Sherborne Times May 2024

A MONTHLY CELEBRATION OF PEOPLE, PLACE AND PURVEYOR

CANVASSING SUPPORT

with Leonora Phelan, Anna Timmis and Erica Fairhurst of Art-Life

WELCOME

Iwas starting to think that perhaps spring had decided against it this year, leaving us like swollen grubs buried deep in damp, dark soil waiting patiently for the all-clear. Then lo, Mother Nature pulls a party popper and here I am scribbling out these words beneath blue skies and apple blossom, the garden suddenly a ricochet of bird song, bumblebees and brimstone butterflies.

And so, gratefully, to May… Paula Carnell embarks on a new adventure, Richard Bromell goes topless and Sadie Wilkins invites us all to what is likely to be the most gloriously flamboyant party Sherborne has ever seen. Giles Henschel is back in the saddle, Mike Burks makes the beds and restaurant manager William Scott-Masson gives us a taste of what’s in store at The Sherborne.

In celebration of Dorset Art Weeks, we guide you through some of the nearest 250+ venues across the county and visit Art-Life – a brilliant initiative providing a safe, non-judgemental creative space for people experiencing mental health challenges.

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

Liz Lawton

Jean and John Parker

Hayley Parks

Mark and Miranda Pender

Claire Pilley

Caspar Sheffield

Joyce Sturgess

Ionas Tsetikas

Lesley Upham

Paul Whybrew

PO Box 9701

Sherborne DT9 9EU

07957 496193

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

ISSN 2755-3337

Sherborne Times is printed on an FSC® and EU Ecolabel certified paper. It goes without saying that once thoroughly well read, this magazine is easily recycled and we actively encourage you to do so.

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither Sherborne Times nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. Sherborne Times does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without prior permission from Sherborne Times.

CONTRIBUTORS

Hayley Archer

Elisabeth Bletsoe Sherborne Museum

The Reverend Hugh Bonsey Sherborne Benefice

Richard Bromell ASFAV Charterhouse Auctioneers and Valuers

Mike Burks The Gardens Group

Paula Carnell

David Copp

Kim Creswell

Rosie Cunningham

Barbara Elsmore

James Flynn Milborne Port Computers

Simon Ford

Jenny Gibson MRCVS The Kingston Veterinary Group

Anthony Good Ezpresso Coffee

Craig Hardaker Communifit

Andy Hastie Yeovil Cinematheque

Valentine Heinz Sherborne International

Giles Henschel Olives Et Al

Sarah Hitch

The Sanctuary Beauty Rooms and The Margaret Balfour Beauty Centre

Richard Hopton Sherborne Literary Society

Jules Horrell Horrell & Horrell

James Hull The Story Pig

Tess Kelly Sherborne Sports Centre

Lucy Lewis Dorset Mind

Peter Ludgate Sherborne Scribblers

Florence & Wilfred Martin Leweston Prep

Jude Marwa

Paul Maskell The Beat and Track

Sasha & Tom Matkevich The Green Restaurant

Sandra Miller BSc, MSc, BCNH Dip, FDN-P Wholistic Health

Ben Morris Mogers Drewett Solicitors

Gillian Nash

Mark Newton-Clarke MA VetMB PhD MRCVS

Newton Clarke Veterinary Surgeons

Hilary Phillips Hanford School

Kevin Raguindin Oxley Spots Centre

Ashley Rawlings Savills

Emma Rhys Thomas Art of Confidence

Kelly Ross

The Art Stable

Mark Salter CFP Fort Financial Planning

William Scott-Masson The Sherborne Val Stones

Sadie Wilkins Sherborne Pride

ARTIST AT WORK

No.66: Red Deer Stag, Kim

Creswell

Willow Sculpture

Self-taught, and working with willow for over thirty years, I am now internationally recognised in the field of willow sculpture. Having developed and refined my techniques whilst moving around the country in a horse-drawn caravan, selling my wares by the side of the road, I settled in Dorset in 2003, purchasing at auction a plot of land and transforming it into a lowimpact, off-grid small holding and nature reserve.

Using willow grown at my land, near Sherborne, I produce unique sculptures, for public and private spaces. Since hosting the first class in the 1990s, by the side of a Dorset stream, I have shared my techniques for creating willow animals with over a thousand willow workshop participants and have recently seen the launch of my book A Celebration of Willow.

I am also the painter of traditional horse-drawn carriages and a qualified medical herbalist. Shown here is a life-sized red deer stag, made from willow grown in Dorset, on a hand-crafted metal frame, with internal reinforcement for longevity. A similar recently completed pieceMajesty of the Moor - stands at the frontispiece of The Exeter Inn, Bampton, Devon.

kimcreswell.co.uk goldberry_herbs

Kim will be opening her outside studio for Dorset Art Weeks (Venue 10) and hosting associated activities 25th May - 9th June. dorsetartweeks.co.uk

2nd–9th

May 2024

ON FILM

The history of Arab cinema has mainly evolved from political challenges because of the turbulent past of the Middle East. Just as Indian cinema developed from a desire to portray themselves and their culture as they saw fit, and not as Western, particularly American filmmakers were wont to characterise them, so too has Arab cinema, especially Egyptian, grown. Initially, financial consideration had hampered most Arab states apart from Egypt, which now produces three-quarters of all output in the region. State funding for Arab cinema from the 1970s has helped but this comes with caveats - no state would

fund films (and actively suppress those) which didn’t share their nationalistic agenda. The Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been in and out of house arrest for the past twenty years for making films critical of his government so finds ingenious ways to keep working. His latest film No Bears (2022) was smuggled out of his house in a cake to reach a world audience.

Palestinian cinema has thrived recently, partly because of new digital technology in the Middle East making equipment easier to access but also through the desire of younger directors, often trained in the West, to record the Palestinian resistance to their country’s

Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque

Cairo Conspiracy (2022)

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been in and out of house arrest for the past twenty years so finds ingenious ways to keep working.

struggle. 5 Broken Cameras (2011) is a documentary from Emad Burnat but also an Israeli, Guy Davidi. Burnat is a Palestinian farmer who bought a camera to record his family’s life but ended up using it to film the seizure of his land by settlers and the Israeli army shooting his friends and family. Each of the 5 cameras he used to film these events is smashed hence the film’s title. Elia Suleiman directed Divine Intervention (2002) and The Time That Remains (2009), both shown at Cinematheque, and both semi-autobiographical accounts of his life in Palestine. They are strange films with little dialogue and rather black humour, much akin to Jacques Tati, but with a political edge. Any of these films mentioned are worth looking out for and I would also suggest The Battle of Algiers (1966) and Lemon Tree (2009), very different (very!) but both bring something to the film history of the Middle East.

This selective history brings us up to date with our next showing at Cinematheque. On 1st May we screen Cairo Conspiracy (2022) the latest political thriller from director Tarik Saleh. Adam, a fisherman’s son is offered a place at the Al-Azhar Islamic School in Cairo, the power base of Sunni Islam. His family see this as a gift from God but when the school’s Grand Imam dies, Adam unknowingly becomes involved in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elite. Anyone who has seen Saleh’s previous thriller The Nile Hilton Incident (2017) will know what to expect – a fast-paced political drama, tension-rich and high on crime and corruption. Cairo Conspiracy follows in this vein whilst showing how the politicisation of religion is all too frequently used by the corrupt powerful. Essential, intelligent viewing.

‘A searing political thriller brimming with tension’ The Playlist. ‘A high–tension espionage thriller’ The Times.

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

Visit Cinematheque as a guest for £5, or take out a membership for the rest of the season. See website for details.

Wednesday 1st May 7.30pm

Cairo Conspiracy (2022)

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

FORM 2024

April 2 - June 1 2024

Tuesday - Saturday | 10am - 5pm

FORM The Sculpture Show 2024 at Sculpture by the Lakes

Work by 35 leading contemporary sculptors on exhibition in 26-acres of lakes, rivers, gardens, woodlands and courtyards, with smaller pieces on display in The Gallery.

Solo show by renowned wildlife sculptor Adam Binder in The Retreat. Includes talks and events.

Isis by Simon Gudgeon

Merritt Centre I Sherbor ne Girls I DT9 3QN

Sunday 26 May | 7.00pm

A concert celebrating local choirs and perfor mers within the beautiful setting of the Gransden Hall

£13

CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT

Rosie Cunningham

Standing at the Sky’s Edge is a wonderful, moving, musical at the Gillian Lyne Theatre and has just won Winner of Best New Musical at the 2023 Olivier Awards. The story follows the hopes and dreams of three families over a period of six decades, all of whom are living in a Sheffield high-rise block of flats. When the story begins, the flats are aspirational and over the years, fall into wrack and ruin, which is an allusion to the ups and downs of relations and family life. The political situations of the ascending decades have their effect on each family, reflecting universal themes such as unemployment, alcoholism, racism and violence. The musical is based on a funny, but gut-wrenching, book by Chris Bush written as a ‘love letter to Sheffield’ with beautiful songs by the legendary singer-songwriter, Richard Hawley, sung by a stellar cast of performers. Whilst I absolutely loved this musical and would recommend it to everyone, the choreography is at times a little baffling and over-busy, which tended to draw the eye away from the main action. Runs until 3rd August 2024.

I saw Tracy-Ann Oberman’s production, The Merchant of Venice 1936, a retelling of

The cast of Standing at the Sky’s Edge in the West End Image: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Shakespeare’s antisemitic play set in the fascist East End of London and very much on trend as a major theme of today’s religious turmoil. Oberman plays the Jewish moneylender, Shylock, a powerful matriarch who is vilified and racially abused by powerful men who menace and threaten her, daubing antisemitic messages on her Cable Street house, portrayed by Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, known as Blackshirts, in this contemporary retelling. The courtroom scene where Shylock refuses to stand down on the contractually agreed ‘pound of flesh’, sees Jewish vengefulness pitted against a plea for Christian mercy but always against a background of menace. This is a powerful production, made more pertinent by Oberman, herself Jewish, rousing the audience at the end of the play to join her and the cast in uniting against fascism with the rallying call ‘They shall not pass’ and ‘We are stronger together’.

The Holbein at the Tudor Court exhibition at the King’s Gallery (formerly the Queen’s Gallery) was fabulous. I am in absolute awe of his work and loved learning how he transferred his initial sketches, using a series of pinpricks, onto the final canvas. If you buy a ticket for the Royal Collection Trust, you can see all of the exhibitions there for a whole year if you get your ticket stamped, including Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography from May and Drawing the Italian Renaissance from November.

A favourite Christmas present was Jack Chesher’s book, London, A Guide for Curious Wanderers, and I finally went on one of his guided walks around the Strand. For two hours, a small group of us strolled the streets off the embankment, in and around The Savoy, the law courts and The Temple, directed by Jack, an Open City trained tour guide, whose eye for small details of historical interest and storytelling ability proved both interesting and excellent entertainment. Do look at his website for future tours which make sense of so much of London’s ancient backdrop.

skysedgemusical.com

merchantofvenice1936.co.uk rct.uk

livinglondonhistory.com

The new Audi Q6 e-tron, coming soon to Yeovil Audi. The newest member to our fully-electric SUV family takes innovation and user focused design to a whole new level.

The above performance data

Top features...

Full screen ahead

On Edition 1, the front passenger gets a large screen that can show videos and navigation.

SUV e-tron quattro.

A smarter way to unlock

Keyless entry allows you to enter your Audi safely and easily without holding a physical key.

A car with brains

Activate your own self-learning voice assistant that continuously learns from your behaviour.

Music to your ears

Four state-of-the-art speakers are built into the driver’s headrest as part of the Sound & Vision pack.

To find our more or to secure yours, please visit yeovilaudi.co.uk or call us on 01935 574981

Audi, Mead

| yeovilaudi.co.uk

SHAPING PERSPECTIVE

Hayley Archer

As a frequent visitor, I never tire of walking the meandering paths and trails of Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester, enjoying the 26 acres of lakes, rivers, gardens and woodland as they evolve through the seasons. So I felt excited to be drawn back recently by FORM: The Sculpture Show, an annual exhibition which this year showcases the work of more than 35 leading sculptors, all of whom have pushed the boundaries of their work to create something beyond the visual.

Nicola Godden’s monumental bronze Icarus Rising, for example, stands a gargantuan 5m tall – a sculpture so imposing that it is possible to walk underneath, through its wings to view it from every angle. Eighteen months in the making, every crease and fold suggests movement and struggle. Godden communicates the narrative as Icarus takes his leap of faith and while we know his fate, in this moment we see hope, ecstasy and belief on the young boy’s expressive face.

Sculpture by the Lakes founder Simon Gudgeon makes his sound sculpture début at FORM with the hugely ambitious Songbird, the chimes mixing with birdsong in the air to create a magical soundtrack that reverberates out across the park. Meanwhile, nestled among the gardens is Will Carr’s kinetic sculpture Fluidity, which appears to dance and play in the wind –a reminder of the changeable power of nature.

FORM continues indoors in The Gallery with a maquette of Nicola Godden’s Icarus – an opportunity to marvel at the evolution of the piece – and in The Retreat, which showcases a quiet, contemplative display by wildlife sculptor Adam Binder. Puffins, swans, zebras and polar bears cast elegantly in bronze survey their domain, while others are caught in motion, their limbs in wonderfully animated positions.

An immersive, inspiring and thought-provoking experience, FORM raises questions about how we interact with art and how far sculptors can push the boundaries with physical mediums. Just as the light and weather change during my morning at the park so does the experience of the various artworks dotted in the landscape. Having rounded off my visit with lunch in The Makers Yard Kitchen, via The Pantry where I pick up a few local treats, I head home feeling very privileged indeed to live in a county with such an internationally acclaimed art venue on our doorstep.

Until Saturday 1st June 10am-5pm (Tuesday - Saturday)

FORM: The Sculpture Show 2024

Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Dorchester DT2 8QU Gardens and sculpture park entry £12-£15. Book online at sculpturebythelakes.co.uk

HEDGE STORY

URSULA LEACH

Kelly Ross, The Art Stable

‘Colour establishes the mood and inflects the bold structures of Leach’s images. Through images of rare and surprising beauty, she makes us look again at our surroundings.’

Andrew Lambirth

Ursula Leach is a colourist whose subject is the landscape surrounding her. For many years

Ursula lived in Cranborne, Dorset, in the middle of big open fields and her work reflected that but after a move to Iwerne Minster, only a couple of miles from The Art Stable, she is now surrounded by a smaller patchwork of fields and woods, many of which are contained by ancient hedges.

So when Ursula saw an article in a national newspaper last year, asking for volunteers to survey

hedges for The Great Big Dorset Hedge initiative, she took part. That deepened knowledge added to her enthusiasm for this new visual landscape. Ursula has made hedges the subject of this, her fifth solo exhibition at The Art Stable, working up oil paintings and carborundum prints in the studio from drawings, colour notes and photographs, made from observing distinctive aspects of hedges in their settings.

‘The canvas provides a forum for investigating pictorial space, creating a dialogue between interior,

Isolated Hedge, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm

sometimes bare space (large areas of unbroken colour) and the hedge or the edge of the canvas. It is the formal demands of image-making that really engage me, space, shape and especially colour. Colour is used in a way that is non-literal. Placing colours one against the other is intended to evoke a parallel to the atmosphere of the subject (landscape) however different that colour is from reality. Colour establishes the mood and offers a broad range of optical and emotional pleasures.

Although I am a formal artist, I am also concerned with the subject and, as with colour, the liminal area between the abstract and the figurative.

‘Hedges are surprisingly colourful when you look closely, catching the light in different ways, dotted with berries or speckled with blossom. Playing with colour

excites me and hopefully creates the mood I wish to express. By radical simplification and constant editing of colour, shape and composition, I hope to stimulate a direct reaction in the audience.

My partner has been a hedge layer, grower and planter so the project makes a happy and perfect circle.’

ursulaleach01

Saturday 4th May – Saturday 1st June

Ursula Leach: Hedge Story

The Art Stable, Child Okeford DT11 8HB

Open Thursday – Saturday 10am-3pm theartstable.co.uk

Grown into Trees, oil on canvas, 60 x 70 cm

Winstone’s are delighted to invite you to celebrate the launch of

A Year on a Dorset Allotment By Lalage

Snow

Thursday 2nd May 6.30pm at Winstone’s Books, Tickets £2

ImagebyMerrilyHarpur

SHERBORNE DT9 3RQ

DORSET ARTS WEEKS

Open

25th May - 9th June

Thur/Fri/Sat/Sun

10.30-5.30

20TH CENTURY DESIGN, ANTIQUES, ART, LIGHTING, FURNITURE & DECORATIVE ITEMS

COUNTER CULTURE

Paul Maskell, The Beat and Track

No. 29: I, Musician: The Use of AI in the Creative Process

Much has been made of AI being used in the production of music recently and none more so than the completion of the last Beatles single Now and Then. Machine learning was used to recognise John Lennon’s voice from a demo cassette originally recorded by Lennon in 1977. His voice was isolated from other sounds present – a piano, a television in the background, an electrical hum – to make it usable in a new recording. The remaining two members, McCartney and Starr were then able to complete the track by adding their own parts. This was originally attempted back in the 90s but technology was not advanced enough to produce a coherent track of high-quality sound. McCartney, however, was able to use some guitar parts including a solo recorded by George Harrison on the failed attempt, to enhance the new version. The end result was a song featuring all four members of the Beatles (2 alive, 2 deceased), originally demoed by Lennon in ‘77, partly resurrected in ‘92 with Harrison present and finally completed in 2023. A song that has had its critics but a good Beatles song all the same. In this example, AI helped turn an idea logged on

comparatively lo-fi technology by a single member of a band (since deceased) and managed to help turn the isolated vocal into a complete single featuring the whole band in one form or another. AI was used as an enhancement. The players and singers on this song were actually the Beatles. The technology used did not replace the creative input from the artists but merely enabled the creativity to be produced/released into the world in as best a quality as is currently available. Love or hate the Beatles, a lost, original song written by John Lennon, featuring all four members completed some 46 years after its idea was originally conceived is surely a thing of beauty and wonder.

There is, however, a darker side to the use of AI in music – full of conspiracy and ultimately fear. The use of ‘Generative’ AI to produce music is becoming more widely accessible. Money is a major player in the use of generative AI in music-making, gaming, for instance. An AI-powered Video Soundtrack Genie is in use that scans video to instantly generate musical soundtrack options. Show the right computer program your images and it will create a suitable musical accompaniment?

It’s currently possible to use AI to write lyrics for

Nadia Snopek/Shutterstock

you based on a rough idea. Take these lyrics and plumb them into an AI music generator. Tell it what style of music you want and the finished product will be a competent-sounding song produced by using the huge, boundless amount of information and algorithmic processes across the internet to decide the ‘best’ way of presenting this song to the world. The vocals can be cloned from an existing artist or completely computergenerated. Chord progressions will be chosen for you based on the ‘feel’ that you want or indeed how the AI system translates your requirements. With a very basic idea, AI will do all the work for you. Polished music with a polished music video to go with it if required. A whole package created with very minimal input or indeed skill from you. This is great when you need a little bit of royalty-free music for your Instagram reel etc but what does the future hold? Will record labels cease to exist and instead we’ll be told what we like and in turn it will be manufactured for us, cutting out the need for the human touch? Do bands/artists already exist that have no human members? Are we already listening to music that is created for us assuming we will always follow the algorithm? Is there a board meeting currently in progress where the IT department of a global music company are directing an AI generative program thus:

• Produce lyrics for a 3-minute 30-second song about ‘lost love’

• Produce music in the style of a rock ballad to include one guitar solo/bridge

• Female vocals in the style of Taylor Swift

• Start song with super catchy chorus

• Appeal to a 13-22-year-old demographic

• Issue as ‘new’ artist’s debut single

EM_ST.qxp_Layout 1 16/04/2024 10:21 Page 1

• Produce 6 x singles over next 3-4 months and release

12 track album within six months

•

How many times have you relied on an algorithm to tell you that ‘Because you liked this, you may like…’ and you didn’t? Love/hate of anything is pretty much subjective. I love Nine Inch Nails. You may very well hate them for the same reasons that I am obsessed with them. It’s this subjectivity that breeds creativity. Trent Reznor doesn’t create in order to please everybody. Primarily he creates to please himself and knowing that a particular piece of music/song pleases him puts him in a position where he can expect others to feel the same. It’s surely the base emotion that birthed the original idea that we subconsciously crave and ultimately love. It’s that connection that ignites us and makes us crave one another.

Should we embrace this future? Welcome the technology that is ever-developing? Will this technology enhance our enjoyment and creativity or determine it and replace it?

The future has to be exciting, right?

