The BV July 25

POETRY, DRUMS AND MAGIC

Reviving General Pitt Rivers’ dream, the Larmer Tree Project is giving hundreds of local children free days of discovery, art and

Seventy years after rationing ended, Dorset NFU’s Tim Gelfs says politicians still fail to value food security as farms face crippling taxes and chronic underinvestment

Contact The BV Team: 01258

Mon-Fri 9 to 5.30

Editor: Laura Hitchcock editor@BVmagazine.co.uk

EQUESTRIAN

We’ve got the round up from Kingston Maurward BE, Tamsin meets one of the UK’s leading Working Equitation experts, Jess gives us a blowby-blow account of Bramham, and Doug’s been applying Factor 50 to pink noses

FRONT COVER: Shady encounter by Annette Gregory

EDDY’S NEXT CHAPTER IN UKRAINE

Back home to rest in Dorset, Eddy Scott shares how dark humour, determination and a new purpose are carrying him through recovery

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LOCAL HISTORY

Kimmeridge in 1972, and the matter of compensation for Mr Forder’s sporting rights

22

DORSET INSIDER

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COMMUNITY NEWS AND WHAT’S ON It’s all here – the news snippets, the letters, the what’s ons, the politics and the PUZZLES!

Our secret parish councillor is back – and this month they’ve been waiting for an ambulance 70

READERS’ PHOTOGRAPHY

Apparently once our page count for the photography goes up, it doesn’t come back down. Eight pages.

Is it just me, or has time developed an alarming habit of folding itself in half when you’re not looking?

All week, every conversation seems to start the same way:

‘How is it July already?’ followed by a sort of dazed blinking and a check of the calendar to make sure we haven’t skipped a month. I swear it was March about ten minutes ago. The hedges were barely greening up, I was still hunting for my winter gloves, and now here we are – school holidays nearly upon us, the garden trying to become a jungle, and the entire county heading off to shows and fêtes and barbecues.

Maybe it’s the long daylight that does it. Everything feels compressed and stretched at the same time – days that last forever, weeks that vanish without trace. The to-do list never

seems to get shorter, but somehow we’ve already had the longest day and you’re wondering where you were when the first half of the year disappeared.

If you’re feeling the same slight panic that you haven’t made enough plans, or achieved quite enough, or generally kept up – please know you’re not alone. I think sometimes, just lifting your head and smiling at the sunshine counts as a win. So here’s to July, however it managed to sneak up on us. May it be full of small, ordinary pleasures, and at least the occasional day that doesn’t vanish while you’re trying to remember where you put the corn cob forks.

PS – Don’t miss the swish new puzzles page. Last month’s tech meltdown triggered a flurry of ‘where’s the crossword/jigsaw?’ emails in my inbox. But we’ve taken the chance for a refresh, and I’m not going to lie – I demanded high fives all round when it actually worked.

by Rachael Rowe

Eddy’s next chapter in Ukraine

Back home to rest in Dorset, Eddy Scott shares how dark humour, determination and a new purpose are carrying him through recovery

One of the most striking things about Eddy Scott is the positivity that radiates from him, despite his life-changing injuries: ‘I’m doing really well! I got a very good prosthesis for my leg two weeks ago. I’ve been visiting friends, including going to a wedding near Manchester, which was excellent, and now I’m just having some down time.’

The BV has followed the story of Shaftesbury’s Eddy who was injured by a Russian drone strike in March while operating as a humanitarian aid worker in Ukraine. Eddy lost his left arm and leg, and has been undergoing intense rehabilitation in Lviv. We caught up with him on a two week break in England.

The rehabilitation journey Eddy is at home with his parents and being treated to his favourite foods, Sunday roasts, curry and tuna pasta, and also enjoying the company of his dog, Tarka. Eddy is rehabilitating in Ukraine at The Superhumans Center in Lviv – a specialist hospital focused on military personnel and civilians injured in war zones. Tens of thousands of people have been injured as a result of the war, with many having lost limbs and having to rebuild their lives. The centre also focuses on getting people with disabilities back into jobs and adapting to civilian life. As a result of the war in Ukraine, surgeons and therapists are rapidly learning new techniques for the treatment of war victims. Some of this involves collaboration with other nations, but it is also placing Ukraine – and Superhumans in particular –

at the forefront of innovative techniques and therapies. The centre also specialises in the psychological care of war victims through Superminds.

I’ll return in July to work on my arm

‘I have been discharged for my leg,’ Eddy says. ‘I now have work to do on my arm, and towards the end of July I’ll return for that part.

On a typical day at Superhumans, I’ll do two hours of occupational therapy in the morning, working

on movement and sometimes gardening outside. In the afternoon, there’s three hours of physical therapy to build strength, often with outdoor activities, plus hydrotherapy. I’m there five days a week, with two days off.”

A new role

It’s not all hard, physical recovery work. In his last interview with the BV Eddy talked about staying in Ukraine and his love of the country – and it looks like that

Eddy Scott at The Superhumans Center in Lviv

dream is about to come true:

‘Superhumans have offered me a job as an ambassador! It’s really exciting, and it means I can still help people in Ukraine but in a very different way. It will involve a lot of travel and I’ll get to meet a lot of people.’

Eddy’s role will involve giving peer support to other injured people, and also promoting the work of Superhumans to a wider audience. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine continues unabated.

‘Lviv is in the west of Ukraine, and it’s very safe: we get the occasional air alarm. However, Kyiv has been hit very hard recently. I have friends who are really suffering and there are attacks every single day. Where I used to live and work, in Kramatorsk, things have really changed over the past five months and places that were once quite safe are now not at all. It’s very difficult.’

Looking forward

Eddy is still adjusting to life without two limbs:

‘I’m coming to terms with the

changes. It’s going well. I’m being looked after well, and I’m looking forward to the new opportunities with Superhumans. Losing two limbs is a big change for anyone. But I’ve also found that things have been a lot easier than I expected.

‘I stay resilient by having things to look forward to – like the job as an ambassador, and being able to help Ukraine. It gives me more of a purpose. I’ve come out of it relatively well, and I have also been able to support others.’

Obviously, being blown up is extremely serious, but there have been humorous moments for Eddy.

‘I’ve used humour throughout this whole process. A dark sense of humour helps in situations like this. For example, when it first happened, a friend made a cake and iced it with the words This cost an arm and a leg – which was brilliant!

Back home in Dorset: Guinness the cat was adopted after he lost a leg in a car accident. He gets on very well with Eddy ...

more capable than I ever thought I was. It’s taught me that I was doing the right thing, and made the right decisions. I have had a lot of support and people have told me that my levels of positivity have helped them a lot. It’s nice to find out that I have had that impact on them, and that they can take something from it.’

A life-changing incident like the one Eddy experienced is harrowing for family members as well. ‘It has been a big change for my family as well.,’ he says. ‘They have been really supportive. And it’s good to see them.

‘A friend made a cake iced with ‘This cost an arm and a leg!’

‘I’m looking forward to my new job and meeting some really interesting people. I’ll continue to tell my story, and the Superhumans’ story ... and keep the Ukraine story alive.’

‘There have been so many dark jokes – you have to have a sense of humour to get through this.

‘What I’ve realised is that I’m

• To contribute to Eddy’s GoFundMe page click: bit.ly/EddysRecovery

Eddy with Andriy, the Superhumans’ media manager

A hand up, not a handout

It’s not the scroungers: Courtenay Hitchock talks to Carole Jones about the families, carers and key workers all turning to the Vale Family Hub

When the Vale Family Hub opened in March this year, we described it as providing ‘help, hope and great coffee.’ That still rings true, but step through the door today and you’ll find a place where lives, not just shopping baskets, are quietly rebuilt.

At a glance, it looks like a social supermarket – shelves of fresh food, volunteers stacking donations, a welcoming café. But spend a little time listening, and you’ll hear countless stories that defy the stereotypes of who needs help in modern Britain.

‘People assume everyone here is living on benefits,’ says Carole Jones, the Dorset councillor who leads the team. ‘But actually, most of the people who come in are working – they are carers, shop staff, nursery workers, delivery drivers ...

‘It’s just that wages are low, rent is high and all the bills have gone up. We’ve had an Emergency Services

were paying £1,200 a month in rent and couldn’t make ends meet. And this is happening everywhere.’

Helping people rebuild

The Hub started life as The Vale Pantry, providing affordable groceries for a £7 contribution, and the Pantry still runs today. ‘Last year we spent around £160,000 on food. For every £7 contribution someone makes, the actual cost is usually between £23 and £30.

‘But it means people feel they are paying something, choosing their own food, and keeping some dignity. That matters.’

‘People assume everyone’s on benefits. But most are working –carers, shop staff, delivery drivers ... wages are low, rent is high and bills have gone up.’

worker whose wife had a baby, and their household income just dropped. Suddenly they

Since the expansion into the Hub, food is only one part of what’s on offer. Around 400 to 500 families are supported over the year. Some come regularly, others just when disaster strikes – a car breaking down, a job lost, or an unexpected bill. And some arrive with no idea where to begin ...

Carole tells the story of one 86-year-old man, recently widowed, who had never cooked a meal in his life. ‘His daughter

brought him in. Now he comes every week for a cooking lesson. And he’s made new friends just by sitting and having a chat. That’s what this place is about – it’s never just about the groceries.’

Many are grappling with trauma. One young mother escaped an abusive relationship in Manchester. She fled south with her children, traumatised and alone. ‘She didn’t know anybody. She didn’t know how to start again. At first, she just came for food. Then the team learned she loved running, and introduced

Dorset councillor Carole Jones is leading the Vale Family Hub team of staff and 50 volunteers

her to the Dorset Doddlers, the local running club. It was the beginning of her transformation. ‘She started volunteering in the café. She was gaining confidence again. Then, literally out of the blue, one of our local business owners came in looking for someone to train and give a job to – someone who just needed a chance. She started work last Monday and she’s flying. That’s the kind of thing people never hear about.’

A place to grow up

Children and teenagers find their way to the Hub too. Some haven’t been to school in months.

‘We’ve got a Year 9 girl who hasn’t been to school since February,’ Carole says. ‘We’ve spent weeks just talking and supporting her and she’s agreed to try a fresh start at a new school in September. That’s huge.’ Another boy, Jamie, simply wouldn’t leave the house. The only compromise he accepted was that if he was allowed to come to the Hub, he would also attend school. ‘It’s about tiny steps. We can’t fix everything overnight. But we can start somewhere.’

The team is planning to launch a youth club and also a men’s support group. The need is clear:

‘Last year we lost three men to suicide – all of them local dads. ‘One of them left four young children. His partner is now one of our volunteers ... people don’t realise how common this is.’

But many of the volunteers and staff know exactly how it feels to be in crisis.

Last

year we lost three men to suicide – all of them local dads

Kim, now the Hub’s manager, first came during the pandemic. ‘She was in a dreadful state’. Then she disappeared. They later

There is a regular Wednesday Toddler Group, but soft play is open all week

learned she’d been in a coma for three months after major surgery. When Kim returned, she came in just to sit and chat. Gradually, she began volunteering. ‘She was like a magnet – people just opened up to her.’ Today, she works full time at The Hub, and is often the first person someone in distress speaks to. Another volunteer, Lizzie, came hoping for help after her family lost everything in a house fire. And then, just before Christmas, her husband died suddenly of an undiagnosed heart condition. ‘They were just getting back on their feet. She has come through so much. And now she’s here helping other people.’

Then there’s Bradley, a young man with learning difficulties who helps out. ‘One day we sent him out to the container to get more baked beans. Half an hour later he phoned – he was lost in the container! It all adds to the fun – he just wanted to help.’

Beyond the Stereotypes

Carole is clear: poverty isn’t always obvious. ‘People think you

The Welcome Cafe is open six days a week, 9am to 6pm (Saturday 8.30am to 3.45pm)

can tell by looking at someone how much money they have. And you just can’t. We’ve had people in here who look well off – and they’re living on cereal because they can’t afford a proper meal.’ Sometimes, the issues are hidden. Financial coercion is a regular theme. ‘We’ve supported women who don’t have access to the bank account. They’re doing everything they can to feed the children, and he’s controlling the money. That is domestic abuse, and it’s more common than people realise.’

Others arrive simply overwhelmed by cost of living pressures. ‘We worked through a budget with one family who thought they were in crisis. It turned out they had £600 disposable income, but they didn’t know. It’s nice when it’s as simple as helping people get organised.’

At the Hub, every new person goes through a careful needs assessment. Volunteers look at income and outgoings, find out what’s behind the struggle, and help people with individual needs. Some discover they’re entitled to help they never knew about. Others find practical advice, or just a safe space to breathe. Traditional food banks still have their place – but Carole believes their model is no longer enough. That broader role has been recognised nationally. A June report from Feeding Britain found that while Affordable Food Clubs make a measurable difference to household budgets,

The busy Saturday breakfast club is a popular chance for a weekly social outing for many people.

‘Their whole life turned upside down. No six-week food parcel can cover that.’

it’s their holistic approach –bringing people together and linking them to wider support –that helps build lasting resilience in the face of the cost of living crisis. ‘A food parcel once a week is a sticking plaster. If someone calls in crisis on Friday morning, and the boxes were packed on Wednesday, what happens then? Here, we see people face to face. We understand what’s happening. We can help them work towards something better.’ Sometimes, that means simply being there. Carole tells the story of the family whose dad was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour: ‘Mum had to stop work. Their whole life turned upside down. No sixweek food parcel can cover that. They needed help for as long as it took.’

Not what we’re for Running such a complex operation isn’t cheap. The Hub raises around £350,000 a year –through grants, donations, the

café (every cup of coffee, every meal purchased from the Café helps fund the Hub, it’s a hugely important revenue stream which brings in around £1,000 a week) and partnerships.

‘It’s exhausting. I spend hours every day looking for new funding. But I wouldn’t do anything else. And the community support is incredible. We have around 50 volunteers now, and I don’t know what we’d do without them. When you see someone like Lizzie, who has been through so much and still wants to give back – how could you not keep going?’

What clearly unites everyone – volunteers, staff and visitors alike – is the belief that everyone deserves dignity and hope.

‘If people want to change, want to help themselves, we’ll go all out for them. If they just want cheap food, that’s not what we’re here for. But if they want a way back, we’ll stand by them every step of the way.’

• valefamilyhub.co.uk

• Butts Pond Trading Estate, Sturminster Newton

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• admin@valefamilyhub.co.uk

by Rachael Rowe

The first stile, in Marnhull stone, was made by self-taught stonemason Dean Harris – the stile had been blocked for some time. The new route allows easy access from the centre of the village into the surrounding landscape

A trail of nine stiles ...

From Marnhull stone to Enid Blyton, Stourton Caundle’s stile trail celebrates community spirit, rural creativity and our local footpaths

When a broken stile was repaired in Stourton Caundle, it provided local resident Catherine Speakman with a blank canvas: ‘A neighbour of mine re-did one of the old stiles which was in a bad state,’ she says.

‘It was really well done and immediately I thought it would be fun for me and my two girls to go round and paint the local stiles and jazz them up. But then I had the idea that other people might want to take part, so I asked the question on social media and Simon Gudgeon from Sculpture By The

The Stile Trail was the brainchild of villager Catherine Speakman

Lakes was really interested. That made me think “hang on, this could be quite good ...”. Although he was ultimately unable to get involved, his interest gave me the confidence to approach other businesses, and it grew from there.

‘I wanted to make it varied: not only with the type of materials used but also the people involved. So we have stone, metal, wood and also natural plants. The stiles have been designed, made or sponsored by schools, charities, businesses and artists. I wanted to make it really varied in order to attract different people.’

The trail features nine unique stiles and is a brilliant example of a successful community project, as well as providing creative inspiration for other villages who might also be looking for ways to maintain their footpaths.

The trail

The stiles along the two-mile route have all been repaired and decorated to be unique, and they have QR codes so that walkers can learn more about the businesses or groups behind them. The first one was made in Marnhull stone by Dean Harris Creations, and the structure was built by JST Building Services. Another was designed by Alweston-based Dorset Forge and Fabrication, using their trademark recycled metalwork to create the stile – look for a delightful woodpecker, butterflies and a snail.

A stile leading off Cat Lane was designed by All Saints Primary School in Bishops Caundle, and

invites walkers to take a pebble to reflect on their journey. Either side of a bridge, the pair of Village Stiles embody collaborative local creativity – look out for wind chimes and playful chalks encouraging creative art. Countrymen UK created a wood stile which acts like a portal into the countryside. The ninth stile is not yet complete. It will have a theme reflecting the village’s connection with Enid Blyton. The beautiful, tranquil route opens up some of the most spectacular views of the Blackmore Vale.

Trooper Inn landlords Debbie and John are delighted that the route starts and finishes at the pub: ‘It’s opening up people’s eyes to what North Dorset has to offer,’ says Debbie. ‘We come from Poole, and everyone knows about the Dorset beaches, but in the north of the county, it feels as though we are literally Dorset’s hidden secret.’ Walkers’ differing abilities have also been considered, as Catherine says: ‘You can easily split it up. There’s a shorter, mile-long option that takes you up into the fields and back on the road, or you can head further to loop around the lakes and into the older part of the village.

The all-accessible route uses a bridleway that is hard surfaced, so anyone can get up there – this one doesn’t use the stiles, obviously, but you can see the two on the route.’

A tricky ask

Catherine planned the routes to suit as many walkers as possible, but the most challenging part of the project was asking people to give their time, expertise, materials ...

‘There was absolutely no budget for this –everyone has done everything themselves. I felt bad asking for that, it is crucial times for everybody. Things are tight. I didn’t want to take

Dorset Forge and Fabrication’s stile uses recycled metalwork to create artistic sculpture. Look for the woodpecker, the butterflies and the snail

advantage of people. This was an opportunity for everyone to do something they loved and in whatever way they wanted ... They could judge how much time they wanted to put into it. All of them are individually brilliant.’

Do it ourselves

Steve Harris of BBC Radio Solent opened the trail: ‘Catherine is amazing at blowing Dorset’s trumpet. I think the project is terrific. I’m excited about walking it myself and have brought all the family with me. But just the idea that you can fall in love with and care for your local community and follow that through with the force of will that Catherine has ... I think most of the time it’s very easy to look at some of the things where we live that are crumbling or need a bit of love and think “oh, that’s up to the parish or the local council.”

But actually, to turn around and say, “you know what, we can do this ourselves” is amazing. And the fact that all these people have turned out today and are supporting the local pub too ... long may it continue and be replicated.’

Catherine is understandably proud of what she, and the community, have achieved. ‘I’m proud of what it has become. It is more than I expected and all the creators have been unbelievable.

