The Purbeck Gazette - Issue 316

Neptune, sculpture with a conservation message...

A SCULPTURE of a seahorse has been installed at Middle Beach in Studland Bay to highlight the loss of seagrass meadows in the area and around the UK.

The sculpture, named Neptune, is 2.2 metres high and was created by artist Eilidh Middleton.

Seagrass provides a safe place for many species to live and breed, including, at Studland Bay, the spiny and short snouted varieties of seahorse.

Seagrass also acts as a filter, trapping sediment, nutrients and pollutants, which dramatically improve water quality and can mitigate against climate change.

Sarah Coggins, coastal change engagement officer at the National Trust, said: “Seagrass has superpowers. It creates biodiverse hotspots that not only support our seas but the climate, too.

“We’re grateful to Eilidh Middleton for installing such a stunning seahorse sculpture to help create awareness of the need to protect our marine environment here at Studland Bay.”

Seagrass meadows in the UK have declined significantly over the last century because of factors including climate change, heightened storms and

Studland Bay is home to two types of seahorse, the spiny and short snouted

boat anchoring.

Studland’s seagrass is protected within a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) and a Voluntary No Anchor Zone (VNAZ) came into effect in 2021.

Marker buoys were installed this year to outline the seagrass meadow below but boaters can still enjoy the area in the no anchor zone by using ecomoorings which do not damage the seagrass.

Neptune the seahorse is made entirely of material from the artists’ previous work, including the 200-metre long Sand Lizard installed on the mound of Corfe Castle last year.

It will stand in place looking out over Studland Bay and towards Dorset’s largest seagrass meadow until the end of summer.

To coincide with the installation, the National Trust team at Studland Bay has created a fun family quiz trail.

Starting at Knoll Beach, families are taken along a route of fun and educational posts relating to seahorses, ending at the 2.2m sculpture above Middle Beach.

Artist Eilidh Middleton with Neptune the Seahorse at Studland Bay

PHOTO: National Trust, Fleur Castell

PHOTO: Neil Garrick-Maidment, The Seahorse Trust

Skatepark’s feast of fun

VISITORS to Swanage Skatepark had the chance to try skateboarding for the first time in a special event run by the Swanage Skatepark Community Project (SSCP).

The group’s first event, hosted by King Ramps and funded by #Willdoes, saw coaches welcome newcomers and regular park users to the skatepark.

Skating, scooting and BMX were on offer, and a skate jam and demonstrations by pro riders inspired visitors.

A spokesperson said: “A couple of stand-out moments were BMX rider Jack Clark and skateboarder Alfie Mills

clearing the gap between the large roll-in and the halfpipe – truly impressive!”

The event, held last Saturday (June 1), also saw a local graffiti artist create a new piece and Lucy C fitness ran a hip hop dance class.

Youth workers from Dorset Youth hosted a safe and welcoming space onboard the #Willdoes bus, and local skate shop Skatenotbored had a stall and donated a portion of profits.

And local cafe Burnt Toast, with support from Down The Beach, ran a barbecue donating 100% of profits towards the Skatepark Crowdfunding

campaign, which was set to end yesterday (Sunday June 9).

Barry Mawson, from SSCP, said: “It's hard to put into words the warmth, vibrancy and energy that was felt by everyone today.

“It was rewarding to see young and old, new and experienced riders side by side being friendly and supportive of each other.

“It was the perfect example of how skateparks bring people together.

“We’re grateful to #Willdoes for providing the funds that made this possible.”

SSCP hopes the event will inspire young people in the community to keep coming back to the skatepark.

It says wheel-based sports, particularly skateboarding, build resilience – skaters have to get back up when they fall and practice tricks hundreds of times before finally succeeding.

It believes learning these skills at a young age will help young people when they are faced with tough situations in life outside the park.

Lesley Paddy, founder of #Willdoes and Will’s mother, said: “It was amazing to see so many young people enjoying the event.

“The skatepark is a special place to me as Will spent most of his free time on his scooter at the park.

“It was an absolute pleasure for #Willdoes to fund the event.”

All money raised during the event went into the Swanage Skatepark Community Project Crowdfunder campaign to contribute towards the cost of new ramps – at the time of going to print, the exact amount raised had still to be finalised.

Visit SSCP’s website for updates, www.swanageskatepark communityproject.com.

BMX rider Jack clears the gap between ramps PHOTO: King Ramps

Scores of visitors turned out at the event at Swanage Skatepark, and BMX rider Jack Clark in action

Lesley with Donna from SSCP PHOTO: SSCP

Johanna from SSCP in front of the graffiti wall PHOTO: SSCP

Hundreds sign crossing petition

MORE than 2,500 people have signed a petition to help keep Wareham’s ground level pedestrian railway crossing open – but 5,000 signatures are needed for the subject to be debated at a meeting of Dorset Council.

Wareham Town Trust is urging everyone who values the crossing to sign the petition, which can be found at Change. org “Save Wareham’s Ground Level Pedestrian Railway Crossing”.

The trust says the threat of closure still hangs over the crossing with Network Rail proposing closure in its strategic plan.

The crossing is the only route for pedestrians and cyclists between the two halves of the town and many rely on it to access jobs, schools, shops, doctors, dentists and so on every day, as well as those visiting friends/relatives. It is also used by station users,

many of whom need step-free access between platforms and to access facilities.

Residents from all over Purbeck use the station and benefit from using the crossing.

The actor Edward Fox OBE, who championed the campaign in 2016 to keep the crossing open, and who has a home locally, said: “The crossing is a lifeline for local residents. A permanent solution must be found to keep this vital crossing open.

“Network Rail and Dorset Council must do all they can to make this happen and secure what is clearly an absolute necessity for the many hundreds that use it on a daily basis.”

Wareham Town Trust launched the petition at the end of April on www.change.org.to show the support for keeping the crossing open.

Copies can also be signed in the Post Offices in North Street, Wareham and at Carey.

Have your say on libraries

LIBRARY users are being invited to have their say on the future of the service in the BCP local authority area.

Head of customer and property, Matti Raudsepp, said: “This is the first step in the process of us developing a Library Strategy. It is vital we hear from library users –including children and young people and those who do not currently use their local library. ”

Three online surveys are available – one aimed at adults and two designed for children and young people.

Visit haveyoursay.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/libraries – surveys must be completed by June 18. Paper copies of the survey are also available at every BCP Library.

Choir’s co-founder at palace garden party

THE co-founder of a Dorset community choir had a great day out at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party celebrating the creative industries.

Noeline Young was representing Rising Voices Wessex, whose members are cancer survivors or people who have cared for others with the disease, along with her daughter, Hannah.

Both Noeline, an original trustee of the charity and soon to be elected chair of trustees, and Hannah have had cancer.

Rising Voices Wessex was formed 11 years ago with the aim of linking music and health.

Noeline said: “We saw the King, Queen and Prince Edward, and a variety of guests from the creative industries including television, such as the

presenters Tess Daly and Vernon Kay, the comedian Lenny Henry, and the actor David Harewood.

“It was a wonderful

experience, and I took lots of pictures of guests, the tea and the wonderful gardens, which have been shared to our members and supporters via Facebook.”

She added: “The whole choir was extremely surprised and honoured to be invited to attend the garden party.

“We were nominated by UK Music, the umbrella organisation representing the production side of the UK’s commercial music industry.

“We recently made contact with UK Music and are planning to do some exciting work with them to raise the profile of singing for people affected by cancer in the future.”

Rising Voices Wessex performs regularly at events

across Dorset. This year’s summer concert with afternoon tea is at Merley House in Poole on Sunday, August 11, at 4pm.

Anyone who has experience of cancer, either personally or who has supported a loved one, can join the choir which rehearses on Tuesdays from 6.45-9pm at St John’s Church, Ashley Road, Parkstone, BH14 0AA. Prospective members do not need to audition or read music.

The choir can also be contacted by phoning 07500 676083 or, to find out more, visit www.risingvoices.org.uk.

Noeline and Hannah Young represented Rising Voices Wessex at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party celebrating the creative industries

The Rising Voices Wessex Choir with their musical director Wendy Morrow

Noeline with a Yeoman Warder, commonly known as a Beefeater

Concert set to mark D-Day anniversary

WAREHAM Choral Society (WCS) is staging a concert at Lady St Mary Church in the town next weekend to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The concert promises an eclectic mix of music with the society joined by mezzo soprano Grace Lovelass and the church’s choir, hand bells and bells groups, and organist, Paul Ellis.

The concert will also feature Wareham Town Band and Bovington Military Wives Choir.

Six representatives of the Royal British Legion from across Dorset will attend and the Dorset County chair will make the opening speech.

Second World War veterans

in the area have been invited as guests of honour.

The church will be decorated by the British Legion and with poppies handmade by Stoborough primary school pupils.

Wareham Town Council and

opportunity to bring our community together to thank all those who served our country on this momentous day and to pray for all those who are affected by conflict around the world.”

The concert is at Lady St Mary Church on Saturday, June 15, at 7pm.

Tickets are £10 in advance from Joys Menswear in Wareham and from WCS’s website, www.warehamchoral. uk, and £12 on the door, free entry for accompanied under18s.

Refreshments will be served in the interval on the Church Green, weather permitting.

Wareham Choral Society has been the town’s choir since 1947.

the Kings Arms, Stoborough, are supporting the concert by helping with funding and free advertising from the Love it Local Purbeck magazine.

Teresa Rekowska, Wareham Choral Society chair, said: “This concert is a wonderful

The SATB choir does not hold auditions and welcomes new members who have a passion and commitment to singing.

For more details, visit its website, www.warehamchoral. uk, or email warehamchoral@ gmail.com.

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Members of Wareham Choral Society at this year’s Easter concert

Gordon’s ticket to ride

THE 97-year-old son of a train driver had his “best day out in years” when he took a ride on the Swanage Railway heritage line.

Gordon, a housebound Lewis-Manning Hospice Care patient, boarded the Victorian London and Southwestern

Railway T3 class steam locomotive No. 563 with hospice nurses Ellie and Paula.

He enjoyed taking photos of the spectacular Purbeck countryside and a visit to Corfe Castle Model Village, where staff remembered him from visits years ago.

Gordon said: “Thank you so much to Lewis-Manning. It’s my first day out in three years. This is the best day I have had in years!

“I can’t believe the experience that I’ve had, and I was so wonderfully looked after and supported by the nurses, Ellie and Paula. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to leave my home.”

Gordon has a lifelong passion for trains and locomotives and remembers as a boy of 10 sneaking onto trains and riding on the footplate with his father and father-in-law.

He moved to Swanage 12 years ago after falling in love with the town on a holiday, following the passing of his wife, Peggy.

But three years ago, he

became housebound after breaking his hip, and now the team at Lewis-Manning visit him to provide care and support.

Purbeck nurse Ellie Suthers said: “This special and unique outing highlights LewisManning Hospice Care’s dedication to enhancing the quality of life for their patients, ensuring they experience joy and fulfilment.

“The collaboration with Swanage Railway and the Model Village showcases the profound impact of community support in helping to make dreams come true.

“A huge thank you to everyone for helping to make Gordon’s dream possible – it was a real joy to spend the time with him and witness his delight.”

Swanage Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts said: “We were delighted to welcome 97-yearold Gordon, and his LewisManning nurses, to the Swanage Railway.

“It was lovely to see that Gordon had not lost his great love of, and enthusiasm for, steam trains.

“Sharing the enjoyment of the Swanage Railway – which has been rebuilt from nothing since 1976 by dedicated volunteers – is what our work is all about.”

Frank, a Swanage Railway volunteer for 40 years, added: “Organisations like LewisManning Hospice Care carry out vital and wonderful work.”

For more information about Lewis-Manning Hospice Care and its services, visit www. lewis-manning.org.uk.

In the picture (from left) hospice nurse Paula, volunteer deputy station master Pete Maffey, Gordon, hospice nurse Ellie, and Swanage Railway Trust chair, Frank Roberts PHOTO: Andrew PM Wright

Quarry man Steve looking forward to putting his feet up

NEARLY five decades after starting work in the quarrying industry, Swanage man Steve Clark has retired.

Steve started working in the industry at the age of 18 in 1978 not knowing what he wanted to do, other than that he wanted to work outside.

He started work at a local quarry in Swanage, owned by Steve Paine, who spent time with him teaching him the art of working stone, which in those days was all done by hand.

