support within the music industry.

As a legacy, In Utero carries a heavy weight. The album remains a bittersweet reminder of the heights Nirvana achieved and the price paid for artistic brilliance. In Utero is not just a record; it’s a chronicle of a band on the brink and of an artist on the edge, wrestling with his own demons. It reminds us that talent, influence and success offers only a thin veil in way of defence.

thebeatandtrack.co.uk nationalalbumday.co.uk

Tuesdays 7pm-8pm

Under the Radar Abbey 104. The Beat and Track’s Paul Maskell often joins presenter Matt Ambrose on his weekly radio show, bringing you the best new sounds from established underground artists and new and rising acts from across the world. Listen live on 104.7FM or online at abbey104.com

Mondays & Thursdays 1.30pm-4pm

Sherborne Indoor Short Mat Bowls

West End Hall, Sherborne 01935 812329. All welcome

Mondays 2pm-5pm & Tuesdays 7pm-10pm

Sherborne Bridge Club

Sherborne FC Clubhouse, Terraces 01963 210409 bridgewebs.com/sherborne

Tuesdays 10am-12pm

Fine Folk Dancing

Charlton Horethorne Village Hall £2.50 per session. Beginners welcome. 01963 220640.

Every 1st & 3rd Thursday 10am-12.30pm

Castleton Probus Club

The Grange, Oborne, DT9 4LA New members welcome. edwardhiscock6@gmail.com

WHAT'S ON

Thursdays 7.30pm-9.30pm

St Michael’s Scottish Country Dance Club

Davis Hall, West Camel £2. New starters very welcome. 07972 125617 stmichaelsscdclub.org

Every 1st Saturday (MarchDecember) 10am-3pm

Sherborne Digby Hall Monthly Market

Next to Library, Hound St. Antiques, arts, crafts, cafe and more. Free entry

Sunday 1st 9am-2.30pm

Charity breakfast (9am) and tractor ride (10am-2.30pm)

Caundle Marsh Church, DT9 5LX Raffle. 07977 446328 to register. £15 per tractor. Money raised for church fabric and a nominated charity.

Monday 2nd and Saturday 7th 10.30am-12.30pm

Libraries Week

Sherborne Library. See what libraries have to offer and speak to a range of partners and groups. 01935 812683

Tuesday 3rd, 17th and 31st 2.30pm-4pm Yarn and Natter Milborne Port Library. Free.

BA20 1QT . Members £1, guests £5 cinematheque.org.uk

Friday 6th 6.30pm

Harvest Festival Service

Caundle Marsh Church, DT9 5LX

Local country singing by Eddie Upton

Saturday 7th 7.30pm

European Folk MusicFirelight Trio

Buckland Newton Village Hall 01300 345455. £12, £5 u18s, £30 family. artsreach.co.uk

Every 1st Thursday 9.30am

Netwalk for Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

Pageant Gardens. @Netwalksherborne

Thursdays 2pm-5pm Rubber Bridge (September-April)

Sherborne Bowls Clubhouse, Culverhayes car-park 01963 210409 bridgewebs.com/sherborne

Wednesday 4th 3pm and 7pm From Errol Flynn to Bottles of Gin - Literary Portraits and their Afterlives

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

Wednesday 4th 7.30pm

Yeovil CinemathequeAzor (2021)

Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil

Saturday 7th 7.30pm

Spiltmilk DanceDesert Island Flicks

Yetminster Jubilee Hall. Somewhere between a dance performance, sketch show, a night at the movies and an epic game of charades. 8+ 01935 873546. £12, £5 u18s, £30 family. artsreach.co.uk

Tuesday 10th

Talk - 1918: The Last 100 Days –How Some Devon Newspapers

Reported Events

Digby Hall, Hound Street

Members free, visitors £5. sherbornehistoricalsociety.co.uk

Thursday 12th 2.30pm

Sherborne & District Gardeners’ Association Talk - Bulbs, Their Selection and Planting

Digby Hall, Hound Street

All welcome. Visitors £3. 01935 389375

Saturday 14th 9.30am-12pm

Lego Club

Milborne Port Library. Free

Saturday 14th 10am-4pm

PBFA Book Fair

Digby Memorial Hall on Digby Road £1 on the door (or free with a copy of the Sherborne Times). Contact Chapter House Books 01935 816262.

Saturday 14th and Thursday 19th 10am

A Mindfulness Walk

Meeting at The Queen’s Arms pub, Corton Denham. £12. Bookings: Ness Lee ness@mindfulnessherborne.com 07702 374954

Sunday 15th 11.30am-3.30pm

Steam and Waterwheel Event

Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre, DT9 3RX. Presentations,

working exhibits, tea and cakes. Entry by donation.

Sunday 15th 3pm

Ana Manero - Piano Recital: Chopin & Mozart

Cheap Street Church

Tickets £15 (incl. cream tea) from Winstone’s Bookshop, marydmc38@ gmail.com, 01963 251255 or on door. In aid of the Douzelage Conference

Tuesday 17th 5.30pm

Friends of Yeatman Hospital

Annual General Meeting

Digby Hall, Hound Street, DT9 3AA All welcome

Thursday 19th 2pm

Sherborne Museum TalkA Glimpse Under the Bonnet: Behind the Scenes in Television Period Drama

The Digby Memorial Church Hall, Digby Road, DT9 3NL

£5, Sherborne Museum members free. Light refreshments available.

Friday 20th 7.30pm

Lucy Stevens & Elizabeth

Marcus - Gertrude Lawrence: A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening

Nether Compton Village Hall 07866 140288, 8+ artsreach.co.uk

Saturday 21st 10am-12.30pm (last repair 12.15pm)

Repair Cafe

Cheap Street Church Hall. Bring household items to be repaired and avoid landfill. Volunteers and repairers needed. repaircafesherborne@gmail.com or @repaircafesherborne

Wednesday 18th 7.30pm

Yeovil CinemathequeHit the Road (2021) Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT. Members £1, guests £5 cinematheque.org.uk

Saturday 21st 10am-5.30pm

Kore Pilates Studio Open Day Pop in to Sherborne’s boutique reformer studio. Book a free taster class: korepilates.org

Ysenda Maxtone Graham will be speaking about her latest book, Jobs for the Girls: How We Set Out to Work in the

Typewriter Age

From the author of British Summer Time Begins: The School Summer Holidays and Terms and Conditions, Life in Girls’ Boarding Schools

Wedneday October 11th, 6.30pm for 7pm

Susie Watson Designs, Cheap Street, Sherborne Tickets £10 members, £12 non-members from Winstone’s Books or www.sherborneliterarysociety.com

WHAT'S ON

Sunday 22nd 10am-4pm

Yeovil Model Show

Westfield Academy BA21 3EP £5 adults, £2.50 children yeovilmodelshow@gmail.com

Sunday 22nd 1.30pm-4.30pm

Sherborne Folk Band

Digby Memorial Hall. Suitable for all levels. £15 on the door. Or cheaper via the website sherbornefolkband.org

Monday 23rd 11am–1pm

Messy Museum Monday Sherborne Museum. Free family drop-in event with spooky autumnal crafting and colouring activities available.

Wednesday 11th 6.30pm for 7pm

Jobs for the Girls: How we Set Out to Work in the Typewriter Age

At Susie Watson Designs, Cheap Street, Sherborne. Talk and book signing with author Ysenda Maxtone Graham. Tickets £10 members, £12 non-members available from Winstone’s Bookshop and sherborneliterarysociety.com

Wednesday 25th 2pm

Brave Bold Drama –The Midnight Mission

Sandford Orcas Village Hall 01963 220208, 6+ artsreach.co.uk

Wednesday 25th 7.30pm

Jazz Concert - John Maddocks (clarinet), Nick Ward (drums), Mike Denham (piano)

Cheap Street Church, DT9 3BJ £15. raymondwood1959@gmail.com

Friday 27th 7pm

Sherborne Museum’s Big Fat

Autumn Quiz

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, DT9 3NL. Teams of up to 6, £5 per head. Bring your own bottle and glasses or light refreshments available. Tickets: Sherborne Museum or on the door.

Saturday 28th 10.30am

Storytime and Craft

Milborne Port Library. Free

Saturday 28th 2.30pm

Dorset Mammal Group TalkHedgehogs in Sherborne

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Rd, DT9 3NL. How to make our town and gardens more hedgehog friendly. Free. hedgehogs@dorsetmammalgroup.org.uk

Sunday 29th 2pm-4pm

Singing Bowl Soundbath

Oborne Village Hall DT9 4LA

£15 please book in advance, 01935 389655 ahiahel@live.com

Planning ahead

Wednesday 1st November 3pm and 7pm

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

Friday 3rd November 7pm-9pm

A Conversation with WWII

Pathfinder Pilot Flight

Lieutenant Colin Bell Digby Memorial Hall, DT9 3NL

Tickets £10. Contact admin2@ friendsoftheyeatman.org.uk

Sport

Sherborne RFC

The Terrace Playing Fields, Dorchester Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NS

Men’s 1st XV (3pm KO)

Saturday 14th Walcot (A)

Saturday 21st Yeovil (H)

Sherborne Football Club

The Terrace Playing Fields, Dorchester Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NS

Men’s 1st XI (3pm KO unless otherwise stated)

Saturday 7th Moneyfields (H)

Saturday 14th

Baffins Milton (A)

Tuesday 17th

Portland (A) (7.45pm KO)

Saturday 21st

Andover New Street (H)

Saturday 28th

Cowes Sports (A)

listings@homegrown-media.co.uk

A NEW DIRECTION

Julie Plumley, Future Roots

For those who may not be familiar with Future Roots, we are a social enterprise, based just outside Sherborne on a small farm in the beautiful hamlet of Holnest. This is where we have developed a powerful learning environment which uses a winning combination of farming and countryside management, together with a resilience model, to give young people the chance to utilise a rural environment to enhance their well-being and reach their potential.

Now we are looking for a new Deputy Director to increase the capacity of our management team and help to run the new projects that have developed over the

past couple of years.

Future Roots came about as a result of my farming background; I am really passionate about getting young people involved and understanding farming practice. I grew up on a farm and this, combined with my social work background, helped to create the foundations for Future Roots. There is so much to learn in this environment – so many transferable, problem-solving skills as well as the therapeutic elements of being outside in nature and being with animals. Horses have long been recognised as animals that can make a difference to your well-being but did you know that

cows (bovine-assisted therapy) are especially useful in making a difference to young people?

In a nutshell, we aim to provide stability and direction through the tough times that young people face. We believe there are always reasons for behaviours (not excuses) and that there is always a solution. In fact, we have found it isn’t the young people who are the problem; in the right safe environment they thrive and all of them want to learn - just in different ways. The young people don’t come here because they are ‘bad’.

Future Roots has seen over 1,200 youngsters, aged from as young as 8 to 18, through its gates since it began in 2008. Like many social enterprises, we never rest on our laurels and are continually moving forward and working on new projects.

This year we have created Branching Out working alongside core Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as an early help service. Referrals have to be made through CAMHS. We also have another project called Rural Remedies which is lottery funded over three years and is a direct response to the difficulties faced by young people aged 8-13 as a result of their experience during COVID.

And there’s more! Another new project we have just started is our Youth Ambassador programme where young people who have attended Future Roots have their say on their experiences. This is an exciting element of our work and some of their stories will be put into a video and book. So far young people aged between 14 and 21 years have identified relationships, services, education and mental health as the experiences that impacted their life the most.

To sum up, I need a Deputy Director to help me take Future Roots onwards and upwards. We want our young people to get the most from their experience of working alongside us together with their schools or registered learning venues. We want to continue to demonstrate the quality service provided by Future Roots that complements what they do. I firmly believe collaborative working is key.

We are looking forward to the findings elicited from the young people on our Ambassador programme and we hope these findings will influence the wider services provided by Dorset, not just Future Roots, and inspire thinking on how the young people of Dorset’s needs are met in the future.

For a full job description and application form visit futureroots.net

“I need a Deputy Director to help me take Future Roots onwards and upwards”

Image: Alexander Turner. Courtesy of The Guardian

MARKET KNOWLEDGE KATE ASHTON, KATE ASHTON PRINTS

Welcome to Sheborne Market!

What brings you here?

I have been eager to sell at a market for a while. I had a friend who ran a stall here and she said I could help out on her stall to get a feel for it. After coming, I loved the atmosphere and sellers and decided to do my first-ever market at Sherborne.

Where have you traveled from?

I am based in the beautiful location of Poole so only about an hour’s drive.

Tell us about what you are selling.

I sell a variety of original and digital tree ring prints – these are from sustainably sourced trees. I carefully take them through multiple treatments and techniques to bring out the growth rings of the tree. This process brings out the beauty from within. I then take a print from the wood, digitalise it and print it out on recycled paper. I offer these in a range of sizes. I also sell the originals framed and printed on paper or fabric.

Where and when did it all begin?

I have grown up in a very creative household, always expressing ourselves through different art forms. I have spent many years testing out different mediums,

techniques and styles of art. Whilst traveling I was exposed to new methods and began my journey of using wood after being challenged by another artist’s work. I have always been fascinated by the longevity of trees –the grandeur and majestic stature always left me in awe. After this challenge, I began to hone the method of bringing a tree’s internal beauty into visual art.

What do you enjoy most about selling at markets?

I love the buzz and atmosphere, as well as celebrating every unique expression of art and creativity. It is warming being a part of a community of small independent businesses.

If you have the chance, which fellow stall holders here at Sherborne would you like to visit?

Elly Harvey Jewellery is one of my favourite stalls which I’ve purchased from over the past several years. Bramblewood Soap is another favourite that is always a joy to see.

Where can people find you on Market Day?

Opposite The Cross Keys pub at the bottom of Cheap Street. @kateashtonprints

Hand picked artisan TRADERS

featuring local producers, suppliers, amazing food, arts and crafts.

2023 dates

Oct 8th

Nov 19th

Dec 17th Flying the flag for local

FACE THE WORLD

Adrian Everitt, Bone Black Ltd and Decorative Painter for The Sherborne

For almost 45 years now, I have been undertaking decorative painting of every kind – mural painting, marbling, graining, gilding and many other artistic techniques relating to restoration. My company, Bone Black Ltd, is based in Bridport and is essentially myself and my son William – plus sometimes my niece Roz and others who we call upon for larger tasks. What we do is a mix of new work for private clients and the restoration of old buildings, many being churches – the most recent being a lovely old church over in Long Crichel for the Friends of Friendless Churches. All the work I do, from the old to the new, is all about surfaces.

I started out as a fine art graduate trying to make a living in London selling paintings. I always supplemented my creative work with decorative painting but then my family grew – I have a large family – and so decorative painting became my main source of income. William, my eldest boy, joined me and he specialises in hanging silk wallpapers – a traditional skill which requires great patience, far more than I have. Together, we help bring old buildings back to their former glory, which has led me to The Sherborne.

Many of you may remember (or would have observed) that the front of Sherborne House had become a patchwork of renders put on by developers in the past – a patch here, a patch there. It looked a bit of a mess and it wasn’t coherent in the slightest. Render is extremely difficult to get off and who knows what would lurk beneath the surface. The frontage had been rendered solidly at various points over the years so there was no real going back on that. It was a consideration but not for long! The stone was degrading, and it needed to be protected and unified aesthetically.

So, there was a school of thought that the building could be painted to look exactly like the original stone – the Sherborne stone from the local quarry. My name was put forward to Stefan Pitman, the surveyor in charge, as someone who would be able to do that. Alongside Keim, a specialist exterior paint company that manufactures hardy, mineral-based paints, we

created a sample of what it may look like – they came up with a colour scheme, I produced a prototype and the decision was made. Each paint is mixed bespoke for the job. It has a fixative element and the mineral base of the paint means it’s long-lasting. It should continue to look good even as it ages, binding itself into the render.