The village has been so welcoming to the project and together we have made something unique. I’m hoping it can be replicated nationwide.

‘We are not going to get more footpaths, so we need to look after the ones we’ve got.’

• To find out more about the stile trail and see the routes, read Catherine’s blog Tess of the Vale here.

by Courtenay Hitchcock

Poetry, drums and magic at the Larmer Tree

Reviving General Pitt Rivers’ dream, the Larmer Tree Project is giving hundreds of local children free days of discovery, art and poetry

A quiet corner of Cranborne Chase is transforming children’s learning – one verse, one beat and one flag at a time.

If you had wandered into the Larmer Tree Gardens on a Tuesday this summer term, you’d have found something a little more unexpected than the usual wedding party. Small groups of primary school children would have been scattered across the lawns and groves, some reading poetry, some painting colourful flags, others beating out rhythms on drums.

This is the Larmer Tree Project, a new charity with an ambitious mission: to open up these historic gardens free of charge to local state schools, offering children a day that might spark something lasting.

General Augustus Pitt-Rivers created the Larmer Tree Pleasure Grounds in 1880,

shortly after inheriting the Rushmore Estate. They were designed as a sanctuary ’to enlighten, educate and inspire’ his estate workers and guests. He took great pride in creating a unique space which they could share. He was the first in the UK to open his privatelyowned gardens to the general public, and by 1899, the Larmer Tree Pleasure Grounds were welcoming more than 44,000 visitors a year. LLocal

Olympian William Fox-Pitt is the latest in the family line of custodians. He and his wife Alice are passionate about continuing the General’s work in maintaining the magic of the Larmer Tree for future generations to enjoy.

‘When you walk into the gardens, you’re just immediately inspired,’ says Alice. ‘It has that wow factor – the trees, the calm, the sheer novelty of the place. We wanted to go back to the General’s original vision of “access, education and fun” for the grounds.’

‘It’s like a storybook setting before you even add anything,’ says Claire Gill, the founder of Storysock live-literature events for children, who leads the Larmer Tree Project.

‘We wanted to create an experience that helps children find their own voices, step out of their comfort zones and see learning differently.’

A different school day

Each school visit begins with an adventure. Children are

The White Rabbit leads a group poetry recital

greeted by the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit, in costume – who lead them on a tour of the gardens, where 38 poems are hidden among the trees. From William Shakespeare to Benjamin Zephaniah, the verses set the tone: this isn’t school as usual.

The day is divided into three workshops: in Spoken Word the children learn to project poems across the lawns, discovering how to speak with clarity and confidence. In the Art workshop, the children paint Tibetan prayer flags inspired by what they’ve seen – everything from peacocks to tree leaves. In Drumming and Rhythm, they’re encouraged to find a way to respond physically to the space. After lunch they gather in a big group for poetry readings and some more creative, meditative activities.

Breaking through Alice and Claire agree that the results have been humbling.

‘We had a child who usually wears headphones because he can’t cope with noise,’ Alice says. ‘He took them off and joined the drumming workshop, completely comfortable. His teachers were watching with tears in

their eyes.’ Another child who refuses to read in class was running from poem to poem, reading them out loud to his teachers. ‘They didn’t even know he could read,’ says Alice. ‘Because he was on the move and not confined, it just unlocked something.’

A growing vision

For Claire, the day isn’t simply about art or literacy. It’s about showing children that poetry, performance and creativity can belong to them. ‘We want to sow a little seed,’ she says. ‘If it gives them the tiniest bit

of confidence to look outside what they normally do, that’s a start.

‘And it’s not just a single school trip. They are taking a poem back to school with them to learn as a group, and then they’re making headdresses for a pageant on the 15th July.

Every child who has attended this year will come back, and the prayer flags they’ve all decorated will be hung up like bunting throughout the gardens. They’ll all recite their poems on the day, and join in a mass drumming extravaganza at the end. They’ll be part of an extraordinary kind of production – so yes, it’s a wonderful school outing that hopefully unleashes creativity, but it also gives them a chance to perform in front of 500 other children, too.’

More than a pilot

Although this is its first year, both women can see the huge potential of the project.

Follow the (Mad Hatter) leader

‘This is just the beginning,’ Alice says. ‘The gardens have been used commercially for decades, but this is something entirely new –a return to the gardens’ roots as a place for everyone.’

Claire agrees. ‘It feels like the possibilities are endless. We’re already thinking about how to keep going through the autumn – maybe a winter solstice event – and bringing in more schools. We’d love to find a way to make this year-round.’

It feels like the possibilities are endless

This first year, the project was funded by two local philanthropic private donors, but the project has just got charitable status and

the team is working hard to secure support to sustain it. Transport has been the biggest challenge – buses are expensive, and most schools simply couldn’t have joined without help. ‘That’s where the collaboration has been so brilliant,’ says Claire. ‘Sandroyd and Port Regis, two local independent schools, have lent us their minibuses on Tuesdays. It’s made the whole programme possible. And other schools like Bryanston, Clayesmore and Sherborne have now stepped in with offers of help. That spirit of sharing resources so more children can have this experience has been really special. ‘We all know state schools don’t have budgets for this kind of thing, but that shouldn’t mean that children miss out.’

‘As I got on your land it got magical seeing all the flowers and the beauty of the place and it’s buildings.

One of my favourite parts was the poems. Just finding the poems felt fun, I loved when we readed each others poem.

Another of my favourite partst was when we played drums, when we got to the place we saw a peacock percing but with people scramming about nobody saw it. When we got to play it was like a parade full of drums and shakers playing.

The buildings felt anceint, the stage like a old, old stage.

I had a wondersul trip and I swear other people did too.

One of the best trips from Jack’

The children enjoy a group drumming workshop

Tickets FAST!

by Courtenay Hitchcock

From borne to Billingsgate

Once a trade secret and loved by the UK’s top chefs, world-class trout from Dorset’s quiet Winterborne valley are being championed by a local farmer

If you have ever driven through the tiny village of Winterborne Houghton, you’ve probably seen the old cress beds and wondered what happens behind the gates. What you may not know is that for decades, Houghton Springs Trout Farm has quietly produced some of the best rainbow trout in the country – fish with a big reputation among top chefs. Now, under the new stewardship of Justin Frampton, this little-known business is ready to step into the limelight.

‘I’ve known the farm all my life,’ says Justin, standing beside one of the stone ponds where the water bubbles up fresh from the chalk aquifer. ‘I live just up the lane. When the farm came up for sale, I thought there had to be a business here. Life for shops on the high street is getting harder and harder – but people will always eat fish.’

Ikejime

The farm has a fascinating history stretching back 50 years. Originally it was a watercress farm and wild watercress still grows across the farm and down the river to the next village, naturally enriching the water. A fish farm was built in 1974, and 40 years ago Dutch engineer Hans Hoff bought the land. He dedicated years to developing what he called the Winterborne strain of rainbow trout –genetically selected (but not genetically modified, Justin stresses) for their meaty texture and excellent conversion of feed to flesh. Today, some

of the country’s top sushi restaurants buy fish from Houghton Springs, thanks in part to a traditional Japanese harvesting method called ikejime, which preserves the quality of the meat.

Keith the farm manager is selecting 3kg fish to be sent off restaurants

Justin Frampton has bought Houghton Springs Trout Farm. All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

‘We don’t do huge volumes,’ says Justin. ‘But enough that chefs know where to come if they want something special.’

Off to Billingsgate

Most of the year, the ponds are topped up by a hidden lifeline beneath the Dorset chalk. ‘We’re unusual because we’re a compartmental farm – the only one in the country,’ Justin says. ‘We haven’t got a river above or below, because the Winterborne dries up (a bourne is a seasonal stream that flows only in winter when the water table rises). That little bit of river between us and Stickland is only flowing because we’re pumping a shed load of water 24/7! In the winter, the springs are literally bubbling up through the ponds, so we don’t run any pumps then.’

All that pumping comes at a cost – electricity is one of the farm’s biggest overheads – and Justin is exploring ways to improve sustainability. ‘We’re looking at floating solar panels. It’s pretty much unheard of here, though they do it in Australia,’ he says. ‘It could help with evaporation, keep the panels cool and maybe even be good for the fish.’ Hundreds of thousands of eggs, fry and fish are produced and sold to other farms across the country, alongside those finished onsite for table fish and sporting fish. Most of the trout are sold at table size – 400 to 600 grams – and travel overnight to Billingsgate Market in London.

Justin has plans to change that. ‘I want to cut out the middleman,’ he says. ‘If you walk into The Ivy in London and see Winterborne trout on the menu, you should be able to look it up and know exactly where it came from. I want people to think: “that’s amazing trout, I’ll buy direct.” – and then actually to be able to do so.’

Winterborne rainbow trout are largely left to grow as they would in the wild, and the taste and texture of the fish reflects the best possible husbandry coupled with the fresh cold water

Keith is grading the fry and fingerlings ready to go off to a farm on Exmoor to be grown on Image: Heather Brown

Valley food

Closer to home, the farm has been winning over local customers, thanks in part to a simple farmgate cool box scheme that started life in lockdown.

‘We’d put six fish in there in the morning,’ Justin says. ‘If they were gone by lunchtime, we’d put another six out! Now we’re selling more and more every week.’

He has ambitious plans to make the operation more visible and bring together the area’s producers. ‘We’ve got Rosie’s cider in the village, really good local honey, the Coopers up the hill with their South Paddocks pork pies and pasties ... Eventually, I’d love to have a space here where people can pick up not just fish but all the other produce from the valley.’

Some of the bigger trout – up to five kilos – are now being hot and cold smoked, adding yet another string to the farm’s bow. Justin is working with long-standing Dorset friends like The Real Cure to create smoked products with the same focus on traceability and taste.

It’s clear that for Justin, this is more than just a business. ‘This is my future,’ he says. ‘I’ve come back to my roots – farming. Only this time, it’s fish instead of sheep! You move them, feed them, clean them – it really is just farming in a different form.’

In a county already brimming with celebrated food producers, Houghton Springs is stepping into the spotlight, proving that even the most tucked-away places can offer something remarkable

•

by Courtenay Hitchcock

Black Cat’s new perch

Just steps off the North Dorset Trailway between Shillingstone and Blandford, this small café promises a chance to pause, a warm welcome and good food

Anyone who has ever enjoyed a grazing board from Sarah McCombe of Black Cat Catering will know she’s not afraid of a challenge. But this year she’s taken on something completely new – transforming an old barn halfway between Shillingstone and Durweston into a small café with big ambitions.She says: ‘I’d been looking for a base for years. Somewhere that wasn’t my kitchen at home – so I could have that work and home life separation ... or at least try and get it! That’s the dream, isn’t it? Being able to go home and switch off.’

It took nearly five years of checking in with the Hinton Estate, which owns the site, and a lot of patient emailing before the right space finally became available. ‘I was just determined to keep in touch,’ she says. ‘Every so often I’d send an email –“Anything yet?” – and they always said, “Bear with us” ... and I’m nothing if not persistent!’

A spot to pause

When she finally got to walk around the barns at Gains Cross,

Sarah knew it was the right spot. It’s right at the top of the blind summit hill halfway between Shillingstone and Blandford and just a minute’s walk off the North Dorset Trailway.

‘We fell in love with the setting straight away,’ she says. ‘It’s just got such a lovely ambience, with its rustic beams and old walls. They’ve kept so many of

the original features, which was really important to us.’

The café, which seats 20 inside and up to 60 outside, is already proving popular with Trailway users. Cyclists, dog walkers and families are finding it the perfect mid-way stop or startand-finish point. ‘It’s a beautiful place to pause,’ says Sarah. ‘You don’t have to fight the traffic in

A coffee with a view

Sarah McCombe inside the Black Cat Cafe

All images: Courtenay Hitchcock

Blandford or Stur, and there’s plenty of free parking – that’s always a bonus. Plus we’re cycle, dog and horse-friendly, we have baby-changing (hyphen) facilities – and there’s free wifi.’

All good stuff

The menu is deliberately simple. ‘We’re definitely not a greasy spoon,’ she says. ‘Breakfasts are all made with some amazing local sausages and bacon from Prime Cuts in Shaftesbury, and local eggs and milk too.’

At lunchtime, there are freshly made sausage rolls, and toasties and bacon sandwiches – ‘If I took those off the menu, I’d have a mutiny,’ says Sarah. ‘It’s all about keeping it manageable, with minimal waste and quicker service,’ she says. ‘We don’t want people sitting for hours waiting for food. We want people to come in, relax, have something good to eat and drink, and be on their way.’

Almost all of the food is either homemade by Sarah or sourced from other small producers. ‘It’s really important to me to use local producers wherever we can,’ Sarah says. ‘People want to know where their food comes from – and so they should.’ The café also offers takeaways

and is open to hosting small events on quieter days. ‘Nothing big – no weddings!’ she says. ‘But if someone wants to bring Granny for a birthday tea or run a workshop, that’s something we’d love to talk about.’

Worth the drive

Social media has been key in spreading the word. ‘We’re on Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok,’ she says. ‘Sometimes in the mornings I do a little live

Inside the cafe. the old building’s agricultural bones are easily seen

video just to give myself a mental slap – get going, Sarah! Talking rubbish to strangers online somehow helps. It reminds me why I’m doing it.’

Above all, she hopes people will feel the difference that comes from a small, independent team. ‘We’re not a chain,’ she says. ‘When you come here, you’re getting a really friendly, personal welcome. If anything goes wrong, it’ll be taken on the chin and sorted out. We’re only human. ‘We know we’re perfect for people dipping off the Trailway, but I want to be known for being worth the drive too,’ she adds.

‘Yes, there are other places people can get a coffee – but we’ve got this view, the fresh air, the walking right from the door... and we’re here because we love what we do.’

• Cafe located at Gains Cross Farm, DT11 0QP

• Tue–Wed: 10am–2.30pm, Thu–Sun: 9.30am–3pm, Closed Mondays

• theblackcatcafe.co.uk

• @TheBlackCatCafe

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The Dorset Insider is a no-holds-barred column pulling back the curtain on local affairs with sharp insight, unfiltered honesty and the occasional raised eyebrow. Written by a seasoned parish councillor who prefers to remain anonymous (for obvious reasons), it cuts through the noise to expose the frustrations of grassroots politics, and say what others won’t. Rest assured, their identity is known – and trusted – by the editorial team. Expect opinion, candour and a healthy dose of exasperation ...

Rural rescue and hard lessons

I got a call to help break into a neighbour’s home this week. George was elderly, not in the best of health, and his daughter couldn’t get in to check on him. Something was horribly wrong. One of the nice things about the village is that people materialise from nowhere in a crisis. Someone brought a ladder to get into an upstairs window. A young lad sprinted into the village to get a defibrillator. A mum waited to flag down the emergency services and keep a parking space clear. In rural communities, people come together to help each other.

Whenever I have called 999 it has always been answered immediately – but this time I had to wait to be answered. I was told there would be a wait for a crew because the service was so busy. However, that’s the state of the NHS and ambulance service today. Then I had to phone back because George deteriorated, and thankfully the call was upgraded. It still took a further 30 minutes – an hour in total – for an ambulance to respond to a category A call (which is supposed to be seven minutes). Naturally, it always feels longer when someone needs help urgently.

And that got me thinking. How can we in rural communities help the situation?

Once the defibrillator was back on charge I reflected on the experience. What would make life easier and safer for the older and more vulnerable people living in our communities, and help them stay independent?

First aid first

Starting with the obvious, would you know what do if there was a medical emergency? Do you know where your local defibrillator is located, and also how to use it? If not, find out! And look out for first aid training courses. Just moved into a new area? Now’s the time to locate your nearest defibrillator before you get caught short. Most parishes have days when people can familiarise themselves with emergency equipment.

Calling 999 has always been answered immediately –but this time I had to wait

The paramedics were calm, proficient and brilliant ... and clearly rushing from call to call with barely a break. It’s not their fault. The entire system needs a massive upgrade and investment: and being in a rural area doesn’t help.

If your parish hasn’t got a defibrillator, it’s time to get one. They save lives. And get it registered so that the emergency services can direct people to it. Waiting for an ambulance can take significantly longer these days so you may need to think about keeping an injured person comfortable for several hours, or getting help from others to relieve you. Learn some first aid – you never know when it might come in handy.

While we don’t want a neighbourhood watchlike system on steroids, or to be seen as nosey

neighbours, how often do we check on those older people around us, particularly those living alone? We struggled to think when we had last seen George – possibly a day ago?

Then we noticed his bin hadn’t been taken out. A subtle clue signalling something was wrong, but seen a bit too late. In a heatwave or really cold weather, checking on elderly neighbours is important. And if a neighbour struggles to get their bin out, offering to help would probably be appreciated. It’s a small way of supporting someone, but can make a big difference. Some local authorities have trackers in the bins of vulnerable people to help detect if they are struggling to use them – which can indicate they are unwell and in need of help.

Where are you?

If there’s an emergency in your home would the paramedics be able to find it? Or do they have to guess at the numbering, the nebulous street signage, or hack their way through an overgrown hedge? Making sure your house has a clear number or name and can be accessed without causing another accident saves valuable time in an emergency, – especially when ambulance crews are trying their best to get to you as fast as possible. This is particularly important in rural areas

during winter where there is no street lighting. What3Words is an excellent app for locating an accident, such as in a field, but it’s just as useful for tricky nebulous rural addresses to help the emergency services find you.

No taxi service

Then there’s the living space. Watching the paramedics get George down a steep flight of stairs with piles of monitoring equipment was a sober lesson in why we should be building more adaptable and accessible accommodation, and supporting those in inappropriate homes to relocate to something more suitable. And for every building developer saying no, they should be made to lower a stretcher with a 16 stone person down a narrow stairway. What a nightmare these places are in an emergency.

And that’s before we reflect on what a struggle it must have been for George to get up and down those stairs in the first place.

Finally, only call 999 for an ambulance when you really need it. There are alternatives, such as NHS 111 and a local pharmacy for minor problems. Paramedics are highly trained professionals: they are the salt of the earth and will bend over backwards to help in an emergency. However, they do not run a taxi service.

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The Grumbler – the open opinion column in The BV. It’s a space for anyone to share their thoughts freely. While the editor will need to know the identity of contributors, all pieces will be published anonymously. With just a few basic guidelines to ensure legality, safety and respect, this is an open forum for honest and unfiltered views. Got something you need to get off your chest? Send it to editor@bvmagazine.co.uk. The Grumbler column is here for you: go on, say it. We dare you.