After Steve Paine sold the quarry in 1986, Steve carried on working as foreman of works for the new owner.

Steve then moved to another family-run quarry, D & P Lovell, where he worked

alongside John Harden, whose family has strong links to the Purbeck Stone Industry.

John also helped him progress further in the art of working stone.

That company was sold, with the new owners trading as Lovell Stone Group, and Steve became quarry manager

He completed a health and safety course which enabled him to oversee health and safety in the quarry and the excavation of stone from different quarrying sites in and around Langton.

Steve said: “Obviously, most industries move forward, and new modern machinery helps, but the landscaping side of the business still relies heavily on

human hands and eyes.

“There are probably more people employed in the industry today than when I started, but there are fewer quarries.”

Steve added: “After 46 years of working in this trade, the physical hard work has taken a toll on my body and I need time

to relax and rest.

“My wife, Liz, and I love our holidays and travel, so we will do more of that.”

Steve has a son and two stepsons, and six grandchildren, with one more on the way, and is looking forward to spending more time with them.

Steve Clark (left) with his former boss Steve Pain

11 village homes planned for bungalow site

A BUNGALOW in Corfe Mullen could be demolished –and replaced with 11 affordable homes – if plans are approved.

A scheme has been submitted to Dorset Council by DHPC for permission to develop the site, at 74 Wareham Road.

If approved, the scheme would see four one-bed flats, one one-bed flat, one two-bed house, two two-bed houses and a three-house terrace of two-bed homes built on the site currently occupied by a detached bungalow, which would be demolished.

“The application site is located on the western side of Wareham Road, north of the junction with Blythe Road in Corfe Mullen and it is currently occupied by a detached bungalow,” the plans said.

“There is a long rear garden with housing development positioned in backland areas, to the north of the application site.

“The site is located within a walking distance of the nearby community facilities to the north – consisting of a local convenience shop, church, community centre and a library.”

It said there are two bus stops near the property.

“The proposed scheme creates a carefully balanced and attractive proposal which will respect the pattern and layout of development in the vicinity and preserve the character, appearance and local distinctiveness of the area,” the application added.

“Good living conditions will be provided for future occupiers and the amenities of neighbouring properties will be maintained.”

For more details, and to comment on the scheme, log on to dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/OUT/2024/02668.

Folk festival helps #WillDoes

SWANAGE Folk Festival has handed over £1,000 to local charity #WillDoes following a record-breaking event last year.

The festival, the largest UK festival of Morris and folk dance sides, is organised by volunteers and money raised over the cost of running the festival is donated to local good causes.

Festival chair, Jon Baker, said: “One of our aims is to get more young people involved with music – they’re the future of live music.

“As #WillDoes supports

young people to join activities which help them engage socially and improve their wellbeing, it seems like the perfect fit.”

Lesley Paddy, founder, chair and mother of Will, said: “We are so grateful for the support from Swanage Folk Festival and such a generous contribution to the charity.

“Music is a great activity for young people to express themselves and enjoy.”

Swanage Folk Festival’s treasurer, Matt Piper, and Jon Baker, are pictured

n THIS year’s

folk artists and dancers from across the country, takes place from September 6-8.

The bungalow site has been boarded up. PHOTO: Google

PHOTO : Black Lane/Dorset Council

The bungalow in Corfe Mullen (above) would be demolished, making way for affordable one-bedroom flats and two-bed houses (below)

handing a cheque to Lesley Paddy.

Swanage Folk Festival, featuring top

Embrace the warmth of McCarthy Stone’s Bridport Retirement Community

Staying connected is an essential part of healthy ageing and at McCarthy Stone’s Retirement Living development, Gordon Court on Flood Lane, homeowners are encouraged to share their interests with like-minded people, discover new friendships, and live life to the fullest.

A sense of belonging pervades the community, with a wealth of enviable communal spaces, including an elegant lounge and a beautiful landscape garden, for socialising with neighbours.

McCarthy Stone regularly host a series of events that take place at developments across the country, and are designed to bring the community closer together, helping to combat loneliness and social isolation. Guests are also welcome to bring along their family and friends and to take a tour of the beautifully styled show apartments.

A variety of clubs are also on offer at McCarthy Stone’s retirement communities, helping retirees to rediscover their lust for life. ‘Knit and natter’ groups, alongside

bridge and scrabble clubs can be found at almost every development, while walking, photography, and creative writing have emerged as popular pastimes. The over-60s development is perfectly positioned to take full advantage of Bridport’s many amenities, including the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, Bridport Arts Centre, and a selection of sports clubs, from golf and rugby to swimming and bowling. There are also several festivals to enjoy, including the Bridport Literary Festival and Bridport Food Festival.

For a full and varied lifestyle, Gordon Court offers 38 one and two-bedroom luxury retirement apartments, alongside stylish communal facilities. A House Manager is on-site during office hours to oversee the day-today running of the development, while each property benefits from a 24-hour emergency call system and door camera entry for added peace of mind. Purchase prices for a one and two-bedroom property at Gordon Court start from £250,000 and £349,000 respectively. Part buy, part rent is also available to make moving even easier.

To find out more about Retirement Living at Gordon Court, please call 0800 153 3076 or visit www.mccarthystone.co.uk/gordon-court

Dozens hot foot it on fire walk

BRAVE souls stepped out of their comfort zone when they raised thousands of pounds in a fire walk for Lewis-Manning Hospice Care.

Some 44 fire walkers took up the challenge and walked barefoot over a bed of red-hot coals at Ashley Cross Green, Poole.

They included members of the public, corporate company teams and even a hospice patient.

Hospice patient, Brian, who

is registered blind said: “I’ve never done a fire walk before, so I was curious as it’s something different.

“People often say to me, ‘you can’t do things like that because you’re blind’, but I like to do challenges.

“I was so happy to be able to do this for Lewis-Manning as they’ve helped me so much and brought so much enjoyment to my life.

“It’s brilliant to be able to give something back as a thank

you for their invaluable support. I’ve raised over £300!”

Area fundraiser, India Turner, said: “Wow, what an evening it was! Huge respect to everyone who took part. There was a real celebratory, community feel to the event with everyone encouraging and supporting each other.

“We were incredibly lucky with the sunny evening, and we had a great turnout of spectators, too. Lots of the fire walkers had brought along their

friends and family.

“It was my first event working for Lewis-Manning Hospice Care and I was blown away by the level of support and camaraderie with everyone was in such high spirits!

“The hospice retail shop, which overlooks the Green, stayed open until 9pm, too, adding to the buzz of the evening and showcasing our sustainable shopping offering.”

The fire walk, which raised £13,000, was sponsored by local businesses, Katie Fox Estate Agents, Le Bateau and Howdens.

Additional support was received from Barratt Homes, Minuteman Press, Capital Barriers & Temporary Fencing Limited, Job Shop and Axent Workwear.

44 fire walkers walked barefoot over a bed of hot coals and raised £13,000 for Lewis-Manning Hospice Care

Show presents £10,000 to hospital appeal

THE Dorset County Show has donated £10,000 to an appeal for the new Dorset County Hospital Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit.

The money will help pay for the provision of overnight accommodation for relatives of patients on the Critical Care Unit.

Nicki Ralph, chair of the show in 2023, said: “This cause is close to my heart, but it could be close to anyone’s.

“Many individuals across Dorset will be affected by this life-saving service.

“We all hope [neither] us, nor our loved ones, will ever need the Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit, but when we do, we are forever grateful.”

Dorset County Hospital

Charity has commenced a £2.5 million capital appeal to enhance patient care and staff welfare in the new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit.

Simon Pearson, head of charity at Dorset County Hospital, said: “We’d like to express our sincere thanks to James, Nicki, the rest of the Dorset County Show and everyone involved in helping to achieve such a fantastic result for the appeal.

“This donation will be ringfenced to support the provision of relatives’ overnight accommodation on the Critical Care Unit and will make a huge difference to the experience of families visiting loved ones in the hospital.”

Mary-Jane Attwood, appeal officer, said: “We thank the Dorset County Show team and all their supporters for their generous donation to the appeal.

“We know that this reflects a huge amount of hard work and commitment over the last year.

“We also greatly appreciate being selected as the show’s charity of the year and the opportunity this gave us to raise awareness for the appeal and to meet with so many wonderful local people and local businesses, many of whom we are continuing to work with as the appeal progresses.”

James Cox, show organiser,

Back when the post was the Victorian internet...

by David Morris

IN Victorian times, how did you keep up-to-date with your friends and family?

It may seem incredible now, but you could send a postcard in the post to your friend across the other side of town inviting them to tea that same afternoon, and know they would have received the message.

They may also have been able to reply, so that you had confirmation as to how much cake to prepare!

deliveries a day – including a delivery on Christmas Day –and you were able to run your social life via the post.

Nearly as quick as Twitter or Facebook!

Depending on where you lived, you may have had two, three or even four postal

And don’t forget that telephones were not yet in common use. Collectors of postcards and postal history often wonder about the message, which could have been as simple as the tea invitation, or an eyewitness account of something really unusual.

There is a letter, with the envelope postmarked Worgret Camp, Poole, dated 27th

September, 1916, which says: “We heard from my sister in London this morning and she was so excited because she had seen the air raid and the burning Zeppelin.”

This would start the social and postal historians on to a fascinating tale to find out more, both about the recipient of the letter, the sender and the Great War air raid.

To learn more, not only about postal history, but also stamps, a stamp fair is being held at St Dunstan’s Church Hall, Dorchester Road, Upton BH16 5JA on Saturday, September 8, from 10am.

Contact davidlytch@gmail. com for more information.

said: “We are so proud to have raised such a significant amount for this vital cause.

“We organised numerous fundraising events in 2023, with the pinnacle being the County Show.

“The hospital expansion is vital to all in Dorset, we are pleased the County Show could do its part to support.”

Information on the Emergency and Critical Care Appeal can be found at dchcharity.org.uk – Dorset County Hospital Charity.

The Dorset County Show returns on Saturday and Sunday, September 7-8, 2024.

Golfer’s a

winner

BROADSTONE Golf Club

member Lee James (pictured) emerged victorious in the Dorset County Golf Amateur Championship, the highlight of the county golfing calendar. Crane Valley Golf Club in Verwood saw the 63 best amateur players tee up for the 36-hole strokeplay tournament.

The cheque presentation to the Dorset County Hospital Charity

Battle Royal as town goes back in time

WIMBORNE’S first ever summer of history got off to a thrilling start over the early May Bank Holiday weekend as hundreds of members of the English Civil War Society (ECWS) descended on the town to re-enact The Battle for Wimborne.

The town was transported back to the 17th century with two exciting battles on Sunday and Monday.

The sounds of canons and musket fire rang out as foot soldiers and cavalry battled it out, with the towers of the Minster in the background.

A riot in the Minster, where Lord Shaftesbury had ordered musketeers to shoot down the

citizens of Wimborne in the church, was also re-created. And shoppers and visitors encountered characters from 17th century civilian life who showed off ancient skills such as hurdle making, leather working, apothecary and candle-making, and played instruments of the period.

The English Civil War Society in action in Wimborne PHOTOS: Wimborne Bid

ECWS for 50 years and now the Royalist Colonel General of Dorset, said:

“The society loves to support towns throughout the country.

“This immersive type of event has never been staged in Dorset.

Wimborne resident Stephen Burden, a member of the

“We couldn’t wish for a better backdrop than the beautiful, historic Wimborne Minster.

“The whole town has been captivated by exciting and spectacular displays.

“Everyone seems to have really enjoyed it and we are getting lots of people asking when we are coming back.”

Fiona Harwood, chair of Wimborne BID, said: “This has been such a successful event, which really brought the town to life over the weekend.

“More than 3,000 people turned out to witness the battles.

“It’s been tremendous fun to host the ECWS and Wimborne BID are delighted to have been part of it.”