The process of bringing it all to life? Essentially, it’s done with washes of colour. You start everything by putting on a base colour, then layering it with washes of additional colour – in this instance, shades of grey and yellow. Every stone is taped and painted individually – all 2,500 of them! It’s a massive job –William did the taping and I painted and painted…

The stonework technique that I have used for The Sherborne I have done many times before, though I have never worked on anything of this scale before –the sheer number of individual stones that required a unique identity is what made this job distinctive. We worked on the front of the house for nearly a month

and the side elevations for another. You cannot paint them in a repetitive way otherwise it simply will not work visually. It’s physically demanding and needs great focus, though you must equally remain open-minded –if you become too rigid, it can start to look man-made.

Each stone plays out differently – some happen naturally with ease and others take lots of consideration and strategy. The wash is important – instead of being a solid colour it’s purposely patchy to mimic stone and when you stand back from it, it looks like the real thing. It has the pointing lines and every element is one-off. If one doesn’t quite work and feels ‘painted’ then you simply have to paint it out and start from scratch. The trick is in making it look like it isn’t painted at all. In some areas, particularly on the sides, you will see exposed original stone, alongside new stone and a patchwork of old render, widely differing elements which we have tried to pull together visually with a bit of paint magic.

By the time you read this article, The Sherborne’s

new ‘old’ face will have been revealed to the town and we’re rather excited to show off the hard work. A building of this kind deserves to look authentic and at its best, and we think you will agree that it’s had an extensive makeover.

We are also working on a downstairs parlour room, again using heritage techniques. From our initial scrapings and so on we can see that the panels were wood-grained in quite a traditional way in the past. We will replicate this using brushes and steel combs. It’s another process that involves layering but this time using thin glazes and artist’s oil paints, before combing and repeating to get that wood grain effect back.

That’s as much as I can share on matters technical –I’m somewhat coy about my methodology. One thing I can say for sure is that Sherborne House is undergoing a magnificent makeover and many of us are looking forward to standing back and taking it all in.

thesherborne.uk

Image: Lolly Agency

SHERBORNE’S INTERNATIONAL DOUZELAGE CONFERENCE

Jeremy Barker, Chairman, Sherborne Douzelage Committee

Sherborne’s multi-twinning organisation is unique. No other twinning includes all the countries in the EU nor functions so harmoniously and successfully. In eight months’ time, in April 2024, delegates from all 27 towns will come to Sherborne for the Annual Conference. The organising committee is determined that all people in Sherborne should have the opportunity to take part in some degree and as time allows, learn how subsequently they can take part in its manifold activities.

The Douzelage was formed in 1992 around the long-standing twinning between Sherborne and Granville. Originally 12 in number (hence douze meaning ‘twelve’ and ‘jumelage’ meaning twinning combining to make ‘douzelage’) it has grown steadily as the EU has expanded. Each expansion brought new life, new enthusiasm, new ideas and new possibilities.

The organisation is very simple. There is a President (in turn Dutch, English, Luxembourgish, Polish and then again Dutch) serving a maximum of six years. There are two Vice-Presidents, a treasurer and a supporting committee – all volunteers. There is an annual subscription of 300 Euros to cover expenses –no great burden – and the official language is English. Each town organises itself as it wishes, though most do so through their Town Councils. Sherborne started that way but is now an independent unit relying on the Council only for the annual subscription. What money we need, mainly the salary of a part-time secretary is found through fund-raising.

The constitution specifies educational, cultural tourist, sporting and economic exchanges. In practice, the economic part has never succeeded but all the others have. Above all, it has been the educational aspect that has been the most successful and of great benefit to schools, teachers and pupils alike. All manner of projects have been engaged in over the years – choirs, football, runners and walkers, work experience, Scouts and Guides, musicians and so on. The educational part has been greatly assisted by the setting up of the Student Travel Fund – the interest from which helps

students to meet their travel expenses.

Of the 27 member towns, most are more or less the same size as Sherborne but they are very varied. This allows for a great variety of activities. What sort of exchange interests you? In which country? Take your pick!

The expense of hosting 150 people over three days and nights at next year’s conference will be significant and the committee, which had short notice of the conference, has been fund-raising hard since the spring. All kinds of appeals to firms, fund-giving bodies etc have been made and events organised. The last was a ceilidh organised by the Wessex Morris Men. Details of our forthcoming fund-raising events can be found below.

You can support these events, donate if you wish, volunteer to assist at the conference itself and, in particular, accommodate delegates when they arrive – choose your nationality! This last one will help a great deal.

The Douzelage was designed for anybody wanting to take part. Whatever your interest it can probably be matched. If you would to take part, you are most welcome. Please contact marydmc38@gmail.com

douzelage.eu

Sunday 15th October 3pm

Ana Manero - Piano Recital

Cheap Street Church, Sherborne. Internationally awardwinning pianist Ana Manero’s concert will include pieces by Chopin and a sonata by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Saturday 25th November 3pm

Richard Partington - Classical Guitarist

Cheap Street Church, Sherborne. ‘One of the most engaging concert players of his generation’ Richard Partington, originally from Milborne Port and now based in Seatttle will be performing a spellbinding programme.

Tickets for each concert are £15 (including a cream tea) and are available from Winstone’s Bookshop or on the door.

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

OUR MAN IN WESTMINSTER

Chris Loder MP, Member of Parliament for West Dorset

In recent times, the eastbound stretch of the A30 which connects Sherborne to Yeovil has been the site of numerous road traffic accidents. In July, an 11-year-old was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries following a crash; in the same month, there was a serious two-vehicle collision involving an 80-year-old near Bradford Road; and only last December, a fatal crash took place on this same stretch of dual-carriageway. This section of the A30 – known locally as Babylon Hill, or Yeovil Road – requires road safety improvements to mitigate the high number of incidents we have recently experienced and will continue to experience if nothing is done.

Anyone travelling to or from the town on this road will recognise the hazards. The 4-mile long dual-carriageway has a speed limit of 70 mph – the

same as a motorway – but does not have the same safety features. It is peppered with junctions, not slip roads, that connect the villages of Bradford Abbas, Nether Compton, Over Compton and Trent to the A30. These junctions have been the site of many a nasty accident. Apart from signage, the road also does not have static speed cameras or technology to monitor speeding offences. Instead, the road is reliant on the police’s mobile speed units when they have the capacity to be deployed. Speeds in excess of 120 mph have been recorded on this stretch of road over the years, which can cause unavoidable deaths.

Since I was elected in 2019, I’ve met with many residents at meetings, on the doorsteps and at surgeries to hear their concerns about the A30. In particular, the local parishes of Bradford Abbas,

Nether Compton and Over Compton, which are either bordered or bisected by this stretch of road, have vocalised their wish for measures to address excessive speeding. Their demands are warranted: joining or exiting the A30 via a minor road junction is hazardous, especially at night.

Road safety in West Dorset is firmly on my agenda. It follows fatalities on this stretch of road, the A3066 and the nearby A35. Only last year did I lose one of my best friends from primary school in a fatal accident on the road from Sherborne to Dorchester and I am very aware of the impact accidents have on victims, their friends and families. We are fortunate in the UK to have some of the safest roads in the world and according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, our country has the second safest roads after Sweden. But fatalities and accidents still occur and I have been lobbying the Government to prioritise road safety and standards. In April, I raised the matter of West Dorset’s situation with the Roads Minister, Richard Holden; and in 2021, I established my A-roads task force to work closely with National Highways and Dorset Council to improve road safety across the constituency, which meets quarterly to address recent issues on our roads.

I am now of the view that clear action comes in the form of average-speed cameras on the A30 between Sherborne and Yeovil. It is simply not enough for piecemeal measures as this road has become a hotspot for avoidable accidents and an unofficial racetrack between the two towns. I will be writing to the Highways Department at Dorset Council, which is responsible for the road, to voice my concerns and to set out my justification.

Average speed cameras use Automatic Number Plate Reading (ANPR) technology to record a date and time stamp between two cameras to calculate a motorist’s average speed. In practical terms, it would mean that the A30 would have two cameras installed at least 200 metres apart, deterring speeding motorists and improving road safety in the long term. These are yellow-coloured cameras that you often see on motorways to deter speeding offences, which will have a considerable impact on the A30’s road safety. I would be interested to hear your views on this. If you would like to share your views with me, you can email me at: hello@chrisloder.co.uk

chrisloder.co.uk

Sky Foster, Toby Lackford, Silas Marwa, Harrison Staples, Ben Robinson, Logan Jarvie, Max Nias and Matthew Collins, Sherborne RFC U16s

The Developing Player Programme (DPP) is a national programme managed by the RFU and locally delivered by Bath Rugby. The DPP’s purpose is to facilitate players to maximise their potential, whether that is in professional rugby or long-term participation at a level appropriate to them.

SRFC U16s team has a prolific squad of 22 players with a strong core ethos and is fortunate enough to have 8 players selected into Bath Rugby’s DPP roster. Selection is arduous with players requiring club or school nominations and the passing of an assessment trial, run by Bath Rugby.

Max Nias and Toby Lackford have been on the DPP since 2021. Silas Marwa and Ben Robinson both joined the programme when the 2022 season started. Halfway through the 2022 season Sky Foster, Harrison Staples and Logan Jarvie were accepted. Logan has been fast-tracked into the academy squad. Just prior to the 2023 season starting, Matthew Collins (not pictured) was also accepted into the programme. The majority attend the Gryphon School, the exception being Harrison, who is a pupil at Leweston.

We are proud of all of our U16 players. Young men who are all selfless, always working for the team and relying on each other whilst understanding that everyone has a part to play.

sherbornerfc.rfu.club bathrugby.com

Back L-R: Sky Foster, Toby Lackford, Silas Marwa, Harrison Staples. Front L-R: Ben Robinson, Logan Jarvie, Max Nias

Children’s Book Review

Hazel Roadnight, Winstone's Books

Island of Whispers by Frances Hardinge, illustrated by Emily Gravett

(Two Hoots, hardback £14.99)

Sherborne Times reader offer of £12.99 from Winstone’s Books

For the month of October and just in time for Halloween, the Island of Whispers is the new book from the award-winning Frances Hardinge. The beautifully atmospheric style gives the impression that this is a long-forgotten fairy tale from a distant time gone by and the fabulous illustrations from Emily Gravett, with silver moths and ink-black islands really bring it to life.

There are ghosts, magicians, mysterious birds and on

the Island of Merlank, a bereaved Lord who will do anything he can think of to get his daughter back.

Our hero Milo, only fourteen, finds himself thrust into the position of being the only ferryman aboard the boat Evening Mare with the travelling souls making their journey.

It’s a story full of magic, mystery and poetry, suitable for anyone who likes a slightly scary story and an engrossing read.

Shepherd’s hut makers endorsed by @plankbridge

Image: Lucie Milton

The question of how to achieve whilst maintaining a sense of purpose, balance and inner calm, is the holy grail – not only for schools these days but also in the workplace and in our daily lives. You only need to open a newspaper to know that the levels of stress, anxiety and mental health issues are on the rise, and the rates amongst children are higher than ever before, especially in this post-Covid generation. A key question, therefore is:

How do we best support students to learn, grow and cope well under pressure?

In my experience, one of the best methods lies in adopting a coaching approach to both school and life, as this empowers the individual to find their own answers and to make decisions with confidence, clarity, and conviction. This skill is one of coaching’s greatest assets and it can be learned through knowing which questions to ask, as well as when and how.

Whilst working recently with the new cohort of prefects at Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls, we explored the concept of what leadership means and, in particular, how to find your authentic style of leadership so you can lead from a place that inspires others and also feels true to you.

When first taking on a role of responsibility, one of the biggest challenges for students often lies in the conflict of wanting to help other students and gain respect from them but also needing to avoid taking on too much emotional strain and being able to cope well with the pressures of school life at a crucial time in their lives.

To help the prefects learn how to empower others to take ownership of their decisions as well as feel heard and connected with, we focused our initial training session on the key skill of active listening. This often sounds overly simplistic and many people view themselves as good listeners so the first important step is to analyse how we each approach listening and holding conversations.

A quick 60-second exercise is a strong indicator of how comfortable we are with being present, staying silent and holding space for the other person to speak. For some, this experience is a huge relief – the idea of not having to constantly think of something to respond with allows a welcome break for the brain and also opens us up to a new sense of hearing what is being said – not just with our ears – but also through what we notice with other senses too. For some students, however, the fact that the conversation is not a constant exchange of one rapid repartee after another can feel

awkward and starkly different from daily life.

Experiencing what it’s like on the other side of being listened to also has equally polarising responses. A majority find it a welcome change from everyday quick exchanges and even go on to describe the sensation of being truly heard ‘like a spa break’ and one that allows you to gain a new perspective on topics that have previously felt overwhelming.

There are always some students though, who find the unfamiliarity of the whole experience rather uncomfortable as they are more accustomed to regularly being given advice and told what to do. After all, how often in a school day are students encouraged to make vital decisions? Such a great part of school life is regulated, that often the only key decisions students make are big choices that affect their futures, such as GCSE and A level choices as well as destinations and courses for further education. No wonder then, that this decision-making process can feel so challenging!

If you would like to empower your teenage student, colleagues or indeed friends and family members, to know how to make decisions with more confidence and conviction, here are some useful open questions that encourage them to explore their own beliefs, thought processes and avoid the quick conversation closers of ‘yes/no’ responses:

• What do you love doing so much that you don’t notice you’re doing it?

• What stops you from committing to something you believe in?

• If you felt no fear, what would you do next?

• What do you need to say ‘no’ to, in order to make your goal a reality?

• What would it mean to achieve your goal?

And, when asking these questions, don’t be surprised at the power of holding back from offering your own opinions – you may be delighted to see your coachee coming to their own very meaningful conclusions.

kateheffer.com

"A coaching approach to both school and life empowers the individual to find their own answers and to make decisions with confidence, clarity, and conviction."

A SUMMER AT SHERBORNE SCHOOL

As we enter the new academic year, Sherborne School Events Team looks back on another busy and successful season of events.

With the end of the Trinity term in June, the events office became a hive of activity with preparations for the school’s commemoration events. Months of planning came to fruition as eight marquees, a stretch tent, staging, 300 tables and 3,000 chairs were installed in a matter of days. On Saturday 1st July, the school welcomed hundreds of parents for a full day of celebrations, starting with a service in Sherborne Abbey, followed by prize-giving and speeches in the school courts and lunches on the grounds of individual boarding houses. For the Upper Sixth leavers, the day culminated with a short service in the school chapel, followed by the much-anticipated Leavers’ Ball, hosted jointly with Sherborne Girls. It was a very special day of celebrations for boys, parents and

staff to share together and one that is a much-anticipated highlight for our departing pupils.

As a strange and sudden sense of quiet fell over the school site, it was only a number of hours before the first residential of the summer arrived and a group of Old Shirburnians, who left the school several years ago, returned to test their cricket skills against alumni from other schools. Our services teams then managed an incredibly quick turnaround so that we could welcome an urban design summer school from the Create Streets Foundation, which we were pleased to host for the first time this year. The beautiful buildings and surroundings of the school and town provided the perfect setting for students to focus on urban design and architecture and safe to say, they were suitably wowed!

Meanwhile, the sun was also shining over at the school’s playing fields, where Activate Camps ran their

Abi Guiton, Events Assistant, Sherborne School

popular cricket, football and hockey camps for local children over the course of three weeks. Each day the children enjoyed a wide range of sports, games and activities, making use of the school’s facilities and also bringing a number of job opportunities for the everpopular young leaders

As the start of August approached, preparations for the Sherborne Summer School of Music’s arrival were well underway. Our teams launched into action to clean hundreds of rooms, make hundreds of beds and check hundreds of keys! Each week in our music school, instrumentalists, singers, conductors and composers from around the world came together to practice and perform, filling five of our boarding houses and the majority of buildings across the site. As the sounds of practice punctuated the summer air, members of the public were invited to experience the magic, as

an incredible thirty recitals and concerts were held in venues across Sherborne. The weekly gala dinners in the dining hall proved to be particular highlights, with an orchestra accompanying a three-course meal, creating a unique experience for all those fortunate enough to attend. The two weeks of the Summer School of Music’s residence proved to be busy and varied but justifiably rewarding and fulfilling for the events team and other school departments involved as our visitors were effusive about their time in Sherborne, describing the town itself as an ‘inspirational place’.