Well, I’m off to watch five humans hit things, strum things and sing about how they feel and how I might feel about life, love and hate. But hey, that’s just me.

thebeatandtrack.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

THE FREE WESSEX ARTS AND CULTURE GUIDE

EVOLVER MAGAZINE

Pick up your copy at arts venues, galleries, museums, art shops, cafés, libraries and tourist information centres (etc) throughout Dorset, Somerset, East Devon, West Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath Or subscribe online at: evolver.org.uk Instagram: evolvermagazine

Mondays 11am-12.30pm

Nature Writing for Fun

Sherborne Library, Hound Street

Fun creative writing exercises, using nature and the outdoors as inspiration.

Mondays 1.30pm-3.30pm

Craft and Chat Group

Sherborne Library, Hound Street Bring along your current project and meet others.

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, Terrace Playing Fields. 01963 210409. bridgewebs.com/sherborne

Tuesdays 10am-12pm

Fine Folk Dancing

Charlton Horethorne Village Hall

£3 per session. Beginners welcome. 01963 220640.

Every last Wednesday

WHAT'S ON

Military History Talk via Zoom £5, information jameskrporter@aol.com

Every 1st Thursday 9.30am Netwalk for Business

Owners & Entrepreneurs Pageant Gardens. @Netwalksherborne

Every 2nd & 4th Thursday 10am-12.30pm

Castleton Probus Club

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

Thursdays 2pm-4pm & Fridays 11am-1pm

Digital Champions Sessions

Sherborne Library, Hound Street Bookable sessions for help with basic skills using your own device or a library computer. sherbornelibrary@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

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

Fridays 3.30pm-5pm

Children’s Board Games Club

Sherborne Library, Hound Street Drop-in for children age 5 and over. Play board games, including chess, or bring one of your own.

Every Saturday 7.30pm-10pm

Whist Drive

Trinity Church, Lysander Road, Yeovil BA20 2BU. £5 including raffle. Contact Nigel 01935 862325

Until Saturday 1st June

FORM The Sculpture Show 2024

Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8QU. 07887 906818 gallerybythelakes.co.uk

(see page 16)

Thursday 2nd - Thursday 9th

Sherborne Abbey Festival

Venues across Sherborne

The annual, week-long celebration of music returns! Opera, choral, classical, jazz, swing and more. Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk/sherborneabbeyfestival or call 0333 666 3366. Free entry to many performances. sherborneabbeyfestival.org

Saturday 4th 10am-4pm

PBFA Book Fair

Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road

£1 on the door or free if you bring the Sherborne Times. Info: Chapter House

8th May: The Mayan Civilisation of Central America:

Join us on the first Wednesday of the month at 3pm and 7pm Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AA

Books, 01935 816262.

Monday 6th sellers 7am, buyers before 7.30am - £5, buyers - by donation

Alweston Car Boot Sale

Info: 01963 23436

Monday 6th 2pm-4.30pm

Duck Race and Cream Teas

The Mill, Goathill. £1 per duck. ‘Exstreamly’ good fun! 01963 250611 trudywest11@gmail.com

Tuesday 7th 5.15pm-6.30pm

Talking to the Top Live

Digby Hall, Hound Street

With The Rt Hon Lord Mark Sedwill £5 adult, £3 student. 50% of proceeds to The Rendezvous. Bookings through trybooking.com

Wednesday 8th 11am

Sherborne ProbusA Trip Down the Charente

The Grange Hotel, Oborne DT9 4LA

Wednesday 8th 3pm and 7pm

The Arts Society Sherborne

- The Mayan Civilisation of Central America

Digby Hall, Hound Street

Free for members, £10 for non-members

MAY 2024

theartssocietysherborne.org

Thursday 9th 7.30pm

Sherborne and District

Gardeners’ AssociationAll Aspects of Topiary Talk and brief AGM. All are welcome. Visitors £3. 01935 389375

Sunday 12th 8am (sellers)

9am (buyers)

Car Boot Sale

The Terraces, Sherborne, DT9 5NS Raising funds for Friends of The Yeatman Hospital.

Sunday 12th 11.30am-3.30pm

Sherborne Steam & Waterwheel Centre One Day Castleton Pumping Station, Oborne Road DT9 3RX Entry free, donations welcome bellisspr@hotmail.com

Tuesday 14th 8pm-9.30pm

Singing Bowl Soundbath

Griffiths Room, Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Rd DT9 3LN. £16. Please book in advance 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com

Saturday 18th 10am-4pm Poyntington May Fair

Promoting a local clothing culture

Manor House, Poyntington, Sherborne DT9 4LF. Stalls and refreshments. 2pm children’s fancy dress competition (book character). 11.30am and 1pm Wessex Morris Men. Free entry.

Saturday 18th 10am-12.30pm (last repair 12.15pm)

Repair Cafe

Cheap Street Church Hall, Sherborne

Bring household items to be repaired and avoid landfill. Volunteers and repairers needed. repaircafesherborne@ gmail.com or FB @repaircafesherborne

Saturday 18th 10am-4pm

National Garden Scheme

Dorset - Open Garden

‘The Potting Shed’, Middlemarsh, Sherborne DT9 5QN. Explore the new 2-acre Wellbeing Nursery and Therapy Garden. £4.50, children free. Cream teas. ngs.org.uk therapygarden.co.uk

Saturday 18th 11am-5pm

Mind Body Spirit Fayre

Digby Hall, Hound Street DT9 3AA. Therapists, treatments, exhibitors, tombola, medium demonstrations. Entry £1

Sunday 19th 1.30pm-4.30pm

Sherborne Folk Band

Digby Memorial Hall. Suitable for

Call: 07801 240103 Tickets: £5

all levels and all instruments. info@ sherbornefolkband.org sherbornefolkband.org

Sunday 19th 10am-3pm

The Sherborne Market

Local producers, suppliers, food, art & crafts. thesherbornemarket.com

Sunday 19th 2.30pm

Ukulele Singalong & Cream Teas

Church House, Bathwell Lane, Milborne Port. £5 each all inclusive. 01963 250611 trudywest11@gmail.com

Wednesday 22nd 11am

Sherborne ProbusAGM and Talk of Yachting

The Grange Hotel, Oborne DT9 4LA

Friday 24th - Saturday 25th

Defashion Dorset

Hawkers Farm, Stour Provost SP8 5LZ 2-day sustainable fashion event. 07801 240103. Tickets £5 Eventbrite. hawkersfarm.org/defashion-dorset

Sunday 26th 2pm-4pm

Singing Bowl Soundbath

Oborne Village Hall, DT9 4LA £16. Please book in advance 01935 389655 or email ahiahel@live.com

Sunday 26th 7pm

WHAT'S ON

Festival of Song

Merritt Centre, Sherborne Girls

DT9 3QN. A concert celebrating local choirs and performers. Tickets £13 from trybooking.com/uk/CWIX or email events@sherborne.com

Monday 27th sellers 7am, buyers before 7.30am - £5, buyers - by donation

Alweston Car Boot Sale Info: 01963 23436

Planning ahead

Wednesday 5th June 11am

Sherborne Probus - The Search for Great-Grandmother’s Farm

The Grange Hotel, Oborne DT9 4LA

Thursday 6th June 11am

D-Day Memorial and Laying of Wreath

Sherborne Abbey War Memorial. D-Day display of work at the Conduit. Andrewrbl@outlook.com or 07769 407130.

Sport

Sherborne Cricket Club

The Terraces, Sherborne,

Dorset DT9 5NS 1st XI. 1pm

Saturday 4th Bere Regis (H)

Saturday 11th Dorchester (H)

Saturday 18th Broadstone (A)

Saturday 25th Poole Town (A)

Compton House Cricket Club

The Park, Over Compton, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4QU 1st XI. 1pm

Saturday 4th Witchampton (H)

Saturday 11th Stalbridge (A)

Saturday 18th Beaminster (H)

Saturday 25th Poole Town 2nd XI (H)

listings@homegrown-media.co.uk

O

Swim School runs on all weekday evenings and Saturday mor nings.

All stages available including parent and toddler from two and half years and all other stages from four years.

MARKET KNOWLEDGE

ANTHONY GOOD, EZPRESSO COFFEE

Welcome to Sherborne Market!

What brings you here?

We have created a new way to produce coffee creating a highly concentrated, incredibly smooth, pure coffee, which we hope will brighten someone’s day.

Where have you travelled from?

We rigorously cleaned our shoes on the doormat before stepping out onto the streets of Poundbury and made our way to Sherborne.

Tell us about what you’re selling. Ezpresso is an espresso-strength, pure liquid coffee in a bottle. Simply coffee and water crafted meticulously to the highest quality, ready to be consumed however you can imagine - straight from the bottle, added to cold beverages, made into hot brews or impressing your friends with some creative cocktails. You can even use it in the kitchen for cooking and baking. If coffee is in the recipe, this works!

Where and when did it all begin?

We started in New Zealand around 2021 before being relocated here to Dorset 18 months ago. Finally launching the product to the market in late September 2023.

What do you enjoy most about selling at markets?

Meeting new and interesting people, spinning a good yarn and having a laugh. Not to mention it is always nice watching scepticism turn to delight as people sample Ezpresso.

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

Beer From Round Here - they are lovely people and always have a great selection of the good stuff to choose from.

Where can people find you on market day?

Digby Road!

ezpresso.com ezpressocoffee

Hand picked & selected artisan market

Hand picked & selected artisan market

Flying the flag for local featuring local producers, suppliers, amazing food, arts and crafts.

Markets held between 10am - 3pm on the dates below.

Markets held between 10am - 3pm on the dates below.

May 19th

April 21ST

Oct 20th

Sept 15th

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

10am - 3pm

10am - 3pm

May 19th

June 16th

July 21st

June 16th

Aug 18th

July 21st

Aug 18th

Sept 15th

Oct 20th

Nov 17th

Dec 15th

Nov 17th

Dec 15th Flying the

LOVE LIVES HERE

Sadie Wilkins, Sherborne Pride

Sand-coloured houses, chocolate box streets, historic landmarks, shops with heart, small enough to feel charming, big enough to not feel lonely, rural yet ‘towny’, well connected yet a hidden gem, local yet ‘international’ with thriving schools and characterful businesses, a community that always rallies together in crises, cobbled streets that always welcome you home and those Abbey bells that punctuate your day. Officially named the ‘Best Place to Live in the Southwest’ by The Times this year, there’s already plenty to love about Sherborne and I’m proud to be part of something to add to that list.

On Sunday 7th July this year, something is going to happen in Sherborne for the very first time, something that will become part of Dorset’s already rich history, and something that in many folks’ opinions – including mine – is well overdue. A celebration of love, acceptance and diversity –Sherborne’s getting its very own Pride.

For the first time, rainbow flags will flutter, our colourful community will shine and inclusive messaging will be sung from the rafters, ‘Welcome to Sherborne, love lives here!’

It’s hard to fully describe just how important Pride events are, not just for the LGBTQIA+ community but their families, allies and all of us. It’s about creating a loving and accepting world that we all want to live in. But Pride runs deeper than waving a rainbow flag in a colourful parade. It’s about reclaiming a right to exist unapologetically, being free to express yourself safely and authentically whilst feeling accepted, and celebrating a community coming together in love, against hate. For some, these events are a safe haven in a world that often tells them they’re wrong for simply being themselves – for existing.

Pride is a reminder that we’re not alone, that progress is possible and that our voices matter. It’s about representation and providing role models for

marginalised communities, for youngsters who want to be able to see themselves in the faces of others, out and proud, and doing just fine. Seeing ourselves in others empowers us to dream and believe in a world where love triumphs over hate. For members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Pride is more than just a festival – it’s a lifeline.

It may or may not surprise you but whilst organising Sherborne Pride, it’s been brought to my attention that for many, it’s a big unknown as to what actually happens at a Pride event. So, I thought this was as good a place as any to give you an idea. Historically, Pride is a protest. However, nowadays, in a world where some progress has been made, it’s a celebration. At Pride events dotted up and down the country, you’ll find a festival-like feel – with a little bit extra. Pride events, big and small, all consist of a colourful parade, a programme of entertainment and a coming together of community – in solidarity and joy. At Sherborne Pride, we’re planning a vibrant parade through town, a fabulous street market on Digby Road and a jam-packed programme of live entertainment in Pageant Gardens – from music and comedy to cabaret performers, musical theatre and more. It’s an all-day event and everyone is welcome.

It’s been a bit of a ‘David vs Goliath’ project, starting with zero funds as a grassroots organisation for a great community cause. Everyone involved is doing it outside of their day jobs and from the goodness of their hearts. (I’m part of a core team of six but there’s a hoard of helpers in the pipeline – it takes a village to raise a rainbow after all.) We’ve ‘cold-called’ showbiz heavyweights, knocked on local businesses’ doors, spent hours scrolling social media and spreading the word through local (and national) press – it’s been a labour of love. We’re delighted to say though that it’s all paid off – we’ve gained invaluable sponsors, put together an outstanding line-up of acts, opened people’s eyes and warmed people’s hearts.

For months, we’ve had to keep coveted secrets but by the time this article goes out, the line-up will have been unveiled. So, I’ll say this to you now, how I have excitedly told others, it’s quite unbelievable the folk who are ‘coming out’ for our cause. We’ve got Janice Robinson, international musician and iconic ‘I’m a Dreamer’ vocalist – when we reached out to Janice, we said we were dreamers, taking on a mammoth task in our rural town and she has made our dreams come true. Cornish cabaret extraordinaire and RuPaul Drag

"From music and comedy to cabaret performers, musical theatre and more. It’s an all-day event and everyone is welcome."

Queen Vicki Vivacious will be ‘slaying and sashaying’ in Pageant Gardens. The Beat, yes that’s right, The Beat feat Ranking Junior of ska band fame are bringing their rocksteady beat, alongside Dorset’s favourite D’Ska Assassins. There’s musical theatre, bubble shows, lip-syncing, rock choir(ing), circus skills, stilts, Britain’s Got Talent’s Pi the Mime, spoken word, special guests, opera and oh so many sequins.

I must finish with this though…Pride is not just for the LGBTQIA+ community – it’s for everyone and in many ways, it’s the presence of allies that is most important. It’s a chance for allies to show their unwavering support and solidarity, to stand shoulder to shoulder with their loved ones and say, ‘You are seen, you are heard and you are loved.’

But perhaps most importantly, Pride is a celebration of love in its purest form. It’s a reminder that, no matter who we are or whom we love, we all deserve to live our lives authentically and without fear. Each year, every Pride has a different ‘campaign theme’ and for our inaugural event, it’s: Love Lives Here. So, as the rainbow flags unfurl and the streets of Sherborne come alive with colour and music, let us join together in celebration of love, acceptance and equality – for today, for tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Because Sherborne… love really does live here.

sherbornepride.org

@sherbornepride

Sherborne’s first Pride is a FREE event brought to you with the help of headline sponsor Apex Brewing Co., ‘The Beer of Champions’ and local ‘Brewster’ since 2015, supplying local pubs with unfiltered craft cask ale. Also sponsored by Battens Solicitors, Vineyards wine shop, Lolly Agency and The Sherborne Market. If you would like to sponsor, donate or get involved please contact the Pride team via the website.

Images: Tory McTernan

MACREADY’S AT THE SHERBORNE

William Scott-Masson, Restaurant Manager

Of all the many who have made Sherborne House their home over the last 300 years, perhaps the most distinguished of its inhabitants was the actor William Charles Macready. Macready was successful and eminent in his day and shared comparable kudos and celebrity as predecessors Kemble and Garrick. During his tenure at Sherborne House, from 1850-60, Macready played host on many occasions to his great friends William Makepeace Thackeray and Charles Dickens. Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote of Macready with much tenderness and admiration after he died in 1873. A plaque bearing the actor’s name can still be seen on the east wall of Sherborne House today.

It was the wish of our late founder, Michael Cannon, that the restaurant at Sherborne House be named in honour and memory of this much admired and, today, little-known king of the stage. All of us here wish to honour the memory and legacy of our founder. And it was Michael’s vision that made this opportunity particularly attractive to me – that we exist, in part, to help raise the funds to maintain and develop this wonderful project. In addition, opening a new restaurant has its own appeal. Assuming a managerial role in an already established restaurant means you are primarily expected to sing from the hymn sheet you are given. Conversely, with a new restaurant, one can be instrumental in composing the music, as it were.

While food and drink are our raison d’être, hospitality is about people. It is not just the quality of the food or the restaurant itself that is paramount; it is the entire experience. Our greatest aspiration is to give our guests exceptional service. It is about how we make our guests feel, and our level of care and attention to detail will determine that. Our staff have been chosen for their innate personality rather than relevant experience. There is, of course, no substitute for knowledge and that will be an essential element of their training, but foremost is the genuine warmth and care that our staff extend to every single guest who walks through our doors, whoever they are and whether they come for a four-course dinner or a morning coffee.

As Mahatma Gandhi once wisely said, ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’ This powerful mantra encapsulates our philosophy at Macready’s. We believe that true joy in hospitality comes from selflessness and the sheer joy of giving. It’s this spirit that we bring to every interaction with our guests, making their experience at our restaurant truly memorable. thesherborne.uk

In May, Dorset decides its next Police & Crime Commissioner. As your independent candidate with no party political agenda, my priorities are clear and direct.

Higher visibility of police, safety for women & girls and supporting our young people.

Change doesn't come from party politics. It comes from real understanding, being on the ground and a relentless pursuit of what's right for our community.

Pippa Strowger-George, aged 10, Sherborne Primary School

In the bustling classrooms of Sherborne Primary School, one student stands out not just for her academic ability but for her outstanding leadership and community involvement. Meet Pippa, a senior pupil who has been making waves at Sherborne Primary with her remarkable contributions to the school’s community and beyond.

Pippa takes on a significant role in managing Sherbean Cafe, a pupil-led community cafe that opens its doors to parents twice a week during drop-off. The cafe, run by the children, serves tea, coffee and pastries whilst teaching valuable business skills to its young entrepreneurs. As a dedicated member of the marketing team, Pippa has played a crucial role in promoting the cafe. Leveraging her creativity, she has developed a series of engaging videos to attract more customers and spread awareness about the cafe’s mission. Her efforts have not only boosted the cafe’s popularity but have also helped generate profits that directly benefit the school.

What sets Pippa apart is not just her academic excellence but her deep understanding of the importance of community and teamwork. As a senior pupil, she recognises the significance of being part of the larger Sherborne Primary School community. Pippa is not only a leader but also a mentor, guiding her peers and younger children with her exceptional teamwork abilities, leadership skills and high expectations.

Outside of school Pippa recently abseiled 160ft down King Alfred’s Tower, raising a fantastic £400 for SOS Africa in the process. In March she took to the Lightning Stage at TEDxShaftesbury Youth to deliver a passionate talk about equality in girls’ football.

Sherborne Primary School is proud to have a student like Pippa, who embodies the school’s values of community engagement, leadership and a commitment to excellence. The school looks forward to seeing Pippa continue to thrive as a community leader.

sherbornepri.dorset.sch.uk

Children’s Book Review

Florence & Wilfred Martin, aged 5, Leweston Prep

Frank and Bert: The One With The Missing Biscuits

by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros (Nosy

Crow £7.99)

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

This book made us laugh. Frank the fox was very naughty and ate the biscuits he was supposed to share with his bear friend, Bert. Frank spilt lots of crumbs down his tummy as he ate them really fast so he didn’t get caught.

He was a bit cheeky when he tried to blame it on the squirrels.

When Bert told Frank that the biscuits had been stolen by the squirrels, Frank was really kind to him and this made Bert feel bad that he had eaten the biscuits and then didn’t tell the truth. So then he did tell the truth and he felt better and happy because Bert says he forgives him and they are still friends.

We loved the pictures, the big bear had been scribbled in and the fox had nice straight hair. It’s really colourful and the pictures are big and happy.

WELL-READ

Hilary Phillips, Head, Hanford School

Image: Sam Pelly

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ Dr Seuss

I love reading and always take lots of books on holiday with me, generally sourced from a charity shop. I read them then leave them for the next reader, whoever that may be. It does make the suitcase heavy on the way out but my theory is it will be lighter on the way home. For many reasons, this is rarely the case.

Imagine my excitement then when I first got a Kindle! Thousands of books in one slim tablet. No need to spend ages browsing in charity shops. No heavy suitcases. No desperate last couple of days with no book to read because I miscalculated. Heaven! However, nothing has changed; I missed real books.

E-readers have become quite popular here at Hanford but perhaps not as much as you might think. Given that the girls don’t have mobile phones and iPads at school, you might think that they would be madly keen to have any sort of tech available but no. I sat down with the girls and asked them about why they thought this was.