Parent and Child Fostering –The Facts

When deciding on a new chapter of life and a new direction, it is nice to know the ‘ins and outs’ to help us make informed decisions, in this month’s article we will be giving you all the information you need. However, should you have more questions we are just a phone call away! To be a parent and child foster carer, you will need to be confident in looking after newborn babies and have some experience, tips, and tricks that you can pass on to the new parent. It is also vital that there is always a carer available for support and guidance. In your home, you will be inviting in a parent and their newborn baby, therefore need a big enough spare room to accommodate their needs, such as a bed, changing area, and cot for the baby. The placement is normally short-term and lasts up to 12 weeks, this can vary depending on the requirements of the placement. You may be thinking, how about the rewards that come with being a carer? Well, many rewards can be acquired, the satisfaction of passing on your knowledge to new parents, enabling them to integrate into a community, and promoting the nurture of a newborn. On top of that pay can start in the region of £850 per week. To become a carer, the approval process takes 4-6 months, and a social worker will guide you through your journey. Once completed Footprints offer you the continued guidance, support, and training to ensure you have full confidence in your role. Not every child comes into this world with well-equipped and prepared parents, therefore need some help to get them on their way. In your role as a Parent and Child Foster Carer, not only will you help with the care, but you also will help develop the parent in the areas of money management, and household skills helping them build the confidence they need to live independently.

The need and demand for carers in the field of Parent and Child is rapidly growing and to ensure that we as a nation provide the best support possible, we need more carers. If you think that you can provide a safe and supportive home for such placement, Footprints would like to hear from you.

All aboard for mini railway adventure...

THE Purbeck Community Rail Partnership has been helping individuals with learning and physical disabilities become more confident about travelling by train.

It teamed up with South Western Railway (SWR) for a Try a Train event for a service departing Weymouth and Dorchester South stations for Wareham.

SWR’s community ambassadors told about 20 passengers about health and safety while using the railway, using ticket vending machines, help points, train time information and assisted

boarding points.

The event aimed to help the passengers gain confidence and independence and help tackle social isolation and loneliness.

It was organised through the Volunteer Centre for Dorset and involved Muntsy’s Community Based Learning and Activity Centre in Portland.

Steven Booth, Purbeck community rail officer, said:

“What we are trying to achieve is to identify groups who may lack confidence to try the train, to alleviate barriers and make travel more accessible to those who may not use the train as a method of transport.

“This was a learning curve for me and If I was to highlight what really impressed me, it was the independence shown by so many despite their disabilities and their enthusiasm and willingness to learn”.

Siobhan Davis, project coordinator for the Volunteer Centre Dorset, said: “I would like to say a huge thanks to all involved for making this happen.

“People with learning disabilities are very anxious about travelling, especially on their own.

“To have people explain everything to us all was amazing.

“It really was a fabulous day and thanks to all the SWR staff for making it run smoothly for us”.

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The group enjoyed a day trip to Wareham Quay

50 firefighters tackle thatched homes blaze

PICTURES showing the devastation of a fire which could have been caused by a lightning strike in Wareham have been published.

Crews from Swanage fire station were among around 50 firefighters sent to Stoborough Meadow after reports of a blaze in semi-detached thatched homes.

Nine crews from across the

Theatre group veteran new town mayor

THE new town mayor of Wimborne Minster for the next year is Councillor Jeff Hart. Jeff moved to Wimborne Minster from London in 1987 and was appointed as a school inspector for Dorset County Council.

He was elected to the town council in July 2022.

Jeff is married, has three children and lives in New Borough Road, and is active in

the community.

He is chair of Wimborne Community Theatre and has participated in its productions for over 20 years.

He is also chair of governors at a local secondary school and has a strong interest in schools in Wimborne Minster.

In his year in his office, Jeff will be raising money for two charities, Planet Wimborne and Friends of Victoria Hospital.

around 10.15pm on Sunday, May 19.

A Swanage Fire Station spokesperson said: “All crews worked hard throughout the night with relief crews continuing into the morning.

area were on the scene at the height of the blaze, which spread from one property to a neighbour, badly damaging both homes.

The fire was reported at

“Due to the severity of the fire, unfortunately, the properties could not be saved.

“No residents were injured in the fire and our thoughts are with them after this devastating fire.”

Planet Wimborne CIC is a community of local people who are concerned about the climate and ecological crisis facing us today. The deputy mayor for the next year is Cllr Simon Wheeler.

Simon lives in Corfe Mullen and runs Wimborne’s Town Band, The Quarterjacks, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather.

Wimborne Minster Town Council’s mayor making event took place at the town hall

PHOTO : Beatric Dopita

The fire in Wareham may have been started by a lightning strike and firefighters said the properties “could not be saved”

PHOTOS: Swanage Fire Station

Hospice charity says it with flowers

FOREST Holme Hospice

Charity celebrated its 30th anniversary with the launch of a stunning display of 1,000 handcrafted stained glass fritillaria flowers at Merley House in Wimborne.

Guests including the mayor of Poole, artist Ellie Drake-Lee and Dr Stephen Kirkham, the first consultant at Forest Holme when it opened, joined hospice staff, volunteers and charity trustees in the gardens at Merley House to officially open the display.

The event, sponsored by Gallagher Insurance in Poole, took place exactly 30 years to the day that Forest Holme Hospice Charity, or Friends of Forest Holme, as it was known

then, first opened its doors to raise funds for the then new specialist palliative care unit based at Seldown Road in Poole.

Members of the public can purchase one of the commemorative handcrafted stained-glass flowers, created by artist Ellie Drake-Lee from Garden Glass Art, with delivery or collection available for the rest of the year.

The charity officially launched on April 26, 1994, and since then donations from supporters have helped the hospice care for more than 30,000 patients and their families.

Hannah O’ Hare, chief executive of Forest Holme

Hospice Charity, said: “This installation serves as a symbol of remembrance, hope and the enduring spirit of compassion that defines Forest Holme’s commitment to end-of-life care.

“The art installation offers a focal point of reflection and inspiration during our 30th anniversary year and is an opportunity for supporters and community members to purchase and own a special commemorative handcrafted piece of art, serving as a poignant tribute to love, loss and compassion.”

Ellie Drake-Lee, the artist behind the project, added: “I am thrilled to be involved in this colourful celebration of a fundraising initiative.

“It means so much to me on

a personal level and an artistic level.

“Both my parents were cared for at the end of their lives at a hospice, so I know how vital it is to support them in raising funds.

“Forest Holme have been so supportive with this amazing creative idea and I am really looking forward to seeing the installation of all my glass flowers, every one unique, on display at Merley House.”

To help celebrate the hospice’s 30th anniversary and purchase a keepsake flower, visit https://register.enthuse. com/ps/event/GlassFlowers, or to learn more about the work of Forest Holme and its charity, visit www.forestholmehospice. org.uk.

The guests at an event at Merley House when Forest Holme Hospice charity launched a glass flower display to celebrate its 30th anniversary

The keepsake stained glass flowers are available to purchase

New leadership takes the reins at Dorset Council

NEW leadership at Dorset Council has begun.

Following the Liberal Democrats’ emergence as the largest party at the recent local elections, the party has unveiled the cabinet that will lead the authority.

Appointments to key roles were agreed at the annual meeting of Dorset Council last month.

Councillors were asked to vote on appointments to roles including leader of the council, chair and vice-chair of the council and committee chairs.

Cllr Nick Ireland has been appointed leader, with Cllr Richard Biggs as deputy leader.

The chair is Cllr Stella Jones and the vice-chair is Cllr Les Fry.

The full cabinet at Dorset Council is: Cllr Nick Ireland: Leader, portfolio holder for Governance, Performance, Communications, Environment, Climate Change and Safeguarding; Cllr Richard Biggs: Deputy Leader, portfolio holder for Property & Assets, Economic Growth & Levelling Up; Cllr Simon Clifford: portfolio holder for Finance & Capital Strategy; Cllr Ryan Holloway: portfolio holder for Corporate Development, Transformation, Digital & Change; Cllr Jon Andrews:

portfolio holder for Place Commissioned Services (Highways, Waste, Travel, Leisure etc.); Cllr Clare Sutton: portfolio holder for Children’s Services, Education & Skills; Cllr Steve Robinson: portfolio holder for Adult Social Care; Cllr Gill Taylor: portfolio holder for Public Health, Environmental Health, Housing, Community Safety and Regulatory Service; Cllr Shane Bartlett: portfolio holder for Planning and Emergency Planning; Cllr Ryan Hope: portfolio holder for Customer, Culture and Community Engagement.

Chairs of committees are: People & Health Overview Committee: Cllr Beryl Ezzard; People & Health Scrutiny Committee: Cllr Toni Coombs; Place & Resources Overview

Charity football match

DORSET and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) is putting out a team to take part in a charity football match at the Hamworthy Club.

They will play their life-saving colleagues from Thames Valley Air Ambulance on Saturday, June 15, at the home of Dorset FA, the County Ground in Hamworthy.

Gates open at noon, with kick-off at 1pm, and the club will be open, offering a variety of refreshments.

Tickets will be available on the gate – no advanced sales – with entry £3 adults and £1 children, and parking on site or via the nearby school.

To find out more, visit www.dsairambulance.org.uk/ dsaa-fc-match.

Committee: Cllr Andy Canning; Place & Resources Scrutiny Committee: Cllr Noc LaceyClarke; Audit & Governance Committee: Cllr Gary Suttle; Appeals Committee: Cllr Andrew Starr; Harbours Advisory Committee: Cllr Rob

Hughes; Licensing Committee: Cllr Derek Beer; Strategic & Technical Planning Committee: Cllr Duncan Sowry-House; Northern Area Planning Committee: Cllr Richard Crabb; Eastern Area Planning Committee: Cllr David Tooke; Western Area Planning Committee: Cllr Dave Bolwell; Pension Fund Committee: Cllr Andy Canning.

New leader, Nick Ireland, said: “The new intake of elected members to Dorset Council has added to the strength and depth of skills already present and I’m pleased that the new cabinet reflects this.

“The Liberal Democrats campaigned on a commitment to genuine cross-party working and that process has started tonight in the appointments that we have made.

“We will look to make decision making as local and democratic as possible; listening more to local residents and creating a genuine partnership with town and parish councils.”

The new cabinet at Dorset Council has been revealed PHOTO: Dorset Council

Hospice invite to Tie a Yellow ribbon

FOREST Holme Hospice, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, is holding its annual Tie A Yellow Ribbon memorial event at Poole Park next weekend.

This year the free event, sponsored by MSP Capital, is on Saturday, June 15, between noon-3pm and is open to everyone, not just those who have lost a relative or friend at Forest Holme.

Members of the public will be able to write a dedication and tie a yellow ribbon in memory of a loved one, with the ribbons then being returned to the hospice garden for the rest of the summer.

The event will also feature local craft stalls, special performances by the Citrus Singers choir and free craft activities for children.

Claire Cooper, fundraiser at Forest Holme Hospice Charity, said: “This annual event is an opportunity for our local community to come together, irrespective of whether they have a connection to Forest Holme Hospice, to reflect and celebrate the lives of our loved ones by writing your dedication and tying a yellow ribbon in the beautiful surroundings of Poole Park.

“People are free to bring a picnic and enjoy this special occasion.”

For those unable to attend, but who would still like to make a dedication, the hospice will happily make it in their absence – visit https:// forestholmehospice.enthuse. com/tayr24

Shield your home from Care Costs & Inheritance Tax with a Living Trust.

A Living Trust, is a legal arrangement that allows you to protect your assets, including your home, from care costs along with potential inheritance tax implications. Here are a few key points to consider:

1. Asset Protection: By transferring ownership of your home and other assets to a living trust, can help protect them from certain creditors and potential claims, including care costs.

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

One of the advantages of a living trust is that it is reversable, meaning you can make changes to the trust or remove your home from the trust during your lifetime. This flexibility allows you to adapt to changing circumstances or wishes.

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. Reversable Nature:

5. Trust Administration: When you establish a living trust, you typically designate yourself as the trustee alongside one to three other trustees. Thus, maintaining control over the assets and allowing you to continue using and managing them as you did before. Surviving trustees take over the administration of the trust upon your incapacity or death. 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

Monkeys

Sudoku

3D puzzle

Place 1 to 9 once into every black-bordered 3x3 area as well as each of the 54 rows indicated by the coloured lines. Rows don’t cross the thick black lines.