Following another quick turnaround we were delighted to welcome back The British Theatre School, who moved into our drama school for the final two weeks of August. Parents were invited at the end of each week to an all-singing, all-dancing show, which took place in the Powell Theatre, complete with stage lighting, costumes and sets.

Our final residential of the summer arrived in the last week of August – the Drawing Matters architectural summer school. The Sherborne International site provided the perfect base for the programme, which involved excursions and workshops around Sherborne and Bruton, despite the quintessentially British summer rain.

We were also pleased to host several one-day events throughout the summer, one of the highlights being the Rotary Club of Sherborne Castles Historic Vehicle Rally and Car Show, an annual charitable event which takes place in the courts of Sherborne School. Hundreds of visitors attended the event, enjoying tea and homemade cake from our wonderful school café, the Hub, as well as fantastic music played by the Sherborne Town Band.

During the summer, we welcomed several tour groups to Shell House, one of the school’s hidden treasures tucked away in the grounds of Harper House. The Grade 1 listed building is not usually open to members of the public due to its location in a private garden so it was a great opportunity for visitors to experience it.

As the summer came to an end, our events team had a brief pause to reflect on several months of hard but fulfilling work where so many people came to visit Sherborne and so many left with a sense of our strong local community, wonderful bustling town and beautiful location. As an events team, we are proud to hold a unique position, one where we play an active role in the school but are also very much part of the local community.

sherborne.org

To view the category winners and runners-up, visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/photocompetition

Grey heron catching an eel, Lodmoor by Tim Downton Overall winner of the Dorset Wildlife Trust Photography Competition 2023

DRAWN TO THE LIGHT

Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli

Gillian Nash

Avisiting friend once remarked, ‘That’s not a moth – it’s a bat!’ as we approached a Convolvulus Hawk-moth nectaring on nicotiana flowers in the garden one summer evening many years ago. That amazing sight inspired me to grow the plant every year since in anticipation of a repeat performance.

A wingspan of up to 120mm sets it apart from most other hawk-moths likely to be seen in the UK, with sightings reported from midsummer to late autumn. Although never common, migration numbers vary from year to year, with the vast majority confined to southern and eastern counties and coastlines. The exceptionally long proboscis enables the moth to extract nectar from tubular flowers that other insects are unable to reach such as petunias and lilies. As the interest in Lepidoptera became more popular in Victorian times, nicotiana with its wonderful evening scent was often grown in gardens to attract this spectacular moth.

Having a tendency to fly at dawn and dusk, no doubt many were rewarded with the novelty of observing this large impressive species as it hovered around flowers with its audible powerful flight. Intricately streaked patterns of grey and black provide good camouflage as it rests in daylight hours on the trunks of trees, rocks and sometimes the walls of buildings. In flight the pink and black banded abdomen is visible as it visits flowers and large compound eyes afford wraparound vision.

Unable to survive British winters in all life stages, Convolvulus Hawk-moth sightings are always that of immigrant individuals having flown across the channel from southern Europe that were the offspring of a migration from Africa or Asia. As the name suggests, its larval foodplant comprises various species of bindweed, both wild and cultivated. Studies indicate that the adult moth may live for up to five weeks if able to avoid nocturnal predators such as bats and owls.

Neil Bowman/iStock

WILD WOODBURY

TWO YEARS ON

As we pass the two-year anniversary of acquiring Wild Woodbury, our landmark rewilding project just outside Bere Regis, it’s time to reflect on what’s taken place there in the past year.

We saw amazing progress in the first year, including 1,300 wildlife species recorded in surveys onsite, with eight red-listed birds breeding. Plans were also made for river restoration, with the aim of re-wetting the site which had previously been heavily drained for agriculture.

The second year has been just as eye-opening. Restoring the headwaters of the River Sherford soon started providing benefits for wildlife, with water held on the land creating wetlands and marshes. This summer’s surveys have seen a huge increase in both biodiversity and bio-abundance, with the site list now over 1600 species, an increase of 300 from the previous year. In fact, just a few weeks after the restoration had finished, the site played host to 90 lapwing, 20 golden plover and 30 common snipe, all feeding in the newly wetted areas.

The upward trend in ground-nesting bird numbers continues from year one, with skylark now at around 50 pairs compared to 18 in 2022, tree pipit increasing from one to seven pairs and nightjar holding new territories. Reptiles are moving back in, with adder now confirmed to be breeding, and an uplift of grass snake, slow worm, and common lizard populations on site. Our invertebrate numbers continue to grow too, with

butterflies showing around a 25% increase in abundance. A food forest of fruit and nut trees was also planted in early 2023 with help from volunteers, while moth-trapping work, butterfly surveys and a walk for International Dawn Chorus Day in May among many other events ensured the site was always abuzz with activity.

Find out more and keep up to date on the site’s progress at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildwoodbury2023

WOODBURY FACTS

• Male skylarks rise almost vertically from the ground to perform mating calls. During these complicated song-flights which can last up to an hour, birds can reach 300m in the air.

• The River Sherford is 12km in length and takes in water from an area around 45 km² in size.

• Despite appearances, the slow worm is actually a legless lizard, not a worm or a snake. Its identity is given away by its ability to shed its tail to evade predators and blink with its eyelids.

Image: James Burland

Jack Clarke, Dorset Wildlife Trust

GEOLOGY

Simon Ford, Land and Nature Adviser

Living in Dorset, geology is perhaps more evident than if you live in Cambridgeshire or Lincolnshire. Indeed, when you come to the county boundary, it says ‘Welcome to Dorset, Home of the Jurassic Coast’.

Geology is of course fundamental to everything and it literally is the building blocks of where we are. Our soils are derived from the underlying rocks, making them limey (or calcareous, such as when there is chalk and limestone) or acidic, generally when you have volcanic rocks like granite, slate or basalt.

One of the easiest ways to tell what kind of rocks we have under our feet is to look at the old houses and to see what they are made from. It may be granite in West Cornwall and Dartmoor, slate in North Cornwall, old red sandstone on the Quantocks and Exmoor, limestone in the Cotswolds and Sherborne and flint (which is found in chalk rocks) on the Dorset Downs and Wiltshire. If the houses are made of old bricks or cob then it is likely that you are on clay. (Although of course we sadly now have identikit houses built of brick by the big building companies, right across Britain!)

Geology is also responsible for landforms, otherwise known as geomorphology, creating our mountains, valleys, escarpments and cliffs. Even our beaches are there because of geology, with the sea grinding up the rocky coast to make sand or in the case of Chesil Beach, a shingle ridge.

The minerals we use, from lead and copper to iron and oil, all derive from the rocks beneath our feet and what happened millions of years ago. If we go to Charmouth or Kimmeridge on a fossil hunt, searching for an ammonite, belemnite or maybe an Ichthyosaur vertebrae, then it is all because of the geology.

Rock falls and landslips (dramatic as they may be) are all part of natural processes and what has been happening since Earth’s inception. They create the beaches that we love, the rock exposures, stacks and arches that people travel to see and the fossils that we search for.

The Dorset and East Devon coast was designated

by UNESCO as the first and only natural World Heritage Site in Britain in 2001. This puts it on par with the Great Barrier Reef, Galapagos Islands and the Amazon Rainforest! From Old Harry at Swanage to Orcombe Point at Exmouth, 95 miles of cliffs are recognised as being of world importance for the geology.

It is an incredible educational resource, ranging from the Triassic period, 250 million years ago, through the Jurassic to the Cretaceous period which ended 65 million years ago.

There were periods when Dorset was a desert, a tropical sea, an enormous forest, and a swamp, traversed by dinosaurs until eventually, it looks like we see it today. It was also squashed and folded by enormous forces, pushing up the chalk ridges at Bulbarrow and creating the dramatic folds that we see at places like Lulworth Cove.

All in all, a pretty fascinating place and no

Stair Hole and the Lulworth Crumple

wonder schools and universities have Dorset at the top of their list for geology and geography field trips. I remember a really interesting visit with my 6th form, many years ago, measuring pebbles and doing beach profiles on Chesil Beach and drawing cross sections of the folds at Stair Hole!

On our doorstep, visit Quarr and see the information boards describing the local geology. You may even find a ‘devil’s toe nail’, the aptly named fossil sea shell from the Jurassic period. Also go to the excellent Sherborne Museum to see some of the finds from our local area. Is geology still boring?!

Mark Godden/Shutterstock

October is a time of celebrating harvest. In the beekeeping year, there are many honey shows but few compare with The National Honey Show in London each October. Through my travels, I meet beekeepers from across the globe who aspire to enter their honey into the show and visit to see the large array of honey and other bee-related crafts and products on display. The talks also cover a large range of beekeeping opinions and the latest research.

I am writing this looking out over a city landscape, Santiago in Chile, as I prepare to attend and speak at the 48th Apimondia. This is my first visit to Chile and I am particularly excited to see a new part of the world and to participate in such a large gathering of beekeepers. The theme this year is ‘Sustainable Beekeeping’ and I am honoured to have three of my own abstracts accepted. In addition, I am presenting

HARVEST

Paula Carnell, Beekeeping Consultant, Writer and Speaker

two talks on behalf of James Fearnley on the ‘BeeArc’, and ‘Redefining Medicine’. Since presenting James’s talk in Saudi Arabia in August I was invited to join the committee of apitherapists and international experts in complimentary bee-related medicine to help form Saudi Arabia’s first Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Association. If anything was going to raise imposter syndrome, it was having a seat at this very grand table with doctors and experts I have long admired. I was amused however when the coffee was brought in, that those same doctors handed their phones to the server, requesting selfies of them sat at this table! Together we are changing medicine. I learned that in my beekeeping and my own health journey, as well as my herbal medicine studies, I had value to add and contribute. Mostly, I have been given the opportunity to increase my own learning by sitting at

06photo/Shutterstock

this particular table.

As I look at the season of harvest and think in particular about honey, this year has been a bountiful one indeed - from an early harvest of dandelion honey from my own colonies and from The Newt bees that was shared at Chelsea Flower Show, to all the honey I have purchased, discovered and been gifted throughout the year. I had a meeting with a Yemeni beekeeper in Saudi, Abdula, who generously shared 5 samples of his excellent Sidr honey from 4 different regions across Yemen. Often regarded as the world’s finest honey, his was no disappointment. I learned why it’s considered so superior and was shown photographs of the lush valleys and mountainsides, with Sidr trees over 200 years old. Abdula has around 1000 hives and they only feed on their own honey. He loves his bees passionately and videos of him on global TV news snippets and his own social media show how bees really are his life. His mission is to share the extraordinary stories of his bees and their honey across the world. His own movements are restricted by his Yemeni passport so he makes the most of anyone who visits his country and generously invites many to visit and see for themselves his bees and his beloved country.

In Santiago we have been able to meet up with Ralph and Jodie of Kaimxxx honey in New Zealand. They visited us in June and I am learning so much about their pollination services, Manuka honey production as well as all the politics that affect their business. Jodie is passionate about sharing the other floral varieties of honey that her bees thrive on, flowers we can only imagine with their beautiful Maori names, tricky to roll off a British tongue. Apimondia is the global highlight for honey producers. The Global Apimondia Awards attract new inventions, research and honey from around the world. The committees are also responsible for advising and recommending new guidelines and I was delighted to hear from Argentinian committee member Norberto that they were announcing a new declaration of what exactly honey is, to make it harder for the adulteration of honey to carry on impacting the livelihoods of so many beekeepers around the world. New testing methods were introduced in 2019 which then found that 46% of the honey entered failed, creating huge arguments, as well as new research to discover how honey can be accurately measured. Jodie’s bees collect nectar from some plants in New Zealand that have no pollen, meaning her honey fails some tests. It’s still honey though. Then there are all the beekeepers

harvesting honey from other species of bees than the Apis mellifera (Western Honeybee) that have been articulated as ‘the creators of honey’. Much Asian honey and all African honey were immediately disqualified as fitting within the definition seriously impacting the ability of beekeepers to export their harvests.

Despite honey from Apis Dorsata in the Himalayas becoming illegal to market, a product not even made by bees is creating a stir as they are calling it ‘honey without harming the bees’. This new wave of vegan products has attracted much investment, keeping much of the manufacturing process a patented secret. If nectar is produced and collected to convert into honey, without using bees, are the bees being starved of much-needed forage? Is the nectar grown with or without insecticides and fungicides? Where are the enzymes from that they are using to mimic the ancient miracle of honey?

Apimondia is also making announcements to address the labelling of products such as these with their massive marketing budgets. Many consumers have little information about how or why honey is made, let alone the politics of adulteration. Pure honey can only come from bees and the purest honey comes from the most pristine environments. Beekeepers have a huge impact on the quality of their honey – the harvesting and processing has an impact on the bottled product. Too much sugar feeding or miticide use inside the hive affects the health benefits, taste and flavour. Too much smoking of bees creates a dark and unpleasant honey. The age of the wax comb and what the bees have available to forage on all have a part to play. Larger honey producers will finely filter their honey, removing the pollen, blending honey from different countries or even continents and cutting it with sugar or rice syrup. Overheating to alter the natural crystallisation process is also a common practice. Once someone has tasted pure honey, from whichever bee species, it is never forgotten, and adulterated or even fake honey is easy to spot. The problem is very few people have access to real honey, believing that just because it has a honey label on it means it must be true. As we celebrate harvest let’s think about the quality of the honey we collect and share and what part we can play as individuals to improve this incredible gift from the bees.

paulacarnell.com

Paula’s weekly podcast, Creating a Buzz about Health, is available on all popular listening platforms.

On Foot RIVAL HEIGHTS

Emma Tabor & Paul Newman

Distance: 7 1/4 miles

Time: Approx. 4 hours

Park: Lob Gate car park, near Pilsdon Pen Walk Features: This walk connects Dorset’s two highest points - the more open, oval enclosure of Pilsdon Pen hill fort (909 ft) and its neighbour, Lewesdon Hill (915 ft), with its enclosed, tree-clad summit. As you might expect, there is a long climb to reach the top of Lewesdon, with a steep section on the final stretch, and another gradual climb on the return section of the route to Pilsdon. The pathways in between follow the Jubilee Trail and Wessex Ridgeway, lower clay sections of the vale, with some lovely tree-covered paths in the shadow of these hills. It is easy to see why Dorothy and William Wordsworth found this area comparable in drama to their beloved Lakes. The route is muddy in places, especially during winter and careful navigation is needed, including the final section from Sheepwash Lane to Pilsdon Pen as paths cut across fields.

Refreshments: Shave Cross Inn >

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 and sometimes the unfamiliar.

We have previously visited both Pilsdon Pen and Lewesdon Hill on separate walks but as we draw this series to a close, it seems fitting to revisit these rival heights and connect them with one walk. Both hills have inspired writers and there is a beautiful stile and gate beneath the summit of Pilsdon Pen inscribed with a few lines from William Wordsworth’s poem, The Sparrow’s Nest (1801), dedicated to his sister Dorothy. Lewesdon Hill inspired the poem of the same name by William Crowe in 1788.

The ramparts of Pilsdon Pen are expansive and impressive. The interior contains two Neolithic/Bronze Age mounds, the remains of roundhouses, post-Medieval pillow mounds (rabbit warrens), and flint tools over 10,000 years old have been found here. This area was part of the territory ruled by the Durotriges tribe who sought to protect the neighbouring farmland from the Dumnonii, just over the border in Devon. Lewesdon is more secluded and secretive with stunning woodland cloaking the small grassy plateau at the summit.

The walk really encapsulates much of what this area has to offer and is worth doing at any time of the year, with views across to the Golden Cap Estate, the south coast and over to the Quantocks. Visit in spring to see bluebells and wild garlic and then return in autumn to see a variety of fungi on the old beech and oak trees in the area.

