The New Blackmore Vale Magazine - Issue 93

Summit encourages girls and young women to see sport as a career option

Virtue hits a

SIXTY family members, friends and neighbours helped Virtue Vincent celebrate her 100th birthday at her home in Wincanton.

They had a fun afternoon of tea and cake, revisiting many memories.

Virtue (nee Sweet) was born at Blakeway, Wedmore, Somerset, on March 26, 1924, and went to Wedmore School until she was nine.

Her parents, who were farmers, later moved to Horsington in Somerset, and she went to Horsington School until 14 years old.

Virtue worked on the farm through the Second World War and was an active member of the newly formed Wincanton Young Farmers Club, where she won several cups for calf rearing.

The club worked its matchmaking magic and in 1944 she married Robert (Bert) Vincent, a farmer at Manor Farm, Yenston.

Virtue worked on the farm milking cows, keeping chickens and bringing up a family, and took dress-making classes to make clothes for herself and the children.

Bert and Virtue retired to Court Farm,

happy cruise holidays, although she says her cruising days are over now.

She can be found at home doing wordsearch puzzles these days.

Purse Caundle, in 1980.

She then nursed Bert through Parkinson’s Disease until he died in 1995.

Virtue moved to a bungalow in Wincanton in 2001, where she joined the WI, taking part in many different activities.

In her retirement she enjoyed many

Virtue has four children, nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren – with two more due soon.

She still has a fun-loving nature and excellent sense of humour, and loves having visitors at any time, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren – and always has treats for them in the sweetie drawer.

Fire crews tackle takeaway blaze

A GILLINGHAM takeaway has been damaged by fire.

Firefighters were called to the incident, at a takeaway in Queen Street, at just after 9am on the morning of April 3.

A Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said members of the public reported “smoke coming out of all windows and doors from a takeaway shop”.

“Crews from Gillingham and Shaftesbury were first mobilised, however more appliances were quickly requested, with five fire engines attending in total, two being from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service,” they added.

“An Incident Command Unit from Salisbury and a support fire engine from Sherborne (also) attending.

“The fire was extinguished using six breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets, two thermal imaging cameras, two main lines, a triple extension ladder and small tools.”

It is understood no one was injured in the incident.

Quiz night

THE ‘Land Girls’ from Sero will be presenting a quiz night with a D-Day 80th anniversary theme at Child Okeford village hall this June.

Proceeds from the event, which includes entertainment and songs, will go to Julia’s House Children’s Hospice.

Tickets, priced £15, include a two-course supper, bar and raffle, and are available from serocharity@gmail.com, 07749 486733 or 07725 245066.

The quiz is on Friday, June 7, and teams of six are welcome or quiz-goers can be matched up to create a team.

Excitement over new family-friendly bar

BAROLO Lounge

– Yeovil’s newest bar and eatery – will open next week.

The venue, at 17 and 18 High Street, is the latest opening for the Bristol-based Loungers UK.

It has seen the former TSB and Cafe Nero premises completely refurbished.

And a Loungers spokesperson said staff were excited to welcome Yeovil drinkers and foodies from April 20.

“We’re so excited to be opening up in Yeovil,” a spokesperson said. “Our Lounge will be a home-from-home, offering the perfect place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks in a relaxed and welcoming setting.”

Plans for the venue said it is set to be a “popular destination for locals of all ages, encouraging social interaction within the community” and will “complement the existing character of the area”.

“The Lounge café bar will be open throughout the day and into the evening, will be food led and will have a particular appeal to families – ‘vertical drinking’ is not encouraged,” it went on.

The Loungers chain also operates the Cosy Club, in Taunton, as well as venues in Street, Wells, Weston and Clevedon, along with Wimborne in Dorset.

Football fan is back on form

A FAN who fell ill at the Weymouth v Yeovil Town football match on April 1 is on the mend.

The National League South game was called off after the air ambulance was called to help look after Hayley Singleton, who became unwell in the second half.

However Hayley, a Yeovil Town fan, was back at the Bob Lucas Stadium in Weymouth on Thursday, April 4, with husband Scott, to thank the club for their help and support on the day.

“A special guest today. Hayley Singleton sadly fell unwell at our game on Monday, leading to an air ambulance having to be called,” a Weymouth Town spokesperson said.

“She joined us with her husband, Scott, and their son to thank everyone involved for the care she received at the match against (Yeovil Town).

“She is recovering well and hopes to be back to watching football from the stands soon.”

Meanwhile, Yeovil Town has announced there will be collections for the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, which helped Hayley, at future home games.

“We are delighted to announce that there will bucket collectors around Huish Park to help raise money for Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance,” a Glovers spokesperson said.

“As a football club, we are pleased to be able to support the charity after the events of

Monday that lead to the abandonment of the Weymouth fixture.

“We are also ecstatic to hear the news that Hayley Singleton, the supporter who fell ill, has now been released from

Dorchester Hospital.

“We are very grateful to the medical staff who have looked after one of our own.”

Weymouth were 1-0 in the 75th minute when Monday’s game was called off.

Tragedy as motocross rider dies at event

A MOTOCROSS rider has died in an event near Dorchester.

Police are appealing for anyone with footage to come forward after an incident at Higher Ashton Farm, off the B3159 Goulds Hill, Martinstown.

Ambulance crews and officers called to the scene at 10.43am on Saturday (April 6) found a rider, unresponsive.

Sadly, the 54-year-old man, from Axminster, was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin has been informed and the coroner was notified.

The incident is not currently being treated as suspicious, but officers are looking into the circumstances, Dorset Police said.

Sergeant Chris Brolan, of the Roads Policing Team, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the loved ones of the man who tragically died.

“We are trying to establish what exactly happened. The event took place on farmland and was not a race.

“It is believed that over 60 people took part and we are hoping that someone may have recorded footage that could assist us with our investigation.

“I would urge anyone who used a helmet camera or any other device to please check if they have caught anything of relevance.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk, by email to scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting incident number 6:166. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org, or by calling 0800 555 111.

Earth day activities

SHAFTESBURY Library will be celebrating Earth Day from 11am–midday on Saturday, April 20.

Children (up to the age of 12) can recycle a cardboard tube into a minibeast using a few crafty skills, some paint and glue!

Booking is essential via Eventbrite or by contacting the library at shaftesburylibrary@ dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or 01747 852256.

A man from Axminster died at a motocross event at Higher Ashton Farm, near Dorchester

Somerset NHS pioneers AI prostate cancer diagnosis

A GROUNDBREAKING way of supporting doctors to diagnose prostate cancer using the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology has launched in Somerset. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (FT) is the first NHS trust in the UK to introduce an AI tool, called Pi, to work alongside teams of radiologists.

The Pi tool is being introduced at Yeovil District and Musgrove Park hospitals to help detect prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer causes more than 12,000 deaths in the UK every year; 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed in their lifetime.

Dr Paul Burn, a consultant radiologist at Somerset FT, explains how the AI works:

“Within a few minutes of the patient having their MRI scan, the Pi tool displays a number that gives a probability of cancer on the scan. It also shows the exact location of any tumours in the prostate by adding a colour overlay to the scan images.

“Using it, we expect to help relieve pressure within our hospital, by enabling patients to go through the diagnostic

pathway more rapidly and reducing diagnostic waiting times. It will also support our clinical departments that have smaller numbers of MRI reporters to manage their workload.

“We know that we have to be very careful with the way we use AI, and it’s not intended to replace a human being in this context – instead it’s simply helping to speed up the workflow and potentially aiding our radiologists provide a more accurate diagnosis.

“In many ways we’re using it as a ‘reporting buddy’, so it’ll help with prioritising patients based on clinical need, and telling us which patients we should report on first because they have a higher probability of cancer. Pi also measures the volume of the prostate gland for us, a repetitive job that is time-consuming for

Family Law Advice

Family Law Advice

radiologists to do manually.

“Our aim is that by using this AI software, we will be able to speed up the process and enable us to prioritise those with cancer. It’ll also free up our radiologists to report on additional patients every day, and may in future allow us to book the patient in for a biopsy more quickly.”

Dr Anthony Cunliffe, National Lead Medical Adviser at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Pi has the potential to transform how we diagnose and monitor patients with prostate cancer, so we’re thrilled to see this software being put to use in Musgrove Park and Yeovil. ”

Station in bloom

SPRING has definitely sprung at Spetisbury Station Project – the site is a riot of colourful plants and flowers.

We realise talking about divorce or separation is very personal and so we are offering virtual appointments by Zoom. As an alternative, we offer a one off FREE telephone appointment for initial advice on Wednesdays 9am – 1pm

We realise talking about divorce or separation is very personal and so we are offering appointments at our offices. For new clients seeking initial advice a FREE appointment can be booked on Wednesdays 9am – 1pm.

To book an appointment please call us on 01747 852377

To book an appointment please call us on 01747 852377

Offices in Shaftesbury – Sturminster Newton – Gillingham Age

Did you know that every plant has been donated by green-fingered volunteers or members of the public?

And to keep those donations coming in, the Station Project now has a dedicated plant swap hut. Anyone is welcome to leave viable plants in the slightly wonky green and yellow hut on one of the platforms, from where they will be given a good home.

The team is working hard to improve the station for visitors including providing additional benches. With better weather hopefully coming soon, now is the perfect time to explore and spend a while at the station.

Find out more at www.spetisburystationproject.co.uk

Office open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Teen victim of train station attack

A TEEN A TEEN was attacked at South Dorchester train station.

The incident happened at between 7pm and 10pm on Monday, February 12. Police are appealing for witnesses.

It is understood the incident involved two people known to each other.

Two members of the public intervened and gave the victim a

Petrol station thefts

POLICE have released a CCTV image of a person they would like to trace in connection with thefts from a Bere Regis petrol station.

The incident happened between 1.40am and 2am on Thursday April 4, when items were taken by two men from the Shell stop in North Street.

The men left the scene in a black Mercedes E220 in the direction of Wimborne.

PC Josh Hurwood, of Purbeck police, said: “We would like to hear from anyone who may have been in the area of the petrol station around the relevant time.

“I am issuing a CCTV image of a man I would like to identify and would ask anyone who recognises him to please get in touch.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55240049429, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

lift home in a red car but he did not get their details.

PC Jacob Conachie, of Dorset Police, said: “Fortunately the young victim did not suffer any serious injuries as a result of this incident, but it did leave him understandably distressed and it has taken some time to obtain full details from him.

“Following further enquiries,

I am now looking to identify the two people who came to the assistance of this teenage boy on the evening of February 12 at Dorchester South station and kindly gave him a lift home.

“I would urge these people to please make contact with us so we can take their account of what they saw.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police via

www.dorset.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55240026697.

© John Lucasgeograph.org.uk

Summit showcases women in sport

HUNDREDS of girls and young women from state and independent schools across the south and west of England attended an event at Bryanston School to help them take advantage of the opportunities for women in sport.

They heard a series of presentations and took part in masterclasses led by top figures in female sport at The Powerhouse Pupil: School Sport Summit 2024.

“Sport offers a wide range of professional careers for women, not just as players but also in a myriad of operational and commercial roles,” said Mollie Kmita, who co-founded the Powerhouse Project with her twin sister, Rosie.

Both have become respected sports broadcasters following successful professional football careers.

“Gold medal success at the Olympics and the exciting achievements of the Lionesses have certainly shifted the dial,” Mollie added.

“Such developments have also added further impetus to the remarkable growth in women’s sport, which is expected to generate a staggering $1billion in revenue this year alone.”

However, two-thirds of girls at school will quit sport during puberty due to social pressures, gender stereotypes, body confidence issues and a lack of self-belief.

Rosie said: “We want to change that statistic and ensure the girls of today are truly empowered and have absolutely every opportunity to develop the skills, inner strength and leadership qualities to succeed in the wonderful world of sport.

“We’re delighted that our partnership with Bryanston has enabled us to reach out to so many young sportswomen from schools all over the region.

“Seeing their enthusiastic participation in the various

sessions at the summit is really encouraging and bodes well for their own futures, as well as the wider sporting community.”

Other speakers at the event included Ivi Casagrande, Edel McCann and Kylee Parsons.

Casagrande, a former professional footballer who is now a high-performance coach and sports scientist, has worked at a national and regional levels in the United States, Brazil and the UK and Ireland.

She highlighted the importance of having a clear focus and the resilience and determination to reach one’s goals.

Edel McCann is an experienced women’s health and sports physiotherapist, and is clinical lead at Leto Woman in London, a respected centre of excellence for women’s health physiotherapy.

She has worked with many professional sports teams and athletes and hosted a well-being masterclass for the girls and young women at the summit.

Kylee Parsons is the assistant academy director for FC Norsjælland Girls, a professional Danish football team, and she hosted a masterclass that explored the wide range of skills and career opportunities in sports business.

“The energy and enthusiasm of everyone who attended the summit was great to see,” said Rory McCann, director of sport at Bryanston.

“This is a wonderful and pivotal time for women in sport, but it’s important to show the next generation of players, coaches and organisers that they now have excellent role models and a growing and supportive community to help them follow their dreams and fulfil their career aspirations.

“The high number of attendees from schools all over the region is really encouraging.

“We’re delighted with the

very positive feedback from the day and, following the success of this inaugural event, we are hoping the summit can become a regular annual fixture in the diary.”

More than 300 students from schools in Dorset, Hampshire and as far afield as Bristol and Petersfield attended the event.

Top to bottom: Hundreds of pupils from schools across the south of England attended the Powerhouse Pupil Sport Summit hosted by Bryanston School Rosie Kmita from the Powerhouse Project supporting pupils at a special masterclass Rory McCann, Bryanston’s director of sport, welcomes the hundreds of pupils attending the Powerhouse Pupil Sport Summit

Festival celebrates spring blossom

KINGSTON Lacy’s festival of blossom features tiny works of art available from a big pink vending machine

More than 30 local artists and poets have contributed original work to celebrate blossom season at Kingston Lacy.

The mini works of art are available from a big pink vending machine, which will be at the National Trust property from April 15-21.

Free tokens are available for visitors, who can also make a £1 donation if preferred, in exchange for a print or a poem created in response to the fleeting beauty of spring blossom.

Heather Dawe, senior visitor experience officer, said: “We’ve worked with local groups to produce more than 50 different artworks, all the size of a business card. All the work is around the theme of blossom –it’s a lucky dip so you won’t know what you’ll get until it pops out of the machine.”

The art vending machine is part of a Festival of Blossom running until April 21 at Kingston Lacy, which has a Japaneseinspired garden filled with cherry trees and bamboo, as well as a traditional tea garden.

Visitors will be invited to pause and

listen to a specially curated blossom playlist; share their photographs with specially installed smartphone photography posts; or just take a moment of mindfulness with a stroll among the drifting petals.

There’ll also be the chance to hear poets performing some of their work, inspired by

spring blooms, at free events on April 16 and 18.

Find out more at www.nationaltrust. org.uk/visit/dorset/ kingston-lacy

Nurture and nature

AWARD-WINNING garden designer Robert Kennett is hosting a celebration of plants both cultivated and wild in the Nurture & Nature area at the Chaldicott Barns Spring Fair in Semley (SP7 9AW) on April 27 from 10am-4pm.

The fair features plant nurseries, garden metalwork and tools, botanical products and books.

There will also be expert advice on hand from Hawes Arborists, Darwin Ecology and Robert himself.

Planted, the sustainable and nature-based design community, will be presenting a range of designer makers.

In addition, there will be locally sourced food and drink on offer alongside established brands Niwaki, Bramley, Another Country, Africa Odyssey, The Travel Book Company and Pink House.

Beauty centre closes

A BLANDFORD beauty salon has closed after 20 years of helping townsfolk look their best.

The Blandford Health & Beauty Centre, in Salisbury Street, announced in January it was due to close and shut the doors, which it did in early April.

Run by mum and daughter team, Sam and Maggie, the pair said the decision was “not taken lightly” and came after “evaluating our business and what the future might look like for us both”.

“The business has been a great success over the last 20 years, due to our loyal and valued clientele, for which we are forever grateful,” they said when announcing the decision.

“We are extremely proud and grateful to our trusted and dedicated staff.

“Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.”

Now, the centre has closed for the final time.

A night at the movies

THE Top Brass & Wind Concert Band presented a Night at the Movies concert to a packed St Mary’s Church in Gillingham.

The band was directed by Jackie Adams and joined by vocalist Arabella Heaton.

The Dorset Musketeers, who sang a selection of shanty songs, provided an added attraction.

The evening featured some of the most popular music and songs from films and shows.

Time was given during part two of the programme to pay tribute to Shireen Brickell, who sadly passed away in February.

Anne Kings spoke of the legacy of the White Poppy of Peace, which Shireen had created from thousands of pearls, all given in memory of loved ones, and which will remain in the church.

The band’s music, and Arabella’s voice, left everyone wanting more, and the retiring collection and the raffle raised an amazing £1,330.

Donations were given to St Mary’s Church and the Top Brass & Wind Concert Band, leaving valuable funds for Dementia Friendly Gillingham’s work in the area.

Walk of witness

Picture and text by George Jeans

ON Good Friday people met in Mere Town Square to walk with the cross to the top of Castle Hill.

Churches Together in Mere and District organised the Walk of Witness, this year called The Way of the Cross.

Young and old followed and helped carry the cross up the hill, with stops on the way for readings.

The early rain was very quickly replaced by sunshine for a slippery walk up Castle Hill.

Afterwards at 12-30 Lent Lunch was served at The Grove Building, Mere

Explore, Create, Thrive: Leweston’s Year 5 Activity Day!

At Leweston, we believe in fostering a love for learning that goes beyond the classroom. Our educational approach empowers students to develop critical thinking skills and a growth mindset that they can use not only in their academic studies but also in their future endeavours. Whether your child is interested in day, flexi, weekly, or boarding options, Leweston provides a supportive and enriching environment for boys and girls to thrive. Join us at our Year 5

the unique educational approach at Leweston School and see if it’s the right fit for your child’s educational journey. Discover more at our Year 5 Activity Day on Friday 14 June. Dive into a world of creativity and exploration as you unleash your imagination and design your own country, complete with geography, economy, and history. This event is designed for current Year 5 students who are considering joining Leweston in either Year 7 2025 or Year 9 2027. Join us for a day filled with music, sports activities, school tours, and

Willow weaves its spell

MUSIC, merriment and full-moon mirth were to be found at The Mitre Inn, Sandford Orcas, as renowned willow sculptor and medical herbalist, Kim Creswell, invited guests to share in the launch of her book.

Long-term resident of Dorset, well-known for her

stunning, woven environmental art and willow workshops, Kim provided a lighthearted speech about the writing and production of the highly illustrated, comprehensive guide to sourcing, growing and harvesting willow. It also contains step-by-step instructions for creating your own sculptures, details of the medicinal uses of willow, as well as an esoteric study of the tree.

A Celebration of Willow: The Definitive Guide to Sculpture Techniques Woven with Ecology, Sustainability and Healing is out now published by Aeon Books:London.

Attendant herbalist, Marcos Patchett, author of The Secret Life of Chocolate, described A Celebration of Willow as “a work of lunar magic”, adding “it interweaves practical instruction on DIY willow sculpture with

calls to transformation of our personal and collective relationship with nature… a pleasure to read, and a wonderful achievement.”

The Mitre’s landlord, Steve Hooper, expressed his pleasure at welcoming the joyous event, along with a larger-than-life sized red deer stag sculpture, entitled Majesty of the Moor, made by Kim Creswell, which stood proudly by the inn’s traditional stone fire place.

hurdy gurdy, mandolin and bodhran, and Charles Harrison on violin, which proved so popular that landlord Steve has booked the folk duo for a return recital.

While Kim signed copies of the book with personalised messages, a medley of traditional English, Irish and Scandinavian folk music was provided by Mike Eaton on

A Celebration of Willow is available from big booksellers across the world, and signed copies of Kim’s book can be ordered directly at www.

kimcreswell.co.uk

Summer school

EDUCATIONAL charity the East

Dorset Heritage Trust, based at Allendale House in Wimborne, has a lively programme of events and courses lined up over the summer.

A series of talks includes The Clubmen of Dorset, The World of the Workhouse and Dancing Through the War Years.

Coach trips are on offer to Bignor Park and Arundel town – where the new film Wicked Little Letters was filmed – and Kelmscott Manor and Faringdon town and folly.

A spiritual evening with medium Cheyenne Webb is planned in June and an acoustic evening of song with Jo Philby and Anne-Louise Richards in July.

Those who love the outdoors could enjoy a guided geology walk at Lulworth Cove or through the countryside of the Fleet, the South Wiltshire Downs or Happy Bottom.

Knitting, crochet and lino printing, willow weaving and calligraphy are also on offer, along with pottery throwing courses and workshops, and pebble frame making.

Floristry workshops for vase arrangements will also be running.

The trust has courses in modern languages, such as Italian, French and Spanish, along with art history, creative writing and poetry appreciation.

One-to-one IT sessions are also available for all those annoying issues on phones, tablets and laptops.

For more information, email info@edht.org.uk, visit the trust’s website at www.edht.org.uk or call 01202 888992.

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The Perfect Pair of Jeans

Shirley Allum Fashions & Lingerie

Date for your Diary: Wed 17th April Brax Day Lydia from Brax will be in-store 11am-3pm.

With over 2500 pairs of jeans and trousers in stock you are sure to find that perfect fit jean. In sizes 4-24 available across brands including Brax, Mac, NYDJ, Anna Montana to name but a few!

The first twenty customers to purchase a pair of Brax jeans on Wed 17th April will receive a free Watch.

So do not miss out WED 17th April BRAX DAY. We look forward to seeing you.

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Blandford Evening WI

BLANDFORD Evening WI meets at 7pm on the second Friday of the month in the Pavilion of the Woodhouse Gardens, Blandford Forum (DT11 7DN).

The group also has an informal coffee morning at 10.30am on the third Friday of every month in the tea rooms of the Blandford Fashion Museum.

Everyone is welcome and it is often an easy way to meet the members for the first time.

There’s a busy program of speakers planned for the rest of this year and into next:

April 12 Raffia demonstration – Claire Richards

May 10 Body Shop ethics – Abby Bartlett

June 14 Handbags: An historical journey – Sarah Delves

July 12 Greek dancing – Yiannis Tsenkos

August Outing to the Bishops Palace, Wells

September 13 Jewellery demonstration – Issy Selby

October 11 Harvest supper with entertainment

November 8 Christmas craft evening

December 13 Christmas party with entertainment – Paul Hyland

2025

January 10 Resolution wills & inheritance tax – Jerry Walsingham

February 14 Birthday party with entertainment

March 14 To be arranged

To

Spooky goings-on in science fiction

SELF-PUBLISHED author Andrew Trim has launched his new novel Acting on Impulse at Came Down Golf Club.

The event supported the captain’s charity, Mosaic, which supports bereaved children and their families in Dorset.

Andrew gave a talk to his audience introducing the new paranormal adventure, followed by a reading.

The story is a light-hearted tale about ghosts trying to unravel an audacious crime during a science fiction festival.

Andrew, who lives in Dorchester and trained as a carpenter/joiner, said: “I have taken familiar landmarks and mashed them into this crazy alternative world of life on a country estate where nothing is quite what it seems.”

The book, a follow up to his first novel, released in 2021, Acting Strangely, is suitable for all ages and features illustrations by Dorchester artist Sam Zambelli.

Acting on Impulse, published by Honeybee Books, is available from shops in Dorchester, Poundbury Post Office and nationally online from Waterstones, Amazon and The Great British Bookstore.

Help for refugees in Dorset

A DORSET Community Foundation fund for groups helping asylum seekers and refugees to build new lives in the county is open again for grant applications.

The Dorset Welcome Fund is offering grants of up to £5,000 for voluntary groups and charities across the county to support community action that helps refugees and asylum seekers of any nationality arriving, residing or settling in Dorset.

Dorset Community Foundation grants manager Ellie Maguire said: “The activities we’d like to fund should focus on supporting wellbeing and getting refugees and asylum seekers involved in community activities.

“They could include community events and activities to combat isolation, wellbeing projects adapted or targeted towards refugees and asylum seekers, cultural heritage activities for children and young people, services to support improved mental health, advice and advocacy support, activities supporting English language skills or routes into employment and volunteering or providing practical items such as clothing, bedding or mobile phones.”

Last year the fund awarded more than £80,000 to 18 projects across the county.

Among the recipients was the Shaftesbury Refugee Group, which supports refugees all over North Dorset. It used a £4,000 grant to help Syrian and Ukrainian families with English conversation lessons, subsidised transport, help with training and learning to drive and organising get-togethers.

“We were able to offer Homestart grants to families who had come here under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and were moving into their own places,” said trustee Stuart Twiss.

“The grants helped with the cost of moving and buying second hand furniture. What it does is tell the refugees that there are people behind them, there’s support and there’s a connection to the community.”

Treads in Blandford, together with the Friendly Food Club, were awarded £7,900 to run cookery and activity sessions for young Ukrainians and young people from the town.

Senior youth leader Libby Lloyd said: “It focused on integrating Ukrainian young people, their families and local young people, by learning and engaging in the Ukrainian culture, particularly food. It helped show the Ukrainian community that they are welcome in Blandford and that the local people are interested in them and their culture – and break down some barriers.”

Find out more about the fund and how to apply at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org

Author Andrew Trim with Came Down Golf Club captain James Burleigh

Medical centre unveils new rooms

NEW treatment rooms and support space have been officially opened at the Apples Medical Centre in Sherborne by West Dorset MP Chris Loder.

The surgery, which cares for more than 5,500 patients from the town and surrounding villages, has been expanded with the addition of three new consultation rooms and a waiting room.

The facilities increase capacity for nurses, pharmacists and nurse practitioners.

Bruce Duncan, chair of the Apples Patient Group, thanked the practice for its hard work and care in the face of the pressures the surgery team works under.

Dr Rob Lewis was pleased the project had achieved a very

satisfactory conclusion and Dr Dom Parsons thanked practice managing partner, Philippa Cannings, for her hard work in delivering it.

Town mayor Margaret Crossman, Cheryl Monnox of Dorset Integrated Care Board and James Griffon from the NHS/Primary Care Network also attended.

The surgery would like to thank Dorset ICB for its assistance with funding, and Steve Way Architect, Bamford’s Builders, B&G Down Tree Service and R&S Foundations for their contributions to the project.

It would also like to thank its dedicated workforce, supportive neighbours and understanding patients for their patience and cooperation during the building work.

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Placing your main home into a living trust can ring fence the property from any potential future care costs. Thus, protecting your inheritance.

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By transferring ownership of your home and other assets to a living trust, can help protect them from creditors, divorce & remarriage, and other potential claims, including care costs.

3. Inheritance Tax Planning:

A living trust can be part of an estate planning strategy to minimize inheritance tax liability. By placing assets into a trust, they can be excluded from your taxable estate upon your passing, potentially reducing the amount of inheritance tax your beneficiaries would owe.

4. Revocable Nature:

One of the advantages of a living trust is that it is revocable, meaning you can make changes to the trust or even revoke it entirely during your lifetime. This flexibility allows you to adapt to changing circumstances or wishes.