Across

1 French novelist recalled hint in enclosure for play? (7)

5 Some group reprimanded for homework (4)

10 Upset bird fluttering around boss, mostly (7)

Killer Sudoku Pro

Down

2 Test a soprano maybe (5)

3 Insincere person adorning type of bus (6-6)

4 Independent writer carrying athletic vest drink (6)

11 Very intelligent person gets support at home (5)

12 Difficulty about extremes of day in pastoral poem (5)

13 Show vocal disapproval of soldier with energy in dance (6)

15 Regular day set for swimming (6)

17 Large dish for all to see among wooden articles (6)

6 Feel strongly about India amid terrible zeal

(5)

7 Long for portion of soup in eatery (4)

8 Get side panicky and most nervous (7)

9 Unlimited zone bringing up valuable stuff minimum temperature (8,4)

Large dish for all to see among wooden articles (6)

14 Delight titled English actress first off with worker (7)

Sound

19 Sound resounding again in three choirs (2-4)

20 Hide in hole electrical connection (5)

23 Origin, we’re told, in course (5)

24 Provide too many staff in rickety Rome van (7)

25 Competitive former Irish footballer by the sound of it (4)

26 Fall into ruin – as a snooker player by table might do? (2,2,3)

Killer Sudoku Pro Place numbers 1 to 9 once each into every row, column and bold-lined 3x3 box. No digit may be repeated in any dash-lined cage, and all the digits in any cage must add up to the value shown in that cage.

16 Carry out economy in middle of week in of former partner (7)

18 Florid rubbish largely supported by two counties (6)

21 Amorous man more excited when holding Oscar (5)

Fall into ruin – as a snooker player by table might do? (2,2,3)

22 Flag I removed close to park in long journey (4)

M argaret Green Animal Rescue

FASHIONS come and go. Sadly, for our rescue animals, these preferences don’t always just apply to our tastes in clothing and interior design.

The number of small, “designer” dogs arriving at our rescue centres has increased hugely since pre-pandemic times.

When Winnie and her four little companions entered our care, we knew their need for safety was critical. Left to fend for themselves, in the cold and wet of an abandoned property’s garden, these tiny dogs were in an appalling state.

With severely matted fur, they were soaked through, which had left their skin incredibly sore. We were left with no option but to sedate them to make their four-hour

End of the trend?

clipping sessions as bearable as possible.

We were relieved to know that Winnie and her friends were now safely in our care, and that their lives were going to start improving from that moment. With you by our side, we are able to intervene and give our rescue animals everything they need in order to start to live, not just exist.

By donating today, you are playing a key part in the rescue and rehabilitation of the next group of unwanted animals to escape a life of cruelty and abandonment.

We promise to help the vulnerable souls who need us

and give them the chance to start living the happy lives they deserve.

To make a donation towards rescue animals like Winnie, please visit our website, www. mgar.org.uk/donate to help us transform their futures.

4

Winnie was in a sorry state when she arrived at Margaret Green Animal Rescue

Hospital has sensory garden in the pipeline

DORSET County Hospital

(DCH) in Dorchester is creating a sensory courtyard garden thanks to a grant worth tens of thousands of pounds.

The garden, for patients, staff and visitors, will be created in a disused courtyard opposite Special Care Dentistry.

The hospital’s sustainability team applied for the funding from the Greener Communities Fund, which awarded a grant of £45,204.

Bev Lagden, sustainability manager at the hospital said: “We are delighted to receive this funding.

“It will allow us to transform a neglected courtyard into a

beautiful tranquil space, so that people can take a break and spend some time in a peaceful garden that stimulates their senses.”

DCH will work with Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester Men’s Shed and Little Green Change on the planting plan for the garden area.

The scheme also includes new doors and the ground will be made level for disabled access.

Jo Howarth, director of Nursing at the hospital, said: “Whether you’re a patient, staff member or visiting a loved one, it’s important to be able to step

away from the busy, and sometimes overwhelming, hospital environment and take a moment.

“We also know that nature can have a positive impact has on people’s physical and mental health and aid recovery, so we’re looking forward to creating this new space.”

Teddy Reynolds, horticulture student at Kingston Maurward College and part of the project team, said: “It gives me the unique opportunity to be part of a professional design project.

“I am getting an insight into how a project is run and all the processes that are involved to develop and execute a complete garden design.

“It enables me to give something back to the local community.”

The Greener Communities Fund supports the creation or improvement of green spaces to benefit the health and wellbeing of people with limited access to green space.

The garden is scheduled to open later in 2024.

Kingston Maurward College students discuss ideas for the garden

History

Life and death of an Iron Age woman...

A YOUNG woman’s remains found in the fields of rural Dorset, with no explanation of how – or why – she died. It’s the setting of a case befitting the likes of television’s Silent Witness or Waking The Dead.

The only problem is, the death occurred some 2,000 years ago, in the Iron Age, leaving our detectives with little to go on…

Archaeologists have been investigating the cause of death for the young woman, whose remains were found in Winterborne Kingston, and have come up with a theory of the case, which is more sinister than any television show.

However, experts from Bournemouth University believe she could have been murdered as a human sacrifice. Their analysis suggests she was in her late 20s when she died and had lived a physically demanding and hardworking life.

They also found that she suffered damage to one of her ribs, possibly inflicted through violence, weeks before she was

killed by a stab wound to her neck.

The combination of factors in their study, which have now been published in the Antiquities Journal, suggest this is rare physical evidence that human sacrifice took place in Iron Age Britain.

Students have been excavating prehistoric settlements in Winterborne Kingston for 15 years, since prehistoric settlements were first discovered in the area.

“In the other burials we have found, the deceased people appear to have been carefully

the bottom of a pit, so it looks like she was killed as part of an offering.”

By studying the bones, the archaeologists have been able to discover more information about the victim’s life and tell some of her story.

Her spine showed signs of significant degeneration and arthritic change for her young age, and she also had damage to some of the discs between her vertebrae, indicating a life of hard work.

She also had well developed and rugged muscle attachments, another sign of a rigorous and continuous physical activity.

The experts also studied isotopes in her teeth, which showed she originated from more than 20 miles from the settlement site.

“All the significant facts we have found such as the problems with her spine, her tough working life, the major injury to her rib, the fact she could have come from elsewhere and the way she was buried could be explained away in isolation,” Dr Smith said.

“But when you put them all together with her deposition face down on a platform of animal bone, the most plausible conclusion is that she has been the victim of a ritual killing.

“And, of course, we found a large cut mark on her neck which could be the smoking gun.”

positioned in the pit and treated with respect, but this poor woman hasn’t,” said Dr Martin Smith, associate professor in forensic and biological anthropology at Bournemouth University.

“We have also previously found ceramic pots and remains of joints of meat next to human remains, which we believe are offerings for the afterlife.

“This was nothing like that. The young woman was found lying face down on top of a strange, deliberately constructed crescent-shaped arrangement of animal bone at

Dr Smith said as well as providing evidence of human sacrifice, being able to understand the life of the Iron Age woman has been important, with the lady’s remains helping us understand more about less-fortunate members of society in the past.

“The burials that get the most attention tend to be those of higher status, privileged people,” Dr Smith said.

“However, being able to humanise the story of this woman’s life has given us a valuable glimpse into the other side of Iron Age society.

“Behind every ancient burial we find is someone’s story waiting to be told.”

The woman’s remains were found in Winterborne Kingston PHOTOS: Bournemouth University

Students have been working in the area for a number of years

Su mmer Fu n

Swanage Carnival 2024

The 2024 Swanage carnival is just around the corner, with over 100 exciting events lined up for the 8 day celebration from July 27th to August 3rd. Every day is packed with fun filled events and entertainment for all ages, with BRAND NEW events including: An Interactive Dinosaur show, Dinosaur Derby, BMX Stunt Show, Acrobats, live entertainers and silent disco alongside some classic crowd favourites including live music (with over 30 bands), fireworks, sporting competitions and not forgetting the headline event: the Carnival procession. This year’s theme of ‘Jurassic Rocks’ is sure to get the crowds roaring with a special appearance from “Rexy” the Dinosaur from the film “Night at the Museum 2” Full details of all our events are available in our Carnival Programme which is available to pre order now online on our website as well as our Swanage Carnival App (which can be downloaded from the App store), it also contains all the entry forms to get yourself registered for your favourite events as well as other useful information.

9.30am-11.30am

5.30pm-8.30pm Drinks Served Daily 9.30am-10pm

Beautiful views of the Purbeck hills and direct access to our large children’s play area will make this the perfect Summer spot for socialising with friends and family

The

Dorset Opera Festival is undergoing a double celebration this year.

2024 marks their 50th Anniversary and in November 2023 they were finalists at the prestigious International Opera Awards.

For their Golden Jubilee, they have commissioned an opera linking their anniversary to the county whose name they bear via one of our greatest authors, Thomas Hardy. His Majesty, King Charles III, (then His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales) attended the company’s first performance at Sherborne School in 1974 – a production of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride.

Popular composer, Paul Carr, who has been directing operas for the Dorset Opera Festival since 2012 and whose works are regularly featured on Classic FM, has created a new work based on Hardy’s poignant and heart-warming second novel, Under the Greenwood Tree, to a libretto by Euan Tait. Alongside the commission, the company will be performing Madama Butterfly to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death. The sets for both operas are designed by Dorset sculptor, Rufus Martin and, for the Hardy, he will create a whole Dorset village on stage!

There’s time to celebrate properly at the Opera Gala concert with the chorus of 60 and emerging artists at its heart. It will involve some of the great singers from across the world who have appeared in Dorset Opera over the years!

The cast for Greenwood is led by Canadian soprano, Jamie Groote with Felix Kemp, Ossian Huskinson and Dorset’s, Thomas Humphreys. Paul Carr will direct his opera and it’s conducted by music director, Jeremy Carnall. Madama Butterfly will feature Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura, Argentinian tenor José Simerilla Romero, well-known baritone David Kempster and (Dorset singers) Amber Reeves and Tim Bagley. José Miguel Esandi conducts: returning to the Dorset Opera podium for the seventh time in as many years.

Finalist in the 2023 International Opera Awards

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

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

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

Marking 100 years since the composer’s death… Giacomo Puccini

PVFF is a festival that’s loved by everyone because there’s loads for kids to do, loads for parents and loads for the old folkies!

As well as four evenings and three full days of outstanding, original young folk, roots and world music across five stages, Purbeck Valley Folk Festival brings music workshops, sessions, comedy, a massive craft area, a healing area, fire shows and loads for kids - it’s so much more than just great music!

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival has an amazing line-up again this year: This year’s highlights include TikTok shanty sensation The Longest Johns, African kora player Seckou Keita with his 8-piece Senegalese band, BBC 6Music favourite John Smith, and Gentleman Jack theme tune writers/singers O’Hooley & Tidow. There is absolutely loads for kids (all included in the ticket price!): storytelling, rock-climbing, archery, dinosaurs, crafts, circus skills, bouncy castles, fancy

dress, maypole dancing and much more! The craft area is fantastic with workshops in cyanotype printing, tie-dye, blacksmithing, pottery, origami, and more.

A brilliant musical line-up, loads of stuff for kids, a huge craft area for adults, perfect location, and a great selection of real ales and ciders…

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival is so much more than just a great music festival.

Tickets have been selling fast already with record numbers of festival-goers buying tickets for this year’s festival before they even left the site last year!

Great value at £175 (£85/£40) for 4 nights, including camping.

For more informationwww.purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk

15-18 AUGUST 2024

LONGEST JOHNS

JOHN SMITH

SECKOU KEITA

LE VENT DU NORD

KÍLA

DIRK POWELL - SAM KELLY TRIO - MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK & TIM EDEY - THE HENRY GIRLS 3 DAFT MONKEYS - O’HOOLEY & TIDOW - MEGSON - N’FAMADY KOUYATE

MARTHA TILSTON - RORY MCLEOD - THE BOOKSHOP BAND

TICKETS FROM £125 INCL. CAMPING

SQUARE DANCE WITH DIRK POWELL & JOCK TYLDESLEY- FILKINS ENSEMBLE - JAEJA - MOSCOW DRUG CLUB - GOOD HABITS

ARTHUR COATES & KERRAN COTTERELL - STOMPIN’ DAVE - THE GREAT MALARKEY - DUEA - THE TROUBLE NOTES

TASHKEZAR - MARVARA - SUTHERING - HANNAH SANDERS & BEN SAVAGE - AMICA - THREEPENNY BIT - TWO MAN TING

GABRIEL MORENO AND THE QUIVERING POETS - THE ASHEN KEYS - DANGER GOAT - AAYUSHI - 14 WOLVES - THE BOMO SWING

HONEY KICK - ANNA RENAE - PISKEY LED - DEN MILLER - ARQUEBUS TRIO - RHOLBEN - DIRTY BIG CANAL DANCE BAND

IGLOO HEARTS - LAURA LOH - DEVON YOUTH FOLK ENSEMBLE - MEGAN LINFORD - MUSTARD ALLEGRO - RACHEL HILL

ELI GREENEYES - OWL IN THE SUN - MURPHY’S LORE TRIO - KELP! - RAPSQUILLION -

OBSTACLE COURSE - CLIMBING WALL

CIRCUS AREA: JUGGLING - UNICYCYLING - DIABLOS - DEVILSTICKS - STILT WALKING ACROBATICS WITH INFLATABLE TUMBLE MAT

Ian Shaw

A dazzling array of top quality Jazz groups appears at this year’s 33rd Swanage Jazz Festival which runs 12th – 14th July.

