The Blackmore Vale magazine March 21

ISSN 2634-8810

POLITICS

WE DON’T DO PRINT! March ‘21

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POLITICS

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Front cover: Lamb Love. February 2021 by Carl Bovis

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Animals

68

Art

51

Barry Cuff | Voice of the Allotment

79

Beauty

49

Book Corner

36

Brigit Strawbridge

80

Business News

56

Charity pages

116

Community News

91

Deaths & In Memoriam

67

Designed In Dorset

18

Education

42

Equestrian

45

Farming

60

Food & Drink

52

Garden Jobs

77

Health

23

Inside the Carers Pandemic

89

Legal Notices

20

Looking Back | Roger Guttridge

34

Meet Your Local

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News

82

Night Sky

54

Oonagh's flowers

50

Out Of Doors

47

Paul Birbeck

71

Photography

30

Police news

97

Professional Services

110

Property

83

Puzzles

58

Reader's Letters

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Rural Matters - CPRE

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Simon Hoare MP

92

Situations Vacant

48

Take a Hike

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Tales from the Vale | Andy Palmer

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Then & Now | Roger Guttridge

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Mother's Day Messages

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WIN Mary Berry Tableware

Firstly an apology. Every month I get a flurry of letters.

I won’t publish the ‘oh you’re wonderful’ ones - I reply to them personally with Waiting to be a radio star... note genuine thanks, the effortless style & elegance. but personally feel printing them is self-serving and of no interest to readers. Some raise issues which deserve further investigation, some are declarations of love (you wouldn’t believe my inbox)... and some would frankly get me into a lot of trouble if I made them public.

But many are of course worthy of sharing. I reply to them all, naturally, but it has been pointed out by a number of bossy people that I should be printing the printable ones, that everyone loves the letters page. Rookie Mistake. You’ll find the readers letters on p. 58 this month...

This week I was on Abbey104, Sherborne’s radio station. I don’t normally book anything for publication week - there’s no time to brush my hair, let alone attend meetings. But it was properly fun; I got to have a small on-hold dance to Hear’Say, and I think I totally hid the fact I’d had less than 5hrs sleep, had been up working since 6 and was still in my pjs. SShhh.

Sorry for the whopper issue - you may want to read it in bites. The brilliant Mother’s Day messages are at the back - no need to peek at them til next weekend (don’t panic you haven’t forgotten it). I hope you can all find ways to mark the day - it really is the thought that matters. I usually get ‘spoiled’ by three (badly) homemade cards, one forgotten emergency Coop card (except my biggest boy is in America at the moment), and the company and conversation of my favourite human beans. It’s always a nice day.

Here’s hoping for some sunshine and freedom before next issue.

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by Tracie Beardsley

NEWS

MORE SUPPORT FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS IN DORSET It’s a crime that often goes unnoticed and unreported.

Domestic abuse is on the increase and those in violent relationships have been affected severely by the three lockdowns.

Police recorded over a quarter of a million domestic abuse offences during the first lockdown between March and June 2020 - 7% up on the same period in 2019.

Dorset Police reported a 17% increase across the county during the same period. The nationwide rise compelled Prime Minister Boris Johnson, at the start of the second lockdown, to urge victims to “flee from harm.”

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) states there has been an increase in demand for victim services during the coronavirus pandemic. As lockdown measures eased helplines in particular felt the pressure.

The ONS suggests a probable increase in the severity of abuse and a lack of support mechanisms, such as the opportunity to escape the abusive home or to attend counselling.

However, the pandemic has been useful in helping bring this terrible topic into the spotlight and to highlight the need for more funding.

Indeed, there is some good news for domestic abuse victims and their children living in Dorset: they are to receive more support through £1.4million of extra government funding.

The much-needed funding will help victims and their children access life-saving support and flee their abusers. This will include advocacy, counselling and therapy in safe locations such as refuges or specialist safe houses.

Dorset Council has secured £651,000 and Bournemouth,

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Christchurch and Poole Council will receive £750,000.

For David Sidwick, Conservative candidate to be next Police and Crime Commissioner in Dorset, the subject of domestic violence is a matter close to his heart. He said: “Having had a close family experience of domestic abuse, I know the pain and trauma it can cause. “ Mr Sidwick shared with the digital Blackmore Vale Magazine: “Somebody I know well was in an abusive relationship for a number of years. This consisted of coercive and controlling behaviour eventually leading to physical violence.

This person endured interrogation of every aspect of her life – car mileage checked, phone bill scrutinised, even her workplace called to check she’d gone to work.”

He added: “And this was just the tip of the iceberg – being grilled if she was late back from shopping, possessive and controlling behaviour that forced her to pay all the bills so she was left with no money of her own. Thankfully, she eventually broke free with the help of a police domestic violence team.

David Sidwick continued: “I am pleased Dorset I getting £1.4 million. Having spoken to charities and residents across Dorset, I feel even more could be done to increase victim support and reduce offending.

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NEWS This behaviour destroys selfesteem and engenders shame of being a victim.”

Tonia Redvers, Quality and Operations Director for YOU, who deliver You First, the commissioned domestic abuse service in Dorset, told the digital Blackmore Vale: ‘We appreciate all funds that are allocated to Dorset to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and their children. It’s very early days and we don’t yet know how the increased funding for Dorset will be allocated.

Ask for ANI scheme In January 2021 the government launched the ‘Ask for ANI’ code word scheme, providing victims of domestic abuse access to immediate help from the police or support services via their local pharmacy.

The Silent Solution 55 System It was drummed into us from a young age: if you’re in danger, call 999. But in some situations, speaking on the phone could put you at greater risk.

The UK police watchdog has launched a campaign to raise awareness of a system that allows people to contact police or other emergency services in situations when it might not be safe to make a sound.

“We have seen an increase in referrals since the pandemic started. Not only have our team been amazing, but also we’ve received wonderful support from Dorset Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner which has enabled us to add staff to our initial contact team and to grow our counselling support for people in Dorset.’’

She added: “We look forward to working with Dorset Council to ensure these funds make a difference to people experiencing domestic abuse in Dorset.”

The ‘Ask for ANI’ scheme allows those at risk or suffering from abuse to discreetly signal that they need help and access support.

In an attempt to try and help as many victims as possible at the moment that are potentially stuck in lockdown with a perpetrator, the government came up with a new scheme.

David Sidwick, who has shared the terrifying personal experience of domestic abuse of a close friend.

victim needs to speak to the police or would like help to access support services such as a national or local domestic abuse helpline.

Many pharmacies, in particular Boots, will be displaying the this poster:

By ‘asking for ANI’ in places like Boots, which have signed up for the scheme, a trained pharmacy worker will offer a private space where they can establish if the The Independent Office for Police Conduct has produced a how-to guide for its Silent Solution system, after becoming concerned that many people believe that a silent 999 call will alert emergency services.

If you’re in a situation where it seems too dangerous to speak to a 999 phone operator, the guide advises you to cough or tap your phone handset.

If you cannot, then your call will automatically pass to the ‘Silent

Solution System’. This is to filter the large number of hoax or accidental 999 calls received but also to help people who are unable to speak.

After a 20 second automated message, it will ask you to press 55 to be put through to police call management.

The BT operator will remain on the line and listen. If you press 55, they will be notified and transfer the call to the police.

If you don’t press 55, the call will be terminated.

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by Tracie Beardsley

NEWS

Shaftesbury: Dorset’s own Handforth?

It seems Handforth Parish Council is not alone in demonstrating unwanted behaviour by councillors. At the end of last month (Feb 26th) two members of Shaftesbury Town Council faced a Code of Conduct hearing, following complaints of disrespectful behaviour towards fellow councillors and members of the public.

Dorset Council’s Audit and Governance Hearing subcommittee considered three complaints of breaches of the Code of Conduct against Councillor Karen Tippins and Councillor Peter Yeo. The sub-committee upheld the three complaints.

These included that Councillor Karen Tippins had referred to fellow councillor Matthew Welch as an “idiot” and then refused to retract the comment.

Councillor Peter Yeo then allegedly confirmed this and said: “She’s got a point.”

There was also a complaint against Councillor Yeo after he gave a rude hand gesture and mouthed a word which resulted in his camera and microphone being switched off during a virtual meeting.

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Shaftesbury Town Hall - The current building was built between 1826 and 1837.

The principal room in the building was the council chamber on the first floor which on the south side, featured views out over Gold Hill, which has been described as “one of the most romantic sights in England.”

As well as these complaints of disrespectful behaviour to other councillors, Councillor Tippins also faced a public complaint, in which it was claimed she had failed to pay proper attention to guests from the Champions Football Academy attending a council meeting.

Councillor Mike Parkes, Chairman of Dorset Council’s Audit and Governance Hearing sub-committee, said: “After very careful consideration of all the evidence, including the investigation reports, representations and responses given during the hearing, the sub-committee upheld the complaints made against Councillor Tippins and Councillor Yeo, finding that they had breached the Shaftesbury Town Council Code of Conduct.”

He added: “Both councillors were found to have behaved disrespectfully towards members of the public and towards fellow councillors in public meetings, thereby bringing the council

into disrepute. We want to send a clear message: all councillors must maintain high standards of conduct at all times and work together for the good of their communities.”

Councillor Andy Hollingshead, Mayor of Shaftesbury and Chairman of Shaftesbury Town Council, told the digital Blackmore Vale:

“It is a matter of deep regret that two Shaftesbury Town Councillors have behaved in such a disgraceful fashion leading ultimately to a full hearing, formal admonishment and censure.”

He added: “As Mayor, I can assure your readers that the rest of the Town Council, with our brilliant and dedicated staff, are continuing to deliver excellent cost-effective services for the people of Shaftesbury.”

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NEWS Deputy mayor Alex Chase said: “It’s appropriate that these actions were dealt with and good that the investigation and hearing did conclude there were clear code of conduct breaches. This is not appropriate behaviour for people who have been elected to represent the people and town of Shaftesbury.”

In an echo of the Handforth incident, Councillor Peter Yeo was removed from the Shaftesbury town council meeting on the 28th January this year for interrupting proceedings (video below joins as meeting is interrupted)

Cllr Peter Yeo

Following the Code of Conduct hearing, the two councillors have been requested by Dorset Council to make an apology at the next full Council meeting.

Deputy Mayor Alex Chase said: “We will put everything in place to enable the rulings by Dorset Council to happen. I’m sure the two councillors will be reasonable and realise they have made errors of judgement and come through for the good of the town.”

However, it would seem that outspoken Councillor Peter Yeo is far from ready to apologise. He told the digital Blackmore Vale: “The complaints made against Councillor Tippin and me were all blatantly trivial and vexatious.“

Councillor Yeo explained he had been excluded from meetings five times in the past year – he believes due to his insistence on questioning certain council spending decisions.

He confirmed “I will not be apologising to anyone for any of my conduct.”

Councillor Karen Tippins is equally determined to make a stand against the council’s behaviour towards her,

which she regards as “a farce from start to finish.”

She said: “The next stage is to escalate our complaints

Cllr Karen Tippins

Karen Tippins has lived in Shaftesbury since 2012, and previously served on the Town Council for 3 years from 2014-2017.

She states “I am a strong public speaker and can and will put forward robust arguments to Dorset Council regarding key issues.”

to the Ombudsman for maladministration. This we will now do.”

Both councillors claim there has been a collective mood against them since they were vocal in their objections to the council’s proposals to spend half a million pounds on a 3G astroturf pitch for the town football club – broadly the council’s annual budget.

Hoping that current issues do not overshadow the good work being done by the council, Deputy Mayor Alex Chase responded:

“We’ve got to continue to work together and try to make this town a better place to live - that’s why we were all elected in the first place.”

“Stronger measures need to be in place to protect those who are doing a good job that is very challenging. We and many other councils are speaking to the National Association for Local Councils (NALC) about changes needed.”

Shaftesbury Town Council website

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by Tracie Beardsley

NEWS

The Power Of Parish Councils the authority to do good Cool and calm Jackie Weaver is now a Zoom legend after Handforth Parish Council’s feisty meeting went viral.

For us, it was funny – shades of the bumbling ‘Vicar of Dibley’ committee coupled with the bombast of ‘Yes Minister’. But it did have a negative impact.

Parish councils are now working hard to improve their image and taking pains to point out they’re not all as hot-headed as Handforth. The fall-out has compelled The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to issue a statement defending the work and behaviour of parish councils (PC).

Councillor Sue Baxter, NALC Chairman stated: “Most of England’s 10,000 local parish and town councils are run well.

People get involved in their local councils because they are passionate about their communities and committed to making a difference.

NALC is aware of the negative impact poor behaviour can have. We are committed to promoting and supporting good governance and the highest standards of conduct and behaviour in local councils, by councillors, clerks and council staff.”

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Tim Craven, Chairman of The Orchards’ and Margaret Marsh Parish Council, one of the county’s smallest parish councils with an electorate of just 250 voters, thinks the infamous Jackie Weaver clip should be used for councillor training sessions:

“What a hoot! I must admit it did make me chuckle and I can see how PC discussions can get out of hand. It’s important that councillors are less emotional and more balanced. It was a great example of how not to conduct yourself and superb in showing the impartiality of Jackie Weaver and how to control a meeting.”

Many people probably didn’t even know parish councils existed, but the clip has certainly put them on the nation’s radar.

Tim Craven added: “This incident does shine the spotlight on the fact there’s a lot of people up and down the country volunteering for the benefit of others.”

But exactly what do the 165 parish and town councils in Dorset do for us?

My only ever dealing with a parish council was not as eventful as Jackie Weaver’s.

I wanted to put a memorial bench to my mum and dad on National Trust land, so I contacted Pamphill Parish Council.

This tiny crew of enthusiastic people were brilliant, acting as an effective go-between for me.

I was invited to a parish council meeting - in the days when you could attend in person - to have the opportunity to state my case.

Happily, my precious bench was agreed.

What struck me about the parish council members was that they ranged in age from early twenties to late seventies and in occupations from a vicar to a fireman.

They were organised, effective and open to suggestions, with not a sign of angry men in questionable knitwear.

Tim Craven continued: “Parish councils up and down the country serve their local communities and represent any concerns to their next tier local authority. They manage expectations and are the eyes and ears of the local residents on all aspects of parish life.”

A parish or town council the term “town council” is synonymous with “parish council” in that any parish council can style itself “town council” - is to form the tier of local government closest to the people.

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NEWS The Dorset Association of Parish Town Councils describes it this way: “By their very nature, parish and town councils should maintain a close relationship with the local community. They encourage the public to attend council meetings as observers and they are obliged to organise at least one town or parish meeting each year which all local electors may attend and may raise issues of local concern.”

Tim Craven added: “There are a myriad of issues that arise at meetings submitted by concerned members of the parish. The local parish council has direct access to the next level of local government and acts as a conduit to raise issues with the local MP who sits at Westminster.

This gives a voice to concerns and issues from a local level.”

From allotments to war memorials and everything in between, the A-Z of what a Councillor Paul Le Prevost has been Chairman of Iwerne Minster Parish Council since 2019 and a member of the local council since 2011.

Here’s his inside track on life in a PC. “The first thing is not to believe the rumours, especially the quips about the parish council in your local pantomime; just laugh and carry on!

“When I arrived in Iwerne Minster I appreciated the strong community spirit, with an abundance of people who were quick to offer their help when asked.

As a newbie “blow-in” it was just a matter of joining in, not trying to change too much too quickly and slowly being accepted for what I was and what I could do.

parish council gets involved in is impressive: bye-laws, community centres, drainage, footpaths, housing, litter, playing fields, public loos, youth projects, village halls and so much more.

They’ve also evolved, and now take on modern-day challenges, tackling issues such as climate change and growing health concerns like dementia.

During the pandemic, parish councils moved quickly to support their communities, many providing a lifeline throughout lockdown by organising food deliveries, helplines and leaflet drops with localised pandemic updates.

Neil Wedge, Chief Executive of Dorset Association of Parish Town Councils commented: “Most of Dorset’s parish and town councils are run well by councillors, clerks and council staff, who collaborate to deliver their communities’ ambitions.

Iwerne Minster Parish Council was already well balanced with a skills base as you would find in any other well constituted organisation. Members had just completed a Parish Plan and were working on a Village Design Statement, which was accepted as best practice by North Dorset District Council.

Work continues on new projects but nothing is done without the help of others. We’ve had some very helpful District and County Councillors and that has been passed on to the next generation. Our Clerk has passed her CiLca qualifications, enabling us to become a Quality Council.

The village was recognised in 2016 when we were presented with the Most Neighbourly Village Award at the Dorset Best Kept Villages award presentations. Over the years

“Whatever you think after watching the Handforth video – parish councils do make a huge difference! Dorset is blessed with some highly pro-active councils, councillors and fantastically committed clerks.

If you want to find out more about what they do, check out their website or social media.

Better still - if you think you’d like to get involved, please do enquire about becoming a councillor.”

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Local council elections take place on 6 May. Why not get more involved in your own community?

Find out more: The NALC’s guide to becoming a Councillor Cllr Belinda Bawden of Lyme Regis Town Council Cllr Josephine Parish of Corfe Castle Parish Council Iwerne has been presented various best village and highly commended awards.

We achieved a 20mph speed limit within the village; support our Community Speed Watch and Automated External Defibrillator Teams; help set up a communication network using a newsletter and an internet system; winter snow patrols; litter picks, to name but a few projects.

Most of our day to day work is around governance; planning; IT; highways; footpaths; recreation; community resilience, environmental protection and emergency planning and village and district liaison.

Finally, in this dire time of Covid-19, we have been a strong link for the community having set up a Volunteer Group to assist any vulnerable villagers throughout lockdown.

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NEWS

Litter Is A Threat To Local Airfield Leaving litter around is not just unsightly - it could also endanger lives.

That’s the message from Compton Abbas Airfield near Shaftesbury.

Clive Hughes, who owns the family-run airfield, a popular destination for light aircraft, is concerned about the increasing amount of litter being blown onto the runway.

“This is not a whinge,” he explained. “It could cause a major disaster.

If a plastic bag or sandwich wrapper gets caught up in the engine compartment of a light aircraft while it’s taxiing, it can block the airflow to the engine.

This can result in engine power reduction or complete power failure at the critical phase of flight, namely take-off. A forced landing could then become necessary and if a suitable landing area is not available, it not only endangers the aircraft and its occupants, but possibly those on the ground too.

Even more concerning, combustible litter such as plastic or paper could even cause the aircraft to catch fire.”

He added: “Our daily regime is to remove foreign objects from the airfield which are injurious to safety. Since the pandemic, litter has significantly increased.

“The hedgerows are blighted with discarded 10

by Tracie Beardsley

fast-food wrappers and The Fontmell Down Bins are not considered easy to find

plastic bags which are being blown at least 200 metres onto the runway.

This is also concerning for wildlife and nearby organically-farmed cattle.”

be a dismissive response by the National Trust to an issue which is a potential flight safety hazard.”

But Mr Hughes is keen to point out he doesn’t want to stop people coming to the countryside.

Dorset councillor Jane Somper has visited the car parks and airfield to assess the situation.

She said: “I sympathise with the airfield. I had a thorough walk around there a few weeks ago, and found it hard to find the bins in the NT car parks.”

“The last thing I want is for people to stop enjoying our beautiful surroudings so I’m keen to find a solution to this problem in conjunction with the National Trust.”

The councillor has spoken to Dorset Council and Melbury Abbas Parish Council to put forward the idea of erecting a litter notice and this is now in discussion.

He believes that re-siting the rubbish bins in the two car parks at Fontmell Down and Spread Eagle Hill to make them more visible would help encourage better use of the bins. The airfield owner is also suggesting a sign be erected to encourage people to take their litter home.

The National Trust told the digital Blackmore Vale:

He has contacted the National Trust but there has been no agreement reached and an invitation to a site visit declined.

Mr Hughes said: “I’m disappointed in what I regard to

“Our Countryside team in North Dorset are working incredibly hard to keep Fontmell Down and all of the special places within our care, open, clean and safe - but we need everyone’s help to keep them that way. We are emptying bins as often as we can.

We would urge everyone who visits our sites to take their litter home with them. Dropping litter puts extra pressure on our staff and local authorities at a time when resources are stretched.”

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NEWS

Dorset Tourist Information Centres Under Threat

by Tracie Beardsley

Call me old-fashioned but even with the modern technologies of satnav and Google, I still make a Tourist Information Centre (TIC) my first port of call when holidaying (in those halcyon, prelockdown days).

Local maps, a wealth of knowledge and asking questions of a real person who ‘can’t really recommend just one restaurant’, but always does. And I’m a sucker for those tantalising tea towels and souvenir thimbles.

Sadly, TIC delights in parts of Dorset are in danger of becoming a thing of the past with news that Dorset Council is to stop funding their last three Tourist Information Centres in Dorchester, Sherborne and Wareham. The Council says it cannot afford to continue to fund the centres which cost around £200,000 each year to operate and employ 12 parttime workers.

Councillor Jill Haynes, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, said: “It’s always a difficult decision to reduce services. However, our financial situation leaves us reviewing the provision of all services we’re not legally required to deliver.

“We cannot afford to fund tourism support activity at a local level in Dorset. The Council’s

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role is to promote Dorset as a destination, so we will continue to develop the Visit Dorset brand to support the visitor economy and promote sustainable tourism.”

A recent public consultation by Dorset Council, in which 990 people took part, showed a strong level of support for its TICs. Dorset residents made up 85% of respondents, and 82% make use of a local TIC. One respondent, Andrew Patrick, felt any savings could be better redeployed: “Tourism is very important to the Dorset economy, but why should the majority of counciltax payers living in places with no TIC, subsidise TICs in just three places? Those council-tax payers might prefer savings to go toward more vital services which are in desperate need of funding.’’

This public consultation report was discussed at a recent Place and Resources Overview Committee meeting with discussions around how to continue to support the Visit Dorset website and work with local organisations to find solutions.