Directions

Start: SY 414 009 Lob Gate car park (Cockpit Hill)

1 From the car park (little more than a lay-by) head down Pilsdon Lane away from the B3164, following the sign for Pilsdon and Shave Cross. Walk for 250

yards until you come to a little wooden gate set in a brick wall, just before a barn conversion on your right. Go through this gate, passing a tennis court, on a fenced grassy pathway which meanders as it passes around the property. Look out for the unicorn! Follow the path, through trees, until you come to a stile which takes you out into a field and then down, away from the south side of the property.

2 Keep walking down this field, along the hedge line on your right then approximately halfway down take the second gateway on your right to then walk diagonally down and across this next field and through another gateway into another field and towards an open barn. Pass the barn to go through a large metal gate and then turn right, to merge back onto Pilsdon Lane.

3 Walk along the lane for 250 yards until you come to a signpost on your left, at buildings. Take this left turn up a dirt track and after a few yards, a small footpath sign directs you left and straight across an unfenced field, away from the track. After 250 yards reach a large metal gate with a footpath sign on a post. Go through the gate and walk straight up, keeping the hedge on your right. Drop down to the corner of the field to then pass over a small wooden footbridge through trees and into the next field. Following the hedge around the corner of the field, to the left, and after 300 yards you will come to a road.

4 Cross the road and go straight over to descend a lovely, grassy tree-lined track. At the end of this, go through a large metal gate into a narrow field. Go straight on, crossing a stream, then straight on again heading towards a wooden fence and a stile. Cross the drive which leads to Laverstock Farm. Walk straight across the next field and then over a stony track, at a junction of paths, to then cross over a wooden stile following the Jubilee Trail signs.

Walk straight over to the top left corner of the field aiming for a large gap in the hedge. Go through this gap and straight on towards a small metal gate which looks semi-permanent as at the time of writing, there was no fence on either side of it.

5 After the gate, descend a few steps into a beautiful wood, Higher Coombe Coppice. Cross a brook and then up an overgrown path, soon reaching a wooden stile to emerge into a field. Turn left, following the hedge line on your left and up to the gap in the hedge, in a few yards. Go through this into another field and head over to the top far right corner, leaving Higher Coombe Coppice down to your left, with a large metal gate leading out onto a road.

6 Turn left onto the road and then straight away, turn left again into the next field through another large gate. Head diagonally across this field towards Lewesdon Hill. Go through a gap and then follow the line of the telegraph poles over to the left side of the field aiming for a large gate. Turn right onto Coombe Lane and after a few yards, you will soon reach a large metal gate on your left which takes you onto the public bridleway and up into the trees surrounding Lewesdon. Walk about 50 yards then turn left, more steeply, following the bridleway signed up onto the hill. Keep on along Crabbs Hill, the lines and shadows of beech and other trees flanking the hill here are glorious and the light can be mesmerising. Aim for the summit, a perfect picnic spot on the grassy plateau.

7 Walk down off the hill (northwards, in the direction of Broadwindsor) and after a steep descent, you will soon meet Lewesdon Lane. Turn left and follow the lane, which turns into a holloway in places and after 1/2 mile you will come to the B3164 again. This is a

really lovely section of the walk. Turn left onto the road towards Pilsdon Pen. Follow this for 250 yards and then turn right, and down the track for Court Wood Farm, opposite the entrance to Swillets Farm. Walk down the track which then leads into a narrow grassy track, Sheepwash Lane. Follow this for 1/3 mile until you come to a large metal gate.

8 Go through this gate then turn left into a field. Walk diagonally (left) across this field to the middle of the far hedge, through a gateway (signed for the Monarch’s Way) then follow the footpath diagonally across this next field to a gap in the hedge. Keep straight on into the next field, head across and in a few yards reach a large metal gate on your left with a footpath sign. Turn right here, taking you into a farmyard. Pass the farmhouse to follow the tack around, first to the right and then the left, and stay on the track as it then leads away and uphill from Lower Newnham Farm. You will soon reach Specket Lane.

9 Cross the lane and then go through a gateway into a field. Keep to the left-hand side of this field, then up to a stile. Cross this then go diagonally to your right, heading up to the high right-hand corner, beneath trees. Go through a small wooden gate; walk along a grassy path until you soon see a wooden gate on your left – go through this and onto Pilsdon Pen. Make your way back towards your left, to the trig point and from here, walk off the east end of the hill fort and down, back to Lob Gate car park.

dorset-ramblers.org.uk/the-dorset-jubilee-trail/ dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/sport-leisure/walking/walking-inwest-dorset/wessex-ridgeway

OBJECT OF THE MONTH

THE PORTRAIT OF MARY STOKES

Elisabeth Bletsoe, Curator, Sherborne Museum

For the Victorians, photography was a particularly exciting development and a way of immortalising loved ones; for those who could afford it, family portraits were in demand, specifically of children. I recently examined more closely a series of small photographs, taken between 1856 and 1857, of the three daughters of Charles and Eliza Stokes of Sherborne; Alice, Lucy and Mary, the latter of whom is featured.

The images are all created by the collodion positive method which was very popular between 1855 and 1865. It was quicker and cheaper than the older daguerreotype so photographers were able to process more clients in a day. The method, however, required dexterity and the immediate availability of a dark room. Chemicals that were used as fixers could create unwanted stains and were potentially lethal.

The glass plate was polished and coated with a thin layer of iodised collodion before being dipped in a bath of silver nitrate solution for 3-5 minutes. Once drained and dried, it was placed in a plate holder with a dark slide to protect it from the light. The prepared plate was loaded up to the camera while still wet and the dark slide removed to begin the exposure. This could take 5 seconds to over a minute, depending on the light conditions. Once completed, the dark slide was replaced and the plate removed for immediate treatment. This had to occur swiftly otherwise the image would be lost. The photograph was developed using ferrous sulphate and fixed with potassium cyanide or sodium thiophosphate solution before it was rinsed and varnished.

The resulting image looked like an underexposed negative but would appear as positive when viewed against a dark background. The darker areas of the image appeared as clear patches on the plate while

lighter areas showed as opaque. The glass plates were then mounted against a pad of black velvet or, more cheaply, could be given a coat of black varnish on the underside. The final product was monochrome but was sometimes hand-tinted; a touch of blush to the cheeks or a trace of gold pigment highlighting jewellery, for example. They were often given a ready-made metal mount and placed within a case for protection.

This hand-tinted portrait is of Mary Stokes, at 8 years old, taken on 20th July 1857. Seated against a backdrop of blue sky and clouds, she is wearing a dress with fine horizontal pinstripes and tiered sleeves and fringes that derived from a Spanish influence prevalent at the time. She holds a small posy of flowers in her lap. The 1851 census shows the parents living in Long Street with their three daughters, who were all born in Sherborne, and two servants; Charles Stokes being employed as a bank manager. What makes this image particularly poignant is that there is, handwritten on the back, a note that this little girl sadly died the following year on a Saturday evening, 11th September 1858. Her death certificate reveals the cause was ‘low fever and effusion of the brain’; the trapped fluid may have been a complication of meningitis or the result of a fall.

This serves to remind us that although the Victorian period has been described as the ‘age of demographic transition’ from high birth and death rates to lower ones, children were nevertheless still vulnerable to many diseases that were yet to be fully understood. We can only imagine that for the bereaved family this small portrait, 6.5 cm x 5.2 cm, became a powerful keepsake.

Sherborne Museum is open Tuesday–Saturday 10.30am–4.30pm. Admission is free although donations are welcome. For further information: sherbornemuseum.com

Take

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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.

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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.

This month we want to tell you about church houses as not much is known or written about these and very few traces of them remain today. They can be roughly dated from the middle of the fifteenth century to the middle of the seventeenth century. The majority that do remain are in the West Country, particularly in Devon.

So what is meant by the church house? As the spaces within the church became filled with pews, they could no longer be used for the usual festivals and secular activities. By the 15th century, some parishes had built a church house which was usually located alongside the church on land donated with a peppercorn rent. The church house was the medieval equivalent of the church hall and came

CHURCH HOUSES

Cindy Chant & John Drabik

under the auspices of the church wardens who were responsible for the finances of the parish and had the sole right and responsibility to raise money for church repairs. Being free from the control of Bishops and Archdeacons, its chief purpose was to brew ale, house festivals and raise funds for the parish church. It was used after the Eucharist and Evening Prayers, on special holy days and other occasions, for games, drinking, dancing and general merriment. Sometimes the wardens held what was known as ‘an Ale’ in the church house. This could include sports, performances and Morris dancing.

The origin of the churchwarden’s office is lost in the mists of history but, as well as raising money, their duties included keeping the churchyard in proper order

and seeing that it was not used for grazing. They even had the right to use the ducking stool and stocks for minor offences, providing much amusement for the spectators. The church owed much to their services; however, not all were honest! There may well have been a few rogues amongst them, unlike their twentyfirst-century successors!

The buildings varied in size and were sparse but functional, with little ornamentation. Within the building, or attached to it, were the brew and baking houses. Drinking ale was common for all - women and children too, as pure water was difficult to obtain, and in those days tea was unheard of. Beer was graded as X, XX and XXX for pale, mild and strong, possibly

originating from monks marking the quality of their ales with the sign of the Christian cross.

We have a fine example of a church house here in Sherborne, situated on Half Moon Street. Such Tudor town buildings have rarely survived so this is a particularly important building. It was built in 1530-34 by the churchwardens of All Hallows Parish and had a hall on the first floor with a kitchen and some shops on the ground floor, all designed to raise income. As well as church matters, the hall was regularly used for public meetings, marriages and for the performance of plays. Perhaps Sir Walter Raleigh and Lady Betty were in attendance, together with the Sherborne audience, enjoying performances by the Quenes Majesties Players.

In 1693, the lease expired and was not renewed by the churchwardens. The church house was taken over by the Master and Brethren of the Almshouse who by 1700, had converted the building into three shops which are still in situ to this day. A date stone marked 1701, with the initials W.S. refers to William Samson, apothecary, one of the tenants which began in that year. The other two were a goldsmith and a brazier.

Although there was no exact date for the end of church houses, many ceased to be used for their original purpose by the turn of the seventeenth century. Their closure seemed always to be the result of local lay pressure, as quite a number of Church of England members were pro-Puritan, particularly on matters relating to alcohol consumption and people’s enjoyment. With the rise of Puritanism and Oliver Cromwell, such merrymaking was considered unseemly and a social evil, and therefore banned. They believed they were ensuring the moral future of the country.

With the letting of church pews and a new system of raising money with the ‘church rate’ (a tax levied on property owners within the parish), there was less need for ‘church ales’, much to the irritation of the lower social classes. Several redundant church houses fell into decay or were demolished. Others returned to the lords of the manor, whose ancestors had originally given the land on which they were built, whilst some were converted to other uses to benefit the parish, for example as almshouses, or a school with the first floor as a classroom and the ground floor housing the teacher.

Some were let or sold as private or public buildings and some retained their brewery status becoming known as The Church House Inn, a name which we are familiar with today. Should you come across one, ponder a while, and reflect on its former use.

Half Moon St. Sherborne. Image courtesy of Sherborne Museum

LIGHTS, CAMERA, AUCTION!

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

As I approach my fourth decade in auctioneering you would like to think there is not much I have not seen at work but you would be wrong.

As an auctioneer and valuer, you see something new every day. My days are generally spent either out visiting clients advising on single items, complete house contents or collections or busy working in the salerooms meeting clients at our specialist valuation days or trying to get through the cataloguing of all the lovely lots which have been consigned for our specialist auctions.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure to see and sell some wonderful lots. The top lot for me was 10 years ago when I discovered a chipped Italian pottery plate. It was mounted in a very Heath Robinson wire frame made from a coat hanger. It was sold in an auction on its own, yes just the one lot, and still gives me goosebumps thinking about it and the lifechanging sum of money, £565,000 it sold for. Lots like that are the glory lots. To get a glory lot you have to look at a lot of lots and kiss a lot of frogs.

Whereas the Italian pottery plate was a single item, collections are great fun. When you make a collection, it can be of anything. For me, the most unusual ‘collection’ I have been asked to look at, was a collection of airplane sick bags. The owner has spent many years travelling and has amassed many sick bags. Most airlines were represented along with ones which no

longer exist such as Pan Am. However, sadly, rarity does not always mean value and the owner decided to keep the collection.

More recently, we were asked to help a family near Bridgwater with an unusual collection which had been amassed by their late father. It was a modest home with a few sheds in the garden. I had been told he was a collector, with a particular interest in film projectors. However, nothing they said would have prepared me for what I would see.

In every room, on all floors and out in the sheds where there was a space, he had filled it with a projector. That included the kitchen where there were more projectors than kitchen utensils.

Usually, we come across vintage projectors tucked away in attics and then only one per household. The property near Bridgwater has hundreds, if not more, of them. Needless to say, they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are huge, over 6ft high, which would have been in a cinema or theatre, and are pretty heavy too. And there are little ones, probably used to show friends and family people’s travels at Christmas.

Overall, we have collected five van loads of projectors, which are all being sold without reserve in our 2nd October Memorabilia Auction. The sale also includes rock ’n’ pop memorabilia, vinyl records, guitars, film posters and the like so the collection will be in good company. As usual, Mrs B will not want me to bid on any of the lots and possibly, for the first time, I might listen to her, or then again, I might not!

Salesroom staff, Dan Peacock (L) and John Villis (R)

SHERBORNE RUGBY CLUB

Words Claire Bowman Photography Katharine Davies

It is 10am on a Sunday morning and dozens of players from the youth and mini section of Sherborne Rugby Club stream onto the Terraces for the first training session after the school holidays. Happy to be reunited with their friends after the summer break, there are whoops of excitement and high fives all around before, greetings over, it’s time to get down to business. While parents gather on the sidelines in the September sunshine, the teams get stuck into their training under the watchful eye of their respective coaches – among them the U6s charging up and down the pitch, balls tucked under little arms; the U9s working on their tackling; the U10s perfecting their rucks; the Sharks girls’ team practising a line-out. I’m no expert but they look to me as though they are having a lot of fun. >

Meanwhile, over at the clubhouse, there’s a queue for bacon rolls and coffee at the kitchen hatch. There’s no mistaking the buzz in the air, thanks to a 1st XV victory over Frome the previous day and building excitement for the Rugby World Cup. Recent cricketing memories of leather on willow and the gentle ripple of applause that filled the clubhouse over the summer months have given way to hustle and bustle and thrum of rugby chatter. Today the clubhouse is a hive of activity – albeit one that is straining slightly at the seams.

This is why no one is more delighted that the club has hit its recent crowdfunding target of £24,000 than Welsh-born chairman Mike Trew, who gives me a tour of the work in progress, from the brand-new clubhouse entrance lobby with its bag drop area and first aid room, to the new toilets and kitchen facilities. There are also plans to increase the size of the clubhouse by 40%.

‘The support for this crowdfunding has been extraordinary – we hit our target in just 50 days,’ enthuses Mike, breaking briefly for an update from Ben the electrician, who also happens to be one of the players (‘Keeping it in the rugby club family!’ says Mike with a chuckle). ‘The truth is these renovations can’t come a minute too soon. The clubhouse was built in the

nineties when we were a third of the size we are today. We’ve now got 250 players so the facilities are totally overstretched. On a busy weekend, we can attract 1,000 people to the club and serve hundreds of players’ meals – we really want people to be able to socialise with their match-day opponents.

‘Many clubs measure their success by their league position but while we’ve been higher than other local clubs, we’ve also tended to focus on social events and participation rather than just position,’ he continues. ‘And we’ve been incredibly successful in pushing on to bigger clubs, which is reflected in the number of professional players we have. This season we have five ex-Sherborne players in the premiership – Ollie Devoto, Tom James, Tom Lawday, Jake Woolmore and Alice Lockwood – with Sam Nixon playing in France. It’s quite extraordinary for such a small town.’