Booking our bin run

You’d think Dorset Council had cracked the code of effortless, modern public services – until you look at their plans to make us all book an appointment just to throw away an old carpet. From this autumn, if we use the Dorchester, Wimborne, Shaftesbury or Sherborne recycling centres, we’ll have to pre-book a slot online or by phone before we turn up.

According to the council’s website, you’ll get up to 10,000 slots per site each month. You can book on the day if there’s space, or up to two weeks in advance. But if you’re anything like the rest of us, the tip trip isn’t a red-letter diary event – it’s what happens when the garage is about to burst, or you’ve been hacking back the garden all day, and decide you’ve got just enough time to get it all gone if you nip to the tip before it shuts. And in an area where Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset meet in a tangle of lanes, this policy borders on the absurd. I might live a few hundred feet over the border, but now I’ll have to drive miles further – or pay a charge – just to get rid of perfectly ordinary household waste. All in the name of stopping so-called “cross-border usage,” which, let’s be honest, nobody cared about until now. It sounds rather exciting though. A bit like those Australian customs TV shows: we’ll be turning up looking all innocent while we have a bit of Wiltshire loot stashed in a box at at the back.

Keep it simple, Stu...

We’ll be turning up looking all innocent while we have a bit of Wiltshire loot stashed in a box

that works without a clunky online portal and a new layer of bureaucracy.

If the problem is out-of-county residents, why not use a simpler system? Check a driving licence or a council tax bill at the gate. The staff are already there. Or better yet, look at how it’s done in the Netherlands or France: you get a resident card linked to your address. No booking, no charges for general household rubbish, no drama. The card is issued to the house, not the person. You could always charge out-of-county-ers for a card (and the right to use your tips). Imagine that – something

It’s worth noting the general consensus ‘oop north’ is that Sherborne and Shaftesbury rarely have queues to begin with: has it actually been assessed? A quick changeover or skip swap, maybe, but hardly gridlock. And if Dorset Council really cares about fairness, why cherry-pick four sites for this experiment while the other six carry on as usual? Uniform policy? Apparently not. Meanwhile, Shropshire tried this booking experiment – it ended in a spike of fly-tipping and was quietly scrapped earlier this year. Because when you make it harder to dispose of waste legally, some people just dump it in a gateway. And that costs councils – and ultimately us – even more. And let’s not forget the company behind this shiny booking system is also the author of the glowing reports claiming it will save money. You’ll forgive me if I’m sceptical.

Simon Hoare MP called this policy a “wonkywheeled supermarket trolley,” and for once I can’t disagree with him. If it ain’t broke, Dorset Council, don’t fix it. Or at the very least, don’t imagine a problem and then proudly announce your convoluted solution.

Sometimes the simplest answer really is the best one. And no, it doesn’t require an app.

From Rev-Off thrills to Race Sim skills

Classic & Supercar Sunday is fast approaching!

On Sunday 24th August, the stunning grounds of Canford School in Wimborne are the new home for one of the South West’s most exciting automotive festivals, an unforgettable celebration of design, power and sound.

‘Classic & Supercar’ ... the name says it all. From the rarest vintage icons to cutting-edge hypercars, the line-up is beautifully curated to offer something for every kind of car lover – and then spread across sweeping lawns with riverside views.

New for 2025:

The Sunken Lawn Showcase, where a dramatic natural amphitheatre is reimagined as an exclusive stage for the world’s most exceptional vehicles. Expect rarity, beauty and serious presence, including headline icons like the Ferrari F40. Also new this year is the DAIZUN Racing Simulator Challenge, where you can go head-to-head with rising British F4 talent Reza Seewooruthun. It’s free to enter – pitch yourself against the region’s fastest and chase a podium spot on the leaderboard. And if you’ve never seen a Rev-Off before, you’re in for a thrill. These live sound battles between supercars are loud, raucous and pure theatre – and there are two happening on the day. For younger visitors, the free Mini Rovers off-road course is a standout experience: electric Land Rovers, proper obstacles and the chance to earn their first driving licence. With live music, DJs, gourmet food trucks, artisan coffee and craft beer, this is more than a car show – it’s a full-day festival for all ages: ‘Come for the thunder. Stay for the spectacle.’

• Buy tickets now at apertaevents.com

Dinah’s Hollow inquiry cut short after objections are withdrawn

A public inquiry into compulsory purchase orders on land at Dinah’s Hollow, on the C13 Shaftesbury-Blandford road, was cut short on Tuesday, after the statutory objectors (the landowners) withdrew their objections.

Dept. of Transport inspector Malcolm Rivett was expecting to hear objections to the Dorset Council CPOs, and the inquiry was scheduled for two days at The Exchange at Sturminster Newton, but in the event it was all over on Tuesday morning.

The purpose of the CPOs is to acquire the necessary land and rights required for the Dinah’s Hollow Improvement Scheme to stabilise the slopes of the hollow.

Dorset Council wants to improve safety on this part of the C13, following surveys and concern about the stability of the steep slopes. This concern follows a tragic fatal accident near Beaminster in July 2012, when a car and its occupants were buried in a landslip. The inspector

heard that there could be a possible charge of corporate manslaughter if a similar accident happened at Dinah’s Hollow.

It is worth noting that, despite these concerns, Dinah’s Hollow remains open, with vehicular passage controlled by traffic lights, until the lengthy CPO and planning process is completed.

Your chance to comment on changes to the West Wincanton development plan

Amendments to the 650-home West Wincanton housing development, proposed by LVA (Land Value Alliances), have been published by Somerset Council. Concerned local people and organisations have until 24th July to send their comments on the changes. There is no date set yet for councillors to discuss the application. The changes include:

• Removing the employment area south of Lawrence Hill and reducing the length of the cycle path, but a short section of “active travel route” is still required south of Lawrence Hill to tie in with the toucan crossing. This parcel of lands been removed from the

application site; this will reduce tree loss south of A371/Lawrence Hill

• Small changes in the “Brook Quarter” to increase the net developable area, increase land use efficiency and optimise the active travel route; and in the development area and allotments in the northwest corner to ensure no residential development is shown on land covered by a restrictive covenant

• Re-design of the Anchor Hill junction and access to avoid the oak tree T281

• Reducing the number of footpaths north of Valley Park to reduce the breaks in the hedgerow. The proposal is an outline application (with all matters reserved except for access) for the demolition of farm buildings and up to 650 homes; up to 3.1ha of mixed use comprising employment land, local centre and care home, primary school, preschool/nursery, accesses from West Hill and Lawrence Hill, mobility infrastructure, new pedestrian/cycle route to the south of Lawrence Hill, open space and all associated infrastructure.

• To view the amendments to application 24/01257/OUT, visit ssdc.somerset.gov.uk

Dinah’s Hollow

The red line is around the West Wincanton application site, and a yellow line around a site already approved for 80 houses

Silver jubilee celebrations for Friends of North Dorset Womens Refuge

The Friends of North Dorset Womens Refuge celebrated 25 years of supporting the refuge with a lunch party at Motcombe village hall, attended by members of the Friends group and representatives of organisations and groups that support the charity’s work.

Founder Sara Jacson, who cut a birthday cake made by her grandson Jack, recalled the growing awareness in the late 1990s of the need for a refuge for women in North Dorset. There was no money, she said, but both the former North Dorset District Council and Purbeck District Council wanted to help.

The fledgling organisation applied for funding from the government’s Safe Communities scheme and on 2nd January 2000 they received money to set up the refuge. The charity Friends of North Dorset Women’s Refuge (FNDWR) was founded that year to support the residents and their children at the refuge and make their lives a little better.

Sara recalled a meeting with the senior housing officer at North Dorset District Council: ‘With tears in his eyes, he said: “I cannot imagine what it is like to leave a place you have felt safe and loved. Sara, we will make this as good as we can, but we cannot sustain this level of support.”

‘So here we are now, 25 years later. Everybody here has helped in some way – toys, food, money, hampers. Some knit or sew. You all do wonderful things for us. Everybody helps in some way. ‘We need £1,000 every month to provide what is needed.’

The Friends of North Dorset Women’s Refuge welcomes financial donations to help to provide

bedding, cutlery and crockery, fresh fruit, support for relocation costs, when families go into permanent accommodation, and funds for outings and parties.

• fndwr.co.uk

Spetisbury Station Project’s summer tea party

Volunteers have been hard at work sprucing up Spetisbury Station ahead of our Railway 200 Summer Tea Party on Sunday 13th July. In the June sunshine, the team weeded, mowed, swept and planted fresh blooms, and even installed a new sign on the old station building.

From 10am to 2pm, you’re invited to explore this beautifully-kept heritage site as we mark 200 years of modern railways in Britain and 165 years of Spetisbury Station. Enjoy live music by the Blandford

Ukulele Group (12.45–1.45pm), browse second-hand railway books and gifts, and learn about the station’s rich history. Pimms, teas, coffees, scones and cakes will be on offer, with proceeds supporting the

Spetisbury Station Project. Entry is free, but donations (cash only) are very welcome. If wet, festivities move to Spetisbury Village Hall!

• Find out more at spetisburystationproject

Sara Jacson is pictured at the anniversary lunch at Motcombe village hall, cutting the birthday cake made by her grandson Jack

MBE for Wessex Internet founder James Gibson Fleming highlights four decades of community and charity commitment

James Gibson Fleming has been named in the King’s 2025 Birthday Honours List, awarded an MBE for services to charity, community and business.

Though widely known for pioneering rural broadband, the award recognises much more than his role in transforming digital access. For over 40 years, James has quietly but consistently built a legacy of service, shaping Dorset’s charitable landscape and supporting long-term regional development.

His voluntary work began in 1994, when he played a key role in establishing Cancer Care Dorset, a charity offering home-based support to families affected by cancer. As Chairman, he oversaw its merger with Joseph Weld Hospice to form Weldmar Hospicecare – Dorset’s only specialist palliative care provider, regarded among the best in the

country. He continues to serve as Vice President.

James’s impact extends well beyond healthcare. He spent 36 years as a trustee of the Talbot Village Trust, guiding a major regeneration project around Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus that brought significant economic benefits to the area.

From 2006, he also served as Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, acting as a tireless ambassador for the county and its communities.

Alongside these roles, James has led a distinguished business career. After military service in Cyprus, Germany and Northern Ireland, he trained at the Royal Agricultural College, headed Hanford Plc and founded Wessex Internet in 2010. What began as a few wireless links between farms has become a full-fibre broadband network covering four counties, employing over 300 people and

winning national awards.

‘I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition which really belongs to the volunteers, the teams at Wessex Internet and the communities who supported us every step of the way,’ he said.

‘This honour is theirs as much as it is mine.’

A Summer of Events at Hinton Workspace

Hinton Workspace, the rural coworking hub set in a converted carpenter’s workshop in Hinton St Mary, has announced a series of events this summer aimed at supporting local businesses, freelancers and working parents. On 10th July, Alice from World Secrets will visit to share the story of her distinctive footwear business and host a pop-up shop featuring her range of bold bags

and shoes. The talk offers an opportunity to hear first-hand how she developed her brand and navigated the challenges of growing an independent label. Later that day, Hinton will also welcome members of the North Dorset Chambers of Commerce for a networking session designed to bring local businesses together in an informal setting.

From 28th July, the workspace will launch You Work, They Play, a scheme to help working parents over the school holidays. While parents use the shared facilities, children aged eight and over can join creative workshops led by Mrs J in a dedicated space across the courtyard. Sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays through August, with a special combined rate available.

On 30th July, the Tithe Barn will be turned into a pop-up cinema for a screening of Big Star, telling the story of Nick Skelton’s famous

Alice from World Secrets

showjumper. The evening is open to the wider community and will be a chance to come together in a relaxed setting.

Hinton Workspace continues to offer flexible coworking and meeting space throughout the year, with a focus on collaboration and rural enterprise.

For more information about any of the events, or to book a place, visit hintonworkspace.co.uk.

Hundreds expected for the Stur Half

More than 400 runners are set to take part in the Sturminster Newton Half Marathon on Sunday 3rd August. Organised by the Dorset Doddlers since 1990, this year the ‘Stur Half’ is part of the Dorset Road Race League and serves as a Dorset County Championship race. For those preferring a shorter challenge, there’s also a multi-terrain 5K, open to online entries or sign-up on the day.

The annual event always has strong backing from local businesses: Honeybuns Bakery is lead sponsor, rewarding every finisher with one of their delicious cakes. Harts of Stur are sponsoring the local runner and course record prizes, Symonds & Sampson are providing mile markers, and Root & Vine will supply juicy oranges at the finish.

The Half Marathon starts at 10.30am on Station Road, outside the Railway Gardens, following a scenic route through Manston, Margaret Marsh, Stour Row and Todber before returning via Moorside and Hinton St Mary to finish as always along the tree-lined avenue to the High School.

The 5K begins shortly after, taking in roads, tracks and footpaths towards Hinton St Mary before heading back to the same finish.

Entry for the Half Marathon costs £22 for affiliated runners or £24 for unaffiliated, with a £2 surcharge for entries on the day. The 5K costs £7 whether entered online or in person.

The Dorset Doddlers also donate proceeds to local charities and organisations. Spectators are warmly encouraged to come and cheer.

Gurston Ascent: a brand new automotive event arrives in Wiltshire

A brand-new highlight on the automotive calendar is coming to the South West this summer. The Gurston Ascent, an unmissable celebration of performance, engineering and driving passion, takes over the iconic Gurston Down Hillclimb on Sunday 20th July 2025 – and everyone is invited. Set in the stunning Wiltshire countryside, Gurston Ascent brings together an incredible variety of cars – from exotic supercars and precision-built hillclimb machines to immaculately modified performance cars from across the UK. Every vehicle is road-legal, but far from ordinary.

Spectators will enjoy the rare chance to see these machines unleashed on the hill in a series of untimed, non-competitive demonstration runs –no trophies, just raw speed, sound and spectacle. Whether it’s a roaring V12, a turbocharged track weapon or a perfectly engineered hot hatch, there is something here for every enthusiast. The Ascent is the ultimate leveller: whether a high-powered supercar or a fully built ride, there is nowhere to hide on the hill.

Special guest driver Abbie Eaton, professional racer and Grand Tour test driver, will also be taking part. Crowds can watch from the hillside

as she conducts her own runs up the hill – a rare opportunity to see her in action up close.

More than a hillclimb

Beyond the action on the hill, the event features paddocks packed with metal not often seen at an average car meet, curated static displays and a display area dedicated to interesting road cars. Visitors can browse a carefully chosen selection of automotive trade stands and specialist exhibitors offering everything from detailing products to performance upgrades. Quality food and drink vendors will be on hand, along with welcoming spaces to relax and soak up the atmosphere.

Tickets are £20 per adult, with under-16s going free, making Gurston Ascent a great day out for families and fanatics alike.

Parking is free, and the hill offers exceptional spectator viewpoints, so no one will miss a moment of the action. Whether drawn by the drama of a hillclimb launch, the gleam of carbon fibre, or simply a brilliant summer Sunday out, Gurston Ascent promises something truly special.

• Book now at gurstonascent.co.uk and be part of Wiltshire’s newest automotive tradition.

JAMIE AND THE FALCONS

SAT 26TH JULY

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SATURDAY 12TH JULY

Experience this iconic music brought back to life by an exceptional band consisting of some of the finest musicians and performers from around the world.

ABER VALLEY MALE VOICE CHOIR

SAT 26TH JULY, 2PM

One of Wales’ most successful and popular male voice choirs return for an afternoon concert. The choir has travelled all over the UK, Europe, Canada and USA, performing music ranging from Grand Opera to Pop! With conductor Geraint Evans

THE JERRY LEE LEWIS SONGBOOK

SATURDAY 9 AUGUST TH

All the Rock N Roll hits - Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin, Breathless, High School Confidential, Be Bop A Lula, Wild One, Roll Over Beethoven, Johnny B Goode and more

SAT 19TH JULY

Live the life you choose with empowering dementia support

Life with dementia looks different for different people, and it can be hard to know where to find reliable advice and expert support that enables you to continue living life to the full.

For many people, the time to seek some help comes when an individual’s dementia care needs can no longer be comfortably or safely managed at home. Whether you’re seeking support to remain independent in your own home, or considering moving into a care home which can support you to live well with dementia, the most important thing is that you receive the support you need to live the life you choose.

Here are the key benefits and considerations for the three main dementia support options:

Dementia-friendly care homes

Care homes for dementia fall into two categories.

‘Dementia-friendly’ care homes can support those with low-level dementia care needs to live as independently as possible within a residential setting, whilst ‘specialist dementia care homes’ provide expert care and support for those whose dementia symptoms are more advanced, or who need additional help to stay and feel safe.

All of Somerset Care’s care homes are dementiafriendly and able to support those with mild dementia symptoms to live the life they choose.

Specialist dementia care homes

Specialist dementia care homes will seek to support the passions and interests of residents living with dementia, as well as provide tailored care which meets their needs.

This person-centred approach to dementia care enables those living with dementia to find enjoyment and expression, and continue to lead a fulfilling life.

Specialist dementia care homes, like Grovelands in Yeovil, have highly-trained, expert dementia care teams, and dedicated dementia care suites which provide safety, security, stimulation and reassurance for people living with more advanced dementia symptoms.

A specialist dementia care home is a good option for those who are worried about their dementia symptoms progressing: their expert team will be able to adjust the amount and type of support they receive, within the same, familiar setting.

Expert dementia support at home

If you don’t yet feel ready to make the move into a care home, it is worth considering specialist dementia support which can enable you to stay in your own home for longer. This could include home care visits from specialist carers to support you with personal care or daily household tasks, or perhaps experiencing a snapshot of life in a dementia care home through day care visits or a respite break. Ultimately, the right dementia care is whatever meets your needs, helps you manage your dementia symptoms, and stay safe and well.

Find the right help

Whether you have a dementia care option in mind or aren’t sure where to start, our friendly, expert enquiries team can talk you through the various care solutions available, and provide the information you need to make an informed decision about dementia support which meets your needs.

• somersetcare.co.uk/dementia

From saviours to scapegoats

Open Farm Sunday was a huge success, with around 3,000 people visiting the farm for a day of education and enjoying local, home-made (additive free) produce from all our Love Local Trust Local family producers. The farmers helping us all went home with a smile, feeling supported by everyone who came. Telling our story and helping people understand how their food is made is so important, and I believe we all did this very well on 8th June. Local MP Simon Hoare joined us – a big thank you to him for his support. It is vital we can educate government and councils about the importance of food education and growing more at home.

The only thing that overshadowed the event was the BBC’s warning about Cryptosporidium. Health and safety is always taken seriously on the farm. But it’s a shame more news doesn’t cover the constant problems farmers face with disease outbreaks like foot and mouth, bluetongue, avian flu and bovine TB.