During this meeting, it was revealed that half of respondents to the TIC consultation were not even aware of the Visit Dorset website.

Councillor Sherry Jesperson, representing Hill Forts and Upper Tarrants, voiced concerns over engagement with rural tourism industries such as farm glamping.

“We need to market tourism opportunities beyond the ‘coastal smile’. This should be a priority for Visit Dorset.”

Councillor Jill Haynes told the meeting that the website receives 2.6m visits a year: “We have 15m social media hits a year and 85,000 followers, yet I was surprised at the amount of people in the consultation who weren’t aware of Visit Dorset.”

The reorganisation of the TICS was passed and will begin at the end of April. Weymouth Councillor Ryan Hope, objecting to the plan, voiced concerns that Dorset Tourism had been hit hard during the pandemic.

“With Covid restrictions being lifted and staycations popular this year, Dorset will be a favourite destination. Our TICs answer questions and give support for the whole of Dorset, and our tourism industry needs all the help it can get.”

Public consultation respondent Ian Stuart believes Dorset Council will regret their decision.

“At such a time tourism, and tourists, need more help than ever. Dorset Council is doing a radical disservice to the beautiful area they represent and we all live in.”

TICS in DORSET - how many are left and where are they?

There are five other TICs in Dorset - Blandford, Bridport, Shaftesbury, Swanage and Wimborne are run by other organisations, such as Town and Parish Councils.

Some areas in Dorset no longer have a TIC at all, such as Weymouth and Lyme Regis.

Evidence shows that it is mostly local people who visit TICs. Around 30 million people visit Dorset annually, with approximately 93,000 people visiting one of the three TICs during 2019/20.

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Dorset Surges To Village Shops

by Andy Palmer

gin, they’ll now go for a flavoured gin, and sales of lager and beer have soared’.

Dorset shoppers in lockdown are turning to family-run stores and village shops and Pubs go ‘home’ avoiding the larger national supermarkets. Sharne’s experience is confirmed ‘There’s a definite switch to smaller, homelier stores,’ says Sharne Ferris, who, with husband Vince, runs the village stores at Okeford Fitzpaine, which has seen sales increase by 15-20% since the first lock-down.

‘I think it’s because shoppers feel safer,’ says Sharne, who adds that alcohol sales in particular have increased by 20 to 30%, since the end of normal pub visiting.

‘People are treating themselves, especially on a Friday and Saturday night when they used to go to a pub,’ she says, ‘before, they’d enjoy a standard bottle of

by the award-winning Dike & Son family-run supermarket in Stalbridge.

‘We saw sales of some products increase,’ says expert Richard Parrish, Alcohol Manager at Dike’s. ‘With pubs closed for normal trading, where would people go?’

‘I really feel for the pubs, we all do,’’ adds Richard, who adds that they’ve strived to support local breweries, such as Stalbridgebased Wriggle Valley Brewery.

Some Dorset consumers are clearly trying to recreate the

NEWS ‘pub environment’ at home, says Richard.

‘We now offer pint cans of Stella, San Miguel and Carling.

People want a proper pint, not a 500ml ale in their pint glass!

“Our small barrels of proper cask-conditioned ‘real ale’, such as Butcombe’s and Wriggle Valley, allow people to have some sort of pub experience in their own home.

It’s not the same, but in these circumstances what else can responsible people do?’.

One Dikes customer, explaining her changing shopping habits, says, ‘‘Shoppers in Dikes are more considerate and stricter observers of personal space.’

The mother of two, who declined to be named, adds, ‘I just don’t feel safe in the big stores. And I can get everything I need locally’.

But is the craze for artisan gin over?

‘Look out for spiced rum and fine rosé wine’, says Dikes’ Richard Parrish

‘The next big drinks trend will be spiced rum, says expert Richard Parrish, Alcohol Manager, at the award-winning Dikes & Son family-run supermarket in Stalbridge.

And this summer he’s anticipating a surge in shoppers demanding sensibly-priced quality rosé wines, especially those he has sourced from France and Italy.

Among their new range, Dike’s will be offering Chateau de Farrages and the hugely popular Whispering Angel.

‘Gin, and the artisan gins are still in demand, but their popularity has peaked,’ adds Richard.

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POLITICS

The kindness of strangers…

by Simon Hoare MP During this pandemic a light has shone very brightly – kind, community/neighbour focussed actions.

Often, for the doer, a small thing; while for the beneficiary it can often be the thing that cheers their week and says to them, subliminally, ‘I mean something to someone’.

As well as shopping done, prescriptions collected, and catch up telephone calls made it has manifested itself in organising birthday cards and virtual parties for recent Centenarians and a myriad of other heart-warming actions. It’s just meant being a bit more aware of our fellow man and the strength of community.

During lockdown this has never been more important, and I really do hope that that spirit of caring and kindness can and will continue as we take the tentative steps back to more normal times.

If I may, I want to share one thing that happened to me recently.

I relay it because I think it makes my point above so well. A few weeks ago, on a wet morning, I was, along with others, volunteering to help with the logistics of the vaccine centre at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton.

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A lady from Margaret Marsh was waiting for her neighbour who she had driven to the surgery (itself an act of kindness) for a blood test.

We fell, as you do, into conversation. I was so well swaddled against the elements, masked and hatted she had no idea to whom she was chatting.

She asked me if we were given refreshments to sustain us during our shift. I did the full ‘o woe is me act’ of which my wife and daughters are only too familiar.

“Well,” I said, “we do get the occasional cup of coffee served when they remember the troops out here at the front but that’s it.

Not even a biscuit!”

(Pausing here for a moment, and in order to avoid a Legal Action, to say that Sharon the Exchange’s Acting Manager does look after us).

Her friend came out of the surgery, we bade our farewells, and off they drove. Twenty minutes later the lady returned in her car, drew up alongside me with a smile on her face and handed me a full carrier bag of tea, coffee and biscuits “for the volunteers and nurses etc to enjoy during a break”.

Off she went.

I don’t know the lady’s name; she was a stranger with whom I had chatted for a few minutes. We may never meet again. I must

confess to being incredibly moved, as were the others on duty, by that tremendously generous and spontaneous act of kindness.

Of niceness.

Of care.

I doubt she will ever know (unless of course she is reading this publication and let’s be frank, who isn’t?) how much that single act meant to us.

It was beyond the price of rubies and emeralds. It is Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Names Desire who says “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”

If spontaneous and unselfish kindness is a legacy of Covid that creates few strangers in our communities and lives, then that will be a blessing to cherish.

While I can’t promise tea and biscuits, if you do need any help or advice then do please get in touch with me.

My email address is: simon.hoare.mp@parliament.uk or you can write to me: Simon Hoare MP, The Stables, Whitecliff Gardens, Blandford Forum, DT11 7BU or call on 01258 452585.

15

RURAL MATTERS

THE FAILINGS OF DORSET’S LOCAL PLAN pt 2

Last month we wrote about the failings of Dorset Council’s (DC) proposed Local Plan and its consultation process (you can see it here and it will run until 15th March), but we could have said more on the Plan itself which is so very important, deciding the future development of Dorset until 2038.

We will do now.

• The LP appears to be made up of a mishmash of various plans from the previous District Councils, already out-of-date. It offers no

strategic options. It consists of around 2,000 pages of unmanageable documents, which most residents will not read.

Recent caveats may have been inserted into the Plan, but clearly the impact of Covid, with its profound consequences for retailing and the hospitality, has not been factored in.

The Council’s excuse is that they are under pressure from government but other councils are taking a more measured and consultative approach.

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• The government’s housing requirement for Dorset is 30,000 new homes but DC

officers have conceded that they are actually preparing for more with a housing supply figure of 39,000 homes, to allow for unmet need from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and the New Forest, although it has not been requested yet.

Last year Dorset CPRE commissioned an independent report that heavily criticised the government’s Standard Housing Method (SHM). The government did state though in December 2020 that the SHM is a starting point for assessing housing need, not a target in plan making.

There are plenty of examples of other local authorities, where adopted LP numbers are lower than the government’s SHM. Given the number of constraints facing Dorset, such as the Green Belt and the protected Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, why are DC proposing such a major increase over the last adopted Local Plans?

• North Dorset’s problems emanate from the allocation of 1,800 houses to the Gillingham Southern Extension in the old North Dorset LP, with none having

been built yet.

As a result of the loss of 5 year land supply, much speculative development has landed elsewhere. Residents here now face thousands more homes being built over their beautiful countryside.

“DC have targeted Stalbridge in particular with a housing allocation of 610 more homes. Yet it offers no useful public transport, no doctor’s surgery, no secondary school, few retail or employment options and narrow constricted roads.”

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RURAL MATTERS One other option being offered is to build yet more homes in Gillingham. The Peacemarsh proposal might deliver 600 units too, despite poor infrastructure and serious flooding risk, hence the name.

• It is not easy navigating through the many documents as the Plan covers much, such as transport, employment, the environment etc and not just housing.

Most of the focus on housing is on the towns where more development is proposed.

However if you live in a village, you can identify what Tier your village is placed in the Settlement Hierarchy, as this will determine the degree and type of development that might be expected.

Even if there appear to be no allocations in your parish, watch out as there only 26,000 homes allocated formally in the Plan.

Neighbourhood Plan Housing Requirements are shown in Appendix 2, but the Plan says clearly these are minimum figures! Small and mediumsized housing sites are shown in Appendix 3, while new or extensions of existing Gypsy and Traveller sites are in Appendix 4.

“It is curious that two thirds of the these happen to be in North Dorset in Marnhull, King’s Stag, Gillingham, Thornicombe, Enmore Green and Shaftesbury.”

• One extraordinary feature

of this Plan is its bold reliance on a DC forecast of 21,000 new full-time jobs

being created over the twenty years to 2038. Yet there is no chapter on economic strategy to justify this.

• Insufficient consideration

has been given to whether the Plan is compatible with

DC’s declared climate emergency.

There is much comment on the “need to enable better public transport services, promote active travel and reduce car dependency”.

“Besides wishful thinking that residents will walk and cycle more, there appears to be no strategy for improving public transport.”

• There are serious

omissions in the Wind Development Opportunities Report. DC say the potential

landscape restraints, so the target is risible. Overall we would like to see much greater focus on roof-mounted solar panels as a means to generate more renewable energy.

• Why has Blandford, the

former administrative seat of North Dorset, been relegated to the South Eastern Functional Area?

Is this a ploy for Blandford and surrounding villages to be set up as a dormitory town for BCP, and to support their need for housing? Local parish councils and the town are united in opposing this.

We would also encourage everyone to fully engage in the consultation and share your concerns. Let Dorset Council know what you want for your family and Dorset. Residents of North Dorset still have until 15th March to respond, so please do now!

Rupert Hardy, Chairman North Dorset CPRE

locations shown could deliver 400 Gwh of renewable energy but there is no consideration of

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EDUCATION

New nursery to open in Okeford Fitzpaine

Okeford Fitzpaine CE Primary School has today announced plans for a new nursery provision in the village. The new nursery will cater for children from 4 months - 4 years old, and will be based at the primary school, benefiting from the use of their extensive school grounds as well as a dedicated nursery space within the school.

Experienced nursery provider, Sunbeams Day Care based in Poole, will run the nursery, and as well as caring for younger children, they will also provide wrap-around care for pupils at the primary school, and a holiday

18

club for local children.

Headteacher Annie Dowling said “I am delighted that Sunbeams Day Care have chosen to open a nursery, wrap around care and holiday club provision on our school site. It is wonderful that we can share our beautiful grounds with pre-school children and their older siblings.

This will be a fabulous facility for families in Okeford Fitzpaine. as well as further afield. and will no doubt be of huge benefit to our working parents who need childcare both before and after school, as well as during the school holidays.

I am really looking forward to welcoming the Sunbeams team and working in future partnership.

“Despite these uncertain times we cannot wait to be involved in something new and positive for families within the community of Okeford Fitzpaine.

The nursery is expected to open later this year, and anyone interested in a place is encouraged to contact the school office on office@ okeford.dorset.sch.uk or phone 01258 860530

“We are very excited to be working with such a lovely school.” said Kirsty Lester, Sunbeams’ Managing Director.

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A fork in the road?

EDUCATION Kingston Maurward is land-based College, with a beautiful and inspiring campus just outside Dorchester.

by Luke Rake Principal and Chief Executive, Kingston Maurward

Like all organisations, Kingston Maurward has a cycle of strategic plans leading to operational action.

Some days it all flows brilliantly, whilst at other times such as during 2020, it all gets washed away by events.

Every 5 years or so, we get together and discuss the next big plan, the audacious goal that inspires us to move. The time to set sail on a new chapter.

That time is now.

The timing is excellent. Since our last go at this, there have been changes to policy such as the recent Agriculture Bill and DEFRA’s 25 year plan to improve the environment.

The 2019 Glover review of the value of nature had input from us, and led to a recognition that AONBs needed a lot more support. We also have a flag in the sand with the new local industrial strategy for Dorset, where the One Health agenda has KM as a possible hub, looking at the connections between environmental, animal and human health.

I sit on many of these committees and boards and it’s my job to ensure we’re well placed.

Within the last week, we have

seen the publication of the Dasgupta review, which was commissioned by Treasury and makes clear the unsustainability of current economic models across not just the UK, but the world.

Making money now rarely accounts for the payback down the line.

With ever more dire warnings about environmental degradation and climate change (the stopping of the North Atlantic drift anyone?!) it’s clear the balance sheet isn’t, well, balanced.

So there’s a new chapter coming. This is where you, dear reader, come in. Kingston Maurward will have determined the focus of our next chapter by this summer and we’d like you to help write it.

What are we for?

How do we support young people in the county to gain the skills they need?

How do we do that sensitively to the environment?

We had already decided to become carbon neutral by 2025 if we can, but there’s an estate to manage – should we go fully organic? Perhaps re-wild the estate like Knepp in West Sussex?

Or is the focus on producing enough food balanced with our current environmentally sensitive

approach enough?

How about the dairy? Does it stay, or go?

Or something in between – dairying alone is a major environmental issue for many, and the new DEFRA transition plans will be a challenge for the sector. We’ve just seen Waitrose come out at the Leckford estate and shift towards more beef.

In Hardy’s ‘Vale of the Great Dairies’ though, this is perhaps sacrilege.

Or is it just a realisation that all things change, the world turns, and we must turn with it?

A final thought. We have been incredibly lucky to secure £3.5M investment in a new university centre and rural business support hub, due to be operational from September 2022 for students and local businesses.

There are courses we could run which we don’t currently offer but what’s the next big thing?

We want to make the best of this for the rural county – again, let us know how we can make this a truly vibrant and successful hub for the rural economy and community. It’s where our heart is, and I want it to beat strongly.

Answers on a postcard, or email perhaps to luke.rake@kmc.ac.uk

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LOOKING BACK

LOOKING BACK

get in touch with Roger: roger.guttridge@btinternet.com

It bain’t just in Darzit!

After kindly mentioning my previous column in the opening lines of his February contribution, Andy Palmer noted that when his family moved the 20 miles from Stalbridge to Weymouth in 1973, he discovered a different dialect.

Down on the sophisticated south coast, familiar phrases like ‘Where be you to?’ bain’t yeard at all.

Strangely, if Andy had instead moved the best part of 3,000 miles to the north coast of Newfoundland, he’d have heard something much closer to the vernacular of his Stalbridge roots.

In remoter parts of Canada’s most easterly province, the Dorset dialect survives in better shape that than it does in its native county.

At that moment I realised the people I’d met in Twillingate spoke not just with a Dorset accent but a Blackmore Vale one.

It was that specific.

The reason is simple. Twillingate and several other fishing communities were founded by Sturminster merchants in the early 1800s after the bottom dropped out of the swanskin trade.

The manufacture of swanskin – a coarse, wool-based cloth that has nothing to do with swans except in its colour – was a major Blackmore Vale industry for 250 years or so.

The cloth was hammered out at a water-powered fulling mill adjoining Sturminster’s corn mill and as many as 1,200 people were employed in the trade.

Most of the finished cloth was carted to Poole and shipped to Newfoundland, where it protected fishermen from the harsher North Atlantic climate.

When competition from the

industrialising North and Midlands brought about the collapse of the swanskin trade, Sturminster merchants filled the economic void by founding new fishing communities and sending their employees to Newfoundland to man them.

The economic migrants took many things with them including their customs, their surnames – and their accents.

Twillingate’s remoteness ensured that these things were preserved.

Two hundred years later, 92 per cent of the ancestors of presentday Twillingate folk are reckoned to have been from Dorset, about half of those from the Blackmore Vale.

During that same 1997 visit, I whiled away a good hour reading the Twillingate phone book.

It read like the register at Sturminster Primary School in the 1950s. Most of the old North Dorset names were represented.

After I gave a talk about the connections between Wessex and Canada’s most easterly province, an audience member told me:

The only known picture of a swanskin garment dates from 1712 and shows a Newfoundland fishing station. The person far right is wearing a swanskin ‘habit’, as it was described 300 years ago

This was brought home to me in 1997 following the second of my two visits to Newfoundland.

‘Arrh, ’tis very beautiful down drew ’ere, you,’ I heard one person say in Twillingate.

A week later I was back in Blighty having lunch in the Red Rose at Sturminster Newton and overheard a couple of locals at another table.

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LOOKING BACK

‘Until I heard your talk, I thought that Newfoundland was the only place in the world that didn’t recognise the word “me”.’

The man explained: ‘Old Newfoundlanders don’t say, “Are you coming with me?” They say, “Are you coming wi’ I?” Now I realise where that comes from.’

The man hailed from a community called Hermitage, which was probably founded by migrants from Hermitage, near Sherborne.

At a Twillingate hamlet called Hart’s Cove, I was introduced to Jack Troake, who asked if I’d like to ‘stand on a little piece of old England’.

I accepted the invitation and he led me to a spot of ground that sported a healthy crop of grass and weeds, in contrast to the rocky, less fertile terrain all around.

Jack picked up a handful of soil from a freshly dug area and ran it through his fingers.

It was best quality dirt – rich, dark soil that reminded me of my own garden at home in Dorset.

‘Slade and Duder had big fishing premises here at Hart’s Cove,’ said Jack, referring to the days when the Poole-Newfoundland cod trade was at its height.

‘The sailing schooners left Poole empty and needed ballast.’

That ballast consisted of best Dorset topsoil, which on arrival at Hart’s Cove was tipped on a certain spot to form a fertile garden.

‘They grew vegetables in it – it was good for

Roger’s picture of Jack Troake sifting Dorset soil, as printed in the Downhomer

carrots and spuds,’ he said. (Yes, he really did say ‘spuds’.)

‘People also used to go there to dig for worms for fishing.’

The freshly dug patch indicated that they still did – and I’d wager that these worms also have Dorset ancestors.

When I told this story to my mother upon my return, she said: ‘I went to school with Troakes at Blandford.’

Another local surname, then. I fancy I’ve also heard the surname ‘Hart’ in Stur at some point.

Jack Troake’s story was one of dozens relating to the DorsetNewfoundland connection that I uncovered during the nine years that I wrote a column for the province’s leading monthly magazine, The Downhomer.

The Downhomer’s founder Ron Young came from Twillingate and is probably descended from Dorset namesakes.

• Talks are underway to restore Sturminster Newton’s 200-yearold link with Twillingate by launching some kind of twinning arrangement between the communities.

21

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INSIDE THE CARERS PANDEMIC

The Unseen Side of The Pandemic Now that the vaccine programme is rolling out apace, the infection numbers are falling and we’re all eyeing the lengthening days with a ray of hope in our eyes, we felt it was time to talk to the people behind the scenes who have kept their heads down and simply kept moving forwards through the last tumultuous year.

The carers – the people we’ve clapped and cheered and thanked – but rarely seen, unless we happen to live with one.

They’re not generally the NHS frontline staff. They’re what used to be called ‘minimum wage workers, or ‘unskilled labour’ and are now magically ‘essential workers’.

And they’re the ones who have battled to stay ahead over the last year, working through tough conditions, often heartbreaking situations and sometimes heavy impacts on their personal lives.

And yet – they keep showing up, with a smile on their faces.

Obviously they didn’t have the time to speak to us though the winter months: they ‘were a little busy’, apparently. But we felt the time was right, and I had a cyberchat with some key industry staff to see how it’s really been on the inside of the pandemic.

2020 has been a year like no other - we know it’s been tough, but can you tell us something good that’s come out of it?

“The pandemic has raised the profile of social care in general.” said Deborah Puxty, a manager from Candlelight Care.

“People are more aware of all the good work that we are and have been doing for over 30 years” Sue Harvey, a manager of one of Somerset Care’s many residential home felt it was a more personal aspect that had meant something to her “An unexpected bonus has been the opportunity to bond with my team and our residents. I moved into Calway House myself for 10 weeks during the pandemic, so that I could be there for the residents 24/7, and always be on hand to support the staff. It’s hard not to get to know people better when they’ve seen you without makeup on first thing in the morning!”

Paul Aitkenhead, from the retirement communities Renaissance takes a wider view, as they’re not frontline care industry “We’ve seen our communities continue to grow, and our teams have adapted to ensure that everybody has been left wanting for nothing.

The connections we built in the community and our reputation for support in independent living is something we can look back on and be very proud of.”

What has been a specific highlight this year - has something happened that you’ll never forget?

Again, Paul was quick to praise the community connections of his teams “ We have continued to help get donations of food and Christmas gifts to food banks, and also donating brand new pyjamas and warm coats for children over the winter. That was very important that we found a way to do so.”

For Deborah it was a special 100th birthday “We have a client in Sherborne (herself a former journalist) who was 100 recently, and whose family were not able to celebrate with her due to lockdown. Her core team of Care and Support Workers were determined to help her celebrate the occasion, so popped round individually throughout the day to enjoy a glass of orange juice and lemonade and some birthday nibbles with her.

Sue agreed it was the small celebrations “I like to think of us as a little village community.