With 50 jazz groups in the main programme it’s one of the biggest Swanage line ups ever. There’s not just a top quality Jazz programme. The organising committee are seeking to broaden the Festival’s appeal, creating a Festival Village on Sandpit Field with three marquees, a bar and food traders, Festival merchandise plus Jazz Yoga sessions and Jazz DJs. The Festival is free for under 5s, there are substantial discounts for young people and BH19 residents get a 10% discount. But if you are a serious Jazz fan, the Festival once again includes an exceptionally wide range from New Orleans to the contemporary in four main venues running concurrently. Headlining the Friday night is ‘The Wonder of Stevie’ a jazzed up tribute to you know who. Opposite that singer Ian Shaw and saxist Tony

Kofi perform a pay homage to the Duke Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn. The Saturday programme features the fastrising 22 year old saxist Emma Rawicz

both with her Quintet and her 20 piece Jazz Orchestra, packed with young talent. Esteemed bassist Gary Crosby brings a tribute to the great Charles Mingus to the Sandpit Field Marquee.

The Sunday programme features the irrepressible pianist and singer Liane Carroll with pianist Zoe Rahman’s exciting Colours of Sound octet closing out the Mowlem Theatre programme. The New Orleans programme includes Jivin’ Miss Daisy, Martin Litton’s Red Hot Peppers and The Pete Allen Jazz Band.

Tickets and full programme details are at www.swanagejazzfestival.co.uk

SWANAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL

Fri 12th | Sat 13th | Sun 14th | July

Wareham crossing: ‘Like sick game of pass the parcel’

THE pedestrian rail crossing at Wareham is a lifeline for local residents. A permanent solution must be found to keep this vital facility open. Network Rail and Dorset Council must do all they can to make this happen and secure what is clearly an absolute necessity for the hundreds of people that use it on a daily basis. A commitment was made in 2022 by Dorset Council and Network Rail to seek a permanent solution to keeping the crossing open. Maintaining the surface level crossing is also included in Wareham’s Neighbourhood Plan. The crossing is the only route for pedestrians and cyclists between the two halves of Wareham. It is vital for those who absolutely rely on it to access jobs, schools, shops, doctors, dentists etc every day, as well as for those using the station.

In March 2023 Network Rail commissioned a report into the feasibility of automating the crossing, following meetings with Michael Tomlinson MP and Dorset Council and as requested by the community, yet to date – a whole year since the report was commissioned – the report has still not been made public. Residents are understandably becoming anxious about the outcome of the report and wish to restate their call for a permanent solution to keep the crossing open.

Michael Tomlinson comes up for re-election in July and this would be an ideal time for him to actually do something and tell us exactly what he can do for us or admit that it’s now above his pay grade. Nice chatty

by David Hollister

column in last edition of the Purbeck Gazette, Michael, but nothing to add about the crossing? This issue is like a sick game of “pass the parcel” and someone somewhere has the power to make the decision – well, when will the music stop and on whose lap will it end up?

Wareham Town Trust has launched a petition on www. change.org to show the support for keeping the crossing open. If you can’t do it online, you can also sign copies in the Post Offices in North Street, Wareham and at Carey. The wording is too much to repeat here, so please take the time to go online and see for yourself. But every word makes good sense.

THE section of Shore Road from The Mowlem to Victoria Avenue was closed “on a trial basis” all year round by Dorset Council in October 2022, except that when we saw them taking their parking meters away shortly afterwards we all knew in our hearts that this was a “done deal” and actually they had no intention of reopening it. They said in January 2024 they would close it permanently to “improve pedestrian safety” but now they are haggling with Swanage Town Council as to who removes the signage and lines to make it look less like a road.

There is a simple solution. Dorset Council owns the road and therefore it should be them who sort it out and pay for the work which has to be done. Maybe using some of the many thousands of pounds which they took from parking offenders

over the past “n” years. I can’t see how this even got to the argument stage. Someone tell me why the town council should foot the bill? Our visitor services manager is doing well to present our case – let’s hope he wins and isn’t overruled!

Of course, the road closure isn’t everybody’s choice and the many residents of South Swanage, who have no alternative but to go through the town on an already busy Station Road to reach their homes, seem to have been overlooked. And when they “temporarily” close the rest of Shore Road when the earthworks begin, I’ll be very surprised if it reopens. And devil take those who live in Northbrook Road and De Moulham road – which will be the “alternative routes” into Swanage – who will just have to put up with it.

On the positive side, the surfacing on those roads is so bad that it will prevent motorists from driving at over 20 anyway. Wonder if we will qualify for part of the recently-announced “pothole grant”? Or will it end up in Dorchester or Weymouth or indeed anywhere other than Purbeck. Purbeck? Where’s Purbeck?...

IT was about six months ago that Emily McDonald appeared on my afternoon show on Purbeck Coast, and explained to us all exactly what she was going through with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CPRS). And how she needed to raise at least £75,000 to pay for a course of treatment in the USA. We were delighted to learn recently that the treatment was a total success and that Emily can live her life

with no limitations – and that includes abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, raising funds to help another unfortunate CPRS sufferer to visit the clinic. Doctors there are confident that she should stay free of CPRS if she keeps active, hydrated, continues taking supplements and keeps her body from getting shocks like freezing temperatures. If it hadn’t been for the good folks of Purbeck, Emily would still be pain-racked and wheelchair-bound. So it’s thanks to all of you who donated and helped with the fundraising that Emily is now fit and well. Purbeck is an amazing place full of amazing people.

VISITORS to the Blue Pool near Wareham are now able to view it from a new vantage point, after the UK’s longest rope bridge was opened to the public. The impressive 50 metre long bridge is suspended through the trees 10 metres above a gully and gives outstanding views over the pool. Do you dare give it a try? Of course you do!

OUR new online radio station is almost ‘up and running’ with pilot shows on almost every day. Have a look at the website, www.purbecksounds.com, where you will not only find our daily schedule but also listen to current output at the push of a button. Or just say “Alexa, play Purbeck Sounds”. It’s that easy. We are so looking forward to the summer season of fetes, festivals and functions and are hoping to get involved in many of them. Press the ‘contact us’ button!

Golf day coins in the cash

KNIGHTON Heath Golf Club raised thousands of pounds when it organised and hosted a charity golf day in aid of Forest Holme Hospice, based in Poole.

Some 34 teams took part in the event which raised £6,182 and ended in a 19th hole celebration featuring prize giving, auctions and a raffle.

Knighton Heath’s general manager, Kevin Eden, and functions & events coordinator, Denise Bennett, then both visited the hospice, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, to present a cheque to

corporate and community fundraiser, Kirsty Perks.

The money will be put towards enhancing Forest Holme’s provision of palliative and end-of life-care and support across Poole, Wimborne and the Isle of Purbeck.

Kirsty said: “We want to say a huge thanks to Sean Keen, club captain, and Grace Burke, ladies club captain, for choosing Forest Holme as their charity, as well as to the sponsors, players and the incredible staff and

possible.

Jack bags record weight

YOUNG Jack Copp smashed Dorchester & District Angling Society’s (DDAS) junior match record during a points match held at Todber Manor.

Copp’s weight of 260lb 13oz at Homeground Lake eclipsed Jack Cryer’s previous record of 200lb 7oz at the same venue.

Warm sunshine bathed the young anglers in a special

ANGLING GOLF

match that was split into two halves.

The first half was feeder only and in the second the anglers used only float fishing techniques.

Copp, who was thought to be a little behind the leader, Austin Scott-Kennedy, in the first phase, came back to blitz the

Purbeck Trail series adds Lighthouse Loop

THE Purbeck Trail series has added another running gem to its collection for 2024.

The RNLI Lighthouse Loop’s annual 5k is part of Swanage Lifeboat Week and the trail series is including it in its line-up for the first time.

The running series of five trail events kicks off on Sunday, June 23, with the Coombe Keynes 10k, set within the Lulworth Estate.

The Lighthouse Loop is up next on Wednesday, August 14, at 7pm, and adds a short, sharp, hilly challenge to the list.

The only midweek evening event in the series, it takes runners along the coast to Anvil Point Lighthouse and back to

RUNNING

Peveril Point, Swanage Lifeboat Station.

This short 5k course includes a challenging 185 metres of elevation.

The 12-mile Beast follows on Sunday, September 1, boasting the infamous steps at St Aldhelm’s Head and views of Corfe Castle.

Black Hill 10k on Sunday, September 22, offers a more rural, woodland backdrop, but hills are still part of the theme.

The Studland Stampede 12k rounds off the series off on Sunday, October 6.

Registration to all Purbeck Trail Series events is now open.

rest of the field in the second phase thanks to his excellent pole-fishing skills.

Scott-Kennedy had to settle for runner’s-up spot with 189lb 10oz, with third going to former record holder, Jack Cryer, with 160lb 2oz.

For more information about DDAS Juniors, go to www. ddasjuniors.co.uk or contact juniors.sec@d-das.com.

To be included in the series, runners need to enter three events or more and their three best results will be automatically added to the score boards.

The leaders’ board is updated after each event and posted on the Purbeck Trail Series

Facebook page, with the category and overall winners announced at the Studland Stampede.

For more information, visit the Purbeck Trail Series website, https:// purbecktrailseries.wixsite.com/ purbecktrailseries.

volunteers whose hard work made this fantastic donation

“Knighton Heath Golf Club are already in the planning stages for next year’s event.”

One of the 34 teams which took part in the charity golf day

The five-event Purbeck Trail series gets under way with the Coombe Keynes 10k on Sunday, June 23

Jack Copp with a new DDAS Junior match record weight of 260lb 13oz

Time to sit and savour late summer evenings

by AJ Selby

“But tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun.” The Beatles. THE weather continues to challenge us, but there are days and nights to savour, and June offers a big benefit to our more northerly location in relation to a lot of Europe – late summer evenings. I do love those late sunsets when you can sit outside and enjoy a glass until the stars start twinkling and only the occasional cry of a night bird drifts in on the warm air.

We don’t get many nights in the year to sit or walk without wrapping up, so I enjoy each and every one. It’s a time to talk, to relax, to clear the mind and to drink in the heady scents of whatever plants that you have that give off evening perfume. I grow night-scented stocks in pots every year and place them by the back door – their scent is the most wonderful of all flowers for me. And then there is evening primrose and honeysuckle and jasmine and a few others. The act of stopping and drawing in that strong draught is in itself a cathartic experience – you are totally focused on the scent and it can take you to another time or place, and nothing else in the world matters at that moment.

Now that the may blossom is

over and the tiny green haws are starting to develop, we move to the hanging chandeliers of the elderflower whose creamy white umbels also carry their own special, if slightly sickly, scent. It’s a beautiful sight to see an elder tree festooned with blossom and amateur winemakers will soon be looking to ferment and bottle elderflower ‘champagne’. Well-made, it is the most superior of all homemade wines.

The other benefit of these evening flowers is the vast number of different species of moth that rely on them for their nectar, and in turn offer a pollination service. I am pretty good at my butterfly identification but no expert on some of the beautiful and exotically named moths that can be seen at night. I know my cinnabar – a stunning small, red daytime moth whose caterpillars feed on groundsel – and the poplar hawkmoth – grey – and

AJ Selby heard a cuckoo for the first time in five years from his house last month

the elephant hawkmoth – pink and a yellow/brown – and the brown and white garden tiger, but not many more.