5. Trust Administration:

When you establish a living trust, you typically designate yourself as the trustee, thus maintaining control over the assets and allowing you to continue using and managing them as you did before. Should you move home the trust stays in place and protects your new residence. The effectiveness of a living trust in achieving your specific goals will depend on your individual circumstances. Oakwood Wills offer a free consultation in the privacy of our own home. Tel 07832 331594, email: info@oakwoodwills.co.uk

Our loose Canon

There is a world of difference between living and existing; embrace the ‘otherness’

by Canon Eric Woods

IN this post-Easter ‘resurrection’ season, with at least some signs of spring in our gardens, I have been remembering funerals I have taken at Higher Ground Meadow, near both Corscombe and Beaminster. It’s a traditional hay meadow with panoramic views over the Dorset and Somerset countryside. It is also a cemetery, offering both meadow and woodland burials.

These days I’m more likely to be asked to officiate at funerals at Ham Down Woodland Burial Ground, near Shillingstone, with its uninterrupted view of Hambledon Hill. But when I was Vicar of Sherborne, I took a number of funerals at Higher Ground. I particularly remember the interment of a parishioner after her funeral service in the Abbey. On the drive over, following the hearse, I was sorry when it began to rain. But when we reached the barn (which serves as a chapel or meeting place for those whose services – religious or secular – have not taken place elsewhere) the sun came out again, and as we looked across the wonderful panorama below us, a rainbow appeared. It was a perfect moment.

It was also a moment in which it was impossible to believe that we were turning the last page of the last chapter of our old friend’s life. Her body was in the wicker coffin, but the real person, the essential spirit, who in life had both delighted and exasperated us – she was now with God. And if with God, then freed from all the limitations and frustrations of her declining months. The rest of the

book, and the best of the book, had still to be written. The whole of creation all around us shouted it aloud. But only for those with ears to hear and eyes to see. Elizabeth Barrett Browning put it perfectly long ago:

Earth’s crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes: The rest sit round and pluck blackberries….

It really is all about not allowing our minds to be cramped and limited by what we can touch, taste and see. There is a world of difference between living and existing, and yet so many people seem content just to plod on wearing spiritual and mental blinkers, unaware of the ‘otherness’ all around them.

There at Higher Ground Meadow I remembered the old prayer properly attributed to the Quaker William Penn (the founder of Pennsylvania). It contains these lovely words: ‘Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only an horizon, and an horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight. Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further; cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly; draw us closer to thyself, that we may know ourselves closer to our beloved who are in thee. And while thou dost prepare a place for us, prepare us for that happy place, that where they are, we too may be, through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

Amen to that, I say.

Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash

Q: What probate service does HK Law offer?

A: Here at HK Law, we make it as straightforward and stress-free as possible so that Executors can have peace of mind that things are being done correctly and in a timely manner.

Q: What are the initial steps taken by HK Law in probate cases?

A: We start by meeting Executors, obtaining identification, and reviewing the death certificate. In this meeting, we advise on Will terms, discuss the next steps, and outline the likely timescale and associated fees. We then start the estate administration by valuing assets and liabilities to calculate the estate’s value and potential inheritance tax. We also inform beneficiaries about their inheritance.

Q: What is the process for finalising the estate with HK Law?

A: We apply for the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration if there’s no Will, allowing Executors to handle assets and property. After receiving estate funds, we settle legacies, liabilities, income tax, and prepare Estate Accounts. Finally, we distribute the estate per the Will or intestacy provisions.

Q: What are the benefits of using a professional probate service?

A: By using a firm of solicitors such as ourselves, the Executors can avoid personal liability and feel reassured that everything is compliant and being carried out efficiently. It takes the weight off your shoulders at what is usually a difficult time when you are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Q: Why choose the HK Law probate team?

A: At HK Law, we understand how hard it can be to deal with the death of a loved one, which is why we strive to offer both compassion and expertise during the process of probate. So, if you need help with administering an estate, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

If you are looking for independent legal advice get in touch with our Wills, Probate, Tax & Trusts team, Abigail Doggrell, Charlotte Parsons, Chris Keenan, Hannah Keenan, Rosanna Derryman and Sue Pemberton.

Cuddles for cats put smiles on faces

RESIDENTS of a Dorchester care home have given Margaret Green Animal Rescue in Wareham homemade knitted blankets for the cats it looks after – and helped present £1,000 to the charity.

The residents from Maiden Castle House care were visiting the Church Knowle Rehoming and Visitor Centre to meet some of the animals on site.

They also helped hand over a cheque from Care South’s Chairman’s 2020 Fund, set up to give back to community groups, services and organisations which benefit the care provider’s residents, staff and Care at Home clients.

Penny Sargeant, board secretary for Care South, went along with Ashley Smith, home manager at Maiden Castle

House, and Emma Norman, activities lead at the home, to present the cheque to Nigel Mason, chief executive of Margaret Green Animal Rescue.

Penny said: “At Care South, the residents in our care greatly benefit from their visits to meet the animals at Margaret Green Animal Rescue, as well it bringing back happy memories of the pets they had throughout their lives.

“We are so pleased that we could give something back to support the fantastic work that the charity does to look after animals in need of re-homing.”

Joan, a Maiden Castle House resident, said: “It is a lovely place for the animals to live before they are adopted.”

Sybil, who also lives at Maiden Castle House, said she

was impressed by the rabbit enclosure and the thought that had gone into making it a nice home for the animals.

Nigel Mason, chief executive of Margaret Green Animal Rescue, said: “The residents from Care South’s care homes always arrive with huge smiles

on their faces as they look forward to seeing all the animals here and making a fuss of them.

“We are thrilled to receive such a generous donation from Care South which will go towards helping all the animals in our care.”

Science festival sparks conversation

ORGANISERS of Somerset’s only rural STEM festival hope to exceed the nearly 5,000 visitors who enjoyed it last year.

This year the family-friendly Somerscience Festival, which takes place on Monday, May 6, from 10am to 5.30pm, boasts more than 90 different activities from nearly 70 organisations. All promise to demonstrate and explore science, technology, engineering and maths breakthroughs in a fun and engaging way.

The festival is free, with no need to book tickets in advance.

Its main venues, Haynes Motor Museum, and Market House, Caryford Hall and Ansford Academy in Castle Cary, are linked by free festival shuttle buses which will be operating continuously.

The second Somerscience Festival of 2024 sees Somerton and Frome MP Sarah Dyke chairing an important debate and question session with leading industrialists from around Somerset.

The question to be addressed is “Can Somerset become a UK hub for green technologies and what would this mean for the residents?”

Helping consider this will be Clive Higgins, CEO of Leonardo UK; David Evans, policy director of Thales UK; Mat Thewlis, operations director of Yeo Valley; Andrew Cockcroft, senior community relations manager at Hinkley Point C; Karl Tucker, chair of the Great South West public/private partnership… and the residents of Somerset!

Festival organisers are asking people to send in their questions ahead of the day

around this theme, then come along and ask them in person following a Question Time style format.

The organisation behind the festival is The Somerscience Trust, which is funded by grants and sponsorships from Thales UK, Royal Commission for the 1851 Exhibition, Somerset Community Foundation, ICMS, Royal Society of Biology and Stronger Starts.

Find out more at https://somerscience. co.uk

Sing for lung health

Mere’s Sounds Better CIC is launching a new Singing for Better Breathing group. Harmony for Health meets on a Thursday from 11am-12pm in Mere Lecture Hall (BA12 6HE) with a suggested contribution of £5 per session. The group is for anyone with breathlessness, lung conditions or long COVID. No musical or singing experience is necessary. The group will be facilitated by Paula Fleming, who has worked with Sounds Better’s existing Singing for Lung Health group in Salisbury.

Liv McLennan, Director of

Sounds Better CIC, says: “We are really pleased to be adding this singing group to our existing roster. Having a group in Mere will mean we’re able to help more people and expand our offering.”

Sounds Better CIC also runs Salisbury Breathless Singers on Tuesdays in Wilton and online via Zoom, and six-week introductory courses in partnership with Salisbury’s Parish Nurse at various venues around Salisbury and simultaneously online via Zoom. For more info email sing. breathe@soundsbettercic.org

Somerton and Frome MP Sarah Dyke will be chairing a debate at the Somerscience Festival this May

Travel through time with new app

THE secrets of one of the most significant ancient landscapes in Britain can be explored thanks to an immersive augmented reality app – Time Travellers of Cranborne Chase.

The free app uncovers some of the protected landscape’s largest hidden monuments and famous characters.

From Shaftesbury to Salisbury, Wimborne to Blandford, historic figures like Thomas Hardy or General Pitt-Rivers come alive, creators promise.

Families can also meet more notorious characters, like Isaac Gulliver, the famous Cranborne Chase smuggler.

Using the app, you can watch a ghost warrior charge across the field at Bokerley Ditch on Martin Down, where once the enormous neolithic Dorset Cursus dominated the

surrounding countryside. For the first time in more than 1,500 years watch an augmented reality of Romans refortifying the great dyke.

Families are guided around the Chase by digital characters Archie and Olivia – two moles with a passion for archaeology, and children can collect virtual medals.

Download from Google Play and the App Store – search for Time Travellers of Cranborne Chase.

Chase & Chalke team members installing trigger point signage at Martin Down NNR

TV potters at spring show

TWO potters who have appeared on Channel 4’s Great Pottery Throw Down will be at the Dorset Spring Show later this month.

Finalist Dan Sandham will be running a hands-on pottery workshop alongside fellow contestant Ed King at the show at Kingston Maurward, Dorchester.

He lives in Weymouth and has been potting for nearly 10 years.

Ed, from Plymouth, is a keen gardener who makes incredible abstract ceramics.

The show will celebrate spring food, farming, flowers and rural crafts on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28.

BMX bikes, Dorset foods, rural demonstrations – and dancing sheep! – are among the attractions.

Adult tickets are £12 until April 20 with tickets at the gate £15 and children free of charge.

C25Kers cross the line…

by Paul Russell

The Dorset Doddlers have set the pace this year by helping runners complete their 6th C25K programme, with 18 runners crossing the line at the Blandford Parkrun, which takes place every Saturday.

The recruits began in the first week of January (in freezing Shaftesbury temperatures) and over the following weeks slowly built up their running intervals, finishing by completing the 5K Parkrun. The C25kers were supported by members of the Dorset Doddlers running with them.

The Doddlers have created a 10-week program, culminating with a local 5k parkrun. The

FULL FIBRE BROADBAND HAS LANDED

course is led each week by a qualified England Athletics coach in Running Fitness. The course is suitable for all abilities, from beginners to those returning to running, and everyone is made to feel welcome in a fun, friendly atmosphere where no one is left behind.

The next C25K program, which is completely free, will begin in May. If you would like to register, or for more information, please see www. dorsetdoddlers.co.uk/c25k

Dan Sandham (top) was a finalist in the Great Pottery Throw Down; (bottom) fellow competitor Ed King at work

Book festival gets back to nature

SHAFTESBURY’S nature-inspired book festival, Reading the Land, was a wild success with nearly every event sold out.

The Grosvenor Arms was stuffed to the rafters for a programme packed with some of today’s top nature writers.

Among them were Guy Shrubsole and Amy-Jane Beer, 2023 winners of the prestigious James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Conservation and Nature Writing.

The line up also included top authors Leif Bersweden, Keggie Carew, Charles Foster, Stephen Moss, Sophie Pavelle, Anita Roy, Chris Smaje and Brett Westwood.

As well as award-winning authors, local award-winning bookshop, Folde, was on hand as the festival’s pop-up booksellers.

The extensive programme offered something for everyone with talks on conservation, connection, farming and a

sell-out panel discussion on Nature Writing in a Time of Crisis.

Free children’s events also ran over the course of the weekend.

Local author, storyteller and musician, Tim Laycock, told family folk tales at Shaftesbury Library and acclaimed children’s author and illustrator, Yuval Zommer, offered creative workshops at Shaftesbury Arts Centre, where children created wild creatures from recyclable materials.

Shaftesbury’s shops also showed wild spirit, displaying posters designed and created by local schools in response to the festival’s school programme, which saw local authors Angela McAllister and Hannah Shuckburgh run primary school workshops.

Panel host, Keggie Carew, hosted a Q&A session for Shaftesbury School.

Amy-Jane Beer said: “To a town on a magical hilltop they came – nature writers and nature lovers, at the invitation of two absolute legends of eco activism and some very special booksellers.

“Two jam-packed days of energising, affirming, collective intent.

“An absolute joy and honour to speak, read, rage, connect and celebrate with so many brilliant people.” Gillingham

The panel line up: Charles Foster, Amy-Jane Beer, Keggie Carew and Guy Shrubsole

PHOTO: Roger Whitehead @scenesfamiliar

Shepherds flock together

MEMBERS of Cerne Sheep Group enjoyed a talk by Charlotte Luther, veterinary surgeon with Damory Vets, at the March meeting. Charlotte illustrated her talk with photographs of her own Herdwick Sheep.

At April’s get together, Cerne Sheep Group member Hugh Chapman presented an illustrated talk of his experiences of farming both in the UK and abroad.

From May, group meetings will be held at outdoor venues, with full details to be released nearer the time of each.

Group chair Celia Messer and Barry Graham made an appearance on Abbey 104 community radio’s breakfast programme Read on the radio with Andrew Read. They used their appearance to highlight the forthcoming Sherborne Castle Country Fair on May 27 – more information at www.sherbornecountryfair.com

A window into a life

FOLLOWING the success of the recent collaboration between Gillingham Local History Society and Gillingham Library to celebrate John Constable’s connection to the town, the two are again joining forces for Local History Week on a project entitled Ethel Freame: a Window into a Life, which will run from Saturday May 11 until Saturday May 25.

Ms Freame lived in Gilliingham her whole life and kept a diary for most of that time, often writing more than a page a day about her social life, visitors, her brother’s business affairs and matters relating to the catholic church. She has left us a fascinating picture of what life was like in and around Gillingham as she saw it daily in the late 19th/early 20th centuries.

The Freame Diary archive in Gillingham Museum consists of the 29 hand-written volumes known to have survived, dating from 1886, when Ms Freame was 26, to

1936 – a total of 9,300 pages and a million and a half words! Much of the content was transcribed by GLHS some years ago, and that work has now been completed and re-edited into a digital edition which can be downloaded, making the entire text available for reading for the first time. To mark the launch of this new digital edition, assistant curator of Gillingham Museum Dr John Porter, who oversaw the project, will be presenting a talk, The Diaries of Ethel Freame, and opening the museum afterwards, where a special exhibit will feature some of the diaries.

Gillingham Library will be presenting a display on diaries, both real and fictional. They will also host a talk, Women’s Diaries in the Long 18th Century, by Dr Kim Simpson, deputy curator of Chawton House Library, using examples for her library’s collection to explore the role of women diarists in the 18th century.

Pupils take on debating challenge at House of Lords

STUDENTS from Gillingham School talked about cancel culture in an inter-school debate at the House of Lords in London.

Eight sixth-formers from the school’s Public Speaking Team represented the school, one of only four schools from across the country which took part in the House of Lords Debate, hosted by the charity Debating Matters.

The debates were on current and contentious issues: Does ‘cancel culture’ threaten freedom of speech?

Does billionaires’ ownership of media organisations pose a threat to democracy?

Should museums repatriate cultural artefacts?

The speakers from Gillingham – Elijah Wood and Daniel Matterface – made a brave argument on cancel culture and were praised for their quick thinking, bold lines of argument and nuanced answers to the judges’ questions, but they did not proceed to the next round.

Observers saw the teams debate and get involved in the floor debates, asking questions to the teams.

Lucy Wrench was singled out for an honourable mention, as the judges enjoyed her contributions and questions.

Students saw the sights in London and had a tour of the House of Lords.

Call the midwife

MEMBERS of Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild are looking forward to an informative and entertaining next meeting.

On Monday, May 13, Dorchester Townswomen’s Guild will be entertained by Anna Kent (after a short business meeting at 2pm).

Anna will be talking of her life working as a frontline midwife in a war zone.

The meeting will take place in Dorchester Community Church, Liscombe Street, Poundbury, DT1 3DF.

Visitors would be made most welcome, for a small fee of £3.

Any questions please call 01305 832857.

Holbrook Manor & Spa’s Remarkable Comeback

WHEN Holbrook Manor & Spa went into administration in September last year, soon after a large refurbishment, jobs were lost and employees left shocked and surprised, having had no idea such a move was on the cards.

However, just four weeks later, Holbrook was resurrected under the Oceana Group - owners of the beautiful Georgian property.

I was thrilled to be offered an afternoon retreat experience.

With a fair bit of tension in my neck and shoulders, I headed into The Club, where I was greeted with warm smiles, a fluffy robe, towel and slippers.

I was so impressed with the refurbishment - was this really the same spa? The designer, alongside Holbrooks loyal employees, have done an incredible job. The grey walls, combined with mustard-coloured armchairs, leafy plants and gentle lighting create a perfect,

relaxing ambiance. The wingback armchairs are set up ready for pedicures and a lovely rustic table for manicures.

As Kate led me to my treatment room, the route was perfectly designed and decorated. After lying down on the scented towels in the treatment room, I received a wonderful 25-minute head, neck and shoulder massage using Natural Spa Factory products, which was ideal for sorting out the tension.

Normally, I’m quick to get up after a treatment, but this time I had to fight the urge to turn on my side and sleep!

Afterwards, I was settled into a large, comfortable armchair, feet up under a blanket with Tea Pigs Lavender and Chamomile tea.

All teas are chosen to complement the treatment and the oils used.

Feeling incredibly relaxed, I slowly took myself off to the swimming pool, sauna and hot tub, complete with views of the garden,

before heading to The Garden Café for a cream tea.

Nestled into yet another agreeable sofa, enjoying my scone, I was so glad to be back at Holbrook Manor & Spa.

Others are too, it seems, as I was alongside many returning customers.

I look forward to my next visit.

Body treatments at Holbrook Manor & Spa start at £37 for a 25-minute massage. For more information, and to book, log on to theholbrookmanor.com, or call 01963 824466.

Sell out success for Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s Muddy Dog Dash!

WATCH MUDDY DOG DASH VIDEO –

Over 400 people and 200 dogs took part in the Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s second ‘Muddy Dog Dash’ which took place at Upton Country Park on Sunday 17th March and raised an incredible £15,000 which will support patients and families facing a life limiting illness across East Dorset and Purbeck. Participants and their four legged friends took on the exceptionally muddy 2.5km or 5km obstacle course across fields and woodland, consisting of various exciting obstacles including ramps, tyre runs, wiggle poles, tunnels and much more!

Director of Fundraising Tom Goodinge said, “We

https://youtu.be/llmqpdtfNpw

couldn’t have wished for a better turn out, there was such a great atmosphere – It was fantastic to see so many runners, dogs and families supporting the sell out event.

The weather also didn’t disappoint, the sun shone all day on a very muddy course. “We were delighted the event was opened by Ted the celebrity pooch from BBC’s Mortimer & Whitehouse’s ‘Gone Fishing’ programme.

“We’ve got a brilliant gallery of photos for everyone to see. Take a visit at https://drive.google.com/drive/ folders/16KVIqACkRk2BhkF9ktlUFS3zajAl54ow? usp=sharing”.

“This event would not be possible without the incredible support from our volunteers, staff and sponsors - Barratt Homes, Care South, Capital Barriers, PHP Vets, South Coast Mini Marquee Ltd, Hot Radio, Nurturing By Nature, VetSmiths, Wessex Water and Marshalls. Without their help and support the event wouldn’t have been the huge success that it was.” Megan Hamlyn, Marketing Manager at Barratt Homes concluded, “We are thrilled to have supported Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s ‘Muddy Dog Dash’ for yet another year. They’ve created a wonderful community event and it’s a real pleasure to see the event grow so rapidly and be an even bigger success this year. Barratt Homes is committed to supporting organisations in the areas in which it is building and the

vital work Lewis-Manning do to help patients and their loved ones across East Dorset and Purbeck is incredible.”

Head of Marketing & PR at Care South, Chris Golding said, “My family had such a wonderful day out, our Cockapoo called Bip Bop fully embraced the mud!

It was a really great family experience, It’s certainly a totally unique event! “At Care South we love to enrich the lives of the residents in our care by including them in lots of different activities. Our partnership with Lewis-Manning provides many opportunities for this throughout the year. The ‘Muddy Dog Dash’ was a real social occasion for over 20 of our residents who had a fantastic time geeing on the Care South teams, which included staff and their families. It was definitely a real Care South family affair!”

Tom concluded, “We would urge anyone interested in learning about next year’s event to register their interest and we look forward to keeping you informed.

Don’t miss out, spaces are limited and fill very quickly.

Excellence recognised at national awards ceremony for property professionals

FARNFIELDS SOLICITORS has scooped winner as the Residential Conveyancing Team of the Year at a prestigious ceremony celebrating the work of property lawyers in England and Wales. The 4th annual British Conveyancing Awards, sponsored by property due diligence report provider Groundsure, hosted over 400 property professionals at a glitzy ceremony at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London.

The awards recognise and celebrate excellence across providers of home moving legal services and ancillary services. The rigorous entry process requires organisations to submit evidence of their approach to people, technology, process, professional development and technical excellence.

In achieving winner in the Residential Conveyancing Team of the Year category, (https://britishconveyancingawards.co.uk/ award-categories-2024/) Farnfields Solicitors has demonstrated excellence in how their department delivers exceptional client service, contributes to the overall success of the wider business and innovation and championing best practice.

Clare Gundry, Partner and Head of Residential Property commenting.

“Winning the Residential Conveyancing Team of the Year is a testament to our unwavering commitment to exceptional client service, innovative practices, and the collective success of our wider business. Our team’s dedication to providing personalised support and navigating complex transactions with finesse has undoubtedly set us apart. Through our innovative approaches, we’ve streamlined processes, ensuring efficiency without compromising quality.

This award is not just a recognition of our achievements but also a reflection of the trust and confidence our clients have placed in us. We are immensely proud of our team’s hard work and extend our heartfelt gratitude to our clients for their continued support and partnership.”

Commenting on the success those recognised through the awards, Chief Operating Officer at Headline Sponsor Groundsure, Malcolm Smith said:

“Groundsure would like to offer our congratulations to the winners and highly commended at the British Conveyancing Awards! It was a fantastic night of celebration and great to see the Conveyancing Community come together – we hope you all had a great night”

The British Conveyancing Awards is hosted by Today’s Media, the publishers of trade publication Today’s Conveyancer, an online news publication for property solicitors, conveyancers and property practitioners.

Hospital friends help patients access garden space

PATIENTS at Wincanton Hospital can now spend more time in the garden and outdoor areas thanks to the efforts of the hospital’s ‘Friends’ group.

They have now installed a lift to get patients who are struggling with mobility from the main Hadspen ward, located well above ground level, down to the garden.

Friends trustee, Ian Piper, drew on his project management experience to install the lift.

He said: “As a former project manager supplying to the MoD, among other public sector clients, I offered to carry out the work myself, as it’s very much my area of expertise.

“So, I took on the project and we first put in a lift, and then changed the doors so there was bed and wheelchair access, along with all the necessary safety measures, too.

“With the help of Chuck Downton, another of the Friends trustees, we also resurfaced the area below the lift and finished it off with a decent edge on the path with lots of lovely planters, which were kindly donated by our local Asda’s charitable foundation.”

Chenise Newham, ward sister on Hadspen ward, said everyone at the hospital is grateful to Ian, the Friends and Asda for

She said: “We have such a lovely outside garden at the back of the hospital, which was almost impossible for patients confined to their bed to get to, which was a real shame.

“Having this new lift will benefit our patients so much as it gives them easy access to the garden from the ward, so they can take part in group activities in the nice weather, and spend time with their families outside, which lots of patients tell us they want.

“All colleagues at the hospital have been trained to operate the lift, so it can be used

patients to get up and out of their beds more, which can only be a good thing for their recovery.

“And we’ve already had great feedback from our patients, who’ve said how wonderful it is that they’re able to enjoy this outside space.

“We’re hugely grateful to the ‘Friends’ for their support – they’ve been instrumental in organising and getting this project off the ground, it has been a phenomenal effort.”

Air ambulance assistance

SIX members of Gillingham Probus presented a cheque to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance at the open day on March 9 at Henstridge Airfield.

The money was raised at the Probus Christmas dinner and raffle, at which members gave generously.

“The air ambulance provides a vital service to those of us living in rural and semi-rural communities,” said a Probus spokesperson.

The Probus representatives were delighted to meet with the staff and volunteers who provided a wealth of information as to the service and its ambitions to expand.

Probus Gillingham is part of a worldwide organization of clubs for retired and semiretired professional and business people who enjoy each other’s company, and attend a varied series of fortnightly talks as well as member arranged visits to places of interest for members and their partners.

The Club also holds regular social and lunch events in and around Gillingham. It meets at North Dorset Rugby Club on the first and third Tuesdays every month.For more information call 01935 824129.

Spring fair

FONTMELL Magna village hall is hosting a spring fair to raise funds.

Other beneficiaries of the fair, to be held on April 20, include the Springhead Trust, the Dorset Wildlife Trust and Home-Start, Blackmore Vale.

From 10.30am to 3.30pm, an eclectic mix of stalls will showcase the talents and produce of the area, including awardwinning local gin and vodka, jewellery, pottery, beeswax, cheese and charcuterie.

Refreshments will be available outdoors from Full Circle Coffee.

To find out more visit https:// fontmellmagnavillagehall. co.uk

Senior ward sister Chenise Newham with representatives from the Friends of Wincanton Community Hospital and Asda

Pictured right of Steve Westbrook (Operational Lead) DSAA, is Kenneth Wilson (Probus Treasurer) presenting the cheque, along with other Probus members

Weekend A303 closure planned this month as new sections set to open

MORE new sections of the upgraded A303 in Somerset will be put into use this month - after a complete weekend closure.

More sections of the road will be opened as the Sparkford to Ilchester dualling scheme continues.

To allow for National Highways to carry out the next stage of the work, changes in the layout of the road around the Steart Hill Junction and Gason Lane, known as Wales embankment, are needed.

Workers need to move traffic onto the newly-built westbound carriageway to allow space to build the new eastbound route.

Changes on the A303 include: Eastbound traffic will switch onto a single lane of the new westbound carriageway at Steart Hill through to Gason Lane and then back onto the existing A303; Westbound traffic will switch from the existing A303 westbound carriageway at Gason Lane and run temporarily on a single lane of the new westbound carriageway, before switching to run temporarily on the eastbound carriageway of the new A303 after Steart Hill.

Weather permitting, the changes will happen under a full weekend closure of the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester, running from 9pm on Friday, April 19, and 6am on Monday, April 22.

During the closure, access will remain for residents, with a signed diversion in place for all other traffic.

Westbound A303 traffic will be directed to join the A359 at the Sparkford roundabout, travelling to Yeovil to pick up the A37 and rejoining the A303 north of Ilchester.

Eastbound A303 traffic will follow the diversion in reverse.

Siân Hopkins, National Highways’ senior project manager for the A303 Sparkford scheme, said: “We appreciate the A303 is a well-used road, and we are keeping disruption to an absolute minimum.

“We understand roadworks and changes in road layout can be frustrating, but we’ve communicated the traffic switch well in advance to local communities.

“We’re ensuring access is maintained for residents and businesses, and we’ll be keeping people fully informed as we continue to progress with the scheme.

“We thank people in advance for their co-operation and patience and in the meantime, we advise drivers to plan ahead

and allow a little extra time for their journeys during this work.”

To ensure the works can be carried out safely, new speed limits will be in place along the section of altered road.

Locations where the layout requires traffic to cross between the existing and new carriageway will have a lower speed limit, 30mph instead of 50mph, and will be signposted.

This is the second traffic switch for users of the road following changes to the layout in January between Yeovilton Junction and Steart Hill.