Every milestone is a collective cause for celebration. We have been their family whilst they have been unable to have physical contact with their loved ones, so whether it’s a 99th Birthday, Mother’s Day or Christmas, we

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INSIDE THE CARERS PANDEMIC mark every special occasion as if they were our own family.

We recently asked one of our residents how he would like to celebrate his forthcoming birthday – he joked that he would love to go out for an Indian meal with a lovely young lady. We couldn’t take him out for dinner, but we did dress up, order him a takeaway and lay out the dining room as if he had gone to a restaurant.

We thought we had let him down on the ‘young lady’ bit of his request, but, ever the charmer, he told us he was delighted to have the company of a couple of members of our care team instead!”

Deborah also wanted to be sure the Dorset Mums Facebook group’s ‘Christmas Gift of Love’ got a mention – they donated gifts to the Wimborne branch, to be distributed amongst clients who were going to be spending

24

Christmas alone.

Do you feel more respected and ‘seen’ as an industry than you did in 2019?

Deborah felt this had been a big sea change in 2020.

“Most definitely. The focus has (rightly) been on the NHS, but our staff have also been on the frontline - ensuring that our clients received their essential visits, even if they had tested positive or were self-isolating.

Our staff had to wear the correct PPE throughout the visits, to keep not only themselves safe but the clients too.

The Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock has also played a massive part in helping to raise the profile of social care, as every time he addresses the nation on TV and mentioned the NHS, he always adds ‘and the frontline social care workers’.

What is it about the care industry that keeps you there, even when the toughest of times are thrown at you?

Both Sue and Deborah were overflowing with reasons for this one. For Deborah it was the sheer need of the carers “our clients need companies like ours to keep them safe and independent within their own homes. They often say that our Care and Support Workers become part of the family, and our services are relied upon by their families too, especially those who have family living abroad or living far away.

One family member recently wrote, “Mum is elderly, blind and has very limited mobility. I live in Portugal, so far away… I managed to get her in with the Candlelight team and she is so happy now, they are all very

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INSIDE THE CARERS PANDEMIC loving, caring, hard-working and give Mum a sense of security.

Mum is looking forward to her first hairdo from the team soon, they can even do her nails. She sounds so different when I talk with her over the phone, back to her cheerful self.”

Sue completely agrees “I absolutely love working in care – and I’ve often said that I will never retire from this job, I will just move in as a resident!

“This role has given me the opportunity to make a real difference – Old certainly doesn’t mean past it, and pandemic or no pandemic, I get to help our residents live their lives to the full.

“There’s no denying that there can be challenges along the way.” continues Sue “Some of our residents living with dementia have really struggled to understand why they have not been able to see their family in recent months, or why they have had to speak to people through a screen.

It’s the little victories that make my heart flutter with happiness. Just before Christmas, a new resident moved in after being discharged from hospital.

She had no close family, and whilst fiercely independent, she was struggling to cope at home on her own. She found it really hard to accept that she needed help, and fought against us a lot in the early days.

I sat down and had a chat with her one day, and asked her to talk to me about what she was finding difficult.

I explained to her that we weren’t there to interfere, but to help, and that whilst she was in our care we would always look after her.

A few days later, I was

summoned to her room as she wanted to ‘have a word with the woman in charge’.

In her brilliantly feisty way, she informed me that she had decided she was staying, and that from now on she would join in with every activity that Calway House had to offer! It was wonderful to see her embracing her new surroundings and living life to the full again.

That’s why I love this job.”

What do you hope the public has learned from this last year about your industry?

For Deborah it’s simple; “That we exist, and have existed for over 30 years! We started off as a small family owned business in Somerset, and have grown - still family owned and run, but now delivering essential services across Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and East Sussex via our domiciliary care (care at home), Home First/Discharge to Assess and Live-In Care teams.

We face adverse weather conditions, staff shortages, sickness, and now a pandemic, and our staff continue to be amazing – they just soldier on, as they know that every visit counts in one way or another.

They are true unsung heroes and heroines!”

For Paul, he watched the pandemic make people reevaluate their living situation.

“While big homes which have been in the family for many years and hold many wonderful memories are held dear, they just aren’t practical for later living.

From our perspective, we found that many are now considering downsizing to an apartment in a welcoming community of other independent people.

What we offer isn’t ‘an old people’s home’ - it is a supportive community of like-minded people, who want to focus on the things they enjoy without the burden of maintaining a house.”

What are the people you care for missing the most from their pre-pandemic days?

The basics that we all are, says Deborah “Socialising with their friends and family, and going out to an event, or just for a coffee.”

Sue agrees that residents are simply missing what we are all missing – physical contact.

“Whether it’s to comfort or to celebrate, a simple hug can be such a powerful thing, and I can’t wait until that’s possible again.

“We’ve done our best to keep things as normal and as fun for our residents as we possibly can throughout the pandemic, and have made sure they stay connected to their loved ones even if they can’t see them face-to-face. We’ve hosted Zoom birthday parties with their extended family, facilitated COVID-safe window and visitor pod visits, and even hosted a car park Christmas carol service!

We live to see the smiles on our residents’ faces and hear their laughter reverberating throughout the home.

Paul’s residents are impatiently waiting to kick up their heels again – “it’s the events! Whisky tasting, Pimm’s parties, Wimbledon afternoons, hog roast and live music... just some good times when having to keep away from anyone was unheard of.

We’ll be throwing some parties as soon as we are allowed again!”

25

INSIDE THE CARERS PANDEMIC

What will your overriding emotion be from working in care through the COVID-19 pandemic?

Deborah has mixed emotions, admitting “It has been scary.

Staff have lost loved ones, we have not been able to visit family members in hospital, or even in some cases been able to attend funerals. These have been devastating times for us all.

Just going out to do your weekly shopping is a task in itself.

But there’s pride too, watching our Care and Support Workers continue to work out on the frontline delivering services to help our clients stay at home, going the extra mile, with the addition of extra PPE. Sue acknowledges how tough it’s been on them all “The last year has been exhausting and emotional.

“But I am so inspired by how selfless my care home colleagues have been through it all.

They delivered phenomenal care, keeping standards up and keeping going for our residents despite the challenges of the pandemic. Without exception, they all offered additional help without being asked, going above and beyond what you would expect anyone to do.

I’m so proud of them all.”

“The past year has been one of the most challenging for a generation.’ Continues Deborah “Candlelight Care would like to share our gratitude and admiration for our staff for their continued work and sacrifice.”

Paul agreed “ Absolutely. Our dedicated members of the team that manage the developments are called ‘Lifehosts’ and I would like to personally thank Moira at Wimborne, Dawn and Julie at Canford Cliffs, Seamus at Christchurch and Karen at Poole as well as all of the other Lifehosts outside of Dorset that have gone above and beyond and made it their personal mission to ensure the wellbeing

Luxury apartments are taking shape in an over-55s independent-living village in Sherborne

bar area, take part in a range of classes in the activity room, socialise in the communal TV and residents’ lounges, walk in the courtyard and enjoy some pampering time in the treatment room.

82 luxury apartments will be available, and 37 houses will also be part of the village.

Residents will be able to dine in the bistro, have a drink in the

The village’s aim is to enable residents to live in a lively community to reduce the loneliness and isolation that some rural residents feel, while enabling them to enjoy an independent lifestyle in their own home.

A dedicated onsite ‘Lifestyle Manager’ helps to build a dynamic community, and organises activities such as cheese and wine evenings, themed meals, yoga, quizzes and crafts.

Just as importantly, the Lifestyle Managers are always on hand to

Work is progressing well to build a luxury apartment complex as part of a new over-55s independent-living village in Sherborne.

Platinum Skies is building a range of luxury apartments, houses and a hotel in the new village at the top of Horsecastles Road and the A30, just a short walk from Sherborne town centre.

26

of everyone who lives in one of our apartments. It has been a big ask but they have risen to the challenge at every twist and turn.

Deborah had a parting comment

“The pandemic has really shown public and community spirit. From making visors for free, to supplying Christmas gifts for our more isolated clients, everyone has pulled together.

As we have all had to adapt to the new normal and the curtailing of our freedom, we have had time to appreciate what we once had. Teams in the office have become stronger and supported each other, and we have had the opportunity to sit back, change our outlook on life, and recognise what is actually important to us.” provide practical and emotional support to each of the residents.

The luxury homes in Sherborne are made affordable as part of a government-backed shared ownership scheme delivered in partnership with Homes England.

It enables buyers to purchase a property for typically 50% of the full property value, with prices in Sherborne starting from £247,500.

An open event is set to take place at the start of May, which will enable home buyers to reserve an apartment off-plan, as well as seeing information and images which have never been seen before by the public booking is required due to covid, of course.

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SHERBORNE

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27

TALES FROM THE VALE

Tales From The Vale (of tiers) with Andy Palmer

A lot of readers seemed to approve of my last column, the Editor tells me, in a rare burst of communication.

The general feeling, though, is that the famous Dorset, ‘I be’ and ‘I b’ain’t’, does spread wider than North Dorset.

I’d like this to be true. In fact, the Editor and I are having top level Zoom meetings to discuss setting up The Campaign for A Real Dorset Accent (CARDA) to resurrect it, although it hasn’t actually died in North Dorset where I live.

One of the reasons for CARDA is to fight back against the habit some people - they know who they are (actually, they probably don’t) - have of raising their voice at the end of sentences, which turns statements into a question.

I’ve written to Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, and James Vaughan, Chief Constable of Dorset Police, to try and make this a ‘Verbal Annoyance Crime,’ or VAC – at CARDA we’ve got to use a lot of acronyms or we won’t be taken seriously. And as everyone else appears to think pretty much anything one says is a ‘hate crime’, I want to be part of it.

distanced opening ceremony. So socially distanced, in fact, that I will be the only one attending).

This ceremony will be at noon on Saturday, March 20th, the first day of Spring, when hopefully warmer weather will coincide with a vast drop in Covid cases (and I can put the sweet peas in the greenhouse).

As I write this, there’s been a 130% increase in Covid cases in Child Okeford. I believe that the cause could be the diversion of traffic through the village due to the closure of the Shillingstone road (we’re living in the Vale of Tiers). We all note a ghastly whiff when driving from Blandford to Child Okeford, due to the collapsed sewer. The workmen are going through the motions of mending it (hope they don’t get caught between two stools).

Lockdown lubrication Are Dorset people drinking more during lock-down?

The recent spate of solid profits announced by the big drink firms suggest people are not drinking more, but they’re drinking better.

I’ve researched Dorset habits, and it would seem to be true.

Stalbridge, and he confirms that sales of the smarter gins, for example, were very strong in the first lockdown. But then all stores report high booze sales as pubs are closed for normal business (See News page 13).

My other research involves the rather sneaky, low-minded, but fun exercise of looking at people’s glass recycling boxes that they put outside their gates on bin day. The first thing I notice is that more people are adopting the spoil-sport ruse of putting their empties box behind their bin.

This suggests to me that they’ve got something sinister to hide, therefore it’s reasonable to conclude that alcohol consumption has increased.

I did a bit more grass-roots research by consulting with the people who run my village shop.

‘Are people drinking more?’ I asked.

‘You are,’ they said, while helping me carry some wine vats to the car.

Unhelpful, slightly judgemental, but true, so not a ‘hate crime’.

I talked to Richard Parrish, Alcohol Manager at the muchloved Dike’s supermarket in

I’m not over confident of a positive response, or any response, to be fair, but someone’s got to make a stand and I invite readers to sign-up to CARDA. The Headquarters will be my Music Studio which be in the garden of my tiny cottage in Mappowder. (I’m even getting a plaque and will have a socially

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TALES FROM THE VALE I popped the same question to Pete and Sue at The Chapel Stores in Buckland Newton.

‘You are,’ they said.

Time to stop my research.

Recognising Countryside people - ‘They sometimes snack on pieces of straw’

Stop Press News: Pete’s just bought a vintage soft top Mercedes, which he’s called ‘Lady Jane’. (He clearly hasn’t read Lady Chatterley’s Lover). He says the name ‘comes from a Rod Stewart song’, but someone told him the song’s actually called ‘Baby Jane’.

That’s why I love Pete!

The BBC’s view of rural life The BBC gets a lot of things right, and it does seem to be slowly realising that some people don’t live in London, or big cities. They did a piece on Sturminster just before Christmas, and in early February a reporter (obviously he’d got lost) spoke to some young people in Piddlehinton, where they said life there was ‘boring’.

I presume this delighted the editors as it would confirm their belief that anything interesting happens only in the cities.

I wish they had balanced their report by speaking to people who have lived in cities, and who appreciated the everyday consideration, neighbourliness, lack of litter, lack of graffiti, lack of road-rage and lack of general ill-temper and serious crime found in village life. The definition of a village is a place where people talk to strangers.

Dear old Auntie

It continually amuses me to hear that The Archers has an ‘Agricultural Story Editor’ (ASE), particularly as they barely mention farming in any detail.

But I can just imagine the meetings when the ASE briefs the cream of metropolitan media

on rural life. It probably goes like this (and we can take it for granted that all contributors raise their voices at the end of each sentence – more evidence of the need for CARDA): ASE: So, like, there are some people who… (pauses as he doesn’t quite know how to deliver this next line) …don’t live in London.

Gasps of disbelief and shock at the very thought.

ASE: They live in what’s called the… countryside (pauses, then thinks how best to explain ‘the countryside’ to his blanklooking audience)… there are no Pret a Mangers… or Uber Taxis…

I went to the ‘countryside’ once, it’s why I’m the ASE, and, I’m like, where is everything?

ASE: Yes, they’re exactly like proper cars that all normal people (i.e. people who live in London) have, but they call them ‘tractors’, don’t know why, a rural thing probably (much laughter).

And they use them to tow big metal boxes on wheels, full of err... quinoa and… errr… wild basmati rice and… um… quiche...

Scriptwriter (approvingly): So, can we assume they’re all vegan?

ASE: Yes, like, everybody, I mean totes everyone, who lives in the countryside is vegan because, they’re like, ‘I can’t afford meat’.

They sometimes snack on pieces of straw, and they hold up their trousers with string… I’m like, why are you doing that, and they’re, like, ‘because we be…’

ASE: And they all go around on these things called ‘tractors’…

Well, I’m being very unfair as I like The Archers (and its gritty realism) and I happily pay my TV licence, and I think the BBC is brilliant, and, I’m proud of it, but I wanted to finish on a funny.

Scriptwriter: Are these ‘tractors’ like a BMW 4x4?

Are you all going to join CARDA or what?

More gasps, several people faint.

Smelling salts are called for.

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POLICE

Voice of the Blue Light: Blandford Rural Neighbourhood Team

Monthly news from different voices within the North Dorset Police Team. This month - Blandford’s PC Laura Prowse

I am PC Prowse 2777 and I, along with my colleagues PCSO Burt and PCSO Lightfoot cover Blandford Town (the urban part of Blandford including Blandford St Mary and Blandford Camp).

I have recently come back to Blandford Police Station after spending some time on the Road Policing Unit. I started my policing career in the Metropolitan Police in 2003, and PCSOs Burt and Lightfoot have been in the Dorset Police family for many years too.

Between us we bring experience and solid policing skills as well as the caring, compassionate side that is needed within community policing.

Policing in Blandford Town has remained a busy place to work despite the closure of the non-essential shops, bars and restaurants.

We have been responding to residents’ concerns about parking and anti-social behaviour by young people. I can share good news that PCSO Burt and Lightfoot responded to reports of young people at the Bowling Club in Blandford; after proactive patrols an arrest was made and a quantity of drugs seized.

We work closely with the housing groups and other partner agencies, and this brings results such as an injunction issued to a local male to ban him from an area within Blandford.

These are positive results not just for the police and the agencies but most importantly, the community in which we all live and work.

We are all looking forward to the warmer weather approaching but please remember to follow the current Government guidance of Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives.

If you are travelling in a vehicle please remember to have enough fuel, ensure your vehicle is in a roadworthy condition and you have appropriate clothing should the weather change at any point.

So in closing, stay safe, look after one another and give us a wave if you see any of my colleagues or I out and about!

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SJP11693e V1 (12/19)

by Laura Hitchcock

Catherine ‘Milly’ Molineux decided to keep herself busy in lockdown by starting a project.

The mum of 2 teenagers is an an ex Royal Navy helicopter & weapons engineer and has lived in Templecombe since 2014. On furlough, she opted to relieve lockdown boredom by signing up for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Arts.

“I have been locked down in this village for a year now and walk my dogs daily within the ‘square mile’ of Templecombe.’ says Catherine, who goes by ‘Milly’.

“After getting bored I decided to see if I could look at the buildings and features in a different way. I started with photography when the snow fell, and over the first 8 days of February I started to look for quirky features and sketch ideas.

The railway station image was my

first, and each of the images took around 2- 4 hours.

I decided to create a map and make images of all the historic features after I uploaded my station and St. Marys church sketches on Facebook and Instagram, and recieved such good feedback. It was a ‘just for fun’ project as I had never illustrated anything before.

“The reaction has been great I’ve had requests coming in from people to sketch their houses, dogs and even sheep!

“The map sells for £1 (with a percentage headed to local good causes) in Westcombe Stores, Jasmine & Bay Cafe. As a village we had no postcards, so there are also some postcards available in the Stores.

“I have been hand delivering maps and postcards to local people on request, some of whom are shielding and havent been out for a year, so its lovely.”

You can follow Milly on Instagram here https://www.instagram. com/millymolineux/

“I decided to create a fundraising map for Templecombe because we only tend to get visitors at the annual medieval reenactment, or generally passing through the village; we have several local businesses and features of interest. People using the train station or visiting Thales do not always realise where the shops, cafe and takeaway are.

Why not make a unique visitors map?

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by Laura Hitchcock

HEALTH

Dr Simone Yule Shares An Update On The Blackmore Vale Partnership Vaccine Rollout.

A few days ago I managed to catch Dr Simone Yule from the Blackmore Vale GPs - she was keen to share how far they’ve come locally with the vaccine programme.

“Today (Friday 26th Feb) we have vaccinated 13,696 people; that’s 42.9% of the eligible population.”

They’re now moving on to Group 6 - basically all those adults in the 18-64yrs age bracket who have a ‘clinical risk’ (if you’re not sure, see the official group system here).

As always, please do not call your GP surgery to find out when you will get your vaccine - they really are

working as fast as they can. If your surgery has your mobile phone number you wil receive a text message, and you can book yourself in. If not, the surgery will call you direct and book you in manually.

Dr Yule did warn there is an expected slow down in the supply of vaccine over the next couple of weeks: they’re generally managing two clinics a week, but as always they will only get 3 or 4 days notice before the next batch arrives, so the enormous logistics engine has to swing into gear very quickly for each clinic.

The Partnership is deeply grateful that they now have a bank of vaccinators - generally retired doctors and nurses who have re-

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registered in order to assist.

Because of course this huge workload doesn’t mean the doctor’s surgeries stop running - everyone is still trying hard to maintain their usual workload, whilst working out the logistics of vaccinating 1200 people a day with three days notice.

When I commented on the sheer scale of the project for the relatively small team, Dr Yule gave a tired laugh

“...and the spreadsheets.

Let us not forget the unbeliveable size and number of the spreadsheets!”

Dr Yule was keen to extend a loud and grateful thank you to the Trustees of The Exchange in Sturminster Newton and all of their staff for allowing the use of their incredible facility.

“There is so much space to keep everyone socially distanced, and this allows us to see and treat patients in the medical centre for non Covid related care. Special thanks also to Sharon the manager, who could not have been more helpful”

more mobile groups will possibly be asked to attend larger mass-scale central clinics.

Finally Dr Yule made a general plea - please be patient with your GP surgery!

Every single member of staff is working to absolute capacity, going far beyond their normal roles and working hours, trying their very hardest to maintain as normal a service as possible. It’s been a long winter, so please be kind!

The Blackmore Vale Partnership team prepping for a vaccination clinic.

Dr Yule explained that the second doses are expected to begin in early April - they’re not sure yet if this will affect the speed of the continuing first doses, though she anticipates the younger, Always free - subscribe here

THEN AND NOW

Then and Now with Roger Guttridge

They are sadly long gone, but Gillingham’s old mill buildings once provided the town with a gloriously historic centrepiece.

They were attractive enough to catch the eye of the great John Constable, who painted the mill while staying at Gillingham Vicarage with his friend Archdeacon John Fisher.

The silk mill, built by Stephen Hannam in 1769 adjoining his corn mill, provides one of Gillingham’s most interesting historical stories.

For many decades, beginning in the 1780s, the Hannams added

Town Mills c1900. The recently closed silk mill is left of centre adjoining the rebuilt corn mill (far right). Far left is the house that included the indentured girls’ dormitory with silk workrooms rooms on the ground floor.

Picture from ‘Gillingham: The Making of a Dorset Town’by John Porter

girl power to water power to aid their silk throwing business.

Surviving apprenticeship documents reveal that girls aged nine to 18 were recruited from London workhouses to ‘learn the art and mystery of a silk throwster’.

Under the terms of the indentures, the girls were required to serve the mill until marriage or the age of 21.

Most probably did marry locally and will be among the ancestors of some North Dorset people today.

For their part the Hannams were required to provide the girls with

Barnaby Mill retirement flats from a similar angle in 2021 with the surviving mill manager’s house (far right)

‘double apparel of all sorts, good, and new… one suit for holy days and another for working days’.

The girls were accommodated on the upper floors of an east-facing Georgian house a few yards away, with the ground floor used for washing and drying the silk.

This house later became Brickell’s printworks until it was demolished in 1924.

The silk mill, which shared a mill wheel with its grist-grinding neighbour, closed in 1895.

G B Matthews and Co continued as millers until 1965, after which the vacant mill buildings fell into disrepair and were eventually destroyed by fire in 1981.

A decade later the Barnaby Mill retirement flats were built on the site next to the old mill manager’s cottage – the only survivor of the original mill complex.