We’re not the terrorists

On 14th June I was invited to the Bridport Food Festival to join a discussion panel on ultraprocessed food. The panel included a doctor, a nutritionist, a teacher and me, as a farmer and food label campaigner. One

of my questions was whether local food can be produced intensively. The purpose of intensive farming is high production at low cost, which is what consumers want (cheap food). Regenerative farming works with natural systems, but doesn’t produce enough food quickly or cheaply enough. We desperately need to find a balance between local food production and caring for our environment.

It’s scary when you turn on the television and see what’s happening in the world. Food security has to be a priority. Oil prices have already gone up and we need food on our tables to survive.

I was so sad that day in Bridport to feel the general mood in the room: that farmers are somehow to blame for ultra-processed food.

I explained that when our meat

leaves our farm, it’s been well cared for, well fed, it has no additives. It’s totally traceable, inot only local but fresh, with lots of flavour. It’s good quality, healthy food.

Peak District farmer Lorna Critchlow went viral in June with a despondent Facenook post which struck a chord with lots of farmers, me included: ‘I try to pinpoint when the narrative shifted from farmers being celebrated as saviours of domestic food supply to being demonised as productivityobsessed, environmental terrorists.

‘And I wonder how the connection between the food we all need to eat to survive and the farmers producing it has disintegrated.’

Somewhere along the line something has gone drastically wrong. My dear Mum and Dad lived through ration books: my mother was a land girl. Food security, surely, has got to be the biggest priority, especially with what is going on in the world.

All our imported food has to pass through the Red Sea. There has to be an impact, and costs will rise again. With such global uncertainty, we need our farmers more than ever.

Open Farm Sunday at Rawston Farm

Barbara (second left) on the Bridport Food Festival panel on ultra-processed foods

Children’s ballet magic arrives at Hatch House

This summer, a brand-new event is set to introduce young audiences to the magic of ballet. On Thursday 24th July, Hatch House will host its first Children’s Matinee Performance, supporting the Dicky Buckle Fund – a small charity dedicated to helping emerging dancers and choreographers and widening access to dance for all. Hosted by acclaimed Bahamian ballerina Courtney Celeste Fox, recently named among Forbes 30 Under 30, this relaxed afternoon has been designed to inspire and entertain. Children will enjoy a special behind-thescenes look at theatre magic, including lighting effects, music cues and stagecraft. Two short professional ballet performances will follow, before the audience is invited on stage to learn a lively piece of choreography with Courtney herself.

The matinee runs from 3pm to 4.30pm (gardens open at 2.40pm). Picnics are welcome after the show, making it a

wonderful family afternoon in the grounds of Hatch House. It is a rare chance to share the joy of ballet with children in a warm, welcoming setting – whether they’re budding dancers or discovering live performance for the very first time.

Following the matinee, a full dress rehearsal for Ballet Under the Stars will take place from around 5.30pm. Guests who wish to stay are kindly asked to

make a suggested donation of £50 per family (the rehearsal is for production purposes and may include long pauses and technical adjustments). Tickets must be booked in advance, as this is a strictly ticketed event. All proceeds go directly to the Dicky Buckle Fund, supporting the next generation of dance talent.

• For more details and booking information, visit dickybucklefund.com.

The new BV Puzzles page! We’re sorry to leave so many of you without your puzzles last month –last-minute tech issues meant we had to abandon them. BUT - we’ve take the opportunity for a refresh, and we think you’ll like it! They’re all on one page on The BV now – just click, and scroll to find the one you want to complete (and yes, the jigsaw can be made full screen!). We’ve even added Sudoku!

Letters to the Editor

Want to reply? Read something you feel needs commenting on? Our postbag is open! Please send emails to letters@BVmagazine.co.uk. When writing, please include your full name and address; we will not print this, but do require it.

On The Last Cut for Local Meat

(The BV, June 25)

Thank you for your thorough and clear-eyed article on the crisis facing small abattoirs. As someone who has spent a lifetime farming, it was heartening to see this issue given the attention it deserves.

People are very quick to talk about “local food,” “rare breeds,” and “sustainability,” but too often they forget that none of those things are possible without a functioning network of local abattoirs. When you close them, you don’t just lose a building – you undermine the whole principle of traceable, low-mileage food production.

It was especially good to hear Lillie Smith’s perspective. Most of us running smaller herds cannot send animals hundreds of miles without huge costs, stress to the livestock and the loss of everything that makes local meat different.

The government must wake up to this before it’s too late. Once these places shut, they don’t reopen.

Sarah M. Dorset farmer

On Inconclusive is not a diagnosis

(The BV June 25)

While I always enjoy George Hosford’s columns, I must take issue with some of his views on TB testing. I understand the frustration around inconclusive results and the upheaval they cause, but the suggestion that the test itself is “utterly useless” isn’t fair. The SICCT test isn’t perfect, but it remains the most reliable screening tool we have at scale. Removing animals on the basis of any reaction, as George proposes some farms do, risks culling huge numbers unnecessarily – something neither the science nor most farmers would support.

I also think blaming DEFRA for not “properly dealing with the problem” glosses over the real complexity of managing disease in wildlife and livestock. No country has eradicated TB easily, and the idea that there’s a simple, tougher

approach that will fix it overnight doesn’t reflect reality.

By all means, we need better tests and more support, but I think George underestimates how far the system has already come.

AL, by email

People who haven’t been through this can’t really understand how demoralising it is. You put years into breeding and caring for your herd, only to be told you’ve got “inconclusive reactors” and you’re closed down again. Even if the next test is clear, the damage is done – to your business, your reputation and your peace of mind.

It’s hard to see a way out when the system feels so blunt and unworkable. George is right: it’s not just the cows that are infected – it’s the whole process that’s sick.

Name and address supplied

On June’s anonymous Grumbler: What she said next shockled no one.

Your line – “When something genuinely important happens, you won’t miss it” – was exactly right. All the shouting headlines are there to distract us so the real decisions can slip past unnoticed. Thank you for saying it plainly.

Thelma N, on Facebook

Couldn’t agree more with your Grumbler this month. The endless drama and fake urgency are exhausting - with the side benefit of you missing the important stuff. Also, please let’s bring back quiet, intelligent debate where both sides listen and are open to exchanging ideas.

Anne R, Shaftesbury

Absolutely spot on about Gen Z – my teens are so much better-informed than I ever was. They don’t watch 24hr news - they just expect it to be there when and if they feel like dipping in. But they won’t fall for the scams their grandparents never even suspect, and they find their news from numerous sources, rarely

the TV. They even fact-check regularly. Don’t dismiss them just because they’re on TikTok.

Lucy P, Dorchester

Your Grumbler is a bout ... grumbling. Honestly - the point of 24 hours news isn’t to watch it constantly and see the same stuff on repeat. the pint is that you get on with your life, and dip in when it suits you. It’s the equivalent of watching Netflix on demand rather than being bound by an old TV schedule. Yes please, I say.

Adam F, Dorchester

Bravo Mr Gelfs

Bravo to Tim Gelfs for such a refreshingly blunt first NFU column. About time someone stood up and said what we’re all muttering in the yard – the whole ELMS/SFI/IHT debacle has been a shambles. Keep it coming, Tim. We need more straight talk and a lot less waffle.

Nick W, nr. Blandford

I was glad to see Tim Gelfs’ column in the magazine, saying what farmers have been thinking for years.

We’ve been pushed to change how we farm, spend thousands trying to do the right thing, and then watched the government yank the funding away with no warning. It’s no wonder people have lost faith.

Tim’s right – this isn’t clever policy, it’s chaos. You can’t build trust or long-term improvements if you keep moving the goalposts. Good on him for speaking plainly. I hope he keeps going – we need more voices like his. RD, Shaftesbury

On Holy Row to holy wow

I was only thinking about pew-gate a few months agao and wondering if it had ever been resolved - thank you for the update and putting my ind at ease! the church does look lovely and is clearly a more useable, flexible space without the Victorian pews.

I’m sure it’s still a sore subject with some villagers, but I do feel the most important thing is for churches to stay relevant community buildings, not echoing empoty museums. Well done Okeford Fitzpaine for finding a way though and getting it done!

Kathy L, Wimborne

We look after what matters to you.

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By working with us, you can be confident that whatever decisions you make, they’ll be based on sound legal advice that’s in your best interest.

Talk to us: info@porterdodson.co.uk 01305 262525

Upcoming events.

A FOLK SONG WALK

Join local folk singer Alastair Braidwood for walks in the countryside close to Dorchester

SEMLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Best music, arts, crafts, food and drink from around the world

YEWSTOCK SUMMER BINGO

Join us at Yewstock School for a night of numbers.

SHAFTESBURY FRINGE

Music, comedy, theatre, dance, cabaret, magicians and more

BALLET UNDER THE STARS

A SELECTION OF EVENTS FROM OUR WHAT’S ON CALENDAR FOR JULY

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

A Music & Drama Group event at Shaftesbury Arts Centre

HAWAII BOOGIE BINGO

The Udder Farm Shop’s ever-popular Old Skool Boogie Bingo

SWANAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL

The 34th Swanage Jazz Festival with 35 top quality bands

GURSTON ASCENT

A show of automotive finery, all built around The Ascent Drivers will be pushing their cars to the limit

MILTON ABBAS STREET FAIR

Milton Abbas invite you to their 18th Century Street Fair 1 JUL 3-12 JUL 4-6 JUL 4 JUL 11-13 JUL 20 JUL 26 JUL 25-27 JUL 18-29 JUL 9 JUL

Annual ballet gathering at hatch House Wilts. A must for ballet lovers

Discover What’s On across Dorset – for locals and visitors alike. From car boot sales to comedy nights, fun runs to village fetes, our calendar has the what, when, where, how much – even how long it’ll take you to get there. Got an event? Add it – it’s quick, easy, and FREE.

A local expert from Citizen’s Advice provides timely tips on consumer issues. In the postbag this month:

How do I spot a scam text?

Q:I got a text asking me to click on a link to reschedule a parcel delivery. I was waiting for a parcel from Royal Mail, so I clicked and was asked to make a payment. Luckily, my daughter told me the text is a scam but I almost gave away my personal details. How can I spot this type of scam in the future?

A:Parcel delivery scams are becoming increasingly common. Those involving texts and emails are known as phishing scams. They aim to trick you into giving away your personal and financial details. Scammers do this by enticing people to click on links which can lead to fake websites. While scammers can pretend to be from any parcel delivery company, many of them choose Royal Mail because it’s the largest delivery company in the UK. These scams can be in the form of a text or an email or phone call. There are also reports of fake ‘Something for You’ cards, which Royal Mail leave when a delivery attempt fails.

Here are some tips on how you can stay vigilant and spot the

signs of a parcel delivery scam:

• If you’re waiting for a parcel and get a message that asks you to pay to get it, or reschedule the delivery, it’s usually a scam.

• Don’t click any links or attachments in the text or email.

• Parcel delivery scammers often pretend to be from an organisation like Royal Mail, and can try to make you click on a fake version of the company’s genuine website. To check if a link is genuine, hover your mouse over the link without clicking on it, or press and hold on the link on a mobile device. You should be able to see the address the link goes to, so you can check it’s the same as the company’s official website address.

• Make sure you check the address carefully – fake link addresses can look similar to the genuine address.

• If you get an email, check if the email address matches the sender’s name or organisation

• If there’s something you’re unsure about, don’t feel pressured to act. Royal

Mail has a helpful page on its website of examples of delivery scams. You can check if you think something you’ve seen online, or in a text or email you’ve received, might be a scam, using an online tool on the Citizens Advice website

After defeat, a return to first principles

Simon Hoare sets out the enduring tenets which anchor Conservatism, a vision rooted in responsibility, pragmatism and national confidence

We are marking the anniversary of the 2024 General Election – the worst defeat for my party in our long history. A question which often arose was: ‘What does your party stand for?’ In other words – “Tell me the relevance of Conservatism for the 2020s/30s”. As a Conservative, sometimes that can be hard. We are a broad church of popular centre-right appeal. We have had no Little Red Book or Marxian jottings to constrain our path. Open. Pragmatic. Common sense. Common ground. These have been our lodestars. Robert Peel, the founding father of the modern Tory Party perhaps best summarised Conservatism as ‘retaining the best of what we have got and reforming only when necessary.’ So I thought it might be helpful (though it might not!) if I set out what I think the core and foundation principles of contemporary Conservatism should be.

• We believe in responsibilities as well as rights, seeing them as two sides of the same coin. We can have legitimate expectations of the State but so too can the State of us. Think Kennedy: ‘ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’. We have responsibilities to play our part in society, to pay our way, support our families and communities.

• The State should not be defined as being either small or big but, rather, smart. We must always see the State as servant, and not master. The challenges of demographic and changing tax takes means that every penny needs to be watched. The State needs to be fleet of foot, responsive ... but above all know its own limits. There is such a thing as society, but it is different from the State and the State will always err when it believes that only it can be the author of every solution.

The State will always err when it believes that only it can be the author of every solution

through understanding and confidence.

• We must have a sense of Britain’s role in the world and, springing from our democracy, free speech etc, be a beacon on the hill for those striving for the same. Soft power and influence needs to be maximised for the national and international good. This is different from Jingoistic blind patriotism, it is about national pride and selfconfidence in our ability to be a force for good.

• We need to instil faith in our institutions: the armed forces, legal system, police, church and crown. Not forelock-tugging deference but respect

• Conservative public services need to be modern and responsive to fastchanging demand. Our Welfare State should be a safety net through which no one can fall. However, it cannot be a straightjacketing cocoon from which no-one can escape.

• We need to be wedded to social mobility, sound money and having a property-owning democracy. Education and training should be the public service version of Timpson’s keycutting services – you need them to open life’s doors.

• We have to be collaborative and internationalist in our outlook, while maximising the opportunities of Commonwealth and our wider global reach.

• We need a civic pride in conserving our environment while building for the future.

• We must be a unifying force for all parts of our United Kingdom – championing our common ground of shared values and hopes rather than seeking dividing fault lines.

Over the coming months, as our policies start to take shape, if they are founded on, inter alia, the above key tenets, centre right voters and all who cherish our country and commonsense will, once again, find their political mooring.

When governments look away

Whenever you hear someone in government say that ‘difficult decisions have to be made’ inevitably the question inevitably arises, difficult for whom? Those making the decisions, or those affected by them? The Labour government’s plan for welfare ‘reforms’ (ie cuts) included making it harder for people to access Personal Independence Payments (PIPs), and cutting the rate of incapacity payments for those unable to work for health reasons.

The true measure of a civilised society surely lies in how it treats its poorer and most vulnerable citizens. PIP is designed to support people who have a long-term physical or mental health disability. Around 20 per cent of them are in work, but are simply unable to earn enough to cover their basic needs. This is yet another legacy of the decades-long failures of previous governments. And while levels of poverty have risen in the UK, the income of the rich has soared as the gap between the wealthy and the poor has widened. Hence the Green Party’s call for a fair tax system.

Levels of poverty have risen, the income of the rich has soared

A backbench rebellion obliged the Government to first offer some concessions, but they still proposed to reduce benefits paid to new claimants

– so people with identical needs would have ended up being treated differently. Unacceptably unfair. We await the outcome of the review of the PIP assessment.

On another crucial topic, the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.

Almost half our wildlife has gone, and another 10,000 species of plants, animals and birds are threatened with extinction.

In January the Government cut short the first reading of the Climate & Nature (CAN) Bill before it could be put to a vote, and rescheduled it for 11th July ... perhaps hoping there would not be enough time for it to be debated again?

There is a campaign for each of the 650 constituencies in England to send the Prime Minister a personal letter, urging him to give emergency debate time to the Bill and ensure that we have greater action on the climate and nature crisis. I’m pleased to have been asked to post the letter on behalf of North Dorset: the Government’s decision will affect rich and poor alike.

Ken Huggins North Dorset Green Party

Young minds for a better future

As a professional engineer I take great joy from the occasional opportunities I get to encourage young people to explore, or even take up, engineering. Last month it was a great pleasure to judge the entries and attend the award ceremony for our region’s Primary Engineer competition: a national science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiative to encourage primary school age children to think like an engineer, trying to solve problems and improve other peoples’ lives. My fellow judges and I read through, discussed, smiled at and were humbled by the fantastic ideas drawn

and described in the 250 best submissions from hundreds of children across our region.

I was very pleased to note that Sixpenny Handley First School was well represented in the best submissions! Our children were thinking up and setting out their ideas for a better future: I hope the families and friends were as inspired as I was. I left feeling uplifted and confident that the future will be better in these young hands as they mature. Much of the conversation between the judges was about the challenges of skills training, the availability of good apprenticeships and the sharp reductions we have seen in vocational training places over the last ten years. All the judges were drawn from major engineering companies, all with substantial early careers programmes: yet there is clearly a big gap between supply and demand. Last month’s government spending review announcement, and subsequent industrial strategy, set out spending plans for skills training and apprenticeships, but little specific detail. Total apprenticeships fell 40 per cent over the

decade, from a high in 2011. The new spending plan will only take investment back to 2014 levels. The details are promised in the post-16 education and skills strategy before parliament disappears for the summer on 22 July. Given the government’s frustrating foot-shooting as it flounders desperately to dig out of the winter fuel and personal independence payment hole of its own making, I am not sure we will see this important piece of growth-related policy before next term starts.

Every pound spent in the early years is well spent for the long term

The reason I get so excited about skills and training is that every pound spent in the early years is well spent for the long term.

Sure Start, childcare, education, skills are all investments in long-term growth, good health

and happiness in later life. Skimping on these in the past has been penny-wise-and-poundfoolish. Just before Covid struck, the skills budget reached its lowest point. We know the damage Covid did to education and young people’s mental health, yet the previous government refused to take its own experts’ advice on how much it would take to recover educational lost ground after the crisis.

If the current government is serious about sustainable growth, it needs to look harder at the areas where it will make the greatest difference. Skills, knowledge and our young people’s future is one of those noregrets choices.

A year of change and challenge

Friday 4th July marks exactly one year since the 2024 General Election where I was elected to Parliament as the first non-Conservative MP in West Dorset’s 138-year history as a constituency. I cannot believe it has been a whole year ... and yet at the same time it feels longer. It has been a whirlwind.

The initial shock soon gave way to a realisation of the enormity of the task ahead ... that first day being shown around the Palace and wondering how I would ever learn how the navigate the warren of corridors and narrow staircases. Even now I am still discovering new shortcuts and cutthroughs, hidden toilets, committee rooms I’ve never been in before – and recently a whole office block I didn’t know existed!

constituency office and hire staff. I still haven’t hired a communications person: so if you ever question the quality of my columns in this magazine it is because they are written by me personally (usually 10 minutes before the deadline!).