Users were moved to the eastbound carriageway to allow the westbound carriageway to be built, work that has now been complete, and included the opening of the Steart Hill overbridge.

More traffic switches will take place throughout the year, National Highways said, as the scheme looks towards completion in winter 2024/25.

The A303 Sparkford to Ilchester upgrade will provide a three-mile dual carriageway link on the A303 through Somerset, including new and replacement slip roads, junctions and road bridges.

The new dualled section will start east of Podimore Roundabout, follow the alignment of the existing A303 to Downhead, and then move north of the existing A303 single carriageway, allowing the existing road to be kept for use as a local road in this section.

The route will rise up West Camel Hill before crossing over the existing A303 at the junction with Steart Hill/ Howell Hill and meet up with the existing road again between Vale Farm and the Ministry of Defence signal station at Eyewell/Traits Land.

The final section of the route bypasses the existing Hazlegrove Roundabout to the north through the Registered Park and Garden associated with Hazlegrove House, before tying into the existing A303 Sparkford Bypass.

On an average day, the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester carries 23,500 vehicles, but numbers increase significantly in the summer, particularly at weekends.

• Anglican High Mass at Wimborne St Giles: First Sunday of each month at 11am. BH21 5LZ.

• Blandford Methodist Church: Sundays – everyone is invited to services at 10.45am and to stay for refreshments. Thursdays – coffee and a chat from 10am-noon. Fridays –lunch club for the over-55s from noon at £5 per meal. Phone Joyce Wild on 07817 505543 to book. The church is anxious to offer help to all those in need – call church steward John Cornish on 07799 516735 or leave a message.

• Chalbury Church: Fourth Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Hinton Martell: Second Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Horton Church: First Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Horton & Chalbury village hall: Third Sunday of the month, 9am Breakfast Church.

• Kingston Lacy: Second Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion. Fourth Sunday of the month, 9.15am Family Service.

• Longburton Village Cafe: The cafe, held in the village church of St James, provides tea, coffee – free refills – and great cakes for just £2. It is open on Tuesdays April 9 and 23 from 10.30am-noon.

• Lower Stour Benefice: Sunday, April 14 – 9.30am Communion at St Mary’s Church, Blandford St Mary; 11am Communion at All Saints, Langton Long; 11am Family Service at St Mary’s Church, Tarrant Rushton. Sunday, April 21 – 9.30am Communion at St John the Baptist, Spetisbury. Sunday, April 21 – 4pm Celebration of the launch of the Two Rivers Benefice with Bishop Karen, Bishop of Sherborne, at All Saints, Tarrant Keyneston. Sunday, April 28 –9.30am Communion at St Mary Church, Charlton Marshall; 9.30am Morning Worship at St John the Baptist, Spetisbury; 11am Communion at All Saints, Langton Long; 11am BCP

Communion at St Mary’s Church, Tarrant Rushton. Coffee and cake – Spetisbury 10am11.30am first and third Monday each month; coffee and cake

– Blandford St Mary 10am11.30am April 18; coffee stop

– Charlton Marshall Parish Centre 10.30am-12.30pm Tuesday to Friday.

• Lillington: All morning services at Lillington now begin at 9.30am.

• Our Lady’s RC Church, Marnhull: Mass Sunday, 9am and 6pm.

• Shaftesbury Quakers (Society of Friends): Meets for one hour each Sunday from 10.30am at the Quaker Meeting House, Abbey Walk, Shaftesbury SP7 8BB.

• Sherborne Abbey: Monday to Saturday, 8.30am Morning Prayer; The Sepulchre Chapel. Mondays, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Tuesday, noon CW Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion with Homily; The Lady Chapel (alternates CW and BCP). Thursday, noon BCP Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. Friday, 9am Ecumenical Holy Communion; The Lady Chapel. First Friday of the month, 9am Requiem Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel. Third Friday of the month, 11am Remembering the Fallen. Saturday, 9am CW Holy Communion; The Sepulchre Chapel.

• Sacred Heart, Tisbury, and All Saints’ Wardour Catholic Parish: Sunday Mass times –Sacred Heart, Tisbury 9am, coffee after Mass; All Saints’ Wardour 10.30am.

• Shapwick: Third Sunday of the month, 9.15am Holy Communion.

• Sherborne Quakers: Meet Sundays 10.30am in the Griffiths Room, Digby Memorial Church Hall. Everyone welcome.

• St Benedict’s RC Church, Gillingham: Sunday, 11am.

• St Gregory’s, Marnhull: Sunday services 8am and 10am. Other services, visit www. stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk.

• St John’s Church, Enmore Green: Service every Sunday at 11.15am; parish communion on the first Sunday of the month; prayer services every other Sunday.

• St Mary’s, Motcombe: Evening worship (BCP) – every first Sunday 6pm; parish communion – every second and fourth Sunday 9.30am; evening worship – every third Sunday 6pm.

• St Mary’s, Sturminster Newton: First, third and fourth Sundays – 11am Holy Communion; second Sunday – 9.30am Morning Prayer; fifth Sunday – 11am Benefice Holy Communion; second and fourth Sundays – 6pm Evensong; Wednesdays – 10am Holy Communion.

• St Peter’s, Hinton St Mary: First, second and third Sundays, 9.30am Morning Prayer. Fourth Sunday, 9.30am Holy Communion.

• St Thomas’, Lydlinch: Second and fourth Sunday, 11am Holy Communion. Third Sunday, 6pm Evensong.

• Witchampton Church: Third Sunday of the month, 10.30am Holy Communion.

• Sherborne Abbey: Farming Community Network coffee morning at The Vicarage, Abbey Close, on Saturday, April 20, 11am-1pm. Farmers and their spouses/partners are welcome. RSVP to Sue Lee on 01935 713777 or at Sue.Lee@ sherborneabbey.com

• Friends of Sherborne Abbey: Coffee morning on Wednesday, October 27, 10.30am-1pm, at Digby Memorial Hall. Visitors are invited to take a friend or friends! For catering purposes, RSVP to Francesgd49@gmail. com

• Sherborne Abbey Mothers’ Union: Cake stall in the abbey in aid of group funds on Sunday, April 21, before and after the 9.30am service. Next meeting on Friday, April 26, at 10am for 10.30am in the Griffiths Room, Digby Memorial Church Hall. Coffee, cakes and quiz with the quiz master, Elizabeth Prichard. Everyone welcome.

• Sherborne Quakers: Meet

every Sunday at 10.30am in the Griffiths Room, Digby Memorial Hall, for an hour of quiet prayer or meditation followed by coffee. Everyone is welcome to go along. For more information, phone Nick on 07870 192599.

• Sherborne Abbey: Tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10.30am and on Wednesdays and Fridays (2pm) – a guide will be waiting in the porch. Tours last 45 minutes to an hour and are free of charge, although donations are appreciated. Guided tours will also take place between July 6 and September 8 on Saturdays (10.30am) and Sundays (11.15 am) or 2pm if a Sunday morning baptism is taking place. Large groups should contact Joanna in the parish office (01935 713777) to arrange a convenient date/time.

• Sherborne Abbey: Organ recitals on Mondays at 1.30pm resuming on April 15 with Daniel Blaze, organ scholar of Clare College, Cambridge, and previously the abbey’s organ scholar in 2021/22. Free entry, retiring collection, all welcome.

• St Paul’s Alpha Course: Starts Tuesday, April 30, for 10 weeks. Open to everyone, a safe place, no previous knowledge required. Details from Sarah on 01935 816444 or admin@ spcsherborne.co.uk.

• Cheap Street Church, Sherborne: Taize Servicé – half an hour of prayer, meditation and music on Sunday, April 14, at 6.30pm. Everyone welcome.

• Cheap Street Church, Sherborne: Sherborne Girls’ lunchtime concert: On Tuesday, April 30, at 1.45pm. Everyone welcome. Tickets £15/£12/£10 from events@sherborne.com

• Cheap Street Church, Sherborne: Sherborne School Friday lunchtime recitals: April 19, Brass; April 26, Singers; May 3, Chamber Ensembles – 1.30pm, Sherborne Abbey, part of the music festival; May 10, Strings; May 17, Woodwind; May 24, Instrumental and Vocal Soloists. All at 1.45pm. Free admission (unless otherwise stated).

JUMBLE SALE Buckhorn

Weston hall Saturday 13th April 2.30pm. Teas-Cakes-Raffle

SOLAR POWERED POP-UP DJ totally retro Ecotainment! Suitable for any occasion 07554 477889

WIMBORNE ST GILES

CHARITY TEAS starting on Sunday 14th April, then every Sunday until end of September. 2.30 -5pm at Wimborne St Giles Village Hall, BH21 5LX

SIXPENNY HANDLEY COMMUNITY CINEMA

Wonka Village Hall, Common Road SP5 5NJ

Friday 19 April | 6.30 for 7.00 pm £6 | Bar & snacks | Information: 6dhandleyhall@gmail.com

SHAFTESBURY EMPORIUM

Friday 12th & Saturday 13th April 9am - 4.30pm

Shaftesbury Town Hall

Lots of lovely items for sale under one roof. Supporting Weldmar Hospice and Dorset Somerset Air Ambulance FREE ENTRY

JUMBLE and PLANT SALE

On Sat 20th April 10.00 - 12.30 in Melbury Abbas Village Hall SP70DB. Donations of good quality jumble welcome Fri pm.

JUMBLE & TOY SALE, Stour

Provost Village Hall, SP8 5RZ.

Saturday 20th April, 2pm - 4pm. Admission 20p. No Books

THE FORTUNESWELL CANCER TRUST is holding its AGM on Tuesday 21 May at 6pm for a 6.30 Start. It is being held in the Main Hall of the Dorchester United Church, 29 South Street, Dorchester, DT1 1BY (please use Charles Street entrance). Anyone interested in the work of the charity that supports cancer patients in Dorset, is welcome to attend.

CAR BOOT SALE AND ARTISAN MARKET

Winterborne Stickland Sports Club DT11 0LZ

Sunday April 14th 9:30am to 12:30pm for buyers

Sellers only from 8:30 am

Beautiful location, play park, bar and BBQ

Free Entry for buyers

Sellers contact 07714 364750

RACE NIGHT. 20th April, 6.30 for 7pm. King Arthurs School Wincanton. Cancer Charity Fund Raiser. Contact Mel. Tel: 07484-154800 for tickets. £15.00 including food

‘EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH’, an immersive art installation by Lucy Jago,Tessa Coleman, Rachel Goodison, Zivi Sainsbury. Saturday 20th April to Sunday 28th, 10-5pm, All Saints’ Church, Martock TA12 6JL

SHAFTESBURY LIBRARY

EARTH DAY craft for children. Recycle your empty cardboard tubes and create cute minibeasts to take away.

Saturday 20 April 11:00am – 12 midday Suitable for children up to 12 years. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Booking essential via Eventbrite or contact the library. For more information email shaftesburylibrary@ dorsetcouncil or call 01747 852256

LYN’S BINGO at Marnhull

Royal British Legion on Monday April 15th Eyes down 7pm

Events

Stalbridge Hall Thursday 25th April

90

Doors open 6.30pm

Eyes down 7.30pm In aid of hall funds

SALE Material £2/metre. Wool, haberdashery, patterns, kits etc. + fill-a-bag £5.00 The Exchange, Sturminster Newton. Sunday 21st April, 12-2pm.

Ruth Ellis: No victim, villain or hero

THE story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain, in 1955, is told in The Thrill of Love, now being staged at Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

The arts centre’s Music and Drama Group is performing the play, directed by Diana Banham.

A spokesperson for the group said: “Ruth Ellis has become a symbol of criminal injustice, but in The Thrill of Love she is neither victim, villain nor hero.

“The play seeks to understand more about a complex, enigmatic young woman and the life she lived.

“With Blakely [the man Ellis killed] an off-stage character,

the story focuses on Ruth and her fellow hostesses.

“They would have known her better than anyone, yet they are all but silent in the official records.

“By finding their voice, we may hear Ruth’s, too.

“Exactly what drove her out with a gun on Easter Sunday 1955 can never fully be known, but we still have much to learn

THE fascinating stories of the Dorset men and women who found themselves before Shire Hall Court in Dorchester will be the subject of a talk given by Anne Brown at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton.

She will talk about the arsonists, smugglers and, most famously, the Tolpuddle Martyrs, in 150 Years of Courtroom Drama on Wednesday, April 17, at 7.30pm in the Bow Room.

Tickets are £4 and hot and cold drinks will be on offer at the bar.

from the question.”

The Thrill of Love concludes a four-night run on Friday and Saturday, April 12-13, and tickets priced £12.50 – Friends and members £10 – are available from www.

shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk or the box office on 01747 854321. n The show is not suitable for under-14s, and contains bright flashing lights, so is not suitable for those with light-sensitive conditions such as epilepsy.

Choir marks 30 years

They rehearse in Child Okeford every Thursday and anyone who would like to join is asked to contact chair, Ed Highnam, on 01258 821576.

The group sing a variety of music from sea shanties and musical hits to pop music and more.

The concert is on Saturday, April 27, at 7pm and tickets priced £12.50 are available from the arts centre online and at the box office.

New Copy?

Ticket to ride with drama group

DORCHESTER Drama is urging theatre lovers to get on board with its next performance – two one-act plays sharing the theme of the great British railway system.

The first is Still Life, Noel Coward’s emotional wrecking ball that was immortalised in the film Brief Encounter

Alec and Laura meet by chance in a station cafe and fall in love. Married to other people, will their growing relationship flourish, or will it threaten to derail both their lives?

The roles of Alec and Laura, immortalised by Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter, are played by Martin Stephen and Mel Austin, with Lynn Cockerill as the redoubtable Myrtle Bagot, who runs the station buffet, and Mike Bradburn, as her suitor, Albert Godby.

Other performers are Ivana Jelinic, Jordan Wiseman, Sinead Gannon, Sam Kelly, Peter Allison, John Butler and Eve Staddon.

The second play, Train, is by Dorset playwright Sean Colledge, who is also directing both performances.

A modern thriller with a psychological twist, it focuses on six people travelling by train to different destinations. When tragedy strikes, dark secrets come to light with unnerving results.

Its cast members include Sam Kelly, John Butler, Monica Hunt, Frances Sansom, Eve and Zepg Staddon and Peter Allison.

Train includes strong language and adult themes, so is not suitable for young audiences.

Sean, who has been a member of Dorchester Drama for several years and has directed previous plays, said that directing two very different performances has been an enjoyable challenge.

“It’s been strange switching between the 1930s and the present day, but it’s been very interesting,” he said.

“It’s fascinating to analyse Still Life with the mindset we have today, how Alec is almost forcing his relationship with Laura forward, in a way that could be considered predatory today.

“At the time it was written it was seen as romantic love in the way it proceeds, but now we might think of it as bullying.”

Sean describes Train as being a thriller that asks moral questions. Ideas for the play were coming together in his mind for a year, but when it came to getting it down on paper, he says the words flowed out and it was written within a week.

He added: “I have got the perfect cast for both plays, though the challenge was Still Life was casting the main characters as slightly older than they are described in the play.

“But at the end of the day, it’s about love and that can happen at any age, whatever your orientation or experience.”

Performances are at Broadmayne village hall, Cowleaze Road, Broadmayne DT2 8EW on Saturday, April 20, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm and at St Mary’s Community Hall, Alexandra Road, Dorchester DT1 2LZ on Saturday, April 27, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Tickets are £10 plus booking fee from wegottickets.com/ dorchesterdrama and more details are available on 07749 569730.

Finalist in the 2023

International Opera Awards

The home of Country House opera in South West England featuring renowned soloists, a full orchestra and a large chorus of emerging young artists

World Première

An opera in four seasons

Composer: Paul Carr

Librettist: Euan Tait (After Thomas Hardy)

23, 25 July at 19.00 | 27 July at 14.00

Marking 100 years since the composer’s death…

Giacomo Puccini

22, 24, 27 July at 19.00 | 25 July at 14.00

The Golden Anniversary

Friday 26 July at 19:00

Coade Theatre, Bryanston, Blandford Forum

Box Office: dorsetopera.com

07570 366 186

Martin Stephen and Mel Austin as Alec and Laura in Still Life

Singers tackle St John Passion

Review by Alan Burgess

THE Athenaeum Singers are branching out in their choices of repertoire and their concert at The Minster Church was the culmination of a major project, bringing Bob Chilcott’s St John Passion to Warminster.

Rehearsals and the concert aside, the composer presented a workshop to 100 singers earlier in the year and an evening sharing his personal story, all based at Warminster School.

The first half of the concert began with Rheinberger’s rarely heard Stabat Mater in G minor. It is a short engaging work and the Singers were attentive to Thomas Mottershead’s direction. There was a gentle dynamic range and while the tenor and bass unison singing called out for a more assured

response from sopranos and altos, there was nonetheless some good balance between the voices such as in the concluding Quando corpus fugue.

Maurice Durufle’s Ubi caritas was also sung gently and sensitively and could perhaps have moved forward with greater confidence and purpose. It was preceded by Simon Dinsdale playing a Bach chorale prelude on the Minster organ. This was an intimate and understated performance of the Passiontide chorale O man, bewail thy grievous sin. His supple and engaging playing held the listener supremely well through a range of harmonic twists and turns.

Thomas Mottershead has championed Chilcott’s St John Passion in recent weeks and as

Flute and harp in church concert

TWO highly polished performers will be giving a flute and harp concert at Tisbury Church this weekend.

Cherubim Young Musicians

Alexia-Cristiana Pasquariello and Clara Gatti-Comini will be performing on Saturday, April 13, at 6pm in aid of the Save the Children Gaza Appeal.

Alexia-Cristina is a

Romanian flautist studying for her BMus at the Royal Academy of Music.

Clara holds two harp degrees with distinction from Trinity-Laban and is now on a doctoral research project at the London College of Music. Tickets are £14/£19 in advance from Eventbrite at https://rb.gy/xixq4b, and £16/£22 on the day.

director he should feel proud of the Singers who delivered a convincing performance. All four soloists played their part but the intriguing instrumentation which included viola, cello and brass quartet enhanced the occasion no end. These were all first rate instrumentalists who played with a great sense of ensemble and they contributed significantly to the drama of the piece which is the telling of a remarkable story.

There was much to commend the occasion but it is worth noting Matteo Placidi’s well voiced Evangelist, Stephen Hamnett’s solid Pilate, Olivia Jane Gomez’ sensitively shaped soprano lines and, above all, William Stevens’ masterful Jesus – delivered with poise, a physical stillness and intense vocal warmth. This man is innocent!

The choir rose to the occasion and their frequent dramatic outbursts were unshackled and

fearless. Their opening entries were impassioned and their interjections leading up to the decision to crucify Christ were rhythmic and on occasions full of venom. But they also produced moments of tenderness, accompanying the soprano soloist sympathetically in Jesus my Leman

Chilcott’s masterstroke in this piece is to mirror Bach’s practice of including opportunities for the listener to participate. For Bach’s contemporaries there were Lutheran chorales or hymns but Chilcott has composed new settings of familiar words and the audience was required to stand and sing from time to time. These were magical moments, when everyone in the Minster felt a part of the Passiontide story, and the sopranos singing of There is a Green Hill Far Away was perhaps one of the most touching moments of the evening. Beautiful music, beautifully sung.

Art group at village hall

MEMBERS of Wimborne Art Club are set to hold their It’s Spring exhibition at Pamphill village hall.

The exhibition showcases the group’s artistic talents and features crafts as well as paintings, and a varied selection of subject matter and styles.

One of the artists featured is Anne Gooch, a club member for 20 years. She said: “I love my paintings to tell a story. I normally paint in watercolour for the beauty of the colour washes capturing the light and feature small children capturing their movement while out and

about having fun.”

The exhibition runs on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, from 10am-4.30pm, and entry and parking are free. Refreshments will be available.

Wimborne Art Club was formed in 1975 and meets fortnightly on a Thursday at St Catherine’s church hall in Wimborne.

Activities include demonstrations, talks and workshops, and the club stages at least two exhibitions a year.

For more information, contact Rosemary McDonald at ramcd6@gmail.com.

Watercolour paintings by Anne Gooch of Wimborne Art Club

Pot hole hell: A direct result of cuts

14 years of neglect by the Tories aided by the Lib Dems, in the first five years, has meant that our roads are now in a parlous state and in need of urgent and thorough overall.

Years of underfunding for councils by the Government have coincided with rising demands upon our road network. Time and again the Tories have boasted about how they have “rolled back the state” by reducing public expenditure – a clear product of this is the condition of our highways and byways.

Britain’s potholed roads caused a surge in vehicle breakdowns last year, according to motoring organisations, which said related call-outs were at their highest level for many years.

Figures from the AA and the RAC breakdown services recorded substantial increases as a result of the state of the roads. The AA said it had

received 632,000 call-outs to damaged vehicles last year, including cars with punctures, an increase of 16% compared with the previous 12 months,

and the highest since 2018, when extreme cold weather affected the road network.

Potholes are often formed when water enters cracks in the road surface, then freezes in cold weather and expands, which the RAC said “such road damage would increasingly get worse over the winter months unless dealt with properly”.

Simply filling and patching is only a “sticking plaster” approach to road maintenance and does not deal with the fundamental works necessary, which are to strip and re-lay the highway surface properly with a continuous new surface with deeper resurfacing if the state of the road requires it.

So to do the job properly, and not the simple filling and patching, inevitably costs more to begin with. Had the Tory Government, aided by the Lib Dems, not interfered with local government finances then the programmed maintenance

would have continued in a pre-planned process.

Now local councils are in the invidious position of having a backlog of programmed works without the funding available to do the immediate priority jobs, let alone the catch-up programmes necessary.

What can you do?

Firstly, vote Labour in the Dorset Council elections on May 2 to start to get back at a local level to sensible long- and medium-term programmes of highway maintenance which should seriously begin to eliminate the pot hole scourge.

Secondly, and most importantly, at the forthcoming general election, vote in a Labour Government which is the only way to re-establish our highway network as a commonsense priority. But don’t expect immediate results for our public services so damaged by this Tory – and Lib Dem – misrule.

Healthcare’s frontline hard-pressed

English Teeth, English Teeth! Shining in the sun A part of British heritage Aye, each and every one.

English Teeth! HEROES' Teeth!

Hear them click! And clack! Let's sing a song of praise to themThree cheers for the brown, grey and black.

SPIKE Milligan’s homage to the humble English molar is still funny, and regrettably still apt, even if the general state of our teeth is higher than in Milligan’s day.

It’s a shame that we’ve gone into reverse on the availability of dentists to examine our tombstone teeth. Waits of months for an NHS dentist appointment are all too familiar if you can get one at all. The rot set in a while ago. In 2006 dentists moved to a different contract, which the profession resoundingly detested. Dentists take fewer NHS patients and the

Gary Jackson, North Dorset Liberal Democrats

number of dentists entering the profession has steadily reduced. In 2023 there were only 2.87

dentists with NHS contracts per 10,000 people in Dorset’s dental desert. Like for like statistics are hard to find, but not long ago in 2018, the national average was 5.3 per 10,000 people.

Speaking of scarcity, on another health-related note, I spoke to the pharmacist in one of North Dorset’s diminishing number of chemists last Saturday during Easter. It was the end of the day.

I chirpily commented on the lack of a queue and she confirmed that I had indeed been lucky to escape the increasing demand and long lines of people that remain the norm for most of every working day. There are now 3.7 pharmacies per 10,000 people in Dorset, compared to 4.4 per 10,000 people 10 years ago.

Finally, completing the picture, there is the continued

pressure on GPs. Waits of more than four weeks from request to seeing a GP remain very high in Dorset at 8.7% of the total number of appointment requests. The national average was 4.8% in 2023, up from 3.7% since 2022.

The overall picture is one of neglect. No, not ours of our health and wellbeing but of plans and good sense to make the professions of dentist, GP and pharmacist more positively reinforcing experiences.

Where is the encouragement to make these roles a long term living and not a daily endurance test? Liberal Democrats are determined to make waits of more than seven days for a GP history, pharmacies even more important and available in our communities, and reform English dentistry to make English teeth even more heroic.

Gerald Davies, on behalf of Dorset Labour

Water companies behaving badly

NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have revealed that Wessex Water, which covers Somerset, discharged sewage 41,453 times last year, an 89% rise compared to 2022.

There were 5,501 sewage spills in the River Parrett area in the past year, 151 of which were in Sparkford, totalling 1,346 hours. In the Frome area, sewage was spilt into Nunney Brook 104 times, totalling 1,771 hours.

It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into Somerton and Frome’s rivers and waterways with such regularity. In 2020 the Environment Agency reported that all five of Somerset’s rivers were polluted beyond legal limits. Since then, sewage dumping has only got worse.

I am extremely concerned

that water companies are still getting away with this. The disregard shown to the environment is disgraceful.

In 2020 and 2021 water company executives paid themselves £51 million in remuneration, including £30.6 million in bonuses. At the same time, the Environment Agency

suggested that executives deserved to go to prison.

The Conservatives have done nothing to stop water companies from dumping sewage into our rivers. In fact, they have consistently voted against tougher action to stop sewage dumps, while the water regulator, Ofwat, said that only six of the 11 sewage companies met its sewage dumping targets.

It is not too late for nature to recover and for people to be able to enjoy our waterways once again. After a lot of campaigning, Farleigh Hungerford, near Frome, is being considered for official protected bathing water status. When I was Lead Member for the Environment and Climate Change at Somerset Council, I wrote in support of Farleigh Hungerford’s bid and I have also advocated in the House of

In praise of the local library

MANY of us will have very acute childhood memories. Some of those memories will be associated with an event or activity that continues to make itself felt with us every day. One for me is my joy of reading. One can never feel lonely with a book. With every book one learns something new. With a book the foundation for a conversation is set.

My love of reading stems from my weekly childhood visit to our local library. Built in that confident high Victorian tradition – its edifice loomed above the visitor while the smell of wood polish on the parquet floors and Brasso on the hinges seemed to say, ‘you are in a special place’. The stern look, of the actually very kindly, Miss Lamb, shushing us children, still holds a semblance of fear. Every Saturday we visited. Chose our books. Devoured them at home. Returned the following week to repeat.

Libraries have changed –they are not just for books but

Conservative MP for North Dorset

Simon Hoare

for community gatherings, information getting, using computers, a quiet place for study. They are a mini version of the worldwide web – all information can be found there.

So, it was a particular pleasure to visit Shaftesbury Library with our fantastic Libraries Minister, Stephen (Lord) Parkinson. Stephen’s parents have moved to Shaftesbury, so I know he enjoyed the visit, too. Our visit

Commons for its protected status.

However, far more needs to be done. I have previously spoken on this important issue in Parliament, calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in local rivers, including replacing Ofwat with a stricter regulator. The Liberal Democrats have also called for a ban on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will continue to campaign on this important issue and will demand the changes in law necessary to clean up our water.

As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me at sarah.dyke. mp@parliament.uk.

was to celebrate the awarding of £309,971 by the Government to Dorset Library Service.

Dorset Council has been exemplary in the management of its libraries. This was the outcome of its successful bid to the third round of the Libraries Improvement Fund. The money will be used to install openaccess technology in Sturminster Newton, Gillingham and Verwood libraries to extend their opening hours.

Shaftesbury will benefit from the purchase of 30 iPads to extend the very popular iPad lending service. This improves IT literacy and is part of a programme delivered in partnership with Department for Work and Pensions and Citizens’ Advice supporting people who otherwise cannot access online services, including searching for and applying for jobs. This initiative is part of the wider £20.5 million Libraries Improvement Fund. This fund is helping transform our important

public library service across England. It helps upgrade buildings, improve IT and respond to the changing ways people are using them.