Roger welcomes emails at roger.guttridge@ btinternet.com

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MEET YOUR LOCAL

by Laura Hitchcock

Meet Your Local: The Saxon Inn, Child Okeford

Our regular column in which you discover the faces and stories behind the pub sign. This month we’ve been chatting to The Saxon Inn in Child Okeford.

The Saxon Inn in Child Okeford - in 1865 a fine was issued to Herbert Chambers, beerhouse keeper, for having his house open after 10 o’clock!

The Saxon Inn is run by husband and wife team Craig & Emma.

How did you end up at The Saxon Inn?

Having both worked in the construction industry for many years whilst based in Sussex we thought it was time for a change.

We decided to move house and looked online for a pub, The Saxon ticked all the boxes and we made the move ASAP.

What’s your favourite local place to visit on an afternoon off?

We have our Staffie, Widget, at the pub with us – so whenever we can we walk locally, or up the Saxon Hill Fort. As time, and lockdown, allows we have slowly started to explore the area in our campervan as well.

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Tell us about your 2020...

As soon we got the news that lockdown was coming, we knew we had to adapt quickly. We installed a pizza oven, researched every kind of takeaway container, and adapted the rest of our menu to suit.

We tried to keep things interesting and offer something a bit different with pie nights, Chinese, curry, and recently Tex Mex nights which have proved to be a great success.

We continued to offer takeaway through all the different lockdowns and tiers, including delivery with the help of some locals to some of our villagers who have been shielding.

What’s been your biggest challenge since taking over - apart from COVID, obviously!

Hitting the ground running with little experience in the pub trade was a big challenge! The experience we did have was somewhat out of date, and we had to learn quickly and in the peak of the summer months. The previous landlords really helped us to settle in and we were very grateful for their help.

Widget - as close to the fire as she can get. She likes to be warm all the time!

Bentley showing off his favourite Hambledon Hill route

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MEET YOUR LOCAL

Which dish is your most popular?

We’ve definitely seen a pivot towards certain foods in lockdown; beer battered haddock and chips, The Saxon Warrior pizza, and of course our burgers have been very popular.

What’s next - do you have big plans on the horizon?

Inside the bar of The Saxon Inn

What are you most proud of?

We redeveloped the bar area and this was the first part we “put our mark on”. We are both proud of the results and hope everyone else likes it too!

What part of the pub is your absolute favourite?

In the winter - definitely has to be in front of the fire in the bar area, although its probably the smallest part of the pub it always has the greatest atmosphere.

In the summer – you can’t beat sitting out on the terrace in the sun.

When we did the bar refurb we also hid a digital time capsule in the wall. As well as pictures of local people, the area, and the news of the time, one of our regulars, David Pope, did some research into the history for us; ‘The New Inn’ was opened as a beerhouse between 1861 and 1865 as evidenced by the 1861 census which does not feature the business and the first licensee, Herbert Chambers, is shown as a rushbasket maker.

The first mention we have found is a newspaper cutting from 1865 referring to a fine on a beerhouse keeper from Child Okeford, Herbert Chambers, for having his house open after 10 o’clock!

(legal opening hours for a regulated beerhouse were 4am till 10pm!).

According to the census data 1871 – 1911 and 1939 the premises were a ‘beershop’, an off licence and a shop selling sweets. It was situated in the middle of a terrace of three houses.

In 1904 ‘The New Inn’ was sold by the Brewery, Fontmell Magna to J.L.Marsh of Marsh’s Brewery Blandford for £300.

In 1930 Robert Hart became the landlord and in 1949 applied for a full public house licence.

We had plenty of plans before lockdown for theme nights, beer festivals, and events. Once the future of social distancing and safety become clear we can get back to putting some dates in the diary.

We have a Mother’s Day takeaway brunch planned for the 14th March and a special night to “celebrate” a year in lockdown featuring some special dishes and trying to bring a little bit of fun to what could otherwise be a pretty cloudy landmark.

In 1955 Mary E. Hart (Robert’s wife) is stated in a newspaper article as the Licensee of the New Inn. Robert died in 1958 and Mary in 1965; both buried at St Nicholas Church.

Sometime between 1955 and 1965 the pub changed its name to The Saxon Inn.

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WILDLIFE

The Dorset female beaver, back in the county for the first time since the 1500s.

Image © Dorset Wildlife Trust, James Burland

Beavers are back in Dorset 36

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WILDLIFE

After an absence of 400 years, beavers have returned to Dorset. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Marketing and Communications Officer, Alex Hennessy, explains why they matter and why this is great news for the county.

female, into a specially prepared enclosure in west Dorset in early February 2021.

When we think of natural solutions to the ecological and climate crises, beavers (Castor fiber) are a ‘keystone species’ with huge potential to help nature cope and rebuild. They have a unique set of skills, helping shape our landscape for the better.

They and their skills were sadly lost in Britain when they were hunted to extinction here four centuries ago. In the past few years, several beaver reintroduction projects have started across Britain and now, for the first time since the 16th century, beavers are back in Dorset.

Their dams also have benefits beyond beaver security, ‘filtering’ out sediments and debris so that water downstream from the dam is cleaner. Resident fish and humans alike benefit from dams cleaning river water, while increased wood debris in streams allows freshwater invertebrates to thrive, which in turn provide food for fish.

Dorset Wildlife Trust welcomed two beavers, an adult male and

But what is it about beavers that makes them such a valuable addition to Dorset’s landscape?

Beavers can be described as ‘ecosystem engineers’, whose presence can bring a number of benefits for other wildlife and humans. One of the best-known beaver activities is damming – collecting wood to form a barrier in a river or stream to create a deep pool where they feel safe.

Beaver dams also have the potential to reduce flooding by slowing the flow of water during storm events, so that areas downstream are less likely to flood.

The Dorset beavers, now settling into their new home, were relocated from Scotland’s wild population under licence from

NatureScot, while the licence for their introduction to the site in Dorset was granted by Natural England. Baseline monitoring before the beavers’ arrival was carried out by Dorset Wildlife Trust and project partners University of Exeter and Wessex Water. This included measuring the water levels and quality at the site, as well as recording the species already present, and their numbers.

University of Exeter’s Professor of Earth Surface Processes, Richard Brazier said: “This will contribute to a growing body of knowledge and understanding of the impact beavers have on landscapes.

“Beavers have been present on the planet for 40 million years or so, so they’re a highly adapted species and know how to manage water resources.

We could really learn a lot from them.”

Regular monitoring and scientific investigation into how the beavers are changing their surroundings will help us to do just that – learn from one of nature’s great engineering species, right here in Dorset.

To find out more about Dorset’s beavers, visit dorsetwildlifetrust. org.uk/BeaverProject.

Beavers are vegetarians.

They do not eat fish. In fact, they are known to co-exist well with them, boosting fish populations. Beavers snack on riverside plants, grasses, as well as tree bark and shoots.

Image © Dorset Wildlife Trust, James Burland

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POLITICS The male Hairy Footed Flower Bee a delightfully busy little bee that will not sting! Brigit Strawbridge.

Hairy Footed Flower Bee Our local wildlife columnist is north Dorset resident Brigit Strawbridge Naturalist, wildlife gardener, well-known British environmentalist and bee advocate. are often referred to as ‘masonry Spring has arrived, bees’. and very soon Hairyfooted Flower-bees There is such a wall at the (Anthophora plumipes) bottom of Stoney Path will be on the wing. in Shaftesbury, known Hairy-footed Flower-bees are just one of around 250 solitary bee species that live and breed in the UK, and they are every bit as delightful as their name suggests.

I am expecting to see them again any day now - they are my harbingers of spring.

Solitary bees have different lifecycles and nesting behaviour to bumblebees and honeybees.

Instead of living in colonies, each adult solitary bee female creates her own nest, laying individual eggs inside separate cells, which she has already provided with sufficient pollen for the larvae to feed on when they hatch out.

Some solitary bees dig nests beneath the ground, whilst others use pre-existing cavities such as beetle holes, plant stems, man-made ‘bee hotels’, or old stone, brick, and cob walls. Those species that nest inside old walls,

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locally (for good reason) as The Bee Wall.

You wouldn’t know it during the colder months, but by the end of March this old stone wall will be buzzing with activity, as its resident population of Hairyfooted Flower-bees emerge from their long winter sleep to mate, and begin their life-cycles all over again.

The males emerge first. Ginger coloured and quite furry, they resemble tiny bumblebees, but if you look closely you will see that their legs are feathered. It is the male’s feathery legs that give this bee its common name.

The females are completely black, apart from the bristly pollen collecting hairs on their back legs, which are yellow/ orange. Both sexes have high pitched buzzes and behave quite frenetically as they dart back and

forth amongst clumps of their favourite flowers: Lungwort, Dwarf Comfrey, Wallflowers, Primrose and Rosemary. Their other distinguishing feature is their long pointed proboscis, and the way they hover above flowers to collect nectar.

If you have any of the aforementioned flowers in your garden, you stand an exceedingly good chance of seeing these bees - which, by the way, are very gentle and will not sting.

If not, you still have plenty of time to get to a garden centre and purchase some!

“If you plant them they will come”

The female Hairy Footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes).

Brigit Strawbridge.

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ANIMALS

Veterinary Nursing UK vs Aus...

By Leanne Stephenson-Horne RVN Small Animal Team at Damory Vets, Blandford

I trained to become a veterinary nurse in Australia in 2008.

The diploma course is very similar to the UK; a 3 year training program at a Veterinary Practice to gain practical skills with day release to college for theoretical knowledge.

However, I have found the standard of nursing in the UK far exceeds the standard in Australia that I personally experienced in practice. The nurses at Damory are very technical and the level of education and exams they have to undergo to become a Registered Nurse are far more in depth compared to the course I took 12 years ago in Australia.

The level of care, experience and skills the nursing team have to offer are exceptional, and in many ways Damory would be classed as a Referral Centre in Australia.

In Australia and my nursing role was very similar to the role I have at Damory Veterinary Clinic; Though known as fruit bats, their diet is predominately nectar, pollen, and fruit — in that order. They don’t use sonar like our smaller, insect-eating bats; only their eyes and ears, like us.

(No, this cat is NOT actually drinking antifreeze, I promise - Ed)

taking blood samples, assisting with radiography, monitoring anaesthesia, animal husbandry, Puppy PreSchool (puppy parties) and reception duties.

The main contrast between nursing in Australia and nursing in the UK are the emergency cases that are seen.

An emergency often seen in Australia is tick paralysis. Once the tick bites the dog the paralysis agent is secreted through the saliva. The dog is then presented as an emergency with paralysis of the hind legs.

Unless a serum is administered, the toxin spreads through the body, eventually reaching the lungs which then progresses to respiratory failure. The patient then has to be transferred to a referral centre to be placed onto a ventilator until the toxin is excreted from the body.

Heat Stroke is another emergency situation I saw more regularly in Australia. Living in a hot and humid climate, it is very difficult to keep animals cool.

Once they become overheated, you have to cool them down immediately otherwise their bodies go into shock which can result in organ failure and in some cases death.

Local wildlife in Australia also differed greatly compared to the UK. On a night shift at Damory you could have up to 5 hedgehogs in at any one time and in Australia it would be Fruit Bats which are the size of a small cat!

Or it would be a Possum or Cockatoo! Fruit bats were usually hospitalised due to suffering

Leanne Stephenson-Horne

electrocution from flying into overhead cables, and arrived stunned and unconscious.

Possums were hospitalised usually after being involved in Road Traffic Accidents, whereby the mother suffered an injury, we would then have to check the pouch to see if there were any babies and if so, they would require hand feeding.

Here in the UK, one of the most common emergencies that I have experienced are animals involved in Road Traffic Accidents. I witnessed these far less whilst nursing in Australia, which I suspect is down to the legislation regarding ownership of a dog.

In Australia all dogs are required to be on a lead at all times, there are designated dog parks where they are able to run off lead. If you do not abide by the rules, there are Park Rangers who will issue a fine of up to $300.

I have enjoyed my experience of working in both countries. I am extremely happy and proud to have been part of the Damory team for the past 6 years and excited to continue learning and expanding my knowledge and skills within this team.

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ANIMALS

New Dogs Trust advert reveals the heartbreak of owners having to give up their dogs due to the The Change the Tale ad campaign features snippets of real phone calls made to Dogs Trust’s helpline from members of the public needing to give up their dog In one call, a lady explains the pain of having to give up her dog having lost her job and home.

Other callers cite the burden of increased working hours, firm closures, house evictions and financial struggles.

Dogs Trust has released these calls to shed light on the struggles that more owners could face in the months and years ahead. The charity is encouraging people to ‘change the tale’ for dogs affected by the pandemic, and to seek advice if they feel they can no longer care for their pet.

Claire Rowe, manager at Dogs

Trust Salisbury, said: “We know that the pandemic will have devastating effects on some people’s lives and their ability to care for their pets. As the calls to Dogs Trust show, in these extraordinary times circumstances can change in a heartbeat, leaving owners or their families with incredibly tough decisions to make.

“It is heart-breaking to hear someone having to choose

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between a roof over their head or their dog and we’d like to thank the people who made these calls for allowing us to share their story. Unfortunately, we expect many more calls like this as the pandemic fallout continues.”

The charity provides a range of services to help keep dogs and their owners together, such as support for homeless dog owners and a unique fostering service for dog owners experiencing domestic abuse.

Dogs Trust Dog School is also providing easy to follow online videos helping dog owners tackle behaviours they are seeing as a result of lockdown that could eventually result in dogs having to be given up, such as separation anxiety. The charity also offers the Canine Care Card, which guarantees that if an owner should pass away or become very unwell, their dog will be cared for by Dogs Trust.

If you are struggling and need advice or support to give up your dog, or would like to donate to Dogs Trust, please visit www. dogstrust.org.uk/changethetale Always free - subscribe here

Dorset moggies get cut-price chip and snip A volunteer-run branch of Cats Protection is offering to neuter and microchip pet cats in SP7, SP8, DT10, DT11 and BH21 on a first come, first served basis at a dramatically discounted rate.

The Blandford & Sturminster Newton Branch is offering a ‘chip and snip’ for just £5 per cat to anyone with a low income, in receipt of benefits, pension credit or who is a student. Owners must come from one of the five postcodes - an area stretching from Semley, Gillingham and Cranborne to Sturminster

POLITICS Tabatha & kittens © Sue Dobbs.

Did you know cats can have up to 18 kittens a year?

Newton, Blandford Forum and Wimborne.

A recent survey* by the charity, found that 77% of respondents were unaware cats could get pregnant from as young as four months old, while 86% did not know a female cat could produce up to 18 kittens in just one year.

Kate Bevan, Branch Coordinator, says: “Neutering and microchipping usually costs £100 or more so this really is a fantastic opportunity for cat owners on low incomes.

Not only will it prevent their cat from having kittens and make them less likely to contract diseases or roam but in the event that their cat becomes lost a

microchip makes it much easier to ensure they are brought home safely.

To qualify for the reduced-rate, cat-owners should call 01258 268 695 to be sent a voucher which will enable them to contact their local participating vet to arrange an appointment. * From a survey of 1,000 cat owners conducted by One Poll on behalf of Cats Protection between 18 - 21 May 2020

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EQUESTRAIN

The Blackmore Vale RDA often translate ‘RDA’ as ‘Riding Develops Ability’ or ‘Riding for Different Abilities’.

The Princess Royal is the President of the Riding for the Disabled Association, a national charity, started in 1969, for riding horses and now carriage driving.

There are National and International Groups, and one of the 500 groups in the UK is the Blackmore Vale RDA. They are situated in North Cheriton - and are currently all crossing fingers, toes, & hooves that they are going to be able to start riding again soon.

They have of course been closed for a year now, apart from a short while in the autumn when they were permitted to use a mechanical horse with a remote control & a family member helping the rider.

They had one very special day when one rider was able to ride a live pony in the school & then... they were locked down again.

The Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is an inclusive and diverse organisation. They welcome people with physical and learning disabilities and autism, and there are no age restrictions. Blackmore Vale RDA offers riding on real ponies and two mechanical horses in

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Riding for the Disabled Makes Fun with Horses Accessible for All the North Dorset and South Somerset region. In normal times, they have over 50 riders, aged between 3 and 60yrs, who ride with on a weekly basis during term time.

The RDA provide therapy, fitness, skills development and opportunities for achievement. Image: National Hunt jockey Bryony Frost, who is a keen supporter of RDA

The group, an independent charity responsible for all their own fundraising and offering their services to participants completely free of charge.

In the picture their flag bearer is National Hunt jockey Bryony Frost, who is a keen supporter of RDA and is hoping that they can reopen soon and have some fun days & show everyone what they CAN do this year.

The Blackmore Vale RDA are an eclectic group of many volunteers & ponies who together can provide riding - be it on Bob & Florin, the mechanical horses or the real ponies Pod, Toby, Woody & Duke.

Saturday mornings but they can be flexible.

For more information please email blackmorevale.rda@gmail.com

They normally (whatever that means now!) ride on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Always free - subscribe here

Beware Horse Trading in Equine Market A Dorset-based equine lawyer who has been riding since the age of five has warned of a rising number of disputes as horse sales boom in lockdown.

Ellen Shipton, of Dorset law firm Ellis Jones Solicitors, said that mis-selling appears to be increasing - whether through genuine misunderstandings or deliberate targeting of buyers.

Now she has urged anyone buying, selling or involved in the loan of a horse to ensure agreements are in writing.

Ellen said: “Horse sales have been booming during lockdown. Sadly, the number of cases of horses being mis-sold is increasing.

“Horses aren’t like toasters - there’s no warranty and you can’t take them back.

I’ve heard of some horror stories where horses have been purchased

EQUESTRIAN

Top 5 Tips Equine Horse Sales 1. GET IT IN WRITING – If

but behavioural characteristics or physical issues were covered up during the sale.

you’re buying, selling or involved in any kind of equine transaction get it down in black and white – then everyone knows where they stand.

“There can also be issues when horses are on loan between two parties, whether that relates to length of agreements, costs and stabling or even actual ownership.”

2. BUYER BEWARE - when

Ellen has owned her own thoroughbred for 17 years. The Ellis Jones Solicitors’ Equine Law team specialises in a range of matters, including: buying and selling horses; loan, livery and grazing agreements; professional negligence; and animal welfare.

Some 27 million people in Great Britain have an interest in the equestrian industry with the number of horse riders rising from 1.3m in 2015 to 1.8m in 2019.

3. TAKE THE REINS - Under

An investigation by Horse and Hound magazine in December 2020 revealed a trend towards increased horse sales and prices during the year.

buying a horse privately from an individual the principle of ‘buyer beware’ applies – the onus is on you to consider every aspect of your purchase. the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you have more protection purchasing from a dealer than when buying privately – just as buying a car.

4. WATCH OUT FOR

COWBOYS - Unfortunately, there are some sellers who make representations which later turn out to be false – make as many checks as possible.

5. SADDLE UP - Enjoy it!

There’s nothing like owning a horse. Seek support from the great equine community locally and online. Always take professional advice if unsure about anything.

Horse rider near Bridport

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EQUESTRIAN

Rescue Horse Chelsea enjoys the new sand school.

Over the past few years, a local animal charity has witnessed an equine welfare crisis, seeing many people take on horses thinking that they will be able to sell or rehome them if things do not work out.

difficult, especially if the animal is older or has health or behavioural issues.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue is this month celebrating the use of their new sand school after receiving £15,000 from Animal Friends Pet Insurance and £8,000 from Petplan. The funds were allocated to completely rebuild the sand school that will then help rehabilitate rescue horses at the Church Knowle Rehoming and Visitor Centre in Dorset.

The majority of the horses that they take in have outstanding and often long-running health and/or behavioural issues, and the sand school would give them a safe, contained space to begin work and recovery.

Most people are unaware of how many horses there are needing homes, and it can make rehoming horses incredibly

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Margaret Green Animal rescue set out to fund a new sand school so that they could do their best to help towards the crisis. The sand school surface needed removing and repairing, the drainage underneath needed updating and new fencing was needed all around the school.

During 2020 the charity celebrated the generosity from Animal Friends Pet Insurance and PetPlan who kindly decided to fund the project. Now that the sand school has been completed it has many benefits.

The soft surface allows horses recovering from injury to start to exercise without concussive pressure on their feet and legs.

It also allows restrictive grazing and helps manage horses’ weight while allowing them to exercise freely. This is vital in managing common conditions such as laminitis.

Kate Wickins, Centre Manager went on to say “We are so thankful to receive this funding and be able to now make use of the area. It will help rescue horses like Chelsea and Brandy, two Anglo Arab Cobs who came to us at 14 years old having spent their entire life in the same field with almost no handling. They had never worn head collars or been lead in hand, they had also not received veterinary checks, farriering or dental care. This is quite typical of the equines we are asked to help with.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue rehomes and rescues over 1,200 animals a year Always free - subscribe here

FARMING

Voice Of A Farmer A new regular column from James Cossins a 5th generation farmer in the Tarrant Valley.

I think most Farmers, Growers and Gardeners will be glad to see the back of February! We again seem to have had the extreme of the weather with a very cold spell followed by a very wet spell.

On the farm we managed to carry out a limited amount of ploughing in preparation of sowing our crops.

During the cold spell we carried out our regular 60 day interval Bovine TB test with temperatures well below freezing due to the wind chill. Our brave Vets from the Damory Practice survived the four days of testing, and the suprising and encouraging result was a clear test meaning that we now need one more clear test in 60 days to be able to lift movement restrictions so we can

accommodation thinking that they can sense the grass is growing and when will they be allowed out again to their green pastures again?

sell cattle to other farmers.

A good number of cattle keepers in the South West are beginning to test clear but the question is for how long?

Let’s hope that spring will be soon upon us and put a smile on our faces again with plants and flowers growing to start the food production cycle going again.

In spite of the covid pandemic on the farm we have remained largely unaffected - which is more than can be said for my wife’s hospitality business which remains shut. Recent announcements have given us some light at the end of the dark tunnel. Let’s hope that the planned dates become a reality especially with the vaccine rollout continuing at a pace.