For a start, one of them asked, ‘Why wouldn’t you want to come and spend time in the library? It’s comfy with sofas, Welsh wool blankets, deep window seats and toasty when the wood burner is lit.’ Another suggested that scrolling through titles and book covers on a screen just wasn’t the same as running their fingers along a shelf, pulling out a book and trying out the first couple of pages. There would usually be a friend nearby to give an opinion or make an alternative suggestion, so it was also a social activity. This led to wondering why different books were printed in different fonts and a lively discussion ensued about if fonts had a personality. The conversation then turned to how a book draws you in and suddenly we were discussing persuasive writing, advertising, graphics and the meaning of colour. Suddenly, a book wasn’t just a story.

We then talked about stories and so many comments were made showing just why reading is the most important thing in which a child should engage. Escapism, relaxation, ways to deal with what life flings at you, ways not to deal with what life flings at you. How to cope with the bully, the mean

kids, the failures, the tragedies but also the victories and the triumphs. The girls said that it was great to see their lives mirrored in a book; it made them feel more able to cope. Reading frees us from a fixed way of thinking. It improves memory, empathy and creativity. Being lost in a book was agreed to be one of the best things ever and there is plenty of proof showing that reading, especially shared reading, helps a child progress right across the curriculum.

We have a strong culture of reading here at Hanford. Prep is often reading, either for work or just fun. The girls always have a book to hand; fiction, fact, poetry, whatever may attract them, and they can be found reading whilst waiting for lessons, sitting in a tree at breaktime. They take a book on trips and have developed the useful ability to be able to read and not get car sick. The enthusiasm shown in our recent Extreme Reading Challenge, where we encouraged the girls to have photos taken of them reading in wild and exciting locations, illustrated the depth of feeling about reading here at Hanford!

All very interesting but I asked why real books are more appealing than a screen and the answers the girls gave are being backed up by good research. The girls felt that reading on a screen was good for short passages but they couldn’t retain as much information as they could when reading from paper. There is research available that posits the idea that the need to scroll, scan and refocus distracts the brain from processing deeper understanding. The girls also said that when you hold a book, you can see where you are in the story, you can feel where you are in a story. This helps with prediction, with chronology, with expectation. Again, research suggests that perhaps the feel and physicality of paper give a different cognitive and emotional experience.

There is so much we don’t know about the full impact of technology and so much we can lose by the wholehearted adoption of devices. Yes, they are amazing but here at Hanford we are not going to give up on the feel of a good, real book in our hands, the connection and empathy that reading fosters, reinforced by the connection with the paper and card in our hands.

SPRING

Open Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm (and Sherborne Market Sundays)

ON COURSE

Picture this: waiting for your fate to be decided, shipped off by your loving parents to study during your precious school holiday and far away from your friends and home. The dreary weather holds no comfort for you on arrival in the UK and met with rainy weather and floods, my expectations were low. However, this Easter, Sherborne International welcomed me with open arms.

Here I found an experience – a programme that revolutionised how I study! From learning new study methods to simplified lessons with bite-sized information, it is clear to me that Sherborne has specialist expertise in not only preparing students for

their exams but also offering intensive language courses for second-language learners. During the course, most of the time there are only between 2 and 5 in a class, allowing for the teacher to solely focus on individuals’ problems and difficulties. For example, at Easter, students are asked to choose three different subjects to revise each week based on their skill level. This allows for intensive tutoring regarding their skills with two separate hours each day spent on a subject. This sounds gruelling but the relaxed atmosphere and support on offer made the lessons pass quickly and productively.

It is a tiring and intensive experience but I really feel this is in a good way (!) – not only in consolidating

Valentine Heinz, aged 16, Sherborne International

"Learning to manage my time has been really helpful and learning how to juggle revision in the run-up to GCSEs."

knowledge but it has given me an insight into the intensity of what the world of work and my future might look like. Learning to manage my time has been really helpful and learning how to juggle revision in the run-up to GCSEs. The teachers amazingly seem to know all the exam boards and tailor work per student and as students, we support each other too. We shared thoughts on exam technique, the mistakes we have already made and advice from our ‘home’ schools.

Sherborne provides accommodation – in very narrow and high-up beds, which I managed to avoid falling out of and did finally acclimatise to - but with so much on offer, there wasn’t much time spent there! A strong team of house parents and pastoral staff, including a matron, encourage all of us to socialise with our peers outside of their rooms and forge new friendships. We were able to take advantage of the spacious grounds, including a basketball pitch, make trips into town, visit a local golf course and, especially during the wet weather, play table tennis in the hall and enjoy snacks and drinks in the dining room. The intensive language students also visited the Elisabeth Frink exhibition at Dorchester Museum and went to the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

Although cultures from many different parts of the world are represented on the course, we also broadened our knowledge of the traditional culinary delights of England! Ranging from fried eggs and sausages for breakfast – something no selfrespecting German accepts that early in the day - to a traditional Sunday roast; the menu is good, though sometimes the taste is unexpected! Students are also encouraged to try a range of juices and a salad bar and vegan and vegetarian choices are available.

Staff members are entertaining, some multilingual and house parents and others are on hand regularly checking up on us to check we are ok, with a genuine interest in our wellbeing. They take their jobs seriously and you feel comfortable. The younger staff were great fun and helped us feel at home. Once we were up and ready for the day, we had a study skills session each morning at 9am to help us make the most of our lessons.

Valentine Heinz is from Augsburg in Germany, studying IGCSE and was in Sherborne for Sherborne’s Easter Revision Course. This is Valentine’s second revision course at Sherborne, he came last summer too! sherborne-international.org

DRAWN TO THE LIGHT

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba

Gillian Nash

The Large Yellow Underwing is a robust, smart moth belonging to the Noctuidae family comprising in excess of the four hundred species found within the British Isles. A fairly large moth with a wingspan of up to 60mm displaying vivid yellow and black hindwings in flight, it is both resident and very common. Studies have shown it may have what is for a moth a long life of up to four months, if able to avoid predation by bats and owls. You may find the adult moths by torchlight feeding on buddleia and other nectar-rich flowers.

It is strongly attracted to light, often venturing in through open windows on warm evenings, crashing noisily around light sources in a frenzy of rapid flight as it seeks the safety of a dark hiding place.

With a flight season of May to November, numbers are occasionally dramatically increased along the south coast of England by influxes of migrants from southern Europe throughout the season. Early migrant individuals lay eggs that account for the first generation,

the offspring of which in turn breed as residents.

Larval foodplants are many and varied to include both wild and cultivated herbaceous species such as docks, marigolds, grasses, foxgloves and brassicas. On these plants, many eggs are laid in large batches. The resulting night-feeding larvae may be found in muted shades of green, brown or grey with a series of black dashes along the length of the body and appear from August, overwintering through until May. Burrowing underground during daylight hours for safety, feeding is complete by early spring when the larva now descends underground to form a pupa, remaining there at a depth of up to five or six inches until the emergence of the adult moth the following early summer.

The Large Yellow Underwing may be encountered in almost any habitat, both urban and rural. It is often found in outbuildings amongst dry wooden structures or stored garden furniture, scuttling mouse-like to safety when disturbed from its resting daytime cover.

MAYFLOWER

Simon Ford, Land and Nature Adviser

Of all the months, May and June must be the most exuberant in the natural world. It is quite hard to envisage what the Dorset countryside will be looking like when the May Sherborne Times is published. This is because I am writing this in what must have been the most damp and dreary late winter for decades. Looking out of the window at the drizzle and wind, most plants are keeping their heads down and I have only seen three butterflies since New Year! The sun has only rarely emerged from the dense banks of cloud and while it has been mild, it is a rare day when I don’t need a coat.

However, as the days lengthen and the temperature rises, our wildlife will inextricably respond. I am already hearing blackbirds singing in the dark at 6am, as an early precursor of the forthcoming dawn chorus. A dunnock has taken to pecking his reflection in an outdoor mirror we have put in the garden, thinking it is an impostor in his territory. Rooks have built nests in the old pine trees beside Clatcombe Lane. Pigeons on

Cheap Street are getting amorous, although, in reality, they aren’t too bothered which month it is!

Most trees are still brown and dormant but their buds are forming and early emerging species such as elder and hawthorn are showing the first sign of leaves, while blackthorn flowers are on the cusp of blossoming.

Along the path to The Terraces, the feathery leaves of cow parsley are emerging from the ground, while male and hart’s-tongue ferns are displaying the distinctive ‘fiddle’ shape of the first fronds. Along the wooded roadside to Beer Hacket, the lush green of wild garlic and bluebell leaves are emerging through the leaf litter, pushing aside fallen twigs as they race towards the light before the trees come into leaf.

On areas of unimproved grassland, such as at East Hill near Milborne Port and Coombe Valley at Sandford Orcas, primroses are already in flower but there are signs of the flowers which we will see in their splendour in May. The leopard spots of common spotted orchids are visible on rosettes in the grass, while

hairy knapweed leaves push skywards. Cowslips are starting to send up shoots and I saw a hybrid between cowslip and primrose, called false oxlip, already in flower. (Not to be mistaken for the true oxlip which Shakespeare writes about, which is not found here, but in East Anglia.)

If only we had some warmth, we would have

expected to see a variety of butterflies on the wing, including peacock, small tortoiseshell, brimstone, red admiral and orange tip but they are wisely staying down or still hibernating in our garden sheds. I am always amazed to see bumblebees on the wing, even on a bitterly cold day, although I have also found them dead, due to the lack of flowering plants and sweet nectar. Garden plants like winter honeysuckle, flowering cherry, berberis and ivy are a boon for bees of every variety, even when the temperature stays stubbornly in single figures.

If we are lucky, our ponds will be displaying large masses of frog spawn, with the first signs of the developing embryos of tadpoles. There are no signs of dragonflies or damselflies yet, but in a warm, sunny year, they would have been recorded by now.

In just over a month from now, when you read this, I am optimistic that all of the flower and tree buds will have unfurled, the woods will be alive with bird song and there will be a ground layer of gorgeously scented bluebell and wild garlic (or ramsons). Hawthorn will be living up to its other name, Mayflower, with beautiful panicles or white and pink flowers. Our roadside verges will be all frothy with Queen Anne’s lace (aka cow parsley) and those orchid leaves will have formed a shoot, with early purple orchids already in full flower along woodland edges. The early morning bird song will reach a cacophony and hollows and crooks in trees, as well as bird boxes, will be full of blue tits, great tits, tree-creepers and greater spotted woodpeckers. Swallows and house martins will be building their nests of mud under eaves and in barns. And of course, the skies above Sherborne will once again hopefully be alive with the screeching sounds of swifts, returned after their long flight from southern Africa.

How exciting to have May to look forward to!

FROM WINTER’S DREAM TO SPRING’S REALITY

Paula Carnell, Beekeeping Consultant, Writer and Speaker

As the gentle kiss of spring starts to awaken the world from its winter slumber, there’s a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. It’s a time when nature begins to stir and both bees and humans emerge from their respective cocoons, ready to embrace the warmth and vibrancy of the season ahead. In this transition, we witness a beautiful dance between the awakening of the bees and the reconnection of humans with their gardens, all while

hoping that our actions haven’t disrupted the delicate balance of the natural world.

For the bees, emerging from a winter spent in hibernation is akin to awakening from a dream of spring meadows. In their cosy hives, they’ve been tucked away, conserving energy and patiently waiting for the temperatures to rise. Now, as the first hints of warmth touch their wings, they venture out in search of nectar and pollen, their gentle hum signalling the

beginning of a new cycle of life. If all is well they are able to swarm, finding cavities in the remaining trees after a winter of felling and land clearing for new roads and Ash die back.

But what awaits them outside their hives? Will they find the lush, pesticide-free meadows they so desperately need to thrive? Or will they encounter gardens saturated with chemicals, their delicate ecosystems disrupted by human intervention? As guardians of the Earth, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our actions support rather than harm these essential pollinators. The fields of rapeseed may brighten our days with the zingy bright yellow, yet how good a forage is it for the honeybees, hungry, and like a teenager offered a burger, helpless to resist?

As humans step out into our gardens, we too are greeted by the sights and sounds of spring. But unlike the bees, we have the power to shape our environment, for better or for worse. Have we embraced sustainable gardening practices, opting for natural alternatives to harmful chemicals? Or have we succumbed to the temptation of quick fixes, unknowingly poisoning the very creatures we depend on for our food supply? Have the winter dog walks deposited the toxic flea powder onto the dandelions? Again, this year the sugar beet can also be grown using the very same neonicotinoids.

In my absence from a British May, I find myself embarking on a unique adventure in the tropical paradise of Cocos Keeling. Here, the bees know no winter slumber, their industrious buzz a constant soundtrack to island life. With year-round forage and a lack of competition from other bee species, they thrive in this idyllic setting, their work uninterrupted by the changing seasons.

But even in paradise, challenges remain. Rainy days keep the bees indoors, reminding us of the delicate balance between nature’s forces and our own desires. As I immerse myself in this unfamiliar ecosystem, I eagerly observe the interactions between bees, birds and wasps, marvelling at the intricate web of life that sustains us all. Greg and I are following on from the dream I had back in 1992, a clear vision of this coral atol telling me its name. We visited in January 2020, vowing to return, yet soon afterwards, grateful to have made the trip thinking we’d never travel again. Opportunities have arisen – renting out our house and relocating my business to Higher Farm in Sutton. I am writing this with just days to go before we fly out.

In Cocos Keeling, I’m particularly intrigued to

"As I immerse myself in this unfamiliar ecosystem, I eagerly observe the interactions between bees, birds and wasps, marvelling at the intricate web of life that sustains us all."

see how the island’s flora has evolved since the bees were introduced in the 1950s. Which plants have become their favourites and which newcomers have caught their attention? As I document their journey through the lens of my camera, I’m reminded of the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of preserving our natural heritage for future generations. We’ll be taking care of a small boutique hotel with just seven rooms, whilst I set up a bee project, working with the local Islamic community. I’ve always wanted to record a documentary about bees and this was the ideal opportunity. It’s not been without its challenges, even long before we could get on the plane! Visas, permissions, setting up a Community Interest Company so we could raise the necessary funds as well as ensuring my business continues and can pay the wages of my team left behind! Rande and Bee joined by Thu are now based in the inspiring regenerative Higher Farm Community Food Project, continuing the bee plan that together we have started. Following on from the work we did at The Newt, and the Dorset retreat, Louma, our sustainable bee plans are taking hold as more landowners realise that we can’t mess around with our environment if we want to keep the bees! When I return next summer we can make a start on the Apitherapy building, hopefully after I have made progress doing the same on Cocos.

As we transition from winter’s dream to spring’s reality, let us remember our responsibility to protect and nurture the delicate ecosystems that sustain us. Whether in the verdant meadows of Britain or the tropical paradise of Cocos Keeling, let us tread lightly upon the Earth, leaving behind a legacy of harmony and respect for all creatures, great and small. If you fancy visiting, drop me an email, we’d love to share the sunshine and tropical honey with you!

paulacarnell.com

TOBJECT OF THE MONTH THE

SCOUT BUCKLE

Elisabeth Bletsoe, Curator, Sherborne Museum

he precursors to youth work can be detected in the early nineteenth-century network of Sunday schools for working-class children and in the founding of the YMCA. Educational initiatives by the working class themselves, however, such as the establishment of halls of science and mechanic institutes which were aimed at creating a more equal society, faded with the defeat of Chartism in the 1840s.

The upper classes felt they needed control over the educational terrain and aimed to raise ‘a new race of working people – respectful, cheerful, hard-working, loyal, pacific and religious’. Changing socio-economic conditions led to the development of specially provided youth work to deal with the new construct of ‘adolescence’ along with the idea that young people needed disciplining as well as nurturing. Since there was less demand for child labour, more young people were neither in school nor at work. The alternative of being ‘on the streets’ rendered them vulnerable to drink shops and gambling, it was believed.

At the same time, Britain was convulsed with a national self-searching. No longer the undisputed workshop of the world, it sought a revitalised Imperial mission to which young people would need to respond. Those more fortunately placed felt that ‘something must be done’ so that by the early decades of the twentieth century there were multiples of local independent clubs targeting working lads and factory girls with the aim of ‘bringing the Public School spirit to the masses’. Participation was voluntary and recreation was put to the fore in recognition of young people’s need for friendship groups.

The clubs were framed within certain gender perspectives. ‘Manliness’ was to be encouraged in boys while girls were set up to ‘influence their sweethearts, husbands or sons’. Some groups aimed to rescue children from exploitation and social dangers; all were

originally underpinned by Christian religion. There was an undercurrent of fear, both of Trade Unions and socialism, leading to one churchman’s comment: ‘If we in the Church of England do not deal with the masses, the masses will deal with us.’ The founder of the Scouting movement, Robert Baden-Powell stated: ‘We must all be bricks in the wall of that great edifice – the British Empire.’

The Scouts were encouraged to become active citizens through education, adventure and fun, a concept developed through Baden-Powell’s book Scouting for Boys. The organisation’s logo, the fleur-delis, was originally based on an arrowhead but this was criticised for being too militaristic. It was remodelled to form a stylised lily, a symbol of peace and purity, as demonstrated in this metal belt buckle made by John Leckie & Co, Walsall. The central lobe depicts a Scout in uniform carrying a stave and there are two voided stars representing truth and knowledge. Its three points reflect the three Scout promises. The central emblem is encircled with leeks, roses, shamrocks and thistles and the motto BE PREPARED.

The buckle was owned by John Farley, who was born in Sherborne in 1933 and lived in Priestlands. At some point, he moved away and spent most of his career in aviation but returned to live in Milborne Port in 1982. Being a Scout did perhaps develop his sense of civic duty. According to his 2020 obituary, he was both thoughtful and considerate, being particularly community-minded. He became a County, District and Parish Councillor and, in recognition of this, has a bench dedicated to his memory in Milborne Port.

Sherborne Museum is open from Tuesday - Saturday 10.30am–4.30pm. Admission is free although donations are much appreciated. A new exhibition on Youth Organisations will be on display soon.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Barbara Elsmore

We moved to Sherborne nearly fourteen years ago and have been very curious about the goings on at Sherborne House while walking past almost daily. I have taken many photographs. I watched when hope of an opening came when the original developer repaired the roof and built a second staircase but we would have to wait until the new houses were completed on part of the site first. In 2017 things began to happen. The overgrown garden was cut back and some gravel put down to cover the degradations the driveway had suffered over the years, and it was advertised as ‘to let’ as offices. We wondered how a Grade 1 listed building could be turned into modern equipped offices. In July of the following year, a sign went up ‘under offer’ – what good news. Then amazingly a set of ambitious plans for an arts centre were available for all to see in the latter part of 2020. Could this be true? Would this really happen? Yes, it would and recently we were able to join others to see the unfolding metamorphosis into - The Sherborne. As I walked towards the front door, passing the joyful sculptures, I reflected on just how many people over the years must have taken these first steps in excited anticipation of what they were about to experience.

The last permanent occupier of Sherborne House whose tenure was very nearly as long-awaited was Lord Digby’s Grammar School for Girls. Previously the school occupied a large building in Newland,

practically opposite Sherborne House (now the car park for Waitrose) where conditions had deteriorated. The Schools’ Inspector delivered increasingly unfavourable annual reports on the inadequacies of the building. The Governors and Miss Billinger, the headmistress, worked tirelessly to secure the future of the school and finally, it was agreed that they should take over Sherborne House. Prior to the move, Nora Symes, a pupil in the sixth form recalled: ‘It was like being given the key to The Secret Garden when Miss Billinger handed me a pair of clippers and told me I need not hurry. She asked me to gather enough flowers and foliage for her study, the staff room and the hall and on no account to ‘cut them short’ as she was expecting a visit from the Governors.’

In November 1931 moving-in day finally came around. Nora again: ‘We carried over all the library books by hand. How proud we were of the hall and staircase with the famous murals, of the library furnished by Miss Billinger as her gift to the school, with a complete set of Encyclopaedia Britannica, given by the Old Girls’ Association. I loved the kitchen too, which was in the old wing of the house. It was there that Bunty Burns and I had to prepare lunch for some distinguished guests and we were shown how to poach salmon and how to make mayonnaise and cheese straws. We even made scones in case they stayed to tea.’

The school would be in residence for thirty years.

The Art Room, Lord Digby’s Grammar School for Girls

The Joinery Works, Alweston

Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5HS

Tel: 01963 23219

Fax: 01963 23053

Email: info@fcuffandsons.co.uk

DESIGNERS AND MAKERS OF BEAUTIFUL FINE BESPOKE JOINERY SINCE 1897

ROAD TRIP

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

Spring is well and truly here and summer is just around the corner. This is good news for classic car and motorcycle owners. Many are bringing their pride and joy out from their winter hibernation and are getting ready to take to the roads once again.