It was wonderful to hear the clear enthusiasm of Helen Baker, the Shaftesbury Library manager, and to hear about the daily usage of the library. How it provides study space, a social ‘hub’, a source of advice and information and getting children in and reading through holiday projects. Stephen and I enjoyed meeting the Knit & Natter ladies who get together to – well you can probably guess. One lady had just begun to knit 8,000 British Legion Poppies for her friend in Solihull to create a poppy cascade for Remembrance Sunday. I hope she meets her target – she certainly sounded determined enough to do so.

So, if you haven’t visited your local library, let me urge you to do so. The treasure trove of books is still there but there’s now so much more!

Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton & Frome Sarah Dyke

Opposed to stroke unit closure

I’D like to inform readers that I have further escalated my significant reservations with the chief executive of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust concerning plans to close the Hyper-Acute Stroke unit and Acute Stroke Care facility at Yeovil District Hospital, and I am campaigning heavily in opposition to the plans. The closure is intended to unlock the development of a single hyper-acute stroke unit at Taunton.

But this means an unnecessarily long journey for residents of Sherborne and the surrounding villages, or a 40-minute journey to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester – which itself does not yet have the facilities to replace those at Yeovil. These extensive travel times risk further complications for those suffering from a stroke, with potentially life-changing outcomes for patients.

I have been in dialogue with

Conservative MP for West Dorset

Chris Loder

our local NHS trusts since the announcement was made to close the facilities – a decision I believe is short-sighted and which may lead to greater public health risks. In addition, 180,000 residents rely on Yeovil District Hospital, many from West Dorset, and it’s vital that access to the stroke units will be preserved, and I will be doing all I can to ensure that to secure this outcome.

I’d like to respond to Cllr Robin Legg’s comments in the last edition of the New Blackmore Vale towards the new banking hub in the town, which I helped to secure. These views

were also echoed by Cllr Jon Andrews in another publication. While it is disappointing that Lloyds Bank is withdrawing from the town, it presents a new opportunity for the banking hub which will have access to cash facilities and a community banker available every day to help customers.

It will also enable five different bank branches to be based in the town, including Lloyds. Cash Access UK has to undertake a series of assessments in the town. Lloyds will continue to operate until at least January 2025, and the banking hub is expected to be operational thereafter.

In other news, residents of Sherborne may be aware that in January, the Liberal Democratrun Sherborne Town Council approved its budget for 2024/25. The precept for a Band D property will now cost £250.62 – an increase of nearly 10% in the space of a year. And since I

took office in 2019, Sherborne Town Council has increased the precept by 19.5%. It’s a stark reality that many in the town are unaware of, and it’s only right to question what the residents of Sherborne receive because of these increases? Does the additional spending –predominantly on “facilities” –benefit everyone?

By comparison, the diligent Conservative administration on Dorset Council has over the last five years delivered for residents. This includes £120 million reinvested to safeguard frontline services; more than £4.4 million in grants to local causes through the Community Grants Scheme; nearly 60% recycling rate of waste collected, compared to 43.4% nationally; investing £40 million in schools for children with special educational needs; and £19 million invested in projects across Dorset to make councilowned property carbon neutral.

Waste burners pause welcome

SOME promising news on the incinerator front. DEFRA minister Sir Mark Spencer has directed the Environment Agency to pause permits for waste burners to allow a review.

Truth is, we don’t need any more of these horrible things. ‘Energy from Waste’ or ‘EfW’ is a misnomer in my view, a fig leaf offering a trickle of energy in return for consigning the by-products of combustion to the great landfill in the sky.

Don’t be fooled by the name. EfW returns a paltry amount of power to the grid. Far from offering an efficient means of creating a circular economy, they produce around 7 million tonnes of carbon emissions countrywide each year and scatter potentially unpleasant substances across a wide area. They disincentive recycling. We are projected to build excessive incinerator capacity, drawing more and more waste away from

Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire

Dr Andrew Murrison

more sustainable forms of management. That an inspectorate – from Bristol –granted planning permission for such a monstrosity in Westbury last year in the face of vociferous local opposition is, in my view, a disgrace.

I have long called on DEFRA to place a moratorium on the building of new incinerators and introduce other, largely fiscal, measures to create an inhospitable business environment for the sector. It seems my calls are being answered.

On April 4, Mark Spencer wrote to the Environment Agency directing them to stop issuing permits for new EfW facilities until May 24. A consultation will be carried out to determine whether continued EfW construction is desirable. There can to my mind only be one answer – a big, resounding NO!

I have written to Mark and the EA welcoming the move and also pressing the minister to go further. The powers he uses under the 2016 Environmental Permitting Regulations also allows him to revoke permits. Surely, given the clear evidence of our over-capacity and the risks of incinerators, it would make sense to revoke the permit given to Hills for its planned Westbury plant?

I would ask the EA to keep in mind that it conducted a formal interview under caution in June in connection with Hills Waste’s

failure to manage the smell from its existing waste operation that blighted the lives of many of my constituents during summer months. Residents had to stay indoors with windows shut as the gut-churning stink pervaded the neighbourhood. This is not an outfit I feel comfortable with.

An initial pause on permits followed by a consultation is how the moratorium got going in Scotland. Pressure is building on EfW facilities and operators like Hills/NREL must be feeling the heat, so to speak. Time to dial it up. Many areas will have local government elections on May 2. Incinerators are set to be a key issue in several of them. Their continued construction is not just a local issue but a national one.

If we are serious about protecting our environment, we must as a country deal with our waste in a more sustainable way by giving incinerators the boot.

Garrick is men only, but so what?

THE New Blackmore Vale in its March 29 edition devotes a whole page to the possibility that Simon Hoare MP might be a member of the men-only Garrick Club in London.

I don’t belong to a London club, nor have I ever wanted to, but it seems to me that what adults do in their own free time is their own business, provided it stays on the right side of the law.

The Garrick isn’t – as far as I know – a gay club and on the law of averages it seems likely that the majority of members are heterosexual men who from time to time enjoy lunch, dinner or conversation away from their wives and in the company of other heterosexual men.

Why should this be a shocking thing?

I am reliably informed that there are as many women-only clubs as there are men-only, and I don’t read about outraged campaigns by men who think this must change.

So please spare us the confected indignation!

Roger White

Sherborne DT9 3AH Members should be free to choose

I FOUND the article about the Garrick Club – New Blackmore Vale, March 29 – to be rather vindictive towards its members.

Surely everyone should be free to choose who they associate with in their leisure time, without being forced to admit members of the opposite sex to their particular society, if that does not appeal to them as appropriate.

The Garrick Club, according to the article, has 1,500 members, of whom about half would allow women to become members.

The Women’s Institute has 220,000 members, none of whom are men. Has anyone ever made an issue of this? I don’t think so.

Just leave the Garrick Club to

get on with its traditional activities.

It has many members worthy of our respect and that is something to admire, not criticise.

Robert Child Mere

Equality versus civil freedom

THE story about the Garrick Club – New Blackmore Vale, March 19 – condemns by implication certain MPs in the region covered by the magazine for being members of a club that does not admit ladies to membership.

However, the notion that ‘equality’ is a virtuous and necessary goal of society and its governance is false in all its fundamentals.

No one of goodwill and rational mind would, of course, dispute that equality of opportunity is the mark of an enlightened community.

All benefit by all being admitted to life’s opportunities. But if equality of outcome –rather than opportunity – is to be imposed, then it is always at the cost of liberty.

All systems of organised society that coerce the imposition of equality do so at the cost of the most precious condition of existence – civil freedom.

So essential is the condition of freedom to security, opportunity and development of all of us that it must be defended most strongly by those who object to what they consider its abuse.

Such is the nature of freedom of speech. Such is also the freedom of assembly.

The members of the Garrick Club should not be condemned for organising their association with one another as they choose on any ground other than infringement of basic criminal law.

I am neither a supporter of any political party nor member

of any club.

Jeremy Nieboer Mappowder

Club’s policy is not a big issue

REGARDING the Garrick club article in the New Blackmore Vale of March 29 – really?

Are there not more important things to worry about at present both globally and locally?

If the Garrick is so abhorrent, why do some women want to join?

Sara Unsworth Via email

Council tax and

Lib Dem towns

IN the March 15 edition of the New Blackmore Vale, Mike Bignell was pleased that Lib Dem run Yeovil Town Council has increased its council tax burden by 90%.

It is easier for someone in Dorset to have that view, but few in Yeovil share it –especially those who are not as well off and have to pay it.

If you live in Castleton parish, you can pay £400 less in council tax than you do in the Lib Dem run Sherborne Town Council area – such is the power of town and parish council tax setting and spending.

We often forget that the higher the tax burden, the further into poverty it pushes those with low levels of disposable income.

Somerset’s taxpayers will be shouldering the cost of that mismanagement across the county from this month, but even more in Somerset towns with Lib Dem run councils such as Yeovil, where a Band D home now faces a 90% tax increase and will pay an extra £130 a year for the town council precept alone.

I highlight this because we have choices to make here in Dorset ahead of the May 2 local election.

It is important to local people

that we see the track record of a nearby Lib Dem run administration, with its enormous tax hikes, in comparison to the diligent Conservative administration at Dorset Council that has committed to no cuts in frontline services and keeps council tax as low as it can.

Chris Loder MP for West Dorset

Hard-hitting on homelessness

I HAVE just been to see the film Someone’s Daughter, Someone’s Son in Poole.

It should be required viewing for all politicians, national and local.

It is a hard-hitting documentary about homelessness in the UK.

Unfortunately, the cinema was only a third full and all those who were there were probably already aware of and engaged in the issue.

Effectively it was preaching to the converted.

I am not ashamed to say we shed a few tears and came out at the end feeling angry and a bit helpless because although the film tried to end on a positive note, I am realistic – and old –enough to know that the issue probably won’t – even though it can – be solved or even properly addressed.

I would highly recommend the film to all your readers if it is showing in their area, especially if they want to know more about the causes of homelessness and what needs to be done to try to solve the problem.

Heather Bland Alton Pancras Via email

Morris Men are dancing at dawn

WESSEX Morris Men will be staging their now traditional activities on May Day (May 1) morning in Cerne Abbas.

We begin with dancing on the

“trendle” on the hill above the Cerne Abbas Giant from 5.15am to welcome the sunrise.

Then it’s down into the village to parade around to the village square for more dancing from 6.30am.

We would ask anyone attending on the “trendle” to respect the fact that we dance there with kind permission of Minterne Estates.

Under no circumstances should anyone wander on to the Cerne Abbas Giant itself as this is National Trust property.

Ray Dyson Wessex Morris Men bagman

Lib Dems can’t handle finance

IN reply to Mike Bignell’s letter – New Blackmore Vale, March 15 – when the Tories took on Somerset they inherited a debt approaching £400 million, money which at the time looked well invested in education and health care etc.

But no provision had been made for paying back this debt, thinking central government would pay it.

This was borrowed on a fixed rate costing £15 million to service.

Likewise, when the Tories took on Mendip District Council from the Lib Dems the reserves were a dangerously low £2.5 million and council tax was rising above inflation 4-5% a year.

When the Tories lost control of Mendip – because of Teresa May the total loss of seats throughout the country was 1,200 – and the Lib Dems took on Mendip, there was nearly £11 million in reserves and a balanced budget.

When they handed over to the new unitary Somerset Council, only £662,000 was left. They cannot handle finance.

I agree we do need a rethink on local government finance, but first we need to attract people into local government who have a knowledge of its workings and work for the benefit of the electorate, not party politics.

This goes for central government as well.

Dick Skidmore

Elected member of Mendip District Council for 16 years

Car parking and hospital project

I WOULD like to respond to the item on hospital improvements at Blandford, New Blackmore Vale, March 1.

I am sure for some patients the extension of services at Blandford Hospital will be a blessing.

However, I was astounded that the planning authority had approved the proposal, while accepting Dorset Health Care’s suggestion that people coming by car to use the hospital facilities should park in nearby streets/roads as there is limited parking space on-site.

I suspect the planning people and the NHS have not taken care to inspect the site or the surrounding streets/roads.

Those surrounding streets/ roads are already used for parking, by whom I cannot be sure, but it is difficult for some residents to leave their homes in a car because they cannot see either way up and down the road – Milldown Road is a good example.

Furthermore, people living on roads off Milldown Road cannot see up and down the road either because of parked vehicles.

While the new layout may benefit staff, I hope the local authority will come up with a sensible plan to make parking easier, accessible and therefore safer for patients.

Paula Andrews

Via email

Faults of first past the post

IT’S good to see the New Blackmore Vale has room for humour.

There’s potentially awardwinning comedy writing in the letters pages on March 15.

Fair enough, I say. Everyone is entitled to a point of view,

even when the facts are heavily stacked against that view.

The facts are that we need to change. Millions of people vote in “safe” parliamentary seats and they feel their voice doesn’t count.

Today, everyone can see our political system is letting the country down.

We share the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system for national elections with countries like Belarus.

FPTP leads to abuses of power. You only need to look at recent appointments to the House of Lords as an example.

We’ve had numerous Prime Ministers that none of us voted for.

Change is not about selecting someone new to blame. Change needs to be about better national governance.

Where people work together for the benefit of the whole country.

FPTP results in what we’ve experienced in the last 14 years. No less. We need to change.

John Vincent Horsington and Newbury

Driven inside by the motor car

MANY of society’s problems stem from over-dependence on the motor vehicle and we must understand why this has happened to address it.

Road safety has greatly improved for vehicle occupants but at the cost of those outside of them.

Cars continue to grow in height and width to accommodate new safety features, while weight has doubled with electric.

If hit at 30mph, a person has a 50% chance of dying, rising to 98% as speeds reach 40mph.

When car use was restricted during Covid, all ages ventured out on foot and cycle.

What drove them back inside cars is fear of motor traffic, which affects young and old more through inability to judge speed or take avoidance action.

The human body is designed to withstand impacts up to

20mph and to walk away from such conflict, thus fatality reduces to 5%.

We will never eliminate human error, but we can eliminate its consequences.

Muscle inactivity is known to be linked to the big health hazards which affect us more as we age – obesity, diabetes, heart disease, osteo-arthritis, dementia and cancers, while, in younger people, lack of physical activity is connected to mental illness, lack of self-esteem and social interaction.

The cost of social care is crippling our country, while the needs of our struggling National Health Service and Accident & Emergency departments to meet ever increasing demands cannot be ignored.

Why 20mph? Many reasons, but the health of our nation is an excellent starting point.

Dilys Gartside

20’s Plenty for Dorset campaign coordinator

In support of assisted dying

SALISBURY MP John Glen recently did a village talk titled: “Should MPs ‘do God?’”

With assisted dying legislation before politicians in Scotland, Jersey, the Isle of Man and soon, one hopes, in Westminster, this question is an important one.

The majority of British people support assisted dying, as do almost 80% of people with a faith.

Will our local MPs vote according to their personal beliefs, their own conscience, or support more compassionate assisted dying, according to the wishes of most of their constituents?

Former Archbishop Carey wants to permit the choice of a peaceful, medically assisted death for people who are terminally ill or incurably suffering.

I hope our MPs will follow his lead.

Claire Macdonald Director My

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Witch’s mirror sells for £1,000

MARCH’S auction at Acreman Street Auctioneers & Valuers, Sherborne, was buoyant with very good hammer prices achieved.

Lots included a large Georgian witch’s mirror, hammer £1,000; and gold sovereigns and other Royal Mint gold coins, £9,500.

From 350 jewellery lots, the star lot was a Georgian gold and pink paste necklace, hammer £4,500.

This month Acreman has its Fashion, Textiles & Apparel auction on Friday, April 19, with about 300 lots including antique Chinese costume, vintage and antique clothing and accessories, linen and lace.

Viewing is from Thursday, April 18, 10am-4pm. The General Antiques & Collectors auction is on Thursday, April

25, at 10am, and Jewellery, Silver & Watches on Friday, April 26, at 10am with viewing on Wednesday, April 24, 9am-4pm.

The catalogue and bidding is available through Easyliveauction.com and Thesaleroom.com, and Auctionet.com for the timed auctions.

Upcoming specialist auctions are: Textile, Fashion & Apparel, Friday, April 19; Garden & Architectural, Thursday, May 30; Stamps & Coins later in the year.

Acreman is now accepting consignments for its upcoming sales. If you have anything you would like to consign, contact Gill Norman on 07908 333577 or 01935 508764, or by email at auction@acremanstreet antiques.co.uk

makes a cameo appearance

A CAMEO brooch is one of hundreds of lots of jewellery, silver and watches in Charterhouse’s auction in Sherborne on Thursday, May 2.

“The market for jewellery, silver and watches remains strong, and we have had some great results over the past couple of auctions,” said Richard Bromell, from the auction house.

The late Victorian oval brooch is a carved portrait of a classical lady wearing a garland of flowers in her hair.

Set in yellow gold, the brooch is estimated at £200-£300.

Charterhouse is now accepting further entries for its busy programme of

specialist auctions including textiles, silver, jewellery, watches, classic cars and classic motorcycles in May and June.

Richard Bromell and the Charterhouse team can be contacted for specialist advice and valuations at The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, on 01935 812277 or via rb@ charterhouse-auction.com

Friday

Thursday

Friday

Charterhouse is auctioning this Victorian oval cameo brooch

Chinese bowl made £212,500 Garden items in nearly 800

DUKE’S of Dorchester is inviting consignments for its upcoming Asian Art auction on Thursday, May 23.

Last year’s sales illuminated the significance of Asian art in the auction world, with triumphant results and international attention.

The May auction holds great expectations but promises to inherit the great prosperity suited to such a lineage of highly successful Asian art auctions.

splendour and historical gravity, while remaining anchored in Asian cultural pride.

The previous sales saw numerous items exceed even their highest estimates, including a Chinese blue and white Qianlong-marked bowl which sold for £18,750 and a Chinese coral-ground bowl (pictured) for a colossal £212,500, inclusive of buyer’s premium.

With artefacts of such eternal craftmanship, it is no surprise that Asian Art continues to hold such a dedicated audience in the auction world.

Not simply figures of beauty, nor rusted relics of sentimental value, Asian art blends both

With Asian Art’s unpredictable and wondrous nature, surprise hides behind every corner and even the most unassuming items can conjure vast fortunes.

To organise a free and confidential valuation with one of Duke’s specialists, email enquiries@dukes-auctions.com or phone 01305 265080.

HAS spring finally sprung? Clarke’s auction this month is offering a huge variety of garden statuary, together with bird baths, stone planters, benches, staddle stone and garden ornaments.

The sale also features a large selection of silver and jewellery, including an 18ct white gold and diamond half hoop ring, and a 15ct gold bracelet, set with three diamonds and three sapphires.

Semley is offering free valuations on items people may be thinking of selling.

If you are clearing out cupboards, attics, sheds or outbuildings, and have any interesting pieces, visit the salerooms for a free verbal valuation.

It can also provide valuations for probate, and a house clearance service, either full or part clearance, depending on the circumstances.

Ceramics, collectables and furniture buyers will also find plenty to interest them in the nearly 800 lots entered.

Clarke’s Auctions at

Phone Richard Clarke or one of the team on 01747 855109 or visit the office on Kingsettle Business Park, Station Road, Semley, Shaftesbury SP7 9BU.

Strong demand at guns auction

HOLTS’ March auction of fine Modern and Antique Guns continued to prove that the UK and international market is at an unprecedently high level, selling 90% “on the hammer” with a value exceeding £1.1 million (before after sales and the sealed bid sale).

One of many locally consigned guns that stood out was lot 802, a 6mm ‘Velodog’ pocket revolver circa 1880, designed in France, supposedly for cyclists to defend against dog attacks! It sold for £450 against an estimate of £250£350.

Another fantastic result for a more modern shotgun was lot 1509, a Westley Richards & Co .410 Boxlock ejector that sold for a very satisfying hammer price of £2,600 against an estimate of £800-£1,200.

One of the stars of the show was lot 1556, a rare Charles Lancaster 20-bore four-barrelled shotgun made circa 1885 which generated much interested and intense bidding, eventually selling for £17,000.

Holts is now accepting

consignments for its next auction, with local valuation days throughout the region.

The next one is at the NFU offices, Sturminster Newton, on Thursday, May 2. For a full list of venues, see Holts’ website.

To book an appointment or discuss a valuation or home visit, contact David Thurgood on 01297 306123 or by email at westcountry@holtsauctioneers. com.

This rare Charles Lancaster 20-bore four-barrelled shotgun made circa 1885 sold for £17,000

Making more of the garden

by Sally Gregson

AFTER such a very wet winter, many garden soils are heavy and waterlogged. Unless, of course, your garden is blessed with free-draining sandy soil, in which case you will be the envy of many of your friends who labour on heavy clays.

Such light soils, however, are really quite hard work. They are never satisfied. In spring they will need to be mulched with plenty of organic matter to keep all that moisture in the soil and available to the plants. But on heavy soils, it’s the ideal time to lift and divide the herbaceous plants.

It is hoped the rains will have abated by the end of the month and any excess moisture will drain away, allowing a little work on the garden borders.

In the case of the crowns of herbaceous plants such as Crocosmias, Helianthus and the

latter-day Asters – that we now call Symphyotrichon or Callistephus – dig the crowns up with a garden fork and split them into however many pieces you need. Discard the middle of the clump and make gardeners of your friends, and friends of fellow gardeners, by giving them each a piece or three. Otherwise, the best option is to put them on the compost heap, cleaned of weeds and passengers.

In the site of the new plantings, fork in plenty of wellrotted garden compost to improve the soil texture, and re-plant the pieces. Give them a water just to settle the soil down around the roots and they will be ready for another season.

A more Draconian measure would be to lift all the plants in the border, barring the shrubs and trees, and treat the soil to a dressing of refreshing compost

Captain Ingram restored symbol of diversity and peace...

by Sally Gregson

ONE of the joys of our modern English gardens in spring is the glorious display of flowering cherry trees. They seem to relish the spring sunshine, and this year in particular, they are lifting our spirits after such a damp winter. In Japan, where they were originally grown and bred, flowering cherries are the symbol of the fleeting beauty of life.

Their wild forms are, for the most part, Japanese natives. But at the beginning of the 20th century they were under threat. The rulers of Japan were increasingly military men for whom the subtle differences of

mixture. Use a tarpaulin for the excavated plants which can be split and the divisions replanted in improved soil. This is an exercise that is well worth the labour involved every five or six years, and after all that winter rain, now is the ideal

time to work on at least a part of the border.

The plants will repay all your work by putting on a brilliant show all summer.

And they will be more robust and resistant to any forthcoming drought!

the wild forms were an anathema. Following a devastating earthquake and the pollution of the time, the Japanese rulers had decided to replant with a single, very successful named clone. It took over from the diverse species.

An Englishman, Captain Collingwod Ingram, visiting Japan in the early part of the century, had fallen in love with the different Japanese species.

But when he returned in 1926, he was horrified by their loss.

So, he decided to take cuttings of the increasingly rare forms and send them back to England – to those he named the ‘cherry guardians’, the ‘Sakuramori’.

Alas, most died in transit until one survived embedded in a raw potato.

There were still a few Japanese growers of the cherry who, treasonably, kept the increasingly rare forms alive, including one Toemon Sano, who also sent cuttings of the individual species to Ingram in England.

When Ingram returned cuttings from his English trees after all conflict was over, he

included Prunus ‘Tai Haku’, the great white cherry, which had been entirely lost in its native habitat.

Ingram’s cuttings succeeded and became the founding generations of today’s glorious cherry blossom displays. Once again, Japan is famous for its cherry blossom in spring.

Captain ‘Cherry’ Ingram had restored this beloved symbol of diversity and peace to post-war Japan.

It is the ideal time to lift and divide herbaceous plants like Crocosmias

Japan is famous for its cherry blossom in spring

TRUST BROADVIEW TO CREATE THE WOW FACTOR IN YOUR HOME

As we look ahead to the warmer months, we’ll soon be turning our attention to our gardens and the prospect of spending more time outdoors.

Whether that’s simply relaxing or entertaining friends and family, our gardens are a focal point, particularly in the Spring and Summer months.

What better way to make the most of your time outdoors, than by creating an outdoor living environment with Broadview thanks to their louvred roof pergola systems and garden awnings.

With one of the largest ranges of outdoor living systems in the South and manufactured by the Belgium based industry leading brand Brustor, every system from Broadview can be custom designed to fit your property.

Outdoor pergolas with rotating and retracting roofs operated by remote or app control, along with weatherproof side screens and heaters can effectively create an extra indoor room, outdoors!

Alongside of this, it’s not just the structure alone that Broadview can provide. Their specialist design-team work alongside a wide range of suppliers across the South who offer outdoor kitchens, hot tubs, fire pits and garden landscaping– all of which can help to create a stunning outdoor living environment that can be used all year round.

No more leaving guests outside to entertain themselves while you nip back into the kitchen to prepare the next course or organise the next round of drinks, with an outdoor kitchen positioned within your new outdoor structure, you really can make the most of entertaining this year. What’s more, thanks to either sliding glass walls or integrated screens, the structure can be completely enclosed and with the great addition of heating and lighting, it can be used in all twelve months of the year. As the temperature drops, simply slide the glass shut and you can create a cosy and sheltered area within your garden, protected from the elements. Or, in warmer weather, all you need to do to make the most of the sunshine is

open the roof and side screens for the perfect al-fresco space. As well as their range of pergolas, Broadview also offer fully cassetted retractable awnings that can be installed to your property for added shade.

Broadview has an extensive range of awning models to choose from, each with their own features and all can be operated by either Somfy remote control or a manual crank handle.

Made with a beautifully crafted aluminium frame of superior quality and a weather-resistant fabric cover, the awnings provide stylish shading for your sunny patio. Available in any RAL colour and with the addition of LEDs and heating, Broadview has the perfect solution for you.

And it’s not just Broadview’s range of outdoor shading solutions that can offer shield from the Summer’s sun and glare; they have an innovative range of internal window coverings from motorised blinds to plantation shutters and also specialise in solutions for large-shaped windows including apex and gable end windows, to roof lanterns.

Many homeowners think that their complex shaped windows prevent them from being covered with a blind, but worry not, you can still enjoy the beauty of an apex window with the coverage of a seamlessly fitted shade.

Available in an endless range of colours and materials, along with robust, colour matching hardware and cutting-edge technology, Broadview’s bespoke blinds will allow ample natural light to flood into your home but offer shade when you need it. Now is the perfect time to give your indoor and outdoor space a makeover. Broadview Shading Solutions, a family run business based in Dorset, are celebrating 55 years in business this year.

Their expert team specialises in helping you to create the perfect shading solution for your home, from concept to completion. Contact our team today 01202 679012 or visit their website: www.broadview.co.uk

LAWN MOWING SERVICE

TEL 01747-821726

• Windows,

• Fascias,

• Soffits,

• Gutters cleaned,

• Repairs,

• Free Estimates

07788-376752

Classified ads may be accepted after this, HOWEVER these will be subject to space. blackmorevale.net

LAWN MOWING AND HEDGE CUTTING SERVICES, Shaftesbury-Blandford & local villages. Please call Trevor 07970 012130

For all your fencing and decking needs

Closeboard, panels & sheds supplied and fitted. Gates made to measure.

Sherborne Fencing Ltd

Tel: 01935 814272

Mobile: 07814246332

The New Blackmore Vale Magazine DEADLINES

Display ads must be booked by Wednesday the week prior to publication, with final copy submitted by the Friday.