On the farm 100 years ago:

Looking forward to March and our farming activities, it is generally a very busy month if the weather allows. The planting of our spring barley will be a priority. Applying fertiliser to our winter crops and grass to give them a kick start into growing will also take place.

The milking cows will be looking over the gates from their winter

Looking back to the farm dairy of February 1921 we were thrashing wheat and oats. Work had started preparing the fields for planting crops which is very similar to what we are doing today.

The picture below is taken in about 1930, of my Grandfather driving an International harvester 10-20 tractor built around 1927.

It shows the tractor preparing the soil for planting, a very similar operation to our John Deere working during the end of February this year.

An interesting comment in the 1921 diary was that this year was the longest and hottest drought within living memory. The stream dried up in July and started flowing again in January. Let’s hope the weather pattern doesn’t go in 100 year cycles !!

James James’ Grandfather, working the fields on Rawston Farm in 1930, driving an International Harvester 10-20 tractor built around 1927

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FARMING

The Girls at Westleaze

Despite the job description on my contract with Westleaze Farm stating ‘Assistant Avian Production Manager’, working on a familyrun farm means that you have to be prepared for anything any day.

by Andrew Livingston A Westleaze Lohman Brown - Andrew Livingston

If you want eggs, the Lohmann Brown is just the ticket; they can lay 300-plus good sized eggs a year. They are also known to be friendly, inquisitive and approachable Chickens - known as the ‘reliable Ford’ of the chicken world.

Which, in my opinion, is one of the numerous positives of dedicating your working days to the outdoors and animals.

Most mornings are spent tending to the farm’s main source of income, our free range layer hens, that at the moment are producing over 7000 eggs a day.

Come the afternoon, however, continuous lists of seasonal jobs rotate to fill up the duration of the week. Time flies when you jump between TB testing our herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle, rearing calves, delivering eggs or tending to the fences and hedges around our farm on the top of the picturesque Beaminster Downs.

It is for this reason that when speaking to a farmer, if you catch them as the sun begins to set, they are most likely to exclaim in their Dorset accent the immortal words of ‘there really ain’t enough hours in the day!’

This March, for us, there really won’t be enough hours in the day, as we have the period known in the industry as ‘turnaround’.

In the space of four weeks, we will bid farewell to our current birds and clean and sanitise every inch of the shed that

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houses them, ready for a new flock of 8000 birds that will hopefully produce around two and a half million eggs over the coming year.

The weapon required to lay that quantity of egg is the Lohmann Brown Classic.

The bird, which is a crossbreed of the Rhode Island Red and White Rocks, is a finally-tuned athlete and for them to perform at their peak, the conditions of their environment need to be perfect.

E. coli, Salmonellosis, Blackhead, Newcastle Disease, Coccidiosis and Avian Influenza (AI) are just a selection of possible health issues for our feathered-friends, if we do not ensure that their new home is bio secure. The latter, AI, has been prevalent in the UK for the last few months and has required ALL poultry to be kept indoors to protect them from mixing with wild birds who could be carrying the disease.

To ensure the health and welfare

of the birds, my March will be spent attached to the end of a pressure washer; from ceiling to the floor and from the walls to the nest boxes, all are cleaned and sterilised.

I am desperately hoping for an upturn in temperature - past winter turnarounds have been havoc with the additional stress of frozen water and even more deeply frozen fingers.

All the time and dedication will be worth it on the 22nd of the month as the new pullets will begin to populate their pristine shed. Like a child on their firstever day of school, they will be apprehensive at first, but will soon range and explore their environments. Like the proud father of 8000 squawking girls, I wait in anticipation to find that very first egg.

Andrew Livingston on Westleaze Farm

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By Paul Birbeck, Blue Badge Tour Guide with Sherborne Walks

Old Places, New Adventures Blackmoor or Blackmore Vale?

Last month my article considered the meaning of the term ‘Sense of Place’. Essentially, this is a way of identifying, describing and appreciating places and experiences that make you happy. The article referred to the infinite variety of shapes, colours and sounds that create distinct ‘patterns within patterns’ which anyone can appreciate.

When looking at a view, I believe it is important to understand the layers of patterns and how they were created – landscape interpretation. All landscapes reflect a combination of geology and historical development – the way humans have used and changed the area. Unravelling these complex interactions is at the heart of my enjoyment when visiting places. The researching and exploration by cycling, walking and visiting different sites also brings emotional satisfaction.

it. The world seems to be constructed upon a smaller and more delicate scale; the fields are mere paddock... their hedgerows appear a network of dark green threads overspreading the paler green of the grass.”

He later observes that “The Vale was known in former times as the Forest of White Hart, from a curious legend of King Henry III’s reign... and traces of its earlier condition are to be found in the old oak copses and irregular belts of timber that yet survive upon its slopes.”

Both descriptions remain accurate and recognizable today.

Hardy’s demonstrating his genius for capturing landscape character in words – creating a ‘sense of place’.

So what makes it so special?

Historically, the area was part of the Royal Forest called Blackmoor forest, once the largest in Dorset, originally joining Gillingham Forest & Cranborne Chase as part of the Royal Forest. Ordnance Survey maps still use this name.

OUT OF DOORS

The term ‘Blackmore Vale’ was created by a local magazine which became popular in the late C20th!

The yellow area on the map below defines the geological extent of the vale. It is basically the catchment area and flood plain of the River Stour and its tributaries, the rivers Cale, Caundle Brook , Lydden (near Kings Mill Farm) and Divelish (Sturminster).

The geology is of two clay lowlands which are separated by a low ridge of Jurassic Corallian limestone and shales which runs north to south through the centre. This ridge is where we find the Marnhull and Todber stone quarries. The whole area is bordered by hills; Jurassic limestones in the west; Upper Greensand and Chalk to the south and east.

Sherborne Walks post a number of Zoom presentations that look in more detail at the beauty and interesting aspects of Dorset towns and landscapes. www.sherbornewalks.co.uk.

In 1872 Blackmoor was described as: “the valley of the Cale river, on the mutual border of Somerset and Dorset; It is flanked by hill ranges, often 4 miles apart; and has a rich, tenacious (clingy, sticky), marshy soil, notable as pastureland, and for the vigorous growth of oaks.“ As Thomas Hardy later observed “It is a vale whose acquaintance is best made by viewing it from the summits of the hills that surround

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POLITICS We’re back out walking again (huzzah!), though still on limited mileage - seven miles is Courtenay’s knee’s limit, it appears.

Okeford Hill has been our go-to local walk in this lockdown: our usual routes have been ankledeep in mud, and the top of the hill has been better ground than most for he-with-a-duff-knee.

Thank goodness there is an end to the tightest restrictions in sight, and our horizons will slowly broaden again shortly.

Get in touch - editor@ theblackmorevale.co.uk - if you’d like to request routes in certain areas, or of particular lengths.

Take a Hike...

The routes we feature have always been created and walked recently by ourselves, so you know you can trust them - we aim for unpopulated routes with as little road and as many views as possible!

You can always see the route and follow it yourself via the free Outdoor Active app see all our routes here.

Tree carving hidden in Blandford Forest

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Always free - subscribe here

CLICK THE MAP TO SEE THE INTERACTIVE ROUTE ON OUTDOOR ACTIVE

One of our favourite local short afternoon strolls - the main routes on Okeford Hill get very busy on a weekend afternoon, but this easy circular route soon leaves them behind to explore the quietly peaceful and ancient parts of the forest.

Starting at the parking on top of Okeford Hill, there are many paths to choose from - take the one we have outlined and you’ll eventually be rewarded by the carved tree trunk before you plunge deeper into the wood on the narrow path, then emerge into the broader brighter tracks later on.

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OUT OF DOORS

ADVERTORIAL

Expanding for a better Thorngrove Despite the difficulties of the past year, there has been a silver lining to the closures and change of pace here at Thorngrove.

Having a little more time to assess the services we provide, take stock of what’s working, and look at what could be improved, these past 12 months we ramped up some development at the garden centre with a view to making Thorngrove the best it can possibly be.

Accessibility, diversity of products and services, plus a better environment for our Employ My Ability students to hone their skill and gain valuable experience, it’s

all been coming to fruition.

In the last 18 months, we’ve completely renovated a derelict barn we had on site, built new classrooms, and a new glasshouse.

We surveyed customers on what they’d like to see from us, and as we move forward in 2021, the suggestions and comments from everyone will be directly influencing new things we bring to Thorngrove.

We’ve had the nature of our business on our side during the pandemic, and we don’t take that lightly. We’re thankful that we were allowed to safely operate

The derelict barn really didn’t have much going for it to begin with!

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work is speeding ahead in the once-derelict barn

and stay open where other businesses weren’t so lucky. It’s been such a tough time, but we have done our best to remain positive, and it really does feel like now there is that finish line to all this, and we can welcome our customers back with open arms, returning to not only a garden centre experience that we all know and love, but one that’s brand new as well.

Visit www. thorngrovegardencentre.co.uk today, or find us on Facebook for info on our latest products and help keeping your garden looking its best!

Always free - subscribe here

In association with OUT OF DOORS

POLITICS

The Voice of The Allotment Once again excessive rainfall and a week of frozen soil has delayed work on our allotment.

The soil remained frozen between the 6th and the 13th of February.

currant and gooseberry wine!

The rainfall total for the month was about 3.5 inches. Little work was carried out although we did manage to spread manure after removing brassica stalks.

At the moment we are enjoying roasted Crown Prince squash we have found these keep better than the butternut squashes.

We still have quite a few parsnips, leeks and celeriac in the ground. Luckily we had dug quite a few before the soil became frozen.

Our carrots are now coming to an end. We hope to sow Early Nantes next month soil temperatures permitting.

The purple sprouting broccoli was badly attacked by pigeons during the cold snap. Many other plot holders suffered damage as well. We have now netted our plants and they should recover.

In our greenhouse we have sown Golden Acre and Rookie cabbage.

These will be used in salads and to make coleslaw. A first sowing in plug trays of Golden Bear onions was made on the 18th.

The advantage of a large allotment (approximately 330m2) means that we still have good supplies of stored potatoes and onions, as well as peas and beans from the freezer. We are also stocked up with home made

The trays of broad beans are now ready to plant out as soon as the soil and weather are suitable.

We were able to carry out pruning of the fruit bushes and cut down to soil level last year’s Autumn fruiting raspberry canes.

with Barry Cuff

While pruning the blackcurrant bushes a few buds infested with big bud mite were removed and destroyed.

Most plot holders are now hoping that the weather will improve so they can start cultivations as March is usually regarded as the start of the growing season.

The waiting list for plots on the allotments in Sturminster Newton has grown again this month. New plot holders often ask what are the best vegetable and fruit books to buy, despite there being plenty of advice on the internet.

I always recommend ‘The Vegertable Expert’ by D G Hessayon and Joy Larcom’s ‘Grow Your Own Vegetables’. For fruit ‘The Fruit Garden Displayed’.

The links go to secondhand copies avaialble on the internet, and when they’re open again these can often be found in charity shops.

Barry Cuff’s home produce - onions and a Crown Prince squash.

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Garden Jobs for February with Pete Harcom Head Gardener at Sherton Abbas Gardening

It’s March and the temperatures are rising … but be careful - even on a clear warm March day, the night temperature can drop significantly.

If you’re planting up potted plants for outdoors e.g.

Geraniums (Pelargoniums), and Fuchsias, outside during the day, these should be brought back into the greenhouse or conservatory at night or cover them with horticultural fleece (or even old net curtaining) - it can be late April or even May before night time frosts are over.

PREPARE When preparing beds or borders, be careful before launching into too long a spell of digging and weeding; pace yourself and warm your back up before starting, and have plenty of breaks by varying the garden jobs.

Using a hoe may be all that is needed to keep weeds down before they get a hold in your borders. If this is done in early March, when weeds in the borders are small, it will save a lot of work in the future.

After the weeding is done, and if the soil is moist, it is a good idea to cover the soil with a thick layer of mulch or garden compost.

Rake soil fine on a dry day if you are intending to sow hardy annuals.

Warm up your potting soils in the greenhouse or shed, before

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The modern word Hoe probably evolved from the Middle English word ‘howe’; listed in a gardener’s almanac of the time as a flatbladed implement on a long handle for the purpose of cultivating, weeding, or loosening soil. Hoes are an ancient technology, predating the plough and perhaps preceded only by the digging stick. They have been seen in Chinese cave paintings dating back 7,000 years.

starting off seeds.

Pot up Chrysanthemum cuttings; make sure they have a good root system before doing so.

Lift and divide large clumps or border perennials and take basal cuttings.

PROTECT New shoots from slugs - but do refrain from using slug pellets…

PRUNE This is the traditional time to prune bush and shrub roses.

Prune bush roses hard - they can take it! Cut back Cornus (dogwood) for more colourful stems next year.

PLANT Summer flowering bulbs; Allium, Oriental Lily, Bearded Iris, Gladioli, Begonia and Freesia.

GARDEN WILDLIFE Hedgehogs will be emerging from hibernation around now, Be careful digging into leaf piles and flower beds as you may find a sleepy lodger!

How about creating a hedgehog friendly garden?

Make sure your garden fence has at least one hedgehog-sized gap at the bottom, to allow them to roam around from garden to garden. They feed on beetles, caterpillars, slugs and insects so they are a real help in our gardens.

Try to reduce the chemical sprays and do avoid slug pellets as these are soharmful to hedgehogs.

Clocks will go forward on 28th March - Spring is here... at last!

Pete pete@shertonabbas.co.uk Always free - subscribe here

FLOWERS

Flowers in March Spring has arrived and with a bit of help from some warmer weather crocus, daffodils and tulips are flowering.

Wild garlic enveloped me in its pungent scent as I weeded the border the other day which reminded me to dig out some recipes such as Wild Garlic Pesto.

This is one of the most important months in a high-street florists diary, as it promises Mother’s Day - the busiest and most lucrative of the calendar year.

Celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent, the holiday is believed to be derived from a medieval Christian tradition.

Flowers are readily available from supermarkets to give as a gift but a home grown or locally grown bunch are even more special; try Helen and Paul at Black Shed www. blackshedflowers.blogspot. com in Sherborne for beautiful locally grown posies.

If your garden is large enough to supply a homegrown bunch, try putting it together using the professional spiraling technique; 1 Condition the flowers and foliage, cut the stems keeping them as long as possible and remove any side shoots or leaves starting from the bottom of the stem and working up approximately 4 inches.

2 Then sort out the the flowers into bunches of the same variety and lay them out on a flat surface in front of you.

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3 Taking the largest most prominent flower head, for example a tulip, hold it upright in your hand.

4 Using one flower stem from each group of flower varieties in turn, add it to the flower in your hand; lay the stem across the first at the point where you will eventually be tying the bunch together (approximately 4” from the bottom of the stems), always working in the same direction to form a spiral. You will need to carefully turn the bunch as you go to add more stems.

5 Keep adding the stems, making sure that the flower heads are at the same height to form a domed profile.

6 Use your fingers to hold the flower heads apart from one another, creating the shape of an upturned cone. As you add more stems the shape will support itself.

7 Keep adding stems alternating flowers and foliage until you have used all of the stems.

8 Whilst holding the bunch now use a piece of string or raffia to tie the bunch together at the point where you are holding it.

9 Trim the stems to the same length and now the bunch should stand up on its own accord.

10 Use a piece of ribbon or raffia to cover the initial binding and tie it in a pretty bow.

If you would like to learn more about creating a handtied bouquet and other professional floristry techniques come and join me for a fun, informal, informative floristry workshop, all the details are on my website.

Oonagh The English Florist Always free - subscribe here

BOOK CORNER

Voice of the Books With a break in the weather, Spring on its way and Boris soon allowing us out to play we can again look forward to the attraction of the outdoors. I have put together some titles to entice and entertain.

Wayne

Nick by Michael Farris Smith £12.99

Critically acclaimed novelist Michael Farris Smith pulls Nick Carraway out of the shadows and into the spotlight in this exhilarating imagination of his life before he became the The Great Gatsby.

Before Nick Carraway moved to West Egg and into Gatsby’s world, he was at the centre of a very different story – one taking place along the trenches and deep within the tunnels of World War I. Floundering in the wake of the destruction he witnessed first-hand, Nick delays his return home, hoping to escape the questions he cannot answer about the horrors of war. Instead, he embarks on a transcontinental redemptive journey that takes him from a whirlwind Paris romance – doomed from the very beginning – to the dizzying frenzy of New Orleans, rife with its own flavour of debauchery and violence.

An epic portrait of a truly singular era and a sweeping, romantic story of self-discovery, this rich and imaginative novel breathes new life into a character that many know only from the periphery. Charged with enough alcohol, heartbreak, and profound yearning to transfix even the heartiest of golden age scribes, Nick reveals the man behind the narrator who has captivated readers for decades.

The Garden Visitor’s Handbook 2021 £14.99 The famous yellow ‘bible’ for anyone interested in gardens and the 2021 edition is now

available. Its 744 pages contain descriptions of the 3,700 gardens opening to visitors throughout England and Wales this year, and offers people unique access to the most beautiful gardens in the country.

When We Went Wild

by Isabella Tree £7.99 ages 3-7

From the bestselling author and rewilding pioneer Isabella Tree, When We Went Wild is a heartwarming, sustainably printed picture book about the benefits of letting nature take the lead, inspired by real-life rewilding projects.

Nancy and Jake are farmers. They raise their cows and pigs, and grow their crops. They use a lot of big machines to help them, and spray a lot of chemicals to get rid of the weeds and the pests. That’s what all good farmers do, isn’t it? And yet, there is no wildlife living on their farm.

The animals look sad. Even the trees look sad!

One day, Nancy has an idea... what if they stopped using all the machines, and all the chemicals, and instead they went wild?

The author’s own experience of rewilding her estate at Knepp has influenced conservation techniques around the world that are bringing nature back to the countryside and bringing threatened species back from the brink.

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In association with

CHARITY PAGES

This month’s charity: The Bus Stop Club The Bus Stop Club is a local charity located in the Turbary Resource Centre, at the edge of Ferndown.

They are a befriending charity, seeking to support parents and families from the East Dorset area and beyond. Their small core staff team are very blessed to have a number of loyal volunteers who work alongside them.

Susan Sutherland who is the Project Manager for the charity shared with us how the charity has had to adapt during lockdown whilst still focusing on it’s main goals “Since the first lockdown last year we have had to change some of our activities, but our Centre remains open every day Mon to Fri 9-11am for essential groceries – we also have donations of fresh food available on Tuesday mornings.

We are very grateful for food donations from customers that we collect weekly from our local Sainsbury’s store. We are also part of the Fare Share (Tesco) and Neighbourly (Lidl) food donation schemes. Currently we are delivering groceries on Fridays to a number of individuals and families in need.

We are also delivering craft packs on Wednesdays to local families with younger school children, thanks to financial support from Cash 4 Kids.

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“We are supported financially by local trusts, foundations, community chest grants, churches and individuals – we are very thankful for all the support we have received, particularly during periods of lockdown since March 2020.

journey out of debt. There are also local CAP Centres in Poole and Bournemouth.

MOAT Coaching for anxiety Since September 2020 we have been offering individual MOAT coaching sessions to those who want to manage their anxiety better, and to learn some strategies for processing historical trauma.

Debt Management “Our main project is the East Dorset CAP Debt Centre, also covering Ringwood and Bearwood. CAP stands for Christians Against Poverty, a national charity based in Bradford with hundreds of Centres all over the UK.

Their services are free to those in unmanageable debt.

Since starting our East Dorset CAP Centre we have seen 26 individuals go debt free.

We currently have vacancies for new clients, so if you or someone you know needs support, just phone the CAP freephone number: 0800 328 0006.

MOAT Coaching is available to adults at a cost of £20 registration fee.

We currently have spaces, so if you are interested please get in contact. Those who have completed the programme have all found it very helpful.

You can contact Susan to discuss MOAT Coaching or any other aspect of The Bus Stop Club:

www.thebusstopclub.co.uk ssutherland@hotmail.co.uk 07866 692528.

CAP Head Office will be glad to speak to you and explain how CAP can start you on your Always free - subscribe here

Ward Goodman specialises in the charity, community and not for profit sector.

Ward Goodman has a dedicated team of accounting and auditing professionals delivering a comprehensive range of services to registered charities, community groups and not for profit organisations. The team are trained specifically to carry out charity accounting, auditing and reporting and to communicate effectively with Trustees, management and volunteers. Contact the team today for a free consultation.

This month’s charity: Citizens Advice Dorset Continues To Support Residents.

Online shopping scams

Citizens Advice in Dorset has continued to provide free help and support to Dorset residents throughout the pandemic. With offices located in Bridport, Central Dorset, East Dorset and Purbeck , volunteers quickly adapted to no longer offering face to face appointments, to providing phone and digital advice.

If shopping online make sure you stay safe and avoid scams.

Before purchasing, make sure to do background research into the company, and only pay using a credit or debit card or a third party application such as PayPal.

Since the start of lockdown on 23rd March 2020 until the end of January 2021, Citizens Advice across rural Dorset helped over 11,000 people with over 41,000 issues.

The type of issues include providing employment, benefits and debt advice, energy and fuel poverty advice, housing, legal, family and relationship advice and much more.

Be Scam Aware!

Since the pandemic started, Citizens Advice Dorset has become aware of new types of scams. With people spending more time at home, scammers have the perfect opportunity to target people in new ways.

Here are two examples of scams to look out for and what to do if you feel you’ve been scammed:

With only essential shops open, online shopping is on the rise.

Paying using these methods gives you extra protection if something goes wrong, but be careful when putting in your payment details online on any website.

Don’t submit if you’re unsure.

Vaccine scams As the roll out of the coronavirus vaccine continues, Action Fraud are seeing reports of coronavirus vaccine scams. The coronavirus vaccine will only be available via the NHS and is free of charge. They’ve shared things to remember if you’ve received a text claiming to be from the NHS: • The NHS will never ask you for your bank account or card details • The NHS will never ask you for your PIN or banking password • The NHS will never arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine • The NHS will never ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as your passport, driving licence or pay slips.