For James Gower, acting head teacher at the Gryphon School who has overseen the senior section for the best part of 20 years, a point of difference to its success compared with other clubs is its ability to transition youngsters from the 16 age group through Colts into adult rugby. ‘Many clubs see a huge drop-off at this point because the kids don’t feel comfortable >

going up to senior rugby, whereas we put a huge emphasis on having social occasions and getting to know them,’ he explains. ‘And the rugby club within the Gryphon community helps a lot because there are members of staff who play, right down to Year 7s, and they all know each other. That’s reflected in the first team we put out for the recent Frome game – 13 of the 15 players went to the Gryphon and they’ve all played with the club since they were six.

‘The bottom line is that it’s all about having fun,’ continues James. ‘They’ll go up into the different age groups, always playing with the same people. They’ll learn skills like self-discipline, leadership and teamwork. They’ll learn how to win – and how to lose. They’ll make friends for life if they stay involved.’

Underpinning all of this, says Mike, is the calibre of the coaches – many of whom once played for the club and beyond, and have now come back to help, such as ex-Harlequins player Richard Nias. And, of course, former England player and head coach Mike Davis, who steered England to a Grand Slam in 1980 and who sadly died last year aged 80. ‘Mike coached almost every age group there is in the club and accompanied our club president, Simon Mottram, on a U16s tour of South Africa. He is much-missed at the club,’ reflects Mike Trew.

With 75% of the current 1st XV starting at the club at the age of 10 or below it’s clear that player development at junior level is key. ‘We invest a lot of time nurturing our teams in the youth and mini rugby section. You can tell the ones who have star potential from an early age,’ says its brilliantly energetic head, Caroline Durstan, a teacher herself whose players are drawn from across the various local primary schools, as well as Sherborne Prep and Leweston.

In addition to seeing to it that all the volunteer coaches are brought through the Rugby Football Union’s coaching process and are trained to Level 3 first aid, Caroline also heads up the burgeoning Sharks women and girls teams, alongside coach, Tammy Argent. ‘We have very recently had two sisters, Edie and Bea Ellery from the Gryphon, gain selection to the England Rugby Developing Player Programme. Top of our playing priorities this season is developing the girls U12s.’

Like any successful rugby club, Sherborne prides itself on its close links with the community, enjoying the support of 40 local sponsors, one of which – Castle Gardens, has provided employment to many young

players. ‘We’ve had an extraordinary collection of players working for us over the years; we’ve always tried to find work for any that have needed it,’ says Castle Gardens owner and former Sherborne Rugby Club chairman Mike Burks, who has played more 1st XV games for Sherborne than any other player.

‘It has always been an incredibly friendly club, welcoming my wife Louise and me with open arms when we first moved to Sherborne, and great fun too, organising social events like the annual Christmas panto. The ethos of the club has always been not to win at any cost but to help and develop the players. It’s all about encouraging them to achieve the best they possibly can.’

Nobody embodies that ethos more than ex-Gryphon student Ollie Devoto, who started playing at the age of seven when he was at Abbey Primary, emerging through the youth section before being signed by the Bath Academy at 16, and going on to play for Exeter Chiefs and the England team. ‘Rugby was always important to my family with my dad and grandad both playing for Sherborne – in fact, one of my earliest memories is being in a child’s seat in the minibus going up to the Terraces to watch my dad coach the Colts and eating a Mars Bar at half time,’ remembers Ollie. ‘When I got to the Gryphon I made friends with the year above and was in a really good age group – we were Dorset and Wilts champions for about four or five years running.’

Ollie credits both his former coach at the Gryphon, James Gower, and his dad, Steve, for helping him rise to the very top of his game. ‘James was a big influence on me and a massive help in my development, and my dad would drive me to matches all over the country, whether it was Coventry or Southampton. I see now with the work I do for Devon Young Carers just how important that was – these young people don’t have the same opportunities as I did to play because they’re too busy being carers. Without my dad and James, I wouldn’t be where I am today.’

sherbornerfc.rfu.club

Saturday 21st October 3pm

Sherborne 1st XV v Yeovil

Sherborne RFC, The Terrace Playing Fields, Dorchester Road, Sherborne DT9 5NS Clubhouse opens 1pm, Admission £5 including match day programme. U16s free.

AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO AUTUMN LAWN CARE

Joelle Lindsay, Sherborne Turf

All of our lawns are different and as such will have different requirements. Whether it’s established or new, bowling green perfect or designed for pollinators, autumn is the perfect time to get it looking beautiful. Read on for our expert advice on how to look after your lawn this autumn.

Mow

If your lawn is long, cut it down to a manageable height before doing anything else. Grass shouldn’t be any higher than 1¼ inch or about 3cm.

Remove weeds

Depending on your requirements for your lawn, non-grass plants are best removed in September. The easiest way to remove weeds is to apply a weedkiller. Always follow the safety instructions on the packet. There are more natural alternatives to try that do not use chemicals such as baking soda and vinegar, boiling water, salt water or lemon juice. Whichever method you choose, make sure to allow at least two weeks for it to take effect. After two weeks you should see the weeds dying back.

Scarify

Once weeds are removed, rake or scarify the lawn. In early autumn, remove thatch and debris from the lawn using a rake (with strong downward pressure) or a scarifier. Removal of thatch will stimulate side shoots and runners, as well as make it easier to water and apply fertiliser and seed.

Aerate

Break down compaction and aid drainage by spiking

the lawn. This can be done with a hollow-tine fork or aerator, a rolling lawn aerator, or a garden fork.

Apply top dressing

Top dressing is a mixture of sand and organic compost which is applied to the surface of the lawn to fix minor irregularities and bumps. It also helps to improve the quality of the soil, improve drainage and stimulate healthy grass growth.

The best time of year to apply top dressing is early autumn. There is a handy calculator you can use on our website to work out how much you would need to cover the area.

To apply, first use a spade to place small heaps over the surface. Next, use the back of a rake to spread across the surface, making sure to fill any depressions, evening out the surface, whilst ensuring the blades of grass are not smothered.

Seed and feed

If renovating an existing lawn, apply overseed at a rate of 25g/m². Apply fertiliser at a rate of 35g/m². From late September onwards, apply Green and Black Fertiliser to green up grass and prepare your lawn for winter. Use a walk-along or hand spreader for an even application.

Leave it be

Leave the lawn for a good few weeks to allow it to recover and grow. If there isn’t enough rainfall, you may need to water to ensure the fertiliser is absorbed and the seeds have the right environment to germinate. You should be able to mow after about a month.

sherborneturf.co.uk

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

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

www.thegardensgroup.co.uk @thegardensgroup

Embrace Autumn

As we advance into autumn and the garden starts to wind down from its summer blooms, there is still plenty to keep the gardener occupied. It is a time to think about tidying up borders, deadheading and removing any old summer bedding that has gone over.

In autumn we can enjoy the burning colours of Acers, the scented bloom of Sarcococca, and the bright berries of Pyracantha, all of which help to keep the garden dancing through the colder days.

Traditional Helleborus are a popular perennial at this time of the year, Hamamellis provides a spicy fragrance to a garden and the late flowering Caryopteris adds a spot of blue to break up the orange hues in any border.

01935 814633

castle@thegardensgroup.co.uk

BARK

Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

When I am planning a border, I choose plants for all sorts of different reasons giving priority to foliage, flowers, berries and bark.

The latter is often forgotten about but to me, it’s a great feature and another dimension too especially in the depths of the winter when the stems of plants are finally revealed as the foliage falls. What makes it especially striking is that the winter sun, being low in the sky, picks out bark colours accentuating their impact.

There are a number of trees that come under this heading including the Tibetan or Birch Bark Cherry, Prunus serrula Tibetica with its glossy, polished mahogany coloured peeling bark. It’s a small tree and so very suitable for a small garden. The white spring flowers are followed by small red fruit in the autumn when the foliage is also an attractive yellow before it falls.

From time to time we have available the purpleleafed variety Prunus Royal Burgundy grafted onto a stem of Prunus Tibetica. It has remarkable semi-double pink and white spring flowers with deep purple foliage which turns to a powerful red in the autumn and is one of the best autumn colours. The combination is terrific.

With similar colourings but less shiny is Acer griseum the Paperbark Maple of which there is a superb specimen outside the Police station in Sherborne. It was planted by the Sherborne Gardeners Association back in 1992 to commemorate their Golden Jubilee. Acer griseum is a small, upright tree, with brown peeling, shaggy bark that reveals cinnamon-coloured new bark below. In areas with acidic soils, the leaves turn brilliant shades of orange and red in autumn but for us locally the colouring is not as impressive.

I love Silver Birch and there is a great array of varieties many of which are wonderful in the winter. Betula utilis or Jacquemontti with white peeling bark after a few years. The whitest variety is probably Snow Queen but there are also more unusual colourings such as B. septentrionalis (Chinese Red Birch) which has burnt-orange through to a pastel pink coloured bark.

These trees are at their best planted in a dense group as would be normal in a birch forest. However, this

effect can also be achieved by planting a multi-stemmed specimen. Birch doesn’t normally grow in this way and have been pruned to force the tree to produce more stems from the base.

One plant that always makes me chuckle is the Contorted Hazel Corylus contorta with its gnarled and twisted branches and crumpled leaves. It’s at its best when the leaves fall off, as they always look unhappy. In the winter though the shrub really comes into its own with the contorted stems. In late winter or early spring long, yellow catkins appear which hang straight down from the branches. On mature specimen, nuts will form. Flower arrangers love it. Another common name for it is ‘Harry Lauders Walking Stick’. Mr Lauder, I am advised, was a Scottish comedian who always had with him on stage a walking stick made from the contorted hazel!

Another favourite is the stem of the larger growing Euonymus such as Euonymus alatus (of which there is now a compact form available) and also E. phellomanus. These varieties have great autumn foliage colour (red and butter yellow respectively) and phellomanus also has remarkable fruit. Both, though, have winged stems, which are intriguing and show up well with the foliage having disappeared.

Dogwoods can also be great for their bark, particularly Cornus alba varieties but also Cornus sanguinea. My favourite alba variety is Cornus Elegantissima because it has variegated foliage for interest at other times but it also has bright red stems in the winter. The best colour is always on the youngest stems and established shrubs need pruning hard in March perhaps every other year to keep plenty of fresh growth coming along. During the summer the stems are a disappointing green but when the night temperatures start to fall, the stems colour up and by the time the foliage has turned colour and fallen it’s a great sight. I also love Cornus Sanguinea Midwinter

Fire for its autumn colours and then the orange-red stems for the rest of the winter. thegardensgroup.co.uk

Andrew Fletcher/Shutterstock

Betula utilis

Ian Grainger/Shutterstock

Corylus contorta

Mike Russell/Shutterstock

Cornus sanguinea

Guentermanaus/Shutterstock

Acer griseum

LSP EM/Shutterstock

Betula septentrionalis

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Euonymus alatus

CARBON NEUTRAL - WASTE WOOD

BRIQUETTES

Our briquettes are made from kiln-dried timber offcuts and wood shavings produced in our workshop. The offcuts are shredded and mixed 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%.

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Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5HS

Tel: 01963 23219

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www.fcuffandsons.co.uk

DESIGNERS AND MAKERS OF BEAUTIFUL FINE BESPOKE JOINERY SINCE 1897

PALE AND INTERESTING

Annabelle Hunt, Bridport Timber, Colour Consultant

Even as a lover of colour, I cannot deny that there is something wonderfully soothing about a white interior. Whilst it may seem the simplest approach to decorating a new space - a statement I hear again and again is ‘we’re just going to paint it white’ - white is one of the trickiest schemes to get right and it can feel sterile, chilly and bland. Before diving straight into a pile of paint charts the best place to start is to think about what mood you are hoping to create – a bright, airy and uplifting space or a more settled and contemplative retreat.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the UK has the oldest housing stock in Europe, from stately homes and ancient manor houses to terraced houses and simple workers’ cottages, in a variety of periods and architectural styles. Unless you live in a modernist ‘machine for living’ or a contemporary architectural statement, the chances are you’re looking for something with a little more subtlety than dazzlingly, brilliant white.

Until the early 20th century, natural pigments were all that was used to tint and colour paints. Whatever was locally available was used, leading to regional variation in vernacular styles of decorating. Earth and mineral pigments, charcoal and even blood were used to colour off-whites, ranging from yellow and red to green and grey.

In the 1500s and before, houses would have been painted predominantly in off-white limewash or distemper, perhaps with elements of stencilled or coloured decoration. It wasn’t until the Georgian period that the use of colour on painted panelling became common, as well as the use of one colour from floor to ceiling. The late Georgian and Regency eras brought a riot of colour with every surface divided up and ornaments picked out in off-white. As advances in paint chemistry made them affordable, a wider range of colours became fashionable. Victorian decor took on a heavier colour palette and the expanding empire brought a wealth of different exotic styles, only to be replaced in turn by the more natural, earthy tones of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

In the early 20th century, the development of the petrochemical industry led to the introduction of synthetic colourants and strong, clean paint colours but amongst certain paint manufacturers, there has been a definite shift away from chemical-based paints towards more traditional and sustainable methods of production. Our enduring love of off-white, made with just a few simple pigments continues.

When you are trying to achieve a pared-back look, it is important to look at the elements in the room that will remain unchanged. Natural stone and wood may be considered ‘uncoloured’ but they will guide you on which whites to choose. Too much of a grey undertone can look flat and lifeless against warm natural tones, whereas too much underlying red pigment can appear too brown. In older properties, it is often the case that a ‘white’ scheme is actually made up by layering several fairly strong off-whites, as modern bright whites can look too stark in an older setting, just as more traditional off-whites can look too muddy for a clean, modern aesthetic.

The overall effectiveness of your scheme will also be influenced by what paint finishes you use. Older properties often come with wobbly walls and uneven surfaces which add to their character and appeal. I would always use a beautifully matt breathable, chalky finish in this situation as it will add depth and softness, whichever colour you choose.

bridporttimber.co.uk

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THE NUMBERS GAME

James Weston, Co-Owner, GP Weston

Now that the summer, if you can call it that, is over, minds turn back to moving house before Christmas, the typical ‘Autumn Market’. So what has been happening in the property market over the summer and what do you need to do if you want to be moved by Christmas?

Well… moving house has never been for the fainthearted; the stress of long chains of related property transactions, everyone dependent on everyone else not pulling out, gazumping (the arrival of a buyer prepared to pay more after an offer is accepted, or gazundering (the last-minute price reduction due to buyers thinking they have the sellers over a barrel), etc. Add to this the reported lull over the summer and the autumn market looks set to be slow and stressful.

PropertyMark, one of the industry bodies representing agents, reported in July that the average number of viewings per property for the month was 1.5! You can expect August to be the same or even slower. Bear in mind that some will get multiple viewings a week, meaning plenty won’t get any!

September, October, and November should pick up from this but we can expect another base rate increase over the next few months so mortgage rates will likely

peak before the year ends. So, if you want to sell before Christmas and find an elusive buyer, you must have something pretty special or be priced very attractively. It also pays to do your research, both on your own home and on the local agents.

Get a good friend (the person who is never afraid to tell you that hat, jacket or shirt doesn’t suit you, or that you’re looking a bit tired/chubby/asks if you’re going bald) – you know the one – to critique your house against others online and maybe give them a few glasses of wine to loosen the tongue.

Next, when it comes to getting the agents around, keep them from thinking you will sell; say it is for tax purposes, divorce, etc. If the agent thinks they might be able to sell it, they will likely be ‘overly optimistic’ when pricing.

The UK estate agency scene is very different from those in other parts of the world for a host of reasons but due to our relatively low fees (yes, it’s true!), it means high street agents need to play the numbers game, which means the average agent follows the ‘stack ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap’ philosophy. So for agents, Step 1 is winning the instruction, done by high pricing and low fees, leading to a poor experience and making it

harder for agents to justify higher prices. It becomes a vicious circle with everyone losing.

Like so many things, it is hard to justify a higher price without first going through the experience. But logic can work for agents, solicitors and surveyors. The cheaper the fees, the more properties or files the person has to work on to earn the same. The more properties they work on, the less time they spend on your property or file. So in a slow, challenging market, choose the agent with the time and incentive to work hard on selling your home. You will get better service and a better price so the agent earns more, but you still walk away with more, too – everyone wins.