Certainly, our classic car and classic motorcycle departments are full-on with owners looking to sell. Not unsurprising, these departments are not at their busiest in December and January as owners are more concerned with salt on the road and making sure there is more than enough food for the festive season.

In March, we held our first classic car and classic motorcycle auctions of 2024 at the wonderful Haynes Motor Museum. Both auctions were well attended with the award for the person who travelled the furthest to the sale going to an Italian living in Romania who turned up with his translator (or even bodyguard!) and bought a 1918 Indian motorcycle for £30,000.

As usual, buyers bid from across the country and around the world in addition to those standing in the room, with a collector in Australia winning the award for buying a lot which is to travel the furthest to get to its new garage.

The replica Porsche 550 Spyder bought by an online internet buyer and being driven home to near Maastricht

Generally, cars and bikes bought at the auctions are trailered rather than ridden or driven away from the venue. This is a sensible approach as many of the machines we sell have had little use and will benefit from varying degrees of re-commissioning.

However, not everyone is sensible, such as the recent buyer of a kit car. The kit car in question is a Porsche 550 Spyder replica. The car was bought in kit form by the owner’s late husband in 1993. He spent some time building the car with its tubular chassis, fibreglass body and Alfasud running gear.

It is a good-looking car, complete with period bucket seats and a wood-rimmed steering wheel. An open-top motor, with no hood or wet weather gear, it was well admired at the auction and sounded particularly fruity when started.

With plenty of pre-auction interest, it was always going to sell well. Whilst it would never convince many people it is a genuine Porsche 550 Spyder (which is about £2 million), an internet bidder near Maastricht was the winner at the auction.

Not undeterred by driving the car with virtually no protection from the elements and driving a car he has never sat in, no doubt he is in for an epic road trip as he plans to drive the car home in The Netherlands. He certainly gets the award for being a truly dedicated classic car owner and I wish him every success in his journey.

charterhouse-auction.com

Forthcoming Auction Programme

Coins, Medals & Stamps

30th May

Model Cars, Trains, Dolls & Toys

30th May

Wine, Port & Whisky

31st May

Classic & Vintage Motorcycles

6th June

Classic & Vintage Cars

27th June

Further entries invited

ART-LIFE

Words Claire Bowman

Photography Katharine Davies

The Thursday painting class is in full swing and ten budding artists in an assortment of paintsplattered aprons are poised at their easels. The theme of this week’s Art-Life session is palette knife painting in the style of their tutor, Chetnole artist Erica Fairhurst, and, taking a selection of her vibrant coastal landscapes and still-lifes as inspiration, the group gets to grips with the challenging new technique. It requires a different kind of dexterity from the paintbrush and the students are keen to learn – loading the blade with acrylic paint and trowelling it onto the canvas before scraping it this way and that until an image begins to emerge.

‘That’s it – have fun playing with the texture of the paint. Enjoy the freedom,’ encourages Erica, whose course explores a different artist each week, from Frida Kahlo to Toulouse Lautrec, and whose efforts to gently coax the students out of their comfort zone with her own energetic style are clearly yielding results. >

On this sunny spring morning, the sun streaming through the windows of their studio on the site of Sherborne International School, the easels are ablaze with colour. Robin is layering golden skies above Durdle Door, while his partner Liz is adding inky flourishes to Lulworth Cove. Across the studio, Olwyn has swapped her favourite ‘smudgy charcoals’ for a zesty still-life of blood oranges and lemons. Norma and Lesley are bringing touches of azure blue to coastal skies and Amanda, who has under-painted her canvas in Erica’s trademark neon pink, has captured her style to such an extent that it’s hard to tell her version from the real thing.

‘Whether you’re an accomplished artist or a complete beginner who has never picked up a paintbrush before, everyone’s on the same level here,’ says Art-Life founder Anna Timmis, who today has also brought in armfuls of flowering currant from her garden to paint. ‘It’s amazing what the group can achieve in these three hours and how positive people feel at the end of it when they produce something they are proud of. We encourage people to pop along to The Range afterwards to buy a frame and hang it on their wall.

‘When they first join, a lot of people say, “I was rubbish at art at school. I haven’t done anything since I was 14.” But with the right tuition, everyone can paint, and we are giving them the skills. What we find really interesting is that as the course progresses people throw away the idea that art has to look perfect. In many ways it’s just like life – it’s an expression of what you are feeling or what you are doing.

‘When we go round the group at the end of the class and hold up each painting to talk about what we like about it and if there are any aspects that can be improved upon, it’s such positive affirmation of what they’ve achieved. Everyone knows that everyone in this room is vulnerable in some way.’

Launched in memory of Anna’s sister Sally and inspired by the much-loved ‘Art-on-Prescription’ classes she attended in Gloucestershire before she passed away in 2020, Art-Life provides a creative outlet for people living with mental health challenges, such as depression, anxiety, stress, panic attacks, grief, SAD, loneliness and low self-esteem.

‘We’re not art therapists. We don’t necessarily want to draw attention to whatever difficulties or struggles people are having but what we are trying to create here is an uplifting space where it isn’t about who’s the best painter,’ explains Anna. ‘There is no judgment – it’s just about helping people who need support make real connections and come away with something they can feel proud of.’

With art materials generously provided by Sherborne School and additional help from Sherborne Prep, the Art-Life snowball effect is clearly gathering pace. A series of three six-week courses funded by Dorchester Arts are scheduled at the Corn Exchange in Dorchester, alongside more Sherborne courses planned for June, as well as a follow-up to last summer’s exhibition above the Jerram Gallery in early July.

In fact, as far I can tell, there’s only one fly in the ointment: the dreaded admin. ‘It would be wonderful

if someone could help with that side of things,’ says Anna with a grimace. ‘It’s really not my thing!’

With a suggested donation of £10 per session (although people can pay as much or as little as they feel comfortable with), Art-Life has seen 70 people sign up in the 18 months since it launched. Many progress through the classes – from the six-week foundation course run by Quince Art School owner Leonora Phelan to Erica’s six-week painting course and then the fortnightly drop-in session run by Anna. For people like Elizabeth, an accomplished watercolourist who lost the use of her right side following a stroke; Suzanne who moved back to the UK from France after her husband died of Covid; and Ann, who was looking to fill a family-shaped hole after moving down from the North, the drop-in session has provided much-needed continuity after the two courses have finished.

‘It’s important that we provide that continued support, relationship and art expertise for people with the drop-in, otherwise the lovely nurturing, warm environment that people have really appreciated just disappears from their lives,’ says Leonora. ‘Since the start, we’ve been able to see the real difference the classes can make to people’s mental wellbeing. One lady brought her husband who had Alzheimer’s because she thought he would benefit from it. She said that he was the artistic one and she had never done anything like that. One day I said, “Go on, have a little go,” and she was like, “No, no, I don’t think so.” Long story short, she has now gone through the courses and it has unlocked something she never knew she would enjoy. We have had a few full-time carers, which can be lonely and isolating. They come to us for some much-needed “me time”.’

No matter what mental health challenges they face,

everyone who steps through the door of the ArtLife studio is treated with sensitivity. ‘One lady could hardly talk during the sessions because she was so anxious,’ adds Erica. ‘Quite a few times she’d turn up and leave immediately after because she found it too overwhelming. And then one time, on my palette knife course, she brought in her own acrylic paint and she said, “I don’t even know whether these will work because they’re 20 years old. I went to art school but for various reasons, I just haven’t done any art for so long and this course has just rekindled something.” It was so lovely to see someone with so much talent take it up again. She continues to attend every drop-in session she can get to.’

A pivotal moment for all the team, but especially Anna, was receiving a touching poem from one participant who likened the enthusiasm and warmth of the tutors to the ‘shimmering rising sun’. ‘Coincidentally “therisingsun” was the password my sister Sally used and it’s the reason we have it as our Art-Life logo,’ explains Anna. ‘The poem was such a lovely, heartfelt gesture. It makes everything we are trying to achieve here feel worthwhile.’

art-life.co.uk

ArtLifeSherborne

The next six-week courses start in Sherborne and Dorchester in June. Art will be on sale at the Jerram Gallery, Half Moon Street, Sherborne, from 9th-11th July.

Erica Fairhurst will be exhibiting throughout Dorset Art Weeks, 10.30am - 5.30pm daily. Fairy House, Stockwood Road Chetnole, DT9 6PJ. ericafairhurst.com @ericafairhurst

Graham Booth

SHERBORNE AREA VENUE GUIDE

Discover Dorset’s creative community, featuring contemporary work from over 500 artists and makers showcasing their work in open studios, group shows, galleries and events.

This biennial event organised by Dorset Visual Arts features 266 venues across the county and is a great way to see some art and craft whilst exploring the beautiful regions of Dorset.

30,000 copies of the free Dorset Art Weeks Guide 2024 can be picked up at cultural venues across Wessex, including galleries, museums, libraries and tourist information points. Browse the Guide and discover a wide range of artforms using the maps to plan the perfect day out. You can also access all the information on our website, and the free Dorset Art Weeks App. >

25TH MAY – 9TH JUNE

Venue 1

Housework

Photography, Textiles, Painting, Installation

Dorset Visual Arts presents ‘Housework’, the launch exhibition at The Sherborne, a landmark new arts venue for Dorset. ‘Housework’ will bring together work created during the previous arts programme at Sherborne House, 1996 to 2008; which was led by a dedicated team of artists who supported the Sherborne House Trust to develop a centre for the visual arts. The exhibition will showcase works that have documented and responded to Sherborne House’s past or where it was a catalyst for exciting projects. The venue will also feature 'Sculpture at The Sherborne' curated by Sandy Kirkby.

Artists include: Jenni Cadman, Karen Hitchlock, Stig Evans, Jane Burden, Jane Borodale, Peter Freeman, Tim Burrough, Zoe Barker, Amanda

Wallwork, Joe Stevens, Kirsten Cooke, Elisabeth Frink.

Curated by Amanda Wallwork in association with Evolver Magazine

The Sherborne, Newland, Sherborne DT9 3JG hello@thesherborne.uk thesherborne.uk thesherborne

Venue 2

James Budden Painting

Visit James in his working studio in the centre of Sherborne. Paintings and drawings in oil, pastels and charcoal. Portraits, figures, still life and landscape, with a wide range of sizes and prices. Including new work on themes of identity and perception.

93 Cheap Street, Sherborne DT9 3LS james@jamesbudden.co.uk jamesbudden.co.uk j_budden_art

Venue 3

Laurence Belbin Drawing, Painting

50 years of light, line, colour. Plein-air and studio paintings. The West Country captured. Landscape, seascape, cards. Showing handbuilt automata.

Westbury Hall, Westbury, Sherborne DT9 3EN info@laurencebelbin.com laurencebelbin.com laurencebelbinartist

Venue 4

The Studio Furniture, Interiors, Painting

The studio gallery of artist Victoria Young Jamieson. Including a group exhibition of local artists in the gallery.

The Studio, Unit 15, Old Yarn Mills, Sherborne DT9 3RQ studiosherborne@gmail.com studiosherborne.uk

Laurence Belbin

James Budden

Jenni Cadman

studiosherborne

Venue 5

Anthony Hossack

Drawing, Painting, Sculpture

In the setting of an old industrial yarn mill unit crammed with decorative antiques and curios (for sale), Anthony will be showing an eclectic mixture of drawings, paintings and sculptures.

Unit 13, Old Yarn Mills, Sherborne DT9 3RQ maryhossack@gmail.com hossackandgray.co.uk maryhossackantiques

Venue 6

Whitchurch & Forbes

Metalwork, Painting, Sculpture

John and Robert share an interest in traditional landscape and seascape painting. Both have experienced success by exhibiting works at local shows and previous studio events. This is their first joint venture and is well worth a visit.

Artists include: John Whitchurch, Robert Forbes

58 St Catherine’s Crescent, Sherborne DT9 6DE robhutch7@gmail.com

Venue 7

Norrie de Montigny

Ceramics, Sculpture

Play and explore with freedom, without playing safe, without planning. Let grow, with no interference. No signs of arriving.

Beech House, Bristol Road, Sherborne DT9 4HP norbertdemontigny@yahoo.com

Venue 8

Mark and Miranda Pender

Mixed Media, Painting, Performance

Mark displays an eclectic and quirky miscellany of paintings inspired by magic, music, myth, and mystery. Miranda plays freely with colour, curve and contour line in her collection of

semi-abstract landscapes - and may also be playing some live music!

Abbots Fee, Priestlands Lane, Sherborne DT9 4EY info@mirandapender.com markpender-art.com mirandapender

Venue 9

David Marl

Drawing, Painting

Small paintings informed by, among other things, my training in stained glass (ARCA) and love for the English visionary tradition.

St Probus, Marston Road, Sherborne DT9 4BL burgoyne.marl@gmail.com dmarl.co.uk

Venue 10

Kim Creswell

Natural Materials, Sculpture Willow sculpture demonstration and

Victoria Young Jamieson Miranda Pender

Mark Pender

display at rural, off-grid small holding with noted sculptor and author of ‘A Celebration of Willow’.

By the Ford, Moorway Lane, Sandford Orcas DT9 4RP kim@kimcreswell.co.uk kimcreswell.co.uk goldberry_herbs

Venue 11

Class Creative Studios Painting, Printmaking,

Multi-disciplinary

Seven artists at Class Creative Art Studios showcase paintings, lino prints, metal work and stone sculpture featuring Sasha Constable. Sasha’s recent sculptures are influenced by themes such as politics, illegal wildlife trade, mental health and humour. Josie Reay (of Class Creative) creates portraits in a bold modern style alongside Chris Wallis (Furniture maker) who specialises in unique metalwork

pieces. A selection of paintings and prints from the art group at Platinum Skies in Sherborne are also featured at this exhibition.

Artists include: Sasha Constable, Josie Reay, Chris Wallis, Pauline Devaney, Alan Steele, Jo Jukes, Julia Gill

Flock View, Tut Hill Farm, Tut Hill, Bishop’s Caundle, Sherborne DT9 5JG email.classcreative@gmail.com classcreative_artschool

Josie Reay

Venue 12

Elm Yard Gallery

Ceramics, Metalwork, Painting

Elm Yard Gallery has evolved from interest initially created from a 6-metrehigh WW1 soldier made from scrap metal by artist Martin Galbavy. Artists also exhibiting are Sam Dodd with lively acrylic paintings and Pippa Hill’s handsculpted ceramics. Artists include: Martin Galbavy, Sam Dodd, Pippa Hill

Elm Yard Gallery, Three Elms, North Wootton, Sherborne DT9 5JW elmyardgallery@gmail.com elmyardgallery

Venue 13

Peter Snelson - Coppiceworks and Touchwood Crafts

Natural Materials, Wood Holwell craft maker - using locally coppiced hazel and recycled timber. An eclectic mix of styles and materials. Reuse, recycle, reimagine.

Well Cottage, Westrow House, Holwell DT9 5LF jillnpete2020@gmail.com

Venue 14

Robert Woolner

Mixed Media, Painting

Contemplative abstract paintings and constructions in mixed media. Recent works are concerned with an exploration of colour and the grid.

Chantry Cottage, Glanvilles Wootton, Sherborne DT9 5QJ robwoolner@mac.com robwoolner.com

robwoolner_studio

Venue 15

The Old Cow Shed Studio & Old School House Vineyard

Painting

52: a year of paintings capturing Dorset’s changing seasons, weather, light and colours. Beautiful period barn studio, wildflower meadow and half-acre vineyard growing Seyval Blanc, producing white, rose and fizz artisan English wines. Vineyard tours and tastings available at weekends. Artist include: Anne-Louise Bellis, Charles Dutton

The Old Cow Shed Studio & Old School House Vineyard, Manor Farm,

Glanvilles Wootton, DT9 5PZ albellis@btinternet.com theoldcowshedstudio.co.uk theoldcowshedstudio

Venue 16

Michelle McCullagh

Drawing, Painting

Michelle paints large oil paintings of horses and animals in movement and colour. A substantial collection of drawings and small oil studies will be on display alongside larger works.

The Wagon Barn, Westrow Farm, Holwell, Sherborne DT9 5LF michelle@mccullagh.co.uk mccullagh.co.uk m.mccullagh

Venue 17

Graham Church

Metalwork, Sculpture, Wood

Original ideas, non-standard. Rustic designs for house and garden. Wood, metal and found objects. Reused and recycled. Cards, paintings.

Providence Place, Holnest, Nr Sherborne DT9 6HA church938@btinternet.com

Alan Steele Jane Coxhill

oliviawilloughbyart.co.uk

Venue 18

Graham Booth

Photography

A distillation of Graham’s 40-year photographic journey from urban to rural, from country to country and from representation to abstraction.

Yew Tree House, Hermitage, Dorchester DT2 7BB info@grahamboothphotography.com grahamboothphotography.com photos_by_basher

Venue 19

Olivia Willoughby Art

Painting, Stone, Pastel

Olivia is a realist artist specialising in fine art portraits of people, animals and wildlife, including big cats. Capturing the soul in oils and pastels. Toby is a highly skilled stone carver, producing beautiful sculptures, stoneware and alabaster bowls.

Artists include: Olivia Willoughby, Toby Willoughby

The Bungalow, Lower Stockbridge Farm, Stockbridge, Nr Sherborne DT9 6EP oliviawilloughby.art@gmail.com

oliviawilloughby.art

Venue 20

Plaxypots - Plaxy

Arthur Ceramics

Ceramics

Plaxy makes both functional and oneoff studio pieces, using mostly greens and blues, inspired by the soft Dorset landscape colours.

Totnell House South, Leigh, Sherborne DT9 6HT plaxy.arthur@gmail.com plaxypots.com

plaxyarthur

Venue 21

Bee Grant Peterkin

Painting

Studio on the first floor of a converted mill. Home of the Yetminster Group, also exhibiting. Commission to charity. Cash/cheques only.

Mill House, Chetnole, Sherborne DT9 6PL beegp@btinternet.com beegrantpeterkin.co.uk beegrantpeterkin

Venue 22

Mixed Media

Drawing, Mixed Media, Textiles

Mixed media, non-professional artists, felting, metalwork, collage, watercolour pencil and biro drawing, and clay work. Artists include: Sarah Matthews, Linda Wilson

24 Abbots Walk, Cerne Abbas DT2 7JN sjmatthews24@gmail.com

Venue 23

Jo Denbury

Mixed Media, Painting, Sculpture Landscape as subject, Jo mixes and layers in paint memories, observations and emotions. The sculptures draw on the animal world.

Field Farm Barn, Godmanstone DT2 7AE jodenbury@icloud.com jodenbury_art

Venue 24

Carole Irving Maker

Mixed Media, Painting, Paper, Books, Illustration Handmade journals, paintings and mixed media with floral and vintage

MerrilyHarpur

Giles Droop

themes, commissions accepted, visitors can browse and chat to me.

49 Stanstead Road, Maiden Newton DT2 0BL carole.irving@btinternet.com caroleirvingart.uk

CaroleIrvingArtistandPhotographer

Venue 25

Jane Coxhill and Giles Droop Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting

Giles and Jane are two artists inspired by landscape in very different ways. They work in a variety of mediums to create an exciting display, ranging from detailed studies to abstracts.

The Brambles, Higher Frome Vauchurch, Maiden Newton, Dorchester DT2 0AL janecoxhill@gmail.com

Venue 26

Julie Adlard

Mixed Media, Painting

Julie’s vibrant, tactile, clay collage paintings have a naivety that makes you smile. Visit her home studio in the Dorset countryside.

Meadow View, Crewkerne Road, Higher Frome Vauchurch DT2 0AW julie.adlard22@gmail.com julieadlard.co.uk

julie.adlard22

Venue 27

Merrily Harpur

Painting, Printmaking

I am enchanted by the landscapes of West Dorset and in my paintings, I try to show why.

7 Duck Street, Cattistock DT2 0JJ merrily@merrilyharpur.co.uk merrilyharpur.co.uk merrilyharpurpaintings

Venue 28

Mike Jackson Painting

Atmospheric abstract and figurative paintings exploring the effect of the elements and light on the Dorset countryside and coastline.

Strangways House, Holywell, Evershot DT2 0LG mikejacksonartist@yahoo.com mikejacksonartist.com artmikejackson

Venue 29

Bella Snow Ceramics Ceramics

Stoneware and porcelain, wheelthrown and hand-built ceramics; slipped, glazed or smoke-fired to create simple and beautiful pots.