Lawn mowing,

STEPPING INTO SUMMER WITH LIZZIE PRICE SHADING SOLUTIONS

As we head towards the summer months why not get ahead of the game and get your solar shading installed so you are prepared to face those long hot summer days and nights.

At Lizzie Price Shading Solutions we offer a huge range of outdoor shading including Awnings & Verandas. We offer the traditional Victorian & Dutch canopy as well as contemporary styles of Awnings in manual or motorised, in a vast range of fabrics. Our range of Verandas with either glass or polycarbonate roof, also available tinted create beautiful all-weather spaces to enjoy social evenings. (Also suitable as Carport to store your car or caravan undercover). We also have an extensive range of Plantation Shutters and Blinds available for internal shading and we specialise in Apex window shading. See our website www.lizziepriceshadingsolutions.co.uk for the full range or give us a call on 07879 992000 for a free no obligation home visit and quotation. We are your local Shading Specialists for inside and outside solutions based in North Cadbury we cover Somerset, Dorset & Wiltshire. GARDENING SERVICES AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE

NEW SPRING PLANT FAIR – SATURDAY 20th APRIL!

Here at The Walled Garden in Moreton we are so excited to be hosting our first ever Spring Plant Fair this coming Saturday 20th April. For those who may be new to us, The Walled Garden Moreton, and our partner site Thorngrove Garden Centre in Gillingham, North Dorset, are proudly part of the Employ My Ability group, with both our sites not only functioning as a visitor attraction and garden centre respectively, but as unique and vibrant learning environments for young people with special educational needs.

Our students study on site, and gain valuable work experience across all areas of our businesses. Developing new skills and gaining qualifications in hospitality, horticulture, retail, and animal care, while building on their own confidence, life skills, and independence.

Both campuses host events open to the public, and the Spring Plant Fair is a new addition for the Walled Garden is we look to broaden our offering to the visiting public, and develop the site as both a place for a day out in Dorset, and as a diverse learning environment for our young people.

In collaboration with Specialist Plant Fairs, a wide range of

plant nurseries, growers, and garden specialist businesses will be joining us for the day, so whether you’re a gardener by trade, at home hobbyist, or just looking to discover something new for your home or garden, we hope you’ll stop by and support EMA for what will be a brilliant day. Entry is £5 (under 16s go free), parking is free, and dogs are welcome! With the plant fair, formal gardens, family area with play park and animals, plus garden shop and on-site, cafe we are the perfect day out in Dorset and we hope to see you there.

Find full details on our website and social media –www.walledgardenmoreton.co.uk

blackmorevale.net

AL-KO COMFORT 38E

lawn scarifier/lawn rake. Nearly new.£120. Tel. 07801 853312

WANTEDDave buys all types of tools

Call 01935 428975

HUSSEY CARPET AND FLOORING, South Street,Gillingham,Dorset SP84AP

Domestic and Commercial Carpets,Vinyl,Luxury Vinyl Tiles, Laminate and Wood Flooring. Contact Chris Hussey 07885273470 husseyflooring@gmail.com

MAN WITH MICRO-DIGGER & 1.5ton digger, stump grinder, Garden clearance, patios, fencing, decking, landscaping, driveways 30+ years’ experience

Contact Ken 07882 441873 / 01963 32034

LANGTON NURSERIES (C W Abbott & Son) bedding and basket plants, pea-stcks and bean rods. Fruit Trees, Perennials & Shrubs, Large selection of; stoneware, terracotta and glazed pots, Wild Bird food 20kg £14.50, Stockists of Kings, Franchi and Fothergill Budget Seeds, Potting Compost. Open daily 10am– 3 pm. Langton Long Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 9HR. Telephone 01258 452513

LES BENHAM

Garden Property Maintenance

All Hedge/tree work/rubbish clearance

Gravel Driveways/Pressure Washing

Patio and Fencing Work

Fully Insured/Free Quotes 01258 458849/07788 907343

lesbenham@yahoo.co.uk / check a trade

01963 400186

01258 881112 07900 431701 £395

Landscaping, Groundworks and Garden Maintenance, Specialists in Patios, Fencing, Driveways, Walling, Ponds, Turfing Free Quotations

amralphlandscaping@gmail.com

www.ralphlandscaping.co.uk

JAMES AYRES DORSET TREE CARE Specialist Tree Workers

All kinds of trees expertly felled, topped and pruned. Hedge cutting. All rubbish cleared. Licensed waster carrier. Fully insured. Tel: 01747 850129 Mob: 07951 284639

NOW is the best time to book in your lawnmower, strimmer, hedge cutter, chain saw, winter service, as well as sharpening your hedge cutter blades and chainsaws. In most cases your machine will be service/repaired or sharpened within 7 days.

Call us today, on 01747 851021 to book in or come and see us at our newly refurbished showroom.

TOOLS WANTED. Cash waiting. 01747 850474 North

SELF DRIVE DIGGER and Dumper Hire 01258 861647

DRYSTONE WALLING AND LANDSCAPING

www.yenstonewalling.co.uk 01963 371123 CURTAINS AND BLINDS MADE TO MEASURE

Curtain alterations

Tel. Sue Marsh 01747 853680

TREES

ORGANIC LLAMA/ ALPACA manure £1 per bag call 01725-552061, can deliver. HARD/SOFT LANDSCAPING such as natural stone walling/concrete and slabbing / steps /hand lay tarmac / fencing/ trees & shrub removal and general garden clearance. Please contact on 07399 521377 or mail malcgin@hotmail.com

Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are your Local Driveway Specialist Installation Company

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Blackmore Vale Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, by laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching and individual look.

Kingsmere Surfacing are a specialist driveway company working within Dorset, Wiltshire & Somerset. We can transform the look of your home, laying a new surface to your driveway, giving a beautiful, eye catching individual look.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic contemporary driveways.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic contemporary driveways.

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

Services offered include:

Services offered include:

Services offered include:

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways and specialise in fully SUDS permeable drainage surfaces.

Services offered include:

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic contemporary driveways.

Services offered include:

• Decorative Resin Bound & Bonded Aggregate

• Decorative Resin Bound & Bonded Aggregate

We offer a most attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic and contemporary driveways.

attractive and versatile choice of surfaces for both classic contemporary driveways. Services offered include:

• Decorative Resin Bound & Bonded Aggregate

• Decorative Resin Bound & Bonded Aggregate

• Decorative Resin Bound & Bonded Aggregate

• Block Paving

• Block Paving

• Decorative Resin Bound & Bonded Aggregate

• Block Paving

• Block Paving

• Block Paving

• Natural Stone Patios & Paths

• Natural Stone Patios & Paths

•

• Natural Stone Patios & Paths

• Natural Stone Patios & Paths

• Natural Stone Patios & Paths

• Tarmacadam

Services offered include:

• Tarmacadam

• Tarmacadam

• Tarmacadam 25

Easy ways to add value to your home

ADDING value to your home doesn’t always require extensive renovations or a hefty budget. Simple, strategic updates can significantly enhance your home’s appeal and increase its market value.

Every Investor expert, Bert Hofhuis gives homeowners wanting to add value to their homes a breakdown of easy and accessible ways to add value to your home: Paint and colour refresh

IMPACT of a fresh coat: A fresh coat of paint can transform a space. Neutral colours are universally appealing and can make rooms feel larger and brighter.

DIY opportunity: Painting is a manageable DIY project for most people. Just ensure you prep surfaces properly and use quality paint for lasting results. A fresh coat of paint can increase home value by around

1% to 3%. For a home valued at £250,000, this could mean an increase of £2,500 to £7,500.

Update lighting fixtures

MODERNISE with lighting: Replacing outdated light fixtures with modern ones can instantly uplift a room’s appearance.

Energy-efficient options: Consider LED lighting or energy-efficient models to add both aesthetic and functional value.

Energy-efficient lighting could add about 1% to 2%, translating to an increase of £2,500 to £5,000 on a £250,000 property.

Revamp the kitchen

MINOR kitchen updates: You don’t need a full kitchen remodel. Updating cabinet handles, taps or adding a new backsplash can make a big difference.

Appliance facelift: If your budget allows, upgrading to

•

•

energy-efficient appliances can enhance both the look and functionality of your kitchen.

Kitchen updates: A minor kitchen remodel could yield a return of around 3% to 5%, possibly adding £7,500 to £12,500 to the value of a £250,000 home.

Bathroom makeover

SIMPLE changes: Replacing old taps, showerheads, or adding a new toilet seat can refresh the space.

Deep clean and re-grout: Sometimes, a thorough cleaning and regrouting can make tiles look brand new.

Bathroom makeover: Simple bathroom updates might boost value by 2% to 3%, equating to an increase of £5,000 to £7,500 for a £250,000 house.

Enhance curb appeal

FIRST impressions count:

Simple landscaping, like maintaining the lawn, planting

flowers or repainting the front door, can boost curb appeal.

Exterior lighting: Adding or updating outdoor lighting can make your home look more welcoming and secure.

Enhancing curb appeal: Improving the exterior can add about 2% to 5% in value, which could mean an additional £5,000 to £12,500 for a £250,000 property.

Flooring upgrades

CARPET cleaning or replacement: Professionally cleaning or replacing worn carpets can freshen up your home.

Hardwood appeal: If you have hardwood floors underneath, consider refinishing them for a classic, appealing look.

Flooring upgrades: Updated flooring can add about 3% to 5% to home value or £7,500 to £12,500 on a £250,000 home.

Shed erecting & repairs

Flat pack furniture Shelves & curtain rails

No job too small. Please call with your requirements. 01963 364457 07368 516658 dorsethandyman26@gmail.com www.jchandymanservices.com

Tel: 01258 455251 smokin.nicely@hotmail.co.uk

K.SANSOM CHIMNEY SWEEP

Brush & vacuum. APICS registered 01963 370038

ETHERINGTON BSc(Hons). PC/Mac, Repairs, Networks, Websites, Tuition. Free local callout. 01963362403 07855287150 http://www.dcenet.co.uk

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS Purchase advice, Virus Removal, New PC Setup/ Installation, Internet Connection, Upgrades, Computer/ Software Tuition - Call Gregg on 01963 370713

VINTAGE 4FT GARDEN BENCH with cast iron ends. Sherborne - £90 Tel: 07801-853312

CURFEW INCUBATOR. Working condition. 4 egg boxes. 3 spare. £100 o.n.o Tel: 07743-731685

VOLT BURLINGTON ELECTRIC BIKE 186 miles from new, dry stored, 47cm frame, many accessories, battery always fully charged, £750 Tel. 01963 210576

ORVIS ALUMINIUM TWO PART extending dogs ramp with a cover for car or suv. £25, Tisbury area 01747 873103

GOLF BALLS. 24 New white, slazenger, £15 the lot. Tel: 01935-476815

FOLD-UP SINGLE BED. As new. Never been used. £10

Tel: 01258-452166

POND WATERFALL large v good quality heavy £50 tel 07899-691847

GREY SUEDE JACKET, size 18. Offers 01963 33156

4 ASSORTED GLAZED GARDEN POTS. Coloured blue. £30. Buyer collects (Sherborne). Tel: 01935 813582

WEDDING DRESS, ivory silk fishtail style. Lace bodice and sleeves with buttons down back. Handmade. £50, 07908 707442

SIZE 12 PALE BLUE QUILTED JACKET. Asda George. Never been worn, Tel: 01258-452166

CHLLD’S INDOOR /OUTDOOR PLAY tent and tunnel tube. Little used. £5. 07938 978191

LARGE COLLECTION OF CD’s. All kinds of music, from £1 each. Tel: 01747-229148

MASSAGE TABLE. Portable, Good condition. 36”x28”x28” £50.00 Tel: 07771-795442

2 TRIPOD STANDS. Very sturdy. Good condition. £50 pair. Tel: 01935-850634

10 x 1000 PIECE IIGSAWS, various makes/themes £25.00.

Tel: 07842 120313

CAKE DECORATING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, including turntables, nozzles, cutters, tools, ribbons, boards, books, etc, Contact 01963 362156

STAMP COLLECTION. 5 albums, many first day covers, hundreds of loose stamps going back to Victoria. £250.00 Tel: 01963-33388

INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIC TREAD MILL, Barge Bell with 2 weights like new, heavy punch ball on stand, like new. £600 Tel: 01747-828904

DESIGNER GUILD SOFA, Black/Beige stripe £350. Tel: 07588-053555

PRINTER BLP DESKJET 305O HP. Offers. Tel: 01747-858899

SILVER CROSS COACH built pram, c1960. Maroon,vgc for age. £45, Nr. Wincanton. 07429 279028

CONCRETE GARDEN POTS various sizes. £15 each. Collect Blandford, 07599-829539 / 01747-590820

BOSH ELECTRIC LAWN MOWER. Purchsed new in lockdown. Hardly used, nice robust size. £50 Tel: 01963-23477

ACOUSTIC GUITAR with case nice condition 35 pounds 07545-065503

BOSS CASHMERE AND WOOL GENTS overcoat, size 38-40, dark blue, hardly worn, cost £480. £45. 01935 815887 (Sherborne)

TRADITIONAL WOODEN ROCKING HORSE. Made by local craftsman. £50.00. 01747 861421

2 NEW SMALL PET PILLOWS with alpaca fibre filling, removable covers, £20 each, 01725 552061

GOLF EQUIPMENT,BAG, 30 balls,shoes size 12, 4woods,2 rescue woods,9 irons+ putter.Offers considered.Tel.01460 76453

LENOVO COMPUTER 22” monitor keyboard mouse Windows10 Pro, 3.7GHz CPU 8Gb Memory fast SSD hard drive, Wincanton area 07949 015334 £45.00

AGAPANTHUS PLANTS, blue/ white in large terracotta/plastic pots. £12 each. W. Whitechurch, buyer collects, 07704-574835

TWO SINGLE Z BEDS with mattresses, little used. £20-00 each. tel 01963 31460 Wincanton.

3 SADDLES AND NUMEROUS other horse tack. All need sorting. Some useful pieces. Offers. Tel: 07871 165609

BOSCH FREEZER FOR SALE. H:160cm W:58cm D:60cm excellent condition £50.00 Tel: 01725-517070

DOUBLE BED WITH HEADBOARD and drawers. £45. Tel: 07588-053555

BLOW UP LUXURY DOUBLE

DIVAN bed, automatic built-in pump, with holdall/bag, Used Twice, 30 pounds ONO, Tel 07449116144

OUTDOOR WOODEN CAT

CHALET well maintained, FREE need to disassemble & remove, Enquiries 01935 813474 can send photos

LARGE PINE FRAMED MIRROR. Good condition. 4.5ft X 3.5ft. £50. o.n.o. Tel: Blandford 01258-451037

DOUBLE DEPTH WOODEN Wine rack. £10 Tel: 07743-731685

CHIMNEY POTS early victorian, pair cannon top v good con. £50 each 07899-691847

ANTIQUE PINE DRESSER. Top and bottom separates. Buyer collects. £50. 01258 817810

2 DOG FLOW FEEDER BOWLS. 1 black 1 red. VGC. £4 each or 2 for £6. Tel: 01935-472584

PHOTO OF 10 FAMOUS JUMP JOCKEYS, including Francome, Gifford, Mellor, Jonjo O’Neill. £25.00 Tel: 07598-982824

TWO FOLDING BEDS with mattresses. Hardly used. Vgc. £20 each or £30 the pair. 01963 359463

BOSCH MAX7 VARIOPERFECT Washing Machine. Max spin speed 1400, GWO. £50. Tel: 07596-787975

APOLLO SLANT MENS

MOUNTAIN BIKE. 17” wheels, black, 18 shifting gears. £30.00 Tel: 01935-815428

WALL PAPERING TABLE, with assorted brushes, sheets of sandpaper etc. £15.00 ONO. Buyer to collect. Tel: 01935-814450

2 X QUALITY STAINLESS STEEL Milking Churns in vgc. 37cm high, 32cm diameter base. Would make great garden planters. £35 each

Tel:07891 987809

BRAND NEW UNUSED MOBILITY plus folding wheel chair £50, 01747 859546

GREENHOUSE EDEN BURFORD. 6’ x 8’. Never erected. All complete but slight attention needed to part of frame. Bargain £50.

Tel: 01935 834270.

PLASTIC DOG BASKET Moderna (Domus Jumbo) (108cm x 68) in dark grey, Excellent condition £30, Tel 07340 324462

ASSORTMENT OF BOOKS –fiction, romance, autobiographies, novels, home management etc. £50. Tel: 07483 875814

HOTPOINT AQUARIUS

DISHWASHER. In good working order. £50 Tel: 07395 012955

3 REINFORCED CONCRETE

FENCE POSTS. 54” high £10.00 Tel: 07717-196840

HAYTER HARRIER 41 Lawnmower, excellent condition, difficult to start. FREE Tel: 01963-370307

ALL NEW CUTTING AND GRINDING disks. Qty 62 items. Inc. 16x 9” cutting disk, 2x 9” grinding disk. Tel: 01747-870824

OLD BOOKS BOUGHT. Will call by appointment entirely without obligation. Bristow & Garland 07392 602014

STAMPS & COINS wanted by collector/ investor. I am very keen to purchase large or small collections at this time. Tel Rod 01308 863790 or 07802 261339

WANTED

WANTED

All militaria bought British/Foreign. Single items or collections Contact Tim on 07904 082997

Enford Farm Shop

Durweston DT 11 0QW

Half a pig approx £130.

Home reared and locally produced meats, game, deli, f ruit, veg, f ree range eggs and lots more.

Follow us on Facebook for all our latest meat pack deals and what’s in f resh that week. Chicken feeds etc available.

Open Wednesday to Saturday 10am-5.30pm.

01258 450050

Still time to enter food awards

SMALL, independent Dorset food businesses are being invited to enter the Love Local Trust Local Awards.

Love Local Trust Local, created in 2018, guarantees that products are grown, produced, caught, reared, brewed, crafted or cooked in Dorset using local ingredients.

Some 16 categories are offered in the awards, including new ones recognising individual and

business stories.

Two new nominated classes have also been included this year – lifetime achievement and rising star.

Anyone who would like to enter the awards should visit the website, www. lovelocaltrustlocal.co.uk, and download an entry form or enter online.

The awards are now every two years and entries will close in May.

The awards evening is on Tuesday, September 3, set against the backdrop of the Members Pavilion at the Dorset County Show.

Love Local Trust Local will also be taking part in the Dorset Spring Show on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, at Kingston Maurward College.

To get involved as a sponsor and showcase everything Dorset at these awards, phone 07831 184920.

TRADITIONAL COUNTRY PUB SERVING FINE FOOD AND DRINKS

Peter and Karlene are delighted to invite you to the Plough Inn at Manston and look forward to seeing you soon.

We are delighted that our renovation and expansion project has been well received by customers as have our food and beverage offerings. After a very long search, we now have a fully staffed kitchen and offer our full lunch and dinner menu every day from Tuesday lunch until Sunday lunch. We are closed after lunch on Sunday and all day Monday. We offer a wide range of beers, cider, wines and spirits as well as a range of non-alcoholic options.

A Pub With Warmth And Atmosphere

The bar and snug have been refreshed but retain all the old features that made this cosy area so attractive. And, by popular demand, we have a new wood burning stove to provide atmosphere and warmth whenever needed! We have a completely new kitchen, beer cellar and new male, female and disabled washrooms. The old conservatory is now an insulated garden room and we have a new dining area which can accommodate a further twenty guests.

Hearty Food And Distinctive Drinks

By experimenting with our menu and listening to our customers we have developed a popular menu ranging from light snacks to exciting specials and everything in-between. Please look at our menu and see if you can spot your favourite country pub meal. For Sunday lunch, in addition to our full menu, we offer a traditional roast with all the trimmings. Our range of drinks has evolved in response to customer demand and caters for all tastes. But most importantly we have built a wonderful team to look after you all and ensure a great experience at the Plough.

We hope to see you soon, Cheers, Peter & Karlene

Meditations in nature: Scaling the heights of the Langdale Pikes

by Susanna Curtin

APRIL is here, spring has sprung and the days are drawing longer. But the last few weeks have been quite trying and I have yearned to escape to the wilderness, where space, light and fresh air can cleanse away life’s stresses and strains. So, I have ventured to the Lake District for a while. It is a soul place of mine – somewhere I can return to in order to take stock and to allow my thoughts to roam as freely as the landscape.

Today, I am venturing in the Langdale Pikes, where, in the words of Alfred Wainwright, “no mountain profile exerts and excites the attention more”. From Windermere, the Langdales hover over the landscape like knobbled giant knuckles. For a long time now, they have called me to their summits, and at last, that opportunity prevails. It is rather unpredictable weather, the showers that come and go are eventually forecast to stay as mountain rain and low cloud, but it matters not, for I am

furnished with wet weather gear, food and a hot drink, and I am prepared for whatever the weather gods may bring.

My route today is 10-12 miles and a combined ascent of 850 metres. Parking at Old Dungeon Ghyll, the circular route that leads me back to my car takes me up Pike Howe, under Thorn Crag, up Harrison Stickle, past and up Pike O’Stickle, then north west to Langdale Combe to a final long descent through the perfect U-shaped valley of Mickleden where Neolithic and Norse settlers once lived beneath the crags.

Like everywhere in this extraordinary landscape, it begins with a climb. Age and sore knees have altered the way I relate to mountains, and I no longer bound up them with the same speed, yet still I love the ascents. One foot in front of the other, slowly, and meditatively placed, eyes down to take in the myriad colours of the rocks beneath my feet – sometimes green slate or red iron oxide, but in this case volcanic, pyroclastic

shards, remnants of the hard lavas and ashes of volcanic eruptions 450 million years ago that make up the highest and craggiest mountains of the central Lake District.

Each step is a step towards the summit and a physical connection to this astonishing geology. Every now and then, when muscles and lungs determine, I stop for a few seconds to gather my strength and to see how far I have come. There is something quite profound about the human quest to scale mountains, to gain height and look down upon our lives below. Up here, the veil between me and this beautiful planet is thinner, and somehow I feel better in myself than I did at the start.

Harrison Stickle is the highest point on the walk, and it is here where I stop for lunch and to look out over the summits I have previously scaled and intimately know. How quickly time in the mountain passes. A pair of ravens are displaying and affirming their bonds above me like aeronautical acrobats

claiming these crags as their home. Just for a moment, I wonder what it might feel like to be them looking down at this strange lone human, for as much as I love it up here, I could never belong, as they do, to its wild, windy summit.

From Harrison, Pike O’Stickle lies ahead. Only a small climb to the summit of this crag from the tableland, but from its rounded top, there is an alarming sheer drop, 2,000 feet to the valley floor below.

Descending Pike O’Stickle, the path becomes slippery as the clouds descend too and envelop me in a cold, foreboding grey mist. The forecast rain has arrived from the west. Time to make for Langdale Combe and begin the long downhill along a magical path that twists and turns around the terminal glacial moraines – remnants of the ice that carved out this enormous U-shaped valley.

Eventually back at base, the rain has stopped, and the golden setting sun breaks through. The remaining clouds are edged with pink and are perfectly reflected in the still water of Lake Windermere. There is a calmness in my heart and a feeling of achievement as I look back on the day and the mountain tops that have marked it.

n Dr Susie Curtin (email curtin. susanna@gmail.com).

Skincare needn’t cost the earth

by Victoria Kunewyk

HAVE you ever considered making your own skincare? I have a super simple two-ingredient recipe to make your own face cleanser, which will get rid of make-up, tone and moisturise your skin. I promise, you will not look back!

A few years ago, I developed an allnatural moisturising bar for my son to help manage his eczema and it’s since turned into a small business – and I love the fact I have since managed to help others with their dry skin issues, young and old, as a result.

Since then, I am always testing and trying different skincare recipes, as it is so important that we consider what we put on our skin and what packaging we are putting into our bins as a result.

All you will need is: witch hazel, sweet almond oil and a reusable leak-proof bottle.

Simply pour into a bottle at a ratio of 1:1, both the witch hazel and the sweet almond oil. The ingredients will separate in the bottle, so before applying to a cotton pad, always give the bottle a quick shake prior to use. It is that simple!

To personalise your cleanser to you and your skin type, you can add essential oils. For example, lavender and tea tree is a lovely blend for its antimicrobial properties, reducing inflammation and redness, or you can use frankincense to strengthen the skin, tone and lift the skin. Ensure you measure the essential oils, as it should not be more than 1% of the ingredient total. You don’t even have to use sweet almond oil. You can

swap it for jojoba oil, coconut oil or even olive oil.

There are some great companies online for ingredients, such as The Soapery and Naissance – some high street stores can be a bit pricey – and, don’t forget, once you have the basic ingredients, you can easily make more for yourself, as gifts, and before you know it, you’ll be making most of your skincare items, which in the long term saves you money and works wonders for your skin and the planet.

n If you are looking for all-natural lip balms, moisturisers or even gemstone jewellery, all hand-made in Dorset by myself, look up my shop, which is on Etsy – kunewyk.etsy.com – or find me on social media.

Health & Wellbeing

Shun all the ‘schmozzle’ and ask what’s important

by Alice Johnsen

WOULD you agree 2024 has felt a bit frantic so far?

Internationally, domestically and for many people it’s been unsettled personally.

With this in mind, I have been talking over on Instagram – I’m @alicejohnsencoaching if you’re on ‘the gram’ – please come and follow me – about the value of contentment.

One follower sent me a wonderful poem called Simple Formula for Living which is too lovely not to share: Live beneath your means. Return everything you borrow. Stop blaming other people. Admit it when you make a mistake.

Give clothes not worn to charity. Do something nice and try not to get caught.

Listen more; talk less.

Every day, take a 30-minute walk.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Be on time. Don’t make excuses.

Don’t argue. Get organised.

Be kind to unkind people.

Let someone cut ahead of you in line.

Take time to be alone.

Cultivate good manners.

Be humble.

Realise and accept that life isn’t fair.

Know when to keep your mouth shut.

Go an entire day without criticising anyone.

Learn from the past. Plan for the future.

Live in the present.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

It’s all small stuff.

I think these words bring us

back to a good place. A grounding and reminder that we don’t always have to keep up with the fast pace of life today. A lot of the ‘stuff’ that’s deemed to be important just isn’t. In the same way that I help clients with the framework of their everyday life, I would suggest there is a lot of value in re-considering what your core values are.

What’s really important to you and what really matters in your life. Are those things getting enough attention and care? Or are the important things being diluted by a constant trickle of unimportant but attention grabbing “schmozzle”? Because I’m pretty sure the unimportant “schmozzle” does not bring contentment in anything but a fleeting form.

Stripping back our lives to a simpler state is key to a more contented life

Stripping back our lives to a simpler state and being aware of the core things, taking the pressure off ourselves to keep moving at a fast pace and taking time each day to notice the good things – these are all key but achievable steps to a more contented life. I hope these thoughts serve you well.

This is my last article for now, but my coaching is not changing, so do contact me if you would like to talk about coaching support.

n Alice Johnsen is a life coach based near Sherborne (phone 07961 080513; visit www. alicejohnsen.co.uk).

Nettle root: A must for men over 50

by Fiona Chapman

THIS rain is miserable, I am not sure if it is worse having had a break from winter and then coming back to continuous rain and mud, or better to stay in it and you don’t know any difference!