Something to think about in a falling market, and this ties in with the pricing mentioned above – every day that goes by, your property is losing value. If you start too high (above the market) and then chase it down, you finally catch up at a much lower point than if you began below it in the first place. Try holding a sheet of paper between your thumb and index finger, the other hand above it, then drop it and try to catch it with the free hand. Note how low it is by the time you catch it. Now do the same thing again but start with your free hand level with the paper; drop it, catch it, and see how much higher it is. The same works for house prices!

Lastly, whatever you own, go to town decluttering and improving the curb appeal. Again, ask that same tactless friend what they think, as the agents won’t be critical, and they will also want you to list immediately rather than wait for it to look its best.

If you do all of the above then you stand a good chance of selling. Above is a table of selected local agents’ performance over the past 12 months taken from Rightmove; it doesn’t take into account any ‘offmarket’ sales. (These are the main agents by volume and some by reputation.) You can see there is a real range in performance, from price reductions through to effectiveness in selling. Looking at the data in the table, Agent C has a good balance of selling the properties on their books without having to reduce the price – they also don’t have as many which tells me they don’t overvalue in the first place. Agent B is pretty good too. Agent A is ruthless in working the price down and getting the properties sold but is probably overvaluing in the first place to win the instruction. Agent I is the worst!

gpweston.co.uk

With over 20 years experience in the property market, we are passionate about helping you achieve your property goals.

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We are the only agent locally, to use targeted and retargeted adverts meaning we proactively put your property in front of active buyers and tenants.

Y We spend more to get you more

We don’t just take standard photos! We will do drone footage, evening shots and anything else we can to create stunning images of your home.

Y Provide you with expert advice

As we don’t have targets to hit we don’t need to flatter you, we can give honest advice telling you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear.

www.gpweston.co.uk

PICKLED BEETROOT

One of the most ancient culinary techniques, pickling with vinegar, has been used to preserve vegetables for at least 4000 years. Despite this, both pickling and beetroot are very much on trend in today’s food scene, and the possibilities really are endless with how you decide to use this pickle. We love it served in a simple salad with goats cheese, baby spinach and walnuts, or as an accompaniment to oily fish like mackerel or salmon.

Ingredients Makes 1 large jar

500g beetroot (roughly 5 medium beetroot)

3 shallots

300ml white wine

300ml white wine vinegar

200ml olive oil

8 juniper berries

10 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 thyme sprigs

1 tbsp salt

1tbsp caster sugar

Method

1 Crush the juniper and peppercorns with a pestle and mortar until finely ground.

2 To infuse the vinegar, add it to a medium saucepan along with the white wine, olive oil, crushed spices, herbs, sugar and salt. Bring it to a gentle boil and reduce until the overall volume has roughly halved (around 20 minutes).

3 Peel and dice the beetroot into cubes of around 1cm and finely slice the shallots. Add to a large heat-resistant mixing bowl and pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables.

4 Stir to incorporate and add immediately to a large, sterilised jar (the Kilner style with a rubber seal is ideal). Seal, label and date the pickle and store in a cool dark place for at least 1 week before eating, to allow the flavours to develop fully. The beetroot should keep for several months whilst still sealed; once opened, store in the fridge.

greenrestaurant.co.uk

Tom Matkevich, The Green

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At Bill Butters Windows Ltd we offer total window, door and conservatory solutions. Based in Sherborne we design, manufacture, supply and install high quality aluminium and uPVC products using market leading suppliers to service both the retail and commercial sectors.

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

THE CAKE WHISPERER

Val Stones

FIGGY PUDDING JAM

At this time of year, my fig tree is full of ripe and juicy fruit – time to make a Christmas present. This fragrant jam is a hint of Christmas, cinnamon and ginger with the warmth of vanilla. I enjoy figs eaten fresh from the tree or simply cut into quarters and added to my breakfast yoghurt, cereal or porridge. They are delicious baked in red wine and honey but this latest development is absolutely delicious. The jam can be spooned into your porridge, yoghurt or on top of cereal and delicious with toast. It is perfect for spooning onto vanilla ice cream and folding into apples when making a crumble or a pie. This fig jam also goes well with a cheese board.

I use powdered pectin in this jam as the set would be too light – powdered pectin also works well when making jams with other low-pectin fruits such as strawberry.

Makes - 6 one-pound jars or you may wish to make half-pound jars for giving as gifts. Preparation - 30 minutes to prepare, 25-30 minutes to cook, 15 minutes standing before bottling.

What you will need

A large, heavy-bottom steel pan or jam pan, a large wooden or silicon spoon, jars of your choice, wax circles, jam labels, a jam funnel (optional but useful) and two plates for jam setting.

Ingredients

3lbs ripe figs, quartered (or if large into smaller pieces)

3/4 pints of water

Zest and juice of a large unwaxed orange

Zest and juice of an unwaxed lemon

3lbs granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of powdered pectin

1 small stick of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 pieces crystallised ginger

2 tablespoons of ginger syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1 Place clean jars in the oven on 80C fan for 20 minutes to sterilise them. Place two tea plates in a freezer for testing.

2 Put the figs in a pan with the water and bring to a simmer – allow the figs to simmer for 10 minutes or until the pieces of fruit are soft and juicy.

3 Stir the powdered pectin into the sugar until it is well combined and stir into the fig mixture. Allow the sugar to dissolve then add the orange juice and zest, lemon juice and zest, crystallised ginger and ginger syrup, cinnamon and the cinnamon stick.

4 Allow to simmer for 15 minutes stirring regularly (I set a timer for 3 minutes then stir). After 10 minutes, turn the jam down to a slow simmer and test the jam by putting a spoonful onto a plate removed from the freezer. After 5 minutes if you run your finger across the jam and it doesn’t run back, it is set. If the jam runs back then bring the jam back to the boil for a further 5 minutes and test with some jam on the second cold plate.

5 Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the jam into the jars, seal with waxed circles, lid and label. The jam will keep well unsealed for six months in a cool, dark place.

bakerval.com

Image: Katharine Davies

Christmas Wreath Workshops

Enjoy an afternoon of Festive flowers and mulled wine with your friends!

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£55.00 per person on Thursday 30th November

£60.00 per person on Saturday 2nd December

Pre-booking is essential

Saturday 16th December 2023

Join us for a fun filled family day from 12.30pm and get a chance to meet Santa! Enjoy festive treats, children's activities, face painting and best of all meet Santa in our Santa's Grotto! Take a picture with Santa and pick out an exciting gift available for each child!

£15 per child and adults enter for free!

On the day meet our Spa therapist for tester treatments while the children play! For an extra special treat book our Festive afternoon tea! This must be booked when purchasing your tickets

Team SOUS CHEF REQUIRED

We are a small family-run deli restaurant in Semley, just off the A303 near Shaftesbury. We take pride in our custom coffee blend, cheese room and light lunches and are looking for a sous chef to join our kitchen team. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday with no evening work.

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EAT, DRINK, AND ENJOY THE VIEW

FROM FIELD TO TABLE

A Dorset cafe with a difference, we champion homegrown and celebrate nature. Meet our Tamworth pigs, feast on our artisan produce, and enjoy our idyllic views.

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Thursday-Sunday 10am-3pm

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Lavender Keepers Sandford Orcas

Sherborne DT9 4FG thestorypig.co.uk

Get in touch with James or Charlotte 07802 443 905

info@thestorypig.co.uk

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A SUMMER ON THE PIG FARM

As the song says, ‘the times they are a-changin’ – the temperature has dropped back from a ridiculous week that scorched us all and everyone was saying ‘it’s a bit too hot’ to heavy showers that soak us in a minute. The seasons are turning yet again. Summer seems to have come and gone almost without us noticing this year – the time has flown by and now the days are shortening before our very eyes. By the time you read this we will have had our autumn

event at the farm – the last hurrah before the business of surviving another winter begins!

But I think I will look backwards not forwards this time, to days overflowing with gorgeous sunshine, tables outside filled with customers enjoying our view. All our young staff on summer school holidays and working hard with us – how they have grown! Not shy and quiet now but bold and skilled, with a new confidence that is so lovely to see.

James Hull, The Story Pig

Images: Katharine Davies and Lolly Agency

The garden full of the froth of summer, long hot days of buzzing bees quietly going about their work, busy in the knowledge it’s now that they have to gather a year’s feed in a few short months. A never-ending stream of gardening jobs and of new plans that we have brought to fruition over the last few months.

The pigs have basked in the summer sunshine, much like us. They have slept outside on balmy evenings, up as early as the sun rises, starting their daily rooting and digging. They have been content with life, wallowing in their muddy pools when it became too hot to stand. Grazing the long stalky grass, piglets appearing all at once as if on safari in Africa.

Long summer evenings when we had to stay up to see the sunset. And what sunsets we get here –our big sky full of oranges and reds as if the sky is on fire. When we could garden until we ran out of energy not light and when the air was filled with the scent of freshly mown grass.

And then there’s the lavender, full of promise early on, every day a tiny bit more purple, until one day in mid-summer it is in full bloom with thousands of bees jostling for lavender nectar, flying from stem to stem feasting on the bounty before them. In the early morning dawn when the air is so still the scent of lavender fills our nostrils, intoxicating summer right there.

Ducklings born under their mother’s wing, gently peeping out from under, growing unfeasibly fast until we can hardly tell them from their parents.

Our carpark over flowing with visitors, dusty clouds of summer dryness, children sitting quietly eating ice creams, parents relaxing with a cider. The gentle call of a name as another lunch is brought out. Charlotte making salad after salad, using everything the garden has to offer.

Warm summer evenings filled with homemade pizzas. The hot oven threatening to melt me as I work, families devouring bubbling slices of Charlotte’s pizza, while over the way the sounds of mother pigs and piglets having their supper.

We held special events at the farm, Easter and Open Farm Sunday – big events where we were swamped with visitors streaming in through the gates, where the fields were full of cars. The trailer rides stole the show as usual. Where live music filled the air as hundreds of people sat on the dry lawn as the sun beamed down on us all. We were lucky – any outside event needs the weather gods on our side to be successful.

Of course, there were plenty of wet days too this summer, catchy, gloomy days but those too have been good for us here. It meant we could plant out tiny lavender plants and never water them, not even once. It meant the ground was soft enough for us to dig and finish our new mammoth border. It meant the pigs didn’t get too hot. And best of all it meant our visitor numbers were higher than ever as the beach was less appealing for many!

And then with the blink of an eye it has ended, tucked away to save as memories for another year. It’s a good job we have our memories to sustain us through the long dark winter months to come. And then to look forward, in the middle of October we will move the tipi into our big barn for the colder months. We will make it christmasy and cosy. We will slow down slightly and only open on the weekends. This year we will carry on our pizza evenings on Friday and Saturday – many of you are already asking about winter and what we do. We do the same, just tucked up out of the winds and rains to come. It will be alright – we still have our memories.

thestorypig.co.uk

THE DORDOGNE

The Dordogne valley vineyards are spread along the banks of the many rivers of the region. This is bastide country where, in the days when England owned the duchy of Aquitaine, defensible fortified castles were built to deter unwanted visitors.

Nature is at its kindest in Aquitaine. Green valleys cut into the stony upland of Perigueux offering visitors a wonderfully mild, sunny climate.

The Dordogne has long been a favourite with English and other north European visitors wanting peace and quiet, and warmth without excessive heat. For three successive summers, we came with my sister and brother-in-law and our ten children to share an old mill house on the Dronne. We swam and canoed and tried to catch fish from the Dronne. On Fridays, we shopped at the market in Riberac carrying away whole boxes of locally grown peaches, apricots, strawberries and vegetables.

It seems that God himself breathed life into the region. A German adage has it that God looked down on his creation in Aquitaine and was pleased.

In those days our children were in the 5-15 age range so we didn’t often venture too far from the riverside. But we did make an annual outing to the prehistoric caves and learn why the Dordogne is considered the cradle of the modern world with evidence of human life and prehistoric art from 20,000 years ago.

Interestingly, the Dordogne was the first place that

the Romans chose to develop their wine interests, using local cabernets and merlot to make robust and enjoyable wines.

However, it must be admitted when the best versions of Medoc, Graves, St Emilion and Pomerol using the same grapes appeared, the Dordogne wines were seen as country bumpkins.

Nevertheless, they produce thoroughly respectable reds and whites which are a delight with their robust local cuisine. For the whites, they use semillon and sauvignon blanc while the Cotes de Bergerac has some distinguished reds from cabernets and merlot.

For me, the real delight of the region is the sweeter white wines of Monbazillac. They have always had a certain charm but the quality shot up in the 1990s when machine picking was abandoned in favour of hand harvesting. They now produce some very distinguished wines of great character and style, which can compete with their near neighbours in Sauternes and even with 3 or 4 puttonyos Tokaji wines.

I really enjoy sweet wines after the main course when on holiday. They are really enjoyable as conversation rambles on after eating outside in a friendly market square restaurant. At its best, Monbazillac is exuberant. Walnuts are a speciality of the region. Why not surprise yourself and your guests with a glass of Monbazillac with walnuts before all trace of summer disappears?

David Copp

Joanna Urwin/Shutterstock

Despite the weather in July and August, I loved sitting in my garden, emptying my mind of the day-to-day trials and tribulations that affect us all, just letting a thought or memory emerge occasionally. Very relaxing. Not so for our terrier, Jessica, whose radar seems to be constantly set on high alert for any distraction that could justify a good bark. Not only is Jess clearly bored with the whole garden thing, she is desperate to explore the neighbourhood, usually in search of anything edible. Jessica-proofing the back garden has proven to be a challenge as in her younger days, she could climb a 5-foot chicken-wire fence using her claws like a cat climbing a tree and then fling herself off the other side. Although now too old, this escape manoeuvre has resulted in arthritis in both her elbows and a chronic lameness that cannot be cured, only managed.

Long-standing conditions like arthritis, allergic skin disease, epilepsy and heart disease are not only worrying for owners and debilitating for patients, they are expensive. Despite the marvels of modern medicine, there are plenty of things we cannot cure, particularly degenerative disorders which by definition means something is wearing out. We are better at dealing with chronic inflammatory diseases but a measure of control is often the best outcome, relapses being common. Effective management certainly improves quality of life and the better the management, the better the life.

As for arthritis, a mix of inflammation and degeneration, our treatment is still developing. A few years ago, the mainstays of pain relief, dietary supplements, physiotherapy and weight control were

THE LAME GAME

all we could offer. Although hip replacement surgery is now well-established for pets, elbow and knee replacements are proving much more difficult to develop. So in the majority of cases, pain management using medicine rather than surgery is essential to maintain a dog or cat’s quality of life.

There have been two recent developments in the treatment of lameness caused by arthritis – one using a monoclonal antibody to block the sensation of pain and the other using stem cells. The former is a simple sub-cutaneous injection given monthly, in the same way we give vaccinations, and is painless. The antibody in the injection binds to a neurotransmitter involved in the transmission of signals between nerves in the pain pathways. Result, 99% of owners report their (usually old) dog or cat is much happier and more mobile. This is an impressive success rate. However, the treatment does nothing to repair or slow down the damage in affected joints.

Stem cells have been talked about and experimented on for quite a few years. Initially derived only from human embryonic tissue (a controversial subject), stem cells can now be recovered from many different parts of the adult body, including bone marrow, blood and internal fat. There are several types of stem cell, all with differing capacities to change into specific tissues. Clearly the most useful type is the most flexible, being able to reproduce any tissue of the body (called pluripotent stem cells). Whether injecting some of these cells into a damaged organ results in regeneration depends on a number of complicated factors, e.g. local

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

Jaromir Chalabala/shutterstock

conditions, special chemicals secreted by other cells and genetics. As our understanding of this process is so incomplete, it’s hardly surprising that just throwing stem cells at a damaged organ has resulted in only variable success. Still, as our knowledge of cell growth and differentiation develops, stem cell therapy is almost certainly going to improve.