Loxtree Farmhouse, Evershot DT2 0PJ bellasnow@btinternet.com

ART COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

bellasnowclay

Venue 30

Laura Pentreath, Polly Pentreath, Lucy Reis

Painting, Sculpture

Laura, a figurative sculptor specialising in animals cast in bronze or bronze resin.

Polly, a painter working with landscape and still life, graduated from Glasgow School of Art. Lucy, a landscape painter working in oils, graduated from Falmouth University of Art.

Sydney Farm, Higher Halstock, Leigh BA22 9QY laura.pentreath@sky.com laurapentreath.co.uk laura.pentreath.sculpture

Venue 31

John Carrick Smith

Drawing, Painting

Drawings and paintings from landscapes to still life.

Bakers Farmhouse Studio, Higher Halstock, Leigh BA22 9QY carrick@burvale.co.uk

johncarricksmith.co.uk

johncarricksmith

For details of all participating artists and venues, pick up a copy of the DAW Directory, download the app or visit dorsetartweeks.co.uk

GARDENS DESIGNED, BUILT AND MAINTAINED

When you employ Arbour Landscaping you are employing a local, family-run company with over 40 years combined experience.

Our mission is to create breathtaking outdoor environments that harmoniously blend nature’s beauty with personalised design. Through meticulous craftsmanship, sustainable practices and a deep understanding of your vision we strive to exceed expectations and transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary landscapes that inspire and delight.

Whether you need garden design or garden build services, our team is on hand to help. Contact us for a friendly, no-obligation chat about your vision for your outdoor living space.

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Gardening

BACK TO BED

Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group

Ialways view fashion in gardening with a certain amount of scepticism but trends do exist and plants do come in and out of favour. The early garden centre industry was based on the sales of bedding plants and has adapted from there. It is certainly the way I first became aware of the garden centre trade. But it also went out of fashion for a while as gardeners found large bedding schemes high maintenance and wanted easier planting schemes that would ‘cut down on the work’. However, summer bedding can provide such a vast impact of colour and with growers bringing in new and exciting varieties, gardeners have been getting back into bedding in force albeit in a different way.

The difference is that instead of large beds and borders of flowers, bedding plants are mostly used in containers such as hanging baskets and tubs and are used to provide excitement close to the house. In containers, the workload is concentrated and can be controlled.

Using the correct compost is a good start and a good quality multi-purpose compost or even better, a specific container and basket compost, will ensure that the plants have a good medium to grow in with the right balance of nutrients. Aftercare is then crucial with watering hugely important. Not only will a lack of water reduce the growth of plants but in tubs it also stops flower development too. Secondly, feeding is vital, especially with peat-free composts, and use the fertiliser ‘Boost’ or ‘Ecofective’ immediately after potting on. Both are designed for peat-free compost and will significantly improve your success with growing the plants.

Thirdly and crucially, plants will stop flowering if flowers are allowed to go to seed. The plant thinks that it has done its job in perpetuating the species and so deadheading (the removal of old flowers) is vital. It can be therapeutic for the gardener too!

Inevitably in one’s imagination, the summer garden is always sunny, never in the shade and perfect for all plants. However certain parts of your garden will have very specific conditions, perhaps hot and sunny or maybe partially shaded. Choosing the right plants that will do well in these conditions is important.

Another development in the bedding plant range is the exposure that annual climbing plants have had in recent times. These plucky varieties grow quickly and in their only season climb to significant heights and then produce lots of flowers. They can be used to scramble through existing shrubs, grow over perennial climbers or up trelliswork. They also do well on obelisks in large pots. Many will have grown sweet peas but why not

have a go with Canary creeper, Ipomoea, Nasturtium, Rhodochiton, and Thunbergia (Black-eyed Susan).

Height can also be created with what I call monster bedding although the varieties are somewhat more sophisticated than my clumsy description. These plants can be used as centrepieces, borders, large tubs or as single specimens in pots. There are many but look out for Amaranthus, Cineraria maritima, Kochia (Burning Bush), Ricinus, Standard Chrysanthemum (now known as Argyranthemum) frutescens and standard fuchsias. My favourite is a variety of Plectranthus which has large silvery leaves and is a dramatic foliage plant.

If the weather is good there is always a huge and often premature rush to get bedding plants out too early without protection. I don’t wish to sound like a merchant of doom but I remember a frost on 4th June one year! Late frosts can wreak havoc with bedding plants so delay putting them out until the first week of June. If you can’t wait then cover your displays with horticultural fleece. This lightweight material allows the plants to breathe but keeps a few degrees of frost at bay, which should be enough to keep your displays snug.

And then sit back and enjoy yourself – after you have watered, fed and deadheaded, of course!

thegardensgroup.co.uk

Bedding plants ideal for a sunny site include: Allysum, Calendula, Cosmos, Dimorphotheca, Gazania, Geranium/Pelargonium, Helichrysum, Kochia, Mesembryanthemum, Nasturtium, Petunia, Phlox, Portulaca, Salvia, Tagetes and Zinnia.

If the site is very hot and dry: Amaranthus, Begonia semperflorens, Celosia, Convolvulus, Coreopsis, Dahlia, Helianthus, Kochia, Pelargonium, Petunia, Portulaca, Salvia, Tagetes, Verbena and Zinnia.

Plants ideal for a shady site include: Non-stop Begonia, Begonia semperflorens, Busy Lizzies, Calceolaria, Campanula, Coleus, Fuchsia, Kochia, Lobelia, Mimulus, Nasturtium, Nicotiana, Pansy, Stock and Viola.

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

With spring in full swing, we’re spoilt for choice when deciding what to plant in the garden. From herbaceous borders and bedding plants, through to roses, soft fruit and vegetables, there’s more than enough to keep even the most committed gardener on their toes.

As the to-do list grows, let the lawn grow too. By taking part in No Mow May, you can sit back and watch the lawn burst into life with flowering clovers, selfheal and vetches, all providing food sources and habitats for insects, which will benefit the environment as a whole.

Gardening

IEDIBLE FLOWERS

Sandra Miller BSc, MSc, BCNH Dip, FDN-P, Wholistic Health

’m no gardening expert but I have happily watched others do wonderfully creative and productive things with their gardens! Even if you, like me, feel your area of greatest gardening expertise lies in ‘supervision’ you will most likely have spotted the following horticultural trends. Recent years have seen a deviation from the carefully curated to more wild gardening styles. From the commonplace use of some ecologically highly persistent pesticides to more creative ways to limit weed overgrowth. We have seen changes in what is considered useful and acceptable in a garden

with species diversification recognised as an important and leading consideration. Even digging has been called into question with ‘no dig’ methods becoming popular. I highly rate the integration of ‘form and function’ where something should be both beautiful and functional, where outward design reflects the inner elegance of working. Integrating these ideas often leads to an interconnectedness that beautifully emulates organic systems and enhances a multiplicity of uses. Therefore, the idea that I can increase garden colour, support the dwindling bee population on which we all so depend

and provide seasonal, fresh, nutritious food for my family through the carefully considered growing of flowers, seems like something worth my trying to get better at doing.

I am grateful to have received encouraging support and advice from those much further down that particular garden path than me. I’ve enjoyed perusing Sarah Raven’s website and the fact that she singles out certain seed selections for growing flowers suitable for eating. It’s very reassuring to have professional endorsement for something like this. I have a beautifully written cookery book that suggests adding lavender and roses to cakes and bakes and it’s ideal to source these ingredients from your own garden when you know they have not been sprayed with chemicals. So long as we are clear on which plants are edible and which are not, I really enjoy the idea that we can mix the planting and feel less hemmed in by the vegetable patch. Sarah Raven sells the idea and the seeds for an ‘edible and ornamental pot topper pair’ suggesting that adding two different types of attractive edible foliage to pots of ornamental flowering bulbs extends the usefulness of the pots whilst enhancing the look of the patio. Wild pansy, marigold, nasturtium and borage are offered for year-round flowering and eating. Then there’s companion planting to consider. Black velvet nasturtium will attract white fly away from tomatoes and cucumbers so placing these plants near each other can enhance the tomato and cucumber crops without using chemicals or doing anything very much at all after plant positioning.

Of course, not all edible flowers need to be planted. Some grow unbidden because they fall into the category of what we typically consider a weed. It’s a long time since I first dug up dandelion roots, scrubbed them, roasted them and put them in a coffee grinder to make

Modern Flavours

Steeped in Tradition

ACV + Honey + Botanicals

"Edible flowers can offer anti-inflammatory effects which our bodies welcome as relief from our generally rather pro-inflammatory diets and lifestyles."

a very enjoyable dandelion coffee! I’ve eaten dandelion leaves in a salad (the smaller ones are less bitter) and the yellow petals are perfect for adding colour to salads.

Edible flowers, whether cultivated or weeds, are rich sources of many bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamins C and E, saponins and phytosterols. They can add to magnesium, phosphorous and potassium intake. Specific healthgiving and medicinal properties are attributed to different plants. However, in many cases, edible flowers offer anti-inflammatory effects which our bodies welcome as relief from our generally rather proinflammatory diets and lifestyles. Sarah Raven talks about adding them to not just salads but jugs of cordial and ice cream. They’d make very pretty ice cubes for a summer party as well.

Last year (too late in the year really) I planted wild pansy seeds which have valiantly struggled through the winter outside and are now in flower. I hope to get going with planting much more this year and I have great hopes for nasturtiums to join the runner beans at the very least. May is an ideal month to be sewing seeds for a crop of edible flowers later in the year. If you join me in trying some yourself this year, maybe you’ll let me know and we can compare notes?!

wholistichealth.co.uk

SUPPING SHRUB

Zero Alcohol sup (verb) take (drink or liquid food) by big sips or full spoonfuls shrub (noun) a drinking apple cider vinegar infused with fruit & other botanicals

another lovely thing from the folks at www.olivesetal.co.uk @olivesetal

THREE COURSES

À LA CARTE MENU

Open lunch and dinner Wednesday to Saturday, and Sunday lunch

Crottin

THE KITCHEN GARDEN MAY

Jules Horrell, Horrell & Horrell

With May Day upon us and two bank holiday weekends this month, there is no better time to venture out into the garden and explore our magnificent green county. May is one of my favourite months, with clusters of cow parsley filling the verges of our country lanes, buttercups emerging in the meadows and flashes of red campion nestled amongst the hedgerows. Here in the kitchen garden, we continue our mammoth seed-sowing, with any spare time spent potting on seedlings, and planting out the frost-hardy varieties. Many a time have we been caught out by a late frost at the end of May – just when we think the summer is almost upon us, Jack Frost pays his final visit of the year! Radishes are one thing that we are already picking and we serve these with homemade sourdough, freshly churned butter and a sprinkle of salt. This year we are focusing on growing more flowers, both edible varieties for salads, and beautiful ones to decorate the table. The likes of borage, nasturtium, heartsease and calendula are good all-rounders, remaining abuzz with bees throughout the summer.

In other news, we have been busy here at the barn converting the scruffy old tractor shed into a gorgeous new space. Steve has installed a wooden floor and walls and I partook in my favourite role of filling the space with vintage finds and a wood burner. We are rather excited to bring this newly converted space to life. It’s taken on a potting shed style and is somewhere for guests to enjoy pre-dinner drinks sheltered from the summer sun.

Back in mid-April, we paid a visit to our old friends at Westcombe Dairy. Located in the beautiful village of the same name, Tom and his father Richard lead a small army of like-minded artisans, all pushing the boundaries of regenerative agriculture and the benefits it has to offer. After one of the wettest winters on record, Westcombe’s dairy herd are again happily grazing the fields at Milton Farm. The farm is not only home to Tom and Richard’s cheese empire but also to Rob who makes Brickell’s ice cream, Andrew from Landrace Milling, with his pioneering flour mill and much-loved bakery, and Paul with his well-established Westcombe charcuterie, forever making use of the Westcombe bull calves, and pork from the wonderful Fred Price at Gothelney Farm. Our visit was to meet the team at Woodshedding, the new brewery who are brewing beer at the Westcombe site, amidst setting up their first ‘beer hall’ – a tap room of sorts where you can visit and enjoy a beer, alongside a plate of cheese and charcuterie. We had a great morning with Thomas and Adrian learning about their processes and how they fit in so well with their new Westcombe family. If you haven’t visited, I urge you to pay them a visit this summer, if only for a picnic lunch of Somerset’s finest, cheese, salami, bread and now beer!

With so many wonderful places to visit in the county, and after a long, wet winter, it’s rather joyous to get out and visit old friends, gardens, and local landmarks. One of our favourites, which offers some of the best views, is Cadbury Castle and Corton Denham Ridge. Our barn has enviable views towards both and they offer some of our favourite family walks with Ace our loyal Jack Russell. I hope you enjoy the wonderful month of May, with the safe knowledge that summer is just around the corner.

SAME BIKES DIFFERENT CHALLENGE

Giles Henschel, Founder, Olives Et Al

1992. 1 week before Christmas. 2 motorbikes, 12 weeks out, 7,000 miles covered, 6 countries crossed and Egypt beckoned. However, the prospect of a ferry journey followed by a notoriously difficult border crossing was not filling us with glee. Having ridden through Wadi Rum, the old stamping ground of a certain Lawrence of Arabia, we were about to leave the port of Aquaba in Southern Jordan and sail down the Red Sea to enter Egypt on the Sinai Peninsula.

Other travellers had given us dire warnings about this horrendous ferry journey and even more horrendous border so we thought we knew what to expect. Wrong. As the ramp of the scuffed old rustbucket creaked and groaned its way down, wailing women, wailing babies, spitting men and umpteen types of livestock - all of it either caged, tethered or free-ranging - simultaneously surged forward towards

the dark opening, sweeping us and our two motorbikes with them into the unlit bowels of what once might have been a handsome and seaworthy vessel. Not any more. Washing up against a bulkhead somewhere near the ramp, a body detached itself from the gloom and glared at us with a degree of malevolence that was not instantly calming.

‘Where is rope?’ he demanded.

‘Eh? Should we have rope? we asked.

‘Rope – tie up motorbike. No rope?’

I think it is generally accepted that the one place you can expect to find rope is on a boat. Any boat of any size. Not this one. Realising we had nothing to secure our bike with, our zealous deckhand proceeded to snatch luggage from the passing embarkees and piled it around our bikes until nothing was left to see except a solitary mirror sticking out of the mound. The last thing

we saw, as we were swept up to the deck, was a couple of caged chickens being merrily added to the pile.

After what should have been a pleasant two-hour cruise down the Red Sea some 8 hours later we started our ‘Welcome In Egypt’ experience. We spent an interesting hour disentangling the bikes from luggage and livestock and rolled off into the Customs Shed where we were welcomed by a very smiley Customs Officer who, putting his foot onto my front wheel, said, ‘Welcome in Egypt! Now you give me much money!’

And so it started. The first thing we had to purchase was two battered and dog-eared folders to keep the documents in that we were about to part with large sums of cash for. Going from office to office over the next 3 hours, each one reassuring us we were ‘Welcome in Egypt’ whilst removing various sums of US Dollars from us in exchange for another bundle of paper of dubious purpose and, for some unknown reason, a fire extinguisher. This went on for some time. Finally, after more dollars disappeared into another pocket in the second to last office, the smiley Customs Officer took the folders and documents off us and emptied them into a bin before placing the empty folders on a pile supposedly to be resold to the next lucky customer and ushered us into the last office where we had to leave a final $5 so that the chap on the gate could ‘Welcome us in Egypt’ – he also took back the fire extinguisher. By this time, we were feeling very welcome indeed, considerably lighter in the dollar department and with nothing to show for the experience except a battered pair of Egyptian number plates.

Slightly stunned but relieved to be on the road, we headed up the coast looking for somewhere to stay. Spotting a brightly lit sign arched over a driveway bearing the single word, ‘Welcome’, we headed towards it. As we approached two figures detached themselves from the hedge that bordered the drive and pointing two machine guns at us made it clear that the sign was somewhat misleading. Welcome in Egypt? It didn’t quite feel like it. Happy Christmas to us.

Recalling this and planning to get back on the bikes again, we’re thankful we’re sticking to Europe this time. The first time around we were planning to circumnavigate the whole of the Mediterranean basin to raise the issue of water rights and pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. In a bid to raise sponsorship, we called the project Operation Watertight. After all, everything sounds more plausible when it has a name, don’t you think? As it turned out, we ended up falling

in love with the foods we discovered along the way and so launched Olives Et Al a few months after arriving back in the UK.

Now, some 32 years later, Operation Watertight 2 is heading off on the same two motorbikes but with a different purpose and agenda. The idea was hatched whilst sitting on the terrace of Odysseas Taverna that overlooks Jerusalem Beach in Northern Kefalonia having lunched long and well. The taverna is run by a Greekborn, ex-Hells Angel from Bristol called Fat Oddy (seriously – it’s on his business card) who has one of the finest gin collections in all of Greece. We told him about our own Olive Brine Gin which he was most interested in and, having plied us with another double or two from his collection we rashly offered to deliver it in person.

‘Not only that,’ we said, ‚we’ll bring it on our original motorbikes.’ And so the plan was hatched. And then built upon.

We are now engaged in a full climate research project to assess how the changing climate is affecting the olive harvests across Europe, which are a mainstay of our business. The last three crops have more or less failed and the prices of both olive oil and olives have increased dramatically – all due to climate change. So, as we watched this happen, our plan to deliver gin to Oddy developed into something more meaningful – we will still deliver the gin but along the way, we will visit as many farmers, producers, growers and contacts that we know, and many we don’t, to ask them the same 5 questions:

1. What changes have you seen in the climate in the last 10 years?

2. How has this affected your and your family’s way of life?

3. What effect has this had on your business?

4. What changes have you had to make already and are planning to make in the future?

5. How do you see the future?

So far, the plan is to cross to France into Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece then across to Italy, Sicily back to Italy around France into Spain then Portugal then Spain and back to the UK. Same Bikes. Different Challenge. We’ve called it Operation Watertight 2. After all, everything sounds better with a name.

FILLET OF ROSE VEAL

with tarragon potato salad, pickled walnut and black garlic purée

Sasha & Tom Matkevich, The Green Restaurant

As a by-product of the dairy industry now subject to stringent welfare regulations, rose veal is a more ethical and sustainable option than traditional veal – it is still tender and delicately flavoured. The tang and rich sweetness of the pickled walnut purée and herby potato salad complement it perfectly.

Ingredients Serves 4

400g rose veal fillet, preferably from the middle of the loin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp fenugreek powder

100g pickled walnuts

50g black garlic

500g new potatoes, roughly chopped into large chunks

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

20g tarragon, stalks removed and finely chopped 10g chives, finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1 To make the salad, add the potatoes to a large pan of salted water, bring to a boil and cook for around 10 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, chopped herbs and plenty of black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Drain the potatoes, add to the mixture and mix gently until well coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

2 To make the purée, add the pickled walnuts and black garlic to a food processor with a splash of water and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste and set aside.

3 To cook the veal, first make the spice rub by combining the fenugreek, coriander, cumin and black pepper. Season the veal generously with salt and then roll in the spice rub until coated.

4 Place an oven-frying pan on a medium heat with a good drizzle of olive oil. Gently place the veal into the pan and take care to seal all the sides without burning it. This should take 4-5 minutes. Then place in an oven for 4 minutes at 180C. Remove and let rest until fully cool.

5 To serve, cut the veal fillet into 4 individual ‘steaks’. Serve face-up alongside the purée and potato salad.

greenrestaurant.co.uk

Image: Clint Randall

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.

10am-3pm Friday pizza nights 5-8pm (must book for pizzas)

THE CAKE WHISPERER

APPLE PIE

Image: Katharine Davies

Val Stones

There’s nothing more comforting than warm

apple pie served with custard, a drizzle of fresh cream or even ice cream. I have four apple trees in my garden and three of them are Bramley apples, perfect for apple pie-making. My trees are organic, they look after themselves and I simply encourage them daily.

My husband doesn’t like the pastry too short so this pastry works really well. He also likes the pastry and apples to be sweet so you may wish to adjust the sugar levels to suit your own taste. If you don’t wish to use lard then substitute it for vegetable shortening (Trex). All flours absorb liquids at a different rate so you may need to add a little more or less water when bringing the dough together.

Preparation time - to make the pastry 10 minutes, 30-40 minutes to chill.

For the apples to part-cook in the microwave and pie-making 15 minutes, 10 minutes for the pie to chill in the fridge, 25-35 minutes to bake.

What you will need - a food processor or you can make the pastry by hand, a pie plate

Ingredients Serves 8

For the pastry

16oz of plain flour

Pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4oz chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4oz chilled lard, cut into cubes

2oz icing sugar

1 medium egg (remove a teaspoon of the egg white and set aside for brushing on the pastry base, lightly beat the remaining egg. Keep back sufficient to glaze the top of the pie.)