Then there was getting to grips with the complex and arcane procedure of the House, most of which you have to learn by osmosis. Bobbing: the act of standing and sitting to indicate to the Speaker you wish to ask a question. The Gallant Member is the correct way to refer to an MP who previously served in the Armed Forces. I’m not alone in still occasionally committing the cardinal sin of using ‘you’, which refers to the Speaker of the House, and not the person you are referring to. The list goes on. There was also the urgent need to find a

I sit on two Select Committees – Foreign Affairs and National Security. Both give me an opportunity to work on important issues of the defence and promotion of the realm.

I am still discovering new shortcuts, hidden toilets – and recently a whole office block

I have, I hope, also become competent at the important work of being a constituency MP. We have closed just over 2,500 pieces of casework, helping residents on everything from getting back from Israel after the outbreak of the war with Iran to securing numerous Education, Health and Care Plans for children with additional needs, and a thousand other issues, small, medium and big. I’ve spoken in the Chamber 84 times, and sent 820 written questions to ministers.

This is the most amazing – and difficult – job I have ever done, and I am hugely grateful to the residents of West Dorset for giving me the opportunity. So, on this one-year anniversary, I just wanted to say thank you again.

Edward Morello MP for West Dorset

Gary Jackson North Dorset Liberal Democrats

A summer of events and new faces in Sturminster Newton

Charity Auction and Preloved Fashion Show

There’s a special evening planned at the Tithe Barn, Hinton St Mary on Saturday 2nd August –a Charity Auction and Preloved Fashions Catwalk Show to raise funds for SturAction and Home Start Blackmore Vale. Tickets are available from 1855, The Emporium, or by email (contact details below). Your ticket includes:

• A Dorset Deluxe grazing supper from Black Cat Catering, with a complimentary glass of fizz

• A bar stocked by Dike & Son and run by volunteers

• A Preloved Fashion Catwalk, featuring outfits from The Preloved Boutique and Dapper Chaps, including stunning wedding dresses and suits

• Dorset desserts (brownies and berries)

• A Charity Auction with fantastic lots donated by local businesses – including a month’s subscription to The Hinton Workspace, Dorset food and pamper hampers, and a Dorset Tipples drinks hamper

• Live music and a DJ throughout the evening All the models are volunteers from community shops, the Girl Guides and friends of the organiser, with hair and makeup generously donated by local professionals. Most outfits will be for sale on the night. All the profits from the Evening will be donated to Stur Action and Home Start Blackmore Vale If you’d like to book tickets or donate a prize, please email: Caroline on hello@frontpageweddingfairs.com.

ArtWeeks and Photography on Display

Sturminster Newton Arts Weeks are now underway – this year for two full weeks, so you have longer to visit and enjoy the work of local artists showcased in shop windows across town. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the North Dorset Photo Competition. The exhibition at The Exchange is coming to an end, but plans are in hand to display the photographs elsewhere, including in the House of Commons later this year – a wonderful way to share the beauty of our part of Dorset.

New Shops Opening Soon

Stur’s independent shops continue to thrive, with only two premises currently empty – and SturAction already brimming with ideas for at least one of them! A warm welcome to: Green Lake Studio Crafts, opening officially on 12th July in Station Road. Weldmar Hospicecare Charity Shop, opening soon. Forgotten Frowns Aesthetics and Beauty, just opened on the corner of Church Street. Community Connections charity shop, reopening shortly at Stour Connect on Bath Road, complete with its café.

Looking Ahead

In keeping with Stur’s enthusiasm for sustainability and upcycling, plans are taking shape for a fun evening of Strut, Swap, Style on 1st October, celebrating all our wonderful charity shops. More details will follow soon.

Car & Bike Meets

The Car and Bike Enthusiasts Meet is growing every month – join them on the Rec on the first Saturday of each month from 9am to 12pm, with free parking courtesy of SturAction. On 6th September, the meet will feature craftspeople from 1855 demonstrating their skills (and possibly a few gin makers too – watch this space ...)

Supporting Our Community

At its most recent meeting, the SturAction Board agreed funding for:

• Sturminster Newton Boxing Club, supporting their work with young people

• Community Connections, to improve the outdoor seating area at the café

• The Riverside Festival on 16th August, offering an affordable afternoon and evening out for families

To keep these brilliant projects going, SturAction relies on donations of saleable goods – and, most importantly, volunteers. If you can spare a little time to join this friendly team, especially in the Market Place shop, your help will be hugely appreciated. If you would like to get involved, email Jacqui at SturBiz18@gmail.com – your skills (and friendship) will be very welcome.

by Tracie Beardsley

Bud, bloom, berry ... repeat

As boys they picked blueberries on a Dorset farm and now the Benson brothers blend tradition, flowers and cafe culture at the plantation

Little did brothers Dan and Josh Benson suspect that their school holiday job picking blueberries in a field near their Dorset home would shape their futures. Today that same field is part of their aptly-named Brothers’ Farm, a flourishing pick-your-own blueberry and creative cut flower enterprise near Wimborne. The brothers had worked summers here as teenagers, harvesting the crop without realising they would later take the reins.

The Blueberry farm was begun by the late David Trehane, the UK’s first (and now oldest) blueberry plantation. His first blueberries were planted in 1951 in his garden – 80 plants from Lulu Island in British Columbia, which were offered free of charge to any grower who was prepared to trial them to see how ‘high bush’ blueberries would perform in this country. They thrived, and in 1957 David planted a whole acre, about 1,000 plants, following with the larger field in 1964. Over the decades, many thousands of visitors came to pick their own berries, and Trehane blueberries gained a loyal following.

After university, Josh Benson qualified as a tree surgeon, and his brother Dan trained in landscape architecture and joinery and worked in London. ‘My wife and I had two youngsters and were living in a one-bedroom flat in London, with us both sleeping on the sofa with the kids in the bedroom. It was a great time up there but, in the

Aerial view of the blueberry fields at Brothers’ Farm

end, we just needed more space,’ says Dan. The ‘home of the British blueberry’ was calling, and after seven years of leasing the land, the brothers were eventually able to buy it in 2022.

The grassy bog blooms

With the warm weather ripening the burgeoning organic blueberry crop, their busiest season of fruit picking is fast approaching. The window is short: they have just six weeks to harvest, sell and freeze for next year. This time pressure coincides with increased demand for their other venture – cut flowers. Bouquet orders for summer weddings and events combine with an influx of visitors to their beautiful flower barn seasonal café.

Dan, pencil behind ear, hands grimy with soil and a list of a 1,000 jobs to do, breaks off to chat. Brother Josh is busy in the far field, training protégé Stuart.

Dan has been at the farm since early morning and has already cut more than 300 flower stems. What was once a grassy bog now blooms with colourful rows of phlox, dahlia, delphinium, nigella, salvia, cornflowers and perfect poppies. Behind this floral cornucopia are rustic picnic tables. Visitors are welcome to enjoy coffee and cake in the peaceful flower field.

‘This bit of land was buried under brambles and

The cafe outdoor seating is right beside the flower field

The Brothers’ Farm team Image: Sophie Matthews

scrub a few years ago,’ says Dan. ‘I decided to plant a few flower seeds and it’s grown ... literally!’

Dan’s sophisticated spreadsheet keeps track of the varieties he grows (at last count that included 15,000 seeds), ensuring a steady seasonal supply of cut flowers.

Their talented resident florist Becca Franklin then works her magic to devise sought-after wedding bouquets. ‘When people visit and see where, and how, the flowers are growing, they understand we can only offer what we grow and what’s in season. We don’t import any flowers. It’s very much field to florist – and that’s about six metres!’

The last few years have seen the conversion of an old potting shed into a rustic flower barn café, the ceiling artistically adorned with sprigs of dried flowers: all the handiwork of the brothers, who seem able to build, grow, mend and repair anything. Dan’s wife Cecily upholsteredthe bright lime and blue chairs.

The barn is home to a thriving flower workshop, offering yearround flower arranging courses and a sell-out flower club.

‘We’ve come a long way, from just me and Josh and one temperamental coffee machine in a shed shared with all our tools,’ says Dan. ‘We’re now open all year round and employ a wonderful team of people led by Fran in the Flower Barn helping us run the café and workshops, while we brothers manage the fields and Becca manages the floristry business.

‘We feel responsible for the legacy. That’s partly why we’ve kept the Trehane name for the blueberry business.

‘But we feel that all the changes we’re making will secure

the future of the fields for generations to come.’

As the blueberry picking season kicks in, a host of summer workers swell the ranks. Who knows – this crop of school-leavers may follow in the Benson brothers’ footsteps and be the next rural entrepreneurs.

Dan’s best blueberry recipe?

‘Mine must be our Blueberry Smoothie. Combine a handful of organic frozen blueberries with a chunk of banana and a little chunk of ginger. Mix with a big splash of apple juice. Healthy and refreshing.’

• brothersfarm.co.uk

• Blueberry PYO and Flower Barn Cafe open Wed-Sun, 10am to 4pm.

• Trehane Nursery, Stapehill Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7ND

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No appetite for food security

Seventy years after the end of rationing, politicians still fail to value food security as farms face crippling taxes and chronic under-investment

The Fourth of July is best known as American Independence Day – few people remember or know that it is the same date that wartime rationing finished in 1954. It was a significant date for the nation, but as Father Tim has ticked away, there are fewer and fewer people who remember just what food shortages were – and how they affected the whole country.

I am so tired of the past few decades, with succesive governments merely paying lip service to the words ‘food security’. In fact, this current government even had the words Food Security is National Security in its manifesto.

Actions speak louder than words, though. Some of the Labour policy is good, particularly that around protecting our high welfare and food standards on recent trade deals. I just hope that, as times moves on, lower standard products don’t creep their way onto our shelves. But there seems to be very little political appetite for real food security with domestic food production.

Remember the food

could give us a thriving domestic food industry. The planning system puts up too many barriers and costs, and then there is government policy. A real cut in the agricultural budget announced in the chancellor’s spending review does nothing to inspire food production. Local policymakers working on nature and landscape recovery have to be reminded they need to include food production.

IHT rumbles on

Then there’s the government policy on inheritance tax: it is not only choking the industry but preventing large-scale investments. Why would you put money into a business only to see it heavily taxed when it passes to the next generation?

Policymakers have to be reminded they need to include food production

With the unrest in today’s geo-political world, and the inevitable threat to food production from a changing climate, food security should be far higher up the pecking order of government policy. It was Winston Churchill who said: “Food security is the front line of any nation” as he faced the reality of a nation starving during World War Two. Our modern problem is the lack of long-term investment in the industry. It is the bedrock which

Ironically, inheritance tax has caught the older generation in the eye of the storm, with no clear way out. This is the same generation that helped their forebears bring the country out of rationing – and later embraced modern agricultural techniques to deliver the food security we have enjoyed for more than 50 years.

Now, after years of being told to “keep your assets until you die,” they are, in some cases, facing tax bills well in excess of a million pounds. Ask yourself: should this generation, people who have spent their lives feeding the nation, have to spend their twilight years worrying about this policy – many seeing the break-up of the family farm as the only way out?

A slow wheel

So what does the industry need? Confidence –confidence in government, in the marketplace, and in the consumer. I fear we only have one of these at the moment.

As I write this, it’s been reported that another 200 dairy farmers were lost in the past year.

The reporter asked why, when milk prices appear fairly stable. The real reason is a chronic lack of investment, driven by poor returns and poor policy over more than a decade, which has left farmers with little faith in the future. Agriculture is a very slow wheel to turn – decisions made today can take years to bear fruit.

I only hope policymakers realise this before it becomes impossible to steer that wheel back towards food production.

Tim Gelfs, Dorset NFU chairman

Warm welcomes and cold realities

Open Farm Sunday drew 3,000 visitors to Rawston Farm, but the shadow of TB returns with fresh tests ahead for James Cossins

At Rawston Farm we have some goods news to report and also some bad news.

Firstly the good: the Open Farm Sunday event we hosted on 8th June was an amazing success. At Down Barn, we welcomed nearly 3,000 people to the farm – and we took 1,212 of them around the farm on tractor and trailer rides.

Our aim this year was to show our visitors what foods we produce here on the farm, and how we produce them. In the grain barn my wife (and also a BV columnist) Barbara had organised many local food producers to show what was produced here in Dorset. We had stands for honey, rapeseed oil, milk and milk products, preserves, cider, sausage rolls ... and so many more products.

We also had on display some of our farm machinery, ranging from our seed drill to the combine. During the farm tours, visitors learned about the life cycle of a milking cow while watching them graze in the paddock.

images: Courtenay Hitchcock

The grain barn was filled with local producers as well as visitors enjoying their products

Green Weald Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil – a single-variety of rapeseed grown and processed on Cranborne Chase in Dorset

We spotted plenty of hares out in their favourite grass field – many people on the trailers had never seen so many gathered together. Later in the day, guests watched the cows being milked and discovered how the milk gets from the farm all the way to the shops. We also had beef cattle, sheep, pigs and baby chicks on display, and we were also joined by representatives of our local Damory Veterinary Practice. I hope everyone had an enjoyable day –and, just as importantly, came away having learned something new about farming. My thanks go to all the local farmers and volunteers who gave their time and helped the day run so smoothly.

The TB

The bad news is that one of our beef TB reactors was found to have a culture-positive result for TB. Many of you will remember our loss of 47 animals, including a bull, at the start of the year. That was about 15 per cent of our entire adult cattle herd. This latest result means that not only do we have to carry out a skin test but also a gamma blood test at the same time. Although the milking cows were blood tested last November, we have been requested to test them again: we have to hope that further infection has not been picked up since then. None of us at Rawston is looking forward to the last week of July, (comma) when the testing will be taking place.

Our cereal harvest is likely to start in the first week of July, which is about two weeks early. We are currently busy getting the combines ready and cleaning out our grain stores ready for the harvest. It is difficult at the moment to predict the anticipated yield, after such a dry spring and summer but with the bonus of extra sunshine. I will report back at the next time of writing, hopefully with positive news ... on both the harvest yields and a clear TB test.

Carbon offsets: a distant dad’s apology

Buying rainforest offsets isn’t cutting it – how about UK firms funding their local farms to fight emissions and grow food sustainably

Accountability: ‘the fact of being responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it, or the degree to which this happens.’

It’s safe to say that we are becoming ever more accountable for our actions. The modern world of internet, social media and smartphones is facilitating (and often forcing) transparency and public scrutiny. If you, Joe Public, choose to blur the moral lines of right and wrong, chances are exceptionally high these days that you’ll eventually be caught out and face public shame. Get caught stealing a loaf of bread in medieval times and you’d probably end up in the stocks, getting rotten fruit thrown in your face. Park your Discovery across two parking spaces today and you’ll be plastered over your local ‘Spotted in…’ Facebook group before you can say ALDI – and most likely labelled a Nazi too. But while individual behaviour is increasingly policed by the crowd, is the same level of scrutiny being applied to businesses and institutions? Companies are under growing pressure to prove that their claims – whether about sustainability, fairness or ethics – can withstand inspection.

Of the world’s 100 largest carbon offsetting projects, 80% are ‘problematic’

I’m just not too sure how truly accountable it is for businesses to be buying carbon credits. It’s great that big businesses are splashing the cash to save the rainforest ... but is anyone actually holding these companies accountable? Rather than simply throwing money at the problem, are corporate entities being properly scrutinised to see if they could change their own practices to better help the environment?

It smacks of a distant dad giving his child £100 each birthday and Christmas to make up for the countless times he wasn’t around all year. Yes, the cash is great, but it would be better to do the right thing and give time, love and attention to the child. And even if you throw cash to solve the situation – do you know that your money is truly being spent in the right place to protect the future of our planet?

The answer: we don’t.

The best bit

A recent report by Corporate Accountability found eight in ten of the world’s 100 largest carbon offsetting projects to be ‘problematic’ – their emissions benefits were either lower than stated or were significantly harming local

communities around the projects. Worst of all, nine in ten of these ‘problematic’ projects are located south of the equator. Surely, if you want to throw cash to solve your problem, the least you can do is throw it at your own country?

I’m not a politician, and I know that greenhouse gas emissions are a global problem, but why don’t we solve our problems at home?

Stick with me here, figures incoming … latest figures suggest that in 2022, agriculture was responsible for 12 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions – a total of 47.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The government knows this is an issue, so it pays farmers for growing food sustainably and for working on nature recovery through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – with a current budget of £2.7 billion a year over the next two years.

The current price of a carbon credit (or one tonne of carbon capture) is £64.90.

So what if the Government created a trading scheme where UK businesses could buy carbon credits straight from British Agriculture? It would support sustainable food production without the need for endless taxpayer’s money as subsidies (and stop the sudden abandonment of schemes when the pot runs out).

If the UK government put in £2.7 billion, and UK businesses bought 47.7 million tonnes of carbon

MSc Org Farming, Dip FM, FIAgrM

Philip Day Agricultural Consultant

• 30 years’ management experience of dairy, beef, sheep and arable farming

• Practiced in converting and managing organic farms

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• Advice on soil health and livestock management

• Effective staff management and recruitment

• Budgeting and monitoring farm performance

• If you’d like to discuss making your farm more resilient in a less certain world, please contact me

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philip@pwday-agriconsult.co.uk

credits, at £64.90 per credit (totalling just under £3.1 billion), that would make available a yearly SFI fund of £5.8 billion – more than double the current annual fund.

This larger pot would give greater funding to farmers to reduce their carbon emissions by investing in new technologies, tree planting and better soil management ... all while encouraging them to keep doing what they do best: producing food!

Encouraging farmers to do what they do best

But that’s not even the best part of my idea: the carbon credits purchased from businesses could be primarily assigned to local farms near that business, thereby creating a stronger, more transparent connection between the agriculture and business sectors.

This would allow businesses to see where their money is really being spent and the actual, transparent difference it is making – not just sending money south of the equator and hoping you’ve done the right thing.

Record agri stands set for G&S

Farmers and rural businesses across Dorset and the South West are preparing for one of the region’s most anticipated agricultural gatherings: the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show. Returning to Turnpike Showground on 13th and 14th August, The two-day event offers a mix of demonstrations, advice and networking for farmers and rural businesses.

This year’s show will be presided over by Baroness Minette Batters, Wiltshire farmer and outgoing president of the National Farmers’ Union, whose leadership has brought farming issues to the forefront of national debate. Her involvement underlines the show’s standing as a key date in the agricultural calendar.