Years ago I went out one late, warm summer’s evening with an expert who had a lamp and a net and we caught many species –immediately released again once recorded – and I learnt a lot that night. I still have my notes and he identified the Heart and Dart, the Large Yellow Underwing, the Magpie moth, the Vapourer and the Common Quaker, among others. Moths often get overlooked – some of the bigger ones make people jump and, of course, those found indoors are usually after your carpets or your clothes. It’s time to learn more about these fascinating creatures.

My red letter day in May was hearing a cuckoo for the first time for over five years from my house, followed a week later by scaring one that was drinking from a puddle in a local back

lane. As I approached in my car it took off and, if you have seen cuckoos on the wing, you will know that its outline and flight pattern are unique. Along with hearing and seeing the cuckoo, I have noticed a lot of blackcaps this spring – that is to say, I have heard a lot of blackcaps – and seen quite a few. The downside is that I have yet to hear or see a willow warbler or a spotted flycatcher. Last summer I wrote about the little wildlife haven that is ‘Frog Hollow’, and I was delighted to hear and watch the song thrush that serenaded me from the tallest branch back again this year.

The countryside is in its finest green regalia at present and each time I crest a hill or cross a river I try and stop and just take it all in. If I am out in the car I have a pair of binoculars that give me an even better view – I can home in on some river birds or watch whatever is going on in the air. The red kites still make me stop and admire their forked tails and arched flight, and it never ceases to amaze me how meek the mighty buzzard is when chased by one or two carrion crows. You would think that it would easily fob off a couple of corvids but they dive-bomb the larger bird with impunity and chase it away. I have said it before and I will say it again –there is a lot to see and enjoy out there, but don’t walk too fast – stop and look and listen and you will be the better for the experience.

Fears-raised over bee-killing Asian hornet

GARDENERS, farmers and walkers have been asked to keep a lookout for Asian hornets, which experts fear are starting to become established in the UK.

A new Government heatmap shows that while the majority of sightings have been in the Kent area, the invasive species has also been detected in Dorset and West Hampshire. Unlike the European

Hornet, which grows up to 35mm long and is harmless to bees, the Asian variety systematically destroys hives and can kill up to 40 bees a minute.

So far in 2024, there have been no confirmed sightings in Dorset.

However, the county saw two nests destroyed in Christchurch and a further two in the New Forest in 2019, and

two nests were discovered in Portland last year.

Asian hornets are mainly black, smaller than European hornets and have a distinct yellow band near their sting, as well as legs that look as if they have been dipped in yellow paint.

To help people distinguish between the harmless European variety, the Government has a new app,

The Asian hornet systematically destroys bee hives

Asian Hornet Watch, for spotting and reporting, which can be downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores.

80 years since D-Day –and 30 years of the NCI

THIS year seems to be a year of anniversaries. Earlier in the year I wrote about the 200th anniversary of the RNLI, and when you read this article, we will have just commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Both our stations played a role during the Second World War and keeping watch on the morning of June 6 will be quite a poignant event remembering the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen who took part in what is still the largest amphibious landing ever to have taken place.

The Swanage Lookout, at Peveril Point, is situated above a coastal defence gun emplacement. The Royal Artillery soldiers on duty on June 5 would have witnessed the first 300 vessels to set sail from Poole, bound for the beaches of Normandy. The harbour went from packed to empty as the first of 22,000 troops left for Omaha Beach.

High above the sea, on the cliffs above Weymouth Bay, the coastguard on duty at St Alban’s Head would have seen a similar sight as ships left Portland Harbour to head to their mid-channel rendezvous point called “Piccadilly Circus”. Local people report, as young children, seeing and hearing the huge armada making its way along and over the Dorset coast. In the morning of June 6, the skies and seas were eerily quiet.

I have been lucky enough to meet and interview several D-Day veterans over the last few years and I have been humbled by their humility when they talked about what happened during the Normandy landings. They didn’t think of themselves as heroes and simply “did a job we had to do”. They often refer to the true heroes as being the men that didn’t come back. We owe their generation a

by Nick Reed

huge debt of honour for the sacrifices they made.

THE National Coastwatch Institution, or NCI as we are more commonly known, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Our first station opened in December 1994, at Bass Point, on the Lizard Point, in Cornwall. Like many of the maritime charities dedicated to protecting and looking after seafarers, NCI has its origin in a tragedy.

In early 1994 a fishing vessel capsized, with the loss of all its crew, within sight of the recently closed Coastguard Lookout Station at Bass Point. A group of volunteers, led by a

stations during the summer. The flag relay starts in Fleetwood, Lancashire, in early June, before making its way along the Welsh coast, across the Bristol Channel and into Somerset. After making its way through Cornwall and Devon, the flag will arrive at our station at Charmouth on July 13. It will then travel via the Lyme Bay Station at Burton Bradstock and NCI Portland before reaching St Alban’s Head on July 16. The St Alban’s volunteers will get the flag to Swanage on July 17, which will then pass the flag onto the last Dorset Station at Hengistbury Head. The flag, with all the current NCI stations listed on it, will continue its way along the coast before ending its journey in September at the most northerly station on the east coast in Filey, North Yorkshire.

recently retired ship’s pilot called Captain Starling Lark, met and organised the reopening of the station and NCI was born.

Bass Point was followed quickly by the Swanage Lookout, at Peveril Point, in April 1995, and later that year by our station at St Alban’s Head. We now have more than 60 stations staffed by 2,700-plus highly trained volunteers to keep a visual watch around the coastline of England and Wales, with more in the pipeline.

As part of our 30th anniversary celebrations each station is taking part in part in a 2,000plus miles relay where a special anniversary flag will travel anti-clockwise to each of the charity’s 60 coastal watch

The 5ftx3ft flag will be electronically tagged so people will be able to follow its progress around the coastline. Watch out for social media posts for how you can track the flag. We’re very grateful to Sirius Insight, a leader in information systems for safety and security at sea, for sponsoring the flag relay and providing support for NCI’s 30th anniversary.

When the flag relay has been completed, the flag will be taken to Trinity House in London where it will be received by NCI’s Royal Patron, HRH The Princess Royal. It will be installed in Trinity House for the duration of the NCI’s 30th anniversary year.

It’s up to each station to come up with novel ideas for how to get the flag to the next station and some of the ideas being discussed are boats and ferries, tractors and trailers, horse and carts, classic cars and by walking and running. We’re still planning our handovers and will be announcing them over the next month. We can reveal that Swanage Railway and the Studland Chain Ferry will be involved!

This is St Albans Head NCI and Swanage NCI, listening on channel 65, NCI out.

Illustrations showing the movement of boats on D-Day PHOTO : Medus Trust

The flag National Coastwathch is using for the anniversary relay

PHOTO: National Coastwatch Institution

Health & Wellbeing

by Daisy Campbell

WITHOUT knowing it, many of us allow fear to dictate our actions and thoughts on a daily basis. The desire to keep safe and out of danger is an important mechanism that is wired within us for good reason, but there are many moments when it seems to run out of control.

Yes, we live in a sometimes rather scary world which can feel overwhelming, and the need to shield and protect ourselves from it is understandable, but have we lost touch with when to really listen to it and when to push it to one side?

What is interesting, is that fear and excitement have a similar frequency. They both get the heart beating, but one makes you step back and the other makes you step forward.

We all know that feeling when something comes our way and a decision is needed. The mind, which is extremely powerful, kicks in and thinks of all the reasons we shouldn’t do it and why it wouldn’t make sense and how it might go wrong, but the heart lights up and a smile begins to form and we want to step forward.

Sadly, so often, certainly for me, we step back. We sink back into safety and feel deflated. Sound familiar?

So why is it that so much of the time we step back? Could it be that we don’t trust that it will be okay, that we will be exposed and vulnerable, not accepted? Do we not trust that we will be caught when we jump? When I

Getting on top of fear

look back at all the times when I have jumped, there hasn’t been one when I’ve fallen and wasn’t caught. It has always moved me on in an enriching way, instead of that awful feeling of being stuck and powerless.

I believe, as human beings, we intrinsically know what we need, if only we could just listen a bit more, and yes, it can be

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confusing working out what we really shouldn’t do and when we are just being fearful. But, if we can begin to get into the habit of at least noticing when we are allowing fear to rule and recognising the smile and urge to jump with excitement, it can allow us to begin to get on top of the fear and gain the courage to jump when we want to.

Sometimes it can help, when faced with a decision or opportunity, to try to take the

rational thoughts out and just observe what the body is doing and what it feels like. Does it make you feel excited and alive or does it make you feel bored and stuck?

Like anything you want to change or improve, it takes time, but the rewards are so wonderful when you begin to listen to the excitement and not the fear, and how life begins to open up in such unexpected ways.

So, when the heart patters and you want to step forward, but the fear kicks in, what will you choose?

n Daisy Campbell is a certified health coach. For gentle guidance and help to make changes, phone 07740 864 616 or email daisydundas@yahoo. com.

purbeckgazette.co.uk

Meditations in nature: Magnificent meadows

by Susanna Curtin

THE end of May and the beginning of June is one of the most satisfying times of the year for a nature lover. The leaves on the trees are a vibrant green, there are swathes of wildflowers that brighten up the hedgerows, and the countryside is sweet with birdsong. Everywhere you look there is new life.

Woodlands, ponds and meadows are all important habitats for this early summer bonanza. But after the bluebells and garlic of May’s woodlands and field margins, it is the buttercup meadows that now capture our hearts. Not only are they immensely beautiful to walk through, they are essential to our ecosystem and provide a home to a wide range of wildlife, particularly our pollinating insects, birds, amphibians and small mammals, and they urgently need protecting.

Meadows are defined by Plantlife as “a field where grasses and wildflowers are allowed to grow until they are cut for hay”. Traditionally, flower meadows were cut once a year in late July or August once they had set seed. They provided fodder for farm animals and were grazed from September. Meadows are not as central to agriculture as they once were, but they are nonetheless vital in many other ways. These magnificent wildflower micro-cities are an important and declining habitat that when allowed to flourish not only benefit wildlife, they benefit us, too.

Wildflower meadows are another tool in combatting climate change. Through photosynthesis, they can store 30% more carbon than a grass field and can slow down water-run-off and flooding. Sadly, since the 1930s, over 97% of wildflower meadows

have been lost. This equates to 7.5 million acres that are now intensely managed, regularly ploughed, sown and strewn with herbicides and pesticides. In the 1930s, a square metre of these once meadowlands would consist of at least 30 plant species, now you would be lucky to find six. Wildflowers lure the butterflies and offer us their beauty and diversity. They also attract insects which in turn provide food for other wildlife, particularly birds, bats and amphibians.

In the last 20 years, there has been a lot of scientific research and recognition that experiencing nature is good for us. Meadows, however small, or urban, provide us with a breathing space. They divert our attention from the mundane by their colour, and the movement and sounds of butterflies, crickets and bees – just looking at a wildlife meadow for six seconds can reduce your blood pressure, stress hormones and negative emotions.

The small meadow near me

has, unfortunately, been cut early this year due to an abundance of meadow sweet which the farmer wants eradicated. Although it is surrounded by housing and an industrial estate, and sits amid human activity, it is a haven for wildlife. Somehow, that makes cutting the meadow even sadder. It was looking resplendent with its tall meadow buttercups that painted the field in the brightest of

yellows. Walking past the empty meadow today, I recall a recent trip to record the butterflies of the Velebit mountains in Croatia. Having never visited before, I was astonished by the wildflower meadows and the abundance of life they contained. These were like our meadows of yesteryear – simply brimming and buzzing with life. I wonder if we can ever get them back. To try and help our wildflowers and pollinators, Plantlife developed the ‘No Mow May’ movement, encouraging us all to let our lawns and verges grow in May, so that flowers and insects can get a head start rather than subject them to the blades of modern machinery. Sometimes it is hard to let go of the controls, but then leaving nature to do its “thing” can bring immense pleasure.

n Dr Susie Curtin, email curtin. susanna@gmail.com.

Wildflower meadows are another tool in combatting climate change

Home & Garden

Of geraniums and pelargoniums...

by Sally Gregson

“WHEN is a geranium not a geranium? When it’s a pelargonium”. So runs the old quip. And it is true to say that this 18th century muddle over botanical naming still causes confusion today.

When pelargoniums started to arrive from South Africa in the early 18th century it was proposed that they be given a different generic name from geranium. Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, however thought different, and classified them both as ‘Geraniums’. Throughout the following century or so many more pelargonium species were introduced and new startling

colours were bred into the flowers and foliage.