I, like I am sure many others, have been rushing out into the garden as soon as it begins to dry up. I have been doing lots of clearing to allow room to plant wildflowers and herbs, so have dug up huge great clumps of nettles. I feel somewhat guilty doing this as nettle is such a powerful and good herb from the leaves to the root to the seed, but I do have an awful lot of nettles and I need room for other herbs, so perhaps should

not feel too bad!

As I was digging, I was thinking that I should be saving the roots, drying them and either using them as cut dried root to decoct or to put them into a tincture.

Nettle roots are particularly good for their anti-inflammatory and decongestant action on the prostate gland. Really all men over the age of 50 should be taking nettle root! Even better is to juice the whole herb – so, leaves and roots. It is one of the western herbalist’s most powerful herbs as it contains many minerals, proteins and enzymes that are particularly good for nourishing the blood and encouraging the production of red blood cells.

The whole nettle is used for allergies such as hayfever and urticaria, the name Urtica dioica giving its use away, as it blocks histamine receptors. As it helps the liver to eliminate metabolic wastes, it is also used for arthritis and eczema.

I thought I would juice the whole nettle to see how easy it is and what the taste is like. It is

quite a palaver and takes a lot of jet water to get the mud off the roots and soaking to try and clean the whole plant. You can only use the young roots, the old, yellow woody ones will not do. You need a powerful juicer and the juice that comes out is very dark green and quite thick. The taste is a little zingy on the tongue and reminded me of

a sort of earthy seaweed. Not unpleasant, but definitely an acquired taste. I prefer a nettle tea which is much less hassle and not quite so potent, and you can also use any remaining tea on your hair to soften it and promote growth.

n Fiona Chapman is a naturopathic herbalist (email Pellyfiona@gmail.com).

Nettle roots are good for their anti-inflammatory and decongestant action on the prostate gland

Motoring

Over 30 years experience

Over 30 years experience

Over 30 years experience

Best prices paid please call:

www.kpcleisure.co.uk

Best prices paid please call: www.kpcleisure.co.uk

Best prices paid please call: www.kpcleisure.co.uk

New signs aim to keep bikers safer

NEW signs are being put up around Dorset in a bid to cut the number of motorbike crashes in spring.

Wincanton Ltd.

Silver Street | Wincanton | 01963 33313 www.bridgemotorswincanton.co.uk

More than 2,400 members of the biker community have been involved in designing the warnings, which have now been produced by DocBike and Dorset Council, with support from Dorset Police, BCP Council, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and Public Health Dorset – making up the Dorset Road Safe Partnership.

They are now being placed at key locations where motorcyclists have been injured in Dorset.

STORAGE FOR CARAVANS, boats and cars at Enford Farm near Blandford. 01258 450050 / 07704 813025

OLD, INTERESTING & CLASSIC CARS wanted pre 1990s Any condition including unfinished projects Cash/Transfer

Please Phone Paul 07890 096907

2017 (17) Nissan Note 1.2 Acenta Premium, 2 Owners, 48,000 Miles, £20 Road Tax, Sat Nav, Alloys ...........................................................£6895

(16)

Studies show the spring is the most dangerous time for motorcycle collisions, with a peak in serious injuries and fatalities being seen as motorcyclists make their way back onto the roads after the winter break.

The partnership says it could be because bikers are a bit rusty after not riding much over the winter period, because other road users are not used to seeing bikes out on the roads, or most likely a combination of both.

From January to November last year, there were 235 motorcycle crashes in Dorset.

Deadline to place your advert is the Friday before publication.

UNWANTED VEHICLES

bought for cash ●Mot failures ●Nonrunners ●Unfinished projects ●end of life scrap vehicles ●minimum of £200 paid for complete vehicles. Call Ryan on 07474 737577

While it was a drop compared to 2022, the partnership said more needs to be done to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on county roads.

The first road sign, “Think bike”, reminds all road users to take that extra moment to look for a bike, especially at junctions, where the brain finds it difficult to see motorcyclists travelling towards them at speed.

ON ALL VEHICLES UP TO 3.5 TONNES INCLUDING HORSEBOXES AND MOTORHOMES

SUNRISE SERVICE & MOT CENTRE

Bodyshop open for all repairs and restorations, f rom small scratches to complete resprays, insurance work welcome.

MOTS – class 4,5 and 7

Diagnostics

The second, “Have you been seen?”, reminds bikers they might not have been seen by other road users and that even though they have the right of way, being able to stop if a vehicle pulls out in their path might save their life.

Dr Ian Mew, intensive care consultant and co-founder of the DocBike charity, said: “A lot of time goes into reviewing data from previous motorcycle collisions to identify the areas

of greatest risk.

“That is why you will only see our unique road signs placed in areas where we see repeated motorcycle collisions in Dorset.

“If you are a motorcyclist and you see one of our road signs, just back off the throttle, let your speed drop off a little and be aware that someone might be about to pull out in front of your path.

“If you drive, take some extra time to look out for motorcyclists and give them plenty of space.”

2009 (59) Ford Mondeo 2.0TDCi Titanium Nav Automatic Estate 5dr. 140bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, sat nav, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, starts & drives, would benefit from some work so being sold as a clearance car with MOT until November, call us for details, 97,500 miles ..............................................£1250

2016 (16) Ford Kuga 2.0TDCi Titanium Nav SUV 5dr. 150bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, high seating, big boot, £1800 of factory options, appearance pack, sat nav, sign recognition, parking sensors, cruise control, auto lights & wipers, hill start assist, heated front screen, cambelt kit replaced, 60,500 miles .............£10250

2014 (64) Ford Transit Connect 1.6TDCi 240 L2 Van. 115bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, No VAT to pay, 3 seats, unusual van with tailgate & twin side doors, Bluetooth, parking sensors, cruise control, heated front screen, alloys, cambelt kit replaced, 82,700 miles, No VAT to pay ......................AWAITING PREPARATION £8500

2017 (17) Nissan Juke 1.2DIG-T N-Connecta SUV 5dr. 115bhp, petrol, 6 speed manual gearbox, sat nav, parking camera, automatic lights & wipers, cruise control, sign recognition, hill start assist, lane keeping aid, 49,500 miles ...................................................... AWAITING PREPARATION £8750

2014 (14) Peugeot 308 1.6HDi Active 5dr. 92bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, sat nav, cruise control, parking sensors, hill start assist, automatic lights & wipers, FREE yearly road tax & upto 70mpg economy, cambelt kit replaced, only 64,500 miles ...................................................................................................£5850

Bodyshop also available.

Air conditioning Valets

Bodyshop open for all repairs and restorations, f rom small scratches to complete resprays, insurance work welcome.

MOTs – class 4, 5 and 7

MOTS – class 4,5 and 7

Courtesy Cars

Diagnostics Air Conditioning

Diagnostics

MOTS – class 4,5 and 7

Air conditioning

Collections within a 5 mile radius

Courtesy Cars

Valets

Concessions for Pensioners, Armed Forces and Emergency Services

Concessions for Armed Forces and Emergency Services

Courtesy Cars

Collections within a 5 mile radius

Concessions ed Forces a es

15B Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road

Blandford DT11 8ST

15B Sunrise Business Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road

Tel: 01258 459798

Blandford DT11 8ST

Tel: 01258 459798

Email info@sunriseservicecentre.com

Email sunriseservicecentre@hotmail com

www.sunriseserviceandmotcentre.com

www.sunriseserviceandmotcentre.com

2019 (19) Renault Captur 0.9TCe Iconic SUV 5dr. 90bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, high seating, sat nav, parking sensors, cruise control, auto lights & wipers, hill start assist, speed sign assist, 27,300 miles ..................................£9850

2018 (68) Renault Captur 1.5DCi Iconic SUV 5dr. 90bhp, diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, high seating, sat nav, parking sensors, auto lights & wipers, cruise control, hill start assist, cambelt / timing belt replaced, upto 67mpg fuel economy, 49,500 miles ........................................................AWAITING PREPARATION £8950

2015 (15) Renault Megane 1.5DCi Expression + Sport Tourer Estate 5dr. 110bhp, diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, Free yearly road tax & upto 80mpg economy, cruise control, hill start assist, cambelt / timing belt replaced at 79113 miles, Free tax, 85,600 miles ..........................................................................£5450

2018 (18) Toyota Yaris 1.5VVTi Hybrid Excel Automatic 5dr. 98bhp, self-charging petrol hybrid, automatic gearbox, selectable drive modes, upto 85mpg, sat nav, parking sensors & camera, partial leather, auto lights & wipers, sign recognition, pre-collision assist, lane keeping aid, 20,500 miles ........................AWAITING PREPARATION £13450

2019 (19) Vauxhall Crossland X 1.2 Elite Estate MPV 5dr. 82bhp, petrol, 5 speed manual gearbox, high seating, parking sensors, cruise control, 51,900 miles...... £9650

A ‘Think Bike’ sign acts as a reminder to all road users

Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENT

GILLINGHAM CAR SPACES AVAILABLE CLOSE TOWN CENTRE SHORT WALK TO STATION

CONTACT CHAPMAN MOORE 01747 822244 chapmanmoore@btconnect.com

CONGRATULATIONS

CONGRATULATIONS EVELYN ADAMS & JAKE ALLEN on your engagement, so pleased for you both lots of love always Mum, Dad & Maisy xxx

PUBLIC NOTICES

Licensing Act 2003 Notice of application for the GRANT of a PREMISES LICENCE Proposed licensable activities: SALE OF ALCOHOL Name of applicant: ALEXANDRA HOOKINS. Address of Premises: THE JOLLY FARMER SUNNYHILL CAMPSITE RIDING GATE WINCANTON Post Code: BA9

8NG. Date by which Responsible Authorities and other persons may make representations: 6th May 2024 A record of the application made to the Licensing Authority will be kept on a register at the address given below and the register may be inspected during normal office hours. All representations regarding this application MUST BE IN WRITING and sent to: Somerset Council Licensing Department The Council Offices Brympton Way Yeovil Somerset BA20 2HT Or email: licensing.south@somerset.gov.uk It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and is subject to an unlimited fine on summary conviction for the offence.

PUBLIC NOTICE LICENSING ACT 2003

Notice is given that Frank Webber has applied to Dorset Council for a full variation of a premises licence in respect of Blandford United Football Club, Park Road, Blandford DT11 7BX for regulated entertainment Friday to Sunday 11:00 – 02:00 indoors and outdoors, and the provision of alcohol Friday to Sunday 11:00 – 02:00 on and off the premises and a change of licensable area (extending to include outside area). Licence to also include Christmas Eve & New Years Eve 11:00 – 02:00. Monday to Thursday’s alcohol hours remain the same as existing licence. Any interested party or responsible authority may make representations by -mailing: Licensing@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or writing to, Licensing, Dorset Council, County Hall, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XJ within 28 days from the date of this notice. The licensing register and details of this application may be inspected by contacting the licensing Section during normal office hours.

It is an offence under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003 to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application, the maximum fine on summary conviction for the offence is unlimited.

DATE: 25th March 2024

PUBLIC NOTICES

GILLINGHAM TOWN COUNCIL

Grant Applications invited for FY 2024/25

Each year Gillingham Town Council awards grants to voluntary and charitable organisations for the benefit of Gillingham residents.

If you would like to apply, please download the Grants Policy and Application Form from the Town Council’s website:

www.gillinghamdorset-tc.gov.uk/policy-admin/grants/ Closing date - 31 July 2024

DEATHS

Maureen Piper,

aged 76 of Shaftesbury.

Much loved Wife, Mum, Sister, Granny and friend to many. Passed away on 26th March. Close family only service.

Funeral Arrangements for JOHN MIGHALL

20th April 2024. 12pm refreshments, 12.30pm Service Harbour View Crematorium, Lytchett Minster, BH16 6AN Family flowers only. Donations if desired to Cancer Research UK.

MALCOLM EDWIN LEGG

passed away peacefully on 12th March 2024. Malcolm aged 77 years, of Milton On Stour.

Dearly loved Husband of the late Rosemary, much loved Brother of Sylvia and Nesta. Special Uncle and Great Uncle. Funeral Service, St Aldhelm’s Bishop Strow Church Tuesday 16th April, 11.30am

Family flowers only please, donations if desired for Alzheimer’s Society, C/O L.C.Hill & Partners, Mere

EDITH LAVINIA BEATON

On 25th March 2024, peacefully in Salisbury District Hospital aged 90 years, of Shaftesbury.

Much loved mum, mother in law, auntie and friend to many. Funeral service takes place at Salisbury Crematorium on Wednesday 17th April at 11.00am.

No flowers please, but donations for the RSPCA may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge

F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532.

DEATHS

BRAKE Jean

nee Galpin and previously Lambert

Passed away peacefully at Newstone House, Sturminster Newton on the 21st March 2024, aged 88 years. Much loved mum of Donna and son in law Antony. Loving grandma of Rebecca and Oliver. She will be dearly missed by her sisters, family and friends. Funeral Service to be held at St. Mary’s Church, Sturminster Newton on Friday 19th April followed by Burial at Sturminster Cemetery. Flowers may be sent c/o Matthew Lucas Funeral Directors, Down House, Widcombe Street, Poundbury, Dorchester, DT1 3BS.

ROY WILLIAM BLANCHARD

Born February 16th 1933 in London. Always top of the world just waiting to fall off. His favorite comment. Well now he has.

On March 16th 2024, Yeatmen Hosital, Sherborne. Thank you to the staff and nurses for their kind care and attention. Roy’s cremation will be an unattended one Simple, no fuss. He would like that.

Missing you Roy x

RONALD THOMAS JOHNSON “RON”

On 26th March 2024, peacefully at home after a short illness aged 78 years, of Shaftesbury. A loving husband to Jo, dad to Sarah, grandfather to Jack, brother, uncle and friend to many. Funeral service takes place at Bell Street United Church on Monday 22nd April at 11.30am. No flowers please. Donations for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532.

Raymond Cledwyn Cable

On the 25th March 2024 at home in Stalbridge Weston, surrounded by his family. Will be so missed by his loving Wife Wendy. Adored Dad to his children Gale, Debbie, Sandra and Deborah. Son-in-Laws Mark and Paul. Grandchildren Lewis, Gregory, Esme, Nate and Tilly. Private family cremation service. Followed at a later date with a celebration of his life. Donations in memory of Ray for St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice or Marie Curie. The family would like to thank everyone involved in Ray being able to stay at his home. C/o Peter Jackson Funeral Services, High Street, Henstridge, BA8 0RB. Tel: 01963 362570

George Wilson

97, of Blandford Forum, passed away on the 3rd April 2024, at Dorset County Hospital. He will be much missed by his sons Neil and Murray, daughter-in laws Alison and Rhonda and grandchildren Rebecca and Emily as well as by his extended family and friends.

His funeral service will be held at Salisbury Crematorium at noon on Monday 22nd April. Family flowers only please. Any donations, if desired, to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

SOLLY – BEN

Dearly loved son of David and Sarah and brother to Isabelle died suddenly on 15th January 2024, aged 28 years. A celebration of Ben’s life will take place on Saturday, 1st June. Enquiries to A J Wakely & Sons t: 01308 423726.

SUSANNE PATRICIA GALE

On 1st April 2024, peacefully in Salisbury District Hospital after a long illness aged 76 years, of Shaftesbury. A much loved Mum to Mandi and Sarah, a loving Mother in law, Grandmother and Great Grandmother. She will be sorely missed by all her family and friends. Funeral service takes place at Salisbury Crematorium on Wednesday 24th April at 12.00noon.

No flowers please but donations for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance may be made online at www.mhfd.co.uk or sent to Merefield & Henstridge F/D, Ridgemount, Pitts Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0BU. Tel: 01747 853532.

IRIS MAY NOTLEY

Iris of Stalbridge sadly passed away at home on 15th March, aged 83 years. Graveside Funeral Service at The Holy Rood Church, Buckland Newton on Tuesday 23rd April 2024 at 11.00am. Enquiries c/o Grassby and Close Funeral Service, 4 Innes Court, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1BB, Tel: 01258 471024 or made online by visiting www.grassbyclose-funeral.co.uk

BRYAN ALBERT BENNETT of Wincanton

Passed away on 12th March 2024 at Yeovil Hospital at the age of 70.

There will be a cremation but no service. There will be a meeting of his friends at Uncle Toms Cabin at 12noon on the 12th April 2024

Announcements

DEATHS

BRENDA MAIDMENT

Sadly passed away at our home at Zeals on 1st April 2024. Aged 74 years

A much loved mum, gran, partner, sister and aunty. Will be sadly missed by her family and friends.

“Never to be forgotten”

Funeral service to be held at St John’s Church, Chalton Musgrove on Friday 26th April at 1pm.

Family flowers only please. Donations if desired for Cancer Research UK. L.C. Hill & Son, Water Street, Mere, BA12 6DZ. Tel: 01747-440369

BRADLEY

Penelope Jane - ‘Penny’

Peacefully on 23rd March 2024 in Salisbury Hospice, aged 65 years, of Shaftesbury.

Dearly loved Daughter, Sister, Mum and Grandma. Funeral Service at Salisbury Crematorium on Friday 19th April at 3.00pm.

No flowers please. Donations if desired, for Neuroendocrine Cancer UK / Coppafeel / Mindful Memory Cafes can be made online at peterjacksonfuneralservices.co.uk or cheques made payable to the charity can be sent c/o Peter Jackson Funeral Services, Harwood House, Newbury, Gillingham, SP8 4QJ

Peter Welch

of Sherborne, sadly passed away on the 27th March at home. A much loved Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle and Granddad who will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

The funeral service will take place at Yeovil Crematorium on Thursday 18th April at 2.40pm.

Donations in memory of Peter for Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance and British Heart Foundation may be sent c/o A.J. Wakely & Sons, 16 Newland, Sherborne, DT9 3JQ

(Please make cheques payable to the charity)

WILLIAM (Bill) TOLLEY

97years. Much loved uncle and friend. Sadly passed away peacefully at home on Monday 2nd April 2024.

Funeral to be held at Yeovil Crematorium on Friday 26th April at 12noon, followed by a celebration of his life at the Bird in Hand, Henstridge @ 2pm all. welcome.

Family flowers only please, but donations if desired can be made to The British Legion C/O Peter Jackson Funeral Services in Henstridge

THERESA ANNE SUTER

Passed away on 11th March 2024. Aged 87

A beloved wife of the late Derek. A much loved Mum, Nanny and Great Nanny and a friend to so many. She will be so sorely missed by all her family and will be forever in our hearts.

Funeral service to take place at Yeovil Crematorium on Monday 15th April at 11.20 am. Family flowers only, but donations if desired, for Young Lives V Cancer a charity very dear to her heart.

Please contact L C Hill & Son, Funeral Directors, Mere. Tel: 01747 860361 for details

Clive Ernest Bowden

Peacefully on 2nd April 2024. Clive aged 96 years of Gillingham, formerly of Stour Row. Dearly loved Husband of Ruth. Much loved Dad, Grandpa and Great Grandpa.

Funeral service at Yeovil Crematorium on Monday 15th April at 10.40am. No flowers please; donations if desired for CPRE, the Countryside Charity.

C/o Peter Jackson Funeral Services, Harwood House, Newbury, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4QJ. Tel 01747 833757

BROWN, Terence Keith (known as ‘Keith’)

Passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on 1st April 2024.

Dearly loved father, grandfather and friend. Remembered by so many for his service to the community of Wincanton as the local pharmacist at Knight & Sons Chemist from 1972 - 2000.

Funeral service to be held at St John the Baptist Church, North Cheriton at 12pm on Monday 15th April 2024.

Family flowers only please. Donations in memory of Keith are being invited for the Butterfly Conservation charity c/o Harold F Miles, Funeral Director, South Cadbury, BA22 7ES

Marion Norris

from Gillingham, passed away peacefully on 30/03/2024. Aged 92 years. Marion will be sadly missed by her family. A much loved Mum, Granny and Great Granny. Funeral Service to be held at Yeovil Crematorium On 24/04/24 at 10.40am.

Donations in lieu of flowers, if desired to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance at: www.funeralcare.co.uk/tributes-and-donations or send cheque made payable to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, c/o Co-operative Funeralcare, Greenacre House, Salisbury Road, Shaftesbury, SP7 8BS. Tel: 01747-858968

blackmorevale.net/jobs

GARDENING JOB

We are looking for a reliable and knowledgeable gardener to work in our beautiful large garden in West Dorset, about 7 miles west of Dorchester. If you enjoy working outdoors, caring for a variety of plants and take pride in keeping grounds looking well maintained, we’d love to meet you!

The position could initially be on a part time basis, working with our existing gardener, but we are looking for someone who is interested in ultimately becoming our sole gardener, working approximately 24-30 hours per week. Call 07875-742647 if you are interested in the role.

BLACKMORE VALE JOBS GROUP NOW ON Facebook

SELF EMPLOYED EXPERIENCED GROUNDWORKERS/PLANT OPERATORS

We are looking for an experienced Groundworker who can also operate a 360° Excavator for local interesting contracts, working as part of a team. Applicants must be con dent in their ability to carry out all aspects of groundwork to a good standard with attention to detail. We o er a safe working environment with good rates of pay. Local work and an opportunity of long-term employment with a friendly family run business.

If you are that exible, skilled groundworker who can also operate plant to a good standard please call, Martin on 01258 455219 or email admin@farwellplanthire.co.uk

CHILD OKEFORD BLANDFORD FORUM DORSET DT11 8HN

Come and join our staff body at our vibrant and happy prep school for girls (aged 7-13) set in the beautiful Dorset countryside:

KITCHEN ASSISTANT

The role involves washing up, simple food preparation, general assistance. A great opportunity for an enthusiastic and helpful person, training will be given. Core hours are 20 hours per week (by arrangement) term time only, to include 1 weekend shift. To start 11 May or sooner.

Salary: National Living Wage

For more information or to request an application form please call the School Office on 01258 860219 or visit our website: www.hanfordschool.co.uk

Application deadline: Friday 19 April 2024 at 5pm to office@hanfordschool.co.uk. Applications should be sent as early as possible - we may close the vacancy if the right applicant is appointed sooner.

Hanford is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. Hanford School is part of Sherborne Girls' School.

Recruitment

PART TIME WEEKEND WORK

The famous Sherborne Station Cafe is looking for a friendly, energetic assistant to join our wonderful team for three or four Sunday shifts per month.

It’s essential you enjoy dealing with the public.

Please contact Henry 07975 879151

SKILLED SITE CARPENTER

Experienced. Full time employed position. Weekly pay. Immediate start available.

Independent Co-educational Boarding and Day School Nursery Prep Senior Sixth Form The Society of Heads/CISC /IAPS

Independent Boarding and Day School for Pupils aged 4 -18 GSA/CISC

EXAM INVIGILATORS

PA R T T I M E , T E R M T I M E O N LY

We are seeking enthusiastic and reliable individuals with good communication skills to work as exam invigilators on a casual basis to supervise students taking school examinations.

Experience is not required, as training will be provided, although applicants will be asked to declare if they have invigilated previously elsewhere.

The ideal candidate will be flexible; have effective communication skills; be confident and a reassuring presence to candidates in exam rooms.

We are seeking to appoint a School Minibus Driver to start at the end of August 2018 The role entails driving the School vehicles on designated routes collecting children in the morning and dropping off in the afternoon at prearranged points. You will also assist with some basic maintenance and cleaning of the fleet The primary qualities sought are a genuine commitment to the welfare and safety of young people. You must hold a valid PCV Manual, (D or D1) Licence

The main duties will include conducting examinations in accordance with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), awarding body and Leweston School instructions; playing a “key role in upholding the integrity of the external examination/assessment process” [JCQ ICE 6]

Hours: 20 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 0630 to 0830 and 1730 to 1930 Term Time only Rate of Pay: £9 69 per hour plus holiday pay

For further information and to download an application pack please visit our website:

https://www.leweston.co.uk/explore-leweston/our-people/work-with-us

Closing date for applications: Friday 26th April 2024

Interviews: w/c Monday 29th April 2024

Leweston is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.

An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.

Please send your CV with the names of two referees to the HR Manager, Leweston School Leweston, Sherborne, DT9 6EN or email: recruitment@leweston.dorset.sch.uk

A Catholic Foundation which welcomes pupils of all Denominations Leweston School Trust is a registered charity number 295175

www leweston co uk

An enhanced DBS check

Recruitment

A PART-TIME BRANCH SECRETARY in the North Dorset/South Somerset area for a national friendly society is required to start in June/July. Would suit a newly retired or semi-retired person. This is a paid position and you will work from home with hours to suit, but also to attend regular meetings and social events, therefore own transport is essential. Full training will be given. Computer skills a distinct advantage. For an application form and job description please email judy.penfold@oddfellows.co.uk

BLACKMORE VALE JOBS GROUP NOW ON Facebook

GARDENER NEEDED, for 3 days a week. Working in the Spetisbury area. Must have own transport. Tel: 07971-271458

WANTED: CLEANER. Domestic. Hrs to suit per week. Stourton Caundle.

Contact;

07775 716443

WHEATHILL GOLF CLUB is looking for both kitchen & bar staff, plus a green-keeper/grounds-person for the up coming season. Part & Full time available, over 18’s only. includes week-end shifts. Please call 01963-240667 option2.

blackmorevale.net/jobs

CLEANER REQUIRED, Shaftesbury home, Call: 01747-858946

CLEANER REQUIRED

Dorchester home. Call 07597 621 922

S/E BOOK KEEPER. Available 1 day/week or for Monthly/quarterly processing. Areas West of Wincanton.

Tel: 07849-467667

A.P.STEPHENS AND SON require a full time Bricklayer and Labourer, driving license needed. Call Luke 07818297152

PART TIME CLEANER, reliable and trustworthy. Wanted for private house in Ashmore Village. Ironing work also involved. Good pay. please contact Gloria, 07789-848896

PAINTER & DECORATOR REQUIRED.

Tel: 07971-271458

CLEANER required for holiday cottages near Buckland Newton.

Contact Nicola on 07900 966748 orinfo@ bookhamcourt.co.uk

PLANT WORLD MiltonOn-Stour is looking for seasonal workers to join busy garden center, also a part-time maintenance Manager.

Tel Connie on: 07785373388

CLEANER REQUIRED to clean holiday lets, to a high standard. plus general household. 4 mornings per week. Spetisbury area.

Tel: 07971-271458

Atelier Seamstress Wanted We are looking for an experienced freelance seamstress to join our Atelier in Semley, Dorset. The applicant must have a minimum of 3 years experience and work to a high standard. Starting 13th May, 3 days a week. Please contact belinda@pinkhousemustique.com

Landscape Labourers

We are looking for skilled landscapers and general labourers to join our team. A good knowledge of hard and soft landscaping along with a can do attitude required, drivers preferred but not essential. Long term positions within an establish local company. Previous applicants need not reapply.

07792892999

TA & MDSA Roles at Semley CE VA Primary School

1 year Fixed Term TA and MDSA

3 roles available, both with a possibility of extension

Hours of work: 1 Role: TA: 12 hours - Thursday & Friday 6 hours per day plus

MDSA: 2 hours – Thursday & Friday Lunchtimes

2 Roles: TA: 30 hours – Monday – Friday plus MDSA: 5 hours – Monday to Friday Lunchtimes

Contract type: Fixed-Term Contract (Term Time Only)

Salary: TA - Grade D £11.98 per hour Pro-Rata

MDSA: Grade B £11.59 per hour Pro-Rata

Closing date: Wednesday 24th April 2024 at 12pm

Interview date: Wednesday 1st May 2024

Commencement date: 1 Role (12 hours TA & 2 Hours MDSA) - ASAP

2 Roles (30 hours TA & 5 Hours MDSA) –September 2024

We have some roles for caring and committed Teaching Assistants to join our dedicated pool of TAs who provide invaluable support to our children.