Rural networking in person

This year more than 75 agricultural trade stands will be on site, offering farmers the chance to engage directly with machinery dealerships, agronomists, insurance brokers, livestock vets, land agents, milking equipment suppliers and many others. From cutting-edge precision technology to practical advice on everything from succession planning and diversification to disease control and grazing management, the show remains an important opportunity for rural professionals to stay ahead in a changing sector.

Show organiser Cat Harris said: ‘We’re excited to have more agricultural trade stands than in recent years, with still two months to go, proving that the G&S is a firm favourite for farm trade and rural networking.’

This enthusiasm reflects a wider trend: according to an NFU survey in late 2023, more than 60 per cent of UK farmers said in-person shows remain among their most valued ways to source trusted information and new ideas. In an era of rapid change, from post-Brexit regulation to rising input costs, many farmers see events like Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show as a vital opportunity for sharing knowledge and exploring new opportunities.

Not just business

Beyond the trade stands, livestock competitions will be a highlight, showcasing top-class sheep and cattle from across the region. The Grand Parade at 3:15pm each day brings together the finest prizewinners in a traditional spectacle of farming pride.

Visitors can also enjoy a strong line-up of heritage and entertainment. Terrier racing, gun dog demonstrations and a vintage tractor and steam display offer a glimpse into traditional farming methods and rural crafts

For families, the main ring will feature the drama of medieval jousting and the high-octane Tigers Motorcycle Display Team, offering a spectacle that appeals to all generations.

• Tickets and full details are available at gillinghamandshaftesburyshow.co.uk

July in the garden

Slugs, tired blooms and thirsty borders? Keep your garden in shape this summer with Pete Harcom’s no-nonsense seasonal checklist

While we can relax and enjoy the garden now, there are always just a few jobs to keep things ‘ship shape and Bristol fashion’. With mild and wet evenings, slugs and snails can be a problem for some flowers, particularly Dahlias (and yes, I’m speaking from experience!). Try to avoid slug pellets (even organic ones) as they have been shown to have negative effects on wildlife in the garden. It’s better to encourage natural predators, such as birds, frogs, toads, hedgehogs, slowworms and ground beetles, as these all eat slugs and snails. I find beer traps are very good – just fill a small glass jar with 1/3 beer, and leave it sitting out near any plant/s you want to protect. A few days later, the jar will be filled with dead slugs: just toss them into your compost heap. Or you can try a night-time torchlight assault, and just search and pick the blighters off your plants. Proprietary slug and snail traps are also available from most garden suppliers. There are many plants that are simply less palatable to slugs and snails. Here are a few which, in my experience, slugs tend to leave alone: Agapanthus, Alchemilla mollis (lady’s mantle), Anemone, Antirrhinum (snapdragon), Aquilegia, Aster, Astilbe, Astrantia, Bergenia, Digitalis (foxglove), Euphorbia, Geranium species, Geum,

Pelargonium, Potentilla, Pulmonaria, Saxifraga and Sisyrinchium. There are lots of others – a quick internet search is your friend if you’re planning a slug-resistant garden!

Other jobs to keep on top of:

• Keep deadheading flower borders regularly as this prolongs flowering. It also keeps borders free from unsightly dying petals (especially under rose bushes, where they can lead to black spot). Deadheading also helps prevent plants from wasting energy creating unwanted seed heads.

• Remember to feed hanging baskets and potted plants with liquid feed to encourage new growth – it will also help to revive any tired displays.

Try a nighttime torchlight assault, and just search and pick the blighters off

• Tender perennials such as Fuchsias are best propagated from cuttings, and July is a great time for Fuchsia cuttings, as young plants root more easily. Dianthus can also be increased this way, by taking cuttings from the tender new growth – try to avoid flowering shoots.

• Continue to tie in and train new growth on all climbing plants.

• Always water the soil around the base of plants, rather than the foliage.

• Ensure bird baths and water features are topped up during hot weather.

The

Voice of the Allotment

June diary

Barry Cuff takes a look back at what happened on his Sturminster Newton plot last month

Water – Halfway through the year and we are seriously short of soil moisture. The last three months have seen low rainfall in our area. We rely on the well on our allotments, which thankfully has not run dry nor is it likely to, even if this very dry spell continues into July.

Pumping to supply the seven raised 330-gallon containers and troughs has been carried out 14 times this month – most plotholders use the water wisely, taking care not to waste the precious commodity. However no amount of watering can replace a decent fall of rain.

Potatoes – They always need a lot of water, so during the month each 18 foot row has been given 30 litres on two separate occasions. At the beginning of the month we used the last of our 2024 crop of Caledonian Rose which made good chips and roasts. We started digging the new crop (Maris bard and Jazzy) mid-month. The Jazzy gave excellent yields per plant, and as a new spud were as good as any Jersey Royal.

Brassicas – Immediately after planting out they have to be protected from pigeons by a net cloche. We now have the following: one row of Red Drumhead cabbage, which have

outgrown their cloche and are not being attacked by the birds at present. The Brenden Brussels sprouts (planted on the 1st) are doing well.

Cheesy and Cendis cauliflower were planted on the 14th and Ironman Calabrese on the 29th.

Direct sowings – beetroot and carrots, at regular intervals.

Plug trays – We have sown Aureo cauliflower, Vertus Savoy cabbage, Claret purple sprouting broccoli and Navona romanesco, all for planting out in July.

Harvest – Broad beans completed on the 15th, and the plants put on the compost heap. Garlic on the 27th (excellent yields of two varieties). Picked our first courgettes on the 26th, and the first greenhouse tomatoes on the 29th.

Salads – We love our salads! Beetroot was pulled as required. We always have lettuce as we make successive sowings between March and September. Spring onions and radish as required. Jazzy is always a good salad potato.

now shielding the fruit with newspapers on the sunniest days: greenhouse temperatures rose to over 45º on the hottest days in June.

Fruit – It’s been an exceptional year for our strawberries which finished cropping on the 25th. We’ve also had good yields of blackcurrants, whitecurrants and gooseberries: Val has made around 30lb of jam. We picked our first autumn raspberries on the 20th June!

In the greenhouse – All the tomatoes are doing well. A few of the sweet peppers have sun scorch but are usable. We are

Peas – These are short due to lack of rain. Hope to pick the first week in July.

Other veg – Cucurbits, sweetcorn celeriac, French and runner beans all need some decent rain, despite being watered every day.

Weeding – We are using the hoe and hand weeding. Our worst weeds are gallant soldiers, bindweed, fat hen, sowthistle and many-seeded goosefoot.

Biodiversity – A few of our ‘special’ weeds are now in flower and attracting the bees - moth mullein, opium poppy and weasel snout. We spotted a wasp beetle on the broad beans and a young adder was found on an adjacent plot. There seem to be fewer butterflies than usual.

Image: Barry Cuff

The first residents are moving into Hazelmead, the eco cohousing development in Bridport Images: Bournemouth Churches Housing Association

Can Dorset do it?

In June, Dorset CPRE hosted a planning conference on Net Zero – North Dorset chairman Rupert Hardy reports on the discussions

The goal of achieving Net Zero homes is vital. Buildings account for a huge 39 per cent of energy-related carbon emissions, which come from their construction, operation and maintenance – they are a major driver of global warming and climate change. In 2023, the UK government made a commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050, meaning that any greenhouse gas emissions produced must be balanced by those removed from the atmosphere. It is essential that all new buildings are designed and constructed to meet this goal. Net Zero requires that homes must be compliant in both operational energy – the energy used for heating, lighting and daily living – and their embodied carbon, which covers the emissions generated during construction. Homes built to these standards aren’t just better for the planet, they also benefit their occupants by being constructed to higher standards and having significantly lower running costs.

Can Dorset join the revolution?

The planning conference looked at how Dorset can rise to the challenge of ensuring that all new homes meet the Net Zero target. The event brought together industry experts, policy makers, developers and academics to discuss the latest innovations and challenges in zero carbon sustainable housing. It showcased pioneering examples of Net Zero development

and tried to answer some of these questions:

• What measures are needed to ensure that Dorset’s new homes meet Net Zero targets?

• What policy changes and incentives are needed to support innovation in the industry?

• How must construction methods change to reduce carbon emissions?

• Can affordable homes be delivered that meet Net Zero targets?

Getting left behind

The conference was opened by Dorset CPRE president, former BBC Chief News Correspondent, Kate Adie, and was chaired by Dorset CPRE planning group chairman Andrew Procter whose talk, Making the Case for Zero Carbon in Dorset, set the scene by explaining why Dorset and BCP must take a proactive approach to ensuring new homes meet Net Zero targets.

Hazelmead was initially opposed by Dorset Council – but has since become a flagship example of innovation

He explored the opportunities for the area to become a leader in delivering Zero Carbon housing and highlighted other authorities, such as Cornwall, that have pioneered mandatory low-carbon policies for new developments. He also questioned why so many countries across Europe are so much further ahead.

Andrew proposed that Dorset should set up a Net Zero Innovation Centre – an idea that drew enthusiastic support from many in the audience.

It happens in Bath

The second speaker was Dr Will Hawkins, Lecturer in Structural Engineering Design at the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, University of Bath. His talk, Pioneering Net Zero Carbon Construction Planning Policy in B&NES, examined Bath and North East Somerset Council’s groundbreaking policies, introduced in 2023. These policies require all new developments to achieve Net Zero operational energy and major developments to meet embodied carbon targets, making B&NES the first council in the country to adopt such measures.

Pioneering Bridport

Sam Goss, Founding Director of Barefoot Architects, followed with Bridport Cohousing: A Place to Grow. He shared the story of Bridport Cohousing, now named Hazelmead – a pioneering low-carbon development of 53 Net Zero affordable homes built on land crowdfunded by members. Developed to address the severe shortage of affordable, sustainable and community-oriented housing in Bridport, the project was designed to foster sociability and reduce loneliness. Ironically, it was initially opposed by Dorset Council, but has since become a flagship example of innovation. The Community Land Trust development includes shared facilities, a large wild space and a community orchard. Most of the site is pedestrianised, with cars and tarmac moved to the edges.

It’s getting better

The final talk came from Ian Pritchett, Co-Founder and Innovation Director at Greencore Homes. A pioneer in using lime mortars in the building sector, Ian presented Better than Zero Carbon Homes Now!, and demonstrated how highperformance, low-carbon homes can be delivered today, and discussed how buildings can go even further. However, he noted that achieving this requires widespread upskilling across the industry. Greencore Homes is currently working on 500 such homes.

Rooftop solar and no heat pumps

Following the presentations, there was a round table debate on the issues raised.

The speakers were joined by:

• Councillor Nick Ireland, leader of Dorset Council (DC) and cabinet member for performance, climate and safeguarding

• Councillor Kieron Wilson, portfolio holder for housing and regulatory services at BCP Council

• Tim Crabtree, chair Dorset Community Energy

• Mark Chivers, co-founder of Zero Carbon Dorset

All the speakers gave engaging and inspirational contributions, but there was particular interest in the Hazelmead development in Bridport. Notably, Hazelmead and Greencore Homes both use direct electric heating rather than heat pumps – an approach that contrasts with current government policy. All the developments also make extensive use of rooftop solar panels, a strategy CPRE has been advocating for years as a preferable alternative to harmful greenfield solar schemes. The round table gave leaders from Dorset Council and BCP Council a chance to reflect on the challenges and opportunities.

There was broad agreement that Dorset should follow the example set by pioneering councils such as Bath and North East Somerset by introducing standards far more ambitious than the current government building regulations. These national standards are often held back by the reluctance of large house builders to adopt them. Participants agreed that government legislation should be more supportive and proactive about decarbonising construction.

Signs of hope

Nick Ireland acknowledged that Dorset Council still has a long way to go to move on from the outdated policies in previous Local Plans. However, he expressed hope that the new – though still embryonic – Local Plan will show real progress. He also noted that Dorset Council is not currently considering using powers of compulsory purchase, describing them as “too cumbersome and too complex.”

Instead, he hopes the Council can use its own land to help meet local housing needs.

All present agreed on one thing: the urgency of the challenge, echoing Sir David Attenborough’s words: “What we do in the next ten years will profoundly affect the next few thousand.”

Photovoltaic panels on the Hazelmead development roofs

Take a Hike:

A stunning circular walk from Wardour Castle| 8.3 miles

See all previouslypublished Dorset Walks on the website here You can also find every route we’ve walked (including many which are unpublished in The BV) on OutdoorActive here (just zoom in/out on the map) – all include a downloadable gpx file.

One from the archive this month:

This lovely circular route starts and ends from the beautiful Wardour Castle. It winds across the folded countryside typical of the Dorset/Wiltshire border, with steep wooded valleys, wide views, a couple of spectacular ancient holloways and a beautiful cathedral-like forest too.

The castle’s car park is free, and if you time it right the castle will still be open and you can pop in for an ice cream when you finish!

Though there are some steep ups and downs, none are very long and the walk isn’t too strenuous. It is well signed – though a few paths suffered from waist-high nettles; a decent stick may be required! – and it’s lovely to come into the quiet lanes of Ansty and Swallowcliffe (the ancient Swallowcliffe yew shouldn’t be missed). Also, about three-quarters of the way round, a very short detour will take you via the Compasses at Ansty for a cheeky pint, too!

Wildlife within reach

Ospreys and beavers ... Jane Adams explores how livestream webcams bring wildlife wonders to everyone, even if you can’t leave the house

I’ve spent more time at home over the last month than I normally would. It has reminded me of the lockdowns in the warm summer of 2020, when none of us could go far and I discovered every nook and cranny of my garden. This year, I have a new pond to enjoy, and with it, I’ve gained an entire cast of new wildlife characters drawn to the water. But what if you don’t have a garden? Or, like my husband, you simply find it hard to get out and

about? What to do if you love wildlife but can’t always get to see it?

Blessings of technology

A couple of months ago, one of the white-tailed eagles released on the Isle of Wight flew over our house. My friend and neighbour Hugh tipped me off with a phone call, and for a few unforgettable minutes, we watched this huge bird – once extinct in the UK – climbing the

From the livestream: Mum (CJ7) with all four chicks at the start of July on the Landscape view

The aerial view gives a real sense of the height of the nest: here, dad (022) has just delivered a fish to the rest of the family. 022 is known for being an active parent and participating in feeding the chicks

thermals above our garden. Something I never thought I’d see.

It got me thinking about another bird of prey that has made a welcome comeback to Dorset: ospreys. Thanks to the incredible work of Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, ospreys are nesting and successfully fledging young in Dorset, for the first time in nearly 200 years. For the last three years, we’ve been able to watch them. This summer, one pair has four chicks, and, if all goes well, they’re due to fledge in midJuly. Some lucky people have watched their progress in person through binoculars from a viewing platform at the harbour’s edge. But even if you can’t make the trip, you can still follow their story on the live webcams, joining hundreds (maybe thousands) of other people, all commenting on what they have seen and leaving notes so that you can rewind and see anything you missed.

Dorset Wildlife Trust also has cameras set up to watch the Beaver Project – there’s no live webcam, but they do post regular updates with video footage of the beavers: see below to watch at least three members of the beaver family working together to build a dam. Over the course of six nights, the beavers spent almost 15 hours on construction work, pausing now and then for snacks and a bit of grooming. Watching wildlife shouldn’t just be for those who can get around easily or can travel without difficulty. It should be something we can all enjoy, whatever our circumstances.

Live webcams worth watching:

• Poole Harbour ospreys: Two webcams from different angles, and on each you can see comments from other webcam watchers from around the world: See the Landscape view HERE and the Aerial view HERE

• There are two live webcams from Brownsea Island Lagoon, with beautiful views and bird sounds, especially at dusk and dawn birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/brownsea-webcams

• Badger watching in Essex: Another one that is best at dusk when the badgers venture out: essexwt.org.uk/wildlife/webcams/ badger

• Further afield, Explore features a wide array of live nature cams, including brown bears in Katmai National Park and African river wildlife: explore.org

I hope you find a moment to watch the Poole Harbour ospreys online. It’s wonderful that even if you can’t get out in person – whether due to health, mobility or simply a busy life – the internet brings these magnificent birds, and so much other wildlife, within easy reach. It can also help you feel more connected to nature and other nature lovers. If you’ve never watched a webcam before, now’s the perfect time to start!

Summer butterflies

From peacocks to painted ladies, discover and where to find Dorset’s most delicate, dazzling insects in their full seasonal glory

Nothing quite captures the essence of summer like butterflies dancing through the garden on a warm, golden afternoon. Their delicate wings and carefree flight seem to embody the season itself. If you’ve ever paused to watch them flit from flower to flower, you’ll know the quiet joy they bring. Dorset is a haven for butterflies, and Dorset Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves are perfect places to see them in all their summer glory. At Kingcombe Meadows near Maiden Newton, wildflower-rich fields attract marbled whites, common blues and gatekeepers. Over in Lorton Meadows near Weymouth, you might spot small

tortoiseshells, peacocks and meadow browns fluttering along the hedgerows and grassy paths. Upton Heath near Poole, with its unique heathland habitat, is home to rarer species like the silverstudded blue, grayling and small heath. The rare silver-spotted skipper thrives on warm, southfacing chalk grassland. Its golden-spotted wings and rapid flight make it a thrilling sight for keen butterfly watchers, and Fontmell Down near Shaftesbury is the only place in Dorset where this nationally-scarce species is now recorded. Summer butterflies can be spotted in the garden, on grass verges, walking through fields with hedgerows, visiting parks, heathland, woodland, or along the coastal path. Here are four beautiful butterflies to look out for this summer.

Peacock butterfly

One of the most common butterflies you’ll see in gardens and greenspaces across Dorset is the peacock. Its iridescent blue peacock-feather-like eyespots strategically placed across its brownishred wings make this butterfly easily identifiable. With a wingspan of 6.3-7.5cm, this medium-sized butterfly’s striking markings are meant to mimic real eyes, intensely staring back at would-be predators in a bid to intimidate and deter them from attack.

Holly blue © John Bridges

Peacock butterfly ©Hamish Murray

Found in a range of habitats from woodland to grassland to window boxes, the peacock can be spotted on the wing throughout the year and overwinters in the UK as an adult. Before hibernating in the dark crevices of trees and sheds, adults spend their summer feeding on nectar-rich plants such as buddleia, thistles and ragwort. In May, female butterflies lay a clutch of around 500 eggs onto the caterpillar’s foodplant, the common nettle. After a few weeks, small black caterpillars covered in white spots and short spines hatch. The caterpillars then spin a communal web to protect themselves as they feed on the nettle leaves, before splitting off and eventually pupating, appearing as adult peacock butterflies in July.