By a surprising stroke of luck, pluripotent stem cells can be harvested from the fat inside the body cavity. Fat taken from dogs undergoing routine abdominal surgery has been used as a source of these cells and after processing, have been injected into arthritic joints. The results were encouraging enough for the technique to be developed further and currently stem cells are being used in the treatment of damaged tendons and ligaments in horses and arthritis in dogs. This whole area is being turned into a new branch of medical practice, called regenerative medicine. Did I say degenerative disorders are incurable? In future I might say ‘were’ but there’s still some way to go.

Back in the here and now, arthritis in dogs in the UK is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions, with literally hundreds of thousands of treatments

given yearly. Although the multimodal approach of weight and exercise control, pain relief and dietary supplements will remain, stem cell therapy may well be added to this list. The first commercially available and licensed stem cell treatment for dogs has just been launched as an intra-articular injection, taking away the complications of harvesting stem cells directly from the patient. The jury is still out on the effectiveness of this new treatment and it still needs some special skill to deliver it directly into a joint plus the patient has to be under a general anaesthetic. What’s more, the older the dog, the less effective the therapy. So will stem cells be a panacea? Almost certainly not, as nothing ever is! One reason is the huge range of different causes of ‘illness’ which in turn call for different approaches to treatment. Perhaps, like gene therapy, stem cells will have to go through some ups and downs before the technology can be properly placed in our medical armoury. And only through good research backed up by properly controlled and conducted clinical trials can the secrets of disease be unlocked.

PASTURES NEW

John Walsh, Friars Moor Livestock Health

The practice has been established for 67 years and has seen many changes as it has evolved to meet the demands of our clients. The practice was started in 1957 by a vet called Norman Coles, who ran it out of a bungalow in Manston. Due to expansion, the practice moved to the current Sturminster building in the 1980s. This building is where we operate both the small and large animal veterinary practices, which became separate businesses in 2019; Friars Moor Vets and Friars Moor Livestock Health.

We have been on the lookout for a new site for a purpose-built building to house the growing Livestock Health business. Last year we found a site for the new build on the A30 next to Ambassador Pools in West Stour and after receiving planning permission this year, we are finally at the stage where we are starting the build. The new building will help bring the fantastic teams of vets, vet techs, TB testers, foot trimmers and office staff together again and provide a new base to meet the growing needs of our

clients and the local community.

Anyone who knows the Sturminster Practice will know that parking for the team can be tricky. New people joining the practice have all faced the fears of parking around the back of the practice! Parking here often requires the focus of a jet pilot with laser-guided, precision parking and manoeuvring skills. But even this doesn’t always go to plan, evidenced by the odd bump and scratch that appear on the practice vans! The new build will reduce our vehicle repair bill and parking anxiety of new staff members if nothing else!

Fingers crossed the new building will be finished by mid-2024. We will still have drug collection services for farmers from Sturminster, Blandford, Shaftesbury and Pearce Seeds in Sherborne. We look forward to welcoming you all to the new build next year. If you want to follow the progress of the build, check out our Instagram page @friarsmoorlivestockhealth.

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MASSAGE BENEFITS

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

Massage therapy is a simple and effective way to improve physical and mental health. Swedish massage is a classic form of massage that relaxes tense muscles and improves blood circulation and is most frequently used in beauty salons and spas. Swedish or European massage involves techniques such as effleurage (sweeping, stroking movements), petrissage (kneading moves) and tapotment (hacking moves) to stretch muscles and relax them whilst speeding up blood flow and draining the area of toxins.

Massage can also be used to manipulate ligaments and tendons while muscles are massaged, stretched and moved to improve mobility and to relieve pain.

The increased flow of the blood being pushed along the muscle also produces an increased flow to our lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a secondary system that pretty much follows the blood pathways through our body. It does not have a central pump and so relies on the blood pulsing along our arteries, veins and capillaries to push the lymph along. Lymph fluid carries waste products from our bodies so to can be excreted.

Massage feels so good because it stimulates the release of hormones such as endorphins that reduce anxiety, stress and pain. Levels of stress hormones such as cortisol are lowered, bringing down blood pressure and breathing rate. On a psychological level, empathy, generosity and trustworthiness levels are increased from the increased levels of oxytocin.

Back pain that is caused by muscular issues can be significantly lessened and an improvement felt in back function by having a regular massage. Having a nagging or dull painful ache constantly is very wearing, affecting the ability to work, sleep and carry out dayto-day tasks.

Massage can reduce headaches and migraine intensity as the movements can help to break down pain at the trigger points at the neck and shoulder which over time cease up and become painful knots.

Even after you leave the massage couch the benefits of a massage will stay with you and keep giving. Post-massage clients report a deeper and more prolonged sleep because antiinflammatory agents dull pain and decrease the heart rate – inducing relaxation in the mind and muscles. A particularly intensive or firm massage can leave you feeling a little tender or even bruised for the following 48 hours. This tenderness is a result of the lactic acid trying to leave the body and the muscle fibres being rubbed and pushed firmly to stretch the muscles and release the tightness. It’s a good idea to drink plenty of water after a massage treatment to help flush out the toxins and avoid a headache. And keep warm to aid relaxation further.

Overall massage improves general health, decision-making skills and enhances our performance at work by boosting energy and focus. A knotted back or body can affect our quality of life by restricting our activities and causing us pain. Try a more proactive approach to resolving the pain than popping a few more painkillers. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

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EASING THE SEASONAL BLUES

HOW WE CAN HELP OURSELVES OUT THIS WINTER

Annabel Goddard, Volunteer Marketing Placement Student, Dorset Mind

As I write this, I gaze out the window at a placid, rich, blue sky, scarcely dotted with clouds. The air has started to run cooler, with a slight chill that can only be attributed to the change of the season. It makes me happy, as I know there is so much joy in the cosiness and calm that comes with autumn and winter, however I can’t ignore the nagging dread that’s prodding at me. It poses the questions ‘How will I make it work for me this year?’ and ‘Will I still be this happy once it’s bitterly cold and dark outside?’.

Unfortunately, I can’t answer these until I am

dragged, kicking and screaming, into those winter blues that don’t seem to ease over time. I also feel a sense of urgency to absorb the last of the summer rays before it’s too late.

It’s suggested by the NHS that 2 million people in the UK suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I have found relief in external support from vitamin D supplements and a warm light lamp (consult your GP for information about supplements). However, I’ve figured out some ways in which to ease the winter blues naturally. It’s been a continuous journey and no two years have been the same.

Brave the cold

This can be open to interpretation. If you’re not keen on the idea of a November dip in the sea, wrap yourself up and have a walk along the promenade. If it rains, let it - you will appreciate a warm bath or shower so much more when you get home. I love feeling the rain on my face, no matter how cold, as it reminds me where I am in the world, and that jumping in puddles IS fun, no matter what your age. Look forward to those crisp, sunny October days but try to appreciate the ones in-between. After you’ve braved the cold, treat yourself to a cosy inside activity, such as watching a film or crocheting.

Stay together

We tend to lose the sense of community that comes with the collective good mood of summer when we all start to hide away. It’s so easy to put off plans because of the weather and with the cost-of-living crisis that is unfortunately putting another cause of stress on top of winter. Now is a perfect time to find free or low-cost things to do with friends. For example, join a coffee morning or a book club. If you’re not feeling up to making plans, make sure you check in with family and friends about how you’re feeling. Connecting to other people is vital in not allowing yourself to shut off entirely.

Keeping busy

Keeping a routine can help you navigate shorter days. I find it difficult to get out of bed when it’s still dark outside, however, I will always set an alarm for the same time every day. I make sure not to lie in bed on my phone, and instead, the first thing I do is make an (often valiant) attempt at removing myself from my duvet, and I’ll look out the window for a moment. Sometimes the sky is just waking up as well. I also make myself a winter to-do list in October - this includes a mixture of important and silly things, such as buying a new blanket or finishing a creative project. Having something creative through winter is an effective emotional outlet for me. I like to write - anything and everything I feel, all at once, down on paper. You don’t have to be a poet to write poetry!

I am still learning new things about myself and about SAD every year. Support through routine, hobbies and braving the elements works to lift my mood every year and hopefully, it will work for you too.

For further info on SAD, consult your GP or search the NHS and Mind websites: nhs.uk/mental-health and mind.org.uk

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BREATHING INSIDE (AND OUTSIDE) THE BOX

Dawn Hart, YogaSherborne

Box Breathing or Square Breathing is a wellknown breathing exercise used by health and wellbeing practitioners to help their clients relax their bodies and calm their minds. I learned it as part of my yoga training as ‘Rhythmic Breathing’ but it’s the same principle. It is simple to learn so is accessible for children or for most of us adults with busy lives and short attention spans!

Ideally follow the ‘settling in’ steps below and practise for 3 - 6 rounds to begin with. However the beauty of this technique is you can do it anywhere at any time. So the next time someone pulls out in front of you without indicating, you realise you’ve missed a deadline or if you feel overwhelmed for any reason… picture your box and breath around it for just 3 rounds. It won’t change the problem in front of you but it will have changed the way you react to it.

Settle

• Find a comfortable sitting position resting your hands

on your legs or in your lap.

• Close your eyes and begin to draw your attention to yourself rather than the sounds around you.

• Check your posture by tucking under your tailbone and lifting up through your spine, head centred.

• Take a deep breath and relax your shoulders as you exhale.

• Soften your face maybe swallow to release tension around the jaw or down into your throat.

• Breathe comfortably, don’t try and control it just breathe at your own pace for a few moments.

• Now with eyes open or closed visualise a square in front of you and focus on one of the corners. You will be using each side of the square to keep track of where you are:

• Inhale for the count of 3

• Hold the breath in for the count of 3

• Exhale for the count of 3

• Hold the breath out for the count of 3

Chanawin Tepprasitsakda-Shutterstock

The holds should be a gentle pause in the rhythm not a strain. Once you are comfortable you can increase to a count of 4 – this is the usual count given and if your aim is to calm anxiety or to gain focus, this is a good pace. If you are aiming to gently increase your lung capacity and improve your breathing function you can increase the count but always seek the advice of a health professional if you are unsure or new to breathing exercises.

I wanted to cover this exercise despite it being well known as there are a few variations I have found useful when helping people in my classes. In particular when they are finding it hard to focus at the start of the class or experiencing anxiety in their lives.

Rectangle breathing

Often to begin with holding the breath in or out can be difficult to manage, especially if starting this exercise in a state of stress where your breathing is more shallow. Follow the same process as above, the inhale and exhale remain equal but you shorten the hold in and out, for example:

• Inhale for the count of 4

• Hold the breath in for the count of 2

• Exhale for the count of 4

• Hold the breath out for the count of 2

Use the image of a rectangle: the longer sides for the in and out breath, the shorter for the holds.

Equal breath

If the holds are still a struggle, try dropping them completely and instead focus on equalising the in and out breath. Start with a count of 3 and build up to 4. All versions of this exercise work so well by calming your nervous system quickly. It decreases stress within the body but also gives your mind another focus away from the cause of your anxiety. It breaks the cycle of negative feedback between brain and body, giving you a chance to regain control. As well an effective ‘quick win’ technique the more it is practised both in and out of stressful situations, the greater the benefits in reducing long-term stress. Definitely one to add to the daily routine!

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WARM-UP

Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons), Communifit

We have an exciting October ahead, with lots happening including the return of our 5k and 10k charity run series. This month we have chosen to raise funds for Yeovil Blood Bikes, who are emergency medical motorcycle couriers. Please visit our website to book your place and support this worthy charity! We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the 29th.

I am writing this just after our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews have returned to school for the Autumn Term and therefore, typically after a disappointing summer weather-wise, we are experiencing a period of unseasonal hot weather – for many, the very definition of frustrating!

Despite this, the weather will invariably take a turn for the worse in October as we notice much colder weather, darker days and less pleasant training conditions. This can have an effect on our exercise routine, including our warm-ups. For many, a warm-up is an automatic part of their training, as is the cooldown, but there can be a temptation to shorten or remove the warm-up as the weather deteriorates. This is of course the worst thing you can do as cold weather provides the very conditions that demand a more rigorous warm-up.

The purpose of a warm-up is to prepare both mentally and physically for any chosen activity. Warming up increases your heart rate and therefore your blood flow. This enables more oxygen to reach your muscles. Your warm-up may be active or passive. Active warm-ups are the most common and involve moving

your body in an active way. Passive warm-ups increase your body temperature through external measures, such as a hot bath or sauna. Both are important in helping raise the temperature of the body, increasing the blood supply to the muscles, loosening joints and ensuring the brain fully engages with the body. Also, it is important to note in relation to injury avoidance that our muscles contract more easily as they become warmer.

There are many different warm-up exercise possibilities with dynamic stretching being a common and effective method of warming up. Dynamic stretching is often considered a more effective way to warm up and stretch tight muscles than static stretches, which include deeper non-moving stretches.

The two main benefits of an effective warm-up are to maximise performance and to reduce the chances of injury. Providing the warm-up isn’t too intense and we fatigue, an effective warm-up can help to improve results on our chosen activity as our body is more readily prepared. Cold weather means colder muscles and joints. Without an effective warm-up, our muscles and joints have an increased likelihood of pulling or tearing.

In addition to a sensible warm-up, we must also remember to remain hydrated in the winter months. Just as the warmth of summer lends itself more easily to an effective warm-up, the need to remain fully hydrated is more readily considered.

Both are just as important in the often less appealing colder conditions.

communifit.co.uk

Image: Dave Bendell

MINDFUL WALKS

FROM THE QUEEN’S ARMS, CORTON DENHAM with Ness Lee, Mindfulness Coach and Counsellor

A chance to slow down, tune into your senses, connect with nature, and learn some easy mindfulness tools to help with everyday life.

October 14th and 19th

November 11th and 16th • December 7th

Cost £12. To book, please contact me at ness@mindfulnessherborne.com 07702 374954 www.mindfulnessherborne.com

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN BUY THEIR FIRST HOME

Anne-Marie Worth, Solicitor, Mogers Drewett

For many young first-time buyers, it has been fairly common to receive a contribution from parents or family members to help with a house purchase. But with mortgage rates at a 15-year high, does the Bank of Mum and Dad really work?

You need to ensure that you can afford this level of financial support. This is important as once invested in a property, you will not be able to access the funds.

There are three ways parents can provide their children with funds to help them buy a house:

Gifts

You can give away up to £3,000 each per year tax-free (£6,000 if you haven’t made any gifts in the previous tax year). You can also make a tax-free gift to a child of up to £5,000 in the year in which they get married.

The principal tax to consider is inheritance tax (IHT). With larger gifts, these will be ‘potentially exempt transfers’ - if you survive the gift for seven years, it will not be liable for IHT. This is commonly referred to as ‘seven-year rule’ gifts.

However, if you were to die within seven years, the gift may be taxed at 40% (depending on the size of the gift and available allowances at the time of death), with the potential tax liability tapering down after three years.

Any substantial gifts should be formally documented in a letter or deed of gift so that there is a record for future reference or in case the mortgage company requires evidence of the gift. If your child is purchasing the property with a partner, you should also consider putting a cohabitation agreement in place as this will help to determine how the property should be divided if the relationship ends.

Trusts

A trust adds a level of security and will be beneficial if you have any concerns about how your children might manage the money if it is not immediately invested in a house. As trustees, you can continue to control the funds until such time as your children are ready to purchase a property.

Provided you do not put any more than your tax-free allowance for IHT, or ‘nil rate band’ (currently £325,000 each) into trust, there will be no immediate IHT implications of doing so and you will start the seven-year clock running to remove the funds from your estates.

The taxation of trusts is a complex area and we always suggest you take legal advice before going down this route.

Loans

A loan will not reduce your IHT bill as the loan will be an asset in your estates. However, it does offer a little more control than an outright gift. You should be aware that a loaned deposit may restrict the availability of certain mortgages.