Pelargoniums were the plants of the moment and were fixed in people’s minds as ‘geraniums’. There was little the botanists could do about separating the genera. Popular opinion had won. At least for a century or two.

In the meantime, our native cranesbill – Geranium pratense – grew with abandon along the roadside verges throughout June and July, and its soft blue flowers once inhabited the old meadows alongside cowslips, vetch and ladies bedstraw. The Elizabethan herbalist, John Gerard, and in the 17th century, John Parkinson, both grew the

white form of G. pratense and the delightfully splashed and striped G. pratense ‘Striatum’. And they are widely naturalised in the United States where they were undoubtedly taken by the early colonists.

The ‘bloody cranesbill’, G.sanguineum with its low mounds of bright magenta flowers, was commonly used as a wound herb to staunch the flow of blood from “ruptures or burstings”.

Over the centuries other geranium species have been introduced from North America, the Himalayas, Armenia and the Caucasus, and all have been crossed, bred and selected to provide 21st century gardeners

with increasing numbers of geranium cultivars – amenable plants that cover the ground with good foliage and lots of flower.

But it’s Geranium ‘Rozanne’, with its non-stop, white-hearted soft blue flowers that has won modern gardeners’ hearts. In 2013 the Royal Horticultural Society named it as the ‘Plant of the Century’, for its easy, floriferous habit. It’s a winner in any garden.

Geranium spinners

Poppies shining bright in the borders

by Sally Gregson

JUNE is perhaps the month when every gardener would like everything to pause – the sun is hot, the garden is at a high point and labour’s fruits are visible. All the spring planting has melded together to make a whole, the weeds are still suppressed by mulch, and rows of young vegetables are ready for the picking. In the borders, the Oriental poppies are sloughing off their bristly carapaces and unfolding their petals like crumpled silk handkerchiefs.

However, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to hide their remains once that flowering is over and the plant is cut down. In the past it was recommended to plant a later flowering perennial in the middle of a group of three oriental poppies, but in practice this presents a few problems. Quite often all that poppy foliage hid huge slugs and snails that would chomp their wicked way through the piggy in the middle, or, after two or three years, the poppies themselves would elbow the other plant out

altogether.

It is probably better to plant Oriental poppies singly, alongside something equally bossy, such as Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’ that will interweave and flower at the same time, or the later flowering Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, that seems to withstand slugs and poppy

foliage. Or try associating them with grasses – a nostalgic echo of poppy-strewn cornfields. If we have a modicum of rain, now is a good time to propagate oriental poppies. With a garden fork, lift the whole clump, young leaves and all. Separate out the different shoots and cut back their top growth by a half. Replant a sizeable chunk of the remaining poppy. It will be dying back anyway during the end of the summer.

Insert the divisions into individual pots of well-drained potting compost, cover the tops with a layer of grit and water them. Label each pot with the name and date for future information.

Then place the pots under the greenhouse bench, or in a cold frame, and keep them watered. They should have rooted within a few weeks and be ready to plant out by next spring.

LOCAL HANDYMAN AVAILABLE for both Indoor and Outdoor jobs. All jobs considered big or small. Mobile 07388 932670

The Oriental poppy Papaver ‘Patty’s Plum’

Motoring

It’s important to make all the checks before you buy a new vehicle

NEW data from Citizens Advice reveals the charity’s national Consumer Service last year received a complaint about a used car every three minutes.

Most of these – 66% –complaints were about defective goods, while 13% concerned safety issues.

With 3.5 million people across the country currently looking to buy a used car, Citizens Advice Dorset is sharing its top tips for motorists.

Daniel Cadisch, chief officer, Citizens Advice Central Dorset, said: “Unexpected car problems can cost us more than just money, they can leave people missing work or unable to drop their kids off at school.

“But all too often we hear from motorists who’ve had used cars mis-sold to them and have had to shell out hard-earned cash to fix surprise issues.

“Many of us across Dorset are feeling the pinch right now,

Word to the wise when you’re buying a new car

so it’s vital to make sure you’re steering clear of surprise problems and are getting exactly what you paid for when buying a used car.

“Before making a big purchase like a used car, don’t forget to brake, and make all the right checks before you buy.”

Citizens Advice Dorset offers its top tips to help put a stop to unexpected issues motorists might face when buying a used car.

Check the trader

If you’re buying from a trader – a business that sells cars – you should look for an established firm with a good reputation.

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You should arrange to view the car in daylight, preferably when it’s dry – it’s harder to spot damage to the car if it’s wet.

Paying for a used car

Ask questions if you’re unsure about anything in the small print.

Remember you can stop the deal if you feel like you’re being pressured into paying too much or buying additional features.

And make sure you get the original – not a photocopy – of the log book – the V5C registration certificate – and the valid MOT test document.

Never buy a car without the log book.

The way you pay will affect what rights you might have if something goes wrong:

Look for a garage that is a member of the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme, which means you can act through the Code Sponsor if something goes wrong.

If you’re buying from an individual seller, you’re entitled to expect that the vehicle is roadworthy, unless you and the seller clearly agree it is bought for scrap or for spares and repair.

Check the car’s history

You’ll need the seller’s permission to have the vehicle inspected.

Make sure to keep a copy of all inspections or checks, either by taking a screenshot or downloading the information.

Check the car’s details with the DVLA using its free online vehicle checker and check the MOT history on gov.uk.

Get a private history check – this might cost up to £20, but will give you valuable information about serious problems the car might have.

If you’re still not sure, get an independent report.

This will give you detailed information about the car’s condition and will cost around £120 to £250.

Inspect the car and take a test drive.

n If you pay by cash, there are no extra fees or interest, but if something goes wrong with the car you won’t have the protection you have if you buy using a card or on finance.

n If you use a debit card, you might have protection from problems from your provider’s chargeback scheme.

And if you use a credit card, you’re protected as long as you paid more than £100 and no more than £30,000, even if you only paid for a small part of the cost on a credit card - this is called ‘section 75’ protection.

n If you pay using finance arranged by a trader, you might have extra protection if there’s a problem later, because you can take action against the finance company as well as the trader – or instead of the trader.

You can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you have an unresolved complaint and have paid by debit card, credit card or using finance.

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone.

For free, confidential advice and support, call the Dorset Adviceline on 0800 144 8848 or visit www.citizensadvicedorset. org.uk for details of your nearest Citizens Advice.

Ethnic beauty

by Amy Brenan, director of Heirlooms Jewellers,

21 South Street, Wareham I LOVE it when I discover fascinating jewellery in my travels when carrying out valuations.

Recently I acquired some Thaler jewellery, which has a rich history and cultural significance.

Originating from Austria, the Thaler coin, a silver coin used across Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries, quickly became a standard currency throughout Europe due to its consistent weight and high silver content.

It was valued for monetary worth and also for its intricate designs, which often featured the likeness of emperors, monarchs and significant heraldic symbols.

The coin, about the same size as the old British crown, was used in the Middle East and Africa as tribal money and

became fashionable strung on necklaces.

The more coins that were on the necklace depicted the higher position in the tribe and became a bartering tool.

The practice of using the coins in jewellery design became particularly prominent in regions such as Austria and German-speaking areas, Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

The coins were often set in intricate filigree work or combined with other precious metals and gemstones, transforming them into exquisite pieces of wearable art.

The stunning collection I viewed, which dated from the 18th century, featured anklets, bracelets and necklaces, which were surprisingly heavy.

They were about to be put into auction by a local client who was a forensic archaeologist and had discovered these treasures when working in Africa where he had bought a mine.

Today, Thaler coin jewellery remains an intriguing collector’s item and a symbol of a bygone era.

Ring emanates beauty and ferocity

UPCOMING at Duke’s Auctioneers is the Fine Jewellery, Watches, Accessories, Wines and Spirits auction.

The auction, on Wednesday, June 12, offers a curated collection of exceptional variety, including treasures for long-time jewellery collectors and first-time buyers alike.

The five pillars of the auction, jewellery, watches,

This Cartier Lakarda Panethère ring – lot 67 – is estimated at £4,500–£6,500

accessories, wines and spirits, are each marked by pieces of high quality and exceptional beauty.

A highlight in the jewellery section is a Cartier Lakarda Panthere ring in 18ct white gold, designed as a stylised coiled panther.

It has eyes set with pear cut emeralds reposed above the nose set with carved onyx, the piece emanating beauty and ferocity, glistening in untarnished majesty.

It is estimated between £4,500-£,6,500.

More jewellery, watches, accessories, wines and spirits in the upcoming auction can be found on Duke’s website at dukes-auctions.com.

Business

Apprentices in spotlight at awards event

RISING stars of the business world were recognised for their excellence at the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards.

A trio of high-flyers were named as winners at a ceremony with dignitaries including the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, Angus Campbell, and special guest and keynote speaker Sonnaz Nooranvary.

Dorset Chamber joined forces with the Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network and sponsors Superior Ltd for the thirdannual celebration of apprentices in the workplace.

The winners and finalists were:

n Intermediate Apprentice of the Year: Winner: Sergejs Murnikovs from the Hendy Group (training provider, Calex); finalist: Jade Munden from the Dorset County Hospital (training provider, Weymouth College); finalist: Sonny Wilson from SG Contractor Accounting (training provider, Bournemouth and Poole College).

n Advanced Apprentice of the Year: Winner: Ellie Hubble from the Redtale Group (training provider, Weymouth College); finalist: Mia Allum from Draken (training provider, the Resource Group); finalist:

Erin Cutler from Yunex Traffic (training provider, Bournemouth and Poole College).

n Higher and Degree

Apprentice of the Year: Winner: Elliott Smith from Draken (training provider Bournemouth University and Bournemouth and Poole College); finalist: Vladislavs Dunders from Parvalux (training provider, Bournemouth and Poole College and Bournemouth University); finalist: Abigail Turner from Christchurch Hospital (training provider Bournemouth University).

Winners were announced at the award ceremony at manufacturing firm Superior’s Academy in Ferndown.

Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling said: “Apprentices are the lifeblood of our businesses.

“They form the next generation of business leaders and judging by the talent, commitment and excellence demonstrated by our winners and finalists, the future is in safe hands.

“Judging was incredibly difficult and richly deserved congratulations go to all of our winners for their success, as well as all of the finalists for showing just how valuable and important apprenticeships are.”

Winners of the 2024 Dorset Apprenticeship Awards with dignitaries (from left) Rod Davis (Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network); guest speaker Sonnaz Nooranvary; Superior Ltd managing director Tim Brown; Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling, Advanced Apprentice of the Year winner Ellie Hubble (Redtale Group), Intermediate Apprentice of the Year Sergejs Murnikovs (Hendy Group), Higher and Degree Apprentice of the Year Elliott Smith (Draken) and HM Lord Lieutenant of Dorset Angus Campbell.

This year’s competition had a record number of entries.

Keynote speaker and former Sunseeker International Ltd apprentice Sonnaz is the resident upholstery expert on the hit BBC 1 TV show The Repair Shop. She also has her own home interiors brand, House of Sonnaz.

Other dignitaries at the event included Superior Ltd’s managing director, Tim Brown; Rod Davis from Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network (DSTPN); Councillor Terry Cordery, Mayor of Ferndown; Cllr Vicky Slade, Leader of BCP Council; as well as senior representatives of Dorset education providers.

Intermediate Apprentice of the Year, Sergejs Murnikovs, is on an automotive technician intermediate programme with the Hendy Group.

He impressed judges with his “commitment and his professional approach” and was described by his manager as

someone who will be “top of the tree in his field of expertise” in a few years.

Advanced Apprentice of the Year Ellie Hubble is an administrator with Dorchesterbased Redtale Group where she is taking a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. Judges were impressed by her contribution to the business, her professional success and personal achievements in her role. Her manager said Ellie shows maturity and professionalism in her work at the company.

Higher and Degree Apprentice of the Year Elliott Smith, from Draken, is taking a degree level apprenticeship in aerospace engineering.

His manager said that Elliott’s journey at Draken “has been remarkable, consistently exceeding expectations and demonstrating excellence and diligence”.

The Dorset Apprenticeship Awards were free to enter.

Cafe wins best new business accolade

THE Little Pickle at the Mill café team are celebrating after winning Best New Business of the Year in the Wimborne Business Awards. The cafe started trading last year in its riverside location at Walford Mill, the

town’s Grade II listed arts and crafts venue.