Painted lady

The painted lady is one of the most remarkable butterflies found in the UK, not least because of its incredible migratory journey. Painted ladies migrate from North Africa and the Mediterranean each spring, flying thousands of miles to reach UK shores. Easily recognised by their orange, black, and white patterned wings, painted ladies are energetic flyers and can be spotted in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal cliffs and downlands to gardens, parks and roadside verges. They are especially fond of nectar-rich flowers like thistles, buddleia and knapweed. Despite their delicate appearance, these butterflies are incredibly resilient. Their life cycle is rapid, allowing several generations to emerge during their stay in the UK before the return migration southwards begins.

Holly blue

The holly blue is a delicate and charming butterfly, easily recognised by its shimmering pale blue wings. Unlike many other blues, it often flies high around trees and shrubs, rather than staying low to the ground. The males and females are similar, though females have a distinctive black edging on the upper wings. The underwings are a pale silver-

blue with tiny black spots, helping them blend into their surroundings when at rest.

Holly blues are one of the earliest butterflies to emerge, often seen flitting through gardens, parks, churchyards and woodland edges. True to their name, the caterpillars of the first-generation feed primarily on holly, while the second generation lays its eggs on ivy in summer – a unique seasonal switch that helps them thrive in urban and rural areas alike.

Marbled white

The marbled white is a striking butterfly known for its distinctive black-and-white patterned wings, resembling a checkerboard or marbled effect. This species is a classic summer sight in the UK, especially in flower-rich grasslands, meadows and chalk downlands.

Marbled whites typically emerge from late June through August, flying gracefully in warm, sunny weather. Their bold black and white markings make them easy to spot as they glide low over grasses and wildflowers, often feeding on nectar from thistles, knapweed and scabious. Males are territorial and can often be seen patrolling the same area, defending it from rivals. Their caterpillars feed on various grasses, including red fescue and sheep’s fescue, which are abundant in chalky soils.

In Dorset, Kingcombe Meadows nature reserve is a good place to start your search. The species thrives in the traditionally-managed chalk grassland habitat, and its presence is often an indicator of a healthy, biodiverse meadow ecosystem.

For tips on how to help peacocks and other butterflies in your garden or greenspace, visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-friendly-garden

Painted lady butterfly © Hamish Murray

Marbled white © Hamish Murray

We welcome photography submissions from readers – the only rule is that they must have been taken locally in the last month. Our cover shot is always selected from our submissions pile. If you’d like to join in, please share it in The BV community Facebook Group or simply email it to us on photos@bvmagazine.co.uk

Floof

Annette Gregory

Dangly legs Caz Robins

Ready for my close up Maurice Whitney

Twisted oak

Jeff Withers

Looking Alexa Pereira

Watchful

Karen Allsebrook

Just a little nap ...

Nightjar Simon Craft

Mike Howson

Moonlight portal

Hang ross

Squabbling White Admirals Rebecca Cooke

Sarah Corbett

Warren Port

Harry Meech

Inquisitive cub

Ian Nelson

Got an itch

Guy Belbin

Rob Hannam

Kimmeridge Bay

This month Barry Cuff has chosen two postcards sent from 1960s holidaymakers at Kimmeridge Bay.

Postcard sent to London on 29th October 1972 – no visitor centre yet, of course, and judging by the pile of lobster pots, Kimmeridge is still a working harbour. I think we can all appreciate the (I’m going to presume local) man’s beach gear of a tweed cap and jacket – and in the background the determined daytrippers who have managed to erect deckchairs on Kimmeridge’s spectacularly rocky beach!

Having coffee in the Post Office stores here this morning, very grey skies too but lightening. We had a wonderful walk along Studland Bay and on to Ballard Down in the afternoon. Met one old Tory half way along Studland beach, & another in Fortes Cafe at lunch time! Have found another nice hotel for the last two days & will call you on Wed. Regards to Peter. Love from us both, Dad

The postcard was sent on 20th June 1968 - Labour MP Barbara Castle was Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity at the time, and in ‘68 she would have been much in the news as she intervened on behalf of the women sewing machinists on strike at the Ford Dagenham motor plant: Thursday Swanage. Dear Jimmy & Gladys, Edith & I are thinking of you as we enjoy our holiday here, & must tell you @ once, we have had a spell of sunshine such as we have longed for, for years, & have been able to get around to view many outstanding beauty spots such as Blue Pool, St Aldhelms Head, Kimmeridge, Swyre’s Head, Durlston, Studland, Corfe Castle etc. All very lovely & all so different. It has also been lovely to see little children enjoying themselves to the full, not having a single care what Barbara Castle does!!! Our love to you both, from George & Edith

Tarrant Monkton ford before World War One ‘Now’ images by Courtenay Hitchcock

DORSET

ASSAULTING A GAMEKEEPER

(30th August). Thomas Clarke and William Clarke, young men, of Tarrant Monkton, were summoned for trespassing in search of conies on enclosed land in that parish. They were also charged with assaulting Thomas Newman, a gamekeeper, employed by Mr. Forder, of Langton, at the same time and place. Mr. Baymond prosecuted. Newman stated that on July 26th he saw the defendants in Fox Brake. When they got near to him he challenged them. On attempting to search one of them William Clarke snatched witness’ stick away, and the other defendant struck witness in the face with his fist. He followed defendants out of the wood, and Thomas Clarke used threats towards him.

We love pairing a vintage postcard with a photograph taken in the same spot today. Alongside the postcards, we feature a newspaper article from the same time and place – a little glimpse of life when the card was posted.

COUNTY CHRONICLE, 1906

He had previously cautioned the defendants. Thomas Clarke denied the assault, and said the keeper received his black eye by falling on the ground backwards. (Laughter.) Defendants were sentenced to one month’s hard labour each for the assault, the charge of trespass being dismissed.

MR. FORDER’s SPORTING RIGHTS

(Special Town Council Meeting, 6th December). Mr. Dyke alluded to the comtemplated visit of troops to the neighbourhood next year, and asked if it had been arranged for them to come. He had heard that objections had been raised to their coming, and if that was true he thought that they ought to make a strong representation to the member for the division and to the War Office, that they should be

The ford is unchanged a century later – even the bridge’s fence posts are the same. But where once the village had an open aspect and tidy verges, it is now bordered by thick, leafy hedges and trees. The building on the left was added in 1936.

able to utilise the beautiful downs near Blandford which were most suitable for military manœuvres. It would be a shame for any man to stand in the way of the trade of the town by objecting to their coming. Mr. Payne said he did not think anyone would stand in the way purposely. The Mayor said he was glad to hear Mr. Payne say that, as he did not think anyone would stand in the way of the trade of the town being ndvanced. Mr. Payne said he was merely expressing an opinion. Mr. Riggs said unfortunately they did not seem to possess any information on the matter.

Mr. Payne said that negotiations were going on. Mr. Riggs thought if they were called upon to discuss the matter they should be in possession of all the information they could have. Alderman Smith asked if Mr. Forder, of Langton House, had asked £1,500 as compensation for the men coming on the Down. Mr. Payne believed that that was true. He had the information from Mr. Forder’s son, who told him that negotiations were going on, and his father had put before the War Office his request. He did not believe any answer had been given yet. Mr. Forder thought he should be compensated for any damage done to his sporting, and he wanted some understanding from the War Office that he would be compensated, and the sum of £1,500 had been mentioned. He was not prepared to say what the conditions were: but as the War Office

The Tarrant villages take their names from the Tarrant chalk stream, which rises at Tarrant Gunville and joins the Stour at Tarrant Crawford. Tarrant Monkton is one of eight surviving Tarrant villages but there were originally ten if you include the lost hamlets of Tarrant Antioch (near Tarrant Rawston) and Tarrant Preston, today represented by Preston Farm, south of Tarrant Rushton.

were so anxious to use the Downs he did not think the sum mentioned would stand in the way, as it was for a national and not private purpose, and the people of the town were anxious for the men to come there.

Mr. Dyke said that in after-dinner speeches, some gentlemen spoke of the advancement of the Empire and other patriotic things, and yet were the first to try to put obstacles in its way. He thought nothing would be lost by sending a representation to Mr. Wills and the War Office. Mr. Payne thought it would be advisable to send to Mr. Wills. Mr. Bunce thought that would do no harm, and would be a good move. Mr. Norman thought Mr. Forder wanted a lot for his few rabbits on the Downs, considering the estate did not belong to him.

Mr. Derham said they all knew on the Race Down and that leading to Tarrant Monkton there were few rabbits and little game. The British public, as a rule, did not trespass on private enclosures, and he thought with some precautions being taken Mr. Forder would find his rabbits and game were as safe there as if there were no troops on the Downs.

The Town Clerk said there was Launceston Heath to be considered. Mr. Woodhouse said there were no

Apart from the cars, a coat of white paint on the brick and flint wall and a fancier thatched porch, this row of cottages in 2025 would be instantly recognisable to its turn of the century residents

pheasants there. Mr. Derham said there were only a few hares there, and if they skedadelled away they would be back the next morning. He thought if those things were put before Mr. Forder and the War Office the amount required might be considerably reduced. Mr. Payne suggested a deputation should wait on Mr. Forder. Mr. Woodhouse thought the deputation appointed to see Mr. Hillyer might approach Mr. Forder. (Laughter.) Mr. Riggs said they had not finished with that business yet, as they had not got the money from Mr.

Hillyer. Mr. Gould thought they must have a nice Government in power for Mr. Forder not to be able to trust it. In all the maneouvres he had known, officers had been appointed to assess the damages; but Mr. Forder did not seem to trust them. What was the matter with him? (Laughter.)

Mr. Payne: You are not sure of that. Mr. Gould: It looks as if he cannot trust the Government. Mr. Payne: You must not make allegations without knowing what you are talking about. Resolution to write to the War Office and Mr. Wills, M.P., was carried.

by Tamsin Doar

Beefy courses and blue skies at Kingston Maurward

A beautiful park, well-designed undulating courses and a warm welcome for cobs with fabulous moustaches at the British Eventing weekend

As far as settings for competitions go, you won’t find many as beautiful as Kingston Maurward College near Dorchester. With its stunning parkland, sweeping away from from the main house, it could easily be mistaken for Badminton or Blenheim. With classes running each day – the 80cm and most of the 90cm on Saturday, followed by the 90cm, 100cm and novice classes on Sunday – it clearly took a mammoth effort to organise. But the hard work paid off, delivering a smooth, professional event that was a pleasure to attend.

Moustachio-ed cobs

The event marked a milestone for the legendary cross-country

Image © MH Photos

starter Keith Watkins who, on the Sunday, started his 120,000th horse on to a cross-country course. Having volunteered with BE since 1989, he is a familiar face to many across the South West, welcoming well-known professional competitors and helping put nervous first-timers at ease with his calm and organised manner.

As with any event, dressage is the first phase to be completed (or, in my personal limited eventing experience, tackled...).

The arenas were set on top of a hill with beautiful views across the parkland down towards the main house. Portuguese international event rider Miguel Catela, who is based near Wincanton and has competed horses up to 4* level, said: ‘The organisers have obviously listened to last year’s feedback. This year the arenas are in a different location, with good ground and plenty of warm up space.’ Miguel went on to produce a beautiful test on his ride, scoring 23.5.

In the 80cm and 90cm classes, it was great to see horses of so many different shapes and sizes, ranging from ex-top eventers to cobs sporting the most fabulous moustaches.

Wesley was one such moustachio-ed cob, and his rider Emilia Wills rode a lovely test in their first BE event in the GO BE80 section.

‘My goal is for Wesley to be the next cob to make it around Badminton Grassroots, proving that cobs can!’

Emilia won her section, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them there soon.

Mini-championship feel

The show jumping course produced some lovely rounds and made for great entertainment for the spectators – although a few horses found the gradient, the final oxer

(set in a dip before an upward stride) and the dog-leg line between fences seven and eight slightly tricky to ride, which unfortunately resulted in a couple of ‘involuntary dismounts’ through the day. Chloe Robinson, whose horse completed her first 100cm class, said: ‘It was quite undulating, so there was a lot of alternating between keeping the momentum and having to slow them down to keep them on their hocks. But it rode really nicely – it’s been such a lovely day out!’

The show jumping was right in front of the main house, with trade stands drawing small crowds of spectators and many competitors commenting on the atmosphere.

Erin Dove, who competed in the 90cm on her TB x NF Trenley Tomorrow, said: ‘Having the stands and hospitality tents so near to the arena makes it feel very atmospheric, like a minichampionship. The organisers have clearly put a lot of effort in to getting it right.’

A lovely ride

With so many riders saying they choose to compete affiliated as they’re aiming for the Grassroots Championships, this appears to be the perfect venue to introduce horses to that type of setting.

Another 90cm competitor, Celia Bellamy, said her aim for the day was to get a double clear (which she managed beautifully). Her husband, who doesn’t usually watch, was in attendance, so clearly he’s a lucky charm. ‘Ultimately, I am aiming for Grassroots,’ she says. ‘Kingston Maurward is perfect for introducing the horses to something that has more of a championship feel’.

The cross-country course also won similarly enthusiastic reviews. Kate Whattam, a

Wills has big plans for Wesley

Erin Dovey on Trenley Tomorrow Image: Anne Bolton

Miguel Catela and Millwood Twiga did a beautiful test, scoring 23.5 Image: Anne Bolton

Emilia

to be the next cob around Badminton Grassroots Image: Anne Bolton

Dorset-based rider, said: ‘The 80cm course was quite beefy and up to height. That with the undulating ground made you feel as though you were riding a proper cross country course. We’re extremely lucky to have such a great venue right on our doorstep’.

The course itself was quite winding, with a few long downhill stretches, demonstrating the need for a well-balanced horse and good studs: the general consensus among the riders was that it was a lovely course to ride.

An educational course

While the warm weather has

been welcomed by many, it does cause problems for us equestrians: it’s always a worry that hard ground will cause injuries to the horses. However, the organisers had clearly done a lot of preparation to ensure the ground remained good and were out watering the course for weeks beforehand. The team was keen to thank event sponsors Andrews Plant Hire for supplying the water bowser! ‘They’ve clearly put a lot of

‘The course was quite beefy and up to height. With the undulating ground you felt like you were riding a proper XC course’

hard work into the ground and the course,’ says Miguel Catela. ‘Although it’s the same as last year, the course itself is well-designed and very educational for younger and greener horses.’

Judging by the cheers, smiles and big pats from those flying over the finishing line, it was a great course to ride, with the optimum time taking into account the recent warm weather conditions.

One of the youngest

George Walford and Meadowsweet Conker (and The BV fence!). Image: Anne Bolton

competitors, George Walford, had a fabulous time on his New Forest pony Conker, finishing in 6th place in his section.

One of his support crew told me: ’They’re normally too fast, so they had to trot a lot. Conker has done a lot of hunting and will stay out all day if he can, so cross country is his favourite bit!’

Local support

The only drama of the day was early on, with a frantic phone call that the Maoam sweets hadn’t been ordered for the volunteers! However, I’m reliably informed they were kept well fed and watered throughout the day. The sheer number of people who had kindly offered up their time to help ensure the event ran smoothly was astonishing –and they were all cheerful and helpful throughout the weekend. From road-crossing stewards to medical personnel and some of KMC’s own Combined Cadet Force students, they all kept smiles on their faces and the event wouldn’t have been such a success without them.

It was lovely to see that a local event was so well supported, with local riders alongside those who had travelled from

much further afield to what is a relatively new event (only the second BE competition held at Kingston Maurward).

The beautiful setting mixed with trade stands from local businesses also provided a lovely family-friendly day out, with lots of families turning up just to watch. The scenery from the top of the hill by the commentary box is stunning, offering a panoramic view across the estate and most of the cross-country course, with many groups choosing to set up camp here for the day to enjoy their picnics with a view. The supportive atmosphere and great riding appeared to inspire a new generation of riders: quite a few small, high-pitched voices could be heard asking, ‘Daddy, can I have a pony please?’ I suspect a few parents may find themselves back at the same competition in years to come, observing from the other side of the fence!

Image © MH Photos

Image © MH Photos

by

Tamson Doar

Lynne Macleod and Hermes clearing an obstacle holding a traditional vara. All images: Joe Gros

When dressage meets a speed round

Working Equitation

welcomes every horse – part dressage, part obstacle course, all excitement, and possibly the most inclusive equestrian sport

While The Sass Queen is always up for a challenge, turning her hoof to most things with great enthusiasm, there is one discipline she genuinely begrudges: dressage. Our points for relaxation and harmony are not usually high (because life is so much more fun when you can do everything at speed, right?). In fact, if we stay within the white boards, I’m taking that as a win. If this sounds familiar – or perhaps you’ve got a dressage diva but you’d like to try something different – then Working Equitation could well be the answer.

Lynne Macleod started competing in the sport ten years ago, and her accolades include competing at the World Championships in France in 2022 and being on the British Working Equitation development squad.

‘The competitions reward the partnership and harmony

between horse and rider,’ Lynne says. They consist of three phases: dressage, ease of handling and the speed round. ‘Different obstacles emulate the terrain that horses encounter while out working in the field or on ranches. It’s basically crossing bridges or opening gates, but with a bit more flair!’

The phases

It’s basically crossing bridges or opening gates, but with a bit more flair

The dressage phase is much like your typical competition format: control, precision, harmony, collection and relaxation, with scores out of 10 for each movement. Unlike traditional dressage, it’s always in a 20x40 arena, whatever the level. There is only one test per level, with callers allowed at regional competitions – making it perfect for the slightly nervous or more forgetful riders (of which I am

most definitely the latter. A, turn up the centre line … and was it track right or left at C?). Additional collective marks are given for turnout which, in the UK, is described as “traditional hunting attire” –plaited horses, tweed jacket, beige breeches, plain-coloured saddle-shaped numnah. The next phase, ease of handling, is ‘dressage but with stuff in the way,’ as Lynne puts it. ‘There is a set course, with different obstacles you have to tackle while maintaining composure. Scoring is out of 10 for precision, submission and ease of movement. At the advanced levels, riders are expected to perform flying changes in specific places for particular obstacles, and

movements are performed using only one hand.’

The speed round is not just The Sass Queen’s personal favourite –even Lynne calls it ‘the fun bit’. You’re completing the obstacle course against the clock – but for every obstacle you knock or complete incorrectly you get ten points added to your time. Depending on the venue, cattle handling can be an additional phase, with riders working alongside their team to cut their cow away from the herd, get it over the line and into the pen. Having lived on a farm and terrorised a couple of bulls over the years, I feel that The Sass Queen would excel at this! However, Lynne advises this is very much not American rodeo, and that the animal’s welfare is always at the forefront.

‘A common misconception is that Working Equitation is like handy pony or mounted games for adults, she says. ‘But it’s so much harder! It is quite easy to get eliminated and everyone does at some point. But unlike other equestrian sports, it doesn’t rule you out of completing the other phases of the competition. You can also be placed against other riders who have been eliminated.