If you later choose to gift your loan, any outstanding balance will at that point be subject to the sevenyear rule for IHT. As with gifts, any loans should be formally documented.

Other ways to help

Family offset mortgages and buying jointly with your child offer alternative ways to make a mortgage more affordable, although there are risks and considerations associated with both.

mogersdrewett.com

GOOD ADVICE

Mark Salter, Certified and Chartered Financial Planner, Fort Financial Planning

Choosing a good financial advisor is an important decision that can have a significant impact on your financial future. Here are some steps you can take to find a suitable advisor for your needs:

• Define your goals and needs - What kind of advice are you looking for? Do you need help with investing, retirement, mortgages, insurance or something else? How much money do you have to invest or borrow? How often do you want to meet with your advisor?

• Understand the types of advisors - There are different types of advisors who offer different levels of service, qualifications and fees. For example, some advisors are independent, meaning they can recommend products from any provider, while others are restricted, meaning they can only recommend products from a limited range of providers. Some advisors are chartered, meaning they have the highest level of qualification and experience in the industry, while others are not. Some advisors charge a fixed fee, a percentage of your assets or a commission from the product provider, while others offer free initial consultations or ongoing reviews.

• Ask for recommendations - You can ask your friends, family, colleagues or other trusted sources if they have used a financial advisor and were happy with their service. You can also use online directories or websites that list and review advisors in your area.

• Check their qualifications and reputation - You should always check that the advisor you are considering is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is the UK’s financial watchdog. You can do this by searching for their name or firm on the FCA register. You should also check their qualifications, experience, specialisations and professional memberships. You can ask them for proof of these or look them up on their website or profile. You should also check their reputation by reading online reviews, testimonials or feedback from previous or current clients.

• Compare fees and services - You should always ask the advisor how much they charge for their advice and what services they offer in return. You should also ask them how they are paid, whether it is by you or by the product provider. You should compare different advisors based on their fees, services, performance and value for money. You should also ask them for a written agreement that outlines their terms and conditions, scope of advice, fees and charges, complaints procedure and cancellation policy.

• Evaluate communication and rapport - You should always meet with the advisor before hiring them to see if you feel comfortable and confident with them. You should ask them questions about their approach, philosophy, strategy and recommendations. You should also see how well they listen to you, understand your goals and needs, explain things clearly and answer your queries. You should also check how often they will communicate with you, how they will keep you updated on your progress and how they will review your plan. ffp.org.uk

Here we go again – once more unto the breach. There’s no hiding that times are tough but fret not, we’ve been here before and together, we can find ways to protect your finances and look to the future. Let’s hatch a plan.

We always bang on about the option of upgrading your PC or laptop rather than buying a new one and the most productive upgrade is for the hard drive to be upgraded to an SSD (Solid State Drive). A computer hard drive (or a hard disk or HDD) is one kind of technology that stores the operating system, applications and data files such as documents, pictures and music that your computer uses. Unlike older hard drives that have spinning disks, an SSD stores information using special electronic chips. This makes it much quicker to access and save data, which leads to faster computer performance. SSDs are also more durable, quieter and use less power than traditional hard drives. They make computers and devices run faster and more efficiently.

To give you an idea of the different speeds of these hard drives I will give the example that a standard picture on a computer is about 10MB (megabytes) and there are 1000MB in a GB (gigabyte). There are more factors when it comes to SSDs but generally, transfer speed is up the top of the list.

The RPM (revolutions per minute) of an HDD’s disk will determine how fast you can read and write data. The higher the RPM, the faster the hard drive will be. The RPM rate of most hard drives ranges from 5,400 to 15,000. A SATA III data connection is capable of a maximum of 600MBps transfer rate but the RPM of the HDD determines the final output. A hard drive with a 5,400 RPM will have a speed of around

THE HARD DRIVE PROGRESSION

James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers

100MBps. On the other hand, an HDD with 7,200 RPM will have speeds of around 150MBps. That means it would take you 40 minutes to an hour to transfer 50GB of data using an HDD.

An SSD, on the other hand, has no RPM to consider since it doesn’t have moving parts. With a SATA III connection, an SSD can read data at 550MPbs and write at 520MBps. Speeds, however, will max out at 600MBps as this is the maximum transfer capacity of a SATA III connection. That means it would only take around 15 minutes to transfer 50GB of files with an SSD.

Now if you use an M.2 or PCIe connection between your SSD and your motherboard, speeds can go as high as 1.4GBps. That means you could transfer 50GB of data in less than 5 minutes.

While an SSD is faster than an HDD, a traditional hard disk drive is cheaper and lasts longer. So, it all depends on what you want to use them for. It is best to use an HDD to back up all of your documents, movies, photos and other files. Then you can use an SSD to run your operating system and programs as fast as possible.

While HDDs may not be as durable because of their moving parts, they tend to last longer as long as you don’t drop them! While an SSD can last up to 5 years, an HDD can remain operational for 10 years or more.

Hopefully this has given you a little insight into the hard drive world.

computing-mp.co.uk

SHERBORNE IS A HARD WATER AREA

If you suffer with the following problems you could benefit from a Water Softener

• Scale build up in pipes and kitchen appliances

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• Clothes not as soft as you would hope after washing

• Stained crockery and glassware

• Unpleasant tasting water

• Poor water pressure and flow rates

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JOBS FOR THE GIRLS

YSENDA MAXTONE GRAHAM

Jobs for the Girls is Ysenda Maxtone Graham’s third book in her trilogy on ‘lost worlds of Britain’, following on from Terms & Conditions: Life in Girls’ Boarding Schools and Sunday Times bestseller, British Summer Time Begins: The School Summer Holidays. With more than a hint of humour, Jobs for the Girls, sub-titled ‘How we set out to work in the typewriter age’, focuses on the trials and tribulations which confronted young women as they began their working lives in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, with a woeful lack of support or direction and severely limited opportunities. The book features the personal stories of many British women whom Maxtone Graham interviewed from a broad cross-section of ages, backgrounds, wealth and education who left school and entered the job market before the modern age of computers changed the working environment and introduced a more level playing field for ‘the Girls’.

Each chapter is introduced by a deprecating quotation. A school magazine excerpt celebrating the success of a past pupil, couched in the restrained and decorous understated manner of the day, ‘Elizabeth Thompson is very much enjoying her interesting secretarial work at Brompton Hospital’, where the drabbest job was made to sound enjoyable and fulfilling. Or an insight into parental expectations, ‘I was a bookworm, so my father was convinced I was going to be a librarian’ from Angela Hill.

Well-meaning parents held their daughters back, convinced that ‘their daughters’ schooling had never been

about academic achievement or equipping them for a career but simply a prelude before marrying a suitable man and having a family. Middle-class and upper-class girls were not expected to work for a living. Cicely McCulloch, whose father told her, ‘There’s no point in your having a career because you’re perfectly bed-worthy and will get married’, never imagined any other future. Parental control was, for Heather Hall, exerted in other ways: ‘My mother wanted me out at work so I could help with the household bills’. She was expected to come home every day for lunch and hand over all her weekly wage thereby restricting her independence. Workingclass girls accepted that they would leave school and work in factories or similar employment. Helen Shay, who grew up in Leeds in the 1970s, recalls ‘All the girls who left school at fifteen went to work at a mill or a shop or to be a lowly secretary till they could meet their husband’. Schools even organised factory tours for the girls so that they would be prepared to slip seamlessly into their future working lives, like Jean Dace, born in 1935, who ‘left school on a Friday and started on Monday’. Schools often provided an inadequate academic education for girls by omitting the Maths O-Level qualification, which meant that further education or careers were out of reach. Gaining a Maths O-Level ‘proved that a person could think logically’, and therefore could be considered capable of greater things. Lynda Kitching, however, having successfully passed her O-Levels, was told by her father that she could not stay at school, and ‘as a dutiful daughter, I did what was

Rosie Cunningham, Sherborne Literary Society

Stockbyte/iStock

expected’. Mothers also crushed ambitious aspirations – Janet Garner’s mother told her, ‘you’re not clever enough’, and Sal Riveière’s ‘mother thought that if we were intellectual no one would marry us’. Mary Villiers admits that, whilst her father asked her if she wanted to go to university, it was her school friends from Beaufront who had ‘an anti-bluestocking bias’. Maxtone Graham adds her own personal recollection, ‘women were just as much in charge of keeping women in their place as men were, as I discovered at Christie’s’.

Many women who were interviewed had ‘spent time being air hostesses. It was one of those little jobs you could pick up before marriage and drop when you’d had enough of it’. Frances Pemberton, who worked as Douglas Bader’s secretary, became an air hostess on his recommendation, and admits ‘I would never have had the initiative but for his advice’. Many jobs did not permit women to carry on working if they married, ‘Every female in the Foreign Office had to resign on marriage’. However, Maxtone Graham argues ‘those I spoke to who did willingly give up work to become fulltime mothers reminded me that motherhood is actually much harder work than paid work’. Chance connections, for example, Gill Blenkinsop’s meeting with the organist in her parents’ church, which resulted in a high-flying twenty-nine-year career at ICI, are uplifting, because ‘once you did get your toe in a door for six months and proved yourself, you were usually kept on’.

Unrealised ambition, low self-esteem and self-belief are common themes throughout Maxtone Graham’s insightful book, exposing entrenched expectations from society and parents of young girls at the time. Readers of a similar age will recognise and empathise with the personal stories in Jobs for the Girls, before the age of computers which brought greater opportunities but also introduced a ‘culture of keeping quiet’ in the face of blatant sexism –‘I didn’t complain about it. I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t get anywhere’ relates Sue Kipling of practices within ICI. Many of the anecdotes may seem antiquated and biased but soberingly are from women in our lifetime.

Wednesday 11th October 6.30pm for 7pm

Jobs for the Girls: How we Set Out to Work in the Typewriter Age

At Susie Watson Designs, Cheap Street, Sherborne

Talk and book signing with author Ysenda Maxtone Graham. Tickets £10 members, £12 non-members available from Winstone’s Bookshop and sherborneliterarysociety.com

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Suppliers of both new and pre-loved vinyl, official t-shirts, merchandise and memorabilia. Come visit and “Try before you buy”. The Beat & Track, The Old Shambles, South Street, Sherborne, DT9 3LN

07730 356719

thebeatandtrack@icloud.com

www.thebeatandtrack.co.uk

ACROSS

1. Part of the eye (4)

3. Impeccable (8)

9. Pseudoscience (7)

10. Seventh sign of the zodiac (5)

11. Level golf score (3)

12. Crumble (5)

13. African country whose capital is Niamey (5)

15. Two times (5)

17. Touch on; mention (5)

18. Ash (anag) (3)

19. Valuable thing or person (5)

20. Throw into disorder (7)

21. Expanded (8)

22. Areas of ground for growing plants (4)

DOWN

1. Not suitable (13)

2. Bring on oneself (5)

4. Putting down carefully (6)

5. Boxing class division (12)

6. Involve in conflict (7)

7. Brazenness (13)

8. One who takes part in a protest (12)

14. Rebuttal (7)

16. Resistant to something (6)

18. Door hanger (5)

SEPTEMBER SOLUTIONS

LITERARY REVIEW

Richard Hopton, Sherborne Literary Society

Interesting Stories About Curious Words

by Susie Dent (John Murray, £14.99)

Sherborne Times reader offer of £12.99 from Winstone’s Books

It is language which makes us human. The philosopher Bertrand Russell observed that ‘No matter how eloquently a dog may bark, he cannot tell you that his parents were poor but honest. Only language can do that.’

The importance of language is self-evident; how we use and misuse it is a matter of universal interest. Most people, most of the time, consciously or unconsciously, judge others by their use of language, their grammar, spelling and vocabulary. Unsurprisingly, this has given rise to a large number of books about English usage. Some, relatively recent examples include Lynne Truss’s Eats, Shoots and Leaves (2003), Michael Quinion’s POSH and Other Language Myths (2004), John Humphreys’s Lost for Words (also 2004), Simon Heffer’s Simply English (2014) and Gyles Brandreth’s Have You Eaten Grandma? (2018). These books cover various aspects of the use and misuse of EnglishLynne Truss’s subject, for example, was punctuationbut Susie Dent is a lexicographer so it’s no surprise that her book is concerned exclusively with words.

Interesting Stories about Curious Words is Susie Dent’s seventh book, all of which reflect a fascination with words which has been with her since childhood. ‘It was,’ she writes, ‘the start of a lifelong passion; some children collected stamps, others fossils or soft toys, and I collected words.’ This led in time to a job as a lexicographer at the Oxford University Press and, eventually, to being a television wordsmith, firstly on Countdown and then on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. There, she writes, ‘I am in a constant

struggle with the anarchic forces of Jimmy Carr’. She is also the editor of Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.

Dent’s book is an entertaining cornucopia of stories about the meanings and origins of words and phrases. It is arranged thematically rather than alphabetically - so we have chapters entitled ‘The Body’, ‘Fighting Talk’, ‘The Ruling Classes’, ‘Water Cooler Moments’ and ‘Gods, Heroes, and Monsters’, among many others. Every page contains something which will surprise, inform, or amuse the reader. For example, wholly at random, her definition of ‘Devil dodger’: ‘A colloquial name for a preacher. It may also refer to a churchgoer, specifically … “someone who attends churches of various kinds, to be on the safe side”.’

In selecting the words and phrases, Dent ‘applied just one criterion: that every fact and every tale might elicit an “ah!”, an “of course!” or maybe even a “what?!”’ No reader will agree with everything - that’s the joy of language. I, for example, take issue with Dent’s explanation of Dorothy Parker’s gloss on the phrase, ‘You can take a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.’ Dent says that Parker, challenged to produce a sentence using the word ‘horticulture’, came up with ‘You can lead a horticulture but you can’t make her think.’ I prefer the version which asserts that the sentence is the result of Parker being asked to compose a single sentence which incorporated the words ‘whore’ and ‘culture’.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Chris Bryer, ReBorne Community Church

Morning, lovely day!’ and ‘It’s a bit colder today, isn’t it?’ are phrases that we can find ourselves using as we meet others in the street. Thankfully, we live in a part of the country where people still say friendly comments to each other in passing.

Why do we, in the British Isles, comment on the weather? Perhaps it’s because it’s a safe topic, it’s something that we’re all experiencing at the same time and something that often changes from day to day (if not hour by hour!). It’s hard to imagine those living in Alaska or, in contrast, those living in Abu Dhabi, commenting on the weather, as it changes very little. It may also be a way of offering the opportunity for a conversation without necessarily expecting a response. Indeed, I wonder how we would respond if someone replied contradicting us.

In our vocabulary, we have so many weather-related phrases. ‘I’m feeling under the weather’ is one that we may all understand the meaning of but must cause confusion to those whose first language isn’t English, ‘It never rains but it pours’ referring to one bad thing happening after another and ‘Every cloud has a silver lining,’ even negative things can have a positive outcome, and so on.

One of the phrases that most of us learn from an early age is ‘Red sky at night, shepherds’ delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning’. This age-old way of predicting the weather, which continues to be relevant, indicates that if the sky turns red at sunset, the following day should be fair weather but if the sky is red at sunrise, changeable weather is on the way. In the days before the weather forecasts that the meteorologists provide us with, this was one way of helping the shepherds prepare for the next day’s work. You may be interested to know that this saying first appears in the book of Matthew, in the Bible, before being used by Shakespeare in his play ‘Venus and Adonis’. Matthew records Jesus saying (in chapter 16), ‘When the evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ He then goes on to explain to his opponents that they are very quick to accept the evidence of the sky’s colour to predict the coming weather but they are not able to look at the evidence of the works and miracles that He has performed, to see that they are signs which indicate who He is. Jesus’ opponents wanted Him to do something miraculous specifically for them. Are we ever like these men, in that we won’t believe that Jesus is God unless He does something for us specifically?

C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia books, wrote, after understanding that some people thought that Jesus was just a good man, ‘A man who was merely a man and said the things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or the Devil…’ Which just leaves us with the question that Jesus asked his followers – ‘Who do you say that I am?’