Find out more information on coronavirus vaccine scams here.

What to do if you think it’s a scam: If you think something is a scam you should hang up the phone, close the website, or shut the front door.

Never feel pressured to make a decision straight away, and don’t give out personal details or money unless you’re certain that you can trust the person.

If you’ve been scammed, or think you’ve been scammed, our Scams Action service is here to help. More information about scams and how to report them can be found here.

Citizens Advice Dorset provides free, confidential and impartial advice to help people find a way forward, whatever problems they face.

Call the Dorset Adviceline on 0800 144 8848 or visit www. citizensadvice.org.uk for more information.

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READER’S LETTERS

Reader’s Letters Having just read through your latest BV I am totally lost for words.

The article on the butcher, Ross Huey, rang a bell. I recall a fisherman of that name who used to fish on the River Allen at Wimborne St Giles. I worked behind the bar at the Bull Inn in the village some 60 odd years ago, and he used to visit us for liquid refreshment.

I have never met up with him since those days.

I have just managed to contact him through his farm/butchers shop website and well...

It is the same chap who had the shop in Christchurch all those years ago and visited the pub!

Like me, he is finding it very hard to finally retire and still works 5 days a week!

Just find it so interesting that after all these years memories/ contacts can still be found in the most unlikely places such as your publication..

Must keep reading....who knows what will come up next!?

Thanks Paul Cumberland Thank you so much for publishing the article for our rescue. I received £50 in donations the very morning it was published.

Thank you so much.

Jeannette Hampstead Hedgehog Rescue of Hazelbury Bryan I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to the Hope for Tomorrow Mobile Cancer Care Unit in Gillingham.

I am a local secondary turned primary school teacher, and I am currently receiving my treatment on the bus.

It’s an amazing service.

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There are only 10 in the country and ours is the second busiest.

The bus comes out from Salisbury twice a week providing blood tests, immunotherapy, flushing pic lines amongst other things, as well as giving chemotherapy.

I feel so very grateful for their help and asked Gillingham if they might buy me a virtual sausage roll, donating one or two pounds to this amazing cause.

85% of the charity’s funding stream has been cut due to the pandemic. The NHS pays for the staff, medicine and fuel but Hope for Tomorrow pays for the maintenance and running costs of the buses. This service has meant that I have been able to have blood tests and covid swabs on the Wednesday to check if I am safe to have my treatment on the Friday, avoiding travelling too much at the most dangerous time in the pandemic, as I am clinically extremely vulnerable.

It means my husband and children can get on with their day while I am round there having treatment, and it means I have routine and structure and see the same friendly faces each week.

The staff on the bus are amazing, so kind, reassuring and helpful.

I am so very grateful to them and to all the people who have donated.

Thank you for letting me highlight this amazing cause. If anyone would like to donate the link is here.

from North Dorset!

I was born in Weymouth in 1952, Portwey Hospital (all those not so young will remember it) living in Nottington until 1966.

Circa 1963 my sister & I were stopped ona spring evening in Nottington Lane, turning the last corner before home, beside the mill. A young lad (of 15/16) from the next village, Buckland Ripers, stopped us to talk.

“Werbe yous come fraam” “ Well we live here” sister says (being older) “No you b’aint” he answers her (in the singular) “I’ve lived here since I was born!”

I say indignantly (my sister having come from Dorchester at the age of 2!)

“No yous b’aint (pl. now) “yous b’aint speak prawperr” and he went on his way ahead of us.

Funny though he had been walking past our house for years & must have only just plucked up the courage to ask us.

I remember getting a thick ear more than once from Mother if I came back from the farm across the road using any Dorset accent!

Sorry Andy - you either came south too late, moved in posher circles, townie, or you are just a lot younger than me!

Kind regards from just outside N. Dorset Marjorie Alexander Mere

Alison Day

One of the most interesting things that has happened during lockdown is how the most trivial of events has become so important - exciting even.

Dear Ed Please inform Andy Palmer that he is incorrect about Dorset accents only coming

When I received a call from the surgery one day recently requesting me to go for a test, my excitement was quite out of proportion to the event...

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READER’S LETTERS EXCITEMENT IN THE TIME OF LOCKDOWN I’m so excited for I’m going out today not to the theatre to see a good play, not to a dress shop to buy a new blouse, or even find cushions to cheer up my house, but I’ll dress very carefully and I’ll look my best for I’m off to the nurse to have a blood test.

And we’ll meander along all the small winding lanes and I’ll see how the streams are all swollen with rain and I’ll see the snowdrops by old garden walls or splashed in the hedges where no grasses sprawl.

And I’ll see other houses and I’ll see other farms and I’ll see mud-streaked fields and winter packed barns and I’ll see clumps of primroses and catkin-hung trees and I’ll breathe different air and I shall be free to see different clouds and a wide different sky and to see different spaces of views that flash by.

So I’m so excited to get out this morning it’s only a blood test but I’m not complaining for I’m out of the prison of lockdown today and all will be different... how I wish I could stay.

Margaret Waddingham

What a fantastic idea the Mother’s Day messages are.

I am originally from Blandford Forum and now live with my wife Catherine in South Shields, Tyne and Wear and have been unable to visit my mum due to Covid restrictions.

My mum Beryl is an active 94 year old - 95 in July, and still gets

out everyday. Mum was one of 12 who was born in Charlton Musgrove, near Wincanton, and met my Dad Francis who was from Lithuania and was based in a displacement camp at Kingston Lacey whilst she was a cook at Blandford Hospital.

They went on to marry in early 50’s, moved to Blandford (where she’s lived ever since) and had us identical twins Peter and Paul in 1953.

She will be thrilled to see the message and photo published in the magazine. She enjoys reading it and looks forward to receiving it each month.

She then passes it on to Paul who now lives near Winchester.

Many thanks again Peter and Catherine Valteris.

I just wanted to personally say a huge thank you for running the story about Wardrobe Foundation.

We have had a brilliant response from the article! I have received lots of offers for donations which is fantastic.

Thank you, so much.

Eloise, Wardrobe Foundation

It is with a sad heart that I have had to close Cherrys Hairdressers, Elizabeth Road Blandford Forum, having been in business for 35yrs, twenty five of which at Elizabeth Road.

After failed negotiations to extend my lease with Soverign Housing Association, I have this week had to clear out the shop; it was not an easy job.

I would like to apologise to all my customers and friends for such an abrupt departure, and to take this opportunity to thank them for their loyal custom.

After 55yrs hairdressing I look forward to a happy retirement, and hopefully a more normal life for everyone than this last very

trying year.

I would like to thank Natasha Sibley for the past 15yrs of working together at the shop and for all her support. Also a big thankyou to my Husband Ray and to the helpers. [You know who you are] as I could have not done it without you.

I look forward to seeing you all in happier days ahead.

Please keep safe.

Kind Regards Cherry Tulk.

Sir (I’m ‘Madam’ if anything, but just “Laura’ or ‘Ed’ is fine! - Ed)

The Head Gardener of Sherborne Castle with his dedicated team should be applauded for the magnificent display of snowdrop, primrose, crocus and daffodil which carpet the estate.

March reveals nature at its best as buds burst and birds sing the joy of Spring.

It is therefore sad after several decades that the Digbys have planned to deny local residents the March delights of one of Sherborne’s finest assets.

David Prichard *The Sherborne Estate were unavailable for comment before going to press. However, it is the Blackmore Vale’s understanding that the gardens are currently open for regular season ticket holders, and the garden is open to everyone on the 1st April. - Ed

Thank you for updating us on the St Mary’s school situation.

We had read elsewhere that it was going to be bought by footballer David Beckham, but it turned out to be just rumour.

However, it is good to read that this site is going to be put to very good use for needy children.

Cliff Beaker

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image: Heather Brown

Heather Brown is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and a home economist with a passion for Dorset’s brilliant foodie scene. Heather runs Dorset Foodie Feed which helps to champion Dorset’s food and drink businesses, as well as working with clients to recipe test, write food based copy, help foodie businesses with their online presence and make food for digital content.

IG: @HeatherBrownUK 60

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A delicious Dorset Cream Tea.

by Heather Brown

I’m not going to get into the jam & cream debate... but however you layer them, nothing quite beats a scone fresh from the oven, closely followed by some homemade cakes.

If you are looking for something special to make for your Mum this Mother’s Day, or for a loved one for their birthday, then here are some recipes for you to try, both for some scones and for two flavour versions of a sponge cake recipe that looks decadent but is actually super easy to make.

If you are looking for some local ingredients to add to your Cream Tea, then we are spoilt for

choice for local tea in Dorset… but I recommend checking out Its Tea in Poole if you are looking for something hand blended. They have a huge range of teas, from the standard English Breakfast to the more unusual.

You can find Dorset clotted cream in many farm shops but if you are looking for something a little different, Dorset Dairy Co sell their Cultured Cream which is a slightly tangier version.

From Dorset with Love have a wide range of their handmade curds as well as delicious jams.

Show off with both Vanilla and Lemon sponges I have combined the vanilla and lemon recipes into one as it is the same base recipe, with simple variations for each flavour: don’t choose between, make both!

Sponge Ingredients • • • •

225g / 8oz butter 225g / 8oz caster sugar 4 eggs 225g / 8oz self raising flour

Method 1. Smear some butter around the base and sides of 2 circular baking tins 8” in diameter. Then place a circle of greaseproof in the base of each tin. Preheat the oven to gas 6 or 180 degrees fan.

2. Using a stand mixer, an electric whisk or a wooden spoon, beat together the butter, sugar and either the vanilla or the zest of the two lemons in a bowl really well.

The mixture will change to be light and fluffy and the colour will turn pale.

3. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each egg. If the mixture curdles, you can add one spoonful of the flour and beat well.

4. Slowly stir in the flour. Take care not to beat hard and knock out all of the air that has just been worked into the mix.

For the Vanilla: • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract • a little raspberry or strawberry jam For the Lemon • 2 lemons - zest & juice • a little lemon curd 5. Spoon the mixture into the 2 tins evenly and level the tops. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes. Check the bakes after 22 minutes, you may need to swap them around in the oven so they cook evenly.

6. The cakes will be done when the cakes have come away from the edges of the pan and the top of the cake is springy to the touch.

7. Leave the cakes to cool.

8. Remove the cakes from the tins and remove the parchment from the bottom.

Using a 2 inch circular cutter, cut as many circles from the sponges as you can from the sponges. You should be able to get at least 12 little sponges, to make 4 x 3 layer cakes.

9. In a bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter and

Icing: • •

55g / 2oz butter 110 / 4oz sugar

icing sugar until you have a light and fluffy mixture. You can add a little lemon juice to the lemon icing if you wish, or add vanilla extract to the vanilla cakes.

10. For the Vanilla cakes - you can use whipped fresh cream instead of icing and add some fresh fruit to the top of the cake. This won’t keep as well but if you make just before your are ready to eat, they will be delicious!

11. For the lemon cakes - you can brush a little lemon juice over the sponges before stacking for some extra zing.

12. Spread a thin layer of your jam (if vanilla cakes) or lemon curd (if lemon cakes) and a thin layer of the icing between the layers and stack the cakes together. Dust the top with icing sugar.

‘Make it special’ tip on next page:

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FOOD & DRINK

A delicious Dorset Cream Tea cont...

Rather than making buttercream icing, you can make Italian meringue and use that for a lemon meringue style cake.

To make Italian Meringue: •

Heather Brown Ifimage: you want to go that bit extra,

•

Heat together 1 cup of caster sugar with 1/3 cup water until it reaches 240ºF on a thermometer.

Beat together 2 egg whites

• •

until stiff and whilst the mixer is still running, slowly pour in the hot syrup mixture until it is all combined.

Keep the mixer running until the bowl of the mixer is cold.

You can then pipe this into the lemon cakes with the lemon curd instead of the buttercream. For extra fancy points, scorch a swirl of meringue on top too.

Posh Fruit Scones

We all usually simply throw a handful of raisins into our basic scones, but I’m making them a little extra special for our Dorset Cream Tea with fresh fruit.

image: Heather Brown

Ingredients • • • • • •

225g/8oz self raising flour 55g/2oz butter (soft) 55g/2oz caster sugar milk egg to glaze fresh raspberries or blueberries.

Method 1. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 180º fan/gas 6.

2. Add the flour and sugar to a large bowl. With your hands, add in the butter and rub it into the flour and sugar mixture. This involves rubbing your fingers together amongst the butter and flour mixture until the butter is worked in and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3. Stir in the fresh fruit (you can leave this stage

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out if you would prefer plain scones).

4. Then pour in the milk a little at a time. Stir the mixture together with your hands and continue to add the milk until the mixture forms a soft dough (you don’t need to knead the dough).

5. Tip out onto a floured surface. Gently press out the mixture so that it is about 1inch thick.

6. Using a cutter (or your can just use a sharp knife), cut out the scones and place on the lined trays.

7. You can gently reform the dough and repeat the cutting until all the dough is used up.

8. It should give you 6 - 10 small scones (depending on how big your cutter is).

9. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork and then brush the beaten egg onto the top of the scones.

10. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

11. You can leave them to cool, but they do taste fantastic straight from the oven...

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Wake Up and Smell the Coffee in North Dorset

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh coffee to awaken the senses. But how often do you reach for the jar of instant without a thought about how it was produced?

North Dorset has several indie coffee roasters and their approach to ethical production and innovation is inspirational.

Bill Hambidge from Bills Beans started up during lockdown after roasting coffee for a hobby. He is growing his fan base by word of mouth and is building an interesting selection of ethically sourced coffees. He says: “As I learnt more about coffee and roasting, my coffee roasts improved so I started roasting for friends and family. I decided to bite the bullet and buy a bigger roaster, move it into a small workshop and start making a small business out of it.”

For 918 Coffee in Semley, their business started by selling coffees to commuters from a train station. They have progressed to a commercial roastery selling coffee to businesses in Dorset and further afield.

When it comes to selecting beans, quality is vital. Charles

FOOD & DRINK Coffee drinkers tend to live longer. Research has linking moderate consumption (3-4 cups per day) with a longer life span, plus a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Read of Read’s Coffee Roasters near Sherborne looks for a quality product as well as being able to trace the product right down to the farm.

An ethical product is vital too.

roaster. Justin says: “This allowed us not only to reduce the amount of waste we were throwing away but also gave us a great way to roast fresh coffee – unique to only us.”

“We go above fair trade. For us, it is not just about labels but we want the true story behind the coffee.”

Cafe Femenino is an example of an ethical coffee brand roasted

by Reads. It is a cooperative operating in Peru and Colombia run by women. In a country where machismo rules most of the coffee plantations, women experience significant inequalities; this is a step forward.

“It’s a coffee produced by women for women,” says Charles.

The pandemic has meant that most of us have missed the familiar smell of coffee at festivals across North Dorset but the roasters have been busy in other ways, especially Bill setting up his business. Reads Coffee has a new website and has a pop up coffee shop at their farm in Thornford (the perfect excuse for a post walk treat). Do check out their new artwork by Laurence Belbin. 918 Coffee has perfected their printing so companies can order bespoke coffees, and have implemented drop shipping in response to the pandemic. They are looking forward to welcoming people back to the roastery to learn how to brew good coffee from 17 May.

918 Coffee works with the traditional brokers and also has traceability and quality high on their requirements. More recently they have started to forge links directly with coffee farms. Owner Justin Cornelius says: “The provenance of these coffees is amazing and it is great to be able to tell their small story to a much larger audience here in the UK & EU.” 918’s coffee roasting also has an ecological ethos. They are the only company in the world to have an Eco Roast, set up two years ago. Used coffee grounds are reprocessed into biofuel which is used to fuel the coffee

And of all the coffees they sell, I wondered which country’s brew they would recommend new customers trying. Charles Read’s favourites are from Kenya and Colombia while Bill recommends his coffee from El Salvador.

So next time you think about making a coffee, go and discover our local North Dorset roasters for some of the best tasting and ethically sourced coffees around.

Rachael Rowe www.rachaelrowe.com

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FOOD & DRINK

Behind Every Great Wine, There’s Now More Great Wine.

With International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day in March, it felt it right to honour some of the great females in the world of wine: winemakers, winery owners, and trailblazers.

As is often the case, let’s start with a glass of fizz and give a mention to some of the ladies who paved the way.

Up first is the ‘Grand Dame of Champagne,’ Barbe-Nicole Cliquot, who took the helm of a Champagne house at a time when childbirth and marriage were the sole occupations of most French women. There were many things she pioneered from her vineyards in Bouzy, but two innovations that stand out is the development of the ‘riddling rack’ to turn bottles, and the creation of pink Champagne through adding a touch of red wine.

Sticking to fizz but moving to another house, we must briefly mention Lily Bollinger — who bravely headed up the house of ‘Bolly’ through the war and German occupation, after being widowed. We can thank ‘Aunt Lily’ for the launch of Bollinger RD in 1967 and Vieilles Françaises in ’69. If you’ve ever had the blessing to have a glass of either, you’ll know why gratitude is needed!

In 1953, a qualification to promote excellence in the wine trade was founded — the prestigious ‘Master of Wine’.

In recent years, the candidates are equally balanced in terms of gender. However, it wasn’t until 1970 that a woman, Sarah Morphew Stephen, earned the coveted MW initials. Before taking on the mammoth course, Morphew Stephen did every job imaginable in wine, from treading grapes to the cellar door. The next female to gain MW wasn’t for another six years in 1976.

Lily Bollinger (born Élisabeth Law LauristonBoubers in 1899) was the head of the Bollinger Champagne business from 1941 to 1971.

by Sadie Wilkins, Indie Wine Merchant, Vineyards of Sherborne

The Rias Baixas region of Spain is an interesting little coastal region that not only provides us with delicious Albariño, but is of historical importance to women in wine: over the years, over half of the winemakers there have been female. The simple reason?

The men were fishing out at sea, so the women tended to the children and vines at home.

The attitude towards women in wine in this spot of the world was much more accepting than others, and it’s for this reason we thank them for paving the way for winemakers today.

Fast forward to now and, across the globe, women are in every type of job related to wine that you can imagine.

Like many male-dominated arenas, the wine trade is now celebrating more diversity, although there is still a way to go.

At the beginning of March, we are hosting a series of Instagram Live Tastings (4th-8th March) with notable women in wine who are really storming the world at the moment. We’ll be joined by Samantha O’Keefe of Lismore Estate Vineyards in South Africa, Estelle Roumage from Château Lestrille in Bordeaux, Joanna King of Château Unang in Ventoux, and Amandine Bernard from Château Beauchéne in the Rhone Valley.

Full details are on our website You can ‘drink along’ or go the whole hog and take us up on a special case discount for all of the wines.

Either way, let’s raise a glass to all the great women behind the glorious bottles!

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www.vineyardsofsherborne.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK A traditional Colomba Pasquale.

Notes From An Epicurean March already, and before we know it Easter will be upon us (which this year falls on 4th April, my birthday!). Time to sort your Simnel Cake, or order your Colomba Pasquale, or maybe both.

Colomba Pasquale is the traditional Italian option for Easter, shaped like a stylised dove where it derives its name, “Colomba Pasquale” is Italian for “Easter dove”.

The origins are not certain, though there are many legends.

One suggests it dates to 1176, when Lombardy defeated the Holy Roman Empire at which point two Doves landed on the battlefield, and the cake commemorated this event.

The other widely held legend details how a young girl from Pavia baked a cake in the

shape of a dove to offer to King Albion, the sixth century king of Lombardy, rather than taking her.

He loved the cake so much that he spared the girl and made Pavia his capital.

was originally associated with Mothering Sunday, the Sunday in the middle of Lent when people would visit their mother church and then feast as a break from Lent (a totally different thing to Mother’s Day).

Whichever story you choose to believe the dove shaped cake has been a staple part of every Italian family’s Easter for hundreds of years, very similar to panettone but with candied orange peel and dried fruit, topped with almonds and pearl sugar.

It is assumed the name comes from the Latin word for the whitest, finest flour “simila”. It is a much lighter fruit cake than Christmas cake, and Simnel cake has a layer of marzipan through the middle as well as on top, with 11 balls of marzipan representing the Apostles - minus Judas, for obvious reasons.

If you want to try one then visit your local delicatessen and ask if they can source one for you; Ingredients deli on Cheap Street, Sherborne specialise in European products, they’re probably a great place to try.

Simnel cake is something we are all more familiar with.

Now usually eaten at Easter, it

Hot Cross Buns now seem to be available all year round, but were originally linked to this time of year; they also have an interesting story, but we will save that for another time.

Happy eating!

Simon Vernon Food consultant & Great Taste Awards Judge

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FOOD & DRINK

The Love Local Trust Local Awards are back!

Plans for the 2021 Love Local Trust Local Awards are nearly finalised.

We have spent time looking at categories and listening to feedback following the success of our inaugural awards in 2020.

We are opening the awards up so that Dorset companies of any size can enter some categories, and we are adding categories to fully encompass all that is produced in Dorset - well, all that is consumable!

The 2021 LLTL Awards will be a true celebration of Dorset Food & Drink!

of feeding our families fresh, healthy produce.

The Love Local Trust Local label assures the consumer:

Buying “local” is definitely best!

Not only are you supporting a local business and therefore your local economy, but you are also helping the environment! The less miles your food travels to get to your plate the better for us all.

•

The Love Local Trust Local journey started in 2018 with a label for Dorset food you can trust, to promote quality, honesty and proximity in all the food and drink that we buy and consume.

Barbara Cossins explained, “We want to put consumer trust back into buying local, Dorset food with genuine provenance and full traceability”.

• •

•

This food has been grown with love & care and to the highest ethical standards This food has transparent and full provenance and complete traceability This food has been produced with the main ingredients sourced from less than 30 miles of its’ origin This food fosters community spirit & is good for our overall environment

We are looking forward to announcing the 2021 Love Local Trust Local Award categories in our next issue! In the meantime, stay safe, stay local and don’t forget to buy local and look out for the LLTL label!