Semley CE VA Primary School is vibrant and welcoming, set in a beautiful village near Shaftesbury on the Dorset / Wiltshire border, and graded as ‘good’ by Ofsted (May 2023). We are very proud of our children who live out the school values whilst enjoying learning and challenging themselves both inside and outside the classroom.

The successful candidates will be confident in supporting all areas of the curriculum and can work confidently with both the whole class and with some 1-to-1 or small group interventions. Ideally they will have previous experience of supporting learning but most importantly will be adaptable, patient and enjoy working as part of a team. The post also includes MDSA duties to support Lunchtimes. We would be pleased to receive applications from an already qualified HLTA and will support professional development.

We would welcome a visit to the school so you can come and get a feel for our school and ethos.

Please do contact the office to arrange a visit or with any queries. Contact Details: admin@semley.wilts.sch.uk or 01747 830427

Pets

Fighter Stumpy’s making great progress after op

by Lynn Broom Longmead Veterinary Practice

STUMPY is a Rottweiler puppy who was born along with his normal brothers and sisters. It was immediately apparent he had some issues. His owner monitored his progress wondering if these problems would mean he wouldn’t survive but, as time went on, it was clear that Stumpy was a fighter.

Externally it was obvious that Stumpy’s tail hadn’t formed properly and was just a long stump – hence the name – as well as non-closure of the skin on his tummy and a deformed penis and prepuce.

It also became clear that there were internal problems because, when Stumpy urinated, urine came out of his bottom as well as his penis. He also dripped urine and left a puddle where he sat.

His lovely personality and laid back attitude to life meant that his owner Dave wanted to give him the best chance of as

normal a life as possible. He

Rottweiler puppy Stumpy had a complex four-hour operation but within an hour of waking up from his anaesthetic he lapped up his post-op meal and entertained his nurses

contacted several vets and found that the surgery required was far from straightforward.

To assess the extent of internal abnormalities Stumpy had a CT scan which allowed appropriate planning for surgery. It soon became clear that Stumpy had extensive issues but, following further expert advice, it was decided that most of these issues could be resolved surgically.

Stumpy had one normal kidney with one ureter, and one small deformed kidney with a duplicated blood supply and two ureters – the outflow from the kidney to the bladder. One of these ureters did not enter the bladder correctly meaning that Stumpy could not control its outflow leading to leaking urine. His rectum and his urethra – the outflow from his bladder to his penis – were joined by a fistula which is why urine came out of his bum when he actively urinated. This had also led to a chronic infection due to bacteria tracking from his rectum up to

his kidneys and into his general circulation. Stumpy’s kidney function was checked and antibiotics were given to treat the infection. Other changes present in his spine were assessed and, while they couldn’t be reversed, we could stop them progressing by stopping the ongoing infection and they didn’t currently appear to be causing Stumpy a problem.

At the age of 14 weeks, Stumpy had extensive complex surgery to remove the abnormal kidney, to repair the defect in his rectum/urethra and to close the defect in his skin and prepuce. The surgery took four hours and yet, within one hour of waking up from the anaesthetic, Stumpy was enthusiastically eating his post-op meal and entertaining his nurses.

Stumpy has recovered really well and his owner is very pleased with his progress, and he is growing into a lovely, friendly and cuddly Rottweiler. He may need further surgery when he is older and we will continue to monitor his remaining kidney but, currently, his progress is excellent.

Dog, cat and small animal food. Grain-free, vegetarian, frozen, gluten & sugar-free chews, natural treats. Soft toys, leather toys, leads & collars, coats, cool & heat pads, veterinary bedding, shampoo, towels...even microchipping!

Come and get your wild bird food for the winter.

COMPULSORY MICROCHIPPING for Cats & Dogs 2024 – book yours now - call or pop in store

Check-a-chip service is free Call: 01747 706152

F1 COCKERPOO PUPPIES

Mum white and chocolate cocker spaniel Dad phantom toy poodle, both KC registered and fully health tested. Pups will be ready early May they will be microchipped, first vaccine, wormed and vet checked.

For more information please call 07555 171717

C.B. Brett & Son

Pet & Wildlife

Dog - Wet, Dry & Frozen Food

Cat - Wet & Dry Food

Bird/Hedgehog/WildlifeFood, Feeders & Accessories

Old Market Car Park, Hound St, Sherborne, DT9 3AB 01935 812107

CUDDLES FOR CATS reliable cat sitting in your home. Jacqui 07791 198679

STUNNING F1B COCKAPOO PUPPIES, Mixed colours , can be seen with mum, 6 weeks old , BLANDFORD message for photos 07958131767

GORGEOUS LABRADOR PUPPIES available mid-May. Yellow and Black. KC registered, wormed, microchipped and first vaccinations complete. 07850 246188.

Book Online

Cats looking for new homes

n Willow (nine months). Sweet but nervous girl looking for a quiet home

For details, please call our helpline on 01258 858644 or visit our website www.cats.org.uk/blandford

LOST CATS

If you have lost a cat contact us via our website, phone or Facebook. Please provide a contact phone number so we can get in touch with you quickly if needed.

n Male Savannah missing from Blandford from around March 7.

n Light tabby, missing from Wiltshire Close, Gillingham, since March 23.

n Black stocky cat missing from Donhead St Mary since March 26.

n Tabby, slim build,

missing from Enmore Green since March 8.

FOUND CATS

If you regularly see a cat in your garden or down your street that you don’t think has an owner, please give us a call. It may be a lost cat that could be reunited with its owner.

n Black, Sturminster Marshall, has been in the area off and on since 2022.

n White and ginger, Shaftesbury, half a tail, date advised March 12.

n White and black unneutered male, Gillingham, date advised March 25.

GUINEA pigs can make great pets but it’s important to do your research before welcoming any pet into your home.

Guinea pigs may be small but they have very specific and complex needs, says the RSPCA.

Guinea pigs are very active

GUINEA pigs can be awake for up to 20 hours a day. This means they need lots of space to move about. This space can be outdoors or indoors but should include a sleeping space, as well as a large exercise run they can explore, run around and play in. If the temperature drops below 15 degrees celsius, guinea pigs should be kept indoors. If keeping your guinea pigs indoors is not possible, it’s important they have lots of bedding to make themselves cosy in the winter.

Guinea pigs are not agile – they’re hiders, not climbers!

GUINEA pigs will enjoy tunnels and places to hide, but they’re not big climbers. Guinea pigs’ environment must be hazard-free to make sure they can’t injure themselves by falling off anything.

Guinea pigs need their greens

GUINEA pigs require constant

access to grass and/or good quality hay. They don’t produce vitamin C and because of this they also need a fresh portion of grass-based guinea pig nuggets and safe, washed leafy greens daily, such as broccoli and kale. Feeding the correct diet will help keep your guinea’s digestive system working nicely and keep their teeth the correct length and shape. Foods to avoid include grass clippings from a lawnmower, as lawnmower clippings can upset their tummies. Citrus fruits can cause sores to develop on their lips. Root vegetables, such as carrots, are high in sugar and so should be given in moderation. Guinea pigs are very sociable

IN the wild guinea pigs live in groups of between five and ten and so keeping guinea pigs in pairs or small groups is ideal. Good combinations include single-sex pairs or a combination of neutered male with one or more females. The right pairings will help keep your guinea pigs happy. Making friends with your guinea pig is also important. Careful, considerate handling by an adult from an early age will help them be calm and relaxed in human company.

Pets

Decoding dog ‘stubbornness’: Understanding canine behaviour

by Raychel Hill

WHEN our dogs refuse to listen to cue or exhibit behaviours perceived as wilful defiance we may describe them as being “stubborn”. However, attributing stubbornness to dogs may oversimplify their behaviour and hinder effective communication and training. This week, we’ll explore the concept of “stubbornness” in dogs and shed light on the underlying factors that influence their actions.

Firstly, dogs do not see behaviours as right or wrong –like we do – but in terms of what works or doesn’t work. What

may appear as stubbornness to us could stem from various reasons – here are some questions to ask yourself when you ask your dog to perform a cue and they do not respond: What am I asking of them?

Dogs thrive on clear communication and consistent training. Behaviour that seems stubborn may simply be confusion. Our canine companions do not generalise behaviours well either, so you may have trained a cue in one situation but have not yet proofed the cue in other environments or situations. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and

neither is a well-trained dog. Practice patience and consistency in your training efforts and celebrate small victories along the way.

Why should they respond? When you are training your dog, it should be fun for both of you! They are obviously not robots and need the right motivation to work with us – this could be food, play, fuss – but the reinforcement on offer should be something that your individual dog finds motivating. Once they respond more reliably, you can delay rewards and present them randomly, but there should be still something in it for them.

How are they feeling? Fearful or anxious dogs may exhibit behaviours that appear stubborn as a coping mechanism. For example, a dog refusing to approach a certain area or perform a task may be experiencing fear. Understanding and addressing the underlying emotions can help alleviate these behaviours and build trust between the dog

and handler.

Equally, stubbornness may be a result of an underlying physical discomfort or health issue as pain or discomfort can make dogs reluctant to engage in certain activities or follow cues. It’s essential to rule out any medical concerns through a thorough veterinary examination before addressing behaviour issues.

Therefore, rather than attributing stubbornness to dogs, it’s essential to approach their behaviour with empathy, understanding and effective training techniques. By recognising the underlying factors influencing their actions and addressing them with patience and consistency, we can build stronger bonds and foster positive behaviour with your dogs.

n Raychel Hill BSc (Hons) MA

CCAB APBC-CAB FABC

ABTC-CCAB is owner of Pet Peeves Animal Behaviour & Teaching; www. petpeevessomerset.co.uk.

Never mind the rain, the sheep can cope...

by Tria Stebbing

I AM in danger of writing the same thing as last time. It rains, the field is waterlogged, the animals are miserable and the smallholders are frustrated. So, as it is lambing season, I thought I would answer some questions I am frequently asked about the flock.

Our flock of Zwartbles stay out in all weather conditions and I am often asked if they get wet. Luckily, sheep secrete an oily substance from their skin called lanolin, which lubricates the wool and prevents the fibres from tangling when the sheep are wet. So, the fleece stays very full in the wet and the lanolin repels the water, effectively making them waterproof.

They are also resourceful when it comes to shelter, finding a hedgerow, a fallen tree or a dip in the ground to take shelter in. They do, however, get depressed when the weather is relentless. A depressed sheep will hang its tail, its ears will droop and its body language will be

screaming at you that all is not good.

An ill sheep will take itself away from the rest of the flock, so if you see one on its own away from the flock, the chances are it is poorly.

Do sheep sleep? Yes, they do, they bed together as a flock for safety, and if hillside grazing, move downhill during the day where they will graze

and snooze. They can recognise the faces of 50 other sheep and remember them for two years, and they also recognise their humans, too. Sheep – not commercial – can live for 10-12 years but most will stop producing before then, with the exception of one or two, who will just keep on going. Interestingly, sheep have no top teeth, they have a hard pad

that they use to pull and chew grass. Our sheep are born with two teeth at the bottom, some are not. These are temporary teeth and by the time the lamb is two months old it will have eight teeth. Adult sheep have 32 permanent teeth, eight incisors and 24 molars, which come through when they are 12-18 months old.

Lambing is now in full swing – a sheep is pregnant for 144 to 151 days, so about five months. Our girls all carry their pregnancy differently. Some show more underneath, our older Zwartbles look as though they are carrying saddle bags, and the lambs are clearly visible on the side, and nearer birth, they move about just like human babies.

King has become a daddy! If you remember, he went for a little holiday to Blandford. We heard this week that Cutie had triplets and Clover also had triplets – he must have liked the Blandford girls. The lambs are well marked and will be shown when big enough. I am so proud of my favourite boy – I hope they inherit his laid back attitude to life.

We have everything crossed, that as the clocks change and the evenings get lighter, we see an improvement in the weather.

Stolen lambs safely back home

TWO lambs stolen from a farm near Bridport have been found.

Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team has revealed the blue texel lambs – a threeweek-old ram and a twoweek-old ewe – have been returned to a very “grateful owner”.

“One vehicle suspected to have been used to carry out the crime has been seized and one male is currently behind baaas,” a police spokesperson said.

“Both lambs have been

returned to their grateful owner, with new security measures in place to prevent any future thefts.”

The lambs were taken from the property, near the B3162 north of Bridport, some time between 9pm on March 25 and 7.30am the following day.

Lambing is now in full swing – a sheep is pregnant for about five months

These cute lambs were stolen from a farm near Bridport PHOTOS: Dorset Police

New approaches to managing parasites on farm

by Lucy Hepworth from Friars Moor Livestock Health

AS lambs and calves are turned out in springtime, as vets we encourage our clients to have health plans to monitor and manage parasitic worms that can affect young animals.

There are gut worms –several types – and lungworm that affect cattle and sheep. Cattle worms only affect cattle and the same applies for sheep. The adult worms lay eggs in the gut/lungs of an animal and eggs or larvae are passed out in the dung. Eggs develop into larvae and get eaten with grass, completing the lifecycle. A low level of exposure to either worm allows the animal to build an immune response so that as adults they are no longer affected.

When young animals are turned out in the spring, there may be larvae that have overwintered on pasture, and the lifecycle is set up again. As

our climate changes, this can impact on parasite risk. While historically, many farmers would have used regular worming treatments to control worm burdens in their calves and lambs, we are now working with farmers to use different strategies to control worm burdens. This often leads to healthier stock and reduces the amount of wormer products required, which saves money, and importantly reduces their negative impact on dung beetles in the soil, key to soil health. If farmers can reduce the worm larvae animals are exposed to, this can work very well. Grazing animals on silage or hay aftermath or a new ley presents a low risk. Mixed sheep and beef farms can alternate the grazing between sheep and cattle. Farmers use rotational grazing to reduce the challenge of parasites, while increasing the amount of grass grown. Herbal leys – contain a

mix of legume, herb, and grass species – will carry a lower burden of worms, and often contain chicory that has natural anthelmintic – anti-worm –properties. Farmers also focus on good nutrition and making sure mineral balance is correct to optimise animal immunity to worms.

Lungworm infection is commonly seen in late summer in calves in their first year at grass. An effective lungworm vaccine is being used increasingly by dairy farmers in their heifer calves going out to grass for the first time.

More farmers have the equipment to weigh calves and lambs regularly at grass and this is a useful monitoring tool to assess impact of gut worms. We also encourage regular dung sampling of lambs and calves which are processed in our in-house lab the same day to give farmers a prompt assessment of the worm burden. Equally, we now offer training courses to allow farmers to do their own monitoring.

If this prompts any questions relating to your small flock or large herd, please get in touch with us at the clinic.

Historically, many farmers would have used regular worming treatments to control worm burdens in their calves but now different strategies are being used

blackmorevale.net

CARAVAN REMOVAL SERVICE, old, unwanted caravans, cars, trailers, vans etc. Garden machinery, tractors, scrap metal. Yard, garden, garage removal clearances undertaken, dismantling and gas cutting service.

Please call 01935 873169 or 07368 380477

SHEEP KEEP WANTED. for a flock of ewes and lambs. 15 miles radius of Wincanton. Tel: 07495-423751

MASSEY FERGUSON 550

TRACTOR 1978 for sale also 6ft Flemming topper. 07968 049218

R&W FENCING SERVICES

SHIPPING CONTAINERS FOR SALE

Tel: 01258 472288

Mob: 07977 936109

New and second hand containers - blue/green - all with box locks

CHROME 6 STAR TEDDER, GWO Tel: 01258-880892, 07980-036250 TYRES

Agricultural, paddock and stock. Tel: 01258-880892 or 07980-036250

Mobile Service

Agricultural Specialist

WANTED. Grass keep for Beef Cattle. 30-80 acres. Money paid up-front. Tel: 07811-381159

Over 35 year’s Experience NIGEL MARTIN 07921 929891

MUCK HEAPS REMOVED 07977 561860

HAY, GOOD TO VERY GOOD quality. £35-£45 for 4 stringers. Kington Magna Tel: 07811-473775

2 STABLES PLUS 2 ACRE FIELD. For rent. (2/3 further stables and acreage available) Hazelbury Bryan on secure farm. Water & electric available. £200pcm Tel: 07734-059190

CHOPPED RAPE STRAW

Bedding 20kg

Super absorbent

From £7 a bale 07737-483286 Robert

Farming

GREENSLADE TAYLOR HUNT

Forthcoming Dairy Sales

GTH Farm Sales

Telephone: 01278 410250. Email:

Telephone: 01278 410250. Email: livestock@gth.net

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE, NORTH PETHERTON, SOMERSET, TA6 6DF (M5, J24)

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE

NORTH PETHERTON, SOMERSET, TA6 6DF (M5, J24)

Others £96. Overall Ave £67.10. BREEDING EWES (204) to £143 (2x). FRIDAY 30TH BREEDING EWE SALE (459) to £122. GOATS (11) to £187. Overall ave £92.64. RAMS (12) to £225 (2x). Others £136. FRIDAY 30TH STOCK RAM SALE (72) to £610 for a powerful shearling. Others £470.

Further details at www.gth.net

Tuesday 10th November at 10.30am with the Heifer Calves

APRIL Thurs 18th Sat 20th

The November Collective Dairy Sale of 305 DAIRY CATTLE

Forthcoming Dairy Sales

n 87 Freshly Calved Cows & Heifers from Beneknowle, Bettiscombe (x14) Birchwood (x18 Dispersal) Clevian, Dinnaton, Dorset (x11) Hinton, Huntlodge, Lilylane, Peacehay & Rothereld Farms LLP (x12, Crossbreds)

The West Country’s Gateway to National Abattoirs Returns for Monday 2nd November 2020

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE. The Spring Fever Collective Dairy Sale of 300 Calved Cows, Heifers, Youngstock & Bulls. To include the FINAL Dispersal Sale of the Classified “Dinnaton” Herd being 79 incalf Heifers, 2 Holstein Bulls, 13 Bulling Heifers, 68 Yearling Heifers & 25 Heifer Calves for DC Dennis & Son Ltd.

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE. The Dispersal of 77 Dairy Cattle for Wilverley Farms (removed from Lyndhurst, Hampshire for convenience of sale). In conjunction with the Weekly Dairy Market of approx. 75 Dairy Cattle. Joint Auctioneers Gwilym Richards & Co.

n 16 Incalf Cows from Rothereld Farms LLP (Crossbreds)

Forthcoming Deadstock Sales

n 37 Incalf Heifers from Dayhouse, PT & JC Hinds (Pedigree), Rothereld Farms LLP (Crossbreds) & J & J Waldron

n 3 Holstein Bulls from Beneknowle & Woodstone

PRIME CATTLE (93) Steers UTM av 187.4ppk to 213.5ppk & £1,327.28. Others 209.5ppk, 209.0ppk, 208.0ppk & 206.5ppk. Others £1,293.63, £1,287.00, £1,283.12, £1,280.30 & £1,261.77. Heifers UTM av 180.7ppk to 214.5ppk (2x) and £1,310.50. Others 204.5ppk, 204.0ppk, 199.0ppk (2x) & 197.0ppk. Others £1,233.42, £1,205.05, £1,201.20, £1,168.50 & £1,138.32. BARREN COWS (56) Continental av 118.5ppk to 119.5ppk and £808.40. Others 117.5ppk. Native Beef av 103.6ppk to 126.5ppk and £906.75. Others 124.5ppk & 118.5ppk. Others £882.97 & £861.77. Dairy av 97.8ppk to 113.5ppk and £966.89. Others 112.5ppk & 109.5ppk. Others £945.73 & £914.63. FINISHED SHEEP (654) Lamb ave 202.94ppk to 231.0ppk and £115.00. Others 230.0ppk, 220.0ppk & 219.0ppk. Others £113.00, £108.00 (5x) & £106.50.

FARDEL MANOR FARM, IVYBRIDGE, DEVON, PL21 9HT. The Dispersal of 9 Tractors, Farm Machinery, Livestock Equipment and effects for DC Dennis & Son Ltd.

n 8 Bulling Heifers from Greathill & Mr D Thorner

APRIL Wed 24th Thurs 25th

n 40 Yearling Heifers from Sutton Hall Farms

Forthcoming Special Sales

DRAGON MANOR FARM SHERBORNE DORSET DT9 4PD. The Dispersal Sale of Farm Machinery & Effects for AM Clark. (The auctioneers having sold the dairy holding) ** Further Entries Invited **

n 52 Heifers Calves from Hinton, Pensdown, Thakeham & Mr D Thorner

Sedgemoor Auction Centre

To Include The Dispersal Sale of 62 HOLSTEIN AND FRIESIAN DAIRY COWS AND HEIFERS

For full rules on market attendance and up to date sales list please refer to our website and/or Saturday market report.

NOVEMBER: Sat 7th

North Petherton, Somerset, TA6 6DF (M5, J24) Telephone: 01278 410278 www.gth.net

Comp: 47 Dairy Cows & Heifers Inmilk &/or Incalf; 12 Incalf Heifers & 3 Maiden Heifers

Monthly Catalogued Sale of Organic Store Stock 10am

TOTAL STOCK FOR THE WEEK 8114

n NMR HERD AV: 8039 KGS. 4.11%BF; 3.34%P; SCC=127

n HERRINGBONE Parlour; CUBICLE Housed

Ring 2: Saturday 7th November

Stock from across the West Country, sold to buyers from throughout the Nation Returns for Saturday 6th April 2024

n CLOSED HERD for 13 years

For GDW Isaac & Son (Removed from Beer Farm, Broadhembury, Honiton, Devon)

The large selection of high yielding milkers and dispersal sale cattle (including Pedigree, Commercial and Crossbred) coupled with all types of dairy youngstock makes this one of our most comprehensive sales to date just when dispersals are starting to slow down across the country. Please note that Social Distancing will be in place and we ask that only one purchaser per farming business attend. Online Bidding Available on Marteye.

Monthly Catalogued Sale of 125

Suckler Cows, Calves, Heifers & Bulls

DAIRY CATTLE (71) Heifers to £2050. Others £2000. Cows to £1850. Others £1820. (1323) STORE CATTLE & STIRKS - FORWARD STORES (878) Steers to £1930 (LIMX). Others £1895 (LIMX) £1870 (LIMX) & £1865 (BAX). Heifers to £1765 (LIMX). Others £1680 (LIMX) £1650 (BRBX) & £1630 (CHX). GRAZING COWS (27) to £1635 (LIMX). STIRKS (445) Steers to £1390 (LIMX). Others £1360 (BRBX) £1290 (LIMX) & £1195 (LIMX). Heifers to £1425 (BRBX). Others £1345 (LIMX) £1215 (LIMX) & £1140 (LIMX). CALVES (420) - Beef Bulls to £568 (LIM). Others £450 (LIMX) £430 (BRBX) & £425 (BRBX). Heifers to £405 (LIM). Others £400 (LIMX) £395 (3x AA) & £380 (BRBX). Black & Whites to £230. (4359) SHEEP - STORE LAMBS (1186) to £260. Others £230 & £229. Overall Ave £138.11. CULL EWES & RAMS (2526) Ewes to £260. Others £230 & £200. Rams to £255. Overall Ave £124.74. COUPLES (134E & 199L) Doubles to £328 (£109.33/life). Singles to £280 (£140/life). Overall Ave £87.47/ life. BREEDING EWES (146) to £182. Overall Ave £164.05. GOATS (94) to £210. Overall Ave £150.76. ORPHAN LAMBS (74) to £82. Overall Ave £27.23. (76) PIGS – WEANERS (28) to £62. Overall Ave £50.43. FAT PIGS (28) to £208. Overall Ave £148.45. STORES (9) to £60. CULL SOWS (9) to £275. Overall Ave £193.88. CULL BOARS (2) to £198..

NOVEMBER: Thurs 19th

Approx 12.30pm Ring 1

Entries to date include:-

n The dispersal sale of 50 Incalf Suckler Cows (Sim, Ch, Lim, He & AAx) all pd’d to calf Feb onwards to Ped Charolais bull for NB Needham & Sons, Old Henley Farm, Dorchester (changing farming policy).

n 3 Bulls – Ch, He & Lim

The West Country’s Gateway to National Abattoirs Returns for Monday 8th April 2024

n 42 Continental Cows & Calves – 6 Ped Lim cows & calves

n 14 Native Cows & Calves

PRIME CATTLE (108) Steers UTM av 269.1ppk to 289.5ppk (2x) & £1,878.68. Others 282.5ppk, 281.5ppk & 278.5ppk (2x). Others £1,842.60, £1,838.33 & £1,838.10. Heifers UTM av 257.9ppk to 307.5ppk and £1,850.04. Others 300.5ppk, 296.5ppk & 291.5ppk. Others £1,829.63, £1,791.60 & £1,740.46. Steers OTM av 225.1ppk to 248.5ppk and £1,732.05. Heifers OTM av 224.8ppk to 239.5ppk and £1,479.56. BARREN COWS (53) Continental av 168.7ppk to 215.5ppk and £1,443.85. Native Beef av 174.7ppk to 197.5ppk and £1,512.57. Dairy av 156.9ppk to 195.5ppk and £1,491.60. FINISHED SHEEP (1704) Lambs (281) ave 400.77ppk to 432.0ppk and £188.00. Hoggs (1423) ave 348.11ppk to 400.0ppk (4x) and £246.00. Others 398.0ppk, 397.0ppk & 396.0ppk. Others £237.00, £230.00 (3x) & £227.00.

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE. Dispersal Sale of milking and incalf heifer portion of the 9,160 kgs CIS recorded dairy herd being 200 Holstein Friesians for MB & LC Haskell (Removed from Beaulieu Wood Farm, Dorchester, Dorset for convenience of sale).

n 58 Incalf Cows & Hfrs – 1 Ped Lim & 1 Ped He For further information contact Meg on 01278 410278

Sat 7th Fortnightly Sale of Pigs 11am

Sat 14th ***CANCELLED*** Collective Catalogued Sale of Purebred Poultry **CANCELLED***

Forthcoming Special Sales

For an up to date sales list please refer to our website https://www.gth.net/sedgemoor-auction-centre

Sedgemoor Auction Centre

Thurs 19th ***CANCELLED*** Monthly General Sale of Antiques and Furniture ***CANCELLED***

Saturday 13th April

North Petherton, Somerset, TA6 6DF (M5, Junction 24)

Telephone: 01278 410278

Sat 21st Fodder Sale 1pm

Monthly Catalogued Sale of 93 Suckler Cows, Calves, Heifers & Bulls Sale to commence at approx 12.30pm Ring 1

Entries to date include:

TOTAL STOCK FOR THE WEEK 7143

Stock from across the West Country, sold to buyers from throughout the Nation

* 37 Bulls – Ped Aberdeen Angus, Ped Beef Shorthorn, P/bred Beef Shorthorn, Ped Charolais, Ped Devon, Ped Hereford, Ped Limousin, Ped Saler, Ped Simmental, P/bred Simmental

* 34 Cows & Calves – Aberdeen Angus, Ped Beef Shorthorn, British Blue, Ped Charolais, Charolais, Ped Hereford, Limousin, Simmental

Returns for

* 15 In-calf Cows & Heifers – Ped Aberdeen Angus, Beef Shorthorn, Hereford, Limousin, Parthenaise

Saturday 31st October 2020

* 7 Maiden Heifers – Ped Devon, Ped Hereford

DAIRY CATTLE (73) Heifers to £2080. Others £2020. Cows to £1840. Others £1720. (1184) STORE CATTLE & STIRKS - FORWARD STORES (933) Steers to £1365 (FLE). Others £1300 (AA) £1295 (LIMX) & £1270 (LIMX). Heifers to £1265 (CHX). Others £1235 (CHX) £1200 (LIMX) £1155 (LIMX) & £1150 (HEX). GRAZING COWS (2) to £615 (LIMX). Others £580 (LIMX). SUCKLERS (4) Cows & Calves to £850 (4x). STIRKS (247) Steers to £880 (LIMX). Others £870 (3x LIMX & BRBX) £855 (BRBX) & £835 (LIMX). Heifers to £818 (LIMX). Others £720 (BRBX) & £700 (AA). CALVES (408) - Beef Bulls to £400 (CH). Others £398 (BRBX) £390 (BRBX) & £388 (BRBX). Heifers to £300 (2x BRBX & CHX). Others £285 (CHX) £278 (BRBX) & £275 (LIMX). Black & Whites to £182. Others £165. (4675) SHEEP Store Lambs (2720) to £100. Others £99, £96 & £95. Overall Ave £74.88. Cull Ewes & Rams (1197) Ewes to £137. Others £133. Rams to £166.