5-6 tablespoons chilled water

For the apples

1lb cooking apples

4-6 dessert spoons of caster sugar

Caster sugar to scatter over the top of the pie before baking

Method

1 To make the pastry in a food processor place in all the dry ingredients, including the cinnamon, and blitz until fine crumb.

2 If making by hand, place all the dry ingredients

in a large bowl and rub in the fats until they have completely dispersed.

3 Place the egg and the water in a jug and gradually add to the mixture about a tablespoon at a time until the dough turns into a ball.

4 Scatter a little flour on a work surface and knead gently to make the pastry smooth, divide into two and wrap them in greaseproof paper or beeswax wrap, chill for at least 30 minutes.

5 Whilst the pastry is chilling, peel and core the apples. Slice the apples into even pieces and place in a microwavable bowl with the sugar and combine well. Place on a medium setting for 2 minutes until just soft but not ‘puree’. Set aside and allow to cool.

6 Set the oven to 200C fan and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf to preheat.

7 Remove one of the pastry balls from the fridge, scatter a little flour on the work surface, roll out a round of pastry at least 2 inches bigger than the plate, fold it into quarters to lift onto the plate and then open out, press lightly onto the plate.

8 Brush the pastry base with the egg white to seal the base and then lightly fork over. Spoon the apple into the base of the pie dish.

9 Dampen the edge of the pastry with water. Roll the second ball of pastry into a round the size of the plate, place gently onto the pie dish and chill for a few minutes.

10 Brush the top of the pie with the leftover egg and crimp around the edge of the pie to seal. With the leftover pastry decorate the top with leaves, make 3 holes for the steam to escape and place in the fridge to chill for 5 minutes.

11 Remove the pie dish from the fridge and scatter the top with sugar.

12 Place on the middle shelf and bake for 25-30 minutes, after 20 minutes turn down the oven to 160 fan, check on the pie and if it’s colouring too quickly turn the pie around a half turn. When the pie is golden remove and place on a cooling rack, allow to cool before slicing the pie.

13 Serve warm with a topping of your choice.

14 The pie can be allowed to cool completely and then placed in a freezer bag and frozen – it will be fine for 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge overnight.

A MONTH ON THE PIG FARM

James Hull, The Story Pig

Today was a first for me and believe me when I say farming is absolutely full of firsts! But this was the first time I had ever had dirty, stinking mud kicked right into my eye by screaming pigs waiting impatiently for their breakfast. I was literally stopped in my tracks, halfway along the troughs with a half-full bag and pain searing through my eyes. What to do? Well firstly I had to finish feeding them otherwise they would come streaming through the fence in a huge pile of pig so I blinked, closed my eye and tried to stumble to the end with one eye which was streaming now in sympathy. The stabbing pain in my closed eye made me

shake. I found my way back to the buggy with my eyes closed, slipping and sliding in the deep slippery ruts. I took stock and tried to blink the SHIT out of my eye. I decided I had to finish the feeding as I was nearer that than home. After a few minutes of just holding on and blinking it slowly started to clear enough to sort of be able to see again – how incredible our bodies are is something to wonder about. By the time I got back home, maybe an hour later, I had red eyes but it had cleared away and I waved away Charlotte’s panic as she saw my face covered in dried mud and my red eyes and said, ‘I’m fine now. It’s just mud.’ Farming, you see, is a

bloody tough game – there’s never a week that goes by without catching a finger or hurting one’s back or pushing yourself to the limit. If you have a bad cold you just have to carry on – in our case, there is no one else to do the work. I’m proud to have that inner core of steel to push me on whatever. It’s what binds farmers together, a quietly shared bond, a belief that we will get through it.

It’s lucky really because this winter, which, as I write is still here in mid-April, is bombarding us with winds and more rain than we ever thought possible has been a trial of endurance – it really has. As outdoor pig farmers, I would say we are on the front line. Our animals live outside so we have to try and work through – in the worst of what Mother Nature can throw at us. She’s definitely thrown it this winter. The last few weeks have been the worst – the mud has become so deep that I can’t drive in three-quarters of the places I should be able to. When I have to move pigs, trying to back my livestock trailer through the deep muddy ruts bends and then rips the mudguards off. I pray that by the time you read this, it’s a distant memory and we are basking in the most beautiful of spring weather and we can put this winter behind us!

For solace, I try and spend time amongst the lavenders, bursting forth with new soft green growth – they make me happy inside. And when the weather is too awful I can go and tend to the thousands I have inside the polytunnel, sheltering and growing. At present we are not growing any to sell – they are destined for the new garden we are creating.

We are now open summer hours, so Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am-3pm and then Friday nights for pizzas. Charlotte is back to her best, creating everything on the menu. Nothing is bought in and of course, the meat is grown in our fields next door. Charlotte doesn’t compromise and is so proud of the ingredients she uses. It’s always been our ethos and is the reason our pigs grow outside – it’s better for them and better for you.

And so ending on a high, I’m sure that the spring sunshine will embrace us soon and our hedgerows will be full of frothy cow parsley waving gently in the breeze. I’m looking forward to more magical evenings serving you Charlotte’s pizzas and another year of forging happy memories with you all. Ahh…I’m feeling better already.

Micro-dining experiences in an old cow barn and kitchen garden

‘A visit to Horrell & Horrell is like going to a friend for dinner, where you bring a bottle, relax, enjoy the food, and let conversation flow –whilst we take care of everything else’

Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and the occasional Sunday lunch

To reserve a space at a dining experience or to enquire about private hire, please visit

www.horrellandhorrell.co.uk

THE BAROSSA AND EDEN VALLEYS

David Copp

If you ever get to South Australia I recommend you to consider spending a day or two in the Barossa Valley. Not only does it produce many truly outstanding wines but you will find many gifted winemakers constantly trying to improve on what I consider to be near perfection. Most of the best vineyards are quite close to Adelaide, the state capital –an interesting city in its own right.

The Barossa Valley is filled with vineyards. Most of them were first planted by German-speaking immigrants from Silesia (what we know as Poland) and I spent one of the very best days in my wine-writing career with them. The valley follows the North Para River for about 20 miles before spreading into two other exquisite valleys, Eden and Clare. The weather conditions are almost perfect for making fine wine. Warm, dry, sunny days and long cool nights combine to give mature, deep-rooted vines a long life - it is not uncommon to find vines 100 years old. These vines are not shy. They present themselves well with a rich spicy flavour that is almost unique in the whole

world of wine. They are full-bodied and seem to prefer maturation in American oak barrels.

The highlight of my visit was a tasting at Penfolds which produces Grange, an outstanding wine which compares well with Bordeaux First Growths. If you ever want a wine for a very special occasion and have a few bob to spare, treat yourself to Grange.

The last thing I want to do is to overload you with names and places to visit but if you are heading Down Under, I heartily recommend taking in the Barossa and the Riesling of the Eden and Clare valleys. If you do have time after the Barossa, I strongly recommend making your way up to the Hunter Valley, 120 miles or so north of Sydney. This was the first wine region to be developed by the ‘incomers’, the first settlers from Britain. It is a wonderful, natural region for growing and making great wines and owes much of its reputation to the work of Maurice O’Shea.

O’Shea spent seven years in France learning his craft and when he returned home, persuaded his mother to buy him a small vineyard. He concentrated

on making single vineyard wines and before long was winning the attention not just of Australian vintners but those from around the world. Backed by the McWilliam family he acquired more prime land and focused on making truly distinguished wines. It was largely due to his pioneering work that other leading growers came to the region, which is now recognised as one of the world’s greatest vineyards producing a diversity of different grape varieties.

It is so refreshing to talk to Australian vintners. They readily pay homage to the world-class wines produced in France, Italy and Germany. But they have learnt fast how to improve and develop their own great regions. Moreover, they are bold and exciting vintners – ready to challenge the status quo and experiment rather than be tied down by centuries of tradition.

Visiting Australian wineries is a very different experience from European growers. The mood for adventure in growing grapes and making wine is refreshingly different. Their approach does not make them better necessarily but somehow more interesting.

Uncork a fabulous evening with Corney & Barrow

Thursday 6th June

Our programme of events continues with a spectacular wine dinner, where we’ll match four sumptuous seasonal courses with a selection of continental wines from Corney & Barrow £99 per person

Visit our website for details, menus and to book

Enjoy the Clockspire experience with our great value set menu ...and find out why we’ve been shortlisted for multiple awards!

2 Courses £24.00

3 Courses £29.00

Served Weds &Thurs lunch and dinner, Fridays lunch only

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DISCOVER | EAT | SHOP | STAY | CELEBRATE

Welcome to Symondsbury Estate, set in the beautiful Dorset countryside just a stone’s throw from the Jurassic Coast. Join us for lunch. Browse our shops. Visit the gallery. Explore our fabulous walks and bike trails. Relax and unwind in our holiday accommodation. Celebrate your wedding day...

Upcoming Events & Workshops

Plant Foraging Walk with Nick Phillips - Saturday 18th May & Saturday 1st June Symondsbury Estate Summer Fête - Sunday 30th June

+44 (0)1308 424116

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Symondsbury Estate, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6HG

Animal Care

MAY-BE THE BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR?

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

For me, certainly, as there’s all the optimism for a good summer without the disappointment that comes when it doesn’t happen. Like last year. Still, all summers are preferable to the winter we’ve just had which seemed longer and darker than usual. So I’m going to stay hopeful for sunny weather and heed the words of our financial guru, Mark Salter, when he pointedly remarked, ‘Mark, what you’ve got to realise is you have maybe 15 good summers left…’ Good point although I’m hoping my 80s will be autumn and not winter…

So a lot of stuff happens in May. A new generation of parasites crawl forth to keep us on our toes although the veterinary profession is taking a more targeted approach to their prevention. This is a recognition that the habits of our pet cats and dogs differ widely and so exposure to risk from parasitic diseases is variable. Compare the lifestyle of an indoor cat to a working dog and it’s not only parasite treatments that differ but vaccination requirements do also. Vets and nurses will now make a risk assessment for each animal and from that, a recommended course of preventative treatment is written on the clinical notes. Once this is done, clients can order worm, tick and flea treatments over the phone or have them delivered if a member of the Pet Healthcare Plan (PHP).

I’ve touched on the environmental impact of powerful insecticides before and these concerns certainly colour our choices when it comes to choosing a spot-on product or a tablet. In general, we avoid liquid spot-ons for dogs who love swimming as just a few parts per million of the active ingredient in a water course could harm insect life. And is there really any reason to treat for ticks outside the tick ‘season’? Possibly not, but then again, go walking on Exmoor just about any time of year (unless there’s a layer of snow) and you’ll experience a tick-fest.

My last parasite plea concerns roundworm treatments for our pets. Roundworm eggs are invisible

except under the microscope so even the most diligent poop-scooper will never see any. The fact is, almost every public park where dogs are allowed is so heavily contaminated with this unseen menace that it’s hard to find a handful of soil that doesn’t contain roundworm eggs. Children are most at risk of becoming infected, probably due to playing on the ground and then stuffing fingers in their mouths. So we recommend using an effective worm treatment monthly if your dog has close contact with children and even if not, at least 8 times yearly. Our pet cats are really no better, indiscriminate where they deposit their waste with no one at hand to do the cleaning up. Regular worming every 2-3 months should help keep the tapeworm population down as well as limit the spread of the feline roundworm but with the issues we all have persuading our cats to take tablets, a spot-on wormer is justified and not many cats like swimming.

Hay fever sufferers may not welcome May as much as others as the pollen count rises steeply this month. Weed, grass and tree pollens peak at slightly different times but overlap so much that the distinction is academic. The canine form of hay fever is allergic

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skin disease, particularly affecting paws and muzzle with constant itchiness. Anti-histamines (e.g. Piriton) just might help but in general, do little to relieve the irritation. We see hundreds of cases of itchy skin disease in dogs over the summer and the poor things can get quite cranky unless the itch is soothed. Constant scratching traumatises the skin and allows secondary infections with bacteria and yeasts to become established, further driving the irritation. A vicious little cycle which needs to be broken before it drives the owner to drink. ‘Hair of the dog’ might well be on the owner’s mind.

Antibiotics used to be the first things we would reach for when a bacterial skin infection was suspected but like parasite treatments, modern medicine is trying to be more selective in its approach. Superficial infections often respond well to antibacterial/anti-fungal shampoos once the irritation has been relieved, allowing clients to save money and making bacterial resistance less likely. The problem with allergies is they don’t go away even though they may wax and wane as the seasons pass, depending on the nature of the allergen. We adopt a variety of strategies to manage the life-long irritation that allergies can cause, with the goal being the maintenance of a happy

life on minimal medication. I call it the ‘road map’ when explaining to owners the routes we might take on this journey, a useful analogy as starting points differ between cases and we often change our course of treatment.

There have been advances recently in allergy testing in dogs, cats and horses using a technique that is more specific than the blood tests previously available. Hopefully, this will lead to an improvement in the success rate of desensitisation therapy, a treatment using a vaccine cocktail made from the allergens identified. Historically, this approach is successful in about 60% of allergy sufferers, not a bad result but certainly could be better, especially as the whole process is expensive. In fact, long-standing skin disorders are always expensive whether or not allergy testing is performed. These costs can be drastically reduced with PHP which gives free, unlimited consultations; and also with pet insurance that covers the cost of testing and treatment. Do talk to your vet before changing insurance companies as there are a few pitfalls to be avoided and remember preexisting conditions are not covered by most policies.

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OUR NEW HOME

Jenny Gibson MRCVS, The Kingston Veterinary Group

The Kingston Veterinary Group has been based at Kingston House in Sherborne since its opening in 1886. It has seen many vets, nurses and admin staff come and go and has been a wonderful characterful building for all that have worked in it over the years. However, due to the expansion of the business and wanting to improve the care and services available, we have moved!

Still based in Sherborne, our new premises at Cold Harbour Business Park opened on 2nd April. Here we will continue to offer a mixed veterinary service, accommodating both small animals and farm animals.

The new building includes a farm animal theatre for procedures such as vasectomies, disbudding and castrations. It also provides access for farm vehicles to load and unload their animals. Along with increased office space we now have a spacious room for farmer and scheme compliance meetings. A new laboratory facilitates the analysis of faecal, blood, milk and sperm

samples as well as ear swabs and urine testing for our companion animal patients. A brand-new store and dispensary will allow us to stock more medications.

We have also upgraded all our small animal facilities. We now have an imaging suite, a dental suite, a separate theatre and four consult rooms. We also now provide a totally separate kennel and cat ward as well as separate cat and dog waiting areas in our reception.

Please do pop in over the coming months if passing. We look forward to welcoming you all to the new premises.

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Kingston Vets are now at: Unit 5B, Coldharbour Business Park, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4JW

DARE TO BARE

Sarah Hitch, The Sanctuary and Margaret Balfour Beauty Rooms

As the thermometer slowly creeps up and hopefully the skies dry up, we begin to prepare for holidays, events and our summer wardrobe. This involves some thought around body preparation and make-up changes to be seasonally ready.

Use a body exfoliating netted pouf with foaming shower gel a few times a week for a basic smoothing body exfoliation. Follow regularly, if not daily with a body lotion, cream or oil to soften and nourish the skin. For maximum rejuvenation and skin smoothing before a holiday or event book an exfoliating body treatment for a professional resurfacing of your skin, improved circulation and deep hydration.

Prepare to bare your feet by either booking in for a thorough in-salon pedicure or beginning your own hard skin softening with a foot file or pumice and again follow with some cream and perhaps a pair of socks to increase the absorption.

Early summer colours of pastel pinks, light corals and warm berry reds work well on our paler skin tones as we emerge like uncooked pastry into the sunlight.

If the thought of exposing newly polished toes to the elements in flip flops on your way home is too chilling a concept then opt for the long-wearing, high shine and instantly drying gel polish option instead.

Once you have started to buff and moisturise your body, applying a gradual tan once or twice a week can just take the pallor off until you get a little more warmth in your skin tone. For holidays and events, a spray tan or professional manually applied tan gets you ahead and sets off your holiday wardrobe or outfit beautifully. Tan strength can be adapted to your skin tone, depth of colour required and occasion. Depending on what you do after your tan you should still have some colour a week later however swimming in chlorinated water, sweating through exercise or excessive heat will shorten the length of your tan’s life.

Adapting make-up for the sunshine months allows our skin to breathe in the heat, can increase sun protection and softens hues to suit the palette of our summer clothes. Tinted moisturisers or tinted serums offer a feather-light skin illuminating and perfecting wash of coverage often with SPF included.

Tone blushers to soft pinks and peaches and away from brick and russet-toned powders or cream or swap to a bronzer for an adaptable glow as summer progresses.

Other seasonal treatments to consider to make getting ready easier if travelling or to create more wow factor at a party are eye-focused. An eyelash tint gives six to eight weeks of colour to fair or sparse lashes and is helpful if you are spending lots of time in water or are travelling to a humid country where mascara would slide. Add in to this an eyelash lift and you get colour and a lift fixed into the lashes giving a full volume and lengthened appearance for eight weeks. For a special event or holiday eyelash extensions provide a temporary three-week boost to your lashes with length, volume and depth to your own lashes, giving the eyes an around-the-clock made-up look and the impression that you just woke up like this.

thesanctuarysherborne.co.uk margaretbalfour.co.uk

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MAKE A MOVE

Lucy Lewis, Dorset Mind Ambassador

Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 13th to 19th May and the theme for 2024 is ‘Movement: Moving More for our Mental Health’. With this in mind, we are looking at top ways to incorporate more daily movement into our lives and the benefits this can hold for our mental health.

Incorporating more movement into your daily life isn’t just about improving physical fitness; it also has numerous benefits for your mental health. Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins and neurotransmitters that act as natural mood-lifters. Additionally, more daily movement can improve sleep quality and duration, leading to better overall mental

and physical well-being. Exercise can also boost self-esteem and confidence as you achieve personal fitness goals and experience the positive effects of exercise. Furthermore, physical activity can also increase cognitive function and mental clarity, making it easier to concentrate, problem-solve and manage daily tasks.

Easy Ways to Incorporate More Movement Take Active Breaks:

Instead of remaining sedentary for long periods, make it a habit to take short active breaks throughout your day. Set a timer to remind yourself to stand up, stretch or take a quick walk around your home or office. These brief moments of movement can help boost circulation, increase energy levels and reduce feelings of fatigue and stress.

"Physical activity can increase cognitive function and mental clarity, making it easier to concentrate, problem-solve and manage daily tasks"

Walk Whenever Possible: Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible forms of physical activity, and it can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Whenever possible, choose to walk instead of driving or taking public transportation. Whether it’s walking to the grocery store, taking the stairs instead of the lift or going for a stroll during your lunch break. Every step counts towards improving your mental and physical well-being.

Engage in Household Chores: Believe it or not, household chores can be an excellent way to get moving and burn calories while also accomplishing necessary tasks. Turn on some music and make cleaning, vacuuming, gardening or doing laundry a fun and active experience. Not only will you feel a sense of satisfaction from completing your chores, but you’ll also benefit from the mood-boosting effects of physical activity.

Incorporate Desk Exercises: If you have a desk job that requires long hours of sitting, it’s important to find ways to break up periods of inactivity. Incorporate simple desk exercises into your workday, such as leg lifts, seated twists or shoulder stretches. These exercises can help improve circulation, alleviate muscle tension and enhance mental clarity, all of which contribute to better overall mental health.

Make Movement a Social Activity: Instead of meeting friends for coffee or dinner, why not plan activities that involve physical movement? Invite friends or family members to go for a hike, bike ride or outdoor yoga session together. Not only will you enjoy the benefits of exercise but you’ll also strengthen your social connections, which are essential for maintaining good mental health.

The most important thing is to find habits that work for you. If you hate an activity or find it too difficult, you are unlikely to remain consistent. Regular small habits can have a lot more impact than sporadic, more intense exercise. Developing habits can take time and change rarely happens overnight. Be kind to yourself and keep pushing forward.

If your mental health is affecting your daily functioning, please visit your GP. More mental health information and resources can be found at dorsetmind.uk. In a crisis, please call 999 or The Samaritans at 116 123.

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Body and Mind

ARE YOU WELL?

Emma Rhys Thomas, Instructor, Art of Confidence

Most likely the reply is, ‘I’m fine, thank you,’ which may be a cover-up for a catalogue of complaints, niggles or hiding the struggle of dealing with something more serious. Whilst perhaps not always articulated when asked (how British is that?), it is often the case that ailments, large or small, define how well we are. A feeling of wellness is most likely to be measured in terms of the presence or absence of ailments! What if that was flipped around and wellness could be a practised focus on what is and feels good? Is it possible to measure wellness more positively, to focus on becoming well

by actively working on the good stuff despite carrying those ailments? Pilates can do that.