The long awaited Brexit has brought change to the food industry to our farmers and to our fishermen. No matter what side of the fence we were on, we are waiting for the dust to settle and we are hearing both positive and negative reports so far.

All of us at LLTL HQ hope that regardless of legislation the championing of British Food, British Farming and British Fishing can only get better!

If there is one positive to be gained from the Covid-19 pandemic, may it be that we all have a better understanding of where our food & drink comes from - the importance of traceability and the importance

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DORSET PRODUCERS

In association with

Designed in Dorset is an online marketplace that showcases some of the best artisan businesses across this lovely county.

Together with our 70+ vendors we are helping to boost the local economy, reduce our impact on the environment and support small business in Dorset. With no joining fees and small commission for any sale, it makes sense to join us as both a customer and a vendor. Buy anything from a kitchen table to handmade jewellery, safe in the knowledge that you are helping a small business owner achieve their dreams.

MARCH’ FEATURED VENDOR: What could be more appropriate to feature as Mothering Sunday approaches than a clothing range inspired both by the unending bond between mother and daughter, and the joy of Mother Nature!

From My Mother’s Garden was conceived by Penny who owns Colmers Hill fashion boutique at Symondsbury Estate, just outside of Bridport. Penny’s mother asked her partner, Alistair, to take some photos of her pretty garden and in particular a magnificent and perfect Water Lily flowering in her small pond. From these images, Penny set about creating a range of robes and kimonos using beautiful, colourful exclusive prints. The luxury range is made from a silky but sustainable fabric and uses sublimation printing to limit wastage. Since its inception, the range has grown to include Fairtrade pyjama sets, beautiful jersey tops, velvet tops and scarves. The prints include Hydrangea, Sweet Pea, Water Lily, Acer, Reflections and Wishes (dandelion clocks). In addition, there is a small range of luxury candles and diffusers, all made in Devon.

Sweet Pea Lightweight Kimono - £59 The lightweight short kimono jacket can be worn both casually or smart as a little jacket.

It is made from a draping, silky viscose fabric and has an exclusive Sweet Pea print.

Lavender PJ Set - £59 A lovely Fairtrade cotton pyjama set including a short sleeve top and shorts. It has an exclusive Lavender print with an ivory white background and stems of lavender on both the top and shorts.

Velvet Scarf Harmony - £39 This printed velvet scarf is a luxurious piece in a beautifully soft, draping velvet. It has an exclusive Hydrangea print, and the mix of deep and contrasting tones adds a sense of luxury and warmth to this design.

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ART

In The Studio with Clare Shepherd

by Edwina Baines edwina@theblackmorevale.co.uk

On their third birthday Clare’s twin sister was given a set of handkerchiefs embroidered with the days of the week, whereas she was given a paint box: it was recognised from those early times that painting would be her passion.

At the age of eight, she determined that she was going to live in a house with “grass right up to the front door.”

Her dream came true: she now lives in a secluded cottage on the edge of the Cranborne Chase.

At the bottom of the garden is Clare’s studio – her busy, cosy and inviting moss-green ‘Shed’, where cream muslin curtains drape the doorway and her grandmother’s threadbare sofa sits waiting. When her husband suggested they try for a third child, Clare said it was on the condition that she could have her own studio and spend eight hours every weekend there.

This was described by John Peel in a BBC Radio Interview with her as her ‘Faustian Pact’ - whereby a person trades something of supreme moral or spiritual importance for some worldly or material benefit. Her teacher husband has been true to his word and has always shared in the rearing of their three children and all the household tasks, which enables her to have time to paint.

Clare studied at the Slade School of Fine Art where she was the Slade Prizewinner for her graduating year. On undertaking a PGCE at Exeter she met her husband and then moved to Blandford.

However, “The four years at the Slade was misplaced for me.

Despite the accolades, I didn’t know what I wanted. It has taken me the next forty five years to

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Clare Shepherd in her studio on the edge of the Cranborne Chase, with her grandmother’s threadbare sofa.

get to grips with what I want.”

And that is Exmoor, which still remains her muse: “We don’t live there but restraint seems to be the key. When we are there I draw and draw and draw: my sketches and notebooks are filled with memories. It’s such a distinct landscape - I’m interested in the near relating to the far, and I will often use birds to depict this as in Listening to Larks above Simonsbath and Kestrel on a Headwind above The Barle. I love the process of using the paint and moving it around until I get the feeling I am looking for.”

In her early twenties Clare lived in Israel for a year, learned Hebrew and worked in a kibbutz.

Later, in 2000, there were charity cycle rides through Israel and into Jordan: Bike Tracks through the Sand is one of the results.

She fell in love with the country (I Stood on That Rock and Saw Myself) and made further regular visits, often taking one or other of her children. She made many Jordanian friends, making it possible to learn about the conflict in the Middle East at first hand. A monumental painting entitled Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, with modern echoes of The Last Supper was her response to the political situation of the time, the feeling that there was a lack of understanding in the West. The title refers to the thousand mile long crude oil pipeline which runs from the Caspian to the Mediterranean Sea. Built to diversify the global oil supply, it has caused conflict between the United States and ex-Soviet allies who sought to reduce every aspect of Russian influence throughout the region.

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POLITICS

Clare Shepherd with her painting ’Sheep on the Hill at Brendan Two Gates’ image by Edwina Baines

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ART but I like clarity as well. A combination of clarity and expression.”

Students’ work is published on Clare’s art class website and contact details can be found here for those interested.

Clare in the doorway of her busy, cosy and inviting moss-green ‘Shed’ studio.

University of Ireland in Galway for their Political Science Faculty: it now hangs on the wall there.

With both their sons now living abroad, one in Japan and one in Hong Kong, Clare has also enjoyed visiting, exploring and painting those varied landscapes.

“You don’t know a country until you see the countryside, so we always hire bicycles to explore.”

Fragmenting the Waterhole, Carp Pool, Kyoto and Sai Kung, Hong Kong are some of the wonderful images from these travels.

However, now the strong dynamics of travel, politics and religion no longer invade her work; she has left behind worries of the outside world to concentrate on images of her beloved Exmoor - and her teaching.

Under normal conditions, Clare runs several classes in Blandford with numerous students who have been with her for many years. During lockdown, online sessions have been offered but the one-to-one contact is lacking.

“I love my teaching and I’m missing the buzz of the

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classroom. Online classes are not the same without the interactive contact. When I am in a class I can very quickly go up to a student, immediately see what they are trying to do and how I can help them achieve that result.

When we finally emerge from lockdown Clare was due to exhibit in London this coming May but she’s not sure if that will take place. An exhibition on Exmoor in September has now been delayed for a year, which she is happy about because it provides more time to portray her beloved Exmoor landscape before the exhibition. www.clareshepherd.com/

“I have faith that all my students have something in them and I have expectations that they will find it.”

It has nothing to do with whether their painting is good or not, it is entirely about the process of just doing it. When my students come to me, they all worry about what the final viewer will think about their work. But I tell them to forget about that until the final presentation. Many classes can equip you with a technique to paint in a certain way but I don’t do that. We look at things and determine how to respond; I will provide ideas of what medium could be used but it is entirely the student’s choice and their response to what they are looking at.

A further step is when you become expressive.

It is good to be expressive

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Tiny Wincanton Camera Club Is Rightly Proud of Regional Results Last month, Wincanton Camera Club did very well at the ‘Western Counties Digital Projected Images Competition’.

The DPIC is an important ‘interclub battle’ for the local camera club community - there were a record 58 clubs entered in February’s competition, with 1044 high quality images.

Larger local club Dorchester were overall runners up, but Wincanton were proud of their mid-table positioning of 29th.

Member Meyrick Griffith-Jones explained “the competition

covers the whole of the South West region. When you realise what a tiny club Wincanton is, the result is not too shabby at all – when you are up against the might of Bristol and Dorchester, and competition specialists like NonPareil.

“This is the second year we have done so well - before that, we consistently trailed at the bottom. We have altered our selection procedure, and encouraged new members, and it seems to be working.”

The top two clubs, Bristol and Dorchester, will represent the WCPF at the PAGB InterClub Projected Digital Image Championship in July.

The Insider’s Guide to the scoring system...

Marks are out of 15: • There was just one 15 awarded, as best in show.

• 14 gets you a medal • 13 gets an honorable mention • 12 gets you in at the equivalent of international competition. 12 and over is pretty darned good.

• 11 is a really good club photo, as is a 10.

• 9 and the judges didn’t like it, but it is pretty decent.

• Below 9 and it’s a thankyou for entering!

Hare Blasting Past In The Golden Sun - Paul Dyer - score 12

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Father - Brian Stubbs - score 12

The Dog Walk - Kit Williams - score 9

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Buzzard In The Golden Sun - Paul Dyer - score 12

Portland Storm Alex - Meyrick Griffith-Jones - score 12

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Beating the Boys - Brian Stubbs - score 12

With The Wind in Her Hair - Kit Williams - score 9

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Meanwhile in Blandford...

February at Blandford Forum Camera Club, and we started with the Points Cup Competition.

Laura Pearce joined us remotely from Yeovil to judge, and gave a good critique of the images.

She commented that it was good to be creative in lockdown, and was pleased to see some experimental techniques amongst the images.

Top scores were awarded to Jean Bartlett (Red Squirrel and Vantage Point), Glynis LarterWitcher (Calla Lily Ribbon), Stephanie Selwyn (Cheerful Chap), Sally Chaloner (Dancing Petals and Two Leaves), Debbie Davies (Snowy Blandford Meadows) and Graham Hutton (Steaming Under Dark Skies).

We also hosted an interclub competition in the SAPA league; Blandford vs Kinson.

We were delighted to have some remote guests from Kinson, and the judge for the evening was Trevor Prince from Wimborne.

A good night for Blandford, final scores Blandford 133.5, Kinson 120.

Taking advantage of the talent from around the UK via Zoom, Les Loosemore (Wales), was our first guest speaker of the month, with a selection of slide shows delightfully set to music, and a Q&A opportunity after each.

This was followed by Tracey Lund (Yorkshire), with a selection of her stunning images and the stories behind them.

March sees us looking forward to two club competitions and three guest speakers on our Tuesday night sessions.

We are a friendly club, meeting every Tuesday evening from September to May with a Studio

Group and a Technical support group once a month.

Guests and new members are always welcome, although currently it is only remotely!

There is no expectation of ability or photographic equipment used - our members use everything from a mobile phone, compact camera or top of the range DSLR and similarly our members photograph anything from wildlife, street photography, landscapes to still life, portraits and everything in between.

The shared interest is simply in creating the images you like, and helping each other improve as photographers, learning how to edit as sympathetically or creatively as you choose, and then how to present any photographs for viewing.

Please visit our website http:// www.bfcclub.co.uk/

Snowy Blandford Meadows by Debbie Davies

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HEALTH

NEW OFFICE IN CRANBORNE CHASE

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Laura Staples Partner

Call: 01258 840507 76

Visit: www.hklaw.uk

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HEALTH

Personalised Health Profiling

by Karen Geary, a Registered Nutritional Therapist DipION, mBANT, CNHC at Amplify

You visit a doctor because you don’t feel your best. The doctor may run a set of blood tests or other investigative tests which all come back as normal. Yet you are still not feeling right.

What to do now?

An alternative is a functional laboratory test. The science of functional testing looks at how the body is functioning as a whole, providing important clues into the possible root cause of symptoms of poor health.

Functional testing has become highly sophisticated in recent years. Here is a brief overview of the most common and reputable types of testing available - and what to avoid.

Stool and breath testing These tests are useful for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) clients. IBS is a catch-all term for an undiagnosed issue within the gut. Stool testing can provide a comprehensive analysis of the microbiome and overall gut health status. Microbial markers including those related to gut barrier impairment, H-Pylori, dysbiosis such as non-beneficial bacteria, parasites and yeasts, may all be identified.

SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), may be identifed in only the most sophisticated of stool tests and are often supported by a breath test.

Avoid: food intolerance testing. This is normally a blood

finger prick test. If you suspect food intolerance, symptoms are frequently of a gut imbalance, not the food. Many food intolerance tests (but not all), are a waste of money.

I would always recommend a stool test over a food intolerance test unless I suspect coeliac disease, whereby my clients would be referred to their GP.

a comprehensive metabolic snapshot of overall health.

Organic acids are chemical compounds excreted that are products of metabolism. People with chronic illnesses and neurological disorders often excrete several abnormal organic acids in their urine.

Dried urine testing

The latest genomics science can help provide a personalised approach to health. Variations in our genome (DNA) make everyone unique and can impact on health. Many chronic diseases result from the interplay between genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. DNA test panels identify how inherited health risks can be mitigated through personalised nutrition and lifestyle change.

The two most common types of dried urine testing are the DUTCH test and the OAT test.

DUTCH stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. An advanced hormone test, it provides an extensive profile of the status of sex and adrenal hormones, along with their metabolites, to identify symptoms of hormonal imbalances and how the body is processing hormones.

Commonly used for women with symptoms but also used in men.

Often coupled with a cortisol salivary test to understand cortisol function in relation to other hormones.

Organic Acids Testing (OAT) is

Genetic Testing

Testing on its own provides neither diagnosis or treatment but is a snapshot of possible symptoms and clues to health, so it’s important to work with a professional who can advise on the right tests and analyse and interpret the results.

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HEALTH Mel Mitchell is an experienced Personal Trainer, Kettlercise and group exercise instructor and sports massage therapist based in Sturminster Newton.

Benefits of Exercise – It’s So Much More Than Losing Weight.

I think it is safe to say I am not the only one that loves their food, particularly the odd bit of cake and chocolate!

One of the reasons I exercise is so I can enjoy the food I love the most without the weight gain; or as I call it ‘eating guilt free’!

But exercise is so much more than a tool to lose weight, and weight control is not the only benefit of exercise.

Exercise comes with many health benefits including reducing the risk of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

It can also be really beneficial for dealing with back pain exercising increases muscle

strength, endurance and can improve posture and flexibility.

Did you know that exercise can also help with lack of energy?

It helps your cardiovascular system operate more efficiently.

Improving heart and lung health allows you to have more energy to tackle everyday tasks.

As well as the numerous physical health benefits, exercise is also hugely beneficial psychologically.

Mental health has been a major issue recently with a year of restrictions and lockdowns.

Regular physical activity can improve your mood by releasing mood-elevating hormones, genuinely leaving you feeling happier.

It can also improve self-image, boosting your confidence and self-esteem, as well as reducing depression and anxiety.

Let’s not forget about the social side of exercising!

Obviously there haven’t been group classes running recently other than on Zoom, but exercising can come with a

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Mel Mitchell

major social element.

I have had the pleasure of being part of a variety of fitness classes both as a participant and running them as a trainer. These classes have given me and others a platform on which to meet people, have a laugh and good old natter….as well as exercising of course!

There are so many more benefits that I could list and would definitely encourage people to include some form of exercising in their daily lives.

Even a little is better than none at all - no matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping the you on the couch.

Next month I’m offering a Q&A send your questions to me on melmitchellmassage@gmail.com

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BEAUTY Caroline is a multi-award winning Dorset makeup artist, who runs ‘Amazing Face’, sharing professional secrets from inside her beauty box.

Beauty products DO go off. At best, they stop performing as well as they could; at worst, they can cause irritations or infections. So let’s take a look at the basics and have a good sort out!

• Foundations Once you bring home a product and open it, it starts to oxidise so it’s not just to be kept for best, it must be used after six months, if it’s in a pump bottle then a year max, powders can be kept for two years.

What’s more, every time you touch your makeup or skin products and potions, you pop germs into them — and, therefore onto your face.

That’s one reason the bathroom although often having the magnifying mirror and great light isn’t the best for makeup or skin care.

Spring cleaning your makeup bag and your skin products As with with mascara, bacteria tend to flourish in liquid eyeliners but pencils have a longer shelf life because you can create a fresh, clean surface each time you sharpen them . You can tell if you have an ageing eye shadow as it will get packed down, making it harder to pick up pigment with your brush so not viable at all.

• Lipstick and gloss.

Keep two years; lipliner, two years or more as you are ridding most bacteria every time you sharpen.

Lipsticks’ water content makes them potential hazards as they are applied to your mouth (obviously!). Another harbour of micro bacteria is your brush if used for lip application - cleaning regularly helps lengthen its durability.

Long-wearing formula lipsticks may have an even shorter life span since they often contain ingredients that evaporate more quickly than creamier formulas.

• Skin care Moisturisers’ and toners’ shelf life is a year - finger dipping being the worst culprit for unhygienic old pots.

Try using a small spatula to eliminate reducing the ph of the formula, rendering it unstable, and use a spray for your toner to extend the shel life.

Hope that helps - now do have a good clear out of that makeup bag and bathroom shelf!

If anyone wants me to come shopping for new items it can be arranged - always here to answer any questions on caro1@me.com Caroline x Chuck that old mascara! They should be changed every 3 months, the tube is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

• Mascara Should be changed every 3 months, the tube is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

A 3 month old mascara will start to go chalky, powdery and clumpy, leaving black smudges under your eyes, so keep it fresh and don’t hoard it forever!

• Eye Products Powder eyeshadows keep for two years max; liquid eyeliners three months; cream eye shadows six months; pencil eyeliners two years.

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BUSINESS NEWS - with Andrew Diprose of DORSETBIZNEWS

Internet company founded by farmer who was quoted £120k for leased fibre line doubles staff to 81 A privately owned internet business, founded by a farmer who was quoted £120,000 to connect a 300 metre leased fibre line to his office, has doubled its staff numbers in the last 12 months.

Blandford-based Wessex Internet now employs 81 people from its rural base on the Ranston Estate, an increase of 100 per cent since last year.

The business, which provides ultrafast connectivity to rural areas considered unviable by other providers, is planning to recruit more employees this year.

The growth follows a four-year migration to full fibre delivery from its previous wireless focus.

Hector Gibson Fleming, Managing Director, said: “We will continue to recruit more people over the coming year.

“The whole nation is currently undergoing a revolutionary change in approach to its working patterns, education, healthcare, home life and leisure activity.

“People and businesses in rural areas have the same rights to world class connectivity to support this as those in towns and cities.”

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During 2020, Wessex Internet: • installed 624 km of fibre in the ground across Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset and Hampshire. That’s the equivalent distance from Blandford to Perth in Scotland.

• expanded its geographical reach from Warminster in Wiltshire, close to Fordingbridge in Hampshire, down to Lulworth in Dorset and over to Yeovil in Somerset.

• doubled its number of employees. Every officebased function is in-house – from sales and customer support to project managers and marketing. The company has its own dedicated civils and construction team that build its network across the countryside.

• extended its reach of nonresidential connections to include schools, churches, farms, businesses, village halls and sports clubs.

Among them Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Lulworth Heritage Centre and The Tank Museum at Bovington.

• won a three-year contract to bring full-fibre broadband to some of the most rural areas in South Somerset following a successful bid to Connecting Devon and Somerset, a government subsidised scheme.

James Gibson Fleming, 62, founded Wessex Internet in 2010 after receiving the shock £120,000 quote

Wessex Internet adopts a community project-based approach to building networks.

It has more than 80 ‘Community Champions’ in local areas and the company is actively helping rural homes and businesses to receive a broadband service that is on par with towns and cities through the government’s Rural Gigabit Connectivity Voucher (RGCV) scheme.

Hector’s father, James Gibson Fleming, 62, founded Wessex Internet in 2010 after receiving the shock £120,000 quote for connecting his farm office over a distance of 300 metres.

Eleven years later the Wessex Internet network consists of more than 150 wireless masts and over 2,000 km of fibre delivering ultrafast fibre and wireless coverage across Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset and parts of Hampshire too.

In Dorset, Wessex Internet is one of the first providers to use funding from Dorset Council’s Rural Gigabit top up scheme to extend its network to new communities in the county that would otherwise have a substandard internet connection.

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BUSINESS NEWS - with Andrew Diprose of DORSETBIZNEWS

Meanwhile, back on the farm: World’s first 5G-ready agri-robot for arable farms comes to Dorset as part of £7m project A £7m project hailed as game-changing and with the potential to close the rural/ urban digital divide for farming and rural communities has been unveiled for Dorset.

The Small Robot Company (SRC), a British agritech start-up for sustainable farming, is to partner with Wessex Internet, Telint and Dorset Council in the 5G RuralDorset project.

The project will develop and prove a blueprint for ruraloptimised 5G connectivity; the partners say it could boost rural investment, create skilled jobs and improve prosperity.

The project will develop an affordable, reliable 5G network that is custom-designed for farmers and the particular challenges of rural connectivity.

Anticipated benefits include empowering farmers with costeffective, interoperable agritech; and more localised and efficient supply chains, linking local needs with local produce to improve food security, reduce waste and provide higher-value local produce.

Hector Gibson Fleming, Managing Director of Wessex Internet, said: “Exciting technological developments in agriculture have the potential to transform farming, but are held back by poor connectivity and mobile coverage.”

5G robotics could completely revolutionise the way the UK farms, as well as bring enormous benefits to the environment.

Rural-optimised 5G connectivity also allows for the potential to reduce the cost of operating robots – which is already significantly less than conventional farm machinery.

It is anticipated that 5G robotics will enable real time capabilities such as the ability to quickly identify pests like slugs and immediately take action; and enabling farmers to act faster to exploit the UK’s dry weather windows.

Reducing the use of pesticides by improved precision mapping, and weeding without the use of herbicides will improve biodiversity and soil health.

It will also provide farmers with live operational information such as soil moisture and crop

emergence.

The trials with the Small Robot Company robots will be taking place at the Ranston Farm 5G trial site.

Cllr Peter Wharf Dorset Council’s Deputy Leader, said : “It is our hope that in making farming operations more sustainable, we can revolutionise not only the productivity of agricultural operations but also reduce its impact on the environment through novel uses of monitoring and weed control.”