Co-owner, Andrew Spong, said: “We are so excited about being part of the developing community at Walford Mill, in Wimborne’s most beautiful spot.”

Brewery moves to new home

by editor@dorsetbiznews. co.uk

AN expanding brewery in Dorset has raised a glass to the future with a 10-year lease on a warehouse which has been transformed into a production centre and tap room.

In a deal through property consultancy Vail Williams, Eight Arch Brewing Co signed up to 5,748 sq ft of space at Unit 1, Stone Lane Industrial Estate, Wimborne.

Following a six-figure investment in equipment and fittings, part of the ground floor has been converted into a high-tech brewery, with a tap room for customers on Fridays and Saturdays at specified times, and seating areas inside and out.

Eight Arch Brewing Co, named after the eight arches at nearby historical landmark Julian’s Bridge in Wimborne Minster, relocated from smaller nearby premises.

commitment to Wimborne.

“This is our third brewery in Stone Lane during 10 years of Eight Arch with each move prompted by growing demand for our products and because of the popularity of our Tap Room.

“The founding of Eight Arch represented the first time in 80 years that an independent brewery had made and sold beer in the town.

“We’ve had an incredibly warm welcome from the local community since moving in and look forward to striking up more supplier partnerships with pubs, clubs and restaurants which champion ‘buy local’ and are also looking to reduce transport emissions and costs.”

Vail Williams, which has its Dorset office in Bournemouth, advises on the commercial property interests of family-run housebuilder Harry J Palmer Ltd.

Founded by brewer Steve Farrell in 2015, the business, which has pale ale Square Logic as a best seller, employs five people and sells beer primarily in and around the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation.

The detached two-storey building, with a mezzanine floor and previously occupied by emporium Toad Hall, is owned through the commercial property arm of Harry J Palmer Ltd, the Wimborne-based property developer.

Steve said: “We are a Wimborne brewery owned and run by a Wimborne born and bred guy and we want to continue to grow from our Wimborne home.

“This signing of the 10-year lease on our new premises underlines our long-term

awards in regional and national competitions held by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

According to SIBA figures,

there were 1,815 active brewers in the UK at the beginning of this year, with 211 in the south west, generating employment for 10,000-plus people.

Bryony Thompson, a Vail Williams’ Associate working out of the consultancy’s Bournemouth office, said: “The vacant warehouse at Stone Lane Industrial Estate serves as the ideal expansion location for Eight Arch Brewing Co.

“Steve and his team have worked tirelessly to create bigger and better premise for their national award-winning beers and Tap Room.

May Palmer, of Harry J Palmer Ltd, which was established in 1938 in Wimborne and is a member of Dorset Chamber, said: “It’s lovely to see new life breathed into the vacant warehouse, creating new jobs, inward investment and doing our home town proud.”

Eight Arch Brewing Co produces hop-forward pale ales to full-bodied stouts, winning

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In the picture (from left) May Palmer of Harry J Palmer Ltd; Steve Farrell, brewer and founder of Eight Arch Brewing Co; and Bryony Thompson, a Vail Williams Associate.

Levellers going acoustic with songs old and new

THE Levellers Collective will be playing Lighthouse in Poole next spring as part of a 17-date tour.

The tour, along with a live album and DVD, follows two highly acclaimed acoustic tours and albums in recent years.

Bassist Jeremy Cunningham said: “We can’t wait for people to see this side of our band again, if they haven’t already.

“We’ve tried to pick classic venues, appropriate to the nature of the show, where we’re going to be flexing our musical muscles with stuff

that’s really hard to play, but really rewarding at the same time. The ying to our electric

The Collective live shows and albums came about after

the Levellers decided to do something a bit different with their extensive back catalogue in 2018.

Together with members of fellow Brighton group The Moulettes, they went on to record two albums radically reworking their songs – with producers John Leckie – We The Collective – and Sean Lakeman – Together All The Way.

The new acoustic arrangements of those Levellers songs, old and new, can now also be seen and heard on a new live album and DVD, recorded in 2023 at London’s iconic Hackney Empire.

The Levellers Collective –above – play on Thursday, March 20 – for tickets visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk or phone 01202 280000.

Guitar legend’s music lives on

THE music of Paul Kossoff, featuring songs from Free and Back Street Crawler, will be celebrated in a concert at the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne later this month.

Kossoff, one of the greatest British Blues guitarists, tragically passed away at the tender age of 25 in 1976.

Singer Terry Slesser, the voice of Kossoff’s critically acclaimed post-Free band Back Street Crawler, and a close friend of Kossoff, has kept his memory and his music alive.

Slesser has chosen the guitarist John Buckton to play a series of special dates

reviving for the first time since the 1970s the catalogue of Back Street Crawler songs, as well as favourite Free numbers.

The line-up also includes bass guitarist John ‘Rhino’ Edwards (Status Quo), drummer Clive Edwards (UFO, Wild Horses, Pat

Travers) and highly respected keyboard player Mark Taylor (Elton John, Simple Minds, The Alarm).

Kossoff: The Band Plays On, is in Wimborne on Thursday, June 20, at 7.30pm – tickets are available from www.tivoliwimborne.co.uk or phone 01202 885566.

Leading sculptor’s works at gardens

ABBOTSBURY Subtropical Gardens has welcomed a new sculpture collection with the installation of two pieces by leading contemporary sculptor, Simon Gudgeon.

Visitors to the Subtropical Gardens can now see two of Simon’s most celebrated bronze sculptures, Reflection and Geranos, in situ.

Simon Gudgeon has attained worldwide recognition, and Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens joins an impressive line-up of high-profile locations which display his work, including Hyde Park, Kew Gardens and the National

Museum of Wildlife Art in the USA.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens curator, David Pearce, said:

“We are very excited to be hosting Simon’s sculptures on display in the garden.

“His unique perception of nature balances perfectly with the design and feel of the Subtropical Gardens, combining art and landscape harmoniously.”

smooth finish that captures the essence of spirit and nature.

Reflection and Geranos showcase Simon’s signature

His minimalist, semi-abstract forms depict both movement and emotion, and complement the carefully curated floral arrangements of Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens.

Simon said: “I am delighted to see Reflection and Geranos installed at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens.

“Sculpture can uplift and

enhance its surroundings, and the landscape at Abbotsbury provides an incredible space and mix of flora and fauna to elevate the experience created by the artwork, too.”

Simon is also co-founder of Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester, which is internationally acclaimed as one of only nine accredited botanic gardens in the UK.

The park offers visitors a tranquil, retreat-like experience across its entire site through its carefully curated collection of exclusive artworks, landscaped gardens and high quality facilities.

yang!”

The Levellers Collective are coming to Lighthouse Poole

Festival to soothe the soul

THEATRE, storytelling, music and dance are promised at the Labyrinth Arts Festival on the outskirts of Wimborne Minster this summer.

The new festival is promising a programme of live arts suitable for all ages that will showcase the best of local and national talent.

“At its heart, our festival is

a true celebration of live performance,” said festival director Maryanna Clarke.

“We want revellers to come, relax and immerse themselves in fantastic performances by professional artists that will stir the imagination and soothe your soul.

“This will be an opportunity for people to reconnect with

Best of British folk

ONE of England’s premier folk groups, The Unthanks, are coming to Lighthouse Poole towards the end of the year. They will be touring their latest album, In Winter, stopping off in Poole on Monday, December 16.

Tickets and information are available at www. lighthousepoole.co.uk or phone 01202 280000.

Andre in tribute to one of the greats

NINETIES pop star Peter Andre is coming to Lighthouse Poole in the Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at the start of next year as part of a major UK theatre tour.

The show is a high-pitched celebration of timeless music from one of the biggest selling

nature as well as one another and – most importantly – have lots of fun!”

The festival runs from Friday to Sunday, July 12-14, with day and weekend tickets, and on-site camping available.

Festival prices are: Adult day ticket, £40; children’s day ticket, £15; adult weekend ticket, £105; children’s

weekend ticket, £35; weekend family ticket, four people, £260 – booking fees apply.

The exact festival location disclosed when booking.

groups of all time.

It will include favourite Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons songs such as Sherry, My Eyes Adored You, Big Girls Don’t Cry, and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.

The band features a supporting cast of performers from smash-hit awardwinning West End musicals.

The Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is at Lighthouse Poole on Friday, January 31 – for tickets and information visit www. lighthousepoole.co.uk or phone 01202 280000.

Diary entries are £6 plus VAT per entry, per month. The deadline for the June 24 issue is NOON on June 17 Call on 01963 400186 or email adverts@blackmorevale.net

JUNE 2024

Please call prior to attending events listed to ensure they are still on.

For more information, visit www.oldschoolplayerstheatre. co.uk/labyrinthartsfestival, and for tickets go to www.fixr.co/ event/labyrinth-arts-festival2024-tickets-959611605. 19:30 WAREHAM CHORAL SOCIETY. Lady St.Mary Church, Wm. Till 9.30. New singers always welcome. 01202 632678. warehamchoral@gmail.com

SATURDAY

18:30 WHIST DRIVE AT ST MARY’S CHURCH, Rectory Classroom, Swanage. Every Saturday. Tea and coffee provided. Very friendly group. Contact Richard: 01929 553516

19:30 DORSET COUNTY ORCHESTRA SUMMER CONCERT. Sat 15th June, 7.30pm at St Marys Church, Swanage. £15 Tilly Whims or £17 on the Door. www. ticketsource.co.uk/dorset-county-orchestra

Arts & Entertainment

Marty, the singer who missed out on meeting Elvis

by Lorraine Gibson

IN the mid-1950s, teenage singer-songwriter Marty Wilde was hoping to hit the big time with his skiffle band when he suddenly discovered rock ‘n’ roll.

Inspired by the unusual sound and appearance of a maverick young American performer called Elvis Presley, he changed music paths and wound up a pioneer of Britain’s early rock ‘n’ roll scene.

Now 85 and the only UK performer of that age still writing, producing and playing songs live, he’s currently touring nationwide and remains an Elvis fan, crediting Presley with transforming his

early career.

“Elvis was the reason I got into rock ‘n’ roll,” said Marty, who missed out on meeting his hero due to the success of his own record.

“I was invited to meet him in Germany – his bodyguard, Lamar Fike, fixed it up.

“I was all ready to go, but I had to promote Bad Boy, my first self-penned hit, and my agent said: ‘I’m sorry Marty, but we’ve got to plug this single, we need it to go up the charts.’

“So, I didn’t get to see him.”

Still, he channelled the King’s style, not just musically but visually, too.

Kids loved it, the older generation not so much, and a

Fairytale opera

OPERA in a Box promises to blow away the preconceptions some people have about opera when it stages Hansel & Gretel in Lytchett Matravers.

The touring company aims to take opera to as wide an audience as possible and eight singers and musicians will perform in English.

The singers have also performed with companies including Bath Opera, Bristol Opera and Welsh National

Youth Opera, and in venues from The Theatre Royal and Bath to Glyndebourne.

First performed in 1893, Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel retells the timeless fairytale of two siblings lost in the forest.

It is at Lytchett Matravers village hall on Sunday, June 30, at 7pm, in association with Artsreach. More information and tickets are available from 07795 467666 or online at www.artsreach.co.uk.

Wham to Symphonica

TRIBUTE artiste Wayne Dilks and his band will pay tribute to the late George Michael in a show at The Regent in Christchurch later this month.

The George Michael Legacy will celebrate the superstar’s 35-year career with songs from his Wham days up to his final album, Symphonica.

Wayne, a George Michael tribute artist for over 20 years, is in Christchurch on Saturday, June 15, at 7.30pm – for tickets visit www.theregent.co.uk or phone 01202 499199.

reporter at the time told Marty that rock ‘n’ roll would never last.

Nearly 70 years later, he’s written a new song called Talkin’ ‘Bout Elvis for his latest EP.

It’s a satisfyingly raspy, bluesy country homage to Elvis and how he inspired him to change his style.

Marty sings of how he’s never forgotten the man he calls “the greatest in this whole, damn world.”

So, while some octogenarians are retired and taking things easy, Marty’s showcasing his still impressive voice and guitar playing. He will be playing in Wimborne in December.

Marty Wilde will be playing in Wimborne later this year

Opera in a Box wants to take opera to

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