Clients may enter the Pilates studio with aches and pains from physical exertion having accomplished ambitious goals (I have a few!) or the day-to-day overdoing it (usually in the garden, particularly at this time of year) or simply wear and tear and getting older (bodies can start to tell you this from around 36 years - eek!). It would be unrealistic to get a quick fix but on leaving the studio they often report feeling better with more spring in their step! Practising Pilates teaches the body to function better, it teaches the brain to

respond to the body’s sensory input, bringing into focus the feeling of wellness in both. A conscious effort to seek out and practice better balance, control, strength, flexibility, freedom from pain and injury prevention.

Much of our sensory input comes from eyes and feet, improving balance. Sensory input comes from the breathwork and abdominal activation, improving control. Sensory input comes from load and resistance –improving strength and sensory input comes from within, stretching and lengthening, which improves flexibility.

We learn from sensory input to move and feel better without a second thought. When bodies and minds unite, amazing things happen. We survive because of the body and brain’s ability to respond to sensory input, learn something, work out whether it is useful or important and create all the shortcuts needed to carry out and automate that function for future reference. Bodies become programmed. We do not have to consciously work out each mechanical function that is required to dextrously handle our small coinage or speedily send a text, i.e. our fingers and thumbs appear to already know how. We reach out to turn on a light if it is dark, we climb stairs or mountains and run for shelter when it rains, i.e. our arms and legs appear to already know these actions. It is enough to know the intended outcome of a task… the brain and body work out the rest without involving our conscious mind.

At every stage in life, we learn and move, move and learn. Each step we take urges us to take another and we seemingly don’t know about it. Well, it is a lot to think about! The stuff that goes on: fast twitch muscle fibres, a speedy chain reaction, messaging to and from the brain, all in a split second is the ‘back office’ at work, the unseen, unknown, unheard. A bit like knowing the compass needle will always point north but not recognising that unseen, unknown, unheard forces are at

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Movement Practices and Wellness

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work to make this happen.

The Pilates session is a great place to become more aware of those forces of moving to feel better. We work in a small, focused, controlled manner, learning how our individual bodies respond to all the sensory input therein and appreciating how well it can make us feel. Small steps combine to create new pathways. It requires actively listening to your body.

When we become ill or suffer injury, stress or trauma, actively listening to the body also serves us well. Firstly we can recognise if learned automated unconscious adaptations are serving us best. For example, the body will often carry and hold onto injury, stress, feeling ill or mental strain in the shape it makes. We might change how we walk, hunch the shoulders, collapse the spine or adopt a head forward position. ‘Listening’ to these postural adoptions gives us the opportunity to change them. Secondly, therefore, we can move in a way that we know will heal us, i.e. focusing on the good stuff.

It is possible to measure how well you feel without focusing on those ailments, the bits that feel broken or fatigued. As one client put it, ‘I had to push past the negative of not wanting to come and now I feel fabulous.’ It is possible to act on what we know makes us feel great. In the wider context, this might look like getting into the great outdoors or getting creative. Pilates can be part of the arsenal used to accomplish what makes us a little more fabulous. If you haven’t already, I hope you will give it a go. I have mentioned the autonomics of each step we take urging us to take another – this also might describe a philosophy for life. What step will you take next? At the very least, identify what improves your wellness and actively pursue it.

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Sandra Miller BSc, MSc, BCNH Dip, FDN-P Functional Medicine Practitioner

Diet and lifestyle coaching: a powerful path to healing and weight management

Scan to contact me or find out more www.wholistichealth.co.uk

Body and Mind

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APART IV: UNHEALED TRAUMA AND STRESS

lot of people ask me what my life looked like in the run-up to being diagnosed with cancer. Wanting to understand how lifestyle choices may or may not affect our chances of becoming critically ill is completely logical and reasonable. I am not qualified to comment on definitive causes of cancer – all I can do is talk about my experience and hope that it helps.

In short, I was stressed and overwhelmed by life events before my diagnosis and I was doing absolutely nothing to manage either. I wasn’t slowing down. I wasn’t listening to my body – despite being a yoga teacher I wasn’t meditating, exercising, sleeping properly… I was barely breathing at all let alone breathing correctly. We’d recently moved back to the UK from Singapore. Before we’d had a chance to settle ourselves in we realised my mum was sick so I flew to Spain, packed up her life and bought her home with me…to our house that was a building site. She was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and I became her full-time carer. This all happened at a time in my own life when I was experiencing several perimenopause symptoms. The impact of the menopause is a topic we are now thankfully acknowledging as a time of life where women may feel overwhelmed, suffer burnout and become ill

if they don’t listen to their bodies. I didn’t listen to mine. I ploughed on through until I found myself in a hospital bed.

I’ve been told many times by consultants that they have no idea what caused my cancer. It’s so rare there isn’t enough data to draw such conclusions; which leaves us putting it down to bad luck. I’m willing to accept that might be true. But my instinct tells me that dis-ease within me caused by unresolved emotional stress might also have played a part in my disease. I’ll never know for sure if I could have prevented myself from getting cancer and I’m not reflecting on my situation with any blame or regret. I reflect with the hope that in the future I can create an environment within my body that is less open to disease.

Studies show that stress directly impacts our health – it depletes immune systems resulting in our bodies being more susceptible to harvesting disease. Direct links have been confirmed between stress and breast cancer. One study showed that groups who used stressreleasing therapy during their treatment finding higher rates of remission than groups who didn’t. We are often told that stress is a killer and if we believe that then surely we have to also believe that releasing stress could be a healer and a preventative.

The same is said to be true of unhealed trauma.

According to Harvard Medical School research, ‘The emotional and physical reactions from untreated trauma can make you more prone to serious health conditions including heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes and cancer.’ I love my parents dearly but, like many of us, I had unhealed wounds from my childhood, this is said without resentment, it’s just a fact. Dr Gabor Mate says, ‘Trauma is not the event that inflicted the wound. The trauma is not the abuse, the trauma is not the war. Trauma is not the abandonment, trauma is not the inability of your parents to see you for who you are. Trauma is the wound that you sustained as a result (of that event.)’ Which is a good thing…because it means we have the ability to heal those wounds.

While I was in hospital a friend took me to see a brilliant holistic practitioner called Sohum. She said she’d meditated on me and what had come up was fear, sadness and shame all stemming from a place of feeling unloved. Without even hesitating I said it described the inner me perfectly and already I felt relieved to be permitted to fully admit that.

Sohum asked me to set an intention for our session together. I said healing. I wanted her to heal me. I didn’t even consider that it would be me doing the healing.

Sohum explained how she worked:

‘In my practice, I place a big emphasis on our emotions because it is a dialogue from our body, mind and soul. 90-95% of all your symptoms are to do with suppressed emotions. That denied, neglected unloved part of you crying out loud to be acknowledged from somewhere in your lifetime, probably quite a long time ago as it usually takes time to manifest physically. All healing is self-healing. This is your journey. Spend time observing then set your intention out loud to release all the old, traumas, wounds, all the unresolved issues and contracts which don’t serve you. Set them to be released

now so you can transform and resurface and move forward to the new. This is the healing process and it is powerful. Start with your inner child.’

So that’s what I did. When I got back to hospital, I stuck a photo of my 8-year-old self on the wall and, as instructed, imagined hugging her and telling her she was loved. I did this every day and can honestly say that after about a month I felt something shift inside of me…like a blockage clearing. Inner child healing also involves doing things you enjoyed as a child but may have forgotten about or stopped making time for. Colouring, carving, cooking, gate crashing a party with a traffic cone on your head... Whatever the activity, it’s done with a focus on enjoying the process rather than the quality of the outcome. It’s done without judgement.

Thinking of my illness in terms of a spiritual and emotional dis-ease enabled me to heal my mind and my soul while the professionals healed my body and we all agree that doing this helped me get through my treatment. I’m acutely aware of the sensitivity around conversations about cancer. So many sadly aren’t cured of their critical illnesses and I am in no way suggesting this is related to anything they did or didn’t do. My father passed away from cancer and I don’t believe that had anything to do with his attitude, outlook or determination. He was the strongest and bravest man I knew. This is simply my experience.

I am equally grateful to conventional medicine and holistic healing for helping me through my treatment. Whether my physical disease and my emotional dis-ease are related is something I’ll never know for sure, but at the very least the healing of past wounds leaves me with a peaceful heart…and who can argue with that.

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Exceptional Live-In Care

We are a local care agency, based in North Dorset specialising in providing support for those who need help in order to continue living in their own homes. We provide affordable, tailor-made respite or permanent care, which fully takes into account your needs and wishes. If you’d like to know more about how we can help you or a family member, without any obligation, please call Arabella on: 07733 196677 - 01747 702142 or email info@bellecare.co.uk

Body and Mind

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BENEFITS OF PERSONAL TRAINING

Kevin Raguindin, Senior Fitness Instructor, Oxley Sports Centre

Personal training is a valuable investment in your overall health, well-being and lifestyle. Whether you’re looking to achieve short-term goals, make medium-term progress or create long-term changes, personal training can provide numerous benefits. In this article, we will explore how personal training can positively impact your health, well-being, and lifestyle in the short-term, medium-term and long-term.

Short-term benefits:

Goal-orientated approach: Personal training allows you to set specific, achievable goals tailored to your individual needs and preferences. Your trainer will design a personalised exercise programme that targets your short-term objectives, such as weight loss, muscle gain or improved cardiovascular fitness.

Proper technique and form: A personal trainer ensures that you perform exercises with the correct form and technique. This reduces the risk of injury and helps you maximise the effectiveness of your workouts from the start.

Increased motivation: Working with a personal trainer keeps you motivated and accountable. They provide continuous support, encouragement and feedback, pushing you to give your best effort during each session. This motivation can help you stay consistent and dedicated to your fitness journey.

Medium-term benefits:

Improved strength and endurance: Over time, personal training helps you build strength and endurance. Your trainer will progressively challenge your muscles by gradually increasing weights or intensity levels, leading to enhanced physical performance and stamina.

Enhanced flexibility and mobility: Personal training includes exercises that improve flexibility and mobility. By incorporating stretching and mobility drills into your routine, you can increase your range of motion, reduce muscle stiffness and prevent injuries.

Stress reduction: Engaging in regular exercise through personal training releases endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers. As you become fitter, you’ll experience decreased stress levels, improved mental clarity, and increased overall well-being.

Long-term benefits:

Sustainable lifestyle habits: Personal training helps you develop sustainable lifestyle habits that promote longterm health and well-being. Your trainer can provide guidance on nutrition, sleep, and stress management, enabling you to make positive choices that extend beyond the gym.

Disease prevention: Regular physical activity, supported by personal training, reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Long-term commitment to personal training can significantly improve your overall health and decrease the likelihood of developing these conditions.

Increased confidence and self-esteem: As you achieve your fitness goals and experience positive changes in your body and overall health, personal training boosts your confidence and self-esteem. This newfound self-assurance can positively impact various aspects of your life, including personal relationships, career and overall happiness.

Personal training offers a multitude of benefits for your short-term, medium-term and long-term health, well-being and lifestyle. From setting and achieving goals to improving strength, endurance, flexibility, and mental well-being, personal training provides a comprehensive approach to improving your overall quality of life. By investing in personal training, you can create positive and lasting changes that extend far beyond the gym.

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COMMUNITY SPIRIT

Tess Kelly, Health & Fitness Manager, Sherborne Sports Centre

It has been amazing to restart our events programme since our new development was completed. We kicked off with our 10k race in March which saw competitors running the new route around the streets of Sherborne and surrounding country lanes, overcoming a range of rewarding challenges and a few muddy puddles along the way.

We are so grateful to once again be able to host this inspiring community event and for the support we received to make it happen. From local running groups and businesses returning to support and sponsor us to the amazing marshals who volunteered to give up their Sunday morning lie-ins to cheer our runners around the course. The incredible Sherborne community spirit shone through as always and we couldn’t have been happier to see this return to the centre.

It’s always so inspiring to hear the different reasons competitors have for entering events, from first-timers to personal best chasers and those overcoming physical or mental health challenges. I’ve known those who have started running to overcome grief after the loss of a loved one and clients who are rebuilding their fitness after serious illnesses; some who never thought it would be possible to run at all! Every reason is personal and unique to that individual but all find a shared solace and

headspace from the freedom that running and all sports can provide. It is a great reminder of how important and empowering this industry can be and the honour that it is to work in the thick of it.

All areas of fitness have long been proven to boost mental wellbeing. Exercise and moving your body causes your brain to release ‘feel good’ chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood and can distract you from negative thought patterns. From joining a class to lifting weights in the gym or running outside, learning what your body is capable of by developing your fitness can be a huge boost to your self-esteem. With so many of us having struggled with periods of negativity towards our bodies and appearance throughout our lifetime due to the many societal pressures we’re often surrounded by, I truly believe that sport and fitness can help to show us an appreciation of what our amazing bodies can do whether you are at the very beginning of your fitness journey or you are a seasoned fitness fanatic.

In addition to building our own confidence and physical fitness, immersing yourself in the gym or a team sport can offer a perfect space to meet likeminded people and develop new friendships improving social interaction, away from the distractions and

stress that life can bring. Even from a young age, being part of a team sport can be a vital opportunity to develop communication, patience and leadership skills by working together and learning from each shared experience - win or lose! In that space and time, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you’ve done before - you’re there to work out and support each other, simple as that.

If you want to access the benefits of exercise but aren’t sure where to start or maybe you’re ready to take on a new challenge, have a look at any barriers that might come up and find something that works around them and your lifestyle.

• Like being outdoors? Make the most of the lighter and longer days, why not try a boot camp or run club to keep you motivated?

• Want to meet like-minded people? A fitness class or team sport could be for you. From boxercise to body conditioning or fun and friendly social sports like pickleball and squash, it’s been proven that working out with others can help you stick to your exercise plan whilst having fun.

• Family commitments are preventing you from exercising alone? Hire a court, share a swim session

or look for family-friendly classes where you can stay active together and set a great example with an active lifestyle!

• Transitional time such as post-pregnancy or menopause? Specific trainers and guided lifting classes could help you rebuild strength and help you adapt your training to suit the changes your body has experienced safely and effectively.

• Keen to sign up for an event? Find something specific to your chosen challenge like swimfit or a spin class and get some personal training for specific guidance and exercises to ensure progression on your training journey.

• Need some headspace? Mindful movement such as yoga and Pilates can provide space to breathe, stretch and strengthen with low-impact exercises that are hugely beneficial for all ages and stages.

There are so many ways to start your fitness journey. Whatever your motivation, incorporating sports and fitness into your daily life provides a chance to focus on YOU and prioritise your own wellbeing. Experiment with some of the many ways to move your body and find a fitness that you love - you’re worth it!

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons), Communifit

Let’s hope that May brings us warmer weather, sunnier days and a sense of well-being! The clocks have gone forward, starting the process of giving us more usable hours of sunlight each day, subsequently helping to boost morale. Winter is finally behind us and hopefully is replaced by an increasing desire to fit more into each and every day as daylight hours lengthen.

With this extra sunlight and (hopefully!) dryer, warmer weather, most of our classes move outdoors. Not only does this provide us with a much-appreciated change of environment but also an increased opportunity to be outside. It is alleged that most Brits spend an average of 92% of their time indoors! Exercising outdoors therefore ticks two important boxes. Firstly, putting time aside to improve our overall well-being whilst secondly, increasing our time outdoors. There are many benefits from exercising outdoors, below are just a few.

Firstly, it costs absolutely nothing to go outside for a walk, run or cycle. Current economic pressures have invariably led to a squeeze on our wallets and therefore exercising outside provides an affordable opportunity for everyone. It also doesn’t have to consume much time. Just thirty minutes a day of cardio exercise can improve both physical and mental well-being.

Image: Dave Bendell

I would argue that there is nothing more tedious than continually exercising in front of a screen or four plain walls. In general, spending time outdoors can be psychologically hugely beneficial, whether this be a walk along the coast or just being surrounded by wildlife and breathing fresh air. More specifically, training in beautiful surroundings will make exercise more enjoyable and therefore more sustainable, and with this, our health and fitness objectives are more likely to be achieved.

Sunlight provides you with vitamin D, an essential vitamin for healthy bones and a strong immune system. Vitamin D also supports the proper functioning of muscles. It aids the process of cell division, which helps our bodies grow and repair themselves. Vitamin D contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system, which is the body’s natural defence against germs and harmful bacteria.

One thing for certain is that you are naturally encouraged to meet people when outside. Being outdoors provides opportunities for social interaction and an increased possibility of the creation of a supportive network. Joining a group to participate in outdoor fitness classes can help you build both a sense of community and provide an increased purpose when exercising. This social aspect can also support mental health, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety.

You can, I’m certain, think of many other benefits to being outside when exercising. Hopefully, you will find a way to enjoy being outdoors whilst also improving your health and well-being.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, sunny and dry May!

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The Old Vicarage offers residential care for both permanent and respite stays. Set in tranquil landscaped gardens with stunning views, our home has a warm and friendly atmosphere. The home has won more than 30 national and regional awards for its exceptional care.

We currently have both permanent and respite vacancies. Call us today to book a viewing and meet our amazing team.

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THE BIG SELL

£4,250,000.

Selling your house can be a stressful time. There are many variables to consider with country houses, in particular old or listed ones, which can present challenges. That’s why having the best advice can make a world of difference. It can help reduce the strain, uplift the value, maximise the capital return and remove potential stumbling blocks for buyers.

If possible, it’s ideal to plan a year in advance for country house sales. One of the big benefits of planning ahead is that the property can be photographed in May or June when gardens look their best. The importance of having great photography that showcases your house and its surroundings at their best should not be underestimated.

Planning ahead also ensures there is enough time for your solicitor to assemble or regularise any arrangements you have, for example grazing rights or basic payment schemes on the land. You may be required to evidence these, should the purchaser elect for ‘mixed use’ status for SLDT (Stamp Duty Land Tax) purposes.

Building in extra time allows for forward-thinking approaches such as carving off a parcel of land, which might have development potential in the future, from the sale and putting it into trust for the benefit of children or grandchildren for instance.

Lawyers and agents should be instructed at least three months before you’re hoping to launch to the market. This allows time to look at implementing valueadding strategies, ranging from opening up views by trimming foliage and lowering hedges to investigating

whether planners would agree to increase the footprint or volume. Thinking strategically and packaging a house to its best advantage mitigate the leap of faith that a buyer might otherwise need to make.

Prepare a legal pack in advance, including building regulations certificates, listed building consents, a septic tank status report (if applicable) and water analysis results where relevant. To try and avoid delays, you could also consider having the local searches done on behalf of the buyer as they are valid for up to six months. Having found a buyer, acting quickly and having all the information ready is key.

Commissioning surveys in advance can also help ensure a smooth sale. Each country house will throw up different nuances or potential complications, ranging from the nature of existing tenancies and the employment rights of staff to whether or not all the land has been correctly registered. If the house is near water, a ready-prepared flood assessment can be useful. When a property is in a poor state of disrepair, we may recommend vendors have a survey done to allay buyers’ concerns about restoration costs. Costs can easily escalate in their minds so having professionally calculated figures can be exceedingly helpful.

A month to go, it is time for your agent to put together the brochure for sign-off, ready for launch.

If you do all of this, you’ll be well placed to sell to the best advantage and with the minimum hassle.

Ashley Rawlings, Residential Director, Savills

Plush Manor, Plush, near Dorchester. Guide price

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WORKPLACE MATTERS

Change programmes: How to improve the chances of success

Ben Morris, Head of People and Performance, Mogers Drewett

There is a well-worn statistic that suggests that 70 per cent of organisational change initiatives fail. In the world of DevOps (IT operations and development), medium performers can expect a failure rate of between 15 and 45 per cent –between one and three in every seven deployments. And yet, change is all around us, and within us, all the time – much of it, without any active or conscious involvement from us. So, despite what some might say, we can do change.

Uncertainty is a threat

Humans are efficiency engines. Our wiring, both factory standard and modified, is about preserving energy, which is why we tend to stick to the familiar, even if that is worse for us than the new way. Most change requires us to maintain a conscious awareness of what we want and what to do to keep us moving that way. And that gets tiring.

Corporate Leadership Council research suggests that 50 per cent of corporate leaders did not know whether recent organisational changes had succeeded. Uncertainty is a threat – not just about what the future might hold but what any of the possible futures might mean to us, how much agency we might have over those futures and what they might mean for us in the eyes of others (especially management and peers).