‘I’d definitely advise anyone

wanting to give it a go to purchase the rule book first ...’

Having had a go at a training competition held at Kingston Maurward College a few months ago, I can attest to the rules being quite particular: the gate must be opened and closed with your right hand, and you cannot enter the zone of an obstacle you have not yet completed. ‘You don’t make the same

For the Spear The Ring obstacle, the competitor must skewer the ring(s) with the tip of the pole, while the horse maintains gait

mistake twice. though,’ says Lynne, who once drove four hours to Norfolk for a competition, just to get eliminated for using the wrong hand at the gate. ‘One thing I love is that there is always a phase which your horse will excel at, and another that you’ll need to work a bit more on. It’s a level playing field.’

One thing I’ve noticed from watching a few clinics and competitions is that you also get all types of horses, from Warmbloods to Icelandics –and everything in between.

‘It’s a common misconception that you need an Iberian or a Lusitano to compete,’ says Lynne. ‘It’s very inclusive and there is always such a sense of camaraderie. National competitions are a bit like a stay-away Pony Club party, with everyone getting behind you during the speed round. The roar of 3,000 people willing us on at Westpoint was such an amazing experience!

Image from Lynne’s recent clinic at Glenda Spooner Farm in Somerset

Unlike other affiliated disciplines, you move up through the levels when you feel ready to. Regional competitions are one day, and the points you gain count towards the national league. Once you’ve started competing at a certain level you can’t then move down a level, unless you achieve a particularly low score. Working Equitation is also one of the only disciplines where you can compete in a bitless bridle throughout, and any FEI legal bit is allowed, so long as you keep the same tack in each phase.

‘It’s great to see that Pony Club’s are also getting more involved,’ says Lynne. ‘Kids seem to find working equitation really engaging – it takes away what they sometimes feel as the “boring” element of dressage, and mixes it with something fun that they really have to concentrate on.’

I can fully sympathise with this: as a young rider I just wanted to go fast and have fun. The idea of poncing around the arena getting my left and rights mixed up always filled me with dread!

The Sass Queen letting Tamsin Doar know exactly what her opinions are on dressage at a Working Equitation clinic

‘It’s also great for kids who perhaps don’t have ponies that are at the level to make Pony Club teams: working equitation is very accessible, and any breed

of horse can excel at it.’ Lynne advises if you’re wanting to dip your toe into the waters to take a look at the Association of British Working Equitation website where there’s lots of helpful information, ranging from contacts for local instructors to upcoming clinics and competitions, including a clinic held at Kingston Maurward College on 6th August, and a regional competition there on 16th August. Who knows, maybe I’ll see some of you there while I’m trying to persuade The Sass Queen that she really does love dressage after all, and only has to hold it together for a few minutes until we can get to the fun bit!

• The Association for British Working Equitation abweofficial.co.uk

• 16th August Kingston Maurward event details

Lynne McLeod opening a gate during ease of handling phase, which involves a series of precise maneuvers that demonstrate the horse and rider’s partnership and control

Basil goes to Bramham

This month has actually been, dare I say it, a bit quieter for Team Rimmer! We’ve ticked off our spring aims, jumped some relatively formidable fences and have spent the remainder of June reflecting, recalibrating and building on what we’ve learned as we head into a busy summer. Max and Jimmy enjoyed runs at Farley Hall, where Jimmy flicked his toes for an impressive 24 dressage, and Max proved himself as Mr. Consistent with a double clear and 5th place. He kept up his tidy streak at Kingston Maurward with another double clear, this time finishing 4th in the Novice – a great result for his owners, who also sponsored the event! I wrote my last article while en route to Bramham, where we were heading to compete in the 4*S U25 National Championships. Eek! With the rest of the month

being relatively quiet, I thought we could debrief properly on Bramham’s excitements – I’d quite like to relive it all again and again, so what better way than to put it in writing!

We’re doing this

For those who are unfamiliar, Bramham is a prestigious venue: possibly one of the biggest cross country tracks on British soil (with the exceptions of

Jess Rimmer relives her U25 Championship 4* debut with Basil at Bramham

The Spice Merchant (Basil) Image: Courtenay Hitchcock

Jess’ friend Alex Munn, Basil’s owner and previous rider, giving him a post-training pep talk. Image: Jo Rimmer

Badminton and Burghley, of course). It’s somewhere I’ve always dreamed of going, so to have the opportunity to actually compete there was a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment! All thanks to the Portman Ladies Syndicate, Alex Munn, Mum, William and of course BASIL!

So – what does it take to get to an event like this? Although Basil and I have both competed at this level before, it’s not as simple as just popping an entry in. To get to each level (or height/ difficulty), horse and rider combinations have to complete enough “minimum eligibility requirements” or MERs at the levels below. That meant we had to achieve three 3*s with MER results (for the stat-lovers, a MER is a sub-45 dressage, 16 show jumping penalties or less, and a clear XC with no more than 30 time penalties).

But with only a handful of 3*s in the run-up to Bramham, there wasn’t much room for error –we basically couldn’t afford for anything to go wrong. Which, as anyone in the horsey world knows, is rarely the case! But somehow, with the help of mum and the team at Fox-Pitts, we managed to tick off our three 3*s – not only with MERs, but also with double clears (oh, jeez, we’re actually doing this..!). It felt like such a distant dream, and then suddenly it wasn’t. We pulled out of the yard with horse, tack and Chateau Rimmer all packed up ... and then reality properly hit.

Suiting us fine

I can safely say that Bramham lived up to all our expectations. The amazing atmosphere, the beautiful setting, the famous Thursday night party – it was all just SO COOL! AHH!

Basil, the composed competitor that he is, settled in very quickly. We had a training session with William on Thursday evening in the walled garden, ahead of our

Another “pinch-me” moment: I walked through the shopping stands and spotted a photo of Max and I in the LeMieux stand. I stopped to grab a pic before I noticed the guy behind the counter looking at me like some crazy stalker… clearly I am unrecognisable without those flattering turquoise leggings!

Basil the goofball Image: Courtenay Hitchcock

William Fox-Pitt with some last-minute advice for Jess: ‘You’ll go in that big main arena for the first go at this level. Realistically, you’ll have two down. You have to be ready for that’.

Image: Jo Rimmer

Friday dressage. I was very lucky to have William there all week, guiding me through the event – he is known as the King of Bramham, so hey, I’m learning from the best! He warmed me up for my dressage on Friday, where Basil tried really hard for a middle-of-the-field test. I’ll take that for our first go at that level!

We then set out on a course walk – when I left, I said to mum: ‘I hope we have some big jumps’. Don’t worry, I got my wish!

Although imposing to look at, it was a bold track which really rewarded positive, forward riding –and that suited us just fine. Don’t get me wrong, I still had butterflies in my stomach, but now they were more out of excitement than fear.

You might have four down

The show jumping phase, on the other hand … Lots of people find show jumping less nervewracking than cross-country. Technically speaking, it is safer, because the jumps fall down and when it goes wrong it’s far less likely to go REALLY wrong.

But that’s what I find so difficult – you have to be such a perfectionist, especially at this level, and it’s the rider’s job to get everything right in order to help the horse clear the fences. There is such a small margin for error, and in the past I know I have put far too much pressure on myself in this phase.

However, my whole team couldn’t have been more supportive, and William’s words are the ones

Walking the course –spot mum!

Image: Jess Rimmer

which really stuck with me: ‘you’ll go in there, in that big main arena, for your first go at this level. You might have four down, you might go clear. Realistically, you’ll have two down. You have to be ready for that’.

It was such a brilliant reminder that this event was always supposed to be a challenge, and that I mustn’t be too harsh on myself if it’s not absolutely perfect. I must’ve somehow managed to channel my inner “Mr Cool” William ... We jumped clear! Honestly, there aren’t many words to describe the excitement, joy and relief I felt on landing after the final fence. It lasted for all of ten minutes, before I realised I had only a few hours before heading out onto that cross country course …

Those hours of concentrating, watching and discussing with fellow competitors seemed neverending. Nobody talks about how draining it is being ‘in the zone’ for SO long!

Finally it was our go. A course like that gives me such a wicked combination of adrenaline, focus and fun – there isn’t another feeling like it, especially with a partner-in-crime like Basil. He jumped an epic clear, of course, and I would totally do it all again if I could!

We finished a very respectable 12th in the U25 Championships, but most importantly Basil and I gained confidence – not only over those bigger fences, but also in our training, our system and most of all, in each other. It sets us up really well for our next event – Aston 4* this weekend. See you on the other side!

‘He jumped an epic clear, of course, and I would totally do it all again if I could’ Image: Courtenay Hitchcock

From Piglet to paddock topping

Doug Procter welcomes the final 2025 foal as he tackles baked paddocks, protects delicate noses and wonders if a rain dance might help

That’s it! Foaling is done for 2025! The last TGS foal of the season arrived on 16th June at a relatively civilised 11.40pm. Since the end of January I have been sleeping in two shifts, 6-10pm and 5-9am, and in between, sitting up watching the foaling cameras through the night: these past two weeks have seen me able to return to a normal sleep pattern. This last foal is out of a nonThoroughbred former eventer, stable name Pig, and she arrived with us a few weeks ago to foal.

The filly is Pig’s first foal and is quite small, which is common in maiden mares. Although the foal is very correct conformationally, and extremely pretty, her owners have named her Piglet, as befits her diminutive size!

Mo vs Usain

The hot, dry weather throughout June meant plenty of fast ground at racecourses, and several new course records were set at Royal Ascot in Berkshire, which ran from 17th to 21st June. I was particularly excited by

Trawlerman’s victory in the Gold Cup. He was the first of Golden Horn’s progeny to win a Group 1 on the flat. We hope this will help the sale of a colt we have bred this year out of one of the stud’s own mares, She’s Gina. He is due to go to the foal sales in December.

She’s Gina’s colt is a particularly nice example of a foal bred to race middle-distance (mile to mile and a half) or staying races (mile and a half plus). He is in total contrast to his best mate, a foal who is bred to race at less

than a mile (think of the physique of Usain Bolt as opposed to that of Mo Farah). Their mothers are physically similar to their foals. One mare has won and been

Group 3 placed over a mile and a half, whereas the other mare is a half-sister to a US Breeders Cup Turf Sprint winner over five furlongs (see photo below).

Nursery duties

At home on the stud we have had to adapt to the recent hot conditions. With the lack of rain, the ground in our paddocks A trio of trouble

She’s Gina’s colt (right) is bred to race middle-distance (mile to mile and a half). In total contrast, his best mate (left) is bred to race at less than a mile (think of the physique of Usain Bolt vs Mo Farah)

is very hard. We have a few mares whose foals have slight conformation faults, and our farrier attends to them regularly. These foals are kept in small groups in smaller paddocks: The hope (often in vain) is that this discourages too much galloping on the hard ground. Too much jarring through their legs can irritate the growth plates in their joints and be detrimental to our efforts to correct their defects. With the unrelenting summer sun, mares and foals with pink noses have sun cream applied on the morning feed run – left untreated, they run the risk of severe and painful sunburn. One mare is particularly sensitive to the sun, so we have been bringing her and her foal into a stable during the hottest part of the day to get her out of the sun altogether.

Old school air-con

In this hot weather, with no air conditioning in our elderly tractor, we have to tie the doors open with baler twine to create

During a heatwave, horses with pink noses will have sunscreen applied each morning

a slightly cooling through-draft. We have needed to do a lot of paddock topping (lawn mowing on a grand scale) as we have moved stock around between fields. Unfortunately, horses are very picky grazers – they will eat some areas bare and leave others like a hay field. So we need to cut the longer grass to ensure the mares will eat the younger, shorter growth, when they are turned back in. To further mitigate the heat, we have been heading out topping in the relative cool of the early morning and late evening. The foals themselves also have to adapt. As their own tails are not yet long enough to be effective fly swats, they often stand with their heads in their mother’s tail to help keep the flies away.

Mares without foals at foot can often be found standing in

Old school air-con: two lengths of binder twine do the trick

As their own tails are not yet long enough to be effective fly swats, they often stand with their heads in their mother’s tail to help keep the flies away.

a small circle, each with their heads within fly squatting range of the tail of the mare infront.

As we head into July, with more

sunshine forecast, we are threatening to challenge our staff to come up with the best rain dance!

If this works, you’ll find us whingeing next month that we’ve had too much rain, but for now we will dream on ...

Heather’s lemon squares

These are inspired by a recipe I discovered almost 15 years ago from a bakery in London that went ‘viral’ for its lemon cakes. Combining the fresh zestiness of the lemon with a subtle hint of marzipan really grounds the bright lemon flavour. The making of the cake is quite simple, the process to finish it is a bit more elaborate, but it really gets that beautiful lemon flavour into every mouthful. I’ve actually made these (pictured) using gluten-free flour and dairy-free margarine, but the recipe works just as well with self raising flour and butter. Heather x

Ingredients

• 170g butter

• 170g caster sugar

• 3 eggs

• 170g self raising flour

• Lemon curd (if you have it)

• 3 lemons

• 200g icing sugar

• 250g marzipan (approx.)

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180º fan/gas Mk 6. Grease and line an 20cm square cake tin.

2. Beat well together the butter, caster sugar and zest of three lemons until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Slowly add in the flour, mixing slowly to keep in the air in the mixture.

3. Pour the mixture into the tin and gently smooth out so that the top is flat. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch. Leave to cool – but only until it is cool enough for you to handle.

4. While the cake is still warm, carefully flip it upside down onto a cooling rack (place the rack on the top of the cake tin, then holding the two firmly together, flip so that the cake slides out onto the rack).

5. Cut the lemons used for the zest in half and squeeze out the juice. Brush half of the lemon juice across the bottom of the cake and then leave the cake to cool completely and the lemon juice to soak in.

6. Mix the remaining lemon juice with the water icing to form a thick but still runny icing.

7. Turn the cake right side up. Spread a layer of lemon curd across the top, but not so thick it will spill down the sides (you can leave this step out if you don’t like lemon curd or you don’t have any to hand).

8. Roll out the marzipan so that it will cover the top of the cake. Place this carefully over the lemon curd layer and press gently into place. Cut off any excess from the edges.

9. Cut the cakes into squares (usually I cut the square into nine pieces). Then drizzle the lemon icing across the top of the marzipan so that it drips deliciously down the sides.

Heather Brown is a special officer for the Guild of Food Writers and has worked in the food industry for 20 years. She is a food writer and photographer, offering one-to-one help to local businesses for content and websites.

Images © Heather Brown

by Karen Geary,

Coffee lovers rejoice –it’s officially good for you

A daily coffee isn’t just a pick-me-up – your favourite brew may lower disease risks, protect your brain and keep you stronger for longer

For many of us, coffee is more than just a morning ritual – it’s literally how we start the day. The good news is, that beyond giving you a lift, your coffee might actually support a longer, healthier life. New research, including work highlighted by Dr Rhonda Patrick and a study in the European Journal of Nutrition, suggests that moderate coffee drinking could play a valuable role in healthy ageing.

What’s in the coffee?

Coffee isn’t just about caffeine. Each cup contains a rich mix of natural plant compounds, especially polyphenols like chlorogenic acid. These act as antioxidants, helping to protect your cells from damage and reducing inflammation – key factors in slowing the ageing process. Polyphenols also seem to support a healthy gut. They help feed beneficial bacteria, boosting gut diversity – linked to stronger immunity, better mood and reduced risk of chronic diseases.

And then there’s the caffeine.

drinking coffee is linked to better mobility and a lower risk of frailty in older adults.

Coffee and your genes

I’m one of those people who can only manage one cup before noon, but my husband can drink espresso before bed and go straight to sleep! If you’ve ever wondered why some people can drink coffee after dinner and sleep fine, while others feel jittery after a single cup, it often comes down to a gene called CYP1A2, which controls how quickly we break down caffeine.

Coffee isn’t just about caffeine: each cup contains a rich mix of natural compounds

Fast metabolisers process caffeine efficiently and may enjoy coffee’s heart and longevity benefits without any downsides. Slow metabolisers break down caffeine more slowly, which can lead to higher risks of anxiety, raised blood pressure or sleep problems with high intake.

If coffee tends to leave you feeling edgy or sleepless, consider limiting caffeine or switching to decaf – which still delivers many health benefits.

Caffeine works by blocking adenosine – a natural chemical that makes you feel tired – helping you stay alert and focused. It may also support muscle movement, which could explain why

Not just a buzz-free option

Decaf coffee is often overlooked, but it’s rich in the same polyphenols as regular coffee. That

means you can reap the antioxidant and antiinflammatory rewards without the caffeine hit. Look for high-quality decafs processed using the Swiss water method, like those from brands such as Exhale, which avoid chemical solvents and preserve both flavour and health benefits.

What about bone health?

There’s an old concern that coffee might weaken bones by increasing calcium loss. The truth?

The effect is tiny – about 2-3 mg of calcium lost per cup – and easily offset by adding a splash of milk or eating a balanced, calcium-rich diet. Large studies have found no increased risk of osteoporosis or fractures in coffee drinkers who get enough calcium.

Capsule coffee – is it healthy?

Coffee from capsules (such as Nespresso, Grind, or other brands) offers similar polyphenol and caffeine content to other brewing methods. Many capsule brands now offer eco-friendly options too – companies like Grind provide compostable or recyclable capsules to reduce environmental impact.

How you brew matters

Not all coffee is created equal when it comes to heart health. Unfiltered coffee – such as French press, espresso or capsules – retains natural oils (cafestol and kahweol) that may raise cholesterol if consumed in large amounts. If you enjoy capsule coffee, it’s fine for most people

Tips for enjoying coffee

• Aim for around three cups a day – this seems to provide health benefits without overdoing it.

• Wait an hour after waking for your first cup – cortisol is naturally high first thing, and coffee will push it higher.

• Finish your caffeine intake before lunchtime – caffeine’s long “half-life” means it can linger in your system and affect sleep.

• Keep extras to a minimum – syrups, sugars and cream add unnecessary calories and can undo the benefits.

• Buy the best quality you can afford – and explore eco-friendly pod options

– but those who drink large quantities and are concerned about high cholesterol may wish to balance it with some paper-filtered coffee.

Coffee’s impressive health perks

Moderate coffee consumption – usually about 3-5 cups a day (up to 400mg caffeine) – has been linked with:

• Lower risk of heart disease and stroke

• Reduced type 2 diabetes risk

• Protection against liver conditions, including fatty liver and some cancers

• Slower cognitive decline and reduced risk of Parkinson’s

• Lower risk of frailty and better muscle preservation in older adults

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