Matt Warman, Digital Infrastructure Minister, said: “As we level up rural communities, we’re proud to be backing 5G RuralDorset and the many innovative projects it’s involved with – from intelligent buoys to 5G seaweed farms.

“This has huge potential to close the divide between rural and urban areas and transform agriculture as we build back better and greener for a more prosperous future.”

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POLITICS

Night Sky March 2021 What you can see this month Just before sunrise on 5 March, low on the south eastern horizon, search the eastern predawn sky and you’ll find tiny Mercury (now at its maximum distance from the Sun) will be just above gas giant Jupiter. This conjunction between the Solar System’s smallest and largest planets will occur in the constellation of Capricornus, known as the Sea Goat. You will probably need binoculars, but be very careful using them close to sunrise! Mercury takes just 88 Earth-days to orbit the Sun, while Jupiter takes 11.87 Earth-years.

By the 9th of March, the Moon will reach its full moon phase – look towards the south-east in the early evening to see it. This month’s full moon will be a supermoon – in fact one of several supermoons this year. Because the Moon’s orbit isn’t a perfect circle, its distance from the Earth changes as it orbits the Earth. If the Moon comes within 90% of its closest approach to the Earth and it coincides with a full moon (or a new moon) it is called a supermoon.

Due to its closer proximity the moon can appear 14% larger and 30% brighter compared to when it’s at its most distant. The April full moon will present the closest supermoon of this year, and because there are no official definitions about what constitutes a supermoon, some are counting the February and May full moons as supermoons too.

After dark on 19 March in the southwestern night sky, having drawn away from the Pleiades, Mars will be visited by a 32%-lit crescent Moon.

Around midnight, from February all the way through to May, high in the southern night sky you will be able to view the 'Beehive Cluster' which is an open star cluster about 520 lightyears distant in the constellation of Cancer, the Crab. It is one of the best-looking open clusters of stars and one of the nearest to the Solar System. Also known as the Praesepe, it appears as around 60 stars in a pair of binoculars, though a dozen or so really stand out.

The March equinox occurs on 20 March. It marks the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of fall or autumn (autumnal equinox) in theSouthern Hemisphere. At the equinox, the Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts or hours of daylight and night throughout the world on this day.

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PUZZLES

CROSSWORD

JIGSAW

Simply click to complete on your tablet, computer or phone - or there’s a download option if you prefer pen and paper.

To complete the jigsaw simply click the image and the interactive jigsaw will pop up.

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WHAT’S ON

Plastic fantastic?

The good, the bad … and the ugly by Fanny Charles MOST of us do our bit at recycling plastic – we take our own canvas bags to the supermarket, avoid buying things that are packaged or wrapped in plastic and reuse what we can.

But it is hard (probably impossible) to get away from it altogether. Everywhere you look in your home there are plastic objects which you use, probably every day, from pens and clip-top boxes to the computer mouse and the washing-up bowl.

Shaftesbury-based composer and musician Karen Wimhurst, who is a passionate environmentalist and an active member of the local Extinction Rebellion group, has written a chamber opera, which takes a creative and provocative look at this material which dominates the recycling and waste debate. Karen worked closely with the Museum of Design in Plastic (MoDIP) based at Arts University Bournemouth, to research the background for

Synthetica, which received its online premiere in February.

Plastic was an amazing invention; it was, as Synthetica eloquently shows, a genuinely democratic product. It was so cheap to produce that it made everyday objects affordable for ordinary people, and it reduced the demand for unsustainable materials from the natural world – like ivory, amber, coral or the lac beetle.

It was lighter than wood, stone or metal, and you could go on using it, year after year. It seemed to be indestructible. Its versatility made it indispensable to the military in two world wars and it was the housewife’s friend – labour-saving and easy to keep clean.

For decades it was the miracle gift that kept on giving. But gradually environmentalists, scientists, fishermen, gardeners,

writers, conservationists and people who walked on beaches, in forests, and in city parks, anyone who had their eyes open, began to see plastic waste everywhere. With the growing awareness of the plastic littering the land came an even more frightening understanding of the way plastic invades our rivers and oceans.

It’s barely a blink in the earth;s history since Leo Baekaland invented the first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, in New York in 1907. But those 113 years have seen man’s new best friend become the planet’s nightmare.

With minimal forces – soprano Brittany Soriano, trumpeter Elaine Close and vinyl DJ Ole Rudd – to perform the beautiful, ethereal and often witty score, and a brilliant libretto which draws on everything from scientific facts to advertising slogans of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, and pop and rock music, Synthetica is a powerful fable for our times.

Let’s hope when we emerge from lockdown a tour can be rescheduled, and our communities and the planet can benefit from some of the lessons we have learned about our disposable, greedy society and about what really matters for all of us.

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POLITICS

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FAMILY LAW

Stamp Duty Expert help on common legal issues from the team at Porter Dodson LLP. This week: Stamp Duty and what it means.

What does the spring Budget mean for the housing market?

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced that the Government will be extending the stamp duty holiday until the end of June 2021, after that there will be no SDLT on homes worth up to £250,000 until the end of September. After this period the nil rate band returns to the usual level of £125,000 from October 2021.

The Government will also guarantee 95% mortgages up to £600,000 for those who can only afford a 5% deposit, with the scheme in place until the end of 2022.

The chancellor claimed that these measures will turn “generation rent” into “generation buy”.

further in a market that is already booming.

It is understood that property transactions fell by around 50 per cent during the first national lockdown. The SDLT holiday was designed to be a temporary relief to stimulate the market and support jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

The tax relief initially increased the starting threshold of residential SDLT from £125,000 to £500,000 from the 8 July 2020 until 31 March 2021.

Since the relief was introduced, transactions have significantly increased and seasonally adjusted data showed that in October 2020, transactions were 8% higher than October 2019.

The market has been These two big policies have been very busy, and the boom put in place to give the property has led to substantial market another kick-start as we increases in average head into the key spring months house prices over the last following the announcement of seven to eight months the roadmap to ease lockdown which show little sign restrictions in Britain. of abating. The SDLT The news will be welcomed by many who were concerned about threshold extension missing the 31 March deadline. undoubtedly contributed It is hoped that the three-month to this increase. taper until October will make the cliff-edge feel less steep.

It is anticipated that both announcements are likely to push house prices up 86

Charlotte Robins, Licensed Conveyancer at Porter Dodson

There has been considerable concern within the property market that the abrupt end of the tax break could bring significant disruption. The cliff edge and bottleneck could have

seen thousands of transactions collapse, leaving many out of pocket and a sudden fall in property values.

Thousands of people signed a petition to extend the SDLT holiday, which resulted in the issue being debated in parliament and many estate agents, solicitors, surveyors and regulators have also lobbied the Government to extend the deadline.

In recent weeks it has been suggested by many professionals within the industry that the most sensible and balanced approach was to continue the threshold extension and taper it out over a period of six months to a year to ensure there is no sudden collapse and that we don’t simply move the same issue further down the road only to face it again in the coming months.

In this way, we could ensure some continuity and stability in the property market at a time when many may feel that there is very little certainty in employment, finances, or the wider economy, so the recent announcement will be a relief for many.

Charlotte Robins If you need further advice please contact Charlotte on 01823 625863 or Jenny Cottrell in Sturminster Newton on 01258 444682 jcottrell@porterdodson.co.uk Always free - subscribe here

POLITICS

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FAMILY LAW

Battens Solicitors

FAQ - Making a Will in 2021

What is the process of making a Will during the pandemic and how a solicitor can help?

Although face- to- face meetings have reduced most solicitors have conducted interviews using the telephone, email, zoom or google meets. The most important thing is that both the client and solicitor are able to communicate clearly with each other. Wills can be posted or emailed out to clients and the signing of them is possible with some forward planning.

What could happen to your estate if you die without a valid Will in place?

If you die without a valid Will then a set of rules called the ‘Intestacy’ rules determine how the estate will be distributed between blood relatives.

In limited circumstances, the rules of intestacy can suit the family of the deceased. However, there are a lot of circumstances whereby the intestacy rules are not suitable.

If you are not in a civil partnership or married then a ‘partner’ does not receive any of your estate. And if your estate is worth £270,000 or less your spouse or civil partner will receive everything leaving nothing for children from a previous relationship. Your estate may even pass to unknown family members.

The intestacy rules also ignore the distribution of any personal items and charities that the deceased may have supported. Without a Will you haven’t appointed executors to administer your estate which can also cause more work and delay.

enquiries@battens.co.uk www.battens.co.uk Offices in: Yeovil, Sherborne, Castle Cary, Dorchester, Wareham, Bath and London

What are the risks of using a DIY Wills kit or an unregulated service?

You shouldn’t use an unregulated service to manage one of the most important documents you need. People are often tempted by low fees (but watch hidden costs). If Solicitors fees are your concern there are schemes that we can utilise to assist with the cost of a Will.

DIY Will kits do not provide you with the guidance that you need to make sure that your Will is clear and deals with all eventualities.

Solicitors are experienced in dealing with all circumstances and can therefore tailor your Will specifically to your needs. They are also trained on the legal intricacies that will determine the best way of distributing your estate regarding inheritance tax planning.

Solicitors also have insurance so that if Will instructions are not interpreted correctly then beneficiaries have some recompense.

Unregulated services and DIY kit companies do not have such assurances.

Is it important for everyone, no matter their age, to consider making or updating their Will?

Everyone should have a Will and keep it updated because we do not know what may happen today, tomorrow. Making or updating a Will ensures your wishes are clear and comprehensive, giving you piece of mind.

For more information on making or amending a Will, contact Adam Hillier on 01935 846165 or email: adam.hillier@battens.co.uk

0800 652 8373

Solicitors

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Agricultural Matters • Business Services • Commercial Property Construction • Debt Recovery • Dispute Resolution Employment • Family Matters • Immigration • Landlord & Tenant Lasting Powers of Attorney • Matrimonial • Moving Home Medical Negligence • Personal Injury • Planning • Probate • Tax Planning Wills, Trusts, Estates

Contact us today to speak to our expert team enquiries@battens.co.uk 0800 652 8373 88

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WIN £ 6 0 M A R Y B E R RY G A R D EN CO L L E CT I O N T A B LE W A R E

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COMPETITION

Win a set of Mary Berry’s ‘The English Garden’ Beautiful Tableware worth £60 It feels like the most perfect competition to be running for Mother’s Day (and yes, okay, no one will win this in time for Mothering Sunday, but look at it!

It’s a beautiful prize no matter when it arrives.)

The two large serving bowls, with the Agapanthus and the Robin patterns (and yes, the Robin bowl is the same large size as the Agapanthus, don’t let my duff photoshop skill deceive you), are ideal for presenting salads, bread rolls or roast potatoes at large dinner events.

Classically elegant, they’ll work on any table, and look good in any home or garden.

(Gosh. Remember serving up food for friends and family?

Big gatherings round the table in the garden, or a Sunday roast for eight or more? Oh I miss these things most of all, I think.

Soon, everyone, Not long to fo now.)

The set of 4 Mary Berry English Garden Flower Coasters are made from quality ceramic with felt backs, and feature illustrations and text of Agapanthus, Rose, Forget-Me-Not and Honeysuckle.

And aren’t they just so so pretty?

And we’re thrilled to be giving away the complete set to one lucky winner!

To be in with a chance to win, just click the picture to head to the website and answer the first four questions in the widget box.

There are more chances to win by completing the other entry

options if you so wish – they’re entirely up to you!

The closing date for this competition is 1st April 2021 and only entries received on or before that date can be included.

The prize will go to the first randomly chosen entry.

Good luck!

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Julie Knights Happy mothers day Mum,miss you so much. Can't wait to hug the best Mum in the world again.

Thank you for always being there for me love you more than you know Krystle xxx

Jean young Missing you loads and loads mummy can't wait too see you again Happy mothers day lots and lots of love Julie xxxx

Helen Davis Thank you for everything you do. You are amazing and we love you so much.

Love Rach, James, Noos, Theo & Bella xx

Karen Lee Mum,I miss you so so much, cannot wait to be able to see you again and finally give you that hug I miss and need so much. Loads of love Lucy, Charlie and Kai xxxxx

Helen Happy Mother’s Day! We love you so much Love, Rowan and Esme xxx

Margaret Ball To our wonderful Mum, wishing you a very special Mother’s Day, can’t wait to celebrate properly together and especially have a hug.

Lots of Love Iain, Jackie, Neil, James and Ben XXXXX

Jean Rodriguez Happy Mothers day to you, sorry we cant be with you. Lots of love from Jose & Ann

Alyce Knights Happy mothers day mummy.

Love you so much from Riley xx

Pamela Case Thank you for the support,time and love you have given and continue to give, and just for being there for me. I’m so lucky to still have a mum as so many just have memories. Lots of love and currently virtual hugs.

Sonjie x

Yvonne Knights Missing you so much Nanny!

We can't wait to see you again and maybe gave some of your famous chocolate brownies!

Have a wonderful day, all our love, Lucy, Charlie and Kai xxxxx

Sarah Lowson Thank you for always being there. I love you lots, Xander

Judith Skinner Happy Mother’s Day to our wonderful,ever-so loved Mum (& Nanna/Nanny to Freya & Hannah). You’re our rock and mean the world to us all. Thank you for your love and everything you do for us, with all our love, always from Dan & Deb XxXx

Linda Snell A special happy mothers day to you, for all that you do for us and all the memories we have shared and memories yet to come! Love Daniel, Charlotte & Ryan xxx

Elaine Happy Mother’s Day. We hope you have a lovely day under the circumstances. Looking forward to meeting up soon. All our love.

Matt and Helen Xxx Karen Green Happy mothers day mum!!! Love Chris xxx

Laura Happy mothers day to the bestest coolest loveliest mum in the world. So proud of you, and Dad. All our love Cameron, Joe, Toby & Ella xxxx

Dear Mum Since the day I was small.Till the day I became tall. Since I began understanding things. Till the day I got my own wings.

Your love has never fallen short. You have been my only support. I want to hold you tight and hug you. I just want to say thank you.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mum. Soon we will be able to visit you more often and stay longer and have a cup of tea. With love and best wishes from Josephine, Nigel, Anita and families xxxx

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Thanks for cooking my food and making my bed, Happy mothers day to you.

Margaret Happy mothers day mum.

Look forward to hopefully seeing you soon.

Love Courtenay & Laura xxx

Joan griffin Happy mothers day mum/gran with all our love from Barry Jennifer Brendan and Ashley xx

Mum Happy mother’s day! We miss you loads and can’t wait till we can all meet up again Lots of love, Sue & Ed, Hazel & Al, Angela & Andrew and all the grandchildren and great grandchildren xxxxxxxxxxx

Mum you’re so awesome, I’d never want to trade, You’re the best mother there ever was, And I’m the best child ever made!

PROPERTY

“Now is the time to sell!”

Demand for Property in Somerset & North Dorset Higher Than Ever Before, says local estate agent Simon Neville-Jones.

At the end of last year, it was reported that house prices had seen the largest annual growth in six years. Experts concluded this was down to tax breaks, stamp duty allowances and changing demand due to Covid-19.

According to national estate agency figures, reported in The Sunday Telegraph at the end of 2020, last year saw a 90% increase in demand from house-hunters for country and rural town locations.

As we move further in to 2021, fears that house prices would fall off the edge of a cliff after

the surge of last year have been put to bed. The market sees continued demand for houses in popular areas of Somerset and North Dorset.

Rental property owners who once relied on all-year round tourism trade and events such as Glastonbury Festival have had to rethink their strategy at least until the end of Spring, as the UK remains in Lockdown 3. Thus, local property agents have seen a rise in short-term lets becoming available, meeting the demand for those in-between house sales and looking to ‘try the area before they buy’.

For those looking, spring offers the opportunity for parents start to choose schools and look at homes close to them. As the Prime Minister sets out his plans for the next six months, we live

in hope that life looks like it could start returning to normal, and many will feel it’s more acceptable to move house and take the step to find their dream home.

Have a property to sell or let?

As we enter Spring, many people are starting to think about putting their homes on the market.

Not only is demand rife as the country prepares to come out of lockdown, more daylight and sunshine allow for better photography, more attractive gardens and the chance for Covid-safe viewings. For those who are thinking about selling, now is a very good time!

You can find more info about property sales and advice at www.lodestoneproperty.co.uk or contact Lodestone Shaftesbury Office on: 01747 442577 lodestoneproperty.co.uk

WE’RE HERE TO MAKE YOUR NEXT HOME HAPPEN With over a 90% increase in demand from house-hunters for country and quiet town locations, there are many reasons why selling your house this year could be the change you need!

Our team are experts in perfectly matching new buyers with properties across Somerset and Dorset.

Have a property to sell or let? Or looking for your next property?

Contact us!

bruton@lodestoneproperty.co.uk 01749 110 605099

shaftesbury@lodestoneproperty.co.uk 01747 442577

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PROPERTY

Stamp Duty Holiday Extended What Does That Mean For Your Conveyancing?

The Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday was set to expire on 31 March 2021 but to the relief of many in Wednesday’s budget the Chancellor announced an extension to the scheme in its current format until 30 June 2021.

In addition, from 01 July 2021 to 30 September 2021 those that are purchasing for £250,000 and less will still benefit from the SDLT holiday, with normal rates not resuming until 01 October 2021.

So what does it mean for current and ongoing transactions?

Any client wishing to take full advantage of the extension has to now complete on or before 30 June 2021.

From 01 July 2021, the first

Local solicitor firm Battens were keen to share their thoughts on what the SDLT extension signified for the coming months: £250,000 of a purchase price will If you are a first time buyer, you be free of SDLT, with a rate of 5% may still benefit from not having being imposed on the portion to pay SDLT even after the SDLT of the purchase price from holiday deadline has passed, as £250,001 to £925,000. the relief for first time buyers introduced prior to the current Normal, pre-holiday, rates will be SDLT holiday will remain in place imposed from 01 October 2021. post 30 September.

A full breakdown of the rates can be found here - https://www. gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/ residential-property-rates For many it is still a race against the clock to ensure their transaction completes prior to the end of the extended SDLT holiday.

Regrettably there are many factors which are outside of our control which may mean that completion before the end of the holiday is not going to be possible.

For example, delays within the chain relating to mortgage paperwork, valuations, search results and COVID related illness could all delay an agreed completion date.

This relief means that first time buyers will continue not to pay SDLT on the first £300,000 of their purchase price, 5% SDLT is then payable on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000 and for those first time buyers purchasing over £500,001 the rates are the same as those that have purchased before.

Whilst many hundreds of thousands of buyers have benefitted from the SDLT holiday since its introduction in July 2020 and more still are now set to benefit from its extension, the timescale for its removal and reintroduction of pre-holiday SDLT rates has now been set out.

For further information and should you have any questions about completing before the end of the SDLT holiday please speak with your Conveyancer.

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PROPERTY

Voice of An Estate Agent: March

Regular monthly commentary on the local property market from Susie & Brad, the north Dorset team at Meyers.

Well it’s official, the stamp duty holiday has been extended by our Chancellor; the rumours from both the press and industry that have been circulating for the past weeks have finally been clarified.

But what does this mean for the property industry?

We had found ourselves planning for the end of lockdown 3, with the housing market open, yet still hampered by factors out of our control.

The stamp duty holiday to date had clearly disproportionately buoyed the market, with many people bringing forward their plans to move home in order to make this saving.

their transactions cleared in time to make this crucial saving.

Rumours had been circulating the industry for weeks attempting to quantify what, if any, compromise would be reached and finally we have the answer; both an extension of the SDH till 31st June 2021, with a further phased approach back to the original Duty levels, not returning till 1st October.

What a fabulous lifeline for many this will be.

“And the best part of all in this budget? The 95% LTV Government guaranteed mortgage for First Time Buyers.”

Having seen so many in this part of our sector struggle over the past 12 months to secure their first home, we can’t wait to see a resurgence in this part of the property market.

In so doing, it created an enormous strain on the To that end, and to quote our ancillary services, the friends at Zoopla; mortgage lenders, council, solicitors, planners and surveyors with the average time now taking for a house purchase to go from ‘under offer’ to ‘completed’, a whopping 134 days.

But at last we have a way forward for many with the now extended stamp duty holiday. Rishi Sunak providing this was an almost inevitable compromise, enabling the huge backlog of properties currently under offer, to have

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‘’There’s one thing we can’t get away from; the pandemic has unlocked a lot of new demand for homes; it has led to a ‘once in a lifetime reevaluation of the home’ and it won’t stop there.

With big life changes still inevitable this year, the factors behind buyer’s decision-making will get more and more complex’’.

Exciting times lie ahead!

Here at Meyers our flexible business model has been able to ride the storm so far and will continue to do so as we enter the next phase in this unprecedented period for house selling and buying.

For further information on how we work, please contact a member of your North Dorset team:

Brad Hansford – Shaftesbury on 07814 962 161 Susie Palin – Blandford Forum on 07570 357 553

Nutford Cottage, Blandford 4 Bedroom Semi-Detached Country Cottage £500k

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PROPERTY Play the videos for an inside tour - or click the image to go straight to the property.

Blandford - Immaculate 3 Bedroom Terraced Family Home: £285,000

Shaftesbury - cosy 2 bed flat with sitting tenants. Investors only - £125,000

Gillingham - 3 Bedroom Bungalow. Immaculate throughout, peaceful location: £315,000

Wincanton - delightful 1 Bedroom house, cul de sac location: £135,000

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5 bedroom detached house Dorchester £650,000

5 bedroom detached house Blandford £575,000

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5 bedroom semidetached house Dorchester £515,000

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PROPERTY SPECIAL 2 bedroom POLITICS cottage Beaminster £310,000

3 bedroom detached bungalow Lytchett Matravers £475,000

3 bedroom semidetached house Wimborne £310,000

3 bedroom detached house Gillingham £250,000

2 bedroom semidetached bungalow Gillingham £205,000

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