Evoke the motivation to persist

If those who initiate or sign off on a change programme cannot tell if something has been successful, doesn’t it say volumes about the definition of success? Perhaps it was not clear what success would look like or the goalposts have moved. That might be because the market has shifted, rendering the change irrelevant (frustrating but not a failing in the change project) or, as is very common, having achieved what was set out, we’re left feeling that it could or should have been more (again, not unusual

but not a change fail). It all contributes to uncertainty.

So, we need to work hard on evoking the motivation to persist – clarity of success at the beginning; calling out the behaviours you wanted to see; celebrating the successes and achievement of doing the work (even if the original impetus changes) are crucial for feeding our sense of being seen and appreciated.

In that spirit, go to where the work is done and pay attention to what is being done, not what you thought should be being done. Without judgment, ask why it is being done that way. The Gemba (a Japanese term meaning ‘the actual place’) is not just where problems arise, it is where your team seek to resolve challenges to getting things done, in line with what they believe to be important based on their values and the organisation’s expectations.

Involve your team to help find an alignment between what you want to achieve with what you already do.

Make changes feel small

Start small but make even that change seem smaller. Then celebrate doing it and repeat. Use that new level as your platform to build from but keep the next change simple and as close as possible to what you can now already do.

It may feel like this is advocacy to stay still in a comfort zone and you’d be half right. This is about growing our comfort zone so that we absorb into it what used to be out of reach. ‘Go big or go home’ makes headlines but chunking gives a better chance of creating a physical, mental and social environment that helps change happen and stick.

Neuroscientist George Leonard was on to something when he wrote: ‘Resistance is proportionate to the size and speed of the change, not to whether the change is favourable or not’.

mogersdrewett.com

A SPECIAL WORD TO BUSINESS OWNERS…

Mark Salter CFP, Chartered FCSI, Fort Financial Planning

If you run your own business, whether as the sole owner or a partner, you hold a valuable asset with the potential to secure your desired lifestyle. But have you considered the cost of your own future in your pricing strategy? While many entrepreneurs factor in expenses like staff salaries, rent, utilities and supplies, they often overlook their own financial security. Your future is an essential overhead that must be accounted for in your pricing model. Take the time to calculate how much you need to accumulate annually and integrate it into your business expenses.

Relying on a business sale

Many business owners pin their financial hopes on selling their companies. But before banking on a sale, ask yourself: Is my business sellable or is it heavily reliant on me? A simple test is to inquire: ‘If I took an extended leave, would my business survive?’ If the answer is yes, you likely have a sellable business. However, if your absence would cripple operations, rethink your reliance on a future sale. Relying solely on selling your business for financial security leaves you vulnerable to market fluctuations. Instead, aim for financial independence without depending on a sale.

The owner-dependent business

Some businesses thrive solely due to the owner’s constant involvement. Owners find themselves consumed by their businesses, leaving little time for personal pursuits. These types of businesses are

challenging to sell because the owner is the driving force behind their success. If you’re too integral to daily operations, finding a buyer becomes difficult. Your business should be your greatest asset but it requires careful planning. Start now to secure your financial future, both while you’re working and after you retire.

Summary

As a business owner, prioritise your personal financial future. Incorporate the cost of your future into your pricing strategy, ensuring that your business supports your long-term goals. Avoid banking solely on selling your business sale for financial security; instead, focus on achieving personal financial independence through your business profits. Additionally, strive to create a business that operates efficiently even in your absence, allowing for a potential sale or retirement. By planning now and leveraging your business wisely, you can secure a prosperous future for yourself and your loved ones.

A lifestyle financial planner can assist in determining your earnings, safeguarding your family and business in case of incapacitation, planning your retirement and establishing financial goals. They can answer those important questions like: How much do I need to earn? What happens to my family and the business if I can’t work? When can I stop working or sell my business? How much will be enough?

In the fast-paced world of technology, the landscape of personal computing is undergoing a significant transformation. Windows and Apple computers, once known for their versatility and custom options, are increasingly becoming non-upgradeable. This shift is leaving users with limited choices when it comes to extending the lifespan and performance of their devices.

For many years, one of the key advantages of owning a Windows computer was the ability to upgrade various hardware components. Whether it was adding more RAM for smoother multitasking or swapping out an old hard drive for a faster SSD, users had the freedom to tailor their systems to meet their specific needs and preferences. However, this flexibility is now being eroded as both Microsoft and Apple embrace design philosophies that prioritise thinness, lightness and integration over upgradability.

Now Apple made this change quite a while ago with all their MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac ranges, soldering most of the components to the motherboard meaning that what you buy is what you get, with no ability to upgrade any of the components at a later date. You can, however, customise your Mac at the time of purchase to have more storage and RAM if you purchase directly from Apple. This is something worth considering as the cost isn’t a massive amount extra to double the space and RAM, which will future-proof your device and save you money in the long run as you shouldn’t need an upgrade. You can obviously also do this with Windows-based computers from certain suppliers but there hasn’t really been a need to as most Windows-based machines have been upgradable later. However, over the last 12 months, I have noticed an increase in new Windows-based PCs which are not upgradeable after purchase.

The implications of this shift are significant for users accustomed to the DIY approach of upgrading their

A GROWING TREND IN UPGRADABILITY

James Flynn, Milborne Port Computers

computers. Instead of being able to simply replace a worn-out battery or upgrade to a larger SSD, users are now faced with the prospect of either accepting the limitations of their devices or shelling out for a brandnew model.

This trend towards non-upgradeability is not just limited to laptops. Even desktop computers, once seen as the epitome of user-customisable machines, are now being designed with sealed enclosures and proprietary components that limit upgrade options.

So, what’s driving this shift towards nonupgradeability? One factor is the relentless pursuit of thinner and lighter designs. Both Microsoft and Apple are keenly aware of the consumer demand for sleek, portable devices and they’re willing to sacrifice upgradability to achieve these goals. Additionally, integrating components like RAM and storage directly onto the motherboard can lead to better performance and energy efficiency.

While there are certainly benefits to be had from this approach, such as improved aesthetics and performance, it also comes with its fair share of drawbacks. For one, it limits the lifespan of devices, as users are unable to upgrade key components as technology evolves. This not only affects the user experience but also contributes to the growing problem of electronic waste as more devices are discarded rather than upgraded or repaired. Furthermore, the shift towards non-upgradeability raises questions about sustainability and consumer rights. Should users be forced to replace their entire device when only a single component needs upgrading or repair? And what happens to all the electronic waste generated by discarded devices?

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WORD PUZZLE

Peter Ludgate, Sherborne Scribblers

In a modest half-timbered Elizabethan pile in Surrey, over hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire, eight-year-old Sophie sits with her Grandma.

‘Grandma, what does presumptuous mean? That’s what our teacher called my friend Minnie when she said when she grew up she was going to do her job, only better.’

‘I think it’s an old-fashioned word for tuberculosis dear.’

‘What’s tuberculosis?’

‘It’s what miners got in the old days when they smoked too much down the mine.’

‘Did Granddad have tuberculosis, is that why he died?’

‘We don’t talk about Granddad any more Sophie.’

‘’Why not? My friends all talk about their Granddads.’

‘Well, we don’t. Least said soonest mended - as my mother used to say.’

‘Why did she say that Grandma?’

‘When there’s something not very nice or upsetting.’

‘Mum said Grandpa died of Triffids or something like that and that he was a bad man. Is that why we don’t talk about him? And what’s Triffids, Grandma?'

‘You’re asking too many questions and you’re too young to understand. No more about Grandpa, ok?’

‘Ok, Grandma. Did you know that Flossie died last week?’

‘I’m sorry to hear that dearest but 12 years is very old for a rabbit.’

‘I shall miss her a lot, even though Dad called her, “that idiot rabbit.” Mind you, he also referred to, “that idiot postman, milkman, doctor, teacher and builder.” Why are there so many idiots Grandma?’

‘Well Sophie, my father used to call them “the feckless majority” – ordinary people who just don’t seem to have a clue about life. However much you give them they always end up wasting it and dancing back for more. Not like the rest of us who are born to land-owning and bear the burden of great wealth with dignity.’

‘Do you miss him, your father, that is?’

‘Very much. Like Flossie, he was almost like part of the family and he was right about your grandfather.’

‘What did he say about him?’

‘Said he was a bad lot, always flaunting his money. There was a lot of money to be made in scrap metal in those days.’

‘I never met Granddad.’

‘You’re not missing anything much Sophie. He won’t be missed, at least not by me and those other poor women.’

‘Why do you call them poor women?’

‘Never you mind, such things are not for your ears yet.’

‘Mum said you still wear his ring though – is that it on your finger?

‘It’s such a beautiful sapphire though I doubt it was acquired in the usual way.’

‘You really don’t like Granddad much, do you?’

‘And you wouldn’t either if you knew the truth about him.’

‘Mum says you’re too hard on him. He bought her a new bicycle for her tenth birthday - that’s good, isn’t it?’

‘Not if it was to make up for something he felt guilty about.’

‘What was he guilty about?’

‘I’m not going into all that at your age.’

‘Was it to do with the car parts in his shed? Mum said he had things which weren’t actually his and the police took them away.’

‘Something like that, yes.’

‘Did they give them back, Grandma?’

‘I don’t think so but I find talking about all this too upsetting. Tell me, Sophie, are you still gardening with your dad?’

‘Yes, but it’s a bit boring – everything grows so slowly. I don’t really care that they’re going to be string beans one day. They don’t look like them now, do they?’

‘I suppose not but it’s good to be outdoors and out in nature.’

‘That’s really boring Grandma – I like exciting things which happen fast. Mum and I were watching Star Trek with all the aliens where Chekov the first engineer was kidnapped by these big slimy blobby things but he managed to get away at the last minute, just before the whole planet blew up.’

‘How would you like to visit Mr Blobby at the theme park in Somerset?’

‘Is that the pink fat man who says Blobby Blobby Blobby all the time?’

‘No, I think you’re confusing him with someone else who used to raise lots of money for charities.’

‘That’s for little, tiny children – sounds a bit babyish to me. Grandma, what’s for tea? I hope it’s chicken nuggets. Mum says they’re really good for your brain.’

‘Sorry Sophie, I don’t hold with all this junk food. I’ve done a nice oxtail soup.’

‘I can’t eat ox, Grandma – I’ve gone veggie.’

‘What about the chicken nuggets you mentioned earlier?’

‘There’s no meat in them, is there?’

LITERARY SOCIETY PREVIEW

Rosie Cunningham, Sherborne Literary Society

THE LIFELINE

Libby Page

The Lifeline is the new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author and local Frome resident, Libby Page who will be talking to Sherborne Literary Society members on 21st May about her book and what motivated her to write the story. The Lifeline is Page’s own story about her struggles with new motherhood and the coping techniques which gave her the courage to understand that motherhood is not as easy or straightforward as baby books and wellmeaning friends might portray.

Kate is overwhelmed by the demands of her newborn baby and feelings of being an inadequate mother. The added stress of moving from London and a job which she loved, to a village in Somerset where she has no local friends or network, means that she is left isolated. Her thoughts are filled with the terrifying realisation that she does not feel a connection to her daughter, Rosie, and experiences haunting thoughts which are anything but maternal love. She constantly compares the unrelenting struggles of her new life to

feelings of estrangement from her close friendship group, her fulfilling and challenging job and the freedom of movement and spontaneity which she has lost. Kate experiences emotions of inadequacy, particularly when friends and strangers tell her how lucky she is to have Rosie, reminding her that ‘she must, she absolutely must savour every single second of it’, even though she derives no enjoyment from the lack of sleep and incessant demands of her baby.

Kate meets members of The Tired Mums Club at the local coffee shop but instead of showing solidarity and sharing stories about their own motherhood struggles, every woman introduces herself by her child’s name rather than her own, as if being a mother has reduced them to a nameless zombie, whose only focus in life is the demands of their child. She remembers the feeling of panic leaving the hospital with Rosie, ‘she went in as just Kate and came out as a mother and was left to figure out everything that came next by herself’. Kate finds the atmosphere oppressive and, already at the end of her tether, this group of women only serve to exacerbate her nightmare, ‘because they are good mothers, says the voice in her head’. Her husband, mother and sister are very supportive but Kate is nervous to open up to them and reveal her true feelings, ‘What kind of mother doesn’t love their baby?’. It is only when a stranger sympathises, ‘Having a newborn is like having a tiny dictator ruling your life … it’s absolutely relentless’, that she understands that her experiences are no different from every other mother.

Phoebe has a hugely demanding job which completely consumes her life, leaving her exhausted and wrung out. Her job, as Community Mental Health Nurse Harrison, is both unrelenting and highly pressurised and this affects not only her personal relationships with her boyfriend, her family and her beloved grandmother, whom she can’t find the time to go and visit but also her diet of late-night junk food and increasing dependency on alcohol. When her boyfriend moves out because he never sees her and her grandmother gets taken to hospital, Phoebe is forced to confront the fact that her job is dominating her life and is crushing her. As her father tells her, ‘You need places and moments where you can let go and unwind’.

Both women need to find time to look after themselves, to provide a break from their demanding, all-consuming lives, and it is at the local wild swimming group, The Farleigh-on-Avon River Swimming,

Bathing and Recreational Water-based Activity Club, that they find transformation and friendship, ‘a swim in the river always makes everything better’. Here Kate and Phoebe find the space and freedom to be themselves and find a community who are supportive, open-minded and non-judgemental.

Page’s narrative style is richly colourful and full of natural description, emphasising her love of the country. Themes of mental health, support network groups and social care are addressed but there are humorous interludes throughout. Phoebe, collects her patient, Maude, from the police station, taken into custody for walking nude on the dual carriageway, but mistakenly has brought an outsized T-shirt with the slogan ‘Yes sir, I can boogie’ emblazoned across the front for Maude to wear, and Kate’s baby, Rosie, projectile vomits over her best friend’s wedding dress.

The Lifeline explores the belief that women are invincible and can cope, no matter what, however, whilst there are women who propagate that superwoman myth, the reality is that most new mothers are absolutely exhausted most of the time and others stress about their demanding jobs. As Jada Pinkett Smith said, ‘When I’m tired, I rest. I say, “I can’t be a superwoman today’”. This book will remind women that networking, friends and local support groups are important lifelines, and pretending that all is well when it really isn’t, is not good. As Phoebe says to Kate, ‘Thanks for listening’. The Lifeline acknowledges that motherhood can be tough and isolating, and allowing time for oneself is not selfish. Page writes on her blog, ‘this feeling of being alone in my struggles is the thing that ultimately inspired me to write a novel drawing on that time in my life’, and her new book certainly provides an honest viewpoint.

sherborneliterarysociety.com

Tuesday 21st May 2.30pm for 3pm

Libby Page - The Lifeline

The Eastbury Hotel, Long Street, Sherborne

Author talk and signing. Tickets £10 (members) £12 (non-members), available from Winstone’s Books, Cheap Street or sherborneliterarysociety.com

1. Monstrous creature (8)

5. Move fast in a straight line (4)

8. Negatively charged ion (5)

9. Is present at (7)

10. One event in a sequence (7)

12. Withstood (7)

14. Takes into custody (7)

16. Horizontal supporting beams (7)

18. Feeling of hopelessness (7)

19. Sully or blemish (5)

20. Depression in a surface (4)

21. Bulbous perennial herb (8)

1. Bars (anag) (4)

2. Applauded (6)

3. Egg-laying mammal (9)

4. Followed a route or signal (6)

6. Large artillery gun (6)

7. Sweet food courses (8)

11. Inherent (9)

12. Blew up (8)

13. Agreement or concord (6)

14. Far from the target (6)

15. Make an unusually great effort (6)

17. Unit of length (4)

Literature

LITERARY REVIEW

Richard Hopton, Sherborne Literary Society

Where Are the Fellows Who Cut the Hay? by Robert Ashton (Unbound, £16.99 hardcover) Sherborne Times reader offer price of £14.99 from Winstone’s Books

Change is the engine of history. Modernisers applaud it as progress while traditionalists think of it as a rejection of established, time-honoured values and practices. Where Are the Fellows Who Cut the Hay? is a meditation on change in rural east Suffolk, where its author Robert Ashton has lived for much of his life. He went to school nearby, worked the land on surrounding farms as a teenager and now lives there again.

The moving spirit of Ashton’s book is his reverence for the work of the Welsh writer and oral historian George Ewart Evans (1909-1988). Born in the Welsh mining village of Abercynon in the Taff Valley, Evans escaped the mines, graduated from Cardiff University and became a teacher. In 1948 he moved to Blaxhall, a village in east Suffolk not far from Aldeburgh, where he started interviewing his neighbours to collect their stories of rural life since the late 19th century. The results were published in 1956 as Ask the Fellows Who Cut the Hay. Ashton was given a copy of the book by his parents in his mid-teens and was immediately captivated by it. By a further coincidence, Evans’s wife Florence had been Ashton’s headmistress at school in the early 1960s.

Inspired by Evans’s books and other works, Ashton resolved to write about rural Suffolk. ‘How,’ Ashton wondered, ‘had things changed since Evans’s day? Would people in their eighties today talk in similar ways to those Evans had interviewed, about the changes they had witnessed over their lifetime?’

The resulting book is a fascinating, charming account

of the changes in rural life since Evans was collecting his oral histories in the 1950s and ‘60s. As a young man, Ashton worked for an agricultural supply business in the area. ‘Looking back,’ he writes, ‘… I can see that I was witnessing the very tail end of the local trading that had been in existence for centuries. Today most of the agricultural merchants and local feed mills have disappeared.’ In charting the changes, Ashton casts his net widely. He writes about arable farming, principally wheat and barley, sheep and dairy farming and the rhythms and traditions of village life. It’s also a book about people, the individuals who make up the rural communities, in many cases descendants of the men and women interviewed by Evans in the mid-20th century.

Along the way, he gives the reader many an intriguing gobbet of information. For example, in the days of the horse-drawn plough, in ploughing an acre the ploughman walked eleven miles behind the horse. A pair of horses could plough an acre a day. The Fordson tractors of the 1950s would do that in less than an hour but today’s vast machines will plough four acres in an hour. Such is progress.

Ashton acknowledges change but is equivocal about its impact. ‘Materially,’ he writes, ‘we are far better off than our forebears, but I’m not sure we are as happy as people once were. Can we turn the clock back to rediscover that sense of belonging that has today largely been lost?’

sherborneliterarysociety.com

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

The Reverend Hugh Bonsey, Associate Priest, Sherborne Benefice

Thursday 9th May is Ascension Day. There was a time when children had a day off school. They may have had a church service in the morning and then had the rest of the day off. This practice, now long forgotten, was one sign of the importance of Ascension Day. It is one of the special Feast Days in the church’s year – but now seldom celebrated. It is a strange day.

What happened to Jesus at the Ascension? If you were to go to Jerusalem, to the Mount of Olives, and enter the Chapel of the Ascension, there in that tiny round building (now a Muslim structure) you would see a small, dark rock. Guides are rather prone to point out to the tourists that impressions made in that rock resemble footprints. They ask, ‘Were these indentations in the stone, the footmarks of Jesus left behind as he ascended into heaven?’

The whole concept of Jesus leaving this earth like an astronaut being borne heavenward by a Saturn V space rocket leaves us cold, to say the least. This is not what the Gospel writers were trying to tell us. Their story is of an entirely different perception of reality.

Of the four Gospels, only St John talks of Jesus ascending to heaven. He says to Mary Magdalene on Easter morning ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ (Jn. 20.17). The main reference to ascension comes from the Book of Acts (Acts 1.6-11). St Luke describes here the Ascension of Jesus in these terms, ‘… as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.’ (v.9). As with the Resurrection of Jesus, so with the Ascension: no one witnessed what actually happened - it was a mystery. The vision of the church, articulated by St Luke, might help us in our understanding of our Lord returning to the dimension from where he came at Christmas. The change in perception of heaven from being above us to being all around us, and in us, might make ideas of ‘ascension’ easier if the motif of a cloud was used. Changes in geographical location become meaningless, forcing us to see ‘ascension’ in a different way.

We spend so much time thinking about what happened to Jesus that we often forget what part the Ascension plays in our own destiny. When Jesus came to Earth, being born at Christmas, the church teaches that he brought his divinity with him so that in his earthly life Jesus was both divine and human. When he ascended to heaven, Jesus took our humanity back with him; now humanity is present in heaven, along with the divinity of Jesus. What is of extreme importance to us, often ignored by the most devout of Christians, is the firm belief that after the Ascension of Jesus, humanity has the potential to be divine, sharing the life of God himself.

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