APRIL

Sat 20th

Sat 20th

Wed 24th

Fri 26th

Wed 25th Orange Market Dedicated Sale for bTB Restricted Cattle. Store Cattle – 15 Months & Over, Prime Cattle & Barren Cows.Stock to be booked in with the market office by 18th November. Licences to be obtained from Truro Trading Standards on 03000 200301 or Sale commences 4.30pm

** Live bidding on MartEye, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie **

Fri 27th Monthly Seasonal Catalogued Sale of Breeding Ewes & Ewe Lambs 3pm

Sat 28th Monthly Sale of Native Store Cattle 10am Ring 2

Special Sale of Busk Calves 11am Ring 3

Fortnightly Sale of Pigs 10am

Forthcoming Fodder Sale

Orange Market Dedicated Sale for bTB Restricted Cattle. Store Cattle – 15 Months & Over, Prime Cattle & Barren Cows. Stock to be booked in with the market office by 17th April. Sale commences 4.30pm. DEFRA general license required

Pedigree Beef Calf Show

NOVEMBER: Sat 21st

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE The Collective Fodder

Auction of Hay, Silage and Straw. Entries to be in by

Monday 9th November 2020.

Future-Proofing Your Land

Seeing drawbacks as opportunities is helping Dorset dairy farmer Ian Baggs adapt his family farm to a changing climate. The Nuffield Scholar joined host Peter Green in a recent episode of Cornish Mutual’s Farming Focus podcast to explain how he’s farming for the future.

“With warmer wetter winters and hotter drier summers, we’ve seen a lot of changes on farm,” says Ian.

While some climatic changes bring challenges, others bring opportunities to do something new: “It is good practice to regularly challenge each and every part of your business if you are looking to grow. You have to be responsive and able to adapt to change.

“You can do this by getting out there and seeing other great businesses. Join a discussion group with farmers operating a similar system and make the most of others’ willingness to share.”

Ian also recommends being open-minded and keen to learn. “While advice is helpful, there is only one way to tell what will work on your farm; get out there and try it.

“It’s all about growing the right plant in the right place. Understand the context, including conditions, soils and livestock requirements, and pick the crops that work for you.

“Ultimately you must decide what you want out of your farm. Find what makes you tick and create a system to deliver it.

You need to be satisfied and fulfilled to be a farmer of the future.”

Listen to the full episode of Cornish Mutual’s Farming Focus Podcast at https://www.cornishmutual.co.uk/news-advice/farming-focus-podcast/ - also available via Spotify and Apple podcasts.

Milking has changed over the years

by Ruth Kimber

IS spring about to spring into life? The hedges and trees are beginning to put on a cloak of pale green. The birds are pairing up and searching for safe nesting sites. We have lots of hedges, trees, banks and rough odd corners to accommodate our feathered friends.

The land is too tender to pass a tractor over, so spring work on our Oxford clay has to wait! Making for a lot to do in not much time when the land conditions dry up. The spring growth will leap in and all the work will be done in long days with all hands to the deck!

The March winds and April showers, bring forth May flowers, has always been a fairly accurate saying.

The blackthorn flowers are

bright white and numerous along the Somerset and Dorset hedgerows, reminding us of another country saying, The Blackthorn Winter, meaning that winter won’t be over until the blackthorn flowers fade.

The hedges are full of these flowers, which promises lots of sloes in the autumn. Good for wildlife and great for making sloe gin, sherry and wine.

We are still not quite there in the parlour, with teething problems in the auto identification. The signals are being interrupted by other kit, and measures are being taken to protect the signals. Milking has come a long way since my father’s day and a three-legged stool and a bucket!

He used to tell me, how in the summer he would go down to the fields with his bucket,

Practical tips for improving sustainability in your herd, by Synergy Farm Vet Nick Britten

stool and churns and milk the cows there. Sometimes when the tormenting warble flies were about, he would even milk the cows in the stream where they got some peace from the fly.

The milk was cooled by standing the churn in the stream or in tubs of cold water. The milk was loaded onto the pony and trap to deliver to the customers – the pony knew which houses to stop at without being told, my father would walk beside, the customers coming out with their jugs at the ready.

My father, Clarence Buckland, was one of the first in Sherborne area to install a milking machine, and he told of the early problems, vacuum too high or low, difficulties in keeping the pulsators running properly. The quality of the

early rubber liners in the teat cups was a challenge to keep clean as they were made in two sections and had a ring to secure them together, they didn’t last long, the surface rubber deteriorating, cracking and breaking down. Over the years many improvements have been made, allowing larger herds and clean wholesome milk to be produced.

n Kimbers Farm Shop, The Kitchen at Kimbers, Somerset Trading Barn. Linley Farm, Charlton Musgrove BA9 8HD. Phone: 01963 33177. www. kimbersfarmshop.co.uk, info@ kimbersfarmshop.co.uk.

Opening times Tuesday–Friday 8.30am-5pm; Saturday 9.30am–4.30pm.

Sustainability has long been a concern for farmers and this is increasingly being pushed to the fore, with many milk buyers now carrying out carbon footprint audits of their suppliers. The good news is that high standards of animal health can pay real dividends in terms of sustainability. Infectious diseases can reduce the efficiency of a livestock enterprise, so disease control plans are essential to keeping a good carbon footprint. High standards of biosecurity, combined with vaccination programmes, can prevent the introduction of infectious diseases and keep farmed livestock healthy. An effective parasite control plan can significantly improve sustainability too. Cattle and sheep can be particularly susceptible to gutworms, and so reduce the productive efficiency of an animal by up to 1/3. Youngstock can contribute as much as an adult milking cow to a farm’s carbon footprint on a per year basis. This means that an effective heifer rearing process is vital, along with a sensible age at first calving. Good colostrum management and vaccinations to reduce any calf disease can have a big impact on the growth potential, and so sustainability performance, of heifers.

Property

PROPERTY TO LET

FURNISHED SELF-CONTAINED ANNEXE. Near Blandford. Secure parking. 07816 291103 2

PARK HOME TO LET. Blandford area. Would suit single person. Tel: 07971-271458

SELF-CONTAINED ACCOMODATION on quiet farm near Yeovil 01935 891817

910364

HOLIDAY PROPERTY TO LET

LAKE COMO, ITALY (Menaggio). Available for rental from mid-May (minimum 5 night stay) gorgeous recently refurbished cottage with stunning views of Lake Como. Sleeps 4. Garden and Terrace, fully equipped. Very close to Italy’s second oldest 18 hole golf course. Special launch promo price of £215 per night plus cleaning. Please contact lh@lucydenardi.eu

Puzzle solutions

Edition 93

Homes plans for Stalbridge site

TWO new homes could be built on a plot of land near the centre of Stalbridge.

Plans have been submitted to Dorset Council by Planning Issue Ltd, on behalf of Stalbridge Development Ltd, to build on a 0.08-hectare site off Lower Road.

The site is around 550 metres form the town centre, though outside the settlement boundary of Stalbridge.

It is not, however, in the green belt, the application said.

“The development will utilise an existing vehicular access along Bibberne Road, leading into the site, where the indicative site layout shows the dwellings situated in the northern and southern extents of the site,” it went on.

“Each of the dwellings is indicatively set within spacious plots, with private amenity space, which will comprise of high-quality landscaping.”

Dorset Council will now consider the plans. For more details, and to comment, log on to dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/OUT/2024/01657.

(from pages 44-45)

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Killer sudoku pro

Two homes could be built on a 0.08-hectare plot off Lower Road

Symonds & Sampson Celebrates Internal Promotions

Symonds & Sampson, the regional firm of Chartered Surveyors, Estate Agents, and Auctioneers, is delighted to announce a number of internal promotions. James Shapland, Head of Building Surveying, Ryan Holmes, Head of Commercial Property, and Chris Powell, Rural Surveyor and head of the firm’s Devizes office, all become full Partners of the firm. Lucy Carnell is promoted to Rural Partner, Meredith Holmes to Auction Partner and estate agents Peter Grout-Smith, Daniel Magee, and Adam Taylor are all promoted to Senior Residential Manager. Senior Partner, Mark Lewis, is very pleased to see people step up within the firm: “Those being promoted are all key to the firm’s success and their elevation is well deserved. It is so good to see individuals with different roles in the firm develop, and all eight will continue to provide the very best advice for our clients.” Managing Partner, Richard Miller, adds “All of these promotions reflect significant endeavour and performance within their respective disciplines. They also see the broader view and contribute to the overall strength of the firm in many other ways. They are all worthy of their promotions and we wish them well in their ongoing career with us”.

STANDING STRAW AUCTION

ON-FARM MACHINERY AUCTIONS

Saturday 27th April

Wednesday 28th June at 6.30pm

Hydes Farm, Kings Stag, Sturminster Newton DT10 2BE Dispersal Sale of 4 Tractors, 2 Diggers, Man Livestock Lorry, 2 Pick Ups, Fullwood Milking Parlour, Bulk Tank, Grassland Machinery & Livestock Equipment, Buildings, etc

Bindon & Pinhay

STANDING STRAW AUCTION

The Grain Store, Heathfield, Rousdon, Dorset 830ac of Standing Straw

• 461ac Wheat

Wednesday 28th June at 6.30pm

Including: Valtra T155 (22) c/w Quicke Loader, JCB Fastrac 2135, Ford 4600, Ford 7610, Man Livestock Lorry, JCB Digger (18), Komatsu PC20MRX Digger, Ford Wildtrak Pick Up (15), Toyota Hilux Pick Up (09), Fullwood 24/48 Swingover Parlour, Roka 9500L Bulk Tank, 48 Fullwood Augermaster Feeders, Cubicles, 30T V Max Cake Silo with Deltec Feeders, Dairy Sundries, 26ft PF

Bindon & Pinhay

• 237ac Winter Barley

• 132ac Oats

The Grain Store, Heathfield, Rousdon, Dorset 830ac of Standing Straw

Friday 30th June at 12 noon

• 461ac Wheat

Durweston

• 237ac Winter Barley

• 132ac Oats

Travellers Rest Farm, Durweston, Blandford, Dorset 6,220 acres of Standing Straw

Low Loader Trailer, Redrock Trailer, Krone 3235AM Easy Cut Mower, AG175 Dispenser, Bomford B450 Hedgetrimmer, Ifor Williams 505 Horse Box, 30ft Scissor Lift, Wopa Foot Trimming Crush, Various Steel Portal & Timber Framed Sheds, Quantity of Gates, Sleepers & Crash Barriers, 10,000L Mollasses Tank, Quantity of Steels & Building Materials, 28T Water Bowser, Horse Tack & Equipment.

• 2,442ac Wheat

Friday 30th June at 12 noon

Durweston

• 2,006ac Winter Barley

Travellers Rest Farm, Durweston, Blandford, Dorset

• 1,557ac Spring Barley

• 178ac Oats

6,220 acres of Standing Straw

37ac Oil Seed Rape

2,442ac Wheat

2,006ac Winter Barley

Friday 7th July at 12 noon

1,557ac Spring Barley

178ac Oats

Wynford Eagle

37ac Oil Seed Rape

The Grain Store, Manor Farm, Wynford Eagle, Dorchester, Dorset 1298 acres of Standing Straw 599ac Wheat

Friday 7th July at 12 noon

Wynford Eagle

281ac Winter Barley

The Grain Store, Manor Farm, Wynford Eagle, Dorchester, Dorset

• 119ac Spring Barley

Introduced by Permission: Range Rover, Thwaites 5T Dumper, Graham Edwards 14ft Tri-Axle Cattle Trailer, 32ft Tri-Axle Bale Trailer, Ifor Williams Livestock Trailer, KV 4 Rotor Tedder, Buffalo Beaver Tail Flatbed Trailer, 60ft x 40ft Steel Portal Framed Shed.

• 229ac Oats

1298 acres of Standing Straw

• 70ac Oil Seed Rape

• 599ac Wheat

• 281ac Winter Barley

• 119ac Spring Barley

Full catalogues available at symondsandsampson.co.uk

On behalf of S R Vickery Ltd (Tenancy Having Expired)

• 229ac Oats

Thursday 2nd May (previously 16th April)

• 70ac Oil Seed Rape

Dispersal Sale of 2 Tractors, Telehandler, Farm Machinery, 12 Bulk Bins and Pig Rearing Unit

Full catalogues available at symondsandsampson.co.uk

Including: Case Tractor, Massey Ferguson 35, Merlo P 40.7, Isuzu Rodeo 2.5 Denver Pick-Up, Bulk Bins from 1.5T to 25T, Mobile Farrowing Units, Metal Pig Arcs, Wallow Troughs, Workshop Items, etc.

On behalf of Corton Farm Partnership (Ceasing Pig Rearing)

Contact Greg Ridout: 01935 382909 / 07817 517467

ON-FARM DISPERSAL AUCTION

Saturday 29th July

Buckham Down Farm, Beaminster DT8 3SH

ON-FARM DISPERSAL AUCTION

Dispersal sale of 4 Tractors, Farm Machinery, Bygones and Miscellaneous

Saturday 29th July

Buckham Down Farm, Beaminster DT8 3SH

Including: 1995 Same Silver 80 4wd (6,800hrs), 1988 Same Explorer 70 4wd with Loader (4,700hrs),1973 Ford 4000 (fully restored), 1976 International 454 2wd, Marshall SM6 Drop Side Silage Trailer, Markham 3t Tipping Trailer, PortAgric 6’ Topper, Ransomes TS59 & TS90 & TS91 Ploughs, Krone AM242Z Mower Conditioner, Feeders, Stationary Engines, Signs, Bygones, etc.

Dispersal sale of 4 Tractors, Farm Machinery, Bygones and Miscellaneous

BEAMINSTER, DORSET

Including: 1995 Same Silver 80 4wd (6,800hrs), 1988

11.71 acres (4.74 hectares) of gently sloping pasture land set on the northern edge of Beaminster with road access. For sale by Formal Tender in three lots.

Same Explorer 70 4wd with Loader (4,700hrs),1973 Ford 4000 (fully restored), 1976 International 454 2wd, Marshall SM6 Drop Side Silage Trailer, Markham 3t Tipping Trailer, PortAgric 6’ Topper, Ransomes TS59 & TS90 & TS91 Ploughs, Krone AM242Z Mower Conditioner, Feeders, Stationary Engines, Signs, Bygones, etc.

Deadline for tenders Wednesday 1st May 2024 at 12 noon.

Further suitable entries welcome.

Lot A: £90,000 Lot B: £40,000 Lot C: £100,000. Yeovil | 01935 382901

Please contact Greg Ridout 07817 517467

Further suitable entries welcome. Please contact Greg Ridout 07817 517467

Standing: Daniel Magee and Adam Taylor

Seated: Jon Summers Partner and Head of Agency, Peter Grout Smith

Standing left to right: Ryan Holmes, James Shapland and Chris Powell

Seated: Lucy Carnell and Meredith Holmes

Property

PROPERTY AUCTION 18 APRIL AT DIGBY HALL, SHERBORNE AND VIA LIVESTREAM

Osmington Guide £55,000 A level productive paddock close to Osmington and the coast. 1.18 acres in total. Freehold.

Dorchester Ag. | 01305 236237

Melplash Guide £240,000 12.94 acres of level to sloping pasture land with far reaching views over the surrounding countryside. Freehold.

Dorchester Ag. | 01305 236237

Halstock Guide £65,000 5.38 acres of level pasture land. Situated close to Halstock with direct road access. Freehold.

Yeovil | 01935 382901

Ilchester Guide £125,000 A three bedroom, semi-detached property with garage and parking, in need of renovation. CTB B; Freehold.

Yeovil | 01935 423526

Chard Guide £650,000

An elegant Victorian house with stunning original features and great potential. Set in 1.96 acres with self contained annexe. CTB G; Freehold. Ilminster | 01460 200790

Limington Guide £70,000 3.55 acres of pasture land near the edge of Limington. With direct road access. Freehold.

Yeovil | 01935 382901

Crewkerne Guide £125,000

An attractive Grade II listed building with prominent corner position in Crewkerne. May be suitable for residential use (STPP). Freehold.

Dorchester | 01305 261008

Cranborne Guide £215,000 A semi-detached cottage for remodelling and refurbishment with an attached outbuilding and character features. CTB C; Freehold Wimborne | 01202 843190

Sopley Guide £90,000 5.04 acres of permanent pasture and woodland with New Forest common rights of pasture. Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Bournemouth Guide £250,000 A semi-detached two storey dwelling that has been converted to two flats but would suit being converted back to a single dwelling (STPP). CTB A; Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Cranborne Guide £225,000 A semi-detached cottage for renovation/remodelling with an outbuilding and scope to create off-road parking. CTB C; Freehold Wimborne | 01202 843190

Lytchett Matravers Guide £395,000 A spacious three bedroom property in a semi-rural setting on the edge of a small development. CTB E; Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

PROPERTY AUCTION 18 APRIL AT DIGBY HALL, SHERBORNE AND VIA LIVESTREAM

Winton Guide £38,000

A ground floor commercial premises located on Winton High Street. Leasehold – 58 years remaining.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Sydling St Nicholas Guide £200,000

A three bedroom semi-detached house with large rear garden. Situated in a highly sought after village. CTB C; Freehold.

Dorchester | 01305 261008

Merriott Guide £450,000

A substantial Grade II listed former pub, set in 1.02 acres with full planning permission for residential. Freehold Ilminster | 01460 200790

Wardon Hill

Bournemouth Guide £105,000

A one bedroom flat in a converted dwelling, situated only 0.5 miles away from the seafront.

CTB A; Leasehold – 62 years remaining. Wimborne | 01202 843190

Maiden Newton Guide £300,000

A well-positioned building plot with full planning permission for a detached two storey dwelling, double garage and access. Freehold.

Dorchester | 01305 261008

Lydlinch Guide £450,000

A substantial barn conversion with scope for refurbishment, set in 0.78 acres with potential for self contained annexe. CTB F; Freehold Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Guide

A former donkey/equine sanctuary comprising a bungalow, extensive stabling, outbuildingsand approx.. 24.54 acres of pasture. CTB C; Freehold. Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Blandford Guide £110,000

A substanstial Grade II Listed town centre property with full planning permission and Listed Building consent for change of use to residential. Freehold.

Blandford | 01258 452670

Redruth Guide £125,000-£150,000

Three Grade II Listed buildings for development (SSTP) with a wealth of character. Freehold.

Axminster | 01297 33122

Hinton St Mary Guide £150-175,000

A former garage measuring 0.06 acres (246.8 sqm.) with full planning permission to convert the existing buildings to residential. Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Ringwood Guide £275,000 6.43 acres of mixed woodland alongside a single brick bungalow for substantial renovation. Range of outbuildings. CTB E; Freehold.

Wimborne | 01202 843190

Sedgehill Guide

| 01258 473766

£550,000

£775,000

DORSET | DEVON | SOMERSET | HAMPSHIRE | WILTSHIRE | CORNWALL | LONDON

PROPERTY SHOW 2024

Our experts will be meeting buyers to promote properties from across the South West to those looking to trade urban living for country life. Contact your nearest office for further Information.

Mappowder Guide £635,000 A fine Grade II listed detached 3 bedroom former Post House of the village with an impressive barn / workshop. CTB E Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Sturminster Newton Guide £375,000 A detached 2 bedroom bungalow with excellent reception space and only a short level walk to the town centre. CTB D Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Hammoon Guide £450,000 A well presented 3 bedroom semi-detached house in a peaceful rural location adjoining open countryside to the rear. CTB C Sturminster Newton | 01258 473766

Charlton Horethorne Offers in Excess of £475,000 A stunning semi-detached 2 bedroom period house located on a quiet lane in this highly sought-after village. CTB E Sherborne | 01935 814488

WILLOW COTTAGE, ILTON

The remains of a charming three bedroom country cottage along with parking, double garage (with planning) and large garden.

Auction Guide: £150,000 | Ilminster Office: 01460 57222 | residential.ilminster@gth.net

LAND AT PITNEY MOOR, SOMERTON

20.82 acres block of productive, fertile pasture land with access off both Walton Drove and Pitney Straight Drove. The land is peaty loam with inherent fertility.

Auction Guide: £80,000

Langport Office: 01458 250000 farms.langport@gth.net

LAND ON SOMERTON MOOR, COMPTON

DUNDON

Lot 1 – 26.21 acres being three enclosures of level and versatile agricultural land with good access from Dundon Hayes Drove and Dundon Drove just off Lugshorn Lane at Etsome. Suitable for arable rotation.

Auction Guide: £180,000

Langport Office: 01458 250000 farms.langport@gth.net

01305 268786 residential.dorchester@gth.net

LITTLE FOREST, DOMMETT, BUCKLAND ST MARY

Unique opportunity to rebuild rambling country house in unspoilt valley. Three paddocks, multiple buildings, swimming pool, tennis court, 40ft greenhouse.

Auction Guide: £500,000 | Ilminster Office: 01460 57222 | residential.ilminster@gth.net

LAND ON SOMERTON MOOR, COMPTON

DUNDON

Lot 2 – 10.58 acres of good level pasture moorland fronting Redlake Drove just off Liver Moor Drove and may be accessed from Compton Dundon to the north via Hayes Lane and from the south from Somerton Door.

Auction Guide: £55,000

Langport Office: 01458 250000 farms.langport@gth.net

LAND AT ALLER, LANGPORT

7 lots of agricultural land situated south and west of Aller Drove, Aller, Langport

Auction Guide: Ranging from £15,000-£80,000

Langport Office: 01458 250000 farms.langport@gth.net

LAND AT SOUTH MARSH FARM,

CHARLTON MUSGROVE

A delightful block of permanent pasture land extending in total to approximately 13.99 acres (5.66 ha). The land benefits from direct road access and is bounded by hedgerows and a beautiful section of the River Cale.

Auction Guide: £135,000

Yeovil Office: 01935 423474 farms.yeovil@gth.net

£260,000 Castle Cary

Thinking of moving in 2024?

Now is the ideal time to spring into action! Contact us for a free valuation and marketing advice.

Many potential buyers are registering with us wishing to purchase a property in the coming months within the local towns and villages.

If you are considering bringing your property to the market we would be delighted to hear from you.

Please call 01963 34000 to arrange an appointment or email wincanton@hambledon.net

Sport

North Dorset crowned league champions

RUGBY

by Andrew Wallace Clune

Southern Counties South

NDRFC 1st XV 46

Combe Down 1st XV 7

NORTH Dorset 1st XV sealed the Southern Counties South League Championship with a comfortable 46-7 win in front of a large crowd at Slaughtergate.

Rylie Lewis opened the scoring with a try on the back of a dummy from the back of the ruck, and then set full back Tom Stewart up for a try with a well weighted grubber kick that Stewart again “soccered” in goal before diving on it for the try.

Izaak Romanillos added to the first half tries taking on his winger down the left flank to score in the corner.

Charlie Lacy came on at half-time and had immediate effect scoring within four minutes, before Combe Down rallied and scored a try of their own.

When David Stickland scored his try, the game was out of reach for Combe Down, and in the last five minutes of the match Stewart and Lewis picked up their second tries each.

Pearce Mercer, Tom Spinney and Tom Hooper were again

outstanding in defence, while Ryan Beardmore and Luke Spicer constantly troubled the Combe Down backs.

Skipper Charlie Jobling led by example and ran himself to a standstill.

Seb Titcombe was named man of the match for a strong game at fly-half, running the backs and steering the forwards around the park well.

The win saw North Dorset unbeaten at home for the season and finish top of the league.

Pitman’s cracker seals points

by Avril Lancaster

Baffins Milton Rovers 2

Shaftesbury 3

THE Rockies fell behind twice at the PMC Stadium to come back and win a difficult game against a Baffins Milton Rovers side chasing the last play-off spot in the Velocity Wessex League Premier Division.

Brett Pitman's 54th goal of the season won it – an outrageous back heel over Roux Hardcastle – to earn a very hard earned win against Danny Thompson's side.

In windy conditions Baffins took the lead after 11 minutes when Harvey Welham latched onto a through ball and slotted past the advancing Shane Murphy.

Shortly after half time, Shaftesbury were level. Dan Bartlett whipped the ball into the Rovers box and Stuart Green connected, causing a home defender to divert it past Hardcastle.

Baffins responded quickly

WINCANTON Golf Club results. Seniors monthly medal – March 26: 1 Kees Schouten nett 67, 2 Richard Strong nett 69, 3 Jim Stephen nett 72 ocb, 4 Rick Graham nett 72.

Seniors Front 9 Monthly Medal March 26: 1 Harry Eden nett 36, 2 John Wolstenholme nett 41, 3 Philip Schofield nett 47.

Monthly Stableford – March 31: 1 Rick Graham 35, 2 Jim Phillips 34, 3 John Atkins 31. Seniors Monthly Stableford – April 2: 1 Steven Ireland 35, 2 Chris Dibben 32 ocb, 3 Kevin Francis 32.

Seniors 9 Hole Stableford –April 2: 1 Ray Phillips 12 ocb, 2 Jon Reed 12, 3 Pete Starkey 11, 4 Geoff Lye 10.

Anniversary Texas Scramble – April 6: 1 David Amann/Jim Stephen /Simon Lenton 45, 2 Steven Ireland/Mike Case/Rick Graham 40.

when Miles Everett got wide, Murphy initially saving before substitute Seokjae Lee put them ahead with a close range finish.

Shaftesbury levelled when Bartlett linked in Green to rifle home before Pitman's audacious flick won the game.

That completed a league double over a decent side who could still be a contender in the play-offs.

The result gave the Rockies a sixth successive victory and put them third in the league on 81 points.

Blackmore Vale hosting Inter league competition

THE Blackmore Vale Table

Tennis league are hosting the annual Inter League County Cup competition on Sunday, April 21.

The event is at Stalbridge Hall starting at 10am and finishing by 4pm.

Teams from Bournemouth,

Wimborne, Weymouth and Blackmore Vale will play each other to decide this year’s champions.

Matches will be played on four tables, with two teams of three or more players from

each league taking part.

As the current cup holders, Bournemouth will be keen to retain the trophy for a further year.

Anyone is welcome to go along and watch – table tennis is a fun/social sport for all ages which can benefit

personal health and wellbeing.

The leagues are keen to promote and encourage players of any standard to take part – so go along or email secretary Tony Hibben anthony@toshie.plus.com for further information.

North Dorset finished the season unbeaten in the league